April 17th, 2008
We woke up this morning to fog. Strath had decided to disobey Jill again and we had taken an alternate route from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. It took us south along the Border of Canada and the US and he kept pointing to the other side of several lakes to tell me that was the US – which made me a little nervous – I hoped we did not have to cross the border.
Although I was sketptical at first of the alternate route – I like to stay on roads where I can predict where when and how, when we are in a hurry – I was glad he took this route as we heard that the highway 17 was closed just before Kenora – which meant we would be delayed significantly if we had traveled the traditional route.
We are headed to the Winnipeg Meeting tonight and I am anxious to be on time. It should take us about four and one half hours – so we have plenty of time.
About 2 and one half hours into the drive, Strath hollers – “get out the passports”. I immediately panic. We have not yet crossed the border with the ‘bus’ and it is labeled for business. It seems that Jill forgot to tell us that there is a 35 mile journey through the US on this route – so we must cross the border. We do have passports however when you cross the border on business – there are tariffs and on one occasion I was delayed several hours, finger printed and issued a 3 day work visa as well as a long lecture – even though I was not selling anything and was speaking for free.
We were ordered this time to pull over and they were going to inspect the vehicle. The worst case scenario was we would have to turn around and find another route which may mean we would miss the meeting. My palms were sweaty and I was trying to appear relaxed. Even thought I had been a police officer and in authority I still get the jitters if I am pulled over by border patrol or an officer. I do understand (and always did) how other people feel when I was an officer pulling them over. I tried always to reassure people that they were not ‘bad’ but had just broken the rules.
I was hoping now that we had not broken any rules. Then I remembered the grapefruit in the refrigerator and the open container of wine way at the back. I knew that these items would be confiscated. Oh well it was the price of travel I thought. So much for the safety of technology. In the end it was our talking and not and Jill’s direction that got us out of a bind.
The inspector was a young woman who laughed when she opened the first cupboard only to be hit in the head with a paper plate. We had purchased some as there are times when we have no water – and although they had been at the back of the cupboard – the bumpy journey had dislodged many things. So I warned her to be careful opening cupboards. We heard her going through all the accessible doors and drawers. She stepped back out and asked about Roaring Women and asked why we were in the US. I explained that our GPS did not warn us of a border crossing on this route and she laughed. She mentioned she was a ’scrapbooker’ and spoke of her sister’s business. She walked us back in to get our passports and waved us on our way much to the disgust of the younger male who was determined we needed to pay a tariff. She understood we were just passing through – so we were on our way.
There are many issues to be explored if you decide to do any business in the US. And often you will get different answers at every border crossing – so it is good to understand all possible scenarios.
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April 15th, 2008
I slept in until 7 am this morning and felt very rested.
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April 14th, 2008
Today was the last day of coaching in Ontario for this tour. It has been tiring and rewarding all at once! I have had the opportunity to listen to so many dreams and hear of such great successes and wish I could share each one with you – but it would be a very long blog! We have connected with over 250 women n this trip not counting all the Roaring Women Meetings I have attended or presented at.
Today I met with a lady who has run her husbands business, been in real estate, and after her husband’s death wants to think about either re-entering the work force or starting a business.
There are so many things to consider when starting a business – but the foremost consideration is does one have the drive and commitment to follow through and continue as one becomes tired or faces obstacles that may seem insurmountable?
Starting a business is not something you try to do – you either do it or you do not do it. It all begins with a decision.
I mentioned in an earlier journal entry about a book called “The dip” by Seth Godin. He advises we consider all the options – and decide before we get in too deep whether we will quit or whether we persevere. The most painful way to build a business is when we get up every day unsure whether we want to go forward or not. It is costly – because we often make decisions with no long term plan.
So ladies – decide. That is all it takes. The journey of your business begins with a single step forward. Each step forward makes turning back seem farther way. And find a partner to encourage you on your journey – that way when you get tired or discouraged – you have someone to remind you why you are doing this.
We finished the day with a barbecued steak at the campground and a glass of wine out of a paper cup. Life is good!
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April 13th, 2008
We were asked to do a workshop in lieu of one of the Coaching Sessions in Barrie – and so this morning we did a coaching session and had four women attend. After lunch we did the workshop 52 Ways to Supercharge your Marketing Efforts. We had over 25 people attend – and it was a great 2 hour event. The store did a wonderful job of getting us set up and ready to go too!
This workshop really hammers home the fact that marketing your business is an ongoing task. It is something that requires some planning and it is what most of us DO NOT DO. Shame on us for whining that we cannot find customers when more often than not we do not keep in touch with them like we should. 80% of your profits in business come from 20 % of your clients – so you need to keep in front of your audience!
Troy White’s Marketing Calendar is the tool I use for some of my marketing ideas – and you can see more about this great tool here. I use it in this workshop.
We conducted a survey of the attendees and half so far have responded. It is very important to survey your customers to see how thye like what you have to offer – and how you can better improve your offerings to them.
RESULTS of the survey
Over 91% said the workshop content was good or excellent. 100% said the presenter was good or excellent (thank you!) And 92% said that the content was good or excellent! 100% said that they would attend again and 53% said they would like to see workshops available online and 63% would like tosee them avaiable for sale in stores! People DO want to learn. They just want to see value.
Thank you to STAPLES for hosting this event. They also supplied Tim-Bits and water for attendees AND gave out great coupons! My favorite gift though was the EASY Button. Yes, Business can be ‘that easy!’
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