Tag: business

How to be a Smart Panhandler

Please Banerghatta National Park

During a recent trip, I was helping a relative who is in need get a bus pass. It’s been many years since I’ve had to get a bus pass myself so I was not familiar with the process.

While we were standing there, I was completely unaware that we were being watched. I was explaining to my relative that I didn’t really know what I was doing. The cost of the bus pass was $25, all I had was a $20 bill and a $10. I put both bills in and change came out not in bills but in actual coins. I asked my relative”What the hell is this”? He explained to me that it was dollar bills in the form of coins. We got a slight laugh and started to collect the coins. Before I could turn around, a man came up to me from nowhere and asked if I had any change to spare.

I was completely caught off guard, I could not use my usual excuses about not having change. It was obvious that he saw me put money in machine and he saw the change returned. This was an awkward circumstance for me. There was a part of me that felt like I was being stalked and used and another part that gave me yet another perspective on business. I was not impressed with his tactics when I thought of it in the business realm, and it was not a win/win situation. My entire job was to give him money and help him. Do you look at your clients like this? Are you just looking for money to pay your bills or are you thinking of a benefit for them too?

When we think about business, it is always a good idea first and foremost to utilize our passion then find a hole then fill it. Something that OTHERS need and that we can provide not the other way around something that WE need and THEY can provide. We are in business to serve a porpose, not ourselves. If you are in business to serve yourself you will have the neverending job of seeking out new clients because the old ones will not return. What’s the possibility that I will go back to the bus station and look for that man to give him more spare change? It’s not going to happen but this is what long-term success is based on. This panhandler had a great idea. He saw an opportunity and seized it. I was being watched and didn’t know it and he was watching for an opportunity. He may have heard excuses time and again,”I don’t have any change” and here he found a way to shut that down before asking for money. I still could have said no, but being the giving person that I am, I gave him a couple of dollars anyway.

What’s the lesson in all of this? Make sure you bring something to the table, and not just come to eat. The goal is repeat clients who love your business so much they come to YOU.

October 31, 2016
When we Stop Learning, We Stop Growing

I have always been very adamant about the direction, goals and focus of my business, never letting anyone or anything change that. I realize now that’s a mistake. If you notice, most older business owners think they have their formulas patented when it comes to the success of their business and we don’t. Trends change and we have to be willing to keep up with them and to keep learning or we stop growing. EBONY magazine is struggling and I remember I stopped reading that magazine in the 80s because it never moved past that period. The stories were boring and predictable and the owner John H. Johnson thought the formula that he had been using for decades would continue to work forever and it didn’t. The magazine didn’t hone in early on technology and quickly fell from grace. They have been struggling for years finally making the changes when it was WAY too late. Readers had moved on long before. They want to stick to the tried and true from 65 years ago and do business the way they had always done it. That’s an immediate recipe for failure and disaster.

We get older and we are out of touch if we don’t surround ourselves with education. I passed a music store the other day while walking down the street and the owners where well into their 60s and they had a dirty beige carpet on the floor and paneling on the walls from the 70s (remember that fake wood paneling). There was not one sole customer in the store. Next door was a Mac repair store that was very state of the art, they were packed. As business owners we realize how important our businesses are to us, we are married to them and they are our children. When someone insults your children by saying they are misbehaving you are apt to stand up in defense of your child but what if they really ARE misbehaving?

A man who has rarely been supportive of my businesses and I had a long conversation yesterday and he insulted my business, so I thought when he compared me to other urban industry sites that I don’t consider to be competition for me. Long ago, I surmised he was an arrogant bastard who wanted to see me fail instead of someone who was willing to take the time to tell me the truth. Clients who pay us are certainly valuable but so are the clients who don’t do business with us… especially when we can find out WHY. Yesterday I did something different, I shut up and listened to this man. I took the emotion out and heard what he said for the first time and when he was done, I realized there were at least two or three things that he was right about when it came to my business. Things that I had never explored and needed to in order to grow.

The one thing that older people do which often makes us unemployable is we are indeed set in our ways and not willing to learn or listen to anyone younger. Just about EVERY person that I know who is over 45 is like that and they wonder why they can’t get any work. This man is actually older than me but he works in another part of the industry that is one of my targets. He comes face to face with this side of the industry everyday whereas it much more rare for me. Today I’m working on implementing those changes to grow my business and at the end of the day, I greatly appreciate what he had to say. Sometimes you have to just shut up and listen and realize value is not always monetary.

