All That I Am Books Presents Small Business News Magazine

NEWPORT, ARKANSAS EDITION bringing INTERNET to rural counties Presents 2018 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 Page 22 Page 13 Page 4 SERVING ENTREPRENEURS IN THE DELTA KEEPING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT ALIVE small business news Magazine . HOW EASY IS IT TO START A BUSINESS IN NEWPORT chair woman of the Entrepreneurial economic development board -Latasha Robinson If you need to get registered to vote , stop by All That I Am Books and get registered to vote! We have voter registration forms available. Be prepared to vote in 2018! ABOUT THE AUTHOR /PUBLISHER & ALL THAT I AM BOOKS PAGE 3 Latasha Wakefield-Robinson was born in Memphis, Tennessee and she's the mother of 5 children. She is married to Roderick Robinson a native of Newport, Arkansas. Latasha was taught about entrepreneurship at a early age . Her father owned several businesses in Memphis. She started out being the candy lady at the age of 15. She graduated from Hamilton High School at the age of 17, while in the 11th grade. She started an income tax company, Down To The Penny, in January of 2000. This is where she found her calling: helping others in their finances. She began offering credit counseling and budgeting services. In 2001, she opened Extend a Hand where she used her writing gifts to offer services as a grant writer to churches and community organizations. In 2009 she wrote her life story entitled, When The Tables Turn:The Life and Times of Latasha Wakefield. Latasha then began traveling as a motivational speaker and author. In May of 2012 she graduated from college with a dual AAS in Accounting , Business and Legal Studies. In May of 2014, Latasha graduated from MTI as a minister and moved to Newport, Ar. In March of 2015 Latasha opened All That I Am Books Publishing Company in downtown Newport, after realizing there was nowhere to have her book printed in Newport. She became the solution to her own problem. In March of 2017 Latasha opened All That I Am Ministries Training Center where she offers ministerial training, purity classes, spiritual guidance, mentoring and more. Latasha holds several certifications for her business like the Minority Business Enterprise, Woman Owned Small Business, Economic Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business and HUB Zone. All of the certifications are issued by the Small Business Administration. She also became the chairwoman for Entrepreneurial Economic Development in 2017 after volunteering on the community sustainability committee for a year. She decided to give back by helping other business owners accomplish the things that took a lot of time and studying. Latasha has expanded her list of services to include: marriage counselor, curriculum writer, small business coach, life coach, junior tee-ball coach and more. If there's no door then create one! who is Latasha Robinson? ""One person can make a difference, I'm willing to be the one."" ""IF THERES NO DOOR THEN MAKE YOUR OWN ! "" ""BE THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM."" About the author/publisher & all that i am books publishing company WRITTEN BY LATASHA ROBINSON chair-woman lATASHA Wakefield-rOBINSON THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT & FINANCIAL TIPS PAGE 4 Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice. - Peter F. Drucker resources for entrepreneurs RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS PAGE 5 Newport entrepreneurial economic development board workshop Topics & Resources What is an entrepreneurial spirit? An entrepreneurial spirit is a way of approaching situations where you feel empowered, motivated, and capable of taking things into your own hands. This helps entrepreneurs to not only see problems, solutions and opportunities. It's self-motivation to come up with ideas to do something about them. Entrepreneurs tend to have a more innovative approach to thinking about their products or services, new directions to take the company in, or new ways of doing old tasks. The entrepreneurial spirit helps companies grow and evolve rather than become stagnant and stale. We will be highlighting entrepreneurs that have the entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepenurial Spirit is having a mind set like "if theres no door then make one." info@latasharobinson.com www.latasharobinson.com facebook@latasharobinson ""Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve."" Dr. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich. You have to take calculated risks, and sometimes fail. You never quit, you learn from it and try it again! Everyone has a voice that needs to be nurtured. Not criticized, in order to continue bringing innovative ideas forward. 5 Financial tips for start-ups Entrepreneurial Spirit The mission of the Newport Entrepreneurial Economic Development Board is to create economic opportunities by providing resources, workshops, networking events, and access to alternate funding sources and loans with 2-4% interest rates. We are a non-profit organization and an extension of Newport Economic Development Commission. We are focused on creating new businesses and new paying jobs, increasing income, investment opportunities, and generating positive growth in Newport. Keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive is a top priority of ours. 1. One of the riskiest things a business  can do is to not take any risks,  as complacency is simply not an option.  2. Nothing has more monetary value than your time.  3. Cash flow management is key.  Know where every single dollar is coming from  and where every single dollar is going.  4. Focus on customer acquisition.  Identify different acquisition channels, work on optimization to lower your costs.  5. Make sure you pay yourself. Give yourself enough to live comfortably and focus on building your business. When you eliminate personal financial stress, it allows you to stay ultra-focused on your business. Author , Latasha Robinson When I was asked to be the chairwoman of this board, I immediately thought about how to structure it to be a board of action. I thought about my journey as an entrepreneur and the obstacles that once stood in my way. So these workshops were born out of my experiences and challenges to start, expand and sustain my businesses. I began reaching out to the organizations that had the resources that Newport needs. These are just a few of the classses that have been made available to the public: August 25, 2017: How to Start Your Business with All That I Am Books owner, Latasha Robinson We discussed start-up basics including business legal structure, employer identification numbers, limited liability formation and the benefits of a LLC., business bank accounts and co-mingling funds. September 29, 2017: Quickbooks for Beginners with Everett Burton, owner of Quickbooks Made To Order We covered: Getting Started, Setting Up, Lists, Banking,Other Accounts, Sales, Receiving Payments & Deposits and Bills. October 27, 2017: Arkansas Economic Development Commission Small and Minority Business Division This seminar covered the newly launched Act 1080 which expanded the program to include additional minority groups, service-disabled veterans, woman-owned businesses, providing support for the fullest participation of firms owned and controlled by minority persons. November 30, 2017: Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center with Mary Love We will cover: funding opportunities, how to get a government grant, marketing and selling to the government, how to write a capability statement, The System for Awards Management, The Dynamic Small Business Search and DUNS number. December 29, 2017: Schwegman's Office Supplies will talk to us about marketing and promotional items for your business. We will also have Region Bank here to teach us about co-mingling funds, how to build business credit, business lines of credit and various types of loans. January 26, 2018 2pm to 4pm: Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will teach us about market research and analysis. Market research can help identify and find those customers. They will also cover financial analysis and financing your business. More workshops will be implemented in the following weeks. If you would like to be a part of these workshops please email me your name, phone number and which workshop that you would like to attend. Send email to info@allthatiambooks.com. If you would like to sponsor a workshop or if your organization would like to teach a workshop for us please send me a email with the type of services/resources that you have to offer. twitter@allthatiambooks Newport entrepreneurial ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING WEALTH NOW PAGE 6 "The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person that you have to become to become a millionaire." - Jim Rohn Don't focus on how long it takes, focus on results instead.Most people wish their circumstances would magically change for them. They don't have the drive to become better themselves so they can pro-actively improve their own circumstances. Your work can solve pressing problems, improve people's lives, and get noticed by important people who share your work not for your sake, but for theirs! The quality of who you are as a person, and the work you do, is completely within your control. But you can't wish for it to happen. You must become the kind of person who naturally attracts the success you seek. Here's how: 1. Invest at least 10% of your income in yourself If you don't pay for something, you rarely pay attention. Most people want stuff that's free. But if you get something for free, you rarely prize that thing. You rarely take it seriously. How much do you invest in yourself? How committed are you to yourself? If you aren't investing in yourself, than you don't have any skin in the game of your own life. If you aren't invested in your business, you probably won't do high quality work. If you're not invested in your relationships, you're probably more focused on what you can get than what you can give. When it comes to self-improvement, investing 10% of your income on yourself will yield a 100X or more return on that investment. For every dollar you spend on your education, skills, and relationships, you'll get at least 100 dollars back in returns. If you want to do something extremely well, you need to surround yourself with the right mentors. Anything that you'll ever do well will be the result of high quality mentoring. If you suck at something, it's because you haven't received quality mentoring in that thing. The best mentorships are the ones where you pay your mentor. Often, the more you pay the better, because you'll take the relationship far more seriously. You won't solely be taking in that relationship. You won't purely be a consumer. Instead, you'll be invested, and as such, you'll listen more carefully. You'll care more. You'll be more thoughtful and engaged. There will be higher consequences for not succeeding.I invested $3,500 in myself to attend a college to get certified as a NLP (Neuro Linguist Programmer). That $3,500 gave me more tools to use in my business of counseling.It provided me knowledge that dramatically enhanced and sped up my services. With this knowledge I'm able to deal with the root of the problem which is 95% buried in their sub-conscience. If you don't have much money, surely you can afford to buy a book. How much money and time do you spend on entertainment, clothes, or food? It's a matter of priority.It's only when you invest in something that you have the motivation to truly make it happen.Beyond mentor-ships, you should invest in education programs such as online courses, books, quality products such as food and sleep.Your level of success can generally be directly measured by your level of investment. If you're not getting the results you want, it's because you haven't invested enough to get those results. Your number 1 investment must be yourself. Who you are determines: • the quality of marriage you'll have • the quality of parent you become • the quality of work you produce • the level of happiness you have Here's what you'll find when you financially invest yourself in something. You become very committed to that thing. Economists call this sunk cost bias. But you can leverage this to your benefit. If you want to escalate your personal commitment to something, invest heavily in that thing.Eventually, it will become a point of no return.You'll become so fiercely committed that withdrawing will seem ridiculous. 