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Date: December 6, 2023
Time: 6:00pm PH/SG time
Where: Online or in-person

What to expect:
Fun, informal networking
Meet like-minded women
Listen to inspiring stories
Learn the latest trends
Be part of the community

Select a city to register for a meetup:

Philippines:

Alabang – connectedwomen.co/Alabang
Bacoor – connectedwomen.co/Bacoor
Baguio – connectedwomen.co/Baguio
Balanga – connectedwomen.co/Bataan
Cainta – connectedwomen.co/Cainta

Imus – connectedwomen.co/Imus
Las Piñas – connectedwomen.co/LasPinas

Lucena – connectedwomen.co/Lucena
Marikina – connectedwomen.co/Marikina
Parañaque – connectedwomen.co/Paranaque
San Jose Del Monte – connectedwomen.co/SJDM
Subic  – connectedwomen.co/Subic

Global:

Peshawar – connectedwomen.co/Peshawar
Singapore – connectedwomen.co/Singapore

Stay tuned for updates on additional cities!

For the updated list, visit www.connectedwomen.co/CityMeetup

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to meet new friends, network, and learn from inspiring women.

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Connected Women Meetups are warm and welcoming community-led gatherings for women entrepreneurs, freelancers and professionals to share, connect, work and learn.
For more information about Connected Women, please contact us at community@connectedwomen.com

 

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Date: October 25, 2023
Time: 6:00pm PH/SG time
Where: Online or in-person

What to expect:
Fun, informal networking
Meet like-minded women
Listen to inspiring stories
Learn the latest trends
Be part of the community

Select a city to register for a meetup:

Baguio – connectedwomen.co/Baguio
Cainta – connectedwomen.co/Cainta
Davao – connectedwomen.co/Davao
Imus – connectedwomen.co/Imus
Las Piñas – connectedwomen.co/LasPinas

Lucena – connectedwomen.co/Lucena
Olongapo – connectedwomen.co/Olongapo

SJDM – connectedwomen.co/SJDM
Tagaytay – connectedwomen.co/Tagaytay
Taguig – connectedwomen.co/Taguig
Tanza – connectedwomen.co/Tanza

Stay tuned for updates on additional cities!

For the updated list, visit www.connectedwomen.co/CityMeetup

Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to meet new friends, network, and learn from inspiring women.

————————————————————————

Connected Women Meetups are warm and welcoming community-led gatherings for women entrepreneurs, freelancers and professionals to share, connect, work and learn.
For more information about Connected Women, please contact us at community@connectedwomen.com

 

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For its work and impact on the lives of women, Connected Women was chosen by the prestigious Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) to be part of its deal sharing platform for its venture fundraising. 

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Marie is the Founder & Director of Them You & Me, a digital marketing agency speaking friendly digital. She strives to demystify digital marketing and guide businesses through digital transformation.

The post #ConnectedWomen: Marie Nadal Sharma, Founder of Them You & Me appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

The answer goes without saying: The simpler something can be done while still boosting your productivity, the better!

How To Use The Ivy Lee Method

There are two ways you can begin and end your day (this applies to your remote teams too). Let’s take a general look at what they could be:

Tomorrow Version A

You’re just waking up, and as your eyes flutter open you almost immediately think of all that needs to be done today. You mentally try to push it to the side until you’ve at least had a drink to wake you up.  If you have a family, then they’re also getting ready for the day and you help as needed, all the while thinking about work at the back of your mind. I understand. – you can’t help it. We’ve all been there!

You sit down ready to begin your day, and your first task is to look at your to-do list. There’s plenty that needs to be done today, but you’re not quite sure where to start. You want to ‘eat the frog’, but it seems there are a few important frogs that need addressing.

By the time you’ve sorted your task list, you’ve effectively used up about an hour of your morning – or more.

Throughout the day you work hard to get everything done, but every once in a while you catch a glimpse of your to-do list and try to get more done by working on things two at a time. That means you’ll accomplish more in less time, right?

Until finally, you’re done with work for the day. You close your laptop and heave a sigh of relief. As you reflect on the day, you realise you didn’t finish any one task, but you did make a little bit of progress on some of them, so hurray!

Tomorrow Version B

You’re waking up, and as your eyes flutter open you feel relaxed and take a big stretch, ready to tackle a new day. You’re not in a rush because you know you have the groundwork laid out for yourself. You get your fix for the morning, and do what ought to be done before you begin work.

You sit down to start, and see the task list you wrote yesterday. All you need do is scan the first item on your list and dive in.
You work on each task in the order listed, focusing on one at a time without giving the others a second thought. Once the task at hand is finished, you’ll get to the next one, and then the next one.

At last, your work day is over; and as you close your laptop, you feel a smirk of satisfaction form on your lips. You didn’t get everything on your list done, but you did get four whole things finished! You add your unfinished task to the next day’s list, and a few others that you know are important.

You leave your work spot in peace – fully confident you’ve accomplished your share for the day and ready to relax for the evening.

Boost Productivity To The Next Level

So now the main question is: Would you prefer to start and end your day more like Version A or Version B?

If we look at the ease of the day, Version B is by far more efficient.

The multitasking of Version A didn’t help us to fully address the tasks we wanted to accomplish, and we also lost a good chunk of time in the morning because we hadn’t yet figured out what we needed to achieve for that day.

Fact: Multitasking is really not as productive as it sounds.

So what do we need to do in order to have a work day more like Version B? Introducing: The Ivy Lee Method!

Ivy Lee Method Step-By-Step

Step 1: At the end of your work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish the next day (in no specific order). DO NOT list down more than six items.

Step 2: List those six tasks down in order of importance. You can merge Step 1 and 2 if your brain works better that way.

Step 3: When you start your work day focus on only the first task written down. Do not move to the next task until it is finished.

Step 4: Keep working through your list in this manner – concentrating fully on the ONE task at hand until it is done.

Step 5: Repeat this process daily.

The beauty of this method is that it gets you to hone in on a single task until it’s done. No multitasking, so you’re brain isn’t everywhere trying to think of all the things. It’s fixed on accomplishing one thing – and is less distracted.

Be Productive In All Areas of Life

The Ivy Lee method is applicable to more than just our professional lives; it can also help you tackle house chores or errands. It’s also a great habit to teach children if they have a lot going on with school, extracurricular activities, and more!

Using the Ivy Lee Method while remote working will help keep your day structured, but it’s also super simple to follow. Write your list on a piece of paper, keep it at your work station, and you’ll be good to go every morning!

Make this a habit – and I guarantee you’ll be more productive!

The post Use The Ivy Lee Method To Boost Productivity While Remote Working appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Having too many choices makes us unhappy – people are downsizing and giving away their possessions by the truckload. TV shows like “Tiny House Nation” romanticise an enviable lifestyle of people free from the burdens of caring for their possessions and living the life they’ve always wanted.

By the end of each episode, I was ready to pack up and go live in the woods but practically speaking, the thought of giving away all my stuff to live in a place that’s no bigger than my bathroom, with a feisty little boy and a husband … was just a little bit crazy.

Giving up everything was not something I was about to do, but there is no doubt that in 2020, I am looking for change – to become sharper and leaner, to reach the goals I’ve been procrastinating on, to rev up my career.

A few years ago, an article in Harper’s Bazaar changed the way women thought about work fashion. Matilda Kahl, the former art director of advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi New York, bucked tradition and set a new standard for dressing in a super-creative industry.

After a morning of walking into a meeting late because she was choosing an outfit to wear (which didn’t work at all), a frustrated Kahl decided to simplify the process. She bought 15 silk white shirts and a few black trousers from Zara to last all 254 working days in a year. Her only accessory is a custom-made black leather rosette worn around her neck.

Kahl has worn this monochrome work outfit, every single working day, since 2012.

Matilda Kahl, the former art director of Saatchi & Saatchi New York

She admits that people were surprised at her sartorial choices initially, she’s a creative type after all, but eventually, her no-distraction approach has more than worked for her.

“The thought of reclaiming the driver’s seat can feel overwhelming, but even small changes can make a huge difference. … these black trousers and white blouses have become an important daily reminder that frankly, I’m in control. Today, I not only feel great about what I wear, I don’t think about what I wear.”
~ Matilda Kahl

She isn’t the first one to get onto the “work uniform” bandwagon. Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Karl Lagerfeld all wore/wear the same thing everyday to work – and they’re incredibly successful. They’ve learnt that if they no longer have to make regular small, inconsequential decisions, they have more energy to make the right decisions in the areas that really matter – their work.

As women, we already have so many choices we need to make before we even get out of bed. Making choices, even happy ones like what outfit we’re going to wear today, zaps energy. With less energy, our ability to make the right decision gets weaker as the day wears on. Wouldn’t you want to save all that energy to channel towards a project you’re working on, towards giving your customers the best experience they can have?

Again, wearing only one outfit the whole year may not be your cup of tea, but if you’re going back to work after a full-time parenting stint, or you’re changing careers or you just want to do something different in 2020, here are a few tips to help you reap the benefits of minimalist dressing – without being stuck with only 15 white shirts.

1) Stop Buying Clothes

You don’t have to declutter your wardrobe right away but you do have to stop adding to it. If I absolutely have to purchase something, I do a “one-in-one-out”; one item has to be removed from my wardrobe before I can add one more to it.

2) Do A Wardrobe Audit

Looking at my wardrobe, I realised I gravitated towards solid colours and clean lines. This has helped me to decide my personal style. Getting rid of everything that isn’t really my style ensures that what I don’t ever go into office regretting my fashion choice for the day.

There were some clothes that showed a lot of promise when I first purchased them, but 6 months later, they were still hanging in my wardrobe with the tags intact. There were others which I wore a lot for a season, and then for one reason or another, I stopped wearing.

To keep track of what I wore/didn’t wear, I hung all my hangers in the opposite direction. Each time I washed and put my clothes back, I hung it in my usual direction. Everything that was still hung in the opposite direction after 6 months landed in my charity pile.

3) Tailor Garments That Don’t Quite Fit To Add 10x The Value 

Clothes that fit perfectly speak volumes about their cost – after all, we don’t all have the body shape that clothes were tailored for. To stretch my dollar, I purchase my garments online and have them altered to suit my body shape. For a few extra bucks, I make them look more expensive than they really are.

4) Choose Your Personal Style X Stick To The Classics

If you are purchasing an entirely new wardrobe for a new career, stick to classic styles and colours. They lend you a professional image while looking good mixed and matched with anything.

