Karina G.

❗Networking is not about selling - it`s about building relationships.

In a previous post - I outlined the benefit of networking

Now, the question is "how"?

The first thought that pops into our head is "go to an event" and share as many business cards as possible...

For introverts - one thought of it is a nightmare, right? 😁

But not only for introverts anymore 😉

it`s not efficient nor it is normal as it used.

😒 People very much dislike those kinds of events, where you only can "measure how successful it went" by "how many cards you hand over"...

✔ There are an offline and online options on how to network.

Rules remain the same❗

💡You build a relationship - you don`t impose your services or products.

✅So, how to network effectively✅

1️⃣ Choose a goal. Have a clear agenda, such as what you`re looking for: collaborations (industry), partnership, new ideas, grow your business (give value first)

2️⃣ Attend online or offline events, groups, apps -

It`ll be much easier to narrow down your list of places, when you know what / who you need

Are you interested to see the names?

3️⃣ Identify conversational Ice breakers (Yes, even if you write a message - you don`t want to sound salesy or weird)

4️⃣ Don`t talk about yourself or your goals.

Ask open-ended questions - this way you will see if there is any synergy.

Imagine you`re looking for a friend - don`t overthink, just stay curious and open.

5️⃣ Ask for contact - if you met somebody in person - ask for the best way to keep in touch with them.

Don`t leave your business card - it`s outdated

6️⃣ Always Follow up - whether you met somebody in person or online - always follow up. People are generally busy and they may forget or get carried away with their life. Don`t take it personally.

💡Networking is a process.

Take the time to develop relationships with people who interest you.

Be proactive and invite someone to a one-to-one meeting so you can get to know them.

Six simple steps towards your business launch...?🤔

Not really simple...😁

☝ In reality, behind each step hides ton of work...

Each step is highly important for your long-term success!

💡I say long-term, because in the beginning you may not notice it..

But as you try to grow - the lack of one or another step will def remind you of its abscence... 😉

❗No matter where you are at in your career or business -

Networking is a powerful tool that can help you succeed💪

😉It may be a long-term game but it`s always worth it!

🤝As promised - I'm about to share a bit more about networking,

But if you're interested in learning "HOW" to Network - comment bellow- "Yes" 😊

So...

What is business networking?

It is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest

Business networking involves making connections not only with likely customers or clients.

✅ You can also use networking as a tool for finding investors, customers, staff, suppliers and business partners.

It is about interacting with people and engaging them for mutual benefit. 

✅ It can help you establish a new business or grow an existing one. 

❗Remember you are not just gaining exposure to the people in the room, you are building connections with their network too.

 ⛔ But it’s not just a one-way street. 

👉 If someone in your network matches a business you encounter at an event, don’t hesitate to share their details. It will only strengthen your relationship.

Shall we continue?😊

Karina-G. Business Development and Strategy for startups and business owners. Karina offers the best business strategy for startups, clearly identifying the needed steps to build your business and helping you find out where to start from when building a business.

🤔Strategy is a fancy word and not used much amongst SMEs...

So many solopreneurs or business owners of SMEs think - it's not for them🤨

❗In reality - it is.

Many people just start a business to have a simple idea in mind - income.

I give you a product / provide a service and charge you for that...

Make sense 🤷🏻‍♀️

But I wouldn't call it a proper business, but rather a project. (it's good start though🙃)

If you don't have any big vision in mind or a clear understanding of the bigger goal for your business - it will naturally die...

💡Good news are - you can change it before you it's too late of course...

it's important to work on it BEFORE you start struggling in your business.

or have invested so much time / money that it's difficult to let it go...

I'd love to hear your story and your business idea -

if you are not sure whether you have a strategy or you do, but it's some vague plan which you are not sure is working for you...🙄

✅ I can help you to look ahead and always be confident in the next step!

📍Always here at www.karina-g.com

❗I have so many business ideas...!

❗Is it a good idea - what do you think?

