This document provides an overview of business concepts and strategies for success. It begins with defining business and providing examples of product and service-based businesses. It then lists 9 factors that contribute to business success, such as passion, profitability, clear target market, and work-life balance. Reasons for business failure are also discussed. The document concludes with an interactive workshop where participants work in groups to develop high-level business plans by defining the business model, revenue streams, target customer, and factors for differentiation.

1. BUSINESS 101
#LetsDoThis

2. Serving Women Entrepreneurs to
Dream It. Plan It.
Do it BIG or Go Home.
Seema Alexander
Business Success Coach
and MorLeaf Chief Marketing
Officer and Strategist
www.seemaalexander.com
Hello All!

3. AT THE END OF MY 13+ YEAR CORPORATE
CAREER
Recognized as the one of the
Top 20 Rising Stars in Financial Services
Marketing in 2012
Focused on a career I was
really good at, but
didn’t love….

4. These 3 are my “why”
I do anything and
everything!
#NothingButLoveForYouBaby
NOW I AM DOING WHAT I
LOVE…AND EATING MY CAKE
TOO…

5. 8 out of 10 businesses fail in
their first 18 months.“
“
My personal mission is to ensure any business I provide strategic
guidance toward not only doesn’t fail, but is as successful or more
successful than the entrepreneur I am working with could even
imagine.
Why am I passionate about what I do?

6. Here is what we are going to cover…
1 Business 101
2 Why do businesses succeed vs fail?
3 Workshop – Let’s Build a Business Baby!
4 Q&A

7. { }Business 101

8. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE BUSINESS?
CHARACTER TRAITS?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “IN BUSINESS”?

9. WHAT IS BUSINESS?
An organization or economic system where goods and services are
exchanged for one another or for money.
Every business requires some form of investment and enough customers to
whom its products / services can be sold on a consistent basis in order to
make a profit.
Businesses can be privately owned, not-for-profit or state-owned.
EXAMPLES:
Corporate business: PepsiCo
Private Business: Mom-and-Pop Catering, Most Restaurants
DICTIONARY DEFINTION

10. Businesses
sell:
PRODUCTS / GOODS
AND / OR
2) SERVICES
to customers
to make money
Can you name some…
PRODUCT-based
businesses?
SERVICE-based
businesses?
LAYMANS TERMS

11. PRODUCTS / GOODS EXAMPLES

12. SERVICE EXAMPLES

13. { }2 Why do businesses succeed?

14. 1. THEY ARE VERY
PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT
THEY PROVIDE
#ONMISSION
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

15. 2. THEY ARE MAKING MONEY
#BUSINESSMODELCHECK
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

16. 3. THEY ARE CLEAR ON THE
PEOPLE THEY WANT TO SERVE
#TARGETMARKET
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

17. 4. THEY HAVE CREATED
PRODUCTS / SERVICES THAT
THEIR IDEAL CLIENT DIDN’T
EVEN KNOW THEY NEEDED
#GAMECHANGER
#CONVENIENCE
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

18. STOP.
TEST TIME BABY!
Who can name 2 of the last 4
business success factors that I just
talked about.

19. 5. THEY HAVE A COMPETITIVE
EDGE
#MYPARENTSDIDNT
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

20. 6. THEIR BRAND IS CONSISTENT
IN ALL THAT THEY DO
#APPLE
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

21. 7. THEY HAVE BUILT A TRIBE
FOLLOWING
#RAVINGFANS
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

22. 8. THEY HIRED THE RIGHT PEOPLE
#HIREPEOPLESMARTERTHANYOU
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

23. 9. THEY ARE BALANCING EVERY
OTHER PART OF THEIR LIFE
#WORKLIFEINTEGRATION
WHY BUSINESSES SUCCEED?

24. STOP.
TEST TIME BABY!
Who can name 2 of the last 9
business success factors that I just
talked about.

25. CLEAR VISION / WHY CLEAR PROFIT MODEL CLEAR
SALES MODEL CLEAR RESOURCES CLEAR
OPERATIONS CLEAR CUSTOMER SERVICE MODEL
CLEAR MARKETING STRATEGY CLEAR MESSAGING
CLEAR ADVISORY BOARD CLEAR PASSION CLEAR
BALANCE CLEAR FORECASTING CLEAR
PARTNERSHIPS CLEAR INNOVATIONS STRATEGY
CLEAR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT STRATGY CLEAR
COMMUNICATION CLEAR DELEGATION CLEAR ROLES
CLEAR INCENTIVES CLEAR CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
CLEAR HIRING CLEAR DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
CLEAR SUPPORT CLEAR TRIBE / RAVING FANS CLEAR
PURPOSE CLEAR ACTION CLEAR FOLLOW THROUGH
WITHSUCCESSCOMES
…CLARITY

26. WHY DO BUSINESSES FAIL?
1 Not enough profitability
2 Not enough resources to invest in business
3 Not clear on their customer
4 Too much competition; no differentiation
5 No market for their idea
6 Run out of money

27. Let’s Build a Business

28. Here are the Rules:
1. Get into groups of 4-5
2. Quickly decide if you want me to provide you a
business type or if you want to come up with one on
your own
3. And follow my next x steps to build your first high-
level business plan
4. Ask one person to record the notes
5. Will ask one person / or team to present the idea

29. STEP 1: BUSINESS MODEL
TELL ME YOUR BUSINESS NAME AND
YOUR MISSION FOR YOUR COMPANY
(Hint: This is going to be different dependent if you are a
service or product based company)

30. STEP 2: PROFITS
WHAT ARE YOU SELLING AND HOW
DOES YOUR COMPANY MAKE
MONEY?
(Hint: Think of all the ways you can make money (multiple
revenue streams). Feel free to be creative.

31. STEP 3: TARGET MARKET
WHO ARE YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS FOR
YOUR BUSINESS?
(Hint: Let’s be specific – age range, characteristics, where
they live, how much money they make, what they need,
what they desire,etc.)

32. STEP 4: MARKETING PLAN
HOW ARE PEOPLE GOING TO FIND
OUT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
HINT: examples: online marketing, social media,
coupons, direct mail, newspaper advertising, word of
mouth, referrals, etc

33. STEP 6: DIFFERNTIATION
WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT FROM
OTHER BUSINESSES?
Hint: Think about what can make you different from your
competition? Are you cheaper, better quality, high-priced
(perceived quality), more choices, better service,

34. ANY VOLUNTEERS TO PRESENT
YOUR HIGH-LEVEL BUSINESS
PLANS?

35. QUESTIONS?

36. OFFER: 30 MINS FREE
BUSINESS
CONSULTING BY
YOURS TRULY
SIGN UP IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED!

37. “Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and leave a
trail”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
THANK YOU!!!
KEEP IN TOUCH: IG I TWITTER I FACEBOOK @SeemaAlexander