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