LEARNING IS FOREVER

Many small business owners believe that they are the foremost authority in their type of business. I have practiced my profession for over 25 years, and every day I search for new information about my business. Yesterday morning my partner and I watched a video that I purchased on how to increase your market share.  Without a doubt, the young man that produced the video changed my entire marketing direction for one of my companies.

How many times have you been approached by someone who said “I can help increase your bottom line” or “I can help you take your business to the next level” and for whatever reason you did not believe the person?

In addition to my own consulting practice and my launch of our new small business format, BizQuack, I serve as a volunteer mentor on a nonprofit organization, Business Mentor Team. We have a group of approximately 25 mentors who are, in my opinion, the best collective group of coaches and mentors in Arizona.  We support existing small businesses that need to grow and also that meet our criteria. We provide a volunteer mentor to work with them for a six month period with mandatory weekly meetings. In the six years that I have been a member I have seen the most amazing transformations and business growth and our success is over 96%,

Friday I again start my work with Arizona State University as a mentor for students wanting to start a business. These students have no preconceived notions about how a business is supposed to grow and are open to our business guidance. This year we will have over 350 new businesses starting at ASU, and I am sure that there will be many unbelievable new businesses “hatched”.

My point today is to ask you to keep an open mind and to accept as well as to seek guidance from others. Even within our BizQuack community, if you feel lost for direction or need more business, read the marketing blogs and select one to implement. Call another BizQuack member. Introduce yourself and invite that person to share their story over a cup of coffee. Something good will happen.

The outreach is in your court. Growing your business requires you to become a sponge and learn from anyone that has something to offer. Not all ideas are good, but you will find that gold nugget if you look hard enough.

“The world is a university and every in it is a teacher.  Make sure when you wake up in the morning you go to school.”  Bishop T.D. Jakes