So you’re a business owner and you don’t have an elevator pitch?

As a business consultant, I'm shocked at how many entrepreneurs I meet who don't have an elevator pitch, or don’t even know what the term means. Of the ones who do, their pitch is often too long, too short, too vague, or too confusing. If you're that person, don't worry! There's HOPE... because A) I didn’t always have one myself, and B) they're pretty easy to create! 

An elevator pitch is a short description of the product or service that you provide in which you can quickly present to a listener in about the span of your average elevator ride. It's important to always have this pitch in your back pocket, figuratively, because you never know when you'll run into someone who either needs what you offer, or knows someone else who does. But you need a GREAT elevator pitch because you may run into someone who needs what you offer, but doesn't realize that they need it.... yet!

So when that random person standing next to you in the grocery store line, at Starbucks, or in an actual elevator asks what is it that you do, here's what you should do:

Start by expressing a major problem that exists for a typical client in your industry, and establish the fact that you solve that problem for a living. Instead of just stating your title, what you do, or what you offer, specifically point out what the results of doing business with you generally look like. 

Your elevator pitch will be most effective when it explains what you do in a way that people actually "get it", and they either want your product/service or begin thinking of others who may need it. Avoid leaving it up to the listener to interpret exactly what you do, how it could benefit them, or if it could benefit them at all. As self-explanatory as you think your title may be (e.g. "Business Coach", "Credit Repair Specialist", or "Financial Planner"), some people just won't know exactly what all that entails. Many of them won't ask you to elaborate, either.

In the past, I made the mistake of only stating my title or what I offer when giving my elevator pitch. But I realized that it's truly a "pitch", and it's ultimately designed to non-aggressively spark interest in my service, rather than just inform someone of the service. I began painting a clearer picture and expressing my value proposition, and that helped me land a number of new clients. With the change, I noticed that listeners hear key words in my pitch that relate to them. I know that I've grabbed their attention when they articulate those key words back to me as they describe the problems that they're facing in their business. 

To take a deep dive into this or other business-related topics, contact me here.

Business Spotlight - Michael Carroll of MJC Financial Group

Buying or selling a home can be frustrating, but Central Florida resident Michael Carroll, a licensed Real Estate Agent and CEO of MJC Financial Group, LLC, can help every step of the way.

As Michael enters his fifth year in real estate, he knows how intimidating buying a home can be.

Michael and his team have a great deal of experience with all types of buyers and sellers and work with clients to develop a plan of action to achieve their goals.

Through educating his clients and sharing knowledge from his own experiences, Michael is there for home buyers and home sellers every step of the way. His robust network of professional contacts help with the entire process, ensuring the transaction goes as smooth as possible.

“My goal is to deliver the best experience possible to meet that individual’s or family’s needs,” he says.

Michael Carroll grew up in Oviedo, FL and served eight years in the US Air Force. He has also earned Bachelor and Master degrees in Small Business Entrepreneurship and Marketing from DeVry University and University of Phoenix respectively.  Michael is a devoted Husband, Father, and a servant at his church and community. He is the Vice President of the Central Florida Business Alliance, as well as CEO of MJC Financial Group, LLC. He started this company with the vision to provide superior service to those who desire to build a legacy through real estate.  

“Oviedo has a great, small-town feel within the city of Orlando,” Michael says.

He also noted that there is a lot of demand for houses in the area.

“Just like anywhere else, home prices are continually rising, and there are a lot of people moving and wanting to move into Oviedo, Orlando, or other places in Central Florida,” Michael says. “If you are considering a move into Oviedo, Orlando, or anywhere in Central Florida there is something for every price range. On the flip side of that, if you are considering a move, you may be surprised at what your house in Seminole, Orange, Lake, and surrounding counties could sell for, even if it’s been just a few years since buying your home.”

When it comes to listing houses, Michael understands that pricing and presentation are two of the most critical factors in getting an ideal offer in a suitable time frame. He works with clients to create a detailed analysis of their best comparable sales and offers reasonable suggestions of small improvements or tweaks that can be done to improve the appeal of the home.

After coming together on a price, Michael delivers a presentation and presence that garners interest for showings of the home.

“I take a lot of pride in my attention to detail and putting together a beautiful listing for my sellers,” Michael says. “Then, ultimately, I enjoy getting them to the closing table with terms they are happy with.”

Michael also does real estate auctions of homes, farms and commercial property. He said there is no property either too small or too big he won’t do.

He feels the local area is a good one for traditional real estate sales and investing. Michael said it’s a fun business because “there is always something different.” He looks forward to using his real estate experience to help move properties.

