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Added for You - How to Develop a Successful Board of Advisors (...and Why You Should!)
Presentation and Your Company Car
Why is it that business people often spend so much money on image only to lose all that wonderful first impression on the fact their car looks terrible? Boy it sure seems like a lot of wasted effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a professional website, colorful brochures, hairstyles, attire and a gold Rolex only to ruin it all by driving up in a dirty car. In fact if this scenario were not so common, I seriously doubt I would bother to mention it at all. But it is a fact and indeed I have seen it. How so you ask?Well, for 27 years I ran a company that franchised mobile car wash units and auto detailing rigs and marketed so many cities. We would constantly see this from our business customers. Their cars looked like crap, of course we saw the people who noticed this problem and did something about it, namely paid us to clean up their messy cars.Yet by the same token as a Franchisor Founder, we noticed sales people, potential vendors and even business partners attempt to do business with us and they parked their dirty cars in our parking lot. Silly really, as they were selling to a company specializing in cleaning cars.Nevertheless, it should be noted that your car and its cleanliness will be judged and your automobile is very much a part of your business presentation. So, consider all this in 2006.
li> Why is it that business people often spend so much money on image only to lose all that wonderful first impression on the fact their car looks terrible? Boy it sure seems like a lot of wasted effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a professional website, colorful brochures, hairstyles, attire and a gold Rolex only to ruin it all by driving up in a dirty car. In fact if this scenario were not so common, I seriously doubt I would bother to mention it at all. But it is a fact and indeed I have seen it. How so you ask?Well, for 27 years I ran a company that franchised mobile car wash units and auto detailing rigs and marketed so many cities. We would constantly see this from our business customers. Their cars looked like crap, of course we saw the people who noticed this problem and did something about it, namely paid us to clean up their messy cars.Yet by the same token as a Franchisor Founder, we noticed sales people, potential vendors and even business partners attempt to do business with us and they parked their dirty cars in our parking lot. Silly really, as they were selling to a company specializing in cleaning cars.Nevertheless, it should be noted that your car and its cleanliness will be judged and your automobile is very much a part of your business presentation. So, consider all this in 2006.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than planneHow To Write Really Good AdsIn today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive markets, many privately held companies are creating outside advisory boards to give owners and CEOs fresh, knowledgeable advice.
All sales begin with some form of advertising. To build sales, this advertising must be seen or heard by potential buyers, and cause them to react to the advertising in some way. The credit for the success, or the blame for the failure of almost all ads, reverts back to the ad itself.Generally, the "ad writer" wants the prospect to do one of the following:Visit the store or website to see and judge the product for himself, or immediately reach for his credit card or write a check and send for the merchandise being advertised.Phone for an appointment to hear the full sales presentation, or write for futher information which amounts to the same thing.The bottom line in any ad is quite simple: To make the reader buy the product or service. Any ad that causes the reader to only pause in his thinking, to just admire the product, or to simply believe what is written about the product--is not doing it's job completely.The "ad writer" must know exactly what he wants his reader to do, and any ad that does not elicit the desired action is an absolute waste of time and money.In order to elicit the desired action from the prospect, all ads are written according to a simple "master formula" which is:1) Attract the ATTENTION of your prospect2) INTEREST your prospect in the product3) Cause your prospect to DESIRE the product4) Demand ACTION from the prospectNever forget the basic rule of advertising copywriting; If the ad is not read, it won't stimulate
Even for small businesses, setting up an advisory board can give you a significant advantage over competitors that are relying solely on internal talent. An experienced and well-connected board of advisors can help your business grow and prosper in ways you’ve never imagined.
What is a Board of Advisors?
An advisory board is an outside group that is informally organized to provide business owners and corporate leaders with support, advice and assistance. While formal boards of directors have legally defined responsibilities and fiduciary duties, advisory boards have no formal power or binding legal authority. They serve at the pleasure of the business owner or CEO.
Benefits of an Advisory Board
There are several advantages that companies with advisory boards have over their competition. A board offers your business:- An unbiased outside perspective.
- Increased corporate accountability and discipline.
- Enhanced CEO and management effectiveness.
- Greater credibility with investors, vendors and customers.
- Help in avoiding costly mistakes.
- Rounding out skills and expertise lacking in current management team.
- A sounding board for evaluating new business ideas and opportunities.
- Enhanced community and public relations.
- Improved marketing results and effectiveness.
- Strategic planning assistance and input.
