News Category: WEOC Women's Business Center (WBC)
11.23.22
Get Real Glass Floor Network Educates Women on Investing
WEOC Women’s Business Center’s Get Real Glass Floor Network eduates women on investing. Check out this video. https://youtu.be/ixJ0QJLjU-M
Register to attend.
The network meets quarterly, with the next meeting on December 1, 5:00 – 6:15 p.m. Here’s how it works at each quarterly meeting.
- Participants learn from experts.
- Two selected women-owned businesses pitch to the participants.
- The group votes to select one business to receive financial gifts that evening.
- Each participant provides a financial GIFT of $100 to a local women-owned business.
“Fewer women invest because no one talks to them about investing. This hurts women’s total wealth over time, thereby exacerbating the gender wealth gap. In 2019, less than 3% of all VC investment went to women-led companies, and only 1/5th of U.S. VC went to startups with at least one woman on the founder team,” said Leslee Hill, Director, WEOC WBC at NIIC.
“Women drive the world economy as we control $31.8 trillion in consumer spending. We need to learn to invest to change the landscape from ‘consumer spending’ to ‘generational wealth.’”
11.23.22
Digital Ready Making Big Impact for Small Businesses
Small businesses in Northeast Indiana are making a big impact on their businesses through a collaborative program through WEOC Women’s Buisness Center and Verizon. Online training is offered at no charge through the end of this year.
Simply create an account through this link.
Don’t worry, you aren’t signing up for any type of phone service, just the training. Once you register, you’ll receive a customized training plan for your business.
Diana Utley, Founder, 4 U Organic Body Butter, a WEOC WBC client, said the training has been a “game changer” for her. “The Verizon classes are well done, easy to follow and insightful. I found myself transforming my thinking from being an hourly employee to a successful business owner. A person’s thoughts shape their destiny. If that was not enough, after completion of just two class modules, I was then given the incentive of applying for a $10,000 grant,” said Utley.
Register today at this link. These tools are available to Indiana small business owners at no charge at this link through December 31, 2022.
10.26.22
What’s the state of venture capital funding in Fort Wayne, and how can it be more inclusive?
Excerpts
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase “venture capital”? For many, it conjures up images of wealthy people on the West Coast who have the means to invest thousands of dollars in what they think is going to be the “next big thing.”
While that is true on some level, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. Across the U.S., annual Venture Capital (or VC) funding has increased from 2013 to 2021 by more than four times, going from $22 billion to $96 billion. But there’s still a lack of Venture Capital funding available in Northeast Indiana.
As Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center, Leslee Hill is also working to address this disparity. Hill and her team have launched a program called The Glass Floor Network to educate female and nonbinary business owners and their potential supporters on angel investing. Angel investors are individuals with means who invest their own money into startup ventures, whereas venture capital investors are employed by an organization, where they invest other people’s money.
10.25.22
Verizon Digital Ready Program “Game Changer” for Business Owner
Photo by Diana Utley
The Verizon Digital Ready Program provides online learning and coaching to give small businesses the personalized tools to succeed in today’s digital world. These tools are available to Indiana small business owners at no charge at this link through December 31, 2022.
Diana Utley, Founder, 4 U Organic Body Butter, WEOC WBC client, said the training has been a “game changer” for her. “The Verizon classes are well done, easy to follow and insightful. I found myself transforming my thinking from being an hourly employee to a successful business owner. A person’s thoughts shape their destiny.
If that was not enough, after completion of just two class modules, I was then given the incentive of applying for a $10,000 grant,” said Utley.
Register today at this link. These tools are available to Indiana small business owners at no charge at this link through December 31, 2022.
WEOC WBC and Verizon joined forces earlier this year to help small businesses in Northeast Indiana advance in the digital world.
09.09.22
Can People Easily Find You to Fix Their Problem?
Photo by Cottonbro on Pexels
A Look at Digital Marketing
Welcome to the digital era—where having a digital storefront for your business is crucial. Not having online visibility equals huge losses on leads to grow your sales.
Here’s why.
People’s time and attention revolve immensely around the digital universe. Daily, about 5 billion internet users spend an average of about 7 hours online across all devices. That’s according to the Digital 2022 – Global Overview Report by We Are Social and Hootsuite.
