Hware’s Top Picks: Some Old, Some New, Some May Surprise You.

As an online business training and coaching company, people often want to know where we go for our business resources and who we turn to for advice, tips, and strategies.  While we have been offering business and technology consulting services for over 25 years, we believe in the importance of being students of life. That means that we never stop learning. We have a huge library of online resources, personalities, brands, and strategic organizations that we tap into daily and weekly. It was hard to narrow it down, but we finally came up with the BEST websites to help you build your small business. So grab your favorite drink and check out the  top 15 websites that made the cut! Please leave your comments below and let us know what you think:

1. Altimeter group: A research-based advisory firm.  This is where I go to get a lot of data driven info on business strategies.
2. Chris Brogan: If I had to pick one industry expert on social media and business. It would be Chris Brogan. His book, Trust Agents is a must-read!
3. CopyBlogger: Copywriting tips for online marketing success.  This site has a ton of valuable FREE resources and tips on blog writing.
4. Gena Livings: For inspired living.  My dear friend, Gena Livings is changing the world with her lifestyle modification services. Be sure to download her free e-book. It’s inspiring!
5. Green Festivals: If you are a “Green” business who sells B2C, you cannot afford to not be an exhibitor at this event.  Co-founded by my good friend, Kevin Danaher, Green Festivals is on the leading-edge of bringing all things “Green” to the mainstream. Four events are held throughout the year in Washington DC, Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco.  We have been attending since the first Green Festival and this event just keeps getting better every year, especially the after parties!
6. Mashable: The most popular Social Media News blogs on the internet.  Take your time absorbing the information, it can be overwhelming for newbies. You will want to bookmark a lot of the material and use it as a reference later.
7. Michael Franti & Spearhead: (Okay, this has very little to do with growing your biz online, but I could not resist plugging my fave band. I fire up this music to keep me motivated and inspired for my biz.)  As entrepreneurs, we all need music to keep us motivated, inspired, and happy! We LOVE to dance to Spearhead music! If you ever have the chance to see a live Michael Franti and Spearhead concert, you must GO! It’s life altering!  What’s your favorite music that keeps you going?
8. Mixergy: Andrew Warner interviews CEOs and Founders of successful companies . I love his in-depth questions of business leaders. He is young and bold and he asks really good questions.  I love to go hiking on my property while listening to Mixergy interviews on my iPhone.  I always learn something new from this twenty something year old.
9. Read Write Web: This is a technology analysis news blog.  I like referencing this site because while the focus is on technology, the writing is not filled with Geek and Coder jargon. It’s written for people like us ordinary folks.
10. Seth Godin: One of the top marketers in the world.  I have read many of his books and have had the opportunity to see him speak live. He has a way of making his point very succinctly.
11. Small Biz Survival:  A rural and small business resource blog. We live in a rural area in northern California, and while our business is internet and technology-based, we are nevertheless interested in what’s happening in small town businesses.
12. Small Business Trends: An online news blog with a focus on small businesses trends and over 122,000 subscribers.
13. Social Media Examiner: A guide to social media. This site has a lot of useful “How To” articles on social media, well written content and easy-to-understand.
14. Triple Pundit: As many of you know, our personal lifestyle is oriented towards most things “Green” and “Sustainable.”  We did build a straw bale home many years ago and enjoy living in it. Triple Pundit is a great online “Green” business news resource.
15. Work Awesome: A resource for the worker on productivity, time management and all kinds of other awesome stuff.  I recently found this site and I can’t say enough awesome things about it!

I hope you found great value in our top 15 BEST websites to help you grow your small business. We invite you to add some of your favorite small business websites too, even if it is your own and you feel it will help a small business owner.  Don’t be shy! Go ahead and post!

About eighteen months ago, Hware’s business model was redesigned and I became a business partner with my spouse, Chuck.  While our business relationship is young, we have nevertheless been together as a couple for nineteen years. Being familiar with each other’s idiosyncrasies has prepared me for a journey of perseverance and patience. Let’s face it, there is no denying it. It is HARD, especially if you have two people like me and Chuck, who are long-time entrepreneurs; and whom neither one of us ever seem to be lacking with opinions about how we should go about building the business.  Yet, partnering with someone you like, trust and know on an intimate level can also be very empowering. I believe the overall integrity of the business partnership comes down to what I think are the five most important elements to the success of the business and a healthy relationship.  I share them with you with the hope that we can have a conversation about spousal business partnerships.  Surely we are not the only ones who have chosen to go down this path. We have  much to learn from one another don’t we?