- Centers of influence for networking introductions.
- Crisis and transition leadership in the event of the death or resignation of the CEO.
- Help anticipating market changes and trends.
Analyze the strength and weaknesses of your current management team.
Look for critical areas of expertise and knowledge that your company could use help with such as marketing, legal, finance, eCommerce, and research and development or information technology. If your company is planning on going public within the next few years, seek out advisors who have successfully taken companies down that path.
Set clear, written goals and objectives for your board of advisors.
Getting maximum value from a board of advisors begins with clear objectives and goals. Board members must know why they have been asked to serve and what is expected of them.
Before establishing the board, the CEO and senior managers should sit down and ask some of the following questions:
1. What are the main areas we need advice and guidance in?
2. What specifically do we need the board members to do for us?
3. Who are a few potential candidates for board membership?
4. How do we avoid giving away too much control to outsiders?
5. What will be the powers and limitations of the board?
6. What will setting up the board cost initially? Annually? Will it be worth the cost?
Determine the size and structure of your board.
Advisory boards range in size from two members to over thirty. The right size depends on many factors, such as your company’s size, complexity, stage of development and individual skills needed. My experience and research has found that for most small to mid-sized, growing companies or start-ups, a 5 to 7 member advisory board is an ideal size. Smaller firms can start with just one or two members and add new members as they grow.
Recruiting Candidates
Determining whom you invite to join your board is one of the most critical decisions in setting up a board of advisors. Often a business owner’s first instinct is to ask friends, family members or professional advisors to sit on their board. This is usually a mistake. Unless your friend or family member is a recognized authority in an area of expertise lacking by your management team or a highly successful entrepreneur, they are probably not the wisest choice.
Another reason to avoid asking family or friends to join your board is lack of objectivity. Often advice from a friend, family member or management insider is sugar coated to protect relationships. An outside advisor can give you a much more objective and honest assessment of the situation.
Using professional advisors such as your lawyer, banker or accountant as board members has it’s own pitfalls. These advisors are already working for you and may not be as objective as you need, due to having an interest in generating future business from your company.
Some critical action steps for recruiting a dynamite board of advisors are:- Develop a candidate profile. After you have determined the areas of expertise your company is in need of, create a profile of candidates that successfully fit these needs. Take care to address knowledge and skills that your company will need to meet projected growth and future challenges.
- Seek out experts. Search online and offline for experts and proven leaders that meet your candidate profiles. Contact them and begin discussions about possible board membership.
- Ask for recommendations. Solicit recommendations from the experts you speak with that cannot serve on your board, of collogues of theirs that they feel would be a good fit for your needs. Begin networking with your attorney, accountant and other professional advisors. Once you have successfully recruited an advisor, he or she can often lead you to another good candidate.
- Find your candidates motivation. Most of your candidates are not going to be motivated by money alone. In fact, if money is their primary reason for joining your board, they may not be what you are looking for. The most effective board members are motivated by the challenge and intellectual stimulation of building successful companies. They serve because they are already high achievers and enjoy the challenge.
- Have variety in your board. Try to include experts and successful entrepreneurs from several different disciplines. Often board members who are successful marketers, CEOs and business owners from different industries can bring a fresh perspective to your business. These individuals can often help you incorporate best practices from other industries, into your own industry, creating revolutionary changes and opportunities.
- Look for a proven track record. Find the leaders in their field. The best board candidates are successful CEOs, business owners, professionals, university professors and consultants who have achieved success in their own businesses and careers.
- Clearly communicate your goals and objectives. Invest time in talking to and meeting with potential members. Communicate to them what your goals and objectives are. Let them know that you are not looking for “yes men” and that you want advisors who will challenge you and hold you accountable for your businesses growth.
Board members expect and deserve to be compensated for their time, efforts and advice.
Typical advisory board compensation includes a stipend from $5,000 to $25,000 per member, per year. Some companies pay their board members per meeting, with payment ranging from $500 to $3,000 per meeting, with a monthly retainer of $500 to $2,500. Companies should also cover transportation, meals and lodging for members when attending meetings.
Most successful boards also give or require members to buy stock or some form of equity in the company. This gives the board members equity participation and a vested interest in the growth of the company.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Some potential problem areas to avoid when setting up or working with your advisory board are:- Members missing meetings. Because board members are usually running successful businesses of their own, they may not always be available for every meeting. However, board members should be made aware that attendance of board meetings is important and expected. If a member is chronically absent, the value of their membership on the board should be reviewed.
