Last Sunday, we put a post out to all of our Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin followers with an offer for our Social Media friends. One year’s subscription to Business Black Box for only $15, and the offer was good for one week—through Friday, February 5.

Thing is, we don’t make our web guys work on the weekends, which means the price hasn’t changed back yet, and you still have two more days to take advantage of this offer!

On Monday, everything goes back to normal, so click here to subscribe right away!

If you knew that by reading this article, you could reach any goal that you set, would you read it?

Reaching any goal is possible­—the key lies not in setting that goal but in the step before it, which is found in the questions, “What do you want?” and then “Why?”

So many people in sales (although this applies to every area of life) want to jump straight to putting numbers on a page: “I’m going to book this many appointments, sell this many contracts or make this much money.” They set some tangible goal. But these goals become nothing more than numbers on a page unless they become internalized. Each person needs to consider what it would mean to reach them and why reaching them is important.

In planning your goals for 2010 and beyond, you need to start with the “What?” and “Why?”

So, first, ask yourself: “What do I want?”

You may remember reading a poll asking the American people “What do you want?” The number one answer? “I don’t know.” Number two? “To be happy.” And number three? “Money.”
So what’s your answer? Do you truly know what you want?

Consider your definition of happiness. What is your definition of “enough” money? If you don’t set a goal that reflects what you truly want, you’ll always strive for more, which can ultimately leads to burnout, addiction or worse.

But even once you know what you want, you’re still not ready to put numbers on a page yet. Your next step is to run those desires and wants by the five people closest to you to see if they’re consistent with who you are and what truly makes you happy. If you’re not honest with yourself (even if you don’t realize it), they will be.

After internalizing what you want, the next step is to ask yourself: “Why do I want this?”

The tricky part here is that the answer is the question, and the question is the answer: “What do you want?” is the question; the answer is “Why do you want it?” So why do you want to make that much money or book that many appointments?
Here’s the key to asking yourself “Why?” If your why doesn’t really mean something to you, you’ll never achieve it because it’s not really worth making the effort to you.

This is the reason why this series is entitled “The Art of Goal-Setting.” The “what” and “why” are your art. The science, or numbers on a page, only comes after the art is complete. You get to put the colors on the canvas and be the artist of your life. Once you’ve internalized that, then there truly isn’t any goal you can’t reach or anyone or anything that can stop you.

In preparation for this coming year, begin planning around what you truly want to accomplish in life and why you want it. If you plan your goals around those two factors, you’ll set yourself up for success and be pleased with the outcome.

We need you to be our eyes and ears. As we focus on the many faces of Upstate business, let us know who you think should be featured in upcoming issues of Business Black Box. We’re looking for people and businesses that fit these descriptions, and we know that you know who they are!

Trailblazers: Some blend in, some stick out, but all Trailblazers have one thing in common. It’s not that they’re all successful or have reached a certain level of fame. Trailblazers are people who are either doing something no one has ever done before (and succeeding) or they’ve taken something old and status quo and made it new by doing it in a way no one has ever tried before.

Speed Pitch: For individuals looking to start up a business or take their business to the next level, we’ve provided a venue for them to share their pitch so it can be critiqued by key players in their field as well as investors. Are people likely to invest based on your pitch? Find out here and receive critiques to make it even stronger.

Big Picture: For those people in the Upstate who sit back and think, “I wonder what all went into making this facility a reality,” we created Big Picture, and feature a different Upstate location covering a two-page spread and print a by-the-numbers breakdown of what went into creating it. It’s a great way to take a peek into how local development and expansion is impacting Upstate businesses across the board.

101 Days: Whether you look at it as 2,424 hours, 145,440 minutes, or 8,726,400 seconds, 101 Days is a detailed look at a local business for this predetermined amount of time. We usually feature emerging businesses or businesses looking to take their next big step in development. See their processes, their struggles and their successes—and learn a thing or two along the way.

What Matters: In What Matters, Business Black Box takes an alternative look at Upstate business. Here we focus on the people and the lives behind that business. Know someone from the Upstate with an incredible story? Fill us in on what happened and why it matters to you.

If you know anyone who fits any of these categories, let us know by email, and they may be featured in an issue of Business Black Box.

We look forward to your insights!

Today is the day.

Apparently, our website worked, because my phone and email have positively blown up since work hours began – people wondering where they can pick up a copy, where they can find it, and all that jazz.

Even a few people asking who’s in the next issue and when the copy deadlines are.

A lot of people have equated it to having another baby. The process; the hard work; the joy of the arrival.

