My Virtual Blog

They say that one of the best ways to get business is through networking.  So what is business networking all about, what makes it so invaluable to its supporters and how can you maximize your networking time?

My wife and I joined BNI, a local chapter of the largest business referral network in the world.   I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking “how could this possibly help our business?”  It didn’t take long for me to see that there actually can be value in meeting with other business owners and discussing what they do and how we can help each other grow our businesses.

We believe that in our networking meetings, if we focus on other people’s business, other people’s interests and engage them in conversation; it will make for a much more enjoyable experience.  We ask ourselves, how can I help this person?  Can I introduce a member to a possible partner or business opportunity?  Do I have some great resource that they could benefit from?  What one piece of information, advice or one contact could I give to this person?”  Sooner or later most people do say, “So what exactly do you do and how can I help you?” which comfortably let’s you talk about what you offer without it appearing as a “sales pitch”.

All the effort you invest in helping others will come back to you as a positive impact on your business.

Our BNI group also schedules a 10 minute presentation each week that rotates from member to member, providing the opportunity to describe, in greater detail, what the member does and how the organization can help them achieve their goals.  We also have the option of scheduling a one hour 1-on-1 meeting with a member to exchange information on each other’s business.  We have had one meeting thus far and have three more scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

We have a referral process as a standard agenda item each meeting where referrals are given back and forth.  These referrals are recorded, tracked and the results are shared with the group each week as part of the referral update agenda item.  It is amazing how many referrals are passed each month and the dollar impact it has on the businesses.

Maximizing your networking time can be summarized in the following points.

1.      Dress appropriately for the meeting so you feel comfortable but also think about how you can be noticed and remembered. You are marketing yourself and representing your company – how do you want to be perceived?

2.      Make time before the meeting to really think about the message you want to deliver.  It will serve you well once you “get into” the meeting itself.

3.      Try to speak with at least one new member each week to get better acquainted.  You could even take the opportunity to set up a 1-on-1 meeting with that person.

4.      Listen, Listen, Listen… spend time really hearing what other people are saying. Get them talking about themselves, their business and what challenges they are facing.  Great networkers create relationships first.  Time spent listening and gathering information will enable you to really understand how you can help someone. This is always the primary activity – give first.

In my short-lived experience with Business Networking, these are my observations.  Thus far, I would say Business Networking DOES make a positive impact.  This is FACT not Fiction.

Opinions anyone?

If you are like me, trying to keep a regular fitness routine going is difficult when the first thing you do when you get up in the morning is head to the computer. I try to carve out a half hour to stop and work out, but many times, I end up getting involved with work, forum posts or emails and I tend to shrug off the workout.

So, here are a few things that you can do to at least try to keep yourself on track:

1) Make sure you get up and take a quick walk around the house every half hour or so.

2) Sign up for www.myfitnesspal.com. This is a great FREE site that allows you to manage not only your food intake, but also your fitness routine and how many calories, carbs, etc. are burned. You can set goals and this really has helped me stick to them!

3) Drink LOTS of water.

4) Don’t eat the same food for lunch every day – your body gets used to the same foods and if you mix it up, you will fire your metabolism.

5) Make a list of foods that you can eat large quantities of without guilt (plain air popcorn, raw veggies, etc.). Stick to those and stay away from sweets and carbs like white bread which tend to spike blood sugar and lead to water retention and puffiness. (This one is VERY hard for me – I’m a sweet freak and I do tend to get puffy!)

6) If you’re on a webinar, and your headset will allow it, stand for the bulk of the webinar!

I’m sure there are other tips out there, but these are things I try to do when I’m having one of those “oops too late to work out” days.

What kinds of things help you?

Enjoy!

Making time for both work goals and personal goals is not as easy as one would think. You may feel fragmented or overwhelmed if you are not achieving a sense of balance between the two.  Your work and personal life will both suffer if you are not managing to meet your needs and responsibilities.  We can’t do everything, we know that, but if you ask yourself; “Am I doing things that are the most important to me? Am I spending time wisely? Am I making time for both work and play?” and your answer is NO, you may want to step back and examine your life.  Remember, we have to plan for tomorrow but LIVE for today.

At one time, I was married with a small child and a full time job.  Being a musician, I had a hard time balancing work, home, rehearsal and gigging time.  I would get up at 4:30am every morning so that I could practice for 2 hours before going to work (of course I used headphones so as not to wake the family).  This way I could prepare for band rehearsal without impacting my family responsibilities as well as still being able to work full time.  Although not fun, and I don’t necessarily recommend it, it was a solution that worked for me.  Having balance in your life is easier if you:

·        Identify your priorities

·        Reduce unnecessary activities

·        Set goals and make a plan

·        Revisit priorities and goals occasionally

Also, get a handle on the stress in your life.  This can help you make time for work and play and feel good about your general well-being. 

