Money In Your Pocket Marketing

Click here for downloadable pdf file of SBBP12 Putting It All Together Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc and bestselling author. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business.   Re-Cap:   Setting Up The Dilemma/Problem & Part 1 & 2 of Solution Getting structured for success is easier when you break your business, as a whole, into logical functional chunks; yielding a more ‘bite-size’ and less daunting approach to organizing your business. We have identified three main areas in any business. Three main areas of business Sell-it (Marketing & Sales) Do-it (Business Operations & Production) Care-for-it (Paperwork & Finances) The three ways business gets done People - Your Team (an expanded view) Processes - The story of how business gets done Technology - The ‘tools’ of how to get business done   Now To Part 3:   Putting It All Together How to implement what you’ve learned in Parts 1 & 2 to really get results for YOUR business. Our 9-Point System has the three main areas of business: Sell it, Do it, and Care for it, EACH having the three segments of the way business gets done (People, Processes and Technology). Each of the 3 main areas of business has 3 ways in which that segment of business gets done, resulting in a 3 by 3, or 9-Point System. To further illustrate: the “Sell-it” main area of business (Sales & Marketing) has it’s own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. Also the “Do-it” main area of business (Business Operations & Production) has its own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. And, finally, the “Care-for-it” main area of business (Paperwork & Finances) has its own 1. People, 2. Processes and 3. Technology pieces. This 3 by 3 System breaks your business down into manageable ‘chunks’, providing a foundational structure from which to structure your business. Doing this elevates you from the day-by-day function OF your business to taking a more administrative and strategic look AT the function, planning for improvement and growth of your business: thinking about your business developing how you can better lay out a structure for your business identifying which types of technology (hi-tech AND/or low-tech) makes sense to have a as part of your business to leverage, say, sales and marketing what are the instructions; those processes for how business gets done predictably and efficiently which need to be developed to have stellar results every time does each job, currently, have the right person/right personality assigned to it? Or has growth in the business created a need for some shifting, to achieve a better overall result for business success as well as employee satisfaction identifying whether you may need to hire another person or should cross-train an existing employee continue with examining EACH of the quadrants for your business operations and needs until you have completed all 9 quadrants This system provides the framework for a business owner to evaluate his business and decide “what do I need and what is right for my business now?” This is not a one-size-fits-all plan. It is a framework to build a fully customized structure “for YOUR specific business!”   Question to Karen: What are some of the problems a business owner could face by NOT engaging in properly structuring their business? Karen’s Answer:  To name a few: you may lose a team member who did had an excellent process in place for the job they did but without knowing exactly how they did their job. Leaving the business owner having to re-create how to do that job and then teach someone new how to do that job, from ‘scratch’. you may end up buying technology that isn’t right for your business and costs you more than it saves. inconsistent customer experiences.

Click here for pdf download of SBBP11 Show Notes SBBP11 Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business.   Re-Cap: Setting Up The Dilemma/Problem & Part 1 of Solution Getting structured for success is easier when you break your business, as a whole, into logical functional chunks; yielding a more ‘bite-size’ and less daunting approach to organizing your business. We have identified three main areas in any business. Three main areas of business 1.  Sell-it  - Marketing - Sales 2. Do-it - Business Operations - Production 3. Care-for-it - Back Office (paperwork and finances) - Focused on employees, compliance, etc.   Part 2 of The Solution The three ways business gets done 1. People -Your Team (the expanded view): not just employees but all those who help you get business done—yourself, employees, outsourced personnel, vendors, your customers, etc. This includes caring for your team members. 2. Processes -The story of how business gets done; mechanisms via which a customer discover/come to your business. E.g. how does a client come into your business system? —Documenting this is the roots to developing your Company Policy & Procedures Manual 3. Technology -The ‘tools’ of how to get business done; high tech AND low tech. Don’t underestimate a plain flip-chart for brainstorming. Another example, choosing ergonomic chairs for the office, to reduce back fatigue. -Deciding WHICH technology is truly right for YOUR business. Next Steps you can take TODAY to make your business situation better: 1.  Suggested ‘Homework’ Exercise – create three columns on a piece of paper and make a listing in each of the three ways ‘your business gets done’. - List your Team Members — Who do you have on your team? - List your Processes — How do you keep your accounting? — How do you produce your company newsletter? - List your Technologies — What technologies do you already have? — What technologies are you considering bringing on-board? — If a business owner is REALLY, REALLY crunched for time right now and can’t go through listing all three ways they get business done, say they could only do one; which would be most important to do first, the ONE they should start with? ——Answer: start with listing your Team. Because, if your business is currently very small, or very new, you might discover that you are not as alone as you think!! 2.  Reading the book, “Structured For Success: the 9-Point System to Create Breakthrough Business Results” by Karen Logan for greater detail and widgets (tools) to make this process easier. Tune in Again for Part III – Putting it All Together!   Karen’s Contact Information Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Business Location: Torrance, CA Phone: 310-378-864 Web:  ren-works.com Blog:  http://www.ren-works.com/blog.html Email:  success@ren-works.com LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/kklogan Pinterest:  kklogan1 Twitter:  twitter.com/RenWorks1 FREE one-hour seminar on creating productivity within your business! Sign up for on our website: http://www.ren-works.com/bplwebinar.html Schedule of workshops on our Website calendar Bestselling book—“Structured For Success: the 9-Point System to Create Breakthrough Business Results” available on Amazon.com More about Karen Karen Logan is a recognized expert in business productivity. She has over 25 years experience in corporate and small business arenas. Karen provides expertise to help owners get their businesses systematized and positioned for growth. Karen is a managing partner at Renaissance Works. Karen lives in Southern California in the South Bay. She is an avid runner, enjoying the beaches and trails in her community.

