Social networking becomes more personal

There is a trend that is picking up speed. Facebook has “25 things about me”. You create your list of 25 random items on the notes tab, tag 25 others, then ask them to do the same. Smaller Indiana members are requesting “7 things you didn’t know about me”. In your post of 7 things, you include 7 other members and link to their 7 things.

Is social networking become more private? Absolutely not, considering these are being posted for all to see. But social networking is becoming more personal.

I see a nice transition happening. In the early years, many people followed people just because. No reason, no similarities, nothing in common to create the desire to know that person. And I believe it didn’t matter. Social media was so new, so FUN, that the experience of being on the site with others around the world was the only requirement. And the excitement and uniqueness of this new phenomena was enough.

As we are all figuring out how powerful this new media can be. So ground rules are being laid and some sites have hard-and-fast rules posted on the home page. Expectations are present, and that’s all for the better.

Smaller Indiana is one of my favorite social sites. They do it right, letting you know the purpose of the site and what you can expect from the others if you choose to join - and what is expected of you. So you want to be a Smoosier, as the members are called? Right there, on the home page, for everyone to see before they even sign up, are a their 6 ground rules.

Do you think this site is too restrictive because you want to promote your business more? You don’t see the value in the whole social networking/building relationships experience? There are plenty of other choices where you can spend your time as you see appropriate.

I have recently seen many posts and heard conversations stating My Space is too invasive, there are “…too many stalkers” or “it’s becoming creepy.” These comments support that we are placing a higher expectation on those we meet on line (and possibly because these comments are from business people rather than teens.) Many Twitterers will not follow someone without an avatar and a bio. That makes sense, because how do you know you want to follow someone if you can’t tell anything about them? This isn’t a rule, but it is a standard many people on Twitter adhere to. Unlike Smaller Indiana, there are not rules posted. People learn as they go. And that’s OK, too.

The key point is that people want to know more about you than your screen name. They want a photo that they can associate with a name. If you’re on these sites to make connections and also to help promote your business, you will have difficulty achieving success without sharing who you are. People buy from people, not from companies. Share your 7 or your 25 when people ask. They ask because they want to know you better.

Be you. Share. Connect.

Lessons from a high school cross country team, Part 2

Yesterday I introduced you to 7 strong, determined young men who had the dream of winning the Indiana Cross Country State Championship. They trained hard, believed in themselves and each other. They had a common goal they visualized every day, and at the end of the season, they stood on stage as state champs!

Their vision became reality! The physical effort these boys put forth was amazing. But the edge they brought with them was that they saw it happen before the season even started!

These 7 runners – who on paper were not a championship team - made me a believer in visualizing your way to success. Of course, just seeing it won’t make it happen. What it will do is allow you to work toward your goal with a belief that it will happen. Once you allow yourself to see it, you will begin to believe it. See your success and each step you need to take along the way to reach your goal. This is what allows one person to become a success while others sit back and wonder why life dealt them a bad hand.

The same is true in the business world. Our business associates, fellow networkers and power team members help us see what we can be and help us get there. We are each other’s cheerleaders, mentors, teammates. Without support, without others keeping us at the top of our game, we will not have the success we want. We, like the cross country team, hold each other to a higher standard. Your teammates’ successes are your successes, and yours are theirs.

Success is not a sprint. Achieving goals is more like a cross country meet – a long run, one step at a time, with obstacles, ups and downs, people getting in your way, maybe even pushing you off course, and in the end, it’s you – alone – crossing that finish line. You’re exhausted, but jubilant with arms in the air. And you know that your team helped you get there. You take a moment to celebrate the victory, and then you’re off again, ready to start visualizing your next goal and seeing your next success.

The cross country team did that. They decided that one blue ribbon was not enough. So they immediately began their new vision, their new goal of back-to-back state championships. They worked through the pain, and knew it was worth the effort. They found strength in visualization because they knew that it worked. They gave themselves permission to believe! Stay the course. See it - believe it - achieve it.

Lessons from a high school cross country team

Achieving success comes from within. We read books and listen to CDs which give us the opportunity to motivate ourselves. These ideas from others encourage us to create our successful universe. I believe in creating our own destiny, of visualization, of ‘seeing’ our success. But no professional speaker or author proved it to me more than 7 young men who ran high school cross country.

They taught me that visualization is a 3-way process. You can’t just have a goal and expect to achieve it. There must the goal, of course, but then the ability to see it happening, and finally the motivation to make it real.

My son was on that cross country team. They were rated in the top 10 in the state, but certainly not number 1. They could have paid attention to the newspaper articles, the buzz about other teams being better. They could have seen themselves as a 4th or 5th place team. But the strength of visualization gave them permission to see themselves differently. It allowed them to see themselves as state champions. And that vision gave them the stamina to train like champions.

The team worked hard, running 2 times a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. It didn’t matter if it was 95 degrees or 0. They were good and this intense training made them even better. They saw themselves winning it all. The key is they didn’t just see themselves on stage receiving their blue ribboned medals; it was much more than that. They saw each step, each race, each victory one at a time.

Before each meet the team formed a circle, each mentally ran his own individual race. Their eyes were closed and their heads moved as they saw themselves maneuver a curve or push up a hill. The entire team saw every detail of every race - from a perfect start at the pop of the gun to crossing the finish line.

Did each race turn out as they envisioned? Absolutely not. Sometimes they didn’t place where they expected. Other times they didn’t run the pace they anticipated. But they always visualized themselves coming in strong, arms in the air in victory … In reality, we saw wobbly knees carrying sweat-soaked bodies, each struggling to breathe as they often staggered to the finish line.

And at the end of the year, does it really matter if they won the state championship or not? Isn't the important thing being that they learned to believe in themselves? Absolutely!

What happend that crisp, fall morning in Indiana? Part 2 tomorrow.

Network even if you aren't looking for business

I have been to networking meetings when the conversation includes people stating what they’re currently looking for to help grow their business. Sometimes a person replies that they don’t need anything. Business is great, revenues are on target, they’re working the amount of hours they want to work, and their goals are being met.

So, why are they still networking? The first and foremost reason to network is to meet people and build relationships. Business might be good at the moment, but you never know when your best customer is no longer a customer. Or you might change your goals, decide to grow, hire more employees - whatever the scenario - and additional business will be needed to meet your projections.

Building relationships is not an overnight happening. Rather than starting to create your network when you need it, you’re much better off if you already have a network in place. Then, when needs change, you can immediately begin working toward your next goal.

