SimonSeverino HelpsBusineses SprinttoSuces BuildingaStrong Foundationof Trust SpringForward WithFun! HowtoPutanEndto PorlyRunMetings soartosucesmagazine.com
PAT ALTVATER HowToMaintaina PositiveAttitude As A Business Owner Elite Experts Network AFP Marketing PatAltvater.com As an entrepreneur, maintaining a positive attitude is essential to success. Positive thinking leads to better decision making, increased motivation and higher levels of productivity. Here are three strategies for maintaining a positive attitude: 1. Surround yourself with positive people: Surrounding yourself with individuals who are optimistic and encouraging will have an impact on your attitude. Seek out friends, mentors, and colleagues who are positive and have a growth mindset. 2. Practice gratitude: Taking time to acknowledge and appreciate what you have can help shift your focus from what’s going wrong to what’s going right. Make a habit of writing down three things you are thankful for each day. 3. Exercise and take care of your mental health: Exercise and self-care are crucial for maintaining a positive outlook. Regular exercise releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural mood boosters. It’s also important to prioritize your mental health, whether through therapy, mindfulness practices, or simply taking breaks when you need to. I know that maintaining a positive attitude as an entrepreneur requires effort and focus. But when you surround yourself with positive people, practice gratitude, and take care of your physical and mental well-being, you can cultivate a positive outlook that will serve you well in both your personal and professional life.
Personal Growth Strategies SOAR to SUCCESS CONTENTS Magazine 04. 10. 14. 16. 12. 32. 30. 28. 19. 27. 20. 22. 24. 34. 36. Core Business Strategies Business Acceleration Strategies As An MSP Do I Need A USP? By Jeanne DeWitt Building a Strong Foundation of Trust By Jack Klemeyer Employee Engagement and the Intentional Leader By Lisa Ryan The Four “D’s “of Scaling Up Your Business By Mark Allen Roberts Use QuickBooks To Get Your Finances in Order for 2023 By Jim Fisher How to Put an End to Poorly Run Meetings By Janet Kendall White Spring Forward With Fun! By Melanie Rembrandt Book Recommendation Reinvention Uncensored Going The Extra Mile? By Pat Bennett Communication for Sales Professionals By Karen Cupp Are You At The Top Of Your Game By Megan Patton Our Favorite Videos Our Contributors Cover Feature: Simon Severino Helps Businesses Sprint to Success
Simon Severino Helps Businesses Sprint to Success
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article For the past 21 years, Simon Severino has been a strategy advisor and business coach that helps B2B agency owners get their businesses out of the weeds and increase their profitability. He has developed a system that can double their revenue in as little as 90 days. “I love helping entrepreneurs grow their business. Even after all this time I am energized when a client is successful. They are happy and more relaxed, plus they become better fathers, mothers and friends. They now have time for life again. Their business gives them fulfillment. All that positive energy, I get it all of back from them along with their gratitude.” Solve Three Issues and Double Your Revenue in 90 Days Simon understands what it takes to make a business successful and double revenue in 90 days. “Every B2B business exhibits similar patterns and problems. If we target three of the most important issues in any business, we can improve that business substantially in as little as 90 days.” One of the main issues for any B2B business is the length of the sales cycle. For most businesses initial contact to point of sale can take months, or years. Older studies have found that it took on average eight experiences with a new customer before a sale was made. Today that number is 13 client touches before a sale is consummated. That many touches can take months even years. “Shortening the sales cycle is problem number one. We first must shorten that from months to a couple of weeks.” The second issue for a struggling business is the sales conversion rate. He teaches his clients how to increase the percentage of sales from every contact. “If your closing ratio is lower than 25%, then your sales process needs an upgrade. We have seen closing ratios as high as 90% in our ‘Sprint Program.’ A simple tweaking to better qualify future clients and filter out the unprofitable ones will yield immediate benefits. Quit wasting time on clients that are not going to buy from you anyway.” Content marketing can also help with this issue. Blogging becomes a soft introduction to clients, plus it can help a client recognize a problem and understand that you are someone that can solve it for them, which in turn helps increase your sales conversion rate.
