Wild West was Won with Heart and Passion – Inspires Business Growth Initiatives for the New Economy

I am convinced that business done with heart and passion is the business that will endure.

I had the opportunity to visit Eastern Oregon last week as a keynote for a local business resource fair. I was WOW’d from the time I drove into town until 24 hours later when I left.

Baker City, Oregon in times far past held it’s claim as the premier social center with the largest population in Oregon. It’s residents are enamored with the beauty of the area and burst with pride at their history. For example, over 100 buildings in the downtown are over 100 years old. After hanging out with them for one day, I was sold!

It was the collaboration of several entities that brought this event into fruition. I believe it is this type of cooperation that will enable us to weather this storm and come out on the other side wiser, better positioned, and cared for in the process.

• Travel with folks going your way. Hang out with positive, forward thinking people. Build your power team. Share the work.
• When trouble comes. Circle the wagons. This is not to deny the recession we are in but rather to accept where we are and do what we can to make a difference in the world.
• Keep moving toward the goal. You will be surprised at the difference in your ability to see bigger and take positive action when you see others finding success and opportunity just by their attitude.

  I want to publicly commend the local players in Baker City who work together to serve their community.
  Gene Stackle, B.E.G.I.N.; Ann MeHaffy, Historic Baker City, Inc.; Andrew Bryan, Baker County Development Corporation; Debi Bainter, Baker County Chamber of Commerce; Jake Jacobs, Small Business Development Center; and Linda Noble, Oregon Employment Department.

Wherever you are, there are resources like these and more! Working together we will get through!

Keep looking forward.

PS There are not many towns where you can visit the local wine bar to meet the reporter who wrote about you in the local paper…where he was the entertainment! Ed Merriman with the Baker City Herald is not only a talented reporter but also musician. Thanks, Ed for all your efforts on our behalf. Ed’s stories stories here and here.

If you ever get to Baker City, the first Friday is the Gallery Crawl. This is a VERY fun way to spend the evening. The Geiser Grand Hotel is a must visit for the restaurant or lodging. Start your day at Mad Matilda’s for coffee and the Earth & Vine for a night cap.

Pursue your Dream and Stimulate the Economy

I had the pleasure of meeting Nell Merlino, founder of Make Mine a Million $ Business® a few weeks ago at a WIFS (Women in Insurance & Financial Services) event in Portland.

Her presentation inspired and reminded me that women (and men) with vision contribute to us all.

First and foremost in sharing their vision, we are inspired to dream along too.  Along with inspiring us they show us how to take action but modeling their own process.

Nell’s inspiration:

1.  There is good news in the world. Small businesses are growing and hiring.  (I know I am investing in sub-contractors and service providers myself to get my websites up to date and implement systems to keep in touch.)

2.  50% of the women in business earn $50k or less annually. I knew this but had forgotten the impact.  Her challenge to the audience:

• If you are making less than you desire, what are you settling for?
• What line are you standing in waiting for permission?
• Do you really want to grow your business?  Really?
• What is missing?  What do you need?

3.  You may have an idea. You may want to be (or already are) in business.  You would love to do more of what you are REALLY good at.  Now is the time to figure out what you want and see your life as part of the bigger picture.

4.  You may think growing your business bigger means more work. This misperception keeps most women’s business small.  The truth is bigger business with the right team means less work for you.  Think about what you REALLY want.  You are the Queen of your Business and Life.

Alice Tang, founder of the local chapter of WIFS, leader and visionary herself, reminded us at the event close the Chinese words for crisis are danger and opportunity.  This accurately describes the current era.  Will you withdraw from danger or embrace opportunity?  Your choice.

Side note about WIFS-Portland - Alice Tang and her leadership team have done an excellent job of creating a culture of strategic partnerships and collaboration.  If you are in a business that serves the financial services industry or in the industry itself, you should check it out!  www.wifsportlandmetro.com

Is Indecision Killing Your Biz?

Are you driving away customers through indecision?

The curious side affect of indecision is that it actually drives business away.

