Many of you know that I have spent the last year or so going through a transformation, not only of my business, but of myself.  During that time I have met with hundreds of businesses and individuals involved in trying to make the world a better place.

This effort is a culmination and convergence of all that I've done over the last few years.  I used to be one of those who would send some money here and there to a cause that I felt was worthy.  But those were always just a simple one-off donation, and while every contribution to such causes help, it was not fulfilling to me on a personal basis.

My views began to change back in 2007 when I had the opportunity to work with a small non-profit organization.  Our focus was on the community of those who needed dialysis or were the recipients of kidney transplants.  What I learned during my tenure was that specific communities in need require focused, dedicated resources, and a lot of them.  Even though dialysis is essentially paid for by the Federal government, it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the support and resources needed by this community.

So how does this relate to my current campaign?

Over the last 8 months I have become involved with another organization - Kiwanis International.  To be honest, in the past I've had a negative view of this organization, but only because I happened to know *one* person in it that I didn't like.

How often do we do this to ourselves?  We allow someone else to limit our own goals and pursuits because of a negative emotional reaction.

I finally joined the Kiwanis group in July, and in August I was selected to attend our District Convention.  At that conference I learned about the Eliminate Project, and it hit me hard.  The victims of Maternal/Neo-Natal Tetanus (MNT) also die slowly, and in much pain.

I vowed I would do what I could, as an individual, to help in whatever way was available to me.

And so the seed of vision that started at the convention is now flowering into what I am calling my "Send A Card, Save A Life" campaign.

Like all things, it will start small.  I have some ambitious goals, and they will be revealed as time goes on.  But the first goal is get 1000 new clients and save 25,000 lives (or more.)

And so I need your help.

If you have a business, a Send Out Cards account can help you grow your business and increase your customer loyalty.  If your current or future clients are worth at least $12 a year to you to keep or acquire, this system is for you.

If you are individual who sends out a large number of greeting cards each year, this system will save you time and money, and it will allow you be as creative with the cards as you like.  No more 'settling' for whatever happens to be in the stores.

I urge everyone who reads this to, at the very least, check out the information on the web site and then take a look at the Send-Out-Cards video link that is on the second page.  Even if you don't feel the system is a good fit for you, I would ask that you pass this along to everyone you know.

The faster we raise funds, the faster we can eliminate this dreadful disease from the face of the earth, and the sooner we can start to work on something else.

Thank you for taking the time to visit this site, and thank you for all the good you do in the world.

Patrick
{EAV_BLOG_VER:4e1c9bb6cd6cdc7a}
Add Comment
 
 

Welcome Back!

Now that you have your "Why"; Now that you have developed a vision for your business, let's work on some of the details of what the business will be.

The first step of course is to decide "What" you will offer.  Is it a product?  A service?

Great!

The first thing you need to know, however:  Is it something other people want?

If you live in an area that is hot and humid all the time, you probably won't do well selling coats or jackets.  Air-conditioners, on the other hand, might go over quite well.

Great!  We want to sell Air-Conditioners.

Now, how many will you need to sell?  How many people in your area are likely to buy?  What is your competition?  How will you differentiate yourself?

These just a few of the questions that you need to ask, and answer, as they form the basis of your Business Plan.  Yes, you really should write a business plan, even if you are planning to build a home-based business with only yourself.

There are many templates for such plans on the Internet, some free, some not so much.  SCORE is an excellent resource for getting templates, and for getting information on how to fill it out properly.  A business coach or consultant can help you find even more resources, help you put together a comprehensive plan, and even help you to execute that plan.

Your marketing plan is the key to your success.  The best idea in the world is useless unless it is shared.

If you build it, they won't come ... unless you tell them about it!
Add Comment
 
 
"Today you do not need money to make money. You simply need knowledge."

I read this on a Facebook page recently, and I spent some time thinking about the implications of this.  While it is true that knowledge is power, one must have the resources in order to utilize that power.

Now, I am not saying that the statement above is wrong.  It is correct, up to a point.  Obtaining knowledge can require money, although the advent of the Internet has made it possible for one to become quite knowledgeable in many areas - the cost here is time.  You need to spend "time" to gather "knowledge", which will then lead to "money."

Time + Knowledge = Money

Well, not exactly.

I submit that the true formula is something like this:

Manage(Time) * Applied(Knowledge/Time) = Money

You must manage your time wisely while you both acquire and apply the knowledge you are gaining.  You must apply the knowledge efficiently and effectively, otherwise you lose time and money.

Staying focused on what really matters becomes very important.  This is where having a coach can be extremely helpful.  Staying focused on the activities that will bring about results will help you to manage your time, your energy, and enable to focus your knowledge into the activities that will help you to become successful.

So, you may not need to have huge monetary resources in order to get things going, but you will have to invest time and energy into yourself.
Add Comment
 
 
Getting ready to start a new business venture?  Get ready for a lot of emotions:  elation, fear, happiness, anxiety - they all play a role, and you will face a mix of those and many more as you get the ball rolling.

