Also, if you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news.

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* * * * *

Office Depot’s Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by February 27, 2012

The Small Business Makeover contest is designed to help small business owners augment or adjust their business in order to save time, grow and prosper in 2012 and beyond. The contest will award three small businesses a makeover from Office Depot, which includes a one-on-one financial coaching session with Jean Chatzky, office furniture, and supplies featuring Jean’s line of Mead financial organization products, available exclusively at Office Depot.

Small businesses can enter the contest by visiting Office Depot’s Facebook page and submitting, in 100 words or less, why their small business is in need of a makeover.

The Amazing Entrepreneur
Enter by February 29, 2012

The 2nd Annual Amazing Entrepreneur Business Plan Competition is an initiative by Gwinnett Chamber Economic Development and The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to foster new business development in Gwinnett County, GA. The contest is open to individuals who own or manage a small business, which has been in operation less than 36 months, in Gwinnett County.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $2500 cash to be used solely for the business entering the contest, a trip to Sage Software’s Customer Conference in Nashville, TN (airfare, hotel stay, conference fees), one-year membership to Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, one-year participation in the Chamber’s Gwinnett Business Institute program ($180 value), a consultation with an attorney from Arnall Golden Gregory ($2500 value), and research assistance from Chamber’s economic development department

2012 Small Business Online Marketing Contest
Enter by February 29,2012

For the second year, Chicago-area small businesses are being recognized for their marketing success. Constant Contact kicked off the 2012 Small Business Online Marketing Contest today in partnership with the Chicago City Treasurer’s Office. The contest will award more than $12,000 in cash and prizes to businesses submitting winning entries in “Best Business Email Marketing” and “Best Overall Users of Social Media” categories, including “Rookie Awards.”

CoolCalifornia Small Business Award
Enter by February 29, 2012

The CoolCalifornia Small Business Awards recognize California small businesses that reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, promote climate friendly practices and integrate the tools on CoolCalifornia.org into their business operations.

There are two award categories: CoolCalifornia Small Business of the Year Award, and CoolCalifornia Climate Leader Award.

S.T.A.R. Mom Entrepreneur Award
Enter by February 29, 2012

Are you {or someone you know} a S.T.A.R. {successful, tenacious, accomplished, remarkable} Mom Entrepreneur? If so, Market Mommy wants to honor you for your continued dedication to your business and your family!
Not only will this award garner you the respect you deserve, it also comes with an unprecedented prize package! We’ll be giving away more than $3500 in prizes. Visit our Sponsor Page for a full list of prizes and their sponsors. Once you’re nominated, you’ll be listed in our S.T.A.R. Mom Entrepreneur Award photo album on Facebook. There, your supporters can endorse you with their ‘likes’ and comments!

AnyMeeting Meet and Win Contest
Enter through February 29, 2012

Want to win a Kindle Fire? All you have to do is hold an online meeting using AnyMeeting in February and you will automatically be entered to win. The more you meet, the more chances you have to win. You will receive one entry into the drawing every time you partcipate in a web meeting in February. To be eligible, meetings must be at least 10 minutes long with 2 or more participants

Brother Small Business Grant Program
Enter by March 2, 2012

StartupNation has collaborated with Brother, a leader in small business technology, to bring you
the 2012 Brother Small Business Grant Program.

The grant program will award a total of $25,000 to five small business owners who submit the most original and creative business plan.

Verizon California Small Business Makeover Contest
Enter by March 2, 2012

Verizon wants to hear about Southern California small businesses’ technology challenges and will award a business makeover worth more than $5,000 to the company that best tells its story. Register and submit an essay, of no longer than 500 words, describing the technology challenges facing your business. Small businesses also have the opportunity to win a $500 American Express Gift Card if they view quick, informative videos about Verizon Small Business solutions on the contest website.

A panel of judges will determine the grand-prize winner and four semifinalists. The grand prize consists of $2,000 in cash; an HP Laptop; a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE LG Revolution Smart Phone; the Intuit Website Design Services Package; and Mobile Pay and Google Personal Support for Google Products. The semifinalists will each receive custom business-technology recommendations valued at $125.

