How to Start a Business Conference

Date: November 29, 2014

Name: How to Start a Business Conference

Presenters: Rebecca Beaton, George Verdolaga, Keri-Anne Livingstone, Sandy Chernoff, and Emily Chow

Converting ideas to business is always entrepreneurial dream. However, a majority of entrepreneurs is lacking the extra push towards their final destinations. This conference will help entrepreneurs to identify the clarity of business they are approaching. This conference invites local successfully and dynamic entrepreneurs to share their success stories with the audience. Moreover, this conference will help entrepreneurs to make an easy transition from dream to reality. The experiences from the presenters will teach entrepreneurs the ability to craft their business idea and create strategy to tackle their inner fears. George Verdolaga, the founder of How to start a business conference, believes this presentation will benefit all entrepreneurs who have the dream to be at the top.

First steps to starting your business

Rebecca Beaton, the coach/consultant, is someone who has passion in helping people to build their foundation of business step by step. She believes business can be used for good in the world and helping people who are dissatisfy their jobs. Moreover, she believes business with the right purpose can create better lifestyle for everyone.

Beaton believes entrepreneur’s business is equivalent to entrepreneur’s hard work. Many people can make 6 figures because they invest their hard work before the achievement. Typically, three to five years of foundation of fundamental is required for business owners. In addition, this includes the involvement of work and commitment.

Business owners need to enjoy the journey in business. Their mindset towards challenges should be rewarding. Beaton indicates there are 4 steps all future business owners need to understand before launching their businesses.

Step #1: Clarity

Business owners need to create business from impact. The impact leads to purpose; ultimately, purpose will lead to success in long run. The impact includes what business owners are good at what they like; in addition, the impact also includes the understanding of what people are willing to pay for.

Step #2: Know if you can make money

Beaton emphasizes business owners need to know if their ideas are worth investing. There are six processes business owners need to figure out.

1. Is it obvious?
2. Talk to people
3. See what people are searching online
4. Sell, offer free, and testimonial
5. Market research surveys and interview
6. See what people are doing it

Normally, people design and then sell; however, successful business owners should sell before design. Every business should contain three major components: backbone, container, and paths. The backbone refers to the main message. The container refers to the structure, and the paths refer to marketing. It is important for business owners to build creditability, even if it is trial and error.

Step #3: Create your business backbone

Beaton believes the narrower the target audience, the more audience business will attract. Therefore, it is significant to be specific to get the message across. The process of message comes from “why”, “POV”, “Problem”, “Who”, and “How”.

Business owners need to understand why they want to start their business. Moreover, business owners need to understand the goal of business is not to do business with people who need what they have; instead, they need to do business with people who they believe what business believes.

The problem comes from the focus of the audience problem. The solution should be created for business’ ideal clients. Business owners need to figure a way to take the ideal clients from point A, which is the problem, to point B, which is the result.

Step #4: Market research

Business owners need to sell their clients what they want and give them what they need. In order to accomplish that, Beaton suggests the idea of capture audience language. By understanding the responses and reactions from the clients will lead business owners the right direction to improve the interaction with the idea clients.

“Create freedom, impact and money with a business for good”

How to build a client list from scratch

George Verdolaga, the author of The Contractor Lifestyle, and The Job Farmer, is invited to share his knowledge of teaching and helping people to achieve personal, career or business objectives. He has the passion of creating business network for business people. He is also a speaker and a workshop facilitator.

Verdolaga faces isolation and low self-esteemed through his teenage and university years. After working in the corporate for two years, he encounters a rare opportunity to manage a nursing school. He manages to face the power struggle and align people with his vision. Furthermore, he begins to create his personal confidence. 7 years later, he steps back and pursues his passion to create businesses for people.

How to start a new relationship

Verdolaga mentions there are 3 types of relationships: starting, cementing, and sustaining. In order to start a new relationship, Verdolaga suggests people to be the first to approach other. Many people are laying back and waiting for people to come because public speaking can be a fear for many people. Nonetheless, it is important to be the first person initiates the relationship.

How to cement the relationship

Verdolaga believes it is important to establish the rapport effort by giving. This means people need to give compliment. By giving compliment will trigger happiness, and happiness will lower their guard. This will provide people the chance to get inside for deep conversation.

Verdolaga understands giving praise works best if people show application and be positive with honest feedback. People need to be the one to ask questions. This will show interests and provide the opportunity to get to know each other. Verdolaga indicates the best question is “what brings you here?” and “what are you looking for?” People need to pay attention to what others say.

