Before I Say There Aren’t Any Good Women…

I was being told by the movies, media (thank you CNN “Black in America”), and even friends that there really are no good women out there. I thought maybe it was because of my location, therefore I began to travel around while conducting business and I will find her. So, through business and speaking engagements, I am traveled the country. I was traveling conducting business but my head was on a swivel just in case.

One day, a thought ran across my mind, I don’t know if I thought it or it was placed there by the countless impressions from those around me saying the same thing, but I thought, maybe there aren’t any good women… What if I am single forever? I rejected that thought and dove headstrong in my work, community service and church. Whatever would consume my thinking… Days turned to weeks and weeks to months…

Until one day…

This day was much like any other and I heard a man say, “Take responsibility for your situation. Your situation is the result of your choices and actions.” It stuck with me and started a landslide of thoughts. Although, publicly, I was fine and content being the business man and “on the go.” Privately, I desired to have someone to come home to.

With that thought, “take responsibility for my situation,” I began at the beginning. I looked over past relationships and saw how many women were not good but great woman but due to my actions, lack of maturity, or self-centeredness were gone. After a few months of doing this personal self evaluation, I found several areas that I was lacking in and caused me to be blind to the good women that were before me the whole time.

My mother has a saying, “Perception is reality.” I want to extend it to, “Your perception is your reality.” Because of my flawed perception, my reality was that there weren’t any good women or it was hard to find a woman. When I froze the perception that I was looking out of, like broken glasses worn on the face, I saw that my vision was off. My lenses were slightly fractured and the world I operated in was the result of that.

Was the world actually fractured? No, just my perception. Only after taking the time to take responsibility for my actions could I identify my fractures in my perception. After identifying my fractures, I went to those that I look up to, those to whom I hold in high regard and I asked them what are the solutions to my fractures. I respected them enough and desired strongly to change that I began down the path to adjust, correct, and, renew my perspective.

Something interesting began to happen as I worked on my fractured bifocals. What I thought couldn’t be found was clearly and easily seen. The things that I desired in my life, could be attained with less blunt force because my vision had been aligned.

We live in a culture that is outwardly focused, self-centered, and honestly arrogant. We no longer live in a world where people take responsibility for their actions and the situations in which they live in. Due to this hesitation, fear, or strength, we continue to address only the symptoms of our problems but never the root. It isn’t anyone else’s fault that we missed that payment, that we got that speeding ticket, and that we have to work hard to come from behind.

We must take responsibility for our situations, only at that point can we begin to address the problems in ours life.

I hope that at the conclusion of this note, you never blame, slide, or push the blame onto anyone else. I hope that we can mature as a people and country and see that we are involved in the cause of our problems so we must be involved in the cause of the solutions.

Keys to Starting a Non Profit

Moving Business Plan Date Back

Good day all!

Sometimes you just have to be realistic. Due to my 2 week vacation during the Christmas Holiday, I want to move the date back 2 weeks to give time to work on the Marketing Part which is the last part of the plan. Below I am recapping what we have done and how all the pieces will come together:

1. Identified Who Target Customers Are
2. Set the Floor for the minimum amount/project you will accept
3. Determined How much in expenses you will have each month
4. Then Divide the Expenses/Floor Amount = Number of Projects You Need to Do Each Month
5. Develop Marketing Strategies To Get That Number of Projects

That is it.

So, I hope that this has helped out everyone and I look forward to working on the last part with everyone over the last 2 weeks. Please see the revised milestones.

C.

Group Business Plan: Finances, Finances, Finances

Many people are very worried about the financial piece of a business plan, they dont know where to start or how to complete it. But to keep in line with much of what we are doing here (a bare bone business plan FOR YOU so you can conduct business better in 2010).

Well, I went ahead and prepared a template budget. Now this isn’t perfect but this is a start. What you will see in this budget is 7 areas.

• Administrative
• Salaries
• Communication
• Professional
• Operating
• Cost of Goods
• Other

The xls spreadsheet is set to do the totals and averages for you. Just enter in how much you expect or want to spend in January and then the rest of the spreadsheet will do the math for you.

The big thing for you to look at is the bottom line number. Each column serves as a month so at the bottom you will see how much you need to bring in to meet this goal.

Questions:

• Calvin, where is the cost of goods?

Being how I didn’t know what your direct costs were, I just made a section called cost of goods. Costs of goods is the actual cost (labor/parts) that it costs to create your product/service. It could be per hour or per product but that cell is for the total amount that you project you will spend on costs of goods.

• Calvin, I produce the work, I dont pay anyone?

