Small Business Leadership Workshop at the North Dallas Chamber

Sometimes, small business owners can really miss the boat, ya know?

I attended a small business workshop at the North Dallas Chamber early this morning (early, as in, I had to leave my home at 6:30 in the morning to make it on time, and I still ended up a few minutes late) and was blown away by the simple truths that the speaker, Rick Robinson of SDI Consulting, offered the small but attentive crowd.

The title of the program is called the Strategic Leadership Series, and this morning’s session was the 15th. I guess I hadn’t thought about attending before — even though I’m a member of the chamber and receive all notifications of upcoming events — because of the word “leadership.” I’m a small business with a staff of one: me. I lead teams of contractors, but I don’t actually have anyone on payroll.

The workshop, however, is really ideal for any business owner, regardless of the size of her shop or organization. This morning’s topic was about strategic planning for the next year, given all the challenges in our environment. That’s all information I eagerly soaked up — it helps when you’re caffeinated at that time of day to soak things up like that! — and will definitely take to heart as I work to grow my business the coming year.

My accountant, Gary McVety of Padgett Business Services, has done an amazing job helping me get started with thinking about my business as a real owner and leader, not just as an “entrepreneur.” So far my business is going exactly how I want it to — more clients, more authority, more profits — but I’m learning how to think  like a business owner, one who understands what growth actually means and how to read a balance sheet to determine if I’m really as successful as I think I am.

If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and own a business, you owe it to yourself to attend this series. It’s cheap — $5 for members, $15 for non-members — but not valueless. If anything, I consider the wisdom I gleaned from that 1.5-hour workshop this morning to be priceless in terms of the value it holds for my business and my future as a business owner. Business ownership isn’t just about running a business, after all, but about developing and nurturing it. This series will help you do that.

And no, I’m not being paid to shill for this workshop. I work with small businesses all the time, though, and am one myself. There aren’t a whole lot of great resources worth our precious time out there, so when I find something that’s worth driving across the Metroplex for (hey, I live in Fort Worth!), I want to share it with my fellow entrepreneurs in the trenches.

Photo: “Brainstorming,” by Marco Arment from Flickr.com.

Tagged as: Networking, Small Business