April 3, 2015
Why You Must Climb Higher when Business is Great!

As entrepreneurs we BEG for a break at times. When all the bills are paid and we have a bit of expendable cash in the bank that’s when we tend to relax but that’s the time to actually GO TO WORK! You’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, why would you rest? Best believe in a short matter of time you will be RIGHT BACK where you started, struggling to make ends meet if you don’t take advantage of those upswings. Many times, and the experienced entrepreneurs can validate this, when things are going great and sales are great THAT’s the time to hit up those clients who you have not been able to reach. Usually they have an idea of how well you are doing and when it comes to many industries there is a “me too” philosophy. Not to mention your energy is going to be different, you won’t be begging but able to make a better presentation. Nobody wants to be left out when it appears everyone else is following a trend and winning this is the time when your business esteem HAS to be be good and you HAVE to take advantage of it. Don’t wait until all the air is out of your balloon before you get back to work, get to work when things are going great and climb even higher to stretch your 15 minutes of success and build your brand.

My best in business

Kevin

October 6, 2014
4 Reasons Entrepreneurs Must Steer Clear of Negative People

Feeling drained and down lately?

Who have you been keeping company with ?

Ultimately, we all want two things in life… to feel good and to have control. We can’t always have either, both or one of the other at all times when it concerns others but we CAN CONTROL how WE FEEL. I could literally end the whole story with that last sentence because it’s JUST THAT SIMPLE.. As entrepreneurs we must consider that there will be naysayers, people who are jealous and people who will not believe in what we do because they can’t see what we see for themselves. There are others who are just stuck but truth be told when you are in a race for the finish line, if you take time to stop, look back or even look to the side you will lose time. This is absolutely not to say that all negative people are the way they are because they simply choose to be that way. Some people have had horrific experiences in their lives and they have lost all faith in mankind. Nevertheless they are not alone. MANY people have had horrific experiences but they CHOOSE to take the high road. As a matter of fact, many entrepreneurs that I have come across have horror stories to tell about they way they grew up, abusive relationships or even extreme poverty growing up but they have made a decision to ensure that their lives and their children’s lives will be very different. This past weekend, I hung out with an old friend who is by far the most negative person I know. She constantly complains about everything and her presence is an extreme weight on one’s soul. I finally had to tell her how negative she is and how much she complains about EVERYTHING. I also told her that most people will not say a word, they will have a bad experience with you once and you will never hear from them again. I get why people do that. When you tell someone how negative they are, they don’t listen because they are not into taking responsibility for their actions, they are into blaming everyone else. Even telling them how negative they are is draining. Here are a few tips to steer clear of the negative people ESPECIALLY in your business. If you let them infect you they will also infect your bottom line. (click NEXT above or below for next segment)

Negative People are Self Destructive

When people hate themselves they have no reason to love you. A very good friend of mines who is a therapist states “Misery Loves Miserable Company.” I am a firm believer that this is true. You MUST and I mean MUST avoid negative people at all cost as an entrepreneur. If you let them into your life they will not only infect you they will infect your business because they will drain YOU. We have to get up each day and we are our own motivators. We don’t need ANYTHING to get in the way of our positive energy. (click NEXT above or below for next segment)

Negative People rob your positive Energy

When I hung out with this woman this past weekend. I was so exhausted, I literally came home and slept for 5 hours. While I was with her, I had a blazing headache (and I rarely ever get headaches) and I was out of my usual spiritual element. She was a burden on my SOUL that day and she robbed every bit of energy I had and I just wanted to get away from her as soon as I could. We were supposed to do some research together in a certain part of LA but after being with her for an hour, I had no desire to start, do or complete the job. (click NEXT above or below for next segment)

Negative People Thrive off Misery

Taking the time to tell a negative person about their habits and ways is indeed a waste of time. As stated above, they are not here to hear what you have to say to help them, they are only interested in how they can rob your positive energy to feed from. It’s like a vampire out for blood. Once he gets what he wants he leaves you for dead and searches out the next victim. You are trying to save them but they are trying to rob you. You have what they want, and they have what you DON’T want so why risk it. If a person can’t figure out why their phone never rings or they are not invited to events it’s up to them to put two and two together because ultimately it’s only them who can change their situation by shifting the way they think. When these things happen it it not the world but it is US. At times we have been given horrible advice like “It’s not always about you, it’s about them and what they are going through.” Nevertheless if you continue to get the same reactions from several people it IS about YOU. If you are trying to grow you must make sure you aim for the most positive experiences in your life and business. All will not always be rosy but there are a lot of things we can eliminate before they get out of control. (click NEXT above or below for next segment)

