Companies that become clients come to me saying:

• We have trouble attracting new prospects.
• Sales are down and we’re not sure why.
• We don’t appear to be competitive.
• We’re stuck and can’t figure out how to move forward.

My Core Program –  Entrepreneurship 202, addresses these issues.  I help successful sole-proprietors or partnerships (retail, on-line, professional services) who want to get to the next stage of their business, but don’t know how.  To help them get there, I use several techniques and activities:

I refine the way they present themselves so they attract more business.  To reach these new customers/clients, I make recommendations for specific marketing activities. To help them find the funds to carry out these activities, I examine their operations to find ways to be more efficient with the resources on hand.  I review their Cash-flow and Income Statements to determine if their business model is strong and makes sense for their industry.

I create timelines to implement their new objectives with specific milestones so they can see their success.  Once these objectives are finalized, I hold clients accountable for their goals so they are motivated to keep moving.  When they don’t feel they are making progress, I support them by putting their situations in perspective so they feel encouraged to go on.

I explore some of the beliefs, practices and preconceptions you have about Pricing for your product or services.  (Many times people under value themselves because they simply don’t believe that “they’re worth it.”)

After working with me, clients feel much more productive because they have a realistic road map to grow their business which ultimately makes them more profitable.

I think of myself as a small business consultant and work with professional service companies and and small retail businesses to develop the best business practices for their personality type and then support them to implement their plans to attract more of their ideal clients. I help keep them on track and accountable for taking action.

As a consultant, I also work on:

• Clarifying your goals, priorities, and motivations
• Expanding your perspective about those you work with
• Communicating with more confidence and impact
• Being a sounding board for your ideas and plans
• Facing fears and resistance and getting beyond your limitations
• Finding the best resources (books, services, etc.) that can help you deepen your understanding
• Building your self-confidence and leveraging your talents

Clients who work with me see bottom-line business-growth results. They come up with better marketing messages and written materials. They start implementing marketing activities that work for them, and they make more connections and get more meetings with prospective clients. And ultimately, they attract more of their ideal clients and increase their income faster than before our work together.

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How does it all work?  What actually happens when you work with me? There are Ten Steps:

1.  To make sure we’re “right” for each other, I will meet with you for a FREE 45-minute business review session.  Here, you’ll tell me what is going on with your business right now. This means discussing what you are proud of; what is drawing customers to you; and what is making you money.  Of course, I also want to hear what is not working; what customers you are not  yet attracting, and what goals you have not yet met.

I will carefully listen and tell you my perceptions of your situation and what experience I have in helping business owners like you.  If, at this point, we both want to go forward, I will send you a proposal detailing what I can offer you, which will include the services I will provide, the amount of time needed to complete them and the fee.

2.  If you accept my proposal, I will ask you to sign a contract which specifies each of our responsibilities.

3.   To get the work going and to ensure that I am fully familiar with your business, you will complete what I call a company “inventory” questionnaire.  I need this for two reasons.  I want to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of  you and your business, of your competitors, and your SPECIFIC financial and management goals.  More importantly, I want you to describe them, based on YOUR perceptions.  Remember, if we are ultimately going to tell your business story better, it has to start with you.

4.  At our first meeting we will review your responses and together come to an agreement as to which goals you want to attain and list them in  priority order.  This means setting a specific gross income goal.  This, in turn, means creating a projected operating budget that will get you to reach that goal.  In order to determine if the financial  goal is  doable,  I will identify the particular tasks or actions that you must do and a deadline to accomplish them.  Ultimately, the issue becomes whether you can actually perform these activities within the time-table you have set.

Being able to coordinate this process utilizes the skills I learned in Business School
(where I earned an MBA in Entrepreneurship),
 and is an attribute that distinguishes me from other coaches.

5.  From here on, we will be meeting bi-weekly.  At each session, we will go over the assignment and review it in the context of our goal.  When needed, time will be given to discuss situations that have arisen in your business that need immediate attention.

6.  The ultimate goal of our work will be the creation of a Personalized Growth Plan that you will be able to use on your own.  This plan will include sections about you and your business, including  an Origin Story (who you are as it relates to your business, a Rationale Story (this details why prospects should hire you over your competition, and a Power Statement.

A Power Statement is a bit like a “Cheat Sheet” which brings together short versions of your Origin and Rational Story, and also includes a section that lists – in easy to use bullet formatting – succinct reasons why people come to you, i.e. for me – people come to me when their current marketing strategies are not working.

7.  Along with creating those three statements, we spend time identifying the qualities of your best customers/clients, and then proceed to research where they can be found.

8.  To be competitive, we need to analyze the way you run your business, pricing, and your business model – what your customers get in exchange for their money.  But making your product or service attractive to customers may not produce sufficient to pay your bills AND make a profit. So I will review all your expenses and determine which ones are essential to having a viable business and which help you produce value for your customers

9.  Perhaps the most valuable tool you will get is Your Core Marketing Message.  This short statement is much more than the standard “Elevator Pitch.”  It brings together what you do with a powerful and compelling outcome that YOUR customers will receive from working with you.  This takes time to develop and even more time to fully embrace and use.  We will work on getting you comfortable with your new “message” by role-playing.

10. Based on your Core Marketing Message, we’ll produce other content including sales letters to prospective customers; refined and new sections of your web site, and telephone scripts for pitching to prospects.

Ultimately, you will have a comprehensive Growth Plan in place by the end of the six months. This plan will help you now run your business and serve as a blueprint for your growth 

Some clients continue working with me where I help to implement the Growth Plan, as well as  “hold your feet to the fire” meaning I will  hold you accountable for the tasks and goals you have set for yourself.

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“What’s it going to cost me?” I hear your thinking.  That’s a fair question. Before I answer, I’ve got a few questions for you.

(1)  Are you making all the money you can?

(2) Are you getting new customers?

(3)  Is your marketing really working?

(4) Do you waste a lot of time trying to figure this all out?

If you said yes to any of these, you KNOW it’s time for a change. And change takes commitment, by you and a person to lead you.  I am that person.  My fees reflect your improved position in your market, your newly acquired customers and your increased revenue.

That said, my fees are reasonable, affordable and worth it.

I price the Six-Month Program at $650 per month or $3,900 total.

(If you pay in full, I’ll give you a 10% discount, so the total drops to $3,510)

For your fee, you’ll get:

• Two 2 3-hour-sessions with me
• Exercises and materials to keep you on track
• Unlimited number of e-mails and phone calls to me during the six-month consultancy
• A Core Marketing Message and Growth Plan tailored to your business

Let’s get together for a FREE forty five minute Business Evaluation Session.

Call me at 718-768-1672 or e-mail me at alan.siege@sbmc.biz.

I am your coach to inspire you and

your consultant to make it happen.