VOL23 NO7
JULY / $7.00
Contents: 6
The 7 Biggest Business Mistakes to Avoid. Debbie Allen
9
Dear Sleep, I Miss You. Cindy Cohen
12
This “3-R Program” Will Choke Your Growth. Jack Klemeyer
14
Sleepless in Toronto. Sheena Blake
16 Your business has a personality. But what is it? Really.
As a business owner, you may proudly tout your steller service, or your product selection, or your prices. Problem is, your competition is doing the same. Which means there’s nothing distinguishing you from them. Get past the obvious and find your business’ true personality. Segue can help. Call for your no-cost consultation.
Top Ten Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make. Paula Fortini
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The Dream BIG Retreat. Nancy Becher
Graphic Design + Market Strategy . www.seguecreative.com . 616 334 4257 . wayne@seguecreative.com
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What Do Entrepreneurs Do In The Summer?
May the Force be With You.
Tracy Barse
My Two Favorite Tech Tools.
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What Keeps Me Up at Night. Adam Fleming
30
Are You Wasting Money on Conferences?
Nancy Becher
38
Susan Kousek
40
Security and the Entrepreneur. Ed Becher
43
Resources
Nancy Becher
Rivka Kawano
34
What’s Holding You Back From Happiness? Jerry Sarno
Executive Editor Nancy Becher Layout & Design Wayne Sheldon Advertising nancy@success4biz.biz Subscriptions: 701 N. Prairie Street Sturgis, Michigan 49091 (269) 651-3555 www.SmallBizForward.com info@success4biz.biz Twitter @smallbizjunkie Facebook www.facebook.com/ bsuconnector LinkedIn www.linkedin/in/nancybecher Small Biz Forward is published monthly by Celebrate Business Publishing, a division of Business Success Unlimited. ISN 2332-5887 No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted into any form by any means without written consent from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts and photographs will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All letters sent to Small Biz Forward (SBF) will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication, copyright purposes and use are subject to SBF unrestricted right to edit and comment. © 2016 Celebrate Business Publishing | SBF 3
Office to Office.
Are you excited when the phone rings and someone says I’m looking to buy X and I heard you sell the best around? Does the sound of the cash register ringing get you doing “the happy dance”? » Nancy Becher
As a business owner, I’ll bet you started your business filled with excitement and passion. You could probably hardly wait to start the day off and looked forward to everything new and exciting that awaited you throughout the next 24 hours. But I’ll also bet that there have been nights when you’ve tossed and turned and worried while not being able to sleep for when you closed your eyes, all sorts of panicky thoughts came flowing through. Am I right? If I am, I want you to know you’re not alone. Every business owner out there has had similar situations come up. What starts out as a dream of wonder, can become a nightmare overnight. What do you do to keep the bad dreams away and the good ones up front and present?
Are you excited when the phone rings?
This month’s issue of Small Biz Forward is all about the good, the bad and the ugly that all of us have had (and have today). We all have them and it’s good to know that we’re not alone and that there are things that we can do to prevent or at least hold at bay these emotions, thoughts and dreams.
What about being able to take a week’s vacation without worrying about the cost or who’s manning the phone? What is your definition of success—and how would you feel if you were accomplishing that definition?
I hope that our sharing of ours will help you with yours! Enjoy and let us know what keeps you up at night, and gets you out of bed in the morning!
I understand those feelings and those goals. I’ve been there myself. With over 35 years in business I have felt my share of fears (Is my business going to be a success or a failure?), a number of jumps for joy when I’ve landed a new client, and a whole lot of questions on what do I do to grow my business. By helping you figure out your own aha moments (who do I want to sell to; what is it that I really do, and how to best manage the back side of my own business), I promise you that we’ll get you moving towards your goals, and those phones will ring, the cash register will bing, and you’ll get those vacations. I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was 12 years old. I didn’t know I was an entrepreneur, I just enjoyed doing things for myself to help others and making money at it was—WOW! But it was many years later and about my 10th business, when I finally got the idea that I was in business to help others with their business. Not only am I a perfectionist, but I am only happy when I’m helping others figure out how to make their own businesses perfect—or at least the best they can.
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I’m not usually one to talk about my own personal spiritual values and beliefs, but it was when I was very sick, and in fear of dying (at the least losing my eyesight from severe glaucoma) that I believe God put it on my heart to help others see ways in which to make their businesses better and therefore my own success as well. I want very much to help others (perhaps my degrees in counseling and psychology also led me to that belief). I also truly believe that it is only through my support of others that I will grow and prosper. Therefore, my WHY is to help. Help you SOAR HIGHER. Nancy Becher, CEO, Business Success Unlimited, “Small Biz Forward” Magazine, and Dream BIG Retreats, has been helping SMBs since she was 12 years old when she opened her first business, Things-N-Stuff, a craft retail store that she ran with her mom and sister. Her monthly magazine, Small Biz Forward, shares the writing of various entrepreneurs who have been there, done that, and are willing to share with others their successes and failures. You can find her on Facebook, LinkedIn and her various websites (www.success4biz.biz; www.smallbizforward.com; and www.dreamBIGretreat.com).
I also truly believe that it is only through my support of others that I will grow and prosper.
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The 7 Biggest Business Mistakes to Avoid. Business mistakes and failures can beat up your bank account and your self-esteem at the same time. Success opportunities are all around you… so make the best of it by avoiding the biggest mistakes many business people make.
Everyone brings their personality into their business. Therefore being aware of who you really are will help you make the right business choices. Poor personal habits such as procrastination or being disorganized will become poor business habits. Unfortunately, we take our personal baggage into our business lives. To avoid failing, start by understanding your strengths along with your weaknesses.Are your goals for the New Year rational, or are they emotional?
Mistake #2: Not Being Organized
Are you running your business or is it running you? If the everyday operation of your business is crisis management or if you never have enough time to learn new skills, something is very wrong. You will not stay in business long if you manage with chaos, confusion or lack of knowledge. Your success is going to hinge on your ability to remain organized, regardless of the financial and emotional pressures your business places on you.
Mistake #3: Not Working Smart
Do you work hard or smart? There are those who work hard, but accomplish little. They are always pressed for time, always busy, always frustrated and ineffective. They confuse hard work with productive work. Working smart is knowing what is important and how to do it most effectively.
Mistake #5: Not Working on Focused Action-Oriented Goals
Some less than successful business people simply avoid work as much as possible. They go into business for themselves because they don’t want to have to work too hard. They even talk themselves out of working hard with one excuse after the next. Now I believe in having a good work ethic, but also believe that your hard work should be 100% focused on achieving your goals. Unfocused business people create less than enthusi-astic teams as well. Others need direction from someone with a work ethic they admire. Work hard on staying focused! Taking ACTION is a business skill that demands a sense of urgency unlike micro-managed processing. Are you getting ready for action…or are you taking action? Time is critical in business. The longer a business owner or manager takes to learn new skills to grow their business the longer losses occur.
Mistake #6: Failing to Ask for Business
If you don’t feel comfortable promoting yourself—GET OVER IT! Much of your success will depend on your skills as an effective self-promoter. How you sell YOU is what
» Debbie Allen
Mistake #1: Not Being Honest With Who You Are
financial advisor or business coach who can help you manage and invest into your business more effectively.
mat-ters in business today. Effective self-promotion is a skill that anyone can learn through practice, positive beliefs and self-motivation.
Mistake #7: Giving Up Too Soon
Not remaining persistent towards your goals for the New Year can kill your business. Keep going, no matter what obstacles and challenges may arise this year. Too many business people quit too soon. Don’t listen to the demons in your head during difficult times. What you focus on most, you receive more of. During difficult times it is important to stay as positive as you can. Avoid any belief that you will fail. Big problems broken into small solutions appear differently. Don’t try and go it alone. Reach out to others who support your success during hard times. Have faith in your ability to overcome any obstacle and take it one day at a time. Debbie Allen, International Business & Brand Strategist, helps business owners become the highly paid ‘go-to expert’ in their niche market. She is a bestselling author of 8 books including “The Highly Paid Expert”. See her present live at the Dream Big Retreat. Learn more about her extensive business expertise at www.DebbieAllen. com.
There are those who confuse hard work with productive work. Working smart is knowing what is important and how to do it most effectively.
