Livin' The Dream Blog

Build your Own Coaching Practice

2010-01-07T15:40:00.001-06:00

If you are in transition and looking for a new direction, you may want to consider this FREE seminar:

Build your Own Coaching Practice
Friday, January 15, 2009 12 PM noon -- 2 PM
Hampton Inn (Chicago/Lombard -- Oak Brook area)
222 E. 22nd St. Lombard, IL 60148
Hosted by The Entrepreneur’s Source
Pizza and soft drinks will be served

Learn about an exciting Associate Coaching Program that will allow you the Autonomy, Flexibility and Limitless Potential that you desire. Consider the opportunity provided
by the nations leading coaching and consulting firm.

The Entrepreneur's Source Associate Program could be the answer!!
Don’t miss this FREE SEMINAR to learn more.
Seating is limited, please contact us to register: 888-264-6667
RSVP by January 13, 2010

Leo - Guest on Strait Talk

2009-07-24T10:45:00.003-05:00

Leo is going to be a guest on Strait Talk - here is a link to their web site - Strait Talk.
The show will be aired on Sunday 8/2/09 at 5:30 to 6:30 PM Central Time.
You can call in with your own questions by calling 609-447-0236.
The topic of the show is Second Careers so Leo will be talking about his own personal transition from a corporate career to life as an entrepreneur.
Be sure to check it out - if you miss the live show, he will post the archive after the live airing of the show.

Seminar for Seasoned Workers

2009-05-08T13:10:00.004-05:00

If you are thinking it might be time to change the direction of your career - check out this video. We are Livin The Dream can help!
Get in touch with Leo, Lauren or John to assist you in your search - click here for our contact information.

Breakfast & Cards - Networking Event

2009-04-07T08:15:00.001-05:00

You are invited to come to an informative casual breakfast about SendOutCards.

Do you ever feel like you never have time to follow up with clients and friends?
Are you receiving the amount of referrals you desire from family, friends, and clients?
Let us talk to you about Relationship Marketing
Learn creative ideas to stay in touch
Network with other professionals
Marcey Miller will be the Presenter
Please RSVP to Marcey Miller
847-323-3808 OR MARCEYEMILLER@ATT.NET
April 18th Breakfast & Cards
Nest Café
(cost of breakfast not included)
800 S. Route 59 -
Bartlett, Illinois
(Just North Of Stearns Road)
Saturday 10:00AM - 12:00AM
Come network and learn about SendOutCards & Relationship Marketing!

2009-04-04T12:59:00.001-05:00

Back from awesome vacation in Mexico. Weather was great as usual. Trying to get caught up!

Franchising offers laid-off workers options

2009-03-30T16:58:00.001-05:00

Many workers who are laid off from corporate jobs are embracing entrepreneurship through franchising, which remains a popular option for laid-off workers who can use severance pay for start-up costs. A 2005 International Franchise Association report found franchises provide 21 million jobs to the U.S. economy. This article explores the benefits and wealth of options franchising provides. American City Business Journals/Louisville, Ky./Wichita, Kan. (3/30/09)

Left Behind After a Layoff

2009-03-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

More Work, Less Pay
by Anthony Balderrama, PrimeCB.com writer

Everyone is feeling the pinch of the current economic situation, both on a personal and professional level. At home, we’re making fewer impulse buys and postponing vacations. At work, executives are cutting back on company perks and having to let some employees go.
All in all, life feels tough.

Another layer to add to your stress is what happens when you’re one of the fortunate workers who still have a job. Fewer people working means more work is piling up, and ultimately it lands in your to-do stack. But with budgets frozen right now, how do you deal with the fact that you have more to do and no extra pay to compensate?

“As an employee, you want to make sure that work is delegated fairly and that you get paid for the work you do,” says Lauren Milligan, host of the business radio show Livin’ the Dream. “Your employer, on the other hand, needs all the work to get done and doesn’t want complaining and negative attitudes. Is this a constant push [and] pull relationship? It doesn’t have to be.”

Read More

LTD Radio - "On The Road" - Calling for Venues

2009-03-26T09:10:00.004-05:00

John, Lauren and Leo are taking their Livin' The Dream radio show on the road!
The economy got you down - we are here to help with some practical advice about:
- Business Ownership
- Financial Management
- Career Advancement
Date: 4/29/09 - pencil in this date on your calendar (its still subject to change)
Location: That is where you come in - if you know of a venue that would like to get 30 - 50 NEW customers into their business, have them get in touch with us at LTD@MyDreamBiz.net.
More details coming in the next few weeks!

