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There are certain things that you should always consider before a meeting with a client. Keep in mind they are taking time out of their busy day to meet with you so they must see some kind of potential. Make sure you don’t disappoint them at all costs.

Don’t Lack Preparedness

Make sure that you have everything you need in place the day BEFORE the meeting. Don’t wait until the last minute.  If you do, you are almost guaranteed to miss  or forget something.

• Have all paperwork ready, spellcheck and send to them via PDF a day or two in advance.
• Make sure you know the route to get to the meeting
• Have your suit or outfit ready the night before

NEVER take a personal call before a client meeting.

I took a personal call before my meeting and my friend wanted me to advise her on her failing event. I was just supposed to remind her that we were having drinks to talk about these t things things things night but she unleaded then and there. In the process.. my navigation system was screwing up and I was on an access road and there was no safe place to stop to fix it. Let me tell you how everything after that failed as well because I didn’t tell her I would call her back.

• I could not get a word in edgewise because she was rambling on and on
• I ended up getting lost and she was still talking and the clock was ticking, I was on an access road and there was no place to stop to reset the navigation.
• I finally told her I had to call her back
• After I told her i would call her back, I was at least 10 miles out of the way and I had less than 10 minutes to get there.
• I got back on the road and was driving even further away from my destination. I had to call the client to tell him I would be running late.
• Finally, I relayed my navigation was looking for the exact address in another city on the other side of town.
• I had to cancel the meeting
• FORTUNATELY, I have known this client for 20 years and I don’t think it will have much of a bearing on our relationship BUT had this been a new client that was exited about my project this could have been a disaster.

Days once spent working alongside the likes of T.I., Lil’ Kim and Timbaland are now filled with coffee, typography and pixels. After 16 years in the music industry, Erik Ford exited his office at Atlantic Records to become a self-taught, award-winning designer, and one of the few people of color to be recognized in his industry.

When record labels began their shift from a mighty force to minor relevancy, Erik Ford, then VP of Urban Promotions at Atlantic Records, became one of many victims of downsizing. The Harlem native, who got his start in the mailroom at Profile Records, bid goodbye to the music industry and turned a web design hobby into a full fledged second career.

Although the creative arts played an early role in Erik’s life, when he began drawing his comic books heroes as a way to escape his sometimes challenging childhood, he never had any type of formal art or design training. As he began his foray into web design, Erik had to become teacher and student in an industry that seemed to be lacking in minority participation.

It’s a complex issue that rarely gets addressed, according to Ford. “I will start off by saying that I have never encountered racism, overt or otherwise, in this industry,” he states. “But when you look at any of the large convention panels, for example, are we to believe that are no ‘experts’ who are not white or male? Why are people of color so under represented?”

In ” Designers Still Fight for a Seat at the Table – Are They Finding Success?” (Huffington Post), Jessica Cumberbatch Anderson writes about the lack of minorities in the design field, stating: “Some experts blame a pipeline effect that stems from underfunded art programs at the high school level. Others say it’s a case of black designers simply not being invited to the table. What most insiders agree on, however, is that diversity in design makes for a much richer experience, both for the design community and for the consuming public.”

In its most recent survey, conducted in 2011, A List Apart, “The Survey for People who Make Websites,” asked its participants about their ethnicity. For those who took part in this survey, over 15,000 people responded, and the results are as follows:

– Whites accounted for 87.1%
– Asians accounted for 4.6%
– Latinos accounted for 4.0%
– African Americans accounted for 1.2%

In the findings, A List Apart states: “As in past years, respondents are mostly Caucasian. These results have not significantly changed in the five years the survey has been conducted.”

Ford understands the importance of being visible in an industry that presently lacks people of color. He hopes to be one of those who can act as a role model for children and young adults who may want to enter the field. “They can look at us and say ‘I can do it, too.’”

