Find and Give

There’s a tidbit of business advice to answer the question of how to succeed in business that goes something like “Find out what people want and give it to them”. Sounds a bit simplistic at first, doesn’t it? Thinking it through, however, it’s a call to analysis and a well-packed solution.

Finding out what people want might well mean market research, client/customer targeting and maybe some demographics on market size and depth.

As for giving them what they want – surely that entails product or service development, and unless you take ‘give it to them’ literally, you have to position and price your product or service in the market and, of course, you have to figure out how to let them know you’ve got what they want and then you have to plan how to deliver it to them.

There are many expectations from those ten little words of advice. None of those words spelled out an easy path; they simply give you two instructions. It’s also well worth noting that there is no mention of giving ‘them’ the product or service YOU want them to have. To the front of the brain: It’s all about the customer.

Are you doing your due diligence to find out what people want in your market? Do you create dialogues with your clients rather than offer a one directional stream of information? Can you find ways through your products or services to make your customers’ lives easier? Or to make them look better to their bosses? Find out – then give it to them.

Navigation Series News

The Navigation Series. It’s about learning. And planning. And tools and resources. It’s about getting away from concentrating on your clients’ businesses or getting new leads - just for a little while - to give a little planning time and attention to your own business direction. It’s a little time to come up for air. You know you need it!

These Navigation workshops are all about learning new information and refreshing familiar information, about planning time and execution strategies, about tips, resources, worksheets, charts and spreadsheets to use in your own business. Two hours a month is a small investment that will give you information packed, highly relevant, very interactive learning opportunities.

The May and June sessions will prepare you for the next steps in business growth by helping you find your life and your career balance and teaching you how to deal with the inevitable obstacles that arise. Who couldn’t stand a little life balancing and help with those bumps in the road? Check out the Events in this e-newsletter to get more information for upcoming workshops.

If you want to know more about the past workshops, you can visit www.BA-NavigationSeries.com.

June Issue 2010

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Happenings

June

Business Alliance After Hours

Join fellow Business Alliance members for a little after work relaxation and networking in Caps Grille! Drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. In May we had 4 new businesses represented at the AfterHours and 2 other prospective BA Members!

 

Business Alliance Open Table

Join other Business Alliance Partners and Associates for a casual lunch and free ranging conversations in the Main Dining Room at the Capital City Club.

 

Navigation Series: Conquering the Obstacle Course: Increasing Your Agility for a Successful Business

Recognizing obstacles and devising action plans for overcoming them represents an important skill set for the entrepreneur. If we think of it like running an obstacle or agility course, we know that we can anticipate, practice, and improve our ability to run the course. What does your agility course look like? What are your unique obstacles and opportunities? This Navigation workshop is designed to help you analyze the specific events, circumstances, or conditions that present themselves as you pursue your life and personal goals.

More specifically, we will focus on the following:

• Clarifying your vision for business and personal success
• Identifying potential obstacles that may impede or interrupt our progress toward reaching our goals
• Differentiating between obstacles that are within our span of control vs. obstacles that are not within our control
• Reframing our thinking about obstacles, presenting their advantages and values
• Applying the “change formula” as a means to increase our agility and address specific obstacles
• Creating an action plan for overcoming specific obstacles that have been identified

This class is designed to motivate and empower, while providing in-class time to apply the concepts. Templates will be provided to assist each participant in their analysis, goal setting and action planning.

Facilitator:

Dr. Kathleen Sturgis is an expert in facilitating positive organizational change through objectivity and collaboration. She works closely with executives and teams to create shared visions, meaningful missions, and realistic action plans. She is a member of the faculty of The Leadership Trust, an international organization fostering humanistic principles and facilitative leadership. She serves on the advisory board for the Small Business Center of Wake Technical Community College and has recently been appointed to serve the northeast region of the United States as an organizational development specialist for Kappa Delta National Sorority.

Dr. Sturgis received her masters from the University of South Florida (1985, Tampa, Florida) and a doctorate from the University of Illinois (1997, Champaign- Urbana, Illinois). She has taught university-level courses and has conducted research, consulting, and training projects with both non-profit organizations and large corporations. Organizations she has worked with include Honeywell’s Space, Military and Strategic Avionics Divisions, Habitat for Humanity of Wake County and Habitat International, the United States Tennis Association, IBM, Novo Nordisk, Raychem Corporation, Siemens Medical Solutions, and SAS Institute. Dr. Sturgis is the founder and president of Capital Consulting Group, an organization dedicated to enhancing communication processes, facilitating change management, and reinvigorating strategic planning processes.

