Tag Archives: business

Social Networking for Business Presentation Schaumburg Library

Is your business on the fence about getting started with social networking? Are you overwhelmed by the choices of tools available and do not know where to start? If so, the Schaumburg Library is the place to be on October 25 at 7PM for this “Social Networking for Business” session.

Social networking coach and trainer April M. Williams will give an overview of the most effective free social networking tools available for businesses to engage with customers. You will leave with tools to build your brand and begin a dialog with prospects. Learn how to promote yourself and sell your “stuff” to new customers.

Social media is made up of a variety of online tools which provide a place to communicate and network. Learn about the different types of social media and how they can be used to expand your customer base from expert April M. Williams.

•         What is social networking?
•         Why it makes sense to market your business using social media
•         How to find customers and market your business using social media
•         What social media sites to use
•         How to get started with social networking

April M. Williams, a nationally recognized speaker, author, coach and blogger actively leverages the power of social networking tools. April is President of CyberLife Tutors and shows clients how to leverage their strengths to enhance their business.  Williams is the author of “Social Networking Throughout Your Career” and has been featured in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, Project Management Institute, Savvy, Business Journal, Nations Restaurant News and CBS Chicago News.

Contact the Schaumburg Library to register for this free session and arrive early to reserve your seat. The last session April led at the Schaumburg Library so well attended it was standing room only. The Schaumburg Library is located at 130 South Roselle Road Schaumburg, IL 60193.

Schaumburg Library Poster from April M. Williams previous presentation
Schaumburg Library Poster from April M. Williams previous presentation

McHenry County Business Daily Twitter Paper

Are you interested in McHenry County and businesses in McHenry County? Get the latest news in one place. The McHenry County Business Daily Paper published daily, brings you news from McHenry County businesses through their Twitter feeds.

Visit the McHenry County Business Daily Paper for your free subscription and keep up with the latest in McHenry County news. SEE SAMPLE BELOW


Are you a McHenry County business who wants to be included in the McHenry County news? Send us a message on Twitter @aprilmwilliams or click on the word “Comments” at the top of this article and ask me to put you on the list. We will add you to the list and your tweets will appear on the McHenry County Business daily new.

Mchenry County Daily Busisness News
McHenry County Daily Business News

Share Your Facebook Fan Page Here

I met many McHenry County business owners at the Facebook class I taught last night. This is the first of four social networking classes in the series at the Shah Center in McHenry. Next up are classes on Twitter, blogs and LinkedIn.

During the session, each participant set up a business page. One of the questions was “How do I get more Fans for my business page?”

CyberLife Tutors Facebook Business Page
LIKE our CyberLife Tutors Facebook Business Page

Here is one way to build you business page “LIKES”.

Click on “comments” at the top of this article and tell us the name of your Facebook business page so we can “LIKE” it. In “website” field, enter the link to your customize Facebook profile URL we created in class last night. My custom profile URL is http://www.facebook.com/aprilmwilliams.

Once you have more than 25 ‘LIKES’ on your business  page, you can create your custom Facebook vanity URL for your business page.  Go to http://www.facebook.com/username to select and set your URL.

I will be sharing more Facebook tips on our blog. Be sure you do not miss a article, sign up for our Enews and Updates in the box on the right side of the page.

Thanks for sharing. Please stop by our CyberLife Tutors Facebook page and add us to your page’s “favorites”.

Algonquin Farmers Market

We live in McHenry County, Illinois and support our local business owners. Here is a video of our visit to shop with the vendors at the Algonquin Farmers Market.

Stop by the Algonquin Farmers Market any Thursday evening from 1 PM – 7 PM at the corners of Harrison & Washington Streets in the heart of beautiful historic downtown Algonquin. Plenty of free parking and a wide variety of vendors showcasing the best of McHenry County. The event runs now through September 30th.

Find Us on Facebook Badge

How can you create a custom Facebook Badge for your Facebook profile, Facebook photos, Facebook “likes” or Facebook Page? Let Facebook help you.

Membership in Facebook grows every day. Your customers are out there and they want to connect with you. Make it easy for them to find you on Facebook and connect with you there.

Follow the directions on Facebook badge page to create the custom design of your choosing. Your badge can include your name, picture, recent status updates, number of friends and more. You can even customize the shape of your badge – taller or wider based on your preferences and where you plan to place the badge.

Why add the Facebook badge to your website or blog? To make it easy for others to find your Facebook page, find out more about you. They may even add you as a friend.

When they click on the badge, they go directly to your Facebook page.

CyberLife Tutors | Click here to Like our Facebook page!

Networking For a Job, Building Network Connections Or New Business

Networking is an effective way to support your job search and career goals. To get the most out of your networking, understand your goals and create a plan to achieve them. By making a conscious decision to create and execute your networking plan you will see greater results.

