I've just returned from a joint venture seminar / workshop held by Michael Penland in Orlando, Florida. I traveled eighteen hours roundtrip (London to Florida return) because I wanted to build relationships with small business owners in the USA.

Given the size of the USA small business sector and that many visitors to my web site are from the USA the decision to go to the USA was an easy one. If you are a small business owner marketing on the Internet and your web stats tells you that you should be leveraging your marketing by forging partnership with companies in countries where your traffic comes from then you better act on the intelligence.

The conference / workshop was a total success. Not only did I met and shake hands with real life millionaires; I was also able to discuss my business and how we could work together in the future on joint venture deals.

There were many highlights from my trip, perhaps the most memorable was discussing with Glen Turner (arguably the world's greatest speaker - according to Dan Kennedy) how he trained Anthony Robins, who is arguably the most popular motivational speaker / coach alive.

These are just some of the highlights from joint venture business trip to the USA:

1. Met with and discuss joint venture opportunities that could generate millions of pounds / dollars in 2006

2. While cash flow and profits are the currency that drives your efforts, the bottom line is financial freedom or "being able to live the life you choose with the independence that money gives you".

3. Being totally honest in the way you treat your customers, your business partners and more important, being honest with yourself.

4. You will fail if you try to do it all by yourself. This is perhaps the most important piece of advice I learnt. Leveraging is key to your success.

5. Outsource those activities that stop you from spending time being productive. If you're wasting time trying to do everything yourself when you should be marketing, your business will suffer and eventually fail. Look at the opportunity cost of your efforts and outsource those activities that can be done cheaper by someone else.

6. Emulate and Copy successful strategies instead of wasting time trying to reinvent the wheel. Develop and work a success oriented system.

7. Invest in your marketing education instead of investing in products that you file on your bookshelf or in your garage where they gather dust.

8. Develop your business plan and work you plan. Take incremental steps towards reaching your ultimate goals.

9. Develop mental toughness and train your mind (brain) daily to experience the full gratification and pleasure or your goals being realized.

10. Take action now, today and stop procrastinating.

David
Small Business Resource