Small Business Consultant And Coach

5 Ways to Frame A Business Relationship

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's handy to categorize your business relationships, to see where people fit in terms of your business once they've stopped being Strangers: that vast army with no awareness of your business at all.

Prospects: They are aware of your business, they've seen your card, heard about you, etc.
Leads: A prospect becomes a lead when they think they might need your services, and they're in the process of self-qualification.
Clients: Your existing clients are your best leads. It takes less effort to thrill existing clients than to convert new clients. And thrilled clients come back for more.
Associates: People connecting you to their business network. They can be your client, or businesses serving the same client demographics as you do. Sometimes they're your competition, but still have good reasons for connecting you to other prospects.
Associations (or Events): Places where you gather Prospects...

The 2hats Marketing Guild Begins February 17th

2012-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Beginning Friday, February 17th at Noon... 
The 2hats Marketing Guild

Ready to develop your marketing plan?
Want to work on your plan with a support team of 12 entrepreneurs?
Would it help if the team was led by a professional business consultant?
...how about if it only cost $175?
When: February 17th, February 24th,March 2nd, and March 9th

Time: Noon - 3pm
Where: 1808 Addison Street Berkeley, CA 94703

New members also receive a free 60 minute private consultation with John, covering your specific marketing needs.

Course Details:
The Marketing Guild is led by John Van Dinther of 2hats Consulting. We are bringing together a dynamic group of up to 12 entrepreneurs who are looking to develop their marketing savvy.

Our first meeting will begin at 12:00 p.m. on February 17th (Friday). This three hour workshop will include presentations by John, hands on group exercises, networking breaks, and a chance to receive peer feedback and support.

We will then meet over the next three Fridays to support each other, brainstorm, and develop strong business relationships. Each participant will get a chance to present their marketing plan and get feedback from group members.

About an hour of each weekly session will include co-working, small groups of two or three people getting work done on our individual plans. John will visit the different groups, offering suggestions and making sure everyone is feeling productive.

Offering:
One hour personal coaching  session with John Van Dinther (Scheduled Individually)

Four group workshops (three-hours each):

February 17th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
February 24th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
March 2nd (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
March 9th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703

Fee: 
$175

“I recently participated in one of John's month-long mastermind groups, and I am so grateful. Previous to joining the group, my business was at a real impasse. I knew I had something of great value, I just didn't know how to share it with more people.
John's expertise helped me break down my marketing process into actionable steps.
The group setting helped me see points I had been missing on my own.
In my private one-hour session, John masterfully guided me into, and helped unlock, personal obstacles that had been holding me back.
This group is a great deal. If you have a product or service you believe in, this group can really help. John is both an expert and a man worthy of trust — such a valuable asset for anyone working on their business. Less than a week after our group ended I signed a new client, and I was asked to give a public talk about my work. I am grateful to know John, and to have had a spot in the 2hats MasterMind Group.I stand behind my recommendation for this group.” - James Riedy, January 2012

“I came to John's mastermind group with no clear idea of how to effectively plan for business success. That problem was solved in one session where John worked backwards from success and broke it into its constituent parts. Beyond that learning, what was really valuable to me was the chance to co-work and talk with other entrepreneurs who had struggles of their own, which made me feel better about my own weaknesses. Above all, having access to John for questions and guidance made the whole process really empowering. I finished the course feeling like I had the tools to achieve my goals.” — Damian Sol, Composer

Networking Event: Residential Design using Sustainable Building Practices

2012-01-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

When: Wednesday February 1st (11:30am)
Speaker: Rebecca Ivans Amato
Location: 1650 Mountain Boulevard Oakland, CA 94611 (Montclair Women’s Cultural Center)

Fee: $20 (Includes Lunch Catering by Hugh Groman Catering)

This 10 Minute Presentation will be part of the 90 Minute Business Growth Network Chapter Luncheon. The presentation will focus on an architect’s personal residential remodel with creative and sustainable design solutions.

Come see how a local Oakland Architect doubled the square footage of her home near Lake Merritt and turned a traditional 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom Craftsman house into a Modern 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home. Working with a tight budget, green building principles were incorporated throughout with creative uses for remnants and scraps, second hand tiles and recycled materials. Use of solar panels, radiant floors and updated MEP systems throughout enhances the long term maintenance and sustainability of the project.

2hats Mastermind Business Group: January 13th 2012

2012-01-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

Beginning This Friday, January 13th at Noon... 
The 2hats Mastermind Business Group

Ready to write your 2012 business plan?
Want to work on your plan with a team of 12 entrepreneurs?
Would it help if the team was led by a professional business consultant?
...how about if it only cost $175?
When: January 13th, January 20th, January 27th, and February 3rd
Time: Noon - 3pm (By popular demand)
Where: 1808 Addison Street Berkeley, CA 94703

New members also receive a free 60 minute private consultation with John, covering your specific business needs.

Course Details:
The Master Mind Business Guild is led by John Van Dinther of 2hats Consulting. We are bringing together a dynamic group of up to 12 entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business.

Our first meeting will begin at 12:00 p.m. on January 13th (Friday). This three hour workshop will include presentations by John, hands on group exercises, and opportunities to receive peer feedback and support.

We will then meet over the next three Fridays to support each other, brainstorm, and develop strong business relationships. Each participant will get a chance to present their plan and get feedback from group members.

About an hour of each weekly session will include co-working, small groups of two or three people getting work done on our individual plans. John will visit the different groups, offering suggestions and making sure everyone is feeling productive.

Offering:
One hour personal coaching  session with John Van Dinther (Scheduled Individually)
Four group workshops (three-hours each):
January 13th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
January 20th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
January 27th (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703
February 3rd (Friday at Noon) - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703

Fee: 
$175

“I recently participated in one of John's month-long mastermind groups, and I am so grateful. Previous to joining the group, my business was at a real impasse. I knew I had something of great value, I just didn't know how to share it with more people.
John's expertise helped me break down my marketing process into actionable steps.
The group setting helped me see points I had been missing on my own.
In my private one-hour session, John masterfully guided me into, and helped unlock, personal obstacles that had been holding me back.
This group is a great deal.  If you have a product or service you believe in, this group can really help. John is both an expert and a man worthy of trust — such a valuable asset for anyone working on their business. 
Less than a week after our group ended I signed a new client, and I was asked to give a public talk about my work. I am grateful to know John, and to have had a spot in the 2hats MasterMind Group.
I stand behind my recommendation for this group.” - James Riedy, January 2012

THE VALUE OF REJECTION by David Ackert

2011-10-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

“No.” It’s our least favorite word. We don’t like to use it, and we certainly don’t like to hear it. But without it, we are left to wonder whether our relationships are genuine, whether our prospects are truly interested in our services, and whether our referral sources ever intend to send us any business.

The truth is, rejection saves us from chasing low-yield opportunities. Take this blog for example. After I write an entry, I send an email to my mail list letting everyone know that it’s available. Once in a while, I receive a notice that says something like, “Jerry Smith has opted out of your email list.” While I’m sad to see Jerry go, I recognize that he has helped to refine my mail list so that it consists only of people who are genuinely interested in hearing what I have to say.

I wish that prospective clients and referral sources had a convenient “opt-out” button so they could communicate their disinterest in us and we could refocus on productive relationships and opportunities. Instead they often string us along with vague, ambiguous communications. Apparently it’s the nice thing to do.

So, this week I encourage you to become part of the solution. Upgrade your communication from ambiguity to certainty. If you’re tired of these blogs, opt-out of my mail list. When your employee comes to you for a premature raise or promotion, give them a straight answer and tell them what it will take to earn more goodwill from you. Bow out of next week’s lunch, and simply tell them that your networking calendar has gotten too full for another meeting. Tell your colleague that you respectfully decline to join yet another board position. Tell soliciting vendors that you aren’t ready to buy, rather than ignoring their follow-up calls and emails. Give them the courtesy of a rejection so they can stop wasting both of your time. It will sting a little, sure. The truth does that sometimes. But when the answer isn’t “yes,” the most efficient and effective alternative is a clear “no.” And you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how quickly your email in-box thins out when you start to embrace the value of rejection.

--
David Ackert is the Founder of Practice Boomers®, a business development E-Learning program for professional service providers. He is also the President of The Ackert Advisory™ which provides business development coaching and training for service firms and their professionals.

David Ackert
President
The Ackert AdvisoryTM
david@ackertadvisory.com
office (818) 804-5491
cell (310) 418-9131
follow me on Twitter
join me on LinkedIn
blog: “The Smartest Way to Get More Clients”
videos: “4 Ways to Get More Referrals”

2hats November Mastermind Business Group

2011-10-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ready to build a marketing plan for your business?
Would working with a group help make that actually happen?
What if the team was led by a professional consultant?

...how about if it only costs $125?

November Business Planning Guild, a MasterMind group led by John Van Dinther. This month we are focusing on marketing. 12 participants will learn the tools required to build an effective marketing plan.

Our first meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on November 4th (This Friday). This three hour workshop will include presentations by John, hands on group exercises, and opportunities to receive peer feedback and support.

Each participant will also receive a one-on-one consulting session with John in which we will go over trouble spots and explore resource opportunities for you specifically.

“I came to John's mastermind group with no clear idea of how to effectively plan for business success. That problem was solved in one session where John worked backwards from success and broke it into its constituent parts. Beyond that learning, what was really valuable to me was the chance to co-work and talk with other entrepreneurs who had struggles of their own, which made me feel better about my own weaknesses. Above all, having access to John for questions and guidance made the whole process really empowering. I finished the course feeling like I had the tools to achieve my goals.”

— Damian Sol, Composer

Offering:

A one hour individual coaching session with John Van Dinther
Regular accountability check-ins with the Guild participants
Four training and productivity group workshops

Meeting Times and Dates:

    November 4th   (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
    November 11th (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
    November 18th (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m
    December 2nd   (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m

Location:

1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703

Fee: $125

Monthly Project Focus:

November: Marketing
December: Financial Management
January: Tools for Success

2011-09-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

The 2hats Mastermind Business Group

Are you ready to write a solid business plan in one month?
Do you want daily support from a team of 12 peers?
Would it help if the team was led by a professional business consultant?

...how about if it only cost $125?

Introducing the 2hats Master Mind Business Group, led by John Van Dinther of 2hats Consulting. We are bringing together a dynamic group of up to 12 entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their business.

October’s focus will be “Building Your Plan.” Each participant will write a strategic plan using the the Natural Planning model created by David Allen.

Our first meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on October 7th (Friday). This three hour workshop will include presentations by John, hands on group exercises, and opportunities to receive peer feedback and support.

Over the course of October, we will support each other through 15 minute accountability conference calls every weekday, where each person will briefly lay out next steps for developing their plan and get feedback from group members. We will be making these calls through the conference call website: www.15minutecalls.com. Don't panic, it isn’t mandatory to be on every call, but it turns out to be useful to have the support available.

On October 14th and October 21st, we will meet in co-working crews to develop our individual plans, getting support from John and from the group. These co-working sessions will be held either at participant’s homes or at a cafe.

Each participant will also receive a one-on-one consulting session with John in which we will go over trouble spots and explore resource opportunities for you specifically.

Our October completion group meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. on October 28th, presenting and reflecting on the participants’ plans and developing practices to implement our plans.

The 2hats business group will be offered monthly, covering different topics each month. Space permitting, new participants can join for any month at the start of that month.

Offering:

One hour individual coaching with John Van Dinther: Scheduled Individually

Three hour group workshops:October 7th and October 28th

Three hour co-working crews:October 14th and October 21st

Fifteen minute accountability call crews: Weekdays in October

Meeting Times and Dates:

October 7th (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703

October 14th (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - Location TBD

October 21st (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - Location TBD

October 28th (Friday) 9:00 a.m. - 1808 Addison St., Berkeley, CA 94703

Fee: $125 per month

Project Focus:

October: Building Your Plan

November: Marketing

December: Financial Management

January: Tools for Success

For more Information please contact:

John Van Dinther

2hats Consulting

(415) 515-1252

tommy2hats@gmail.com

www.johnvandinther.com

www.2hats.blogspt.com

Introduction to Interchange this Monday (9/12/2011)

2011-09-10T01:54:00.000-07:00

An Introduction to the Interchange Counseling Program

An introduction will be led by Steve Bearman, PhD, the founder and facilitator of Interchange this Monday (September 12th) at 7pm. The evening will be a gathering of people getting to know each other and learning about Interchange. It will also be a chance for us to meet and chat if I haven’t seen you in a while, it'll be awesome :)

Details:
September 12th (Monday) 7pm
1808 Addison St. Berkeley, CA 94703 (map)
cell: (415) 515-1252

I took the Interchange program in 2009 - 2010 and it transformed my coaching practice, and I use the tools I learned there every day. On Monday, Steve will be sharing some of what makes Interchange such an amazing program. When I first went to Steve’s introduction in 2009 I was just imagining a networking event, but by the end of the evening I had new counseling tools, new connections, and a renewed passion for what I could offer as a coach. I'm inviting you because I think you'll have fun, network with cool people, and learn some good counseling tools.

