The Fear of the Entrepreneur in You August 4, 2011
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: Entrepreneurship, Self Employment
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I read an interesting post today in The Business Review” which said New York State ranked No. 1 for entrepreneurial activity. The methodology behind the ranking was not disclosed so you should take this with a grain of salt. Never-the-less good news like this should always be shared, which I promptly did via a LinkedIn status update. If you are interested in this short article then click here to read it.
So this begs the question, have you ever thought of starting your own business? If so what’s holding you back and what can you do to overcome that hurdle?
Money is always an issue but setting that aside, what’s the real reason?
Most likely its fear. Fear of failure or fear that you don’t know where to start or even how to start. Let me address those two fears right now.
Fear of failure this is a hard one but I ran across a quote on Twitter sometime ago which sums it up perfectly:
Fear is like a bully. It will intimidate you if you let it. The moment you challenge it, though, it backs down & slinks away. You need to objectively confront your fear and do whatever is reasonable to overcome it. If you truly have a desire to start something on your own then you’ll find a way to do this. If you can’t then no worries at least you know you tried and running your own gig is not what you want.
Fear of how to start. There are a ton of resources out there. My initial inspiration came from Entrepreneur Magazine. Each month it has great articles on a variety of topics many of which apply even if you are working for someone else. They always have information related to the hottest trends, real life stories of success and information on franchise opportunities and other business opportunities. The online version of the magazine is also great resource offering a number of different free newsletters. Their Twitter feed @EntMagazine is a good one to follow.
SmartBrief offers a variety of online newsletters related to small business as well. I would suggest checking out:
- SmartBrief on Entrepreneurs
- SmartBrief on Leadership
- NFIB SmartBrief (NFIB = National Federation of Independent Business)
If you are further down the line and need insight related to legal, marketing or accounting matters check out:
- Lawyers.com
- Nolo.com
- SCORE
- Startup Nation
- Google – just enter your question into the search bar, I guarantee you will get an answer.
I’ve used most of these resources and continue to use them as I get my Marketing Coaching business off the ground. There is a ton of information out there, so just start poking around. Oh, don’t forget those in your LinkedIn network. I am sure there are more than a few people who would be willing and able to help you out either directly or through a referral.
So overcome that fear, do some digging and start moving.
What are you waiting for?
Until next week….
Man About Town June 2, 2011
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Marketing Tactics, Work.Tags: Group Networking Events, Networking Strategies, Relationship Management, Self Employment
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RWE Marketing (mymarketing coaching business) is less than a year old, still in the growth phase while I continue to work full time during the day as a means to pay those pesky things which come in the mail – AKA – bills.
One of the key tactics for me to grow my client list is through networking and referrals. These are the exact same tactics I used as when I was looking for work.
At times it can be pretty easy to get caught up at a networking event and see how many new people you can meet, but that’s not the goal of the game. The goal is to meet the right people and then determine if you should further that relationship for mutual benefit. Unfortunately not everyone you meet will fit this profile. That’s ok, persistence is the key.
Here are a couple of guidelines I try to follow
- Take a few notes on the back of your new contacts card, note the name and date of the event where you met and what you discussed or promised to do.
- Do a little additional research via LinkedIn on your new contact to determine how you could help them, send a brief follow up/nice to meet you email, reach out and offer to connect if appropriate. Try to do this within 24-48 hours after you meet.
- If appropriate, make an appointment with your new contact in order to nurture the relationship so that it benefits you both.
Do these steps sound familiar? They are the same basic steps I discussed in my relationship marketing post last week. Amazing how marketing influences so many different facets of our lives.
By the way, next week I will be at the following networking events. If you are going to be there let me know and we can connect.
Tuesday, June 7
5:30-7:30pm
Digital Rochester Speed Networking
Penfield Country Club
Register Here
Thursday June 9
5:00-7:00pm
Rochester Business Alliance After Hours Networking
Irondequoit Country Club
Register Here
Until next week….
3 Ways to Fulfill Your Promise to “Keep In Touch” May 26, 2011
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: Follow Up, Managing Your Network Contacts, Networking, Online Networking, Relationship Management
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“Hey, lets keep in touch, okay?”
