Let's Talk Business

Be Prepared For A Fight!

2008-04-07T18:18:00.004-04:00

You ever heard the statement "Take the Bull by the Horns"? The phrase alone conjures up a mighty beast of a problem that you decide you are going to make submit to your will and your way. Most people that defiantly make this bold statement, have no idea what type of fight they are picking! I mean really, why would anyone come up with this type of analogy? For one it means that for whatever reason, it's not business as usual, that's for sure!

Most problems in business are very apparent. Lack of income, expenses to high, assets shrinking or liabilities increasing are very apparent problems in business. One would tend to believe that with the problems so easy to see that the solutions should be just as easy to figure out. I mean all you need to do is Take the Bull by the Horns, right? Wrong! The problems aren't what you see or what is so apparent. It's often the result of the real problems.

If you truly want to take the Bull by the Horns, you better be ready for a fight! Just as the mighty beast we know as a Bull would never go done without a tremendous fight, neither will your business problems! So prepare properly, Matador!

You must be aware of your surroundings at all times. A keen eye and clarity will allow you to approach that Bull safely. Understand you can never completely anticipate the uncontrollable but you can certainly recognize patterns! Never take for granted that your skills as a Matador make you untouchable. Approach each problem as if it were a fresh new experience. Be sure to focus all your adrenaline and energy into the process not the outcome(which really is completely out of your control).

So, should you take the Bull by the Horns? Well that is a matter of personal preference but if you decide that is your cup of tea just understand you are in for a very long bullfight, that maybe entertaining to spectators but violent, uncertain, scary and unpredictable to you! Be safe and enjoy the ride!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

The Competitive Edge

2007-12-12T23:53:00.000-05:00

In this dog eat dog world everyone is always on the lookout for an advantage, for that one thing that will help them to standout from their competition. This is not always that easy to do, you look around for ways to add that little extra touch that will make the difference. I remember back in my financial planning days, there was the "War of the Pens". I mean if your ink pen didn't cost at least $100.00 you weren't worth 100 bucks either.

I even had one of the trainers at the office demonstrate how you use the $100+ pen in a presentation with a client. Now that's competitive advantage, right? Wrong! When you truly have a competitive advantage no one will care what kind of pen you have.

So what can be seen as a competitive advantage? I feel that only specific and deliberate actions offer competitive advantage. For instance, if you decide to meet everyone in the neighborhood that surrounds your office and thats your market, you will have a competitive advantage over the person in the office next to you who never talks to anyone from that neighborhood.

Work like hell to separate yourself for your competition and you will enjoy true success1

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

The Road Least Traveled

2007-11-08T20:58:00.000-05:00

Finding your niche market can be quite the undertaking and many people refuse to even travel that road at all. Yes, most people tend to beat the same path as everyone else. It's a well worn path and the more the merrier seems to be the motto of the keepers of the path! Stop!!!!!!

It's time to take a detour, the world rewards a trail blazer! Will you begin the next path that millions beat their way down for eternity? I can not imagine a better existence than one that creates a legacy. Your question is probably, How do I become a trail blazer though? Let's see if I can answer that in a short and simple manner.

Well, pick your love! Learn everything you can about your love, tell other people who love what you love about how you can help them love what you both love even more for a small fee! Huh?

Pick a niche and serve the heck out of that niche but be sure to pick one that will reward you with a base of business. Don't beat the path where everyone goes, create the path that serves a specific group and you will enjoy a rewarding career.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Your Choices Are Limited!

2007-11-07T18:26:00.000-05:00

Have you ever stop to think about why you are where you are in life? We make choices everyday, and sometimes put little or no thought at all into them. The funny thing is when we do take the time to choose it's still very possible to make bad decisions and when you are talking about business bad decisions generally equate to money lost.

How do you make great choices in business though? It is more simple then you might think because your choices in life are limited to Success or Failure. Yes, every action puts you closer to or further from success. Let's look at this a little further.

If I wanted to one day become an author, then every time I type a word on this blog is a chance to get closer to goal. If I wanted to be a serial killer like Dexter, in one of my favorite shows on Showtime, then every person I killed past number one gets me closer to that goal, prison too but I digress. The flip side of that is true also, if I wanted to become a vegan then every cheeseburger I eat......... You get the point!

So what stands in your way of making the best choices for yourself and your business. Well maybe you should take sometime to figure that out, even seek professional help if necessary. Once you address the roadblocks or stumbling stones in your life you will enjoy having limited choices. Choose Success!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

I Have A Great Idea!

2007-11-01T20:09:00.000-04:00

I have always made friends with those older than myself. I can't really tell you why, but my mom always called me an Old Soul. This may explain why I enjoy the sayings that old men have told me over the years. One of my favorites is, " You know Ideas are like A**Holes, most all of them Stink and Everyone has one". Yeah, I know it's crude but it's also true.

You see after being in the business of providing advise to small business owners for almost 10 years, I have heard my share of Great Ideas. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy hearing people who are excited about their business and the opportunities associated with the companies they love. I don't take issue with that one bit.

What I do take issue with is, those who do drive-by idea dropping but spend little or no time implementing the ideas. We all know people like this, they work very little and talk a great deal, then look around and wonder why nothing has been done. I see it so often that I fight the urge to ignore people when say those words, "I Have A Great Idea". It's like getting pecked to death by ducks!

The silver lining in this whole thing is, every once in a while there are truly some great ideas. When you find that great idea don't rest until you do everything possible to develop your idea and your implementation team.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Carpe Diem

2007-10-31T20:18:00.000-04:00

Leuconoe, don't ask — it's dangerous to know — what end the gods will give me or you. Don't play with Babylonian fortune-telling either. Better just deal with whatever comes your way. Whether you'll see several more winters or whether the last one Jupiter gives you is the one even now pelting the rocks on the shore with the waves of the Tyrrhenian sea--be smart, drink your wine. Scale back your long hopes to a short period. Even as we speak, envious time is running away from us. Seize the day, trusting little in the future. - Horace Odes

Many people are familiar with the phrase but really have no idea where it came from. I mean it's everywhere, on tatoos, in commercials, on billboards even. Really, how many times a day do you hear the phrase, Carpe Diem? It has become such a common statement that it almost looses its value to both inspire and challenge. It need not be that way though. Let's think about the requirements of Carpe Diem.

Wake Up
Choose to truly do all you can that day to live abundantly.
Hope that you are blessed enough to do it all over again the next day.

It's that simple! Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! Is that really all there is to it? YEP, and stop trying to complicate Life!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

How Are You Today?

2007-10-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Business is no walk in the park, high sells leads to success and low sells lead to....., well you can finish the rest by now. All day I dream of winning, I dream of success, I dream of being the best. What about you?

How are you today?

The standard answer to someone asking you how you are doing is, "I can't complain". It really is a reactive answer rather then true sentiments most of the times. If you would take a moment to look inside and give a true assessment, your answer may be a little different.

Well, what should be your answer? It depends on how you want to feel. If you say, nothing is going right and I feel overwhelmed by everything, I Wish I Were Dead! Then guess how you are going to feel? If on the other hand you say, I know where I am going, I know how to get there and I feel great because I made progress today, how will you feel?

How am I today? I FEEL GREAT and You Can Too!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

A Book is Always Judged by its Cover!

