CATCHJSBUFORD

Overcome You Fear of Sales with Good Form.

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

 

One of the most frequent challenges I encounter when working with new and established entrepreneurs alike involves overcoming insipid feelings of or a fear of sales. And it’s easy to be dismissive of this necessary but often misunderstood element of business ownership. Because at the end of the day, you’re dead in the water if you’re unwilling to communicate with temerity and unabashed belief about why you believe your services and products are worthy of people parting with their hard earned currency to patronize you. 

And you might as well pack your bags if you haven’t developed the alligator skin required to overcome rejection, fears, and anxieties regarding whether your value proposition is superior to the competition. Or any consternation you may be experiencing articulating how you can meet the needs of another party. 

The simple, curt response is get over it. And it's true, you must get over it quickly. However, also know that these feelings are natural, and there is a solution. 

On the other hand you may be enthusiastically shouting to the rooftops about how great your products and services are, but you’re simply unable to gain traction or people are sprinting the other direction when you introduce yourself. 

What I'd submit to you is if you're dealing with any of these obstacles, it may be simply a matter of improving your FORM. 

 

Why is Improving Your Form Necessary 

First, we all have to understand that people ultimately won’t conduct business with you unless they like, know, and trust you. Gone are the days when sales professionals took a shotgun approach whereas you overwhelm people with a laundry list of features and benefits, and expect them to succumb to glossy power points, esoteric overviews, or Machiavellian sales pitches. 

Because of the advent of the internet primarily, people can mid presentation pull out their phones, and immediately price, feature shop, and literally retrieve hundreds of alternatives to whatever you’re selling. Never mind, you may actually have the most unique, cost effective, and beneficial offering available. In today's world, people win frequently not because of their actual deliverables, but because of their veneer and marketing. And what they’re willing to promise may be more attractive than whatever you’ve cooked up. 

People don’t want to be sold, they want to buy. And despite the growing dominance of online marketing and purchasing options, people still desire to spend or invest their monies places where they have developed a relationship of trust. The operative word being, trust. 

 

What is Good Form

I submit that the best way to adapt to this current dynamic is to adopt good FORM. And what does good FORM look like?  FORM is an acronym for Family, Occupation, Recreation, & Motivation. Here's the thing. If you can extract information about a person's family, their occupational interests, recreational habits, and the things that motivate and keep them awake at night within the first 5 minutes of your interactions with them, they’re going to start developing warm fuzzy feelings for you.

Now, here’s the thing, people aren’t stupid. Intention matters. You need to be nosy, genuinely interested in them, and how you can help them to gain maximum results. In other words, rather than being focused on being interesting, turn your attention to being interested. If you want to know what good form sounds like, watch the video.

What are some of the benefits of this approach? FORM allows you to qualify individuals, ascertain whether they are your idea client or target market, or whether they have challenges you're best suited to solve. And because you are being genuinely inquisitive and helpful, the party on the receiving end is developing feelings of I like you; I trust you; I know you're here to help me. Taking this approach also allows you to learn about any emotional dissonance, potential objections, or negative exposure to your industry someone may have had experienced allowing you to them in advance. 

Remember when people are speaking with you, they are unconsciously processing in their minds: am I enjoying this encounter; am I comfortable with this person; and OK with this person being introduced to other people I know. The quickest route to a destination is a straight line, and it doesn't get anymore straighter and profitable than having a business model that produces large numbers of referrals.  To be purposely redundant, people refer others to people that they like, know, and trust. 

 

Know Your Reason Why

One last area where most entrepreneurs drop the ball time and time again, is not having a WHY pitch. Why? Look, money is a means to get things done. It is the life blood of your business, however, it cannot be the sole purpose of your business. The uber majority of people are uncomfortable with unabashed greed. No one’s waking up and saying to themselves, who can I find to extract money from me today. 

I lead with my WHY, end with my WHY, lightly sprinkling it in throughout my interaction and presentation with people. At the end of day, I want to attract, build relationships with, and conduct business with my tribe. Or another way of thinking about it is, I want to build a business network of 3000 fans. Ala Tim Ferris slash Kevin Kelly. I'm laser focused on resonating with and attracting people who are looking for what I’m doing, appreciate and value my services, and gladly compensate me for my deliverables. If you want to know what a good WHY pitch sounds like, watch the video.

For example: 

I believe ardently that entrepreneurship is empowerment. If you’re tired of being last hired or first fired; become the employer.

If you don’t want to be stuck in a position whereas your ability to level up is predicated upon the next time someone dies or self sabotages themselves, or retires; constantly looking up at someone else's arse for a breadth of oxygen, politicking to be liked constantly..... Entrepreneurship is an answer.

There are two ways to vote. At the ballot box which is very important. Or with your wallet. If you desire to put yourself in a situation whereas you can afford the politicians you feel like you and your community deserves, entrepreneurship is an answer.

Entrepreneurs see things first. We live on the fringes, and seek solutions to pressing problems. Introducing solutions (value) into the ecosystem. And while everyone is not ready for entrepreneurship, we don’t need everyone to be one, just more. And we call can benefit from a more entrepreneurial mindset. 

WHAT IS YOUR WHY?

If you want assistance with your FORM, curating a good WHY pitch, or if this small plate resonated with you, and you want more! Like, comment, give me a shout out. Join the email group to receive notifications about my best stuff! Or you want to go a step further, and desire an initial free initial consultation? Check for me in the following links below. 

 

JuJuan Buford is a Detroit native, entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group, business development professional, and writer dedicated to helping families, entrepreneurs, and business owners establish thriving enterprises, achieve financial independence, and build lives of satisfaction.

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Creating Predictable Revenues is Found in Your Process

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

WRITE DOWN THE PROCESS  

In order to curate processes that work, you must identify the habits that work. This lays the groundwork for you, the self-employed entrepreneur, to grow from a team of ME to a team of WE. In other words, transiting from being a practitioner or creative that is owned by their business, to becoming a business owner, building an asset (an organism that breathes, produces, and re-produces) that generates revenues independently of you having to do everything. 

Your process is the track you run on. Every professional, entrepreneur, and business has a process. If you don't have a process, that is your process. Processes allow you to inventory your RGAs (revenue-generating activities) systemically, and the predictability of your revenues is found in your RGAs. It is where the fodder is found to begin to make projections about your profitability in the future.  

Not having a proven process is tantamount to waking up, jumping in your car, and attempting to drive to an overseas destination you've never visited before without a map or a compass. For the purposes of this exercise, I'm going to provide a simplified process that applies to most business models in general.  

How do I ensure that new people are learning about my business on a daily basis?  

• Social Media Campaigns 
• Inboxing or Direct Messaging Prospects Online 
• Cold Calling 

• Referrals 
• Email Campaigns  
• Door Knocking  
• Networking Events  
• Open Houses  
• Newspaper or Online Trade Publications 
• Etc.,.   

How many new people do I need to introduce to my business on a daily basis for it to be viable? Some in the social media world, refer to this as impressions.  

What kind of tools or marketing artifacts am I going to use to introduce my business offerings?  

Once a new prospect is aware of my services or products, how do I help them make an educated buying decision?  

• Landing Pages & Sales Funnels  
• Invitation to a Zoom Presentation or Webcast  
• Schedule a One on One Appointment  
• Social Media Tutorial or Presentation: YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, etc. 
• Website Invite to a Demonstration 
• Seminars  

How many guests (people who have seen a presentation of some kind) must learn about my presentation in order to onboard a new client?  

Here is a simplified formula I still employ to this day, when I’m attempting to assess the amount of work and resources I will need to employ to predict and meet expectations. This formula is not ideal for all entrepreneurs and businesses; however it is highly useful for micro-business owners and sales professionals.   

Simplified Formula for Sales Success 

• What is your income goal per month:  

• What is your average compensation / NOI (net operating income) per sale:  
• What is your closing percentage?  
• Weeks per month (52 weeks/12 months) = 4.33  
• What is the number of days per week you will work building your dream:  

Example:  

• Income Goal $8,333.33 / divided by,  
• Average Compensation $300 / divided by,  
• Closing Ration 30% / divided by  
• Weeks per month 4.33 / divided by  
• Chosen Number of Work Days 5  

• = 4.5 presentations daily   

When you acquire a new client, what steps am I going to take to make sure they are a happy client?  

• What is the System for Following Up to Confirm Their Satisfaction?  
• How Do I Confirm or Deliver the Guarantee? 
• How Do I Ensure Services/Products are Meeting Expectations? 
• How Do I Continually Engage My Client After Their Purchase?   

What process do I have in place to obtain referrals on a consistent basis?  

• Email Campaigns  
• Phone Calls  
• Text Messages  
• CRM - Automated Messages  
• Do I have a Script?  
• Social Media Group, Membership Club, Subscription  

Over the course of time, you want to be very intentional about documenting your scripts and inventorying what strategies and tools you are using. Why? When it’s time to grow from a team of ME to a team of WE, this process will reduce your hiring, training, and supervisory expenses. Plan with the end in mind.  

Give your process or approach a name. In one of my organizations, I refer to it as Our Uplifting Service Agreement. Once you’ve named (branded) your process, at some point you’ll want to create some type of marketing artifact, logo, symbol, or image that people can identify with your process (prospects, clients, and employees alike). 

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Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online calendar and schedule a virtual meet-up. And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Click this link 👉 Buy me a coffee! 

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JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

A Simple Formula to Help Create Predictable Revenues

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Here is a simplified formula I still employ to this day, when I’m attempting to assess the amount of work and resources I will need to deploy to predict and meet expectations. This formula is not ideal for all entrepreneurs and businesses however, it is highly useful for micro-business owners, sales entrepreneurs, and professionals.   

Simplified Formula for Sales Success 

• What is your income goal per month:  

• What is your average compensation / NOI (net operating income) per sale:  
• What is your closing percentage?  
• Weeks per month (52 weeks/12 months) = 4.33  
• What are the number of days per week you will work building your dream:  

Example:  

• Income Goal $8,333.33 / divided by,  
• Average Compensation $300 / divided by,  
• Closing Ration 30% / divided by,  
• Weeks per month 4.33 / divided by,  
• Chosen Number of Work Days 5  

• = 4.5 presentations daily   

 

Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online calendar and schedule a virtual meet-up. And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Buy me a coffee! 

#catchjsbuford #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextoppsocial #smallbizarchitecture #businessdevelopment #entrepreneurship 

 

JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

Morning Mindset Routine for Entrepreneurs - Getting Your Mind Right

Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Author @JSBUFORD

Who is determining your priorities? Is it the television set? Social media? Do you find yourself unconsciously checking your Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., etc., pages compulsively? Are your worries: bills, your boss, conflict-ridden relationships, haters, or the latest batch of constantly negative news......?

When you lay your head down at night or awake first thing in the morning, what are your predominating thoughts? And who and what is determining them? Are you on auto-pilot, where you haven't taken time to ask yourself the aforementioned questions because the whirlwind of life is the software currently running your hardware?