The third piece of the puzzle and often the most difficult for business owners to accept is to increase their pricing by 25%. Simon has found that most B2B businesses are undercharging for their products, or services. With 21 years of experience in consultation and more than 1,600 Sprint analyses completed, he has found this to be a fact. “We know that most business owners are under charging, plus they invoice at the end of the month. This is not the correct billing method. We separate time and income and package every offer to make better use of time. Service businesses especially, need to productize their proposals and expect payment at the beginning of the contract, not later.” This strategy alone can double a business’ income, but it can also require training and a confidence boost. “Most salespeople, including business owners, need
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article refresher courses on the proper sales techniques. We ask our clients to tape a typical sales call, we analyze it and use it to teach them to improve their pitch. After the price is given, the sales person must not speak. They cannot defend or apologize for their pricing. Silence in a sales presentation is very powerful.” The most difficult thing in the sales process is rejection, or not making the sale. Simon helps his clients understand that making a sale is simply uncovering the truth together. “Through talking with a prospect, a need is found and then you just help them find a solution to that particular problem. Much like you would do with a friend.” He also shared the importance of watching the prospects body language. “When initiating a sales discussion, it is important to watch the customer’s body language. Are they interested? Are they moving forward? Do they ask about the offer? Do their eyebrows go up or down during the conversation?” Strategy Sprints In his book, “Strategy Sprints” Simon has created a cookbook, or a template for diagnosing and solving growth problems for businesses. “When I sit down with my staff and discuss lower than expected sales numbers, we usually end up going back to a certain chapter in the book and find a step that we have skipped in our own marketing process.” The book has 12 chapters, or ‘Sprints.’ They do not need to be read in order, a reader can
find the chapter that deals with their particular problem and learn more. “If they have hiring issues, they jump to the chapters on hiring. If they need to improve sales, they jump directly to the sales chapter. It’s like a cookbook, you don’t read from beginning to end, just find your recipe for success.” One of the concepts Simon believes in is Return on Luck (ROL). Even though his clients follow the same programs and advice, some outperform others, why? “We found that a target, or goal must be made more specific, or smaller.” While everyone works hard to be successful, their efforts may be too wide in focus. Goals need to be specific and results analyzed every day, not weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Smaller samples with immediate feedback will provide a better overall understanding of one’s market and strengths. Adjustments can then be made to improve that area, or aspect of the business for future success. “When you have a better understanding of your market, your ROL increases exponentially.” Simon has created a “Joint Venture Club.” It is a small group of 50 people that help each other stay motivated and challenged to be better.
3 Keys to Soar to Success When Soar to Success asked Simon what three personality traits he finds in most successful people, he said they follow a certain set of habits, which are: 2 1 3 Weekly Habit “The weekly habit is, tracking three numbers most relevant for my endeavors, that tell me if I’m moving forward in the right direction at the right pace, it can be a marketing number, a sales number, or operations number for that week.” Daily Habit “How did I allocate my time today? What have I delegated to tomorrow?” Monthly Habit “The monthly habit is checking this strategic landscape, what else can my clients do on their own? What else can they do without changing anything? Where am I winning against my competitors? Where am I losing? How do I spend my time accordingly next month to cut 15% from the losing segments, and increase the two features where I’m winning?” SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article “We want the Joint Venture Club to be made up of other business owners, similar to us that can bring their super powers to the group, increase our networking and bring additional value to the group.” Simon currently resides in Vienna, Austria and has three children that keep him busy. He enjoys sports with his friends, is a voracious reader and writer. He still wants to learn and is constantly trying to find something new. He is building a franchise system, so other countries are using the strategy sprints method. Every month, one, or two new areas of the world adopt his methods. “I’m getting challenged by life every day. I take it, and I play with it.” We enjoyed our podcast with Simon; watch it on YouTube or listen on iTunes. To learn more about Simon, his company and how he can help you double your revenues in 90 days visit: www.strategysprints.com. His book “Strategy Sprints” can also be found on Amazon.