2012 Best in Business Awards
Enter by March 2, 2012

The Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce has a long tradition of recognizing members of the business community. The 2012 Best in Business Awards luncheon on Thursday, April 19th celebrates four member businesses for their accomplishments in 2011.

Chamber members are invited to nominate their companies for one of the following:

Best in Business Award
Emerging Business of the Year Award
Small Business of the Year Award
Quality of Life Award

Staples Give Your Small Business the Push it Needs Contest
Enter by March 14, 2012

Staples has launched its “Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs” contest, which will offer five small businesses up to $50,000 in free television advertising in their home market.
Small businesses can enter the contest by submitting a 15-second video about their company on Facebook.com/Staples by March 14. Five winners will be chosen to receive 15 seconds of advertising in a 30-second Staples television ad to run in their local market. Winners can have $50,000 in advertising or $40,000 in advertising and $10,000 in cash.

.Biz 10th Anniversary Contest
Enter by March 31, 2012

Today, there are more than 2.2 million .biz domain registrations and Neustar is taking part in celebrating SMBs that dared to stand out in a crowd.

Businesses can visit http://www.my.biz/10year/ and share how they used .biz to increase the reach of their brand image. Once SMBs have shared their stories, visitors will cast their votes. Winners will receive awards and a Best of .Biz seal to recognize their website.

Leading Moms in Business Competition
Enter by April 16, 2012

Everybody knows one. Like a super hero, she balances running a family with the heroics of running her own business. We’re talking about moms in business, of course. And now, StartupNation is conducting its third annual ranking of these astonishing entrepreneurs and the businesses they run.

Over the next few months, it’ll be your daily votes that determine the top 200 Leading Moms in Business. In addition the judges will determine special awards and accolades for moms within the top 200 who deserve special recognition.

Inc 500/5000
Enter by April 30, 2012

There are nearly 7 million private, employee-based firms in America. Only the very best are awarded the distinction of being named to the Inc.500 | 5000, the gold standard of entrepreneurial success. You’ll be listed with other leading companies at Inc.com, and your company may be featured in the September 2012 issue.

If you are proud of your company’s growth over the past three years, you owe it to yourself — and to your employees — to apply for the Inc.500 | 5000.

Downtown Ithaca’s Race for the Space
Enter by May 1, 2012

Are you an existing or aspiring retailer or entrepreneur? The winner of Race for the Space will win free rent for one year in a prime retail or office space, a one year advertising package in the Ithaca Times, design services for storefront layout and signage and more. The package is worth over $40,000. See website for details and entry rules.

To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Small Business Event and Contests Form (it’s free).

Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award.

From Small Business Trends

Enter a Contest, Get Accolades and Prizes

This marketing book delivers value from page one.  You won’t have to read through dozens of pages of personal war stories to get to the heart of what matters most in today’s world of branding and marketing.

About John Morgan

John Morgan is President of Brand Against the Machine, a company that specializes in personal and corporate branding.  His company also helps entrepreneurs brand themselves as authorities in their target markets.  The bio on his web site says that he’s been compared to the TV character House because of his keen ability to get to the heart of any business branding problem.

Tidbits and Tactics to Build Your Brand

Morgan’s branding philosophy comes through loud and clear as he preaches an engagement strategy that is common sense and yet eludes so many of our real life practices.

My favorite parts of Brand Against the Machine are the call-outs throughout the book that allow you to quickly focus on the key branding principles.  Morgan calls it a blueprint that covers the following areas:

• Know who your target audience is and what they want.
• Define your position as the go-to authority in your industry.
• Determine your audience’s problem and create a solution.
• Produce valuable content that attracts your audience and engages them.
• Promote yourself without pestering people.
• Over-deliver on your promises.

Overall there is great marketing and branding advice throughout this book.  In fact, if you are well on your way to building a solid brand, you’ll enjoy this book as a sort of affirmation of what you’ve already done.  As you read the book, you might also find some inspiration inside these pages and put some well-needed tweaks or strategies that you may not have considered.

