In my view, this month’s topic “Earn More, Learn More” is stated backwards. Successful business is about learning more so you can be more effective. The “earn more” part is a natural outcome of putting new skills and knowledge into practice.

Learning more might be learning more about your customers, what they like, why they buy, and where they buy. (This is also known as market research.)

Learning more might be brushing up on your marketing knowledge and skills. (See other posts here on SheTeam and at the Market Navigators blog.)

Learning more might be connecting to a group of like-minded business people who are willing to meet on a regular basis and share knowledge, resources and ideas. Creating a strong network of people you trust enough to refer to your friends, family and colleagues is also valuable as a resource to learn from and share with.

Learning more might mean taking a yoga or meditation class that allows you to stay more focused and be more effective at the office. It’ll reduce your stress level too, so those little bumps in your day stay molehills rather than becoming mountains.

Learning more is NOT about sitting in a classroom and having flashbacks to high school math or physics class. News flash: Learning can be fun! Expand your definition and embrace ongoing learning as a way of life that will have positive ripples into your business.

Liz Gaige
Market Navigators Consulting

Being a leader requires that you master leadership in 2 areas – your own headspace and in the outside world. An effective leader is a master of themselves, not just of other people. You need to set some rules for yourself, your behavior, your thoughts and your attitudes, and then hold yourself accountable for meeting them. It is impossible to be a truly effective leader if:

• You don’t have confidence in yourself;
• You’re disorganized and always living in a state of chaos;
• You don’t have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish;
• You gossip behind people’s backs;
• You don’t have goals sets for yourself.

How can you inspire and lead others if you don’t expect the same results from yourself. John Maxwell is right when he says leadership starts from within. So over the next week, take a look at where you could be a stronger leader within yourself and then make some changes. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at what unfolds.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., WWW.FMWALSH.COM

Great business leaders make the most of their networks. Wouldn’t it be great to have a friend who is looking for a stand up branding firm and you can suggest three different companies? Or know who to talk to when you are looking for some tech support? Using your networks shows others that you’re the real deal – you have a lot of contacts and you’re willing to share. All of a sudden, people will gravitate towards you when they are looking for particular help, and you’ll be there to give a suggestion. Having a large network makes your company look bigger than it is, with the ability to extend it’s reach.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., WWW.FMWALSH.COM

Larry Farrell, author of “Getting Entrepreneurial” identifies having a big vision as a key trait for success in entrepreneurs. You have to be rock solid in knowing what you want to build. Highly successful business owners dream, think, plan what they want their company to be – thinking BIG. They have a clear vision of what they are working to create and don’t get sidetracked by what other people think. It’s a business basic.

Lately I keep meeting women in business who do not have this vision locked down. They are bright and work really hard, but they struggle with a lack of confidence. Which leads them to ask other people for input all the time. And then they get conflicting opinions, which makes things even harder.

You cannot build a highly profitable business, or sell your products successfully if you do not have strong confidence in what you are doing. People will sense when you are not rock solid during your sales presentations. Your reputation will suffer, especially if you seesaw back and forth on making decisions. Decide what you want to accomplish in your business. Sell more? Introduce new products? Go after different markets? Then go after it with confidence.

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., WWW.FMWALSH.COM

Last month I talked about benefits and shared values in collaboration, as well as marketing and other types of creative collaboration. Any kind of collaborative relationship requires maintenance, but so do other, less formal relationships and relationships in the making.

Developing a solid relationship with colleagues, clients, and prospects cultivates long-term and widespread business networks that are highly beneficial for all parties concerned. We all know that selfish networking — the kind where someone thrusts their card in your face and blurts out their elevator pitch without breathing — is a dead end street. There is no relationship…and there’s a good chance there never will be.

The other, more effective approach is to feed and grow potential business relationships and consider them an investment. You can’t be best friends with everyone, but you can identify those with whom you have a synergy, focus your energy, and stay in touch.

