Get your first look at Surly's $30M brewery in southeast Minneapolis

At the new Minneapolis Holiday Market, go for the potato pancakes, stay for the weisswurst and apple dumplings.

 

Source: http://www.startribune.com/

Which wine’s a winner for Thanksgiving?

Local wines would be another good theme. If you took advantage of our fine fall weather to go leaf-peeping in the Virginia and Maryland countryside, you may have returned home with a few bottles of vino. Thanksgiving dinner would be a good time to open them. You might even impress your out-of-town relatives with your stories about local wine country.

Whichever theme you choose (country, region, global), some pointers:

■ Bubbles go with everything. Champagne, cava, prosecco, franciacorta and all sorts of sparkling wines and ciders are exceptionally food-friendly. More important, they cleanse your palate (that “scrubbing bubbles” commercial comes to mind), leaving you refreshed for the next bite. So begin the celebration with bubbly, and don’t forget to take the bottle to the table when you sit down.

■ Look for a fruity white wine. Riesling’s acidity acts like sparkling wine’s bubbles, and you can choose from bone-dry to slightly sweet Rieslings depending on your mood or audience. For a local theme, viognier or a white blend based on petit manseng can play off any citrus notes on the menu (as well as the cranberries). If you’re looking for more heft in a white, a good barrel-fermented chardonnay can match the strongest flavors on the menu, as long as the fruit and acidity aren’t overwhelmed by oak flavors.

■ Certain red wines are extremely versatile with food. These are generally lighter reds, such as pinot noir, barbera or gamay (the grape of Beaujolais). Moving up the spectrum toward heavier wines, syrah and nebbiolo are good choices. The heaviest reds, such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot, are often quite oaky; they may match the turkey but might not cozy up next to all the fixings.

■ The dessert wine should be sweeter than the dessert. A rich Vin Santo-style wine, a Pedro Ximenez sherry, or a fortified dessert wine such as tawny Port or Madeira would be ideal with pumpkin pie.


Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

5 Ways to get Buyers to Come to You

 1.   Refine your niche: About five years ago, Matt Sonnhalter narrowed the focus of his marketing agency from serving B2B manufacturing accounts to working only with companies that sell products to professional tradesmen. He dubbed it a “business-to-tradesman” or B2T agency. It’s had a tremendous impact, bringing in new leads and business from large global brands. It even landed him a spot on one business magazine’s list of top agencies.

Some business owners resist niche marketing fearing they’ll miss opportunities in other areas. But focusing on a niche helps you stand out from the competition and eliminate potential objections about doing business with you.

  2.   Create a compelling free offer: A great way to start drawing customers to you is giving them information they want in the form of a free report. This serves two purposes. First, it helps build credibility. It also lets you provide prospects with just enough information so they believe you know what you’re doing, but not so much that they can’t do without you.

To choose an attention-grabbing topic, consider your target audience’s biggest pain point. A good approach is to tell readers what to do and what not to do, but not how to do it.

 3.   Direct prospects to a killer landing page: Create a page on your website where prospects can get your free report – called a landing page. This should include a catchy headline, bullet points to capture the reader’s curiosity and convey benefits, an opt-in box where visitors provide an email address and possibly other information about themselves, and a thank you. Then heavily promote your free offer on your website’s home page, on social media and elsewhere.

 4.    Develop and launch drip marketing messages: Getting prospects to show initial interest in a free report is just a first step. Now it’s time to develop your “drip” marketing messages that will convert these prospects into paying clients. These nurture messages will continue to build trust and credibility.

“You can send two types of messages; timed and broadcast,” says Satterfield, who is also author of a book called The One Week Marketing Plan. “Timed messages are sent based on the number of days since a person first requested your free report. Immediately after such a request, for example, you send a thank you email. Then one day later, email message #2 goes out asking if they have any questions. Two days after that, they get email #3, and so on.”

Broadcast messages are sent to everyone in your database at the same time, the advantage being that it can be timely. For example, you could send a message to everyone about an upcoming event.

5.     Attract traffic to your site: One of the quickest ways to do this is by using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, also called search ads. This can be effective even if you have just a few hundred dollars or less to spend per month. One advantage is speed. When someone searches for something using the keywords you’ve selected, your ad can immediately appear. You can advertise on Google and Bing, or social media sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn.


Source: https://www.score.org

Is your vocabulary half empty or half full?

Perspective is a funny thing, and it goes beyond the glass half full/half empty debate. We should always be careful to analyze language to make sure we’re seeing things from every angle.

Take, for example, recent talk about the city of Forest Lake’s taxes. Before the city began moving forward with bringing a YMCA to town, the preliminary levy for 2015 was scheduled to come in at $8.32 million, an increase of 3.53 percent over this year’s property tax levy. On the other hand, thanks to rising property values, the levy will be spread over a greater tax capacity than it was this year, resulting in a tax rate that’s 4.5 percent lower than in 2014.

So, is the city raising taxes or lowering them?

Perhaps it depends on your point of view. If you own a home worth, say, $100,000, you were taxed about $320 by the city in 2014. If your home’s value stays the same next year and the city doesn’t go ahead with the YMCA, your city bill will likely be $15 lower. It’s hard not to call that a tax cut.

However, your home value probably won’t stay flat. Property values in the city increased dramatically. If your home increases in value by 6 percent, what was a $15 decrease turns into almost that much in a tax bill increase because your home’s value went up more than the tax rate went down. At this point, it’s easier to look at the $8.32 million levy as a tax increase, as keeping the levy flat would have resulted in a flatter tax bill for you.

Of course, if the City Council does strike a deal with the YMCA, then the point is moot; it’s a tax increase just about any way you look at it. However, the point still stands: there’s more than one way to look at almost any situation, and we’d do well to recognize that when someone frames something through a certain lens, he or she may be doing so out of personal bias, intentionally or not.

You often see this phenomenon during campaign season, a biannual corollary to fall that all members of a republic must suffer through. Differing sides of the abortion debate label themselves as “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” implying that the other side must be “pro-death” or “anti-choice.” During Minnesota’s 2012 vote on gay marriage, those against the amendment called themselves “pro-marriage freedom,” while those who wanted the constitutional amendment to pass took up the mantle of “pro-family.” I’m not here to promote one group over the other, but I will tell you that I spoke with members on both sides of the debate who tried to use language and labeling to woo followers implicitly – to win the debate before the debate could even be had.

