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5 Upcoming Art Festivals this Fall 2017

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Visual arts, music, literature, crafts, tattoos, photography, and performances. The list of what goes on in art festivals is endless and don’t we just love it all?

Whether you’re looking for crafters like you or want to listen to book readings or see art in action, we’ve listed 5 upcoming art festivals that you may fancy. Pick one that interests you or make it a plan to check them all out!

  1. Art for Art’s Sake 2017

When: Oct. 7, 2017

Where: New Orleans, LA at the New Orleans Art District on 798 South Liberty Street

Don’t miss Art for Art’s’ Sake 2017, the annual street party that attracts tens of thousands every year. There’s something for everybody! At New Orleans’ Warehouse Arts District, you’ll find galleries showcasing work ranging from classic to contemporary across all medias. Magazine Street is lined with art galleries, antique shops, and jewelry stores. And the Contemporary Arts Center offers new exhibits and musical performances.

 

  1. 17DAYS Arts & Culture Festival 2017

When: Oct. 13-29, 2017

Where: Greensboro, NC at multiple locations

It would be amazing if you could be there for all 17 days of this art festival as more than 70 artists spanning various art forms will throw together over a hundred events showcasing their creativity and craft. There will be live music concerts, craft beer, dance and theatre performances, body painting, visual arts and loads more!

 

  1. Hyde Park Village Art Fair 2017

When: Oct. 14-15, 2017

Where: Tampa, FL at the Hyde Park Village at 1602 W Snow Ave

Held in the upscale Hyde Park neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, the Hyde Park Village Art Fair is a celebration of art and the finer things in life. This two-day event will feature over 150 artists and crafters who will showcase their unique works. We’re talking about jewelry, life-sized sculptures and one-of-a-kind decorative pieces which include paintings and other crafts.

 

  1. ARToberFEST 2017

When: Oct. 21-22, 2017

Where: Galveston, TX at Downtown Galveston on Post Office St & 22nd St

ARToberFEST is an annual fine art festival in Historic Downtown Galveston where local and regional artists working across a variety of media are featured. Come on down and purchase an original piece from one of these artists for your collection. This outdoor art party features live music. And because it takes place right on Post Office St, you’ll be surrounded by restaurants and cafes.

 

  1. Full Moon Tattoo & Horror Festival 2017

When: Oct. 27-29, 2017

Where: Nashville, TN at Hotel Preston on 733 Briley Pkwy

Don’t want to miss one of Nashville’s more unique events and the largest festival of its kind in the South. The finest tattoo artists from across the country are attracted to this festival each year. But wait, you don’t need to be inked to appreciate the artistry behind tattoos.

This is also the best place to be right before Halloween as the Full Moon Tattoo & Horror Festival delights in the scary and relishes in all things twisted. You’ll see horror film stars and esteemed tattoo artists as they gather for 3 days of horror film screenings, tattoo competitions, and costume contests.

Art is such a broad term. What’s your favorite art and which of these upcoming art festivals will you likely be at?

 

How to Draw Useful Tips from Notable Speakers, Coaches and Mentors

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How to Draw Useful Tips for Notable Industry Professionals
 

As an entrepreneur who is always interested in learning from experts and leaders in other industries, I am familiar with the vast amount of material available from well-known coaches and mentors. There is an overwhelming load of information and advice on a daily basis. So much, in fact, anyone seeking to hone their skills and need tips or advice on a particular subject can easily obtain this information online.

Here are 5 ways you can take advantage of your Internet connection to learn from leading professionals across multiple industries. Whether you’re just starting out or have been working in your line of business for several years, there lies a significant advantage in listening to other people’s perspectives on an assortment of topics, especially when it comes from someone who has the background and knowledge on the subject at hand.

Check out the tips below on how you can glean advice that will contribute to your overall worldview, increase your knowledge, or just learn something that you might not have known before.

Blogs & YouTube 

Many of the prominent and well-known speakers, personal development coaches and influencers have personal websites or Youtube channels where they regularly upload content. This material may consist of helpful blog posts or articles which will give you an idea about their perspective. If it’s a Youtube video, most of the time it’s a clip of them speaking at a conference, talk or seminar where they often provide their audiences with valuable information.

