The question of what if comes ups more times than we would probably like to think about. Do you toss and turn wondering what will happen in life? Do you wonder if or not you'll be able to make it until you're next pay check? What if you don't...but what if you do? The question, "what if" comes up in all of our lives from time to time. One of the main keys is knowing that with faith all things are possible. I've taken a few minutes to post the video below to give you an idea of how I handle the "what if" question in my business and ministry.
Take the next several minutes to watch this video and I hope you get something special out of it.
Although the Kidz-n-Biz Project is free for children, we still raise funds to help towards the prizes we offer during the project and towards the grand prizes at the end of the project.
One of the ways we raise funds is through an online rewards mall I own. It's pretty similar to other malls you see online except we provide a way for the shoppers to earn rewards points and consider the option of contributing their rewards points to Kidz-n-Biz.
I want to encourage you to take a look. There is no cost to join and you only buy the items you would normally buy at the same merchants you normally buy from. The only difference is that now you will be able to help the Kidz-n-Biz project.
Thanks for consideration,
Pastor Ced
Entrepreneurial Pastor
After you sign up, it's pretty simple.
1. Buy what you would normally buy online
2. Receive reward points (each pt = $1.00)
3. Convert rewards points to dollars
4. Contribute to Kidz-n-Biz via CentrePoint Christian Fellowship.
Last summer I found an army of motivated referral agents. They were just sitting around before I met them. Then all of a sudden they mobilized into my personal referral agent army. I call it my "PRAA."
You won't believe this. Last summer I had kids literally hounding their parents, relatives and their friends parents to refer their friends and business associates to me. If you've read any of my other blogs before you know I'm the founder of the Kidz-n-Biz Project. The project has some pretty hefty cash prizes for kids who do well. Because of my commitment to donate 50% of my profit to the Kidz-nBiz project for every referral they generated, the kids were like I said, "literally hounding their parents, relatives and their friends parents to refer their friends and business associtates to me."
I never thought kids could be so competitive! I don't even know how they even talked with their parents and other people about my service. But somehow they got them to go to the Kidz-n-Biz Blog and from there people were contacting me. This was really something. I don't know if it was a fluke or this will carry on again this summer but last year I just ate it up.
Who would have ever thought kids would or could become referral agents. For years I've had fairly good success getting referrals from adults but it's nothing compared to what happened with these kids. I think the fact that they understood there was something in it for them was partly the reason they were so motivated. If there were no cash prizes in the project perhaps they wouldn't even cared about telling people about me.
I'm not sure how this will pan out this summer is over but I was just pleased as punch with the referrals I got and the new business that came my way. In the end the Kidz-n-Biz Project, the kids, my new clients and I benefit.
This was definitely a win, win, win, win deal.
The 2009 Kidz-n-Biz Project starts Wednesday July 8, 2009
Who would have ever thought that kids would have their own mall. Well it's sort of a mall. This summer kids from 3rd - 9th grade are being trained on how to do business. There is an outdoor classroom setting for 8 weeks and the application of what the kids learn in class will be put into practice in the court yard of Papa Chinos Grill and Greens located at 14501 Ramona Avenue Chino, CA, hence the Kidz-n-Biz Mall.
Some of last years businesses represented offered homemade doggy treats, handmade jewelery, shaved ice, popcorn and there was even an author among the kidz who was working on publishing his own book. In 2008 there were 18 kidz in the project who participated as business owners or team members. Each business owner and their teams promoted their businesses on their own and tried to get as many people to show up at the mall each week as possible. For each person who showed up with a certain invitation ticket or flyer with a particular kid'z name on it, the business owner received 100 points. This year the same 100 points will apply for those who show up at the mall. It's the malls way of generating traffic for the Kidz-n-Biz Owners.
Although the Kidz-n-Biz project starts Wednesday July 8th, the Kidz-n-Biz Mall Opens Wednesday July 22, 2009. It will be open from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Local residents are encouraged to attend.
The project also has some great incentives for the kidz. During the 8 weeks the participating kidz will be receiving points for various activities and the Grand prize winner will receive $500, the second place winner will receive $300 and the third place winner will receive $200.
One of the ways the project is raising funds is receiving donations for Kidz-n-Biz T-shirts. Suggested Donation is $10.00 per T-Shirt. Local business owners are also contributing in kind gifts and cash. Sponsors are still being sought for all size donations.
