"Business Owners, Which of the 7 Dwarfs Are You?"

Most of us are familiar with the classic fairy tale "Snowwhite and the 7 Dwarfs". We have put a fun twist on the story, read below and have fun picking out which Dwarf you are. Enjoy!

Doc - are you a leader, a visionary for your company? If you set goals for you and your staff to reach to help your company grow, you might be a "Doc".

Happy - do you love what you do and show that love in your business through great customer service and employee rewards and recognition? Then you might be a "Happy". Do not forget to lead your company to future successes through goal setting and tracking.

Sleepy- are you stuck in a rut with the daily to-do's of running your business? Are you just going through the motions and lack vision, then you might be a "Sleepy". Find ways to motivate you and your staff.

Grumpy- are you a "Negative Nelly"? You have vision for your company, but do not take criticism well, then you are probably a "Grumpy". Try delegating customer interaction and work on strategies to grow your business. Take some classes on behavior and personalities to understand how to interact with others.

Dopey- do you feel lost or uneducated? Not sure how to get your business from point A to point B, then you are probably a "Dopey". Seek Snowwhite out as soon as possible!

Sneezey- are other obstacles getting in your way causing you to lose focus of your vision? Do you lack systems to be more efficient and effective, then you are probably a "Sneezy". Write down your goals, track your goals, then find someone to hold you accountable.

Bashful- you have heard the importance of networking and meeting other business owners, but you are not sure what to do in these situations, then you are probably a "Bashful". The first step is to attend a few networking events to see what they are all about. Once comfortable, make sure you are able to communicate, in about 60 seconds, what your business is all about. Relax, you will be a pro in no time.

Snowwhite- the Dwarfs think everything is just fine, until Snowwhite comes into their life and helps them find balance. "Snowwhite" could be a college class, a chamber training event, a business seminar, business coach/consultant, or just a friend to talk to and to help hold you accountable.

Article written by Lisa Bredahl of the Small Business Coaching Center, providing "hand-in-hand" success to small business owners. The SBCC offers a coaching program to fit every budget. www.smallbusinesscoachingcenter.com

How Can I Develop Community Partnerships?

No one entity can fully support the needs of its community. It is essential that businesses form partnerships with families, schools, faith-based organizations, government agencies, other businesses, non-profit organications and other community groups to work together to help grow the community. This is called a community partnership.

Look around in your community to see if partnerships already exist. Consider whether you should join with them or build something new. If you’re forming a new community partnership, this section will help you get started.

Consider the groups and individuals who should be members of your community partnership. It should include members who represent the diverse areas that help your business:
Local teens and families
Schools
Community organizations
Faith-based organizations
Health care providers (includes physical and mental health care as well as substance abuse treatment)
Public health departments
Law enforcement agencies
Juvenile justice system
Human services agencies
Cooperative Extension offices
Parks and recreation departments
Libraries
Businesses
The media
Elected or appointed officials
Other individuals involved in defining community policies

Members of your partnership should also represent the different racial, ethnic, and cultural characteristics of your community. These cultural perspectives will help shape the decisions that are made and ensure the initiative’s success with the whole community.

The following questions can help you determine who you should build a community partnership with:
List 5-10 agencies that you might be interested in working with?




Within each of the above agencies, list 1-3 ideas that you would like to present to each agency?




For each agency, how would what you are offering help their organizations?




What is the next step you will take with each of these agencies:

Develop Your Marketing Calendar

It is best to have a mix of campaigns running at all times, depending upon what “season” you are in. If it is your slow season, you will need to market differently than your busy season. Your goal is to have 10 campaigns running at all times!

A business guru is on top of their marketing campaigns and knows what they are doing at all times to build their business. BUT… you may be like most business owners who have a great marketing vision but doesn’t follow through on this vision.

This is where coaching can help….

Who, besides your coach, will hold you accountable? ____________________________
(Suggestion: friend, employees, co-workers, family)


What steps will you do to make sure you follow through on your marketing campaigns?




Accountability and Follow Through Action Steps:

Verbally state your campaign plans
Visually show what you will do (calendar, etc)
Say it on a daily/weekly basis.
Have a weekly/monthly meeting and discuss current and upcoming marketing strategies that are in place.
Give staff results on the campaigns that are running, OR have them give you reports on how the campaigns are doing.
TRACK EVERYTHING!!! If you are not asking customers how they heard about you, how do you know if your campaign is working?