This doesn’t always have to be a sinister thing. Of course you want your movement to have a positive name and a positive message, and if that earns you support, you’ve been doing a good job of messaging. Just make sure that someone’s not trying to use language and a lack of perspective to deceive you or alienate someone else.

In the two social debates that I brought up earlier, I’ve heard a lot of outlandish claims, from the idea that all anti-abortion advocates hate women to the idea that pro-gay marriage people want to undermine “traditional” marriage. These sorts of arguments are petty and an attempt to swerve the public away from the real issues at the heart of these debates. No one wants to be seen as supporting misogyny, nor does anyone want to be seen as associating with a cabal dedicated to undermining the country’s moral fabric, even if that’s not really what those movements are about. By using language and a lack of perspective, the less savory members of these groups shut down real discussion and attempt to win converts outside of the realm of ideas, dumbing our nation down in the process.

Rather than be swept away by a one-sided argument, listen to your better impulses. Look at as many points of view as you can, and you’ll find yourself better informed and able to relate to more people with empathy.

Source: http://forestlaketimes.com/2014/09/17/is-your-vocabulary-half-empty-or-half-full/

The Cold Truth About The Future Of Advertising

Anyone with a Facebook account is quite familiar with the "ALS Ice Bucket Challenge." For those of you still holding out, "the Challenge" is an awareness-creating, fund-raising initiative that has been wildly successful in raising money for the cause. In the last month alone, "the Challenge" has raised over $40 million in donations. By comparison, there was $2 million donated over the same period last year. By any measure, this is success. It also gives us a glimpse at what the future of advertising could look like.

Depending on the source, we have gone from being exposed to approximately 500 advertisements per day in the 1970's to about 5,000 per day today. How many of the ads that you saw on this very day can you remember? I thought so. Now, how many of your Facebook friends' videos from today can you remember? I bet ALL OF THEM, and that's the point. It's not the magnitude of daily exposure that matters, it is what is registering in our brains that counts.

Today's economy is being driven more and more by this type of "Peer-to-Peer" initiative. We hear all the time that the best form of advertising is word of mouth, and that is exactly what this is. Our friends are advertising a message to us and our other peers, and we are responding. Social media advertisements are moving at the speed of a click, and thousands are on the other end to receive the message.

While these particular "Challenge" postings are free (anybody can do it!), it should be noted that paid advertisements on social media sites are very inexpensive. Ads can run all day, and for as little as a dollar a day. This isn't new, and in fact the delivery methods are changing about as quickly as they can be written about. As a company trying to promote goods and services, the choices can be maddening. The alternative of not participating in social media advertising? That can be costing you in lost sales.

If YOUR Company is spending thousands of dollars per trade publication ad, chances are that you are not even being provided with the sales lead information in a way that's meaningful and actionable. By comparison, the social media "pay per click" fee of (literally) pennies, comes complete with the lead information - directly to YOU. Tough to beat.

In today's social media vernacular, we "tweet" our messages, "pin" our pictures, and use something called a "hashtag" (I don't want to understand that one). Who knows what we will be doing tomorrow. The world is getting smaller everyday, and the word of mouth is getting faster.

If you are ignoring the ever evolving way in which advertised information is being delivered to the masses, you might as well stick your head in a bucket of ice water. More importantly, YOUR Company is missing out on great opportunities to greatly enhance your message.

Source: http://www.mybrandperformance.com

FFA students win big with landscape project

The Forest Lake FFA competitive landscape display took Reserve Grand Champion honors at the 2014 Minnesota State Fair.

Students began constructing “A Grand Entry” the Friday before the fair and continued their efforts through Tuesday.

This year brought a new challenge as the exhibit was moved outdoors near the CHS Miracle of Birth Center and FFA Leadership Center. The students were given a 14’ x 14’ space to work in.

“I am very proud of the hard work and student leadership that this project brings every year. The students really enjoy putting their skills and creative minds to the test in this competitive activity,” Forest Lake agriculture teacher Veronica Ward said.

The project is an extension of classroom instruction as students spend summer hours in the Forest Lake Agricultural Education Department designing and building the exhibit.

The display is evaluated on artistic design principles, identification of plant material with growth and care information, and quality of construction.

Plants and other materials were donated by Twin Lakes Landscapes of Columbus, Pro Care Companies of Forest Lake and Abrahamson Nursery of Scandia.

The local chapter is also represented in the CHS Miracle of Birth Center, where Joe Ramstad is a volunteer barnyard attendant, and in the FFA livestock show, where sophomore Kyra Quillen shows her sheep.

Personality: Sometimes It is Personal

Everyone is different and unique in their own ways, but it’s also true that we do share an enormous amount in common.  Just think about who you know, and who your friends are. Have you ever noticed how certain types of people seem to be drawn to you, or conversely, how you are drawn to certain people? One of the foundations of any kind of social relationship is having shared interests, as it creates a sense of understanding, an initial connection. Think of it as a starting off point.

But just as it’s possible to share interests and hobbies, we can also share traits and values. This is where your personality comes in, which affects everything from how you behave, to how you think, and how you feel.

While every individual is unique, we’ve also recognized that it’s possible to categorize people into different personality types based on psychographics. Each type has their own tendencies and value systems, and an understanding of these can shine a light on why someone does what they do, and also provide insight in how to best interact with them. It provides a general framework, a heuristic, if you will, which makes it possible to draw general conclusions.

Your personality is a strong influence on how you interact with others. Basically, your personality affects your communication style, which affects how other people perceive you. Whether you want to project a certain image, or it just happens naturally, a knowledge of your own style can be illuminating.

The four main styles are:

    Emotive
    Directive
    Reflective
    Supportive

These styles are organized in a quadrant along 2 axes, dominance and sociability. Combined with emotional intelligence, an awareness of the different communication styles is an invaluable tool in all of your interpersonal interactions. In business alone, it affects everything from marketing, to leadership, HR, and management.

