Everybody knows that many famous executives have behind-the-scenes help from ghostwriters when they write books on how they succeeded in business, give lucrative keynote speeches, or submit opinion pieces to The Wall Street Journal. What many people don’t realize is that lots of not-so-famous executives and professionals also rely on ghostwriters to help them spread their business messages.
Stefan’s advice is simple: Only network if you have a purpose. Here’s how he explains this in his new book, The Open Innovation Revolution: Essentials, Roadblocks and Leadership Skills (available on amazon.com):
Many people don’t realize that networking is a learnable skill, just like any other business ability. They mistakenly believe that some people are natural-born networkers and others (usually themselves) are not.
I met Rob Condon about six or seven years ago through the Northampton Chamber of Commerce. He was new to the Chamber but jumped right in, serving on committees and eventually becoming treasurer. Rob and I live in neighboring towns so we started having breakfast together once in a while at the popular Roadhouse Café, where the pancakes are terrific. It’s been a while since we had pancakes together, but I hope we renew the tradition soon because I always found Rob had something interesting to say. Here’s his profile.
We all know what they about first impressions…you only get one chance to make a good one. Make sure yours is a positive impression by having your business cards at the ready at all times.
This week in my second Small Business Q&A, we hear from Al Canali of Canali Designs. Al has 15 years of experience as the head of this small design firm that is dedicated to making a marketing dollar stretch a long way through good design and experienced project management.
The reasons business goes south in a hurry are legion and as varied as the types of small businesses out there. But your best defense against all of them is the same: networking and more networking.
Today I’m starting a weekly series of Q&As with small business owners. Since most small businesses do not survive five years, I consider anyone who has made it past the five year point to be a success. That’s the only criterion I have set for being profiled. I hope you will find these profiles interesting […]
Increasingly, savvy business owners are requiring proposals to ensure that they get the best possible solution at an attractive price; learning how to write great proposals to increase your win rate is a must. Once you are confident in your ability to compete on paper, proposals will become less of a necessary evil and more of a sure-fire way to gain a competitive edge.
Here are tips for making sure your business proposals are winner.s
So if public speaking scares you to death or if your skills need polishing, do something about it! There are plenty of resources available to help you. Besides the Dale Carnegie course, which is now given in a two-day format rather than the 8-week evening course I took years ago, there is Toastmasters International.
Author Jeanne Yocum, creator of SucceedinginSmallBusiness.com, has written an insightful guide to help you succeed at self-employment. Learn more about The Self-Employment Survival Guide: Proven Strategies to Succeed as Your Own Boss and download the first chapter for free.
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