This is Blogger home of Tyrone Turner.
Folks, I'm pretty darn good at motivating people to get moving, and training them in relationship building, how to network, team building, and how to leverage certain tools to have more success.
I hope that you'll find your time here well spent.
Ninja warriors are known for their skill in evasion and stealth. Those are great skills to have if you are a warrior, but it is not what you want to do if you are an entrepreneur. You want to be a loud and as visible as possible.
At the writing of this editorial, the world is in a recession. We are all hearing and seeing a lot of companies downsize and take losses - even almighty Microsoft and Google. Because of the economy, companies and individuals have Companies are cutting back on their marketing and sales agents and sole proprietors are putting networking and professional development on the back burner.
To me, that is sebbeku (aka hara kiri) -- ritualistic suicide.
Folks, when the going gets tough, the tough must get going.
Here is what I suggest:
Review your marketing plan and budget, and redirect spending to things things that are generating buzz for you, and discontinue spending on things that don't work
Make sure to get out there and network. Of course, you should be seeking out new customers, but also seek out strategic partners. A good strategic partner is another business owner or sales agent that sells a different product to your customer. For instance, a car salesperson could team up with a car insurance sales agent and an auto customization shop owner. They all fish from the same prospect pool but are not in direct competition with each other.
Do special limited time promotions like giving a free vacation or buy one get one free type of deal.
The below story is a slightly revised version of an article that was written by Tom "Big Al" Schreiter. He is one of my absolutely favorite home-based business coaches.
Anyway, without any further ado, check this out...
"The Lumberjack Story"
An experienced lumberjack walked past one of the new recruits. The new recruit viciously chopped away at the large tree but only managed to bruise the bark. Seeing the hard work and wasted effort, the experienced lumberjack said, "Hey, why don't you sharpen your ax? It will make you much more efficient."
The new recruit answered, "No. I can't take the time to sharpen my ax. I'm busy trying to cut down this tree."
Many new business owners suffer from the "dull ax" syndrome. They set goals, work hard, but never reach the success they desire. Why? Because they never took the time to sharpen their "ax" by learning new, effective skills. These entrepreneurs waste effort, waste resources, and waste their careers. If only they would take a little time away from their frenzied futility to learn the skills that would serve them for a lifetime.
As home-based business expert Tom Paredes says, "You need training even if you get a job at McDonald's flipping hamburgers. So why not expect to invest some time and effort in learning new skills for your business?"
What happens when new entrepreneurs venture into business uninformed? Let's go back to our new lumberjack.
It seems the new lumberjack finally got tired of beating his dull ax against the tree. In desperation, he went into town to the local hardware store. The manager of the hardware store said, "Yep. Your ax sure is dull. But, if I were you, I wouldn't get the ax sharpened. There is a new way of cutting trees that is even better than a sharp ax. It's called a chain saw."
"Just give me that chain saw and I'm outta here," said the new lumberjack. He took the chain saw and disappeared into the woods.
Two days later the new lumberjack returned to the hardware store. He was sweaty, had blisters on his hands, and looked very depressed. He found the store manager and said, "Hey you. You sold me this chain saw and promised me better results. I've been slaving away in the woods for two days and still haven't finished cutting down my first tree!"
The store manager replied, "Well son, just hand the chain saw over here and let me see what the problem is." The store manager examined the chain saw and saw nothing wrong. Then he grabbed the starter cord and gave it a big pull.
"B-b-b-r-r-r-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-m-m-m-m-m!" The chain saw belched some smoke and began to run.
"Hey! What's that noise?" the new lumberjack exclaimed.
It seems that the new lumberjack never took the time to learn the features or even how to use his new tool.
The same is true in business. One must not only acquire new tools, but also the knowledge on how to use them. And, in this rush, rush society, it will take some discipline and time investment to perfect one's new business-building skills.
The payoff?
Almost anything you want. All you have to do is be willing to change. After all, Michelangelo changed from painting floors to painting ceilings when he got the Sistine Chapel job. The same new opportunities await you with your brand business marketing skills.
