SBT June Edition 2013

JUNE 2013

YOUR GUIDE TO “BIG’’ BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

HOUSTON

WHEN THE BANK SAYS

3

‘‘NO’’ SIMPLE STEPS

TO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SUCCESS

LEISA HOLLAND-NELSON & BRIAN GAUBERT -

C ontentActive great people helping other great JUNE 2013

people make technology work

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 1

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| PG 1

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WBEA-Texas.org 713-681-9232

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 2

July 11, 2013 Prices: Member Ticket: $50.00 Non-Member Ticket: $60.00 Mini-Trade Show Booth: $175.00 Table Sponsor: $600

Agenda: Registration 10:00am – 11:00am Mini-Trade Show 11:00am – 12:00pm Lunch 12:00pm – 2:00pm

The Woodlands Marriott Hotel & Convention Center 1601 Lake Robbins Drive The Woodlands, Texas 77380

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SBT Houston Staff June 2013

FROM THE

Publisher STEVE LEVINE

DETERMINATION As most of my 1400+ friends on Facebook and many of my associates and clients who have seen me know I have been in a “Lose Weight/Feel Great” weight loss and exercise program since February 17th of this year.

My doctor of almost 30 years, Dr. Jerry Oakman had been warning me during every visit that I was a “Prime Candidate” for a stroke or worse. I was after all, 50 lbs overweight with blood pressure issues and over 60 years old. Add to that mix no exercise and horrible food choices and you get the picture…it was certainly time for a change.

Like most people, I find it easy to start a diet, it is staying with it that is an issue.

I am sure that you will agree that change is never easy and lifestyle changes are the most difficult of all changes to make. Oh, I set dates that I would start diet and exercise programs, but somehow, the more often that I changed the start date, the easier it was to change it again and again.

Then, thanks to a gift certificate that Barbara won at a Houston West Chamber function for a complimentary massage from Dr. Tricia Kapavik at Royal Oaks Wellness and subsequently gave me, I met the healthcare professional that I knew right away could help me get started and stay on track. Thanks to her counseling, a terrific detox/purification program from “Standard Process” and my determination (this time) to make it work, I have lost over 35 lbs and (more importantly) feel better than I have felt in decades!

I am a firm believer that any diet/exercise program will work as long as you stick with it.

For me, all the ingredients were there, but it took my determination to make it happen!

Ask any of our past cover honorees how important a role determination was in their success and they will tell you that if it were not for their focus on their dreams and their determination to see it through that they would have quit too early on. No one said that realizing a goal or dream was easy.

The successful entrepreneurs take risks when they created their business, refuse to listen to the “naysayers” and reminded themselves every day that the only way they could fail for sure was to quit.

For this month's cover honorees, Leisa Holland-Nelson and Brian Gaubert - ContentActive , having a positive attitude, creating an environment of fun and productivity, loving what you do and empowering their staff to service clients for life has helped them build and continually grow their business. Two very different inividuals partnering with each other to create a most amazing business!

It is time for me to let you start enjoying this month's issue.

Good Reading, Good Sales, & Success to You, Steve Levine Executive Publisher

President John Cruise Executive Publisher Steve Levine Associate Publisher / Creative Director Barbara Davis-Levine Contributing Editors Tammy Moshay Devon Ray Battaglia Business Development/PR Bill Huff Donna Rooney Susan Repka Graphic Design Vanessa Vara Photographers Eric Kleiman Contributing Writers Errol Allen Barbara Davis Dr. John Demartini Mila Golovine Lorraine Grubbs Toni Harrris Bruce Hurta Steven Kay Craig Klein Hank Moore Mike Muhney Amy Olivieri Mayor Annise Parker Devon Ray Daniel Roessler George Rose Rita Santamaria Alvin Terry Holly Uverity Jack Warkenthien Chief Advisor Hank Moore Publisher’s Advisory Board Cyndi Barnett John Cruise Dirk Cummins April Day Dr. John Demartini Maya Durnovo Kathie Edwards Leonard Faucher David Holt Richard Huebner Julie Marie Irvin Jeffrey Jones Steven Kay Darryl King Craig Klein Wea Lee Bertrand McHenry Hank Moore Lisa M. Morton Mike Muhney Maria Rios Rita Santamaria Allen Shapiro Pam Terry Jack Warkenthien Doug Winnie Aaron Young

Phone: 832-460-2020 E-Mail: Steve.Levine@SBTMagazine.net Or Write: Small Business Today 5380 West 34th Street, Ste 230 Houston, TX 77092 See us on the web at www.SBTMagazine.net

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 3

Living the FABULOUS Life!

ages of ALL Life S E L A FEM KS of L WAL and AL PLACE in ONE ng their ti celebra US ways!

O L U FAB

P R E S E N T S

2013 FEMALES are FABULOUS! CONFERENCE Door Prizes, Pampering, Networking, and other FABULOUS OPPORTUNITIES for females of all ages!

For Exhibitors, Speaker & Network Opportunities and Sponsorship Information, contact (281)809-3507 JoAnn Ajayi-Scott FOUNDER

REGISTER FOR

CONFERENCE AT:

www.eladies.org

JUNE 7-8, 2013

D O U B L E T R E E B Y H I LTO N (Formerly Renaissance Houston Hotel)

6 Greenway Plaza East Houston, Texas 77046

Conference Agenda:

Friday VIP Reception Young Women Celebration Saturday Opening Ceremony Breakfast Young Women Programs/Workshops Panel Discussion Fashion Show Luncheon Pampering, Beauty, Shopping all day Scholarship/FAB Award Dinner

: : S P E A K E R S : :

CYNTHIA E. OLMEDO President/CEO Initiatives for All

KRISTI JACKSON Founder Women CEO Project

HELEN CALLIER President Bradlink LLC

DR. GOLDIE EROWELE Founder Care Novate Magazine

MELISSA SANTOS Founder HeadStrong

ARQUELLA HARGROVE Speaker, Career Coach

AGNES RIVERA-GARCIA ULAC & Founder of Decidete Mujer

TONYA HOFMANN Founder Public Speakers Assn

MINISTER ONEDIA N. GAGE

DAWNIEL PATTERSON WINNINGHAM Master Coach, Best Selling Author, Award Winning Speaker

ROBERT MYERS Pastor & Fitness Trainer

COURTNEY J. ROSE Principal Broker George E. Johnson Properties

GINA BATIE Poet & Founder Kaleidoscope Arts and Entertainment

SANDY LAWRENCE Founder/CEO Perceptive Marketing

Celebrating the accomplishments of females of all ages and walks of life.

Hosted by the E’Ladies Network | “The Ultimate Sleepover” | Proceeds Benefit YELL!Mentoring Program SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 4

www.SBTMagazine.net

INSIDE

HOUSTON JUNE 2013 EDITION

IN THIS ISSUE Advertising – Choosing Words That Sell 8

6

LEISA HOLLAND-NELSON & BRIAN GAUBERT-ContentActive

22

GREAT PEOPLE HELPING OTHER GREAT PEOPLE MAKE TECHNOLOGY WORK

Alternative Financing for Veteran Entrepreneurs 9

ASIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PROMOTING THE HOUSTON ASIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESSCOMMUNITY

6 More Inspiring Business Lessons for Small Company Owners 10 Hire Houston First Is Keeping City Business Local 11

Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance

Executive Networking Luncheon

Living the FABULOUS Life!

L ages ES of AL fe FEMAL WALKS of Li L and AL PLACE E in ON g their ! tin ra celeb US ways FABULO

P R E S E N T S

The Colonel and Me 12 3 Simple Steps to Social Media Marketing Success 14 K.A.S.H. is King! 15

2013 FEMALES are FABULOUS! CONFERENCE Door Prizes, Pampering, Networking, and other FABULOUS OPPORTUNITIES for females of all ages!

For Exhibitors, Speaker & Network Opportunities and Sponsorship Information, contact (281)809-3507 JoAnn Ajayi-Scott FOUNDER

REGISTER FOR

CONFERENCE AT:

www.eladies.org

Planning For Success in the “New Normal” 16 The NEW Golden Rule in Email Marketing 17 Identifying the Right Growth Strategy

CYNTHIA E. OLMEDO President/CEO Initiatives for All

KRISTI JACKSON Founder Women CEO Project

JUNE 7-8, 2013

D O U B L E T R E E B Y H I LTO N (Formerly Renaissance Houston Hotel)

6 Greenway Plaza East Houston, Texas 77046

Conference Agenda:

Friday VIP Reception Young Women Celebration Saturday Opening Ceremony Breakfast Young Women Programs/Workshops Panel Discussion Fashion Show Luncheon Pampering, Beauty, Shopping all day Scholarship/FAB Award Dinner

Don’t miss the opportunity to network with corporate buyers, women-owned business, and top level executives.

Showcase your products and services at Houston’s premiere networking luncheon.

: : S P E A K E R S : :

HELEN CALLIER President Bradlink LLC

DR. GOLDIE EROWELE Founder Care Novate Magazine

MELISSA SANTOS Founder HeadStrong

ARQUELLA HARGROVE Speaker, Career Coach

AGNES RIVERA-GARCIA ULAC & Founder of Decidete Mujer

18

Why Hiring the Right Fit is So Critical to The Success of Your Small Business 19

For more information: TONYA HOFMANN Founder Public Speakers Assn

MINISTER ONEDIA N. GAGE

DAWNIEL PATTERSON WINNINGHAM Master Coach, Best Selling Author, Award Winning Speaker

ROBERT MYERS Pastor & Fitness Trainer

COURTNEY J. ROSE Principal Broker George E. Johnson Properties

GINA BATIE Poet & Founder Kaleidoscope Arts and Entertainment

WBEA-Texas.org 713-681-9232

SANDY LAWRENCE Founder/CEO Perceptive Marketing

July 11, 2013 Prices: Member Ticket: $50.00 Non-Member Ticket: $60.00 Mini-Trade Show Booth: $175.00 Table Sponsor: $600

Agenda: Registration 10:00am – 11:00am Mini-Trade Show 11:00am – 12:00pm Lunch 12:00pm – 2:00pm

The Woodlands Marriott Hotel & Convention Center 1601 Lake Robbins Drive The Woodlands, Texas 77380

Celebrating the accomplishments of females of all ages and walks of life.

Memory Protection – Yours 21 Big Customer Service from Small Businesses 28 Doing Business in the Arab Culture 29 Getting Organized: Dealing with Procrastination NOW 30 When the Bank Says “No” 31 7 Steps to Email Marketing Success 37 All You Have To Do Is Ask!

42

www.SBTMagazine.net

Hosted by the E’Ladies Network | “The Ultimate Sleepover” | Proceeds Benefit YELL!Mentoring Program

4

FEMALES ARE FABULOUS! CONFERENCE

2

WBEA WOMEN'S BUSINESS ENTERPRISE ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE ALLIANCE

HOUSTON EDITION PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE SMALL BUSINESS MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 EXECUTIVE PUBLISHER: STEVE LEVINE PRESIDENT: JOHN CRUISE PHONE: 832-460-2020 www.SBTMagazine.net ADVERTISING RATES ON REQUEST. BULK THIRD CLASS MAIL PAID IN TUCSON, AZ. POSTMASTER: PLEASE SEND NOTICES ON FORM 3579 TO 5380 WEST 34TH ST. STE. 230 HOUSTON, TX 77092 ALTHOUGH EVERY PRECAUTION IS TAKEN TO ENSURE ACCURACY OF PUBLISHED MATERIALS, SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR OPINIONS EXPRESSED OR FACTS SUPPLIED BY ITS AUTHORS. COPYRIGHT 2012, LEGACY PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 5

LEISA HOLLAND-NELSON & BRIAN GAUBERT -

ContentActive

GREAT PEOPLE HELPING OTHER GREAT PEOPLE MAKE TECHNOLOGY WORK

By Barbara R. Davis

Leisa and Brian have been working together since 2003.

This month (June 2013), they celebrate their 10th anniversary.

C

ontentActive is an innovative web design and development company that is all about great people helping other great people make technology work.

ContentActive provides their clients with the latest and greatest, cutting edge, easy-to-use communication services, techniques, and tools that are tailored specifically to their needs.

Founded in January of 2006 by partners Leisa Holland-Nelson and Brian Gaubert, ContentActive has soared in its industry in a very short period of time. By their second year, they had more than doubled the sales of their first year and continue to grow with leaps and bounds. Even though Brian had a background in engineering and Leisa had a background in fashion, they knew from the minute they started their business that they shared the same values regarding customers and that is why their mission is “Clients for Life”.

When ContentActive first began, they started out with “three and a half” employees. (Their IT guy didn't give up his day job for the first few months so they had a nighttime employee managing their systems.) Presently, they have about 22 employees and have done well over 700 implementations over the 7 years they’ve been in business. When they first started, their projects ranged from $5,000 to $12,000 and occasionally $15,000 to $18,000. Now, they range between $15,000 and $200,000 but in most cases, they average somewhere around $50,000 to $75,000.

“Clients for Life” of ContentActive are a mix of corporations and nonprofits, midsize to large companies. They have a lot of great, straightforward nonprofit groups including the Run for the Rose and the Houston Center for Literacy. They also have large-scale, highly influential nonprofit clients including the Archdiocese of Galveston/Houston (which is the largest Archdiocese in the U.S.), the Houston branch of the United Way (one of the largest in the U.S.), Ronald McDonald House, the Greater Houston SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 6

Partnership, and the Better Business Bureau. They also have some extraordinary clients on the corporate side including D.E. Harvey (one of the largest construction companies in the U.S.) and Fiesta Supermarkets. “It's so exciting and fun to do what we do,” exclaimed Leisa!

