Online Class: Trademark Bullying and Startup Legal Issues with Eve Brown of Bricolage Law

Tin Shingle's co-founder Katie talks to intellectual property attorney Eve J. Brown, co-founder of Bricolage Law, and Eve has a lot of passions for small businesses and start ups, and a lot of experienced advice. In this webinar, Eve treats you to some Legal 101, and then shares her stories from the trenches of trademark bullying. You will also hear her strategies to product your business from these bullies, which one of her specialties.

Covered In This Webinar

THE LANDSCAPE OF LEGAL SERVICES

• Learn the landscape of legal clinics at law schools as an option for legal advice for startups and entrepreneurs.

LEGAL BASICS FOR STARTING OUT

• 6 tips to avoid common mistakes when starting up your business (or anytime).

• When to graduate from doing business under your social security number to an EIN.

• The difference between LLC and SCORP - in 5 minutes or less!

• Intellectual Property 101

• 5 types of Intellectual Property and basic steps required to protect them.

TRADEMARK BULLYING

• What is trademark bullying, and how do companies like Monster Energy, Nautica, Entrepreneur Magazine and Honest Co. begin their quest for seizing the name of your company?

• What to do when the .com is taken for the dream name of your business. Should you use the .net or .co? Even if no trademark exists on that name for your type of business?

• Does filing for a trademark open a can of worms and put your business on the radar of trademark bullies at large companies? What becomes the point of obtaining a trademark for small businesses?

• How to budget for the road ahead if your company receives a cease and desist letter from a major corporation during your 30-day wait/opposition period of your trademark application process, or at any time.

• Crowdfunding as a means to securing capital to fight a legal battle or rebrand.

• Best practices for creating the name of your business from the start in order to avoid trademark issues.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Eve Brown, co-founder and partner of Bricolage LawEve J. Brown is the co-founder and Principal of Bricolage Law, LLC, a newly launched boutique firm that supports startups by offering easy access to the legal and business advice entrepreneurs need in order to survive the critical development and growth stages. Eve is an experienced professor, attorney, speaker, and author. She has taught entrepreneurship and intellectual property law at MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Suffolk University, and Indiana University. She has presented at numerous national conferences on the topics of entrepreneurship, startups, and intellectual property. She has helped over 200 small businesses launch, develop, fight bullies, and grow. Eve's passion is in supporting founders and independent businesses, and in educating new generations of entrepreneurs and leaders.

Eve is the co-author of the book "IP Strategy: Complete Intellectual Property Planning, Access, and Protection," as well as several articles on entrepreneurship, IP, and startups.

Twitter: @bricolagelaw

LinkedIn: bricolage-law-llc

Facebook: BigHelpSmallBusiness

Online Class: Contracts and Sales Agreements with Eve Brown of Bricolage Law

For Limited Time Only:

Play this Training TuneUp with attorney Eve Brown to get the down low on sales agreements and what you need to be aware of when it comes to doing any type of business or arrangement with others. During this time, you don't need to log in or purchase this TuneUp to watch it.

Eve Brown, Principal at Bricolage Law, makes talking about contracts pleasant and definitely less scary. Let's put it this way: the more you know up front about any kind of relationship you are entering into, be it a lease agreement with another business, or a payment structure for your services, the more you have spelled out on paper that you both have signed, the easier it is to enforce it, and talk about it if something isn't working. And guess what? Eve gives you permission to have that contract on a napkin. That's right. Just have something. In this Training TuneUp, Tin Shingle's co-founder Katie Hellmuth Martin hosts Eve to give you information you need to know on sales agreements, contracts for business agreements, and why a contract is important even when no money is exchanged. Inspired by a question from a Tin Shingler in our member-only Community Boards who was searching for advice on how to prepare an agreement, we reached out to Eve to deliver on an entire TuneUp devoted to this topic.

How to Watch

This Training TuneUp is available to you to watch for free for a limited time! Normally, members of Tin Shingle can watch all TuneUps at any time, and non-members can purchase their favorites. This week only, enjoy this TuneUp for free.

About Your Instructor

Eve Brown, co-founder and partner of Bricolage LawEve J. Brown is the co-founder and Principal of Bricolage Law, LLC, a boutique firm that supports startups by offering easy access to the legal and business advice entrepreneurs need in order to survive the critical development and growth stages. Eve is an experienced professor, attorney, speaker, and author. She has taught entrepreneurship and intellectual property law at MIT, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Suffolk University, and Indiana University. She has presented at numerous national conferences on the topics of entrepreneurship, startups, and intellectual property. She has helped over 200 small businesses launch, develop, fight bullies, and grow. Eve's passion is in supporting founders and independent businesses, and in educating new generations of entrepreneurs and leaders.

