soartosucessmagazine.com Harnesthe Powerofthe PublishedAuthor SOARTOSUCCESS Exced Expectations andWin! HowtoFight BrainFog JUNE2022 Magazine
PAT ALTVATER Do You Believe In Your Business? Elite Experts Network AFP Marketing PatAltvater.com Belief is the cornerstone to becoming a success. Unfortunately, you cannot manufacture belief for any sustainable amount of time. It takes so much energy to uphold that, you cannot keep it up. You can’t pretend to believe, either, because any adversity will set you back. You’ll give up too quickly or change your mind about an idea before it’s been fully tested. A belief is not merely an “idea” the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind. Your belief comes from your passion and even if others say you’re crazy, you know you are not. Intentional entrepreneurs hang on to their belief, by managing their fears! It’s important to develop a failproof process to transform ANY limiting thought such as “I can’t” into immediate action. Once you recognize your limiting thoughts for what they are, you can put fear in its place and carry on with inspired actions. Believe and achieve! I hope that the articles in this month’s issue will inspire and motivate you. Don’t forget to take advantage of the links to connect further with our contributors.
Personal Growth Strategies SOAR to SUCCESS CONTENTS Magazine 04. 10. 22. 12. 16. 14. 36. 34. 32. 30. 28. 19. 27. 20. 24. 38. 40. Core Business Strategies Business Acceleration Strategies Being An Effective Leader By Diane Helbig Feel Good with Essential Emotions By Heather Wiegering Seven Reasons to Be Intentional About Your Culture By Jack Klemeyer Why Your Salespeople Need to Feed Sea Gulls To Close More Sales By Mark Roberts The Power of Loyalty in Employee Engagement By Lisa Ryan Choosing the Correct Business Entity By Jim Fisher Growing to Sell Your MSP Business By Jeanne DeWitt Exceed Expectations and Win! By Melanie Rembrandt Know and Live Your Values. Be Bold. Have Humility. By Janet White Harness the Power of the Published Author By Holly Kile Book Recommendation Soar to Success Podcast How to Fight Brain Fog By Pat Bennett Finding the Beauty in Difficult Times By Megan Patton Our Favorite Videos Our Contributors Cover Feature: Brittany Anderson Helps People Enjoy a Full Life and Reach Their Dreams
Brittany Anderson Helps People Enjoy a Full Life and Reach Their Dreams
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article Brittany is President and one of the partners of Sweet Financial Partners in Southern Minnesota as well as Co-founder of Dare to Dream Enterprises. Her team works with clients to find out what they really want from their retirement and ultimately help them fulfill their “Dreams.” Brittany told us: “I believe that it doesn’t matter where you came from, or what’s happened up to this point, what matters is what you focus on going forward, and the opportunities that you create for yourself. It’s exciting to see people achieve what they want.” Sweet Financial Partners are committed to five key principles, that include: client-focused, honesty & integrity, excellence, teamwork and positive mindset. They treat their clients like family, always strive to do the right thing for them, are always prepared, believe in the strength of a strong team and believe that a positive mindset creates a positive result. Having a positive mindset is all encompassing for Sweet Financial Partners, as it relates to internal attitudes as well as how they operate externally. They strive to teach clients who may be going through difficult transitions, that if they lean into it, they will get through it and may find greatness ahead. Brittany and her team have worked closely with business owners over the years helping provide them with a plan for cash flow, such as money managing concerns to assure their personal finances are sufficient for their family’s needs. In addition to this they’ve helped people build wealth for a comfortable retirement. While their focus is primarily on business owners who have had a liquidity event, many of their clients, that operated their own business, have spent their days overseeing operations, staff and sales. Personal long term financial goals can get swept under the rug without proper attention. Over time, little problems can become large problems. If a solid plan is not in place, when they reach retirement age, they may find they are woefully short and are unable to leave the working world behind and slip off quietly to a secluded beach. “While our clients are actively running their business, we provide insights and tips to streamline their operation, so they can experience more of what life has to offer. Owning a business creates a new level of stress. We can help provide insights to relieve some of that.” Brittany’s talented team of financial professionals provide the insights, to add value on top of the basic wealth management. Business owners spend their entire working lives in their business, it becomes like another child, or a part of their identity. Business owners get so tied up the day-to-day operation, they forget to stop and think about, “What’s next?” Early in his career, Bryan Sweet, the founder of Sweet Financial Partners, found a common thread among his clients that had retired. They all had invested so much time and energy in their working years that retirement came as a complete surprise to them. He found their questions centered around. I wake up and wonder, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’