I often hear it from some of my clients...

💡 The truth is: nobody can tell you for sure, unless you haven`t done your "homework first"

Let`s see what is actually a "business idea"?

🔍 A business idea is a concept that can be used for financial gain that is usually centered on a product or service that can be offered for money. - Wiki.

So... Concept? Yes. it is until it is not. 😉

What can you do to turn it into reality?

1️⃣ Surprisingly, but first❗ you have to❗ be passionate about the topic...

🤔 Why?

Because building a business is not always easy.

You will find yourself very often demotivated and annoyed when things don`t work the way you expect it...

☝ If you are passionate about the topic - it will be easier to stay motivated at the times when you feel down.

2️⃣ The next steps are more about turning your concept into a viable business!

❓Does your idea solve a real problem?

❓Is there a pain that should be solved by the solution you`re thinking to offer?

❓ Is there a viable market for your idea? (it`s important to understand that your idea cover a broad market)

4️⃣ How well do you know your target audience?

This one is often overlooked! 🧐

☝❗Remember you build a product/offer for a certain target audience -

so they have to be real people - not a fictional character in your head...💭

🗨🧑‍💻It`s better if you do a proper interview with the people who will be your main target audience.

✅ Better you understand their pain points - higher chance you are building an actual solution or a great irresistible offer.

📰 ❗It will also help you to communicate the value of your product, using THEIR language - not a dictionary of fancy words that will likely won't resonate with real customers. ( but this is a completepy different topic...)

5️⃣ Validate your idea! (This step is for the ones who are not entering a new market or change an existing market)

✅ Before launching - validate your idea by building a prototype that will be just good enough to see whether you are on the right track or not.

Often it`s done with a focus group.

6️⃣ Now you are ready to itirate your idea based on the proper feedback you received!

Karina-G. Business Development and Strategy for startups and business owners. Karina offers the best business strategy for startups, clearly identifying the needed steps to build your business and helping you find out where to start from when building a business.

🧩This is the best and simplest visual that explains:

How we can work together on your business udea or an existing business (that you believe could do better)

❗The "map" you should create for yourself, having clear answers behind the fancy words😉

Keep reminding yourself of a bigger picture you started your business in the first place.

✅ Make sure what you do now us actually is helping to get "there"

✅ Access what you can do better or different.

Sometimes we discover you should stop doing something...

💡It's not about doing more - it's about knowing exactly what to do and feel happy with the results!

❓What piece do you think is missing for you❓

🔻Feel like you can get some help?
Im here to support you!🙋‍♀️
Visit my website at www.karina-g.com to book your free discovery call.

P.S. DM for a picture credit 🙏

📍 "We are what we do" is a copy of a well-known statement in philosophy.

💡 The meaning is this: What defines a person is not what they think they are: people often fool themselves.

✅ What defines a person is their actions. Their actions reveal their true nature.

Self-perception theory turns common wisdom on its head. People act the way they do because of their personality traits and attitudes, right?

They return a lost wallet because they are honest, recycle their trash because they care about the environmemt, and pay $5 for a caramel brulée latte because they like expensive coffee drinks.

While it is true that behavior emanates from people's inner dispositions, Bem's insight was to suggest that the reverse also holds.

If we return a lost wallet, there is an upward tick on our honesty meter. After we drag the recycling bin to the curb, we infer that we really care about the environment.

And after purchasing the latte, we assume that we are coffee connoisseurs.

Hundreds of experiments have confirmed the theory and shown when this self-inference process is most likely to operate (e.g., when people believe they freely chose to behave the way they did, and when they weren't sure at the outset how they felt). (Source: psychologytoday.com)

👨‍💻 I had many clients who struggled with taking an action, by describing of "who they are" because they "had" an experience of a certain behavior at some point in their life (whether you remember or not).

❗To break that belief - you just need to be aware of your thought and do the opposite of what you usually do / don`t do, WITHOUT thinking.

