Start a BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD
This Blog has been quite popular for all in business. I am revising it somewhat to better fit business goals of today. For those who are just starting a business a good place to start is the Small Business Association.
ADVISORY BOARDS
An Advisory Board is a group of people (can be as small as 4) with diversified interests and opinions and different types of businesses. The group can meet once a month or maybe every other month for about 2 hrs. ea. meeting. Each person has a chance to speak and should prepare something like the previous month's *Accomplishments, Challenges and Goals. (See below) A Moderator for each meeting can be chosen to manage the division of time. When you start your Advisory Board set down some rules to begin, so that the purpose is clear to the members. Limit the number in your group so that each member will have enough time to address the issues to be discussed. I would say as small as 4 to no larger than 10 members. Make it a commitment for each member to attend.
BENEFITS:
Talking with others in business who can:
* be supportive
* give unbiased ideas and help
* share your successes and celebrate your accomplishments
* understand your strengths and weaknesses
* bring fresh, new ideas to the table
* give you socialization with others in business
* help expand your business and meet personal goals
* keep you updated on other businesses or New business ideas
* give YOU the opportunity to help others with your good ideas and support
The Group becomes your Business Family. You come back to your business energized and with a new perspective and creative ideas. I had been in a group for over 18 years and found it to be one of the least expensive, most helpful things I had done for ME and for my Business and Personal development. Our group has met in business rooms, our homes, library private rooms and now with 4 of us we meet in a conveniently located restaurant that is not very busy and we each purchase a meal and take turns talking about our business and personal life, following the Accomplishments, Challenges and Goals format. (See below)
Form a Group of dedicated people who will be honest with you about their business and yours. STAY on TRACK at the meetings and again make it a commitment. Please comment if you need more help with this idea!
"You don't get any rewards out of this life unless you make an investment"
ACCOMPLISHMENTS -- Write down your accomplishments for the previous month. ie-rentals, sales, new brochure, a good business contact, whatever you feel made your month better. Brag some! It can be something that has improved or added to your business or something that has added to your personal life.
CHALLENGES: --write down things that became a challenge for you during your previous month. ie. weather, a difficult customer, something you need help figuring out like a new idea or concept. Maybe it is problems with children, another business or YOU just not keeping on task. Admit your shortcomings and work on them and share your challenges---others can give you some help and support. You would be amazed at how others will brainstorm for you. That is how my previous Business of 21 years (which was recently sold), was developed. I developed ideas with my Advisory Board partners.
GOALS: These should be specific, attainable goals for the upcoming week, month or quarter. It is best if your group can meet once a month. Again if you are doing this "on your own", designate a particular time to do this weekly and/or monthly to help you assess your business strategies.
"Although no one can go back in time and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. Strive for Progress, not Perfection!"
Your comments are appreciated!
Sincerely,
Marty Miller www.homeandhealthtips.com/ Entrepreneur, Retired Business Owner, Business Coach, Writer & Artist
Showing posts with label business help. Show all posts
Showing posts with label business help. Show all posts
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Monday, April 15, 2013
BUILDING A GOOD WEBSITE
BUILDING A GOOD WEBSITE OR BLOG
When you start a website you must first make sure that you have a passion, product or service that will be interesting to people. Research the other websites in your area of interest. If you are unsure of what you might want to start as a website, try Blogging until you decide what you are truly passionate about.
IDEAS for WEBSITES
* Choose a Domain name that is relevant to your business. There are many places to register Domain Names ex.: GoDaddy. If you want to check to see if your "chosen name" is available go to www.whois.com Choose a DOT.com if possible, although there are many new choices the .coms are the most common.
* Make your Home Page as attractive as possible. It is your BOOK COVER! It must fit the business that you are in. If you are in Lawn Displays your page should be colorful, happy looking and have good attractive content.
* YOUR STATE NAME should be on your Home Page. Many folks search by State for local services of friends or family may be searching for a compnay in another State.
* Have pertinent information about your business on your HOME PAGE.
* Potential customers will generally not spend the time to search for information not postedon your home page.
* As a general rule you have about 5 seconds to grab attention.
Once you have your Home Page set the way that you would like it, you may add additional pages with a Menu Bar placed on your home page for the customer to click.
* Yard Card Businesses Join Directories, they generally come up high in searches. Usually one or Two rentals will pay for your Join Fee.
