Successful Networking Tips

Developing real relationships is the key to success. It’s not about narcissism and its not about the 47,000 followers or 11,275 fans that social media can superficially provide. I believe that real success is about giving and being authentic. It’s more about being familial, appreciating humilty and developing creatively, both professionally and personally. Seth Godins’ post, Welcome to Island Marketing, graciously states ‘If you run a business on a small island, every interaction matters and every customer is precious’.

The Aloha spirit is real simple. You give and you give… and you give from here (the heart) until you have nothing else to give. – Rell Sunn

Aloha at Work

I cannot say enough good things about Rosa Say, author of Managing with Aloha. She is inspiring professionally and spiritually. Below is an excerpt from her book, and website, the 9 Key Concepts:

The 9 Key Concepts

The first two, Aloha and Ho‘ohana, are also values: I think of them as the guiding lights of Managing with Aloha. You will also notice that I use Kākou, the value of inclusiveness and “language of we” in these descriptions, for they refer to we when using my book together, we in the Ho‘ohana Community of MWA practitioners, and we within my own company, Say Leadership Coaching, founded to help bring MWA to workplaces within a for-hire consultancy.

1. Aloha:

Aloha is the genuine spirit of all relationships, and the fertile ground from which everything else will thrive. Your Aloha is the authenticity you bring to your connections with others, and to the self-expression of your work. Everyone has aloha; we help you bring it to fuller expression within whatever you do.

2. Ho‘ohana:

This is the Hawaiian value of worthwhile work. Work with passion, with purpose and intention, and with full joy while realizing your potential for growth and creativity. When you Ho‘ohana you create your best possible life and your own destiny.

3. Value Alignment:

Work with integrity by working true to your values. Focus all efforts on the right mission at the right time, for it honors your sense of self and brings compelling visions within your reach. For a business, deliberate value-alignment creates a healthy organizational culture for everyone involved.

4. The Role of the Manager Reconstructed:

In today’s workplaces, managers must own workplace engagement. The “reconstruction” we require in Managing with Aloha is so this expectation is reasonable, and so it is valued as critically important: Managers can then have the desire and ‘personal bandwith’ for assuming a newly reinvented role, one which delivers better results both personally and professionally.

5. Language of Intention:

Language, vocabulary, and conversation combine as our primary tools in business communications: What we speak is fifty times more important than what we write (yes, this is coming from someone who is an author too!) The need for CLEAR, intentional, reliable and responsive communication is critical in thriving businesses. Drive communication of the right messages, and you drive momentum and worthwhile energies.

6. The ‘Ohana in Business:

The best form for your life can be the best form for your ‘Ohana in Business® as well, where the goals of each will support the other. A business can be more than self-sustainable and profitable: It can thrive. We learn a value-based business model and organizational structure simultaneous to learning productivity practices which drive ROI (return on investment) and ROA (return on your attentions).

7. Strengths Management:

Keys 1 through 6 have put a great foundation in place for your business to thrive within: Together they have created the best possible launching pad for your organizational culture. Now we turn to bigger investments made in each employee, business partner, and stakeholder involved, so you can truly say, “Our people are our biggest asset” —and mean it. Cooperation, connectivity and collaboration evolve to optimization and co-creation.

8. Sense of Place:

Think “working in my neighborhood.” Sense of Place is about greater community locally and connectivityglobally. It is saying thank you, and engaging at a higher level with those Places which have gotten you this far, and continue to nourish you daily in a multitude of tiny ways that collectively are absolutely HUGE factors in your success. It is giving back, recognizing that Place nurtures and sustains us; it shapes our experiences and lends cultural richness to life.

9. Palena ‘ole (Unlimited Capacity):

This is your exponential growth stage, and about seeing your bigger and better leadership dreams come to fruition. Think “Legacy.” Create abundance by honoring capacity; physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual. Seek inclusive, full engagement and optimal productivity, and scarcity will be banished.