We all say it at one time or another during our networking activities, or even at family events. This phrase is probably as common as “How are you?” We have grown so accustomed to saying it that we really don’t listen to the response or take action on it, instead we just say it out of habit. And a bad habit it can be.
One way I stay in touch is through a regular email that I send to my closest contacts about every 6-8 weeks. Essentially this is a short story on what I and my family have been up to. I talk about all things, professional, personal, you name it. I try to keep it to one page as I understand folks are inundated with all types of messages on a daily basis. I also make it a point to ask what’s new in my contacts world, offer any help they may need and always leave the door open to meeting over lunch etc. (I do need to get better at scheduling those lunch meetings especially now the warmer weather is here. Something about dining outside I find hard to resist.)
One of the other things I try to do is drop someone a quick personal note when I hear or read something about them or their company. Usually this is a short 2-4 sentence email just to let them know I saw the information and offering congratulations or whatever. This works particularly well for me.
Both of these tactics are variations of relationship marketing or drip marketing; delivering targeted messages to your prospects at measured intervals so you remain front and center.
For more on this topic check out this article from the National Federation of Independent Business
Enjoy the long holiday weekend – if your at a party don’t overlook this potential networking opportunity.
Until next week….
Networking Don’ts June 12, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: How Not To Network, Job Search Strategies, Managing Your Network Contacts, Networking, Networking Don'ts, Networking Faux Paux, Networking Strategies
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I subscribe to a weekly newsletter which my former boss at Garlock introduced me to a couple of years ago. It is a wealth of information whether you are working or not. It is very simply called B Net and the website is bnet.com.
The newsletter articles are short and to the point which I appreciate and the website archives a fair amount of them so you can search back on just about any topic.
A recent article and short video that caught my attention was simply titled Networking Don’ts. I appreciate the contrarian view from time-to-time, most of the articles and blog posts we see are “How to” this or “How To” that so I think that is why this one stood out so prominently.
The video is about 3 1/2 minutes in length and provides three common sense suggestions which everyone can benefit from, even those of you who are experienced networkers. Sometimes even the best of us forget the basics myself included.
Until next week…
Never Stop Networking June 4, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Uncategorized, Work.Tags: Managing Your Network Contacts, Networking, Networking Strategies, Personal Network Management Tools, Relationship Management
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Its easy to say but very difficult to do.
When I was fully engaged in the job search just 3 weeks ago networking was a way of life for me. I would get up at 6:00am get ready and be out the door some days as early as 7:00am for a multitude of meetings, sometimes as many as 4 or 5 a day. As I said to some folks at the time “On some days I am busier now then when I was employed.” It truly was (and should be) a full time job.
The August Group has the tag line Networking For Life and it could not be more appropriate. While I may not be able to schedule a multitude of meetings each day I do plan to continue with the active networking I started 5 months ago. Since my free time between the hours of 8 & five is now occupied each day I need to be even smarter about where I network, how I network and who I network with.
Rest assured though I will continue it. I have to, plus if I stop I would surely miss it as I have made many new friends and there is no better feeling than walking into a room an automatically knowing 2,3,4,5 or more people.
One of the things I did while at Garlock was to keep in touch with my network via email. Approximately every 6-8 weeks I would ping my contacts with an email updating them on the latest happenings in my life whether it was work related, family, personal or if I had some information I thought would be of value to them. In fact this blog came about as a result of this regular communications stream it made it easier for me to do it on a regular basis plus it gave me experience with the latest social media which looked good on my resume too! (My “Network Updates” are still part of this blog but are password protected so only those in my network can access them.) This tactic proved very, very valuable when it came time to leverage my connections in my job search as I was able to maintain the connection with folks despite not getting together face to face as often as I’d like. I believe it made it easier for folks to help me as they did not feel like I was only coming to them when I needed something, which is a great way to kill a relationship.
This time around I will continue to use the email/blog combo to keep in touch but I plan to attend select group events, attend some of the other groups I joined and make it a point to have breakfast, lunch or a beer with folks.
To quote an earlier post titled Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
The same can be said for networking.
Until next week….
Tying Up Loose Ends May 26, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: Job Search Marketing Plan, Job Search Strategies, Job Search Tools, Networking Strategies, Target Companies
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I’ve accepted a position with Retrotech as the Business Development Manager and will start my new assignment June 1. This position was 7-8 weeks in the making; my first interaction with my new boss was in mid February and comes 5 months after being notified of my layoff at Garlock.
