PAT ALTVATER Happy New Year – I Have Gifts! Elite Experts Network AFP Marketing PatAltvater.com Welcome to 2022; amazing, right!? We’ve heard the old saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin, “Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail.” In the past, if someone asked me for a favorite quote, that would be mine. However, I have a new favorite now: “Strategy without tactics is a daydream; tactics without strategy is a nightmare.” ~ Mark Schmukler I’ve seen both, strategy without action and tactics without strategy, and he’s right, neither turns out well. To be successful with marketing, we need an integrated plan that starts with strategy and includes the right tactics to implement the strategy. I’ve created the Intentional Marketing Planning Method™ that has three steps to ensure that strategy and tactics are both implemented and work together. Having an intentional focus results in a way of thinking about your business and life that’s committed, purposeful and deliberate, which is a TALL order, but so needed, in the environment we’ve been experiencing over the last two years. Is your marketing plan done for 2022? How about for Q1? If not, head over to my blog on AFP Marketing and read about the three steps in the Intentional Marketing Planning process. If you need some help, reach out to me at pat@afpmarketing.com and together we can create a roadmap for your business for 2022. Now to the gifts…. Gift #1 – if you need some help coming up with tactic ideas for 2022, go grab a copy of my list of Intentional Marketing Tactics. Gift #2 – I’m encouraging my clients to go back to the basics this year with blogging and emailing strategies. I’ve created a new guide that will help you with the strategy of blogging as well as coming up with a consistent stream of topics. Grab it here. Wishing you a prosperous 2022!
Personal Growth Strategies SOAR to SUCCESS CONTENTS Magazine 04. 10. 16. 14. 12. 30. 28. 34. 36. 32. 19. 27. 20. 22. 24. 38. 40. Core Business Strategies Business Acceleration Strategies Engaging Employees in a Hybrid Workplace By Lisa Ryan Simple Success Tips to Improve Your Business By Terry Green Catapult Sales in the New Year By Melanie Rembrandt Does Your Value Proposition Create Revenue Generating Conversations By Mark Roberts Personality Assessments and Training…A Difference Maker Janet Kendall White 7 Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant By Holly Kile 3 Rules for Delegating with Ease By Joan Washburn Forming a Nonprofit Organization by Maritza Nelson, JD MSPs Can Help Remote Workers Thrive with VPN Solutions by Jeanne DeWitt Book Recommendation Soar to Success Podcast That One Person By Jack Klemeyer Empowering Language Leads to Successful Negotiation By Karen Cupp The Brain in Your Heart By Debra Reis, RN Our Favorite Videos Our Contributors Cover Feature: Matt Johnson’s Clients Soar to Success By Becoming ‘MicroFamous’
Matt Johnson runs an agency that produces podcasts for thought leaders, such as, coaches, consultants and authors; those you would consider speaker types in the business world, and that directly feeds into his “why” for being in business. Years ago, Matt went from working in a marketing agency to becoming a partner in two different coaching consulting businesses in the real estate space. Through those experiences, he realized that his skill set was best suited to assisting clients with their marketing. He could see that they had life-changing content and it wasn’t being seen by enough of the right people. Today, Matt, through his own agency, helps his clients craft their message and get it heard by the right market, mainly through podcasting, to add to their credibility and increase their sales. Matt Johnson’s ClientsSoar toSuccess ByBecoming ‘MicroFamous’
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article Podcasting not only helps individual businessmen and women reach more people and become known as problem solvers, it allows them to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack and cultivate their ideal clientele. Matt shared with us that the marketing approach taken by most business coaches can be traced back to several basic business principles, but the right question for most business coaches to focus on, should be: “What clients are you best suited to attract and are you attracting the clients you actually want to work with?” Matt believes that coaches, consultants, authors and speakers looking to attract the right audience, should not use the old shotgun approach. They need to identify their ‘niche market’ and become well known, or famous in that smaller space, thus MicroFamous. “You can become bigger than your ‘niche market’ and expand your sphere of influence over time, but you must first gain credibility and a following in your primary area of focus.” Matt believes that you do not need to reach everyone in the world to be successful. First, you must make yourself relevant to a smaller target market. Whether they are on LinkedIN, Facebook, or Twitter, find your audience and target content to become the expert to that group. “For example, if your personal Facebook profile has the maximum 5,000 friends and they are your audience, that’s really all you’d need.” Matt encourages his clients to build their reputation and credibility to those, such as the 5,000 Facebook friends in the example above and become ‘MicroFamous’ in that group. “You don’t need to be recognizable to the entire world, and sign autographs at the grocery store, or when dining out. But, when you show up at an industry event, you want people saying, ‘Hey, can I grab a picture with you?’.” It is scary trying to find your exact niche. Matt believes the missing link between attention and sales is influence. “Canyoudominate inavery focusedspace? Can you build that level of influence so that someone will hire you simply because you are the person of influence to them?” He is convinced that if you will work on becoming a person of influence, the sales will come. MicroFamous, the book In his book “MicroFamous, Becoming Famously Influential to the Right People”