Those stuck in indecision or fear tend to be drawn to others who are stuck in the same place. They subconsciously “leak” vibes that illustrate their mood by use of words, body language and facial expressions. Your indecision might simply show up as withdrawal because you want to be sure to do the RIGHT thing when you do take action.

Now is the time to move from indecision to decision. I challenge you to take action now! Become a client magnet by simply acting on the following.

1. Be the Voice of Reason. How do you do this? Find ways to assure yourself and your customers. Go back to what you know and are passionate about. If you are in the print business, you know that your customers will still need copies and quality service. If you are in telecom, you know your customers will still need phone service, repairs, and upgrades. If you are in personal services, you know consumers will still need services in Real Estate, cosmetics, nutrition, self care, beauty. The needs have not gone away. People will still do business with those they know, like, and trust. Always have. Always will. Reach out and let your community know you are still open for business.

2. Re-tool your products or service offerings. If you are able to adjust your offerings, do so now. Make it easy for your customers to buy from you. I am NOT saying to drop your price or discount. I am suggesting that consumers are buying differently now. If you are able to package, bundle, or break up your offering consider doing it sooner rather than later. If you are in the Portland area, check out our Package your Passion for Profit workshop on this topic.

3. Keep your finger on the pulse. Survey your customers and network. Whether formally or informally, this is a great reason to reach out and touch people. Pick up the phone and ask your customers. Find out the top three things they are doing differently now. Ask what changes they might be making as it relates to your product and service or those of in your network. For example, when I survey folks right now I am not directly asking about consulting or planning. I ask about how they are making decisions about marketing; How they’ve fine tuned their sales process; If they are reducing their outside support services such as bookkeeping, membership organizations, etc. Surveying, if done well can open up new opportunties and more sales. This will also keep you on top of changes in mood keeping you ahead in the game.

4. Commit. I love the quote by Napoleon Hill “The moment you commit and quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment is a powerful magnet for help.” It is a fundamental principle through the ages!

5. Hang out with positive, forward thinking people. Build your power team. This is not to deny the recession we are in but rather to accept where we are and do what we can to make a difference in the world. You will be surprised at the difference in your ability to see bigger and take positive action when you see others finding success and opportunity just by their attitude.

Case study: My client, Rob Arps, has steadily been shifting his focus to serve his clients as their businesses change due to budget cuts.

His business is unique. He works with sculptors to produce their end product; either monuments or reductions. He uses state of the art technology and 3D printers along with his team’s artistic ability to streamline the process and produce a high quality product in the art world.

What he is doing differently.

• He added a high quality 3D printer which allows him to do reductions and prototypes in less time in higher quality.
• He added classes on the software he uses along with workshops on the tools at hand to help artists streamline their own services to reduce costs and increase their margins.
• He is also working in other mediums such as wood in addition to the traditional foam and clay.
• He is out “walking around”. Visiting galleries and artists in the community to keep his finger on the pulse.

His first round of classes are sold out. More about his studio at www.AdditiveWorkshop.com

I believe small businesses are going to be instrumental in turning this economy around. Do your part. Look for opportunities to solve problems for your customers and beyond! Decide to do more than survive! Decide to thrive.

Secrets of Super Connectors

Networking secrets are not news these days.  Everyone seems to have their own bag of tricks.  I’ve developed a few of my own strategies based two things. 

1. Results from networking badly…and well. 
   I’ve used networking as a warm cold calling technique in my early years with mediocre results that left me feeling like a sleazy sales person .  I shifted mindsets when I had a big goal in mind and discovered how to network for mutual benefit and explore opportunites, resources, and needs.  In doing so I unlocked an exponential stream of new business, partners, and a personal brand.  i.e.   I doubled my sales in one year and launched a successful consulting practice using professional networking strategies.
2. Looking at folks I aspire to emulate. 
   Harvey MacKay “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty” clearly articulates C-level networking strategies and tactics that every person can learn from.  Bob Burg is another who really gets it.  His book “The Go Giver” talks about a powerful business idea.  Serving others is the intention behind the idea of Super Connecting!