Along the way there were a few ups and downs and some detours but in the end persistence paid off as I received an offer which met my expectations and provides me with a great opportunity for future growth and development. As always I am convinced things happen for a reason, for if I was still with Garlock this growth opportunity would never have presented itself.
The moral of the story is this when you are looking for your next opportunity develop a plan, select the proper tactics to implement that plan such as networking, target company list, etc then follow that plan relentlessly.
At the outset I targeted small to mid-sized companies with 150 or fewer employees in the Victor area, later expanding to within 25 miles of my home. I set a target of meeting with 8 people a week of which I achieved that target 95% of the time.
Retrotech employs less than 100 employees and is located in Victor, 3 miles from my home. The opportunity came about via networking, no position was advertised and the job responsibilities were loosely defined. Through the process I was able to help provide direction regarding the job responsibilities and other key aspects of the job.
Originally I had planned to migrate my blog to other topics once I landed but I have decided to continue the course. I’ve had many people express thanks and gratitude for the advice and motivation so I will continue, it is my way of paying it forward.
Topics for future posts may not be as easy for me to develop since I will not be immersed in the search so I pose the following to you.
What job search topics would you like me to address?
Until next week…
12 Questions To Ask Yourself May 14, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.add a comment
I attended a FreeNet meeting the other day which proved to be a very good investment of 90 minutes around lunchtime.
As part of the meeting one of the members, Angella Luyk of Midnight Janitorial presented a book review of BRAG ! The Art of Tooting your Own Horn by Peggy Klaus. This book dispels many of the myths regarding bragging and provides some guidance on how to do it right.
One of the most interesting parts of the review was the “Take 12 Self-evaluation.” This concept can be adapted for any situation, employed, unemployed, self-employed, retired it does not matter. With that said I wanted to share the 12 questions with you.
These questions are also a good conversation starter for those you meet at networking events, etc.
- What would you and others say are five of your personality pluses?
- What are the ten most interesting things you have done or that have happened to you?
- What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?
- What do you like/love about your current job/career?
- How does you job/career use your skills and talents and what projects are you working on right now that best showcase them?
- What career successes are you most proud of?
- What new skills have you learned in the last year?
- What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today both professionally and personally and what essential lessons have you learned from some of your mistakes?
- What training/education have you completed and what did you gain from those experiences?
- What professional organizations are you associated with and in what ways – member, board, etc?
- How do you spend your time outside of work including hobbies, interests, sports, family and volunteer opportunities?
- In what ways are you making a difference in people’s lives?
Until next week….
NRM How Do I Do It? May 7, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: Managing Your Network Contacts, Networking Strategies, Personal Network Management Tools, Relationship Management
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Last week I introduced the concept of Network Relationship Management. This week I want to present you with a list of tools you can use to help accomplish this important task.
Many different versions of contact management software exist from the super expensive enterprise versions like Siebel to the PC based ACT, Access (which I used to use) or Goldmine. The latest version of MS Office also has a contact management component. Some folks even use Excel as a quick and dirty way to manage their network contacts.
Some free versions of software are available such as Salesforce.com and Sugar CRM. Sugar is a open source product, some folks avoid open source due to perceived virus issues or malware. On the other hand I know of some who swear by open source software, so make your own choice.
I personally have adopted Salesforce.com as I’ve had previous experience with this solution while at Garlock and it is web based allowing me to access it from any PC. Lets also not forget that no software is required, so no install hassle, no uninstall hassle, no worries regarding disk space.
One feature of the Salesforce solution I absolutely love is the “request update” function. By the click of a button you can send a single email to a single contact or a mass email to all your contacts which asks them if the information you have on file for them is correct. It shows them all the contact info you have and allows them to either confirm it is correct or make changes. The system then returns an email to you with a message stating all is correct or indicates what changes were made. Making changes is as easy as clicking the “accept changes” button. This tool can greatly reduce your account maintenance time.
