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From Start Up to Real Company: The Five Key Essentials By Marcia Zidle

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From Start Up to Real Company: The Five Key Essentials By Marcia Zidle

You have an idea, you’ve shared it with a few of your friends you’ve written a business plan and then took the plunge not knowing how things would work out. To your surprise or not, they did! Now what? For most entrepreneurs the answer is:  Grow! Grow! Grow! But there are definite challenges.

My guest on this episode of the Business Edge is Zain Ali, Managing Partner at Sunbonn, and adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, He will explore three common choices that most entrepreneurs have in front of them. If it’s growth, he then shares his vast experience and methodology as a consultant to major companies as well as a successful entrepreneur and business owner.

Listen to the Podcast and Learn:

*The biggest mistake he made with the rapid expansion of his company
*How to build a management team that is aligned with the culture you are creating.
*The big dilemma: Keep or let go of people who are not the right people going forward.
*Why it’s important to clearly define the product s and/or services that you will take to market
*How to trickle down company goals and values to everyone: It’s communication and measurement.

The key take away: It’s OK to borrow money to advance your vision. In the Goldman’s Sach 10,000 Businesses Program he attended, there was an exercise that gave everyone a blank check of a specific amount to spend on their business. He gave his check back because his business was self-funded. What he realized was that to grow, you will need additional funding and that it’s OK to take on realistic debt.

Preparing for What’s Next: Leveraging Your Company’s Life Cycle By Marcia Zidle

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Preparing for What’s Next: Leveraging Your Company’s Life Cycle By Marcia Zidle

Here’s one of those simple, but profound questions, entrepreneurs need to regularly ask: What am I focusing on now vs. what should I be focusing on NOW? After a successful launch, entrepreneurs have a choice. They can sit back and continue doing what they have done so far or they can recognize the need to prepare for what comes next. Too often entrepreneurs make the wrong choice to stay the course using the logic “why mess with success.”

Why You Should Mess With Success!

My guest on this episode of The Business Edge is Dr Mary Lippttt, author of Brilliant or Blunder: 6 Ways Leaders Navigate Uncertainty, Opportunity and Complexity. As an internationally recognized leader in strategic thinking and executing change, Mary tells why there’s good reason for entrepreneurs to refocus their priorities based on changing realities. And one of those realities is that 50% of new businesses fail. Therefore, successful entrepreneurs must change what they do and how they do to have sustainable growth.

Listen to this podcast and learn: Why knowing your company’s life cycle helps you focus on what’s important; the six result-driven mindsets and how they impact an entrepreneurs decision making; how to avoid leadership blind spots and distractions to make smarter strategic decisions; how to use specific mindsets to build an aligned and committed team that’s ready for change; when to use your gut and when not when dealing with uncertainty, opportunity or complexity.

The key takeaway: To prevent getting stuck with a single viewpoint, your leadership should encourage diversity of thought and openness to new perspectives. Therefore build a team that can tap into the six different mindsets especially in uncertain and complex situations. Don’t fall back on the tried and true.  Mess with Success!

How to boost your business with public speaking, writing & social media, with Joan Detz and Luis Vicente Garcia

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How to boost your business with public speaking, writing & social media, with Joan Detz and Luis Vicente Garcia

Luis Vicente Garcia and Joan Detz

A critical factor for success as we all know is your ability to master public speaking and to create a strong personal brand. Every skill you can acquire in order to improve and do it better will prove beneficial to you, your career and your company. You will create, sell, manage and lead in different positions and by having a strong personal brand while developing your speaking skills will allow you to position your message in much better ways.

Public speaking is an art in itself, and I am truly honored to invite back Ms. Joan Detz (@joandetz) as my guest for the second time in our show. Joan is an amazing speaker and an expert coach, trainer and author who has already shared with us some tips to boots your career. Now she will share with us five newer tools to improve your public speaking, self-marketing and branding.

Join us to learn from Speaking Coach Joan Detz new tools that will allow your Public Speaking to have a positive impact in your personal life and in your and profession.

About Joan Detz:

Joan Detz is an international speaker, a world renowned public speaking coach and the author of four successful books on public speaking, including “How to Write & Give a Speech”, which the Washington Post praised as “a how-to classic”. “How to Write & Give a Speech” is now in its 30th anniversary edition and in 2015 was published in Spanish by Alba Editorial of Barcelona, Spain entitled “Cómo Escribir y Pronunciar un Discurso”.

