As a small business owner, you know that your business needs to be active and present online.  But which activities actually make sense for your particular business in order to effectively reach your target client?  Which of these should you manage yourself, and which should you automate or delegate to the pros?

This workshop will explore just that.  Our round table discussion will not only cover the basics of internet marketing, but we’ll select a few participants and help them map out an internet marketing strategy that works for THEIR business.  Topics will also include the top internet marketing strategies, tools, resources and technology you can use to measure your results and refine your efforts.  Bring your questions for laser coaching and discussion!

Click for more info!

February 27, 11am-1pm
RSVP: igcrsvp@gmail.com with VIRTUAL in the subject line.

Cheryl & Emily @ Palomar Lobby

A few weeks back, Cheryl and I headed into Philly to spend some QT focusing on our business.  It was a time of discussions, brainstorming and strategy as well as implementation of several tasks that were on our seemingly endless laundry list of to-do items.  The core focus of our trip was to (1) spend time together to make sure we were  on the same page with the direction of the company and (2) devote a concentrated amount of time without interruptions to really focus on where we’ve been and where we’re going with Entourage.

This is the second “retreat” I have taken for my businesses.  The first, last year, in Atlantic City (alone!) I spent 3 days focused on compiling the masses of notes and ideas I have had along the way, determining where I was personally going with my work, mapping out goals for the next year and developing my focus towards how I was spending my time.  Both times have been an incredibly productive experience for me as a business owner.  Because we now tangibly see the value of the investment, Cheryl and I decided to share our story to encourage others to plan one, and to share pointers for a successful retreat.

Here’s what we recommend to ensure a successful investment of your time (and money!):

Hotel Palomar, Philly

1- Pick a nice place. Go for swank, go for a place that inspires you!  Since you will be spending a majority of time in your room, you will want to feel motivated and comfortable.  Make sure the location has free wifi in your room, and select something that has a fridge so you can pack some snacks for yourself.  Also look for something that is convenient to other restaurants so you can quickly grab a bite or get some fresh air.

We stayed right in Rittenhouse Square in Philly, and took full advantage of the energy of the city and the amazing eateries all within walking distance.  Both times I stayed at boutique hotels for insanely low rates, so explore your options.  Shop around and try to be flexible with your dates to get the best pricing.  I have stayed at both of these hotels while on “retreat”  so they are the two I recc:

• The Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City - (note- do not stay in the Annex!) Last Fall I got an amazing rate of under $50/night to stay there during the week!  It’s right on the Boardwalk and is not a casino!
• Hotel Palomar in Philly – a Kimpton property.  We loved this place and had not one complaint!  It was priced similar to other luxury hotels in Philly (under $200 for a Fri night).  Plus.. bonus.. animal print bathrobes!  Notice we did not include those pix!!

2- Go there with a plan! This is not meant to be a time of personal rejuvenation (ie sleeping all day!).  While you should focus on feeling relaxed and inspired, it’s important you have a clear set of goals in mind.  In the case of Cheryl and I, we developed a 2 page agenda listing all of the items we needed to discuss together, to do tasks, goal setting, etc.  While it was a lot of ground to cover in 2 days, it was so important that we both be on the same page with our plans- especially given the fact that we don’t see eachother on a regular basis.  Use this as you plan your trip and be sure to print out any collateral material you might need on-hand as you work through your list.

Capture it all!

3- Capture all of your thoughts in a clear way. Given that this is not only an investment of your time, but a financial investment in the growth of your company, make sure you are results-focused and able to reference all of your thoughts once you get back.  What works best for you?  In my case, on my private retreat last year, I purchased some of that big white artist’s paper and a full set of Sharpie pens in diff colors.  I’m very visual, so it was helpful for me to capture my thoughts, goals and my overall vision for the future in a way that made sense to me.  I left with pages and pages of colorful notes! For Cheryl and I, we took rigorous notes throughout the 2 days (some neater than others, esp when Sangria was involved!!).

4-  Ask the hard questions and set overall goals for the business. What’s working in the business?  What’s not working?  What new personal/life changes have now come into play that may affect the business?  In our case, Cheryl had recently had a baby (Logan!) and I was implementing a new time management system with my preschooler.  Schedules and priorities are always in flux (esp as moms!), and in our case it was important to communicate that and set realistic goals and plan around it.  Being honest with yourself is the only way to set a clear, realistic path to success.  Be sure to spend time at the end of your retreat nailing down the overall goals that have developed out of your brainstorming time.  Capturing these goals is important as you make day-to-day decisions about the business, but also as you review it in the months to come.

Get it done!

