Holiday Leadership Lessons: It's a Wonderful Life...

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on December 21, 2011

Special Leadership Lessons from Holiday Movies:

It’s a Wonderful Life:
Never Underestimate the Power of Tribes

One of the most memorable Christmas movies of all time is Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring the incomparable Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. It’s the ultimate feel-good movie, perfect for anyone who’s ever wondered if their life holds meaning.

Here’s the lowdown: George Bailey, played by Stewart, is on the verge of collapse. His small building and loan company is on the verge of bankruptcy, the mean rich man in town is poised to swoop in, and though he has a house full of adorable kids and a gorgeous wife (Reed), there’s never enough money to go around. George decides his family and business would be better off without him. On the brink of suicide, he’s saved by a fledgling angel, Clarence.

Clarence goes on to show George what his life would be like if he’d never existed, and the sight ain’t pretty. By seeing all the people he’s touched, George realizes that he has created a strong network of love and support – he’s created a tribe. And it’s this tribe that pulls together at the end of the movie to give back to George, helping him out of his current difficulties.

The lesson to you should be obvious: Your tribe can, quite literally, save your life. You should be building not only a viable business, but a community – one that supports and cares for each other. If you’re just out to make a buck, don’t be surprised if no one leaps to defend you or lend you a helping hand when things go bad. And they will go bad.

You can get “slapped” by Google. You can get your PayPal account frozen. You can get brought up on charges by the FTC. You can get hacked, robbed, or plagiarized. It happens.

But if you have friends like George’s, you’ll have a whole team of folks on your side. But one thing to remember: George had friends he’d created just by being a good guy, doing the right thing at the right time, not worrying about what was in it for him. He stood up for what was right and shook hand after hand, even when it cost him personally.

He didn’t build this community by selling junk or automating his Twitter feed or spamming everyone. He did it the old fashioned way: By caring.

Some business techniques never go out of style.

How have you incorporated building community into your leadership style and practice? Building community is skill of talented leaders.

Join us for the Leadership Challenge Training in 2012.

Happy New Year: Planning 2010 for Great Success

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on January 6, 2010

Happy New Year!

What a wonderful start to the year with fresh snow, happy kids and a bit of time for reflection. Compass Rose Consulting, is geared up for 2010 and I am very excited about all that is happening! I want to welcome you to 2010 and I look forward to our journey together this year, because I see it being a very great year! CNN just reported that it is The Year of the Entrepreneur!!! A good year to go into business and a good year to BE in business! That is us! And we are each going to see growth.

Each year, I start the year with a time for visioning and “envisioning” and I invite YOU to join me, next Thursday January 14th at 12 Noon EST. I will share my visioning process and guide participants through a powerful process of envisioning 2010.

This year I am adding live events each month, here in northern New Jersey, webinars for those that can’t make the “live, in-person” events and Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio is back online!

My goals for 2010 and to support you in building greater and greater success. Please read through all of the opportunities that are here right now!

In this issue:
Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio
Envision 2010 Webinar
List Building Intensive Webinar
Bizology.Biz LIVE
Bizology.Biz Membership
Article: List Building: I’m an Entrepreneur, Do I Need a List?
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Entrepreneur’s Talk Radio: Mind, Body, Business: Putting It All Together

Tuesday January 12th 1:00 PM- 2:00 PM EST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/entrepreneurs-talk

Susan Creal is a dynamic entrepreneur who helps mom entrepreneurs give birth to their businesses, teach them how to love and embrace what they do and celebrate their phenomenal success making more money than they thought was possible. She educates, inspires, has a gift of getting right to the issues while bringing fun and play back to business!

Susan and I will talking about how to put it all together based on her. unique Mind, Body, Business lifestyle model and approach to building success. Join Susan and I for a fun filled conversation.

Visit Susan’ Blog at:

http://transformingwomennow.com/blog/mom-entrepreneurs/

Callers are welcome to join the conversation during the show by calling (718) 664-6194 The live, Internet talk radio show will stream from the host page at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Entrepreneurs-Talk

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Envision 2010 Webinar: January 14th 2010: 12:00 Noon EST
Visioning is one of those vital steps in building your business success. Maybe you had a vision when you first started out, but have lost touch with it; or maybe you didn’t take the time to really site down and write your vision down. During Envision 2010, I will guide you through process of envisioning your business for 2010.

