Biznovations.net

Moving to Wordpress!

2010-07-16T14:18:00.008-04:00

Hey everyone, thanks for following my blog here. I am moving over the Wordpress. The name of the new blog is Passion in Action: Catalyst Ideas for Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired Living! My continued goal is to motivate and equip people to activate their dreams in order to live the life God created for you.

I will continue to share my thoughts on topics that I am passionate about, including my faith, purpose development, social entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, and social innovation. This blog will stay up, but I will not be updating it any more. Fortunately all of content from this blog is going with me. So you can review past articles here or there.

Make sure you subscribe when you get there. See you soon!

Thrive on Purpose!
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Are you aware that up to 97% of Christians surveyed disclose that they don’t hear sermons or messages that specifically connect their work life to their spiritual life? Are you one of them? If so, Dream B.I.G. in 3D will be the missing link for you to activate your gifts, find your niche, and fulfill God's calling for you in the workplace.

If you are looking to maximize your purpose in the marketplace, this is the perfect book for you. Get your copy today at www.DreamBIGin3D.com.

Dream B.I.G. in 3D One Year Anniversary!

2010-07-06T09:56:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

Wow! It's hard to believe it's been one year since the launch of a movement, i.e. the release of my first book, "Dream B.I.G. in 3D: How to Pursue a Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired Life!" Many lives have been positively impacted as they shifted from dreaming to living on purpose.

We had a lot of fun at our 3 "Books & Biscotti" book release events, produced by my incredible publisher Paramind Publications. We had some incredible performers that did an amazing job personifying and amplifying the Dream B.I.G. message. Check out the event videos...

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Sweet Dreams!
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Your true life does not have to be only a dream, it can be a dream manifested in 3D! Learnhow to Discover, Define, and Drive your desires by unleashing the God given muse to help you envision yourself in a B.I.G. way. God designed you for greatness so stop dreaming small. Uncover your legacy. Now is the season for a Bold Innovative God-Inspired Life! You owe it to yourself to see just how far your true dream in life can take you.

If you are looking for purpose in your life and life in your purpose, this is the perfect book for you. Get your copy today at www.DreamBIGin3D.com.

Sacred and Secular Coming Together in Business

2010-06-29T11:57:00.024-04:00

In times past such a distinction was made between the "sacred" ministry roles and positions in the church versus "secular" positions in the marketplace that leaders outside the church were made to feel inferior to those who worked in full-time ministry within the church.

Fortunately those times are changing. A new group of pastors and church leaders is recognizing the significance and ministry potential of maximizing the combination of sacred and secular ministry to bring the redemptive and transformative power of Christ to people through traditional and non-traditional means.

In a recent blog, Business as Missions Network profiled a few pastors who are actively breaking down the wall between the sacred and the secular. Here's a link to the story: http://www.businessasmissionnetwork.com

Many organizations now exist that are strategically and practically bridging the gap between the secular and the sacred, such as...

Nehemiah Project (www.nehemiahproject.org)
Convene (www.convenenow.com)
The Joseph Company
C12 Group (www.c12group.com)
Kingdom Point International (www.kingdompoint.com)
Kings & Priests (www.kings-priests.org)
Marketplace Leaders (www.marketplaceleaders.org)

Beyond this short list, there are many other organizations and businesses that are also helping to bridge the gap and break down unnecessary walls that limit the potential of leaders and entrepreneurs to be the church in the marketplace.

The potential of business leaders to be transformational change agents in lives and communities is exponential. Hopefully, the trend will continue that leverages the best of both the sacred and the secular.

I would love to hear your thoughts. What is your experience with this topic? What barriers still need to be overcome to break down walls between sacred and secular ministry?

Thrive on Purpose!
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Your true life does not have to be only a dream, it can be a dream manifested in 3D! Learnhow to Discover, Define, and Drive your desires by unleashing the God given muse to help you envision yourself in a B.I.G. way. God designed you for greatness so stop dreaming small. Uncover your legacy. Now is the season for a Bold Innovative God-Inspired Life! You owe it to yourself to see just how far your true dream in life can take you.

If you are looking for purpose in your life and life in your purpose, this is the perfect book for you. Get your copy today at www.DreamBIGin3D.com.

Solve a Problem, Create a Niche, Become Indispensable

2010-06-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

In this video posted on Entrepreneur.com, Seth Godin explains how small-business owners can become indispensable in the new economy through originality, emotional risk and community service.

Your ultimate value as an entrepreneur is found in your ability to solve problems (or satisfy needs) that create value for customers. And this economy has plenty of problems that need solving. Create your own niche and become indispensable by solving a problem that no one wants to or is able to.

How are you creating a sense of indispensability for your customers?

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Gain powerful and practical insights from dynamic leaders, catalysts, and influencers who are making theirs and others dreams come true!
Learn more about the Dream B.I.G in 3D Leaders Symposium on June 19, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

#SmallBizChat Interview with Melinda Emerson

2010-06-14T09:58:00.006-04:00

Melinda Emerson, known to many as “SmallBizLady,” is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Coach and Social Media Strategist who hosts #SmallBizChat weekly on Twitter for emerging entrepreneurs. This Twitter talk shows takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET. I had the pleasure and privilege of being Melinda's guest last week. This is excerpted from my interview:

Smallbizlady: What’s the difference between a vision and a dream in business?

Paul Wilson Jr: I’ve heard it said that a vision is a dream with a deadline. A dream is all about creating a mental picture that stretches the boundaries of your imagination for what you believe is possible. A (business) vision brings clarity, specificity, and direction to the dream.

Smallbizlady: Where do you find inspiration to dream big in business?

Paul Wilson Jr: Faith in God. Other big dreamers. Vision boards. Imagining the benefits and results of the lives that my business is targeted to reach. Driving through areas of the city that I want to see transformed. Praying for the people that I want to impact. In essence, putting myself in situations to have my mind stretched, including different types of learning environments, listening to those who inspire me, reading books, and other things.

Smallbizlady: How do you shift from dreaming big to doing big things in your business?

Paul Wilson Jr: Vision without execution leads to frustration. One vision is often a combination of many (complimentary) ideas. List all the different ideas needed to realize your vision. Choose one to work on first and build your business plan for that. Implement, grow, and perfect that idea and then build on it with another complimentary idea going through the same process.

Smallbizlady: What is one key of success for implementing a big dream?

Paul Wilson Jr: One key to long-term business success is that there’s alignment and congruency between the vision of the business and the dream/mission/purpose of the individual.

Smallbizlady: How can you ensure that your life plan is aligned with your business plan?

Paul Wilson Jr: Your business plan should be an outgrowth of your life plan. This also ensures that you’re in the right business for the right reasons.

Smallbizlady: How can you assess if your business is the right fit for your life plan?

Paul Wilson Jr: Evaluate and assess the alignment of three things in relation to your business: 1) Your purpose, your passions, and your professional skills. 2) Your purpose involves your personal vision, mission, and values. 3) Your passions are key areas that drive and stretch you to be excellent – no matter what it takes. Your professional skills combine your talents, knowledge, education, experience, etc.

Smallbizlady: What hinders big dreamers from having successful businesses?

Paul Wilson Jr: The person is more important than the plan. Don’t get intoxicated with the dream and then not be willing to following through on the execution to implement it. The best business plan is only as good as the people who are executing it. Develop yourself so that you are the best person you can be to execute your business plan.

Smallbizlady: How do you keep doubts out of your dreams?

Paul Wilson Jr: For some people dreaming can inadvertently cause doubt when you stop dreaming and starting thinking about all the reasons why you can’t do something. Reverse that with thinking about all the reasons you CAN do it. Dominate your doubts or your doubts will dominate you.

Smallbizlady: How do you overcome F.E.A.R. in order to dream big in business?

Paul Wilson Jr: Focus your thoughts in a positive direction – for me it’s God’s power. Evaluate your obstacles thoroughly to assess their validity. Attack the enemies “in-a-me” (silence the negative voices). Respond to the challenge.

Smallbizlady: How do you ensure long-term sustainability of your big business dream?

Paul Wilson Jr: It’s not about you – it’s about what you leave for someone else to build on. That’s legacy. Build a business where you are focused on the size of your significance versus the significance of your size.

If you found this interview helpful please purchase my book, Dream B.I.G. in 3D: How to Pursue a Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired Life! You can buy it at www.DreamBIGin3D.com.

Thrive on purpose,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Gain powerful and practical insights from dynamic leaders, catalysts, and influencers who are making theirs and others dreams come true!
Learn more about the Dream B.I.G in 3D Leaders Symposium on June 19, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Entrepreneurial Economy Becoming More Fact than Fiction

2010-06-09T10:51:00.008-04:00

Three separate stories in the past week has me convinced more than ever that we are moving even quicker toward an entrepreneurial economy than some have predicted. The sad thing is that many of these newly minted entrepreneurs will be involuntary or part of the "contingent workforce" - people that corporations are increasingly hiring to get the work done without having to pay benefits, vacation, sick leave or match 401(k) contributions. Some predict that the contingent workforce could rise to as high as 45% of the total workforce by 2030. Wow!

See for yourself...

A ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. In this case we can't prevent this seismic shift in the workforce, but we sure can prepare for it.

Entrepreneurship education and development is becoming more necessity versus just a nicety. Don't get left out in the cold. Stay ahead of the curve. Prepare yourself now so that you have more options later.

If you are currently an employee, what are you doing to prepare yourself for the coming changes?

If you are currently and entrepreneur, what are you doing to position your business for greater opportunities?

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29 Point Social Media Self-Assessment by Stephen Jones

2010-06-07T10:18:00.002-04:00

If you’re looking to establish your online presence in social communities in order to build relationships, generate exposure and attract new business - it’s not the kind of project where you show up, build your profiles, find a few people, and call it good.

If it were, you and your competition would be raking in the cash because of your social media marketing exposure!

Here are 29 ‘Basics’ that you want to make sure you’re mastering as you utilize this rapidly growing, and increasingly powerful platform and distribution channel – called Social Media.

29 Point Social Media Self-Assessment Test

View more documents from GROWTH STRATEGIES.

Learn more strategies to build, brand, and monetize your business at Digital University. Join us for this free workshop, Monday, June 7th in Smyrna, GA. Click here for more info.

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Gain powerful and practical insights from dynamic leaders, catalysts, and influencers who are making theirs and others dreams come true!

Learn more about the Dream B.I.G in 3D Leaders Symposium on June 19, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

How to Be a Full-Time Employee and a Part-Time Entrepreneur With a Million-Dollar Brand

2010-06-04T10:54:00.001-04:00

Entrepreneurship doesn't always have to be be an "all-or-nothing" proposition. There are times when people are able to build a successful side business while maintaining a full-time job. There are even a few rare occasions when people are able to build a multi-billion dollar brand in their spare time.

Recently Entrepreneur.com profiled Sarah Crevin, who launched BooginHead while she was working full-time. Her main product, SippiGrip, was created out of her frustration of the lack of available products that could keep her son's sippy cup from constantly falling on the ground and getting lost or dirty. Now thousands of parents everywhere purchase SippiGrip from large retailers such as Babies "R" Us as well as smaller, high-end boutique stores like Kitson in Los Angeles.

In the article she tells her story and also provides some great insights for developing your plan, designing product prototypes, building strategic relationships, gaining larger distribution, and expanding a product line (click here for the full article at Entrepreneur.com).

You shouldn't wait until you need to become an entrepreneur to become an entrepreneur. This is a proactive "Plan A" entrepreneur mentality versus a reactive "Plan B" mentality. Start developing your ideas and plans now so you can have an "entrance plan" into entrepreneurship instead of a rushed, emergency exit plan out of your job.

What do you think about what Sarah did? Could you do that with you current job? Why or why not?

Thrive on Purpose,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Learn more strategies to build, brand, and monetize your business at Digital University. Join us for this free workshop, Monday, June 7th in Smyrna, GA. Click here for more info.

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Marketing Like a Farmer

2010-06-02T11:23:00.002-04:00

Critical Tools for "Slow Burn" Marketing... Continued from Part 2

In my previous post about "Slow Burn" marketing, I related the slow burn approach to putting the pieces of a puzzle together. In this post I'm switching metaphors to an agricultural perspective.

When you are considering using a slow burn approach you have to think of yourself as a business farmer who plants lots of marketing seeds in one season with the expectation to reap the harvest in the next season. With this mindset, it's important to recognize when it's best to plant certain kinds of seeds versus others. This requires patience, timing, attention to detail, expert knowledge of the materials, and an understanding of the most beneficial planting conditions.

One of the great benefits of this strategy is that farmers get an exponential return on the seeds they plant. For every seed planted, there could be many times more crops that are harvested. Here are some of the critical tools that I use to plant my marketing seeds...

~ Social Networks: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Ning
~ Email Marketing: comF5
~ Internet TV: Passion in Action TV
~ Motivational and Instructional Videos
~ Blogging
~ Workshops (Live, Teleseminar, and Webcasting)
~ Personal Networking

The key is to use as many of these tools as possible, while getting them to work together. It's like you're building a digital tapestry that has many contact points draped across the Internet. This positions you to increase your visibility with current and potential customers, which of course enables you to find new opportunities to maximize your profitability.

If you are overwhelmed by all this, that's very understandable (I wrote about this in Part 1). Remember that you have to choose the best tools that are going to work for you within a comprehensive strategy, system and process. Without these, you will become overwhelmed, frustrated and ineffective.