5- After the retreat: Implementation! Now that you have taken notes in a way that makes sense to you, it will be easier for you to develop an action plan for all your new ideas.  Take all of your notes and put them into an action plan with specific to-do tasks for you (and your business partner).  We are even going so far as to enter date-related tasks into Basecamp as milestones assigned to each of us to confirm responsibilities we agreed upon.

Investing in your business is the best way to move it forward on every level.  Both Cheryl and I found this to be an amazingly effective use of our resources and time.  The two days were filled w quality time together, strategic thinking and yes.. amazing meals (thank you Steven Starr!)!!

As a business owner wearing so many hats each day, we each need to take the time to rejuvenate ourselves and the business to move it forward.  We both enjoyed this so much that we plan to do it again in a few months.  Next time, we plan to spend a greater amount of time being strategic about personal strengths and weaknesses, incorporating tools like Meyers Brigg and we want to really incorporate personal rejuvenation as well (ie spa time!).

It’s good to be a business owner!  Make sure you are taking steps to both enjoy and be strategic about your own growth!

Here in Philly experts in their field are stepping out of the mold to start their own companies and provide services they know best.  We entrepreneurs are a strong force and growing every day.  We are providing quality and necessary services ranging from web design to copy writing and everything in between.   As a result of all sharing common goals, and the City of Brotherly Love, we are creating the ecosystem to foster growth and support for entrepreneurial success.  In the article, 9 steps are outlined for Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, and sure enough, step two is to the shape the ecosystem around local conditions to tailor the suit to fit its own local entrepreneurship dimensions, style and climate.  We are doing just that; entrepreneurs in various fields are coworking, there are weekly meet ups to meet the needs of any level of networker, and above all, entrepreneurs are accepted and celebrated for their efforts.

The opportunities for an entrepreneur to be successful in this current market are high.  Many companies are seeing the value of outsourcing and slowly starting to open their checkbooks to bring in these expert entrepreneurs to help their business grow.  Many groups are also supporting entrepreneurs by hosting coffees, lunches, happy hours, meet ups and conferences to allow for networking, sharing, and learning.

In doing our part to support the entrepreneurial ecosystem, we have been hosting coworking and networking events around the city.  Our next event will be on Thursday, January 20th, in Northern Liberties at One Shot Coffee.  Here we meet with dozens of other entrepreneurs to work as a community for the day; sharing stories, asking questions, making new introductions, drinking coffee and just enjoying eachother’s company as we meet our work demands.

As a bonus for the new year, we will follow coworking with a Philly Entrep Hapy Hour, starting at 5:30pm at PYT in The Piazza

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Thursday, January 20th

Coworking: starting at 2pm

Location: One Shot Coffee
George Street (and American) behind Liberties Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food and making business introductions all day!

Happy Hour: starting at 5:30pm

Location: PYT @ The Piazza in Northern Liberties
1015 N @2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123

*Parking available on the street or in the free lot located on Germantown Ave on the Northeast side of the Piazza.

Be sure to RSVP here.

We have been working from various wifi spots throughout the city this year, with great turnout at all of our events. Entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, and other independents looking to get out of the office and network have been coming together at these events to meet, work, eat, and share business cards. Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post: http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

This month we are heading to a classic Turkish cafe in Queen Village- Cafe Fulya.

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010, coworking is for you. Entrepreneur’s Entourage’s Coworking events are a great way to get a change of scenery from your home or corporate office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps. Our group brings together the open share of ideas and the strength of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries. Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Friday, September 17th starting at 10am

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food around 12:30pm, and making business introductions all day!

Location: Cafe Fulya
727 S. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: (267) 909.9937
Queen Village- Philadelphia, PA

Be sure to RSVP here.

Then please tweet that you will be attending, or just follow all of our participant tweets using #EECoworking.

Here’s what we recommend:

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, – Hot of the shelves, written by the founders of 37Signals (aka the Basecamp/ Highrise Enterprise)-  A quick read breaking down their rules for success (hint here- Simplify, Simplify, Simplify).  If you are a new entrepreneur and are continually mystified by the corporate nonsense business structure, you’ll appreciate this authentic review of the new way of working.

Review here by Inc. Mag

Tribes by Seth Godin- Forget traditional marketing, authenticity is key and having a tribe of supporters is the best kind of publicity.  The Web has opened new doors to leadership and has presented us with a new way to garner a following of people interested in what we have to say.  Godin’s mantra  (and we would concur)  is that everyone can now find or assemble a tribe and lead it. The tools are there to lead the tribes that are forming from Facebook to Twitter to Craigslist.

