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We’ve been on the road
visiting kids and grandkids in southern Colorado, enjoying meals
together, celebrating a birthday and meeting their pets. It was
refreshing to get out of town, enjoy the fabulous fall colors and
laugh with kids.
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The website for Victoria’s
new book, The Small Biz Balancing Act:
Secrets to Restoring Passion and Play in Your Business and
Life is now finished—at
least as finished as a website ever is! Please check
it out—we’d value your feedback. The book
may now be purchased from the websites, from Amazon.com
or at our office. |
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Our last Make-it-Fly Café in
2008 is next week! Mark your calendar
now: Thursday, October 30, 4:30 to 7:30, at The Riverfront. Come
for an hour, or stay from start to finish. It promises to be a very
special event! We look forward to seeing many of you there! |
Our very best regards,
Dave and Victoria |
| Sherry
Armstrong
Award and Sign
Sherry Armstrong’s mission is simple: to help
companies and organizations recognize and inspire people through
awards, promotional products and imprinted apparel.
“We specialize in putting logos on anything that has surface
area,” Sherry says. This includes promotional products,
executive gifts and corporate awards.
“We have over a half million promotional items in our online
store,” Sherry says. “We know you’ll find what
you’re looking for!”
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Award and Sign has its own specialized art department
to personalize and individualize products. “We can help
you select the right gifts for your golf outing, business meeting,
marketing program or promotional event,” Sherry says. “Whether
it's bags, corporate gifts, desk items, clocks, watches, golf
gifts or pens, we can help you select the right promotional products
for your purpose, your budget and your timeframe.”
Sherry has co-owned Award and Sign for almost 21 years but began
before then making awards in the basement of her home.
Q: What do you find most fulfilling
about running your business?
SA: I love the freedom
to make choices. Some have been good choices and others not so
good, yet I’ve learned from both. It reminds me of when
I was much younger playing the game “Acquire” with
my older sister. Strategy, intelligence, creativity, relationships
combined determines who is going to win the game.
Q: What motivated you to start
this business?
SA: In 1979, I was
the director of an athletic club and wanted to give away awards
to the employees. I was inspired when I saw a crudely sandblasted
glass award of a squash player, but felt the quality was very
poor. So I set out to create a piece of glass with newspaper quality
words and graphics. We didn’t realize at the time that we
were literally at the forefront of a huge market in the awards
business.
Q: What book has been most helpful
to you in your business?
SA: The
Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer. It taught me how to live
my life and run my business with intention.
Q: Who has influenced you most
in your life?
SA: My
father has been my greatest influence. I have learned powerful
lessons about integrity, caring, motivation and passion for every
aspect of life.
Q: What has proved to be your most
successful marketing strategy?
SA: Within the company,
I tend to be the innovator and have developed many new product
lines that are unique within our industry. With that being said,
we have made a concerted effort to get our products out to tradeshows
and conferences so people can see the value of our awards for
their company. In addition, we have begun a soft email campaign
with our current customers and new contacts, to educate them on
the benefits and how to motivate employees and customers.
Q: What have been the greatest
challenges you have had to overcome, or are currently facing,
in your business?
SA: Many
companies are currently being affected by the economy. They tend
to pull back in purchasing and cut costs in a variety of ways.
This often touches the promotional products side of our business.
What we emphasize with all companies is the heightened value
of employee recognition. Spending a little on employees will go
a long way. When the times get tough, companies need to show their
staff how important they are. It can be as simple as a pat on
the back, a name engraved on a plaque or a business gift. By rewarding
the hard work of employees, companies will see an increase in
loyalty, and improved commitment and performance.
Q: How are you benefiting from
participating in a Make-it-Fly® board?
SA: Everyone
on the board brings new and different perspectives, experience
and expertise to the table. Some of our needs are similar and
others not, but we always take home something that we can apply
to help our business.
Q: What would you say to other
business owners who are contemplating getting involved in a Make-it-Fly®
board?
SA: Unless
you are totally satisfied with where you are in life and business,
you owe it to yourself to join.
Sherry Armstrong can be reached
by phone at: 303-799-8979, or visit her website at: www.AwardandSign.com.
Forward
this email to a friend. |
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|
 Dave’s
Networking Tip:
The
key to effective networking is follow-up! Create
a simple follow-up plan. When you meet and really ‘connect’
with someone, follow up within 48 hours. Build your database
of select contacts. Without this, your time, energy and
dollars spent on networking are wasted. |
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Survive and Thrive in a Stressful World
By Victoria Munro
Owning and running a business can
be stressful—after all, the buck stops with you.
But in an uncertain economy, the challenges of entrepreneurship
can be doubly stressful.
When ignored over time, stress takes a serious toll
on your physical health, your ability to concentrate and on your
relationships, and can ultimately lead to burnout. If
you’re to be successful in the long run, you must take care
of yourself and deal with stress in a healthy way.
