The word coach has its origins in transportation – a conveyance to take you from where you are to where you want to go. That’s exactly what we can do together.  Einstein famously defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  If you’re stuck, sliding backwards or moving forward just too frustratingly slowly, it may be time to find a coach to mentor you, challenge you and help launch you to the next level.
 
Here are ten ways that working with a coach can help you find your personal power and realize your best self:

1.  Check Your Alignment.  One of the first things that a golf coach will do is make sure you are aimed at your target and that all of the fundamentals are sound.  As your coach, I want to make sure that you have balance and that you are aligned with your purpose and connected with your calling.  
2.  Check Your Blindspot.  A coach can help you identify and remove some of the barriers that you may have in place that is keeping you from achieving your goals and realizing your dreams.
3.  Check Your Progress.  By having someone to check in with weekly, you have a new level of accountability.  Reporting your accomplishments and initiatives to your coach keeps you focused on the small steps that are required to reach big results.
4.  Life Enrichment.  There’s more to life than work.  A good coach can help you  understand a life plan, reduce the stress in your life, build a fulfilling balance in your life, improve your relationships with others, improve your self awareness and consciousness, improve your self-discipline and motivation and even improve your health, well-being and happiness.
5.  Create Your Vision.  Your coach can assist you in understanding your strengths and how to play to them. You have someone who can help you get very clear about who you are, what your core values are, what you are passionate about and what will provide you with greater abundance in your life.
6.  Celebration and Encouragement.  Your coach will celebrate with you accomplishments and steps towards your personal definition of success.  There will be times also when you’ll need support, nurturing and a source of energy to help you believe in yourself and achieve your dreams.  I can help you turn setbacks into comebacks.
7.  Raising the Bar.  Constructive challenge and stretch goals can move you quickly to higher levels of achievement and prosperity.  Your coach can identify new skills that you may need and provide you with resources and options for increasing your professional value.  
8.  Collaborator and Co-conspirator.  Imagine how much more confident you can be in your new ideas, creativity and innovation when you’ve bounced them off a practiced, experienced, professional who has worked through the challenges that you are now facing.  A coach is a sounding board and a veteran who can show you the short cuts that he learned the hard way.
9.  Non-judgmental.  You can tell your coach anything.  Things you wouldn’t tell anyone else.  Because your coach is trained to be non-judgmental and objective.  I’ll point out where your thoughts aren’t congruent with your goals or your values and will share where I’ve seen those ideas work or not.  You can try out any thought or idea and together we can find what’s brilliant about it and get rid of the rest.
10.  Playing the Bounce.  We live in times of incredible change.  Life brings surprises, set-backs, changing circumstances and economic realities.  Technology is a game changer at every turn.  Your coach can help you see the big picture—the effects on your industry and your clients —and help you prepare, adjust and bounce back.

Paul A. Kiewiet, MAS, is a former chairman of the Promotional Products Association International, and an international speaker, writer, coach and facilitator. Contact him at: 269-806-4489, or paul@brandkiwi.com; or visit http://www.create2bgreat.com.

In late November, the Governor announced in the Department of Insurance and Financial Services official release http://www.michigan.gov/difs/0,5269,7-303–317016–,00.html that he will allow the President’s ACA fix on existing health plans in the State of Michigan.  This announcement allows carriers to decide if they are able to do this as the ACA plans are being implemented. 

If the carriers allow, small business can keep their coverage. The question becomes; is it feasible for the carriers to turn the ship around without negatively impacting rates? If not, it might be best for some small businesses/individuals to keep the new ACA compliant plans.

As of January 1, 2014 the ACA requires carriers to implement plans with minimal essential benefits and new underwriting requirements.  Many carriers have had this implemented as of October 1 for January 1 effective dates after many months of preparation.

The President announced Thursday, November 14, that he would implement a national fix, each state had the option to implement the delay in offering exclusively ACA compliant plans, thus allowing small business and individuals to keep their existing plans without being cancelled, if the carriers allow.  Numerous states are not allowing this. 