IMG_0376
Creative Commons License photo credit: Ramsay2

  1. First understand what results you want to get from your networking activities. Are you networking because you are in job search mode? Are you looking to build your network to expand your career horizons? Is your goal to identify strategic partners? Is your networking objective to find customers? By understanding what you want to get out of your networking activities, you can best determine where to spend your efforts.
  2. Next determine where you will find the people you want to network with. Look for professional organizations, Chamber of Commerce, community groups, trade shows and educational events which would be of interest to your ideal networking contacts. Research these opportunities to understand the attendance levels and typical attendee. Determine the cost to attend the event including any membership dues.
  3. Set a goal for the number of contacts you will meet during the event. By spending 5 to 7 minutes with each contact, you could plan to meet ten people in an hour. By the end of the event you will have a sample of the attendees. You can now determine if attending this event brought you closer to achieving your networking goals.

By creating a plan for your networking activities you will have a better chance to achieve your career and networking goals. Taking the time to plan your next networking activity may take more effort before the event though your networking results will be more rewarding.

How to Follow a Twitter List

Twitter lists are a way for Twitter users to group other Twitter accounts together. How might you use this feature? A shopping center could create a list to promote each other. A Chamber of Commerce might use a list to follow and cross promote other local businesses.

I created a Twitter list of McHenry county, Illinois businesses to follow and promote what is happening in our area. Since this list began, I learned about many new companies and services I was not aware of.

Another benefit of Twitter lists is you can view the recent tweets of the account holders without actually following each of these accounts.

Here is a recent blog posting about the McHenry County Business Twitter list.

You can see all recent tweets from these McHenry County businesses on a single page.

How are you using the Twitter list feature?

Here is a short video on how to follow a Twitter list.

Tweeting in McHenry County

Do you have a business in one of these McHenry County cities or villages?

  • Algonquin
  • Alden
  • Barrington Hills
  • Big Foot
  • Cary
  • Chemung
  • Crystal Lake
  • Fox Lake
  • Fox River Grove
  • Greenwood
  • Harvard
  • Hebron
  • Huntley
  • Island Lake
  • Johnsburg
  • Lake in the Hills
  • Lakemoor
  • Lakewood
  • Marengo
  • McHenry
  • Oakwood Hills
  • Port Barrington
  • Prairie Grove
  • Richmond
  • Ringwood
  • Spring Grove
  • Trout Valley
  • Wonder Lake
  • Woodstock
  • Unincorporated McHenry county

Enter a comment below with your business name and Twitter handle so I can add your business to our list of McHenry County businesses. Let us know what products or services your business provides.

The McHenry County Business Twitter list takes you to the latest updates from McHenry’s finest companies. For easy access, click “follow” to get to the list from your Twitter page.

Check out the business we are doing in McHenry.

Want the Facts on Unemployment and Labor Statistics?

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The collect, process, analyze and report the data on their website.

Budget Forum
Creative Commons License photo credit: JSmith Photo
Information you can find on unemployment figures includes:

  • National Unemployment Rate (from the Current Population Survey: A monthly household survey provides comprehensive information on the employment and unemployment of the population classified by age, sex, race, and other characteristics.
  • State and Local Unemployment Rates: Monthly estimates of employment and unemployment are available for all States, metropolitan areas, small labor market areas, counties, cities of 25,000 or more, all cities and towns in New England, and certain other areas.
  • International Unemployment Rates: Monthly estimates of unemployment rates for 10 countries, approximating U.S. concepts, are available on a seasonally adjusted basis.
  • Mass Layoff Statistics: BLS publishes monthly reports on all mass layoffs and quarterly reports on layoffs lasting more than 30 days. These reports identify, describe, and track the effects of major job cutbacks, using data from each State’s unemployment insurance database supplemented with employer-provided data.
  • Unemployment Research: The Employment Research staff initiates, plans, and directs activities for improving the quality and enhancing the analytical usefulness of BLS employment and unemployment statistics.

Have questions? The Bureau has answers.

Benefits of Volunteering

Talking to clients this week, I heard a common thread. They told me volunteering is the best form of in person networking. Two organization were recommended as the best places for business people to volunteer. These groups are Toastmasters International and the local Chamber of Commerce.

Toastmasters International with local chapters around the globe is a place where you can build your public speaking skills while you network with and get to know those in your neighborhood. I was at an event last night where 1 out of 3 of the attendees were Toastmasters. Leadership positions and mentoring positions are open at the chapter, district, regional and global level.

Simon Phipps
Creative Commons License photo credit: LornaJane.net

Many cities and villages have a Chamber of Commerce to support their business owners. By stepping up to a leadership position, you have an opportunity to get to know your fellow members.

In both these groups, you have an opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills and build your network. Check out your local group to learn more.