Jessica Bertsch, Author at Powerhouse Planning

A BUSINESS REFRESH

By: Rebecca Alwine

Two entrepreneurs gave their brand a refresh to align their sassy business personality with an evolving vision.

Owners Shiang-Ling Bissonnette and Miranda Perales make up the dynamic duo behind The Hive & Co, a company that provides consultation services to small businesses. The team of two—both military spouses—joined forces after recognizing they each had skill sets that could balance each other out to make a strong partnership. Bissonnette brings the creative side, while Perales has an extensive background in marketing.

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Jessica Bertsch2017-01-23T16:27:52-05:00January 18th, 2017|Marketing Buzz, PowerTips e-newsletter|

GRATITUDE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL YEAR LONG

By: Jennifer Morrison

It’s the traditional time of year when businesses distribute yearly bonuses or end-of-year gifts to their employees, contractors, and freelance workers to say “thank you” for their hard work throughout the year. But what if instead of one check (that’s taxed at a ridiculous rate) or company branded swag, you—as the employer—spread your appreciation for your employees throughout the year?

Money Doesn’t Always Talk

You may be thinking, “Who doesn’t want money?” Of course, everyone wants money, but it can create two problems. The first problem is the limit of your company’s budget. If you can only afford to reward your employees and contractors once a year, generally at the end of the year, it can appear that the gift is one of obligation or expectation rather than true gratitude. People don’t want to feel like they’re a check on their employer’s to-do list. In 2014, The Atlantic reported that employees would rather receive non-monetary perks in lieu of more money. The second problem is the message you can send to your employees if you can’t afford to give a large monetary gift. Employees can interpret your financial gift as a reflection of their job performance and find it wanting.

So if you’re a small business with a limited budget, how can you say “thank you” to your employees for a job well done?

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Jessica Bertsch2017-01-18T21:20:40-05:00January 18th, 2017|Business Etiquette, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Client Profile: P.R.E.P.S., Inc.

Powerhouse Service Provided: External Communications

“Working with Powerhouse was a great experience. We are looking forward to future opportunities to use their services.”

Antoine Corbin, Executive Director of P.R.E.P.S., Inc.

Interested in learning how we can help your company grow regarding your marketing collateral? Email us at admin@powerhouseplanning.com. We’d love to be on your team!

Jessica Bertsch2017-01-18T21:20:30-05:00January 18th, 2017|PowerTips e-newsletter, Service & Success|

BUSINESS RESOURCES TO GROW A BRAND

A targeted branding strategy can attract new customers while convincing existing customers to share company content, news, and products or services. Memes and infographics, for example, are likely to be shared if they are crafted in an attractive, visually appealing way. Platforms offer content creators, from novice to professional level, the opportunity to build graphics, edit images, and create animated videos for free or low monthly fees.

Canva: One of the most popular current platforms, Canva lets users create professional looking documents, such as brochures and flyers, make images, and generate memes.

Animoto: This video platform allows businesses to create videos for marketing with images, animations, and audio.

Stencil: Perfect for social media, users can create images in minutes.

Jessica Bertsch2017-01-23T16:29:20-05:00January 18th, 2017|Business Resources, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Nonprofit Profile: Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN)

By: Randi Cairns

There is a great deal of debate about the military-civilian divide—the idea that there is a split or disconnect between the U.S. military community and the American public at large. While most folks on the military side of that equation agree that there is a gap between their experience as a military-connected person and the general public’s understanding of their service and sacrifice, there’s a missing piece of the puzzle.

To suggest that there is an “us” and “them” overlooks the tremendous diversity within the military community itself. There are differences between branches of service, between active duty and Guard/Reserve components, between officers and enlisted, etc. There is no one voice that can speak for a singular military life experience.

The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) is doing something about that. Their mission is to connect military families with the resources they need to thrive and to convene thought leaders within the military family community who, through collaboration with outside organizations and effective communications practices, will elevate their voice as well.

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Jessica Bertsch2017-01-23T16:30:29-05:00January 18th, 2017|Giving Back & Getting Involved, PowerTips e-newsletter|

New Hire at Powerhouse

Heatherlynn Akins is excited to join the Powerhouse team as a quality assurance specialist and technical writer.

Heatherlynn studied for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Dallas in Irving, TX. She couldn’t decide what to study, so chose concentrations in both English and German literature. During her master’s program she married an Air Force pilot and left the world of academia to follow him around the world. While doing so, she taught English to Japanese students, tutored many a student, taught creative writing, edited and wrote for several newsletters, worked as the Program Director for a martial arts studio, and managed to raise two boys to (thus far) teenage-hood. In other words, she was the typical military spouse.

