Hi guys! Here’s part 2 of our Positioning Tool Be sure to do the exercise at the bottom to get the most you can out of this.

3. Select your target customers. All too often companies tell me their target customers are anyone who’s willing to buy what they sell. This approach oozes desperation (you’re better than that) and lack of focus (you’re smarter than that). Are you moving your image upstream (to be higher ticket/exclusive) or downstream (to be lower ticket/more accessible)? How does your target market define value? How do they choose among vendors?

4. Factor in current trends. Countless companies are jumping on the environmental/ sustainability bandwagon with “green” products, and alternative energy. What trends are on the way in that you could identify with? Which are on the way out that you should distance from?

5. Formulate your four levels. Your Business Objective drives your Business Strategy which drives your Market Strategy which drives your Positioning Strategy. For instance, if your Business Objective is to have fewer customers who spend more per sale, then your Business Strategy will reflect this in the products or services you will be offering. Your Market Strategy will be where you determine how to find those new customers and how to communicate with them. Your Positioning Strategy will determine the messages you communicate to this new target customer to drive sales of your more costly product line.

If you aren’t happy with your business, or you want to stretch to the next level of revenue, you’re ready to re-position your company. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get started:

* Determine emerging trends to capitalize on — this will yield your Vision viability assessment;

* Determine core competencies — this will yield your competitive threat assessment;

* Clarify the problem/pain you solve — this will yield your target markets and analysis of them;

* Articulate the benefits/drivers/impacts — this will clarify how your customers buy and who they listen to/are influenced by.

From the above analysis you’ll be able to synthesize your opportunities plus understand the value chains in your target markets. The result of combining these two outcomes will yield your differentiating attributes, which forms your positioning strategy and statement. The net-net of your positioning statement is filling in the following statement:

“For ______________________[customer segment] (which was derived from your target markets), __________________ [product/service] (your vision and offering) is _____________________ [2-3 most important benefits and reasons to buy] (your incentive value chain and core competencies). Because compared to _________________ [primary competitor/alternative], ______________________ [key reasons for differentiation] (these are your differentiating attributes)”

I’m excited to share this tool with you all, and I’m even MORE excited to hear what your positioning statements sound like when you do the exercise. Please feel free to send them to me, and if you haven’t signed up for my CEO Freedom Summit yet, grab your seat now for only $997 (that’s literally a $2,000 discount from full price). http://www.ceofreedomsummit.com/

Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter

PS: I also have a TOTALLY new course to offer you guys – it’s geared especially to those of you who struggle with getting your business MOVING – and who may face financial or logistical crunches that won’t let you work with me. My new mentoring program, just for you, is called the CEO Freedom Formula. It’s a Monthly Video Mentoring Program and costs only $97/month. I’ll also provide you guys with a free download of my CEO Systems (over 45 of the best business documents, procedures, templates, tutorials and worksheets I’ve ever created or used in my multiple years in business – the systems I INSIST all my top-level private clients use). You can join this monthly mentoring group by getting ONE more bonus, my FREE CD on the “6 SECRETS to Creating More Time, Money, Freedom & FUN In Your Business” Click here and let me help you GET MOVING. http://www.bit.ly/iBmuI

So what’s the deal about branding? You know who you are, and what you stand for. But do your customers? Are you who you were last year? If not, have you communicated how you’ve changed? Many emerging growth companies struggle with the positioning of their firms, and the communication of what they stand for. Without properly communicating your position, the market doesn’t know whether to buy from you, whether you have the know-how they seek, and whether you’ll follow through and meet their needs.

I don’t want to minimalize the challenge of positioning. Heck, we’re repositioning my firm Mighty Ventures right now, and some days it feels like a daunting task. So let’s break it down and simplify the process.  This week’s TGIF tool will cover 2 points to work with this weekend.  On Monday, I’ll send another tool and cover a few more. 

Positioning is the process of distinguishing yourself from competitors in specific ways in order to be the preferred provider for certain market segments. Positioning is the act of designing your company’s offer and image so it occupies a distinct and valued place in the targeted customer’s mind. The main benefit of clear positioning is that it controls how the market perceives you and helps make your products easier to buy.

1. Assess where you are now. If you were to ask a customer, a competitor, and a member of the press, what 3 adjectives would they use to describe your: company, products, overall image? What’s working with your current position? What isn’t? Do you want to change your position in order to increase sales? Secure a new or different customer profile? Revamp your product line? 

2. Determine how you want to be perceived. This is an intentional act. When you determine the specific position you want to occupy in your target customer’s mind, you can then craft your products, marketing messages, image to convey and reinforce this. What are the meaningful differences between you and the competition? Take the time to do this right, as significant expenses will result due to web site, marketing collateral, product packaging and potential redesign and staff training.