Also Avoid Negative Situations

Sometimes negative situations can be disguised as positive. For example. There are very few industry events held in Los Angeles anymore and the ones that are here are for the new breed of industry people. Unfortunately, there are some older industry people that can’t let go of the past. There are those who don’t want to move on and let younger people get their shot. They want to hang on to what was and they often talk about how much they miss the old industry. These are people who can’t embrace change because they have not prepared themselves. I don’t feel that way. I gladly embrace the kids who are coming up in the industry as I am honored that I got my chance too and I try to provide opportunities to younger industry people through my industry vehicles. In addition, I have constantly stressed over the last 20 years of producing Radio Facts that those who diversify their talents will have the longest careers.

A couple of months ago, I was invited to a huge lot party at Capitol and Motown records in Hollywood, There was great music and food and great displays and just about major vet and new artist on the Capitol and Motown labels were there. The crowd was exciting, upbeat and positive and they embraced the new industry. The key I want to stress about this event was it was a celebration of the FUTURE of the industry not the past. I don’t believe in going to industry events where people thrive of what was or used to be. That’s because I don’t consider myself to be done with the music and radio industry yet. I still have ideas and I embrace change at the same time and as long as the industry will have me, I will be here in some capacity.

I don’t find great joy in talking about whose sick, who is dying and who is homeless when I get dressed up to go to an event unless it’s an actual funeral. I’m not in denial but there is a time and a place for everything and it should not be the THEME of an event because it is depressing and it signifies the end. The end of one’s journey and career. There MUST be balance and that means we must have control of our options in our business. In the music industry, I personally don’t consider a lot of people to be my true friends. I would consider, out of thousands of people I’ve met over the years, maybe 20 as true friends. This is a business and it’s about relationships and what you can do for people, initially, I didn’t get that and in the beginning of my career I was devastated when I was between jobs and the people who I thought were my friends really were not. As I got older I understood how business works. People deal with you based on what you can do for them and that’s (mostly) how they form their relationships with you. I consider my clients my closest allies in the industry because they believe in what I do and they support me and I’ve known most of them over 20 years. The fact that I am an entrepreneur speaks volumes about their faith in me and I truly honor that. It’s really not personal, it’s just business. Who is it in your business that you consider your true allies? Know that THOSE are the people you must focus on and support.

September 22, 2014
When it Comes to Your Business, What is your Value?

I have been very blessed to be able to connect very well with my clients. One client in particular who doesn’t support anyone in my field had lunch with me one day and he explained to me that he did not see the value in what any of us did so he was not going to support any of us. I am always put aside when I am lumped in with every else because I think we all do something different and I bring something different to the table. Nevertheless, as soon as I got back to the office, I immediately removed him from my mailing list and I stopped calling him for anything. When it comes to business we must love those who love us and make sure we deal with those who support us. I KNEW this man was not being honest because after he told me he didn’t see the value in what I did, he turned around and asked if he could write for me? He wanted to write on the same industry website that he “saw no value in?” I got EXACTLY where he was coming from and I realized that he DOES see value in what I do but he just didn’t want to support it.

To that end, what is YOUR value to customers? If you are not doing something better than your competitors are doing you will not get a lot of support and you will be lumped in with them. Know what you do best and make sure you continue to grow and do better.

September 21, 2014
Skimping on Services? Customers Know the Difference

I left Buffalo, New York some 30 years ago and once I moved to Atlanta then Los Angeles after that and worked in radio as a DJ for many years there was no turning back. The new environments opened my eyes to all that I had missed growing up on the East side of Buffalo. Nevertheless, there is one thing that is foremost in my mind on the few occasions when I return, think or talk about Buffalo… the food. Without question, my career in the music industry has afforded me the opportunity to go to some of the best restaurants in the country but none of them compare to Buffalo’s still famous food spots.

Tale of Two Legendary Restaurants, One that still is and what that WAS.