💭When you have a certain thought - it makes you "feel" the same emotion that usually stops you from taking an action.

🤷🏻‍♀️As easy or difficult it may sound - sometimes it`s the matter of Doing and NOT questioning.

❓Do you want to make me an example of how this theory applies in business❓

❗I've ready mentioned in previous posts, that Straregy and Tactics can't exist without each other...

💡 Strategic intent implies the purpose/vision, which a business strive to achieve in the future!

Back to the vision of your business 😁😉

❓Do you want to hear more about that very first step and the importnace of having it?

Strategies are not only used in building a business or in battles...

☝We might have strategies for anything from getting promoted, to building relationships and growing the audience of a blog.

Whatever we are trying to do, we would do well to understand how strategy and tactics work, the distinction, and how we can fit the two together.

❓How do you know if you are not managing your time effectively❓

👇Here are a few questions to consider:

1️⃣Do you often think you could have done better on a task or project if you would have had more time?

2️⃣Do you consistently miss deadlines?

3️⃣Do you consistently ask for extra time to get your work done?

4️⃣Do you have to pull “all-nighters” or rush at the last minute to get your work done?

❗If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, you likely could improve your 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀.

🤔Would you benefit from improving your time management skills?

📍 Everything is Not Important

💡 If you want to be successful - you must manage your time so that you achieve your goals.

✅ Managing your time means that you spend time on your❗ priorities❗ and it also means that you do not waste time on non-priorities.

☝Priorities are most important because they direct the yours AND company`s focus.

✅ The best way to understand your priorities is to start with your end goal.

❌🧗‍♀️If you are not clear on your end goal - it will be almost impossible to be clear on priorities

🤕That`s usually where the anxiety comes from - you constantly experience the feeling of "urgency"...

🔍There will be different steps, depends on whether you are starting your business or running it...

👇But the very first steps will remain the same:

1️⃣ Get clear on your vision;

2️⃣ Identify your top objectives;

💁‍♂️It`s an ongoing exercise - 🙅‍♂️ so don`t expect it as an one-off solution.

🌱Keep it real!

📍Whether you are an individual business owner or have a team of employees - this is for you!

🤔 You OR your team that operates without a strategy may apply multiple tactics to achieve your goals..,


❗BUT in the end, you either fail or take a very long time to achieve your outcomes without clarity on what worked.

‼️Not knowing the path to success prevents you OR your team from learning, understanding patterns of failure, and devising better ways of doing things in the future.

👆By not investing in providing a good sense of direction to your team OR not creating such direction for yourself (of you don`t have a team yet), may keep pulling new tactics out without realising that your business may need a new course of action...

❌Lack of strategy also leads to ineffective operating models that do not align with the company’s goals, results in short term thinking, leads to a higher propensity of being stuck with old models and old ways of thinking, and does not generate future value.

💡Strategy is YOUR path to Success!

Simple.

📍If you are ready to figure out your path to success - get in touch at www.karina-g.com or PM me 😊

📍That statement applies to the process, that I take my clients through as well

👩‍💼That is also the reason, why I don't have all the answers for you in the world

The truth is - nobody has...🙅

⛔There will never be a source (book, article etc) to read it from either

✅ We start a business for different reasons

✅ Our ambitions have a certain limits

✅ Our definition of success is unique

❗You envision your business and yourself in it different from others

💡Until you clear on that first step - it will be difficult to move forward efficient and effective (with or without my help)

👇🔻𝗪𝗲 𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀:

✔ Vision of your future business (in other words, what are you trying to build in the end)

It will help you to see clearly the steps that must be accomplished in order to get there.

✔ Your current situation.

What works and doesn't work (in a picture of your potential career, business)

✔ What needs to be done/learnt in order to get there

We create an easy to follow, step-by-step plan / strategy, that you can follow in order to get closer to your vision

😉 Sounds easy and simple, right?

