Things I Learned at jvAlert Live Denver

I am at jvAlert Live in Denver.  For those of you who aren't familiar, jvAlert is a fabulous conference hosted by the equally fabulous Ken McArthur.  They are held all over the country several times a year.  I have been attending whenever possible for many years and owe much of my success not only to the actual content provided at the conference, but also to the networking that happens before, during, and after the conference sessions.

I love sharing the information I get at this event.  It is so valuable that I want everyone I know to benefit from it.  And so I will be blogging the highlights of what I have learned each day.  I hope you all get as much use from it as I do.

Today was the first day.  There weren't any workshops or presentations scheduled today.  Joel Comm held his one-day intensive workshop.  Unfortunately, I slept through it.  Not that you aren't an awesome speaker, Joel.  But 23 hours without sleep is about my limit.

Even so, there were lessons to be learned today.  I will share them with you now,

1.  If MapQuest tells you the trip takes 12 hours, plan on 15.  Even without stops.  Except for potty breaks.

2.  At 5280 feet, things behave differently.  Shampoo erupts from its bottle as soon as you flip the lid.  Your clothes steamer only does half the amount of clothing.  Face cream continues to flow like lava from the tube even when you are no longer holding it.

3.  There is a cut off time for maid service.  And it is possible to sleep through it.  Especially after a 23 hour day.

4.  No matter how well you plan, there will be a crisis at home just because you are 15 hours away.

5.  Adrenalin, Attain Bars, and coffee will keep you running long after you should be in bed!

6.  Once you join jvAlert Live family, you can never leave.  It's sort of like the Mafia.  Once we have you, we keep you.

7.  There is such a thing as an App Entrepreneur!  Who knew?

8.  Duct tape fixes everything.  Just ask Survival Jack!

9.  The Dull Men's Club is alive and well and living in England.  Except for their spokesperson who is here in Denver.  Trying not to get too excited.

10.  You never know just who or what you may find at jvAlert Live.  But it will always be fascinating, entertaining and sometimes even useful!

More lessons tomorrow! 

How To Take Advantage of Free Business Advice at Your Local SBDC

SBDC stands for Small Business Development Center.  SBDCs provide a wide range of assistance to small businesses through their network of 900 service center.  It is one of the largest federal small business assistance programs in the country. 

SBDCs will assist in developing your business plans; provide financial packaging and lending assistance; market research services; and much more.  They serve all populations: women, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and even young entrepreneurs.  And the best part is the advice is free!

SBDC assistance is available virtually anywhere throughout the U.S., the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to the free business advice offered through the SBDC, you can find free and low-cost training programs available to help you improve your skill set.  Classes can cover everything from how to start a new business to how to export your product.  There are classes on marketing, accounting, taxes, and more.

SBDCs are a great resource to help you make your small business a success.  Find your local chapter of the SBDC and take advantage of free business advice, business resources, and business consulting today.

Is This One of Those Pyramid Things?

One of the first questions I inevitably get when presenting my network marketing company is "Is this a pyramid scheme? Aren't those illegal?" So let me state once and for all - NETWORK MARKETING IS NOT A PYRAMID SCHEME. Pyramids do exist and sometimes it's hard to tell a legitimate business from a scam. What makes them different?


1. A legitimate network marketing business will have a genuine product or service. This product or service will have value of its own and be priced accordingly. In a pyramid, there is usually no real product or service. If it does, they are often priced well above fair market value.

2. A legitimate network marketing business will disclose any information about the company to anyone interested in knowing more. Pyramids offer little to no information about the company unless an investor purchases the products and becomes a participant.

3. Network marketing businesses encourage the sale of the products or services offered by the company. Commission is paid on these sales to reps involved in the business. Pyramids promote an income stream that chiefly depends on the commissions earned by enrolling new members or the purchase by members of products for their own use rather than sales to customers who are not participants in the scheme.

4. In a network marketing company, the money to pay commissions comes from the sale of products or services. In a pyramid, the money to pay commissions comes primarily from the participants.

5. In a network marketing company, you can earn a decent living. In a pyramid, 90% of the participants never recoup their initial investment. In a pyramid scheme, those at the bottom can never advance higher or make more than those at the top. In network marketing, this is not the case.

