A New Breed of Entrepreneurs
Amenique Community Relations and Davette Harvey is celebrating 10 years of service to the business community. In honor of this experience, I wanted to capture the state of affairs for entrepreneurs in today’s enterprise environment.
First, I want to explain that there are two types of entrepreneurs in the marketplace today. The native entrepreneur and the transplant entrepreneur, which I will refer to as the “new breed”. The native entrepreneur loves business for business sake. These entrepreneurs probably had visions, conversations, a desire and passion to be an entrepreneur from their earliest recollection. For the native entrepreneur, business is like a game and making deals and living with the uncertainty and experimental nature of business is exciting. The native entrepreneur loves the business of doing business. They can move from business venture to business venture because the freedom to win and live on their terms is the fuel that keeps their life exciting.
I must admit, I am a native entrepreneur. I love business. I love entrepreneurism and the spirit of enterprising individuals even more. However, as I celebrate my tenth year of assisting entrepreneurs with business development and leadership acumen, I have seen a transition from assisting individuals that have always had a passion for wanting to own and operate a business to entrepreneurial transplants. This new breed of entrepreneurs are individuals who are resigning, retiring early or being transitioned out of traditional careers and positions and are seeking entrepreneurism as a new opportunity to realize success.
These entrepreneurial transplants are an emerging breed of entrepreneurs who, like the million of others who are becoming more and more disenfranchised with employment and career instability and politics, are desiring to set out on their own in order to have greater control over their lives, to work on their own terms, and define who they are in their own way. They have reached a point where they are looking for self-actualization and vision realization.
For this new breed, being in business is more a means to an end than an end in itself. These individual are engaged in business enterprise not for its own sake, or even solely for profits per se, but for a purpose beyond the enterprise. They see business as a way to fulfill a higher purpose, to perform a higher calling, to pursue a life of passion.
This new breed is more interested in and better prepared for working in their business, I say that because most choose businesses around their area of passion, expertise or previous careers, certain aspects of the work that the native entrepreneur finds exciting and enjoyable can be uncomfortable and even intimidating for the transplant. Notable among these are selling, networking, negotiating a deal, projecting profits and losses, managing cash flow, financial planning, and marketing. Yet without these functions there is no long-term sustainability in business ownership, rather it be a home-based business are a small business operation.
Amenique’s has spent the last ten years committed to assisting entrepreneurs with making their vision clear, their purpose evident and their vision know no bounds. This mission is proving to be timeless and applicable to both the native and new breed of entrepreneurs. However, the vision is to create a community of successful entrepreneurs who exhibit leadership, social responsibility, sustainability and prosperity through their enterprise.
Amenique provides practical information to assist all entrepreneurs with business entry, growth and expansion. However, experience has shown me that practical information alone, may not be enough for ultimate success as an entrepreneur. That is why coaching can be so valuable. Entrepreneurism can be very similar to relocating. A coach can assist an entrepreneurial transplant with the new culture of business ownership and assist with being prepared, pro-active and on top of business ownership, growth and expansion efforts. Entrepreneurism can be exciting and can bring the highest level of satisfaction, fulfillment and achievement. We have coaching programs designed for the entrepreneur who enjoy’s business for business sake and for the entrepreneur who is a part of the new breed that is ready to make their mark in the world and their impression on it.
This year was named the “Year of the Entrepreneur”. For whatever the reason you have chosen entrepreneurism. Let me assist you with solving the entrepreneurial success puzzle! This is an anniversary year that I will always remember. Make this an entrepreneurial year that you will never forget!
Davette Harvey
President/CEO
Amenique Community Relations
“Committed to Training and Coaching a Community of Successful Entrepreneurs!”
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What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do
Being an entrepreneur presents numerous situations you don’t immediately know how to handle. And when these situations arise, of course, you can’t go to your supervisor. So what is an entrepreneur to do?
If you have a network of professionals, a lawyer, accountant, computer consultant, and so on, you can turn to them for help in their areas of expertise. But unless you have an unlimited budget and they have unlimited patience, you can’t turn to them for advice on the majority of the decisions you need to make. For example, should you take on a particular client? Can you get a particular project done according to the proposed schedule? Can you bring it in within the quoted price? What should you do about an overdue bill? Are you going to use the same print shop you used last time even though you weren’t totally satisfied with them, or should you take the time and the risk to find a new one?
The decisions entrepreneurs face are endless and relentless. Sometimes it can seem that 90% of our time is spent on problem solving and decision-making. And we have to resolve most of them by ourselves. Well, problem solving and decision-making is great when you know what to do. Below are some guidelines for those times when you may not.
1. First, admit that you don’t know. It’s OK.
2. Assume something effective can be done. The answer is out there somewhere.
3. Trust your intuition. Don’t let your mind get hung up on insignificant details. Sometimes that small voice inside does have the answer.
4. Focus your attention away from the problem and on the desired result.
5. Brainstorm multiple possibilities on how to achieve the desired outcome.
6. Let it stew for a while. Take a break from it. This will give your subconscious mind a chance to work on it. Some of the most productive ideas and solutions were obtained this way.
