Happy Spring! Hope you are looking forward to the warmer weather as much as I am.

This month's feature article, 6 Ways to Build an Advisory Team for Your Business, comes from the American Express Open Forum, which is a fabulous resource for small business owners. Isolation can be a big problem for entrepreneurs. But you don't need to go it alone! Check out the article for multiple ways to connect with others.

And if you want even more on this topic, check out my Bold Business Moves teleclass series, starting on May 31st for professional organizers, stagers, designers and other entrepreneurs (there are 3 classes total, but you can take whichever ones you need for your business). The first class is Blueprint Your Business: Create Business Systems & An Operations Manual (May 31st) and will be followed by Creating Multiple Streams of Income (June 14th) and Building a "Team" Through Outsourcing, Delegating and Setting Up a Board of Advisors (June 28th). All calls are from 7:30-9:00 EST and will be recorded if you can't make it live. IRIS members: $35 each or $89 for series; non-IRIS members: $39 each or $99 for series. Click here  for full deta ils.

Prefer a live workshop? If you or someone you know will be in the Denver area on June 18th, join me for 2 live workshops: Next Level Business Success: Ready, Set, Go - Achieve Entrepreneurial Success from 8:30-12:00 or Branch Out: Become an Organizer or Add Organizing Services to the Mix from 1:00-4:30. You can take one, or join me for the full day and take both. Each workshop is $159 or register for both for only $299! Denver is beautiful any time of year, but even more so in June, so consider taking advantage of this professional development opportunity and combining it with a personal getaway! If you know any colleagues that may be interested, please share this opportunity with them. Click here for details.

Okay, I can't hold back any longer! My book, The Ultimate Life Organizer, is finally available. And it is worth the wait, if I do say so myself. I, of course, filled the pages with valuable content. And the design that the publisher did is absolutely beautiful. I love it, and hope you do too. With its beautiful design and journal pages, The Ultimate Life Organizer makes the perfect gift for a special person in your life... or treat yourself! If you'd like a personally signed copy, visit  The Ultimate Life Organizer on my website for order details.


Warm Regards,

   
P.S. Welcome to the new subscribers. I am thrilled that you have decided to become a member of the Next Level Business Success online community!

• Tuesdays ~ May 31, June 14 & June 28 - Lisa is presenting a teleclass series, Bold Business Moves: Moving Your Business in the Right Direction, in collaboration with IRIS. Designed as a series, but able to be taken individually. May 31st - Blueprint Your Business: Create Business Systems & An Operations Manual; June 14th - Branch Out & Mix it Up: Creating Multiple Streams of Income; and June 28th - Don’t Go It Alone: It Takes a Village to Run a Successful Business ~ Building Your “Team”. All calls are from 7:30-9:00 pm EST, and will be recorded if you can't make it live. IRIS members: $35 for each, or $89 for series; non-IRIS members: $39 for each, or $99 for series. Click here for full description and registration.
• June 3, 2011 - Lisa will be the keynote speaker for the International Association of Administrative Professionals Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 3, 2011. Lisa will be presenting DECIDE to be Organized: Create Your Passion, Live Your Purpose.
• June 10, 2011 - Lisa will be a panelist for Boost Your Productivity, a program jointly sponsored by the Young Professionals, Consultants, and Small Business Committees of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. The program will take place from 8-10 am at the Chamber Office. For details and registration, visit the Chamber website.
• Saturday, June 18, 2011 - Lisa is presenting 2 workshops in beautiful Denver, Colorado in collaboration with Sandy Dixon of IRIS, who will be presenting a full-day workshop the day before. Lisa will be presenting Next Level Business Success: Ready, Set, Go! from 8:30-12 and then Branch Out: Become a Professional Organizer or Add Organizing Services to Your Business Mix from 1-4:30. Each workshop is $159 or register for both for only $299! Click here for full details and registration for Lisa's workshops. Sandy is presenting Masters Presentation Skills workshop on Friday, June 17, 2011.Click here for deta ils and registration for Sandy's program.
• June 28, 2011 - Lisa is presenting Motivating Staff to Move Beyond Customer Service to a Culture of Sales for the Independent Insurance Agents Association of Orange County.
• July 21, 2011 - Lisa is presenting Time Management for employees of Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc. in Goshen, NY.
• July 26, 2011 - Lisa will be conducting a webinar on Navigating the Ethical Issues of a Daily Money Management Business for the American Association of Daily Money Managers from 7-8 pm EST. Details and registration will be posted soon on AADMM's site at www.aadmm.com.
• October 15, 2011 - Lisa is presenting Don't Be Afraid of the Big Bad Law: Using the Law as a Protective Shield for Your Business at the Mid-Atlantic Professional Organizers Conference in Bethesda, MD.

I don't often share others' articles with you, but this one from the American Express Open Forum caught my eye and has quality information...

Before starting our own businesses, many of us had corporate jobs. One of the big differences between being part of someone else’s company and heading a small one is the lack of feedback. It’s likely that as an employee you worked with people you could bounce ideas off of. As a small business owner, you’re lucky if you have one or two people you can share ideas with.

Isolation is a problem for many entrepreneurs—even those with employees. Sure, you can brainstorm with employees for ideas on smaller issues, but when it comes to bigger concerns—like the future direction of your business—you can’t share what you’re thinking with your staff.

So where can you turn for advice and feedback? Why not form a board of advisors? Here are some ideas for creating your own set of advisors.

Read the full article >>>