An Alternative to Unemployment

May 23, 2010

MyPicture

Have you been laid off from your job, knowing your employer will not bring you back? If this has happened to you, take heart. There is an alternative to working for an employer.

The alternative to working for someone else  is working for yourself. That’s right! Start your own business.

In our precarious economic times, with unemployment rates in double digits, and companies having no intentions of hiring back the employees they laid off, the thing to do is to start your own business. This idea probably brings to mind a plethora of questions as well as a modicum of doubt. You might want to know:

  • What kind of business should I start?
  • Where do I begin?
  • How much money will I need?
  • Where will I get the money to start a business?
  • Who will help me if I need it?
  • What if…..

Let’s start at the beginning. Starting a business is not easy, but if you have an idea for a product or service and are passionate about it, you can bring your product or service to the marketplace and make money doing so even in this recession. Help is available to you in the form of education through the Small Business Administration, local Universities and Community Colleges, business coaches, local Chambers of Commerce, etc. However, if you are looking for personal assistance that will take you from starting your business through creation of a will to leave your successful business to your children,  then join the community of businesses being created by Triune Training Systems.

What is Triune Training Systems?

I’m sure you are curious about Triune Training Systems and what this business can do for your new business, correct? Let me provide a description to familiarize you on how Triune Training Systems can help you.

A novice entrepreneur will definitely benefit by becoming a member of the Triune Training Systems community of businesses. As a member, the novice will be educated and coached through the process of creating a business plan, putting the Marketing Pro system in place, and learning a superior referral based system that will keep customers consistently coming into the business, creating a constant flow of income. If necessary, the novice entrepreneur may institute the Accounting Pro system as well as the Business Pro system that will create an excellent foundation for a successful business.

As the entrepreneur initiates these tried and true systems into his or her business, a coach is always available to provide assistance and reassurance. The entrepreneur is also a part of a Mastermind Group. The Group meets as often as the members need it. Many ideas can be generated by a group of people working together to help one another. You’ve heard the old saying, “Two heads are better than one?” The Mastermind Group allows members to identify a concern or a problem while ideas for resolution are presented by the rest of the members.

Lunch and learn meetings will take place monthly. As membership in the Triune Training Systems community increases, these meetings will take place more often. As the terms Lunch and Learn suggest, the meetings incorporate networking among members, lunch, and an educational speaker who will teach attendees about topics of importance that directly impact members and their businesses. Lunch and Learns are open to prospective members of Triune Training Systems as well as entrepreneurs that are already members.

Triune Training Systems also consists of a back office encompassing secretarial support, copy machines, bookkeepers, accountants, computer and information technology (IT) support, web designers, marketing professionals, business forms, etc. Virtual assistance is also available for members with home based businesses requiring this type of support.

As you can see, Triune Training Systems is an all-encompassing community that provides training and coaching to new entrepreneurs who wish to bring their product or service into the marketplace. Triune Training Systems is a membership community that can also assist existing entrepreneurs to revitalize their business with the referral based business that has helped business owners make millions of dollars. Even though entrepreneurs may purchase the systems in an a la carte fashion, membership is recommended because of the long-term benefits associated with it. The long-term benefits of coaching, the Mastermind, Lunch and Learns, the back office services, and a link on the Triune Training Systems’ website to their business are services specific to members only, not necessarily to individuals purchasing a la carte services.

For prospective and existing entrepreneurs interested in this unique service that is necessary in today’s uncertain economy, go to www.TriuneTrainingSystems.com. You can also leave a comment on this blog article with your contact information. You will be contacted within 24 hours. If you are reading this article and have questions about this terrific service, also leave a comment.

By Diane | Posted in Building a Successful Business, Business, The Power of Education | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Starting and Growing Your Business

April 8, 2010

With unemployment rates at 17% and higher, many experts like Robert Kiyosaki and others are encouraging people to start their own businesses rather than waiting for their employers to call them back to work or trying to find another job as an employee. For many people, starting their own business would be difficult because they don’t know where or how to begin. If you are tired of working for someone else and have a great idea for a business, now is the time to act.

If you have a great idea but don’t know where to begin, just call the folks at Triune Training Systems, either Mike Raber or myself (Diane Rustand) to help you get started. Triune Training Systems will help you brand your business with a logo, business cards, and tri-fold brochures. By becoming a member of Triune Training Systems, you will be able to take advantage of Mike’s and my business expertise while learning how to build a successful business from the ground up.

Triune Training Systems is Mike Raber’s brainchild. At the age of 12, he imagined building a community of business people who would work together in a dynamic environment designed for unlimited growth. As the years went by, Triune Training Systems grew from an idea to a reality and today, Mike and I are in the process of fulfilling his lifelong dream to incorporate core resources necessary to an individual entrepreneur to build a successful business. As a member of Triune Training Systems, a business owner does not need to reinvent the wheel. We take the skills you already have and provide proven systems and coaching to guide you from start up to a thriving successful business.