Either way, take the time to scour over your favorite speaker’s online content. If you’re unable to attend their events, checking out what they have available online for free is an excellent way to learn something new or to get their take on certain topics.

Newsletters

While some speakers and mentors post new content on their websites on a regular basis, others use newsletters that are mostly exclusive to those individuals who have signed up to receive their content. From experience, I’ve found the information provided in newsletters very helpful, and within my weekly newsletter, even though most of the content is not exclusive to my subscribers, I always include a recap of the recent articles on my blog.

One suggestion is to subscribe to a handful of newsletters of insiders or influencers within the industry you would like to learn more about. Subscribing to a variety of newsletters will not only give you a different perspective but also allow you to sift and sort through helpful tips and the information you need to get you further along. 

Teleseminars

Teleseminar is another great way to learn something. If you’ve subscribed to a newsletter, you might have already received an invite to join or participate. Similar to the newsletters, sometimes you have to be a subscriber to the speaker’s or mentor’s newsletter to receive the invite. Professionals on Facebook and Instagram also promote their teleseminars for free and use these as a vehicle to offer their paid services.

While some teleseminars cost a fee to join, there are plenty available each month with minimal to no sign-up fee. Whatever your industry, check to see if your speaker of choice is hosting a teleseminar anytime soon.

Blinkist

It’s been some time since I’ve read a book on Blinkist but as I write this, it instantly reminds me of how useful their service truly is. Services similar link Blinkist thrives because they allow us to consume the main gist and most valuable information in a minimal amount of time. Maybe you’re interested in a 300-page book but don’t have a chance to read it. Blinkist pulls the book’s main content and cuts it down to the minutes for reading or audio consumption.

With my present schedule, I’m unable to read as much as I’d like but I find having the option to scan for relevant info or to learn more about a topic without having to dedicate hours to thoroughly reading a book handy. When the time doesn’t permit you to soak up as much knowledge as you’d like to check out Blinkist’s library to see if they have books written by your favorite speaker or coach – you’d be surprised as to what you’ll find.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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4 Documentaries Any Entrepreneur Can Learn Something From

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Films are designed to entertain us, but also to inform us. When it comes to documentaries, these qualifiers are usually reversed — information comes first with entertainment being inserted via cinematography, editing and storytelling techniques.

To be informed is to be at the top of your game…at least, that’s the case for entrepreneurs. These four documentaries are guaranteed to teach entrepreneurs valuable lessons about business and success, as well as providing some much needed entertainment along the way.

  1. Something Ventured

If you want to get a company going, you likely won’t only be funneling money you make into the endeavor. Investors are an important part of the process, though they’re often overlooked when we talk about businesses. Giants like Apple and Intel may be self-sufficient today, but they wouldn’t be here without investors believing in the business from an early age.

This is the basis of Something Ventured. The documentary covers Apple, Intel and Atari and the investors who believed in them enough to funnel money into the business. Obviously, their initial faith paid off.

  1. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

While this documentary isn’t directly related to business topics, it does contain a lesson that all entrepreneurs need to learn. This film covers the life of Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old man who is considered to be the greatest sushi chef in the world. His restaurant in Tokyo is acclaimed, mostly due to Jiro’s dedication to his craft. Jiro goes out of his way to make sure his sushi will be the best, going as far to massage an octopus for an hour to enhance the quality of its texture.

So what’s the takeaway? Anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you’re passionate about your dream, you’ll do anything for it AND be as dedicated as necessary to make it come true.

  1. She++

This is definitely one to look into if you’re a female entrepreneur. If you thought being a professional woman was hard as it is, imagine being a woman interested in a field like tech or gaming. These industries are notorious for being boy’s clubs, and women are just now beginning to find their footing within them.

This Vimeo documentary focuses on women in tech who are taking the industry by storm. When any industry stagnates based on discrimination, creativity is lost and innovation is abandoned.

