05
07
12

News Room

Winding Down the School Year

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The school year is winding down, and we increasingly hear people discussing their summer plans. What are your plans for your business this summer? Does your workload tend to increase or decrease over the summer months? No matter how the season affects you, it’s important to strategize now how to maintain your business’ hard-earned momentum.

In the midst of juggling a summer schedule, here are some ways we have found to help us continue building our business momentum:

 

 

    1. Check something off the to-do list.
        2. Most of us have a section of our to-do list that’s made up of tasks we just don’t get around to doing because something else always has priority. Pick a few of these items to focus on this summer. Imagine what it would feel like ramping up for fall with a re-organized filing system or brand new website!

 

  1. Share lunch. Take the opportunity to spend time with other business owners in your network. Create stronger relationships with strategic people who can help you and your business continue growing. If you have employees or people you work closely with, get to know them a little better. Investing time into your team and your network is a sure-fire way to maintain and build momentum!
  2. Keep in touch. Remind your customers about your business. Not only is this a great way to stay top-of-mind with past, current, and potential clients, it’s also just plain good customer service. Come up with a strategy that works for your business – maybe you’ll mail a postcard, or send gift baskets, or even create a prize drawing they can enter into. But whatever you do, a friendly “hello!” goes a long way.
  3. Take a break. However counterintuitive this may seem, it’s a proven fact that taking regular breaks actually helps increase your productivity. This is a concept that should be implemented in our workday, but we postulate it should also be applied to the bigger picture of our work year. Don’t take the whole 3 months of summer off as a vacation, but let yourself take things at a little bit slower pace. Enjoy the season and let yourself take a breather.

Momentum is an invaluable asset to have in your business. This summer, we encourage you to have a game plan to maintain the momentum you have, and position your business for more growth.

05
02
12

News Room

7 Insights to Connecting With Your Audience

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Surviving Vs. Thriving

What is the difference?
Join Jamie Teasdale and Nicole Fisher of Propel Businessworks
and Lisa Kroll of Archeology Coaching as we dive into

CONNECTING WITH YOUR AUDIENCE!

Learn the art of:

Time management
Being Accountable
Delegation
Connecting to your clientele with YOUR voice
You may have the tools, you may have the plan, but what happens when having the plan isn’t enough?  Don’t let procrastination get the best of you!
Price: Free to Propel clients Please RSVP by emailing: events@propelbizworks.com
($20 to visitors: prepay here!)
Date: Wednesday, May 16th
Time: 2:00 − 3:30pm
Location: RoseSprings Center for the Healing Arts; 5215 NE Elam Young Pkwy, Suite A, Hillsboro, OR, 97124
Why: To be Inspired
How: By Connecting
What: To help you Thrive!

*This seminar is free to Propel past and present clients.
Not a client of ours? That’s ok. $20.00 reserves your seat! Prepay now:

04
23
12

News Room

Blogging: Simply One of the Smartest Options for your Business Website by Tim Griffin

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You’ve got priorities and as a business owner, your online identity has a significant priority. This doesn’t mean you have countless hours to throw away. Every effort has got to count!

Your website has required hours of your focus to create a cohesive, clear and accurate reflection of your brand online. It may have surprised you how involved that became. Wow! Now, to make all that effort worth your while!

One of the most frequent questions I get helping people build effective websites is how to get more visibility (traffic). Typically the question is, “What can I do to get my website showing up in search engines?”

Want to know the easiest way to build rank and value for your website?

A blog. (AKA: develop the art of connecting with your target audience through regular publishing of articles on your website.)

Let’s add up the value of a blog for your business:

  1. Blogging enhances your brand. A consistent schedule of writing blog posts for your ideal client brings you a sharpened awareness of what this individual is looking for.

  2. Blogging builds authority. Publishing your thoughts on a specific topic gives people an opportunity to recognize your expertise. (And you send people to your posts by linking to them from LinkedIn, Face Book, twitter, or anywhere people are discussing the topic you write on.)