Since 1984, Joan has run her own speaker services where she prepares executives for speeches and media interviews, and consulting with business leaders around the world. Joan has worked from Finland to Montenegro and throughout the United States. She coaches speakers via skype for top corporations around the world.

Joan is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and an All-Star Speaker for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The National Association of Government Communicators honored Joan with its President’s Award.

JOAN DETZ
@joandetz
http://www.joandetz.com/
http://www.joandetz.com/blog/

 

Over/Under: A Story of One Entrepreneur’s Journey with Two Tech Startups by Marcia Zidle

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Business
Over/Under: A Story of One Entrepreneur’s Journey with Two Tech Startups by Marcia Zidle

What is Over / Under? It’s a metaphor for two companies, one that was over-funded and the other under-funded. The results aren’t what you would think. Why would a start-up, with a 100 page business plan and with 4.2 Million raised from top tier ventures firms, fail spectacularly, despite having a product, a top tier list of customers and a reasonable revenue base?

My guest on this episode of The Business Edge is Charlie Alsmiller, CEO of Appterra, his second tech star-up. , Charlie took a different approach. He had no business plan, no customers, no products and no capital. Rather, he set out to listen to the market and the market told him how to build his business. Today, 11 years later, his company is one of the top Business-to-Business integration firms, supporting some of the largest companies in their mission critical processes.
Listen to this podcast and learn:: The importance of having a plan A, B, C, D as a funding strategy; what contributes to the life or death as a start-up…and it’s not money; why the ability to say “yes” or “no” is most satisfying being an entrepreneur; how parenting is like running a business – different stages require different expectations and involvement; and the reason he says: The only thing I know about a business plan when I write it, is that it’s probably wrong.”

The key takeaway: You’ll be more effective the less you do.  Build repeatable processes and train the proper people in your business. When you do that, your role changes dramatically. You become the carrier of the cultural flag….and get to push the business in new directions. Work ON your business not IN your business guides everything I do. It can be really easy to just want to jump in and do everything – but at the end of the day, that doesn’t create value nor grow your business.

How to boost your business with public speaking, writing & social media, with Joan Detz and Luis Vicente Garcia

Posted by Editor on
0
Business
How to boost your business with public speaking, writing & social media, with Joan Detz and Luis Vicente Garcia

A critical factor for success as we all know is your ability to master public speaking and to create a strong personal brand. Every skill you can acquire in order to improve and do it better will prove beneficial to you, your career and your company. You will create, sell, manage and lead in different positons and by having a strong personal brand while developing your speaking skills will allow you to position your message in much better ways.

Public speaking is an art in itself, and I am truly honored to invite back Ms. Joan Detz (@joandetz) as my guest for the second time in our show. Joan is an amazing speaker and an expert coach, trainer and author who has already shared with us some tips to boots your career. Now she will share with us five newer tools to improve your public speaking, self-marketing and branding.

Join us to learn from Speaking Coach Joan Detz new tools that will allow your Public Speaking to have a positive impact in your personal life and in your and profession.
Joan-Detz
About Joan:
Joan Detz is an international speaker, a world renowned public speaking coach and the author of four successful books on public speaking, including “How to Write & Give a Speech”, which the Washington Post praised as “a how-to classic”. “How to Write & Give a Speech” is now in its 30th anniversary edition and in 2015 was published in Spanish by Alba Editorial of Barcelona, Spain entitled “Cómo Escribir y Pronunciar un Discurso”.

Since 1984, Joan has run her own speaker services where she prepares executives for speeches and media interviews, and consulting with business leaders around the world. Joan has worked from Finland to Montenegro and throughout the United States. She coaches speakers via skype for top corporations around the world.

Joan is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), and an All-Star Speaker for the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). The National Association of Government Communicators honored Joan with its President’s Award.

