"Women Entrepreneurs - The Secrets of Success" for Wednesday, April 14th

Alicia Morgan

Alicia Michelle Morgan was born and raised in New Orleans. She currently resides in the North Dallas area. A graduate of Tuskegee University and New Mexico State University with degrees in engineering this analytical thinker has an equally creative side that is completely outside the box of conventional thinking. The birth of the writing pen name A.M. Morgan is the outer extension of an inner voice taking on a new world where an appreciation for the creative and performing arts takes center stage.

Her recent book Father and Daughter Time: Conversations from the Heart tackles the issue of the absence of fatherhood through sharing her positive and often challenging experiences with her own father. A multi-faceted woman on a mission to turn literary passions into a fulfilling career A.M. Morgan will not stop until the ambitions of this writer with a little business savvy is the foundation of the successful brand 3 Morgan Publishing. 3 Morgan Publishing is the birth of a family dream in which the extraordinary gift of writing will provide insightful words to spark engaging conversations.

8:00 pm EDT
Listen to the live or archived show at
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachDeb

Think Like an Entrepreneur

Join me on the Home Biz Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio on Monday, April 12th. Host Jeane' Elliott Bennett and I will be discussing topics from my new book, "Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life."

The Home Biz Radio Show
http://www.BlogTalkRadio.com/jeane
Monday, April 12, 2010
10 am PST/11 am CST/12 noon CST/1 pm EST.
Join us in the chatroom or on the phone lines at 646-929-0711.

"How to Publish, Promote and Profit From Your Book in 2010"

Presented by Deborah A. Bailey

DATE: Tuesday, April 13, 2010
TIME: 8:00 p.m Eastern time
FEE: No charge

Writing a book is the main way to position yourself as an expert in your industry. But just writing a book isn't enough.

You also have to know what to do next...

Publishing - traditional or self publishing?
Promotions - how do you get your book into the hands of your target market?
Profiting - can you really make money with a book?

I've just written a book, "Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life" and within two weeks of completing it, I was booked for:

• an appearance on the Fox News Strategy Room national news program,


• three radio show interviews


• an assignment to write articles for Careerbuilder

All of that and my book hasn't even been published yet!

If you're a solopreneur you won't have the huge budget to put into producing and promoting your book. That's why you have to focus on how to leverage your expertise and use that to build demand.

In this teleclass I'll reveal what today's author has to create your media platform - using tools that you may already be working with.

Here's part of what you'll gain when you join the call:

* How you can get INSTANT media attention - but only if you have THIS

* Why you'll have to wait up to TWO years for your book to be published if you get a contract with a traditional publisher

* Which social media tool is still under the radar but is HEAVILY used by celebrities, entertainers and authors

* How your book can REALLY make you money - if you do THIS

* The TWO things you must include in your book - otherwise your book won't be taken seriously!

Reserve your "seat" NOW so that you can be sure to have a place on the call. (If you can't make the call, the recording will be available for 3 days after the teleclass.)

Register here today: http://www.dbaileycoach.com/Workshops.html

"See" you on the call!

Bad Ads 2010

In re-reading a recent issue of PROFIT, I was stunned by the sheer vacuity of some of the ads in the magazine.

Advertising to small business owners isn't easy. You have to catch their eye with a compelling offer or graphic, make an emotional appeal to their needs and problems, and create a forceful case for your sophisticated, best-in-class solutions.

But that’s no excuse for the lousy ads I spotted in the January issue of PROFIT. Banal graphics, tiny understated typography that whispers, “Don't read me!”, and underwhelming messages that leave this entrepreneur unimpressed.

Here are three of those offenders:

KPMG: Devoted to your private company? Yes.
Are we efficient with moving a dolly? Not so much.

You may have seen the TV version of these ads that show people pretending to be KPMG professionals acting like ignorant goofs. This is branding? Humor is a key tool in advertising, but not when the joke is on the people you are trying to promote as world-class pros.

And what’s with the 10-point type at the bottom? Looks like legalese that no one is actually supposed to read. Yet this is their big “sell”!

Looks to me like an organization that doesn't know how to sell its services, and is so noncommittal about its value proposition that they hide it in the corner.

BDO Dunwoody: A high-concept ad looking for a concept.
So a zipper isn't really a zipper, but “an intricate system of wedges, hooks and hollows.” Um, so what? That doesn't matter to someone who just wants to fasten their coat or pants.

Talk about missing the big picture. If BDO professionals are going to overcomplicate something as simple as a zipper, why would I let them and their high hourly rates anywhere near my business?

Plus, the execution of the headline and graphic? So flat. So unexciting.

And again with the tiny type! “Fine print” communicates one message: you're not supposed to read this.

CA: Wouldn't it be nice if decisions were so easy?
I’m a fan of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ radio ads that use this theme, especially the one where a business chooses its strategy by spinning a roulette wheel. (“Looks like … a merger!!”) Those ads convey a realistic business atmosphere, and contain great humour.

But this print ad fails on several counts. I guess these are Tarot cards, but being one of the 30 million Canadians who know nothing about obscure mystical fortune-telling rituals, I'm not really sure. And the unholy mix of confusing labels – two adjectives ("Secure" and "Integrated") and a noun ("Holdings") – only adds to my befuddlement.