Pyramid schemes do exist. They get more sophisticated and harder to spot all the time. And everyone wants to be sure they're not getting caught up in some sort of scam. But there are many good, solid, legitimate network marketing companies also. If you are looking for a way to make some extra income, or even one day replace your job with a business of your own, I highly recommend you consider one. If you aren't sure if it's a legitimate business, review the checklist above. If anything about the "opportunity" makes you uncomfortable, look elsewhere. And if the person you are speaking with about the business pressures you to get involved, RUN! That is a definite warning that they are more interested in recruiting other people into the business than in selling products. I will ask you to look at my business. I may even get a little pushy because I care about you and want you to have the same opportunity I did. But if you look at the compensation plan, the business overview and the products, and still tell me you are not interested - I will NEVER, EVER push you to be on my team!

Toss Away Your "Could Haves" and "Should Haves"

It's Toss Away Your "Could Haves" and "Should Haves" Day!  And you are invited to be part of it! For one day, you are invited to toss away a certain "should have" or "could have" that leads to stress, guilt, misery, or any sort of sadness. What a perfect day to give up some of those regrets that are holding you and your business back!

I should have been able to quit my job by now.
I could have finished my education and gotten a "real" job.
I should have made more prospecting calls.
I could have placed that advertisement.
I should have learned about social media marketing.
I could have started a blog.
I should have published more articles.
I could have attended more networking events
I should have done more____
I could have...

Many people starting a business think they "should" be doing this thing or that thing to be successful.  And then when they don't succeed at the pace they think they "should", they start thinking of all the things they "should have" and "could have" done differently.

When I started my business, I would sometimes work late at night or early in the morning. But I began to get criticism from some of my friends who would get emails or faxes from me at all hours of the day and night. They felt that if I was going to be taken seriously, then I "should" work 9 - 5 like most "normal" business people. I let them persuade me that this was true and tried to change my schedule. But I am a night owl by nature and forcing myself to change my natural rhythm caused stress and made me very unproductive and irritable. And so I went back to my normal routine.  And then when I experienced some setbacks, it was very easy for me to say to they were right.  I should have adjusted my schedule.  I could have if I had wanted to.  It took me a long time to realize that I was right and they were not.   By giving up this "should have" and working when I feel at my best and most creative, I am actually more efficient and productive - and much easier to get along with! Yes, it's true that I do have to be available during some portion of "normal" business hours to interact with clients and prospects. But much of my business is not restricted by time so why should I place this expectation on myself?

There ARE certain things necessary to be successful in business. You have to have a viable product or service. You have to promote yourself and your products or services. You have to earn the trust and respect of your customers. There are many ways to do these things. There is no one way that "should" work for everyone. If your business isn't growing, it's probably not because you should have done this thing or that thing.  You should have done what felt right and worked best for you. 
 
And so today I invite you to toss away your "should haves" and "could haves". Take a look at your business. Make a list of all the things you did because you "should have". Now review your list. Is there anything on the list that was not effective? That caused you stress?  That you spend time worrying about how you "could have" done it differently?  What would happen if you stopped worrying about it and just started over? I encourage you to try it just for today.

I "should have" worked longer today. I "could have" since I had nothing else on my schedule.  But I didn't. It was a beautiful day and I took Bob and Austin for a walk, sat on my porch and read, watched my hummingbirds at the feeder, and talked to friends. And I am not going to worry about what I "should have" accomplished today.  What did you toss away today? I'd love to hear. Feel free to share in the comments.

What's Your Why?

What are your reasons for starting a business?  Many businesses fail because the owner can't answer this simple question.  If you don't know why you want to be an boomerpreneur, then you won't be able to set goals.  And without goals, the roadmap for your business success, you are apt to get lost along the way.  Your why can even help determine the type of business you start!

You may have more than one why.  That's fine.  Most of us do.  I started because I needed to care for my dad.  So one why was the ability to control by own schedule.  But I also needed an income.  So another why was money.  But my main reason was the control.  If I had been able to find a job that allowed me the schedule I needed, I would probably still be working for someone else today.

What's your why?

Are you like me?  Do you need or want more control over your work schedule?  If so, then you will need to ensure your business does not depend on the schedules of others.  Businesses like online auctions/ebay, internet marketing, and blogging are some examples of the perfect business for you.  You can build your business regardless of the hour - day or night. Goals for you might be increasing sales in your online store or the number of subscribers to your blog.