To follow Joan, please visit her web site and blog on:
http://www.joandetz.com/
http://www.joandetz.com/blog/

And follow her on her Twitter account @joandetz

From a One Woman Show to a Multi-Business Enterprise by Marcia Zidle

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Business
From a One Woman Show to a Multi-Business Enterprise by Marcia Zidle

How do you maximize operational efficiencies, hire the right people and make sure you are serving your customers well?  How do you avoid burning out as your grow your business? How do build a business that is here today and here tomorrow? The Answer Is: Systematize For Success. On this episode of The Business Edge my guest Johnette van Eeden, founder and CEO of Star Wellness has grown her business on the principle  “systematize for success!” As a serial entrepreneur, she advocates all key processes of every business, including hiring, training, sales, accounting, and operations, can and more importantly should be systematized.: Therefore, everyone knows where to go and what to do…they simply follow the system.  Key employees can leave for a few days without chaos.  New employees have a resource to turn to instead of having to ask someone how to do everything (or worse, just guess).  In fact, Johnette went on vacation for a month during the busiest time last year, and didn’t have to worry because she knew she had the systems and people in place to make it run smoothly.
Listen to this Podcast and Learn: How she grew from a one woman show to multiple locations to now having a franchise operations; the challenge of growing too quickly and how Michael Gerber’s E-Myth book put her on the track to success; her systematized hiring process and the tools she uses to get the right people in the right seats on the bus; how she became a master time manager as her company took off and added multiple product lines and advice from a serial entrepreneur on the success factors for building a sustainable business. The key take away: Set goals for where you want to be, formulate a plan to get there; take small steps each day in the right direction and you WILL eventually build momentum. Never give up! Tune in Every Friday at noon PST to The Business Edge with Marcia Zidle, The Smart Moves Coach, and hear street smart advice from my guests on how to create and grow great businesses that matter – those that do well and do good.

How to Run a Profitable Business as a Creative Entrepreneur by Hemda Mizrahi

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How to Run a Profitable Business as a Creative Entrepreneur by Hemda Mizrahi

Rob Fortier

Business Coach Rob Fortier joined me on “Turn the Page” to describe what it takes for creative entrepreneurs to run a profitable business.

After his guest appearance on my show, Rob offered three additional strategies and related tactics for owners of new or growth ventures.

MAKE BOLD CHOICES.
During the interview, we discussed that success starts with adopting a business-owner mindset. Part of that, as an entrepreneur, is asking yourself and considering: What am I willing to do or give up in order to get what I want and reach my goals?

Are you willing to be brave and step out of your comfort zone? Are you willing to think bigger than you ever have before? Are you willing to take risks even though you might fail?

Action steps to make bold choices:

* Make a list of five bold, positive choices you’re willing to make for your business.
* Identify which one of the five will have the most significant impact on your business.
* List five moves you will make to take action on that bold choice.
* Decide what you can stop doing or give up to create more opportunity for your business.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE.
During the show, we discussed how important it is to define your target market. Who are the purchasers and consumers of your products or services?  Who do you want to be serving? Many creative entrepreneurs are tempted to say “everyone!” No matter what you do or how good you are, your work is not for everyone. The person who buys a $20 poster at the local discount store might not be the same person who’s willing to spend $1,000 for an original painting.

The last thing you want to do is waste your valuable time and money marketing to the wrong people. The more specific you can be, the better.

Questions to ask yourself when determining your target market:

* To whom do my products or services appeal?
* How old are my customers?
* What do my customers do for a living?
* Where do my customers shop?
* Where do my customers or clients hang out (online or in person)?
* How much are they willing to spend on products or services like mine?
* How often do they purchase my product or service?
* What is their yearly income?

ENERGIZE YOUR MONEY.
During the interview, we talked about drawing a map that guides your business toward financial stability. This process involves learning to do what I call “Energizing Your Money.”  As an entrepreneur or business owner, it’s vital to look at your attitude about money and what you’re saying about it. Many people have a love/hate relationship with money: they love it when you have it and hate it when they don’t!  Do you often say that you are poor and that you can’t afford this or that?

Strategies for Energizing Your Money:

* Replace “I can’t afford it!” with “That’s not something I’m choosing to invest my money in right now.” How does that change things for you?

* Take a look at what you’re spending your money on. Decide right now that you will stop perpetuating the scarcity mentality. Start living from a place of abundance and sending that positive message out into the world. Developing a positive attitude around money will affect the choices you make.

* Choose to INVEST in YOU and your success as a creative entrepreneur by honing in on what you need to run your business rather than just SPENDING money.

* Money is meant to flow in and out, back and forth.  Don’t clutch onto it for dear life.  When you spend it, wish it well and send it on its way. When you earn it, welcome it and give thanks.