In preparation for starting your website or Blog an excellent website to view is 2CreateaWebsite. Lisa is very knowledgeable in many areas of websites, blogging, U-tube and so much more. She is extremely easy to follow and gives great advice.
REMEMBER that most people search for what they are looking for on the Internet. It takes awhile to get noticed with so many websites out there.
"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate". ~Robert Brault
Marty Miller; Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Writer Artist
www.yardcarddirectory.com www.homeandhealthtips.com
"The more places you are seen,
the better you are recognized." (author unknown)
When you start a website you must first make sure that you have a passion, product or service that will be interesting to people. Research the other websites in your area of interest. If you are unsure of what you might want to start as a website, try Blogging until you decide what you are truly passionate about.
IDEAS for WEBSITES
* Choose a Domain name that is relevant to your business. There are many places to register Domain Names ex.: GoDaddy. If you want to check to see if your "chosen name" is available go to www.whois.com Choose a DOT.com if possible, although there are many new choices the .coms are the most common.
* Make your Home Page as attractive as possible. It is your BOOK COVER! It must fit the business that you are in. If you are in Lawn Displays your page should be colorful, happy looking and have good attractive content.
* YOUR STATE NAME should be on your Home Page. Many folks search by State for local services of friends or family may be searching for a compnay in another State.
* Have pertinent information about your business on your HOME PAGE.
* Potential customers will generally not spend the time to search for information not postedon your home page.
* As a general rule you have about 5 seconds to grab attention.
Once you have your Home Page set the way that you would like it, you may add additional pages with a Menu Bar placed on your home page for the customer to click.
* Yard Card Businesses Join Directories, they generally come up high in searches. Usually one or Two rentals will pay for your Join Fee.
In preparation for starting your website or Blog an excellent website to view is 2CreateaWebsite. Lisa is very knowledgeable in many areas of websites, blogging, U-tube and so much more. She is extremely easy to follow and gives great advice.
REMEMBER that most people search for what they are looking for on the Internet. It takes awhile to get noticed with so many websites out there.
"There are exactly as many special occasions in life as we choose to celebrate". ~Robert Brault
Marty Miller; Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Writer Artist
www.yardcarddirectory.com www.homeandhealthtips.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
SUMMER STRESS or SUCCESS?
SUMMER BUSINESS SUCCESS or STRESS?
“ If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded”
Mayo Angelo on Success
How you THINK can make the difference between being Successful or just Stressed.
Be positive. Think Success, not failure. Do not stay in a negative place either mentally or physically. Let your customers and people around you know what your business or product will do to enhance their life, rather than telling them “about” your business. Customers ultimately care about what your business will “do for them”. See Features and Benefits.
If you think you can do things to help your business grow, get on it. “Habit is like a soft bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of”. (anonymous) Refresh your thinking—set new goals—not huge ones, just little goals. When you reach the little goals, start making bigger goals. Write down your goals each day, maybe even just one. Writing it down really does help—when you succeed in that goal "celebrate" and cross it off of your list.
“Ideas won’t keep; something must be done about them”
Alfred North Whitehead (mathematician, philosopher)
YARD CARD and LAWN DISPLAY BUSINESS
For those of us in the Yard Card and Lawn Display business, summer is a good time for us as the weather is nice, people are happy, the sun is out (usually) and our business brings smiles.
Even if your business has taken a hit in this economy, as most have, don’t stop now, keep doing the things that work well. One of those is being present on the Internet. As has been stressed numerous times, you need your State and important information on your Home Page of your website. If you have not done this—do it now. Then join as many Directories as you can. Put in a few relevant search terms and see which companies and Directories come up on top. Join them—you must spend a little money to make money.
“Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines”. Satchel Paige
Marty Miller http://www.yardcarddirectory.com/ http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ http://www.homeandhealthtips.com/
“ If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded”
Mayo Angelo on Success
How you THINK can make the difference between being Successful or just Stressed.
Be positive. Think Success, not failure. Do not stay in a negative place either mentally or physically. Let your customers and people around you know what your business or product will do to enhance their life, rather than telling them “about” your business. Customers ultimately care about what your business will “do for them”. See Features and Benefits.
If you think you can do things to help your business grow, get on it. “Habit is like a soft bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of”. (anonymous) Refresh your thinking—set new goals—not huge ones, just little goals. When you reach the little goals, start making bigger goals. Write down your goals each day, maybe even just one. Writing it down really does help—when you succeed in that goal "celebrate" and cross it off of your list.
