Posts in Business Consulting

Networking With Your Chamber

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On this Take A Leap Hump Day, let’s talk about getting out and #networking with your local #chamber.

If you have a #business and you don’t belong to at least one #chamberofcommerce in your area.. shame! The #benefits from a chamber greatly outweigh the costs…if you use them.

Over the last two years, I’ve (as Crosscutter Enterprises) supported my local chamber’s #strategic #planning. One of the things we uncovered is that #businesses that belong and are active in the chamber #stayinbusiness.

#Active, meaning you attend events and #engage with other businesses in your area. Every chamber holds events, like breakfasts, lunches, or evening #mixers, annual events, #ribboncuttings for new businesses, and #educational activities. These provide you the opportunity to #network with other businesses.

Running our #equestrian #business (Fine Print Farms), we joined and got involved with the chamber. Our ribbon cutting/open house was attended by about 150 people! I attend nearly every monthly #membermixer and have gone to several ribbon cutting events. Our business has become a recognized location in the city.

If you want to be #successfulinbusiness, join your local chamber and attend their #networkingevents.

#success #incubator #coach #consultant

Your Number One Motivation

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What is your number one #motivation?

Personally, I am most #motivated by helping others achieve #successes that they weren’t able to achieve themselves.

Being a #success #incubator sometimes means that someone’s success isn’t always easily attributed to you. A few months ago, some people I worked with started talking about building a #consulting approach to their work.

A year prior to that, I had led our team down that journey…moving from an #intakementality to a #consultingmentality (finding and creating the work ourselves). Someone I worked with asked me if it bothered me that someone was taking credit for my ideas and efforts without attributing me for the effort.

I wasn’t bothered at all.

See, it was #motivating to me to see them moving in a #positivedirection. I know and they know where they got the #idea…it’s not necessary for everyone to know.

Recently, I was telling someone that very few people will take the time to #recognize people publicly for what they’ve done. On #socialmedia, few will write a #review or #recommendation, even when you do a great job.

It’s important to be able to pull #motivation out of something #extrinsically versus feeding off the #intrinsic parts of it.

So, what #motivates you?

Blogging Success Ideas

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Are you a #blogger or interested in social media #blogging? Let’s take this Sunday to discuss some Blogging #Success Ideas…please add your own ideas in the comments below 👇

#1 Always load a #video or #picture first. That way, if you use a link, like www.johnknotts-author.com in your post, it won’t automatically create an image link. Posts with videos and pictures get more #visibility with #socialmedia #algorithms.

#2 #Connect #engaging people to your #blog with the @ sign. When posting on your personal profile, your can connect people you respect, like @Matt Scherer, @Pat Whitty, @Joseph Toomer, and @Steve Taubman, this post pops up in their notifications. If they’re engaging in social media, they’ll chime in. You can also #connect business pages like Crosscutter Enterprises and Microsoft to drive people to a page. If posting on your Business Page, it is harder to take people.

#3 #Hashtag strategies work well–really well on #LinkedIn. You put them at the bottom, but you can also tag them right in the #post. They create search links that can connect like material. Use them wisely.

#4 Provide a #calltoaction in your post. Ask #readers to do something, like add their ideas, #like and #share, click the link, etc.

#5 LinkedIn only gives you 1,300 characters … use them wisely. Facebook, however, give you tons of room. However, make sure you make the post enagaging at the start of it’s long so people will click the #readmore link.

Your turn, go…

#incubators #business #mentoring #coaching

Startup Weekend — San Antonio

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Get your tickets today to Techstars Startup Weekend held here in San Antonio, March 22-24, 2019, at Geekdom!

Techstars Startup Weekend is a 54-hour event designed to provide superior experiential education for technical and non-technical entrepreneurs.

Beginning with Friday night pitches and continuing through brainstorming, business plan development, and basic prototype creation, Techstars Startup Weekends culminate in Sunday night demos and presentations.

Participants create working startups during the event and are able to collaborate with like-minded individuals outside of their daily networks. All teams hear talks by industry leaders and receive valuable feedback from local entrepreneurs.

The weekend is centered around action, innovation, and education. Whether you are looking for feedback on an idea, a co-founder, specific skill sets, or a team to help you execute,

Techstars Startup Weekends are the perfect environment in which to test your idea and take the first steps towards launching your own startup.

