PowerTips e-newsletter Archives - Page 7 of 29

CLIENT PROFILE

Services Provided: Business Growth and Content Creation

“I have been working with Powerhouse for the last several months on numerous projects. It has been amazing to find such versatility and knowledge within one company. It has truly been invaluable to have so many experts in various fields all in one place who come together to develop our vision. The professionalism, attention to detail, quick turnaround time, and understanding of all facets of nonprofit requirements as well as business development have made Powerhouse such an instrumental part of our success making a difference in our community.”

– Amanda Thurn, Program Director, Space Coast Basket Brigade

Jessica Bertsch2021-12-28T16:29:01-05:00December 28th, 2021|Client Profile, PowerTips e-newsletter|

BUSINESS RESOURCES

There’s an old saying that leaders are born, not made, but that’s not strictly accurate. Leadership skills can be developed over time, and part of being a good leader is helping to foster and develop those skills in your employees. For a list of ways in which you can encourage leadership development in your company, check out this Forbes Human Resources Council article on supporting leadership development at every level.

Want to overhaul your own leadership skills to develop healthier strategies? The Business Journals Leadership Trust has curated a list of resources specifically designed with you in mind. Learn how to identify what you’re doing right, what you can improve, and what not to do by checking out their suggestions.

Interested in bringing healthier partnerships to your business? It all starts with trust and finding partners who share your values. The CPA Leadership Institute reports seven characteristics you should consider when deciding with whom to partner.

Or maybe you’re just getting to the point in your small business journey where you’re contemplating building some partnerships. Not sure how to go about finding the right partners? Or want suggestions on the steps you should take? BoostBlog has an article you should check out.

As always, Powerhouse Planning has resources and services to help. We can assist with strategic planning, professional and process development, leadership mentoring, and much, much more. Contact us today to see how we can help you create the healthy leadership skills and partnerships you need.

Have you . . .

Checked out Powerhouse online recently? Our website has undergone a face-lift! (And it’s more than “skin deep.”) New, FREE resources, case studies, and more can help you determine how Powerhouse can best help you. Not only are we constantly updating our website, but we’re also ever-present on social media. Check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. You never know what we have going on there. Who knows, you may even get a chance to interact with our president! She’s currently scheduling one-on-one, 30-minute sessions where she will speak directly to you and offer advice and mentoring on any of those thorny business issues you might be facing.

Jessica Bertsch2021-12-28T16:26:19-05:00December 28th, 2021|Business Resources, PowerTips e-newsletter|

GIVING BACK & GETTING INVOLVED

Me Before Mom: How One Woman’s Desire to Help a Friend Led to Greater Outreach

By: Julie Clark

“There was a ‘me’ before there was a ‘mom.’” This statement encapsulates the lifestyle and message of Bert Anderson, creator of her lifestyle blog entitled Me Before Mom. Anderson is a wife as well as a mother of three, and her mission is to equip fellow mothers as they adjust to parenting and figure out how to keep a sense of self while in the throes of motherhood. We sat down with Anderson to get to know her better and to glean some of her wisdom.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your life, and how Me Before Mom (MBM) came to be.

My dad is retired Air Force, so that makes me a military brat. It’s a label I wear proudly because it dramatically defines how I view life, how I process problems and any kind of uncomfortable situation. I met my husband in college in Minnesota; he’s from Minnesota, and well, you can’t take a Minnesota boy out of Minnesota, so we’ve been here ever since. I have three kids, Brennan (13), Kendall (10), and Keira (7). I am a social media manager, that’s my consistent paying job. I like being able to figure out how to create a community for a brand without being the face of the brand. I have my website, bertmanderson.com; a podcast, Me Before Mom, with Matriarch Digital Media; and I’ve self-published a book, Me Before Mom: Putting Your Oxygen Mask on First.

The concept of MBM came up when I watched my friend go through a divorce. She had been married for 20 years and was a stay-at-home mom for 16 of those 20 years. When her husband asked for a separation, it came out of left field. She found herself alone, having to figure out a career and starting over in her 40s. I remember her telling me she felt like she had given so much to her family that she didn’t know who she was anymore. I took that in and started looking to friends and family members who had older kids leaving the nest. How did the moms feel? There seemed to be a pattern of feeling lost for many women, and I didn’t want that to happen to me. I didn’t want to get to the end of Keira’s high school career, look at myself in the mirror and say, “I have no idea what I like or what I do or anything anymore.” The only way to prevent that from happening was to start practicing this concept of “me before mom” because there was a “me” before there was a mom and there will be a “me” after the kids leave. (more…)

Jessica Bertsch2021-12-28T16:29:19-05:00December 28th, 2021|Giving Back & Getting Involved, PowerTips e-newsletter|

DID YOU KNOW?

