Find The Right Board, Your Organization Needs It

I went to a rewards ceremony/presentation hosted by my former university today, Indiana State University for those who ask, and they did a presentation on board members and how boards work effectively. This is in relation to nonprofit boards mind you, but it's something that carries weight for every kind of organization. I wanted to give you folks what I took away from their thoughts and how you can share this information with your friends to help their organizations strive.

A board is your organizations directors, that's why most of the time their called the "Board of Directors". In both nonprofit and for profit organizations, a board should be present for your success. They are the ultimate group to hold the boss or executive responsible for their duties. They are the biggest fans and cheerleaders of the cause. Without them, your organization is nothing.

Who's the Right Board Member

Unfortunately there is no template for the "perfect" board member. Each comes with their own qualities. However, a board requires some of these key features:

• Advocates of the cause
• Cheerleader of the organization
• Can easily reach out for fundraising through personal connections
• Believes in the mission and vision
• Is an avid supporter and user of the organization

Without these qualities you'll often find board members who are simply there for the notoriety and public perception that they care. This is bad, very bad for your organization. 

I'm sure most of you have dealt with this. You always have a few board members who are obviously there because they are either a crony of the Board President or because they are someone who works at somewhere important. These board members are a drain in your organization and they are holding you back. 

But how can you fix it? 

It's a little tough if you're an executive or a shareholder. However there are some ways that you can help. Firstly, you should see if the board's problems stem from the president or are the other board members. Once you've located the problem, it's on to the next step. 

This is where it can be tricky, especially if you're problem is the board president. If you're lucky enough to be in an organization that allows public voting and nomination of the board president, then you have the ability to vote them out. Hopefully getting the help of your friends and fellow supporters of the cause will get the bad president out. 

If you're not in an organization like that, then you have a few options. This could include:

• Impeachment by fellow board members
• Speaking with the President and suggesting they step down to save face
• Or; waiting for term limits to expire (if the Nonprofit Bylaws state a limit). 

If there is nothing in the bylaws that allows for impeachment or for term limits, then you should attempt to write them into the bylaws as soon as possible. If there is no way for you to get on the board, or a board member to get the bylaws ratified, then refer to your individual State's guidelines and nonprofit laws. 

What if it's not the President? 

This is when it's much easier. If it's just a board member, then chances are you'll be able to speak with other board members about the issue, and seek to replace them. You could possibly even have them removed if enough concerned citizens or shareholders come forward. 

Just remember, it might not happen overnight, but it's possible. 

What do you do after they are out? 

Seeking a replacement can be tough, but it's important to look for those qualities mentioned earlier. They are extremely important qualities for a board member. Seek out potential candidates by finding your biggest fans and biggest cheerleaders. 

Speak with potential board members, invite them to a meeting and see how much they care about the cause. Don't settle or just ask your friends. Ask everyone. There's a huge chance you're best board member is hiding under your nose. Just look around and get everyone involved in the search. The people who want to be involved will rise to the top, they'll be open about joining, and they'll be your organizations biggest advocates. 

How This Will Help

Once you have the right board in place many great things will happen. Not only will progress be made, but you'll have a board full of the organizations cheerleaders, spokespeople, fundraisers, and advocates of the cause. They'll increase the potential donor base, they'll bring in additional resources, and they'll become the people who lead the organization down the right path. 

You need them more than you realize. Having a group of your best friends be your board is never going to get your organization on the right track. 

The right board members will be your organizations gold mine. You just have to find them. 

Read More

Poll: What Do You Think About the New Layout?

There's a new poll added to the right side of this page and I was hoping all of my followers would take the time to leave some feedback.

I'd like to know what you think about the page update. While working on adding premium content and membership subscriptions, I was wanting to make the page look better.

Let me know what you think by voting and leaving a comment on this article. 

Read More

New Premium Content Coming to CAM Consulting and CAM Consulting Blog

New products are coming in for everyone who stops by to view CAM Consulting and this blog. Those new products will be beneficial for everyone who wishes to find success in new business ventures, current business ventures, and anyone looking to make a dream come true.

So What's in Store? 

Each product will be available for free*. Once you purchase it you'll have unlimited access to these products**. Let's take a look at what CAM Consulting will be providing in the near future:

• PowerPoint Presentations
• Online Webpage Support
• Instant Message Consulting
• eBooks on different subjects
• and much much more. 