Leisa elaborated, “We do a lot of $25,000 websites for nonprofits that really need to reach their donors and their consumers and have a straightforward message. When you start getting into database matching and all kinds of integrations with other software, it can get up there and we do a lot of custom development. Our major products are websites and we've really gotten into what we call responsive design this year. Responsive design is a new grid-based design that works on any device and any browser. You don't have to do a separate mobile website; you don’t have to do anything that’s just for Apple or Google products; or anything like that. It's a one-stop-shop. That’s very exciting. There are so many advances and it is so rapid-fire.”

“The biggest thing to happen in our business in the last five years has been mobility (the use it anywhere on any device concept).

People can have access wherever they are. Whether they are using a smart phone, a tablet, or they are just sitting at their desk with a desktop, it doesn't matter what system or browser they’re using because everything works together,” explained Leisa. Brian elaborated, “We’re perfecting ways to assure that the responsive design can be used with ecommerce. The tablet market has increased the demand for custom development. The people who used to have clipboards are now utilizing tablets or going to tablets. From a production standpoint, it is no longer economical to have someone write in numbers on a clipboard and then have someone else take that paperwork and punch in those numbers. We're seeing use of mobility from the standpoint of people now wanting to know how to increase the efficiency of running their business.”

www.SBTMagazine.net

Brian continued, “There are screens for everything - phone screens, tablet screens, computer screens, TV screens, and even screens in our cars. I think the next evolution will be to take all of those screens and make them uniform so that the same types of things can be viewed on them. We're starting to get there with responsive design; that's the first step. In addition to taking the web component of things and making it work on multiple screens, it needs to go a step further and we’re working on that.”

ContentActive has built its reputation on being involved with the community. When Brian and Leisa first started their business, they didn't have a lot of money. They figured out if they gave back to the community in time and volunteerism, they would see their efforts reciprocated by the addition of new clients and new business opportunities. This has continued to be their marketing strategy, leading their efforts with sponsorships and community service. The company started out being involved with the Greater Houston Partnership, the Rice Alliance, and the Houston Technology Center by simply working in their area of expertise, that of education and technology.

ContentActive also created their own event called HoustonActive, where they honored Mayor White and four nonprofits that were involved with middle schoolers in the technology arena. The company has held this event on several occasions and as they have moved forward, they continue to support their clients with their clients’ own events any way they can help including chairing them or doing email blasts for them.

Leisa currently serves on the boards of the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (where she is the immediate past Chairman), the Holocaust Museum Houston, the Houston Center for Literacy, Theatre Under the Stars, Herman Park Conservancy, and is currently the Chairman of the University of St. Thomas’ Performing Arts Society Advisory Council. Brian is very active with the Houston Interactive Marketing Association, serves on the Marketing Committee for the Better Business Bureau, and is an active coach for his son’s football team.

On their involvement and activities outside of ContentActive, Leisa added, “That's been the best way for us to market ourselves. In fact, we've never run an ad and yet we've been fortunate to be the beneficiary as the spokesperson of one of our partner's ads, PKFTexas. That ad has been run in the Houston Business Journal for about five years on page five every fifth week. It's our testimonial about how great their work was for us advising as we were growing our business. It's a picture of us with a big ContentActive sign behind us. That was really great.

We are always trying to benefit our clients like doing a lunch and learn, for example. We always are giving things to the customer who we are trying to get by educating them before they buy.”

“It's about clients for life but it's also about the people,” said Brian. He continued, “We don't have anyone here that can't speak to a customer. Everyone works here; we don't outsource.

We tried it, but it doesn't work. It doesn't work for our clients.

Our clients want to talk to a developer. They want to talk to a project manager that can speak English and they can come here and do it.” One of their clients commented to Brian one day, “You always have clients here.” Being an Internet business, there really isn’t a need for the clients to be there, and yet they are there regularly! They just built a new showroom with two conference rooms simply because their clients are so comfortable with them that they are always over there.

A few years ago, one of their biggest clients walked in on a Friday, and Leisa asked, "What are you doing here?" The client replied, "I'm just getting my weekly dose of ContentActive. I have to come!"

www.SBTMagazine.net

At ContentActive, the team "tells the story" and keeps the leadership in line. The wall size blackboard in the breakroom is forever changing.

Leisa refers to herself as a “serial” change agent; someone who alters human capability or organizational systems to achieve a higher degree of output or self actualization. The result of a change agent activity is to enable people to do more or find a new and better perspective on life. Obviously, Leisa does this well in helping her clients and her employees. With a background in fashion merchandising and marketing, Leisa spent 25 years working in the fashion industry in Manhattan. She began as a Buyer at Neiman-Marcus, then Federated Department Stores in Product Development. After that, she ran two major apparel companies. She finished her career working in apparel at Charming Shoppes and Fashion Bug Stores, a national retailer with over 1,600 stores all over the U.S., and then went on to do executive search in fashion, retail, and consumer products with a company called Heidrick and Struggles. She did retained executive search, which included Board Directors, CEOs, and Director of Boards to C-Level.

Leisa loved being an executive recruiter but then September 11th, 2001 occurred and it changed her world in the New York City fashion industry. Her marriage wasn't in a good place and she was getting divorced. She had a 13 year old and was commuting from Princeton, New Jersey. Her parents said, “Come home to Houston,” and she did. A fifth generation Houstonian, Leisa, who had attended Grady Elementary, Lanier Junior High, and Lamar High School, was happy to bring her eighth grader back. She returned to Houston in July of 2002 and by July of 2003, she was brought on as a consultant on a marketing project for a company called InfoVine.

Continued on page 34 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 7

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Advertising – Choosing Words That Sell

THE BUSINESS OF REAL ESTATE

By Rita Santamaria

W

hen it comes to writing marketing pieces for promotion and advertising both you and your products there are some words that just do a better job of “call to action.”

The following words will help you do the selling: You or your – “You” is the most powerful word you can choose. It is more powerful than the word money.

So instead of writing for example, “my clients say working with me is the best thing that ever happened to them,” write, “You will notice a huge difference between my professional experience and that of any agent you have worked with in the past.” “You are the most important part of my job.

Keeping you happy is my goal.”

of time, with the guarantee in writing, you could promote and advertise that guarantee. For other companies being able to “guarantee or your money back” is huge for the consumer to have faith in your product.

Easy – everyone has a hurried pace in today’s world. People want things and tasks to be easy. Using the word easy and phrases such as “your process from buying to closing is easy with the XYZ Team of specialists.” Ordering is easy with our on-line process.

Free – whether it is a free market analysis, free consultation, free estimate, or free report try to put

Guarantee – people want to feel like they have assurance with their purchases with as little risk as possible.

In real estate there are few times we could ever “guarantee” anything. However, if there were a new roof or foundation repair that came with a guarantee for a period

Yes – is one of the most pleasing words to the human ear. Use yes often with your clients. They enjoy hearing they were right or, you are just agreeing with them, or yes, the work can be done.

Quick/quickly – at every turn people want things done quickly. Whether waiting for loan approval, for an inspection, survey or appraisal to be delivered, clients want tasks done quickly. For example, “you can be Continued on page 38

CHAMPIONS SCHOOL OF REAL ESTATE ®

Money – right after “you” is the word money. People love to save money, and earn money. Therefore, using the words, “save you money” makes a huge statement in any advertising piece or campaign.

Health/Healthy – people want products, services that help them retain good health or make them healthier. Advertising the amenities of a neighborhood that have golf, tennis, jogging trails, bike paths, pools add to their desire to acquire that property.

Using the phrase, “you will maintain your healthy lifestyle by using the bike paths, jogging trails in the highlands subdivision…” would be good use of wording in your ad.

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 8

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Entrepreneurs Tool Box Alternative Financing for Veteran Entrepreneurs

ENTREPRENEURS WORKBOOK

By Alvin E. Terry, MBA / Business Consultant, Dynamic Business Builders

A

fter participating in the “Houston Money Week” initiative for Financial Literacy, April 7 – 13, as a Veteran Volunteer, US Air Force, I was able to assist over 300 Veterans gain information on how to get their financial houses in order and to discuss the aspects of owning and running a small business. Financing was the primary concern of those veterans that wanted to start their own businesses. Fortunately there was a Lender that specializes in Veteran Owned Businesses. That Bank is “People Fund,” www.peoplefund.org. They have offices in Houston, Austin, and Dallas.

• • • • •

They have lent over $1,000,000.00 to Veterans through PeopleVet and is eager to lend an additional $1,000,000.00 to veteran business owners. They have created more than 2700 jobs for in-need populations across Texas, including Veterans. PeopleFund is a one-stop resource for “Vetrepreneurs” with access to capital and business educational resources. Texas is home to 1.76 million Veterans, equal to 8.67 percent of the total Texas population. The facts are that there are 878,000 veterans in the Texas Workforce, 90,000 Veterans in Texas are self-employed and over 35,000 new veterans are expected to move to Texas each year.

•

They are Texas registered as a Non-Profit 501©3 and is a U.S Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), a certified SBA Lender that have microloans up to $50,000, and SBA 7A Community Advantage up to $250,000. They actually provide loans to small businesses, non profits and startups up to $250,000. Their Commitment is to Texas small businesses and entrepreneurs. Their core values include integrity, service and excellence.

The biggest challenge to any small business is access to capital. Money alone is not the answer, particularly for small startups, mentorship, business education & training increase odds in favor of success.

What Makes PeopleFund Different?

• • •

Non-Profit Business Lender CDFI – Support Underserved Populations which includes Veterans No Application Fee

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No Established Minimum FICO Score Low Loan Equity Contribution Flexible Loan Terms and No Pre-Payment Penalty Post Loan Business Training and Support A variety of Loan Products: PeopleFund Loans, SBA Micro loan, SBA Community Advantage Loans, Lines of Credit up to $250,000

Who PeopleFund Helps?

• •

• • • • • • • •

Businesses that lack access to bank loans Half of their referrals are from bankers unable to make a loan to a client Start- ups (12 months or less) – look for relevant experience, some equity, alternative source of income during start-up phase Businesses that require only working capital Business equipment purchase Business leasehold improvements Real Estate acquisition and construction – owner occupied Real Estate acquisition and construction – affordable housing Non – profit organizations Provide post loan training, education, and support Texas Veteran Residents

Their “Business Loan Portfolio,“ consists of Small Businesses (46 percent), Nonprofits (20 percent), and Startups (34 percent). Of startups and small business loans, 15 percent are to veterans.

PeopleVet Program • • • • • • • •

Support entrepreneurial businesses of military active duty, retired and honorably discharged veterans, Reserve or National Guard Military spouse also eligible Loans from $1,000 to $250,000 Normal Interest rates of 7.5 percent to 15 percent Veteran rates 6 percent - 13.5 percent (or lower) Startups welcome Must be a Texas resident Military ID or copy of DD 214 required with other required documents Continued on page 41 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 9

EDITORIAL FEATURE

6 More Inspiring Business Lessons for Small Company Owners

By Dr. John Demartini

I

In last month’s edition of Small Business Today magazine Dr John Demartini gave you six inspiring business lessons for small company owners. Here are six more.

1. Prosperity and Austerity Business often occurs in cycles. In times of perceived prosperity, you’ll probably feel elated, optimistic and complacent and you’ll tend to lax and begin focusing on lower priorities. You’ll commonly stop doing the very actions that brought you prosperity and the demand for your product or time can drop off while your supply can go up. In times of perceived austerity, you’ll probably feel depressed, pessimistic, and impatient. But, then you’ll probably become creative, go back to the basics and act purposefully once again. As your demand goes back up and your supply goes down, you will probably return to the prosperity side of the cycle. It’s a circle and money dips are an essential part of it until you develop a moderating discipline. So it is wise to embrace the cycle, the ups and the downs, but moderate them. When you start to feel prosperous and elated, or austere and down that’s the time to remain prioritized and focused.

2.

Self-mastery Check List?

Ira Hayes was an authority on the laws of success. He was a genius who probably had as much effect on North America as Norman Vincent Peale. Every time he discovered a powerful and effective business idea that truly worked he wrote it down. He carried the original list with him wherever he went and updated and read it daily. I learned from Ira and created what I call a “Did I?” form which is a daily self-mastery checklist. Every time I discover something that helps my business grow I add it to the list and now I review that list at the end of each day.

“Did I?” Form • • •

Did I read my inspiring visions or goals today?

Did I list and prioritize my daily actions today?

Did I act on my priority actions today?

• • • • • • • •

Did I communicate in terms of people’s values today?

Did I save, grow and accelerate my wealth today?

Did I refine my speaking and presentation skills today?

Did I study the subjects I would love to master Did I inspire someone or many to live their dreams more fully today?

Did I reward myself for my accomplishments today?

Did I count my blessings and focus on being thankful today?

Did I write at least one thank-you letter today?

3. Feedback Make sure you request feedback about your products and services. Why? To keep refining and evolving what you do and how you do it. Not every suggestion will be of the greatest value but by being receptive and selective you can receive tremendous feedback.

4. Work and Play During your business career, you’ll experience moments of work and play, seriousness and humor, tragedy and comedy. If you’re wise, you’ll embrace them all equally, for each side of the pair will help you remain centered and focused. If you make your business too serious, either some employee will try to create fun to provide the balance or they will feel urges to take time off and get away to express the playful side of their nature. Put work and play together and you and your employees will be more integrated, energetic and inspired. The purpose of life is life and it requires two sides to be complete.