Get your tickets today:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/techstars-startup-weekend-san-antonio-tickets-54707627988?fbclid=IwAR0PQoHbc7tWK6k7OWA8PFZt-0ZoT9EWumGRJIy2WxvIJ4d8g7bAhuqxplU

Do You Have A Business Plan

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Two thirds of all small businesses do not have a plan (according to a recent survey). However, I believe that number is much higher!

Are you an entrepreneur? Run your own business, even if it’s as a realtor, having a side hustle, or pushing a MLM product? Do you have a written business plan? I’ll bet 9 times out of 10, the answer is, “No.”

Those that actually have a written business plan, when was the last time you looked at it? When was the last time you updated it? When was that last time you used it to drive business decisions? Again, 9 times out if 10 the answer will probably be, “Never.”

Small businesses are twice as likely to succeed when they have a business plan. If it’s a well designed plan, and not something filled in off the internet, the likelyhood significantly increases!

A well designed business plan, built by someone that knows what they’re doing, costs very little. Especially, when you consider the amount of money and time you spend to start and run your business–why would you not invest just a little to increase your likelihood of success two or more times?

Do you have your own business–what is it?
Do you have a business plan?
Do you use your plan?

Look Before You Leap

Business Consulting Meandering Genius Strategic Planning Take A Leap Wednesday

Has anyone ever told you to, “Look before you leap?” If you’re thinking about leaping into a new small business, look before you leap means, create a plan.

Many businesses fail in four years and most fail in ten. There are many reasons why they fail, but the root cause is that they don’t have a good (or any) written plan.

Too often, small business owners think a plan is for getting a loan or an investor. They download a typical business plan template from the internet and fill it out. This is not the purpose of planning and isn’t what lenders are looking for. They want to see that you have thought through your business strategy and have a good implementation approach.

Also, many businesses think they build the plan once and leave it alone after that. A plan should be a living document, annually updated, and quarterly reviewed to ensure you’re on track.

New businesses should create a “Strategic Business Plan.” This contains the typical business plan items a lender looks for, but also overcomes the five reasons 70% of all plans fail. These plans are accompanied by a current “Annual Operational Implementation Plan,” which outlines steps for the year to make the business successful.

Have you looked before you leaped?

Facebook Marketing White Paper

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Three years ago, my wife and I opened up an equestrian business in Bulverde, Texas, where we board horses and train riders. We quickly discovered the importance of Facebook Marketing in this very social business.

Like many small business owners, we struggled to engage our audience on social media. However, as a business consultant, I’ve worked to fully understand the ins-and-outs of the maze of digital advertising — especially advertising without spending money!

I put together a short, helpful white paper called, The Five Deadly Sins of Facebook Marketing.

If you are interested in the FREE white paper, request it via this link: https://mailchi.mp/549ddf9c3390/fds.

What Motivates Us

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I often talk about motivation and its importance. Motivation causes us to act or behave in a certain way. It feeds our willingness or desire to do something.

I believe, all motivation comes from within. People might say, they’re going to “motivate someone,” but it’s like the saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”

Our biggest motivators come from inside us. Being part of something bigger than yourself is a strong motivator of purpose. Companies use pay and benefits as motivators to get people to work for them. That’s perhaps the biggest external motivator a company or boss can provide.

My wife and I own an equestrian facility. There isn’t a lot of money in the equestrian business, unless your a top competitor, huge breeder, or high-society barn. We believe in building a strong understanding and desire in horsemanship. We keep our prices reasonable to allow for many people to afford us, but also run a respected facility. We like it when the people who work with us feel motivated by what we do and our purpose.

Just yesterday, it was an ear-to-ear smile of a kid on a horse that made the job so worthwhile.

It’s these moments that business owners should look for to kindle motivation in their employees.

Share Your Success

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“Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.” – Woody Allen

As we step into the last week of February, what is the one thing you most want to accomplish this week?

For me, this week, I start teaching tomorrow my first business class with Hallmark University — Business Intelligence and Analytics. It’s both an in-person and online course. I want to make this an effective and impactful experience for the students.

So, my one this is: To Deliver Value This Week!

Share with me and everyone else your one thing this week! Let’s make it happen!!!