Black, Navy, White, Beige, Gold, Silver will never ever go out of fashion. For some classic styles that fit any body type, check out this Pinterest board.

5) Change Your Mindset

Thanks to a “gimme-more” society, we’ve come to think that wearing the same outfit more than once means we couldn’t care less / didn’t have the means to buy more clothes / didn’t dare to experiment. This exercise will not be successful until we decide that what’s best for us isn’t what people think about us.

It isn’t easy – for the longest time, I always thought my clothes defined me and my identity. I dressed to impress, I still do but I now know I don’t need to chase the latest fad to feed my desire to be noticed. I dress comfortably in classic styles that can take me from the boardroom to the classroom.

After my time at home, I’m treasuring my time at work so much more. I realise that I don’t have time (or the money) to chase after trends, instead, I want to focus more on growing deep roots in my career (considering this is what I probably want to do for the rest of my life) so that I can contribute more.

This is why a “work uniform” may be the one tip you could apply immediately for greater success in 2020.

How about you? Would you ever wear the same thing to work every day? Why or why not?

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You’ve got a friend or family member who’s working hard in their own small business and you want to get them a Christmas gift that would be both awesome and practical. 

Look no further! I’m presenting you with 11 Virtual Gifts of Christmas For Small Business Owners.

To really help bless the gift receiver, it’s good to do a little homework. Casually bring it up in conversation, that one virtual/tech/software thing they could use that would help them run their business.

It’s never too late to buy them any of the following because 100% of the gifts I’m about to list you can find and buy online! Without further ado, because if you’re like me, you’re still not done with your Christmas shopping!

1. Accounting Software

Keeping track of finances, invoices, receipts, refunds, credit charges, cash withdrawals, etc., etc., etc. is tough if you’re just using a spreadsheet or a good old ledger. It’s even tougher for those who aren’t born accountants or math wizards. An online accounting software (or one they can download right onto their computer) could be a serious time and sanity saver!

QuickBooks Online is, well… online, so the user can access it anywhere, anytime with their laptop, tablet, or mobile phone! A software that can go anywhere they go, perfect for traveling business owners! Not only that, but you can pick which kind of business owner you are, and QuickBooks customizes itself to your needs! It will do the accounting “auto-magically” (loving me those puns!), can connect to your bank or credit cards, and backs up everything so you never lose your progress! There are more features, but I’ll let you drool over them yourself, or let your business pal do that here!

FreshBooks was the 2nd highest rating accounting software, so naturally it’s on our list. It creates professional looking invoices, capture expenses as you go, tracks time for effortless billing, accepts major credit cards (for clients who want to pay by way of credit), and generates reports the user can see numbers and stats at a glance.

If you’re not sure which is best, ask your friend to do a trial of each to see which they prefer. I know that ruins any ‘surprise’ factor, but better to buy them something they’ll really love and use than something that confuses them.

2. Communication

If your business pal is looking to branch out internationally, is oftentimes away from family or friends, or is having a hard time getting the team to communicate in one place, the following suggestions are the perfect gift!

Skype can be used for free video calls, and plain old voice calls, but if you want to use Skype to call someone on their landline, or integrate your account with your Outlook calendar then you need a subscription. If this sounds like your business buddy, A Skype gift could be the answer to their problem!

Slack is for teams, or where multiple people can come and ask someone (or a designated group of people) questions, and discuss. It’s perfect for coaches and consultants if they’re not into voice calls. It’s also good for teams because you can send direct (private) messages to a colleague or to an assigned group (marketing, logistics, sales, etc.), and also integrate other apps you use right into your Slack account!

Grasshopper hopped to mind (I love cheesy puns!) because it allows a business owner to register their own toll-free 1-800 number! Then they can assign other numbers to different departments of their business, and work from just about anywhere! It’s been rated really well across major publications like CNN, Forbes, and Wall Street Journal, to name a few.

3. Task/Note Keepers

Whether in a meeting, or a spark on inspiration hits, having an app where you can immediately store your notes can be crucial to some business owners who have another dozen things to think about.

Evernote is free, but if the gifted needs …, and LOVES making notes of all things, Evernote Plus or Premium is ideal.

Wunderlist (Now “Microsoft To Do”) is also free, this is another great gift option.

4. Online Cloud Storage

Articles or blogs, personal pictures or business-related (hello free stock photos!), invoices, contracts, agreements, calendars, spreadsheets, these are all things you can save on your personal computer BUT cloud storage is a practical investment if:

A) you don’t want to bog your device down with files piling on files
B) you don’t want to lose your files in case your device crashes, gets lost or stolen
C) you want to easily share files with others online without having to load/attach them making an email or file really big (long uploading and downloading).

I use Dropbox and I super duper love it, and it syncs with just about everything I have, laptop, android, and iOS.

However, plenty of people love Google Drive which works just as well. It’s all up to personal preference and the integrations your small business owner needs, so asking will make sure you get them what they need.

The premium versions (with 1TB of storage vs. a couple GBs) of these cloud storages are what come with a price, but having your files safe and sound always is the only reason you’ll need to make this investment worthwhile.

5. Blogging Platforms

If your friend’s business doesn’t have a blog, they’re missing out on prime opportunities to gain more exposure and establish their expertise in their industry. Now don’t go buying someone a blog subscription without asking, they might receive it and cock their head to the side, give an awkward grin with a long drawn ‘thanks’ that sounds like it has a question mark at the end.

Buy your business builder a blog if they’ve been raving about how they want to start expanding their reach. For whatever reason, they haven’t yet, but if you buy them a year’s subscription surely they wouldn’t waste it!

Try Squarespace for someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to mess with design and code. Every template is eCommerce ready if you need it, and you can even get a business email right from the settings! Super easy to set up and their templates are gorgeous!

If you’d prefer to hire a designer, or you know to code and can make your own site than WordPress is super customizable, plus they have a plugin for just about every single thing you’ll ever need (if you like thousands of options).

6. Social Media Management Tools

If your friend already HAS a blog, then they’re one step ahead of many business owners who don’t, so you best give them a pat on the back along with their gift. But blogging is not “make it and they will come,” no. It requires engagement, networking, being active on social media, etc. Don’t let them get caught up in hours on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. With a social media management tool they can schedule their posts in bulk and then focus for the rest of the day or week, depending on how well planned they’ve got it.

Any of the following will do depending on the need:

Hootsuite (Free 30-day trial too!)

Buffer (Free, Awesome, Small Business, Medium Business, or Large Business Plan)

IFTTT (If I do this, then IFTTT is actioned to make another action. Time saver and so many integrations too!)

SocialOomph (Incredible amount of features)

SocialFlow (they do most of the work for you!)

SproutSocial (Deluxe, Premium, or Team Plans)

Meet Edgar (More exclusive because you request an invite, but it’s only $49/month and works with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)

TailWind (Specific To Pinterest)

CoSchedule (We use this and love it and even wrote a review about it here)

7. Microsoft Word

I used Open Office for the longest time because I just couldn’t afford to buy Microsoft for myself. But it’s useful for a countless amount of business related tasks. Presentations, documents for agreements, contracts, article writing, spreadsheets for calendars or inventory and so much more. Absolutely worth it, a gift ANY small business owner will use weekly, I assure you!

8. eCommerce Platforms

If your business pal wants to move online then eCommerce platforms might do them well depending on their industry and target buyer. This is another item where you’d really want to ask them before purchasing their membership because there is so much to consider!

9. Stock Photos

For the business owner who blogs. There are plenty of sites with free stock photos, but there are also literally millions of blogs. If your biz bud wants to set themselves apart from the pack, investing in a membership to a stock photo platform with special, unique not-often-used images will be a wise choice. A few I found nice were 123rf, Shutterstock, and Fotolia.

10. Connected Women FREE Membership

Sign that business owner up with us here at Connected Women so they can make the most of content, events and offers. Best of all, it’s FREE!

Sign them up here.

11. Delegate or Automate FREE digital book, by Connected Women’s Gina Romero.

It’s perfectly normal for every business owner to feel overwhelmed once in a while. But, as projects continue to pile up, you know it’s already time to delegate those small tasks and focus on the important ones that require your attention. Which is why #ConnectedWomen’s Gina Romero wrote this book to ease up and simplify the process of finding the perfect person to delegate these tasks to, remotely. Best of all, it is FREE. Get it here.

Happy shopping, and Merry Christmas!

—

Join the Connected Women community, it’s free!

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The Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) and the Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology (SWITCH) comes together for the first time as SFF x SWITCH. Running from 11 to 15 November, this event will gather the global innovation and business community in Singapore. There will be over 400 speakers, more than 900 exhibitors, 41 international pavilions, and about 60,000 participants from 130 countries.  

Sustainability and Climate Change is the overarching theme of the combined conference this year, given the growing calls for the technology and financial sectors to be enablers and change agents for sustainability. This theme is reflected in the content of the conference, the design of the event space at the Singapore Expo and through the provision of food from sustainable sources. Please refer to Annex A for more details.

The inaugural SFF x SWITCH will feature innovative technologies across five key sectors –

FinTech, Urban Solutions and Sustainability, Health and Biomedical Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, and Services and Digital Services – to catalyse cross-industry exchange and learning in technology adoption, application of R&D, and commercialisation of new solutions.

Event Highlights

The event will kick off with the three-day SFF x SWITCH Conference (11-13 November) at the Singapore Expo. The Conference comprises nine stages, where prominent speakers will discuss topics on Sustainability, Finance and Tech; Future of Finance; Investment and Global Markets Opportunities; Exponential Technologies; Global Access to Innovation; Future Directions with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Healthcare Innovation; Powering Cities of the Future; and Sustaining the Future of Humanity.

Among the speakers at the Conference are Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands; Mr Heng Swee Keat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Singapore; Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Education, Singapore, and Board Member, MAS; Agustin Carstens, General Manager of the Bank for International Settlements; Pavan Sukhdev, President, World Wildlife Fund International; Kees Immink, President, Turing Machines Inc; Pat Bajari, Vice President for Core AI, Chief Economist, Amazon; and Sergey Ryazanskiy, Pilot-Astronaut and Hero of the Russian Federation.