Eve is the co-author of the book "IP Strategy: Complete Intellectual Property Planning, Access, and Protection," as well as several articles on entrepreneurship, IP, and startups.

Website: www.bricolagelaw.com

Twitter: @bricolagelaw

LinkedIn: bricolage-law-llc

Facebook: BigHelpSmallBusiness

Online Class: How Zero to Go Raised $20,000 in a Crowdfunding Campaign on Kickstarter

Sarah Womer is the founder of Zero to Go, an education-based waste management company focused on composting and recycling. In 2015, Sarah put together an 18-day crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter that raised over $20,000 from 248 backers in order to start a food compost pickup program in Beacon, NY. The community rallied behind her and got the program launched. Sarah joined Tin Shingle co-founders Katie Hellmuth Martin and Sabina Hitchen in this TuneUp Webinar to reveal how she planned for and executed the crowdfunding campaign, from social media to videos to overall expectations.

Covered In This Webinar

• An overview of crowdfunding, from backers to investment to rewards.

• How Sarah faced her fears of failure before launching the crowdfunding campaign and even during 18 days of rallying her supporters.

• A checklist for what Sarah needed to have ready before launching the campaign.

• How Sarah and her team used social media to reach people and rally support.

• Life beyond social media - other tactics including PR and a newsletter that Sarah used to get support from more people.

• Money-raising patterns that Sarah noticed during the campaign - did money tend to come in at different times?

• Whether or not video was important to the success of a crowd-sourced fundraiser, and Sarah's budget for producing it.

• A look at the strategy behind creating the Rewards for different backer levels, and distribution.

• Why a true community-focused mindset is critical to crowdfunding.Fundraising patterns that occurred around when money came in - what worked?

• Expectations for life during the campaign, in terms of prep-time, success, and day-to-day requirements of the campaign.

• Advice from Sarah to you if you are considering creating a crowdfunding campaign.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Sarah Womer founded Zero to Go to change our culture’s treatment of waste by reusing it. Sarah was most recently dubbed a “Person to Watch in 2016” by Hudson Valley Magazine, and has been featured in the Poughkeepsie Journal and has spoken at business events including the Hudson Valley Women in Business Group. Zero to Go provides an education-based approach to waste management at events, large and small throughout the New York region, directing garbage that would normally end up in a landfill to local composting and recycling facilities.

Katie Hellmuth Martin is co-founder of Tin Shingle and publisher of A Little Beacon Blog. Since 2005 when she hung her own shingle as a designer of websites and accessories, Katie has worked with businesses of all sizes to grow their digital footprints using newsletters, company blogs, user experience, social media, and a creative look at SEO performance. For Tin Shingle, she is lead designer, community membership nurturer, columnist, and director of partnerships and advertising.

Sabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the founder of Sabina Knows. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: From Kickstarter to the Container Store: How Color Clutch Broke Into Retail

Covered In This Webinar

When Katharine Contag, creator and founder of the Color Clutch, a revolutionary nail polish organizer, asked submitted a press release to her fellow Tin Shingle members in the Community Boards for group workshopping, we knew we had to feature her on a TuneUp to learn more of her business story. Katharine's product was debuting on the shelves of the Container Store nation-wide, followed by Ricky's NYC, and she wanted to get the word out, fast. Katharine not only secured a wholesale account in this retail mecca, but she had raised over $16,000 of seed money during a Kickstarter campaign. Listen to this webinar to find out:

ABOUT KATHARINE CONTAG

• How Katharine's background at in retail and finance helped prep her to be a creator and marketer of a revolutionary new product she designed out of necessity in a small New York City apartment where nail polish bottles had taken over her bathroom.

KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

• How did you finance the Color Clutch to design and produce it before your Kickstarter Campaign? Was it a limited run?

• What did your Kickstarter campaign allow you to do with the Color Clutch?

• How did you structure your Kickstarter campaign to increase backer engagement with it?

• How did you work with your highest level backer, The Innovation Team?

• How did you promote your Kickstarter campaign?

RETAIL SCORE! - THE CONTAINER STORE & RICKY’S NYC!

• How many stores nationwide carry Color Clutch?

• How did you find a contact at The Container Store, and pitch them?

• How long did it take you from pitch to acceptance to get launched?

• How did you build buzz before the launch in The Container Store?

THE COLOR CLUTCH WEBSITE

• The website design is amazing - how did it impact your pitch to the Container Store - or did it?

• Did you hire a photographer and creative director for your photo shoots, or DIY it?

