WHY SPRING FOR ZACK?

Ernie and Wendy Mayo were busy working hard and raising two boys, the light of their lives, Zack and Nick. Zack was 10, and enjoying being a big brother to Nick, age 6. They were good boys, and it seemed to Ernie and Wendy that their dedication to their boys and each other was working.

On June 9^th of last year, Zack fell while riding his scooter. Although none of the injuries seemed serious, he passed out, and Wendy called 911. Within 10 minutes of arrival at NHRMC, he was in cardiac arrest. He was rushed into surgery after it was determined that he had severe abdominal bleeding – and a few hours later the Mayos were told that Zack had a cancerous tumor on his liver that had ruptured, causing him to almost bleed to death. Two surgeries later they were still having trouble controlling the bleeding, and he was sent to UNC Chapel Hill. He stayed there for many months until being sent to Cincinnati Children’s hospital, where he is currently being treated for Hemoblastoma, waiting for a liver transplant, and attempting to clear tumors from his lungs.

That is the short version of what Zack has gone through. He has survived cardiac arrest, kidney failure, being on a ventilator for 23 days, 9 surgeries, brain swelling, and a coma. Yet he has a very positive attitude, and has big plans for his life. He is an inspiration to be around. Wendy and Ernie are determined to save their son, and are unwavering. They and Nick have not left Zack’s side since June.

SPRING FOR ZACK – A Family Fun Afternoon For A Great Cause

On May 1^st, young and old will gather at Halligan’s on Masonboro Loop Road to listen to music, eat good food, take parts in lots of fun activities, and enjoy each other’s company – all in support of a wonderful local family that has been hit hard by tragedy. Spring For Zack, a benefit for the Mayo family, will take place from 1 until 5 PM. The minimum donation is $15 for adults and $5 for children under 10, and includes an all you can eat buffet and access to the entertainment. For the adults, there will be live music on the patio, drink specials, a silent auction, and raffle. The Kid’s Area will feature inflatable bounce-houses, make-your-own Kona ice, games and much more. Tickets are available at all First Bank locations. For more information please visit springforzack.com or call Deb Conard at 470.6611.

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Does it sometimes seem like ages ago that you started your company, or took the job you’re in?  Do you think that you’re so old as a business that making big changes or even small ones could hurt you?  Or maybe it’s the opposite.  Maybe you’re still new to the game, only 2-3 years or even less.  Are you afraid that people misjudge your business because it’s so young?

We all face our mortality on a daily basis.  We get carded to buy alcohol and feel flattered we look so young.  Or maybe we start needing reading glasses and begin to feel old.  But we don’t face our business mortality, in fact we hide from it.  We do everything we can to either look older or appear fresh and young.  We ignore cracks in the walls and our business plan.  The problem is that just like a crack in a building, a crack in your business plan is only going to get bigger and harder to fix with time.

So what can we do to fight this? Simple, just treat your business as you do yourself. That’s right, you heard me, it’s time to put your business on a diet and give it a makeover.  Or maybe it’s time for some soul searching and a spiritual quest.  Basically it’s time to pull out your business plan, blow off the dust and start over.  Oh and if you can’t find your business plan or never wrote one, you need to look at the small business administration website for a little help.

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Start at the beginning with your mission statement, are you living up to it? Maybe it’s changed over the years.  Or maybe it’s not a good mission at all and you need to refocus on better efforts.  Go through the summary of your business and see if it still describes all that you do.  You might have added services, dropped off programs, or even changed your idea of a potential customer.  Go back and do new research on your ideal demographic based on your revised plan.  You may find that your odds have improved or your focus should shift.  With Census data just being released this is a great time to find local information on just about every demographic you can think of.

What you’re going to end up doing is rewriting your business plan.  And that new plan will not only help your business move ahead of the competition but it will give you a new focus and energy to get the necessary work done.  If you aren’t updating your company as it grows and changes, you’re like an office that uses typewriters and stores everything in triplicate.  Depending on what you find, it may be a good time to go on a diet and focus on the health of your business.  Or you may find that you are on track to have a real impact in your community and decide to take on a full time charity sponsorship.  Whatever the case, you can’t know until you face the fact that young or old, your business is aging and you don’t want to get left behind.

