The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Supersizing Your Small Business With the 8 Steps to PR Success Score Headlines. Win Customers. Glow. And Grow Your Company!

By Hope Katz Gibbs , Founder, The Inkandescent Group, LLC • Kathleen McCarthy, Senior VP, Inkandescent Public Relations • Design and Illustrations by Michael Gibbs Illustration & Design

Consider this equation: Strong Business Strategy + Savvy Communications Plan = Consistent Sales and Business Growth

Simple, right? And, it’s something most business owners already know. But knowing the formula is easy. Developing the strategy—and executing it consistently and with savvy—is the tricky part.

So how does an artist or chef, financial advisor or insurance agent write a great press release and land a column in a business magazine, or design a website and keep it up-to-date? How do these experts in their chosen fields master the art of creating and executing a cohesive, dynamic PR and marketing campaign? And once they hit the level of success that they charted for themselves, how do they sustain it—or better yet, take their companies to the next level?

They do it by having a strategic PR and marketing plan that grows as they do. And, for those who have cleverly set aside a PR and marketing budget, they partner with experts who can help turn their dreams into reality.

Since 2001, our team of journalists have been promoting, educating, and inspiring entrepreneurs so they can successfully build their companies and organizations.More than 200 clients have utilized our effective approach to launch their websites, develop popular newsletters, get quoted in such publications as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and news shows including the CBS Early Show, and ABC. See more here.

The reason we’re successful for our clients is that we are business strategists with strong communications skills at The Inkandescent Group. Our ability to see the big picture, and write well, is our recipe for success.

What’s the secret?

• Tenacity. Growing a company doesn’t happen overnight. Like waves on a beach, you have to keep at it.
• Determination. It takes a lot of effort to turn an idea into a business. Don’t want to work hard? Don’t start your own company.
• Heart. If you aren’t willing to put everything yo have into your business—give up now.

But if you have started a company, you are in the for the long haul. So be insightful, ingenious, and intriguing.

The first step: Start at the end. That means coming up with an organized, executable strategy using our 8 Steps to PR Success. Then work backward until you get to the starting point. Buy a giant piece of poster board and some colorful markers and start planning. This book will show you the way. In fact, we’ll be providing the markers for you so you can draw and dream your way to success.

Are you ready to turn on the lights? Be sure to get your copy of the Playbook, coming in the fall of 2013. — Hope, Kathleen, and Michael PR Rules: The Playbook.