4 Simple Steps to Organize Your Work Day

Feeling overwhelmed? Got Post-It Notes all over your computer? Missing meetings? Is all the clutter driving you crazy? Ready for a change? Or do you want to keep pulling your hair out? And if your desk is super messy, does it say something about you? 

We hope that in all the craziness of your work day that you can take a few minutes to be able to keep the mountain of information under control. Also know that you will always have something in your in-box. Doesn't matter the season, the month or the day of the week. The trick is to manage it and not let it manage you. So how do you do it? In the end there are many ways to make it all work. You will know by how your shoulders feel at the end of the day - uptight and in your ears or nicely relaxed helping you take that deep, cleansing breath.  

Image:forbes.com

So here are your four simple (and we mean simple) methods for being committed to being more organized in your day, in your thoughts and in your business.  

1. Keep a calendar -  There are many ways to keep a calendar from a simple paper format (you can even print them from an online source) to the bulky day planners of old to applications on smartphones. Don't get caught up in what could be better or feeling like you are missing out on some great technology. Keep it simple and use something that works for you in your daily activities. Use the calendar to also keep track of what you are doing when. It's kind of like someone on a diet logging everything they eat. You'd probably be surprised to look back at your day and see where you are spending most of your time. 
2. Keep a to-do list - Most of us have short-term activities and long-term projects. And you can easily get overwhelmed by the big project with all that needs to get done. Break up the big projects into smaller bites, so that at the end of the day you can look back at that to-do list and see what you have accomplished. This sense of achievement will go a long way to keeping you motivated over the long haul.  
3. Set a time everyday to make phone calls, answer emails and post on social media - It is easy to get caught up in responding to every email, phone call, text or social media post. Triage is the key word here. Not every contact requires an immediate response. It has been said that the mind cannot truly multi-task. Try to schedule time every day to respond to all the calls for your attention - some time in the morning and some in the afternoon and some at the end of the day so that you can get back to those that need attention during that particular day. Keep the list of correspondence close to your to-do list and calendar so that you can include this in reviewing your daily accomplishments. 
4. Learn to say no - This is probably a big one for most people. As a small business owner, you are hungry for customers and revenue. Remember your business plan? Remember your target markets? Distractions from your plan may result in time spent that may cause you to stray from your goals. What can you learn from saying no? Remember Kris Kringle in the movie "Miracle on 34th Street?". If Macy's didn't carry a toy, he sent them to Gimble's. His focus was on the customer, not the business. And that loyalty that was engendered with the customer was worth more than the immediate sale. Learn from saying no and keep your eye on the brass ring.

Being a Business Mentor - What Does it Mean?

In the world of professional sports, even the greatest athletes have coaches. They need someone to observe their performance as well as the state of the game, competition and rules in order to maximize the athlete's ability to succeed. In the world of big business, you find successful people surrounding themselves with others that know more than they do in a particular area or subject, as well as having a solid board of directors or advisers that have experience or knowledge that are missing in the senior executive. This combination of information flowing from two directions can truly make a business leader more influential, efficient and profitable. That works well for large, public companies, but what about the entrepreneur or small business owner?

First, notice the distinction. An entrepreneur is someone that wants to scale their business. A small business owner may want growth but they may not necessarily be interested in becoming a national or global business. The owner of a small, local, one-location coffee shop may not want to become Starbucks, Peet's Coffee or Dutch Brothers. The overall goal for your business will dictate the type of mentor you need.

Second, mentoring is about personal development. Are you interested in pushing your own personal envelope by learning something new or stepping outside of your comfort zone? As a small business owner do you feel like you've done everything you can to keep your business growing? The goal for most businesses the last five years has been to do your best to hang on. That time is now past. Who do you look to for expertise, knowledge and forward-thinking? When you think about the next 3-5 years, how have you prepared yourself and your business for what is possible? Only you can answer these questions.
 

So who do you ask to be a mentor? Look for qualities that compliment or supplement your skillset. Look for a good listener, someone with a great desire to help, an understanding of your business as well as someone who will be honest with you because this relationship will be based on trust. A mentor will need to know your strengths as well as your warts.  