To regiser: http://www.envision2010.eventbrite.com
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List Building Intensive Webinar

No matter what type of entrepreneur you are, you need to be building a list. During this three week series I will teach you how to build a list and how it really integrates into your business plan. In addition, we will explore WHAT to do with the list once you have it, and how to convert prospects into clients. You will have a chance to mastermind with other participants in weeks two and three. You will receive an incredible workbook and other materials that will give you detailed information about how to build a targeted list.

Three Thursdays starting: January 21st

http://www.listbuildingintensive.eventbrite.com

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Bizology.Biz LIVE

January 20th 2010 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon EST.
Located in Sparta, New Jersey

Join me for an incredible live workshop: Bizology LIVE to put together your powerful strategic plan for 2010. Beyond the vision, you need to have a plan. A plan that you can work and that you can accomplish.

http://www.bizologylive1.eventbrite.com

Bizology.Biz The Science of Building Thriving Businesses
Bizology is now available in a couple of different formats!!
The published version is NOW available as a complete home study program. It includes all of the workbooks and audios and even the 9 special reports. They are shipped from the publisher to you and you are able to work in the area you want, skip around or go sequentially through the program. As I have edited it for the final print version, I have, myself been working through the program because it is GOOD. It guides you step by step through building your business success.

http://www.bizology.biz/bizpackage

And it is still available online in as a membership program that provides to you two lessons or workbooks each month. You are able to go through the program step by step.

http://www.bizology.biz/membership

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I am an Entrepreneur: Do I Need a List?

No matter what your business is you should be building a list of contacts and prospects. Entrepreneurs and small business owners need to be as diligent at this as Internet Marketers are. What Internet Marketers have demonstrated time and again is that a list of prospects and contacts CAN build great business success. A list in essence is a business’ “bread and butter”. The list is what become your valued customers and clients.

Whether you are a “brick and mortar” business or an online business, you need to building a list. Many, many offline businesses fail to effectively build a list online. Most businesses can use an online list. The idea of building a list is that you are “capturing” contact info for your website visitors. These visitors are so important to your business. But when they come and go without leaving you their contact info you have no way of following up, staying in touch or being “front of mind” when they change over to a “buyer” instead of window shopper.

List building is the first, most important and most constant of all the tasks that entrepreneurs should engage in. Maybe you don’t see it now but staying in touch with people consistently increasing your likelihood of converting a person into a client. Many believe that their business just doesn’t exist without their list.

You might see people saying that list building just isn’t that important. But the reality is that it is essential. When you have a list of targeted prospects you have the ability to continue to build your relationship and rapport. Not collecting contact information for your customers and contacts is a dangerous business decision. Even if you have a store front, you should be collecting valuable info from you customers.

Email gives us all the ability to easily stay in touch with people. But it is vital that your email has true value. People’s email boxes are full and you need to stand out. By offering real value with each email you will.

Think about it, someone comes to your store, you collect their contact info, and you are able to let them know about special events, sales and online opportunities to do business with you.

The CAN SPAM act of 2003 made is illegal to send bulk marketing emails without the consent of the recipients. That is the law. The penalties for disobeying this law are tough! You can be fined up to $11,000 per unsolicited marketing email that you send! You must be sure that you are collecting permission as well as email addresses. Even in your store you can have people sign up on your email list. Just keep the log of sign ups. You can personally add them to your list and that is okay.

There are many good ways to build your list. List building is an art, and at the same time the steps are easy to do. You can build a targeted list in person and online. Everyone on your list will be a valued subscriber, just on the verge of being a valued client.

If you are an entrepreneur you need to be building a list of contacts and prospects that you can continue to stay in touch with. Whether you are online of offline a list can be the “bread and butter” of your business, and its ability to weather the ups and downs of the economy and business environment.

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As you can see there is a lot happening here at CRC. I hope you join me on the journey. Pick the right program for you, right now, in your business, but pick one, because each is designed to help you, the entrepreneur, to build your business.

Happy New Year!
May yours be happy and prosperous.

All the best,
Donna

Donna Price
Compass Rose Consulting
973-500-8094

Now is the TIME to Prepare for an ExtraOrdinary 2010: Are You Ready?

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on December 18, 2009

This is the time of year to begin preparing for even greater success next year. Perhaps this year was good or perhaps it wasn’t. Now, is the time to gear up for more greatness in the New Year. If you have a business vision and strategic plan, pull them out and review them. Include your whole team. If you don’t have a team, then review them with your coach or an accountability partner.