Who am I, without a job and a career? What is this life and what do I do with this free time? Bryan guided his staff to help clients understand their aspirations for retirement earlier in their working lives. He even came up with a catch phrase and now trademarked process, “The Dream Architect™,” which is now what their entire practice is built on. “We help our clients discover, “What’s next.” We help them identify what they want their next chapter to look like and what will leave them feeling fulfilled. This is especially important for someone who has run a business or held a high-level position in a company. They go from feeling needed and important to wondering what their days will be filled with. In essence, it’s about uncovering a new identity and putting their wealth to work for them.” Mr. Sweet found a need that wasn’t being addressed in financial planning. Helping people reach their future “Dreams” has become the value-added service that today the team at Sweet Financial Partners offer to clients’ financial planning and wealth management. The “Dream Architect” process has four steps. 1. Vision of the Future In the first conversations with prospective clients Sweet Financial helps them to envision their perfect
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article retirement, get clear on where they are now and where they want to be. 2. Blueprint Once a vision is established, the team at Sweet Financial does deeper dive analyses to help understand how the client’s portfolio might withstand potential obstacles. This helps paint the picture of what it looks like to achieve their dreams. 3. Build This is where a customized plan is created with an implementation schedule for success! The client’s goals and dreams are unique to them, and they should be at the center of the plan. 4. Maintenance To help create fulfilling retirement years, it is important to ensure that goals are updated through the years and remain aligned with the overall plan. Going forward, you will see components such as health and longevity, legacy planning, high level experiences and more of the “what’s next” component added into The Dream Architect™. For the past ten years Sweet Financial has also been focused on helping women, whether they are business owners or navigating a major life transition such as widowhood, divorce, business sale, retirement or the like, to manage their wealth plan and build a successful retirement. “We have developed a program designed especially for our female clients called “Women Forward.” We educate and
ever looking for anything else, come and talk to me.’” When Brittany isn’t at her desk, she has three active children ages eight, five and three that keep her busy. “I love doing things with my family. We just wrapped up a dance recital for my girls and are preparing for summer ball and a range of fun activities. I also love being outdoors and reading.” Her husband is involved in the construction industry, and she loves a good fixer-upper project. “In the financial industry, you are always trying to improve and make things better for your clients. There never seems to be empower women about their finances, as well as their business. We stress personal development to not only envision the future, but to also provide a fulfilling life in the present.” As a small business grows, one of the least favorite activities is to develop sound business processes that allow the growth and prosperity desired. These are the boring details of a business but are a necessary evil. The repeatable, mundane motions that must be done every day to build a secure business foundation. Brittany and her team have helped people identify areas that need additional work. Another concern of a business owner is finding and keeping talented employees. “I’ve coached a variety of businesses and retaining talent is a common issue throughout every industry. We encourage our business owners to hire to fit their culture. If the person is the right fit for your business, you can teach just about everything else.” In today’s world, more than ever, it is difficult to find and retain qualified people. If a business is to continue to grow, the owner must constantly be on the lookout for potential employees. “We never know when we will meet someone that could fit in our business, so I always have my eyes and ears open for future hires. If anyone from our leadership team is out and about and meets a quality individual who demonstrates excellence, we might say ‘I hope you are happy with your current job situation, but if you are
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article 3 Keys to Soar to Success When Soar to Success asked Brittany what three personality traits she found in most successful people, she said: 2 1 3 Tenacity “Sometimes you have to keep going and smile between the tears.” Resilience “When you are building a life for yourself there will be times that you get knocked down and you think the path to success is impossible to achieve. I believe that if you don’t quit and keep plugging along, you will be fine. You only lose when you quit.” Fear “When I think about times in my life when I have had a breakthrough moment and achieved success, I was able to fight though that knot in my stomach and scared feeling. Basically, using fear for my versus against me.” a finish line. At the end of a remodeling project, you can see a completed task that doesn’t necessarily happen in my professional world.” Brittany has helped build and maintain a successful financial firm that helps her clients achieve their “Dream.” “We have very talented people on our team that eat, sleep and breathe helping clients create a fulfilled future through our wealth management process. We focus on our clients and help them discover their, “What’s Next?” Brittany has authored books on the subject. One of her books is titled, “Dare to Dream.” Her newest book, “Dream Architecture,” will be released in June, both were created alongside the founder of Sweet Financial, Bryan Sweet. We thoroughly enjoyed our podcast with Brittany. You can listen to it on iTunes or watch on YouTube. To find out more, or to have a chat about your “What’s Next?” contact Brittany at: Brittany@ sweetfinancial.com.
