Helen Callier, President @PermitUsNow, David Abney, Chairman and CEO of UPS
If given a free ticket to a business conference, would you go to hear billionaire CEO’s share great tips for small businesses?
A couple of weeks ago, I was checking my email in a hotel room in Austin, Texas and I ran across an email from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses’ (GS10KSB) Alumni Director offering alumni free access to Alibaba’s Gateway 17 Conference in Detroit to learn about doing business in China.
While it was wonderful to have free conference access, I continued to read the email to see if attending event was worth my time. Then suddenly, my eyes caught a few of the speakers’ names including Jack Ma, billionaire and Chairman of Alibaba, Marcus Lemonis, billionaire, Camping World CEO, star of The Profit television show, and to top it off, Martha Stewart, billionaire, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
I was beyond excited to have the opportunity to see these successful CEO’s live and subsequently, sent the GS10KSB Director of Alumni an email response saying, “yes, I will accept the free invitation to Gateway ’17 in Detroit”.
During the Gateway ’17, I networked with other GS10KSB alumni from across the US, met the Chairman and CEO of UPS, David Abney; and I captured many tips from the billionaire speakers that can be helpful to small businesses.
GS10KSB Alumni: Helen Callier, President @PermitUsNow, Debra Myers, Founder of Enfusia, Maria Rios, President of Nation Waste
Below are 11 small business tips that I learned from billionaire CEO’s while attending the Gateway ’17 conference in Detroit.
Tips from Jack Ma, Chairman of Alibaba:
- Love your customers. Love the work that you do and believe in the future.
- No one wants to follow a leader that complains. Be optimistic!
- Build a good team by hiring the right people and not necessarily the best.
- Stayed focused on one dream. If 9 rabbits are running around, chase one rabbit and you will succeed. Chase 9 rabbits and you go home empty handed.
- The world has changed. Do not complain about the change. Embrace change. –
- Where is the opportunity? Opportunity always exists where people complain. Your customers are there and you can make money if you serve the people with the right solutions.
- Customers first. Employees second and shareholders third. When your customers are happy, your employees will be happy and your shareholders will be happy.
Tips from Martha Stewart, Lifestyle Extraordinaire, Living Omnimedia Founder:
- Be authentic. If going to talk about chickens then get you some chickens and clean the coop. You have-to know how to do stuff. No one likes a fake.
- Use social media for business in a targeted way and do not waste folks’ time. I use social media to teach while communicating.
Tips from Marcus Lemonis, CEO of Camping World, star of The Profit TV Show
- You have an obligation to do what is right for your business.
- When you die, what will be your legacy? What is your purpose? How are you tapping into your talents to serve others and make money? Why not you? In what way will you make a forever impact?
Conclusion
That’s it for now. When offered free access to a business conference, grab it to generate leads, meet new people, and to gain new insights. Did you attend or watch the Gateway ’17 on livestream on CNBC? If so, what tips did you take-away? I would love to hear your tips.