The Dog & Pony Part's Done, Anyway

Hi, there - Well, I'm pleased to be able to say the first half of my BP is done. I pulled off the presentation, complete with PowerPoint slides containing pictures of my Office-In-A-Box:

Presto... Change-o...

... and screen shots of the way my Opportunities work in Salesforce.com, and a positive bottom line - which is, by far, the most important feature!

A few more hours of writing (Financial Assumptions), printing, and "production" (printing the plan and the appendices, three hole punching everything, printing tabs, cover pages, etc.) Aarrgghh. But it's so close to the end.

The best part is that, having done a thorough job of the Financial Plan portion, I can now see that this really is a viable enterprise. In fact, it's so viable, I'll almost double my income within four years. It's just so fantastic to know, and have proof, that I really can do this.

At the same time I'm working on my plan, I'm enjoying watching my classmates as they pull their plans together. We all seem to be at the same point - the "this really is going to happen!"

I feel so honored to be a member of such a talented bunch. I feel like I've gathered a whole bunch of new friends, and it's going to be so satisfying watching their businesses thrive too.

Hey, out there! Anyone wishing to become self-employed, LISTEN UP! Go for it. And when you do, make sure to get into the Westcoast Community Enterprise SEP.

Okay - It's Hitting the Fan, In a Good Way!

So, despite spending the entire day in a seminar, I'm way ahead on my famous Business Plan.

"Why?", you ask.

Well, let me tell you: If you can find a way to spend a day connecting with a high-energy group, in a session that is led by a high-energy personality, you come out energized.

I spent the day in the SendOutCards.com "Treat 'Em Right" seminar, led by charismatic CEO, Koby Bateman, and my life is changed. He tossed me a ball, and I'm going to run with it, pass it along, share it with everyone I know, and hope that they share it too! If you're curious, visit SendOutCards.com/12095, or better yet, drop me a line and I'll show you what I'm taking about.

After listening to Koby's story, and enjoying his energy, I'll be up all night tonight, but in a good way. I'll be pouring all I gathered today into the most dynamic, dynamite Business Plan ever. And then, when things are running smoothly with my O2S2, I'll be building up a SendOutCards downline that'll blow the doors off!

Working on my Business Plan - Made some headway...

What a slog!

This is my dream job on the line. It's the key to my future, so I really don't know why it should be so difficult, but it's turned into an awful slog anyway.

Maybe it's because I'm putting my plans for the remainder of my life down on paper for review and approval or rejection by a body of persons I don't know, and am unlikely to ever meet.

Well, I must be ready to present this plan on Monday or Tuesday, and the written plan is due, complete, and viable, by Wednesday. I guess I'd better get at it.

Wish me luck!

Already Reaching the End!

With the SEP being an 8 week intensive program, there's so much going on that I haven't had enough time to post to my blog. How awful! How wonderful!

So tonight I'm supposed to be finalizing my draft (yes, that's what I said, and I'm fully aware of the conceptual tangle!) Business Plan - due next week. And that's why I finally returned to my long-neglected blog.

Yes. I'm a procrastinator. It's an awful handicap. And somehow the SEP didn't teach me how to overcome it!

On the other hand, it did teach me some wonderful concepts, skills, techniques, perceptions.

• How to effectively present myself and my business in 60 seconds or less
• What my mission and vision are
• Who my target audiences are
• How to reach my target audiences
• How to monitor the financial health of my business
• How to monitor the operational health of my business, and
• How to grow my business

It helped me to formalize my systems and operations, to plan my marketing strategy, to choose my service providers, ...

Oh, boy, did I learn a lot. I believe that what I've gained in these past 8 weeks will set me up to learn all I need to know as time goes on, and I'm confident that my business will thrive all the while! And although I will continue to procrastinate until I find a class to teach me how to overcome that particular handicap, at least I'll understand that the business requires certain action at certain opportunities!

Open Letter to Miss Suzy Q

October 5, 2006

Dear Suzy Q –

After all these years that you and I have been together, my friend and coach, Christina, suggested that it would be a good idea for us to get together for get reacquainted chat, and I couldn’t agree more.

Over the years, you’ve been working behind the scenes as my protector, shielding me from the criticism of others. Most of the time, you’ve done this so quietly that I’ve been all but unaware of you. Still, I want to acknowledge your effort and devotion, Suzy Q. You’ve always been a loyal and caring friend. Suzy Q, recently Christina pointed out that Protection may be holding me back from achieving some of my dreams, so I’ve decided to restructure my organization, and do away with the position of Protector.

Don’t distress, though, Suzy Q. You’ve been with me a long time, I do appreciate all you’ve done for me in the past, and I have no intention of letting you go entirely. Christina suggested, and I agree, that we have an opportunity to restructure the way we work together, to give us both the freedom and encouragement to spread our wings and take flight, to give us the chance to develop into very happy, energetic, appreciated entities working in partnership.

Please consider the idea of stepping out of your role as Protector, and moving on to a new, more appropriate, and more valuable role as Head Cheerleader and Creative Consultant. This role comes with a great deal of responsibility, which I know you can handle, and is much more important to me now that I’ve grown up. I know that your encouragement and creativity will help me to succeed, flourish, thrive both in my business and in my life.

Let’s get together in a couple of weeks time, once you’ve had a chance to work on these ideas, and put a plan in place. If you have any questions in the meantime, you know where to reach me.

I’m looking forward to talking with you,

Much love,
Linda