Here’s a video of me sharing some of what I learned at at Interchange: http://goo.gl/2SR0e

And also a video of me interviewing Steve about how coaches need more counseling skills: http://goo.gl/I2o2P

Interchange is a community-rich training program for people who want to become masterful counselors and coaches, and for people who want to grow in their own lives. Over 10 intensive weekends you’ll be immersed in one approach to counseling after another, experiencing and practicing each, and finally integrating and transcending them all to find your unique way of being with people. With a tribe of like-minded students (who will become like family) you'll learn how to offer powerful support, healing and transformation to others while being transformed yourself in the process.

Join us for this orientation evening and:

Learn what the most fundamental aspect of coaching and counseling is and practice offering (and receiving) it
Meet and get to know some amazing people who are interested in growth, love and change
Get a taste of what you'll learn at Interchange each weekend
Meet Steve Bearman, PhD, founder of Interchange, and see his counseling in action
Come to learn something new and connect with awesome people, but consider yourself warned, you may leave having set in motion the thing that changes everything in your life.

To find out more about Interchange’s counseling training program and the low-cost workshops it offers to the public (like the upcoming "Ending Jealousy Permanently" day long workshop, please visit the website: http://www.interchangecounseling.com/ or contact Margo in Admissions at admissions@interchangecounseling.com or (800) 305-6090.

G+ Hit 10Million Users in 16 Days! Why?

2011-08-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

A LOT of people are using Google+ and I've got a few guesses as to why.

I mean, G+ should have crashed hard. Google Buzz crashed, as did Google Wave. MySpace is dead dead dead. The Social Marketing Gurus were saying, a year ago! That releasing a new social platform would be a disaster. How is G+ SO different then those other guys?

I've got some clues, and it might be useful for us Solopreneurs to see how we can follow Google's strategy ourselves.

Being in a person's email inbox, but without being annoying, is clever ;) I suspect a high percentage of G+ users are using Gmail daily, which means that their G+ updates button is always in their navbar. That makes it sticky. This "too simple of a reason" is maybe how G+ overcame the smart money objection? It keeps me coming back.

Google's spare design style is the antithesis of MySpace, which matters to Tweeters, but not Yahoos! . (Digression: Has anyone got any analytics on where the G+ users are coming from?) It reminds me of great web designers like Golden Interactive and Wake Interactive. And you can make a spare, but decent, website yourself at Weebly.

Then there's the very simple media integration. I see big names like Brian Clark, Pete Cashmore, and Ze Frank etc. taking advantage of the media tools, the G+ circles, and the long comment format as their (almost) blog... and bringing their followers.

I've been posting a LOT more homemade video, and I've seen more presentation media tools made by my friends being posted through G+ instead of Facebook. I think that G+ lends itself to fast media posting, and G+ Hangouts haven't even been fully utilized or de-bugged yet. The tools are there, we just have to use them. How are you using media to attract clients?

Entrepreneurial Freedom

2011-08-09T11:58:00.001-07:00

I like this quote because it applies to so many people considering entrepreneurship.

“Unless your freedom turns into a creative realization, you will feel sad. Because you will see that you are free--your chains are broken, and you are no longer in prison; you are standing under the starry night, completely free. But where do you go?” ~ Osho

Websites for service entrepreneurs (Wellness Providers especially)

2011-07-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

Your website has one goal: to inspire people to call or email you.

Comparing Small Business Bookkeeping Software Options

2011-07-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you are considering a serious alternative to Quickbooks, check out this article by David Matthew, comparing Intuit Quickbooks to Sage Peachtree. Peachtree small business bookkeeping software is the distant runner-up competitor to Quickbooks, but Peachtree has been around since the beginning. In fact Peachtree was the first bookkeeping software I ever used, back in the late 80’s, helping with my mom’s nursery school finances, using a Commodore 64...yep.

David's article breaks out side by side feature comparisons and explore Peachtree's unique options such as a customizable tool set and preset email alerts. Each option has different areas where they really shine. Check it out [here].

A step by step branding process for your small business

2011-07-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Path to Creating a Business Identity:

So many new entrepreneurs get lost in creating a brand for their business, often putting too much money and thought into how a logo or website should look, but not focusing enough on what impact that logo or website will have on their audience. Answering the questions below, and then doing the exercises at the end, should help you quickly create a solid business identity that is affordable, professional, and one that compels people to take action.

The first step in creating a brand is to determine your business landscape. What is your industry? What is your role? What other businesses are in your industry. How do they present themselves on the web, with their logo, and as personality types?

Industry Analysis:

What is the title of your industry?
What is the title of your business role?
List 5 other great websites that are also in your business industry
What makes the websites great?
What are 5 keywords that define your role and your industry?

Get a full picture of your core audience. Who is your core audience and what are their interests, both in general and those interests your business will address.

Intended Audience:

Audience profile (demographic)

Potential clients (Profile/demographic)
Potential collaborators (Profile/demographic)

Audience self-identity (what would they say about themselves?)
Specific persona (similar to values snapshot, describe a single fictional (or real) person who is your perfect client: include behavior patterns, brands, goals, diet, income, family history, hobbies, personality, etc.)
What are 5 keywords that identify your business with your audience?

Core Audience Desire:

What is the common, core, value held by your clients?
What is the common, urgent, Problem driving clients to you?
How is the core value blocked by the common problem?
What 5 keywords connect your business with audience desires?

Personal Values:

Discover how you are seen now: Ask your community who they see you as now, what gifts you bring, and what style they see you presenting. Don’t focus on what they think your brand should look like, instead just find out what they see today.

Values: List 5 simple reasons WHY it is good for the World that you are in business.

Essence: What is the single MOST valuable thing you do as a business person?

Keywords: What 5 keywords best define your business identity, values, and essence?

What role do you play for your Clients?

Sample Desired Testimonials
What will you mean to your clients
How will your audience describe you?
How will your offer be seen as a solution?
What 5 keywords define the role you play for your clients?

Your Offering’s Solution:

Describe, in one sentence, how your offer removes your clients’ urgent problem and how that will allow them to fulfill their core value. What 5 keywords embody the solution your business offers?

Evidence:

The single proof point (The evidence of your key value)
Credibility point examples (Testimonials, awards, history, standing, etc.)
What 5 keywords prove your value to your clients?

Intuitive Call to Action:

What statements and images will call people to action.
Apparent Differentiation (How will the audience see you as the best solution?)
What 5 keywords distinguish your business from the crowd?

Forging Your Identity

Consistent Selling Concept Steps:

List all the keywords you generated in the steps above into a single list. Organise them into:

Industry
Audience
Audience Desires
Personal Values
Role
Offering Solution
Evidence
Call to Action

List 5 ways potential clients see their urgent problem as insurmountable
List 5 common compelling desires of your audience that are blocked by their insurmountable problems.
Using your keywords, create 10 phrases that express your offering as a solution to your audience’s urgent problem, including how their desires will be met.

Imagery Steps:

List all the keywords you generated in the steps above into a single list. Organise them into:

Industry
Audience
Audience Desires
Personal Values
Role
Offering Solution
Evidence
Call to Action

Do a Google image search on interesting combinations of those keywords
Identify compelling, consistent, and unique icons within the image results
Collect a creative image deck, which along with your content.
Notice and collect common, unique, or compelling elements that turn up in your Google searches. This collection will help you and your graphic developer generate your identity.

Specific Content Package Requirements:

Create a list of required identity environments:

Website
Facebook page
Business card
eBook format
Letterhead
...etc.

List the required components of each environment
Note the purpose and value of each component
Capture exceptional examples within your industry
Define those characteristics providing excellence

Website Specific Identity Development:

The Business Identity

The consistent selling concept
Keywords
Business Name
Slogan
Theme
Logo
Icon
Color
Font
Associated Collateral

If Business Is Like Dating Then What Are The Rules?

2011-06-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

AccountingDegree.com has a charming article with some insightful advice :)

Check it out here.

An Alternative Approach To Competition

2011-05-31T10:31:00.000-07:00

An Alternative Approach To Competition

Sige Weisman, one of my favorite clients, came to see me last month with a new business plan. She wants to provide business consulting for people in her field, she’s a licensed therapist. She sees the need, she’s done well marketing her own business, and she’ll be a great business coach... but that would put her into competition with 2hats Consulting. I want Sige to succeed, but is she threatening my own business?

My answer is that inviting competition is the best thing I can do for my business. And being an ally to your competition is great for your small business too. Remember: a professional service provider probably serves, at most, 100 unique clients in a year, and there’s over 5,000 licensed MFT’s in the Greater Bay Area —this just isn’t an environment where businesses are hotly competing over a small potential audience. Instead, the greatest challenge for small service providers is usually getting potential clients to become aware of them at all.

And by supporting my competition I become a member of a supportive business community, rather than a defensive isolationist. Just last week I needed a replacement for my monthly SBA marketing presentation, and called on another business coach (and my client) Jessica Hadari, to cover for me - she rocked it.

Does having competition push me? Yep. Knowing there’s solid people, who I respect, serving the same people I do insures I develop new tools, I make sure I reach out to more people, and I strengthen my existing relationships. It’s good for me and it’s good my clients.

15 Minute Calls: Accountability groups made easy

2011-05-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Guest Article:

Blake Mills

I'm not the most organized person. Emails go unanswered, projects get left idle for months and my to-do list sometimes seems frozen in time. One of the best structures I've found for getting out of a rut is the accountability group. It's a simple concept: get a few motivated people together to support each other in getting projects done. Over the last six months I've been participating in regular short accountability calls with three other people. For the most part, they've been great! The calls have helped me stay organized and focused on what's important to me. However, accountability groups have two major drawbacks: they're difficult to get started and they seem to fade away fairly quickly. Finding a dedicated group that's available and committed to making the calls is a challenge. Life happens, schedules shift, emergencies come up and pretty soon the accountability group slips away, often without anyone even acknowledging that it's gone. I was in that position a couple months ago. My group was slowly drifting apart. I thought about what I could do to bring more people into it. As I asked around I found a lot of interest, but finding people whose schedules matched up with our existing call was difficult. Over the course of a few weeks I came up with an idea I felt could solve several problems at once. By building a software system to handle hundreds of accountability calls automatically, members could pick and choose which times worked for them and the software would match them up with others who were available at that time. Problem solved! That system has now been built, and it lives at www.15minutecalls.com. Here's how it works:

Become one of the invite-only beta members by clicking the link above and signing up.
Enter a few goals, or a project you're working on, into your member profile.
Pick a few times during the week you're available for a short accountability call.

That's it! Once you're set up, the system will call you at the times you specified and connect you with two other members. Your team will have a total of 15 minutes, during which each person checks in and members support each other in reaching their daily and weekly goals. The call ends promptly and automatically after 15 minutes. You are invited to join 15 Minute Calls and experience the value of automatic accountability calls that work with your schedule. Early morning, afternoon and evening times are available on any day of the week. During the beta release, the service is free and your input will help us make the service even more valuable. Click here to sign up now -- in just five minutes, you can take action to become more accountable in your life.

Fire Panthers Action Pod - One Month Review

2011-03-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

So after a month, Pamela, Jen, and I are still reporting on our progress weekly. It's working. The most important thing to remember is the great progress we've made compared to before we started the weekly check-ins. I definitely am getting way more done on a daily basis, especially the morning before the calls.

Pamela suggested we also track what we're getting done that wasn't originally on our lists as well, and that's been a useful tool for adjusting strategy and being flexible when new things show up. I noticed how my marketing to do lists were feeling scattered and unfinished, while I was working like crazy on business tools content. I adjusted after the second week, and now my business tool development is integrated into my marketing plan and I feel on track and check items off the task list every day.

What works best so far is:

Stuff gets done because I'm working within deadlines.
Reading the Done/Not-done list to Pamela and Jen shows my progress and...
Encourages strategic thinking in moving forward.

Results include a new "Ask Tommy2Hats - Your Marketing Questions Answered " section on the 2hats Consulting Facebook page, and a "Road Map to Online Marketing" project that's in the works. I've also gotten a ton written on my Dungeons&dragons adventure, so I'm stoked.

Fire Panthers Action Pods

2011-02-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Some of us over at the Bay Area Wellness Guild created action pods last week. "So what's that John?"

I'm so glad you asked. Another description might be "accountability group", and what we're doing is sharing our weekly todo lists with our team, which we named "Fire Panthers".

Team Fire Panthers!!!

Jen Hilgert - Pamela Rosin - John Van Dinther

(We gotta order some Fire Panther uniforms, I know right?)