• How do you plan on using Bloggers and Vloggers to spread the word?

NEXT STEPS

• How is the Color Clutch doing right now in the Container Store?

• What are your next steps for building the business?

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for premium members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes!

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Katie Hellmuth Martin is the Co-Founder of Tin Shingle and is committed to educating small businesses in common sense, yet sexy ways of marketing through search engines, and online branding. Small businesses from Main Street, to corporate agencies on Madison Avenue have relied on Katie for insight and forward thinking approaches to using today's technology to lock in online branding to increase sales. As lead producer and digital strategist at InHouse Design Media, Katie has developed e-commerce and content based websites, and devised SEO and social strategies for businesses of all types, including retail and service. She has managed the traffic flow and sales process for websites during features on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Daily Candy. She is also the publisher of the local media source, A Little Beacon Blog. Katie speaks and teaches SEO and online marketing, and has been featured in Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, New York Daily News, and other publications. Connect with her on Twitter via @KJPixelated and @TinShingle, on Instagram @katiejamespixelated and @TinShingle and on Google+.

Online Class TuneUp: PR Planning for November 2017

A favorite of listeners, the PR Planning for This Month series demystifies the ins and outs of the PR and pitching world giving you confidence and skills to have success in making buzz about your business.  This training TuneUp is streamlined to help you:

• Prep your PR pitching campaigns AND blog/social media content planning.
• Pump you with relevant story ideas, topics, and themes to use now!

Covered In This TuneUp:

• Short Leads (What's trending right now and how you can use social media -or even last minute pitches- to create buzz about your biz during the month of Thanksgiving.)
• Medium Leads (What is of interest to websites, blogs, tv, and celebrity weeklies - Holiday stories you can still pursue placement.)
• Long Leads (What print magazines are working on for 2018 that you need to be pitching now. Hint: Valentine's Gift Guides!)
• Editorial Calendars: During this TuneUp you get a sneak peek into Tin Shingle's private member-only database which contains editorial calendars from editors at glossy print magazines.

Online Class: SEO, Google Analytics, Mobilegeddon, and a Rapid Fire Q&A Session

Change the way you see your website and start seeing the growth opportunities you didn't see before! Resident SEO expert and Tin Shingle co-founder Katie Hellmuth Martin is taking you on a trip into a real Google Analytics account so that you can see exactly what you can be looking at on your own website. This TuneUp is great for businesses who sell product, experts who sell services, and bloggers who sell content.

Covered In This Webinar

VOCAB

Not sure what some SEO terms mean? Don't worry, Katie will do a quick run through of vocab terms used during this TuneUp before you get started.

KEYWORDS

Keywords are (sort of) back in Google Analytics for you to see to help you target new customers - if you use Google's free Webmaster Tools. Katie explores how to use this information to create content for your website that attracts new clients, customers and links.

GOOGLE ANALYTICS

Your most insightful tool (it's free!) for analyzing who is coming to your website, why they are coming, and what they are doing there. Katie takes a deep dive into her favorite Google Analytics reports to look at, analyze, and get ideas from.

MOBILEGEDDON

What happened after Google’s Big Change for Mobile, and why that was a nice warning. Plus, learn game-changing moves from big players like the New York Times.

Q&A WITH KATIE

During a repid fire Q&A session, Katie answers burning questions from businesses. Questions include:

• "How do I tag my blog posts?"

• "Do you like Shopify or BigCommerce better?"

• "Should I run Google Ads on my website that sells jewelry and my brand?"

• "How can I position myself as an expert on my website and make it strong for SEO?"

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for premium members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes!

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Katie Hellmuth Martin is the Co-Founder of Tin Shingle and is committed to educating small businesses in common sense, yet sexy ways of marketing through search engines, and online branding. Small businesses from Main Street, to corporate agencies on Madison Avenue have relied on Katie for insight and forward thinking approaches to using today's technology to lock in online branding to increase sales. As lead producer and digital strategist at StudioPixelated, Katie has developed e-commerce and content based websites, and devised SEO and social strategies for businesses of all types, including retail and service. She has managed the traffic flow and sales process for websites during features on The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Daily Candy. Katie speaks and teaches SEO and online marketing, and has been featured in Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, New York Daily News, and other publications. Connect with her on Twitter via @KJPixelated and @TinShingle, on Instagram @katiejamespixelated and @TinShingle and on Google+.

Online Class: How To Turn Your Blog Into A Press Magnet

If your business has a blog, is it currently getting you regular press and driving traffic to your website? If the answer to that was no, then this #TuneUp is a must-listen for you! With a just a few tweaks to your blog and to your outreach strategy, you can turn your blog into a press magnet! Putting your business into the limelight.

