July 6, 2008
A fellow internet radio host recently joined the business mentoring website that I co-own with Alice Seba of InternetBasedMoms.com. Soon after, she sent me an instant message that said, “You and Alice are sure drawing me out of my comfort zone!”
I understood immediately what she meant. In the short period of time since she joined our site, she has completely redesigned her website and stepped up on some of the business tools that she needed to make her business run more smoothly. She was really making great progress. I shot back a quick reply, “There’s no money in your comfort zone!”
That’s a powerful statement! There is no money in our comfort zone!
This reminds me of some of the really unfortunate comments I’ve seen on the WAHM forums and discussion lists. There are Moms who were struggling to make ends meet last year who are still struggling this year. Nothing has changed, they’re doing the same old things and their businesses aren’t bearing anymore fruit than they ever did. Yet they are giving advice to others - bad advice at that.
The golden nugget of advice most often repeated is: “You shouldn’t have to pay for information to grow your business when there is so much available for free.” To hear them tell it, selling information is akin to selling your body! A dirty profession! Well, if it’s true, if there is so much free info - why aren’t they prospering by now?
If you’re determined to keep doing the same things that you’ve always done to promote your business - you really are stuck in a comfort zone. If what you’re doing was going to work, it would have worked by now. It’s time to break out of that box and start trying some tactics you’ve never considered before.
The scary thing about moving outside of your comfort zone is that it usually calls for an investment on your part. Whether that is putting in extra hours or extra dollars, you’re going to have to stretch yourself to acquire a new mindset where your business is concerned.
The first step for Tammy was to ask for constructive criticism of her website. Some of the advice she received make it clear that she needed to loosen up the purse strings and begin to invest in her business in order to see it perform better over the long run. I’m happy to report that she’s taking immediate steps to do so!
What do you need to do to break out of your comfort zone? Do you need to invest some time and money into a learning product? Could you benefit from some business or life coaching? Should you sign up for a class or two to spiff up your skills? Whatever it is - just do it. Yes it will make you feel uncomfortable at first but I promise you it’s worth it.
I know what a challenge this is, I like being comfortable! But being comfortable kept me broke and in debt. I’m glad I decided to step outside my self imposed comfort zone of doing the ’same old-same old’. I walked out into a much wider place of adventurous marketing and business development. I’ve found that that is where the money is - and everything else that we started our businesses for in the first place.
Kelly McCausey hosts Work at Home Moms Talk Radio (http://www.wahmtalkradio.com) and co-owns Mom Masterminds (http://www.mommasterminds.com), a closed door mentoring community for Moms who want to develop a profitable internet based business.
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June 8, 2008
Have you been searching for the perfect home-based business? I have spent nearly twenty-five years searching for the holy-grail of home-based businesses. Now this article is not about a business, but rather a system that Fortune 500 companies always use but it’s rarely used by home-based businesses, affiliate or network marketing companies. And based on my experience, you should not even attempt a home-based affiliate or network marketing opportunity unless you use a system that almost guarantees you’ll be successful.
But before we get into the specifics of the secret business model, let’s first talk about what most people do wrong and why 95% of home-based business operators fail within the first few years in business.
Here’s a Few Reasons Why People Fail
* Lack of sufficient capital for promotions and marketing. It takes lots of money and time for your message to capture the attention of your prospective customers. It is a proven fact that most people must see or hear about your product or service at least five to seven times before they’ll inquire or purchase.
* Not enough time spent on their business. Most people start their home-based business in their spare time and hope it becomes successful so they can do it full-time. The problem with most home-based business operators is two-fold. They don’t give their business enough attention on a daily basis and lose potential customers or distributors because they are not responsive enough. And more importantly, they don’t give their opportunity enough time for success. It is sad when someone puts hundreds and/or thousands of dollars into a home-based business but they give up when the first their marketing campaign doesn’t produce results.
* Lack of sales and marketing expertise. Many people start a business from their desire to sell something the love to make. But this fact remains true for home-based business to Fortune 500 companies - You can’t sell anything unless you get your marketing message out to enough people. When you put your marketing message out in front of thousands of potential customers then you only need a small percentage to become your customers.
* And lastly, most people don’t realize the secrets to creating a successful business. It’s not how unique your product is or how low your price is compared to your competition. The real secret to making boatloads of money is having REPEAT customers. Unless you have a product or service that people will buy multiple times per year, you probably won’t have what it takes to build a successful small business.