So last Monday the three of us had a Skype call, sharing our todo lists for this last week, and today at 2:30 we'll each report on what we actually got done. Our thinking is that telling people what we're each up to, and then checking in on the results, will help make those things actually happen. I'm adding the dimension of blogging our process to the whole World — Ya know how it takes a village? Yeah.

So for the month of February, Pamela's focus is on connecting to clients, philanthropy, and organizing her environment. Jen wants to raise her income, get the word out about her bodywork practice, and prepare for her vision quest. I'm going to focus on marketing web strategy, documenting this project, and finishing a Dungeons&Dragons adventure I'm writing :)

As the project evolves I'll write updates and notes, sharing what works, what needs improving, and what we believe is the most effective recipe for making our awesome lives happen!!!

John's Fire Panther ToDo List (Week 1)

2011-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

1/31/2011 - 2/07/2011

Look at original goals from the meeting on Blogspot
Set-up FP Skype Group
Link to Awakening Presence
Link to Jen Hilgert
Complete Blog Post
Link to Facebook Group
Schedule Posts to Blogspot
Confirm links to LinkedIn and Twitter
Link to Facebook Profile
Create Spreadsheet to tally links
Create newsletter

Workshop: How To Connect Your Live & Online Business Communities

2010-08-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

with John Van Dinther

An introduction to the why and the how of Social Network Marketing. How can it help your business? What will it take? We will explore online and in-person networking strategy.We'll go through the process of creating connections and converting those connections into a community.

Details:
Wednesday, August 4th
6:30 - 8:30pm
3901A 22nd street
San Francisco, CA
$10 Donation
(Only 10 seats available, please respond to this email and ensure your space)

Connecting Live Networks to Online Networks (Continued)

2010-07-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

In my last article, I tossed out a list of 4 ways to integrate your business' online community-network with its' live community-network. Today I want to talk a little bit about why this is so important for your business —it has to do with impact vs. reach.

Live communities (and live interactions in general) tend to have a big impact. Imagine talking to a few potential clients over dinner. You may only get one or two leads, but you'll leave a solid impression.

Online communities, like your Facebook friends or newsletter contacts, are easy to connect with, and can be a very large number of people. Online communities are easy in the sense that, well... I'm writing this article in my pajamas from my apartment. And I mean large in the sense that an article I spent an hour writing will reach over a thousand people.

Easy Access + Large Numbers = High Reach

There's lots more to say about impact and reach, but that's for another article. Right now, we just want to explore mixing up your high impact connections with your high reach connections. The primary challenge of online communities is connecting to people who actually care enough to keep reading, or at least give you their contact information. That's why it's so important to collect contact information at networking events or workshops, because you can leverage the high impact of live connections in the moment into high reach connection through a monthly newsletter or adding them as a Facebook friend.

It all sounds obvious on the face of it, but once you begin to think, "How can I add reach to my high impact connections? How can I make a real impression on all those near-strangers out there?" you'll start seeing great new ways to connect both worlds together.

Before we jump into tips and tricks, I want to mention a few critical concepts:

Gathering connections by providing value
The impact of strong community identity
Spreading one message through many channels
Discovering channels with the best mix of impact and reach

...more on this next week.

4 Fast How Tos: Connecting Live Networks to Online Networks

2010-07-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

For a small business, connecting your live community to your online community is critical, and there are a wide number of ways to make it happen. Over the next few articles, I'll dig deeper into this concept of integrating Live and Online network communities.

Here's 4 ideas to start with:

Use Foursquare.
Collect business cards and add those contacts to your newsletter.
Offer discounts to people through online profiles, encouraging people to attend your live events.
Create workshops and events that you invite people to, using a mix of phone calls and social profiles like Facebook.

How to Not Post on Facebook

2010-06-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Miss Lisa and I were talking about Facebook updates that bugged her,
stuff she just wishes her Facebook friends would never do. Being
negative or whiny topped Lisa's list of lameness. I added that
speaking poorly of others never worked out either, and she agreed.

Don't be boring was an obvious one, but how? What's interesting
depends on tastes and interests. Lisa isn't interested in politics,
but I am. Then I thought about it though, I just don't read the
political stuff my Facebook friends post. I might agree with them, but
it still feels bossy. It's a tricky edge to hold, because people like
reading useful information, but they tend to ignore blatant advice on
Facebook —Lisa does, anyway.

Miss Lisa frowns on artificial conversation starters too. Those call
outs like, " What did YOU have for lunch today?" don't seem to
actually get many responses unless it's about something people want to
talk about anyway. I've noticed that, " Where would you go for an all
expenses paid vacation?" or " How would you spend a million bucks?"
often DO get a lot of responses, and I think that's because people
like to share their dreams :)

Business promotion is a tricky thing too. I know many of us have lots
of entrepreneur friends who connect to clients through Facebook. While
we totally expect them to use their facebook pages for self-promotion,
if it's everyday and hits the same note all the time, it's tedious—
not at all the impression they want to leave, I'm sure.

It gets me thinking that maybe self-promotion is the wrong way to look
at it. Nobody wants to be sold to all the time We want to be
entertained, we want to learn new things, and we to connect with our
community. Now how do we do THAT?

a common-sense list I hacked from Bob Lewis

2010-06-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

There are no best practices, only practices that fit best
Optimizing the whole will sub-optimize the parts
Bad metrics are worse than no metrics
Don't confuse documentation with reality
Before you can be strategic you have to be competent
Relationships supersede process and outlive transactions

5 Tips That Turn A Sale Into An Opportunity

2009-11-16T17:39:00.000-08:00

I hate pushy sales, so I always make sure a potential client is really interested, and it's so cool when they thank me for being persistent and for getting back to them. It's a nice way to open a sales call, being thanked :)

1. When I get a business card or contact information, I ask if it's o.k. to call, just to confirm.

2. I always ask, "When is a good time to call?" so they affirm it and they expect my call.

3. If I'm leaving a message ( I often don't leave messages since getting a person on the line is better) I make it clear that I don't want to trouble them, and to please let me know if they don't need my services.

4. I ask what people need, and then I shut up and listen. I get really clear about what they need. I've either got a solution or I don't, and that's all there is to that.

5. I ask what people believe they'll get from my services. If they can't answer that then why are we talking? A person needs to really be clear on what I can do for them, that's my job — to convey the opportunity effectively.

High Quality Networking

2009-09-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

The heart & soul of great marketing for service entrepreneurs is a solid connection. If selling is about selling yourself, then what better place to be selling than where you are at your best?

Look for events where people will be playing full out. Where people are exploring new ways to lead and counsel, learning new dance forms, and where they are taking control of their relationship to their own bodies ~ that's way more interesting than golf, in my opinion.

The creators of these events are teaching us new ways to connect to our clients, our communities, and our families. They are cultural leaders who are inventing new ways to relate and connect. How cool is that?

If you want to do business with this kind of people ~the leaders and the explores, people who intentionally go out on weeknights to relate powerfully, find where they like to play and hang out with them. It's good business.

Movement Healing Workshop:

FogDragon Studios

Monday: September

28th 4pm - 8pm

505 Beach St. San Francisco, CA

$65

Weekly Practice:

Open Here Transformational Yoga

Thursdays 6:30pm - 9:30pm

2116 Berkeley Way Berkeley, CA

$20

Free Introduction:

Radical Counseling

Tuesday: October 6th 7:00pm - 9:30pm

308 Page St. San Francisco, CA
Free

10 Week Program:
Intuitive Wellness Weight Management

Mondays & Tuesdays 12:00pm - 1:00pm

(October 5th - December 7th)

3200 California St. San Francisco, CA
$200

Free Dance Class:
Satori Dance

Tuesday: September 22nd 7:00pm - 8:30pm

1015 Folsom St. San Francisco, CA

Free

Bookkeeper's Roundtable Presentation (1st of 3)

2009-07-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

YogaVino Networking Event

2009-07-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Dragon YogaVino

Tues August 18th, 6:30 pm!

Rainbow Dragon Studio

1985 Ashby Ave. Berkeley, CA 94703

Dakota here, warmly inviting you to a YogaVino celebrating the opening of Rainbow Dragon Studio, home of Rainbow Dragon Bodymind Coaching (individual sessions and packages of bodywork, White Cloud energy healing and movement/Pilates coaching).

Rainbow Dragon Studio is located in a historic turn of the century business and residential complex right across the street from Ashby BART in central Berkeley. The address is 1985 Ashby, 1/2 way between Adeline and Otis.

This is a networking social, please bring business cards, a yoga mat and your favorite bottle of wine or other beverage. Don't forget to have something with you to stow other folks business cards in.

Please arrive between 6:20 - 6:45. You can put your mat down and stretch out at 6:20. Doors close at 6:45. If you arrive after this, you may not be able to get in.

Yoga begins promptly at 6:45, winding down with a brief ritual by 7:30

This is where we open those bottles and you get to share scintillating conversation over your favorite beverage. (Or just breath and "ohm" if that's more your style.)

At 8pm Dakota and Friends will be offering:

Bodywork and energy mini sessions (Dakota McKenzie)

Astrology mini sessions (Jamie Kahl)

Tarot mini readings (Andy Davis)

(Yes, everything is "mini" so we can fit you all in. There is no charge for this. Our only requirement for any mini session is that you have not yet experienced our work...Enjoy!)

Note: This is a business AND residential neighborhood. Please respect the natives coming and going. Taking BART is a supergreat way to come as you only have to walk across the street (Ashby) and there you are. Parking can be had on Adeline and in the BART parking lot. Please try Otis St. last, as it is residential and folks will be returning from work looking to park in front of their homes. We appreciate your being a good neighbor.

Thank-you for showing up! Thank-you for helping us pilot this event! If we like it and you like it, there may be more! We might even bring YogaVino to your business! (Talk to John).

(Keep an eye out for an October YogaVino at Rainbow Dragon Temple in the Berkeley Hills, home of Dakota's MoveAlive! groups, Body Being Self Healing experiential journey workshops (on self healing, intuition and creativity in the cycle of the seasons), and Remembering the Circle Priestess training.)

We look forward to meeting you and sharing a most memorable evening!

We are all crystal light pillars of radiant beingness! The Dragon wants YOU to help change the world back to the amazing place it really is!

Cast:

Dakota McKenzie John Van Dinther

David Schlussel, Robin Sylvan, Andy Davis

Jamie Kahl

How Meditation Can Make Your Business Work

2009-07-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

Your business demands that you wear many hats and that you juggle them constantly. Juggling hats! You have to be aware of your options, prioritize tasks, and be reliable. How can you do all that? Regular practices help.

Managing in-boxes, planning the week ahead, tracking your finances - these are all jobs that can get boring or slip beneath your radar.

Creating a regular meditation practice is the best tool you have for keeping your business house in order, here's how:

Every day, for 7 days, sit for 5 minutes and concentrate on your breath. When you notice you have become distracted, by stray thoughts or emotions, acknowledge the distraction and return to your breath. This will attune you to focusing on simple tasks.

After a week of meditating, plan to work on something you normally find challenging right after your meditation. (I find this is a good time to track my finances.) While you work, remain in a meditative state, concentrating on steady breath and returning to the task at hand when you become distracted.

Soon, you will notice that your task has simply become a set of actions. Your commitment to the meditation becomes associated with your commitment to the work. I've noticed that when I meditate right before a task I no longer judge the task as hard or boring, it's simply what I'm doing right now.

San Francisco Bay Area Networking Events Calendar

2009-07-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

How To Market Your Small business

2009-04-22T13:42:00.001-07:00

Thumbnail GTD

2009-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Bare Bones of Getting Things Done

Capture all incoming Information into inboxes:

Paper
Email
Voice

Empty those every day by applying the 5Ds:

Do (like, right now)
Delegate (hand it to somebody else to do)
Defer (put it off)
Deposit (file)
Delete (don't do ever)

The first three Ds take action and need tracking in a system of lists:

Do (task list): If the action can be done in a couple of minutes, do it right then.
Delegate (waiting for list): Give it to someone else and track it.
Defer (calendar): No shame in doing it later. Just track it.

During the day, work the tasks lists as your Calendar permits, and review the waiting for list to follow up. And remember. Never ever let an item slide on your calendar.

Props to Matthew Cornell for his awesome translation of David Allen's ideas.

Workshop: Why Is Facebook Important?

2009-04-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

A Beginner's Workshop Lead by John Van Dinther

A hands on beginners introduction exploring the why and the how of Facebook. How can it help your business? What will you get out of it personally? Facebook is simple and hugely popular, making it one of the best ways to reach your community either for personal use or to help grow your business. We will explore the pages, groups, events, profiles and posting tools. Learn how to post Youtube videos and promote your blog or website. We'll go step by step through the process. Bring your laptop or share with a friend.