About Erik Ford
Erik Ford is an award winning web designer and one of the founding principals of Heavy Heavy creative studio. He grew up in Harlem, New York and studied at Wesleyan University, where he received his degree in African American studies with concentrations in Literature and History. After his departure from the music industry, Erik became a self-taught web designer and developer, and has gone on to receive numerous accolades for his work from Awwwards, Best Web Gallery, Design Fridge, The Best Designs, Siimple and Creattica Design Gallery, to name a few. Erik is a father of two and currently resides in San Antonio, TX. During his down time you can find him reading comic books or watching the New York Giants.

Over the years, I have learned very valuable lessons about doing business. I pay great attention to what I hear and the advice that I get from successful industry people and I understand the rules to succeed. Below are some of the common things I have heard my clients point out when it comes to what turns them off the most when doing business and what will make them not support someone.

Sense of Entitlement

Never treat a client like they are obligated to support you. This will most likely piss them off and make them resentful towards you. Even if you have done favors for them in the past they don’t have to do anything for you now, the budgets are in their hands and they do what they want to do with it.

Putting down Competitors

We are our own resumes. When we put down competitors it does not come off as supportive it comes off as jealousy and envy. You are not putting them down for any good or legitimate reason outside of the fact that they have what you don’t have. This approach does not make you look like a winner it makes you look like a cry-baby loser and it will push clients further away from what you want them to do. (click NEXT for next segment)

Sloppy Presentation

For the most part, the entire 7 reasons are linked to this very one, a small business does all these things because they fall short of being a quality small business. There is no passion, no love and no drive, these people are only in it to make money and the laziness is evident to clients and it rarely works. The person is furious with competitors because they can do all that he can’t and he has or she has no other reason to succeed except to have past favors returned or to do their best to emulate or even copy what their successful competitor is doing. (click NEXT for next segment)

Living off Tenure instead of Performance

What are you REALLY bringing to the table? Can your client justify the expenditure to his or her bosses?  Keep in mind they have to answer to someone when then spend their budgets unless they own the company (click NEXT for next segment)

Failure to Embrace and Grow

This is on YOU as an black entrepreneur. People who fail to grow often think their lives and businesses are pretty much over. In any business that’s thriving and growing, you must embrace trends and growth. If you remain stagnant you will never reap the benefits. Take every opportunity to learn and KEEP learning.

Don’t have the goods

The BEST way to run clients away is when you just don’t have the goods. You are not unique in your delivery, attitude, sales pitch and business acumen but you are viewed as a used car salesman. If you are not good at what you do why should someone pay you for it? Consider moving on and doing something else that you are actually good at or continue to struggle.

Refuse to listen

I have found that clients often will give you invaluable information if you take the time to shut up and listen. They will tell you how they perceive what you do. At times we are so busy selling, we don’t consider that the client could give you a great piece of advice to grow your business.

In an effort to take his brand to the next level, renowned NYC radio/club DJ Jon Quick signed on with the Creative Brand Marketing Group this past Saturday. Creative Brand Marketing Group is based on the motto: relationships will open doors that money can’t. Founder and President, Derek “Chuck Bone” Osorio has built a strong resume based on his relationships in the music, event planning and branding industries. He has now partnered with trial attorney, Dana M. Whitfield, Esq to combine their expertise in the entertainment and legal field to include management in their collective networks. CBMG is proud to add WBLS 107.5’s DJ Jon Quick to its roster.

Jon has an incredible following and an amazing work ethic, I look forward to building a brand with him,” said the industry legend Bone. Whitfield added “While I began my career in the entertainment field, I have built a foundation with a solid legal background. The signing of Jon Quick is a journey back into the entertainment world that just makes sense. He’s a consummate professional.” Jon Quick is currently one of several mixmasters featured on the WBLS 107.5’s afternoon drive hit show, “Quake’s House with Dejavu”. He also currently holds residencies at The DL Rooftop, Galway NYC and Corner Social NY.