Developing healthy leadership skills and forming healthy partnerships can mean the difference between mediocre and phenomenal. Without a healthy leadership style and without consistent, targeted strategy for building healthy partnerships, you could be costing your business growth and success. Powerhouse Planning is uniquely qualified to help you assess your leadership and partnership strategies to help you develop the business approach that is right for you.
If you’re lost on how to take your partnerships or leadership to the next level, Powerhouse Planning can help. We offer a wide range of services that can help you enhance your business. Contact us today for details.

Jessica Bertsch2022-02-25T14:28:51-05:00December 28th, 2021|PowerTips e-newsletter|

When Passion and Career Goals Coincide

By: Heatherlynn Akins

Mona Dexter believes passionately in helping military members, veterans, and military family members realize their career employment dreams. As a longtime military spouse herself, she’s experienced firsthand the challenges and struggles this segment of the workforce faces. Their skills and abilities don’t always translate easily to the civilian sector, but they are valuable assets for civilian employers. That’s why she joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program in January 2018 as a special projects manager with the military spouse team. Today, Dexter serves as HOH Chief of Staff and Vice President of Operations and Communications.

Dexter’s journey to HOH was roundabout, typical of many military spouses. Her initial career was in higher education student affairs administration, primarily in career services and adult learning and development, and with programs focused on underserved populations. As she moved around, however, she began to find her passion for assisting those in military life with finding their career fits. She transferred her attentions first to the Army Soldier for Life-Transition Assistance Program, a program designed to help those transitioning from active-duty service to life after the Army. As a result, Dexter found her perfect fit with HOH, where she can help the organization provide 360-degree career development training and education through internships and hiring events. HOH’s unique mission to “educate civilian employers on the value of military-connected talent in diversifying and thus strengthening their workforces” is critical to Dexter’s way of thinking. That’s the missing link she couldn’t find with her previous position. Having lived the military life but working in the civilian sector, Dexter is singularly qualified to be a part of the bridge that effects understanding between those in the military and civilian worlds.

HOH is also authorized to operate on military installations, allowing its programs and services to be brought directly to its targeted clientele. HOH’s holistic approach to establishing hiring events along with internship opportunities and digital communities designed for networking and support purposes has been effective and successful. In 2012, HOH identified a possibly more alarming statistic: the drastically high rate of military spouse unemployment. When Dexter started with HOH in 2018, the unemployment rate for military-connected personnel was down considerably and the focus on military spouses was well underway. (more…)

Jessica Bertsch2021-10-08T13:33:01-04:00September 27th, 2021|CEO Highlight, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Did You Know?

Business growth is directly tied to the goals we have for our businesses already. Things like brand loyalty, a stellar reputation, and an ability to recognize and anticipate our customers’ needs. At its heart, business development is nothing more than a process for determining how you can improve, whether that be financially, in reputation, or in overall value. All aspects of your business are covered under this broad umbrella because, really, all growth stems from the same basic mission: to provide your customers with on-time, reliable, and efficiently driven deliverables. Read through this month’s newsletter for lots of tips on how to update or plan for your own growth goals.

If you’re lost on how to make the most of your business development needs, Powerhouse Planning can help. We offer a wide range of services that can help you bring your business to the next level. Contact us today for details.

Jessica Bertsch2021-09-27T19:46:23-04:00September 27th, 2021|PowerTips e-newsletter|

Tips for Growing Your Business in 2021

By: Meghan Traynor

According to a survey reported on by Small Business Trends, 92% of small businesses had to “reinvent themselves” during the pandemic. Whether your business had to pivot over the last year, or you’re just ready to grow, we believe, “Growth doesn’t come with a single action. It is the consequence of persistence courage and hard work” (Anonymous). Here are a few actions you can take to grow your business successfully.

Be adaptable. If you were one of the 92% of small businesses who recently reinvented themselves, then you are already very familiar with this one. Being adaptable in business allows you to grow even when things don’t go according to plan. If you haven’t already created one, a strategic adaptability plan is something your business should consider so you are always prepared for the unexpected.
Remote work and virtual services are in high demand. According to the Remote-How 2020 survey, 87% of remote managers believe that remote work is the way of the future. With so many businesses continuing with a full-time or part-time remote workforce, there are a few things you can do to set your company up for success:

Use the right tools. Using the right support mechanisms and resources will not only help your business run smoothly, but it will also help with communication between your team. Here is a list of 20 Tools and Resources You Didn’t Know You Needed as a Business Owner.