The Don’t
Every once in a while I get the latest, updated resume from a woman I met many years ago and who is now self-employed as a virtual assistant. I have not spoken to “Joyce” in years and between emails with her resume attached, I never hear from her. I don’t actually know what services Joyce offers these days because I never open the resume. She invariably asks me to pass along her resume to anyone who might be interested, which I also never do. Why would I? We have no relationship. (After some thought, my best guess is that the biennial email is her version of “marketing” — and I’m guessing she gets what she paid for.)

The Do
In contrast, many years ago I interviewed with a man I wanted to work for, but the firm had a bad reputation so I chose another job. I told “James” the truth, and thought that was the end of it. A few months later James called to tell me my info had been correct, he had chosen not to remain with the firm, and thanked me for my honesty. We stayed in touch for a number of years, keeping tabs on what each other was up to, and connecting each other with our respective networks as appropriate.

Many years after our first meeting, largely on the strength of our relationship, James became a long term and highly lucrative client — something he had not previously been in a position to offer. James remains someone whom I respect, and whom I would again connect with my network if the opportunity arose. It didn’t take a lot of effort overall, but the payoff was enormous.

Moral of the story: Any relationship can whither and die from neglect. All it takes to grow one, is to feed it occasionally.

Liz Gaige
Market Navigators Consulting

A lot of the web tools we use for marketing purposes or just for fun can also be used to help us collaborate better in our work.

For instance, if you’ve ever tried drafting a document with two or more people, you’ll understand the frustrations of using email to send drafts back and forth. Is this the latest draft? Who made these changes? How do I get rid of all of this markup?

One alternative is Google Docs, which allows all invited users access to the same document, which they can look at and edit all at the same time.

Cell phones are also rapidly becoming mobile computing devices with tons of capabilities. If you’ve got an iPhone or a device with recording capabilities, consider recording a voice memo and sending the recording off to your teammates with just two more clicks.

Apps like Tweetdeck can also act as mobile group messaging devices on the fly. Take five minutes to create Twitter accounts (if you don’t already have them), create a work group on Tweetdeck and download the application to your phone. Now you’ve got a quick messaging platform that can also be used to share links and pictures.

With more teams working remotely than ever before, technology is awfully useful for helping people collaborate in new and practical ways. Experiment a little and you’ll find even more tools and tricks to keep your group in sync.

Linda Chu
CEO – Out of Chaos, Professional Organizing Solutions
www.outofchaos.ca

Experience, hard word and talent are not enough to succeed in today’s workplace. You need to also focus on building a network that will bring you the success you want. Your career will likely span multiple jobs and fields and the best and fastest way to get where you want to be is having a network of people you can call on. Building an effective network takes time, planning and intention. Here are 5 rules that will help you out:

1. Talk to strangers. You never know who is standing behind you at Starbucks.
2. Build a network with intention; create a plan of the types of people you want to meet and work the plan.
3. Give as much as you get; don’t be stingy about looking for ways to help others out. This will repay itself many times over when you need a helping hand.
4. Reach out to people long before you need anything; do not be that person who only ever calls when they need something. That is not networking – that is using people and you will not be appreciated for it. Stay in touch regularly with the people in your network.
5. Ask for what you want, not what you think you can get. The simple act of asking will get you a lot more than you can ever imagine.

Remember: success does not come to those with a low tolerance for risk or those who are led by fear. Start talking to people – you will be surprised what you learn!

Fiona Walsh, CEO, FM Walsh & Associates Inc., www.fmwalsh.com

Collaboration is a magical thing. It’s a word that describes when 2 or more people come together and achieve something far greater than would have been possible, had they attempted it on their own. It gives meaning to the phrase “many hands make light work”. It signifies the value of focussing on our strengths, finding others who’s strengths fill the void of our weaknesses and together we become unstoppable. It’s a powerful concept.