As An MSP Do I Need A USP? By Jeanne DeWitt Are you an MSP with a USP? Probably not. With all the MSPs I’ve talked to I’ll say that less than 1% have a USP. Do you need one? Yes. Let me explain why. As you know, the MSP industry is highly competitive. Everyone that thinks they know computers can throw up a website and call themselves anMSP these days, it’s sad, but true. However, put yourself in your prospect’s shoes. If they need IT services, they will probably google “IT services in X city” and they will find many MSPs with very little differentiation. Whowill your prospect choose to call? It’s a roll of the dice. So, what do you do? First, let’s clarify what a USP is. A USP is a unique selling proposition or point that explains to your prospects why they should buy from you instead of your competitor. Many MSPs think that a USP is a cliched slogan like “#1 IT Service Provider in X city”, however, it is not. A USP is the foundation of a marketing strategy. It forms thefoundationsforthecreationofyourwebsite, ads, keywords, audiences, podcast, and more. I can tell you from years of experience that if
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies and be so far ahead of everyone else that it makes it almost impossible to compete. Take a look at these famous USPs. Dominoes started as a small pizza company in Michigan and developed a USP of “We GUARANTEE – Fresh hot pizza, delivered in 30 minutes or less or it’s free!”, backed the USP and grew to a billion-dollar company. FedEx developed the USP “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight”, backed the USP and went from being a small courier service based in Tennessee to one of the largest companies in the world. As you can see, the right USP works. If you want to learn more about how to grow your MSP, Cloud Services For MSPs can help. Give me a call or join our complementary Cloud Academy at CloudServicesForMSPs.com. you want to be a successful MSP you must have a clear USP. So how do you create one? Start by answering these 5 questions: 1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors? 2. Why do your clients like you? 3. What makes you better than your competitors? 4. What do you offer that your competitors don’t? 5. What problems do you solve for your clients? A USP can be a few words, or it can be a paragraph. It defines what makes you different, unique and desirable. Use the answers to these questions to start. A final note is that a USP should be difficult to deliver. If it were easy, everyone would do it. It has to have real teeth
The Four “D’s “of Scaling Up Your Business By Mark Allen Roberts I’ve helped several businesses scale over the past 37 years. Like building a racecar to outperform all the other cars on the track, scaling- up your business means your team is firing on all cylinders. We have no time for key project stalls or new product launches to backfire. and conditioning and decisionmaking processes must be finetuned to perfection. What are the four “D’s” we need to focus on to win race after race? First, you and your team must be drivers of personal When your company is scaling up, there is a lot to consider. Suppose you don’t want to run out of gas (cash ) as you reach speeds you have never experienced before. We cannot lose track of strategic decisions; your pit crew structure driver training
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies Finally, it’s essential that you know which questions are the most pressing ones and start making decisions. When scaling up, a company should begin by tackling the biggest issues first, then working through other problems – in the same way you might start planning for a race by tuning up the engine, then moving on to the right tires for the track conditions, refuel strategy, and the aerodynamics of your body design. So, the four D’s are drivers, demands, discipline, and decisions. Is your team prepared to scale- up in 2023? Are any gaps in your people, strategy, execution, or cash that would prevent you from winning in 2023? If your team has decided to win the race of scaling up your business, driving revenue growth 2X to 5X over the next 3-5 years we would be honored to help you win the race. and economic growth. One-on-one coaching is essential for employees to stay focused and motivated. We inspect what we expect and keep team members focused on achieving their key deliverables, even when we have unexpected debris on the raceway Secondly, leaders must also find the balance between the demands of their owners and the actual processes of doing their work. Even though your company’s processes must be profitable, keeping your reputation with your stakeholders in mind is also essential. We accomplish this balance by creating a customtailored strategy. To execute your strategy successfully, you’ll need to implement routines to enable sufficient discipline – the third D. With a defined target in mind, you’ll be able to prioritize effectively. Another aspect of discipline is a regular meeting routine and cadence, complemented by constant data review.
Trust is the foundation of all successful interpersonal relationships, both personal and in business. Trust is the confidence or belief a person feels toward a particular person or group. Trust is, therefore, one of the primary binding forces in any interpersonal relationship. It permits people to overcome doubts and unknowns and enjoy peace of mind. The absence of trust causes confusion, worry, Building a Strong Foundation of Trust By Jack Klemeyer inaction, and fear. When interpersonal trust is present, a person feels a confidence that everything will somehow work out. In the workplace, trust is a prerequisite for effective interpersonal communications. Without trust, employees may feel uncertainty, worry, andasenseof insecurity.Norelationship, personal or business, can exist for even a short
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies - - Learn to trust those who work for you - trust is a two-way street – Assume trust until proven otherwise. Employees want three things from their managers: • Do you care about me? • Can you help me? • Can I trust you? Building trust in the workplace is vital for a long-lasting, satisfying, rewarding, and successful relationship. Effective managers practice behaviors that promote and build trusting relationships. They learn to do this with consistent actions each day. In return they obtain the benefits of high-trust employee relations. These benefits include higher morale, increased initiative, improved honesty, and better productivity. All are important aspects of a profitable and rewarding business experience. period of time if some element of trust is not present. Trust is an essential leadership training ingredient that binds any human relationship into an effective, working partnership. Even though trust is fundamental to human relationships, it is actually misunderstood by many people. People use trust, or the lack of it, to explain good and bad relationships with others. Consider the cliché phrases: “Don’t worry, you can trust me” and “Just trust me.” Trust has become both a buzzword and an excuse in our society. Trust is asmuch abused as it is used in today’s business world. It is used to define and explain; yet few leadership training programs have seriously considered what it is and what it is not. Psychologists are just beginning to learn how trust really works. Research suggests that trusting relationships are predictable, caring, and faithful. When a manager’s behavior is consistent over a period of time and another person can reasonably predict that behavior, trust is possible. By contrast, it is difficult to trust a person whose actions are inconsistent or unpredictable. As the boss, here are some behaviors you should consider consistently applying: - - Make yourself as visible as possible – Be with your people. - - Show yourself to be approachable – Hold conversations in confidence. - - Always be willing to listen to others – Listen to understand not to respond. - - Never askanemployee todo something you would not be willing to do yourself – Lead the way Building trust in the workplace is vital for a long-lasting, satisfying, rewarding, and successful relationship.