In order to do this I'll spend the next few days overhauling my page and positioning it to run properly. Certain features will only be available for so long and at certain times. Bare with me while I prepare the site to go live, but look forward to taking advantage of the great services I have to offer. 

*Products offered for free will only be available for paid premium members. Paid members also will receive discounted rates on consulting products. 

**Products will be available for 1 month at a time. At the end of each month new products will be offered. 

Colby Martin is a Business Consultant and blog writer. For consulting opportunities and services visit: CAM Consulting. This blog is paid for through affiliates and donations. If you'd like to support Colby, contact him at cmartin2829@ymail.com or click the DONATE button on the side of the page. 

Read More

Making Passion Pay The Bills

Tonight, as I sit here curious as to why I continue to put in all of this work without getting paid, I begin to think back to a TEDx presentation by Seth Godin I recently saw. It was about Education, of all things, but everything he said made a lot of sense.

Firstly, he said those of us who learn how to work, try to do less, while we try to do more of the things we love. Things like art, music, hobbies. The things we love we want more of it, yet work always stops us.

Which made me think, shouldn't we all find a job we love and let passion pay the bills? 

Much like I continue to write these blogs, and for the past week (minus the weekend) it's been daily. It's been the opportunity for me to discuss work and how we can help each other.

This is my passion. I love writing, but more importantly I love helping others. The first thing I do in the morning is write down ways I can help others. I put the community first, I put my friends first, that's what matters to me.

As some of you know I currently work as the acting Executive Director at a local Nonprofit and as President of CAM Consulting. Unfortunately I'm paid on solely commission. There's no paycheck, there's no benefits...I'm flat broke. The place hasn't done well in advertising what it does and telling people what they're good at. This makes it even harder for me to do for them. But I'm trying.

Again, this is my passion.

So if you're broke, why should we make passion pay the bills? 

Because you can. You can do it, just like I'll do it. People who work hard at anything become passionate about it. Mark Cuban said passion is built, not given. I think he's on to something there.

I always said find what makes you happy, find your passion. All throughout college I advised my friends to do what made them happy, yet I sat there and did the opposite. I was about establishing myself and making a name so that the money would pour in. Then I left college and failed to seal the deal with that goal. Why? Because I had no passion in it.

Had I had the passion, the experience was there to make it work, I just lost it. I found passion in new things. Video games, writing, social engagement. I found passion in selling things, making new connections, and video editing. I found passion in nothing I used to.

But now I'm using that passion. While it's a slow start, it's a start. One of these days I'll be exactly where I want to be. It might take forever to get there, but I'm going to get there. Just like you can.

Work hard, passion takes time but it's worth it. Even if it's not something you're currently passionate about. If you see something interesting put the effort into it. Maybe you occasionally like to cook or bake. Try doing it more often and see if you get better at it.

Share the things you enjoy with your friends. Use Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, and other forms of social media to show your friends what you enjoy and love. You're surely going to find someone with similar interest. They'll support you, or even help you, get to where you want to be. But share the things you love, work hard, and soon you'll become the expert in something you enjoy.

Everyday I see success stories around the Internet about people paying bills with their passion. People like Shay Carl, who became a YouTube sensation by working hard everyday to put up a new video blog and to share his life with the world. It's not for everyone, but it's what he was passionate about and he worked hard to make it his career. He wasn't rich over night, but I guarantee he's doing pretty well now.

That's how you find your passion and make your passion pay the bills. You work hard, you share hard, and you love the hard work you do. It's going to take you time, but the time will pay for itself when you're happy with what you do every day. Just make sure it's something you can do for the rest of your life. 

Colby Martin is a Business Consultant and blog writer. For consulting opportunities and services visit: CAM Consulting. This blog is paid for through affiliates and donations. If you'd like to support Colby, contact him at cmartin2829@ymail.com or click the DONATE button on the side of the page. 

Read More

Quit Being Afraid of Failure, Success is Around the Corner

Have you ever felt like there was no reason to keep pushing? Like no matter how much work you did, it was never....never going to get you anywhere.

I'm sure you have, in fact I'm sure almost everyone has at some point. Some of us hit that point faster than others. We feel like nothing is left, so why keep going.

Embrace Failure

Failure is life's greatest motivation. When you keep failing, yet you keep pushing, you'll find success. I'm reminded of a video Honda put out a few years ago before the Indianapolis 500 in which they kept discussing how much they failed. It was a great insight in what it takes to be great and, that quite often, those of us least afraid of failure find greatness.