Jim Rohn, The Set of the Sail. https://youtu.be/a-hwzFc8MWk

What are your values? What are the principles that determine the setting of your sail? Have you defined where you intend to be a month, a year, five years from now, and ultimately what is your destination? Here's an even more telling question: How much time are you spending answering these questions versus succumbing to the whirlwind?

The answer for most of us might cause a sense of fright or consternation. But it doesn't have to.

Here's an abridged version of a powerful exercise I gleaned from Timothy Ferriss's, Tools of Titans. Lie, cheat, and steal my friends.

Lie awake at night curating your future,

Cheat and steal from the best ideas and practices at your disposal, and

Build the masterpiece that you were born to live.

 

First thing in the morning.

I'm grateful for:

1)

2)

3)

 What are three things I can accomplish that would make today a masterpiece?

1)

2)

3)

 What are the three things I love most about myself and/or the person I'm becoming?

1)

2)

3)

 

 Before you close your eyes at night.

What are three experiences or tasks I accomplished today that I'm most excited about?

1)

2)

3)

What are three things or areas of my life that I could improve?

1)

2)

3)

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this article. My hope is that the content helps you to achieve your goals and live lives of satisfaction. And that you subscribe, and reciprocate with your insights so that others may benefit. Or just share your appreciation.

 

 

Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online survey and schedule a virtual meet-up. And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Buy me a coffee! 

 

 

JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

 

THREE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU BETTER MANAGE YOUR TIME.

By JuJuan Buford

 

Here's the thing. There is no such thing as time management, but I had to put it in the title to get you here. And for the contrarians. 

You can't negotiate with time. Manage time. Bribe, arm wrestle, flirt with, threaten, or coerce time. Time doesn't care. We all have the same amount of time and the difference between those of us who derive more value and results with the time we have as opposed to others boils down to two things. 

#1. There are those of us who buy other people's time wholesale and sell their time retail (an article for another time). 

#2. Our ability to better manage our priorities with the time that we have. In other words, make sure that we know how to identify the key performance indicators that ultimately determine and will improve our quality of life. 

The greatest challenge for most entrepreneurs is determining what to focus on. Some things are urgent that must be addressed, but doing so doesn't really change the trajectory of our lives. Like paying a utility bill, addressing a screaming, angry client, or responding to 100 emails in a day. 

On the other hand, spending an hour a day working on a project that won't be completed for another 3 months... but once completed will automate your business and build a stream of revenues that will passively pay for years to come. Not urgent, but imminently life-changing. Kinda like the digital project I'm working on. 

And like most worthwhile endeavors, priority management is a skilled trade. It's not something you master in 2 days, weeks, months, or even years. However, if you don't master it, you may look up 2 or 5 years from now involved in projects, working at a job, building a business, or living a life that others have circumscribed for you, as opposed to you being the curator. 

Here are a couple of questions to help you get the ball rolling. 


WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST? 

Be honest with yourself, or this question will prove useless to you. What is truly driving you? What's your loco-motive?  

Is it being a good parent? Are you compelled to pursue a particular cause, like helping children orphaned by war? Do you fear financial or food security, and so you work tirelessly to increase your net worth? Do you value country and service? Being an author? Or is it being upwardly mobile, or commanding respect? Do you think, eat, and breathe being a real estate investor? Entrepreneurial and leadership development. Education. Competition. 

Define your values and use them as an internal compass to point you in the direction of the tasks and investments you should be spending time on. Ask yourself whether or not the roles you currently serve in - author, mother, CFO, retail sales-person, investment advisor, community liaison, etc., - are in alignment with your values. 


WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH PERSONALLY AND OR PROFESSIONALLY THAT WOULD MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIFE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 365 DAYS?

Goal setting can be a clarifying and gratifying exercise, but absent a goal-achieving plan it becomes a broken promise. Write down three and only three things in each area of your life that matter the most. Remember, priority management and goal achievement are skilled trades. And most of us haven't spent enough time answering the first question to project three, five, or ten years out from now. 

The year milestone helps us come to grips with our tendency to underestimate what we can get done over the course of a year, and overestimate what we can get done in a month.  

 

WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE THINGS YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH THAT WILL MAKE THIS WEEK AND OR THIS DAY A MASTERPIECE?

You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Yesterday is done. Tomorrow doesn't exist yet. There are a million different distractions, social media posts, emails, texts, people's expectations, and agendas vying for your time and attention.

Think about time like a rock or a piece of wood. Then think about our focus like a chisel. Our time is useless in and of itself and can be devoid of meaning. However, apply some attention and focus to it and beautiful ornaments, useful tools, and fulfilling impacts can be fashioned from it. 

What are the top three things you will do to consistently chip away at your one-year goal? 

 

Desire a deeper dive, additional insights, or recommendations into what sales strategies and tools may work best for you, subscribe via email, or for a more immediate response complete the following 👉 survey: http://bit.ly/growscaleprotect.

 

BONUS: WHAT ARE THE TOP THREE SKILLS OR LEARNINGS YOU WILL PURSUE TO HELP YOU ACHIEVE WHAT YOU DESIRE?

We don't get in life what we want. We get what we are. And what we are is comprised of our beliefs, thoughts, and doings, with an emphasis on our doings. The better we are at doing things that are in alignment with our values and what we desire, the better our results.

Keep in mind 10 pages a day is approximately 300 pages a month equating to about 12-15 books per year. 

 

Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online calendar at https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Buy me a coffee! 

 

JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

 

Schedule An Appointment - https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

When Do You Go Full Time In Your Business?

 

 

 

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Share Tweet Forward Share WE BELIEVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS EMPOWERMENT.  IT’S FREEDOM. THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE, SHAPE, AND EXPRESS ONE’S SELF UNABASHEDLY. By JuJuan Buford How a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) Can Help You Build Your Customer Base    Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD You have a proven product or service, your fine tuning your elevator pitch, and  as a result of your prospecting strategies you’ve reached a point whereas the stress of balancing making dials, staying relevant via social media, and meeting the right prospects (I’ll elaborate) is starting to feel overwhelming. At the end of the day, there are so many hours available to spend between making 20, 50, or 100 dials, giving presentations and servicing your customers, and managing all the other stuff that is required to keep revenues coming in.  What you really want is to meet more idea prospects, make them happy clients, and acquire more leads. The aforementioned will allow you upgrade your capacity (hire better people) to offer more or upgraded services, increasing your value proposition, allowing you to increase your prices, ultimately allowing you to enjoy increased cash flow. In other words, create a more system approach to finding and engaging ideal clients.  How can a good customer relationship manager (CRM) help you achieve all of the aforementioned?   A CRM CAN HELP YOU BETTER MINE YOUR BUSINESS  One of the greatest benefits of a CRM is it helps you identify who and where your focus should go. At some point, we have to begin to identify who our ideal customer is, and thus curate our marketing and prospecting strategies to attract our ideal prospect. What do I mean by this?  (A) Prospects = Prospects that are already very much motivated to buy what you're offering; have enough disposable income to easily afford the 5 Star treatment; and appreciate your professional approach. (B) Prospects = Prospects that require some education regarding how conducting business with you can improve their lives; have disposable income; and arrive on time for the appointment. (C) Prospects = Prospects that need or require your assistance, but choose to wait until the the brake pads are whittled down to nothing, the engine light is blinking, the car is spewing steam into the atmosphere before they make a decision. Working with them might cost you more than you're going to earn (it's a non-profit endeavor, almost every time), and their arriving on time would be a good start. In an ideal world, you want to spend the majority of your efforts and resources contacting and engaging your (A) prospects or what many refer to as your buyer persona. If you’re still waking up in the morning and calling from a legal pad, prospecting worksheets, or an email list, after you get beyond 100 contacts it is imperative that you switch to a more systematic approach. Making this transition will also better help you track... (continue reading at Learn How A CRM Can Give You a ROI You Can Count On?) NEED A BUSINESS COACH Business Blog About All Things Business Related. Marketing & Sales Tips. Information About How to Become Investable, Build Business Credit & Acquire Financing. Networking Tips. Create Credibility and Acquire More Clients. Leadership Matters.    https://www.catchjsbuford.com/  Featured Articles!  Cheat Sheet Regarding How to Establish Business Credit    What Questions Should You Ask When Starting a Business?   Important Business Documents   Starting Up An LLC in the State of Michigan  WHEN DO GO FULL TIME IN YOUR BUSINESS?  NEED A BUSINESS PLANNING LAW FIRM About Us   We are a business solutions organization with an international footprint serving professionals who wish to transition into entrepreneurship, and providing guidance and technical assistance to established entrepreneurs and investors seeking to launch, grow, and scale their endeavors from a team of me to a team of we.   JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner 888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com / https://linktr.ee/jujuanbuford Schedule an Appointment  https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp IS THERE MORE! WELL.... YES THERE IS. SUBSCRIBE TO LEARN MORE   https://bit.ly/yesthereismore   Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

4 Simple Steps to Stay Motivated & Focused

Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Writer @JSBUFORD

Audio - Visual Version of Article

 

Staying motivated is a challenge new and established entrepreneurs grapple with on a regular basis. When you’re just getting started and the exhilaration of launching into a new venture begins to wane, one of the biggest challenges is how to stay focused and energized absent a boss or company imperatives. 

On the flip side, once you’ve achieved success, the monotony of it can begin to grind on your psyche. Yes, monotony. Success over the long term in business often boils down to who is willing to execute some really simple steps repeatedly longer, more enthusiastically, and with greater vigor than the next person. In other words, the successful do what many would regard as really boring stuff over and over again with the same high level of focus and energy.

The wonderful business endeavor that was once a cuddly, shining object, and a symbol of your triumphs is now a grumpy person making constant demands of your time, energies, and attention.  

In either situation, if you’re going to continue to thrive and survive staying inspired and finding methods to stay motivated is of the utmost importance. And those who are able to achieve on a high level understand that staying motivated requires investment and it is a skilled trade. 

Here are a couple of tools to help you find the energy and build when you may have lost that loving feeling. 

 

Get Your Head Right

Entrepreneurs must be able to answer the following three questions, otherwise, you can quickly find yourself middling, falling victim to the tiny object syndrome, and expending your energies on things that don’t edify you. 

1. What are your values and the impact you truly desire to make in the world? 
2. How do you want to serve? 
3. Who do you want to serve and why? 

One of the biggest mistakes people make in general is answering these questions as if they are taking a public litmus test regarding their virtues, rather than simply telling their truth. 

In other words, if watches, clothes, yachts, or other shiny objects give you energy, it is what it is. Perhaps, you desire power, influence, and recognition. It’s all good. Maybe you were deeply impacted by observing the death of a loved one due to cancer or gun violence, and you want to rid the world of these scourges. Great. Whatever the case may be, be honest. 

