Entrepreneur Profile: Robert Rogers

I was recently profiled on GablesHomePage.com, a local site about Coral Gables businesses and events.  I had a great discussion about entrepreneurs and small businesses and ways to improve their impact on the city.  Here is a link to the article:

http://www.gableshomepage.com/conversations/2010/05/13/entrepreneur-profile-robert-rogers

The Power of ‘Us’ in Business

One of my least favorite business phrases is: “What’s in it for me?”  Business… real business… is about establishing and maintaining relationships, not just unilaterally deriving a benefit from another party.  Too many business owners get too focused on a winner take all mentality that they lose sight of the power of collaboration with business and the benefits that come with it.  When business owners change the question to: “What’s in it for us?”, business becomes more meaningful.  Here are three reasons why “us” is a more powerful form of business:

1) “Us” focuses on the relationship-

The best kind of business is one that persists.  When you are able to retain a client and do work for them year after year, it maximizes the initial investment that was made to secure the business.  Also, if you have development a good relationship with a client/customer, that will more often than not translated into additional business in the form of referrals.  Also, it will allow you to generate a better reputation, especially if that individual or company provides a positive review or testimonial.

2) “Us” leads to negotiation-

When you are focused on consensus and collaboration, it is far easier to negotiate a beneficial deal for all involved.  It also makes it more likely for parties to be able to openly and frankly discuss current and future opportunities without fearing that information would be “used against them.”  This type of disclosure would leave to more meaningful and informed business decisions and allow for business owners to create more effective and profitable business ventures over the long term.

3) “Us” minimizes conflict-

If both parties are focused on us instead of acting self-interestedly, they are more apt to seek resolution of their problems in collaborative ways instead of through litigation.  Parties will be more flexible and make reasonable adjustments because they know that it is better for all involved.  People are more willing to create payment plans or alternative requirements when they are committed to a collectively beneficial agreement.

 

What are some of the pro’s and con’s that you see to a more “us” focused business?

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

5 Ways to Get New Clients/Customers

Every business owner knows how important it is to constantly feed the stream of clients or customers they are doing business with.  Here are five tips that, if diligently followed, will help your business increase in clients or customers.

1) Provide Good Service/Good Products

First and foremost, you really need to provide a product that people want.  Providing good service or a good product will do two things with current clients/customers: First, it will keep them interested and they will return for more services.  Second, they will share their positive experience with friends and neighbors in similar situations and refer your services.  Existing clients can be some of the best marketers for your business, so it is critical that you provide them with as many great experiences as possible.

2) Create a Buzz

There are many ways to get people to talk about what you do or produce.  More traditional forms of working with traditional media can be beneficial in many instances.  Uses services like HARO and research local news organizations or industry journals in order to find opportunities to contribute on topics of interest.  Respond to those areas and issues that fit your circumstances and comment in articles that match your expertise.  Also, there are many opportunities to use new media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube to manage and increase the conversation about your products.  The most important elements of creating buzz are persistence and a little luck.  Stay the course and you find ways to generate interest in your product.

3) Talk to People

It is key to take advantage of every chance you get to tell people about your products or services.  Consistent communication with service providers or former clients will keep your business on their minds.  Talk about what you do at dinner parties, networking events and trade shows.  The more people you can speak with about your services, the more likely you are able to receive new clients or referrals.  Go to lunch with other people, seek out opportunities to meet new people and then talk with everyone that you can.  You never know who might be interested in what you do.

4) Get Exciting

For all of the above ideas to really work, you have to be excited and exciting.  If you are passionate about what you do or provide, people are going to be more likely to listen.  Otherwise, all of the above run the risk of coming off as annoying or pushy.  If you are enthusiastic about what you do and what you provide to others, that enthusiasm will rub off on them and they will be more interested in what you do.  They will want to learn more.  Some will turn into clients.  Others will spread that enthusiasm to others.  Get excited about what you do, be exciting to others and you will see increases in clients/customers.

