Author: Franz Malten Buemann

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Hi all I’m currently writing an outbound cold email campaign for a client in cyber-security: I straight up don’t have experience – my boss is sending them out through Klenty. The offer: UK based software firm that delivers security solutions to businesses He’s said that the email marketing so far has hit a stagnant spot, and that he’d like fresh new ideas on the table. What I’ve currently written: Split A( benefit focused sequence) That part seems so be okay with higher ups. However, its basically what they’ve done already.. However, after proposing a loss aversion angle for split B to use against the control(split A), higher ups seem to think that this angle is too obviously salesy.. I am really struggling to find an effective angle to use for Split B.. Does anyone out there have experience writing for cyber-security? submitted by /u/Internal_Ad8442 [link] [comments]

This time each year, nature – as well as marketing – slows down as we head into colder seasons.
As we enter Q4, marketing departments are preparing for a slowdown in business that comes as people tune out towards the end of the year.
But, while seasonal change is expected and inevitable, this year’s economic shifts might cause some marketers to worry that this year could bring a flurry of poor numbers.
As you see dips or bumps in early Q4, you might wonder, “Is my marketing department experiencing seasonality or an impact of outside events, or are our numbers solely based on the work we’ve been doing?”
To help you gather evidence that proves or disproves the possibility of outside impacts in Q4, here’s a look at how businesses across industries entered the first month of it in October.
About this Data: These insights are based on data aggregated from 158,000+ HubSpot customers globally between July 2021 and October 2022. Because the data is aggregated from HubSpot customers’ businesses, please keep in mind that the performance of individual businesses, including HubSpot’s, might differ based on their markets, customer base, industry, geography, stage, and/or other factors.

How Marketing Metrics Are Shifting (or Staying the Same) in Early Q4
To learn how metrics were shifting, we looked at data from sample sizes of 120,000+ businesses.
Overall, we’re seeing that most inbound marketing metrics are down year-over-year. Luckily, the good news is that one major, hard-to-win metric, website conversion rate, is trending upward.

 

When looking month-over-month, numbers seem to be flatter with a mixed bag of small increases and decreases, which could hint that we’re heading into a seasonal time of slow growth, or starting to see some sluggishness due to the economic climate.

 

Below, I’ll break down each key marketing metric and walk through what we’ve seen across industries in Q4 so far.
Q4 Web Traffic So Far
Month-over-month, we see that fall and winter seasonality hasn’t harmed websites quite yet with most industries seeing flat, low-change in traffic. Only Technology, Information and Media (up 2% MoM) as well as Trade, Transportation and Utilities (up nearly 3%) saw any real change.
While seasonality might not be impacting the industries below, year-over-year data shows significant dips in traffic across industries (a theme we’ve seen throughout the last few months). Professional and Business Services (down 10%) saw the most significant annual loss, while Leisure and Hospitality saw the reverse with a nearly 7% YoY increase.

Industry
MoM
YoY
Sample size

All
1.30%
-10.80%
145,150

Construction
-1.21%
-5.39%
1,405

Education and Health Services
-0.42%
-3.74%
3,659

Financial Activities
1.32%
-11.12%
4,084

Leisure and Hospitality
-1.31%
6.99%
1,114

Manufacturing
-0.19%
-6.43%
4,463

Professional and Business Services
-0.55%
-9.65%
12,999

Technology, Information and Media
2.32%
-4.62%
14,934

Trade, Transportation and Utilities
2.92%
-5.58%
3,480

Why is this happening? Are we continuing to see solid annual traffic drops? We can’t be certain, but a few things that could be causing impacts are:

More and more, audiences spend time discovering and even shopping for products on social media directly – no longer relying on standalone company sites.
In 2021, many regions were still at least partially quarantined due to COVID-19. While the pandemic continues, most of the world’s lightened precautions, enabling economies to re-open and allowing more people to go out and spend less time surfing the web.
Search engines get more and more competitive daily as hundreds of sites aim to rank for the same keywords as their competitors. More competition directly impacts search traffic and, today, search result pages are more saturated than ever..

Website Conversions Grow Despite Traffic Dips
While traffic seems to be a tad sluggish in October, we’re seeing significant YoY gains (+10.95%) overall with Technology, Information and Media leading the pack (+22.1%) and only Trade, Transportation and Utilities, and Construction seeing decreases.
Across the board, we’re seeing a very slight MoM decrease overall, except for Technology, Information and Media which saw a large increase and Trade which saw the greatest decrease (aligning with slow tech business growth reports we’ve seen all over the news.)