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey at times, and worrying about the opinions of others who won’t be in your life ten years from now, or are unwilling to support your dreams and ambitions is absurd. The rent to occupy space in your head should be extremely expensive. The rent is positivity, love, support, contribution, encouragement, affirmation, and feedback that sharpens and improves. And it needs to be collected every day. 

I read somewhere recently that According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. This is the enemy that must be overcome.

Also, it’s extremely difficult to expend your life’s energies on a compromise. To be successful as an entrepreneur requires a very high level of energy and focus. Your goals and affirmations should be written down daily, be omnipresent, and affirm the person your business and dreams require you to be. Here’s an exercise to help with the process. 

 

Your Attention is Your Greatest Asset

Attention is like the sun. Whatever you focus it on grows, and what you neglect withers. What are you focussing your attention on daily? How frequently and how long?

Is your attention and thus your energies being focused on people or things that don’t serve your best interests or lack an ROI (return on investment)? What someone said to you. Your fears and anxieties. The people you are angry with or envious of. The job or boss you can’t stand. 

Or are you focused on consuming things that will improve your mindset, character, stamina, stir your creativity, and therefore increase your value. Notice these are all things that cannot be taken from you, and allow you to win indefinitely. 

How much of your screen time is spent on entertainment versus intentionally sharpening the saw? How often do you turn your vehicle into a drive time university? When your mind begins to wander, or when you find yourself drifting to the world of sports, music, gossip, plaintively pocket watching or noting other people’s lifestyles, what are you doing to offset all the empty calories being poured into your psyche… your attention. You have choices. 

 

• Business Podcasts
• Momentum Calls (Find a collective of people who are moving in the direction you desire to move, and doing what you are doing). 
• Training. People don’t rise to their level of desire, but rather their level of preparation. 
• Books of the Month
• Inspirational Movies
• YouTube content from DOrus not gurus. 
• Leadership Show 
• Seminars, Conventions, Workshops

Every moment that you are involved in something that is not growing you, you’re being left behind. You’re either living or dying. There is no in-between. Become obsessed. Yes, obsessed! And extremely intentional about what where your attention is focused or being focused. 

 

Guard the Gates

The people you’re listening to are either pouring life into you, or sapping you of your strength. So is your itinerary, and we all have them. For some of us brushing our teeth and washing our face is part of our morning itinerary. We do it routinely, reflexively, without even thinking about it. We put on our shoes and clothes and even go to the bathroom around the same time every day. And we become agitated and uncomfortable when our routines are disrupted.

The key to keeping negativity out, and allowing space for positive outcomes is found in our routines.

In other words, if you fill your refrigerator to the brim with nothing but fruits, vegetables, nuts, spinach, beet and pomegranate juice, avocados, and 1-gallon jugs of water there will be little to no room for soda pop, pizza boxes, beer cans, and greasy, cheese-laden leftovers. 

Dedicating time to reviewing your goals, running or biking, writing for 30 minutes regardless of whether it results in good content or not, executing your top three tasks of the day, reading 10-20 pages a day, and consuming content and information that sharpens you, having substantive conversations with people who improve you, attending training or networking events with your tribe… you get the point. It’s time-consuming, and that’s the point. 

When your invaluable attention, time, and energies are so occupied with things that serve you, that it makes it extremely difficult for people and things that don’t serve you to occupy your space. That’s how you guard the gates. 

 

Stop Lying to Yourself 

I’ll go to the gym when I feel like it. I’ll start saving and investing when I have extra money. I’ll read the books, attend the training, go to the convention, give up bowling, basketball, PlayStation, or a night out with friends when I’m earning significantly more. 

You’re lying to yourself. You’re living inside your personal bs.dot.com bubble. 

You won’t feel like it until you go to the gym. You won’t have extra money until you set aside at least 10% of everything you earn. You won’t earn enough or significantly more than you do today until you do the things people do who have the success you desire. 

Your routines. How you spend your attention, money, and time has led you to where you are. If you want different you’re going to have to change your routines and invest your attention, money, and time into different things. And it will hurt because it’s supposed to. 

People dramatically underestimate the magnitude of work, of inputs required to enjoy magnificent results. You want extraordinary results then you have to give extra-ordinary effort. There is no hack for this. The good thing is most people have such an allergic reaction to change, duress, and things that are different, therefore the cost of the extra pales in comparison to the cost of not embracing the ugly duckling stage of your journey. 

 

#successleavesclues #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextopposocial #smallbizarchitect

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co-Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, transitioned into business ownership, and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

New Blood is the Life Blood & Things Successful Business Owners Do And Understand

Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Writer @JSBUFORD

 

New Blood is the Life Blood

 

 

 

#successleavesclues #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextopposocial #smallbizarchitect

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co-Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, transitioned into business ownership, and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

NextOppSocial Interview with Telecommunications Pioneer & B2B Entrepreneur David Tarver!! - Plus Learn a Strategy to Quickly Gain Credibility & Scale

Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Writer @JSBUFORD

 

 

 

*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|*

 

Share Tweet Forward Share WE BELIEVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS EMPOWERMENT.  IT’S FREEDOM. THE FREEDOM TO EXPLORE, SHAPE, AND EXPRESS ONE’S SELF UNABASHEDLY. NEED A BUSINESS COACH Tune into the most recent NextOppSocial Interview with Mr. David Tarver - telecommunications pioneer, educator, and B2B entrepreneur - and learn about how he was able to launch and sell his first startup for over 30 million dollars twenty plus years ago. And how he is helping entrepreneurs launch, grow, and scale multi-million dollar businesses today.  This episode is filled to the brim with invaluable lessons and gems. Grab a pen and pad, take copious notes, and plot your liberation day today!   Join us every week at NextOppSocial A place where you can listen, learn, and consume actionable content to launch, build, grow, and scale your businesses. We explore new topics each week and interview entrepreneurs throughout the Detroit Metropolitan Area, sharing insights regarding various subjects, important business strategies, success mindsets, and tools you can use to level up in your business endeavors. Check out our most recent interviews   NextOppSocial - YouTube At the NextOppSocial - The Aftershow we strive to provide a respectful and stimulating environment for entrepreneurs to engage in lively discussions, explore business topics, share and beta-test ideas, create substantive relationships, and sharpen the saw. We invite you to discuss, comment, ask questions, seek advice, or offer suggestions to the NextOppSocial community. Participate & Enjoy!!! CONTACT US & SHARE YOUR STORY Business Blog About All Things Business Related. Marketing & Sales Tips. Information About How to Become Investable, Build Business Credit & Acquire Financing. Networking Tips. Create Credibility and Acquire More Clients. Leadership Matters.    https://www.catchjsbuford.com/  Featured Articles!  Cheat Sheet Regarding How to Establish Business Credit    What Questions Should You Ask When Starting a Business?   Important Business Documents   Starting Up An LLC in the State of Michigan  A SIMPLE STRATEGY TO BUILD CREDIBILITY, RAISE MORALE AND BUILD CONFIDENCE, AND SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER! SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES!! Posted by JuJuan Buford, Entrepreneur & Author @JSBUFORD   Who is determining your priorities? Is it the television set? Social media? Do you find yourself unconsciously checking your Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc., etc., pages compulsively? Are your worries: bills, your boss, conflict-ridden relationships, haters, the latest batch of constantly negative news......? When you lay your head down at night or awake first thing in the morning, what are your predominating thoughts? And who and what are determining them? Are you on auto-pilot, whereas you haven't taken time to ask yourself the aforementioned questions because the whirlwind of life is the software currently running your hardware? Jim Rohn, The Set of the Sail. https://youtu.be/a-hwzFc8MWk What are your values? What are the principles that determine the setting of your sail? Have you defined where you intend to be a month, a year, five years from now, and ultimately what is your destination? Here's an even more telling question: How much time are you spending answering these questions versus succumbing to the whirlwind? The answer for most of us might cause a sense of fright or consternation. But it doesn't have to. (Continue Reading 🏾🏾  Who is Defining Your Priorities?) About Us   We are a business solutions organization with an international footprint serving professionals who wish to transition into entrepreneurship, and providing guidance and technical assistance to established entrepreneurs and investors seeking to launch, grow, and scale their endeavors from a team of me to a team of we.   JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner 888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com LinkedIn Profile - https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial Website - https://thebufordco.com/ Learn More - https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000 Schedule an Appointment  https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp IS THERE MORE! WELL.... YES THERE IS. SUBSCRIBE TO LEARN MORE   https://bit.ly/yesthereismore   Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|*, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*

How to Remain Focused on Your Focus & Attract Your Tribe

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

 

#successleavesclues #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextopposocial #smallbizarchitect

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co-Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, transitioned into business ownership, and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Why Establishing An LLC May Not Be Enough to Protect Your Business

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If you have specific questions about any legal matter, you should consult with an attorney or other professional services provider.  

 

If you’re in the process of turning your business idea into a legal business entity, forming an LLC is an attractive option. Most business professionals cite that the primary reason to establish a limited liability company (LLC) business entity is for protection from personal liability should anything happen to your business. Or protect assets owned by an LLC (real estate for example) from liens, personal creditors, or some other type of legal harm.

It's a great idea. Remember, the rich don't own things in their personal name. Their businesses own assets, and they enjoy the benefits of those assets while mitigating liability. 

However, there are some misconceptions about the extent to which establishing an LLC can protect you. 

#1. I have an LLC and liability insurance coverage, so I don't need to keep an attorney on retainer. 

Ok. What happens to your insurance coverage and or premiums when you use that policy?

The insurance carrier may drop you at the anniversary date, meaning you're unable to conduct business depending on the industry you're in, or after 6 months raise the rates. 

Ask business owners who have endured a lawsuit and had to file an insurance claim, and they will inform you through gritted teeth how the premium increase was tantamount to the expense of retaining legal services on a monthly basis. 

 

#2. Establishing an LLC is not a tax plan. Most tax and accounting professionals will encourage entrepreneurs to set up their LLCs as disregarded entities. However, that literally means the business entity is disregarded, meaning your business is an extension of you. For the purposes of tax planning purposes, all tax liabilities pass on to you. 

There are two tax filing seasons. There is a tax filing season, and there is a tax planning season. Consulting with financial professionals and legal professionals that actually understand business financing and tax planning is critical. Professionals specialize. I’m assuming you wouldn’t hire a podiatrist (a foot doctor) to operate on your brain. 

Professionals specialize. There is nothing smart or profitable about disregarding this important point. It’s not what you know that kills you in business, but rather what you don’t know. The average business planning tax and accounting professional reports that entrepreneurs miss out on tens of thousands of dollars in tax deductions and relief on a yearly basis because of this error in judgment.

Additionally, if you own multiple LLCs, you’re submitting multiple K-1 filings. Creating a bureaucratic nightmare for new entrepreneurs, greater expenses, and a host of other unintended consequences. Consider setting up a management company to manage your LLCs. 

Another article is forthcoming about the advantages of management companies, however consulting a business planning professionals who specialize in this area of the law.  

 

#3. Establishing an LLC doesn’t automatically mean you or your assets are automatically protected. Gasp! 