  3. Blogging is the new way to become human. A blog on which you personally publish monthly, weekly or perhaps more gives people the assurance that, “someone is home”. A new blog post and archives of past posts on your website helps your site avoid that  “mechanical” or “factory settings” feeling. A blog with an active topic and people leaving comments is also a definite plus in building trust.

And finally, to answer the question about how to get better traffic through search engine referrals to your website:

A blog is a free* ticket to improved Search Engine Optimization.

  1. Your blog over time becomes a natural boost in search engine results. (If you install WordPress for blogging on your site you can even setup your site to “ping” search engines and invite them to come find the new content asap!)

  2. The topic you write about and the phrases you consistently use add weight to where your site lands in the search results for specific search phrases.

  3. It is normal for your blog and individual posts to become top entry pages of your site.

  4. Each post acts as an invitation for people to link to your website from their own; search engines use these links to measure the “weight” your website earns on your given niche.

Want a visual on the potential of your business blog? Check out the results in a recent study of 1531 small business websites:

  • For every 4 visits to a website without a blog, those with a blog received 6.2 visits (+55% for sites with blog)

  • For each inbound link to a site without a blog, those with a blog had approximately 2 inbound links (+97% for sites with blog)

  • Number of pages indexed by search engines for websites without a blog were outnumbered more than 4 to 1 by those with a blog (+434% more indexed pages for sites with blog)

Those study results visually:

* Free? Print advertising and other media channels (i.e. adsense, paid links, etc.) require immediate out of pocket expense. The cost of each blog post? Starting at $0.00. You of course may find it freeing to have a professional copywriter review and touch up your content before seeing the light of day on the web.

 * Give me more data – Check out Hubspot 2012 Inbound Marketing Slides

So you what will it take before you can take advantage of a blog for your business?

Are you already blogging? What is it that motivates you to keep going and how did you get started?

Please take a moment to comment here on this blog post and I’ll be happy build a conversation right here! I’ll also be hosting a conversation on this very topic on Facebook.

Living and working in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Tim Griffin is an above-and-beyond kind of guy who is always looking for ways to improve, build on and discover new ways of getting things done. Since 2006, his company Mission: Communicate has been empowering people by helping them implement the tools and resources available to make their website a success. Find out more at missioncommunicate.com.

04
16
12

News Room

Insight From A 3-Year Business Owner

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This last week I celebrated 3 years in business.

Now I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like a long time for a business to be in existence. But let me tell you… I have never grown so much in three years as I have, both personally and professionally, in these past 36 months.

Based off necessity, with an openness to explore options, my entrepreneurship grew into an idea – one that I couldn’t say no to. While my experience is no-doubt common, millions of smart American employees think twice about becoming their own boss. So why was the thought of business ownership never a question in my mind?

One can never truly expect the amount of work that is required to launch, run and grow a business when they’re dreaming of the ‘freedom’ and satisfaction. The late nights of development, busy relationship building, and seemingly short days of productivity are energizing to those who answer the call.

And so, I set out to change the world I live in… and in the process, changed my life’s course without looking back. Captaining your own ship is a lot of responsibility, and one not to be taken lightly, but for all of the rewards, there is nothing like it. So when you happen upon days of wondering why you have taken this path, what are your methods of staying the course, not giving up and charging on?

Here are a few of mine:

Remembering where I’ve been.  I remember each co-worker and manager I’ve shared time with and most of the tasks and job descriptions I’ve held responsibility to accomplish. They all taught me lessons that I have taken with me to be the best that I can be here in my own business.  The discipline to get out of bed and manage my time, answer to management and clients, meet goals and deadlines, complete projects efficiently and effectively, provide amazing customer service and come up with fresh, new ideas that keep us moving forward have built a foundation which I now stay firmly planted on.

We all have experience, in one way or another.  Only you know why the thought of business ownership was appealing to you in the first place.  Twelve years ago, I started by running a massage therapy business from my home in California and for years after that I considered starting a different business.  The thought of running my own business was never daunting. I had entreprenuering blood and I knew no fear because I knew all of the jobs I’ve held and each of the skills I’ve built prepared me for this.

