Archive for February, 2009
Women of Substance: Almira Bardai
I wanted to write a feature on Almira Bardai because she has accomplished what so many women business owners dream of – she runs a profitable company while traveling all over the world. Since August 2006, she has been in South Africa, Argentina, London (3 times), Paris, Australia and Spain. And her company ran without a hitch in client service; in fact revenues have grown by 30%!
Almira admits her number one goal is to run her own company and have a great lifestyle and she seems to have accomplished it. She is Partner at Jive Communications, a boutique PR and communications firm that increases recognition and improves the bottom line for companies around the world.
What intrigued me is that so many of us became business owners so we could have more flexibility, yet few of us take steps to work and travel. We start thinking of how impossible it would be; we worry that we will lose clients because balls will get dropped. So read on to see how Almira does it.
How did you get started doing this?
A client sent me to Cape Town, South Africa to work for them. I knew the CEO from my time in London and he got in touch while I was in Canada, and flew me to Cape Town. This was actually my first contract, and made me realize the potential of running my own company and having a great lifestyle using the technology available to us.
What are your top tips for running a business successfully while traveling around the world?
1. Service clients continually. Arrange your schedule to work to client time. When I come back from my travels, clients often comment “I didn’t even know you were out of town.”
2. Have a team in place at the office back home to delegate to. Be clear on their roles and responsibilities. Brief them on what your expectations are while away and check in regularly.
3. Use technology effectively. Almira admits she could not travel like this without it. Her tools of choice include: Blackberry, VOIP (with a Vancouver number), Skype and her laptop. On some trips she has just used a Blackberry and internet cafes successfully.
Your words of wisdom to other women in business?
“It’s all about your support network. I have a wonderful mentor. Make sure you surround yourself with phenomenal people. I have this great network of amazing women who act as my Board of Advisors. I could not have accomplished what I have without this connection and guidance. My favorite quote comes from Jill Earthy, Executive Director of Forum of Women Entrepreneurs – ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help women.’”
So for those of you out there itching with a travel bug, get inspired by Almira and figure out how you can make it happen. As you can see, it is not impossible!
Hot Spot: Pinkberry
I recently spent some time in Southern California, where I found a hip hangout place called Pinkberry. Pinkberry is a fairly new frozen yogurt parlor that has combined healthy goodness along with great tastes in their treats. Not only has Pinkberry found a niche market with with multiple types of frozen yogurt, including pomegranate and greentea, and toppings, including coconut and raspberry, but they also make any trip into Pinkberry a personal one; when ordering a frozen yogurt treat, the worker asks your name and then calls your name when your treat is ready.
Although Pinkberry has limited themselves to a few different products, they are not limited in types of consumers; each time I have visited Pinkberry, I have seen young and old people, as well as surfers or children stopping for an after school treat. So ask yourself, what can I do to attract a wider range of customers?
Ghost CEO February 2009 Business Tips
The following 2 articles come from the most recent monthly Ghost CEO Business Tip. If you want to register for this monthly tip, just click here.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING BOLD!!!
Since becoming a business coach and working with women from all walks of life, I have come to realize how much we often let fear rule our lives. Even for me, fear can be quite insidious at times. It approaches you quietly and faintly whispers in your ear – and you find yourself holding back without even realizing it. I admit fear stalked me mercilessly the first year of running my ownbusiness. When I look back now, I shake my head at all the opportunities missed.
And it happens to a lot of women around you, even the ones who seem fully confident. I was recently having lunch with a business associate in LA and she mentioned the fear she had experienced prior to doing a pitch for a big project and how she allowed it to let her believe her competition were a better fit for the account that her. (The client didn’t agree – they hired her.) We laughed about it and toasted her success.
A few hours later I was thinking about a big project that I have in front of me, which I have been wrestling with. I had put my foot-dragging down to having too much other work and other priorities that came first. But in a moment of clarity, I realized it was fear that was holding me back from jumping on this. Once I realized this, I wrote out a quick plan of action for the project, did those action items immediately and felt relieved. Plus I landed the contract.
That’s the funny thing about fear – once you acknowledge that it is there and you take action anyway – it loses its power to affect you. It’s avoiding it that drains your energy. My challenge to you today: look at what you are procrastinating on in your life and take one action step to get it going. That’s the best way to get fear out of your life and start being bold!
Fiona Walsh (fiona@ghostceo.com)
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GET IN THE GAME!
If the terms “economic climate” or “recession” have crept their way in to your daily mantra – I highly suggest you find a way to shove them out the back door, and sooner rather than later! Getting sucked in to this vortex of negative thinking and “the sky is falling” mentality is a sure way to end up battered, bruised and broke by the end of this year.
Here’s my suggestion – step up to the plate, take responsibility and get in the game! You cannot control the world’s economy, (if you can let me know – we should talk), but you do have the ability to respond to it. (Responsibility is your ABILITY to RESPOND.) Sit down, just you a cup of coffee/tea, a pad of paper and pen. Ask yourself “what do I want to accomplish this year in mybusiness”? Write down all the responses that answer this question for you. From there, make a commitment to yourself and to your business that you will find ways to accomplish these desires and goals. Then, take responsibility, step up to the plate and get in the game.