Employee Engagement and the Intentional Leader By Lisa Ryan Intentional leadership is a proactive approach to leadership that involves constantly seeking out opportunities for personal and professional development and providing development opportunities for employees. This type of leadership is essential in improving employee engagement and workplace culture, as it objectives for the team while also being attuned to each employee’s unique needs and concerns. By recognizing that each team member brings their unique skills and experiences to the table and providing opportunities for them to contributeandgrow, leaderscan create a sense of purpose and meaning for their employees. This can increase employee demonstrates a commitment to the organization’s and its employees’ growth and wellbeing. One of the critical benefits of intentional leadership is the ability to strike a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of individual employees. This means setting clear goals and
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies and maintain their well-being, leaders can create a positive and supportive work environment that promotes the physical and mental health of their employees. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction and loyalty, as employees feel supported and valued by their leaders. Overall, the value of intentional leadership in improving employee engagement and workplace culture cannot be overstated. By actively seeking out opportunities for personal and professional development and providing development opportunities for employees, leaders can create a positive and supportive work environment that attracts top talent and keeps it there. In addition, by striking a balance between the needs of the organization and the needs of individual employees, communicating effectively, and expressing empathy and understanding, leaders can foster a sense of purpose, trust, and collaboration within the team, leading to increased employee engagement and satisfaction. engagement and motivation, as employees feel valued and recognized for their contributions. Effective communication is another crucial aspect of intentional leadership. By being available and accessible to employees, listening actively, and being open to feedback, leaders can foster a sense of trust and collaboration within the team. This can lead to improved communication and problem-solving, as employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns with their leaders. In addition, clear and transparent communication can build trust and respect within the team, leading to a more cohesive and productive work environment. In addition to these benefits, intentional leadership can also improve employee engagement by promoting a sense of empathy and understanding. By taking the time to listen and understand their employees’ needs and concerns and by providing resources and support to help them manage their workload
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Your Next Five Moves By Patrick Bet-David “Your Next Five Moves” by Patrick Bet-David is a thought-provoking and insightful book that provides practical strategies for achieving success in business and in life. The author draws upon his experience as a successful entrepreneur and CEO to offer readers a roadmap for developing the mindset and skills needed to achieve their goals. The book is organized into five sections, each of which focuses on a different aspect of strategic thinking and decision-making. The author covers a range of topics, from the importance of understanding your strengths and weaknesses to the value of networking and building relationships. One of the book’s key strengths is its emphasis on the importance of developing a long-term vision and strategic plan. Bet-David provides numerous examples and case studies to illustrate the power of strategic thinking and how it can be used to achieve success in both business and life. Another key takeaway from the book is the importance of taking calculated risks and embracing uncertainty. The author emphasizes that success often requires taking bold action and making difficult decisions and provides practical tips for managing risk and navigating uncertainty. Overall, “YourNext FiveMoves” is ahighlyengaging and informative book that is suitable for anyone looking to develop the skills andmindset needed to succeed in business and in life. The author’s writing style is clear and accessible, and the book is filled with practical advice and real-world examples that make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to achieve their goals. By Pat Altvater About the Author Patrick Bet-David is an entrepreneur, author, and CEO of PHP Agency, a financial services company. He was born in Iran and immigrated to the United States at the age of 12. After serving in the U.S. Army, he began his career in finance and later started a technology startup. Bet-David is also the founder of Valuetainment, amedia company that provides educational content on entrepreneurship and business. He is the author of the best-selling book “Your Next Five Moves” and has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets, including Forbes and Entrepreneur magazine. Bet-David is known for his strategic thinking, entrepreneurial mindset, and commitment to helping others achieve success. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Book Recommendation
Going The Extra Mile? By Pat Bennett “One of the most important principles of success is developing the habit of going the extra mile.” – Napoleon Hill If you want to get ahead, the answer is to go the extra mile. Going the extra mile means surpassing expectations – not just by ticking all the boxes, but by completing additional goals that can help you to achieve even more. Renowned international author Dr Wayne W. Dyer once said that “It’s never crowded along the extra mile”. Dyer’s point is that not many people put in the extra effort needed to surpass expectations. That means if you go the extra mile, you’ll not just achieve more, you’ll also stand out. Going the extra mile doesn’t necessarily mean working more hours or investing more money. These actions will help, but surpassing expectations can be as simple as thinking outside of the box. When you’re presented with a task, ask yourself – what can I do to go further?
