Small Business Archives

This morning I had the pleasure of being the featured speaker at the Central Florida Economic Cooperative's Executive Seminar Series, with my new presentation Becoming a Recognized Leader in Your Industry.

The audience was fantastic! They were very engaged and asked a lot of great questions.

The books I mentioned when asked what I am reading now:

Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish by Mark Levin - read that this past weekend. It's an incredible read for anyone who has ever lost a beloved dog (or any pet for that matter). Grab a box of Kleenex before you open the cover. Trust me.

Life's Golden Ticket: An Inspirational Novel by Brendon Burchard - I actually read this earlier this Spring (thanks BB for the autographed copy). It will make you think, and I love those type books (there may even still be time to get in on the gifts if you use this link to purchase the book). Brendon is hosting The Life's Golden Ticket Seminar Sept. 26-28 in LongBeach Shoreline (CA). If I wasn't co-hosting the Small Business Summit in Orlando Sept. 26, I would be there. I'm a huge Brendon fan, which is why I readily agreed to provide a giveaway for his recent sweepstakes promotion.

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About Itby Michael Gerber, one of our featured speakers at the Small Business Summit on Sept. 26.

The Appeal by John Grisham (I was on vacation; besides, he's one of my fav fiction authors). Thinly veiled as fiction, The Appeal is a scary depiction of politics when you consider how close to reality it actually is.

I didn't mention it this morning, but I also read Honor Thyself by Danielle Steel while I was laying on the beach a few weeks ago. Her writing style has always fascinated me.)

Special note for those who attended this morning: the presentation has been uploaded to my website. If you gave me your card, I'll be emailing you shortly with the specific URL; if you didn't have a card with you, leave a comment (or email me directly) with your email address and I'll get the link to you.

Last week I had the priviledge of serving as moderator for the success story panels at the "Small Business Speed Coaching Test Drive" event held at the Walt Disney World Swan here in Orlando.

Hosted by SCORE and American Express Open, the event was part of a multi-city seminar tour designed to support small business growth and trigger success through complimentary educational and mentorship programs.

SCORE is an incredible resource for anyone looking to start or grow their own business. The organization has 389 chapters nationwide so there's probably an office somewhere near you.

It was motivating to hear the small business owners on the success story panels. They truly were inspirational as they talked about the challenges they faced in launching and/or growing their businesses and shared some of the struggles they overcame to reach the level of success they have.

Although each success story was different, there were some common characteristics. In their quest for success, each showed:

- dedication;
- perseverance;
- the willingness to take risks; and
- a fundamental belief in themselves and their ability to make it happen.

It's not surprising. These are all common traits found in entrepreneurs. It's in our blood.

The “Small Business Speed Coaching Test Drive” series offers small business owners exclusive, 30-minute, one-on-one evaluation sessions with experienced business coaches from SCORE, and interactive workshops focused on areas that directly affect small business growth, including strategic business planning, effective marketing and business finances.

Wendy's PR Crash Course
January 10-11, 2008
Orlando Marriott Downtown

It's official. After years of friends and clients asking why I produce killer seminars and conferences for other people and organizations but never host my own, I'm going to do so.

I've already lined up some of the top PR and business development experts in my personal database (developed over 20 years of actually working in the corporate world and PR industry, not just reading about them). From launching your own publicity campaign to streamlining your business, you'll hear from some of the best.

This will NOT be a "sit in your chair and listen to one talking head after another drone on about how they got super rich in just a few hours with very little effort" seminar. If you're looking to catch lightening in a bottle and get rich quick, this event is NOT for you.

Wendy's PR Crash Course WILL be a highly interactive, hands-on educational seminar from which you will leave with tangible results. You'll actually implement some of the tips and techniques we teach before you ever leave the event. That way, if you have questions, you'll still be in the room with the instructor and can ask questions RIGHT THEN to make sure you've got it.

Normally, I like to have every little detail finalized before I promote an event, but this is going to be so big, I wanted to let you know NOW so you can save the date and plan to make 2008 your best year ever.

For more details, visit our seminar page and look for Wendy's PR Crash Course

Download Microsoft's new Office Accounting Express 2007 software FREE. The press release offers a complete list of features. The site is pretty cool, with the virtual studio-created online videos my tech idol Tom Antion teaches people how to create.

Microsoft is doing a cool promotion in conjunction with the product launch. Susanna Hamner at Madison Avenue West has all the details. Download the submission form for the promotion. Even if you don't have a big idea to submit, take the time to think through and answer the questions on the application. It's a great way to take the pulse of your business D.R.E.A.M.