What prepared you?

Remembering why I care. We all get in to business for different reasons, but whether it is to provide a valuable service or to offer the world the greatest product they’ve ever known, something in you is passionate about the business you’ve started. So, get back to the basics. All of the planning and energy to grow and succeed shouldn’t distract the real reason you are here in the first place.

Ask yourself a few questions:

  • What value do I bring to my clients and customers?
  • What opportunities does business ownership offer me?
  • What ability do I have to be there for family, live healthier, create abundance and financial security for myself and others?
  • What would I miss out on or have to live like to be an employee?

Remembering where I’m headed.  To all the entrepreneurs out there – I know you have a dream.  Maybe it’s the comfort of working from home, the honor of being with your children, retiring early, to be the greatest baker in your city, or just running your own schedule. Whatever your goals, keep them in front of you.  Here are a few reminders that have made an impact for me:

  • Surround yourself with positive people who uplift you and keep you supported.
  • Be thankful. Good things come to those who appreciate the big and the little things.
  • Keep goals and dreams in plain sight. Create a dream board, or keep an item with you that symbolizes the importance of what you’re doing.
  • Be excellent! Your success relies heavily on your integrity… not only within your client interactions and how you really run your business, but in your personal life as well.
  • Take it one step at a time and don’t lose the forrest through the trees. Focus on what has to be done today, this week, this month, this quarter and this year… in that order!
  • Give and it shall be given back to you.  Remember, we’re all in this together!
When running a business becomes a challenge and you question your direction, take heart. Tomorrow is a new day and great things are coming.  You have a gift that only you can give.

Give freely, with a smile and count your blessings.

I believe in you!
- Jamie

04
03
12

News Room

Spicing Up Your Spring Look by Kelly Peach

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Sometimes it seems like spicing up your beauty routine is going to take too much time and too much practice. That really isn’t the case. So often while we get ready for work, we don’t take the time to add anything special to our routine. But, if you can find a way to add an extra 15 minutes you will see that it will make a world of difference. With a few simple pointers and a little practice, your look can always be fresh and unique.

One tip that always seems to almost always give a great fresh look is the “cat eye.” Using a black eye liner, extend the liner past the lid and create a winged look. This is similar to a 50′s style look. It is very timeless and almost lifts the eyes upwards, for a bright youthful look. Pair that will a nude lip for daytime and later, for a night out, a bolder lip color is the way to go. You can try a daring red or even a flamingo pink. Makeup is all about daring choices. And, don’t be afraid to try a new color. Tom Ford has some amazing colors that are so worth the price and will complete the look perfectly.

So many times women forget about their eye brows, but an unkempt eyebrow is not a pretty thing. Take a pencil and fill your eyebrows in to richen their color and then afterwards use a spoolie brush to soften the look of the eyebrow. You can get these brushes at Sephora and cost hardly anything, but make a world of difference. Laura Mercier has a great range of brow pencil colors that you can get at Sephora also.

Always try to give your face a clean, fresh look. Make sure to not over apply foundation. So many women use foundation to try to cover their entire face and blemishes. Instead, use foundation to even out skin tone and then a concealer to cover dark circles or blemishes. One of my favorite foundations is Armani Silk Luminous. It gives a healthy fresh look to most any skin type. My all time favorite concealer is Cle De Peau. This concealer can be very pricey, but it seriously last almost twice as long as most concealers, so don’t let the price scare you away. You can get this at Nordstroms and it is one of the beauty musts.

And now onto the hair. A very easy and cute way to do your hair is a messy bun. This look is almost as easy to do as a ponytail, but adds a fun little extra style. All you do is take your ponytail and pull your hair up and back through a rubber band leaving the hair looking as if it was folded in half. Then take the hair that is left and bobby pin it. This is super easy and allows the bun to look very loose and effortless. And can be worn in a casual and professional setting.