Connect with others online to expand business

2009-03-25T15:04:00.001-05:00

The only thing worse than having no Web site, columnist Steve Strauss writes, is having a bad one. Strauss shows how social interactions have helped some small businesses expand. USA TODAY (3/22/09)

Franchise Show Chicago

2009-03-25T07:14:00.003-05:00

Aspiring entrepreneurs, corporate ship-jumpers, career transitioners – anyone who wants to take control of their future should not miss this event.
Many of the nation's most successful franchises will be on hand to answer your questions, offering you the opportunity to learn about and compare a wide selection of business models. Some of the participating franchisors are well known brands that have been around for decades, and others are truly ground floor opportunities.
Come and meet people just like you who have taken control of their future. Learn about how they got started and how they found the right opportunity.
In addition, a variety of business professionals such as lenders, financial advisors, attorneys and accountants will be available to discuss other aspects of self-employment with you. All this under one roof!
Discover why there is no better time than now to own a business. Attend Franchise Show Chicago to explore whether business ownership is right for you.
WBBM Newsradio AM 780 – Live Remote
Two Hours of News & The WBBM Noon Business Hour
Anchored by Kris Kridel & Sherman Kaplan
Broadcasting from Franchise Show Chicago
Friday, March 27th from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Friday, March 27 – 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM and Saturday, March 28 – 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
The UIC Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608
Mention Livin' The Dream radio or Leo Wisniewski for Free Admission
Register before March 27, 2008 to qualify to win a Free Riviera Maya Getaway
Visit www.FranchiseShowChicago.com to register and for more information
You may also contact us Toll Free 888-264-6667
E-mail inquiries to esource@valinet.com

Social Media is Here!

2009-03-24T07:03:00.002-05:00

If you have a business looking to get more visibility and you have not gotten on the social media bandwagon - Facebook and Twitter - you better get going.
Last night I was on a webinar with Mari smith (http://whyfacebook.com/). Lots of great information.
Facebook - 200 million users, 1 million new users added each week, 5th most popular web site on the internet.
Twitter - 8 million members and some estimate they will grow to 100 million by the end of 2009. 11 million web views to www.Twitter.com each month.

Laid-off professionals find time may be right to buy their own company

2009-03-17T07:46:00.000-05:00

Massive layoffs put buyer inquiries up 200 percent in '08

By Ann Meyer
Special to the Tribune

March 16 2009

Linda Zager was ready to put her 28-year corporate career behind her.

The complete article can be viewed at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-mon-minding_0316mar16,0,1236079.story

Visit chicagotribune.com at http://www.chicagotribune.com

Chicago Networking Event

2009-03-10T16:28:00.001-05:00

BNC (Business Network Chicago) wants to do what it can in these challenging times to help you find that next great opportunity and advance your career. Given the overwhelming favorable response from our events the last 2 weeks, we have decided to host our 3rd networking seminar this Thursday evening, March 12, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Join us as we discuss how to establish rapport and use networking strategies to develop meaningful relationships that will enrich our lives; both personally and professionally. Whether you are looking for a job, talent, clients, capital, strategic business alliances, or a significant other, this seminar is for you!

The evening will be divided into 4 sections:

1. Judith Wright, best-selling author and founder of the Wright Leadership Institute, will speak on How To Use A One Decision To Build Rapport and Develop Genuine Relationships
2. David Carman, President & CEO of BNC, will lead a brief discussion on Networking Etiquette
3. Structured Speed networking
4. Open Networking

If you are interested in attending, please R.S.V.P. to: dcarman@BNChicago.org. Admission is free. The location for the seminar is 445 E. Ohio , Suite 340. (4 blocks east of Michigan Ave. and a few blocks north of the Loop. Arrive 5 to 10 minutes before 6 p.m. to find metered parking at $2 per hour, quarters only!) Feel free to invite friends, business associates, etc. And bring plenty of business cards!

 Recession could be a good time for a new business

2009-03-07T16:42:00.000-06:00

Not only could a new small business benefit from below-market commercial space, but it could also stimulate the economy by creating jobs, a chamber of commerce official in Oregon writes. New owners could also benefit from weakened competition. The Sandy Post (Ore.) (3/3/09)

Choice Hotels on track to exceed unit growth forecasts

2009-03-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

Choice Hotels International says it should exceed analysts' expectations for growth in the economy to midscale segment by reaching its target of a 3% increase in its number of franchised hotels this year. Smith Travel Research forecast 2.4% unit growth in the segment. Choice now holds about 9.4% of the U.S. hotel market, with economy and midscale brands including Comfort Inn and EconoLodge. Reuters (3/4/09)

Lauren Milligan - Back on WGN Radio

2009-02-10T07:08:00.000-06:00

I was invited back to WGN radio (720 AM in Chicago) for this Saturday at 3:00 PM CST. For about 20 minutes, they're opening up the phone lines for listeners to call in with their job-search and resume questions. If you know of anyone who would like to ask a question on-air, kindly send this to them. The show streams online at www.wgnradio.com/

The host of the show is Bill Moller, a staple of Chicago radio and tv. He's a fun and high-energy host; we had a great time together in December.