Compelling to Matt is the ability to get people off the couch and into action. He explained that if you share with people what you do and you’re talking to someone that’s probably an ideal client for you, when you tell them in one to two sentences the core idea of your business and you don’t get that response - that’s a symptom that you probably haven’t uncovered your Clear & Compelling Idea. Don’t feel bad if you don’t immediately know your Clear & Compelling Idea. Matt said he helps many people that don’t immediately recognize their compelling idea because it’s buried somewhere in all their content. It’s not refined down into a form that is immediately understandable to the place where it punches the right people in the face mentally and emotionally and gets them to pay attention. Matt encourages businesspeople to cut through the noise with a Clear & Compelling Idea. Using that idea, they can then communicate it to their market via podcasting to build their reputation and credibility. Matt explained that becoming influential can be looked at as a pyramid, with work that needs to be done prior to creating a podcast. The top of the pyramid is identifying your ideal client and developing a Clear & Compelling Idea. It is the one thing that attracts a prospect that will listen to what you have to say and ultimately do business with you.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article “Once you have those one to two sentences that when you share them with an ideal client and their response is, “Holy cow, okay, we need to talk more about that,” you know you’ve got it. That’s the power of a Clear & Compelling Idea.” Below the Clear & Compelling Idea in the pyramid, sits the framework of supporting beliefs and opinions. These are the ‘buying beliefs,’ which are five key ideas that you believe and that your ideal clients also need to believe. At the bottom of the pyramid is your foundational belief system, or core values. Clients don’t have to agree with every one of your core values, according to Matt, but when they do and you first meet, you’ll know immediately that this is your ideal client. “I leveraged my strengths as an introvert to engineer a marketing system. A system that allowed me to be my introverted self. A system that methodically grewmy visibility, influence and sales. A system that allowed me to build a business I run in a handful of hours each week. MicroFamous is that system. A marketing system designed for introverted experts.” Get your digital copy of “MicroFamous” for FREE, when you go to MicroFamousBook. com. Pursuing Results Matt Johnson currently runs a done-for-you podcasting agency based in San Diego, with an international team that assists coaches and consultants dominate their niche using podcasting. Matt thinks podcasting is one of the best ways for people to get their ideas out to the world, especially for introverts. He told us that podcasting right now is one of the few places where people spend any significant chunk of time and especially if they are looking for a solution to their problem. In fact, he shared that 80% of people who start listening to an episode listen to the majority or all of the episode. And most episodes are 25 to 40 minutes long. “Where else do you get somebody’s relatively undivided attention for 30 to 40 minutes in marketing? It’s one of the few places where people spend any time. “ Matt told us that it’s easier than ever to start a podcast. The technical component has gotten less complicated with new technology and what Matt noticed that trips most people up is the marketing, the branding, and the strategy of the podcast, which is what his agency focuses on. They do the backend work but more importantly, help people get the strategy right so they are confident in what they are saying.
A new passion project of Matt’s is creating Prayer Prompts. Here’s his story, in his own words, of why he creates them. “I grew up as a pastor’s kid in Iowa, and in my teens I started playing background music for prayer meetings. I noticed that instrumental music helped people focus on prayer and opened new doorways to a connection with God. That’s where I first experimented with combining music and prayer. It’s become an obsession. But in the last couple decades, church has drastically changed. Group prayer meetings are a relic of the past. There’s little guidance on how to pray, other than what people see the pastor do on Sunday mornings. So, people are left to learn to pray on their own. And church is losing its appeal to younger people (for good reason, in my opinion). Many people, some who used to go to church, and some who never set foot in church, are looking for ways to connect with God. But they don’t know how. I created Prayer Prompts to solve that problem. Prayer Prompts are a different category of music altogether. The music tracks aren’t super long, and there’s no singing or big guitar solos. But they’re not just “oohs and ahhs” and nature sounds, either. Each song covers a specific prayer topic, so you can focus on that topic while listening. If you want to pray on top of the music, that’s great. If you just want to listen and meditate, that’s great, too. I hope they help create the connection to God you’ve been looking for.”
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article 3 Keys to Soar to Success When Soar to Success asked Matt Johnson what three personality traits he found in most successful people, he said: 2 3 1 2 Strength of Execution: The successful person has the discipline and the strength of execution to commit to something and follow through. “They don’t let initial setbacks deter them from the desired outcome.” 3 Long Term Outlook: They don’t make decisions for today, they make decisions for tomorrow and beyond. “They build systems, they execute, they get out there and plod along relentlessly, because they know that tomorrow, is where long term success lies.” 1 Focus on the Right People: They matter deeply to a thousand people, rather than being irrelevant to a billion. “They focus on the right people, as opposed to being on every platform. They do not try to be everything to everyone.” To learn more about Matt visit his website at: http:// pursuingresults.com/ We thoroughly enjoyed our conversation with Matt. Access the Soar to Success podcast on iTunes where you can listen to everything we discussed, including some points not covered in this feature.