If you need help building your digital tapestry, check out www.Biznovations.com. We inspire and design creative solutions that empower individuals and organizations to enhance their digital brand.

What are you thoughts about this? What other tools can you think of that could be incorporated into to a slow burn marketing strategy? I look forward to your comments.

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Learn more strategies to build, brand, and monetize your business at Digital University. Join us for this free workshop, Monday, June 7th in Smyrna, GA. Click here for more info.

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Gain powerful and practical insights from dynamic leaders, catalysts, and influencers who are making theirs and others dreams come true!
Learn more about the Dream B.I.G in 3D Leaders Symposium on June 19, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Refresh Your Digital Marketing Tools

2010-05-25T15:50:00.012-04:00

This past Monday comF5 released their new website! Below you will find some great information to help you....

Increase your brand awareness & your profits.

ComF5 helps create brand awareness in online business marketing by combining traditional marketing tools with modern technology, such as video enabled email campaigns. Your imagination is unfettered using comF5’s platform, allowing you to take full control of your online business marketing efforts.

ComF5 provides only the best combination of all the tools that are available for marketing or promoting yourself or your business online.

We provide the power of brand integration into multiple platforms. Combine that with the right tools to successfully measure and refine your marketing efforts and you get the most complete Internet Marketing System available.

All in one place and at a GREAT value.

~ Build and maintain better relationships by personalizing all of your customer and client contacts with video.
~ Make business or organizational presentations with slides and guest speakers using live or recorded broadcasts.
~ Manage and publish your pictures and videos.
~ Create your own web pages without using a hosting service.
~ Collaborate with associates with shared contact lists, calendars and documents.
~ Capture leads with web forms or with text messaging, follow up with campaigns and autoresponders, all with robust reporting.

We invite you to investigate in detail all of our F5 products. We think you’ll agree, the possibilities are endless when you put comF5 tools behind your marketing approach.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COMF5 HERE

Digitally Yours,

Paul Wilson Jr

"Dream Catalyst"

How much does this cost? View here

Paul, I have seen enough how do I sign up? Sign up here!

Let Your Customers Choose What They Want to Pay

2010-05-19T10:21:00.005-04:00

A Panera Bread Co. restaurant in St. Louis, that was converted to a non-profit cafe, is allowing customers to choose what they want to pay for their meals. The owners came up with this innovative approach as a way to give back to their community. Cashiers show customers what their order costs and then allows them to pay what they want or can afford. Those who can't pay are asked to donate their time. The owners are not sure if it will be profitable but they are willing to test people's generosity to find out.

What do you think of this business model? Could you try something like this with your business?

Click here for the full article on USAToday.com

Thrive on Purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Develop the entrepreneurial skills you need to thrive in the entrepreneurial economy at 3hrive 3.0 Workshop on May 22, 2010.

For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Skip the Recession! Free eBook

2010-05-13T09:20:00.006-04:00

Recently I had a great opportunity to contribute an article to an incredible project that provides practical tips, powerful strategies, and motivational messages to help people stimulate their personal economy. This powerful information is included in the free eBook by Danek Stephen Kaus, "No Thanks, I'll Skip the Recession," with articles from Mark Victor Hansen, Brian Tracy, Tom Hopkins, and many more great thinkers, entrepreneurs, and motivators.

My article is entitled "re:Position Your Perspective", which motivates and challenges people to become more entrepreneurial due to the current state of the job market. It's right in line with what I write about concerning creating your personal enterprise.

Click here to get your free copy. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think of the article and the eBook overall.

Thrive on Purpose,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Develop the entrepreneurial skills you need to thrive in the entrepreneurial economy at 3hrive 3.0 Workshop on May 22, 2010.

For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Stimulate Your Personal Economy

2010-05-10T10:20:00.007-04:00

America’s economic landscape will probably never be as it was before the recession. Consequently, the career landscape has also changed forever. And while the financial pundits spend their time talking about corporate profitability, we need fresh thinking for helping individuals and families enhance their personal profitability by repurposing, repackaging, and repositioning their professional pursuits.

We are quickly shifting into an entrepreneurial economy, which means more people need to acquire entrepreneurial skills to survive the shift.

"3hrive 3.0: Entrepreneurial Skills for the Entrepreneurial Economy", happening May 22 in Atlanta, is a career transition workshop with an entrepreneurial twist. It will provide people with a strategic approach on how to flourish with the right perspective and skills in this current and future economic environments. The goal is to equip, enrich, and empower individuals with motivational instruction and stimulating exercises that will position them for lasting success in their chosen career/business path.

Attendees will learn how to:

rePurpose their path in life!
rePackage their personal brand!
rePosition their personal enterprise!

A few months ago I wrote an article about more people needing to consider entrepreneurship as 'Plan A' instead of just 'Plan B'. This is an opportunity to craft that plan. It's much better to be proactive than regretful.

So join us on May 22. Click here for more information.

Thrive on Purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Develop the entrepreneurial skills you need to thrive in the entrepreneurial economy at 3hrive 3.0 Workshop on May 22, 2010.

For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

3 R's to Beat the Recession

2010-04-26T11:00:00.008-04:00

I know the economists have said that we have "officially" come out of the recession. However, many people - especially the unemployed - are still experiencing recession-like symptoms in their lives.

Here are three critical characteristics to help you beat the recession, whether you're employed, unemployed, self-employed, or misemployed.

Resourceful: Use all you have in the most creative way you can in the circles of influence that you reach. You will have to work smart and harder than everyone else to win in this economy.
Radical: Be willing to go against the grain to change your situation. If everyone else is going left, you might need to go right. If everyone else is zigging, you might need to zag. Leaders don't follow the influence of crowds, they create influence that crowds want to follow.
Resilient: Aside from a miracle - which is definitely possible - your situation is most likely not going to change over night. So dig your heels in and get ready to do whatever is necessary to win. Persevere. Persist. Just like a boxer, although they might take some punches that hurt, they keep fighting.

If you would like more quick-witted words of wisdom to propel you through these perilous times, check out my recession-proof, eco-friendly, mom-approved free e-book "Tweet Dreams!"

Thrive on Purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Develop the entrepreneurial skills you need to thrive in the entrepreneurial economy at 3hrive 3.0 Workshop on May 22, 2010.

For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Putting Humpty Dumpty's Brand Back Together Again

2010-04-13T10:30:00.000-04:00

In light of my recent posts about branding and marketing, I'm very excited that I have a feature article in this month's issue of the new Brotha Online Magazine. In the article I make a comparison between the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme and the branding industry. Here's a short excerpt:

"A person’s brand, i.e. reputation, is about as fragile as an eggshell. It takes a lot of time to nurture and develop that brand into something recognizable, valuable, and marketable. Regardless of the time and money spent, no brand is indestructible. If that person has a momentary (or on-going) character crisis, that brand can be shattered into a bunch of little fragments very quickly, just like Humpty’s shell."

Click here to read the full article. I look forward to your feedback. Enjoy!

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Dare to dream again in 2010!

Register for the Dream B.I.G in 3D Live Workshop! on April 17, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

3 Keys to "Slow Burn" Marketing - Part 2

2010-04-06T11:00:00.014-04:00

Continued from"Slow Burn Marketing - Part 1"...

"If you can't sustain the sizzle you will eventually fizzle out!"

Strong brands that evoke enthusiastic customer loyalty are built over time not all at once. They are fashioned piece by piece like a puzzle. Each piece has a cumulative effect that adds positively to what's already in place.

Enthusiastic customer loyalty is nurtured through repeated consistent, high-quality experiences from the products and services they invest in. Quality and consistency can't be established with one idea or campaign. Companies with strong brands understand this.

Yes there are times when certain marketing activities have a big impact, but strong brands don't get intoxicated by that and rest on their laurels. They keep working on incorporating the next pieces that will allow them to extend and sustain their impact, not just be a flash in the pan.

This approach reminds me of a scented candle. It doesn't burn fast like a match, but eventually it's aroma fills an entire room. You don't want a "brand scent" that burns brightly for a short while, but then is quickly forgotten about. You want your brand to leave a pleasant aroma with your customers that lingers for a long time.

Here are 3 keys to consider with a "slow burn" marketing approach for your company:

Strategic: Consider every new tip and tool within the confines of your current strategy and budget. As you add new things make sure they complement what you're already doing. If you feel the need to do something "radical", reconsider your entire strategy not just one piece of it.

Significant: Every marketing effort should have either an immediate or cumulative measurable benefit.

Sustainable: Make sure that whatever you do is not a one-shot deal, but something that you can do continually and consistently well.

I have to admit this methodical approach runs counter to our make-a-fast-buck culture. I also have to admit that I sometimes get frustrated when I see other companies that seem to be making a bigger "splash" than I am and creating more buzz. Nevertheless, I realize that I'm building for the long haul and what I do today may not produce immediate dividends. But I will reap the rewards in the long run.

Slow burn marketing feels kind of like the proverbial tortoise racing against the hare. Just remember the tortoise won.

In an upcoming post I will discuss in more detail how you can use today's tools to utilize a slow burn approach in your marketing efforts.

What are you thoughts about this? How do you feel about a "slow burn" marketing approach for your business? I look forward to your comments.

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Dare to dream again in 2010!

Register for the Dream B.I.G in 3D Live Workshop! on April 17, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Slow Burn Marketing - Part 1

2010-04-05T11:00:00.002-04:00

It seems like every day some "expert" comes up with the next-best-marketing-strategy-thing to make your growth explode. From technology to blogging to social media to email to SEO to whatever is next, there's always seems to be new stuff that you have to do in order to be successful. This can make an entrepreneur can feel like they are drowning in new stuff while still trying to figure out the old stuff - which might only be a few weeks or months old, but the "gurus of the new" make it seem like what was said previously is all of a sudden ancient history.

I'm not sure about you, but that's how I feel sometimes, like I'm always playing catch up to something that I can't catch. As soon as I implement one new thing here's comes something else that I better do or else I'm out of the loop with my customers and I won't be able to grow my business.

I have come to the realization that if you try to do everything that every expert tells you to do with your marketing, it will lead to frustration, futility and eventually failure. It got me to thinking there has to be a way to sort through the maze of advice to find the stuff that really works but at the same time is not overwhelming.

Many entrepreneurs go looking for the "big bang" approach to marketing. They try to create the hip viral video or snazzy social media campaign, hoping that if it catches on they won't ever have to do anything clever or creative ever again to attract customers. They think this one thing will be able to carry them for years. *Cue game show sound*... WRONG!

"Slow burn may not be fast or fancy, but it can be effective."

Because our society has such a short attention span, even if they liked what you did today, they will have forgotten about you next week because of the viral video or social media campaign that the next company did. That's how you become a short-lived novelty. That's not how you build long-term brand loyalty.

Marketing is really about have a multi-pronged approach to establishing your brand in the minds and hearts of people (just because you get in their heads doesn't automatically mean you have their hearts). It's multiple pieces on multiple levels with multiple applications that you have to implement over time.

Patience is the key. Without it you may just be another flash in the pan that was here today and gone tomorrow.

I will continue with Part 2 tomorrow of what I call "slow burn" marketing.

What are you thoughts about this? How do you feel about all the new stuff related to marketing your business? How do you approach marketing? I look forward to your comments.

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Dare to dream again in 2010!

Register for the Dream B.I.G in 3D Live Workshop! on April 17, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Conscious Capitalism

2010-03-20T10:30:00.000-04:00

In this time in history increasingly more people and organizations are realizing the incredible benefits of using business as a transformational agent for individuals and communities. A new organizational structure called a "B Corporation" is the latest example of businesses intentionally implementing progressive strategies and practices to leverage their business for good...

What do you think about this concept of a "B Corporation"? Would you structure your business like that?

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Dare to dream again in 2010!

Register for the Dream B.I.G in 3D Live Workshop! on April 17, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

The New Entrepreneur: Research Review

2010-03-16T11:00:00.002-04:00

Check out this research on the impending entrepreneurial economy...

The New Entrepreneur: Research Review

View more presentations from Taly Weiss.

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

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Dare to dream again in 2010!

Register for the Dream B.I.G in 3D Live Workshop! on April 17, 2010... For more details please visit www.PaulWilsonJr.com

Create Your Personal Enterprise

2010-01-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

In yesterday's post I wrote about the growing trend of corporations hiring more "permatemps" versus full-time employees. Over the next decade as corporations increasingly move further in this direction, greater numbers of people will be engaged in entrepreneurial pursuits -- by choice or circumstance.

It's time for you to shift your focus on how you view yourself and your employment. YOU are a personal enterprise. YOU are a business owner. The business you own is YOU!

YOU, Inc. is the most valuable enterprise that you could work for. Your product/service is the unique and innovative combination of your talents, knowledge, experience, education, skills, ideas, creativity, relationships, networks, etc. Now is the time for you to start managing your career like a business owner, not just a "permatemp" at the mercy of companies' quarterly earnings reports.

For some this equates to starting a business. For others this means approaching your job search (and performance) more entrepreneurially. Either way, it's time to reformulate your expectations about your participation in the workforce -- either as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur.

Many of you may be saying, "I have no idea how to create my YOU, Inc." Fortunately, I'm here to help you. I'm passionate about moving people to thrive professionally, purposefully, and profitably.

Contact me today for some ideas on how you can create your personal enterprise.