Related articles

• Guide to Writing a Business Plan (thinkup.waldenu.edu)
• About Small Business Planning & Securing Capital (thinkup.waldenu.edu)
• How To Become A Better Business Plan Writer (businessinsider.com)
• The Function of Business Planning (cash-bandit.com)
• The 7 Sections of a Business Plan (gabrielcatalano.com)

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We all face the challenge of having to write and not knowing where to start.  When it comes to a blog it gets even more complicated.  This isn’t some paper for your teacher to grade, or a letter that will be read by a select few.  This is going out into the Internet ether, and no telling what will happen next.  Whether you’re blogging for business or have a personal blog, topics are sometimes hard to find.  Yet we’re all told that we need to be blogging weekly or even daily.

I tell all my clients to blog at least weekly on their websites.  If I’m helping them with these posts then I will push it even harder.  But even the best among us can come up blank sometimes.  So recently I went looking for blog topics.  I found that it is a common topic out there in the web.  Experts like Chris Brogan, offer lists, and even weekly newsletters that contain topics. Sites abound with “random” generators that spout out questions and instructions for blogging.  And then there are sites like Plinky.com that have daily topics and a forum to post them in.

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So what is the best approach? There isn’t one.  Blogging has to be personal for it to work.  You have to inject your personality into the posts.  Now I’m not saying pour your heart out, but even if you’re writing about something dry like back injury treatment, add some humor or a personal story.  It is small touches like these that will help you get and retain readers.  People will value your content for the same reason they value your postings on social media.  It’s a personal connection.

Now, I’m not saying don’t use the many resources out there for blog topics.  I love Chris Brogan’s 100 things he wants others to blog about.  It’s a great way he was able to purge ideas, and make a connection with his readers.  I have copied the list over to a word document along with some from Plinky.com that I like.  So expect some fun posts coming up.  The big challenge is that I’ll be trying to write about each topic on both my blogging sites.  Here on my business blog and on my personal blog. I also like the suggestion I found online of going back to previous posts and writing about the same topic again, either expanding upon the original post or finding a different angle.

So dig out the thinking cap and go hunting for some topics.  You might find that they inspire you with your own idea.

Related articles

• Why You Should Become a Reader (savvyblogging.net)
• Becoming a Trust Agent w/ @ChrisBrogan [@InboundNow #6] (hubspot.com)
• What Plinky Is and How to Make It Better. (reluctanth3ro.wordpress.com)
• Topic: How do you stay focused? (dailypost.wordpress.com)
• An Amateur’s Guide to Blogging (blogworld.com)

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Well folks, we’ve come full circle to when I first got really active on my blog.  It’s Lent right now, and if you are not familiar with the season, that’s okay.  In simplest terms I have 40 days and 40 nights for reflection.  During that time I can give something up or take something on.  One year that meant attempting to run a 5K which evolved into attempting to train for a half marathon.  I was on track with my fitness until this past fall when I took on a big project that took all my spare time.

So this year I am taking on some fitness goals but I’m also taking on some business goals.  If you want to follow along with the fitness side, check out my other blog.  But here I’ll be talking about the importance of setting goals and how to reach them.  I’ve even changed the title of this category to Big Goals as part of the challenge.

Years ago before I graduated from Meredith College I took part in an intensive program known as Leadershape.  For one week we worked on developing a vision, setting stretch goals, and identifying the steps necessary to reach those goals.  I have found that this is something I use on a regular basis.  I may not always have a clear vision but I know what big goals I want to reach and I plan out the steps to reach them.

Join me in the coming days as I set my Stretch Goal, and then work to reach it with small milestones and hard work.

Related articles

• Giving Up Nothing for Lent [Christine Miller] (ecademy.com)
• Lent (A Series): Origins and Meaning (via ChristianBlessings) (squisheddiorama.com)
• How the Season of Lent Can Motivate You (fitsugar.com)

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Business is a competition.  That’s the lesson we’re taught at an early age.  Advertisements show us that soda companies and car companies are competing for our money.  Fast food franchises offer specials and deals to get us to choose them.  But really, after a while we pick our favorites regardless of advertising.  I’m not a Burger King fan, never really enjoyed it.  I have always loved McDonald’s and Hardees.  So they can advertise all they want but to be honest, The King freaks me out!

Why do I choose some businesses over others?  Simple, we place emotional value on the businesses we visit and frequent.  So if you want to be truly competitive then you need to focus on setting your business apart from your competition.  Don’t spend your time trying to beat prices or beat daily numbers.  Spend your time creating a quality relationship with each and every customer that walks in your door.  Be the best and the most attentive and even if your prices are double your customers will stay loyal because there will be a stronger value in your services.