If, however, you are a start-up and don’t quite have your branding strategy together, this book might not have enough specificity and push to help you be in action around defining your brand.  For example in Chapter 12 called “Creation Story,” Morgan tells us how important it is to have a story around your brand.  He gives the example several brand creation stories including his own.  Each story serves as a great example, but stops just short of actually helping you create your creation story.

Who Should Read Brand Against the Machine

Business owners and marketers are the ideal audience for Brand Against the Machine.  It’s written for those of us with a short attention span; it’s under 200 pages with easy to spot pull outs that will allow you to breeze through the book in an hour or so.

Sales professionals who play in competitive environments will also benefit from this book.  The advice Morgan shares will help you set yourself apart from the competition and make it easy for your customers to remember you and choose you.

Overall, Brand Against the Machine is an entertaining and engaging read into the world of branding and marketing strategy and will help you tighten your branding and marketing message.

From Small Business Trends

Brand Against the Machine: Take Your Brand to the Next Level

But hold on a second. There might just be a silver lining here and small business could be a big part of it.

When you think of public relations (PR) and the cruise ship disaster you probably think of the PR nightmare the cruise ship company (Carnival Cruise Lines is the parent company) had to deal with in the ensuing days, weeks and soon-to-be-months following the disaster. You are not wrong in this assessment. No doubt, it’s been a big lesson in crisis PR.

But there is actually an opportunity to be had from this and other crisis that have unfolded before our eyes, Blackberries and iPhones. On any given day it would be nearly impossible for a local travel agent to capture the attention of a CNN producer or USA Today reporter, but that is exactly what happened to Amber Blecker of Cruise One travel agency. It would also be nearly impossible for a local restaurant in New Orleans or oil boom manufacturer to get the attention of FOX News or The New York Times. But while some face crisis, others see opportunity.

Local travel agents have an opportunity to chat with reporters when a major cruise ship situation occurs anywhere in the world much like an oil boom manufacturer is in demand when a BP oil well ruptures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Whether it is Carnival Cruise Lines, BP, Tiger Woods or a political candidate embarrassing themselves on social media, news stories occur as a result of tragedy and the following days are filled with plenty of talking heads serving as subject-matter experts. These experts can and should be represented by small businesses that have something to add to the story.

This is not ambulance chasing. This is a PR opportunity. See, the story is going to be written whether you think it is fair or not. Small business owners can and should seize the opportunity and get their company in the news, positioning themselves as a subject expert. Some might think this is capitalizing on someone else’s mess. The truth is, it is an opportunity for a small business to feed the news machine with information that is ultimately going to be distributed anyways. And If you are not participating in the story, your competitor will be more than happy to give information and a quote.

To be fair, this is certainly not the time to be promoting special deals. But it is appropriate to provide information and perspective interested viewers and readers want to learn. More importantly, you will develop a relationship with a key national reporter who may or may not listen to a story pitch a few years later when you have an idea for a different story.

The 24-hour news cycle is filled with plenty of news that is not very positive. As a small business owner you have an opportunity to see where you fit in with the story line and offer up your insight. The ensuing coverage will position you as an expert and just might lead to a few people who want to learn more about you and your business.

Tragedy happens almost daily in today’s world. In this tragedy, small businesses can find a PR opportunity.

Costa Concordia Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Finding Small Business PR Opportunity In Tragedy

* * * * *

Small Business Trends: Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Laurie McCabe: Basically my partner, Sanjeev Aggarwal, and I founded the SMB Group about two and a half years ago.  We both have been analyst and researchers in the technology industry for quite a while. We decided we really wanted to concentrate on the small and medium business segment and their needs; helping vendors to serve small and medium businesses better, with better solutions.  That is what we are all about and that is what we do.

Small Business Trends: Let’s talk about your technology predictions for 2012.  ”Economic Anxiety Lowers SMB Revenue Expectations”’ and “SMB IT Progressive Class Gains Ground.”  Can you talk about those two?

Laurie McCabe: Yes, those were the two I definitely wanted to combine.  Basically the first one is about small businesses being skittish in terms of their own revenue performance going forward this year and consequently tightening up on their wallets.