That’s it guys. I’ve given you a lot to consider for the next day or two.  On Monday, we’ll talk about selecting your best clients, trending and market strategy.

Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter

 
PS: I have a TOTALLY new course to offer you guys – it’s geared especially to those of you who struggle with getting your business MOVING – and who may face financial or logistical crunches that won’t let you work with me. My new mentoring program, just for you, is called the CEO Freedom Formula. It’s a Monthly Video Mentoring Program and costs only $97/month. I’ll also provide you guys with a free download of my CEO Systems (over 45 of the best business documents, procedures, templates, tutorials and worksheets I’ve ever created or used in my multiple years in business – the systems I INSIST all my top-level private clients use). You can join this monthly mentoring group by getting ONE more bonus, my FREE CD on the “6 SECRETS to Creating More Time, Money, Freedom & FUN In Your Business”  Click here and let me help you GET MOVING.  http://www.bit.ly/iBmuI

Mets Petits Choux was started by an amazing mother in Quebec, Canada. Pascale Gosselin. Pascale’s product (and passion) is creating frozen, ready-to-eat meals for infants 10 months or older. She has created two product liens, EVOLULU and ACTIGIDOO, which offer tasty prepared meals with a variety of textures and consistencies to facilitate the transition between puréed baby food and junior food.

Quite simply, Pascale wanted to make sure her two young daughters had nutritious meals – no matter how busy she was. “The idea for Mets Petits Choux came to me naturally. I wanted to provide parents with homemade meals for their children, like those my mother made for me,” explained Pascale.

What this mom-entrepreneur keenly believed (and what turned out to be VERY true) is that all parents want healthy, nutritious and tasty food for their children – and more and more simply do not have the time to prepare and provide it. Mets Petits Choux offers balanced meals, made with fresh ingredients of the highest quality, with no preservatives, additives, or trans fats. Natural, homemade, healthy: that’s Mets Petits Choux.

Mets Petits Choux became part of Mighty Ventures family after attending the CEO Freedom Summit in June of 2009. Pascale Gosselin and her new Partner, Johanne Gilbert, company knew long before the actual summit that they needed some serious guidance to create a breakthrough and signed on for one of the few available “hot seats” to present their business model for feedback from the CEO of Mighty Ventures, Christine Comaford. After this event, they joined Business Growth Blueprint to continue Christine’s million-dollar mentoring.

“Our first breakthrough was to suddenly jump from 30 to over 180 more stores of distribution for our products. This major new distribution gave us a lot of visibility, help us with the sales considerably, brought us more partners to work with. At the same time it challenged our production and put us in a situation to have to change our production plant for a bigger one. We are still in negotiation with them but this could lead to sales in even more and really more stores.”

One major goal for the company was that they needed to have more cash to support their imminent growth, more knowledge on how to MANAGE their growth. and more knowledge on how to plan ahead and make sure that their growth continued on and on.

And so, Module 7 of Comaford’s BGB program (Funding Essentials) proved to be the most effective (and the most profitable) module for Mets Petits Choux, as well as Module 5 (Marketing Essentials).

“The Funding Essentials Module help us understand why and how to get financing, how to prepare the right paperwork and the right presentation, where the interest come from for an investor, and how important that step is. We have gained a ton of valuable financial tools and templates, plus how to present ourselves and show the value of our company and raise money.

For the marketing module, we learned about the educative marketing and how to use the web more efficiently. This knowledge now leads most of our marketing decisions. We easily and readily apply these principles every day. This opens up our vision on all the new marketing tools available and provides us also with a nice solution to get people’s attention more efficiently, quicker and cheaper.

Mets Petits Choux is now in TWENTY markets, as well as 180 Metro & IGA stores. They offer a variety of nutritional and delicious products and have an amazing future unfolding faster than anyone could have imagined. Mighty Ventures is proud to be a part of the Mets Petits Choux story of growth and success!

I’ll bet that you read the title of this piece and immediately went into your childhood. You thought about sitting at your kitchen table – or about how you celebrated holidays, etc., etc. All of that is hugely important in who we become and what roads we choose in life. But in the business world, what I really want to know is: Where did you cut your chops. Where did you learn the SOP’s of day-to-day corporate life.

Why does that matter? Well, as a millionaire business mentor, I see all different types of business and entrepreneurs, and in coaching them to find financing and set up needle movers that will really MOVE them, knowing how to report is a huge piece of the puzzle.

I’m lucky. I grew up in the IT world. As creative as IT is, one of it’s more tangible aspects that it usually has is solid reporting. Think about the Bill Gates’ of the world – the Google’s. We’re talking highly accountable teams here. Yes, their people may often come to work in pajamas for all we know (or care), but they can tell you PRECISELY where they are in a project and why it matters to the overall goals of the corporation. If you come from the Fortune 1000 world, you have serious reporting for different reasons. On any given day in THAT world you’re scrutinized by everyone from your investors to Wall Street itself.