What will be the result you achieve when you work to manage with Aloha? New learning, increased energy, passionate commitment to vision, and dramatic shifts in personal engagement. Said another way, you will grow as you learn the Ho‘ohana of self-management and self-leadership as you make extremely valuable contributions to whatever organization you are presently involved with.

With my aloha,
~ Rosa Say

Rosa Say is an entrepreneur, business coach and zealous managers’ advocate. She drew from a 30 year corporate history in writing Managing with Aloha and in the 5 years since the book was published, Rosa has become a global community activator and cultural designer intent on improving organizational health in the workplace.

Additional Suggested Reading: Why Choose Values

Visit Say Leadership Coaching to learn more: The Services We Offer You

e Mālama Pono & Your Business

 

e malama pono

Mālama pono means ‘take care of yourself’. When you put yourself first, your business and your life reflect that graciously with harmony and abundance. Here’s a reference list that can be helpful in clarifying ones priorities, personally and professionally:

 

What Does it Take: 

Perseverance and failure cannot coexist. When all is said and done, perseverance is the ultimate success insurance. Nothing can take its place. Living your life with ambition and drive is the key to creating success.

What Do You Want: 

Even though to some, this is pretty straight forward question, a few might still be pondering what direction that they’d like to go in. So, still not sure which career is right for you?   You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to pin-point after utilizing the Setting Career Goals questionnaire.

What Do You Have: 

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
— Melody Beattie, best selling author and journalist 

What Are You Going To Do: 

Based on your priorities, what are the necessary tasks that you can do to achieve your goals?

Write a mission statement in 5 easy steps! The process outlined by Dr. Hansen is:

1.  Identify Past Successes
2.  Identify Core Values
3.  Identify Contributions
4.  Identify Goals
5.  Write Mission Statement

What Steps Are You Committed to Taking:

For myself personally, I start backwards from attaining my ultimate goal or desire and back track from that. It enables me to be more precise and thorough. Of course, you can also start from making a list from say 1 through 6 and use short immediate actions you can take. Complete these actions starting from one week, one month, three months, six months, one year and two-five years.

Whats Next: 

There are two ways of tracking your success: quantitatively and qualitatively. 

In order to achieve measurable results, analyzing your previous steps is an important process towards keeping innovation moving forward in your company. 

A big part of innovation is staying on top of market trends, understanding customer needs and wants and consistently looking to the future to grow the company.

 

 

“A HUI HO A KA KOU MALAMA PONO”

“Until we meet again my beloved friends may your life always be in harmony and in balance”

 

Starting Smart in Business

 

Start Right Start Smart

 

Creating an Inspiring & Supportive Team Starts with a Mentor! These success stories went beyond these folks and their dreams. They didn’t start in the cleaning service business like I did, but they definitely showed their strength and tenacity for their own passions and pursued their entrepreneurial spirit!

Maui’s Small Business Awards

The Maui Chamber of Commerce hosted the 2009 American Savings Bank Economic Update and U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Awards Luncheon at the Maui Beach Hotel on Friday, April 17, to pay tribute to business leaders who have made vital contributions to the community.

