Business development

Create a successful webinar

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Webinars have fast become a popular form of presenting. They are relatively inexpensive to host – even free, with the right platform – and let you reach out to the world from the comfort of your home or office.

Those with limited public speaking experience.sometimes find hosting a webinar intimidating, even frightening. It shouldn’t be. In fact, you’ll find it a fun exercise once you start hosting your own webinars. These tips will help ensure your webinars are successful.

1. Treat it like any other presentation. A webinar is essentially a seminar given remotely. The biggest difference (which can work in your favor; more on that later) is that your audience isn’t right in front of you. Even so, you must follow the same steps you take for a standard presentation. They include:

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A successful business requires strong organizational skills, branding efforts

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Running a business is no easy task. Owners wonder how they will juggle all the duties and still run a profitable business. That’s understandable, says Christine McMahon, a performance trainer, business coach, and consultant. A lot hinges on being organized and disciplined, McMahon says. And a big part of that discipline involves organizing your time.

McMahon, president of Christine McMahon & Associates LLC, in Milwaukee, says that business owners must first determine which tasks are essential. “Define what’s negotiable; what you can give up and what you are not willing to give up,” she says. “What is on your docket today is most important.”

Be committed to the project. Don’t let interruptions (noise, phone calls, and such) distract you. Also, be willing to share the workload. Don’t try to dabble in all facets of your business. While that helps you stay abreast of the various functions, it’s simply not possible to do everything well. Outsourcing some tasks, such as bookkeeping, may prove beneficial, she says.

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Be more disciplined with e-mail

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Going through my e-mail the other day, I was reminded just how easy it can be to get swallowed up by all the forces out there biding for my attention. I have several e-mail accounts for business, and most get loaded with mail. One address averages around 30 messages a day. The other accounts receive less, but still garner … Read more

Use public relations to build, maintain customer loyalty

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Mention public relations to the average person, and what comes to mind is a news release, and, perhaps, something about a firm involved in a crisis. There’s a lot more to it, which is why you should consider public relations for your business.

Public relations helps build and maintain customer loyalty through a variety of communications tools, according to Scott Seroka, Vice President of Seroka, a marketing, interactive and public relations firm in Waukesha, Wis. These include feature stories, sponsorships, media interviews, and speaking engagements.

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Get rid of old e-mails

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Busy businesspeople can be real pack rats. Papers, files, books, magazines, and countless other items pile up throughout the office. The same holds true for e-mails. With the volume of messages that arrives each day, it’s not uncommon for dozens to remain in the inbox waiting to be disposed of. Each message left at the … Read more