Thrive on Purpose,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Dream again in 2010!... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

***For a limited time get $5 off my book... use discount code "DREAMBIG"***

You're a Business Owner Whether You Know It Or Not

2010-01-11T10:15:00.003-05:00

Have you heard the term "permatemp"? It describes people who seem to be caught in a never-ending cycle of temp jobs, unable to secure full-time status. As you may have noticed, even as the economy recovers from this recession, companies are still not hiring full-time workers. Many are using this permatemp approach to keep people in limbo as temporary workers, while not having to pay them full-time salaries or benefits.

Businessweek.com posted an enlightening article recently, "We're All Business Owners Now", documenting companies’ shift from "relying on full-time employees to a contingent workforce of temps, freelancers, contractors, and part-timers. Not just in low-skill jobs or easily outsourced tasks, either."

Even as the economy "recovers", this trend is going to continue. So whether you're currently employed, unemployed, or underemployed, you have to decide if you want to be another victim of corporations' short-sighted, penny-pinching ways, where disposing of workers is even easier now than it used to be... or if you want to proactively position yourself as the owner of your "personal enterprise".

Don't wait to be a victim. You can use entrepreneurial strategies to find a more meaningful and profitable career path. I'll talk about this more in my next post.

Thrive on purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Dream again in 2010!... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Also, check out this related video, "The Disposable Worker", focusing on the challenges of the unemployed being able to return to profitable, long-term full-time work...

Winning Ugly is Still Winning!

2009-12-17T12:15:00.001-05:00

As we get closer to the end of this year, it's a good time to reflect on what this year was and what it could have been. You might be lamenting that it could have been better. On the flip side, you should be thankful that it could have been worse, but it wasn't.

The longer you're an entrepreneur the more you realize that entrepreneurship is a marathon. You have to be prepared to engage in opportunities that aren't guaranteed to succeed, endure challenges with confident perseverance, and excel beyond your competitors in the face of adversity. Although some people make it look easy, this race isn't easy and everyone isn't cut out for it.

In sports you sometimes hear that a team had an "ugly win". That basically means they played terribly, made a bunch of mistakes, and should have lost, but somehow were able to score more points than the other team to win the game. While they may not have liked how they played, they are still happy to get a win.

Business is a lot like that some years. Yeah, I know you might have made some mistakes this year, blown some opportunities, and even fallen flat on your face. It doesn't matter. If you made it to this point, you had an "ugly win". Hooray! Celebrate! Rejoice! Many people and businesses didn't make it this far. If you're still in business - or even if you're still alive - you have an opportunity to gain from your mistakes and mishaps, and grow personally and professionally to be better next year.

Remember, the race isn't won by the swift, sleek, or sexy. It's won by those who engage, endure, and excel.

If 2009 wasn't great for you, it doesn't matter. Make 2010 a year to remember!

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Help someone Dream B.I.G. for Christmas!... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Entrepreneurship Needs to be 'Plan A' for More People

2009-12-09T11:53:00.002-05:00

In my last post, I wrote about the U.S. moving closer to an "entrepreneurial economy" as we go through this economic recovery. Interestingly, I read another interesting article today on USAToday.com that predicted 25% of the workforce could become temps as contract work grows (click here for article). Temp workers cost employers less, because they don't have to pay for benefits, such as health insurance.

That tells me more people need to be thinking proactively about entrepreneurial work options. No matter what you call them, temp workers, contractors, or free lancers, they are entrepreneurial by nature. Some people take on these roles by choice. However, there are many who reluctantly find themselves in these positions through unwilling or unexpected circumstances. And often they are unprepared for this reality.

Just because the economy recovers doesn't mean it will function the same as it did before. I'm a firm believer that now and in the future entrepreneurship needs to be considered as Plan A - not just Plan B - for those who want to control their professional destiny.

What do you think? Do you believe that as the economy recovers more people will have to settle for contract work versus full-time employment? Let me hear your thoughts...

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Help someone dream B.I.G. for Christmas!... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Entrepreneurial Pockets of Inspiration in Economic Uncertainty

2009-12-01T09:50:00.006-05:00

As we have just come up for air from the super-sales-driven Thanksgiving weekend, it's very easy to see the desperate wishes of companies that this holiday season will help to turn around their financial trajectory. They cling to the hope that although companies keep shedding jobs, people will ignore that and keep plunking down cash and credit, which will keep the big behemoths afloat.

This current period of economic uncertainty underlies the fact that "necessity is the mother of invention." In recent history, there has been no other time - or opportunity - that has presented a greater necessity for innovation and inspiration than right now. That's why it's great to see entrepreneurs who take this to heart and are able to thrive while others are just struggling to survive.

Entrepreneur.com has an article, "The Entrepreneur Economy", which highlights how smaller entrepreneurial companies have been able to successfully respond to the morphing economy with new ideas and innovation, while their much larger counterparts are struggling. Here's an excerpt:

"We don't have to do things the same way. We can take the economy in hand and drive our own destinies. And a movement that has been slowly building in the business world is finally taking hold: We're seeing the beginnings of the entrepreneurial economy, a system built on nimble, low-overhead, oftentimes small companies with fluid workforces, rather than the massive conglomerates that have upheld the economy for decades."

As our economy tugs and pulls to get back on solid footing, it will cause significant changes in what we call the "workforce". Whether by choice or circumstance, people will have to become more entrepreneurial. You don't have to become a victim of change. You can lead change - entrepreneurially.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Transform your dream from an idea into reality... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Paul Wilson Jr Featured on The Success Center

2009-11-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

I'm very excited to be featured for a second time on the website Rod Kirby's Success Center, a great resource for current and aspiring entrepreneurs. The blog I wrote was entitled, "Building B.I.G. Entrepreneurial Dreams." Here's an excerpt...

"I believe there are many people who will not reach their full life potential working as an employee for someone else. Their capacity to thrive is limited by people and environments that are not geared to help them maximize their talents and abilities. Those are the people I want to empower to make a successful transition from employee to entrepreneur.

At the core of a true entrepreneur is an unbridled dreamer. Entrepreneurial dreamers and thinkers are always concocting new concepts, shaping fresh ideas, considering new possibilities, and asking “why not?” Without an active imagination, entrepreneurs cease to produce creative solutions that are transacted into valuable assets, i.e. revenue-generating products and services." Click here for the full article.

If you are interested in building your B.I.G. entrepreneurial dreams, you can start by attending the Dream B.I.G. in 3D Live Experience this Saturday, November 21st. Based on content from my book, this interactive, high-energy seminar will provide timely inspiration and practical instruction to empower you to “Live in 3D!” by equipping you to:

Discover Your Dream
Develop Your Dream
Drive To Your Dream

With your dream investment of only $39, you will receive a free copy of my book Dream B.I.G. in 3D, free breakfast and lunch, access to a special panel of B.I.G. dreamers, and much more!

For more details, please visit http://dreambigin3dlive.eventbrite.com

If you are currently an employee or an entrepreneur, don’t fear the unknown path of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Don’t be afraid to transition your life to something that may be unfamiliar, yet more fulfilling. The time is now to dream B.I.G., live B.I.G., and own a B.I.G. business!

Your Dream Coach,
Paul Wilson

Unleash Your Powder Keg of Potential

2009-11-06T12:45:00.007-05:00

You are a powder keg of potential. The question is have you been ignited to thrive on purpose? I want to be the purpose trigger that will accelerate your life, and help you transform your dreams from and idea into reality.

Dream B.I.G. in 3D Live Experience will compel you to creatively use your unique purpose, passions, and professional skills to live the dream God has placed in your heart.

One Saturday, November 21st in Marietta, Georgia, I will teach you how to unleash your potential in ways that can positively impact you and your circle of influence. Your ticket package includes:

*Free Dream B.I.G. in 3D book

*Special event workbook

*Free breakfast and lunch

*Dream panel of successful B.I.G. dreamers

*Much more!

The last day for the "early dreamers" discount is November 10th, so hurry and get your tickets. For registration and more information, please visit DreamBIGin3DLive.eventbrite.com

Don't miss this life-accelerating opportunity!

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

www.paulwilsonjr.com

Rwanda 15 Years Later...

2009-11-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

A little over 3 years ago I had an amazing opportunity to go to Rwanda on a missions trip. For a nation that had been through such a vicious tragedy, it was humbling and empowering to see such great resolve. One thing I learned is that Rwandans are B.I.G. dreamers. It's great to see so much progress, although they still have a ways to go.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Transform your dream from an idea into reality... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Repositioning the "Lost Generation"

2009-10-16T14:00:00.014-04:00

Businessweek.com recently wrote an article, "The Lost Generation", highlighting how the current job crisis is hitting young people especially hard—damaging both their future and the economy. The jobs picture is bleak for those currently graduating from college.

Nevertheless, I don't believe that we have to settle for any generation being "lost". However, I do believe that this new economic normal requires a new way of thinking about employment and careers. One of the things that needs to happen is repositioning our youth and young adults to think more entrepreneurially. Equipping people to operate in their careers more entrepreneurially is one of the things that I am very passionate about.

That's why I am partnering with Top Flight Resources to provide the Fly High Business Seminar on November 7th. This powerful learning opportunity is designed to equip ambitious individuals to think more entrepreneurially and to provide the necessary knowledge to launch a business. This workshop will provide inspiration, information, and instruction on how to successfully develop and deploy a profitable business venture.

*** Fly High Business Seminar ***

Personal & Professional Development:

Aligning your life purpose with your business vision/mission
Identifying marketplace opportunities to leverage your talents and experience
Repositioning to thrive in the entrepreneurial economy

Business Development:

Business Start-up
Incorporating
Website Development
Advertising & Marketing
And much more!

Registration Details:

Saturday, November 7th, 2009
9 am to 1 pm
Individual Ticket Price: $99
Group Ticket Price (3 or more): $85
Complimentary Lunch Provided

Click here to register for the Top Flight Business Seminar...

For more information please contact Dru Martin (404) 808-6662.

Fly High Business Seminar ~ Nov 7, 2009

2009-10-12T14:00:00.005-04:00

My company, Biznovations, is partnering with Top Flight Resources and Extraordinary Life Community Church to offer the Fly High Business Seminar on Saturday, November 7th. This will be a power-packed seminar with dynamic inspiration, information, and insights related to your personal, professional, and business development.

Registration Details:
~ Saturday, November 7th, 2009
~ 9 am to 1 pm
~ Individual Ticket Price: $99
~ Group Ticket Price (3 or more): $85
~ Complimentary Lunch Provided

Click here to register for the Top Flight Business Seminar...

For more information please contact Dru Martin (404) 808-6662.

Small Biz Firms Ahead of Goal for Stimulus Funds... Sort Of

2009-10-09T14:39:00.016-04:00

Whenever there is a new government spending initiative, I'm always curious to know how small businesses will be included. GovernmentExecutive.com has a blog post that provides somewhat of a status update for how the federal stimulus dollars are being spent (click here).

It's encouraging to know that $1 out of every $4 that has been spent by federal agencies so far has been spent with small businesses. However, there is still much work to be done with multiple large agencies coming up short of their goals.

According to Joe Jordan, associate administrator for government contracting business development at the Small Business Administration, in testimony before the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee:

"... small disadvantaged businesses have received 11 percent of stimulus contracts, exceeding the goal of 5 percent, he said. Meanwhile, firms owned by service-disabled veteran-owned firms and those operating in historically underutilized business zones have received 4 percent and 7 percent of Recovery contracting dollars, respectively. The goal for both categories is 3 percent."

While these are good signs that the government is following through on its promises to intentionally include small businesses in contracting opportunities, pressure needs to be kept on underperforming federal agencies to ensure that all sizes and types of businesses are given an equal opportunity to compete for these contracts.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Transform your dream from an idea into a purposeful, passionate, & prosperous life... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Launch Our Youth into Entrepreneurial Leadership

2009-10-05T12:15:00.005-04:00

Today's youth see a very different picture of the world and their financial futures than those from just a decade ago. They are recognizing more everyday that they will need to take a more proactive role in the pursuit of their goals and dreams, rather than just hoping to land a "good job" at a "stable company" someday. Some key findings from a recent Junior Achievement survey reveal that:

The top reason cited by teens (26%) for wanting to start a business was wanting "to take control of your destiny and set your own career path."
Respondents were almost evenly split between feeling there was more job security in owning their own business (47%) versus working for a company (49%).
23% of teens who want to start a business said they were interested in starting a business that "helps the environment" or that "deals with the problems or challenges of our society."

For today's youth, the idea of an entrepreneurial workforce is a reality rather than just a possibility. Junior Achievement recently produced a very informative report with recommendations for preparing our youth to succeed in the future. You can read a copy of it here: http://www.ja.org/files/The_Entrepreneurial_Workforce_full-11.pdf

Our society's long-term sustainability is greatly dependent upon today's youth being fully equipped to lead effectively when it's time for them to take on the economic challenges that our generation has created for them. Therefore, we all have an active role to play in preparing the next generation to succeed, whether you're a parent, mentor, youth leader, big brother or sister. Let's step up to the plate and develop entrepreneurial leaders who can thrive in any economy.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Transform your dream from an idea into a purpose-driven, passionate, and prosperous life!... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Mistakes Help Make You Great!