But far better than having this baby is having the Upstate excited to see it. Wanting it to be here. Asking for it; asking for when they can see it. It’s always nice to create something – it’s a far better reward to create something that people want.

Thank you, all, for your support. We are here to serve you, and we hope you remain as excited about each issue as you are about this one.

If you’re looking for copies, they’ll be on sale for $4 at our offices as of Thursday morning, April 30. (That’s a 33% discount off the cover price!) Local newsstands will be receiving their copies over the course of the next week – and if they don’t have it out, be sure to ask them when they will be carrying Business Black Box on their shelves!

We already know that a recession is a great time for entrepreneurs. A down economy is a great time for innovation and cultivation of great ideas.

But for entrepreneurs making that leap, those who already have, or those who really want to, it can sometimes feel like you’re all alone. It can feel like you’re in over your head – that there are too many options and not many at all.

For those in that position, April 20 will mark an opportunity like no other – a panel discussion on “Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Servicing Fast Growth Technology Start-Ups.” The panel will serve to answer a number of questions related to entrepreneurs in the Upstate, as well as to educate those in attendance about NEXT, an Upstate entrepreneurial resource collaborative for entrepreneurs, technology start-ups and high-growth companies.

Directly following the panel, NEXT will hold a press conference for a special announcement regarding the Anderson business community.

4 p.m.-5 p.m. Panel Discussion, hosted by Vincie Albritton

5 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Press conference

5:15 - 6:30 Networking reception

So, mark your calendar for April 20, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. Join us at the Anderson Arts Center (110 Federal Street, Anderson, SC). Business Black Box will be media sponsor of the event, along with sponsors Clemson University Research Foundation and the Anderson Chamber of Commerce.

To RSVP for the event, contact Ginger McKenzie by email or by calling (864) 239-3708. Reservations are due by Friday, April 17.

What’s the best way to handle making a lay off in your company?

Sadly, it’s something that’s happening in today’s economy, but it doesn’t mean that it has to end on a sour note. How can you handle necessary staff reductions without everyone hating you and your company forever? (And yes, it can be done!)

Leave your comment below.  We’ll use a few in an upcoming issue!

You know as well as I do that no man is an island. We can’t – in personal or professional lives – succeed without the help, connection and advice from others, whether they’re in our field, a mentor, a friend, or just someone with a great perspective.

It is for this reason that we must perfect the ability to ask. For advice. For help. For answers. For sponsors. For money.

The question then becomes, how do you ask for something? Sure, asking for advice is easy – everyone loves to hear that their opinion is important. But an introduction to someone you don’t know, maybe from someone else that you don’t know very well – that’s a little harder. It seems especially hard to ask things of someone we don’t relate to as a friend; what will they think? how will they react? do they even remember me?

Nevertheless, the time will come when it’s absolutely necessary to do just that. And here are a few tips (from my very own arsenal) that may help out.

1. Know who to ask. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to know who holds the answer. It may just mean that you know someone who knows the person who has the answer. In a world where there are reportedly only six degrees of separation, you know someone who you can ask. In asking a friend if they know someone particular, you do a few things: flatter them by asking for thier input; strengthen an existing connection; potentially make a new connection.

2. Have no fear. See this for what it really is. It’s just a question. “What’s the worst they can say?” No? I dont know? Chances are the fear of asking something is a bigger obstacle than the asking itself. And remember, there’s no reason you don’t have the right to ask for anything you want. You may not get it, but you shouldn’t be afraid to ask. Anyone.

3. See the opportunities. If you’re put in the position to ask someone for something, chances are there’s a great opportunity that you can see. Others may not immediately see them, so you’ll have to walk them through the possibilities. Get excited. Excitement and passion are two things hard to turn down, and they’re very contagious. But be prepared to explain the pros and cons of the situation, so that they can see you know what you’re talking about and what you’re asking for.

4. Expand your network. This plays very well with #1, but is crucial to being able to ask anyone for anything. It doesn’t necessarily mean attending every event that the local Chamber puts on or every After Hours function that occurs, but it does mean making yourself accessible. Are you connected on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? Are you a name that people (at one level or another) know? Grow your network into ripples of circles – after all, the more people you know, the more people you can ask.

5. Return the favor. As you do all this, and become more and more known in networks and social circles, it is inevitable that someone, someday will come to you to ask for something. It may seem easy to say ‘no,’ but remember, it may be you (again!) tomorrow.

Note: If you’re looking for ways to connect, or ways to make your business available for expertise, make sure you’ve added yourself to our business directory.

I have a new acquaintance (thank you, Twitter, for the introduction) who is currently based in Shanghai. When we first “met,” Steven would talk about his class, or promote a new video he had just finished. I would click in every once and a while to check out what was going on.