Engaging Employees in a Hybrid Workplace Now that the remote workplace has become more commonplace, using a hybrid model in your workplace can protect your company from the “great resignation” by retaining your top talent and potentially boosting your profits. Although we’re not quite in the “postpandemic” phase yet, businesses are returning to some semblance of business as usual. Many companies are discovering that a hybrid workplace gives them happier, more productive employees as well as a reduction in office resources used by a full inhouse staff. Remote working is no longer a privilege for a select few, it’s now being built into many job descriptions. The hybrid model not only gives employees the flexibility they want, but it also expands the pool of potential employees and employers as a local staff is no longer a necessity. Here are three benefits of offering a hybrid workplace model: Flexibility. Giving employees the flexibility to work when and where they please significantly impacts employee satisfaction. There are many reasons for this happiness, including the psychological benefits of having full control of their schedules to simply having their dog or cat by their side, By Lisa Ryan
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies or on their lap, as they work. Being able to dress casually, commute less, and spend time with their loved ones contribute to a higher level of happiness. When employees have the freedom to choose how and where they can best get their work done, they’re also more productive and profitable to their employer. Financial Gains. Companies may be able to cut back on the amount of space and resources they need. When a company can somewhat plan for how many employees will be in the office at any given time, business leaders can plan around these occupancy levels to reduce the cost of rent, office supplies, and other business expenses. Productivity. In the past, many managers viewed the hybrid workplace suspiciously. They thought that if employees could pick and choose the hours worked, they would simply choose to do less work. It turns out that this theory is unfounded. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. Research is pointing to the fact that remote employees are as productive as they were before the pandemic. Hybrid working makes sense. Workers can use their time more effectively. They can avoid their daily commute and focus on their tasks without the constant interruptions they get during a day in the office. By reducing an employee’s commute time, they have less stress and can get more work done. The hybrid model is here to stay, so if you’re considering making all of your employees come back to the office full-time, you may want to rethink your reasons for doing that. Hybrid truly gives you and your business the best of both worlds.
Every industry seems to be undergoing some kind of a change. When market leaders are agile, they identify those changes quickly and they adapt. What kinds of changes can impact your value proposition? • Your business was bought, or you bought a new business • Environmental regulations • New Laws and or regulations • Technology change • Market consolidation • A Pandemic One thing we can count on is change. As you are reading this, I would like you to think about the changes you have seen in the last year. Do you know the changes and challenges your customers’ have experienced? What changes to you expect this year? Trouble arises when your salesperson uses a dated value proposition. This is a problem for two reasons… First it shows your salesperson andyour company do not understand the market of today. This is something your buyer will feel and instantly doubt their ability to trust your team. By Mark Allen Roberts Does Your Value Proposition Create Conversations That Lead to Revenue Today? Secondly, andevenmore costly, iswhenyour sales teamuses a dated value proposition, it negatively impacts future sales. Howdo you know if your salespeople are using a dated value proposition? The first step is to identify the changes buyers in the markets you serve have experienced since your sales team was trained, your web site was launched, and your sales brochures were developed. Second, conduct a value proposition audit with a third party interviewing your customers and prospects. Third, adapt your value proposition based on the insights gained in your value proposition audit. Last, train your salespeople how and when to use your value proposition and how to customize it to each of the buyer persona’s they engage with. A couple of quick rules when doing this kind of a value proposition audit: • Ask and listen, do not try to defend or sell through any issues identified. This is the quickest way to end a conversation.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies • Do not have your sales-people ask these questions and report to you. You need to hear the information first hand. (Besides, you need your team selling). • Do not do this process in a survey. Why? The most valuable part of this process is capturing the current market problems your buyers are having in their voice. A survey will not do this. Once you have current market data you need to ask yourself one key question… Based on what we heard from our customers, does the value proposition and tools we give our sales team match what our buyers told us? You will hope what your salespeople are saying is connecting with current and new customers. You will lose opportunities you could have won. You will lose base business sales to competitors who updated their value propositions. So how about your company? When was the last time you updated your value proposition? Are you sure what your sales people are saying is helping your business or hurting it now and into the future? If you would like to learn, more please download my free EBook on leveraging the voice of your customers to profitably grow sales at this link. https:// otbsalessolutions.com/voc/ In most cases what I have personally observed over the last year is that most value propositions sales teams are using is dated and needs some tweaking to reconnect today. Having served company Presidents for over 30 years I hear that voice saying… “I hear what you are saying Mark, but this seems like it is a lot of work and will take a great deal of time…we have numbers to hit…” If that is a concern you are wrestling with let me assure you, when we complete this research for clients it only tales 30 days to gather the insights we need to help your sales team become more effective and efficient. What happens if you don’t do a value proposition audit?
