Business Pitch : Here are several ways you can stop struggling to find the right words to present yourself — and start impressing!

When was the last time you were impressed by the way someone introduced themselves at a business networker?  

If you’re like most business people and community leaders, you often devote long hours to prepare for important speeches and presentations. In contrast, we often don’t put much energy into the message we deliver most often– our self-introduction or Elevator Pitch.

1. “OMG,” you think. “What should I say at a networker? How can I best describe the nonprofit I’m supporting?”

To capture the right attention and provoke interest in you, remember that no one — except Mom — really cares about you as a person. We care about “us.”  So, think first about what problems your expertise could solve for the person you’re meeting, or how you might make that individual or company’s life more profitable, secure, fun, less stressful, or otherwise better in specific ways.

Another approach is to set yourself up as an intriguing, interesting person worth a follow-up conversation, email or visit. Using relevant, topical statements helps.

2. Avoid sounding as though you are reading a list from the company brochure or your resume.  Keep your self-introduction short, up to 30 seconds.

Download WowPitch’s app for fast, easy, step-by-step guidance.

Here’s an example of what NOT to do. “Hi, I’m Larry Lawyer. We do divorce, wills, contracts, litigation, speeding tickets, landlord disputes, fight City Hall, and handle home closings.  Instead, present your expertise in a personalized way that sounds as though you could be really useful to know.

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Managing The Anxieties Of Being A Leader

Sometimes, fear and anxiety can overwhelm us when we have to be a leader. Being a leader requires the ability to lead people in doing a certain task. This can sometimes be a little scary. As a result, here is list of ways in how to reduce the fear and anxiety of being a leader.

The first thing a person must understand is that you need to know what the task that needs to be accomplished. Knowing what you must do is important and can save you a lot of time and stress. It would be a waste of time if you performed a task for a few weeks and realized that it was a waste of time. Know the task on hand and communicate this with your team members.

The next step is to develop a plan on how to accomplish the task. Get a piece a paper and write down the steps that your team needs to accomplish in order to accomplish the goal. This will save you a lot of time in the long run and reduce stress and anxiety. Once you write down the steps, follow each step one at a time. This will help reduce the stress and anxiety of rushing at the last minute to meet a deadline.
Communicate with your team members on a regular basis. It is important that everyone on the team is on the same wavelength. For instance, your company needs to develop a new advertising campaign and your team is to present the board on how to go about it. The last thing you want is to have your team members assume that they know what is needed and have them do their own thing. Meanwhile the other half of the team is going in another direction. This leads to wasted time and effort. Talk with your team members daily to be sure everyone is doing what they are suppose to.

Prepare for unexpected surprises. Sometimes things happened that might take everyone by surprise. Be flexible and when expected things happen learn to deal with them immediately. For example, some members of the team become sick and are unable to do the tasks. Instead of getting all stressed out just reassign some of the tasks to other people. Anther idea is to find someone to help out for a few days. Getting upset when things go wrong can cause a lot fear and anxiety. Being prepared for surprises is important when being a leader.

Finally, do what you can today. Do not put things off when you can do them today. As a leader, it is important to have your team members do what they can during the day. Don’t have them assume that they can do it next week. You never know when something may come up and being efficient on a daily basis can prevent future problems down the road.

Being a leader can be stressful but there are ways to help manage that anxiety. If you still have trouble then talk to a counselor or professional who can help lead you in the right direction.

BIOGRAPHY:
Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

How are you moving past your limiting beliefs?

Do you have any limiting beliefs about what you are capable of doing in business? 

 

Do you prefer to handle the operational side of your business and stall when it comes time to handle sales? Or vice versa?

 

What do you need to do different to see a paradigm shift to your bottom line?

 

Self-limiting beliefs are those things you believe about yourself that place limitations on your abilities. They may be conscious or unconscious. Limitations are actually a part of the mind. In reality we have no limitations. Determination always finds a way around obstacles. Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can, or if you think you can’t – you’re right!” It all depends on what you believe about yourself. Unless you begin recognizing your own limiting beliefs and choose not to accept them, they will cause you to fail. When you align the true core of who you are with your goals, you can tap into your fullest potential.

 

Click here to read Dixie’s article. 

NAWBO NATIONAL PUBLIC POLICY INITIATIVE: SBA implemented the WOSB procurement program

As you may know, the SBA implemented the WOSB procurement program in March 2011. This came after a concerted effort by NAWBO and other like-minded organizations. Since the program has been put into place, two outstanding barriers have arisen.

United States Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate aimed at fixing those barriers and bringing parity for women-owned business to the world of government procurement.   

Specifically, Senator Snowe’s legislation, S. 2172 the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act, will:

Ø Eliminate the $5 million cap on women contracting programs;

Ø Allow for sole sourcing to women-owned businesses under similar conditions as sole source contracts awarded historically to underutilized businesses zone (HUBZone) small businesses; and,

Ø Require a mandatory five year review of all industries in which women are underrepresented to determine whether more industries should be included 
Please see attached a letter of support I sent to Senator Snowe praising her leadership and persistence on this important oversight.

 

Click Here to contact your U.S. Senators and ask them to support and co-sponsor S. the Fairness in Women-Owned Small Business Contracting Act.

Research on: Why small business are failing at high rate?

The focus of my research is why small businesses fail at such a high rate, especially during the first year. I have developed a model and have tested it with a limited number of companies. As part of my dissertation which is based on a multi-case study and a focus group, I need to interview entrepreneurs about their business. Each interview takes between 45 to 60 minutes. As a token of appreciation each entrepreneur will receive a copy of the article that will be published with the findings of this study.