  1. Freakonomics – The Movie

Freakonomics is a book that’s on many an entrepreneur’s shelf, but just as many haven’t seen the documentary based on this best seller. Knowing what motivates people is essential when you’re an entrepreneur. This is how you sell a product or service, market it to the public and develop the bones for your initial idea. Freakonomics takes this idea and makes it fascinating and entertaining with intelligent and amusing studies that go into the mind of the consumer.

Why limit yourself to only four documentaries about entrepreneurship? Pop open your Netflix or open up your Amazon bookmark and see what other suggestions you can find. Never stop learning and never stop watching.

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4 Blogs to Follow for Great Women’s Fitness Tips

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5 Spotify Playlists For High-Intensity Workout

Women’s fitness is a booming industry right now, and that’s certainly a good thing. It means women and girls are thinking about their health — not just their looks and their bodies, but their lifespan and wellness. This is certainly important. Through fitness, we women can help lower our risk for heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and other physical ailments like obesity.

Fitness is a complicated issue because everyone’s body and journey is different. Are you looking for more information on fitness that takes into consideration the needs of women? Here are four blogs you need to add to your bookmarks bar.

Lift Like a Girl

Twenty, even ten years ago, “like a girl” was an insult popular among men and boys. “You throw like a girl,” “you hit like a girl,” and so on — it usually referred to how men were supposed to be stronger than their female counterparts. Fast-forward to our modern era — we’ve had rampant discussions about how harmful “like a girl” can be, and we’ve also showcased how strong women truly are. Lift Like a Girl is run by Nia Shanks, a strength trainer who aims to empower women through fitness motivation.

Black Girls Run!

In 2009, Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks looked at the growing obesity epidemic within the black community and asked themselves an important question: how can we help to solve it? Their answer was Black Girls Run!, a foundation and blog built on encouraging fitness and exercise among young black women in America. Black Girls Run! is now host to almost 200,000 members and discusses fitness, beauty, lifestyle and valuable nutrition information.

Fit Bottomed Girls

As women with full schedules and busy lives, we don’t always have time to work out. When we do find the time, sometimes it can feel like a punishment at the end of a long day. Fit Bottomed Girls is run by two women, Jennipher Walters and Erin Whitehead, who fit that description to a T. Instead of making exercising a chore, they come up with practical, fun approaches to fitness that are rewarding. They don’t just discuss fitness, either; Walters and Whitehead discuss their lives, motivation and other related topics.

Girls Gone Strong

Finally, Molly Galbraith recently became well-known on the Internet thanks to a body-positivity that went viral on Facebook. What you may not know is that her dedication to women’s fitness goes beyond that video alone. Her blog, Girls Gone Strong understands that fitness should be an issue of health, not an issue of attractiveness or thinness. She offers workout tips for women who want to shape their body and their life in a myriad of ways, from gaining muscle to eating better.

We all come from different places, have different body types, schedules, styles and genetics. These blogs look not just at women as a collective, but as individuals. Look for other blogs that speak to your specific interests. What fitness blogs do you recommend?

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The Benefits of Endurance Training and How You Can Start Today

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Benefits of Endurance Training

There are various types of fitness. Some of us like to focus on long-distance running, others are all about quick cardio boosts or cross fit. One form of exercise training that I find to be very effective and rewarding is endurance training.

What are the Benefits of Endurance Training? According to Wikipedia, endurance training can be defined as “the act of exercising to increase endurance. The term endurance training generally refers to training the aerobic system as opposed to anaerobic.” Aerobic exercise refers to exercises that get your heart pumping — swimming, skiing, running. Exercises that work out your heart and your lungs.

Now let’s ask another question: what exactly are the benefits of endurance training?

● Obviously, endurance training is a health benefit. Training your body for endurance means you’ll have to make lifestyle changes to take up the cause. No more drinking, smoking, excessive eating, and fatty foods. You need healthy lungs and healthy blood to get the full benefit of endurance training.

● By training your muscles and growing them, you also develop your bone density. This is also helped by changing up your diet and eating better.

● When you train your body, you train your immune system. You may not know it, but being unhealthy in a variety of ways can also make you more susceptible to diseases and bacteria.