Review here by USA Today

Faves for female entreps:

Women, Work & the Art of Savoir Faire: Business Sense & Sensibility- by Mireille Guiliano, the long-time super-classy CEO of Veuve Cliquot, and the author of French Women Don’t Get Fat. A guidebook for the professional woman on how to navigate the business world and live a well-balanced, happy life.  From acing a job interview or performance review to hosting a dinner party, Mireille tells it like it is (with her french flair!) as she shares her secrets for feeling good, facing challenges, getting ahead, and maximizing pleasure at every opportunity.

The Martha Rules- Martha Stewart (Emily’s favorite!)  Martha’s fundamentals for successful entrepreneurship.  A legendary entrepreneur in her own right, she shares her 10 rules for succeeding in business.  Having turned her personal passion and experience into a multi-market phenomenon the MSLO enterprise is a leader in diversification.  Tapping into her years of experience in building a thriving business, Martha will help readers identify their own entrepreneurial voice and channel their skills and passions into a successful business venture.

Oldies but Goodies:

Rules for Revolutionaries- Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Chief Evangelist.  The Capitalist Manifesto for Creating and Marketing New Products and Services. Rules lays out Kawasaki’s decidedly audacious (but personally experienced) strategies for besting the competition and triumphing in today’s hypercharged business environment.  Lots of note-taking in this summer read, definitely more product and corporate focused, but relevant to entreps nonetheless.

The E-Myth Revisited- Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work, by Michael Gerber – The original guidebook for running a small business.  Key takeaway here- “As Entrepreneurs we need to focus on working ON our business and not IN our business.”  So many of us start out doing everything in our businesses, when really we should be focusing on being the leader of our business.

Summer Fun:

The Accidental Billionaires- Ben Mezrich  The story of the founding of Facebook (unofficially!) but a great, interesting fun read.

We have been working from various wifi spots throughout the city this year, with great turnout at all of our events.  Entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, and other independents looking to get out of the office and network have been coming together at these events to meet, work, eat, and share business cards.  Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post:  http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

This month we are heading to a clean, bright, and friendly cafe in Northern Liberties called Euphoria Cafe.  They have great coffee, tea, smoothies, sandwiches, and our personal favorite, iced bubble coffee!  Euphoria offers free wifi and a comfortable area for us to all sit together to work and mingle.  This cafe is also in the exciting Piazza, surrounded by restaurants, shops, galleries, and of course the big outdoor courtyard with the giant screen TV so you can stick around and watch the Phillies game that night!

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010,  coworking is for you.  Entrepreneur’s Entourage’s Coworking events are a great way to get a change of scenery from your home or corporate office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps.  Our group brings together the open share of ideas and the strength of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries.  Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010 starting at 10am.

Come and go as you please; we will be grabbing some food around 12:30pm, and making business introductions all day!

Location: Euphoria Coffee
1001 N 2nd Street in The Piazza
Philadelphia, PA

Be sure to RSVP here.

Then please tweet that you will be attending, or just follow all of our participant tweets using #EECoworking.

Calling all Philly Entreps and Business Owners:  Don’t miss our favorite conference and networking event of the year- SPARK!

Monday, May 24th, 2010 at The Hub Cira Centre

Spark is an interactive entrepreneurial conference that focuses on helping entrepreneurs grow their business, develop vital relationships and take away valuable insights from educational workshops. The conference has two parts; the morning session which consists of educational workshops and networking, while the afternoon is the opportunity for several entrepreneurs to pitch their business in front of an esteemed panel of successful entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture consultants and experienced advisers.

Check out this great video from last year‘s event!

SPARK 2009

Check out the day’s schedule here: http://sparknetworking.com/agenda.php

MEET US: Be sure to stop by to visit our booth during the Entrepreneurial Expo which runs from 12-2pm!

PANELS:

• Built to Last – Best Practices and Resources to Grow Your Business
• Everything You Need to Know About Raising Capital but Were Afraid to Ask
• Trends for 2010 – Who’s Getting Funding
• Building Buzz on a Startup Budget
• Getting the Deal Done – A Workshop in Negotiation
• Nuts & Bolts of a Winning Presentation

Lastly, all friends of Entourage are invited to enjoy a 20% discount on registration by entering discount code: SPK20Entourage at checkout!!

REGISTER

We’re looking forward to seeing each of you at this can’t miss entrep event!

If you are committed to evolving your business in 2010, coworking is for you.  Coworking is a great way to get a change of scenery from your home or corporate office and hang in the presence of some of Philly’s brightest entreps.  Our group brings together the open share of ideas and the strengthening of the entrepreneurial community here in Philadelphia across all industries.  Our meetup days are informal and a great way to share your business concept, make connections, get some work done on your laptop, grab a bite to eat, and gain new perspectives.