Lauren Milligan

Stimulus Package - Money Well Spent?

2009-02-08T07:50:00.004-06:00

While I was out biking yesterday and joined the 50° weather here in Chicago, I was listening to the 2/6/09 episode of the Dave Ramsey show. In that show, he suggested an alternative approach to stimulating the economy versus the $900 billion current stimulus package being debated in Congress.
I have had some concerns about the size of the stimulus package and more importantly concerned that all of this spending will not really stimulate the economy. However, I don't think it's productive just to express concerns about something without bringing forward an alternative plan. What I heard today on the Dave Ramsey show seems like it has a lot of potential as a more creative starting point.
First of all, let's review the current stimulus package. As of today, the stimulus package is running about $900 billion. One of the key objectives of this plan is to create 3 million new jobs.
If you do some simple math, $900 billion divided by 3 million jobs that comes out to $300,000 per job created. As a business owner, I can tell you that is extremely excessive.
One of the arguments I'm hearing for why the bill needs to be passed is because it's not just about creating jobs, it's also about stimulating the economy by government spending.
Therefore, let's assume that 50% of the bill is just spending to get the economy moving and 50% is to create jobs.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, all of the government spending is only a small portion of the economy. 70% of the GDP is made up of consumer spending, not government spending. Therefore, how much stimulation can really come from government spending when it is really only a small portion of the total economy. Nevertheless, let's assume for now that the "spending" (and not job creation) portion of the bill will achieve its objectives.
If only half of the $900 billion bill will be used to create 3 million jobs, that still $150,000 per job created. Given that a lot of the jobs created will be manual labor or trade jobs, I find it hard to believe that these will be $150,000 per year salary jobs.
What is the alternative? The alternative that Dave Ramsey proposed was provide businesses with a $20,000 tax credit for each job created. At 3 million jobs, this would cost the government $60 billion which is less than one 10th of the current stimulus package.
As a business owner, if I knew that I was going to get it $20,000 tax credit to hire people I know that I would hire at least 5 people within the next week.
One of the main advantages of this plan is become leverage our current infrastructure to implement it immediately. No new government agency has to be created. We don't need to ramp up anything. The IRS is already in place and we would just need to change some tax laws.
Obviously a number of things would need to be worked out so that unscrupulous business owners don't play games like firing everyone to just rehire them or are people for a few months and then fire them. However, I think these issues could be ironed out a lot quicker than the weeks of debate that have gone on in Congress to date.
I would welcome any constructive criticism of this alternative plan as I believe debate on such a critical issue is important for the future of our country and important to make sure that our children are not unduly burdened with huge additions to our federal deficit.

How will the new administration affect the job market?

2009-02-05T15:15:00.000-06:00

I was recently selected as a contributing writer for the Chicago edition of Examiner.com. Here's a link to my section: http://www.examiner.com/x-2951-Chicago-Jobs-Examiner
The first article was posted the other day and has a lot of great insights, thanks to many of my networking buddies. I'll always be on the lookout for interesting topics and hope to get many more brilliant quotes from all of you.
Feel free to leave your comments. The way I see it, it's a free plug for your business!

Lauren Milligan

Will Facebook become a friend to marketers?

2009-02-02T14:14:00.001-06:00

Facebook, which is collecting the first set of results from its engagement-ads trials, faces two challenges in trying to expand the program, according to MediaVest Vice President Mohan Renganathan. Many marketers are trimming their outlays for experimental marketing, and they are choosing to focus on ads to address short-term needs rather than long-term brand building. Advertising Age (2/2/09)

2009 Stimulus Plan Size

2009-01-30T08:59:00.006-06:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that the size of the proposed almost $1 trillion spending plan is now:
- Larger then the entire cost of the Iraq war
- Larger then the cost of every war in which the US has fought - except for WWII
- Larger then the cost of the annual federal discretionary budget excluding social security
- Its roughly doubling the size of the federal government
- The amount of new debt will be roughly equal to the size of the full debt from WWII

Some of the items included in the stimulus plan include:
- New programs to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases
- $50 million additional spending for the national endowment of the arts
- $70 million for a new supercomputer at the national oceanic and atmospheric administration
- $75 million for smoking cessation programs
- Money for the South Florida yaht repair industry
- Money for support California wine makers

We need to be careful about our decisions as we will leave this mess for our kids!