So if ninety-five percent of home-based business fail, then why do people even start a business if the odds are stacked against them.
Well here’s why some people have decided to start a home-based business:
* To make money from their hobby.
* To earn extra money to pay for a vacation.
* To explore the option of working on their own.
* For the potential to go full-time and have more free time.
* Lastly, many want their business to help them become financially free.
Now as I mentioned above, you don’t have to have highly unique products or even low-priced products to capture your share of the market. What’s more important is how you market to generate sales of your products or services. And if you don’t have products that are consumable, then you should only treat your business as a hobby, because it most likely won’t create the income you need to be considered a success.
Here’s the Secret Business Model
So what is the model almost all Fortune 500 companies use to build their businesses. It’s MASS MEDIA MARKETING. This includes television and radio advertising combined with direct mail and follow-up telemarketing campaigns.
Now as simple as this may sound, most small businesses can’t afford to use a system that combines TV and radio commercials with direct mail and telemarketing. That’s why this secret business model is almost exclusively used by Fortune 500 companies.
But I am here to tell you that you too can be a savvy business entrepreneur and use mass marketing to your benefit. If you would like to grow your business using parts and pieces of the secret business model, then you could implement one or more of the following:
* Purchase leads for your product or service that are generated from radio or television ads. There are many companies that can supply you with potential customers generated from their radio and television ads.
* Contract with a telemarketing firm to handle all your incoming and follow-up calls. They have trained experts who can turn inquiries into sales.
* You can use a web-site to sell your products but use a direct mail campaign sent to thousands of prospects by directing them to your web site for more information and/or to make a purchase.
* Use a direct mail or telemarketing follow-up campaign to generate repeat orders and to sell other products to your buying customers.
Now it could cost a small business what seems like a fortune to implement all of the methods mentioned above. But if you really want your small business to become successful, then you can begin to use just some of the techniques that Fortune 500 companies are using. And later you can parlay some of your profits into using the more sophisticated items like follow-up telemarketing or hosting your own radio talk show.
So before you spend another dime on doing what everyone else is doing, then ask yourself what you could do differently to make your product stand out from your competitors. You will find that operating a home-based business can certainly be very profitable, but you must use the same business building principles used by Fortune 500 companies.
Mark Oestreich is a veteran business analyst. His web site http://www.bizopwiz.com provides more information to help you in your search for the perfect home-based business.
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June 6, 2008
A wonderful, hardworking marketing tool is a giant postcard! With colorful eye-catching graphics on one side and your promotional copy on the back, it will grab attention faster than an email, ad or sales letter.
Make it BIG
A giant postcard, also called an oversized, jumbo, or #14 postcard is a low-cost, effective device for branding your business and creating prospect response. Start with a 6″ x 9″ or larger size postcard and print in full color to make it stand out from the stack of white envelopes in today’s mail. Postage is the price of a first class stamp.
Customize It
Find a printer who can print “variable data” and you can customize the postcard with your prospect’s first name in the design along with their mailing address. Who can resist reading a postcard with their very own name in the headline? You don’t need to use peel and stick address labels anymore either!
Brand It
I recommend several mailings using the same brand, theme, or graphic to make a memorable impression in your prospect’s mind. Make your brand simple, unique and easily identifiable. If you are selling an informational product, workshop or seminar are positioned yourself as the expert, I recommend that you use an engaging photo of yourself somewhere in the layout.
Make a Series
Remember, it takes repeated impressions-some say 7 or 9 times-before your prospect will buy. Mail out your postcard or series of postcards before and/or after an event such as a tradeshow or conference where you are exhibiting or before your own event.
Use a Catchy Headline and Stunning Graphics
On the front side, write a provocative statement, compelling question or catchy headline directed to your target market. Add an unusual, colorful, or stunning graphic or photo. Check out royalty-free stock libraries for low cost photos and illustrations at these sites: www.istockphoto.com, www.photos.com, and www.bigstockphoto.com. If you lack creative talent, hire a graphic designer to prepare the file for your printer.
Keep it Simple
The copy on the back side of the postcard needs to be compelling, clear, clean and simple. No one will take the time to read a ” textbook” of tiny type. Use bullet points if necessary to break up the text and turn it into an easy-to-use list. Highlight your contact information (phone number and/or website) with a contrasting color or bold font. Be sure to leave 5/8″ margin of white space on the bottom end of the mailer side. This is where the post office will imprint a bar code, and you don’t want it to cover your important information!
