Yellow Dog Consulting

Sales & Marketing Consulting for solo-preneurs.

A Fresh Set of Eyes

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Begging HankI got a friend’s newsletter this week in my inbox. The content was good, he’s just starting up his business, and he’s clearly very enthusiastic about it. Since I spend way too much time in Mail Chimp every day, I offered to punch it up a bit (note- this isn’t an offer I give out usually, so maybe don’t start asking me, let me come to you).

Sometimes all you need is another set of eyes on that project you’re too engrained in. I often talk about stepping away for a day to make sure you didn’t say something stupid. But we don’t always have that luxury. Find a friend or colleague or spouse who can give you another set of eyes on what you’re working on. It may be as amazing as you think it is. It may need a few tweaks to make it really pop.

Your Email is Hurting Your Brand

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imagesThe other day I tweeted the following:

what is my responsibility to tell an adult they can’t write an email for $h*t and it’s hurting their business & brand?

Improper email etiquette is one of my bigger pet peeves. Here’s a few ways to make sure your email isn’t hurting your brand…

  1. Don’t FORWARD information: only my mom and mother in law can forward stuff en mass. And even then it’s usually deleted.
  2. BCC line. I gave YOU my email address, I didn’t give the 75 other people in your network my email address. Nothing will make me delete emails from you faster.
  3. “Open this attachment.” We all want people to click the link to read more, or open the attachment for more details. But give me the basics in the body of the email you thoughtfully crafted (“I’m excited to invite you to my workshop on June 2nd at 10 AM in Bellevue, more details and a link to register are at this link/in the attached flyer”)
  4. Asterisks, exclamation points & emojis- STOP IT!!! (see what I did there?). Alright I am the first to say that I do NOT understand emojis. And unless you’re a tween girl, they aren’t appropriate. Just because your AOL account allows them, doesn’t mean they are business professional. Sure, use images in your newsletter or blog posts, but I don’t need hearts and smily faces in my business correspondence.
  5. Your Email address: if you can own your own business and can afford the $10 URL, you can afford to set up a business email address. yourname@hotmail.com (or AOL, Gmail, etc.) is not appropriate. Yourname@yourcompany.com shows me you are in this business for the long haul and I might listen to what you have to say.

These simple tips will help save you from yourself and may even help you grow your business in the process!

Network with Yellow Dog in May!

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wirl-logo-new2Happy Spring!  Wow this sunshine and warm weather is great. I know it’s not July 5th yet, so the rain will return, but for now, let’s enjoy! Go outside and play and then come back and add these fun events to your schedule for the month!

April 29-May 23rd

WiRL Summit

The Women in Real Life Summit is my kind of event. It’s a month long and online, not 3 days out of town! I can listen to webinars without pants OR makeup on, I’m sold! It’s a locally developed event, and I’m excited for what I’ll be learning about in the next month!

May 8-18th

Seattle Beer Week

If we’ve met, you know I love a delicious adult beverage. So much so that a few months back my friend and I started a Meetup Group called Beer Geek Girls (sorry, no boys allowed!) If you are a lady who loves beer and geekiness please join us! There are a ton of great events going on during Seattle Beer Week. Get out and find a new neighborhood spot, drink a new brew, and talk to the people next to you at the bar. You never know what it could lead to! There will be a group of us as the Women in Beer party on the 12th- and yes boys are allowed to that event!

Thursday, May 15th

eWomenNetwork Luncheon

You know my love of eWomenNetwork! This is a fantastic organization for women in business who are looking to grow their business, get education, and have a community of like minded people in their corner. This organization has been instrumental in Yellow Dog’s success!

Space Matters: How to Design a Great Workspace

My pal Jimmy over at turnstone is having another great event this month. If you are a growing business, or have a team and need help encouraging conversation or designing that perfect office, this is the event for you!

Attending other events this month? Make sure to share in the comments!