Another popular hair style that is easy is a loose braid. Tie your hair into a clean tight clean braid, and then lower the hair tie a bit, giving your braid a little breathing room. Pull some of the braid looser to once again give that effortless and soft look that is very popular for Spring. You can also really get creative with a colored ribbon or fabric by braiding it into the hair or just tying it at the end. I must say that lately I am in love with Bop hair ties. They not only come in every color you can imagine, but they also double as a very cute bracelet.

Now all you have to do is get your shopping list ready, get a few of those must haves and you will be on your way a new fresher you in hardly any time at all.

Kelly Peach is an accomplished hair stylist whose work has been featured in editorial photo shoots, music videos, print advertising, and on celebrity clientele. You can currently find Kelly at 220 Salon in downtown Portland. Visit her at kellypeachhair.com.

04
02
12

News Room

Refocus Your Steps to Success: 2nd Quarter Preparation

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Wasn’t it just yesterday we were thinking about our New Year’s resolutions and wondering what 2012 might hold for us? And yet here we are, in the month of April! As we approach the end of the 1st quarter, it’s a strategic time to review what we’ve accomplished so far, and look ahead at the remaining tasks.

If we were sitting down sharing a cup of coffee and discussing how the business year has gone so far, these are a few questions we might ask:

  • What goals have you accomplished so far?
  • Have the dynamics and needs of your business changed since January?
  • What tasks have you began working on, but haven’t finished yet?
  • What kinds of roadblocks are you running into that are preventing your progress?

After talking about the answers to those questions, we would share with you these three tips Propel has found invaluable:

  1. Focus the quarter. Of the goals you set in January, what will be most strategic for you to accomplish between now and June? Set a milestone you would like to see your business reach in three months. Devote the majority of your focus on a few objectives that will help you reach that point rather than trying to get everything done at once.
  2. Create actionable steps. Having big goals is key to seeing your business grow. But the thing about big goals is that they can be overwhelming. The best way we’ve found to tackle big goals or projects is to break them down into smaller tasks. For example, if your only exercise goal is to run a marathon, that would be a pretty difficult thing to do without working up to it. But when you break that goal down to a plan of running 2 miles 3 times this week, running a marathon becomes more attainable.
  3. Be accountable. Having the right people holding you to the goals will help you stay on track. We have seen this in our own business: someone asking the right questions and reminding us of our goals makes us far more likely to actually achieve them. An outside perspective could be just what you need to jumpstart your productivity. If you haven’t started working towards the top priorities you set in January, now might be a good time to consider sitting down and having a conversation with us about how to accomplish those goals.

In addition to our other services, Propel offers project management. We can help provide the accountability and strategy you need to start moving forward with achieving your plans.We work on strategy and planning to help you grow your business.  Be sure to check out our Services Listand let us know if we can help you succeed in your growth goals, by assisting with managing your growth projects.

Our clients have experienced growth in many ways with our help.  What tasks do you know need to be accomplished that you just aren’t finding the time to finish?  Our one-on-one strategic interview will help us identify what really needs to be done and what we can do to support you! 

As we continue onward, we wish you success in all the things you set your mind to this year!

03
28
12

News Room

4/11/12 – Pinterest: Leverage Your Business Presence Online!

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Are you on Pinterest?  No?  Have you heard about it?  Yes?

We’ve been collecting the information you need to understand this new social media platform and have been inspired by some great ideas that can help propel your business this year using this addictive new platform!

We’ll share just what Pinterest is, how it works, and WHY and HOW your business can use this new social media platform to spur your growth plans this year!

Join us on Wednesday, April 11th from 6:30-7:30pm

Propel Office (Turtledove Clemens Agency
1230 SW 1st Ave, Ste 200
Portland, OR 97204

 


This class is $20.00 to attend, so bring a friend!
Please RSVP by pre-purchasing your seat!

If you are a blogger, photographer or business owner who uses pictures or a blog to promote your business, I promise you will NOT want to miss this class!!!

See you there!

03
19
12

News Room

Timeline: the New Face of Facebook

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If you haven’t seen the new Facebook Timeline for profiles and business pages, get ready for the change over!!  If you have, but you haven’t switched over yet, don’t be surprised if Facebook does it for you.