Scottie’s Steak House popped on the scene in the early 60s in Buffalo (see video). Owner James Scott explains everything that we know it takes as entrepreneurs to run a successful business and get it off the ground. As a radio and music industry entrepreneur, I can agree even today with MOST of Scott’s points in the video but not all of them. He makes two statements that probably explain why his restaurant is no longer around today. He states that “Owning your own business is not fun” Says who? The old adage is true, ‘Do what you LOVE and the money will COME” an entrepreneur going into a business he or she is not passionate about is almost sure to fail. Running your own business that you are passionate about is like falling in love. Time slips away and you can spend endless hours doing what you do and not even notice you have been doing it for 10 hours straight. That is the bliss of doing what you love. Scott mentions on the video that he has worked 18 hour days. I know music producers who LIVE in the studio and can do it for several days straight with little or no sleep. I never hear them complain about how many hours they have been in the studio, they are more focused on the result of it. The number one rule is you NEVER go into business to make money (unless you have a great business partner who handles that part and you are the creative ebb and flow). Most of the people who I know and am close to today are entrepreneurs and they are all successful in their own right because they LOVE what they do FIRST and FOREMOST. Our creativity is at its peak when we love what we do and THAT’s what sells our businesses first.

In the years to come, Scottie’s Steak House experienced great success and it’s amazing how the video coverage talks about the local government in Buffalo giving small business loans to blacks back then who were smart enough to capitalize on the culture and what they knew best but how much did they love it? This is not a dig on Scottie because I have no doubt he faced many other obstacles that got in the way of him running his business as a black man. Restaurants in the black community were something that white business owners often failed at because they were not connected to the culture of black food. Like most cultures black folks KNOW when the right cook is in the kitchen and you better be connected to the culture the food is from if you want our business. (Thanks to Doug Ruffin who told me he stopped Canisius College from dumping many years of great Buffalo News footage and video in the trash after it was donated by local TV networks who were updating their studios. These videos are priceless.)

I’m not sure how Scottie got to his idea for the perfect steak sandwich, but he did. This was the MOST Crucial time for his Business

Scottie’s Steak house had the most amazing steak sandwiches. By far the best I’ve ever had to date. A childhood friend, Cricket, asked me to walk there with her one day and I wanted to go to see what the big deal was about Scottie’s. Everybody in the neighborhood was talking about their steak sandwiches and how good they were. Sure enough as soon as we walked in the door it was crowded and the smell was unbelievable. Cricket ordered a regular steak sandwich/sub and she gave me a piece of it. It was love at first bite. I went back on my own a few days later than again the next week and many times thereafter, I was hooked. Then something happened. I noticed (read more, click here) that the more popular Scottie’s Steak House became the sandwiches were changing. There was more vegetables than meat. I watched the girl make my sandwich one day and I noticed she was putting half the meat with the peppers and onions than I was used to. I thought this might just be a new employee and after a not so enjoyable experience with a “vegetable sandwich” I went back a month later and there was even LESS meat and the PRICE went up!!!! It appeared they were using what they once used for one steak sandwich to now make 3 sandwiches. Where the meat was once the main ingredient, it was now pretty much used for seasoning the sandwich like Lawry’s. I never went back and I noticed there was no
(click NEXT above or below post) crowd the last few times I was there and people stopped talking about Scottie’s like they used to.

On the other hand…Bocce’s Pizza

Bocce’s website states:

Bocce’s Pizza is one of the oldest and best-known pizzerias in Buffalo, NY. Since 1946, we’ve been proudly serving our customers some of the best tasting food in Western New York. Our fresh pizza is still made with the same sauce recipe used back in the 1940’s.

Our delicious food has touched so many lives throughout the years that we are sought out by many who had to leave the Buffalo area. We get phone calls and have customers come in all the time requesting a half-baked pizza or wings to take home to share with their new friends and family across the country.

Stop by or call today for an Original Bocce’s Pizza and let us create a delicious memory for you!