Click here for downloadable pdf of SBBP10 Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business   Setting Up The Dilemma/Problem & Part 1 of Solution Getting structured for success is easier when you break your business, as a whole, into logical functional chunks; yielding a more ‘bite-size’ and less daunting approach to organizing your business. We have identified three main areas in any business. Three main areas of business Sell-it Do-it Care-for-it   Sell-it: Marketing Sales   Do-it: Business Operations Production   Care-for-it: Back Office (paperwork and finances) Focused on employees, compliance, etc.   Next Steps you can take TODAY to make your business situation better: Suggested ‘Homework’ Exercise – make a listing of your business activities in each of the three main areas. List your “Sell-it” activities, your “Do-it” activities, and your “Care-for-it” activities. Committing your business activities to paper, writing them down, will actually help you approach any needed additions, changes, or omissions with greater ease.   Karen’s Contact Information Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Business Location:  Torrance, CA Phone:  310-378-8649 Web:  ren-works.com Blog:  http://www.ren-works.com/blog.html Email:  success@ren-works.com LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/kklogan Pinterest:  kklogan1 Twitter:  twitter.com/RenWorks1 FREE one-hour seminar on creating productivity within your business! Sign up for on our website: http://www.ren-works.com/bplwebinar.html Schedule of workshops on our Website calendar Bestselling book—“Structured For Success: the 9-Point System to Create Breakthrough Business Results” available on Amazon.com   More about Karen Karen Logan is a recognized expert in business productivity. She has over 25 years experience in corporate and small business arenas. Karen provides expertise to help owners get their businesses systematized and positioned for growth. Karen is a managing partner at Renaissance Works. Karen lives in Southern California in the South Bay. She is an avid runner, enjoying the beaches and trails in her community.

Click here for downloadable pdf document Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business Flowcharts are pictorial representations of a process. The whole idea of not writing down your business processes: Prevents your customers from getting a consistent experience Prevents identifying areas of wasted time Conceals errors that cause re-work This doesn’t have to be complicated. Each process could be as simple as a checklist or bullet-point reference card Write down each of the processes within your business. This will help you realize: Opportunities where you may have waste or inefficiency Where you may have a single point of failure Options for delegation, automation or outsourcing   Karen’s Contact Information Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Business Location: Torrance, CA Phone: 310-378-8649 Web: ren-works.com Email: info@ren-works.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/renaissance.works.5 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kklogan Twitter: twitter.com/RenWorks1 FREE one-hour seminar on creating productivity within your business! Sign up for on our website: http://www.ren-works.com/bplwebinar.html Schedule of workshops on our Website calendar Upcoming book—working title “OWNERwhelm: 11 Strategies Business Owners Can Use to Regain Peace of Mind and Create Efficiency in Their Businesses”   More about Karen Karen has over 20 years experience in project management, team building, education and leadership that has influenced her unique perspective on creating solutions for business owners—first starting with her business as the perfect laboratory! Karen also has a mixed background of corporate and entrepreneurial business practices that has helped she and her co-founding partner to help their customers create solutions for efficiency, productivity and peace of mind. Celebrating 10 years of incorporation. We took our many years of experience in the corporate workplace and translated it into our entrepreneurial dream. We love helping business owners unravel chaos, confusion or inefficiency in their businesses. It’s very rewarding and we’re excited about bringing good things to many business owners.

