Feature Article: Avoid Common Entrepreneurial Pitfalls

Business Owner in the Spotlight
Connie Shadley
ProFlex Solutions, LLC

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After a full and exciting week training our first Make-it-Fly® Flight Instructors, we took off for a weekend in the mountains. Typical in Colorado—we enjoyed a balmy, sunny fall day and woke up next morning to a snowstorm! It’s always refreshing to get away and spend time together—whether hiking or snuggled by an open fire—to talk, reflect on what we’re learning and review future plans.

We just enjoyed a very fun, super high-energy weekend with Victoria’s five-year-old granddaughter, Claire—cooking classes for kids at the local Whole Foods Market, visiting the library, shopping and playing endless imagination games.

We trust you’re also taking time with friends and family as you work in and on your business!

Our very best regards,

Dave and Victoria

Connie Shadley
ProFlex Solutions, LLC

Like many entrepreneurs, Connie Shadley made a decision to have a better, more balanced life when she left her corporate Human Resources position. During her career, Connie has worked in all areas of Human Resources, including legal compliance, recruiting, compensation, performance management, training and benefits. She has also trained and facilitated Human Resource and Leadership Development programs in a wide range of topics.

In the fall of 2001, she launched her consulting business, ProFlex Solutions. “I’ve worked in a variety of industries, from start-ups and small business to mature organizations,” she says. Her experience includes corporate roles developing Human Resource programs as well as working in the field providing practical hands-on solutions and guidance to her clients. “I pride myself on building strong working relationships with a variety of individuals at all levels within the organization,” she says.

ProFlex Solutions, LLC provides businesses a strong line of defense against risks related to decisions they make regarding their employees. “We offer smaller businesses access to HR experts to guide and assist them through the complexities of Human Resources compliance, effective hiring, managing employee performance and dealing with difficult employee situations including terminations,” she says. “Making the right decisions can help a business improve productivity and positively affect the bottom line of the business.”

Q: What do you find most fulfilling about running your business?
CS: Creating opportunities to partner with growing and energized businesses is extremely rewarding. When a business successfully conveys to their client that their relationship is much more than a transaction, then repeat business and referrals easily follow. Facilitating an expression of appreciation or particular sentiment in a creative and positive way is great fun!

Q: What motivated you to start this business?
CS: I have a Masters degree in HR Management and about 25 years of Human Resource, management and training experience working with small to medium size businesses. In 2001, I realized that I wanted to spend much more time with my two children and my husband, and to focus on a healthier self. So I decided to quit working full-time and open a consulting practice that would allow me to have a more flexible schedule. I didn’t just want any part-time job though; I wanted to use what I had learned over the years to help small businesses.

Q: What book has been most helpful to you in your business?
CS: It’s Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong. I’ve always been involved in sports and outside activities, and what I liked about this book was how Lance is able to focus on his long term goals by taking specific actions each day, whether it was battling cancer or winning the Tour de France. If you want to be successful, you need to be diligent about setting goals and working on the actions needed every day.

Q: Who has influenced you most in your life?
CS: My father was a risk taker, but he unfortunately had some failed businesses that severely impacted my family when I was growing up. I love that he was a risk taker, but I learned that I needed to be more conservative and patient in my approach to having a business.

Q: What has proved to be your most successful marketing strategy?
CS: Joining business groups like Make-it-Fly® and Chambers that focus on building relationships with others, and getting to know people and their business at a more in-depth level. By really getting to know people and their businesses, we understand each other more, and people are more apt to refer me to people they know. Most of my clients are a result of referrals by those I know and that know and trust me. I also attend business expos to increase my exposure to a variety of businesses either by having a booth or networking with those that have booths.

Q: What have been the greatest challenges you have had to overcome, or are currently facing, in your business?
CS: In 2005, my business moved from strictly a project based consulting company to a business that provides ongoing HR outsourcing services to smaller businesses. This was a major change in my business plan. The challenge was to determine what small businesses really needed when it came to HR services and how to price such services to make it affordable to them but still profitable to me. I conducted focus groups, talked to many business friends and many business owners to fine tune the services my business provides.