2007-10-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

For as long as I can remember, I have heard people say different cliches like, "You can't get blood from a turnip", "You never miss your water til your well runs dry", and one of my favorites "You can't judge a book by its cover". While all of these may be somewhat true, reality is a little different, especially when it comes to judging that book.

You see it is human nature to judge a book by its cover and that's why we spend so much time and effort on first impressions. I read a book not long ago by Malcolm Gladwell titled "Blink". This book went into great detail about how quick we are to have snap judgments about people and statistically, how reliable those judgements are.

Judging a book by its cover is actually more necessary today then ever before. Just think how much you are bombarded by on a daily basis. If you decided to give everything equal amounts of time you would never sleep and never finish your work. Snap judgements or judging a book by its cover is our natural filtering process. It is quite imperfect but it is what we have been given.

The more you embrace this concept the better you will get at using it. Your process of elimination will be so good that others will see it as a sixth sense some what. You must remember that your process can be wrong but really if that book really is a diamond in the rough then somebody needs to create a better cover for it, Dammit!

Have a great week!
Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Maestro's Favorites

2007-10-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

It's the weekend, Finally! If your week was anything like mine you are looking forward to some rest and relaxation. So, it's time to pull out the sweatpants and t-shirt and just chill. When I am in this mode there are a few things I like to do, read, write, browse the web and sleep. The following is a list of ways I like to accomplish a stress free relaxed weekend. Enjoy yours!

Reading Material
Dwell Magazine
E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Do You! by Russell Simmons

Writing Opportunities
Start A Blog
Buy A Journal
Write A Song or Poem
Begin That Book

Cool Sites
www.theonion.com
www.uncrate.com (Men) www.outblush.com (Ladies)
www.allposters.com
www.charlesandmarie.com

Great Slumber
Cut off Computer, Mobile Phone, TV and Radio!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Don't Give It Away!

2007-10-25T16:20:00.000-04:00

Many times in my career, I have been guilty of giving away what I should rightfully be paid for. In my haste to get the deal, I present to much, I show the big picture, I lead myself right out the door by providing solutions before anyone cuts a check.

For years I felt the only way to get the business was to show you were qualified to do the work. Often that meant you could leave nothing or very little to the imagination. Oh, how wrong I have been and continue to be from time to time.

It's very simple, no one is going to pay you for what they can get for free! Implementing your ideas are not the hard part, they can get anyone to do that, but coming up with the idea is not that easy to come by for plenty of people. So what is the solution?

First you must clearly identify the problem that someone is looking for a solution to. Next, you must be clear as to whether or not they are looking for a solution from you. "Are you engaging my services or asking me to bid on the work?", should be the next question. Next, you must create the solution that addresses all angles of the problem. Now you are ready to present and this is where you have to be much like a, Vegas Show Girl inside the Champagne Room. Not to fast, it's just a metaphor, keep those things tucked away!

When you present you must be deliberate, methodical, exciting and vague. For instance, you can say something like this. I know you all were really looking to solve this problem with this budget but what would you do if I were able to not only solve that problem but also this other one and do it for half your budgeted amount. Next, tell them you have the solution but instead of giving it to them proceed to explain what you will need from them to make it a reality. Then Shut Up!

That's right Shut Up, you have given them as much as they need to make a decision. If they want more information, so do you. Is there a problem that I didn't address? Is there a new problem? Only speak about problems and what it will take to implement a solution but never talk about the solution itself until a check has been cut!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

No, Seriously We Want Some Business!

2007-10-24T13:59:00.000-04:00

You ever feel like people don't believe you when you say you want to do business with them. It's as if you are speaking another language, which you may be able to do but that's beside the point. It seems that there are more obstacles to doing business for minorities then non-minorities. Ok, it doesn't just seem that way it is that way!

Every program that is put in place to so called help, does just the opposite. More paper work, more certifications, more proof, more blood(to make sure your parents were minorities of course). All I want to do is install the wood floors in the new city owned art gallery, Dammit!

So, I called my good friend, Khalilah LeGrand, Eastern Virginia Director with the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, also known as "That Certification Place" or "VMSDC". I wanted to hear from the horses mouth what the deal was with all this Red Tape, minorities have to cut through to get a piece of the pie.

"The Red Tape can be a hindrance to getting business especially for technicians but it's in place to protect the interest of minority businesses", said LeGrand. Khalilah feels that without the certification process many initiatives that are in place for minorities might otherwise be taken advantage of by non minorities. "I know it is quite the double edge sword but have you ever seen a sword without two edges in our communities, we have to adapt and make the process work and that's why the VMSDC is here to help", explains LeGrand.

Well, if there is a maze to navigate I am at least glad there are organizations that can help. My only question is, why can't we just get some business? No wait, that was my first question. All I can say is keep plugging away at it and maybe we will be able to celebrate your big contract for landscaping (cutting grass) for one of the fine cities in Hampton Roads, but only if you have more paper work, more certifications, more proof, more blood(to make sure your parents were minorities of course).

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

For All Your Minority Business Enterprise Certification (MBE) Needs
Contact Khalilah LeGrand with VMSDC
Just Click Her Picture

Where's the Beef?

2007-10-23T21:57:00.000-04:00

Many years ago there was a Wendy's commercial where three ladies are at a counter with a huge bun on a plate. One lady picks up the bun top and history was made. Why was that commercial so magical? How do you break that formula down and apply it to your business or career? Well let's take a look at marketing basics.

Marketing is the science of exposing your product or service to potential buyers. How do you decide to buy what you buy? Nine times out of ten it's because you have been marketed to. At this point in our world there is so much marketing going on that companies will do just about anything to get you to remember there product or service.

Talking lizards that sell insurance, cookies that sing as they roll down the street in their convertible, and even a gang of nerds that sell mobile phone plans. Does any of this work anymore? Did it work years ago? What should you do moving forward?

Yes it still works as it worked years ago and you need to jump on the band wagon! As I always say, business succeed because of high sells and they fail because of low sells. People buy what they want, need and can afford. It's your job to show them that your product or service is that. You have to show them, Where the Beef is!

Do they want it?
Do they need it?
Can they afford it?
Spend all your time letting them know. Keep your product or service on their mind and you will enjoy years of success.

Make Money, Have Fun and Be A Blessing,
Maestro

May I Have This Dance?

2007-10-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Do you remember the first dance/party you ever went to? You laid out that perfect outfit a week in advance, scheduled that tight haircut with your barber. You washed the family car even though you didn't have a license yet. You took two showers that day sprayed on the best cologne/perfume you could find (Faberge' for me). Not a whole in your socks or underwear and your breath was taken care of with ,what else but, Big Red chewing gum! You were straight! Everything was perfect down to your mom pumping Guy's "Groove Me" in the car, on the way to the dance, because she liked that jam too!

All this preparation was for a reason. It was to build your confidence. To make sure you could handle any situation the party might throw your way but most of all it was so you felt strong enough to ask that special girl for the couples slow dance to R. Kelly's new song. With all that work you knew you were going to get that dance, right, but right as the DJ says it's time to slow it down you freeze up. You go through your mental checklist, everything is straight, you glide over to the spot where the fly girl crew is hanging out and you look her dead in the eye and ask "May I Have This Dance?". She smiles and said she thought you would never ask. Victory! you said and all the hard work was worth it.

Alright, Maestro what is this all about? Well, all the things I just described above we seem to forget to do when it comes to attracting new customers and clients. Everyone of those details described before were absolutely necessary not because the fly girl might have said No had you not washed your mom's car but because washing your mom's car added to the confidence it took to Make the Ask! Never let anything you have control over stop you from making the ask.