● Have you ever complained about your metabolism? Your metabolism isn’t something you have to just live with. Endurance training enhances your metabolism, making it easier to burn fat and build muscle.

● If you have diabetes, endurance training helps you improve your insulin sensitivity. If you don’t have diabetes, The Benefits of Endurance Training can help to prevent its onset.

● Finally, endurance training gives you…endurance! The more you train, the easier exercising becomes. This also applies to all forms of exercise because your muscles build and your lung capacity grows.

How to Get Started on an Endurance Training Journey

Now you know the incredible benefits of endurance training…now how do you go about making it work for you?

● First, get used to drinking lots of water. You’re doing to need it if you want to begin the Benefits of Endurance Training.

● Start small, then work big. You won’t be running a marathon after only a month of endurance training.
● Warm up before you exercise. Stretches, squats, jumping jacks, lunges…they all help prepare your body for harsh training.

● Get the right wardrobe. You don’t have to spend lots of money — just make sure you have the right footwear and clothes that help you stretch and stay cool.

● Also focus on strength training. See those weights up above? You’re going to need those to regularly train your muscles to be strong and flexible.

● Endurance training isn’t a game of working out three times a day. It’s about the quality of your training and the longevity of your training program.

● You’ll also need to add more protein and carbs to your diet. These promote energy, and you’re going to need a lot of it.

The Benefits of Endurance Training sounds sort of intimidating, doesn’t it? Don’t worry — while it’s a commitment, and certainly not easy in the beginning, the results are certainly worthwhile.

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Business Meeting Mistakes Many Entrepreneurs Make

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You can’t call yourself an entrepreneur if you haven’t gone to at least one business meeting. Business meetings are a useful tool and standard part of business. They allow you to share ideas, knowledge and projections with a team of people or your staff so that everyone is on the same page.

As an entrepreneur, you’re likely to be the one heading these meetings, which means you’ve got some responsibilities here to set the tone and lead the team. If you can’t successfully accomplish this? Your meeting is in trouble.

The best way to fix this problem is by knowing what mistakes NOT to make before ever setting foot into your meeting location. Here are a few that are common, but that should be avoided at all costs.

Not Being Prepared

This is one of the biggest meeting sins: not being prepared before starting the meeting. As the meeting leader, it’s your job to make sure that you know exactly what you’re talking about. You need to be able to answer questions correctly and inform the team as accurately as possible.

Whether you can achieve this by writing an outline or using notecards, know that you HAVE to make sure you’re prepared to the best of your ability. There’s no faking it until you make it in meetings — if you aren’t prepared, it WILL be obvious.

Being Robotic

On a similar note, there is such a thing as being TOO prepared. Let’s say you write down all these important facts and figures on notecards and read them off to your team. Someone asks you a question about the information…but you totally draw a blank and have no idea what to say.

You can’t just go into a meeting with hard facts — you also have to have comprehension and confidence. Be able to talk about what you want to discuss fluidly and accurately at the same time. Be prepared to answer questions that you may not be totally confident in.

No Purpose In Mind

It’s great to have weekly staff meetings…but why? Do you have an objective every time you call your staff together?

You should. Whether it’s something as simple as refining an existing business practice or talking about a new partnership, every meeting should have a clear purpose and talk about a problem to solve. Without an agenda, you’re really just rambling co-workers.

You Don’t Listen

Finally, one of the worst things you can do in a business meeting is make it all about yourself. When you bring people together, the idea is that you can all communicate and share ideas with one another. Many bosses decide to use business meetings to push their own thoughts and agenda, but that’s not respecting their employees.

Even if you have explicit directives you want to give employees, make sure that they also have time to share their thoughts. Listen to what they have to say. Even in cases where you disagree, employees appreciate knowing that you listened and thought about what they had to stay instead of not caring to listen at all.

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The Best Ways to Stay Hydrated During Your Summer Fitness Journey

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Summer is here, and so is the heat! The hotter it is and the more you exercise, the more likely you are to get dehydrated. That means staying hydrated in the summer is more important than ever.