Our mission is to assist small business owners to build a successful business that allows them to impact and improve the lives of others, while creating financial independence for themselves and their families. As part of our community, entrepreneurs are in business for themselves, but never by themselves. As coaches, our responsibility is to be there for our clients until they feel comfortable enough to run their businesses on their own.

Triune Training Systems is made up of three quadrants-Spiritual, Physical, & Financial:

1. Spiritual/Mental – Creating contentment, peace and joy in all that we do.

2. Physical – Creating everlasting health solutions — The five levels of optimal health.

3. Financial – Creating sound financial solutions — The path to financial independence.

These three quadrants are made up of five core divisions that allow us to be trusted advisers for our clients: Spiritual/Personal Development, Health and Wellness, Business Development, Financial Coaching, and Real Estate.

The Business Development Division is the core division that we are focusing on right now. Within this division lies Triune Business Solutions, Business Solutions for the 21st Century. The mission of Triune Business Solutions is to help entrepreneurs to build successful businesses by implementing core business systems. These systems are composed of our core business solutions made up of the Pro Books System: Marketing Pro, Biz Pro, and a Referral Based Lead Generation System.

Triune Business Solutions comprises the following business support services:

  1. Administration
  2. Client Coordination Services
  3. Lead Generation, Marketing
  4. Computer Graphics, Web Development
  5. Computer I.T. Services – Computer Systems and Repair
  6. Legal – Contracts, Patenting, Trademarks, Business Set-up
  7. Human Resources – Employment, Payroll, Procedures Manuals, Employee Applications, Employee Benefits – Solo 401k, HRA 105 Plan
  8. Financial, Cash Flow, Net Worth, Investment Resources
  9. Personal Development Resources
  10. Health and Wellness Resources
  11. Outside Sales, Non-personal Promotion
  12. Insurance, Health, E&O, L&I, Umbrella
  13. Business Equipment

Your back office – Triune Business Center – includes:

  • Business Equipment/Office Space
  • Mail Center
  • Answering Service
  • Secretarial Services

These services are available so the entrepreneur can focus on his/her business and not have to worry about a detailed transaction coordination program. Let us be your secretary!

As coaches, it is our responsibility to help entrepreneurs start a new business or build an existing small business by implementing the following steps:

  1. Create a Business Plan
  2. Create Basic Financial Reports
  3. Initiate Basic Business Systems, i.e., Proper Licensing and Business Structure, Basic Accounting System, Personal and Non-Personal Marketing Plan, Accountability System, etc.
  4. A Solid Business Team/Back Office, i.e., Bookkeeper, Accountant, Lawyer, Key Management People, Market/Graphic Design, Administration, etc.
  5. Create a Transactional Base System, e.g., Client Letters, Referral Base System, Newsletter, etc.

As a fully contained system, Triune Training Systems can provide the member entrepreneur with the entire system for an affordable monthly fee or the programs can be purchased on an a la carte basis. I won’t go into the fee structure here, however, I can tell you that if you purchased these services/programs elsewhere, they would be provided at a much higher price.

As a member of the business community, the benefits include:

  1. Membership in the Mastermind Group
  2. Coaching/Accountability
  3. Up to 3 pages on our website
  4. Preferred placement in our referral directory online and hard copy
  5. Learning Resource Center
  6. Access to unlimited training programs
  7. Discounts to local & national services
  8. Membership in referral partner program
  9. Promotion/marketing to our network
  10. Member in the Triune Community
  11. Network of Support Providers
  12. Wealth Accumulation Plan – Short, mid & long-term planning

Additional Outside Services we provide, but cost extra include:

  1. Referral By Design Program – $89 per month
  2. Membership to the Health & Energy Center – $30 per month

Preferred Partner Program

This program consists of professional business owners that have excellent reputations that we do business with on a daily basis and are a part of our Preferred Partner Program. These businesses are a great referral source for our clients. As our clients become more experienced and provide excellent customer service to their clients, they too can become members of the preferred partner program. As your trusted advisers, we hope to be the gateway to many products and/or services you’ll need as members of our community. We hope that our referral directory serves as a great resource for you.

This article provides just an overview of what Triune Training Systems can provide to you as a prospective entrepreneur or as a business owner that would like to take advantage of these terrific services. Do you have a dream of starting a business? or, perhaps you are tired of working so someone else can get rich. If so, we can help. Come join us, so we can help you make your dreams come true!

