Being an Expert Doesn’t Mean You Know Everything
Is your lion tamer an expert at taming lions? You’d better hope so! How about the ringleader? Do they know what’s up? Can they keep those dirty clowns in line? Elephants balanced? Trapeze artists flying? Bearded Lady’s beard groomed? If you’re an expert – how do you convey that expertise while still maintaining your humanity? After all, you’re not perfect – you can’t know everything. And that’s what this month’s Word Carnival is all about! How to know when to stop pitching yourself as an expert and ask for advice, or refer a client to someone else. In other words, how to hold yourself to a high enough standard that you’re honest with a client about the fact that you don’t know the answer, rather than guessing, bsing or just muddling through! Read on: (FYI: the links may not be live until Wednesday!) Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing Just Because You’ve Got Yourself An Expert… @WTFMarketing facebook.com/WTFMarketing Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur Comprehensive Knowledge And Skill Doesn’t Mean You’re An Authority @melaniekissell facebook.com/SoloMompreneur Molly McCowan of Inkbot Editing Being An Editor Doesn’t Mean You Know Everything…Even When You Think You Do @InkbotEditor facebook.com/InkbotEditing Michelle Church of Marketing Support 4 U Sometimes we have to call ourselves out @virtuallyassist facebook.com/marketingsupportspecialist Halley Gray of Evolve & Succeed Your Cerebrum Will Never Be Full @evolvesucceed facebook.com/evolvesucceed Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog An Owen Meany moment and blogging @theclanmaker facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Ashley Welton Thank You For Teaching Me as Well as I Teach You @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Sharon Hurley Hall Why I Don’t Need to be a Know-It-All Writer @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Alisa Meredith Three Good Reasons to Say I Don’t Know @ScalableSocial facebook.com/scalablesocialmedia Denisse and Yaritza Being an expert doesn’t mean you know it all @BusySuperVA facebook.com/busysuperva Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social The Myth Of The Expert: Why Saying “I Don’t Know” Is Better For Your Business @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer When You’re NOT The Expert They’re Looking For @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Photo credit: The Lion Queen – Wikimedia...
Read MoreMental Health and Your Small Business
Clowns. Are they really nuts or just acting that way? Sure, it takes a certain degree of focus to confidently juggle all those chainsaws, stay perfectly balanced on top of your fellow clown’s shoulders, and stay upright in those big shoes. They couldn’t stuff so many of themselves in a tiny VW Beetle or keep us all so entertained without a significant amount of skill, either. So what is it about clowns that makes us feel so unsettled? The idea of mental health gone awry – and for many small business owners, it’s a reality rather than a circus fantasy. This month we decided to dive into the depths of mental health in your small business, the consequences when mental health is anything but healthy, and what to do to get your sanity back. Read on! Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing Depression and Anxiety are Thieves @WTFMarketing facebook.com/WTFMarketing Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer For Sale: Small Biz Owner’s Sanity, Slightly Used, Only $20 @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog Blog your way out of the gulf @theclanmaker facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Sharon Hurley Hall Writers, Are You Looking After Your Mental Health? @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur The Number One Factor that Makes You Look, Feel, and Perform Better in Your Business @melaniekissell facebook.com/SoloMompreneur Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social Zombies, Vampires And Other Client Nightmares: How To Keep Cool And Slay Your Business Dragons, Too @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Photo credit: Clowns Shouldn’t Be Scary by...
Read MoreService: Acknowledging the Invisible Elephant in Your Office
From the Cellus the Lion Tamer to Helenbar the Trapeze Girl, every member of the circus has a vital service role to play–without them them the show couldn’t go on. And what about the unsung heroes, those people who toil tirelessly behind the scenes to make it all run smoothly; people like the clowns, ticket takers, and yes,…even the people who have to clean up the you know what left behind by Marcellena the Elephant. Every single person is committed to giving the best possible service to their clients! This month each of us Carnies decided to examine the who, what, how, and why we are in service in our businesses. We are committed to providing excellent service to our clients, but this act is not without it’s challenges from time to time sapphire resort timehsare. Collectively we thought it was high time that we acknowledge the invisible elephant in the room, and come clean about the sometimes dirty truth about service. So step right up and have a read… Explore available properties for sale in New York via https://www.housebuyers.app/new-york/. Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing What good is a marketing company? @WTFMarketing facebook.com/WTFMarketing Téa Silvestre of Word Chef Find Your Purpose in the Tiny Details and Make a Big Difference – Story Bistro @teasilvestre facebook.com/storybistro Michelle Church of Marketing Support 4 U Who says you only drink wine from a wine glass? @virtuallyassist facebook.com/marketingsupportspecialist Annie Sisk of Pajama Productivity 12 Dirty Digital Jobs You Can’t Afford to Ignore @AnnieSisk facebook.com/PajamaProductivity Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social Wear That Hat (And The Other One, Too): A Small Business Owner’s Guide To Staying Sane @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer Customer Service Shouldn’t Be Self-Serving @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Blaze Lazarony of Blaze A Brilliant Path Step Right Up Ladies and Gentleman, Let’s Talk about Service in Your Business @blazelazarony facebook.com/BlazeABrilliantPathwithBlazeLazarony Photo credit: helenbar via photopin...
