You have an opportunity to feature your business. The publication asks for a biography, photographs and information about your work.

What should you send?

A long biography might explain your career without telling readers what they can buy from you. A list of services might describe your offer without explaining why you started. An impressive announcement might attract attention but leave interested readers searching for a way to contact you.

A useful business spotlight connects these pieces. It introduces the person behind the company, explains the business clearly and gives readers a relevant next step.

Whether you are preparing for an interview, submitting information for a feature or commissioning a business spotlight, this checklist will help you organise your materials.

1. A Clear Description of Your Business

Start with a short explanation of what your business does, who it serves and the problem it helps address.Avoid making the reader interpret phrases such as “transformative solutions” or “excellence-driven services.” Give them something concrete.

For example:

“Our consulting firm helps small businesses organise their customer enquiries and follow-up processes through workflow reviews, staff training and automation support.”

Your description should answer:

• What do you offer?
• Who is it for?
• What need does it address?
• Where do you operate or deliver your services?

If your company has several divisions, explain how they fit together and identify which one is most relevant to the feature.

2. A Founder Story That Connects to the Business

Your founder story helps readers understand why you chose this work. Perhaps you experienced a problem firsthand, noticed a gap while working in an industry or developed expertise that others began seeking.

Choose the details that explain the business you are building today.

Consider:

• What prompted you to start?
• What did you notice that needed to change?
• How did your experience shape your approach?
• Why does this work matter to the people you serve?

You decide how much personal information to share. A meaningful story can explain your purpose while keeping private experiences private.

3. A Specific Reason for the Spotlight

Give the article a clear focus. That could be a new service, a business anniversary, an expansion, a partnership or an established business addressing a problem readers recognise.

If there is no recent announcement, the feature can explore your approach, specialist expertise or the community you serve. You do not need to manufacture a milestone.

Write one sentence explaining the main point:

“This feature introduces our new training programme and explains how it supports first-time business owners.”

That sentence helps guide which details belong in the article.

4. Relevant Credentials and Experience

Include the experience that helps readers assess your work. Depending on your business, this might include professional qualifications, previous roles, years of relevant practice, published work or specialist training.

Check the wording carefully. Distinguish a degree from a short course, a professional certification from attendance at an event, and a previous position from a current role.

You do not need to include every achievement. Select the credentials that support the story and help explain your expertise.

5. Evidence Behind Your Claims

Statements such as “we have made a significant impact” become more useful when accompanied by specific information.

You might provide:

• The number of people trained during a stated period.
• A completed project and what it delivered.
• A documented customer outcome.
• A relevant award, including its name, year and awarding organisation.
• A partnership announcement you are authorised to share.

Add context to numbers. “Delivered six workshops for 120 participants in 2026” tells readers more than “reached hundreds.” Make sure each claim can be supported. Identify projections as projections, and describe plans as plans.

6. An Accurate Picture of the Team

Founder-led storytelling can still acknowledge the people contributing to the business. Clarify your role and explain the involvement of co-founders, directors, employees, contractors or collaborators where relevant.

If a project depends on a partnership, state what the partnership covers. Obtain approval before naming clients, sharing confidential project details or publishing someone else’s testimonial.

This helps the feature represent the business fairly and reduces avoidable corrections later.

7. A Clear Explanation of Your Offer

After reading your story, people should understand what they can enquire about. Explain your main products or services in everyday language. Include useful details such as who they are designed for, how they are delivered and where they are available.

For example:

“The company delivers virtual communication workshops for small business teams, covering presentations, customer conversations and business storytelling.”

If a service is still being developed, say so. If it is available now, give readers a direct route to learn more.

8. A Useful Founder Quote

A quote should add perspective or personality. It could explain a lesson you learned, a decision that shaped the business or the change you want your work to support.

For example:

“We built the service around a problem we kept hearing from customers: they needed support they could use immediately, with clear steps and manageable costs.”

Use your own words and approve any quotation attributed to you. Avoid filling the quote with claims the article cannot substantiate.

9. High-Resolution Photographs

Provide original, high-resolution image files wherever possible. A useful selection may include a founder portrait, a relevant photograph of your work and a team or product image if it supports the story.

Before submitting them, check:

• The subject is sharp and well lit.
• The files are originals rather than screenshots.
• You have permission to use them for publication.
• Photographer credits are included where required.
• Everyone pictured is correctly identified.
• The publication has enough space to crop the image appropriately.

Ask for the publication’s preferred dimensions. A portrait suitable for a social graphic may need a different crop for a landscape blog image.

10. Consistent Names, Dates and Details

Small inconsistencies can create unnecessary revision rounds. Confirm the spelling of names, company names, job titles, partner names, website addresses and social handles.

Check dates throughout the article and promotional materials. If an event is planned for the first quarter of a year, use that timeframe consistently rather than naming an unconfirmed month.

Keep one approved information sheet so your team and the publication are working from the same details.

11. One Clear Next Step

Decide what you want an interested reader to do. They might visit a service page, enquire about a workshop, register for an event or contact your company about partnerships. Choose the action most relevant to the feature and provide the correct link or contact details.

For example:

“For workshop and corporate training enquiries, visit [website] or email [business email].”

Avoid sending readers to a general homepage if a specific service or booking page would answer their questions more directly.

12. A Plan for Sharing the Published Feature

Prepare to use the article once it goes live. You could share it with your newsletter audience, add it to a relevant website page, post an excerpt on social media or include it in a suitable business introduction.

Confirm what the publication package includes before commissioning a feature. Ask about the website article, graphics, social posts, collaborative invitations, review process and reporting.

A published feature gives you a resource to share. Enquiries will also depend on the relevance of your offer, the audience reached and how clearly you guide people to the next step.

Your Business Spotlight Checklist

Before submitting your materials, gather:

• A short business description.
• A founder biography and relevant founding story.
• A clear focus for the feature.
• Accurate credentials and current job titles.
• Supporting information for achievements and results.
• Team and partnership details, with necessary approvals.
• A clear explanation of available products or services.
• An approved founder quote.
• High-resolution photographs and required credits.
• Confirmed names, dates, links and social handles.
• One primary call to action.
• A plan for sharing the published article.

Ready to Put Your Business Story Together?

Women of Rubies’ Business Spotlight brings together a written website feature, a promotional graphic and social media amplification to introduce your business and the work behind it.

To enquire, email info@womenofrubies.com with the subject line Business Spotlight. Include your business name, website or social page, a brief description of what you do and the story or milestone you would like to share.

Photo credit: Polina Tankilevitch / Pexels.