I just registered today for the 2014 Tour for Kids ride. As I mention on the second page of my website, I participate in a 4-day, 400 km bike ride to raise money for kids battling cancer. Here is the link to my fundraising page: http://bit.ly/1epANCQ 

What does this have to do with business you ask. Well, as it turns out, a lot. Now that I have registered, I am doing my forward planning on how I am going to raise the $1,500 I just committed to, and how I am going to train so that I can complete the ride.

The ride takes place in August, so I have a little under 6 months to raise funds and get physically and mentally prepared. Running a business is a lot like that too. There is a phrase that has been resurrected that says "life is a marathon, not a sprint." Well, that is how I nurture Giraffe Graphics. Clients don't show up overnight and I have to train to source them out. Cultivating business takes planning and preparation. It takes door-knocking, phone calling, business meetings and more.

You have to prove your worth to potential clients, much the same as I have to prove my cause to potential donors. I don't expect everyone I approach to open their wallet to me, nor should they. There is a lot of competition out there for charity dollars, just as there is a lot of competition out there for the services that you and I provide.

What is your cause and how strongly do you believe in it?  Dust off that mindset and lace up your shoes. Planning for your marathon starts today.
 


Comments




Leave a Reply