7. Talk it out. Find someone to brainstorm with about the concern(s). Get feedback. Stew again.
8. If all else fails, act. As a rule, it’s better to do something than nothing. Try something. Test out some of your possibilities, hopefully, in a small way, and assess your results. Even if it doesn’t work, the results may suggest to you what to do next. Or, at the least teach you what not to do.
Remember: “School is never out for the pro.”
Davette Harvey, The Woman with the Plan!
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How well do you perform the six entrepreneurial essential functions?
Like any self-sustaining economic entity from a Fortune 500 company to a part-time sole proprietor operating from a spare bedroom, in order to survive and thrive on your own, you must carry out six basic entrepreneurial functions.
Usually one of these activities will be your preferred function, what you get paid to do. But to become sustainable and profitable in business, you will need the ability to carry out all of the functions adequately and consistently whenever circumstances demand. While corporations and big businesses can hire personnel to perform these different functions, chances are if you are an entrepreneur or small business, you will find that you are a “jack-of-all-functions” with only mastery in one, at least in the beginning!
As you read through the following six functions, assess your strengths and weaknesses, preferences and natural tendencies. Take the time to indentify which of the functions is your preferred function, which ones come easy to you and which ones pose a challenge to you or seem difficult to you.
The six core entrepreneurial functions are:
1. Creating. In any operation, someone has to create the products and services that will be provided to clients and customers. Of course, most entrepreneurs are creative and are in business to provide their creativity to the marketplace. However, entrepreneurs are in business for business sake. These entrepreneurs may have to find existing business models to align with in order to survive in business.
2. Problem Solving. As with any business venture, problem solving is a huge part of day-to-day operations. Problems such as getting business, pleasing your clients and customers, and running your office effectively can leave a business owner wondering will they ever get to a point where all they have to engage in is delivery of service and/or products. Taking the time to think of contingencies and already having well thought out solutions to problems can make this less cumbersome.
3. Building. Every entrepreneur requires that someone roll up his or her sleeves and do the hands-on work that gets and keeps things running. Assembling, repairing, cleaning, maintaining and transporting describe the activities that fall under this category. If this function provides you with tension, consider outsourcing. You can incorporate the outsource fees into your pricing structure.
4. Organizing. Every operation needs someone to set up procedures, follow through, and carry out the day-to-day administrative tasks of operating as a business. I don’t believe that any entrepreneur can completely step away from administrative responsibilities. However, there are ways to make administrative duties less obtrusive on the other core functions. First, creating standard operating procedures, checklist, priority list and scheduling certain administrative task for certain days of the week can assist with stream lining routine activities. Likewise, a virtual assistant can be extremely helpful in assisting with redundant task.
5. Leading. In order to survive and thrive, every business needs someone to oversee, coordinate, manage, market, sell, and promote its products or services. This is another core function that can’t be totally designated out. However, hiring commissioned sales people and incorporating a diverse marketing mix that combines personal sales with impersonal sales will allow for an entrepreneur to maximize their visibility in the market place.
6. Improving. Last, someone has to work personally with the customers and clients, listen to their needs, satisfy their complaints, and identify where improvements need to be made. These kinds of interactions lead to the new and improved products and services that keep people coming back to you again and again. On line surveys, customer satisfaction cards in your place of business and quarterly phone calls to clients can be strategic ways to get feedback before situations become larger issues that can impact your client base and demand more time in the reactive state than on the proactive front.
“Know thyself.”
~The Oracle at Delphi~
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Is it time for a business tune-up?
Is it time for a business tune-up?
Like most smart entrepreneurs, you probably had a business plan to start. You did everything by the book: You put together a thorough business plan, you followed it, and whatever success you’re now enjoying proves it was a solid plan. That doesn’t mean the business plan that served you well as a startup business is what it should be now that it’s helped you realize the first part of your dream. To get to the heart of that passionate vision, your now operational business plan might need some fine tuning.
Maybe you used it to help raise money. But now you operate in the real world, and everything seems a little different. No matter how much research you did in advance, and how neatly you set up your company, the everyday business playing field tends to be a disorderly place where things rarely go according to design.
What you may need now is a plan of a different sort — a plan for strategic growth that acts more like an internal compass to guide you toward success. This plan starts with a specific mindset. Gather some intelligence about what’s happening internally. Both inside you as the owner and inside the company in terms of operations, then explore what is happening around you, your market, your customers, your alliances, then write down your plan. You don’t need something extensive — even a list of bullet point will help.
As with much else in your original business plan, your product and marketing ideas can probably benefit from a revision. Take time quarterly to research and review today’s market, and adjust accordingly. What are the trends in your industry? What are the new and emerging customer buying patterns? What do your customers or clients have to say about how you might serve them even better?
And don’t be shy about asking for objective, professional advice. With all of the social media connections that exist today, you can reach out to some of the professionals that you have in your connection and ask them for their opinion. This allows for connections to become more meaningful.
If you don’t feel comfortable with inquiring with connections, experiment with new ideas on your family or friends before putting them out on the big stage. Learning from a few controlled trials is safer and cheaper than going right out and putting an untested experiment on the betting line.