Phew! We all made it through 2021 (barely), and it’s time for a freshstart for youandyour business. It’s also important to focus on the positive… and that means not letting thoughts of minimal sales in the past, non-productive employees or the lack of a marketing budget (or anything else, for that matter) stand in your way of success. And to start off in the right direction, here are… Catapult Sales in The NewYear - With A NonExistent Budget! Don’t let a lack of funds get in theway of your success! 3 Ways to Catapult Sales Right Away with No Budget! 1. Create an enticing offer. What can you offer customers that no one else can? What do they want right now? By Melanie Rembrandt
To develop some ideas, answer these questions: a. Can you offer a special package deal of your current goods and services? b. What kind of unique skills/talents do your employees have that can be turned into a special event, presentation, seminar, and more? c. Is there some kind of easy eBook, eGuide, eTipSheet, eReport, orother piece of content you can develop that offers value to customers? d. Can you hold a contest, giveaway, sweepstakes, or provide some kind of unique prize? e. Whatarecompaniesdoingoutsideof your industry to attract customers? Use your creative juices and have fun with this. Remember, these offers don’t need to cost anything on your end! Have your team members brainstorm and share thoughts…nomatter howcrazy they are. Youmay be surprised at all of the new ideas that come up! 2. Partner with others. Are there other businesses in your local community that offer products and services that complement what you offer? For example, if you own a gym, maybe you can partner with an athletic shoe store and hold an event that helps a charity? SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies Perhaps, the local hair salon will provide makeovers to anyone who attends your free health seminar? By partnering with other businesses, you cut the time, effort and resources in half while doubling your audience. 3. Promote! Once you have your great offer and/or event ready, contact the media. Call local reporters and tell them about your charity run, fun seminar, contest, or whatever you have going on. It only takes a single story in the press to generate buzz and get your phone ringing! The New Year is Here, and It’s Time for Success! Think positive and don’t let your limited budget stop you! Instead, be creative and develop unique offers or events only your business can provide. Teamupwith other businesses on yourmarketing efforts to share resources and customer lists. Then, call media members directly and let them know about your latest activities that benefit the local community. You may be surprised at how these cost-effective actions can skyrocket sales fast so you can start 2022 off with a bang!
What do winners in business do on a consistent basis? They take action. They don’t just sit and wait for success. They go out of their way to make it happen. They continually challenge themselves to do more By Terry Green Simple Success Tips to Improve Your Business! and be more. Winners go after what they want and make a plan to achieve it. Now think for a minute—is this what you’re currently doing in business? If not, you need to make a change.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies Here are action steps you can take right now to reclaim your business success: Do something different – Have you gotten complacent in your business? You do the same ole’ same ole’, week in and week out. It can be an awesome thing to get systems down so your business runs like clockwork, but have you lost the excitement you once had? Perhaps it’s time to shake it up and get reenergized. Take a different approach to something you’ve been doing a certain way for a long time and see if it sparks a new energy or level of excitement. What you’ll most likely discover is an even better way to do it. Take a business challenge – Challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and do something new. Forget the negative, or lack of, energy you’ve been feeling lately and just do it. What can you do this week that’s new? What can you do to bring some fresh juice into your business? Go ahead. Take a risk or two. It feels great. Have a sale – There’s a reason there are so many Christmas in July sales. They work. It may not be July, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sale. People love a bargain. People love saving money, so get started. The beauty of a sale is you get to pull out some of the older products in your arsenal, dust off the cobwebs and bring them front and center again. What about that audio series you did at the beginning of the year? Why not put it on sale? How about an eBook you wrote? Put it on sale and see what happens. If you do decide to have a sale, make sure it’s a real sale. Saving 3% on a product won’t encourage anyone to sign up. Also, announce your sale. Just having a sale isn’t enough. You need to tell others about it. Announce it and promote it aggressively. Get back to writing – When was the last time you wrote an article on what makes you an expert? It’s time to write something new; something fresh. Even if you have a full schedule and tons of speaking engagements lined up, commit to writing more. Take a quick look at your blog right now. When was your last blog posting? It’s time to write. One of the things you’ll discover is not only will it help in your marketing efforts, but it will get you involved in your business again. To write, you really need to think about what makes you an expert. This simple process brings out the knowledge you have to share and can help get your creativity flowing. It’s time to take action today. Get excited about your business again. You’ll be amazed how this energy will flow not only in creating more sales and speaking engagements, but in the empowerment you’ll feel personally to do more and be more. It’s time to take action today. Get excited about your business again.
