Help Me Understand

 

 I thought the idea behind Linkedin was to make connections with folks you already know, and ask for introductions to people you don’t. 

In the past week I have received 5 LinkedIn requests from people I do not know.  This is not a problem; I view the request as an opportunity to meet someone new.  If I attended a business event, I would welcome a strangers request to introduce themselves.   When I receive such a request, I will communicate with that person via phone or email.  I prefer phone that way I can start to get to know the person behind the computer.  Half of the time I get a response, the other half I don’t.  This is what I need help understanding.  Why would a business person want to connect with someone they don’t know, and then not want to actually communicate with that person?  Have I missed something?  What is the point of having 500+ contacts if you don’t actually know any of them? 

If I don’t know you, I am not going to accept your connection request, I will not refer business to you, and I certainly will not introduce you to my other contacts.   

The computer and technology are excellent resources, they allow us to have the world at our fingertips, but it cannot replace human contact.   Or has it?  

Love to hear your perspective on this.

Keiserism of the Day

Networking isn’t an event, it is a way of doing business.

I have met some wonderful people at networking events, but the relationship developed after the fact while we met over coffee or lunch.  The event was the introduction.  Anytime you are talking with or meeting people you are networking. 

Article:  Networking Doesn’t Work

Social Media for Small Business

Many of my you have asked how to use social media in your small businesses.

Here is a free guide written by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing that got great reviews.

It is a great overview for both small business owners just starting out with social marketing and those who have begun their journey but are not quite sure how they measure up to the opportunities available.

Read the article and download the guide here:
Social Media for Small Business – Free Guide | Small Business Trends

The Entrepreneur Circle 2008 Award Recipients

Congratulations to our 2008 Award recipients

Voted in by their peers, these 3 Business Owners will be honored at our annual Holiday party December 16.

The Entrepreneur Circle Entrepreneurial Success Story:  
This award goes to The Entrepreneur Circle Member that has demonstrated the most entrepreneurial spirit.  
1.      Most creative idea
2.      Followed their business/plan
3.      Turned a concept into reality 

Attorney Diana L. Bartolotta began her practice as a solo practitioner in March of 2006, after leaving a large, corporate firm because she realized that she could be more effective at helping the little guy in a smaller practice.  This solo practice evolved into what is now B-Law LLC.

B-Law’s vision is to be the big law firm for the little guy.  Attorney Bartolotta recognized that traditional billing methods of law firms were resulting in clients not hiring attorneys for proper planning in advance, but rather waiting until something went wrong and hiring an attorney to resolve disputes.  B-Law’s client model is designed to encourage clients to hire attorneys for proper planning upfront, thereby saving money by eliminating expensive litigation down the road.

Attorney Bartolotta owes much of the success of the implementation of this vision to her participation in E-Circle, which has given her a network of passionate professionals who challenged her to expand her vision to meet the needs of her clients.  She wants to thank all of those friends and colleagues who supported her in her nontraditional vision of what a law firm could be and challenged her to grow into the successful business B-Law is today.

B-Law, LLC specializes in Real Estate, Estate Planning, and Small Business Law.

The Entrepreneur Circle Member of the Year:
This award goes to The Entrepreneur Circle Member that achieved/exceeded their business goals for 2008.
1.      Demonstrated business growth
2.      Accomplished set goals
3.      Innovative thinker
4.      Persistence/Drive

Chris Meacham is the owner of Now IT Works, a technology management company providing fixed monthly fees and response time guarantees to the healthcare, non-profit and e-commerce customers. With an advanced help desk ticketing system and customized managed service plans, Now IT Works will tailor plans to fit each customer’s needs. This includes budget planning, measurable reporting and planning for future growth. 