Reliance on the internet is becoming more prevalent. Whenever individuals need a product or a service, they search on websites or social media to locate top buys or excellent service providers.
The question is, if they type in a problem or look for a product you provide, will they be able to find you easily?
Each week, 58.4% of consumers purchase online. Are you able to maximize this opportunity? Traditional marketing is an indispensable part of a business. However, online visibility is imperative. If you are unsatisfied with your results, we are here to help you dive deeper into strengthening digital marketing.
Stand Out on Social Media
Social Media presents rich platforms to connect with current and potential clients. Knowing the most popular social media sites will allow you to maximize your brand reach and engage with your target audience. The top five platforms for business, according to Statista, are Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitter. TikTok is rapidly gaining in popularity.
Stand out in the social media marketing game by:
- Implementing a social media strategy;
- Posting updates, promotions, and discounts for your products and services.
- Providing engaging, insightful, informative, and creative content that your buyers and visitors value;
- Interacting with your followers to form a bond.
Remember to stay current on the latest tips and tricks on growing your reach and engagement. This will help you to keep on top of the game.
Elevate Your Branding through a Website
A website boosts your brand’s professionalism and credibility like no other platform. It is a great asset to showcase facts about you that clients need to know, your accomplishments, and what you offer. A website also positions you as an expert in your field.
Invest in a great web design, use Search Engine Optimization tools like keyword linking, and regularly publish relevant content to gain better Google rankings. These will catapult you to the top of searches.
Create/Optimize Your Google Business Profile
We all know it—in the world of “search,” Google is king. Holding more than 92% of search engine market share, creating or optimizing a Google Business Profile is relevant in making your brand known to new customers across Google services such as Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Shopping. It helps ensure that whenever people are looking for businesses like yours in your area, they will find you and your business details.
Having a Google Business Profile can also build trust through Google Reviews, allowing customers to share insights and give a star rating based on their transaction with you.
Complete all the elements in your profile, including verifying your location, adding keywords, adding images and videos regarding your business, keeping your details current, encouraging reviews, and regularly posting relevant content to enhance your Google listing ranking.
In a digital universe that presents myriad choices, your brand’s heart translated into content published in the right channels will set you apart. Let us help you introduce yourself to your target market and the world by maximizing digital tools that will intensify your marketing. You deserve to stand out.
Visit the WEOCWBC.Net for details.
09.02.22
Digital Marketing Tips for Optimal Engagement
As appears in Business People magazine – Pro Speak
The essence of your brand is how an individual feels when engaging with you. How can you pursue this to end strong in 2022? Be intentional with digital marketing.
Here are three tips to strengthen your digital marketing and increase brand engagement.
Optimize Across Channels
Think big picture. Go where clients are. Consider blogs, videos, podcasts, live streaming, websites and social media. Today’s consumer interacts with brands multiple times in various ways before committing.
Consistency and rhythm provide opportunities for engagement. Digital marketing’s Rule of More has replaced traditional marketing’s Rule of 7. Increase frequency to ensure you are heard “above all the clutter in people’s newsfeeds or fields of vision,” says Kathi Kruse, Rule of 7: How Social Media Crushes the Old School Marketing.
Make It Personal
The more people who know, like and trust you, the more likely it is you will do business with them. For a more profound connection, share your origin story and reveal the inspirations and values behind your brand.
Personal connections with clients are why businesses exist. We come alongside our clients throughout their entrepreneurial journeys. We help them tell their stories, and get the word out about their companies and their experiences of starting and growing a business.
Clients become your loyal group of supporters. Positive experiences help build brand advocates through word-of-mouth and online reviews. Speaking of advocates, remember your employees or volunteers. Invite them to engage with your brand based on their comfort levels.
Assess
Look at the metrics of all the platforms you use. This may include website traffic and behaviors, social media metrics, email marketing results, spikes in inquiries and conversions, etc.
Connect the dots to identify what potentially impacted your results. Are there patterns or trends? What external factors might you consider? Adjust accordingly.
Have a strong, relevant brand by maintaining a cohesive digital presence and implementing a solid marketing strategy. Your brand depends on it.