There are many of other reasons, besides business, to network. Do you enjoy speaking, and have a topic that would be of interest to others? Use your networks to help find speaking opportunities. Civic organizations are always looking for someone to provide an interesting talk at their meetings. The next time you’re at a networking event, let people know you’re looking for this opportunity.

Are you a volunteer for a non-profit organization? Think of how many business owners and management-level decision-makers you network with. If you’ve built a relationship with them, your requests for donations will often result in success. I served on a silent auction committee for quite a few years, and just a few conversations, phone calls or emails resulted in a variety of unique and valuable items. Without my network of professionals and business owners, I would have had to knock on doors and ask total strangers for donations. This most likely would not have achieved near the results.

Are you a professional who likes to be known as the ‘go-to’ person for your clients and others? Building a great list of people you know and trust will give you that ability. When people start calling you for referrals, that will make you more valuable than the others in your industry. And when they need a realtor, mortgage broker or insurance agent or (insert your profession), they will most likely remember you because you’ve previously helped them. And you’ll be at the top of their list of people they refer because you provided this service to them.

Networking isn’t just about other businesses. Don’t forget about family and friends. When my mother needed a new roof, she asked me who she should call. A friend needed an attorney, and asked who I would recommend. My son’s air conditioner quit working when it was 90 degrees. He called me, and the relationship I had developed with an HVAC business owner put my son at the top of their list.

The opportunities to become a great resource are numerous. Being able to help others is a good reason in itself to network. Not only did I help my mother, friend and son, I also sent business to people who I have developed a relationship with. And that has great value!

Networking groups offer variety of choices

Why network? The number one reason people cite is that they don’t have to make cold calls any more. Other benefits are building relationships, meeting others in your field, finding a mentor and, of course, the social aspect of spending time with others.

There are a variety of networking groups to fit anyone’s goals, business preferences and schedules. Some organizations allow only one person from each industry per chapter, are very structured and require attendance. The best in my opinion and most successful with this format is BNI, the largest referral organization in the world. They meet weekly, at the same time and location; membership dues apply to the Chapter in which you belong. Passing good, quality referals is the top focus.

Other networking organizations have less structure. I am Vice President of Rainmakers, which is a networking/marketing group that allows open membership. This means there are no restrictions to the number of members per industry, and when you become a Rainmaker, you can attend any meeting throughout the state, rather than just one chapter, or hub. Meetings are held early morning, at lunch and after hours to provide a variety of options to meet members’ needs. They have a template to provide the Chairman of the hub to follow, but are not a business-meeting format and do not require attendance. Building strategic relationships to create business success is the primary goal of Rainmakers.

Civic organizations, chambers of commerce, power circles, church groups, industry associations, etc., also provide opportunities to meet others and develop relationships. Though their focus is not specifically to help you grow your business, the result is you now have a team of people who know and trust you. Fellow members will introduce you to their connections because of the relationship you’ve built over time.

Another networking format is social networking. There are a plethora of online sites – FaceBook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Smaller Indiana, to name a few – where you find ‘friends’. You can post a profile, upload photos, select others to be among your connections, feed your blog to your home page, ask questions, and even form groups for people to join with like interests.

Twitter is a micro blogging site, and the newest form of online social networking. It serves the same purpose, but with a limited number of characters per conversation. It is amazing how quickly you can meet someone and begin to follow them. Many “tweeple” send links to sites that they feel will benefit others. It’s like a moving, virtual library of information!

A more serious, business-focused type of online networking is also available. My favorite is One Degree Connected (ODC). As the name implies, you are just one degree away from the person you want to meet. You have the option to sort by a specific person or company. Or, if you want to meet a channel market category, or target market, you can search by title. For example, I like to meet insurance agents because they are a perfect channel for me. I enter “insurance agent” in the title box, and all agents who are in the databases of each of the ODC members are found. Then it’s as simple as asking the members for an introduction to the agent(s) in their databases. One Degree Connected! It’s fast and easy. The huge benefit is that when I make the call, they already know who recommended me, and have had an opportunity to view my profile. Unique to ODC over other business sites is you can request an intro from each of the members who knows your desired connection. You’ll create a buzz for yourself and pique the interest of the person you want to meet.

Ask friends and business associates where they network. Visit some of the meetings and check out the online sites. There are so many choices and opportunities; find the format, philosophy and meeting schedules that work best for you.

Outsource socialmedia tasks to a virtual assistant

DeAnna Troupe is our guest today. She a virtual assistant and Host of BlogTalkRadio that airs live every Friday night, 9:30 EST. She and her guests discuss how to promote small businesses using the internet and social networking. For DeAnna's tips on social media, social networking and marketing for small business, subscribe to her blog and follow her on Twitter.

Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure you have noticed that there are a lot of social networking sites out there. You've got Twitter, LinkedIn, Ecademy, and Ning just to name a few. I haven't even touched on all of the different forums out there related to your niche that you need to be a participant on.

Then you've got to keep a blog and a podcast and you've still got to actually run your business. Not to mention you've got to find some time to spend with your family and do things like sleep and eat.

So how exactly are you going to manage all of these networks and still keep your sanity? Very simple, you need to add a virtual assistant to your team. A virtual assistant can accept or archive LinkedIn invitations, monitor your Twitter account, keep you updated when you get new followers, and post to your blog, just to name a few tasks.

So how do you find a qualified virtual assistant? Start with the social networks that I've just mentioned. You'll find smart virtual assistants hanging out at all of these networks. Make a connection with them and then start getting to know that person. Visit the VA's website and blog. Listen to the VA's podcast. Ask for referrals. When you decide to do business with the virtual assistant, contact the VA according to the instructions listed on the site.

When you do add a virtual assistant to your team, you will notice that you have a lot more time freed up. Most virtual assistants type at speeds of 50 wpm or higher. That right there can save you time if you're not a fast typist. You can just record yourself speaking your blog post and the virtual assistant can type it up. If you're not proficient with office productivity software, you can save yourself time by adding a virtual assistant.

A virtual assistant can free up time to help you be more active in social networking. Be sure to look into the possibility of adding a virtual assistant to your team today.

Twitter exchange experiment wrap-up

Earlier this month, Scott Henderson, VP of Marketing for Media Sauce - known as @scottyhendo on Twitter - posted an invitation to participate in an experiment. I jumped in and enjoyed being a member of the inaugural class of the First Twitter Exchange Program.