Yet, many of us struggle with one or another step

Often you don't have time to just sit down and reflect on your life / business.

💡That's why I call our sessions a luxury time you give yourself as an investment for a better future!

📍If you feel lonely and tired of fightimg fires on your own

- Feel free to PM me or book your free 30min discovery call to see how I can help you! at www.karina-g.com

❗Does it seem like you are doing a lot in your business but don't see the desired results?

Are you productive or jus bisy...?

📍Busyness is misleading...

🧐Often it makes us feel like we do our best or just "successful"

🧑‍💻I work with busy business owners who after a couple of sessions, realised that:

✅ You still can achieve your goal AND have free time to relax;

✅ You can work less AND be productive;

✅ You don't have to work 24/7 to "proof" you're doing your best in the business;

✅ You don't have to choose between succees and your family or hobby.

❗Needless to say - if you don't enjoy the process, the end result won't be as satisfying as you think!

I've personally been there and I know how hard it is to change...

I felt anxious as if I'm wasting my time "doing nothing" 😅

🙄It took some time to rewire my brain patterns and to create a lasting change in my life!

📍I read a very cool article in inc.com and thought to share with you (if you want - I can share the full article)

For now will share the main points:

❗ Busy people are hell-bent on fitting in more things into their day. Productive people cut their to-do list thoughtfully by 50 percent.

❗Busy people jump at every assignment. Productive people know the difference between "urgent" and "important."

❗Busy people are always distracted. Productive people create a system.

❗Busy people multitask. Productive people focus.

❗ Busy people are the human equivalent of a 7-Eleven. Productive people know when to shut the door.

❗Busy people are glued into their desks. Productive people know when to take a break.

❓Do you catch yourself working too hard and question whether it's worth it? 👇Share in comments 🤗

Strategy?🤦

🙄 "I`m too busy with my current problems to start doing something else now..."

😒"Can you just tell me what I should do here?"

That`s what I often hear from some business owners...🧐

💼 I get it - you are too busy to start doing or deal with yet another task...

❗Especially when you struggle to measure the impact it will create for your business success...

✅ Many people confuse "strategy" with just another "thing" to be busy with, to focus on etc

The truth is - it`s about DOING LESS, yet to BE MORE PRODUCTIVE!

❌ If you work / do a lot,

❌ Feel overwhelmed and stressed

❌ Don`t see any desired results

👐Perhaps you don't have a strategy and focus only on tactics...

✅ A good strategy makes you stronger.

✅ You can work less - yet be more productive!

✅ If you have a clear strategy you will always feel confident in the steps you should take in order to achieve the best results in your business.

💡Geoffrey P. Chamberlain identifies seven components of strategy:

✔ A strategy is used within a particular domain.

✔A strategy has a single, well defined the focus.

✔A strategy lays out a path to be followed.

✔A strategy is made up of parts (tactics).

✔ Each of a strategy’s parts pushes towards the defined focus.

✔A strategy recognises its sphere of influence.

✔A strategy is either intentionally formed or emerges naturally.

📍Not sure, whether your strategy works well?

Or

📍Perhaps you are in the beginning of your journey?

😊Let's work together and help you be in control of your business!

🔑www.karina-g.com

Business strategy CAN and SHOULD be readjusted!

❗With constant changing markets, trends and focus your current strategy can quickly become obsolete!

💣Your business can successfully exist for 10 years and easily die if you are not attentive to the new trends.

👆 Changing business strategy typically involves analyzing your current business practice and determining where and when adjustments are required.

the most important questions you should ask in order to assess whether an organizational shift is necessary. The purpose of these questions is to identify the warning signs that obliges you to take immediate action:

✅ Does my company continue to attract talented and highly engaged employees?

✅Are my potential customers coming to me after they’ve “visited” my competitors?

✅ How’s the performance of my sales team?

✅ Is my customer support service truly helpful and relevant? Can it be improved?

✅How many regular customers are still buying new products (upsells)?

