Category: Guest post

Write for Utility Avenue

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Write for Utility Avenue

write for Utility Avenue

Hi there, are you looking for the opportunity to be published?

At Utility Avenue, we’re always looking for fresh content to help our audience thrive. If you can provide valuable insight into your area of expertise, you might qualify to be our next guest writer. 

If you’re interested in writing for the Utility Avenue Blog, keep reading.

Why should you write for Utility Avenue?

Utility Avenue is a platform for entrepreneurs and small business owners to promote and sell their services. As a result, our blog is rapidly becoming a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners all over the world.

Our commitment is to provide valuable information that can help you on your entrepreneurial journey.

We invite you to share your knowledge with our audience.

What’s in it for you?

  • You get free publicity on the Utility Avenue blog and our social media.
  • You get exposure.
  • You get backlinks to your website to boost your SEO.
  • Accordingly, it will help build your authority to become an authority in your area of expertise.
  • It will help you increase your search presence online. Therefore, you will have more users and customers.

What kind of articles can you submit?

The Utility Avenue blog covers a wide range of topics, including entrepreneurship, business, innovation, leadership, mindset, and others. We are always looking for original, freshly-written articles, crafted with our audience in mind.

Which are Utility Avenue’s editorial guidelines?

Our content follows these four pillars of quality:

  • Topic. Your topic must be relevant to our audience.
  • Research. Back up your claims using data and statistics. Of course, make sure you link to reputable sources.
  • Keyword. Your chosen keyword should be well-aligned with the search intent behind your topic.
  • Comprehensiveness. Cover your topic as a whole.

Which are Utility Avenue’s formatting guidelines?

These simple formatting guidelines will make your article easier to read:

  • Write your article with Google Docs.
  • Make sure you include your target keyword.
  • Make your content easy to scan.
  • Write concise sentences (no more than 20 words) and brief paragraphs (no more than five sentences).
  • The sentence structure should be simple and varied.
  • Use active voice instead of passive voice.
  • Attach images along with photo credit.
  • Include your bio, website, and social media handles.

To submit your article, send an email to support@utilityavenue.com with the subject “Spotlight.”

How is the submission process?

  1. You submit your pitch/article.
  2. Then, our editorial team analyzes it.
  3. If selected, our editorial team proofread the article following readability and SEO best practices.
  4. Your article goes live!

Write for the Utility Avenue Blog, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Will you be our next guest writer?

Indeed, we can’t wait to hear from you and publish your article.

Dr. Shellie Hipsky, From Ball Gowns To Yoga Pants

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Dr. Shellie Hipsky empowers and inspires women all over the world.
Her latest book, From Ball Gowns To Yoga Pants: Entrepreneurial Secrets for Creating Your Dream Business and Brand, is a 1st Place award-winning international best-selling book.

In our Utility Avenue Spotlight, Dr. Shellie Hipsky shares her successful journey from ball gowns to yoga pants.

 

Dr shellie hipsky
Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Who is Dr. Shellie Hipsky?

I am a proud “Mompreneur” who is the CEO of the motivational media company Inspiring Lives International, who leads the nonprofit the Global Sisterhood helping women and children worldwide, and I am the editor in chief of Inspiring Lives Magazine. At my core, I am a mom on a mission to help inspire and empower the women of the world!

How did you go from ball gowns to yoga pants and best-selling author?

My daughter Alyssa noticed I always wore power suits when I was a tenured university professor for a decade. Now that I am an entrepreneur, I am either in a ball gown for a charity fundraiser or rocking yoga pants and making deals on my cell phone with my kiddos in tow!

You have written thirteen books, what are the main lessons?

The books’ lessons are that you can conquer your life obstacles, meet your challenges head-on, and crush your goals while living your big dreams!

Who has been the most supportive in your career?

Consistently, it has been my mother, whom I call “Moo.” She is an amazing author who wrote the short story book Wolf Note (by Libby Jacobs). My mother has always seen my potential and encouraged me every step of the way. And her support has been very hands-on. I recall one textbook that I wrote, and I was up against the publisher’s insane deadline. We were in a beach house on a family vacation, and I was typing the words on the page from my research notes. At the kitchen table, my mother would proofread them hot off the printer. We spent the whole vacation doing this, and my Moo, she never complained. She understood it was important for me to complete it on time and at a high quality. It’s been an incredible gift to be blessed with the parent that I have.