• Debuting this year is the Sustainability, Finance and Tech Summit (11-13 November), featuring over 50 speakers who will take the stage to discuss how they are paving the way for a more sustainable future in the world of finance and beyond.
• The annual Global Investor Summit (11 November) will bring together 17 venture capital, corporate venture capital and family office investors from San Francisco to Tokyo, to share their strategies for unlocking growth, impacting inclusion, and delivering long-term value creation in the FinTech and Deep Tech ecosystems.
• Leading the Deep Tech conference, the Global Access to Innovation track (11 November) will feature perspectives from a myriad of movers and shakers in Asia’s innovation ecosystem. From founders of tech unicorns to senior leaders from both the private and public sectors, conference participants can look forward to finding out more about the opportunities in market access, innovation and investment, in Asia and beyond.
• A new summit created this year to spotlight key issues faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is SME Digitalisation and Platforms – Business sans Borders (BSB) (13 November). The sessions in this track will cover pertinent issues such as ‘SME Financing Reimagined’, the ‘Impact of Trade Wars on SMEs and Platforms’ as well as the ‘Roadmap for BSB Beyond 2020’. The discussions will take place at a new Coral Triangle stage, which is designed for more intimate and interactive conversations.

Alongside the Conference is the combined SFF x SWITCH Exhibition curated by SingEx, which showcases innovative solutions in FinTech and Deep Tech from around the world. The 41 international pavilions will display solutions from their respective countries or regions. Visitors can also interact with 20 international financial regulators at the Regulators Zone to learn more about business opportunities and regulations in those countries.

The Innovation SG booth, featuring an interactive TechXperience Zone, will present technology, innovation and enterprise initiatives led by local and international players. From dealmaking sessions and workshops, to industry launches and networking events, the showcase presents Singapore’s role as a vibrant Global-Asia node of innovation.

Three exciting Competitions for the global innovation community will reach its conclusion at SFF x SWITCH:

• The Global FinTech Hackcelerator Demo Day, taking place on 11 November, will present 20 market-ready FinTech solutions intended to solve real-life industry problems in financial inclusion, insurtech, RegTech and SupTech, and a general category. Winners will be revealed later on the same day.
• Winners of the FinTech Awards will be announced on 11 November, recognising innovative FinTech solutions that have been implemented by FinTech companies, financial institutions and technology companies. Attendees can also catch the finalists presenting their 5-minute company pitches on 12 November at the Open Stages.
• SLINGSHOT 2019 (11 – 13 November), Startup SG’s marquee startup pitching competition that highlights the best global startups, has a focus on increasing dealmaking this year. Semi-finals will take place over the first two days where the SLINGSHOT Top Global 100 Startups across six key tracks will pitch their solutions to over 200 judges comprising industry veterans, corporates, tech giants and investors. More than S$2 million worth of prizes will be awarded. The top 12 startups will vie to be the Grand Winner at the Grand Finals happening on 13 November.

Investors and companies can look forward to the following Deal-Making Opportunities at SFF x SWITCH:

• Daily Mixers (11 and 12 November), taking place at the Innovation SG booth, will host some of the best-in-class global companies and investors and feature intimate Q&A sessions with top investors.
• TechInnovation (11 – 13 November), the premier technology-industry matching event, will showcase over 150 enabling technologies available for technology commercialisation or licensing. A special UK-Singapore innovation seminar and a thematic track on designled innovation will also debut at TechInnovation this year.

The Innovation Lab Crawl (14-15 November) will feature research facilities and in-house laboratories from 53 partners in the areas of FinTech, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Urban Solutions and Sustainability, Health and Biomedical Sciences and Services and Digital Economy. Interested parties can sign up at http://fintechfestival.sg/innovation–lab–crawl to see where new product and solutions are tested, learn about how these labs leverage the latest technologies and network with start-ups and key innovation executives.

Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer, MAS, said, “Each year, in running the Singapore FinTech Festival, we strive towards achieving our vision of making it a global platform for knowledge sharing. This year, our partnership with SWITCH has given us that opportunity to draw a larger technology-focused audience beyond the financial services sector. It has helped propel SFF x SWITCH into a platform for the world to share thought leadership, make meaningful connections and to build better ideas that will benefit our community.”

Mr Edwin Chow, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Innovation & Enterprise), Enterprise Singapore, said, “With SFF x SWITCH as one event, we will bring together international tech communities, startups, investors, corporates and other enablers to network, share ideas and discuss collaborations. More than 40 international pavilions will present the latest innovative solutions and technology spanning across diverse sectors and disciplines. SFF x SWITCH presents opportunities for participants to start solving economic and industry challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Dr Cheong Wei Yang, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, NRF, said, “SFF x SWITCH brings out the best of both the Singapore FinTech Festival and the Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology. It is symbolic of Singapore’s national effort to integrate research, innovation and enterprise as an iterative, interactive ecosystem – so that each one will spur the others to greater heights, with the aim of improving lives in Singapore and globally.  It will ensure that deep technologies born out of basic science research in Singapore will see impact via the right economic structures and business models, enabled by innovative financing modalities and payment systems. I look forward to seeing many more products and services being launched into the region and the world, from Singapore.”

SFF is organised by MAS, in partnership with The Association of Banks in Singapore, and in collaboration with SingEx Holdings. SWITCH is organised by Enterprise Singapore, NRF and Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI) in partnership with SingEx.

#ConnectedWomen are proud media partners of SFF x SWITCH, for more information and to register, visit www.SFFxSWITCH.com.

The post Inaugural SFF x SWITCH Kicks Off With A Focus On Sustainability appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

This event is designed to focus on the value of virtual teams and to provide SME leaders and business-owners with first-hand strategies and insights on building virtual teams. From communication to effective resourcing, this workshop gives us the basics to the efficacy and sustainability of virtual staff.

A GUIDE TO THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE

2 Signs You Absolutely Need to Offload Some Work

#1 You are Wearing All The Hats

You started a business as a solo-entrepreneur. You are the boss, the admin, the accountant, the social media manager, the photographer, the DIY graphic designer, and more. There are not enough hours in the day to play all your roles properly, let alone have any ‘me’ time, enjoy a proper meal, read a book or have a social life. A business can only go so far as a one-person team, and if you’re married and have children, it becomes almost impossible to balance. If you want to see your business grow, offer quality services or products, have happy clients and still have a life to live (isn’t that part of why you became your own boss anyway?), then you need to stop trying to wear all the hats.

#2 You’re Stretched in Every Direction

Because you are juggling so many roles, you are stretched thin. You aren’t able to focus good energy on one or two major components of your business, and it’s suffering. So, what is better, saving a few dollars so you can do everything but not get it done as best as it could be? Or figure out how you can get some assistance, so you can get to work on the things you do well? The answer is clear. You would most definitely benefit from delegating and automating some of those mundane and repetitive tasks. Not only will that help you get your business under control, but you’ll have more time for other things that matter besides work. If this all makes sense and you are nodding in agreement, then you are ready to get started.

Topics:

• Identify the tasks you need to stop doing (and what you should be doing instead!)
• What can be delegated to a human virtual assistant and what can be automated or AI?
• Where and how to hire remote team members – and how to avoid the classic mistakes
• Best practices for onboarding and training your remote team, and the tools you will need

SINGAPORE (Male Entrepreneurs are also welcome)

Date: September 18, 2019
Time: 2pm-6pm
Venue: Found8 High Street – 1 North Bridge Rd, #08-08 High Street Centre Singapore (limited seats)

Book now to join the event!

About the Speaker: Gina Romero

Gina is the CEO and Co-founder of social impact tech startup, Connected Women. She is a community builder who harnesses technology to drive the success of women entrepreneurs. Her mission is to enable more female entrepreneurs in APAC to startup and grow successful, profitable, purposeful businesses, regardless of their geographic location, race, education or financial standing.

The post How To Find, Hire And Manage A Virtual Assistant Workshop – Found8 Singapore, Sept 25 appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

“Academics is not the only way forward. Experience is key.” – Elim Chew

This is the first advice Elim Chew gave a keen audience during the Connected Women “Entrepreneur Mindset: Risk and Reinvention” event in Singapore.

Chew is one of Singapore’s prominent entrepreneurs but her journey to success wasn’t a straight line. In fact, it took a lot of risks and reinventions for Chew to become the influential figure she is today.

From fashion to food

Chew started her foray into entrepreneurship with the retail chain 77th Street. Chew, who studied in the United Kingdom, was in her early twenties when she got the idea for the business.

“I saw all these funky weird stuff from London but I saw all these fashion things that were not available in Singapore so I started importing them in Singapore,” she said.

Chew said that she was also working as a hairstylist that time and she was wearing the bracelets and jackets she got from the UK while cutting the hair of her customers. Many of them would ask her about her stylish accessories and clothes and she recognized that there is a potential market for these items in Singapore.

She immediately faxed her sister to send more of these fashionable items. Together, they started selling them for a profit.

Chew and her team was able to grow 77th Street. At its peak, they had 16 stores in and they even had a 77th Street Plaza in a shopping mall in Beijing.

The road to success wasn’t smooth, however. This time, they were disrupted by the rising price of rental, the lack of manpower, and e-commerce.

This did not stop the enterprising Chew to start another venture.

“As we were retiring [from 77th Street] we decided, okay we move from fashion to food! That’s when we wanted to invest in businesses,” she said.

It was then that they were introduced to a Korean chef who taught them the business of running a Korean barbecue restaurant.

“It’s quite scary because we knew nothing about food,” Chew confessed

Their consultants that time discouraged them due to their lack of experience and an undesirable location. Chew said that they still did their best and even prayed before they opened for the first day.

Come opening day and I’m Kim Korean BBQ had surprisingly long lines. The success of the first store gave birth to I’m Kim Junior, Goro Goro Steamboat and Korean Buffet, and Captain Kim Korean BBQ and Hotpot, which is halal-certified.

The key to the success of these chains is to listen to your customers, Chew shared. Since a lot of people were asking for halal food, they made sure to get a certification even if it took six months to process it.

Another technique is to make yourself different from the competitors, which was their strategy with the Goro Goro Steamboat. With these, their food chains continue to grow.

“The best part is my team of 77th Street the fashion business, the management team, is actually running the food business so we run the business how we run the fashion business,” she happily shared.

From food to FastFast

As an entrepreneur, Chew realized that she had to run a lot of errands and had no time at all to accomplish them. This was when she met several enterprising young people who offered to run her errands for her. This idea eventually became Fast Fast Delivery, her next business venture.

“You can go to website and it run errands for you. So you’re sitting here now you forgot your headphones somewhere, you can go to the website and get someone to bring it here for you and you pay in cash,” she explained.

“I usually try to get students single moms, single dads, people strapped for cash and need daily income,” Chew added.

She explained that 90% of the money is given to the driver and the remaining 10% goes into training the drivers or errand runners on how to use the platform.

“Crowdsourcing I think is the only way forward,” she remarked about this platform.