In the study, we found that these small businesses are getting a little bit bullish again.  But in 2011, there was other issues happening.  I think a lot of the worries and uncertainties came back and caused a damper. For instance, in 2011 we found about three quarters of small businesses surveyed expected growth.  Looking ahead for 2012, we found only 56% were looking for growth. That means that they were also cutting back a little on their IT spending.

There is this category or segment of small businesses we call progressive IT SMB’s. This category plans to increase IT. What distinguishes them is they see technology as really critical for business growth and business transformation. Whether it is helping them open up a new market, create a competitive advantage, or level the playing field against companies, they view technology as going hand and hand enabling them to do that.

I think that in looking at those two things what we might take away is that these IT progressive companies can open up a pretty big gap among the companies that are not investing and are not really looking at IT strategically.

Small Business Trends: What percentage of the SMB Class or the SMB Segment would you put in that SMB progressive class?

Laurie McCabe: I think about 20% or so. But we always find a difference between small and medium in terms of their sophistication and their thought process, in terms of using IT strategically for their business.  It is probably more in medium business, but you know it is not a huge majority by any means.

Small Business Trends: Can you talk about the #2 that you picked out for us today?

Laurie McCabe: Well that one gets into the Cloud computing area.  Our prediction was the Cloud becomes the new normal. What we have really seen is that demand for Cloud base solutions is accelerating.  For instance, in the past 24 months only about 17% of small businesses purchased Cloud accounting or ERP solutions. Thirteen percent of small businesses planned to purchase accounting or ERP as a Cloud solution in the next 12 months.  That is significant because that is doubling.

Small Business Trends: Is the Cloud still being driven by marketing and promotion aspects of business?

Laurie McCabe: Yes.  The biggest theory that we see, and the biggest one for gains going forward, are things like marketing automation, business intelligence, and that big category of CRM.

Interestingly, we see a pretty good pickup in things like desktop virtualization solutions.  Not everybody wants to have everything in a public Cloud. They like the application that they are using but they just want to have it hosted and managed in a virtual desktop environment. For some companies, that can be a great way to get rid of all of the hassles of managing all of these systems.

Small Business Trends: Can you tell us about the Accidental Entrepreneur?

Laurie McCabe: Basically, the number of people that are becoming entrepreneurs is really growing. The U.S. Census Bureau said that small businesses without a payroll make up more than 70% of America’s 27 million companies with annual sales of $887 billion.

Because the recession was so horrible, a lot of people got laid off and could not find jobs.  There are a lot of entrepreneurs today that never intended to become entrepreneurs. They just decided that they needed to make some money.  A lot of them have stayed solo because they realize they like that better then going back on the corporate payroll.  In some cases, the unemployment situation is so bad and employment options are limited.

I think some of them may have the desire to grow the company and become an employer business.  But I think a lot of them really have no desire to hire and manage employees and have that kind of business model.

We think this class of accidental entrepreneurs is spiking the demand for applications and services that will help them grow the business in terms of revenue and profitability without any employees. It does not mean that a one person business will be a five million dollar company.  Instead of making $50,000 to $60,000, you will grow to making $100,000 by automating things and doing things smarter.

Small Business Trends: Where can people see the whole list?

Laurie McCabe: They can go to our home page at SMBGroup.

This interview is part of our One on One series of conversations with some of the most thought-provoking entrepreneurs, authors and experts in business today. This interview has been edited for publication. To hear audio of the full interview, click the right arrow on the gray player below. You can also see more interviews in our interview series.

Whether you’re growing your business or starting a new venture, BlackBerry solutions provide you with the freedom you want and the control you need. [Series sponsor]

From Small Business Trends

Laurie McCabe of SMB Group: The Rise of the Accidental Entrepreneur

I hate Reply All because it’s evil. It just is.

And you’d think that in general people are email savvy enough to know when and when not to use it, but there’s still plenty who aren’t. And they make me crazy!!!

An innocent email about a scheduled call, and two days later I’m forced to read two recipients talking about teddy bears or something. Auuggghhhhh!!!!

I maintain that you should have to pass some sort of email training before you get a code that will allow you to use Reply All. Or at least hide it in a menu somewhere where email luddites can’t find it easily.