(more…)

Jessica Bertsch2021-10-12T17:49:43-04:00September 27th, 2021|Marketing Buzz, PowerTips e-newsletter|

Defining Professional Development Goals

By: Meredith Flory

As your company expands, employee growth won’t only be connected to the number of employees you have, but to their expectations for career progression, benefits, and skill-building as well. As a small business or entrepreneur, you don’t have to fear employee growth; rather, it shows your dedication to quality work and the development of your team, which aids your customers. If you’re in a position to start providing professional development opportunities, here are three suggestions for making it a part of your company culture.

Consider Your Goals for Professional Development

Just as you have measurable goals for sales and services, developing professional development programs requires considering cost, time, and measurable outcomes. There are multiple types of professional development, some that focus on the individual, some that focus on skills and networking, and others that the team participates in together. As you develop a professional development program, consider the following to get the most out of your plan:

What is your budget, cost, and available time? Do you want to spend money on specific classes or conferences to then offer to employees, or do you want to provide funds for employees to request when they find their own opportunities?
Where do you see a need for improvement? If you have a specific skill in mind that you see a pattern of employees needing assistance with, you can enter professional development programs with a measurable goal in mind. This goal might be related to growth if there is a new technology or skill your company will be implementing, or it might be a professional skill where your employees need more experience or coaching.
Can you attach professional development to company growth? If you foresee growth that will lead to new positions, developing needed management skills in current employees may allow you to promote from within and encourage company loyalty.
Plan for time to offer opportunities for feedback, both named and anonymous, for any programs you will offer.

(more…)

Jessica Bertsch2021-10-12T17:48:29-04:00September 27th, 2021|Business Etiquette, PowerTips e-newsletter|

POWERHOUSE SERVICE & SUCCESS

Client Profile: Home Professionals, Inc.

Powerhouse Services Provided: Business Growth – Remote Executive Assistant Support

“Powerhouse Planning is a pleasant, professional, and enjoyable team to work with. The Powerhouse team works hard to build relationships with their clients in order to understand client needs and deliver services effectively. We have utilized their services on several different occasions with excellent results, and we look forward to working with them again as future needs arise.”

– Jeffrey Garza, General Manager, Home Professionals, Inc.

Jessica Bertsch2021-09-27T19:46:01-04:00September 27th, 2021|PowerTips e-newsletter, Service & Success|

BUSINESS RESOURCES

Growing your business can be a scary prospect, especially in these uncertain times. We’ve all been in triage mode for a long time, and the idea of branching out and getting bigger can feel like a monumental hill to climb in 2021. We’ve assembled a sampling of digital resources that can help you decide when and where to grow your small business.

You can always take a trip to the Small Business Administration’s website. It’s packed with information designed to support you at every step along your entrepreneurial journey.

Want tips that are relevant to today’s changing business topography? Check out this article for 16 timely tips on growing your business in 2021. From learning where to set your sights to making baby-step changes, it has something for everyone.

Not sure if you’re ready to grow? Or how to begin understanding the process? The Harvard Business Review has assembled five signs to help you determine if your business is “in the window.”

Need a starting-off point? How to Grow Your Small Business from The New York Times might help you recognize areas where you can grow and improve, and it provides brief tips on digital tools that can help you succeed.

As always, Powerhouse has plenty of resources available to help you with both traditional and outside-the-box solutions.

Overwhelmed or unsure of where to start? Powerhouse can help. We offer support for everything from identifying areas ready for growth and helping you craft a timeline that’s right for you to freeing you up to focus on what you do best: delivering a quality product to a quality client. Contact us today to see how our business growth services can boost your business.

Have you? Have you checked out Powerhouse online recently? Our website has undergone a facelift! And it’s more than “skin deep.” New (FREE) resources, case studies, and more can help you determine how Powerhouse can best help you. Not only are we constantly updating our website, but we’re also ever-present on social media as well. Check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. You never know what we have going on. Who knows, you may even get a chance to interact with our president; she’s currently scheduling one-on-one 30-minute sessions where she will speak directly to you and offer advice/mentoring on any of those thorny business issues you might be facing.

Jessica Bertsch2021-09-27T19:46:38-04:00September 27th, 2021|Business Resources, PowerTips e-newsletter|