Secrets of Super Connectors
(behaviors practiced until they become unconciously competent)

Here is a quick assessment for you…

Visibility

• Are you showing up in the right places?
• Are you being “seen” by the right folks?
• Where do your natural referral sources or related professions gather?
• Keep in mind, if you are out of sight, you are out of mind.

Credibility

•  Are you believable?
• Do you appear… knowledgeable? successful? able to deliver?
• What would increase your credibility factor?

“Value” Trail

•  Are you repeating the same old worn out networking lines? 
• Find a fresh perspective. Ask better questions.
• Get curious. Determine to learn more how you can be of service.
• Be ready with helpful information. You have a wealth of knowledge within you. Everyday! 

Closing thought:

For those of you who are super connectors, reach out and connect UP. Who don’t you know but really want to know but are a little intimidated by? See if you can gain an introduction from someone in your network. Return the favor.

For those of you who are new to networking, reach out and follow up. Ask those you connect with for common mistakes to avoid, shortcuts, or insights they might share. Again, return the favor if you have some insights to share.

If you’d like to join my larger network here are a couple of options.

1. Subscribe to my newsletter and event notices. I recommend quality events around Portland Metro or online. www.KathieNelson.com
2. Follow me on Twitter. www.Twitter.com/kathienelson
3. Connect with me on Linked In.  www.LinkedIn.com/in/kathienelson
4. Connect with me on . 

Have your own ideas about what makes a super connector?  I’d love to hear!  Please comment.

In the meantime, Happy Networking!

What makes Super Connectors different? 
Super connectors are strategically visible, credible and leave a “value trail”.

Starting or retooling your Business? Avoid common mistakes!

I was honored to receive an email from a woman I was referred to months ago asking for advice as she is launching her consulting business.

I really appreciated the way she asked for help! I thought you might benefit both from her questions, my response, and the response of our readers.

Instead of simply looking for resources and how-to’s she was looking for mistakes to avoid. She wanted lessons learned from a couple of us who’ve been there. Of course the minute she asked, I had a flashback…launching my own practice I thought I was so strategic (and I was) after planning, visualizing, and ramping up naively thinking I would avoid and minimize the obstacles, mistakes and bumps in the road. Guess what!  I found my own obstacles, mistakes, and bumps in the road from which to learn the lessons I needed to learn.  My philosophy is that running a business is the best personal growth school you could ever attend!

Time to lift the curtain and let you see more of my foibles and fumbles!  Don’t kid yourself…we all have them in our own ways.

Mistakes I made (in no particular order)

1. List building.   I understood the value of building a list but didn’t fully have the systems and support to capture the data and keep in touch in a way that consistently built momentum.  Words of wisdom.  Start building your list and connect with them through meaningful content.
2. Trying to be perfect.  I have high standards.  I wanted my content (or products, business cards, flyers, etc.) finished, complete, well designed and invested time and money to make them so.  This delayed time to get products ready for sale, flyers for promoting programs and the like.  I love Alex Mendossian’s quote “Sloppy success is better than perfect mediocrity.”  Not that he condones sloppy work but as an entrepreneur there is a balance between good enough and perfect.  The difference between costs you money, time,and opportunity.  (I am working on this right now!)
   Gen. George Patton:  “A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow.”
3. Hiring the wrong people.  I knew I needed other’s expertise to help me jumpstart and grow my business.  Working with limited resources (bootstrapping) made me “penny wise and pound foolish”.   I made two mistakes.  In several instances, to save money I tried to cut corners hiring others who were just starting out and charging low fees.  In one instance I paid top dollar for services perceiving this would buy me value.  What I learned is that, as the customer, I need to be in charge of the relationship no matter what I am paying to make sure I got what I needed.  Note:  Hiring a more expensive vendor was no guarantee.   It set me back emotionally and financially but as you can see…I recovered!