Source: http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/

3 Deadly Mistakes to Avoid in Sales Conversations

Summer time is a great time for taking a step back and reflecting on life and business. And this summer has been no exception. Over the past few years I have been able to grow my business immensely and although there were a lot of factors that lead to being able to increase my business by more than 200% in 6 months there is one skill I learned that was key to being able to do that.

Do you know what it is? If you said learning to have sales conversations or as I like to call them enrollment conversations then you are right!

The cool thing about being able to have these conversations with prospects and turn them into buyers is that once you know how to do this, once you learn this skill its not something that anyone can take away from you.

I mean really, once you master this skill you will never have to worry about how you are going to buy the things you want to buy, the new car, the new house, that vacation you have been dreaming about. Whatever else it is that you want to have because it doesn't matter if your entire database was taken away from you overnight or you lost your website, or whatever disaster may happen once you learn the skill of the conversation bringing clients in becomes easy.

Now of course, there is a bit more to this then it may seem on the surface but I wanted to share 3 mistakes that really kill your enrollment calls so you don't make them anymore.

And don't worry, I used to make these same mistakes too, and its okay, because making mistakes is the greatest learning tool that we have, but if you can learn from others mistakes you will be ahead a of the game, and that is my purpose of sharing these 3 mistakes with you.

1 -Not positioning yourself as the expert, believe it or not there is a science to positioning yourself at the onset of these calls. If you don't you risk not earning the prospects trust and usually their business too. Its easy to position yourself as the expert you truly are, and all it stems from asking the right questions.

2 - Focusing solely on you or your product/service. The enrollment conversation is not so much about you and your service as it is about your prospect. The idea of the conversation is to get the prospect talking about his/her problem, this way you can figure out how you can help them solve their problem. Stop worrying about how you are going to pitch your product and start asking engaging questions to uncover the problems they are facing. Then if appropriate offer a solution to the problem.

3 - Not having a proven system or template to follow during the sales/enrollment conversation. Yes, there is a system that you need to follow in order to truly understand what the prospect wants and needs. You want to lead them through the conversation that honors them and you and allows you to uncover any hidden problems and bring them to their attention.

The cool thing is that I have developed a 7 step system that I use to enroll new clients time and time again. This very system has allowed me to generate new business of $5,000, $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 even $120,000 worth of new business each month.

You can do it too, just check out my simple 7-step system to easily enroll clients in your biz too! Click here to discover the 3 mistakes to avoid in your business.

Source: http://rockyourgrowth.com

Get More Web Exposure

Businesses often struggle with getting online exposure. Having a beautiful, amazing website doesn't necessarily result in exposure. Here are a few tips that can help your business and website get more traffic!

Using Social Media to Gain Exposure

Social media alone can help your business get the exposure it needs. First, you will want to create a business profile on a variety of social networks. Start by inviting your family and friends and business associates to follow you. Second, you will maintain your profile, and continue to post fresh content. You can share your latest product, special promotions, or articles related to your industry. The point is to ensure that your followers are continuously reminded that your business exists.

Increase Your Business Website's Traffic

You will want to focus your efforts on obtaining not just traffic but quality traffic. Quality traffic refers to visitors who may actually be interested in what you are selling or your website's content. Quality traffic is more likely to browse different parts of your website. This will reduce bouncebacks, increase your pageviews, and increase the amount of time they spend on your website. This will help you rank higher on search engines. You attract quality traffic by sharing your link on websites visited by your target market.

The use of backlinks also helps increase quality traffic. Backlinks refer to the incoming links to your website. You can increase backlinks by placing an advertisement, writing a blog as a guest, or becoming a sponsor. Your website's reputation and exposure increases with the use of backlinks. This also helps you rank higher on search engines.

You can also add your business to directories, such as Yelp, Google Places, and Yellow Pages. People are always looking for products or services, and this helps them find you.

SEO Content

Last but not least, you will want your website to have search engine optimized (SEO) content. The content must be engaging and include keywords related to the content. For example, if your business is focused on arts and crafts, you will use keywords related to this. You can provide tutorials on how to do certain crafts, also. Original tutorials are informative and often include good use of keywords. Furthermore, they are related to the type of business. You will want to make sure that the images are also SEO by adding Alt Text.

Remember that having a website or social profiles alone will not get you exposure. It requires time and dedication to get quality traffic. Lastly, you will want to ensure that your web design is easy-to-use.

Source: http://www.CaliImage.com

Paying Up Promptly Makes Good Business Sense

I was dismayed a while back to read that a certain global brand was pushing its payment terms out to a staggering 65 days.

OK, I accept that this is only for certain service lines and doesn't include component supply, but it is still a shoddy move and one that smacks of short term thinking and action that could lead to long term problems.

I am a customer of the company concerned and, in recent weeks, have been looking at buying from them again on two continents. They deliver what I've ordered on time and to specification, and their prices are OK, so I was fairly happy about going back to them again, both here and in the USA.

Supply chains are in fact more of a mesh, and being part of a supply mesh is just that; you are all linked. Yes you can break and replace a link, but, as a mesh, you become an entity and should behave with common interest. Any company can have a short term problem, and neighbouring links in the mesh will often be flexible with each other to share the load for the good of the whole. But that is a different argument to one link in the mesh deliberately passing load to other links. In that circumstance one of the overloaded links is almost guaranteed to fail and a hole appears that, in turn, overloads other neighbouring areas. As things go wrong, confidence in the mesh starts to fail. Other links fail and some decide to leave.

I say that this is short term thinking. Think of your own domestic outgoings. What If you decided not to pay any bills for the next month? Say that saved you two thousand pounds, but the next month you have to start paying your two thousand pounds again. There is no long term saving; you had an extra couple of grand for a few weeks, but now you're back on the same level of outgoings and your debt level has gone up. If it helped you round a problem and you can put some effort into slowly catching up then that's not so much of an issue, but just taking a payment holiday? No; not a good idea.

Times are hard at the moment, and there are two ways that we will get back to better times. One is innovation; being different about how we do things and the offerings that we take to market. The other is through collaboration, working together and looking after each other. I'm not talking about doing away with competition, I'm encouraging it, but there is a need for businesses to help each other where they can work together in serving the market. Where the relationship is contractual then delivering on time on the one hand and paying promptly one the other are crucial elements in making things work.

