Parties and Networking

Parties and networking

Last night Business Connection Exchange and Biznetwork News (www.biznetworknews.com)teamed up to host a great corporate Christmas Party for small business owners - "2007 Small Business Holiday Party".

Nine chapters had members who attended the event. Wow! Check the web-site for some pictures - www.business-connection-exchange.ca.

Fourteen companies sponsored our event. Thank you for helping to make it a success. We have the sponsors listed below - please support our sponsors.

Networking automatically started since everyone in the room was either a small business owner or a guest of a small business owner. Lots of great business connections happened at the Holiday Party.

But, what do you do at a holiday party when it is not a business event?

- Have business cards handy but only give them out after talking about your business

- Be ready with a really short business introduction (30 sec or 1 min)

- Ask other people what they do and you will create the opportunity to tell them what you do

- Remember that you get the best connections when you help the other person

- Do not push your luck, if it is not a business event do not expect business networking.

Enjoy your parties and listen for the opportunities to network about your business products and services.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cheryl Rankin

Fit For Business

647-287-0320

fitforbusiness@rogers.com

www.fitforbusiness.ca

Workshops / Think Tanks

Reach a new Business level!
• F a l l B u s i n e s s T r a i n i n g S e r i e s
Fit For Business is teaming up with other great training providers to deliver a series of sessions that will help your business reach the next level. These topics are designed to provide you with new ideas, new information and new strategies to help revitalize your existing business and improve your profits.
• 1 session - $25 plus GST
7:30 am – 9:00 am, Four Points By Sheraton, 2501 Argentia Road, Mississauga
October 26th
e-marketing
(The Technology Coach/Fit For Business)
November 9th
blogging for business
(The Technology Coach/Fit For Business)
November 23rd
turning your
customers into
your sales force
(Willowtree Customer Service/
Fit For Business)

Business Think Tank Series
* 1 session - $30 plus GST (includes 3 course lunch); 11:30- 1pm, West 50 Restaurant, 50 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga
October 19th
informercials that work!
(Actors in Motion/
Fit For Business)
November 2nd
strategies to become
a business rebel
(Think Strategies/
Fit For Business)
November 16th
marketing magic
(Altimeter Design/
Fit For Business)
November 30th
how to get the most
out of your small
business technology
(The Technology Coach/
Fit For Business)

Pre-register by calling Cheryl at 647-287-0320, fitforbusiness@rogers.com; For more details, please see the web-site - www.fitforbusiness.ca.

New Networking

Networking is a great way to market your company thanks to the personal touch and of course the power of word of mouth marketing. Are all of the networking events the same these days?

It is up to you to make each networking event useful. The easiest and fastest way to get results from networking events is to help other people.

Find out what type of people they want to meet and help to introduce them to others in the room. You now have two people who will remember you and in tunr also try to help you. Sometimes a good idea for someone else is just as good as your sales pitch for your own business. They will remember you and in turn will try to use your services or give you a referral.

A happy client tells one or two people about your business, while a grumpy one tells thirteen people. Even a contact at a networking event who is pleased with your help will tell one or two more people about your business. Be memorable for good reasons - help other people when you see them at networking events.

Use networking to grow your business to the next level. In many cases, networking is faster, and less expensive than advertising.

Join Fit For Business for the current workshops and/or think tanks every Friday. Details are on the web-site - www.fitforbusiness.ca.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

No time for networking?

I was telling someone about the business networking lunch that I am going to be chairing starting on October 3rd and their reaction was "I do not have time to network". Wow! I was impressed - too many clients to network - well actually no they do not have too many clients. They are too busy looking for clients to network.

I put on my trainer/teaching hat and decided to explain why I network --- here is how it went...

How often do your clients purchase your product or service based on your initial interaction? Never. Ok then, do your clients need to trust you and know you a little bit before buying from you? Definitely!

When you attend a networking event regularly you get the chance to safely develop a relationship with many other business owners. As their trust in you develops, they may consider buying from you. The best part about the repetitive nature of networking comes when the person trusts you enough to put their own name on the line and give you a referral.

To take full advantage of networking - tell people who your target market is and what types of things they should listen for. If you hear someone say - I have no plan then I want you to have them call me at Fit For Business.

Even though it takes awhile to start generating leads, connections and/or referrals; it is totally worth the effort. If you need any help in setting up your networking plan, call me and we will sit down and talk about it over coffee.