This idea also worked out for a group of young people she met, who was crowdsourcing for an advertising business. This particular group of young people raised a million dollars for their business, Carblicity, a crowdsourcing platform that connects advertisers with private car owners for the purpose of Outdoor Advertising using stickers on cars.

This in turn allows advertisers to tap on the resources of the any person in Singapore with a car for their advertising purposes, while drivers can now enjoy the rewards once reserved for public transport vehicles.

“With Carblicity, you can have one car a month just doing your advertising,” she said.

From FastFast to fish and filming

Despite her busy schedule, Chew still finds the time to do her hobbies. One of these is fishing with 16 of her friends.

Every three months, they would get together and fish. Their biggest catch, she said, was 645 fish in just a few hours.

Chew and her friends would then donate their catch and other meat products to a soup kitchen that cooks 6,000 meals a day for low-income people in Singapore. Chew shared that the usual donations are vegetables and tofu but she noticed that the soup kitchen did not have any meat.

“So every 3 months, my friends and I get together to donate chicken, fish, and all that but the most important thing is we love fishing right? But there’s this group that cleans the fish and cooks the fish,” she shared, explaining that this activity creates another stream of revenue for this group of people.

“So for people who want to do something, you can start anything, right?” she said.

After many years of taking the lead in starting businesses, Chew also said that it’s about time that she pave the way for a new generation of serial entrepreneurs.

This is why she has ventured into digital filmmaking and created her own YouTube channel, ElimChewTV, where she features young changemakers. An example is a Vietnamese who started a music school because he believed that every child has the right to music.

Chew said that she dedicated the first 50 years of her life to serial entrepreneurship, which is chronicled in her book, The Elim Chew Story: Driven by Purpose, Destined for Change. And her story doesn’t stop there.

“For the next 30 years of my life, I’m hoping to give to 1 million changemakers and impact 1 billion lives.”

If you think you’re a changemaker and a serial entrepreneur like Elim Chew, the first step is to find the courage and dedication to commit to your dreams. Once you have it, why not join a community like Connected Women who will support you in different aspects such as finding a remote team? Find inspiration and build your network today.

—

Join the Connected Women community, it’s free!

The post Risk and Reinvention Story: Elim Chew is Driven by Purpose appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

“10 years ago, I fell in love with TED talks,” Vivian Lim said in front of a captivated audience during #ConnectedWomen’s “Entrepreneur Mindset: Risk and Reinvention” event in Singapore.

Lim and her friends were inspired by these talks and wondered if they can have a similar version in Asia. And that’s exactly what they set out to do. As a student taking up a degree in Engineering, Lim had no experience setting up talks or events. However, her passion to spread ideas and build communities was greater than any apprehension she had back then.

Together with her friends, the first series of TEDxNTU talks were held in their school, the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Lim was personally involved with curating these events. Since then, she has been curating for TEDxSingapore and TEDxSingaporeWomen, bringing TEDx Talks to the local communities.

Driven by the community, serving the community

Lim’s vision for TEDxSingapore is that it is “100% a community-driven, serving the local community.”

“So what essentially happens is we create this blank space, open up this blank canvas and then invite the local community to come in and paint and draw and create together something they can call it a common vision,” Lim said.

When people ask Lim about the product or services you sell or deliver, she admitted that she found it difficult to explain that they see ideas as their assets.

“It’s not something that’s very tangible, it’s totally intangible, we are the crazy people who feel that ideas can change the world,” she added.

Lim and her group firmly believes that ideas can impact and do good. From a business perspective it’s volunteer-driven and they don’t even have an office.

“When people ask what are you doing this for? Our standard answer is we are doing it for passion, for people, for purpose,” Lim said.

“So for passion it’s really coming together people who don’t have an idea what they want to do they just know they are passionate about this cause there’s this common belief that hey this works and this is good for the community,” she further explained.

Lim said that they ensure that content is delivered and that the conversations that happen can positively bring about impact in the community.

While the work may sound idealistic and glamorous, Lim said that it is not. Their work is focused on listening to voices on the ground, understanding what the community is talking about, finding out interesting things that’s happening and really seeing how the community wants to drive the conversation. The content is also delivered online so that people can continue to spread the ideas and messages in the digital space.

Stories of women, inspiring other women

Similar to the TEDx Talks, Lim’s next endeavour was also driven by the community – Women In Asia.  In a nutshell, Women In Asia is a “collaborative community that brings together catalysts, thinkers and thought leaders to bridge cultural and gender differences.” This initiative wants to showcase and increase appreciation for Asian narratives and build an open and inclusive community.

“The community decided what it wanted to share more about Asian perspectives. So our community wanted to find out, is there something we can do for Asia? What about Asia?” she said.

Lim said that the problems faced in Asia have similarities as well as differences with women from other cultures. For example, the refugee crisis may be a big issue in Europe and Africa but what many may forget is that Asia is also experiencing a similar situation. She gave the example of groups in Asia who helped the Rohingya refugees.

“We want to showcase cases like that,” she explained.

Another topic that the group wants to highlight is the growing community of social entrepreneurs in Asia.

“How can we build the next wave, not just looking at Alibaba, Tencent, but what about others? How, as a community, can we build and encourage the next generation?” she asked.

For this, they have partnered with the National Library of Singapore to tell raw and authentic stories from the ground – 14 stories of women who are leading with purpose.

One of the stories is that of serial entrepreneur Elim Chew and her mother, Madam Ooi Kooi Tin. Another story is that of former domestic helper Nilu Jayaweera from Sri Lanka who worked in a Singaporean household for 15 years. With enough savings, Nilu started a tea brand that employs women from her village and is now a successful entrepreneur.

“She didn’t want her sisters and friends to go through the same thing of leaving their home country and go to a foreign land,” Lim explained.

Another story showcased was that of a teenage girl, Tan Wei Tian who practices a dying art form of Teochew opera. Lim explained that the girl felt a sense of responsibility to continue this tradition.

“These are just some of the stories, not just to serve as an inspiration,” Lim said, adding that she wanted these stories to trigger people to do something.

In some cases, they are successful in sparking inspiration. One example she gave is a lady in Singapore who started an initiative recycling used bras, send them to women and girls in Asia and Africa who most need them.

“’Hey I also want to do something’ — That’s what we wanted to create with Women in Asia,” Lim said.

Never too late for “elderpreneurs”

Lim’s and her group’s influence extend beyond talks and events. One of her latest endeavours is helping out a senior couple who established 1°C, a brand of cold brew coffee.

She collaborated with the so-called “elderpreneurs” who started this business in their sixties.

“They started this business at age 63. Richard, one of the cofounders, was a senior manager in HP and one day he got retrenched so he decided to grab his wife and say hey let’s do this,” Lim said.

One of the challenges that this couple encountered is that cold brew is often perceived as a young, hipster drink, according to Lim. In fact, when they participated at a farmer’s market, the organizers were confused if they owned the brand since they looked out of place, alongside the young entrepreneurs who are also selling their goods.

“So we created a new series with them,” Lim said.

The question posed to them was how can they reinvent the familiar taste with a Western twist? What the team did was work with local traditional to create a unique blend of Arabica and Robusta beans. The cold brew coffee with an east meets west flavour had a soft launch and is now being distributed in museums and various cafes.

With her different endeavours that gives back to communities around Asia, Lim is actually just getting started.

“Ten years on and I am still building communities,” she said. And for her, doing this type of work is simply magical.

“We see the magic when people from different backgrounds come together and have conversations. This is the magic that keeps us going.”

Our next #ConnectedWomen #Meetup in Singapore happens this Wednesday November 6th! Visit connectedwomen.co/meetup to signup!

Not from Singapore? We have meetups happening globally, signup here to attend a meetup near you!

The post Risk and Reinvention Story: Vivian Lim Connects Communities and Women in Asia appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

This event is designed to focus on the value of virtual teams and to provide SME leaders and business-owners with first-hand strategies and insights on building virtual teams. From communication to effective resourcing, this workshop gives us the basics to the efficacy and sustainability of virtual staff.

A GUIDE TO THE VIRTUAL WORKPLACE

2 Signs You Absolutely Need to Offload Some Work

#1 You are Wearing All The Hats

You started a business as a solo-entrepreneur. You are the boss, the admin, the accountant, the social media manager, the photographer, the DIY graphic designer, and more. There are not enough hours in the day to play all your roles properly, let alone have any ‘me’ time, enjoy a proper meal, read a book or have a social life. A business can only go so far as a one-person team, and if you’re married and have children, it becomes almost impossible to balance. If you want to see your business grow, offer quality services or products, have happy clients and still have a life to live (isn’t that part of why you became your own boss anyway?), then you need to stop trying to wear all the hats.

#2 You’re Stretched in Every Direction

Because you are juggling so many roles, you are stretched thin. You aren’t able to focus good energy on one or two major components of your business, and it’s suffering. So, what is better, saving a few dollars so you can do everything but not get it done as best as it could be? Or figure out how you can get some assistance, so you can get to work on the things you do well? The answer is clear. You would most definitely benefit from delegating and automating some of those mundane and repetitive tasks. Not only will that help you get your business under control, but you’ll have more time for other things that matter besides work. If this all makes sense and you are nodding in agreement, then you are ready to get started.

Topics:

• Identify the tasks you need to stop doing (and what you should be doing instead!)
• What can be delegated to a human virtual assistant and what can be automated or AI?
• Where and how to hire remote team members – and how to avoid the classic mistakes
• Best practices for onboarding and training your remote team, and the tools you will need

MAKATI Philippines (Hosted by BPW Makati)

Date: September 18, 2019
Time: 2pm-6pm
Venue: BPW Makati will send event details after successful registration (limited seats)

Book now to join the event!

SINGAPORE (Male Entrepreneurs are also welcome)

Date: September 18, 2019
Time: 2pm-6pm
Venue: Found8 High Street – 1 North Bridge Rd, #08-08 High Street Centre Singapore (limited seats)

Book now to join the event!

The post Delegate Or Automate: Grow Your Business with Virtual Teams – Makati Sept 18 & Singapore Sept 25 appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Social media has always been important for us here at Connected Women, but recycling content to make sure an article got good views was a long process. It required too many steps and made the task difficult (as if social media isn’t hard enough to navigate).

If a process is too lengthy or too complicated, you’re left wondering if there’s another way, a better way.

But wait? Why would we want to recycle an old article? If we’ve shared it once on each social platform, isn’t that enough?

No.