- Insecurity of senior managers. Some company insiders may feel intimidated or threatened by the involvement of outsiders. The CEO or owner must make every effort to communicate to his staff the benefits and importance of having a board of advisors.
- Incompatible personalities. This is a challenging situation, because most members of your board will be strong willed, achiever types, who have gotten where they are by taking charge. Many will have strong convictions about their opinions and may find it hard to defer the leadership of the meetings to the CEO. You must determine when a member’s personality is “too strong” and becoming disruptive.
- Excessive number of board members. Because of their strong personalities, if you have too many members on your board, the more assertive members often dominate the debates, depriving you of the contributions the quieter members may have made.
- Lack of CEO communication. Withholding company information or not regularly communicating with the members of your board of advisors destroys trust and effectiveness. Regular communication between meetings is essential to maintaining an effective board.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than plannedEasy School Fundraising with Lipsyncut advisors who have successfully taken companies down that path.
Putting together a lip sync fundraiser for your school is easy and fun. All you need is a good sound system, an auditorium to use, and people willing to have a good time for a good cause.The premise is simple - participants mime the vocals of popular music while performing onstage in front of an appreciative audience. The fun comes from seeing just how wild people are willing to be to impress the crowd or win a prize.The great thing about a lip sync fundraiser is that you don't actually need any real talent, just a desire to perform. Performers can be students, faculty, staff, parents or local celebrities.You can divide performers into categories such as grade level, solo performers, groups, rappers, faculty, etc. Offer prizes in every category to encourage as many people as possible to get up on stage and perform. Make sure your prizes encourage creative costumes because the crowd is there to enjoy a show.Keep everything in the spirit of having fun by providing an emcee to introduce each act with a little comic banter. After each act, the emcee can encourage the audience to applaud their favorite performances.Fundraising Tips There are lots of ways to raise funds with this program. You can charge a reasonable admission fee to attend. You can also charge a flat rate fee per performer or group act to take the stage.Or, you can task performers with raising a certain amount of funds to be able to perform. Just don't make that number too large or you'll discourage participation.You
Set clear, written goals and objectives for your board of advisors.
Getting maximum value from a board of advisors begins with clear objectives and goals. Board members must know why they have been asked to serve and what is expected of them.
Before establishing the board, the CEO and senior managers should sit down and ask some of the following questions:
1. What are the main areas we need advice and guidance in?
2. What specifically do we need the board members to do for us?
3. Who are a few potential candidates for board membership?
4. How do we avoid giving away too much control to outsiders?
5. What will be the powers and limitations of the board?
6. What will setting up the board cost initially? Annually? Will it be worth the cost?
Determine the size and structure of your board.
Advisory boards range in size from two members to over thirty. The right size depends on many factors, such as your company’s size, complexity, stage of development and individual skills needed. My experience and research has found that for most small to mid-sized, growing companies or start-ups, a 5 to 7 member advisory board is an ideal size. Smaller firms can start with just one or two members and add new members as they grow.
Recruiting Candidates
Determining whom you invite to join your board is one of the most critical decisions in setting up a board of advisors. Often a business owner’s first instinct is to ask friends, family members or professional advisors to sit on their board. This is usually a mistake. Unless your friend or family member is a recognized authority in an area of expertise lacking by your management team or a highly successful entrepreneur, they are probably not the wisest choice.
Another reason to avoid asking family or friends to join your board is lack of objectivity. Often advice from a friend, family member or management insider is sugar coated to protect relationships. An outside advisor can give you a much more objective and honest assessment of the situation.
Using professional advisors such as your lawyer, banker or accountant as board members has it’s own pitfalls. These advisors are already working for you and may not be as objective as you need, due to having an interest in generating future business from your company.
Some critical action steps for recruiting a dynamite board of advisors are:- Develop a candidate profile. After you have determined the areas of expertise your company is in need of, create a profile of candidates that successfully fit these needs. Take care to address knowledge and skills that your company will need to meet projected growth and future challenges.
- Seek out experts. Search online and offline for experts and proven leaders that meet your candidate profiles. Contact them and begin discussions about possible board membership.
- Ask for recommendations. Solicit recommendations from the experts you speak with that cannot serve on your board, of collogues of theirs that they feel would be a good fit for your needs. Begin networking with your attorney, accountant and other professional advisors. Once you have successfully recruited an advisor, he or she can often lead you to another good candidate.
