Jacob S Paulsen's Blog, page 20

Quarterly Newsletter Published Today

Each quarter I publish a quarterly email newsletter. The email newsletter is different from this blog. You can subscribe to this blog  by clicking the various icons (Facebook, Twitter, Kindle, Email, RSS) to the right. To receive the email newsletter 4 times per year you must fill out the form to the right and click the subscribe button.

The quarterly newsletter has unique content with articles and features I don’t publish anywhere else. If you don’t already subscribe I encourage you to do so. Four times a year isn’t too bad and you can always unsubscribe if you don’t find the content valuable!

Also, please note that when you subscribe to the email newsletter you will receive a free copy of any one of my eBooks.

For those of you who already receive the email newsletter thank you.

Jacob S Paulsen

5 Resources I Give All Starting Out Entrepreneurs

When you are starting a business your needs vary depending on what you are doing. I have found however, that there are a few things that all businesses need. This isn’t a discussion about how to get big financial capital or anything. Just some of the simple basics that I always share.

Buy the website before you settle on a name. Anymore it has become critical to make sure that yourbusinessname.com is available before you settle on that name for your business. Before you incorporate/organize your business check to see if the domain is available. This might be a deal breaker.
I always recommend Paynet merchant services. Paynet makes it easy to take credit card charges via a traditional machine, mobile apps, a virtual terminal, or a configured online shopping cart.
When it comes to getting a business phone number I always stress the importance of not using your cell phone number. That makes it hard to eventually scale the business and take yourself out of it. Try Google Voice, RingCentral, or MagicJack for economic phone numbers that you can forward to any other phone.
Email Marketing & Website. Obviously you need a website. Check my new website launch guide for a quick overview of the basics. Do it yourself or hire someone else but do it quickly. Almost without exception, you also need to be working on an Email Marketing strategy. Its the most cost effective way to get a message out to current or potential customers. Get the strategy put in place and move forward.
While my company provides the business incorporation/organization setup services in some states, I always suggest my clients and friends retain an attorney and a CPA. These professionals are critical to the success of any venture. Schedule an initial meeting with your attorney and CPA to discuss your business plan. They will give you insights that will pay you back ten fold. When picking a professional to work with ask for references. Find out who works with the most successful entrepreneurs you know and retain them.

Blogs Are a Trusted Source for Moms

Recently eMarketer published an article called, “Blogs Are a Trusted Source for Moms.” This research confirmed what we have always suspected, Moms consider blogs a credible source of information and they rely on Blogs to direct their actions in many circumstances.

In 2011 we launched our Mom blog, ThePinkApronBlog.com which has been a fabulous experience thus far. It helps to round off our blog network and gives a niche audience to our advertisers. WHY, however, would advertisers want to reach moms via blog content?

Blogs are the number one most trusted online medium for Moms looking for parenting advice among other things. More trusted than Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, or Tumblr. Can you visualize it? Moms also are much more likely than any other demographic to take action after reading a blog post (see graph to the left). With this type of information advertisers may be looking for greater ways to get integrated into Blog content far beyond just banner advertising!!

Book Review: The Plugged-In Manager

During August 2012 I read “The Plugged-In Manager” by Terri Griffith as part of the 12 Books Group. This book is a unique perspective to making decisions and creating culture central to balancing the people, technology, and processes in an organization. The basic premise is to train the reader to understand the impact on these three things and outline a process by which the manager can keep continual balance.

I particularly liked the chapter that discussed the practice of Stop-Look-Listen. It seems that we most generally miss opportunities to “plug-in” because we are in such a hurry to execute.

The case studies and examples in the book are both relevant and educational. Sometimes it seems that stories in these types of books are hard to apply to smaller teams or companies but Griffith did a good job of relating the stories to the core principles being taught.

During our Live Q&A webinar with Griffith, she also talked about some of the more common questions about the subject. The book also answers questions about generational differences to technology, application challenges in teams and companies, and the most common reasons people don’t plug-in.