Editor's Note: There's actually a series of Honda videos which you can see on YouTube. Here's one to get you started: 

Plan to Fail

This is probably the statement that will make you shake your head the most. You should plan to fail. Always plan to fail. I spoke to a local business owner the other day who said he planned to give himself 5 years before he'd find success.

5 years! I'm sure you're already freaking out thinking "how in the world will I go 5 years before I do well"?

Well, it's been 3 years since he opened his doors and he's not failing. In fact he's doing quite well. Admittedly he got fairly lucky as his only local competitor retired a year ago. But the fact is, he planned and expected it. Had he not planned on it and failed, he probably would have walked away. Like I imagine most of you have.

My Personal Failures

It's easy for anyone to point figures and tell you how not to fail, especially easy for someone who's never failed. But what if I told you I've failed more than you could possibly think of.

To start, after college I had a plan to work part-time while starting a small business. Well, my part-time job became so demanding that I wasn't able to start my business. I went and got a different job to have more time. Well as you could imagine I soon found myself short on funds.

In this position it's easy to give up. I keep trying though. I've been out of school going on 3 years now. I've found my way back to where I wanted to be. I'm glad to have the opportunity to be an Executive Director of a local Recreation Center and Nonprofit. I'm fortunate to launch a consulting business which already has 4 clients. I'll admit it's not the financial security that I wish I had, but I'm trying to get there.

That's part of the reason why I always ask you guys to support me some how. Whether it's by visiting my website and taking advantage of my services, subscribing to my blog, or donating to me or my organization.

It's so I can keep digging and overcoming that failure, and it's the reason why I'll always be here to help you.

Let's Work Together

Most of us are here because we want to find success. I'm here to help you find it. That's my goal in life, to help others. There's nothing enjoyable about being the only one finding success while those around you fall on there face.

That's why we need to make a pledge to work together. If you're a nonprofit, small business, or just an individual needing to find the path in life to get you where you want to be, we can help each other. Take 15 minutes a day to read the blogs I post, share your thoughts, suggestions or ideas. Spread my blogs around to your friends, Pin it on Pintrest, Tweet it, Facebook it, discuss it on YouTube, or print it and share it with your friends.

My goal is to have 5,000 visits by the end of April. I want half of those visits to be through shares and word-of-mouth. I'm here to help you, I want to help you, but I'll need your help.

Together we can overcome failure, together we can succeed. Let's do this together. Let's make 2013 AWESOME!

Colby Martin is a Business Consultant and blog writer. For consulting opportunities and services visit: CAM Consulting. This blog is paid for through affiliates and donations. If you'd like to support Colby, contact him at cmartin2829@ymail.com or click the DONATE button on the side of the page. 

Read More

Stop Seeking Perfect Candidates

Perfection- somebody or something that reaches the highest attainable standard

Today I overheard an employer say that while going through applicants they were automatically disqualifying anyone who had a single error on their application. 1, singular, 1 error on the paper. As humans we are full of errors. We are not perfect beings and in no way does a perfect application represent a perfect employee. 

In fact, I believe it is exactly the opposite. When looking for an employee I look for someone who can grow with the organization and make it better. If perfection is somebody or something that reaches the highest attainable standard, then why in the world do we want to hire someone who has no room to go? 

Three Kinds of Employees

I once read an article by Noah Kagan on why he was fired from Facebook. Turns out he was a Show-er. He didn't grow, nor was he a Veteran. You can see the breakdown he mentioned below:

1- Grower. Someone who starts when the company is small and improves / adapts their skills as the company scales.

2- Show-er. Someone who can be good for the company where they are now but NOT where they are going.
3- Veteran. They've done it before and it’s second nature for them to teach you how to do it in your company. 

Perfectionists are Show-ers

Perfections are great for the now. If they've reached their potential then we can already say they won't grow with us. Don't we want to bring in growers, people that will improve and adapt to the company to make them better? If we're hiring perfectionist we won't be getting individuals who improve....YOU CANNOT IMPROVE ON PERFECTION.

Show-ers don't last. Just ask Noah Kagan. He loved his job at Facebook, but when the time came he wasn't moving forward with the company. Nor was he the veteran who was able to help others grow. He was a great fit for the company. He did everything they needed him to do. He just didn't move them forward. Perfectionists won't move you forward. 

