Business and Marketing Podcast with Dan Scully

In this episode, we talk with Dan Scully of Vantage Point Communications.  He is the owner of the company and has also been instrumental in helping Select Business Team grow.  Over the years, Dan has started several new teams and provided great ideas for making changes that have improved our company.

I'm honored at how much Dan has supported Select over the years and when he moved away, he was greatly missed.  Now that he has settled in his new home, he realizes how much he missed our concept, so he's in the process of starting a Team on the eastern shore in MD.

If you listened to episode 7, we talked about strategic partners and Dan uses his network of strategic partners not only for building his business but for creating opportunities for others.  He's a connector and a creative!

Three of my takeaways:

Business owners often wear many hats which can inhibit growth so try to hire someone quickly to do some of the small tasks in your business

Think about having a budget and a marketing plan so that you don’t miss opportunities

Don’t let fear of failure keep you from starting a business. People learn from failure so if you surround yourself with the right Team, you’ll see greater success and less failure

One of the most important components of today's discussion is having a business plan.  Some of the concepts Dan discussed are essential in building a solid business especially when he moved to a new state and how that could help him grow quickly.

If you are a business owner without a plan, check out our webinars 'Build, Grow and Ignite' which we offer once a month. You can check our webinar schedule on the events calendar.

RESOURCES

Episode 3 - Nicole Orisme - NLH Contracting - if you need help with hiring, this is a great episode

ABOUT OUR GUEST - DAN SCULLY

Dan is the owner of Vantage Point Communications and he provides business and non profits with marketing materials from give-aways to wearable branded apparel.  Learn more about Dan on LinkedIn.

Business and Marketing Podcast

Welcome to episode 7 of the Select Business Team podcast.  We are mixing up the format today and instead of interviewing one of our members, we are going to talk about creating a referral marketing plan focused on generating referrals from strategic partners. You can create a referral marketing plan that is focused on your clients or just the general public, but I think focusing on strategic partners will expand your opportunities for generating business.

At Select Business Team, part of what we focus on with our clients is creating business opportunities and this is usually done through other members on the team, which could be considered strategic partners.  We frequently discuss strategies to make this happen and as you’ll discover in some of our other podcasts, the more you help your strategic partners, which we refer to as your ‘Team,” the more they will help you.  If you just put your hand out and ask for something, you won’t reap the rewards of this type of program.

First I want to lay the foundation and suggest you create a plan. I’ve always believed that when you have a plan, you have a guide….it's like having a road map. Having a plan is also a tool that allows you to measure your results. When it comes to creating business opportunities from referrals, having a plan is no different. Without the plan, it’s easy to digress, get lost or even not do anything at all.

Some people think that a plan takes a lot of work. In some ways, it does, but the type of plan I am referring to isn’t one that needs to be pages long or researched to death; A simple excel spreadsheet can work. It can be as detailed or simplistic as you want. Ultimately, it needs to be one that works for you. One that you feel excited about and one that you will keep working. Remember, fail to plan….plan to fail!

One thing to keep in mind as you are creating your referral marketing plan is that the plan doesn’t have to be etched in stone. You can modify as you go along. Keep track of your efforts and focus on what is working. Don't over complicate things.

Before you get started, identify what you want to accomplish. Build the plan with the end goal in mind. Initially, I would recommend that you keep things realistic…maybe even stretch your goals a bit, but don’t go overboard right away because it is easy to get overwhelmed when you do and then, you might abandon the project altogether or nothing might happen.

Your overall referral marketing plan should include identifying your strategic partners, then building out the plan by mapping out how will you approach them, how will you educate them on what you do, who you are looking for and how will you stay in touch with them.

If you are in a service type of industry, one of the best areas to focus when creating your referral marketing plan is building a network of strategic partners. These are people that are in non-competing industries but who go after the same customer base as you. Here are two examples:

Perhaps you are a business attorney. Your strategic partners might be accountants, financial advisors that implement 401k plans, business bankers, business insurance agents, consultants and web designers. Each of these professions deals with business owners which is the same profession that the business attorney would be working with. 

What if you were an electrical contractor that focused on residential homes. Strategic partners for you might be plumbing, flooring, painting, carpentry, landscaping and drywall contractors.  They are non-competing professions but their customer base is the same as yours, homeowners.

Make a list of strategic partners for your industry. Then think about how many people you know in each of those professions. Look at:

Your LinkedIn connections,

Today we are talking with Paula Mattson-Sarli who is an estate planning attorney.  She has her own practice and as an attorney does things a little bit differently.  She offers to go to her client’s home, instead of only meeting them in her office.  Paula is not only a member of Select Business Team, she is one of our meeting facilitators.

As an estate planning attorney, she provides many services from estate planning to preparing living documents.  Estate planning is one of those that areas that many people don’t think applies to them….until it’s too late. From health care directives to living wills, everyone needs to make sure they have the proper paperwork in place in the event something happens to them. You don’t need a lot of wealth before you meet with an estate planning attorney, but it’s wise to have a conversation with one when everyone is young and healthy so that proper planning can be implemented.