2009-10-01T12:30:00.000-04:00

It's inspiring to hear success stories of entrepreneurs. However, sometimes it's even more beneficial to hear about the major mistakes that entrepreneurs have made and how they overcame them. Check out this article from USAToday.com, "Seven famous founders share money mistake, smart moves", which highlights several business owners who made major money mistakes, but were eventually able to overcome them and continue on to build successful enterprises.

Here's a few of the individuals who were highlighted:

Daymond John, FUBU
Adam Lowery & Eric Ryan, Method
Liz Lange, Liz Lange Maternity
David Liu, The Knot
Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Just realize that learning from your mistakes can help to make you great!

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Transform your dream from an idea into a purposeful, passionate, & prosperous life... www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Program Launches 9/17

2009-09-11T11:15:00.001-04:00

In a report titled, The Economic Future Just Happened, highly respected Kauffman Foundation revealed that more than 50% of Fortune 500 companies were founded during a recession or bear market. Based on their research they believe there is an entrepreneurial silver lining in today's economy. I agree with them 100%.

This is one reason why I am so excited about the Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Program. Not only is it an incredible opportunity to learn business best practices for launching and operating a profitable business, you will gain this valuable knowledge from a Biblical and moral perspective. This will help to ensure that a new crop of entrepreneurs don't repeat the same greed-driven mistakes of CEOs and other business leaders that helped lead this economic meltdown.

BE is especially suited for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to do business based on a higher calling. The next Atlanta class starts Thursday, September 17th. Here are some more details:

BE I Live Intensive:
"Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship"

Location: Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church (map)
Day 1: Thursday, September 17th - 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Day 2: Friday, September 18th - 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Day 3: Saturday, September 19th - 10 am - 6 pm
Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/BE1Atlanta
Cost: $400

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Don't miss this opportunity to be equipped to pursue your passions through a profitable, purpose-driven enterprise!

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

www.DreamBIGin3D.com

10% Discount for September Biblical Entrepreneurship Course in Atlanta!

2009-09-02T10:37:00.012-04:00

Have you always wanted to start a business?
Do you have a great business idea and have no idea where to start?
Are you a seasoned entrepreneur that needs help with incorporating Christian values into your business?
If so, I have the answer for you...

Join me for Biblical Entrepreneurship I Live Intensive Workshop
September 17th - 19th, 2009

Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE) is a proprietary business discipleship course, created by Nehemiah Project International Ministries (NPIM). BE offers a strong mix of core business concepts and biblical principles, and has been endorsed by Regent University and many other reputable organizations.

BE I Live Intensive:
"Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship"
(3-Day Course)

Specific topics that BE covers include:

Responsibilities of Biblical Entrepreneurship
BE Attitude
BE Character
Identifying Opportunities
Taking Calculated Risks
Solving Problems
Understanding Business Stewardship
Biblical Profit

BE is specifically suited for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to do business based on a higher calling.

Location: Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church (map)
Day 1: Thursday, September 17th - 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Day 2: Friday, September 18th - 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Day 3: Saturday, September 19th - 10 am - 6 pm
Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/BE1Atlanta
Cost: $400 - 10% discount until 9/6 - use discount code "be1atlanta"

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

The 3C's of Social Networking

2009-09-01T13:00:00.013-04:00

For any small business to grow, it needs to continually extend its reach, enhance its relevance, and expand its relationships. Social networking is a critical tool that will help you do each of these things to build a "community of conversations" with your current and prospective customers.

Most entrepreneurs can identify with needing the 3C's of life - being calm, cool, and collective. However, these are not the only 3C's entrepreneurs need to be familiar with. The 3C's I'm talking about relate to the three positive benefits I have experienced since strategically incorporating social networking into my business activities:

Connections - I can find and virtually "meet" more prospective customers in shorter amounts of time. I have also reconnected with many friends and acquaintances from high school and college who now are also potential customers.
Communication - I can build my brand more easily, effectively and inexpensively through the key messages I disseminate to my target market by using these technologies. Also, because they are accessible from my Blackberry, I'm able to do it without being tied down to my laptop.
Collaboration - I can brainstorm new ideas in real time with other entrepreneurs and individuals to develop new solutions and business applications.

The main social networking platforms I use are Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. I have had a LinkedIn profile for a couple of years, but I didn't fully leverage its capabilities until recently. I just started using Facebook and Twitter earlier this year. These tools have benefited my business tremendously in a short amount of time.

A social networking strategy needs to be in the toolkit of every small business owner. If you need some help getting started, check out these articles:

Don't underestimate the power of social networks to be potential launching pads for new business opportunities.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Biblical Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition & Graduation Celebration

2009-08-19T08:30:00.006-04:00

In partnership with Nehemiah Project International Ministries, Inc. and Regent Center for Entrepreneurship, Dr. Bryan E. Crute would like to invite you to the Atlanta region's very first Biblical Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition and Graduation Celebration. This will be an incredible event for some amazing entrepreneurs who have worked extremely hard to complete the three-part Biblical Entrepreneurship certification program (more information here).

Each company will have an opportunity to present their Biblically-based business plan to a panel of expert judges, family and friends. One winner will be chosen and awarded with some great prizes. This event is free and open to the public.

Date: Saturday, August 29th

Time: 9:00 am - 11:30 am

Location: Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church

Address: 1775 Water Place, Atlanta, GA 30339

Cost: Free

Contact me with any questions.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

B.I.G. dreams are coming soon to a mind near you! www. DreamBIGin3D.com

Inside the Success - Featured Guest Interview & Article

2009-07-15T12:56:00.017-04:00

I am very excited to have been recently profiled on The Success Center: Where Entrepreneurs Go to Grow! I am the featured guest on "Inside the Success", Rod Kirby's show that takes you “on the inside” of entrepreneurs, small business owners, professionals, industry leaders, and how they are defining success for themselves.

You can listen to my radio interview with Rod (here) and read my article, "Can Capitalism by Redeemed? Yes it Can!" (here).

I look forward to your comments. Enjoy!

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

B.I.G. Dreams are coming soon to a mind near you! www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Chasing B.I.G. Entrepreneurial Dreams

2009-07-02T09:31:00.003-04:00

One of my big goals in life is to lead and equip people to fulfill their life purpose through entrepreneurial ventures. While I realize that everyone is not an entrepreneur, there are plenty of people out there running away from entrepreneurial opportunities either because of fear, lack of knowledge or other excuses.

I believe there are many people who will not reach their full potential in life working as an employee for someone else. I want to empower them to make a successful transition from employee to entrepreneur. The book I authored and recently released through Paramind Publications will help them to do exactly that.

Dream B.I.G. in 3D: How to Pursue a Bold, Innovative, God-Inspired Life! is an incredible resource that will help you to discover, develop, and drive your dreams. This book is inspirational and instructional, providing the reader with key insights, creative exercises, and probing questions that will help you get your dream out of your head and into your life.

You will find topics and themes that are consistent with what I write about on this blog, including pursuing your life purpose, visioneering solutions, and mission driven entrepreneurship.

This message of chasing B.I.G. entrepreneurial dreams is very timely considering our current economic environment. It's my contention that as time goes on the U.S. will become even more of an entrepreneurial economy. My passion is to equip people to not just survive, but thrive now and into the future.

So if you need something to ignite your entrepreneurial dreams, get your copy of Dream B.I.G. in 3D! today at www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

B.I.G. Dreams are coming soon to a mind near you! www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Business Lessons from an Unexpected Source

2009-06-17T10:52:00.010-04:00

Usually when entrepreneurs and business leaders seek out advice about business challenges they may be encountering, they typically turn to business gurus, books, or the Internet to find answers. One place they often don't think about (or is a last resort) is one of the oldest books in the world, the Bible.

The Bible contains innumerable transferable principles, practical insights and best practices that apply to your life as well as to your business. Here are a few examples:

Financial Management & Integrity: "If you're honest in small things, you'll be honest in big things; If you're a crook in small things, you'll be a crook in big things. If you're not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store? " (Luke 16:10-12)

Effective Communication: "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." (Proverbs 16:24)

Risk Management: "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." (Luke 14:28-32)

Market Research: "The Lord said to Moses, 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites'... When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, 'Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.'" (Numbers 13:1-20)

Performance Excellence: "Observe people who are good at their work - skilled workers are always in demand and admired; they don't take a backseat to anyone." (Proverbs 22:29)

Organizational Management: "... you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They'll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They'll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they'll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you'll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also." (Exodus 18:13-26)

Diversification: "Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land... Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." (Ecclesiastes 11:2-6)

So the next time you experience a business challenge, open up the "Good Book" for some revelant ideas and effective solutions.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

*******

Interested in learning more about Biblical Entrepreneurship? Contact Nehemiah Project at www.nehemiahproject.org.

*******

B.I.G. Dreams are coming to a mind near you very soon! www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Find Opportunities on the Other Side of Obstacles

2009-06-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

Successful entrepreneurs are adept at finding opportunities on the other side of obstacles. Check out this presentation, 2009 Top 10 Small Business Trends, by Carolyn Ockels and Steve King of Emergent Research.

Can you identity any trends that you can take advantage of? Get prepared and stay ahead of the curve!

2009 Top 10 Small Business Trends

View more OpenOffice presentations from Steve King.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

B.I.G. Dreams are coming to a mind near you very soon!

www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Repositioning from Employee to Entrepreneur - Radio Interview 5/31

2009-05-30T12:45:00.011-04:00

Have you been daydreaming about starting your own business? Maybe you are past daydreaming and you are ready to make some serious changes to be your own boss? Or maybe you've started a venture on the side and have a vision for turning into a full time business?

If this is you, you don't want to miss my interview with the Career Makeover Coach, Tai Goodwin. Listen in as I share insights from my new book, Dream B.I.G. in 3D!, on the topic "Repositioning from Employee to Entrepreneur".

Topics discussed:

Intrapreneurship - leveraging your current employment to prepare you for future entrepreneurship
Developing the skills necessary to be a successful entrepreneur
Developing your "entrance" strategy into entrepreneurship
"On-purpose" entrepreneurship - developing a business that is a direct extension/expression of your life purpose

Details:

Sunday, May 31st @ 9 PM EST
Listen Live: http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/40536

Dial-in: (724) 444-7444
Call ID: 40536

Register for a reminder and links to the replay: http://dreambig509.eventbrite.com/

Visit The Career Makeover Coach site to see additional shows and events.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Building a Biblically Based Business

2009-05-27T12:15:00.010-04:00

BE I: "Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship" Online Course

Specific topics that BE covers include:

Responsibilities of Biblical Entrepreneurship
BE Attitude
BE Character
Identifying Opportunities
Taking Calculated Risks
Solving Problems
Understanding Business Stewardship
Biblical Profit

BE is specifically suited for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to do business based on a higher calling.

Online webinar
Thursday, May 28th - Thursday, July 30th (10 sessions)
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM EST
Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/be1online
Cost $400

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Dream B.I.G.,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

How Would Jesus Do Business?

2009-05-25T10:09:00.004-04:00

If Jesus was the CEO of Joseph & Sons Carpentry, how would he do business? One thing I do know, he wouldn't run it like most people do today, because he never would have gotten us into the financial mess that we are experiencing right now!

I believe Jesus would have been the quintessential "Biblical Entrepreneur". If that's the case, what is a Biblical Entrepreneur?

Biblical Entrepreneurs are not religious fanatics who expect God to bless their business just because they are Christians. On the contrary, Biblical Entrepreneurs use the Bible as a filter, guide, and benchmark to strategically and responsibly plan, develop, and manage their business operations, relationships, and finances. They keenly understand how to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, solve problems, and exercise stewardship in order to build a profitable and sustainable enterprise that honors God and transforms lives.

The values and characteristics of a Biblical Entrepreneur include vision, strategic leadership, integrity, creativity and innovation, risk-taking, professionalism, business savvy, graciousness, humility, and unconditional love for people. Without question, these are business characteristics that Jesus would endorse.

Biblical Entrepreneurs do business God's way, with God's resources, with God's results, for God's glory! That's how Jesus would do business!

So, how can you become an official Biblical Entrepreneur? I'm glad you asked. The Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE) Certificate Program is a proprietary business discipleship course, created by Patrice and Gina Tsague at Nehemiah Project International Ministries (NPIM). BE offers a strong mix of core business concepts and biblical principles, and has been endorsed by Regent University and many other reputable organizations.

Some of the courses include Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE I), Practices of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE II), and Planning a Kingdom Business (BE III). Students who complete the entire course (BE I, II, and III) participate in a business plan competition and receive a Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate through NPIM and the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship.

I will be teaching an online version of BE I that starts Thursday, May 28th:

"Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship"
Thursday, May 28th - Thursday, July 30th (10 sessions)
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM EST
Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/be1online
Cost $400

BE is specifically suited for current or aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to do business based on a higher calling.

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Biblical Entrepreneurship Online Course Starts May 28th

2009-05-23T11:30:00.000-04:00

Business Based on a "Higher Calling"

In partnership with Nehemiah Project International Ministries (NPIM), I will be teaching Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE), a 10-week webinar course for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build and operate a business based on biblical principles. BE has been endorsed by the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship as the best biblically based entrepreneurship curriculum in the country.

