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How do you organize your time in discussion groups and social networks?

Replied Aug 7

How do you organize your time in discussion groups and social networks?

Replied Jul 15

How do you organize your time in discussion groups and social networks?

Replied Jul 13

Roundpeg

Protect Your Blog

Are your on-line assets secure?  Over the last few months we have encouraged many of our clients to switch from a traditional website to a wordpress website.  Simple and easy to update, like any other on-line asset, it may be susceptible to hacking. While your site may not be as attractive to hackers, as Coke or [...]

Bigger is Not Better - The Starbucks Fiasco

More than 15 years ago, long before they arrived here in Indy, I had a chance to sample Starbucks in its original form - in Portland, where coffee is serious business.  It was a a wonderful experience and I anxiously awaited the arrival of the first one here. Then they came, slowly at first, then faster [...]

The Importance of Planning for Small Business Marketing

Marketing Planning is more important to a small business than to a large company according to small business marketing expert, Nate Stockard. He believes larger companies have more leeway to make mistakes in their marketing campaign while small companies can blow their budget with one mistake if proper planning is not done. I have always believed [...]

Video is Viral

We are a visual population. Raised with the TV as a babysitter, we are comfortable with images being delivered via video. While we no longer have the patience for a commercials, moving through them with the flip of a button we will watch clever marketing messages delivered via video to our email. This is a [...]

How to Blow a Networking Opportunity

You return home after a networking event and empty your pockets, putting the business cards you collected onto the desk. What comes next? A follow up note is always a good start and if you were really listening as you collected the cards you even know something about the person, and can send include something [...]
 

Lorraine Ball's Blog

Why are you a member of MY Woman Owned Biz?

I belong to a number of social communities, and each one serves a unique purpose.. I really think this concept is great, but the site is flat for me.. There are a number of people who post content from time to time, but few discussions. Why? What do you hope to get from the site, and how can we make it more productive so more creative, interesting women join?

Posted on September 4th, 2008 at 6:06am — No Comments (Add)

Hard Times Demand Teamwork

The newest addition to my GoogleReader is HarvardBusiness.org. The topics of the posts range from politics to leadership strategies in a down economy. Well written, and thought provoking, I have found myself skipping many of my usual favorites to see what is new here. Today's article :Hard Times Demand Teamwork, painted for me the sharp contrast between my life as an entrepreneur and my days in corporate America. Author Tammy Erickson's suggestions… Continue

Posted on August 28th, 2008 at 10:40pm — No Comments (Add)

My Life in Six Words

Everyone has a story. That's the tag on the masthead of SMITH Magazine, promoting their new book, a collection of quotes or 6 word stories. Contributors famous and not, were asked to share their life story in six words.

…

Continue

Posted on July 19th, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments (Add)

The UnHelp Desk

Do you remember when the purpose of a Help Desk was to help you? A telephone call away, one quick question to a knowledable individual and your problem was fixed.

Today, I am pretty convinced the purpose of a Help Desk is to drive customers away.…

Continue

Posted on July 17th, 2008 at 1:30pm — No Comments (Add)

Bring the Love Back

50 years ago, advertising was easy, figure out your target audience, and talk at them. Today, you have to talk to them. While many people talk about this changing nature of marketing communication, this extremely funny video by Geert Desager ( Trade Marketing Manager South East Asia for Microsoft.) demonstrates how wrong old style advertising can seem!… Continue

Posted on July 15th, 2008 at 1:51pm — No Comments (Add)

Latest Activity

Lorraine Ball replied to the discussion How do you organize your time in discussion groups and social networks? Aug 7
Lorraine Ball added the blog post 'My Life in Six Words' Jul 19
Lorraine Ball added the blog post 'The UnHelp Desk' Jul 17
Lorraine Ball added the blog post 'Bring the Love Back' Jul 15

Lorraine Ball's Videos

Comment Wall (3 comments)

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At 8:26am on April 19th, 2008, Karen Spaeder said…
Thank you, Lorraine! Those are great thoughts.
At 4:34am on January 5th, 2008, Lorraine Ball said…
In October, you responded to my post, but I havent' been back since. Are you still interested in horror stories? And are you still working on your conference?
At 4:08pm on October 9th, 2007, Cinnamon McCann said…
Welcome to the community Lorraine. I loved your story. I would like to hear more about the horror story about organizing the conference. I think I am facing a little of that now. BTW- I went to school at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN.

Profile

What is your name?
Lorraine Ball
Are you currently heading a woman-owned business?
Yes
If you are in business, what is the name of your business?
Roundpeg
Where did you get your idea for your business or the business you'd like to start?
As a 20-year veteran of corporate America, i spent a lot of time feeling like a square peg in a round hole. I wanted to create a place where I fit. That place is Roundpeg, built on things I love to do, and things i do well.

Today as the head of Roundpeg, a small business marketing firm, I help small business owners find a starting point for growth and change.
Where is (will) your business located? (City and State)
Indianapolis, IN
If you already have a website, what is the address for your business?
http://www.roundpeg.biz
How long have you been in business? (Or when do you plan to open?)
Founded in January of 2002, we will celebrate our sixth anniversary next year.
How many employees do you have, if any?
1-5
What is your annual revenue?
$100K-$250K
Describe your product or service, or the product you plan to introduce to the market.
We provide marketing services for small business. Logos, brochures, web sites, as well as creating marketing and business plans for companies looking for funding and financing.
How did you (or plan to) fund your business startup?
Credit cards, personal savings
What was (is) the biggest hurdle in getting your business off the ground?
As a corporate executive, I had great connections all over the country, and few in my home market. Starting an Indy centered business was a challenge as i worked hard to build a local network.
What would you advise other women interested in starting a similar business?
Narrow your focus to a niche large enough to support your business and small enough to manage. Embrace your competitors, work with them, not against them, and become active in the local business community
What has been your biggest mistake?
Trying to organize a conference, without a solid following, committing to to large a space, and being unwilling to pull the plug when it wasn't working.
What has been your smartest move?
Becoming involved and ACTIVE in the small biz community, taking on leadership roles in a variety of networking groups.
Are you willing to answer questions from other women business owners about your business?
Yes
What is your email address?
lorraine@roundpeg.biz
 
 

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