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies You should also ask yourself – what do people want or need? What are others doing to fulfil those needs? What can I do to stand out, and provide that something extra? When I was a college adjunct instructor, students who asked for additional reference or practice materials or showed up early to class to ask questions demonstrated a willingness to go the extra mile. These students consistently scored higher marks on exams, year over year. And they were the first students to step in and help their classmates in explaining difficult material. In business, it’s just common sense that the more committed people are to their work, the more they’re going to put in and the more your business will get out. The evidence bears this out: engagement levels predict profitability. In The Extra Mile: How to Engage People, authors David MacLeod and Chris Brady comprehensively address the issue of building competitive edge by harnessing the energies of an engaged workforce. The Extra Mile is the result of four years of research into engagement by a joint team from Cass Business School and Towers Perrin. This ambitious, wide-ranging project drew on the results of various studies and surveys which together totaled 33 million respondents. In my own experience, it was critically important that I understood how my efforts fit into the overall mission of an organization and to the team. By feeling invested, I was more inclined to expand my time and attention to the work. How can you go the extra mile in everyday life? Observe and act in your daily life. What do you see? What drives you crazy? And what are you doing about it? It irritates me when I see trash on the floor. I choose to practice the discipline of going the extra mile by picking up the trash instead of waiting for someone else to take care of it. Doesn’t matter if no one notices. This simple response is an opportunity for me to go the extra mile. Painlessly.
Communication for Sales Professionals By Karen Cupp Successful communication comes when you take time to develop it. Building a trusted relationship with others comes through well planned communication; engaging with your audience in a way he or she best receives. As professionals we are here to serve our clients to solve their problem. To do this we have to develop our communication skills, relay our sincerity, and build their certainty that we are the right professional. Developing scripts for every conversation will help you to build confidence and better communication which leads to more sales and more success. All actors, comedians, news anchors have scripts. You don’t really notice it because they are so natural. This happens because they have carefully crafted their script and practiced it. With intention and practice your honed skills will set you up as a likeable and trustworthy expert in your field. Below are a few tips to get you started: First, what is your commitment objective when you call or meet with someone. This sounds simple however it requires you to be completely present which automatically contributes to better communication. The commitment objective encourages you to intentionally ask yourself what do you hope
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies to achieve in the interaction. Often we try to fit too many objectives in the meeting and we totally confuse the recipient. Delivery of your communication differs with different type of personality styles. Building and maintaining rapport comes through understanding and adapting your engagement style. For example if you are communicating with a “D” personality on the DISC profile you will adapt your style to be more to the point. They react best with the directness. On the other hand, when you communicate with an “I” they need a lot more social interaction before you get to the point. If you are too abrupt you may insult them. Develop language patterns to always maintain rapport and build certainty in your clients. Maintaining rapport comes through developing questions that allow you to better understand the client and what their needs or pain points are. Remember you are always here to serve and solve their problem. Follow these questions by using a technique called micro agreements. This is an engagement technique that build rapport with the client. For example, following a statement with things such as “fair enough, or do you like the idea” will keep the person engaged and check the pulse of the conversation. Never rush the process in communication. Build rapport with the client so that it becomes their idea to choose you to complete their goals. Build a script that allows you to follow the process will lead to ultimate success. Breaking it down into a small commitment objective will keep you on point every time you communicate. You owe it to your clients!
