Business Tips with Rick Alcantara, Jessi Burg & Lydia Sugarman

It’s a business tips bonanza! On this week’s GoalChatLive, I talk about business tips with Rick Alcantara, Jessi Burg, and Lydia Sugarman. Rick specializes in PR, marketing, and digital communications, Jessi is founder of Outgrow Your Garage, and Lydia’s company is Venntive, which is a revenue operations CRM. No matter what your business, a solid foundation is key.

The trio shared what they believe is the first step for building a business – Jessi: operations, Lydia: research, and Rick: mission. They also discussed the biggest mistakes business-owners make; their thoughts on communication, networking, and authenticity, and more.

Biggest Business Mistakes 

• Lydia: Not asking enough questions. You don’t know how much you don’t know. Also important is quality networking.
• Jessi: Not listening. People think they know their business so well, they don’t need advice, insights, needs of others. Hone your listening skills.
• Rick: Thinking you alone have the answers. you are not going to be good at everything, you are going to need support. And make sure you have enough capital when you go out on your own.

Goals

• Jessi: Try a thing in your business that you think you should know how to do. As you try to figure it out, be sure to ask questions
• Rick: Enhance your skills. Diversify your reading. Learn something new.
• Lydia:  Think different. Change things up and see what happens
• Lydia: Do more intentional networking. It’s your second job
• Deb: Write down three things you are not good at that you can outsource.

Business Tips #GoalChatLive

Business Tips

• Rick: When you post on LinkedIn, keeps them to less than four sentences and make sure the link shows
• Jessi: Before every event/call/meeting for your business, take a few minutes to define success. It make it a lot easier to accomplish those goals
• Lydia: Automation saves time, but it does not work for LinkedIn messaging. If you want to be authentic, write every LinkedIn message. Be genuine
• Lydia: Follow up, and follow up again, and again, and again. In different ways, in different words. For instance, before you reach out to someone to connect on LinkedIn, engage with their content multiple times. And don’t “pitch slap” when you finally message them/send a connection request.
• Deb: Update your LinkedIn profile to make sure it reflects what you are doing, who you are, and how you help. Make sure your photo is up-to-date too!

Final Thoughts

• Lydia: Have fun
• Jessi: Be yourself and ask for help
• Rick: Be authentic

Links

• Learn more about Rick Alcantara, Jessi Burg, and Lydia Sugarman.
• Get Jessi’s book list
• Connect with Rick Alcantara, Jessi Burg, and Lydia Sugarman on LinkedIn.
• Check out the Taste Buds with Deb podcast and connect with Deb on LinkedIn.
• Join the Write On Online Facebook Group
• Learn more about Goals with DEB and Deb’s Workshops
• Get your copy of my latest book, Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. Then join the Your Goal Guide Facebook group

What’s your best business tip? Please share in the comments.

Next Week

On July 24 we’re talking about Business out of the Box with Jim Cermack, Caitlin Penny, and Tabitha Scott. Join us every Monday at 4pm PT, for #GoalChatLive.

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For more inspiration, motivation, and tips, follow @TheDEBMethod on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. And connect on LinkedIn.