South Florida Small Business Events

Here are some of the upcoming international business events in the Miami and South Florida area:

 

Miami Herald: Business happenings around South Florida-

Here is the link to the Miami Herald’s list of weekly business events.

 

Latin Business Club of America: Networking Event-

Join Latin Business Club of America for another fantastic Networking Event Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm 20 Biscayne Blvd. Miami FL 33132 Where Flagler Meets Biscayne www.MIABiscayne.com FREE ADMISSION COMPLIMENTARY DRINK & APPETIZERS Over $1000*  Cash Raffle and Prizes will be given away Valet parking available: $10 Our last cash winner went home with almost $500 In 2009, we gave away over $15,000 in cash and prizes *$1000 refers to the combined value of cash and prizes that will be given away

Latin Business Club of America Networking Event Joining us at our networking event will be: The Doral and Airport West Chamber of Commerce The Florida State Hispanic Chamber Latin Chamber of Commerce of USA (Camacol) Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida American Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce and Panamanian American Chamber of Commerce LET'S GET NETWORKING!!!

 

South Florida International Business Expo-

South Florida INTERNATIONAL

Business-to-Business Expo

Business-to-Business Trade Show – Free Seminars - Awesome Networking – Trading After-Hours

Organized & Supported by Members of the “Alliance to Promote International Trade”

INFO: Broward (954) 565-5750 Palm Beach County (561) 683-8414 Miami-Dade (305) 278-1811

or Publisher@SouthFloridaChamber.org or Register to Exhibit @ www.ChamberRSVP.com

or under Products & Services at www.SouthFloridaChamber.org

PRESENTED BY

Broward County Chamber of Commerce, South Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Foreign Trade Association, World Trade Center Miami, Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of South Florida, Bolivian Business Council, Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Caribbean Trade Center, Chile U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Colombian American Chamber of Commerce, Costa Rican American Chamber of Commerce, Dominican American National Chamber of Commerce, Doral Business Council, Ecuadorian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Miami, El Salvador American Chamber of Commerce, Florida China Chamber of Commerce, Greater Miami Aviation Association, Hialeah Chamber of Comer & Industries, Nicaraguan American Chamber of Commerce, Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce Miami, Puerto Rican/Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Broward County, U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce Inter-American Chapter, Venezuelan American Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce, Enterprise Florida

TEAM EVENT – Together Everyone Achieves More

@ The Miami Free Zone

2305 NW 107^th Avenue, Doral, FL 33172

Up To 300+ Exhibitors & 5,000+ Business Exec’s

International Trading After Hours

Business Expo: Wednesday, May 12^th, 2010

commemorating world trade week 2010

3:30pm – Seminars, Opening Ceremony & Business Expo, 8:30pm – Raffles, 9pm end of expo.

FREE ADMISSION with RSVP Below to Seminars & Expo Includes Hors d'oeuvres, Great Networking & much more!!!

Exhibitor Space Only

6Ft Table Exhibitor Package $175.00

Oversized VIP Exhibitor Space $350.00

Membership & Exhibitor Packages Include:

6 Ft. Table Expo Package, 1 Year South Florida/Broward County Chamber Membership, Free $295 Ad In the South Florida Business News Newspaper, A Tile Ad ($240 Value) for 90 days on www.SouthFloridaChamber.org, Full business listing in our 4 Color Referral Directory, Your Member Discount faxed and e-mailed to all members, Free Classified ad, Free Job Posting, Free Article Submission, Free Coupon ad, Free Professional Gallery Listing plus Much Much More……

ONLY $425.00* (Value $2,320) or OVERSIZED VIP Spot Only $625.00 (Value $2,995)

RSVP PLEASE __#Attending May 12^th __Exhibitor Registration May 12^th __Send Info RE: Below

Company Name __________________________________Contact Name___________________________________

Address__________________________________________________City______________________Zip__________

Phone___________________Fax______________________E-mail________________________________________

___6Ft Table Exhibitor Package $175.00 ___Oversized VIP Exhibitor Package $350.00

_Pkg #1-6’ Package & 1 YR Membership $460* _Pkg #2 – Oversized VIP Exhibitor Spot & 1YR Membership $660.* *= Includes One Time $35 admin fee

_Check ck.#_____ Tot Amt $______ Electricity – $25 Extra Log Onto www.ChamberRSVP.com to register and pay on-line

__ MC,VISA,AE,DISC #__________________________________________________Exp. ________Sig._____________________________

Any refunds requested on this show will be honored towards future shows or advertising. No cash or credit card refunds. BCCC/SFCC is a 501 c 6 non-profit org.

