Business success is about who you know and, more importantly, who knows YOU!

Planning, strategy, marketing, visibility, and innovation are the unnoticed engines that drive success; it’s relationships that make the real difference.

Why Business Relationships Matter

What was the last big opportunity that you experienced in your business? Was it an outreach that led to a business partnership? Was it a referral? A past client calling to ask to do business with you again? Or did a random connection introduce you to a fantastic opportunity? For most business owners, the most significant successes result from business relationships – not random chance.

Strong relationships open doors to:

• Referrals and WOM (Word of Mouth) marketing.
• Trust and credibility in you and your business.
• A supportive network.
• Collaboration and affiliations
• Opportunities for expanded business.

When you focus on building meaningful relationships, you aren’t just growing your contact list – you are creating an ecosystem of support and connections.

Key Ingredients for Strong Business Connection

Authenticity. You know the mantra: “People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” Show a real and genuine interest in others. 

Consistency. A one-time conversation at a networking event isn’t enough to build a relationship. The best business connections are a result of follow-up and staying in touch. 

Reciprocity. Share helpful resources, make introductions, support the work of others, and be generous in the giving. Asking before giving is a sure way to stop connections from happening!

Active Listening. Listen more than you talk. Learn to ask thoughtful questions and show that you value what others have to say.

Intentional Connections. Strong networks are built on connections with people who align with your values, complement your skills, and serve with .

A business card doesn’t equal a relationship! It takes intention and attention to convert contacts into connections.

• Follow up. Make it your practice to send a message mentioning something about your conversation.
• Stay in Touch. Be aware of the ways that you can engage. Whether it’s on social media or an invitation to meet for coffee or event, you need to take ownership to deepen your connections.
• BE a Connector. Look for opportunities to make introductions. When you bring value to your business relationships, your connections will reciprocate.

Reach out to someone in your network and ask if you can support them, celebrate a win with them, or simply reconnect. The ripple effects of this action can be transformative.  

If you’re up to the task, here’s my challenge to you: Build ONE Stronger Connection this week!

If you’re eager for MORE ways to create connections and attract clients..

Consider joining my Facebook group, Networking Ninjas, where we take networking seriously!

The post Connections Drive Success first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Would you be surprised to know that if you set more challenging and very specific goals, you are more likely to achieve them than if you set easily accomplished goals? Uncanny, right?

Goal setting is often considered a throw-away exercise, however, when given thought and appropriate deep work, it can be the difference between success and wishful thinking. It takes courage to declare challenging goals and do the work to achieve them. So, real and effective goal setting isn’t for the faint of heart!

You would think that easier goals would produce better performance But… research says otherwise.Here are a few other goal-setting facts that you’ll enjoy:

• 48% of successful goal-setters report that they always write down their goals.
• A whopping 90% of the time higher performance is a result of setting specific and challenging goals.
• 80% of adults in the United States set personal health or fitness goals. I couldn’t find statistics that indicate whether or not these goals are reached. 
   

The four stages of goal setting are as follows:

1. Preparation
Preparation is the foundation for successful goal setting. This stage involves self-reflection and understanding the “why” behind your goals. Begin by evaluating your current situation: where you are now and where do you want to be? 

To properly prepare:

• Assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis).
• Identify what motivates you and what challenges could stand in your way.
• Gain clarity on your core values and align them with your goals.
• Ensure your goals are meaningful and relevant to your long-term vision.
• This is also the time to gather necessary resources, knowledge, or tools you’ll need for success. Think of it as clearing the runway before takeoff.

2. Goal Setting
Once you’re clear on your purpose, it’s time to define your goals. This step turns your vision into something concrete and actionable. The key here is to make your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. 

During this phase, consider:

• Write down your goals to solidify commitment.
• Break larger goals into smaller, more manageable milestones.
• Make sure your goals are challenging enough to inspire growth, but realistic enough to be achievable.
• Visualize the desired outcome to create emotional connection and motivation. 
   

3. Planning
After defining your goals, the next step is to create a detailed roadmap for achieving them. A good plan serves as your guide, helping you stay on track and adjust course when necessary. Incorporating tools like calendars, task management apps, or accountability systems will enhance this process. 