Facebook announced last year that the new Timeline feature for profiles would change the way we interact on Facebook… and they were right!

And now Facebook has unveiled the same change for our business pages!

What does this mean for your business or the way you use Facebook for business?  We’ll tell you, in this 2 hour class all about the new Timeline!

When: Friday, April 6th
Time: 9am-11am
Where: 8705 SW Nimbus, Conf Rm 318, Beaverton, OR 97008
How much: $45.00

Come learn about:

  • the new features at your disposal
  • the new reports
  • the new way we’ll be displaying our businesses
  • the new layout, look, feel and functionality

03
05
12

News Room

Spring Is Springing!

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We love the look of springtime! And the signs of new growth prompt us to ask you: Where is new life popping up in your business? As spring begins, we want to share a few tips to help you cultivate your business ideas.

The dictionary defines an entrepreneur as someone “who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk”. We have to laugh at the considerable initiative part because it’s such an understatement; entrepreneurs at their core are idea generators who passionately believe in their creativity! But having an idea and seeing it become successful are two different things. From one entrepreneur to another, here are some action steps you can take to connect your idea to reality.

1. Due diligence. As you begin to develop new business ideas, it’s important to step back and see the potential directions you could go. Research the market for your idea. Find out who else is doing it (and how), and decide if you can do it better or differently. Using a SWOT analysis could be helpful for you. Having a written plan almost doubles your chances of success . This is a topic Propel has written about before, and we can’t emphasize enough the importance of making time to write out your goals!

2. Bring on the team. Surround yourself by people who can provide wise business counsel. Get their feedback and be willing to revise your plan. This is the time to utilize your network and create strategic connections that will accelerate your idea’s success.

3. Count the Cost. Having been around entrepreneurs for a long time, we’ve learned that things usually end up costing double what you think they will, either in time or in funding. Turning your attention to a new idea will drain your resources. Do you have the margin of time and money to afford your new venture? Can your bread-and-butter business withstand a little neglect while you devote more energy to your new business baby?
Our senior project manager shares an insightful story about this point:

“I once had someone tell me about their new product venture. I get fired up when entrepreneurs have ideas, but I am always careful to be realistic with my encouragement.

They told me this new product was only going to take a few hours to develop and would be free to produce. I was certainly curious about this idea of theirs and how it could possibly be such an easy project to accomplish. Not to question their ability or the idea, I was compelled to ask a few key questions to satisfy my curiosity. After posing my strategic questions, we both determined that the project would, in fact, take more time than they originally expected and while it would not cost them a penny to produce, it certainly would cost them their valuable time.”

It is important to consider the time involvement, just as much as the money commitment when flushing out a new idea. Will your time investment pay for itself quickly? Will your income from this idea prove profitable when all is said and done?

4. Go and do. Once you’ve done the necessary work, it’s time to put the rubber to the road and simply go do – and see where your idea goes!

Helping businesses cultivate new ideas by brainstorming, creating a strategy, drawing a roadmap, and planning for success is our passion at Propel. What idea do you have that we could help you make a reality?

 

Resources to help you continue cultivating:

03
02
12

News Room

Pinterest: Leverage Your Business Presence Online!

Written by:


Are you on Pinterest?  No?  Have you heard about it?  Yes?

We’ve been collecting the information you need to understand this new social media platform and have been inspired by some great ideas that can help propel your business this year using this addictive new platform!

We’ll share just what Pinterest is, how it works, and WHY and HOW your business can use this new social media platform to spur your growth plans this year!

Join us on Thursday, March 22nd from 10am-11am

Creekside Five Business Center
8705 SW Nimbus, Conf Rm 318
Beaverton, OR 97008

This class is only $10.00 to attend, so bring a friend!
Please RSVP by pre-purchasing your seat!

If you are a blogger, photographer or business owner who uses pictures or a blog to promote your business, I promise you will NOT want to miss this class!!!

See you there!

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