If you would like more information about our coaching program or becoming a member of Triune Training Systems, please place a comment on this blog with your personal contact information, or call me at 262-623-2218. My partner, Mike, and I are looking forward to meeting you and helping you make money even in this down economy.

By Diane | Posted in Building a Successful Business, Entrepreneurial Education is Necessary! | Tagged | Comment (1)

The Art of Building Relationships

December 15, 2009

Building relationships is an art form whether you are in business or not. There are many facets to creating a meaningful business or personal relationship with someone. Having something in common with a person, e.g., being in the same networking group, a social gathering, working together on a project, customer and sales person, etc., generally provides the foundation, which is the most important beginning for a good solid relationship.

There are different types of relationships that humans have with one another that range from casual, friendship, business (professional), love (intimate), and a few more in between. If a single person is at a party he or she may just want a casual relationship with a person of the opposite sex to have fun. The conversation this person will have with the person of choice will be light, without revealing too many personal details. If the other person has the same intention, the evening will end with both people shaking hands and parting without exchanging telephone numbers.

Think about the relationship you have with your best friend. You really care about him or her. If your best friend was in trouble or needed help, you would be the first person he or she would turn to because you know everything about each other and there are very few barriers between you. This is a terrific type of relationship to have with someone because you know there is someone you can always count on in good times and those that are not so good.

A business relationship can be a combination of the casual and friendship types, depending on how much contact you have with the person. If a person is a supplier, you are going to maintain a casual relationship with facets of friendship especially if you see this person often. However, if you don’t see the person very often, you keep the relationship professional (a combination of casual and friendly).

A different kind of relationship exists when you meet someone that you are attracted to. Something about the person makes you feel different than being with your best friend. You have different feelings going on as a result of the attraction you feel. Maybe, the person has beautiful eyes, a great smile, a great sense of humor, etc., that creates the urgency for you to get to know this individual a little better. The physical attraction is  strong, but are there any other attributes that stand out to identify this person as someone you would like to know a lot better.

I can give you an example of each of these relationships from my own life. My relationship with my mail carrier is casual. She is very responsible and brings the mail that doesn’t fit in the mail box right to my door. She rings the bell and if I’m not home, she opens the screen door and puts the package between the doors to protect it from the weather. I really appreciate the extra care she takes with my mail. Even though my relationship with her is casual, I really care about her because she cares about her job.

The relationship I have with my best friend is very much as I described above. The feelings that I have for her are very deep because she and I have been friends for a lot of years and we’ve gone through a lot of good and not so good times together. I would give her the shirt off my back if she or her husband needed it.

I’m sure you are getting the idea about what I mean by each of these different relationships; however, I want to explain the business relationship a little further for a better understanding. If you do business with United Parcel Service (UPS), the driver will come to your home, pick up your packages, and deliver them to whoever they need to go to. That’s an example of a casual business relationship.

However, you might have your own business with a business partner. The relationship you have with your partner is a little different than the one you have with the UPS driver. You share more information, you spend more time with this person, you may have deeper feelings than just a casual relationship with your partner because you spend so much time with him or her. Your relationship is professional, but it has elements of friendship as well.

Now, let’s talk about the relationship you have with your customers, especially if you are growing your business. You work hard every day to get people interested in buying your product or service. When they do, you are happy to serve them. If the person buys your service once and never comes back, there must have been a disconnect in the relationship somewhere. What most business owners look for is repeat business. They want clients, not customers. The difference between a customer and a client is the relationship you build with the person.

For example, a real estate agent told me this story. This really describes the type of relationship every business person should have with every person that buys his product or service. As the agent chosen by a couple to help them buy the home of their dreams, my friend spent a lot of time getting to know the man and the woman. As often as they met, he found out more about their likes and dislikes, what made them happy, and especially what made them angry. Of course, the agent told the couple about his family, his beautiful children, and how happy he was doing his job.

The agent found a beautiful new house that became the couple’s dream house. They were ecstatic when they signed the agreement for $325,000 and moved into the house the very next day. The next day, the builder disappeared taking the signed agreement with him. Later that day, the couple received a call from the landowner. The landowner told the couple he wanted them out of the house because it belonged to him, along with the land. The husband and wife were so surprised and obviously upset. What could they do now?

Fortunately, the relationship the agent had built with the couple paid off because he was the first person the couple called to find out what to do. To make a long story short, the story had a happy ending because the agent was able to intercede for the couple. They were able to keep the house and they saved $5,000 in the process.

The point of this story is that if we, as business people take the time to build a relationship with the people that buy our products and services, they may turn out to be our clients for life. When that happens, you will never run out of business because your clients will tell their friends, and their friends will tell their friends, and so on about the wonderful caring person you are.