And you can have different mentors as your personal and business growth continue. Many folks may only be able to help you at a particular stage of your development. Be willing to assess a mentor's usefulness when you are looking for the next mountain to climb.

Starting the New Year Right - Forecasting Your Revenues

For most being the first day of the first full week back from the holidays, hopefully you have begun the process of making sure that plans for the first quarter are on track so that you don't miss opportunities that may occur during the first three months.  And you should have a clear idea of the direction you hope your organization will be taking for 2014 as a whole.  If you have questions on either account, it's probably time to sit down and come up with some reasonable goals.

One of the hardest things to do in business today is to predict your future revenues. Expenses and capital spending are relatively easy compared with forecasting the funding vehicle of your business.

So how do you begin to estimate your revenue?  Great question. The key is to understand your business. This is not a task that you delegate to a lower level employee. Only you as the business owner have a big picture look on your business, your industry and the economy as a whole. Internal and external factors must be taken into account. Internal strengths and weaknesses will be key in identifying revenue growth opportunities. Many businesses use gross sales as their measure. Some look at this daily. Others look at it weekly or even monthly.  I would submit that you need to look at what is driving your revenues - the key levers in your business.

So what are they? Let's use a different equation. How about Traffic * Conversion Rate * Average Sale = Revenue? Let's break each on of these down.

Traffic is driven from your marketing activities, primarily your promotional budget. The more your brand is in places where potential, qualified customers are looking for your products or services, the better chance you have to get their attention. In today's world, prospective customers are using a variety of platforms to find our product or service information. You need to be judicious about what platform will give you the biggest bang for the buck.

Conversion Rate is all about how successful your sale effort is. The percentage of traffic converted to sales will depend some on your industry, but will depend mostly on your efforts to sell. How well trained are your staff? Are you the chief cook/bottle washer/salesperson? If so, how are you at taking inquiries (either online or in person) and creating paying customers? What if you were to convert another 1% or 5% or 10% of your Traffic? Big impact most likely on your revenue and your bottom line.

Average Sale is the weighted average sales to each customer. As you can imagine, if you are selling bubble gum your average sale is less than if you are selling diamond earrings. This is about the product/service choices you make in your business - what do you have to sell.

This may not fit exactly into your business model, but it should work for most with a little tinkering. It all goes back to your marketing plan and what drives revenue in your business. If you want to talk more about this or other strategic decisions in your business, send us an email to set up an appointment. If you are looking to do a little research, there are a number of YouTube videos on forecasting (hint: we're not guaranteeing that you will be able to stay awake!) and of course, Lynda.com has an online video tutorial called "Calculating a Seasonal Forecast". Call 775-283-7123 to set up an appointment to watch this one!

New words and how you can change the world

The Oxford English Dictionary recently named "selfie" as the word of the year. No matter your take on whether or not this is a real word or whether or not it describes something other than a desperate attempt at getting attention, this word has become part of the lexicon of young people and those in the world of social media. That is why some are revolting by promoting the use of the hashtag, #unselfie.

If you are wondering what #unselfie is, just do a search on any of the social media platforms, especially Twitter. If you are searching on Facebook, there is a page dedicated to Unselfie.  There is also at least one post on LinkedIn extolling the virtues of the unselfie.

Been wondering how to use Twitter? Try this one on for size. As part of #givingtuesday tomorrow (yes we are using hashtags like crazy this week), over 8,000 organizations in all 50 US states have signed up as partners, from charities to businesses to small towns to cities. A group of charities in Baltimore have come together to pledge jointly to raise $5,000,000 tomorrow. New partnerships are emerging between the super rich and the rest of us as billionaires such as Steve and Jean Case (founder of AOL) and others offer to match #givingtuesday gifts with similar amounts of their own cash. And it is going global: significant #givingtuesday campaigns are under way in countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Argentina and Singapore. Look for the #unselfie posts as part of the larger #givingtuesday campaigns.

Watch #givingtuesday on Twitter tomorrow and get motivated by other people's unselfies and by googling #givingtuesday and #unselfie. Our advice is to watch, learn and be part of the solution. 

What is Leadership? Really.

Amongst all the seminars, conferences, websites, books and the examples of leadership that we see daily, have you ever asked yourself what does it mean to be a leader and if you have kids, how do you encourage them to be leaders when offered the chance?

