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SMALL BUSINESS LEADER
ISSUE # 59
February, 2004
Greetings,
February is the month of the heart. Of course, there are many definitions of heart. For business owners, it's important to know the "heart of your business" - that which drives it forward through good times and bad. It's that special place where your integrity and passion reside and probably what motivated you to be in business in the first place. When you communicate from that place you can most easily connect to the heart of others.
This month I encourage you to reconnect with your heart. Then reach out to customers, suppliers, alliances, prospects and those people you've been meaning to call, but just don't get around to. Rekindle old relationships and reach out to new ones. Maybe even contact someone to whom you'd like to say "I'm sorry". Remember, bad feelings are a huge energy drain.
Our Guest Expert for the Lunchtime Telephone Roundtable is Carolyn Wilson-Elliott, who is an amazing lady on her own path - and succeeding. On Thursday, February 19th she'll share her secrets on "Selling from Spirit" (see details below). The feature article this month, "The Heart of Your Business", is very short and to the point. It's meant to help you refocus on what motivates you and feels wonderfully comfortable when you allow it to guide you.
In addition to all this, we have two new items this month.
One is the Business Reconnaissance Program, a no-nonsense program designed for the business that's considering a technology investment. Be sure to check this out first before making the plunge (more info below).
I've also added the February Free-bies, valuable products and services you can check out without a commitment. I'm trying out different options to see what you like. Let me know if you'd like to see more Free-bies.
Thanks for playing in my yard.
To your success,
Marian Banker
Publisher
Small Business Leader
marian@primestrategies.com
www.primestrategies.com
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
The Heart of Your Business
What's at the heart of your business? What drives your business? As the heart drives the circulation and the life of its host, the same is true of your business. Every business needs a heart, that which energizes it and keeps it rewarding. Many business owners have forgotten what constitutes the heart of their business.
The heart of your business taps the most basic of motivators that energize around something that you have a passion about. My passion is small business leaders, their trials, tribulations, joys, successes and recognition for the great job they're doing to drive the "recovery".
Visibility, recognition, community - and ultimately GROWTH! It's for every small business leader who recognizes the value that such a community will have. It actually already does exist on a small scale and I want to now share it with as many as can "get it".
What's your passion? What gets you motivated and energized? That's the spirit you want to capture and stay with as much as possible. When you're coming from "the heart" you will be able to define your role more easily. If you're a creative type, don't even think about doing things that require formulas and structure. Hire someone or find a partner who can balance out your limitations.
Staying with the heart can be difficult because you are bound to meet obstacles along the way that can make you question your decision. I know; I've been learning some of these lessons myself.
Records show that Edison tried and failed more than 1,000 times before inventing a light bulb that worked. Most people quit after one or two failures. What if Edison had decided to quit? No way -- he was on a mission.
Reconnect with the heart of your business
Let this define your role and how you communicate with others
Don't give up when faced with obstacles
Stay in touch with what keeps you going back for more.
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SPECIAL PROGRAM:
Business Reconnaissance Program
Business Intelligence (You) + Specialized Leadership (Us) = Winning the Business War (Goal)
It's a battlefield out there. And, no business succeeds alone.
The Business Reconnaissance Program was created to help business veterans take charge, get lean, be strategic and march their businesses to success.
Use the Business Reconnaissance Program (BRP) to take the lead and assure that your business is poised to strike during the economic growth spurt that's just ahead.
Lena West and I have created a dynamite program that will get you focused on what counts. Lena is a Technology Strategist whose expertise complements my strategic business experience. Through the BRP we will show you how to make technology support achieving your business goals.
The BRP web page will be up soon, but meanwhile, drop me an e-mail at marian@primestrategies.com and I'll send you the details by e-mail. This program is a must before spending money on new technology.
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February Lunchtime Telephone Roundtable
Moderator and Discussion Leader: Marian Banker, MBA, Business Leadership Coach
Topic:
"Selling From Spirit"
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2004, 1 to 2 p.m. EST
There is NO CHARGE for the Roundtable.