Covered in this Podcast

• A substantial increase in relationships with influencers from your industry.

• More traffic to your website, and even better: repeat traffic to your website

• Organic buzz about your brand

In addition to the power blogging strategies this class covers, we're going to hook you up by sharing:

• How to use social media to bring people over to that beautiful blog

• Tips on finding or creating free images for your blog

• The last sentence every blog needs to include to guarantee engagement

Having a blog on your company's website is as essential as having that website in the first place, but that isn't enough. If you're going to blog, you want that blog to work for you! This #TuneUp will make that happen! Also, download Tin Shingle's Blog Planning and Production Calendar to make this all a lot easier.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Sabina Ptacin Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Selling Your Fiction Books to Publishers and Working With Editors

Writing a work of fiction and getting it published are two different things. The hardest part may be the selling of your book to a publisher. How does that process work? Who does one appeal to, and how? In this TuneUp, we speak with 4 time author Kelly O'Connor McNees who releases her 4th novel, Undiscovered Country, with Pegasus Books in 2018. Kelly shares with us her winning query letter that sold her book - we get to see the components of the letter that your letter will soon have too!

Kelly is also an editor-for-hire under her company Word Bird Edits, and you'll see why. Writing a book and submitting it to publishers or literary agents isn't enough. The manuscript must be almost perfect. Kelly reveals what a finished manuscript looks like - and while you may think it's done, it's really not.

Questions covered include:

• What catches the eye of a publisher.

• The components of a winning pitch query letter.

• How the editing landscape has changed for editors who work in publishing houses.

• Why fiction authors need to work with an editor before submitting the book idea.

Online Class: 2017 Resolutions for Business and Personal Part 2

The key to building buzz, is to first think big. A simple act, right? Right. But to actually reach that big dream, you must hit several milestones along the way. Because you are in the business of growing a small business, things get personal. Your personal goals blend with you business goals. At the beginning of each year, when we are setting New Year's Resolutions, this is no time to mess around, and to just say: "I want to get skinny this year," or "I want to have a lot of money this year."

At Tin Shingle, we approach this differently. We declare the items we are going to achieve, because they are going to impact big results. This is so important to us, that we have brought in two experts to clear the paths for this: a money expert, Galia Gichon of Down to Earth Finance, and a life building expert Christine Agro of Awaken with Christine Agro.

This is the time to hunker down in your thoughts, and declare what it is you are going to do differently this year. You are going to confront the Devil in the Details and make big change in your life, that will open doors and clear paths for you to reach the big business dream(s) you envisioned. The way we see resolutions at Tin Shingle go something like this:

• File my taxes on time this year - this translates into creating good financial health in general, and getting wealthier (vs living in the scary zone of owing back taxes, dings on your credit with leans that don't let you borrow money, etc.)

• Pay my bills on time - causing higher credit score and perhaps forcing self to not spend as much debt in order to keep payments low - thus causing more cash wealth.

• Eat more cous-cous. Don't laugh - this translates into "eating healthier"

• Double the income of my spouse - this translates into "have my business earn lots of money and pay all the bills"

During this TuneUp, we will discuss ways to hit these goals/resolutions. We will:

• Set or Reset Resolutions: What were they? Don't remember? That's OK. We'll set fresh ones.

• Measure Progress

• Explore The Energetics of Getting Things Done, with Christine Agro

• What’s going on when despite a desire, a will and action, you aren’t getting to where you want to be or what you want to create. Christine will be focusing on 3 areas to help you break through to success:

  • ​Energetic blocks

  • Energetic programming (mindset)

  • Timing

• Money Matters, with Galia Gichon

Because let’s be real - life is better when you have money to spend, have money in a savings account, and just know what is going on with your money. Galia will be focusing on 3 areas to get control of your money to grow it:

• Retirement Measurement

• Galia's favorite apps to track your money

• One easy way to set sending goals

About Our Special Guest Experts

Christine Agro

Christine Agro is a Spiritual Teacher and Clairvoyant and she is the creator of The Awaken Method, a simple process to help you step into flow and create a life you love. Christine's information comes from her deep connection to Spirit and through her observations from working with thousands of students and clients for (almost) 20 years. She has gathered clear and simple insight into how our lives unfold, what we are working on Spiritually, how it shows up in our life and what we can do to create balance, flow and ease. In addition to her passion of supporting people on their journey, she is the founder and Higher Priestess of The Church of Nature, which offers an eco-spiritual celebration of the Self through the reflection of Nature.