If you're a business owner, you have to be healthy. Everyone knows what to do: eat better food; and exercise more. People just don't necessarily know 'how' to go about doing it.
For the next couple of blog entries, I'll talk about the need for entrepreneurs to exercise and how to squeeze it into an already packed schedule.
Busy people because they don't think that they have the time to exercise. I came across a book called THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS, by Deidre Johnson-Cane, Johnathan Cane, and Joe Glickman. On page six of the book, here is what the authors say about busy people and exercise:
"The busier you are, the more you need to exercise. Exercise reduces stress, boosts your energy, and improves health. When you are busy, you can't afford to get sick. Exercising is an excellent preventive measure. You're not training to climb Mount Everest, just to get in and stay in shape, which in our culture has become a rather lofty goal."
Man, that was very well said.
It seems contradictory that if you are tired that you should not exercise. But it is definitely true that exercise boosts your vitality and makes you more virus proof. Like a lot of you, I work in an office building where sick people come to work with all of their nasty viruses and we have to share the same recycled air. Sometimes people catch a real nasty bug, but they recover surprisingly fast. Why? Because they make time for exercise.
Here are 10 good reasons to exercise (from THE COMPLETE IDIOTS GUIDE TO SHORT WORKOUTS):
Improves your appearance and your self esteem.
Lowers your blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease.
Makes your muscles, joints, and bones stronger. This is particularly important for women over 40 who lose bone density as they age.
Is practical: Carrying groceries or your kids, or changing a tire are far easier when you've got some 'oomph'.
Reduces stress and helps people counteract depression. For a society that pops Prozac and other psychotropic drugs like candy, that's significant.
Improves your ability to concentrate.
Increases your levels of HDL, the "good cholesterol".
Improves your sleep.
Speeds up your metabolism-a huge factor in a country with obese people than any other in the Western world. We've become a nation of kings and queens - Burger Kings & Dairy Queens.
Increases the likelihood of you winning the Super Lottery.
Okay, just kidding about #10, but the other nine are right and exact.
I had knee surgery last in early December (2008), and I'm on the comeback trail, so I'm looking forward of moving away from my rehab training and getting back to some fitness training. I can definitely spare a few pounds.
Business owners, please find the time to exercise and make sure to eat right.
What is the point of working hard to build your fortune and to create a better quality of life for yourself if you're not healthy enough to enjoy it?
Here are some great ideas on how to build your network:
6 Quick Ideas for Building Your Contact List:
Trade Show Marketing, Fishbowls, and Plexiglas Drawing Box
Register for free and inexpensive seminars from your local business journal.
Read the local business paper and scan articles written about successful small business owners.
Join two of the hundreds of networking organizations in the US (e.g. BNI, local chamber of commerce, etc.).
Go through the want ads and look for others promoting their businesses. Call them and say, "I am a local business owner in the ... business, and I am looking to network with other business owners so that we might refer business to each other . . . would you be interested in getting together? I would like to learn a little about what you do and also talk to you about what I do to see if we might help each other get more business?" You may have to talk to 10 to get 2, but many will want to meet with you.
Ask 10 people that you know for 3 names and addresses of business owners that are in the process of building a business.
This is a more refined illustration of two previous posts that I made on the topic of social networking. It is kind of long, but please read it and save it as I think that you'll find value.
Do you have a set schedule for visiting and participating in the conversation on social networking sites?
Some of you have expressed how daunting social networking sites are and that you don't know where to start
This article may give you some ideas on how you can be both efficient and effective.
[Sidebar: With social networking sites, start with Twitter.com as it is quick and easy to manage]
Also, for the record, here is my disclaimer:
This is a written from a totally subjective perspective. I have a very busy, demanding job *** and *** I am growing a my event planning, promotions, and education company. This is not necessarily intended to be a model for you to follow, but rather to provoke thought and to push you to find out what works for you.
