“The only way to predict the future is to create it.” -Peter Drucker
We’ve been waiting for 2021 all year—for a change toward the good, for a change toward normalcy, for a change toward a simpler, easier business life. This month, we worked with more than 165 small business owners who attended one of our 14 Community Advisory Boards or Custom Advisory Boards or Private one-on-one mentoring sessions. The topic was the reinforcing of our 2021 Revenue Goal and our Top Three Goals (or “Rocks”) we need to achieve by March 31st. January for PowerLink participants is asking ourselves the toughest questions of the year: (1) Am I clear about where I want to take my business? (2) Am I clear about the top three business challenges I have to overcome in the first three months of the year? (3) Am I clear about how I am using my time?
In 90 minutes of talking, writing, sharing, and listening this month, here were a few of the Lessons Learned from January 2021 among Powerlink Small Business Owners across the United States:
1.
We have pages and pages of other commitments to goals for 2021. I’ll post more in February. Our February Topic is how to Delegate Effectively without Setting Up for Failure. Here is our schedule of Community Advisory Boards for February 2021. Please text if you want to bring another business owner. Send all their contact information. See you in February on Zoom! -Anita
Calendar of Events: PowerLink February 2021:
Here is the Calendar for February 2021 (Community Advisory Boards). If you are not already registered and interested in joining any group (you may do up to two meetings per month with your program fee), just email or text me. It is $150 per month plus any scholarship that you qualify for if you decide to participate. The first meeting is always complimentary thanks to our foundation and grant sponsors. Thanks to a multi-sponsor scholarship program through PNC Charitable Trust, Standard Bank Foundation, FNB Bank Foundation, Huntington Bank and Citizen’s Bank (2020/2021), we may be able to lower program fees if you qualify.
1. “I don’t know how I’m going to get to $150,000 by December 31st. I never should have quit my job. But I needed to stay home with my new baby. Help me build a plan that lets me attract 50 more customers by March 31st without leaving my house. It makes me feel relief that I can define my goal that clearly.”
2. “I’m applying for PPP 2.0. But this time I have to figure out my growth game plan. I can’t let my funds from PPP dry up without a growth plan that works.”
3. “I am starting the new year at 40% above last year with new contracts. Now I have to figure out how to deliver service through my team. Not just me doing everything.”
4. “I’m finally going to delegate my financial record keeping to someone else. I have never been able to let go of this. I’m going to budget $500 per month, interview at least three companies and make sure to talk to at least one company on my industry to see if they can give me a referral.”
5. “I want to train a new employee who might leave me after I train her. I will talk to her about her long-term plan with me and her upside income potential from me if she stays.”
6. “Every dollar I have put into my website, my brand, SEO and social media posting has to yield something better this year. I need 2-3 strong inquiries from new customers every month from this activity. I will set that goal for myself and the consultant that is helping me.”
7. “I need to change my whole pricing model this year. If I am going to generate $750,000 this year, I have to bill at a higher hourly rate and have at least two other people billable so it’s not all dependent on me. I am going to use this quarter to tear apart my pricing and figure this out.”
8. “I have to convert from a project model to a subscription model this year. I’m going to test charging $350/month for two projects per year. Then my clients will always be thinking about the next two projects I can help them with. If I could attract 10 new clients that way in 2021, maybe I could keep helping them for years and years. This is the quarter when I test this concept.”
9. “I’m going to start treating my business as though it were three companies and have a separate business plan for each one with separate marketing and new business strategies for each. Each set of customers deserves its own goals and objectives. I will keep that plan all year.”
10. “I’m going to treat the end of every client project as an opportunity to sit down, evaluate lessons learned and develop the plan for the next project. I’m not going to develop a project and then work my way out of a job. I’m going to value my customer relationships as long term opportunities, not short term.”
