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We recently started Make-it-Fly®
Advisory Board #56 in Denver. The
first Advisory Board outside the Denver area was
also launched in Grand Junction by Flight Instructor
John Jessup.
At this time of year, it’s fun to listen as
clients share their 2008 goals with one another. Many
had met and surpassed goals they set for last year! We
encourage business owners to set goals in all areas of life. One
of Dave’s 2008 goals involves a six-week Healthy by
Design program he just started, to make good nutrition and
lifestyle changes.
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We are blessed to have an outstanding array of business people
in our network, and have enjoyed using many of their services.
Sometimes, it’s a challenge to find a good service provider.
If you’re looking for a service, check out the Make-it-Fly
Small Business Directory. And if you’re not already
listed there, sign up* now!
Dave and Victoria
*Non-Make-it-Flyers will be asked
to provide three references and we’ll check them out.
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| David
Veal
American Throttle, Inc.
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| Apparently,
running just one business wasn’t enough for David Veal.
His first, Veal Creative, got off the ground in 2004, but he started
developing a concept for another company the year before. That business
became American Throttle, Inc.,
a novelty company that builds games and products for the motorcycling
community. |
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At the beginning, David utilized focus groups, and the artwork
for the project was finished in a month. “We filed in 2006
after we had our patent and trademark protection,” he says.
“I think we were amazed at how long it takes to get a project
like this off the ground.”
American Throttle’s first product is a trivia, poker run
board game called American Throttle, The Game. “You start
in Seattle,” David says. “You circle the country answering
trivia questions, pick up a poker hand and get to know each other
better. So far we have had great reviews.”
Q: What do you find most fulfilling
about running your business?
DV: My business
partner, Steve Schader, and I are graphic designers and illustrators,
so now we are learning how to produce and sell our products. I’m
loving the learning end of this business. I also have enjoyed
the opposite skill sets Steve and I have used to get this far
in the business.
Q: What motivated you to start
this business?
DV: I was sitting
on my couch at home, watching one of the motorcycle build shows
for the hundredth time, and realized I was really enjoying the
art and engineering. But I wanted to know more. I looked for a
trivia game, along with other things. I found a niche that night
and called Steve the next day. Since then our mutual collaborative
efforts have guided us through.
My background is in business, marketing and graphics. Steve brings
in the graphics (all the art and art direction is his) and over
20 years of riding. I’m new to riding, and so far I have
really enjoyed it.
Q: What book has been most helpful
to you in your business?
DV: The Power of Focus
was the best, hands down. I buy it for people. I really think
it is effective for those who need less clutter in their life.
Q: Who has influenced you most
in your life?
DV: My father. From visits
to his offices to touring the country, to instilling lessons of
life, he is the number one influence.
Q: What has proved to be your most
successful marketing strategy?
DV: Everything dies in a
vacuum, so I try to reach out to others who I feel can prosper
by our collaborative work.
Q: What have been the greatest
challenges you have had to overcome, or are currently facing,
in your business?
DV: Running two businesses
is tough. Balancing life away from the studio is tough.
Q: How did you benefit/are you
benefiting from participating in a Make-it-Fly®
program?
DV: I have found a great
deal of refocusing and gathering my thoughts happens around the
meetings. I try to reach my objectives, and my accountability
partner is essential in that.
Q: What would you say to other
business owners who are contemplating getting involved in a Make-it-Fly®
program?
DV: Like
anyone who has taken it, and as one who has been in the alumni
for more than a year, I would say do it. You have a lot
to gain, nothing to lose. If you take it seriously, you will learn
to set goals, and you will reach them with the support Make-it-Fly®
offers.
David Veal can be reached by phone
at: 303-756-2527. Or visit his website at: www.americanthrottle.com.
Forward
this email to a friend. |
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|
 Dave’s
Networking Tip:
Make
sure you fish in the right ponds.
Do you need some kind of expert help? Are you seeking
contacts or information in specific areas? Think about
where you’re likely to find these people—what
associations do they belong to? What events might they
attend? Who do you know who might know or work with these
folks? Figure out where you’ll find them, and make
a plan now to connect with them. |
|
 Stir
Up Your Entrepreneurial Passion
Ten
Easy Tips
By Victoria Munro
You may bound out of bed each morning ecstatic at the prospect
of working another day in your business. But there may also be
times when your entrepreneurial zeal begins to wane and you just
coast along, going through the motions. The long hours, erratic
cash flow and wearing all those hats can wear you down.
Below are ten easy tips to renew
your business passion and keep you energized:
| 1. |
Contemplate
why you started the business. Revisit your
core
values—the ‘non-negotiables’ most important
to you, and then do what you can to realign your activities
with those values. |
| 2. |
Keep
your vision and your goals clearly before you.
Visualize where you want to take the business. Use all your
senses. Ask yourself, what will it look like when I get there?
How will I feel? What will I be doing each day? |
| 3. |
Invest
in your education. Keep learning: attend seminars,
study business books and read biographies of other successful
entrepreneurs, such as Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks
Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz and
Dori Jones Yang. |
| 4. |
Make
a list of all the things you enjoy and are good at.
Is there a way you can spend more time on these? |
| 5. |
Brainstorm
something new you can create for the business. |
| 6. |
Spend
time with positive people. Allow no negative
self-talk, and no whining, ever! Consider reading Little
Gold Book of YES! Attitude by Jeffrey Gitomer. |
| 7. |
Take
good care of the boss—you! |
| 8. |
Hire
a coach or mentor. |
| 9. |
Don’t
fly solo! Surround yourself with like-minded
people. Join a Small
Business Advisory Board. |
| 10. |
Commit
to the long haul and get busy doing what you
know you need to do next in the business. |
Use these tips to stir up your passion for business. You’ll
begin to see problems as possibilities and difficulties as opportunities
to learn and grow. Most importantly,
you’ll enjoy the daily challenges of growing your business.
Click
here for the printable version.
Click
here to give us your feedback and ideas.
Answering and discussing the above questions works well for us.
What kind of planning have you found helpful? We’ll
share your ideas with our readers.
Click
here to read more articles like this one.
Forward
this email to a friend.
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|
Victoria’s
Marketing Advice
Always Qualify
Your Leads
Quality, not quantity, is key when it
comes to finding the right clients. Aim to qualify potential
clients when you first talk to them. Make a list of questions
you will ask before spending too much time or agreeing
to work with them. |
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|
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bring your website to LIFE
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Whether your needs
are Online Video, Online Publications, eLearning,
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AD? THEN WHY NOT PUT YOURS HERE TOO? The In-Flight
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small-biz owners, consultants and marketers. Reserve
your advertising spot today in the next In-Flight Refueling
Ezine,
http://www.make-it-fly.com/ezineads.html.
Paid Advertising Disclaimer: Make-it-Fly®
LLC does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability
of any of the paid advertisements above or the quality of any
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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
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:
- Mondays - March 3, April 7, May 5, 2008
- Fridays - May 2, June 6, July 11, 2008
- Thursdays - July 31, August 28, September 25, 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, February 28, 2008
Time: 4:30 to
7 p.m.
Location: Maloney's Tavern,
1432 Market Street, Denver.
Click
here for details and special parking arrangements.
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Click
here to read previous issues of Make-it-Fly®'s
email newsletters.
Contact
Make-it-Fly® - Dave and Victoria:
email: info@make-it-fly.com
voice: 720-962-8888
web: www.Make-it-Fly.com
Reprint
Permission:
Please email or call Victoria if you'd like to reprint any information
contained in this newsletter. Thanks! © Copyright 2008. All
rights reserved.
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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
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