1. Be clear on your roles. Who is responsible for what, when, where, how and why. For example, in our software business, Chuck is primarily the the creator of our products. He is our software developer, programmer, Geek Guy. (Obviously, I have a thing for Geeky Guys. I married one.) He architects the software, designs it, and supports it.  My primary role is to market and sell the software.  There is no confusion about our roles in this capacity. That’s not to say that I don’t offer feedback and opinions about how the software looks and feels from an end-user’s perspective or that he doesn’t comment on how to brand it.  In addition, some of our roles overlap from wearing many different hats. However, we are very clear on our primary roles.  Here is how we have broken down our responsibilities:
   Chuck: Finance, Business Development, Long-Term Strategy, Software Development, Company Culture, and Technical Support.
   Brenda: Marketing, Branding, Online – Offline Sales, Social Media, Strategic Relationships, Business Development, Company Culture.  As our company continues to grow we will add operations and admin support, but for now, we share in those roles as well.  As we evolve, other roles will later be absorbed by outsourcing services, vendors, and employees. We also recently set up Hware as an Limited Liability Corporation where I assumed the role of president of the company. The reason we did this? The software industry is dominated by White males. We like to do things different here at Hware.
2. Know your strengths and use them well. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We decided early on to build a strengths-based organization.  I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people try to build a business going against their strengths. This just does not make sense at all. Imagine me trying to build our own website or Chuck calling on prospective customers. It’s just plain common sense to have people play to their strengths versus their weaknesses. We took a strength-based test before we became partners and it gave us a unique perspective going into the business relationship. One of Chuck’s major strengths is his ability to quickly process complex information and regurgitate it in a simple format. He is also a systematizer. He has used that strength to take complex processes and technologies and simplify it and systematize it for our business so that it runs smoothly and efficiently. Before we changed Hware’s business model, this is how he earned a living — offering business and technology consulting services. However, getting him to write a blog post would be like prompting him to eat his cereal with milk. He hates dairy milk and eats his cereal dry.  I, on the other hand love to write. I have always loved writing. I was a student journalist for my college newspaper at the University of Texas in Austin. I have also kept a personal journal since I was a teenager.  So, it makes strength-based sense that I am the one who blogs for our company. Fundamental to the success of growing an online presence for a small business is blogging. It plays to my strength. I recently looked at our google analytics on our website and the number one traffic driver to our site was an organic search on google! That means the blog is working! Now that’s an example of my strengths performing with optimal results!  Now, if I can just get folks to leave their comments, that would be even better. Hint, hint.
3. Have clear boundaries and strong communication. This one has to do with knowing yourself and your partner. Because we both live and work together, it is easy for us to talk about our business 24/7.  This is not healthy for the relationship.  It’s important to turn it off and take a break. So, if we have a business related topic that we want to discuss during non-working hours, we usually try to ask permission to discuss.  Chuck often jokes by saying that I am the person in his life that taught him to say no and helped him establish strong boundaries. Our conversation usually goes something like this —  Brenda: “I need to run something by you regarding technical stuff. Are you at a place where we can have a conversation?”  Chuck: “Not right now.  I am giving my brain a break.” Brenda: “I really need to flush it out. When can we talk?  It is time sensitive.”  Chuck: “Will tomorrow work for you?”  Brenda: “Yes, how about first thing tomorrow morning during our hike?”  Chuck: “Fine.”  Chuck is much better than I am about turning off the business brain. Have you ever met an entrepreneur or business owner and all they talk about is business? Can you say BORING?  Please, get a life. Give it a break.  Don’t be that Guy or Gal.
4. Have each other’s back. It starts with RESPECT! Put the egos aside.  There is no room for pride or self-absorption in a partnership. I don’t try to tell Chuck how to develop software just as he does not try to tell me how to network, negotiate, build business relationships, sell or market our software. We respect each other’s business acumen.  We don’t try to micro-manage each other or control each other’s daily activities. We set our goals and however we choose to achieve those goals is up to each individual. In addition, we know when to back off and give each other space when dealing with difficult issues, and believe me, there are many.  We have each other’s best interest at heart. Also, I think it is important to set each other up for success. For example, Chuck can work long hours of programming and he will occasionally forget to feed himself. This behavior has negative consequences. I call it Coder Behavior. Anyone who is married to a software developer knows what I am talking about. Anyway, one of my passions is cooking.  So, whenever I take a meal break, I always check in with Chuck and offer to bring him some of whatever I have cooked up. I know he appreciates it and it saves him from CRASHING at the end of the day.  Which leads me to my last insight.
5. Don’t take things personally. Being a small business owner certainly has its frustrations and hardships.  Here’s the thing…Don’t EVER make it about YOU! The world does not revolve around you. Building a business is challenging enough without adding drama to the equation. If you are committed to your business and your relationship, you will do what is in the best interest of your relationship and the success of your business. Check yourself. Ask yourself if your ego or pride is getting in the way of making solid sound business decisions. I know we are emotional human beings, and there is a time and a place to express our feelings, but business is really about common sense and bringing solutions to our trials and tribulations.  So, be a SOLUTIONARY!