Are you in it for the money?  Do you simply need cold, hard cash?  Then you want the types of businesses where you can make a profit fairly quickly without a large investment.  Business such as child care, pet sitting, house or business cleaning don't require a lot of money up front and have the potential to produce fast cash.  Your goal may be as simple as find more clients - or as grand as building a business large enough to employ others.

What if your why is to leave a legacy?  Many boomers have all the money they want or need.  Many are retired and have the time to do what they please.  But they dream of leaving something behind.  Financial freedom for their families.  A business to pass on to their children and grandchildren.  If that is your dream then you must keep that in mind when choosing your business.  I don't foresee leaving Boomer Business Coaching to my daughters or grandkids.  It is a business based around me.  But my online tshirts and gifts are another story.  Some of the grandchildren have already shown an interest and a talent for design.  I can already see one of them taking over one day.  My goal for this business - teaching them the skills necessary to become successful entrepreneurs.

The tshirts also fulfill secondary why for me - the need to be creative.  Now we all know I can't draw.  But that doesn't mean there isn't a wanna-be Monet buried deep inside.  So while I can't do the actual art work, I do get much satisfaction from creating the idea or concept for our next design and then letting another boomerpreneur with a creative why, PopArtDiva, do the actual artwork.  Are you the creative type?  Businesses like interior design, landscaping, graphic artist, catering, or photography are perfect for you.

What if none of these fit.  You have time.  You have money.  You have already provided for your family.  You are not particularly creative.  But you are BORED with retirement.  Perhaps your why is simply the desire to do something new, exciting and challenging.  As long as your business provides you with enough stimulation, you can do almost anything!  What are your interests and passions in life?  How can you turn those into a thriving business?

So...what's your why?  Determine exactly what you hope to achieve from your business before you start.  It may mean the difference between success or failure.

It's Not About You, It's About Bacon

Yes, that's right.  It's all about BACON!  Or at least that's the premise of author Brian Basilico.  You may have noticed I have been conspicuously absent for the past week.  Partly because this week seemed to be my week for everything to blow up - flat tires (that's what happens when you run over a ladder - even in a Jeep), recurring knee problems, sick pets, husband's health problems (and the news that his cardiologist has been suspended!) etc, etc.  But when I wasn't dealing with the latest crisis I had my nose in Brian's book. 

I warn you now.  If you are looking for another marketing book with lots of pictures, charts and diagrams - something you can whip through in a night or two - this isn't it.  This is 276 pages of information.  But trust me - you will want to read - and even re-read - every word.  The information Brian shares will change the way you network, if you use it.

Brian says the this book is a "Why-to" not a "How-to".  But I still found lots of "How-tos" here.  Things like how to choose the best networking groups.  How to build the 5 pages essential to every website.  How to create great content.  But Brian was right - he not only shares some of the "Hows" he also shares the "Whys".  So many "coaches" simply tell you "do this/don't do that" without ever explaining why.  If you hate that as much as I do, then you will love Brian's book.

It's Not About You, It's About Bacon explains networking in all its forms.  Not just social media.  Face-to-face networking.  Blogging.  Websites.  But don't worry all of you Facebook fanatics and Twitter addicts.  Brian devotes entire chapters to each of these, as well as LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest.  And yes, he even tells you why-to (and how-to) use YouTube.

Each chapter starts with a list of Bacon-izms - statements of the important points of each chapter.  Things like getting people to like you takes time and effort.  Web stats rarely tell you the whole story.  You can't just copy and paste images, text or videos.  You know this stuff.  Brian just makes it all make sense.

I met Brian through Felicia Slattery's 21 Ways to Make Money Speaking program.  I am SO glad I did because I must admit - Brian, I love you but I probably would not have bought this book.  But after hearing you talk about it during our group sessions with Felicia, I knew I had to have it.  If it was even half as good as you made it sound, I knew it would be an invaluable resource.  Well, I hate to tell you but it's even better than you described.

It took me a week to to read the book.  The information in it will be forever worthwhile.  I intend to start back at Chapter 1 and take each tidbit of info and see how it applies to my business.  I can't wait to see what happens when I do! 