Tell the Prospect What to Do
You may want the prospect to call you or contact you via email. You can direct him/her to your website for free offers. Then capture their email addresses when they sign up for your free ezine, report, audio recording. Be sure to follow up right away.
Don’t forget your call to action. Be absolutely clear with what you want your prospect to do next. This is the last line of text on the back side of the card, right above your contact information.
Put this hard working tool to work for you and just watch your response rate soar!
Copyright 2006 Karen Saunders
Karen Saunders is the author of “Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!” Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself graphics guide to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! FREE audio classes, articles and an eCourse on design and marketing tips are available at http://www.macgraphics.net.
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June 5, 2008
How much to live the life you want?
This number may be big enough to represent true financial independence an amount that would allow you to retire or work only as much as you like, for the rest of your life. Or you may have a larger figure in mind in addition to your “Take This Job and …”. Finding your number doesn’t guarantee you’ll get there, of course. That takes commitment. But Frankel promises that the act of setting the goal can help move you down the path to achieving it!!
If you do something and accomplish it’s intended purpose we call it a success. If you work with goal setting and reach the goal you are successful. The opposite is if you work to accomplish a goal and not reach it, it is a failure. A person with a record of successes we call an achiever. Successful people become even more successful. There is nothing that motivates more than succeeding, but only if you can associate a certain effort as a cuase of the successful accomplishment. You are able to make a decision to become more successful in whatever you try to accomplish. Guided by your awareness you can set goals and you can strive toward your goals until you succeed. You can decide to be more successful in listening to others, in smiling, in being patient, you can even decide to take the lead and be in control. You can choose to be a more successful parent, daughter, son, partner, friend, employee or employer. God gave you the power to choose a life of self-improvement and a commitment to helping others and as a matter of fact; no one can take this power from you. You can live the life you want and be successful, happy and have peace of mind.
for more info check this web page http://www.itstrubusiness.com/step.html
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June 5, 2008
You always wanted to be a work at home mother. You probably discussed it with your partner and made a strict budget to allow you to do so. If you are a single mother, you may have analyzed this and planned it with greater detail. You even fantasized how wonderful it would be, but there are a few things you may not have considered in the desperate desire to tell your boss you’ve gone on permanent vacation.
After the initial few weeks, the newness and excitement will wear off, as it does in most things in life. You’ll settle into a new lifestyle. The only problem with the new lifestyle may be that you have no routine! I know what you are thinking. Schedules are meant to be broken. Children don’t always cooperate, especially when you have more than one. While this is quite true to a degree, there are a few simple things you could do daily to setup a routine that you and the children can adjust to. You have to remember, this is new to them as well. Someone else has been in charge of your child(ren) while you’ve been away from home working in the past.
First, be realistic. Make a list of things you must accomplish on a daily basis. Get together with the childcare provider you were using and find out what schedule the child(ren) followed there. Try to keep with the schedule the child(ren) are already accustomed as closely as possible as far as nap times and meals. Plan your most crucial tasks at nap times. Turn the ringer on the phone off temporarily (unless the task is making phone calls) to avoid distractions or waking sleeping angels. Tasks that can be accomplished with the children should be done around the same time each day. This helps the child feel comfortable and know what to expect from day to day and eventually you will have less resistance and more cooperation. If there is something the child can do to help, include him or her! This keeps them busy, entertained and gives them a sense of importance. It also gives you one less thing to worry about. Obviously, don’t give the child something that requires perfection.
You’ll also encounter problems outside of the home that don’t involve the children. Your friends and family may be excited that you are home or think that since you are, you have time to do errands that they don’t have enough time for. You will need to be firm, but gentle, and remind them that you are still responsible for bringing home a paycheck and that you have your own obligations to meet. Don’t fall into the mentality that so many have, “I work for myself so I can do whatever I want, whenever I want”. That is destructive thinking and will be your downfall. The truth is, working from home takes more discipline and dedication than your full time job away from home did. You will find that something you expected to take an hour will realistically take 2-3 times longer. If you don’t respect your business and treat it as a business, then don’t expect friends and family respect it. It may take them awhile, but they will realize you are right and will show you respect and consideration in the future.