5. Put Your Heart in It When you truly appreciate and value where you are and what products or services you have to offer, so will others. Whatever you think about and focus on with inspiration is what you attract into your life. Clear away anything that’s in the way of your grateful inspiration. How can an appreciative and inspired life do anything but bring you more wealth and closer to appreciation? It’s a basic law of business. Until your innermost dominant thought is your Continued on page 36

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Hire Houston First Is Keeping City Business Local

By Mayor Annise Parker

I

’m delighted to focus my first column in Small Business Today Magazine on a promise I made when I first ran for mayor in 2009 – to create a program to allow the city to implement a local preference in the competition for city contracts. It took some creativity at City Hall and a change in state legislation to fulfill that promise, but today our Hire Houston First initiative is a big success.

In the program’s first year, more than $139 million of city business was awarded to designated Hire Houston First firms, sustaining more than 6,000 jobs. 81 percent of the time, HHF companies won the formal bid contracts because they submitted the lowest bids. The other 19 percent of the time the city utilized the local preference component of HHF to award the work to the local firm.

I started Hire Houston First as a response to Houston’s tough economic times, as part of my efforts to create new jobs and keep Houstonians working. Now, as our economy is growing again, I want to make sure this growth benefits our local businesses and workers.

benefits. Houstonians employed by these projects, and the Houston companies that profit from them, will use much of the money they earn to purchase goods and services from other local businesses – that in turn will use their earnings to support even more local businesses.

I knew our local firms would be competitive. Now we have the numbers to prove it. As the program moves forward, I want to see more Houston-area companies designated to benefit from the local preference when the bid competition warrants.

Our tax dollars need to stay here where they are supporting local businesses and the jobs they provide.

HHF allows the city to consider a vendor’s principle place of business and to grant preference to local businesses in awarding certain city contracts. For contracts under $100,000, the city may select the local firm’s price if it is within five percent of the lowest bid from an out-of-town company. For contracts exceeding $100,000, there can be no more than

a three percent difference between the out-of-town low bid and the next highest offer from a local vendor.

The total number of HHF designated firms now tops 800. Many of these companies have never attempted to compete for city work. The numbers continue to grow as the city’s Office of Business Opportunity steps up outreach to get more companies designated.

Hire Houston First is administered by the Mayor's Office of Business Opportunity, which also certifies Small, Minority, Women, Persons with Disabilities, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. The ordinance adds more value to certified businesses because most of them already have a local presence.

Becoming an HHF business is another measure to level the playing field and increase the opportunity for local firms to become prime contractors.

To qualify for designation, businesses must meet at least one of two requirements: Continued on page 13

I believe growth begins at home – and one of the most basic and powerful steps we can take to encourage growth is to keep our local tax dollars working to keep Houston’s economy strong. By encouraging the use of local companies and workers on taxpayer-funded projects, we are able to maximize the economic impact of our governmental spending.

Houston spends billions of dollars providing essential services and building and maintaining everything from streets and bridges to water lines and sidewalks. When these services are provided by local businesses that hire local residents, our economy www.SBTMagazine.net

Mayor Annise Parker announces the formation of the historic Hire Houston First initiative at a press conference in 2011. In its first year of operation, Hire Houston First firms supported 6,000 jobs SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 11

EDITORIAL FEATURE

The Colonel and Me.

BIG PICTURE OF BUSINESS

Business Know-How Comes From Experience. The Value of Life-Long Mentoring.

By Hank Moore / Corporate Strategist™

This article is about: •

Lessons that I learned to last a lifetime.

•

The value of acquiring and benefiting from mentors.

•

That inescapable quotient of wisdom and life-long learning.

The year was 1959. I was the bright young disc jockey at a radio station. I was being groomed by my mentors to be a White House advisor, which I later became.

Colonel Harlan Sanders entered my life. I was 11. He was 65. I only met him once. He influenced my life. I later reorganized his company. I became him, after a fashion, since I am 65 now.

The Colonel had just founded a fast food empire called Kentucky Fried Chicken.

He was heralded as an entrepreneur who was also a senior citizen.

My entertainment mentors were Cactus Pryor and Bob Gooding. The 24-year-old newscaster at the radio station was Bill Moyers. He told me that I must think like a worldclass visionary, grow into the role and not just remain a radio DJ. In 1959, radio stations used to do live remotes from advertisers’ locations. The first, which I attended, was at the Armstrong-Johnson Ford dealership. The second was at what was the fourth KFC franchise to open in the United States. It occupied one counter at 2-J’s Hamburgers, an established Austin restaurant, owned and operated by Ralph Moreland.

There I was on live radio, interviewing Colonel Sanders about his new business enterprise. Rather than discussing the taste of the food, I asked about his desired legacy and the big picture goals of the organization. Already thinking like a visionary then, I asked the bigger questions. I still ask them, while most people are more comfortable in discussing the trivialities.

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The KFC empire grew, and a burgeoning fast food industry engulfed it. There became too many competitors, too much franchising, too much hype and just as many who exited the industry as quickly as they entered it.

Fast-forward 20 years to 1979. I was retained to come in and analyze the strategy and structure of the KFC corporation, asked to recommend changes and improvements. That’s what I do for businesses of all sizes. I come in after the wrong consultants have given bad advice, after knee-jerk reactions to changing business climates had taken tolls on existing market players.

By 1979, there were other players dominating the fried chicken niche. Nationally, there were Popeye’s and Church’s. Locally, we had Frenchy’s and Hartz. And then there were the players in the burger wars, who were adding chicken items to their menus.

Over at KFC, the Colonel had long ago sold his interest to a corporation and remained on the payroll as a commercial spokesman. Colonel Sanders died in 1979. Meetings commenced at headquarters about the future direction of the company and the product. The corporate owner was a liquor company. Its CEO (John Y. Brown, later to become Governor of Kentucky) asked me to envision the overall future of the fried chicken industry, not just the KFC “brand.”

I commissioned focus groups. They verified what I already knew: that KFC had too much of a white suburban image. By downplaying the Colonel on the packaging and amplifying the taste of the food, we had opportunities to broaden the KFC appeal.

I opined that we needed to go after minority consumers and aggressively build stores in inner-city neighborhoods. To test the premise, I staged a focus group dinner meeting at a prominent inner-city church, eliciting ideas and insights.

One resulting project was “KFC Kalendar,” an advertising www.SBTMagazine.net

EDITORIAL FEATURE

campaign that showcased community events and public service announcements to diverse communities. I wrote editions of the Kalendar for radio and newspapers. Its recognition and success evolved into the national ad campaign: “We Do Chicken Right.”

KFC was a watershed in my career (at that point 21 years long). It influenced what I’ve preached for the last 30+ years: determine who your stakeholders are. Learn all that you can about your customers, their customers and those affected by them. Extend your business model beyond what it once was and into new sectors. The branding does not drive the strategy but instead is a sub-sub-sub set of Big Picture strategy, which must drive all business disciplines.

Here is some closing wisdom, connecting back to 1959. I juxtapose my advice to some of the records that we were playing on the radio when doing that live remote from the grand opening of that early KFC franchise. These insights still hold impact on the business culture of today. These come from the Golden Oldies music of that era: •

“ Did he ever return? No, he never returned. Yet his fate is still unlearned. He may ride forever through the streets of Boston. He’s the man who never returned.” Song by the Kingston Trio. (Pursuing the same strategies, year after year, yields you the same predictable outcomes and shortcomings.)

•

“ And they call it puppy love.” Song by Paul Anka.

(Living in a fantasy without viewing the realities of the marketplace sets companies up for failure.)

•

“ Higher than the highest mountain, and deeper than the deepest sea. Softer than the gentle breezes, and strongest than the wide oak tree. Faithful as a morning sunrise, and sacred as a love can be. That’s how I will love you. Oh darling, endlessly.” Song by Brook Benton. (An empowered workforce must support the corporate objective, and the art with which it does spells success.)

•

•

•

“ I told her that I was a flop with chicks. I’d been that way since 1956. She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign. She said what you need is Love Potion Number Nine.” Song by The Clovers. (Research tells us that only 2% of all consultants are real advisers.

Most are vendors who prescribe what kool-aid that they’re selling. Business coaches and their ilk are to be avoided.) “ Who walked in with Mary Jane, lipstick all a mess.

Were you smooching my best friend, if the answer’s yes. Bet your bottom dollar, you and I are through.

Cause lipstick on your collar told a tale on you.” Song

by Connie Francis. (Ethics cannot be edicted from afar. The ethical conduct of business has a direct relationship on the ability to grow and prosper.) “ Hold me tight and don’t let go. Thunder, lightning, wind and rain. This feeling’s killing me. I won’t stop for a million bucks. If it wasn’t for having you, I’d be barking in Harlem too. Don’t let go.” Song by Roy Hamilton. (Sustainability of a growth strategy breeds steady, measured success.)

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•

“ When you’re near me, my head go goes all around.

My love comes tumbling down. You’ve got what it takes to set my soul on fire. You’ve got what it takes for me. Song by Marv Johnson. (66.7 percent of all businesses cannot grow any further. Learn when enough growth is enough.)

•

“ Venus, goddess of love that you are. Surely, the things I ask cannot be too great a great task.” Song

by Frankie Avalon. (Building corporate cultures and successful businesses means making and sticking to commitments.)

•

“ Here I stand in my world of dreams. You don’t know how much I care. You don’t know the torch I bear. You don’t know how much I care. Yes and here I stand.”

Song by Wade Flemons. (Corporate cultures depend upon real-time conditions, projected outcomes and policies that promote steady growth.)

Hank Moore/Corporate Strategist 713-668-0664 http: www.hankmoore.com Email Hank at hankmoore4218@sbcglobal.net

Continued from page 11 Hire Houston First Is Keeping City Business Local

99 Be headquartered in the incorporated city limits or the eight local counties of Harris, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery and Waller, or 99 Have 20 percent or more of the entity’s workforce and a substantial part of its operations regularly based within the city limits or the eight counties.

More information is available from the Office of Business Opportunity Houston Business Solutions Center and www.houstontx.gov/obo/hirehoustonfirst.html.

We have a lot to celebrate in today’s Houston. We’re leading the nation in job creation. We’re “America’s Coolest City” (Forbes) and the 7th best place in the world to visit in 2013 (New York Times). We’re the #1 city in America to further a career (Monster.com) and those are just a few examples in just the last year.

I am very proud of our city, but I also know we need to do more to support one of the main engines of job creation in our local economy – small businesses. I owned a small business for years before I entered public service and I’m grateful to have put my experience to work for Houston in part through creating the Hire Houston First program.

Check out Hire Houston First and our other business programs at www.houstontx.gov/obo. Thanks for reading this column – and for helping to keep Houston’s economy strong.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

3 Simple Steps to Social Media Marketing Success MARKETING STRATEGIES

By Amy Olivieri, Constant Contact Regional Development Director Amy Olivieri

I

t can be hard for a time-starved small business or nonprofit to keep pace with the constantly evolving world of social media, and to know exactly what to do when it comes to connecting with customers on sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. With social media marketing, the formula for success can vary greatly from business to business—depending on factors including such as industry type and customer profile.

While there’s no “one-size fits all” approach to social media marketing, here are three simple steps to get you started the path to social media success for your business or organization: 1. Have a defined goal What are you looking to gain through social media? Like most business efforts, it’s good to have a goal in mind as you delve into social media marketing. This goal should be something along the lines of improving company/brand awareness; adding a new channel to interact with customers, members, donors, and prospects; or improving search engine optimization (SEO).

2. Know who you are and portray yourself consistently Before diving into social media for your business, you should decide what kind of image you want to portray. Some argue that social media should be free and easygoing, and marketers should take a casual approach.

Others disagree and think users should maintain a more serious, buttoned-downed approach. The path you follow is up to you and your business or organization’s culture.

Either way, be sure to stay consistent with the brand identity you’ve established.

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3. Be where your audience is Not sure which social media sites your business should be on? The answer is easy—go where your customers are. Social media marketing is important because today, customers want choices where they interact with brands. For example, some may like to follow a brand on Twitter but not on Facebook.

Social media gives them that choice, so it’s important to have a presence where your customers are looking to interact with you and other businesses.

Amy E. Olivieri is Regional Development Director of Constant Contact.

Reach her at: aolivieri@constantcontact.com or (713) 401-2841 www.constantcontact.com/amy-olivieri

“With social media

marketing, the formula for success can vary greatly from business to business. With social media marketing, the formula for success can vary greatly from business to business.”

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Your Next Step K.A.S.H. is King!

By Jack Warkenthien

“

Cash flow is more important than your mother.” This mantra was posted on a white-board in the conference room of a local hightech establishment. I saw it on Friday, December 15, my last visit to the firm.

February, of this year, the company closed its doors forever.

the overall total, includes everything we know we know.

Is cash important? Absolutely. More important than my Ma? I doubt it.

In fact, there are four other critical elements that, when combined, create prosperity for a company and a satisfying “success” equation for every person touched by the ingredients.

The adjacent zone in our brain is the “I know what I don’t” area. I readily admit I’m a lightweight when it comes to technology. Since I know what I don’t know, I surround myself with smart, tech-savvy individuals who are smarter than me. We complement each other.

In life, K.A.S.H. is King, with the acrostic standing for Knowledge, Attitude, Skills and Habits. In order to maximize your joy, peace and fulfillment as a person and reap the benefits as a business owner, learn to amass your other “cash.”

Know your Knowledge Knowledge isn’t power or even potential power. Rather power is organized knowledge. You must know what you know and don’t know.

Visualize a pie chart, with a total of three pieces already cut. Two of the three are about the same size and really puny. The one piece remaining is huge, far larger than the other two combined and it is yours if you can find it.