By focusing on proactive monitoring, scheduled maintenance, consistency in best practices and an excellent communication path, Now IT Works has been able to expand their services and their customer base in 2008. With this consistent growth, Chris increased business and revenue by 70%, along with doubling the technical team to 5 certified technicians. Also in 2008, Chris was an active member in the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, BCN Networking Group, The Entrepreneur Circle and was nominated for the “40 Under 40″ award through the Hartford Business Journal.

Chris and Now IT Works are looking forward to introducing new products and services to the healthcare, non-profit and e-commerce markets in 2009 as well as growing their technical and sales staff.

The Entrepreneur Circle Champion of the year:  
This award goes to The Entrepreneur Circle Member that went above and beyond the call of duty to help out others.  
1.      Accessibility to members in need of advice
2.      Mentoring
3.      Support

Christopher Swanson is President of BMA Marketing, a marketing and sales organization located in Wolcott, CT. BMA Marketing is an organization that provides small businesses with marketing and sales solutions including the design and daily operation of outbound lead generation and sales pipeline systems.

A big believer in leveraging the power of technology, Chris was able to cut the overhead of his company by 50%.  Chris took this knowledge and applied it to his product line, to create calculated and efficient campaigns.  Since becoming a member of The Entrepreneur Circle he has been a tremendous resource for the organization.  Educating members on utilizing technology to cut costs and create efficiencies.  Chris has been very generous with his time, sharing his knowledge, and helping out his fellow entrepreneur.

Before purchasing BMA in 2007, Chris spent 12 years with a CT engineering software firm, assisting the organization with their climb from a $3m small business into a $20m industry leader who was acquired by the world’s 2^nd largest engineering software developer.

Chris’ past successes include: Creating sales departments / Deploying enterprise level CRM systems / Managing marketing to over 500k+ clients and prospects / Developing automated messaging technology to allow small low-cost marketing and sales departments to deliver one-on-one custom communication to an audience of thousands on a daily basis.

Event Details

Book Recommendation of the Week

Jeffrey Gittomer’s Little Black Book of Connections

Book of the Week

Today’s Book recommendation is……..

Networking with the Affluent by Thomas J. Stanley

About the author

This book was recommended to me by a good friend and fellow peer Travis Ramsdell.

Networking Doesn’t Work?

Would you like to come to my networking event? You are cordially invited to attend my networking event. Come meet and network with 50 – 80 local business people. I bet you receive an invitation such as this or one with a similar message at least once a week (if not more). Networking groups are popping up everywhere. Breakfast groups, lunch groups, dinner meetings, after hour socials, pick a time and there are 5 business events to attend every week. One could say that attending networking events could be a business all its own. So why do I hear over and over that networking is a big waste of time? I will agree with that not all groups/events are created equal. The main reason networking meetings don’t work is because People don’t know how to do it or they are doing it for the wrong reasons.

Networking is the conduit that leads to relationships. Strong relationships are the basis of our business and personal growth. Unfortunately, networking has become a buzz word, so for our purposes let’s call it relationship building. Relationship building, when done properly, is your best source for new business resources and education.

Successful Relationship building Strategies:

Networking and Sales are separate: Always walk into a business event with the understanding that you will never do business with anyone in the room. They aren’t your customer.

Prizes are not awarded to the attendee who collects the most business cards: The intention of giving out your business card should serve as a reminder to follow up with that individual. The card is the tool to reconnect with that individual at a later date to learn more about their business, and build the relationship.

Plan your event: Spend some time reconnecting with old friends and new acquaintances. Also, make a point to mingle with the other guests that you haven’t met before. Most important is to come with a purpose. Let your peers know what you are looking to accomplish.
Some examples:
1. My bookkeeper just quit, I am looking for a referral to a bookkeeping service or a new hire.
2. Our company has just launched a new product; I am looking for ways to market this service.
3. My ideal customer has XX characteristics; I am looking for referrals to those individuals.
Please note the examples above are most effective once you have established some level of rapport.

Respect the name tag: Name tags can be a relationship builder or breaker. Name tags are intended to help identify who you are speaking with. Playing the name tag snub game can hurt your relationship building experience. Remember Networking and Sales are different. Initially, give everyone a chance to show you who they are.