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines leadership as "the action of leading a group of people, organization, etc." or "the power or ability to lead other people". If you break it down to the verb, another applicable definition of lead is "to direct on a course or in a direction."

 

By definition, true leadership requires followers. So how do you get others to follow you? There are plenty of examples, both good and bad, throughout history, sports, politics, business and communities. Some that come to mind are Gandhi, Hitler, Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, Mother Teresa and Vince Lombardi. One thing that is common among leaders is a passion for their vision. How they demonstrate their passion will vary along a spectrum, yet people will connect with that vision and the charisma of the leader. For followers, they search for resonance with those visions, looking for direction and answers to what will help them in living a life well lived.

Leadership is also something that is in the eye of the beholder. While many can condemn the actions of certain leaders, one cannot deny the ability of a Hitler to amass millions of followers even to this day. Even at the local level, we can see who has influence, who can motivate and who drives an idea to fruition. And who is a flash in the pan, someone with perceived leadership qualities but cannot resonate with their prospective followers.

Passion for their vision requires having a vision and communicating this vision is the challenge of a leader. You may jump up and down, shout down your opposition but if you do not have a clear, defined, popular vision, you will get nowhere. You may be good at one-on-one leadership or you may be the great orator that all Toastmasters aspire to be. Getting your message across is vital to being a leader.

Many entrepreneurs talk about their vision. Great leaders have a vision for the future of their countries, communities, businesses, teams or humanity. And faith in that vision must remain unshakeable. A prominent Star Wars character once said, "I find your lack of faith disturbing." And yes, you may be able to use "the force" to "motivate", but it may not be the best tool in your toolbox. 

Star Wars Episode IV: "I find your lack of faith disturbing"

In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" (timely with the holidays upon us), George Bailey is given the opportunity to see what Bedford Falls would look like if he had never been born. He sees what can happen to a community where his leadership is missing, compassion for the common man is devoid and where greed and personal gain have consumed a community.

It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - James Stewart - George Bailey's Speech to Potter & the Loan Board

So where does this all lead us? When you have the opportunity to be a leader, ask yourself which path you want to take. When you are teaching young people how to lead, ask them what kind of person they wish to become. When you are in a leadership position, ask yourself which path will the community take based on your leadership. See a future that is better than the one that currently exists. Isn't that what previous generations have taught us or have we forgotten all that they sacrificed to give us a better opportunity in life?

Is it hazing or an initiation rite?

With all the news focus on the Miami Dolphins and whether or not someone who is the size of a barn can get bullied, it seems that there is a much bigger picture issue than what the 24-hour news cycle is willing to consider.  What is hazing?  What does it mean to become an adult in today's society?  What does it mean to be able to stand up for yourself?  At what point did traditional initiation rites transform into a method of exerting perceived power over someone else?

When you hear the term hazing, most times you think of college fraternities and sororities entrance requirements - eating strange things, sleep deprivation, alcohol binging, kidnapping in the middle of the night and dropping them somewhere without access to money, phones, etc.  Or maybe you have a memory of the movie "Animal House" with pledges in their civies saying, "Thank you sir, may I have another?". 

While these rituals of membership seem bizarre and ridiculous to outsiders, the goal is to put value on being part of the club. "Membership has its privileges" is a term we have come to accept.  And in order to be privileged, you have to pass some sort of test to see if you are worthy of membership. When did "membership" or transition to adulthood become a rite of abuse and torture, demeaning someone's sense of place in the community and their sense of self-worth?  Who gets to be judge, jury and executioner?

In the past, and I mean way in the past, initiation rites were all about survival tests.  In order to be an adult, you needed to take a stand, perform a test or partake in a ritual that was what the community defined as necessary to transition from adolescence to adulthood.  In the absence of withstanding physical and physcological tests and the abdication of adults taking responsibility to properly prepare their children for adulthood, the void is filled by groups or individuals no better than street gangs at every strata in our society.  When the self-appointed ones in charge get afraid that they could lose their status and power, the bar gets raised.  How many times are the tasks required for membership beyond what the current members had to endure?  Where is true mentorship among peers?