We were to choose 3 people to follow, based on a word search, then also follow 3 of their followers for one week. My outcome was posted a week later, sharing who I found and what I discovered. @scottyhendo and three other people also participated. Our results, and our twitter handles, are here:

@CindyHartman
@scottyhendo
@floatr
@geoffwood
@Anon_E_Mous

Scott provides a wrap-up of The World’s First Twitter Exchange Program and extends an invitation to join us by posting your results.

I look forward to reading about our random 12.

Nintendo Wii causing insurance claims?

I've been hearing and reading stories lately of increased insurance claims due to Nintendo's Wii. Yes, that's right - video game-related insurance claims!

Men, women and children are enjoying the Wii because of the opportunity for interaction while playing the wide variety of games, including tennis, golf, bowling and even the Olympics. Unfortunately, this activity (much better than sitting on a couch pushing a button or two) is what has caused the filing of many insurance claims. Rather than pushing buttons, you have a controller and go through the motions of swinging baseball bats, bowling that perfect strike or swinging a tennis racquet.

As reported by Homeinsurance.com, one family filed a claim after a neighbor’s child tripped and fell into their plasma TV while playing Wii. They filed a $1000 medical payments claim as well as tried to recover the damages to their television set. Another claim that many home insurance companies have seen recently involves damage to television sets when the Wii controller accidentally gets thrown at the television.

I must admit that I came close to being one of the statistics. While bowling with my grandchildren, using all the grace and perfect form I could conjure up from my bowling league days, I released the controller! Luckily, I placed the strap around my wrist or I would have owed my son a new television.

It’s important for homeowners to know that damage due to negligence (like throwing the remote control at your television) would NOT typically be covered by your home insurance policy.

Have fun, but hold tight!

7 Things About Me for Smaller Indiana

We meet people every day on a variety of social networking sites. But often, all we know is their occupation, where they live and a small amount of personal or professional information they include in thier brief bio.

One of the sites I belong to is Smaller Indiana. We are participating in a 'chain-letter' type of blog, which has been fun, and also has helped create additional connections by learning more about each other. The rules are: share seven facts about yourself in the post and link to the original tagger's post. Then, list these rules and tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs/profiles. Send a note to let them know they’ve been tagged.

My friend Theresia Whitfeld tagged me to participate in the Seven Things About Me that's spreading around the Smaller Indiana social network. This is fun!

1 - I was born in Alliance, Ohio, and moved to Sandusky, Ohio, when I was 10. Lived in Traverse City, Michigan for one year, then back to Sandusky. Indy became home in 1986.

2 - My twin (you've all heard that everyone has a twin somewhere?) and I met at summer camp when I was 8. She was from Illinois. We even had the same clothes on the day we met, and everyone thought we were kidding when we told them we didn't know each other.

3 - Married when I was 19, I was the mother of 2 sons, Sean and Brian, by 24. Now proud, happy, loving, lucky grandmother of Olivia, Tyler, Payton and Josh, ranging from 4 to 10 years old.

4 - Macaroni with ketchup is my comfort food.

5 - My cat, Oozo (my spelling for Ouzo), was named after the liquid refereshments Mike drank the night before our wedding. She was a black cat (Ouzo tastes like black licorice.) Our best man's parents were from Greece, and they 'taught' Mike how to enjoy WAY too many drinks. Hangover still when the wedding started at 7:00pm.

6 - A late achiever, I was 43 when I earned my BS, and my MBA at 52.

7 - A little ornery streak in me...while still living in Alliance, my grandfather took my cousin and me to Mount Union College football games. We'd always sit on the top row because he wanted to lean against the tall cement wall. On the other side of the wall, waaayyyy far down, was the walkway into the stadium. My cousin and I would throw peanuts and see how many people we could hit on the head.

I'm tagging:
Dr. Leah Jackman-Wheitner
Jack Klemeyer
Lorraine Ball
Mike Hartman
Sarah Wenger
Serina Kelly
Tony Scelzo

So, that's the 'get to know you better' process. Are you in a group that could benefit from using this process? It's fun. Why not try it?

Even crooks need an inventory

One reason to have an inventory is in case of theft so you can prove what you own to the insurance company, but also to be able to give the list to the police. Well, here's a twist - the crook is the one who needs an inventory!

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, it was reported that a federal judge denied a prosecutors' request to jail Bernard Madoff, a money manager, for allegedly violating a court order. It seems he mailed more than $1 million worth of valuables - diamond watches and necklaces - to friends and family to hide his valuables.

He is accused of running a Ponzi scheme (a fraudulent investment scheme commonly known as "robbing Peter to pay Paul"). "Peter" and "Paul" were his clients! He is allowed, for now, to remain free. However, he is required to provide the government with an inventory of all of the belongings! Yes, a court-ordered inventory!

We have a long list of all the reasons you need to have an inventory. Well, thanks to Mr. Madoff, our list just got longer.

If the President needs an inventory, don't you?

Yesterday's post talked about the home inventory that is conducted at the White House each time a President leaves office. The Clintons had to prove ownership of items they took with them, and ended up having to pay for some items and return others.

If the President of the United States needs to have proof of ownership, it makes sense that the rest of us need one as well. Here are just 3 examples showing the need for an inventory:

• After the theft of a 46" TV, the adjuster asked the policyholder to prove he owned a television of this size. When he could not, he received a replacement settlement of only $400.
• A fire destroyed a kitchen of a homeowner who was an excellent cook. She had numerous expensive spices. The standard that her insurance company pays for spices is $35 total. To receive an equitable settlement, she was required to sift through the melted rubble, pick out the spice bottles, and prove the value of each (some of the spices cost over $30 each).
• A college student's dorm room was broken into and many of his belongings were stolen. When he listed 30 CDs, he was required to list the title of each before the insurance company would settle the claim.

Knowing what you own, and having proof, will save you hours of work and lessen the emotional stress when the time comes that you are required to file an insurance claim. And, this goes without saying, your settlement will be much higher.

An inventory for the President

It's inauguration day. And that means it's also moving day for the Bush and Obama families. As I've often stated, if you don't have an inventory, a good time to create that list and photographic documentation is when you're moving.

According to an Associated Press article, "an inventory is taken of everything in the White House before a first family moves out to determine what is government property and what belongs to them personally. A dispute arose after the Clintons left in 2000 and took $190,000 worth of china, flatware, rugs, televisions, sofas and other gifts with them. Some argued the items were donations to the White House instead of personal gifts, and the Clintons eventually returned some items and paid for some others."