Fax With Payment To (954) 566 - 3398

Or Mail to SFCC BCCC 2425 East Commercial Blvd. Ste 103, Fort Laud. FL 33308

81 Consecutive Sold-Out Trade Shows, Over 16,075 Exhibitors, Over 329,000 Attendees, Millions of Dollars in Transacted Business, Partnerships, Alliances, Contracts, New Customers, New Relationships, New Products!!

INFO: Broward County (954) 565 -5750 Palm Beach County (561) 683 - 8414 Miami-Dade County (305) 278 - 1811

www.BrowardBiz.com www.ChamberRSVP.com www.SouthFloridaChamber.org

Join the Broward County & South Florida Chamber of Commerce on Facebook by clicking here http://www.facebook.com/broward.chamber

Follow the Broward County & South Florida Chamber of Commerce on Twitter - Click thru on this link www.twitter.com/BrowardChamber

For the next 30 days, all business owners in South Florida are entitled to one free job posting on the Broward County & South Florida Chamber of Commerce websites. Send the Job Offered Title and any description of this position and any contact information to Publisher@SouthFloridaChamber.org.

To see the 2009 Official Broward County Referral Directory on-line, log onto http://www.sficc.org/2009-referral-directory.html

To see the 2010-2011 Official South Florida Referral Directory on-line before it goes to the printer, log onto http://www.erhunit.com/erhu/dir/

To see the most current issue of the South Florida Business News Newspaper on-line, log onto http://www.southfloridabizdirectory.com/Newspaper.swf

 

University of Miami: Multi-Chamber Networking Event-

 

Green Day Hialeah-

 

14th Annual Lawyers Strike Against Child Abuse Bowling Tournament-

GRAB YOUR BALL We're Going Bowling!

Family Resource Center of South Florida Presents the 14th Annual Lawyers Strike Against Child Abuse    Bowling Tournament

Saturday, June 12, 2010      Registration 12:30pm Tournament 1:00 pm BIRD BOWL B o w l i n g  C e n t e r 9275 SW 40th St · MIAMI · 305.221.1221 Registration Fee                                        Limited Space! $350 team/lane                                                    Live DJ 4 bowlers per lane                                    Raffle & Auction includes shoes & lunch!                                                  DOWNLOAD THE RESERVATION FORM Questions, call (305) 960-5536 All proceeds to benefit:

5 Ways to Improve Your Small Business Operations

Every small business wants to find more efficiencies, save on costs and thereby generate a greater profit.  Add your comments on things you think also help.  Here are 5 ways that a small business owner can improve their small business operations:

Establish a Plan

The first key to any sort of improvement is the lay out a plan.  Put it writing and spell it out clearly.  Planning can occur on many different levels and at many different times.  If your company has several areas of operation, you can address one issue at a time and therefore spread out your planning time.  Regardless of how you structure it, though, it is critical to create a plan for your operations.

Research Your Industry

It is critical to constantly educate yourself on what you are doing.  Take a look at your competitors.  What are they doing to be successful?  Why are they doing what are they doing?  What can you do better?  Also, take a look at businesses that started in your industry and then failed.  Why did that happen?  What did they do that lead to failure?  How does that compare with what you are doing?  Also, research the processes that you use in your business and compare those to similar industries and see what they do.

Measure Your Changes

For any plan to really be successful, you need to have a way of measuring success.  When you sit down and plan out the things that you will do to improve your operations, it is critical that you spell out how you are going to measure it.  What are you doing to track the changes?  Who is in charge of documenting the information?  What numbers are most important for you to see that the changes are working?  Make sure your plan comes with a way of evaluating it.

Re-evaluate Your Small Business

Always take time to go back to your original plan and re-evaluate the things that you are doing in your small business.  How have the circumstances changed?  What can we continue to improve?  What is working?  What should we discontinue?  This process of re-evaluation is enabled by effectively created metrics under your plan, as addressed above.  Always be willing to make adjustments to improve your business, but have a real reason for when you make those changes.

Delegate in Your Small Business

As much as is practicable in your business, assign tasks to other people either internally or via out-sourcing.  This becomes even more effective when you have a good handle on the talents of the individuals that you are using for delegated work.  If you know your employees well, you may be able to delegate some tasks, such as social media management, that might not normal fall under the purview of their responsibilities but that they have a great aptitude for.  The more you can maximize everyone’s efforts in the business the better your operations will be.