I don't think that most people even think about scheduling time, but if you don't you'll do one of two things: nothing at all; or become overwhelmed and unproductive -- spread too thin.
I just figured that I'd let my business partners know how I go about managing my time while remaining active on social networking sites.
I have a day job that is quite fast-paced and demanding, so I only commit one hour, fifteen minutes during each work day (Mon-Fri) and that is done in five separate 15-minute. increments - no more than that.
[Sidebar: All of this takes the back seat when I have an appointment, conference call, or other productive potentially revenue generating business endeavor to tend to.]
This is my schedule - it works for me. It may or may not work for others but it keeps me active while avoiding becoming overwhelmed.
I check to see what my 'connections' are up to and see if any questions have been asked or answered that relate to my interests. I will chime in if I feel moved to do so. I also search to see if a new contact of mine has a profile then I'll invite them to connect.
I check to see what my 'friends' are up to and see if any questions have been asked or answered that relate to my interests. I will chime in if I feel moved to do so. I also search for people from my past (e.g. high school classmates, and Army buddies) to see if a new contact of mine has a profile then I'll invite them to connect.
I check to see who clicked on my profile, and if they seem impressive, I'll reach out to them to connect. I also search for new people of interest in a given geographical area (e.g. NYC) to offer an invitation to connect.
7:00pm to 7:15 (during subway commute home): Twitter.com
I let my 'followers' know what I'm doing or what is on my mind. Also, I answer questions that one of my followers may post.
I search for 30 to 35 year-olds in NYC who are interested in networking. I send them a 'friend' invitation.
* I don't participate in BlitzTime or Meetup events every day so I don't schedule a set regular time for them.
** I tend to update my Blogger.com and YouTube.com accounts during the early morning hours after excercising and before my family wakes up, or during the weekend when I have new material add.
I recycle (i.e. copy and paste) articles from my Blogger.com page and put them elsewhere like Meetup.com mailing list distributions, BlogTalkRadio.com posts, and MySpace.com blog posts.
I tend to use my YouTube.com videos in conjunction with a Blogger.com post, and of course, I recycle (i.e. copy and paste) the video and text for posts to other sites (e.g. BlogTalkRadio.com blog, MySpace.com blog, FastPitchNetworking.com discussion board and mail the link to my network, Meetup.com mailing list and discussion board, and Facebook.com discussion boards).
Again, I have a day job that is quite fast-paced and demanding, so I only commit one hour, fifteen minutes during each work day (Mon-Fri) and that is done in five separate 15-minute increments. That is 75 minutes - no more than that.
Thank you for your time and attention.
"That's all folks!" ~Porky Pig
Kind regards,
Tyrone Turner
P.S. I also suggest that you go with about 5 social networking sites at a time. You can always change up. Take your time and don't overwhelm yourself.
I met with a few graphic designers and marketing consultants over the years, and here are five things that they have taught me to be aware of when designing brochures:
Don't lead with your company info. Always lead with the readers' interests: their perceived problem(s), followed by your solution. You must capture their attention immediately.
Don't try to be everything to everyone. You'll end up with a mish-mash of diluted messages that may conflict and confuse readers. Focus your brochure to your target audience with 2-3 complimentary messages.
Don't pack it with details. Less is usually more. Too much text and people won't read it: boil it down to succinct points. Communicate with images and transform text into bullets where possible.
Don't use big words and acronyms. Don't attempt to impress readers with big words. Use common, easy-to-understand words that won't cause confusion.
Don't assume they'll act. Tell readers exactly what you want them to do and entice them to do it. For example, do say: "Call today for a FREE trial", etc.
Well, there you have it. I hope that you found this information useful.
I'm a 40-year-old corporate professional and home-based entreprenerur from Queens, New York. My day job is that of an operations manager for a major law firm. With my home-based business, I'm am an independent broker of various products and services relevant to my niche -- solopreneurs and home-based business owners. I also have to say that I'm pretty darn good at training people in relationship building, how to network, team building, and using certain follow-up tools.