After 25+ years of service, her husband retired two years ago and the family moved to Colorado. While she adores her adopted resort town, she is eager to get back to her first love, the written word. Her love affair with such began many moons ago when she gummed her first cardboard book and she is still most often found with a book in her hand, or spouting off useless trivia she’s learned from reading.

Jessica Bertsch2024-01-26T13:48:56-05:00December 17th, 2016|Powerhouse News|

Navy Wife Grows Business Through Brand Awareness Strategy

By: Bianca Strzalkowski

Spread it! Mix it! Shake it! Stir it!

Lakesha Brown-Renfro delivers a party with every order. Whether it is one of her products or services, the Navy wife of 18 years gives customers an experience that has helped her grow and build a diverse business empire. She and two partners launched their first company—Simply Panache, an event planning firm—in 2011.

She said she had the entrepreneurial spirit since she was a young child, first starting with a lemonade stand, followed by a hair bow business, and then she created a teen membership club. Brown-Renfro and her friends eventually coordinated parties that caught the attention of friends, family, and even strangers.

“At this point, I started thinking that I could do this as a business, and the event planning company was born,” she said.

Front and center of Simply Panache was a product that would ultimately become the signature item and foundation of the brand. Mango Mango is a gourmet mango preserve with over 100 uses. It earned the reputation of a “party in the jar” with Brown-Renfro’s robust marketing plan. She started by selling the product online, at farmers’ markets, and in local and national stores. As the business grew, so did the opportunities.

Three years ago, her team appeared on ABC’s hit show Shark Tank. Valuable learning lessons came from the experience.

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Jessica Bertsch2016-10-25T01:57:12-04:00October 24th, 2016|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Did You Know?

65% of adults in the United States use social media sites to connect, according to the Pew Research Center. These numbers do not represent just one demographic, but respondents fell into age groups of 18-29 and up to 65+. Small businesses can grow brand awareness and expand a customer base by meeting consumers where they are—online.

If you already operate with a small staff, it can be overwhelming to add social media management duties to someone’s plate. Powerhouse Planning offers relevant services to help companies maximize social media tools as well as plans a communications strategy that fits your target audience. Review the full listing of our services here: Our Services.

Jessica Bertsch2016-10-24T17:07:32-04:00October 24th, 2016|PowerTips e-newsletter|

Facebook Quantity Versus Quality

By: Angela Caban, MHRM

The days of using Facebook as a free marketing tool are over. However, keep in mind, Facebook is still powerful and, when used correctly, will grow your business and build a loyal following. The saying, “Sometimes your circle decreases in size, but increases in value” is very true. This can also be applied to the world of social media.

While there are still many out there who do believe in putting in the time to increase audience size, don’t fixate on the number of your social following—bigger numbers don’t always equal success. Think about it this way: if the brand does not spend time engaging with their followers, what value does the high volume of those followers hold?

More time should be put into increasing the quality of your content to attract already loyal fans, therefore increasing your metrics and having a better organic reach. Potential followers will see the interaction between the brand and fans, equaling a higher quality page. Ever visit a page with a high following, but scroll down their page and see nothing? No comments, likes, or shares—just a brand posting content over and over, talking to no one. No engagement.
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Jessica Bertsch2016-10-24T17:07:27-04:00October 24th, 2016|Marketing Buzz, PowerTips e-newsletter|

The Social Media Realm: A Lesson In Etiquette

By: Jennifer Morrison

It’s basically unheard of in this digital day to do business and not have a social media presence. Whether you have one employee or hundreds, your business’s digital footprint can make all the difference in how your company reaches potential customers. There are numerous moving parts to maintain professional social media accounts, but one of the most important things to focus on is social media etiquette. How your digital voice comes across to your audience impacts your brand.

You Are What You Share

Just like you have a business persona and a personal persona, your company’s social media presence should be separate from your personal one. Anything that you post under the umbrella of your business should align with professional goals, attitude, and beliefs. If a piece of content gives you pause before posting it, it’s most likely best left to your personal social media channels.

Talk with Your Audience, Not at Them

Back in the early 2000s, even before Facebook was a glimmer in Mark Zuckerberg’s eye, the term for finding friends online was “social networking.” Now we seem to have replaced that term with “social media,” but the goal is still the same: to network with other people you may not otherwise have an opportunity to connect with. With that in mind, you wouldn’t just talk at someone during a face-to-face conversation, especially someone you just met. Why then would you do that with your online audience? People are giving your their very precious time, and they want to receive something of value in return. Present them with the opportunity to converse with you. Share information that not only interests them, but also provides them with a way to respond and makes them feel like part of a conversation instead of a targeted demographic.

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Jessica Bertsch2016-10-24T17:07:20-04:00October 24th, 2016|Business Etiquette, PowerTips e-newsletter|

About Jessica Bertsch