2. Invest at least 70% of your "off" time into learning Most people are consumers rather than creators. They are at work to get their paycheck, not to make a difference.When left to their own devices, most people consume their time as well. It is only by investing your time that you get a return on that time. Nearly every second spent on social media is consumed time. You can't have that time back. Rather than making your future better, it actually made your future worse. Just like eating bad food, every consumed moment leaves you worse off. Every invested moment leaves you better off. Entertainment is all well and good but only when that entertainment is an investment in your relationships or yourself. You'll know if it was an investment if that entertainment continues to yield returns over and over in your future. That may include positive memories, transformational learning, or deepened relationships. Even still, life isn't purely about being entertained. Education and learning is also key. And although both are essential, education will provide far greater returns in your future. The world's most successful people are intense learners. They are hard readers. They know that what they know determines how well they see the world. They know that what they know determines the quality of relationships they can have and the quality of work they can do. If you are constantly consuming junk media, how can you possibly expect to create high value work? Your input directly translates to your output. Garbage in, garbage out. 3. Don't work for money, work to learn "When you are young, work to learn, not to earn." - Robert Kiyosaki Just as a large majority of your down-time should be spent learning, so should a great deal of your "working" time. Wealthy and happy people work to learn.. Unsuccessful and unhappy people work primarily for money. Only 20% of your energy should be spent doing your actual work. The rest should be spent learning, improving yourself and resting in God. It is by "sharpening your saw" that you'll continue to become a better and more capable person. Thus, as you dedicate large portions of time becoming a better thinker, communicator, and better at your craft, the quality of your work will continue to increase. Eventually, you'll be able to charge VERY VERY high fees for your work, because no one else can do it like you. When you prioritize learning and recovery, then during the hours you are actually working, you'll be in a deep flow state. You won't be distracted like most people are when they work. You're either 100% on or 100% off. While working, you can get more done in a few hours than most people get done in a number of days.Your time is spent well because your priorities are clear, you're well-rested, and your mind is stimulated. 4. Don't learn for entertainment, learn to create more value "The key secret to success is not excessive expertise, but the ability to use it. Knowledge is worthless unless it is applied." - Max Lukominskyi In our media and information age, there are a million things you could learn. If you don't put that learning into immediate practice, it becomes shallow information. Information and knowledge are two very different things. Knowledge and wisdom are also two very different things. It takes wisdom to determine what you should learn, why you should learn it, and when you should learn it. Unless you're invested, you probably won't learn with the intensity needed to maximize that knowledge. Unless you understand the value of your time, you probably won't have the discernment to ignore almost everything while learning that which will bring the highest return. When you learn something, you should get a return on that learning. Far too many people read books now just to say they've read lots of books. If you're not applying what you're learning, your consuming and wasting your time. 5. Shift your motivation from getting to giving "The world gives to the givers and takes from the takers." - Joe Polish Most people are only focused on what they can get out of life. Me, me, me. However, once you become more consciously awake to the world, your desire will shift from merely receiving to giving. You'll realize that it's actually far more satisfying to give than to get. Moreover, you'll be driven by a cause you fully believe in. The truth is, you really only have 1 of 2 orientations towards people (and life). Either you are in relationships as TRANSACTIONS, or as TRANSFORMATIONS. Most people have transactional relationships. They're focused only on what they get out of the relationship. It's all about furthering their own agenda. It's rooted in scarcity. It's selfish. This isn't how you get far in relationships and life.It's also how you get stuck in your own small-mindedness. Transformational relationships, on the other hand, are completely focused on giving and gratitude - the hallmarks of abundance. In these relationships, the whole becomes more than the sum of parts. Both parties, in vulnerability and trust, transcend their own small-mindedness and become something more. At the core, this requires being a giver, not a taker. As Adam Grant has explained in his book, Give and Take, when two givers come together, the results are astronomical. You'll have more ideas about how you can improve other people's lives and businesses. You'll start contributing more, which will lead to far more opportunities and deeper relationships. People will come to love and trust you. Your work will be motivated by a higher cause and thus will be far more inspired and impactful. I have tried all 5 of these tips in my life. I have found out that investing in myself is the only investment that has continued to blossom. When there are no opportunities available, I become the opportunty. When I invest in myself , I increase my arsenal of tools . -Latasha Robinson 7. Openly acknowledge how dependent you are on other people Goran Bogicevic/Shutterstock Just because your primary motivation is to give, doesn't mean you don't also seek a lot of help. Actually, you are constantly seeking and receiving help. The truth is, everyone is highly dependent on other people to do what they do. But it takes wisdom and humility to openly acknowledge that dependence. Rather than seeing it as a weakness, realize that it's a strength. Beyond acknowledging your dependence, constantly express your appreciation to the people in your life. That which you appreciate, appreciates. Relationships are assets that can and should grow bigger and better over time. If you don't appreciate and give to your relationships, your relationships will suffer. All relationships are like bank accounts, and if one person is constantly depositing and the other person is constantly withdrawing, eventually all of the resources become depleted. In such relationships, 1+1=less than 2. Conversely, in synergistic and healthy relationships, 1+1=far more than 2. When two people are continually giving and receiving, the relational bank account continues to grow and expand, providing several intended and unintended benefits. For example, I was recently at the gym with my brother. At the beginning of the workout, he was struggling mentally. He wasn't adding to my energy and helping my workout become better than if I was alone, but instead, he was sucking my energy and requiring me to exert more energy and effort than if I was alone. I made him aware of what was happening, and he immediately shifted his emotional posture. He realized how dramatically his mood was impacting me.His motivation shifted from consuming an experience to creating something great. Our shared mental state heightened, taking us into group flow. Our workout become far superior to anything I could create on my own. Not only that, but we began to engage in inspired conversation. This led to brilliant insights and connections that were relevant to the book I'm writing. The amazing workout was the intended outcome of our synergy. The insights for my book were unintended benefits. This can only happen when both parties are actively giving and receiving from the relationship. Where both are focusing on creating rather than consuming. Where both have the primary motivation of helping the other person succeed. 8. Create win-win strategic partnership to achieve 10x or 100x goals Shutterstock "All failed companies are the same: they failed to escape competition." - Peter Thiel Most people are in a state of competition rather than collaboration. Collaboration is a much higher level than competition. Competition is focused on the self. It's also very low level thinking, because what you can do on your own is very limited. People who are competing are grinding. They're more focused on winning than creating real solutions. However, when your thinking becomes expanded, you realize you could do so much more with other people. Collaboration creates unique connections working by yourself never could. You have skills and knowledge that are awesome in your field. There are other people in different fields who have skills and knowledge completely outside of your current awareness. These people also have assets you don't have. If you want to get 10X or 100X the results of other people in your field, you need to develop strategic "win-win" partnerships. This generally happens when you devise a plan where your skill sets and assets merge with the skill sets and assets of someone else. What you can do well, someone else may struggle with. What you struggle with, others can do extremely well. Who can you partner with that could speed your process? Who has assets and resources you don't? How could you help these people? What types of partnerships could you develop, that would allow you to more quickly achieve your goals and help them more quickly achieve theirs? When you collaborate with other people, 1+1=more than 2. The whole becomes DIFFERENT from the sum of it's parts. This is how TRANSFORMATION occurs. Only those who engage in collaboration actually experience true transformation. People who only work well by themselves are stuck in their own narrow worldview and agendas. When you merge with others, your ideas and goals change. They become bigger and better. They become DIFFERENT from what you could ever create on your own. The only way to have these types of partnerships is to think long-term. You must be invested and have skin in the game. It can't be transactional. It's can't be this for that. It must be about something a lot deeper. When it is, you'll have far more integrity in the work you do. You'll express greater appreciation. You'll consistently do the right thing, even if that right thing is difficult and uncomfortable. Don't seek transactional relationships. Only seek long-term TRANSFORMATIONAL relationships. 