- Find your candidates motivation. Most of your candidates are not going to be motivated by money alone. In fact, if money is their primary reason for joining your board, they may not be what you are looking for. The most effective board members are motivated by the challenge and intellectual stimulation of building successful companies. They serve because they are already high achievers and enjoy the challenge.
- Have variety in your board. Try to include experts and successful entrepreneurs from several different disciplines. Often board members who are successful marketers, CEOs and business owners from different industries can bring a fresh perspective to your business. These individuals can often help you incorporate best practices from other industries, into your own industry, creating revolutionary changes and opportunities.
- Look for a proven track record. Find the leaders in their field. The best board candidates are successful CEOs, business owners, professionals, university professors and consultants who have achieved success in their own businesses and careers.
- Clearly communicate your goals and objectives. Invest time in talking to and meeting with potential members. Communicate to them what your goals and objectives are. Let them know that you are not looking for “yes men” and that you want advisors who will challenge you and hold you accountable for your businesses growth.
Board members expect and deserve to be compensated for their time, efforts and advice.
Typical advisory board compensation includes a stipend from $5,000 to $25,000 per member, per year. Some companies pay their board members per meeting, with payment ranging from $500 to $3,000 per meeting, with a monthly retainer of $500 to $2,500. Companies should also cover transportation, meals and lodging for members when attending meetings.
Most successful boards also give or require members to buy stock or some form of equity in the company. This gives the board members equity participation and a vested interest in the growth of the company.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Some potential problem areas to avoid when setting up or working with your advisory board are:- Members missing meetings. Because board members are usually running successful businesses of their own, they may not always be available for every meeting. However, board members should be made aware that attendance of board meetings is important and expected. If a member is chronically absent, the value of their membership on the board should be reviewed.
- Insecurity of senior managers. Some company insiders may feel intimidated or threatened by the involvement of outsiders. The CEO or owner must make every effort to communicate to his staff the benefits and importance of having a board of advisors.
- Incompatible personalities. This is a challenging situation, because most members of your board will be strong willed, achiever types, who have gotten where they are by taking charge. Many will have strong convictions about their opinions and may find it hard to defer the leadership of the meetings to the CEO. You must determine when a member’s personality is “too strong” and becoming disruptive.
- Excessive number of board members. Because of their strong personalities, if you have too many members on your board, the more assertive members often dominate the debates, depriving you of the contributions the quieter members may have made.
- Lack of CEO communication. Withholding company information or not regularly communicating with the members of your board of advisors destroys trust and effectiveness. Regular communication between meetings is essential to maintaining an effective board.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than planneNarrow Your Focus To Triple Your Incomehas it’s own pitfalls. These advisors are already working for you and may not be as objective as you need, due to having an interest in generating future business from your company.
Some say, diversify - Make sure you have every possible service and product available - Give yourself every opportunity to make a sale - Make your shop a 'One Stop Shop!'I don't call this diversifying, I call it de'worse'ifying!!The truth is, when you try and be everything to everyone, you spread yourself so thin, that you end up being, nothing to no-one.Proceed with caution - One stop shops are for the big boys. The big players, with huge budgets to spend on marketing. In small business, the trick is to do exactly the opposite to one stop shops. And that is to specialize and become exceptionally good at this area.Specializing means better focus on one area. It allows you to research deeper and become an expert in that area. Experts are usually paid much more. An example is an Electrician turned Home Theater Specialist. By doing this the Electrician increased his rates by 40% overnight!Specialists are, on average, more profitable and attract customers faster. But how do you decide what to specialize in, and, if you will survive?Well, start by:Defining which is your most profitable service or product you presently offer. Define who your ideal customer is for that service or product. Do some research. Find out how many of those ideal customers are reachable, willing, and able to invest in your services and/ or products. Then write down a detailed description of them:where are they located? what age group are they? what do
Some critical action steps for recruiting a dynamite board of advisors are:- Develop a candidate profile. After you have determined the areas of expertise your company is in need of, create a profile of candidates that successfully fit these needs. Take care to address knowledge and skills that your company will need to meet projected growth and future challenges.
- Seek out experts. Search online and offline for experts and proven leaders that meet your candidate profiles. Contact them and begin discussions about possible board membership.
- Ask for recommendations. Solicit recommendations from the experts you speak with that cannot serve on your board, of collogues of theirs that they feel would be a good fit for your needs. Begin networking with your attorney, accountant and other professional advisors. Once you have successfully recruited an advisor, he or she can often lead you to another good candidate.
