Plan Your Own Business So You Make the Rules Feb. 28
(Crystal Proxmire, Jan. 7, 2012)
There are a lot of good reasons to start your own business. But for it to really work a person needs a lot of motivation and independence. And if you think that one of the best reasons to be your own boss is so that you get to make the rules, then perhaps listening to a guy like Tom Nardone is just what you need to help you get started on the path to entrepreneurial success.
Nardone has three successful big projects under his belt. He’s started a company that specializes in delivering products to adults in a private way, a volunteer group that mows the grass at inner-city parks, and achieved national fame as a pumpkin carving extraordinaire. (Watch his appearance on the Conan O’Brian show at http://youtu.be/nbFWRO2Cz8c).
And another thing he likes to do is help people follow their own dreams. That’s why he created the “Plan Your Own Business So You Make the Rules” class, which will take place at Paper Street on 2350 Burdette in Ferndale on Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013 from 6:30pm-9pm. The $50 fee includes a workbook to help people with business planning, and the opportunity to talk about ideas in a group setting, with experts on hand for guidance and response.
The class will be co-taught with his wife Lisa, who is The Executive Vice President, Brand Leadership of Doner, and an Effie Award winning marketing strategist. She has devoted her expertise to Cox, AutoTrader.com, hotels.com, OVE.com, Ford Motor Company, Ford Citibank Credit Card and Upjohn Consumer Brands. Lisa is a mom to three children so she is used to speaking loudly to people.
Tom Nardone taught the class solo last year, sharing a taste of his wisdom with Ferndale 115 News readers. “I know from my own experience that my business plan is the most valuable document I ever created,” he said. “It’s free. It prevents f-ups. It can save you money, time and energy. If you don’t create one first, you will be too busy f-ing things up to create one after you launch your business.”
The class went over many areas of a good business plan. One such area was coming up with a Mission Statement, on which he shared the following points:
1. It is hard enough to do one thing really well. You need to pick what you will do well and describe only that here.
2. It takes a lot of practice to become good at something.
3. It is almost impossible to do many things well.
4. If you keep changing what you do, you will be terrible at everything.
5. You need a good, solid, specific business description to say what you do; then try to do only that.
Last year Nardone taught solo, but this year Lisa will be with him. “My wife is a marketing genius. I’m not saying that because she is my wife either, she really is top-notch. She works at a big agency in town and she is at the top of the game. I brought her on board to handle one of the 8 steps in doing a business plan, which is the marketing plan. Also, we both like to do things together and she was jealous when I got to teach the class before. It’s a win-win-win,” he said. With Lisa on board it makes two business experts for the price of one.
To find out more and to reserve a spot in the class, go to http://paperstreetdiy.eventbrite.com/#.