Click here for Show Notes for SBBP7 as a .pdf file Show Notes SBBP7   Celebrity Nicole DeAvilla of ND Yoga & The 2 Minute Yoga Solution Master Level Yoga Therapist; completed her Ananda Yoga Teacher Training in 1984. She has a background in Sports Medicine Research, chiropractic physiotherapy, dance and writing. Nicole was one of the pioneer yoga instructors in prenatal/postpartum yoga and yoga therapy.  Advancing teacher training in yoga therapy and prenatal/postpartum yoga and private instruction to yoga teachers.  She also teaches students of yoga from beginner to advanced. International Yoga Teacher and Program Developer Also a published Author of two books:  “The 2 Minute Yoga Solution” & “7 Quick Tips to Squash Stress and Beat Back Pain” She is a published Yoga Researcher Host of the live show "Two Minute Yoga - Yoga Break"   Nicole has more books in the 2 Minute Yoga series on the horizon and has just launched two online yoga programs in September.  And we will talk about those towards the end of todays show. Nicole also has a FREE book download for you:  “7 Quick Tips to Squash Stress & Beat Back Pain”; which she’ll tell us about later in the show.   What was the inspiration for starting your Yoga Company? Started practicing yoga in college; later moving away from yoga.  The when my own severe back pain which led to pain radiating down my arms and legs, I went back to yoga and took yoga teacher training.  Then started teaching classes out of my home; which became the inspiration for my business.   How long have you been in business? 29 years   Business Challenge Finding Time for Everything Finding the time to get everything done.  I used to wish for more hours in the day, believing that would allow me to get everything done.  Then I came to realize that if I could actually get more time, I would probably just take on doing more things and be back in the same situation of needing more time. I was burning the candle at both ends.  Then at one point I became very ill with pneumonia.  It was then that I finally realized I needed to change how I approach to things.  More importantly, I need to start ‘practicing what I preached’!   Which strategies/tactics and/or disciplines are providing you with the greatest progress toward mastering this challenge? 5 Basic Principles of Yoga. 1. Acknowledging what is 2. Self-study/Observation without judging ourselves.  Just observe what we are doing and what we can ‘weed out’ those activities that aren’t really productive. Eg. Staying up too late and night; becoming sleep-deprived.  Eliminating that behavior allowed me to be more productive. 3. Non-avoidance of what you don’t want to do.  Utilizing courage to handle the things that ‘nag’ at us; that we put off.  This repeated delaying occupies mental activity; which is itself draining. 4. Take care of yourself.  Eat healthy and exercise—a middle road—avoid extremes 5. Get out of our negative mood.  Be even-minded and cheerful at all times.  Acknowledge the negative for what it is then let go of it, shake it off and focus on feeling better. Each individual has to make the choice to change.   Were there any other strategies/tactics you tried? It’s a process.  See how things are but without judgment, change is a process.  If once make the choice to start slipping because you aren’t managing it all.  Just acknowledge the slip and get back to moving forward in your process toward change. Meditation has also helped me.  Meditation does not need to be complex, it can be very simple, very easy. The easiest mediation method: Sit upright, breathe and focus on your breathing.  Not trying to make your mind blank.  Just choose a positive thought or affirmation and focus on the breath going in and out of your lungs. Start with just a few minutes Which strategies/tactics did you try/utilize that were NOT helpful or actually caused mor...

