“ The only way to predict the future is to create it.” -Peter Drucker
The last 10 months have changed the face of business as we know it. PowerLink has continued to serve small businesses (under $3M in annual sales) by connecting owners to other CEO’s, working executives and advisors through an innovative advisory board model. PowerLink owners come to us when they are struggling, or they have plateaued in their business (or are sliding backwards), or they have hit a huge benchmark like $250k and realize that they do not have the skills to get to $1M, $3M and beyond or they are planning to sell the business in the next 3-5 years. Then COVID changed the way we all do business.
Following are 5 Lessons Learned From 2020 that our owners shared with us through private meetings, Community Advisory Board meetings and Custom Advisory Board meetings. Through their stories of resilience, may we all learn and move forward:
1. “I learned that I need to do a better job understanding the needs of every customer.” Just having them in my deposit slips, CRM or on a daily sales report is no longer enough. In 2021 I will deepen my understanding of my customers’ needs.”
2. “ I learned that I need internal business systems to deliver services that is documented and repeatable.” Just having an informal way of delivering services isn’t enough. I need to give my customers a repeatable experience by writing it down.
3. “I learned that I need a new business strategy that is repeatable.” I will no longer depend on word of mouth and casual networking as my only way to find new customers.
4. “I learned the parts of my business that were not essential to my customers.” I will strive to build my company around products and services that are essential to my customers on a long-term basis.
5. “I learned that chasing a big project or a big order was a waste of time if I didn’t have a long-term view of how I did it and how I could do it again.” The mindless travel, events and lunches all went away for close to a year. How much of that was needed? I will be more mindful of my time and my customer’s time. I will travel and attend meetings with a clear, long term plan.
Calendar of Events: PowerLink January 2021:
Here is the Calendar for January 2021 (Community Advisory Boards). If you are interested in joining any group (you may do up to two meetings per month with your program fee), just email 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.
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 January over our Zoom platform by texting your contact info to 412.721.3186:
Monday, January 11, 2021: 8:00-9:00 AM Lancaster Downtown Business District Only—Sponsored by FNB Bank –Learn about the “7 Steps to Strengthen Your Retail Brand and Revenue in 2021”. Open to businesses in the urban merchant districts. Also share your own Lessons Learned from 2020. By Invitation Only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Monday, January 11, 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 Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. Also share your own revenue boosting tactics in 2020. 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, January 11, 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 Strengthen Your Passive Income Revenue in 2021”. Also share your own revenue boosting tactics in 2020. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Tuesday, January 12, 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. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021.” By invitation only. 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, January 12, 2021: 4-5:30 pm City of Pittsburgh Businesses sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—to promote growth and new business strategy. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. We will walk you through the critical decisions you need to make to ensure a successful 2021. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Tuesday, January 12, 2021: 5:30 – 6:30 pm City of Youngstown, OH Businesses sponsored by Citizen’s Bank—to promote growth and new business strategy. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. We will walk you through the critical decisions you need to make to ensure a successful 2021. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Wednesday, January 13, 2021: 11-12:30 am Pittsburgh East—PowerLink Without Walls sponsored by Citizen’s Bank – Community Advisory Board to promote growth and new business strategy. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Wednesday, January 13, 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. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Retail Brand and Revenue in 2021”. 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 Partnership at linda@downtownindiana.org .
Thursday, January 14, 2021: 8:30-10:30 am Harrisburg/York Regional Community Advisory Board sponsored by FNB Bank to promote growth and new business strategy. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. 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, January 19, 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). January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
(NEW) Tuesday, January 19, 2021:3-5:30 pm: Penn State PowerLink 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. January Topic 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. By invitation only. Register by text to 412.721.3186 with your email and location desired if you are new and interested.
Wednesday, January 20, 2021: 2-3:30 pm: Westmoreland County CC Community Advisory Board sponsored by Standard Bank: to promote growth and new business strategy. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. 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 Courtney at the Westmoreland County Chamber at 724.880.1703.
Thursday, January 21, 2021: 3:30-5 pm Washington County Businesses—to promote growth and innovative new business strategies. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Brand and Revenue in 2021”. 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
Thursday, January 21, 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. January Topic is 7 Steps to Strengthen Your Retail Brand and Revenue in 2021”. 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 Christy at PCRG crowing@pcrg.org or Sara at Downtown Washington, PA sara@downtownwashingtonpa.com.
Also note that our January session will also let everyone share key “lessons learned” from this crazy year. You may bring a member of your senior leadership team to this meeting.
Have a productive and prosperous 2021! A.
Anita F. Brattina, CEO, PowerLink
412.721.3186 (text)
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