If you cannot see this e-zine, 
click here to view it online. http://www.aweber.com/b/16_.5

--------------------------
The Business GPS E-Zine
March 2010

-------------------------

In This Issue:

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

Welcome to our new readers. Please add
"ezine@venturewalk.com" to your white-list or address book
in your e-mail program so that you receive future issues.

I welcome your feedback; send suggestions or questions by
emailing me at ask@venturewalk.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

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 of New Orleans
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, 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 positve
direction. Hopefully my brand new article on 4 Biz Lessons You Can
Learn from Superbowl Champs will help. And don't forget to see some
of my 'recommendations' below for a new teleseminar coming soon.


Désirée H. Young, MBA
Business and Growth Strategist
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

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, ever. 

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 3rd 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.


Would you like to use this article in your e-newsletter or website?
You can, as long as you include my complete name and my 'About
Désirée' paragraph including web links. If you want access to other
articles, simply contact us at (504) 392-0707 or via email at
grow@venturewalk.com 


--------------------------------------------------------------------

Tools You Can Use: Désirée Recommends 

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

March 23rd, 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 

March 30th, 11:30am-2:00pm CST
When Networking is Not Working: How to Build Real Connections and
Responsive Communities  
American Society for Training and Development - New Orleans, La
To Register go to http://astd-nola.eventbrite.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------

About Désirée

Business strategist and reinvention pro Désirée H. Young
has been called a trailblazer and overall "Business GPS"
for entrepreneurs, non-profit directors and leaders who
need direction and want to become better marketers and
managers of their messages. Based in New Orleans,
Louisiana, Young is the Chief Entrepreneurial Officer of
VentureWalk Business Partners and publisher of a free
monthly e-zine, The Business GPS, that highlights business
recovery tactics, marketing plan development, and
management skills for small business owners and managers.
Get access to this free along with a free 60 minute audio
and template on planning for success at
www.business-gps.com

Désirée also offers FR-EE teleclasses, FR-EE e-courses,
speaking, consulting, coaching, training and other
resources to small business owners who want to grow and
expand into different markets, add new products or
services, or change the way they conduct business for the
better. Learn more now at
http://www.venturewalk.com/paths.htm