Our mind is like that pie, complete with three zones. The first is, “I know what I know.” This knowledge compartment, about 10 percent of

For instance, as a business owner, I know how difficult it is to find and keep great associates. I know once I have them on the payroll, how important it is to keep them happy and how expensive it is to replace them!

Finally, the vast geography that dwarfs the rest of the pie territory is the “I don’t know I don’t know.”

Unfortunately, for all of us, this area is huge--and untapped.

A year ago, I was asked to juggle in front of an audience of Regional Sales Managers from a large national Client of ours. No problem, I thought, smugly. For years, I’ve been able to keep three balls in the air, rotating them in a counter clockwise pattern.

At the conclusion of the first day of this three day conference, the meeting planner played a videotape featuring a professional juggler. Until then, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

For years, I was juggling wrong! By morning, I had it down right. The key for you to get in this “creativity zone” is to be curious and always push yourself and admit, “I didn’t know that.”

Know your knowledge and always be curious about what you may not know.

Amplify your Attitude Have you ever met anyone who seriously needed an attitude adjustment? By definition, attitude means choosing your response to any given situation.

Amplifying our attitude means always making a positive first and last impression. They’re the ones that linger. Avoid indifference toward anyone.

Indifference is the single largest reason customers leave us. In fact, some research indicates up to 68 percent drift away due to our apathy.

Since perception is one’s reality, it makes no sense to argue over one’s observation. By being friendly, you amplify a positive attitude.

Being around a person with a bad attitude is like being around a friend with a bad cold. As hard as you try to avoid it, you’ll catch it.

While you’re at it, hire “friendly” as well. You can’t teach friendly any more than you can teach tall when it comes to recruiting basketball stars.

You have to be tall to start. Hire for attitude, train for skill. Amplify yours.

Strengthen your Skills Every individual knows their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. When we are honestly assessing ourselves, we can plunk our daily activities into one of four buckets: Continued on page 36

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 15

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Planning For Success in the “New Normal” Ideas for small businesses to survive and thrive in today’s economy George Rose Wells Fargo V.P.

By George Rose, Wells Fargo V.P., Business Relationship Manager

I

f I had to pick one week that deserves more recognition it’s National Small Business Week. Every May, the U.S. Small Business Administration takes this time to celebrate the contributions of small businesses to America’s economy.

It’s well deserved. Small businesses employ half of all private-sector employees and have created 65 percent of net new jobs over the past 17 years*. As a lender that loans more money to small businesses than any other bank in America**, we’re proud to work with so many small businesses that are driving economic recovery.

When we talk to small business owners today, we hear increasing confidence. At the same time, many say, “things will never quite be the same” as they were before the Great Recession.

Consumers remain wary. Companies are more cautious about spending. Businesses are still repairing their balance sheets. Demand for credit has not fully recovered. Many are calling our post-2008 world “the new normal.”

As a result, small business owners have changed their approach over the last two to three years. While individual strategies vary, here are some common themes I’ve observed among small businesses that have adapted and succeeded. For starters, they have new attitudes about customers, cash, and creativity.

Customers. Small business owners often tell us about the importance of providing even greater “value” to customers. Many have a sharpened focus on delivering value in every interaction – both in what they sell, and the service they provide before and after the sale.

Online marketing tools like email and social media have created new opportunities to connect, but also new responsibilities to “earn” your way in every customer relationship. And when looking at ways to make it easier for customers to work with you, take a look at the payment options you offer. Talk with your

banker about your options, such as accepting debit and credit cards, and what makes sense for your business.

Cash. A careful attitude toward cash is another hallmark of the new normal. To take a more strategic approach to expenses and revenue, ask your banker about financial products and services to streamline and better track each outgoing payment, and help bring in receivables faster, as well. The greatest challenge for many small business owners in today’s economy is cash management – managing the gap between when invoices are paid and bills are due. You may want to consider a business line of credit to help smooth the ups and downs of your cash flow without affecting other financial priorities.

Creativity. Beyond minding your customers and your financials, the new normal may require a more fundamental change. These days small business owners are taking a deep look at how their businesses operate, and thinking about creative ways to keep their enterprises thriving. Following are strategies some of our small business customers have pursued: •

New markets – close to home and beyond.

Can you sell more of your current offerings by reaching out to new customers in new markets? Some businesses we serve are now finding new opportunities through emerging social media and Web aps, and by rewarding loyal customers who introduce their businesses to new customers.

•

Merger. Joining forces may mean sharing decision-making power, but it can also extend your capabilities and your reach.

•

Licensing and franchising. If your brand and model can be duplicated, you may have the opportunity to build on your success while going light on resources and risk.

Continued on page 41

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

The NEW Golden Rule in Email Marketing

By Craig Klein, CEO of SalesNexus

T

he old Golden Rule says, “Do unto others as you would want to have done unto you.”

It sounds generous and fair. However, in today’s sales environment, it is simply not enough.

Instead, you will get much farther if you follow the advice of Dr. Tony Alessandra, behavioral psychologist.

He has coined the “Platinum Rule” that says, “Do unto others as they would want to have done unto them.”

That sounds good, too. You may be asking how in the world you can know what your sales leads want from you.

Often they resist even talking to a salesperson. How in the world can you get them to tell you what they want to have done to them that will help them learn about your product or service?

customers to know their pain and struggle. If you clearly understood those aspects of their life, you can create an appeal that really makes a connection to them.

Dig Deep Inside Your Market

Who are your best clients? What do they want?

With time, you can add new defined steps such as what big things you are doing such as proposals, presentations, appointments, responding to RFPs and other things. The process is unfolding every day and you benefit by carefully considering each step that the buyer typically goes through to determine the best return on your investment (ROI) of time, money and effort. Your current customers will tell you through their actions how they want to receive your message.

When you know the answers to these two questions, you can carefully tailor your sales process to meet their needs. Imagine if you could crawl inside the minds of some of your best

The last thing your sales leads want to experience is more pain and struggle. Yet many companies do not

The best way to read the minds of your sales leads and think like they do is to use the data in your Customer Relationship Manager (CRM). If your CRM is married directly to your email marketing, it makes the process much easier. The goal is to see through your customer痴 eyes to understand exactly what appeals to them. Your CRM can be a virtual gold mine for such insight.

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You also want to know how they want to receive your message. That is the secret to finding sales leads that are hungry for your product or service.

Start by measuring a few of the action steps taken in your buyer’s process of interacting with your company.

Reveal the ratios of different activities such as incoming calls, referrals, web leads, and trade shows compared to the number of closed sales. We recently created an eBook called, “Manage a Sales Process of Actions that Lead to Sales Growth ” to take an in-depth look at what should be measured.

Make it Easy and Painless to Work with You

use information about their current customers to determine ways to deepen the customer relationship.

A web based CRM with integrated email marketing can give you access into the minds of the customer. If you dont know these answers, you may end up selling to the wrong market or to one that may be a good market, but not the one most hungry for what you offer.

Recently, we developed a Sales Growth eBook series that simplifies a process for using cutting edge lead generation methods that are customer centric and quite effective.

We hope you will benefit from learning these methods.

Access all the ebooks free here – http://www.salesnexus.com/salesgrowth-webinar-series So, by identifying your customers’ common “pains” and offering them solutions, they will look forward to your emails and calls. Building a sales process that gives each customer solutions that are particularly appealing to them isn’t hard. You know your products, services and customers like no one else. All that’s required is mapping out a process to organize how you share what’s already in your head!

Craig is the founder of SalesNexus.com. a leading provider of CRM, Email Marketing and Lead Generation solutions to business 2 business sales teams.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Identifying the Right Growth Strategy

By Daniel Roessler Daniel Roessler

E

Establishing realistic growth expectations and determining how to achieve your growth targets are common challenges for many small businesses. There is a natural tendency to want to expand your business at the maximum pace the market will allow. This only works if the business infrastructure is in place to support high growth rates. However, many small businesses must carefully manage growth in order to build necessary business infrastructure in parallel.

Growth that outpaces what your business infrastructure can handle may actually damage your brand and negatively impact your long-term business prospects.

Growth projections based on validated assumptions and a firm foundation are a critical part of your business planning process.

Whether through formal market analysis or a less formal process based on general market information, it is important to establish and document the assumptions that serve as the foundation of your growth plan. You should also consider your estimated growth curve trajectory as a key factor in forecasting revenue and spending.

Once you have established your growth expectations then you must develop a strategy that will enable you to best achieve your planned growth objectives.

Seven common growth strategies are listed below with some additional details in the following paragraphs.

1. Expand Sales and Marketing Efforts 2. Enhance or Add Features to Existing Products or Services 3. Introduce New Products or Services 4. Target New Geographical Markets 5. Target New Vertical Markets 6. Build and Leverage Partnerships 7. Mergers and Acquisitions Expanding sales and marketing efforts can involve a wide variety of tactics such as focused campaigns, shifting of funds among marketing categories, new initiatives or additional resources. For instance, if your business is relatively new, focused campaigns using newsletters, emails, social media and advertising might help drive awareness and

build credibility with new prospects.

For more established businesses, marketing budgets normally encompass a number of marketing categories. Shifting funds and resources between these categories for specific purposes can at times be a valuable tactic. For example, if your sales pipeline has dwindled you may shift spending to lead generation marketing activities as opposed to market research until you have rebuilt your pipeline. Good sales and marketing metrics must be in place to enable recognition of when these types of adjustments should be made.

If you manufacture a product or provide a service you might explore growing market share through enhancements or additional features within your products or services.

Thorough market research is the first step required for this strategy to prevent investment without adequate return. Small businesses can sometimes minimize this step because the new feature or service is technically a good idea. However, great technical ideas that cost too much money, take too long to build, do not capture market share or delay return-oninvestment can be bad business decisions.

Introducing new products or services can be a plausible growth strategy as well. The best scenario for using this strategy is when you have an established customer base to buy your new solutions. If you can sell new solutions to your existing customers, it will minimize increases in the sales and marketing budget associated with introducing new solutions and can shorten your time to realize a return-oninvestment.

Targeting new geographic markets can generate growth and offers the flexibility to be implemented in a variety of ways. Geographic expansion outside of current territories for many types of small businesses is easier than ever because online opportunities offer instant access to larger territories. For some businesses that are physical establishments, locally based (e.g. restaurants) this may not be a practical growth strategy. Another frequently used geographic growth tactic, especially for B2B companies, is to open sales offices in new geographies and then slowly build a local Continued on page 32

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Why Hiring the Right Fit is So Critical to The Success of Your Small Business

By Lorraine Grubbs

I

n today’s business environment there is little competitive advantage in price, product, and process. So, smart entrepreneurs rely on the other “P” to keep them on top of their game…People.

By focusing on their People and hiring the right employees, these companies have discovered that they are able to stay ahead of their competition.

As a small business owner, you don’t have a large number of employees, so when you hire, it becomes much more critical that you hire the right “fit.” A wrong fit in a staff of 30,000 is not good, but won’t be felt as much as a wrong fit in a staff of 10 - one tenth of your workforce! Hiring the wrong person will impact productivity, customer service, and overall employees’ attitudes.

You’ve heard the phrase “hire for attitude, train for skill.” This article is designed to help you hire the right “attitudinal” fit. Skills will vary from job to job and that is something you can test or interview for without help.

But attitude? That’s a different story. When a job needs to be filled quickly, many people will be tempted to put a warm body in the position to eliminate the strain of the extra work. This more often than not results in a bad hire, making your problem even worse.

I learned the advantages of hiring the right fit during my 15 years with Southwest Airlines. We lived by the concept of “hire for attitude, train for skill” and, as a result, enjoyed low turnover and high productivity.

So, how can you, the small business owner do it? Here are the 4 steps to hiring the right fit.

1) Identify the traits you are looking for in employees.

“Nice people” is not specific enough. You need to define “nice” by looking at your company’s mission statement.

If you don’t have one, think about what makes your company successful. Ask your customers – they know!

What makes a good impression on them? What do they need from and like about working with your employees?

You will get a list of things that can and should become your standard for hiring. Once you’ve identified the top three things every employee working for you must have,

make it non-negotiable to ensure that all future employees possess them.

Some good “nice” attributes: customer service, otherversus-me oriented, initiative, empathy, hardworking, team player, etc.

2) Target your search efforts to find those people.

Most small businesses don’t have a large advertising budget, so make your efforts count by targeting “those” people. Are you advertising in a way that “nice” people will be attracted to your company? Target your employment ads so they will appeal to the type of person you want to attract. Want someone with a good sense of humor? Make your ad humorous. Want someone with a caring attitude? Show that on your ad. Don’t overlook one of the most important sourcing channels, your own employees and your customers and vendors. Who better than they know what traits you need? Also, take some time to think about what people outside your organization think about your company as an “employer of choice.”

Walk into a grocery store or around your community with your company uniform or clothing with your company logo and see if anyone makes a comment. Ask people what they think, and then be prepared to act on what you hear. With a good employer- branding image, your recruiting process is well on its way.

3) Interviewing the potential candidate. Your interview process should include someone from the team the person will work with, and a supervisor from that same team. These employees should have received basic interview training prior to being in the interview. This ensures a fair and equitable interview for the applicant.

(There are lots of books on the market about the “legal” side of the interview.) Target your questions to get to the top traits you identified earlier. Use behavioral interviewing. For example, if you have identified humor as one of the traits you are seeking, try probing with the following: “Tell me about a time you used humor to defuse a difficult customer situation.” This makes the candidate think of a real scenario which they have Continued on page 43

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 19

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Memory Protection – Yours

By Mike Muhney

N

ot only do we have access to countless types of media and information created by others, we are now able to record, organize, and recall our own personal information in more ways than ever before possible. If you can’t remember where you parked your car, it’s not a problem. Just click the fob on your keychain and listen for that telltale beep. If you lose your iPhone or iPad, again, it’s not a problem. You can use the Find My iPhone/iPad app, assuming you originally enabled your device, of course. If you’re not quite sure how to get somewhere, just plug in the address in your car’s Navigation system, or you could even use a Navigation app on your smartphone. If you forget where you saved that picture from your last vacation, or worse, a legal document that you now desperately need, don’t panic. With online storage like iCloud® or Dropbox®, you can access files anywhere. The examples are numerous, but they all point to the fact that technology is an everpresent part of our lives, saving us time, effort, and even memory.

