Make yourself a media star

MidlandsBiz.com readers want business news.
They read it twice weekly.
Alan and Cheryl Cooper serve a special niche.
They feed that hunger for business news.
They publish my weekly business articles.
For a free subscription, email ccooper@MidlandsBiz.com

What you may not know is this. There’s more to business news that meets the eye.
1. Business news items are part of a marketing plan.
Each time your business is mentioned it:
• Puts your name in front of prospective clients.
• Reminds past and current clients of who you are.
• Reinforces your brand in their minds.
2. Local business news promotes your business.
• It provide the same tactics mentioned above.
• It gets people to talking about your business.
Word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool.
• It is absolutely free. That’s right. Free.

That does not mean it comes without work.
If you do it yourself, you must know what to do.
You must know how to do it.
You must regularly take time to do it.
You may contract it out to a professional.
Some small businesses see that as an expense.
It is although it’s more than that.
• It’s a small investment to get it done right.
Professionals have the contacts and expertise.
They can get your news into the right media.
• It’s a legitimate business tax deduction.
Just like advertising, you can write it off.

I recommend business owners hire a pro.
It lets them do what they do best.
That frees you to run your business as they do it.
If you need a recommendation, email me.
JerryBellune@yahoo.com

I can teach you how to do it yourself.
It takes time but it pays off.
My new CD will tell you how to do it.
It's called “Make yourself a media star”
You can listen to it while driving to work.
It contains all the strategies you will need.
It retails for $49.99 - and worth every penny.

Here’s a special offer for my readers only.
We are raising $10,000 for literacy tutoring.
We teach people to read, write and get better jobs.
For a $25 donation, I’ll send you the CD.
That's a $49.99 value for only a $25 donation.
It’s introduced by a real pro, Homer Fesperman.
It contains two of my publicity workshops.
It’s easy to make a donation and get your copy.
Just call me at 359-7633.
We can do it by credit card over the phone.

Holiday gift idea

Want five of my personally autographed books?
Your $100 donation will help literacy tutoring.
Email me for details at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Just put “Books” in the subject line.

Should we celebrate our failures?

To emphasize the obvious, failure is no fun.
It crushes the weak, the timid, the fragile.
It strengthens the brave, resilient and strong.
Failure toughens us.
It teaches valuable lessons.
We learn more from failure than success.

Thomas Edison failed gloriously.
He failed to create a light bulb.
More than 1,000 times.
Yet failures fired his curiosity.
It fueled his will to find an answer.
He kept learning from failure.
Do we celebrate his success?
We should. Can you imagine reading by firelight?
Shouldn’t we celebrate his failures as well?
Celebrate his tenacity and will to succeed?
His failures were where he learned the most.

Nassim Taleb has an intriguing idea.
He's an author and probability expert.
He says failure is good for all of us.
He makes this point in his new book:

“Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder”
He argues that without risks, we don’t get results.
Trial and error are creative.
We should celebrate failed entrepreneurs.
Like fallen soldiers, they gave their best. And we can learn from their failures.

Taleb argues for antifragile enterprises.
Fragile things like glass survive small shocks.
Stronger things like rocks survive most shocks.
Antifragile things are even better.
Antifragile things are improved by shock.
Shock tests and strengthens them.

Take restaurants and the economy.
Restaurants are a fragile enterprise.
Some fail - not because there are so many of them.
They fail because they don’t serve patrons well.
The economy is fragile, too.
Look at the last four years.
In contrast, health care is antifragile.
Long life spans guarantee that.

What about a trillion dollar restaurant bailout?
Lots of jobs and capital are at stake.
Look what Washington does with bailouts.
They bailed out banks and the auto industry.
Is your banker eager to give you a loan now?
Is Detroit making better cars?
What would result from a restaurant bailout?
Probably poorer food and lousier service.
More of us eating more often at home.

Bailouts don’t save jobs or industries.
They perpetrate mediocre performance.
Washington hasn’t figured that out yet.
But those of us in business certainly have.
Don’t settle for mediocrity.
Aim for the fences. Even if you fail.

Holiday gift idea
Want five of my personally autographed books?
Your $100 donation will help literacy tutoring.
Email me for details at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Just put “Books” in the subject line.
May God bless you.

What’s your plan for 2013?

Got a great business-building idea?
Eager to roll it out and bring in the business?
Maybe you had better hold on a minute.
Here’s a story that illustrates what this means.

Robert Skrob is proud of his 13-year-old son.
Robert Jr. is learning to draw plans.
His 8th grade shop teacher shows him how.
He must draw a project from three views.
Overview and two side views.
That shows the teacher he knows what he plans.
Only then can he use wood and a saw.

This is a good lesson in life for all of us.
We need to conceive, see and draw our plans.
They may not be in pictures but in words.
Pictures, of course, help, too.
An executive recruiter friend uses pictures.
He has a photo of a snazzy car he wants to buy.
It is an expensive toy . . . but it motivates him.
He makes one more call every day due to that car.

