Links to Learning
July 15, 2013 at 6:33 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Links to LearningI’ve been busy learning – lots. Last week I had a phone tutorial with a young man temporarily living in Thailand (!!) on how to pull all the levers and press all the right buttons on a new website being built for my husband’s book. (No, we didn’t outsource the work – we’re working with a group of Americans, based in New York, one of whom happens to be sojourning in Thailand at the moment.)
If learning how to run a new website wasn’t enough to stretch my brain, I turned around and attended a free webinar (given by Mike Stewart, sponsored by the “Publicity Hound” Joan Stewart, no relation to Mike) on how to use your iPad (or iPhone) to make awesome videos using the iMovie app. The app isn’t free, but a good deal at just under five bucks. While the webinar was, of course, aimed at convincing me to buy Mike’s full course of instructional videos, it had enough information for someone with patience to pick up the basics of using the iMovie app. With the question and answer session, Mike and Joan stayed on for two and a half hours! I’ve got a link here to the first 90 minutes of the replay if you want to find out how you can more easily make really cool videos. (That link will be live only until midnight Tuesday, July 16 so check it now if you’re interested.) And I hope to show off some video skills soon!
This morning, I took a class on writing better dialog (for when I get around to writing my novel…someday soon…). If you’re a writer, or aspire to be a better one, you can learn so much more at the website for Writer’s Digest magazine. Even if you don’t subscribe to the magazine (as I do), you can still access many good articles at no charge. Spend a bit, and you can take some excellent classes too.
As you can see, it may be summer, most kids are out of school, but this “kid” has been going to class.
Remember to Connect with Us
You can always learn something new at Connect-Relate-Network. Please join us Tuesday, July 16 in Poulsbo or Silverdale for our Community Connection Tuesday.
In Poulsbo we’ll hear from Deborah Horn, executive director of Chuckwagon, providing nutrition to seniors (60+), delivered to homes and served at other sites throughout Kitsap County.
Our speaker in Silverdale will be Victoria Ahlfors, from Scarlet Road, a faith-based, non-profit organization serving women and girls who need support leaving the sex industry and finding a new life and hope. Scarlet Road provides services throughout Kitsap County.
Every third Tuesday at Connect-Relate-Network, representatives from non-profit or service organizations, doing good in our community, tell us about their work. We also make time for business networking and a value-adding networking exercise at every meeting. Connect with us at one of our locations!
You can always find out more about Connect-Relate-Network and our events here.
by Elena M. Rodriguez Pacific Press InternationalTime for your mid-year checkup!
June 28, 2013 at 1:00 pm | Posted in business lessons, business plans, Networking | Comments Off on Time for your mid-year checkup!Tags: business networking, goals, Networking, Poulsbo, silverdale
A reminder first: we have a “better business” meeting planned for Tuesday. Better business meetings happen on the first Tuesdays of the month when an informative speaker tells us how we can improve our business methods. On July 2, our speaker will be Linda Weinacker. Her topic is Business Frameworks, wherein she’ll explain how to create pull, not push, energy in your business. What she’ll share will help us get our teams all headed in the same direction – whether your team is made up of your employees, your downline (for network or multilevel marketers), or any other group you need to corral and motivate.
Linda will speak at the 1:30-2:30 pm Connect-Relate-Network meeting at Stella’s Pizza & Pasta, 19980 – 10th Avenue in Poulsbo.
She’ll also speak at the 5:30-6:30 pm meeting at the Subway, 2238 NW Bucklin Hill Road in Silverdale.
What’s on my mind – the mid-year checkup
With the end of June fast approaching, I realize, “Hey, half this year is over, gone, done with. Yikes!” Where did that time go? Rather than give in to all-out panic, here’s how I deal with that. I look at my plans made in January, pulling out my list of goals and my “dream board” (which I haven’t been looking at nearly often enough).
Dream on, but the year’s goals are right at the center!
I compare: where did I set out to be by now, and where am I. That gives me a chance to see what I’ve accomplished: not everything planned, but more than I was aware of while working in the hurly-burly of every day, while rushing from one deadline to the next.
Have I reached all the goals I’d hoped to by June? No – no way. But when I do this mid-year checkup, I see where I’ve been and what I need to focus on over the next six months.
Simple and Effective Questions for Your Checkup
Here are the questions I asked myself:
- What goals have I already accomplished? (Take a moment, take a bow, pat self on back.)