Industry
MoM
YoY
Sample size

All
-1.76%
10.95%
124,836

Construction
-5.36%
-5.36%
1,166

Education and Health Services
2.26%
19.35%
3,316

Financial Activities
-4.59%
7.47%
3,542

Leisure and Hospitality
5.00%
9.70%
939

Manufacturing
-6.27%
12.95%
3,905

Professional and Business Services
0.31%
15.41%
11,451

Technology, Information and Media
17.27%
22.10%
13,504

Trade, Transportation and Utilities
-8.41%
-4.39%
2,984

Inbound Leads Stay Fairly Flat… Except in a Few Key Industries
In October, Inbound Leads were a mixed bag. However, the evidence of both positive and negative seasonality patterns become more obvious when looking at this metric.
Month-over-month, inbound leads remained flat with an overall 0.65% decrease. Manufacturing (-6.48%), as well as Transportation and Utilities (-5.6%), saw the biggest dips. Meanwhile, Construction (-8.75%) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (9.82%) saw significant YoY losses.
Where did inbound leads grow? Technology, Information and Media saw a sizable MoM and YoY increase of 5.22% each. Additionally, inbound leads overall saw a small annual increase with Education and Health Services (16.76%) and Leisure and Hospitality (17.15%) seeing the greatest gains. These boosts contributed to year-over-year growth of 1.63% for overall industries.

Industry
MoM
YoY
Sample size

All
-0.65%
1.63%
132,820

Construction
-4.48%
-8.75%
1,345

Education and Health Services
1.70%
16.76%
3,636

Financial Activities
-2.80%
-1.97%
3,876

Leisure and Hospitality
2.74%
17.15%
1,031

Manufacturing
-6.48%
4.31%
4,287

Professional and Business Services
0.15%
8.02%
12,648

Technology, Information and Media
5.22%
5.22%
14,592

Trade, Transportation and Utilities
-5.61%
-9.82%
3,251

What can we make of this data?
While we can expect year-over-year conversion rate growth with web traffic going down annually, some of the substantial losses and gains are due to more than just web traffic. A few potential impacts could be:

Products or services sold within manufacturing, trade, transportation, and utilities can be quite expensive or impacted by inflation. As people tighten their budgets with conflicting economic news, high-priced industries could be seeing some sluggish lead generation as people might only be focusing on just the products or services they need.
Seasonality is likely beginning to take effect as people begin to focus more on experiences driven by education, media, and holiday travel, while putting other industries on the back burner.
As we keep seeing news of career changes, recession-based company shifts, and the continuing pandemic, people might be more fixated on Education and Health Services industries than in previous quarters, leading to nearly-17% annual lead growth.

Are Marketing Emails Struggling to Be Seen?
In our previous reports, we noted that while marketers have been sending fewer emails – likely to meet the needs of today’s subscribers with heavily cluttered inboxes – they’re still seeing opens and open rates dip.
It’s tricky to guess what the problem could be, but as the HubSpot Blog’s former email manager, one suspicion I have is that email inboxes are far too saturated and competitive these days.

Metric
MoM
YoY
Sample size

Email sends
1.42%
-1.97%
141,791

Email opens
-1.14%
-15.85%
141,791

Email open rate
-2.19%
-13.71%
141,769

Ultimately, if your email isn’t seen in an inbox no one will open it. And, if you’re sending emails with great content, but non-competitive, non-eye-catching subject lines, your readers might not click into them.
Odds are, your subscriber subscribes to many other emails related to your industry. And, because of this, they compare you to competitors sending similar content with similar goals each day. This is why it’s so important for your brand’s emails to seem as interesting, unique, and eye-catching as possible – without looking too desperate.
To learn more about how to boost your open rate and opens, check out this helpful post.
Further Reading
When it comes to key marketing metrics, keeping a pulse on how the business world and your industry are doing can help you determine when and how to get ahead of competition.
For even more helpful data, check out our previous reports, plus a few additional research studies, as you plan your strategies for Q4 and beyond.

The Top Traffic, Conversion & Lead Trends in Q3: Data & Takeaways from 120,000 Businesses
Your Guide to Summer Web Traffic, Conversion & Lead Performance Across Industries
A Crisis of Disconnection: 3 Business Trends Stifling Business Growth in 2022

Lastly, be sure to check out our free, downloadable 2022 State of Marketing Report below – with data and tips from experts across the global marketing industry.

