16 Ways to Dodge the Post COVID-19 Crisis

Here's what I've heard many entrepreneurs and small business owners saying repeatedly about what they are doing to dodge a post COVID-19 or any economic crisis.  These tips will help you strengthen your business and the world.

Spice Things Up a Bit

While running your business through the global pandemic, how many times have you been told, "It's not working."  Really.  Think about it. 

Here are a couple of specific examples: You created a whole new way to pitch clients but haven't landed one new piece of business. You launched a new line of shoes and no one is buying them. You developed a brilliant method of allowing everyone in the world who has access to the Internet to connect on a platform to change the world, and only eleven people signed up.

Sound familiar?  Here are five signs that serve as early detectors of total business decay.  This is an article I [Laurel Delaney] wrote more than a decade ago yet it is still relevant to our times.

Bottom line:  Spice things up a bit and make some big bets.

Selfmade

Brit Morin thought up Selfmade under her Brit+Co, which helps people start businesses and make their own money, a little more than a year ago, when she was home-schooling her 4- and 6-year-old sons, and was reading articles about how the majority of jobs lost in the early weeks of the pandemic belonged to women. Economists were calling it a “Shecession.”

More than 1,000 women have completed the program. They range from 16 to 51 years old, and are from diverse backgrounds — stay-at-home mothers, burned-out executives, women laid off during the pandemic. More than half have been women of color.

Learn that anything is possible.

5 Ways to Get Double-Digit Growth For Your Business

The road to recovery due to the global pandemic is no excuse to settle for status quo or to not push hard for double-digit (10 percent or more) business growth.   

In the article below, I [Laurel J. Delaney] highlight some points in Michael Treacy's book, “Double-Digit Growth: How Great Companies Achieve It – No Matter What."  His insights are still relevant for today's business owners.  The five ways to go after growth consist of:

1. Get traction with your market share.   
2. Hold on to your hats — I mean customers!
3. Leverage market position.  
4. Move into new markets.  
5. Commission new lines of business. 

Read on to learn more. 

Women Entrepreneurs Must See Opportunity In Every Difficulty

Before the COVID-19 crisis, women-owned 40% of the businesses in the U.S., representing more than 12.3 million firms.

As of 2020, these companies employed nearly 9 million people and generated $1.8 trillion in sales. Last year alone, women started 1,821 new businesses every day.  Of these, over 60% were started by women of color, and Latina women-owned businesses grew more than 87%.

As Winston Churchill once said: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Women entrepreneurs must see opportunity in every difficulty, too.  Now is a perfect time to think about how to create a new market space. Your clients in the past — indeed, the whole marketplace — have changed. 

Take a look at seven areas women entrepreneurs can discover new ways to solve old problems and gain traction in our new world. 

Your Action, Not Your Words, Gets You Ahead

One of the classic ways to find out what is really going on with a business owner or top-level executive these days is to ask, “What’s keeping you up at night?”  Being a small business owner and a formally trained facilitator, I decided to take a different approach and asked 20 presidents of small businesses in marketing, interior design, insurance and a variety of other industries what’s allowing them to get a good night’s rest.  Here are the highlights of what they shared.

The one tip that trumps them all?  No. 10.

Deal with it.  Don’t think of surviving.  Think of thriving.  Action, not words, says it all.  Imagine yourself five years from now and where you will be.  If you can envision it, you can do it.  And end up sleeping like a baby.

How to Market Your Global Business Lady Gaga Style

The following is an article I [Laurel J. Delaney] wrote more than a decade ago and I still think it is relevant more than ever coming out of the global pandemic.  It was originally published by American Express.  I am surprised and delighted they had accepted it back then.  The photo that accompanies the piece is a little conservative but hey, you can't have everything!

American pop singer Lady Gaga has taken the world by storm with her robust voice, over-the-top theatrical performances and outrageous costumes. Global small business owners can learn from her without going to the same extremes. 

There are lots of little ways to reposition your business, be different, and have customers take notice of you both online and off. All it takes is a little innovation and determination.

Learn more. 

Happy Mother's Day 2021 from Escape From Corporate America!

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Can SHE Do it?

Hidden Stash, a chestnut colt will be one of the longest shots – 50-1 – when the field of 20 is sent on their way today in what is known as the most exciting two minutes in sports:  The Kentucky Derby. If he were to win, Hidden Stash would be the newest member of the Mount Rushmore of improbable Derby winners.

Here's what makes this race special.  Ms. Vicki Oliver is Stash's trainer and SHE has that chance to put her name into the thoroughbred record books. She is the 18th woman to saddle a horse in the Derby.  And, yes, she is quite aware of the history lesson she could teach if Hidden Stash finds his way to the winner’s circle.

“It’s unbelievable how much work she has put into this,” [Braxton] Lynch [one of the founding partners and the racing manager at syndicate group BBN Racing] said. “She has been doing it for over 20 years. I tell you, it’s not an easy business being a woman. It wasn’t an easy business 25 years ago when we both got into it. It’s hard work. Man, woman, whatever. You have to put in the work."

Can SHE do it?  Race on ...

Dr. Egel's Guide to Self-Leadership: Become an Agent for Change

Our friend and esteemed colleague Dr. Eleftheria Egel (pictured) talks about the 3 stages to a transformational process, which involve the following:

1. Stage 1:  Identify who you think you are.
2. Stage 2:  Unfold who you really area.
3. Stage 3:  Live meaningfully your purpose.