Of course I can go on with a to-do list for starting right and growing well but that is not the topic of this post! 

What lessons have you learned or mistakes made can you share with this emerging consultant?  By the way, her specialty is personal branding and social media if that guides your words of wisdom!

As a thank you for contributing we will send you our latest work, a collection of experts ”60 Tips to Network Your Way to Anything You Want”.

Happy Networking! 

Step it Up! Maximize Your Marketing Dollars

Extremes seem to be the norm these days. Doom and gloom or opportunites around every corner. I am in a unique position to hear the buzz in networking circles…both good and bad.

I’ve heard folks pulling out of organizations, cancelling advertising, and waiting until things clear up to make new choices in marketing their businesses. I hear others stepping up their marketing efforts to capture market share and take advantage in this new economy.

What is your take? What are you doing differently? I am curious.

This blog unpacks a few tactics and offers some tools to make smarter decisions with your dollars and time!

Let’s talk advertising!
Arleen McClean with WorkSmarter offers these tips to Three Costly Advertising Mistakes.

Mistake #1: Not Tracking for Return on Investment:
Advertising is used to build awareness (branding) or generate leads. To determine if advertising is a good investment for your business, consider the following:

1. Are your competitors advertising?
2. Do you want to increase your market share and improve sales?
3. Are you forfeiting profit because you have unsold inventory that can’t be sold in the future. (Vacant airplane seats, apartments that are unrented, time that isn’t filled with prospects…all translate into lost profits!)
4. Is your average sale large enough to justify advertising and create a positive return on investment ratio? (For example, a car dealer making $3,000 on each vehicle sale can spend $9,000 a month on advertising and reasonably expect to sell 9 cars a month for a 3-1 ROI.)

Bottom Line: Have a clear sense of what you want the advertising to do. Ask your media representative to explain the kind of results you might expect and to show you any success stories they have from other businesses like yours. Good media reps can also provide you with statistical information that will help you find the people you want to reach.

Let’s talk Networking!
Here is a little tidbit from me….

I believe networking is the most under-utilized tactic to grow business and open doors to new opportunties! Here are some common mistakes I observe that minimize any results networking efforts could produce.

1. No clear value proposition.
2. No expressed confidence, passion, or desire to serve.
3. No follow up.
4. Think networking is all about them.
5. Lack of desire to connect.
6. Don’t listen.
7. Don’t ask questions.
8. Talk too much.
9. Inconsistent messages from business attire to collateral to verbal cues.
10. No time for relationship building.

Sound like anyone you know? The secret to networking success is simply to flip the equation. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. Bring yourself to your networking activities. Don’t pull back!

Social Networking!
Speaking to those of you on the edge..dipping your toes. Can Social Networking work for you? Let’s see…

• Do you build relationships and have conversations with your customers, prospects, and network?
• Do you tap into others experience, resources, and ideas?
• Do you make introductions to others?
• Do you share your expertise one on one, in small groups, or in larger forums?
• Do you have a website?

Then yes…it can work for you! Social networking is simply another set of tools to reach an extended group of people. The secret is in taking on the right tool, investing time to understand it’s impact and then maintaining it.

If you have not taken the plunge yet, start with completing your LinkedIn profile and inviting a few friends to join your network. This always stimulates some conversation.

• Already on LinkedIn? Check out some of the questions and respond in the areas of your expertise.
• A solo-preneur or small business, check out Biznik.
• In transition or think you might be soon? Check out CareerXRoads 2.0

Like you, I am tentatively reaching out into the arena of social networking to see where the best use of time can be found. What I am learning is that if you DON’T begin to build a presence online that extends beyond your website, you may be caught behind the curve.

In the end…it is all about time, money, and return on investment. Evaluate, maximize, and in the end…eliminate or add. Stop doing what doesn’t work and step up what does.

Here is to fresh ways to market in 2009!
 

Don't change for change sake! Do what works.

I joined a new marketing mastermind team last month. I found Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets by referral from Jenny Hamby, SeminarMarketingPro.com.