The Risks and Rewards Along with the perks I mentioned, there are a few pitfalls.

Having access to these tools has negatively affected our ability to actually remember the little things. And of course, there are more things to remember than ever before. Do you know 10 telephone numbers? Okay, 10 might have been pushing it. How about five? Yeah, me neither. If we can't remember five phone numbers, what leads us to believe that we are capable of remembering the essential details of our business relationships?

Person, Place, or Thing?

Remembering, or worse forgetting, important details can have a major impact on our bottom line. Are we willing to risk our livelihoods on our ability to remember the kinds of details that determine our success? Let’s start by sorting what we need to “remember” into the two categories of "People" and "Everything Else." Although I could, I won’t make a case for which one is more important. But I do believe people incorrectly assume that remembering details concerning “People” is secondary to everything else.

Memory for People Trumps Memory for Things Most of us are much better at the “things” side than they are at the “people” side. Why? Because those are the details we deal with more often. We have all felt the pain of lost account information or the sadness of deleted photographs. However, many have yet to discover the success that comes from diligently cataloging whom you met with, when or how you met them, their potential interest in your product or service, or even what follow up action they are expecting from you. www.SBTMagazine.net

Higher Capacity, Higher Demand Just because we have more gadgets with more features doesn’t mean we are any better at using them. In the same way that “going paperless” doesn’t mean less paperwork, using technology to manage your contacts, calendars, and communication still requires diligence.

Most of us schedule appointments. Most of us even show up on time. But what if you could easily scroll through a prospect or client’s “dossier” to review the entire history of your relationship before you sit down with them?

Imagine being able to reference that little detail few of us could remember on our own, demonstrating excellence and professionalism that seals the deal. Little detail. Huge impact!

It’s Not Always Business or Pleasure The lines between our personal and professional lives no longer exist, for most of us anyhow. We are now living in the era of Bring-Your-Device-to-Work. As a result, many of us are managing work and play in one device, which is convenient, as it is sometimes impossible to distinguish one from the other. Personal information about business contacts can help you build stronger rapport. Including professional information about your golf buddies or fellow soccer parents can expand your network of resources, allowing you to make the right introductions that benefit your friends, colleagues, and even your clients.

Protect Your Professional Edge Protecting your files is necessary, as is finding your keys, your device, or your destination. But it’s not always what you know. In business, more often than not, it’s “who” you know, what you know about them, and how you can provide the most value to others, setting yourself apart from your competition.

Today, we all have more means than ever before to backup our memory for the “People” side of our lives, in the form of apps and applications for our phones, tablets, notebooks, and desktops. Hard work? Perhaps.

We’re expected to maintain an exorbitant amount of information, but we don’t have to remember it all on our own. Mobile devices and the relationship management apps available for them can help us deal with more people, more effectively than ever before. Protect your memory for the “People” stuff and discover the benefits of putting your technology to work!

Mike Muhney is the co-inventor of ACT!, is now the CEO & co-founder of VIPorbit Software, creators of VIPorbit relationship management apps for iPhone & iPad. viporbit.com SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 21

The Asian Chamber of Commerce is very proud to have many members who support the Chamber with their resources, energy, and talent. Seen here in the front row (left to right) are Stephen Le, Sr., Linda Toyota, Leeshan Birney, and Bin Yu. In the back row (left to right) are Jason Liu, Susan Krohn, Wea Lee, C.C. Lee, and Jason Yoo. SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 22

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Asian Chamber of Commerce The members of the Asian Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors serve 3-year terms and work together for the chamber's and every members success!

Access, Connections, & Communication in Promoting Houston’s Asian-American Businesses and Those Doing Business in Asia.

By Barbara R. Davis Having over two million people and being the fourth most populous city in the United States of America, it is no wonder that Houston has so many different chambers of commerce.

Among these diverse groups, one particular organization has taken the lead as one of the most powerful chambers through its collaboration and work with some of the city’s most influential business leaders - the Asian Chamber of Commerce (ACC).

ACC has developed such a stellar reputation simply by doing what they do best; they provide access, connections, and communication for their members who are comprised of Asian-American business owners, those desiring to do business with them, and those who wish to do business with Asian countries.

ACC’s acronym truly represents what the organization provides its members: “A” - access to business and community leaders and collaborative programs “C” - connections to resources, services, and opportunities “C” - communication about a variety of opportunities

Background In 1990, the ACC was formed to promote business and economic development within Houston’s Asian-American businesses and www.SBTMagazine.net

communities. Originally, it was a volunteer-run organization until 2005.

Since its inception, the Chamber has continued to grow under strong and diverse leadership of both board and staff. With increased involvement and success of its members in the Houston business arena, ACC recognized the need for equally skilled and savvy leadership. In 2011, the ACC Board of Directors selected Cleveland, Ohio transplant, Linda Toyota as President due to her superb skills in nonprofit management, fundraising, community engagement, and business development.

Linda elaborated, “Even though all chambers focus on business, the Asian Chamber focuses on people.”

Ms. Toyota added, “When people come to our meetings or find out about our organization and have the opportunity to attend one of our programs, they’re sometimes very surprised. They expect everyone to be Asian. Half may be Asian but everyone else is reflective of the Houston community. They are business people who just want to make connections and learn from each other. We are a very welcoming organization.”

The Chamber: •

Fosters business and economic opportunities for members through education, training,

• •

networking, and collaboration with other organizations and chambers Promotes and facilitates commerce and trade between Houston and countries of Asia Serves as a resource for the broad Houston business community

Organizational Culture “Part of the culture for our organization is that it takes time to develop those relationships; to learn about each other - not only focus on the business, but who they are as people and to treat them as individuals. So when we say that we're about the “B to B” (Business to Business); really to me, the Chamber is about the “P to P” (People to People). We value and understand that it takes time to trust, learn about each other, and see how we can introduce people to others,” commented Ms. Toyota.

She added, “Our guests and members regularly convey that they feel welcome at our programs even when they do not know anyone. Our members and business partners comfortably approach one another and engage in conversation. New guests are always made to feel welcome.

It’s just part of the organizational culture that the Asian Chamber takes pride in".

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The Asian Chamber provides networking opportunities through its breakfasts, luncheons, meetings, and seminars. The Chamber also participates in trade shows and trade missions. Besides monthly meetings, there are special programs in which ACC collaborates with other organizations and strategic partners. Many times there is no cost for its members to participate.

Annual Awards Dinner In 1995, ACC began their annual awards dinner to recognize Asian business leaders and entrepreneurs in the community. This year will be no exception. June marks the Chamber’s 23rd anniversary and once again they will be recognizing some of Houston’s outstanding entrepreneurs who have greatly impacted the community.

The three Chairs of the 2013 ACC Spirit of Entrepreneurship Awards Dinner are Donovan Casanave (Shell Supplier Diversity/Diversity Outreach), Thanh Roettele (JPMorgan Chase), and Lily Chen Foster (Chinese actress and community volunteer). The Ambassador of the Year honoree is Y. Ping Sun (University Representative of Rice University and is of counsel at the firm of YetterColeman LLP) and the Corporate Ambassador of the Year honoree is CenterPoint Energy.

Always coming up with inventive ways to benefit the members and help make connections and access to people, Ms. Toyota came up with the novel idea to hold an “Executive Silent Auction” as part of the annual awards dinner. Guests are able to bid on one-on-one time with executives from diverse industries.

Linda Toyota, President of the Asian Chamber of Commerce personally welcomes you to learn more about the Chamber.

This unique auction offers ACC members and guests the opportunity to enhance their leadership and business skills by meeting with a renowned executive. Last year, the Executive Silent Auction provided direct access to executives such as Houston Texans Jamey Rootes, ChaseSource Anthony Chase, HEB Scott McClelland, Wulfe & Co. Ed Wulfe, and Comcast Doug Guthrie. The Auction is now a signature feature of its annual awards dinner.

Minority Chamber of the Year Ms. Toyota is always on top of her game by insuring that members receive as much value as possible by communicating about a variety of opportunities. As a result of Linda’s ongoing efforts, ACC was selected as the Minority Chamber of the Year in November of 2012 by the Greater Houston Business Procurement Forum (GHBPF). This recognition was given in conjunction with an awards ceremony that was part of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency initiative known as the National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week.

Beginning in 1983 by an executive order signed by President Ronald Reagan, the MED Week celebrates the achievements of minority-owned businesses and advocates of minority businesses. The award recognizes stalwart advocacy on behalf of minority-owned businesses, their accomplishments, and contributions to local and national economies. During this event, the forum recognized eight outstanding minority entrepreneurs and advocates of minority businesses. In addition to ACC being recognized, two Chamber member companies also received recognition. “We were very pleased that our members were recognized for their entrepreneurial abilities,” remarked Ms. Toyota.

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 24

The Asian Chamber of Commerce was very proud to have Ms. Y. Ping Sun as their keynote speaker at their 23rd Anniversary Gala and to have honored her as the "2013 Ambassador of the Year!" www.SBTMagazine.net

The Asian Chamber of Commerce's annual "Awards Banquet" in June has become their "Signature Event" recognizing Asian businesses. The 2013 event was chaired by Lily Chen Foster, Donovan Casanave, and Thanh Roettele

Asian Business Forum

Education Foundation

Lifetime Members

Another program started last fall is ACC’s Business Forum. By bringing together 15 different Asian chambers last year to meet and learn about each other, the Forum provided awareness and education of Houston’s numerous Asian chambers’ focus and ways to work together. This year’s forum will share knowledge, ideas, experience, and expertise with professionals who are engaged in work related to Asia or Asian economies. By creating such a forum, the Chamber serves as a catalyst for building and sustaining the Asia-related business community and caters to the needs and interests of professionals doing Asia-related work.

In 2005, ACC established a separate foundation to focus on the signature topic of education, the ACC Scholarship Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization designated as a 501c3 organization and supported by philanthropic contributions. Through this Scholarship Foundation, Asian students are selected and awarded scholarships to help them further their education.

The Scholarship Foundation has a separate Board of Directors and works closely with ACC. An inspiring scholarship luncheon is held every year.

Another example of innovation and the desire to enhance value to supporters of ACC, Ms. Toyota established the Lifetime Membership category in 2012.

The Lifetime Membership status is a platform for acknowledging dedicated Houstonians who are committed to ACC, have impacted economic development in the AsianAmerican community, and enhanced the lives of others. Currently, there are eleven Lifetime Members and ACC is always seeking more!

For more information on having Access, Communication, and Connections with the Asian Chamber of Commerce, visit them on the web at www.asianchamber-hou.org, email them at info@asianchamber-hou.org, or call them at 713-782-7222. Also, make sure to “like” them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HoustonAsianChamberOfCommerce. www.SBTMagazine.net

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 25

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 27

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Big Customer Service from Small Businesses

By Errol D. Allen

I

t's often been said that small businesses are the heartbeat of any growing economy.

Nimbleness, less red tape, and quick decisions are some of the advantages of being a small business. When interacting with small business owners, quite naturally customer service becomes the topic of discussion. I'm often asked, "Errol, should I go to all the trouble of developing a customer service strategy?" My response is, "Yes you should! If you expect to retain your present customers, thereby growing your business through retention and referrals, then developing a customer service strategy is a smart step to take." Here are several suggestions for the small business owner.

Act Like You're Already There! - Most small business owners operate with the hopes of one day being a large company. Go ahead and behave like a large business by developing customer service strategies that incent your customers to remain loyal to your brand. Decide how you will interact with your customer What will you do when your customer calls? How many rings before you answer the phone? When your customer leaves a voice mail, how long will you take before returning that call? When your customer enters your establishment, how long will it be before that customer's presence is acknowledged? How will you determine what's important to your customer in regards to your product/ service? When your customer emails, how long before you respond? When you have a long-term project, how

often will you provide updates?

When your customer complains about your product/service, what will you do next? Now I hear some small business owners saying, "Errol, I don't have time for that! I'm too busy running my business!" It's important to spend time working on your business which means answering those questions! Taking the time to do so will certainly lead to establishing operational standards which should transfer into a great customer experience.

Examine Your Processes - Most large organizations understand the need for process documentation, process analysis, and process improvement projects. In their quest for growth, small business should regularly take a look at "how they do what they do." Identify your core processes - for example - customer request for product/service, order fulfillment, product delivery, and customer invoicing. What are the current steps for each of your core processes? What exactly does the customer encounter when interacting with your company? Are they customer friendly - for both the purchasing customer as well as internal customers (you may not have too many internal customers yet, but if you have just one other person involved in the day-to-day operation of your business, that's an internal customer.) Taking this step assists one in identifying exactly what is taking place on a daily basis. Search for improvement opportunities and make the necessary adjustments to insure that your purchasing

customer receives a great customer experience.

Establish Operational Metrics - Just as most large companies tend to identify what's important to measure, it's critical that small business owners do the same. Operational metrics act as a barometer to assist you in knowing how your business is functioning. A great way to determine what to measure is to simply ask your customer what's important to them about your product or service. For example, how about establishing operational goals for Order Fulfillment, Email Response, On Time Appointments, Customer Complaints just to name a few.

