Growing up, most of us are taught or at least someone TRIED (hehe) to teach us humility.
For many of us that lesson took a choke-hold on our self awareness mindset and won't let go to this day. 

 While we are, most of us, willing to give a compliment and boost someone else up with ease (Think: gassing up your friends new outfit, complimenting a coworker on a job well done.) We're like a deer in headlights when someone dares to actually give us compliments or accolades. We have no idea how to act or how to receive those words because....you know HUMILITY.

But, as a business owner this can actually be severely detrimental. 

Who else is going to show your business in the best light if YOU won't. Confidence in business isn't supposed to be humble. It isn't supposed to sit back and wait or let others take all the shine.

Confidence as an entrepreneur looks like being aware of what and who you are. IT looks like KNOWING that what you do and how you do it, is unique. That you are beyond capable and in fact, excel at whatever service you provide.

Confidence in business shows up as knowledge, experience and yes, gassing yourself up in front of others.

Confidence is not subtle. It is in fact the profound sophistication of knowing that when you do a job, you do it competently and with the uniqueness and talent that only you have.

Being confident is not a bad thing. It is not arrogance. 

​The fine art of confidence is one of the key ingredients in you business success.

Resumes.

At some point we're all going to need one. Yep, even entrepreneurs. They may all look a little different depending on your style, your industry and the purpose of the resume and knowing the why helps you create a document tailored to your needs. But, there are a few rules every resume should follow to get your point across and get the best bang out of your proverbial buck.

Get Rid of the Objective at the top of your Resume.
Use a summary statement instead. Tell them what YOU can do for them instead of what you want from them.

Brag a LOT.
Now is not the time to be humble. Show off all the skills you have all the knowledge you have and how you've been able to use your particular skillset.

Make your Resume Adaptable.
This may mean a little extra work for you, but it's worth it. Tailor your resume for the position. Play up the skills that you have for that particular position. If you need to make some adjustments for a particular job do it.

STANDOUT!
I know we hate to hear it. Most people that are responsible for bringing in candidates to interview probably don't spend a lot of time actually reading resumes. They give them a cursory glance and when they come across a cover letter or resume that stands out, then they'll give it a more thorough look.

EDIT! EDIT! EDIT!
Do I REALLY have to explain this one?

​Go The Extra Mile.
If they ask for a cover letter with your resume, do it. Are they asking for a vitae instead of a resume (there is a difference), do it. Again, its extra work; but it's worth it.

Simple is Always Better.
You don't need to use fancy fonts or templates. It just looks...BUSY. Clean fonts, crisp, straightforward templates will help the reader focus and comprehend the content quicker and easier. Which is the main goal.

Content and Order is King.
The objective is to get as much information about your skill set and capabilities explained as quickly and succinctly as possible. Served on committees at your last job, Chaired a volunteer effort, led a group project. It's important experience. Yes, volunteer work and internships can be counted as experience as well.

Hire a Resume Writer if you Still Need Help.
It's not a test and you won't get penalized for having someone else ( ahem, Creating Champions) create a polished resume for you. IT'S. OKAY.

The goal is to ensure that you stand out well enough on paper, that hey want to see you in person. Great Resumes are the first step in showcasing who you are and what you bring to the table.

Affirmations, Manifesting, Visualizing. 

All great things, right? Yes, they are.
But, what exactly do they mean and how am we supposed to be using those in our lives as entrepreneurs or leaders.

Affirmations and manifesting your destiny and visualizing are all methods of goal setting. Here's the second part of those things that we often forget. If you don't do the actual work, NONE OF IT ACTUALLY COMES TO FRUITION.

They just become daydreams and meaningless words. 

Goals and dreams are not specific to the business owners and leaders of the world. The one thing that made those people successful however, was their thinking about what they wanted and then the planning they did and the actions they took. 

Having a Champion Mindset is the one thing that can help catapult you from dreamer to success in whatever arena you decide to venture into. 

Knowing who you are and what you bring to your industry and to each and every potential client or customer you intend to reach is the groundwork you will need to lay in your mind first in order to be a success in actuality.
Everyone has doubts, but its how you decide to push forward in spite of those doubts that make you a real Champion.

I use the term Champion Mindset so often because its how you have to live and operate in order to be successful. It's how you handle the room full of investors, or hold amazing seminars or workshops. It's how you approach everything from 3 figure to 7 figure deals. 
Champions know and understand that the value they add is far greater than any one could imagine. 

Champion Mindset is standing in your lane and holding your spot and standing out whether there are 2 or 200 of you there. It is venturing out into something new and unfamiliar. 
It is walking into your dreams and living boldly in the talents and gifts you possess and owning it.

Having a Champion Mindset is deciding that what you have and who you are is valuable and that it will be of value no matter who are what stands in your way.

​A Champion Mindset is what seperates the almost from the already done's.

I'm often asked about what it is exactly that I do and even after I have explained, there are still more questions about how everything works.

This gave me the bright idea to ... write about it!
Why not do what comes most natural to me and help give people a better understanding of what I do in the process.

The first e-book "Planing For Success" explains why you need a Business Plan as an entrepreneur or non-profit leader. The second e-book "Creating A Champion  Plan" is a workbook that helps you brainstorm through the initial phase of your Business Plan writing so that you know exactly what your focus is whether you're talking with your Professional Writing Consultant or you've decided to write your plan yourself.  

Both of the e-books can be purchased at www.creating champions.pulleyapp.com , at purchase you get one electronic copy of the e-book for personal use as your own.