To reiterate an earlier point, most LLCs are set up as single-owner, disregarded entities. Meaning legal liabilities also pass straight through to you. The first clue is in the word “limited” liability company. When the LLC is structured this way, it is more or less operating as an extension of you, offering limited protection. 

There are rules that must be followed and suggested guidelines to ensure that the corporate veil isn’t pierced.

• Avoid commingling personal monies and business revenues. Business revenues should be deposited into a business deposit account, and you should pay yourself (deposit monies) into a personal account. If you want to buy groceries do so from your personal account. 
• Many states require annual filing fees, and other bureaucratic steps to ensure compliance.
• It is strongly recommended that you acquire an operating agreement. The operating agreement for an LLC delineates each member's ownership percentage, rights, and responsibilities. While an operating agreement is not legally required, having one can be helpful in settling disputes. In other words, it’s kinda like you don’t have to tie your shoestrings in the morning, but you should else at some point you might trip and slam your face. 
• Learn about and develop the habit of recording corporate/company minutes on a monthly basis. Why corporate minutes are not legally required, doing so once again can be helpful in settling disputes (particularly tax issues). Kinda like shoestrings.
• Your operations are set up in such a way that it can be argued that the LLC was set up simply to hold assets (very relevant to real estate investors) and for no other business purposes. 
• Establish a management company to overcome the aforementioned argument. Consult with both a finance and legal professional that specializes in these issues.    

Think about it like this. Lawsuits are business decisions. The math for the opponent boils down to how much can I expect to extract from you, subtract the costs of an attorney, and other expenses to prevail in court. Think of your LLC as a financial deterrent. If the opponent has a war chest, and the amount they can extract from you is large enough you may be headed for a doomsday scenario. 

 

#4. Setting up an LLC in different states isn’t an airtight approach either, especially if it’s for real estate purposes. If you're holding real estate, you must abide by the laws in that state, regardless of where the LLC is set up. 

#5. Another disadvantage is that LLCs don’t have shares like corporations do. This might make transferring ownership more difficult. For example, if an LLC has multiple members, every member must agree on any ownership changes. 

If you need help with deciding whether an LLC or an alternative business entity is the right structure for your business schedule an appointment at 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp. 

 

#successleavesclues #entrepreneurshipisempowerment #nextopposocial #smallbizarchitect

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co-Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, transitioned into business ownership, and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Creating a Culture of Performance and Consistency in Your Sales Organization

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Are you an entrepreneur, producer, sales professional, or sales manager who's lost that loving feeling for your business?

Or struggling with how to keep your sales team motivated and prevent drift? A couple strategies slash tactics to find it... again.

And as always, feel free to comment or inbox me. I eat business development and sales strategy feedback and conversations like Reese's peanut butter cups.

 

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

How to Identify Your Competitive Advantage

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

WHAT ARE THE 3 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT SET YOU APART? 

In other words, what is your signature worth? What are your guarantees? 

Jimmy John’s became notorious for their “freaky fast” promotion, claiming the establishment could put a sandwich in your hand in less than four minutes. Dominoes guarantees if you are not completely satisfied with your Domino's Pizza experience, your monies will be refunded. 

In my over two decades of being a very frequent flyer at Starbucks, I've grown to anticipate after frequenting a specific location a handful of times, that the baristas will either know my name and, or be able to anticipate my order. 

The capital acquisition space in the Detroit Metropolitan area is inundated with businesses, organizations, professionals, and various other entities promising to provide funding for small business owners. If you do a deep dive into their resumes, the extent of their wisdom and know-how can be attributed to having read one book and a handful of hours of YouTube. Or have simply hopped from one organization to another padding their resumes with titles, but haven't been able to successfully build solvent business enterprises themselves. 

QT Business Solutions is led by Tina Williams, who is highly experienced and a proven commodity after over a decade of finding and securing monies for aspiring and established business owners alike. In other words, she has receipts. However, the success of her enterprise and her effectiveness weren't enough to distinguish her from the pack.

With the introduction of a guarantee, Tina’s continual maturation as a business leader, and some consistent promotion her business has become a prominent fixture in the business planning and capital acquisition space, and her brand is quickly becoming a household name in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. QT Business Solutions guarantees that as long a business owner meets a simple criteria uniformly applied by most financial institutions, a client of hers is guaranteed to obtain funding, else their monies are refunded. 

Your guarantees can be robust and boisterous. I remember when guaranteed delivery times were didn't exist, and for an establishment to do so was a big deal. Or your guarantees can be something simple, and nuanced in accordance with the tastes and sensibilities of your clients. It’s the consistency of the experience that matters. It’s your patrons feeling like they’re receiving more than what they’re paying and the predictability of it that creates stickiness.  This is what builds your brand.  

Choose 1-3 phrases to describe your guarantees. For example:

• We are an organization of entrepreneurs, serving entrepreneurs 
• We guarantee funding or a 100% refund 
• We provide uplifting service and exceed our clients' expectations 
• We invest in our business partners  
• We get what you do, and guarantee a 50% increase in your online traffic 
• Your priorities are our priorities, and we guarantee 100% satisfaction or we’ll refund your money.  
• We guarantee delivery in 2 days or a 50% refund

Is there more! But of course! Subscribe to learn additional resources, tools, workshops, and opportunities to promote your business. Learn more 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

 

 

What is a Project 100? & Why It's Important!

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Are you an entrepreneur looking for a prospecting and sales strategy to jump-start your business, a sales professional looking to launch your sales career, or you're a sales manager looking for an inexpensive way to reboot your sales process?  

Or perhaps you're like me... When I first began my sales and entrepreneurial journey over ten years ago. No contacts with disposable income. No credibility as I was just starting out. Very little support or training regarding how to find potential clients. 

Then a Project 100 is more than likely the answer for your prospecting and sales challenges. Learn how a Project 100 can help you overcome these obstacles and more. 

 

 

 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

Media Kit 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

 

Don't Be the Bottleneck in Your Business

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

A common challenge shared by most entrepreneurs who are attempting to scale from a team of me to a team of we is an unwillingness to disconnect themselves from every process in their businesses. If this is you, it means you're feeling tired, frustrated, stressed, and feeling like there is never enough time. It's like a feeling of dread coloring everything you do, all the time, in the face of success and failures alike.  You are literally working yourself to the brink of what will be an inevitable breakdown. 

When an athlete injures a leg, ankle, knee, an eye socket, or tears their achilles tendon there is typically swelling followed by the immediate inability to execute. Because the injury is apparent, the natural reaction is to seek immediate medical attention, followed by days, weeks, and months of rehab. Afterward, great care is taken to make sure the athlete doesn't aggravate or resume activities that may cause even the smallest tear or setback during their recovery. 

Well, how do you know when you've aggravated a mental injury? How do you know if you're suffering from an injury to the mind due to overexertion, or some type of trauma? The mind is the one body part that everyone has an opinion about but lack the ability to literally eyeball a brain injury (which would require you to crack open the skull) or damage done to the mind at the onset of an issue. A person can be operating normally without symptoms associated with an injury being apparent. 

Implementing an operating system. Learning how to attract and retain the right talent around you. Relying on processes as opposed to you being the system is how you build a thriving, healthy business. Taking these steps is also necessary to maintain a thriving, healthy you. 

What does daily medication or rehab look like? I don't know. I haven't earned a doctoral degree in medicine, and therefore if you feel like your mentally broken or exhausted beyond recovery I encourage you to seek professional, medical attention. However, I believe curating a life that includes the following activities may help:

1. Quiet moments to review your personal affirmations,
2. Take walks around the park,
3. Plant things,
4. Celebrate your wins and take inventory of your victories,
5. Reflect on your values, focus, and goals, and find alignment,
6. Set aside thirty minutes with an inspiring book or vlog daily, 
7. Dedicated a morning or evening with family or yourself to simply laugh, live, and enjoy life.
8. Performing breathing exercises can make all the difference in the world. 

If you're like most entrepreneurs you'll need to be intentional about scheduling time for these activities. What time of the day, how much time, and how often will you set aside time for your personal recuperation regimen? Choose three or create three of your own. Just do it. 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghostwriting, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

Growing From a Team of Me to a Team of We - Part 2

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Let's pretend that a very good friend of yours asked you to drop off a very important package somewhere, and you agreed to do so. Soon after you receive a phone call indicating the package needs to be dropped off in Oklahoma City on a specified date, absent any additional information. Two questions that should immediate come to mind is: 

#1. How big and heavy is the package? What is it? 

#2. Where specifically in Oklahoma City? 

You need this information, so you can decide how much you may need to invest in transporting the package. Additionally, you need the exact location so you can plan the most time efficient, cost effective route. You will need to account for construction, weather, rush hour traffic, fees, the expense of a vehicle, the expense of staff or a driver if you need to delegate the commitment, etc., etc., etc., If you just jump into your vehicle without accounting for these potential challenges, the journey could turn out to be a nightmare. 

The same applies to your entrepreneurial journey. It's not what you know in business that can kill you, it's what you don't know. Here are a couple questions and exercises I often pose and share with entrepreneurs to get them to think more critically about their businesses. Remember, the goal is to expend as little capital and time as possible, and earn as much as possible.  

 

#1. WHO IS YOUR BUYER AVATAR? YOUR IDEAL CLIENT, OR BUYER PERSONA? 

Identifying who your ideal client is doesn’t mean you dismiss potential clients, but you need to know who is already seeking or predisposed to patronize you, don’t need to be convinced regarding your value proposition, and can easily afford your services. Your branding, marketing and prospecting techniques, and how you execute your client services should all be geared to attract and retain your ideal client. 

Besides, not being willing to do the work. Not taking the time to think critically about this question inarguably kills a small business faster than anything else. Because it kills your desire. You're expending energy and feels like things aren't getting easier because you're getting traction with your most profitable clients and you're not serving people who you really, really want to serve. 

 

#2. WHAT'S WORKING? 

There is a famous axiom out there about money not being everything. Well, it is, if you don't have it. Capital is the lifeblood of your business. The only way you're going to create predictable income is to create predictable outcomes. In order to curate processes that work, you must identify the habits that work.

This lays the groundwork for you, the self-employed entrepreneur, to grow from a team of ME to a team of WE. In other words, transition from being a practitioner or creative that is owned by their business, to becoming a business owner, building an asset (organism that breathes, produces, and re-produces) that generates revenues independently of you having to do everything. 

Be meticulous about writing down your habits and your process. These notations will eventually serve as the track that your organization runs on. 

 

#3. WHAT ARE MY 3 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT SET ME OR US APART? 

What is your signature worth? What are your guarantees? 

Jimmy John’s became notorious for their “freaky fast” promotion, claiming the establishment could put a sandwich in your hand in less than four minutes. Dominoes guarantees if you are not completely satisfied with your Domino's Pizza experience, your monies will be refunded.  