Don’t be afraid to build a relationship with your customers, because they may turn out to be your clients.

By Diane | Posted in Building a Successful Business | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Building A Profitable Business

December 14, 2009

Would you like to have your own business? I always thought that I would do well at my own business. So, two years ago in March, I decided to try my hand at starting a business. Naturally, I was excited and very enthusiastic, but, I didn’t know where to begin. Even though I have a degree in Business Administration, I didn’t know where to start.

Wouldn’t you know!!! I received an email with some information that would get me started in a business of my own for very little output. Interesting! Just the advertisement I was looking for. My late husband told me not to get involved in it because it would cost me a lot of money at some point. I couldn’t believe it. All I can say is, I should have listened to the voice of reason.

All it took to get my own business was an email asking a few questions about what had to be done to take advantage of the opportunity. Before I knew it, I was signed up and the educational modules were online and ready for me to build my own website for my brand new business. The upfront fee was 0, but the fee in arrears, turned out to be $8,900. By the time I received the bill for the education provided, my website was online and live and the products were all on it. There was no turning back.

This out of pocket charge would not be the last. In the two years the business was active, I worked very hard to let people know about the products. I joined Networking Groups that cost me hundreds of dollars every year. Not only that, the advertising concepts I put thousands of dollars in did not bring me any customers. I tried everything to get the product to the public, even setting up my wares at builders and re-modelers shows, and having a new custom made e-commerce website thinking my hand made website wasn’t good enough, to no avail.

Then, I thought, “Maybe I need to spend even more money to join a multi-level management company to generate some income to keep my first business going.” I spent thousands of hard earned dollars investing in a company with a product that was healthy for diabetics. This time, I was sure this business would make money…. Sure, it was more money down the drain. By the time I realized I was too much in debt to go on, I had spent more than $48,000 on two businesses that did not bring me any return.

Have you ever thought, “I can sell a refrigerator to an Eskimo?” I thought I could sell anybody anything as long as I had  enthusiasm for the product. However, you CAN sell people a product as long as they NEED or WANT it. A new product that needs explaining before someone can use it is not a good product to start a new business with. In addition, a new MLM with a product that nobody ever heard of is not a good new business idea either. Now what?

For the longest time, I felt like a failure. If I had listened to my late husband, perhaps I wouldn’t be in this financial difficulty. Nevertheless, I’m here and now I have to figure out how I’m going to pay back all the credit card debt.

The only thing I could think of to do was to get a job. Right now, in this economic downturn, jobs are few and far between. I cannot do nursing anymore because my body won’t support it. I had a cashier’s job at the local WalMart Supercenter. Even though my new titanium knees will support me, I just don’t see myself doing that type of work for the long term. So, I decided to get some coaching, business and financial coaching.

Someone I know recommended Robert Kiyosaki’s book Rich Dad Poor Dad. I finished reading the book and decided to check out the Rich Dad Coaching website. The website had a lot of terrific information on it which made me realize I needed additional information. The financial coaching I needed was a keystroke away. I am pleased to say that when I signed up for Rich Dad Coaching, the flood gates opened and everything wonderful that could happen did.

I called a friend to see if he would be my mentor. Not only did he become my mentor, but he opened up 2 new doors, one that provided a place for me to donate my time and learn about a friend’s new business venture, and the other,  a new business that would incorporate my new knowledge about finance that could benefit a majority of the people in my community. A flood of Miracles! It doesn’t get any better than that!

In the last 2 or 3 months, I’ve helped my new friend at the Health & Energy Center of Wisconsin become more organized as a business owner. She is better able to make a success of her new Center as the owner, instead of the general manager of her friend’s center. Her mission is to make as many people as possible accountable for their own total well-being. She is willing to bend over backwards to help everyone to the point of giving away 2 weeks of infra-red therapeutic massages free of charge to get a person started. You can’t beat that. If any of my readers are interested in taking my friend up on her offer of 2 free weeks, go to 11931 West Bluemound Rd., in Wauwatosa or call her at 262-391-8409 and talk with her. She is a terrific person and will help you with any type of problem you have, including being overweight.

If you are having problems with your finances, don’t be shy or embarrassed to ask for help. My mentor or I can help you. All you have to do is put a comment on this article. I am never too busy to help someone in need. I hope this information is helpful to you. Don’t be afraid to keep trying if your attempts to start your own business has failed once or twice. The law of averages and your own tenacity will work in harmony to make your next business successful. My mentor is a terrific business coach as well as a financial adviser. He taught me everything he knows about helping someone start a successful business. If I had known what I know now about a successful business when I was starting my website, I would have succeeded hands down.

Let me know what kind of help you need and you will be a success in 2010.

By Diane | Posted in Building a Successful Business, Business | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)