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Unexpected Trips Can Negatively Impact Any Small Business Owner

November 1, 2011 by Raul Colon

1969749260_967e42fb1b_z Unexpected Trips Can Negatively Impact Any Small Business Owner

Emergency trips can happen for multiple reasons they can be business related or personal in nature. In my case I hardly have those anymore. While working as an employee I did have those last moment trips where the client or my managers might have thought there was an Emergency and I had to get on a plane as quick as possible. I remember I had to scramble to get the less expensive way to get from point a to point b and for that reason I always had my bags packed so I would be able to go on a short notice and make sure I had everything I needed.

Just taking off and leaving being a small Business owner is a very difficult task to do since at the end of the day I don’t have the support team or resources we had while working at places like KPMG. When you leave you have to make sure things continue running even if you are playing multiple roles. If large companies find it difficult to find a replacement for someone imagine a small business owner with much limited resources.

Taking off and going can be difficult for the following reasons:

Additional Expenses

When a client has a need (and is covering travel expenses) this might not be a problem. Where you run into an issue, as a small business owner is that some of these clients reimburse expenses months later so if you have to make a few unplanned business trips the amount of money spent can have a significant impact on your finances.

Other than reimbursable expenses there are other travel expenses that are not reimbursable by the client and can also add up over time.  A good example was an ex-coworker of mine who left a few things behind because he had been called in at last moment. He ended up buying those things out of his pocket although it was really our clients fault for giving us short notice to arrive at that location.

Try to find a way to plan for these situations have money saved up so you don’t have to miss out on the opportunity of helping your client and can wait until they reimburse you.

Unearned Income

If you have to take off on an emergency for personal reasons there is also the situation where you might have lost the opportunity to continue to generate income. If you are paid on an hourly rate or by project and you have to sacrifice time working to handle personal situations this can also impact your finances. Try to find ways where you can actually shift some of the work off to other people in the same field.

It might be an opportunity to create a relationship with a competitor or peer where you both can end up being each other’s backups. If you can also assign tasks that can be easily done by someone else mark up the cost of their time and make a commission of using them on your projects. Not only does this pave the way for keeping your business running when you have your hands tied. It is also an opportunity to grow the capacity of your business and helping you focus on the business and not investing time on every detail.

Out of every situation I have presence being a small business owner I have learned that every situation brings me closer to understanding how to run a business in a better way.

In my case took off a few weeks ago to see my Grandmother which is still very ill and it might have been the last opportunity I get to spend time with her. My family’s health is more important than any project or business opportunity so I put everything to the side. The opportunity to make my grandma laugh one last time while I am next to her was priceless and no business opportunity can make up for missing out on that.

What are your backs up plans as a business owner?

Filed Under: Featured, Small Business Tagged With: Kitchen Table Companies, KTC, Small Business

Book Review : Today’s Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner by Joe Sorge

July 17, 2011 by Raul Colon

Photo-Jul-17-12-22-45-PM-e1310919876612 Book Review : Today's Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner by Joe Sorge

For months I have been getting most of my business advice from the internet. Back in February I became a member of the Kitchen Table Companies (Affiliate Link). Better known to many of my peers and clients as my Small Business Advisory board. At that time I selected the package that included everything since the reason I was signing up was because my friend Chris Brogan was running this project along Joe Sorge.

Participating in on Kitchen Table Talks (#KTT), a program @chrisbrogan and @joesorge broadcast every Tuesday on @thepulsenetwork at 2pm (est), conversations are regarding small business ideas and issues.

The subjects covered in the first #KTT episodes where very interesting and it drove me closer towards making a decision  that I wanted to be immerse myself in this interesting project.
One of the things that was included in my package was @joesorge’s E-book title “Today’s Entrepreneur and Small Business Owner”. I received it and took my time reading it. The book helped me get to know @joesorge a bit better. While reading the book I had many interactions with him that helped me get the feeling that what he wrote in the book was they way he acted.

The book ended up being a complete guide where I learned many things and caught a few things that made me wish I had the book prior to launching CIMA IT Solutions in 2008.