Many organization founders and business owners spend hours writing or consulting with someone to create the perfect business plan. They set goals and create first year budgets and then... a year, 2-years, more has passed.

You've done really well with your business, but you never took the time to go back and reevaluate your plan.

Most business owners think of their business plan as something that you need when you're just starting your business or organization. But, in reality a good plan helps you to stay ahead in your field. 

By taking the time to review your plan, you can see missed opportunities areas for growth, goals achieved and where adjustments can be made. 

Your plan should be updated as often as necessary. That may be annually or every 3-5 years depending on the timeline you laid out for yourself in your initial plan. 

As your business or organization grows, so should your business plan be adjusted. 

So you're getting ready to start your company and you want to formalize your organization but, you're not quite sure what type of corporation you'd like to form.

Well, it all depends on how you plan file your taxes, whether or not you need tax shelters or what your immediate earning potential is.

C-Corp

Protects the owners or shareholders assets from creditor claims. Income and expenses are taxed to the business and not the individual. Profits are distributed to shareholders as dividends that they have to pay taxes on. 

Businesses that choose this option usually: 

Want to keep company earnings in the business.
Want to be able to provide stock options to employees.
Expect the business to own real estate.
Want to lower their risk of IRS audit exposure.

LLC (Limited Liability Company)

LLC's provide personal liability protection for the corporation owner. Business income and expenses are reported on the owners personal tax return.

Businesses that choose this option usually:

Anticipate loss in earnings for at least two years that you can't pass through to themselves and other owners.
Management, Profit sharing and Accounting flexibility is desired.
You want to avoid rigorous formalities like board meetings and ongoing documentation requirements.


S-Corp

In an S-Corp, profits, losses and other tax items pass through your personal tax returns.

Businesses that choose this option usually:

You want the benefits of a corporation type business and of pass through taxation.
Flexibility of accounting methods, and salary setting.
Want lower risk of IRS audit exposure.


All of these options offer the owners personal liability protection. They give the opportunity to raise venture capital easier. Provides access to tax deductions, credibility with potential customers, vendors and partners that sole propreitorships may not. The key differences are in how the owners of the businesses are affected. 

LLC members are self-employed individuals who owe Social Security and Medicare taxes, paid by self-employment tax on their share of business net income. S corporation shareholders are employees of their corporation so Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes apply to compensation they receive, but not to distributions they receive.

• There are several types of grants, and they are each administered for various purposes. They generally fall under 2 - 3 grant types.

The type of grant you apply for will depend on your need and what you plan to use it for as well as how much of an effort you plan to exert.

The grant types include:

1. Categorical Grants - these federal grant funds can only be spent on very specific purposes and the recipient of these funds have to match a portion of the funds received. Categorical grant funds come in two types:
Project Grants, which are grants that fund research projects and the recipients have to have certain qualifications to receive theses grants. And, Formula Grants, only provide funds for certain projects as governed by law.

2. Block Grants - are large federal grants that are allocated to state or local governments to disburse for general use to its constituents.

3. Earmark Grants - are specified by the U.S. Congress in appropriations. They are not competitively awarded. 

Grant programs can fund projects in 20 different categories that inlude:

• Health
• Disaster Prevention and Relief
• Education Regional Development
• Energy
• Environmental Quality
• Agriculture
• Business and Commerce
• Art
• Community Development
• Food and Nutrition
• Employment Labor and Training
• Consumer Protection
• Housing
• Information and Statistics
• Humanities
• Science and Technology
• Law, Justice, and Legal Services
• Transportation
• Social Service and Income Security

Each of these grant types has their own requirements and guidelines that have to be followed and some of them may require you submit a grant proposal before you can even begin the grant application process. Contact me directly for assistance.

Creating Champions is now offering a complete services package.

I will be offering business plan writing, review and updates as well as grant writing services as a plan as well as a la carte'.

Creating Champions can write an extensive business plan, and complete an annual review, and complete any other professional business writing needs for your organization or business over the course of 6 months to a year. 

Creating Champions can also complete a 5-Year Business Plan review and help you assess areas of growth and improvement. 

Contact us today to help set up your annual service contract.

As an entrepenuer we often start our busnisses with our hopes and dreams at the forefront of our goals.

We plan to do great things, and become famous and successful and RICH!
Then reality sets in and we have to figure out how to actually get to successful and rich. That's when we realize we need a plan. Business plans are designed for you to be able to determine your goals, what your strengths are and even.....your weaknesses. 

A business plan is a growth tool.  

Just as it is essential to be honest with your clients and customers it is even more important to be honest with yourself. When you're presenting yourself to potential investors or in a grant proposal and you're dishonest you leave open the possibility of the under believing that what they're offering isn't even needed. It makes you seem as if you have no shortcomings and areas that need improvement. 

And, we ALL do. 

By being honest in your business plan, you can find the areas that need to be focused on as well as the areas that could see the most growth if they became a focus. 
Your business plan is the goal setting tool for your company with the second highest impact on your success. 

You can't plan to succeed, if you never plan.

Your business plan is the vision you have for and of your business made plain for the world to see.

A well written business plan can set the goals you have for the next year or 5 years for your business. It can help you set your budget, narrow your focus and pinpoint your strengths as well as your areas of weakness. 

​Having a business plan can be the difference in being approved or denied for a loan or having investors willing to help fund your venture.

A well thought out business plan can assist you in  planning the necessary steps for the success of your organization. It also helps in setting the tone you wish to create for your brand. First impressions are important and a professional business plan can go a long way in branding your company as professional and organized.