Update: I've joined a business/speak group founded by some of my colleagues. Most of them already give presentations on a regular basis. We meet once a month to improve on our business skills and presentations.

We offer feedback and contribute new ideas. It's exciting to watch a member having a breakthrough moment. It's especially rewarding when everyone is concurrently having an "aha" moment. Read more about starting your own business group in today's Feature Article.

Feature Article: Starting Your Own Business Group

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"That's False Advertising..."

Browsing through Fitness magazine at my chiropractor's office I found two separate full-page ads for diet products. Celina, the receptionist, and a female patient (both in their 20's) were also seated in the room. I was curious to know what they thought about the two ads. Specifically the before-and-after pictures which showed female models posing in a two-piece bikini claiming they lost 45 and 60 pounds respectively.

I asked them if they believed the photos were real...

"No way. It's computer generated," cried Celina as she smirked, almost suggesting you'd have to be naive to believe such ridiculous nonsense.

"Real people don't look like that," added the other patient. "If she lost that much weight, her boobs would be smaller. That's false advertising."

I've spoken with Celina one other time and I've never seen this other patient before. But they were ready and able to give their honest opinions. I wonder if these advertising agencies ever ask for anyone's opinion before taking their clients' money.

Before you spend one dime in advertising it's wise to ask your target audience to give their opinion. You'll get a pulse for what works and what doesn't. Then you won't waste your advertising dollars on theories generated by uninformed ad agencies.

Starting Your Own Business Group

Dear Associate,

A few colleagues from my speech group invited me to a business meeting. The members had started this new group to focus on giving business presentations and providing feedback. Business presentations tend to be more persuasive and usually include an offer and a call-to-action.

There were twelve of us seated around a conference table with a whiteboard in front and a digital camera in the rear. One member was responsible for bringing the snacks and another was responsible for reserving the room. Although there were no dress requirements, someone would have made a comment if I came in wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

One segment of the meeting I liked was the reworking of a member's elevator speech or personal pitch. This part resembled a mastermind session where everyone contributed ideas on improving a certain member's blurb when asked, "What do you do?" The creative juices began flowing and energizing the room.

It was a gainful meeting designed to benefit each of the members in their business and personal pursuits. Any one of my colleagues could test a new business strategy or include, or edit a useful point for a presentation. For business owners, this has to be one of the most valuable types of meetings for moving your business forward.

If you're thinking about starting a business group and you already have interested parties, here are seven steps to get you going fast:

1) Organizing. This is the granddaddy of them all. Through voicemail, email, text messaging, social media and other avenues you can create a buzz for your next meeting. Make your event sound exciting and something everyone will look forward to in your message.

Post your venue with date, time and directions. Make a list of who is responsible for what. Share the meeting agenda and include contact information.

2) Leading. Someone should be in charge of running your meeting and watching the clock. You can alternate this position each time. While a typical meeting tends to stray off course, this person keeps everyone on track and on focus.

3) Group business. Basically these are your announcements, reports and pertinent news. This should be short and sweet and straight to the point. There's nothing sexy about group business but it's vitally important to handle this in a professional manner. You wouldn't want anyone to be left in the dark.

4) Guest comments. Where would any group be without guests? They inject new life and a fresh perspective into your meeting. Honor them with a moment of your time.

5) Presentation. This is the main attraction. All steps lead to this climax. It's the reason behind the buzz. Give the presenter your full attention and appreciation.

6) Assignments. Your meeting is actually the launching pad for the next one. Keep the positive momentum flowing with either pre-assigned positions or asking for volunteers. If the attendees believe your meeting is valuable — you 'd have members jockeying to fill those roles instantly.

7) Conclusion and final thoughts. It's important to end on a positive note. The close could be something humorous, inspiring or thought-provoking. Or it could be a success testimony. You'd want your colleagues to get back to business with a smile on their face and an extra spring in their step.

Starting and running your business group can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding actions you take for your personal growth. You get to tap the exponential power of multiple minds that can generate profitable ideas that benefit all parties involved. And isn't being in business supposed to be beneficial to all parties involved?

Warm regards,