Over the next few days I will be posting some tips on how to go about getting started the right way.

Know your "WHY"

Why are you starting a business?

This is one of the most important questions you can answer, because the answer will determine how much energy and commitment you will have to getting it done.  Your why has to be tied to your emotions - that is the fuel of life.  That is what will sustain you when things go wrong (and they will ...) and when the challenges begin to increase, whether it is time management, organization, finances, or a host of other issues with which business owners, new or seasons, must contend.

How big is your why?

Your 'why' is your vision, your future, your reason for being on this planet.  It may your family - it may be fame - it needs to be something that emotionally charges you.

Many people jump into starting a business out of desperation.  This will give you initial energy, but it won't last for the long haul.  You may need to dig deep to find your why.  Here is a video that can help you with the process:

Creating an extraordinary vision!
More to come!

Add Comment
 
 
"If I only had a Porche, I would be happy"


This statement is something many of us say to ourselves every day.  We feel that life would be better if we only had the one extra thing - the bigger house, the faster car, the flatter stomach.


Life, though, is a journey.  It is the constant moving from right now (Point A) to where we want to do (Point B.)  And yes, going from Point A to Point B might be more fun if you did it in Jaguar rather than a Yugo.


However, the problem usually isn't the speed of the vehicle.  The problem is usually that the vehicle isn't moving.


You see, whether or not you have a Yugo, a Honda, a Lexus, or a Maserati, they will all get you from point A to Point B; as long as you put gas into the tank.  Without any gas, even a Maserati is no fun to drive, nor will it get you to where you want to go.


The gas, of course, is your motivation, inspiration, and vision.  You need to have a clear destination, a map by which you plan to get there, and gas to power the trip.


So, if your days are starting out with little to no energy, it is no wonder that your life or business has become stagnant.  You need to rekindle the dream within, recapture the vision of your future, and take action to succeed.
Add Comment
 
 

Add Comment
 
 
When someone asks me how I would go about solving a problem or resolving an issue, I usually start in the same place each time.

Change.

Change ... something.  It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  One of the laws of physics is that an object in motion, or an object at rest, will remain so unless acted upon by an outside force.

If you don't like the current situation, something has to change.  Change direction; change speed; change perspective; change location; change *something* and see what happens.

For some reason, people seem to fear change.   But we shouldn't.  Growth implies, even requires, change.  Nature shows us that whatever isn't growing, is dying.  So, if your business is stagnant, do something different.  If your town is beginning to crumble. change the way things are done.  If your relationships are fading, change the amount of time you spend nurturing them.

And, don't forget that law of physics - change requires some outside force.  In order to change your situation or perspective, you will most likely need to change yourself.  And that may require an outside force as well.
Add Comment
 
 
FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL

F - E - A - R

For most of us, this is the true challenge in our lives.  Fear keeps us from doing many of the things we want to do, or know we should do.  Occasionally, it goads us into doing something we know we shouldn't.

Peer pressure is simply the fear of not being accepted.

Procrastination is the fear of being successful, or the fear of leaving our comfort zone.

Many of the negative habits that we develop can be traced back to a fear of something, and in someway it is probably tied into our view of the world - our belief system - and how we see our selves fitting into that world.

So, how do we combat fear?  FAITH

Faith in our selves - faith in our team - faith in our friends - faith in a higher power.

But what exactly is "faith"?

Well, the first definition according to Dictionary.com is this:

confidence or trust in a person or thing

Well, in the real world, trust usually relies on some evidence.  You wouldn't trust someone until they had demonstrated that they could be trusted.  For many of us, the real problem is that we don't trust ourselves.  The world takes great pleasure in letting us know when we come up short.  But all of us have had at least one experience where we came out on top.  Close your eyes, search your memory.  It is there, and that becomes your starting point.  And if you really can't find it, look at what someone else has done, and borrow it.  If they did it, so can you.

Lying within you is the fear keeping you from your full potential.  Right next to is the evidence you need to learn to trust yourself, to have faith, and to overcome that roadblock to become your best self.
Add Comment
 
 
I asked one of my clients this question recently, and after some thought, I got an answer.  "You can't", she said.  "It isn't moving."

Exactly.

Sometimes, the laws of physics, and the laws of life, merge.  If an object is at rest, it must be acted upon by something else in order to get moving.

The same is true of our lives and our businesses.  If we aren't moving, we begin to stagnate.  Nature shows us very clearly the results of prolonged stagnation - death.

So, we need to keep moving - to keep growing - to keep (dare I say it) - changing.

Of course, if you think about it, we must all keep changing, for the world around us is constantly doing so.  We must adapt to our new surroundings, or we will become stagnant.

The good news is the change is not as hard as many people think.  It is really less about hard work and more about a willingness to see beyond your current horizon.  Find the direction in which you want to go, and anchor it firmly inside your mind.

Start the car, and if you are facing the wrong direction, turn the wheel.

Go find your horizon.
Add Comment