Click here for SBBP6 Show Notes as a .pdf file Show Notes SBBP6   Celebrity Fran Harris of Fran Harris Enterprises • Business Explosion Expert • Fortune 100 business consultant • TV Personality • Speaker • Author   How long have you been in business? Business Explosion Expert over last 10 years Coaching in personal, professional and business development in Fran Harris helping hundreds of people, one-on-one, conquer their fears to achieve living their BEST life Helping corporate executives and small business owners breakthrough their business challenges and/or self-defeating paradigms Developing high performance business teams TV personality for 20 years helping millions of clients Author – New book which launched September 2013 “No More Excuses, PERIOD!”   Top business challenge - "Disco Ball Syndrome"   How would you describe "Disco Ball Syndrome"? Think back to an ‘80s Dance Hall. Disco balls are those huge, completely overwhelming, shiny balls throwing off colors; a giant ball of distraction. You can’t help but see them wherever you are standing. I’m always having hundreds, even thousands, of ideas in a given day; ideas with deadlines attached to them. So many ideas is like a giant disco ball of distractions. The challenge is not just what you would like to do but what you actually need to do and what you can seriously get done. Then prioritize those things that need to get done. You have to ask yourself, is doing these twenty-four different things, getting me where I want to go. If not, then you need to step back and focus on something that will get you where you want to go. You need to seriously ask yourself, “What can I do with mastery and get the results I want”? Many will say the fortune is in the follow-up. I believe that the fortune is in the focus, the follow-up and the follow-through!   Has this "Disco Ball Syndrome" ever threatened the survivability of your business? Probably. I will never conquer this but I continue to work at managing the Disco Ball of distracting ideas and possibilities. Even after stepping back and focusing, I still may want to pursue an additional idea; I know I can’t also do this myself; however, I can choose to proceed and hire someone else to do it.   Are there any efforts you utilized that were NOT helpful or actually caused more problems than they help solve? There have been a couple of rare occasions over the last 21 years when someone I hired did not work out at the level which I needed them to operate. These instances did cause problems; however, Since I am also a ‘fast fire-er’, these situations did not last long. Is there anything else you would like to share on the process to conquer "Disco Ball Syndrome"? As a society we avoid the word weakness, believing that there is weakness in the word weakness; weakness in admitting you have weaknesses. You have to make a shift in your paradigm shift about that word. Honestly, this can be why individuals don’t succeed to the levels they could because they refuse to acknowledge their weaknesses. They will actually allow their business to fail because they are too afraid or ashamed to admit having a weakness. There is power is saying here are the areas where I am strong and here are the areas which I need to develop. You must acknowledge your weaknesses before you can develop yourself. There may be areas where you know you aren’t going to rise to the level you need; you can choose hire someone to take on that task, who IS strong in that area or someone who can “cover you” in that area. Don’t be afraid of your vulnerabilities, they can be seeds of strength for you.   What was your worst marketing effort? In the early years of commercial Internet, 1993, I purchased a mailing list of women business owners. I sent out about 2,500 postcards but didn’t provide any way for them to register for my event. I just figured they would show up.

Click here for SBBP5 Show Notes as a .pdf file "SpotCast" - shorter, single topic excerpt from a full interview   From an interview with Elizabeth Hamilton, Owner, Pookie Galore Designs Lauded as one of Houston's top artists of recycled materials. Her work has been displayed in Houston's City Hall and at many prominent green shows   Tell us about your contributing a percentage of your net proceeds to charity - Primary reason:  I believe we were put on planet to make the lives of others better. One way I can to that is by providing money to charities Secondary reason:   Once I started telling people that I was giving 10% of my proceeds to the Blood Water Mission, my sales shot up.  People see the tangible benefit of the purchase as well as the chance to change someone’s life.   The Blood Water Mission www.bloodwatermission.com Build wells in Africa and provides HIV and AIDS medicine to those who need it $1 provides someone with a years worth of water. The majority of the money goes to the project and is not eaten up by administration.   Do you have any thoughts about what other businesses should consider when looking to adopt a charity for their business? Choose something that makes sense for their business Stay away form charities that are too ‘out there’ or too controversial; you want it to be something that makes your customer feel good I learned that people enjoy the opportunity to be able to help other just by shopping. Not only do they achieve something nice for their home, wardrobe, business or nice gift for someone but also it makes them feel good to be helping others at the same time. Once I started displaying Blood Water Mission's marketing materials in my booth during exhibits and including, in my own marketing materials, that 10% of my net proceeds went to The Blood Water Mission, my sales shot up dramatically!   Contact Information for Elizabeth Hamilton Business Name:   Pookie Galore Designs Business Location:  Houston, TX Blog: pookiegalore.tumblr.com Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/PookieGalore LinkedIN:www.linkedin.com/in/pookiegalore Twitter:www.twitter.com/pookiegalore Website:  Coming this Fall: Shopping Website Website soon to become a lifestyle portal (recipes, craft videos, blog entries, and later, projected to offer works from other green artists)   More about Elizabeth Multi-talented also works, on the side, as a freelance writer; script writer, even as a Program Manager . Contributions include websites, blogs and the Facebook game “Mecha Galaxy”. Most recent article and photographs, “Buying Vintage”, can be read in the April 2013 issue of ‘White Magazine’. AND just launched her first book: “Deals in Las Vegas”. This ‘deals’ book is attractive and stylish, something that you aren’t embarrassed to take out to refer to on vacation. Available on Amazon as a Kindle Book.

