Search results matching tags 'Business' and 'advice'

Five lessons for putting on a great conference #WABCON

dellojoio — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:52:40 GMT

So roughly five years ago my business partner and I formed a Software Development company named Wasatch Dev. At the time we started looking into the normal Business opportunities for a startup. We ventured to many organizations to find which one would work best to help us grow. We ended on the Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, we found out all to late what many people before us had found. It didn’t really give us an opportunity to grow as a business.

The PoCoc had one event we found rather interesting: a program called Chamber University. The idea: to give any business the opportunity to train other business owners in a technique or trick to help them grow their business. This was perfect! It was the program we were looking to help us grow. We went to a couple of the events and were greatly disappointed. These weren’t trainings, but glorified sales pitches to business owners. “I would love to teach you about simple accounting skills, but their rather complex so you should have me do your books.” What a joke.

Being that I love education, I brought up the idea to my business partner about doing a Chamber University that was pure education. Our rates were a little too high for the small business owner, but if we could get them to be more successful they would be able to afford us. So we started brainstorming through ideas that would could teach small business owners. And we came up with about 100 different ideas. We could have been doing Chamber Universities for many years. We needed another thought.

Enter WABCON. A day long business education event that trained business owners, no sales pitches. But who would come and see two relatively unknown computer geeks talk about technology all day? We needed something else. A lot of small business clients we worked with would ask us questions about marketing, finance and business management so we decided to find the greatest minds in those areas and see if they would help us present for the day. And low and behold they loved the idea and wanted to be a part.

Lesson #1: Find an idea and stick with it unapologetically

We wanted to create the ultimate business education conference focused in four key business areas: marketing, finance, technology and business management. There were often times were people came to us and asked if they could present on a new book they just wrote or about a new product they wanted to sell. We would tell them if that we do not sell anything @ WABCON. WABCON was about pure business education. We have lost a number of presenters, but we have maintained a level of integrity with our clients that is important. We make sure that our clients know when they hear WABCON that they hear education.

It is important to be passionate about your idea. Now you can get too focused on the idea that you might miss some of the picture, but that’s where getting people to help comes into the picture. The trick is to compromise where it does not alter the original focus. Back of room sales, a new program this year, does not interfere with the pure education presentation, but it can entice certain key note presenters. Altering the program around the idea does not mean that you are altering the idea. It could, but the trick is to have your vision defined so you know where the boundaries can be pushed. Enhance your idea … don’t alter it.

Lesson #2: Find key people who share your vision and ask for help

We made sure that when we partnered with companies and people that they shared the same vision as we had. I know that the business decision maker needs to know about changes in the business environment. Having those people who understand that same idea is equally as important. Not only will they drive your message to their spheres of influence, but they will also help you keep on track when you begin to wax and wane. Making sure you have people around you who support your same ideas and want to see them succeed helps grow the brand and make it more of a reality.

When we first started WABCON it was Bryce and myself, with a few others helping spread the word. The second year we started planning the conference about 8 months prior with a few other people. Now we have a phone meeting every two weeks to plan events throughout the year. And each monthly event we have is a unique experience for the business decision maker. We have a rotating volunteer staff that helps on the phone calls to create the best education events possible for our clients. We want to see them grow! Success breeds success!

Lesson #3: Broadcast the word as much as possible

Stephen Sondheim once wrote, “A vision is just a vision if it’s only in your head.” This is true of products and services just as it is with events. Our first year we were involved with the PoCoC and did a lot of information through them. Granted they had a great person working with them who ended up getting a job in Texas. Once we lost connection with the PoCoC representative we stopped attending their functions. This dried up an aspect of the business community we were drawing new clientele. When we stopped our numbers started to dwindle. Sure we had a pool of people we were pulling from who would bring in contacts, but it wasn’t enough to make our conference grow where we wanted to be.

Enter in Kristin who started helping us spread the word in local networking groups.She joined the Orem chapter of BNI (Business Networking International) and starting attending the American Fork Chamber of Commerce (a phenomenal Chamber to belong). With the help of Kristin we were able to bring our numbers higher and get more clients. The key? Broadcasting the word. Bryce and I were so busy keeping Wasatch Dev alive that trying to get to all the networking opportunities was extremely difficult. But with Kristin helping out it made it easier and more effective.

Lesson #4: Get INCREDIBILE presenters who you TRUST

I have been charged with playing favorites when it comes to the presenters and instructors we have at WABCON. And to be honest, I am guilty of this accusation. But in my defense it is because I trust these presenters with the integrity of WABCON. There have been many people who have wanted to present, but after a little time with them, hearing their presentation ideas, and learning what other people have to say about them … I decline. It is important to me that our clients learn something from the presenters they can implement in their business and see results, than to have someone just speak and present in front of an audience. And the presenters we have are amazing people who I greatly trust with my clients. I do my research and make sure that others know what they are getting into.

I have been to many conferences where a key note presentation did nothing but ramble about the latest party they attended, or just talked about the latest gadget they acquired and gave no information pertinent to the business owner. Sometimes the presenter doesn’t understand the audience and speaks too technically or sophisticated for the attendee. We make sure that each of our presenters understand a couple key points: 1) Experiential is more meaningful than Lecture; 2) Teach to the Head (intellect), the Hand (implementation) and the Heart (excitement); and 3) Make sure that the participant walks away with something they can implement immediately. When you have a pool of presenters that you trust to get that message to your clients how often do you accept a source who does not care about those ideas?

