How Agapi Helps During COVID-19

covid-19 restrictions

Are COVID-19 restrictions lifting for good?

It’s been over a month since I last posted here.  Dealing with the restrictions and lockdown of businesses and society has been challenging for all of us.

But now there is light at the end of the tunnel!  Restrictions are starting be lifted and businesses are slowly being permitted to open (with certain regulations still in place to continue to protect everyone against this virus).

Today I published a new podcast.  This is an audio version of my last uploaded video, along with an updated introduction.  As we start to take baby steps toward “normalcy”, make sure that your business is prepared – not just for now, but with a strategy for the future.  I have assisted a couple of local businesses recently and they have been kind enough to provide testimonials, which I invite you to read.

For more tips on how to improve your business, catch my videos on the Agapi YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

Listen here or download the podcast.

Did you know? Our podcast is available on 7 platforms.

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, please reach out to us.

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3 Keys To Staying Motivated

staying motivated

Do you ever feel like giving up?

Well, duhhh! Of course you do!

Let’s face it… we can all get discouraged from time to time. And when we are feeling like giving it all up, it can be hard to stay motivated.

Want to learn some tricks to getting over that?

Watch today’s explainer video as we discuss 3 key ways to stay motivated when you are feeling down.

Please join us now, and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you won’t miss any of our upcoming tips.

Watch our video now, or watch on YouTube.

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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What’s Your Story?

what's your story

Well? What is your story?

Understanding what it is you are trying to communicate with your audience is a critical first step.

Today, our tip is about the importance of defining your story.

How you communicate with your community, and how clear you are within yourself, is the foundation upon which all other marketing functions will be built.  Therefore, be sure that you have absolute clarity.

Our Marketing In A Minute video series continues today. Please join us now, and consider subscribing to our channel so you won’t miss any new tips.

Watch our video now, or watch on YouTube:

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Keep Your Eyes On The Prize – 3 Key Motivators

how to stay motivated

Do you ever think that maybe it’s time to throw in the towel?

Sometimes it can be difficult to stay motivated.

As an entrepreneur, some days it can feel like all you do is fight an uphill battle. And sometimes, during these times, you can feel a bit overwhelmed and wonder if all this effort is worth it, or if you should just throw in the towel and try something else.

As someone who has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years, I have felt this pain. During my career, I have had some big wins and some big losses – probably something familiar to your story. And when I feel like throwing in the towel, I take the time to re-evaluate why I do what I do and what it would mean to change all of this.

To help keep you moving forward, I have compiled the following three motivators:

1. Stay focused. Sometimes we get overwhelmed simply because we are pulled into many different directions at once. Entrepreneurs are used to juggling many balls, but occasionally we can feel boxed in. Create a checklist of things you have to take care of and prioritize them. Take care of them in order, staying focused on the issue at hand. And don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

2. Stay positive. Yeah, I know. Sometimes this is easier said than done. But remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that the struggles you are contending with will pass. Be sure that you are surrounding yourself with people who support you and are a positive influence. Naysayers will only drive you deeper into negativity.

3. Stay true to yourself. As I mentioned above, when you’re wondering whether to keep going or to give it all up, take the time to reflect white is you do what you do. Create the list of pros and cons-and, of course, there are pros and cons to everything and every career. Then take an objective look and see which column has the most weight. Your decision will become clear.

One bonus motivator: Take a break!  Go for a walk, watch a movie, visit a friend.  Just give yourself a bit of time away and you’ll be surprised how refreshed and ready to jump back into the thick of things you’ll be.

Now, I’m not suggesting that at times it might not be best to shift gears and do something else. And, while most people dream of being an entrepreneur, it certainly isn’t the life for everyone. But if you are a true entrepreneur and you generally welcome and even thrive on the challenges thrown in your path, review these three key motivators, take a deep breath and get back in the game.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Fear Of Failure – Or Success – Podcast

fear of failure

Fear of the unknown is normal – and healthy!

But don’t let it paralyze you…

Many people have great business ideas, but allow their fears to stop them from acting.  And, strangely enough, fear of success can be as detrimental as fear of failure.

Today we are offering our final installment in Entrepreneur Series as a podcast.

Don’t have time to watch the webcast?  No problem – download the podcast and take it with you.

Listen here or download our podcast:


Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

Building Your Business Plan Part 1 – Podcast

building your business plan

Recently, we posted Episode 3 of our Entrepreneur Series.

This episode was all about your business plan and why you need it. This foundational document is so important to your business that we broke the webcast into 2 episodes.