We’ve all experienced leaders whose style works or doesn’t. It begs the question – are some methods better than others. There are three basic forms of leadership – Ask, Tell, Empower. Ask With this leadership style employees are asked to perform tasks and take on certain responsibilities. Typically, it’s a gentle request without any Being An Effective Leader By Diane Helbig to be too authoritarian. Unfortunately, this can leave employees feeling untethered to direction and outcomes. When people are unsure of direction or what they are allowed to do they tend to scale back. They will do less, make fewer decisions, and therefore, accomplish less. Tell With this leadership style employees are not only expectations and consequences attached. This can leave the employee uncertain about how important the function is. They are also in the dark about what the impact will be of doing, or not doing, what is asked. Imagine the fallout when the leader gets fed up with things not being done, or not being done in a timely fashion! Leaders who are Askers are usually conflict avoidant and are concerned about appearing
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies told what to do but often times how to do it. Employees can feel micromanaged and constrained with this style. They can also feel that they aren’t trusted. Mistrust interferes with someone’s commitment to the end goal. It lowers morale and can severely impede progress. For the most part, the Tellers are more interested in keeping control than in realizing outcomes. They tend to be insecure about the motives of others and fear failure if decisions are left in the hands of other people. This is the style that is least effective. Employees aren’tmotivated to do any more than the bare minimum and will leave the company for a better environment. There are huge costs associated with both of those situations. Empower With this leadership style employees are given the power to own their role and figure out the best way to accomplish their goals. They are challenged to problem solve and strategize. Employees tend to feel a deeper level of commitment to the organization when they are empowered. This also frees the leader to focus on bigger, strategic initiatives. When employees are empowered, they feel confident. This confidence spills over onto the leader who can be confident the work is getting done, decisions are being made, and problems are being solved. We can see that while each style can gain results, empowering others is the style that realizes the greatest outcomes. If you are a leader who asks or tells, do some soul searching to identify why that is your preferred style. And then consider giving Empowering a try. It can be a gamechanger. ©2022 Helbig Enterprises
Seven Reasons to Be Intentional About Your Culture By Jack Klemeyer Think about it, we spend 40 . . . or 45 . . . or 50 . . . or more hours at work each week. Many of us spend more time with those we work with than we do our families. For us to be content and fulfilled people, that time must be valuable for more than a dollar. Wewant to be engaged in ourwork. We yearn for work that is enjoyable, meaningful and engaging. When we are engaged, we are more productive and more willing and able to delight customers. It is for these basic reasons that organizational culture matters. It is the right thing for an organization to do - to think about the work environment, working relationships and “howwe do things here.” Focusing on building and sustaining an organizational culture is one way of showing that people are the organization’s most valuable asset. It’s important to be intentional about your culture rather that assuming it will come together on its own. Here are seven reasons to be intentional about building organizational culture. 1. A strong culture is a talent-attractor. Your organizational culture is part of the package that prospective employees lookatwhenassessingyour organization. Gone are the days of selecting the person you want from a large eager pool. The talent market is tighter and those looking for a neworganization aremore selective than ever. The best people want more than a salary and good benefits. They want an environment they can enjoy and succeed in.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies 2. A strong culture is talent-retainer. How likely are people to stay if they have other options and don’t love where they are? Your organizational culture is a key component of a person’s desire to stay. Your culture can be one of the insulators from “The Great Resignation” that we’re all experiencing. 3. A strong culture engages people. People want to be engaged in their work. According to a Gallup survey at least 22 million American workers are extremely negative or “actively disengaged” – this loss of productivity is estimated to be worth between $250-$300 billion annually. Your culture can engage people. Engagement creates greater productivity, which can impact profitability. 4. A strong culture creates energy and momentum. Build a culture that is vibrant and allows people to be valued and express themselves and you will create a very real energy. That positive energy will permeate the organization and create a new momentum for success. Energy is contagiousandwillbuildonitself,reinforcing the culture and the attractiveness of the organization. 5. Astrongculturechangestheviewof“work.” Most people have a negative connotation of the word work. Work equals drudgery, 9-5, “the salt mine.” When you create a culture that is attractive, people’s view of “going to work” will change. Work will be seen as a joy and not as drudgery. 6. A strong culture creates greater synergy. People enjoy pursuing a purpose. A strong culture brings people together. When people communicate and get to know each other better, they will find new connections. These connections will lead to new ideas and greater productivity - in otherwords, youwill be creating synergy. Literally, 1 + 1 + right culture =more than 10. How is that for leverage? 7. A strong culture makes everyone more successful. Any one of the other six reasons should be reason enough to be intentional about your organizations culture. But the bottom line is that an investment of time, talent and a focus on organizational culture will give you all of the above benefits. Regardless of your current culture, it is never too late to enhance it and to begin creating the benefits described above. What are you waiting for? It’s important to be intentional about your culture rather that assuming it will come together on its own.
The Power of Loyalty in Employee Engagement By Lisa Ryan In the workplace, as in life, loyalty is hard to earn and easy to lose. To complicate matters even further, there are no shortcuts. Loyalty is yours only when you deserve it, and in these days of the Great Resignation, your employees are paying attention and deciding whether or not they want to continue their careers with you. When employees don’t feel recognized and valued for the good work they do, there is little infrastructure to foster their trust and loyalty. When leaders align their team with a vision,
mission, and core culture values, they infuse a loyalty that creates a unique bond with their teammembers. Here are three ways that leaders can build a loyal workforce. Recognize employees authentically. Send a personal email or a handwritten note to show your team members that you are personally aware of and appreciate their hard work. Make sure you celebrate milestones – birthdays and anniversaries – to make the employee feel special on their big day. Empower employees to do their job the best way they see fit, while managing the accountability process. When you treat SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies employees like you trust them to do a great job, they usually do just that. Terminate toxic employees. When employees see their coworkers getting away with bad behavior and toxic attitudes, it demotivates them and they no longer want to give their best. When employees see that you are willing to get rid of employees who don’t support the organization’s core values, they will feel more loyalty to the leadership team. Employees remain longer with an organization whose leader show respect, bond with them and create a sense of unity and purpose toward the company vision. If you want your employees to have your back, you must first have theirs.
