Networking Lessons 2016

Let me ask you, how many networking events have you attended in the last three months? If you cannot count them anymore, it is a really good sign. If you are an entrepreneur like me, you have to be out there looking for your next opportunity. Chances are clients are not going to come flocking to your door at the beginning, but it is you who has to attract them and bring that business.

Since I quit my job this last April, I have been attending many networking events and here are some lessons I learned in the past few months so you can really get the most out of those experiences.

Define the networking groups that work for you

Different groups have different tones basically depending on the personality of the leader and the people who attend. I discovered not every group is for me and each one serves a different purpose. Whether I can talk about lessons learned, business advice, strengths and weaknesses or doing business, I have now a group identified for specific reasons, so next time I attend one I set my mind to prepare accordingly.

Be memorable

Think about it. For how long do you remember a business connection you met for the first time at some event? I believe the answer is: depends on the impression that person made in you. There are people who naturally connect and others that do not, and you usually walk out of the room knowing whom you want and do not want to see again. Your expertise, the uniqueness of your product and its multiple benefits can take you very far, but remember we connect at a personal level as well, so as much as someone needs your product if that person does not have a good impression on you, there won’t probably be any sale. Personality and manners is key to create a memorable first impression, and there is no second chance to make a good first impression.      

Make sure you say what you do

The other day after I connected with one of my recently added networking contacts, we discovered she needed my services. She was not sure I could do what she needed, and I didn’t know she needed help. I believe the ability to sell is something you master with time and patience, but it starts by identifying a need followed by offering your help and trusting your instinct. Make sure you say what you do wherever you go as your business depends on you speaking for it.

Arrange those business cards in groups

I realized business cards continued piling up in my bags and pockets, so I decided to arrange them in categories. I started looking at those business cards and placing them in three re-sealable bags tagged with the following categories: The first category is “We are connected!” where I included all cards that made a good impression on me and can see them as true resources and I am keeping my eyes open for potential opportunities to them as well. The second category “Potential Partner” has all the business cards of people that I believe I can partner up and work together for the same client, and the third category “I don’t remember” where I placed all the business cards whose owner or product I cannot remember. Since I have them organized now, it is really easy for me to place the next group of cards I receive.

Continue doing what you are doing and it will pay off

I still go to networking events trying to find my ideal customer or another entrepreneur who is going through the same ups and downs as me. It really never ends, as it is a way of life now. Entrepreneurs have to be out there constantly searching and listening with open eyes and an open mind.

At one of these events, somebody I had just met said, “I’m sure you can find clients from any networking session, but they first have to like you”, and that’s when I reassured myself this is just a matter of time. 

How to Find Passion in Your Work

Do you love going to work every day? Do you love spending hours and hours at work even putting time out of your personal life? In a perfect world, I think earning a salary should come from the satisfaction of doing something we believe in and makes us feel inspired so that time is an ally, and we enjoy every single minute of activities that don’t feel as work anymore. According to a Gallup survey in 2013, 70% of Americans either hate their jobs or are completely disengaged. So, if you belong to that 70% you may want to take a step back and consider where your career has taken you.

When you have a job, you will probably have a performance evaluation that can depict your performance and detail your strengths and weaknesses in the best-case scenario, but sometimes we forget that the most important feedback should come from within. Can you ask yourself these questions? Did this job or project make me happy or proud? Did I really feel that I was contributing with something I believe in? Did I really learn something that makes me a better human being? And finally, if I could do it again, would I? I believe the practice of seeking answers within you should be part of your daily life. When you ask questions, you continue learning and have a sense of awareness to experience everything to the fullest.

These are a few suggestions on discovering your passion and dedicating your time and everything you have to find that balance that can make you feel really accomplished.

Define what makes you happy and fulfilled

So you know what makes you miserable, but what makes you happy and proud? I believe that as bad and miserable as your current job can be, you should be grateful to experience it to its fullness.  One cannot know for sure or speak with authority without walking the walk, and for sure, gives you plenty of experience to help you discern what you do and do not like. Make a list of all the things that produce you joy and rank them in a scale of 1 to 10. Look at ones with the highest score and imagine a day doing that. What does it look like?