So there you have it, if the President of the United States is required to have an inventory...

Disaster preparation for small businesses

How quickly can your company get back to doing business after a tornado, fire, flood or computer crash? Every year, thousands of companies are unprepared. The US Department of Labor states that over 40% of small businesses that experience a disaster never reopen, and of the remaining companies, at least 25% will close within 2 years.

There are 4 main categories that will help small business owners prepare for disasters.

Continuity Plans
Most business owners agree that having a plan is important, but too few take the steps to prepare. Plans vary according to each individual company’s needs, but the basics are the same no matter the industry, size or location.

Identify what types of emergencies could affect your company – from a temporary electrical outage to a large geographic catastrophe. Then determine the likelihood of each happening and how they could affect your business. With that in mind, consider your needs. Once this information is collected, it is easier to put a plan in place to help resume operations.

Immediate Needs
Determine your immediate needs. What data do you need the day after a disaster? Check with your IT provider on availability. Does your telephone service have emergency options to ensure you don’t miss any phone calls? Have your customer, vendor and employee information readily available.

Can you run the business from a different location? Develop relationships with other companies so you can set up temporarily. Also, create a relationship with a competitor you trust who can meet your customers’ needs short term. This will help you maintain your relationships with your customers even when you are not able to provide the product or service yourself.

Have back-up vendors and shippers in place in case your primary ones are disabled. Establish relationships in advance and maintain them. Place occasional orders so that they regard you as an active customer when you need them. Keep extras of hard-to-replace parts or supplies on hand and store them off site.

Information
Many companies store their important files in a safe or on an external hard drive in the office. If the building is damaged or items stolen, it is highly likely your data will be, too. Online backup is a safe, low-cost option. You can establish frequency of backup, which will allow you to resume doing business quickly.

Adequate insurance coverage
Review your policy with your agent so you understand what is covered and what is not. Do you have Cash Value or Replacement Value coverage? Is this coverage on your building or contents or both? Do you have flood insurance? Should you? And don’t forget about coverage for water backup of sewers, drains, or sump pump failure. Another area many business owners don’t consider is Business Interruption Insurance. These are issues only you and your agent together can address.

In conjunction with your insurance policy, compile an asset inventory with photographic records and a written report. Knowing what you own, when the items were purchased and the cost will help reduce the process when filing your insurance claim because it will help you remember everything you owned. Even if you have adequate insurance coverage, most policies require a detailed list of what was lost, damaged or stolen. During the stress of recovering, you will most likely forget many items, and the time savings is imperative so you can begin rebuilding your business. Be sure to secure this information off site, and update the inventory annually.

Disaster may never strike, but if something does happen, having plans in place will help you through the transition and increase the odds that a temporary business interruption does not become a permanent one. According to the SBA, small businesses provide nearly 45% of the nation’s payroll. A commitment to being prepared will support your employees, customers and the local economy.

For more information, visit the SBA website. They offer a very informative brochure that will help you make these preparations.

Owning a business: do you have what it takes?

According to the SBA, 50% of all small businesses fail within the first 5 years. Wow! That’s scary! Think about it this way – you’re standing in a room with another small business owner. Most likely one of you will close your doors. Who will it be? There’s a 50% chance it’ll be you!

Are you skilled enough to manage your inventory, track your financials, create marketing materials, develop a website, manage your employees, and retain customers through proper follow-up? Are you organized enough to schedule your time and your employees’ time properly? Do you have the software skills it takes to run your business efficiently? If you answered no to any of these questions, do you have the funds to hire someone to help?

This brings other questions to think about. Do you have the skills to hire and manage employees? Do you know the state and federal laws associated with Human Resources? Do you know how to process payroll?

Do you have the funds to hire professionals? You’ll need an accountant, attorney and business manager. Yes, you do need a business manager. The SBA states that one of the reasons small business fail is lack of experience. This is where a business coach/manager will earn every dime you pay him or her. Other reasons for failure are unexpected growth, over-investing in fixed assets and insufficient funding. Again, a good business coach will be able to assist you by helping make these difficult decisions.

These are all questions that must be considered. And if you’re still reading, then you haven’t yet been scared off. So, you just might have the internal fortitude it takes to move forward with your desire to be a business owner.

Of course, the success of your business depends on motivation, determination and perseverance. It takes passion, faith in self and willingness to work hard and long. The benefits of being an entrepreneur are that the long hours and hard work don’t usually seem like work because you love what you’re doing. The profits come to you rather than someone else. Think of the sense of accomplishment and excitement you’ll create for yourself!

If you don’t want to deal with the long start up normally associated with a new business, you can purchase an existing business, a franchise, independent business opportunity or turnkey business package. Any of these can be very helpful and shorten the time it takes to start your own business, plus provide support and experience.

How moving can affect the kids

The housing market is starting to improve, so more people are going to start thinking about moving. When you're packing or unpacking, it's a great time to document the contents of your home. But there are other things on your to-do list as well.

Michelle Morris of Carpenter Realtors, has some additional advice to make your move easier:

I think that as adults we are so worried about getting the house sold, finding the new house, packing, getting new jobs lined up, utilities, etc., that we can sometimes forget the little ones in our lives and how moving effects them. There is a lot of excitement surrounding a move, and kids can get a bit stressed about it too, even though they have different reasons. Luckily, there are a lot of good resources out there for parents (and kids) about how to make a move easier.

Some quick highlights:

• Keep the children involved, let them choose how to decorate their new room, or give them jobs they can accomplish to feel like they are helping.


• Take photos or video of the new home so the kids can see it before moving day, so they know what they’re getting into.


• Let your children pack their own most prized possessions. I know for my sons, that would be a backpack filled with stuffed dogs and Pokemon cards. Let them take this with them, not on the moving truck.


• Consider an entertainment box to help keep little ones occupied while the movers work, including snacks, small toys and games.

Be creative, think BIG

One of my honors as a Vice President of Rainmakers - the fastest growing networking group in Indiana - is to give a brief 'wrap-up' presentation at the close of some of the meetings. A unique feature of Rainmakers is that we do an activity each meeting that focuses on marketing, goal-setting, accountability, motivation, etc.

A recent activity allowed me to use a personal experience to show how important it is to think BIG. A Million Dollar Idea asks us to be creative, to be wild about a marketing plan, to believe that the sky is the limit, because we each have $1 Million to spend!