The Spirit of the Spartan Sprint

For whatever reason, with everything else I have going on right now, I recently decided to participate in a 31 Day Blog Challenge.  That means I am supposed to post a blog entry every day for the next 31 days.  I am also getting a presentation ready for jvAlert Live Denver at the end of the month, participating in the 21 Ways to Make Money Speaking coaching program, writing a book, running my businesses and trying to keep up with my home and family.  Do I look crazy to you?  I think I must be! 

In addition to writing each day, we are encouraged to read the posts of other participants.  So today, since my mind is mush and I didn't have one good idea to write about, I decided to do that first.  The first blog I checked out is A Pocketful of Rocks written by Lisa Friedt.  This was the first time I had checked out her blog and her post on Growth is Intentional was great.  I liked it so much that I scrolled down to read some of her previous posts.  And that's when I found her post about the Spartan Sprint. 

The Spartan Sprint is an obstacle race.  They hold events all over the world.  Her blog post described her participation in her first run.  I was a runner in my military days.  With a former Army Ranger for a husband and Seal Team members for friends, you almost had to be.  It was required!  So I wasn't that interested in how she prepped for her first event.  Been there.  Done that.  And while I must admit I haven't ran in years, I'm sure I could do it again if I chose to.

No, what caught my attention was the part where she wrote about how she and her team decided that no one would be left behind.  That they would finish as a team or not at all.  She wrote about finding a fellow runner on the course who had been abandoned by her team because she couldn't keep up.  To them is was all about the win.  Lisa and her team mates absorbed this woman into their group and with their help and encouragement she went on to finish.  Lots of life lessons to be learned here!

But the part that really struck me was when she shared what she had learned from this experience.  And as I was reading it, I realized that not only did it apply to running, or training, but to business.  And so  I would like to share Lisa's lessons with you and how they apply to your business.

Lisa's Lesson #1) I can do anything I set my mind to.  Lisa decided to run this race and she did it.  The same is true of building a business.  If you truly set your mind to it, you can do it.  The decision is yours.  Make the commitment and then go do it! 

Lisa's Lesson #2) With a strong, solid team you can jump farther, reach higher and make it through a set of monkey bars.  Lisa's team helped her and others reach the finish line even when they thought they couldn't do it.  She did not run this race alone.  And you don't have to run your business alone.  There are so many great people out there who are willing to help you. Or simply provide encouragement when you think you will never make it.  That's one of the reasons I will be going to jvAlert Live in Denver.  To rekindle past friendships with some of the people who have helped me.  And to perhaps be a help to others who are just starting.  Find a team - a mastermind group, a networking group, a coaching group - or just some fellow entrepreneurs to have lunch with now and then - and help each other over the hurdles.

Lisa's Lesson #3) Life is sweeter when shared with those you love.  Lisa's husband and friends ran with her which made the experience that much sweeter.  Don't forget your family while building your business.  Share your successes - and your failures - with them.  Teach your children or grandchildren about your business.  Let them help you.  My grandchildren created some designs for my Tshirt shop and you know what?  They actually sold some!  How cool an experience was that for them?!

Lisa's Lesson #4) Always keep in mind what matters most. I will choose my team over time - every time.  Don't sacrifice your values for the sake of reaching a goal.  It will catch up with you in the end.  If you find yourself dreading working each day.  If you feel sick or anxious when performing certain activities, take a step back and make sure your values are aligned with your business activities.

Lisa's Lesson #5) Sometimes the journey to the top gets dirty. But the view from the top is worth it.    As you can see from the pictures posted on Lisa's blog, she was pretty muddy and banged up by the time she finished.  But it was worth it to know that she had pushed herself and finished.  Building a business is also hard work.  Sometimes you will be pretty banged up by the time you finish.  But oh is it worth it when you see what you have accomplished!

Lisa's Lesson #6) You only fail if you don't get back up.  This was true of the race.  As long as they got up and kept going, they would finish.  The same is true of business.  It may take longer than expected at the start.  It may not end exactly the way you thought.  You will fall down many times before the finish.  But the only way you will fail is if you don't get back up.

I challenge each of you to apply the spirit of the Spartan Sprint and Lisa's lessons to your business.  See you at the top!

PS! Lisa's story has inspired me!  There is an event in Burnet, Texas in May 2014.  I plan to be there!  Anyone else up for an adventure?!