A little competition is a good thing, but let everyone else come after you, while you take the high road.

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Wow, I’ve made it to March and have not been as productive as I hoped.  Sure I’m working hard for all my clients, but that’s where it’s stopped.  The old phrase you can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink comes to mind.  Only I’m the horse that won’t drink.  Crazy that I have adopted drinking more water as a resolution and been very successful at it, but I can’t listen to my own advice.  Well, it’s not so much that I’m not listening, I hear it loud and clear but I’m letting life’s daily distractions get in the way.

Well no more.  I am taking control and fast.  For starters, I spent the other night looking up tons of blog topics for this blog and my dating blog.  What I found when I started writing on these topics is that even though I was choosing them based on the blog theme, I actually can use them for both.  It’s a challenge to be sure.  Some of the social media topics I want to write on, will make me rethink dating and maybe take it to a whole new level.

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But more importantly I’m going to start farming.  Yes that’s right, I’m putting on my overalls and work boots and firing up the networking tractor.  I have spent the 5 years I’ve lived here in Wilmington, NC building a large network of contacts.  Some through events, business, networking socials, and of course social media.  But I’ve never used this network to its full extent.  I’ve been planting container gardens instead of sowing fields of success.  Tired of the silly metaphors, so am I.  But I’m more tired of being a whiner and wondering why business is not booming.

Taking accountability is the first step and I’m fully to blame.  This is a great time to be in business for oneself and I should be having a blast.  So below you can read the letter that I am sending out today to a long list of LinkedIn and personal contacts.  Some are good friends and others are people I would love to get to know better.  All of them can help me in some way.  It may just be encouragement and a friendly lunch, but some may turn into valuable contacts who help me grow my company into what I dream it can be.

What goal have you missed out on? Where are you letting yourself or your business down? And most importantly, what are you going to do about it?

Can you believe that it is almost March? Spring is fast approaching and the first quarter of this year is about to be gone. I started off this year with so many projects on the horizon and wonderful customers to work with.  It was great! But what I forgot was that it’s more fun to celebrate success with others.  More importantly, is that sharing that success and helping others can really make a difference.

I’m writing to you because I want to share all the excitement and energy that my business is experiencing.  I also want to hear what is new and different for you and your company.  These days there are strength in numbers and I want to build a solid network of individuals who are looking to succeed.  You are one of these shining examples.

With busy schedules we are often too busy to come together and catch up and share our success, but I am hoping we can do just that.  I would love to sit down with you for just 15 minutes soon and catch up.  A quick coffee or a long lunch, any time that you can spare would be so helpful.  Let me know some times that work for you next week and let’s see how we can grow our businesses together.

Related articles

• The cart and the horse: Social media and blogging (customerthink.com)
• How to Market Your Business on LinkedIn (globalthoughtz.com)
• Why Every Small Business Owner Needs a Blog (buildabetterblog.com)

Studies show that people today feel less confident about their jobs and income than their parents, even though they are more successful and make more money than their parents did.  I think we should look back to our parents and grandparents to learn how to improve ourselves and business.

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My grandfather sold cars for a while after college.  The story goes that for every Wake Forest University home football game, he and my grandmother would each drive a car up from the dealership.  My grandmother had to make sure they had a ride back home because he would sell both cars for cash by half-time.  Now I’m sure that’s been exaggerated but I like the confidence.  He took a chance and went up to Winston Salem those days with a goal.

My other grandfather wanted to get into the wholesale grocery business.  He got a supplier to let him take one can of Zud and hit the road.  Zud is a predecessor to Comet for those who are a little young.  So off my grandfather went and at his first appointment he sold several cases of Zud.  Within a few months he was representing several products and went on to be a top seller for the Hi-C company.

When I was in outside sales I had some of this gumption.  Whenever I felt down I would think about my grandfathers and push on.

My mother taught me that often a sales pitch is nothing more than becoming friends with the person your selling to.  I found that sometimes you sell an idea more than you sell the product or service.  My father taught me that a job is something you commit to fully.  When you are at the job you focus on it, and unless you are willing to quit you give 100% every time you are there.

We should focus on our parents and grandparents generations.  Their work ethic and approach to a job were unparalleled.  In other countries this dedication is still alive.  It’s why they have such generous benefits and vacations.  Their employees work so hard that they get more in return.  If all of us put the same time and focus into our work that prior generations did we would find ourselves more satisfied and successful.