Unfortunately, as we enter adulthood, we wear blinders, brought on from years of being told that we can't, we shouldn't, we aren't good enough or asking us "who do you think you are?". And then we begin to believe it. Creativity diminishes; we are all too conservative with our thoughts. We lose our ability to dream, to think outside the box, to believe in ourselves.


Be a kid for a few minutes and pretend you can do anything you want, that anything is within your reach, that you can make it so just because you believe you can. What if you did have a million dollars? What if you have a billion dollars?

While creating our marketing budget for 2009, Mike and I thought of what we'd do if we had no financial restrictions. Some of the ideas? Advertise on TV during the super bowl, buy a full-page ad in the Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ) and place our message on billboards all around the state.

Since we didn't enter into the planning session with the attitude that we had limitations, we allowed ourselves the ability to think big. So, what did we decide? Everything I just mentioned, but within our reach.

Instead of a TV ad during the super bowl, we purchased a Tip of the Week radio spot for 2 months on RadioBrownsburg. Shane Ray, the owner of the Radio Station, is the husband of Rainmaker Teresa Ray who owns the Payroll Department. Instead of buying billboards all around the state, we purchased billboard ads that will drive around the city (photo above). Rainmaker member Derrick Niemann, owner of EyeLVL, will be placing our ad in the target market area 3 times a day. And instead of an ad in the IBJ, we have ads in the Coffee News, owned by Rainmaker Neil Richmund. Additionally, I write a column for fellow Rainmaker Dave Stafford who owns and publishes the Morgan County Business Leader. Though not an ad, it is an opportunity for monthly exposure for our company.

We are members of the barter organization, ITEX, owned by Broker Vickie Reynolds, who is also a Rainmaker member. This means that we didn't have to pay cash for the eyeLVL banner that was designed by ITEX and Rainmaker member Jim Brown. Did you notice the ITEX logo on the traveling billboard? EyeLVL is also a member of ITEX, so by including the ITEX logo in our ad, the purchase of this advertising was not paid in cash, but by our barter dollars. And ITEX is reimbursing us 50% of the cost of this advertising because of co-marketing.

Without the far-reaching ideas that an activity like A Million Dollar Idea helps create, we wouldn't have thought of these scaled-down versions. We wouldn't be advertising at all, and we wouldn't be helping fellow Rainmakers achieve success, either.

So give it a try - be a kid. Let go of your restrictions. Pull off your blinders. Escape from your limitations. Think BIG. And make 2009 the greatest year yet!

Simply because there is nothing to view

A recent article in the Jackson, Mississippi Clarion Ledger discussed the need for a home inventory (businesses need them, too). They included that it's important because, as stated by State Farm Insurance agent Preston Derivaux, "Proof of ownership at the time of a loss can make a claim settlement easier and faster. Determining ownership and the value of lost property can be difficult, simply because there is nothing to view. It needs to be documented."

Another piece of a thorough home inventory is storing it properly. Why? As the Clarion Ledger recounts...

Dorothy Brown, 64, of Pass Christian had detailed photographs of her home contents when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. "But they didn't do me any good because I didn't take them with me when we evacuated," she says.

Her 1,200 square-foot home was destroyed. Brown says not having contents documentation "made it really hard" settling with her insurance company. "They finally gave us $20,000, which didn't come close to replacing what we had," she says.

This highlights the advantage to hiring an inventory service provider. Not only will they store your information for you, they can get it to you quickly if yours is destroyed or damaged.

Insurance companies are horribly cheap

Now, that's a catchy title, huh? Would you believe that an insurance agent wrote it?

A friend of ours, Kevin Hill, is a well-respected commercial insurance agent with Brown & Brown. He read the article posted on January 6, written by J.Sewell Perkins, in which she vividly explained how her house caught fire, her reaction to it, and the resulting experience with her insurance adjuster.

Her story prompted Kevin to address the issue, which he did in his blog titled "Insurance companies are horribly cheap". Here's Kevin...

Erik Deckers' Laughing Stalk Blog referenced the blog post to which my last post referred. In it he spoke to the incredulous actions of the adjuster and made the very small leap that insurance companies are cheap.

I agree. They are cheap. Remember that nearly 60% of their operating expenses are claims dollars. If they want to reduce those costs, they get stingy on claims. This can be done a couple ways. 1) They pay claims after proof they are valid, and then only to the letter of the law as the insurance policy dictates. 2) They nickel and dime legitimate claims in the hopes of shaving a couple percentage points off each and every claim.

Since most [policy holders] experience claims, especially property claims, very infrequently, it is hard for them to know which companies have a reputation for the latter behavior. A large insurance agency however does have frequent experience with claims.

It may be prudent for a business to make their decision on insurance agents based on their ability to direct them to reputable companies who have fair claims payment histories.

On the other hand, they can just keep taking the cheapest up front price and hope it doesn't happen to them.

A Twitter experiment

On January 4th, while tweeting on Twitter, I saw an invitation from @scottyhendo to take part in an experiment. Always willing to try something new, I was one of the first to reply that “I’m game.”

Then he wrote back: "Experiment: Use search.twitter.com to search random word (i.e. chocolate). Follow 3 people who come up. And follow 1st 3 they've @ replied. 2:38 PM Jan 4th from TweetDeck”

The random word I chose was “believe”, mainly because recently social media expert @ChrisBrogan suggested to choose 3 words that will help us focus on our goals for 2009. Believe is one of my 3.

I wondered who I’d find that are also talking about believing in themselves. I thought I might find others also on a quest for self-improvement, learning to believe in themselves. I thought this would be a great way to add value to others as I shared links and motivational thoughts, as well as be the recipient of the same from them.

Here are the 12 people on Twitter who randomly entered my world for a week, based on the word “believe” being in their most recent post. I didn’t tell them that I was part of an experiment. My choice was to just interject in a conversation and then see how open they were to include me.

The Random Three
The following three are the first that came up in my search:

@Saundersagibbes – He’s either an architect or student of architecture from Greenville who is enrolled at UNCC for his final semester - ever.

@Danta – No bio listed. I think he’s in an IT field, based on his tweets.

@Mackcat – From NYC, his bio states: “Getting your next girlfriend…no problem!”

The @Reply Nine
These nine were the most recent three @replies from each of the random three above:

@mom3reds – Busy mom of 3 from South Cackalcky.

@shaneduffey – From the SC.

@ibzy – No idea.

@10vorne – From Germany; no idea about his profession but talks a lot about TV and video games.