How to make the new relationship into a profitable one

Verdolaga suggests people to be the one to follow up. Many people have a weak follow up skills. A good way to start the follow up procedure is to send a thank you note the next day. Moreover, another way is to invite others to another event or coffee. This will earn the rights to take the relationship to the next level. A good follow up will lead the new relationship to a sustainable relationship.

“Introduction in the first sentence, compliment others in the second sentence”

Daring to suck mindset strategy

Keri-Anne Livingstone, the certified professional coach and speaker, is invited to share her experience to help entrepreneurs to release their full potential. In her career, she designs the unique powerful concept of “daring to suck” that helps many people to unleash their passion towards their business life.

Five years ago, she questions herself her career direction. She realizes getting a degree does not mean there is a guarantee of a better job. However, her life hits bottom when she lost everything she has in her life, this includes job, life and family. Her life got back on her feel because of Oprah’s inspiration. A friend of her encourages her to do coaching and she starts to see her existence. She finally found the door she is waiting for in her life.

Livingstone believes there are 3 kinds of people in the world: the leapers, the dabblers, and the pushed. She is the example of the one who got pushed in her life by her friend. Livingstone understands people need an extra push to continue their lives.

How do you see it?

When people change the way they look at things, the things they look at will change. This means different people have different interpretation. Livingstone’s concept of “daring to suck” involves authentic action, trial and learning, and unattached to outcome. The concept treats the fuel as intention and it has the “worth it” factors. The concept will show people who success is in the effort. In addition, the concept has eight steps to start their business

The first step is to listen and pay attention on things going on in life. People need to understand where they are right now. The second step is to tell the truth to them what the current situation is. The third step is to feel it all. People need to be honest and clean as neutral. The fourth step is to meet clarity needs. This means people need to aware the limitation and seek for help to reduce the redundant pressure. The fifth step is to take the help. Many people can sense the urgency, and it is important to make the connection to receive support. The sixth step is to have conscious action. People need to keep their eyes open for opportunities. The seventh step is to celebrate the efforts and learning. People need to celebrate the win and involve with the good things around their lives. The last step is to apply learning and repeat. People need to look back and relearn the mistakes they made. Moreover, people need to be willing to learn and apply to the next thing.

Choose a story

Livingstone shares that mistakes are expected; however, it is important not to let the noise overwhelm and create negative emotions. People need to have the mindset of “going for it”. People will have negative emotions, such as too difficult, limitation or fear. Nonetheless, people should overcome with positive emotions, such as curiosity and excitement.

This is all about making the conscious choice. Livingstone suggests people to think these 2 primary questions.

1. What do you need to do?
2. How do you want to be?

When people are stuck, people can start from the “pain points”. This will help people understand what they really hate right now. After recognizes the situation, people need to make a declaration to remind themselves to change.

How do I keep this alive?

People need to practice in order to change. Livingstone recommends post it notes, theme songs, accountability buddy, phone reminders or inspirational quotes. In addition, people need to know what they want to hear. They need to remember the “why”.

“Do not ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive and go do that because what the world needs is people who have come alive”

Life of soft skills for success

Sandy Chernoff, the owner of Soft Skills for Success” is invited to share her 20 years of experience in soft skill training. She is also the author of The 5 Secrets to Effective Communication. She provides many strategies and tools for her clients to be successful in their jobs with the element of fun in it. Her passion is to conduct corporate training workshops and she is one of the strong corporate trainers who will transform people’s lives from good to great.

Chernoff starts her career as the dental hygienist. After working for 40 years, she realizes her passion is in the wrong field. She resigns and starts to help out in fundraising events. She sees there is a need for people who want to learn leadership but do not have the resource to do it. She begins to train people the role of leadership responsibility.

How to find business?

As a trainer, Chernoff asks the 3 questions to people she networks with.

• Do you provide continue training?
• Do you have AGM?
• Do you hire trainer?

Chernoff will make websites and hire professionals to optimize the SEO. She believes website will generate business clients. The backbone of her training business is the passion of teaching and creates more fun in live. Chernoff emphasizes people are interested in many things, but they usually do not do things. Chernoff wants make things happen so she starts her blog and use her blog to organize ideas for her book.

Chernoff publishes her book to raise profile creditability. She emphasizes whatever people do, they must like it first because in average, 75% of people do not like their jobs. Life can be different meaning

Challenges off the ground

Two main challenges for many businesses are follows.

• How do people find you?
• Why people want to hire you?

When many people ask Chernoff where they can see her resources, and she begins to create videos to provide her clients a sense of whom she is. Video is a good way to present her profile. As long as the presenter presents authentic, it will show passion of what they can do. Chernoff used to do cold calling or push marketing for her business, but now clients are seek her through website. Companies with good culture will survive, and if not, they will call Chernoff for training.