She says, "Self-leadership will empower you – regardless of your work position to become an agent for change and contribute to the greater good of all."

We are a big fan of Dr. Egel's and very much admire and respect her work.  Read the entire article: First You Lead Yourself!  Then You Can Lead Others!

Lilibet

With the passing of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth honored him in the following manner at his funeral today, April 17, 2021:

In a loving gesture to her husband of 73 years, the Queen placed a handwritten note on top of the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin throughout his funeral services on Saturday [April 17, 2021]. The monarch signed the note with the nickname "Lilibet" — a nickname she was given as a child. 

Philip is thought to be the last person who called by her childhood moniker. 

Queen Elizabeth may have lost her husband but she has gained additional love and support from people all over the world for her leadership, courage and strength.  She will never be alone.

We salute and honor "Lilibet" with the duty and public service she has shown her country and the world.   May the Duke of Edinburgh rest in peace.  May "Lilibet" carry on.

Unstoppable Female Leaders

These female leaders in business and noted below in link, guide the way with their motivating courses, podcasts, and transformational advice. 

Working their way from the ground up, they show that everything is possible with a little determination and belief. 

Have a look at these inspirational female leaders and try on some of their ideas yourself.  Then get ready to live an extraordinary life, both personally and in business.

Who Made It Possible to Make Beautiful Bonnets?

Every Easter, people all over the world unknowingly pay homage to the first woman to obtain a U.S. patent in her name in 1809, Mary Dixon Kies.

A professor by the name of Autumn Stanley believes it was a machine patent which automated the manual techniques of weaving straw with silk that previously enabled women to make hats in their homes. 

Read the entire story on how a cottage industry was born.  

Meanwhile, put on your mask and fancy bonnet, and have yourself a very Happy Easter.

It's Her Time

Don't we know it.  Female entrepreneurship is skyrocketing, especially in Massachusetts.  What they need more of to grow is the ability to collaborate and share resources.

The Women’s Entrepreneur Initiative (WEI) Study concludes that for them to continue to make gains, women business owners need better access to resources, financing, expertise and networking.

Constance Gamache of Deloitte Consulting says, "Women are the fastest growing, highest performing and most economically underutilized subsegment of entrepreneurs."

Enough said.

We've always known that women need an entrepreneurial hub (or cafe) to share experience, resources, challenges and opportunities.  We have had one going on since March, 2020.  Won't you join us?  It's every Tuesday at 4PM CT.  Everyone is welcome.  Don't let the global part throw you – most of our tribe are startups that have the world as a market on their mind.  See you there because I facilitate the discussions every week.

Female Entrepreneurs Work Every Bit As Hard as Male Entrepreneurs (Maybe Harder)

The story goes like this from 2019.  

Alyson Saxe ran into an old friend at Costco, who – upon learning Saxe had children – inquired whether she worked outside the home.  Saxe explained that she'd founded a PR agency. "My friend said, 'How great! You're a mompreneur!'" recalls Saxe. "'You get to work and have time for your kids and family!'"

Saxe, later, went on to raise north of $2 million for her second company, the brand-management platform IrisPR, based in Phoenix. "I work every bit as hard as male entrepreneurs.  "I am not a mompreneur," says Saxe. "I am a mother. And I am an entrepreneur."

Read on to appreciate how business language – like much other language – is de-gendering.

May Your Blessings Outnumber the Shamrocks That Grow

©2021 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.  And may trouble avoid you wherever you go." – Irish blessing

Women Entrepreneurs Drive America's Recovery

Women entrepreneurs continue to play a greater role in creating new jobs and economic activity across the country.  Since 1987, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated Women’s History Month by acknowledging how women entrepreneurs have transformed the face of entrepreneurship nationally.

According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, nearly 12 million businesses are owned by women, generating $1.7 trillion in sales, and employing over 9 million people.  Together, these businesses represent one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy. 

Read more about how women entrepreneurs are driving America's recovery from the global pandemic.

Black Women Business Owners Are at the Forefront of Innovation as Entrepreneurs

Meet the 10 finalists for the first New Voices + Target Accelerators Pitch Competition of 2021. 

Black women business owners are continuing to remain at the forefront of innovation as entrepreneurs and the New Voices team is joining forces with the Target Accelerators team yet again to give ten of these hard-working women the chance of a lifetime. 

Poised and prepared before a panel of business experts, the ladies shared their entrepreneurship journeys for a chance to win between $5,000 and $20,000 in funding for their businesses. 

Winners will also receive business coaching and mentoring from @newvoicesfamily to help them grow and scale their companies with purpose.

To learn more visit, here (note:  this was previously aired but you can get your free passes to check things out).

Be Real

I (Laurel Delaney and creator of this blog) have the good fortune of connecting on a quarterly basis with Colleen Killen-Roberts, Divisional Vice President of Entrepreneurship at the Edward Lowe Foundation through the global business work I do in their System for Integrated Growth (SIG) program.  

Below Colleen talks about why relationships matter and how to take 5 steps to building stronger ones.

One step in particular resonated with me:

4.  Be consistent — and genuine. Walk the talk. Do what you say you’re going to do — and in a timely manner. Bring the authentic version of yourself, warts and all, when meeting with existing or potential partners. You don’t have to be perfect. But you do have to be real.

So often people don't practice this.  Do you?

Read the entire article, Relationships Matter:  5 Steps to Stronger Partnerships

The World Needs More Love

©2019 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"What the world really needs is more love and less paperwork." – Pearl Bailey, actress