You already know that you need to drink lots of water when exercising, but the necessity is two-fold during the summer, when you’re likely to sweat more when exercising outside and in general. However, drinking enough water every day is difficult enough as it is. How do you stay hydrated during the summer when you’re also someone who exercises a lot?

First, understand WHY hydration is so important. When you exercise and don’t stay hydrated, your ability to exercise is compromised and your body gets tired more quickly. As you lose fluid in your body through sweat, your heart rate increases exponentially. Sweat is also how your body cools itself, so without ample water you’re very likely to overheat.

Pre- and Post- Workout Water

There are certain rules that are suggested to be followed, like drinking three cups of water before and after your workout. But who actually measures out their water into cup-sized rations?

A good way to make sure you get the water you need is to either buy bottled water or a self-filled water bottle in comparable size. Drink one water bottle or a full self-filled water bottle serving before you allow yourself to workout. Afterwards, drink another bottled water or the same amount of water that you initially filled your own water bottle up with before you get out of your workout clothes.

Eat Your Fruit

Most fruits have a very high water content value. They aren’t called juicy for no reason! When you bite into a pear or apple, the moisture you feel inside is the water naturally contained within the fruit itself.

It can be tiring to have to drink glass after glass of water every day, but you have other options. Fruits like kiwis, berries and watermelon all have high water concentrations that can’t replace your entire day’s water needs, but they can supplement them. Other fruits with a high water concentration include grapefruits (and other citrus options), plums and cantaloupe.

Start Eating More Soup

It’s a pain to have to eat hot soup when it’s already so hot outside, but trust me — soup is a great way to stay hydrated. Cold soups are also a great option if you want to go with a dinner option that’s cooler than steaming broth.

Unlike water, broths and soups come pre-packed with nutrient value, include sodium that can help stabilize your levels in moderation. Depending on the soup ingredients, you’re also getting those added nutrients as well.

Dress Up Your Water

Finally, you don’t have to drink straight water all day long. Using lemonade or tea mixers in moderation can add some variety to your daily drinking while still giving you a lot of water that you need for exercising and hydration. For added health benefits, look for drink mixers that don’t contain calories or artificial sweeteners.

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4 Powerful Key Steps to Becoming an Entrepreneur

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4 Powerful Key Steps to Becoming an Entrepreneur

Every Fortune 500 company existing today started as an idea — a dream, even. But with hard work, diligence, and the right plan, these business owners turned their tiny startup idea into a multimillion-dollar company.

Startups Houston – The point is that everyone starts somewhere, and who’s to say your tiny idea won’t one day grow into the next big thing? It’s possible…you just need to know where to start!

It takes a lot to become a successful entrepreneur. These are the first four baby steps you need to take in order to get your idea off the ground, but remember: hard work is required throughout your journey!

  1. Settle on Your Startup Idea

It’s one thing to have a tiny idea or a concept, but before you can truly be an entrepreneur you have to have a fully realized business idea on your hands. It’s not enough to think “what if something existed that solved this problem?” It has to be more concrete: “I have a solution to this real world problem.”

This isn’t to say you have to have the entire business ready to go from the jump. Worry about branding and packaging design later; these are extemporaneous details at this point. The very first thing you have to do is fully realize your startup idea and get it onto paper.

  1. Set Some Realistic Goals

Now that you know what your business is going to be, ask yourself this question: what do you want to do with it? Is it a restaurant franchise you want to take global? Is it a QVC-type product you can sell in rotations? Or is it a social media management company that you wouldn’t mind selling off in five years?

No one’s saying you have to plan out your entire business’ longevity and stick to some rigid plan, but a business made without goals in mind is a business that won’t succeed.

  1. Gather Data

Startups Houston – Before you can shop your idea around to people who can help make your dreams reality, you have to have some sort of hard data on hand that proves your idea is a good one. For instance, you’ve made a prototype of a small machine that professionally cleans toilets, sinks, and other bathroom fixtures. How does it work? Who all have you gotten to try this product?