Details:
$10 Donation / Nobody Turned Away
Monday, April 6th
7pm - 9pm
Hosted by: Avra Organic Spa
505 beach street
San Francisco

Transcending Procrastination Interview With Chris Edgar

2009-03-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

Chris Edgar is a coach focused on productivity through perfecting your inner game. We discuss the reasons why people procrastinate and how to overcome those hurdles through specific tools and processes you can implement immediately.

5 Steps to Making Facebook Useful

2009-03-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, you are wasting time on Facebook already, mostly complaining about the new format change, or grumbling about how you've "...got to get away from the keyboard!". Amen to that Sister! But how about taking making your Facebook time productive?

Here's the first 5 steps to spreading the word about your business on Facebook.

1) Create a Facebook Page. A Page is like a profile for a business. It's free and everything you post on it goes to the wall of your page's fans. If you've ever "become a fan" of something on Facebook, it's just like you've become that page's friend.

2) Put some stuff up on your page. Pictures, videos, notes, anything useful that people like to see and share. The trick is putting up stuff that people will share with their friends. Add business contact information to your Info. tab and add applications that are useful to your fans. It's like you have a free website! How cool is THAT?!?

3) Invite your friends to become fans of your page. Post your Facebook Page on your status updates, invite people to check out the new place you made. Yoga Nexus posts great yoga poses and health tips. (Shameless Plug ahead) 2hats Consulting posts business advice.

4) Create a live event for all your friends and fans to come see your work and meet each other. One of my clients, Avra Organic Spa, has had fabulous success throwing parties, clothing swaps and workshops. It gets Avra's fans away from their computer and out meeting the Avra folks in person.

5) Track the page traffic. On the left menu, underneath the [more] button is an item called [View Insights] that shows you how many visitors you've had, and where they came from. Very handy.

The Last Option: Entrepreneurship

2009-03-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

The New York Times has a great article about how Bay Area residents, faced with unemployment, are turning into entrepreneurs out of necessity. I predict that inventions will soon follow, benefiting us all.

SAN FRANCISCO — Alex Andon, 24, a graduate of Duke University in biology, was laid off from a biotech company last May. For months he sought new work. Then, frustrated with the hunt, he turned to jellyfish. In an apartment he shares here with six roommates, Mr. Andon started a business in September building jellyfish aquariums[more]

Facebook or Twitter for Marketing?

2009-02-18T14:14:00.000-08:00

My buddy Jon sent me this tidbit from TechCrunch, discussing an interesting survey of Social Media Marketers by Abrams Research:

If you were to ask “over 200 social media leaders” which social media site they would pay for if they had to, as Abrams Research recently did, Facebook would come out on top, with 32.2 percent saying they would pay for it. (Yeah, right). LinkedIn was second, Twitter was third, and MySpace and Digg tied for last place (with only 1.5 percent of respondents saying they’d pay for those services). But if you ask, which one would they recommend for businesses to pay for (if they had to), Twitter beats Facebook by more than two to one (39.6 percent vs. 15.3 percent). LinkedIn again comes in second. Why did Twitter come out on top... [more]

I'm skeptical. I think that Twitter can't match Facebook for marketing, though I get why the social marketers think it should. Twitter delivers concise messages, via mobile applications, to hungry audiences. But it's a should thing. Twitter just doesn't mix their media with video and images. There's also more contexts like groups, events and Facebook Pages, to spread the word. The marketers like Twitter's focus, but I like Facebook's mix of options.

Once Fbook goes mobile, the way Twitter has, that's the game for Twitter. Heck, Facebook could integrate Twitter traits (threaded status updates) within the year, then what happens to Twitter's position?

What sort of fool am I to cut against the masters of Social Marketing? Join the commentary below.

High Quality Procrastination

2009-02-18T00:40:00.000-08:00

I called my friend Scott yesterday, muttering about how I was putting off preparation for a Facebook workshop I was going to lead. I mentioned that at least I was avoiding preparing by working on my newsletter.

"Ah, you have higher standards of procrastination. You're improving, good work."

He was right. I used to put off tasks by watching a movie or playing a video game, now I can't get away with that. Right at this moment I'm putting off working out, something I promised myself I'd do before going to bed, but I'm blogging instead. I'm blogging away like a fanatic.

Entrepreneurs hit productivity blocks and, because they work alone, there's nobody around to push the action button. Overcoming procrastination isn't just a neat idea, it pays the bills. Having good work habits is critical, you know that. But how do you develop good work habits in the first place?

My friend Brad started a movement he calls coworking: People working on separate projects in one location to support each other. Here's how to set up a coworking group:

Email several entrepreneurs you know. Invite them over to tea and a coworking session. Before you get together, set up a format. How long will you meet for? How much social time you will spend before (or after) your coworking session? Exchange information on what you will be working on; just saying what you intend to do, out loud, can have a tremendous impact on follow through.

For bigger problems, you need to step back. Is there something that isn't right? Are you in the wrong business? Why can't you sit still? Chris Edgar, of Purpose Power Coaching, has developed 3 productivity solutions: Attention, Intention and Foundation.

And then there's the, "Get 'er done method" for those of you who don't buy into support groups or complicated theories. Are you one of those people? You know that it's about getting your nose to the grindstone and pushing. Well here's your solution: Write a list with pen and paper...right now. Go do it, 5 items max. Just go write it down. Okay, you got your list? Now go do the first item. ~Yep~

Workshops And Business Tips

2009-02-10T07:53:00.000-08:00

Yoga - Network - Wine

Yes you can network in yoga clothes!

Presented By:
Open Here Yoga &
2hats Consulting

Bring your yoga mat, connect with entrepreneurs, have a glass of wine... Hurrah!
30 minute yoga practice lead by David Schlussel. Then get to know each other over a glass of wine.

Deets:
Free
Monday, February 23rd
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Location TBA

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

I Love You Because: A Night of Music, Art and Interactivity!

A collaborative photo project about love...the perfect Valentines Evening in SF.

Deets:
$10 Cover
Saturday, February 14th,
8pm-Midnight
The Design Guild Gallery
427 Bryant Street
San Francisco

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

....Slice Of The Day

Management Slice of The Day
When an employee or a charge comes to you with a problem like, " X is broken, what should we do about it?" don't take the bait. The best solution is to turn it around by responding, " What do you think is the best solution? What would you do?". This gives them ownership of the problem and the solution. They will feel empowered and it saves you time.

Marketing Slice of The Day
To find out what search terms people are using in your industry use the Google Search Keyword Tool. You will learn a lot about what words are most important to use in blog posts, newsletters, and what industry categories you are competing in.

Financial Slice
San Francisco has a number of Tax Credits based on what zone your business is in. Check out: Buena Vista strategies. Also call the San Francisco Board Business Hotline at (415)-861-4002 for information.

Development Slice
Create a plan first. 1. Write out the measurable goal 2. Brainstorm required components of the goal 3. Organize Components 4. Break down the components into tasks 5. Assess the task list to make sure it will take you to your goal directly, then get into action!

...and a slice of Life:
Go, right now, and sign up to volunteer for an afternoon at a cause you support... I just did and I feel great :)

Three Networking Events You Could Actually Have Fun At...

2009-01-30T21:40:00.000-08:00

Burlesque at a clothing designer's trunk show, a burlesque birthday bash at Club Sutra and the perfect Valentines art opening.

...plus 4 slices of piping hot bidness advice, fresh from the oven.

Management Slice of The Day

Before completing your work day, create a list of the next day's activities. This will get all those unfinished details out of your head and on to the page. Then, when you're taking that first sip of tea in the morning you can peruse the list with a fresh eye.

Marketing & Sales Slice of The Day

Create a leads list that adjusts anticipated income from a client depending on the chances you have of landing that client.

Financial Slice

Create a monthly budget from the last month's report of income and expenses. Then look at the same month's results from the previous year. Now you will be able to tell if your fluctuations are seasonal or dependent on some other factor.

Development Slice

Create a brainstorming group with 6 fellow entrepreneurs. Each business gets 20 minutes of floor time, exploring challenges and opportunities for your business.

Where To Connect In The City

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

LoVeBoMb - A Lover's Soiree

A Valentines Day Trunk Show put on by San Francisco's freshest clothing designers!
~~ Burlesque Show~~ Starting at 5pm
Performances by:
Les Moquettes Coquettes
Cheese Puff Girls

Deets: LoVeBoMb - A Lover's Soiree
Saturday, February 7th (2Pm - 7Pm)
Club Mighty
119 Utah St San Francisco

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

Tira's Birthday Bash

One of my favorite clients, Avra Organic Spa, is having a birthday party for Tira (the owner) at Club Sutra this Saturday night. Tira asked if I knew any cool people who wanted to come.

You can get in free and hooked up with the party by getting on to the invite list through this [link]

~~Burlesque attire for the ladies, suits for the men~~

Deets: Tira's Birthday Bash
Saturday, January 31st 10:00 pm
Club Sutra
443 Broadway North Beach, San Francisco
Dress Code: Burlesque
www.avraorganicspa.com/birthday

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

I Love You Because... Gallery Opening

A super kewl art opening is a great place to connect and network with people. Missing Piece presents "I Love You Because . . . " Join Alex Warnow as he unveils 15 large prints at The Design Guild Gallery, We'll have wine and cheese (it is a gallery opening, right?) and many of the participants will be on hand. There will also be a limited quantity of books on sale. If you know you want one I suggest you buy it in advance.

Deets: I Love You Because... Gallery Opening
Thursday, February 5th, 6pm-9pm
The Design Guild Gallery
427 Bryant Street (at 2nd street), San Francisco

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

...and a slice of Life
Find someone who doesn't share your political views, ask them about their core beliefs, and JUST listen.

How San Francisco Service Entrepreneurs Are Surviving The Recession

2009-01-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

There are 740,000 adults in San Francisco. I'm guessing you need to connect to about 400 of them in 2009. Now honestly, are there 400 adults in San Francisco who need your services? I think the answer is yes, and the reason you don't have their business right now is because you haven't called them yet.

Your success isn't about easy times or hard times. Like Woody Allen said, "80% of success is showing up." Success depends on your ability to get the word out and follow through. Think back to 2007. Nobody was pounding on your door back then either, you still had to bring it to them and close the sale. Before, they had to choose between you and a weekend in Vegas, now people are distressed about their 401(k) being down. Nothing has really changed for you as an entrepreneur.

Consider rising unemployment, creeping from about 4% at the end of 2007 to about 6% at the end of 2008. That means you can cut about 15,000 calls from your To-Do list, as they will be busy hustling for new work. Fine. That leaves 735,000 leads for you to call. Now obviously your target market is narrower than the employed population of San Francisco, but your gumption is the limiting factor, not outside forces. There is a sea of business out there.

Yoga, Emotional Expression and Preventative Health Practices

2009-01-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

Come Join Me this Saturday!

I will be moderating a panel discussion on "Yoga, Emotional Expression and Preventative Health Practices" this Saturday (1/17) at 1:30pm at the Unitarian Church in San Francisco. The suggested donation is $97 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. To sign up go to: http://tinyurl.com/JohnVanD

THE HEALTH AND TRANSFORMATION SUMMIT is Your TICKET TO A FRESH START in 2009.

www.luminarysecrets.com

Discover Secrets of Cleansing and Balancing your Mind, Body and Spirit

So Easy, Affordable and Reliable that we guarantee you'll leave this event with renewed energy and passion for life.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed, or your money back!

Featuring over 10 Luminary Masters and Teachers including:

· Dr. Richard DeAndrea ("Dr D"), Naturopathic and Medical Doctor

· Zen DeBrücke, Master Personal Development Teacher

· The Tian Gong International Foundation – featuring Laura Koo and Anahata Sound

· Dr. Cory Reddish, Licensed Naturopathic Doctor

· Laura Ash, Clinical Herbalist

· David Schlussel, Yoga Teacher and Life Coach

· Dr. laura Wald, Licensed Psychologist

...plus Special Guests TBA

ATTENDEES RECEIVE FREE SUCCESS KITS WORTH HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS including FREE HEALTH and WELLNESS PROGRAMS and MATERIALS for your Mind, Body and Spirit.

(Based on your choice of ticket donation levels – no one turned away for lack of funds!)

There is no other place you can get this much valuable information handed to you. You will walk away with specific structured advice and be trained on how to transform your life immediately and ongoing as challenges arise.

You will be Cleansing and Balancing Your BODY

Secrets to FREE HEALTH ASSURANCE
Learn Secrets to Reverse Cancer, AIDS, Diabetes, Heart Disease
Learn SERVERAL Fast, Easy and Reliable ways to Lose Weight – and keep it off for good!
Learn from wellness programs featured on CNN, 48 hrs, Yoga Times, and Lifetime.