5) Follow-up

Finally, it is necessary to follow up with people.  If you say that you will do something/contact them, then do it.  Some client or customer relationships make take several months/years to develop, but if you stay on top of the relationship, they often turn in to great client relationships.  The more ways you create opportunities to follow-up, the better able you are to track the effectiveness of all your efforts to get new clients.  Create benchmark/action items for each person that you speak with to track how you will follow-up.  Consistency in all of the above will create opportunities to gain more clients.

South Florida Small Business Spotlight: Pati Vargas Entertainment

Each week, I spotlight a different small business with the intent of showcasing the variety of skills and opportunities that are presented in the small business community.  This is also to give small businesses a voice on their product/service as well as running a business.  For more questions or a request to be spotlighted, please send me an email at: www.corallaw.com.

This week, the spotlight is on Pati Vargas Entertainment.  Look for them to help out with your next event or promotion. Enjoy getting to know the company!

What is your business name?

PATI VARGAS ENTERTAINMENT

How long have you been in business?

3 1/2 YEARS

What industries do you serve?

CORPORATE, ARTS & CULTURE

What motivated you to start your own business?

MY PASSION, KNOWLEDGE AND RESPECT IN THE FIELD I'VE GAINED

If there is one aspect of your business that sets you apart, what would it be?

MY ABILITY TO WORK SPANISH PRODUCT IN THE ANGLO MARKET WITH EASE AND SUCCESS

What is your favorite part about owning a business?

I DO NOT WAIT FOR APPROVAL TO CONTINUE WITH A PROJECT

Who is your ideal client/customer?

EVERYBODY, I WILL WALK THE CLIENT/CUSTOMER THROUGH THE PROJECT AND HELP IN OTHER FIELDS TO MAKE EVENT SUCCESS

What is something that you have learned as a small business owner that could assist other small businesses?

YOU WORK 24/7 WITHOUT REALLY WORKING 24/7, SCHEDULE AND ORDER COME BEFORE THE PASSION AND DRIVE TO SUCCEED IN THE BUSINESS. 

Is there anything else that you would like to share about your business?  What is it?

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN AN VERY PLANNED OUT MANNER, GO VERY SLOW BUT ON TARGET.  NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH.  I.E.; REACHING TO DISNEY AND EVENTUALLY TAKING ONE OF THEIR MUSICALS ON TOUR WAS AN ABSOLUTE, AGAINST-ALL-ODDS SITUATION THAT CAME OUT BRILLIANTLY.

LinkedIn Conversations: What is Your Greatest Asset in International Business?

Each week I will start a different conversation in a LinkedIn group about a topic of use for small business owners.  I will post the responses to that conversation here in the blog with links to the contributors.  Often it is in the conversation that we get the solutions we need for our business.  Below is the first conversation:

What is your greatest asset in international business?

(From the International Business group on LinkedIn)

From Atacan Arica-

Robert:
I would like to use couple of bullet points for this question. I would assume that people commenting after me will change the priority of my list with their own experiences...
1) Language abilities well enough to understand the minute details of proper wording & correct translation in the context.
2) Great understanding of the culture/country/history of the colleagues that you are dealing with. Understanding of their "National Pride" factor.
3) Understanding of the business customs and how it is conducted (office table or dinner table) as well as time management expectations-a New York minute is different than New Delhi minute.
4) Understanding of how the management decisions are made and who makes them. How do they say "no" to you or to your business endeavor. Different management styles (American, European or Eastern) will yield different results.
5) Finally: Patience.
Hope this helps.
Ata

Response from Ursula Pfahl-

Ata:
Excellent list of attributes required for success in doing business internationally.
Ursula

Response from Lionel Frey-

Ata:
Well said. The cultural aspect cannot be understated. There are so many varying customs when it comes to things like even presenting a business card to friends in other countries that it really pays to make an effort in understanding those nuances even prior to beginning building relations in those markets. Recent experiences in both Brazil and India show marked differences in certain aspects, while some other aspects seem more universal.
A deeper understanding of those customs results in more trust built, which inevitably leads to stronger opportunities for business.
Lionel

