Posted by Bob Voss

            As a counselor for the SBDC, and a teacher of entrepreneurship, I see a lot of small businesses.  Just in the last year I held over 200 one on one meetings with small business owners.  2011 must have been a very bad year because I heard about a lot more problems than I did success stories.  I had to deal with small business owners that were deep in debt and worried that they were going to lose their houses.  I had to deal with owners who were laying off employees for the first time.  And in some cases I was helping small business owners decide if they should close the business or try to hang on longer.  From a counseling perspective, 2011 was a tough year to be a small business counselor.

            When I would ask these small business owners why their business wasn’t thriving I heard things like, “the economy is killing me”, “customers are afraid to buy” or “prices have just eroded so I can’t make any money”.  For the most part all of these small business owners believed what they were telling me.  But was their belief actually part of the problem?  Could it be that because they watched too much local news, national news and cable news their belief that things were going to be bad became a self fulfilling prophecy? 

            I know 2011 wasn’t a bad year for everyone.  There were small business owners who were growing and expanding.  There were small business owners who where hiring employees, and there were some small business owners who were having their best year ever.  So what made the difference between 2011 being a great year or a lousy year?  I have a strong belief that many small business owners believed at the beginning of 2011 that it was going to be a bad year (they listened to too many “experts”) and guess what, that is exactly what they got!  I think the attitude of the small business owner going into 2011 made a huge difference on how 2011 actually turned out. 

            So if, as a small business owner, you realize that you were a contributing factor as to  why 2011 wasn’t a good year for you, then what can you do different in 2012 so this doesn’t happen again.  What can you do to make sure that your business in 2012 has a positive ending and not a negative one?

            I will let you in on a little secret.  People who set goals for their business seem to have consistently better businesses than those small business owners who do not set goals.  Be honest how many of you small business owners, a year ago from right now, sat down, reviewed the year and worked on written goals for 2011?  From a counseling perspective I can tell you that most small business owners have a very difficult time setting goals and many have never set even one goal for their business!

            If you want to thrive, not just survive in 2012 then set a strong, positive goal for your business to reach in 2012.  What is the best way of making sure you can reach your goal?  Check out my next posting and teach you how to set and achieve goals.

Email from Pete Holzer:

I moved my advertising agency to Burnsville a few years ago and have been growing in spite of a not so great market.

We currently do everything from web sites to digital media, to print to online marketing and everything in between.

I need a project manager/writer to manage all of our campaigns.

It would be in Burnsville – 20 – 30 hours per week.

If you know someone, please pass their name to me as I need to fill this position soon.

Oh, and please keep me in mind for speaking again in the future.

Thanks Carie,
Pete

Pete Holzer
H&H Marketing

http://hhmarketing.net

952-212-9695

 Post authored by Bob Voss         

  Angel investors or just “angels” are the mainstay for most small business start-up funding.  The phrase “angel investor” has been watered down to mean almost any investor that invests in a start-up company.  However, since most start-up entrepreneurs or BizOwners have difficulty raising money, they feel that if anyone will invest in their business, they must be sent by God, so they must be an “Angel”!  Because I have raised a lot of money from individual investors, especially at the start-up stage, I have a somewhat different definition for an “angel” than just any investor who invests in a start-up.

            To me an “angel Investor” is a person who buys into a new business with not only the expectation of making money on the investment, but also to help the business grow and gain traction in the early stages.  In many cases the investor “falls in love” with the business and wants to get involved in more ways that just money.  A really good angel Investor can help a start up business by bringing with them their experience, their contacts, and their wisdom.  In many cases, angels can help a new BizOwner with getting the business organized properly. They can provide access to people the BizOwner could never get to, and they can help with such things as branding, marketing, vendors, and even new product development.  Angels can be worth a whole lot more that just money, if you find the right ones.  That is the key.  There are good angels, and unfortunately, there are bad angels as well.