The “Lifespan” Of A Social Media Post

There’s a reason we remind contributors of the 80:20 rule. To see better results, you should be spending 80% on distribution and only 20% on creation.

Oftentimes we forget this helpful rule, or switch ends, spending dozens of hours creating something and bashfully promoting it only once or twice.

So let’s get literal. Let’s say you spend two hours writing a blog post, and it’s epic. That means you should spend at least eight hours promoting it. But who has time to promote anything for eight hours? That’s what social media management tools are for!

The lifespan of that tweet you just posted? About 2 hours until no one sees it again.

That Facebook post you labored over to get the tone ‘just right’? 3.2 hours. ¹

This is how long your post has to be seen before engagement starts to trail off.

Make The Most Of Your Content

You could post an article on Twitter at a different time every day and still reach a different audience each time (although we wouldn’t suggest this). That is how quick a tweet flies by.

So to make the most of your hard work it is absolutely worth re-scheduling your content.

We have always done this at Connected Women, we have content dating back to 2014 which we’re able to resurrect by simply:

1. making sure it’s still relevant
2. updating and adding better formatting to make it easy to skim, and
3. adding a fresh image.

You can do it too so that you have a bigger body of content to have on rotation.

How CoSchedule Helped Us Become More Efficient

As a fully remote team working flexible hours, we rely on tools to help our team work seamlessly on collaboration-intensive tasks throughout the day.

Now that we use CoSchedule, we’re able to keep our editorial process shorter (aka more efficient)! Each piece of content we receive is handled by:

1. customer success person
2. editor
3. content admin
4. customer success person

However, in the past we used a plethora of tools and had a longer process involving:

1. customer success person
2. editor
3. webmaster
4. editor (again)
5. content admin
6. customer success person

It might not seem all that bad looking at in writing, but the to and fro of each article meant there was a higher likelihood that things could get bottle necked if one of the above people was busy working on a special project, etc.

In our old process we were using:

Dropbox for file storage, Wunderlist for tracking tasks, Zapier to tie in integrations and Outlook Calendar once articles were submitted from Outlook Mail.

With CoSchedule we’re able to use only four!

We kept Dropbox and Zapier and simply adopted CoSchedule (it doubles as a calendar and social media manager + re-queues content in a loop)!

I say “simply” because it was cool to see the features it had that it made it fun to learn!

What We Love Most About CoSchedule

We were immediately impressed when we found out we could directly import edited files into CoSchedule, right there without even switching pages.

We no longer need to track our tasks in a separate app because you can easily create task lists from templates. This means we can track progress from beginning to end (and specify a color to different stages/people assigned so it’s easy to see on the calendar).

And did we mention you can ‘filter’ what you see on your calendar? Only want to see your blog posts? Only want to see when your webinars are coming up? Just click that little funnel button by your profile image. Easy peasy and nice and neat for added focus.

CoSchedule Social Media Management

Looking at the social management aspects of CoSchedule, we’re big fans!

First things first. Right below the Editor in CoSchedule there’s a section where you can start planning your social distribution (again, don’t need another app nor do you even need to go to a different page, it’s all right there)!

Then you can set your content to ‘requeue’. This means once a post is published, it goes to the back of the line and reposts again in the future (you can decide how often).

Imagine creating a fully scheduled social campaign for each piece of content, and not having to give it another look. CoSchedule easily allows us to do just that. You can even group certain posts into a content category linked to a specific period of time. For example we’re able to create a category for summer-related content and specific holidays like Christmas!

As a social media management tool, CoSchedule can be used for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Even for solo entrepreneurs this is applicable. Especially applicable since CoSchedule will save you a lot of time and mental energy.

Not only does the Requeue feature keep your social accounts active, but you can use it to automatically republish your best content. Requeue keeps track of what performs well and gets the most engagement!

Content calendar, social media scheduling and automation, workflow management AND analytics all in one!

Oh, Analytics? Tell me more!

Keeping it casual… the analytics are awesome! You can see a quick view of the stats right there in your calendar. There’s also an analytics dashboard which shows your top posts (based on engagement).

Wishlist For Future Coschedule Updates

If we had to suggest anything for future CoSchedule updates, it would be that there is a Slack integration for notifications.

Slack is sweeping up remote teams and would be a great addition to their current list of integrations.

CoSchedule Pricing

We’ve been through enough tests and trials with other social media tools to know value when we see it.

On our current plan we pay $60 per month + $60 for Requeue (on the annual package), we get 25 social profiles and are able to add up to ten team members to the workflows. Of course we do a lot of content publishing so these are necessary for us, but CoSchedule also offers a super affordable solo marketing packages!

It’s also worth noting that if you get a package, you get the headline analyzer and social media optimizer free. We love playing around with different words in the headline analyzer, seeing how even just one word will likely make a title more appealing!

Our True Motive

We have just really fallen in love with CoSchedule and really wish we had it sooner. It could have saved us hours of time and efficiency, and we want that for you. That’s why we decided to write about it.

Our hope for you is that you won’t have to waste any more precious time using multiple different apps and tools to plan, create and distribute your content, but be as efficient as possible!

Whether you’re a solopreneur, a lone freelancer, a team in one building or a remote team spread across the globe, CoSchedule will be one of your wisest (and easiest) choices.

Try CoSchedule For Free

Enjoy a 14-day free trial* and see how amazing it is for yourself! (This is an affiliate link which means Connected Women may benefit from discounts or referrals that come from this article. We promise that hasn’t influenced the content of this post – we only write about tools that we love.)

The post Connected Women + CoSchedule: How We’ve Saved Hours On Our Editorial Process appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

While there is always more to learn, I would consider myself a seasoned networker. Based on these years of experience, here are three common questions that people ask me about networking:

1. How much networking should I do?

The amount of networking, the type of networking events you attend and even the number of conversations you have at an event is much more about quality than quantity. There’s a big difference between being an effective networker and a prolific networker.

Networking effectively, not networking excessively, is the goal. Before you start networking, think about what you want to achieve both professionally and personally. Thinking strategically about your networking objectives will help make sure that the time you spend networking is worth the effort.

Finding the right place to network and making sure you are achieving the goals you have set for yourself is far more important than networking aimlessly without getting any results.

TIP: Treat networking like any other business activity – make sure you set clear goals, measure your results and evaluate your success.

2. How do I get over my fear of networking?

Different networking events will have a specific purpose and will attract a particular type of person. Understanding both what you need, and what you bring to the table, will help you feel more confident when looking for the right networking environment.

Think about dining experiences? Are you more comfortable in a fine dining restaurant or a lively sports bar. Just because you don’t like fine dining restaurants doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy good quality food? Just because you love a nice beer, doesn’t mean that you like rowdy pubs.

Like anything, our comfort or discomfort in any given situation is closely linked to the experience attached to it. Communities have distinct cultures and values, if you’ve tried a networking session and you didn’t enjoy it, it might just be because the format didn’t suit you. Or maybe your values and expectations didn’t align with the experience. Finding the right event can completely change the way you feel about networking.

TIP: If you think you don’t like networking, try a different type of event. You may be surprised at how fun and effortless it can be when you find the right environment.

3. How do I make sure that I find the connections I need?

A big networking mistake that people make is expecting to make first-hand contact with the clients they want to meet. Networking isn’t about coming face to face with your buyer at an event and getting the business there and then. Networking is about building relationships with people who understand the type of clients you are looking for, who see the value you can bring to those customers.

In essence networking is much more about creating collaborative partnerships than it is about getting direct sales for your business. The business benefits come later, as a result of the connections you make and the relationships you form. If you want to reach your dream client through networking, you need to build great relationships with people that already have their trust. When you have established your credibility, these partners may be willing to act as an introducer to vouch for you and your business.

Never underestimate the valuable connections of the people you come across in networking.

TIP: Focus on establishing your profile as an expert in your field, build trust with your fellow networkers by being consistent, and learn to communicate and showcase your value.

Networking is proven way to get more of the right clients, to build your confidence and meet like-minded people for collaboration. If you hate business networking, try these tips – maybe you just haven’t been doing it right!

Our next #ConnectedWomen #Meetup on August 14, 2019, signup here to attend a meetup near you!

If you did not see a meetup near your area, sign up here to attend or host the next meetup!

The post 3 Simple Tips To Change How You Feel If You Hate Business Networking appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

This is where content marketing comes in.

With everyone vying for attention and the competition getting tougher, one thing is emerging as a clear and growing trend: cheap traffic-building tricks and spammy advertising tactics are out–and quality content creation is in.

If you’re looking to take your business to a whole new level, then content marketing is an effective strategy that you can start implementing right away. The question you are probably asking is: what is content marketing and how can it help my small business?

Content Marketing Basics

Content marketing is simply creating useful, valuable content – in any form – distributing it, and attracting people who are looking for the information you share. But it doesn’t end there.

It’s also about educating and entertaining your readers so that you can convert them into customers, who eventually become advocates.

It’s Similar To Networking

Interestingly enough, the principles of content marketing are very similar to networking, which has always been one of the most cost-effective and practical ways to grow your client base.

Now that technology has paved the way for this kind of strategic marketing to be taken online and massively amplified, you can make use of blogs, articles, podcasts, and videos to get your brand out there.

All you need is expertise, the right technology, and an effective strategy – and you can potentially reach millions of people from all over the world and sign them up as customers.

It’s All About Adding Value

But there is just so much content out there that it’s easy to scroll past it in the stream of noise. So how do you make sure that your content is worth reading?

A lot of companies (big and small) are confused about how to promote their business online; there’s so much confusion about SEO, keywords, platforms, and tools. But the key to content marketing that works is based on delivering on one main promise: adding VALUE to your reader.

Value is what attracts an audience, converts readers into loyal customers. The content you create should never be self-serving, it needs to be created with the intention of helping people find the answers they are looking for.

Being generous, rather being guarded about the information you provide, lays the foundation for good content that keeps readers coming back for more.

How Do I Get Started?

So how, you are probably asking, can you call it marketing if you are giving away all the good stuff for free? And how can you possibly make any sales if you can’t promote your products and services in your content?

Once you understand the principles of creating a basic campaign, you’ll see that there are lots of opportunities to monetise your expertise through content.

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Here is a checklist of five essential tasks to get you started:

1. Your Inbox

If you have a huge backlog in your mailbox, give yourself a clean slate to work with. Archive all your emails in folders by year. Set up some tools to help keep your inbox under control:

Sanebox, Outlook rules and Mailstrom are some favourites.