You will be Cleansing and Balancing Your MIND

Learn a Practice to Release Yourself of Fear, Stress and Worry
Learn Ancient Techniques to Increase Your Energy and Vitality
Receive Sound Healing Training to Restore, Replenish, and Renew Your Body, Heart and Mind

You will be Cleansing and Balancing Your SPIRIT

Receive Introductory Practices and Activations for Tian Gong – an evolutionary School of Chi-Gong that integrates your mind, body and soul through meditation, movement, sound healing, Taoist alchemy and Spiritual Wisdom
Learn a Reliable Technique to Find Your Highest Purpose on This Planet
Bond with the Bay Area's Evolving Ecosystem of Spiritual Practitioners

If you want to experience these results, then please come support our community with your presence.

Remember – this one-time Summit is by Donation Only. IT WILL SELL OUT QUICKLY so please RSVP NOW.

Yes, I am ready to Reserve My Seat Now!

http://tinyurl.com/JohnVanD

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Please forward this invite to friends and family to join us in this revolutionary one-day journey to cleanse your mind, body and spirit.

www.luminarysecrets.com

P.S. You could WIN $1,300 IN DOOR PRIZES and every attendee will receive hundreds of dollars of FREE MATERIALS and SERVICES if they choose one of our top 3 affordable ticket donation levels. You benefit by booking today.

http://tinyurl.com/JohnVanD

How To Create A Leads List That Will Help You Reach Your Revenue Goals

2008-12-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

A great tool for estimating your revenue goals is to set up a "Leads List" in a spreadsheet. List potential clients and the chances you believe you have of landing each one. This gives you an "Adjusted Estimated Revenue" from that client. In other words, if you expect $1,000 from a client, but you only have a 50% chance of landing the client, the "Adjusted Estimated Revenue" is $500 (1000 x .5 = 500). Obviously you will either be getting $1,000 or NO dollars from that client, but it's a VERY useful method of budgeting and setting goals.

Here's How It's Done:

Open up a new spreadsheet
Pick a financial goal for a period (Like $10,000 in January 2009)
Enter "Dates" in the 1st column
List clients in the "Source" column
Put what you expect that client to generate financially in "Potential Revenues"
Predict the % odds of getting that client in the "Adjustment" column
In the "Adjusted Estimated Revenues" column, multiply "Potential Revenues" by "Adjustment"
At the bottom right cell you add the "Adjusted Estimated Revenues" to get your expected income for the period

By adding up your "Adjusted Estimated Revenues" you have a pretty good idea of your take for that period. You'll get better at guessing the adjustment % as you use the tool and you can use the Google Docs revision tool to track how well you guessed.

Another great use is seeing if your income is wedged towards the end or the beginning of the month, which you can do by sorting the date column. (Tip of the hat to Sat for this recommendation)

As you contact clients you can change the "Adjustment" column % to reflect what happened.
If the client declines, change the result to 0%. If you will be talking more with the client, or they're thinking about it, change to a % that best reflects the situation. When you close, change your "Adjustment" % to 100%. This way you'll have an up to date "Best Estimation" of revenues.

How We Got Into This Mess Of A Recession

2008-11-28T14:22:00.000-08:00

I am a fiscally (and socially) liberal entrepreneur from San Francisco with an MBA. That means I believe in socialized medicine AND the right to make money. I've never called myself a Centrist either, though Obama might be just that.

I've tended to blame the current crisis on Republicans because they're in charge and I dislike their social policies anyway. When pressed, I blame George Bush because he blew all the money on the war.

There's more to it, though, and I'm beginning to see both sides. Democrats & republicans both, are responsible for the current economic crisis. Michael Porter discussed the issue in Business Week:

"Republicans keep repeating simplistic free-market thinking, even though the absence of all regulation makes no sense. Self-reliance is preached as if no transitional safety net is needed. Some Republicans even argue passionately that the country should have no strategy [snip] Democrats, meanwhile, keep talking as if they want to penalize investment and economic success. They defend unions obstructing change in areas like education [snip] [and] equivocate on trade in an irreversibly global economy. They seem to think social progress can be achieved only at the expense of business."

Our education system really has been starved by Republican policies, but it wasn't healthy before that because of the know-nothing, tenure entrenched, teacher's unions and school administrations. Those people vote blue every time. Democratic party line insists that forcing businesses to only buy and sell US products will help our economy, ignoring the right and the advantage of doing business globally. These restrictions are a form of trade regulation but regulation has different facets, some of them quite useful, as we look into it.

Business regulation is any legal restriction that limits buying and selling. One form of regulation could be making fireworks illegal because they are dangerous. The idea is that that legally regulating these transactions will serve the interests of customers and improve our society.

Strong regulation has another byproduct, it creates a more competitive business environment, it makes companies comparatively stronger when they become international players. For example, the auto industry in Japan is heavily regulated, and while other forces are also in play, the quality regulations result in competitive advantage against Detroit's Big Three. We drive Hondas because they last longer, and they got that way, in part, because Japanese law requires high quality products.

There are banks in the US that are doing quite well because they voluntarily steered away from poor investments. If there had been a legal standard for all US financial firms, the rest of the World markets would be turning to US firms for support, rather than the other way around.

Supporting free markets and strong regulation, we see, isn't a contradiction at all. The regulation improves quality and competition, global trade creates more choices and competition. Quality - Choice - Competition. These turn out to be good for markets and the people that use them, and if supporting that makes me a Centrist then so be it.

September 2008 Marketing Trends

2008-11-28T12:30:00.001-08:00

Start Now - Get Investors Later

2008-11-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

Start-up capital isn't the solution for 90% of brand new start-ups, in fact it's usually a problem. Most likely, if you look at your business plan straight on, you will see that you actually CAN start your business without other people's money. Usually it's a waste of time anyway because nobody with any common sense trusts you to be able to effectively manage their money.

Here's why:

1st - You could be making the best pizza in town, but that doesn't make you a good pizzeria owner. Think about who you give your money to, they're experienced at what they do. Investors feel the same way.

2nd - New business owners blow money on stupid things. It's not their fault, they just don't know any better. You are going to make mistakes because you are new and there's no shortage of other people who have already been around the block a few times who want to borrow money. The smart money will go to them.

3rd - All your early money will be going into building infrastructures that already exists in established businesses. Again, money will flow to where it has been treated well.

Your business plan should be for you personally, it's not some 30-page advertisement. When you think you need money to complete a task, the first thing to do is to find a free work-around. If it's part of the critical path, spend from your own pocket. If you can't afford it then see if there's a barter solution available.

If you can't do it on your own, it might be a great idea to get involved with a business that's very similar and already established. Mentors and coaches are SO valuable. Swallow your pride and go learn from a veteran. It will save you time and money and grief.

So stop walking around with your hat in hand and start working on your projects. Make a plan, take action - rinse, repeat. If you do that for a while you'll start to feel pride in your abilities. People will begin to get interested in what you're doing and eventually they'll start to offer you money. Now THAT'S a nice position to be in.

Starting on your own is the best thing in the world. Believing in yourself enough to jump the cubicle and be an entrepreneur is exciting, it's fun and it proves mettle. Go for it.

The Recession Proof Entrepreneur

2008-11-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

I was with a client last Friday, and the recession came up. When I mentioned how lucky we are to be entrepreneurs he looked startled. " You and I, " I continued, "we have the opportunity to make choices, to adjust to our environment. All those folks in cubicle-land are just waiting for the ax to fall, or not, depending on somebody else's ability to adapt to hard times."

I'm focusing my attention on San Francisco based businesses, I'm offering cost savings tools and I'm addressing client's financial concerns head on. People are feeling cautious, even when they take on a new project or go solo. Planning and rigorous assessment are important steps that I include in my offering. I'm adapting to the new market's terrain, and that's the opportunity of being an entrepreneur in a recession.

An economic downturn is like a crucible. It burns off fat and distraction, leaving our strongest values and commitments. What we gain is structure and stability once the fires have died down. We have been adding new projects: Web 2.0, the green movement and faith-based politics for the last 8 years. We will see what's truly sticky, and what just constituted big talk, after the ashes cool.

I especially appreciate the recession's effect on my fellow entrepreneurs. Relentless optimism is pretty easy in easy times, but character is revealed through adversity - it sure is true that relentless optimism is the best tool available to us now.

Small Business Networking Event In Campbell, CA 12/01/08 6pm

2008-11-22T00:22:00.000-08:00

Chrystal Bougon is hosting a Biznik networking event (registration required) for local small business professionals. I've found Biznik to deliver as advertised - "business networking that doesn't suck".

If you're looking to connect to local entrepreneurs, Biznik really delivers. What separates it from standards like chamber groups or BNI is the attitude. This is a more tech. savvy crowd tending to be more connected and less regimented. Each event has its own stylings, of course, but I usually like the flavor.

Open Here Yoga Retreat Testimonial Video

2008-11-14T03:04:00.001-08:00

The participants of the Open Here Yoga Retreat talk about what they got from their retreat experience. They LOVED it!

10 Steps To An Effective Web Strategy

2008-11-08T00:20:00.000-08:00

1. Write 10 articles about your work
That's right 10. Go write them now... done yet? Just remember that you'll be writing about what you love to do. If you don't love what you do you're in the wrong line of work. You should think about keywords, but that's another article. Just be clear about what you do and the solutions you provide. Start with a list of topics that pertain to your field and that will be valuable for clients. Outlines are great for this sort of thing.

2. Start a blog on Blogspot
...or Wordpress, whatever floats your boat. Just go there and start an account. Pick a template, you can always change it, but start posting now. Remember, you can delete stuff and you can change stuff whenever - so get it going and think about details later. You don't need any web skills or anything like that.

3. Post articles weekly
The big rule is to start now, to post often, and to get all that rich content out there. Remember to add labels (sometimes called tags). I strongly recommend you get someone to look over your stuff and help edit, that second pair of eyes can be a Godsend. And you've got a ton of content - 10 weeks worth of posts. Tell people about your blog, invite them to visit it through emails. Not everyone will be fascinated, but some people will be.

4. Start a Facebook group
Your friends and relatives are on Facebook, go find them and make friends with their friends. If you don't want to waste all your time reading stupid posts from people you don't know then don't. Don't respond to vampire bites or join stupid groups whose sole purpose is to prove that we're all sorta closely connected. Facebook is the center of town right now, so there's no point in ignoring it. DO go there and start to comment about how your life and your business are connected. Respond to your friends and post interesting tidbits from your blog. Create Facebook events for people to come see you present. This is the easiest place in the world to get the word out, take advantage of it.

5. Make friends & post edited articles
Take those 10 articles you wrote and posted to your blog, edit them to fit your topic on your Facebook group and post them there too. Create links to your blog. Another great place to find viewers for your blog is on other blogs. Go comment on blogs in your field, add a link to your blog at the bottom, especially a topical link to something you've spoken about directly on your own site. People love to click-through and check things out.

6. Create Linked-In & Yelp profiles
Go join LinkedIn and start inviting people you know to connect with you. Then go create a Yelp business profile (different than a personal profile) so people can review your work. The whole idea is to get people to start finding you and clicking on you. Other good sites to make a profile on are Myspace and Biznik and Naymz.

7. Ask for testimonials
Send out emails to people that have used your work and ask for a testimonial. If it helps, you can ask them focusing questions like, "How did I improve your profitability?" or "What a three things you like about my services?". Post the testimonials to your blog and other social profiles.

8. Turn articles into email newsletters
Ok, so remember those 10 articles you wrote? Edit them again to fit into an email newsletter. Remember that people only like valuable information in their email, so stick to bullet points and pithy writing. Also, add a special offer, 10% off or a 2 for 1 introduction - anything that offers direct clear value. Constant Contact is a great tool for this.

9. Turn newsletters into an eBook
By now you've edited those 10 articles a few times, and you've gotten a second set of eyes to go over your work, right? What glues these ideas together? Is there anything else that inspires you about your craft that you haven't shared? Put it in there. This is the beginning of your eBook. There are tons of ebook directories, they may even host and promote your book for free or a sponsorship link posted to your site. eBooks add credibility and give people the big picture on what you offer.

10. Create calls to action...
By now you have begun to generate traffic. People are coming to your blog, they're reading articles, they're downloading your eBook and they're clicking back to your site from your links on other blogs. Now it's time for them to act. Do you want them to call you? Post your phone number prominently. Are you selling online? Make sure that shopping cart button is front and center. Offer discounts if they "Act Now" and be clear about how valuable that will be for them.

Farmers vs Hunters

2008-10-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

Inbound Marketing is a buzzword that could use some clarification. What does it mean to bring people in? Isn't that the same as old-school marketing? In short, no. Think of farming vs. Hunting. Outbound marketing is about going out and hunting down customers. Cold calls, discounts, advertising. The goal is to convince people, and it can burn a lot of energy.