BE is specifically suited for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who desire to do business based on a "higher calling". Specific topics that BE I Online will cover include:

The Attitude of a Biblical Entrepreneur
Biblical Entrepreneurship Characteristics
How to Identify Opportunities
How to Take Calculated Risks
How to Solve Problems
Understanding Business Stewardship
Biblical Profit

BE I Online starts Thursday, May 28th:

"Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship"
Thursday, May 28th - Thursday, July 30th (10 sessions)
8:30 PM - 10:00 PM EST
Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/be1online
Cost $400

If you have any questions, please send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Redeeming the Good in Business

2009-05-19T11:10:00.002-04:00

When assessing the drivers behind the current financial condition of our national (and global) economy, it’s easy to see that greed and unethical behavior in business have played a very large role. While business has the potential to be an instrument to uplift, empower, and enhance people’s lives, misuse and abuse by many business leaders have resulted in the negative impact of thousands of families, as well as an unfavorable pall cast over business.

What if there was a way to redeem business by equipping entrepreneurs to build robust, values-based, profitable, sustainable enterprises that operate with the highest moral and ethical standards? Good news, there is a way! It's called Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE).

BE is a comprehensive curriculum that can be used to redeem business by restoring a moral, ethical, and biblical foundation within the marketplace. BE is strategic tool that equips current and aspiring entrepreneurs to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, solve problems, and exercise stewardship to enhance your business and develop your character.

On Thursday, May 21st, we will host a free webinar so you can get a taste of this transformational learning experience.

Free Webinar Info:
BE vs WE: Biblical Entrepreneurship vs Worldly Entrepreneurship
Thursday, May 21st
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT

If you're interested in attending the free webinar or registering for the course send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

BE I Online begins Thursday, May 28th at 8:30 pm EDT. The tuition is $400. A 10% discount will be available through May 21st.

If you want to play a key role in redeeming the good in business that leads to a positive societal impact, Biblical Entrepreneurship will be a great tool in your toolkit!

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

*******************

About Nehemiah Project International Ministries & Biblical Entrepreneurship

Nehemiah Project International Ministries, Inc. (NPIM) is a business training and business support service organization that offers a proprietary certificate business discipleship course called the “Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Program”. Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE) offers a strong mix of core business concepts and biblical principles.

Some of the courses offered include Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE I), Practices of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE II), and Planning a Kingdom Business (BE III). Students who complete the entire course (BE I, II, and III) participate in a business plan competition and receive a Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate through NPIM and Regent Center for Entrepreneurship.

Most graduates of the program operate small to medium-sized kingdom companies. The course is offered online and live through Biblical Entrepreneurship Certified Partners and is currently available in the United States, Mexico, Ukraine, Europe, Cameroon, Central Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.

The course is endorsed by Regent Center for Entrepreneurship, the National Association of Christian Financial Counselors, The Timothy Plan and G.A. Repple and Company.

To learn more about NPIM, visit www.nehemiahproject.org.

*******************

B.I.G. Dreams are coming soon to a mind near you!
www.DreamBIGin3D.com

Biblical Entrepreneurship - Free Webinar 05.21.09

2009-05-13T10:30:00.005-04:00

In partnership with Nehemiah Project International Ministries (see below), I will be teaching Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE), a 10-week webinar course for current and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build and operate a business based on biblical principles. BE has been endorsed by Regent Center for Entrepreneurship as the best Biblically based entrepreneurship curriculum in the country.

On Thursday, May 21st, we will host a free webinar so you can get a taste of this transformational learning experience.

Free Webinar Info:

BE vs WE: Biblical Entrepreneurship vs Worldly Entrepreneurship
Thursday, May 21st
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT

BE I Online begins Thursday, May 28th at 8:30 pm EDT. The tuition is $400. A 10% discount will be available through May 21st.

If you're interested in attending the free webinar or registering for the the course send an email to info@biznovations.net or call (877) 916-1180.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

*******************

About Nehemiah Project International Ministries & Biblical Entrepreneurship
Nehemiah Project International Ministries, Inc. (NPIM) is a business training and business support service organization that offers a proprietary certificate business discipleship course called the “Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Program”. Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE) offers a strong mix of core business concepts and biblical principles.

Some of the courses offered include Principles of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE I), Practices of Biblical Entrepreneurship (BE II), and Planning a Kingdom Business (BE III). Students who complete the entire course (BE I, BE II, and BE III) participate in a business plan competition and receive a Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate through NPIM and Regent Center for Entrepreneurship.

Most graduates of the program operate small to medium-sized kingdom companies. The course is offered online and live through Biblical Entrepreneurship Certified Partners and is currently available in the United States, Mexico, Ukraine, Europe, Cameroon, Central Africa, Singapore and Malaysia.

The course is endorsed by Regent Center for Entrepreneurship, the National Association of Christian Financial Counselors, The Timothy Plan and G.A. Repple and Company.

To learn more about NPIM, visit www.nehemiahproject.org.

*******************

B.I.G. Dreams are coming soon to a mind near you!
www.DreamBIGin3D.com

THRIVE My Business!

2009-05-08T09:30:00.009-04:00

Is your business THRIVING?

If you answered no to that question, I would like to invite you to participate in an exclusive, innovative coaching program called Dream B.I.G in HD Business Coaching!

High-Definition (HD) technology provides the highest quality listening and viewing pleasure when compared to traditional audio and video systems. The intensity and clarity of the sound and picture quality creates enjoyable, unrivaled experiences for consumers. Unfortunately, most people live in “standard” definition – average, stagnant, and unfulfilled. Alternatively, people who operate in HD have incredible influence and impact on others, and thrive no matter what’s happening in their lives.

Upgrade Your Business to HD!

Just as a personal trainer works with athletes to reach their goals, Dream B.I.G. in HD coaching solutions will propel you to achieve excellence in every area of your life. Dream B.I.G. in HD is an intense, innovative, purpose-focused personal development process that will equip, encourage, and empower you to thrive in your life and business.

Recently, I have been focused on encouraging more people to be "on-purpose" entrepreneurs. One unique benefit of this coaching program is that you will be primed to strategically align your purpose, passions, and profession in ways that are meaningful, fulfilling, and profitable.

As your personal development catalyst, other key benefits I will provide you with include:

* Personalized B.I.G. Strategy for your life and business.
* Inspired instruction to help you execute your B.I.G. Strategy.
* Accountability and collaboration with other group members.
* Flexible, progressive modules for real-time learning and application.

Free teleconference info session:
* Monday, May 11th
* 12:30 pm - 1 pm OR 7:30 pm - 8 pm (both times Eastern)
* Call-in #: (712) 432-0850
* Access code: 1030781#

This is an exclusive offer that will only be available for a limited time with a select group of people. The program launches June 1st. Registration closes May 22nd.

Stop surviving and stop striving. Start THRIVING!

Thrive on Purpose,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

*B.I.G. Dreams are coming soon to a mind near you!
www.DreamBIGin3D.com

re:Positioning Entrepreneurship

2009-04-29T10:40:00.027-04:00

Love thy customer?

Why are you an entrepreneur? What is your driving motivation? What meaningful purpose does your business serve? How does your business positively impact society?

Over the past couple of days I've been having some interesting thoughts and conversations concerning how I view current and potential customers. Here's a few of my thoughts:

You attract who you love. It's amazing how significant your influence can be when you love and serve people unconditionally.
Loving your customers profitably creates sustainability.
Loving your customers goes beyond just caring for them. It's providing products and services in their best interests - profitably.
Love-leveraged influence is a powerful approach for those looking to use their giftedness and creativity to benefit others.
Creatively applying your talents to bring solutions to other people's problems can result in unexpected opportunities.
The greater your capacity to love and the more you apply your talents to others' problems, the larger your network and opportunities can grow.

Entrepreneur on Purpose

The challenges that our society is currently facing present incredible opportunities for a different kind of entrepreneur - a mission-driven entrepreneur. In one of my blog posts a couple years ago I defined a mission-driven entrepreneur as one who pursues and fulfills their life mission (purpose) through the operation of an enterprise that seeks to maximize profits while positively impacting social issues.

Based on the conversations that I've been having with multiple people lately, I believe lots of people are going through a search for meaning, including entrepreneurs. The things they used to care about or take for granted don't seem to mean as much to them any more. The amount of money they make isn't quite as big of a deal as it used to be. They are searching for something deeper than success. They are searching for significance.

One way to help people find meaning and significance through their business is to help them discover their purpose. Then their business is positioned to be an extension or expression of their purpose.

The process of discovering one's purpose, which some people refer to as "life planning", is similar to the process of developing a strategic business plan. A strategic life plan will equip you with the perspective, passion and motivation to operate your business in a way that fulfills your life purpose.

I believe entrepreneurs need a business plan and a life plan in order to be successful in all areas of their lives - financially, spiritually, physically, relationally and socially.

I am passionate about helping people to "entrepreneur on purpose", so they can find long-term meaning and have a significant societal impact through their enterprises. In fact I will be teaching this and other related topics at the re:Position Life Transition Summit this weekend, May 2nd in Alpharetta, GA.

Based on where you are in your life journey, maybe it's time for you to re:Position as an entrepreneur. I would love to help guide you along that pathway.

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

re:Position Life Transition Summit
"Shift your life from striving to THRIVING!"
~ Learn how to flourish in any economic environment ~
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Alpharetta, GA

Registration: http://repositionsummit.eventbrite.com

re:Position Your Business

2009-04-22T13:16:00.025-04:00

Hitting a moving target

Small businesses, whether in a good economy or bad, always seem to be shooting at a moving target. So the idea of restructuring, redirecting, realigning and rebuilding is nothing new to most entrepreneurs. However, I do think many of you may be a little more challenged to "re:Position" your business in this current and future economies.

To re:Position your business means to analyze your current business model in context of the current economic environment in order to develop a strategy that will allow you thrive now and in the future. To effectively re:Position, you will need to increase your focus on innovation, customer micro-targeting, customer engagement, flexible pricing, social awareness and other strategic customer-focused activities.

How are you going to THRIVE?

Innovation: Innovation can take on many forms from operations to products/services to marketing to employee development. What do you do better, faster, and/or cheaper than your competitors? Is your company leading or lagging in your market segment? What proactive things are you doing to improve your internal operations, create must-have products/services, and market more effectively?

Marketplace Alignment: Is your business model strategically aligned to take advantage of current and emerging economic trends (see Where's Your Hedgehog?)? For example, entrepreneurs will need to be more aware of their customer's affinity for green products and doing business with companies that engage in green initiatives.
Customer Micro-targeting: What does your customer really want? It will be imperative for you to be more in tune with your customer's specific needs, desires, and price points within different demographic groups.
Pricing: How much is your customer willing and able to pay for your products/services? Paying attention to your price to quality ratio will be vital. You have to ensure that if you have a high end product or service, its price is justified by an exceptional level of quality.
Customer Engagement: How do your customers want to connect with you? You will need to be more strategic in how you interact, serve and educate your customers. The use of social media technology, while before may have been a nicety, will soon become a necessity. You may also have to be more patient as you engage more in consultative selling, educating your customers long before you convince them to make a purchase (see Seize Your Season of Opportunity).
Personal & Professional Development: If you're not growing, you're dying. How are you increasing your knowledge and developing your skills? Does your business truly reflect a balance between your purpose, passions and professional skills? If you are going to ensure your personal long-term sustainability, you have to start thinking like this.

It is possible for your business to not just survive but thrive in this current and future economic environments. The key question is, are you ready to re:Position?

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

re:Position Summit facilitated by Paul Wilson, Jr.
"Shift your life from striving to THRIVING!"
~ Learn how to flourish in any economic environment ~
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Alpharetta, GA

Registration: http://repositionsummit.eventbrite.com

*Enjoy this video "Gamechangers" from Entrepreneur.com:

It's Time to re:Position!

2009-04-15T15:15:00.001-04:00

"Shift Your Life from striving to THRIVING!"

This current economic environment caught many people off guard. There’s no doubt that it’s been financially devastating for millions of people. However, what’s been largely overlooked and underestimated is the millions of people whose identities have also been bankrupted, because they associated their self-worth with their net worth. Sadly, the jobs and wealth they accumulated through their career and business pursuits also became the source of their personal value, faith and happiness.

The other critical development is that America’s economic landscape will never look the same. Consequently, the career landscape has also changed forever. Many of the career paths that were prevalent before the recession, will not exist after we recover.

Entrepreneurship, which before was a nicety, is now a necessity as a viable career path option. However, I’m not talking about greed-driven businesses. I’m talking about businesses that align and are driven by the entrepreneur’s life purpose and are profitable both financially and socially (click here to learn more about “mission-driven entrepreneurship”).

"From Recession to Progression!"

Most of the financial pundits spend all their time talking about how someone can recover their bank funds. Yet, how do you teach someone how to recover their identity? How do you help some “recreate” their career path because their industry is being outsourced to another country? The answer is to help them re:Position, shifting their life from striving to THRIVING!

re:Position is a life transition summit, providing you with a strategic approach on how to flourish in this current and future economic environments. Our goal is to equip, enrich, and empower you with motivational instruction and stimulating exercises that will position you for lasting prosperity in your career, business, and life. We will help you to:

~ re:Discover your true identity!
~ re:Purpose your direction in life!
~ re:Charge your passion for life!
~ re:Chart a new course for your career/business!
~ re:Ignite your ability to conquer your economic giants!
~ re:Generate a healthy understanding of personal wealth and prosperity!

There is no reason you have to wait until the economy recovers to start thriving. This summit will give you a fresh perspective through which to view your current and future life path. Are you ready to re:Position your life and career? Let’s go!