Apply some basic principals from the conventional work force to your new WAHM position. Were you allowed to show up for work late? Were you expected to comply with a dress code? Were you given breaks and a lunch period? Let’s talk about why these things are important and why you should continue to adhere to them.
Set your alarm and get up every morning before everyone in the house. These precious quiet moments are vital for starting the day productively. Take this time to plan your day. Enjoy the peaceful quiet and get a head start before the children wake up. When you are not rushed, you will be calm and more able to handle the stressful situations the day will present. You will be ready to start your business day on time and be productive. Sleeping late will only cause you frustration and the feeling that you will never accomplish the things you need to do before the end of the day.
Get dressed everyday! Try to make it the first thing you do. We all know that working in your pajamas sounds inviting. Sure, that may be great on weekends, but you need to be ready for anything and everything on your “open for business” days. Being prepared is the key to preventing frustration and being able to snap up golden opportunities.
Take a break occasionally. Breaks are meant to prevent fatigue and to refresh you. When you stop to make lunch for the children, make something for yourself and sit down to eat with them. Clear your mind for a moment. You’ll also be giving the children attention they need and crave, which will satisfy their need for mommy time and assurance of security. When lunch is over, you will be ready to focus and work productively. Some days are more stressful than others. When possible, if you can schedule the extra break, lie down and rest with the children. Sometimes a little rest is all you need to get back on track.
Apply some of these suggestions and let me know how well they worked for you personally!
Michele Neisler began her career as a full time, single work at home mom of three in April 2002 as owner of http://www.ChelesTreasures.com Word of mouth referrals from satisfied clients has allowed her client base to grow nationally from coast to coast and become a successful brick and mortar business. Visit http://www.michele-neisler.com for more articles, resources and tips from Michele Neisler.
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June 1, 2008
Internet marketing business is a term that includes all aspects of marketing products or services online. Narrowing down a bit, it means the business of strategising for the online promotion of a product or service. An Internet marketing business encompasses smaller but equally important activities - strategic website design, compelling copywriting, search engine optimization, search engine submission, reciprocal linking, online promotions, blogging, email marketing, and a lot else.
Internet marketing business is also known by other names as web marketing business, online marketing business, etc. Internet marketers are constantly searching for and improving upon newer online marketing strategies that will help them drive more and more targeted traffic to their websites, resulting in an increase in sales. In other words, an Internet marketing business is all about exploring techniques and options that support and enhance the broader marketing objectives of a business.
Any newcomer to the Internet marketing business should concentrate on search engine optimization, for the most traffic still comes to websites through search engines and directories. Besides, he or she should learn to generate targeted traffic online, conduct banner promotions, write superior content, and improve overall brand awareness.
A concrete strategy is a definite plus for any Internet marketing business. It provides you with a measurable way to target your market. This, in turn, makes it easy for people who are looking for what you have to offer. They can find you more easily and without any hassles.
Traffic can be increased by search engine marketing, or by using pay per click campaigns. However, when all that is said and done, it should be emphasized that traffic marketing is not sales, and all visitors are not customers. So the next logical step is to place your attention on the visitors who have reached your site, and then try and convert them into customers of your product or service.
An Internet marketing business differs in many vital ways from a conventional, brick-and-mortar business. One of them is the key factor of human interaction. When a visitor enters a physical store they are facing solid human interaction through a sales person or attendant. During this face-to-face contact, more than ninety percent of the communication that takes place between the two people is non-verbal in nature. An Internet marketing business does not offer that scope of non-verbal communication. Impersonal background code of a website storefront takes the place of warm human interaction. However, that problem can be solved by good content positioning if you have identified your target market well enough.
An Internet marketing business is not hard to coordinate, nor is it too expensive. All you have to do is plan wisely and put that strategy into action. Proper implementation is half the battle won.
Lana Hampton is the webmaster of http://www.internet-marketing-wealth.com. Visit her site today for practical Internet marketing business articles, ebooks, tools and home business ideas for the work from home entrepreneur.
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June 1, 2008
Lately i have been completing some online surveys, but i am tired of being told, after the preliminary questions, “we are sorry, but your profile does not meet our requirements”! I live in the sticks, unmarried, without children, do not drive, smoke or drink, or eat meat. Can’t really see what they are getting at!
Don’t get me wrong, i am quite happy not to be pidgeon-holed.
What is more, when i do get to fill out an actual survey, it is likely to only be for a chance in a prize draw for a few pounds, along with 100,000 others! Slim chance.