Who Should I Hire Then? 

Hire veteran's, people who've done this before to help your business grow. If they are already in place then look for those who are rough on the edges. The best employees are the best because they are perfect. They are the best because they are good at what they do but have flaws. Flaws allow us to improve, they allow us to grow as people and as companies. 

No Company is Perfect

You shouldn't hire perfectionist because your organization isn't perfect. You aren't the greatest business around, because if you were you'd not need to hire people (unless something tragic happened and you had to replace employees). If you aren't perfect, then why hire someone perfect? 

If an application error is too much of a flaw for you, then put yourself in their shoes. The world is tough now. When I was in high school an application could get you hired to most places near town. In fact, even an application with an error could get you somewhere if you were willing to work hard. Isn't hard work all that matters anyways? 

You don't want to hire lazy people. You want tough, hard working, adaptable workers. Not perfectionists, not lazy people, not overly obsessed individuals who never make mistakes. None of that will help you grow. None of that will improve your company. Growers make you grow, so stop showing the world your perfection and start growing your company.

Do you think Michael Jordan would be as great as he was if he never got cut in High School? 

Colby Martin is a Business Consultant and blog writer. For consulting opportunities and services visit: CAM Consulting. This blog is paid for through affiliates and donations. If you'd like to support Colby, contact him at cmartin2829@ymail.com or click the DONATE button on the side of the page. 

Read More

Stop Waiting for Funding, Appeal to Potential Donors

"You've got to spend money to make money"

That old saying is the most annoying saying I've ever heard, but it's true. many nonprofits struggle to find funding, and instead of waiting around for it, they need to find their own ways to provide funding. But how do they do it?

Spend Money to Create Programs

That's right, spend money. Grant givers and donors don't like to give money unless it has a value. If you have a nonprofit that offers little to no programming, yet want money to start new programs or fix your facility, donors are going to short change you.

Sure, they might give you a little money, but the likelihood that they fund you the way you want is slim to none. Why is that? Ask yourself this question. "Would you fund an organization that didn't do anything?" I surely wouldn't.

So you or your organization needs to take what money it has and create something beneficial. Not just beneficial to you either, but to everyone. Think after-school tutoring or education based. It's low entry (a facility, pencils, calculators, paper, tables, and chairs). If you already have a facility it's even cheaper to start. You don't need a computer or a computer center, you need hard work and good volunteers. Promote it, share it with the local schools, and find former teachers or current teachers who are willing to donate their time and you're set.

This could cost you as much as $1,000 and as little as $100-200. If you're a youth based organization then you're set on generating new funding. You could charge as little as $5 a week or whatever you desire. With enough participants you'll pay for the program and start turning profit. Now this is a slow method to the madness, but it's an appeal method to donors. Remember, donors want to give to something that looks good for the community and feels good for them.

Why You Need to Appeal to Donors

This whole process is to appeal to donors. Donors can be very picky, but you want your organization to be donation friendly. The biggest appeal is a child benefit program. Throw the words Kid or Children in your organizations name and you'll have donors lining up.

However, you don't have to do it that way. You can keep your name the way you want it. Let's say you're name is Palo Alto's Outdoor Initiative. This name isn't super donor friendly and for several reasons.

1. It doesn't tell a donor what you do.
2. It's very vague.

Are you a recreation group, do you want to save the trees, or are you just trying to get people outdoors? I can ask a million questions, but I still won't know what you're about. Sure your mission and vision helps your organization find donors, but some people aren't going to take their time to do the research. They want it to be thrown in their face.

So, you have a bad name and think you should change it. Well, don't change your name, you can easily fix this problem by creating programs and activities that show exactly what it is you're doing.

Let's say your organization was about saving the trees. Do a tree planting even, a major one, and align yourself with the local parks. Organize hearings for community members to meet with individuals who can help preserve the current trees in town and how they can save dying ones. Do anything a long these lines and invite donors into the events.

Once you show donors what it is you're doing, you'll begin to appeal to those who support it. That's when your money will begin to flow in.

You can't just start a group and expect people to support it. You have to make them support it. 

Colby Martin is a Business Consultant and blog writer. For consulting opportunities and services, visit: CAM Consulting. This blog is paid for through affiliates and donations. If you'd like to support Colby, contact him at cmartin2829@ymail.com or click the DONATE button on the side of the page. 

Read More