Q: How did you benefit/are you benefiting from participating in a Make-it-Fly® program?
CS: I participated in the Advisory Board 101 a couple of years ago, and at that time I had made a decision to develop a new list of services and to re-brand my company. The Advisory Board helped me to keep on track with my goals and actions, and the input from the group was so valuable. People were honest and constructive in this setting.

Q: What would you say to other business owners who are contemplating getting involved in a Make-it-Fly® program?
CS: I would certainly recommend it, but you need to be willing to commit to the process, by attending monthly meetings and meeting with other members when needed. It isn’t an overwhelming time commitment, but your participation is essential to the group and to what you will gain from the interaction with others.

Connie Shadley can be reached by phone at: 303-736-8002, or visit her website at: www.proflexsolutions.com.

Click here to check out Connie’s special offer for In-Flight Refueling readers in the Denver area.

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Avoid Common Entrepreneurial Pitfalls
Keep in Balance and Get Where You Want to Go
By Victoria Munro

Key to business and life success is defining where you want to be in the future, and then keep in balance as you move towards your target.

It’s a good idea to at least write down what you want your business (and your life) to look like three or five years from now. After all, if you’re uncertain about where you want to take your business and your life, how will you know if or when you’ve arrived? Hanging a picture, or collage of pictures, showing your business in the future makes this even more powerful.

Keeping your desired destination clearly in view like this will inspire and motivate you to move forward. It can keep you going in the tough times too. Plus, it’s fun to assess your progress along the way.

However, keeping life in balance as you move towards your dream isn’t always easy. Entrepreneurs may know this, but still struggle to keep their equilibrium. Below are some reminders of common pitfalls to avoid as you move forward:

	Having documented where you want to go, setting goals to get there can spur you steadily forward in the right direction, but keeping those goals in balance can be a challenge for entrepreneurs who love what they do. It’s important to have goals, but be careful not to set yourself up for failure with unrealistic goals.
	Allowing the business to absorb all your time and energy can result in a loss of motivation and pleasure. Make sure you re-charge by taking time out for fun with people and non-work activities you enjoy.
	Forgetting that life happens and things rarely go the way you hope they will all the time is a common hazard. Allow some wiggle room—a little extra time to complete the tasks you’ve planned to do.
	Seeing yourself as super human—working 12 hours a days, six, even seven days a week, and trying to sustain a crazy schedule is another trap that’s easy to fall into. Take care of yourself with regular exercise, a healthy diet and ample sleep and rest. Maintaining a healthy balance is good for you and your business.
	Keeping all your thoughts and mental energy focused solely on the daily needs and challenges of your business will cloud your vision of the future and drain your creativity. Plan regular time to step back and think, reflect on the ‘big picture,’ plan and make adjustments where needed.

Ask a friend to hold you accountable and help you steer clear of these familiar entrepreneurial mistakes. Stay in balance and arrive at your desired destination happy, healthy and having enjoyed the journey!

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The Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101

Each Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 program consists of 12 non-competing business owners who meet once a month for three consecutive months. In the spirit of giving, they offer each other solutions, ideas, resources and encouragement. Dave and Victoria facilitate each group and share powerful tools to assist business owners in reaching their goals and living more balanced lives.

If you have experienced a Make-it-Fly® program, please share the following openings with other business owners who need support. Call Dave for more information at 720-962-8888.

Programs are held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Current program openings in Denver:

• Fridays - January 4, February 1, March 7, 2008
• Thursdays - January 31, February 28, March 27, 2008
• Mondays - March 3, April 7, May 5, 2008

Click here to sign up for Advisory Boards.
Or call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Alumni Boards are groups of 12-14 small business owners who have participated in at least one Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and wish to continue the support and accountability with a group of like-minded, giving business associates. Members meet once a month for a three-hour meeting. If you completed the initial Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and are interested in more information on Alumni Boards, call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Make-it-Fly® Café
High altitude networking, where exceptional people help each other.

Next Café is scheduled for

Date: Thursday, December 27, 2007

Time: 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Location: Seasons Café in the DTC, located at 8101 East Belleview, in the Marina Square Center.

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Contact Make-it-Fly® - Dave and Victoria:

email: info@make-it-fly.com
voice: 720-962-8888
web: www.Make-it-Fly.com

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Make-it-Fly® LLC
720-962-8888
355 South Teller Street, Suite 200, Lakewood, CO 80235, USA
http://www.make-it-fly.com