The Entrepreneurs Yoga Guide… HEHEHE

The Entrepreneurs Yoga Guide… HEHEHE

Looking to make a difference in your day and business? Well sometimes its all in the way you relax. Stressed money does not always make money. Try it out and let us know how did?

Happy Friday... Do something fun... Love your business, live your life and succeed ALWAYS! Follow us at www.twitter.com/bizvirtuoso; visit us at http://www.bizvirtuoso.com/ Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148. Hope this was helpful!!!

Your Fellow Virtuosos!

Idea VS Virtuoso

Idea VS Virtuoso

I recently read an article on Entreprenuer.com title… It’s not the idea – Its what you do with it. This statement was so relevant to today’s economy and business climate. Many business owners experience hesitations in launching their companies based on their confusion on the most effective strategies and marketing methods when it comes to a new idea.

Coincidentally, this same concern became a topic of discussion at an event just this week. Just a few days ago, I was an active participant in an entrepreneur discussion hosted by DonAngelo Bevans of www.thegameconsulting.com. During this session, the speaker discussed problem solving techniques and tools. One problem that surfaced was FEAR of idea pirvacy and how the focus on the negatives often leads to new business failures. Throughout the discussion, many people had several different interpretations of this frequent entrepreneur obstacle. Whether you are looking to get funding from private investors, banks and through other sources, you must expose vision before they can buy into your ideas, CORRECT? You would be surprised at how many entrepreneur cringe or even freeze at the thought of this or the potential that they may lose their time, money and emotional investments to launch this “new big thing.” However, one thing that we all can agree on is that “there are many ideas, but the people or executers are the difference.” So why does it matter if you share your vision, if you are confident that YOU and ONLY you have the insight to execute it most effectively? In saying this… What do you think?

o As a “Virtuoso” or expert in your business, is it the idea that makes you success in business or is it you that drives, sells and grows the vision into a reality?

o How can you measure the rewards in the risk as a business owner if you do not have the courage to leap?

o How valuable is an idea with out the “Virtuoso” to properly execute or how valuable is the “Virtuoso” without a new and brilliant idea?

o When selling, marketing and launching your business, is it more important for you to stand out in the crowd, have effective communication, top-notch sales ability, or is it all about what you are selling?

Sit and ponder on this and let us know your thoughts.

“Marketing takes a day to learn. Unfortunately it takes a lifetime to master.”

~ Phil Kolter

Coming soon: “The Virtuoso Start-Up Handbook.” Follow us at www.twitter.com/bizvirtuoso, visit us at www.bizvirtuoso.com Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148.

Ms.Virtuoso

Becoming the GO TO Networker

Becoming the GO TO Networker

As we’ve discussed before, networking is not so much about how many people you can meet to close more deals. The ultimate networkers are “Go To” resources or “Centers of Influences” for many people and businesses. So how can you become that person? It is not easy but there are simple steps to get you one step closer to becoming that PERSON in the minds of your friends, colleagues, associates and even competition.

Lets start where it really matters. GET OUT THERE AND MEET PEOPLE! Well to begin, it is obvious that you should be involved, visible and active within your community, organizations and networks. By becoming visible and present resource that people can depend on, you start to build your reputation in their minds.

Next, be sure to be dependable and trustworthy. If you say you can, make sure you get it done! Credibility and Dependability are invaluable characteristic everyone appreciates and remembers. By being this person in the minds of your network, you are one more step closer to becoming that influencer.

Now, that you have the attention of your partners and community members, build a comprehensive database. Whether you do so, or you outsource this task, be sure to be detailed in your database of contacts, prospects and relationships. Opportunity is found in the details! And in business detail is everything from birthdays, anniversaries, spouse name, children names, interesting facts, notes of previous conversations, likes and dislikes and much more that keeps this person fresh in your mind.

Lastly, STAY CONNECTED! Find out on a monthly basis, what is going on with your community members. How is business? What are their needs? After doing this, go a step further to connect, suggest or resolve whatever obstacle your connect is currently going through. A constant and genuine touch these contacts such as these will make you stand out as more than just another “aggressive networker.” If you don’t have the answer or the understanding, connect them with the person that may be that resource to them. By selflessly making connections and solving problems for others, the law of reciprocity will eventually turn towards you.

Now you got our tips for today… What are you waiting for??? To learn more on relationship building, check out “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazi. Become a “VIRTUOSO” in your business today and launch yourself to a new plane of success before the end of 2010.

Visit us at www.bizvirtuoso.com for more information about who we are and what we do! Set up a free consultation today and let us help you succeed in 2010!

Virtuoso Consulting Team

Branding does not end there…

Branding does not end there…

Congratulations! You started your business, selected a name, created your slogan and developed a logo. Now you can go out, print your business cards and new business will flock to you… RIGHT???

