Church Start Up Has Same Challenges as For Profit Indies
I know you want to get to the video, but please allow me to set it up for you with some interesting background. In the early 90’s when I was an employment attorney at a Fortune 500 company, a stranger knocked on my office door. Tall, handsome and soft spoken, he introduced himself as Dwayne Bond. He worked in a department at the company that had just announced layoffs.
As one of the company’s employment attoneys, I had helped organize what the company then called a "temporary reduction in force." (… And we all know what "temporary" means.) Dwayne said a mutual friend referred him to me, so he stopped by to introduce himself, give me a copy of his resume and let me know that he was in the market for a new job.
In our brief conversation, I discovered that he had just gotten married — not a good time to lose a job. Even though I was not aware of any openings, I kept his resume and wished him well. I never forgot the dignity and perseverance he demonstrated.
I predicted that Dwayne’s self assured confidence would take him far in life. Turns out, I was right. What I didn’t know was that our paths would cross again. And again. When my family and I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, last year, Dwayne and his family, who relocated to Charlotte in 2005, welcomed us into their home and helped us get acclimated in our newly adopted hometown.
They say that men are not typically good multi-taskers. As you can see from the video, Dwayne blows that myth right out of the water, proving that when you have a true calling in your life, nothing will stop you from answering it. Dwayne and his wife, Leslie, have become my friends. Today, Dwayne is my pastor at Wellspring Church, so I now address him as Pastor Bond. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to the person who has helped my family over the past few years through some very difficult times.
It’s funny how life is. You meet someone who makes a lasting impression and years later, have a chance to see how that person has grown and flourished. It pleases me greatly to share a little of Dwayne’s story and philosophy of life with you.
If this segment of Indie Business TV has encouraged you, please drop a line and let me know.
As we ring in the New Year, I am thankful to you for allowing me to reach out to you in person or through this blog or Indie Business Radio. It is a true privilege and one of the greatest joys of my life to serve you. There’s so much exciting activity here, and I am often asked by members, clients and the media for an overview of the company.
This video provides a bird’s eye view of Indie Business, including the Indie Beauty Network, websites, forums and publications. It’s a sort of "State Of Indie Business." I hope it is helpful to anyone who wishes to know exactly who we serve with such passion and enthusiasm.
The "I Am Indie Business" Pledge empowers you by changing the paradigm through which you view the connections between family, home, wealth and business. They are the commitments that I and my family made that helped us reach our goal of successfully managing home and business, without compromising either.
To find out if you’re ready for the Pledge, enjoy the "I Am Indie Business" video. Is 2008 your year to take the pledge?
A few days ago on Indie Business TV, I shared my advice that social network marketing is a smart, efficient and cost effective method of getting the word out about you and your business. So I just had to tell you about a new social site I joined yesterday that is tailored made for Indie Business owners.
People Jam allows you to set up a profile with a photo and share your stories, advice and tips. You can connect with like-minded people, ask others for advice and offer a healthy dose of your own. Categories include getting out of debt, business ownership, losing weight, nutrition, travel, inspired living, spiritual, dating and other categories. It also has a place for your blog. It’s free and my profile was set up in about 30 minutes by adding my picture and copying existing content from my web sites, press kit and other places.
Domain Name Offers Incomplete But Valuable Protection
The United States Patent & Trademark Officereported that it examined a record 323,527 trademark applications in fiscal year 2007. Compare this to 2006, when it reported examining 275,790 applications, a 9% jump from 2005. But filing a trademark registration application can be expensive and time consuming. And while there’s no substitute for a federal trademark registration, here’s a tip. Whether you own the registration or not, it pays to purchase the domain name that corresponds to the brand name or slogan used to identify your products and services.
For example, earlier this month, I featured Shower Steamers on Indie Business TV. Shower Steamers, made by Indie Beauty Network member cerise, are golf ball sized bath fizzies that, when placed in a warm shower, dissolve and release aromatherapy essences to the air. Because the name Shower Steamers is short, catchy and memorable, it serves as a clever brand name for the product. When I discovered that cerise did not own the showersteamers.com domain name, I contacted the owner and suggested she consider buying and pointing it to the website page where Shower Steamers are sold.
