How collectives can benefit from SOBCon 09

Is your mastermind group, freelance consortium, small business collective or non-profit organization invested enough in success to sponsor a member to attend SOBCon?

A famous African proverb states it takes a village to raise a child. In this economy, it can take a collective to finance the fantastic opportunities that Successful and Outstanding Bloggers (SOB), Biz School for Bloggers offer.  SOBCon 09 is a great value for the depth of talent gathered at an intimate event of this size. Where else are you going to interact with a number of gifted bloggers and marketers at this level of expertise, for that price? The key word here is interact. SOBCon 09 isn’t about theory, SOBCon is about putting theory into practice, starting right there at the convention. How much money have you spent on books that you never read or pod casts that you never listened to much less integrated into your work? What value do you place on not just on facts and information but interaction and implementation? How can you share that value with your community, collective or organization so it is in their benefit to sponsor you?

If you are a small business owner, a free lancer or a non-profit, the scale of your business might cover conference fees but the added expense of lodging and travel might appear to put this opportunity beyond your grasp. When I looked at my budget, it was beyond my means but I believed in its value. People that I knew, trusted and admired encouraged me to go. I have used the inspiration and wisdom that others gained at SOBCon 08 as a reference in my own posts like Blog naked? blog privacy and vulnerability arose from reading Sonia Simone’s post Feel great naked about putting yourself into your blog. It made sense to me and ever since I read that post, I have wanted to go to SOBCon Biz School for Bloggers.

I also value my own skills as a teacher and consultant. I believed that if I went to SOBCon 09, I would return to my courses with new skills and perspectives that would add merit.  I figured out the total expenses of my trip and asked my students,

“How much is it worth to you, for me to go to SOBCon 09 and incorporate what I learn there into my classes?”

They responded with their wallets, in amounts ranging from $5 to $100. Now, I am less than $100 from my goal. I am registered. My airplane tickets are booked. My hotel and roommate/dogwalker situation is secured. On May 1st, I will be at SOBCon 09!

I recognized the potential of SOBCon 09 and convinced my community of students to its value. What will it take YOU to convince your community, collective or organization to sponsor your SOBCon 09 Biz School for Bloggers?