Read MoreParentpreneurs: What Being a Parent Can Teach You About Business
Why do parents make great entrepreneurs, and vice versa? How does parenting have anything to do with business, anyway? This month, the carnies share their experiences with parenthood (or, for some, pet ownership!) and how it has made them better at business. Click through the links to read all of their anecdotes and advice, and feel free to add your own in the comments! Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing Baby Blues and Buyers Remorse: Expectations are Everything @WTFMarketing facebook.com/WTFMarketing Téa Silvestre of Word Chef My Big Why: On Motives, Mentors and Defining Moments @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Sharon Hurley Hall 7 Lessons from a Write at Home Parent @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur The Parent [Preneur] Trap @melaniekissell facebook.com/SoloMompreneur Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog Blogging is Your Legacy @theclanmaker facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Molly McCowan of Inkbot Editing How My Dog Makes Me a Better Editor @InkbotEditor facebook.com/InkbotEditing Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer Kidproof Your Small Biz Profits @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Blaze Lazerony 3 Rapid Fire Decision Making Strategies for Entrepreneurs @blazelazarony facebook.com/BlazeABrilliantPathwithBlazeLazarony Annie Sisk of Pajama Productivity Productivity for Parental Couch Warriers @AnnieSisk facebook.com/PajamaProductivity Image Source: Trapeze artists in circus, lithograph by Calvert Litho. Co.,...
Read MoreThe 100 Best Ways To Screw Up Your Business Website
Wait, you HAVE a website for your business, right?! For businesses of all sizes and stripes an online presence is a powerful marketing tool, but simply tacking a site on to your otherwise bullet-proof biz plan isn’t all there is to it. Our roundup of small business bloggers tackle the best ways to screw up your business by screwing up your website. Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social How To Totally Tank Your Brand Without Ever Leaving Your Website @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog Seven Costly Business Blogging Mistakes @theclanmaker facebook.com/whyyoumustblog Sharon Hurley Hall Promoting Your Website? How to Screw Up Your Guest Posting Campaign @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Melanie Kissell of Solo Mompreneur Here’s The Thing About Personal Drama And Trauma On Your Business Blog @melaniekissell facebook.com/SoloMompreneur Molly McCowan of Inkbot Editing When Websites Go Wrong: 5 Common Web Writing Mistakes @InkbotEditor facebook.com/InkbotEditing Ashley Welton of Miniskirt Ninja News Flash: Your About Page Isn’t About You @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing Problems With Your Website? It’s Probably You. Featuring the: Not All Villains Twirl Mustaches PSA. @WTFMarketing facebook.com/WTFMarketing Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer Don’t Fall Victim to the Serial Profit Killer! Here are the rules… @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Téa Silvestre of Word Chef Revamp vs. Rebrand? 10 Considerations for Your Business Website @teasilvestre facebook.com/mywordchef Photo: Courtesy of Marnie Weber and Praz-Delavallade Gallery,...
Read MoreCan You Hear Me Now? Make sure you and your customers speak the same language
Mishaps and mistakes or just miscommunications? They happen to everyone. Mostly because we’re human and we all have this ability to hear and see what we want to (as opposed to what’s really going on). That goes double for clients. If you’re not careful, things can snowball and before you know it, it might feel like you’re stuck in cage with a bunch of hungry lions. This month, the carnies share their advice on how to avoid these pitfalls so you’ll have a much better chance at having happy, satisfied clients. Annie Sisk of Pajama Productivity Making the Client Expectation Pieces Fit Without Losing Your Ever-Lovin’ Mind @AnnieSisk facebook.com/PajamaProductivity Sharon Hurley Hall of Get Paid to Write Online: Are You and Your Writing Clients Speaking the Same Language? @SHurleyHall facebook.com/SharonHurleyHall Michelle Church of Virtually Distinguished: I’m Talking, Don’t You Hear Me? @virtuallyassist facebook.com/virtuallyassist Ashley Welton of Miniskirt Ninja Media: Same Meaning, Different Language: How to Clear Up Your Client Communications @miniskirtninja facebook.com/miniskirtninja Nick Armstrong of WTF Marketing: Can You Hear Me Now? How to make sure you and your customers are speaking the same language (you probably aren’t) @WTFMarketing plus.google.com/+Wtfmarketing Carol Lynn Rivera of Web Search Social: Same Page, Wrong Book. How To Manage Client Expectations So They Don’t Manage You @CarolLynnRivera facebook.com/WebSearchSocial Nicole Fende of The Numbers Whisperer®: Client Communication Explained by Prime Numbers @NicoleAFende facebook.com/SmallBizFinance Sandy McDonald of Why You Must Blog: Coherence is the business @theclanmaker...
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