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🖊️Small Business, Big Lessons is a podcast from Buffer that goes behind the scenes with inspirational small businesses to explore how they are questioning the best ways to build a business and uncover the big lessons we can learn from their journeys (so far). Check out episode eight here.Running a small business requires grit and perseverance, but these entrepreneurs found in order to really succeed they needed to relinquish certain beliefs that they once held close. In our final episode of season 2 of our podcast Small Business, Big Lessons, we spoke to several entrepreneurs about former thought processes they had to leave behind in order to grow their small business and why that was the right decision for them.Why letting go is important for these longtime entrepreneursLetting go of previous viewpoints is never easy, especially when it comes to beliefs or ideas we’ve held for a long time, but according to business consultant Holly Howard sometimes entrepreneurs can get too attached to certain beliefs and need that push to let go. She finds author Katie Byron’s concept of asking oneself “Is it true?” is a great way to think about whether some of our ideologies are still relevant today. Holly shared, “’Is it true,’ is a helpful way to sort of play with this idea of letting go with entrenched beliefs. Because sometimes, when we are challenged around our beliefs, we can get really triggered, right? And we can double down and we can hold tight to things, because those beliefs have been our safety.”Checking in with yourself and evaluating whether your beliefs are relevant and whether they still resonate can help from becoming stuck in a certain mindset. Seasoned entrepreneurs Rand Fishkin and Ari Weinzweig have learned the power of letting go early on in their careers and say it’s helped them immensely in all aspects of their lives.How one entrepreneur practices detachmentRand Fishkin, co-founder of audience research tool SparkToro, finds letting go a bit easier than most people do. The entrepreneur says he’s developed an unusual detachment from previously held beliefs and prior ideas, and even has learned to not get too attached to the sentimental things in his life. He credits this to his maturity and that fact that he’s able to rationally reason about things – even when emotions are involved. When it comes to his past experiences as a small business owner, Rand does have some regrets. Specifically from his time as CEO of his first business Moz, a SEO software company. Looking back now, Rand believes he valued the wrong things when running Moz, like having a big staff, a huge IPO, and raising lots of money. Now, he thinks the opposite is true, and is running SparkToro with different values, including smaller team sizes. “I have so many things I regret from my time at Moz. And also, I’m deeply grateful for the experience. And I think those two things can be tough to reconcile, but they can simultaneously exist and you can still be at peace,” he said.While it’s not always easy for Rand to reflect on his former business, he has chosen to forgive himself from his past mistakes and has let go of any deep feelings he has about the time. This has allowed him to start anew with SparkToro. Still, he understands that forgiving oneself and detaching from past experiences isn’t always an easy journey. But he believes that, eventually, anyone can get there. “I think people who have gotten to that place [of letting go], have gotten there through active work on it,” he said. “Through emotional processing, and the ability to reflect on their actions and reflect on the life they want to lead. How they want to be in the world and the impact they want to have on people around them.”Viewing letting go is an essential part of life and businessAri Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s community of businesses, believes that once we become conscious of our beliefs, we are free to unlearn them or choose beliefs that are more compatible with our lives. This philosophy around letting go has allowed him to succeed as an entrepreneur but in his personal life, too.Thinking back to his childhood, he can pinpoint certain beliefs that have benefited his life and others that he’s had to confront. “I love to read. So this is something I grew up with. And that belief that I got when I was two has served me really well,” Ari said. “Other beliefs, like that asking for help was weak, were very unhelpful. And so I’ve needed to relearn how to do that.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Zingerman’s Community (@zingermanscommunity) Similar to Rand, Ari also learned to detach himself from Zingerman’s. He tries not to let past failures with the business define him. He takes insights from author Carol Dweck’s book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” and believes that everyone is a good person who is trying their best. By operating with that mindset, Ari views failure as a necessary component of life. “When we embrace imperfection, then of course, I make mistakes. Of course, not everything’s going to work out. And then I need processes, techniques to help myself reground because there’s failure happening constantly in the ecosystem,” Ari said. How these entrepreneurs had to let go in order to start their small businessesHere’s what these entrepreneurs had to let go of in order to go all in with their small businesses.Leaving full time jobs to pursue a passionWhen Becky and Huw founded Paynter Jacket, an ethical clothing store that drops four jacket releases a year, they were both still working full time jobs while running their small business on the side. They did this to be cautious and not put all of their eggs in one basket, but eventually, as they started gaining social media followers and released their first batch, Becky decided to quit her job. She left on her birthday as a gift to herself. Letting go of the stability that a job provides was nerve-wracking, though she was also excited for the future of Paynter. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Paynter (@paynterjacket) “I think it was lucky that I waited until after batch number one [to quit my job], because we had customers and we really did have a lot to do. It was everything I’d wanted,” Becky said. “And it was also really intimidating at the same time because you don’t have a boss or a mentor that you have in a bigger company that you can say I’m struggling with this, or can I just check this with you?”Soon after, Huw took the plunge and quit his job, but letting go was a bit more difficult for him, especially because he really appreciated his work environment and colleagues. “It was actually really hard for me to leave my job because I was in a company that I absolutely loved,” he said. “I loved the people there. I loved the purpose of the business. I loved doing my job every day,” Huw said. “It was hard to even think about leaving because like, this whole team around me, I absolutely loved them.” It was Huw’s boss and mentor who finally gave him the push he needed. He sat Hu down and told him he believed in Paynter’s success. And also reminded Huw that he was at the perfect stage in his life where he could take the risk and go out on a limb.While letting go of jobs that provided stability and comfort weren’t easy for Becky and Huw, doing so was the only way they were able to put their all into Paynter Jacket.An evolution of a career pathBefore Kelly Phillips founded Destination Unknown Restaurants, she was working full time as a journalist and food writer. It was through her day job at the Philadelphia City Paper where she was able to learn the ins and outs of the restaurant industry that made her interested in opening up one herself. While switching careers to owning restaurants instead of simply writing about them may seem like a big jump, Kelly sees it as a natural evolution of her career path. “I think this is my story. I think I was meant to open restaurants and I was meant to be this person, I still get to tell a story in a different way.”This career change has helped Kelly let go of limiting beliefs she once had about herself. As a writer, she never felt confident about her public speaking abilities, and felt more comfortable putting pen to paper. But after founding Destination Unknown Restaurants, she’s been invited on podcasts and has participated in multiple speaking engagements. “Writing brought me a lot of happiness, seeing an article published in the newspaper, I would be really proud of that. But I think what I’m doing now is more of a challenge for me, it’s harder for me and it’s less comfortable for me. And because of that I’ve grown and become a better person,” Kelly said.Letting go of comparisonsFounding a start-up is never easy, especially when you’re living in Silicon Valley and are surrounded by hundreds of other start-ups. Andrea, co-founder of Harlow, a small business with the mission to help freelancers get organized, has learned to not hold herself to the standards of what everyone else is doing in the industry. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Harlow (@meetharlow) “I live in San Francisco, I’m in the heart of startup tech culture here. And a lot of times success is measured by funding by how much money you’ve raised, by how many employees you have. And it’s definitely a work in progress to remind myself that that’s not our measure of success and come back to our core beliefs and our values and that we’re building something different than a lot of people in Silicon Valley. And that’s okay.”By choosing to not compare their business to other tech companies, Andrea is letting go of traditional startup values and instead embracing what makes Harlow unique. This has allowed her to dive into her small business and run it without being constricted by other people’s input and ideas.How letting go has allowed these small businesses to reach their highest potentialFor many entrepreneurs, letting go of certain mindsets was an essential part of starting their brands. But, the learning never stops. Throughout the course of their small business journeys, these leaders have had to let go of old habits and ways in order to successfully grow their companies.Realizing the power of teamworkWhen Joel first founded Buffer, he held the belief that, as a founder and CEO, he alone would have the answers to all of Buffer’s problems. But eventually, as the company grew (we now have over 80 team members), Joel realized that he needed to let go of this notion that he himself could do it all on his own.“I think I’ve had moments where I might dip back into that and be like, ‘okay, this isn’t working. I’m gonna dig in and solve this,’” he said. “I think I’ve had to let go of that being the way to solve things and lean much more into communication and getting everyone aligned and onboard and understanding the vision.”As an introspective person, Joel still often takes time to reflect on situations by himself, but has learned to share his thoughts and reflections with the rest of the team. This creates an environment at Buffer where everyone is on the same page and has a chance to speak up on key issues.Letting go of the need for praise and accoladesInitially, Kelly was focused on the reviews, accolades and stars she could receive for her food when she first opened her restaurants. But once she took a step back and focused inwards, she noticed that her business was improving internally. “And I think when I let go of that, when I stopped putting that pressure on myself, and I focused on just being a great restaurant in our community, and a great place to work for our team, I think that’s when the restaurant actually clicked. That’s when things started to work,” she said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Destination Unknown Restaurants (@destinationunknownrestaurants) Instead of thinking about the press and other external factors, Kelly honed in on the important things: that the business was profitable, her employees were happy, the food was good, and customers were having a great time. Looking at things from this perspective ultimately allowed her restaurants to succeed.Being flexible and open to shifting one’s perspectiveSamantha and Andrea had a specific vision of their community’s needs when they first opened up Harlow. But once they started getting more and more clients, they realized they’d have to let go of the idea that they understood all of the obstacles their users faced.“One of the most humbling things about building Harlow is recognizing that Andrea and I’s pain points as freelancers are not the same pain points that all freelancers are experiencing,” Samantha said.  “So just recognizing that this audience is very diverse, and they have a lot of needs, and that there are a lot of different ways that they do things.”If the duo were set in their beliefs and unable to pivot in their thinking, they wouldn’t be able to support the various freelancers who use Harlow today. Ultimately, letting go of certain beliefs can allow for a healthier and more sustainable business. While some beliefs may stand the test of time, more often than not, entrepreneurs have to be flexible and open to switching things up in order to grow their business to its highest potential.Want more on letting go? Check out the full episodeThe businesses we interviewed in this episode have further insights to share about taking a stand and its value for brands. Listen to the full episode here.