Take two showers, wash your car and your mom's too. Put on the latest and greatest cologne (not Faberge' I hope), get that fresh cut and spend some time on putting that perfect outfit together. It will all be well worth it when your client looks over the Starbucks bistro table and says those magic words, "I thought you would never ask"!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

One Can Make a Difference!

2007-10-18T17:43:00.000-04:00

I often ask myself, can one make a difference? Not in the Your Vote Counts kind of way but more so in the business realm. If you have something to offer, can one person wanting it make a difference? I mean really what can one person do for your business. Well, you are one person and your business begins with you, right? So let's take a short look at this Power of One concept and what it can do for your business or career.

Let's say I want to start a business selling salt. I mean you sold every kind of salt there was to sell, sea salt, kosher salt, table salt, industrial salt, winter ice melting salt, Epsom salt, bath salt, etc. Who is your customer? Well that is the problem you don't have any yet. You are ready for business but you don't know where to find your pipeline of customers. Common problem, uncommon solution.

Let's pick one kind of salt to focus on, Sea Salt. You have the finest gourmet sea salt that money can buy and now you need to find a buyer. Well, don't waste your time at Golden Corral trying to convince them that they can get 2 bucks more on the buffet with your salts added to there recipes! Instead find the closes Culinary School and meet everyone who is someone and even the ones who aren't anyone yet. Offer free samples to the professors for recipes and become very good friends with the purchasing agent.

Find internships for some of the promising students. Conduct workshops, introduce the professors to restaurant owners who can feature their culinary skills in special visiting chef offers. Join the culinary associations and become entrenched in the industry that will serve as your client base. After all this has been done you are ready for your one to make a difference. You ask the purchasing agent at the school to place an order with you for your gourmet sea salt, the answer will no doubt be, of course, I thought you would never ask. Your work is done right, wrong.

Let's activate that power of one now. Ask the agent to introduce you to his fellow purchasing agents at other schools and institutions. Get a testimonial from that agent and show it to all the restaurant owners you created relationships with, ask them to purchase from you also, don't forget to get testimonials from them too. Do you see what's happening with this scenario? You have made yourself a valuable resource to an industry and you do it all for the sell of salt and it begins with that first customer.

In the above example one can make a difference on many levels, one product or service, one industry, one client and one ambassador (You). Get it going, whatever your one is but exercise the power of one! Good luck!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

What Do You Do?

2007-10-17T14:57:00.000-04:00

If someone were to ask you what you did for a living what would you tell them? I am a doctor, lawyer, janitor or liar(I meant politician), is the typical answers. We have been trained to offer these types of answers to the age old question, What do you do? The question is not what is your title but what do you do?

A doctor may heal the body, a lawyer may fight for justice, a janitor may create pleasant environments to work, live & play in, and a politician lies (three out of four isn't bad). Those are descriptions of what you spend your valuable time everyday doing and that is how you should answer the question, what do you do?

People need to understand that you are unique and dynamic. The answer real estate agent is boring, but I help families find the home of their dreams, is SEXY! I'm a Rapper will get you no respect but I help people identify with their inner emotions while entertaining them musically, is intriguing. Ok, maybe that last one is a stretch but you get where I am coming from, right?

The word Do implies action and you should respond with action. Take sometime to figure out your own professional actions, so when you are asked the question you won't waste the opportunity to tell someone how SEXY your profession or business is!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Having It All!

2007-10-16T15:38:00.000-04:00

Life begins and ends with choices. While this may seem very basic, it amazes me how many people are afraid of making a choice. This causes a very stagnant life and is even more damaging to your business or career. The reason people choose not to choose is because they don't want to eliminate their choices, Huh?

The bottom line is that a full life is really the process of elimination rather then being well rounded so to speak. I am not suggesting that you have to be narrow minded by any means, in actuality you will be much better off if you take the time to understand all your options a make a decision.

Prevention Magazine offers the following about having it all:

"One of the most destructive myths of the past few decades has been this one: You can have it all. You can't. Sorry. If you choose a beach house, you don't get snow-capped mountains. You can't spend eight hours a day of quality time with your infant and be on the fast track to make partner in a law firm that requires 100 hour weeks.

You can't have an intimate monogamous relationship and still date five people a week. But that's not bad news. When any road is possible, we often take none, or if we do take one, we worry constantly that it was the wrong choice. Relax. Wisdom and happiness begin when you make a commitment, even if it means there are some things you won't do.

Choose, choose wisely, and enjoy the process and the journey. You don't actually have to "have it all" to be happy. True happiness is possible when you're content with what you've chosen."

In everything you do decide and decide often so you can get on with living!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Sell or Die!

2007-10-15T23:08:00.000-04:00

I spend a lot of time on this blog writing about simplicity and how important it is to focus your attention on your product or service. You have taken my advice and now you are asking "What do I do now?". Now you are ready to attract buyers! It's no secret that businesses succeed because of high sales and they fail because of low sales. So how do you go from 0 to 100 in a short amount of time? Make a list but don't check it twice.

Yeah, I know you aren't Santa Clause but you say show me the money, I say bring your wheel barrel. You have designed your product and service with someone in mind, right? How many of those people did you contact last week, today or better yet will you contact tomorrow? Well, if that number has yielded less than perfect results then you need to put some time into developing your list of potential buyers.

Make the list first then make your way to the list to offer what you are selling. This is the part that normally causes the problems for most people. For some reason we spend a great deal of time on development of the products and services we offer but shy away from telling the world we are open for business. I have heard every excuse in the book, I don't have enough money to market, I don't have enough time to market, I don't know how to talk to people about buying from me, I don't sell.

If you have used any of those excuses above, I have one suggestion, STOP! Either you stop making excuses or you stop doing business because if you are unwilling to talk to people about buying from you, there is no way I can help you. For all those who are ready though, I say make your list, contact your list and offer your product or service. It doesn't get anymore grass roots then that.

You can do this tomorrow. Sell the insurance, the jewelry, the cars or the taco but for all of our sake, SELL!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Are You A Producer?

2007-10-12T11:14:00.001-04:00

Work, work and more work. It seems that the running theme in American culture is "Work your ass off or you get nothing". The funny thing about that theme though is that I personally know people who live like that and still have nothing or even worse have plenty but no time to enjoy it. So, some smart person many years ago came up with an alternate to this theme that went like this "Work Smarter, Not Harder". Ok great, now I have to be smarter, but smarter then who? Man this work stuff is getting really confusing!

As if those themes weren't confusing enough, some other smart person said if you are amongst the minority cultural you have to be able to work twice as hard as your non minority counterparts, for the same result! My goodness is there any end to this stuff? Yes there is!

We should stop thinking in terms of work and think more in terms of production! Production is about results, where as work is about time spent. Meaning you can work for 8 hours and have nothing to show for it but you can not be productive for 8 hours and have nothing to show for it. 8 hours of true production always yields 8 hours worth of product.

So what should you produce? I can't answer that question for you but I can talk about a couple of products that are in high demand. Content products fit the description of high demand. In this age of information glutting, the appetite for multimedia products seems to only grow. So if you produce movies, music, books, articles, websites or copy, you are barking up the right tree. Secondly, products that are clear representations or celebrations of culture are and have always been in high demand. This ranges from cooking to clothing to decorations, all great products for success.