These are just a few insights from my own personal experience of having a spouse as a business partner. How bout you? I would love to hear from you in the comments section. Don’t be shy!  Please share a tidbit of advice or experience that has helped you navigate the spousal business partnership. Or, if you are just entering a business relationship with your spouse and you have some questions, ask away. Perhaps we can be a sounding board for one another. Let’s start a conversation. We can all learn from each other!

SXSW is like Burning Man with Laptops and Bathrooms

I am attending SXSW for the first time this year. If you have never heard of SXSW, it is one of the largest film, music, and media conferences in the world. Held every year in March in Austin Texas, it’s been described as Burning Man with laptops and bathrooms. I am attending the interactive media segment, which lasts for five days. I am so excited to meet some of the business and social media bloggers, thought leaders, and best-selling technology authors I have been following for over eighteen months now. I am ecstatic to see and hear some of the key-note speakers like Ev Williams, CEO of Twitter. I feel like a kid riding my bike without my hands on the handle bar…HAPPY! For the last year and a half, I have immersed myself in social media, internet marketing, SEO, and learning online software tools, all for the purpose of growing my own company’s presence online. In my former life, I was an outside sales person. Today, I sit in front of a computer connecting with the online world. And, surprisingly I’ve realized that I have a knack for it. Perhaps that is why Hewlett Packard contacted me a few weeks ago and asked me to review their new HP iPAQ Glisten SmartPhone, which I am giving away on March 17th. Perhaps that is why  oftentimes, I have to peel myself away from my computer, even though I have been in front of it for 16 hours. I know it sounds obsessive and unhealthy. I am working on finding that balance. But, the point is that who would have thought a non-techy gal like me has found LOVE and PASSION for internet technology! I have transitioned from an off-line business model to an online business model and now I am going to meet the very people whose content and guidance I have used to help me make that transistion.

What is Your ROI Formula for Attending Conferences?

There are literally a gazillion conferences to choose from and obviously a small business owner cannot attend every single one. So, how does a small business owner choose the best conference for their specific needs? It starts with the ROI (Return on Investment). Simply put, the ROI is the amount of time, money, resources, opportunity costs, you put into attending the event (which is the investment). After you add up all those expenses, costs, etc., you then subtract it from your return or your gain.  Whatever amount is left is your ROI. Recently, I got into a fairly big discussion with my biz partner, Chuck on this very subject. He is the left-brain of our business and I am the right-brain. He wanted to tie the ROI of my time spent at SXSW to the sell of a product. I wanted to tie the ROI to the networking, relationship building, as well as the sell of a product. In other words, I should gain not only social equity from SXSW, but financial gain as well. In addition, that gain should be tied to a specific timeline. In a future post, I will give you specific examples of the ROI formula I used for attending SXSW.  In the meantime, here is my question for you. How do you measure your ROI when attending conferences?  I think it is hard to measure relationship building because you are not always sure how that relationship is going to evolve. The sell of a product or service is much easier to measure, but honestly, that’s never the main reason why I like to attend conferences. Everyone has their various reasons for attending a conference. Authors attend to promote their book. Speakers attend to gain more exposure. Companies attend to expand their brand.  Attendees attend to learn, network, and build prospective strategic alliances. What are your reasons and how do you justify your investment? Please leave your comments on my post! Thanks!