Response from Jay Banerjee-

Ata:
All contributors correctly state the key factors. On how to ensure success and grow your business in the particular region depends (depending on the nature of the business), on having a trusted, dependable and well-respected local partner, or presence. Many failures and financial misadventures are attributable to either a lack of it or the determination to develop the local foothold over time, as a Global Company doing business locally. Would you agree?
Jay

Response from Eric Delarue-

To what Robert said, I would add
6/ Respect: Too often would-be exporters treat their overseas clients as second rate customer, i.e "we should do business the way we do it here in the U.S"
7/ Understanding that " I am interested " in China does NOT mean " I am interested" in Germany, i.e the ability to interpret the same business statement across various business cultures

Response from Atakan Arica-

Jay:
I would agree with you that it is crucial to have a local trusted partner and It should be cultivated over time as you stated.
Market entry strategies (as well as exit strategies) will be different based on your product/service and usually needs to be modified for the local tastes/needs. A competent partner is certainly valuable to work with customization as well as creating the backbone infrastructure for the local human talent management for expanded operations. A steady pipeline of qualified personnel with the right management team will create the necessary sustainable operations and hopefully the profits as well. Local operators can also mitigate the political risk as well as the unfortunate corruption in certain environments.
My last paragraph sounds very cliche but I have met many successful & and smart operators that did not subscribed this simple plan & in return, they lost their sizable investments in foreign countries.
Ata

Response from Arthur Michael Devine-

My best asset is understanding people. This helps overcome all barriers.

Response from Marty Gofberg-

My best assets is the ability to communicate and help parties and stakeholders in conflict come to a equitable solution that is durable and long lasting. The tricky part is the turning those assets into viable business revenue,
Hence the reason for this social networking site and the ability to connect with so many potential consumers of dispute resolution services worldwide.
Please feel free to contact me if I can be of service.
Kindest regards to all !
Marty Gofberg

Response from Joe C. Burke-

I would add: a nonstop, proactive effort to understand the cultural and business practices of each country in which you would operate. Also, a concerted effort to learn how to pronounce and remember, names. It is a great insult to mispronounce someone's name in many cultures.

Response from B. Lee Jones-

Ata,
Understanding...the people, their culture and their language. Being multi-lingual has always opened many doors for me in business.

Response from Dirk Seggelmann-

Robert:
I believe to summarize, it comes down to exactly the two success factors that matter most in any business: Information and Communication
You need to not only be able to speak to people in their native language, but also be able to know what they truly understand when you say something. If you consider information not a product, but a human process of interpretation, I think you are on the right way to get inside the business and the people in the foreign country.
I know this might be a rather academic or philosophical rather than practical approach, I find it an important perspective nonetheless that should help you formulate the questions that you should be asking your future partners/customers in the foreign country.
Good luck,
DS

Response from John Papathanassiou-

Dirk,
I like Lee Jones' response. It is straight to the point and accurate. I would have also included patience, lots of patience, as well.
In working the international marketplace, do not be rushed. Learn the ground rule well and quickly, because each country/region/territory has its own idiosyncrasies.

3 Reasons You Should Use Google Alerts In Your Business

Love it or hate it, Google has created numerous web resources that can be of great benefit to business owners.  One such resources is the Google Alert feature.  Here are three reasons that your business should consider using Google Alerts:

 

Monitor Your Brand-

Google Alerts can be an excellent way of monitoring your brand on the internet.  By setting up an Alert for your company name, a product, or your own name, you are able to track what is being said about you or your product on the internet.  This allows you to efficiently respond to any potential concerns in a timely way and better engage in the conversation about your brand.

 

Monitor Your Competitors-

Also, as you are monitoring your own brand, you can also monitor what competitors are doing or what is being said about them using an Alert.  Again, by doing a search for a major competitor’s name/products, you can track what their successes and failures may be and adjust your marketing/game plan accordingly.  This can be an effective resource for market research and SWOT analysis.