10 Tips to Help You
Thrive in a Stressful World:
| 1. |
Take
time daily to reflect on your life—look
at the big picture. (This seems counterintuitive
when you’re busy, but stress results in tunnel vision.)
|
| 2. |
Exercise
regularly—it relieves tension. Asking
a friend to exercise with you will provide accountability
and make it more fun. |
| 3. |
Don’t
fly solo—surround yourself with positive
and supportive people who’ll share their ‘been-there-done-that-wisdom.’
Talk difficult issues over with a trusted friend or board
of advisors. |
| 4. |
Take
time out for yourself--meditate, journal,
pray or go for a walk and observe nature—the trees
and flowers, listen to the birds, watch the ever-changing
cloud formations. Spend time with people—get to know
and encourage others. Develop deeper relationships.
|
| 5. |
Get
adequate sleep and rest at night |
| 6. |
Plan
time for fun—laughter is good medicine.
Taking time out to relax and play shouldn’t be considered
a luxury. |
| 7. |
Focus
on what is positive and see the glass as half full.
Turn your attention to things that have gone well and praise
yourself. Make a list of things you’re grateful for.
Instead of watching the news, read or listen to inspiring
books. |
| 8. |
View
stressful situations as opportunities
to learn. Stop, step back and think about
ways you could benefit from them. Velcro®
and Post-It® notes were invented
as solutions to frustrating problems. |
| 9. |
Take
five-minute vacations. Stop work for five
minutes, relax, breathe deeply and think about something fun
and pleasant. This can refresh your mind and you’ll
return to the project with new clarity. |
| 10. |
When you’ve
completed a stressful task,
reward yourself with something you enjoy. |
Stress is generally
a reaction to events, and we may have a choice
of how we respond. List the things that cause you stress and ask
yourself if eliminating, or at least minimizing, each of these
stressors is even within your control. If it is, then brainstorm
and write down possible solutions, making note of how you’ll
handle them differently in the future. If the stressor is beyond
your control—you just can’t do anything about it—remind
yourself that getting upset over it is a waste of your energy
and let it go. Take action that
will lead to peace of mind.
Click
here for the printable version.
Click
here to read more articles like this one.
Forward
this email to a friend.
|
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Victoria’s
Marketing Advice
Put Yourself in Your Clients’
Shoes
Before you write marketing copy, take
some time to think about your business from your customers’
point of view. Ask yourself what would matter most to
you if you were in their shoes. What problems do they
face? How do your customers feel? What do they need physically
and/or psychologically? Then write clearly and succinctly
to meet their needs. |
Back
to Top
|
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READING
THIS AD? THEN WHY NOT PUT YOURS HERE TOO? The
In-Flight Refueling Ezine reaches more than 2,700
entrepreneurs, small-biz owners, consultants and marketers. Reserve
your advertising spot today in the next In-Flight Refueling
Ezine,
http://www.make-it-fly.com/ezineads.html.
Paid Advertising Disclaimer: Make-it-Fly®
LLC does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability
of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any
products, services, information, or other materials displayed,
purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection
with any ad. It's common sense to do your own due diligence before
purchasing any product.
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The
Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101
Each
Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 program
consists of 12 non-competing business owners who meet once a month
for three consecutive months. In the spirit of giving, they offer
each other solutions, ideas, resources and encouragement. Dave
and Victoria facilitate each group and share powerful tools to
assist business owners in reaching their goals and living more
balanced lives.
If you have experienced a Make-it-Fly®
program, please share the following openings with other business
owners who need support. Call Dave for more information at 720-962-8888.
Programs are held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Current program openings in Denver:
- Fridays - January 9, February 6, March 6, 2009
- Thursdays - January 29, February 26, March 26, 2009
- Tuesday - March 3, April 7, May 5
Click
here to sign up for Advisory
Boards.
Or call Dave at 720-962-8888.
Alumni
Boards are groups of 12-14 small business owners who have
participated in at least one Make-it-Fly®
Advisory Board 101 and wish to continue the support and accountability
with a group of like-minded, giving business associates. Members
meet once a month for a three-hour meeting.
If you completed the initial Make-it-Fly®
Advisory Board 101 and are interested in more information on Alumni
Boards, call Dave at 720-962-8888.
Make-it-Fly®
Café
High altitude networking, where exceptional people help each
other.
Next
Café:
Date: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Time: 4:30 to
7:30 p.m.
Location: The
Riverfront
2852 W. Bowles Ave., Littleton (One block west of Santa Fe)
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Click
here to read previous issues of Make-it-Fly®'s
email newsletters.
Contact
Make-it-Fly® - Dave and Victoria:
email: info@make-it-fly.com
voice: 720-962-8888
web: www.Make-it-Fly.com
Reprint
Permission:
Please email or call Victoria if you'd like to reprint any information
contained in this newsletter. Thanks! © Copyright 2008. All
rights reserved.
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Make-it-Fly®
LLC
720-962-8888
355 South Teller Street, Suite 200, Lakewood, CO 80226, USA
http://www.make-it-fly.com
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