NOT EXACTLY… Try again… there is much more to do and lots of steps to take before you are just as known as NIKE, APPLE or PEPSI! All the largest brands have invested lots of time, effort, money, intention and strategy into making sure that their customers know exactly whom they are and what they do. Why should you and your business be any different? You want to grow a success business and long lasting brand right? If not, you can stop reading here.

In order to build an effective and strategic brand there are 3 core things every business owner should be conscious and considerate of.

• Delivery – Whom are you targeting? Who is your current customer? Where do they live and work? Why will they buy from you? After you’ve asked yourself the following questions, you should have a better idea where to advertise your business, what networking events to attend and where to strategically position your company to attract customers.

• Perception – What do your perspective customers think about you and your business? Are they comfident that you can provide the products or services they need and want? Consumer buying motives are driven based on a person's confidence that you can provide what they want and need. Therefore you as the business owner are a vital ingredient in the sucess of your company's brand. Become intentional in your actions because people are watching and basing their decisions on which they “think” you are.

• Expectations - What are your result expectations of the branding process? Branding is not a passive activity but an ongoing and effort driven process. Brand awareness and branding success is not easily accomplished without a strategy, intention and action plan. You could have the best idea or plan that no one ever hears about. Become clear on your expectations from the branding process and your level of involvement. Once these decisions are clarified, you will know how to properly structure you team to become most effective in this process.

Friend us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizvirtuoso or visit us at www.bizvirtuoso.com Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148. Hope this was helpful!!!

Signed by your Fellow Virtuoso,

Cynthia G. Peacock

5 Secrets to Business Success by Richard Branson

Richard Branson: Five Secrets to Business

Success

The celebrated entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group offers his tips for starting out.

By Richard Branson | September 9, 2010

I am often asked if I have found a secret – or at least a consistent answer – to successfully building businesses over my career.

So I’ve spent some time thinking about what characterizes so many of Virgin’s successful ventures and, importantly, what went wrong when we did not get it right. Reflecting across 40 years I have come up with five “secrets.”

No. 1: Enjoy What You Are Doing. Because starting a business is a huge amount of hard work, requiring a great deal of time, you had better enjoy it. When I started Virgin from a basement flat in West London, I did not set out to build a business empire. I set out to create something I enjoyed that would pay the bills.

There was no great plan or strategy. The name itself was thought up on the hoof. One night some friends and I were chatting over a few drinks and decided to call our group Virgin, as we were all new to business. The name stuck and had a certain ring to it.

For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that’s going to make a real difference to other people’s lives.

A businesswoman or a businessman is not unlike an artist. What you have when you start a company is a blank canvas; you have to fill it. Just as a good artist has to get every single detail right on that canvas, a businessman or businesswoman has to get every single little thing right when first setting up in business in order to succeed. However, unlike a work of art, the business is never finished. It constantly evolves.

If a businessperson sets out to make a real difference to other people’s lives, and achieves that, he or she will be able to pay the bills and have a successfulbusiness to boot.

No. 2: Create Something That Stands Out. Whether you have a product, a service or a brand, it is not easy to start a company and to survive and thrive in the modern world. In fact, you’ve got to do something radically different to make a mark today.

Look at the most successful businesses of the past 20 years. Microsoft, Google or Apple, for example, shook up a sector by doing something that hadn’t ever been done and by continually innovating. They are now among the dominant forces.

No. 3: Create Something That Everybody Who Works for You is Really Proud of. Businesses generally consist of a group of people, and they are your biggest assets.

No. 4: Be a Good Leader. As a leader you have to be a really good listener. You need to know your own mind but there is no point in imposing your views on others without some debate. No one has a monopoly on good ideas or good advice.

Get out there, listen to people, draw people out and learn from them. As a leader you’ve also got to be extremely good at praising people. Never openly criticize people; never lose your temper, and always lavish praise on your colleagues for a job well done.

People flourish if they’re praised. Usually they don’t need to be told when they’ve done wrong because most of the time they know it. If somebody is not working out, don’t automatically throw him or her out of the company. A company should genuinely be a family. So see if there’s another job within the company that suits them better. On most occasions you’ll find something for every single kind of personality.

No. 5: Be Visible. A good leader does not get stuck behind a desk. I’ve never worked in an office – I’ve always worked from home – but I get out and about, meeting people. It seems I am traveling all the time but I always have a notebook in my back pocket to jot down questions, concerns or good ideas.