Recently, he started doing something new: he began taking quick snapshots of everyday life – the market, his food, a flower shop, even recently a police raid of the metropolitan transport he was on.This isn’t unheard of in social media – in fact, it’s the whole point – to give people a quick, detailed view of your life.

But three things have happened since Steven started padding his posts with this seemingly useless information: first, he’s getting a whole lot more airtime on Twitter. Second, I (and many others, I’d guess) are paying a whole lot more attention to what he’s doing. And third, I have found myself getting to understand a different culture – a different place – far more than I would with simple tourist-y type photos or a blog about the best place to see the Great Wall.  (Not that I didn’t love that!) It’s helped me – half a world away – understand the reality of life across this flat (and getting flatter) world we live in.

So, what are our lives made up of? If someone is outside looking in, is there anything worth seeing? Are we paying attention to the details that make up our lives, or just roaming through them waiting for something more interesting? More importantly, what are we missing that would help us gain customers, friends, or even fan base?  Is it possible to find a whole new world in the life we already live?

Absolutely. We just have to look a little closer to find it.

You can follow Steven Weathers in his adventures in China here or find out more here.

In discussing our plans for Business Black Box in 2009, there were a few things that occurred to us.  First, 2009 is shaping up to be a lot bigger than even we anticipated for the magazine, our events and our interactive platform.  Second, we realized we really needed a couple passionate, experienced sales reps on our team to share in the excitement and the growth of this publication’s brand. Third, we needed sales reps who don’t think their success is attributed to being sales reps, because they recognize they don’t sell anything. They build relationships with business owners, discover where the business needs help, and partner with them to grow.

So, we thought: Where are those 2 people? How do we ensure that the people who are part of our team – but don’t even know it yet – find us?

Got it. Through our existing business relationships. The people who already care about helping businesses grow, and only enjoy working with “sales reps” who think like they do. And we believe in the power of spreading the word through connected relationships.

So what’s this “opportunity” look like?  Well, knowing ourselves pretty well, we can tell you this: we need

•   People who don’t just see the Vision, but they get it. Live it. Promote it.

•    People who understand how important a team culture is, and want to play nice with others

•    People who have demonstrated an ability to be passionate about what they sell, and prefer seeing others succeed as their road to success, knowing if it works for the client, they’ll get paid well in the process. After all, we’re not selling a magazine, event sponsorships and web advertising. We’re connecting businesses to advice, relationships, and growth opportunities, and a “sales rep” will get paid very well if he/she can catch that paradigm.

•    People who expect to be treated and compensated well for succeeding, not just being professional visitors. We’re funny about results, too.

•    People who much prefer spending their day meeting with businesses than filling out more than an hour of sales reports every week (we have people who love doing that…if you do, you’re not the right fit. That’s ok too!)

•    People who, when we share that our benefits package includes things like paying for marriage conferences, books, and other things to invest in your personal growth, that instead of thinking “Oh, that’s nice” you think “That’s what I want! Not just a job: A culture that challenges me, puts demands on my gifts, and allows me to do the same with others”

Compensation will be based on experience, character and ability to run with a vision pretty hard. Maybe it’s a little non-traditional, but that’s how important getting the right person – not just a high performer – is for us.

If you get the opportunity, here’s the cool thing…we’ve got a marketing engine behind the scenes with full design, video, interactive and marketing experience to fuel you building your client relationships.

So if it sounds like you, you’ll need to know the following:email us at sales@insideblackbox.com, or call us at (864) 281-1323 x. 1010 with your choice for interview time. Be sure to bring a copy of your resume with you to your appointment. Or send it to us before hand so we can talk about you when you’re not around.

Still have questions? Good. We like questions – it means you’re open to new information and you believe you’re worth it. Call us at (864) 281-1323 x. 1010 or email sales@insideblackbox.com

In this economy, everyone (or, anyone who cares about where their business is headed) is looking for ways to connect and interact and build their business base. It’s becoming more and more important to get ahead, to get together with other business owners and executives, and to get noticed.

So, in note of that (pardon the pun), check out Power-N.O.T.E. (”Network of True Entrepreneurs”), a community service organization created to help local small business owners make powerful and profitable business connections, and access powerful practices to improve their business know-how.

There’s no membership fee if you qualify (how easy is that on your budget?) and you’ll have immediate access to monthly Power Lunches and a Power News service. The first lunch is on December 3, so you’ll want to check it out today.

If you liked this tip, leave me a comment below. I want to make sure we’re giving you the information you need!