 "Growing Your Business in a Global Economy"
Greetings!
 Last week I shared my enthusiasm about the potential for business growth in '09. That focus that has been driving my business this week. A laser focus on the right things can have a positive impact on your business and attract you to the right people at the right time.
Today, as I participated in a training session with Mari Smith, the guru of Social Media, I noted over 45+ entreprenuers who were, along with me, re-investing in their businesses. I researched some of them and was again encouraged by their success in this economy.
As I think about my focus, and my fear of failure, and my enthusiasm to "see" what can happen, I've decided to really develop my niche and begin training and coaching my clients as they build their success online, with social media, in this economy. I'm encouraged by the opportunities for growth and I hope you are too. So, pursue your passion, execute with excellence and by all means, collaborate with those who share a vision bigger than your own.
 Speaking of collaborating with those who have a big vision, this month we are looking into how the global economy affects your business. Our featured speaker in March is Karen Lauderback, who will be sharing her aggregation model with us. This can be an important tool in your arsenal during the coming months.
Virtually yours,  |
The Changing Global Economy Can Kill Your Business
While many businesses are closing their doors, a
select few have grown their business revenues during economic
recessions. The best opportunity for businesses in these times is to
find the hidden assets in their marketing and business plan.
If
sales are down and the cost of doing business continue to rise, it is
time to adopt the three "R's" of business turn-around strategists. The
three "R's" refers to Re-evaluate, Retool, and Resource. These tactics will allow you to gain a foot-hold in your market.
Re-evaluate
Take
a look at your balance sheet, your business plan and your marketing
plan. Meet with your staff and lay out your plan of action as well as
your options. Be as candid as you can with them about the situation and
get everyone focused on finding solutions.
If you don't have a
business and marketing plan, now is the time to get it together. You
absolutely cannot wing it during these tumultuous times. There is no
single solution to the problems at hand but there are individual
solutions for each market.
Identify your core challenges and
begin to tackle them one at a time. Prioritize your challenges and
schedule their solutions. You can start with the most pressing and
delegate them to others in order to stay focused on business building
strategies.
Retool
Pay close attention to your
market. Many times when things look bad, individual markets change and
adjust according to the times. There might be unique markets opened up
to you precisely because of the changing economy. You might be looking
at scrapping a favorite market segment after your evaluation and
retooling your business to an emerging market instead.
Resource
If
you are in financial trouble and are looking at closing your door, you
might want to stop for a minute and seriously think about your
resources. Many times the greatest deficit in your business is in
resourcefulness. It might sound harsh but we often find the resources
to solve our most pressing problems when we are forced to think clearly.
Gather
your people what counsel you. Contact your advisors in times of crisis
and get their opinions on your plans to move forward. Touch bases with
them regularly but in the end, make your own decisions. While building
your resources, make a plan of action for a worst case scenario.
If
your particular market is not affected by the current situation, put
the above steps in motion and get started shoring up your business.
Make it a priority to have an exit strategy for the future.
I
look forward to the changes we will be experiencing as I continue to
help small businesses to grow in any economy. These times offer many
opportunities as well as challenges. If you need help in these changing
times, I can show you how to build an online business as a primary or
secondary income.
Website: http://www.doublemyrevenues.com/coaching
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dennis_Francis
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Bartering - Is it a smart alternative in a troubled
economy? What about the year-end taxes?
Part I
Have you ever had the feeling that your
client was just out of cash and you hadn't submitted your bill yet? If that has ever happened to you, then you
know the feeling - and the subsequent thought about recovering your
losses. In that situation, maybe you
considered bartering. This is exactly
what happened to me, and as I did a little research, I found I wasn't alone.
In the wake of the "$700Billion bailout"
plan, some businesses closed their doors or cut their staffing. That news could create a wave of uncertainty
for the small business owner. In this
economy are you hopeful or doubtful?
Scared or empowered? When I started the research for this article, I had
the economy in mind. I thought,
"bartering" may be a viable option for some entrepreneurs, after all, it was
the way economies got started, before local currencies were established.
You remember, I have a chicken, you have a duck
- fare exchange, and we called it a day.
Or perhaps, it was I have some onions, tomatoes and a basket of stuff I
hate, and you do too. We exchange
equally, and we're both happy. Wish it
were that simple in the age of the IRS.
What about when I have the chicken, you have
the milk, and your buddy has the duck - and the duck is what I want (I have
what you want, and you don't have what I want) - then what? Well that's what is called a triangular or
multi-lateral barter.
Keep reading Part II and III in following weeks, and you'll have
the answer to:
*Tax Implications | What to consider
*Case Study - Pros | Cons
*How do you do it? - Bartering Networks and
Agreements
*Resources
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| In the next issue
-
Global Recession - Tough Times For Small Businesses
- Bartering - Part II
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EVENTS
The Smart-Savvy Entrepreneur's Expert Call
WHAT:
"Global Aggregation"
WHEN:
March 26, 2009
5:00 PM EST
4:00 PM CST
3:00 PM MT
2:00 PM PST
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 Announcing:
Social Media Workshops...
Stay tuned for more details and a location in a city near you.
Facebook Coaching!
WHAT:
Receive 1 on 1 coaching while you develop your Facebook presence.
-Strategy
-Action Planning
-Implementation
Only one slot is available each week.
COACH W/: Tiffany Odutoye, Social Media Specialist
WHEN:
Every Tuesday from 4:00-5:30pm EST.
TESTIMONIAL:
"Tiffany helped me in setting up my QuoteActions business page in Facebook. She is very knowledgeable and is also very patient. I have been thinking about doing this for a while and yet the thought of spending all this time learning how to do this was not very appealing. Having Tiffany walk me through the process and provide guidance and support was invaluable. I highly recommend her work in this area."
Rick Itzkowich, Co-founder
Productive Learning &Leisure, LLC and creator of Relationship Building Tool: http://www.quoteactions.com
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Connect with me;
Friend me.
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