Two Local Entrepreneurs: The Story of Transition

I love entrepreneurs. I love the story of people who find a way to create the freedom they want in life through owning their own business. I believe that business owners are at the core of the American way and the American dream. Recently two good friends with whom I have done business with in the past are now striking out on their own. I share their stories in short here hoping to inspire.

Jon and I have known each other for about 6 years. He has been through a few different sales jobs looking for the right fit. A few years ago he started working for a local roofing company. As part of the sale team he worked hard to bring in business hoping to create a career with the company. In time he found that the company didn’t offer a strong enough value to keep him around. He decided to start his own roofing business. With one other business partner he walked away from a good income and started from scratch. Because of the amount of time it takes to get paid for a roofing job he even had to take a job at a large well-known retailer in the interm to make ends meet. Over the last 6 months I’ve watched this new business grow out of his basement into a sustainable opportunity that is now paying the bills.

Riley and I have not know each other for 2 years yet. We do a little work together and I have always admired his determination and integrity. He had previously been a partner in a construction company that went under in the recent real estate downturn. He had to move his family and start back to work as a full time employee. Now, a few years later he is getting his construction business back up and running (this time without any partners). Things are going well and today is his last day of work with his employer. Starting tomorrow he is back to being fully self-employed.

What can we learn from these stories? First, note that both of my friends had to transition and not leap to self-employment. One isn’t generally able to just wake up one morning and quit their job because they have an idea that is going to really be big. Be patient. Make the sacrifice of time required to keep your day job while you build your business. Take advantage of the double income while it builds to create yourself a safety blanket for the day you have to walk away from the job.

Don’t stop dreaming. Even after losing everything, my friend Riley never lost sight of his goal and how to get there. Stumbling blocks and trials are opportunities to learn and become stronger.

God Bless American Small Business Owners

Book Review: Smart Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey and Greg Link

I finished my reading of “Smart Trust.” When I first read “Speed of Trust” in 2006 I was profoundly impacted by the structure that was added to a relatively elusive topic. I keep a small paper with the thirteen behaviors of a High Trust Leader on my desk and refer to it often. “Smart Trust” seems like the natural follow up to all the HOW questions that were generated by “Speed of Trust.”

The five Smart Trust actions that this book teaches make a clear outline of how to generate trust in a team, family, or other organization. Simple, but not to a fault, these five actions make it easy to understand. They are, Choose to Believe in Trust, Start with Self, Declare Your Intent, Do What You Say, and Lead Out in Extending Trust.  While they sound straight forward on the surface, the book explores valuable examples and insights that help create a framework of putting it all together in a clear action plan.

The order of the five actions is not an accident. I suspect that I will need to go back to the book often to continue my journey in implementing trust in the various arenas of life as I move through the action steps.

The biggest take away from this book is a continuation of the first. Simply put, trust changes everything. It plays the biggest part in the bottom line and success of any relationship or organization. Creating a vocabulary around the principle allows us to discuss it among ourselves in terms that we all understand. These authors have done that and I believe that this is part of the revolution of restoring trust in our families, relationships, work places, communities, and countries.

MyEmailProgram.com JUST LAUNCHED

I have been working hard over the last 12 months to test and launch my very own email marketing product to compete with the iContacts and Constant Contacts of the web. Now after much testing, investment, and feedback I’m excited to share with you MyEmailProgram.com This new platform is designed for both the small business owner and the email marketing professionals. You can setup subscription forms, manage email lists, send out campaigns, drip autoresponders, and much more. If you have a need to communicate with people via email on a regular basis please reach out and lets discuss how this solution might work best for you.

Learn more

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My Greatest Teacher of All Time, Stephen R. Covey Passes Away

I graduated from high school in 2001. After a short time in a sales job I decided to do some church related volunteer work in Brazil during 2003 and 2004. After returning from Brazil it was time for me to enter the real world and make some real life decisions about my career, family, and education. It was Christmas of 2004, 3 days after my return from Brazil, that I received a copy of Stephen R. Covey‘s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, as a gift.