Related articles

• What can parents influence? (marginalrevolution.com)
• Bad with Money? Blame Your Parents (money.usnews.com)

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Many start a business and feel that to build a brand all they need is a strong identity.  They design a quick logo, color scheme, and tag line and feel they are ready to be open for business.  I am as much at fault for this as those I now help.  I learned the hard way.  I thought that I knew what my brand was.  Quality event planning and social media management.  That is not a brand, that is merely a description of what I could do.  A brand is a larger picture of your company and what it stands for.

Just as any good business plan has a mission statement, so should your brand.  When you imagine  your potential and existing clients, what do you want them to think of when they talk about your company?  What lasting impression do you want them to leave with?  When referring you to other business owners what would you like them to say? These are the questions you should be asking yourself, not what color paper to print your business cards on.

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Once you establish these emotional responses and key words, you will better know how to create a brand for your business.  You will also begin to realize that you may be filling a niche market.  In this day and time, all businesses should be looking to fill a niche market.  Even if you are opening a sub shop, you are filling a specific need.  You may provide delivery because your located in a busy area.  Or maybe you are somewhere with more people from one culture so you add specific types of subs to your menu.  This can apply to any business, regardless of type or location.

Niche marketing is nothing more than identifying your key customers or those that you have not appealed to in the past.  If you know this niche before you start your business you can incorporate it into your brand.  You might use a different color scheme, specific key words that appeal to a culture, or create marketing materials in different languages or styles.  Where you advertise your brand will also change, but that’s for another blog post.

For now, sit down and start asking yourself the right questions.  Don’t be afraid that your brand may change, it can only mean bigger and better things for you and your business.  Developing a brand that appeals to your ideal customer and niche market is a sure way to succeed.

Related articles

• 7 Personal Branding Secrets of Facebook Pages (smedio.com)
• A couple of Unique Niche Advertising and marketing Suggestions To … (choose4me.com)
• Niche Marketing: Finding Hot Markets (web-workathome.com)
• What goes into a business plan? (e27.sg)

This was no more clear than when I just signed in after this absence to review 56 comments.  How appalling, I am an excellent corresponder and hate when people don’t get back to me.  Now at least 2/3 or more of these were spam, but nonethesless they were there.  I am thankful that I have approval on all comments, considering the blathering that was some spam.

So here I am back on my blog and needing a topic, other than punishing myself verbally for not writing.  So lets talk about reasonable goals for a blog.  I have been reading several other blogs about blogging, wow that’s a mouthful.  But most give the same advice.  While once a week blogging is great for business blogs, and keeps your content fresh, it’s not really ideal.  Now for a lot of my clients I write weekly or every other week for their blog.  It works well for the client/ghostwriter relationship.  A week gives them time to review your post, and make changes and get it back to you.

Now before all the blog purists start attacking me, I never come up with the content on my own.  It is always a topic suggested by the client, their input is crucial.  With one client, I actually call her and we write the blog together.  She dictates, I make small changes to make it sound better, and then we come to an agreement on the final draft.

But what about those out there that really do want to write their own blog?  Well, what I’m learning from my other blog and from the research I’m doing is that a better goal to have is 2-3 posts a week.  Yes, I know that may seem crazy, but who says each post has to be an epic novel.  Are you excited about the completion of a big project? Share it! Share images, write about looking for similar projects because you enjoyed it, or write about what you learned from it.

Blogging for business can be a combination journal exercise and self review.  By sitting down after every project is done and writing objectively about the highs and lows, success and failures, you can improve your business and create a blog post that is honest and enjoyable.  People like to hear the personal side of business, not just the tips and tricks.

So sign on, get writing and be personal.  Take a few minutes everyday and just look for topics, or stare at the screen and see what comes to mind.  You don’t even have to write it all at once.  If an idea strikes you can make a few notes and come back to it later.  Just don’t be absent, or you might just fail.

Each workshop will take place from 8:30 am to 10:30 am on the dates listed below

Workshop Schedule

October 6th           Introduction to Social Media

October 20th         Facebook: It’s not just for College Students

November 3rd      The New Marketplace: Online Sales of Property

November 17th     Tweeting and Checking In

December 1st         Linking in to Your Client Base

December 15th      Reaching a Larger Audience

January 5th             Bringing it All Together