Inbound marketing is about creating rich content that interests your target market. It's about being a resource that people can trust. How-To manuals, instructional videos and expert opinions offered through blogs and websites. These are spread out through social networks and different media: podcasts, videos, eBooks, tweets, whatever. It's also about getting people talking, whether commenting on blog posts or forwarding links, about your topic of expertise. You are suddenly the expert who's word is passed on to others, and people are coming to you for advice, at first, and then your services. Now THAT's harvesting just rewards.

Outbound Marketing - Finding clients

Making sales
Promoting products
Finding leads
Capturing markets

Inbound Marketing - Getting found by clients

Speaking to needs & interests
Providing access to rich content
Creating dialog within community
Connecting through several channels

All The Social Media Sites On One Page

2008-10-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

The Global Social Media Network has a comprehensive list of damn near all the social media sites and the sites with social media tools and, woah! That's a big list. This is a Swiss Army Knife of access to places where you can drop a few links and a few lines of your best content. Remember though, this isn't about places to do free advertising. Inbound media is about speaking to the buyer's interests. Be funny, be cool and, most of all, be knowledgeable about what the buyer wants to read about. Read the comments, think about what people are saying. Do you have anything to say? Most likely you do, and being opinionated is a good thing when it comes to the Internet. Then let her rip -someone out there in "The Tubes" will share your position.

How to Improve Your Self-Control

2008-10-22T01:49:00.000-07:00

PsyBlog looks at how we can actually do those things we intend to do. Good stuff.

Temptation comes in many forms, often so potent, so animal, that it seems impossible to resist.[more]

David Meerman Scott Talks Inbound Marketing

2008-10-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

"Focus on the persona of your buyers rather than your product."

Think like a publisher...what will your buyers want to believe about you or your company? Don't talk about the product itself, nobody cares about your product. Bring the skills of a journalist to the task of discussing the interests of your buyers in the language they use.

1. Nobody cares about your product
2. No coercion is required
3. Lose control
4. Put down virtual roots
5. Create triggers that encourage people to share
6. Point the world to your doorstep

David supports creating a bunch of different marketing efforts. Find what works and focus on that: free ebooks with lots of colors and creative commons licensing, funny videos, blogging and online news releases. He's a big fan of Hubspot.

Productivity 2.0 Means...

2008-10-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

www.zenhabits.com has boiled down some of the best principals for reframing the way you work. It's all about working smarter rather than harder. That sounds easy in principal, but application requires commitment and being accountable.

1. Don’t Crank - Work With Deeper Focus.

Old School: Crank It Out. The old school of productivity taught us how to crank out the tasks. Each task is a widget that needs to be cranked, and the more we crank out, the better. Speed is important, and cranking out more tasks is the ultimate criteria. How many tasks can you finish in a day?

Productivity 2.0: Deep Focus. The new worker isn’t as obsessed with speed. He allows himself to slow down and work at a more leisurely pace. He clears away distractions and allows himself to focus on the task at hand. He gets passionate about important and exciting tasks and gets into Flow. This allows for a new kind of productivity — one where quality matters, where amazing things are produced at an intense rate, where there is a passion and satisfaction in completing a task.[more]

Transformational Yoga Retreat

2008-10-11T03:50:00.000-07:00

OPEN HERE
2008 October 23-26
Expose yourself to your own divinity
Connect with your heart's essence during this four day yoga retreat at the Blue Pearl Temple in Sebastopol, CA. You will be guided through Anusara-Inspired® Yoga and Transformational Circling enabling you to...

Discover, accept, and love yourself more fully
Clarify your path through your yoga practice
Create powerful support for yourself in your relationships and your community

The Open Here Yoga Retreat is designed to connect you more deeply to your heart's essence, your chosen path, and your community by awakening your spiritual growth through Anusara-Inspired® yoga and transformational circling. At the Open Here retreat, you will practice yoga to open your physical form, and move through experiential exercises to help release any blocks to your heart, leaving you in a clear and present space to create your life as an expression of who you truly are. Circling is a practice that gives a person the opportunity to be seen by their community and supported in that space completely. You will be the center of the circle for long enough to feel deeply seen, held to your highest standard and totally loved.

This retreat will bring you home to your body and create breakthroughs in relationships, career and personal expression. You will be nourished by organic food in an exquisite location on a wooded two acre private property. You will enjoy this retreat if you are looking to discover the power within yourself and you want to relate to people in a way that is deeply fulfilling and authentic.

Visit the Open Here Site to find out more.

OPEN HERE: Day by Day

Thursday: Experience Circling firsthand and reinvigorate your yoga practice...

Learn concepts and distinctions for overcoming fears holding you back from your desires
Connect to the group, witness and share while exploring self-limiting beliefs
90 minutes of Breathwork followed by Circling

Together, we will lay the context of community, transformation and yogic philosophy. It will be a day of learning and discovery. Participants will connect to each other, sharing personally where they have been stopped in the past and what breakthroughs they desire from the course. You will discover the line that holds you within your perceived limitations. This same line exists whether exploring physical limits, emotional expression, or exploring the boundary of what is possible in your life. Discover that line, learn how to talk about it, how to be with it when it shows up, and how to hold it... rather than having it hold you.

Friday and Saturday: Go Deeper into Yourself, Yoga and Circling...

Get control back from the voice sourcing old patterns
Learn how to acknowledge and have compassion for that voice
Explore underlying needs and how to fulfill them consciously on your own terms

Friday and Saturday we will go deep, both on the mat and in Circling. You will connect to others in the group, witnessing and encouraging one another as each person shares the fears and desires held in their hearts. What makes this work possible is the power of Reflective Circling. You will have the opportunity to see yourself through the loving eyes of your community. This process will give you fresh insights that could otherwise take years to learn. People who have experienced Circling have changed career paths, created new relationships, and perhaps most importantly, changed their relationship to themselves powerfully and completely.

We have scheduled 90 minute Circles for each participant, and made room for one-on-one coaching to be available during breaks.

Sunday: A Day of Creation, Celebration and Belonging

Create a personal clearing and manifestation ritual
Express your desires through art and dance
Be acknowledged by your community

You will experience a day of powerful integration, taking what you have learned and bringing it into physical form so that your breakthroughs will be manifested in the rest of your life. We will each create a personal ritual, as well as express and celebrate through art and dance. Everyone will have the opportunity to create a plan that will act as a road map in reaching their goals. Leaders and participants will gather together to share acknowledgments. Much celebrating, feasting and dancing will be had by all.

Come join us this October for a life changing experience.

Visit the Open Here Site to find out more.

Open Here Yoga Retreat

2008-09-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

October 23-26
Blue Pearl Temple, Sebastopol, California

Join Anusara Inspired® yoga teacher David Schlussel (www.vidanda.com) and transformational course leader Guy Sengstock (www.aretecenter.com) for four days of coaching and yogic exercises to connect you to wholeness.

Enjoy morning and evening yoga sessions focused on exploring the body as a gateway to presence. Throughout the day you will participate in group exercises designed to reveal long held, unconscious beliefs - revealing your truest essence. Each participant will receive individual attention from course leaders and the group in service of the transformation you seek. Experience true openness to love and connection through integrating transformational life coaching and yoga.

Located at the beautiful Blue Pearl Temple, on a wooded 2 acre private property in Sebastopol, California.

Deliciously decadent, organic California fusion meals.

$980 for camping or dorm sleeping (beautiful private rooms available for extra charge).

Details and directions

call: 415-515-1252

email: yogidavid@gmail.com

beginners welcome!

***A $100 early registration discount is available before September 29th. ***

Google's New Browser Lights a Fire

2008-09-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't played with Google's new web browser, Chrome, yet but John Brandon from Web 2.0 has. I'm intrigued, yet skeptical, about his thoughts on Google's claim for Web dominance. I suspect they just want to make the rest of the horses (IE, Firefox, Opera & Safari) run faster.

Chrome is a first glimpse at Google 2.0, an effort to make cloud computing ubiquitous and the desktop a thing of the past. For anyone who has wondered whether Google will release an operating system, the short answer is: yes, they just did.

And here's the proof. When you install Chrome, it asks you if you want to use Google as the search engine. You might think, well - of course! But what Google is saying with that question is: we intend to own the Web, and when we do, we don't want to get sued for monopolistic practices. Wow. [more]

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - 10 tips

2008-08-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ecommerce-gude.com has ten great tips to help get your site to the top of a Google search.

"What's a Google Sitemap and how does it help search rankings? ...Does it really matter how I handle photos at my site in regard to SEO?" [more]

Learning how to improve your website search ranking is a big task, luckily there's a LOT of information out there on the Web...just do a search.

A guiding principal to getting your site to the top of the search page: write about your interests. I'm a small business consultant who loves entrepreneurship, so I write about the needs of small businesses. I write about it often, making sure to include my service offering - management & marketing solutions. I talk about San Francisco because that's where I work, and I talk about about tools people can use for their small business - like SEO.

I think in terms of a potential client, specifically a San Francisco entrepreneur who could use some website marketing tips. The contents of this post would likely come up when they did a Google search: website marketing tips small business.

When they get to my blog, they just might say, "Oh! A small business consultant! That would be useful, let's give this 2hats a call."

Consultant - Coach - Agent

2008-08-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Q: What do you do as a small business coach?

A: In San Francisco, when I recommend a client focus on health & wellness to build a successful project I'm taken seriously. On that level I'm a business coach ensuring peak performance.

Q: How do you help grow small businesses?

A: SF entrepreneurs love to get out there and network, that's where I start to feel like an agent. There's SO much going on in this town that mixes well with business. Introducing clients to service professionals is fun when both parties are eager and ready to make industry connections.

Q: So where does the consulting come in?

A: When I start advising the client, either brainstorming or teaching, we get to business fast. These SF business owners want tools and action items in bulleted lists --theory earns me brisk nods but we move on quickly to task items.

Q: What makes San Francisco entrepreneurs different?

A: Maybe it's because so many people came to San Francisco from somewhere else. We're here for a purpose, and that makes us enthusiastic and focused on good business practices. It allows me to do the work I do best: Connect, Support & Inform.

Breaking it down...

2008-07-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

A big challenge for entrepreneurs is overwhelm. So many projects, people & problems to solve. The best solution is to breathe. That's definitely the first step. Next, take out a pad of paper and get some of your cluttered thoughts on to the page... this should get you to the point where you can clearly move forward. I use a process called, "Natural Planning" named by David Allen in his book, "Getting Things Done" -- a sort of road map for discovering the components of a project. It's a 5 step process:

1st - Set a clear & measurable goal
2nd - Brainstorm the required components
3rd - Organize the ideas into fields (people to contact, things to buy or build, etc.)
4th - break it all down into specific tasks with dates
5th - Review & assess

At this point, getting it done is a matter of taking one step at a time...

Marketing Interview

2008-04-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

Navigating The Recession Sustainably

2008-04-09T16:00:00.000-07:00

Slate's Daniel Gross opines on the rise of the hybrid in tough auto-markets and it brings to mind my own business model. How can I provide strategies that focus small business people on conservation and opportunity?

"...during recessions, discretionary products suffer while discount products and companies thrive, which is why Wal-Mart has been doing well. But at Toyota, hybrids have been doing well. In March, a month in which total sales fell 3.4 percent from March 2007, Toyota sold 31,552 hybrids, up 19 percent from the year before. Sales of Lexus light trucks rose slightly, powered by rising sales of hybrid SUVs, even as sales of Lexis sedans plummeted. In this down market, sales of high-end vehicles that convey only status are slumping, while sales of slightly less high-end vehicles that convey status and promise gas savings are booming..." [more]

New Money

2008-04-08T19:37:00.000-07:00

New investors are changing the definition of good business and it includes conservation. Of course many of us already look at conservation as the heart of good practices, but the money people didn't always think this way.

Traditionally, economists thought consumption pushed trade forward. So the more people consumed the more value (wealth) would be created Globally. But what if transactions weren't pegged to consumption? Perhaps trading creates wealth and what people do with the goods afterwards should be tracked in terms of environmental impact instead of economic impact? What if we just keep on trading services and low-impact resources?

From this view, conservation is no longer the boogey-man of good business practices.

Money flowing into investments on route distant from Wall Street by ZDNet's Harry Fuller -- One Silicon Valley venture capital firm announced they’ll put a quarter-billion dollars into green tech. Runs counter to the frenzied state of Wall Street and the Federal Reserve where they think a bunch of bankers missing their annual bonuses is somehow a really important economic problem. Meanwhile, energy prices continue to rise and [...]

Services

2008-02-20T02:27:00.000-08:00

Small Business Strategy Consulting

Clarify Purpose & Align With Values

We use exercises and personal coaching to reveal your deepest goals for your business, and then apply strategic planning to create a detailed map showing how to get there.

