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 July 2015 Newsletter



New RPCN VP Laurie Enos finds joy in consulting work, partnership model

By Ruth E. Thaler-Carter

RPCN’s new vice president, Laurie Enos, brings to the organization a wealth of experience in sales and marketing on the national and local levels.

Enos is the co-president/co-owner of Blue Dog Marketing, a consulting business that she launched in 2012 with Mary Sperr. She had known Sperr for almost 20 years, having met through a mutual involvement in local politics. They joined RPCN not even two years ago and plunged right into active membership, primarily by helping with organizing and promoting its 25th anniversary events.

Before going into her own consulting business, Enos learned the ropes as the sales and marketing director of a national consulting firm that had offices in Houston and San Francisco. “I spent a lot of time in the airport!”

Blue Dog Marketing offers a full range of marketing services, Enos said – from logo design to brochures, from website design to ghostwriting blogs, from event planning to public relations. She and Sperr work with a wide range of clients – one of the aspects of consulting that she especially enjoys. “Our clients are in so many different industries and we enjoy working in diverse areas,” Enos said. “We look for clients that are struggling to market their small businesses and need/want our help and expertise.”

To read the rest of the article – including the advantages of having a business partner, how they started their business together and what led Enos to be more than a “checkbook member” of RPCN – visit this page on the RPCN website.
   
And click here to watch a video of Enos talking about what she likes about consulting. 


Looking ahead as a new president prepares to step up

By Dave Bassett and David Powe

As you know, RPCN has been celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. There is something to be said about an all-volunteer organization that survives so long by serving its members. We have been capitalizing on this milestone by holding some special events and doing promotions to spread the word – and we’re not done yet.

As we reach the end of Dave Bassett’s term as president and the beginning of David Powe’s, we’d like to bring you up to speed on where we are and some plans we have for the coming year.

RPCN did some great things this past year, including presenting the third Consultant’s Boot Camp and the Small Business Success Conference, and introducing the first annual Entrepreneur of the Year Gala Awards dinner. We also made improvements to the website, added features to the newsletter, implemented Surprise Thursdays, held a holiday party and strengthened existing alliances and expanded into new ones.

We are not sitting back on our laurels and basking in these accomplishments, though. The board has been working hard on refining our strategy for the coming year. RPCN will focus on the following priorities in the coming year:

1.    Update the RPCN website.
2.    Focus on creating opportunities for members to build relationships with clients and other members.
3.    Prepare for, and conduct, an RPCN boot camp and/or conference and TrendTalks on an ongoing basis.
a.    Build a calendar that balances our programs throughout the year.
4.    Gather objective evidence of our organizational performance vs. our stated vision and mission. Consider:
a.    Survey members annually to determine whether RPCN is contributing to members’ needs and to continue understanding the current business status and success of members.
b.    Survey the business and non‐profit communities biennially (once every other year) to obtain evidence of outcomes success.
5.    Implement marketing and communication strategies to promote RPCN and its members.
6.    Continue to focus on RPCN’s “Learn from the Best” approach, which teaches RPCN members how to be successful consultants.
7.    Create new alliances in key areas of need:
a.    Increasing exposure to the business community.
b.    Increasing diversity in the organization.

(To see the entire strategic plan, including our vision, mission, organizational values, outcomes and strategic objectives, check it out on the website.)

This is an ambitious plan and, to fully meet these priorities (and ideally some that didn’t end up in our Top 5 as well), we’ll need your help. 

As we transition from Dave to David, we also want to welcome the new VP, Laurie Enos, to the team. Dave will become the past president and is committed to helping us continue to offer value and opportunity to help our members grow.

Please feel free to contact Dave or David with your thoughts on how we’re doing, what you think we’re doing well and what you think we could do better. The members are the lifeblood of RPCN and we look forward to your enthusiasm and continued participation and support.

Thank you all for your help in making 2014–15 so successful; we look forward to working with you to make 2015–16 even stronger!


