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If you own a business, process credit cards and/or just want to expose and advertise your business to our local, regional, and nationwide members, then we have tremendous opportunities for you to access our large, loyal and growing membership base. These opportunities even include us producing commercials for your business and providing you with free air time to broadcast those on our own TV network! Contact me about solutions at tnbiz@robertmgarcia.com

Continue reading »]]> A common practice among network marketeers is to create a dream or vision board. The idea is that those things you focus on will eventually come to you. You’ve heard the old saying “You should look where you are going and not where you have been.” Some think that it is a silly waste of time but I think there is something to it.

Habakkuk 2:2 Then the LORD answered me and said, Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. ” and God knows more than me. 

Several years ago I read about a written goal study. It stated by simply writing your goals down that you are multiple times more likely to achieve your goals in the next year. The task in the article was to write your goals down for the year and file them away until December 30th of the following year. I actually forgot that I wrote them down but reviewing my journal for the year I found them. Amazingly over 75% of the goals were achieved. These goals included things like better family relationships, paying off specific debts like vehicles and about 30 other items. This year I am not only going to write my goals down but also apply a monthly action task to each one and review them quarterly. In addition to writing down my goals I think I am going to create a personal vision board as well.

Do you believe that a vision or dream board helps in accomplishing your goals?

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With so many people entering into the small business arena do to the economy and corporate downsizing I thought it would be a good time to discuss the ins and outs of business networking. There are many opportunities everyday for expanding your network so why not make the most it?

Identifying Opportunities

Facebook and Twitter are a great place to search out business networking events and after hours mixers.   Your local Chamber of Commerce is also a great place to get involved with networking and community events.  There are also independent groups such as BNI, My Referral Network and InHouston who specialize in hosting networking meetings here in the greater Houston area. One of the local groups I volunteer with is Business Networking In Houston so stop by our Facebook Group Page and connect.

Tips for Networking

If you are new to networking here are a few tips to get you off on the right foot.

• Everyone watches the door at a networking event to see who will be coming through the door next. Have good posture, smile and work the room with confidence.
• Become a friend first and foremost. Find a common interest, like hobbies or sports activities, and then go do that activity together. A warm sell is easier than a cold sell any day of the week.
• Volunteer to help the event coordinators. This is one of the best way to network and meet a lot of people fast.
• Introduce yourself and engage people you meet in a conversation that focuses on them. It’s not all about you when networking.
• Leave the hard selling and brochures in the car.  It’s very awkward when some hands you a 8.5 x 11 flyer on thick card stock at a networking event. Now you have to try to fold they marketing piece and stuff it in your pocket or discard it discretely.  Just exchange business cards and save the brochures for your follow up meeting.
• Also be mindful of the other persons time, don’t corral them to a corner of the room for the night and tell them all about your much you love your grand-dogs and whittling miniature owl figurines. Your goal should be to spend a few minutes with several people.
• Don’t slime people and alienate yourself….  Here is a tip from Mitchell From on Proper Networking

Keep in mind that networking is not a get rich quick scenario. Sometimes it takes months to develop enough rapport with someone to get a 1 on 1 meeting. Be persistent and most of all be helpful and you will see positive returns on your networking efforts.

 Upcoming Networking Opportunity 

Quick Video Tip of The Week From Patrick Galvin

Pay it forward and it will come back and pay you.

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The majority of the ministry Jesus performed was in the marketplace or business world. We spend 80% of our waking hours at work so it is only natural that we would engage in conversations of things we are passionate about at work. For Christians sharing our faith should be at the forefront of our minds at all times. Jesus tells us in Mark 16:15 to Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].

What is the Good News or the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

For the poor the good news would be that you don’t have to be poor anymore according to Philippians 4:19  And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

For the sick the good news would be Isaiah 53:5 …and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

The church is not a building but it is the believers in Jesus Christ. How can we not take God to work with us if he truly lives in us? If you were to see a coworker choking in the lunch room would you run over and administer aid to them? How much more if we were to see a coworker struggling in life should we minister to them The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although it may not be politically correct in the eyes of the world we should not hold our tongues when we have information that will impact someone’s life in a positive way.

