Don’t Stop

By becoming a DECA member, you show that you have the potential to pioneer into the world of business. You might think that competing is hard but it actually the best simulation that you can be put in! Any business idea that you show in your presentation, you will receive honest constructive criticism on the feasibility of the idea. Then you can refine that idea into a perfect jewel of a business! It’s hard to make it to CDC & ICDC, but each and every one of you can get there! Some key things you can do to prepare yourself is have other members, teachers, and even family members to help critique your skills. Ultimately, you must be willing to fail often in order to make that BIG win and have the confidence to know that, in the long run, it’s for the best. Whenever you are struggling in preparing for DECA, remember that if you practice again and again, you will climb those steps to success in DECA and in the real world.  

Hello Florida DECA,


Happy New Year Florida DECA! I know that many of you have made your resolutions for the year. One of my resolutions is to work to be a better officer than I was last year. I challenged myself in this goal for self-improvement and I challenge you as well. As a member of DECA, you should strive to make personal improvements in order to express it in your competitions and chapter events. It’s imperative to change constantly and adapt; with this New Year, it would be the perfect start. By helping each other improve, we can improve DECA.

-          Nick Bourdon

Tips: How to Be a Better Officer

Chapter officers are always trying to find a way to make their chapter better than they left it. There are two big proponents to maximizing your position as officer. This includes streamlining processes and exceeding expectations.

It is your responsibility to be involved DECA-related events throughout the course of the year and make your members happy. Improving the current processes can result in an increase in membership or revenue generated from fundraisers. For example, if your chapter is trying to recruit members by just posting flyers, you should improve the promotion/recruitment process by running small school events: like DECA-rating your classroom door for the holidays. This can be an excellent way to streamline the process for when the next officer team takes over; your advisors would even appreciate it!

Exceeding expectations is the most challenging but most rewarding task that any officer can take. By going the extra mile, it shows not only your chapter members, but your co-officers on how to effectively take control of your position. This is a stellar way to set an example to the chapter members and they will begin to care more about the club since they see that you put in the effort. Making the members feel appreciated and welcomed is ­key!

If you take steps toward this goal, I know that you will be well on your way to leaving a legacy in your chapter!

-          Nick Bourdon

Service & the ABP

Community service is one of the best ways to get your DECA Chapter involved in your city.   Through service, chapter members can gain experience within the community, promote the chapter, and even complete tasks found on the Annual Business Plan!

There are many options offered in order to be recognized at CDC as a Gold, Silver, or Bronze level chapter! The more creative you and your chapter is in a community service event, the better chance of having a significant turnout! Service is so important that two objectives about community service are required to be completed.  Keep in mind though that the event should make a lasting impact within your community.

       Please take a look into the Annual Business Plan and begin planning early for your community service events. 

How To Pick The Right Competitive Event!

Picking the right competition can get a little tricky. Thankfully, Amar Hodzic, our Southern Region Vice President gives us the best tips to help you decide your perfect competitive event!

The first tip is to “Weigh your options.” The purpose here is to align your competition goals with the criteria for a particular competition event. So it would be an excellent idea to look into the large multitude of categories that DECA has to offer.

The second tip is to “Analyze you skills.” This can be an excellent strategy since you position yourself in the best way possible in order to maximize your talents.

The third tip is about being self-motivated during preparation for competition. You have the choice to compete in any event you want with whomever you want! The more effort that is put into your event, whether it’s testing, writing, or role-playing, the more likely you will compete at ICDC in Orlando, Florida!         

Lastly, determination will be key to the success in your competitive event. That motivation will give you a competitive edge among the other competitors who don’t want to win as much as you do. So be methodical, diligent, and fierce when focusing on your event.

That’s all for now Florida DECA, hope that you enjoyed this article!

If you would like to read Amar’s blog, copy the link below! http://www.decadirect.org/June-2014/4-WAYS-to-Pick-the-Right-Competitive-Event/

 

 

 

 

Who Will Stop Me?

With the start of a new school year, chapters are beginning to prepare for competition to grab the spotlight at ICDC. But the most important asset of a chapter is you the member! The best way to be successful in your competition is being confident; tell yourself that you can do it. This resilience and dedication that you instill upon yourself will be your fuel to soaring in DECA. Your focus and commitment will create an impact on those around you. This is the first sign of becoming an emerging leader! Ask yourself, “Who will stop me from being successful?” In DECA, we do everything to put you, the member, on a fast track of success. You can be the composer of your victory anthem while in DECA. All you need to do is seize the opportunity and prepare yourself for this year’s competition!  

After finishing my second day at ELS, I had the pleasure to attend many excellent workshops. One of my favorite workshops was the Productivity Tips & Tricks workshop. Here we were taught not only keyboard shortcuts but various mobile applications/website as well.

One of the apps is called Doodle, where the core purpose is to have members input times that they are unavailable. Doodle, in turn, selects dates and times that fit into the schedule! Is that awesome! In addition, another source called "mailchimp" creates visually exciting emails. That way your emails capture your readers attention in the most elegant way possible. Using this program will definitely give your emails an effective brand new style!

Lastly, a website called FreeConferenceCall.com gives members an excellent tool to communicate. This simple website will give you a free phone number that you distribute to as many people who will be in the conference call & beginning meetings wherever you are. It's one of the smallest tools that can make the biggest impact.

As a whole, the second day at ELS was truly informative and created the best conditions for Chartered Association Officers to network among each other. I can't wait for more!

After finishing the first day at ELS, I was given a ton of information on how to properly & effectively give a presentation. One of the most important techniques I learned are "attention grabbers" while presenting. These grabbers include using "verbal cues" which are established in the beginning of presentation. Doing so allows the presenter to recapture the audience's focus and redirect it to the presentation. Combined with verbal cues, the attention grabber becomes a crucial tool that every presenter can use!

Overall, today gave excellent insight into how to be a more effective presenter. I look forward to what ELS offers tomorrow!!