5 Quick Tips for a Successful Business Presentation

30, 60, 90 seconds. 3, 5, 10 minutes.

Given these time limits, what can you say about your business? How do you decide what to put in, and what take out? Do you focus on new offers, old faithfuls, case studies, basic features, or come up with some ultra creative and original take on the same ole story? Most importantly, how do you talk about yourself without putting the audience right to sleep?!

Here are 5 quick tips to keep in mind:

1. Reach out of your standard zone and raise some eyebrows with a funny quip (make sure it’s really funny though, please!), or an amazing or surprising fact.

2. Prop your self up with a visual aid that fits your description. An intelletual property attorney from Crose Law often brings along a branding iron to describe the importance of trademarking.

3. Less really is more, so edit, edit, edit! Don’t try to cover everything your company is, does and says in your allotted time. Your audience will only absorb a small fraction of what you say, and if you go over your time limit, be aware that that’s about all the audience will remember.

4. Know your subject matter! Your familiarity with your topic will show, as will your lack of understanding if that’s the case. Capture your audience with comfort – your comfort with what you’re talking about.

5. Interact with your audience. Ask them questions, answer their questions, engage them and they’ll take more away from your presentation than they would if you stand up and preach to them.

You don’t have to be a professional public speaker, a fancy pants Powerpoint pro, or a comedian to capture an audience and share with them the benefits your company brings to the table. You just need to get organized, get up and get presenting.

Getting Real with a Wordpress Blog

What’s a non-business use for a blog? Well, for families dealing with special needs children, like Stacy Bailey of Canton, it’s a place for community. Having a blog, allows the parents and caregivers of kids with autism, epilepsy, Down’s syndrome, cystic fibrosis, musculardystrophy, ADD, leukemia and other diseases and disorders a voice.  It enables them to vent, to scream, to yell, to share, and to cry… and to hopefully, be a help to someone else who’s facing similar challenges.

A blog gives these special families a place to share information, photos, treatments, new drugs, links, successes, failures, and other information via social media. Blogs can be linked to Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites to spread the word even faster.

Stacy and Ansley’s story began 7 years ago, and can be followed via their new blog at www.stacycarverbailey.com.

Business Start-Up Event Recap

On February 9, 2010 Inspired 2 Design joined a team of 5 in presenting the Keys to Business Success at a free seminar. The 5 Keys covered were Legal, Financing, Protecting, Accounting, and Marketing – all critical elements of establishing a good base for a new business. This was the third free business seminar we held together in Canton over the past year. Attendees ranged from long time business owners who have recently moved into Georgia, to the entrepreneurial-spirited who have a business in mind, and are taking the right steps to educate themselves. Here’s a basic summary of the elements of the talk, and some of the discussion points:

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