Then i find myself knocked out by some of the survey questions. I like a simple lifestyle and am faced with assessments of products, half of which i have never heard of! So quite often i just have to fill in that last box which says “don’t know” or maybe “no opinion”! In one survey, without this last box, i had to denote which petrol station ownership i mostly used!! Perhaps they think i should keep buying a few litres ready for when i did eventually have a car?!
Someimes i am asked how much current style or trend is important to me on an upward scale of one to ten. That’s simple 0!! Ok 1! I am no follower of fashion. Perhaps my profile still does not meet the survey requirements?!
I am convinced that if i got married, it would soon end in divorce. Grounds? “His profile does not meet my requirements”!
http://www.writingup.com/blog/rambler
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May 30, 2008
With so many features available on even the standard office chair, picking the perfect chair for you can be complicated. There is a huge variety of different styles, upholstery and color options available on the market today. Many considerations are necessary in order to find the right office chair or furniture for you.
With all of the options to choose from, finding your perfect office chair can be as involved as designing your home interior. In upholstery alone, you can have your choice of leather, mesh, vinyl and several types of standard fabrics in a variety of colors and patterns. Then you still have to decide between metal or wood base with titanium or black finishes and which casters are best, not to mention which upgrades are needed. There is a lot involved.
Leather comes in many different grades and in many different styles. The leather dye that is used is also made of different levels of quality, making the outcome vary. The most desired office chair covering in an executive chair model would be Italian top grain leather, a high end option available in many different chair styles. Leather also comes in many different standard grades. Most custom chairs feature 2-3 different grades of leather from suede to cowhide patchwork to top grain leather. You should know which of these leathers you are buying and pay accordingly to the grades offered.
One of the most expensive options for custom seating, leather, can add anywhere from thirty to eighty percent to the original price, depending on grade. Similar to cars, many people cannot imagine owning an office chair without the upholstery being leather.
Mesh chairs are another style quickly gaining new popularity in the market today with the Herman Miller Aeron Mesh Chair having more inquiries than any other office chair online specifically. Many news programs and tv series are even using a mesh chair model in their studio program. Air flow to the skin similar to that of window screens or sheer fabric material, allows the user’s body to stay at a comfortable body temperature and regulate more effectively.
Typically in a black colored material for the mesh backing, the option for the seat cushion is usually available with leather or fabrics in several colors. Some models of mesh chairs are also gaining popularity and are made completely of steel, looking very sleek and sturdy compared to the fabric models, very modern.
Fabric upholstery can offer you the widest range of options in colors and patterns. Fabric options can extend from cotton all the way to synthetic fibers. Color options are endless and patterns can range from tropical to traditional with a wide availability of color schemes. When it comes to most standard task chairs, they are featured in the options of burgundy, navy, green, gray and black for ordering in stock. Other fabric colors and patterns are usually available in custom ordered office seating only.
Some office chairs and stools are made in vinyl and other wipeable fabric types. These chair upholstery options are perfect for the office environment where cleanliness and wipe-ability would be most important, such as a dentist’s office or a children’s center. The vinyl material can also be a great choice when it comes to getting an economy model with the right adjustability upgrades and a lower price tag.
Always make sure that when choosing an office chair, you consider your workplace situation and all of the various conditions that apply. Making sure that the upholstery is right for your needs can make a big difference in how comfortable and at ease you are in your office chair. With so many options available, you should be able to find the perfect covering for your office chair.
Amy Lieberfarb has been in the office furniture interiors and sales industry for 11 years and is the owner/operator of two office furniture websites providing information of how to pick ergonomic chairs and a catalog with hundreds of different chair models to choose from. See her website at:
http://stores.ebay.com/liebswholesale
Offering Mesh, Leather, Executive, Traditional, Custom order and Big and Tall Office Chairs and Seating. Also carrying Office Furniture, Filing and Storage Cabinets, Tables and Reception Furniture options.
http://www.liebswholesale.com
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May 30, 2008
With so many young people trying to work from home on the Internet it is amazing just how many of them really do not have the slightest idea, of the workload they have gotten themselves into. Many of these people did not even sit down and assess what it is that they see as reasonable personal goal. This is a huge mistake on their part. Everyone thinking about pursuing a home business venture should consider the following issues about their character and state of mind:
1) You must know what you want in order to find a way to obtain it.