Now I'm big on percentages so let's go a step further - Percent of Orders Fulfilled Within Established Goal, Percent of Emails Responded to Within Established Goal, Percent of On time Appointments To Established Goal. Utilizing percentages helps one to see at what level the operation is performing in relation to the established goals.

Once it's clear where the operation stands, take the time to get the story behind the number. If an area is performing below the established goal, take a look at what impacts that particular situation. There's a story behind every number. Take the time to get the story before making any changes. Your willingness to establish operational metrics allows for proactive management of your company instead of reacting to customer complaints or to a customer's decision to stop utilizing your products or services.

Continued on page 32

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 28

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

Doing Business in the Arab Culture

By Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine

T

he Arab culture has always had a tradition of trade and commerce, however nowadays it has become an even more important business center.

With the rise of globalization and the increase in demand for Middle East energy, the outside world is drawn ever more towards Arab business ventures. These undertakings offer great rewards but only to those who can successfully network and engage their counterparts using cultural sensitivity. Initially, a newcomer to Arab culture may feel overwhelmed by its complexity, however with a little patience and diligence one can succeed in the Arab business culture.

The most important aspect to remember about the Arab business culture is that it is conducted on a highly personal level. In contrast to the United States where there is more of a tendency to separate personal relationships from business, in the Arab culture they are viewed as absolutely essential.

Arabs like to know the people with whom they do business. Trust in their business partner is crucial.

Consequently, an initial meeting with an Arab representative may not have anything to do with the actual business deal. More often than not, and much to the consternation of the American counterpart, the meeting will be circular and not linear. Put quite simply, there may not be an actual agenda.

Topics may just come up sporadically. The meeting will be more social and involve questions about family, as family is central in Arab culture. It is at this

stage where the Arab counterpart is simply trying to get to know the American businessperson. It cannot be stressed enough how important this stage is. If there is no trust, there will be no deal.

meaning. The fact that you learned this phrase will most likely impress your Arab counterpart because it demonstrates that you made the extra effort to address him in his own language.

Whenever meetings are scheduled, they should not be made too far in advance of the meeting date. It is very common for Arab businessmen to have to make sudden changes in schedule. In addition, it is advisable to reconfirm the meeting a few days in advance to ensure that everything is set for the appointment. If you have invited the Arab representative to your office, always have food and tea ready to offer. It is best to have it ready without asking if it is wanted.

This action demonstrates hospitality, which is another important aspect of Arab culture.

As touched on previously, negotiations can be somewhat nebulous. Time is not measured in the same way as in the West.

Negotiations may seem to drag on and then suddenly everything will be approved immediately. Therefore, great patience and flexibility must be maintained throughout. Also, be prepared to haggle. Arabic culture has a long history and tradition of trade and negotiation.

Haggling is a part of this tradition, so take it in stride. As long as calmness and clarity are maintained, everything should be fine.

The way of greeting your Arab counterpart is very important.

The most common greeting is a handshake, which can last a little longer than in Western culture. Very often it is respectful not to withdraw the hand first, which is the cause of the prolonged handshake. Also make good eye contact, as this is another sign of respect. Forms of address are rather informal.

Arabs tend to address the person by adding “Mr.” to the first name.

For example, Adam Jones will be addressed as “Mr. Adam.” If you know that your Arab counterpart is Muslim, it would be good to greet him in the traditional way with the words “Asalamu alaykum” (peace be unto you). The reply is “wa alaykum salam,” which is basically the same

Please bear in mind that in the Arab culture the spoken word is much more important than the written word. Anything promised verbally must be upheld or the person’s honor and trust will be lost. Due to this concept, Arabs view contracts as summaries of what has already been agreed upon verbally. This view is very different from American business culture where the written word is deemed more important.

The moral of the story is to be sure that something is feasible before it is promised.

While the Arab mindset is somewhat complex and different from the American one, once one actually gets inside it the differences give way to similarities. The concepts of mutual respect, honor, and family are Continued on page 38

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 29

EDITORIAL FEATURE

Getting Organized: Dealing with Procrastination NOW

By Holly Uverity CPO®, Office Organizers

Holly Uverity

H

ow often are you faced with completing, or even worse, beginning, a task that you dread?

Daily? Weekly? What do you do? Do you grit your teeth and get it done? Or do you • delay the task until the last possible moment?

Do you work on other less important tasks as a way of saying to yourself that you’re too busy to get the important one done? Do you • approach your tasks with a proactive attitude or a reactive one?

If you procrastinate, you are not alone. Everyone does it - some people do it because they thrive on the adrenaline rush of getting something accomplished at the last minute. Others do it out of fear; they are overwhelmed by what • needs to be done and have no idea where or how to begin so they become paralyzed and do nothing. Procrastination is a work strategy, not a good one, but one nevertheless. It’s also a habit and as such, can be changed. The good news is that with a little bit of patience • and understanding, you can exchange that bad habit for a good one and begin adopting work strategies that help you instead of hold you back.

• •

• • •

•

•

Acknowledge that you are procrastinating.

Recognize it, accept it, and move on.

Check your plan. If you find yourself procrastinating on one task, check your plan to see if you can do something else instead.

Ensure that the task you are dreading doing really does fit into your overall goals.

If it doesn’t, don’t do it.

Focus on the outcome, not how you got there. What will happen when you get this task finished?

Start. Do anything. Do the easiest task or part of a task first or do the worst first.

Energy begets energy; start somewhere and do something.

Take small steps. Because it is easy to get overwhelmed by the big picture, break the big picture down into smaller sequences of events. First do A, then do B, and then do C. If A seems overwhelming, break A down into smaller steps. Keep breaking tasks down until they feel manageable to you.

Pat yourself on the back when you’ve completed something you’ve been

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 30

•

•

•

dreading, regardless of how small a task it is. Celebrate by surfing the net for a few minutes, chatting with a friend or just taking a short walk away from your desk.

Mix it up. You don’t have to do all the hard, boring stuff at the same time so mix in some fun. Alternate a dreaded task with something you like to do.

Get organized. Make sure the reason you’re procrastinating is NOT because you don’t have the proper tools or environment to get the job done. It can be impossible to focus on what you need to do if you’re surrounded by clutter; eliminate visual distractions.

Get to why. If you chronically procrastinate on a particular task or type of task, see if you can determine why. If it’s something you hate doing, delegate it. If you can’t delegate it, figure out how to make it more enjoyable.

Understand your personal rhythms. Keep track of when you feel the most motivated, creative and productive and try scheduling your hardest tasks during those times. You could be procrastinating simply because it goes against your internal rhythms.

Recognize that perfectionism is a form of procrastination. People often don’t begin a task because they know they won’t have enough time or materials to do the job ‘perfectly’ and they end up doing nothing.

Let perfectionism go.

Get a jump start. Many times people simply need a jump start from a buddy. If you’re having a problem writing something, call a trusted friend or colleague and start talking about the project, which will engage your brain, and jump start your creativity.

Get out of your head. Many times we don’t know where or how to begin so if you’re feeling stuck, instead of thinking what you need to do, start writing down what you need to do. Do a brain dump and get everything out of your head and onto paper. It will be easier to see what needs to be done.

Holly Uverity, CPO® is the owner of Office Organizers – The Entrepreneur’s Organizer.

She can be reached at 281.655.5022, www.OfficeOrganizers.com or www.FB.com/OfficeOrganizers www.SBTMagazine.net

EDITORIAL FEATURE

When the Bank Says “No”

By Bruce Hurta

T

he following is a “good news” quote from Bloomberg BusinessWeek Small Business Financing entitled, “An Uptick in Small Business Loans from Big Banks,” posted by Patrick Clark on March 12, 2013: Biz2Credit, which Bloomberg BusinessWeek profiled in October, calculates its monthly Small Business Lending Index . The findings : Big banks approved 15.9 percent of the small business loan applications in the index, up from 15.3 percent in January 2013 and 11.7 percent in February 2012. February’s big bank approval rates were the highest since Biz2Credit began compiling the index in January 2011. Small bank approval rates have also ticked up, to 50.3 percent of loans in February, up from 49.9 percent in the previous month and from 47.6 percent in February 2012.

Biz2Credit Chief Executive Officer Rohit Arora pointed to a handful of reasons for higher approval rates: A stable economy over the past 18 months has given banks an historical basis for making loans, and attractive premiums on securities backed by Small Business Administrationguaranteed loans are giving banks greater incentive to work with small businesses.

Since 2009, I have worked as the Business Lending Manager for Members Choice Credit Union (Members Choice) in Houston, TX. During a time when small business lending virtually came to a halt in the United States, Members Choice hired me to start up a small business lending department specializing in the U.S. government sponsored SBA loan program. From the vantage point of a small business lender who was still accommodating small business loan requests the last four years, I witnessed time and again small businesses who found they no longer had a source of credit at the bank where they kept their company funds. The combination of an economic recession, with a trend toward larger

financial institutions, led many small business owners to seek financing from unconventional means such as credit unions and banks offering the SBA government sponsored loan programs. Having painted such a bleak background for small business financing trends the last few years, the above quoted information is indeed good news for small business owners.

Seeing banks become more accommodating to small business loan requests, and seeing the economy recover, why would a small business owner still be attracted to an SBA government sponsored loan program? I usually sum up that answer in one phrase saying, “lower down payments, longer repayment terms, and easier qualifying criteria than conventional bank loans.” Cash is a precious commodity to a growing small business. As the business grows, its needs for capital to support that growth can be funded from within the business itself, if the business has an accommodating credit partner to fund new facilities needed for that growth. The SBA loan program offers a long term loan product which provides permanent working capital injections and financing for long term capital assets such as equipment and real estate. By funding these long term needs with long term debt, the small business owner is assured their financing is in place for 25 years on real estate and for 10 years on non-real estate transactions. Combine that with the lower equity requirement demanded by an SBA lender versus a conventional lender, and the points add up in favor of the small business.

Speaking of points, the SBA loan does not come for free.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is a federal agency that does a better job of paying its own way than any other federal agency. The typical SBA borrower will pay an SBA guaranty fee for his loan equal to approximately 2.5 percent of the loan amount. These fees fund operations of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and they are Continued on page 32

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Continued from page 31 When the Bank Says "No"

Continued from page 18 Identifying the Right Growth Strategy

a long term cost amortized over the life of the 10 or 25 year loan. For many small business owners, this fee is a bargain for long term financing that assures and sustains the success of their business.

geographical presence as your customer base develops.

Geographic growth should always be constrained to territories that your business can adequately support.

At Members Choice Credit Union, we find that a majority of our small business loans have funded either small business real estate or the purchase of a business. Our SBA real estate loans fund purchases of new facilities for the business, remodeling and expansion of existing facilities, as well as new construction of new buildings for the business. We are especially proficient at providing interim construction financing as part of the same loan as the 25 year permanent financing. Our construction-toperm loans involve only one loan closing with only one set of loan closing costs. We use a professional construction management company to qualify the contractor, and to monitor the job and control the disbursements to the contractor. This valuable service can eliminate the need for a contractor’s “payment and performance” bond to save money for the small business owner on the construction project cost.

In addition to small business real estate and small business acquisition financing, we also use the SBA loan program to finance partner buyouts, new business equipment, permanent working capital injections, and restructuring of short term or expensive debt into more favorable repayment terms. It has been my pleasure the last four years to serve the Texas small business community with favorable and available financing for their businesses.

It is a privilege to be a business lending pioneer in the credit union community and a leader in the SBA lending community in Houston. I am the 2013 president of the Houston Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, and our trade association represents over 300 SBA lenders in the 32 counties including and surrounding Harris County. A listing of these lender members can be found at www.haggl.com.l

For more information, or if you have questions, please contact Bruce Hurta, Business Lending Manager at Members Choice Credit Union. 281.754.1112 office bhurta@mccu.com Follow Bruce’s Blog: http://brucehurta.wordpress.com/mccu.com

Continued from page 28 Big Customer Service from Small Businesses

Another growth strategy is selling solutions into new vertical markets. For example, if your business is an engineering services company that has focused on the oil and gas industry customer base, maybe you want to offer similar services in the pharmaceutical industry.

The decision to grow into new industry markets should not be done haphazardly. Market research and analysis which identifies the market requirements and investment obligations is critical. You should also be aware of how growth into new markets can impact branding, especially if you have established your reputation in a niche market.

Partnerships can be another appealing growth strategy because they typically require minimal investment and limited risks. Leveraging the reputation and customer base of partner or distributor companies can quickly raise market awareness of your solutions and greatly expand your prospect pool. Selecting quality partners is essential because your brand will be linked with their business.

Investing time in the relationship and creating a win-win situation will ultimately determine the success of the partnership.

Whether you are on the purchasing or selling end of a transaction, mergers and acquisitions can also potentially be part of your growth strategy. If you merge with or acquire another company it can result in an instantaneous step increase in your business. You must be prepared for the potential HR, financial and infrastructure challenges that can come with this approach. While many small business owners dread the idea of giving up control there are even times when selling your company is the best growth plan to overcome existing constraints.

Many factors determine which of these growth strategies best fit your specific needs including: the type of business, established reputation of the business, potential market share, investment capital availability, growth rate targets, etc. You may choose a single strategy or implement a combination of several to grow your business. Successful long-term business growth is neither haphazard nor random but instead based on well-conceived strategies and thorough planning.

Daniel Roessler is a Consultant with DanR Consulting.

You can email him at dan@danrconsulting.com or call him at 713-264-2449 www.danrconsulting.com

Running a small business can be a daunting task requiring the owner to wear multiple hats. In your quest to grow your business, remember to Act Like You're Already There by developing customer service strategies, Examine Your Processes to insure they are both customer and employee friendly and Establish Operational Metrics to always know the pulse of your business. By taking these steps, you greatly enhance your opportunities for growth!

