BC Business – July 2017

BC Business – July 2017

$2000 Coffee CEO, Neil Belenkie talks to BC Business magazine for their July 2017 issue on building a business, networking and consulting. Once you’ve got your wheels in motion, building a robust, trustworthy network will be critical throughout the life of your business. “When you have almost no network, it’s not just hard for you as an isolated individual, it’s hard to grow your business,” says Neil Belenkie, whose two-year-old company, The $2000 Coffee, helps businesses develop strategies to solve a variety of problems. For a flat fee of $2,000, clients work with its specialists over a single coffee meeting that […]

Read more »
Have you thought about your personal pitch?

Have you thought about your personal pitch?

I just released this story on creating an effective personal pitch as part of your marketing. As you can see from the uptake (not to mention the comments), it really struck a chord. Truth is, we don’t spend nearly enough time thinking about how the world perceives us as people. We don’t own our story. This can have a debilitating effect if we’re ever forced to look for a new job, look for investment, look for partners or affiliates. Give it a think. If the prospect of telling your personal story to a potential client has you fidgeting, perhaps it’s […]

Read more »
Instead of pitching offerings, build an idea universe around your customer.

Instead of pitching offerings, build an idea universe around your customer.

I just helped a $2000 Coffee client figure out how to get past the ‘pitch what you got and see what sticks’ paradigm. This client, who works in an exciting area of tech entertainment, is well-versed in idea pitching. In fact, he and his competitors live and die by pitching the hottest, latest thing to buyers. What’s the downside? I’d say the frustration of “having your idea rejected because, well, because the buyer is grumpy” ranks at the top of the list. Followed by “pitching an idea, only to find your nearest competitor just ripped off your idea and is […]

Read more »
Cutting through your business logjams

Cutting through your business logjams

When you consider the delicate balance of people, operations, finances and goals in your business, things get complicated – fast.  Dealing with the forest and its trees would be like a walk in the park. It’s more likely you feel you’re dealing with a low resolution Google earth image of the Amazon rainforest on last year’s graphics card. The result? A logjam based on too many issues, not enough resources, and no plan. Senior business leaders confronted with problems within their fields of personal experience have it easy. They’ve been there, tried that, and have the trophies and scars to […]

Read more »
You want great marketing? Start with your toilet.

You want great marketing? Start with your toilet.

I was doing a marketing workshop with a group of executives not too long ago. We were mapping out how to ground marketing in the mission, vision and values of their company. It was during that discussion that one of the CEOs piped up and said “You want to figure out what a company stands for, check their toilet.” Her fellow workshoppers were stunned. I laughed out loud. She had hit on the motherlode of what creates an authentic brand – and tapped into one of the most powerful marketing tools ever. Let me explain. Your brand is what you […]

Read more »