 

What are your thoughts?  Add you comment below:

LinkedIn Conversations: What is the Most Effective Way to Market an International Business?

Effective marketing is critical for any business but can be especially nuanced for small businesses that operate internationally.  Here are small business tips from the latest LinkedIn conversation:

What is the most effective way to market an international business?

(From the International Business group on LinkedIn)

From Glynis Ross-Munro:

I've done a lot of international marketing (and taught it) for a niche market (ultra precision engineering). You have to be culturally fluent, very internet savvy, good at written communication and have excellent CRM skills. You live and die by your passion for your CRM system.
Trust and networking don't need face-to-face interactions. They need time, integrity, my-word-is-my-bond (but check the numbers and follow up), patience and (again) cultural fluency. They need a lot of thought about what constitutes meaning and value for "the other guy." (These days I teach cultural fluency and communication across distances and differences too.)
Another important issue is that networking with international business and economies or cultures can be done with someone who is almost your next door neighbor. I spend about a third of my year's work on ibsummit.org and similar unpaid projects, bringing together binationals from the megaregion where I live, building connections and creating opportunities for people to learn how to work together. The global economy is merely a series of circuits of connection - marketing means climbing on to these circuits in ways that fit the needs of others, and delivering what people need, effectively, sustainably and in a differentiated, valuable way.
:) Glynis

From John Papathanassiou:

Glynis,
I agree with most of your comments. But, there are regions/trerritories in this global marketplace that do require face to face meeting, especially in some of the devoloping regions of the globe. Maybe not immediately, but you will reach a point in the relationship that the face-to-face meeting is a must. This will help reinforce "my-word-is-my-bond" and able you to explore other products, markets, and services in that territory.
John

From Glynis Ross-Munro:

Hi John
I agree completely. In some cultures, business will never happen until you have eaten together, and in others, there is simply no way forward without spending time together.
It's also a question of the the difference between marketing and sales. You can create awareness of your products and services, build your brand etc in many long-distance ways, but a significant sale often depends on a more powerfully immediate demonstration of your claims of quality and service, and proof that you consistently act in a way that creates value and deserves trustworthiness.
In diffuse and collectivist cultures, that really means face-to-face.
In parts of Africa, that is still the only possible way to do business.
Nevertheless, I have sold millions of dollars of equipment to people I have never met, even from Far Eastern cultures, through patient, ethical communication and consistent responsiveness, with reliable and helpful information. This was within a recognized brand, but it was very interesting to watch how the nature of business changed (letters of credit becoming unsecured simple bank transfers etc).
Marketing means different things in different cultures, but one thing that always amazes me is how quickly people find out who is trustworthy and who isn't. The world is a very small global village where reputation is concerned. :)glynis

From John Papathanassiou:

Well put and very insightful.
All the best,
John

Miami and South Florida Business Events

Here are some upcoming event for South Florida and Miami-area businesses.  If you know of other events that should be listed, please let me know:

Miami Herald Event List-

The Miami Herald outlines upcoming events at the above linked page.

March of Dimes Happy Hour-

 

Colombian Chamber of Commerce Event:

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY!

The Colombian American Chamber of Commerce in Miami, cordially invite you to participate in EXPOCOLOMBIA that will be held in Miami April 23rd, 24th and 25th of  2010.

Pre-screened business-to-business meetings will take place Friday April 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.. All meetings are free of charge for U.S. counterparts, but appointments are required. To schedule your one-to-one appointments with the visiting delegation, contact Juliana Figueroa at 305-4249128 or jfigueroa@colombiachamber.com.

 

The Organization of Women in International Trade Event:

The Organization of Women in International Trade
(OWIT- South Florida)
The National Association of Women Business Owners
The Professional Black Book Club
&
&
Nicole Shelley Models by The One On One Group
present
IBN
(International Business Networking)
April 28, 2010
6:00PM-9:30PM
Viceroy Miami
Club 50
485 Brickell Avenue,
Miami Florida 33131
Welcome Drink
Hors d'oeuvres
Business Networking
followed by
After Hours Beauty Bar
Light Entertainment
Informal Modeling
Door Prizes
Business Image Stylists
WIN A FREE TRIP TO BIMINI BAY!
Gift bags and more....
Music by
Saxophone Player, Andrea
Dress Code: Business Chic
RSVP
info@owit-southflorida.org
Cost 
$10 members
$20 non members
THE ONE ON ONE GROUP 