But, collaboration can back fire. It can literally blow up in your face and it happens, at least in my experience, when there is a lack of authentic admiration and respect for one another. I have witnessed countless collaborations to come together, only to observe, as time goes by, the partners in collaboration turn on each other. At first, it’s petty stuff, things that should have been discussed and boundaries set in place long before you decided to engage. Chris Flett, known for his bluntness, wrote a post last week, hi-lighting some important questions to ask before you partner up. The one that I think many, especially women, would have glossed over is “How am I likely to piss you off? How am I likely to get pissed off?”. This question is far better asked before a collaboration gets started, then after you’ve already started to piss each other off, and hence the ‘blow up’ looming.

A way to avoid this tragic end to what could have otherwise have been a life changing experience, is to ensure that you have bullet proof admiration and respect for one another before you begin. If you don’t, don’t collaborate – you’re setting yourself up for major disappointment.

All the best,

Heather White, CEO, 2020 Communications Inc.

As a coach I am always forcing my clients to generate a plan B, no matter what, even if they’d rather die than not have their plan A come to fruition. Firstly because, as we all know, sometimes things don’t work out the way we plan, and that’s just life. It’s only in retrospect, and sometimes not even then, that we can see the reasons why our beloved plan didn’t come to fruition. Secondly, it’s there for insurance. No one plans to get in an accident or have their house burn down or worse, hence the reason we all by insurance, just in case. Lastly, and most importantly for me and those whom I advise, so that you can clear your anxious, fear based energy (the energy that manifests itself in quiet moments while you worry about your plan A not coming true).

Something very interesting happens to a person’s energy when they take the time to think out and formulate a plan B. They clear themselves of their attachment to the end result and their energy is therefore more open. Trust me, I’ve had many the argument with people who say ‘having a plan B means you’re not committed to your plan A’ and I highly disagree. Of the hundreds of times I’ve experienced in my own life and the number of times I’ve seen it happen in the lives of my clients I stand firm on this point. Just the other day, I found myself getting a bit anxious because the gentleman whom I wanted to keynote an upcoming foundational luncheon that I sit on the committee for, had not gotten back to me with an answer. Instead of worrying, I sat down and wrote out my back up plan for if he didn’t come through. An hour later he called and said, you guessed it, YES!

If you’re with me, sit down today and make sure you’ve got a plan B for all your beloved plan A’s. This will free your energy up and remove any anxiety and fear that may be getting in your way.

All the best,

Heather White, 2020 Communications Inc.

One of my favorite fables that has a pretty straightforward application to business is of the grasshopper and the ant. The hardworking ant prepares for the future by gathering and storing his food. His lazy neighbor, the grasshopper, doesn’t get organized and spends his time in idle pursuits. When winter comes, the ant is content in his home, enjoying the fruits of his labours. We never really hear precisely what happens to the grasshopper – you just kind of guess that he might not still be around when the warmer weather rolls around.

The story reminds you of the preparation that’s required for businesses to be successful. It’s about getting organized and sowing the ground with opportunities. For business, that includes building your networks, marketing, sales, product development and administrative tasks like bookkeeping and filing. Just as important is setting up the processes to ensure that when it comes time to reap the benefits, you’re ready. A few examples:

1. We all know networking is a great way to build business. Organize your new contacts, don’t just leave their business cards in a stack in a drawer. Put a system in place so that it’s easier to keep in touch and even add personal greetings to your messages as you build relationships.

2. Time management by itself won’t generate revenue, but it can generate opportunities for you to see the benefit later. An organized calendar allows you to spend your time more productively, leading to bigger profits. It can also help you allocate more time to pursuits outside of your work, so you can actually spend time on the fruits of your labours – perhaps in the Mayan Riviera or Las Vegas?

3. Keep your financial paperwork organized. File your contracts so you’re ready to submit your invoices on time. Business is not just about the sowing – reaping is work, too. You could even say the work is the reward.

Linda Chu
CEO – Out of Chaos, Professional Organizing Solutions
www.outofchaos.ca