The age of too much information

I bet you didn’t know there was a National Association of Information Destruction, did you?  (www.naidonline.com.)   Well, there is and it has global affiliates.  I just returned from the NAID annual convention in Las Vegas where I taught the conference exhibitors how to sell more, look great and make money at tradeshows.  We live in an age where too much of our personal information is out there.  It’s out there, everywhere for anyone to access or steal if they really want to.  There is an entire industry of businesses dedicated to protecting, securing, collecting and destroying personal, private and confidential information.  They include shredding companies that will rip confidential documents into confetti.  Trucks that will drive to your business and crush up old computers and servers into tiny bits of plastic. Container companies that will secure tons of private paperwork until you can dispose of it properly.  If you own a business that accepts credit card payments, deals with private health records, upgrades computers regularly or otherwise collects personal information on customers, be aware that you are legally responsible for the safety of that info. Everyone needs to learn that the government is now making it our responsibility for protecting this information and the consequenses are harsh for those who don’t.  This is your wakeup call. Check it out.

AMSA Making Moves in Phoenix

Many dug out of the snowy East Coast and chilly North West to venture to sunny Arizona for the American Moving and Storage Associations www.promover.org, annual business conference and expo this week.  Although they got greeted by rain and unseasonably cool temperatures, attendees were fired up and encouraged by the crown of attendees and exhibitor count.  I was lucky enough to be found on the internet by event organizer and association director, Norma Gyovai, and selected to be a seminar presenter to this group of enterprising business owners and company representatives.  I taught exhibitors how to help their companies look great and make money at their  booth.   I also had the privilege of judging the exhibits and awarding a $500 prize to the best booth in the show.  I gave honorable mentions to several company with clever props and eye-catching graphics, but the winner was Agility Logistics who had all the elements that make a display dynamic.  Congratulations to them.   If you are in the moving and storage business or supply products or services to this industry I recommend you check out this organization.  You will be kept up to date on all governmental regulations and get to know the best in the business.

Women’s conference makes my day

When you get together a couple hundred vibrant, enthusiastic women, eager to learn the lastest business tools, cultivate new sales prospects and meet new friends, you are bound to end up with one fantastic event.  That’s how the day turned out at the 6th annual Women Entrepreneurs’ Small Business Boot Camp on Saturday in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I laughed, I cried and I learned alot from the fantastic speakers, sponsors and exhibitors showcasing their knowledge.  I was a little worried that the tough economic challenges would put a damper on this historically successful event.  Luckily, women business owners are resilient when it comes to obstacles, relentless in their search for improvement and always looking for ways to share with their peers.  It was a great day for everyone, especially me.  I was thrilled with the level of excitement and humbled by the standing ovation I received for my presentation.  Thanks to everyone who participated. I hope to see you again next year.

MAKE TIME FOR LEARNING

I had the pleasure of presenting an exhibitor training seminar to distributors from all over the country who market and install beautiful floor coatings in residential garages, plane hangers, industrial buildings etc.  The Garage Floor Coating parent company is located in Phoenix.  (www.GarageFloorCoating.com)

It is important to note that these small business owners left their companies, flew out of town and devoted several days to improve their product knowledge, sales skills and marketing expertise.  In spite of the economic uncertainty, expense and time involved, they invested in their business and themselves.  They did not moan and groan, complain or blame. They took charge of their own future.  As a result of what they learned, they probably got one step ahead of their competition. 

I taught them how to turn their exhibit booth into a powerful profit center. How to set goals for the show, generate leads and sales, design a dynamic display, promote attendees to the booth and follow up with qualified prospects.  Suppliers taught them about the latest product benefits and industry technologies and the parent company gave them the encouragement and support they needed to overcome the hardships of this current economic climate.  They networked with their peers, shared problems and successes and got re-energized. I encourage you to get up, get out and go to seminars, conferences and tradeshows to stay sharp and on the cutting edge.  Read, surf the net and stay up to date on what it takes to grow and prosper in business.  Come meet me and learn about selling, marketing, business plans, organizing, publicity and more at the Women Entrepreneurs’ Small Business Boot Camp, February 6th.  Register on line or pay at the door. See you there.www.WomensBusinessBootcamp.com

Take charge of your own Stimulus Package

Round up your troops and march into the new year with the ammunition you need to increase profits and build your business.  Attend seminars, conferences and educational events that will expand your skills and knowledge.  If you are going to be in the Phoenix area February 6th please consider registering for the Women Entrepreneurs’ Small Business Boot Camp. www.WomensBusinessBootCamp.com  I am proud to say I created this conference in 2005 to showcase the talented women business owners in my state and to celebrate the power and influence of the micro-business owners.   Micro businesses operate with under ten employees.  They may be micro in size, but they are the engine that drives the economy.  If government stimulus dollars were put in the hands of these tens of billions of innovative business owners this economy would be cranking with new hires, increased sales and expansions.  Why they ”don’t get it” I don’t understand.  Anyway, this year is going to be much better, because we will take our destiny in our own hands.  It’s time to take charge of your own stimulus package.