EE Coworking and Networking Days are here to stay in 2010! We will be working from various wifi spots throughout the city once a month on the second Thursday of each month.  We’ve had a great turnout at all of our events.  Check out some of our coworkers in our quickie vlog post:  http://www.watchuslaunch.com/

Please join us for our next coworking day!

Date: Friday, April 30th, 2010 starting at 10am.

Come and go as you please, but we will be grabbing some food and doing business introductions at 1:00pm

Location: Chapter House Cafe
620 South 9th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Be sure to RSVP here.

Then please tweet that you will be attending, or just follow all of our participant tweets using #EECoworking.

We find that our business is starting to lean more towards those wanting to get the word out about their venture, or grow their existing business.  Some of the major ways we help these clients is by providing internet marketing campaigns, social media management, research and sales strategy development, website design, and branding.

One great way to get the word out about your business is to network and embrace your local entrepreneurial community.  We are doing just that by sponsoring and attending the upcoming Entrepreneur Expo on April 13th in Philadelphia.  The Expo will have over 200 attendees as well as 3-4 dozen vendors all taking about their passions and dreams!  Not only will we be there to share how our business can help others grow, but we will also be giving away a great tool for growing your business and branding – a Flip video camera! Our custom designed Flip Mino video camera prize will help you start vlogging and recording all your business successes!  So make sure to stop by our booth, share your business ideas, and enter to win the coolest Flip on the market!

More details on the Philadelphia Entrepreneur Expo 2010:

Philly Startup Leaders present The Entrepreneur Expo – Innovation on Display – April 13, 2010 at University of the Arts. This is a showcase of work by entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial community. If you’re an entrepreneur, you will be able to talk about your work and hear about the work of others. If you’re interested in new ideas, new business plans, the uses of new technology, or are simply curious about the creative energy in this region, you’ll have a chance to see and meet those beginning to make a difference.

April 13, 2010 6 pm – 9 pm Solmsson Court, Hamilton Hall University of the Arts Pine & Broad

Get excited about the future. Get excited about the entrepreneurial spirit of Philadelphia. Come to the Entrepreneur Expo. Come and see tomorrow, today.

https://philly-startup-leaders.ticketleap.com/entrepreneur-expo-2010-04-13-2010-18-0

We use a great platform which both we and our clients love- Basecamp.  This is a fantastic tool that continues to meets our virtual project management needs.  In addition to Basecamp, there are several other leading PM tools out there that deserve consideration.

In many of my circles, we tend to go round and round about which has the best features and is priced right.  Below is a comprehensive review of the three current leaders for virtual professional teams; Basecamp, Central Desktop and SmartSheet.

Basecamp

4 Plans Available:

• $24/mo:  15 projects, 5 GB Storage, Unlimited Users
• $49/mo: 35 projects, 15 GB Storage, Unlimited Users, Time Tracking
• $99/ mo: 100 projects, 30 GB Storage, Unlimited Users, Time Tracking
• $149/mo: Unlimited projects, 75 GB Storage, Unlimited Users, Time Tracking

Note they have 1 FREE plan available- 1 project, Unlimited Users, no file sharing

FREE 30 day trial

General Details:

• Their focus is on communication tools, very straightforward, easy to use technology with video screenshot overviews for each function (very idiot-proof!).
• Basecamp works with a variety of iPhone apps, third-party invoicing and time tracking tools, graphic design review software, widgets, and more.
• Allows for customized domain, color and branding  and logo upload.
• Central dashboard that shows updates and overview of all current projects- ranked by time sensitivity.

Key Features:

To Do List option which can be set to replicate as needed, append to any open milestone and it allows you to assign a person and date to each open to do item.  Note these can be marked for private viewing.

Easy File Sharing sorting and uploading- note the size limits listed above

Message Boards- *Key Feature*- one of our faves!

Keep all project related communication within the project (in Basecamp).  When msg is send from this feature, recipient may respond through their email and it will track (no need to sign in to respond).  Files may be attached here, comments may be posted within the msg (anything to decrease email right!?).

Milestones- The general key targets for project completion.  Another great feature here- they can feed into your iCal/ Outlook!  Related to-dos can also append onto each milestone.  Basecamp focuses onthis feature which allows for fast shifting of deadlines across the calendar, great for tracking goals. For example, if we were to make a task (To-Do) of writing an article, we could attach it to the milestone.  If the milestone needed to change dates, we could change its date and move all future milestones the same number of days to reflect the change. Basecamp also allows users to configure the new milestones so that they do not fall on a weekend.