Many small businesses are already keeping their existing plans through 2014 when they changed their renewal dates to November or December, delaying ACA plans for 2014. Currently, there are several plans in the marketplace that delay ACA provisions for individuals as well.  The MBPA encouraged members to change their renewal dates in 2013 to delay any negative impact of the ACA.   

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network announced that they will continue transitioning small groups and individuals into health plans that meet the benefit requirements of the Affordable Care Act instead of continuing current non-compliant plans. BCBSM allowed renewal date changes prior to the President’s change allowing members to keep their current plan through 2014.

Individuals can’t apply for subsidies if they remain in their non-reform plan, which could help reduce costs.

BCBSM made a decision to offer Keep Fit for 2014. Individuals currently enrolled in either our Keep Fit (PPO) or Personal Plus (HMO) plan can keep it through 2014.

BCBSM members who enrolled in a new, qualified health plan on the Marketplace, or through an agent, an HPA, or online is not affected by this. They have coverage beginning Jan. 1.

Those not enrolled in a new plan will be transitioned to a Keep Fit plan effective on Dec. 31, 2013. They will receive a letter with their options to stay covered after their plan closes. They can accept this option simply by paying the premium bill they will receive in mid-December. Individuals who choose to stay in a non-reform plan are not eligible for subsidies.

BCBSM members also have the option to enroll in new products that are compliant with the Affordable Care Act and contain the full array of essential health benefits provided for by federal law until Dec. 15, 2013.

The MBPA’s goal is to keep you updated with the latest information which may impact your business. If you have any questions, please call your Membership Service Representative at (888) 277-6464 or email us at info@michbusiness.org, we are here to Make Your Business Better.

The Michigan Business and Professionals Association boasts a statewide sphere of influence that no other organization of its kind can claim, leveraging a depth of programs and community initiatives that positively impact more than 150,000 businesses.

MBPA’s impact is felt by approximately one out of every three businesses in the state. The employees of these 150,000-plus businesses represent an untold number of additional lives positively affected by the organization’s mission and history of successful business partnership.

Through our organization’s programs, affiliates and sister companies, this translates to hundreds of thousands of professionals and leaders in our statewide business community, effecting transformative change with one collective mission and guiding priority—making your business better.

With over 30 educational workshops and conferences, 100 business programs and the 101 Best and Brightest series of recognition and educational programs, MBPA provides tangible, measurable and demonstrable improvement on business, profitability, employee welfare and economic stability in the state.  

MBPA’s reach further touches more than 20,000 individuals in our community, who we have been positively impacted by our substantial and meaningful charity initiatives. These programs notably include Metro Detroit Youth Day, as well as our work with several nonprofit organizations with whom we engage as an organization and as individual citizen partners.

MBPA’s representatives serve on more than 40 community-based boards that share our mission to improve our collective business and societal community.

MBPA also has a direct impact with thousands of individuals in print, broadcast and electronic media, as well as those within state government.  

Our depth of business partnerships and breadth of community involvement represent a collective, measurable and positive impact on individuals statewide that, all told, number in the hundreds of thousands—and growing!

By Larry Klimek
JKL Associates

How much do you actually know about your customers? What are they saying about your business? What could you learn from listening to them? What could you learn from your employees?

In the hustle and bustle of daily operations, we as business leaders need to stop and take a good listen to the noise in and around our business. The noise I’m referring to is what is being said or not said about your business.

With all the mobile technology these days, there are plenty of places people can post their thoughts about how your business is performing. They will give reviews of your services, products, location etc. This data is all well and good, but you need to take a more formalized approach to the listening process.

What specific things do you want to know about what is going on in your business? What goods or services do people want that you could add to your product line? Are your store hours convenient for attracting the business you desire?

As you look forward toward 2014 and set your goals and objectives, what is the basis of your projections? What changes are you making based on research and data to support your future directions?

The old adage of doing the same will get you more of the same is not always true in business. Doing more of the same might very well be allowing your customers to quietly slip away. In today’s marketplace, the consumer is more demanding. They are looking for innovative things and better ways for them to accomplish their daily lives.

This week, give consideration to getting more in touch with your customers and employees. Collect some real data by doing customer surveys or focus groups. Allow your employees a way to provide their input to things you may want to do in your business to make the environment better for both employees and customers alike.