To register and receive the call-in number,
send an e-mail to marian@primestrategies.com
with the Subject as Roundtable Roundtable 2-19-04.
Guest Expert: Carolyn Wilson-Elliot, is an Accelerated Learning Technologies specialist and coach who can help you attract wealth, harmony and creativity while having fun. A Master Spirit Coach, Carolyn shares her expertise with individuals, groups and organizations as CEO of Quantum Spirit International, a spiritually-based publishing firm, and as Director of Coaching From Spirit, a training organization for coaches and non-coaches who want to activate self-coaching skills.
Do you feel drained of energy when you think about "selling" yourself to prospective clients/customers?
Do you procrastinate around networking and marketing your products or services?
Do you try a new selling/marketing technique each month with disappointing results?
Learn how to "Sell From Spirit". The process of Selling From Spirit is not a contradiction in terms. And it's not about tent meetings or laying on of hands. It is, however, the most powerfully fulfilling way to earn a living.
Each of us has a selling process, whether we're consciously aware of it or not. When we learn what our process is, we begin tapping into the Divine part of ourselves. This brings us into connection with Spirit or God or Source, so we can then deliberately re-create that process whenever we want. Discover YOUR Divine selling process and begin attracting clients/customers more easily and effortlessly.
In this one hour teleconference call format, you'll experience:
the Inner Guidance you're receiving from your current selling process
the Spiritual energy of a "sale."
the Divine secret to selling
creating YOUR most Inspired selling process
Here's just one of the many Testimonials about our popular Roundtable.
"I liked the quality of people and the fast pace of the Guest Expert. This was perfect timing..something that I really needed. I made some good calls afterwards" Marion Aaron, Marion Aaron & Associates
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February Free-bies
Email Virtuoso, creator of Dynamic Email Templates, is offering a free email template for February, American Heart Month. I haven't used it, but it looks easy and very professional. Check it out at http://www.emailvirtuoso.com/template_terms.html.
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Bridgette Raes, a New York-based Image and Style Consultant who has been helping women develop their unique style for the past 10 years, is offering a complimentary 30 minute Image and Style Assessment.
"Your image is the most effective and powerful way to communicate. In order to attract the right things into your life you have to send the right message out. The best way to do that is through your image and personal style."
To schedule your free 30 minute assessment contact bridgette@bridgetteraes.com
NOTE: If you have a free-bie you'd like to offer through Small Business Leader, send me the details. NO CHARGE for free-bie offers.
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SBA Update
The SBA and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation are sponsoring a one-day "Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century" conference on March 26th. Registration is full, but you can see the details at http://www.sba.gov/advo/stats/conference/. If anyone has already signed up to attend, please let me know at marian@primestrategies.com. I'd like to schedule a post-event interview with you.
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Articles:
Hot Ideas
As entrepreneurs, we are always looking for ideas that might fit our business model. The January Inc.com article, "Five Ideas to Watch", offers five unusual ideas that have been turned into viable products or services.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040101/5ideas.html
Small Business Nation
Of course, you already knew how much small business has contributed to the recovering economy, but it's nice to see it in writing. FSB's article, "Small Business Nation" provides the details and encourages the government to give us the support we so desperately need and deserve.
http://www.fortune.com/fortune/smallbusiness/articles/0,15114,577401,00.html
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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
Marian Banker has been publishing Small Business Leader since January, 1999. Her focus is on bringing to the busy entrepreneur a quick look into the current world of small business from the perspective she's gained from coaching, consulting and training entrepreneurs in both service and product based businesses.
Marian offers individual coaching, business support groups, seminars and workshops on topics of critical interest to small business owners. Her monthly Lunchtime Telephone Roundtable has proven to be a popular way for business owners to come together around a specific business topic without leaving their office. See notice about this month's topic in the content above.
To learn more about her services, visit www.primestrategies.com.