2. Backups – there’s no excuse anymore!

Give yourself peace of mind by finally setting up a trusted system for backing up and filing. Dropbox, OneDrive and Box are great cloud tools. Okay, this isn’t networking specific but it will definitely help with your time management, freeing up more time for business development. Have you got your important personal and business documents digitised and filed? Once you have the basics in place, consider using digital notebooks such as Evernote and OneNote to keep networking notes in a logical ‘notebook’ style order.

3. Online profiles – maximise your digital assets 

When was the last time you updated your online profiles? Do you have a photo that is at least 18 months – 2 years new? View your profiles as an outsider. Do you like what you see?

Review your profiles and create:

• 1 long bio (1 page) with a photo (ready for send out if you are to be profiled in PR or media), and for use on your personal website/about me page/blog, etc. If you don’t have a personal website, why not set up an About.Me page to direct leads to all your online resources? Or have one professionally created?
• 1 short version for LinkedIn (half-page) with a professional photo. Don’t forget to update your profile with any recent projects, new work information and recommendations.
• A short informal version for Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram etc. Date the document and update all your profiles. Set a reminder for 6 months to make sure it is still up-to-date and relevant. Update the document if you tweak any of the profiles so if you lose them, they are easy to restore.

4. Clear that shoebox – there are probably gems in there!

Grab those business cards – scan and file them. CamCard is an excellent way to digitise your business cards. It also syncs to Outlook contacts. Clean up your contacts file and make notes against people that you need to follow up. Schedule follow-up time in your diary. Don’t forget to make the follow ups relevant and personal!

You can use CRM tools like Contactually to help you manage your network effectively. Contactually is the ultimate relationship management tool – it pulls data from your email mailbox and Social Media accounts of your contacts to supercharge your networking.

And while you are at it… clear those receipts, too! Expensify is a great receipt-tracking app. If you aren’t using digital tools for invoicing, think about getting one in place to manage your accounting more efficiently. Speak to your accountant about migrating to cloud accounting before your financial year is up. Xero, Quick Books Online and Freshbooks are all good cost effective options.

5. Refresh your business plan (vision board, mind map or culture code)

And make sure your networking is solidly built into it! Networking is a powerful tool – what do you want to get out of it?

Here’s a 4-step action plan to make sure you get the results you want:

• Know what you want and be clear about expected outcomes
• Take action towards achieving these leveraging tools and outreach
• Determine what works and what doesn’t: track, measure and review.
• Then start again at #1!

As with anything – you get out what you put in!

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Entrepreneur Mindset: Risk & Reinvention (Last few tickets left, book now)

Hosted by Gina Romero

In this series of events, Gina Romero will discuss what is arguably one of the most important factors of business success: Entrepreneur Mindset.

The first in the series, “Risk and Reinvention” looks at how successful entrepreneurs survive and thrive despite changing market conditions and volatile business landscapes.

Join Gina Romero and special guests, multi-awarded serial entrepreneur Elim Chew and community builder and co-founder of Women In Asia, Vivian Lim as they discuss how entrepreneurs can leverage the Entrepreneur Mindset to build and grow successful businesses.

About Elim

Elim Chew is best known as the founder of 77th Street, the retail store specialising in street wear for teenagers. She is an advocate of social entrepreneurship and believes that businesses can contribute to the community. Elim sits on various boards and committees in the public sector as well as youth and community organisations and has received many awards, including Singapore’s Public Service Medal.

As an entrepreneur, Elim has successfully reinvented herself many times, setting up and investing in businesses across various industries and pioneering social entrepreneurship initiatives in Singapore and internationally.

Her innovative thinking, grit, and commitment to making a positive impact have kept her one step ahead of industry challenges. Elim’s journey is one of Singapore’s best-loved entrepreneurial success stories.

About Vivian

Vivian Lim is a community builder and storyteller. She was part of the co-founding team at TEDxNTU, where she curated more than 8 years of Ideas Worth Spreading till date. Currently, she is the co-curator at TEDxSingapore and TEDxNTU. Licensed under the non-profit TED brand, both organisations serve local communities to discover Ideas Worth Spreading.

She also co-founded Women In Asia, a ground-up organisation which uncovers hidden stories of women around Asia, with the aim to bridge cultural and gender differences. Women In Asia brings together thinkers and thought leaders to build an open and inclusive community, where it gives opportunities, bold new conversations and innovations happening in Asia.

From building a non-profit movement spreading ideas, to a community platform amplifying perspectives from Asia, her entrepreneurial journey has been about constant reinvention and taking some unexpected paths. Her mission has been about driving ideas and projects that focuses on community inclusion and have positive impacts on the community.

Book now for this event.

Agenda

09:30 – Registrations

10:00 – Welcome by Louisa Lee

10:15 – Connected Women updates: Gina Romero

10:30 – Speaker: Elim Chew

10:45 – Speaker: Vivian Lim

11:00 – Panel Q&A

11:45 – Close

12:00 – Networking

Venue

Level 1 Moonshot
Found8 – Amoy Street

Last few tickets left, book now.

About Found8:

Found8 sets a new benchmark for coworking in Asia driven with a vision to build the best innovation ecosystems; creating change, advancing communities and accelerating growth.

We bring together an ever-growing network, beautiful spaces, and high touch customer services to consistently nurture game-changing businesses that impact the world. At our core are our visionary communities, partners, and a true spirit of collaboration.

Found8 wants to be a force of change that leaves every individual and business better than when we found them, find out more at www.found8.com

Connected Women

SHARE. CONNECT. WORK. LEARN.

Be part of a global community of tech-powered women entrepreneurs, freelancers and professionals.

Share

We put the spotlight on our experts, sharing their expertise and helping them get seen, found, and talked about.

Connect

We foster intelligent conversation among like-minded individuals, for collaboration, and network-building.

Work

We curate freelance and remote work opportunities. As well as the latest tips, tools, and hacks for remote teams.

Learn

We inspire our community to focus on achieving the success, happiness, and balance they want in life.

Book now for this event.

Date And Time

Wed, 27 March 2019

10:00 – 12:00 Singapore Standard Time Singapore Time

Add to Calendar

Location

Found8 – Amoy Street

Level 1 – Moonshot

100 Amoy Street

Singapore, 069920

Singapore

View Map

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Solid partnerships form the basis of any successful enterprise. If you are looking to gain success in your endeavors, chances are that you are going to need a partner to help you do it, as there are very few things that can be accomplished on your own.

The key, therefore, is to form win-win partnerships: essentially partnerships that provide equal benefits to both parties.This will allow you and your partner(s) to work together towards a common goal, greatly ensuring mutual success.

There are several ways in which you can ensure that you and your partner can form a win-win partnership. Here are some examples:

1. Ensure That You And Your Partner Operate On The Same Wavelength

This essentially means that you get yourself a like-minded partner: someone who thinks at least somewhat the way you do. This way, you and your partner will be able to develop excellent chemistry, which will help you two to get a lot more done at a much faster rate.

2. Understand Your Partner

You must always be able to ascertain why they are doing something, as the reason behind what they are doing can be critical in helping you make valued judgments about whether what they are doing is valuable or not.

3. Be Clear About What You Can Bring To The Table

This doesn’t just mean making it apparent to your partner. You must be clear about what you bring to the table as well, so that you know that you are a valuable member of the partnership. If you lose track of this, you might end up feeling like you contribute enough. Always keep in mind that the partnership is a partnership because you are important, too.

It is essential for a healthy partnership that both members contribute to the best of their ability.

If one partner contributes more than the other, the partnership would end up becoming fraught with problems and you would not be able to get any work done. This doesn’t just mean ensuring that your partner pulls his or her weight. You must also ensure that you are shouldering the burden equally, and that you are putting in your one hundred percent so that your partner knows that you have their back.

4. Communicate With Each Other

You and your partner have to be able to trust each other, and the best way to do this is to communicate. If you have a problem with something your partner is doing, it is absolutely essential that you tell them. Also, if your partner approaches you with concerns about your performance or behavior, it is important that you remain open to this possibility and don’t get defensive. Remember, united you will stand but divided you will always fall.

And there you have it – a brief primer on how you can use partnerships to achieve success.

One final thought –

5. don’t try to do it alone.

Please don’t. I tried to for years, with very little success. Only when I started finding and enrolling other people into my vision did I begin to see results.

I hope this was useful, till then, take care!

Love,

Yana

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

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The post The Art Of Forming Win-Win Partnerships Explained In 5 Steps appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Titled “A Day In The Life Of A Woman,” this series celebrates the women in our lives. From the everyday to inspirational, the series aims to highlight women from various fields and share a bit of the diversity we experience every day.

Amaia Arana designs and teaches sewing for modern day clothing. She currently resides in the Netherlands with her family.

7 AM: Wake up call. I like checking my emails, social media profiles, website stats and sales while jumping out of bed. Then, I prepare myself a cafe latte while the kids start to come downstairs. 

7 – 8:25 AM: While the three children are having breakfast, I prepare lunch for my two daughters. Then, I help the two youngest get ready for school.

I try to do some abs and push ups (most days I have to skip this unfortunately), get ready myself and at 8:25 we leave in my Bakfiest (one of this Cargo bikes in The Netherlands, where we live) and carry them to their schools (in three different locations!); this is kinda my daily workout.

When my husband is in town, he helps with getting the kids ready and bringing them home.

9 AM: I am back home. Make my second cafe latte of the day. Get some house chores done, tidying up, washing clothes, etc.

9:30 AM: Three times per week I have a sewing workshop (where I am the instructor) so my students come and learn sewing for a few hours.

The other mornings I work on my pattern drafting business, either by designing new patterns, or by working on the ones that are on the table and need to be improved.

1 PM: Three times per week I go pick up my youngest at his pre-school (so just before that I try to grab something to eat).

1 PM – 3 PM: I try to get him to sleep, do some house chores (yeah the washing machine has finished and everything needs to be tumble dried) while working on my projects. So it is a sliced working time, as I like to call it. I get some pattern drafting and sewing done in this sliced time.

3 PM: I wake my son up, prepare a snack for the three of them, and rush out, again, on my Bakfiets to pick up my two girls, so I cycle about 4 km in between school locations and back home.

4:30 PM: If the weather is not nice (which I’d say is the case most days in Amsterdam, in winter) we go back home. While they do some activity or watch TV, I continue working on my pattern line, sewing lessons, website, etc.