 

Miami Finance Forum Event:

 

Center for Hemispheric Policy Mexico Event:

Mexico: Opportunities for Change

Panelists

Gabriel Casillas

Chief Economist, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Mexico City

Luis Rubio

Chairman, Center of Research for Development (CIDAC), Mexico City;

Co-Chair, “Mexico Under Calderón” Task Force

Manuel Suárez-Mier

Economist in Residence, School of International Service, American University; Washington, D.C.;

Former Representative of Mexico’s Attorney General in the United States, Embassy of Mexico

This event is generously underwritten by the Tinker Foundation

Supporting Organizations:  Georgetown University Club of Miami, Miami Council for International Visitors, Oxford University Society and US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce

Media Partners:  AméricaEconomía, Hispanic Target Magazine, Latin Business Chronicle, LATIN TRADE, LatinFinance

and Mercado de Dinero

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Location:  JW Marriott Hotel                  1109 Brickell Avenue

Time: 8:00-8:15 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast            8:15-9:45 a.m.  Presentations and Discussion

Program Fee:  $30; Academics and students – free admission with valid ID

Registration: By email to chp-rsvp@miami.edu or by fax at (305) 284-9871.

Payment:  Please make check payable to Center for Hemispheric Policy. Mail check with registration form to: Center for Hemispheric Policy; P.O. Box 248297; Coral Gables, FL 33124-6535.

Cancellation policy: By email, fax or telephone, before 12:00 noon, Monday, April 19, 2010

For more information, please call Patricia Salinas at (305) 284-3707, or visit our website at www.miami.edu/chp .

 

Broward County Chamber of Commerce Expo:

Greetings! I wanted to let you know that I am one of the speakers tomorrow at this event!  *7:30 pm - 8:00 pm (Palm Theater): Law of Attraction Marketing & Client Manifestation Tactics with Coach Evie Grow Your Business Seminar Program at the South Florida Chamber of Commerce Expo April 13. When You RSVP the event is FREE!!!!!

Listen to 18 Speakers for FREE!!! "Grow Your Business Seminar at South Florida / Broward County Chamber of Commerce Expo THIS TUESDAY, April 13. WHEN:                April 13 (Tuesday), 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM WHERE:              Embassy Suites Hotel in Boca, 661 NW 53rd                             Boca Raton FL, 33487 HOW MUCH:       Free* (Only when you  RSVP with the link in this email, otherwise $10) RSVP with this link and save the $10 admission fee and attend at NO COST as our guest (but you must RSVP). http://southfloridachamber.eventbrite.com EXPO SEMINAR SCHEDULE - 2 Tracks to Choose From: 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm: Check-in 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm (Palm Theater): Take the Stress Out! The Fastest & Easist Technique to Reduce Stress in Your Business & Personal Life 3:30 pm - 4:00 pm (St Croix): Alternative Financing Options for Small Businesses in Today's Economy by Palm Beach Small Business Development Center (SBDC) 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm (Palm Theater): Keys to Successful Networking in this Economy 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm (St Croix): SBA Programs & Services presented by the Small Business Administration 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm (Palm Theater): Financial Solutions for Business Owners 4:30 pm - 5:00 pm (St Croix): Top 10 mistakes Businesses Make When Taking Credit Cards + 12 Requirements to be "PCI Compliant" 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm (Palm Theater): Simple Ways to Maintain Your Health, Work & Life Balance 5:00 pm - 5:30 pm (St Croix): "Mindstorming, Networking & Referral Session" for Women from the Chamber's NEW Women's Division(5-6pm) 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm (Palm Theater): How to Increase Your Staff Productivity and Get 40 Hours of Work for 40 Hours of Pay 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm (St Croix): continued..."Mindstorming, Networking & Referral Session" for Women from the Chamber's NEW Women's Division (5-6pm) 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm (Palm Theater): How to Win US Federal Government Contracts for Your Small Business 6:00 pm - 6:30 pm (St Croix): Globalization: The Future of Business (and how you can cash in) 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm (Palm Theater): How to Turn Ideas Into Businesses in 1 Day 6:30 pm - 7:00 pm (St Croix): 7 Benefits of Creating a Corporate Wellness Program for Your Business 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm (Palm Theater): Getting Started with Online Marketing and Social Media for Business 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm (St Croix): Healthy Life = Healthy Business. Tips on Business & Health Success from a Doctor in Business. PLUS Live Q & A with a Board Certified Doctor. $2,000 in Raffles. *7:30 pm - 8:00 pm (Palm Theater): Law of Attraction Marketing & Client Manifestation Tactics with Coach Evie 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm (St Croix): Running a Service Business in This Economy presented by the Palm Beach SBDC 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm (Palm Theater): "Game Theory" & Entrepreneurship Attend some or all, but be sure to check out the exhibitors at the EXPO  while you're there! The Seminars are packed with information and NOT sales pitches. All seminars will start ON-TIME and are 30 minutes in length. We, along with the South Florida / Broward County Chamber of Commerce are committed to helping you grow your business and enhance your professional skills. RSVP Now to get your ticket emailed to you so you can Attend Free: http://southfloridachamber.eventbrite.com