Your creativity should be used daily to produce the things that people want. You can do this on your job or in your business. Don't go to work one more day, just go be productive! It will change your life and when it is all said and done you will have plenty to be proud of and hopefully the world would have rewarded you with wealth, happiness and success!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Simple Life?

2007-10-11T12:27:00.000-04:00

It's been a longtime, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope blog to step to. Ok, I am no Rakim by any means but the sentiments are the same. I have been on a mission to find the simple life. You know the life where the grass is greener, the air is cleaner and the Kool-Aid is sweeter, but I ended up right back here! Go figure.

The ever so elusive Simple Life, is so attractive. Everyone has seen it including you! It is that life that as a spectator makes you feel all warm inside. It's the warm apple pie on the stove, the changing leaves on the trees, the smell of pipe tobacco as you pass the gentleman on the park bench reading the newspaper.

Why then is it so difficult to recreate these elements in ones own life. I tend to believe it is because as a business leader in minority cultures you are often looked at as the go to person for everything and once that happens and you allow it to continue to happen your life no longer is your own. Not only is your life not your own but you end up being responsible for the lives and success of others.

How can you create the simple life for yourself when the the lives of others all around you are so complicated? A good friend of mine told me you can't until you learn to say the magic word, No! Yes, it is that easy. Say no, to others and say yes to you. It's not a sin to do this, it's not selfish either, it's self preservation and no one who loves you can look down on you for that. If they do they really don't love you, they loved what you were doing for them and there is a difference.

Love yourself and the world will look at you and wonder, what must they do to enjoy that Sweeter Kool-Aid! Glad to be back with you all!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Strive!

2007-10-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

Strive means to exert oneself vigorously; try hard:

This word truly should be synonymous with entrepreneurship. Although, the road often seems rough and you can't clearly see your way all the time, you must hold on! Never, ever, ever give up on something you believe in. If you dream it, it can be accomplished!

We feel we must put up a facade of success and happiness in order to accomplish our goals and to some degree this is true but to what end? I often hear businessmen and women describe themselves as ducks in a pond. You know above water they look so graceful and at peace but just below the surface those legs are Striving to keep them afloat.

Not every business will succeed but some will, right? Why not yours? Don't throw in the towel yet, there is more work to be done and if you are truly passionate about your endeavor you won't stop even after they pull you away kicking and screaming. I like Diddy's Bad Boy Label tagline, "Can't Stop, Cause We Won't Stop". If you won't take the advice from me at least listen to a "Self Made" Hip Hop Mogul.

Just a little bit more, just a little bit further but if it that doesn't get you there keep going because you have gone to far to turn back now! Change the world your way and I will change the world mine! See you at the top!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Study Your Points of Contact!

2007-10-02T22:47:00.000-04:00

Each and every time you interact with the public is an opportunity to make an impression, make the most out of it! When was the last time you took a long hard look at your marketing pieces. How about recorded yourself to hear how you sound on the phone. Updated that business picture lately, if you clearly no longer have hair but your business card picture does, it's time to update!

Every so often I will study the material that I give to people when I interact with them. Just think about it, after you have left a persons presence all that is left is your business card or brochure, it better say success and professional. When people receive your printed information they should think, " Wow".

A lot of times in this age of desktop publishing people will design their own materials with templates, which to be honest is always a little cheesy for my taste, but much cheaper than a graphic artist. If you must use templates make sure you change the stock artwork and colors so they at least match your companies brand.

The business card and brochure is only one point of contact. You also have telephone interactions, face to face meetings, and random at Home Depot looking for grass seed in your sweatpants from high school meetings, or is that only me? Here are a couple of suggestions for these interactions as well.

First your message must be clear, concise and short. Frame your message or offering but not so it sounds canned but more like a story. Call your own voice mail and leave yourself a message as if you were calling a client/customer or associate. Listen to that message over and over and make appropriate changes, then call your boss or wife (often one in the same) and ask them to critique your message.

Also, practice delivering your face to face contact with a friend in front of a video camera, study it and make changes accordingly. As far as, the random Home Depot meeting, throw those damn sweatpants away! Seriously though, every point of contact is extremely important don't waste it and better yet always make the most of it. Study your points of contact and be sure they represent you properly! Be prosperous!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Begin with the End...

2007-09-29T20:05:00.000-04:00

You would be surprised how many times I have asked professionals and entrepreneurs where they saw themselves in 3 to 5 years and the answer is "I don't know". This should not be the case and truly it doesn't have to be. If you Begin your endeavors with the End in mind it can make a world of difference. What exactly does that mean? Most often people do what is expected of them not what they expect of themselves. This will lead to many unfulfilled dreams and unaccomplished goals.

How do you get what you want in life? You first must decide what you want. I know that may sound simple and a little obvious but if you take five minutes right now to explore that you will see that it's not as easy as it may sound. Go ahead, I will see you in five minutes!

Welcome Back.

If you truly looked inside yourself to find out what you want, I bet you were a little frustrated, confused and lost afterwards. I understand why though because it's not as easy as saying, I want money, I want fame, I want respect or I want power. Those things are really the result of you getting what you want often. Meaning what you want should produce money, power, fame or respect. But how Dammit?

Begin with the end in mind. For instance, your end may be getting a book published, your end may be to open 3 stores in the next three years, maybe your end is to be CEO of the company you currently work for or just maybe you want to downgrade your ambition and become a master of some craft or art. Whatever your end may be, it should be at the beginning of each of your days.
It should also be how you begin any planning sessions.

It's much easier to get to your destination if you know where it is. If you had a daily goals list with your ultimate end at the top you would be surprised how much closer you would get everyday. Trust me on this Think End not someone elses end but yours and focus on that daily and meet me at the top!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Mac vs. PC

2007-09-27T16:31:00.000-04:00

The fight began many years ago and if you want to know the history I recommend the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. The result was Apple creating for the arts and entertainment community and Microsoft taking over everything else (to include the world). With this separation came two types of computer owners, those that were creative and those who were business minded, what a shame. I believe I was probably the only student in the school of business at my college that had a Apple computer a little over ten years ago. My, how times have changed and you should considered a change too!

I won't bother explaining all the things that can be done on a PC because they are the majority of computers sold today and they are so standard that most of you understand them completely. What many of you may not be aware of though is the ability to run your business or fit into just about any business environment with a Mac computer.

Yes, with all the applications that are web based, as well as, the growth of Apple over the past five or six years, it is possible to run your business in a complete or partial Apple environment. You may be asking why this is even important. Well, the business world has changed and no longer can we afford to be on one side or the other. We must be both creative and business minded. We must use the many forms of multimedia available, as well as, crunch the numbers. The expectations have changed and Apple has promised to deliver equipment and software that will give you the edge in business.

I say just keep an open mind and visit a Apple store to see how they may be able to enhance your business practices. If you are still not convinced you can at least appreciate the pretty cool commercials.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Tis the Season!

2007-09-26T19:58:00.000-04:00

With the holiday's fast approaching, so to are the office parties, house parties and special dinners. As, a professional with class, don't be caught arriving empty handed. In order to be well prepared you must start now thinking of gifts that say "Thanks for inviting me" without making the host feel they have to repay you somehow.

So, what are your options here? I like to think in bulk. Cases of wine, boxes of fine cigars, fancy pens or music. By purchasing a case of wine you will never be left empty handed when you are invited at the last minute to that holiday dinner at your bosses house. You may get nasty looks from your jealous co-workers on Monday but at least your boss will be impressed that you didn't just come and freeload for the evening like the rest of them.