With minimal investment you can tap into various data points to get a read on past, current and future performance items you may want to implement during the coming months in 2014. It is never too late or too early to listen to what your customers, both internal and external, are saying about your business.

Larry Klimek is president of JKL Associates in Grosse Pointe Farms. JKL Associates strategically builds lean, profitable business and the talent to make them great. Visit www.jklassociates.com or call (313) 527-7945 to learn more.
 

Barb Hendrickson
Visible Communication

By now, I believed that everyone has figured out that LinkedIn is a powerful business tool…but I was just at a conference and find that it isn’t true at all.

Many people have a profile and have even filled it out fairly completely — but then what?  They’re at a loss as to how to use it. Here are just some of the ways in which you can use LinkedIn in your business:

• LinkedIn is the way we network virtually now. Apparently uniquely American, the first thing we ask each other is, “So what do you Do?” You are prepared for that question at networking events; some of us even have “elevator pitches.” Why leave that off of your LinkedIn profile?  Tell FIRST in the headline, what you do (not your title, not your position in the company but what do you DO? For example, you want to be a Gerontology Specialist and President of XYZ Healthcare. You want to be a Bankruptcy Attorney and Partner at ABC Law.) When people search, they don’t look for titles (unless they’re trying to sell something only to Presidents, etc. and who needs that?), they look for a capability or specialty. Think what people are likely to search for when they’re looking for someone who does what you do and make that part of your headline.
• Likewise, when you are looking for something personally (contractor specializing in basements) or professionally (CPA specializing in your type of business) LinkedIn is a perfect place to start.
• Once you have found the people you’re looking for, it’s time to see if you have any contacts in common.  If you do, you can ask that contact to introduce you or you can invite them to link in directly.
• When you invite someone to Link In: PLEASE don’t just send the canned message that LinkedIn provides (I’d like to add you to my network on LinkedIn). If they don’t know you, who’s going to click on that? Only someone that has no idea what they’re doing. ALWAYS delete that stock message and tell the person:a) whether/where you met, b) that you have a contact in common, c) what your interest is in connecting (i.e., I am looking for potential basement remodelers) or d) how you think you can help each other by connecting.
• About Endorsements: My new pet peeve. These are becoming almost meaningless — and DID become meaningless for me once my next door neighbor endorsed me for Brand Development. (They know nothing about my work life….).  You don’t have to click on that big blue box when it appears on your screen. The x at the upper right corner will make it go away, or you can select Skip. If you have not worked with any of those people, please don’t endorse them — they’ll appreciate it. If you have worked with them but not in that capacity, you can change the skill that you endorse. For example, I have a contact that is a CPA but I have never worked with him — we’re on a board together. So when his name popped up, I deleted the skill that LinkedIn suggested (again, just click on the x next to the skill and it will go away), and typed in Board of Directors from the pull-down menu. I then endorsed that skill.
• When you have an appointment with someone new, the first thing you should do is check them out on LinkedIn.  Keep in mind that they are most likely checking out your profile as well, so make sure everything you’d like a customer or supplier to know about you is in your profile. The info there will tell you what you have in common, their education, their background, what companies they’ve worked for, who you might have in common. You’ll go into the meeting armed with all kinds of talking points.
• Although most companies have websites that showcase all of their information, LinkedIn company pages are also a great way to convey additional information about your company, your projects, products and services. Videos and slideshare presentations can be posted there as well. Unlike your website that your customers or prospects must choose to visit, the followers on your LinkedIn company page will see your updates in their email.
• Finally, invest in a professional photo for your profile. Analytics are showing that profiles with photos are viewed exponentially more often than those without one. Don’t use that great shot of you at the bar or on a horse (unless you are the bar owner or the jockey!). Make it a professional shot that supports your image, your company or personal brand.

It’s SO much easier to gather info on a company or prospect now than in the pre-LinkedIn days! Take advantage of it!

Barb Hendrickson is Chief Content Creator & President of Visible Communication in Livonia. Visible Communication focuses on the platforms and strategies that help companies to develop and communicate their marketing messages.  She can be reached at barb@visiblecommunication.com or 734-805-2000 phone.