Moms Making Money SCORE Advice Helps Moms Start and Grow Their Home-Based Businesses When Vivian Frankel was organizing a conference to help other stay-at-home mothers establish and grow their own home-based businesses in 2004, she made sure that counselor Jerry Earle of Los Angeles SCORE was on the agenda.   In 60 Seconds… Whether they’re on the medal stand at the Olympics or standing in line for a hotdog at the recreation league cookout, great athletes always credit their coaches for instilling the discipline necessary to achieve a goal, offering helpful tips to sharpen their skills or providing encouragement during difficult times. Likewise, an entrepreneur can benefit from the wisdom and insights of an experienced business coach. Finding this unique individual is easier than you may think.  0:60     Define What Do You Need Help With A business coach can assist with things as specific as making sales presentations or as broad as developing a long-term growth plan for your business. Determine those areas in which you need the most help, and make a commitment to finding a qualified expert. 0:46     Consider Crossover Expertise The ideal scenario is to have a coach with experience in your particular trade or industry. That may not be possible for some specialized businesses, or in certain geographic locations. Don’t worry; the basic tools and strategies for success transcend all types of businesses. If you want to add franchises to your carpet cleaning business, for example, a coach with a background in the restaurant industry can guide you through the process of evaluating potential markets and structuring contracts.  0:34     Get an Objective Perspective  Entrepreneurs count on friends and family members for many things, but don’t expect honest criticism to be among them. Your business coach should be someone who is fair, reasonable and interested in your success, but also willing to tell the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear. 0:28     Find a Compatible Comfort Factor Personalities don’t always click. You may discover that an otherwise perfect business coach is difficult to work with, or doesn’t fully understand your perspective. (For example, many female entrepreneurs prefer working a coach who is also a woman.) Your coach should be someone who earns your trust and confidence, not intimidates you into following his or her advice. 0:17     Where to Find It If you have visited www.score.org, you’re already well on the way to finding the perfect business coach for your needs. SCORE has 389 chapter offices across the country where you can receive free, one-on-one counseling from experts who have done it all. 0:03     Take Advantage of Technology You don’t even need to leave your home or office to work with a SCORE business coach. Just go to SCORE’s Web site, select “Ask SCORE” and identify the area(s) in which you would like some coaching. By browsing through the resumes of potential coaches, you’re sure to find one with the expertise and skills you’re looking for. An email to that coach is all it takes to launch a rewarding relationship that will benefit your small business. Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America‘s Small Business.” Ask SCORE. ~Me ke aloha pau ole

Make Over $5K a Month Just by Asking!

 

Your 10 hour work week!

If you want to make $8,500.00 or more, that’s fine too, but you have to ask for it. When you’re starting a business, sometimes it’s easy to stay in your comfort zone and try to maintain and manage what business you do have coming in. But, the real secret is asking for what you want and not settling on easy. Easy is not being evicted because you can cover your rent. Easy is not being sued because you have insurance. The other option of course is to own the building as a corporation or LLC and collect rent from other people or be pro-active and stand up for yourself by hiring a lawyer and sue the other party and win your counter-suit.

 

 

Being a successful business owner takes a slight mental adjustment so you can create an abundant life, not just a different way to earn an income. One has to step aside from the employee state of mind and start acting like the business owner with an investor’s quick mind. Investors negotiate and exceed their financial goals because they expect to be rewarded for their services. They always think about how they can add more value to their customers so that in return, they can raise their own profit margin.

 

The most happiest and successful business owners never gripe or chastise others. They are concerned with finding solutions, not on creating more problems. If you look around yourself, I’m sure you’d agree when you listen to the way people talk about their lives. They either focus on the problem or focus on their resources.

 

Being a business owner is about making a quantum leap from accepting a life full of complaints and disappointments to a life of personal and financial independence. Making a lot of money is easy when you know how to ask for it. Demand a higher standard for your self and your company and your clients will happily pay you these higher rates. Life is a beautiful thing and before you know it, years rush by and I don’t want you to live with regret or poverty. If you’re one of the few driven individuals that ask for what you want in life, then head over to The Soule House for more details.

Stop Worrying & Make Money Now

 

❀ Live on Purpose ❀

The first rule is there are no rules. That being said, our beliefs about life and money in general do however govern our perspective, status and fulfillment. Luckily, we have the power of personal freedom or free will to have, be, do, think and act anyway that we see fit. By using the law of attraction, making money is easy!

 

 

This very moment is the pivotal focus for creating anything that you want in life. You can visualize about the future until you turn into a rainbow, but right now, this second is where all the magic is!

 

For instance, like raising a child and being a good parent is not based on wishes, hopes and dreams. These are great for the background picture, but the day to day is based on action, synthesis and consistency mixed in of course with unconditional love. Having a good intention to keep them happy and quiet, but giving them cookies before dinner is not being consistent with the overall plan of waiting patiently for family meals and having nice manners out of respect. Stick with your main objective. Set up a good plan, acknowledge and redirect constantly.

 

Managing a business is obviously less important priority wise compared to raising a family, but I’ve done both. I’m not minimizing the depth of human emotion, but offering a glance of the magnitude of our daily efforts of growing a business that creates abundance and satisfaction right now.