Click here for SBBP4 Show Notes as a .pdf file Top Business Challenge: Finding Capital for Marketing; Marketing On A Shoe-string Budget Elizabeth Hamilton, Owner, Pookie Galore Designs Lauded as one of Houston's top artists of recycled materials. Her work has been displayed in Houston's City Hall and at many prominent green shows What have you come up with for meeting this challenge? Bartering with other “creatives” (artists) and green business owners.  Instead of spending money we, for example, can cross-promote for each other on social media How do you find a business that is willing to barter? Some businesses, including green businesses, are now posting their willingness to barter on their Website “Green” doesn’t mean they can’t work for another, not specifically, ‘green’ business When entering into a barter relationship you need to assign some kind of fair market value for the time /products/services/ that are to be bartered Some transaction examples: In exchange for membership in Houston Green Chamber of Commerce -Offered them that amount of my time in dollars trading “X” number of hours of my time for a one year membership In exchange for vendor space in a craft show – offered some of my finished products   Setting up a barter agreement First have a clear idea of what you ARE willing to barter and what you AREN’T willing to barter Make a list of what your time is worth, expressed as X dollars/hour; what your products are worth, and what your services are worth If you aren’t certain of the value of the other business’ barter item(s), ASK them Also, you need to be certain what you want to barter has a realistic fair market value—on both sides of the equation Is there a limit to what you should use as barter? E.g. coaching and consulting aren’t good barters; they can become very expensive and takes a lot of your time Another one of my shoestring tactics is utilizing college students. Not by barter but college students, while not having the experience of a season professional they can have more passion in their efforts. College students are willing to learn, willing to re-work things, and, at times, notice things a seasoned professional might miss. Tell us about your contributing a percentage of your net proceeds to charity - Primary reason: I believe we were put on planet to make the lives of others better. One way I can to that is by providing money to charities Secondary reason: once I started telling people that I was giving 10% of my proceeds to the Blood Water Mission, my sales shot up. People see the tangible benefit of the purchase as well as the chance to change someone’s life.   The Blood Water Mission www.bloodwatermission.com Build wells in Africa and provides HIV and AIDS medicine to those who need it $1 provides someone with a years worth of water. The majority of the money goes to the project and is not eaten up by administration. Do you have any thoughts about what other businesses should consider when looking to adopt a charity for their business? Choose something that makes sense for their business Stay away form charities that are too ‘out there’ or too controversial; you want it to be something that makes your customer feel good You have a large business regret. What is that? I wish that someone would have told me that just because a marketing program is expensive doesn’t mean it’s going to work. Contact Information for Elizabeth Hamilton Business Name:   Pookie Galore Designs Business Location:   Houston, TX Blog:   pookiegalore.tumblr.com Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/PookieGalore LinkedIN:   www.linkedin.com/in/pookiegalore Twitter:   www.twitter.com/pookiegalore Website:   Coming this Fall: Shopping Website Website soon to become a lifestyle portal (recipes, craft videos, blog entries, and later, projected to offer works from other green artists)   More about Elizabeth

Click Here for SPPB3 Show Notes as a .pdf file  Top Business Challenge:  Carving Out Personal Time ("Me-Time") Interview with Divya Parekh: Career Leadership Coach, CEO, and Founder for The DP Group, LLC. Divya is offering a free downloadable resource; a whitepaper on “Visioning and Goal Charting”! at http://divyaparekh.com, on her Home Page How has this challenge affected the growth/stability of your business? Now one can ask a question, how does creating personal time relate to business? Personal time translates into relaxation, reflection, renewal of energy and business performance. Initially, I was able to keep up with the fast pace that a business demands. However, as time elapsed, I realized that I was not able to pay attention to details as needed. It was necessary to know when to step away from business work at the end of a day and carve out personal time to create balance between work and family. Has this challenge threatened the survivability of your business? Fortunately, not! Since I have always been a proponent of self-awareness, I was able to recognize when I needed to make a change. I went on a nature hike to get reacquainted with myself. I rediscovered the significance of self –renewal. Just like a car cannot run on an empty fuel tank, neither can I. How are you currently progressing through this challenge? What has been most helpful? I have started creating time for myself, even if it is half an hour a day for meditation or a nature walk. These measures have helped me immensely. Although, things are on an even keel most of the time, sometimes I do have a lapse. The key things that keep me going are: self-awareness with acceptance, resiliency to roll with punches, determination to keep moving forward and appreciation of life. It is important to know that learning and growth is a life-long endeavor.. This new practice led to integrating ‘nature walk’ into my business teachings--trying “walking meetings” and ‘walking workshops’ instead of meeting within the office space. The ‘walking meetings’ proved very productive and appreciated by those who participated. Some clients have tried “walking meetings” in their own business. Which efforts did you try/utilize that were NOT helpful or actually caused more problems that they helped solve? Trying to push myself beyond limits with a disregard to physical health backfired.   