Month: January 2016

Calling All Entrepreneurs | eNews from OWC

Posted on January 21, 2016 by - eNewsletter, OWC News

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is a real competition, so everyone can't win. But there are many other benefits for competing companies and their leaders. Pictured are award recipients in Greater Los Angeles as revealed last year at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is a real competition, so everyone can’t win. But there are many other benefits for competing companies and their leaders. Pictured are award recipients in Greater Los Angeles as revealed last year at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.


What sets entrepreneurs apart from the pack? They like to compete. They’re in a hurry and they’re always only halfway there. To get above the crowd, they stick their necks out. And when opportunity knocks, they open the door.
That describes just about every winner in the 30-year history of EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year awards. Recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs in the country, the awards celebrate the country’s most innovative business leaders.
This year, our firm is proud to be a sponsor of the 30th anniversary program in Greater Los Angeles.
How does an entrepreneur get recognized?
It’s simple: self-nominate or nominate another worthy entrepreneur.
Many of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year participants are nominated by proud colleagues, their vendors, or any admirer who thinks recognition is due. Entrepreneurs can also self-nominate. There’s no fee to enter, just a simple application the entrepreneur fills out.
It’s a real competition, so everyone can’t win. But there are many other benefits for companies and their founders and leaders, from raising awareness among customers and investors to igniting pride among employees and board members.
Ways to take advantage of the program benefits 
Entering the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Program is a great public relations strategy for any company, whether you win the prize or not. Here’s how to take advantage once you’re nominated:

  • Publish a press release announcing success at each stage of the competition — semi-finalist, finalist, regional winner, national finalist and national winner. Distribute each release through a major wire service such as PRNewswire or Business Wire to increase your company’s visibility online.
  • Post updates on your company’s website, share across all social media channels, and encourage employees to add details each step of the way to their LinkedIn profiles and email signature lines to truly celebrate the whole team. You’ll boost employee morale and highlight company culture for all to see.
  • Attend all award-related events to network and build relationships with other semi-finalists, judges, past winners, sponsors and influential media for business development/partnership opportunities.
  • Distribute photos and award status updates through your company’s e-newsletter to customers, prospects and key business partners to showcase the validation from other business leaders.

Have you nominated yourself or another worthy entrepreneur yet? Visit www.ey.com/us/eoy for more details on eligibility and deadlines. Give us a call to brainstorm additional ways to promote your company.

Finalists Jaspar Weir and Bryce Maddock of TaskUs being interviewed at the awards gala in Los Angeles on June 16, 2015.

Finalists Jaspar Weir and Bryce Maddock of TaskUs being interviewed at the awards gala in Los Angeles on June 16, 2015.


Nominate a game-changing entrepreneur for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards now
Applications are now open for the 30th Annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards in Greater Los Angeles. Recognized as one of the most prestigious business award programs, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year honors successful entrepreneurs in more than 145 cities in 60 countries around the world. For the past 30 years, EY has been at the forefront of identifying game-changing business leaders and celebrating three decades of American ingenuity. Prior winners from Greater Los Angeles include Jessica Alba, Brian Lee, Christopher Gavigan and Sean Kane, The Honest Company; John Kilroy, Kilroy Realty Corporation; Chris DeWolfe, SGN; David Overton, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated; Robert Friedman, Summit Entertainment LLC; Don W. Chang, Forever 21, Inc.; and Brandon J. Beck and Marc Merrill, Riot Games.
To access the application and find out more about the program, please visit www.ey.com/us/eoy/greaterla. The deadline for 2016 applications is Friday, March 11.
Join the conversation on social media by following @EOY_GLA and using #EOYGLA. You can follow the global program @EY_EOY.
 
Download PDF of this issue: Calling All Entrepreneurs
 

 

5 Things You Must Do in 2016 | eNews from OWC

Posted on January 6, 2016 by - eNewsletter, OWC News

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If you’re like us, January 4 wasn’t just a return to work, it was time to rev up your creative engines and brainstorm must-do marketing ideas for your company and clients in 2016.
Download PDF of this issue: 5 Things You Must Do in 2016
Here are five categories to tackle in order to hit the ground running in the new year:
Speak
Opportunities will be going, going, gone in the next weeks. They book up fast at the best conferences, like Bloomberg LIVE, Inc. Conferences and Forbes Summits, but there are also important industry events, like Money 20/20 for fintech and GreenBiz for cleantech. Get on panels that put you in front of your target market or the people who can refer business. You may have to pay to participate.
Evaluate through a cost-benefit analysis. Speaking hones your thinking and messages and is a great discipline to guide your year-long marketing effort. Host a webinar. It’s not the number of people who hear you — it’s who. Alumni groups host webinars and so do trade groups. Brainstorm with your team where you need to be.
Write2016-plan
What makes an industry expert? Writing. Commit to writing at least half a dozen articles for blogs, newsletters and business and trade publications that accept bylines or guest articles. Review submission guidelines that tell you how many words the article must be and don’t go beyond the word count. Don’t sell. Give readers information they don’t know and knowledge they can’t buy. No matter how limited the initial circulation, post the work on your LinkedIn page, Twitter account and share it in your eNewsletter.
Frame the articles and hang them in your office. Ever wonder why some business people have a confident, immediate response to questions about their business? It’s because they’ve honed their messages through writing.
Network
Meet people face-to-face. There’s no substitute. The goal is conversation — and a relationship based on more than business and sales goals. Such relationships expand your network and your life. It may come as a surprise when referrals come in. Create a calendar of events and conferences to attend in 2016. At OWC, we’re sponsoring Ernst & Young LLP’s Entrepreneur Of The Year program, and hosting tables at various Los Angeles Business Journal and Town Hall Los Angeles events. The author E.M. Forster famously stated the secret of all success: “Only connect.”
Awards, honors and lists
Awards and lists matter — especially if you’re not included. Business trades such as Inc. and Fast Company, the local business journals and trade publications publish annual lists of the top performers in nearly every industry. There is even a list by CareerBliss for the “50 Happiest U.S. Companies.” Who wouldn’t want to work for (or with) one of the companies on that list?
Engage Your Community
Give back. Find a local nonprofit that could use your services. Volunteer as a guest lecturer at your local college. It’s not just a good thing to do, it’s good for business. Almost 60 percent of Americans are more likely to buy a product associated with a nonprofit partnership.
Commit time and money to each of these categories to keep your brand fresh, your people energized and your ideas crisp. Call us if you want to brainstorm.
Happy New Year!