Archive for the ‘Business Development’ Category

What:  Free Teleclass:  5 Strategies For How To Launch While You Work

When:  August 31, 9pm EST

Where:  Via Bridgeline

For More Information & To Register, Go To:

http://launchwhileyouwork.eventbrite.com

Are you ready to experience a greater sense of fulfillment, and feel untrapped in your business?

Use systems!

This is the only way your business can run on autopilot, and provide you a sense of renewal, and joy.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Need Systems

1. You can stop reinventing the wheel.
2. Your business can run on it’s own without you.
3. You can conserve your energy and efforts with rote operational tasks.
4. You can appear more professional to prospective clients.
5. You can provide more perceived added value to existing clients by communicating better and consistently without fail.
6. You can feel more confident in your ability to deliver to your clients
7. Reduce overwhelm and stress.
8. Make more money for your business, because you will be able to focus on marketing and other revenue generating activities, than administrative tasks.
9. You can have a lifestyle of freedom and live in purpose.
10. You can create passive and residual streams of income more easily.

Bonus: You can fall in love with your business all over again

In order to experience true prosperity, and freedom in your life and business, systems are not a luxury – it’s a must.

Today’s featured resource: Client management system – Coaches Console.

As you know I never promote a service unless I’ve used it personally, or comes strongly recommended by a trusted source. This is a personal endorsement. The benefits are undisputable:

Your Assignment: Learn More & Obtain a Free Gift Top 5 Secrets Successful Business Owners Use to Explode their Practice.

One of the challenges when starting a business is freeing up money to afford start up business expenses and costs.

It’s a bit easier to accomplish this if you are launching your business while you work. This way you still have the security of regular income to help you segway into business ownership.

The good news is coaching, consulting, and other service and information type businesses have no overhead and low start up costs. However, whether you are looking to create part time income, or a lifestyle change as a full time entrepreneur, you will need to trim household expenses to gain money for your business.

I have brainstormed some ideas for you to uncover more money with income you already have:

Stay out of the mall

What are some other cost cutting measures that come to mind?

No matter what strategies you choose, remember the key is discipline, commitment, AND consistency, if you are serious about financing your business, and doing more with less in the household. Soon these cost cutting habits will become a new way of being and everyday living.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Needing more ideas about cost saving measures for your business? Get professional consultative advice. Go to http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com ; Click on business consultants.

This weekend I enjoyed a nice ski get-a-way with my husband and two boys. It was a welcome activity after a week of cabin fever due to record breaking snow fall in our area.

This ski experience was different because my boys wanted to learn how to snowboard instead of ski as usual. They started off with an “advanced lesson,” since they felt they already knew how from watching You Tube videos.

After one hour of instruction, they were ready to tackle a blue trail (just one level down from black diamond!!). When I looked at the steepness of the hill, I thought outloud, “Guys I don’t know about this…”

Once the boys got on the hill they fell ALOT and at times grew frustrated. They realized immediately it wasn’t as easy as the videos they watched. They simply didn’t want to settle for less (the beginner and advanced beginner trails just didn’t suffice for them). So they stuck with it, and in the end they were able to snowboard with greater precision, speed, and less falls. And no broken bones too

I am sharing this with you because this experience reminds me alot about what business development is all about. We begin our journey because we are passionate and committed to helping others, transforming lives, and making a difference. However, to be a successful coach, you’ve got to see your practice as a business. Getting trained as a coach is the easy part; thereafter the work really begins.

Some of us learn by watching others closely to get a sense of what business success looks and feels like. This vantage point can be enlightening, to say the least. However, watching success and BEing success are two different things. Once you try business ownership on for size, it is will be filled with unexpectedness, challenges, and frustration.

However, victory always patiently waits right around the corner, if you hang in there and commit yourself to learning in action!

And not just learning while playing it safe…we’re talking about learning while playing BIG. This is what I learned most from watching my boys.

It was their commitment to jump from “never done it”, to “I want to be among the best and most experienced,” that made them victorious by the end of the day.

This combination – learning in action and playing big IS the best way you accelerate your business skill development, and achieve expected results more quickly.

Thanks boys for this powerful lesson!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: How are you learning BIG in your business development? What holds you back from learning the business skills you need to be successful?

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

Last month, I participated in a virtual abundance expo. I learned so much from some of the top thought leaders in the world. One of the highlights was the preview call with guest, Jack Cantfield. He talked about the importance of creating an abundant vision which he defined as one that is plentiful and rich, more than enough, and infinite in resources. The opposite would be a scarcity vision, which limits possibilities, and blocks you from manifesting what it is you want for you life and your business.

