Here are some great tips from Sabina Ptacin, originally posted on the PerkStreet blog.
Yesterday began the official month of PerkStreet Financial residing in the confines of303GRAND in Brooklyn New York, and to celebrate the launch PerkStreet will be bringing in cultural and financial events. Today’s featured national entrepreneur’s agency & communityCollective-E and personal finance expert/founder of Simply Money and Down to Earth Finance,Galia Gichon.
Sabina Ptacin, Chief Excitement Officer and co-founder of Collective-E is joining us to guest blog about the event and a few of the lessons she and others walked away with.
Last night’s PerkStreet event focused personal and business finance, and though they may sound like different subjects that require different skill sets and knowledge bases, the underlying message were actually quite similar. While speaking for Collective-E, the entrepreneur’s agency and community I’m a partner in, and then while listening to (and avidly taking notes on) Galia Gichon of Simply Money talk about your personal finance, and how to put the “fun back in money” (yes we really did have fun!) I realized my takeaways were very much the same during each talk.
I recommend that everyone visit both websites to learn more about each topic, but I’ll break down last night’s event with a few of my own personal observations, which have now turned into reminders to me of habits I need to form and practice regularly. Not only will they help me gain even greater control over my personal and professional finances, but the more I’m aware of where the money is in my life and how it’s being used, the less intimidated I am about the whole thing and the better my relationship with money begins…..and that only means - as Galia reminds us - more money!
Awareness:
In business it’s your job to be aware of what is happening with your brand, and at Collective-Ewe recommend you are focused and put great effort specifically on the following:
* Business Strategy * Online Strategy * Public Relations Strategy.
By saying this we do not mean you have to go out and spend thousands of dollars on agencies and firms to do this for you, or even bring on an employee to do so. Now is now the time for high overhead! Instead, educate yourself and your team in these areas, study case studies and strategies that you can apply to your brand. Research who works at the media and reach out to them. Take advantage of SCORE, Collective-E, and other programs that assist entrepreneurs.
Also be aware of your business plan, always keep the end in mind, and prepare for the other things you will surely deal with – including the emotional and financial struggles you may face! The more aware you are, the more prepared you can be!
Personally speaking, as Galia taught is, it is your job to know, and not generally but very specifically, what your goals are, whether in 3 months or your major fantasies for years from now. You must understand your finances, your debts, your investments, banking terms, and all things in between. You may not want to, but there is no choice – at some point in your future you will have to so take control of it now. The more you learn, and the more you take dedicated time (if only a half hour once a week) to be present in your finances, the less scary they become, and the closer you are to those goals.
Get Active:
Both Galia and I agree on being active, and though it means different things for your business as opposed to personal finances, both bring the same results: talking about money, dealing with money and understanding your own finances becomes less scary, and actually can become interesting and fun. You can get great advice, make great connections, and watch as the way you think about money changes. As this happens, the money you make grows!
Active in business means many things: read magazines like Fast Company and Entrepreneur Magazine, study the field, immerse yourself in communities where you can network, grow your brand, get advice, commiserate at times, and make lasting friendships with other likeminded individuals. That is another one of the tenets of Collective-E, when entrepreneurs are together, in a community of people doing the same they are doing, growth becomes exponential.
Galia also discusses being active which means everything from reading financial publications like the Wall Street Journal, learning new ways to follow up on your finances with services such as Mint.com, and by being open to discussing your finances with friends and relatives. The more you learn about the money tools that are out there, the more you can use them to your advantage.
One More Thing:
The 303 Grand Revolving Storefront that has now become the PerkStreet Lounge is a great way to begin your journey to becoming active and aware of both your business and personal finance! Take my word for it – not only will they be hosting events at the lounge all month long, but 303 has been transformed into a zen and cozy lounge, with free, amazing coffee, coconut water, and free WiFi! A great way for homebound entrepreneurs to get out of the house, and a fun spot to meet up with friends!