As your business expands, you, as the visionary, must find a way to effectively hand over some of the daily tasks in order to keep your passion hot and your focus on bigger things to come.
Continued success requires flexibility, you, as the visionary can’t afford to be too closely wed to your original business plan if you want it to serve new growth. Take a fresh, open-minded look at how it got you here, and tweak it as necessary to serve your current needs and market conditions.
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Grassroots Marketing and Social Media
The power of a successful grassroots marketing effort can be amazing. Grassroots momentum can be achieved for a business in much of the same way it was used during the last two presidential campaigns. Former President Bush used emails to get his message out and the current President Obama used over 16 social media platforms to jump-start his astounding grassroots initiative. Grassroots marketing is getting consumers and influencers in your key markets to care so much about what you are doing that they become your cheerleaders and most vocal supporters. Suddenly, you have a credible, voluntary sales force that is carrying your message forward with more velocity than a marketing department of a large company.
This is called the ripple effect. In the not so distant past, this required a lot of leg work. I mean actual footwork. Social media has transformed this effort to spending a few hours a day, a few times a week; start with an initial splash of post, responses, connections and follow-ups. The frequent message reinforcement from this activity can create a loyal support system of (unpaid) brand ambassadors. From there, each positive association or interaction produces ripples about your product, company or services that continue to expand throughout the community, rather that be local, national or global.
Are you ready to launch a grassroots marketing initiative using social media? Remember the Three F’s of grassroots marketing: Feel-good, Frequent, and Free.
Feel-good: Each approach should be tailored for the specific market that you serve and the specific objective that you are trying to accomplish. Make your messages as memorable as possible. A feel-good campaign motivates people and brings out their passion. Don’t just send invitations to connect on various social media platforms. Express the desires to be of value to the person you are connecting with. This means write a unique message when sending the request and share something that you found of interest in their profile. Seek to make the relationship with the connection more than a name in your contact list and a number to impress others with the amount of connections that you have. Five active and motivated cheerleaders can be more powerful that a host of people who are just there for the sake of being there. Likewise, submit post to group discussions that are both meaningful, if applicable, motivational and invitational. All post should encourage readers to respond. Rather it be a call to action, a reason add to the discussion or the desire to forward the information on to someone else they feel could benefit from the information.
Frequent: Grassroots is about permeating a community and building relationships on many levels so the buzz grows. To do this, it’s important to have multiple layers of communication to keep the messages and excitement fresh, frequent and strong. This means that you have to incorporate public relations strategies and reinforce your messages with more than social media. Take the time to submit your articles to newspapers and magazines in your markets. Create press releases at least three to four times a year. Write letters to the editor. Frequency in different mediums is what creates a solid foundation for grassroots campaigns.
Free: There is always power in the “Free”. Have at least one offering, product, demonstration and/or sampling that is free that people can become familiar with what you have to offer. You can never go wrong with providing some value to the community of customers and clients that you serve. Even the ones who don’t acquisition in as a client or customer can transform into one of your greatest referral source.
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Fortitude: Keeps Business Alive!
Amidst grim predictions, life situations, financial predicaments and negative feedback from those who once was your raving fans, the survival factor and main ingredient for entrepreneurial success can be an internal disposition called fortitude.
Discouragement can inspire hopeless actions in an entrepreneur. Fortitude combined with hope and clarity can create inventiveness that inspires uncanny strategies that allows an enterprising individual to survive in tough situations.
Fortitude creates opportunities. That is why we have so many great business models and successful business people who were created during recessionary times. These business leaders and icons knew that when one door closes another one opens and if they couldn’t find an open door, they created it. Don’t let emotions dictate your opportunities.
Entrepreneurism is driven by the heart and fueled from within, not dictated by statistics and commanded by the mind. Most successful business models originally didn’t make sense or were created during challenging times. Walt Disney is my greatest inspiration when challenged by hard times, but here are a few more:
• Turner Broadcasting
• Mary Kay Cosmetics
• FedX
• Burger King
• Wendy’s
• The Jim Henson Company (The famed puppeteer and creator of Sesame Street)
• Microsoft Corp.
• MTV
• Sports Illustrated
• Hewlett-Packard (HP), and the list goes on….
Development vs. Revenue Generation
In all times, be service driven. Don’t allow the need for revenue generation to overcast your sensibilities of operating your business from a service paradigm. Make service delivery priority number one and service your customers in an excellent manner. Seek out as many ways that you can add value to your customers, rather they be revenue generators or not. Develop ways to out-service your competitors, become a thought leader in your industry by actively sharing your thoughts in blogs, articles, forums and publications. Participate in networking and social networking. This can provide you with a in-depth view of thoughts, request, opinions, dislikes, recommendations and most importantly open doors in your industry.
Opportunity vs. Emotion
You must see challenging times as an opportunity to be open to new ideas, to get pro-active in engaging your customers and community. During these times seek assistance and search for available resources, re-visit your business plan or create a new strategic plan, attend business development courses, industry conferences, visit niche websites, join a mastermind group and read articles and books. The opportunity to survive and to overcome challenges is out there for the one who has the determination to persist and exist as a business owner.