To effectively plan:

• Outline specific actions or steps required for each goal.
• Assign deadlines to each milestone to maintain momentum.
• Anticipate potential obstacles and plan strategies to overcome them.
• Prioritize tasks to focus on what matters most.
   

4. Follow-Up
Follow-up is the critical, often overlooked phase that ensures your goals stay alive. Consistent follow-up builds momentum and ensures that your goals remain a priority rather than fading into the background.

This step includes:

• A regular review of progress to celebrate wins and identify areas for improvement.
• Adjustment of your plan or goals as circumstances evolve. Flexibility is essential for long-term success.
• Seeking accountability through mentors, peers, or groups to stay motivated and focused.
• Reflection on lessons learned from successes and setbacks to refine your approach.

While all of that may be challenging… Joining one of my MasterClasses on Business and Self Promotion is EASY! 

You’ll learn how to show up so you are really seen by potential clients. Once you are visible, you’ll need a strategy to convert that visibility into clients! Then you’ll make the magic happen.  

Register here at the following link: https://my.lanebc.com/boyb-selfpromotion

The post Goal Setting – It’s Not For the Faint! first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

As a business owner or entrepreneur, most likely, you’ve set countless goals—some you’ve crushed, others you didn’t quite hit. 

But here’s a thought: Did those goals have vision?

Simon Sinek says, “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” 

Vision gives your goals that passion. Without a clear sense of why you’re working toward something, even the most ambitious plans can feel like an uphill battle.

This month, we’re diving deep into goal setting and vision at the Master Class on January 28th (4:00 pm EST). It’s not your usual “S.M.A.R.T. goals” talk—we’re flipping the script. 

Here’s a taste of what we’ll explore:

• How to tap into your growth mindset (inspired by Carol Dweck) to redefine success.
• Why starting with your “why” (thank you, Simon Sinek!) turns ordinary goals into unstoppable missions.
• Practical tools and handouts to align your goals with your unique vision.

Want to feel energized and clear about your next steps? Join us for a conversation that could completely reshape the way you approach your year—and your business.

Save your spot now and invest in your vision.

Register for the Master Class Here

The post Do Your Goals Have Vision? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

When you think about the “North Star” for your business, you would be referring to your business vision. This is the guiding influence or inspiration for you as you build your business.

The term “North Star” refers to Polaris, which has been used for navigation for centuries because it is fixed in the night sky. The north star symbolizes a constant reference point that helps you find your way. In other words, it serves as a GPS for your business.

Your vision statement is more than a sentence—it’s the guiding light for your business. It communicates where you’re headed and why you’re in business, serving as inspiration for you and your customers.

Take a moment to ask yourself: 

• Where do I see my business in 1, 3 or 5 years?
• What actions will I take to get there?
• What impact do I want to create?

For example, a bakery’s vision might be: “To bring joy to local families through handcrafted, sustainable, and delicious baked goods.” A well-crafted vision statement helps you make decisions, stay focused, and keep your team aligned. When challenges arise, revisiting your vision can remind you of the bigger picture and reignite your passion. 

As you move through 2025, make sure that every goal and initiative you pursue aligns with your North Star.  

And while you are at it- Join my Facebook Group: Networking Ninjas | Facebook where we take networking seriously!

The post The North Star of Your Business first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Are you feeling that “ I should” pressure to dive into resolutions, goals, or intentions because it’s a new year?

Everywhere you look, there’s this unspoken expectation: If you don’t set big goals, you can’t be serious about achieving anything this year! Maybe that’s why you didn’t overachieve last year? Guilt! Guilt! Guilt!

January has become the month of BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals)—the time to dream BIG, pile on the ambitions, and declare: This is my year! In a very loud voice! Blogs, articles, and posts bombard you with a familiar subtext: You’ve been slacking off, and now it’s time to step up. Put on those “big boy” or “big girl” pants, and let’s hustle. Rah! Rah! Rah!

Here’s the reality: You’re not going to wake up an hour earlier every day just because it’s January 1st, nor will you magically become hyper-organized if you’ve spent the past two decades drowning in chaos. So… what if you take a different approach this year?

Instead of forcing and squeezing yourself into someone else’s vision of success, take some time to explore what truly energizes you. What lights you up? What goals align with your authentic self—not the version you think you should be?