Tell me about Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants: Entrepreneurial Secrets for Creating Your Dream Business and Brand.

Many of the five-star reviews I have received from around the world compared them to two books and said they were the modern woman’s version of the respected texts. One is Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, and the Other is Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. The reviewer said they saw it as “Rich Mom Poor Mom” because it was like a parent was writing down their own success secrets. Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants is my entrepreneurial journey combined with multi-millionaire heart-centered business leader’s tips, and lots of questions to help the reader make their own plan for their business and branding success!

How have readers reacted to your book?

It has been thrilling to read all the reviews as they come from magazines, buying sites such as Amazon.com, #Bookstagrammers on Instagram, and reader sites like GoodReads. The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive internationally. I love to see people are starting or strengthening their businesses and brands due to applying the 10 Dr. Shellie Success Secrets from Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants!

Can you tell me the essential idea of the book in one sentence?

You CAN create and monetize your dream business and brand based on your purpose and passion!

What can you tell us about the Global Sisterhood?

The Global Sisterhood educates while providing resources and networking for women and girls internationally. By forming connections and supporting each other’s missions and movements, we provide sustainable ways for women throughout the world to make their dreams and goals a reality.  I’d love for the readers of this article to check our Charity Partnership Stories and join us in our mission.

From our Global Sisterhood SWERA Entrepreneurial and Business Center for Women in Tanzania to our #PopUpGiving in Pittsburgh for a business owner named Jackie Page, whose restaurant Love Rock’s Café fed kids in need in Pittsburgh through COVID, we are making a profound difference together!

What future projects do you have?

In my EmpowerU Master Class, I teach inspiration, empowerment, balance, and abundance to women who need to focus on themselves and their dreams. I particularly enjoy teaching this at the VIP 1:1 level because I can see such dramatic results for the women I mentor through the proven curriculum. I always have multiple projects going at once. Check out www.ShellieHipsky.com to keep up with what is next for my business and nonprofit; plus, how you can benefit from it all!

What message would you send to your readers?

That dream you have been thinking about? It is so beyond achievable! You just need the right guidance. You will see that it is all inside you just waiting to be set free!

Is there anything you would like to add?

I would love it if when they read Ball Gowns to Yoga Pants, that they would write a positive review and connect with me via my website. I love to meet my readers so I can cheer them on towards their success!

Dr Shellie Hipsky’s Contact Info

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

LinkedIn profiles: How Small Businesses Can Stand Out

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Michelle Eshkeri is a London-based freelance copywriter who provides done-for-you copywriting services in the finance, health and creative niches. She also runs a writing academy, teaching small business owners how to write better copy.

For Utility Avenue‘s weekly Spotlight, she shares her knowledge on how to maximize your LinkedIn profile.

Without further ado:

LinkedIn profiles: How Small Businesses Can Stand Out

LinkedIn is the world’s most powerful business networking platform. With c.704 million users, you’ll never be short of someone to talk to. Yet, many small business owners are not leveraging the benefits to help them connect to their ideal clients and grow authority in their field. It can be a bit daunting to set up and optimize your LinkedIn profile. This article will walk you through the most important aspects that a new user must be aware of.

Photograph

The photograph you use on LinkedIn is incredibly essential to enable you to give that crucial first impression when potential customers see you and your brand for the first time. Headshots should be a clear close-up on your face and should be updated no less than every three years to maintain your integrity. With the increased use of video conferencing tools such as Zoom and Teams, your LinkedIn profile picture should be representative of your current image not to confuse clients or create mistrust. LinkedIn profiles with no photographs do not present a professional image. They may cause potential clients to wonder if you have something to hide.

Banner

Michelle-Eshkeri-Let-Me-Write-Freelance-Creative-Copywriter-Copywriting-Business-Communications-Blog-Writing-Services-Writing-Coach-UK-scaled

After the photograph, the viewers’ eye may be drawn to the background, also known as the banner. This is an excellent opportunity to put a variety of information across in a non-salesy way. At the very minimum, you can use this area to present your company name, strapline, contact details, and brand identity. It’s surprising how many small business owners are missing a trick here. Besides, the banner can be used to promote a current offer, a competition, or any other marketing promotion that you are currently running. It is a free, highly visible marketing space that you should be using. It’s not clickable, though, so remember that when adding URLs.