The best part about the above suggestions is that their are simple ways to customize them all. You can have wine bottles engraved with a special holiday note or even get custom labels done. With cigars you can have them boxed individually with hand written notes tucked in the box, same with pens. As far as music you can compile a play list of your favorite holiday tunes and make cd's with custom labels and cases, now I am not suggesting piracy here, simply holiday sharing!

Hey, maybe I don't have the best gift suggestions but it's the thought that counts right. So, start thinking about those thoughts that will turn into gifts that will be described as it's the thought that counts! Huh? Happy Soon to be Holidays!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

The Art of Prospecting!

2007-09-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

When you mention prospecting to most professionals who are in sales (and we all are in sales) the first thing you get is a cringe, sigh or a run in the other direction but it doesn't have to be that way. The secret to sales is the realization that somebody out there wants what you have to offer, believe it or not! The only thing you have to do is find them.

There are a number of ways to find people who are your prospects. You can cold-call, send mailers, go door to door, run advertisements or send smoke signals but the idea is to make contact. For my business I only consider telephone or face to face encounters prospecting but for you mailers or something else may be the most effective. With all these different ways to meet potential clients why don't more people prospect?

The reason most people hate prospecting is because they hate rejection! Don't get me wrong I hate rejection to, as a matter of fact I don't know one person who enjoys being rejected. So, how then do you make it an art? Actually, it only happens with a little science. Yes, science can help you get over your emotional withdrawal due to prospecting. Here's how.

First you must believe that what you are selling is a worthy product or service. Next you have to chose your market. Then, it's important to figure out on average how many people you have to talk to before you get a Yes. Now you need to figure out how many yeses you must get to meet your goals. The last thing you must do is just make contact with your average number of people as often as you can with out concern with what their answers are but more concern with the activity.

Basically, you must detach yourself from the outcome and just go through the process. That is exactly what I do after I have positioned my offer. I start smiling and dialing mostly referrals at this point in my career but sometimes the projects I work on still require some cold calling believe it or not. If you have to talk to 10, 20, 30 or 40 people to get one yes then just make the calls. Hell, if it took 100 calls and the return was worth it I would make the calls with no hesitation. If you have to do the same you should be willing as well, it's all a numbers game anyway.

If I sat you in a room with a magic slot machine and told you that every 1000th time you pulled the slot lever the machine would spit out $1000.00, how many times a day would you pull that lever?1000, 2000, 5000, I bet you would pull that thing as many time as you could in a 24 hour period. How many calls must you make in order to produce $1000.00 for yourself? Well, just think if you did that three times a week every week how much different would your life be?

Empower Yourself, Make the Calls!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Entrepreneur? Part 3 of 3

2007-09-24T02:33:00.000-04:00

Implementation or action is the last part of this three part series and yes, I did save the best for last. I sometimes feel bad when I have had a long heart felt talk with a business owner, given them the best advice I could come up with and they leave feeling pumped up, only to have trouble implementing the new ideas.

The implementation is the most important piece of this puzzle called entrepreneurship, or better yet the push pins in your big “B” journey map. So, how do you move effectively forward with the plan? The answer is actually very simple, like Nike says, Just Do It! I don’t have time, I don’t have the knowledge, I don’t have the education, and I don’t have the right color tie!

Honestly , you can find any excuse for anything but the reality is you can never move forward unless taking a step is the most important thing to you at that moment. You can’t blame anyone but yourself. You must have the attitude that you won’t be denied progress, you won’t let anyone stand in your way and if you don’t get the help you need at one rest stop along the way you will keep going until you find the help.

What is a good excuse? No excuse is a good excuse if it stands in the way of your success. I mean that and I cannot let you off the hook here, there is to much at stake. I need you to be successful in your pursuits because that not only encourages me, it also encourages those around you and in the minority business community success is a little hard to come by.

You can never plant a garden from your sofa, you have to get your hands dirty and just like that garden you can’t grow a business while laying in your bed you have to get up and get to work. Work on everything that can be worked on for your business, leave no stone unturned. Touch every square inch of the business and insist that your team play their parts. No excuses and if they don’t feel the same way, find someone who will, FAST!

Work diligently, work daily and work deliberately at all things related to your business and let all the haters and naysayers make the excuses, while you run your business straight to the top! See you there, Winners!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Entrepreneur? Part 2 of 3

2007-09-22T15:39:00.001-04:00

How do we start the process of creating the business of your dreams? It's just like creating a road map to a vacation destination. You first find out where you are, then you find out where you want to go and last you map out the best route to get there, understanding there may be some detours along the way.

You must first establish your core competency . What are you in business to offer? What is it that people are going to part with their hard earned money for? What is it that you do as good or better then most? Is it the best value, best price, best quality? What is your core competency?

Now that you know what you are selling, let's make it clear and concise enough that everyone can understands. Example, I sell quality life and disability insurance that can be upgraded over the entire careers of recent graduates of medical school, might be your offering. This is an important piece so please take time to put together something you can be very proud of for quite some time.

Now that you know what you will be delivering to your customers you must tell the story. Tell it to everyone that matters. Who matters may be your question. This is where the separation begins between Mom & Pop/ Sole proprietorship's and Corporations/LLC's or what I will refer to as little "b" and big "B" respectively. Little "b's" start and generally continue their journey alone, while big "B's" start to tell their stories to investors, bankers, friends, family, just about anyone who will listen and come along for the ride.

What is the purpose of telling so many people your business? You need buy in for long term success, is the reason. You have to visit each of these places along your journey:

Raise Money or Capitalize the business
Build a board of directors
Put business policy in place
Create a strong Brand
Market your Brand.

This all takes man hours, talent and if that isn't clear A LOT OF HELP! So stop trying to do it all by yourself, allow others to help you get to your destination and let them benefit from the success of the business. The great thing about the big "B" journey is that whenever you run into obstacles or road blocks in your journey you will have enough minds with a vested interest in your success, to come up with a solution. We will explore this more tomorrow.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Entrepreneur? Part 1 of 3

2007-09-22T01:40:00.000-04:00

My major in college was entrepreneurial studies. It was a new major for our school but quite popular. As a matter of fact my business partner was the first graduate and I was the second. We spent a great deal of time on case studies, business plan development and corporate analysis. I figured I was in pretty good shape to handle businesses of all different kinds as long as they were entrepreneurial in essence. Little did I know I was in for a rude awaking.

What does the word entrepreneur really mean? Well, it describes a person of vision and desire, who’s unafraid to take risk for the chance at business success. A person or group of people who create a business. The funny thing is many people who call themselves entrepreneurs have little resemblance to the ones I studied in college.

What is the problem? Well, what I have seen a lot out here on the business front is people who really want rewards with little effort or those with efforts that outweigh their rewards. I constantly run into that unbalanced business that wears the owners down or makes them quit.

A person once told me that success was when small efforts produced large results and when large efforts produced small results it was time to abandoned ship. Yes, there are exceptions to every rule and that is the case in this situation as well but it’s a good rule of thumb.

So, how do you know when you have become an entrepreneur on the road to success? The first thing you must ask yourself is, am I building a company, a business or have I created a job for myself? Self employment is OK for some people but that should not be the overall goal of an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur should be looking to create a business that works when he or she is not there operating it.