I have no clue what the message is here. A reminder that my Dungeons and Dragons club meets on Monday nights?

The sell copy, for once, is reasonably strong: “Look to a CA for the talent and integrity to make the right ones” [decisions]. Again, buried at the bottom of the page. Like an afterthought.

And is anyone else bothered that the CICA's new brand is merely “CA”? It looks so unfinished, as if no one wanted to take credit for this ad. But then, would you?

Here’s the final irony. If these ads fail to make the phone ring, the perpetrators will blame print.

(If anyone wishes to defend these ads, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.)

Are You A Member Yet?

by Julie Barnes

As entrepreneurs, we are constantly wondering if we are taking the right steps to take the business to the next level. It can be hard not to compare our business with the other thousands out there leaving us to wonder, if we buy into the latest program will this boost business?

Beware of all of the “gurus” out there when surfing the web. You know the ones. They have the sensational “squeeze” pages. Before you know it, you’re off running to get your credit card, knowing that if you buy this one program, you will be at six-figures by the end of the year.

Tip: There are rarely “overnight” successes. While it may seem that the “guru” hit the mother lode in less than year, most entrepreneurs achieve the success of their dreams by staying focused, working hard, and not letting outside influences sidetrack them. Also, remember that your idea of success may different than the next entrepreneur.

Then there are the membership programs. It seems like everyone has some variety of membership program and your email box is full of reasons why you should join.

Tip: Some of the greatest entrepreneurs attribute much of their success to working with mentors and coaches. While some groups and programs may be worth the money spent, it is always beneficial to follow the rule of “buyers beware”. Google the program. Research the instructor. Ask your circle of peers. You’ll soon find out that the Cyber World is smaller than you think.
…
Copyright © 2010 Julie Barnes and One Who Writes

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

Julie Barnes is a regular contributor to the Secrets of Success blog.

Monique Hayward on Women Entrepreneurs - The Secrets of Success Podcast

Monique Hayward is President & CEO of Nouveau Connoisseurs Corp., which she founded in April 2004 and most recently owned and operated the award-winning Dessert Noir Café & Bar in Beaverton, Oregon. Monique is also a senior marketing manager at Intel Corp. in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Monique is an entrepreneur and corporate player with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, communications, public relations, business development, and entrepreneurship. She has shared her knowledge and expertise as a contributing writer and interviewee for mainstream media like, The Oregonian, The Denver Post, and CNN and online and print publications for entrepreneurs like Women Entrepreneurs – The Secrets of Success Blog, Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, and Restaurant Startup & Growth.

In Feb. 2009, Monique published her first book, Divas Doing Business: What the Guidebooks Don’t Tell You About Being a Woman Entrepreneur. She’s also a frequent speaker at conferences and colleges and a mentor to up-and-coming professionals and entrepreneurs.

Monique was selected as a winner in the 2008 Make Mine a Million $ Business program, a collaboration between Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence and OPEN from American Express that provides a combination of money, mentoring, marketing, and technology tools that women entrepreneurs need to help grow their businesses into million-dollar enterprises. She also was selected for the Portland Business Journal’s 2009 “40 Under 40” award, which honors young business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Portland area. She also has worked as a commercial model and spokesperson and served as the executive producer, writer, and host of her own talk show on a local cable TV station.

A native of New York City who also spent part of her childhood in Columbia, S.C., Monique has a master of business administration in marketing from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor of arts (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park. She is an inaugural fellow of the ASCENT Mastering Management Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. She also participates as a visiting fellow for the Austin Entrepreneurship Program at Oregon State University and teaches a course for aspiring women entrepreneurs at Portland Community College.

She also is a member of the National Black MBA Association, National Association of Female Executives and Entrepreneurs, and National Association of Women Business Owners and serves on the board of the Oregon Chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs. Monique is married to Tom Freeman and the couple resides in Beaverton.

How to Get Results from Your Product Launches

Were you on Ali Brown's call last week where she shared her proven secrets about how to successfully launch a product, program, or event every time?

On the call, Ali generously gifted everyone **$100 off** her new product: Product Launch Systems - Proven Formula for Greatest Impact & Maximum Profits, but only through Wednesday, April 7.

Ready to learn all about this incredible deal with great
information? Head here for all the details:
www.millionaireprotegeclub.com/product-launch-system

Product Launch System is designed for entrepreneurs of all levels
who want to launch a product, program, or event - and maximize
their sales in a short span of time!

Product Launch System guides you step-by-step through all of
Ali's proven launch strategies than can help you boost your
product sales and grow your cash flow, no matter what type of
business you run, large or small. You may learn more here:
www.millionaireprotegeclub.com/product-launch-system
and take advantage of Ali's $100 gift to you.

BONUS OFFER:
If you order by WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, Ali will
also gift you with her special "Bonus Guide: Secrets to Running a
Successful Close-Out Sale"!

Her brand new Product Launch System is packed full with
everything you need to run a successful launch for your own
product, program, or event - it's Ali's proven, step-by-step,
simple launch formula that she's never shared before.

Reserve your copy of Product Launch
System now, and collect your free bonuses, too, before they're
gone!
www.millionaireprotegeclub.com/product-launch-system