In order to maximize your effectiveness as a business owner or leader of an organization, you’ve got to be at the top of your game. Everything needs to be in sync a majority of the time. You might be thinking – I AM at the top of my game: my business is going well, I’ve got things under control, and we are hitting all of our targets! If so, that’s great! But are you really as effective as you possibly could be? I challenge you to take a look at six different areas of your life (jot down each of these on a separate piece of paper): Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual, Relational and Self. For each of these categories – think about (and document) what is going really well. Where are your successes? Next, what gaps do you see in each area – from where you are now to where you’d like to be? Identify each of those gaps and document them on the paper. Are You At The Top Of Your Game? By Megan Patton
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies Next step: considering all you have done to this point in each area – think about what one area could benefit the most from some increased attention? We are looking for the biggest bang for the buck here. Once that has been identified as a top priority, I want you to think about all of the negative impacts the gaps in this area present in your life.What do these gaps prevent you from doing, how are they holding you back in your life? After you’ve done that, jot down the positive implications of closing each of the gaps you’ve identified. Remember – as a first stepwe are only working on the area you’ve identified as Top Priority. Finally, identify all of the potential solutions or strategies you can employ tobegin to close each gap in your priority area. This is your roadmap to improvement. Out of all the possible solutions you’ve identified, pick the one that is most easily implementable and set a timeline for starting. Ideally, you should pick something you can do this week. Going through this simple exercise – repeating each step for each of the 6 life buckets will put you into a mode of continuous improvement in your personal effectiveness. This simple adjustment will reap benefits into your professional life and will improve your overall business outlook. If you’d like a complimentary worksheet to help you walk through this process, contact me at mpatton@odastrategy. com and I’ll send it to you right away.
Jason Towers Partner WillowMarket and Primos BBQ Connect with him at: https://www.facebook.com/ WillowMarketMI https://www.facebook.com/ PrimosBBQ Be sure to watch this interview where I speak to Jason Towers about his reinvention story. You’ll here how Jason and his cousin started with a food truck, found a location for it and then moved after they bought an upscale grocery and beer/ wine store. There are several things you can learn from Jason by watching this video: 1. Start your business because the public wants what you’ve got. 2. When you realize things aren’t ideal, shift right away. 3. Always be thinking of how to help others and stay relevant when the environment changes. 4. Continually innovate. Even during Covid, Primos BBQ and Willow Market thrived and now their new Greenhouse (entertainment) space is thriving. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Reinvention Uncensored Reinvention Uncensored / Soar to Success Podcast
No more blah, grey days of winter. Yay! Spring officially arrives this month, and you are probably looking forward to more sunshine and warmer days outside with friends and family. Well, what about your business? You’ve worked hard for two months in this new year to grow and meet your goals, so maybe it’s… Time to Spring Forward With Some Business Fun! F – Find new opportunities, people and activities. It can be easy (and boring!) to do the same things every day at work. This month, why not try some new things to spark fresh business ideas? For example, you can read new publications outside of your industry to get a different perspective on things, check out the latest technology and software solutions to help solve various business problems and attend events (or create your own) to meet people, learn new things, get away from the office setting… or just have fun! Spring Forward With Fun! (You know you and your business need it!) By Melanie Rembrandt Everyone needs a break from the same, hum drum schedule and to have something enjoyable to look forward to in the future. With this inmind, plan some special activities for you and your team members to help boost comradery, get the creative juices flowing and have a good time. U – Uncover the secrets hiding in your business. When was the last time you reviewed everything going on at your business?
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies Instead, what if you focused on what makes you happy, if just for a fewminutes? Write down all of your successes and the things you are thankful for right now. Then, note all of the things you want to accomplish in the weeks ahead including vacation plans and fun, personal activities that give you joy. You’ll feel better instantly and have a more positive mindset moving forward. Spring is here, and it’s time for a refresh! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the flower buds are peaking out. It’s time for a fresh start and to bring the FUN back into your business… and life! Find exciting new opportunities and activities, uncover solutions by reviewing your data and note your accomplishments and goals. And that’s how you add a little spring to your step and business sales! Set some time aside to check all of your marketing results, sales numbers, employee productivity, and other data. You may uncover valuable insights and then you could: • Cancel expensive software licenses and subscriptions you don’t use; • Resend a marketing message that really resonates with your customers to boost sales right away; and • Hire a new virtual assistant costeffectively who can do all of your mundane administrative tasks for you… and more! What will you discover? Yourreviewmayendupsavingyourself thousands of dollars and hours, and that’s fun stuff! N – Note what makes you happy. As entrepreneurs, we tend to focus on what’s not working so that we can fix it.
