PAUL AND SARAH EDWARDS: LIFESTYLES FOR THE MILLENNIUM
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IMAGE IS IMPORTANT if you run your own business. Not just your business image—your logo, your Web site—but also your personal image. Customers want to see who they are doing business with, and they want to like and trust what they see. They also may come to expect you to look the way they are used to seeing you, so what do you do if you want or need to adopt a dramatically different new look?
Long ago, in order to maintain the business image Sarah and I had established, I decided to wear a hairpiece. But as the years passed I began asking myself, “Why not shave off the rest?”
I consulted various people, including Dr. Joyce Knudsen, an image professional from The Image-Maker Inc., and garnered key points that you might want to keep in mind if you decide to change your personal image too.
Know the expectations in your field. Carefully observe your field and notice what images are projected by those who are successful and well
Paul and Sarah Edwards (www. ElmStreetEconomy. com) are the authors of Middle Class Lifeboat and 16 other small-business books.
regarded. Seek the advice of an image consultant who is familiar with your milieu and clientele.
Define what you want your image to say about you. You need to feel like it’s a projection of who you are and how you want the world to see you. If you’re no longer comfortable with your image, it becomes more difficult to project the confidence and self-assurance you need to be effective in face-to-face communications.
Test the waters. Once I knew I was ready for a more natural me, I tried the idea on trusted personal and business contacts. Their enthusiastic encouragement gave me confidence.
You’re never going to please everyone, and that’s OK. There will usually be a few folks who rely on the familiar and find a dramatic switch too unsettling or dislike this or that.
Most changes can be reversed. Once you try out the new you, it won’t take long to know if it’s a good move. If you’re getting negative reactions, you can always change again.
The new year is definitely time for a new me. I won’t be going back. I’ve gifted my hairpieces to an acting company, lost my gray hair, saved time and money, and every day is a good hair day! How about you? Is this the year for a new you? C
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A POTENTIALLY lucrative client for any business is the federal government. For small-business owners who may feel the odds are against them, here are two words: not true.
Lourdes Martin-Rosa, an adviser to Give Me 5 ( www.giveme5.com), offers some tips for anyone looking to do business with the public sector. GM5 is a national education program launched by American Express OPEN and Women Impacting Public Policy ( www.wipp.org) to help women business owners get involved in federal contracting. Because there are too many tips to list here, we are presenting the don’ts this month. Watch for the do’s in February’s Connection.
Don’t underprice yourself. Being the least expensive provider won’t necessarily win you any business, and may make some officials question the quality of your products or services.
Don’t give a sales presentation or “talk at” your prospects with slide shows. Take the opportunity to sit down and hear what challenges they’re facing so you can fine-tune your offer to meet their needs.
Don’t waste money on print mailers. After the anthrax scare, it became difficult to get unsolicited mail through to federal agencies. However, you can often reach contracting officers via e-mail.
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Don’t overpromise on what your products or services can achieve. Be able to back up your claims and deliver on agreements to gain a positive reputation among government buyers.
Don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s tempting to respond to every opportunity that crosses your path. Focus your sales efforts on a few select agencies to gain an in-depth understanding of their people, processes and needs.
Don’t wait for a request for proposal (RFP).
Get to know the right contacts at target agencies and understand what they need. Trusted vendors are sometimes asked to help formulate RFP guidelines, which gives them a significant advantage.
Don’t make assumptions about evaluation criteria. Ask for clarification of evaluation criteria, and create your proposal around them. C
SCORE, A NATIONAL association partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration, is dedicated to helping small-business owners form and grow their businesses. Recently, SCORE has updated a section of its Web site for veterans and mil-itary-community entrepreneurs at www.score.org/veteran.html. The site includes a number of new and updated resources in the following departments.
Ask SCORE offers advice by e-mail. Veterans can search for mentors who have previous military experience.
Insights for Veteran Entrepreneurs features key articles on the mind-set needed to become an entrepreneur, grant resources for small businesses and tips on exemplary leadership.
Resources for Veteran Entrepreneurs includes a directory of state programs for returning troops, plus a list of more than 30 organizations, groups and Web sites that offer information, training and assistance.
Stats and Research on U.S. Veteran Entrepreneurs provides the latest research and facts on veteran entrepreneurship.
Loans to Aid Your Success
links to important business lending programs: SBA Economic Injury Loans, the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and the Patriot Express Loan Initiative.
How SCORE Helps Veterans highlights assistance and programs offered by local SCORE offices.
SCORE 2.0: Find Us Online
links to SCORE podcasts, a women’s blog, free e-newsletters and SCORE’s Facebook page.
How SCORE Can Help You
highlights SCORE’s free online and face-to-face mentoring, free and low-cost workshops and free e-newsletters. C
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