Why do some sales continue to a close while others somehow die just before salespeople attempt to close them? You have every sign the sale would proceed to close, but something happens? Keep reading if you want to find out how feeding Sea Gulls will help your sales close rate. Salespeople have a difficult job today. Gartner’s research shared that 33% of buyers no longer wish to speak with a salesperson and would prefer more of a sales self-service model in a digital experience. By Mark Allen Roberts Why Your Salespeople Need to Feed Sea Gulls To Close More Sales Quality Safety Engineering Commodity Manager Controller CFO CEO Depending on the industry you serve and your type of product or service, you need to identify and understand the pain points for each of the above personas. The one person we did not mentionbut is critical to identify is your corporate Sea Gull. Who are corporate Sea Gulls, you might ask? It often takes over 20 touches to have a conversation with an ideal targeted customer. Once we engage, we often find there are 7-10 people involved in the buying decision. Who is typically involved in buying decisions today? Influencers End users Purchasing The person searching for a solution Gatekeepers The Decision Maker Executive Sponsor
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies These are the people who can be in various roles that always lead with no. Their answer to everything is “no” in hopes that people who offer new products and services will go away. Why do I refer to them as Sea Gulls, you might ask? I had one sales mentor who used to ask me before every large sale who the customer Sea Gull was and what I had done to ensure they did not swoop in at the last minute and crap all over the sales I should have won. At first, I found this to be a difficult task. Working with current customers is easier since we each of your current accounts or just relationships with purchasing? Would you like to significantly improve your close rate with new business and increase your share of wallet with key accounts? Has your sales team identified Sea Gulls at each of your growth accounts? Take my advice to feed the Sea Gulls in your accounts and watch your revenue grow. Let’s schedule a call to discuss my process, training, and coaching to fix this common sales problem. have built a relationship based on trust and competence. So, I often would ask…. Help me make sure I can deliver this product and help your team, please…who are the various influencers in this decision and who on your team has a history of flying in at the last minute and disrupting new purchases? The burden is on sales to identify and reach out to known corporate Sea Gulls, feed themthe information, data, and answer their questions before you attempt to close the sale. Does your sales team have a strong relationship matrix at
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Book Recommendation LIFE MAPPING: A Journey of Self Discovery and Path Finding By Monika Moss-Gransberry You may have noticed if you’ve been following my column here in Soar to Success Magazine, that I love books that are personal growth. This book by Monika Moss-Gransberry has everything that I enjoy in a book: lessons, examples, journaling VXJJHVWLRQV DORQJ ZLWK ĆOO LQ WKH EODQN exercises that can be done right in the book. I’m also a fan of any book that helps people take responsibility for their lives and gives pointers on how to gain the clarity needed to manifest your vision and learn to shift your thinking so your energy is focused on what you want and need vs. all the other distractions in life. $OVR LQFOXGHG DUH VSHFLĆF PHGLWDWLRQV DIĆUPDWLRQV DQG MRXUQDO ZULWLQJ exercises that will encourage you to explore more fully all that you are and have the potential to become. I’m still in the process of working through the book but so far, I am loving it and I think you will too. Monika Moss-Gransberry created this process IRU KHUVHOI DQG KDV UHĆQHG LW RYHU many years to be something we can DOO EHQHĆW IURP XVLQJ ,WèV D IDQWDVWLF WRRO å JUDE D copy and get started. By Pat Altvater About the Author Monika K. Moss-Gransberry has dedicated her talents to transforming organizations and building the capacity of the individuals in them. As founder of MKM Management Consulting LLC, Monika is a trusted thinking partner, master facilitator and executive coach, whose systems approach, expands her clients’ capacity to accomplish their vision in a constantly changing environment, where complex factors dictate an integrated strategic solution. She approaches her work like she approaches life, with unconditional love and integrity. $ FHUWLĆHG *HVWDOW 2UJDQL]DWLRQDO 6\VWHPV 'HYHORSPHQW 3UDFWLWLRQHU DQG &RDFK 0RQLND FXUUHQWO\ VHUYHV RQ WKH IDFXOW\ RI WKH *HVWDOW 2UJDQL]DWLRQDO 6\VWHPV 'HYHORSPHQW &HQWHU ZKLFK WUDLQV RUJDQL]DWLRQDO GHYHORSPHQW SURIHVVLRQDOV DQG H[HFXWLYHV DURXQG WKH ZRUOG LQ RUJDQL]DWLRQDO HIIHFWLYHQHVV DQG VHOI PDVWHU\ 6KH LV D FHUWLĆHG facilitator by the Institute of Cultural Affairs using the ToP Technology group facilitation and strategic planning methods. Monika is a senior coach and trainer for Move the Crowd, training the next generation of conscious entrepreneurs and visionaries. She also serves on the faculty of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Initiative both the Cleveland and National Programs, growing small businesses to create jobs and contribute to a robust economy.