The group that I will be chairing on Wednesdays at lunch is Business Connection Exchange - Toronto Downtown. We meet on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 12 - 1:30pm; Town & Country Restaurant, 190 Queen's Quay at Sherbourne, $15 / buffet and free parking.

If you are available on Wed. Oct 3rd and/or Wed. Oct 17th, then please let me know and get it in your schedule. Make time for networking and in the long run you will save time searching for clients.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.blogspot.com

Grow your business?

Are you looking to grow your business?

I have been invited to speak at a business networking event in Toronto - come and introduce your business and learn some helpful tips at the same time.

Come out to the Business Connection Exchange - Toronto monthly education series being held the third Friday of every month as part of our weekly meetings. On these weeks a guest speaker will talk for 30 minutes and give you practical business building suggestions. In addition, you will get an opportunity to do an infomercial. We meet at:
Coleman's Deli
3085 Bathurst Street
Toronto (one block north of Lawrence on the east side) from
7:30 AM to 9:00 AM.
Cost is $11.00.
Our Guest Speaker on Friday, August 17, 2007 is Cheryl Rankin, President of Fit For Business (http://fitforbusiness.ca ). Her topic is Marketing Tips to Jump Start your Business. You will leave the meeting with at least one one tip / technique you can use to get new customers right away!

Future topics will include: Why do people buy what you sell?, a 3 man panel on How to Build Your Business the "Right" Way, meet an executive coach and learn the techniques he uses with his clients, learn how to double, triple, or even quadruple your sales and profits over the next year, learn how to use technology to work smarter and generate more leads and sales, and much more….

For more information contact:

Heather FreedGroup, Life & Health Insurance Specialist
"Insure your Freedom"Heather@Freed.cawww.freed.ca416-806-5478

Thank you for the invitation Heather - this invitation is open to everyone so please check your calendars and come to meet other business owners, promote your business and learn a tip or two so you can grow your business.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
647-287-0320

Shape Up Your Sales!

Do you have strong sales for your business?
Are your sales numbers going up as planned?
Do your sales go in cycles?
Do you have enough sales presentations?

Check out this helpful article about shaping up your sales - http://www.womencandoanything.com/content/view/361/71/. It is on the web-site - Women Can Do Anything.

Call Cheryl at 647-287-0320 to book a sales training session to shape up your sales.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

e-marketing workshop/networking

E-Marketing Business Training –
July 12th 7:45am – 9am,
Central Library, Mississauga

Implementing an Electronic Marketing program is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies a small business owner can implement and manage all on their own.

Scott Kendall – The Technology Coach will present e-marketing from Contact Database and Customer Relationship Management Systems, to eNewsletters, Blogs, Podcasting and even Websites. Whether you are looking for hands on control or a completely automated solution, Scott will introduce you to eMarketing to stay in touch with current contacts, reach new ones and ultimately grow your business!

Cheryl Rankin – Fit For Business will present how to effectively integrate your marketing messages into your eMarketing plan. How often should you send out a newsletter? Who do you send your newsletter to? What do you put in a blog? How do you get people to go to you web-site? How do you get people visiting your web-site to call you? Cheryl will give you lot of tips and hints for your e-marketing plan.

Space is limited, register today! Call Cheryl at 647-287-0320

Summer Business Seminars

Reach a new business level!
S u m m e r B u s i n e s s T r a i n i n g S e r i e s

Fit For Business is teaming up with six other great training providers to deliver a series of
sessions that will help your business reach the next level. These topics are designed to
provide you with new ideas, new information and new strategies to help revitalize your
existing business and improve your profits.

• 1 session - $25 plus GST • 3 or more sessions - $75 plus GST

7:45 am – 9am, Central Library, Mississauga

For more details check www.fitforbusiness.ca
Call today to register for these great 1 hour training/networking sessions,
call Cheryl at 647-287-0320.

July 12th - e-marketing
(The Technology Coach/Fit For Business)

July 19th - new view on numbers
(Aldo Sistilli Accounting/Fit For Business)

July 26th - professional presentations
(Actors In Motion/Fit For Business)

Aug 9th - branding bootcamp
(Wildworks Graphic Design/Fit For Business)

Aug 16th - turning risks into opportunities
(Business Continuity & Recovery Services/Fit For Business)

Aug 23th - strategies to become a business beach bum
(Thinc Strategies/Fit For Business)

To register call
Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Topnotch Ideas for Tradeshows

I saw this great article by Carol and wanted to share it with everyone. Check below for a short version of the article and see her web-site for the long version. If you need any help designing your tradeshow plan, call me and then Carol can do the logistics side of things. Thank you for the wonderful tips Carol!