These Three Things
For an entrepreneur to be successful during any challenges they need these three things:
Clarity, hope and fortitude; and the greatest of these is fortitude.
Don’t let tough times get you down…determine within yourself…to…keep business alive!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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A Non-Guru Formula for Entrepreneurial Success!
Who are today’s successful entrepreneurs and how can you join the ranks?
It is a fact that entrepreneurs today think differently from those in the past. According to a study conducted by the Kauffman Foundation, more than 90 percent of today’s successful entrepreneurs come from middle-class or upper-lower-class backgrounds and have a college education. These entrepreneurs tended to be middle-aged when they started their first company and most were married with at least one child when they took the business plunge. Vivek Wadhwa the author of the study stated, “These entrepreneurs came to a stage in their life where they wanted to experience real wealth before they retire and are simply tired of working for someone else.” At any age, anyone who decides that entrepreneurism is for them, are looking to be successful.
Regardless of how many studies are conducted on entrepreneurs and in spite of the clear patterns that can emerge during a study, entrepreneurship is not limited to those few who fit any particular mold. From my years of experience, below is what I found to be common characteristic traits of and a non-guru formula for success in entrepreneurism:
The key characteristics among today’s successful entrepreneurs are:
- They have passion.
- They are goal-oriented in their quest to reach their desired outcomes.
- They have a creative imagination when it comes to their ideas in business.
- They have a positive attitude when it comes to building their business and business relationships.
- They have very quick decision-makers in their business endeavors and ideas.
What are the key steps to becoming successful in today’s globalized society?
- Recruit a winning team of advisors, mentors, strategic alliances and resources.
- Hire a winning coach.
- Gain clarity on what you want to offer the marketplace.
- Create a plan for how you want to be positioned in the mind of consumers.
- Deliver quality.
- Implement a diverse marketing and promotions plan.
- Remain open to change.
- Embrace every opportunity to serve your community of consumers.
- Pursue opportunities for growth, collaboration and networking.
- Remain in balance. Incorporate the following into your entrepreneurial lifestyle:
- Spiritual and health activities and practices
- Time with family and friends.
- A balanced budget that incorporates conservative spending and liberal saving that identifies wants vs. needs.
- A vacation once a year, an outing once a month and a rest day once a week.
To your entrepreneurial success!
Davette Harvey
Business Strategist and Coach
The Woman with the Plan!
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Turning Stumbling Blocks into Stepping Stones
I came across a quote that stated “Obstacles are Everywhere—Get Over Them”. When I read this quote, it made me think of an adage that one of my aunts used to tell me years ago. You have to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
It is easy to spend time and energy lamenting about how hard things are. You can complain about things at work, the government, the recession, customers that don’t buy and on and on. You can talk with anyone who will listen to your challenges.
However, it seldom makes you or the other person feel any better and it places the focus on the problem rather than the solution. And what I found over the years is that what you focus on expands.
Surely we want to be AWARE of the obstacles in our lives. But we need to remain focused on getting over them and not invest our valuable energy on what’s in the way and how unfair it is.
In order to turn a stumbling block into a stepping stone, you first have to stop complaining and start asking questions. You have to be willing to ask for help and advice, if you can complain, you can ask for assistance. Instead of finding a friend that will take the time to listen and console you, find the resource that will help you with the solution to the problem. If the person you’re talking to about your challenge can’t help you, you’re actually just complaining and wasting time. Feeling sorry for yourself can be counterproductive and keep you motionless. When we do this, more often than not, the problem grows into a much larger problem. Or, at the very least, it is still the same challenge that it was after the conversation. The conversion process is still in the same stage. The stumbling block is still what it is.
With stumbling blocks you have to get over them, through them, around them or take them out. But never complain about them. As entrepreneurs and leaders, our success depends on how well we are able to impact the world, not be impacted by it. Overcoming obstacles is what we do. It’s what needs to happen in order for us to get were we are aspiring to go. When we learn how to convert stumbling blocks into stepping stones the process makes us stronger and trains us to deal with other obstacles that we will inevitably face as begin to realize our dreams and success. Stumbling blocks only get larger from here. However the great thing about it is that the larger they are, the higher they will take you when you step on them!
Your challenges only convert to stepping stones when you confront them with a problem solving perspective. For as much lies within you, remove the energy from it. Take a breath and a step back and begin to look at it as an opportunity to grow, develop and move up another level.
Yes, obstacles ARE everywhere. So let’s get over them, as a matter of fact, let’s convert them and step on them. It’s time for higher ground; the view is more awesome there!
Davette Harvey
“The Woman with the Plan!”
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The Great Debate: Why Businesses Fail?
Depending on which studies you read, somewhere between three and four business fail with their first seven years of operation. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 50% of business fail with their first year. These odds of business success are nothing new. Most start-up entrepreneurs are aware of the odds and still decide that it is their fate to among the 50% who do make it in entrepreneurism. According to a new Kauffman Foundation Study, more than 500,000 new businesses are launched in North America every month. That is over 6 million start-ups each year!
