In This Issue:

A Note from Désirée
Feature Article
Tools You Can Use
About Désirée

A Note from Désirée

Hi ,

I missed you!

Just in case you think I'm immune to getting buried in work, I'm not. With my company, VentureWalk, turning 6 this year (where did the time go?) and the excitement in my hometown around Mardi Gras and the amazing Superbowl win by our team the Saints - life has been action-packed.

Like it or not, sometimes life has a way of pulling us into 'busyness'.

And now that spring is upon us (already) some of the conversations I've had with many of you is about understanding the difference between busyness and 'business' and what it takes to keep going in a positive direction. Hopefully my brand new article on 4 Biz Lessons You Can Learn from the Saints' Superbowl Win will help. And don't forget to see some of my 'recommendations' below for a new teleseminar coming soon.

Feature Article

4 Business Lessons You Can Learn from the 2010 Superbowl Champs
By Désirée H. Young

Business lessons can come from anywhere. And with the New Orleans Saints' recent win, the underdogs no less, this year's Superbowl was chocked full of them. Here are my top lessons learned that I believe business owners and non-profits can take heed of to stay in 'business' versus just 'busyness'.

1. They had a plan. Technically that statement alone should be enough said. And as a novice football watcher what I know is that the team never comes out of the huddle without knowing what play (i.e. formation) they will use.
   
   And so it should be with running a business.

   
   
   

   So many people think being successful in business is about being lucky. But every millionaire (or near millionaire) I've spoken to or read about talks about having a plan with clear goals about what they want to achieve.

   
   
   

   Will the plans change? Probably so, but without them, you'll never know when they do (reread these 2 sentences and think about it).
   

2. They took a risk. For those that watched the game, I believe the whole energy shifted with what many would call a 'risky' play with the decision to do an onside kick in the 3^rd quarter (football novices, stay with me).
   
   And no, the team hadn't tried this play before BUT they practiced it (see #1 for planning). All that matters is that they knew it was a crucial move to position themselves to win.

   
   
   

   Sometimes in business, you've got to do something different to get something different. It may mean getting more skills, hiring instead of learning, investing rather than bootstrapping. Whatever it is, will it be scary? You bet... but necessary still. This is the point where burning bridges become just as important as building them.
   
   So what risks should you take this year? (A note of caution, if you throw in too much risk without calculation, you, and your business, may become a liability.)
   

3. They believed they could. The team, and the community behind them, has been 'believing' for over 40 years. But most recently (as in the last 4 years) they've aligned themselves to make the belief a reality.

   
   
   

   Starting, owning and operating a business is 90% belief and 10% skill. At the end of the day if you don't think your idea or concept can really make a change in the world (or in your community, your industry, or your life) then you should probably find something else to do, period.

   
   
   

   The truth is this stuff can be tough, rewarding, but tough. And unless you believe that you deserve to be successful and to make the impact you were born to make, you'll miss the 'big' lesson.
   

4. Their success transcended the trophy. The obvious perks to winning the Superbowl? The coveted Lombardi trophy, the ring, endorsements, oh yeah, and bragging rights! But this team's message was clear, they won for the city of New Orleans and the entire Gulf coast that's undergone so much in the past 5 years.

   
   
   

   If you're really building something to last (for as long as it should at least) then you must find something bigger than 'being your own boss, making lots of money, and having all the freedom you want' (or any of the other b.s. that people will feed you to start a business).

   
   
   

   Your goal must be bigger than yourself. It's the only thing that will carry you through cash flow woes, IRS notices, employee disloyalty and all the other 'stuff' that may come with business ownership.  And sure, being able to say you own your own business is sweet, but it's even better when you know the bigger reason why.
   
   (c) 2010
   

March 18^th, 5:30pm-6:30pm CST
How to Finally O.W.N. Your Business in 2010: Success Strategies for Businesses and Organizations
Teleclass; Details TBA

March 23^rd, 8:00am-2:00pm CST
The New Marketing: How To Get Your Marketing to 'Make' Money and Your Plan to Make 'Sense'
6th Annual "Connecting Businesses with Contracts" Conference - Baton Rouge, Louisiana
To Register call SBA at 504-589-6688

When Networking is Not Working: How to Build Real Connections and Responsive Communities