Errol Allen – Customer Service Engineer can be emailed at errol@errolallenconsulting.com or call him at 1-800-830-4167 www.errolallenconsulting.com SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 32

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Continued from page 7 It did print mail and Internet services for nonprofits which was very difficult after “9/11”. They were still doing plenty of print and mail but they weren’t building websites. The head of the Internet Division, Brian Gaubert was trying to build out his content management system for profit businesses and his partner at the time asked Leisa to come over and talk to them about an organizational or brand strategy and ways to grow their business. She came over and basically never left!

Brian and Leisa put their two great minds together and came up with the idea for their first product launch doing websites in 48 hours; the company was called “RentThisSite.Com”. They did template-based websites with content management, email blasts, unlimited pages, a calendar feature, and a news feature for anywhere from $750 to $1,500 set up and $50 to $100 a month, depending on what the client needed.

Leisa recalled, “It was just an incredible product and we spent two years selling that product and also selling a larger scale web development product with content management. Content management is the process by which you the user can manage the content on your website; you don’t need to go to a web developer. Our product was what they call a “WYSIWYG” (What you see is what you get). So if you use Microsoft Word or you send email, you can change anything on this website; it was really easy to do. Now you can add videos, YouTube links, social media, or whatever kind of links that you want.”

Leisa continued, “In the beginning, the product was so fabulously easy and I was so dazzled by it that I left the fashion business and became a “techie” and that was in 2003. We actually launched “Rent This Site” in February of 2004. In 2005, unfortunately for the city of New Orleans, Katrina hit and Brian, who is just a brilliant software architect, was worried about how people were going to find their loved ones, so he created a website called KatrinaPeopleSearch.com and it became the highest used people search website after the hurricane. Everybody used it; so we became a ticker on CNN for doing it. It was really a very big deal and he and I had gotten one of the first big contracts we had ever gotten together. Our partner’s business was really growing in print and mail and it was really in the nonprofit space.

Ours was really over in the for profit space, so we decided that we wanted to buy our division and be on our own, which we did in January of 2006 for the sales in 2005.”

Brian has a degree in engineering from Michigan State University but has worked at IBM, CompuServe, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Compaq Computer Corporation as an Internet

Communications at ContentActive are crucial to the success of the company. Team meetings keep everyone "in the loop!"

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The morning meeting at ContentActive sets the pace for the day's accomplishments security expert. Having a lot of Internet development and systems experience, he decided to try going out on his own because he had run into some brick walls in Corporate America.

Now, 12 years later, both Brian and Leisa are in agreement that things have worked out well.

Even though Leisa and Brian both have corporate backgrounds, they are very different from each other. In spite of their differences, they complement each other where they need to and the company has become incredibly successful as a result.

Leisa remarked, “I really don't understand technology. I get it because I have a logical kind of a brain, but I don't get the bits and bytes. On the other hand, Brian speaks English to me which is very good. A lot of techies don't. That's been a great advantage to us. The fact that the architect of the software can speak English to the customer and not what we call “Techese” has distinguished our company in a great way.”

Leisa and Brian shared, “It's been quite the ride. It hasn't been without bumps. We've learned a lot over the last few years. It's really important that you have a process in place that people can go to. Training is important. We're learning and getting better with training which is very important. It can be trial by fire, but we're learning what does and doesn't work. We've put the fires out and we’re now sharing our knowledge in a good fashion and really training people. We’ve engaged our employees and asked them what they think the training should look like. That really helps us and it gives them responsibility. At the end of the day, we feel that it’s our employees who bring everything together.”

Summing everything up, Leisa and Brian remarked, “ContentActive is a web design and development company.

We're not a marketing company. Even though we partner with marketing companies, PR firms, and advertising agencies, almost every one of us here has some kind of marketing background. Because we're so engaged with our clients, we’re really trusted advisors as they are to us. In addition, we build great, cutting edge products and because of that, our clients are the first to be asked by others seeking information about what’s the newest thing. A lot of times we have clients that have scheduled monthly or bimonthly meetings where we talk about the ‘latest and greatest’. There is one particular ‘partner’ who meets with us the second Wednesday of every month for coffee no matter what and another client we meet with every other month on the third Monday. Last but certainly not least, every morning, we get together for a ‘standing meeting’ with our team and talk about what's new and what's next and what’s on for today. We just catch up.

‘Technology does not make technology work... people do!’” www.SBTMagazine.net

Leisa and Brian agree that you have to have fun in your business!

Do what you truly love and love what you do everyday!

LEISA AND BRIAN’S TAKE AWAY NOTES 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Communication is the key. Stay in touch with your employees and your clients no matter what.

It’s important to get your processes right and remember that it is a continual work in progress.

Make sure your clients are always happy; make them clients for life.

Engage and guide your clients so that they rely on you as the expert in your field.

Stay on top of technology and find ways to align yourself with those who are on the cutting edge of what they do.

6. Make it a goal to be the best vendor or solution provider you can be for your clients.

7. Treat your clients like friends and make them feel so welcome at your place of business that they make it a point to regularly come by.

8. Remember that “the customer is your business and not an interruption!”

9. Listen to what your clients are saying about their needs. Ask them questions to find out their needs and they will give you the ideas you need to avoid being obsolete.

10. You’ll never be as good as your clients are at their own business, but it’s your responsibility to make their businesses easier and more efficient to run.

11. Look for new ways you can benefit your client in all aspects of their business. They may not have thought about those areas presently but they may need them later.

12. Providing training is very important, for your employees and your clients.

Even though Brian had a background in 13. Ask your employees for their input; make them feel engineering and Leisa had a background important and responsible for the company. in fashion, they knew from the minute they started their business that they shared the 14. Partner with other companies that can benefit your clients same values regarding customers and that as well. is why their mission is “Clients for Life” 15. Give back and support your community in the field you specialize in. www.SBTMagazine.net

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Continued from page 15 K.A.S.H. is King!

We’re truly incompetent in some areas, competent in others, downright excellent in some and absolutely brilliant in others. Many invest an inordinate amount of time in trying to be somewhat competent in areas of utter incompetence. How frustrating this must be.

Suggestion: Invest your time strengthening your skills and find ways to delegate your weaknesses. Your personal payoff will be astounding, for the same reason we shouldn’t teach a pig to sing. A pig (as great as one may be) will never be an accomplished singer--and you’re annoying the Hell out of the pig!

National National Association Association of of Women Women Business Business Owners Owners Houston Houston Chapter Chapter Connecting Connecting Women Women Who Who Mean Mean Business Business

Any brilliance or uniqueness we possess is a direct result of time and focus, sometimes over a lifetime. More than likely, we enjoy the pursuit of it, since we’re interested in the activity anyway. Doing what we love provides great reserves of energy.

Why NAWBO? • Women own an estimated 10.6 million businesses in the United States • They employ 19.1 million workers (1 in 7) • Their businesses account for $2.5 trillion in sales • Women business owners are philanthropically active: seven in 10 volunteer at least once per month; 31% contribute $5,000 or more to charity annually; 15% give $10,000 or more.

Success is gained when much of our time is spent in “excellent” or “brilliant” areas. Strengthen your skills and delegate your weaknesses.

Hone your Habits Habits are behavior patterns acquired by frequent repetition. A key to improving results and performance is establishing a system of new habits that lead to goal achievement. If we don’t consciously form good ones, we unconsciously form bad ones. Bad habits must be acknowledged and stopped, for when they are, a new habit is often substituted. By honing your positive habits, you become a master of your destiny and yourself.

Shouldn’t you be involved in an organization that takes women business owners seriously? To find out more log onto www.nawbohouston.org or call 713-487-8475

Since habits are the precursors to achieving goals in life, start by changing yourself. Effective change starts from the inside out. But first, you’ve got to want to. Stephen Covey changed many lives when he published “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” They’re not a bad start if you want to prime your pump.

Success isn’t difficult when you make a habit of it.

Jack Warkenthien, CEO, NextStep Solutions.

Email him at: jwarkenthien@nextstep-solutions.com or call him at 832-344-6998 www.nextstep-solutions.com Continued from page 10 6 More Inspiring Business Lessons for Small Business Owners

clients, don’t expect their innermost dominant thought to be your business. When they are on your mind, you are on their mind.

•

6. The Formula for Unlocking your personal and/or business potential

•

• • • • • • •

Know your business purpose and objectives.

Focus on high priorities.

Fill your mind with what you’d love and allow no idle time.

Organize your financial house.

Know your costs, set your fees and stick to them.

Continually raise your standards and fees.

Organize your place of business so it’s clean, efficient

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 36

and beautiful.

Throw away anything that doesn’t serve your priorities and throw away anything you wear that doesn’t make you feel like a multimillionaire.

Put your heart into your business and treat yourself and your business with love.

For more information and to download Dr. Demartini’s Value Determination Process please visit www.DrDemartini.com.

Dr. John Demartini, a native of Houston, is a world renowned human behavior specialist, success consultant, educator and internationally published author.

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EDITORIAL FEATURE

7 Steps to Email Marketing Success

by Toni Harris

E

mail marketing is an effective way of marketing your business and keeping your name and brand in front of your customers and prospects. It is the most effective way to reach hundreds, even thousands of people with a click of the mouse. As a trainer of email marketing, I am often asked, “What is the key to getting emails opened?” For the record, a good open rate is 20-30%. This article outlines seven steps to increasing open rates and ultimately increasing business through your email marketing campaigns.

1. Your list.

Certainly one of the most important aspects of any email marketing campaign is your list. Are your names recent?

Have they agreed to be on your list? Have they shown an interest in products or services you offer? Make sure that you are using a list you built rather than buying a list.

Begin today making a concentrated effort to build your list. When networking ask your new acquaintance, “Is it okay to add you to my mailing list?” Be sure to tell them the value to being on your list. What will they receive?

I tell my potential listers that they will receive a weekly newsletter that gives them an update of who will be on my show, upcoming events, motivation, inspiration, education and transformation.

2. Your subject line.

Does your subject line grasp their attention? When I poll my classes most of the participants say that the subject line is most likely to determine whether they open the email or not. You have approximately 10 seconds to grab your reader’s attention and the subject line is the most effective way to do so. It is important to keep the subject line short approximately 5 to 8 words. Remember, most subject lines get cut off in the email list. Put the most important information at the front of the subject. Use the three S’s – shock, surprise and sense of humor to grab your audience’s attention. For example, if you are advertising a health seminar, your subject could read, “Get Off Your Meds Today!”

3. Your From: information.

What information appears in the From line of your email?

Will your recipients recognize it? Do they want to hear from you? Use your name or company name whichever is most recognizable in your From line. Oftentimes, emails are deleted without ever being opened due to an unrecognizable From name. Your From name should be brief and easily understood.

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4. Track your results.

The most valuable part of having an email service provider is reporting and tracking. Tracking allows you to determine who opened your message and clicked on a link or multiple links within your email. By determining what worked and what didn’t, you can replicate success on your next email. Tracking is particularly important when testing subject lines, imbedded links, and other direct response vehicles.

5. Allow unsubscribes with comments.

The CAN-SPAM act of 2003 requires that all email messages contain clear directions on how to opt-out from subsequent mailings. It is a good idea to allow your unsubscribers to share with you why they opt out. This way you can use their comments to improve your emails.

If recipients no longer want to hear from you, it is in your best interest to remove them from your list.

6. Link your images to your website, blog or social media.

Every image in your email should have a link to somewhere.

Ideally, you want to drive traffic to your website by adding links to your images. Make sure that you have social media links in your email so that your audience can Friend you (Facebook), Follow you (Twitter) or Connect with you (Linked In). This tip will surely increase your social media traffic.

7. Test, Test, Test!

No matter what your involvement with email marketing happens to be, it is essential that you follow the above for successful results. In addition, the key is to test, test, test! After each email campaign, measure your opens, click-throughs, and purchases. Document the specific date, time, list, subject line, and content used to produce your results. Refer back to your documentation prior to your next campaign.

Email is an easy and affordable form of marketing. There are many best practices you can follow and some simple rules that ensure effectively delivery, open and conversion.

By following the simple rules presented in this article, you’ll not only deliver an effective email campaign, you’ll discover a consistent method for generating revenue for your business.

Toni Harris, also known as the Turnaround Queen®, is an Authorized Local Expert with Constant Contact, Radio Show Host, Business Coach and Author. Listen to Toni’s radio show every Friday from 9-10 CST at www. drasticstepswithtoniharris.com or email her at toni@ toniharrisspeaks.com.

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Continued from page 8 Advertising - Choosing Words That Sell...

assured that I will follow up to make sure all tasks are done quickly and we stick to our time table of 30 days.”

Benefit – everyone wants to know “what’s in it for me?” The extra that is received by this selection needs to be presented. “The benefit of buying in this neighborhood is there is a community pool at no extra charge in your homeowner’s fees.” “The benefit of buying this house is the school bus stops right in front of your home.”

Person’s name – people love to hear the sound of their own name. Use it often during your conversation, “Marie, what do you think of the landscaping?”

Always address marketing pieces to an individual’s name not “resident or occupant.”

Other powerful words include: • • • • • • • •

Love Results Safe/safety Proven Fun New Save Now

When you advertise in the newspaper or your personal brochure, remember to use the AIDA formula for best results.

A = Attention Short vision-creating words that will entice the reader to go further.

I = Interest Create interest in the next several words to motivate them to read the rest of the ad.

tell the truth.