It took me about 5 months to read the book because I decided to really understand the content. I went through it with a highlighter (something I never did with a textbook) and it profoundly impacted me. It crafted, among other things, a vocabulary and context in which I could learn and practice fundamental principles that I had always known to be true. The fundamental principles that Stephen R. Covey spent his life teaching are not new to him. They are eternal but he has been the most successful at teaching them in the context of self-development and business. He coined vocabulary that today many of us use without knowing him as the source. Some of these phrases include, Win-Win, Begin with the End in Mind, and First Things First.

I won’t bore you with all of his accolades or achievements. As great as they are I’m sure you can get them from Wikipedia. I will just suffice by remembering what a significant difference his teachings made in my life as I strived to apply them. A person’s paradigm and value system are built from a large number of life experiences. For me, outside of my parents teachings, and my religious beliefs, I can identify no other thing as significant an influence as that book and other books written by Stephen R. Covey.

He will be sorely missed. My deepest condolences to his family and other close friends who suffered this loss.

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Robert Shemin’s How Come That Idiots Rich and I’m Not?

I just finished reading Robert Shemin‘s “How Come That Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not?” Robert has a unique voice that seeps from the pages of his book. The voice speaks of sincerity, expertise, and experience. I wouldn’t call the book a one in a kind but if you are stuck in your life wondering why all your hard work and plans haven’t equated to wealth (monetary or otherwise) then this might be a good read for you. I think you could also read books by Kiyosaki, Trump, and others but Robert Shemin is really good at plain talk about I would describe this as a fun read.

Robert talks about the 3 pillars of wealth. After spending the first half of the book re-educating the reader on his/her perception of “rich,” Shemin discusses the best practices in acquiring and building the three pillars. They are, Real Estate, Stocks, and Business.

One of key points that Robert drives in this book is the need to take action. This was a great reminder for me to begin with the end in mind and work toward a clear goal. As Robert teaches, each of us  needs a clear action plan that we can act on every day.

Do you need some reminders about true “Rich Idiot” thinking? Check out this book.

NOTE: I read this book as part of the 12 Books Online Book Group.

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Top Ten Lists for Independence Day 2012

July 4th if my very favorite holiday of the year. I’m exceedingly grateful for our country and the independence that makes things possible. This year instead of gracing my blog readers with another sentimental oration about our founding fathers I thought I would provide you with my top tens for July 4th.

Top 10 Books to Read About Our Countries Independence

1776
Washington’s Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History)
His Excellency: George Washington
American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
John Adams
Alexander Hamilton
American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic
Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation


Top 10 American Things to Do On July 4th

Eat a Hot Dog (an estimated 150 million will be consumed that day)
Watch a Baseball Game
Light off or at least watch some fireworks
BBQ (74 million Americans will)
Fly a flag or participate in a flag raising or ceremony
Sing or listen to a patriotic song (list here)
Do something to honor a member of our current or past armed forces
Recite the Pledge of Allegiance (the words “under God” were added in 1954)
Visit national historical sites in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, D.C., etc
Read the Declaration of Independence

Top 10 Independence Day Facts

July 2nd was the day that the Continental Congress voted on independence.
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on Independence day 1826 (50 year anniversary). James Monroe also died on Independence Day 1831.
50 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence signed on August 2nd, 1776
On July 4th 1776 there were about 2.5 million people in the USA. Today we estimate 311.7 million
The national anthem written in 1812, is actually set to the tune of an old English drinking song.
John Adams predicted: “The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more” Not far off…
The Bristol Fourth of July Parade in Rhode Island is the oldest continuous Independence Day Celebration (1785)
The 4th of July is also Rwanda’s Independence Day and the day The Philippines finally gained their independence from America.
Two of America’s greatest symbols, The Liberty Bell and the Statue of Liberty, were cast overseas.
The final major military action of the Civil war was the Siege of Vicksburg which ended on July 4th 1863

 

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