I’ve heard it all.
Lawyers are intimidating.
They’re so unrelatable.
They don’t understand me or my business.
And they’re so darn expensive.
These are the common complaints I hear from folks about working with a lawyer. And let’s not forget all the bad lawyer jokes too….
Well, I’m spilling the beans. In this episode, I’m sharing what you need to know before you hire a lawyer - things like fee structures, costs, questions you need to ask - as well as breaking down the law into the five topic areas you need to be thinking about as you start and grow your business.
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/officetalk
Disclaimer:
This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situation.
If you have specific legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney authorized to practice law in your local state or jurisdiction.
Have you started to build an email list for your business?
We all know email lists are important—but once you have one in the works, what do you actually do with it? How can you leverage the subscribers you have through opt-ins or lead magnets and convert them into actual business?
Enter Lauren Pawell, founder of Bixa Media. In this Office Talk episode, Lauren discusses how email marketing can quickly become your highest-netting channel, even more so than social media. Lauren shares some simple tips you can apply at any point in your business to boost your list and translate those leads into clients.
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/33
Do your eyes glaze over when you read about insurance policies?
Of course they do! I haven’t met anyone for whom that’s not the case. Even Nikki Luby, who works in commercial insurance at Excelsure, admits that insurance isn’t the most interesting of subjects. It’s more a necessary evil. In this legal quickie episode, Nikki breaks down the basics of insurance and what you really need to help you cover your booty—without putting you to sleep with all the insurance jargon!
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- The two main insurances that every business needs
- What kind of insurance you need if you work from home
- How to save money on insurance policies
- What to look for in choosing an insurance provider
- How to determine the insurance limit you need to protect yourself
Catch the full show note at www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/23
Disclaimer:
This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situation.
If you have specific legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney authorized to practice law in your local state or jurisdiction.
What if I told you that you could get more potential clients and customers coming to your website to check out your services and products...with minimal effort?
You’d be all ears, right?
Well, here’s one way: Use Pinterest effectively.
After hearing repeatedly that her clients and customers had found her on Pinterest even though she was spending way more time on Instagram, Elle Drouin, creator of Wonderfelle Media, realized the value of Pinterest and became very strategic about how to leverage the platform to grow her business. In this episode of the Office Talk podcast, Elle shares her best Pinterest tips to drive traffic and gain quality leads that translate into real business.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- How to get noticed on Pinterest and gain followers
- All the essential elements of a pinnable pin and how to draw in leads with your Pinterest graphics
- Elle’s favorite tools for scheduling and managing her Pinterest account and why
- How to use group boards to build a community strategically on Pinterest
- What the advantages of Pinterest are in comparison to Instagram or other social media platforms
- What to track—and how often—to be able to tell if your efforts are working
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/31
Ever wonder if privacy policies, terms of service, or trademarks really matter?
Does the FTC really care about small businesses just starting out?
With cyber law constantly changing and trying to catch up to advances in technology, it can be really intimidating to make sure you’re complying, especially for new business owners.
In this Legal (Not-So) Quickie episode with Ryan Morrison, deemed “The Video Game Attorney,” we’re helping you sift through what is really important to protect our business right from the start.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- What to do when you’re strapped for cash and can’t afford legal advice or a trademark
- The biggest mistake social media influencers make when working with companies
- Are privacy policies and terms of service really necessary?
- At what point should you consider filing for a trademark?
- What to do when you own a domain and someone begins using your brand name under a similar domain
- What an office action is and what should you do about it
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/30
I was so glad to reconnect with an old friend for this episode of Office Talk, Yvette Bowlin, also known as the Declutterist®. Yvette exudes such a calm and focused energy that I think as entrepreneurs we’re all struggling to find. We’re often so busy doing, or we’re overanalyzing and in our heads. Yvette shares how her trip backpacking through Brazil in college taught her the importance of not only decluttering her possessions, but also her thoughts. Upon returning, she was inspired to maintain that life of simplicity and to help others find it as well. She began her business as the Declutterist®, guiding clients on their path towards clarity, freedom, and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/29
Are you a social media influencer?
A YouTube rockstar?
Are you making waves on Instagram?
Do you want to turn that digital content you’re creating into profits?
Then you’ll want to listen to this episode with Ellie Altshuler, an entertainment and fashion attorney. In this Legal (not-so) Quickie episode, Ellie and I talk about our best tips for legally protecting your brand.
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/28
Disclaimer:
This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situation.
If you have specific legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney authorized to practice law in your local state or jurisdiction.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve heard from some of you is finding clients and closing sales. When I have a question about sales, my mind goes directly to Maria Bayer - a sales coach for creatives. So I invited her on the show to pick her sales brain for this episode of the Office Talk podcast. Drawing from her sales experience in Corporate America, Maria now coaches creatives on how to book clients quickly and for more money. And she’s sharing some of her top tips with us in this episode.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- The flaw in the traditional “ideal client” exercise and how to attract the “right client” instead
- How to determine when to change your contract at your client’s request and when to hold your ground
- The questions to ask your potential clients to reveal what matters most to them and how to use that information to sell more purposefully
- Why you should avoid email when closing a sale and what to do instead
- How to get your client to see your value and gain trust
- Who should be included in the conversation when booking a client
- The power of saying “no” to clients
- Ways you can gain insight into your clients’ needs
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/27
One of the first investments you need to make when you’re running a business is a solid set of contracts. But which ones do you need and why? In this episode, I’m sharing with you the four essential contracts that business owners should have when running a business. I’ll explain what they are and why they matter. Do you have all of them?
Listen to the episode to find out if you’ve got your booty covered!
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/26
Disclaimer:
This content is for your educational and informational purposes only and should not take the place of hiring an attorney. It does not create an Attorney-Client relationship between you and Annette Stepanian. Neither receipt of information presented nor any email or other electronic communication submitted or received will create an attorney-client relationship with Annette Stepanian. Any information that you provide by reason of your use of this content is not privileged or confidential. The law varies from state to state and based on the individual facts. Therefore, the information in this presentation may not work for your specific situation.
If you have specific legal questions, you should seek the advice of an attorney authorized to practice law in your local state or jurisdiction.
In this episode of Office Talk, I got a chance to chat with Shanna Skidmore, a business strategist and financial coach for creative entrepreneurs. I could definitely relate to Shanna, whose primary business goal is to simplify the seemingly daunting task of finance for her clients and set them up with the basic financial knowledge they need to take their businesses to the next level. For most creatives, finance and law can appear so overwhelming, but as Shanna shares with us, there are very few things you need to know, and once you know them, you’ll find it’s really not as complicated as you’d imagine.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE
- The most common pitfalls that Shanna sees creative entrepreneurs making and how to avoid them
- How to calculate pricing based on profit and what to do if your prices are higher than you think clients are willing to pay
- How time-tracking saved Shanna’s business, plus her favorite app for time-tracking
- Why knowing the purpose of your business is essential to its success
- Why Shanna recommends sabbaticals for creative entrepreneurs and why it’s so much easier than you think
- A bit about Shanna’s background as a financial planner and how she grew into her current business of helping creative entrepreneurs master finance
To learn more and get the show notes, visit: www.annettestepanian.com/podcast/25