Market Yourself

It's the key to business success

It’s no stereotype. Studies show that historically, women are reluctant to promote themselves. That resistance, especially in today’s competitive environment, can put a serious damper on business success.

So I asked the four successful entrepreneurs receiving entrepreneur awards at the Women’s Business Development Center’s 24th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference, for their views on this issue, as well as to share how they strategically market themselves.

Arabel Alva Rosales (pictured), president and CEO of AAR & Associates, Ltd., a technology company, recalls that her mother always worked side by side with her dad in multiple businesses, overseeing much of the operations and handling the books. Yet he was the face of the business. When he died, customers didn’t recognize his wife’s role in running the business, and eventually the business was shuttered.

“From that experience, I learned how important it is to show people you can stand on your own two feet,” says Arabel, who is also the co-owner and managing producer of Latino Fashion Week in Chicago. “Without getting yourself and your business out in front, the business may survive but it won’t thrive.”

There’s another good reason for promoting yourself as well as your business. “Showing your leadership as well as the success of your business, a woman can become a role model for others, including the next generation of business owners,” she states.

In her role as a co-owner of Latino Fashion Week, she recently appeared on WGN-TV to discuss the event, then shared the TV air date and time on her Facebook page. “Tapping into the power of traditional and social media outlets can have huge benefits,” Arabel says.

Heavily involved in the community, Arabel is board chair of the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and on other organization boards. She does a great deal of public speaking, which also helps raise her profile. Chicago magazine called her a “Renaissance woman” because of her ability to discuss Wall Street, global and community issues. She grabbed that moniker and uses it in her official biography.

Marie O’Brien, president of Enterforce, Inc., a workforce consulting, talent acquisition and management company, agrees that women tend to talk more about their difficulties than their successes. But marketing yourself positively can be learned. “In writing and speaking, you need to think about what others will gain from your knowledge and experience,” she says.

Marie is active in a trade group’s Women’s Exchange, where women meet, in part, to share the good news about their business endeavors. Under Marie’s direction, her company recently developed a full-blown marketing plan, which includes the distribution of news releases and a media relations component. The undertaking will automatically put her in the spotlight.
She also suggests that women approach the marketing aspects of their business one step at a time, much like the steps they took to start their enterprise.

Francine Manilow is founder and president of Manilow Suites, which offers short-term corporate housing in 13 of Chicago’s most prestigious buildings. She believes creating a successful, beneficial and unique business is a springboard to getting awards and favorable publicity “Opportunities will come to you, and you should be ready to accept them and build on them,” she affirms.

But she cautions against straight-out horn-tooting because “it’ll cause resentment and negativism.” Instead, she suggests that entrepreneurs let their website and employees ‘spread the word.’”

“My employees post information on LinkedIn, Twitter and even their personal Facebook pages, and send out emails to clients about the awards I’ve won and business articles in which I’ve been featured,” she states. “We also established a ‘What’s New’ page on our Web site where we share good news.”

The efforts have helped boost the company’s SEO rankings, making them easier to find on the Internet. “With the new technology, even a small business owner has the ability to reach the world without spending a lot,” she notes. It has also helped contribute to her being named the 2010 NAWBO Chicago Woman Business Owner of the Year, and being inducted into the 2010 UIC Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame.

Kimberlee Burt, owner and executive director of A Child’s Space child care center in Chicago’s South Loop, which is licensed to serve 65 children, didn’t intend to tell anyone but a few friends about the award she’ll receive at the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference. That is, until a friend at church chided her to do so. “Why don’t you tell the pastor so he can announce it?” asked her friend. “Don’t be shy. Sharing your business success could help other women realize their dreams and encourage them to embark on their own business endeavors.”

“Her comments made me realize that sharing my story could impact the lives of other women wanting to start their own business, and I’d have the opportunity to give back by mentoring her towards her own successful business venture,” says Kimberlee.

Bottom line: self promotion is essential to business growth, but there’s no one way to do it right. Everyone needs to find her own comfort level in sharing good news. When done with style and class, it can become a powerful competitive advantage.

Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference
The 24th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference will be held on Wednesday, September 22, from 8AM to 7PM at McCormick Place-West. The event features the Women’s Business & Buyers Mart, with more than 200 government and corporate buyers committed to purchasing products and services from women-owned businesses. It also includes the Women’s Forum Breakfast, Hall of Fame Awards Luncheon, and a vast array of workshops and roundtable discussions. For information or reservations, visit www.wbdc.org, or call 312.853.3477 x24.