Then you have to see yourself as an owner and as a employee. If you were an employee and you had an hourly salary ($30.00/hr) and on average you have 100 billable hours per month, then that means that your Cost of Goods is $3,000.00. That is the fee just for you as the employee.

The Salary part is what you are paid as the owner of your business. So you might bill out 100 hours a month and take a $750.00/month salary. This way no matter how your billing is, you will pay yourself something (if you are just starting out). Then as you see the bottom total you will see how much you need to bring in.

To treat your business like a business, you have to begin to pay yourself a set salary. If $750.00 is too big, start small. No one will know but you.

• Calvin what is Exchange Server?

I use an exchange server to manage my email (www.mailstreet.com).

• Calvin, can i add or delete rows?

Yes, please customize to your hearts content. If you have questions please do not hestiate to ask.

• Calvin, why do you start your questions to yourself with Calvin?

Because I can and I am cool! just playing.

• Calvin, what is Savings in Operating?

This may not be the best place for it but I feel it is important to build a savings in your business. Whether you are padding your account or moving the money to a business savings account. It is good to begin to build up a cash reserve and the only way to do that is to plan for it.

I would start with the following goals and when you achieve it, work your darnest to never fall down to the goal below.

Goal 1: $1000.00 Pad or 1 Month’s Bills (whatever is greater)
Goal 2: $2500.00 Pad or 3 Month’s Bills (whatever is greater)
Goal 3: $5000.00 Pad or 6 Month’s Bills (whatever is greater)
Goal 4: $10,000.00 Pad or 12 Month’s Bills (whatever is greater)

When you reach $10k then it is time to speak with your banker about other ways to store your money and getting a better return.

So have fun and let me know if you have questions.

C.

PS. There is one more part of this bare bones business plan and we are good to go.

Mind you this isn’t perfect but hopefully for those who haven’t ever planned for a year you can use this as just a general tool to figure out how much you need to gross per month.

There are more sophisticated tools and always a CPA :).

Group Business Plan: Finances – Where’s the Floor?

We have all taken clients that looking back we shouldn’t had taken. We knew they might be trouble (and they were), we knew they didn’t have the finances needed (and they didn’t). So, why do we take them? A lack of focus and a lack of faith that we step up our business, our clients will step up with us.

Well, maybe the current clients wont step up with you. But I believe and serve a God that is all supplying and my provider. He knows your heart and your desire to provide an amazing product/service to your clients but that your current clients are appreciating you and your services.

So it is time to set the floor. From this day forth, I will no longer accept work under $____.00 limit. Yes, that big of a statement.

What will happen?

You will get a bunch of potential clients near and under that limit and you will think about taking them on. How do I know this? Because I have gone through it myself as I increased my minimum price from starting at $400.00 to where I am now (no, I am not going to tell you! lol)

Every time I set the bar, clients would come under the bar and in an overflow. One time I tried to take them on and looking back I regretted it. So what do you do? Be a blessing to someone else!!! Find individuals that provide your service but aren’t in competition with you and refer them the work. Develop partnerships and friends. Help them grow their business. After that initial flow of client of your old type of clients passes, then you will have/go after the type of clients that you want and you will have the availability to service them.

Looking at your current clients or the client’s that you deserve to work with find out what is the average that they invest/spend with you. For some they do not want to have clients under $800.00 while others do not want clients under $20,000.

In addition, you may set this floor based off of any number of things:

• To minimize the number of monthly clients so you can focus on the projects and do your best.A desire to stop a certain type of troublesome clients
• To force yourself to go after a certain type of client

But whatever your reason, think about the projects that you have done and where you want to be. If you aren’t sure about your floor, just set one low. Soon, you will change it.

Set this goal for next year.

I will only accept clients that will be willing to invest $______.00 in their project and with my company.

Lets Go!

C.

We All Need A Little Support – Habitat for Humanity Trip to India

A friend of mine is taking a trip to India to work alongside members of local women’s savings groups as part of Habitat’s “Women Build” Initiative. She is raising just under $2,000.00. If you can spare a few dollars and support her cause please do. Below is more information.

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Here Description and Request:

In March 2010, Habitat India volunteers will work alongside members of local women’s savings groups as part of Habitat’s “Women Build” initiative.

We will be building in partnership with rural and underprivileged Indian women who have who have formed microfinance self-help groups so that they can save money to build better lives for their families.

I’ll be traveling to Bangalore, India from March 5th through March 18th and I’ll be personally covering the cost of my plane ticket and in addition, each team member must raise $1,950 to participate in the trip to cover the cost of food, room and board and building supplies. I’d really appreciate your help in supporting my efforts.

You can donate here.

Thanks in advance and I’ll be sure to share with you my experience on this trip. If you have any additional questions please ask her!