LinkedIn headline

Your LinkedIn headline is a vital part of your profile – it’s a powerful little window into your world that shows up all over the platform every time you comment on a post or article or send a direct message. Many business owners do not optimize these 220 characters in a way that attracts their ideal clients.
Merely putting your role title is missing a huge opportunity to speak in your client’s language.

Try to include:
1. Specifics about who you work with
2. What you can do for them
3. How you will achieve their desired outcome
4. Any current packages or offers you have

With succinct copywriting, you can make this couple of lines work hard for your business. Do remember that only the first 5-6 words will show up when people view your profile on a mobile phone. You must make them count.

linkedin profile description

Providing services

Within the tool, there is a drop-down list of services that you can tag your profile with. You can add a maximum of 10 services. This is another simple way to show your potential clients what you can do for them. Fill it in!

LinkedIn About section

This is the most crucial section of your profile. With a limit of 2000 characters (which is about 350 words, unless you are using overly complicated language), this is where you can set yourself apart from your competition on the platform. The about section is where you can go all out to impress your ideal client and should include the same information as your headline but in more detail.

A simple structure for your About section is:

1. Start with something that grabs your readers’ attention – an unusual fact, startling statistic, or perhaps a couple of questions to get them thinking – try to get inside your ideal client’s head and make it relevant to what they might be currently concerned about.
2. Once you have their attention, you need to hold onto it, so you must drill into the pain points that your ideal client has – create empathy, showing that you understand their issues or desires.
3. Introduce yourself as the perfect provider of the solution to their problems and explain why you are best placed to help them. Include your USP – why should they choose you.
4. Clearly state how they can work with you
5. Don’t forget your CTA (call-to-action). How do they get in touch with you? I would recommend that they direct message you because then you immediately know where the lead came from. If you send them off to your website or email, you may lose data about where your leads are coming from.

Featured

The featured section is all about showcasing your products, services, and your brand. There is no limit to the number of featured items you can display. It’s a chance to highlight your most important work. You can add media, such as documents, photos and presentations, LinkedIn posts/articles, and links to this section.

michelle eshkeri Featured Linkedin

To include video, you will need to link out to another site where the video is stored, such as YouTube or Vimeo. You could add a company brochure, a lead magnet, a short video explaining who you are, an FAQ document, testimonials, a thought leadership article, or any other content you want to bring to the attention of your customers.

LinkedIn posts

As of the time of writing (August 2020), there has been an explosion of great content on LinkedIn. Many more small business owners are using the platform in a much more social and engaging way than ever before.

Content is generally much more professional and business-oriented than Facebook. Users are creating a community and nurturing their audience in a much more holistic and human way. It is now much more acceptable to post funny pictures, memes, and personal content on LinkedIn than it was even a year ago. So, be yourself on LinkedIn, but be professional. Remember, you are always representing your brand.

Posts have a character limit of 1300, which is around 200 words. You need to be focused in your writing to get your message across. Don’t forget to tag your post with three hashtags, which helps LinkedIn to categorize your post. Other users can follow a hashtag, so it’s a good idea to create a brand hashtag and use it consistently in your posts.
Posts will “float” around LinkedIn in feeds for around 2-7 days, depending on the amount of engagement (reactions and comments). So if you want to remain visible, it’s a good idea to post at least once a day. Weekends are a great time to post because fewer people are posting, so you are more likely to reach more potential customers.

LinkedIn articles

LinkedIn articles are essentially blogs. These stay visible on your profile forever or until you delete them. Articles are longer-form content and do not have a character limit. If you have a blog on your website, you can upload it into the content management system on LinkedIn, which is called Pulse, but it’s a good idea to change the title or first paragraph a little, so it does not get flagged as plagiarism by Google.
LinkedIn curate thought leadership articles on Pulse and push them out to a broader audience each day, so this can be an excellent way to grow your authority.