✅Do people spend more time on my competitors’ website and offers?

✅Are my employees still proactive and provide new ideas? Or they’re simply doing their job?

✅If necessary, would my employees agree to work overtime?

✅ Is my company’s buyer’s base shrinking while leads and sales are growing?

✅ If necessary, would my employees agree to work overtime?

✅ Are my competitors’ customers happier than my customers?

✅ Am I running the company or the company is running me? Am I doing everything I can?

“Finding out flaws in your organizational strategy isn’t rocket science.

💡Ask yourself relevant questions and provide honest and objective answers.

💼If needed, involve your team in the process and let them contribute with their ideas.

🔍💡If you feel like your business could do better (or used to) and

looking for a new fresh percpective - I'm here to support you!🙌

Jump on a free discovery call and let's discuss 😊 at www.karina-g.com

Source: projectinsight.com

📍Self-awareness is a key.

We are then empowered to make changes and to build on our areas of strength as well as identify areas where we would like to make improvements

❓What is it got to do with starting or building a business?

Everything!

✅ You are the major part of your business.

❗It's about knowing your emotions, strengths and challenges, and how your emotions affect your behavior and decisions.

8 Benefits of Self Awareness

1. Improved Critical thinking skills

2. Improved Decision making

3. Better Leadership abilities

4. Better sel-control

5. Better self-management

6. Increased ability to change unhealthy habits

7. Higher self-esteem

8. Better overal perspective

I recommend a couple of tools you can use absolutely free online

✅ MBTI (Myers–Briggs Type Indicatorl) as on the image above, describes 16 personality types.

Many big corporation use this test for their employees in their hiring process.

You may find it very entertaining to recognise some of your family members, frienda or colleagues in one or another type

I absolutely love it!

✅ Enneagram

Some researchers have correlated the Enneagram with other personality models, such as the Big Five or Myers-Briggs, and have found their validity comparable

✅ DISC -

describes human behavior in various situations -

✔ For example, how you respond to challenges, how you influence others, your preferred pace, and how you respond to rules and procedures

This tool used to improve work productivity, teamwork, leadership, sales, and communication.

It's a popular tool in companies.

📍Busyness is overrated!

🙄Some people are always busy, but rarely productive.

We are talking about unhealthy part of being busy.

❓How do you know it's getting unhealthy?👇

🤕Where you end up looking for help with overwhelm, stress relief, depression and other related health issues...

What unite people who are too busy, is that:

✖They work really hard,
✖Feel anxious and stressed
✖Jeopardise things they love (hobby, friends, family or just 'me time')

‼️Yet don't feel any achievement or real results to thei effort.

❕This topic often comes up with my clients.

There is a difference between being busy and being productive...

✅ Being busy is frantic - Being productive is focused.

✅ Busyness often is fueled by perfectionism - Productivity by the end goal.

🤔What to do?

✔Always act from having the end goal:

What is your actual end goal here?

✔Ask yourself: if what I'm doing to get there is the best way?

There are some tools depends on your situation and other factors that come into play.

📍There is one fundamental problem that most people experience...

9 out of 10 clients that I speak to are:

😣Try every tactic that looks like it will make them successful -

are tactical thinkers:

Tactical Thinking

✔ Use every tactic that you can – focus on the how.

✔Busy with day to day tasks.

✔Take action on what is appealing.

✔Don’t feel productive.

❗ The problem is: Lack of Strategy

☝I.e lack of the definite bigger picture

🙋‍♀️𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 -

Strategic Thinking

✅ You have an end in mind, a vision – the what.

✅ Continually asking what is the best way to do things.

✅ Choose the best approach that will get the job done quickly and efficiently.

💡 Having a clear strategy in place - means do less - yet being more productive and efficient

📍There is a reason why the first step towards creating the best plan to achieve your desired outcome is:

💡Vision

‼️There is no such thing as "perfect" or "the best" plan / strategy / solution

☝It can only be "perfect" or "the best", based on YOUR end goal

We start a business for completely different reasons.

