Happy Martin Luther King Day!

A couple of years ago, I wrote an essay on my transformation from a traditional capitalist in search of money to a conscious capitalist who eventually creates meaningful work. This process of enlightenment occurred within the context of personal defining moments and external economic challenges.

In the essay, I quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from a 1960 Founder’s Day address at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.  I believe his words ring true today, especially in the current economic climate.

One of the dangers we must always watch in our nation and in the system under which we live is known as capitalism. As you know, capitalism stresses the profit motive. Of course capitalism has done some marvelous things for our nation and the world. Through this economic system we have been able to build up the greatest system of production that the world has ever known, and we have become the richest nation in the world. All of this is marvelous. But the danger point is that we will become so involved in the profit-making and profit-getting aspects of capitalism that we will forget certain ends of life. There is always the danger that we will become more concerned about making a living than making a life that we will not keep that line of division between life and one’s livelihood. And there is also the danger that our system can lead to tragic exploitation. We must come out of the mountain and be concerned about a more humane and just economic order. And I say, this afternoon, that we cannot solve this problem by turning to Communism. Communism is based on an ethical relativism and a metaphysical materialism that no Christian can accept. I do believe that in America we must use our vast resources of wealth to bridge the gulf between abject, deadening poverty and superfluous, inordinate wealth. God has left enough space in this universe for all of his children to have the basic necessities of life.

You can read the entire essay, From Capital I to Capital We, here. Have a wonderful Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! 

Merry Christmas!

We are taking a few days off to celebrate Christmas and to re-focus and re-emerge ready for the New Year!

Click here for a Christmas message from Business Write Now!

Don't Hate the "B" Word!

It's November and a good time to deal with that "B" word. No, not that one. I'm talking about the B-B-Budget for 2012. Most small business owners hate to sit down and work the numbers - especially if the resources are limited. Yet, we know that most businesses fail because they simply run out of cash.

So if you have not done so, use the rest of the month to reflect on the current year's cash inflows and outflows. You may need to re-think your business model and the way that you currently generate revenues.  Next, review if there are areas that can be streamlined or even cut. Then, think about what you project will happen in the upcoming year. How many additional customers will you have? Do you need to reallocate dollars to marketing to increase brand awareness which could lead to new customers? Do your due diligence and expect 2012 to be the best year evah!

Click here for a cash flow budget template that you can use to get started.

For more tools to aid in your business, click here. 

Kauffman Is Looking for the Magic Sauce

I will be following Kauffman Foundation's research on entrepreneurship even closer as they are in pursuit of the "Magic Sauce". Here are some of the questions they are asking:

• Can we democratized the process of entrepreneurship so that it would be easier for people to pursue?
• What would it take for new firms to be more successful?
• How do we make companies grow faster?

We know the ingredients, but if they come up with something tasty, I will be sure to pass it along.

Click to read more ...

Have you met invention's mother yet?

No one knows who first coined the phrase, "Necessity Is the Mother of Invention". However, we are seeing it played out more and more on today's economic stage. We join other necessity-driven entrepreneurs. In our case, we diversified our entrepreneurial efforts. In addition to the feast or famine business model of consulting, we have started The Letterman, an eBay store selling affordable sports apparel and active wear for both men and women.

The Letterman is actually my husband's dream. When I was pursuing an MBA almost 20 years ago, the first business plan I ever wrote was for his vision of a business. We even went so far as to look for a retail location because there was no such thing as eBay at that time. Because of risk averseness, we put the dream back on the shelf until now.

Cashflow is a challenge of any small business. However, the lack of it has caused forced ingenuity. Our greatest challenge has now become our greatest opportunity. I know it sounds cliche, but don't just think outside of the box, climb out of the box and go get that dream which is hidden on your shelf. I know from experience that it will be well worth it.

I'm Not Talking to You! But I am Talking to YOU!!

I recently read a blog post about what words you should never use in your Twitter header. One of the words was "strategist". Another one was passionate.  Hmm.... my title is Startup Strategist. I didn't pick the word haphazardly, I did so after a StrengthsFinder 2.0 workshop and profile. One of my five top strengths is strategy. My clients will attest to that.

Click to read more ...

Creating Meaningful Work as an Independent Consultant

In 2009, I officially transitioned from employee to independent consultant. Prior to that time, I took a diverse path from employee to school administrator to business/ministry steward, then back to employee. Along the way, I developed both breadth and depth of experience. All roads eventually led to a wonderful consultancy training program where everything began to come together. Amazingly, no experience was lost or in vain.

I highly recommend Faith and Philanthropy Institute's Master  Nonprofit Consultant Certificate Program. Consultancy is such a broad area and when I began the program, I wasn't sure of my specific niche. Business Write Now! was actually birthed out of this nine month training and coaching program. Even more important than the planning process were the life-long relationships that were developed as we worked together, encouraged one another and even prayed together.

If you are ready to move from employee or even "un-employee" to consultant and are ready to create meaningful work, why not see if this program is a fit for you. I am surely glad I did.

Plan. Execute. Change Lives!

I can't believe it has been a month since my last post. I thought the summer was going to be a bit sluggish, but it has turned out to be exciting and of course, super hot here in Dallas. I am beginning to see what I have been working toward and praying for. I believe that meaningful work is a desire at the core of each person's being. I am also a believer that if you can't find it in traditional employment, you have to forge a new path - even if you are uncertain of what is ahead. I will tell you more in the days ahead, but I will say this, I am seeing the sacred and the secular merge. I am seeing ministry and the marketplace converge.

So, I encourage you to not give up on your dream.  Plan. Execute. Change lives!

Do You Value Fun?

For most of us, summer does not begin on June 21st as our calendars indicate. It begins when the kids are out of school which means that today is officially summer for my family.

Two of my kids attend a virtual school. They had until last night at 11pm to finish all of their work. I glared, prodded, and almost strangled my 12 year old who waited until the last minute, same as last year, to complete all of her work.

It didn't seem to bother her though. Even at the eleventh hour, she was giggling, singing, and working. While I was in total frustration mode, I was a little jealous at the way she was able to "whistle while she worked" - even if it was a little too much whistling for my taste.

She values fun. I am currently working on a new mini-training on the benefits of creating core values for your business and ran across the Family Core Values statements for Zappos. I think that she should work for a company like Zappos when she grows up. Zappos' third core value is to create fun and a little weirdness.

I tend to associate fun with summer and the rest of the year with work, work, and more work.  Hmmm... While I will continue to help my daughter manage her fun, I am beginning to think I need to at least value having fun, too. What about you?

Entrepreneurs Are Changing the World

Not only do we believe that entrepreneurs have the ability to change the world, but entrepreneurs are changing the world. Many are successfully making a profit and making a difference. I just scanned a special report from the May 2011 issue of Inc. magazine entitled, "How a Business Can Change the World". It details innovative business models social entrepreneurs are inventing. I plan to read it thoroughly so that I can celebrate their progress and learn from them too. Here is the link in case you are interested. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20110501/how-a-business-can-change-the-world.html