Creating and Nurturing Personal Brand

July 3, 2019
Personal Business

Define your Objective – Before you do anything, sit down and determine what you are trying to accomplish. People create a personal brand for many reasons, but in this case, let’s assume you are trying to create a professional brand that will establish you as a leader in your chosen field. This seems simple, but remember that people are successful if they have both the ability and the passion to succeed. Make sure that the brand you want to promote is both of these. Be as specific as possible (e.g., public relations manager for small to medium sized technology firms). Think about what defines you and separates you from the pack. How do you want people to see you?

Discover your Current Brand – Next you need to understand what brand you have today. Remember that everyone has a brand. If you ask your colleagues to describe you, what would they say? I firmly believe that none of us “own” our own brand. The market owns the brand. The market determines what our brand is. I can say that my brand is that of a “Business Management, Marketing, Leadership and Social Media Expert”. The truth is that you, the reader … Read the rest

Business Lessons from a Bride

July 2, 2019
Business

It was a truly impressive display of planning your work and working your plan. Here’s what I saw:

  • It started with my daughter’s personal vision for her perfect wedding. (A long-range vision.)
  • Then, she started making lists and putting her thoughts down on paper. (Establishing goals and written plans.)
  • This, in turn, led to Katie asking various people (including me, but especially my wife Joyce) to handle assorted aspects of the operation. (Delegating – Assigning specific tasks to specific people with specific timeframes and outcomes.)
  • Katie followed up with the people involved and on the planned activities to ensure all was proceeding as expected. (Using Key Performance Indicators to measure progress and success.)

I saw a potential lesson for small business owners. What if a small business owner planned and managed his or her business this way? Now, I know that this is not a perfect analogy. A wedding is a one-time event, and a business runs continuously. I understand that. But isn’t there something to be gleaned from such an example? For the most part, entrepreneurs know what needs to be done. The shortcoming isn’t in the knowing; it’s in the doing (or not doing.)

Suppose Katie had … Read the rest

Recruiting A Business Attorney

July 2, 2019
Business

Business attorneys are needed for deciding the business structure, the name of the business, to learn about the laws that govern the business as well as in obtaining necessary licenses and permits that are essential to operate a business. They are needed to negotiate deals, prepare contracts as well as guide the owner while signing a contract prepared by someone else. Their guidance is necessary for banking and financial laws, civil, intellectual property rights, labor and environmental laws related matter. Business attorneys are needed when an asset is purchased, when a business is sold or closed. It is better to go for a large, reputed firm of attorneys while hiring a business attorney, as they have many experienced attorneys who specialize in various areas of law.

How to Hire a Business Attorney:

When money is not a constraint you can hire the best firm of business attorneys and ensure that a team of experienced, qualified attorneys will guide your business. However, when money is a constraint, a sole practitioner may be your best option. There are several ways you may use to hire a business attorney.

Lawyer Referral Service

Lawyers as well as clients register with these services for a … Read the rest

Growing Personal Business

July 2, 2019
Personal Business

If you write down a plan and jot down all of your greatest wants and needs, this will help you make decisions more accurately as you take your walk through life. The best thing you could possibly do is make a timeline of which you mark down what you want to have done in 30 days. Then make another mark for 3 months and so on and so on until you’re up to 5 years. It is at this time you will finally start to realize what is important to you and your business. It is at THIS TIME that you will finally start to see the error in your business ways and start to walk the path of a successful business person.

Once your Business Timeline is in place, start to make a list of items you would like to have done by a said date. For instance, at the 1 year mark which should be right after the 9 month mark, write a little note beside it saying something like this: “Have XX amount of total customers and have XX amount of returning customers.” The customers from the first half of that note would hopefully graduate and initially … Read the rest

Small Business Start Up Loan

July 1, 2019
Business

In addition to your business plan you will also be required to put together various financial projection reports. You will need to document the collateral that you have including real estate, vehicles, equipment, prepaid services, and contracts for work or products. You will also need to sign forms that give the lender permission to get a copy of your credit report. Next you will need to complete the application form and put together your application package following the instructions that came with the application. Finally you will need to meet with the lender for an interview. During this interview you will basically pitch your business idea and provide the lender with an argument about why your business will be successful and what you have to offer that your competitors don’t.

The process of applying for and getting small business start up loans is not an easy one. It will take a lot of work, a lot of time, and a lot of frustration. However, you can improve your chances of being approved for a small business loan by following the instructions carefully, meeting deadlines, submitting all of the required documents, formatting your reports correctly, and by projecting an air of … Read the rest

Business Anxiety

July 1, 2019
Business

Deep Breathing

You can release anxiety by learning how to breathe. You have to breathe from your abdomen. By breathing deeply and calmly from your abdomen, you trigger the vagus nerve which will cause a relaxation response in your body.