Normally, I write business growth information in the affirmative. However, I believe that sometime knowing why business fail can provide great insight into how to make a business succeed. It’s easy to avoid a pitfall if you know where it is. Based on my years of experience as an entrepreneur and assisting other entrepreneurs, as well as the research I have conducted over time, the following are the major reasons why business fail. They are not listed in any particular order, therefore, depending on your business any or all could be applicable.
- Insufficient Capital ~ No matter how much capital you have to launch your business, always remembers that you are in business to make money not spend it. Always conduct your research to see if what you are purchasing, at the price you are purchasing it at is a want or need.
- Poor Management and Lack of Experience ~ Although you may have the skill to deliver the services and/or product and a natural ability to sell, it is still important to know how to manage growth and work on your business instead of being consumed with working in your business.
- Over-Investment in Fixed Assets ~ Most assets rather in business or in our personal lives begin to depreciate in value the moment we purchase them. For some assets, you may want to consider leasing; it may prove to be a better option.
- Poor Credit Arrangements ~ If you consistently need capital infusion in order to keep your business above float, it is time to seek help to identify what management or marketing practices may need to be revised in order to change the situation that you are consistently finding yourself in. When you no longer need financing that is when you can get it on your terms.
- No clear business model ~ Believe it or not, I speak to many people who lack clarity in knowing what business they are really in. They are unclear about their target market, their core values, mission and vision. Lack of clarity can stagnate or doom a business quicker than any of the prior mentions.
- Inadequate Support System ~ Anything worthwhile requires more than you. You need mentors, advisors and people who can assist you with business growth and development. You may also need employees, vendors, an advisory team, a coach, consultant or mastermind team. You may need to connect with your local Chamber of Commerce, SCORE or other SBA office. Business is all about relationships. Communicate and listen to those you serve through your business, those who serve you for their business and those you can serve others with in your business.
- Lack of a Written Strategic Plan ~ Few people would argue against have a well-though-out plan and then following and remaining committed to it with any necessary revisions as they go along. But, unfortunately most entrepreneurs don’t do this. If they do develop a business or other strategic document, they don’t commit to following it. The greatest investment that you can make in your business is the one of fore-thought and strategic planning. The second greatest is commitment to seeing it through. There has been so many entrepreneurs who have claimed overnight successes, that most business people feel like if they have not achieved success within a short time frame that their business is a failure, when most often they don’t realize that most over-night successes was at least 10 years in the making. There is no short-cuts to success. The PhD of business success is planning, hard work and determination. That is when you will receive the greatest ROI, return on your investment. That is when your business will succeed.
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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Starting a Business on Purpose
An approach to having it all!
Benjamin Diraeli stated that “nothing can resist a human will that stakes its heart upon a purpose”. Going into business may be an aim or goal of a person, however what there in business to provide or achieve more than likely is associated with a passion and a purpose.
The question is: “What happens if you are not clear on what purpose your should commit a business venture too?” Over the past couple of weeks, I have been hosting exploratory sessions with people who are exploring the notion of entrepreneurism, yet are unclear on the business concept that would be rewarding and fulfilling.. It is not the uncertainty of treading new waters of becoming a first time business owner that has them at a standstill. It is the fact that they want to go into enterprise knowing that this will not only meet my financial obligations but also satisfy a soul’s calling to be self-actualized and to be a meaningful contribution to society that uses their unique background and skills in the most optimal way.
Most definitely, there is power in knowing why you are doing what you are doing. The greatest investment that a potential entrepreneur can make is to explore themselves before researching the market. Most business concepts are good business concepts. The right combination of marketing, targeting, and leadership will allow most to sustain and profit in a business venture. However, every business concept is not the best concept for you. This is where leadership comes into play, more specifically self-leadership.
What I am finding is that most are ready to live a life of passion and purpose and have that intersect with financial security. They see entrepreneurism as the means to finally have it all; the money, the lifestyle, the passion and the purpose.
To embark on the journey of having it all, start working with intention, with the desired end result in mind. You can begin to live your life by design as opposed to by accident, deliberately as opposed to by happenstance, with determination and resolve instead of from circumstance. Commit yourself to finding and relentlessly pursuing your life with purpose in mind. If you don’t know what will give purpose to your work, spend time listening to your inner desires and dreams and ask yourself the following questions:
1. What would you be doing if you could do anything you wanted without concern for money?
2. What would be the point of doing it?
3. Why would it be important for you to do it as opposed to anyone else?
After you explore your desires and dreams and answer the above questions, you can begin to entertain business concepts and models with greater ease. You will then have, at the least, a few rudimentary yet powerful set of guidelines that are needed to choose what type of business would be the best fit for you.
“The biggest risk that an entrepreneur has to face is internal. They have to decide that this is the thing that they want to do with their time and their life more than any other thing.”
~Fred Smith~
Davette Harvey
“The Woman with the Plan”
Business Strategist, Trainer and Entrepreneur Coach
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Social Entrepreneurism…A Community Service Business Model
Every industry has its own way of doing things and its own lingo. The non-profit sector requires learning how to serve the community and both acquire and manage resources for the sustainability and continued success of an outreach endeavor.