LinkedIn connections

Your network is incredibly important on LinkedIn. Take time to connect with your ideal client – searching for people on LinkedIn is incredibly powerful – but that’s a topic for another time. The number of connections you have on LinkedIn is not as important as the quality of those connections. There’s little point having 10,000 connections if none of them ever engage with your
content. Focus on growing relevant connections – people who are interested in what you offer and those who produce excellent quality content that interests you. If your feed is not inspiring you, you need to sort your network out.
Every so often, it’s a good idea to do a little housekeeping and remove connections that are dormant or not relevant – that way, you are more likely to be talking to your ideal client, and your feed remains uplifting and useful.

Recommendations

Social proof or word-of-mouth-marketing is one of the most powerful ways to attract new clients, and it’s FREE! Whenever you work with someone, make sure you give them a recommendation on LinkedIn. It grows their authority as a respected provider, it increases trust, and it helps people to get to know what they do.
Use your recommendations in your LinkedIn posts regularly so your potential clients can see what your previous clients think of you.

Maximize your LinkedIn profile

There are so many other elements to LinkedIn, but these are the main ones to focus on. If you are a new user, it is easy to get overwhelmed and to switch off from this influential platform. So, work through each area of your profile to optimize them.
If you are in business, no matter what you do, you should have an optimized LinkedIn profile. If not, you are missing out on opportunities for more sales, strategic alliances, and joint ventures, not to mention good quality business discussions.

So, what are you waiting for?

Get your profile working hard for your business now.

Michelle Eshkeri’s Contact Info

Email: michelle@eshkeri.co.uk

If you would like to know more about her £149 LinkedIn user review and profile writing service, please connect with her here and send her a direct message.
The review will look at all the above areas of your LinkedIn usage and suggest improvements. She will also ask a series of questions to enable her to draft your About section and your Headline.

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

The Epidemic of the Entrepreneur

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

The Epidemic of the Entrepreneur.

For this week’s Spotlight, Utility Avenue features Colin Nokomis, a wedding and creative photographer/videographer from Michigan. epidemic of the entrepreneur

When businesses close their doors, we must open our minds. We are discovering our way through an unprecedented time in history, learning the new norm daily, and adapting as we can. To most, the pandemic of the coronavirus has caused a clouded vision for the future of businesses. However, it has also unveiled opportunity for those that still dare to see the silver lining. We can no longer rely on conventional methods to sustain our success. Instead, we must rise to the occasion with new ways of thinking, creative solutions, and a greater urgency for connection.

My company, Captured Media LLC, is a Wedding and Creative Photography/Videography service in Michigan and the Great Lakes region. I am in my 5th year of business and have learned many lessons, and have much growth ahead of me, but I believe I still have value to bring to the table as I tend to see the world through a different lens- no pun intended. I understand people, alternative perspectives and have a deep passion for connection.

wedding image

I have witnessed first-hand the power creativity and community can have during difficult times. My business has seen the side effects of COVID-19 in many ways. I have had multiple Weddings pushed back & even canceled due to the virus. Not to mention, aligning business operations with the ever-changing Executive Orders in Michigan is no small feat. It is in these dilemmas that new ideas are born.

           I recently opened a new Photography Studio with a few other Photographers, and I decided to utilize this space to its full potential by offering free, that’s right, free, headshots for anyone interested. Now, you may be wondering why I would be exhausting free services when I am already losing profits due to outside forces, but it all makes sense, especially when you change the mindset that it’s an investment shoot, rather than a free one.

headshot

By offering a no-strings-attached event, I was able to network with new clients that could potentially become returning customers. I had one “free” headshot turn into a modeling session, another one became a Senior Photoshoot, and even another led to discussions of headshots for an entire Salon. When you take a little time to serve those around you, relationships are developed, & a need is created, one that would have otherwise never existed.

Another element of creativity I implemented was “Pay What You Can” sessions-essentially a 30-minute photo shoot for a family at their residence, and they pay me whatever they see fit, whether that is $5 or $200. You’d be amazed at the generosity of people when it’s in their control. Now, these types of sessions are no new concept, but on the outskirts of an outbreak, they seemed to be a perfect choice. I made a decent profit from the handful I shot, but moreover, I again reached out to the community and built connections that I believe will come back around to serve me well in the future.

front porch image of a family

Entrepreneurs are historically vetted with the responsibility of dissecting the current reality to make sense of it all. We are blessed with the curse of understanding the unimaginable, taming the inevitable and pioneering forward through the unknown. It can be a daunting task, and 2020 is no different. Society has paused. The mundane is anything but, and people turn to us in these times to seek familiarity yet desire light in the newness all simultaneously. Some scoff at the duty, but I honor the challenge. We won’t have all the answers, but we certainly can begin by asking the right questions. 

