We all need to hear from women in the trenches — ones who have been in business for many years, grown steadily, and who can share from their hearts about what it really takes to create a business that lasts. But where do we go for this advice? One super source is Anita Campbell, founder and CEO of the popular Small Biz Trends blog.
To get some great cutting edge tips from my 30-minute interview with Anita, scroll to the bottom of this post, click the gray arrow, turn up the volume and enjoy. You can also download the podcast to your favorite mobile device or via iTunes. If you prefer to read, here are three of the insights Anita shared, with time stamps so you can easily find what interests you most.
- Develop your confidence (1:46). Stop thinking about the past and start thinking about going forward. It's counter-productive to get caught up in what you didn't do or what you should have done in the past. Focusing on the forward looking changes you can make will build your confidence and move you closer to what you want your life and your business to become.
- Integrate your life and your business (3:10). Anita says being a business owner will continue to offer great opportunities for you to integrate your life and your business. For example, as a business owner, you have the ability to create flexibility. You can run your business and your errands on a fluid schedule. While this kind of approach does not work for everyone, Anita says it's how she lives her life and she highly recommends it. (Ditto from me on this one for sure!)
- How your blog can positively (or not) affect the future of your business (5:12). While we must work harder to promote our blogs these days, Anita says that blogging will continue to be a critically important tool for small business owners. It's a way to speak to your customers, to differentiate your business and to share your personality.
Speaking of blogs, don't miss the part at 7:00 where we discuss recent studies showing the connection between a blog and having a specifically defined niche for your business — which is an increasingly important aspect of small business success. And if you're looking to obtain funding for your business, scroll to 15:15 where Anita and I discuss small business financing options.
About Anita Campbell
Anita Campbell is an award-winning business woman, blogger, and online radio show host. She left career as lawyer first, and then as the CEO of a tech company to start Small Biz Trends which offers a variety of website and information feeds to help you stay informed about the small business market. Anita's work has been praised by Hewlett Packard, Forbes, MSNBC and multiple other influential business leaders. BizSugar.com, a social bookmarking and networking tool, is one of Anita's newest ventures. Visit Anita's website and follow her on Twitter here.
How to Listen to the Show
This post contains my paraphrases of the information Anita shared. To hear it from the horse's mouth yourself, listen to the entire 30-minute show using one of these options:
- Download it on iTunes. (It usually takes a day or two for iTunes to feed the show there.)
- Click on the arrow at the bottom of this post to listen now!
- Because I have not had a chance to load all of my shows to this blog, you can listen to hundreds of interviews from 2005 to 2010, each one as relevant today as it was when I recorded it, at my Indie Business Radio site.
Question: What do you think of Anita's tips? What stands out to you most — confidence, business-life integration or blogging for success?