 

These following tips are just a small guide to help you along the path. Reaching your dreams and goals can be achieved at any time, in any area and in any economy.

 

1. You are all you need to be successful, having a team or having mentors are like your anchors. Your desire is the real key. Envision, decipher, let go and hold on are your tools for creating abundance.
2. Envision your dream, your passion. See the big picture and get excited about what you love doing!
3. Decipher your master plan. First, draft out main categories or levels and then map out with individual baby steps.
4. Let go of any FEAR. No worries, be confident and believe in your plan.
5. Hold on to your dreams, your reality and live on purpose. Create something positive and take action every day!

 

 

 

 

 

Profit Pipeline Strategies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow these tips to increase profits and grow your business.

Prioritize Your Leads
Classify your A, B and C leads in terms of the revenue they can produce. Each company needs large, medium and small clients. Always go after your large prospects first, but pursue small and medium clients simultaneously. Larger deals usually require more time and effort to close. In the interim, smaller customers can provide the cash flow you need to maintain and grow your business. The total gross revenue of your smaller clients may even be greater than that of your larger ones.

Pursue Profitable Industries
Do your research. Find out which industries have been labeled “recession-proof” and those that are growing in spite of the economy. There are numerous case studies available on this topic. A good indicator of growth is if an industry is hiring, rather than firing employees. Focus your business on these segments and make sure to diversify. If your products and services are tailored to a specific industry, try modifying or expanding your offerings. And, if your target audience has been negatively affected by the recession, find a way to market yourself to other segments.

Don’t Lower Your Prices
Price reduction is not an effective growth strategy. There will always be companies that offer the same services at lower prices. Instead, explain to clients what makes your offerings unique. Convince prospects that you can provide the best possible service in your market. Intelligent customers realize that they get what they pay for, so don’t rely on competitive pricing. Now more than ever, the key to closing a deal is quality and service. Make the customer feel like they’re getting more than they paid for, while charging all that your worth.

Another great article, 60-Second Guide to Sales Prospects, Brought to you by SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business.” Ask SCORE

Mahalo… 

 

Creating Online Synergy with Your Cleaning Business

Focus Clarity Abundance

The Web provides a means for you to deliver valuable services to your customers that enriches your customers’ lives and saves them time. In doing so, you will increase customer loyalty. The Internet is primarily a social medium. The most effective and profitable web sites are those that foster community among their visitors.

It is crucial to understand that on the Internet, the user is in complete control. Hard selling will not work, and will probably antagonize your prospects. Profitable web sites are information rich, resourceful and intelligently maintained. They post articles, answer questions and control the display of their website that is relevant to their target market. Web sites that are organized with plenty of internal links make their important pages only a click or two away. Effective sites write content in a clean and modern style that can be quickly scanned by the eye.

You can reduce the cost of repetitive questions and requests from your target audience by allowing them to access information about your business from your web site. In doing so, you can be assured that your target audience is receiving information about all the services that your business offers, such as incorporating a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page to your site. Your site should also enable communication between yourself and the potential/existing client. Ideally, you should offer your customers the choice of submitting their inquiry by more than one method, e.g. by online form, comments section and email message. As you deepen the relationship with your audience via online newsletters, raffles and other marketing campaigns, you’ll develop a precise flow or direction for your web sites main purpose.

Utilizing a web designer or performing the layout yourself does not need to take months and thousands of dollars. Typically, a good business plan for your website should list and adhere to your company’s main objective and follow through on that throughout the web. Some businesses only want to build an email list for their newsletter and other promotional advertisements. Others want to create an atmosphere similar to a show room. They want you to feel like they’re right there with you every step of the way. Just decide on your hierarchy of priorities. Branding yourself and your business online can be an extremely lucrative endeavor when practiced responsibly.

Co-Branding Your Business

By now every business both large and small has a web site. If you’ve spent anytime online however, you’ll quickly find that all web sites are not created equal–particularly when it comes to sites designed and developed by business owners themselves.