- Are there goals on here that are no longer relevant? (Strike them off list.)
- Have I accomplished any of the steps towards the goals that are still relevant? (Answer honestly, either yes or no – there is no maybe.)
- Do I need to break down my remaining goals for this year into smaller steps so I can plan my tasks more easily and track my achievements? (The answer to this is nearly always yes, so there’s planning work to do here.)
- Do I have new goals to add for this year? (Be careful here – don’t go into overload and overwhelm!)
- What longer-term goals can I aspire to (and write down) for future years? (I confess: I’m not comfortable with long-term planning – I hated making my “5-year plan” when I was in school – but I do have goals in mind for 2014 and 2015.)
- Place reminders in your calendar to do a mini-checkup several times before the end of 2013.
If you work through these steps, you’ll come away from your mid-year checkup with a valid prescription for the next six months. If you’re a fan of dream boards, maybe you’ll add some words or images to yours – or even make a new one. (Don’t have a dream board? Don’t know what it is? Check out these instructions.) Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up about what you haven’t accomplished. Instead, make a renewed commitment to realistic goals.
As always, you can find out about Connect-Relate-Network at our website here, and see plans for future meetings here. Come out and network with us in Poulsbo or Silverdale!
Elena M. Rodriguez
writer & editor
Pacific Press International
Showing Up and Accountability
June 17, 2013 at 1:07 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 1 CommentJust Show Up!
Our great contemporary philosopher Woody Allen said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
In order to succeed, you need to be visible. Get out and be known by your potential customers, business partners, and others who can refer you on to new business.
I recommend that you show up to network with the rest of us at Connect-Relate-Network tomorrow. It’s our third Tuesday Community Connection meeting in Poulsbo and Silverdale. Click on the Events page for details about who, when and where.
Over a couple of years of just showing up and getting known at these events, I have met dozens of potential (and a good many actual) clients who otherwise I never would have found – or who would not have found me.
Now what about accountability?
Sometimes all it takes to be accountable is to just show up! Arrive when you say you will, ready for the task at hand.
Speaking of accountability, how are you doing with your accountability partners? That question is for our Connect-Relate-Network members who came to our last meeting. Each one picked up an accountability note card along with a partner. If you haven’t already, you should be checking in with your partner right about now to see how each of you is doing on your 30-day goal. You don’t have to chastise your partner for not making progress. Instead, offer congratulations for any progress made, and encouragement to work toward completing the goal.
I want to hear from you about your experience with this exercise. Tell me in the comments here on this blog (or on our Facebook page).
Each partner chooses a 30-day goal. They check in periodically over the 30-day period to report on progress and encourage each other to persevere. (c) 2013 Pacific Press International
For those who missed out, here’s a picture of the note cards we’re using to help us keep track of one 30-day goal that we’re checking in about with our accountability partners. If you’d like to try this out over the next 30 days, I’ll bring more cards with me to our next CRN meeting.
I just had a brief check in with my partner. We’re in a similar place – not as far along as we’d hoped by now, but we’re plugging away. Big ‘atta girls for both of us!
See you in Poulsbo (1:30) or Silverdale (5:30) on Tuesday (June 18)!
by Elena M. Rodriguez Pacific Press InternationalOur Kind of Marketing
June 3, 2013 at 11:29 am | Posted in Marketing, Networking | Comments Off on Our Kind of MarketingMarketing is the theme this week at Connect-Relate-Network. The speakers at both our locations (Poulsbo and Silverdale) will tell us how to reach out and connect with people who need our products and services. It’s our kind of marketing: treating customers and prospects as individuals we want to develop long-term relationships with.
It’s the opposite of old-fashioned mass marketing: we’re not in business to sell the same box of corn flakes to every household in the country. We have special products or local services. We want to find our “just right” customers and “connect and relate” to them before, during and after the sale.
Poulsbo CRN
Valarie Harris is an expert in using social media – Facebook, Twitter and more – to get the right kind of digital exposure for your business. She is known as the Social MEDIvA who helps entrepreneurs navigate the ins and outs of the social media. Valarie will speak at the Poulsbo CRN giving away some of her best tips for making the most out of your web presence – and avoiding the pitfalls. We’ll be at Stella’s Pizza & Pasta, 19980 10th Ave, Poulsbo, from 1:30-2:30 pm.