@torben_podcast – No info. Blocked for questionable behavior.

@pfitz - From Berlin. I assume he is in the IT field.

@marcwilson77 – Involved with Web Prosperity; from the Gulf Coast.

@geraldenglish – No info.

@jmaster – No info.

Three Observations
1. Random is not always “not related”. I know that’s a double negative, but I don’t know how else to say it. I’m in Indianapolis, as is @scottyhendo and another participant, @GeoffWood. 3 out of 4 from the same city. Interesting.

2. There are a lot of people on Twitter who don’t list a bio, where they live, or anything else about themselves. That puzzles me, since this is a social networking site.

3. There is a huge array of people, nationalities, interests and ages on Twitter. And you can learn a whole heck of a lot about them just by reading their tweets and following their links. Sometimes what you learn is that they don’t share anything.

Unfortunately, my random follows didn’t provide me with conversationalists or those with any desire to connect. I’m quite a chatty person, but found that random isn’t always the best way to find the connections. I did not try to stalk anyone. If my initial tweet was not answered, I did not contact them again. After all, you can’t have a 1-way conversation. (I wonder if I would have had better results if they knew they were part of an experiment.)

Disclaimer: I was losing followers and updates during this time. Possibly some tweets were deleted. That said …

Game over. Who who made the team, and who gets cut? They all get cut. General reasons are 1) more outgoing than incoming posts, 2) they seem more focused on individual friends than trying to connect with people outside their immediate circle, 3) most of their worlds are WAY different than mine, and 4) no one gave me a reason to want to try to connect.

Specifics:
@Saundersagibbes – replied to my question of what is YouVersion; didn’t reply to my response back. Checked out his blog with the most recent post being in September. Must be really busy.

@Danta – Most of his tweets are - I think - tech words I don’t understand. Scary photo.

@Mackcat – Five followers; following no one. His only posts are 1) how to quit smoking and 2) how to get rid of acne. I don’t have a problem with either of these issues.

@mom3reds – No photo. Serves the Lord and others. If anyone, this would be one person I’d continue to follow. But…no.

@shaneduffey – Bio: found. I'm not sure what he means by 'found'. His tweets indicate he likes pigs and BBQ. Though I like BBQ, this just isn’t enough to begin a friendship.

@ibzy – Few tweets. Not my preferred use of the English language. ‘Nuff said.

@10vorne – No bio. Plays a lot of video games.

@torben_podcast – Blocked for suspicious behavior; no longer exists in the Twitter world.

@pfitz – Bio: Mac and Linux Geek with love for music and Jabber. Was in Stockholm on vacation; mostly outgoing tweets. Maybe no response because he was traveling?

@marcwilson77 – Asked a question about Web Prosperity; no response.

@geraldenglish – No bio, no location, no updates, no nothin’.

@jmaster – No bio; no photo. Wants to get her/his “x” back, save marriage. I've been married 37 years. Guess I have that issue covered.

So, my experience was less than exciting. I’m anxious to hear from the other 2 who also participated. I am guessing, by the number of great people I’ve met on Twitter, that they had a much more positive experience than I did. But I think I’ll continue to strategically search for the people I will follow. A lot of time was devoted for such a non-desirable outcome.

Thanks @scottyhendo for this opportunity. Though the results weren’t what I hoped for, I did learn a lot. And that in itself was worth the time.

Insurance adjusters - fair or unfair?

Are insurance companies and/or adjusters fair or unfair? That question was often addressed in response to our blog posted on January 6 regarding the need for an inventory of the contents of your home or business. Most of the feedback I received included words like amusing, absolutely hilarious, funny. A few stated that J.Sewell Perkins was very brave to have "bared" the details of the day of her fire. In case you missed it, read it here.

One responded that she has had a few claims as a result of flooding and has always been pleased with the settlement. The article also created a lot of comments stating insurance companies and adjusters are cheap, unfair or downright mean. Some people even thought I was being unkind to insurance companies. On the contrary, I constantly remind people it is up to the policyholder to know what they own so they can file a proper claim. The insurance premiums we all pay are to get us back to where we were prior to the theft, fire or natural disaster. But, without proof of what we owned, how can the insurance company know the correct (or fair) dollar amount to be reimbursed?

Without photos and/or a written report to prove ownership, what will you have to show the adjusters? How will you prove that you owned a 52" TV instead of a 27"? How will you prove that you had a collection of 500 CDs, 300 pair of shoes, or name brand kitchen utensils?

If you're a business owner, how will you prove that your printers are top of the line laser jets instead of the $80 ink jets? How will you prove the filing cabinets are heavy duty with locks vs. thin metal ones that cost 1/4 of what you paid for yours?

Would you want them just paying out tens of thousands of dollars to anyone who files a claim without any proof of what they lost? Can you imagine what our insurance premiums would be if they did? Shouldn't we all expect our insurance companies to be responsible with our premium dollars?

That's a lot of questions! Here's one more...do you want to hear an insurance agent's perspective on insurance companies and adjusters? Read tomorrow's post - you just might be surprised at what he has to say.

Home inventory for marital status changes

Life events are times when it is important to create or update your personal property inventory. Whether divorce or marriage, it is extremely important to have this information. It will prove worth the time and effort if you compile it yourself, or worth the expense if you choose to hire a professional inventory service provider.

MARRIAGE
Joining two households together can be stressful, and an inventory can serve as a starting point for the new couple. Wedding gifts fill the house with new items, which would make it extremely difficult to remember everything you own.

PRE-NUPTIAL AGREEMENTS
Pre-nuptial agreements are often created when one of the spouses owns a large amount of assets. Another reason for pre-nups is when one or both of the newlyweds have adult children to consider. They need to know that their family items will remain in the family and feel confident that their parent's estate will be theirs. An itemized inventory of each household, before combining them, will bring peace of mind to these adult children.

Thinking about death is not a topic people like to discuss, but starting out with these issues resolved will help keep the families on good terms years from now. Include a bequest column on your written report, which includes the name of the person you want to have the family heirloom, special jewelry, or any other item he or she is especially fond of. In the State of Indiana, this document will serve as a letter of instruction as long as it doesn't conflict with your will.

DIVORCE
When splitting up a household, some couples want to know the value of their belongings so they can be sure to receive equitable settlements. (If an inventory was created prior to marriage and included in the pre-nuptial agreement, this will be a very easy task.) When one of the spouses is a business owner, an inventory of the assets of the business will be extremely important. If necessary, a court-ordered, 3rd party inventory service provider will help ensure the value is stated accurately.