The toughest person to lead is ourselves. Most people don’t need to worry about the competition. Other people aren’t the reason they lose. If they don’t win, it’s because they disqualify themselves. They disqualify themselves because they haven’t led themselves. At one of the last Maxwell International Certifications in Orlando, where we could actually be together without social distancing, I was facilitating a small group discussion around a table and we were discussing chapter two in the Fifteen Invaluable Laws of Growth, The Law of Awareness. The Lawof Awareness says, “you By Jack Klemeyer That One Person
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies have to know yourself to grow yourself.” One of the participants at my table, Jamie from the Chaktaw Nation, made a statement that that really struck me. He said, “My talent took me to a place that my character couldn’t handle.” To me, that was so profound…Wow! In his book “Winning with People” John Maxwell started the book with the Mirror Principle, where he advises “The First Person We Must Examine is Ourselves.” John says that if you don’t take a realistic look at yourself, you’ll never understand where your personal challenges and difficulties lie. If you can’t see them, you won’t be able to lead yourself effectively. Carl Jung said, “Until we make the unconscious, conscious, it will control your life and you will call it fate.” One of my favorite exercises with a new coaching client is to have them make listings of their strengths, talents, successes, and gifts. Most folks can fill a couple of pages with all of their mistakes, short comings and failures but to list their gifts, talents, successes and strengths, they struggle. We are much harder on ourselves than we are on others. And I think that’s because we judge others based on what we see, their actions but for us… we look at our intentions. Four Simple, Not Easy, Steps to Leading Yourself 1. LearnFollowership– Onlya leaderwho has followed, knows how to lead others well. Leaders who have never followed will tend to be prideful, unrealistic, rigid and autocratic. Arrogant leaders are rarely effective in the long run. Learn to be a good follower. 2. Develop Self-Discipline – We are responsible for our thoughts, our feelings and our actions and that is a lot to be responsible for and accountable to. 3. Practice Patience – Few worthwhile things in life come quickly. A vital part of the process is becoming the kind of person who leads well and that takes time. Many leaders tend to be impatient because they look ahead, think ahead, and want to move ahead. Maxwell says, “Being fifty steps ahead couldmake you a martyr.” 4. Seek Accountability – People who lead themselves well know a secret, and that secret is they don’t trust themselves. They outsource their accountability. Leaders know that power can be enticing and seductive. Just look at our politicians… they are consumed by being in power for themselves not for we the people. Good leaders know and understand their own fallibility. How clearly do you see yourself? Where do you need to grow?
Empowering Language Leads to Successful Negotiation Women investors who seek to move ahead in the real estate investing world believe that it is all about growing their knowledge of finding and negotiating deals, working with contractors and measuring up in what appears to be a male dominated industry. Little time is spent on building and demonstrating their confidence in themselves through empowering language. The female mind, By Karen Cupp hardwired to pick up the nuances in spoken languageandnon-verbal’s like facial expressions, tone voice and body language, make us masters at creating powerful working relationships. The challenge is that we continue to hold on to speech patterns that no longer serve us. The good news is that with awareness we can reprogramour language patterns to better serve us in our interaction with others. Awareness
to your doubt of your value or the value of your ideas. As Yoda says “do or do not. There is no try.” Take ownership of your ideas. To grow past this, listen to your communication and every time you begin to state something as a question, pause and reframe it as a statement. Using thephrase “I amsorry, or Imadeamistake” is a holdover from the little girl in trouble with her dad. We often do this to minimize anger or judgement fromothers. Taking ownership of our actions and outcomes is a powerful confidence builder. Women who know their value say what they mean and mean what they say, and they do it with grace. Become aware and make an intentional effort to practice and refine your communication. Find an accountability buddy or join a Toastmasters group to help you refine your communication skills. You will be surprised at how these polished skills will help you win more deals and achieve the outcomes you desire. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies alone will not be enough. It is awareness as well as exchanging old speech patterns with new ones. It is not just what you say, it is how you say it that will demonstrate your confidence and help you win more deals and achieve more success. Let us look at 3 words and phrases you should ban from your vocabulary starting now. This takes practice by crafting through your communication. The word “just” is an often-used word that minimizes the power of your statement and makes you appear defensive or apologetic. We use this subconsciously to shield ourselves from rejection. To grow past the use of this phrase listen to your communication and stop yourself and drop it out of your vocabulary. Using the words “I am trying to” or “what if we tried” are phrases that minimize your position. It is away of “polling” which subconsciously speaks
You have heard the sayings, Follow Your Heart, Listen to Your Heart, Have a Heart. Well there is some truth and research behind these popular sayings and how the heart really is the controller of our brain. Ancient cultures have used pulse assessments to determine the emotional and physical health By Debra Reis, RN The Brain in Your Heart of the body. They believed the heart rather than the brain was the seat of emotion. Recent research by HeartMath shows that there is communication between your heart and your brain. In addition, studies show that your heart can influence the brain waves of others who are several feet away from you! Fascinating!