How to Fight Brain Fog By Pat Bennett You’re not alone if you’re feeling like your brain has gotten foggy. Physical isolation, social distance, remote working and schooling during the pandemic have accelerated our state of confusion and increased stress. Wherever you are in the world right now, with all the external and internal stressors we’re facing, brain fog has been an unavoidable response. What exactly is brain fog? Simply put, it’s the inability to think clearly. It leads to confusion, memory problems and a general tired feeling. I
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies liken it to a radio station that’s not quite static free or a spotty internet connection. And, while brain fog isn’t a clinical term, it speaks volume to the impact that anxiety, depression or stress plays in our bodies and minds. “Diminished ability to think, concentrate or make decisions” is listed as one of the nine symptoms of depression in the fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Brain fog might occur with depression because this condition is thought to be caused by low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s central to many functions of the brain, including cognition, memory, comprehension, and concentration. “When we experience serotonin depletion— the very mechanism that [is thought to] cause a depressive mood—it is also going to impact the ability to think…and make decisions,” according to Emily Green, Psy.D., a psychologist based in Washington D.C. What does it look like? It may look and feel like the inability to make a simple decision. Or just taking longer than usual to write an email, report, return a phone call or remember what you’d promised to bring to a friend’s dinner party on Saturday. Surprisingly, this response is our brains defense mechanism and may be a way for our brains to keep functioning…while sacrificing the sharpness needed for higherlevel cognitive tasks,” Green says. What can you do to manage brain fog? Exercise, especially yoga, improves thinking ability, concentration and attention. However, anything that gets your body moving and allows you to fully mentally engage in the activity is a good option. Take a walk. Meditating, the practice of experiencing and cultivating a quality of mindfulness by focusing on the present moment has demonstrated to be effective in reducing stress hormones. Switch to writing in long hand. 2014 Psychological Science series of studies found that students who took notes longhand performed better when answering conceptual questions because writing by hand makes it easier to actually synthesize and understand the material, instead of merely transcribing it verbatim. But even if you’re not in a classroom or trying to learn new information, there’s a lot to be said for how writing by hand helps us be intentional and organize our thoughts. Even a simple handwritten list of to dos can help. Reduce multi-tasking. When our attention is pulled into multiple directions, it makes it impossible to focus on anything. Focus on doing a little at a time rather than in one fell swoop. Use these tips to help fight brain fog. Your brain will thank you.
Feel Good with Essential Emotions By Dr. Heather McKinney Would you want to feel good more often? Fabulous! You can. Let’s get started. Dr. Candace Pert famously shared “Feelings are really chemicals that can help or hurt.” The more we understand these chemicals and how they communicate, the more we become friends with our emotions. In order to better understand emotions, let’s imaginewe have 3Brains, that’s right – 3BRAINS. These brains are theMind, theHeart and the Gut. They are the 3 amigos in constant communication and gate keepers of information. Our job is to help them to openly communicate and stay best friends with each other. When the mind, heart and gut are in synch, we may experience a sense of happiness, love, peace and joy. When they are in disharmony, we may experience a sense of lack, confusion, fear, anger or sadness. What are the 3 Brains? 1. MIND. The mind represents the voice of logic and intellect. Over 90% of our choices are
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies directed by the subconscious. This means we need to take more time to listen and pause before taking action or reacting. 2. HEART. The heart represents thevoiceof intuition. It is believed there are more neuropathways from the heart to the brain, than from the brain to the heart. 3. GUT. The voice of ‘gut feelings’. The gut produces 90% of the body’s feel-good chemicals, called serotonin. Why do the 3 Brains Matter? The more the 3 brains connect, the more you can • For the GUT = BALANCE essential oil. Try 1 drop in the belly button. Good News! The more we learn about the 3 Brains and how they impact our lives, the more we can positively impact our life, health and success. Ready formoreonessential oils? Check out HeatherMcKinney. com for free recipes, my blog, library of resources and more. Come try oils at wholesale and enjoy them even more. Email me at spreadoils@gmail.com, and join me online at facebook. com/SpreadOils. Let’s connect about essential oils and ways to feel good, naturally. feel good. This is because our body is made of amazing, highly intelligent cells that are constantly trying to keep us at our peak health and restoring wellness. What to Do? Help the 3 Brains connect and feel good. Do the following: Help the 3 Brains connect and feel good. Do the following: • For the MIND = CHEER essential oil. Try 1 drop behind both ears. • For the HEART = WHISPER essential oil. Try 1 drop over the heart.
On this episode of Quick Tips to Grow Your Business with Speaking Diane Helbig shares how she finds speaking engagements, how to get email addresses from audience members, and how to go from free to paid engagements if that’s your desire. She also explains how to effectively use your book in negotiations and so much more. Diane has been presenting and teaching for over 10 years. She is considered an expert on the subjects of sales, leadership, time management, customer service, and is often contacted to provide her expertise. Tune in to also find out the three traits she believes people need to have in order to be successful at using speaking to build a business. Youcaneither watchonYouTube or listentothepodcast on iTunes or other places where podcasts are found. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Soar to Success Podcast Diane Helbig Diane is an international business and leadership consultant and trainer, author, award-winning speaker, and podcast host. As president of Helbig Enterprises, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. Diane is passionate about guiding business professionals through the challenges of planning and growing a business. Diane is the author of Lemonade Stand Selling and Expert Insights, and her most recent book, Succeed Without Selling. She is the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast. You can learn more about Diane at https://www.helbigenterprises.com/. Diane Helbig Shares Her Tips for Becoming Well Known Using Speaking
Harness the Power of the Published Author By Holly Kile Your presence on social media is a great representation of your brand. Your blog attracts and engages with new audiences. Your email list keeps you connected with fans and followers. Each tool in your marketing toolkit has a job to do, but the one with the most power by far is your published book.