Changes in marital status bring the need for an inventory for many reasons. An inventory now can help take care of each of these issues.

Home inventory - a piece of your financial planning

You’ve worked hard for decades, making sound investment decisions to ensure your future is just as you planned. You’re making sure there is enough money for the kids’ college and also for you to enjoy your retirement years. Then imagine that a disaster occurs (fire, burglary, tornado, hurricane – the list goes on), and without an inventory of the contents of your home, you don’t receive a proper financial settlement. Where do you get the money to purchase the remaining items you need?

A home inventory should be a piece of your financial planning. Without having the contents of your home listed and photographed, it would be extremely difficult (probably impossible) to remember all that you own(ed). Victims of disasters state they have great difficulty remembering everything they owned. This is mainly due to the emotional turmoil that is experienced. The stress does not allow for you to think clearly, thus items are forgotten and often remembered too late to meet the 1-year deadline to file a claim.

Another issue that can impede an maximized claim is that high-end items, or a higher-than-average number of items, often require proof of ownership. If you can’t prove that you owned a numerous electric tools, purchased a top-of-the-line stereo system or had a television in just about every room in the house, it is probable that you will not receive a full settlement.

Many people who have endured this situation state they withdrew funds from an investment account. What will that do to your retirement plans? Your children’s college plans? Your financial future? In today’s volatile financial market, are you comfortable that you’re investments would be able to endure a disaster, too?

Helping secure the value of your estate

Executors (usually an adult child) appreciate having an inventory already prepared when it's time to settle an estate. Reducing the emotional stress and time involved is a very good reason for having an inventory now. Yesterday's post, "Do it for the kids" discussed this issue. But there is other reason to have an inventory now - one that could affect the value of your estate.

Knowing that you’ll be able to maximize your insurance claim if you have a loss brings peace of mind for you. This is because you’ll always know what was in your home. Without this document, your settlement will most likely not be sufficient to replace everything.

Then the domino effect sets in. If you don't receive an adequate insurance settlement, you'll most likely need to withdraw money from a savings or investment account (we often hear that amount runs into thousands of dollars!). The funds withdrawn could reduce the value of your estate. This could alter your plans regarding what you were hoping to pass on to your children, grandchildren, siblings or charities.

Discuss this with your parents and encourage them to have an inventory of their belongings. And once again, I suggest you do it for your kids.

Do it for the kids

Are you someone who believes "it" won't happen to you? And because of that belief, don't think there is a need for a personal property inventory?

There will come a time, without exception, that an inventory will be required. That time is when the executor of your estate, usually one of your adult children, will need to provide a list of your belongings. Have you considered what you can do to make this easier on them?

One responsibility as an executor is to provide an inventory of the estate’s assets. Consider how emotionally difficult this will be for him or her. Emotions aside, he or she will also need to find the time to document the items and assign a fair market value to each.

Creating an inventory of your personal property now will ease this process for them upon your death. On your written report, include a column that indicates who you want to receive specific items, as this will communicate your intentions to your family. This simple gesture can eliminate discourse and hard feelings. We’ve inventoried estates and have seen many families fighting – or worse, not talking at all – due to not agreeing on who should have what.

At your death, your executor will not have to worry about providing an inventory – you have already taken care of it. The only action necessary will be changing the replacement value to fair market value. And that will be a very small task compared to compiling the entire inventory.

If the task of creating an inventory is one you don’t want to tackle, there are professional inventory service providers who will compile a professional report for you. Many will remind you of your annual renewal and also maintain your record on line for safekeeping and immediate access.

Whether you are elderly or just entering your adult life, an inventory is a living document that you should have prepared. For now, to ensure a maximized insurance claim. And for later, to ease the stress your children will face. Bottom line, do it for your kids!

What you stand to lose

If you don't have an inventory and have a theft, fire or natural disaster, what do you stand to lose?

Mary Bonelli of the Ohio Insurance Institute states that 58% of American homes were under-insured by an average of 21% in a recent study. That means you'd lose 20% of your home's current value.

So what does the value of your home have to do with the contents? Where does an inventory come into the picture? Personal property coverage is assigned a percentage of the value of your home. If you're one of the 58% who are underinsured, that could mean your contents are underinsured by 20% also.

An inventory will help you know how much your belongings are worth so you can be properly insured. And that same inventory will help you remember and prove what you owned when it's time to file a claim.

"What the HECK are you doing?" she asked

Following is a guest post by J.Sewell Perkins. As a Life and Business Development Coach for nearly two decades, J.S. (as she is called) works with national and international corporations, corporate leaders and small business owners. Additionally she coaches many individuals who are seeking to change their lives for the better and realize their maximum potential. At one point in her career she was recruited by the president of the Robbins Companies for their coaching team. On the team for only a short while she was asked to assume the position of head coach which she accepted and assumed the responsibility of coaching the coaches. Not too long after that she was chosen to coach on Tony’s hand-picked Elite Coaching Team.

Now, back in private practice, she continues to pursue her life mission which is, in her words, “To make each life I touch better in some way for my having touched it.”

JSP@SuccessCoachesInstitute.com ~ Success Coaches Institute

As I had my breakfast on the deck overlooking the lake I was enjoying another beautiful and slightly crisp October morning. I felt so blessed to be living the life I was living.

After breakfast as I walked my pup I noticed the smoke coming from many of my neighbors’ chimneys and was reminded of how much I love to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea. I considered calling the office to tell them I was calling in well.

I noticed the smoke coming out of my own chimney and had visions of curling up in front of the fire with a…fire? I hadn’t put a fire in the fireplace! I ran down the hill, up the steps and opened the front door to be greeted by a huge cloud of black smoke. My house was on fire.

A neighbor came out at just about that time and took my dog to her house where she called 911. I went back to my house to see if I could lure my cat out. The smoke was too thick and I couldn’t breathe even on the porch. I ran to an outside faucet, took off my wraparound skirt and saturated it with water. I was going to put it over my head as I worked to lure the cat out of the house.

Just as I put my soaking wet wool skirt over my head, I noticed two things; first, I had drawn a crowd as I ran around in my panties, garter belt and stockings; second, my cat was with them watching me. Aside from the fact that I was running around half naked when the firefighters arrived, I felt everything was, at that point, under control.

