Your Biggest Small Business Challenge Could Lead to a Day with Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran

It’s exhilarating to start a business. But it can also be tough. If you’ve launched your small business within the last few years—or are just starting out—you face all kinds of challenges: finding customers, employees, financing; pricing your goods or services; determining your business model; managing operations; and then there’s choosing and using technology. And how do you find enough hours in the day?

Wouldn’t you like to have an expert to turn to for advice? Well, I’m here to help—and so are four other leading small business gurus! All thanks to Canon, makers of the MAXIFY printers.

Canon is launching their “MAXIFY Mentors” campaign to unleash the expertise of five small business authorities. I’m honored to be one of them. I’ll be spending the next few months addressing small business owners’ biggest challenges—culminating in a live Twitter Chat on November 16.

What’s the biggest challenge YOU are facing in YOUR small business right now? What’s the most pressing question you’d like answered?

Just let me know—through social media—and at the same time, you’ll be entering Canon’s “MAXIFY Mentors” contest.

Please engage with me through Facebook or Twitter—using the hashtag #MAXIFYContest—to share a business challenge confronting you. Connect with me @RhondaAbrams on Twitter, or Facebook.com/RhondaAbramsSmallBusiness on Facebook.

And what about the contest? Canon will select eight lucky small business owners to receive prize packages. The “Grand Prize Winner” has a special treat in store—winning a day in New York with my favorite member of the Shark Tank, Barbara Corcoran. Seven other winners will receive a prize package, including one of Canon’s new MAXIFY printers—designed to provide:

• Low Cost Per Print
• 100% US-based Service & Support
• Mobile Device Printing
• Cloud Connectivity
• Quick First Print

But everyone has a chance to have their small business questions answered by me and/or one of the other MAXIFY Mentors.

I want to hear from YOU!

Here are the contest details:

Prizes

** One “Grand Prize Winner” receives: a one-on-one consultation with Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank! You’ll be flown to New York City to spend time with this powerhouse entrepreneur. I’ve met Barbara Corcoran, and she’s both a terrific businesswoman and a very nice person.

On top of that, as the “Grand Prize Winner,” you’ll get exposure for your business. Your time with Barbara will be videotaped—and Canon will produce that into a YouTube short featuring your small business!

But wait—there’s more. You’ll also receive the prize pack—described below.

** Seven Other Winners receive: a Canon MAXIFY Printer, a $250 gift card to use on Canon Direct, an Apple iPad Mini, a one-year subscription to LegalZoom, a one-year subscription to LifeLock.com, and an Intuit Mobile Credit Card Reader.

** Everyone Wins! You have a chance to have me address your biggest startup challenge personally. And the MAXIFY Mentors will be creating a comprehensive checklist of questions and solutions for startups at the end of the campaign.

Here’s what you need to know to enter (and hopefully win!) the Canon MAXIFY contest:

How to enter the contest

• You need an active Facebook or Twitter account to participate
• To enter: post a particularly difficult challenge you face as a small business owner using the hashtag #MAXIFYContest and tag me: @RhondaAbrams on Twitter or www.Facebook.com/RhondaAbramsSmallBusiness on Facebook
• Posts may include photos that illustrate the challenge being described
• Multiple entries are permitted however only one (1) contest entry per person will be eligible to become a finalist

Contest eligibility

• You must be a small business owner, 21 or older
• Your business must have started within the last five years
• Your business must have 1–9 employees
• You must reside within the 48 contiguous states

Contest period

• Contest begins on July 15, 2015 and concludes on August 31, 2015

You can read the official contest rules here.