Now think about harder data: what is the market for this product? Who will buy this product? How much does it cost to make vs. how much you’re willing to sell the product for? From concepts to facts and figures, you need to gather data that will convince people your product is worthwhile.

  1. Pitch Your Idea

Startups Houston – Finally, you can’t truly know how the market will react to your product or business until you actually pitch the idea. Depending on the type of startup you have in mind, this could be distributors or partners interesting in pushing a product. It might be your initial group of startup employees or a company that you want to B2B partner with.

When you pitch your business idea to interested parties, some may not be enthusiastic — and that’s okay. Listen to feedback. Sometimes you need to start all the way back at square one, but this information is vital to creating a startup that truly succeeds.

Keetria is an entrepreneur, wellness advocate, and brand strategy coach for creatives & entrepreneurs with 16 years of public relations expertise working with some of the world’s leading brands, startups, media personalities, and entertainers. If you would like to work together, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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How to Make Processes Which Maximize Your Productivity

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Maintaining high productivity is a struggle we all face.

As I sit writing this now, I can’t help but see the city skyline bathed in sun through the windows which line the room. The warmth eeks through the open doors and windows and the urge to nip out for lunch swells inside me.

At the same time, the political scene recently has been a flurry of big moments and captivating narratives – the headlines call out to me.

But I have to write.

I have to focus.

How do I keep my focus when surrounded by distractions? The answer I’ve found which keeps me pinned to my chair and my fingers glued to my keyboard is the art of following a process.

I’ll explain to you why I’m such an advocate for processes, what processes I use, and how you can build the processes you need to drive you forward each day.

Why processes are vital to your productivity

Let’s start with a simple stat.

According to Kermit Pattison, writing for Fast Company, interruptions are costing you a lot of time. In fact, the average time wasted as a result of switching tasks is 23 minutes and 15 seconds.

If you’re trying to complete multiple tasks per day, you put yourself at risk of losing a considerable amount of working time. In short, your productivity could be taking a nosedive.

By following a process, you can keep your mind focused not just on the task at hand but clearly on what task you’re going to do next. Instead of finishing one item on your to do list and wondering about what to get cracking with next, you flow straight into the following item.

This fluidity and clarity in your workflow seems almost too simple to make any meaningful change. I mean, it’s only careful planning, right?

Well, yes. But planning is crucial to your success.

Most of the time we don’t recognize the weaknesses in our own workflows because we’re so engrossed in them. So, here’s a tip. Check out a tool like RescueTime which you can install on your computer so that it tracks everything you do. It will see what websites or programs you’ve been using and then generate a report for you to show you how you allocate your time.

Don’t build your work practices on what you think you’re doing, build them on what you’re actually doing. You’ll see your inefficiencies more clearly and be better equipped to tackle them.

The processes I use to write these articles

At Process Street, we have a rule that you must make a process for any task you expect to do more than twice.

Let’s look at two of these processes. One general and one task specific.

The general one is how I approach my working day. I use Trello for my task management and each day I start off by sorting through my tasks to see what I wish to accomplish that day. I then take each task which I want to complete and move them into my To Do column.

Anything in my To Do column gets done that day. Anything not in my To Do column does not.

This act of defining what I need to focus on helps me gain focus. I can then go into each task and think about what needs to be done to accomplish my goals. If it’s a research task then I will put a short checklist in my card outlining the steps I expect to take. If it is a common task like writing then I know I will use one of my premade processes to follow.

In each card I note the amount of time I expect the task to take and I order my cards to clearly show which I’ll do first through to which I’ll do last.

This initial planning starts my day off with a moment of considered thought and saves me probably an hour or more each day.

If I’m going to be writing an article that day for our blog, I’ll specify which of my custom built processes I intend to use. Our pre-publish checklist is one which we share across the team and have all contributed to building.

This checklist is engineered to make sure every article we publish adheres to the high standards we set ourselves. There are a lot of small steps involved in this quality control:

  • Check every link points to the right place
  • Make sure all capitalization adheres to our style guidelines
  • Run spell check in American English
  • Make sure all images are coded correctly with keyword optimized alt tags

There are 30+ steps in our pre-publish checklist. That’s a lot of steps to remember without a process. Time after time our process guides us in the right direction and makes sure we don’t miss simple mistakes.