Tips for the Trade Show Exhibitor
By Carol D'Alessandro (http://www.logisticsassoc.com)

Exhibiting at a Trade Show offers a unique and powerful selling opportunity; a unique opportunity to begin a relationship with your potential customers. We want you to have a successful and enjoyable Trade Show Experience and hope you will find the following tips helpful.
Tips for the Expert and (First Time) Trade Show Exhibitor
· Pre-show preparation
a. Write down your tradeshow goals
b. Attract qualified leads to your booth;
i. through direct invitations with free passes;ii. pre-show promotion "visit our booth for an opportunity to WIN ,"Dinner for Two"
At the Show: CLARITY, CLARITY, CLARITY
Clarity is the most important point. You want to make it very clear...∙
WHO you are; ∙
WHY you are there, and ∙
WHY someone would want to stop and talk to you.
Within 4-7 seconds of spotting your booth people should know exactly ∙ WHAT is in it for them, and∙ WHAT you do
· Create your own unique space... use a table top display or a large 10" X 10" format print image to use as a backwall
The job of the backwall is:a. To attract the attention of people passing by
b. To project an appropriate image for your company,
c. To impress people and provide a quick glimpse of what you offer
· Be creative; you want to people to look and say WOW!
· Keep it simple …you want to keep the set–up and take down to a minimum; this is another reason to purchase a proper display; portability and WOW at the same time.
· At many events you will be required to set-up the day before. Arrive at the event early. When you are sure your booth is ready take a walk around the event floor. Be your own critic…..Can your booth sign be spotted from across the room? Does your space shout…WOW!! or is it only a "whisper"? Does it look attractive, snappy and funky? Ask a fellow exhibitor's opinion. Does he know instantly who you are and what you do?·
Now that you've got people at your booth have a give-away (pens; caps; brochures, anything with your logo and contact info on it.)
· Have a gift basket for a door prize or if the door prize is a "Dinner for Two" you will want to have a large enough sign; and always have a fish bowl or somewhere for attendees to deposit their business card.
· Remember why you are there!
Good Luck!

Strong Summer Sales

Good afternoon -

I just got off the phone from presenting a tele-seminar for Women In A Home Office. The topic "Strong Summer Sales" was a very popular one because many businesses experience a slowdown in sales during the summer. Here are a few notes from our tele-seminar that may help you:
- don't give up on the summer, if you are pro-active you can help set yourself up for success
- your clients go on vacation but not all at the same time
- stay in touch with current clients with phone calls, newsletters and blogs
- create a special summer promotion to get them to buy now
- create some new exposure for your business by wearing clothing that advertises your business or donating a prize to a golf tournament
- can you give people samples so they can test it out
- find partners so that you can advertise their products and they will advertise yours (no cost!)
- do you have any new services that you can offer people?
- summer may be the perfect time for your client to buy so tell them why they should buy now (get them ready for September, save money, time to implement the ideas)

To listen to this tele-seminar then check the web-site www.womeninahomeoffice.com.

To book a Brainstorming For Business session for your summer plan, call Cheryl at 647-287-0320.

Enjoy your summer!
Cheryl
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Volunteering that pays

Good morning -

Have you ever wondered if volunteering pays or does it just feel good? Recently I have managed to get myself on five different committees which involve volunteer time commitments.

The biggest commitment has been to my networking group - Business Connection Exchange. I helped organize a business networking evening on May 16th. 175 people attended this event in Mississauga. We had Minister Takhar (Small Business & Entrepreneurship) welcome everyone and Donna Messer (Connect Us Canada) was our speaker.

In addition to inviting the speakers, I was the contact for the tickets and coordinating the set-up. All of our members were volunteering so I was not doing it along but when my phone did not stop ringing for three days straight and I had not made any calls for my business I started to second guess the value in volunteering.

The event was not over and I was already pleased that I had volunteered. #1 the event was a success which means our members are extremely happy. #2 I had booked a few meetings to introduce my business to some new contacts and 3# I had a referral for another good lead.

One week later I am still very pleased with the on-going results of my volunteer time. In the long run I think I will get more business from my volunteering than if I had spent the time marketing my business.

Remember - volunteering is positive marketing that helps you create relationships and trust with people who you may do business with in the future. I suggest that every gets involved in your networking group - not just as a participant but as a volunteer.