Understanding that you may not always have time to sit and watch our webcasts, we created a podcast of the episode as well….

Listen in now, or take it with you!

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Hate Cold Calling? Try these strategies…

cold calling

The rumors that the days of cold calling are over are grossly exaggerated.

The truth is, cold calling is still an integral part of sales.

Regardless of whether you’re approaching your prospects via email, direct mail, or picking up the phone and calling them, you have to keep reaching out to new people all the time in order to grow your business. It may be cleverly disguised, but under the mask, it’s still cold calling.

I have met very few people who actually enjoy making cold calls. In fact, it can be the bane of any business owner – and often is! Those folks who embrace cold calling, and indeed make it into an art form, are few and far between.

But then there’s the rest of us.

I freely admit that I struggle with the cold call. Yes, I know it is something that we all must do. And, once I start making the calls, I always question why I suffered from call reluctance. I have almost never encountered anyone who treated me rudely, so what are we afraid of?

I suspect that the answer to this lies in the psychology of human nature. We all desire acceptance, and we all fear rejection. And these emotions reside in our subconscious. Therefore, we build up a resistance to reaching out to strangers, especially if we are representing a product or service that can be rejected. When the recipient of our cold calling effort declines our product or service, we tend to take it personally, as though we were being rejected rather than recognizing the fact that the prospect is simply turning down our offer.

So instead of fearing the cold call, we have to learn to embrace it. 

At minimum, you are creating more exposure for your business, and in the best case scenario, you are actually gaining a client.

We have to change the way we look at the cold call, as well as the delivery mechanisms. You can’t simply send the same message over and over again, asking them to buy your product or service. Remember that your prospect is being approached by many people every day to purchase their products or services. So, how do you position yourself to stand apart from the others?

The simple answer is to provide them with something that no one else is: value!

Continuing to ask prospects to meet with you or to buy your product or service doesn’t automatically translate to providing value. Buying decisions are almost always made based on emotions. We’ve heard it before, but the reality is that people will buy from you either because you have a unique product or service, or – most often – you are resolving a problem for them.

So, why not try a new approach? Why not provide a free resource that is of value to your prospect? This will open the lines of communication as well as differentiate you from your competitors.

Why not try…

• sending your prospect an article, website or an e-book that is applicable to their needs
• call your prospect or email them to offer an idea or suggestion
• invite a prospect to an event
• offer to make an introduction or introduce them to someone they should be connected with

By giving something to your prospects, with no strings attached, they will begin to understand that you are looking to provide them with of value, not just land a sale.

Of course, we all have to earn a living and no one has the right to expect something for nothing all the time. So provide value to your prospects to build trust, but remember that the goal is to lead them to becoming your client.

The key is to make your message valuable enough that the prospect will hear you out.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Entrepreneur Series – Paralysis By Analysis Podcast

paralysis by analysis

Last week, I posted an update to the Entrepreneur Series, presented by Frank Thomas of the Small Business Tips Show and myself.

The episode was entitled Paralysis By Analysis and we spoke about how small things can become big obstacles in moving your business forward.

Today I am posting a link to the podcast of this episode so those of you who don’t have the time to watch the video can download it and take it with you.

I hope you find it inspiring!

Listen here or listen to the podcast.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Paralysis By Analysis

analysis

Paralysis by analysis – guilty as charged?

Today, we continue our new Entrepreneur Series by discussing the issue of paralysis by analysis.

I’m sure we have all been guilty of this at one time or another. We have an idea, create a plan and get all the back end prepared, and then? We do nothing with it, or shift views, or something…

What makes us do this, and how can we avoid it? Join Frank Thomas and me as we explore this aspect of human nature and talk about ways to avoid falling into this trap.

Watch our video here or on YouTube.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

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Entrepreneur Series – Intro Podcast

entrepreneur success

About a month ago, Frank Thomas and I launched our new series for entrepreneurs,

and I posted the introductory video here, on our website.

As a reminder, the series is focused on helping small business owners and entrepreneurs to be successful. The first video is an overview of what to expect in the series, as well as a discussion on roadblocks on your path to success and how to overcome them.

We are back on track with our schedule (at least for now) and look forward to presenting Part Two of our intro to the series on Thursday.

Meanwhile, as a refresher, you can watch the video by checking our earlier article or listen to our podcast of the episode.

Listen to our episode here, or listen to the podcast.

Until next time…

Are you ready to grow your business now? If you’re ready to take the next step and make your business more profitable, contact us today.

If you like the information you are receiving, please consider forwarding this post.

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