Find your talents

Many times you cannot appreciate your own talents or do not have a complete list. You have to pay especial attention to those you do without actual realization. It is other people who are ready to tell you the many qualities and values they perceive every day, but it is way more difficult identifying those from the inside. We are too busy living our lives that we rarely stop to assess our skills or wonder how to exploit them to make an additional earning. We are at our best when we use our natural talents as we all have too many things to offer. Write the story of your life identifying challenging moments and overcoming those, stories of how easy time flew by when you were doing something, times when you talked non-stop feeling passionate about some topic or were extremely successful. Also, try experiencing new and different things and ask a good friend and an acquaintance his or her opinion about your talents. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Start with something you feel confident about

If you realized your talents could produce you some extra money or eventually you can launch your own business, start with something you feel confident or you know how to do “with your eyes closed”. Exuding confidence helps convey your message extremely well and you and your product or service will be memorable when you go out there and talk to potential clients. The most successful entrepreneurs I met are the ones who believe their products are the best available in the market, and it is just a matter of time until everyone else knows.

Finding your true passion may take some time, but it is a worthy and patient process that only you can do.  I believe there are things money can’t buy and nobody knows what tomorrow may bring. Besides, don’t you want to invest your life in something you really believe in? 

How to Make Sure Your Small Business Has a Future

Have you ever driven to a new place without a GPS? Have you ever planned a party without making any notes on the things you are going to buy? Just imagine these situations if you have not experienced them. In both situations, I think is possible to get a positive outcome, you eventually reach your destination or have a great party, but can you imagine the waste of resources? I would call these situations “trying to operate in the darkness” unnecessarily.

These are simple comparisons we can also apply in business. It is nearly impossible to operate a successful business in the darkness. Out of 10 business owners I talk to, 9 did not write a business plan before starting their businesses and they seek advice only after they hit a wall or struggle to continue their growth.

Writing a business plan makes any business owner 2.5 times more likely to succeed from the ones that do not write one. You don’t want to be lost in the middle of a highway hoping and praying it will take you to your destination. Working on a business plan will make you think on what you have and what you need, and that exercise will save your valuable resources especially when you are starting a business and every dollar counts.

Here are 4 powerful reasons to make you consider getting a “business GPS”.

You will come up with a solid Elevator Pitch

When you start defining what your product or service is, you need to explain it so clearly that a potential customer can explain it to you if you asked him. If you are selling puzzles for children, probably they will be somewhat easy to describe, but if you are selling financial advice or insurance, it won’t be as easy. Remember the best way to land a sale is explaining the benefits of your product, so with puzzles you are actually selling memory improvement and heightened creativity, and with insurance you are selling peace of mind and security. People respond to products or services that solve their daily problems, and that starts by your audience understanding and remembering what you sell, so a good elevator pitch can also increase your own confidence in your products or services and start putting the good word out for you.

Your business idea will be backed up by data

The key to a good business plan is research. You want your office, store, or product display to be in front of the eyes of your potential customers. So, you need to find out whom these people are and where to find them. Depending on your budget, you can use the many online free tools such as US Census or Sizeup websites, or you can buy a subscription to ESRI or IBISWorld for example.

You will have a better idea on what you are getting yourself into

Over time, you develop skills that can be put to good use in any industry, but some other times you need specific expertise and good instinct that can only be developed with constant practice in that field. Working on your business plan will make you think on specific steps you need to take and project yourself and your company in 3 to 5 years time. When you plan those specific steps, you will have another chance to think if this is something you see yourself doing. You don’t want to be stuck running a company in an industry you didn’t know from the very beginning, or much worse you don’t enjoy.

You will be taken more seriously

You can come up with business ideas, but when you put them on paper and start thinking on how to turn that idea into a reality, two things can happen: you can fall in love even more with that idea, or you will have to forget about it. Let’s face it: we all want to know if we are in love at some point. So, go figure out by yourself and work in that effort that will pay big time. You will be taken more seriously, first, by yourself, and by the people who heard you talk about your idea probably more than once.

Por qué es importante para los empresarios Latinos hablar inglés?

Te acuerdas el día que saliste de tu país buscando un futuro diferente? A muchos nos pasa desde el momento que llegamos al aeropuerto donde vemos avisos y letreros que no sabemos exactamente a qué se refieren. Probablemente a todo inmigrante, especialmente en un país con un idioma diferente a tu idioma nativo, nos ha tocado vivir en mayor o menor grado la difícil situación de vivir un día en un ambiente bastante conocido a otro total o parcialmente desconocido. 