Christine has been seen on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Animal Planet, written about in the NY Times as well as contributed to numerous magazine and newspaper articles. She is cited in Grace Coddington's best selling book 'Grace, a Memoir,' in Colette Baron Reid's 'Messages From Spirit' and in Lawrence R. Samuel's Super Natural America: A Cultural History.

​Galia Gichon

Galia Gichon is founder of Down to Earth Finance and an independent personal financial expert with more than 18 years of experience in financial services, including nearly 10 years on Wall Street and an MBA in Finance from Fordham University. At Down to Earth Finance, she offers individual sessions and seminars to address personal financial needs and concerns. Galia is the author of, “My Money Matters”, a boxed set of financial cards with money affirmations, instant money tips and workbooks. She has spoken at Pennsylvania, Texas and Massachusetts Governor’s Conference for Women, and is a frequent speaker at Freelancers Union, Barnard College’s Financial Fluency Program, and Athena Center for Leadership. She has been quoted in Newsweek, CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal.com, NY1, Good Housekeeping, Self, Essence, Glamour and MSN Money and much more. Before starting her own company, Galia worked at Bear Stearns, Nomura Securities, and Institutional Investor.

Online Class: How Your Business Blog Can Build Credibility, Buzz and Engagement

In this TuneUp e-class, learn how your business blog can spread your digital footprint and increase your branding opportunities. Tin Shingle co-founders Sabina Hitchen and Katie Hellmuth Martin take you through ideas and strategies you can start using today to breathe new life into your blog and bring it to the next level.

Covered In This Webinar

• Brand Storytelling: Why your blog is one of the most powerful ways of creating your own brand storytelling to help it spread online.

• Depth to Website: How a blog adds depth and action on an otherwise static website that doesn't change frequently.

• Credibility: How your business blog creates validation of your brand.

• Media Love Blogs: How the press will use your business blog if they are considering your business in a news story.

• Facebook: Why blogging at Facebook isn't enough, and how you could be missing out on long-term exposure.

• Plan Your Work - Work Your Plan! Sabina and Katie suggest easy ways you can plan out in advance what will be on your blog. (HINT: Use the Blog Planning Calendar that is mentioned in this e-class)

• Key Ways to Create Killer Content: You can do it! You will learn strategies that even magazines use to create content that your readers, customers and clients will love.

• Share It! Great ways you can lead people to your blog post and business website from Instagram and other social streams.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for premium members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes!

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About the TuneUp Series

Each week Tin Shingle hosts a live call-in e-class called a TuneUp that focuses on a featured topic in buzz-building. These classes can include PR, social media, SEO, blogging, newsletter strategies, and more. The e-class is recorded it to make it available as a podcast or video webinar. Our experts and special guests lead each class. We take real questions from real business owners and answer them on the spot. TuneUps are available to everyone, but are free for Tin Shingle members.

About The Instructor

Sabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Pitching Short Lead Media for Valentine's Day Press

Valentine's Day is a time for gift-guides, love experts, anti-Valentine's Day themes, and so many more angles. All you need to do is get your ducks in a row and make a strategy. For national coverage in glossy magazines, aka "long lead" media, preparation and pitching is done in October, or 3-6 months prior to February 14th. Pitching is done again in January for press opportunities with "short lead" media outlets. This podcast is designed to give you guidance on what you will be pitching to the media in January and early February.

Covered in this Podcast

This class is dedicated to helping you as a small business owner plot how you will pitch your business to "short lead" media outlets like TV, blogs and weekly magazines and newspapers for Valentine’s Day press coverage. Tin Shingle's Guest Expert, Jamie Werner, Director of PR for Moderne Press, answers the following questions during this podcast:

• "How soon can a business begin pitching Valentine’s Day to "short lead" outlets (blogs, television, newspaper, website, and weekly magazines)?"

• "What types of press do you recommend going after for Valentine's Day?"

• "If I have an accessories or fashion product, should I be pitching stylists too?"

• "What items does any business need to prepare to pitch the press for Valentine’s Day?"

• "What type of research (in terms of outlets and contacts) should a small business do prior to pitching Valentine's Day?"

• "How do you decide what images and products to feature in a pitch letter?"

• "Should I mention past press and buzz for my product or leave it out of the pitch?"

• "Do you recommend calling or emailing short lead media?"

• "What are some recommendations for how to create a catchy and clear subject line?"

• "What rules of follow up do you follow when pitching short lead press for holidays like Valentine's Day?"

• "Should I expect to send an outlet a sample or just images when pitching?"

• "If I send a reporter or editor a sample of a product for a Valentine's Day story, how can I protect and track my sample?"

• "I’ve been told that it your chances for getting a press 'hit' increase when you have a relationship with the editor or reporter. What are some tactics you use to grow relationships?"