·        Locate the sources of stress and work to reduce or eliminate them

·        Work off the effects of stress physically

·        Accept the things that you cannot change

·        Organize what you can, without being a perfectionist

·        Realize that you do not control the emotions or behavior of others

·        Take one thing at a time

·        Compromise. You don’t always have to have it done your way. Agree to disagree

·        Get away from it for a while

Finally, you should ask yourself, “Is my work and personal life in balance?  Do I feel good about the balance”?  Remember:  LIFE IS NOT A DRESS REHEARSAL.

I am not normally a person who engages in many political discussions and can usually sort out the issues and arrive at a solid decision on my preferred candidate.  This year has been a lot tougher.  There is really quite a bit at stake in this election, much more than in previous years.  I won’t go on a soapbox, but I would encourage everyone to check this article out:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/31191709.html

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ran this article entitled Score the Candidates in their Crossroads section on October 19. 

I sat down with my husband and a friend yesterday and we spent 2 hours going through each and every issue, debating each other, and adding up points to help with our voting decision.  We found this “scorecard” invaluable to our ability to assess the candidates. 

Are the deadlines for your projects often not met?  Are you unsure of the status of your projects at any given time?  Is the original budget for your projects typically exceeded?  Are the results of your projects less than initially expected?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, chances are your projects need more effective management.  Project management helps prevent these problems by organizing and managing resources to ensure that deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and that they are of high quality.  The larger the project scope, the more important this becomes.

Certainly in the case of a friend of mine this is true.  His manufacturing company implemented an upgrade to their main computer application and on the Monday when it went live, the system went down and stayed down for a week while problems were identified and repaired.  They couldn’t order parts, make products or know when deliveries were due.  Most businesses today cannot easily survive after a week without their main computer system.  This situation really needed an experienced project manager.

What does a Project Manager actually do?  The primary function of the project manager is to coordinate all project-related activities and to monitor progress of the agreed-upon work, timelines, and costs.  Before initiating the effort, the project manager works closely with the client to prepare a project plan outlining critical paths and milestones and determining the budget.  Throughout the project, the project manager reports the status of each task, changes in scope, and potential risk of not meeting targeted timelines and budgets.  This person becomes the primary point of communication between the client and the project team members, facilitating the flow of information between the two parties.  The project manager must proactively assess and evaluate resource allocation, execution of project tasks, and timelines for deliverables.  He or she also drives implementation of contingency plans, problem resolution, and is empowered to motivate and influence the project team to achieve the project’s overall goals.  The term “project manager” often becomes synonymous with project champion, project coordinator, project advocate, or project leader.

Throughout the delivery, the project manager monitors the use of resources against project timelines, budgets, and requirements, and recommends necessary adjustments to resources and timelines.  Key to the effectiveness of project management is proactively identifying potential impediments to completing the project in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The next step involves prioritizing the risks in order of probability and magnitude of impact on costs, quality, and timelines, and then formulating a risk management plan.  The plan should list strategies to mitigate risks, persons responsible, and timetables for implementation, resources, assumptions made, and ways to measure effectiveness.

Every project has its share of problems and issues.  It is wise to devise a plan detailing when and how to escalate an issue to the next level supervisor, someone from upper management, quality assurance, or the client. Although there are no hard-and-fast rules, the following are some of the warning signs that someone of greater authority should be consulted:

•             Timelines are going to be compromised

•             Client has started to express concern or dissatisfaction

•             Several attempts or approaches at resolving the problem have failed

•             Expertise within the team is limited or there is turnover mid-project

The project manager’s role is to inform the client of the problem in a timely manner and facilitate the resolution of the issue.

Some project managers use software such as “Microsoft Project” or other similar product to manage projects.  Project management skills take a great deal of time to learn and hone, usually requiring formal training and years of experience.  With these disciplines in place, projects have a much greater probability of success.

What are your experiences with projects?  Do you agree with the need for a project manager?  Have you worked on projects in the past that have been successful without a PM?  Your opinions and stories are welcome.