Colin Nokomis Short Bio:

My name is Colin, and my passion is humans. I love meeting new people from diverse walks of life, listening to their incredible stories, and sometimes having the honor of sharing those stories with the world. We are all unique and different. I embrace that. I shoot mainly Weddings and Creative Work. Rooted deep in Kalamazoo, and a Michigander at heart, I’m no stranger to The Great Lakes. I am a man of faith, football, and Dr. Pepper, and I don’t take life too seriously!

Colin Nokomis’ Contact Info

Facebook: www.facebook.com/capturedmediallc

Instagram: www.instagram.com/capturedmediallc/

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

Building Connections

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Building connections.

We talked about networking a while back. For more about building connections, read on. This time, in Utility Avenue’s Spotlight, we feature Victoria Allison — Business Entrepreneur, a virtual assistant, and founder of Slow Dancing With Alzheimer’s.

Have you ever wondered what it means to build a connection? Do you market your business right off the bat, or do you wait until someone asks you a question about your business? There are many avenues to take, but it takes the right one to make a lasting connection.

In today’s world, we crave human connection. It is not enough to be seen; we need to be heard and understood. We need to know that people care about us as individuals. When you are pitching your business, it is not about you. It is really about your potential client and his needs. That potential client has an unmet need, and it is your job to find out what that need is. Get to know their why.

Often, building connections is about getting to know others on a personal level. This is why Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn can be effective when marketing. Other professionals post about what gets them excited on a personal level. Questions are asked, and answers are given. Somewhere in between this interaction, tidbits of personal information are retrieved from both parties. Live streaming videos have become popular in the last few years and especially now in a COVID stricken world. The one reason? Personal connection.

How can you promote your business on social media platforms, you ask?

Join Facebook groups that pertain to your niche.

Introduce yourself, and spend time answering questions in the group. It will go a long way. A suggestion would be to answer at least ten questions before even thinking about promoting your business.

This is organic marketing. Building a connection with someone comes first. You become more valuable when you can share your ideas.

Post Instagram pictures of both things that interest you and things that involve your business. Make sure to insert your links on your posts so people can easily find your website. Pinterest is another excellent tool to direct people to your website. Your rich pins can generate clicks and bring traffic to your site.

Lastly, when you have subscribers, it is helpful to thank them for following you. After all, if it weren’t for them, your business may not be as successful without them. This can be sending them a personalized email saying thank you, a mailed birthday card or anniversary card. You can also find small giftables to send them through the mail. This will ensure that they will stay with you, and your subscribers will feel special. This is how you keep loyal clients.

Final words about building connections

As you can see, building connections takes work and a lot of it.

You may need to block off time during the day just to build relationships, but you will see that it is so worth it! When you genuinely listen to your client, provide them with real solutions and make them feel special, you are sure to not only create new connections, but you will keep those that you have already made a connection with.

More about Victoria Allison

Victoria is currently a Dementia and Alzheimer’s Program Manager with experience in sales and marketing in the Senior Living community. She has been in the Senior Living Community for 3 years. Her favorite thing about her job is building relationships. Building relationships is what Victoria does in her Virtual Assistant business. She loves following through on tasks that give clients that special personalization!

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/victoria.allison.985

Pinterest www.pinterest.com/vallison352/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/victoriaallison91

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

5 Lessons to Become a Confident and Profitable Entrepreneur

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Khadejah is a devoted wife, mom of two girls, and owner of Thrive Virtually, a virtual assistant agency. After Khadejah recognized she had a gift in administration and wanted to spend more time with her kids, she decided to start a virtual assistant business. In Utility Avenue’s weekly spotlight, she shares five valuable lessons to become a confident and profitable entrepreneur.

a confident and profitable entrepreneur
Photo credit: @marybethwoodphotography

 

Lessons to become a confident and profitable entrepreneur

Confidence is a word that we often hear today. We’ve been taught that confidence can help you stand out and land a job. This is all true, but no one ever shows you the process of becoming confident. The truth is, confidence comes with experience. Some people magically have the gift, and others work towards it. I started a virtual assistant business in 2018, and after almost three years, I have recently become a confident business owner. 