Stop trying to follow someone else’s map. Create your own. Follow your GPS.

If you’re ready to break free from the guilt and the “I shoulds,” I’ve got something for you: 5 Action Steps to Activate Your Inner Wisdom and design a plan that works for you. No pressure. No guilt. Just clarity.

Send me a message with “2025” to get your copy and start the year your way. Sound good?

Make Every Day a Great Day…Because You Can!

The post Feeling the Pressure to Set Goals? first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Let’s take a look at the art of saying, “no” gracefully and pleasantly.

Why “NO” Matters

When you say, “no”, you set clear boundaries and limitations. You are paying attention to balance and are preventing burnout from over commitment and safeguarding both your mental and physical health.

NO is creating space for what truly matters to you.

Your Time and Energy

When you say, “yes”, you are gifting your time and energy to the request. This is time and energy that you won’t have available for activities that align with your goals and aspirations.

NO avoids unnecessary commitments and allows you to to spend your time effectively.

Strategies for Saying, “NO”

Clarify:

What are your priorities? If you don’t know, then requests will always prompt a “yes”! if the opportunity  is a contribution to your personal and professional growth, then the positive answer is appropriate. If not, then knowing how to decline is essential.

Empathic Communication:

When saying, “no”, it’s important to communicate understanding and compassion. Express gratitude for the opportunity and give your decision in a clear, concise and respectful way. You might consider suggesting others who might be better suited for the activity.

Assertiveness:

This is the most difficult part of the Science of “no”. Speak your “no” with confidence and speak with a firm voice. Avoid apologies or over-explaining your decision as this behavior invites coaxing you to change your response to “yes”. Remember, you have the right to decline requests.

Offer A Compromise:

Should you sincerely want to help but can’t fully commit, offer a negotiation of an alternative time or less involvement that might work.

Experience:

Like all skills, the more you practice, the better you get. Reflect on the outcomes of your decisions. Have you respected your boundaries? Adjust accordingly. Learning to say “no” is powerful. It allows you to prioritize self-care and enables you to invest your time and energy in your own interests and goals.

“When you say, “yes” to others, make sure you are not saying, “no” to yourself.”

Paulo Coelho

Join me for Coffee with the Coach  – a series of free, virtual mini-seminars on the topic of Effective Communication.  Can you think of any aspect of your business that doesn’t require communication?

Register here:  https://my.lanebc.com/coffee-with-the-coach

The post Learn to Say “NO” With Confidence first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

Here are some common communication mistakes that business owners make. They are easily preventable.

The Jargon Jungle:

Image that you are in a meeting and the speaker is dropping acronyms left and right. As you look around, you see puzzled faces around the conference table. Oh no! The speaker is drowning the audience in a sea of industry jargon. The overuse of such jargon serves to alienate your audience rather than engage them.

Promise yourself to use simple language. If you must use an acronym, tell people what it stands for.

The Mic Monopolizer:

Loving the sound of your own voice, eh? Communication is a two-way street, and dominating the conversation will not endear you to your listeners. Listen actively. Encourage others to speak, share ideas, and voice concerns. Set the stage for lively dialogue and watch the magic of Effective Communication happen.

The Silent Star:

Do you ghost your customers and colleagues? Ghosting refers to the vanishing act that some business owners employ. They don’t respond to emails or text messages, skip meetings, are unreachable, and appear to vanish into thin air. This sends a dreadful message. Timely responses are key. Be responsive. It’s important.

The Word Salad:

Have you ever received an email or memo that was so convoluted and filled with excessive verbiage and ambiguous clauses that you were confused and frustrated? The answer here is: keep it simple, clear, and concise. Make the point. There’s no need to drown the reader in a linguistic shower.

The Non-Verbals:

Words are important, but non-verbal cues are even more critical for effective Communication. Body language, facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice speak volumes. It’s true that actions speak louder than words!

Communication is the heart and soul of your business. Avoid these common mistakes to develop your communication skills. Make every conversation count.

Join me for Coffee with the Coach ~ a series of free, virtual mini-seminars on the topic of Effective Communication. Can you think of anything in your business that doesn’t require Communication?

