One Step At A Time For Youth Mental Health

I grow more proud every day!

Back before these two boys had even taken their first steps, I thought, "What kind of adults will they grow into?"  Would they be good people!  With this most recent example, I don't have any more concerns:

Hello Family and Friends,

As you may have heard, Andrew and I are running in a virtual race this March to raise funds in support of Youth Mental Health – the 4x4x48 race.  Starting March 5^th at 8pm, we will run 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours – a race popularized by David Goggins, an ultra-runner, motivational speaker and huge advocate for pushing your mental self out it’s comfort zone.

Below are links to our donation pages.  It is okay to NOT be okay – we are all here for each other, so reach out to your friends, family, co-workers and spread some love.

Andrew's Donation Page

Courtney's Donation Page

All proceeds raised will support youth mental health on behalf of The Maddie Project at North York General Hospital.  The Maddie Project is a community effort in support of youth struggling with depression and other mental health related concerns.

Thank you for your support!

One love,

Andrew and Courtney

Over 48 hours, each of them ran 4 miles every 4 hours.  Through two nights and in rain and cold.  At the end they had each ran 48 miles.  

Exhausted!  Satisfied! There were no crowds to celebrate their finish.  Just family!

In the end they raised a combined total of over $5,800 for the Maddie Project to support Youth Mental Health.

I could not be more proud!

One Love!

Chris

 

12 Tips for Running Your Business

Running your own business is hard.  Ask anyone who has made it past the first 5 years.  My long-time friend, Gordon West, owner of Strongbar Industries attests to that.  Over his 30+ years as the second generation owner/operator of the family business he has seen more than his share of crazy:  From banks making irrational demands, through multiple recessions to COVID.  Through it all he has continued looking forward.

Gordon has spoken to students in my class at George Brown College a few times.  These students are learning how to start their own small business.  Hearing from successful business owners such as Gordon really helps put the 'real' into 'reality'.  He gave his OK with me sharing them and so today, here are Gordon's 12 tips for running your own business:

1. Know your numbers. Cashflow is the heart of every business. Keep your eye on these metrics:
• Money in/Money out
• Inventory balance and Turn:  You need to know what sells and how many times you turn over your inventory
• Profitability:  Are you making a profit or are you discounting yourself to death
• Profit margins:  Are you making enough to cover all your costs with something left over for yourself
2. Do what you like;  Hire what you don't.  You got into business because you were passionate about something.  As a business owner you are responsible for things beyond that. You need to understand those things but you should hire expertise for those things that take time away from the things that grow your business
3. Get a Business Coach/Mentor. Be accountable to someone other than yourself.  It's easy to slip.  A business coach helps you navigate the tough times and celebrate the good times.
4. Never stop learning!  Read up on your industry, the economy, business trends. Especially keep up on technology...it evolves fast!
5. Be the leader.  If you have employees, they look to you for direction.  Be decisive and direct.  
6. Be your brand! You are your brand and you need to communicate that everywhere and all the time. In email, be grammatically correct and write in complete sentences.  Dress professionally, especially in front of customers. 
7. Be on time! Follow this rule: 10 minutes early is on time;  On time is late!
8. Don't waste time!  Especially on social media and email notifications
9. Keep a record of every verbal communication. Write everything down.  It keeps others honest.
10. Have a succession plan.  Be ready for un-foreseen occurrences. Buy life insurance;  Have a Will and Power of Attorney.
11. Prepare for the unexpected.  Think about the 'what if' scenarios'.  The Cashflow can be a simple and useful analysis tool when looking at various revenue situations. 
12. Visit your bank in person.  Get to know the people;  let them get to know you.  

Thanks Gordon for sharing these with my students.  They are richer for it!

Until next time...

Chris

Google My Business: Ground Zero for Online Marketing

Ground Zero, the foundation for every business that wants to be found online is Google My Business.  It's the first thing I recommend to all starting-up business owners.  There are a lot of online tutorials for how to access your My Business listing page but basically once you are logged into your Google Account, search for the 'My Business' icon and you'll be directed to your main page.  From there, it is relatively straightforward to follow each of the steps to completely and accurately set up your My Business page.

From your My Business page, your Google Reviews are visible and accessible.  Your online reputation matters.  Both to the search engines and to real people.  Ask for reviews and respond to them right from your My Business Page.

Build up your content two ways on your My Business page.  First, upload photos and videos.  They can be of anything related to your business.  The more content you post, the more of an authority you become and again that benefits both your customers and the search engines.

Second, you can create posts.  Like blog posts, you can share your opinion on various topics related to your business.  Take advantage of this feature with regular updates.

There are other valuable features available and as you gain experience, you'll learn how to take advantage of them.  For more on Google My Business, here's an informative infographic:

Until next time...

Chris Morales

3 Social Media Predictions for 2021

I love predictions!  Here are 3 for Social Media in 2021...I'll check back February 2022:

1. People will continue to spend more time with their devices
2. Trust will be hard to come by
3. Reach and engagement will be an uphill battle

Until next time...

Chris Morales