The Truth About Working at Home

2009-01-26T17:24:00.000-06:00

Working at home is such a hot topic these days. But with any hot topic, there ’s always two sides of the story.
Is working at home a great way to save on daycare costs? Do people who work from home have it easy because they can slack off? Does working at home make you less professional because you don’t have to get dressed and shower? Or are these all silly assumptions with no base in truth?
To read the rest of the article - click here

U.S. mayors see franchising as key to jobs, economic development

2009-01-26T16:52:00.000-06:00

The job creation and economic development importance of franchise businesses is getting a closer look by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which recently created a task force to view ways the industry could help boost local economies. International Franchise Association Pres. and CEO Matthew Shay said the formation is an indication that mayors "value the economic output that franchise business contribute to local economies." Trenton, N.J., Mayor Doug Palmer was named chairman of the Franchising and Small Business in Cities Task Force. AmericanCityAndCounty.com (1/23/09)

Markus May - MBBI Speaker - 1/28/09

2009-01-23T08:16:00.003-06:00

Markus May, one of our previous guests on Livin' The Dream will be speaking on January 28, 2008 at the Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries annual conference on Best Practices in Tough Markets: Getting the Deal Done.
He will be speaking on a panel of experts discussing "navigating speed bumps" in transactions. There are a number of other interesting panels dealing with various topics related to selling or buying a business as well as CPE classes, a private equity connection event and networking.
There will be over $2,500 in raffle prizes.
For more information contact Markus May or check out his his LTD interview at the following link - Markus May Interview.

Advertise During a Recession!

2009-01-21T07:06:00.002-06:00

One of the topics we talk about on Livin' The Dream radio is the economy and what it means for your business. We are obviously in a recession - we read about layoffs and cutbacks every day. Therefore, if you have your business or are thinking about starting your own business, what should you do with your expenses - especially advertising?
I recently found an article that helps reinforce the advice I have been advocating on our show - now - during this recession is a GREAT time to GROW YOUR MARKET SHARE! While most competitors are cutting back on advertising, now is your chance to grab more market share thru more advertising!
Here is the link to the article called appropriately "Advertising in a Recession". Be sure to check it out for some interesting insights!

Your Nine-Step Job-Search

2009-01-20T21:08:00.002-06:00

1. Choose a direction!
Before you lose your job, think about your next career direction. If you were laid-off tomorrow, would you want to find the same job you have now, or would you want to do something different? All too often, I talk with job seekers who lost their job…need a job…but don’t know what they want to do. Don’t spend the first 2 or 3 months trying to decide, “What do I want to be, now?" If you think a career change is in order, reach out to those in your network and ask them where they see you. You might get some really eye-opening insights! Think about what you love to do, what things you do well and what type of jobs the market has to offer. Your answer should be a good blend of all three!

2. Write it up!
Your resume has to stand out by focusing on the results and accomplishments of your work. Get rid of all the boilerplate language (Finished projects on-time and under-budget…A team-player who can work independently…). Focus on one or two areas that identify you as an expert. Provide specific, unique and brief examples about your accomplishments.

3. Let the Internet work for you!
The perfect time to build your online profile is before you need it. Just keep it professional! Think of these online profiles as addendums to your resume. Utilize the space you’re given in these profiles to create an eye-catching profile that will stand out from the rest. How will you know? Look up 20 of your friends’ profiles and read their headline. Now write one that’s better.

4. Start connecting!
While you’re still on the job, reach out to colleagues, managers, vendors and clients via your sharp and engaging LinkedIn or Facebook profile. Now that you’ve got it, make it work for you! Invite people to connect with you. These sites have easy-to-follow search functions that make finding former classmates or colleagues easy to find.

5. Don’t hide behind your computer!
In addition to online networking, make sure to make as many personal connections as possible. Take a colleague out to coffee or sign up for those industry networking events. Try to schedule at least one a week. Doing this will strengthen your connections and open yourself to unforeseen opportunities.

6. Seek out those who will sing your praises!
It’s now time to build up your references list. You’ll need anywhere between four and six folks who are knowledgeable and positive about your work ethic and skills. One or two bosses, a co-worker and a long-term client would make a great list.

7. Know the numbers!
Research competitive salary information on sites such as Salary.com, Payscale.com, or Indeed.com.

8. Get professional help!
Establishing a long-term relationship with a Recruiters is a really smart idea. An even smarter idea is establishing relationships with two or three recruiters. Never agree to work exclusively with a recruiter – and don’t work with any that would ask. Find good recruiters by asking your colleagues for references, or find them on LinkedIn (and pay attention to how many of their clients have endorsed them!).

9. Stay in the loop!
If you had to start looking for a job tomorrow, do you know what companies are hiring? Pay attention to what happens in your industry (and your community) so that you’ll be able to quickly come up with seven or eight companies who can use someone with your particular skills.

That’s it! Put these 9 steps into practice if you think you’ll be starting a job-search soon. Trust me, you’ll be ahead of the pack!

Lauren Milligan