Mistake #4: Having Poor Money Skills
I’m not sure why people who have problems managing their own personal checkbooks and personal finances would ever want to go into business for themselves. You can’t manage a business well if you can’t manage your own life! To survive in business today, you need to understand the fundamentals of money management. If you don’t have those skills in place, quickly find a 6 SBF |
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So, how did you sleep last night? Chances are not that great. While you are lying awake at night you might like to know you are not alone. In fact according to a recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation over 48 million Americans report sleepless nights for various reasons. » Cindy Cohen
Dear Sleep, I Miss You. So the next time you are wondering what your friends are doing while you lay awake in your bed, give them a call they are most likely awake too. All joking aside, sleepless nights are no joking matter. When you sleep your body goes into cleanse, repair, rebalance, reboot, and rejuvenation mode attempting to recover from disruptions that have thrown your body into turmoil during of the day. It is well known by the medical community people sleeping less can cause serious medical problems such as weight gain, heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and autoimmune diseases. It’s important to always seek the advice of your doctor to help you sort out what is causing your sleep disturbance. As you can see it could be very far from nothing. Less sleep zaps your energy, focus, concentration, reasoning and problem solving skills. As if that’s not enough, when was the last time you to made bad decisions like saying and doing things you wished you hadn’t just because you were tired only to really regret it later. To make matters worse the National Highway Safety Association reports driving drowsy is the cause of 10-30% of automobile crashes and could result in a jail sentence. 8 SBF |
Top 4 reasons you might be up at night and what to do to sleep better: 1. Poor eating choices are sleep disruptors.
There are many benefits of eating healthy, one is a good night’s sleep. You may not know this but poor food choices during the day not just the foods you eat close to bedtime can keep you up all night long. Eating pasta, sweets, fried foods, junk foods, sugary drinks, spicy foods, alcohol and coffee should be avoided 3-6 hours before bedtime. These foods can cause inflammation resulting in some of those aches and pains you are experiencing intensifying at bedtime.
Driving drowsy is the cause of 10-30% of automobile crashes and could result in a jail sentence.
What to do: The goal is to avoid any foods before bed that don’t allow the digestive system to settle down and help to induce sleep. The best foods before bed are the ones that are anti-inflammatory and contain tryptophan, a natural hormone that sooths you. Some plants contain natural occurring tryptophan and have anti-inflammatory properties. Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, turnip greens, asparagus and onions. Fruits on this list are apples, bananas, peaches and avocado. Whole grain sources wheat, rice, barley, corn and oats. If you are like most
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people eating all those fruits, veggies and whole grains is a challenge The Juice Plus Company can help go to www. YourJuicePlus.com.
2. Chronic pain interferes with sleep, the less sleep you get the more pain you experience.
According to a 2012 study from Gallup-Healthways 31 percent of U.S. adults have some sort of neck or back condition that causes them pain, 26 percent have some sort of leg or knee condition and 18 percent have another conditions that causes chronic pain. Some studies indicate sleep disturbances are most prevalent in people who experience chronic pain. What to do: Try calming yourself before bedtime with meditation, deep breathing exercises with progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and tai chi help to calm the body. Seek out advice from your doctor to make sure you have the proper diagnosis then doctor recommended treatments such as medication, physical therapy and talk therapy.
3. Worry and stress induce sleep disturbances. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association if anxiety and worry is keeping you up at night then it’s doing it more than once a week. Three-fourths of adults who have trouble falling asleep or wake up frequently at night due to stress or anxiety say that their sleep problems have also increased their stress and anxiety during the day.
What to do: Chances are you are not going to solve all your problems tonight so give yourself a break. A good way to do this is with distraction. Listening to sleep hypnosis on YouTube.com, meditating, reading a book and deep breathing exercises while lying in bed are somethings to try. Keeping journal by your bed, journaling about your worries and concerns just before sleep will also give your mind a rest and can set you at ease. Even moderate exercise such as a brisk morning walk for as little as 15 minutes creates a “feel good” chemical that lasts the whole day.
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4. Not sleeping at night may be related to a medical illness.
Sometimes we dismiss missing sleep as a real medical problem but more often than you think sleep difficulties surface along with other medical conditions. At night if you find yourself wheezing and having shortness of breath you may be developing asthma or lung disease. If you snore, are overweight and exhausted during the day, you maybe be developing sleep apnea which can cause high blood pressure or stroke along with other life taking conditions. According to the National Sleep Foundation 40% of women premenopausal have sleep problems. Menopause, menstruation, and pregnancy causing hot flashes, tender breasts, and frequent urination all interrupt regular sleep patterns.
It is well known by the medical community people sleeping less can cause serious medical problems.
What to do: If you think you may be developing a medical issue or if the one you have is not being treated properly get to your doctor right away. No severe medical condition gets better with time; early intervention is important. Once you are sure no new medical condition has surfaced give these strategies a try: stop eating for 3 – 5 hours before bedtime, take a hot bath or shower before bed, turn off your cell phone, computer and TV 30 minutes before bed. Your body likes routine so go to bed at the same time every night. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, cool and dark. The good news is most of the things that keep us up at night are within our control. Start by making simple changes one at a time. It’s important to start small. Trying to make big changes or too many at one time will set you up for failure. Take a look at the list of what you can do to get a good night’s sleep and pick one. Each step will take you closer to a healthier lifestyle and a good night’s sleep. Need some help? Check out The Juice Plus+ Company One Simple Change program www.YourJuicePlus.com and contact a health and wellness consultant then ask how a holistic health coach help you and your employees get those zzzzz’s. Cindy Cohen RN, BS BA, Certified Health Coach, Wellness Consultant , WELCOA Faculty, C2 Your Health LLCwww.CindyCohenRN.com, @CindyCohen
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This “3-R Program” Will Choke Your Growth.
The “3-R Program” is just this, First there is Resentment, then Resistance and finally Revenge.
» Jack Klemeyer
There are a multitude of things that can inhibit your personal and professional growth, which by the way will also do even more damage to your business but the “3-R Program” that we all run from time to time, is the worst. The 3-R Program is a little ditty that we all run in our emotions from time to time. Some of us run the program almost constantly thinking we’re winning the race of growth when in truth just the opposite is happening. The end result of running the “3-R Program” is serious damage to you and your business. The “3-R Program” is just this, First there is Resentment, then Resistance and finally Revenge. The hard truth is when you’re running the “3-R Program” which is an emotional program, you feel good. You feel like you’re justified and you feel like you’re winning.
The first R is Resentment—which is any negative emotion towards any person, place, thing, condition, circumstance, thought or idea.
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The third R is Revenge—the process or desire of making another person feel your pain in some way, in any way. This emotional energy follows the laws of the universe. Energy can’t be created or destroyed, if it’s snuffed out in one place it shows up in another. Energy gets expressed and in this case it shows up either in our physical body or in our results. As the author and speaker, Les Brown says, “Most people aren’t overweight because of what they’re eating. They’re over weight because of what’s eating them.” One of the areas that is, I think, most susceptible to running a 3-R’s program is in pricing of your services. In your heart of hearts you want to make sure you’re affordable and at the same time you must generate enough income to make a living. If you charge too little for your services, at some point you will most likely begin to feel you’re providing more value than you’re being paid for from your client. You’re client forgets “the deal” you made them in the beginning of your agreement.
When you run the 3-R’s you begin to resent your client and as the 3-R’s plays out , as it always does, you begin to cut back on your efforts, services, or deliverables. As this happens, your client begins to notice and feels slighted. You can see how this begins to spin out into a “not good” situation. When your 3-R Program is running is a clear indicator that you have assigned the responsibility of the process and repercussions of your thoughts, your actions and thereby your results to something other than yourself. When the 3-R Program is running in you it’s as if your creed is “whose the matter with me today.” As my friend and mentor, Paul Martinelli says, “If other people can make you sad, glad or mad… you’ve been had.” Grow Your Business™ Coaching founder Jack Klemeyer, a certified John Maxwell coach, speaker and trainer is recognized as a preeminent resource as a coach, speaker, trainer and facilitator of Mastermind groups for business owners and professionals.Jack’s passion is working with groups in mastermind and coaching, writing and speaking. He travels throughout the United States delivering high-energy, educational, inspirational and humorous talks and programs to groups of all sizes. His commitment to providing excellence in every aspect of his work has resulted in his being named one of the Top 50 Business Connectors in Indianapolis.
Portrait of Tao Yuanming by Chen Hongsho
The “3-R Program” is usually triggered to run when you feel you’ve been wronged in some way.
The second R is Resistance—defined by the withholding or withdrawal of any of your resources, potential, gifts, talents or positive expressions.