• "Do companies that offer affiliate links have a leg up to landing press, so that a blogger or website owner can earn money off of their recommendation in a roundup?"

• "Who are popular bloggers in Fashion, Home Décor and Fashion right in 2014/2015?"

• "What are some things I can do to leverage my Valentine's Day hit after it happens?

• "Do you send thank you notes or emails or gifts after a press hit happens?"

• "Are you always told by a reporter or editor if your material was used in a press story?"

• "Do you ever go after editors or producers on Twitter if they aren’t responding via email?"

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Jamie Werner, Moderne PressJamie Werner is the PR Director at Moderne Press, a San Francisco based boutique public relations agency, that represents brands in the fashion, home décor, and lifestyle industries. The media strategists at Moderne Press feel passionately about working with boutique and small business brands, and value establishing the brand's voice in order to heighten that brand’s visibility. Moderne Press has placed clients in a variety of media such as People StyleWatch, Real Simple, Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Brides, InStyle, Good Morning America, Vanity Fair, DailyCandy and Apartment Therapy among many others. Follow Moderne Press on their website, www.modernepress.com, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Online Class: How To Write the Perfect Pitch to Land Amazing Press - Template Included!

Believe it or not it can be a pleasure to pitch the media when you have a system in place for your pitch creation, you know how to do it quickly and correctly and you get responses back regularly that lead to buzz building stories about your business.

This #TuneUp is going to show you the exact formula that you'll be able to replicate and customize for your business in order to create a pitch about your product, service or expertise that gets opened, and increase the likelihood that it also gets answered and used for a story.

Covered In This Webinar

• The architecture of a successful pitch: we will give you a template that answers: What does this pitch look like? How long should it be? What format and layout? Do you include images?

• The 3 mistakes most subject lines make and how to correct them.

• How to answer a reporter's initial response to ensure you keep the conversation going about your business.

• Mastering the art of the follow up. We will also give you examples of follow ups to use in your own outreach.

• The one thing nearly every reporter and producer from the Today Show to Inc. Magazine has said to Sabina about pitching them.

• How to know when it's the right time to pitch a reporter, producer and editor is and when it's definitely the wrong time.

• Don't press "send" on your pitch email until you do these 4 things.

BONUS: A sample pitch letter comes with this recording so that you can see the successful pitch letter Sabina refers to in this class. This letter will be in the form of a PDF and will be available to you on this same page after you purchase the class. If you are a Premium Member of Tin Shingle, it is available to you as a link right now from this page!

How To Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for premium members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

Online Class: It's All About The Contacts, Baby!

In the quest to get the name and story of your brand out there, on the journey to sharing your products, services and expertise, it often does boil down to who do you know and who knows about you! Public Relations is all about...Relationships!

Finding the right people to tell your story to, getting their email and phone information, connecting with them and building your virtual Rolodex, can be the hardest part of DIY PR! But also the most rewarding.

This class will hone in on just that! We'll walk you through several proven tactics that publicists and DIY PR pros know and use to be sure their message isn't only heard but that it's heard by the right people and then shared!

Covered In This Podcast

• How you can find the email or phone contact information for the media contacts you know will love your company's brand story?

• How you know you're reaching out to the right people?

• Media contacts move around A LOT - how you can keep track of their contact info?

• Realistic ways you can use Twitter to connect with game changing press contacts - and even celebrities.

• How you can wrangle some face to face time with your target contacts?

• Do people really "do coffee" any more to talk about business?

• Sending your target contacts gifts - we will discuss the art of this tactic.

• We also cover real life questions from business owners like you.

How To Listen

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for premium members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes!

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:

Sabina Ptacin Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: How to Follow Up with the Media the Right Way - Scenarios, Strategies, & Success-Minded Answers

One of the hardest parts about running your own PR campaign is the pitching of the media (aka, emailing a reporter or editor with the reason you want them to cover your business). After you email them - what then? When and how do you follow-up? Whether you're getting crickets (aka no response) or getting responses that you're unsure about answering, knowing how and when to act can mean the difference between a "GO" for a press story or a pass. Listen to this TuneUp, and your confidence will change when it comes to sending a follow-up email to someone in the media.

• Learn real-life pitching scenarios from business owners of all kinds, and hear the different types of follow-ups that work for each one.

• Discover how not to follow-up with a reporter or editor.

• Revealed: the #1 rule you need to follow to ensure you are following up the right way with every member of the press, from bloggers to TV producers.

• Get the answer to your biggest question: "How long do I have to wait before I follow up?"

• See how a a "pass" or "no" can be turned into a "YES" for press placement.

