Big Voices On Small Business Women's Center for Entrepreneurship

Do you want to grow your business and gain national media attention by appearing in top outlets like Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, Inc., or Entrepreneur, but don’t have a large budget to hire a PR firm? In this episode of Big Voices on Small Business, Communications Expert and Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship PR Manager, Lelani Clark provides insider tips on how to use high impact PR to build your brand and boost sales with DIY resources. Many small business owners impacted by Covid-19 have been forced to pivot and come up with new strategies to not only keep the lights on, but to thrive in a post Covid economy. Tune in to learn how to develop a solid PR strategy, create Social Impact PR campaigns to turn your business into a change leader supporting worthwhile causes like social and racial justice, the basics for creating a winning press release and how to use free tools like HARO - Help A Reporter Out and Google Alerts to take advantage of daily media requests and track media mentions. With these essential tips, entrepreneurs will have a useful guide to bootstrap their way to PR success. Taking the steps to level up your business with a PR boost means you are well on your way to getting noticed and standing out from the crowd without having to break the bank!
For more information, go to https://www.wcecnj.org/

Get ready to hone your virtual networking skills in this episode of Big Voices on Small Business. Bertha Robinson, a consultant with Star One Professional Services discusses how to be an effective networker when the business world has gone completely virtual. It’s no secret that as a result of the Covid crisis, the meeting platform Zoom has become the go-to tool for busy professionals working remotely. Get essential tips on how to build a CRM or Customer Relationship Management system, creating and sending virtual business cards, dressing the part for Zoom calls, not just from the waist up, using the right virtual background, and how to craft targeted follow up messages to warm up cold leads.
For more information, go to https://www.wcecnj.org

In this special 2 part episode of Big Voices on Small Business, the WCEC team, industry leaders and BIPOC and women small business owners come together for a compelling panel discussion on how small businesses can be allies to advocate for racial equity and social change. With the senseless killing of George Floyd, which sparked a global movement for racial justice led by Black Lives Matter, the business world was forced to take a hard look at how companies can increase their corporate social responsibility efforts to make diversity and inclusion and racial equity a top priority. In this lively talk, it is clear that for BIPOC small business owners who have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, being an ally means making sure they have a seat at the table to amplify BIPOC and female voices and giving back to their communities in meaningful ways. The panel discussion is moderated by WCEC Board President Alyce Hackett and Executive Director Rana Shanawani, with featured guest speaker Hester Agudosi, Chief Diversity Officer, NJ Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and small business owner panelists - JaLeena Anthony, Create that Party, Bettina Peets, Adventures for the Soul and Kris Ohleth, Garden State Kitchen.
For more information, go to https://www.wcecnj.org/
The panel is sponsored by McCarter & English

In part 2 of this 2 part episode of Big Voices on Small Business, the WCEC team, industry leaders, and BIPOC and women small business owners come together for a compelling panel discussion on how small businesses can be allies to advocate for racial equity and social change. With the senseless killing of George Floyd, which sparked a global movement for racial justice led by Black Lives Matter, the business world was forced to take a hard look at how companies can increase their corporate social responsibility efforts to make diversity and inclusion and racial equity a top priority. In this lively talk, it is clear that for BIPOC small business owners who have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, being an ally means making sure they have a seat at the table to amplify BIPOC and female voices and giving back to their communities in meaningful ways. The panel discussion is moderated by WCEC Board President Alyce Hackett and Executive Director Rana Shanawani, with featured guest speaker Hester Agudosi, Chief Diversity Officer, NJ Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and small business owner panelists - JaLeena Anthony, Create that Party, Bettina Peets, Adventures for the Soul and Kris Ohleth, Garden State Kitchen.
Panelists take questions from the audience and discuss what it’s like to be the only person of color in a business setting, engaging in uncomfortable conversations about racial discrimination and having to kick down doors to create more opportunities for underserved communities.
The Q&A is moderated by WCEC Covid-19 Program Manager, Trudy Adams.
For more information, go to https://www.wcecnj.org/
The panel is sponsored by McCarter & English

Tune in each week for dynamic thought leaders and experts who will provide key tips on how small businesses impacted by Covid-19 can survive, pivot and thrive.
This preview spotlights key episodes where PR expert and Women's Center for Entrepreneurship PR Manager Lelani Clark discusses how you can boost the visibility of your business and increase brand recognition with high impact PR that does not have to break the bank and Bertha Robinson of Star One Professional Services provides tips on how to hone your virtual networking skills to grow your business.