So, pay attention to your emotions and perceptions. When you find yourself moving to negative thinking or feelings, switch to a positive, feel good memory. Hold that memory and feel it in your heart center in the middle of your chest. Stay with that feeling, sensation for at least a minute. This is a quick technique to bring peace and calm to your system quickly and effectively. To learn more about techniques to calm your chaos in 5minutes or less, check outmywebsite at www.debrareis.com. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies The energy field of the heart can be measured up to 60 times more amplitude than the brain. So, the heart and your emotions rule your behavior and not your mind nor how you think. In fact, it has been shown that negative emotions can actually change the shape of your EKG or heart pattern. Wow! So, it is really important to be in an awareness of how you think and feel because it is affecting your physical well-being. On the other hand, we find that love, care and compassion create a smoother heart pattern. There is a connection between your metaphorical heart and the physical heart. The Procedure is Over, But the Pain Lingers On Yes, the bypass was successful. The chemotherapy worked. The kidney was a perfect match. Does this mean that your job is over? Modern medicine is truly miraculous. There seems no end to the ways we can cure diseases and repair injuries. But medical procedures can be brutal on the body. Patients are often left with distressing side effects and unpleasant consequences of treatment. Take the Next STEP for Your Patients THE SUPPORTIVE THERAPY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM (STEP) will help you implement or improve a Supportive Therapy program in your institution. Integrating therapies which address side effects of medical procedures is the next STEP toward better total patient outcomes. Supportive Therapies for Better Outcomes DebraReis.com 419-349-1815
My guest on this episode of the Soar to Success podcast is author and business expert, Perry Marshall. He provides tips that will propel your business, based on his new book, Detox Declutter Dominate. How to Excel by Elimination. You’ll learn about Renaissance Time, how to earn $1,000 at least one hour a day, and how to build an impenetrable moat around your business. These are just three of the seven steps revealed in his book. Tune in to this powerful episode which can transform your business. You can either watch on YouTube or listen to the podcast on iTunes or other places where podcasts are found. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Soar to Success Podcast Perry Marshall Perry Marshall is one of the most expensive business strategists in the world. He is endorsed in FORBES and INC Magazine. He’s guided clients like FanDuel and InfusionSoft from startup to hundreds of millions of dollars. He founded the $10 million Evolution 2.0 Prize, with judges from Harvard, Oxford and MIT. Launched at the Royal Society in London, it’s the world’s largest science research award. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs uses his 80/20 Curve as a productivity tool. His reinvention of the Pareto Principle is published in Harvard Business Review. His Google book laid the foundations for the $100 billion Pay Per Click industry, and Ultimate Guide to Google Ads is the world’s best selling book on internet advertising. You can learnmore about Perry at https://www. perrymarshall.com/ Perry Marshall Reveals How to Excel by Elimination
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Assistant 7 By Holly Kile If you’ve already reached the point where you’ve decided that you need help in your business, then you’ve likely already researched a variety of alternatives. As the business owner, you have lots of options. Here are 7 benefits to hiring a VA to help you grow: 1. Hiring an assistant will save you time. If you’re flying solo, then you are not only spending time with clients but also in all the other activities required for running a business. You are likely managing lots of activities such as your email and other communications, your social media, your client intake and scheduling, and much more. Once you hire an assistant, you can delegate many of these tasks completely to an assistant to free you up to do more of what you love.
2. Hiring an assistant will save youmoney. Time is money so this is somewhat a repeat of #1 above. Here’s the truth: you are not an expert at everything. Let go of doing the things that you’re not great at and focus on what you are. An assistant who is familiar with doing newsletters, for example, can probably knock out that weekly email newsletter in short order rather than spending an afternoon in frustration trying to get the font right. Saving time is saving money. Want more than just time=money? When you have an assistant as an independent contractor, you don’t pay benefits or employer taxes for them. This can be a HUGE savings over a year’s time. 3. Hiring an assistant will give you peace of mind. When you have an assistant, you can stop worrying about whether they got their paperwork or their appointment reminder or their invoice. You then can focus on the work you do for them. This is just one example of how delegating can free up your mind and offer you a peace you may not even know is possible. 4. Source from a global talent pool. When you hire a virtual assistant, you are not limited to the talent that is only available in your local geographic area. Instead, you can expand your search to literally anywhere on Earth which means that you can get the best of the best. If you require someone with specific skills or knowledge, you are more likely to get the perfect fit when you can expand your search beyond your backyard. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies 5. No extra space required. Whether they work 1 hour or 40 hours a week, hiring someone local requires a space for them to work. If your office won’t support any more bodies, you’ll have to investigate renting space which can be costly. 6. No extra equipment required. If you’re going virtual, you don’t have to buy an extra computer, an extra desk, an extra chair, etc. Virtual assistants already have those items as part of their own business. 7. Time billed is time worked. When you have an assistant, who works with you locally, they are ‘on the clock’ from the time they walk into the door until they leave that day apart from a lunch break. A virtual assistant works a bit differently. They start the timer when they are doing a task for you and end the timer when that task is complete. You don’t pay for bathroom breaks or personal calls. You simply pay for work being done. You’d be surprised at how much can be done in only 5-10 hours a month by a virtual assistant! Please reach out to me if you have any questions about hiring a VA. Hiring an assistant will save you time and money.
