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Do you ever wonder what your competition is doing, how you rank in your industry or the latest trends? It is much easier than you think.  All the information you need to be competitive is at your finger tips if you just know how to go and find it. 

Here are five tips leading experts use to stiff-out their competition. 

There are so many reasons why marketing campaigns fail, but "not following up" shouldn't be one of them.

So many marketing campaigns fail because people send them out, but expect that the first "hit" should result in their telephones ringing off the hook. It's nice to think that this will be the case, but in the real world, that rarely happens.

When executing a marketing campaign, make sure you have enough resources to follow-up with every single person that has received your campaign. Also ensure that this is done in a timely manner, not months after. 

If you are going to invest in a marketing campaign, then you want to realize the full value of the campaign. Always aim for a minimum of three touches with any prospect. If you are doing a direct marketing campaign, ensure that you send the campaign, follow up with an email, then a phone call  to organize a meeting.

Building a team is like putting together a puzzle of disparate parts that don't always want to fit together perfectly.  A workplace puzzle never is complete, when one vital piece is lost, another takes its place…and it’s never the same fit.

Having different personalities in the workplace is an advantage. However, managing a range of psyches, emotions, and needs provides some serious challenges.

For seven years I have owned an education business with twenty to thirty employees. Personality was a big reason to hire someone, and the more sensitive types were fabulous in the classroom, but more challenging (at times) to manage.

As I build my marketing team, we will have a smaller core group and will need to work together more closely than what was required of my previous business. I already have a few key individuals on board that I brought with me more for their passion and their cultural fit. At the end of the day, culture is what ensures that the disparate pieces hold together.

Failure and positive thinking seem polar opposites,  but they consume much of what is posted and shared on social media.

When I first started my Twitter account I asked a colleague what posts get the most shares. She told me "Celebrity deaths and inspirational quotes." Interestingly, when I asked the same questions about blogs, I was told that people love to learn about your failures.

So of course, we can't always post inspirational quotes and hopefully no one has so many failures that it's all they write about. So, how do you create content that people will want to read?

I had outlined this blog and began to fill in the content, when both of my kids ran in my office and ask if we could all go outside to throw the ball or skate and enjoy the beautiful evening. The irony of the timing, made me really stop and think what was the most important use of my time at that moment.

I had finished my client work, it was a beautiful day, and the requests to hang out with mom are becoming less and less.  The request to go outside and 'play' came just as I began writing about the balancing act of growing a business while nurturing a family.  So here I am, a day later and just now writing my blog.

I know many entrepreneurs struggle with how to make time for family or a partner while giving it all to a growing your business. Deciding where to give your attention can be a real struggle and a stress.  It will never be perfect, but here are a few ways to find a little more balance.