As business owners we know that meeting people is part of the marketing process, but we have to learn to say NO when asked to participate in every  project or group that is in need. .

I received an e-mail this afternoon from a person looking for direction. He is currently involved with seven different "groups"  in addition to running a business and raising four  small children. His reason for this much involvement is two-fold:

• first, he enjoys the activity and the synergy that comes from working with volunteers
• second, he is afraid that he will miss out on some potentially beneficial business contacts.

I have scheduled a meeting for next week and I asked him to answer the following questions for our meeting:

• how much time a week do you devote to these outside activities?
• How much actual business have you closed in the past six months from  your participation in each of these activities.
• What is your business growth trend so far this year?
• If you had to select two of the seven activities, which would you select and why?

Outside activities  can provide some relief for an owner, but too much participation can hurt the growth of the business.

Your business should be a constant source of renewable energy. If it is not, then either you need to quit the business or take a look at what issues are at work that prevent it from providing that energy.

________________________________________________________________________________
Don't get stuck inside your own ego, because lit will become a prison in no time flat.