Ni siquiera para las personas que aprendieron ingles en su país es muy sencillo incorporarse en una sociedad nueva inmediatamente. Si tuviste la gran bendición de aprender inglés en tu país, eres uno de los 5 de cada 100 personas que nacieron en otros países y aprendieron inglés antes de venir, por ejemplo, a los Estados Unidos. Si no tuviste la oportunidad de aprender, el país y la cultura donde hayas emigrado te recordarán permanentemente que el idioma oficial es el inglés.

Si estás decidido a perseguir tus sueños de empresario, es muchísimo más importante que trabajes y desarrolles tus habilidades en el idioma inglés. Aún si conoces el idioma y puedes comunicarte, recuerda que el aprendizaje nunca termina y mientras más conozcas de la cultura, costumbres, tendencias y preferencias de tus clientes, estarás mejor preparado.

Aquí te presento razones que considero poderosas para hacer que el idioma inglés juegue de tu lado  y se convierta en un aliado.

Comunicación es la base de los negocios

Muchas veces los negocios empiezan con un contacto que sientes que te escucha y hasta cierto punto entiende los problemas que enfrentas tú o tu negocio. Si bien es cierto, hay muchos recursos en español donde te puedas conectar con otros empresarios en español,  estás aprovechando solo al grupo hispano sin contar con personas de otros orígenes con quien el idioma común debe ser inglés. Además, si no puedo explicar qué hace mi producto, si no puedo describir cómo brindo mi servicio, ¿cómo puedo lograr más ventas?

Hay mucho qué aprender en una nueva cultura

Una de las reglas básicas para lograr un posicionamiento sólido y estable de tu producto o servicio en el mercado, es entender lo que tu cliente está buscando. En nuestros países es relativamente fácil hacer eso porque conocemos muy bien la cultura, los dichos populares de un país, las siglas que usamos, los sobrenombres que le ponen a las cosas o personas, la historia del país y sus gobernantes, lo que apasiona a la gente como país, o a dónde van las personas los fines de semana y feriados. En un nuevo país, todo hay que aprenderlo de nuevo, y es ahí donde la necesidad de conocer a tu nuevo país se hace más evidente ya que podrás entender mejor a tu cliente y utilizar esa información para desarrollar tu producto o servicio. Cuando entiendes el idioma, no solo puedes convivir con personas de todo el mundo sino aprender nuevas cosas que enriquezcan tu cultura y a tu empresa.

Existe mayor información documentada y actualizada en inglés

Los países industrializados tienen como un principal objetivo dedicarse íntegramente a la investigación especialmente en las áreas de cuidado de la salud, automóviles y tecnología de acuerdo a este artículo en la revista Fortune.  Tan importante como los estudios e investigaciones es estar informado con noticias locales y nacionales. Las noticias sobre reducción de numero de empleados, cambios en tendencias, o cierre de locales pueden ampliar tu visión empresarial y ayudarte a tomar decisiones. Actualmente hay muchas aplicaciones para teléfonos que te pueden leer las noticias mientras vas manejando o haciendo alguna otra tarea. Es justo decir que los servicios de noticia también están en español, pero es otra oportunidad desperdiciada en no involucrarse más en la cultura y aumentar tu vocabulario.

Hay muchos recursos donde se puede aprender inglés gratis

En Estados Unidos, por ejemplo, hay muchos cursos gratuitos en iglesias y bibliotecas públicas mas miles de herramientas en línea gratuitas. Sin hacer mucho esfuerzo, me encontré con esta herramienta del New York Public Library que ofrece cursos gratuitos en línea.

Como inmigrante y más aún como empresario inmigrante, tus oportunidades crecen exponencialmente al entender la cultura y el idioma. Y sinceramente, creo que mucho peor que no hablar inglés, es no hacer algo por remediarlo con tantos recursos disponibles y no darse cuenta de la inmensa potencialidad de tu nuevo país y todo lo que puede ofrecerte en su idioma.

Es el momento de cambiar mi trabajo por mi propio negocio?

