I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Tick Tock, TikTok
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If you're not on TikTok, you probably don't care too much about the bill that passed Congress last week calling on ByteDance to sell controlling shares to a US company and endorsing a ban of the app in US markets if this doesn't happen. But, here's why you should: Like it or not, TikTok is a (not insignificant) driver of the US economy supporting small and medium-sized businesses in particular. A recent study I read said that 15% of all product discovery begins on TikTok, which helps to level the playing field for smaller businesses competing against bigger players in the marketplace with deeper pockets for advertising. While I don't use TikTok in my business, I have learned a ton from the app and, yes, been entertained by pet videos, inspired by cooking videos, and brought up to speed on breaking news stories ahead of those stories appearing via the usual news outlets. A ban on TikTok doesn't just mean more than 116 million Americans will have to find news and entertainment on another app. It will adversely impact many people's livelihoods, advocacy reach, and sense of well-being. Plus, let's be honest, there really isn't a US-based tech company that isn't also in the business of capitalizing on our data, skirting data privacy laws, and spreading dis- and mis-information in ways that influence critical public opinion. Personally, I also don't completely trust a body of individuals who have consistently shown they really do not understand our modern digital age and the how the 'inter webs' and social media actually work. After all, these are the same folks who entrust these same tech firms to regulate and police themselves. Lately, I've heard there's less appetite in the Senate to pass the bill. But whichever side of the debate you support, I encourage you, if you're based in the States, toreach out to your Senators to make your opinion known. Sending a huge shout-out of thanks for all the well wishes sent to Mom on her new hearing aids. I'm really proud of how far she's come in such a short time and they've made a huge difference already. It's a great reminder that sometimes the only way to get over your fear is to go right through it to get to the other side. We both truly appreciate your support and encouragement! Until next time, PS - If you missed it, get inspired by Old Dogs, (learning) New Tricks. Your success is our strategy!No longer want to receive my newsletter but don't want to miss my special offers and announcements? Click here. |
Easily Said & Done
I help entrepreneurs leapfrog over the typical potholes that derail most small businesses with inspiration, motivation, education, and support across a wide range of business topics drawn from over a decade of running my own business, teaching entrepreneurship for the City of New York, and coaching and consulting privately with dozens of women and minority small business owners. Honestly, why go it alone when help is an email away?
Hi Reader, Last week we had the first tornado warning in Manhattan and the second in New York City that I can recall. There was horrible air quality from the Canadian wildfires as well as torrential rains with their accompanying flood warnings the week before. Right now, Spain and France are suffering devastating wildfires and heat waves. I've written before about disaster preparedness, but I really want to drive home the need to think about and plan for the potential impact of natural or...
I promised I'd share some AI wins after bashing on it for the last couple of months, so here goes. An old client of mine runs a wine shop in Brooklyn. She's got some help but she's largely a one-woman show. She's been using Monday's AI features to help her analyze and manage her inventory and understand seasonal sales trends to purchase more smartly. She had to level up her investment and hire someone to help her set up the AI agents she needs but feels it's been money well-spent. Another one...
There are lots of thoughts spinning around in my brain at any given moment. Maybe you can relate. We're kind of living in whirlwind times where information is coming at us incessantly; it's like being caught up in a tornado. There's just no way to catch your breath and really marinate on anything for too long. So here are a few things I'm trying to give a little bit more thought and attention to these days: What impact will Pope Leo's AI encyclical have on governments, tech leaders, and...