Let’s talk more about the virtual assistant industry.

A virtual assistant is an independent contractor who provides administrative, creative, or technical support services for online business entrepreneurs. A virtual assistant can work from anywhere as long as there is access to wifi. However, some virtual assistants have clients who own brick and mortar companies but work virtually. Since starting, I’ve created an ebook to help other women start their virtual assistant business, scaled into an agency, and secured multiple bi-annual contracts. 

Now that you have more of an idea of what I do, I want to share with you five lessons to become a confident and profitable entrepreneur in my industry.

  • Become confident in your WHY

You need to know your why when starting a business. Your why will keep you in business even when things get tough and lonely. When you know WHY you started your business, you can operate in confidence even when you feel like giving up. My WHY was because I wanted to make an income from home and still spend quality time with my kids. 

  • Become confident in your offering

When you’re deciding what you want to offer, it’s essential to provide a service that you enjoy rather than just because it makes a lot of money. I’m pretty good at making websites, but I don’t offer it to my clients because creating sites for other people stresses me out. However, I provide website updates, and I enjoy that. Once you master the service you choose to offer, you become confident in your skillset. When you become confident in your skillset, you’re able to sell yourself and the results you can deliver. You’re ready to articulate how you can solve someone’s problem during a sales call. Speaking of sales calls, let’s talk about that next.

  • Become confident in your sales calls

Once you niche down to a service you enjoy doing, you’re able to sound excited and confident during sales calls. Let the client explain their pain point and communicate what you’ve done for other clients and how you can help them. When you are passionate about what you offer, your calls will naturally flow. Before getting off the call with the client, be sure to let them know what they can expect after the phone call.

  • Become confident in your onboarding process

Before I end a call, the leads know precisely what to expect. I communicate that they will receive an email with a proposal from me within 24 hours. I let them know the next start date I have available, and I even tell them when I’ll be following up. When you set structure upfront, it gives the client an idea of what it looks like to work with you. I have my process documented of what happens from whenever someone books a sales call to when they sign. This came with experience and trial/error. I’ve done it so much that I’m very confident in my onboarding process.

  • Become confident in your prices

Last but not least, it’s imperative to become confident in your prices. Don’t worry if someone else is charging less or more than you. You have to become confident in what you charge and know the value of the results you provide to clients. It took me forever to become confident in my prices and sometimes. I still question myself, lol. What keeps me confident in my prices is hearing fantastic feedback from my clients on how I have transformed and helped their business. They are happy to invest in me monthly.

Final words

I hope these tips will help you become more confident as a business owner.
Whether you’re a virtual assistant, photographer, or a service provider in a different industry, this can apply to you.

If you’re looking for a community to help you become a more confident virtual assistant, join her free FB group, “The Confident Virtual Assistant.”

Thrive Virtually’s Contact Info

Website: https://www.thrivevirtually.co
Email: khadejah@thrivevirtually.co
Instagram: @thrivevirtually
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thrivevirtually

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

Spotlight: Brand your Business with Odette Photo+Art

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Odette Photo+Art is a Miami family and branding photographer. In Utility Avenue’s weekly spotlight, she shares her journey.

Odette Photo+Art
Odette Photo+Art, by Sven Malojlo

Who is Odette Photo+Art?

Odette Photo+Art is a Miami based business, specializing in family and brand photography. My photography is known for documenting real connections and emotions. 

How was Odette Photo+Art born?

In 2007, I got my first point-and-shoot camera and started documenting the lives of those around me.
In 2017, I started photographing my friend’s children on the weekends, and then, one day, it was not a hobby anymore.
That’s how Odette Photo + Art was born.
Today, I am a photographer, an artist, a storyteller, an entrepreneur, a dreamer, and a doer.

What were the main challenges?