2) It must be clear to everyone willing to jump into the Internet marketing world; if you are not sure whether or not you have drive and a willingness to succeed you might want to save yourself some money and much aggravation.
3) It is easy to want something, and you may know how you have to get it. There is this little issue about dedication and determination do you have it? Why put yourself through the troubles of failing and wondering exactly where you went wrong.
The great Winston Churchill once said, “If you find yourself walking through hell, just keep going”. This idea of the struggles people face, in business and in life is just that. Struggles, the winners will survive and the weak will fall. This has been a true facet in life since the beginning of time. Basically staying power in the Internet marketing business is about keeping your face off the pavement.They also do not get the fact that because it is their business, and not someone else’s responsibility that they in turn will have to work probably much harder to keep it going. When these people hear the nonsense about working 1 hour per week and striking it rich, I truly feel sorry for their heads and wallets when they inevitably re enter the earth’s atmosphere, and hit the ground with a screeching halt. Again this may be nothing more than naivety. And not total stupidity.
The unfortunate part for most people new to the scene is that they have absolutely no idea just what it entails on a time basis. What must be remembered is that success cannot be bought in a can. It is the single marketing plan and strategy that is doomed to fail. You must be able to walk many avenues in order to reap the benefits of the successes it can yield. Buy into what you feel truly will get you ahead, listen to what other marketers are saying in the forums and try to catch on quick. This field is extremely fast and waits for no one. The best way to do business is to spread out your resources as much as possible; the best way for exposure is to be out in the middle of the field.
James Biscardi is the owner and president of DynamicWealthSystems.com,
a home business opportunity and resources website. Visit:
www.DynamicWealthSystems.com
To contact James, e-mail to teacharino@yahoo.com
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April 27, 2008
Quiet times in business happen to all of us. They happen to
established Virtual Assistants, as well as to those just
starting out. The phone stops ringing, your email inbox is so
empty you wonder if your internet service is down and you can’t
think of a make-work project to save your life. The good news is
that once you’ve experienced a few quiet times and learned that
they always end, they’ll lose their ability to frighten you. But
I understand that until you have that experience there can be
scary, hairy monsters waiting in the quiet hours when your work
has dried up.
Therefore, I want to offer you ten proven ways to banish those
monsters, and even turn those quiet hours to your advantage.
Using some of the items and ideas from the list below will help
not only keep you occupied while business is slow, but they will
add to the strong business foundation you are already building.
What I am trying to do with this list is maximize the potential
in your business so that you do not unnecessarily fall victim to
work slow-down when you don’t want to.
1. Follow up on old leads. It sounds simple but this number one
tip can be a lifesaver and a business-builder. Dig through your
contact files (you do keep a list of business leads, right?) and
refresh the memory of those you haven’t talked to in a while.
Send them a ‘thinking of you and your business’ email, mail them
a card with your business card enclosed, send them an e-card
that announces a new service you are offering. Ensure ALL your
leads, old and new, are keeping you top-of-mind when they
realize they need virtual support.
2. Clean up something you’ve been tolerating. ‘Tolerating’ is a
coaching word - it means those undone tasks and buried ideas
that we carry around with us, sometimes unconsciously, that can
drain our energy. What comes to mind when you think of something
you carry around with you mentally all the time? Do you need to
complete a business relationship with someone you’ve been
dreading to call? Do you have a pile of paper that needs filing?
Is there a page or two of your web site that are not complete?
Is there some task you’ve been putting off for months or even
years? In order to move forward, we need the energy, both mental
and physical, to do so. These things that we are tolerating
drain our energy and therefore prevent us from achieving all we
wish to. Stop tolerating, even one thing, and you’ll make room
for more success.
3. Call your mother (or your best friend, or your coach or
mentor) and ask for what you need. Being a self-employed
professional can be a tough row to hoe. Get the emotional
support you need to keep going. The person you call (or even
better, speak to in person) should be someone you trust with
your feelings and someone who can applaud and congratulate you
when it’s needed. Share some of your fears and doubts with this
person and then ask them for what you need. Maybe you need them
to tell you they are proud of you. Maybe you need them to call
you once a week and check in to see how you are. Whatever it is,
ask for it. You’ll be surprised how much our loved ones want to
know what we want from them. With this kind of support in your
life, you are much more likely to succeed.