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Sleepless in Toronto. So, what keeps me up at night and wakes me up early in the morning? Huh…? In a time when people have unlimited opportunity to access most of the world and have almost global authorization to share their every moment, it seems that a question like this would have several answers given the time and place in a person’s life. » Sheena Blake
I have asked myself this question many times now. Had I been asked a few years ago, the answer would have been; children keep me up at night. When they were really small everything revolved around them. They kept me up late with stories and back rubs and late night cuddles, and they woke me up early with desires of porridge or pancakes and requests for cartoons. But, now things are a little different because they’re getting older. They don’t necessarily keep me up at night anymore; unless, they are not feeling well. And, they are not at the point yet where they are going out with their friends, and I am worried. They no longer wake me up in the morning, especially on Saturdays, because it’s their chance to watch cartoons while we’re not noticing…sneaky little buggers. So, now that my life is different than it once was, I have to look a little deeper into what keeps me up at night and wakes me up in the morning. And, the truth is, as horrendously cliché as it is, legacy keeps me up at night. Thoughts of all of the things that I am creating for my children and grand children and great grand children keep me up at night; sometimes focused; sometimes completely day dreaming. I wake up early thinking the same things. 14 SBF |
The question is though, how does this really ‘look’ in real time. Like what do I do to bring my legacy to fruition? How does it actually keep me up at night? Well, I find some sort of social media has me researching and practicing ways to use it to keep people engaged with what I am working on. Before I sleep, I am reading posts; when I wake up, I am checking how many likes my last post received (ridiculous—I know) but it’s the truth. I can say that I am not woken up by the sounds of social media activity on my ‘oh so pretty’ Samsung. But, I certainly do check the ‘dings’ when I wake up. But, it’s not just posting that has me up late; it’s reading others’ posts, agonizing over responses to questions I pose, and determining what content is best on what media. Ok, so let me get very clear. Night time after the kids have gone to sleep, is spent either writing, editing, filming, editing, posting, giving my husband a quick kiss, posting and trying to keep my ‘lovely’ computer from dying (I refuse to buy a new one until this one is completely finished…it’s getting close). As an entrepreneur and a bleeding heart, I am sometimes kept up at night thinking about under or overcharging a client. In fact, I’m surprised about how
much I think about charging clients and what it means to be greedy, presumptuous or frivolous. But, also, what it means to grow, expand and become a household name… Alright, now let’s address the notion of legacy that I referred to earlier. In my head, legacy is a desire to change the course of history for my family. It is the ripple that I am leaving and will leave in the pool of life, as cheesy as that sounds, and how my descendants will live because of me and my late nights/early mornings. I have this belief that my daughter and her daughters and her daughter’s daughters will only have to hustle and grind on the things they want to do in this world and never be concerned with food, housing, and emotional support. Before you think I’m about to stand on a soap box, I’m not. I just want to see my daughter only have to worry about what wave she will cause in the planet. That means I have to provide/create the proper space for her to do so. In my legacy, I see my son and his sons and his son’s sons being able to focus, wholly, on their desires. I want my children and their children and their children’s children to be kept up late at night day dreaming and waking up early to go make their dreams reality. I think you get the point. So the posting and the writing and the editing and the filming, they are all a means to an end; my legacy. And, even as I write this, at ‘late-o’clock’, I am reminded that each piece I post, publish and create is another page in the history books for my descendants. (Greetings grand-children-I have loved you since all the way back in the early millennium. Follow you heart; trust it; it will lead you exactly where you want to be, your grand mother, Sheena)… It’s not all for them, though…I also want to enjoy the finer things in life. I desire to know what it feels like to never look at a price tag or have people clean my home on a regular basis. Oh yes, I am kept up late at night and woken up early to hustle (so I don’t have to clean my own home lol).
Thoughts of all of the things that I am creating for my children and grand children and great grand children keep me up at night; sometimes focused; sometimes completely day dreaming.
I want to say that I don’t subscribe to the rapper 50 Cent’s statement, “I’ll sleep when I die”…but I am not entirely sure if that would be true. My legacy keeps me up until about 1 a.m. and wakes me up at about 5:30/6 a.m. And, although sleep is important, I can’t help but wonder if the greats of this world slept more than they worked. In fact, I wonder how they would answer this question. My question to you, great reader, is what is does your legacy look like? How are you going to bring it life? Send me a message…you know I’ll still be up. Sheena Blake is an author, inspirational speaker, teacher, editor, and a mom. She writes for, teaches and speaks to both children and adults and her focus is always on healing and the promotion of people stepping into the highest vision for their lives. It is her life mission to walk alongside people and hold the torch as they move into their vision and live a true life of abundance. Her company, Discovering Diversity Publishing, has a mission to guide each person to knowing and fulfilling their personal legend and allowing their light to shine on this already beautiful world. Sheena’s roots stem from many lands around the world; Ghana, Jamaica, Russia and Poland, and it is from these lands and many others that she calls upon wisdoms and knowledge to open, heal and inspire women, men and children. She takes great pride in having been apart of the Welcome to Motherhood program with MNS 7 years ago and gives thanks for the support and love she received while she was there. sheenapatriciablake@gmail.com | SBF 15
Top ten mistakes entrepreneurs make.
SOAR HIGHER.
» Paula Fortini
10. You believe that if you “build it they will come”
Starting a new business or new product without the proper market analysis is a big mistake. Just because you think it is a good idea doesn’t mean your target market will think it’s a good idea and purchase from you. Take the time to really get in front of your target market and survey them (either informally or formally). Ask very specific questions regarding location, pricing, specific products or services. This should be done prior to launching a new program or product. If you don’t do this you can spend a lot of time designing and spending money for a product that is not going to sell. Never guess what your target market wants. FIND OUT what they want.
9. You don’t ask for feedback from clients
Never guess what your target market wants. Find out what they want.
Periodically through your time in business you need to evaluate your services. Nothing hurts a business more than poor customer service. However, customers/clients may or may not tell you they are dissatisfied. If you ask, it serves three purposes: 1. Your customers know you care to improve and you care to meet their needs. 2. It improves your reputation and keeps customers from talking negatively about you or your product. 3. It helps you continually improve your services and products. Your customers are your exact target market. They have more information than you as the business owner so ask them what others in your target market want. It WILL increase sales and conversion.
8. You don’t keep your funnel full in good times.
Always keep your funnel full. Marketing should be a continuous process. Even when business is good you should be marketing for when you might not be quite as busy. Not marketing will lead to a slow time in the future. You might not know exactly when but it WILL lead to a slow time. No one likes a slow business time.
7. You don’t understand the difference between marketing/advertising/branding.
Branding is all about your business AND you! If you run a service business you are the most important part of your brand. Represent yourself well at all times! Be a strong confident leader and under promise and over produce for your clients and customers. The graphics branding of your business is a little easier to understand and in many cases it is best left to a graphic designer. They are talented and worth the cost.
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NANCY BECHER . STURGIS, MICHIGAN 49091 (269) 319-6041 . NANCY@SUCCESS4BIZ.BIZ . WWW.SUCCESS4BIZ.BIZ
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Marketing is best associated with the Cost of Acquisition. Any money you spend in your effort to recruit or convert a client is included in the cost of acquisition. Track this number carefully. It does affect your bottom line. Advertising is the specific ads you place whether online or any place else. It is paid pieces (occasionally unpaid) that you use to let strangers know about you and your business.
6. You never leave the office.
We all love the idea of “working from home” because it means you can start work without showering and leaving home. You can start a load of laundry between tasks. The benefits of working from home are tremendous. The biggest drawback though is that it is very easy to get comfortable at home and not get out enough to network and keep growing your brand. As above, remember YOU are your brand and to grow your business you need to be out of the office meeting and networking with clients, partners and your target market as much as possible.
5. You pick your graphics/ branding because it’s pretty.
As above in number 7, your graphics, brand, and all aspects of your business need to have a purpose. There are certain colors that work well together and cause subconscious thoughts. It is very difficult to change your logo, brand, etc if you start with one that is not a good fit for your business so spend the money upfront to do it right! Most entrepreneurs think they can do it all themselves to save money but there are three places you need to spend money to make sure you are doing right by your business. A graphic artist is one of them.
4. You don’t set SMART goals (KPI)
Setting goals is great but goals need to be SMART goals or you won’t actually achieve them. To be a SMART goal your goals should be: Specific. Use your 5 W’s. Who What Where When Measureable: Use numbers. IE: I will make 3 phone calls to strategic partners this week Attainable: Don’t set such lofty goals that they are impossible to reach. Set goals that will stretch your abilities but not be out of reach. Relevant: Make your goals meet your vision. Timely: Your goals should have a time limit. They can be short or long term goals but have real dates for accomplishments.
3. You work too many hours/make time for yourself (fall for “I love what I do so it’s not work”).
Even if you truly enjoy your work. You must take time for yourself and your family. The most productive (and wealthiest) entrepreneurs do not work 7 days a week. Find the time that works for you. Some people work 7 days a week but shorter days. Some work 4 days a week but really
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long days and work sparingly over the weekend. You need to find your balance. It is different for everyone but there must be balance or some part of your life will suffer. Try out a few schedule options until you find one that works for you.
2. You sell instead of help.
The best entrepreneurs do not consider themselves salespeople. In reality every person in business is a salesperson BUT that doesn’t mean you should focus on “selling.” The buyer of today is savy. They do not like to be sold to. You are much more likely to make a sale if you show the buyer what you do to help them, not what you have to sell them.
1. You don’t take the time to understand your finances.
This is another area where you need to hire out when necessary. Quickbooks is great for most entrepreneurs. You can easily enter the information yourself but you need to understand the figures and where they came from. Use your Quickbooks reports to understand where your income is coming from and where you are spending money. It is not enough to see that there is more money in the bank each month. If this is an area that you do not like or you don’t understand, the benefit of a bookkeeper or business coach will help guide you. You will make more money if you understand your finances.
