08 2015 Connections Small Business Journal

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4 Columbus GA | Birmingham AL Edition

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JOURNAL Dr. Bob Wright

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contents

BUSINESS

4 Letter From The Publisher -

JOURNAL

Take Calculated Risks

Owner/Publisher

Gregory A. Wilson

21 Business Networking Tips

Editor Suzy Abell

Social Media Expert & Columnist Lutalo Aryee

Advertising

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT. Peter Drucker

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Graphic Design & Website Dreamscape Media Group

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Sweet {} Savory {} Delectable {} Homemade {} Desserts Weddings - Birthdays - Babyshowers - Any Event

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Business questions MARketing strategies social media STRATEGIES much more Connections Small

BUSINESS

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EVERY OTHER TUESDAY - 11AM - IRON BANK COFFEE 6 - 11th St, Columbus, GA 31901

For More Info Call Greg Wilson - 706.289.7863 www.connectionssbj.com

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CALCULATED RISKS W

elcome to the new issue of

Connections

Small

Business

Journal (CSBJ)!

As a business owner, you have to be willing to take risks. Risk defines entrepreneurship. But not all risk is equal. That’s where you have to take some time and make some careful decisions regarding which risks present the highest reward for the effort.

Take a moment to think about the plethora of opportunities that are available right now. Perhaps you are

have normally made before.

Before a decision is made, I implore you to think it through. Carefully think about all aspects of the decision that you are considering. Weigh the pros and cons of the decision. If the pros outweigh the cons, then it would make business sense to take this risk. Seek counsel from a trusted advisor or other available resources.

There are many resources available to assist you in minimizing the risk.

Resources such as this publication, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and The Chamber of

Commerce, should be tapped into like me and are looking to increase for assistance in minimizing these your customer base. If this is the case, then this may require you to spend money on a direct mail campaign or advertising in the available media channels. While there isn’t a guaranteed return on that investment, one thing is for certain and that is your customer base will not increase on its on accord. A calculated risk must be made to initiate that contact with those potential new customers. If you want to have a successful business and accomplish plenty, you are going to need to make decisions that you may not -4-

risks.

The life of a small business owner and entrepreneur is truly a life of risks. Take calculated risks to minimize failure.

Greg Wilson Owner/Publisher

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business spotlight! # THE UP! FACTORY -5-

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teen connections - Hunter caldwell

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6 W Eleventh St. Columbus, GA 706.992.6609 www.ironbankcoffee.com

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tips for business networking PROTECT THE HEALTH OF YOUR BUSINESS Columbus Discount Labs Drug Testing Random - Post Accident - For Cause

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ne thing that has remained consistent for decades is that getting ahead in life is a lot about who you know. This holds especially true for getting ahead with self-employment and small business initiatives. To help you get started, below are 5 Steps to productive business networking.

Step 1: Know What You Want No one can help you if you yourself don’t know what you want or need. Is it funding? If so, for what, why and how much? Do you need more customers? If so, who, where are they, how will you best reach them?

No one can help you if you yourself don’t know what you want or need. Is it funding? If so, for what, why and how much? Do you need more customers? If so, who, where are they, how will you best reach them?

It is also important to prioritize what you want when network building. While there are many things a business needs, time is a limited resource. To focus and prioritize your needs, conduct the following excercise:

706-653-0419 www.researchandwellness.com 1. - List all of the things you want or need to help your business grow.

2. - Prioritize the list with the most important at the top.

3. - Focus on the top three (3) priorities and move to Step 2.

Step 2: Identify Network Sources Network building is all about relationship building. Whether your objective is funding, sales, marketing or something else entirely, the first goal is to identify who knows something about what it is that you want to know more about. With just under 7 billion people on the planet, you can be sure that someone out there can help you. The key is knowing where to look. Below is a sampling of different places to look locally when building your business networks: - Columbus Chamber of Commerce - BNI - CSBJ “ENGAGE” - CSBJ “Power Hour”

Step 3: Make the Introduction Based on what you learned from investigating different network sources, you should now have multiple options for moving forward toward progress with your business objectives. While reaching out to someone you don’t know can be intimidating, keep in mind that strong networks are built upon mutual interests. In this regard, you have something they want and they have something you want. Therefore, move ahead in a spirit of collaboration…

Identify three people who you want to connect with. Document their contact information; name, title, business name, phone number, email and web site.

1. - Make note of two or three things that you learned about them or their organization that you found interesting and why.

2. - Write down three to five things that you want to learn more about.

3. - Introduce yourself. Whether this is by email, phone or in person, an introduction is efficient and covers three things: a. - Who you are b. - Why you’re contacting them c. - What you want as a result of contacting them Step 4: Meet, Greet and Gain Once you have established rapport, and depending upon the nature of your interest, ask for a longer conversation such as a teleconference, video conference, or face-to-face meeting. In either situation, you want to have an agenda that helps to keep the meeting focused and on track relative to your objectives. Keep in mind that most business meetings continued on page 22

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tips for business networking last one hour or shorter and cover three main activities as follows:

Mutual Introductions; e.g., break the ice with brief introductions, such as‌

Thank them for meeting with you and tell them a little bit about yourself

Invite them to tell you a little bit about themselves, such as,

How did you become interested in (your topic)?

Have you worked in this field long?

What do you like about this field?

The Subject Matter

Demonstrate that you took the time to learn about what they do and why it is of interest to you, such as touch upon the two or three things you learned about them that you found interesting and give them time to respond.

continued from page 21

Now that you’ve gone to the time and trouble to build a quality relationship that can help you and your business objectives, how will you maintain the connection?

Following up with a formal thank you can help, as well as make you stand out because many people skip this step. _____________

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Thank them for meeting with you and share at least one positive thing that you got out of the meeting.

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Close the meeting by summarizing what the next steps are.

This can be done by asking the other person(s) what they think is next, by your summarizing what you view or a combination of both.

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Step 5: Maintain the Connection To connect with CSBJ on your mobile phone.

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be connected to people, resources and information

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CONNECTIONS IN FAITH A Look At Sandy Ellingson of Local Church Connection

TEEN CONNECTIONS A LOOK AT HUNTER CALDWELL

10 THINGS THAT WE MUST DO DAILY TO BE REWARDED

USE TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS

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be connected to people, resources and information

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be connected to people, resources and information

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ADVERTISE with CSBJ

Connect your business with people, resources & information Call 706.289.7863

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Stay Connected To People, Resources & Information www.connectionssbj.com For more information, contact Owner/Publisher: Greg Wilson Phone: 706.289.7863/256.474.5216 or Email: connectionssbj@gmail.com

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