Tips Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Katherine McGraw Patterson

7 Reasons You Don’t Need a Marketing Plan

If you’re like many of my clients who hate planning and just want to go, go, GO in their business, this message is for you! While a recent CoSchedule study showed that marketers who document strategy are an astounding 538% more likely to report success than those who don’t; and that marketers who set goals are 429% more likely to report success than those who don’t (and, 81% of those successful, goal-setting marketers achieve them), I get why you wouldn’t want … Read more

Taming Your To Do List (or…How Do You Eat an Elephant?)

Katherine McGraw Patterson Time Management

There’s an elephant in the room. If you’re like me, it’s sitting just to your right as you read this. It’s big, it’s cumbersome, and it likes to stick its long trunk into everything you do all day long. It’s your TO DO list. I recently wrote an article about how I organize and prioritize my to do list to keep me on track and make sure the most important stuff (read: revenue generating) gets … Read more

10 Written Statements Every Woman Business Owner Needs to Succeed

I started my business kinda sorta by accident (read the story here), meaning I didn’t plan to start a business when I did. And, because I didn’t PLAN to become a woman business owner, it took me a very long time to treat it seriously. How do you know you’re not taking your business seriously? Do you find yourself continually giving away your products or services because you “just love what you do”? Do you … Read more

The Accidental Entrepreneur (or, How I Learned to Take My Business Seriously)

I was reminiscing today about that time that I started my own business. You know, that day way back in 1999 (the LAST MILLENNIUM, as my daughter would say) when I quite my corporate job and became an entrepreneur. Huge decision, right? Big day. Momentous, even. Except, it didn’t feel momentous. It didn’t really feel like anything. Because at the moment I submitted my resignation and became a small business owner, I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE … Read more

Get Out the Map: How Vision, Mission, and Brand Work Together to Guide Your Business to Success

When I start working with a new client, I ask them three things: Do you have written vision and mission statements? What about a written brand statement? Why these three things? Because my client and I are about to embark on a journey together and, these three things are going to save us a lot of gas. Yes, I said “gas.” Because the analogy I like to use to define vision, mission, and brand is a … Read more

The Only 3 Lists You Need to Tackle Overwhelm

Recently, a newbie woman entrepreneur asked me, “When does starting your own business stop feeling like a sprint and start feeling like a marathon?” After I stopped laughing, I told her that, after 18 years as an entrepreneur, I’d let her know when I got there. When we start out in business, we are buoyed by exhilaration and drive. Everything is new and exciting, we’re learning what we’re made of and we’re making something for … Read more

10 Steps to Crush Your Next Networking Coffee

Many years ago, when I was but a young entrepreneur, I joined a local Chamber of Commerce Leads Group. After my first few meetings and getting to know the other members, a gentleman asked me if I’d like to go to coffee so he could learn more about what I did. “This is it!”, thought my naïve, innocent self. “He’s going to hire me for his marketing. Damn, this networking thing is paying off already!” … Read more

Is Networking Harder for Women? 5 Ways to Overcome Your Fears and Gain Confidence

Networking for women can be scary. There, I said it. The thought walking into a room full of strangers, the associated burden of being bubbly and witty, and the pressure to succeed can make even the most confident of us weak in the knees with nerves. Fear of embarrassment, fear of strangers – everything that networking is can leave us feeling fragile and timid, and turning what could have been (maybe, possibly) an enjoyable opportunity … Read more

I Hate Networking…Or, Do I?

Full disclosure – until recently, I loathed networking. Loathed. It. The thought of walking into a room full of strangers filled me with all sorts of ickiness. Like most entrepreneurs, I could happily spend my days planning and plotting and scheming to take over the world with my business, without ever leaving my happy little solitary office. Networking? Blah! No thank you. This went on for years. YEARS. Until earlier this year, when I was … Read more

4 Levels of Building Business Relationships

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you’re happy to while away your days dreaming up new products and fantasizing about your grandiose visions of success. While those are important drivers for any business, there’s another task that’s equally important and a little more down-to-earth – networking. Networking gets you and your company out in front of people, introduces you to new partners and clients, and builds personal connections. Plus, it’s good for you and your business. … Read more