Your guarantees can, but don't have to be robust and boisterous. I remember when guaranteed delivery times were not existent, and for an establishment to do so was a big deal. Or your guarantees can be something simple, and nuanced in accordance with the tastes and sensibilities of your clients. It’s the consistency of the experience that matters. It’s your patrons feeling like they’re receiving more than what they’re paying for that creates the stickiness. This is what builds your brand.  

 

#4. CREATE A LIST 

The list is your starting block. Identify those individuals or business entities that will be most receptive to your value proposition. And identify individuals and relationships that could lead you to your ideal clients. At some point you are going to need to establish a database/CRM of all your prospects and clients, so you can track your progress and quickly identify where your process may be failing you, or serving your interests. 

Creating a list provides a track for you and your sales team to run on. How big should the list be? Big list. Big checks. Small list. Small checks. No list. No checks. I encourage you to start a Project 100: build a list of prospects until you reach 100 names on your list. 

 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Need a Business Coach 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureSurvey

Schedule an Appointment 👉 https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

How Do You Know If You're Winning or Losing? - Creating Predictable Income as An Entrepreneur

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Attention is like the sun. What you focus it on tends to grow and develop, becoming part of the ecosystem. And depending on the extent to which it's cultivated, it may even come to dominate the ecosystem. 

I think the great part about what I do is that there's a scoreboard. At the end of every week, you know how you did. You know how well you prepared. You know whether you executed your game plan. There's a tangible score. - Tom Brady 

Ok. Great. But how do you take inventory of your activities to determine what's working or not? How do you determine the score? And why is it so absolutely important that you do so? 

If you can't measure it, you can't evaluate it. If you can't evaluate it, you can't identify whether you're on pace to achieve a desired outcome or not. Nor can you train to it, preventing you from being able to duplicate it. Which means you will be perpetually re-creating a job, rather than an organism that grows, regenerates, becoming stronger and more able with each passing day.

In other words, you'll never really scale beyond yourself. Imagine being the hamster in the wheel every day for the rest of your life. And that's no fun. 

Scoreboards create focus and accountability as well. Accountability engenders responsibility, leading to a sense of ownership, followed by investment. Do you want an organization of individuals who clock into work solely for a check? Or do you want to build an organization of teammates that are invested in its continual development and growth? Begin and build with the end in mind.

 

WHAT RGAs (Revenue Generating Activities) SHOULD YOUR SCOREBOARD TRACK? 

At the end of the day the scoreboard is determined by specific metrics that determine the integrity and predictability of your outcomes. Your outcomes are lagging indicators of these metrics or your revenue generating activities. 

Ever end the day feeling accomplished after expending a lot of energy and accomplishing a grocery list of things, only to experience feelings of resignation and dissatisfaction later. There is a a feeling of emptiness and frustration that comes with knowing that despite your best efforts, you’re not any closer to your goals then when you opened your eyes in the morning. 

This is why RGAs are important. These are the activities that determine the profitability of your business. Absent profits you’re unable to pay the bills or the talent. Meaning you cannot sustain much less scale your impact. 

An example of what I'm getting at here is the record of team stats you can find following NBA games. Typically, there is a stat line where you can account for rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, shooting percentage, etc., etc., These stats tell the story of the game, and any real student of the game can look at these metrics alone and determine with great accuracy what the outcome was without looking at the scoreboard. 

What are the most important stats or RGAs that determine the health of your business? Every organization is different, however here are a couple of examples: 

• Weekly sales calls 
• Weekly social media impressions 
• Weekly appointments or sales presentations given 
• Weekly referrals acquired 
• Weekly clients onboarded 
• Weekly happy clients reported  
• Weekly customer complaints 
• Weekly client issues resolved 
• Weekly interviews 
• Monthly retention rates 
• Weekly balance sheet (P&L statement) 
• Weekly revenues 
• Weekly accounts receivable 
• Weekly accounts payable 

The last four items on the list of suggestions are a function of all the previous RGAs. Profits are a result of the aforementioned RGAs. Remember, profits are a lagging indicators of whether your business is growing or receding. No RGAs, no profits. 

Remember, to choose 3 -5 items that will make the biggest difference in the development of your enterprise. If everything is important, nothing is. 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

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Important Steps Entrepreneurs Can Take to Super Charge Their Onboarding Process

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

There is a race taking place everyday to find, onboard, and retain talented people with a work ethic. Just like in sports, the business owners with the most talented people who've bought in win.

 

 

 

 

How a Project 100 and supercharge your process  

 

 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

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Why is a Big Vision & Big Goals Essential to Building a High Performance Team

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

JSB Business Solutions Group · Why is a Big Vision & Big Goals Essential to Building a High Performance Team

 

How to Grow from 0 Prospects to Over 3000 Referrals: Part 2 - CATCHJSBUFORD 052

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

 

 

 

SIMPLE STEPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND SALES PROCESS - Part One

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

You’ve beta tested your product or service. People love you and they love your offerings. You’ve been able to consistently generate  revenues and over the course of time you’ve created an approach that your clients appreciate. Matter of fact, you’ve become so effective you no longer prospect for new clients, you attract them. 

However, you've taken your business as far as it can go as an individual. And in order to earn the revenues you desire, become influential, and truly impact people on the scale you desire you know you need to grow from a team of me to a team of we. The bright side of it is you know what you do works. But there’s a problem. 

What you’re doing doesn’t readily duplicate. Unfortunately, your staff and specifically your sales staff can’t carry you everywhere in their back pockets and pull you out on demand. Lord knows if there was a way, you would have found a way to accomplish such a miraculous feat. And you may not have the capital to outsource your marketing and sales training yet. Or perhaps you’ve spent $599, $1,999, or $2,249 plus (gasp) on the latest, greatest training guru with little to show for it. 

Here’s a couple simple tips or rather questions that have served me and my clients that can dramatically impact your marketing efforts and supercharge your sales team. 

 

QUICK TIP #1. WHAT ARE YOUR GUARANTEES? 

Or another way of thinking about it is, what is your signature worth? 

One of the greatest, most impactful, yet simplest ways to improve marketing efforts and improve your sales strategy is to leave the customer feeling like they received more than they paid for. Add a guarantee on top of it, and you may be able to dominate your market for time. 

I can remember when there was no such thing as a guaranteed delivery time by any restaurant or food establishment, much less a guarantee when someone could expect their food to end up in their hands or on their plates. I remember quipping about how oxymoronic the phrase “fast food” had become in my teenage years and early twenties. Let's fast forward to today. 

Jimmy John’s became notorious for their “freaky fast” promotion, claiming the establishment could put a sandwich in your hand in less than four minutes. Dominoes guarantees if you are not completely satisfied with your Domino's Pizza experience, your monies will be refunded. In over two decades of being a very frequent flyer at Starbucks, I grown to anticipate after visiting a specific location several times, that the baristas will either know my name, or be able to anticipate my order and know my name. 

Consider how effective providing greater than expected performance, coupled with a guarantee worked out and continues to work out for the aforementioned companies. 

The capital acquisition space in the Detroit Metropolitan area is inundated with businesses, organizations, professionals, and various other entities promising to provide funding for small business owners. If you do a deep dive into their resumes, the extent of their wisdom and know-how can be attributed to having read one book and a handful of hours of YouTube. It is what it is. In the short term businesses often win based on what they can and are willing to market, rather than their actual deliverables. 

QT Business Solutions is led by Tina Williams. Williams brings to the table all the prerequisite academic and professional accouterments you’d expect from a business planning professional: MBA., years of corporate training in the banking and finance industry for small business owners, and a successful owner and operator of her own enterprise. Williams is highly experienced and a proven commodity after over a decade of finding and securing monies for aspiring and established business owners alike. In other words, she has receipts.

It wasn’t enough. 

With the introduction of a guarantee, her continual maturation as a business leader, and some consistent promotion QT Business Solutions has become a prominent fixture in the business planning and capital acquisition space, and her business is quickly becoming a household name in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. QT Business Solutions guarantees that as long as a business owner meets a simple criteria uniformly applied by most financial institutions, a client of hers is guaranteed to obtain funding, else their monies are refunded. 

Your guarantees can be robust and boisterous. Once again, I remember when guaranteed delivery times were nonexistent, and for an establishment to do so was a big deal. Or your guarantees can be something simple, and nuanced in accordance with the tastes and sensibilities of your clients. It’s the consistency of the experience that matters. It’s your patrons feeling like they’re receiving more than what they’re paying for that creates the competitive advantage. 

It can give your promotional stories stickiness and legs to run on in the marketplace. It can equip even the most novice sales professionals with an ace in the hole, providing them with confidence and most importantly, a consistent, duplicable approach to run with. If their presentation is shaky, and doesn’t necessarily inspire feelings of I like you, I know you, and I trust you, the guarantee can help overcome their shortcomings initially. It is what contributes to the building of your brand. And building a powerful, compelling brand is the bag.

Need a couple of examples? Consider the following phrases that can describe what someone’s signature is worth, and create your own. Write down a list of ten or as many as you can imagine. Then carve your list down to one (one is enough) to three guarantees. Remember, a confused mind does nothing, or makes a mess of things.      

For example:

• We are an organization of entrepreneurs, serving entrepreneurs 
• We guarantee funding or a 100% refund 
• We provide uplifting service and exceed our clients expectations 
• We invest in our business partners  
• We learn what you do, get what you do, and guarantee a 50% increase in your online traffic 
• Your priorities are our priorities, and we guarantee 100% satisfaction or we’ll refund your money.  
• We guarantee delivery in 2 days or a 50% refund 

 

IS THERE MORE…..? Better believe there is. Per usual, there will be a Part Two with even more actionable content, strategies, and tips, accompanied by a video for those who prefer audio and or visual content. 

So, subscribe to continue to receive 👉🏾 Subscribe Link And remember to like, comment, and share with others. It allows us to better understand what you like, want, and need.

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JSB Business Solutions Group · Goal Setting is a Good Start. Setting a Goal Achieving Plan is Better

A recent interview with Danco Sotirovski, of "Ask the Neighbor" and JuJuan Buford, CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group & Co-Founder of NextOppSocial, regarding how to become better at the goal setting process, and why having a goal achieving process is necessary to make it all work.

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment #smallbizarchitect #smallbizarchitecture #nextoppsocial

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

 

The 3 Deadly Horsemen That Stop Entrepreneurs from Growing

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

BONUS ARTICLE REPOST | #4 Deadly Horseman 👉🏾 Failure to Use a CRM (Client Relationship Manager) 

 

You have a proven product or service, your fine tuning your elevator pitch, and  as a result of your prospecting strategies you’ve reached a point whereas the stress of balancing making dials, staying relevant via social media, and meeting the right prospects (I’ll elaborate) is starting to feel overwhelming. At the end of the day, there are so many hours available to spend between making 20, 50, or 100 dials, giving presentations and servicing your customers, and managing all the other stuff that is required to keep revenues coming in. 