*Register for tickets here: http://repositionsummit.eventbrite.com

Dream B.I.G.,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Connect with me on twitter.com/pwilsonjr

Are you a B.I.G. Dreamer?

Refocusing on Social Entrepreneurship

2009-04-08T13:30:00.001-04:00

If you have spent any time on my blog you will know that I am a very big proponent of social entrepreneurship, especially as it relates to being a vehicle to help facilitate individual and community transformation. I have written several articles related to social entrepreneurship, including:

This week Businessweek.com published a special edition with several articles focused on social entrepreneurship. According to the publication, "As the economy reels, enterprising individuals who apply business practices to solving societal problems are gaining support from public and private sectors." Here's the articles in the special edition:

Also, check out this video: Do-Gooders Who Spread the Dough

Hopefully this move by entrepreneurs toward to more socially related ventures will not stop once the economy turns around. I want to be at the forefront of championing social entrepreneurship to become even more mainstream than it is now. Hopefully you do too!

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Seize Your Season of Opportunity

2009-03-25T12:30:00.008-04:00

Entrepreneurs Need to Think Like Farmers

Due to the fact that more than 80% of Americans live in urban areas, sometimes it's difficult for us to relate to the habits and lifestyles of those who live in agricultural areas of our nation and world. Nevertheless, one can extract key lessons from agricultural best practices that can be used as transformational business and life principles.

In order to get the greatest yield from the land, farmers understand they must plan for several factors, including available resources and constraints, geography and climate of the farm, and their own philosophy and culture among other things (see Wikipedia for more info).

Farmers also understand that different strategies are used at different times of the year to reap the best harvest based upon the types of crops they are producing. Likewise, entrepreneurs must plan and adjust their actions to harvest different business opportunities, because like crops they also come and go in cycles or seasons. Entrepreneurs must become keenly aware of the season/cycle in which their opportunities exist, so they can increase the size, frequency and quality of their harvest.

Let's dig a little deeper as we consider different types of "opportunity seasons" and how you can plan for them in your business.

Prepare the ground (Customer not ready to purchase): Externally, educate yourself on your target customers, market conditions, future opportunities and potential threats to your business. Internally, assess your company for ways to improve your current designs, performance, processes, customer service, etc (a SWOT Analysis tool is great for this). This season may also involve focusing on your own personal development.
Plant the seeds (Customer interested in learning more): Focus on marketing, brand building, and networking. Reach out and connect with target customers. Demonstrate your expertise and value in the marketplace through several platforms (i.e. free seminars, social networks, blogging, articles, podcasting, email newsletters, interviews, free samples).
Nurture the growth (Customer considering a purchase): Build relationships with priority customers. Focus on educating and equipping them with valuable knowledge and specific information that will benefit them. Assess customer relationships to determine whether they are hot, warm, or cold - this will dictate how quickly you move to the next stage.
Reap the harvest (Customer ready to purchase): Be confident and close the deal. It's critical to know when your customer is ready to purchase. If you try to close too early or too late you could lose them.

You must recognize that different opportunities avail themselves in different seasons of a business cycle. Therefore, you can't use the same approach for each opportunity. You need to know what stage it's in - preparing, planting, nurturing, or reaping - so that you can determine how to strategically seize it.

Although the country may be in a recession your business doesn't have to be. You can still grow in this environment. You just have to be more strategic, discerning, and value-driven than ever before. Also, it wouldn't hurt to think like a farmer.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

An Oldie But a Goodie

2009-03-10T11:00:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, I wrote a post on this blog entitled, "Just Like Jazz." I'm a lover of the art of jazz and the art of entrepreneurship. I recognized there are many similarities between the mindset of a jazz impresario and an entrepreneur. As I read back over that post I recognized how much more relevant what I wrote is to our current times than it was back in 2006. Here's an excerpt:

"It's interesting that when you listen to jazz, sometimes a chord here or there may sound out of place. Often in business, you have to go outside of the norm and change the definition of what others may consider normal. What's off key for somebody else may be just right for you. Companies that are successful are able to expand outside the box by differentiating themselves from their competition through price, quality, uniqueness, service, or some other distinguishing factor."

Click here to read the rest of the post.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Dream BIG Experience Video Promo

2009-03-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

Need something to do with your students for spring break? Check out this video promo for "Dream BIG Experience: The Impossible IS Possible!" Youth Entrepreneurship Workshop Series...

If you would like to bring this experience to your school, church, or community organization, please contact me today at youth@biznovations.net.

You can learn more about "Dream BIG Experience" at http://www.paulwilsonjr.com/Thrive/Youth.html.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

*Related Post:

Youth Entrepreneurship Workshops

2009-03-03T12:15:00.010-05:00

As challenging as the current economic environment is, many people believe (including myself) that America's entrepreneurial spirit will be a critical ingredient to pull us out of this financial tar pit. We need to generate as much creativity, ingenuity, and innovation as humanly possible.

I believe that we are entering a new age that will require everyone to have at least a minimal level of entrepreneurial skills, even employees of large companies. Since that's the case, what better time than now to equip our youth with the necessary skills to not only survive, but thrive in this and future economic swoons.

Using my extensive experience as an entrepreneur, youth leader, and business coach, I created a workshop series that combines entrepreneurship, leadership, and career mapping: "Dream BIG Experience: The Impossible IS Possible!". This series is targeted to teenagers and college age students, who will benefit today and tomorrow from learning these essential business survival skills.

If you would like to bring this workshop to your school, church, or community organization, please contact me today at youth@biznovations.net.

You can learn more about "Dream BIG Experience" at http://www.paulwilsonjr.com/Thrive/Youth.html.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

www.paulwilsonjr.com

Super Risk, Super Reward?

2009-01-31T13:35:00.010-05:00

$3 million for 30 seconds. That's the going rate for commercial ads being sold by NBC for this year's Super Bowl. That's a 10% increase over last year's price of $2.7 million (I guess the recession hasn't hit everywhere yet).

With the Super Bowl being a globally televised event that has the highest ratings of any television show, that $3 million could be a no-brainer investment - if it's spent wisely. But of course if you have watched the Super Bowl over the years you know that some companies haven't spent their money all that well.

Here's one of my favorites from last year...

What would you do if you had $3 million to spend for a 30 second commercial? How would you spend it on your business or organization? I would love to hear your comments.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

follow me on twitter.com/pwilsonjr

Imitating Barack 2.0

2009-01-22T17:40:00.006-05:00

I love hearing about innovation in unexpected places. While it's typical to expect innovation from technology companies or other businesses, it's always enlightening to find innovation in the not-so-typical places, such as a political campaign.

Even if everyone doesn't agree on the selection of this President, they do have to agree that his team ran a very innovative campaign, utilizing a social technology strategy that has never been seen before in the political arena. If the saying is true that, "imitation is the highest form of flattery", then Barack's campaign team should feel very flattered based on the imitators that will undoubtedly be coming out of the woodwork trying to copy the groundbreaking strategy they planned and executed. His team may have forever changed how politicians run their campaigns.

Small businesses (and non-profits) can glean a lot from the innovative strategies that were employed by "Barack 2.0". In fact, Fast Company magazine has an article that discusses some of the business implications from this campaign (click this link to get the story). Some examples of where they excelled in terms of creatively using technology include:

Established a presence where people gather online
Utilized multiple high tech and low tech communication channels
Created platforms for online community of supporters to interact with him and each other

Additionally, there is a book now available, entitled Barack 2.0: Social Media Lessons for Business.

Just like with any business, the same tools are available to most. The critical difference between small businesses that succeed and those that fail is the effective use of available tools within a well-executed plan. Barack 2.0 executed better than any other candidate in this election.

Check out the resources above to see what you can learn from this effectively-run campaign. Apply what's relevant to give your company a strategic and innovative edge over your competitors.

Empowering Champions,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Entrepreneurs to the Rescue!

2009-01-16T16:30:00.005-05:00

Pessimism is in vogue. It seems that in these challenging economic times doomsayers are ruling the airwaves and Internet. Not that the current business environment isn't bad, because it is. However, it seems that probably 99.7% of the "experts" are talking more about the problems rather than potential solutions, at least ones that don't include some sort of bail out. Does anyone have any hope?

Fortunately, from my brief research I have found a few pockets of optimism populated by those who believe like I do that entrepreneurs can help lead us out of this economic quagmire. Through ingenuity, innovation, and tenacity entrepreneurs can play a very strategic role in helping to revive our economy and impact people's lives. Here's a sample of what I found:

Survey Confirms Entrepreneurship is Alive and Kicking at Entrepreneur.com
US Entrepreneurship is the Third Largest Global Economy at www.gregwatson.com
Small-Business Leaders Offer Stimulus Ideas at blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet
Innovation will Blossom During the Recession at www.drjeffcornwall.com
Optimistic Small Businesses at genylabs.typepad.com

Now more than ever before these times present great opportunities for mission driven and social entrepreneurs - those with a keen understanding and sensitivity to the human side of business - to significantly impact people's lives. People are looking for hope in addition to high quality, low cost products and services. And who better to give them hope than a small business owner, who may have more of an chance to connect with them 1 on 1 than a larger impersonal corporation.

As an entrepreneur or aspiring business owner, what do you think you can do to help our economy get back on its feet? What is one of the most significant things that you could do to "keep hope alive" for a customer, employee, or supplier? Let me know what ideas you have.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Confessions of a Social Technology Newbie

2009-01-07T15:40:00.000-05:00

Bold New World

I have a confession to make. I'm late coming to the Internet technology party. Fortunately, I'm still evolving as an entrepreneur, as are the incredible technologies at our fingertips that are now so pervasive in our society.

I recently purchased a Blackberry Bold 9000. One word sums up this nifty little device... Awesome! Now, I'm not totally new to Blackberries. I had one a few years ago when I was in corporate. However, I had forgotten just how great they are in terms of increasing your work efficiency, because of their incredible mobility and functionality. On the flip side, because they now have a lot more applications (i.e. toys) than they did a few years ago, my work efficiency might actually decrease because of the increased potential distractions (but that's more of a personal discipline issue).

That's just the beginning of this story. The purchase of the Bold was preceded by my headlong dive into the social networking arena. I've had this blog for a few years and a LinkedIn profile, because those are for "serious" businesspeople. However, I resisted getting a Facebook or MySpace page, because I only saw their "social" aspects. I also figured that mostly teenagers and "creatives" (musicians, artists, etc.) were really the only ones using these tools to network, build their brand/image, get exposure, etc. Not until I jumped in did I realize just how powerful these tools are - even for "regular" entrepreneurs.

Can I Be Your Friend?

About 3 weeks ago, I simultaneously opened Facebook and Twitter accounts. Since then I've also interacted with Meebo, Ustream.tv, Mogulus, Twitterfeed, Adjix, TinyUrl, Qik, pingfm, etc. This list doesn't even come close to listing how many are actually available. What's also amazing is how many of them are so easily integrated across each others' web sites. I'm definitely not an expert on any of them yet. I'm still feeling my way around to see which ones are going to be most effective for my business.

Although I have read plenty about these social networking tools, I didn't understand their full potential to quickly connect people and disseminate information until I had actually experienced it firsthand. Almost instantly I was able to connect with people I often see but don't know a lot about; new people whom I may not have met otherwise; and some friends whom I had not seen in a very long time (it's amazing - and sad - how many people we meet in life and forget about). I spend a lot of time on the Internet, but I had never recognized the power of the Internet to this extent.

Never Too Late

For many of you who have been doing this stuff for a while, I know I'm late to the party. If you have already gone done this path, then I'm just preaching to the choir. However, if you have not explored the world of social networking and the benefits that it can provide to your business, then you need to take a serious look at how these tools can enhance your brand, expand your reach, provide market intelligence, and increase your pool of potential customers. They also allow for other people to learn about you and your company (i.e., know, like, and trust you) in a non-threatening environment - of course when used in a non-irritating right way.

Successful entrepreneurs are always open to learning, adapting, and innovating. So, since we're at the beginning of the new year, there's no better time than the present to add more tools to your business toolkit. And just like I had to tell myself while learning this stuff, it's never too late. Even if initially you just do enough to get your feet wet, at least stick your toe in the water.

For those who think they have to hire an expensive consultant, there are plenty of free resources on the Internet that can guide you through everything you need to get started. Also, if you have teenage children, I'm sure they are well-versed enough in social technology and lingo that you probably won't have to look outside your house for help. Just do it!

Welcome to this bold new world!

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

*Follow me on twitter: twitter.com/pwilsonjr

Social Networking Resources:
1) Entrepreneurs Need Social Networking
2) 35 Tips for Getting Started with Social Media
3) Leveraging Social Networking Sites to Generate Business

The Trust Factor

2009-01-06T09:00:00.008-05:00

Know you. Like you. Trust you. It has been said that these are three critical elements of growing healthy customer relationships that result in sales and long-term loyalty. I just read a great article at Businessweek.com that speaks to the key steps in building trust with your customers (click here for the article).

Entrepreneurs can't afford not to focus on trust-building, especially when customers are more conservative and discriminating about how they spend their money. Sometimes trust is often the ultimate motivating factor for purchasing decisions.

Below is a list of some key questions related to building trust with your current and future customers. Having practical, specific, and customer-friendly answers to these questions will help you to build credibility and a competitive advantage.

How are you building a brand that demonstrates trust?
With every customer interaction, are you thinking about a long-term relationship versus a one-time transaction?
Does everyone in your company operate with a trust-building mindset?
How do you help your customers develop a comfort level with your products or services?
If your products or services don't work as promised, what remedies or processes do you have in place to quickly resolve issues?