The Impact of Values in a Cross Cultural Business Context

Included below is an interesting article about business, values and international transactions.  Most of the principles about these interrelationships and connections internationally actually have direct application in the work that you do locally.  Miami, where I practice and live, is a very cosmopolitan place with numerous cultures and values represented.  Because business is fundamentally about creating and maintaining effective relationships, it is critical to know the values and background of those with whom you are interacting.  This occurs both locally and internationally.  Here are some great insights about that process:

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Impact-of-Values-in-a-Cross-Cultural-Business-Context&id=1077313

Partners for Self Employment Small Business Seminar:

I will be teaching at the following event-

PARTNERS FOR SELF EMPLOYMENT INC

PRESENTS

A FREE WORKSHOP BY

ROBERT ROGERS, P.A.

“LEGAL ENTITIES”

LEARN THE BEST WAY TO STRUCTURE YOUR BUSINESS

IF YOU OWN OR WANT TO OWN A BUSINESS YOU CANNOT MISS THIS WORKSHOP!

Business Entity Workshop Outline:

I. Title

a. “Understanding Florida Business Entities”

II. Discussion items

a. What are my options for business structuring in Florida?

b. What are the general tax consequences of each business entity?

c. How will each business entity protect my personal assets?

d. Learn how to use company structure to create flexibility in ownership.

e. How can I structure my business to prepare for future success and growth?

f. How can I change my entity if a different one is a better fit for my company structure?

g. Review concerns specific to small and emerging businesses regarding entity setup.

III. Sidebar Items

a. Develop a general understanding of business entities in the state of Florida

b. Gain valuable information from an attorney about how to use the Florida business entities.

c. Due to limited seating please RSVP: cornell@partnersforselfemployment.com

d. When: April 7 2010

e. 7pm-8:45pm

f. Where: 3000 Biscayne Blvd. Ste. 215, Miami, FL 33137

g. FREE PARKING AVAILABLE

DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON BISCAYNE BLVD

PLEASE ENTER 30^TH STREET FROM NE 2d AVENUE

The Benefits of Advisory Boards to Small Businesses

I came across this blog post and it presents some ideas that I have been thinking about a lot recently.  Advisory boards are used frequently in major corporations but are often overlooked by small business professionals.  Advisory boards are great ideas for three reasons: 1) it allows business the chance to get feedback from industry professionals, 2) it creates and interesting and unique sounding board for small business owners, and 3) it can also act as a unique marketing arm for the business.  Take a look at some of the resources in this blog:

http://mazurkraemer.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/the-value-of-an-advisory-committee-for-your-business/

25 Ways to Jump-Start Your Business

Linked is an interesting article from Inc.com that discuss 25 things that you can do in order to jump-start your business.  Here are why three of them stand out to me:

#2 Engage Your Employees-

By engaging your employees more in decision making and planning within your business, you can an added “advisory board” with an unique and fresh perspective on the direction of your business.  It also allows employees to feel more committed and involved in the organization, thus further motivating them.

#6 Shed Your Problem Customers-

This is true in any industry, we should not be so caught up in making a sale, closing a deal or signing a new client that we lose sight of what they might cost us in the long run (e.g. unrealistic demands on time, inability to be satisfied, consistent complaints about work product).  You are better served focusing on a few good clients.  Don’t let the bad ones distract your time from that.

#18 Find Some Amazing Interns-

As the article says, interns help to fill gaps within your business.  Take advantage of local colleges and university.  Work with career services offices to create new and unique ways of motivating quality interns to join your team.

