Speaker Schedule for BizCamp at the Taylor Institute

Here’s the final Schedule for BizCamp Speakers.

We’re very excited by the great group of presenters speaking August 19-20 — next week (yikes!  it came up quick didn’t it?)

Thanks to support from Sanctuary Media Group, registration is now only $25.Right now we have 50+ attendees joining us, we hope you can find something that appeals to your interest here and join us as well.

We’re working to get the full program out this weekend so you can see detail about each presentation.

We’re working to get the full program out this weekend so you can see detail about each presentation.

THURSDAY:

Who	Company	Session Starts	ROOM	Topic
Sean Fremon	Cole Industries	9:00 AM	564	Growing Your Company Rapidly– David vs. Goliath (when you are David)
Ivana Taylor	DIY Marketers	10:00 AM	564	The Best Power DIY Marketing Tips for Entrepreneurs:  Do These and Attract More Customers, More Fun and More Profits
Michael Feuer	Max-Ventures / Max-Wellness	11:00 AM	564	Keynote Address from the Founder of OfficeMax & Max-Wellness
Jason Jividen	Sanctuary Media Group	12:30 PM	564	Web Marketing for Small Business: A Step by Step Guide
Mike Sheehan	Michael Sheehan	1:30 PM	564	Linking Your Way To Business Dominance
James Orwig	AXA Advisors	1:30 PM	561	Finance: Small Business Protection Strategies
Rob Felber	Felber & Felber Marketing	2:45 PM	561	How to Get the Media to Pay Attention and What to Do Once They Do
Roger Emerson	Emerson & Thompson	4:00 PM	561	Intellectual Property Primer
Brian Schuller	WolrdVentures	4:00 PM	564	How to choose the right home based business

FRIDAY:

Who	Company	Session Starts	ROOM	Topic
Jim Kukral	Award Winning Author & Blogger	9:00 AM	564	How to use attention-getting online marketing to generate sales
Ron McDaniel	Buzzoodle	10:00 AM	564	Attracting Targeted Leads with Blogs
Anita Campbell	Small Business Trends	11:00 AM	564	How I Went to 44,000 followers on Twitter
Diane Helbig	Seize the Day Coaching	12:30 PM	564	Clarity of Course: Leadership That Gets Result
Bill Kirk	Single Number Communications	1:30 PM	561	Why traditional phone lines/fax machines may not be the best fit for the Soloprenuer/Home based business
Carol Smith	Midwest Research, LLC	1:30 PM	564	Users, Usability and the User Experience
Ron Finklestein	Akris Inc.	2:45 PM	564	Six Questions Your Prospects Want Answered BEFORE They Buy From You
Matt Minarik	Hi-Q Group	2:45 PM	561	How to Generate Leads by IBM’s number one lead generator”
Sergio Carano	Sergio A. Carano, Esq	4:00 PM	564	The Legal Issues Confronting Your Business: From Formation To Your First Hire and Fire

Anita Campbell To Speak at BizCamp at the Taylor Institute

Anita Campbell joins BizCamp for the 2nd year in a row. Join her again August 19-20 as we host BizCamp at the Taylor Institute.

Her presentation last year was standing room only.

Widely considered a “small business expert,” Anita Campbell serves as CEO of Anita CampbellAssociates Ltd, a woman-owned consulting firm helping companies and organizations reach the small business market. As Publisher of several online media properties and syndicated content, Anita reaches over 1,000,000 small business owners and entrepreneurs annually.  She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Small Business Trends, an award-winning online publication.

A respected speaker and emerging trends resource, Ms. Campbell’s expertise has been noted or her opinion quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, Inc Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, CIO Magazine, Entrepreneur Radio, BusinessTVChannel.com, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Francisco Chronicle, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Akron Beacon Journal, Boston Globe, CRM Buyer, and countless trade publications, websites, podcasts and more.

Her popular website, Small Business Trends , is regularly noted as a rich informational resource. In 2005 and again in 2008 the site won the Forbes “Best of the Web” distinction for small business blogs. The site also has been highlighted or profiled in the Wall Street Journal (2007), on MSNBC’s “Your Business” show as Website of the Week, twice in the New York Times (2005 and 2008), and was a CODIE 2007 Finalist.