Challenges now

Chernoff believes her current challenge is to exceed the routine process. She understands it is important to challenge her brain to do different ways. This will stimulate her brain to create new and innovative ideas. Online learning is the trend, but she still believes live learning is most effective. She develops the learning management system for large corporation.

It is good for people to challenge themselves to continue their growth.

How to deal overwhelming

When Chernoff is overwhelming with her work, she steps back and asks for help. She is not afraid of asking for help because figure out what is important. She chooses the important things to do. For instance, she is not on all the social media. She believes it is nice to have profile online, but it is useless if people do not use it. Therefore, concentrate on few to maximize the effects.

Writing a book

It takes Chernoff 3 months to write her book. This is after her blogging. The hard part is the editing because she needs to hire editor and designer to design her cover. In total, she spends 6 months until printing. Chernoff believes when clients see the value, they will buy it.

Advice for early entrepreneurs to start new business

Chernoff suggests people to transition from work instead of burn the bridge of work and go straight to launch new business. By starting something small will help people create some sustain first. This will create momentum to launch new business.

“Communication is the core of soft skill”

“You are your business. If you do not have business, it will be hard to sell your business”

“Whatever your passion is, go fly with it”

Creating an online presence that sells

Emily Chow, the principal of Chow Communication, is invited to share her expertise in social marketing. She has successfully help business owners to utilize the web visitors and transform them to business partners. She is also the expert of communicator and speaker, and the strategic business planner. Moreover, she helps companies identify opportunities to maximize their profits. Her skill makes up her purpose of sales, leads, and conversions.

Chow has the ability to give the audience the “Ah ha” moment. She makes online marketing planning simple and easy for clients. Furthermore, she takes people from confuse to clarity and create websites that work.

Chow indicates it is difficult to brand online due to competition. The website content is easy, but create marketing is difficult.

The million dollar question

The question for many business owners is how to attract customers. Chow believes the secret sauce needs 3 primary ingredients.

• Aesthetically pleasing website
• Killer website and blog content
• Community focused social media campaign

What is SEO?

Chow defines search engine optimization (SEO) as the combination of keywords. Business will be effective if they use 5-7 key words. Moreover, SEO creates creditability and proof for businesses.

Chow will share 3 important concepts to start a new business

Concept #1: Web design

Web design needs heat mapping, layout and conversions. The website needs to have contents that are comfortable for natural eye, which means moving from up to right. It is necessary to have nice headline because it will tell the audience what the business is about. Chow recommends website should have secondary headline to explain more details about the work people do. The important thing is to have a call action with simple instruction. Chow believes the website needs to tell the audience what they need to do within 3 seconds; otherwise, they will leave the page. It is good to have testimonial for social proof. This is a pre-screen strategy because other people will judge. People’s mind is preprogramming to find negative, so website should not have negative. Lastly, all important information should be on the first page.

The way website uses color can make a difference. As for new business website, Chow suggests to us white, orange and blue.

Concept # 2: SEO tactics

Chow’s SEO tactics involves one page, directory submissions and keywords. The website needs to list the expertise for search engine to find. Websites need to show “why”. There are many online tools to help people analyze their website.

Meta data is something people need to pay attention. Meta data works behind the website that triggers SEO. Google will categorize and judge by website’s headline, title tag, and Meta data, description and keywords. Therefore, keywords are extremely important.

Keywords should be the combination of business expertise and business products. People need to see what competitors are doing and do not invent the wheel; instead, do it better. Chow suggests keywords could be short tail or long tail. Short tail consists of one word and long tail consists of description of detail. The keywords fall within the range of “research” to “buy/purchase”. People need to find the keyword that is near the “buy/purchase” to capture the right clients.

Concept #3: Content creation

Chow believes content creation involves multimedia content, publishing strategy and targeted engagement.

The top 3 search engines are Google, YouTube, and iTunes. People need to think digital online. This means people need to create videos, audio and blog to capture audience. People need to publish their information in different platforms. However, Chow believes it is not necessary to create platforms if it is not going to use it. It is ok not to go on all social profile.

If something is not effective, perhaps there is not the right call to action. The webmaster tool or Google analytics will help people understand the traffic and group of audience. In addition, the tools will help business figure out what audience is interested. Different profiles work with different strategies.

Chow suggests all business owners to figure out the keywords, understand the target market, realize the message, and optimize the marketing strategy. Furthermore, Chow wants all business owners to understand it is important to adjust the marketing strategy in real-time.

“Chase the emotion or feeling, not the result”