 

For more ideas, check out the article-

 

http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/02/25-ways-jumpstart-business.html

Access to Information:

One of the biggest drawbacks to the increased access to information that the internet gives us is the difficulty of sifting through everything to get to the information that you need.  This is especially true when looking through blogs and other user-generated content.  Here are some resources that help you sift through information to get to content that is useful:

http://alltop.com/

http://globalvoicesonline.org/

And here is some guidance about how to select blogs from the OPEN Forum:

http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/marketing/article/how-to-decide-what-blogs-to-read-4-steps-trent-hamm

Creating Forecasting for Business Units

It is necessary in business to take the time to forecast or project how your business will perform in the immediate and the long term future.  Here are some basic tips:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2009/11/create_forecast.html

Should Small Businesses Be Allowed to Be Bigger?

Here is an interesting article about the SBA policies related to small businesses and thoughts related to adjustments that may need to be made in the definition of a small business.  Adjustments definitely have their benefits and disadvantages.  How much growth is too much?  Read and feel free to interject your opinion in a comment:

http://blog.entrepreneur.com/2009/11/should-small-businesses-be-allowed-to-be-bigger.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+entrepreneur/dailydose+(Daily+Dose)

Establish Daily Forecasting

Managing labor and resources is especially important to small business owners in this economy.  Here is a good article on things to do to establish daily forecasts:

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/tips/archives/2009/11/establish_daily.html

Doral “International Business Exchange”

Here is an upcoming event:

Sell Value, NOT Time

One struggle that many businesses face is how to quantify the value of the product or service that they provide.  Here is an interesting article about what pricing figures should be based on; especially in services businesses.  Enjoy the read:

http://blog.smallbusinessadvice.com/2009/10/21/sell-value-not-time.aspx?ref=rss

Small Business Counselor Video Series: Business Entities

Learn more about business entities here:

Small Business Counselor Introduction Video

Here is the introduction video:

Small Business Counselor Video Series

Here is the link to the weekly videos that I am putting together for the benefit of small business owners.  I will also post the videos as blog entries here.  Feel free to share with your friends and associates:

http://robertmrogers.snappages.com/small-business-counselor-video-series.htm

Event Helping Businesses Connect to the Global Marketplace:

Business Catalyst Networking Event

Planning For Your Small Business

Creating the metrics that work for you:

One of the major issues that separates successful individuals from less successful individuals is the ability to create and adapt a workable plan.  Because 2009 is coming to a close, now is an excellent time to establish your goals for 2010.  There are many resources for planning and goal setting for businesses.  I would like to outline three things that I have seen help in creating an effective plan: 1) creating metrics that work for you, 2) work the plan, and 3) adapt the plan.

CREATING METRICS THAT WORK FOR YOU

There first key element to establishing an efficient plan for your business is to establish proper metrics.  Metrics are the figures that are used to measure how well you are working toward your goals.  Good metrics are your stepping stones to achieve the goals that you have set.  They also allow you to track how achievable your goals are.  For example, if you want to achieve 5% growth in 2010, you metrics need to include the specific things that you will accomplish during the year to achieve that growth and the specific timeframe for accomplishment (i.e. marketing plans, improved efficiencies in pre-existing products/services, cross-selling, etc.).  The more specific the scope and time of your metrics, the easier it is to evaluate your goals.

WORK THE PLAN

Now that you have laid out your metrics for the coming year in order to successfully achieve the goals that you have made for yourself, the next critical element is to actually work your plan.  Do the things that you have decided that you need to do in order to achieve the goals that you have set for your business.  All to often, business owners lay out a business plan that will benefit, adapt and streamline their business.  Things they know that will help them to succeed, but when the time to implement comes, the owners/managers end up doing the same things that they have done in the past and end up getting the same results.  When we set goals to make changes, we must make a consistent, focused effort to achieve the metrics that we have laid out for ourselves.  This means that we must keep the goals and metrics in our minds.  Three good ways to do this: create accountability, set time to follow up, and keep the goals and metrics in a place in your office where you will have consistent view of them.

ADAPT THE PLAN

Given both positive and negative advances over the past several years, our domestic and global economy has significantly changed.  In order to succeed going forward, our businesses need to be adaptable and flexible.  As you are working you plan and evaluating your metrics, you need to determine how effective that plan really is.  As you properly evaluate the things that you are doing, you may need to make changes to the plan and metrics that you have created to fit the realities of your business.  By remaining fluid and adaptable, you can better succeed in your business.

Now is a great opportunity for you to create a plan for success either personally or professionally.  If you want feedback on what you are planning or how to implement your metrics, feel free to call me and we can discuss it.