Some example questions to ask:
1. Do you participate in any other organizations?
2. What other careers did you have?
3. Where did you grow up?
4. Do you have any hobbies?

Pay attention/ Listen: Many of us will give part of our attention to watching the door, or others in the room making sure we don’t miss anything. Being in the moment is crucial to successful relationship building. Pay attention to the person you are talking to NOW. Perhaps you will find out the ONE you were hoping to meet is standing right in front of you.
Be a resource: “It’s better to give than receive” this is a very trite, but true statement. When building relationships, a great way to build trust is to give something away.
1. Make an introduction
2. Help solve a problem
3. Share an experience
4. Follow up

Here is the tricky part, give without any reciprocal expectations. The word will get out, your integrity as a business owner and peer will speak volumes.

Affiliate yourself with a group that will meet your needs: This is one of the most crucial factors in successful relationship building. Enter the room as a peer ready to give and receive. Referrals are one piece of the relationship building process. Entrench yourself in your business organization. Become a part of the community, take a leadership role.

We have been building relationships since we were children. On the playground it helped us get invited to sit at the lunch table or invited to a game of hopscotch. Later these skills helped us form friendships and find romance. Today these skills help us enhance our careers.

CT Business Magazine

The Entrepreneur Circle was interviewed last June by Connecticut Business Magazine. Thank you to Matt Wagner for the photography and wonderful words. Thank you to Carol Latter for writing such a beautiful piece. Thank you to everyone who submitted wonderful testimonials.

CT Business Magazine

Clean Transitions in Family Business

Family owned businesses continue to be the backbone or our economy. They range from small businesses to large corporations, employing 60% of the population. Family owned businesses are one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy responsible for creating 78% all jobs in our country. Unfortunately, the odds are against a family owned business succeeding after a generational transition. Most often the next generation isn’t interested in carrying on. Sometimes, the new generation will make drastic changes in the business that the employees and or customers aren’t willing to accept. Other times the new generation just doesn’t possess the value system or business philosophy the previous generation had. Whatever the reason, statistically, only 33% of all businesses successfully make the transition to the second generation, and only 10% make it to the third.

Best Cleaners, has survived 2 generational transitions. Shawn McCann is the third generation to run the organization. In 1954 William J. McCann, Jr a WWII Veteran opened the first Best Cleaners in Middletown Connecticut. Today they have 11 locations.

Second Generation
The second generation brothers Bill & Tim were groomed to take over the business using their good sense and work ethic learned and grew the business in a grassroots fashion, heavily involved in the day to day operations. They led by being present. It was sink or swim. Later Bill bought out Brother Tim’s shares and ran the business with his wife Susan.

Third Generation
Growing up, Shawn didn’t work in the stores; he was usually given the task of painting or mowing the lawn. After he graduated from college, his parents Bill and Sue McCann encouraged him to work elsewhere to establish himself and learn what it meant to work under other management. When he finally joined the business, he initially spent his time learning every aspect of every job. He didn’t spend a long time at each position, just long enough to understand each position of the company. When Shawn finally joined the business, the staff was a bit nervous about the new management, but Shawn made himself visible enough to ease their concerns.

Shawn chose to carry on the tradition of Best Cleaners because he took pride in what the previous generations had accomplished. He educated himself and knew he had the skills to take the business into the next generation. Under Bill, Best Cleaners grew to 10 locations, offering same day service, and home delivery to its customers. Best Cleaners was also the first in Connecticut to provide GreenEarth (environmentally friendly cleaning system). Since Shawn has come into the business, they have added a new location and created more efficient processes. Keeping current, reading Trade Publications and networking with Trade group members has allowed him to stay ahead of the curve. Everyone always remembers the first in the industry.