This weekend I will touch on some of the main steps to establishing a good track for you to develop the ultimate business. The type of business that can attract investors, the type of business with a corporate image and the type of business where small efforts produce tremendous results, stay tuned!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Jena 6

2007-09-20T23:49:00.000-04:00

Here we stand, this 20th day of September in the year of 2007 still divided by the color of our skin! After years of what seemed to be calm complacency, pressure in our cooker was rising. Yeah, we could have rallied for any number of injustices we have witnessed over the past however many years but we didn't. The Jena 6 was destined to be our calling card. The one thing that unified us if only but for one day, but who says it has to stop there?

I look around and see injustice everyday. When was the last time you thought of a police officer as an employee whose job it is to protect and serve? When was the last time a white company had to obtain some sort of certification or stamp of approval before they could get a contract? When was the last time anyone other than a white man ran this country?

Yes, I know the police have a tough job, yes, I know the white company has always done business that way and yes, I know we have both a woman and a black man running for the office of President right now but it still doesn't change the fact that we (the minority population) don't feel we can get a fair break in the U.S.

It took the injustice that happened to those six kids in the little town of Jena to wake up a nation that had fallen asleep while on cruise control. The kids surely were charged more severely than they should have been but how many Jena 6 situations are going on in this country everyday. What a wake up call this is for all those who may have felt we arrived. The struggle continues and we can not rest if we want the world that our kid's grand kids live in to be better then today's world.

I can't ignore the progress we have made over the past 50 years but situations like the Jena 6 remind me how far we still have to go. These problems cross over legal, business, sports, education and general opportunity lines. We must work hard daily to unite our efforts and continue to learn about and celebrate each others cultures so they become less of a boundary and more a draw toward enlightenment. Let's Talk Business - Let's Talk Diversity - Let's Talk Equality - Let's Talk Justice, Let's Talk Action!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Be Here, Be Now!

2007-09-19T15:21:00.000-04:00

The world is full of distractions and in business distractions cost. Distractions can cost in time and money, and let's face it time freedom and money freedom are what we all really want more then anything. So, in this multitasking society how do we focus when necessary. Well, I try very hard to Be Here, Be Now!

What Be Here, Be Now really means is to be in the moment whenever you are putting time into a task. I remember, back in my financial planning days, having a meeting with this young couple looking for some guidance. They both made above average incomes and were fairly successful with great upside potential. Sounds like the perfect meeting right, Wrong!

From the time they stepped into my office one distraction after the other. Her phone would ring, she would answer, his phone would ring and he would leave the room, despite the fact that I asked that all phones be silenced during our meeting. It happened a couple more times until I just told them that I didn't think they had enough focus on our meeting for me to help them. They couldn't Be Here, Be Now! Can you?

Can you be of one meeting? Can you focus on a task until it is complete? Can you make the person in front of you feel like they are the most important people on earth? If you can't then you may want to start. How many times have you gone into a store and been ignored and although your intentions were to purchase something you left out empty handed? Have you ever visited the doctors office tried to explain to the doctor your problem while he just starts writing you a prescription darn near before the examine?

It's easy to do and very costly but I must admit this is something I struggle with often and must work on daily. I should use my time in the car with my kids to talk to them but I often drive, talk on the phone and transport the kids, wasting valuable quality time with them. I need to Be Here, Be Now more often because every moment can be precious if I decide for it to be. Now, I have to go, my phone is ringing. What? I said I would work on it! Be Here, Be Now!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

A Bird in the Hand....

2007-09-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying I have heard all my life and until I became a business owner I really didn't have any practical application to the phrase. There are many variations to this phrase but the most common is "A Bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush". I asked John Brooks a realtor with Long and Foster and member of the Minority Business Alliance of Virginia (MBAVA) how he thought the phrase applied to business.

Well, the saying really applies to risk, which you take in business anyway, said John. He also said, If you don't want to take chances then the statement is true. I ask the question, how do you grow if you don't take chances? Maybe the statement is best used in a checklist of other decision making criteria. For instance if you are selling your home for $300k and you get a solid offer for $295k should you take the offer? Well, there just isn't enough information to make that decision. What is the market like? How many other offers have you gotten? How bad do you need to sell?.....etc.

In the above example it is true A bird in the Hand is worth Two in the Bush but the story doesn't end there. John Brooks advises not to take fools chances. "If the two Birds in the Bush are clearly Dead then keep your Bird in the Hand". I personally believe sometimes you must let the bird in hand go to try to obtain success. I think that's life, you don't progress otherwise, sometimes even a sure thing isn't a sure thing, you know, says Mr. Brooks.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

For All Your Residential Real Estate Needs
Contact John Brooks with Long & Foster
Just Click His Picture

What Do You Do?

2007-09-17T12:48:00.000-04:00

You ever heard the saying, Jack of all trades, Master of none? Who is more valuable to their community, the Jack or the Master? The Jack is probably more valuable but the Master is probably more wealthy. Why you might ask? There are a number of reasons why this happens but the easiest way to sum it up is by saying everyone knows what the Master does, while no one knows what the Jack does not do! OK, maybe that is not as simple as I thought but bare with me on this one.

You see, business is about generating revenue and if you will do just about anything to generate revenue how do you market yourself and who do you market yourself to? Jack may be able to help a great deal of people or companies but until he chooses a niche he will go through life quite the journeyman. On the other hand the Master not only knows what he can do but more importantly knows what he cannot do. It is really easy to send business to Master and often the pre-screening has already been done.

Are you Jack or Master? Do people know what you do or do they think you can do anything? If you are Jack there is still hope but you have to start immediately before your neighbor ask you to change their oil, build them a shed or do their taxes.

5 Steps to Recovery from Jackofalltradesitis:

Decide what it is you are best at and pursue it with all vigor!
Tell everyone what you are working to become a Master at!
Put only that pursuit on your marketing material!
Say no to anything that falls outside of your new focus!
Ask your Business Team(yesterday's blog entry) to help keep you on the wagon!

This may not be as scientific as you would like but if it keeps you from installing screen doors on the weekend and being a banker during the week then I have done my job. Give it a try I know you will see instant results.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Art Courtesy of Patrick Turner "Jack of All Trades" visit his site by Clicking Here.

Game Time, Who is on Your Team?

2007-09-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas(Although I love that season), it's Football Season. The best part of football to me is the team effort required for success. Yeah, there are always the standouts but even the great quarterbacks, receivers, and linebackers would not be able to do anything without their teammates playing their part. You know, that is a lot like business.

To make sure you can achieve success in your business endeavors, you should consider building a business team to manage your business affairs. For some reason this is seems to be a problem for many cultures that make up the minority population. Maybe it's privacy, embarrassment or lack of knowledge but we have to do better and this is how.

First and foremost you should view yourself as the quarterback of your team and you must play your position. As the leader your goal is to build a team that will help you grow your Assets, add more streams of Income, shrink your Liabilities and reduce your expenses. You will also need a coach. Some people can play quarterback and coach but if you know that is not you then find a coach.

So, who are some of these professionals you should be looking for? Let's start with the Coach or Business Manager. This is a person who knows your dreams and desires, understands your situation and has the playbook and roster. the business manager should have a great understanding of general business and the different business professionals duties. This person can cost as little as $50/month and as much as $5,000/month but you should definitely be able to find someone in your price range.