Your name on the cover of a tangible, hold-itin-your-hands, printed-on-paper book is the one thing that can take your business from somewhat successful to rock star status. As an Author, You’re an Instant Expert Pay attention to the “experts” you see interviewed on morning news shows, talk shows, and on radio and podcasts. Notice anything? They’re almost always introduced as “The author of…” There’s a reason for that. Those who have the expertise to dig deep into a subject just so they can break it down in a way that others will understand clearly know their stuff. Books don’t just skim the surface of a subject. They follow the rabbit trails and make new connections and explore unknown corners. If you’ve written a book, you have almost certainly earned your “expert” status. Writers Are Committed and Driven Not only are authors seen as the experts in their field, but they’ve proven themselves to be more committed than most. Think about the time and energy and frustration that comes from writing 150 or 200 or even 300 pages of content about the same subject. Not only that, SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies but those pages must flow together in a logical order, make sense out of difficult to grasp concepts, and be engaging, too. That’s a tall order and for those who pull it off, the kudos are well deserved. When your book is published, you deserve to walk a bit taller and hold your head a bit straighter. But even if you don’t, others will see you through neweyes, simply because you’ve written a book. Books Offer a “Foot in the Door” When Nothing ElseWill When it comes to publicity— beitintheformofinterviews, speaking engagements, JV invitations, or just more traffic to your website— you really can’t do better than a book. Books open doors that noother content marketing tool can. Books get you noticed by toptier influencers in your niche. Books make you a more memorable speaker. And believe it or not, self-published books even turn into traditional publishing contracts, and all the benefits that go along with it. With all the advantages that come with having written a book, what’s holding you back? No matter what your niche or who your market is, there’s room on the shelf for your unique insights. You owe it to your audience, and to your business, to get that book published. Books open doors that no other content marketing tool can.
I recently had the privilege of moderating a panel of female Northeast Ohio Mayors. The first question I asked them was if they could only choose one characteristic for effective leadershipwhat itwouldbeandwhy. Theychose values: know them and live them. Be bold, don’t be afraid to speak up and do what is right and take some reasonable risks. Have humility, be willing to ask for help, keep learning and admit when you are wrong. Wow, the questions after that brought out other valuable lessons but we literally could have stopped after the first question. Let me expound on their answers. By Janet Kendall White Know and Live Your Values. Be Bold. Have Humility Know your values and live them. Step 1, are you clear on what your values are? It takes some reflection. Have you tested them against real situations? If X happens, how would I respond? If Y happens what would my response be? Have you checked yourself to compare your responses, your calendar, and your life with what you say and think your values are? Are they all aligned? Do adjustments need to be made? Next, do those you work with know them and understand that their decisions need to line up with yours and the organizations values?
Be bold. Do you sometimes find yourself hesitant to speak up when your opinion or perspective differs from that of others? Are there certainsituationswhere youwant to be resolute, but you acquiesce? Have an idea that you don’t follow through on because there might be some risk? Allow fear (false evidence appearing real) to get in the way. Step up and step out. Be bold. Have humility. Followers are human and so are we. One of the greatest ways to show others that it is ok that they make mistakes is to show them you do and admit them quickly and openly. From our mistakes or admitting we are wrong comes learning for us and for others. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help as hard as that can be. We expect others to ask versus fumbling or not doing something because they didn’t know how and yet sometimes, we hesitate to let them know that we too need help at times. Regardless of our position in life we can display confidence and humility, they are not mutually exclusive. If you were asked the same question what would your answer be? 3 people all nodded their heads at the other two answers and gave their own. All great characteristics of effective leadership we can learn from. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies Time for reflection on your leadership. Do you know your values? How are you doing against living them daily? Are you being bold? Displaying humility? Thank you, Mayor Pamela Bobst, Mayor Kim Thomas and Mayor Marie Gallo To learn more about our leadership training where we focus on you as a leader andpromptyoutothinkabout things like the above reach out janet@berkshiregroupinc.com Do you know your values?