Heather White (heather@ghostceo.com)
It’s All About Perspective
I just came back from a week’s vacation to the usual pile of voicemail, email and mail to deal with. The glow of relaxation started being replaced quickly by feeling overwhelmed and that black thought – “Is it worth going away?”
Then I read in the paper that the backlog at the Delhi High Court in India would take 466 years to clear.
Now I don’t feel overwhelmed in the least. It’s all about perspective!
Overworking?
As I am in the middle of mid-terms at University and working part-time, life is getting pretty busy. It was recently suggested to me that I read “4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferriss, and now I’m almost done it! This book has a lesson for everyone – entrepreneurs and students alike, those who continuously work without any play. One concept I found interesting in this book is that you don’t need to be wealthy to live a rich lifestyle, instead, you just need to carve time out for yourself and plan to take a trip or have some relaxing time away; the point is not to build your riches and then spend them, but to have fun along the way.
One aspect that Tim discusses is how to create a selective ignorance, which will create free time, by taking on a ‘low information’ diet. If you are someone who struggles with e-mail overload or are just a workaholic, this book is for you.
Social Media and Job-Hunting
I love this recent post from Marketing Profs titled: Get Wired and Get Hired
It’s all about how you can use social media and online tools to find your next job. In addition to talking about how to use LinkedIn, FaceBook and Twitter for a job search, it mentions some different job boards to look at - Spreadsheet of Sunshine: Who’s Hiring, PR News Online and Indeed.com, How can you resist a site with a name like Spreadsheet of Sunshine? Now, that is good marketing!
Woman of Substance – Stacey Bridges
I met today’s Woman of Substance, Stacey Bridges, when I received a box of her gorgeously yummy cake balls for Christmas. These things are divine – both to look at and to eat! After licking my fingers off, I got in contact with Stacey in Austin, Texas, to learn the story of her wonderful company – Cake By Bridges. This has to be one of my all-time favorite business ideas! Check out her website – it is a feast for the eyes.
How did your company get started?
I was a costumer for theatre and opera for 9 years. It was just after I finished my Fine Arts Masters in Costume Technology at the University of Texas, Austin. I was doing a little R&R and happened to be watching Food Network – it was a cake show. I was really drawn to the aesthetics of the cakes they were making. My boyfriend encouraged me to take a course and I started playing around with cake. From the very beginning, I saw my cakes as an art form – I wanted them to be spectacular. Six months after my first cake, we decided we wanted to make it a business and Cake By Bridges was launched in August 2008. We do cake balls, wedding and anniversary cakes and custom orders for corporate events and parties.
My background in art provides the inspiration for the cakes; I look for images I like in nature, magazines, on-line and then I create the image in sugar. Recently I did Steeler football helmets for a client’s Superbowl party.
Cake balls are your number one seller – how did you come up with the idea for them?
I stumbled across a recipe for cake balls one day. They sounded fun and different so I made the recipe and started to test market them. People loved them so our new product line was born. They are the perfect solution for dessert – hand held, pretty and easy to eat. We now ship them all over North America.
What is the most important lesson you have learned for success in business?
Patience! And the ability to learn from others who have already experienced what you are going through. With no prior business experience, every business challenge is new to me and slightly terrifying at times.
My focus has always been on creating beautiful things – not running a business, so I had a lot to learn fast. We have tapped into our network of friends to get connections to experienced business people who have generously shared their advice and insights. This has been invaluable to us growing so quickly.
What does Cake by Bridges have planned for 2009?
We have a fun, quirky product. We just finished our marketing plan and the focus this year is to keep building our word of mouth, which has been our main marketing tool, and to also build a stronger web presence and launch a newsletter.
For Valentine’s 2009, we have created special decorated cake balls – heart shaped or with roses, hearts and teddy bears – check them out here. In addition, we have a special flavor for the month of February – Cherry Amaretto!
Any words of advice to women in business?
Go for your dreams. Never in a million years, would I have ever imagined I would open a cake business! But the idea came along and I went with it. When opportunities are offered to you, grab them! Take them, develop them and then spend the time to grow them.
Smart Advertising
A few weeks ago I blogged about buzzmarketing, creating advertising that leaves a lasting impression. The Super Bowl is known for its high-budget and comical commercials that cost $3 million for 30 seconds of air time. During the Big Game last weekend, the most effective commercial was one by Miller ‘High Life’ Beer. The ad was only one second long and consisted of a brewery worker yelling “High-Life!” This ad, which cost only $100,000 to air, drew some of the biggest laughs and created much inquiry into the product. This blog is further proof of the ad’s buzzmarketing potential. Often times, being different is the most effective way to catch attention, and when being different costs less, everyone benefits.