Understand Trends in Your Industry-

By using Google Alerts to monitor industry topics, you will be better able to adapt what you are doing to changes in your industry.  You can also gain access to resources that will help you improve your understanding of general business topics that you may feel you need some further education on.  The benefit is, whatever you are interested in tracking and learning about, you can monitor with a Google Alert.

 

What other resources do you suggest using?  Add in the comments below:

Small Business Advisory Sessions

As a part of my law practice, I will be offering a new service entitled Small Business Advisory Sessions.  Information is included on my website.  Click to learn more.  I would love some feedback on what small business owners would like to see in an Advisory Session like this.  Please add to the comments the things that you would look for.

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

Personal Identity and Business Identity

The difficulty that many business owners have is separating the personal identity from the business identity. This is increasingly difficult in the new world of social media and direct line communications. There are three considerations to keep in mind when working on identity and business branding.

1) Your Industry

Each industry presents its own unique challenges based on how business interact with one another and their clients.  When determining how to create your business identity and potentially separate that identity from any personal presence that you may have in the public arena, it is first important to evaluate what the industry standard are and how similarly situation business operate.  In some industries, it is necessary for a business owner to separate their personal information/identity from the brand they are created.  This can be due to professionalism concerns, confidentiality issues or similar situations.  In other industries, the individual and business identities can become more blended as a business owner my want to establish more personal relationship with clients/customers.

2) Your Market

Also, in issues of branding and identity, it is important that a business owner know what the expectations of their market are.  Some customers or clients expect certain relationships to exist between themselves and the business provider.  This is especially true when operating internationally.  Pay attention to the culture of the market that you are operating in as well as the people with whom you are interacting.

3) Your Privacy

The last consideration you will have when evaluating the overlap of professional and personal identities is personal privacy.  This is critical relative to home contact information as well as information about family members.  In many industries, it is better to keep as much of this information private so as to protect the interests of those around you.  What is important to  remember in this regard is that many times the information that is supplied over social media sources is not private unless you specifically make a effort to make is so.

Miami-Dade Mayor’s Microenterprise Workshop

The Mayor’s Micro-Enterprise Workshop
Thursday, March 25, 2010
8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
University of Phoenix Learning Center
11410 Northwest 20th Street, Miami 33172
Meet and connect with governmental purchasing
professionals from Miami-Dade County departments,
other municipalities, and various economic
development agencies.
Learn more about:
• Alternative Financing
• Business and Financial Plan Preparation
• Community Based Programs & Other Technical Assistance
• Education in the Business World
• Financial Opportunities & Information
• How to Be Green & Be Profitable
• How to Do Business with Miami-Dade County
• How to Market Your Business
• Legal Requirements of Owning and Operating a Business
• Pre-Qualification/Technical Certification & Contracting Opportunities
• Small Business Certification & Contracting Opportunities
Registration is required & space is limited. RSVP before March 22, 2010
to Lawanda Wright-Robinson at wlawand@miamidade.gov.
For more information call (305) 375-3186