How to start a client relationship for the best, future results Do you want to provide the best possible results for your customers and have a long, positive working relationship with them? Of course, you do! By Melanie Rembrandt Exceed Expectations and Win! Well, there is one major thing that you need to take care of at the very beginning of every relationship to do this… set expectations. This may sound simple. But if you don’t spell out exactly what you are going to provide for the money, you can run into major confusion and complications in the future, which can significantly decrease the chances of reaching your goals. And it goes both ways. Your customers need to tell you what they expect, too. With this in mind, here are three, (simple but big) tips to
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies think about when you begin to work with new people on initial projects: 1. Communicate goals. Basic. Basic. Basic. I know. But, before you exchange funds, products and/or services, talk about final outcomes and what you both expect out of the relationship. Understand deadlines, tactics, budget constraints, potential issues, tentative results, contactmethods, and any other important details prior to working together. This will start things off in a positive direction and help you get to knoweach other better… and how you like to work. 2. Get it in writing. Doyoubeginaworking relationshipwitha stream of e-mails, a handshake, a one-page agreement letter, an official contract, or something else? Whatever it is, write down exactly what you will provide and what your new customer can expect from you. Then, confirm that this will work for both of you. Even if you have a casual relationship, document expectations to help clarify processes and procedures now… and in the future. 3. Stick to your plan. Once your project is underway, provide what you promised (duh!). Communicatewith your customers regularly, and be sure they are aware of any changes, updates or problems. Then, take that one extra step... Do what it takes to go above and beyond customer expectations. Provide personal attention and unexpected, extra services whenever possible. Most people like surprises when they help them save time and money… or just put a smile on their face. Now, if you don’t meet expectations, that’s an unwanted surprise. Which will you provide? Establish a good working relationship with new customers and then exceed expectations. Not only will you help your customers reach their goals, but you’ll stand out from the competition and enjoy new levels of career success. Establish a good working relationship with new customers and then exceed expectations.
Growing to Sell Your MSP Business Acquisitions are a huge factor in the MSP space. Whether it’s the vendors the MSP works with, or the MSP themselves, mergers and acquisitions seem to be on a steady rise in recent years. Multiples are healthy and the economic uneasiness in the area has led many business owners to exit. If you’re growing an MSP, selling or buying has undoubtedly been on your mind. In this segment, we’ll be discussing 4 key components to consider when growing to sell: 1. Revenue Ratio 2. Client Ratio 3. Client Upsells 4. Marketing Strategy By Jeanne DeWitt Revenue Ratio Recurring revenue will receive a higher valuation than project/hardware revenue. An MSP looking tomaximize their valuation should focus on growing their recurring revenue. Project and hardware sales are inventible and an important part of the business. However, you will not receive as high of an offer if your business is predominantly based on chasing the next project. We have partners on both ends of the Spectrum. One partner stated that their project/hardware is 10X the agreement revenue for many of their customers.
We also have partners that focus most of their attention on recurring revenue. They no longer sell firewalls, switches, or access points, and have created agreements for each. They also sell a lot of cloud services, instead of replacing servers. If revenue was the same between the two, the latter would undoubtedly receive a higher valuation. Client Ratio We’ve seen many MSPs where a single client makes up more than 20% of their total revenue. This is a dangerous scenario to be in. Not only does SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies Marketing Strategy As Henry Ford once said, “A man who stops advertising to save money is like a man who stops a clock to save time.” If you are not investing in effective marketing tactics, it will take significantly longer to meet your goals no matter how good your business is. Word of mouth works, but on its own time. Have any questions on how a cloud offering can boost your recurring revenue and maximize business valuations? I’m here to help. it impact the valuation, but it also puts your business at risk. With a good mix of clients, your valuation will go up, if you are charging appropriately. Client Upsells Our most successful partners have laid out all their clients intoaservicegrid. Thisgrid lays out every potential upsell and whether the client falls into each bucket. This service grid identifieswhich campaign they will run to their customers. For instance, if there are many clients that do not have your VoIP service, you can target and sell your customers on the move.
One of the most important decisions you’ll make when starting a business is choosing the right business entity. It’s a decision that impacts many things--from the amount of taxes you pay to howmuch paperwork you have to deal with and what type of personal liability you face. Forms of Business The most common forms of business are Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Limited Liability By Jim Fisher, CPA/PFS,CTC Choosing the Correct Business Entity Companies (LLC), and Corporations. Federal tax law also recognizes another business form called the S-Corporation. While state law controls the formation of your business, federal tax law controls how your business is taxed. What To Consider Businesses fall under one of two federal tax systems, and the first major consideration in choosing the form of doing business is whether
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies to choose an entity that has two levels of tax on income or a pass-through entity that has only one level directly on the owners: 1. Taxation of the entity itself on the income it earns and the owners on dividends or other profit participation the owners receive from the business. C-Corporations fall under this system of federal taxation. 2. “Pass through” taxation. The entity (called a “flow-through” entity) is not taxed, but its owners are each taxed (more or less) on their proportionate shares of the entity’s income. Pass-through entities include: • Sole Proprietorships • Partnerships, of various types • Limited liability companies (LLCs) • “S-Corporations” (S-Corps), as distinguished from C-corporations (C-Corps) The second consideration, which has more to do with business considerations rather than tax considerations, is the limitation of liability (protecting your assets from claims of business creditors). We’ll take a general look at each of the options more closely. This month the focus will be on Sole Proprietorships and nextmonth, onPartnerships, LLC’s and S – and C- Corps. Sole Proprietorships The sole proprietorship is the most c ommon (and easiest) form of business organization. Defined as any unincorporated business owned entirely by one individual. A sole proprietor can operate any type of business (full or part-time) as long as it is not a hobby or an investment. I n general, the owner is also personally liable for all financial obligations and debts of the business. If you are the sole member of a domestic limited liability company (LLC), you are not a sole proprietor if you elect to treat the LLC as a corporation. Types of businesses that operate as sole proprietorships include retail shops, farmers, large companies with employees, home-based businesses, and one-person consulting firms. As a sole proprietor, your net business income or loss is combined with your other income and deductions and taxed at individual rates on your personal tax return. Because sole proprietors do not have taxes withheld from their business income, you may need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if you expect to make a profit. As a sole proprietor, you must also pay self-employment tax on the net income reported. Seek Professional Guidance When making a decision about which type of business entity to choose each business owner must decide which one best meets his or needs. One form of business entity is not necessarily better than any other and obtaining the advice of a tax professional is critical. If youneedassistance figuring out which business entity is best for your business, don’t hesitate to call.