Service, leadership and money are the three major pillars that support a success social enterprise endeavor. The foundation for those pillars is mission, strategic planning and ethical premise. The mortar that keeps the entire organization together is resources mixed with constituents. Social enterprises are a powerful business model because it exists to serve a community in the many ways it can be defined.
We need the visionaries of these business models to succeed. Their energy, commitment, idealism, and creativity address and solve problems all over the world. Although it can be a challenge to fulfill the passion for solving or addressing an issue in your community or the world, there are numerous organizations that exist to assist you with assisting others. Listed below are a few organizations that every social entrepreneur should have as a resource:
The Foundation Center ~ has lots of information and services on its Web site. www.fdncenter.org
The Giving Forum ~ A resource for grant makers. www.rag.org
W.K. Kellogg Foundation ~ Publications and Resources Links. www.wkkf.org
NeighborWorks ~ Professional development, skill building and career enhancement in community development and affordable housing. www.nw.org
In closing, I want to thank all of the Social Entrepreneurs for their dedication to our communities. In tough economic times, I realize that many of you struggle to provide the resources to the community you serve. A simple formula for sustainability is to engage constituents, connect with colleagues and inspire through communications what your work is accomplishing. Engage, Connect and Inspire. These three actions will keep your work visible to those who are in a position to assist you with making an impact.
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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The Power of Clarity
The greatest piece of the business success puzzle is the one labeled clarity. The clarity around the business concept that only the visionary of the business can provide is the first valuable corner piece that can begin to provide the flow for the rest of the puzzle to come together. There are a lot of theories around business success. Some say it’s leveraging, the owners ability to put systems and processes in place the will ensure success even if the business owner is absent. Others confine it to the systems and procedures. Stating that as long as the business operates like a well oiled machine it will be a success. The continuum goes even further to gurus who proclaim that if you follow their proven model or system you will obtain overnight business success and reap in a harvest of financial gains rather it is a social media system, publicity system, networking system, strategic alliance system and the list goes on.
Although systems, models, guru’s, leveraging and more can be instrumental in business success, they can only become powerful when striving for success for a business as the force of vision and clarity that is unique to every business model no matter how similar the product/service is to others within an industry. Even a strategic plan success rises and falls on the human dynamics of vision and clarity provided by the owner or leader of a company.
In all that I do within the industry of business and enterprise, there is only one component to business success that appears as a common thread, clarity. Of course clarity must be combined with an area of focus to be effective, therefore a few other end objectives must stem from the clarity process. The objects of clarity that have found to be true, universal and instrumental to business success are:
1. Clarity of vision for company and product/services
2. Clarity on who would benefit the most from product/services
3. Clarity on how to connect and acquisition in customers/clients
4. Clarity on how you will perform outstanding customer service
5. Clarity on the business model that works best for the owner
6. Clarity on the team players needed to make it happen
7. Clarity on the unique definition of success by the owner
Previously in this article, it was mentioned that clarity was a piece to the business success puzzle, however, after writing this article; it could actually be considered the table (foundation) that the puzzle is created on. It provides the stability for all sound operations and strategic planning to be based.
Clarity can be birthed out of the dreaming or visualization process. Brainstorming, vision boards or any other instrument/process that will allow for the free flowing of a dream without hesitation or reservations can provide the ingredients to create clarity around what the business success puzzle would look like for a company. Only after that process is complete and exhausted, should anyone begin to put a business concept within the confines of research, frameworks and models for feasibility, sustainability and profitability.
Clarity, the main tool for solving the business success puzzle! Always seek to acquire this first.
Davette Harvey
Business Strategist, Entrepreneurial Coach
The Woman with the Plan!
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The Leadership Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs
If you Google leadership, you will retrieve over 142 million results. Over this last decade, thousands of books have been written for leaders in business and industry.
Leadership is so vital to the world we live in that it goes without saying that this popular topic has been identified as the most common trait to be learned through resources, captured through mentorship or developed through trainings.
Small businesses depend on leadership for profitable growth and it can make or break a company’s future. Most small business owners were never taught how to be an effective leader, so when we take on the role of small business owner (a role that requires a high degree of our leadership), the tendency is to “fake it till you make it”? Unfortunately, the faking part may go on indefinitely and often result in missed profits, dissatisfied customers and a company culture that breeds mediocrity, confusion and stagnation.
A business concept silently screams to the visionary that beholds it to lead! If leadership wasn’t birthed or cultivated in you, if it wasn’t an area of focus to be developed by you and you have entrepreneurial aspirations. It is not too late, first take a look at the characteristics shared by most successful business leaders and then figure out how to own these characteristics by making a commitment to develop them:
• Perpetually Optimistic – Leaders are just about always optimistic in how they think about anything pertaining to their business. No matter what “elephants” get in their path, they remain optimistic and leverage this thinking to solve problems extremely well.
• Integrity – Leaders honor their word i.e. they do what they say they are going to do and they model what they ask anyone else to do. They are change agents that we can believe in.
• Vision – Leaders set a well crafted vision for their business 3 – 5 years out and are able to get others to buy into the vision. Yes again, they have a PLAN.