“Ideas won’t keep; something must be done about them”
Alfred North Whitehead (mathematician, philosopher)
YARD CARD and LAWN DISPLAY BUSINESS
For those of us in the Yard Card and Lawn Display business, summer is a good time for us as the weather is nice, people are happy, the sun is out (usually) and our business brings smiles.
Even if your business has taken a hit in this economy, as most have, don’t stop now, keep doing the things that work well. One of those is being present on the Internet. As has been stressed numerous times, you need your State and important information on your Home Page of your website. If you have not done this—do it now. Then join as many Directories as you can. Put in a few relevant search terms and see which companies and Directories come up on top. Join them—you must spend a little money to make money.
“Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines”. Satchel Paige
Marty Miller http://www.yardcarddirectory.com/ http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ http://www.homeandhealthtips.com/
Monday, May 23, 2011
COMPETITION and COLLABORATION in BUSINESS
"You can't use up creativity. the more you use the more you have" Maya Angelou
Competition and Collaboration in the Business World
COMPETITION: (Rivalry, match, contest) Good, healthy competition is great, as it makes us grow and get better at what we do. We need competition to make us stretch ourselves; also it is imperative for the economy and gives the consumer "choices". However if we get stuck on always being competitive, it can be counterproductive. "Remember the banana--when it left the bunch, it got skinned."
Do be courteous about copying others' work or ideas without getting written permission. THERE IS PLENTY OF BUSINESS FOR ALL OF US!
COLLABORATION: (To work jointly with others) In most businesses, collaborating is very good. You can share ideas, benefit from each other's knowledge, increase the market knowledge of your product and gain more visibility. Many companies worry too much about having other companies in their area. I always liken it to the city corners that have 3-4 gas stations. Who in town has the most business? ---the same type businesses close together, so people have options.
In our particular business of Lawn Greetings; if consumers see a lot of signs or yard card displays out there--it starts to imprint the idea in their minds for future celebrations. If people rarely see yard signs or lawn displays then the concept does not become popular. With several companies in your area that makes each company "work smarter, not harder". We are each advertising for each other with consumer product knowledge just by having people see the idea in a yard. Also our ultimate goal is to service customers wanting this type of celebration recognition in their yard and if we cannot help them out, we can refer them to another company.
If your do your industry's research you will find the most sucfessful areas of the country are those with more than one or two of the same type of industry.
For other Great Business ideas Visit this Great Website.
Visit the Yard Card Directory for your state. This is a new site of mine to get great ideas on Home, Health, Kids games, crafts and recipe and Fun for Seniors.
"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."
Swami Sivanada
Marty Miller, Business Owner for 35 yrs. http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ www.homeandhealthtips.com/
Competition and Collaboration in the Business World
COMPETITION: (Rivalry, match, contest) Good, healthy competition is great, as it makes us grow and get better at what we do. We need competition to make us stretch ourselves; also it is imperative for the economy and gives the consumer "choices". However if we get stuck on always being competitive, it can be counterproductive. "Remember the banana--when it left the bunch, it got skinned."
Do be courteous about copying others' work or ideas without getting written permission. THERE IS PLENTY OF BUSINESS FOR ALL OF US!
COLLABORATION: (To work jointly with others) In most businesses, collaborating is very good. You can share ideas, benefit from each other's knowledge, increase the market knowledge of your product and gain more visibility. Many companies worry too much about having other companies in their area. I always liken it to the city corners that have 3-4 gas stations. Who in town has the most business? ---the same type businesses close together, so people have options.
In our particular business of Lawn Greetings; if consumers see a lot of signs or yard card displays out there--it starts to imprint the idea in their minds for future celebrations. If people rarely see yard signs or lawn displays then the concept does not become popular. With several companies in your area that makes each company "work smarter, not harder". We are each advertising for each other with consumer product knowledge just by having people see the idea in a yard. Also our ultimate goal is to service customers wanting this type of celebration recognition in their yard and if we cannot help them out, we can refer them to another company.
If your do your industry's research you will find the most sucfessful areas of the country are those with more than one or two of the same type of industry.
For other Great Business ideas Visit this Great Website.
Visit the Yard Card Directory for your state. This is a new site of mine to get great ideas on Home, Health, Kids games, crafts and recipe and Fun for Seniors.
"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."
Swami Sivanada
Marty Miller, Business Owner for 35 yrs. http://www.lawnexpressions.com/ www.homeandhealthtips.com/
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