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Our Contributors Author, entrepreneur, IT expert and speaker, Jeanne DeWitt has over 30 years of IT experience helping businesses navigate their way through the ever changing world of technology. Starting CPU, Inc. back in 1986, along with her partner David Hood, she has now become an international, go-tosource for expert advice in the IT Industry including Cloud Services, Infrastructure Security and Support, Cybersecurity, VoIP Phone Technologies, Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Continuity Planning. Connect with Jeanne at her website, Hire An IT Expert as well as on James R Fisher, CPA/PFS, CTC, Wealth Creations Education and Tax Coach has a unique approach to helping people find money they are currently transferring away unknowingly and unnecessarily. His strategy is to have a bigger impact on your financial future by helping you avoid the wealth transfer losses rather than speculating on the next winning investment. Jim specializes in empowering people to take control of their investment decisions, middle class family financial wealth creation and security and tax reduction strategies for small business owners. Connect with Jim Fisher at Fisher Wealth Creations and on Diane Helbig is a business and leadership advisor and trainer, author, award-winning speaker, and podcast host. As president of Helbig Enterprises, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. Diane’s no nonsense, straightforward approach cuts through the noise and allows her clients and training participants opportunities to realistically and enthusiastically implement the plans they devise. Diane is the author of Succeed Without Selling, Lemonade Stand Selling, and Expert Insights. She is the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast. Diane is a member of the Newsweek Expert Forum and NSBA Leadership Council. Connect with Diane at Helbig Enterprises and on Watch Jeanne’s Video Series Watch James’s Video Series Watch Diane’s Video Series Watch Deb’s Video Series Jeanne DeWitt James R Fisher Diane Helbig Debra Reis is a nurse, teacher and author specializing in holistic health and supportive therapies. She is the director and an instructor for the Certification in Clinical Aromatherapy program for the Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy and nationally known expert in the area of essential oils for cancer care. Deb is also a Nia Black Belt instructor with current research and recent publication in the area of Nia benefits for women with a breast cancer diagnosis. She is the founder of the Supportive Therapy Engagement Program (STEP) to assist organizations to implement and integrate supportive therapies into a patient treatment plan for better outcomes. Connect with Deb at DebraReis.com and on Debra Reis Janet Kendall White is founder and CEO of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE and WOSB certified, and award-winning organization for Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors™. For more than two decades Berkshire Group has helped organizations grow through strategic planning facilitation, leadership and culture development and process improvement. Janet is a soughtafter speaker and facilitator locally and nationally and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fortune and Bloomberg Business Week. Connect with Janet at Berkshire Group, Inc. and on Janet Kendall White Would you like to experience more success in your professional or personal life? Reach out to Heather Wiegering, PhD to create personal action plans to remove blocks, reach your goals and live the life of your dreams. For helpful tips, recipes, videos and more, visit WellnessEssentials.Today. Also connect with her on Heather Wiegering The founder of Rembrandt Communications®, LLC, Melanie Rembrandt is an award-winning publicist and copywriter. She has helped thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide find more time to thrive via her articles in leading publications, presentations at Dan Kennedy’s No B.S., Rich Dad, AWAI, PINK, and many other events, and the “Simplify Your Business” podcast. Melanie has appeared on all of the major television networks and is the author of “Simple Publicity,” “Secrets of Becoming a Publicist” and “Dance Class Etiquette.” Not at her desk? You’ll probably find Melanie helping others, kickboxing, dancing, or scuba diving with sharks! Find out more at www.rembrandtwrites.com. Also connect with her on Melanie Rembrandt Watch Heather’s Video Series Mark Roberts is a senior level sales and marketing leader with over 35 years’ experience driving profitable sales growth in market leading organizations. He is the founder and president of OTB Sales where he helps clients diagnose and improve sales effectiveness and hire and develop their sales talent to improve sales results. Mark is an author, public speaker, sales trainer, sales strategist and sales coach and writes the popular business development blog, www. nosmokeandmirrors.com, ranked #1 in fixing sales problems. Connect with Mark at OTB Solutions, LLC and on Watch Mark’s Video Series Mark Roberts
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