I encourage you to begin sharing your faith with those around you this week and report back about your adventures in faith.  If you have not made a habit of sharing your faith here is a great resource to get you started without being obnoxious http://bit.ly/wCEcd2

Upcoming 2012 Meetings:

Join us January 27, 2012 at the Humble  Civic Center for The Launch of The Faith Explosion 2012. Kick off 2012 with other like minded Christian people who want to achieve all that God has set before them this year. We extend a special invite to business owners ministry leaders and entertainers.  We will have a time of worship followed by powerful speakers and close out the evening with a time of prayer for attendees. Whatever the assignment you have from God, lets walk it out together and turn believing into seeing. All things are possible to Him that believes! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and share the event with your friends. God Bless! http://thefaithexplosion.com

Continue reading »]]> Do you have mountains of business cards laying around that you keep telling yourself you will organize one day? I started using Mailchimp last year for my email marketing campaigns and it generated a few extra sales. I started by outsourcing that mountain of cards to a friend who was between jobs to get them into an excel spread sheet. Once I had the file back it was pretty easy to get my first email campaign going by following the online tutorials.

Once you have your database in place you are going to want to continue building your list so here are a few places to find new prospects.

• Trade shows and conferences are a great place to meet new people.
• Local networking events are also a great place to meet like minded professionals.
• Get involved with local charities or organizations in your community.
• Run a Facebook campaign offering a free sample of your product. Require them to register on your site or landing page to capture their email and contact info.
• Get involved in online forums that revolve around your interest or hobbies. This is a great way to meet people you may have never had the opportunity to.

If you have questions about building your list or starting your first email campaign feel free to drop me a line.

Continue reading »]]> Why should you own your name?

Well…. Your Name is the most valuable piece of real estate and domain name on the Web! And that’s the main reason why you should own Own Name.

The other really cool thing about Owning Your Name is that you have One Centralized Space to Blog, One Branded Email Address to Promote, and One Page with links to all of your social media and online content.

Side Note: The average person will change jobs 15 times in their lifetime. Personal Branding is a great way to set yourself apart from the crowd when job hunting.

Here is another really good reason why Owning Your Name is Important. In today’s economy jobs are becoming more and more scarce. Husbands, Wives, Moms and Dads are looking for alternative ways to build income and possibly even start a home based business. The quickest way to discover new business opportunities or spread awareness about your new venture is networking. Maybe you don’t yet know what that venture may be… When you own your name you can have business cards printed with your name, picture and personalized branded email address. You have the tools to begin your discovery process and you will look professional at networking or community events.

I have even gone as far as buying my children’s names now to secure them for future use. Maybe they will never use them but chances are they will and I will have them.

Maybe you don’t really get it now but eventually you will. The Million Dollar Question is… Will someone else Own Your Name?

Contact me for assistance with buying your name today.

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Continue reading »]]> I recently found out that Facebook has changed it rules on vanity names. The short and sweet of it is you must have at least 25 fans to set a name for a Facebook fan page and no more than 100. Once you set a vanity name you are stuck with it so choose carefully.

Brand your business or yourself with a custom Vanity URL. What is a vanity url, well just think of it as a customizable web link that is short and easy to remember. It can be shared without having to remember a long url with a bunch of numbers or letters. My fan page for example is http://facebook.com/rmgsr The /rmgsr is the vanity part.

By default your Facebook profile url would look something weird like this

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=xxxxxxxxxx

This can be hard to remember and it really sucks if you are trying to share it with someone.

After you choose the name for your facebook profile the url it will look like

http://www.facebook.com/<username>

It’s short, simple, and easy to share with others.

Visit thelink below and set the vanity url for your Facebook profile.

http://www.facebook.com/username/

Tip: You have one time to make a first impression… so don’t send everyone to your Facebook Fan Page before you have a profile picture loaded.

Let’s connect and do something great! http://robertmgarcia.com

Continue reading »]]> Why should you own your name?

Well…. Your Name is the most valuable piece of real estate and domain name on the Web! And that’s the main reason why you should own Own Name.

The other really cool thing about Owning Your Name is that you have One Centralized Space to Blog, One Branded Email Address to Promote, and One Page with links to all of your social media and online content.

Side Note: The average person will change jobs 15 times in their lifetime. Personal Branding is a great way to set yourself apart from the crowd when job hunting.

Here is another really good reason why Owning Your Name is Important. In today’s economy jobs are becoming more and more scarce. Husbands, Wives, Moms and Dads are looking for alternative ways to build income and possibly even start a home based business. The quickest way to discover new business opportunities or spread awareness about your new venture is networking. Maybe you don’t yet know what that venture may be… When you own your name you can have business cards printed with your name, picture and personalized branded email address. You have the tools to begin your discovery process and you will look professional at networking or community events.

I have even gone as far as buying my children’s names now to secure them for future use. Maybe they will never use them but chances are they will and I will have them.

Maybe you don’t really get it now but eventually you will. The Million Dollar Question is… Will someone else Own Your Name?

Let’s connect and do something great! http://robertmgarcia.com