Multi-media visioning
Collaborative brainstorming
Strategic thinking
Task based action plans

Discover Current Position

We break down the components and processes of your business to reveal information blocks, untapped resources and new opportunities.

On site assessments
Expert consulting & support
Extensive reporting & documentation

Develop Optimal Practices

We collaborate with you to create solutions that are personalized to fit your life and your business, finding new opportunities and simplifying your processes.

Using personal expression as marketing
Sustainability strategies to save & connect
Strategic planning tools & tricks
Automate systems for clarity & ease

Accountability

We check-in regularly, making sure you are on path to reach your expressed goals.

Session reviews document materials covered
Action plans break down what's next
24/7 support to Keep your business on track

Business Strategy

2008-02-19T16:27:00.000-08:00

Business has four sectors and it is useful to know which one, or
what combination, you are working in.

External Relationships:
Advertising, Suppliers, Outside Retailers, Marketing, sales.
This is your connection to the outside world, where you present
yourself & your craft. The most important distinction to make here is
that your presentation is often different from what others receive. In
other words, think from the receiver's point of view rather than your
own...what do they see & what to they really want?

Internal Processes:
Scheduling, Production, Delivery & Documentation.
How you track your business is a set of practices that should fit your
personal style and get the job done right. Some people remember their
schedules in their heads while others print out procedures for getting
out of the house and into the studio every morning. Evolving
practices will grow with you your entire life. Processes are the living
expression of your craft in The World, and having a written map of that
process frees your mind for manifesting your vision.

Finances:
Budgeting, Income & Expenses, Taxes.
Money is more than just dollars. It is a flow of energy between people, describing what they
agree is of value. Avoiding tracking your money doesn't eliminate
expenses & income, it just hides details from your consciousness, but
you always know on the inside. Being willing to face your money flow
takes courage and support --it's worth it.

Development:
Training, Education, Expansion.
Personally expanding your skills & abilities is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. Intentionally creating a personal development path, from daily meditation to
personal-finance-seminars, will insure that you serve your craft
powerfully. Be willing to set aside your ego and explore what you
don't know.

Working in any of the four regions of business should serve yourvalues & vision. Whenever you choose distributors, make sales, explore new possibilities...any business activity --ask yourself, "Does this serve my values?" If it doesn't, explore an alternative route that does. Business can be hard work and knowing The World is being served provides vitality and clarity to your business practice.

Testimonials

2008-02-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

“John's strength lies in his enthusiasm and passion. He is the one who will jump start your business, by energizing you! John has impeccable personal integrity and will hold you and your goals as sacrosanct. I highly recommend John to anyone who doesn't know where or how to start - he will carve out the path for you.”
Kevin O'Malley, Life Coach

"Avra Organic Spa would not be in business today if it wasn't for John Van Dinther.
I met my business partner through John, she was also his client. I couldn't have found a better business partner on my own.

John has a way of making business easy. His coaching has eased my pain in so many areas of business: internet marketing, business structure, and most recently (and most importantly) management of employees. This is an area I believe ALL entrepreneurs need some guidance in, and John is absolutely genius when it comes to working with, and managing, others.

I highly recommend anyone who needs some guidance in their business, or in their personal life, to hit up John for an introductory consultation, he's totally worth it."
Laura Ash, Clinical Herbalist, Co-Owner Avra Organic Spa

"...John is an inspiration to work with, always coming up with new and innovative ways to tackle obstacles. He is a genuine and caring person, always looking out for his team and striving to bring everyone around him to new heights. Anyone would be lucky to work with John and be exposed to his pioneering and motivating mind.”
Jenny Fredrickson, Management Analyst, BearingPoint

"It's really a pleasure to write a testimonial about John. His skill in explaining business concepts and structuring our approach to challenges has been incredibly valueable, but the first thing you'll noticed about him is how into all of the meta aspects of your business he is. John gets that your passions are the fuel for everything yet to come, and he engages you in friendly and supportive dialogs to define what these core values are. This was true of our very first conversation, and its true of every meeting we have. I came to John wanting to turn my 10 year career as an in house sound designer into a freelance operation for film, video games and commercials. We are getting ready to launch, and I can tell you that the progress has been incredible from both a business and personal point of view. I know I'm moving towards doing what I love. And as John continually says..."Do what you love well and customers will want a piece of it."
Andrew Lackey, Sound Engineer

“John, is a tenacious worker and a decisive thinker! Not afraid to move in and get things done. Willing to work and work hard. When he believes in something he will fight hard to attain it.”
Kevin Atkin, CEO, Strategic Partners Global Solutions

"John is able to clearly identify and explain key pieces of business, while providing tasks that keep clients on track, engaged in the process...”
Kaye Porter, Presentation Skills Coach

“John challenges those around him to think outside of the box. I hate how cliche that sounds though. John is anything but cliche. He is intelligent, communicative, dependable. He solves problems in new and innovative ways. He is creatively competent and uses this strength to develop outstanding best practices in the business environment. He is adept in his interaction with coworkers, team members, advisers, and volunteers. I have grown professionally and personally as a result of our work together.”
Allison Smith, Student CEO, Chico Students In Free Enterprise

“John offers unprecedented depth and insight into everything he touches. He is powerful, efficient, loyal and authentic.”
David Schlussel, Founding Partner, Financial Circles

“John is an amazingly intuitive business person. He is talented in understanding not just the practical business issues of a small business but also the underlying inter-personal issues as well. John is a natural giver who cares deeply about his clients and personal relationships. John consistently over-delivers on his commitments and has high integrity with all his work..."
Oren Jaffe, Sustainability & Green Supply Chain Consultant

“John's intuitive vision quickly gets to the essence of business goals to clarify new opportunities and ways to make them really happen..."
Andrew Peters - Principal, UE Design

“John is dedicated to getting you what you want. He excels with structure and time management..."
Josh Decker

“John has been an amazing resource for my personal development both in business and my personal life. He pushes my edge in organization and time management by focusing on what I say I will do. He is highly demanding of my integrity and of my compassion for myself --that's where John shines as a personal coach: he digs in tight and absolutely supports me while we're in it together. The results have shown up all over: career growth, personal relationships & sense of well-being. I highly recommend John to anyone ready to step-up in their life through deep personal exploration.”
John J. Sims

“John has a finely honed ability to see right through all of your chatter and get right at the heart of things. He can quickly help you set aside all the roadblocks you've put in your way and begin to see clearly the road ahead. He will help you take your bright and shiny possibilities and turn them into brilliant realities.”
Jeffrey Westbrook, IT Mgr., Archdiocese of San Francisco

Contact 2hats Consulting

2008-02-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

John F. Van Dinther
tel. 415.515.1252
2hats.sf@gmail.com
3901 22nd st suite A
San Francisco - California
94114
LinkedIn Profile
Biznik Profile
Facebook Group

What motivates entrepreneurs?

2008-01-28T23:02:00.000-08:00

Money? Control? In truth, some entrepreneurs are expecting to get rich. Others want to grow and control a new venture. But most would probably answer: "both."

The problem, as Harvard Business School assistant professor Noam Wasserman sees it, is that very few entrepreneurs can achieve both—the Larry Ellisons of the business world are few and far between. In fact, there is a fundamental tension between the money side and the control side—getting rich often means selling control to investors; keeping control reduces the payday. [more]

Collaborate & Create for Peace - Jan 26th 3pm

2008-01-25T13:33:00.000-08:00

An awesome way to spend a rainy day. Come hang out in a SOMA loft on Saturday afternoon making Art for Peace. Bring a pal who likes Peace, Art, and hanging out in gorgeous lofts on rainy days.

Where:
81 Langton suite 13, San Francisco, CA [map]

When:
Saturday, January 26, 3:00pm

Contact:
createpeaceproject@gmail.com
www.createpeaceproject.org
415-385-4065

Come participate in an afternoon of artistic exploration as we collaborate in the creation of magical art.

As a first C.P.P. event of the year, we are asking for a small contribution at the door. Support the development of projects and the continued growth of this organization with $20.

A bit about C&C:

Collaborate & Create is one collabroative arts expereince being offered by the C.P.P. It is an opportunity for a group of people to share in the creative experience of making art together. One of the themes is to create beauty out of a recycled or otherwise value-less "canvas". I invite you to bring an item to share with the group.

things that work well include funky pieces of wood, ply, cool doors, platters or trays, old art canvas....look around, notice what's on the streets, see what you might find in the closet, and grab it!

***
There will be food. Please communicate with me if you are interested in contributing something.

art supplies will be provided, though contributions are certainly welcome. (NO OIL PIANT, please)

there is no requirement to bring anything, just bring your loving self and your willingness to step into the unknown.

**dress accordingly

* please come and express your self

The Competitive Advantage of Nations

2008-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

Michael Porter, over at Hah'vad, has the following to say about government regulation and its impact on global competitiveness.

"Without advanced regulations in areas of legitimate social concern, U.S. industry will lose the innovation race in the affected industries and U.S. products will not sell well to sophisticated customers abroad. Stringent standards for products, environmental quality, and the like not only benefit the social agenda but are vital to the economic agenda. [more]

Hair of the Dog

2008-01-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

Michael Kinsley has started the public shouting match that will dominate the next ten years of economic theory in the United States. What if there's more to healthy markets besides loose cash? What if Europe & China aren't just money hating Commies? At the bottom of the article Kinsley peeks into solutions for the sub-prime train wreck, touching on the other function of government forgotten by Republicans: Regulation.

"...the government should go out and borrow even more money and pass it around for us to spend. The experts caution that for maximum stimulus effect, we must be sure to spend it immediately. No squirreling it away for a rainy day. In drinking circles, they call this hair of the dog: to cure a hangover, you have another drink. [more]"

How Meditation Affects the Brain

2008-01-25T10:17:00.000-08:00

Research on metaphysical practices has shown mixed results, from the rise and fall of prayer circles to the sudden loss of telepathic skills inside controlled environments. Exploring meditation's effects on human minds has yielded surprise as well.

"...my boyfriend, who had practiced mindfulness meditation for almost four years... had taken his own life last January, and so I wondered if mindfulness meditation was really for everyone...

Later, the woman sitting next to me handed me a folded piece of paper and said to me, “This isn’t from me; it’s from another women who just left.” On the front it read, “To a writer who will write a book I will read.” I opened the note from this mystery woman and read, “I came tonight thinking I would take my life. I won’t now because of you. Thank you.” [Amanda Coggin]

12 Design principles For Permaculture

2008-01-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

David Holmgren has developed 12 design principles for permaculture:

observe and interact
catch and store energy
obtain a yield
apply self-regulation and accept feedback
use and value renewable resources and services
produce no waste
design from patterns to details
integrate rather than segregate
use small and slow solutions
use and value diversity
use edges and value the marginal
creatively use and respond to change

Entrepreneurship Coaching Cycle

2008-01-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Discover - Where you are in life and work.
Plan - Develop a work process that supports you.
Align - Address old patterns that don't serve.
Execute - Get into action on new work process.
Clarify - What is working & what needs adjustment.
Assess - What has been accomplished & what is next...

Working With 2hats

2007-12-20T00:53:00.000-08:00

The work we do at 2hats is manifesting dreams --your dreams. You have the ability and the passion and 2hats brings the map. You be ready to learn, be ready to share yourself and go for it. Then we go on the ride together, working hard, getting nervous and making it happen - and it's a ton of fun :)

Will Market Forces Stop Global Warming?

2007-12-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Jim Heskett, from Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge website opened up a conversation about Global Warming from a business & markets perspective. Some respondents proposed a mix of forces from government and private interests would be required to get things moving. Others claimed that we will keep on our current path until we burn off the last low-hanging hydrocarbon.

"...Green Is the New Red, White, and Blue. Whether or not you believe that humans are causing global warming or that it is occurring at all is beside the point..." [more]

Professional Network

2007-12-02T19:18:00.000-08:00

Your business requires a mix of support tools provided by other professionals. Graphic design, bookkeeping & computer expertise are a few of the jobs that need getting done --but that you probably won't do yourself.

Web content & Email newsletters
Legal Support
Presentation Development
Proposals
Tax & Accounting Services
Printing

John will introduce you to professionals you can trust and who will fit your work style.

The Heart of Marketing

2007-11-27T11:55:00.000-08:00

“A good ad should be like a good sermon: It must not only comfort the afflicted, it must also afflict the comfortable.”

— Bernice Bowles Fitz-Gibbon, Advertising Pioneer

The Secret to Success

2007-11-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

The secret to successful business is aligning your actions with your dreams. You have a craft and a vision for bringing it to the world.

Most business consultants don’t deal with emotions, yet the best business people are always those who make "gut decisions". They aren't talking about their tummy, they're talking about making decisions from their emotions. Vision is sourced from those emotions.