Surprise Thursday on the Canal

Join your fellow RPCN members for a different kind of “Surprise Thursday” on Thursday, July 30, as we cruise the Erie Canal. As part of our 25th anniversary celebration, RPCN is hosting a dinner cruise on the Colonial Belle.

Where: Colonial Belle, 400 Packett’s Landing, Fairport, NY
Time: 5:30-9:30 PM
Cost: $25 for members and $30 for guests.

The usual cost for a dinner cruise is $35, so RPCN is picking up a portion of the price for both members and guests.
Click here to register online. If you have dietary concerns, you can note them on your registration form.

Rain or shine, we hope to see you on the Colonial Belle as we enjoy a scenic cruise on the Erie Canal!


Making your business better

“The secret to any interaction is to be genuine and respectful. Try being interested rather than interesting.” This is just one of seven tips offered by the Rochester chapter of the American Marketing Association in a blog on how to improve your in-person networking skills. Click here to read “Keep Your Cool This Summer with These Networking Icebreakers.”

“With 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, the face of our organizations will be changing dramatically,” writes Democrat and Chronicle “Nextpert” Beth Sears in her article “Minimize the knowledge gap.” She explores what this statistic will mean for the workforce and how to build relationships between the generations through mentoring and coaching. Click here to read the full article.


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In this issue:


We want you!

The RPCN newsletter welcomes news, success stories, tips, resources, events and other items that would be of broad interest to consultants. Submit a newsletter item by email to the Communication Committee. RPCN members also may write articles for our website; submit articles here. In the newsletter, we'll highlight submitted articles aimed at helping consultants make their businesses better.

If you have newsletter questions or suggestions, or ideas for how RPCN could improve communications, contact the Communication Committee:
Janice Hanson, Chair
Barbara Moore
Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
Steve Royal
Sheryl Rhodes

Please send articles for the August newsletter by July 15.


Upcoming events

Technical Forum
The Technical Forum for July 3 has been cancelled because of the holiday.

Three Common Myths Consultants Buy into that Keep Them Stuck
Presented by Nancy Roberts and Chris Kenny of Income180
Friday, July 10, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester

While helping consultants build their businesses for the past six years, Nancy Roberts & Chris Kenney have seen several common things that hold many consultants back from growing as fast as they would like. They will cover topics such as why your marketing may not be bringing you the number of leads you desire, a simple model that can tell you exactly what to  work on to bring cash in the door, and how networking can be your greatest source of leads OR your biggest waste of time. Click here for a preview of what’s in store.

Business Forum
Facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, July 17, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library 

An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding starting or running a consulting business. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? For a list from recent forums, click here.

RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, July 17, 2015
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library

RPCN’s monthly board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 AM, after the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.

Networking for Leaders – Building Magical Relationships
Presented by Absolutely Abby
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester

If even thinking about attending a networking event makes you want to stay home and watch TV or curl up with a good book, you’re not alone. To advance in your business, you need to network just as much as, or perhaps even more than, your extroverted colleagues. Learn how to turn your networking magic into long-term client relationships, and much more.

Three Keys to Position and Sell a Five-Figure Contract
Presented by Chris Kenny of Income180
Friday, July 24, 2015
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
NeighborWorks, 570 South Avenue, Rochester

If consulting can be one of the most lucrative and freeing businesses to be in, why do so many consultants get stuck either below six figures or create a six-figure business that holds them hostage? The secret is to learn to sell higher-level contracts (fewer clients yet more money), but it takes a special skill set to do so. Learn a simple yet profound tweak to how you sell that makes the difference between “I can’t afford that” and “YES!” Click here for a preview of what’s in store.


Colonial Belle Dinner Cruise
Thursday, July 30, 2015
5:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Colonial Belle, 400 Packett's Landing, Fairport, NY 14450

Registration is required for this cruise. Cost: $25 for members and $30 for guests. Dinner will be a buffet with chicken, pork and pasta. If you have any special dietary needs, please fill in the appropriate text box when you register for this cruise.



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