Michael honed his customer service skills in the door to door sales world before channeling that experience into real estate. With more than 10 years of high-level customer service experience, he’s a great resource for any current or future homeowner.

There were many challenges that made him think twice about striking out on his own! When he ventured out on my own he was about 25 years old. So he had to get over the stigma of being young and clients thinking that he was inexperienced and not well educated. This is one of the reasons he worked very hard to earn professional designations right out of college.

Another challenge he overcame was the transition from the military to entrepreneurship.  While in the military there was a sense of financial security because those checks were going to be deposited every month on the 1st and the 15th. As an entrepreneur, it was a major adjustment to a career where if you do not make a sale your family does not eat.

After he decided to get out of door to door sales, Michael pursued his life and health license, but quickly learned that was not his dream career path.

“Both of those experiences combined gave me the confidence and ability to jump into real estate with both feet,” he says.

“I truly care about the people I work for and believe in providing a professional and personable experience,” Michael adds. “If you’re ever deciding between agents or if you don’t have an agent and you are not sure who to call or where to get started, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet and see what your goals are. The agent you choose to work with matters.  Give me a chance to earn your trust and business.”

If you’re in the market to buy or sell a home, contact Michael Carroll today at 321-420-3131 or email info@mjcfinancialgroup.com . You can also receive a free market analysis on the MJC Financial Group Real Estate team website (www.mjcfinancialgroup.com).

Buyer Squeeze Page

http://mjcfinancialgroup.orlando.larosarealty.com/index.php?types[]=1&areas[]=city%3AOrlando&fbts=7848964&beds=0&baths=0&min=0&max=30000000&map=0&options[]=newconstruction&sortby=listings.listingdate+DESC&quick=1&ppc=&agency_photos=4

Is your business ready to open a new location?

There are many factors that can determine whether or not your small business is ready to expand with a new location. One is simple supply and demand. When a business turns the corner and begins consistently receiving more customer requests than it can accommodate, it could be a sign that expansion is needed, especially when a high percentage of these requests are not coming from a close proximity of the current location.

However, there are several things to consider before expanding:

How strong are your recruiting, hiring, and training processes? Typically, members of the current staff will need to move over to the new location, whether temporarily or long-term, to get things up and running with a solid foundation, as well as train additional employees. Ideally, this process should be underway before the new location opens (preferably with the training done at the initial location) so that a competent staff is already in place from day one. The primary focus at the new location upon opening should be to immediately begin generating revenue, not to hire and train a start up team. 

Secondly, are there efficient, duplicable systems in place at the current location that can be easily transferred over to the new location? One reason why large chains and franchises, such as McDonald's, are able to seamlessly open new locations is that they have rock solid, standardized business methods and practices. Staff members at the new location shouldn't have to "reinvent the wheel" or create new business structure (short of minor adjustments due to market research and demographics as done by management). Again, the primary focus at the new location should be to generate revenue, not to come up with a new action plan.

Also, who will manage the new location? Will the current manager bounce between the two? In order to be most effective, the new location needs strong, experienced full-time management onsite that can figuratively take ownership of the location. Seasoned employees who have been trained and promoted from within are always great candidates for this role (i.e. an assistant manager at the current location), as these individuals will already be accustomed to the systems and procedures that are already in place. This person should show that he or she can successfully manage the existing location for an extended period of time before any expansion begins.

To take a deep dive into what it will take to expand your small business, let's talk! Contact me here.  

Cory Collins

President/CEO
Ample Opportunity, Inc

What Business Should I Start?

As an entrepreneur and networker, I constantly meet aspiring business owners, or "wantrepreneurs". I'm always curious to know why they want to start a business. I ask them if it's because they're really good at something and they want to turn that into a business in order to monetize it, or do they not know what type of business they want to start, but they just love the idea of entrepreneurship in general. It's surprising to me how many people aspire to be a business owner, but are not sure about what type of business it should be.

My advice is to start a business based on two key factors: 

1. A problem exists where there is a huge need for your business's products or services.
2. You have complete competence and expertise in whatever the business entails.

I see a ton of business owners spin their wheels, or fail entirely, because only one or neither of those two factors were considered. Some start a business doing what they are really good at or care about, but there isn't a great enough demand for their product or service in order to sustain a full-time business. Others start a business doing something that they have no real training or experience in, but they feel that it's a "happening" industry or a quick and easy path to success or financial gain. While it's not impossible for either of these approaches to work, it's not the most feasible way to go about starting a business.

For example, I'm able to successfully train people on sales as well as leadership because 1) there is a great need for this service, and 2) I had years of experience in those roles prior to becoming a business owner.