How to use attention-getting online marketing to generate sales – Jim Kukral

BizCamp at the Taylor Institute is proud to welcome Jim Kukral. Jim will be one of the 18 speakers presenting at this year’s BizCamp on the University of Akron campus August 19-20. Seats are limited – register now to secure your seat.

Jim was so great last year – we had to ask him to join us again.

Jim’s presentation this year:  How to use attention-getting online marketing to generate sales, leads and publicity for your business.

Learn from Jim the simple, yet effective techniques and tactics for how to turbo-charge your sales, leads and publicity for your business.

Jim Kukral is a web marketer & business web coach, speaker, long-time award-winning blogger, customer evangelist, writer, online monetization expert, and well, a bunch of other things. When Jim isn’t speaking or consulting to top Fortune 500 clients, Jim spends his business hours as the owner of Scratchback.com, a widget-based tipping system that thousands of bloggers and webmasters use daily. 

For over 15-years, Jim Kukral has helped small businesses and large companies like Fedex, Sherwin Williams, Ernst & Young and Progressive Auto Insurance understand how find success on the Web. Jim is the author of the book, “Attention! This Book Will Make You Money”, as well as a professional speaker, blogger and Web business consultant. Find out more by visiting www.JimKukral.com. You can also follow Jim on Twitter @JimKukral.

Event Sponsors:
The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at the University of Akron
Serviced Office and Meeting Space Provider – Office Space Coworking based in Akron, OH
Online Marketing Experts – Sanctuary Media Group based in Akron, OH

Keen Insight: 3 Tips for Seeing What Isn’t There

As business managers, we’re trained to provide feedback to employees, partners and customers. In our business culture, many have taken the polite way to praise others – be it regarding elements of a relationship, a product, a piece of work or even a meeting. These are beneficial skills that many of us have mastered.While it’s important to understand what IS there — one of the key skills you should master is assessing what ISN’T there. What questions aren’t being answered? What did you expect that you aren’t getting? Being able to articulate what isn’t there is as important as assessing the quality of what you DO see.

As business owners and leaders, we are always looking to be more successful – however you define success. By growing out side of your comfort zone and essentially “flipping things upside down” you will be providing feedback to others that is truly more than just reinforcing praise – it is constructive input that will continue to build your relationship and their output.
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Tapping Young Minds: The New Resource for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, you are likely running your own show or have a couple of good employees to rely on. What you’ve probably learned is that good people are in short supply. Whatever your situation, you likely need more resources, but might be strapped by finances to invest in full-time help.

But knowledgeable, motivated and affordable resources may not be as far off as you think. In every business college – whether in undergraduate or graduate programs – there is always a class on entrepreneurship. Most likely, you’ve even taken that class! Now it’s time to tap into these bright young minds.

Business students can actually serve as an extension of your company through an ongoing assignment that meets your business need. Not only are they willing, they are more than able. Their idealism may help inspire you to see what is possible and similarly, you can share your real-world experience to help them learn.

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Thinking ‘Small’: Why Bigger Ain’t Better

We’ve all heard the saying, “Bigger is better.” Or is it?

In relation to companies, big has mattered. Big companies are associated with wealthy Fortune 500 conglomerates where value can be added due to large numbers of employees making functions more efficient. Such economies of scale made sense for growth’s sake. Small startups were traditionally always encouraged to get big quickly, primarily because large companies can go public and acquire more capital. Fancy stuff.

Yet, interestingly enough, small businesses are the backbone of the economy. The U.S. Small Business Administration says that small businesses create two of every three new jobs, produce 39% of the gross national product, and invent more than half the nation’s technological innovation. Simply because you operate a small company doesn’t mean you are unimportant.
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Staying Sane: Being Productive, Even in the Slow Times

So you just submitted a big proposal to a prospective client who could really make a difference for your business. If this one comes through, it could make your year – or at least it could cover your payroll for the next few months. You are naturally patient, understanding that it will take time for your prospective client to consider your proposal and potentially review competitors’ proposals.

Rather than waste this “waiting time” with busy work, why not make the most of it? Avoid going stir crazy – by making your time as productive as possible, you’ll feel better and you’ll likely be moving your business forward by acquiring new leads or cultivating existing ones.

Tips for Tapping into Time

We’ve outlined some key tasks that will not only make you feel productive, they will actually produce results. From contacting prospects to getting your business organized, the following tips are all key investments in your business and future.