- Find your candidates motivation. Most of your candidates are not going to be motivated by money alone. In fact, if money is their primary reason for joining your board, they may not be what you are looking for. The most effective board members are motivated by the challenge and intellectual stimulation of building successful companies. They serve because they are already high achievers and enjoy the challenge.
- Have variety in your board. Try to include experts and successful entrepreneurs from several different disciplines. Often board members who are successful marketers, CEOs and business owners from different industries can bring a fresh perspective to your business. These individuals can often help you incorporate best practices from other industries, into your own industry, creating revolutionary changes and opportunities.
- Look for a proven track record. Find the leaders in their field. The best board candidates are successful CEOs, business owners, professionals, university professors and consultants who have achieved success in their own businesses and careers.
- Clearly communicate your goals and objectives. Invest time in talking to and meeting with potential members. Communicate to them what your goals and objectives are. Let them know that you are not looking for “yes men” and that you want advisors who will challenge you and hold you accountable for your businesses growth.
Board members expect and deserve to be compensated for their time, efforts and advice.
Typical advisory board compensation includes a stipend from $5,000 to $25,000 per member, per year. Some companies pay their board members per meeting, with payment ranging from $500 to $3,000 per meeting, with a monthly retainer of $500 to $2,500. Companies should also cover transportation, meals and lodging for members when attending meetings.
Most successful boards also give or require members to buy stock or some form of equity in the company. This gives the board members equity participation and a vested interest in the growth of the company.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Some potential problem areas to avoid when setting up or working with your advisory board are:- Members missing meetings. Because board members are usually running successful businesses of their own, they may not always be available for every meeting. However, board members should be made aware that attendance of board meetings is important and expected. If a member is chronically absent, the value of their membership on the board should be reviewed.
- Insecurity of senior managers. Some company insiders may feel intimidated or threatened by the involvement of outsiders. The CEO or owner must make every effort to communicate to his staff the benefits and importance of having a board of advisors.
- Incompatible personalities. This is a challenging situation, because most members of your board will be strong willed, achiever types, who have gotten where they are by taking charge. Many will have strong convictions about their opinions and may find it hard to defer the leadership of the meetings to the CEO. You must determine when a member’s personality is “too strong” and becoming disruptive.
- Excessive number of board members. Because of their strong personalities, if you have too many members on your board, the more assertive members often dominate the debates, depriving you of the contributions the quieter members may have made.
- Lack of CEO communication. Withholding company information or not regularly communicating with the members of your board of advisors destroys trust and effectiveness. Regular communication between meetings is essential to maintaining an effective board.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than planneNetworking: You Can Do It Anywherein their own businesses and careers.
How many times have you told yourself you just don't have the time to network with other people? Have you ever stopped to think that this really doesn't have to be the case?Here is a good example that you may be able to relate to all too well. You are supposed to be attending a networking meeting at one of your local businessmen's clubs on a Thursday. Unfortunately when Thursday arrives, you find yourself up to your neck in overdue work at your job. You decide that is more important and you decide to forgo the local business meeting.Here are a couple of key points to consider. First, you must give networking a greater importance in your life. It needs to be a much higher priority. You could have really made the meeting if you had wanted to.Next, you can't just network with others when you feel up to it. Don't expect to do it on an occasional basis and expect big results. More than likely, you'll get no results. Your going to have to give networking some serious attention every moment of your day.Quite honestly, you may be networking much more often than you think. Perhaps earlier in your day you had been talking with the landscaper who was working at your house. You mentioned to him that you've been looking to also get some remodeling work done and you asked the landscaper if he knew of anyone he could recommend. That is networking in its purest form.Later in the day, you get an email from a guy you had briefly met at a business meeting several months ago. He had your business ca
- Clearly communicate your goals and objectives. Invest time in talking to and meeting with potential members. Communicate to them what your goals and objectives are. Let them know that you are not looking for “yes men” and that you want advisors who will challenge you and hold you accountable for your businesses growth.
Board members expect and deserve to be compensated for their time, efforts and advice.
Typical advisory board compensation includes a stipend from $5,000 to $25,000 per member, per year. Some companies pay their board members per meeting, with payment ranging from $500 to $3,000 per meeting, with a monthly retainer of $500 to $2,500. Companies should also cover transportation, meals and lodging for members when attending meetings.