4. Ensure you are ready for new business. One of the best ways
to ensure we attract new business is to make sure (that’s 100%
sure) we are fully prepared for when that business arrives. Do
you have a welcome package completely ready to give to a client?
If a new client called five minutes from now could you send it
to them right away? Are you organized enough to bring on new
business? Do you feel on top of your current to dos and your
business calendar? Do you have a process in place to bring a new
client on board (i.e. a ‘first meeting’ agenda or a list of
questions to ask new clients about what they need from you)? To
ensure that you are not unconsciously pushing new business away
because you are not ready, make sure that you are able to answer
“yes” to all the above questions.
5. Do one thing you’re afraid of. I’m not asking you to learn to
skydive naked, but there is value in making sure that there are
not business-building activities that we are avoiding because we
are afraid of them. Choose one thing, even a small one at first,
that you are afraid of doing and do it. Are you afraid of
joining a networking group? Are you afraid of calling your old
boss and asking her out to lunch to discuss Virtual Assistance?
Are you avoiding giving a presentation to a group that has asked
you? These are just examples to get you thinking; by now your
little voice is telling you what your own personal
monster-in-the-dark is. By standing up and staring that monster
down, walking right into his mouth and dancing around, you will
emerge stronger, more confident and more proud of yourself. Take
a chance and build yourself up by doing something you’re afraid
of.
6. Create some space. Recently I went through my office
bookshelf and cleaned out some books that I was not using and
donated them to charity. I made a small bit of room on one
shelf, but it made a huge difference to the amount of available
space in my head. Are you feeling cluttered and buried under
paper? Do your files need to be cleaned out and re-organized?
How about those piles of things on the floor you step over every
day? Clean physical space can go a long way to helping us flow
more clearly with our business lives. Look at your physical
space and see if there is ‘room’ for improvement.
7. Put one new customer service in place. Adding an ‘added
value’ item to your list of services can really help to build
your clients’ perception of you as a valued member of their
team. This new customer service item can either be something you
announce to clients (e-zine support, bookkeeping, virtual dog
walking) or something you do ‘above and beyond the call of duty’
(client birthday cards, a regular check-in with a busy client to
see what more you can do, 15 minutes of your time that you don’t
bill for). We are in a customer service business and our clients
are our most important resource. What new feature can you add to
your services that regularly bring home to your clients how much
you value them?
8. Stay in front of your ‘circle of influence’. Building on item
7, we can always benefit from ensuring that those people in our
lives whom we regard as our ‘circle of influence’ are aware of
what we are doing and that we are looking for new business. The
members of your circle of influence are those people in your
life who have the ability to drive business toward you. They are
your mentors, your colleagues, your past business associates.
One easy business-building technique is to have a list of
specifically who these people are in your life and then contact
them periodically to let them know you are still in business.
You can make announcements about new services to them and ensure
that they keep you top-of-mind when they are recommending
Virtual Assistance to people they meet.
9. Listen to your muse. Business isn’t “all business”, even
though some might want you to believe that. The creative vein
that runs through each and every one of us can be a great asset
when we are marketing and building our businesses. Have you ever
had a really ‘crazy’ idea about how to educate potential clients
about what you do? Have you ever seen someone else’s marketing
or advertising materials and been thrilled by the ‘out of the
box’ thinking that obviously went into them? (And then realized
you had that idea six months ago and didn’t follow up on it.
Bummer.) Let your creative juices flow. Don’t be afraid to do
something that’s a little bit ingenious to market your business
and attract new clients. I have one former client who is a coach
who has gotten together with several other entrepreneurial women
(massage therapists, estheticians, arts teachers) and is
throwing a pajama party for women next month. It is a completely
crazy idea and it looks like so much fun! What could you do that
would get people thinking, “Wow!” and put a smile on their faces.
10. Talk to a mentor. Our last item comes from the “no need to
reinvent the wheel” department. Do you know someone who is a
well established VA or entrepreneur? If so, why not call that
person up, ask them if you could buy them a cup of tea and pick
their brain a bit. What did they do that helped them succeed?
What rough spots did they hit that you could avoid? You could
even ask them, “If you were in my position right now, what is
one thing you would do to grow my business?” People love talking
about their successes and I bet you’ll be surprised at all the
valuable information that comes forth when you simply ask.
There you have it. Ten things you can do RIGHT NOW to keep your
business-building momentum going even when you are experiencing
a temporary work slow-down.
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