6 PM: I stop working and start preparing dinner for the family.

7 PM: We sit to enjoy a family dinnerand talk about our day.

8 PM: We try to get the kids to bed (this lasts for about an hour)

10 PM: Exhausted, finally the kids are sleeping and I lie down in bed and read for about an hour.

A few times per week, I teach sewing to a bunch of lovely students (adults and kids) and I love sharing my passion (and all I know about sewing!) with them. In the sewing classes there is a special vibe, because we all have the same passion although we all come from different countries. I really enjoy the group sewing sessions.

Im a fanatic of sewing for a long time but fully dedicated to it for the past few years. I love all things crafty and handmade. Seeing something being created with my hands, starting from scratch and finishing with something wearable is the greatest reward.

Did Amaia’s “Day in the Life” inspire you? Interested in sending your “Day in the Life” story? Join the Connected Women community now, it’s free!

The post A Day In The Life Of A Woman Sewing And Pattern Designer appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

“I was literally shaking so much that I knocked the wine all over the table!” She laughingly recalls.

In an interview with Cheryl Liew-Chng of The 24-Hour Woman, one would never have figured Gina to ever be the least bit nervous. So how do you overcome the fear of meeting new people and talking in front of groups? Here’s what Gina has to say.

Find The Right Fit: People and Format

Avoid potentially awkward and embarrassing encounters by doing ample research before going to a networking event. If you’ve been to a networking event before and found yourself checking your phone more than listening to the speaker, it’s not because you weren’t meant to network. It simply means that you weren’t with the right set of people at that time. Or maybe the structure of the event was not for you.

“I love community and I love people,” Gina explains. “And networking is less about the business card exchange and more about building long-term relationships.”

So instead of thinking of pure business, why not set out to make new friends?

“Even the most introverted person is comfortable around friends,” Gina adds with a smile.

So do your research, look for people you could get along with, and select events with activities that appeal to you. And when you find that right group, you’ll know that it is always the people involved that make a networking event a success.

Seek Only Connections You Need

Aside from finding the right fit, you also have to set aside time to study your own goals and identify what you need. Is there a missing link in your supply chain? Do you want to tap into a new niche market? Or do you simply want to boost your confidence and have a new group to enjoy coffee with?

Different groups have different objectives, and you’ll find that there are people out there who will see value in you and what you can do.

Ultimately, networking is about collaboration and mutual success. The key to networking effectively is in knowing what each person can contribute so always be on the lookout for places and situations that you could add value to.

Strategy Is More Important Than Time

It is often perceived that the more often you network, the better you become at it. While constant practice helps to make you a better speaker, it might not be the most effective use of your time.

“Strategy is more important than time. It’s quality over quantity,” says Gina. Once you’ve identified the proper fit and format for you, and once you’ve selected which objectives you want to fulfill, the next step is reflecting on which leads you must follow up on.

“We all have shoeboxes of business cards piled up and forgotten on our desks!” Gina laughs. And the key to avoiding this is to block off time in your diary every week or every month so you could think about your follow-ups.

You don’t have to follow up on everyone because that can prove to be a most grueling task. So to alleviate some pressure from the process, Gina suggests not to approach networking as a gym membership but as a fitness class.

A gym membership reeks of intimidating obligation while a fitness class is more flexible and inviting. And if you wish to pursue only the classes you enjoy then you’d find yourself in a healthier and happier track to success.

Did you know we have another round of meetups happening this February 27th? Join a meetup happening in your city! connectedwomen.co/meetup. If your city is not on the list, you can signup on the form to volunteer as a host or attend the next one! 

 

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Share. Connect. Work. Learn.

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The post Overcoming The Fear Of Networking The Fun Way appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Your online profile speaks volumes – sometimes it’s the first impression you’ll make on a new visitor. Are you captivating your ideal audience in your profile, or in your ‘About’ page? Believe it or not, there is a right and a wrong way to write your online profile. That just means there’s one version that’s going to bore your audience … but if you just tweaked it, it could marvel them.

Today, I’m breaking down the questions you should be asking yourself, what to include in your online profile, and what’s not really as important as you think. The one thing you need to remember (and it may sound a little backwards) is this:

Your expert profile should answer the following questions, so you can make the most of this essential page.

Q1: What is your area of expertise?

Give your reader a general idea of what topics you cover, and what experiences make you an expert. Try one main topic (your expertise) and two sub-topics/categories (areas of interest).

Q2: What type of clients do you work with?

Be specific. Do you work with low-income families, single women who want to start a beauty business, or only high-paying corporate companies who want top-notch marketing?

If you’re too broad in your description of your ideal client, you’ll end up wasting valuable time sorting through which clients suit you and your business, and which don’t.

Q3: Do you have a blog or do you/have you ever contributed to any online or offline publications? How often do you write?

Don’t just say “I have a blog that’s been featured…” Take this opportunity to hyperlink to your space by saying it like this:

Our online business and lifestyle magazine, has been featured by:

• Connected Women Magazine
• Inc
• Entrepreneur Magazine, and more!

By listing things in bullet points, you make your profile more reader-friendly.

Tip: DO NOT write a long sentence or paragraph that lists your online/offline publications in a long list separated by commas. But why not?

• It’s difficult to read, thus, difficult to focus.
• It’s boring.
• It’s ugly.

Your Business Profile

Q4: Why would someone work with you?

Here we talk about the results you, in particular, help clients achieve. You can try any of these formulas:

If you’re sick of [their pain point] and want to [one result your product/service offers], then [name of your business] is where you’ll find [the solution to their pain point].

Are you looking for/to [the solution to their pain point], but don’t want to [one of their frustrations or struggles], I can help you [one of the results related to the previous pain point].

Q5: What are the unique benefits of working with you?

Mention briefly what you offer that others in your industry do not. Tell them why working with you will be special, or how the experience will be enriched for them. What’s something you can promise them that others might not?

Tip: Even offering a money-back guarantee can set you apart; it shows that you are confident in the transformation your product/service offers.

Q6: What kind of services or products do you offer?

Be brief; this is not the main point of your online profile. If you do mention your services, mention them from your highest priced option first, to the lowest. Your readers will be more likely to remember your first product name, as opposed to the last one you mention.

Tip: Mention only 2-3 products/services max.

Q7: What makes you credible? (Schooling, training, years of experience, notable press/media, certifications/awards/publications, and so on.)

This is pretty straightforward, but a word of warning: please don’t go into your cooking classes from 10 years ago if you’re now into marketing. Only mention those which are relevant to your profile now – the more recent, the better.

Q8: How did your business get started?

This is not so much a long history as it is the moment where you talk briefly about what pain point or problem your business was made to ease/resolve.

Your Personal Profile

Q9: How does your business fit into your lifestyle?

This is where your personal life can relate with that of your readers. Did you once have the same pain point or problem as them? Or is it that you apply your expertise to your own life and this can help guide them as well?

Q10: What are your other areas of passion/hobbies?

It’s completely fine to put some facts about what makes you, you. People want to read about you and your business to learn more, but it’s the face, personality and individual quirks which make you human to them. Be real, and don’t try to think about what a client will or will not like about you. If they don’t like the real you, they wouldn’t make an ideal client anyway.

Q11: What is your philosophy for work and life?

Feel free to tie this to a quote that you live by.

Most Important

Q12: What is your call-to-action at the end of your expert profile?

A reader can choose to click any of the hyperlinks throughout your online profile, but having a CTA at the end means you’re giving them a little nudge that says “go here” or “do this”.

Example:

Click here to check out all I/we offer!

Don’t miss a thing – let’s be friends on Twitter! (Pick the social media channel on which you are most active.)

Q13: Did you proofread?

You MUST proofread your profile before you post or publish it. If you don’t have time to read through your profile a few times, then outsource it to someone, or ask a friend who has a good eye!

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The post How To Create An Online Profile That Captivates appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Writing an article that is a hit with your audience and new-comers alike isn’t easy, and there is a lot to remember if you want your message to be effective and garner new leads. So I’m breaking it down for you in questions you can ask yourself after you write your next article!

Let’s look at what you need to ensure every article has, BEFORE you hit ‘publish’.

Look At Your Title

Q: Does it have your relevant keywords or key phrase?

If your article is about productivity tips for busy entrepreneurs, don’t title it “Golden Eggs For The Selling Goose”. Your title needs to be specific, and you need to use keywords or a key phrase you want your business to be known for. Why not try “7 Tips For Busy Entrepreneurs To Better Your Life Today”.

Q: Is it persuasive or compelling enough to make your ideal reader click through?

“How To Get Fit” is a pretty broad title and will likely gain you less readers than one that holds a promise or bold statement, such as “How To Get Fit In 30 Days With Zero Equipment And In 20 Minutes A Day”.

Tip: Think like your reader; if they were going to Google the information you offer in your article, what would they type when searching?

Examine The Body

Q: Did you make use of short paragraphs and headings?

A good article should be easy to read, that is a fact many have written before me, and one you need to take seriously (if you haven’t already) right now.

Long paragraphs just look sotedious. Instead, opt for no more than four to six sentences per paragraph. Use headings and sub-headings, bullet points, and indentations to separate text and make it easier to read.

An article that is easy to skim is especially nice if your target personas are mostly busy people. If they scan it and like it, they’ll likely come back and read it when they have time to enjoy it. And if they enjoy it, they’ll share it! Obvious win-win!

Q: Did you add at least one deep link into the body, and is it relevant to the topic of your article?

A deep link is a link to one of your previous posts. What a shame it is to work so hard on writing a super-helpful post only to have it sit in your archives for the rest of its digital life. Get eyes on your older (but still relevant and helpful) articles by hyperlinking to them in your current article.

Take this article, for example – I’m trying to help you build the best content you can, and if you’d like an article outline then you need to check out this piece I wrote a few months ago that will have you writing more, in less time.

Q: Do you have an interesting question at the end to encourage conversation?

Engagement has become a crucial factor to building a successful online business. Your readers should be talking to you, asking questions, and relating. Sure, you’re a professional business, but your business also tells a story. A story was never great for being read and never talked about.

Q: Did you include a call-to-action?

You want your reader to lap up your content, but you also want them to take action. You want them to download your opt-in (lead magnet), or sign up for your newsletter, or join your upcoming webinar. At the end of your super-valuable article in which you gave so much, you want to take just a wee bit. You want to collect an email, or get them to click the share button.

Tip: Have only one call-to-action (e.g. download the free checklist), BUT place it throughout the article to give your readers plenty of chances to grab it when they want it.

Double-Check Your Images

Q: Are they on-brand, and SEO ready?