This is an often overlooked element of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Businesses need each other as much as communities do to provide the way that the individual members of the community can support themselves. I talked earlier about supply chains being a mesh, but that applies to society as well. If businesses truly recognise CSR, rather than just ticking the box, then they have to behave in a responsible manner.

I cannot believe that the company whose payment policy started this thread here really need 65 day terms. They may not need the thousand pounds I was about to pay them either, but they won't be getting it now. A small protest at their actions perhaps, but their behaviour has offended me.

Source: http://www.thatconsultantbloke.com/

New Strategy Phobia

When I want something, I immediately go into action to get what I want. I don't do a bunch of research. I'm inspired and excited so I get my rear in gear.

This is not always the best way to be when choosing a new financial investment or choosing new strategies to build a business. I've been burned countless times because I didn't stop to ask myself how the strategy fit into my plan. I also never took the time to research what it would take to fully utilize the strategy for success.

Over time I became skeptical of trying new systems, strategies and technologies in my business. I didn't want to be that person who jumped on every new thing the experts promised would make me a million dollars... and wind up broke and disappointed.

As usual, swinging from one side of a perspective to another doesn't solve your issues. I missed out on tons of awesome resources that my peers were using to uplevel their businesses. I made up a story that I wasn't smart enough to implement those same strategies in a way that got rockstar results.

After many years, I decided I'd had enough of "New Strategy Phobia".

Now when I hear a peer raving about something new they are using to improve their business, I ask questions. I ask about the cost to implement it, the statistics, their overall strategy and what was involved to create a system around it.

Some people try all the latest 'whiz bang' strategies and talk about how amazing it is BEFORE they get results. In the past, I listened to those people because it was verrrry easy for me to jump on board based on their enthusiasm.

Other people test their strategies before they brag. Those are the people I listen to now. And then I still do some research, ask how it fits into my plan and implement with care and attention.

Another important question: Am I willing to do what it takes to keep the strategy or system working well?

During my last launch I installed a chat feature on one of my sales pages. Once installed, we planned for success. Who would man the chat line? How would I know if someone wanted to chat? Who would teach me how to use it?

My team and I created a system to handle this feature. My manager figured out how it worked and gave me a quick tutorial. We decided that I'd man the chat line when I was not on calls and she'd do it when I was busy. I made a Post-it note to remind me to turn on the system when I walked into my office each morning.

The chat feature was directly responsible for over $10,000 in sales during my launch. And it was fun chatting with the potential customers! The system to implement this new feature was critical for my success.

I also tried another new strategy during my launch that scared the pants off me... Facebook ads! Several of my peers had been bragging about this for almost a year.

I immediately discounted it...

It'll cost too much money.

I'd have to figure out the 'perfect' ad.

How would I track the sales?

That's for big-time marketers who have money to burn.

Seems complicated. Too much to learn.

My friend, Justin, was getting phenomenal results with Facebook and he offered to teach me his formula*. He does lots of testing before he shares his strategies. Guess what? I made almost $5,000 of pure profit my first week using it, from people not previously on my email list! Happy dance!

Source: http://masterpeacecoaching.com

4th of July Food and Drink Ideas

For the kids you can use Sprite and Kool-aid for a fun colorful drink.  Mix the Kool-aid with water and make a red and blue tray of ice cubes.  Put the Sprite in a clear glass and throw in a few red and blue cubes.

Patriotic Oreo Pops will be a hit with all ages. You will need white chocolate, red,white, and blue sprinkles, sucker sticks, and Oreos.  It will be fun for the kids to make them as well.

Create a Red, White and Blue Sangria using strawberries, blueberries, pineapple (cut into star shapes with a cook cutter), two bottles of white wine, one cup triple sec, half cup berry-flavored vodka, half cup fresh lemon juice, and half cup simple syrup in a large pitcher.  Stir and chill!

Creating an alcohol free layered red, white, and blue drink is easy.  All you need is one cup red CranApple juice, one cup white Sobe Pina Colada, one cup blue G2 Gatorade and ice. The important part is the order. First fill glass one third full of CranApple than fill to the top with ice. Finally pour the remaining drinks on top of the ice. Pouring slowing is key.

Making Patriotic Puppy Chow, is a great desert to have in bowls around a 4th of July party.  It is cheap to make and the kids will love it.

Make a American flag cheese and fruit plate using strawberries, any desired white cheese, and blue berries. Using a big white rectangular plate, put a pile of blueberries in the top left corner and than to the right make lines of strawberries and cheese to fill the plate.

Another appetizer idea, is creating antipasta kabobs, using skewers, olives, cheese tortellini pasta, small cherry tomatoes, salami, olives, and mozzarella balls.  Fill up a large platter with skewers packed full.

Bacon. Wrapped. Hot. Dogs. seem necessary for the 4th of July.  A classic American lunch item, made even better.  It is simple and easy to make a lot of them for the entire party. Simply wrap the bacon around them before you put them onto the grill.

Preparing for this weekend's festivities, requires a lot of red, white and blue.  With lots of fun and easy food and drink ideas accessible through Pinterest, getting ready for the day with some of these recipes will be easier.

Source: http://kstp.com

Photos: Flash-flood warning in Twin Cities

 

Source: http://twincities.com

Why Is Inventory Management So Important?

Inventory means stock, which refers to the materials, products or goods that an organization keeps or holds for the eventual purpose of sale or resale. This is a short and simple approach to define inventory. The term, inventory management is a kind of science, which specifies the amount of the goods and the area it occurs and the best way to managing area of the warehouse with the goods or materials it has.

It is one of the most imperative parts of business and a number of reasons are there behind it. One of those is that it lets you know that actual figure of the goods or materials that you have in stock in your warehouse. So, it becomes, for you calculate how much you have to order or deliver. If you do not have a proper inventory management, then you would not be able to do so. As a result, you may order more or less number of goods or products or materials.