Turns out the fire had been burning inside the wall for an estimated two hours while I had been happily eating my breakfast. I’m so fortunate at so many levels because it could have reached flashpoint with me in the house. “Timing is everything!”

Ultimately it came time to deal with the insurance adjuster. No wet skirt over my head could do anything to protect me from him. Among his statements and decisions were:

1. No one person has that many shoes, handbags, clothes, etc.
2. What was the real age of the: computers, TVs, VCRs, toaster, Vita Mix, juicer, etc.
3. How do I know who painted what’s left of the artwork?
4. You paid WHAT for these sofas?
5. Who can verify that this pile of ashes was an antique?
6. There’s no way to tell what this jewelry was!
7. It won’t cost that much to replace that desk!
8. This can be fixed, reupholstered, whatever!

Of the items that were able to be salvaged, he insisted that they couldn’t all be mine.

The proverbial straw came for me when I walked into one of the back bedrooms and witnessed the epitome of pettiness. There was the adjuster sitting on the floor going through a box of tampons. “What the heck (I didn’t say heck) are you doing?” I asked in the kindest voice I could muster. His reply? “Not all of these are damaged. I’m just trying to decide which ones are still usable.” You do not want to know how I responded to that.

The real tragedy of the whole thing is actually in the fact that I had decided to have a home inventory done. It made sense and I planned to do it. I just hadn’t made it a priority. After all, fires, thefts, etc. are things that happen to other people, right? Wrong!

While auto and homeowner’s insurance are a must and it’s easy to determine the replacement value of our home or car, that’s not the case when it comes to personal property. Having gone through something none of us expects to go through, if there’s one bit of coaching I can give you, it’s to take the time to pursue the documentation of everything in your home. It’s tough to loose cherished items. It’s even tougher to have someone decide what they are not worth.

Have no doubt; I don’t make the same mistake twice. Once all was replaced and the house was once again inhabitable, I had my home inventory done immediately. The Hartmans are caring professionals who are expert in helping people avoid going through what I could have avoided had I not procrastinated. Give them a call and do it now! You’ll never regret it.

A business to help people, help people

Is it unrealistic to have a passion for what you do, and at the same time expect it to provide for you financially? Absolutely not! We found the perfect match and now want to help others find it, too.

When we became business owners 4 years ago, many people asked what made us choose a home inventory service. While deciding what we wanted to do, one of the main criteria our new endeavor would have to meet was feeling good at the end of each day, knowing we helped someone. When we found this obscure industry, it hit home because we had been burglarized twice and learned, the hard way, how difficult it is to remember what once was 'there' and to obtain a proper insurance settlement.(There are many other reasons for a personal property inventory, but that's for another post.)

This inventory service - for residential and commercial clients - fulfills that desire to feel good about what we do. But after about 3 years, we realized that we were restricted geographically - how far we could travel to provide the service. We thought about different ways we could help more people.

And the pieces to the puzzle came together...we could help those who want to start their own business learn good, proven processes and procedures for this industry.

So, the Hartman Inventory Systems was born. This is not just a start-up package or a 'get started' list of how-to's. Comparable to a franchise in quality and value (but no royalties to pay), our turnkey opportunity is complete with equipment, a marketing package, consulting, mentoring, hands-on training and SBA-approved financing if needed. We start an entrepreneur off where we are today rather than where we were 4 years ago, struggling to figure everything out, pushing through the long learning curve and making costly errors in expenditures and lost business.

Now we have a business - to help people learn a business - that will help people. Awesome!

At first we thought our timing was horrible, considering the economy. But then realized we can be that silver lining for many who are out of work and have chosen to become an independent business owner. Loss of a job is what sent us down the entrepreneurial path, so why now help others get started?

Do you have - or does someone you know have - the desire to be a business owner? Do you/they want to feel the joy of helping others? Visit our website to learn more. Then call us to discuss this opportunity to create something great!

How to fulfill the inventory goal

Many people assume that just the big items are photographed and placed on the written report when documenting their personal property. Unfortunately, this is why many don't create the documentation - they feel they can remember everything.

But it's more than just the large, expensive items you'll need to know if you file an insurance claim. Do you know how many socks, shoes, CDs, DVDs, linens and dishes you own? You will need to if you want to receive a maximized claim.

That said, I'm assuming you've added an inventory to your new year's resolutions (as suggested in my blog yesterday), and here's how to capture the 'little' things. Open every drawer, cupboard and closet. Take photos of the items each contain.

Why? One insurance company has a standard of $125 for a junk drawer. Do you know the value of yours? If yours contains a camera or two, a roll of stamps, calculator and iPod, you'll easily exceed that amount. One insurance agent added his up and found he had a $500+ junk drawer! That means he would have not recovered $375 just because he didn't know what he had.

Now, will you add an inventory to your new year's resolutions? Please?

Is this one of your goals for 2009?

Hopefully one of your resolutions (or goals, as we discussed in yesterday's post) is to have a business and/or home inventory. Whether you choose to do it yourself, or hire a professional service to document your personal property for you, I strongly encourage you to put this on your list for 2009.

You already have an inventory? Great! But there are a couple things that go along with the initial task. Just creating the document, then letting it sit for years gathering dust, is not enough.

1. Update your inventory regularly. If you do it as you purchase or discard items, it will always be current. Or, choose to update it once a year. Pick a time that you'll remember. During the holidays, when you receive most of your new items, that might be the perfect time. Or possibly your birthday. Whatever you choose, remember to keep your inventory up to date.
2. Keep it off site. When people tell us that they have an inventory, we usually ask where it is. They smile proudly and say "right here in my desk drawer". Make an extra copy and give it to a friend or relative - preferably one who doesn't live next door! Reciprocate by keeping a copy of their inventory for them. Other options are to rent a safe deposit box or keep it locked in a file at your office (if you're not home-based, that is).

Three steps to ensuring that you'll recover properly from a loss. Create, update, store off site.

Resolution or goal

Happy New Year everyone! What do you have planned for 2009?

I've been thinking about new year resolutions lately and realized that I haven't made one in years. I never stick to them. They are usually 'broken' before January 31. That doesn't happen to goals (or at least not as often or as easily).

These thoughts were whirling through my head as I worked on our marketing calendar for 2009. In my opinion, there is a big difference between goals and resolutions. Resolutions are just statements about what I want to happen or plan to do. Goals, on the other hand, are written down, have a plan of action and specific ways to measure the success. Goals are easier to achieve because you are holding yourself accountable.

Your thoughts?