Are we so powerless that we have to resort to putting someone else down versus raising them up so that they too can be successful? Have we become so much of a 'me' society that we will step on whoever is in our way just to feel better about ourselves?

So here is the challenge. It's pretty simple. Be the adult. Be selfless. Think community first. Be curious. Be a mentor in your daily life. Be a leader. Can it be hard? Hell yes. Since when are we supposed to be afraid of hard work.

Operation Boots to Business and our Veterans

When I was at the Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC) annual conference last month, I attended a session about Operation Boots to Business in order to learn more about existing programs that help veterans open their own businesses. It is our desire at the Business Resource Innovation Center (BRIC) to provide any assistance possible to help veterans be successful with their goals of business ownership and moving on to the next chapter in their lives.

When our servicemen and women are getting ready to be discharged from the military, they are given information on the options for their transition to civilian life. This program's choices are college, job search and entrepreneurship. If they are interested in starting their own business, there are selected military bases that are offering the Operation Boots to Business program.     

This program builds on the SBA's role as a national leader in entrepreneurship training. Leveraging the ongoing collaboration with Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the SBA delivers Boots to Business with the support of its field offices and Resource Partners, such as the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs), Women's Business Centers (WBCs), SCORE, and Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs). SBA's expert Resource Partner network already provides entrepreneurship training to more than 100,000 veterans every year, many of whom are service members transitioning out of the military.

If you want more information about this program, we suggest checking the Boots to Business website and the SBA website. While this program is not formally offered by the BRIC, we will do everything we can to support veterans in their transition to prospective business ownership. As a resource partner with through our relationship with the NevadaSBDC, the BRIC has access to a variety of resources including all the organizations listed above. 

If you have any questions about business assistance for veterans, please do not hesitate to send me an email. 

Financing Options: Crowdfunding to Loans

This is such a big subject and getting bigger each day so we'll try to give you the highlights. If you are looking for further detail, please let us know.

While traditional banking and equity investment through private equity investors are still very much alive and kicking, there are many other "creative" methods of raising funds for your business.

 

Crowdfunding has been getting a ton of attention lately with Kickstarter and Indiegogo showing off many funding successes. One thing to remember is that this space is a real moving target. With rules and regulations changes coming from the SEC, we may be seeing different players, or at least different looking players, in the near future. Two types of crowdfunding appear to be emerging: peer-to-peer and donation/purchase-based.

Peer-to-peer crowdfunding sites currently include ones like LendingClub.com and Prosper.com.  These organizations operate as matching sites, bringing together individual member lenders and borrowers. Many provide quick response to requests for funding and interest rates can be significantly higher than other sources of funding. If you are having troubles with other avenues of borrowing, read all the fine print before making a decision, on either side of the transaction (this goes for all of the options discussed here).

With donation/purchase-based websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you get to operate as a fundraiser or as a place to take pre-orders for your product or service. Many artists and non-profits like this space as well as businesses. There are a couple of keys to raising funds on one of these types of sites: have an awesome network, create a compelling story and offer desirable "perks". You pretty much will need all three components to have a successful campaign. And a great video really helps too!

Other funding sources include credit card advances and factoring can help with cash flow issues. While these avenues may help with daily or weekly cash flow, the cost of capital can be quite high when compared with other options. With credit card advances, they may hold back as much as 20% until the customer pays and it doesn't improve your business credit (which is important in getting future business loans). If you have inventory or accounts receivable, then factoring may be an option, but again this option can have a high cost of capital.

Another funding option is a short-term business loan. Usually these non-bank operations offer loans based on personal credit, annual revenue and time in business.  Many loans can be made up to $250,000 and have terms from 3-18 months. If you qualify, you can get decisions typically within one day. And like the other solutions above, the cost of capital is high and there are no guarantees and you have to read the fine print. A good business situation for this type of product would be where a supplier is offering a significant discount on a large shipment of regular inventory items that you know you can turn very quickly yet you don't have the cash flow to cover a large purchase. The discount would help offset the high cost of capital.

While there are no easy solutions to finding funding these days, there are still many options. It's all a matter of which one best fits your needs. Need help deciding which one to use? Give us a call at 775-283-7122 to set up an appointment and we'll help you with evaluating what works with your plan and your business.