2nd Annual Florida-China Business Summit

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

Global Entrepreneurship Week in Miami-

Don't Miss GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK At the University of Miami's Toppel Career Center More than 50 Global Entrepreneurship Week events are planned at the University of Miami November 16-20, 2009 RSVP at www.thelaunchpad.org/GEW Global Entrepreneurship Week Highlights University of Miami Monday, November 16th 10 a.m.-noon: Entrepreneurship Fair, University Center 3:30 p.m.: Dana White, president of Ultimate Fighting Championship, Maurice Gusman Concert Hall 7 p.m.: Six Degrees to Success: The Art of Networking, Storer Auditorium Tuesday, November 17th 10 a.m.: Laurie Silvers, co-founder of the Sci-Fi Network, School of Communications, Shoma Hall Noon-2 p.m.: Entrepreneurs of the Internet Panel, Contemporary Judaic Studies Auditorium 4 p.m.: Romero Britto, Storer Auditorium 6 p.m.-9 p.m.: An Evening with Fashion Entrepreneurs, including Donald J. Pliner; Storer Auditorium Wednesday, November 18th 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.: Women in Entrepreneurship Day at Jungle Island; keynote speaker is Suzy Welch (panels are free; fee for luncheon) 3:30 p.m.: Watch first-round eliminations in Elevator Pitch contest, Toppel Library 5:30 p.m.: Leonard Abess, CEO, City National Bank, Storer Auditorium 6 p.m.-8 p.m.: Presentation of Ten9Eight and Q&A with filmmaker Mary Mazzio, Cosford Theater Thursday, November 19th 10:30 a.m.: Watch second round, Elevator Pitch contest, Toppel Library Noon to 6 p.m.: Social Entrepreneurship Summit, University Center Friday, November 20th 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Watch finale of Elevator Pitch contest, Toppel Library 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Gaming and Mobile Applications Fair and Summit with founders of AlienWare, Destructoid and GameRecruiter, University Center Miami Dade College Miami Dade College is hosting more than a dozen events on its campuses. Go to www.mdc.edu/business or call 305-237-0620 for a complete list. Here are a few: Wednesday, November 18th 9 a.m.-1 p.m.: Can You Sell It? A competition, InterAmerican Campus, Flag Courtyard 9:15 a.m.: Kenneth Rader, founder and CEO of the Cereal Bowl, Wolfson Campus, Room 1264 10:30 a.m.: How a Reality Show Affected My Business, Wolfson Campus, Room 1264  For more information on all of The Launch Pad's events and to RSVP: www.thelaunchpad.org/gew-calendar thelaunchpad@miami.edu 305.284.2789

Women Owned Business Event

Here is information on an upcoming business event for women:

Memoirs of a Woman “Women Leading Extraordinary Lives” And our Host University of Phoenix Invite you to a Power Packed Luncheon on Friday November 20th 2009 12:00pm – 1:30pm Leverage your competence and confidence to get the business you want, TODAY!  This interactive luncheon will highlight how to make powerful new business relationships by: · Making a great first impression · Using communication effectively · Building solid professional contacts · Converting contacts into new business · Cultivating business relationships This luncheon will be fun, engaging, and will get you connected to new business immediately, so if you want to boost your bottom line, RSVP today! Guest Speaker: David Suarez, Business Owner, Entrepreneur David Suarez, MBA is President, CEO, and lead facilitator of Interactive Training Solutions, LLC and has worked with many organizations to create, and implement customized corporate training and team building solutions to address pertinent challenges and needs.  A South Florida native, Mr. Suarez has been in the field of corporate training for over seven years, and has developed a full complement of workshops, strategies and solutions for small to large sized organizations. Mr. Suarez has been profiled in the recently released, The Actor's Other Career Book, as well as in The Miami Herald, Miami New Times, and The Street. Mr. Suarez is active in the South Florida community volunteering his time with several charitable organizations.  He enjoys cycling, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
PRESENTED BY: SUPPORTING SPONSORS
For additional information please contact us at  info@memomirsofawoman.com
Date:  Friday, November 20, 2009 Place: 11410 NW 20th St Miami, FL 33172 (305) 428-4910 RSVP to 954-274-4102 info@memoirsofawoman.com Time:  12:00 to 1:30 PM Registration beginning at 11:30 AM Admission: $25.00 In Advance Due to capacity limitations Lunch Included Meet other women business owners and develop business relationships and friendships to support your business endeavors. Create Extraordinary Connections Come and join your colleagues, and be Inspired! Sponsorship & exhibit opportunities available by calling 954-274-4102

Is Offshore Business Right for you?

The link below is for an article that helps business owners navigate the pros and cons of offshore businesses.  The key to starting any new venture successfully is investigation, information and adaptation.  You need to learn about the industry and see if your skills fit the venture well.  Enjoy the read:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Offshore-Business-the-Right-Business-For-You?&id=3239608

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