 

I am looking for your help in identifying ten (10) entrepreneurs: five (5) representing successful business ventures and five (5) representing business ventures that failed.

Failed businesses must have either closed down voluntarily, or filed for bankruptcy protection through legal procedures such as chapter 7, 11, or 13.  At any given time during the life of the business, it should have not employed more than 20 employees. 

 

The criteria for all businesses must be in operation with the Miami-Dade geographical area.  In addition, they all must have been in business not more than ten (10) years, and either currently employing or previously employed not more than twenty (20) full time employees.  I prefer however that the company will have — or had before closing down —  at least five (5) full time employees. 

I would greatly appreciate it if you would kindly share this information with your members and help me identify the potential candidates.

The researchers contact information is:

Doron Zilbershtein

e-mail doronzil@gmail.com

 cell: 360 621 2030.

How To Manage The Stresses of Working In Business

By Stan Popovich

 

Stress and anxiety are very common when you work in business. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a business person can use to help manage their daily stresses and anxieties.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things.

 

When facing a current or upcoming task at your business that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, divide the task into a series of smaller steps and then complete each of the smaller tasks one at a time. Completing these smaller tasks will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

 

Challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or depressed, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. For example, you are afraid that if you do not get that job promotion then you will be stuck at your job forever. This depresses you, however your thinking in this situation is unrealistic. The fact of the matter is that there all are kinds of jobs available and just because you don’t get this job promotion doesn’t mean that you will never get one.

 

Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, you are at your place of work and you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your client calls you and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything.

 

In dealing with your anxieties at your business, learn to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that cannot be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Get all of the facts of the situation and use them to your advantage.  The more control you have over your stresses and anxieties, the better off you will be in the long run.

 

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem.  By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Managing your fears and anxieties takes practice.  The more you practice, the better you will become.

 

Biography:

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com.

 

Getting rid of the emotional clutter – Lessons learned from NAWBO National Conference in San Diego 2011

Submitted by: Lynne Fischer Seidner

http://www.lifemadeeasyinc.com/

The experience of the NAWBO conference and getting to meet so many successful women business owners was very inspiring and beneficial. After listening to all the speakers and breakout sessions, my to-do list began to grow rather quickly because they sparked so many fresh ideas for my business and it’s future.

The tip that stood out to me the most was by one of the keynote speakers Gail Blanke, who recommends throwing away 50 things and to write down each item as you’re throwing them away. She stated that when you throw away the clutter around you like the old batteries in the back of your kitchen drawer or the old keys that after 10 years you still can’t figure out what they open, you begin to let go and start to chip away at “life’s plaque” the nonsense that is just weighing us down. As you get rid of each thing you will spark the energy, momentum and courage inside of you that will motivate you to get rid of the rest of your clutter, not necessarily the actual junk, but the emotional clutter like our doubts, fear and negative thoughts. Her words really resonated with me because I see this all the time with my own clients. As they throw things away they begin to feel like a weight has been lifted because they are actively letting go of the things around them that have been distracting and consuming them for so long. My hope is that everyone begins with 50 things and continues to get rid of their own “life plaque”!

Stepping into your Power – Lesson learned from San Diego NAWBO National Conference

Submitted by: Lisa Marie Platske

www.UpsideThinking.com

http://www.LeadershipSuccessSummit.com

One of the keynote presenters at the NAWBO national conference spoke about stepping into your power. One of the 5 ½ steps she shared was developing your own personal brand. So often when we hear people speak about branding, they advise us about our business brand and the power of having a logo, using consistent colors, and having a themed-website that matches all of our collateral material. A personal brand starts with us. In my book, Designing Your Destiny, I ask the questions, “Who are you? What do you do? And, why does it matter?” because we need to answer these questions before we can build our business brand. Gail spoke about knowing who you are, who you aren’t, and being clear about what you stand for. The challenge is often being willing (whether we’re comfortable or not) to stand out and claim our brilliance. The world belongs to the person who is willing to stand out, not the one who fits in.

 

Who Comes First? – Upside Thought of the Week – August 15, 2011

Written by: Lisa Marie Platske

Work/Life Balance. The 21st century buzz word that wreaks havoc on our idea of whether we’re doing enough.

Many people think that their ability to find this elusive “Work/Life Balance” means they have to “do it all” and that it is contingent on their ability to manage their time.

While it’s true that we must be good stewards of this important commodity, I believe that finding balance has more to do with the clarity of one’s values and priorities.

After all, time is finite. We all get the same 24 hours a day. What we do with that time differentiates those who are stressed out, tired and broke from those who are happy, healthy, and wealthy.

One of Upside Thinking’s three foundational principles of excellence has to do with getting clear on your values and priorities. My formula is Self/Health first, Family second, and Work third.

Most individuals have a very strong knee-jerk reaction to this order because they’ve been raised to put the needs and desires of others before their own.

I understand the intention of such instruction, but it is not conducive to living a life of balance. And, by balance, I don’t mean even.

How can you meet the needs in your family if you are not taking care of your own?  How can you properly give to your work if there are unmet needs in your family?  The answer?  You can’t…and if you think you can, you won’t think so for long.

If you’re running tired and stressed, take a deep breath and then take inventory of your priorities.

Decide to care for yourself first and then your family and let go of those projects and pursuits that are standing between you and balance.

You’ll be surprised at how much energy and focus you’ll have left for your work!

And, if you don’t think you can do it by yourself, hire a coach to help you. Do-It-Yourself projects rarely work.

Remember, Life is Change. Growth is Optional Choose Wisely. Choose Upside.

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Business grants and loans for Women Business Owners in Miami, Florida

I am trying to find reliable information on grants or loans for a woman run business in Miami district. Would you happen to know any resources or people could contact regarding this?