2009 Fusion Marketing

Those that are likely collaborators or fusion marketing alliances are power partners. A “power partner” is a business that has a similar target market as yours but doesn’t really compete with you. Examples of this are an estate planning attorney and a life insurance salesperson; a graphic designer and a printer; a real estate professional and a mortgage broker; a wedding photographer and a caterer or disc jockey. I think when you look at these examples you start to get the idea. The number of power partners or fusion marketing partners is only limited by your imagination.

Five Characteristics of Great Business Names

Five Characteristics of Great Business Names and Five Popular Trends to Avoid

Written by Susan L. Reid

Deciding on a name is one of the most exciting parts of starting up a business.

The only problem with choosing the name of your business is that so much rides on your business name. It’s a little like choosing a name for your baby. A little like? Make that a lot like! It’s no easier choosing a name for your business than it is choosing a name for your baby.

What’s in a business name? You want it to be everything. Sadly, many business names are nothing. Deciding on a great business name takes time. It takes thought. Moreover, getting it wrong could spell disaster for your business. Getting it right, however, will give customers a reason to hire you, connect you to your niche market, and save you thousands of marketing dollars.

You want your business name to have a big impact on people. This, in turn, will have a big effect on your market. A name that’s too far out may make it difficult to brand. A name that’s too generic and common is easily ignored. Naming your business “Sarah’s Cookies” may make all the sense in the world to you. In most cases, however, your own name means very little to your customers because it says nothing memorable or of distinction.

The key to picking a great name for your business is to make it memorable. Make it distinctive. Don’t make it silly or cute. Your name should reflect your market niche and identity and be able to reach your customer base easily. So don’t mess it up!

Top Five Characteristics of a Great Business Name

1. It’s short.

2. It’s specific and reflects a specialized business: Jiffy Lube, Home Depot.

3. It’s unique. Consider using words that are not in the dictionary: Alkamae, Google, Squidoo.

4. It’s creative. Don’t copy, borrow, or modify existing famous brand names. Got Milk? has its own branding. Leave Victoria’s Secret to Victoria.

5. It’s an easy name to say, spell, and remember. Use proper English construction so that when put in a sentence, it will work: “I just purchased a book from Amazon.”

Five Popular Business Naming Trends to Avoid

1. Don’t abbreviate your business name. Though it may make communication and correspondence easier, acronyms are sterile.

2. Avoid anything that ends in “global”, “enterprise”, or “Inc.” They’re passé.

3. Avoid using your own name. Build your brand on your company, not on your name. That way, if you decide to sell your company one day, it will be easier to sell.

4. Don’t hyphenate your business name. It makes remembering and writing it difficult. Plus, a hyphenated web name is hard to read.

5. Avoid geographical names unless you’re trying to create a strong local affinity. The name “Willow Oak Center for Arts and Learning at Robertson County” works because this is a business targeted specifically for Robertson County in Tennessee.

Once you’ve found your name, consider trademarking it through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and registering it through the Secretary of State offices. If your business operates on the Internet, be aware that domain names are not registered through state or local government, so just registering them at domain registration sites is not enough to protect your great business name.

There is more to naming your business than just coming up with something that sounds good, is clever, or you just happen to like. Naming your business is a serious matter. Your business name reflects your image, your brand, and your position in the marketplace. Because your business name is crucial to your overall branding success and marketing efforts, make your business name count.

Make it great!

Copyright ©2007 by Susan L. Reid, DMA

Susan L Reid, DMA, Small Business Start Up Coach, Consultant & Accidental Pren-her™ is the author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success. Known for taking the fear out of starting up businesses, Susan provides value, inspiration and direction to entrepreneurial women starting up and launching small businesses.

To get your copy of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman’s Journey to Business Success, go to WME Books or visit www.Alkamae.com. For ideas and start up tips, sign-up for our free e-Zine for entrepreneurial women called LAUNCH YOU! We are blogging at: http://susanreid.typepad.com

 

• Thanks Susan for sharing your insightful article!
  Jj Soule’