Meditation

Proper meditation allows your brain to go into deeper frequencies and relaxation. Meditation is an effective way to learn what is discomforting you the most. If you connect with your higher self, while observing what is causing your anxiety, you can diminish it. For meditation to be effective, you must be in an area that is silent.

Self-massage

Giving yourself a massage can be a quick and easy way to release some tension and pent-up anxiety. The places you should give yourself a massage are neck, foot, shoulder, and hip. Sometimes anxiety can cause physical tension, so try your best to release it.

Have some tea

Tea can help calm jitters. However, do not drink too much. Have one cup of tea in the morning to get your day started and that should help lower the stress that is in your body.

Yoga

Yoga is a great way to release the tension that is in your body. If you … Read the rest

About Entrepreneurship Knowledge Services

June 22, 2019
Personal Business

Since most companies are started with very limited funds, many entrepreneurs are reluctant to set money aside to pay for consulting services to fill in their knowledge gaps. For example, many create a website from the many templates available. Some are even free.

Where the company website is concerned I feel that the use of existing templates is a false economy. The website functions as an online calling card and needs to put your best foot forward. For site visitors, seeing a format that they have seen before can reflect badly on you.

The amount of time required for the entrepreneur to become proficient enough to develop a quality website takes time away from tending to functions relating to product knowledge, operations and management. Contracting with a website development company could be the solution.

Websites, to be noticed, must go through the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) process. The purpose of SEO is to improve your website’s chances of ranking high in a search. The mechanism for doing this is complex and dynamic. This again is a very specialized function that is often beyond the capability of the business owner.

There are functions which may be grouped under the heading Entrepreneurship … Read the rest

Ultimate Profit Producing Formula

June 22, 2019
Business
  • Improving enquiries – being creative in generating enquiries is the secret to customer attraction. The coffee shop offering a free muffin will win over the coffee shop next door without the free muffin. Find a point of difference… ask yourself “what will make a customer choose me over my competitor?” And when you find your unique selling proposition shout it out in every way you can possibly think of.
  • Improving the conversion of those enquiries – after all the cost and effort of attracting a customer it’s now up to you to sell them something. You need to answer every objection, have a strong risk reversal guarantee with a product and service range for all their needs. Often this area can be dramatically improved in many businesses. I ask businesses what they believe their conversion rate to be and they usually say around 50%… They are always shocked when they start to measure it and it is less than 20%. This is a good thing though, as it leaves lots of room for improvement!
  • Improving the average transaction size – your total sales over the last year divided by the amount of transactions will give you your average transaction size.
… Read the rest

Digital or Physical Business

June 16, 2019
Personal Business

For a business with physical products or a physical location, it’s more than likely you’re going to need upwards of $100K to even get started. If you’re interested in a specific business, do the research to find out what it would take. But, if you don’t have money in the bank that you can afford to lose, then a physical business may not be the best idea for you.

If you need to work a normal full-time job while you’re starting your business because you don’t have savings to live on, then it’s possible that the best choice for you is a digital business. This is because you can start it in your spare time with nothing more than a computer and internet connection.

It sounds wonderful to start a food truck or a restaurant but what is the reality of that? Have you ever worked in a restaurant as a manager? If not, your learning curve will be extremely large. Even if you’re currently a chef at a restaurant, making money as an owner is a lot harder than you may think – although of course, it is possible.

If you’ve managed to sock away enough money to live … Read the rest

“Small Stuff” Can Have A Big Impact

June 16, 2019
Business

Your Headshot

According to PhotoFeeler.com, if you don’t want to look out of touch, you must have a modern headshot. That means not only having a photo that actually looks like you, but your pose and the background can have a huge impact on your credibility.

Your Bio

When was the last time you read your own bio or professional profile? What’s changed since it was first uploaded to your Web site? What impact have you had in your work that you have neglected to share?

Your Social Media Profiles

Just as I stated above, these mini bios need to be current and relevant to your audience. Offer specific examples of your skills, experience, and the type of clients you work with or want to work with.

Your Offers

Take a hard look at what you’ve been selling over the past year. What sold well and what didn’t? If something has not sold well, such as a specific program or workshop you’ve been offering, is it time to enhance it or scrap it altogether? It may be time to step out of your comfort zone and create something new and exciting to make you stand out this year.

List Building

… Read the rest