9. Set 10X goals and face your fears Flickr/Mikko Koponen Look at your current goals. Why is that your metric for "success"? Why is that your target? What would happen if, in all seriousness, you 10X'd that target? What if rather than earning $3,000/month, you pursued $30,000/month? Is that even possible? Of course it's possible. There's several people doing it. The only difference between them and you is their education, relationships, and strategy. When you set a 10X goal, you're required to think very differently about your daily behaviors. You're required to be more serious in all aspects of your life. You're required to eliminate limiting thinking and consumptive distractions. Setting a 10X goal will be one of the best things you've ever done for yourself. This goal should be created while you are in a peak state. You get into a peak state by doing something powerful, whether that be exercising, learning, or being in a unique environment, such as a foreign country. You can even get into a peak state by being around certain types of people, the ones who inspire you to be the best version of yourself. Only you know what gets you into a peak and passionate state. So, do whatever it is that gets you there, and then write down your goals. Declare what you're going to do. Then write that goal down and visualize it's achievement every single day until it becomes your reality. When you think about this goal, don't deviate from the natural flow of ideas that follow. You can't 10X your results by engaging in the same thinking and behaviors you're currently performing. Consequently, while thinking about your goal, you'll also get ideas about what you need to do, realistically, to achieve that goal. Chances are, you don't know what you don't know. So you'll need to start really educating yourself about how you could conceivably achieve your goal. You'll need to get bolder about the work you're doing. You'll need to create more, and fail more. Over and over, in fact. Quantity is often the fastest path to quality. Not only that, but when you think about your 10X goal, you'll probably have ideas that scare you. When you do work that scares you, you cross a boundary that most people never cross. Scary work is often highly profitable and valuable work. 10. Get really really good at marketing Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/Flickr Marketing is nothing more than applied psychology. It's about connecting with people, persuading them, and helping them. Many people think marketing is a nasty or immoral thing. Many "artists" don't learn marketing because they don't want to "sell out." They want their work to be pure. Academics are not better. Their work is not accessible to the common man. Marketing is nothing more than making your work easier and better to find and use. People aren't magically going to appear and buy your stuff. People aren't going to magically appear and read your stuff. Even right now: How did you land on this page? Look at the title of this article. I could have just as easily called it, "Advice for becoming successful." But would you have clicked on that article? Probably not. But you clicked on this one. Why did you click on this one? How did you get this far down? Think about the experience. Marketing is the "HOW" to whatever it is you do. The reason most people aren't successful is because they either fear or avoid marketing. For the same reason, most people are bad teachers. They're more focused on content than the delivery and design of that content. But the delivery - the HOW - is just as important IF NOT MORE IMPORTANT than WHAT you're doing or WHY you're doing it. You could have the cure for cancer. But if you don't market it well, you'll never get your cure out there. You could have the world's most important message, or greatest story, but no one will see it if you don't promote and package it intelligently. 11. Don't focus on time and effort, focus on results instead Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/Flickr Founder of the exclusive entrepreneurial coaching platform, Strategic Coach, Dan Sullivan distinguishes between those who are in the "Time-and-Effort Economy" with those who are in the "Results Economy." If you're in the time and effort economy, you are focused on being busy. You actually believe the amount of time and energy you put into something merits praise. Conversely, when you are in the results economy, you are only focused on achieving a specific result. The bottom line is what matters, and thus, it becomes very important to find the most effective way to get there. This is a key difference between entrepreneurs and employees. As Sullivan says: Entrepreneurs have crossed "the risk line" from the "Time-and-Effort Economy" to the "Results Economy." For them, there's no guaranteed income, no one writing them a paycheck every two weeks. They live by their ability to generate opportunity by creating value for their clientele. Sometimes, they - and you - will put in a lot of time and effort and get no result. Other times, they don't put in much time and effort and get a big result. The focus for entrepreneurs always has to be on results or there's no revenue coming in. If you work for an entrepreneur, guess what! This is true for you, too. Though you probably have a guaranteed income, it's important to understand that the business you work in exists inside The Results Economy, even if you're sheltered somewhat from seeing that. I say this not to make you feel insecure, but to show you how to succeed in this environment: by maximizing your results while minimizing the time and effort it takes to get them. Most people don't think in terms of results because their security is in a paycheck. However, when you shift your focus from how little you can do to how much you can do, you change how you work. You start learning ways to accomplish more faster. You take on greater responsibility. You change your environment. And you also realize just how important sleep and rest are to achieving the highest possible results. Hence, you begin to take more and more time off and rest. When you dedicate 80 percent of your energy to rest and self-improvement, then you have a lot of fodder and a very sharp saw to use during the time you're actually working. You're thinking 10X bigger than everyone else. You're operating under short timelines and high pressure. You can tax yourself to extremes while you work because you spend lots and lots of time resting and preparing. 12. Shift your environments regularly Joe Penney/Reuters The environments you work in should reflect the work you're doing. Doing several types of work in the same environment is ineffective. But people do it all the time. They sit in the same seat and mentally shift from one task to another. A far better approach is to BATCH your activities and to do those activities in a relevant environment. For example, when I write a blog post, I work in a quiet library where I have no distractions. Because my environment facilitates quality writing, and because I knew I'd be writing that day, I write a lot. It's easier to write 2-5 blog posts in one sitting than to try writing one post at a time. Ari Meisel, author and entrepreneur, batches his activities and alternates his environments to match the work he's doing. On days he is recording podcasts, he goes to a studio and records about 5 podcast episodes in a single session. On other days, he spends his whole day in meetings or on calls. He does this work at his friend's apartment because it's a much more engaging environment. He also does a lot of writing, and does that at the SOHO HOUSE in New York City, because it's a quiet environment with poor internet connection. The lack of connection stops him from surfing the web and even using his phone, because he has bad reception. 13. Define "wealth" and "success" for yourself Ksenija Toyechkina/Shutterstock Success and wealth are not all about money. There are a lot of people who have money and have little "capital" in the other key areas of their lives. Money, obviously, is very important. It solves a lot of problems. It's speeds processes. But money is a tool. It's a means to an end. For those engaging in work they truly believe in, money is simply a tool for doing more work. 14. Know and operate from your deepest "why" Jacob Lund/Shutterstock What is your WHY for what you're doing or pursuing? How could you possibly know your why? More importantly, how could you know your REAL WHY? It's actually quite simple. But it takes some radical honestly. There's an exercise I'll walk you through to get to your WHY. And more importantly, once you know your deepest WHY for what you're doing, you should operate FROM THAT STATE, not from your lower and base-level reasons. When trying to understand why you do something, it's better to ask "What" questions then "Why" questions, because "Why" questions tend to put people on the defensive. Here's a solid question you could ask yourself to understand your WHY. What about ______________ is important to you? Let's say you want to start a business, or get a new cellphone, or go to the gym… It could be big or small. But put that thing in there. What about "going to the gym" is important to you? Then, you just write the first thing that comes to your mind: because I like feeling good. Then you take your answer, and put it in the same question: What about ______________ is important to you? So, given the previous answer: What about "feeling good" is important to you? So, you want to try to go 7-layers deep. Once you get to layers 5, 6, and 7, you're going to have to be really honest with yourself. Usually, you can answer layers 1-4 with your head. However, if you're being really honest with yourself, and I mean REALLY HONEST, you'll need to come from your heart to answer layers 5-7. It's at the deepest levels that you'll discover your TRUE WHY for what you're doing. Even if that something is as simple