What's your Competitive Advantage?

Harvard professor Michael Porter originally proposed the theory of competitive advantage in 1985.  Porter emphasized productivity instead of cheap labor and natural resources. The chart below identifies basics of Porter's theory - and points to the area where most small businesses strategy exists - Focus Strategy or differentiation.

So how do you get started and how important is having a competitive advantage or CA? If you start with Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, he said, "If you don't have a competitive advantage, don't compete."  Warren Buffet looks for CA to be sustainable.  Brand and a great sales effort combined with a CA can ensure the success of a company.  And it all starts with asking the question of your customers, "What made you choose me?".

Many businesses think they know their CA or haven't defined it or don't use it. So let's start with what it is not.  CA is not:

• keeping up with the competition
• offering free shipping when everyone else is offering free shipping
• having the lowest price
• someone else will have deeper pockets
• the same as everyone else
• "we have on-time delivery" - who doesn't?
• subjective
• "we have great customer service" - doesn't everyone?
• arbitrary
• "we're better at..." - 80% of drivers think they are above average
• cliche
• "we mean business" - doesn't everyone?

So what can CA be?

• Internal or external
• the distribution system of Walmart is a huge advantage in many ways
• Highly visible
• a distinctive design like the POM pomegranate juice bottle
• Owning a niche market
• many small businesses can claim to be a big fish in small pond

So how do you determine what your CA is right now? Ask yourself these questions:

• What do you think your CA is right now?
• Can you prove it? Do you have the data?
• Have you evaluated your CA against the competition?
• Is price part of your CA?
• Is it sustainable at least for a certain time period?
• Are there big costs for the customer to switch?
• Do you have low overhead costs?
• Do you have strategic intellectual property?
• Have you established a broad network? Think Facebook or Verizon.

Your marketing plan is the key place where your CA resides.  Your brand strategy will support your CA.  Training you employees to be brand ambassadors will be key as well as your slogan or tag lines, logo, website and packaging.  And always review your competitive advantage.  Keep measuring against the competition. Ask if your CA is still important to your customers. Constantly prove that your CA is relevant. Reassess then update your CA and start the process over.

Thinking of borrowing funds for your business? Remember the 5 C's!

Yes, banks have been around a long time and have survived everything from train robberies to the Great Depression to the Great Recession. And you have a business that needs additional cash to help with its growth. So how can you win a loan into today's uncertain economy? It goes back to basics. 

 

Back in the days, oh so long ago, when money was flowing much more freely, back in 2005, banks still looked at that they call the 5 C's - character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions like they do today. The only difference with their view today is that their glasses are focused about 30-40 years in the past. Bottom line: you have to meet the bank's guidelines in order to get funded.

The first C is Character. This refers the skill set of the management team, who are the managers, has anyone filed for bankruptcy or had any other business issues in the past. Today, ideally banks would like to know that you have had some business management experience as well as industry experience. How much do you ask? It all depends. On the bank. On the underwriting department. On your personal relationship with your banker. You need to have experience and success with all the challenges in today's economy.

The second C is Capacity. This refers to your ability to pay back the loan. Do you have the cash flow to pay for all the other aspects of your business AND pay the principal and interest on your loan? What do they look at? It all depends. On the bank. Mostly they look at prior year's tax returns for you personally and the business, as well as projected financial statements. Be careful with your assumptions.

The third C is Capital. How much "skin" do you have in the game? How much have you invested of your own money in the business? How much can you potentially lose if the business fails? The bank wants to know that you are a very interested party in the success of the business. How much of your money invested kinda has a way of doing that. How much? It all depends. On the bank.

The fourth C is Collateral. What asset do you have to pledge to the bank in case you default on the loan? What is the condition and value of the asset? How much collateral do you need? It all depends. On the bank. Some banks may require that you fully collateralize the loan. Ask what their requirements are.

The last C is Conditions. These are economic conditions in your industry and the economy in general that can affect your business. You probably have little or no control over this C. Do your best to know what the leading indicators of success are for your industry and your businesses operating region. Are you local, regional, national or international? You better know what types of risk affect your business. What risks are measured? It all depends. On the bank.

