Intro: Nancy Becher from Business Success Unlimited (BSU) guest blogs about GRAPE’s new Mastermind Group. In addition, she will be hosting a monthly Business Excellence Group as well. Introductory meetings for these groups begin December 17 and 18, respectively
For over 35 years I’ve worked my business. Sometimes I’ve had great success, and others – not so much. I’ve asked questions like “how should I do this”, or “does anyone know what’s the best to do …” but it was often like shouting into the forest. Could anyone else hear me? Not usually. So, then I would sit down at the computer, or go to the library and start digging into the whys and how for’s of creating something beneficial for me and for my business.
Even those of us in business for many years (and those with college degrees in business administration, etc.) can use the support of others who have similar goals and dreams. It’s nice to have a group of people who you know, like and trust, where you can brainstorm and share ideas, resources, advice and even partner on projects. That’s the beauty of mastermind groups. They bring together a small group of like-minded businesses (these can either be in similar professions or not) who are ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work, focused on achieving and doing great things.
Entrepreneurship can get lonely and tough, but with the connections that are formed in these groups, business gets done, relationships formed, MONEY made and SUCCESS happens.
So what is this Grand Rapids Mastermind program that GRAPE and BSU are going to be running?
Do you have a big vision for your home-based or small business but are hitting roadblocks? Do you really understand what you provide to the customer? It’s all about the value, not the product. Who are your potential customers? Is everyone in the world a potential client? What are your goals? Are they reasonable, timely, doable?
These are all questions that NEED to be answered in order to truly grow your business. The first thing you have to know, is WHAT is your idea of success? Where do you see yourself in five years? Are you comfortable being a hobby business or do you REALLY want to grow and prosper. The definition of being in business is “a sustainable income”. Are you there? Do you want to be there?
This three month program will give you the tools you need to more fully understand where you are, where you want to be and how to get you there.
Meeting Agenda
Our first meeting will look at creating a SIMPLIFIED business plan. You probably don’t need a FULL business plan that will go into the files as something to be dusted off when you need lines of credit, etc. Instead, you probably are asking yourself questions like “How am I going to find customers,” or “What is it exactly that I do anyway, and can I tell someone else so that they understand?” This is designed to help you answer those and other questions so that you can immediately get to work making your business the best that it can be.
The second meeting will focus on creating at least a couple of SMART goals that can be put to work IMMEDIATELY. Goals are created to help you focus on accomplishing something and giving yourself a time to do it within. This is important for the forward movement of you and your business.
Our third meeting will take info from the first two missions to create something called a LEAN Canvas where we will more fully develop our unique value proposition and what it is EXACTLY that we sell. If you can’t define it so that others understand it and want it, you’re really not going to be able to make a successful business out of your endeavors. This takes two weeks.
In the fourth week, once we understand what we want from our businesses, and who we want to have as customers, we can look further into developing that target market. Is anyone on the planet a potential customer? Of course not. It has been proven again and again, that when you work with those that WANT what you have to offer, and that are excited to be working with YOU, then your universe opens and you have found your ideal client. But it takes work to decide exactly who that person or business might be. This will be our focus on Week Five.
Our sixth and final week for this first program is a lessons learned and conclusions drawn week. We will go over everything learned so far and will revisit with questions, concerns, successes – all of the above. There’s lots to do in this program and we need to be determined to follow through. It’s not for those that are simply curious. But if you TRULY want to grow your business and are willing to put in the effort to do it, this workshop is guaranteed to move you ahead!
And then – STAY TUNED for the next Grand Rapids Mastermind session starting in January, when we focus on all things Marketing.
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