So one afternoon, after a particularly vein-throb-inducing Reply All, this little cartoon popped into my head.

From Small Business Trends

Reply All Is Evil

Trends

Going to war! It may not sound like we’re talking about business at all here, but setting up a “war room” simply describes a party where you bring some friends over and spend some time getting your company or message noticed by online influencers. eVenues Blog

Social media goes mainstream. Small businesses in just about every community these days are learning the power and value of social media. Is your small business aware of the benefits social media can bring you? BerksmontNews.com

Training

SCORE now offers social media training. This St. Louis chapter has definitely jumped onto the bandwagon. Do your local small business organizations offer training in social media use to local small businesses? If not, what would motivate them to start? Virtual Strategy Magazine

Tips for tourism business. Tourism businesses are learning about social media as well and tying its power in with tools like Google Maps for an unbeatable combination that promotes businesses where they are on the social Web. Do you have a tourism or other location-based business you could market with social media? Fredericksburg.com

Events

Building your business. Blogging can be a great way to build your business. Join us for a special BizSugar Facebook Q & A on Monday, February 27th, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm EST with Ileane Smith of “Basic Blogging Tips.” BizSugar Blog

Tools

Little known tools your business needs. Here are 17 social media tools your small business will not want to do without. The recommendations come from a social media expert whose small business clients have used them successfully and noted that they made a real difference. KissMetrics

Legal

Benefits and risks. A new podcast explores the benefits and risks of using social media for your business. “Opting out” of social media use is probably not an option for your small business, but be aware of some of the risks of participating. ACE Group

Next Generation

A whole new thing. Small businesses have not only discovered Pinterest, but they are using the new bulletin board inspired social media platform to promote their brands. Are you using Pinterest for your small business? USA Today

How do you use Google+? How are your competitors using it? Google+ is a new tool still growing in the social media space. But the ways small to medium sized businesses are using the new platform differ. You’re the Boss

Marketing

Twitter adds new dimension. Small businesses will now be able to advertise on the Twitter platform, an opportunity previously reserved for Fortune 500 companies. The changes come with a more user friendly ad platform and other features. The Boston Globe

From Small Business Trends

Social Media Will Change Your Business

Market Via Your Own Website

For the inventor who wants to keep as much of the profits as possible, selling direct is the way to go. However, selling on your own website can be hard. Here is a sample of all the things you’ll encounter:

• Setting up the site – This involves buying a URL, getting a hosting package, installing a CMS like WordPress yourself or hiring a web designer to set up the site for you.
• Writing the content – Once you have a site, you’ve still got to write all the content that goes on the pages. And you’ll probably want a good content marketing strategy to keep your blog relevant to users and search engines alike.
• Conversion – Before people arrive at your site you’ll need to prepare how you’ll “convert” them. If you have an email newsletter, you’ll need to have a place for people to signup. If you’re selling your product you need a shopping cart and payment method. Take care of conversion early and make the most of your traffic.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) – SEO should be laced through this entire process from site setup to content writing to linkbuilding, but you need to have a focus with your on-page and off-page SEO so that you start ranking on terms that drive business.
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising – If you don’t want to wait for your SEO rankings, you can get traffic quickly using a PPC platform. Obviously Google AdWords is the biggest, but Microsoft adCenter, Facebook, LinkedIn and others can provide great sources of targeted traffic.
• Email marketing – Whether they’ve just signed up for a newsletter or if they’ve purchased a product, email marketing is how you further your relationship. Staying top of mind is important and leads to repeat customers and upsells.
• Social media – You can’t escape the reach of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the many other social media sites. While you won’t need a presence on every platform, you want to be on the right ones and you want to be actively participating. A deserted social media account can hurt your credibility.

As you can see, this can be a bit overwhelming. However, there are ways to simplify the process.

Sell Through A Platform

There are a lot of different platforms out there and they vary in how they work and the level of control you have. Craigslist and eBay are very simple ways to list a product and make sales. If you want more of a “store” you can go with a site like Etsy or Cafepress that gives you control over the layout and styling. Whichever platform you choose you can usually avoid the hassle of setting up your own website and they will usually have a built-in payment system.