Successes and Challenges
Best Cleaners greatest success has been its ability to secure jobs for their 140 employees some have been with the company for 25 years. Employees are given the tools to create an experience for our customers. “Customers are guaranteed a quality product; otherwise the garment is replaced at full value. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very often, but nothing is perfect. This guarantee gives our employees the tools to make the customer happy, and concentrate on quality.”

On the other hand, their greatest challenges have been keeping their fixed costs low. They are constantly striving to bring in more efficient technologies to save on their fixed costs. Another challenge is the cost of cleaning vs. buying new. Innovation, convenience and customer service keeps the customers coming back. Home delivery, express service (in by 11:00, out by 4:00), and converting to an environmentally safe solvent (GreenEarth) are some of the reasons customers choose Best Cleaners.

Best Cleaners is staying in the game and part of the 10% that survives the 3rd generational transition. Give the next generation the experiences, knowledge, and make them part of the culture before promoting them to CEO. When the next generation is groomed in this fashion the odds of success increase.

Family Owned Grocery Chain with Big Ideas and Values

December 22, 2007, I am doing some last minute Christmas shopping. I run into Highland Park Market for Jones Soda, to give as a special treat for the children. The store is bustling with patrons preparing for the upcoming holiday. Once inside I cannot find what I am looking for. I stop to ask a busy clerk for help. She stops what she is doing, smiles, looks me in the eye and proceeds to show me where to find Jones Soda. She pointed me in the right direction, but it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I ask the busy young man at the pizza counter. He also stopped what he was doing to assist me. I arrive at the register to find more friendly faces, since the soda only came in singles the clerk ran to find a box with dividers so I wouldn’t break any bottles. As I attempt to leave I am stopped by another clerk who informs me that it is slippery outside and he would help me to the car. All that service for $11.10 sale.

I was so impressed by my experience I phoned Tim Devanney to compliment him. Tim, who has spent his life working with his family, invited me in to tell me their story.

History
Since 1953, the Devanney family has owned and operated Highland Park Market. In 1953, people patronized their neighborhood stores. However, a lot has changed since 1953. One of those changes is the big box grocery store and shopping clubs.

How does a small grocery chain stay competitive in today’s market? The answer is quite simple; “give them what they want”, high quality, good customer service, and convenience.

Quality
Customers that shop at Highland Park Market are not shopping for the best price. They are shopping for their high quality meats, fish, and produce. They are committed to being the “Rolls Royce” of grocery stores, and are putting their money where their mouth is. Tim and his staff don’t take the vendor’s word for it. All the fish, meats, for their award winning deli, butcher shop and fish department are tasted and tested. The Devanney family doesn’t skimp on staff either. There are 2 chefs in the deli and pastry chefs in the bakery.

Customer Service
Earlier, I mentioned the level of service I received as a patron. As a business owner I understand that the attitude of the employees typically reflects the leadership in an organization. Each employee receives a 4 hour orientation where they learn how to work with the customers, gain product knowledge and enjoy a sampling of the product. All this enables them to best serve the customers. The training doesn’t stop there. Periodically employees are brought back for refresher courses. For employees who are looking to make a career at Highland Park Market, they can take advantage of the Food Service Certificate program at Manchester Community College. Tim serves as a board member for The Connecticut Food Association; he was a co-chair on the committee that developed the Food Store Certificate Program with Manchester Community College. Highland Park Market is one of many grocery stores to offer this program to their employees.

Convenience
Busy times call for busy schedules. Highland Park Market prides itself on providing a convenient shopping environment. After surveying customers, they changed the layout of their stores to suit their needs. Home Meals to go are located in the front of the store for a speedy checkout. Produce is in the back “No more crushed tomatoes”. They took a chance and went against the industry standards, but the customers acknowledge and appreciate the effort.

In a world where quality has been replaced with buy one get one free and special tokens, and customer service has been replaced with little to no service, consumers have become skeptical. It is comforting to know that quality and customer service still exist. Thank you Highland Park for maintaining those values.