Personality Assessments and Training…A Difference Maker By Janet Kendall White We believe an organization’s true potential lies within its people. Our purpose is to ignite cultural transformation by empowering all people to engage, connect, and thrive in the workplace. One of the “tools” that has been a constant for ourwork in organizations has been the use of personality assessments. We have used many different ones and to some degree we are a bit agnostic to which one is used provided that it will be reinforced and utilized. Over the past ten years the Everything DiSC® suite of products has become our go to foundational tool for leaders and employees of all levels and types inorganizations. It can serve as a catalyst and foundation for cultural change and development. In large part the reasons we gravitated to these products has been that people remember what they are based on the assessment and we saw it stick in organizations from theCEO to the hourlyworker and serve as
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies a foundation for developing a healthy culture. We have seen it become part of the tapestry in organizations and five years later still be part of that tapestry. InMarchof 2020, our businesswas significantly impacted by COVID-19 and we faced much uncertainty as did most others. One of the things that we KNEW and had no doubt about was that more than ever leaders and individuals needed the Everything DiSC® tools to help them maneuver the “new norm”. With the variety of change that was so quickly thrown upon all, people were feeling a drift. It is almost unfathomable the amount of change that people were now faced with. We quickly had the privilege of working with a great group of leaders virtually with one component of that work being facilitating DiSC with them. Their response confirmed what we knew and had heard so many times in the past. We heard comments just as we have in the past like the following: • I can’t believe that I am just now learning this information, had I known this earlier in my career I think things would have been very different. This will be so helpful managing my virtual team. • I now have a tool to manage each person on the team based on their personality not mine and it will make all the difference in our effectiveness. • I will utilize this information to work so much better with others that I had difficulty with before. I could share story after story from our training sessions as people increase their understanding of themselves and others. As leaders it is critical thatweknowourselves and our people and manage them based on all their differences including personality differences. Personality assessments can provide a common language, a code, a shorthand that allow us to capitalize on our differences and strengths. The result is a more engaged and collaborative workforce that can spark meaningful culture improvement in your organization regardless of where people are working. For more information on the suite of products or to learn more about how it can be a difference maker for you click here https:// berkshiregroupinc.com/everything-disc/
For many modern businesses, WFH— or “work fromhome”—hasbecomeacentralpartofdayto-day operations. Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to go remote basically overnight, but many employees are also starting to prefer the flexibility that a remote lifestyle has to offer. As an experienced MSP, you’re committed to helping your clients navigate WFH and all that comes with it. By offering customers the best technological solutions available today, such as VPN, you can help them succeed in a remote working environment. The Benefits of VPN VPN, or virtual private network, has become a crucial tool for remote employees today. VPN utilizes encryption algorithms to protect data flowing between a remote endpoint, such as By Jeanne DeWitt a company laptop, and a VPN gateway that connects to a corporate data center. The ability to transfer data within an insulated pathway makes VPN a game-changer for businesses that are going remote. Take a look at the various benefits of using VPN to improve WFH today. Improved Security Because VPN creates a protected connection for remote employees, it automatically improves digital and physical security for their devices. It’s no secret that public WiFi networks — and even home networks — can be vulnerable to hackers and scams. Not only does VPN eliminate these issues, but it also stops malicious entities from tracking your corporate device, making it less likely to be stolen. Overall, VPN removes the possibility of prying eyes accessing your professional documents, data and applications via weak, penetrable networks. MSPs Can Help Remote Workers Thrive with VPN Solutions
Access Company Resources with Ease Yet another benefit of using VPN to facilitate WFH is that employees can access company resources without possibly compromising them over an insecure network. VPN grants remote workers 100% safe access to corporate applications, directories, printers and cloud services. Particularly for those who use these tools regularly, VPN is a transformative tool in WFH configurations. Improved Conditions for Employees Last but certainly not least, VPN improves general working conditions for employees. VPN makes remote connections completely secure for businesses, therefore eliminating the need for employees to commute to a physical office each day. IT teams can manage employees’ connections remotely and even grant additional SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies services that enhance WFH, such as multifactor authentication and accidental connection kill switches. On top of that, safe remote work through VPN benefits the environment by reducing transportation pollution. CPU Provides MSPs with Reliable IT and Cloud Solutions Because remote working has become such a popular option for businesses today, it’s essential that MSPs like you stay up-to-date with adapted technological solutions like VPN. With over 35 years of experience providing MSPs with outstanding IT and cloud services, CPU, Inc. is here to help you navigate VPN. We only work with MSPs, which means we’ll never compete for your clients. If you’re ready to guarantee your clients a streamlined IT and cloud services experience, connect with us by calling (866) 8838836 or filling out our quick contact form today.