A sports car may not be your goal.
It may be a dream vacation.
Your child’s education.
A highly profitable business.
A secure retirement.
Whatever it is, you need a picture in your mind.
You need a plan . . . on paper.
Such planning takes time . . . and patience.
Too often we are caught up by our passion.
We want to plunge right in and do it.
We can waste a lot of lumber that way.
Time is money . . . and money is wealth.
Precious resources. Use them wisely.

We started our company 20 years ago.
I could hardly wait for that first edition
I could see it rolling off the press.
I could see holding it in my hands like a new baby.
But my partner restrained me.
We need a business plan, she wisely said.
We spent weeks writing a narrative.
Then more weeks projecting costs and sales.
We hired a business planner to help us.
Crunching numbers is tedious . . . but necessary.

When we finished, we took two more steps.
We shaved 10% off our projected sales figures.
That was just in case we were too optimistic.
Then we added 10% to our costs.
That was for unexpected contingencies,
That swung the projected bottom line 20%.
I’m glad we did it. We reached profitability fast.
And we knew when to expect it.
But it took us 30 days longer than anticipated.
Without the 20% change, it might have taken longer.

Robert warns against being impetuous.
There are big profits in planning.”
It doesn’t sound sexy or much fun.
But planning is a very profitable exercise.
Don’t complain about your accountant’s questions.
Accountants know how to maximize profits.
They’re not just bean counters. Work with them.

A holiday gift idea for you

Would you like autographed copies of my books?
They make great holiday gifts.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
For a $100 donation, I’ll personally autograph them.
One for you and four for those you care about.
You can read about the books at my web site.
www.JerryBellune.biz
Then email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
Or call me at 359-7633 to order by credit card.

How to run a profitable business

Ruth King is a tough-minded entrepreneur.
Creative and smart, too.
We’ve worked together on internet TV.
It was a great experience.
I learned a lot.
Maybe she learned a thing or two, as well.
She wrote recently about a harried client.
He was overwhelmed by his business.
He needs to run his business,
His business was running him.
Ruth advised two solutions.

1. Make a list of what you must do today.
Don’t think about it. Write it down.
Get it on to paper where you won’t forget.
Estimate how long it will take to do each one.
Decide to do it - or delegate it.
Prioritize the list. Swallow the big frog first.
2. Reserve an uninterrupted hour in your day.
If you can’t do an hour at first, do 15 minutes.
Shut your office door. Turn off your phone.
Hang a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door.
Your employees will get the message.
It’s amazing how much you can get done.
No interruptions. The phone isn’t ringing.
People don’t run into your office constantly.
Your employees learn to be resourceful.
Ask them to bring solutions, not just problems.
And it can wait - unless the building is on fire.

Get it done. Check it off the list.
You’ll feel better. I learned this long ago.
The business was running me. Night and day.
Even at home I worried about it constantly.
My partner was sleeping blissfully beside me.
Bingo! Even I figured that one out.
She wasn’t worried about our business.
She had faith we were doing the right things.
What a revelation.
I relaxed and went back to sleep.

It’s OK to think about your business.
It's your business. It’s important.
It’s not just your income.
It’s your passion.
But it’s not OK to worry about it all the time.
Keep the faith that inspired your to start with.
Have faith in yourself and your business.

Plan your week a week in advance.
Adjust your plan as opportunities arise.
Other challenges will present themselves.
Take care of the big frogs first. Always.
Big frogs are high payoff projects.
They ring our cash registers.
They fulfill our dreams.
Here’s wishing you a worry-free week.

A holiday gift idea for you
Autographed copies of my books for a donation.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
Just email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
You’ll receive details and can order by credit card.

How to change the world

Tough times bring out the best in all of us.
We just have to work at it.
It’s easy to be generous in prosperous times.
It’s much harder when our cash register is silent.
But this forces us to become innovative.
To band with others in the community’s interest.
Here’s a small story that illustrates the point.

Glenforest is a very special school.
It was started to serve a special need.
No school like it served our area.
It is a school for children who learn differently.
They are smart and talented.
But they get lost in a public school classroom.
They thrive in small classes.
They need more individual attention.

Each year our Rotary Club helps Glenforest.
Our Chili Cookoff raises thousands of dollars.
A silent auction and other vendors help, too.
It is a labor of love for all of us.
This is a strategy to change your world.
Weeks of planning and preparation go into it.
It is an all-volunteer effort. No one is paid.
Our payoff is knowing we make a difference.

Your civic club may have its own fund-raisers.
These are important to every community.
We can raise money none of us could do alone.

One lesson I want you to take away is this:
Together we are stronger than any of us alone.
Banding together, we can make a difference.
We help the homeless, the sick, those in need.
We don’t need the government to do it for us.

Lesson #2: Generosity is good for us.
It positions us a responsible business owners.
It connects us with other community leaders.
It makes us more hopeful in tough times.
It makes us feel good about our community.
It makes our clients feel good about us.
Make a difference and it will make one in you.

Holiday gift idea for my readers
Autographed copies of my books for a donation.
We’re raising $10,000 for adult literacy tutoring.
It’s easy to make a donation for these books.
Just email me at JerryBellune@yahoo.com
You’ll receive details and can order by credit card.