If you are new to PowerLink or returning but not registered through the program, let us know if you want to register for any of the monthly meetings in February over our Zoom platform by texting your contact info to 412.721.3186:
Monday, February 8, 2021 4:30-6 PM Executive CEO Circle-sponsored by Citizen’s Bank --$1 million and more (open to our larger PowerLink companies, manufacturing companies and alums anywhere in the US with $1 to $10 million growth and income goals). 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(New for 2021) Monday, February 8, 2021 6-7:30 PM Passive Income Development CEO Circle-sponsored by Citizen’s Bank – For any owner building a passive income business unit for your company. Learn how to create content, set up automated purchasing and other strategies to build a brand that generates revenue while you are doing something else. Topic is: 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021: 8:30-10 am Succession Only CEO Circle-sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—only for companies intending to sell their business or pass it to their children in the next 5 years (open to our more mature PowerLink companies and alums anywhere in the US. February Topic is Delegating to Your Heir Apparent. How to let go of the reins to the next in line for leading the company. Register by text to Harry Edelman, Regional Director at 412.389.5297 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested. Facilitated by an experienced Mergers and Acquisitions specialist with a passion for helping smaller companies exit successfully.
Tuesday, February 9, 2021: 4-5:30 pm City of Pittsburgh Businesses sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—to promote growth and new business strategy. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(NEW for 2021) Tuesday, February 9, 2021: 5:30 – 6:30 pm City of Youngstown, OH Businesses sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—to promote growth and new business strategy. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Wednesday, February 10, 2021: 11-12:30 am Pittsburgh East—PowerLink Without Walls II sponsored by Citizen’s Bank – Community Advisory Board to promote growth and new business strategy. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(NEW) Wednesday, February 11, 2021: 4:30-6 pm Retail Only Community Advisory Board in Indiana PA (open to retailers and downtown/urban location businesses) to promote growth and new business strategies beyond bricks and mortar street traffic. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested or contact Linda at Downtown Indiana (DI) at linda@downtownindiana.org .
Thursday, February 12, 2021: 8:30-10:00 am Harrisburg/York Regional Community Advisory Board sponsored by FNB Bank to promote growth and new business strategy. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021.” Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to Sherry Jordan, PowerLink Regional Director at 814.881.8106 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(NEW) Tuesday, February 16, 2021: 11 am-12:30 pm: PowerLink without Walls for Small Businesses Anywhere in the World —to promote growth and innovative new business strategies regardless of your location. For owners doing $50,000+ in annual revenue wanting to hit $1M in the next 5 years). February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(NEW) Tuesday, February 16, 2021: 3-5:30 pm: Penn State PowerLink Community Advisory Board for Contractors Only sponsored by FNB Bank—if your business is connected in any way to facilities, construction, design, renovation or maintenance and you want to grow through private sector and government contracting, this group will limit its discussion to only construction/maintenance related marketing and new business strategies. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021: 2-3:30 pm: Westmoreland County CC Community Advisory Board sponsored by Standard Bank: to promote growth and new business strategy. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. Or you can text Courtney at the Westmoreland County Chamber at 724.880.1703.
(NEW) Wednesday, February 17, 2021: 5-6:30 pm Downtown Washington, PA Businesses sponsored by Huntington Bank and PCRG—to promote growth and innovative new business strategies in the urban/merchant areas of the City of Washington. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested. Or you can contact Ramon at PCRG rfoster@pcrg.org ;Christy at PCRG crowing@pcrg.org or Sara at Downtown Washington, PA sara@downtownwashingtonpa.com
Thursday, February 18, 2021: 3:30-5 pm Washington County Businesses sponsored by the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce and Huntington Bank—to promote growth and innovative new business strategies. February Topic is 7 Steps to Delegating Without Failure in 2021”. Also share your own delegating tactics. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested. Or you can contact Brian/Kelley at the Peters Township Chamber of Commerce at brian@peterstownshipchamberofcommerce.com
Also note that our February session will also let everyone share a key challenge and let the group help “crush” that challenge with insight, lessons learned and mentoring. These meetings are private and confidential. You must register in advance to attend as a guest.
Have a productive and prosperous 2021! A.
Anita F. Brattina, CEO, PowerLink
412.721.3186 (text)
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