Register here: https://my.lanebc.com/coffee-with-the-coach

The post How to Avoid Business Communication Blunders first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

There are many myths out there about what networking is all about. And, we’ll bust through one of the biggest myths and suggest another concept.

Networking Myth: Networking is Time Consuming.

I hear this frequently as I interact with my clients and potential clients. I agree, networkingcancertainly be time consuming when it is done the way some business owners approach this important business activity – but it doesn’t have to be.

If there happened to be a “who can attend the most networking events in a given week contest”, I definitely would not win.

However, I would often win the most “strategic networking” contest.

The quantity of networking meetings isn’t what the game is about.  It’s about the quality of the relationships that you build. If you take care to plan your business marketing and customer flow, then you will approach your networking activities verydifferently.

Don’t get fooled into thinking that the business owner who shows up at the most networking events wins! Good networking requires some strategic thinking about your target market. Who is your ideal customer? And, the answer isn’t everyone with a wallet!

When there is no definition of a target market and no marketing plan, then it’s true that networking takes up lots of time. And, it’s time that isn’t really revenue generating. When I observe business owners showing up at several networking breakfasts, lunches and mixers every week, I know with certainty that their networking isn’t working – and I can prove it!

If networking is just a social activity, then it’s working…but I guarantee it isn’t producing the kind of revenue that focused networking could be generating. If you prefer to exhaust yourself doing this sort of business busyness, be my guest. But, if you want to experience a great return on your investment of money, time and energy, then take the time to plan your My book Business-Building Referrals is available here.

Did you know???

Ben and Jerry became fast friends after meeting in a grade school gym class, They went to different colleges and reunited after college as roommates. Jerry was a lab technician and Ben taught pottery classes to disturbed youth. Because they wanted more fun than either of their current jobs were providing, they initially decided on the idea of opening a bagel shop. This idea lasted until they learned how much initial outlay it would require to purchase the bagel-making equipment. Their next idea was ice cream. They took a $5 course on ice cream making, and opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington, VT–one of the few college towns without an ice cream parlor already. I grew up in Burlington, VT and Ben and Jerry’s was a favorite and fun destination spot!

The post Does Networking Work? Discover a Truth about Networking in this Article. first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.

“Attention is devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and to honoring the people who serve and support customers with the highest degree of care and professionalism.”

How amazing is that?! Congress recognized that without caring employees who provide excellent service, businesses would suffer. While I think that a more appropriate name for the week’s observance would be “Employee Recognition Week”, it is important to acknowledge what your staff and employees contribute to your business. Even if you are a ‘solo’ business owner, there are people who contribute to your business; a bookkeeper, administrative assistant, computer guru, social media consultant, etc. Take the time to acknowledge each person’s contribution to your business and your customers. There are numerous studies that cite the power that recognition has to motivate employees. Nearly 80% of employees who quit their jobs, do so because they feel unappreciated. While they may say in an exit interview, that they are leaving because of salary or a better offer, the underlying reason is most often a lack of recognition. We all need to feel that our efforts make a difference and a contribution. If we are never acknowledged for our work, demotivation sets in and we need to get that very human need met in some way.

When staff is demoralized, how can the customer be served well? Recognition does not require a trophy or cash, it is about taking the time to verbally thank people for their contribution. A genuine “thank you” from the business owner or manager can make a huge difference in performance and productivity. Knowing how to acknowledge and thank people is a skill worth developing.

Many times, when I suggest to a client that employee acknowledgement is an important part of their work, I hear comments like, “ why should I thank them for just doing their jobs?” or “ if I recognize them too much, they will expect pats on the back all the time.” Those comments drive me to look at the turn-over statistics for the business. Acknowledgement – real and genuine acknowledgement – is a powerful employee and customer retention tool! Use it.

If you don’t know how to provide recognition that is meaningful, learn how. Say, “Thank you” and use the person’s name and be specific about what you are thanking the employee for. Write a ‘thank you’ note. Bring in lunch for the team when you want to recognize effort. Give fun awards or certificates.

Make your “thank you’s” fun for both you and your staff!

Your customers will benefit from your acknowledgement of your staff. A happier staff will mean more satisfied and served customers.

The post Customer Service… It’s About “Thank You” first appeared on Lane Business Consulting.