The buyer of today is savy. They do not like to be sold to. You are much more likely to make a sale if you show the buyer what you do to help them.
If you struggle in one or more of the above areas please contact Business Scholars for a free consultation so we may help you. Be sure to Like our Facebook page. “Business Scholars” for our #TipTuesday each week and of course feel free to share our #TipTuesdays with other entrepreneurs. Paula Fortini owns and operates Business Scholars, a division of Family Scholars. After 13 years working in the public schools the desire to be an entrepreneur called. Paula wrote Nine Journeys: Stories of Women Who Found Their Own Path to Success for aspiring entrepreneurs. In her business coaching practice she guides her clients with patience yet strong drive to success that guarantees growth. In business now for 14 years, Paula continues to work internationally with clients of all industries. Her key to success is: “Listen to everyone, you never know what you might learn.” Paula lives in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago with her husband, son, and a menagerie of animals including her running partner huskies.
By Business Success Unlimited
Another in the Dream Big series!
Learn, Plan, Grow
A weekend filled with experts to empower and equip you to move your business forward. Learn with in-depth experiential training and action items for immediate use in your business. Visit DreamBigRetreat.com or call Nancy at (269) 319-6041.
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The Dream BIG Retreat. You are either a business owner or thinking about becoming one. Why did you (or are you thinking about it) take on this task? It’s not an easy one. Unlike the theories about 48 hour work weeks, and lots of time for family and friends while the money is rolling in, if you’ve been in the trenches for a while, you know that if you really want to be successful it takes time, money, effort and a whole lot of other ingredients mixed in to get to a place where you can relax a bit. » Nancy Becher
When you hang out your shingle, you’re all excited and can’t wait for your first sale. Business cards? Check. Email? Yup. Website? Soon. But how about the nitty gritty stuff like networking, continuing training, marketing, and so forth. Well, not so much. You don’t have the time. You don’t feel comfortable. You don’t need it—the work will come. Sound familiar? I was watching a video earlier today with Tony Robbins. He was talking about becoming successful. For the most part he said you have to change your attitude and behavior in order to be successful. Most of us are addicted to our problems. We’re afraid. We don’t know what life would be if we become different. In order to change you have to read, you have to be willing to learn and to implement—even knowing that you might fail. The only thing that will make you happy is progress. Growth. Moving ahead. I love that thought. I believe, in at least my own little way, that you have to take a risk, try to move ahead, implement change 20 SBF |
in order to be the best that you possibly can in both your business and in your personal life. But how do you do that? Well, for me (and for my business) it’s through getting involved with others who have been there, done that and want to share it with you in order to help. Feed your mind. Tony says “feed your mind.” 30 minutes of reading. 10 minutes of physical. 10 minutes of gratitude. And find a role model that feeds your passion. Again, I love it and try to implement that in my own life. Another thing that I can offer is the ability to spend time in the presence of others that have similar values and beliefs. One way in which to do that is to take part in group meetings. The Dream BIG Retreat is one of such meetings. The upcoming Retreat, on October 13-15 in Chesterton, Indiana is a great way to feed your mind, get physical and find mentors and role models. This event allows for in person networking. You get to meet and build relationships with a small group of like-minded people who are all hungry to grow and learn and be MORE. It also gives you an opportunity to meet new clients, new
vendors, etc. Along with this, you can get new (or reengineered) ideas and creative flow. This year’s agenda is chock full of great events, and such value that you must feel the passion and the excitement of creating and transforming businesses. Our speakers include:
Debbie Allen
Debbie Allen has built and sold six million dollar companies in diverse industries as an award-winning entrepreneur for the past 30 years. She is a best-selling author of 8 book on business and brand strategy including her latest books The Highly Paid Expert and Insider Secrets of International Speaking . Debbie has presented before thousands of people in 28 countries and is recognized as one of the world’s top business speakers. Her business and marketing expertise has been featured in numerous publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine and USA Today along with four motivational movies including The Opus and The Compass.
Christie Browning
Christie Browning is the founder and owner of reVision, a company designed to encourage, empower and inspire women, both professionally and personally. With more than 20 years of professional and personal development, public speaking and business coaching experience, Christie is motivated to help women rediscover their possibilities, reimagine their dreams and reinvigorate their purpose. She speaks to groups of women all across the country at workshops, conferences and seminars throughout the year and works with numerous private coaching clients one-on-one. Christie is an award-winning writer with 5 Hoosier State Press Association awards and has developed four online e-courses, authored several workbooks and continues to create coaching curriculum to develop women in their success. In addition to professional development and coaching, she is a sought-after speaker for spiritual retreats and inspirational events. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Christie now resides on a lake in Northeastern Indiana where she enjoys time spent with her husband, two stepchildren and their puppy.
Adam Fleming
Adam G. Fleming, CPCC. CEO of Motivational Listening International and several other enterprises. Adam lives in Goshen, Indiana with his wife and four children. Adam is an author, motivational speaker, credentialed coach and coach trainer. He writes everything from nonfiction (The Art of Motivational Listening) to fiction, screenplays and poetry. See his blog atwww.adamgfleming.com
Paula Fortini
Paula Fortini owns and operates Business Scholars, a division of Family Scholars. After 13 years working in the public schools the desire to be an entrepreneur called. Paula wrote Nine Journeys: Stories of Women Who Found Their Own Path to Success for aspiring entrepreneurs. In her business coaching practice she guides her clients with patience yet strong drive to success that guarantees growth. In buisness now for 14 years, Paula continues to work internationally with clients of all industries. Her key to succcess is: “Listen to everyone, you never know what you might learn.” Paula lives in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago with her husband, son, and a menagerie of animals including her running partner huskies.
This event allows for in person networking. You get to meet and build relationships with a small group of likeminded people.
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Nicole Roberts Jones
Nicole Roberts Jones is known as “The Inner Catalyst” for her ability to draw on what’s best within each of her clients—to inspire, empower and transform them but also to move them into action. To show you how to put the wheels in motion to earn substantial income using your greatness, your gift, your expertise, what she calls your FIERCE. While still working in the entertainment industry, Nicole founded and developed her first program at the age of 23. This program quickly became a national company with 10 chapters in 10 states. It was this early work that not only shifted her life but really allowed Nicole to see her gift of moving people’s passion and purpose into profit. From it, Nicole developed a system that allows others to see their gift and teaches them how to use it to make a difference in the world, which is what she calls her Find Your Fierce Formula. Nicole is a content development dynamo. She has more than 20 years experience working with corporate executives, entrepreneurs, heads of states and nonprofit directors to develop programs and services to meet the needs of their clients. She has also been an adjunct professor at both the University of Southern California (USC) and Boston University where she taught courses on program development. Nicole now works with coaches, speakers, entrepreneurs and corporations to develop income with impact. She does this using her Find Your Fierce Formula that gives you tools to build products and services that effectively meet the needs of all those you are called to serve. To not only discover what makes your clients tick at a deep level, but to help you Take Your Brilliance to the Bank.
Nicole received her Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Southern California and in 2007, Jones was a recipient of the Best of You Award from Glamour Magazine, and in March of 2011, she was named as one of ten finalists for the National Black Books Festival New Author Award for her 2010 released book Define Your Own Way.
Leader, the Morgan County Business Leader, the South Side Business Leader, Million Dollar Methods magazine, Soar to Success and online blogs and e-publications. In 2014, Jack released two books, Building to Success: A Guide to Building Authentic Success, with Tommy B. Richardson, and Turn Talk into Clients: Best Practices for Networking Success. Jack also produces educational videos for small businesses that are available for viewing at www. indybiztvshows.com/jack-klemeyer-small-business-coach/. Jack can best be reached through his assistant, Hannah@ GYBCoaching.com or by phone at (317) 755-6963. Learn more at GYBCoaching.com
Emilie Shoop
Emilie can help you see the people in your organization in a unique way that will help you bridge the gap from old and new, then and now, getting by and enjoying success. She has been hired by many well-known businesses such as Illinois State University, State Farm Insurance, and invited to speak at events such as Women In Leadership, and ILCPA. Emilie is a proud member of the Forbes Coaches Council, regularly contributing to Forbes.com. Tired of hearing about how many people dreaded going to work because of the people they had to deal with, Emilie decided it was time to change that and help create happy workplaces. She believes that everyone has an innate desire to do well, and somehow people lose track of that along the way. It is this belief that drives her to reach out and impact others with her people-focused Full Throttle Leadership. Her clients leaders who know they have to get more done with less, and focusing on their team people and culture will enable them to be successful.
Jack Klemeyer
Grow Your Business™ Coaching founder Jack Klemeyer, a certified John Maxwell coach, speaker and trainer is recognized as a preeminent resource as a coach, speaker, trainer and facilitator of Mastermind groups for business owners and professionals.