08.23.22
NIIC Connected Health Lab Client PRevLyfe Pitches to Female Investor Group
Connected Health Lab client Dr. Sonam Chouksey, physician and founder of PrevLyfe, pitched her startup business to the newly formed female investment education group GET REAL: Glass Floor Network. PrevLyfe supports postpartum moms in their lives and careers to help prevent depression and other common postpartum health and wellness issues.
The Glass Floor Network was formed by Leslee Hill, WEOC Women’s Business Center Director. The purpose is to educate women about early-stage business investing.
Participants practice their newly learned skills by listening to female founders pitch their businesses. Then, they offer financial support, technical expertise, and network connections to the female founders. To learn more about PrevLyfe, watch this short video. For more information about the Glass floor Network, contact Leslee Hill at lhill@niic.net.
08.10.22
Confidence Leads to Success for Small Business Owner
Tracy Williams, Founder and CEO of King David’s Product & Service, shares how WEOC Women’s Business Center and its Director Leslee Hill have changed her life and helped eliminate business insecurities with leadership guidance courses and creating content. This has helped with her feelings of concern and confusion.
My name is Tracy Williams, Founder and CEO of King David’s Product & Services. King David’s is primarily a men’s clothing and accessory retail store. Our services include clothing pressing, a bereavement program and a yearly donation program which allow us to give back to minority men that may need to update their wardrobe. This company began in the closet room of my home but now has a brick-and-mortar located at 2615 Brooklyn Avenue in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Once the concept of this brand came to mind, I quickly felt multiple emotions with the thoughts of the day-to-day business operations. With the demand and increased presence needed on social media, I was unable to move confidently to produce the successful brand and business I knew I was created to do.
WEOC Women’s Business Center and its Director Leslee Hill have changed my life and helped eliminate many business insecurities with leadership guidance courses and creating content that has subsided a lot of my feelings of concern and confusion. Recently, Leslee introduced Verizon’s Small Business Digital Ready Program to our cohort session and I am in love with this online convenience to classes, coaching, and professional help. [Register for the Program Now]
After completing just one course, I feel confident and empowered that I have new knowledge to apply to my day-to-day business structure. Verizon’s program is an amazing asset to aid in the success of any entrepreneur’s operation to utilize for the success of their business.
08.09.22
Communication is Key to Your Company’s Success
As appears in Business People magazine- ProSpeak
Words and how you say them hold immense power. They shape beliefs, drive behavior, strengthen relationships, mitigate conflicts, improve public perception, and sell ideas.
Effective communication with internal (employees) and external (customers) audiences is fundamental to establishing and growing any business.
Workflow is better when everyone knows their roles, responsibilities, mission, and goals. Employee engagement and satisfaction increase when employees feel free to voice their thoughts and opinions. They feel appreciated. Productivity follows suit.
In a competitive business world, communication differentiates your brand, makes your mission known, helps to grow your customer base, and establishes loyalty.
Various technologies are emerging seemingly daily. Use them to adopt new ways to improve organizational efforts.
Internal Communication
- Online collaboration tools ease information sharing
- An online forum where employees can swiftly share documents, start threads, and work on projects allows accessible communication with teammates in the office, in the field, or in different time zones
- Trello and Slack are some examples of online collaboration tools
- Video conferencing effectively brings groups together. Location is no longer a barrier. You can use this platform for announcements and discussions and inexpensively settle important issues
External Communication
- Write winning newsletters
- Newsletters remain one of the best ways to curate details about you, your services, and your products. Provide value and updates to existing and potential customers through thoughtfully crafted written content
- Over the last 12 months, 78% of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement. This research supports email as one of the best tools to grow your consumer base
- Use Short Messaging Service (SMS)
- Text messaging is a great way to get the word out about promos or special announcements immediately
Now may be a great time to rethink or reinforce your communication strategy.
07.29.22
The WEOC Women’s Business Center receives excellence award
Excerpt
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – A local small business-designated women’s group was recognized for its work.
The WEOC Women’s Business Center (WBC) received the 2022 SBA Indiana Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award. SBA Great Lakes Regional Administrator Geri Aglipay and SBA Indiana District Director Stacey Poynter presented the award to Leslee Hill, WEOC WBC Director, and The NIIC team.
The award recognizes WEOC WBC as a women’s business center that is mission-driven, client-focused, and results-oriented.