On the other hand, the emotion of fear is also what's keeping you on the couch. You are NOT lazy or uninspired or stupid --REALLY. You are just afraid.

So emotions are key and you keep trying to be more reasonable, but that's like trying to paint watercolors with a monkey wrench. Your emotions don't work like that.

The key to overcoming fear is to say, "Thank you for sharing fear". Really feel it, and then get into action. There are risks and the fear is intense, but that's what it takes. Living your vision is intense and beautiful and scary --and that's exactly what you signed up for.

Defining Sustainable

2007-11-25T22:20:00.001-08:00

The Montague Institute has a list of tools for triple bottom reporting. It's dense reading, as taxonomy tends to be, but developing truly effective tracking methods is at the heart of corporate oversight practices. Since biology doesn't fudge the number, neither can we...

About John Van Dinther

2007-11-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

John has 15 years experience as an entrepreneur and has been a consultant since 1997. He is passionate about forming connections and new opportunities in order to help create great projects. He believes that small business is simple but requires stamina, integrity and creativity to be fun -which is the whole point of entrepreneurship, to have fun.

John received his Master's Degree in Business from California State University, Chico (2006).

Online Marketing

2007-11-21T00:20:00.000-08:00

Online marketing and an Internet presence gives potential clients a place to learn more about you. John will create a clear Internet road-map, so you can present yourself professionally without wasting money or time.

Web Site Content
Online Advertising
Social Networks
Email Newsletters
Blogs

3 large & socially conscious funds

2007-11-21T00:15:00.002-08:00

Home

2007-11-20T23:58:00.000-08:00

Create a strategic plan that will grow your business.

Entrepreneurs wear 2 hats to work. The worker's hat is for creating a product or delivering a service --the craft. The owner's hat goes on to take care of business. Sales, budgeting & development are skills most new entrepreneurs weren't trained for. 2hats consulting provides tools to wear the owner's hat more effectively and makes it more fun to wear as well.

Marketing
Project Planning
Financial Tracking
Business Development

2hats Consulting gives you the big picture on your small business.

Business Networking

2007-11-20T19:05:00.000-08:00

Getting a successful business off the ground means being a part of a community. Clients & business peers will be the foundation of your business's community. 2hats will introduce you to local groups of entrepreneurs that fit your personal style.

It may sound scary, but finding people just like you who are making it happen is a great way to get through the day. We will go in prepared with a general outline of what the group does and how you could fit in. We will work as a team, making introductions and then determining if there is a good fit with the networking group.

2hats Coaching Services

2007-11-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

Use coaching tools to clarify your goals for your business, and then apply natural planning to create a detailed map showing you how to get there.

* Clarify purpose
* Collaborative brainstorming
* Strategic planning
* Task based action plans

Discover Current Position

We break down the components and processes of your business to reveal information blocks, untapped resources and new opportunities.

* Work process assessment
* Consulting & coaching support
* Access to business tools

Develop Optimal Practices

I will collaborate with you to create solutions that are personalized to fit your life and your business, finding new opportunities and simplifying your processes.

* Using personal expression as marketing
* Sustainability strategies to save & connect
* Strategic planning tools & tricks
* Automate systems for clarity & ease

Accountability

Regular check-ins, making sure you are on path to reach your expressed goals.

* Session reviews document materials covered
* Action plans break down what's next
* 24/7 support to Keep your business on track

2hats Pofessional & Technical Writing

2007-11-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Business Plans
Web content
Email newsletters
Proposals

A sample of 2hats web content (graphics & layout were provided by Swiftmouse) can be found at Step by Step 4 Success.

Business Development Consulting & Coaching

2007-11-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

2hats Consulting transforms your passion for your craft into a powerful force that shapes your business and aligns it with your vision.

Sustainable Development
Marketing & Networking
Management & Scheduling
Budgeting & Financial Tracking

Consulting Process

Weekly On Site Session - In person for 60 to 90 minutes
Session Review Notes - Any session notes I take will be emailed to you
Support Check in - I am available by phone day or night

What Is Entrepreneurship Consulting About?

Discovering Business Vision
Determining Strategic Goals
Assessing Current Position
Developing Action Plans
Establishing Accountability Processes
Implementing Tasks & Check-ins
Reviewing Results

Discovery: Exploring purpose and vision
What inspires you about your craft? How is it received by others? Where does your vision intersect with your business? What is the gap between your current position and your goals? What is the action path that will close the gap?

Breakthrough: Taking action
How are you doing your work? What are you avoiding? Restructure the plan, adapting it to your personal challenges and your core skills.

Expansion: Developing the strategy
Examine the existing plan & explore what's possible. Make adjustments. Expand the action plan strategically.

Assessment: Tracking what happened
Detail what results occurred over the four week intensive and determine the best path forward.

The Shape of Business

2007-08-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Business has four sections, and it's very useful to know which one (or
what mix) you're working in to see where you are:

External Relationships:
Advertising, Suppliers, Outside Retailers, Marketing, sales, Etc.
This is your connection to the outside world, where you present
yourself & your art. The most important distinction to make here is
that what you present is often different from what others get. In
other words, think from the receiver's point of view rather than your
own...what do they see & what to they really want?

Internal Processes:
Scheduling, Production, Delivery & Documentation. How you track what's
going on in your business is a set of practices that should fit your
personal style and get the job done right. Some people remember their
schedules in their heads while others print out procedures for getting
out of the house and into the studio every morning. It is an evolving
practice that will grow with you your entire life. It is the living
expression of your art in the World and having a written map of that
process frees your mind for creating more art.

Finances:
Budgeting, Income & Expenses, Taxes, Etc. Money is more than just
dollars. It is a flow of energy between people, describing what they
agree is of value. Avoiding tracking your money doesn't eliminate
expenses & income, it just hides details from your consciousness, but
you always know on the inside. Being willing to face your money flow
takes courage and support --it's worth it.

Development:
Training, Education, Expansion. Personally expanding your skills &
abilities is the greatest gift you can give to yourself. Intentionally
creating a personal development path, from daily meditation to
personal-finance-seminars, will insure that you serve your art
powerfully. Be willing to set aside your ego and explore what you
don't know.

Working in any of the four regions of business should serve your
artistic vision. Whenever you choose distributors, make sales, explore
new possibilities...any business activity --ask yourself, "Does this
serve my art?" If it doesn't, explore an alternative route that does.
The business of art can be hard work and knowing your artistic vision
is being served provides vitality and clarity to your business
practice.

Optimizing Site Visibility

2007-08-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

Start a Blog... blog every day. Yes, your silly thoughts and musings can be of interest to the universe. Focus on: a) how to do things you do in your work b) what you love and c) how a) supports b). Yep~

Link to sites that charge you and talk about the charge.
Link to sites that you like.
Post your opinions on review sites and other people's blogs -- add links in your comments to your own site if it serves.
Make a Picassa gallery and upload your art and make simple names that describe the image clearly.

How to Grow Your Business

2007-08-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Network with others of the same profession
Take on leadership positions in your community
Build referral programs with other businesses
Be consistent
Ask for specific referrals
Ask for Testimonials
send out Email blasts
Hand out business cards daily
stand in your client's shoes and consider your product or service value
make a long term plan
Track your marketing results
Adapt to new environments

2hats coaching & consulting

2007-08-10T13:27:00.000-07:00

2hats Consulting is a San Francisco-based consulting firm serving entrepreneurs and small businesses committed to reaching their highest potential through values focused business, collaborative planning and measuring results to insure optimal outcomes. I support you as a client by encouraging you to reach for your highest potential, by teaching you how to do it on your own, and supporting you through the roughest challenges.

John F. Van Dinther, Consultant & Coach
I have 15 years experience as an entrepreneur and over 10 years experience as a business consultant. I help business owners get the energy & actions of businesses aligned by focusing on vision, good practices, and detailed planning.

I received my Master's Degree in Business (MBA) from California State University, Chico. There, I developed an entrepreneurship exchange program for Philippino students while working in Manila, revealing leadership potential and creating opportunities through team development & strategic planning.

Since returning to the Bay Area, I have been creating opportunities for entrepreneurs with the passion to see their own vision realized.

The Support Team
Bringing in the experts. I work with small business service providers, learning their strengths and personalities to create good matches for my clients. I will connect you with online marketers, personal assistants, professional organizers, website developers, tax attorneys, bookkeepers, accountants and more.

Small Business Consultant And Coach

5 Ways to Frame A Business Relationship

The 2hats Marketing Guild Begins February 17th

Networking Event: Residential Design using Sustainable Building Practices

2hats Mastermind Business Group: January 13th 2012

THE VALUE OF REJECTION by David Ackert

2hats November Mastermind Business Group

Introduction to Interchange this Monday (9/12/2011)

G+ Hit 10Million Users in 16 Days! Why?

Entrepreneurial Freedom

Websites for service entrepreneurs (Wellness Providers especially)

Comparing Small Business Bookkeeping Software Options

A step by step branding process for your small business

If Business Is Like Dating Then What Are The Rules?

An Alternative Approach To Competition

15 Minute Calls: Accountability groups made easy

Fire Panthers Action Pod - One Month Review

Fire Panthers Action Pods

John's Fire Panther ToDo List (Week 1)

Workshop: How To Connect Your Live & Online Business Communities

Connecting Live Networks to Online Networks (Continued)

4 Fast How Tos: Connecting Live Networks to Online Networks

How to Not Post on Facebook

a common-sense list I hacked from Bob Lewis

5 Tips That Turn A Sale Into An Opportunity

High Quality Networking

Bookkeeper's Roundtable Presentation (1st of 3)

YogaVino Networking Event

Rainbow Dragon YogaVino

Tues August 18th, 6:30 pm!

Rainbow Dragon Studio

1985 Ashby Ave. Berkeley, CA 94703

Dakota here, warmly inviting you to a YogaVino celebrating the opening of Rainbow Dragon Studio, home of Rainbow Dragon Bodymind Coaching (individual sessions and packages of bodywork, White Cloud energy healing and movement/Pilates coaching).

Rainbow Dragon Studio is located in a historic turn of the century business and residential complex right across the street from Ashby BART in central Berkeley. The address is 1985 Ashby, 1/2 way between Adeline and Otis.

This is a networking social, please bring business cards, a yoga mat and your favorite bottle of wine or other beverage. Don't forget to have something with you to stow other folks business cards in.

Please arrive between 6:20 - 6:45. You can put your mat down and stretch out at 6:20. Doors close at 6:45. If you arrive after this, you may not be able to get in.

Yoga begins promptly at 6:45, winding down with a brief ritual by 7:30

This is where we open those bottles and you get to share scintillating conversation over your favorite beverage. (Or just breath and "ohm" if that's more your style.)

At 8pm Dakota and Friends will be offering:

Bodywork and energy mini sessions (Dakota McKenzie)

Astrology mini sessions (Jamie Kahl)

Tarot mini readings (Andy Davis)

(Yes, everything is "mini" so we can fit you all in. There is no charge for this. Our only requirement for any mini session is that you have not yet experienced our work...Enjoy!)

Thank-you for showing up! Thank-you for helping us pilot this event! If we like it and you like it, there may be more! We might even bring YogaVino to your business! (Talk to John).

We look forward to meeting you and sharing a most memorable evening!

We are all crystal light pillars of radiant beingness! The Dragon wants YOU to help change the world back to the amazing place it really is!

Cast:

Dakota McKenzie John Van Dinther

David Schlussel, Robin Sylvan, Andy Davis

Jamie Kahl

How Meditation Can Make Your Business Work

San Francisco Bay Area Networking Events Calendar

How To Market Your Small business

Thumbnail GTD

Workshop: Why Is Facebook Important?

Transcending Procrastination Interview With Chris Edgar

5 Steps to Making Facebook Useful

The Last Option: Entrepreneurship

Facebook or Twitter for Marketing?

High Quality Procrastination

Workshops And Business Tips

Three Networking Events You Could Actually Have Fun At...

How San Francisco Service Entrepreneurs Are Surviving The Recession

Yoga, Emotional Expression and Preventative Health Practices

How To Create A Leads List That Will Help You Reach Your Revenue Goals

How We Got Into This Mess Of A Recession

September 2008 Marketing Trends

Start Now - Get Investors Later

The Recession Proof Entrepreneur

Small Business Networking Event In Campbell, CA 12/01/08 6pm

Open Here Yoga Retreat Testimonial Video

10 Steps To An Effective Web Strategy

Farmers vs Hunters

All The Social Media Sites On One Page

How to Improve Your Self-Control

David Meerman Scott Talks Inbound Marketing

Productivity 2.0 Means...

Transformational Yoga Retreat

Open Here Yoga Retreat

October 23-26 Blue Pearl Temple, Sebastopol, California

October 23-26
Blue Pearl Temple, Sebastopol, California