As you review the vision and the strategic plan, write down what you have accomplished this year. What went really well? Make your list; you can even check it twice!! Once you have created your accomplishment list, take a moment to celebrate all that you did well. Then move on and review where you fell short. What didn’t go quite right or well? Where did you fail?

Taking time to evaluate the past year is a great way to learn from what went well, and what didn’t go well. In that learning there are valuable lessons that you can glean. List a couple of lessons for moving forward. Did you get off track, side-tracked by something? Did you not follow up with prospects? Each lesson gives you ideas for guidance into the New Year.

As you review the vision and the strategic plan, take some time to reflect on whether it is still on target. Is that vision still your vision or has it changed? Make the necessary updates to that vision. Many companies write short vision statements that barely communicate the overall vision. Put great detail in yours so that you can feel it as you read it. If your vision is to buy a new building for your company and increase your staffing by 50% then write a vision statement that includes that and describes that. You can always have the short and concise vision statement your business plan, but your use, make it a detailed story, that really motivates you and inspires you each time you read it.

What is the vision for the upcoming year? Where do you see your company at the end of the year? What type of growth, new products, new clients, or customers? What does it all look like?

Once you have your vision story written you can then focus on the strategies to accomplish your vision. Your strategies should always be based on the overall vision. When strategies are written that stray from the vision and purpose of the organization then you are going down roads that lead you in the wrong direction. Your vision and values becomes your guide for making your business decisions. Stop yourself, when you are making a decision and pull out that vision statement, your values statement and review the decision or opportunity with them all in mind.

Strategies should point to the vision and be written in a way that they are measurable. A strategy to build the business is too vague. What does build the business mean, and how do you know if you have accomplished it? But a strategy to provide coaching services to 50 new clients is measurable. Or a strategy to increase product sales by 25% is measurable.

Limit the number of strategic goals that you are working on so that your strategic plan remains focused and effective. A huge document becomes overwhelming and cumbersome and often just collects dust. A strategic plan should be a living, breathing document that you are very familiar with and guides our day to day activities because it is your focus.

Creating a new plan for the year is a great first step towards creating the success that you want. Working the plan and making it happen is the real key to producing the results that you want.

Working your plan just means keeping it in front of you, developing the smaller goals that move you towards the big goals and really staying focused. When something doesn’t work, it is not the time to abandon ship, but rather, the time to refocus, re-strategize and continue the work.

Take time before the New Year to: review and update your vision statement and story; review your accomplishments and failures for the year and glean the valuable lessons from them; review your strategic plan and update your goals for the upcoming year. Gear up for a focused and planned New Year that will ring in the next level of success for you and your company.

Business Owner Commitment and Determination Create a Solid Foundation For Success

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on December 8, 2009

As a business owner, your commitment to the business and your determination to succeed build your solid foundation for success. But there are challenging times when you might need an extra dose of determination and commitment, as your personal supply dwindles..

There are hundreds of stories that model this type of determination and success. The “Chickn Soup for the Soul” book series was submitted to many, many publishers that turned it down. Each of those publishers later kicked themselves, I’m sure. But it was the determination of the authors that kept them sending it out one more time. Or the actor, accidentally discovered while waiting tables or by a fluke ended up at a talent search.

Determination, commitment and belief are often at the core of these stories. It is the passion and belief in your own abilities that moves you into continuous action, and then determination keeps you there.

Your positive attitude exceeds just a “we can do this” type of attitude. But rather it takes your belief and passion, or your love of what you do that helps you to see it through to the end, your success. For many that means taking that leap to move into the realm of success and turn your business into one that thrives, using all of the resources at hand to get you there.

The technology of the Internet adds massive resources for all business owners. The Internet is a resource for networking with your target market, building your expertise and market your services or products. Using the Internet can be a low cost option if done correctly. You can use the Internet as your market place or as an additional market place for your business. It gives you the ability to quickly do research on your business, your market and how to access them.

It is all there and it is easily accessible.

Despite What You Might Want, Marketing IS a Requirement

With business, it is rarely, “If you build it, they will come”. Usually, they only come to your business when you market the business and tell people about it. You have to build a reputation and rapport with your clients and prospects in order to build your business. Marketing is a requirement, and a passion for marketing will help. If you hate marketing, then you will struggle with effective marketing. If you can find a way to become passionate about marketing, just like you are for your business you will do better. Whether you are an online business or an offline business, you HAVE to market.

