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The Message of March Madness
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by Brian A. Kane, President
March Madness, the perennial college basketball tourney, is now in the offing. Sixty-four of the nation’s best and most promising teams will compete over several weeks. In the end, there will be one champion. The consulting world is a lot like March Madness, just all year long. Like a tournament, there are a few winners and lots of losers.
Do you find yourself muttering these words? “I’ve always done it this way.” “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” “I’m the expert and my client just doesn’t get it.” This attitude is madness. If this is your attitude, then it’s certain that consulting opportunities are passing you by.
One consultant to emulate for his client-based approach is Alan Weiss. Despite his huge international success, he continuously looks for ways to provide new and better value to his clients. Weiss is constantly engaging other consultants and thought-leaders to learn and grow. And he never forgets the basics: He returns phone calls and emails promptly. He’s someone we all could learn from.
These days, the consulting world is fast-paced and rapidly changing. If you are not meeting your business goals, then it is time to ask yourself why. There is no reason to continue the madness, unless you’re a sports fan. Email me at brian@threelakesconsulting.com and I’ll put RPCN to work for you!
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RPCN project leads to new business focus for Bob Lurz
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by Chris Swingle Volunteering with the Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) has helped Bob Lurz, of Irondequoit, get to know other members, showcase his own skills and stretch himself in new directions. What he’s learned has prompted him to change the focus of his own consulting business, from strategic planning to helping individuals launch and develop a consulting practice.
Over 20 years as an RPCN member, Lurz has served as vice president, president, strategy leader and alliances leader. “A valuable insight I gained is that volunteer organizations must be motivated in different ways from ‘managerial authority’ organizations,” says Lurz, who loves facilitating groups. “Volunteers must ‘want to’ do something for the organization, and a leader must somehow tap into that source of motivation.” … (Click here to read the rest of the article.)
For a video interview with Bob Lurz, watch this YouTube video.
Do you have an RPCN success story to share? E-mail chris@chrisswingle.com. Chris Swingle is a freelance writer and member of RPCN’s Communications Committee.
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Making your business better
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Disaster planning: Has your business planned for a disaster such as a flood, workplace violence, fire or disgruntled employee erasing electronic records? Susan Kastan wrote about how “Companies Must Plan for Disasters” as the February 17 Democrat and Chronicle Nextpert.
Marketing trends: Forget about those loyalty cards that fill up your wallet. According to Bill Blevins, one trend we will see in loyalty marketing for 2013 will be the use of smart phones and QR codes to earn, redeem and track customer loyalty points. Blevins describes nine more trends in his blog post, “10 Trends in Loyalty Marketing for 2013.”
Freelance writer/editor Ruth E. Thaler-Carter will discuss "Basics of Editing and Proofreading" at the annual conference of the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) in St. Louis on April 5, 2013, in a session aimed at people who have been thinking about the editing profession but aren't sure how to get started in it.
While in St. Louis, Ruth will present a workshop for her Communication Central business on getting started in freelancing, "Freelancing 101: Launching Your Communications Business." She also will present three workshops for the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) in D.C. on May 16 and 17, on launching a freelance business, editing & proofreading basics, and websites for freelancers.
RPCN members interested in enhancing their writing, editing, proofreading and other editorial services might be interested in the EFA. For membership info, go to www.the-efa.org; for local chapter info, contact Ruth, coordinator of the Rochester chapter, at chap_rochester@the-efa.org.
And to learn more about how she got started in editing and the changes she has seen in the publishing industry, click here to read an article about Ruth in the Copyediting newsletter.
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SCORE: Upcoming workshops for business owners include Business Research (March 14 in Pittsford), Marketing on the Internet (March 20 in Rochester) and several different series of workshops on Starting Your Business (Henrietta, Canandaigua, W. Irondequoit, Pittsford). For more information, visit the SCORE website.
Speed Networking: The Rochester Business Alliance hosts a two-hour speed networking session on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30 AM at their State Street office. Speed networking offers a twist on the typical meet-and-greet; it’s an organized succession of brief conversations among participants that allows you to talk with 20 or more people. Click here for more information.
Database webinar: The Monroe County Library System now offers the ReferenceUSA databases remotely to Monroe County Library System library card holders. The U.S. businesses database is useful for generating a customized list of prospects, competitors and more. The Central Library has arranged for Rick White of Infogroup, producer of the ReferenceUSA databases, to do a one-hour free introductory webinar on using ReferenceUSA every Friday in March at 11:00 AM. Use this link for more info and registration.
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Upcoming Events
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Technical Forum
facilitated by Steve Royal
Friday, March 1, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their businesses, including computers, the Internet and telephones.
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Discussion with Sandy Parker
Friday, March 8, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
President & CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance since 2005, Sandra A. Parker is also a leader of the Rochester Community Coalition, which successfully creates long-term jobs and boosts the regional economy. She will lead a discussion about where the regional economy is headed, with particular focus on the needs of local companies and non-profits. If you’re a consultant, you’ll want to attend this essential program to learn what opportunities are out there for you. Here is a video in which Sandy describes her presentation.
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Business Forum
facilitated by Bob Lurz
Friday, March 15, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Pittsford Community Library
An informal, facilitated round-table discussion of any issues regarding starting or running a consulting business.
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RPCN Board Meeting
Friday, March 15, 2013
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pittsford Community Library
RPCN's monthly board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 AM following the Business Forum. Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.
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7 Steps to Marketing Success
Presented by Vicki James
Friday, March 22, 2013
8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Brighton Town Hall - Downstairs Meeting Room
Vicki James, marketing strategy partner at Stand Out Results, will review seven core steps of an effective and valued marketing system. You will gain real-time changes to take back to the office and implement for your marketing and business success. Here is a video in which Vicki describes her presentation.
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No Meeting
Friday, March 29, 2013
There will be no RPCN meeting today.
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New Members
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