• Control your inner panic of: "Why is no one replying to my emails?" with the most common reasons why pitches aren't being answered and what you can do about it.

How To Listen

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes!

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

Member Price: FREE
Non-Member Price:
9.99

Each week we host a live call-in class called a #TuneUp about a featured subject, and then we record it to make it available as a podcast. Our experts and special guests lead each class. We take real questions from real business owners and answer them on the spot.

About Your Instructor

Sabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Using Twitter And Other Social Media To Boost Your PR Success

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest can be very powerful tools for your PR campaign. Are you using them to build your press? These tools can make everything from finding contacts to pitching editors and producers faster, easier and more fun!

COVERED IN THIS PODCAST CLASS:

• Simple, straightforward and powerful ways you can juice up your PR campaign by using social media - and start doing today!

• How to make your social media outreach less stressful and more fruitful!

• Types of tweets that successful businesses incorporate into their Twitter program on a regular basis.

• How to hunt down an editor, producer, stylist or celebrity on Twitter.

• Things you probably aren't doing on social media right now that could be game changers for your business!

How To Listen

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About The TuneUp Series

Each week we host a live call-in class called a TuneUp about a featured subject, and then we record it to make it available as a podcast. Our experts and special guests lead each class. We take real questions from real business owners and answer them on the spot.

About Your Instructor

Sabina Ptacin HitchenSabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Your PR & Social Media Questions Answered!

Have you asked yourself any of these questions below as you are getting press for your business? Stream this TuneUp now to get these answers answered and apply these guidelines to your PR campaign right away!

Covered In This Webinar

• "I’m trying to get my business on a morning show like the Today Show or Good Morning America but no one is biting, what am I doing wrong?"

• "What are the main types of pitches that I should be sending out about my business every month in order to get noticed in a big way?"

• "How can I get stylists to notice my fashion/accessories products?"

• "How can I get my food products to a celebrity I KNOW would love them?"

• "My business story was featured on a website, how can I leverage this opportunity and 'get it out there' so that more people see it?"

• "What are some tactics I can use to increase my Facebook & Twitter following?"

• "What should I do if someone I really want to connect with for my business starts following me on Twitter?"

• "If a member of the press says 'no' to me for a specific story, how can I increase my chances of being picked up by them for a future story?"

• And more - in fact the next question could be YOURS! You can always email your questions to us to info@tinshingle.com or tweet us at @TinShingle

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Sabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Anatomy of a Killer Newsletter

Your brand's newsletter is one of the most powerful tools in your small business tool belt. Firstly, it has multiple benefits: getting the attention of current and potential customers, boosting sales, adding value to your business, giving you the opportunity to share more about your biz with readers...we could go on for ages. Secondly, it's 100% in your control. That means once you master newsletter strategy and learn tricks to increase open rates and decrease unsubscribes, the sky's the limit! In this #TuneUp training webinar, learn newsletter strategy from layout to subject lines to graphics. Tin Shingle co-founders Sabina and Katie share newsletter inspiration from real businesses who are creating emails that "convert" (into traffic, sales, customers and visibility).

Covered In This Podcast

• The do's and don'ts of newsletter layouts.

• How often do you need to send a newsletter to make an impact? We'll talk it through!

• Subject lines: What works, what doesn't, what should you never do? We'll tell you!

• The power of the A/B split: Mastering this (free) newsletter tool will make a huge difference in your email's impact.

• The big mistakes businesses make when sending newsletters and how to avoid them.

• Feeling overwhelmed with your newsletter content creation and production? We'll explain how to ease the workload while still creating great emails.

• Bells and whistles you can easily add to your newsletter to boost conversion and grow your list.

• Want to get inspired by newsletters that work? We know you do & we share some real-life examples with you.

BONUS: The presentation slides come with this podcast. They are included as a link on this page while you are listening to the podcast. Click on the link at the PDF will download to your computer.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Sabina Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: How to Pitch Your Service Business or Expertise Successfully

Being a service provider or an expert is a beautiful thing, in terms of your public relations! Why? It offers boundless opportunities to share your story and expertise with press, you can easily "spin" yourself into breaking news stories, trend pieces and seasonal segments and you're often a TV producers dream guest!

With all these great opportunities to grow your brand and business, what are you waiting for? It's time you spent some time listening to what we discussed during this #PRTuneUp. It was all about maxxing out press opportunities as a service or expert based brand!

Covered In This Podcast

• Why service providers and expert-based brands have an advantage in the pitching department, and what they have to do to make that happen.

• What service providers and experts must do every month to maximize press and media coverage.