By Joan Washburn “Only do what only you can do.” -Paul Sloane A dear friend of mine recently had a heart attack. She is local business owner, a pillar of the community and barely 50 years old. She is the go-to person for successful event planning. If you want something done - you call her. She doesn’t just volunteer at non-profits- when she sees a need, she starts one! She was one of the first women I met when I moved back to Ohio and I treasure her friendship very much. It was scary to think I almost lost her. Rules for Delegating with Ease! 3 One morning we had coffee. It was early. She had a lot going on, as always. The conversation eventually came around to her heart attack and she told me something really important that she has put into place since. No, she is not any less busy. No, she has not stopped event planning or her non-profit work and her business is booming. She has learned to let go – to delegate. What my friend has learned about delegating is that there is an art to it. Here are her 3 key learnings to successful delegation:
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies Be Patient. How often have you heard yourself say: “It’s easier to just do it myself.” “It will take longer to explain it than to do it.” The first time you delegate any task, it is almost certainly going to take longer than doing it yourself. That’s normal. Over time, it will get easier Be Specific. She doesn’t assume anything! She has learned that in order to be successful at delegating she has to be really clear about what it is she needs the other person todo. She takes the timeneededtomake sure everyone is on the same page: the picture in their mind of what or how things need to be done is the same as the one in hers! Let Go. Once she’s delegated, trained, and set up a schedule for touching base, she does not micromanage. To succeed (and to help others succeed), you have to let go. She has learned that things don’t have to be perfect to be successful. As an executive coach I work with real gogetters. Sometimes, when they begin to feel overwhelmed and stressed to themax, I suggest this: QUICK TIP: Look at where you might get some support; to whom you might delegate some of thework. Then be patient, be specific and let go. Of course, just the idea nearly gives them a heart attack! But it works. Askmy friend – she’s doing great! This article is an excerpt from Joan’s best-selling book, You’re Busy. I Get It. Quick Tips to Accomplish More with Less Stress. Available on Amazon and at www.joanwashburn.com.
Forming a nonprofit and then gaining (and keeping) the organization’s tax-exempt status is definitely more complicated than starting an LLC or other for-profit business. So, what do you need to know if you’re considering this path? By Maritza Nelson, JD Forming a Nonprofit Organization Step 1: File Articles of Incorporation The first step is to file Articles of Incorporation with the Secretary of State to create a nonprofit corporation. (Although it is an option, don’t
establish a nonprofit LLC. Doing so makes applying for tax-exempt status more difficult and expensive.) Among other items, the Articles will ask for the purpose of the organization. To avoid problems later, stick to the IRS’s suggested language: is organized exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes, including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. Step 2: Obtain a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) The FEIN will allow the organization to open a business bank account. The application can be completed online on the IRS’s website, and you should receive the tax ID number immediately. The IRS will also mail a confirmation letter, which may be required by your bank. Step 3: Draft Bylaws and a Conflict of Interest Policy Bylaws are the governing document for a nonprofit. The bylaws dictate how decisions will be made and responsibilities carried out. Will the organization have members? How many people can serve on the board of directors? (Ohio’s nonprofit statute requires a minimum of three.) SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies How long will people serve on the board? How often will you hold board meetings? If you have members, are there certain types of decisions that have to be approved by both the board and the members? Will there be a paid executive director and/or other paid staff? In addition to the bylaws, your organization should also prepare a conflict-of-interest policy. For example, how will the organization deal with a board member who also wants to be paid to provide services? How will the organization make sure that this board member is the right service provider for the organization’s needs and that the board member is not being paid abovemarket rates for their services just because of their position on the board? The policy should also prohibit anyone with a financial interest from voting on a compensation decision. Particularly in newly-formed nonprofit organizations, there is often a mistaken belief that the founder “owns” the nonprofit and can do almost whatever they like with the money the nonprofit raises. The reality is that no one “owns” a nonprofit organization, and youwould be jeopardizing your tax-exempt status if you were setting (or even votingon)yourownsalaryorothercompensation. If you follow these steps, you will have a created a nonprofit corporation with the state, and you’ll be ready to apply for recognition of the organization’s tax-exempt status with the IRS. Reach out to our office if you need any help.
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