Ever wanted to learn about all the various marketing options out there, but without being subject to any high-pressure selling tactics? If so, this is your opportunity. Come to the Media Trade Show to be held on Tuesday, August 31, sponsored by the Lynchburg Retail Merchants Association, the SBDC, and various other local sponsors. Learn from the experts on how to market your business for the holidays, and beyond.

Meet your local radio, newspaper, TV, and print media partners, all under one-roof and in a matter of just a few hours. Hear what they have to say and then YOU decide on the media that fits your business best. There will be no selling, this will be a strictly informational and educational tradeshow.

Please check out the RMA website for more info at: www.lynchburgRMA.com or call (434) 528-1732.

I admit, I used to cringe when I heard the term social media—this was less than a year ago! However I soon realized that in order for me to help my small business clients best, I had to conquer this thing and “learn social media.”

Here are my Top 10 lessons learned in my foray into social media which I hope will be helpful to other technically intrepid souls like myself:

Lesson 1:  You don’t have to conquer all forms of social media all at once. If you’re a good writer, consider starting a blog. If you’re the laidback relaxed type, begin with a Facebook page for your business. If you’re the visual/creative type, try YouTube videos.

Lesson 2:  Social media keeps your business front and center with customers and potential customers. What better way to send out updates and messages about your business offerings (directly and subliminally) onto your customers’ computer screens… almost on a daily basis?!!

Lesson 3:  It personalizes you and your business. People like to do with business with those they "know". If you don’t want your customers to know all about your personal life, be sure to create a Facebook fan page or Twitter profile especially for your business (separate from your personal profile).

Lesson 4:  Social media is not just for the “young” set. Guess what? Facebook's fastest growing demographic is women aged 55+, while the 35 to 54 demographic is Facebook's largest, representing more than 30 percent of the entire user base.

Lesson 5:  All it really takes is 10-15 minutes a day, or even less. You don’t need a huge chunk of time to dabble in social media. Set aside a few minutes a day, or even a few minutes a week, to help you get started. 

Lesson 6:  Don’t let it dominate your schedule; budget your time wisely. Don’t let Facebook take over your life! (Because it will, if you let it.). Stick to your timeframe.

Lesson 7:  It helps with clarity. Twitter only allows 140 characters. If you can’t tweet something, it probably needs clarity and re-thinking. Clarity helps in holding people’s (and your customers’) attention.

Lesson 8:  Social media is a give-and-take process and it takes time to build trust. Respond to other people’s posts, comments, and share information with and from others. They’ll return the favor down the road.

Lesson 9:  It is not a popularity contest. Social media levels the playing field and everybody is “in” with the cool crowd. Be genuine, and be who you are.

Lesson 10:  Don’t be afraid of failure; set your social media goals and stick with it. Honestly, if I can do it, anyone can do it. No, I don’t own a Blackberry, I don’t even know how to use the camera on my cell phone, let alone Tivo my VCR (ahem, DVD player). However, I am using social media!   

Go on, give social media a try! I hope you found this helpful and would love to hear your comments and feedback…on one of our social media forums, of course.

* This image sourced from CreativeCommons on Flickr.com

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Those of us who work with small businesses can't emphasize enough the importance of cashflow management and the role cash plays in a business. This means preparing and analyzing your cashflow statement on a timely, at least monthly, basis.

Cash is the underlying fuel for any business. Often, it is also the surest sign of profitability and general "health" of a business. Kudos to Elise Spontarelli, owner of GetCreative Web Design, who took our 6-Week Self-Employment Class last year and writes about it in her blog. Elise gets the importance of cashflowing, and she provides some interesting insights on how the training helped her business management skills.

Don't take our word for why cash is important or why the class is helpful... read about the class and how it benefitted Elise. In the 6-Week Self Employment Class you will learn how to prepare a cashflow statement for your business, and more importantly, you will know how to interpret it. You will also learn so much more, from budgeting, to marketing, to what it takes to get a loan these days.

Information is power. Our role in providing this class is to empower our local entrepreneurs. Like Elise, we hope you'll take advantage of our resources and information.

* Image Source: This image sourced from Flickr on CreativeCommons.org; image by Jake Wasdin

A few months ago, we asked Carolyn Seaman, owner of Virginia Handcrafts, how it felt to be a new small business owner. Carolyn graciously accepted our (last minute) and impromptu request to do this video, and it is totally unscripted. Her response is moving and heartfelt. Our hats off to Carolyn Seaman and all small business owners like her, for everything you do. Incidentally last month, Virginia Handcrafts just celebrated it's 1st year anniversary of being in business.  Congratulations, Carolyn!!

Congratulations! If you’re an existing business owner and you're still in business, you have probably survived the worst of the downturn. Many of your competitors may not have been as fortunate, and your own cash position might be low.

Marketing your business might be the furthest from your mind. However, study after recent study confirms the economy is finally improving. Do what the big guys do in every economic rebound... Take advantage of your unique positioning now, and plan to GROW YOUR BUSINESS! Simply put, your marketing actions (or inaction) in the next few months could set the pace of your business for the next few years.

We would like to invite you to attend a truly unique 3-part training session on no-cost, low-cost, and guerilla marketing techniques. This has been a proven program with rave reviews in Roanoke, and we want to bring it to Lynchburg. The class is targeted at experienced and well-established business owners, many of whom have already “dabbled” in the topics to be covered, and bring a lot to the table. This will be a high-energy, discussion-rich training with lots of opportunities for peer learning.

The entire 3-part series with top speakers and trainers is only $79. However, we are giving each of you a GUEST PASS for the first session next Thursday, May 4^th. Take the first class and see if it’s of value to you and your business. If it’s not and you don’t wish to return, no need to pay and no need to return to sessions 2 and 3. However, we are confident you will like and learn so much in the first session, that you will come back for more in June and September!   

Please register as soon as possible by calling us at (434) 582-6170. For more information, please see the attached flyer or the training website at: http://synergysessions.org/fitness/