The downside to these options is that you still need to drive traffic to your listings or store. If you’re not particularly marketing minded, this can still seem overwhelming. So what’s even easier?

License Your Invention

The easiest way to get your invention to market is to license it to an existing company. They’ll handle production, sales and fulfillment and give you a percentage of each sale. While licensing deals can be structured many ways, the inventor usually keeps the patents and rights to the invention. So how does one get a licensing deal? There are a few methods:

• Cold-calling – This is the hardest way to get in and it requires a lot of effort, but sometimes dogged persistence can be the key to success.
• Personal network – As the saying goes “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Having a personal connection within the licensing company will give you a champion inside, but even if you can get an introduction through a common connection you’ll be ahead of the game.
• Invention Contests – Many companies run contests searching for inventions to license and sell. One example I came across was the Big Ideas Worldwide Invention Contest. They are accepting applications through March 1st and will have 10 finalists present 3 weeks later to pick the winners.

Invention Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Getting Your Invention To Market

In business, we’re a lot like that camera.

The Clear Shot

John Mariotti in “It Takes 5 Cs to Spell Success,”  says:

“Your purpose, plan and actions must be clear.”

But it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with ideas, work loads and other people’s personal and professional drama. So, how do you get back to the clear thoughts and the smart plans that follow?

You Press the Focus Button

Overwhelm is when “you see all kinds of options and opportunities, but it just doesn’t come together.” At least that’s how Ivana Taylor defines it in “How To Turn Stress Into a Killer Brainstorm.”  Overwhelm is a sign that you need a mental shift and if you don’t make the mental adjustment, it can derail your plans. And that’ll leave you stuck and stranded.  But you can do some things to make it right again, and even better than it was before.

Free Up Some Space

Free up some space in your head by taking a walk to dream and think it through. Walk until you calm down into a stroll and a smile.  The purpose is to shift from the nervous energy that comes with overwhelm. When you clear up some space in your mind, then fresh ideas can emerge - as well as the ability to connect the dots between the ideas that you already have.

Feed Your Creativity

I often get overwhelmed close to meal times and when I get like that I tend to move in circles — being busy but accomplishing little.  So pause a minute. Grab a snack. Feed yourself and let your brilliance come back.

Focus Your Energy

Focus it on one task, one person, one mission for the next block of time. Ivana suggests that you “sit down quietly and put yourself in their place.”  By focusing on one client, with a name and face,  you’ll be able to spot the gaps in your strategy and address them.  Don’t let overwhelm control the moment. Focus on what matters the most. Ivana’s exercise can help you get back to that productive place.

Focus is Powerful, Now Share it

Without clear thoughts and smart plans, you cannot effectively lead your team.  In “What JCPenney And Motrin Can Teach You About Communication,” Yvonne DiVita mentions “the power of a collective focus.”  While she’s discussing how a small unified group of customers caused JCPenny and Motrin to change their ads, collective focus holds true for any group.

Once you get focused, then you can focus your team. And it’s the team committed to the same goal that accomplishes the most.

Quick Recap:

• Hit your focus button.
• Get your clear shot.
• Share it with your team.
• Move your business forward.

Focus Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

Press The Focus Button

Add the lack of support from family members and the poor economy and you get nervous jitters, sleepless nights, and a growing sense of uncertainty. You aren’t alone. As a rule, first-time entrepreneurs are beset with questions they have no answers to, from morning till night, day after day.

I was there not long ago. I was consumed with uneasiness; I wondered how I and my team would be able to continue, day after day, three people doing the work of ten. We asked ourselves all the same questions I know other new business owners ask themselves – and listened hard to the silence, in response:

• “How long can we keep this up?”
• “Who do we know that will help- can we even find volunteers?”
• “When will things pick up so we can hire?”
• “What do we need to do, that we haven’t done already, to get that bank loan?”

Truth is, the answers aren’t that hard. Reality dictates that you “keep on keeping up” for as long as it takes. If you’re focused on excellence, if you’ve looked at your business from all possible angles and you’re confident it’s viable, you work harder, smarter, longer…because keeping up is only a small fraction of what you need to do.