So before you start that business, ask yourself:

A) Is there a real and sustainable need for what you're offering, or is it simply something that you're personally passionate about or interested in? Will that interest apply to a large target audience? 

Do your market and demographics research. There may not be a sufficient enough need for your product or service in your immediate area, but there may be a greater need in another area, city or state. It could be a realistic opportunity for you to relocate, as many entrepreneurs do. Also, if your product or service can be offered online or remotely, then it's probably feasible to move forward with your business idea from where you're already located.

B) Do you have adequate experience or skill in that field, or at least the capacity to get fully trained or educated on it?

If you don't have the experience but are able to get the proper training, make sure that you don't just learn it well enough to perform it. Instead, learn it well enough to teach it. There's a huge difference in the levels of mastery between the two. Even if you don't actually have to teach it, that's how thorough your understanding of it needs to be.

To take a deep dive into coming up with a great business idea or for help moving your current idea along more efficiently, let's talk! Contact me here.

Cory Collins
President/CEO
Ample Opportunity, Inc

Beyond

You're invited to come out and support our very own office administrator Samantha in "Beyond."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7TnRQbJsH4


Beyond brings to light the sobering reality of the decisions we make on a daily basis and the consequences that follow. You will laugh, cry and rejoice as you experience this thrilling ride through dance, song and live-action.

Friday, October 25 and Saturday 26.
5515 West Irlo Bronson HWY 192
Kissimmee, Florida 34746

Get your tickets today for only $5!

Historic day here at Ample Opportunity!

Big ups to Isaiah for landing our very first account with one of our two brand new clients, Medical Arts Press!

 

Congrats Isaiah, and enjoy your $25 gift card!

Training Directly from the Company President!

 

Yes, that's right! 

Get trained directly by the company president! 

Who else does that???

Ample Opportunity, Inc is aggressively seeking a talented, enthusiastic, self-motivated candidate searching for an opportunity to quickly work their way from entry level sales into an account management position to oversee campaigns for our clients and manage a staff of 15+ employees.



Our field of expertise is executing customer acquisition campaigns for large, service based corporations. We are not an employment or temp agency. We are an outsourced sales and marketing team. Our clients need us to communicate with their existing and prospective business customers since their telemarketing and direct mail channels are struggling. We provide the human interaction our clients so desperately need.



Being that our biggest investment is our people, we pride ourselves on offering:

• Strong compensation packages
  
• Weekly pay + commissions, performance incentives and weekly bonuses
  
• Additional weekly bonuses available after only 6 weeks of employment
  
• Medical benefits  
  
• Hands on, daily, one on one training from our company president himself. Read his bio:

http://www.ample-opportunity.com/Meet_the_President.html

"Cory Collins has been an exceptional employer. He is a great leader, trainer and mentor. While working at Ample Opportunity I learned how to train, interview, strengthen and develop my team members. Cory taught me these skills. He has more patience than anyone I know. He keeps focused on the goal at hand. It has been my privilege to have worked for Cory!"

-Sarah Benetti

"When it comes to learning and growing yourself, there is no better place than with Cory at Ample Opportunity. He does everything in his power between him and his team to make sure he helps everyone out in growing themselves personally and professionally. You can not ask for anyone who would be able to help you grow in today's marketplace. I can not put into words the opportunity Cory gave me in his company and will be forever grateful."

-Daniel Damatov

With a strict no-seniority policy in place, our company strongly believes in developing and promoting our people from within into the future leaders of our organization.  All candidates will start off in sales and marketing. Those who excel will have an opportunity to learn all aspects of our business from the ground up.

• Developing Sales Strategies and Techniques
  
• Overseeing Campaign Development 
  
• Managing Sales Team
  
• Managing Client Relations
  
• Human Resources
  
• Administration

What We Look for in a Candidate:

• Ability and Willingness to Work in Teams
  
• Ability to Work Well Without Direct Supervision
  
• Verbal Sales Presentation Skills
  
• Available for Full-Time Hours (Mon - Fri)
  
• Demonstrated Leadership Abilities
  
• Minimum 1 year experience in sales, sales & marketing, public relations, advertising or customer service
  
• You must be FUN to be around! See how our team likes to do it: 

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/ampleopportunity/

https://www.facebook.com/ampleopportunity

Majors Preferred (but not limited to):

• Business Administration
  
• Business Management
  
• Mass Communications
  
• Public Relations
  
• Advertising
  
• Hospitality Administration
  
• Hospitality Management
  
• Speech Communications
  
• General Business
  
• Management
  
• Psychology

Ample Opportunity, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug free workplace with Pre-Employment Screening and Background Checks.

http://www.ample-opportunity.com/