• Care About the Success of Others – Leaders genuinely care about people and are constantly seeking out ways to help others be as successful as possible.
• Fearless – Leaders give the outward impression that they are fearless. Yes, they have fears just like the rest of us, but they don’t allow their fears to rule them like many of us choose to.
• Self-Esteem – Leaders place a high sense of value on themselves and this comes through in their confidence (not arrogance or narcissism) and belief system.
• It’s Not Personal – Leaders don’t take things at work personally. They understand the importance of not attaching negative meaning to events and let water roll down their back effortlessly. They keep their eyes on the prize.
This article has only scratched the surface on the topic of being a business leader.
What would you add or remove from the list of characteristics above and why? Let me know your thoughts!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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Make it Happen Series ~ Week 1
Business Success…Making It Happen Series
It’s time to “Make It Happen.” I have conversations with entrepreneurs all day, every day. Some are clients, some I meet in networking, some are students, some are participants in training programs and the one consistent theme over last year was that so many had been sitting on entrepreneurial aspirations, rather it was a start-up or just taking it to another level in the business sequence, for a long time. I am on a mission to build a global community of successful entrepreneurs. For, it is a community worth building. Therefore, this blog will provide the Make It Happen Series every week this year. Every week I will provide entrepreneurial action steps that, if you follow through with, 2010 will definitely be a win.
OK, time to share the Making it Happen Plan ~ Week 1
If you have been following me, you know that I am big on clarity. When the vision is clear, the purpose becomes evident and then the vision knows no bounds. Therefore, the first step is a process. It is as follows:
1. Stop ~ Take the time to stop and evaluate your business concept, existing business, non-profit or program.
2. Think ~ Think of all the strategic business units that could broaden your menu of services/products in a congruent way. Think of who you need to have on your team. These can be strategic alliances, power partners, vendors, members of an advisory board, etc.
3. Dream~Think bigger this year. Raise your expectations. Expect the next level to materialize.
4. Write~Write a plan out for 2010. What do you want to accomplish by the end of this year. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but the more details, the more clarity. The more clarity, the easier it is to make it happen.
5. Do~Take action. Make it happen. There is nothing more powerful than consistency when it comes to progress.
The Woman with the Plan is going to “Making it Happen”!
Davette Harvey
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Making it Happen! (2)
The next seven topics in the “Making It Happen” series will involve the top strategies in making enterprise progress along the business sequence. They are:
1. New Mind Set
2. Clear S.M.A.R.T. Goals
3. Inventory/Assessments
4. Planning
5. Focusing Systems
6. Passion/Sense of Purpose/Destiny
7. Support Structure/Environment
Today, I want to address the new mind-set that a successful entrepreneur needs to cultivate. The preface to this component of “Making It Happen” does not necessarily mean new values, although it may.
However, it does require you to investigate your beliefs around pursuing passion, stepping outside your comfort zone, engaging in activities that may be new to you, realizing prosperity, making sacrifices, creating new relationships, speaking publically or in one-on-ones (networking), being known and recognized, being a leader, living in a different way or on another level.
The entrepreneurial “Making It Happen” mindset requires that you take a gulp and be willing to experiment with new things. Yes, hold steadfast to your principles and values but become flexible in developing strategies and implementing tactics. Overcome the past, expect more for your future and have a winning, playful attitude.
Always remember that business is just a game. It may be one of the more serious games that you will play in life, but at the end of the day, you need to have a passion for it and an enjoyment from it.
One last mention, true entrepreneurial players are in it to win it. But, it is important for you to take the time to know exactly what winning looks like for you. It is different for every business owner. That is why we are dedicated to solving the business success puzzle that is unique to the entrepreneur and their business concept/model. It is a unique combination that once all the pieces are in place can create a beautiful picture and a wonderful life.
Just a little inspiration to encourage you to Make It Happen!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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Business Success…Making it Happen Series (3)
The next topic in the top strategies in making enterprise progress along the business sequence is Clear S.M.A.R.T. Goals. To continue to provide the framework of this part of the Making it Happen seriers I will re-cap what they are:
1. New Mind Set
2. Clear S.M.A.R.T. Goals
3. Inventory/Assessments
4. Planning
5. Focusing Systems
6. Passion/Sense of Purpose/Destiny
7. Support Structure/Environment
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Business Success…Making it Happen Series (4)
The next topic in the top strategies in making enterprise progress along the business sequence is Invetory/Assessment. To continue to provide the framework of this part of the Making it Happen seriers I will re-cap what they are:
1. New Mind Set
2. Clear S.M.A.R.T. Goals
3. Inventory/Assessments
4. Planning 5. Focusing Systems
6. Passion/Sense of Purpose/Destiny
7. Support Structure/Environment
A business can leverage its capabilities in four different ways. They can:
1. Leverage through people
2. Leverage through systems
3. Leverage through marketing
4. Leverge through finances
Of course, you would want to maximize any leverage that you can obtain for your business in all categories, but conducting an inventory of how much leverage you already have in the above areas and assessing what area would be the most beneficial to business growth will provide you with a framework to set the Clear S.M.A.R.T. Goals that we discussed in the last blog post. Understanding where you are is the best knowledge to have in order to create a strategic plan for progress.