* Don’t be intimidated by money. Ask for money you’re owed for work you completed.

Rob advises, “taking any action in your business is better than taking no action at all. Don’t wait for amazing opportunities to come to you. Go out and create them. If you want to create for your own enjoyment, you’ve got a hobby. If you want to create so that you can serve the needs of others, that’s a business!”

He suggests the following resources for further guidance: “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield, and “Selling For Fun and Profit: Take the “Icky” and “Scary” Out of Sales,” by Hugh Little.

Ready to go even further to ensure your success as a creative entrepreneur? Read Rob’s free workbook, available at www.RobFortier.com, and purchase a recording of his talk at a business telesummit: http://www.unstoppableprofitsrockstarcreatives.com

Listen to my conversation with Rob.

Hemda Mizrahi

When Is More Too Much and When Is Enough Enough? by Marcia Zidle

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Business
When Is More Too Much and When Is Enough Enough? by Marcia Zidle

Patrick Rettig photo

Insolvency, bankruptcy and reorganization are powerful challenges and require an inner strength that comes from faith, know-how, experience and bravery. My guest on this week’s The Business Edge is Patrick Rettig, America’s Top Turnaround He shares his unique philosophy that has saved over 800 businesses in the last twenty years. To do this he delves into the psyche of CEO’s to help them understand their behavior affects their company’s financial status and growth. Listen to this podcast and learn: The rationale behind the title: When is more too much and when is enough enough?; what’s dimension jumping and why it’s important to focus on the NOW; the difference between failure and mistakes, it’s not just semantics; the five things CEO’s must do every day to take charge and build a strong future; how to manage yourself and your business while under extreme financial pressure. Tune in Every Friday at noon PST to The Business Edge with Marcia Zidle, The Smart Moves Coach, and hear street smart advice from my guests on how to create and grow great businesses that matter – those that do well and do good.

The Challenges Of a Growth Spurt: Hear Another Entrepreneur’s Story On The Business Edge

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Business
The Challenges Of a Growth Spurt: Hear Another Entrepreneur’s Story On The Business Edge

My guest on The Business Edge is David F. Shutler, President and CEO of Utility Systems Solutions – an energy conservation company. He was first on the show six months ago talking about making the leap from a start-up to scale-up business. That big leap required a fundamental shift from the spontaneous, ad hoc, free-spirited enterprise he started to a more formally planned organized and disciplined business he is leading today.

Fast forward  to today!  David gives us an update on the challenges he faced during his company’s growth spurt and the changes he had to make to keep it alive and well!  With challenges also comes opportunities as well as lesson learned.
Listen to this On Demand and Discover How He:
• Maximized  efficiency by installing financial and sales systems
• Expanded into new markets and developed new profitable lines of  business
• Developed a more collaborate and open  culture that lead to greater accountability
• Adapted his leadership style going from doer and decision maker to delegator and strategist
• Stopped being the “inside” and “onside” man by hiring a VP of Operations  to focus on his strength- business development.

Join us for sparkling insights, inspiration and immediately useful ideas to build the solid, sustainable business you want so that you can have the enjoyable, rewarding life you deserve! Build a business that matters!

Business Growth Is Not a Straight Line! Hear Mike Kramer Tells You Why on The Business Edge!

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Business
Business Growth Is Not a Straight Line! Hear Mike Kramer Tells You Why on The Business Edge!

zidle banner-new-2

Many companies experience a great deal of difficulty during the expansion stage and may even disappear. When this occurs, it is usually because the entrepreneur or small business owner is unable to cope with the managerial problems that go hand in hand with growth. A Stage II company needs a leadership infrastructure and operational systems that lets it function efficiently and effectively on a day-to-day basis. It needs a Finely Tuned Management Machine!

Michael Kramer, founder of the ManageHubAccelerator, shared on this week’s Business Edge podcast the science for building a successful, scaleable and saleable business. The number one requirement is that you have a management system that controls ALL its moving parts. Without the system your business is disorganized. Your quality is inconsistent. Your customers complain. And you’re stressed out!

With the system, your business is transformed into a finely tuned management machine that is innovative – productive – profitable. Listen and find out how to sign up for the ManageHub Quick Start Workshop. It’s completely free and you’ll get instant access to ManageHub software, training, and support.

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