Kevin Pitts
You have to take a risk, try to move ahead, implement change in order to be the best you possibly can.
Jack’s passion is working with groups in mastermind and coaching, writing and speaking. He travels throughout the United States delivering high-energy, educational, inspirational and humorous talks and programs to groups of all sizes. His commitment to providing excellence in every aspect of his work has resulted in his being named one of the Top 50 Business Connectors in Indianapolis. He has consulted for Economic Development Organizations and Chambers of Commerce and developed on-going educational programs for their communities and members. Jack is also the co-creator of the EXCEL program for Economic Development Organizations. In the EXCEL program, Jack facilitates a growing number of CEO Roundtables consisting of business owners of start-ups and Stage 1 business (businesses with 10 or fewer employees) in a hybrid virtual incubator and mastermind type format. Jack is a 10 year member of the National Speakers Association, the Heartland NSA and the International Coach Federation. His professional qualifications include: • Certified John Maxwell Coach, Speaker and Trainer • Certified Facilitator for The Coaching Clinic™ by CoachU • Certified Facilitator for Get Clients Now!™ • Certified Consultant Kolbe System • Certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-linguistic Programming • Certified Language and Behavior Consultant; Shelle Rose Charvet • Certified One Page Business Plan™ Consultant and Facilitator Jack is a contributor to several business and coaching blogs and writes columns monthly for several small business publications including the Hendricks County Business
Kevin Pitts is an executive coach, motivational speaker and facilitator. He has conducted seminars and coached executives around the globe. He has over 20 years experience as a consultant working with organizations to develop financial, leadership and organizational strategies. Mr. Pitts has also worked with senior leaders to facilitate creative thinking and optimal decision-making. He has worked with potential leaders to understand the role of cross-cultural competencies play around the globe. Mr. Pitts also has been asked to identify and develop leadership talent, improve performance, manage change, and transform teams. Mr. Pitts’ training in Strategy/Finance/Organizational Behavior, coupled with his many years of business experience, have provided a strong foundation for addressing a wide range of challenges in many areas including finance, sales/marketing, customer experience and loyalty, strategy, project management, and executive leadership. Mr. Pitts has worked with many of the leading Global 1000 organizations such as: EMC, GE, IBM, Xerox, Citigroup, Kimberly-Clark, P&G, Marks & Spencer, Brother, Inc., Unilever, AT&T, HP, Cingular, Shell, Sprint, Panasonic, DuPont, and Motorola. He has also worked for the Navy and the Department of Transportation in Connecticut. His breadth of experience with these companies has given him insight in the following industries: hi-tech, consumer products, document management, financial services, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, specialty chemicals, and aerospace and defense. Mr. Pitts’ consultative style involves engaging his clients in every step the process from beginning to end. He believes that the most successful projects come from integrated interventions which include elements of facilitation and coaching for the participants. One of his areas of specialty is designing and developing numerous high potential leadership programs. Another area of expertise, is communicating financial concepts in an easy and effective way so that various non-financial professionals can use the knowledge to make better decisions in their everyday activities. Mr. Pitts attended the Colgate Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, where he received an MBA
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with a concentration in Finance/Organizational Behavior, and Colgate University, from which he received a BA in Philosophy. He was a PhD candidate at the University of Pittsburgh in the area of Strategic Management. In addition to his academic studies, Mr. Pitts has published several articles in areas such as business strategy, total quality management, and developing teams. A sample list of past and current customers, types of programs and audiences served is below.
It’s important that you, as a small business owner, don’t feel isolated. We work better in the company of others. When we share ideas and goals, dreams and values, our businesses prosper.
Mr. Pitts designed and developed a major change program for the largest document management company in the world, Xerox. This initiative entailed changing the go-to-market strategy for the sales force. In doing so, the goal of this initiative was to provide the skills needed to convert from “product/box” selling to selling services and solutions. This effort involved teaching new concepts on value and financial selling to the sales force and its managers. A leading defense manufacturer, Hunter Defense Technologies hired Mr. Pitts to facilitate increasing sales and profits to the DOD. This initiative entailed working with the senior leaders to craft a strategy for growing sales at least 20-30% per year. Mr. Pitts facilitated and taught the senior team how to create a strategic plan and has been retained by the firm to help in execution. The audience for the strategy workshop was the CEO and his direct reports. A leading manufacturer, Panasonic hired Mr. Pitts as a project coach to ensure that projects are executed in a timely fashion, with quality and creative insight. This engagement has been credited with facilitating the delivery of three strategic projects on-time and below budget. The initiative began with Mr. Pitts teaching a select group of high-potentials project leadership and project management skills. They were then assigned projects emanating out of the strategic leadership conference that Mr. Pitts facilitated for the leadership team of the largest division of the firm. One of the new programs we are having this year is the “Sharks of Chesterton” where judges will listen to business elevator pitches and pick the one that they believe to be the best, most viable presentation. The winner will win an
NANCY BECHER
BUSINESS SUCCESS UNLIMITED & FOUNDER OF DREAM BIG RETREAT amount of money to put to use in their businesses. The judges, as well, will get the ability to share their business expertise and knowledge with the attendees of the retreat. On Saturday the speakers will host small table workshops that help the attendees to learn how to implement the ideas they’ve been hearing about all weekend. You can give a person a fish, or you can teach them to fish. By giving them the tools to do the fishing they are just one more step further ahead. And finally, there will be an awards ceremony where attendees can vote on their favorite business, the speaker that had the biggest impact, and other valuable programs. How fun!
Early-Bird Price: $197 The early bird price for this event is $197 and runs until the end of July. The event will be held at the Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Indiana (www.sandcreek.com) and the hotel is The Spring House Inn in Porter, Indiana (www.springhouseinn.com) If you’re interested in more information or to register for this exciting event, go to www.dreamBIGretreat.com. I can’t wait to see you there and to see your business grow and propser. 24 SBF |
Visit DreamBigRetreat.com or call Nancy at (269) 319-6041 for information.
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What Do Entrepreneurs Do In The Summer? As we all know, being an entrepreneur is the absolute BEST blessing in the world. However, it does not come without a lot of self-discipline, determination and Faith!
Early Hours: If you want to spend the day enjoying Summer activities it might be worth it for you to wake up an hour or two earlier in the morning and block that time out specifically for work. Then you can spend the rest of the day knowing you have taken good care of your business and deserve the time to play a little! You really do deserve some time to unplug and play a little! Lists: Make a list for each day of the week and assign each day a reasonable amount of tasks. Perhaps save big projects for days that it rains and your activities are cancelled. Do this list BEFORE you go to bed at night and wake up feeling refreshed and organized! When you have a list, you tend to stay on task and get a lot more done. You spend less time distracted which means more time for Summer fun! Groups: Make group participation on Facebook a priority! Everyone is busy in the summer. People will check in to the groups they belong to and your presence there is KEY!!! This is a great way to keep your business name and specials in front of people so they don’t forget about you when they don’t see you participating. You can do this any hour of the day and it only takes a few minutes so don’t miss this important opportunity. It’s, most importantly, a great way to let people know you really appreciate them and you want to continue to stay in contact with them.
By implementing these few small things into your Summer routine, we are confident that you will move into Fall feeling really good about your business. You will have the peace of knowing that you have not lost touch with your business and those important relationships throughout the summer and can move into Fall without interruption. You can then add a little momentum when Fall arrives and be ready to go! Tracy is a Marketing and Social Media Strategist with over 25 years of experience. She is founder of Grow REAL Companies.com, LLC where Real Relationships = Real Success! She loves working with business owners helping them to GROW their businesses.
You will have the peace of knowing that you have not lost touch with your business and those important relationships throughout the summer.
» Tracy Barse
We all know that it is essential to plan, set goals and stay organized all year long to ensure utmost success for our businesses. We also know that we need to keep building REAL RELATIONSHIPS all year long. Here comes the challenge— SUMMER! Summer is such a fun season with so many things to do that are so much fun—gardening, swimming, biking, cook-outs, vacations, trips to the lake just to name a few. It seems like we work so hard that we should be able to take a lot of time off and then just keep going, without interruption, come Fall. Unfortunately, that can create disaster for your business and a lot of stress for you. Let’s talk about how you might balance business so that you can enjoy Summer to its fullest while still ensuring that you are doing what you need to do for a successful Fall season for your business. Meetings: It is very important to keep networking and building those REAL RELATIONSHIPS! Perhaps instead of not going to meetings at all in the summer, you could choose a couple meetings a month to attend so that you can stay in contact with others and schedule a few additional meetings in a virtual way using the many online options available. This will give you a balance of in-person meetings and also save you time and money when you schedule some of them virtually.