            In the mid 90’s I was trying to manufacture an interactive video device that would allow children to interact with TV and VCR (remember VHS?) by attaching a handset with a suction cup to the screen of the TV.  We were real novices at this and consequently we were getting terribly behind schedule and spending way too much money.  Fortunately we found an “angel” that really got what we were doing, and he ran an electronics manufacturing company as well.  This man pretty much said to us, “Boys, get out of my way!  I will take it from here!”  In 60 days, he solved all of our problems, got us back on track, and even saved us significant manufacturing costs.  This man not only invested in the business, but because he knew what he was doing, he also saw how his expertise could really save our butts, and he really liked that he could give something back and help others.  This man is one of the best examples of a really good angel investor!

            Remember, once someone invests in your business they become part of your business.  Just as an investor is interviewing you to see if he or she wants to invest, you need to interview them to make sure they will fit into your company, your culture, and your long term goals.

Post by Carie Statz, Marketing and Sales Instructor
DCTC semester starts tomorrow-January 9th! Hope you are signed up because many courses are close to full. Some courses have later start dates however. Contact 651-423-8000 for registration information.

DCTC American Marketing Association (AMA) Collegiate Club members spent time organizing and working at the Feed My Starving Children non-profit agency in Eagan, Minnesota.

Feed My Starving Children is a non-profit organization committed to feeding children hungry in body and spirit. The approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals specifically formulated for malnourished children, and the agency ships the meals to nearly 70 countries around the world. 

DCTC AMA members enjoyed the work they did for hungry children abroad!

Posted by Carie Statz, carie.statz@dctc.edu

Reposted by Carie Statz, DCTC Marketing and Sales Instructor

Group: Social Media Marketing
Subject: Free Webinar – “10 Reasons Why Google+ could beat Facebook”, Wednesday, December 7th 10am PST/ 1pm EST. Learn how to maximize your social media strategies by leveraging both!
With the launch of Google+ we have witnessed some tectonic shifts in Social Media. A few questions on everyone’s mind are A) Will Google+ Beat Facebook? and B) Should you and your business be on Google+? The answer is that TWO 800 lb. gorillas working for you are better than one! Find out more here:
http://bit.ly/s7l54S

Announcing a Free webinar on Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 when leading industry experts Eric Enge (Author of The Art of SEO) and Kristi Hines (Blogger, Author, Social Media expert) will cover the in’s and out’s of Google’s strategy behind Google+ and how you can take full advantage of this new network.

In addition to the “10 Reasons why Google+ could beat Facebook” in this free webinar, you’ll also learn:

* Getting started with Google+
* Google+ and the inherent SEO and Search Marketing benefits
* Google+ best practices for business pages
* How Google+ can help drive conversions
* How to gather real-time market intelligence with Google+
* Facebook and Google+ : Pros and Cons
* Case Studies of some smart Google+ implementatio

Sign-up here, It’s Free: http://bit.ly/s7l54S

Whether you are new to Social Media or a seasoned Social Media pro this is the right webinar as you’ll learn there is more to Google+ than what meets the eye. Also, Google+ and Facebook when integrated correctly can play a huge role in growing your community and generate growth for your business or increase your personal brand.

Here’s to your success ~
Mike Crosson
Moderator and Publisher
www.SocialMediopolis.com

PS. Feel free to forward this to your colleagues and friends who may be interestd, and tweet it as well!

Posted By Michael Crosson

            For me, the answer is definite “YES”; you really need to write a business plan!  Let’s begin with why you should write a business plan.  The answer is very simple, if you want your new business to succeed, then write a business plan (even a very simple business plan) PRIOR to starting your business.  Failure rates for new businesses in the first year are in the neighborhood of 25%.  Take into account the fact that many people start a sole proprietorship and simply cease operations without notifying anyone and this failure figure could be as high as 40% in the first year!   In an article that appeared in Business Week Small Business titled “The Bottom Line on Startup Failures” (March 4, 2002) there was the following quote:

“Clearly business planning plays an integral part of success.  We studied firms that had developed a business plan at the outset, and found that 85% were still in business after three years.  I think that fact speaks for itself!” 