Legal plans to the rescue
By Jim Barone | Published May 1, 2009 From the May 2009 Issue
The headlines tell a story of gloom and doom as the world faces one of the greatest financial challenges since the 1930s. We’ve all read the news. Giants of commerce seem to be teetering. Many organizations — large and small — now find themselves between a rock (lower sales) and a hard place (business costs).
Everywhere, people are feeling the pinch. From Wall Street to Main Street, people are worried about jobs, benefits and financial security — the future. Yet, economists, historians, and grandparents who lived through the Great Depression remind us that society has survived and overcome financial difficulties.
Brokers who offer legal plans are able to stand out from the crowd with a unique and valuable product offering that is gaining widespread acceptance. According to the Society of Human Resources Management, legal services have been one of the fastest growing voluntary benefits, averaging more than 20 percent annually for the past several years.
The growth of legal services can be attributed, in part, to the dual advantages. For employers, legal represents a cost-effective voluntary benefit and a strategic business asset that can affect the business bottom line by helping reduce employee stress, absenteeism and presenteeism, which can, in turn, promote higher productivity, job performance and employee morale.
I have never really given too much thought to the things I prepay for vs. postpaying for them. Just wanted to share some thoughts about how I have come to the conclusion that's a good thing to prepay for some services.
I prepay for my medical coverage - It's a good thing because I sure would be hard pressed to have to postpay for the services provided by my doctor, especially any kind of surgery.
I prepay for my automobile coverage - It's a good thing because I have been in accidents that would have caused me to file bankruptcy if I wasn't covererd.
I prepay for my automobile warranty - It's a good thing because if I have a transmission problem with my new car, I won't have to come out of pocket thousands of dollars.
I prepay for my life insurance coverage - It's a good thing becuase if I should die prematurely, my family will not have to change their lifestyle just becuase my income is lost.
I prepay for my homeowners coverage - It's a good thing because if my home were to burn down and my property was destroyed it would be virtually impossible to postpay to replace it.
I prepay for my life events legal plan - It's a good thing because in this sue happy culture we live in, our family would be wiped out financially. In addition to that I would rather prepay for the ability to have legal consultation that postpay hundreds of dollars per hour.
I prepay for my identity theft coverage - It's a good thing because if my identity is compromised, I don't have the expertise nor the 600 hours it typically takes to get it restored. Secondly My identity is is my most valuable possession.
All in all prepaying for services is a way to save money and have the quality of services that are necessary in our busy lives. I would venture to say that none of us would prefer to postpay for services when we can pay a significantly lowerer monthly premium to have the same services.
p.s. Today I'm looking to help your clients who are looking to start saving money by prepaying for their legal and identity theft coverage. Have them call me @ (909) 597-3502
Imagine if you were the only Realtor in town. Do you think you would be at an advantage. Of course you would. There would be nobody else to turn to for professional Real Estate services. Well, the fact of the matter is that you will most likely never be the only Realtor in town or even the only Realtor in the office you work in now.
Somebody reading this is saying, why would I bring such a ludicrous image up in the first place. Well first of all I just wanted to get your attention and secondly I wanted you to investigate the possibility of branding yourself in such a way that people think of you before they think of anybody else.
I connect with a few Realtors from time to time who think that the Realtors who have money to market themselves are just so far ahead of them that it's a waste of time marketing to get known. So they just do minimal marketing in their respective farms.
I'm here to tell you that even if you don't have any money, you can become a name that will be in the minds of people in the area you serve. How so you ask. This is where I will tell you my story.
Most of you who read my blog know I'm not a Realtor. I market a Business Solutions Legal Plan for small business owners. The following is what I have done to make myself known in the area I serve is working offline and online. What I have found is that many of the people I connect with offline, have no clue about online marketing. So to get them thinking about me i offer them resources to get themselves noticed online. As far as my offline activity I frequent non-competing networking groups where I not only get an opportunity to give my 60 second commercial but I get to schedule one on one sit downs with the key members of the groups. My effort with each of these key members is to get them to introduce me to other members of their groups. It's like a viral effect offline. I use the phone just to call and say hello to my new contacts. I then send thank you emails which give my new contacts the opportunity to subscribe to my newsletter. By the time 48 hours have passed, most of the people I meet for the first time receive a phone call from me, an email, have the opportunity to subscribe to my newsletter, a free resource and sometimes I even introduce them to an associate who might just be looking for what they offer.
When I'm out and about I'm always looking for business cards. When I pick up a business card I enter it into my data base and send a quick note indicating, "I just picked up your business card..." It's a double opt-in email program where only the curious opt-in. These new contacts start receiving an a weekly auto-responder message where I invite them to tell me more about them so I can be a referral source for them. When they respond I generally am able to assess how I might be able to help them and let them know that because they are part of my network, I may be able to introduce them to people who are looking for what they offer.