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What keeps me up at night; what gets me up in the morning!? This is such an intriguing opportunity. Often times I take the theme and do something else, but this month the theme really attracts me, so I’m using the theme as my title! » Adam Fleming
What keeps me up at night:
I sleep soundly, and I’m good enough at having home/work life balance that I can model that for my life coaching clients. This isn’t to say that I don’t occasionally work in the evening, but that’s usually balanced out by comp time during the day. I stay up to work on my writing projects that don’t always have an immediate financial payoff, but that feels more like hobby time even though it’s work, too. Besides the idea that something keeping you up at night is workload execution, there’s another definition for “what keeps you up at night.” Those are the things that worry you: they keep you up not because you’re working, but because you’re worrying. There are two basic categories that come to mind here: somebody’s after me, or I won’t get what I need tomorrow. These are fear-driven worry issues. The first one is an integrity issue, which could include indebtedness of a variety of kinds. The second is an issue of faith that I’ll have enough. I don’t really like the word “faith” whether you apply it to a higher power or simply to faith in yourself to go get what you need 28 SBF |
(new contracts or clients, etc.). In fact, just this week my wife and I were up a little later than usual chewing over some of these things. Business is tough, and summer is my slow season. “I don’t need more faith,” she said, “just more work.” I’m happy to say that I rarely have trouble sleeping because a) I don’t have too many integrity issues, enemies, or debtors, b) I work really hard so I trust that will bring results when I need them, and c) back to the top, I don’t often work late at night because I have decent work/family life balance. A few days after the hard conversation I had with my wife, things are remarkably different. I had a meeting with a major prospect who may close by the end of the month. Just in the nick of time. You have to have guts, sometimes. Faith other times. Integrity all the time.
What gets me up in the morning?
I don’t need more faith, just more work.
The pay is steady, at least. Then we remember how miserable that makes me. I get up in the morning because I absolutely love what I do. I get to provide life coaching, lead an organization, run a business, set my own schedule, write all kinds of books, articles, blogs, and work from home. As I write this my wife is working elsewhere, and my children are home. We don’t have them in daycare. They are unfortunately being babysat by the glowing, one-eyed monster called television… But at least I know what program they’re ingesting. I have a vision of a different world where everyone has at least one good friend. That’s why I train more coaches; a coach has many roles in terms of accountability and planning, but can also be your friend and peer when your role leaves you peerless. It’s lonely at the top. I make it less so for lots of people, and I love that. I get to deploy my creativity on a regular basis. I love that. I get up in the morning because I love my life, and my work doesn’t (usually) feel like work! This article is typical of the sorts of things you’ll find in my book The Art of Motivational Listening: Creative Ideas for Effective Leaders, Entrust Source Publishers ©2015, available on Amazon, at Entrustsourcepublishers.com or at AdamGFleming.com.
That one’s easy. When the entrepreneurial journey gets tough, sometimes we talk about going back to a factory job, working for the man. | SBF 29
Do you have money to burn? A lot of people must. Or at least that is the only conclusion that is logical at most of the networking conferences I have been to in the past. Conference ticket: $700-5,000 Air fare: $800 Hotel: $1,000 Actually getting what you paid for: Priceless » Rivka Kawano
Are you wasting money on conferences? So where is the disconnect? Why is it that people go to these events and are completely unprepared to take advantage of the opportunities afforded? Sadly, I have been guilty of this at times too. So let’s look at the most common traps and how to avoid them.
Trap: Low confidence
It is really hard to confidently network, enter conversations, and meet the goals you had in mind when you arrived if you don’t believe in yourself.
Escape Route: Know your worth
While improving your confidence is arguably a life-long endeavor here a couple things that can help right now. • Ask some of your best clients and connections on LinkedIn for a recommendation on your profile • Ask your friends or family what your best qualities are • Make a list of what you have to offer others • Update your LinkedIn and other social media profiles with your most recent accomplishments • Regularly do things that increase your confidence and/or stretch your comfort zone
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Trap: Fuzzy goals
There can be this magical idea that if we just show up and hang out around all the awesomeness somehow it will rub off on us. Of course, there is no magic, just clear intention and action based on that intention. But many people walk into a conference really unsure of what they are doing there. Is it mostly to learn some specific piece of information? To meet or connect with certain people? To get new clients? Knowing what these goals are inform every single other decision you make from which sessions to sit in on to what to do on your down time. And life is, after all, nothing more than a series of choices.
There can • What other opportunities outside of the conference itself will there be? (Connecting with local clients or be this partners, scheduling your own meet up, local sights, etc.) magical idea that Side note - Make sure these are real goals that move you if we just forward. Handing out 200 business cards just to hand out show 200 business cards is not a great goal. up and Trap: It’s all about me hang out Derek Halpern tells the story of someone who came up around all and literally shoved a business card in Derek’s mouth. That probably the ultimate example, but we have all been the awe- isaround those people. The ones who are just all about someness their agenda, talk all the time, and push business cards on somehow it everyone. will rub off only is this ineffective, it is just plain rude.However, on us. Not it can be really easy to be that person when we are nervous or unclear about what we are doing (see above).
Escape Route: Connect, help, and listen
People who will want to work with you are those who know, like, and trust you. Be confident in what you have to offer others and be generous with that time. Here are some practices to add to your interactions that will help: • Instead of offering a card always ask for theirs. Try to write a quick note on it to remind you of any follow up. • Ask questions. This will help you know what they need that you can help with and vice versa. • Count to three silently in your head when they finish talking before you start. This helps prevent interrupting and lets them know you are really listening.
• Make introductions whenever you can. Never right someone off as unimportant, you never know what connections will lead where. • Connect ahead of time. Find people on social media who are also going to the conference and introduce yourself. • Do the little things that have nothing to do with your area of expertise like holding doors, making eye contact, smiling, and offering a seat to someone looking.
Trap: Not leaving time to prepare
The planning fallacy is basically a psychological term that says we always think things will take less time than they really do. The bigger the project (like planning for a conference) the more we underestimate the time needed. I was at a conference in Chicago last year and on the final day the host was introducing one of the speakers and asked how many people were familiar with this speaker. Only a handful of hands went up. At that point, everyone should have known if for no other reason than we had an event binder telling us! Preparation is key to be able to accomplish your goals and avoid putting your foot in your mouth when you ask the Facebook expert who is delivering the keynote if they use social media in their business.
Escape Route: Do an internal audit and get ready
There are two parts to preparing for a conference. The first is to get yourself ready to make the best possible impression, and the second is to become as familiar with the event as possible. • Take a look at your website. Is it up to date? Is it something you can feel confident in sharing? Does it represent your work and abilities well? • Are your social media profiles up to date? Do you have an easily recognizable profile picture? • Anywhere you are online is it clear what you have to offer your ideal client and the benefit there is to getting to know you?
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Escape Route: Set clear objectives
Take the time to set goals and objectives now. Ideally these will be aligned with the goals you have already set for your business as a whole. Some questions to ask yourself: • What are the most important objectives for your business/career in the next 6 months? • Who are the people that can help you get there? • How many more clients do you need in order to reach your goals? • Who is your ideal client? • What information do you need to move forward? | SBF 31
• Check out the speakers. Do you know who they all are? If you met them tomorrow would you know what to talk about with them? • Event location; what is special about it? Do you know anyone in the area you should connect with while there? • What activities are going on outside the scheduled conference?
Trap: Losing opportunities after the fact
Where deals actually happen and business grows is usually after the fact. Follow up is critical to the success of your conference experience. Whether it is implementing new information, or connecting with new leads. So why don’t we do it? Well, other than planning fallacy at work again, we usually have put the rest of our business and lives on hold to come to this conference. When we get back there are any of a number of fires to be put out, tasks to do, and communication to catch up on that keep pushing aside that follow up.
Escape Route: Make a plan
Knowing that these things will be an issue allows you to work around it. And it starts before you even leave for the conference. • Have an organized way to store notes and business cards • Plan into your conference time 15-20 minutes each night right before you go to sleep to send e-mails to new people you met that day and add new to-do items to whatever system you use for scheduling (I love Asana.com) • Leave at least one full day completely clear on your schedule when you get back so that you can follow up from the conference. Just pretend like you are still at the conference, and add that extra day when telling people how long you will be gone • Make sure you delegate everything you can before you leave so that things don’t pile up back at the office • Add new connections to LinkedIn and take advantage of the tags and notes for each contact and even set a reminder for when you need to get back to them.
May the force be with you. Entrepreneurs are a crazy lot. The way you can tell if someone’s an entrepreneur or not is to see how many ideas they have bouncing around at one time, how many challenges they are dealing with yet keep on keeping on, and how few hours of sleep they operate on daily. » Nancy Becher
I picked up several great ideas at the Dream Big Retreat and put them into action. As a result, our 4th Quarter was 83% above our 3rd Quarter. DAVID KEENAN
OWNER, AFFORDABLE HEARING STORE
Visit DreamBigRetreat.com or call Nancy at (269) 319-6041 for information.