Es tu caso que tienes un sueño que te encantaría perseguir pero sientes que te falta algo? Muchas veces estamos esperando que algo o alguien nos diga que decidir, pero realmente es posible saber cuando empezar tu negocio?

La seguridad de un cheque todos los meses es incalculable y más aún cuando hay una familia detrás que mantener. Sin embargo, hay momentos donde parece que uno no puede soportar esas condiciones laborales, ya sea porque tu jefe es un microgerente, por las largas horas sin pago adicional, por el tipo de trabajo que no disfrutas,  por el ascenso que parece no llegar nunca, por la diferencia en salarios con gente menos preparada, y muchos otros problemas que todos los que hemos pasado por el mundo corporativo conocemos bien. Son estos momentos de crisis especialmente cuando te pones a imaginar como sería tu empresa y la verdad no puedes esperar ese momento.

Creo que es posible racionalizar la decisión en vez de tomar decisiones apresuradas, considerando los siguientes pasos para determinar si tu momento ha llegado.

Tómate el tiempo para pensarlo

Es precisamente cuando nos va peor en el trabajo que nuestros deseos e impulsos se intensifican y el peor momento para tomar una decisión importante. Respira profundo y agradece que tienes un trabajo que provee. Es una decisión que requiere madurez y sobre todo buenas razones que te convenzan a ti mismo.

Empieza a hacer Networking

Tan o más importante que lo que haces será a quien conoces. Evalúa como está tu red de contactos. Cuando generalmente nos sumergimos en el mundo corporativo, asistir a los eventos de Networking es relegado a un segundo plano. Si puedes hacer una lista con por lo menos 20 personas que inmediatamente puedas contactar y te puedan conectar con potenciales clientes para tu negocio, vas por buen camino.

Trabaja en tu Plan de Negocios

Sabias que los empresarios que preparan un plan de negocios son 2.5 veces mas exitosos que aquellos que no lo hacen? Me gusta mucho siempre comparar un plan de negocios a un GPS o a una lista de compras que elaboras antes de preparar una fiesta. Un plan de negocios es vital para ayudarte a pensar en todos los componentes que debes tener en cuenta antes de embarcarte en un negocio y actúa básicamente como un GPS para llevarte desde un inicio hasta tu destino. Aquí puedes encontrar un enlace al plan de negocios sugerido por el SBA (Small Business Administration). No solo es importante saber el contenido sino escribirlo. Cuando lo tengas completo, esa es otra buena señal.

Prueba tu idea

Hay muchas maneras de probar la idea de negocio que tienes antes de embarcarte a hacerla. Abre a la venta tus productos en Ebay.com o Etsy.com y utiliza las redes sociales para hacer publicidad a tu producto y observa si los productos capturan el interés de las personas. Asiste a ferias de exposición artesanal donde puedas mostrarlos o explicar tu producto. Si ofreces un servicio, ofrécelo gratis o a muy bajo precio para probar tu idea y enfrentarte a problemas que no hayas considerado.

Elabora una estrategia

Uno de mis libros favoritos es “El Arte de la Guerra” escrito por Sun Tzu que dice traducido del chino “Que tus planes sean oscuros e impenetrables como la noche para cuando ejecutes una acción caiga como un rayo”. Es mucho mas esperanzador y fructífero trabajar con una meta en mente. Si crees en tu sueño de negocios tanto que tienes la seguridad que algún día dejarás tu trabajo corporativo, elabora una estrategia y ponte fechas límite que te ayuden a evaluar tu avance. Determina para cuando tendrás listo tu plan de negocios y cuándo debes tener una lista de potenciales clientes listos para contactar. Trabaja estratégicamente destinando parte de tu tiempo fuera de la oficina a tu negocio. Y sobre todo, que tus planes empresariales estén ocultos hasta que llegue el momento de mostrarlos a todos.

Probablemente suene como a dos trabajos a tiempo completo pero el esfuerzo será recompensado y traerá mas seguridad a la hora de empezar tu negocio formalmente. Tendrás buenas historias que contar las cuales serán y sonarán interesantes y valientes y por último pregúntate, que es lo peor que puede pasar? Si tu respuesta es "lo peor que puede pasar es que nunca lo intente", ahí tienes otra buena señal.