The Business Savvy Entrepreneur

Luci and I are brainstorming over Skype about best practices to offer unique customer service options over a new platform.

Barbara is gathering notes about selling her products on the internet.

Anne is open to presenting to different types of local social groups other than the ones she's already comfortable with.

We brainstorm. We eat. We take notes in the Active Network Cafe.

Success is a Mindset
What sets this group apart is an openness to self-discovery and a willingness to change the direction of current marketing efforts, and in some cases, the way overall business is conducted. We're reinventing ourselves, and that's what makes us Business Savvy.

Entrepreneurs, even those working within their industry "teams", can easily feel isolated as they think they have to learn and do everything themselves, but time is money isn't it? How many workshops have you attended where you get a spark here, a nugget there, but don't really have the time to apply them. Hey, you still have to work toward your bottom line.

What if we simply shared our ideas and become open to learning different approaches from others (entrepreneurs or not) within our community? Sharing and brainstorming in informal settings helps to develop a mindset that is open to possibilities, creativity, and change. How many times have we heard, "oh, I can't do that", "I'm not good at that", "I can never...". Well, why not? I'm sure that's not the mindset of a successful person.

Community is Key
Have you thought about bartering those tasks that deplete your valuable time? What about hiring a college intern? What about giving free or discounted presentations, or samples of your products? Have you thought about offering a more affordable and accessible product or service as an adjunct to your current business model?

Looking into your own community for support with your business is invaluable. Even if you're solely an online business, your success will directly impact your contribution to your community. So why not involve your community in the process?

Mind-Body-Business
Isolation is dangerous in any economy, but extremely detrimental in this current downturn, not just for your business, but for your psyche too. Using this time to get to know the people in your community and fellow entrepreneurs is a healthy mind-body-business approach... a mindful approach.

It's much too easy to continue doing what you've always done because it's comfortable, but if your efforts are not taking you to the next level, it's time to make some changes. Creativity and mindfulness are not "comfortable" mindsets. They're energizing, invigorating, enterprising and attractive!

Meet different people, participate in offline social events, and if that's just not happening for you, find simple tools to help you see the bigger picture so that you are more aware of the environment outside of your comfort zone. Also, study the mindset of already successful people. Then, apply what you can and experience the power of attraction as your business takes a positive upturn.

Don't be afraid to drop what's not working. Discover what will work right now.

Oh, and competition is not an issue in the Active Network Cafe because whether you're selling a product or a service, you're selling yourself first... your style is unique and no one can take that from you.

Now, how serious are you about your goals, and what are you going to do next to strengthen your business savviness?