A consistent brand means your readers know what to expect. Not only that, but a brand with consistent style is pleasing to the eye, and gives your readers an idea of what to expect. Keep your images the same – not one black-and-white and then another white bright, and another with the contrast edited heavily. It looks sloppy.

Tip: Title your images with the same keywords from your article. “IMG_0726” doesn’t mean anything for your SEO, but “Entrepreneur_Tips” or “Nutritious Avocado Bowl” would work far better in your SEO favour.

Q: Is your alt text a good description of your article?

If someone decides to pin your article, Pinterest will pull the alt text as the description. Don’t make your reader work harder than they need to to share your content; have 150 characters ready for them.

This is the same for other platforms, so take two minutes to write that alt text!

Q: Do you have a featured/main image?

Images are good to break up text – a visual rest for your readers’ eyes.

Vertical is better if you want to keep someone’s attention longer (plus, they look better on Pinterest, a massive referral if your images are clean and crisp).

Remember Your Readers

Q: Is the article written for your target persona? Which one?

If you’re on the right track, you’ve already thoroughly thought about and written down your target personas (ideal clients), their demographics, pain points, and more.

Which one of these personas is the article aimed at? Is the language you use throughout consistent with the level of understanding for that persona?

Q: Is the information given valuable, helpful, and well explained for your target persona at their stage of the Buyer’s Journey?

The question is pretty straightforward. You gain a loyal audience when you consistently offer valuable content. How will your article be of awesome value to your audience?

Make sure you explain everything well (or if you have another article that does that, this is your chance to use the deep link), someone who’s been following you for some time will know what you’re talking about, but a new visitor might need a little more detail.

Additional Must-Have Considerations

Q: Is your article SEO friendly?

Plug your keywords into these places:

• Your title
• Your introduction
• Throughout the body – please vary in wording (Google is smart and doesn’t like keywords forced into awkward sentences).
• Your conclusion
• Your metadata (short article description)
• Your image alt text

Q: Did you proofread?

You MUST proofread your article before you publish it. If you don’t have time to read your article through a few times, then outsource it to someone, or ask a friend who has a good eye! Some people like to do everything themselves (DIY), and there’s nothing wrong with that until you want your business to grow. If you’re passed trying to do it all yourself and seriously desire growth in your venture, to be seen and found online, then consider hiring a virtual assistant so you can do more of what you love doing in your business.

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The post Complete Checklist Of Everything You Need To Do Before Publishing Your Article appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

Consistency and value are your two main keys to attracting and keeping an engaged audience. No matter how busy you are, you have time for one article a week, every week, and I’ll prove it to you.

This article assumes you have:

• a 40-hour work week
• 6-8 hours of sleep a night
• time to prepare your own food
• a spouse and child(ren)
• household responsibilities
• a car or take public transportation

You have 168 hours in your week.

If you work 40 hours a week, that’s easy, you have 128 hours left.

You sleep 7 (a happy medium) hours a night, because it’s good for your overall health and you need as much brainpower as you can get! 79 hours left.

You spend at least 2 hours a day actively preparing food and eating meals. That’s 14 hours a week. 65 hours left.

You need time for your spouse and kids. Maybe you have date night with your other half, a family night twice a week, help your kids with homework, drop them off and pick them up from school, and attend some of their sports or events. You enjoy their presence and love for 15 hours a week. 50 hours left.

If you spend an hour a day cleaning around here and there, that’s an additional 7 hours a week. 43 hours left.

Sadly, traffic is a pain in the butt, and you might spend up to 3 hours puttering along. 40 hours left.

Of course, you’re a fairly clean person and like to look good for work and your occasional outings. Between showering, picking your outfit and sprucing yourself up, that’s about an hour a day, which might be a little generous if you’re a parent as well. You’ve got 33 hours left in your week.

We could make all sorts of assumptions about how you use your time: working out, taking your dog for a walk, hanging out with friends, or watching old reruns of your favourite TV series. And if you don’t have a partner and kids, you’ve gained several hours back. It all depends on you and your circumstances. But you DO have time to write at least one article a week.

Take Action:

1. Take out a piece of paper and write down all the necessities of your day (sleep, work, family time, etc.) and try to average out the time you spend on each daily/weekly.
2. Then calculate how many hours you have left in a week, and typically around what time of day (it might be similar every day, or be different every single day).
3. Schedule in time to write. How long does it take you to write a good article? One to two hours, I hope. Then pen that in. Write for one hour one day, and finish up on another. Or, if you don’t like to work in sections, finish it all in one sitting.
4. Schedule your article to publish on the same day of the week, every week.That’s where the key of consistency comes in. When a reader can eagerly anticipate your article to be published on the same day of every week, they will come to you!

Go on now, write it out and take action!

I expect an article from you very soon. ?

Meanwhile, if you’re stumped for article ideas, we can help! Let me know if you’d like a 12-Week Content Plan. 12 bespoke titles just for you and your business, aimed at attracting your ideal clients!

Happy scheduling!

The post How To Be Consistent And Publish At Least One Article A Week appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

When you hear the word networking, what comes to mind? People usually associate networking with business cards, introductions, pitching, meeting people, selling yourself, referrals and finding clients.

But at the heart of it, what does networking really mean?

Networking isn’t as technical as it sounds. I think of networking in positive terms like collaboration, sharing and learning.

Whether you love networking or hate it with a passion, there’s no doubt that it’s an excellent way to build your business and brand — and get more clients.

And no one can deny that the overall success of a business, no matter how big or small, is a result of how well it builds relationships with its clients and partners. Learning how to network effectively and use this skill strategically has the potential to make or break your business or career, particularly in the early startup stages.

But if you’re one of those people who can’t stand networking, then how do you break through your networking fears?

The good news is, networking doesn’t have to be something you dread. Even if you aren’t a natural people person, you can learn the necessary skills to make the whole experience, if not enjoyable, then at least less daunting!

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Know your goal.

Before you start networking, think about why you want to network in the first place — what is important to you right now? List down your goals and how networking can help you achieve them.

Do you need a specific contact? Are you looking for a mentor? Are you hoping to boost your confidence? Find a partner or collaborator, a recommended supplier or specialist? Let people know who you want to connect with.

2. Be a connector.

What can you bring to the table? Now that you know your goals, can you help others with theirs?

Ask why they came to the event, what they are hoping to get out of it, and what kind of connections they need. Not only is this a great conversation starter, but as networking is about creating meaningful relationships, it means that you can add value to others.

3. Listen, support and collaborate.

Rather than worrying too much about ‘working the room’ and getting as many business cards as you can, network with a “giving” mindset.

A big part of networking is the gift of attention. Being sincere and giving people an opportunity to be heard are genuinely generous ways to spend your time at a networking event. Being a good listener is an excellent networking talent.

4. Find the right environment.

The secret to enjoying networking and getting over your fears is to network in places where you feel comfortable.

Yes, while we all have to make an effort to network at business events or in social settings, you can also join a networking community of like-minded people who share your dreams and aspirations. Find a place to network that suits your business and personal needs, and supports your goals.

5. Introduce yourself with an impact.

Do you have a networking ‘pitch’? If not, write out a short introduction to you and your business. Don’t get into too much detail at this stage. Start with a quick line to let people know who you work with, what you do and how you help people.

A very straightforward format is:

“I work with [type of client] to help them [result] so that they can [benefit]”

“I work with small business owners overcome their fear of networking so they can start getting more clients.”

This structure works better than saying “I’m a networking strategist. I run a networking community for women where we run networking events and train our members how to network more effectively for business or career success.”

While the second option might work on a website, it is too much information for a person to digest in a busy networking environment.

6. Preparation is key.

If you know you aren’t the best at small talk, avoid awkward silences by coming prepared. Have a few throwaway comments handy:

• “Is this your first time, too?”
• “I’m looking forward to the speaker.”
• “Wow, I love those shoes.”

Use icebreakers to build rapport and then focus on having a meaningful conversation where you are both comfortable and can really connect.

7. Be yourself and have fun.

You may feel a bit uncomfortable at first, but remember that almost everyone’s probably feeling the same.

Just be yourself, play to your strengths, be a good listener, and try to help people by staying focused on what they need.

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Join Connected Women’s CEO and Co-Founder Gina Romero for a Facebook live, Ask Me Anything #AMA!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/connectedwomenphilippines/

Date: Tuesday, June 18th Time: 2pm – 3pm (PH Time)
Via Facebook LIVE in the #ConnectedWomen – Philippines Facebook Group

The post 7 Tips To Break Through Your Networking Fears appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..

There are many free online project management toolse on the market. Today we take closer look at one of the more popular players: Basecamp. In this article, we highlight what we think makes Basecamp a great choice and some notes about it based on user experience.

Basecamp follows the safe formula of getting your team to collaborate in a very efficient and structured environment on the Web. Users get to have their own login details and dashboard, with the option to display only the information that is relevant at the moment. For the free version, users are limited to creating only one project. This is great for a “test run”, as you are given free reign to try out all the features on an actual project before deciding whether to subscribe to the full version.

Project Creation and Management

Starting out a project in Basecamp is easy. The Project Head creates a new project and can then give access to other team members. Everything is centralized into the system: discussions, schedules, work assignments, project queries and memos. A simple login to the portal allows any user to immediately view updates on the project as well as keep track of what has already been done or added. An option for an email alert is also integrated, which allows users to stay on track even if they are not logged into Basecamp.

• Calendar: a basic calendar showing deadlines and project milestone

• Everything: displays an option for extra stuff you want to see by searching for it specifically

• Progress: creates a visual representation of project activities in a timeline fashio

If you only check your Basecamp portal at the end of the day, you will appreciate a feature called Catchup which summarizes the activities of the day into an easy to read format.

User Experience and Final Note

What’s nice is that Basecamp has generous tools for communications to ensure that everyone involved in the project is updated. The little notifications (email alerts, signs that tasks were or were not done) all make the job of a project leader a whole lot easier as well. What could be a mild hiccup of sorts is the software’s deep integration with email, which could bring about a partiality of replying or responding through it instead of through the Basecamp portal. In this scenario, you could have a majority of the team out and about while you are the sole user of the portal. This is because everyone has the option to just be updated through mail instead of actually using and working through the portal itself.

Basecamp generally feels very quick and intuitive as it takes into consideration what people love or prefer to use. It’s a promising tool for any project or undertaking, and if you can get past the one project limitation of the free version then you should find the monthly subscription to be money well worth spent.

Did you enjoy this post? Please comment, like and share!

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The post Must-Have Tech Tools: Synchronised Project Management With Basecamp appeared first on Connected Women - Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Professionals..