Helping Your Business Beat the Odds

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, the odds are approximately 50 percent that all new businesses will close within five years.

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, the odds are approximately 50 percent that all new businesses will close within five years. Flip a coin!

A group of business leaders in the Broken Arrow community are certain they have found the tools to beat the odds and develop thriving businesses that will sustain challenging times. They have put together a first-ever conference, “Beating the Odds” Lead$ Conference 2010, taking place March 4-6 at the Northeastern State University Broken Arrow Campus.

The idea was the brainchild of the Broken Arrow Lead$ Groups – four groups of noncompetitive business people who have met twice a month since spring of 2008. They serve as a relationship building opportunity where companies share about their business. This information is used by the Lead$ Group members to generate business or leads for one another for business growth. The groups report sales generated from referrals at the Lead$ Groups meetings, and sales have been reported ranging as high as $18,000 to $30,000 in a six week period. Soon a new atmosphere of unstoppable energy and excitement came over the groups. “This energy and excitement was not in our small business relationships a year and a half ago,” says Brenda Senter, vice president of membership for the Broken Arrow Area Chamber of Commerce.

From the success of the Lead$ Groups, Lead$ Summits were developed. Summits bring all the groups together quarterly for training and networking. One participant at a Summit reported a $5,000 increase in business.

“That’s when we realized we were far ahead in the game,” says Brenda. So the next step came naturally. Why not offer these ideas to all small business leaders in Green Country?

“Beating the Odds” is pleased to feature two accomplished business coaches. International speaker, Dr. Jeff Magee of Jeff Magee International and Performance Magazine, and Kelly Riggs of Vmax Performance Group, to deliver their keynote messages.

Through his Performance Magazine, Dr. Jeff Magee has worked with some of the world’s most high-impact people, including pro athletes, Bill Cosby, Suze Orman and President Barack Obama. He holds a Ph.D. in organizational psychology and is one of fewer than 20 professional speakers who are both a certified management consultant (CMC) and a certified speaking professional (CSP).

Dr. Magee believes we are at the beginning of major things to come and that this is the best time to be in business. That’s with a little savvy, of course. His nuts-and-bolts approach gets to the basics of what really is important to all successful businesses. He offers ideas that can be put to use immediately, and tools for “economic realignment” to help pull out of bad times.

Kelly Riggs, sales and leadership consultant, author and corporate coach, calls himself a “people developer.” He uses a realistic and common-sense approach to developing key people within organizations. His methods show owners and leaders how to quit hoping and start planning for what they want out of their businesses – more productive employees, increased sales, lower employee turnover and better customer relationships.

Brenda believes this cutting-edge conference could soon take on national proportions. And that is their goal. For now, registration is limited to 400.  

The “Beating the Odds” conference begins at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 4 and ends Saturday at noon, March 6. All three days are full of valuable business coaching, planning, breakout sessions, networking opportunities and training seminars. Friday night features a special Casino Night at NSU.

Northeastern State University Broken Arrow Campus is located at 3100 E. New Orleans St. Registration and additional information is available online at www.BALeadsConference.com or by contacting the Broken Arrow Area Chamber of Commerce at (918) 251-1518.

For more information, contact

Broken Arrow Area Chamber of Commerce

(918) 251-1518

www.BALeadsConference.com