| Before you decide whether or not running your | | | | workshop.The most effective method for me was |
| own business is right for you, start by | | | | going to structured networking events, |
| pinpointing your area of expertise and | | | | generating leads and following up on them. I |
| assessing your aptitude for business.Starter | | | | enjoyed moderate success, 6 - 8 people per |
| Questions Ask yourself the following | | | | workshops. This was certainly a lot less than |
| questions:- In what areas do people approach | | | | what I had anticipated. When I called Dottie |
| me for advice and assistance? | | | | Walters again, she assured me that I had been |
| | | | more successful than most people who had |
| From what parts of my job do I get the most | | | | attempted to offer public seminars. The |
| satisfaction?- What do I like doing so much | | | | participants loved the workshops and found |
| that I would do it even with no pay?- What | | | | that the techniques which I taught really |
| hobbies or interests could I "spin off"into a | | | | helped them.Have Frequent CheckpointsRe-set |
| small business?- Do I enjoy budgeting and | | | | Your CourseCheckpoints are important. I |
| financial planning?- Do I enjoy making cold | | | | paused and evaluated what I was doing, I |
| calls, tele-marketing and selling?- Do I have | | | | realized that, while I learned a lot and had |
| enough self-discipline to work on my own?- | | | | satisfied my customers, the numbers I was |
| How easy is it for me to bounce back from | | | | generating were not nearly enough to make it |
| rejection & setbacks?Proceed with | | | | possible for me to "give up my day job". It |
| CautionBefore you take the plunge, it's | | | | also became clear that it was the phone calls |
| important to "wade in gradually" or you may | | | | and not the flyers that were resulting in |
| just find yourself swamped. Before I started | | | | registrations. Working all day. Trying to |
| The Training Oasis, Inc. I tested the waters | | | | get my toddler settled and to bed on time so |
| for a few years by doing some freelance | | | | that I could hit the phones at night was |
| facilitation and design work while I was | | | | bringing me closer and closer to |
| still employed. I enjoyed it.At the time, it | | | | burnout.Next, I tried to hire someone who |
| seemed that a logical transition would have | | | | would work on commission to do the phoning |
| been to become an associate of one of the | | | | for me. The result - it bombed. She was |
| firms that used my design and facilitation | | | | unable to close a single sale. As an |
| skills from time to time. Things don't always | | | | entrepreneur, a lot of your initial success |
| go as planned. Despite persistent effort, I | | | | will come from your own enthusiasm. |
| couldn't find a consulting firm that was | | | | Sometimes, it's difficult for a third party |
| willing to add me to their regular "string" | | | | to convey your vision with the same passion |
| of freelance trainers. This puzzled me as I | | | | level of passion that you bring to it. If you |
| consistently received excellent ratings from | | | | do use someone, pay them stictly for results. |
| course participants. Even in the 1990s, many | | | | If you pay them a base plus commission, they |
| firms were not sure how the majority of their | | | | will never be motivated to hustle for |
| clients would react to a Black female | | | | you.You'll need to re-set your course time |
| trainer. In short, it was perceived as just | | | | and time again. I had to do it when the NSDAQ |
| too much of a risk.I realized that I would | | | | tanked in 2001 and most of my clients were in |
| have to do it on my own if I was to do it at | | | | the high technology sector, after 9/11 and |
| all. I put together some training material in | | | | after SARS. When companies significantly cut |
| the area of personal marketing strategies for | | | | their spending on training, I spun off the |
| professionals who wanted to make career | | | | executive consulting services and executive |
| changes.Let Your Network Work For YouI | | | | retreats into a new company Executive Oasis |
| discovered that networking is one of the best | | | | International.Re-Charge Your BatteriesSo, I |
| strategies for building a business. For | | | | rested for a while and spent a lot of quiet |
| example, by joining a professional | | | | time by bodies of water and near the fountain |
| association related to your area of | | | | in front of my dream house. I listened to |
| interests, you can make contacts and increase | | | | motivational tapes and books and read my |
| your profile. To be successful, it is | | | | Bible while I contemplated my next steps. The |