The Internet offers many marketing resources, but there is also a learning curve that for some will be mountainous. But it is worth the effort in the payoff.

Personal Development Keeps You On The Cutting Edge

Your positive attitude most likely also gives you a passion for learning. In the world of business it is important to be open to new technology, new ideas and new strategies. By remaining open to learning about each of these you stay on the cutting edge of business. Increasing your knowledge gives you advantages over competitors. Your knowledge makes you valuable to the business, but also to your colleagues, clients and prospects. People will seek you out.

When you learn new skills and tasks it gives you more information for outsourcing each of these eventually and the ability to be effective in working with specialists. It also enhances your confidence.

Profitable businesses take time. Staying the course through this development timeline is the challenge. As a business owner you can become weary. But when you have a foundation of your passion and positive attitude you are stronger in the business environment. With determination you can see your business succeed.

Keeping a focus on your business vision gives you energy for continuing to do the work each day to build that success. With a clear and compelling vision that you are tied to makes you even more determined.

Business Owner Commitment and Determination Create a Solid Foundation For Success

It is all there and it is easily accessible.

Despite What You Might Want, Marketing IS a Requirement

The Internet offers many marketing resources, but there is also a learning curve that for some will be mountainous. But it is worth the effort in the payoff.

Personal Development Keeps You On The Cutting Edge

Ironing: Was It A System or Micro-Managing?

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on December 1, 2009

My eight year old daughter is home sick from school today and feeling better, so we are getting some work done! The work is all involved with our house rearrangement. We are in the process of moving everyone’s bedrooms and my home office. It’s a complicated move, as it involves moving four rooms filled with furniture and stuff, and removing some carpets. There are no empty rooms for a staging area!

Anyway, we decided to iron the curtains for her new room. They were washed and came out very wrinkled. What a great opportunity to teach ironing. My idea was I would get her set up and she would iron. Her idea was that I would get her set up and then we would iron. That resulted in the first modification in my plan.

We started out with her spraying water and ironing. I demonstrated the tasks involved and she picked them up quickly. But she also suggested that she spray her half or area and iron her half or end of the curtain and I do the same on my side. Teamwork ironing. We had built a system. She would spray, hand me the spray bottle and start ironing her section while I sprayed.

My challenge as the “manager” or supervisor was to not over-correct or micro-manage her as she learned her task and found better ways to work. As she evolved with her skills, she had suggestions for changes or improvements in how we worked.

By staying open to the suggestions and ideas, we were able to become more efficient and create a better and better system. When I stepped in and micro-managed, the creativity was stopped and the interest decreased as well.

I see metaphors all around me. As we ironed I thought of business and managers. the urge to do the task yourself or micro-manage those around you is strong. At least it was for me. But in stepping back, the system improved, as we both worked together.

What is the impact of micro-management on staff and systems? I believe that we miss opportunities to improve the system, support and encourage staff, and also to build self esteem and confidence. Wow, and then what is the impact of decreased self esteem, confidence, old systems on our operations?

A simple task ironing, can teach us lessons that we can use both in our lives and in our businesses.

Newsletters: They are Still Working!

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on June 19, 2009

Title: Newsletters: They are Still Working!
Location: Tele-Class
Link out: Click here
Description: Join me as I talk with LisaMarie Dias about Newsletters and their effectiveness as part of your marketing plan. Newsletters are still working and email newsletters are the most cost effective approach.
Start Time: 8:00 PM EST
Date: 2009-06-23
End Time: 9:00 PM EST

Are You Building Relationships With Your Marketing?

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on June 15, 2009

Business is all about relationships. They are at the heart of marketing as well. Strategically using relationship marketing is about building strong, long term relationships with your current clients and companies. By having this type of focus you are increasing your business but not solely by seeking new clients or customers. Relationship marketing improves your exisiting relationships. You assess the needs of individual customers and meet those needs, in fact -over-deliver.

The components of an effective relationship marketing strategy include: marketing; special sales; customer care/appreciation; communication and special events. These approaches improve the relationship and increase its longevity. The client/customer realizes the value of the business relationship and they remain active and increase their loyalty. Relationship marketing focuses both on building a new relationship but also on retention.