A good inventory management helps you in getting proper sell records. Let's make it more clear. Like, it helps you in tracking your sales activities. So, you come to know at what time how much product you have sold out. It truly helps in sales forecasting as well. For example, suppose someone has garment or clothing store and he does not have a right kind of inventory management. During the winter season, he takes an order of some certain amount of winter jackets. However, he cannot able to sell out all of these normally. Hence, he would have some goods in inventory and those will not be sold through the entire year until the winter comes once again. Another situation may occur where he has sold out all the winter jackets quite earlier than the winter month gets over. In both of the cases, the businessperson would have loss and there is no doubt about that.

Here the requirement of an inventory management arises. If the businessperson would have a proper management over its inventory, then he could be able to forecast the sales according to its previous inventory records. As a result, he could have a good sale over the winter season. However, it does not mean that inventory management is a magic and it will give you just exact data. But, it is good enough more or less. Hence, the importance of having proper inventory management is very important for running a business these days.

Source: http://www.tocinstitute.org

Forest Lake Toastmasters

Date: May 29, 2014 Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
http://forestlakemn.toastmastersclubs.org/

Event Description:
Looking to improve your communications skills?  Look no futher!

A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere.

There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success.

Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop skills related to timekeeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.

Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communicator manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking.

Membership in Toastmasters is one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself.

Contact Info: liz@coachandmentor.net

The Life of a Teenage Entrepreneur

My mum says I was born at 35 and grow more middle aged each day!

Ok, so call me old fashioned, but I always thought that being successful, meant getting good grades, a good job, nice car, house and retiring once your grand kids are grown up. Spending the rest of my time watching Countdown all day long.

With all this 'new age' stuff, people just won't grow old gracefully!

They have started putting the butter knife in the jam jar and blacked out their number plates on their mobility scooters, as they run into the backs of peoples legs and make off!

Swopped eating malted milk biscuits for Party Rings and swigging Iron Bru!

So with all these 'hip' grannies, it should be no surprise, that a new more successful teenager has been born.

Just the other week we had at school, we had an Enterprise day to "broaden our horizons" and teach us to be more successful and resourceful. We had to make a company and design, produce, market and sell a product of our choice.

To prepare we watched an entire series of 'Dragon's Den', being the expert I now was, I was ready for the challenge, obviously I had to be in charge!

As we started, it was slowly dawning on me, that I was out-classed! I was being bombarded with all sorts of mumbo jumbo, which quite frankly could of been pure Klingon, for all the sense it made to me.

They transformed that room of sweaty adolescents into an efficient, well oiled machine. When we lifted the title of 'Most Likely To Succeed', I just knew there were some future Bill Gates and Billie Gates waiting in the wings!

What did I learn that day?

Given the opportunity, teenagers can succeed in almost anything and some teenagers are born to succeed!

When I mentioned this to my Nan, being the skeptical she offered the following encouragement "Don't be ridiculous!"

Hey, I guess she was just remembering when they had to write on stone tablets!


Source: http://lobbythornton.blogspot.com

Do-It-Yourself Advertising Campaigns For Small Businesses

Research, persistence and consistency are the three keys to effective do-it-yourself advertising for small business owners. With a combination of these three, a small business owner can become their own advertising agency and keep their business name and message in front of the public effectively.

Most small business owners operate on a shoestring budget, so there is a need for free or low-cost advertising options. That's where the research part of the equation comes into play. Be sure to set aside time to surf the net specifically for this purpose. Search for sites that offer free classified advertising, take the time to check them out, and then select the best. Many of these are pure junk, but there are some that are quite effective ways of getting your business name and your product or service in front of a large audience. Be sure to always include your website address as many of these classified listing will show up in search results.

Research can also yield a variety of resources for your small business marketing and advertising. My small business has benefited from the various free printed materials offered by Vista Print. They are an online printing company which offers free business cards and a variety of other free items. You pay only a small shipping charge. This is a fantastic resource for any new or small business to get quality printed materials for very little money. This is one of the resources I discovered through my constant research and has been invaluable to my business. With a little searching, you can find similar resources for your business online.

Persistence and consistency go hand in hand for the small business owner. We know the importance of persistence and consistency in the day to day activities of running our business, but we must also remember their importance in promoting our business. With all the nuts and bolts issues involved with running a business, we often forget about promoting it. That's where the persistence and consistency elements come in. Focus on making a persistent effort to consistently market and promote your business. Each day, try to do at least one thing to promote your business name and the products and/or services you offer. People often overlook your message the first dozen or so times they see it, but will sometimes respond after they have seen the same message repeated consistently. It can be very frustrating, especially when you don't see immediate results, but it is well worth the effort in the long run.

In addition to these three elements, there are a couple other basics every small business should include in their advertising mix. The first of these is a clearly recognizable logo that represents your business. Think golden arches. If you are unable to design a logo for yourself, spend the money to have one created for your company. Then, make sure that logo appears on every single piece of printed material that comes from your business, and also on every single internet communication you generate, from your website to your email signature. Through consistent use of this image, you will be helping to build your business' brand and creating a visually recognizable reminder of that brand.

The second thing every small business should have is a website. There are so many options available these days for easily creating and maintaining a website that there is truly no excuse for any small business owner not to have one. Your website is an excellent opportunity for you to post extensive information about your business and to easily and quickly update information and communicate with prospective customers. Of course, a beautiful website will do your business no good if no one visits it, so you will need to apply the principles of research, persistence and consistency to properly promote and advertise that website. Research the correct ways to submit your site to the major search engines and internet directories and then be persistent about consistently promoting your website through listing the URL on all printed materials and any other means you can find.

The most basic advice I would offer relating to do-it-yourself advertising campaigns for small business owners is to simply give marketing and advertising the same priority you give other areas of running your business. Just as you set aside time to go through the drudgery of bookkeeping and other necessary functions, be sure to set aside time to research advertising opportunities and then be persistent in delivering consistent advertising messages to all those potential customers out there.

6 Secret Weapons of Shy Entrepreneurs

There’s a misconception that all entrepreneurs are extraverts — boisterous or bubbly personalities who are always the life of the party. But they’re not. And even those who are extraverted can be shy.

There is a distinction. Introverts feel rejuvenated after they take time to be alone. They often enjoy quiet activities like reading their favorite book or spending time with a close friend. On the other hand, extraverts like to spend their free time amongst people, but shy ones are less likely to open up to a new acquaintance right away.