This process gives us quality assurance.

How can you build processes which work for you?

Building processes is a long term strategy.

Not just because these processes help create consistent quality or garner small productivity gains every day which add up over time, but because processes exist to be improved.

Start off by noting down all the steps you can think of which contribute to the completion of a task. This is your base process.

If you work within a team, it’s a very good idea to collaborate on this process creation. You can compare approaches and priorities which can improve the overall performance of the team, while moving toward a standardized approach to establish consistency and improve the scalability of your team, in case you look to hire further members.

Begin following the documented process you have drafted and take note of a couple of key variables:

  • How long does this take me?
  • Are there any tasks which I’ve left out?
  • Have I included unnecessary tasks?
  • What does my team think of the process?

Each of those questions will tell you something different, and each will point you in a different direction for optimizing the process.

Once you’ve systemized your business through these processes, it is much easier to create performance metrics to target – ones which are realistic and don’t negatively impact on quality.

With better performance metrics you can more accurately predict output and, in turn, overall company performance.

Understanding your own productivity and knowing how to measure it is the first step to really understanding your own company and recognizing effective ways to improve performance.

Build processes, productivity, and your company

Don’t take my word for it.

I’ve given you the necessary tools to test your own performance for yourself. I’ve laid out the steps required to begin to implement processes and to track their performance.

Try it out for yourself and see what the results are.

The most successful companies in the world are ones with strong operating practices. That’s no coincidence.

Use your own productivity as a base from which to systemize your business, and start today!

Have you used process optimization in your business before? Let me know your success stories in the comments below!

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4 Free Online Tools to Help with Small Business Marketing

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Marketing is easier now than ever before, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. You need to know a little bit about psychology, analytics and best practices in order to be a great marketer, but you also need great tools to accomplish your goals and visions.

Luckily it’s possible to achieve your marketing dreams while on a budget. There are tons of free online marketing tools out there, and here’s four I’ve really come to love.

Pablo by Buffer

Visual content is winning these days. It’s not enough to tweet — you also need an image attached. Posts with just text don’t get the same kind of engagement statistics that posts with images or videos do. Explainer videos are more popular than text-based how-to guides — and the same goes for infographics.

Don’t worry if you aren’t exactly inclined when it comes to photography or graphics. Sites like Pablo by Buffer let you choose an image, edit and crop it to fit your social media and business theme. Quickly add text to any image, as well as your logo.

Answer The Public

Your audience has burning questions, and they want answers. What are these questions? Some you can reason out with analytics data, interviews and some research, but that still doesn’t paint a total picture of what information your audience is really looking for.

If you want to know how to truly give your audience content they can find valuable, use Answer the Public. This tool allows business owners to search through keywords and questions posed by Internet users based on keywords related to their business. This makes it easier to produce content that your audience can actually find useful, promoting your brand image and garnering more organic hits.

Moz Local: Check Listing

What is your business NAP? This acronym stands for the most important contact methods you have available: your business Name, Address and Phone number. Get it now?

Your NAP is essential to marketing online, but how this information shows up can vary depending on the particular search engine you’re using. Moz Local: Check Listing allows business owners to enter their business link into the generator and receive information about how their business shows up across popular search engines like Bing, Yahoo! and (of course) Google. This gives you a good picture of how your customers view you online.

Portent’s Title Generator

Finally, Portent’s Title Generator is perfect for those who want to work on their content marketing strategies. A catchy title is the easiest way to get someone to click on a blog or article you have hosted on your website, but not everyone is great at coming up with a valuable yet intriguing blog title.

The way this generator works is that you come up with a subject and type it into the field provided — that’s all the work you need to do. If your business is focused on cosmetics, type in “cosmetics” or “makeup.” If you’re an entrepreneur interested in public speaking, type in “motivation” or “positivity.” From there, all it takes is the click of a button and you’ve got tons of creative titles to choose from.

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