Schedule a minimum of two hours a day for phone calling

Make your phone calls in the morning while you are your referrals are both fresh and alert, treating this time as you would any important appointment. Your objective for your calls is to create interst, gather data and make an appointment. You’ll feel good when you can get those parts completed.

Call your best customers

When’s the last time you talked to them? They are your best business asset, so invest time into them. A simple phone call is always appreciated. See how they’re doing, what’s new and if there’s anything you can do for them (and don’t forget to record new information into a customer profile!)

Go to industry or association events

Usually, networking activities are the first thing to go when we get busy. Now that you have some space, get up and get out. Talking to people – whether colleagues or potential clients – is not only good business relationship management, but a welcome social outlet.

Work on your customer database

Now is the time to start recording all of the interactions, phone calls and lists that have been either stored in your mind or on disparate pieces of paper. Taking the time to organize in a database (Microsoft Excel or Access are completely sufficient) will pay off in the long run.

So, did you get the call back? If it’s a good answer, great! If not, don’t take rejection personally. It is to be anticipated and is a natural part of the selling process. Learn from it by using it as a valuable feedback tool and keep persevering!

Making Ideas “Stick”

Over the years, numerous business ideas, philosophies and approaches have flooded our world, particularly with the proliferation of the Internet. But what makes one idea catch on with the masses and others fall to the wayside?

“Made to Stick,” by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, is an attempt to explain this peculiar fact and many others like it. Why is it that some ideas “stick,” remaining vivid in memory and calling on people to act, whereas others just fade away? Is it in the nature of the ideas themselves, or does it have something to do with how they are “packaged”? And if the latter, are there lessons to be learned about packaging that will help people who are trying to influence public opinion and action?

The brothers – who are experts in organizational behavior — have written a book that lays out the six core ingredients and illustrates them with powerful examples. A useful mnemonic device, the components are organized by the acronym “SUCCES.” To stick, ideas should be Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotion-evoking and entrenched in Stories.

We’ve provided a brief overview of the book and these six basic principles:

Principle 1: Simplicity
How do we find the essential basis of our ideas? To narrow an idea down to its core, we must prioritize and narrow thoughts. Saying something short is not the goal. You need a one-sentence statement so insightful that a person could spend a lifetime learning to follow it.

Principle 2: Unexpectedness
How do we get our audience to pay attention to our ideas, and how do we maintain their interest when we need time to get the ideas across? We need to be counterintuitive. We can engage people’s curiosity over a long period of time by systematically “opening gaps” in their knowledge- and then filling those gaps.

Principle 3: Concreteness
How do we make our ideas clear? We must explain our ideas in terms of human actions, in terms of sensory information. This is where so much business communication goes awry. Mission statements, synergies, strategies, visions-they are often ambiguous to the point of being meaningless. Speaking concretely is the only way to ensure that our idea will mean the same thing to everyone in our audience.

Principle 4: Credibility
How do we make people believe our ideas? Sticky ideas have to carry their own credentials. We need ways to help people test our ideas for themselves-a “try before you buy” philosophy for the world of ideas. When we’re trying to build a case for something, most of us instinctively grasp for hard numbers. But really, the goal is to ask help people ask questions that inspire them to think how an idea might apply to them on a personal level.

Principle 5: Emotions
How do we get people to care about our ideas? We make them feel something. Statistics usually don’t elicit emotions. We are wired to feel things for people, not for abstractions. Sometimes the hard part is finding the right emotion to harness.

Principle 6: Stories
How do we get people to act on our ideas? We tell stories. Research shows that mentally rehearsing a situation helps us perform better when we encounter that situation in the physical environment. Similarly, hearing stories acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.

To read further, visit www.madetostick.com.

Finding the Elusive Balance

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.”-Cesare Pavese

Long, long ago, employees worked from 9-5, Monday through Friday. Sure, there were occasional exceptions, but most of the time, the boundaries between home and work lives were clear.

Those were the days.

The world certainly has changed, and in many ways has made our lives easier with technological advances making our lives more efficient. But at the same time, the boundaries between work and home are blurrier for many workers, especially if you own your own business and/or work from home. The challenge ahead for many of us is to strike that balance to create the meaningful moments in both our work and home lives that keep us going.