Shyness doesn’t have to be debilitating nor does it disqualify you from becoming successful. In fact, shy entrepreneurs have one big advantage over their extraverted counterparts: they almost never overtalk or overshare. Effective listening is the most important skill any entrepreneur could have and it’s a talent that comes very naturally to individuals who are shy.
If you consider yourself a shy entrepreneur, here are some ways you can cultivate your strengths.

1. Show, don’t tell. If you’re naturally shy, you most likely don’t enjoy public speaking, even on a small scale in a boardroom. Don’t risk embarrassment by trying (and most likely failing) to pitch an executive off-the-cuff. Instead, when you pitch a client, show them what you can do for their business. Create a presentation that speaks for itself and doesn’t rely so heavily on your ability to make the perfect pitch.

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Write and practice your elevator pitch before you ever need it. You never know who’ll run into on the way to lunch or as you wait in line for coffee. If you get the opportunity to introduce yourself to a potential client or investor, simply deliver your speech as if you’re speaking to a friend. You’ll come off more natural the next time you need to introduce yourself and your company to a group.  

3. Hire your employees wisely. You are your own best business card, but it doesn’t hurt to have a strong sales team to back you up. Especially for positions in marketing and sales, hire people whose strengths are your weaknesses. Make sure the people you hire share your vision but embody skills you lack.

4. Use technology to your advantage. If you’re extremely shy, try having a meeting with your your clients via technology. You may be more relaxed and find it easier to communicate through IM, Google Hangout and Skype. You’ll be more comfortable if you plan to follow-up with a face-to-face interaction.

5. Show genuine passion. Real passion, the kind that makes your eyes light up and drives you to keep working, is contagious. Your passion for your business and your customers will set you apart and make others notice you. Skip the small talk about the weather and share your passion with others. Share with your clients and customers how and why you started your business and what you love about it.

6. Push outside your comfort zone. It’s not always about who you know, but who knows you. Even if the thought of attending networking events makes you feel uneasy, attend them anyway. Make a goal to attend one or two every month. Introduce yourself to at least one new person at each event. You may be surprised at the number of doors you’re able to open simply by being at the right place at the right time.

 Source:  http://www.entrepreneur.com

A Modern Word Of Mouth Marketing

Social media marketing is when a business uses a social media, such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, to gain traffic or attention. The purpose of this form of marketing is to encourage visitors to share information gleaned with their social network. The message spreads from user to user, having the same effect as old fashioned word of mouth had in the past. When a message goes viral, in a positive way, it is of tremendous benefit to a brand. However, if the viral message is detrimental, it can have devastating consequences.

Social marketing gives a business the opportunity to connect in a personal way with vendors, competitors, customers, prospective customers, and the media. Blogging, videos, and photographs are a few of the ways and means businesses use to send a message to their various constituents. Because the message is interactive, constituents have a convenient way of acting on the message. They can like it, not like it, ignore it, or send it along to their circles of family, friends and associates.
Social marketing is a tremendous networking tool. Deals are made, products and services sold, and developing networks creates wealth. Networking, by way of sites like LinkedIn, expands opportunities. Networking has gone global.

Along with the tremendous opportunities of social marketing, there are a few drawbacks. For one thing, it takes a great deal of time and effort. A business can choose to outsource the work, but if it does not influence and ultimately control the outcome, the results could be disastrous. After all, the business risks the loss of positive brand identification. Bad word spreads; it is difficult to control, and even more difficult to repair. Although it is worth trying out, social networking is not an effective tool for all types of businesses.

Because learning the ins and outs of social media requires time, effort, training, and experience, most business learn to draw on the expertise of a reputable marketing firm that specializes in social media. An experienced marketing firm will have a background in campaign strategy and planning, campaign promotion, content and graphic design, prize management, performance analysis, legal adjudication, and will be able to provide technical support if in-house software is installed and utilized. There are many platforms that allow interactivity; it is important to select the right one and go with a campaign that suits your business and brand. Engagement in a two way conversation with constituents benefits everyone.

How concerning is wealth inequality?

It seems noble these days to be concerned with inequality. There is a constant barrage of people across the news discussing how extreme income inequality is a problem in America, but how much should it bother us? Bemoaning income inequality is a lazy way of discussing things we should actually care about, such as the plight of the poor, income mobility and macroeconomic stability.

Even though income inequality has increased in recent decades, there is little evidence that economic mobility has followed suit. Harvard University economist Raj Chetty led a recent study that found no change in economic mobility during the past 50 years.

All too often, people see the inequality issue as inextricably connected to poverty. Consider George Washington, a wealthy man of his day, who would likely be one of America’s first “1 percenters.” He lived through each winter eating only dried meats and starches. He lost his hair and teeth at an early age. He had no toilet, bathtub, running water or furnace.

Today, nearly all Americans with incomes below the poverty line have TV and a refrigerator. More than 80 percent have air conditioning, a landline and a cellphone. Most own a computer and a vehicle. They are more likely than other Americans to be overweight. An overwhelming majority of Americans below the poverty line have a higher living standard than America’s former top earners. At the same time, income inequality has grown precipitously. It was not redistribution that accomplished such improvement in their living conditions.

Some economists, most famously Joseph Stiglitz, argue that inequality creates macroeconomic problems, but his arguments do not align well with the facts. One of his chief arguments is that greater inequality makes it easier for the rich to influence politics and achieve policies such as lower tax rates and less regulation. It’s certainly plausible, but why, then, did a majority of individuals making $250,000 per year or more vote for President Barack Obama in 2008? He campaigned to raise taxes on the rich and to increase regulation of the health care and finance industries.

One of the great ironies of those on the left is that they simultaneously raise the alarms about big money corrupting politics, yet they want to give politicians more power. Each year, a mere 535 members of our society spend nearly $3.8 trillion. They are the 0.00017 percent of Americans who make up Congress and control a significant chunk of our economy. The more that we use government to temper income inequality, the more we concentrate power in the hands of a few.

What disappoints me most about the obsession with correcting inequality are the diatribes on fairness. The trouble with fairness is that five people will give half a dozen definitions of the word. I don’t consider it compassion to steal from Jones to give to Smith. Advocating that the government do so does not put you on moral high ground. Compassion is putting your own money where your mouth is.