| important to go with an attitude of giving | | | | vision for my business became clearer and |
| rather than just getting.Write articles for | | | | clearer. I didn't know how I was going to do |
| the newsletter, volunteer to help out at | | | | it but I took the advice that many people had |
| meetings and conferences. Join a committee to | | | | given me and decided to target the corporate |
| help the organization plan a special event. | | | | market. For a long time, a name for my |
| Mentor some of the younger members who are | | | | business was elusive . It was a long process |
| just entering your profession. To get you | | | | that took a lot of reflecting. Then, one day |
| must give. Gradually, people will get to know | | | | "out of the blue" I woke up with the name The |
| you but it takes time. You'll need a lot of | | | | Training Oasis. It fit my vision of training |
| contacts when you're out on your own.One word | | | | as a creative, colourful, energizing and |
| of caution... don't overdo it. At the end of | | | | refreshing experience perfectly. I wondered |
| each year, if membership in a particularly | | | | why I hadn't discovered it before. I guess I |
| association is not resulting in buiness, then | | | | had just been too tired.Get the Creative |
| don't renew it. I once did a total of what I | | | | Juices FlowingThrough mind-mapping and |
| had spend on associations memberships, | | | | brainstorming with Donna Messer, Bette Myer |
| conferences and sponsorships over a few years | | | | and marketing guru Jerry Goodis, I was able |
| and it was a staggering $50,000. My business | | | | to come up with some creative ways to market |
| leads were not coming from the contacts I | | | | my services. You can use the same techniques |
| made through the associations. I should have | | | | that I did to come up with creative marketing |
| caught this long before it became a big | | | | approaches that reflect your vision. Instead |
| ticket item and such a serious hit to my | | | | of sending out letters, I distributed gift |
| bottom line. Don't let the same thing happen | | | | bags filled with some of the toys and |
| to you. If a particular membership is not | | | | energizers I use in training. I found |
| yielding desired business results, you can | | | | stationary with an energizing waterfall in |
| always pay the non-member rate to attend a | | | | the background that captures the essence of |
| specific session or conference that is of | | | | The Training Oasis to produce a one page |
| value.If there are structured networking | | | | "teaser" and I started meeting with some |
| events in your area, attend them regularly. | | | | corporate prospects.Only You Can Make It |
| These are usually more cost effective. They | | | | Happen.....Think AgainTaking that plunge |
| don't involve a membership and the focus is | | | | isn't easy but, if it's for you, you'll |
| on generating business leads. I attended | | | | eventually come to a point when you just have |
| Bette Myer's networking sessions at The | | | | to do it. It's scary giving up that pay |
| McGill Club as well as ConnectUs hosted by | | | | cheque. After I attended a two day speaker's |
| Donna Messer and Vicki Vancas.Advice From the | | | | school sponsored by the Canadian Speaker's |
| ProsIdentify people who can give you advice | | | | Association and saw other people succeeding, |
| about how to make your move and follow their | | | | I realized that I could do it too. I |
| advice. I am going to stress this. Make sure | | | | approached my boss, Marc Berwald, and told |
| you send a prompt thank you note. If you are | | | | him what I wanted to do. He was very |
| ever in a position to give these people | | | | supportive. With his help, I developed a |
| business referrals. DO IT!! After 9/11 when | | | | business case to propose converting my role |
| the crunch hit me and a lot of other | | | | from employee to consultant as an interim |
| trainers, I'll never forget wondering what | | | | step. He championed it for me and it resulted |
| happened to all those people to whom I had | | | | in a consulting contract with my former |
| given free advice that helped them launch | | | | employer. |
| their careers. Most of them never said thank | | | | |
| you or looked back once they had achieved | | | | I kept marketing myself and networking and I |
| their goals.Bette Myer made it possible for | | | | gradually obtained more clients. It wasn't |
| me to have a mastermind session over the | | | | easy and, like the desert before the oasis, |
| phone with Dottie Walters. Later on when I | | | | there have been dry spells and the inevitable |
| was in a position to do so, I used her to | | | | setbacks. In spite of this, during my first |
| conduct a networking session for a | | | | year of operation, I made more money than I |