Time Tracking- Web based time tracking- team members can enter time related to each task or project.  Comes in handy for PMs, and it has a report function which can be exported.  NOTE- this feature is only available for your team- clients do not have access to this feature.

Writeboards- Another fave here!  Stash all your notes, logins, links and details related to projects here.  Space for comments and note that this can be marked private (so only your team can view!).

One of the best features of BC are their customer service forums which are easy to navigate.

PROS:

• Straightforward, easy to use PM tool
• Great support forums for FAQs
• Great pre-sale website with demos, videos and screen shots
• Customizable branding options
• Strong alliances for app build-out (iphone, etc.)
  

CONS:

• Does not offer any sort of project charts
• Chat feature only available as an add-on- $12-$99 per month
• Does not support high level project tracking like you would see with more $$ PM systems

Central Desktop

From their site: Central Desktop’s Social Technology Platform provides a complete SaaS solution for businesses to collaborate, manage projects and connect their people.

4 plans available:

• Team Plan Free; 2 workspaces, 5 members per workspace, 25MB storage
• Team Plan 1; $25/mo, 3 workspaces, 10 members per workspace, 500MB storage
• Team Plan 2; $49/mo, 10 workspaces, 15 members per workspace, 1GB storage
• Company Plan 3; $99/mo, 25 workspaces, 25+ workspaces, 5GB storage– note this is the only package that includes SSL encryption, custom domain and branding

PROS:

• Offers recurring task assignments
• Offers client and project workspaces as well as company intranets
• Automated work order requests
• Offers project charts
• Optional add-on of web meetings ($35/mo)
• Task creation through email, task prioritization
• Chat function included
• Private and public workspaces
• Lengthy feature list
• Create text and spreadsheet files inside their application (online docs)
• Unique urls available for tasks for quick access
• Positive reviews on their search feature
• Chat feature linked to help desk
• Salesforce add-on

CONS:

• Complex platform, learning curve, not-so-easy navigation
• Confusion surrounding workspace and project concepts

As a reviewer I found their website (what is supposed to entice me to purchase) to be very complicated and uninformative.  No screen shots or bullet points of features were given which makes it a hard sell.  Online reviews from users were mostly positive.  Unfortunately this is why I can’t give a detailed overview of the moving parts!  Central Desktop (in my opinion) has aligned their branding to target corporate clients.

Smartsheet

Unique online collaboration tool designed to “think outside the box” of project management.  It is based on a spreadsheet-like paradigm, but promises collaboration and project tracking.  From their site-  “Great solution for managing a variety of tasks, projects and processes. It has intelligent collaboration capabilities and powerful reporting housed within a familiar spreadsheet interface.”

Pricing: note their pricing is based on “Sheet Creators” and all pkgs have unlimited “Viewers.”

• Basic- $9.95/mo; 1 Sheet Creator; 10 Sheets; 3GB file storage
• Advanced- $29.95/mo; 1 Sheet Creator; 50 Sheets; 15GB file storage; Gantt Charts, Custom Branding, Reporting, Survey Forms
• Team- $49.95/mo; 3 Sheet Creators; 150 Sheets; 30GB file storage; Gantt Charts, Custom Branding, Reporting, Survey Forms, Premium Support Pack
• Team Plus- $79.95/mo; 10 Sheet Creators; 500 Sheets; 60GB file storage; Gantt Charts, Custom Branding, Reporting, Survey Forms, Premium Support Pack
• Enterprise- $149.95/mo; 25 Sheet Creators; 1000 Sheets; 100GB file storage; Gantt Charts, Custom Branding, Reporting, Survey Forms, Premium Support Pack

30 day free trial

Pros:

• Video tutorial overviews (before purchase!)
• Designed to work with Google Apps products and Jott
• Sales pipeline included- with alerts,  follow-up and email tracking
• Crowdsourcing-Smartsheet Smartsourcing- def check out their demo on this!  Smartsheet is the only collaboration tool that makes it possible to connect to an on-demand workforce.
• Goals and Objectives tracking
• Product Management- prioritize features, track enhancement requests and manage product launches.  R&D as well as customer feedback options
• Gantt chart views
• View and edit sheets and reports from your iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile or Android smartphone
• Built in calendar and reminders for projects
• Discussion/ comments can be added to any smartsheet

CONS:

• Not a traditional project mgmt tool – must love and appreciate spreadsheets to use this tool!
• Very powerful, but comes with a learning curve- especially since it is so different than other PM tools.  Take the time to educate yourself on all the features
• Newbie on the market, so you know they’ll be working out the kinks

The three choices above each offer their own unique pros and cons.  Consider all three options as you make your decision about which PM system to implement in your business!