Silverdale CRN
Sindy Collins (Send Out Cards) will talk about Relationship Marketing. It’s at the heart of the Send Out Cards philosophy. Sindy also owns and runs Fraiche Cup (across from the Bremerton ferry terminal). A coffee shop is the kind of business that relies on “regulars” – customers who come in again and again. That’s a relationship, and I know Sindy has both expertise (from Send Out Card’s training) and real life experience in her topic. In Silverdale, we meet at the Subway, 2238 NW Bucklin Hill Road, from 5:30-6:30 pm.
Both our presenters will give us ideas and tools for developing lasting relationships with our customers and prospects.
Get Your Networking Exercise!
For both CRN meetings, I’ve planned a special networking exercise to help you reach at least one of your goals over the course of the next month. It will work if you work it! But you have to come to the meeting to get the benefit.
If you haven’t become a CRN member yet, visit this week, whichever time and place is more convenient. Meet other enterprising business people in your community and “connect, relate and network” with us.
For more information about CRN and our special member benefits, a click here will take you to our “About” page.
Elena M. Rodriguez
writer & editor
Pacific Press International
Your Can’t Miss Appointment
May 19, 2013 at 5:36 pm | Posted in Networking, Non-profits | Comments Off on Your Can’t Miss AppointmentDo you find that when you have an appointment, a client meeting, or a trip coming up on your calendar, your mind focuses better on identifying the other important things you have to do that day or that week?
I sure do. It’s easier to clear my desk and knock things off my to-do list when I’m preparing to go out of town. Suddenly, my priorities become obvious. I take a closer look at deadlines and the steps I must take to meet them before taking off. I get the stragglers on my to-do list done. And I shift some things from my to-do list onto my “don’t bother” list. Since I know that deadlines and appointments clarify my mind, I am a stickler for keeping a calendar that displays all my commitments – business, social and personal.
Each of us needs a calendar or datebook, one you can rely on to give you a clear picture of all your appointments and deadlines.
Make a Can’t-Miss Appointment with CRN
I’d like you to do this right now: schedule our meetings on your calendar for at least the next six months out. Every
Write it down or key it in – whether it’s paper or digital, put CRN on your calendar!
first Tuesday and every third Tuesday. Commit now to that one hour, two times a month; make CRN meetings one of your priorities. What you learn at CRN will also help you prioritize the steps you’re taking to reach all your goals.
Every CRN meeting features topics that help you, either directly in your business or with achieving work-life balance. “Community Connection” Tuesdays are equally important in bringing you ways to become a more well-rounded community member. Those third Tuesdays of the month, we hear from local non-profits, strengthening our ties to the place where we live and work. And every time we meet, we network with each other as well as with our guest presenters.
When the first and third Tuesday rolls around each month, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that there’s a Connect-Relate-Network meeting. Write it down! Or record it digitally! Whatever method you use, use it for CRN because we want to be part of your success plan.
This week, we’re welcoming two different speakers at each of our meeting locations.
Tuesday in Poulsbo
May 21 in Poulsbo (Stella’s Pizza and Pasta, 19980 – 10th Ave) from 1:30 to 2:30 pm we’ll hear about the great work the Coffee Oasis is doing with homeless and at-risk youth. We heard from this group earlier this year at Connect-Relate-Network in Silverdale. The range of services they are offering youth in need in Kitsap County is impressive. And their plans and dreams for expansion are inspiring. Come to our Poulsbo meeting to get inspired and find out more about how Connect-Relate-Network supports the Coffee Oasis as our “pay it forward” project this year.
Tuesday in Silverdale
May 21 in Silverdale (the Subway, 2238 NW Bucklin Hill Rd) from 5:30 to 6:30 pm we welcome Lynette George from the Blue Star Banner program, remembering and honoring our local men and women who are currently serving in the military.
To look ahead to June, click on our Upcoming Events page.
If you’re not yet a member of Connect-Relate-Network, you can still visit either group – free the first time, $10 for subsequent visits. If our current meeting times/locations aren’t convenient, contact Mary West (mary@marywestnetwork.com) to find out where future CRN groups will meet.
I’ll see you at our “can’t-miss” appointment this week!
Elena M. Rodriguez Pacific Press International
Don’t Miss Important Business Topics at CRN First Tuesday in Poulsbo & Silverdale
May 6, 2013 at 6:08 pm | Posted in business lessons, business plans, Networking | Comments Off on Don’t Miss Important Business Topics at CRN First Tuesday in Poulsbo & SilverdaleTags: business networking, learning, marketing, Networking, Poulsbo, silverdale
I’m excited about the two informative speakers coming to both Connect-Relate-Network groups tomorrow, May 7th. I can’t wait to hear them. (And lucky me – I get to attend both sessions!)