A personal experience inspired Paula to follow this path of law. Her passion shows through in her conversations and in the way she treats her clients. Listen along to this episode and you’ll not only get a few insights into starting a business, you’ll also get some valuable estate planning information.

During this episode, we have a great discussion about business plans, particularly the financial and marketing components and then Paula shares a lot of insights on documents we should all consider. Three of my favorite nuggets

Having living documents to cover any type of incapacity

Understanding what long term care costs are for seniors what your options are if you need these benefits and don't have the resources

Why you don’t want to download important estate planning documents from the internet

Listen along to this episode and you’ll get insights into running your business and some extremely valuable estate planning information.

ABOUT OUR GUEST –  PAULA MATTSON-SARLI

Paula Mattson-Sarli, is an estate planning attorney and the owner of Personal Touch Law. Her website is  personaltouchlaw.com.  Connect with her on LinkedIn, Follow her on Facebook.

Business and Marketing Podcast With Neil Hyman

This episode is a conversation with Neil Hyman who is an employment law attorney. As a solo practitioner, he deals with employee issues representing both employees and employers.  You’ll find his thoughts on staffing beneficial.

Most law schools don’t teach their students how to manage a practice, so when Neil was ready to open his doors, he had to fast track his business owner training.  He shares some of the ups and downs of getting started and the obstacles he’s had to overcome with business and how he’s invested in marketing and the payoff he’s receiving.

A good part of this discussion focuses on the good and the bad of hiring employees.  Ironically, as an employment law attorney, Neil does not have any employees. Does he know something we should all know?

RESOURCES

Beginning December 2016 there are new Federal employment regulations that all employers need to be aware of.  You’ll find resources below for doing your own research, but Neil provides a great oversight on the topic.  It’s a big question mark for many employers and how to handle the new regulations so don’t ignore these new regulations.  If you aren’t sure how to implement them into your business, consult with Neil.

If you want to do a little research on your own, here are the resources we mentioned in this episode:

Fair Labor Standards Act – Department of Labor

Society for Human Resources

ABOUT OUR GUEST – NEIL HYMAN  

Neil runs his own law practice , Law Office of Neil S. Hyman, LLC.  His website is  neilhymanlaw.com.  Connect  with him on LinkedIn.  If you have questions about employment law, either as an employer or an employee, give Neil a call at 301-841-7105.  If he can’t help you, he will refer you to someone that can.

Business and Marketing Podcast with Gideon Culman

Today we are talking with Gideon Culman who is a Life Coach and works with individuals who are ready to make a change.  Gideon isn’t your typical coach…he has three liberal arts degrees and two masters degrees (yes, you read that correctly), a coaches certification from the International Coach Federation, his resume includes international experience, he speaks several languages and he describes himself as curious!

Realizing that it can be lonely when starting a home based business is something that people don’t expect when they start a home based business.  The reality is that working from home can be great if you are trying to keep expenses low or if you are trying to balance work with the home life.  But not having contact with other businesses professionals regularly can impact your success as a business owner.

In this episode we talk about different co-working spaces to get your company out of the house while keeping expenses reasonable and minimizing the loneliness of a home based business.

You’ll also learn why surrounding yourself with a team of professionals from other industries can be extremely beneficial for your business.

If you are thinking about becoming a coach or if you are curious about how a coach can help, you’ll find significant value in this episode.

Today he shares his biggest surprise about getting started in business and we have an interesting discussion about different co-working spaces and how they can benefit business.

RESOURCES

If you are looking to get your office out of your house but aren't ready for a big committment, check out some of these co-working spaces:

Launch Workplaces - mostly in the DC area

WeWork - locations around the world

Intelligent Office - locations throughout the US

1776 - more of an incubator, but might inspire you to find something like this in your area

ABOUT OUR GUEST - GIDEON CULMAN

Gideon has been a member of Select Business Team for 2 years and I’m constantly impressed with his wisdom. Connect with Gideon and see if what he offers is a good fit for you.

Visit his website  - GideonCulman.com 

Find him on LinkedIn

Connect on Facebook

Business Development Podcast With Nicole Orisme

It is hard to grow your company when it is one person wearing many hats.  There are many considerations when adding to the team, from employees to independent contractors, but as a business owner, do you know all the rules and regulations? In episode 3 we are talking with Nicole Orisme of NLH Contracting and they offer outsourced human resource consulting. Nicole talks about what employers need to think about when it comes to making the first hire….from employee handbooks to company benefits, this episode is packed full of great information for small business owners thinking about hiring employees and for people who are going into business and need their spouses support.

When Nicole mentions that she met with Debbie at the Womens Business Center, she was referring to the owner of Select Business Team and the host of this podcast….Debbie taught a class called the ABC’s of Starting a Business, and she was a participant.  They had a conversation about what she was doing, met a few times to discuss Nicole's business and during one of the  meetings, Nicole said she wanted to focus on government contracts which could take about 6 months.  In that same conversation, Nicole mentioned she had her husbands support with the business, so Debbie asked her what type of revenue her husband was expecting from her….it was her ah ha moment…the light bulb went off because she realized she needed to generate some revenue long before she might get a government contract. 

