Your information source for finding startup capital from microlenders, business plan competitions, loans, business grants and free money for women entrepreneurs
“Entrepreneurs take advantage of what many people don’t even have the vision to realize or the dedication to pursue. From education, to the arts, to the business world, entrepreneurs have greatly impacted the world in a variety of ways throughout history.
Many have built empires from scratch. Others have risked much in pursuit of a dream. All have managed to dramatically change both their own lives – and ours. Whatever it is, it’s made you realize just how possible the impossible may actually be. All you need is the right mind-set and what I feel is the secret to success: timing.”
As a small business owner, questions about what you do are inevitable. Are you prepared to give a long enough answer that makes sense, one just short enough that the perspective customer’s eyes won’t glaze over with boredom?
Here are the questions most likely going through his or her mind;
What problem can this business solve for me?
What benefits will I get if I buy this product or service?
Why should I choose this company over the others?
How much does it cost?
Answer these questions concisely and you are well on your way to making a positive impression.
See Coach Martini’s additional tips for pulling your introductory speech (often referred to as your elevator speech) together in her article Does Your Elevator Speech Pass the Testand check out the following books. All are highly recommended for developing a great elevator speech.
I will post reviews of a couple of them on the blog in the new year. If you have read any of these books, and would like to submit a review, please let me know.
The clock has started. I’ve just met you and within those first several seconds have formed an opinion of your success, your income, your education, etc.
Studies show that the average American has a nine second attention span (about the same as a goldfish) and, in reality, doesn’t care what you do or who you are. It’s not that we’re horrible people, we just don’t have the time. We’re too busy thinking about everything we need to do: our jobs, the bills piling up on the kitchen table, our parents’ health, what’s for dinner, who’s picking the children up after school, the holidays are coming, etc. But since we’re polite, we ask and we try to listen.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, it to get our attention so that we are focused on you and your business. You have between 20 and 30 seconds max. Can you do it? Please tell me more! »
Coach Sandra Martini offers up new challenges in this weeks article.
If you were a fly on the wall during a powerful mastermind meeting, you’d quickly realize how the sooner you learn the following lessons, the faster your business will grow. Please tell me more! »
A few years ago while attending a seminar for small business owners in New York City, one of the speakers asked, ” How many of you in this room have your own business?” Naturally every hand in the audience shot up. Next he asked, “how many of you, would have money coming in from your business if you were to get ill tomorrow or even as you sit here listening to me?”
Almost every hand went down. He said, “Well people, all of you have made a major mistake. You all created self employment for yourselves which is very different from being an entrepreneur creating a profitable business.”
That gave me pause. He went on to explain that as long as you are still in a situation where no work = no income, you are self-employed. In the next guest post, What Have You Created for Yourself?, business coach Sandra Martini explains the 5W’s you should be asking yourself to avoid falling into the trap of the self-employed. In another post, I’ll touch on incorporating passive sources of income in your game plan for maximum success as a business owner.
December 25, 2007
Posted in Food for Thought, Entrepreneurship 
11 Comments »