Hence our goals are different as well.

✅ Our WHY is not the same, neither the definition of Success.

As our future plans, strength, desires etc (I will not add budget or resources
➡️ - it all can be acquired if that`s what you need)

So

🚫Nobody can tell you, what you should do, if you are not clear on your end goal / on your vision

I`m not talking about Vision statement here - don`t get confused

✅ I`m talking about your personal Vision of how you want a business to fit into your overall life and what are your business goals.

– What you are looking to achieve?

It may not come to you after straight away - so don't be hard on yourself!

✅Sometimes it takes a month or more just to get crystal clear on your vision

❌But without it - the rest of the planning or goal setting become pointless

💡Here are two great sayings for you:

1. "An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing" D. Carnegie

2. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” Steve Jobs

📍There is a reason why the first step towards creating the best plan to achieve your desired outcome is:

💡Vision 

‼️There is no such thing as "perfect" or "the best" plan / strategy / solution

☝It can only be "perfect" or "the best", based on YOUR end goal

We start a business for completely different reasons.

Hence our goals are different as well.

✅ Our WHY is not the same, neither the definition of Success.

As our future plans, strength, desires etc (I will not add budget or resources
➡️ - it all can be acquired if that`s what you need)

So

🚫Nobody can tell you, what you should do, if you are not clear on your end goal / on your vision

I`m not talking about Vision statement here - don`t get confused

✅ I`m talking about your personal Vision of how you want a business to fit into your overall life and what are your business goals.

– What you are looking to achieve?

It may not come to you after straight away - so don't be hard on yourself!

✅Sometimes it takes a month or more just to get crystal clear on your vision

❌But without it - the rest of the planning or goal setting become pointless

💡Here are two great sayings for you:

1. "An hour of planning can save you 10 hours of doing" D. Carnegie

2. “If you are working on something that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.”  Steve Jobs       

❓What is your "why" in starting a business?

💡People are the key to your business success!

😊For you guys, who have a team and manage a company - your main concern should always be:

✅Hire the best talent
&
✅Keep them

❗IF your team is not motivated enough

- you will see poor results

❗IF your team doesn't have a clear direction (created by you or your top manager)

- you will see poor or No results

❗IF you can't create a healthy and positive atmosphere in a company

- people will start leaving - it will effect the results of your business

Etc

If your company doesn't perform well -

❌It's not always "the market", "the clients", "bad luck"

👌There might be a time to look at your overall business processes.

✅Speak to your team!

✅Start with conducting anonymous survey in your company!

This way people feel safe and can open up easier 😊

❓What do you do if your company doesn't perform well?👇

Image credit: unknown

💡 Strategy and tactics are complementary.

☝Neither works well without the other.

❗Many people neglect one or another which only causes many problems long-term. (whether it`s your personal goals or your business goals)

“Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.”

― Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War

❌However, even the most elegant, well-planned strategy is useless if we do not take thoughtful steps (tactics) to achieve it.

❓Do you have a strategy and a plan on how to achieve it?👇

💡 Strategy and tactics are complementary.

☝Neither works well without the other.

❗Many people neglect one or another which only causes many problems long-term. (whether it`s your personal goals or your business goals)

“Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.”

― Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War

❌However, even the most elegant, well-planned strategy is useless if we do not take thoughtful steps (tactics) to achieve it.

💡 Strategy and tactics are complementary.

☝Neither works well without the other.

❗Many people neglect one or another which only causes many problems long-term. (whether it`s your personal goals or your business goals)

“Grand strategy is the art of looking beyond the present battle and calculating ahead. Focus on your ultimate goal and plot to reach it.”

― Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War

❌However, even the most elegant, well-planned strategy is useless if we do not take thoughtful steps (tactics) to achieve it.

❓Do you have a strategy and a plan on how to achieve it?👇