“I’ve been looking for a management group that could understand my vision and develop innovative ways of achieving results,” said Quick. He also added “Chuck and Dana’s partnership mean I have two amazingly talented individuals working on my behalf. Together I think the sky is the limit.” The partnership has already began to work its magic as they’ve just agreed to produce a brand new upscale afterwork weekly event, “Soul Society Thursdays” at Harlem hotspot, “The Park 112”, starting Thursday, Aug 7, 2014. For booking inquiries contact Dana Whitfield at [email protected] or Chuck Bone at [email protected].

As black entrepreneurs we are often overwhelmed and it can be incredibly difficult to find resources to help us with our businesses.  How do we know waht is actually available to us?  Do a little digging around the web. The Small business Administration as well as the Small business Development Centers around the country are great avenues to help us learn various aspects of properly running a business. Courses include:

• Quickbook Tutorials
• The Basics of starting a business
• Marketing
• Partnerships, corporations and LLCs
• Writing business plans etc.

Check your local resources for more info.

Use Your Job Like College

This is an excerpt from my new book “Mind Your Own Damn business” a guide for Minority Entrepreneurs. I will be released in ebook form in the next two weeks. 

“When I worked for a music industry magazine called Urban Network, there was a LOT of infighting, power struggles, dirty politics and negativity going on. Mostly caused by outsiders who didn’t even work there but were allowed to hang around the offices. I was in my mid twenties and while everyone else was in the midst of all the dumb shit, I sat back and learned from it. I stayed longer hours and asked different people in different departments how they did their jobs. People could not believe how I went the extra mile and even came in during the weekends, but what they didn’t know was I was going to school. I knew that my time was limited at Urban Network before I got caught up in the infighting but I was not going to leave there without knowing how to do my OWN industry magazine and that’s exactly what happened. 

No matter how much we hate our current jobs if you have one ounce of passion for what you do, there is something that you can learn from it and here’s the best way to look at the situation, I’ve learned, is to start using my jobs as “college.” Even today, if there is something I don’t know a lot about but I’m interested in it, I have no problem getting a low paying part time job doing it for a few months. What better way to learn? Why take a 2 year course wasting my time when I can get direct knowledge by being in the mix of it? The way I look at it, I’m taking a course and I’m getting a stipend for learning. I give the job a certain amount of time to complete the required courses and when I’m done. I’m ready to graduate to earn my next degree in business. While everybody else is rushing to get out of there and go home, I stick around to learn more.

 This may sound strange but this really helped me learn a lot FAST. The many jobs that I had were the “courses” and the paychecks were certainly “stipends.” There are times when we reach the pinnacle of our careers early on and we don’t even know it. Even if you don’t want to have your own business shut up and listen and you can at least aim for a better position on your next gig….”

Kevin Ross

Nearly all business experts agree on one thing: the importance of an effective and achievable business plan. However plenty of companies plunge into the competitive business arena without a formal business plan. The time spent on investing in a business plan will pay off many times over and there are numerous benefits of having one, including: an opportunity to test out new ideas, a chance to set out a company mission and values and an opportunity to highlight the competition.

When writing a business plan CroMex NYC says that there are several key components that must be included. These are:

1. The business concept – This describes the business, its product and the target market. The business concept should point out just exactly what should be sold, to whom and why the business will hold a competitive advantage.

2. Financial features – These highlight the important financial points of the business including sales, profits and return on investment.

3. Financial requirements – Which clearly states the capital needed to start the business. Financial requirements should state how the capital will be used.

4. Current business position – This highlights information about the company, its legal form of operation, when the business was established and the principle owners.

5. Major achievements – This details any developments within the company that are essential to the success of the business. Examples of major achievements include patents, prototypes, location of a facility or results from test marketing.

CroMex NYC highlight that a business plan should be constantly updated as a business grows and expands. Business goals and visions change with company growth however a business must always have a key goal in mind.

CroMex NYC has a vision to provide measurable, cost-effective results for individual clients as well as maintaining long lasting business relationships. The firm utilise current client demands to encourage the firm to keep growing and expanding. CroMex NYC is committed to providing its clients with unique marketing campaigns that are adapted to suit a specific target market. The firm specialize in event marketing that allows them to generate measurable and immediate results for clients. CroMex NYC operates in an ambitious, driven and resilient environment.

