November 18, 2010

“Confessions of an Entrepreneur”

LIAM BROWN

AGENDA• How I got started as an Entrepreneur• My History • Pitfalls I have faced and overcome• Keys - Successful Entrepreneur: what it takes• Homework: Questions I want you to ask

yourself when you leave here tonight

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Who Am I?First things First: So are you a motivational coach?

• No, have you heard the saying: “If you motivate an idiot they will just screw up twice as fast?”

• What I and the other coaches do is help business owners build profitable businesses:

• Providing guidance, strategies, marketing ideas, sales, lead generation ideas, accountability, and we give you answers, not just ask them

Who Am I?MY HISTORY• Self employed since 2000

• Built 8 Companies since that time

• Speaking Professionally since 2003

• Today I focus on building Sidestep Business Coaching to a North American brand and build the company to 25 Coaches in the next year

Back to the Beginning…• I got fired…• Fired by my Father-In-Law

– How’s that for family relations? – “Welcome to the family Son! Oh, by the way don’t bother coming in to work after your honeymoon!”

• I started ITL Solutions the next day…

Pitfalls• My 1st Company almost went under

• First Reason: I was more in love with the “idea” of running my own business than I was at running it

• Second Reason: What do you think the Number 1 reason of failure is?

AWARENESS

PitfallsI didn’t run with a plan

• I don’t mean a 60 page plan • I mean a tightly written 6 – 10 page doc (quart)

• Specific and Quantifiable Goals broken down • Anticipated & Actual Revenues/Expenses• Marketing and Lead generation strategies (How many?) • Number of prospects you brought in • Where prospects came from • Measuring what is working & what isn’t

Tried to be everything to everyone• After the 1st year I focused on 4 Target markets

I’m not saying turn away Business, you just want to focus your efforts

• A group of like-minded customers with similar needs, and problems to solve

• A definable market

• Big enough to make money in

I tried to build business on my own

• I didn’t have any advisors

• At first I listened to arm-chair quarterbacks

• Did not form Strategic Alliances

It almost got “Good Enough”

• We feel like “I’ve made it” and stop building business

It’s NEVER good enough

• Lots of clients coming in, lots of work

Success: What does it take?

“I don’t know but when you find out please let my wife know because apparently I haven’t reached it and I am driving her crazy”

Success Keys

1 – You have to have specific goals and an action plan laid out each quarter and broken down by month. Plan for your success

2 – You have to have someone in your corner (Mentor, Friend, Coach,)

3 – You have to be consistent in your efforts (Consistency is king. Remember baby steps become large leaps over time)

Success Keys4 – Acknowledge that you may fail and go bankrupt (Until you acknowledge and accept that fact fear will always play a part and you will never put your full commitment and focused attention on everything you do. You’ll have one foot in the water and one on the deck because you have that fear of drowning)

5 – You have to be willing to do whatever it takes

“Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life living like most

people can’t.”

What do you think a few years is Liam?

How do you define what entrepreneurship is?

Success Keys

6 – Never stop swinging the bat (You will never hit the ball if you don’t take a swing)

Homework• I want you to ask yourself and write down:

– What do I really want from my business? Be specific with dates or number targets– Think about who can hold your feet to the fire? Who is going to keep you accountable?

• Stop trying to be everything to everyone– Think about 4 target markets that you can build business in and create massive awareness

OfferThe first 8 people to email, call, or text me with 3 things you really want from your

business I will give a 60 minute complimentary coaching session.

Liam Brown604.290.8915

Coaching@Sidestepcoaching.com

Q&A?