Have a great business day!

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Build your business through networking

Good evening –

Promote your business through word of mouth marketing. Save your business money and build it at the same time. You can be a good salesman for your business – just talk to people. All participants at a networking event will listen to your 1 minute business introduction if you will listen to theirs. It is time to try networking - you will like the results.

Here are some great networking opportunities:
1 - Business Connection Exchange – Mississauga
Meet & Greet – May 16th
Over 150 small business owners expected – we had 150 last time!
www.thetechnologycoach.ca/bcx
2 - Business Connection Exchange – Mississauga
Tuesday morning breakfast meetings
7:30 – 9am
Cora’s Restaurant - 4120 Dixie Road between Rathburn & Burnhamthorpe Rd on the west side
No charge for first time guests

3 – Business Connection Exchange – 10 other chapters
www.business-connection-exchange.ca

4 – Women’s networking event (WINGS-Oakville)
Tuesday, June 12th 9am

5 – Women’s networking event (Roaring Women-Mississauga)
Wednesday, June 13th evening

6 – Women’s networking event (Women In A Home Office)
May 17th, 9 am

For more details about any of these events, please call me at 647-287-0320. If you need to practice your one minute business introduction before networking or need to create a one page marketing flyer for these events, call me.
Cheryl RankinFit For Business647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca
www.fitforbusiness.blogspot.com

Women In A Home Office

A special thank you to Anne Stone from Women In A Home Office who invited me to be the guest speaker for their tele-seminar on Sales and Marketing For Small Businesses. We had a great discussion on how to improve your sales and marketing without spending alot of money. The really neat thing was that some people were in Ontario and there were people all the way to Calgary, Alberta.

I have never been to a networking meeting that covered so much distance. If you hate traveling to your networking meetings or training sessions, consider Women In A Home Office networking group and/or consider setting up your own tele-meetings. It was neat!

I think we may do another tele-seminar on June 15th - watch for details coming soon.

Cheryl Rankin
Fit For Business
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Target Your Marketing

Good afternoon -

I am working with a new client on a marketing plan. Step 1 was to identify his target market. "He said businesses". Be really specific about your target market.
Is there a geographical area?
Male vs female?
Do they know your product?
Are they looking for your product?
What size of business?
Does the business rent a store location?
Who runs the business? (the owner or a worker)
Is there a time of year that they look for your product?
What problem do they have that you can solve?
Where do your potential clients buy other products?
Where do your potential clients network?
Who else sells to your potential clients?
How else do they solve their problem? (order on-line, order by catalog, read a book, etc)
Do you potential clients know they have a problem?

As you can see - the more information that you know about your client the better. Organize this information so that you can find some opportunities for marketing and some sales strategies to attract their attention to your business.

If you need help identifying your target market, please call me at 647-287-0320 to set up a complimentary introductory session.

Cheryl
www.fitforbusiness.ca

Shape Up Your Sales

I am excited to share an article that I just had published in Fitness Experts Magazine, April 2007 issue. I posted it on my web-site - www.fitforbusiness.ca. Even if you are not in the fitness industry this article can help your business grow your sales to the next level.

I did include this article in my April Business Fit Tip/newsletter. If you would like to receive this helpful newsletter for small business owners, please e-mail me at fitforbusiness@rogers.com.

Have a wonderful day!
Cheryl, Fit For Business

Fit For Business

Good morning -

I am Cheryl, Fit For Business. I am a business consultant who likes to compare myself to a personal trainer. A trainer takes care of your whole body from head to toe - that is what I do for your business. I shape up your sales; add muscle to your marketing; tighten your budget and make your business healthier.

I am going to use this blog to pass along useful information to business owners so that their business will grow and they will reach the next business level. You can ask questions that will help your specific business and when I share the answer, it may help many other business owners.

As a business consultant, I do suggest that my clients take advantage of any technology that will save them time, save them money and in the long run - make them money. I think that this blog will give me another opportunity to pass along this information at no expense to you or me.

My monthly newsletters / Business Fit Tips are also posted on my web-site - www.fitforbusiness.ca.

Do you have any business questions? Please post any questions here on this blog and I will respond to them through the blog and help your business reach the next level.

Hope we will cross paths often. Have a great business Day!

Cheryl Rankin,
Fit For Business
647-287-0320
fitforbusiness@rogers.com
www.fitforbusiness.ca