Business by Inspiration – Part One

Every successful entrepreneur eats, breathes and sleeps their business. But, what keeps entrepreneurs constantly growing and striving for greatness? It’s rarely as simple as a desire for money or notoriety. Rather, it’s usually some intangible and perpetual pool of inspiration. When that source of inspiration is coupled with the ability to harness core business disciplines the outcome is, well…inspirational!

When we sat down with Jennifer Beale, public relations and networking professional, for BusinessCast episode #116 we clearly saw the outcome of her inspiration. At the same, her success reveals some  important business lessons that will truly inspire and direct every entrepreneur.

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Business Trends – Part One

Successful entrepreneurs are always harnessing the latest technologies and processes to ensure that their business is as focused and efficient as possible. This requires entrepreneurs to constantly be on the lookout for broad trends (e.g. political, social, demographic) as well as industry-specific trends (e.g. market receptivity, competitors, access to resources and required skills).

So, in BusinessCast podcast episode 115 — Business Trends — Part One — we take up the discussion of the importance of trends with Sacha Ghai. Sacha is a Partner at McKinsey & Co — which is one of the world’s leaders in helping companies develop/improve their strategies, technology and operations.

In future episodes, Robert and I will also drill down with other experts on the trends that will have the greatest on entrepreneurs and their success.

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Success by Association

Over the last several months, Robert and I have been identifying those things that are common to Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. So, we’ve been spending time where entrepreneurs ‘hang out’ to gather key business insights, exchange ideas with influencers and secure resources. And, it turns out, not surprisingly, that successful entrepreneurs ‘hang out’ with specific business groups.

So, in BusinessCast episode #114, Success by Association, we focused on one of Canada’s most well-known groups — The Toronto Board of Trade(B.O.T.) — that shares our passion for ensuring entrepreneurs’ success.

We sat down with Carol Wilding, President and CEO, to uncover the value that groups like the B.O.T. bring to their entrepreneur members. Carol also shared some great success stories and highlighted how the B.O.T. continues to evolve so that they are always relevant for entrepreneurs.

If you are evaluating what combination of online/offline professional groups will help you succeed, listen to BusinessCast episode #114, Success by Association.

Also check out the following BusinessCast podcast episodes, where Robert and I gather stories from the leaders of some of the most popular Canadian entrepreneur-focused business groups:

Episode #111 – Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs

Episode #104 – LinkedIn Groups

Episode #94 – Canadian Franchise Association

Episode #85 – Canadian Federation of Independent Business

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Business by Association

If you’re like most successful entrepreneurs, you’ve found great value in belonging to professional associations. But, what about getting involved in the leadership of an association? What’s involved? What are the benefits? Is it right for you? Is it right for you now?

To answer these questions, in BusinessCast Podcast #111 — Business by Association, Robert and I gather practical insights about this topic from the President of one of Canada’s most prestigious and dynamic associations — the Canadian Association of Women Executives and Entrepreneurs (www.CAWEE.net). As a successful entrepreneur herself, Beth Parker speaks candidly about the realities of leading this forward-looking association.

After listening to Business by Association, you’ll know if/when it makes sense to pursue a role in leading an association — for you and your business. Finally, here are some resources that you can tap into about association leadership/management:

Resource Centre for the American Society of Association Executives/and The Center of Association Management; and

List of Publications by the Canadian Society of Association Executives.

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