About CroMex NYC: http://www.cromexusa.com/behind-the-scenes/

CroMex NYC is an outsourced sales and marketing firm that specialises in delivering a high ROI for its clients by helping to improve their customer acquisition, brand loyalty and brand awareness.

Follow @CromexNYC on Twitter and ‘Like’ them on Facebook.

By Michael Glauser, Next Avenue Contributor

The Silicon Valley approach for building companies has become the main strategy taught at many business schools. It goes like this: You create a prototype you can quickly test, preferably in the tech industry. You find a group of users and gain proof of concept. You raise capital and scale the business as rapidly as possible. You plan an exit strategy that may include going public or selling to an industry buyer. You shoot for a 10X return to investors. You make a lot of money.

This summer, our team at My New Enterprise (a company I co-founded that helps aspiring entrepreneurs) rode our bicycles 4,000 miles, from the west coast of Oregon to the east coast of Virginia, and interviewed 100 successful entrepreneurs on Main Street USA. (Watch videos of them here.) Not one of them followed the Silicon Valley approach.

In fact, very few had any business training and none had any training in entrepreneurship. Nearly half of these business builders are over 50 years old; some are in their late 60s and 70s.

(MORE: 10 Tips for ‘Senior’ Entrepreneurs)

Here are five lessons we learned from this unique and experienced group of successful small business owners:

1. Start With a Clear Purpose

All the entrepreneurs articulated a clear and powerful purpose for starting their business — and none mentioned money as a major driver. Rather, they started their companies to do what they love, solve a problem, provide awesome service, live in a more desirable location, create jobs and give back to their community.

A driving purpose for Gail and Will Williams, founders of Idaho Sewing for Sports in Grangeville, Idaho (which makes padding and tubing products for ski areas and resorts) is to create jobs and a place of healing for people who have a difficult time finding work.

(MORE: Starting a Business After 50)

2. Stick With What You Know

Most of the entrepreneurs we met launched their companies in industries they knew well from prior experiences.

Sam Spayd, founder of Aero Legends in Florence, Ore. is a retired Air Force and commercial airlines pilot. He purchased a beautifully restored World War II biplane and offers the magical experience of “Open Cockpit” flying over the cliffs, beaches and lighthouses of the spectacular Oregon coast. Sam’s goal is to share this experience with as many people as possible (read the rest of this great story here)

Entrepreneurs have surely experienced those days when you notice things are not going well immediately. There is some truth to the adage “I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning” and it appears that it’s all downhill from there. So what can you do to turn that around and make the day more productive? Here are some of the things I have done in the past that have worked…(Click “Next” after each segment)

Go Back to Bed!

If you can afford to, go back to bed for a couple of hours. You would be amazed how this actually works and your day is off to a better start. Don’t for get to set your alarm.

Change your Routine

Is there something that you usually do at the end of the day that you can do at the beginning of the day? Can you do something that you have been holding off on for a while this morning? Have you ever gone to the grocery store between 9 and 4 PM? It’s practically empty. How about getting some shopping done for the week? It’s bright and you can take your time and still take calls if need to.

Have a talk with yourself

Ask yourself what is REALLY bothering you. Most of the time you will see that THAT is what needs to be resolved. Did someone piss you off or has something been on your mind that you have not dealt with that needs attention etc. If you can, tackle the issue and handle it within the 2 hours so that you can be free to go on with the rest of your day.

Take a Walk

The psychology behind walking is often underrated. You get your organs working and put yourself in a meditative state and finally you are giving your body a much-needed mental and physical cleansing

Treat Yourself

Treat yourself to breakfast or lunch at a restuarant or stop by a newsstand and read through a few magazines for an hour. Have what you want within reasonable portions. Quite often we feel underappreciated as entrepreneurs and there is nothing wrong with treating yoruself every now and then.

Work out

Instead of going into the office, go to the gym and get a great workout in. Go to yoga class or even get a massage