David Mitchell Speaks at 1:30 in Poulsbo
In Poulsbo at 1:30, we’ll hear from David Mitchell of PMR Coaching and Consulting. His topic: Systems in Your Business.
We asked Dave to speak on this member-requested topic. Several of the people who attended the first meeting of the CRN-Poulsbo group wanted to know about establishing systems that would keep them (and any employees) on the right track in running their business. Systems don’t sound like a lot of fun, but they actually offer a framework for accomplishing the routine tasks necessary for operating a business. Once you set up that framework, you’ll find there’s still plenty of room for your entrepreneurial creativity!
We heard from Dave at CRN-Silverdale a couple of months ago. He was informative and entertaining then, speaking on a different topic. I recommend, if you’re anywhere near Poulsbo at midday tomorrow, you take time to come to Stella’s Pizza and Pasta to hear what he has to say.
Terri Lynn Hoffman Mann Speaks at 5:30 in Silverdale
Terri Lynn Hoffman Mann, of Poulsbo PC & Electronics and FAQ MARKETING SOLUTIONS, will reveal to the Silverdale group “how a deck of cards wrote my marketing plan!” I’m intrigued by what promises to be a unique twist on marketing.
Terri worked in marketing for 11 years, advertising sales for five years, and as a National Trainer for four years at companies such as the New York Times, Dun and Bradstreet and Yellow Book USA. She won the Times’ Presidential Award for business innovation and marketing in 1995, the PDC National Trainer of the Year in 2008, and was 2nd Place National Sales Director Yellow Book TWP USA in 2006. She’s a very enthusiastic and dynamic person; I can’t wait to hear her presentation at the Subway in Silverdale.
And Networking Wherever You Go
Whether you are a member of the Poulsbo or Silverdale group, you know there will be time for networking. Be sure to bring business cards to share. And remember Mary West’s advice to give your fellow networkers several of your cards so they have extras to pass along to their contacts who might want to meet you.
We still have room for members in both CRN-Poulsbo and CRN-Silverdale.
If you have any questions about Connect-Relate-Network please contact Mary West – phone:360-509-3784; email:mary@marywestnetwork.com. There’s also more info here and about our future events here.
I’ve been out of town for a couple of weeks, but I’m thrilled to be back in time to hear these presentations. Don’t miss them! I can’t wait to see you all there.
Elena M. Rodriguez Pacific Press InternationalWe’re Blooming in Poulsbo AND Silverdale Now!
April 15, 2013 at 6:00 am | Posted in business plans, Networking, Non-profits | Comments Off on We’re Blooming in Poulsbo AND Silverdale Now!I’m excited to announce our new group forming in Poulsbo. Connect-Relate-Network Poulsbo will meet the first and third Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 pm at Stella’s Pizza & Pasta, 19980 – 10th Ave, Poulsbo (WA).
Silverdale CRN will continue to meet at the Subway (2238 NW Bucklin Hill Road) on the first and third Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
There are still spots for new members in both groups. Join now to get all the member-only benefits CRN offers. Get more details by clicking here.
Enjoy Spring Blooms; Remember to Plant Now for the Next Harvest
Are you enjoying the blossoms of spring? I’ve been knocked out by the colors. On these sometimes still gray days, the blossoms just pop into my eyes and bring the sunshine to my soul. I thank my past self for planting the bulbs of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths last fall. It was muddy and cold – and hard work then. But had my past self not done that, I wouldn’t enjoy this spring nearly as much.
While I enjoy the present flowering, I know now is the time to plant seeds for harvesting goodies this year. The peas are in, along with lettuce (already sprouting!), radishes, carrots. Tomatoes are getting started inside.
Spring lettuce seedlings and garlic shoots from fall planting
Throughout the year, we need to think about what seeds we’re planting for our futures.
Have you got plenty of work right now? You’re enjoying the fruits of seeds planted, perhaps long ago. Don’t neglect planting seeds now so that weeks or months (and even years) from now you’ll see new business blooming.
Get Nutrients for Your Business at Connect-Relate-Network
Upcoming in Poulsbo and Silverdale is our third Tuesday service organization/non-profit presentation day, to nurture both your business and your connection to community:
Poulsbo, April 16, 2013, 1:30-2:30 pm
Stella’s Pizza and Pasta, 19980-10th Ave.