Next the quarterback and coach should create a plan and add the necessary team members. An investment advisor to grow the assets, a real estate agent to add rental income to your portfolio, a banker to consolidate your liabilities and a CPA to reduce your tax expense. Sounds simple right, well it can be once the team is put together but it takes a while to find trusted professionals that are competent and manageable.

There are other professionals that may be necessary to your success as well. A lawyer, life insurance agent, property and casualty insurance agent, career agent, mortgage lender and many others depending on your goals. The point is you need to put your team together and keep them all on the same page to accomplish your goals. As you attend different networking mixers be on the lookout for team members or new recruits. Have a great week!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

The Best Marketing Tool in the World

2007-09-15T22:47:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to do in life is to speak to business people and entrepreneurs who are excited about their work. As I listen to them talk about the intimate details of their work, I always ask what it is they love most and what it is they find most difficult. Well, as you might imagine the answers for the first question are as numerous as the businesses themselves. Without fail the thing they find most difficult is generating new customers/clients.

I like to refer to this as revenue enhancement, also known as marketing. The absolute best form of marketing is word of mouth. There is nothing that can generate more business and loyalty the way a warm referral from someone can. The great thing about this is it is largely in your control.

When you offer great products and services, it is your right or privilege to ask for referrals but most people never do. This is a big mistake. Why let a satisfied patron leave you without giving them instructions on how they can help you to grow? You should tell them what you want them to say and who they should be saying it to.

This is an example of what you could say to generate more referrals. Thank you for visiting us, how was your experience? Great, well since you enjoyed your experience so much please give this discount card to your family and friends and invite them to call us, so we can deliver to them the same experience.

Make the most out of every encounter with your patrons and you well be sure to get more, often! For more info on referrals Click Here. Happy Saturday!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

This Weekend in Hampton Roads

2007-09-14T21:06:00.001-04:00

If you are looking for something to do this weekend and want to support a minority business at the same time, then come out to the Hunt Club Farm in Virginia Beach, Saturday, 15th from 12 to 6pm. Amazin Wings will be defending their title as People's Choice Champions! The owner is Lynne Delaney a member of the Minority Business Alliance of Virginia and she would love to have your support tomorrow and everyday at her Chesapeake Square Mall location.

With $10 paid admission to this event you get all you can eat wings along with live music and just a good time! So come on out and bring the whole family its sure to be a blast and remember to vote for Amazin Wings! For more information visit this site http://www.huntclubfarm.com/2007warofwings.htm

Also happening in Hampton Roads this weekend is the Neptune Wine Festival. Sip, savor and purchase wines from the Old Dominion's leading vineyards in an oceanfront setting. Food, live music and specialty vendors will also be a part of the event. A celebration of Virginia s finest wines, along with food and musical entertainment, all at Neptune's Park. Visit www.neptunefestival.com for more information. Celebrations will continue on Saturday with Against All Odds and Sunday with Hanover Fist from 7pm - 11pm both nights.

So there you have it, two great choices for the weekend. Have a great one!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

The Sport of Business

2007-09-13T08:20:00.001-04:00

In 1998 when I was about to graduate from college, I spent some time over lunch with one of my professors, trying to get some last minute tips before I stepped out into the business world. He said to me, " The single best purchase you can make going into the business world is a set of golf clubs". So, I went to Walmart and purchased my first set of clubs complete with woods, irons and bag, for the great price of $99.99. Now, I had no ideas of grandeur, thinking I might become the next Tiger Woods or even close but I did start using my clubs immediately at the driving range.

Soon after my graduation I started my career as a banker and almost immediately I was asked by my boss to play in a golf tournament. Of course, I quickly accepted the opportunity and looked forward to my first official tournament. My joy quickly turned to anxiety when I realized not only had I never played in a tournament but I had never even played a round of golf and judging by my driving range performance I was about to make a complete fool of myself, in front of the boss!

Needless to say, I went to the driving range everyday up to the date of the tournament, approximately 4 days, from the acceptance of my execution and I honestly think I got worst over that time! On the day of my tournament, I certainly would have won a best dressed contest but this was no fashion show, this was serious golf with the boss and I was horrible at the game. Naturally, when it was time to tee off I elected to go last in hopes that I could pick up some last minute pointers from the boss or the other two golfers.

Golfer number one had his tee shot sucked up by the woods to the right, golfer number two into the water about 100 yards to the left, golfer number three(My Boss) straight shot right down the middle about 20 yards. What? My boss 20 yards, I can't believe it but it was true. I had discovered the best thing about the Sport of Business. The best thing about golf is that almost everyone is bad no matter how long they have been playing (by the way my boss had been playing for more than 20 years).

So, what's the point of my story? The point is, if you wait until you are half as good as Tiger before you pick up golf, you will never play golf. If you never play the sport of business, you may seriously impair your chances of success in business, more so then being a bad golfer would. Besides all of that golf is just so darn fun and you all know how I feel about Having Fun! Oh yeah, my tee shot started off beautiful and long then made a strong right turn into the woods, a terrible splice that I continue to work on to this day!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Positively Successful!

2007-09-12T22:31:00.000-04:00

Becoming a successful business person is hard work at best and as a minority in this country you may have a few more hurdles to jump to reach that goal but countless examples show us that it is indeed possible. So what is the one of the biggest things that separate successful business people from the unsuccessful? Attitude, and not just your attitude either. No, it is your attitude and the attitudes of the people you surround yourself with.

If you are a positive optimistic person but all the people that you have around you are negative pessimistic people then how can you ever reach your goal of success. Those negative people will always find a way to rain on your parade and enjoy doing so too! I have seen it time and time again, and even experience it on occasion. Don't let them rob you of the success you deserve!

When you run across negative people or you see yourself becoming negative don't take it lightly. You must seek and destroy or either remove the elements form your life immediately. There is nothing more cancerous to a healthy dream and goal of success then negativity floating around in the air.

Attitude is absolutely a choice and you can choose to find the negative in every situation or the positive in the situations. If success is the goal the become positively successful and surround yourself with positively successful people too.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

How to Work Your Net!

2007-09-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

I have been in the so called business world for many years now. I can not tell you how many networking meetings I have been to but they have always been pretty hit or miss. Some were productive and most seemed to be a complete waste of time. How is that? You have a room full of business people in one room with the same mission in mind (supposedly) and you could walk away without having advanced your career or business at all. Well part of the problem with networking is the approach that participants and organizers take.

If I went through the telephone book and randomly picked people and businesses out, then invited them all out for cocktails, what would be the result. Many would not show up, those that came may mingle with other guest and others would have no clue why they were there or what they were supposed to be doing. That's kind of how the networking functions that I have been to over the years have worked.

The way to avoid wasting your time with networking events is to have a plan. First you must create or plug into a net, then work that net and only participate in events that advance the net you are working. I know that may sound a little self-serving but it actually is a much better approach for everyone involved because the surf shop owner is not wasting the time of the manager of the local poultry plant and vice-versa.

So, how do you find a more effective networking functions to attend? Unfortunately, there are not a lot of them out here but you could always create your own. Also, the Minority Business Alliance of Virginia will begin hosting Niche Mix Events starting in October of 2007. These events will focus of specific industries or themes, so you know what you are getting into before you ever show up. There will be Real Estate Mixers, Restaurant Mixers, Health Care Mixers, and many more! So if you have any suggestions please drop me a comment and I will work on bringing that to the table as well.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Where is the Disconnect?