Video testimonials are a great way to show off your business’s personality, and there is no better medium than video for this purpose. If you’re looking at making changes in order to establish yourself as an expert or professional organization then it might be worth considering adding some friendly faces that can speak from experience. We’ve found 17 sites that have incorporated this into their design. Here’s the list organized by category: 1. Chili Piper (SaaS) 2. Testimonial.to (SaaS) 3. Taplio (SaaS) 4. VeryGoodCopy (Newsletter) 5. Alcove Rooms (Consumer App) 6. Scrimba (Consumer App) 7. Yotta Bank (Consumer App) 8. Dream Studio Course (Course Creators) 9. Justin Welsh (Course Creator) 10. Levels.fyi (Service) 11. Chris Lema (Service) 12. Dating by Blaine (Service) 13. Popbrush (eCommerce) 14. Pip Decks (eCommerce) 15. Illuminate (eCommerce) 16. Wyndly (eCommerce) 17. Instrumentl (Non-profit) Wrapping up… And there you have it: 17 Examples of websites using Video Testimonials Video testimonials are a powerful way to show off your product or service in a unique and engaging way. Not only do they help you build trust with potential customers, but they can also be used to drive conversions and sales. If you’re not using video testimonials on your website yet, now is the time to start! submitted by /u/GuillaumeBrdet [link] [comments]