Speaker: Coffee Oasis, a faith-based, non-profit organization that consists of two things: coffee shop businesses, and programs for homeless, street-oriented youth.
Silverdale, April 16, 2013, 5:30-6:30 pm
Subway, 2238 NW Bucklin Hill Rd.
Speaker: Georgia’s House, a homeless shelter in Bremerton helping homeless women and displaced women and their children, operated by the Weaver Foundation. Executive director Leann Weaver will speak.
We have time for networking at every meeting, plus networking exercises that enhance the experience. You can check the schedule for May here.
Share the Blossoms
If you want to share in the blossoming of businesses in Kitsap County, connect with us in Poulsbo or Silverdale. Pass this information along to a friend or business contact.
If you want a CRN group at a different time or place, contact us: ConnectRelateNetwork@gmail.com.
Mary West is on the lookout for fertile ground to plant another networking pod!
Nowhere would I rather be than in the Northwest, especially this time of year. We still have plenty of rain to endure, but I wouldn’t miss the blooming. The trees, the daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, the rhodies and more, are the bright lights that get me through the lingering gray.
Elena M. Rodriguez writer & editor Pacific Press InternationalChange Gears – From Overwhelm to Overdrive – With Connect-Relate-Network
March 29, 2013 at 3:30 pm | Posted in Entrepreneur, Networking, Self-development | Comments Off on Change Gears – From Overwhelm to Overdrive – With Connect-Relate-NetworkTags: business networking, entrepreneur, Leadership
Changing Seasons, Changing Gears
We’ve been talking at CRN about mapping our ways to success through goal setting and business planning. But do you feel overwhelmed now by all the things you want to do, plus the things you must do?
I probably feel that way at least once a day! The key, I’ve found, is to harness that feeling. Turn it into energy to keep moving forward. The spring sunshine we’re enjoying may help bring your energy up – but you may need something more.
Are you looking around for advice on how to escape from overwhelm and get into overdrive? (Overdrive: the ability to move forward efficiently, with clarity and confidence.)
If this describes your feelings (even sometimes), then CRN’s founder Mary West has booked the right speaker for you at our April 2nd meeting.
Aaron to the Rescue
Aaron Logue, a locally based life coach, is coming to our rescue. Here’s how Mary described Aaron’s work: “Caught in a vicious cycle of busy, buried and behind? Every leader knows that feeling. You think that if you work harder, faster, and longer, you’ll eventually get ahead. But no matter how hard you try, you keep falling further behind. Aaron can help!”
Mary endorses Aaron based on direct experience: he’s her life coach.
Sounds like he has the advice we need to hear when he speaks, at the next Connect-Relate-Network meeting in Silverdale, about “How to Lead and Still Have a Life.”
He’ll base his talk on what he has learned from leadership expert Dale Burke.
If you question whether you’re a leader, don’t. If you’re in business for yourself, or want to build your own company, and you’ve joined our networking group, I know you’re a leader.
Members – Remember Your Goals and Business Plans
CRN members: bring a copy of your business goals or one-page summary business plan to our meeting. It should be in writing (or tell it in pictures) to share with the rest of our members. (If you haven’t written down your goals for the next six or 12 months, or created a business plan and ideal customer description, check out my earlier blog posts with tips for getting started, HERE and HERE)
Visitors are welcome at our Silverdale meetings. First time visitors attend free, with a $10 fee for any subsequent visits. We meet every first and third Tuesday at the Subway at 2238 NW Bucklin Hill Road, Silverdale (WA). Our events page will have more about upcoming meetings; find out more about our business networking group HERE.
Subscribe to this blog to stay informed about when and where we’ll be opening up new Connect-Relate-Network groups (Poulsbo coming soon!) and for occasional tips to help entrepreneurs and small business people.
Comments are always welcome here!
posted by Elena M. Rodriguez, Pacific Press International
Non-Profit Tuesday is coming to CRN!
March 18, 2013 at 4:00 pm | Posted in business plans, Networking, Non-profits | 1 CommentConnect-Relate-Network members reminder: we meet this Tuesday, March 19 at the Subway in Silverdale (2238 NW Bucklin Hill Rd) from 5:30-6:30 pm. It’s non-profit Tuesday and we’ll hear from Lynette George about the Blue Star Banner program.
We still have room for nine more members of the Silverdale Connect-Relate-Network.