If I’m on a Virgin Atlantic plane, I make certain to get out and meet all the staff and many of the passengers. If you meet a group of Virgin Atlantic crew members, you are going to have at least 10 suggestions or ideas. If I don’t write them down, I may remember only one the next day. By writing them down, I remember all 10. Get out and shake hands with all the passengers on the plane, and again, there are going to be people who had a problem or have a suggestion. Write it down, make sure that you get their names, get their e-mail addresses, and make sure the next day that you respond to them.

Of course, I try to make sure that we appoint managing directors who have the same philosophy. That way we can run a large group of companies in the same way a small business owner runs a family business – keeping it responsive and friendly.

When you’re building a business from scratch, the key word for many years is “survival.” It’s tough to survive. In the beginning you haven’t got the time or energy to worry about saving the world. You’ve just got to fight to make sure you can look after your bank manager and be able to pay the bills. Literally, your full concentration has to be on surviving.

Obviously, if you don’t survive, just remember that most businesses fail and the best lessons are usually learned from failure. You must not get too dispirited. Just get back up and try again.

© 2010 Richard Branson

Questions from readers will be answered in future columns. Please send them toBransonQuestions@Entrepreneur.com. Please include your name and country in your question.

Recent Articles from Richard Branson

• Richard Branson on Building a Brand for Your Business
• Richard Branson: New Ventures, Heroes and a Hammock
• Richard Branson: Five Questions on Business Philosophy

Slow down… Enjoy the Journey

Slow down… Enjoy the Journey

Being an entrepreneur is HARD. Sometimes we must make ourselves stop and enjoy what we fight for daily. There is no better time to do this than the present…

Just what the doctor ordered???

Friend us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bizvirtuoso, visit us at http://www.bizvirtuoso.com/ Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148. Have a wonderful WEEKEND!

Biz Virtuoso, Inc.

Who is YOUR target market?

Who is YOUR target market?

So how do you approach marketing to your potential customers. Do you just throw money into your marketing campaigns without considering exactly whom you want to reach? Do you know exactly how successful each marketing strategy you’ve executed is? Here are a few tips to keep define your TARGET CUSTOMERS and help you close more deals.

1 . Complete an analysis of your current customers:

a. Who are they?

b. Where do they live?

c. How did you meet them?

d. What products or services are they using?

e. What is your current customer life cycle?

2. Redefine or Define your products and services:

a. What are you selling?

b. What does it cost?

c. How can customers reach you or purchase your products or services?

d. What other products can you offer that support your current business strategy?

3. Who do you want to work with? Are you laughing at this one or did you say I want to work with anyone that pays? Well, that may just be a strategy to fail. Each person has both types of customers that are naturally attracted to you or people you work the best with. Figure this out and you may save yourself a lot of time.

a. What is your personality type?

b. What are some of your current customers’ personality types?

c. Who do you work best with?

Want to learn more on how we can help you strategically MARKET your business? Call our Virtuoso Consulting Team at 1-800-383-1148 or email us at consulting@bizvirtuoso.com.

Your Fellow Virtuoso,

Cynthia G. Peacock

The Art of Virtuoso Networking: Event Strategies

The Art of Virtuoso Networking: Event Strategies

These days networking has become a vital way to both build awareness for your business and find qualified leads. There are endless resources out there that tell business owners how to network, where to network and when to network, but it still seems that some people are missing bits and pieces of this vital information. At Biz Virtuoso, we’ve decided to break down some of the critical things about networking in our new writing series: The Art of Virtuoso Networking. Each time we discuss this topic, it will be focused on a location or the effective uses of certain networking strategies. Lets start with the biggest failures people have when it comes to networking and figuring out where to be and how to be most effective.

Event Networking Strategies

• Selecting Your Event – When selecting which event to attend, be sure you will be attending an event where the majority or a good amount of your potential clients will also be attendance. Many times, people select events that sound interesting and there are no real connections and leads to be made.

• Reach out to Coordinators or Hosts – Be sure to either introduce yourself via email or telephone to the hosts of the event to either learn more information about the event or to clarify what you can expect. By doing this, you will have a informal introduction of who you are and what you do, incase they can suggest certain people you should meet.

• Attire – This item is along with your branding of yourself and your business. For example: If you are selling yourself as a stylist or marketing consultant, make sure your prospects can perceive the same thing about you. Always be professional and conservative over trendy, to be safe. (more to come in future articles)

• During the Event – Walk the room, smile, introduce yourself and jump into the fun. Most times everyone is just as nervous as you to talk and meet, so you should not be nervous about being the aggressor in these situations. If your unsure who to approach or what to say, look for a personal connection that can break the ice before diving into business.

• Follow up- Always give yourself deadlines to either email, call or link to the contacts that you meet. Do your best to make a re-introduction within 1 week of the meeting, otherwise, you risk them forgetting you and the event.