Recently, Obama stated that income inequality is the “defining challenge of our time.” I think that people who say such things are the defining challenge of our time. Attempts to correct inequality are far more concerning to me than inequality itself.

Source: http://www.mndaily.com

Consumer Sentiment, Small Biz Optimism

Reports on consumer sentiment and small business optimism highlight next week’s economic calendar.

Both of those indicators are likely to be impacted at least indirectly by Friday’s better-than-expected labor report, which revealed that 175,000 jobs were created in February, far more than had been anticipated by economists, despite rough winter weather throughout much of the country.

When consumers believe their jobs are safe or that they can easily find another one, they are more likely to spend, which ratchets up demand and helps grow the economy.

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) releases its Small Business Optimism Index on Tuesday and the results of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey are out Friday.

A key inflation gauge, the producer price index (PPI), is also due on Friday. The index was revamped last month and now provides a far more comprehensive look at U.S. inflation from the wholesale level.

The new PPI will include the prices of goods, services, government purchases, exports and construction that combined comprise about 75% of the U.S. economy. The old index only covered the cost of goods.

February retail sales figures are due Thursday. That number is widely expected to have been impacted by the snowstorms and frigid weather that is likely to have kept a lot of consumers home last month and out of the shopping malls and automobile lots.

Also due on Thursday is another inflation gauge, a report on import and export prices. Import  prices rose 0.1% in January and export prices rose 0.2%, the third straight monthly gain.

Philadelphia Federal Reserve President Charles Plosser and Chicago Fed President Charles Evans both speak on Monday. The two will undoubtedly be asked about how the February  jobs numbers might impact the Fed’s plans for tapering its bond purchases. The Fed next meets to decide policy on March 18 and 19.

Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/

Jennifer Lawrence Trips at Oscars Again

ABC Entertainment News | ABC Business News  Oops, she did it again.

Jennifer Lawrence stumbled early tonight, even before the show started.

The 23-year-old actress, who famously fell at last year’s Oscars on her way up to the stage to accept the best actress award, tripped at the arrivals spot on this year’s Oscars red carpet.

Jennifer Lawrence Still Isn’t Over that Oscar Fall

Lawrence later told ABC News’ Lara Spencer that she tripped on an orange cone on her way out of the car. That, despite, taking her red strapless Dior gown for a test climb up the stairs.

“This year I actually did a stair test out on the back staircase and got it a little dusty, but it worked,” she said. “But I did trip over a cone, so I guess…I’m not safe.”

Host Ellen DeGeneres brought up Lawrence’s red carpet stumble during her opening monologue.

“If you win tonight, I think we should bring you the Oscar,” DeGeneres joked.

February LAWB Meetings

Greetings!

Please mark your calendar to attend this month's meetings and bring your business cards! Also, please invite a guest! We'd love to grow our group with more amazing women in business!

Thursday, February 27

* Location: Vannelli's By The Lake, Forest Lake
* Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM
* Featured Speaker: Mary Scundi   
* Member Spotlight: Lisa Emholz, CAbi  

NOTE: There is a slideshow presentation that continuously rotates for the first 30 minutes of the meeting. It will include the featured speaker(s), member spotlight(s), monthly food sponsor, pictures from past meetings, announcements and member advertisements. If you are a LAWB member, please provide us with an advertisement of your business and/or an announcement you may have by emailing Vicki with that information. Be sure to include pictures along with your logo and contact information!

"Top Tips to Maximize Your LinkedIn Account"

A LinkedIn profile is more than just a resume. It is a powerful tool and resource that job seekers can utilize to get in front of potential employers, or for sales reps to find potential clients. You are in total control of what others see and by leveraging this tool you can showcase your skills and talents so the right people find you. In this presentation, Mary will share some insights about LinkedIn and how to utilize its power to maximize your potential for gaining new clients, landing your next job, or becoming a master networker. This is an introduction to her workshop, "THE POWER of LINKEDIN".

Being frugal really isn’t that hard

This reader story comes to us from Bill Fay, who is a writer for Debt.org, where he is known as The Most Frugal Man in America. He spent 21 years in the newspaper business and eight more in television and radio, dealing with college and professional sports, then seven forgettable years writing speeches and marketing materials for a government agency.

I took my wife to a local diner the other night, and things got a little cranky on the ride home. She had a Cobb salad and a Diet Coke. I had the Classic Chicken Sandwich and water. We split a dessert. The bill came to $11.51.

“I think they overcharged us,” I said as we got back in the car.

No response.

We don’t go out much, and complaints about how much it costs are the primary reason. I don’t like restaurant prices, and she doesn’t like hearing about it. As we pulled in the driveway, she glared at the recycle bins and garbage can she asked me to take in before we left, and decided she had heard enough.

“Who cares about the bill?’’ she asked, slamming the car door. “Just get that stuff in off the driveway.”

Translation: “You got off cheap. Again! Give it a rest.”

Frugality comes naturally

I do get off cheap and always have. It comes naturally. I’ve never taken a finance class. I don’t clip coupons. I have never – EVER! – made out a budget, but I am frugal. I get more with less than anybody I know.

I do it primarily with the barter system. I was a sportswriter in a previous life, which gave me access to tickets to a lot of events people were dying to see. When word spread that I could get someone in to see games all over the country, a bartering business was born.

I sat in the lower bowl at Super Bowls, Final Fours, national championship bowl games and NBA Finals – all without ever paying for a ticket.

I skied for a week in Colorado – airfare, boots, clothing, room, food and lift tickets included – for under $750. Three times!

When I would come home from a week-long fishing vacation at a beach-side condo in Florida that cost me under $300 – gas, food and bait included – my neighbors would scream: “YOU ARE SO CHEAP!”

My response? “Thank you!”

I provided a service that didn’t cost me anything and got rewards that would have cost me plenty. Calling me cheap was a compliment for what I was doing.

Unfortunately, most people don’t see it that way. They hate being called cheap. It is an insult to their financial standing, not to mention a stain on their social reputation. They like being in the race to keep up with the Joneses. They like bragging about it even more.

I have a neighbor who boasted about the five grand he spent on his last vacation and the $500 anniversary dinner he and the Mrs. had and the 800-square-foot addition he put on his house a year ago — and then a “For Sale” sign went up in his yard. He lost his job and the next thing you know, the bank was foreclosing.