I was speaking with a colleague the other day and the subject of meetings came up. Why is it that years after facilitator training came on the scene, books on how to run effective meetings, workbooks, and numerous blogs and articles have been written, there are still poorly run meetings in pretty much every arena? A couple of decades ago another consultant and I were asked to do facilitator training. At the time there were no books on the shelf, and there were no certified “master facilitators”, but our client thought that’s exactly what we were: master facilitators. And theywantedmeetings in their organization to be more effective. Howto Put an End to Poorly RunMeetings We looked at each other with that squintyeyed bewilderment and discussed the fact that we weren’t sure exactly what we did to make meetings so effective. It was natural for us. Then we realized that the combination of our management and leadership experience, our training at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, and our desire to develop people all played a part in why we made running meetings look so easy and why we were so effective. It wasn’t rocket science – or was it? Two decades later, after teaching hundreds of people facilitation training, it reminds me of the old sand dollar poem, “to that one I made By Janet Kendall White
a difference”. Individually, many people have told me that our training was a turning point in their career, that it was the most impactful training in their career, and other such wonderful testimonies. I love those accolades for our training. There are many good books and trainers out there, yet have we moved the dial on meetings in general? Ask yourself this: 1. Have you been invited to a meeting recentlywithout knowingwhy youwere going and what was expected of you? 2. Have you gotten to ameeting that didn’t have an agenda? 3. Have you attended one where you determined that multi-tasking was OK because you really didn’t need to give others in the room your full attention? 4. Have you looked around and seen that those pretending to take notes really were answering emails or worse yet surfing the web? 5. Have you been in a meeting where you just couldn’t wait to get out of the room because the conversation had gone nowhere or was it a repeat of the last such conversation? 6. Have you known that the person running the meeting was missing input from half the people because they didn’t give space for others to think before responding or didn’t give them information in advance? This could go on a long time…we all know the answers to those questions and havemanymore examples of poorly run meetings. If you have been taught facilitation and answer the above questions in the affirmative, what is your role and responsibility? Are you a victim SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies of your circumstances? I don’t think so, even though I too fall prey to that mindset. As a participant, I can help. I can choose not to check out, multi-task, or display other dysfunctional behavior. Bringing people together in person or via technology is costly even when done well. When it’s done poorly it is a downright waste of money with other negative impacts. It decreases engagement, trust, performance, productivity, and results. Together we can move the dial. If you don’t know how to run effective, productive, engaging meetings, then get help. If you do, not only should you run your own meetings that way, but you should help others do the same. See this blog to better understand how to capitalize on understanding personalities when running meetings. To learn more about our facilitator training, click here. Bringing people together in person or via technology is costly even when done well. When it’s done poorly it is a downright waste of money with other negative impacts. It decreases engagement, trust, performance, productivity, and results.
Now that it’s the new year, it’s time for a fresh start in a lot of ways, including your bookkeeping. But you can’t look ahead very effectively if you’re not sure where you are now, so it is strongly recommended that you take stock of the state of your QuickBooks company file. Are you caught up on bills? Do customers need to be invoiced? Are any of them past due on their payments to you? QuickBooks is great at customer and vendor management, transaction processing, and reports. It can also serve as a barometer of your overall financial health. Let’s take a look at what you can do to update your company file and get ready for the challenges coming in 2023. By Jim Fisher, CPA/PFS, CTC Use QuickBooks To Get Your Finances in Order for 2023 Who Do You Owe? You can easily find out what bills you need to pay using QuickBooks. The first thing you should do is run an A/P Aging Detail report. Open the Report Center (Reports | Report Center) and click Vendors & Payables. Locate the report and click the green arrow button. When the report opens, click Customize Report in the upper if you want to change the Dates. Then look to see if any bills are past due. Double-click on any row to see the original bill and pay it. You can also run the Unpaid Bills Detail report. Figure 1: The Unpaid Bills Detail report. Who Owes You? Your customers might have let invoice payments slip. Two reports can help you find out who is in arrears. Open the Report Center again and click Customers &Receivables. Run the A/RAging Detail report and look at the Aging column to see if any customers have gone past due on payments. Open Invoices, too, can alert you to those customers.