• How your company's blog could lead to more visibility, buzz and press.

• What social media tactics are best for service and expert based brands.

• What two types of pitches you should master and pre-write for maximum TV exposure.

• How to share your "A-Ha Moment" and business story with the press as an expert or service provider.

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Sabina Ptacin Hitchen is the co-founder of Tin Shingle and the President of Red Branch Public Relations. She has been practicing, teaching and lecturing on all things public relations for over eight years and specializes in lifestyle public relations for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Sabina's clients have appeared everywhere from the Today Show, Good Morning America and CBS This Morning to Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc.com, O the Oprah Winfrey Magazine, People StyleWatch, E! News and more. She is a true believer that "it's PR not ER" and that every small business given the right skills and tools can excel at managing and understanding their public relations campaign.

Online Class: Tin Shingle's New Membership Packages Unveiled

Tin Shingle's membership model is changing to add flexibility and options at different price-points. When you subscribe as a member of Tin Shingle, you will now have different levels of which you can select from, depending on what you need from Tin Shingle, and where you are in your business right now. Here to tell you about it face to face is Tin Shingle's co-founder Katie Hellmuth Martin. In this TuneUp, Katie unveils the new model and pricing plans.

You'll also get a sneak peek into the new offerings that Tin Shingle is extending: Private Training. Tin Shingle has been developing a Private Strategy and Training program for members who need personalized guidance from someone at Tin Shingle. One of our most frequently asked question on sales calls from people wondering about if Tin Shingle is right for them is this: "I can join, but I can talk to you, right?" Well, yes, in our Community Boards, digitally. But not via a consulting call or retainer package. You will learn more about those during this TuneUp.

NOTE: Businesses who are members of Tin Shingle prior to the price change are automatically locked into their rate. You don't need to do a thing to lock it in.

DEAL ALERT: The deal price of $39/month is still available, but only for hours more. You can lock this in now, or pick your membership package later at the regular price! But you'll miss the lock-in opportunity.

Online Class: How to Host a Press (Editor) Preview: Proven Strategies for Success

A little known fact to most small business owners is that editors want to attend parties you host for them. The industry term for this soiree is a "press preview". It's a meet-and-greet where you get to display and discuss what is going on in your business. It works for authors, fashion lines, food companies, and more. Publicists Kelly Kepner and Jordan Landes-Brenman walk you through how to have one, and the strategies behind a successful press preview.

Covered In This Webinar

• Is there a certain time of year that is best to hold these types of events?

• Should hold a press preview more than once a year?

• If you live in a small town and don’t live in a major city like New York or LA, can you still hold a press preview? Who would come? Should you travel to New York to do it?

• How far in advance do you begin planning and strategizing your press preview?

• What do you need to know to plan and host a press preview? From securing a space, inviting editors, prepping products, securing an appropriate space, Kelly and Jordan will answer these questions.

• How should you decorate?

• What you can expect in terms of what really goes on a Press Preview (aka Editor Preview).

• What are key points you want to convey to the editors when they’re there?

• What are the big “no no’s” on the preview/showcase day?

• How should or shouldn’t social media be involved in these previews? Can you tweet or Facebook the event?

• After the event, how soon should you follow up with your guests who visited?

• How can you publicize your press preview and build buzz from it?

How to Watch

Anyone can watch a Tin Shingle TuneUp from their computer, mobile phone or tablet. The process is different for Premium Members and the public.

MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Stream any TuneUp Webinar anytime with your Tin Shingle membership. No need to purchase it, this TuneUp is ready to play from this page! When you are logged in, you will see a big screen. Press play and start taking notes! Not a member yet? You really should be...

NON-MEMBERS OF TIN SHINGLE

Once you buy a TuneUp, you own it forever. The video or audio recording will appear on the TuneUp page that you just purchased from, and all you need to do is press play!

About Your Instructor

Haute House PR & Marketing, run by Jordan Landes-Brenman, is a nationwide, full-service public relations and events firm representing fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands. Kelly Kepner of Kelly Kepner Public Relations and Landes-Brenman both focus on editorial product placement, brand publicity, celebrity seeding, entertainment marketing, custom events, and advertising. At each of their publicity firms, they have secured placement in the top national magazines, including O, The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, SELF, Redbook, Realsimple, People StyleWatch, Lucky, Latina, and many more. When not locking coverage, you can find Jordan in a video series for eHow.com as an on-air fashion expert. She is also an event contributor for Style Music TV, and a columnist for Ventura Blvd. Find Haute House PR & Marketing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.HauteHousePR.com. You can find Kelly Kepner rocking her firm's Instagram account and posting her firm's success on Facebook.