Scrimping is my specialty

He was not alone. Keeping up with the Joneses can be costly. RealtyTrac, a company that tracks foreclosures and defaults, says there have been 14.4 million foreclosure filings since 2007 because people at all ends of the economic spectrum couldn’t make their mortgage payments. Since 2011, RealtyTrac says there have been 231,000 foreclosure filings for homes valued at more than $500,000.

Missing a few mortgage payments isn’t the only place in the economy where we’re still courting financial trouble. A survey by the American Payroll Association said that, in 2010, 72 percent of Americans report living paycheck to paycheck. Back then, the recession was the biggest factor. But now it seems that credit card debt and student loans are the primary reasons. We get by, until something unexpected comes along.

What happens then? You scrimp … or they take your home.

Scrimping is my specialty. I was so good at it in college, they nicknamed me “No-Pay Fay.” I’m a little older and more refined now, so I prefer being addressed as “Frugal Man.” In fact, my friends at dictionary.com identified me perfectly when they defined frugal as: “… prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.”

I definitely am sparing and seldom waste anything. It’s how I can live in a neighborhood full of Joneses and smile when they make fun of my “sparing, not wasteful” ways. It’s also how I can take Mrs. Fay out to dinner for $11.51 and think I overpaid, which I did.

Food was half off at the neighborhood diner that night, but when I checked the receipt, they had charged me for a Coke. I never order anything but water when I eat out. That was $1.50 that shouldn’t have been there.

Normally, I get mad and go back to raise hell, but it was cold that night. And I still had to get those recycle bins and garbage can in, so I did as asked and gave it a rest. Sometimes it’s more prudent to make Mrs. Fay happy than try to win a frugal fight.

Source: http://www.getrichslowly.org

The Nastiest Habit (That We All Have)

On Facebook, everyone’s lives look happy. Including mine! I just went on a cruise–I have an amazing fiance. Whoosh Traffic just had its best day ever and it’s looking like we might hit a million-dollar revenue run rate by the end of the year. I have an awesome team–and yes, I just bought my first house!

So what is there to be sad about?

I don’t know, but I find I get sad anyway sometimes. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for it–it just happens. (Well–I can tell you that it happens more often when I eat bad food and spend too much time at the computer.)

But no one posts about that on Facebook. On Facebook, we all have perfect lives. We only post the good stuff.

I believe there’s a lesson to be learned here. It’s a tough one when everyone on Facebook is bright and cheery and all you want to do is stab something. That’s the worst time to learn it. But here it is anyway: Stop comparing yourself to everyone else.

Do you know that impulse doesn’t go away no matter how wealthy, successful, in love, or otherwise amazing you are? That you still compare yourself to others?

The issue is that Facebook posting (and other “life posting” outlets–even blogging!) tends to happen when we are happiest. Because after all, who wants to be the person on Facebook saying “Last night I cried myself to sleep”, or “Yesterday I was so depressed that I’m glad I don’t own a gun, because I probably wouldn’t be here any more if I did”?

Yeah. Not me! And probably not you either.
You Can’t “Success” Your Way Out

But here’s the thing I had to learn: You can’t “success” your way out of comparing yourself to others. It doesn’t matter how many speaking engagements you get if someone else has one you really covet. (Or even one you didn’t know about, but now covet because that person has it.) It doesn’t matter how many Twitter followers you have if someone else you admire has more (actually, I’m going to go out on a limb here and just say–it doesn’t matter how many Twitter followers you have, period.)

It doesn’t matter how many billions of dollars you have, because it’s likely that someone else still has more billions. And if you haven’t learned this lesson, and you are the richest person in the world, you will still be unhappy.

I was in a mastermind with a bunch of other popular bloggers. And most weeks, I’d hang up the phone and be so upset how one of those bloggers, Pat Flynn, was so successful. Finally I just emailed him and said, “How do you do this?” And I found out he’s a short sleeper–he only sleeps a few hours every night.

“Oh,” I thought. “I like my sleep.” Heck, I sleep 9+ hours every night. I will skip everything else, but my sleep time is sacred. And voila–my insecurities vanished. He’s more successful at blogging than I am not because I am a bad person, but because he has different values than I do. (Or because he’s Superman when it comes to sleep.) Either way–I was no longer sad about my inadequacy when it came to blogging.

Then I went to work for WP Engine. And got to work side by side with Jason Cohen, their CEO, who is also a great blogger. WP Engine is killing it right now. They’re growing faster than my hosting company did. “Damn,” I thought, “I must have really sucked at growing my business.” And the downward spiral arrived, ready for me to step on.

But then I really watched how Jason worked. And I realized I didn’t want that, at all. The guy is so driven that I often see him writing emails in the middle of the night. I’m not sure what sleep schedule he has, but I’d be willing to place bets that it’s worse than Pat Flynn’s. :) And I don’t think Jason is a short sleeper. He’s just motivated.

Source: http://www.erica.biz

The City of Forest Lake

Forest Lake is a rapidly growing, attractive suburban community located in the northwestern corner of Washington County. The City is conveniently located off Highways 35E and 35W and is part of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In addition to the beauty of our lakes, residents are fond of agricultural pursuits, the small-town feel and family-friendly amenities. The City has a variety of facilities for youth and adult activities including a new sports center for hockey and skating, ball fields and 3 golf courses. The City hosts many parks with various amenities including a swimming beach, playgrounds, picnic facilities, hiking and biking trails, horseback riding facilities and snowmobile trails.

The City is home to the Forest Lake Area School District 831 which provides excellent teachers, challenging curriculum, technology, high standards and a safe learning environment. Forest Lake also offers several other private and public school options including the Lakes Area Language Academy.

Forest Lake's greatest asset, however, is the people who live and work here. Hundreds of residents volunteer in City-sponsored programs and on various advisory boards; many more take an active role in community life by donating their time through City projects, local churches, schools, civic and youth groups, and other organizations.

We invite you to explore Forest Lake and discover the great opportunities that make us a truly remarkable City and why Forest Lake is As Good As It Sounds!

Source: http://www.ci.forest-lake.mn.us/