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The more of all these things going on in their lives, the more of an entrepreneur they are. Truly. Look at yourself. Are you content to call it a day at 5pm or are you just getting started (after a 10 hour work day)? That gives you your first tip as to whether you’re an entrepreneur or not. That’s not to say that there aren’t times when we find ourselves weighed down and ready to throw in the towel. Sometimes life can just be TOO much. But, sure as certain, the next day we’re up and on a roll again. Well, maybe not the next day, but you get my drift. We don’t stay down for long. Welcome to my life—come on in, sit down and get ready for story time. Are you ready? Here goes. Keeping with the Star Wars theme, A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I started my first business, and over the years, I have owned several (at this moment, I am running three distinct and separate companies).
There are times when they are highly successful, and other times when they have been not so good. We all go through those stages and it is good to realize that even when something fails, it’s not a failure but a learning experience. However, lately I have been “hit” by several asteroids (shall we say). My mom recently passed away and Dad’s health has been less than good to say the least. I was in a serious car accident that has kept me from doing things that I have wanted to for over 2 years now. And as a consequence, my business has been less than stellar. I have fallen into fear and self doubt— thinking that I wasn’t worth anything and how dare I try and run businesses. And guess what: The more like that I felt, the worse my business got. In the great words of Yoda: Fear is the path to the dark side. And I was surely on that path.
Yet, somewhere along the line, I realized that I was worthy of appreciation and that people would be lucky to have me.
jump at working with me—rather, I worked diligently at trying to get those that didn’t have the money, didn’t want my help and would NEVER buy what I was selling (like trying to sell freezers to eskimos). I would talk with the coach gurus who told me, if you don’t charge what you’re worth, then why should anyone pay you what you’re worth? It makes sense, but boy was I scared! Yet, somewhere along the line, I realized that I was worthy of appreciation and that people would be lucky to have me work with them. And you know what? I met with a potential client this morning, we talked about her business, we talked about things she should be doing (I gave her value for the free consultation) and I closed by saying I would love to work with her. I believe in your business and feel that we could work together well! She asked me what I charged (and I heard somewhere in the back of my mind—may the force be with you). I swallowed, and said X (a price that I haven’t felt able to charge in a LONG time). She nodded, and said. Sounds good. Sign me up. WOW! Yes, indeed the force was definitely with me today. And it can be for you as well. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed these Star War quotes and see how they can fit into your own lives and businesses. So let me end by telling you: “Do or do not. There is no try!” And definitely, may the force be with you too!
I steadily lowered my rates, thinking who is going to pay me THAT? I didn’t try to work with the clients that I KNEW were my target and that would | SBF 33
What’s Holding You Back From Happiness? Happiness is a never-ending pursuit. It’s a powerful thing and as a society, we’re obsessed with it. We’ve spent decades trying to track down the secret to happiness. Companies have built empires selling quick fixes to consumers, mostly packaged in pill and bottle form. It has been touted as a benefit of the latest superfood or cleanse. » Jerry Sarno
For Americans, the pursuit of happiness is enshrined as a right in the Declaration of Independence, right alongside life and liberty. Further abroad, an international study found people place a higher emphasis on being happy than becoming rich or getting into heaven. It’s true some people are genetically predisposed to being happy; however, if you don’t naturally exist in a constant state of bliss, don’t fret. There is no secret sauce that guarantees contentment, but researchers have found some definite links between certain habits and increased quality of life.
There is no secret sauce that guarantees contentment, but researchers have found some definite links between certain habits and increased quality of life.
“We’re finding it’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality,” said happiness guru Shawn Achor in a TED talk. “And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.” It may not be what we want to hear, but Achor’s research has found we are largely to blame for our own misery. Ninety percent of our long-term happiness comes from our brains, not from external factors. This means changing the way we think can change our reality. According to Achor, only 25 percent of job successes are predicted by IQ. The remaining 75 percent have everything to do with “optimism levels, your social 34 SBF |
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support and your ability to see stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.” When we are in good spirits, our brain is boosted by something called the “happiness advantage.” This state makes us more creative and gives us energy. Achor’s research indicates individuals are 31 percent more productive and 37 percent better at sales when content. Doctors even come to a correct diagnosis more quickly when experiencing the happiness advantage. Happiness is within our control. Let’s look at a few ways we can boost our state of mind for the better.
1. Be Generous With Your Gratitude
Gratitude is defined in the dictionary as “a feeling of appreciation or thanks.” The vast amount of scientific research indicates embracing gratitude can increase our overall well-being. Achor suggests greater happiness can be achieved by participating in a simple exercise. For 21 days, take two minutes to write down three new things for which you are grateful. This act forces your brain to re-wire itself, and will eventually shift from seeking out the negative to searching for the positive. Professor Martin Seligman is a leader in the field of positive psychology. His clinical trials indicate participation in “gratitude visits” can have significant impact on lowering depression and increasing happiness. Here is how to do it: select an individual who has made a big impact on your life and has never been thanked for their contribution. Write a 300-word testimonial, then meet with the person and read it to them. This concept can also be practiced on a smaller scale for equally positive results. Consider writing testimonials for people who you do business with in your personal life: your dentist, your hairdresser, your babysitter, the salesperson at your favorite store. Leave a short note for a co-worker who is doing a bang-up job. Showing your appreciation for their hard work or exemplary service will not only make their day, but yours too.
2. Find Your Flow
When we’re absorbed in a task, we often say we’re “in the zone.” Positive psychologists refer to this phenomenon as “flow”: a state of intense but effortless and energized concentration where time seems to stand still. There are no worries or distractions. It’s almost a state of ecstasy. We can hold our breath and hope to eventually stumble upon an activity that helps us achieve the flow state, or we can take a more proactive approach to harnessing its power.
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“… We think there’s a recipe for it, and it’s knowing what your highest strengths are,” said Seligman in a TED talk. He suggests identifying your five biggest strengths and then incorporating them into everything you do, from work to parenting.
3. Be Money Wise
Many people think money buys happiness, but multitudes of studies have debunked that myth. One conducted by the University of Illinois concluded those making more than $10 million annually are only slightly happier than the employees who work for them. Big lottery winners have had their lives destroyed by their windfall.
“Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.”
How you part with your money has a much greater impact on your happiness than how much you earn. Spending money on new experiences provides much greater satisfaction than accumulating “stuff.” Psychology professor Thomas Gilovich conducted extensive research into the joy of “experiential purchases” and found our cherished memories stand the test of time far better than physical items. “One of the enemies of happiness is adaptation,” Gilovich said, in a Fast Company interview. “We buy things to make us happy, and we succeed. But only for a while. New things are exciting to us at first, but then we adapt to them.” Go on a vacation, check out a festival or hit up a new restaurant. You’ll strengthen your relationships in the process, making you happier in the long run. Also consider making regular charitable contributions by donating money or time. This will boost your satisfaction levels.
4. Embrace Discomfort
Typically we don’t associate happiness with discomfort, but contentment comes at a cost: sometimes you have to step outside your comfort zone. Exploring something new can cause great anxiety and feel wrong, but it’s always a step in the right direction. According to Psychology Today, the happiest people are often the most curious. “Truly happy people seem to have an intuitive grasp on the fact that sustained happiness is not just about doing things you like,” wrote Robert Biswas-Diener and Todd Kashdan. “It also requires growth and adventuring beyond the boundaries of your comfort zone.” It should come as no shock that even the happiest of people have down days. However, they often embrace negative emotions and process them appropriately, allowing them to bounce back more quickly. The Dalai Lama once said, “Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” We can all live a more joyful existence if we take steps to change our habits and approach. Remember, the biggest obstacle to happiness is you.
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Get Yo u r F R E E Tra i n i n g Mate r i a l s at w w w. De b b i eA l l e n . co m | SBF 37
My Two Favorite Tech Tools. Easy to use and inexpensive. 1) A second computer monitor, and 2) Fences® software to organize my PC desktop. When I recently bought a new PC, I could have opted for one large monitor instead of two. There are pros and cons to each, but I really like having two. Mine happen to be identical 22” monitors ($130 each), though they don’t have to be (my previous two were different brands and sizes). » Susan Kousek
Why two monitors?
A few reasons (multitasking is not one of them): 1. I’m completely paperless for bill paying and bank and credit card statements. I record all of my business and personal transactions in Quicken and reconcile all of my accounts (important in this time of prevalent credit card fraud, plus I want to make sure I take every legitimate tax deduction I’m entitled to). When I get a notice that my bank/credit card statement is available, I download it to my PC. To reconcile, I open the PDF statement and drag it by its title bar to my second monitor which sits to the left of my main monitor. I open Quicken on my main monitor. Easy to reconcile without having to print the statement. 2. When I’m developing a presentation or writing an article, I often do research online or call up an earlier 38 SBF |
presentation or article to incorporate some of it into my new document. Easy to do with Chrome open on my second monitor and my working document on my main monitor. 3. When I attend a webinar or am on a committee conference call, I like to take notes on the computer and still be able to see the presenter’s screen. Having two monitors does the trick. 4. Looking up instructions on how to do something on your computer? Display them on your second monitor while following the steps on your main monitor.