We hope that you've gotten the gist of this post. It all depends. On the bank. Big bank, regional bank, community bank - they all look at things different and you need a bank that is a financial partner, so please consider all the options before you start going through the brain damage of filling out loan applications and gathering required paperwork. And know that we at the BRIC are always available to help.

I'm following a new blog called "Company Founder"...

 

You need to check out this blog if you are interested in what the tag line says - "Peak Performance for Entrepreneurs and Leaders". www.companyfounder.com  The last post is called "The Future is Bright. Focus on Solutions."  For many business leaders, this should be a mantra for the new year.  I wholeheartedly recommend that this be cut out and taped to your bathroom mirror.  Good stuff to be reminded of every day.

Yes, he's gainfully employed...

Yes, you may have heard that I got a full-time job.  After more than a year of working part-time, taking the occasional consulting gig and doing some tour guiding to fun places like Seattle and San Francisco, I have accepted an offer to be the manager of the Business Resource Innovation Center in Carson City, NV.  This is a very exciting opportunity for me to be part of the solution in helping to create jobs in Northern Nevada.  My initial focus will be to provide one-on-one business counseling as well as business curriculum development.  Mentoring entrepreneurs will also be a big part of my efforts.

The BRIC is a one-stop shop for many business services in Carson City.  In addition to housing the business branch of the library and business development, there are many other city departments that call the BRIC home.  Business licensing, the permit center and the engineering, planning and building departments all can be found in one place just north of city hall.  The overarching goal of the BRIC is to support and nurture business activity in Carson City and the surrounding region.  And in the near future, there will be additional programs that will help new businesses get off the ground as well as help existing businesses reach new levels.

More exciting things to come!  I must say that I can't wait to start helping and inspiring folks to make a big impact on the community.

Budgeting, Your Marketing Plan and the New Fiscal Year

Yes, it is budget time for those of you who have your fiscal year the same as the calendar year.  Some take this process a little more seriously than others.  As one of my professors from graduate school said, “It all depends.”

If your business is relatively stable and has minimal impact from the external environment, then the annual budgeting process is probably pretty simple (don't we all wish we could say this!).  And if your business is in the start-up phase or has a volatile competitive market, you may have extensive meetings with others in your organization in order to get as much input as possible into your plan for next year.  Or you may be a public company and there are a whole different set of rules for developing plans and the disclosures to the public that are required.

-from B2Bmarketinginsider.com-

The bottom line is that your marketing plan will dictate much of the financial planning for your organization.  Yes, the number crunchers are going to have input on how interest rates and depreciation schedules will affect your income statement, but it’s the marketers and sales staff that have the real influence planning for future revenues.  That is why all businesses need look at the fundamentals of marketing in one way or another to properly plan for the coming year.

The essence of all marketing plans focus on what is affectionately called the 4 P’s.  They are product (or service), price, promotion and place (or distribution). 

Product is simply what you are selling.  Price is what you are charging for the product.  Promotion includes all the advertising, social media activity, public relations and promotions.  Place (or distribution) focuses on the cost of getting your product and your customer together.  Marketing plans should also focus on the affect of competition and the external environment on each of the 4 P’s. 

The common mistake when creating or changing your marketing plan is that it does not have enough detail.  You also need to identify the market in which your products are sold.  There was a specialty retail company that first started out by saying that they were in the candle market.  Then they realized that they were in the bigger home décor market.  Then after much research they realized that they were in the even bigger gift market.  Look to the behavior of your customers to find out how they are using your product and that will give you a hint as to how you should position what you are selling.  

When you review your price structure, ask yourself if any customer questions have come up.  How do your prospects that don’t buy react to your prices?  Do you offer volume or promotional discounts?  Price is the determining factor for the customer’s perceived value of everything that you are providing.  In today’s economy, most people are motivated to find the best possible price and value.  Only if you have the luxury of being a monopoly do you have less concern about price.  And even monopolies have to consider the cost of barriers to entry into their markets.  When considering price, market share becomes a factor.  The more you reduce prices, you most likely will gain market share yet reduce profitability.  It’s a tough balancing act between your profitability and gaining customers.  And this all plays into your market strategy.  Are you Mercedes or are you Toyota?  Either strategy will have huge implications on your pricing.

