It's June and it's time for a mid-year goal check up. Take out your plan for 2006 and look at the objectives you set for your business 6 months ago. If you're looking at a blank page, no wonder you're not where you want to be 6-months into 2006. If you don't have a target - how can you hit it?

For those of you who DO invest the time in your own success and take the time to plan, where are you? Are you half-way to achieving what you set out to achieve? If yes, congratulations! I would love to hear from you. Tell me what, in your mind, is the biggest contributor to staying on track. I'm sure there are many of us out here who would like to hear from you.

If you are falling short of where you wanted to be at the 6 month mark, let me ask you again to look at your list of goals. Do you see a list of "processes" or do you see a list of "goals"? For example:

>Implement advertising campaign to develop awareness can be an important part of any business plan. However, it is a process, not a goal. The goal is the result you are expecting the advertising campaign to produce. As a business person, the ultimate result you are probably looking for are more sales or more clients. The process you are using to accomplish this objective is to implement an advertising. Does this make sense?

It might seem like splitting hairs, but it is an important distinction. If your goal is the process (advertising) it can limit your creativity or your ability to see alternative ways to reach your ultimate objective (increasing sales).

For example: A business sets a goal to "implement an advertising campaign". Half-way through the year they aren't seeing the increase in business they had expected so they would likely review their campaign , make adjustments they thought necessary, and keep going. That may or may not be the best thing, but how will they know? They didn't consider any alternative to advertising, since advertising was their goal.

A friend of mine, Shirley Millett, is a licensed medical esthetician and the owner of Skin Essentials, a skin care clinic on Forest Avenue in Portland. She does advertising when she's running a special on a treatment or promoting another time-based "event".

To generally increase the client-base, advertising can be expensive for a small business. So something else Shirley does to grow her business is to join forces with another small business owner and "co-promote". A friend of Shirley's owns a financial services business. As a customer appreciation effort, her friend sent out cards thanking clients for their business. Included in that card was a $25 off coupon for a service at Skin Essentials.

What could be better than that? Shirley's services are promoted to a whole new group of potential clients; her friend was able to give his clients something of real value as a thank you; and the clients are happy because Shirley's services are top notch. Win-win-win.

Would "co-promotion" have been considered if the goal was "implement an advertising campaign"? Maybe - but probably not.

It's the RESULT that is going to grow your business, so keep your focus on the result. Don't get tangled up in the process.

And Remember.... Be BOLD. It all starts with a Vision.

ONLY THREE SPOTS are left for the next Promotion Action.Next Thursday, June 29, Bold Vision Consulting will begin offering “Promotion Action - Attract More Clients than You Can Handle by Becoming Recognized as an Expert in Your Field” exclusively for Professionals whose business IS their expertise. Service Professionals interested in more information check out www.PromotionAction.com. This program will be available via teleclass in August. Send an email to info@boldvisionconsulting.com if you would like to be kept updated on this program.

An Ocular Forum introductory meeting is being scheduled for early August. If you are interested in learning more about how you can leverage the experience and success of others and fast forward your business growth, plan on coming to this informative meeting, talk to other Ocular Forum participants to learn about the program and hear their stories of success.

A Bold Business Intensive workshop is being scheduled for late July or August. For more information on BOLD Business, go to www.boldvisionconsulting.com

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