The book starts out explaining the importance many of us know a Small Business has on the overall U.S. Economy. I only wish our our local government would do something to demonstrate that they give small business the same importance here on the Island of Enchantment.

Entrepreneur Lifestyle

One of the most helpful parts for anyone new into being a small business owner was the fact of how there is a lifestyle change once you become a small business owner. My favorite line from the book was the following:

“Try to please everyone and you’ll end up pleasing no one”

He continues explaining how the person that would be less pleased will be your own self. He also uses Tony Hsieh @Zappos CEO book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purposeir?t=cis02-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0446563048 Book Review : Today's Entrepreneur & Small Business Owner by Joe Sorge (Amazon Affiliate Link) as an example of the four principles (Perceived Control, Perceived Progress, Connectedness, and Vision or Meaning) Tony writes in his book and how they will direct you towards achieving happiness while being a business owner. There are some other great tips which are very helpful and can give you a clear understanding of the Entrepreneurial Lifestyle.

Other subjects covered in the book are:

* How to identify your customer, building a business plan (which Chris Brogan has created a practical one to follow inside the Kitchen Table Companies)
* Systems and Tools, touching on the processes in place to run your business.
* Labor and Hiring
* Everything Is Marketing
* Business Lifecycle
* and the Exit Strategy which many of us don’t think of or have (including myself).

If you want to learn more about the Kitchen Table Companies and how to get a copy of this book I recommend for any new or existing small business owner feel free to Join us at the Kitchen Table Companies or leave a comment in the comments box.

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Featured, Small Business Tagged With: Chris Brogan, Joe Sorge, Kitchen Table Companies, KTC, Small Business

Presentations Tips from @chrisbrogan & Nancy Duarte

June 3, 2011 by Raul Colon

I am currently looking for ways to improve my presentations. I think these 30 minutes that @chrisbrogan and Nancy Duarte prepared for you and me might help you a lot in improving presentations. Just like @chrisbrogan said on the video even if you can watch the first 5 minutes it can be of much value.

Are presentations working for you?

Are there any other business issues you are trying to work with? Maybe joining in on the conversation Kitchen Table Companies (Affiliate Link) might help you get some of your questions answered.

Filed Under: Small Business Tagged With: Chris Brogan, Kitchen Table Companies, KTC

How can I help You?

May 28, 2011 by Raul Colon

[slideshare id=8138624&doc=workwithme-110528191234-phpapp02]

For most of my adult life it has been very difficult to explain to others what I do for a  living. Before setting up CIMA IT Solutions I use to work as a Senior IT Security Consultant for American Systems. Prior to that I worked as an Information Risk Management Associate for KPMG. I guess those two titles are not as a easy as saying i’m a teacher, doctor, lawyer, mechanic, engineer, and the list can continue.

These last few days I have had the luck of having @chrisbrogan and @alexklevine ask me how they could help me get more business ( I am extremely grateful for that).

I went ahead an modified the CIMA IT Solutions corporate site to make the following services a bit more specific and understandable:

  • Social Media Marketing Strategy
  • Blog Strategy Development
  • Community Building Strategy Development
  • Public Relations
  • Web Site and Blog Design

To help others assist me in getting more opportunities via my blog I decided to create the Work With Me presentation. I really want the presentation to show how I can work along you or anyone in need of my services.

Being active with the Kitchen Table Companies (Affiliate Link) helped identify things that I need to fix. Thanks to the questions and answers posted, I have received lots of valuable feedback on how I can improve my marketing efforts.

The post on My Virtual Plaza made me realize that other people might not understand what I do. When this happens I miss out on the opportunity of some one referring me to others in need of my services.

It would be of great value if you could go through the presentation and let me know if my presentation helped you understand how I could help others.

Is it easy for you to explain to others what you do for a living? If not how can we help each other get that message through?

Filed Under: Business, Featured Tagged With: Business, CIMA IT Solutions, Kitchen Table Companies, KTC

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