“Our services are distinctive in the business coaching industry, so it was important that our brand be distinctive,” says CEO and Founder Terry Powell of AdviCoach and a multi-brand franchisor. “AdviCoach truly emphasizes where we excel — relationship-based coaching offering advice and counsel to the small to mid size businesses that want to increase performance,” he added.

AdviCoaches help businesses increase their ROI and deploy a multitude of rapid impact strategies to impact the bottom line of their business. These areas could involve start-up support, increasing profitability, financial, business and marketing planning support, expanding operations, or even deciding on the best way to exit a business. “One of our key differentiators is that AdviCoaches hold clients accountable for the goals and plans we help them put in place,” says Powell.

The AdviCoach brand falls under FranchisEsource Brands International — a multi-brand franchisor principally engaged in growing solid concepts into major international franchise brands such as The Entrepreneur’s Source®, Decor & You, Business Partner® One Stop Marketing, FranchiseSearch.com and WEBB, Women Empowered by Business.

The business-to-business (B2B) coaching and consulting industry is a multi-billion dollar market. According to a September 2007 report from the International Coach Federation, approximate annual worldwide revenue produced by coaching was $1.5 billion in 2006. Return on investment is often cited in studies as five to six times the cost of coaching. Coaching is one of the fastest growing professional services today.

“AdviCoaches bring an extensive arsenal of educational products and services to their clients including the recent partnership with E-Myth Worldwide,” says Terry Powell. “For more than 30 years, E-Myth has used business success programs to help small business owners develop the strategic knowledge to start a business or take existing businesses to the next level of success.

About AdviCoach

AdviCoach is the premier source for business coaching and advisory services customized for small to mid size businesses. It unique “AdviCoach Advantage” provides relationship-based coaching backed by a team of professionals who can provide rapid impact strategies to its clients. BAI/AdviCoach was recently ranked in the Top 100 new franchises by Franchise Market Magazine and in the Franchise 500 by Entrepreneur Magazine.

Contact: Larry Frank, 804-545-0692

In exploring how to evolve my website, my friend and web designer, Greg Magnus of AIM Custom Media referred me to a very interesting posting on his blog entitled Mastering Website and Bog Content, Resources. In this article, which I recommend to anyone exploring how to become the “supreme content guru,” Greg outlines the primary and secondary content vehicles that you should explore.

Bottom line — Creating quality content is hard work. However it is worth it to not be just another static web brochure that you would swear the content evolved from the mud. Check out Greg’s article.

In the initial phase of the partnership, FranchisEsource will enhance its business education portfolio with new programs based on E-Myth’s proven business success model. These programs will be available through FranchisEsource’s network of business coaches including AdviCoach™ (formally business Advisers International), The Entrepreneur’s Source™ and Business Partner Marketing™.

“For more than 20 years we’ve helped entrepreneurs embark on their life’s dream of successful self employment by guiding them through a discovery process to select franchise and business opportunities, and then coaching them through their early stages of business,” said Terry Powell, CEO of FranchisEsource. “The integration of E-Myth’s educational programs will enhance our business coaching programs to help our clients develop the skills and knowledge they need to achieve predictable business success.”

“The E-Myth business success system has been embraced and successfully leveraged by small business owners, independent franchisees and leading franchise corporations,” said Bill Schlegel, CEO of E-Myth Worldwide. “FranchisEsource shares our commitment to entrepreneurial success. Together, we’ll support the estimated 20 million self-employed individuals in the U.S. leveraging E-Myth’s proven business success coaching platform.”

About E-Myth Worldwide
E-Myth Worldwide is a business success education company that delivers comprehensive, web-based programs. For more than 30 years, the company has trained business owners to work on their business, not just in their business, by building the strategic systems crucial to success. E-Myth provides entrepreneurs with the growth strategies and skills necessary to build predictable, sustainable and successful businesses. The company’s programs, systems and tools are based on the principles first articulated in founder Michael Gerber’s bestselling book, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Visit http://www.e-myth.com for more information.

About FranchisEsource Brands International
FranchisEsource Brands International is a multi-brand franchisor principally engaged in growing solid concepts into major international franchise brands such as The Entrepreneur’s Source, Decor & You, AdviCoach (formerly Business Advisers International), Business Partner, FranchiseSearch.com and WEBB, Women Empowered by Business. FSBI dominates the business coaching franchise market, with over 33 percent of the market controlled by its three business coaching brands. Visit http://www.FranchiseNewsRoom.com.

Bottom line — tune in to WIFM (what’s in it for me) and spend your time on:

• The value of your product or service
• How the prospect will profit from using your product or service
• The outcome that your prospect should expect from using your product or service
• How other clients/customers have used and benefited from your product or service

What should be clear is that you should minimize the time spent boring the prospect by describing your product, what it does and how it is used.

Need help in focusing your sales process and marketing material? Contact us for a complimentary business evaluation and we can explore your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and tactical marketing plan.

Businesses delude themselves by thinking that the dissemination of information — whether on the Internet, through teleconferences or in meetings — is the same as substantive communication.  Information is not communication

Some of the 10 areas Booher details in her book include:

• Are you correct?  It is important to tell the truth without using cliches, lies and exaggerations.  She points out that, “trust builds over time.  It can be dashed in a flash.  It repairs slowly.”
• Are you purposely unclear?  While tact and evasion make civilization and camaraderie possible, “purposeful evasion as a rule over time — where harmony is valued above honest communication — destroys trust, erodes morale and lowers productivity
• Are you credible?  There are five things that either contribute to or detract from people’s inclination to believe you.  They include:
  • Appearance  — including dress, grooming and body language
  • Language — words chosen and the ability to express oneself
  • Likeability Factor — personality and chemistry
  • Character — values and integrity
  • Competence — skill and track record results

Her message is to think about how you communicate, show some humanity, be courteous and don’t be afraid to show some humility.  It’s a good read.

While the Virginia Drug Card Program was launched to help uninsured and underinsured people in Virginia, the program can also be used by people who have health insurance with no prescription benefits or have an HSA (Health Savings Account) with a high deductible health plan — common for small businesses and their owners.

Residents of Virginia can download a free discount prescription drug card by visiting www.virginiadrugcard.com.  The only information needed to download a pre-activated card is first and last name.  Even email is optional.

Check it out!

Take a look at these typical questions asked at networking and social events. Which do you think best differentiates a “businessman” from a self-employed person?

1. How many employees do you have?
2. How many hours a week are you devoting to your business?
3. When is the last time that you took a vacation?
4. How many locations do you have?
5. If you take a vacation, does your business continue to grow? (not just survive)

If your direct contributions are the key to the success of your business; If you cannot honestly answer “yes” to question five, then you are probably self-employed, with your success limited to your own abilities and activities.

As you have probably guessed, the last question is the key to differentiating between a businessman and a self-employed person.  It focuses on the key element of being “in business”  –  the ability to leverage other peoples time (OPT).

Do you have multiple, independent operations contributing to your revenue?  Will your business continue to grow and thrive if you are not directly contributing to the delivery of your products or services?  Are you focused on the future and how to leverage more of other peoples time?

Congratulations!!!  You really are in business.

Jim Tinsley is a BAI Regional Coach based in Charleston, South Carolina