What you really want is to meet more idea prospects, make them happy clients, and acquire more leads. The aforementioned will allow you upgrade your capacity (hire better people) to offer more or upgraded services, increasing your value proposition, allowing you to increase your prices, ultimately allowing you to enjoy increased cash flow. In other words, create a more system approach to finding and engaging ideal clients. 

How can a good customer relationship manager (CRM) help you achieve all of the aforementioned?

 

A CRM CAN HELP YOU BETTER MINE YOUR BUSINESS

 One of the greatest benefits of a CRM is it helps you identify who and where your focus should go. At some point, we have to begin to identify who our ideal customer is, and thus curate our marketing and prospecting strategies to attract our ideal prospect. What do I mean by this? 

(A) Prospects = Prospects that are already very much motivated to buy what you're offering; have enough disposable income to easily afford the 5 Star treatment; and appreciate your professional approach.

(B) Prospects = Prospects that require some education regarding how conducting business with you can improve their lives; have disposable income; and arrive on time for the appointment.

(C) Prospects = Prospects that need...... (to continue reading and learning visit the following link and enjoy 👉🏾 The 3 Deadly Horsemen That Prevent Entrepreneurs from Growing From a Team of Me, To a Team of We)

OR 

Cut to chase and catch the video here 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

 

_____________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

 

 

Goal Setting is a Good Start. Setting a Goal Achieving Plan is Better.

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

A couple common mistakes entrepreneurs make when setting goals, and a couple suggestions to get better at the goal setting and achieving process.

#1. Setting goals without a goal achievement plan is like a throwing up a prayer, absent the works behind it. You're left with nothing but empty promises.

#2. Goal setting is skilled trade. And like most skilled trades, there is a process to becoming mediocre, good, than great at it. Accept that you may suck at it in the beginning, and that's OK. Commit to the process.

#3. Be careful of what you wish for. Big goals are going to require some things in return from you. Ask yourself, who must I become, and what changes must I make in order to become the person that is deserved of the goals I've set? Forward movement and progress almost always requires some friction initially. Accept it.

#4. Big goals necessarily require the cooperation of others. Clearly define the talents and skills that you need to execute the goal achieving process, and make connections with good people who share your values and work ethic before you need them. Organic partnerships are the best!

#5. Dream big. Start small. You build a large edifice one brick at a time. Inculcate a spirit of gratitude, and document your progress to ensure you appreciate the small wins along the way. Create a brief, simple goal achieving process that you can execute daily, until it becomes habitual.

Check out the following interview to acquire more details regarding how to curate a winning goal setting and goal achieving process.  👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾

 

 

JSB Business Solutions Group · Goal Setting is a Good Start. Setting a Goal Achieving Plan is Better

👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾




It's the progress that feels the best!

Danco Sotirovski #nextoppsocial NextOppSocial #verydetroit #smallbizarchitect #thereslevels #goalsetting #goalachievement #entrepreneurshipisempowerment

 

___________________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

 

Growing From a Team of Me to a Team of We

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

-- ►Prefer video? You can find a nuanced version of this article and more. And if you this content serves you subscribe, like, share, and leaves comments. 👉  How to Avoid Hiring & Partnering with the Wrong People 

 

The complaint is tried and true.The job market. The candidates. Nobody wants to work, and everybody sucks. And some of the aforementioned may be true, however, none of the complaints are going to solve your problems. So, what will? 

Clarity of purpose, accountability systems, and priority management.

I spoke with a handful of business owners in quick succession this past week - home health care, massage business owner, and a network marketing entrepreneur - who all shared with me that they ultimately don’t have enough time, and there are not enough good people out there, and this is preventing them from scaling their businesses And after listening, I asked each one of them the following questions…..

#1. Why does your business exist beyond generating a profit, and who do you want to serve? 

All of them had great origination stories, which was fantastic because most people are so busy trying to get the bag, they never stop to ask the question, why should anyone have any type of long term emotional or financial attachment to my business? In other words, how are you changing or enhancing your patrons’ lives? 

Why is this question important? People who are passionate about or believe in the benefits of life insurance, make the best insurance agents. People who love and appreciate the Mercedes Benz brand make the best Mercedes sales professionals. People who have had their lives enhanced by professional development or have had their lives changed by seeking psychological therapy tend to be the strongest marketers and advocates of these services. 

If your staff isn’t aware or never had the opportunity to buy into your compelling vision for your business, why are they showing up beyond a direct deposit? Mercenaries are not going to show up early, or stay late to fulfill the imperatives of your business. On the other hand, history of chock full of examples of soldiers, athletes, and professionals who perform extraordinary feats for a cause or a mission that inspires passion. 

When I ask most business owners who do you want to serve, most respond with some general response amounting to any and everyone who likes my stuff, and can afford to pay for it. But that doesn’t really answer the question. Almost every successful business owner I know was trying to solve a problem or serve a need - theirs or someone else’s - when they launched. There was a specific person, persons, or character that they were focused on serving. There was a problem that needed solving. 

For example, I just interviewed an aspiring cannabis micro-business owner who was inspired to begin her entrepreneurial journey, because of her mother and people like her mother who had been suffering from stomach nausea and acute joint pain. She introduced edibles to her mother in desperation because the narcotics weren’t working. And a month later, the nausea was practically gone, and the joint pain became much more bearable. Before then her mother and many of the other elders she knew were pretty much sequestered to their living and bed rooms because of the severity of their ailments. The story of her mother’s recovery spread like wildfire, and now people are lining up at her door seeking relief. 

Solving the chronic pains of the elderly and liberating them from the limitations imposed upon them because of illnesses is the reason why her business exists. And her target market or ideal client is crystal clear. As she prepares to launch and scale her business, how beneficial (cost effective and efficient) will it be for her staff -specifically the marketing and sales professionals - to be able to identify and focus the lion's share of their marketing, advertising, and engagement upon an audience that is looking for her solutions; don’t need need to be convinced or sold; can afford her products; and are willing to patronize her without delay? 

Can you imagine how much more efficient, empathetic, inviting, and aware her staff will be? This is huge. Your partners, staff, and vendors need to know what your expectations are, and be able to immediately zoom in on your target market in order for you to maximize your investment in them. Everyone needs to understand the correlations between the health of your business, how happy your clients are, and their paychecks. 

 

#2. What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)? 

I’d estimate that 90% of new entrepreneurs and the super-majority of business owners who are struggling with scaling are not aware of their KPIs. If you’re not aware of them you can’t teach them, duplicate them, nor hold people accountable to them. 

Knowing your KPIs is where the predictability is found in your business. It is where your time freedom is found. It allows you to focus on being a CEO (creating environments of opportunity), allowing you the space to lead, grow, and work on your business as opposed to in it 24/7. You can’t build a high performing sports team without accountability. You can’t raise a child without accountability. You can’t accomplish anything worthwhile involving people absent accountability. 

When you’re starting out initially you’re developing habits, insights, and an understanding of what specific tasks, procedures, and metrics are required in order for you to secure, serve, and attract new clients. It becomes your modus operandi or part of your DNA, and you begin to operate on autopilot. Everything becomes common sense. But it’s not. 

At some point - ideally from the start - you must document every step that is involved in the attraction, onboarding, serving, and duplication of your ideal buyer persona. You have to give your new employees a track to run on, and your cataloging of these steps must be meticulous. Afterwards, identify the steps or metrics that are the most predictive of successful outcomes. Once you’ve identified the key performance indicators things become very simple. If you’re not getting the results you desire, your team isn’t doing something right, or they’re not doing something enough. 

The more attention you pay to this element of your business, the more efficiently you’ll be able to identify whether people get what your expectations are. Do they understand the purpose? Have they bought in? And who is willing to execute and be accountable? Remember speed kills. It can be a tool, creating synergy, coupled with swift, profitable decision making. Or it can torpedo your business, resulting in finger pointing, people checking out, giving half a#$%! efforts, and repelling any high performing employees you have left. 

Your biggest expense is onboarding a new employee, and conversely firing one. If you aren’t intentional about this process, you will always be complaining about not having enough time. Audit your time and tasks. What are you really, really good at? What requires only your creativity, deductive reasoning, and experience. Document and delegate to people who have the ability to do the rest reasonably well until you can recruit the people who can do these things exceptionally well. 

#3. Which leads to my last question? How much time are you spending interviewing and recruiting new talent? 

Starbucks is always interviewing. I cannot recall not observing a manager interviewing a prospective employee at any one location I’ve visited with some frequency. One location may need a staff of five to eight individuals, but they are constantly interviewing. Why is this necessary? People quit. People get fired. People get married, divorced, or suddenly need to relocate. 

Also, know your business partners may or will fall out of love with you, and or the business.

Always be interviewing. We are all in a constant competition for the most hardworking, ethical, talented people available. In sports the most successful teams tend to field the most talented players who’ve bought into a system. Business is not much different. 

Consistently interviewing new talent sends a message to current staff members that someone who will gladly accept their hours or salary is always walking through the door. If you slack off. You don’t want to learn or develop new skills. There’s a pool of individuals that are one phone call away, or literally sitting in the office.  

In closing, remember that you need to clearly define the why, and what your staff is expected to buy into to capture the best in them. If you haven’t done this first, you have no right to complain about why you’re having a difficult time attracting and retaining the talent you need to effectively grow and scale your business. 
  

Systems of accountability are required to effectively coach and groom the talent you already have, and you need to be constantly recruiting for the skills and talents that you don’t have. Your biggest ROI is replacing yourself. Your biggest expense and conversely your greatest investment is creating fertile ground, and attracting, recruiting, and systemically putting the right people in place. 

You may be tempted to respond with the tried and true, reasonable excuse of not having time or bandwidth to implement the aforementioned suggestions. It’s OK. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

-- ►Prefer video? You can find a nuanced version of this article and more. And if you this content serves you subscribe, like, share, and leaves comments. 👉  How to Avoid Hiring & Partnering with the Wrong People 

___________________________________________________________________________

JuJuan Buford is a CEO, Co Founder serial entrepreneur, writer, and public speaker. JuJuan started his career in the banking and investment advisory industry, and transitioned into business ownership and is enjoying entrepreneurial success in multiple industries: business coaching, real estate wholesaling, direct selling, business technical assistance provider, ghost writing, and publishing. 

 

Phone 👉 888.549.9689 

Website 👉 https://thebufordco.com 

YouTube 👉 https://bit.ly/NextOppSocOnYoutube

Let’s Connect 👉 https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Learn More 👉 https://bit.ly/JSBBSG_MediaKit

Subscribe 👉 Continue to Learn & Grow

How Do Pitch Your Business to Strangers Successfully? What Happens After You've Approached Your Warm Market?

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

There is a race taking place everyday to find, onboard, and retain talented people with a work ethic. Just like in sports, the business owners with the most talented people who've bought in win.

How do you handle problem employees, especially when you're just starting out? How do you avoid bad employees or partners.

-- ►To Watch More, Subscribe Here: CATCHJSBUFORD On YouTube And Remember Sharing is Caring.