| organization when I was on the board.More | | | | had ever dreamed of earning as an employee. |
| about the Dottie Walters consultation. When I | | | | Over the years, running my own business has |
| told Dottie that I was thinking of using | | | | allowed me to:- have more balance in my life- |
| public workshops as my transition strategy, | | | | go to auditions and slowly build my acting |
| Dottie cautioned me that public workshops | | | | career- spend quality time with my son- send |
| were a hard sell and extremely difficult to | | | | my son to private school and involve him in a |
| market. She advised me to target the | | | | range of athletic and recreational activities |
| corporate market, advice that I was not ready | | | | (even though I am divorced and assuming the |
| to hear.To me, the obstacles seemed | | | | primary responsibility for his care)- travel |
| insurmountable. How could I make myself | | | | to Asia 7 times and visit many beautiful |
| available to corporate clients when I was | | | | places while I was there and in transit |
| working full time? How could I ever hope to | | | | (Malaysia including Kuala Lumpur, Penanag, |
| compete with the large consulting firms when | | | | Melacca, and Kuching, Singapore, Bangkok, |
| I didn't have their big budgets to invest in | | | | Mumbai, Dubai, Paris)I could never have done |
| glossy brochures and large ads in prominent | | | | this as a full time employee and this would |
| magazines? I struggled with these questions | | | | NEVER have worked without the support of |
| for a long time. While I don't have all the | | | | friends, family and, most of all God.Before |
| answers, I experimented and eventually found | | | | Diving OffRunning your own business is not |
| some ideas that worked for me.Start | | | | for everyone but it can be fulfilling if it's |
| AgainThere is no point in waiting for | | | | the right thing for you. So, get started. |
| everything to be perfect. Your first attempts | | | | Clear off those credit card bills. Set aside |
| may not turn out exactly as you planned. What | | | | 20% of your income in a slush fund to provide |
| you've got to do is learn from them, start | | | | yourself with start up capital. Conventional |
| again and see what happens.Bearing Dottie | | | | wisdom used to be that you should sock away |
| Walter's cautions in mind, I decided to run | | | | enough to cover 3 months worth of living |
| my Career Makeover workshops at prestigious | | | | expenses before you take the plunge. In this |
| women's clubs such as The McGill Club and The | | | | turbulent market in which dry spells can be |
| Elmwood Club in Toronto. I came up with the | | | | long, setting aside enough money to cover 1 1 |
| workshop and promotional material but, for | | | | 2 to 2 years worth of living expenses is more |
| the life of me, I just couldn't find a name | | | | prudent. So delay your launch date so that |
| that captured the essence of my business and | | | | you can really give yourself a chance to make |
| my vision of training. So I picked a name, | | | | a success of it.Make sure that you get your |
| New Directions, even though I knew it wasn't | | | | mortgage and line of credit approved. Take |
| exactly what I wanted.I tried a variety of | | | | care of your dental treatment and any major |
| approaches to marketing the workshops. I | | | | medical bills that your company health plan |
| distributed my flyers at bookstores, women's | | | | will cover. Develop a clear and focused |
| clubs and through mailings sent out by some | | | | pictures of what you want to do and then just |
| of the professional associations to which I | | | | keep at it. Get high quality business cards, |
| belonged. I soon learned that the world of | | | | stationary and your web site in place before |
| marketing public workshops was very different | | | | you give you your day job.Surround yourself |
| from marketing courses within a corporation. | | | | with positive and supportive people, attend |
| For example, I naively believed that, you | | | | conferences and courses that will move you |
| could distribute 200 - 500 flyers and have 20 | | | | closer to fulfilling your dream. Never let |
| people attend your workshop. After all, | | | | anyone tell you can't do it. Keep those |
| that's the way it worked inside the | | | | pessimistic tire kickers as far away from you |
| corporations where I have worked as a | | | | as possible.Finally, when the time is |
| management development specialist. It's not | | | | right...and only you will know when that |
| so easy when people are taking the money out | | | | is....go ahead and take the plunge! It may be |
| of their own pockets to pay for a | | | | the refreshing change you've been seeking. |