Clearly, writing a business plan prior to launching your business makes it easier to get through the critical first year of operation.  This first year is when businesses have the highest failure rate.  This is really the first major reason why you should write a business plan.

            The second major reason for writing a business plan is that by going through the process you will gain either much needed confidence that your business idea is a good one, or you will find out in the planning process that your business will not work and you shouldn’t start the business.  Either way it is a very good thing.  I have taught a formal three credit business plan class three times a year for the last nine years.  Each class an interesting thing happens about the third through the fifth week of class (normally this is a ten week class).  During this time period anywhere between 10% and 25% of the students change their business idea and start writing a new plan!  The first time this happened I was pretty amazed.  But when it happened semester after semester it really floored me.  For me, there is a direct correlation between people who change their business idea during the planning process and first year business failures!  If you want to make sure your business will succeed prior to launching write a business plan ahead of time; the process really helps guarantee success and it proves to you that you are starting the right business.

            The topic of Business Planning requires a lot more discussion.  Look for more on this topic in additional blog postings.  If you would like to comment on this or want to supply a question for me to answer, e-mail me at bob.voss@dctc.edu.

When you find a great article, you need to share.

Check out this great article for Marketing Trends for 2012!

By Carie Statz, Marketing and Sales Instructor

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/922041/396/MN-Hispanic-population-shot-up-75-in-decade

By Harold Torrence, Supervisory Management Instructor

Dakota County Technical College

Today’s workplace environment is increasingly complex and challenging for individuals who are trying to move up the career ladder, or simply trying to get a job. As we struggle to balance our personal lives and work, we can suddenly find ourselves feeling lonely in a jungle of unorganized thoughts and ideas.

When you are unclear and uncertain, finding the right path to the next level up can be very difficult. Because of our individualized human natures, we tend to keep our feelings and desires to ourselves. This reality can hinder our chances to identify and embrace new and better opportunities.

In a way, what we have is a choice between viewing the world with tunnel vision, or making a change so that we see things from a 360° perspective.

To gain a 360° outlook on your world, you will need support from people who can listen to you and provide honest, insightful feedback and ideas. What you need is a mentor. Look around and chances are you will discover that one or more of your friends, coworkers, family members, teachers and/or professional acquaintances fit the description.

Once you encounter a good potential match, don’t be afraid to ask that person to be your mentor. Formal and even informal mentoring can be indispensable in helping you reach  your personal and professional goals.

Students in Dakota County Technical College’s Multicultural Leadership program build mentoring relationships with individuals who are professionally and academically successful. Having established mentors gives them a solid understanding of what it takes to reach higher levels of performance both personally and professionally.

Jason Kelvie, a member of our multicultural leadership learning community, works for the city of Burnsville. Jason found that his mentor was extremely helpful in allowing him to understand his workplace relationships and improve his communication skills so that he could forge stronger bonds with his coworkers and managers.

“While this mentoring experience was happening, I was able to transition to a new and better career opportunity,” Jason explained. “My mentor’s examples helped me adapt my communication style with my new supervisor. My mentor also helped me see challenges and opportunities from a more positive outlook. As a result, I was able to establish a new friendship and expand my network of connections and resources.”

A trusting and well-structured mentoring relationship can help you uncover and reinforce your strengths, which will give you the power to reach your human capacity and potential. Something special and different happens when a mentor takes the time to listen attentively to your concerns, challenges and opportunities. This exercise alone can make you reframe your way of thinking. For example, you will almost certainly start replacing the word “problem” with “opportunity.”
�
When setting goals, we sometimes find it difficult to visualize a clear mental picture. However, when you start chatting and interacting with your mentor, all of a sudden you are able to understand yourself better and see new options and alternatives to get where you want to be.

Your priorities will dictate the kind of mentor you’ll need. You can seek a mentor for career enhancement or one that will focus on your personal development. What’s important to know is that you don’t need a sophisticated mentoring program to have a mentor.

Seeking someone who cares about your success and has a sincere interest in your future development is a personal decision with a tremendous professional impact. It’s never too late to change—so go ahead and start your lifelong mentoring journey.