Taking a photograph is just a beginning.
At first, I didn’t know anything about running a profitable business. When you are a solopreneur, you wear way too many hats. Becoming an entrepreneur and artist has been a journey. As a result, I have spent countless nights studying business, marketing, and sales. 
Learning is a never-ending process. My grandfather used to say that knowledge takes no space, and that’s my mantra. 
Now I want to help others.

Who is the most supportive of your business?

I have the most supportive family and friends.
My sister, my niece, and my mom are my muses, and my friends cheer up for me. They believe in me.
Without their unwavering support, I wouldn’t have been able to build two businesses from the ground up.
Family pictures
My family. My everything.

How did you become a brand photographer?

I started with family photography, and I love it! There is something extraordinary about being invited into a family to document who they are. But there is also a need for businesses everywhere to create a brand that clearly communicates why they do what they do.

What makes you different from the business across the street who does the same kind of business, but cheaper?

YOU.

You make the whole difference. Simon Sinek said it: “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.“
I can help you create a compelling brand that sells while you sleep.

My mission is to document life and to help entrepreneurs have a thriving business.

 

branding

What’s branding photography?

 Branding photography is the visual representation of you and your business. It establishes and enhances your brand through professional images that show your character, what it’s like to work with you, and what makes you and your business unique.
Odette Photo+Art Branding Photography
Collage HairStudio @collagehairstudiomiami

Why is it essential for a business?

Branding photography makes it a breeze for customers and future clients to know you and your brand.
You can use your on-brand photographs to enhance your online presence.
– Website
– Social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest)
– Email campaigns, newsletters, and email signatures
Or in traditional marketing materials:
– Print collateral (business cards, brochures, direct mail, sales sheet, flyers, magazines, newspapers)
– Sales pitches or presentations
– Press releases
The options are limitless.
Cut specialist @lopez_cut_

What future projects does Odette Photo+Art have?

I have teamed up with brilliant minds. We are creating a virtual assistance agency to add marketing services to my branding photography packages. Additionally, we are creating a magazine to promote the work of local entrepreneurs.
I also want to create a magazine to promote female entrepreneurs.
Odette Photo+Art Branding
Evan Carmichael, Youtuber, thought leader and serial entrepreneur from #BelieveNation @evancarmichael

What would you advice to other entrepreneurs?

Coronavirus has changed the way we face the world. We have had to pivot and find new ways to keep our businesses afloat.
Use this downtime wisely:
  • Read.
  • Learn something new every day.
  • Work on your website, on your client experience, on your offers.
Never stop honing your craft. Become so great at what you do that people think of you as the only choice to hire in your area of expertise.
Also, stay healthy. Wash your hands and practice social distancing. It might be painful now, but it won’t last forever. It will get better.
Odette Photo+Art
Helen Licea @helenlicea_ @helenliceaphotos

If you were to define Odette Photo+Art in one sentence, how would you do it?

Odette Photo+Art documents who you are.
branding

How would you describe your experience with Utility Avenue?

My business was waiting for a platform like Utility Avenue to thrive. It makes advertising and creating real connections with my clients a breeze. Utility Avenue is the beginning of a new era. It will make a difference in your business as it did with mine.

Odette Photo+Art’s Contact Info

Website: https://www.odettephotoart.com/
Phone: 239-600-9019
Email: contact@odettephotoart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/odettephotoart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/odettephotoart/
Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odettephotoart/

Branding Photography Packages available.

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week. For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Spotlight.

Transform Your Side Hustle into a Thriving, Profitable Business

Posted on by Odette Fernandez

Transform Your Side Hustle into a Thriving, Profitable Business, by Sarah Rose

Sarah Rose is a worldwide business coach that uses a blend of mindset and business strategy to empower entrepreneurial-minded women  In Utility Avenue’s weekly spotlight, she shares insights on how to transform your side hustle into a thriving, profitable business.

Sarah rose on how to transform your side hustle into a thriving profitable business. 

Are you tired of doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result, but nothing alters? Are you using old-fashioned tactics and forcing your content, hoping someone will resonate and reach out to you, but you’re getting crickets? Are you losing the passion for the side hustle you thought was going to be lucrative but is getting zero ROI on your time and the money you invested in starting up? 

I GET IT.

I was there too, throwing spaghetti at the walls, roaming around in the dark, wondering when and if this thing was EVER GOING TO TAKE OFF. 