I am a firm believer in selling through education. And, there is no better way to inform and educate your customers than through blogging.  That is why I have invited a few entrepreneurs over the course of the next few weeks to share with Hware’s readers how they are using their blog to expand their online reach to attract more customers. You will find that you don’t need to be a Chris Brogan or Seth Godin in the blogosphere to be a success. You just need to take the first step. We would love to hear what steps you are taking to start your blog if you have not started one already. What are some of your fears or concerns about blogging? If you are an experienced blogger, feel free to jump in and share your advice. We are all here to learn from one another. Please share your thoughts with us. ~ Brenda Horton, President of Hware

This is a guest blog post from Mary Anne Davis, a jewelry designer of  Madison Design Jewelry

The beauty of internet-driven marketing tools is they are very inexpensive (often free) to utilize in helping build our businesses. I am launching my jewelry business on a very tight budget. What started as a hobby quickly turned into a business — it still surprises me when people want to buy my handmade earrings or necklaces. So how do I use the internet and social media to market my jewelry? I have a Facebook “fan” page for Madison Designs Jewelry, where I post my blogs and an occasional message to my fans about a new design, or a “special sale for fans only”.  Because I’m trying to be careful not to over-sell,  I keep my blog postings to once or twice a week. I think a good rule of thumb (for me) is to market 25% of the time I post, blog, or tweet.

I spent some time thinking about what to write in my blog that wasn’t just a huge “buy my jewelry” message. I came up with what I think is the perfect balance — blogging about a different gem stone each time. I tell the folklore about a particular stone, and keep it strictly informational. Of course the photo I use depicting that particular stone is something I’ve made and is available on my website. But other than that, it’s not a big “buy me” message, and I have had people respond well to that.

I recently started using Twitter (www.twitter.com/maryannedavisnc) where I post my blogs with the gem stone stories, but I also comment on other tweets and other things I do. I purposely did not put the name of my jewelry company into the Twitter account title because I didn’t want it to limit what I could talk about. I am also a photographer and occasionally like to post about that as well. (To view some of my photos, www.maryanne.imagekind.com).  Having my name as the title keeps my options open.

You don’t have to have 25 years of marketing experience to use the social media to your advantage. There are some great experts out there who can help guide you through the sometimes confusing technology. None of us have to do everything ourselves — the best entrepreneurs are the ones who capitalize on their strengths and outsource everything else.

Mary Anne Davis

Nevada City, CA, United States

See Mary Anne’s blog at www.maryannedavisjewelry.blogspot.com

Getting Started with Social Media for Small Business

As a courtesy to Hware’s blog readers, we want to hip you to our popular online self-paced video training series called, Getting Started with Social Media for Small Business. Go ahead and try the Demo! It’s FREE!

Get Started Now with Free Demo!

No software to download. No Dvd to install.

5 Reasons You Should Check Out Hware’s FREE DEMO on Social Media:

1. You cannot afford to waste another moment while your competitors are using social media to grow their business.

2. You are frustrated and overwhelmed with understanding how to use social media to grow your business.

3. You want to learn specific key strategies and methods to using social media to sell more of your products and services online.

4. You want to harness the power of Twitter (fastest growing social networking site), Facebook (400 million users), and Blogging (powerful tool to communicate with your customers) to generate more sales and revenue.

5. Social media is the cheapest and fastest way to connect with your customers online and you want to learn the tools, tactics, and strategies to build a trusting long-term loyal customer base who refer more customers to you.

Are you already using social media to grow your online presence? Feel free to share with us how you are using it to grow your business online.