as getting a new cellphone or going to the gym. But you want to remind yourself of your DEEPEST WHY when you're doing something. And you want to operate from THAT LEVEL, because at your deepest level, you'll be operating from your heart, not your head. Thus, your performance will be much deeper, more authentic, and powerful. The stakes will be higher. Suddenly, you're not just going to the gym to "feel good," but because you have a higher calling to perform and need to be as healthy as possible to make it happen (or whatever your deepest WHY is). Your DEEPEST why will almost always expose something very personal about you, and about your fundamental beliefs about life. You want to be aware of these things, and how/why they drive you to do what you're doing. If you truly go through this exercise in a genuine way, you should get some mental and emotional breakthroughs. You should discover something about yourself, and why you are the way you are, and why you're pursuing the specific things you are. Know your why. Then act from the DEEPEST and most powerful WHY you have. You'll be far more brilliant at what you do. 15. Have a firm stand, it becomes your brand Amy Harris/Invision/AP In order to be successful, you must believe in something. You must have a stand. All successful people and brands have a clear WHY. As Simon Sinek explains in his book, Start With Why, people don't buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it. Apple is a great example. In all of their marketing, they don't explain the technicalities of their products, they define and share their core values. They believe technology should be both easy to use and cool. If you want to be compelling and interesting, you must truly believe in something. You must have a clear stand. That stand becomes your brand. It becomes your trademark. It becomes how you distinguish yourself from others. When you have a clear stand and brand, you stand out. You are no longer neutral. You believe in something, and are fighting to make a specific change. As a result, people will either love you or hate you. That's what you want. Lukewarm means you have nothing to say. Lukewarm means you're trying to appeal to everyone. The riches are in the niches. Your niche is your audience. They are a small group of people who agree with the stand you're trying to make. They are your evangelists. If you try to appeal to everyone, your message, marketing, and products will be terrible. You won't be clear on your why, and neither will anyone else. Thus, you'll be average like everyone else and your work won't stand out. Only people with firm stands get really really good at marketing. They care enough about their message to get it out there. They realize that the HOW is just as important as the WHAT and WHY. Conclusion Are you doing these 15 things? How aggressively are you doing them? Do you want to become a multi-millionaire? Are you ready to think and act bigger? You've got this. 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING WEALTH NOW BY:LATASHA ROBINSON 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING WEALTH NOW PAGE 7 5 TIPS FOR BUILDING WEALTH NOW PAGE 8 We Help Small Businesses Like Yours PHONE: 1-800-634-0245 WEBSITE: WWW.SCORE.ORG SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentor-ship. We have been doing this for over fifty years. Because our work is supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and thanks to our network of 10,000 volunteers, we are able to deliver our services at no charge or at very low cost. We can provide: Volunteer Mentors who share their expertise across 62 industries.Free, confidential business mentoring in person, via email or by video. Free business tools, templates and tips on online at www.score.org.Inexpensive or free business workshops (locally) and webinars (online 24/7). Our 300 chapters hold events and workshops locally across the U.S. and its territories, and match up entrepreneurs with local, volunteer mentors. What qualifies SCORE volunteers to give business advice? The key qualification SCORE mentors bring is real-world business experience. They are working and retired business owners, executives and managers who have been through the same challenges and decisions that many entrepreneurs are facing today. In addition, SCORE teamed up with Deluxe Corporation to develop the Mentoring Methodology Training program for the orientation and certification of volunteer mentors. Designed by SCORE mentors and a panel of industry experts, the program gives new and experienced mentors access to proven tools and methods of success. It is these mentor tools and process that have resulted in the success of more than 56,000 new businesses and over 47,000 jobs created in 2014. The Mentoring Methodology Training program is based on 5 key components represented by the acronym SLATE: Stop and Suspend Judgment Listen and Learn Assess and Analyze Test Ideas and Teach with Tools Expectation Setting and Encouraging the Dream. Working with a SCORE-certified mentor means personalized guidance and support from those who have “been there” and are equipped with the optimal tools to help others succeed too. Our Mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. Our vision is that every person has the support necessary to thrive as a small business owner.Our goal is to help 1 million clients by 2020. ENTREPRENEUR RESOURCES PAGE 9 Small Business Grants Facts BY: LATASHA WAKEFIELD-ROBINSON Small business grants are scarce. To our knowledge, there is no grant money available for starting a small business. Neither the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center nor the U.S. Small Business Administration provides grant funding to small businesses. Some grants are available to small businesses in a specific industry serving a special purpose, such as a lunch program for a day care, research and development for technology businesses. However, these programs are typically narrow in scope. Most small business owners have to look to personal resources and loans to finance their small business. Limited grant funds are available to Arkansas small businesses through the Economic Development Program (EDP). Plus from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, but they can only be obtained in conjunction with an FHLB EDP loan, through a participating community bank. Contact your bank to determine your eligibility. The vast majority of grants are for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions rather than for-profit businesses. By and large, these are fundable organizations with a clear mission and a comprehensive program already in place. They have a track record within the community and are not start-up organizations. Obtaining funding is highly competitive among nonprofit organizations. Locating grant-funding sources is a time-consuming process. It entails utilizing resources such as grant indexes available at public libraries and on the Internet. Out of thousands of private and public funding sources, only a small few may be applicable to a grant seeker’s particular geographic location, mission, or purpose. There must be a logical match between the grant provider’s purpose and the grant seeker’s intended use. A grant is not “something-for-nothing” and should not be equated with “free money.” A grant proposal outlines goals and outcomes that, if not carried out, may necessitate the return of funds to the funding source. Grant announcements can be lengthy, and typically require interested applicants to prepare a grant proposal. Application requirements and deadlines are strictly enforced. Proposals go through a review process, and awards often are not announced for several months following the application deadline. Grant recipients are required to submit periodic progress reports to demonstrate that the grant funds are being utilized properly and goals are being achieved as projected in the application. If you are interested in searching for specific grants, consider the following resources: Central Arkansas Library System – Main Library www.cals.lib.ar.us Offers grant indexes and other resources related to grants and grant writing. Arkansas Early Childhood Commission www.state.ar.us/childcare Oversees grant programs to further childcare services in Arkansas. Arkansas Economic Development Commission Division of Science and Technology Provides state grants, through a competitive application process, to Arkansas enterprises in applied research, technology transfer, and development of innovative technology-based businesses and projects that stimulate economic growth and industrial competitiveness in Arkansas. Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance www.cfda.gov Online catalog that gives you access to a database of all federal programs available to state and local governments . COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 11 MINISTRIES OUTREACH SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES VOICE OF HISPANIC COMMUNITY TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER NON-PROFITS CULTURAL EVENTS REFERRALS LIFE SKILLS CITIZENSHIP ORIENTATION TRANSLATION & INTERPRETATION ENGLISH AND SPANISH CLASSES MENTOR-SHIP PROGRAMS SCHOLARSHIPS OPPORTUNITIES VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT COMMUNITY GARDEN FOOD PANTRY NOTARIAL SERVICES WE SERVE THE LATINO COMMUNITY AND ALL RESIDENTS OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS. OUR GOAL IS TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT WILL IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE. ALL THAT I AM MINISTRIES WORKS WITH NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WITH A MULTI-STRATEGY APPROACH TO STRENGTHEN THE VOICES AND SKILLS OF OUR LATINO COMMUNITY, RESIDENTS AND VOLUNTEER LEADERS.WE HELP BY SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT ON OPPORTUNITIES ANS SUCCESSES OF LATINO ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ALL THAT I AM MINISTRIES GREATLY APPRECIATES DONATIONS FROM LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. BECOME A PARTNER WITH ATIAM BY MAKING A DONATION TODAY. ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. YOU CAN DONATE ONLINE THROUGH PAYPAL AT WWW.PAYPAL.ME/ATIAM IF YOUR ORGANIZATION WOULD LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN OUR RESOURCE NETWORK PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH A LIST AND DETAILS OF SERVICES YOU CAN PROVIDE. HISPANIC COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM wHAT DOES THE HISPANIC OUTREACH PROGRAM DO? tHESE RESOURCES ARE FREE TO OUR COMMUNITY ALLTHATIAMMINISTRIES.COM We welcome people of all ages and skill levels to familiarize themselves with the work of our organization through volunteer engagement.The success of our charitable work and community events throughout the year is made possible with the support of volunteers. We always need volunteers, if you would like to be a part of this community outreach program call us today! wHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE? LATASHA ROBINSON 2105 MALCOLM AVE. STE 105 NEWPORT, AR 72112 (870) 201-1520 wE ARE A COMMUNITY BASED NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY OUTREACH RESOURCES PAGE 10 MELISSA LORE INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT Paparazzi opened its doors for consultants in 2013. You might think Paparazzi is all about accessories, but Paparazzi is really about change! Changing the way people look. Changing the way people feel, futures and their lives. Though their fashion-forward jewelry and product parties. Its all centered on fun, Paparazzi fulfills a serious mission. We believe that trendy accessories can be available, and affordable, to women everywhere. We know that wearing a new look, and feeling confident in your appearance, builds amazing self-worth. Their passion is inspiring dreams, empowering talents, and reaching goals by sharing our products and the excitement of Paparazzi. Melissa sees it happen every day. What's the most important thing to know about Paparazzi? It's fabulous fashion for just $5. Every piece. Every day. They offer opportunities to become an independent consultant with flexible hours and great pay. Paparazzi parties are wonderfully simple - grab a group of your friends, shop 'til you drop, and revel in the guilt-free glow of your fabulous new $5 finds. It's just like having your own private boutique filled with irresistible $5 accessories. Paparazzi parties create a casual, comfortable, and contagiously fun shopping experience for every Hostess and their guests. Party as often as you want to and earn 45% commission on every accessory you sell. As a Paparazzi Independent Consultant, Melissa Lore has learned the value of the smallest of gifts. Selling $5 jewelry and accessories has become not just a job, but a joy as she reaches out to both friend and stranger to share her inventory and helps them choose the perfect accessories for their busy lives.  "One of my favorite things about this business is watching the face of a tired business woman or an exhausted momma as they carefully select individual pieces to match their style. They're rewarding themselves for a hard day's work, complimenting themselves for reaching a goal or just pampering themselves for doing the best they can. It's just $5, but putting on those sparkling earrings, that bulky necklace or that dazzling ring makes them feel like a million bucks. That's an amazing feeling for me, that I can give them that chance without breaking their tight budget. For the price of a fast food breakfast, I've transformed their wardrobe!"  Lore said she began selling Paparazzi after watching her upline for a few months. "I was buying regularly and thought, 'This is an easy sale.' I also liked that I could buy my jewelry for $2.75 as an independent consultant which was helpful with two daughters who love the product as well. So I signed up - not anticipating a team or the family I would gain as a consultant."Lore now has a team of 23 and is continuing to grow her downline while she works on selling her own product. "It's so fun to use Facebook's Live feature as an outlet to connect with customers, model new jewelry and assist in shopping from home. I can't wait for new boxes of product to arrive, to open them live on the internet and show each piece off like it's the best gift ever!"  As the holiday season quickly approaches, Lore is always looking for new outfits to accessorize or gift sets to put together. If you would like to contact her for more information about purchasing or to join her team, she can be reached at 870-664-5327 or on Facebook at Mel's Paparazzi Jewelry and Accessories. -Latasha Robinson INDEPENDENT CONSULTING PAGE 12 NEW BUSINESS NEW BUSINESS SKYFI WHISPernet PAGE 13 SkyFi WISPernet launched their air fiber technology internet services in Newport in January of 2016. This company started as a idea that grew into a project and quickly matured into a corporation of its own. Founder Roderick Robinson has been in the telecommunication field for over 10 years. While working for many major Nationwide companies, he picked up many great skills along the way. So he decided to use all that he had learned to help his community advance in technology, as he builds a dynasty for his children and grandchildren.Roderick never forgets where he comes from and who has blessed him along the way. In this one year SkyFi has saturated 85% of Jackson County; 75% of Woodruff County; 45% of Independence County and many more in the making. SkyFi is changing the way bandwidth is used in rural areas. Skyfi has made head way in many areas that satellite, DSL, and Cable companies have failed to invest in and provide a better INTERNET experience for all. Mr. Robinson had to face many challenges and adversity while building this company from scratch. The first hurdle was making the services affordable to all, especially those on a fixed income. The next was finding quality personnel that could believe in his vision. The third biggest obstacle was funding/support because theres a very costly expense that comes along with this business.Roderick decided to give even more to make the Internet a more enjoyable experience. He has sacrificed his positions temporarily with both Sky Cap Repair and Sky Cap Solutions. These are two major companies that are strongly tie in the community and other nationwide projects owned by Mr. Robinson. He enjoys every moment of what he is doing, changing lives everyday is his biggest motivation. There are draw backs to Skyfi that he plans to change as they progress. The problem with rural areas are the trees, they block many signals and sometimes theres not enough citizens in a small rural farm base community to justify the cost to implement the service. Roderick is ETA Fiber Optic Certified and his plan to bring fiber rural cities will solve this problem. Lets talk about the benefits of having or switching to Skyfi services. They are offering a free installation and packages that start as low as $19.99. He also offered a one-time forgiveness plan to customers who found themselves in a financial bind so they wont lose their services. He understood that sometimes life just happens. Mr.Robinson states that he doesn't take a loss when doing this, hes only giving back to the community that has helped him achieve his dreams as an entrepreneur. He says, I have come to realize that no matter what I do or accomplish in this industry that I will never reach the ceiling. There's no glass ceiling when talking about technology, its endless. I can soar as high as my vision can take me, says Roderick. Internet is such a vital part of our everyday life that it will continue to grow and evolve with us. The Robinson family will continue to grow this business for decades. Mr. Robinson learned how to tap into his roots so many years ago on a small rural farm that his great grand parents owned in Jackson County. Mr. Claude Robinson Jr, remembered by many as one of the greats to come from Newport. It brings me great joy ,to think that if you play your cards right the world can be yours! This is so exciting about what I do, it's ever changing and growing. My motto is,"" you gotta make your next move your best move!"" If I never had that motto, I would not have ever created a business and definitely not an Internet company. This company is so demanding and each day comes with a different sets of fires that have to be put out immediately. You have to make smart decisions each day one. This is one lesson that has groomed me into a better man and individual. Every success and every failure began with a decision. Roderick made the decision to act now for the customers he wanted to serve, they rely on Skyfi services everyday to pay bills and more. SkyFi WISPernet a local company that started as a idea in Newport,Ar by our very own Roderick Robinson. I'm so proud to be able to write this article about my husband's success as a wireless internet provider. - LATASHA ROBINSON mr. robinson is also the owner of 2 other MINORITY business enterprises. Sky cap solutions a telecommunication contacting company sky cap repair a computer and cell phone repair store. COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 14 INFO@SKYCAPSOLUTIONS.COM Entrepreneurs Serving Entrepreneurs Make your next move your best move Helping businesses prosper through Innovative solutions, advocacy and unmatched service is Heartland’s mission. Your Community Representatives Are Heartland Payment Systems is a Global Payments company. Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading worldwide provider of payment technology services that delivers innovative solutions driven by customer needs globally. Our technologies, partnerships and employee expertise enable us to provide a broad range of products and services that allow our customers to accept all payment types across a variety of distribution channels in many markets around the world. We service the following industries: Restaurant, Petroleum, Laundry Municipalities, Nonprofit, Hospitality, Education - K-12, Parking, Liquor, Retail, Campus, Grocery and Correctional. Their products include: Processing, Lending, Mobile Ordering, Billing Solutions ,School Payment Solutions, Payroll Services, Gift Cards ,Point of Sale ,Network Management, e-Commerce, Loyalty Program, Mobile Payments, School Nutrition Solutions. In today’s demanding business environment, providing trusted and proven solutions strengthens customer relationships. Partnering with Heartland not only means addressing critical customer needs, but our extensive suite of products and industry-leading customer service can lead to new business. The 2 agents that live locally and work locally are Erick Woodruff and Trish Harpole. If you would like more information please visit heartlandpaymentsystems.com or give them a call. Thank you for being a community resource for entrepreneurs! NEW BUSINESS SKYFI WHISPernet PAGE 14 HUMAN RESOURCES AND POS SYSTEMS Erick Woodruff Relationship Manager erick.woodruff@e-hps.com Mobile: 870-919-5633 866-976-7171 President/Founder Trish Harpole Territory Manager Roderick Robinson Life is all about the goals that you have set for yourself. If your goals are high then you can expect to soar or fall from a high place and it will take longer for you to hit the ground.If your goals are low you will hit the ground a lot quicker and work a lot harder to get to the top.In business, mistakes are made and things happen that you cant plan for. But you never stop setting higher goals for yourself or your employees. To someone whose looking from the outside in, they still see you winning.You should set goals that are obtainable and ambitious. Everything that you put your mind to is obtainable but may not be the direction that you need to go in. You can control yourself, actions, goals and ambitions. When you finally realize that you can control your fall , thats what will make you a great entrepreneur. HUMAN RESOURCES & POS SYSTEMS PAGE 17 patricia.harpole@e-hps.com Mobile : 870-239-1890 866-976-7171 COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 14 For more information please visit - Latasha Robinson heartland payment systems Certification Assistance Workshop The Newport Entrepreneurial Economic Development Board has partnered with the Arkansas EDC to offer a Certification Assistance Workshop. A Certification Workshop is a course where attendees can learn about the state certification. During this workshop, participants will learn about eligibility requirements and a review of the application process. In addition, businesses will learn how to connect with state contracting opportunities and other benefits of becoming certified. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This workshop is for small, minority and women-owned businesses seeking to provide goods and services to state and local government agencies and public educational institutions. Participant's firm must be a for-profit organization, operating for at least two (2) years, interested in learning how to grow their business, interested in learning about the benefits of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification, seeking to fulfill minority participation goals on government contracts and questions about the application process. Local Assistance Is Provided: All That I Am Books 2105 Malcolm Ave, Ste, 105 Newport, AR 72112 To register please contact Latasha Robinson at (870) 201- 1520 or email your name,phone number , which workshop and email address to info@allthatiambooks.com. To find additional classes please visit Arkansas EDC online at www.arkansasedc.com Other Minority Business Certifications Available: Arkansas Transportation Department National Minority Supplier Development Council Small Business Administration (SBA) - 8A Certification Program Southern Region Minority Supplier Development Council Women's Business Council-Southwest U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE AND WOMAN-OWNED certification benefits COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 16 Minority Business Economic Development Act 1080 Notification of opportunities to conduct business with state agencies Notification of training events, workshops, networking events, and educational opportunities Designation as a CMBE or CWBE in the Division’s on-line directory Issuance of an official CMBE or CWBE certificate A streamlined certification process. The Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise division promotes the growth and sustainability of minority and women-owned business enterprises by providing them with real world technical and professional assistance, certification, procurement, networking, capital and contracting opportunities while utilizing our partners in state and federal government, higher education, lending institutions and the private sector. Their main goal is to help these business enterprises contribute to the economic growth in Arkansas. The origins of the Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification Program date back to the creation of the Division of Minority Business Enterprise (Act 544 of 1977) and the passage of the “Minority Business Economic Development Act” (Act 698 of 1991) which established a goal for state agencies to annually procure ten percent (10%) of goods and services from minority businesses. Administration of the Minority Business Economic Development Act was transferred from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Economic Development, now the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), in 1979 (Act 1060 of 1979). Act 1456 of 2003 required the AEDC, through the Division of Minority Business Enterprise, to develop a certification process for minority business enterprises seeking state procurement opportunities. Currently, the Division of Minority Business Enterprise, renamed the Division of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (Division) by Act 1080 of 2017, and the Office of State Procurement of the Department of Finance and Administration work closely to implement program requirements. Subsequent amendments to the Minority Business Economic Development Act in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2017 have changed the name of the act to the Minority and Women-Owned Business Economic Development Act.It has expanded and added definitions; enhanced reporting requirements; renamed and expanded the duties of the Division of Minority Business Enterprise and the Minority Business Advisory Council. They also enhanced the responsibilities of the Office of State Procurement of the Department of Finance and Administration. Modified procurement target percentages and expanded the program to include additional minority groups. Service-disabled veterans, and women-owned businesses were added. Certification by the Minority Business Enterprise and Women-Owned Business Enterprise Certification Program, although not a prerequisite for contracting with the State of Arkansas for goods and services. It enhances the ability of businesses to better understand the state procurement and contracting opportunities. Opportunities to gain exposure through publication of company information in the Division’s online directory of minority business enterprises and women-owned business enterprises. This consequently, helps minority-owned and women-owned businesses compete for state contracts and strengthens state agencies’ abilities to meet procurement spending targets which are: Ten percent (10%) for minority business enterprises with two percent (2%) allocated for service-disabled veteran-owned minority business enterprises and eight percent (8%) for all other minority business enterprises Five percent (5%) for women-owned business enterprises. processes, be aware of state Certification Benefits: Although certification is not a requirement for contracting for goods and services with the State of Arkansas, certified minority business enterprises (CMBE) and certified women-owned business enterprises (CWBE) will enjoy several benefits which include: COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 15 COMMUNITY RESOURCE The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is a university-based economic development program that assists entrepreneurs, both new and seasoned. We help with every aspect of business creation, management and operation. Through their 7 locations around the state. ASBDTC works with all types of for-profit business. From home based to high-tech. You can receive one-on-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research at no charge or expand your expertise by participating in our affordable training. Written by Latasha Robinson MONEY MATTERS PAGE 18 Newport, Arkansas was first introduced to Quickbooks Made To Order in September 2017 when Mr.Burton participated in The Entrepreneurial Workshop Series. He taught a full day workshop entitled, Quickbooks for beginners to our entrepreneurs. Those who attended were very pleased with the wealth of knowledge and his simplistic approach to a program that can be overwhelming at times. Who is Everett Burton? Everett is a nationally known Certified Quickbooks consultant who resides in Dallas Texas. He started his career with IBM and worked in Education Computing Services maintaining systems for IBM's education centers across the country. Everett began teaching Quickbooks Financial Software in 1999 and has taught thousands of small business professionals across the country how to manage their business more efficiently using Quickbooks. QMTO concept is designed to make learning and using Quickbooks simple and easy. This team of highly trained instructors and consultants will teach you or your bookkeeper how to effectively use Quickbooks in your environment. QMTO offers on-site training, on line training, (web-based) and telephone technical support. Mr. Burton has worked with fortune 500 companies in big cities but he began to feel a pulling from smaller cities. After years of service to corporate America Everett decided it was time to make a change. After praying about it, Everett decided to offer his services to those smaller cities like Newport where he knew he would have to take a significant pay decrease. He was up for the challenge and deemed this journey worth it. For more information visit www.quickbooksmto.com or email qbmto.eb@gmail.com COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 19 The vision of Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center is to be the first and best resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Helping start and grow businesses that in turn strengthen and sustain the economy and communities of Arkansas. The mission of Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center applies creative approaches that stimulate entrepreneurship, innovation, and small business growth through the higher education system resulting in measurable economic outcomes. If you own a small business or want to start one, you have to do a lot of things yourself. Being your own boss is part of the appeal, right? At times, though, you may wish you had someone to give you feedback or advise you on financial planning, marketing, or other parts of business ownership. That's where the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center comes in.They provide one- on-one confidential guidance that can be specifically tailored to your business venture. Primary areas of assistance include planning, financial analysis, market research, loan packaging, online and traditional marketing, growth and expansion, management, and profitability.These consulting services are free of charge for Arkansas small businesses. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or are looking for a competitive edge for your established business, we want to help you grow and succeed. ASBTDC training programs equip small business owners, employees, and prospective entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge necessary to excel in today's business environment. We offer frequent classroom-style seminars and live webinars on an array of topics. Instructors and facilitators include ASBTDC staff and business professionals such as accountants, bankers, attorneys, marketing professionals, small business owners, and others. They specialize in gathering and applying market intelligence to solve real-world business problems. We help you learn more about your customers (current and potential) with cutting-edge research tools. Using proprietary databases, GIS mapping software, and industry-specific resources, we provide customized data and analysis based on your needs.The consulting staff will work one-on-one with you to apply the findings to your venture. You can use the information to target your perfect customer, learn about competitors, complete a business plan, or choose a store location. A business plan is a vital tool that helps you organize and develop ideas and goals, whether you’re a prospective business owner, the owner of a growing company, or somewhere in between. Some advantages of having a business plan: Provides an organized method for researching your business Drastically increases your chances of success Serves as a game plan for your business to follow Provides insight into your business to facilitate funding and investment Once complete, your business plan should identify the expectations you have for your new or existing business. If you are seeking financing, lenders often require a written business plan. There is no one right way to write a business plan, so don’t get caught up in trying to make your plan look like someone else’s. The goal is not to produce a boring document. Instead, focus on assessing key areas of your business and developing a strategy for success. One of the most asked questions at the ASBTDC is “How do I get money for my business?” The majority of small business financing comes from personal resources, friends and family, and small business loans. You should be prepared to invest your own resources since you are unlikely to receive 100% financing from a lender. Obtaining a loan for a small business is not like applying for a personal loan. Business loans typically take more time, require more documentation, and are more highly scrutinized. When you approach a lender for financing, a business plan or loan proposal will be necessary to communicate the nature of your project. Completing actual loan application forms is something that comes later in the process. Initially, you should focus on developing a quality business plan or loan proposal. We succeed when our clients succeed. Businesses assisted by ASBTDC create more jobs and increase sales more than the average business in Arkansas, according to annual economic impact studies. Over the last decade, ASBTDC clients have an average sales growth 15.9% higher than the average Arkansas business and average employment growth 16.5% higher than the average Arkansas business. The clients created 2.7 new jobs per day for a total of 9,807 new jobs over that time span and made $249,612 in new sales per day for a total of more than $911 million in new sales. ASBTDC clients obtained more than $124,000 in financing per day for a total of more than $478.8 million in financing. Additionally, ASBTDC clients generated $46.9 million more in state and $29.1 million more in federal taxes than if they had performed like the average business in the state. Each year, they assist more than 5,000 people through training and consulting. For help or questions please contact Laura Miller the Center Director @ Phone: 870.972.3517 facebook.com/ASBTDC twitter.com/ASBTDC youtube.com/ArkansasSBTDC The Lead Center is open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday except for holidays. -Latasha Robinson Made To Order Founded by Everett Burton INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTION ENTREPRENEURS PAGE 21 COMMUNITY RESOURCES PAGE 20 NSPIRE NETWORK INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR SHERRON WAKEFIELD www.nspirenetwork.com NSpire Network was launched in May 23,2017 and was spelled with the letter N on purpose because it includes everyone not just an individual. Sherron says, in the first 24 hours of the launch they sold 2.2 million dollars of their products. They have launched a wellness program that offers wellness products that are safer and more comfortable. Nspire also offers a revolutionary approach to women's sanitary napkins, offering high-quality pads manufactured in an environmentally-responsible manner and incorporating safer, more non-toxic materials. Woman now have a choice and you dont have to suffer in silence. Nspire Network healthcare products address some extremely concerning issues for men and women such as virility (the quality of having strength, energy, and a strong sex drive; manliness.) and fertility (the ability to conceive children). Their most popular product is the ‘cherish sanitary pad’, which has been taking the internet by storm. There has been real life testimonials from women all over the world raving about how great this product works. This product literally sells itself and the probability of repeat orders is extremely high. As a direct sales company, NSpire has an affiliate marketing opportunity for anyone interested in selling products. Nspire offers different level membership packages to choose from with respect to the amount of your current income. The cost to become an independent distributor is only a yearly fee of $35. If you plan to become a distributor of their products, then the Nspire Marketing system is setup in a way that will give you the time flexibility to work on the business at your own leisure. That means that you can work from home, anytime or anyplace in the world to get the job done. The Nspire Network earning potential is extremely high. An active affiliate can earn up to 40% commission on all products sold including orders from customers who setup automatic recurring orders. This is great because they offer products that the average person would want to buy over and over again. For example, most women stick to the same brand of sanitary pad once they know it works, so just imagine women all over the world falling in love with the cherish sanitary pad. They’ll use the cherish pad, love the product and reorder again and again, but that’s not all, they will spread the word to their other family and friends who will continue to generate more leads for you. NSpire's focus on women's reproductive health is likewise pleasing to see. The company has gone all-in in its promotion of its sanitary pad, touting its more environmentally sustainable production methods and the use of safer, more non-toxic materials in the sanitary pads themselves. MISSION.DRIVEN .PEOPLE. For more info contact Sherron Wakefield at (817)- 925-1183 -Written by Latasha Robinson Entrepreneurial Wisdom The Entrepreneurial Spirit Is Alive In Newport,Ar The owners of Hibachi says it was easier to open in Newport because of all the trial and errors that they had already faced with the other businesses. We already knew what would work and what wouldn't. The most important thing was we had a menu that had been approved/loved by prior communities and that gave us an advantage. In bigger cities there are so many rules, it takes longer to get permits and it costs so much more to open a business. They move into cities where theres no competition, we are the only Japanese food truck in each city that we are currently in. I asked Isma what are the top principles that he has learned as a entrepreneur that has helped him to be successful. He said, "Theres just 3 things to always remember". Number 1, you must have experience in that field so you must invest in your passion. Secondly you must trust people because you need them and you have to work together as a team in order for your business to grow." You can't do it all by yourself!" Lastly believe in yourself, starting out it will be hard but don't loose faith in yourself. You never know what your capable of if you never try, so trust yourself. Focus only on the positive and keep negative things away. I then asked Isma , what is the hardest part of entrepreneurship? He quickly said, "managing people/employees has been the hardest thing to do." I asked his partner what advise he could give to a high school or college graduate that wants to start a business here in Newport but thinks that its going to be to hard and is considering starting in another city? He says,"some people think that its going to be easier in another city but thats not always true. For me, I think that you should be the best for your town and family first. Then you can expand to another city to expand your success after you have experience in your town." You don't have to tell anyone your the best because your customers will tell them for you! Irfin says, "I still remember when I came to the USA in 2008 . When I got to California, I was like now this what life should be! I have visited a lot of beautiful places but the USA is the best." I decided to try something different and be a entrepreneur. I asked Irfin what are the ingredients that make up a great food business? He says , "there 4 things at the top of my list. The first one is great service, create great opportunities, great food quality and do your best. If you do these things people will recognize you and choose you over any other establishment. We are trying to do our best for ourselves, our town and country. The Indonesian government makes sure they support anyone who opens a business to ensure their success." So we believe in supporting our country and take pride in what we do! Please visit them on Facebook at Kiki Habatchi Sushi or stop in at 1618 Malcolm Ave in Newport, Ar. Written by Latasha Robinson ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT IN NEWPORT PAGE 22 Kiko Hibachi & Sushi Food Truck is no stranger to the city of Newport. Owners Isma and Irfin opened Kiko Hibachi in March of 2017. Owners Isma says, from a young age I knew that I wanted to own my own restaurant. Isma started culinary school in 2007 to craft his natural skills. After school he began working in Japanese restaurants for others to learn. This was the best and most difficult time of my life. At the age young of 27, Isma currently owns 3 food truck style restaurants. He started out opening his first place with his wife. When I asked Isma what is the key to establishing a successful partnership? He responded, letting go of your ego. A partnership is all about compromise. A partnership is like Japanese food, we have cold and hot. Sushi is cold and Hibachi is hot but they go well together. Its the same way with a partnership, we have similar ideas on one topic but if we put our egos aside we can compromise and create something great. !l!compliment both ENTREPRENEUR WISDOM PAGE 23 The process of unlocking your vision and accomplishing your dream is a complicated one. This process includes several aspects of understanding yourself and situation. The completion of this journey requires a vision. What defines the term “self-worth” to you? Your ability to persevere and progress along the road to completion must include the recognition of your vision, an understanding of your talents, and a transformation of your mind. Dreams Achieved is the finale of this process. I have comprised my version of what I believe it takes to become a successful person. If you learn to understand your vision, trust in your abilities, remain diligent, and stay focused you will accomplish all the goals you set. Are you ready to take this journey? If so, be prepared for a personal overhaul, as you uplift your life through Christ with visions of success. Once success is visualized, you will develop several methods of approaching completion as you acquire and utilize the necessary skills required to accomplish that vision. Your revelation of accomplishment will resonate through the many lives you touch as success is achieved, one accomplishment at a time. The goal to remain focused, combined with trust in God, is paramount as you begin to make life-changing decisions. The power to follow your vision will come with great responsibility, including an unwavering dedication to follow God's instructions. You must remain faithful to your beliefs regardless of adversity, while remaining focused as you allow your vision to represent the power of change. You are an example of