D = Desire Now that you have their attention you have to deliver a benefit to create a need for them to own this property. Choose a major feature of the property for building desire. “The perfect family room for gatherings by the fireplace on a cool night.”

A = Action Now that you have the reader’s attention you must ask them to move or take action on their feelings. “Call Tina today.” “Easy terms available, call now!”

6. The headline should be attention getting and eye-catching.

“What’s in it for me?”

7. Write the ad as though you were having a face-to-face conversation with the purchaser.

8. Close with a call to action. “Call Rita today!”

9. After writing the ad, review it and ask yourself, “does it inspire enthusiasm?”

1. Collect as much information as you can about the property or product.

10. Keep a copy of all your ads and make notes as to which ones work for you better than others do. Which one inspired the buyer to go on-line and search for you or pick up the phone and call?

This will help in the future for all of your ad writing.

2. Determine the target audience for the ad. Don’t aim your ad for everyone. Who is the prospect for this house or farm or office building?

Will you use these ideas and techniques in marketing? Yes, because it’s easy! Are you going to love the results? Yes, because it is free and easy to do! Guaranteed!

3. Remember people buy benefits not features. How will the buyer benefit from this purchase?

Start today!

To maximize results from your ads, follow these 10 Tips to Effective Advertising:

4. Every ad should have the location of the business both physical and your website, phone number, price and the features of the product. Using testimonials for selling your business is important.

Use a QR code.

Rita Santamaria is the owner of Champions School of Real Estate in Houston TX. Champions have campuses in Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio and On-line Campus.

For more information www.ChampionsSchool.com

5. Never exaggerate. Avoid over used words like awesome, dynamic. Never use industry jargon or abbreviations. Always

Continued from page 29 Doing Business...

things to which everyone can relate. The key is to be culturally sensitive enough to see that they are merely being expressed in different ways. Once this idea is taken into account, there should be no hindrance to succeeding in the Arab business culture.

Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine , Founder, CEO and President, MasterWord Services, Inc., can be reached at mgolovine@masterword.com or 281-589-0810 or via www.masterword.com .

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 38

Biography of Ludmila (Mila) Rusakova Golovine Founder, CEO and President of MasterWord Services, Inc. As a graduate of the Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, Mila started her company with a vision of seamlessly connecting people across any language, any time, any culture so she understands the complexities of the global marketplace and excels at providing language solutions based on creative thinking and strategic planning.

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print + identity

Custom logo design

digital

Do you have the creative team to reinforce your brand?

stationery systems

Marketing Collateral

annual reports & long documents

Is your brand’s online presence engaging dedicated users?

Website development & Maintenance

Mobile site design & development

proposals + presentations

social Media Branding

e-newsletters & digital Campaigns

Are new markets responsive to your brand?

The quick, brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

The quick, brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.

trade show Booth design

electronic presentations (e-Books & powerpoints)

proposal Management, development & design

Creative. dedicated. responsive.

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Continued from page 9 Alternative Financing for Veteran Entrepreneurs

THEIR MARKET - TEXAS • • • • • •

Small business is BIG Business in Texas 254 Counties 2.2 million Businesses with 5 or fewer employees Represents 89.4 percent of all Texas businesses Access to capital cited as the biggest challenge PeopleFund relies on strategic partnerships and local agreements to provide statewide lending along with business assistance and education

•

VET * FRAN •

VET * FRAN inspired by the late Don Dwyer, Sr., envisioned helping Veterans that wants to own Franchises

•

The Help Veterans Own Franchises (HVOF) establishes a tax credit to Veterans who become franchisees, equal to 25% of franchise fees.

•

The International Franchise Association (IFA) provides Veterans franchise opportunities through training, financial assistance, and industry support.

•

IFA’s expanded “Operation Enduring Opportunity” benefits include: Veteran Franchise Career Exchange Self – Assessment Tools Training and support Financial Resources and Ownership Incentives

TEXAS VETERANS • • • • •

Texas has 1.76 million Veterans, 8.6 percent of the population 572,355 Gulf War Era I and II Veterans Over 50 percent of Veterans live in 10 Texas Counties In the next 10 years, 35,000 new Veterans will arrive annually 878,060 working -90,208 (10.2 percent) are self employed

HOW TO APPLY • •

Online at www.peoplefund.org, click on “get a loan” Call 888-222-0017, ask to speak to a loan officer

THEIR MISSION PeopleFund creates economic opportunity by helping people through Texas to • •

Build healthy small businesses (business loans, education & assistance) Achieve financial security and independence

CDFI’s • • • •

Community Development Financial Institutions U. S. Treasury Designation Underserved Population: minorities, women owned businesses in low income census tracts PeopleFund leads the National effort to have “Veterans” listed as an underserved population

WWW.CDFIfund.org for the list of CDFI’s 500 Community Development Loan Funds 350 Community Development Banks 290 Community Development Credit Unions

Their Resource Partners • • • • • • •

Veterans Affairs (Vet Biz) Small Business Development Centers Texas Veterans Commission Office of the Governor SBA Veteran Business Development Offices and Outreach Centers Texas Military Installations Business Capital affiliates, Banks, SBA, CDFI’s.

Once again, it has been a pleasure to bring to you valuable information that will get you thinking in the right direction which can ultimately save you time and money! Good luck, stay diligent and be prosperous!

You may contact Alvin E. Terry, MBA @ alvin.terry@rocketmail.com or by Cell @ 713-392-9107

Continued from page 16 Planning for Success...

Are you prepared for growth?

For some, the recovery is revealing opportunities to expand. It’s important to make sure your business is ready.

Ask yourself what kind of preparation, such as financing, operational upgrades, and new skills you may need.

For a broader perspective, it’s a good idea to consult with other professionals who have been in your shoes.

Seek out people with relevant industry and business experience. And remember to stay in contact with a team of trusted advisors – every business owner needs at least an attorney, accountant and banker or financial advisor on their team. Consider sitting down with your advisors early in the process – not just to size up the financial resources you may need, but also to help develop your strategic plan.

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As we celebrate small businesses in May, it’s a great time to start this conversation. Use this time to reach out to trusted advisors to review your plans and, we hope, gain guidance and inspiration for your future success. * U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics ** 2010 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) data George Rose is a Wells Fargo Vice President, Business Banking Relationship Manager. He has served in small business banking in Houston TX for over 10 years George can be reached via email: george.rose@wellsfargo. com.

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 41

EDITORIAL FEATURE

All You Have To Do Is Ask!

Steven Kay Steven Kay Media

LIFE, BUSINESS & MONEY

Written by Steven Kay, Steven Kay Media LLC Talk Show Host & Producer, Media Buyer & Consultant

I

remember my first sales job, it was in telemarketing. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was young and ambitious. They gave me a week in training, and then let me loose on the phone. During training they gave me everything they said I would need: scripts to the pitch and to objection rebuttals, product information and materials, etc. After training they gave me everything they said I would need: a desk, a computer, a phone, and a list of people to call on. Everything, that is except for additional help.

I was drowning. Three days went by and no sales. Each day I felt more pressure, as I knew if I didn’t make something happen quickly they would not keep me. At the end of my shift my supervisor would ask me how I did, go over the objections I met and advised me on how I could overcome them. He always seemed willing to help but not very helpful to me. Five days in, still nothing. I started telling my supervisor I was getting close, had some call backs, and trying to make myself sound like I was doing better even though I was not. He reviewed more of my calls with me (some that he actually monitored) and offered suggestions, but I just didn’t think he was telling me anything useful.

Eventually, I figured it out. On my eighth day I closed my first deal. It was very exciting for me. I reflected on that moment for awhile, remembering everything I did to make it work. My voice inflection, my responses, my timeliness, and so forth; and told myself to repeat it exactly the same on the next call and every call after. The next day I closed two more, and then three more the following day.

It was a good thing too because they were just about to let me go. I became one of their

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top sales people and eventually moved into management. I attributed this to my ability to learn from my mistakes and teach myself how to improve my skills, never for a second considering anything they did ever helped me.

When I was at my telemarketing job struggling to figure out how to get it right, I had a supervisor trying to help me, but I wasn’t asking the right questions. Instead, I was too quick to make excuses in order to buy myself some time to work it out. Imagine how much faster I could have gotten there if I had just said “please tell me what I’m doing wrong”. In fact, I probably had a whole room full of people I could have asked for help but I did not, simply because I felt the environment was too competitive so none of my co-workers would be willing to help me. Imagine how much better I could have been if I just turned to the person next to me and said “I can’t seem to get over this objection, how do you do it”.

My point being that we are not alone! Help is all around us!!! Whatever it is that we are trying to accomplish in our lives, at our businesses, with our money; there are certain experience and skill sets that we already have and/or are our strengths, and for the rest there are people out there with the information and assets we need that we lack and/or are weak at.

Later when I started my own business, and a friend of mine introduced me to a wonderful organization called BNI (Business Network International), www.BNIhouston. com. BNI has a philosophy at the core of the organizational culture called “givers gain”, where professionals join together to be a value and a resource to others. It is there that I learned that I am not alone, that there is a

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world of resources available to me and how to ask for help when I needed it. It is there that I also learned how to be a resource to others, and the satisfaction of true success that comes from doing so.

All you have to do is look around and find them. All you have to do is ask for help. Since I had joined BNI, I have gotten involved in many organizations and have networked with thousands of people. I have enjoyed the relationships I have formed, and love being a resource to others as well as having an infinite number of resources available to me when I need it. I have found that there are many people who enjoy assisting others and are ready and willing to help, and I have found that there are many people who need my help as well. The key is to make your needs known, and be as specific as possible so people know how to aid you.

Continued from page 19 Why Hiring the Right Fit is So Critical to The Success of Your Small Business

If you have a real need, never hide it. Don’t fall into that trap of thinking protecting your image is more important.

People are not mind readers, they don’t know when or how to help you if you won’t tell them. Be open, share your needs, and you will find that will be fulfilled. Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive!”.

Then just remember to return the favor by being ready and willing to help others when they need it from you. Or better yet, be there to help them first, and ask everyone you meet how you can do so.

Steven Kay, Talk Show Host & Producer Media Buyer & Consultant, Steven Kay Media LLC, 713-STEVEN-K (713-783-8365), me@StevenKayLive.com, www.StevenKayLive.com.

BTM_hispanicchamber_ad.pdf 1 3/27/2013 3:30:25 PM

experienced versus inventing a “what if.” Want to know if they are good team players? Use “Tell me about a time when you went above and beyond for one of your team members.” Once you have concluded the interview, make sure all parties involved in the interview review and discuss the applicant and all are in agreement as to whether that person is the right fit. Tip: Remember to always treat the applicant as a customer, no matter what. Many of your applicants probably are customers and you want to keep them as such. Practice what you preach. If customer service is important to you, treat them with respect and communicate in a timely manner.

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2013 SELECTED INITIATIVES

International Summit & Business Expo Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 7:30AM - 10:30AM DoubleTree Hilton, 6 East Greenway Plaza

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4) The Job Offer. Employees never forget the moment they were offered a job they wanted. Do you remember where you were when you got the call for a job you really wanted? Phone calls are much better than letters because this not only gives the company the opportunity to convey their excitement about hiring the new employee, but it also gives the employee an opportunity to share in the excitement and ask questions. You want them to remember that moment and retain the great momentum established from the onset.

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So, now you know…go out and find the “right fit.” Your bottom line and your customers will be glad you did. You will possess that competitive advantage brought about by the People principle.

Lorraine Grubbs is the president of Lessons in Loyalty.

You can contact Lorraine at 281-813-0305 or by email at lorrainegrubbs@gmail.co www.lessonsinloyalty.com

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Energy Summit & Business Expo

Tuesday, June 18, 2013, 11:30AM - 1:00PM Hilton - University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd.

Procurement Summit & Business Expo

Wednesday, July 24, 2013, 7:30AM - 10:30AM Hilton - University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd.

Health Summit & Business Expo

Wednesday, August 28, 2013, 7:30AM - 10:30AM Hilton Americas - Downtown, 1600 Lamar St.

Elected Officials Reception

Thursday, September 26, 2013, 5:30PM - 7:00PM Hotel Zaza, 5701 Main St.

Networking and Business Development Breakfast Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 7:30AM - 9:00AM Hilton - University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd.

Call (713) 644-7070 or visit us at www.houstonhispanicchamber.com

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 43

LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR AN...

AN...

LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR A...

A...

ATTORNEY? ATTORNEY?

TITLE TITLE AGENT? AGENT? LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR A...

A...

LOOKING LOOKING FOR FOR A...

A...

REAL REAL ESTATE ESTATE AGENT? AGENT?

MORTGAGE MORTGAGE BROKER? BROKER?

WHERE YOU GO TO WORK

713-681-7001

Advertiser’s Index

2013 Females are Fabulous Conference ................... 4

Keystone Resources .....................................................39

Asian Chamber of Commerce . ................................... 22

NAWBO ..........................................................................36

Champions School of Business Development ............... 1

New Orleans Auction Galleries ..............................26

Champions School of Real Estate .......................... 8

Sales Nexus ............................................................... 20

Courthouse Direct ......................................................... 44

Southern News Group ........................................ 26

Cruise & Hughes ........................................... Back Cover

Steven Kay ....................................................................40

GBH CPAs ...................................................................27

STOA Architects

Greatland Investment ................................................. 27

Stone Mountain Properties

HBS National Corp .................................................... 26

TG Design ....................................................................33

Houston Hispanic Chamber .......................................43

Utegration

Houston Minority Supplier Development Council ..........

WBEA

.............................................................Inside Back Cover

Westpark Communications ................. Inside Front Cover

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 44

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.................................................................. 26 .......................................................................2

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SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 1

SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE JUNE 2013 | PG 2

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