When I’m developing a presentation or writing an article, I often do research online or call up an earlier presentation or article.
that program it opens on the second monitor. If the second monitor is not turned on, you keep clicking away and think nothing is happening and it will drive you crazy until you realize what’s going on—I speak from experience! 2. When you connect the second monitor, your PC might recognize it as being to the right of your main monitor. I like mine on the left. Simply go to Control Panel, Hardware and Sound, Display, Change Display Settings, and drag the monitors to change them.
Fences Softwar:
One of the first software programs I purchased and installed on my new PC was Fences from Stardock. If you’re like me, you end up with a lot of icons on your computer desktop. As a professional organizer, I like an orderly desktop—both physical and digital. Fences software lets you corral those icons so you can keep all your program icons together, folder shortcuts, favorite web sites, work in progress, documents you use often, whatever you like. Create a fence, name it, move
it where you want, change the size, move loose icons from your desktop into a fence. You’ll still see the standard view of what’s stored in your Desktop folder when you’re in Windows® File Explorer. You can add as many icons to each fence as you’d like. Make the fence smaller to take up less screen space and display only the first few icons. You’ll get scroll bars to access the other icons. Thirty-day free trial. Standard version is $9.99 to download from www.stardock.com/products/ fences/. Requires Windows 10/8/7. Certified Professional Organizer® Susan Kousek is the owner of Balanced Spaces® in Reston, Virginia. She works with people who are overwhelmed by papers and all they have to do, and also helps clients organize their computer documents and Outlook® emails. Susan can be reached at (703) 742-9179 or Susan@ BalancedSpaces.com.
(Top) My two monitors with a PowerPoint® document on the left and a Word document on the right. (Bottom) Not too many icons yet, since my computer is only a few weeks old, but I know there will be many more in the future!
Any downsides to two monitors? Not really, though they do take up more space than one large monitor. There are a couple of things to be aware of. 1. When you drag a document or program to the second monitor, drag it back before closing the program. Otherwise, when you next open | SBF 39
Security and the Entrepreneur.
Many nights and mornings I sit and review my training programs and look for ways to improve its content. I know I can find more information I can pass on to my students and to make myself a better protector. There are many articles to gain from, training programs to attend and gain more education from, practice my skills to better both myself and my clients. One of my many ventures which I still work on is writing my book. A book you say, yes a book for protectors on how to better provide low profile executive protection. I am not sure how many times I have written chapters for the book just to go and delete them and start over. Anyone who has tried writing a book knows my frustration. There has never been much written on this subject but I feel it is my niche in the industry.
Its 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning when the phone starts to ring and will not stop till I answer it. Potential client wants me in a certain city 2 hours away by 9:30 a.m. to watch over a client’s children over the weekend. An hour spent on some research as to who the client is. Pack a quick ‘Go Bag’ and hit the road by 6:30 a.m. and headed out to the area. Client asks for low profile protection.
Well lunch at ‘Chuck-e-Cheese’ is over and we are on the move again. Hope Dad does not notice us following him. Why are they stopping at a pet shop? Text the client for any new information the kids may be sending, the answer comes, they are getting a puppy. Well one more to watch over as if 4 is not enough. Puppy and supplies purchased and we are off again, now where. Ahhh homeward bound. One of the many skills a protector needs to master is one of discretion and being that ‘grey man’ being there but being invisible. Trust me it is harder than it sounds. I sit and read articles written by others in my industry learning everything I can. Practice what I have learned, share what I have learned.
» Ed Becher
What keeps me awake at night is the desire to be able to provide to my clients, both those seeking careers in protective security and those desiring to be protected with the best possible service I can provide. One wonders how can I do both and still find time to sleep at night. Yeah at times that can be hard, even for me.
Having never provided such a low profile protective detail before, I sit here alongside the road looking at Google Maps and Google Streetview trying to get a better idea of the area. That along with someplace to be able to sit, watch the house and children, find a place for food, restrooms and hope they don’t leave the house.
One of the best methods I have found to be able to sleep at night is to be able to keep up on the latest in executive protection, what is happening in the industry and world events. Between printed materials, and on-line resources I try to stay on top of what’s going on to better provide for my clients.
Having worked in the security industry for over 25 years (yeah a long time) I continue to be impressed with the quality of people who are working in the security industry. I am equally impressed with the quality of people wanting to seek careers in the protective security industry. It is not just those seeking adventure or getting close to VIP’s, celebrities and making a name for themselves.
Arrive at location #1 to find out they were picked up earlier by their estranged father, so on to location #2. We arrive at location #2 and see that the children are doing well. Now it’s time to advance the location and get the feel of the land. One way in, one way out, now to find a spot to stand-by at. The world of social media has helped me stay abreast of changes in protective security which not only help me provide better security to my clients but to also provide my students with the best training possible. There are many in the protective security industry who I have learned many skills from just through reading what they have to offer, seeking their guidance when I need it and seek it. This goes both ways as when they ask they receive it. 40 SBF |
As we sit here, watching and waiting and hoping we are not being too conspicuous. We sit, and our stomachs start to make noise, been a while since breakfast and that was on the drive up. Oh, wait, they are on the move, now where are they headed. Text the client to see what he can find out. Headed for pizza with the kids, oh great it’s ‘Chuck-eCheese. Guess we find one close enough to watch as two adults without children would stand out in their choice of restaurants.
One of the best methods I have found to be able to sleep at night is to be able to keep up on the latest in executive protection.
Many nights I wonder if I am doing the right thing, am I helping my clients to the level they deserve. Are my students getting the information they need to be the best they can in a growing industry? I continue to want to provide the best service I can.
We arrive back at the house, looks like they are in for the night. Now time for us to find a spot for us to stay discreet and for us to take turns getting some rest, tomorrow is a new day. Day two of the detail sees us watching the children having fun with the new puppy and playing in the water at the lake the house sits on, a text comes in from the client saying the children will be picked up around 3pm at the Dad’s house. Mom shows up promptly at 3pm and heads home and we get a request to follow them home to make sure they make it there safely. Wait why is she turning the wrong way, quick text to client to tell her to knock it off and head home. A change in direction and we now follow them home safely. Mission accomplished thirty-six hours after it started. Contact the client and provide a verbal report of the weekend. Now it’s time to go home, get some dinner and a shower. After this protective assignment, I did a lot of sitting up late trying to learn how I could have provided a better service to my client. Considering very little was known about where we were going to end up, we had no schedule of events I feel we did a good job giving these children and their mother a good feeling that they were safe. Each of us in business sits there and wonders how we can provide the best service we can to our clients. Sometimes it is not as easy as it sounds as I still think about that assignment and wonder if we could have done it better and maybe differently. Till next time, stay safe and stay aware! Ed Becher, (Ret.) US Marine and Former Chief Instructor, US Dept. of State, Uniformed Branch, Diplomatic Security Service is the owner of Center for Protection, Security and Personal Safety (The Bodyguard Academy) which is a provider of training and resources to keep you, your staff and clients safe. He can be contacted at ed@thebodyguardacademy.com or by phone at (269) 651-3355.
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YOUR SAFETY. OUR CALLING. With the summer coming, what will your travel plans be? Will they be safe
Resources:
plans? Let us provide you, your family, or your employees with the guidance for safe travel—domestic or international.
Located in historic Sturgis, Michigan, the Center for Protection, Security
and Personal Safety can help you in many ways and not just by providing your staff with the training they need. We are available to provide short-
or long-term protective services, security audits, and surveillance detection services. Additionally, we offer: • Personal Safety Seminars • Travel Safety
• Personal Protection Specialist 7-Day Program • Low Profile Executive Protection
• One-On-One Executive Protection
Mashable.com is a great company for business know-how and new gadgets to use for growing your company. From their About page, Mashable is a leading global media company that informs, inspires and entertains the digital generation. Mashable is redefining storytelling by documenting and shaping the digital revolution in a new voice, new formats and cutting-edge technologies to a uniquely dedicated audience of 42 million monthly unique visitors and 24 million social followers. Get to know Mashable when you are looking for new software, new ideas, and just some fun business trivia. Tweakyourbiz.com is another online resource for news, software and much more (www.tweakyourbiz.com/ marketing/2011/06/24/51-freeresources-for-small-businesses/ has a whole series, divided by category, of things to help you grow your business).
Contact ed@thebodyguardacademy.com or (269) 421-1735 42 SBF | www.TheBodyGuardAcademy.com
And if you haven’t found Youtube yet, you’re missing out on thousands of wonderful videos — everything from training classes, to music and laughter, to Ted Talks, and business channels with wonderful information. I highly recommend taking a quick survey of Youtube and all the wonderful videos that are there for your viewing. Along with Youtube, there are two new programs that are fun and insightful as well. Periscope and Blab are both video and live streaming programs that are aligned with Twitter and really cool – especially since they are new technology. Do a Google search and take a look at them today!
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