Need An Intern???

It's that time of year again. Time to freshen up the Quickbooks, reorganize client lists, run productivity reports on services, cost benefit analysis on marketing expenses....Basically it's time to push paper. I don't know about you but I as a business owner can't reconcile the time it takes to input all this data. These tasks are so necessary but so TIME CONSUMING! I need to spend my time getting the word out about my business, meeting new clients, producing events... So how do I do both??

That's easy; Interns! There are so many eager young minds who not only need the resume building but will really benefit from the experience of working with an established business owner and learning hands on tricks of the trade.

Now students this work may sound boring and mundane but it is the backbone of all business isn't it? We all had to learn how to do these things when we started out. Wouldn't it be true that if a company didn't have an understanding of how the finances work and who their target market is they wouldn't be in business?

That's not to say all they could do is paperwork. Of course they can be as involved as you want them to be. The sky is the limit with interns and with so many amazing Universities in Chicago the talent pool is endless.

Not only will they be helping you but by hiring interns you are giving back to your community and helping to shape the future leaders of tomorrow. - That was my humanity push

Check out these Universities to post your internship opportunities:

Depaul
Northwestern
Columbia College
Roosevelt Univesity
Lexington College
Loyola University
University Of Chicago

If your not local to Chicago try the University of Dreams for internships nationwide!

Value + Service = $$$$$$$$$

It's really marketing 101 but sometime its best to review the basics. In this market competition is fierce. Not only with other companies but with ourselves. Cutting cost, improving company image, re-branding, re-positioning the analysis can be endless...

Lets talk about what really matters, the reason people really give you their hard earned money. VALUE. What is your value proposition? What value do you provide to your clients, the actual not the perceived.

So as we are all reading blogs about cutting costs, going to workshops about office efficiency, and listening to podcasts about increasing sales we need to remember the basics. Who are we as a company? What is the impression of our industry? Who are our customers? Finally, what VALUE do we provide for them?

Here are a few questions to get you started:

1. What value do clients and decision makers perceive about our general category of company and services?

2. What is the value clients and decision makers in our target market perceive about us as a firm?

3. What value do clients and decision makers in the market perceive about the specific services we offer?

4. What value do clients and decision makers in the market perceive about solving the particular problems that they currently have?