I am here to tell you this statement is the absolute truth. Bocce’s original owner was the son of Italian immigrants (cultural connection) and he saw many people come and go, some of whom even started their own pizzerias but they were loyal enough not to try to duplicate what the original owners did. Bocce’s did not have a great location as a matter of fact it was dilapidated and appeared abandoned (see image) but the pizza was all she wrote. That damn building could have collapsed while you were ordering your pizza and you would still wait for your order. There is nothing worse than going to a great restaurant with all the ambiance and an amazing dining room where the food tastes like crap. I have no idea what they put in that pizza but I grew up on it and I have had pizza at MANY retaurants all over the country. I have NEVER had pizza as good as Bocce’s. Nothing has ever come close. As a matter of fact, I’m going to order one this week, since you have me talking about it so much to make a point in this story. Bocce’s is still using the EXACT same ingredients and the same amount of ingredients that they have been using since they opened in 1946. They didn’t go from 50 pepperoni to 3 and the cheese and the bread and the sauce have never changed. No matter who works there, they are taught to make the pizza the same way and they do. Bocce’s Pizza is STILL around today and STILL successful in Buffalo and beyond because they KNEW what the customers loved about them and they never wavered in an effort to cut costs or make extra profit. People would have paid their rent for that pizza as long as it tasted the same. I KNOW MANY people, including myself who order that Pizza to be expressed or when they go to Buffalo to visit they bring it back with them. I even have one childhood friend who is a Vice President at a University who can only tolerate Buffalo for 1 day per visit, but she loves Bocce’s and she makes sure she gets two large Bocce’s pizza’s before she leaves and she brings a separate suitcase for her pizzas, takes them home and freezes them and enjoys them for the next month. We laugh about her process but she loves that pizza. If you want to know the whole story about how Bocce’s got started go here.

The overall point here is to be the MOST successful in business you must:

LOVE what you DO…FIRST.

Understand AND be a part of the culture that you are serving

Don’t sell your customers short or try to blind side their senses (in this case taste buds)

It’s better to charge MORE than to give less (and have the nerve to charge more)

Always be loyal to why you are successful and use that to GROW other products for your customers

The demand remains high as long as your brand remains loyal and you remain trustworthy

My best in business

Kev Ross

[email protected]

www.radiofacts.com

September 15, 2014
5 Things You Can Do to Jump Start Your Small Business Income

As always, here are some quick tips to build your business. These are things that we often overlook but could generate more revenue, of course this is on top of providing great service.

1. Hire a young Social Media Whiz

Kids are becoming marketing machines and they are better at it than expensive ad agencies because they don’t rely on flawed research…. .THEY LIVE THE LIFE. Advertisers are now going directly to kids with huge youtube followers to push their brands and this may signal a problem for marketing agencies who have controlled how we think for far too long. Social media marketing is less biased and more factual and you should jump on this trend NOW. Grab a high school or college kid that’s always online to help promote your business. Truth be told you may also not want to skimp on what you pay them either (after they have proven themselves) because they can be extremely valuable. (click NEXT above or below)

2. Stop Chasing Dead Clients

There are some clients who will never support you, no matter what you say or do. Move on and pursue clients who are not familiar with your brand (click NEXT above or below)

3. Create an App for your Business

I suggest Wiziapp if you have a website. This can be somewhat cumbersome but the push notifications are the benefit. So if you have a new product out and you want clients around the world to know about it and they opt to have a push notification, this could generate great revenue. (click NEXT above or below)

4. Ask Satisfied Clients to Promote you on Yelp

MANY people use Yelp as a way to determine if they will support your business. Make it easy for your clients by emailing them a direct link and asking them to recommend you. (click NEXT above or below)

5. Take Potential Clients out to Lunch

This is one of the oldest methods in the books that still works today. Clients like to see who they are dealing with. Make the effort and meet them for lunch. Don’t talk about competitors, even if they do and eat before you come so that you can hear everything they are saying to you.

September 14, 2014
Entrepreneur Burnout: Most Important Things to Avoid it

Yep, first and foremost we KNOW it takes a GREAT deal of effort to hire someone in the first place, you are concerned about paying them and you have to take the time to train them. You wonder if it##Q##s worth it. The answer my friends is YES it is. You will KILL yourself working 14 hour days, the years will fly by and you will not have a life. I know MANY entrepreneurs who endure this on a day to day and it##Q##s not smart. You CAN hire someone and you DON##Q##T have to do the work yourself, you just have to find ways to pay them like hiring them a month at a time or part time. When we make money that is NOT the time to go out and treat yourself to a new car or some extravagant gift (though you should treat yourself) but this is the time to ease the tension and to fork over some of the day to day to someone else to free you up to focus on the things you probably have been ignoring like sales or billing. You will certainly hire the wrong people from time to time as I have and here are some suggestions to avoid costly mistakes in hiring… (click “NEXT” after each segment above or below)