Please recommend Instagram growth tools for real followers and mass DM. An option for filtering inactive accounts would be great also. submitted by /u/FluffSunflower [link] [comments]

Welcome to Breaking the Blueprint — a blog series that dives into the unique business challenges and opportunities of underrepresented business owners and entrepreneurs. Learn how they’ve grown or scaled their businesses, explored entrepreneurial ventures within their companies, or created side hustles, and how their stories can inspire and inform your own success.
LGBTQ+ people often face higher rates of isolation and discrimination, meaning that this community can especially benefit from gatherings that foster support and connection.
This is especially true for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and professionals, as finding opportunities to learn from people who share similar life experiences can be challenging.
In this post, we’ve curated a list of annual events and conferences for LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and professionals. Whether you’re seeking mentorship, training from experts, or just some old-fashioned socializing with like-minded business owners, these events are made for you. While most have already taken place for 2022, keep your eyes peeled for the 2023 dates.
Events and Conferences for LGBTQ+ Professionals
1. Lesbians Who Tech & Allies Summit
Despite the name, the annual Lesbians Who Tech & Allies Summit is inclusive of all techies, centering LGBTQ women, women of color, and non-binary leaders. The ninth summit was in October in San Francisco, with in-person and virtual options.
Their summits feature networking and mentorship opportunities, career fairs, leaders and celebrity speeches, parties, and educational sessions. While much of the content is geared toward the tech world, many sessions focus on broader topics like leadership, diversity, politics, and advocacy, which may appeal to any LGBTQ entrepreneur.
2. Out & Equal Summit
The Out & Equal Summit has been held for over 20 years, creating a place for LGBTQ+ professionals and allies to learn how to create more inclusive workspaces. The latest was in October 2022 in Las Vegas, with a digital livestream option.
This conference is intended for any professional interested in LGBTQ+ workplace equality — especially executives, HR and DEI experts, Employee Resource Group leaders and members, and more. In addition to hosting learning sessions and keynote speeches, this event provides attendees with networking opportunities, workshops, and social events.
3. NLGCC International Business & Leadership Conference
The NLGCC, or the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, is the only organization that offers a certification for LGBTQ-owned businesses (Certified LGBT Business Enterprise®).
It also provides business owners with networking and business opportunities year-round — and at their annual conference. Despite being U.S.-based, their International Business & Leadership Conference claims to be “the largest LGBT business event on the planet.”
In addition to networking and keynote speeches, attendees get access to leadership programming, speeches, B2B bootcamps, expos, matchmaker meetings between suppliers and companies, and more. The 2022 event was in Las Vegas in August.
4. Out Leadership Summit
This organization aims to drive equality and advocate for inclusion in business. They have several talent development programs for emerging leaders, women, and board-level executives.
Out Leadership also hosts yearly summits worldwide to unite leaders and business owners. The 2023 US summit will be on May 15 in New York in partnership with Lambda Legal.
5. StartOut Chapter Events or National Awards
StartOut exists to support LGBTQ entrepreneurs and accelerate their businesses. The organization has chapters in several major cities, such as Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York, where local LGBTQ+ business owners can connect and attend frequent educational and social events.
StartOut also puts on a national gala, the StartOut Awards, which celebrates LGBTQ entrepreneurs and is an ideal opportunity to socialize and network with peers. The 2022 event took place in October in New York City.
6. The ROMBA Conference
Reaching Out MBA’s annual ROMBA Conference is a massive event for LGBTQ+ business students and post-MBA professionals.
The conference features social receptions, career fairs, panels, workshops, and competitions. LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs with business backgrounds can utilize this event for professional development, networking, and recruiting talent. The 2022 conference was in October in Washington, D.C.
7. Out Professionals Events
This organization for LGBTQ+ professionals hosts virtual events, but if you’re fortunate enough to live in a city with a chapter, you can attend local events and connect with other entrepreneurs.
Cities such as Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. have Out Professionals chapters and host monthly in-person events to help LGBTQ+ people build their careers and network. The organization is expanding and seeking more cities where people want to start chapters.  
Industry-Specific LGBTQ+ Conferences
We included Lesbians Who Tech & Allies in this general list since technology touches nearly everything these days, and its sessions appeal to a broad range of professionals.
However, there are also many smaller, industry-specific LGBTQ+ events and conferences. If you want to network, socialize, and learn with your peers in your field, see if your industry has something specifically for LGBTQ people. Here are just a few of the ones out there:

The NLGJA (The Association of LGBTQ Journalists) annual convention for those in journalism
The Midwest LGBTQ+ Health Symposium for those in medicine and healthcare
NAGLREP’s yearly convention for LGBTQ real estate professionals

Local LGBTQ Events
Chamber of Commerce
Some cities, regions, and states have their own LGBTQ chambers of commerce, where LGBTQ-owned businesses and allies can become members.
This not only links LGBTQ entrepreneurs with an affirming local business community, but it makes them visible to those seeking to patronize LGBTQ-friendly businesses. These local chambers frequently host community events, from social and networking opportunities to business training sessions. The NLGCC has a list of local affiliated chambers nationwide; check to see if there’s one in your area, and scope out their website for upcoming events.  
Local Pride Festivals
Every year, more cities, counties, and regions host annual Pride celebrations. While you’ll typically find parades and marches, many Pride events also feature festivals with booths for rent. Entrepreneurs often use this opportunity to sell goods, create a local presence, or promote their business with freebies or giveaways. If your area has a Pride celebration, consider renting a booth.
Get Ready to Mingle
LGBTQ+ professionals have many opportunities available to connect with and learn from other entrepreneurs at events. All of the summits on this list are valuable opportunities to learn and grow — select one that speaks most to your needs and get ready to mingle.