Lesson #5: The Attendees are the most important people

The people who come to WABCON are the most important people in the world. To see them get excited about our events and come prepared to get education and learn tricks that they can use in their businesses is important. I love hearing stories from people about the exciting things that happen because of our events. And knowing that we are a part of those activities is greatly rewarding.

Many people ask what we get out of the conference. “You must be making a lot of money?” The truth is we don’t. We put on WABCON to give back to the community. We do it to help business grow and succeed. We do it for the fun of putting on a conference that helps people. Some day we are going to break the 250 attendee threshold that we have set for our conference. That would be great, however, I know if we ever get to that number then it will become increasingly more difficult to sit with everyone and see how they are doing. I love working together on the goals of the attendees. I love helping them get to the next level. I love engaging in those conversations. It’s because of the attendees that I hold fast to the integrity of this conference.

If you are in the Orem UT area around October 22nd, 2009 and want to see a great conference event. Please come and visit us. You can read all about our conference @ http://www.Wabcon.com and register for the event. And if I don’t know you, please come introduce yourself. I would love to see what I can do to help your business grow. And possibly, just possibly, show you how important you truly are to us.

The Budding Roses of Business Growth

dellojoio — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:19:00 GMT

In hopes of trying to get a little sleep in the evening I’ve been listening to a lot of different songs on my computer. I’ve almost burned my entire CD collection, which has been great to have in a portable organized fashion that doesn’t require me to scroll with my thumb. In listening to my eclectic collection I stumbled upon an old favorite of mine … the Shaw Brothers.

For those of you who don’t know the Shaw Brothers, they are a folk duo from New Hampshire that pretty much sum up the feeling of NH days in a simple musical style. The folk music is very Irish sounding and will by no means awe and inspire you if you are listening to them for the first time, but I was dragged to many a Shaw Brother concert growing up and found a closet love for them. They have a couple of songs that are traditionally sound: New Hampshire Naturally (NH’s state song), The Ballad of the Concord Coach and Seven Daffodils to name a couple.

The song that hit me pretty hard this evening though was “Take Some Time to Smell the Roses.” A simple phrase that is mentioned over in over with great platitudes from people. But this sentiment got me thinking about some of the clients that I work with in my Social Interneting strategy sessions. Most importantly about the breakthroughs that certain clients have had over the last couple of weeks.

One of the important aspects that I talk about with business owners is the importance of self reflection. We turn the mirror on each other and take a moment to answer 5 simple questions: What makes you special?; What are you Passionate about?; How do you communicate?; What are your strengths?; and finally what are your weaknesses? These appear to be simple questions that any person could take about 5 minutes to answer, but I spend a couple hours with a client to really focus on these ideas. Most people don’t analyze themselves with great depth and because of that struggle to position themselves in the world: virtual and physical.

Usually after working with a client in these arenas an idea will open up that makes the business owner smile and realize that there are areas they should be focusing. I have yet to have a client leave a strategy session where we work through these concepts leaving unsatisfied with the new direction they should be heading. The reason why the approach works is the simplicity of questions and where they can lead. The other trick behind it is taking the time to actually work through the answers. And it’s amazing what roses of realization occur when you take the time.

What are the roses? Some are ideas of who they want to become. Some are understandings of what they want to be doing. Some are just realizations of where they want to focus their lives. What we create is a simple blossom that needs to be tended and cultivated into something amazing. Most of the business owners I meet take very little “time to smell the roses” because of the busy schedule they live. When we work together we focus on themselves in a safe focused environment so that we can find the sprouting buds that have been hidden for so long.

So if I can give a little advice to business owners beginning and established. If you are finding the situations that currently exist a little challenging and burdensome, take some time to smell the roses. Look at yourself and what you are doing and ask a simple question, “Am I working smarter or just harder?” Find an exercise to focus a little attention to yourself and discover what is amazing about you. Then turn that into something that increases your business. You’ll be amazed at what an exercise like that can produce.

Oh … and if you find yourself having a little trouble … don’t hesitate to drop me a line. :)

“Take some time to smell the roses” lyrics

Take some time to smell the roses
before the summer time slips away

I was born on a farm in west Virginia
My daddy worked hard for a living all of his days
there was a whole lot of work to be done
but we always took time to have fun
And I remember what my daddy used to say

Take some time to smell the roses
As you hurry on your way
Take some time to smell the roses
before the summer time slips away

I left home one day to seek my fortune
When I think of the things I've seen and the places I've been
Oh I've been up and I've been down
but through the toughest times I've found
you can always rise and face the world again

If you just take sometime to smell the roses
as you hurry on your way
take some time to smell the roses
before the summer time slips away

Well I'm a married man with a young son of my own now
And I'm as proud of him as any daddy can be
But if I could give him some advice
That would last him all his life
I know for sure just what those words would be

I'd tell him take some time to smell the roses
As you hurry on your way
take some time to smell the roses
before the summer time slips away