20Dec 2011 by Miss Kemya
5 Factors To Consider Before You Pay For A Professional Membership

5 Factors To Consider Before You Pay For A Professional Membership

Networking
We’ve spent a little time talking about professional memberships. In the first post, we talked about building your network with professional memberships. Next, we detailed five easy ways to maximize your membership dollars. What’s left? We need to tackle the most critical question of all: how to decide which professional organizations to join You may use these 5 factors as a starting point. 5 Factors To Consider Before You Pay For A Professional Membership Membership Base Who are the members? Are you looking to get exposure to your target market, vendors, and/or competitors? Do the members constitute your audience? Are they your peers, potential affiliates or partners, or a general mix of professionals? Is the membership with a local chapter of a national organization? Is it exclusively local or simply…
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05Dec 2011 by Miss Kemya
How Much Time Does That Meeting Really Take?

How Much Time Does That Meeting Really Take?

Tips and Tools
What is time to an entrepreneur? Time is a precious resource, much like cash dollars. As you go about building your business, I know you participate in your share of meetings. To what do you charge your meeting time to? If it’s for a current client, that’s part of the cost of doing work for that client, so that’s a no-brainer. But what if you’re taking meetings with prospective clients, how do you figure the cost of your time? Do you know how to identify the real time associated with a meeting? Let’s use this example: I have a lunch meeting that I’ll label as networking/business development with a potential client that I have never met before. I’ve talked to them on the phone, and decided to follow-up with a…
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28Nov 2011 by Miss Kemya

Build Your Network With Professional Memberships

Networking
Membership in professional organizations offer a HUGE opportunity to network and build connections. Yes, you most likely pay a membership fee, but this is a necessary marketing expense as you build your business. When researching organizations to join, think about the benefits you will receive from your membership. Sure, lots of organizations host monthly meetings, and in theory these are great networking opportunities. Uh oh, wait for it… I said "in theory" and here’s why: If you’re a member of an organization that hosts regularly scheduled live programming, you most likely need to arrive early or stay late to network. Does your schedule allow for this extra time, and are your fellow members hanging around as well? This is a big consideration as you use your limited resource of time.…
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10Sep 2011 by Miss Kemya
Upcoming Event: Do I Play or Pass?

Upcoming Event: Do I Play or Pass?

Marketing Strategy, Networking
We all need to network in some form to build our businesses, and there's nothing like face-to-face events to get the ball rolling. But there are too many choices, so what should you do? You have an idea of the types of events you'd like to attend. You’ve done a bit of research on each event, and you've given consideration to 5 important factors (we discussed these in a previous post). Now it’s time to make a decision: should you attend an event or not? Don’t wing it, make a calculated decision. Is this more of the same thing?  Take a look at the types of events you regularly attend. How does this event compare? Mix in some out-of-the-ordinary mixers, luncheons, breakfast meetings, evening socials, and conferences. Don’t stick with what or who you…
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