Give back and get back more

I attended a delightful gathering of Positively Powerful people organized by Joel Martin from Triadwest.com and her husband Bob recently.  Joel has created a wonderful celebration of talented people in the valley through her Positively Powerful events.  www.positivelypowerful.com.  At this breakfast meeting we shared the joy of giving and learned how to turn contacts into contracts.  I had the pleasure of meeting quite a few people I did not know and was pleasantly surprised to connect with some business opportunities I was not expecting.  Joel is classy, warm and an outstanding speaker and business professional.  If you have not had the chance to meet her please connect with her at Triadwest.com and tell her I said to call.

Although budgets are tight and bank accounts are thin you can always find a way to give back this holiday season if only by connecting with friends and family.  I am looking forward to helping a well deserved local charity in February when we donate the proceeds from our raffle, at the 2010 Women Entrepreneurs’ Small Business Boot Camp.  Check out the details at www.WomensBusinessBootCamp.com

Exhibiting Service fees are sky high, why?

How can the exhibitor who is already dealing with a crappy economy deal with the every increasing charges placed on us by the show decorator and convention services companies?  There is a lot of controversy on this topic as fees continue to climb and accountability is hard to get.  Serenity J. Knutson, Editor in Chief of PlannerWire has a series of articles addressing these issue and providing a variety of opinions from those of us in the mddle of it.  See the entire article and my two cents worth at http://www.plannerwire.com/article_template.cfm?aid=1633&sid=30/

Bugs are Big Business

The first business conference and expo organized by the Arizona Pest Prevention Organization (AZPPO.org) was a great success. I had the privilege of presenting two seminars to the attendees recently at the Mesa Convention center where nearly 400 professionals in the pest management industry came together for education and support.  The bug business is big business. I was particularly amazed at how much science and technology goes into creating the products that keep the ants away from our picnic lunches and our kitchens free of roaches.  There was a clear emphasis in both the seminars and in the expo on safety and environmental protection.  Discussions about becoming “Green” were abundant and several new techniques and products were introduced on the show floor.  I was facinated by the reseach that was shared on such issues as the life span of bees, termites and rats and how many seconds it takes to kill a roach.  I was also impressed at how knowledgable and friendly the vendors were.  Everyone I talked to seemed to enjoy the two day event.  Congratulations to Helen and Nate and all the people who put together the 2009 Saguaro Continuing Education Conference and Expo.

The truth be told about Meetings & Conventions

Here is a recent Letter to the Editor I submitted to the Arizona Republic that has yet to be publishes.  Maybe I can get the truth out better from my blog.  here is what I wrote.  Let me know if you feel the same way.

I am so sick of hearing uninformed individuals, who have never run a business, met a payroll or had to motivate a sales team rant about the amount of money certain companies spend traveling to conventions or conducting business meetings. I work in the exhibit industry and can no longer stand by while the real truth about the value of tradeshows, meetings and conventions gets distorted or left out of the debate. Those who complain the loudest don’t understand that in the real world when management rewards exceptional performance and expands employee knowledge, it encourages innovation, increases productivity and generates commerce. The staff is recharged, people buy the products, the company flourishes and everyone keeps their job. That’s how you stimulate the economy. The businesses that are not laying people off, but showing their appreciation for their employees by sending them to a nice hotel, paying for advanced education and showing their appreciation for a job well done should be rewarded not reprimanded. They are reinvesting in their most valuable asset, their people. The damage being done to the tourism, hospitality, tradeshow and convention industries by one-sided reporting is devastating. It is not just the hotels, restaurants and resorts that suffer. Attention Main Street! Along with the $100 million lost on area tourism, no meetings, conventions and tradeshows means no jobs for food servers, housekeepers, limo drivers, florists, delivery people, truck drivers, chefs, carpet layers, banquet managers, travel agents, display manufacturers, exhibit installers, graphic designers, sales people and the list goes on. It’s time for local business owners to stop grumbling to each other in quiet circles and start making some noise. Help me get the truth out. Our livelihood depends on it.

Your health is everything!

Who would have thought that a stomach ache on Monday night would turn into accute appendicitis that would land me in the hospital on Tuesday night.  It took me 16 hours of enduring what I thought was a touch of food poisoning and one missed day of work to finally give in to the pain and see a doctor. Actually my husband had to talk me into it.  They don’t mess around with problems with your appendix.  I saw the doctor at 3 pm, was sent to the emergency room at 4:40 for a CT Scan and went into surgery at 7pm.  Never even stopped back home.  Good thing I had on my nice underwear.  I told that to my Mom who always warned me this might happen and she had a good laugh.  Stayed overnight in the hospital and was home by 2 pm the next afternoon.  You just never know.  All is well. Nice to have great staff on hand to cover for me at the office. Thanks Karol Ward and Sue Marshall for being there and doing such a great job.  I know all you business owners out there can really relate. Good health to all. 

SR