Even if you don’t join the Silverdale CRN, please stay subscribed to this newsletter or to the CRN blog. We’ll keep you posted about when additional Connect-Relate-Network groups start up. We’re planning groups for Poulsbo, Port Orchard and other locations in Kitsap County.
Business Planning – Finding Your Ideal Customer
The past months, we’ve been urging our members to get their brief business plans or annual goals ready to share with fellow CRN Silverdale members. Have you got a good picture in your mind of who your ideal customer is? If it’s just in your mind, or a bit hazy, it’s time to take out pen and paper (or sit in front of your computer) and write the answers to these questions as you think about who you’re marketing to, who you’re selling your product or service to.
- Age and gender: How old is my ideal customer and is it male, female or either?
- Is my ideal customer married or single? Does my ideal client have kids and of what ages?
- Geographic: Where do they live/work/have their business
- Education: Is my ideal client a high school graduate, college graduate, or does he have an advanced degree or technical training?
- What other types of products do they buy that relate to mine?
- What’s the range of income level of my ideal customer? If I sell to businesses, what size business is my ideal customer – sales volume, number of clients, or some other measurement that is significant for your product or service?
- Where do my ideal customers get their information about products – online, print or TV advertising, friends’ recommendations? (Also, where/how do your current customers find you?)
- If I sell to businesses, my ideal customer or contact in a business is the__________. (Fill in the blank with a position like owner, purchasing manager, human resources manager, office manager, receptionist – whoever the person is that you need to convince to buy your product.)
Write a (Very) Short Biography
Not every one of these questions is right for every business or product. Answer at least some of these and you’ll be well on the way to creating your “ideal customer profile.” You’ll probably come up with other questions to ask yourself as you drill down to get a more specific picture of your ideal customer. Try writing a mini-biography of your ideal client:
“Brittany is a 19-year-old single high school graduate who likes to shop at the mall but also buys online. She lives and works in Bremerton….”
There’s more to say about Brittany if she were my ideal customer. Brittany may not be anyone’s ideal client: she doesn’t have much disposable income! But you get the idea of how you might create a more concrete picture of your ideal customer. Then you can look at each piece of your marketing efforts and ask yourself, “Will Brittany see and understand my sales message? Will my ‘call to action’ turn Brittany into my customer?”
Check out my earlier blog post about making a business plan for tips on doing that.
I’ve shown mine, now show yours!
At our first meeting this month, I brought copies of my latest business plan (which included a very short description of my ideal customer) and passed it out to those who were there. Mary is giving folders to all CRN members, where we can keep the plans we’re sharing and collecting.
Let’s all plan to succeed. By sharing our goals and progress – and even where we need help getting over or around stumbling blocks – we can move forward together.
See you all tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19. We’ll hear from Lynette, we’ll network, we’ll plan for success!
by Elena M. Rodriguez, Pacific Press International
Time to Share Your Business Plan!
February 27, 2013 at 5:16 pm | Posted in business lessons, business plans | 2 CommentsTags: business networking, goals, planning
The Number One Requirement for Connect-Relate-Network Membership
The most important thing members do as full participants in C-R-N –- for ourselves and for the group –- is share our business plans. I’ll tell you why, give you some tips on how, and point you towards more resources that can help you develop your own plan.
First, why do we require this? Because to be effective networkers means that we refer our fellow members to other business people we know. In order to do that, we need to know:
- what each of us do (products we sell or services we offer),
- where we want to take our businesses,
- and who our ideal customers are.
Mary West and I are asking that, over the next month, you bring to our meetings a written business plan that will show your fellow C-R-N members how best to refer you.
Bring a short plan, even if you have a long, fancy one. One page of easy to understand goals and descriptions is much more helpful than a long, complicated document.
What You Share is Up to You
Your plan can be in any format you choose. Though not limited to these, it should include any or all of the following:
- A set of goals you want to reach (including deadlines, if applicable)
- A description of your ideal customer
- How many potential customers you need to connect with each week/month/quarter/year
- A combination of short- and long-term objectives
- Revenue goals
Make your plan or list of goals as concrete and specific as possible. Business planning is an exercise in concentration. By concentrating your mind on setting goals, you’ll determine where you’re heading – and know when you’ve arrived! As the great baseball-playing philosopher Yogi Berra said, “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”
Your business plan tells all of us in Connect-Relate-Network how we can contribute to your success. And that’s why we meet, isn’t it? Continue Reading Time to Share Your Business Plan!…
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