So what would it be worth for you to pivot your thinking and decide that this is no longer a side hustle, this is your business? And start treating it like one!

When I realized that all these other women out there could figure out how to earn five, six, even seven or eight figures building a business online, then I could do the same! And it’s definitely possible for you, too!

I learned that getting a mentor was the ONLY shortcut to success. So I took a giant step back from my business to invest in courses, programs, mentors, and coaches who could teach me how to cut my learning curve and frustration in half and get where I wanted to go faster. 

Get a mentor

Even though I didn’t have the money at the beginning, I found it. I sold things around my house on FB marketplace, in groups, and on Craigslist. I borrowed. I created online products I could sell. I tapped into my resourcefulness and did whatever I had to do to make it happen. Because life is short, I have big goals and dreams that need accomplishing, and no time for excuses. 

So if I had it to do all over again, I would have made my first step in hiring a Business Coach or Mentor.

Then get super clear on the bigger vision for your life and business. Know where you want to go so you can reverse engineer and map out your plan to get there. How much is your dream lifestyle going to cost you monthly? Do your research so you know exactly what it’s going to take to become the woman who can be, do and have it all. 

Identify who your ideal client is and the problem you solve

It’s important to niche down so that your message resonates with your target audience. If you’re trying to message to everyone, it gets diluted, and you end up reaching no one. Once you have clarity on this, your content will flow from your heart and soul, speaking to the person you would love to work with. You’re building the like-know-and-trust factor, which is attraction marketing at it’s finest. You’ll have friend requests pouring in with leads in your inbox asking how they can work with you instead of the other way around.

Content is king

And when it comes to content, don’t be afraid to share your story and the journey you’re on. People buy people, not companies, products, or services. Stories and images can go a thousand miles, and when you show your vulnerability and behind the scenes of your life as an entrepreneur, you’re creating relatability with your dream clients.

Make sure to clean up your profile and news feed—no drunk photos at the bar; no political or religious posts or conspiracy theories. No spam. Only elegant images and clear content, adding value as to how you can help others. The more value you can add, the more your audience will see you as the expert in your field and want to work with you. Add more value than you think you should!

Get clear about the mission that you’re on

Your mission is the driving force behind your business. It’s bigger than you. It’s your purpose, the reason why you’re here.

Establish your tagline

This is your 8-second elevator pitch when someone asks what you do. Make sure this is in your bio and cover photo so that when your ideal client comes to your page, they know exactly what to expect. If your audience can’t understand right away what you do, they’ll get confused and go somewhere else.

Create a beautiful brand that stands out

Create a beautiful brand that stands out over the noise on social media, and keep all content on-brand. Everything you do online and offline should scream your fabulousness and why your ideal client would want to work with you over anyone else. What sets you apart from everyone else? Capitalize on your gifts, and you’ll get paid just for being you.

Have a DMO 

A DMO (Daily Method of Operation) allows you to show up consistently all day every day, gaining more visibility and engagement than ever before. When you’re on purpose, and you have a business plan for your social media, you’ll make even more of an impact.

Network and build relationships

Network and build relationships with others in your industry who can lift you higher. There are so many incredible opportunities to collaborate and widen your reach, be open to ideas, and making new connections. Come from abundance and prosperity rather than a competitive lack mentality. There is enough out there for all of us.

Learn marketing

You’ll need to learn modern marketing strategies and techniques which can be super scary and daunting in the beginning. But once you open your mind to the possibilities, lean in and trust the process, you may just find yourself falling in love with the journey as you tap into your creative zone of genius!

Final thoughts to transform your side hustle into a profitable business. 

More than anything, if you’re not having fun, then you’re not doing it right. A few tweaks can make all the difference. So pivot if you must, but don’t ever ever quit. Because you are always on the right path, and your success is inevitable.

how to transform your side hustle into a thriving profitable business

If you’d like to dive deeper into the topic, you can find Sarah Rose at www.sarahroseglobal.com or book in a free hour consultation at www.calendly.com/sarahroseglobal.

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Utility Avenue’s Spotlight focuses on promoting inspiring businesses every week.
For a chance to be interviewed, contact us at support@utilityavenue.com with the subject Weekly Spotlight.