Marketing research indicates that the cost of retaining an existing customer is ten percent of the cost of obtaining a new customer. This is why relationship marketing makes sense for business owners. As much as eighty five percent of profit may be attributable to customer retention according to another study. High costs are incurred when marketing to new customers and obtaining them as customers. If you are able to retain an adequate number of your current customers you decrease your need for new customers. This isn’t to say that you want to totally give up your marketing to new clients/customers.

When you gain customer trust, the chances of that customer moving to another company is significantly reduced.

Your costs are reduced in addition to your marketing dollars as the customers are already familiar with your processes. You don’t have to spend time teaching them as they have already learned. This reduces your staff time and improves their job satisfaction as well. Imagine, regular, friendly customers using your service or product over and over. Your staffs are familiar with them and they become familiar with your staff. It is in this process and exchange that good (great) customer service is provided. Customer service is a key in your relationship marketing strategy.

The goals of relationship marketing are to build long lasting relationships with your current and existing clients, increasing their commitment to you and your business. Additional benefits are achieved through your strategy and these further build the business.

Learn more marketing strategies for entrepreneurs with Bizology.Biz

Focusing on Your Own Personal Development: Take the Time

Posted by Business Success Coach, Donna Price on May 28, 2009

Do you ever wish you were someone else or somewhere else? Sometimes it happens that we get all wrapped up in our own doubts, fears and insecurities; that inner voice that nags at us and doesn’t say the nicest things. Do you ever feel that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? It might look like someone else is doing better, feeling better, more successful that you. The reality is that many people, perhaps most people are having a similar experience and perhaps are more scared than you.

Focusing energy on your own personal development is a key to being truly satisfied with you. Taking a dedicated amount of time each day and focusing that time on you can be the greatest gift you give to yourself.

The Internet offers a wealth of self development and self improvement opportunities. There is a wealth of information available. I use a system of self improvement that incorporates reading, audio and video programs on topics ranging from wealth and prosperity; to marketing; to self esteem, motivation and mindset. Learning and self development is part of a self development plan. The next part is incorporating that learning into life. With any educational program you have to sort through what is meaningful and what is not, for you.

The first step to self improvement is self love. It is perhaps the hardest love to achieve. Whitney Houston has a song “Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.” It’s so true. Loving yourself gives you the ability to really love others. It is hard to give what you do not have, yet people believe that they can love others without truly loving themselves.

Modeling self love and personal development are more powerful than telling people “they ought to”. Their observation of your practices of personal development can model for them how to achieve similar success. Self improvement makes us better people, we can then inspire other people, and then the rest of the world will follow.

What areas of your life would you like to improve upon? Are there areas of personal development that you would benefit from?

Take a moment and create your personal development plan. A plan you say? Yes, a plan. A personal development plan increases your commitment. But you are also working to change patterns of behavior and habits. This does not come easily. A dedicated plan can assist you in doing this. Start with 15 minutes a day of focused personal development time. Choose your daily topic and take the time to read, listen, watch, participate in a personal development activity. Then take 15 minutes to integrate what you have learned. The effect of focused personal development only impacts your life when you integrate your new learning into your daily practices. It is just a learning event or training event and then it is over. Where to start? Start with self love.

One of the programs that I am participating in for my personal development is Success University. What is incredible about this program is the volume of resources that it offers AND the additional revenue that it provides to my family income. Right now they are offering an incredible program as they are adding World Ventures in just a few days. Check out the site, the 14 day free trial and see what you can do to benefit your personal development and your income at the same time. http://www.compassrose.successuniversity.com/new

If you have questions — give me a call and I will gladly share with you what I have found extraordinary about this program.

Archive for: business development

Holiday Leadership Lessons: It's a Wonderful Life...

Special Leadership Lessons from Holiday Movies:

It’s a Wonderful Life:
Never Underestimate the Power of Tribes

Related Reading:

Happy New Year: Planning 2010 for Great Success

Related Reading:

Now is the TIME to Prepare for an ExtraOrdinary 2010: Are You Ready?

Related Reading:

Business Owner Commitment and Determination Create a Solid Foundation For Success

Related Reading:

Ironing: Was It A System or Micro-Managing?

Related Reading:

Are You Building Relationships With Your Marketing?

Related Reading:

Focusing on Your Own Personal Development: Take the Time

Related Reading:

Archive for: business development

Special Leadership Lessons from Holiday Movies:

It’s a Wonderful Life: Never Underestimate the Power of Tribes

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

Related Reading:

It’s a Wonderful Life:
Never Underestimate the Power of Tribes