Do you have any other tips on networking you could share with our readers???? Look out for our next “ The Art of Virtuoso Networking” installment…

Want to learn more about how we can help your business? Visit us at www.bizvirtuoso.com Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148.

Cynthia G. Peacock

Brand Optimizations… The Virtuoso Way…

Brand Optimizations… The Virtuoso Way…

What is BRANDING? This word is used daily by many experts about businesses, but how many business owners and entrepreneurs understand exactly what it is and how it will affect your bottom line in business. According to Wikipedia: A brand is the identity of a specific product, service, or business. A brand can take many forms, including a name, sign, symbol, color combination or slogan.

But how does your brand relate to you and why is branding such a critical step in your business? At Biz Virtuoso, we believe your brand is your company story, whether visual or print, we believe your brand is a compilation of exactly what your company stands for and what you look forward to being to your customers. As business owners we all sometimes overlook the importance of strategically branding our companies and skip right to trying to sell our products or services. Industry and market research survey continue to remind us that customers generally having buying loyalties to brands they are familiar with or brands that stand out to them as individuals. So why not take the time to create your story and image to the outside world. Here are a few tips we think your should consider before finalizing your brand:

1. Identify you ideal customer profile: How can you brand your company before you know whom you are targeting and selling to. Completing and clarifying your ideal customer profile, will help you to make the branding decisions of style, tone, color and appeal that will speak to your target audience.

2. Definite the branding mission: What is the bigger picture of your company? Who do you want to become in the market and how do you want your customers to be influenced and affected. With clarity in this, your brand will begin to take shape.

3. Develop your creative visual representations of your brand: After the last 2 steps have been finalized. Work with a graphic designer that has the abilities to creatively develop examples of your brand that are complimentary or a visual portrayal of what your brand really stands for. If you take a look at our Biz Virtuoso brand… We decided to take the position of being “A Helping Hand In All Your Business Needs”. Tell us what you see?

4. You are your brand: Once the visual creatives are complete, the branding process is still not done. As the business owner, you must live your brand as naturally as you can. We are not telling you to change your name or your identity… Your brand should represent you already. However, you must take a closer look at people’s perceptions of you as an individual can affect their perceptions of your brand.

5. Sweeten up your brand: Last but certainly not least… SWEETEN it up. Add a twist, a pop, an edge to your overall brand that will make you unforgettable to your customers and prospect. This could be adding flare through your website, business cards, hosting an event, or the way people hear about your brand. A little “sweetness” can go a long way in the bitter task people have when dealing with many businesses similar to yours.

We hope this article really helps you to create, redefine or finalize your brand. For more useful information on branding and how the largest brands were created… Check out this great book on creating your brand: ZAG by Marty Neumeier.

Follow us at www.twitter.com/bizvirtuoso; visit us at http://www.bizvirtuoso.com/ Or CALL US at 1-800-383-1148. Hope this was helpful!!!

Your Fellow Virtuosos!

Fundamentals of Virtuoso Planning

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” ~ Benjamin Franklin

As many of you “Virtuosos” may already know, in order to have a successful business, planning is essential. You would be surprised to know how many business owners fail to have a plan before going into a new business and opening their doors for customers. At Biz Virtuoso, we are your plan “virtuosos” and we offer you a helping hand in all you business strategy and planning needs. To get you started, check out the following:

Three Planning Strategies

• Set goals and outline the critical steps that will get you there. Be clear and specific about what you want do, and why you want to do it? Learn how to effectively set and define your goals for future success will put you one step closer to becoming a “Virtuoso” in your business or industry. Learn how to effectively establish your goal with a clear healthy mindset. As the business owner, you are the visionary and you must help your team visualize the ultimate goal.

• Utilized expert tested planning templates and tools that can help you lay out the foundation of your business plan. Unless you are a natural writer and plan developer, these tools can help you fine tune current standards in your operational, marketing, management and financial growth strategies for your organization. This in turn, results in an effective realization for the organization goals in a shorter time frame, without all the wasted time staring at a blank screen to figure out where to begin.

• Be strategic and clear about your management and staffing strategies early. In order to grow your business to the levels you want to achieve, you must consider your business size now. Be clear about you the development of your management technique and style and implement those principles in your planning process. We always suggest that as business owners, you must focus less controlling every detail, but supporting capable employees who can execute for you. Management is a necessary and vital element we find as the cause of all successful organizations.

Are you using these tools and taking these steps in your fundamental planning process? Do you have any comments or more tips to share with our readers? Feel free to leave your comments below…

Want to learn more about how we can help your business. Visit us at http://www.bizvirtuoso.com or Call us at 800-383-1148. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Brenda Alexander