inside the office

I came across this quote the other day:

“Appreciative words are the most powerful force for good on earth.”
Dr. George W. Crane

It resonates with me especially lately because of a gift that I received the other day. A few weeks ago, an associate contacted me, asking about how she could start a blog. She had a great topic that she thought other women would be interested in, and wanted to share her thoughts with others in a similar situation. While a talented writer, she is not at tall familiar with code, and didn’t know where to start. I offered to install the blog software on her server for her and throw in a template or two to help her out. It took maybe an hour of my time, and I was happy to do it.

Last week, UPS arrives at my door with a package. I was curious to see the return address from a popular gift website. Inside I found a trio of Egglings (plants that grow in eggs – how cute!) and a card that read, “That which comes easily to you is valuable to others.” These few appreciative words put a smile on my face for the rest of the weekend. In fact, every time I look at the Egglings, which I still have yet to hatch, I smile again. I just wanted to help out a friend – I didn’t expect anything in return. And yet, what I got is immeasurable.

When was the last time you did a favor, without expecting anything in return? And what did you get? The most powerful force on Earth? I completely agree.

John Jantsch, marketing guru and founder of DuctTape Marketing, has come up with an ingenious way to stimulate the economy – an initiative he calls Make-a-Referral-Week.

Make-a-Referral-Week takes place March 9 through 13, 2009. The goal to generate 1,000 referrals to 1,000 small businesses as a testament to both the power of referrals and the power of small business in the nation’s economy. This week-long virtual event also will feature daily educational programs that show small-business owners how to put referral marketing to work for them.

According the www.makeareferralweek.com, “The week long virtual event will also feature daily education programs focused on teaching small business owners and other marketers how to tap the power of referral marketing. Featured guest experts include Ivan Misner, founder of BNI and author Masters of Networking, Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals and the Go-Giver, Bill Cates, author of Get More Referrals Now, Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing, Guy Kawasaki, author of Reality Check, Rich Sloan, author of StartUpNation, Anita Campbell, publisher of Small Business Trends, Scott Allen, author of the Virtual Handshake, John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, Scott Ginsberg of Nametag TV, Michael Port, author of the Contrarian Effect and Book Yourself Solid, Susan Solovic Wilson, founder of SBTV.com and Pam Slim, author Escape from Cubicle Nation.”

I have personally seen the wonder of referrals first-hand. Most of my business comes from word-of-mouth and referrals, and I am truly grateful. I’m looking forward to next week to help John in his efforts to stimulate the economy.

With that in mind, I’d love to know what kind of client or customer you are looking for. I just might know somebody that I can refer to you! I invite you to leave a comment with your target customer and to reach out to your network and see who else you can help out during Make-a-Referral-Week!

StartupNation is sponsoring the first annual 2009 Leading Moms in Business competition will rank the top 200 mom-run businesses across America as determined by popular vote.

Can I have your vote?

Click the link above to see my profile and story, and let the world know if you think I should be among the top 200 mom-run businesses in America!

We thank you for your support!