How Should You Approach Past-Due Customers? This is a problem for every small business. You don’t want to come on too strong and threaten the goodwill you’ve built with your customers, but you have your cash flow to consider. Here are some approaches: • Set up payment reminders so you’ll remember to send follow-up emails. Go to Edit | Preferences | Payments | Company Preferences. Answer the questions under Payment Reminders. • Automate reminders. Open the Customers menu and select Payment Reminders | Schedule Payment Reminders. This step is a little complicated; you may want our help. You’ll be creating schedules to automate the sending of invoices or statements at intervals you define. So you might dispatch an invoice to All customers when their payments are 15 days after the due date, for example. Click Add reminder to see the default text for the email accompanying the invoice and edit it. • • Figure 2: QuickBooks can automatically send out reminder invoices and statements when customers are a specific number of days past due. • • Send a handwritten note. This is only realistic, of course, if your customer base is small or isn’t often delinquent on payments. Handwritten notes are so SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies unusual these days that they’re more likely to get noticed than an email. Don’t know how to create statements in QuickBooks? Go to Customers | Create Statements. Here, you’ll tell QuickBooks who should receive statements and specify any other preferences you might have for their content. How Do You Turn On Reminders? Turning on the Reminders tool in QuickBooks can help keep you current on bills, invoices, and other critical tasks. Open the Edit menu and click Preferences. Click Reminders and make sure the box is checked under the My Preferences tab so Reminders will open every time you run QuickBooks. Click Company Preferences and tell QuickBooks which reminders youwant to see and when. Figure 3: QuickBooks’ Reminders tool can help you stay current with bills and invoices, and other critical activities. Making 2023 a Better Year Using QuickBooks Tools Now that you know how to clean up your receivables and payables from 2022, next month’s topic will discuss steps you can take in QuickBooks to make 2023 a more productive - and hopefully, prosperous - year, including evaluating your inventory.
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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, goto-source 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 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 Diane’s Video Series Watch Tina’s Video Series Jeanne DeWitt Diane Helbig Tina began her career in public accounting in 1994 while earning her undergraduate degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business. In July 2002, she spun off on her own, formed A.C.T. Services, obtained her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, and began building her business. Her practice has grown to greater than 1,200 clientele and over a dozen staff members. Tina is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Indiana CPA Society. Connect with CPA, Tina Moe, at A.C.T. Services and on Tina Moe Janet Kendall White is founder of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE and WOSB certified award-winning organization. Janet and Berkshire Group have been developing leaders, teams, boards, and organizations for more than two decades. Through strategic planning, group facilitation and one on one coaching Janet has a track record of success. She is a sought-after speaker and facilitator locally and nationally, has authored several training books and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fortune and Bloomberg Business Week. Connect with Janet at Berkshire Group, Inc. and on Janet Kendall White Stella Nsong is the state director of the Ohio Elder Care Planning Council and the creator and care designer of the unique program called Assisted Living At Home. With over two decades of experience as a registered nurse, she practices as a certified professional geriatric care manager, elder care consultant and a certified Delay The Disease instructor. Stella is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer and health care columnist. In 1990, she won the Gold Medal for practical nursing in Georgia. Connect with Stella at StellaNsong. com and on Stella Nsong Melanie Rembrandt is an award-winning publicist, content strategist and speaker who helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs have more time to thrive! If you want to boost sales, awareness and credibility fast with an experienced, Fractional PR Director and a unique combination of targeted, SEO copywriting and public relations, get more information at Rembrandt Communications, https:// www.rembrandtwrites.com and on Melanie Rembrandt Watch Stella’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 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 Ph ne Technologies, Enterprise Resour Planning and Busi ess Co tinuity 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 str tegy is to have a bigger impact on your financial future by h lping you avoid the wealth tra fer 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 owner . n ect 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 oper te more constructively and profi ably. Diane’s no nonsense, straightforward r ch 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 James’s Video Series Watch Diane’s Video Series Deb Jeanne DeWitt James R Fisher Diane Helbig Debra Reis is a nurs , teacher and uthor 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 ounder of the Supportiv Therapy Engagement Program STE ) to assist organ zations to implement and integrate supportive therapies into a patient treatment plan for better outcomes. Connect with Deb at DebraReis.com and on Debra Reis enda l White is founder and CEO of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE an WOSB certified, and award-win ing organization fo Everything DiSC® and The Five Behavior ™. For more than two decades Berkshire Group has helped organiz ions grow throu h strateg c planni g facilitation, leadership and culture d velopment and process mprovemen . Janet is soughtafter speaker f cilit tor locally and nationally and has een featured in Entrepreneur, Fortu e and Bloomberg Business Week. Would you like to experience more success in your professional or personal life? Reach out to Heather Wiegering, PhD to create personal tion plans to remove blocks, reach your goals and live the life of your dreams. For helpful tips, recipes, videos and mor , 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. Sh 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 “Danc 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 Watch Hea her 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 p pular 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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