What were your worst and best marketing efforts? Worst: Using mass email list. Since mass email went to a general list, I started getting inquiries that were unrelated to workshops. I spent several hours answering emails and decided that targeted marketing, where you focus on desired customer was the way to go. Best: Word of mouth and building relationships with customers. Word of mouth referrals come to you with an existing level of trust.   Contact Information for Divya Parekh: Business Name:   The DP Group, LLC Location of Business:  Contact through email and Website Website:   http://www.divyaparekh.com Email:   contact@divyaparekh.com 111 Project:  http://www.facebook.com/The111Project LinkedIN:   http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic&id=38191419 Twitter:   http://twitter.com/divya276   More about Divya Recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who as VIP of the Year for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in career leadership coaching Recently launched the 111Project, toward building a global community The 111Project pledge starts out with commitment to oneself by setting and achieving one goal, big or small. And continues by sharing one’s smile to make someone’s day and performing one kind act to someone Divya offers individual, group and online coaching with a service goal to help youth and adults alike unveil the leaders within them. Divya passionately believes Leadership is a way of life and being; additionally, Leaders make our planet a better place to live!

Click here for SBBP2 Show Notes as .pdf file An Interview with Karen Logan, co-Founder and Managing Partner of Renaissance Works, Inc. Renaissance Works, Inc. Creating a synergy between people, process and technology to help business owners create the perfect recipe for operational efficiency for their business. Top Business Challenge #1:  Keeping All of the Plates Spinning I think that my professional ambition is similar to showing up to a smorgasbord and filling up my plate higher than what will fit in my stomach. As a business owner there are many hats we all wear and a number of daily tasks and special projects to complete in order for the business to be successful and growing. We help other businesses to get perspective on leveraging underutilized resources and we apply that to our business as well. However, it still continues to be a challenge that we meet with the best practices that we share with our clients. How are you currently working through this challenge? We constantly re-evaluate what we are doing and ask questions that help us to make decisions to eliminate, delegate or delay certain activities Explore what functions might be beneficial to outsource or automate. Distinguish between the functions as the business owner and business operator.  Business Operator – day to day functions of business.  Business Owner – direction for business, business 
strategies & growth We have “huddles” 1-3 times per week instead of “meetings”; to gauge the temperature, the mood, of our business team and to divide up the work (business operations) We have regular “2-week look ahead” meetings with the team every Friday to keep us in a proactive mode and keep communication and expectations clear for all on things and events coming up. (business operations) A Daily Partners Meeting – for only the business partners/owners where we primarily cover “business operator” functions and sometimes engage in “business owner” decisions and discussions (business owner & operator) One of the partners attends a Mastermind group outside of the business; meeting quarterly (business owner) Consider exercising a renaissance in your business language, the “naming”, of functions/operations within your business/industry to liven things up 
Before you identified what worked, was a time that threatened the survivability of your business? 
 One thing, a few years back, we took on so many things that we had bucked up against our own capacity; approaching a breaking point My business mentor in my mastermind group suggested creating “end-dates” for projects. Learn how and when it is necessary to say ‘no’ MAKE time for your personal time, your health, your fitness You have to be in top shape in all aspects of your life to be 
the best in your business Were there any things you tried that were not helpful or caused more problems than it solved? No, but something that we are particularly aware of that some business owners may not be is being clear on the distinction between delegation and abdication: Delegation – but pay attention to the progress of delegated projects/functions Abdication – delegating then neglecting to remain aware of progress of projects/functions Top Business Challenge #2: Getting Known in the Marketplace We have been transitioning our business from custom-based one- on-one consulting and project work to providing educational and coaching services to the marketplace of with Business Owners. We have a long, proven and trusted track record, however, it has been a smaller circle of referral-based business that has kept us going throughout the years. As we look to grow and leverage our expertise, we find ourselves getting to meet our clients in new ways, we need to find an effective way to also provide a one-to- many format. 
How are you currently working through this challenge of getting known? We are a learning organization and right now we’re on the fast track,