Remember, if you focus on getting your customers to know you, like you, and trust you, you will not only increase your probability of sales now, you will also enhance your opportunities for repeat sales in the future.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Practicing Disciplined Optimism

2009-01-02T11:57:00.018-05:00

A few weeks ago, Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft, wrote an article for the Small Business Trends blog, entitled "Finding 'The Zone' in a Tough Economy". He talked about as an entrepreneur how he stays focused, especially when times get challenging. He calls his mental focus process "Disciplined Optimism". Here's an excerpt of this article:

Disciplined Optimism is a combination of positive attitude, tenacity and hard work. It requires the business owner to:
Constantly think positively (read Peale’s Power of Positive Thinking)
Tenaciously pursue the success you have envisioned; and
Work hard to remove obstacles, always believing you will achieve that success (google “Jim Collins Stockdale Paradox” for more on this)

As everyone is excited and hopeful for great things to happen in this new year, it is imperative that we exercise the practicality of Disciplined Optimism and not just mentally assent to positive thinking. This is crucial, because I have heard it said that excitement gets you started, but discipline keeps you going.

As many prognosticators are commenting that our present economic situation will get worse before it gets better, the practice of Disciplined Optimism will be vital to your short and long-term success. The more difficult our circumstances as entrepreneurs become, the more resolve we need to have to keep driving forward. Not ignoring the external environment, but responding to it and thriving in spite of it.

Because it's a new year or a new presidential administration (or a new anything else), don't expect that everything will automatically get better. Plan your work and work your plan. Expect the best and plan for the worst. It is possible for you to rise above what everyone else is sinking in.

Go create a success story that defies the prognosticators and doomsayers. You be the one with the blockbuster business that flourishes against all odds. I will be right there with you. Best wishes for a prosperous 2009!

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Related Posts:
1) "Win Like Tiger"
2) "Get the Kink Out of Your Think"

A (Business) Prayer for the New Year

2008-12-20T22:17:00.007-05:00

Recently Dr. Jeff Cornwall of Belmont University offered the invocation at his school's MBA graduation ceremony. He prayed some powerful words that are not just for those graduates, but for all business leaders and entrepreneurs to direct their focused attention and sincere efforts. Here's an excerpt:

"We pray that they understand that their work on earth should never be just a career, but a true vocation that connects their faith to all they do in the work. We pray that they remember that true integrity is to find God helping us to live as He intended us to live in all that we do: in our family, in our community, and in our work."

Follow this link (http://www.drjeffcornwall.com/2008/12/a-prayer-for-the-new-year.html) to read the rest of the prayer. Enjoy!

Empowering Champions,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Small Business Workshop Survey

2008-09-15T16:52:00.007-04:00

I would like to invite to participate in a survey that will help us to determine if our new supply chain workshops are something that would appeal to small business owners and employees.

Click on this link for the survey.

Background Info:
Based on the consulting work that I've done over the past few years with corporations and small businesses, I realize a major "understanding gap" exists between corporations' procurement needs and how small businesses position their products and services to supply them. This realization has led me to develop a series of workshops that give small businesses a "behind-the-scenes" peek at how corporations operate their purchasing departments, so they can be more successful in obtaining contracts.

These workshops will equip small businesses to more accurately identify a corporation's specific value drivers, purchasing needs, and performance requirements, so they can competitively position their products and services to provide the most value, i.e. get contracts. Topics that I intend to cover include:

Supply chain operations
RFP/Bid process
Sales strategies
Communication techniques
Diversity certifications
Tier 2

Thank you in advance for taking the time to participate in our short survey. We value your feedback. I look forward to engaging with you soon.

Empowering Champions,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Click on this link for the survey.

A Bridge to Entrepreneurship

2008-05-09T08:20:00.001-04:00

Intrapreneurship is a positive pathway to entrepreneurship

Many people aspire to be entrepreneurs, but are not sure they have what it takes to become successful. A great place to test and develop their skills is in their current jobs, using intrapreneurship as the pathway.

BNET has a great feature section on their web site called, "Unleashing Your Inner Intrapreneur." This section contains multiple articles with some key pointers on how you can become a successful intrapreneur.

One of their resources is this video that provides some effective tips on how you can begin to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams within your current job today:

If you are currently working for someone else's company, don't give up on your dream of full-time business ownership just yet. Instead, start acquiring your entrepreneurial experience right where you are. I look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Resources:

1) "Powered by Intrapreneurship"

2) "Mission Driven Intrapreneurs"

Be Persistent Without Being a Pest - Part 2

2008-05-01T09:43:00.001-04:00

...continued from Part 1

It matters what you say AND how you say it

There is a fine line between being viewed by your customers as pest-like versus persistent. The key is effectively managing your customer interactions. In Part 1 I stressed the importance of the fact that the content of your customer communications must be focused on the tangible value that your products/services can deliver to your customers. Here in Part 2 I will focus on how to effectively communicate that value to customers.

Some statistics say that it takes a minimum of 8 interactions for a customer sale to be generated. So, one of the keys to effective customer communications is not trying to hit a homerun with every conversation or interaction. This can be hard for many entrepreneurs to buy into, because sometimes it seems like you staying in business is contingent upon that very next sale. I know how that feels, because I've been there. However, this is one of the most destructive mindsets that you can have as an entrepreneur (or employee), because it can drive short-term thinking, causing some to engage in unethical business practices just to get a sale.

Like with any relationship in life, it takes time, energy, and intentionality to build a healthy one. As it relates to effectively building long-term, mutually prosperous relationships with customers, your thought should be that every interaction that you have with customers is positioning you for the next interaction with them.

Tips for Interactions

Here's some ideas for how to engage in successful customer interactions in order to grow healthy, profitable relationships.

Plan your contact intervals: Develop a 6 month schedule for when and how you will contact each key customer prospect. Strategically plan to have at least 6 to 8 interactions within this timeframe. Utilize various forms of communication including email, phone, in-person, and other tools listed below.
Plan your interactions: Be very intentional about what you want to communicate with each type of interaction. Include the appropriate content with the right communication tools. Especially during the initial interactions, ask a lot of questions, so that you can spend more time listening than talking. This will help you mine key nuggets of information, such as problems, issues, or challenges they are experiencing that you can use for #3.
Link previous contacts/interactions together: Remember, each contact should build for the next one. With each interaction, use creative ways to remind your customer the subject matter of your previous contact and how what you provide relates specifically to their needs or desires. You are basically authoring a story about your company they they are experiencing over a long period of time versus all at once. Make sure it's a good story!
Focus on VALUE!: Don't waste your customer's time trying to impress them with your marketing materials (they can read your web site or brochure for that). Use creative ways to communicate the tangible benefits they will get from your product or service (remember Part 1?). Also, consider including the negative impact they might experience by not using your product or service.

Tools to Demonstrate Value

One key to effectively demonstrating your value to customers, is to position yourself as the expert in your area. You can do this by displaying your capabilities, experience, and expertise in ways that increase their knowledge and awareness. As part of your planned customer interactions, I suggest incorporating some of the following tools at various intervals:

Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Customer Testimonials
Newsletter
Blog
Case Studies
White Papers
Podcast
Book
Freelance writing for magazines and industry trade publications
Press releases
Awards

A lot of this stuff is Marketing 101, but many entrepreneurs either don't utilize these tools or they don't use them in the most effective ways. Just like in other areas of our lives, we often know what to do, but we still don't do it.

Acquiring new corporate customers requires having the right strategic approach that clearly and consistently demonstrates your value. Hope for quick customer decisions, but plan as if they will take a long time. Persist the right way so that you don't become a "sales-pest" that they want to exterminate.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Be Persistent Without Being a Pest - Part 1

2008-04-28T13:32:00.028-04:00

Beware of pest-like behavior

Successful business owners understand that the DNA of their personality must contain the 3P's of Entrepreneurship: passion, perseverance, and persistence. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs are unbalanced, with passion often overshadowing the other two. And when they are "overly passionate" about what they do, but without understanding how to effectively channel that passion or have underdeveloped interpersonal communication skills, they will come across as overbearing, tactless, and even desperate.

In essence they have created a combustible mix of annoyance that causes a customer's "sales-pest alert" to be activated. When this happens, customers become turned off and alienated very quickly. It can then become an extremely difficult challenge to reverse a customer's perception, partly because the experience has confirmed their negative preconceived notions of "typical" salespeople.

For small businesses who mainly target large corporations, there exists an art and a science to securing and growing healthy, prosperous customer relationships. Although, it often takes a long time to get through some of your prospects' doors of opportunity, you have to be able to knock on those doors with a velvet hammer.

I am going to break up this topic of persistent, "non-pest like" customer communications into 2 parts. Part 1 will cover what to communicate and Part 2 will cover how to communicate it. So, let's look at what the content of your interactions should be with prospective corporate customers.

Value Drivers for Corporations

As you target different customers, there is a common denominator that they are all looking for... VALUE! Whether you sell widgets or windmills, if you expect to build a prosperous relationship, your product or service better do one of the following for your customer:

Make money
Save money
Solve a problem that does 1 or 2
Make job easier to do 1 or 2
Provide new learning that help them do 1, 2, 3, or 4

If your product or service doesn't satisfy any of these five, then I would strongly argue that you are not providing value. And in the current economic environment, most corporations are not going to spend money on something that is not providing them some type of tangible value.

Measure your performance to prove your value

One of the keys to demonstrating value in one of these five areas is having performance metrics derived from data collected from your previous customer engagements. The critical importance of selecting the right performance metrics is that they must be: 1) important to your customers, 2) relevant to their goals and 3) demonstrate your past successful performance.

If your customers value cost savings, then having metrics that show how your product/service has saved money for previous customers is crucial. If your customers are focused on service levels, then you need to have metrics that demonstrate your ability to maintain high service levels. If your customer is focused on providing a high level of customer satisfaction, then having metrics that demonstrate how well you keep customers pleased is a non-negotiable.

Unfortunately, for many small businesses that I have dealt with, collecting data used to generate performance metrics is not a business practice that is utilized often enough. Without capturing data, it will be very difficult for you to effectively prove that you can deliver on one or more of these five value drivers.

Before engaging your next prospect, you need to collect and analyze relevant data in order to assess whether or not your product or service would really add tangible value to their operations. Doing your due diligence in this area prior to contacting them will help to ensure that your customer interactions will be time well spent - for you and them. They will definitely appreciate you for that (even if you don't get a sale right away).

Passion is a necessary element for any successful entrepreneur. However, you need to be able to demonstrate controlled passion not just about what you do, but how well you do it. When you are able to clearly prove your tangible value to customers and can effectively communicate that in a consistent, non-intrusive way (see Part 2), you run a much lower chance of being perceived as a pest.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Make sure to check back for Part 2.

Decision '08

2008-04-21T08:45:00.018-04:00

Although this is an election year, many people have some crucial personal and professional decisions to make that may have a far more profound direct impact on them than who the next president of the United States will be. Why is that? Because with the typical pace of the government decision making today, if often takes a long time for new policies and laws to directly impact your life. This definitely will be the case with a new administration no matter who wins. On the other hand, the career and business decisions that you make during this season of your life will have an impact much sooner.

Critical decisions that many people are currently wrestling with include: Should I stay in business and weather this economic storm, or should I search for something a little more stable (relatively speaking)? Is this the time to implement my exit strategy and start a new business? Should I change my job/career and do what's really in my heart to do?

Why are the answers to these questions so important now? Even though the country may be sinking into a recession, people and corporations are still going to buy competitively priced, high quality goods and services, and corporations will still need problem-solving, value-adding employees. The main difference in their decision making between now and few years ago is that they are going to be much more selective and value conscious with how they spend and invest their money.

An economic downturn presents a great opportunity to chart a new course, especially for entrepreneurs. One person's problem is another person's chance to provide a needed product or service. One company or industry's challenge could present the perfect opportunity for an entre/intrapreneur to demonstrate their expertise and experience through a new solution that delivers tangible value (see "Just Like Jazz").

Therefore, as you go through your decision making processin this tumultuous and uncertain economic environment, ask yourself: How will you differentiate yourself from your competitors or co-workers? How will you demonstrate value to your customers or employer? How are you going to win when it seems like everyone else is resigned to losing?

Yes, these are challenging times. But, as an ancient Hebrew proverb (hint: from the Bible) states, "If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." If you are an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, this is not the time back down, but to branch out and go against the flow. After doing your due diligence, develop your plan, overcome any doubts or fears, step out in faith, and seize your moment to ignite your life. Let your personal "Decision 2008" be one that positions you for positive and prosperous future!

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Resources:

"Intrapreneurship and Adaptive Persistence" by Stacy Perman at Businessweek.com

Win Like Tiger

2008-03-26T08:04:00.002-04:00

Conquer the sport of business!

I'm a huge sports fan, so I spend a lot of time reading about about sports teams and athletes. I love to read articles and stories about championship teams and players and what helped them to become the best. Much can be gleaned from sports franchises and athletes that relates to winning in business.

Of all the sports that are played in the world, golf is probably the one that is most similar to entrepreneurship (especially businesses that only have a few employees). I say that because every weekend golfers have to compete against dozens of other golfers who are the best at what they do. And unlike sports such as football, basketball, and baseball, in golf there is not a team of people that you can rely on to win the game while you're playing. Even though golfers have coaches, advisors, and assistants, they can't come with them on the course.