I suggest that you assess the following core building blocks of business success.
1. People (Core Alliance, Vendors, Power Partners, Customers, Advisors, etc.)
2. Organization/Business Model (How can it be improved?)
3. Niche/Brand/USP (Is our target market and messaging still applicable and relevant?)
4. Leadership/Strategic Planning (Do you or the business have adequate leadership abilities? Do you have at least a quarterly strategic action plan? )
5. Sales/Marketing (How do you acquire clients/customers? What do the process look like? )
6. Finance/Legal (Are you operating by a budget? Have you reviewed your expenses? Have all of your agreements and contracts been reviewed by a lawyer?)
7. Customer Care/Service ( This is the chief-cornerstone in any business.
How do your customers/clients feel about your products/services? Have you asked lately?) When assessing these areas, attach the following responses to the areas:
1. Non-Existent
2. Needs Work
3. Adequate
4. Excellent
Doing even the most rudimentary inventory and assessment of your current business operation can provide you with the core building blocks of being able to Make (Business Success) Happen!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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Making it Happen (5)
Many entrepreneurs use a haphazard approach to business building and networking. They post as much content as they can, communicate as often as the can and attend any free webinar that they can schedule to find the one piece of advice that might be the key to unlock business success. Of course, in the end they know and communicate with a lot of people and the reason they can attend so many free offerings is because they still don’t have an increase in their customer/client base.
There is a system and targeted approach to building your business and to networking that can actually result in increased business and opportunities. I will outline a four step process:
1. Pro-actively fill your pipeline
2. Follow-up
3. Assess your results
4. Nurture and cultivate your relationships
Proactively filling your pipeline means to first create a profile of your ideal customer/client and then pro-actively seek them out off-line and on-line. After seeking them out, then what? Well, you should pro-actively have some content that would resonate with them. If you know that they are ideal, what are they interested in, what concerns them, what do they enjoy as a hobby? Create a list of questions that you could ask potential clients to engage them in conversation. Keep abreast of the latest news that would also be of interest to them. Remember that when networking it is more about them and not you. People do business with people that they know, like and trust. Everybody wants to know people who has what they want, can offer the information that they need and can offer a product, service or relationship that they can put their trust in.
Of course, intentions to follow-up means little if you don’t follow-through. A systems approach to following up with contacts is to have a least three pieces of conversational content already prepared for either an email format or phone conversation. Once you have done this, it will assist you with overcoming procrastination when it comes to contacting individuals after that initial introduction. One last mention is to always end the conversation with the next step, whatever that might be. If they didn’t express interest, still be prepared with a next step. Maybe it will be to just touch base every once in a while to keep abreast of what each other is doing. Try not to write anyone completely off of your connections and potential customer/client list. The very person that expressed little interest today could possibly become your greatest ally or client in the future. Never underestimate the value someone could bring and don’t box yourself into what that might look like.
Last, the systems approach to nurturing and cultivating relationships is to categorize your contacts. A simple way is a, b, c and d method. You can make it an intention to contact the “a” people once a month, “b” people once every other month, “c” people, once a quarter and “d” people, twice a year. This is direct contact and not mass distribution. One last mention is to always remember that contacts may fluidly move throughout these categories. A “d” contact could possibly become an “a” contact and vice versa. Always be open to that and whatever you do, “keep in direct contact” with ideal people. It’s like the old adage goes, “good people are hard to find” so when you do, don’t take them for granted and keep up with them.
Just continuing to share how to make business success happen!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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Business Success…Making it Happen Series (6)
In this blog post, I will provide key strategies to consider when developing a strategic action plan for communications and promotions:
1. Identify/Create a database that matches your P/E ratio (Passion/Expertise Ratio) .
a. 60% of your database should be ideal clients/customers
b. 20% should be secondary clients/customers
c. 10% Strategic alliances/consumer advocates
d. 10% friends/family/others
2. Discover and identify what information is vital to your chosen database.
3. Discover who is already providing the service, product, information to your database.
4. Discover how the 5 Best communicate/sell to your target database.
5. Discover what info/service/feature is missing from the above.
6.Create a competitive advantage. Position yourself/service/product better.
7. Create your promotions
8. Start cheap
9. Test until what you are doing pulls at least a 1 to 3% response rate
10. Test many different mediums to see which is most productive
11. Roll-out promotions campaign in a major and consistent way
12. Now, that you have a winning communications system, find as many ways to repackage yourself, service or product. For instance, is you are a author, can you speak, train, host webinars…If you have a services, can this be provided virtual, in-person, nationally, internationally…If it is a product, can this product be used in more than one way, Baking Soda for instance has varied uses, cooking agent, laundry cleaner, deodorizer, water softener for bath, teeth cleaner…make sure that consumers know all they ways they can use and benefit from the product.
Strategic Visibility, Communications and Promotions, A Sure Way to Make (Entrepreneurial Success) Happen!
Davette Harvey
The Woman with the Plan!
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