2007-09-10T21:12:00.000-04:00

I am sometimes told by those who have the power to award contracts in Virginia and many of its localities " You know I would love to award more contracts to minority companies but we just can't find any with the right credentials!". To that I say a big emphatic Bull Crap!

For the 2006-2008 biennium, total state resources available for appropriation in Virginia are projected to equal $78.7 billion of which over $3 billion is slated for capital improvements. Here is the real kicker, of all contracts awarded to companies for products and services less then 1% goes to minority business. That means that 99% of the $3 billion go to white companies. The funny thing is minorities make up more then a 1/3 of the population. The disparity is absolutely astonishing.

I speak to minority business owners daily and the theme is always the same they can't get the good contracts consistently that would allow them to grow and stay at capacity. So it seems the business owners are looking for procurement opportunities and procurement directors are "looking" for minority businesses, Where is the disconnect?

I say the disconnect only exist because we (minorities) have allowed it! We have become complacent to the point that we don't feel we are entitled to our fair share. Let's not continue to leave $100 billion + on the table! Let's go get it, its ours and I pledge to do all I can to help make this a reality. The Energy of Diversity - The Power of Business!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Business 101

2007-09-09T22:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Sunday everyone! Although this day marks the end of the weekend for most people, for me and many business people I know, Sunday marks the beginning of the work week! As a personal ritual of mine I use Sunday as a back to basics day for me and I would like to share with you those basics that offer the foundation for all my business decisions.

Business is simply Assets, Liabilities, Income and Expenses, all else is just commentary(some commentary is good though, ie. This Blog). When you look at the different decisions you must make as a business person on a daily basis, how do you make these decision? Well let me quickly explain how this can be done consistently for life!

You must first be able to distinguish true assets from liabilities. Business 101 in college teaches us that an Asset is defined by its ability to produce income and a liability on the flip side produces expenses. So yes, if it cost you money rather then make you money it’s a liability, but not all liabilities are bad. Your personal residence is a liability(albeit a good one)to you and an asset to the bank. It’s and expense to you and provides income for the bank. The only way for you to convert it to an asset is to sell it! Not to beat a dead horse but just take a moment to look at all the things that make you money and all the things that cost you.

Ok, now that you are thoroughly depressed, time to map out your work week. Your weekly goals you be to increase or work toward increasing your assets and decrease your liabilities. The more assets the more streams of income while the more liabilities, well you get the point.

This sounds very simple but often what happens is we spend so much time managing or maintaining our assets and liabilities, we never get around to increasing the number of streams of income and decreasing the number of expenses. Don’t let this happen to you any longer! From this day forward start your week right with a “By any means necessary” plan to change you life daily.

Be like a predator in search of prey, a hunter in search of game, a pirate in search of booty! Find opportunities to acquire assets and opportunities to offload those liabilities! Build that business team that will help make it happen for you, let your weekly meetings have new purpose and get ready to do it all over again each week. See you at the Top!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

What's in a Brand?

2007-09-08T20:34:00.001-04:00

A brand is a representation of a business or business person's offerings. Put another way by, Wikipedia, the online reference sight, a brand, logo, slogan, and/or design scheme associated with a product or service.

So what? Well to be quite honest in business your brand is everything, very similar to an individuals character. It can take a lifetime to build and once it's established you must do everything in your power to protect it.

For instance if I said "Chicken 'n Waffles" to most people, they would respond "Roscoe's"? Even though they may have never been there, the brand is strong and synonymous with great chicken and waffles.

With so many choices available for just about anything you could possibly desire in life, brands help us cut to the chase. Brands also allow us to trust products or services that would normally require a bit of research. The funny thing about brands though is that all the symbols and slogans, colors and sounds can do just as much to help people recognize what not to buy as it can to help people recognize what they want to purchase.

You must always start with a quality product or service at a fair price and use that to establish then grow your brand! I will explain how this is done in a later Blog entry but I thought I should show why brand creation is important first.

As you create that Brand/Business of your dreams watch how your customers/clients will refer others to you and practically beg you for the opportunity to advertise for you. Don't believe me? Well tell me this, did the last pair of sneakers you wore have the companies logo on the outside or the inside? T-shirt? Purse? You wore those Brands and wore them proudly and will more then like buy and wear those same brands again!

Bottom line is that it is about loyalty, getting a customer or client and keeping them for life. Ultimately, this leads to higher sales and higher sales means more income in just about every good business model. So use Roscoe's Home of Chicken 'n Waffles as a great example of what you can do to build a strong brand or maybe some other brand that you know and love!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Do You! by Russell Simmons

2007-09-07T15:27:00.000-04:00

I just finished this book by Russell Simmons and I have to admit I was originally a little apprehensive about reading it. You see, although I am a product of the Hip Hop Generation, as an adult I have found it increasingly hard to identify with the culture I loved so much as a young man.

Russell is often referred to as the "God-Father of Hip-Hop", and because my relationship with Hip Hop has been a little strained, I wasn't sure if I would connect with this book. I am proud to say, I was dead wrong, and honestly this BLOG is a direct result of the inspiration I received from reading this very important book!

I know you are probably saying Hip-Hop, Important, Russell Simmons, what does any of this have to do with the Minority Business Alliance of Virginia. All I can say is, if you approach this book with an open mind, you will definitely walk away not just a better businessman or businesswoman but absolutely a better human being!

12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success, "Do You!", is not a step by step approach to business success but more so a call to becoming more enlightened, as well as, excepting who you are and working to constantly better yourself. Many people may not like the spiritual over tones of this book, but I found them quite refreshing and thought provoking!

Whether you agree with Russell or not, I guarantee that you will have a new found respect for him and most importantly for yourself after reading this book. So pick it up this weekend if you are looking for a weekend read. After you read it be sure to drop me a comment.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,

Maestro

Starbucks, it's more than Coffee & you are more than your Product or Service!

2007-09-06T16:21:00.000-04:00

I have long sense said that people, as well as companies, part with their hard earned cash for one of two reasons and if you happen to offer both then you my friend have an addictive experience, the business persons paradise!

So, what are these reasons that cause customers or clients to empty their pockets for you? The answer to that question is simple. People want (1) solutions to their problems and/or (2) good feelings!

Starbucks offers them both to their customers day in and day out, and manage to be very profitable, too. They have created a rather addictive experience with their business model. They certainly solve a problem (the need for caffeine) and the environment(rich, quality enhanced by eclectic music and furniture) in which they do this creates wonderfully good feelings.

The next time you are near a Starbucks drop in for more than a Grande Skinny Iced White Chocolate No Whip Mocha. Observe what they are really offering and maybe borrow some of their ideas to incorporate into your own business or career! Maybe the unique experience you offer your customers/clients can be enhanced to create a more profitable business or promotion in your career.

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,

Maestro

Welcome Minority Business Leaders of VA!

2007-09-05T16:58:00.000-04:00

It is with great pleasure that I post this first blog for the Minority Business Alliance of Virginia. The MBAVA was created to engage the minority business community of VA on one common platform. The goal quite simply is to connect our members with business opportunities. The MBAVA is where "The Energy of Diversity meets The Power of Business"!

We look forward to providing you with wonderful resources for the success of your business endeavors. Whether you are an entrepreneur or business professional, procurement director or diversity manager, business student or precollege business club, we have something for you.

So, check back often for helpful insights, resources, the latest news and upcoming events!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing!
Maestro