When most people think of championship-caliber golfers, the person that usually comes to mind first is arguably the best golfer to ever play the game, Tiger Woods. As we have already seen this year with him winning his first four tournaments, he seems to be constantly getting better (if that's even possible for him). In a story about Tiger written last week, Steve DiMeglio of USAToday.com wrote:

"So how has Woods continued to elevate his game, even after reaching the No. 1 ranking? Fellow athletes, sports analysts, business leaders and others say he's done so by meshing his considerable physical talent with a combination of focus, commitment, strategy and nerve that is unlike anything they've ever seen."

In that same story, the author outlined five key factors that keeps Tiger at the top of his game and consistently in front of his competitors. There are some definite applications to you as an entrepreneur. Here's their list:

The mind game: Never stop learning and don't let anyone out-think you.

Finding motivation: Cultivate an internally-motivated, passionate, relentless, "refuse-to-lose" attitude.

Fit and rested: Take care of your body, because your health is the most important thing that you have.

Confidence to change: Don't be afraid to mess with success, especially when you know you can get better.

A unique talent: Determine the special qualities that you have/need to be the best.

I believe that you if you diligently and consistently apply these principles, just like Tiger you can also get to the top of your profession or industry.

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Resources:

"Five Keys to a Game that Remains on the Upswing" by Steve DiMeglio at USAToday.com
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/pga/2008-03-20-Tiger_N.htm

"The Habit of Winning" by Me

Online Small Business Summit

2008-03-22T06:57:00.004-04:00

For those of you who would love to go to a small business conference, but don't have the time or the money, here's the perfect solution for you. The Microsoft Small Business Summit is a FREE online conference that will provide powerful advice and valuable secrets to help you start or expand your business. The dates of the summit are March 24th - 27th, 2008. Visit www.sbsummit.com for more information and to register.

This event is not about Microsoft (although I'm sure they will be hocking some of their wares). Over these four days, a diverse group of small business experts will be conducting workshops via the web, providing their expertise and insights in multiple areas including:

Sales
Marketing
Technology
Public relations
Web advertising
Work-life balance
Mobility solutions
Human resources
Financial management
Business planning
Online security
Blogging
And more...

The best part about this whole event is that you can join in from the comfort of your home or office. And did I mention that it's FREE!

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to gain some new insights and perspectives to help you launch or grow your dream.

Empowering Champions,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Passion for Improvement

2008-03-21T08:12:00.046-04:00

Excitement gets you started, but passion keeps you going.

Is your business as successful as it has the potential to be? Are you as good of a leader as you can be? Are you on track to accomplish all of your 2008 goals? If your answer is "no" to any of these questions, I would ask you the simple question, "why not?"

I know that there could be many reasons (or excuses) as to why you may have answered no. You may have challenges with time, money, focus, help, procrastination, or any of the other typical excuses that are used when it comes to talking about why we haven't done something. Taking into consideration those reasons that are legitimate and the ones that are not, I believe one of the key reasons that you have not yet accomplished some of your goals could be your lack of passion.

You might be reading this and think it foolish of me to write that an entrepreneur or businessperson could lack passion for what they do. I'm not raising the question about your passion for the object of your business affection. I'm raising the question about your passion for your commitment to doing what you do even better.

Reading and listening to the jargon of the business world, I see many words that are often overused and misused. One of the most frequently overused and misused words is passion. Many people think that passion is just having excitement or a strong emotional connection to something. However, having a true passion for something is much bigger than just those two things.

The passion I'm talking about is an intense commitment to see something all the way through to its completion or fulfillment. It is demonstrated through endurance and a willingness to fight for what you believe in. True passion won't let you stop fighting until you accomplish your goal, dream, or vision (read "Fighting for Your Dream").

Passion not only helps you to determine what ideas to say "yes" to, but it also helps you determine what ideas to say "no" to. In business it's easy to find many concepts and ideas about which to get excited. However, not all of those things would you - nor should you - be willing to invest the time, money, and energy to see them through to their completion or fulfillment. For the things that you would say yes to, real passion transfers excitement and emotion into action.

One of the things that passion should help you say yes to is continuous improvement of yourself and your business. Passion for continuous improvement means never being satisfied with what's already been accomplished. It means waking up every day asking yourself the question, "how can I be better today?" It means that "good" is not good enough. It means looking in every nook, corner, and crevice of your business for ideas, fixes or tweaks that will help you to lower your operating costs, upgrade your products, or enhance your services.

While most entrepreneurs probably would agree with me that continuous improvement is important, many haven't yet made the commitment to it (or maybe they think they have even though they haven't). One reason that I say this is because of the failure rate of small businesses. Based on my personal interactions with small businesses, this failure rate is somtimes driven by the owners' unwillingness or slowfulness to improve their products or services. Another factor is that they are too busy working "in" the business to work "on" the business, which would limit them from being able to see their operations from a broader, strategic perspective.

To have an effective continuous improvement effort, entrepreneurs must shift their focus to working on the business. Some key areas that you should focus on include:

Product/Service differentiation: Becoming better, faster, or cheaper than your competitors.

Customer service: Exceeding customer expectations cost effectively.

Marketing: Attracting, capturing, and retaining new customers.

Operations: Streamlining your processes and increasing your productivity, allowing you to handle more customers or orders with the same or fewer resources.

Decision making process: Data and fact-driven decision making versus subjective, opinionated or anecdotal decision making.

And here's two more areas that are often over looked when it comes to continuous improvement, but should be top priorities as it relates to their critical importance to a business:

Employees: Creating an attractive, engaging, fun, challenging, and safe-to-fail work environment.

Personal development: Utilizing structured and informal means to facilitate lifelong learning and skills development.

One of the key benefits of having a passion for improvement is that it can spark profitable innovations in your business. Innovation requires that you be dissatisfied with the status quo. So when you have an intense desire to always get better, your creative abilities can released and directed toward those areas in your business that need to be improved or enhanced, producing financially rewarding solutions for you and your customers.

Leaders are learners and there is always something new that you could learn to help you or your business do something better. No matter how successful you or your business becomes, you must always have a passion for continuous improvement.

Empowering Champions,

Paul Wilson, Jr.

Where's Your Hedgehog?

2008-03-14T10:27:00.000-04:00

Grow or Die! - Part 2

Competing Successfully Requires Growing Effectively

In my previous post, I wrote about the need to grow or else your business could be left behind in this challenging, always changing marketplace. Some of you may have read that and said to yourself that your goal is not to get big. I understand that, because every small business owner doesn't necessarily have a goal or desire to become a "big" business owner. Regardless of whether or not you want to get bigger as a company, you still have to be able to outperform your competition if you plan on being in business for a long time.

One of the keys to outperforming your competition is differentiation. Another way to say differentiation is competitive advantage. Your competitive advantage can be demonstrated in various areas of your business, including product innovation, service quality, marketing, pricing, or operational efficiency. If you are able to effectively leverage the value of your differentiation or competitive advantage with your customers, you will be well on your way to growing a healthy company.

You may be asking how the title of this post relates to differentiation. I recently wrote a post entitled, "Turn a Great Idea into a Great Business", in which I explained how entrepreneurs could incorporate into their businesses best practice principles from the book Good to Great written by Jim Collins. The "Hedgehog Concept", one of the key principles that Collins details in the book, is a powerful model that a small business can use to develop a differentiation strategy. Let's take a closer look at this concept.

"Hedgehog Concept"

As Collins describes it, for a business leader the Hedgehog Concept represents three intersecting, critical decision-making criteria that all current and new strategies, plans, and ideas must satisfy before they are approved or implemented:

What is our company deeply passionate about?
What can our company be the best at doing?
What are our economic drivers, i.e. products or services that will generate consistent cash flow and profits?

So, why is this concept called a "hedgehog?" On pages 90-91 in Good to Great, Collins describes the reasons why he chose this nondescript animal to represent this concept. A key characteristic about a hedgehog is that it only has one response to danger, which is to protect itself by rolling up into a ball with its spikes protruding. In describing how this relates to leaders of "great" companies, he writes:

"[Hedgehogs] simplify a complex world into a single organizing idea, a basic principle or concept that unifies and guides everything. It doesn’t matter how complex the world, a hedgehog reduces all challenges and dilemmas to simple - indeed almost simplistic - hedgehog ideas. For a hedgehog, anything that does not somehow relate to the hedgehog idea holds no relevance... They understand that the essence of profound insight is simplicity... Hedgehogs see what is essential and ignore the rest."

(Collins identifies Albert Einstein and Adam Smith as two examples of hedgehogs, because of their ability to boil down complex concepts into simple yet powerful ideas.)

As it relates to growing your business, the issue is not about what you could do, but what you should do. If you have a current strategy or new idea that only satisfies one or two of these questions, your business model is not balanced. Companies that lack passion, skills, and/or profits might be able to operate like that in the short term, but eventually they will have major problems, because anything that's not balanced will fall over in time.

The criteria for any new strategy, idea or opportunity into which you would invest time, money, or people should be that you can answer all three questions confidently. So, as you think about how to grow your business, I encourage you to spend some quality time wrestling with these questions in order to find your business hedgehog. Then you'll really be ready to grow!

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Grow or Die!

2008-02-19T11:00:00.005-05:00

Healthy Companies Grow

It is a fact of nature that healthy things grow. As human beings we understand that infants grow into toddlers into children into teens into adults, and so on. We identify the transition from one stage to another as an indicator of growth. In fact, we expect these growth stages to happen. And when they don't happen or are delayed, we suspect something is wrong and we start investigating, whether through our own research or going to a doctor.

Of course for a human to grow, the individual systems that comprise our bodies, such as the skeletal, immune, digestive, and nervous systems, have to function properly. If any one of these systems is out of sync or degenerative, we will be unhealthy and our growth could be stunted or we could die.

Systems are also the foundation of every business, large or small. These systems, which could also be called operating processes and procedures (written or just understood), allow the business to function effectively (accomplish goals and make money) and efficiently (use as few resources as possible). When any of these systems are dysfunctional or non-existent, the business will be unhealthy and eventually could die (i.e. bankruptcy, liquidation, acquisition).

Good but not Growing

While it's great the number of minority owned firms has increased exponentially over the past 20 years, the focus now needs to shift to growing exponentially more healthy businesses. As I reviewed the recent small business growth statistics, I was astounded to see the high percentage of minority owned firms that earn less than $50,000 per year (see table below). Amazingly, 85.9% of black owned, 76.8% of Hispanic owned, 78.5% of Native American owned firms fall below the $50,000 revenue threshold.

Healthy Systems are Required for Healthy Growth

From my years of experience as a small business consultant, it is evident to me that a lot of businesses are running without properly functioning business systems. While many entrepreneurs excel in their craft or specialty, some of the essential systems that need to be in place to operate a healthy business are lacking. Many small business owners, whether by choice or ignorance, are not doing enough to position their business for long-term growth.

Let's take a quick look at some of the essential systems that need to be in place for a business to be healthy and positioned for growth:

Strategic Planning - The on-going, ever-evolving process of structuring the business internally and positioning the business externally to take advantage of current and future opportunities. This includes managing your business according to your long-term vision, mission and values.

People & Culture - People are the most important asset of any company. How are you creating a culture in your business that values, develops and celebrates people? Whether you have 1 employee or 100, your culture should be inviting and empowering. This also relates to how you engage suppliers, customers and business partners.

Products & Services - Utilitize creativity and innovation to keep your products aligned with your customers' desires and expectations. You must be able to offer attractive products/services that agree with what your target customers are willing to pay.

Customer Relations - Without customers you don't have a business. It is essential that you have a strategic and tactical approach outlined for acquiring, serving, satisfying, retaining and rewarding your customers.

Financial Management - For a small business "cash is king". Strategically manage your finances in order to maintain a strong financial position that meets currents needs and positions your business for future growth.

Marketing & Advertising - Your company's brand communicates your value to customers. It becomes the launching pad for growth opportunities. Building a strong brand within your target customer market is crucial to growing your company. If potential customers don't understand the value that you provide, then you won't be in business very long.

Technology - Don't use new (or old) technology just for technology's sake. Leverage technology to reduce costs, improve products/service, increase productivity, and enhance customer interactions.

Get a Check-up!

Many people refer to their business as their "baby" because they have grown it from it's infancy. As I mentioned earlier, when the human growth stages aren't happening in our children as expected, we take them to see a doctor. It's interesting that with our children, although we know them better than anyone else we still go to a baby specialist, i.e. doctor, when something is wrong.

It's unfortunate that many entrepreneurs don't do the same with their businesses. Whether out of pride, ignorance or unwillingness to spend the money (invest in their own well-being), they often avoid having a qualified specialist come in and assess their business condition/situation so they can get a prescription for healthy growth.

At some point, every business needs a check-up with a business doctor, because no business - large or small - can stay in a stagnant, unhealthy position for very long. Either you're advancing and growing or declining and dying. And with the way that business and the world operates today, you can't be satisfied with what you have accomplished up until today, because that may not be enough to survive for tomorrow. So, what are you doing to grow your business?

Empowering Champions,
Paul Wilson, Jr.

Resources:
1) Mirror Mirror
2) Suggestions for Small Biz
3) The 7 Irrefutable Rules of Small Business Growth by Steven S. Little