Share Your Story.

Join us every week at NextOppSocial A place where you can listen, learn, and consume actionable content to launch, build, grow, and scale your businesses. We explore new topics each week and interview entrepreneurs throughout the Detroit Metropolitan Area, sharing insights regarding various subjects, important business strategies, success mindsets, and tools you can use to level up in your business endeavors.

Watch the most recent episode here @ What Business Owners Need to Understand About the Tax System | NOS Interview with Charleta McInnis

CONTINUE TO LEARN & GROW BY CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK @ LAUNCH, GROW, & SCALE YOUR BUSINESS

 

 

JuJuan Buford, Business Development Officer

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

https://thebufordco.com | http://bit.ly/linkedinpublicprofilejujuanbuford

Let's Connect > https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

Information, Strategies, Tactics, & Resources to Support Businesses & Entrepreneurs @ https://www.catchjsbuford.com/

Do you have a story to tell? Learn more about how we help entrepreneurs promote their businesses @ https://www.nextoppsocial.com/

IS THERE MORE? YES! Join my email group to receive my best stuff!! Continue to Learn & Grow

How to Approach People About Your Business. What Makes a Good Sales Pitch Work.

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

It’s common to feel anxious or clumsy when sharing who you are, and what you do with prospects, especially when you’re just getting started as an entrepreneur.

Some freeze and become apprehensive about sharing what they do or how they can help others.

How do you overcome the fear and or not knowing what to say? How do you craft an effective approach to meeting new people (the lifeblood of your business) that doesn’t feel sale-sy or awkward?

I’m going to share how to overcome these challenges and more. 👇 👇

And as always, feel free to inbox me to ask questions, or post them in the comments to continue the discussion.

 

 

-- ► Watch More & Subscribe to Here: CATCHJSBUFORD On YouTube

 

Falling Back In Love With Entrepreneurship

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

A recent interview with Danco Sotirovski, of "Ask the Neighbor" and JuJuan Buford, CEO of JSB Business Solutions Group & Co-Founder of NextOppSocial, regarding what steps entrepreneurs can take when they've lost that loving feeling for their business.

 

 

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW - PART ONE👇🏾

 

 

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW - PART TWO👇🏾

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________

Company Site > https://thebufordco.com/ 
Who is JuJuan Buford > https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

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Business Origination Documents

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If you have specific questions about any legal matter, you should consult with an attorney or other professional services provider.  

 

One of the most commonly asked questions among new business owners, is how important is it that I seek guidance regarding properly structuring my business? Not fully understanding what structuring a business really entails:

1. Understanding what is the difference between a DBA, LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, or L3C?
2. What are my intellectual property rights, and how do I protect them?
3. What is an operating agreement, and what other documents do I need? (Here's a side bar. When I learn of an entrepreneur not being able to secure monies from a bank, micro-lender, or a private investor doesn't return their phone call,  90% of the time it's because they were able to produce an operating agreement, balance sheet, income statement, and or cash flow statement)
4. Am I going to compensate myself as 1099 or W-2? 

Not knowing the answers to these questions, is the equivalent of building a house without investing in or inspecting its foundations. Sooner or later, very expensive troubles are going to find you. 

Additionally, one of the most significant challenges fledgling and established business owners face alike today, is finding and retaining good, talented employees and business partners. Unwittingly, many business owners actually sabotage their efforts to attract and retain talent by not having the following documents in place: an operating agreement, a confidentiality agreement, contracting agreement, and a non-compete or non-circumvent agreement. 

Many will argue that because they are still just a small operation (the attitude comes before the altitude), they are not generating significant revenues, or they are a sole-prop there is not a pressing need for these documents. However, what many entrepreneurs frequently fail to realize is that these documents are very important not simply because of their utility, but  because of what they broadcast to the world about your business. 

Having these documents at your disposal or not having them signals to prospective business partners, affiliates, employees, contract workers, and prospective investors whether you’re a swashbuckling pirate attempting to collect some quick bounty, or whether your running a serious operation with a solid foundation that should be respected. 

An Operating Agreement

Sample Operating Agreement

Plainly speaking an operating agreement is an arrangement between members or shareholders of a business entity regarding they conduct business affairs. It spells out the rights of members or shareholders, obligations, and procedures regarding how the business is to be managed. It provides clarity, and helps parties stay in their lane, and play nice. 

As a business owner/s your value proposition can be phenomenal and you can be surrounded by all the talent in the world, but if individuals aren’t clear about what is expected of each other, things can go south very quickly. People don’t rehearse accidents resulting in disabilities, car accidents and untimely deaths, divorces, or simply losing personal interest in a business. And regardless of how fine of character you believe someone to be, we all have been surprised at one time in our lives by wolves hiding in sheep's clothing. Operating agreements resolve these issues and more. 

• Voting rights,
• Issues related to parties leaving and possibly becoming competition,
• How a buyout may need to be handled,
• How profits are distributed,
• Expectations regarding how monies invested will be handled, 
• Buyout provisions,
• What happens in the event of disability or death, and
• How the company will be taxed.

As an aside, having an operating agreement also helps to demarcate the lines between personal affairs and business affairs, offering greater protection from legal challenges arising from tax issues as well. 

A Confidentiality Agreement / Non-Disclosure Agreeement 

NDA - Sample Non-Disclosure Agreement 

You have this incredible idea, and you throw 100% of your will, intellect, and finances into birthing it into a living, breathing, profit creating reality. You’ve included your best buds and trusted confidants in the process, and sought out talent that you don’t possess to help you scale your blossoming business. Only to find out someone has “stolen” your idea, your recipe, insight into your marketing strategy or business plan, or information about your customers. 

Confidentiality agreements dissuade parties from committing the aforementioned offenses and protects your business interests. 

Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, Non-Circumvents

Sample Non-Circumvent

These documents place restrictions upon employees, contract workers, shareholders, and even passive investors from directly or indirectly competing against your business. Depending on how these documents are drawn up, they can address issues relating to an employee or contractor joining another competitor while employed by you, after the end of working relationship, or a period following termination. They can also be effective at preventing parties from investing in or lending monetary assistance to a competitor. 

 

They are especially effective at preventing or limiting activities such as disclosing confidential information, information regarding clients, sharing information for the purposes of disparagement, or usurping activities involving suppliers or providers of technical assistance.  

 

Contracting Agreement

Sample Independent Contracting Agreement

Contracting agreements outline expectations regarding services to be provided or products to be delivered, accompanied with agreed upon compensation for products and services. This document provides the basis for recompense if a client, vendor, or other parties you’re engaged in business activities with. This isn’t your granddaddy’s economy or society anymore. Unfortunately, a handshake or verbal commitment isn’t worth what it used to be. 

You’re interviewing ideal candidates for work in your business, and they continually opt to work elsewhere? You’ve been taken advantage of, having experienced material theft or property right infringement? Your employees or contract workers arrive late and unprepared, destroy or lose equipment or supplies, or disparage you openly or covertly? You're finding that potential investors listen to you politely, and disappear shortly thereafter? 

Remember, the way you introduce your business and onboard someone - the presence of the aforementioned documents being a critical part of the process - for the purposes of seeking their labor or currency informs them how seriously to take you, and dissuades the bad behavior that occurs all too often in business.

 

 

Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online calendar at https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Buy me a coffee! 

 

#entrepreneurshipisempowerment

 

 

 

JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

 

 

Our goal is to help 100,000 entrepreneurs launch, grow, & scale from a team of me to a team of we over the next 10 years. Learn More - https://bit.ly/JSBWorryLessBuildMoreProject10000

 

Schedule An Appointment - https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

 

LegalShield Combats Rising Cybercrime Among Small to Midsize Companies with IDShield for Business

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Redacted Post of LegalShield Press Release Regarding Cyber Threats to Small Business Owners 

LegalShield Combats Rising Cybercrime Among Small to Midsize Companies with IDShield for Business

April 19, 2021 01:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time

ADA, Okla.--As businesses store more customer data online, thereby increasing their vulnerability to cybercrime, LegalShield today announced the newest addition to its portfolio of personal and business security products: IDShield for Business. The cyberattack protection program offers companies with limited or no IT personnel, a comprehensive, affordable way to mitigate risk and recover from a cyberattack. IDShield for Business is part of LegalShield’s IDShield product suite, which for 20 years, has been a leading North American provider of identity monitoring, theft protection, and restoration technology and services for individuals and families.

“Small businesses, an increasing target of cyber thieves, constitute 43% of online attacks—but only 14% are prepared to defend themselves. Not only are their networks at increased risk, but so are their reputations and customer data”

“Small businesses, an increasing target of cyber thieves, constitute 43% of online attacks—but only 14% are prepared to defend themselves. Not only are their networks at increased risk, but so are their reputations and customer data,” said Arnold Blinn, Chief Technology Officer. “And the impact of cybercrime is expensive—when they’re hit, small businesses pay an average $200,000 in legal and cleanup costs.”

IDShield for Business roots out vulnerabilities by scanning customers’ networks. Cybersecurity experts continue to probe, learn, and recommend effective solutions against any found risks. In the event that a customer is hacked, a $100,000 Cyber-Protection Plan covers related expenses, helping the business quickly recover and move forward. The plan includes four primary pillars:

1. Vulnerability Scans: Notifies customers of cyber threats by scanning online networks and any connected devices to identify security dangers and compliance risks. The program checks against 100K vulnerabilities every month and provides a monthly risk report.
2. Remote Technical Assistance: Live support specialists interpret information in vulnerability scans and aid in resolving issues with patch updates, virus removal software, security resets and more. Specialists are available every day of the year, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST to review vulnerability scan results, apply patch updates, remove viruses, and remediate vulnerabilities.
3. Emergency Help Line Response: If a customer experiences a cyberattack, remote IT professionals help remediate network vulnerabilities, and provide consultation on a wide range of security issues to maximize system safety. Support is available 24/7 and holidays.
4. $100K Cyber-Protection Plan: If a cyberattack does happen, customers receive up to $100,000 in cyber liability protection to cover losses incurred as a result of a cyberattack to facilitate a quick recovery. The policy covers PCI recertification, crisis management, public relations, forensic and legal expenses, and extortion loses resulting from a cyberattack.

Starting April 19, IDShield for Business will make available two options: 1. The Essentials Plan protects up to six URLS and/or public IP addresses for $79.95 per month; 2. Business Plus protects up to 12 URLs and/or public IP addresses for $149.95 per month. For more information, visit https://www.idshield.com/ids4biz.

Recently, Forbes Advisor named IDShield’s 3 Bureau Protection Plan as Best Overall Identity Protection Service 2021 and its Family 3 Bureau Plan as Best for Families.

 

About LegalShield and IDShield

A trailblazer in the democratization of affordable access to legal protection, LegalShield is the world's largest platform for legal, identity, and reputation management services covering more than 4.4 million people. IDShield, LegalShield’s identity theft solution for individuals and families, has more than one million members. LegalShield and IDShield serve more than 140,000 businesses. In addition, over 34,000 companies offer LegalShield and IDShield plans to their employees as voluntary benefits. Both legal and identity theft plans start for less than $25 per month.