You can tell I am partial to the Salesforce solution but no matter which solution you select you must be diligent in managing your network. Here are some simple things to remember:
- Identify” high value” contacts - its better to drill ten 100ft wells than 100, 10ft wells
- Organize your contact information utilizing an easy to enter/easy to retrieve system similar to solutions noted above
- Keep information for all contacts regularly updated
- Ping often, every 60-90 days or so (be interesting and memorable)
- Keep records of past conversations and touch points, these could develop into a lead over time but if you don’t track you wont know it
- Give back
I developed a LinkedIn poll for those of you in the local Rochester area regarding the salesforce solution, please take 10 seconds to answer this simple question.
Until next week….
Make Your Pitch March 17, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.Tags: Elevator Speech, Job Search Tools, Personal Branding
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Every job seeker knows the importance of the “Elevator Speech.” This is equally true for business owners, as well as currently employed people. It is the easiest and most concise way to answer the question “what do you do?”
Like all things related to the job search you could ask 10 different people what your pitch should contain, how long it should be, how many different variations you should have, etc and you would get 10 different answers. I believe all of them are right, you have to select what works best for you. You need to be comfortable with it, it has to come naturally. I think everyone would agree that if it comes across as rehearsed or robotic it loses its value.
While in Pittsburgh this weekend for my sons hockey tournament (which they won by the way!) I picked up the Sunday Pittsburgh Tribune-Review before breakfast. I found an interesting article on the front page their employment section regarding elevator speeches. As you can imagine it presented views from those who believe they are still pertinent and those who feel they are no longer needed and those who support one structure versus another.
What I found most valuable in this short article was a reference to a web site 15secondpitch.com which uses a “pitch wizard” to guide you through a 4-step process to craft your 15 second pitch. After you create your pitch you can save it on the site then return and edit as needed or create additional ones for other situations if desired. It took me about 20 minutes to refine my pitch. This is a handy tool plus it makes the process a bit more engaging instead of writing it on paper or typing it in Word.
This is what my current elevator speech looks like:
My name is Rob and I am a Marketing Communications Professional specializing in strategic marketing & hands on tactical marketing. I develop comprehensive communications strategies and implement a systematic approach to achieving solid results. I’ve directed global branding campaigns, saved companies hundreds of thousands of dollars and help create award-winning websites. I would appreciate the opportunity to learn more about how I can help improve your companies marketing performance.
Of course this will change depending upon the circumstance, which is one thing I think many people overlook. While you may have a killer pitch you must be able to add to it or subtract from it on-the-fly, as circumstances dictate. No amount of writing and memorization will account for every possibility, the only answer is to practice as much as possible so it becomes second nature.
Happy pitching.
Until next week…
Give-to-Get February 3, 2009
Posted by robewanow in Job Search, Work.1 comment so far
I am posting a bit later than normal today my morning was packed with 2 long meetings and a lunch so I am finally able to pound out this weeks post. This blog has taken on a life of its own since my two appearances on the news. I hope it provides you with some solid advice. I am planning to inject some humor from time to time just to keep it light.
My first month of my current job search has come and gone and I have had success. Four interviews of varying degrees and time to really think about what I want to do with my next opportunity. Along the way I have managed (I hope) to help others out. As a matter of fact I have volunteered to develop a communications plan for a local non-profit through the ad council. I participated on one of the councils strategic round tables so they came back and asked me if I wanted to help further – why not?
Which brings me to the topic of this weeks post “Give to Get.”
The first time I was laid off (remember-I’ve been through this three times now) I did not know where to start, much less understand the power of networking and the other job search tactics. I joined The August Group which at that time was just starting out and was mainly IT focused. It has morphed quite a bit since the 1990′s but it remains one of the best networking groups in town. Anyway the leader/facilitator at the time, Greg Taylor preached that networking is a two way street, you have to give to get. If you give folks something of value you will get something of value, maybe not at that exact moment but at some point it will come back to you.
This is similar in concept to the law of the echo which states that what ever you project will come back to you. Project good vibes, confidence, love, true appreciation and gratitude and it will be returned to you many times over. I once read
“Gratitude is a powerful process for shifting your energy and bringing more of what you want into your life. Be grateful for what you already have, and you will attract more good things.”
This is why that even though I am constantly looking for help from others, especially during this period in my life, I am also always looking for and asking for ways to help them and truly grateful to those who help me.
PPS For those of you marketing folks who read this make sure you check out Tom Fishburnes blog this week. His latest post is, in my opinion spot on regarding the most recent epidemic of layoffs.