what God can do when you trust him. You must remain strong in your convictions as your inner strength exemplifies the power of belief. It doesn’t matter where you are in life. There is always room for improvement; complaisance is a poor excuse for comfort! You must maximize your potential by taking advantage of every opportunity presented to you. Upon completion of this journey, you will challenge yourself to dream and your dreams will be achieved as your thoughts are explored. Dreams Achieved is an emotional journey of mental transformation, inspired by a relentless motivation to persevere in spite of all odds. This concept is a commitment to evolving your mind by exploring and expanding your expectations. Dreams Achieved is a philosophical equation: vision, plus honesty, times hard work, minus distractions equals prosperity and success. Zero does not add to the sum total of the equation success without purpose is a false sense of security put in the work. Dreams Achieved is the cultivation and completion of a gradually developed new person. The finale of this metamorphism culminates in a transformation of mind, body, and soul, resulting in empowerment, self-fulfillment, and accomplishment. Your inner desire to succeed at this mission is defined by your commitment to a different way of thinking. To complete your journey you must explore your thoughts regardless of obstacles. The only way to succeed is by never giving up, by consistently pushing. Success is only one thought away. D.R.E.A.M.S. Develop a Realistic plan with an Enthusiastically Accountable Mentality without becoming overwhelmed with Stress. The development of a realistic plan of action requires a commitment to a concept. Success requires sacrifice. A realistic plan means understanding your objective—what are you trying to accomplish?—and recognizing and eliminating obstacles. This requires an acceptance of responsibility for the setbacks and mistakes that are inevitable. Extensive research on your method of accomplishment will net a positive result over time. Be patient! Accepting positive criticism does not mean your plan will not work; adjustments are a part of the game. Completion is the finale. Appreciate your accomplishment, regardless how large or small.Dreams Achieved is my testimony to the great things God has done in my life. I am humbled by my experiences and wiser. May his greatness and mercy show favor in your life. All honor and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. The simplicity of life is often overshadowed by our eagerness to complicate the process of living by God's word. Have mercy on us. The power to control your destiny begins with your ability to understand that your life has a purpose and God sets the provision. When destiny meets opportunity, the blessing of God will be present. The Lord is the calm before the storm. His voice affords you the insight to process information in preparation for vital life-changing situations. Be prepared to listen and your destiny will be fulfilled. Remain patient; development requires maturity. Maturation is a process. There are things that don't require much time to mature but the best quality is aged until it is ready to be enjoyed. Once you take accountability for your actions, success becomes the outcome of your life and the quality gets better, for faith without work is not faith at all. The length of your maturation greatly relies on your inner spirit and your connection with God. Faith is not about surviving the moment; faith is believing survival is possible. The most difficult thing to do in the midst of a storm is to walk in faith. Faith requires sacrifice and sacrifice requires commitment. It is the uneasy feeling of uncertainty and fear of the unknown that must motivate you to continue educating yourself on the promise of God. It is through his mercy that issues of fear will become your strong point. As your belief in his promise is revealed, the end result will be a more confident and complete person, equipped with the necessary tools required to overcome all obstacles. You can only control the second you are currently in. This means change can happen at any time, regardless of your circumstance. The fear of allowing past events to affect your future is in contrast to spiritual reality, because the Lord says, "Come as you are." The fact is the Lord will be waiting whenever you call, regardless of your situation. If it were not for past indiscretions, there would not be a need for repentance. Past experiences are learning material for future of success, not deterrents. For more info visit SRS Motivation on Facebook. Dreams Achieved are Thoughts Explored by Author Jermaine A. Lewis Sr. most influential member of society mrs. iris dianne clark MOST INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF SOCIETY PAGE 24 Mrs. Clark has been the guidance counselor at Newport Elementary since 2002 and she has loved every year of it. Who is Iris Clark, you might ask yourself? She is a child of God, wife, mother and a counselor. She started out as a classroom teacher but she found herself having to meet the social, physical, emotional needs of students. It was so rewarding doing that, she realized that before you can educate a child have to tend to them socially, emotionally and physically and she couldn't do both. Mrs.Clark knew this was the path that God has set for her. It matched perfectly with her gifts of helps. Iris found out that she could help others through counseling. After she left the classroom and went into administration for a year. While she was in administration the current counselor resigned and moved to another school. Iris knew that she was not suppose to be in administration but she also knew that God moved her into that building for this reason. She was so grateful that he put her there and transitioned right into his place as counselor.She learned a valuable lesson, along our path to find ourselves its not always as cut and dry as we might think. So don't always be so sure you know all there is to know and sometimes you have to just trust him until he shows you his hand. Iris know that when a opportunity presents itself that its just another avenue for God to move you into your calling. God is the entrepreneur of all entrepreneurs so when he says move you move or you will find yourself falling short of your purpose and goals. I asked Mrs. Clark if she saw her job as a form of entrepreneurship and she said, yes. The gift of helps is a product, its a product from God. When God gave me the green light to put that product out there I had to find ways to be creative and be obedient to his plan. If I don't follow the state rules then that creates a problem and my product cant go forth. So I had to be creative and find my balance naturally and spiritually. I help others find their social and emotional strengths and its easier said than done. Theres only one part of her job that she dislikes. Thats when I have to call the child abuse hot-line because I don't know the outcome for those children. I asked her whats the internal battle that you have to go through. My motto is safe, happy, healthy child. I will do whatever it takes to make sure that every child is safe, I don't investigate but if my spirit man tells me that something is wrong, I have to take action.I heard this man say," whats wrong is wrong and whats right is right and I have to do whats right for the kids". I cant worry about whats going to happen to the parents, I worry about the kids. You can get paid to do your passion. She has a golden rule in her room, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If you follow that rule you cant go wrong. This rule can be used in a personal, business or any setting. You will always be successful if you do everything unto the Lord and treat people right. In order to be a successful guidance counselor all you have to do is have a heart of compassion , caring for others, do whats in their best interest and love them unconditionally.Children come to us as they are and where they are. We love them right where they are. If you do that the kids will love you back so much more than you love them. Its when your fair and consistent that the kids learn to trust you. Its amazing how God gave me big eyes to observe the kids that I have been given care of,says Clark. I have learned how to observe their body language to tell if they are ready to talk to me or not. So many of the children are so guarded because parents tell them not to talk about their family business with anyone. This stresses the child out and makes them swallow their feeling down which can have a negative impact on the child and their grades. Mrs. Clark smiled ever so warmly and said, I call myself the garbage truck. The kids get to dump all the bad stuff that they need to get rid of on me and i just lay it at the feet of Jesus. I have to dump it at Jesus feet or I wouldn't be any good for them because when carry around garbage you stink. If you don't dump it you will be walking around with a stanktude. A stanktude is a word that Mrs.Clark made up to describe someone who had a stinky attitude. Mrs. Iris Dianne Clark is truly a gift from God to this community. We thank you for your many years of dedication to the children , parents, Newport Special School District and city leaders. -Latasha Robinson We have 2 pick up times : Monday - Wednesday Ground is 2pm and Express is at 6 Thursdasy pickup for Express and Ground at 2pm Friday is at 2pm for ground and Express at 6pm A Leaf On The Tree Of Life In Newport 2105 Malcolm Ave Ste 105 Phone: 870-201-1520 870) 201-1520 www.allthatiambookspublishing.com SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL THAT I AM BOOKS FOR SUPPLYING THE PAPER, PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION USED FOR THIS ISSUE. Thank you so much for taking the time to read our first issue of Small Business News. I started this magazine to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive in rurual communities. In an effort to help entrepreneurs network with each other and provide a source of entrepreneur news locally. It can be really hard to get the word out in a small town. Non-profit entities are not given a budget to advertise so we sometimes dont hear about their upcoming workshops. There are so many great small businesses being birthed everyday and we sometimes don't know about them. There are tons of resources available for entrepreneurs and we are not using them. As the chair woman for Entrepreneurial Economic Development, I needed a way to reach the masses by advertising and spreading the word without paying costly fees. So I decided to start this magazine and help others while doing it. If you would like to have any class recreated for your community please call me. If you have started a new business and would like to be in the next edition, send me a email to info@allthatiambookspublishing.com . If you have upcoming events in the surrounding areas please contact me as well. When your finished reading this magazine, please pass it on! Thank you and enjoy our first edition! - Latasha Robinson