What does all this “reporting” mean in the real-world of building your OWN business?  It means supported accountability to financiers. And if you’re not familiar with doing this, it is NOT easy to learn. In the world of speakers, authors, yoga instructors, and anyone else who’s building their empire in a more private type of business, it’s likely that you’re used to low reporting. But you know what low reporting equals? Low Reporting = Low Visibility. It’s hard to show your financiers where the money is.

If you turn that into an X-ray on your operations, you’re also likely to find that your team isn’t great at reporting EITHER. Why? Because you aren’t asking for it. Following that train down the track, the result of this is one thing, and one thing only: STRESS!  You don’t know who on your team is doing what, how far along projects are, how things effect the big picture, and on and on. And it’s easy to be financially BLINDSIDED in that reality.

So now that I’ve thrown back the proverbial curtain – let’s talk about making a few adjustments.  First of all, let everyone on your team know that things are changing. Then, implement a few good rules as you find your way. 1) Have (at least) a once-a-week conference call with ALL team members where you quickly cover ALL projects. This should not be an all-day affair. Just a quick update on status and issues. (You’ll be amazed at how helpful everyone becomes when they know where the hiccups are.)  2) Have a project manager take over the flow of big projects.  Let everyone know that they are accountable to this person – no kidding. 3) You might consider using a project and time management program that everyone on your team can access. One that my team uses regularly is MyClientSpot.com (free trial – gotta love it). 4) Make sure that EVERYONE understands that deadlines aren’t guillotines, but they aren’t jokes either.

This type of systemization will allow for more productivity, more accountability, and more profit.

To your continued success!

Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter
NY Times Best Selling Author
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.

Most of us who’ve had any success in the business world have built many kinds of teams along the way. If you’re on your way to real success, you already know that having a team is HUGE in your recipe for wealth and business building. Whether we’re talking about a personal support team to get you through tough days, or your professional team of writers, marketers, customer care, etc., etc., there’s just no way to go it alone, achieve success, and ENJOY your life.

What happens when you go it alone? Remember that episode from I Love Lucy when the trainmaster ran to change hats to give out information at the info booth, and then ran again to the ticket counter and switched hats to sell Lucy and Ethel their train tickets? Well, multiply that by ten and then again by 24-hours a day and you begin to see what I’m talking about.

Today my team met for our weekly overview call. That’s where every member comes in to hear about every project. Nobody gets a holiday just because they may not be part of a particular assignment or event. Why do we do that? Well for one thing, I have a team that is exceptionally talented and really savvy. I can’t even count the number of times that someone offers up some unexpected expertise that changes the whole scheme of a project or event. Or the number of times someone jumps in and says, “Hey, let me help you with that.”

That’s exactly what happened today. One of my VA’s jumped in and took ownership of project management. And then another teammate offered to provide client support for my shopping cart. Three different, unexpected observations were made on an upcoming event, and altogether, everyone left feeling supported and excited about what’s coming down the pike for Mighty Ventures. What didn’t happen was overt criticism and statements like, “Not my job.” Why? Because from the top down, we don’t work that way – we are accountable without being blamed, shamed or making excuses.

So this week, I’ll be posting some great pieces on how to build that kind of team. Something we ALL need to create massive success. And hey, if you’re shooting for success, why NOT make it massive? Small success just means you’ll be treading water a lot of the time (and drowning some of it). Having a plan that moves forward is MUCH more rewarding, believe me.

Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter
NY Times Best Selling Author
CEO of Mighty Ventures

http://www.MightyVentures.com

Take a moment now and envision your company’s future. Then answer the following questions.

When do you want your vision’s end game actualized? I recommend in 2-5 years.

Do you want a lifestyle business, one that you will be involved with for the foreseeable future, or do you want to build up your current business and sell it?  If you want to build to sell, using 5 years as an example, what financial amount do you want to sell it for?  To whom might you sell it–what type of company do you sell to?

Why do they buy your company? What do they get, specifically, from buying your company? Perhaps a huge database of repeat clients? A diverse product line? A well-known and powerful brand? What are the assets the acquirer is gaining? 

How does it feel to achieve this vision?  How do you and your loved ones benefit?

How are celebrating the success of this vision? Can you now afford things you couldn’t before? A waterfront home in a gorgeous location? Providing an exceptional education for your kids? Taking your partner or spouse on exotic vacations? Making a large donation to a non-profit that inspires you?

What hurdles might stop you from achieving this vision, this glorious end game?  What strategies can you implement to prevent, blow through, jump over, walk around these hurdles?

Write your vision down, look at the keys to your end game every day: in how many years you exit your business (or if a lifestyle business, when you have achieved your greatest revenue goal); what the amount of your exit or peak revenue is; and if selling, the type of company you sell to and what assets they now enjoy.