Then Debbie invited her to a Select Business Team (SBT) meeting. When Nicole visited the SBT meeting, she was introduced to several business owners and a few turned into clients. This jump started her business and since then her revenue has blossomed.

During this episode, we talk about your role as an owner in your company and encourage you to evaluate the efficiencies or inefficiencies in your business and Nicole provides several ideas to help you determine your true value within your organization.

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Nicole Orisme who is the owner of NLH Contracting.  Her website is the same as her company name: NLH Contracting.com.  Connect with her on Linkedin  of follow her on Facebook.  If you need advice from an experienced human resources consulting firm, you should contact Nicole.  She and her team can keep you out of a lot of hot water!

Business and Networking Podcast with Debbie DeChambeau

What is the best place for you to network? Part of it depends on what you want to get out of your networking and how much time, money and energy you want to commit.  Every organization has it't differences from giving back to the community to being random people getting together with the intention of making valuable business connections.  There is nothing wrong with being part of more than one organization, but if you are going to join, make sure you have to time to participate.  Otherwise, you are basically wasting your money.  Just having your name as a member doesn't really add value.  You need to participate, meet the other members and get involved in some capacity.

During this episode you'll hear several options for you to consider as you build out a networking plan.  Remember, if you are going to attend networking events, make sure you schedule time afterwards for follow up....otherwise, you have wasted a good portion of your time meeting and talking to people!  Here are the networking organizations we discuss in this episode:

Chamber of  Commerce

Rotary

Leadership Programs

Mastermind

Associations

Meet-Up

Creating Your Own

What makes one better or different than another?  That depends on what you are looking for.  Think about your ideal client, your target market and your geographical location.  If you are a national company, you will probably want to join a national association and make a point to visit the different state chapters.  If you are local based retail organization, you'll want to be in an organization that is made up of local members.

Let us know which networking organizations work best for you and your company....and why.  Leave a comment below.  

RESOURCES

Download your copy of Perfect Introduction In Reverse

ABOUT THE HOST

Debbie DeChambeau has been helping business owners and sales professionals build a referral network for over 20 years.  She is a speaker, co-author of Renewable Referrals and the founder of Select Business Team.  If you need help building your referral business, connect with Debbie.

Connect on LinkedIn

Connect on Instagram

Business and Marketing Podcast With Debbie DeChambeau

Networking is a marketing tactic that has been around forever, but during recent years, networking groups have become a formalized process that has generated millions of dollars in revenue for companies that participate. During this episode, Debbie shares her road to starting Select Business Team which originally started as a networking or referral group but has grown into a business development organization with networking as a benefit.  Some of the discussions you’ll hear in the introductory episode include:

Is a Networking Group right for you? - since this type of business development can take a little bit of time it’s important to make sure your schedule can accommodate the commitment.  Ideas to help you decide are provided.

How does a networking group differ from other networking opportunities? – The most effective networking groups are one person per profession, weekly or bi weekly structured meetings with professionals that are committed to helping others. Having a facilitator that keeps the meeting focused and not getting off track where the direction of the meeting can get lost makes a big difference in the value your’ll receive as a member.

Why is a networking group important for building know, like and trust? - When you meet with people on a regular basis and hear their successes it makes it easy for them to introduce you to people who need your products or services. 

How do you decide on a group? - You’ll hear several ideas for making a decision on the best group for you to join. From the initial way you were greeted when you walk in the door to the follow up from members.

This episode is packed full of information on how to make the right decision when joining a networking group. Let us know your favorite ideas below or share them on iTunes. Also let us know your experience with networking groups 

RESOURCES DISCUSSED:

Duct Tape Marketing Podcast - As mentioned in this episode, Debbie is a member of Duct Tape Marketing which is network of marketing consultants implementing the Duct Tape Marketing System. This system helps business owners navigate the world of marketing which is rapidly evolving as technology and media platforms develop.  John Jantsch is the founder of Duct Tape Marketing and his podcast is a great resource for trending marketing information.  If you need marketing assistance, feel free to reach out to Debbie and her team can help you implement the Duct Tape Marketing System.

Business Network International - while Select Business Team might be considered a competitor, BNI is an international organization with a great reputation. If you are listening to this podcast outside of the DC area and want to join a networking group, this would be one option to consider. If you want to start your own group, give Debbie a call and discuss as we are expanding as well and would love to help you start in other areas.

ABOUT THE HOST

Debbie DeChambeau has been helping business owners and sales professionals build a referral network for over 20 years.  In addition to having her own referral/networking organization, she regularly trains on how to build a business that is focused on growing as a result of referred business.  If you need help building your referral business, connect with Debbie.

Connect on LinkedIn

Connect on Instagram