You learn that volunteers are there, they’re the people who believe in you. They’re the people who wish they’d thought of doing what you’re doing. They’re the people who offer to help, every day, and who you’ve pushed aside again and again, because you didn’t want to take advantage. You learn that asking for their help isn’t taking advantage; it’s offering an opportunity.

Hiring help? You do that when you can afford it. You’ll be able to afford hiring when you achieve a profit – when you’re doing more than just keeping the lights on. The numbers don’t lie. You may be able to ‘hire’ sooner than you think. You’ll figure it out, if it’s necessary.

To the bank loan – everyone knows that answer to that. You just keep trying. You make more sales, you put your own money in to prove you’re serious, you put together a stellar business plan, and you take it to as many places as you need to, until someone says yes.

As entrepreneurs greet each day, they tackle these questions and dozens more. The questions come in an unrelenting flow.

But, there is one question most entrepreneurs don’t ask. One question, the $64,000 Question (game show from many years ago), that they should be asking.

It’s tough. It doesn’t have a simple answer. It will tear apart the same-old, same-old you’ve embraced again and again – where the devil you know is easier to deal with than the devil you don’t, so you think. This question will shock you out of your comfort zone and remind you that your dream of independence is more than hard work – it’s a belief system.

A week ago, I was jolted out of my sense of warmth and safety, into a world of possibility by this one question. My mentor, Bruce Peters, a business radio talk show host on WCEOHQ Radio, emailed me and shook me to my core.  He wrote:

“What is the one question that if answered would make it impossible to remain as you are?”

I sat at my computer, stared for what seemed like forever, at those words, and blinked like a fool.

“What do you mean?” I emailed back. “What is your one question?” Of course you should always defer tough questions back on the questioner. (No, you shouldn’t, but I did.)

“I keep it in front of me to sort of shake things up in my daily thinking,” he wrote back. “In a sense the question is the answer. Rilke’s admonition is to ‘not seek answers now for which will not be given…..but learn to live the questions and you will gradually live yourself to your answer.’

“So, I keep it there because I want to ask the most provocative question I can to live to my answer.”

I’m still staring at the words. I don’t have the answer. I don’t have the question. It’s a new year and a new me and I will not remain as I am, in that too cozy comfort zone, any longer. I am determined to be provocative, because it’s extraordinary and if I am not extraordinary, I will merely fade into the shadow of everyone else’s ordinary.

Therefore, I ask you, “What is the one question that if answered would make it impossible to remain as you are?”

Game Show Photo via Shutterstock

From Small Business Trends

The $64,000 Question

The problem is, studies find that only a small portion of U.S. consumers make purchasing decisions based primarily on environmental reasons. And those who do have very diverse reasons: Some buy environmentally products for health reasons, while others hate wasting resources. This article on Harvard Business Review on the different types of green consumers and what they look for further explains.

What ultimately happens is a business chases all sorts of green consumers and loses its focus, its edge. It spends so much time worrying about its green benefits that it forgets about more important aspects of its products such as quality, value and attractive design. More consumers buy products for these reasons than they do environmental ones.

Some companies, think Method cleaning products and New Belgium Brewing, have done a good job of being known for their sustainability efforts without letting it overshadow the brand.

Here are some tips for pulling it off:

Focus on product first:  It’s great to be an environmentally conscious brand, but that’s not usually enough to get people to buy. To really compete, your products need to be just as good, effective and beautiful as your competitors’ products – preferably more so. Once you’ve nailed down the things that actually sell products and services, then think about how you can make it green.

Know your customers: What kind of green consumer buys your products and why? Do they buy them because they want to conserve resources, protect wildlife or for health reasons? Understanding who is buying your product and for what reason can help ensure you’re putting out effective messages and marketing.

Don’t overstate the environmental benefits: Consumers are becoming leerier of green marketing and it can create backlash if they realize they’ve been misled. It’s better to focus your marketing on your products’ other benefits. Then explain how the environmental benefits make your them even better. It also helps your green strides feel more authentic.

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