Inc. Magazine October 2017

It was smooth sailing for Kay Stephenson, co-founder and CEO of Datamaxx Group, for her first 10 years in business. Her company provides secure communications services to law enforcement and security companies—and competition from bigger companies was minimal. But that changed dramatically after September 11, 2001. Rather than confronting the increasing number of large competitors head-on, she freely shared her experience and technology, deftly positioning Tallahasseebased Datamaxx, a certified womanowned business (WOB), as an invaluable partner. That partnership made those large companies eligible for set-aside contracts that otherwise would have been out of their reach. From the dozens of Lean In Circles throughout the state to an abundance of targeted resources, Florida is a great location for women entrepreneurs. Stephenson has benefited from many of them. “The business environment and the resources…

1— REST UP Your morning routine really starts the night before. To ensure you get enough sleep, set an alarm to alert you it’s time for bed. 2— WAKE UP RIGHT Use a smart alarm that will get you up at the optimal time in your sleep cycle. And don’t hit the snooze button. 3— GET MOVING Exercise increases energy levels. Instead of starting the day with a pot of coffee, try working out. 4— TACKLE A NON-WORKRELATED GOAL Use your early hours to work on something that will benefit your personal development, like learning a language or reading. 5— AUDIT YOUR ROUTINE Learn what’s preventing you from having a productive morning. Once you’ve refined your schedule, write it down. “You have to think of your product and company as a personality, as an actual person with a heartbeat.” Miko…

“I’ve carried that weight,” says Diane Ryan, “and it’s a pain in the ass.” YOU CANNOT READ THIS month’s special report on women entrepreneurs and fail to be reminded—as if anyone in 2017 needed reminding—that there is no gender to creativity, determination, and guts. The report, which starts on page 71, singles out more than 30 women founders of businesses of all sizes, at all stages of growth, and in every imaginable industry. Those industries most definitely include tech (apparently, some people in tech still do need reminding). If there are any doubts, I suggest reading senior editor Maria Aspan’s profile of Therese Tucker (page 94), whose $123 million software company, BlackLine, went public in 2016 after nine consecutive years on the Inc. 5000. It now employs more than 700 people and…

IF YOU GOOGLE “fashion” in Columbus, Ohio, you’ll find Macy’s, Talbots—and Rowe. The 10-year-old boutique may be small, but it often turns up in the “three-pack” of local listings that top many Google results pages. Owner Maren Roth achieved that visibility thanks to an up-to-date Google My Business listing, links from local companies, a loyal social media following, and keyword optimization. “We don’t do a lot of advertising, but we do a ton of social media, so local shoppers follow the store,” Roth says. “We collaborate with local bloggers, tag vendors in pictures, and get links from vendors’ websites.” The value of that top-three listing is high: Google found in 2014 that 50 percent of consumers who searched locally on their phones visited a store within a day. To snare…

MAGANOMICS / • noun. “The focus of MAGAnomics is simple,” says OMB director Mick Mulvaney: “Grow the economy and with it the wealth of, and opportunity for, all Americans.” If only someone had thought of this before. Source: The Washington Post SHRINKFLATION / • noun. When products stay the same price while diminishing in size. Presumably, the idea comes from actual shrinks, who invented the “45-minute hour.” Source: BBC END-OF-LIFE / • verb. Adobe recently announced that it was “planning to end-of-life Flash.” Instead, Adobe and Flash should have just “consciously uncoupled.” Source: Adobe LOW BONO / • noun. Work undertaken at a significant discount for a good cause. This often morphs into slow bono as it sinks to the bottom of the to-do list. Source: Los Angeles Times MATCHING LUGGAGE / • noun.…

“Keywords in Google My Business reviews can raise those terms’ rankings, so have your staffers encourage customers to rate specific products or services. The GetFiveStars platform, targeted to smallto- medium businesses, automates the feedback process.” —Dan Leibson, vice president of search, Local SEO Guide “Bad reviews are an opportunity. People leaving awful reviews have turned into our biggest ambassadors. If we get a bad review, we invite them back and assist them with reservations, and oftentimes our managers give them their personal cell numbers. Sometimes we send the reviewer a gift certificate.” —Jennifer Bell, executive vice president of marketing, Lettuce Entertain You “For restaurants and retail, add a review prompt through the EPOS [electronic point of sale] so it appears on the check or receipt. A business card telling where and how to leave…