June 14, 2013
Use Your Experience To Grow Your Brand

Everyone that I associate with is an entrepreneur. BUT only 2 of them are TRUE entrepreneurs. You may ask what a true entrepreneur is, it is someone who is not afraid to grow and to take his or her experience and expand on his or her knowledge. What is that you can do? I can use myself as an example. One of my recent college classes was Speech. One of those classes that are required before you can move into your major. I was defiant, my ego kicked in hard time, I thought I already know this, I am a radio jock by trade, I have excellent communication skills and I was insulted that the teacher wanted me to prove something I had already proven for over 2o years but the joke was on me. Read on and you will see why…. (click “NEXT” or next number above or below to see the rest of the story)

You’re NEVER too Old to Learn Something New

The minute that you stop learning YOU STOP GROWING. Don’t EVER think that you know it all. We get older and things change, and eventually we are out of touch. When that happens and you want to continue doing what you have been doing (AND) you are still making money (why keep doing something that you have to beg for clients for?) hire someone who can duplicate you. Someone younger who knows your industry from an different angle. Once you learn the formula you don’t have to keep doing the grind. When you make money it’s time to spend it ON THE BUSINESS but not frivolously.

Use older people in your profession to teach you a valuable lesson

I go to two types of industry events where people my age go, those who are very successful and still in the loop and to those where the people go who never grow and are stuck on yesterday and what used to be. There are people who work in the industry who are well into their 60s but most of that small population are extremely successful. There are others who hang on waiting for another basic opportunity at 50 years of age. They eventually become bitter and/or sad and they feel as if the industry threw them away but the truth is, they were not prepared and it’s very depressing to watch. Had I not started my own business, for example, in my early 30s I would not still be in the music industry today. There was no way I would have allowed myself to be a 50 year old DJ unless I was Rick Dees or Casey Kasem but there are 50 year old DJs and older who are still where they were 20 years ago. That may be perfectly fine for them but it would not have been OK for me. A few years ago, I went to a party for a man who was leaving LA. He had worked in the industry for 40 years and he was ready to retire and he was moving to another state. I went to his event and there were many older people there in their 60s and 70s. It was literally like an old folks home. They were just sitting there as if someone had stolen the life out of them. They were barely talking or smiling they were just sitting there. These people were HUGE in the music industry 20 or 30 years ago but the industry was done with them and it was like they were lost without the industry. Someone whipped out a stack of photo albums from 30 years ago and those people lit up like Christmas trees. They were laughing, singing, dancing and having an amazing time by connecting to what was. It was terribly unfortunate to me but I was glad to see them happy. At the same time, I realized I did not want that to be me when I get older. When I get older (God willing) I want to STILL be working, producing and connected to great current things and people. What I am basically saying is, if you want to see who you will become in 20 years by doing what you are doing now, talk to one of those people and see what kind of advice they can give you based on where you are now. I’m willing to BET you they will tell you to diversify your talents.

What else can you do with what you know?

For me, being a broadcasting professional with excellent communication skills makes the sky the limit, but ONLY if I am willing to explore the opportunities. I am often amazed at how many minority radio people NEVER step outside the radio realm. Having excellent communication skills is KEY to SO many things, motivational speaker, actor, voice talent, TV Host, Event host, Media Contact for a corporation the list goes on and on but a LOT more than radio. I left Radio in 1999 before I was 40 and I have not regretted one day of it. I knew it was time for me to make room for new talent and I really didn’t enjoy it anymore. We must understand that we cannot do the same thing forever unless we love it that much and even them, it is not promised if a corporation wants to bring in someone younger.

Education is not only Key it’s Business LIFE AND DEATH

There are ALWAYS seminars and events happening. Here in LA I learn about things in the paper on Thursdays and because I have a leading industry site, I get invited to a LOT of events. Next year, I hope to go to the Cannes Film Fest for the first time, I’ve been invited several times to many events but I would rarely go. I was burnt out from doing the industry scene for 20 years… but then I realized, as long as people invite you SHOULD go because you never know who you may meet to bolster your career. It’s time to take advantage of these things and people are watching you, even though you may not know it, they are watching and if they perceive you as having value you will notice that you will start getting invitations to events. If not, go on your own and make contacts or call and ask them to put you on the list. The more people that you meet who do what you do and beyond, the better.

Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you…

There was a time that I found myself being the go-to guy for other entrepreneurs, it was very frustrating for me because while I was feeding everyone, nobody was feeding me. I was drained and it took me a while to realize I had to change my social circles because I had conquered my ability to do what I do. I was now an expert and I was either going to move on or remain stuck, which inevitably will destroy your business because current clients don’t last forever and you must ALWAYS be in search of new clients. I had outgrown this group of people and there was no room for growth just stagnation.

Eliminate those Entrepreneurs Around You who Refuse to grow

One again, this is saying the same thing as I said before. One trick I pull on what I call “lazy entrepreneurs” (people who are always looking for something for free, then they can’t understand why they can’t grow). If I need the advice of a publicity person, for example, I will take them to lunch. That blows them away because they are not used to someone treating them like that, just to pick their brain. I think it shows supreme respect for what they do and I am indicating that I want to be treated the same way. When I do that, they stop calling and asking me for free things because I have raised the bar on them. They can’t, don’t or perhaps won’t usually match the offer in kind so they would rather just not call at all which is fine with me. Usually, I remove their number from my phone but I keep it on my computer’s address book in case I need them again and I will do the same thing. But I have learned that when you call a lazy entrepreneur for a friendly conversation, you open the floodgates to be used for free again. Choose your entrepreneur friends WISELY and treat THEM the way YOU want to be treated.

Take Speech Classes or Offer to Speak about Your Brand at an event

Community colleges offer so many courses for next to nothing or absolutely free. I’m telling you. I have used parts from all the classes I THOUGHT were useless and I am glad I took them because they DO help to grow your business. When you are in your 20s and you are a college student, there is no way you can see or use the value as much as you can when you are older. Just about everyone that I know who went to college after high school and got their degrees… none of them are using it. They are all doing something else. Do any of us know what we want to do after high school? Probably not but we do know what we want to do as adults and we are in a better position to take advantage of learning because we have probably experienced these situations in real life by now. Check out your local colleges and see if they have something that you might be interested in taking to help you grow your brand. Another benefit, if your brand is youth driven this is a GREAT opportunity to connect with younger people and have something in common with them that can open the doors to get more information about trends.

Join REAL Social Networks for your hobbies

Many people take Facebook and Twitter to useless new levels. They get way too personal posting WAY too much info about their personal lives, kids, jobs, events, homes, hobbies, parents, hospital visits, personal problems and more. I almost got caught up in that once cause it’s so easy but I had to stop when someone busted me revealing too much. FaceBook has a way of telling too much about you and it’s not a good place for entrepreneurs. I don’t have time to debate someone’s religious or conspiracy theories or watch old videos from the 80s. Many people on FB ares desperately seeking validation, by getting likes and support from others a study showed, and it’s true. After a while its a waste of time and effort when you could be making REAL social connections with people FACE to FACE not face to facebook. On top of all that, where does this information end up that you are posting? I personally don’t really trust social networks as much as I do a face to face meeting where I can gauge who I dealing with.

June 12, 2013
How to Stop Wasting Time and Grow Your Business Td Jakes

I have included a link to an EXCELLENT video by TD Jakes about leveraging your time. What are you going to do with the time that you have left? In this video about repositioning yourself, I literally almost fell out of my chair when Jakes speaks about “the 10s” the fact that 10 is the multiple of all greater numbers and that small business owners often get stuck on the first level of 10s because we are afraid to go to the next level.

I have talked in this blog about being drained from people picking my brain and making me the go to guy for everything. For the longest time I felt I was getting nothing in return for my business knowledge and experience, people were using me and getting everything for free. Truth be told, certain people should not have access to you once you have reached a certain level in your business and if they do have access OF COURSE they want free information, it is not only an indication of your success, the fact that others want to align themselves with you, it’s also an indication that you HAVE NOT GROWN! That might be a hard pill to swallow but it’s not their fault they want information from us, it’s OURS for not growing. We need to keep challenging ourselves and to keep growing. Just because we can now do the business with our hands tied behind our backs doesn’t’ meant it’s time to rest. It’s time to grow. Clients can flip the script on us and competitors are always on our heels. Check out this video it’s a great way to judge where your business is. Video Link Here

April 25, 2013