Many people consider that the meat of their marketing plan is what is really their promotional plan.  Remember that your promotions are designed for one thing – to get people interested in what you have to offer.  Once they walk in the store, make that phone call, check out the website or send an e-mail, it is up to the remaining parts of the marketing plan and your promise to show value.  Although you may spend a good deal of time considering the many alternatives to getting your message out into the firmament, you need to balance your efforts with the other very important parts of your overall marketing plan.

Place or distribution focuses on how you get your product or service connected to your customer.  Does it require a vast distribution network and what is the cost of that network?  How do prospective customers get to your website?  Or do you drive a truck full of produce down to the Farmer’s Market?  You may have wholesale and retail customers that take delivery in completely different ways.  This part of the marketing plan is dedicated to making sure that you are being most cost efficient in getting the right goods to the right customers.

With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, be looking here for a new post about a different way to look at retail and the components that can determine success in the retail universe.

ProNet's best speaker ever - Ian Hill

Ian Hill

Now those of you that know me, know that I don't throw around words like "best ever" without having something to back it up.  In my book, we all have room for improvement, so unless you can walk on water like a guy did around 2000 years ago, you aren't getting a "10" from me.  That being said, Mr. Hill knocked everyone's socks off at yesterday's Monday morning general meeting at ProNet.  Not only does he come with tons of street cred locally in Northern Nevada but he has also been recognized for his philanthropic work in Canada.  Here a link to learn more.

So what was his message to a group of about 100 unemployed professionals in Reno?  He had a straightforward style that got your attention right away saying, "I'm not here to waste my time."  We all understood right away that this was going to be special.  I'm sure that Mr. Hill has many talks up his sleeve and he certainly knew who his audience was.  The main theme yesterday was transformation.  He started at the macro level of the world and society and brought it right down how it was affecting each and every person in the room.

First, he asked us questions about ourselves.  "Do you posses the leadership skills for today?"  "Do you possess the leadership competencies that the times require?"  The crux was that as the world is changing around us, we have to change.  The way of being successful in the past is not necessarily how you will be successful in the future.  Analysis was the first place to start.  He asked the group to come up with places where transformation was occurring in our society.

• First off was the fundamental change in technology.  This was quite obvious to all yet needed to be said.
• The next focus was leadership styles.  Autocratic leadership styles of the past will not work with a new generation of skilled workers.  Participatory leadership, where everyone is part of the decision process, is what is required in a multi-generational workplace.  He asked if the patterns of the past were serving us well.  This question hit us smack in the forehead, creating a wondering that if what worked in the past wasn't going to work in the future, what will?  
• Next was understanding the conduit of communication of the day.  With all the focus on social media, he took a different tack.  Communication is broken down into the spoken, written and virtual word.  While technology will always influence how the message is delivered (see: radio), the key will always be to deliver a clear, concise and understandable message.  Good stuff!
• Globalization and the interconnectivity of the today's world has created a monumental shift in how we think and how we conduct commerce.  It's not about grandma's corner store anymore.

While I can't get all the information from his talk in this post, he left us with key touchstones to think about in our job search:

• Be a systems thinker.  Understand the big picture.  Look to see how what you do influences how your company operates.
• Do the analysis that's required to anticipate what will happen.
• Crisis is opportunity.  Those that are looking to the coming year and what will be in crisis will afford an opportunity to succeed and flourish.  
• Be an agent of change.  Being willing to change yourself and change your environment.  Not that these are easy, but you must create a process for change.  You will know you are doing this when you ask for help because you cannot do it all yourself.
• Educate yourself.  Be on a path of continued learning, understanding, action, accountability and analysis.

He left us with one piece of advice.  Volunteer!  If you are not doing this one thing in your job search, then you are a fool.  His words, not mine, but I wholeheartedly agree.  And we were extremely lucky to have an hour of his time.  Thanks to Mr. Hill and ProNet for a great way to start the week!

Want to travel to the Pacific Northwest? I was just there...