This will guide how you shape and grow your business. Let’s drill down on exactly that—starting with your business model.

Your business model will make or break you—and it may change often as you adapt to market shifts, launch new products or services, and respond to competitive threats. Your people will help you execute your business model. As I explain in our Team Essentials module, you’ll be constantly training and hiring people as your company’s needs evolve. Your money will come from financing as well as from sales, two topics I address in the Financing and Sales Essentials modules.

To YOUR continued success, 
Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter!
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author
PS: http://www.ResultsNowWebinar.com

Your vision is a portrait of your future—an image that inspires you, that you feel deeply passionate about and that you are willing to work toward. It articulates your heart’s desires and your values. Your vision motivates you to take actions that may enlarge your comfort zone, and that are necessary to realize your dream.

When you have a clear, compelling vision, it informs every choice you make. You are aware that every action you take–whether small or large–is either a step closer to or a step further away from the business of your dreams, and essentially, from the life of your dreams.

First, let’s start with envisioning your end game, which is what you want your business to look like in a few years. Do you want to create a lifestyle business, perhaps a business that generates a terrific revenue stream and you run for many years to come? Or do you want to build up your business and one day exit it, via a merger, acquisition or initial public offering? There’s no right answer. And today’s answer could change tomorrow.

The reason I want you to consider this is because where you want your business to go determines how you set it up, how you run it, and who you bring into it.

Let’s do a quick vision exercise.

A vision…
* Engages your heart and your spirit
* Expresses your deepest desires for yourself and the ones you love
* Provides meaning to the work you are doing
* Is the release of unexpressed desires
* Is ever-evolving and ever-growing
* Often expresses your longing for a greater quality of life, financial independence, an improvement in the quality of your relationships, surroundings and experiences.

Your vision is your own, and is unaffected by others’ desires, expectations or beliefs in you. Be bold in creating your vision, and reach not just for what you want, but also for what you want for your loved ones. Make your vision so powerful that, each time you revisit it, you are moved, inspired and reconnected with your reason for working on your business, and the legacy you want to leave.
To get great tools on how to create a strong foundation for your business’ future, feel free to join my Facebook Group, Business Renegades: http://tinyurl.com/6xos94

Christine Comaford, CEO Freedom Fighter
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author of “Rules for Renegades”

http://tinyurl.com/6xos94

As any true entrepreneur knows, no matter what your goals are, you’ve got to be committed for the long haul.  Even if your three-year plan is to build a business you can sell, without TENACITY, you simply won’t have the ability to balance and stive through the storms that may (and probably will) hit you. 

As I’ve said in this blog many times, be sure that your business is focused on something you really love doing,  because you’re going to be doing it A LOT.  You’ll be doing it 24 / 7 some weeks.  Now if you find that you’re doing it 24 / 7 EVERY week, you’ve made some critical errors — AND you won’t be able to strive through that nightmare, believe me.

As a serial entrepreneur and mentor, I’ve seen WAY too many people either not have the tenacity and balance to get through those 24 / 7 periods — or the opposite, grow so USED to those times that they forget that their business is supposed to work FOR THEM, not the other way around. 

Coaching you guys through those dilemmas (and others — like being underfunded or not having clearly defined needle movers) … well, that’s more than my mission.  It’s my personal passion.  So you can see that I’m not saying, “Take my advice, I’m not using it.”  I’m LIVING my advice.  I chose a business that not only fit my expertise to a T, it embodies a personal love affair.  I have created a number of ways to support companies.  September’s private mentoring weekend just finished, and every single one of those CEO’s is definitely on the road to some FIERCE needle movers.  

“Thank-you for your fantastic leadership. I have just returned home robust with direction and focus. These four days were nurturing and inspiring for me. Loads of work to do.”

Suzanne Kyra
CEO, Kyra Consulting Inc.

“The Hot Seats, interaction with the other participants, and Christine’s energy and advice were exceptional! I wouldn’t change a thing!”

Nabil Oudeh
CEO, Centre for Conflict Resolution

“I liked the interactivity within the group, loved the curriculum, loved the openness and the flow of good energy and support with my peers. I have learned more in one weekend with Christine than I did at the other business events I attended over the past years!”

Edan Barshan
CEO, Universal Benefit Plans, Inc.

If you’re ready for an intensive MRI of your business (that’s MENTORING, RESPONSE, INTERVENTION), you can go to http://www.mightyventures.com/bai and SAVE your spot for the next weekend. 

If you’re at a transitional point for your business and need more than that, you can also book personal mentoring time with me. 

To your success, Christine Comaford
CEO FREEDOM FIGHTER

Be on TODAY’s Free Teleseminar (Wed 9/16) http://bit.ly/urPCZ