Most successful boards also give or require members to buy stock or some form of equity in the company. This gives the board members equity participation and a vested interest in the growth of the company.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Some potential problem areas to avoid when setting up or working with your advisory board are:- Members missing meetings. Because board members are usually running successful businesses of their own, they may not always be available for every meeting. However, board members should be made aware that attendance of board meetings is important and expected. If a member is chronically absent, the value of their membership on the board should be reviewed.
- Insecurity of senior managers. Some company insiders may feel intimidated or threatened by the involvement of outsiders. The CEO or owner must make every effort to communicate to his staff the benefits and importance of having a board of advisors.
- Incompatible personalities. This is a challenging situation, because most members of your board will be strong willed, achiever types, who have gotten where they are by taking charge. Many will have strong convictions about their opinions and may find it hard to defer the leadership of the meetings to the CEO. You must determine when a member’s personality is “too strong” and becoming disruptive.
- Excessive number of board members. Because of their strong personalities, if you have too many members on your board, the more assertive members often dominate the debates, depriving you of the contributions the quieter members may have made.
- Lack of CEO communication. Withholding company information or not regularly communicating with the members of your board of advisors destroys trust and effectiveness. Regular communication between meetings is essential to maintaining an effective board.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than planneThe Good And Bad Of Toll Free 1 800 Numbersli>
Getting toll free 1 800 numbers can be beneficial to your business. It can make a great difference depending on what kind of business you own. If you own a restaurant, or a coffee shop, you will not need a 1 800 number because local customers can call you toll free anyway. Not many people would call you from another state or another country. But if you own a business that does international shipping, or provides communication services, a 1 800 number is definitely essential.There are many different companies that offer toll free 1 800 numbers to businesses. They are usually priced by the number of minutes per month they afford. If you are only going to be using the phone for 100 minutes or less each month, you can pay as little as ten dollars monthly, but if you own a large business with lots of phone lines, you'll have to likely pay more in the range of $100 a month. It all depends on what kind of service you need.If you want to be available internationally, you have to pay more. Fortunately, international 1 800 numbers are rarely needed by most businesses. It just isn't practical. Even if you are a large shipping company, you will only have to talk to people in large companies a moderate amount, and they will gladly pay the cost to call you internationally as part of the cost of doing business. It is in the end much better to let them foot the bill than paying the high and often extreme rates for international toll free numbers.As a consumer, be wary of 1 800 numbers. I remember when I was growing up, the - Excessive number of board members. Because of their strong personalities, if you have too many members on your board, the more assertive members often dominate the debates, depriving you of the contributions the quieter members may have made.
- Lack of CEO communication. Withholding company information or not regularly communicating with the members of your board of advisors destroys trust and effectiveness. Regular communication between meetings is essential to maintaining an effective board.
Inadequate compensation. As I mentioned, you do not want compensation to be the determining factor in a candidates membership on your advisory board, however successful individuals of the caliber you seek expect to be fairly compensated for their time and knowledge.
- If you build it, use it. Owners and CEOs who invest the time and money in creating a board should be committed to soliciting and using its advice on important issues and decisions.
- Value their input, even when they disagree with what you want to do. Sometimes a board is at it’s most valuable when it recommends against a course of action the CEO wants to take. If you recruit a good board, often they have already been down the path you are on, and their experience (and past failures) can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
- Communicate with your advisors. Keep the members of your board informed about what is happening in your company and industry. Counsel with individual members on the phone at least monthly and send them information well in advance of your meetings, to help them prepare and keep the meetings productive.
- Hold regular meetings. Most boards meet once per quarter. However, boards should meet more often during times of rapid growth or if company needs merit additional oversight and guidance.
- Have an objective for each meeting. Your board members are busy people and their time is valuable. Make the most out of your meetings with them, by having a clear agenda and objectives for each meeting. Make sure to cover the most important items of business first, in case the discussions take longer than planned or some members have to leave early.
Periodically assessing the board’s effectiveness is a critical factor in ensuring a good return on investment. Each year the board should set performance goals and define their criteria for success. At the end of the year the CEO and the board should assess it’s performance, compared to its goals and criteria for success.
Over 80 percent of all private companies are operating without a board of advisors or board of directors. Odds are your competitors do not have one. Because of this, developing a board of advisors can give your company a distinct advantage over your competition. This is particularly true for start-ups and family run businesses.
There is tremendous value in receiving objective, knowledgeable advice from a board of advisors who share in the financial and equity growth of your business. I encourage you to begin recruiting your advisory board today!
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