In today’s challenging economy, one might seriously question whether starting a new business is really the right thing to do. I have just done this and, in all honesty, it was and is a somewhat scary feeling. I do feel very lucky, however, because I have the total support of my family and friends, not to mention incredible organizations like VANetworking.com and the IVAA (International Virtual Assistant Association). I’d like to share an article published by Barb Bartlein* of The People Pro on the “Five Essentials for the Entrepreneur”. She has a fantastic newsletter that I signed up for a long time ago and it is always a worthy read. This particular article is geared toward the Milwaukee area, but the points made are applicable in any new startup. And as another budding entrepreneur recently remarked to me, “There is no bad time to do something you love”!

Five Essentials for the Entrepreneur

The economy may be tanking but new research from Barclays suggests that entrepreneurs are far from being discouraged by reports of an economic slowdown.  They report an estimated 98,000 new start-ups formed in the first three months of 2008, which is the highest number of start-ups in the last three quarters.  According to statistics, the most popular industries for start-ups were business and financial services, construction and the retail sector.   As John Davis, Marketing Director for Local Business at Barclays said, “…there is a feeling there is never a bad time to start a good business.”

Now there is a new group in Milwaukee helping entrepreneurs do exactly that.  BizStarts Milwaukee launched last month with the resources, networking and know how to help create a vibrant, innovative and prosperous entrepreneurial business climate.  The goal of BizStarts is to create an infrastructure designed to nurture and grow innovative, fast-track companies. 

The Milwaukee 7 region has long ranked in the lowest third of states for business start-ups.  This means slower job and wage growth as most new jobs are created by small companies.  BizStarts know that the majority of new jobs are created by entrepreneurial companies and jobs are what build a strong community.  They have identified five essentials for an entrepreneur to start a business:

1.    A great idea that fills a need.  Successful entrepreneurs identify a “burning customer need” and their product or service must meet that need.  Dan Steininger, one of the BizStart founders says, “The product or service must have market differentiation; something unique that distinguishes them in the market place.  And most importantly, that delivers the customers.”
 

Make sure you do your homework.  You need to understand how the competition is meeting the need the need today and how your product or service must perform and be priced in order to compete.  Who is your target buyer and how do you reach them?  And most importantly, why should they buy from you?

2.    A business plan.  Statistics from the Small Business Administration indicate that a business with a plan is 40% more likely to survive than a business without a plan, yet 60% of small businesses do not have a written business plan. A comprehensive plan is essential and includes a mission statement, business description, market analysis, marketing plan, executive summary, management and operations and financial projections.  A business plan should be a living document with frequent review and updates to stay current.

3.    Capital.  Many entrepreneurs start their companies by “bootstrapping,” using personal resources along with sales revenue to sustain and grow a company.  This offers them flexibility and control without answering to outside investors.  Numerous successful companies including Dell Computers were founded this way.  But to grow past the initial level, an entrepreneur may need outside investors and angel capital to grow.  BizStarts Milwaukee helps network entrepreneurs to investors who are looking for start up companies. 
     

4.    Mentors.  I have owned and operated three businesses and come from a family of entrepreneurs.  My mother owned her own company and all of my siblings are business owners.  When I wanted to start my latest business, Great Lakes Consulting Group, I received nothing but encouragement and advice.  Not all new entrepreneurs are so fortunate.  Too often, more people give you reasons why it won’t work than why it could. 

Having mentors and guidance from people who have been there is invaluable. They provide the answers, the resources, and encouragement to help new business owners be successful.  Mentors are the role models that demonstrate that it can be done.

5.

“Barbara Bartlein, CSP, is The People Pro ®, and President of Great Lakes Consulting Group, LLC, which helps businesses sell more goods and services by developing people. She presents keynotes and seminars on stress management, balance, productivity, customer service and leadership. She can be reached at 888-747-9953, by email at: barb@ThePeoplePro.com or visit her website at http://www.thepeoplepro.com

My Virtual Project - Let Us Be Your MVP

And hello to the blogging world!  This is a pretty new area for me, but I’m going to give it my best shot!  We could start with a few thoughts on virtual assistance and what I feel is proper etiquette, whether it’s virtual or face-to-face.  This is a technical world – like it or not – computers are here and here to stay.  I am now pursuing opportunities to do what I love via remote access the majority of the time and I am held captive to my computer.  Although I am providing services virtually, there still has to be a commitment to personal customer service and respect for the customer.  Too often these days, I find myself appalled at the lack of customer service in the real world as well as the virtual world.  Please, thank you, you’re welcome, may I help you, good afternoon, have a good day – these are all phrases that too often are missing from a business transaction.  We need to make it more about service, the customer always being right again, and providing solutions with a smile rather than making everything about the money and the need for instant gratification.  Look at where that has Wall Street right now.  I’d love to hear feedback from others on their thoughts of customer service these days.  Are you feeling the same as I am?