By strict definition, work-life balance is a person’s control over the conditions in their workplace. It is accomplished when an individual feels dually satisfied about their personal life and their paid occupation. It mutually benefits the individual, business and society when a person’s personal life is balanced with his or her own job. The work-life balance strategy offers a variety of means to reduce stress levels and increase job satisfaction in the employee while enhancing business benefits for the employer. In our increasingly hectic world, the work-life strategy seeks to find a balance between work and play.

It isn’t easy to juggle the demands of career and personal life. For most people, it’s an ongoing challenge to reduce stress and maintain harmony in key areas of their life. Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that’s best for you:

• Keep a log. Track everything you do for one week. Include work-related and non-work-related activities. Decide what’s necessary and satisfies you the most. Cut or delegate activities you don’t enjoy, don’t have time for or do only out of guilt. If you don’t have the authority to make certain decisions, talk to your supervisor.
• Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Doing one or two loads of laundry every day rather than saving it all for your day off, and running errands in batches rather than going back and forth several times are good places to begin. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic.
• Rethink your cleaning standards. An unmade bed or sink of dirty dishes won’t impact the quality of your life. Do what needs to be done and let the rest go.
• Fight the guilt. Remember, having a family and a job is okay — for both men and women.
• Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music. Unwind after a hectic workday by reading, practicing yoga or taking a bath or shower.
• Set aside one night each week for recreation. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
• Get enough sleep. There’s nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you’re sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but you can also make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
• Read up on it. Some good resources are “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” by Dale Carnegie.

How To Hire & Manage Interns

Small businesses in Northeast Ohio  – and across America, for that matter – have long used college student interns and recent grads as a helpful, low-cost human resource. Student interns are capable, motivated and – if well managed – highly valuable to your business. A great number of high school, college, graduate and vocational school students are eager to take advantage of the real-world business opportunities offered to them by local businesses — during the entire academic year and not just during the summer months.

With the University of Akron, Walsh University,  Malone College, and Kent State (Stark)  just down the road, local businesses access to a huge pool of talent.

An increasing number of students today are capable of far more than just clerical work. Many can competently handle complex projects in such areas as finance, public relations, event planning and Web site design/development. And, many students choose internships at small companies instead of larger ones because of the hands-on experience they can get.

The trick is the “well-managed” part. Small businesses too often hire interns without a plan. Success with interns requires finding the right people and creating a system that cultivates interns’ capabilities.

Creating Your Intern Program

Interns can help you and your employees be more productive by freeing up their time – all while providing valuable learning experiences for the intern. Take an inventory of substantive work you need done. Ask other employees what tasks an intern could perform – especially those “back burner” things that nobody else has time to complete. There are many things that interns can help with – however, to make it a mutually beneficial experience, consider setting up some of these tasks: Interns can help you and your employees be more productive by freeing up their time – all while providing valuable learning experiences for the intern. Take an inventory of substantive work you need done. Ask other employees what tasks an intern could perform – especially those “back burner” things that nobody else has time to complete. There are many things that interns can help with – however, to make it a mutually beneficial experience, consider setting up some of these tasks:

• identify prospects
• pursue business leads
• write or send press releases
• plan events
• identify news media for publicity
• prepare award submissions
• do Web research on your industry or competitors
• refresh Web site content
• assist with presentations, design charts, graphs and posters
• recruit the next interns

Getting Started

To help get you started, we’ve compiled some key steps to launching and managing your intern program:

1. Attract candidates by posting internship positions online. Some internship sites let you post positions for free, others have small per/month charges for a listing. Employers can also post internship positions at Internships.com where a month-long listing is $10.
2. Contact the internship/career offices of local high schools, colleges, universities, vocational schools and graduate schools. Internship coordinators help match students’ abilities with employers’ needs.
3. Assign someone in your business (it may just be you) to have overall responsibility for your internship program, and be allotted the time and resources to properly manage it.
4. Determine if you have adequate workspace with access to computers and other tech tools.
5. Interns need a clear sense of guidance and structure, as they may be in a business for the first time. Schedules, work plans and deadlines will help.
6. Documentation is very important for effective learning to take place. It is strongly advisable that an employer and intern create mutually agreed upon learning objectives.

Using interns in your organization can result in many benefits. It is important to do some careful planning before creating your internship program. You can be sure to continue recruiting from your pool of internship candidates and foster positive public relations by implementing an effective, thorough internship program.

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