IDShield provides identity monitoring and restoration services and is the only identity theft protection company armed with a team of Licensed Private Investigators to restore a member’s identity. For more information about LegalShield, visit: https://www.legalshield.com/ or for more information about IDShield, visit: https://www.idshield.com/

 

 

JuJuan Buford, Business Development Officer

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

https://thebufordco.com | http://bit.ly/linkedinpublicprofilejujuanbuford

Let's Connect > https://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial

 

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Your Predictability is Found In Your Process

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Who is your target market? Your ideal client? Or buyer persona? 

Understanding who your ideal customer really is, or what many refer to as your buyer persona is critical. It doesn’t mean you dismiss potential clients, but you need to know who is already seeking or predisposed to patronize you, don’t need much in the way of education regarding your value proposition, and can easily afford your services. Your branding, marketing and prospecting techniques, and how you execute your client services should all be geared to attract and retain your ideal client. 

Besides, not being willing to do the work. This unarguably kills a small business faster than anything else. There is a famous axiom out there about money not being everything. Well, it is, if you don't have it. Capital is the lifeblood of your business. The following questions are designed to help you put together a process to help you consistently enjoy cash flow.   

In order to curate processes that work, you must identify the habits that work. This lays the groundwork for you, the self employed entrepreneur, to grow from a team of ME to a team of WE. In other words, transition from being a practitioner or creative that is owned by their business, to becoming a business owner, building an asset (organism that breathes, produces, and re-produces) that generates revenues independently of you having to do everything.

Let's begin!!

 

CREATE A LIST The list is your starting block. In the previous questionnaire you were asked to identify your niche and the 3 unique characteristics that set you apart from the rest of the field. Now it's time to identify those individuals or business entities that will be most receptive to both. At some point you are going to establish a database/CRM of all your prospects and clients, so you can track your progress and quickly identify where your process may be failing you, or serving your interests. 

How big should the list be? Big list. Big checks. Small list. Small checks. No list. No checks. I encourage you to start a Project 100: build a list of prospects until you reach 100 names on your list. For those working in the B2C market (to a lesser extent the B2B market), the following memory jogger may be helpful. 

 

WRITE DOWN YOUR PROCESS Your process is the track you run on. Every professional, entrepreneur, and business has a process. If you don't have a process, that is your process. Processes allow you to inventory your RGAs (revenue generating activities) systemically, and the predictability of your business is found in your RGAs. It is where the fodder is found to begin to make projections about your profitability in the future.

Not having a proven process is tantamount to waking up, jumping in your car, and attempting to drive to an overseas destination you've never visited before without a map or a compass. For the purposes of this exercise, I'm going to provide a simplified process that applies to most business models generally.

1. How do I ensure that new people are learning about my business on a daily basis? 
1. Social Media Campaigns, 
2. Inboxing Prospects Online,
3. Cold Calling, 
4. Referrals, 
5. Email Campaigns, 
6. Door Knocking, 
7. Networking Events, 
8. Open Houses, 
9. etc.  
1. How many new people do I need to introduce to my business on a daily basis for it to be viable? 
2. What kind of tools or marketing artifacts am I going to use to introduce my business offerings? 

 

1.  Once a new prospect is aware of my services or products, how do I help them make an educated buying decision? 
1. Landing Pages & Sales Funnels 
2. Invitation to a Zoom Presentation or Webcast 
3. Schedule a One on One Appointment 
4. Social Media Tutorial or Presentation: YouTube, Instagram, SoundCloud, etc. 
5. Website 
6. Invite to a Demonstration
7. Seminars
8. etc.
1. How many guests (people who have seen a presentation of some kind) must learn about my presentation in order to onboard a new client? 

 

Here is a simplified formula I still employ to this day, when I’m attempting to assess the amount of work and resources I will need to employ to reach my target. 

Simplified Formula for Sales Success

Your income goal per month:

Average compensation / NOI (net operating income) per sale:

What is your closing percentage?

Days per week (52 weeks/12 months) = 4.33

Number of days per week you will work building your dream:

 

Example:

Income Goal $8,333.33 divided by,

Average Compensation $300 divided by,

Closing Ration 30% divided by

Days per Week 4.33 divided by

Chosen Number of Work Days 5 =  4.5 presentations daily

 

 

1. Once I’ve taken on a new client, what steps am I going to take to make sure they are a happy client? 
1. What is the System for Following Up to Confirm Their Satisfaction? 
2. How Do I Confirm or Deliver the Guarantee? 
3. How Do I Ensure Services/Products are Meeting Expectations? 
4. How Do I Continually Engage My Client After Their Purchase? 

 

1. What process do I have in place to obtain referrals on a consistent basis? 
1. Email Campaigns
2. Phone Calls
3. Text Messages
4. CRM - Automated Messages
1. Do I have a Script/s?
5. Social Media Group, Membership Club, Subscription 
6. etc.

 

Over the course of time you want to be very intentional about documenting your scripts and inventorying what tools you are using. WHY?  When it’s time to grow from a team of ME to a team of WE, this process will reduce your hiring, training, and supervisory expenses. Plan with the end in mind. 

Give your process or approach a name. In one of my organizations, I refer to it as Our Uplifting Service Agreement. Once you’ve named (branded) your process, at some point you’ll want to create some type of marketing artifact, logo, symbol, or image that people can identify with your process (prospects, clients, and employees alike). 

 

 

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How to Find or Regain Focus, Energy, & Remain Inspired As An Entrepreneur

Posted by JuJuan Buford @JSBUFORD

 

Why does your business exist, beyond simply making a profit? What do you want your impact or legacy to be in the world? What is your WHY?  

Being able to answer these questions is important because it's hard to expend your life's energies on a compromise, and success is an inside job. There is not enough motivation in the world (books, podcasts, videos, seminars, etc.) to feed you and push you to achieve your best life. At some point, you have to identify the values, beliefs, and ideas that give you energy. You need to have a well to pull from that will propel you forward before the recognition; create accountability when people are not looking; and push you to be excellent before the rewards become apparent. 

Answering these questions will also help you frame your value proposition to the rest of the world. They will help you determine how you show up at an initial meet up, at networking events, when you give an elevator pitch, and how you accentuate your value to the world via social media and elsewhere. They are essential to helping you attract your tribe: the business partners you will eventually work with; your ideal clients; and those who are willing to support and advocate for you when you're not in the room. 

And just as important, answering these questions will help you stay focused on your focus. I've read that a light bulb and a laser use and produce the same amount of energy. However, the light bulb’s energy illuminates but dissipates into space. Whereas, a laser's energy is focused, and can cut through, chisel, and curate the environment around it. When you're flying from project to project, and you lack focus, you'll find very often that while the calendar moves, you haven't moved or progressed any further toward your goals.

Additionally, you are unable to resonate with your tribe, because people don’t know WHO or WHAT you are from day to day, and therefore you fail repeatedly to gain the traction (trust) and momentum (social evidence) required to push your business endeavors forward. There's a hidden inertia that exists in business, akin to pushing a 5000 lb vehicle. In the beginning, it's tough, but once the wheels get rolling you and those observing you may begin to marvel at how easily you're able to achieve progress. Inertia allows you to accomplish more, attract more, and invest more in your endeavors as opposed to being bogged down with the psychological strain of surviving day to day. 

So, how do you begin? This is an abbreviated version of a questionnaire I typically distribute to clients who are in the start-up phase of their businesses or entrepreneurs who need a hard reset. The questions are designed to help you identify and answer the following questions?

And by the way, if you like the appetizer, and desire a deeper dive, complete this survey, and reach out to me using the contact information at the end of this article.

 

• Why does my business exist?
• What are my core services? 
• What are my competitive advantages? 

 

WHAT ARE MY CORE VALUES? One way to answer this question is to ask yourself, what are your key principles? What are the issues or matters that matter the most to you? What are the things you'd draw the line in the sand for? Fight for? Sacrifice for?

If you could describe the culture of your organization you’re building in 3 to 5 words what would they be? Take a moment and think about the professionals or individuals you respect most, and ask yourself what characteristics do they embody? For example: 

• financial independence
• legacy
• professionalism
• uplifting service
• providers for their family and community
• unabashed accountability
• absolute commitment
• passionate about having fun
• constant learning & growing
• entrepreneurship is empowerment
• longevity and forever relevant

 

WHAT IS MY CORE FOCUS? One way of answering this question is to ask why does my business exist? What is the purpose, cause, or passion? Once again, choose only 3 - 5 (less is more). For example:

• to help people live, lives of satisfaction through entrepreneurship
• to help women overcome financial, relationship, & emotional distress
• to help men adopt & sustain healthy mindsets
• to be a highly effective change agent
• help people achieve agency & control of the lives
• to serve the best, most smacking waffles ever known
• to use my art to make people smile and forget their worries

 

WHAT IS MY NICHE? Or who do I want to serve? Be specific. What is the one thing you believe you can do better than anyone else? For example:

• make complex ideas easy to understand
• provide actionable content for entrepreneurs
• write compelling marketing content
• provide start-ups with the most comprehensive, affordable tools to grow their businesses
• help single African American men navigate (step by step) fatherhood 
• helping distressed property owners avoid foreclosure
• provide healthy catering alternatives for diabetics
• coach people to become their best selves
• help people improve their performance in quantifiable steps  

 

WHERE DO I WANT MY BUSINESS OR WHAT DO I WANT MY BUSINESS TO BE 5 YEARS FROM NOW? Be specific. For example:

• to have 3000 clients who regularly refer at least 10 clients yearly 
• to own 20,000 family units & 500 multiplexes 
• to generate $10,000,000 in insurance premium yearly 
• to help 520 families achieve financial independence annually  

 

WHAT ARE MY 3 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT SET ME OR US APART? What are your guarantees? 

• we are an organization of entrepreneurs, serving entrepreneurs
• we guarantee funding or a 100% refund
• we provide uplifting service and exceed our clients' expectations 
• we invest in our people
• we get what you do 
• your priorities are our priorities 
• we guarantee delivery in 2 days or a 50% refund

 

This condensed version of my business questionnaire should be a great start. And as always, I look forward to learning what is most important to you at whatever stage of your business you may be in, what you're taking aim at, and sharing additional information. 

 

 #entrepreneurshipisempowerment

Do you have additional questions? Call 888.549.9689 x.101 or I invite you to visit my online survey and schedule a virtual meet-up.

And if you found this article and any of our content to be awesome, and you're feeling tipsy? Buy me a coffee! 

 

JuJuan Buford, Managing Partner

888.549.9689 / jsbuford@thebufordco.com

Website - https://thebufordco.com/

 

Schedule An Appointment - https://bit.ly/SmallBizArchitectureMeetUp

Let's connect soon! @  http://bit.ly/JuJuanBufordOfficial