July

Business Alliance After Hours

Join fellow Business Alliance members for a little after work relaxation and networking in Caps Grille! Drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

 

 

Business Alliance Open Table

Join other Business Alliance Partners and Associates for a casual lunch and free ranging conversations in the Main Dining Room at the Capital City Club.

 

 

The Navigation Series Takes the Month Off for a Party! Independence Party – co-hosted by Shop Local Raleigh

Celebrate Your Independence! Join our Business Alliance Partners and the members of Shop Local Raleigh as we celebrate the Independence that Small Businesses enjoy!

 

Business Alliance Leader Lunch

Where’s the Capital and What Do CAMELS Have to Do with It?

Understanding Capital Development, Lines of Credit & Potential Money Resources for Your Company

Joseph Smith, North Carolina Commissioner of Banks, Michael Shaw, Sr. VP Manager of Business Bankers at First Citizens and Ivan Hankins, Senior Area Manager for the Small Business Administration will sit in a panel to discuss potential money resources for your company. Becky Sansbury of Real Life Communication will facilitate a closing Q & A.

BA Member Announcements & Celebrations

(Please send submissions to bag_editor@yahoo.com)

Gary Becker has joined KW Commercial, the commercial real estate division of Keller Williams Realty, in a Director position. Gary has practiced commercial real estate brokerage for over 7 years and qualified for membership in 2009’s Million Dollar Retail Leasing Club awarded by the Triangle Commercial Association of Realtors. Office # 919-882-5662 gbecker@kw.com

April Young announces she is now associated with Isagenix, the World's Leader in Nutritional Cleansing and Replenishing, as a Weight Loss and Wellness Coach. For more information please visit www.aprilyoung001.isagenix.com.

Daniel Trimpey, CEO of the local web design company, Page Progressive, would like to announce the launch of the newly redesigned NC Stroke Association website. The NC Stroke Association's mission is to reduce the incidence and impact of Stroke through screening and education.

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Celebrations

Lea-Ann W. Berst, Global Marketing Strategist with Sleddogg Marketing Management, will be sworn in as President of Raleigh's Business and Professional Women's (BPW) organization. Entering into its 92nd year, BPW/Raleigh serves the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Cary area benefiting members with educational programs and a variety of networking opportunities. BPW counts among its members working women in all positions including business owners, corporate executives, professionals, and elected officials. Membership in this organization is open to all. To find out more please visit www.bpwraleigh.org.

Ann Borden announces that EOS Remediation is a winner of an Environmental Business Journal 2009 Business Achievement Award. This Technology Merit Award was granted for successful commercialization of new technology for in situ remediation of contaminated groundwater. This technology enhances natural conditions and reduces the carbon footprint when compared to conventional remediation. For more information on EOS Remediation, please call 919.873.2204 or visit www.eosremediation.com.

Chris Peterson, VP of Administration at Risk Management Associates, has made a name for herself in the local security world. BOOM Magazine recently did a personal profile on her. Click the following link to see her profile: http://www.boomnc.com/2010/05/articles_fiftyfab_triangle_201005.html

Dr. Janice Witt Smith, associate professor of management in the School of Business and Economics at Winston Salem State University, was recognized for receiving the UNC Board of Governors’ Excellence in Teaching Award in May 2010.

New Members

• Damon Butler, Triangle Blvd - TV Video production advertising company; largest WebTV network in the Triangle
• Jerry Kephart, Kephart Real Estate - Commercial Real Estate
• Mark La Mantia, La Mantia Law - General practice law firm concentrating on areas relating to small businesses
• Andrea Reif, AdzZoo - SEO and Pay per Click optimized landing pages
• Andrew Sloop, Amazon Millworks - Comprehensive design, fabrication, and installation of premier woodwork and luxury building products
• Giselle Sloop, Sloop Dentistry - Family and Cosmetic Dentistry
• Tricia Watson, Howard Perry & Walston - Real Estate offerings

BA in the Community

(Please send submissions to bag_editor@yahoo.com)

It is fortuitous for Christian Life Home that Chuck Riesebeck of AdvantaClean sits on their board. In December 2009 he was able to offer them special help when they suffered water damage in their office after a rainstorm. AdvantaClean came in, assessed the damage and helped the organization salvage their new carpet. Missy Schoning, Executive Director of Christian Life Home, reports that AdvantaClean also “loaned us their dehumidifiers and a blower in order to help us dry out the office and the carpet. I am happy to say that our new carpet is still in tact and there is no sign of mold.”

If you are involved in community projects, we want to hear about them! Many of our members serve meals, help build Habitat homes, and volunteer their time to help others in need. Please share your experiences, or your company-related activity, with your fellow BA members.

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