Perhaps you've heard that social media is an important tool to grow your small business into a not-so-small business. And, perhaps you've even heard that if you're consistent it would be even better. Have you wondered what the big deal is? Why isn't it good enough just to post. At least it's active, right?. Well, here's the deal. It's a little bigger than that...

Social media is growing in importance each and every day. Especially when it comes to keeping a business relevant and actively engaging with current customers, as well as potential new customers. Social media is a huge factor in influencing what people think about your brand and how your brand makes them feel. Understanding consistency across multiple social media accounts can be challenging, but it’s crucial. It’s extremely helpful for clients to understand what you offer as a business and your style.

But, what exactly does this mean? You don't want clients to have confusion about who you are and what you offer. If you are about to express that you are versatile and multi-faceted, ok cool, I hear you. But think about this... How would you respond to your lawyer sharing health tips on their company's Instagram account or your dog groomer sharing real estate projections? Maybe it's cool they have lots of interests but it's also confusing. It's best to share your many sides with your friends and family and keep your business social media focused on your business.

Consistency across social media can be narrowed down into three important categories: design, voice, and content.

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This article is for small business owners who wear many hats and are looking to create their first e-commerce site that is easy to manage and built for the DIYer. Disclaimer: There are more powerful e-commerce options that exist and I've chosen to focus on a couple I've found that are budget and DIY-friendly.

There are many great website platforms available when prioritizing e-commerce. Choosing which one is best for you can be very confusing and overwhelming. When you first start googling, you'll often find Shopify first. Two additional options I recommend considering for your first site include Squarespace and Squareup.

Important factors such as cost, design ability, and cart features will be covered regarding each of these 3 options.

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Today I went to a risk mitigation panel for small business owners. Here is what I learned:

As a small business owner, the risks which impact your company impacts your personal life and vice versa. Here are 3 considerations when deciding to quit your comfy cubicle corporate 9-5 job and venture out as an entrepreneur.

• It's a lot harder for a small business owner to have an unproductive day than when you're working as part of a team. This is because your productivity has a direct correlation to your bottom line or your income. How do you protect your income?

• Many businesses are 1 or 2 invoices away from running out of business. You'll need access to liquidity to continue your business during lean times. Do you have a way to access capital when you need it?

• Phishing is the most common successful cybersecurity threat. This is when the 'bad guys' send an email that contains a hyperlink that, when clicked, makes you susceptible to a hack, a threat or access to you or your passwords. How are you protecting your data?

These 3 considerations represent risks you take on as a business owner; income, liquidity, and data protection. The presenting panel didn't share this information just scare us though - they offered some recommendations too. Here are my take-aways:

• To protect income - create strategies and a process for your business cycle so if you need support on a project, your team can jump in where you left off.

• Lean times can sneak up on you. Getting a credit line is much easier when you don't currently need it. Talk to your banker before you are in dire straits.

• Data security is important to teach your team about. Something as simple as teaching your team what a phishing email looks like and how to avoid clicking them will reduce your risk of successful cyber attacks.

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Do you dread networking? Is there this pressure to impress, to sell, to connect that just muddies your potential for connection. Do your hands sweat? I totally get it. But honestly, you'd never know it.

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As a small business owner, I wear many hats. Somedays I like this variety in roles; learning how to track expenses, marketing my business, and serving my clients. But other times, I'm stretched thin, wondering whether learning about a new tax code is REALLY the best way I should spend my day. Or, if there are pieces of projects I could train someone else to do.

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Here’s the deal; Facebook is an awesome tool to connect with and according to Sprout Social, 68% of Americans use Facebook and 74% of those users visit daily. So chances are your customer is on social.

But, while the algorithms that manage what we see in our Facebook feed is complicated and ever-changing, what we know is that non-paid business posts don’t tend to show up often - even in the feeds of those who follow your business. So what’s the answer? Do we just pay to boost every post? Or should we abandon Facebook in a fit of rage? Not yet.

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Tight deadlines, big projects, fast turn-arounds - I'm your girl. I love the adrenaline rush of producing creative work under constraints. I feel like super women when I can nail a challenge; especially when there are high stakes and nit-picky stake-holders.

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As a graphic designer, I utilize a number of tools to stay efficient and effective in my craft. Here are some FREE (or very low cost) ones I use all the time...

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