The year is well and truly moving along. In the blinkof an eye we move from December to February!   Over the holidays, I had many discussions with my husband and YTM Business Mentor, Leigh Powell on what YTM had achieved in 2017 and the direction we would take in  2018.  All businesses need to review their strategies and the start of the year is a great time. Infact we have a "Goal Setting and Accountability" Workshop scheduled for the 13th February , if you need some guidence. 

YTM prides itself in providing a welcoming and safe community for business owners and professionals to come together for conversations, connections and insights without the pressure of a strict and repetitive agenda.  The different formats provide an effective structure that  encourages authentic  conversations and generates leads and opportunities for those that invest the time in relationships, over transactions.

in order to build a bigger and better business, there are 2 key elements a business owner needs to focus on in determining “Worth” to others. Combined, these elements will shape the way you consider how you prospect with existing and new clients by translating “what you do” into “ choose me and this is how your business will benefit”

Networking is cost effective marketing.  But is it?   

You attend weekly networking breakfast and you squeeze in at least one other event each week.  Your networking! Not necessarily,  you may be creating visibility and making a few connections, but are you using your precious time wisely?

What are you doing over the holidays?  Perhaps you are staying at home, spending time in the country or along the coast, travelling to distant places, maybe staying in some luxury resort or joining more than 300,000 people who on any one night of the year are out making the most of a caravan or camping holiday in Australia .

Did you know that in Victoria the Caravan and Camping Industry is a 1.5 billion dollar industry?  Employing five and a half thousand people. Currently Victoria produces 90% of all the recreational vehicles built in Australia, making in excess of 20,000 new units a year.

One of the things I love most about my business, Your Time Matters, is the people I meet, and the stories I hear, often simply by chance.  I believe we can learn so much from the experience and knowledge of others and our lives are enriched and our eyes opened as we connect and engage with others, who have faced challenges and found solutions.

Recently, we held a YTM Progressive Dinner.  This event provided business owners and professionals present with an opportunity to meet and hear from Jane Seymour, from Mount Zero Olives. 

As a business owner we learn so much from the knowledge and experience of others. 

Part of YTM’s  unique business networking formulae is to provide opportunity for you , the business owner and professional to learn, grow and achieve.  We combine various elements so you make the most of the precious time you invest at our events. 

This morning I had a tradesman visit my home . I asked him how he managed everything when he was on holidays . He told me that you can shut down your website and leave your emails unanswered until you come back. What a missed opportunity! I enquired what would happen if he broke his leg and couldn't work...what would happen? He had no systems or processes in place.   He needs to meet our next speaker! 

Translating an idea into action is hard. Walking the bridge between idea and outcome is called taking a Risk. When you take a Risk your blood runs a little faster through your veins mixing a fear of failure with a hope that “this idea of mine could actually work”! The real battlefield is when you are deciding whether to take action and too often I find the enemy within (glass half empty) wins the day by broadcasting “what if my idea fails or captures only my imagination and nobody else’s?”

At the end of last year’s event program I asked the YTM community what it is they value about regularly attending YTM events, being part of our Think Tanks, helping them develop their networking strategies and inviting us to work with their teams.

A consistent theme was how much our professional community enjoys the opportunity to learn from others. Our unique approach means you can learn from our guest speakers and have enough time and a safe format to engage in more meaningful conversations with other professionals about your business.

Business owners need to answer this question as a fundamental test of the viability of their business proposition.

This article is the second in a series of articles that will track the sequence of things a business owner, existing or start up, needs to solve to build a bigger better business. The first article was how to get How to get paid based on your worth!

From the hundreds of Business owners he has worked with over the years, Leigh has found that small business owners price themselves at cost recovery plus a bit. The same business owners are often busy, working long hours and at night lose sleep knowing that their income is probably not enough for the time, experience and benefit they provide to their clients. and customers.

Your Time Matters has enjoyed a number of key collaborations and strategic partnerships as our dynamic program of business networking events, strategic workshops, think tanks and business mentoring for business professionals has expanded since we were first established in 2010.

Our success is built on a belief that conversations, connections and strategic planning impact on your business success. Whether you lead a small business or a larger organisation, you will appreciate the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people.

Over the past four years, YTM has run  more than 60 events and invited more than 70 speakers to share their expertise.  Why?  Because Kerryn Powell, Founder of YTM believes that we need to continually learn, grow and achieve.  The insights at the various events run by YTM are chosen to challenge, enlighten and inform business owners and professionals on a diverse range of subjects so that they can make informed decisions about the direction  or improvements that they should consider to grow their business.

Education, knowledge and experience are essential to business and without these elements your road can be challenging.  Networking will enable you to benefit from shared knowledge, support and experience of others,  if  you have the right conversations and attend the right events. Let’s face it, sometimes you just do not know, what you don’t know until it’s too late or you hear from an expert in their field that provides you with insight for reflection and improvement!

Networking can help you build your business,  relationships and connections BUT the power  of a network, should  never be underestimated and can just as easily damage your business and reputation.

We have a routine in our house.  We head out early for a long walk and often reward ourselves with a big breakfast.  Last Saturday was no exception, and this time we combined a few jobs on the way to our smashed avo! 

Hello, my name is Kerryn Powell. If we are yet to meet, I am so glad you found me and am reading this piece I’ve written to help you better understand the ripple effect of networking. I’m feeling quite sentimental as I write because a major milestone has just happened in my family. My first grandson has recently joined us and our hearts are filled with love for  this new little person who has entered our lives and will further broaden our horizons.

In an increasingly connected online world, I believe many people are feeling more disconnected than ever. It was Jerome Bruner, a world renowned educational psychologist who lived to the ripe old age of 100, who long realised the value of conversations and story-telling as vital learning tools. 

In this tribute to Bruner, we learn more about this incredible man and his adventures, and better understand his contribution to narrative and storytelling as fundamental processes through which we engage with culture, providing “recipes for structuring experience”.