...and had a great time.  As tour director for a gang of folks from the Reno area, I got the chance to see some wonderful sights in Tacoma, Leavenworth and Seattle.  Having traveled to the region in the past, I had a general idea of what was there to see, but with our local bus driver, Michael Bailey, we all got a terrific amount of insight into the area and some of the special sites and attractions.

Tacoma's Union Station

First, I have to say this: if the weather wasn't so cloudy/rainy/wet, I could see myself living in Tacoma.  The efforts that have been made to preserve buildings downtown has been more than commendable.  The dedication to look and feel gives the downtown area a flow especially when you add in the free light rail that keeps that flow moving.  Then you have the imprint of Dale Chihuly and glass art all over the city.  Many cities and towns look for that distinction that separates them and Tacoma has certainly accomplished that.  A must visit is to the Museum of Glass.  With the hot shop where artists and artisans can create in front of the public (watch the hot shop live) coupled with stunning and whimsical galleries, this museum is a must see in the area.

On the way to tap the keg!

Another town that has made an all-in commitment is the Bavarian-style town of Leavenworth.  We were there for one weekend of Octoberfest and the whole town revels in their recreation of southern Germany.  From the gift shops to the gazebo in the center of town to the beer garden, Leavenworth is a destination not to be missed, especially in October.  And the beer is pretty good too - it should be because nearly all of it is imported from Germany.

Museum of Flight

And last but not least, Seattle.  The anchor of the Pacific Northwest has much to see and do.  Three sites that are on the must-see list: the Space Needle, Pike Place and the Museum of Flight.  Even if the weather is cloudy and rainy (like it was the only time on this trip), riding the elevator to the observation deck is a must, even for those with a little skittishness about heights.  Do it just to say you did it.  The views even on a cloudy day are magnificent.  And make sure that you read up on some history before you get there.  Pike's is a farmer's market on steroids.  While many communities have created this quintessential American event, Pike's is the mother lode.  Not only can you talk to many owners behind the stall counters, you also can get extremely fresh, local produce and seafood.  And for the Starbucks fans, you can visit the #1 store (and you can buy coffee beans that are specially roasted for this store only).  And for all the plane enthusiasts out there, how would you like to step aboard a British Airways Concorde?  Here you can do this as well as sit in a cockpit mockup of an F-18 and a SR-71.  Get a feel for what it is like for pilots flying these amazing accomplishments in aeronautical technology.  Plan on a whole day here because there is just so much to see.

And there is much more to see than I am mentioning here.  Dear friends have been going to the Hood Canal area for years during the summer.  The Olympic Peninsula is otherworldly.  And Mt. Ranier and Mt. St. Helens can take your breath away.  So next time when you are considering a vacation spot that can tickle many a fancy, think about the home of the apple, Washington.

New baseball stat - The Triple Threat

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything here.  Been a bit crazy with networking and such. 

So have you ever thought of something and just sent an email up the flagpole to see if anyone is paying attention?  Well I've had this idea for a while and thought I'd send a note to Major League Baseball and ESPN.  Here's the premise: It's been since 1967 that anyone has won the Triple Crown in baseball.  Carl Yastrzemski was the last one to do it.  The last National Leaguer to do it was Joe Medwick in 1937!  (Yes, there is a pitching triple crown but it's just not the same, sorry...) 

Well, I thought about running a little statistics using Batting Average, Home Runs and Runs Batted In.  I took the top ten in the National League in 2010 in each category, assigned a 1 to the player that led the category and then divided the others' results by the leader's total.  (And I used the National League only because I'm a purist when it comes to hitting - I just can't stand the designated hitter rule.)  St. Louis' Albert Pujols would have been last year's Triple Threat.  He led the league in Home Runs (give him a 1), RBI's (give him another 1) and his average at .312 was 92.8% of Carlos Gonzales' league leading batting average of .336.  With a total of 2.928, Pujols outranked Cincinnati's Joey Votto's total score of 2.803.

Wouldn't this be cool to give out a Triple Threat award every year instead of waiting for someone to achieve what hasn't been done in 44 years?  And isn't this what baseball is all about, lots of fun statistics.  When I did this a week ago for 2011 to date, Matt Kemp was ahead of Prince Fielder and Pujols.

If you think that this is a good idea, pass this on to the powers that be at MLB and ESPN.