It’s September, three months to the close of the year 2007 and God I am happy with all that the Lord has enabled me to achieve. Indeed “Small wins and discipline lead to big wins” Philip Githae, a friend of mine once said. Look how true it turned out to be. So the question really is have you taken note of all the small wins? Or how many of us can actually quantify the small wins this year? Although we might want to close our mind unto everything about this time, the reality is we are getting close to that time when we actually set new years resolution. But why make new resolutions when you are not sure and/or can’t really quantify where you are coming from? The truth is you need to know where you are coming from to be able to dream and visualize where you are going.

And how do you know where you are coming from if you don’t take stock about all the small wins against the resolutions and/or goals you set at the beginning of the year? Well this year has been a year of many tribulations and trials. Not with all the scarcity of cash or what the finance people call cash flow problems on my end. I learned long ago never to quantify my shortcomings in aggregate against the national grid. Of course there are a few individuals who take advantage and profit in times where some of us have failed to thrive. No offence meant here, but they “work harder” than the rest of us and most of all they set their goals high above the rest of us. While I worry about where I am going to get the resources to meet my goals, I know that not everything that happens in our lives is pre-planned. And some situations or happenings are much beyond our comprehension. The most important thing yet again is to have your goals in sight even when you can’t fulfill them in the present. I guess that is what distinguishes winners from losers. They know what they want and where they are going as compared to the rest of the populace. The good news is it’s never too late. You can always redeem you current situations from now, today and/or where you stand in the now.

A few pointers I got recently to goal setting is they must be SMARTER, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time Bound and until recently Enjoyable and Rewarding. Enjoyable and Rewarding indeed! How else can we describe the increasingly widening gap between the rich and the poor? That’s why I don’t agree wholly to the norm that we can have a time when “there’s wealth for all”. Not in this world at least. Don’t judge me here because I am a great fun of the “Wealth for All” programme. But I believe that some people are natural hard workers than others and therefore deserve to profit from their hard work. It’s no wonder that the laws of physics seem to agree in Newton ’s third law “Action and Reaction are equal and opposite”. The bible also states clearly that “One who will not work, let him not eat”

I would like to agree that in this vast world of corrupt economics and greed there are still upright people going on their normal business in the upright way. Setting SMARTER goals and working towards attaining them. Well, like a child I want to be a billionaire plus and the only way to achieve this is to set my goals high up above the rest.

Have a blessed remaining part of the year 2007!

Arthur Kaliisa,

In CA – you are only registered with the state if you are a corp so the dba listings in the local paper are of more benefit.  Personally, thru other enterprises (including another bookkeeping firm) I have found that mailing to those is a waste of time and $$ - at least in my area (because I know some of you out there have had great success).

Another thought – I live/work in an area close to a hospital as well as having small restaurants, video store etc.  My best clients have been the ones where I say – Hey, I’m here all the time, here is my card if you need some help…true it may take a while – places you go to all the time, ask, and keep asking.  I have one guy a block from my house…have gone to his gas station for 16+ years to buy gas, get my car fixed (they’ve seen me thru 4 cars!!) buy soda/ice cream whatever…he is appreciative and I get a small discount when I get something in the store.  Slowly now I’m doing some work for him – down the street is a cat hotel…my cat fell into the creek (with tons of moss) needed to be bathed…got him over there, got a client.  Ice cream store – got it because I was born and raised here and I was a few blocks up the street…still working on a restaurant…  J

I have one neighborhood market with a deli that I go to at least every other day (ok, I’m single and I get lazy…hush!!). They advertised for a QB bkpr, I stumbled across the wife at the deli the day I saw the ad (yes, watch your local paper…it will give you info)…gave her my card, her CPA had commented to me on a cleanup problem (not that I said that to her) and said, “call me, I know you are looking for in-house but if you need some stop-gap help, I’m available”.  To this day, she remembers me…have they used me, no but I’m still there, I say hi to her, her hubby owns a contracting biz that some of my subs do work for…my name is there & a very important sub has told them to use me.  And it is ok if nothing materializes…it’s called grooming…  There’s a movie line about “if they all fell over with their legs up…”  I know that is crass, but it is the truth.

There is hard sell and soft sell.  As long as you are confident in your product and your knowledge (aka yourself) you can do it.  Have biz cards available at ALL times (I have them stashed everywhere…my daughters laugh when they borrow my car – and I’ve asked THEM to put my biz cards in their cars – and they did!).  It might not pan out immediately but…down the road…besides – you never know who THEY know…

Most important of all is to remember WHO you are selling – yourself and your knowledge and experience.  Be confident in that, and if you aren’t, get some more education – if you need to practice your sales pitch…try me, I come from a family of salespeeps (cars, jewelry & high end clothing) so to me it is second nature.  Now, what you don’t know is that…I can be VERY introverted, (an only of an only who had a very, very sheltered childhood) and sometimes I need to muster the courage or face to do it…so I DO understand.

This is getting too long and I can expound more (verbose…yeah…).  Email me offlist… 

Nancy Gomez, C.B.