CedReynolds.com is not only known in our community it is know online as well. By the way CedReynolds.com is stylishly embossed on my vehicle. I get calls from time to time as people are behind me or on the side of me while I'm driving who are just curious about CedReynolds.com.
Getting back to the online presence. It's taken years of learning SEO, social networking and email marketing to develop a presence that sticks out from those in my field. The one thing I have noticed is that over the years I have built relationships with people who were not sure about me initially but after a couple of years some have even become my clients and some of my best referral sources.
I liken working online to working offline. People want to know real live people who can do what they say they can do. Just like offline if we blow it with a client, we rarely get a second chance, the same holds true online.
Let me tell you this before I close. There is no magic to branding yourself. It takes consistent continuous work. It takes belief. It takes learning the right things to do. It takes being flexible when things are not working. It takes being committed for the long haul. It takes being really passionate about what you offer. It takes a genuine care for the people you desire to serve. It takes being willing to help others before they help you. All in all it takes a lot brand yourself as the person to contact for your offering.
Just felt compelled to share this piece to encourage you that the person people are looking for is "YOU INC."
Businesses United In Lead Development is a group that I just recently joined that has been awesome in helping to build my agency.
* One on One meetings with other fellow business owners has been the key to getting the members of B.U.I.L.D. to become great referral agents.
* Exclusivity of being the only agent offering business legal plans and identity theft coverage has been a great way standing out in the minds of the B.U.I.L.D. members.
* Consistently being thought of as the B.U.I.L.D. "legal plan guy" is worth it.
The greatest thing about B.U.I.L.D. is there is no fee to be part of the group. Referring leads is what this group is all about. It's absolutely amazing how the members of our group have been more than willing to refer leads to one another. There isn't a week that goes by that there aren't referrals.
It's been a long time since I've been as pleased as I am with a networking group. Most of the groups I've been apart of have been social hours with very little lead generation.
If you're looking to build your agency, consider starting a group similar to B.U.I.L.D. Although I am not the leader of this group, it has been quite beneficial for my business.
I've seen many "free networking groups" fail because they were free. Something happened with this group from the very beginning that caused a synergy among the members of B.U.I.L.D. I love it.
November 1, 2008 was the enforcement date for businesses who deal with the non-public information of clients. Thankfully for a lot of businesses that were unaware, the six month extension (until May 1, 2009) has been a big help for them to learn what they needed to do to comply with the FTC 'Red Flags' Rule. What the FTC is requiring from businesses in certain categories is to develop and implement a written identity theft prevention program.
The Rule applies to creditors and financial institutions. Federal law defines a creditor to be: any entity that regularly extends, renews, or continues credit; any entity that regularly arranges for the extension, renewal, or continuation of credit; or any assignee of an original creditor who is involved in the decision to extend, renew, or continue credit.
Some examples of creditors are finance companies, automobile dealers, mortgage brokers, utility companies, telecommunications companies, and non-profit and government entities that defer payment for goods or services. Financial institutions include entities that offer accounts that enable consumers to write checks or to make payments to third parties through other means, such as other negotiable instruments or telephone transfers.
Is your business at risk? If so have one of our ADRS certified representatives give you a free review and find out how you can get your business compliant with the FTC. We cover North America.
Some things are just not worth doing on your own. In today's Topsy Turvy world we just don't have time to try and be a "know it all". Just recently our attorney network was surveyed and the results of the top 11 concerns of our members would amaze you. These folks are getting help in areas that only qualified attorney's should be handling.
Take a look at the top 11 concerns:
• Consultation on and review of severance packages including how to negotiate a better package • Mortgage consultation including loan modification, foreclosure, work-outs, refinancing and short sells • Explanation of the Hope for Homeowners Act • Credit and asset protection • Credit card liability resolution • How to return items such as automobiles and end the associated loan(s) • Landlord/tenant issues including evictions • Bankruptcies - Chapter 7, 11 and 13 • Lawsuits filed by aggressive collection agencies • Child support payment enforcement • Employment issues, especially relating to 401k’s
How many of your clients have any of these concerns?
With the cost of attorneys being so outrageous, it's no wonder so many people are reconsidering owning a prepaid legal membership. Justice can finally be for all at a price the average citizen can afford. Prepaying for legal services has become just as common as prepaying for our insurances.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
;)
;)