I was so inspired, I got busy creating (and still finetuning) my abundant vision for the year and want to encourage you to do the same.

Here are some quick start strategies for creating your abundance for 2010:

Get Clear in Your Mind About What You Want – what is it EXACTLY that you are seeking? Think about “the what” in both tangible and intangible terms. Begin by asking what is it that will give you the greatest fulfillment, satisfaction, and prosperity in your life and business.

Move with Urgent Action – most deliberate actions occur within 24-48 hours of when you say you will do it, or chances are it won’t get done. NOW is the time to get your goals out of your head and written down on paper. Formulate your goals in chucks of time : 1 yr, 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 15 yrs. Be sure to also create success benchmarks for each goal as well as time limits for when each goal will be completed.

Make it Visual – that is make a display of what you want, commonly referred to as a vision board. It should be filled with pictures, images, words and phrases that signifies or illustrates what you want in your life and business. Hang it somewhere visible so that you can be reminded on a daily basis of your vision.

Simply Believe – if you do not believe that you are enough – smart enough, good enough, deserving enough to serve in a bigger, greater way, you will block your vision from manifesting. You must tap into faith and ask the Divine to order your steps to stay the course.

The law of the universe requires that we must ask, believe, and receive. What abundance are you seeking for 2010?

Your Assignment: If you have not done so by now, create an abundant vision for your business. Start by writing down exactly what you want and then create your goals. Now double what you already wrote and rewrite it…now you have abundant goals! It is important to trust the Divine and worry less about how – that part is not your concern. Top it all off by creating your vision board within the next 24-48 hours.

There is another similar event going on right now – check it out:

http://livingonpurposetelesummit.com

Resources to Get From Where you Are to Where you Want to Be – NOW!:
Legal/Marketing/Tax/Accounting Consultation – http://www.bizsuccessforyou.com
How-To Steps from Start-up to Launch and Beyond – http://www.audiostartupminicourse.com

More Reflection…

Most people are trained to do a job, but not on how to be an entrepreneur. What starts out a joyous endeavor, and a great sense of renewal, becomes a grind, or worse, a failure.

The good news is you don’t have to be a statistic!!

According to US Department of Commerce, 87% of companies that receive formal support and coaching, from the start, can survive!!

Here are 6 MORE tidbits for what soloprofessionals need to do more often to sustain overtime:

- Get your finances together – take more time to save and invest in your business than spending on things that don’t get you any closer to reaching your most important business goals or earning revenue. Get your “books” in order and find a reputable accountant to help you manage the financial side of your business.

- Niche to be rich – it’s better to be perceived as an expert in your field than a jack of all trades and master of nothing. Get super clear about your specialty and your target audience. This way you won’t confuse on lookers about what it is you do and who you serve.

- Bring in the troops – you can’t do it all and do it well. Your family is a viable support network and capable of doing more for themselves. Bring them along…they are also a part of this journey. The bottom line is if you don’t have buy-in from your household, you will be hard pressed to stay the course and burnout over time.

- Surround yourself with likeminded people – I’m sure we’ve heard the expression, birds of a feather flock together. It is important to associate with other women who are passionate about achieving success in their life and their business. This passion shared by likeminded women is infectious – so get bit by the bug!! In addition, be a part of a network or group that will support you in reaching your most important business goals, and help you elevate your business building skills.

- Get leads on the information highway – And travel FAST! People want information and they want it NOW. I remember when I didn’t have a website, my business felt quite stagnate. Once this came about the momentum shifted by leaps and bounds. Your website MUST communicate effectively how you help them solve their unique problem AND provide a viable means to collect their contact information. This way you can more easily establish a relationship with your prospects; and they in turn will get to know you, like you, and trust you.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: You’ve been coached on 12 MUST Dos to beat the odds and sustain your solo-business overtime!

Review last week’s tips.

Now, take some time to choose three that apply to your current situation, and that you would be willing to commit more time, and energy towards over the next 30 days.

Start by clarifying what questions you still have and need answers for each. Set a timeframe for when you will uncover and clarify this information. Then set new goals to move your business forward.

There are so many lessons to be learned about starting, launching and growing a new business. Yes the verdict is out – only about two thirds of new small businesses will survive after two years, and less than half within five, according to the Small Business Administration. The good news is this statistic is better than is used to be…the bad is there are still a considerable number that aren’t making it.

Here are 6 tidbits for what soloprofessionals need to do more often to grow their business and sustain overtime:

Decide – the word decision comes from the Latin word decidere, which means “to kill off any other alternatives.” Make the FULL commitment toward your business today.

Learn in action – there is always something new to learn, and more information to gather. However, it’s not until you move to action, get going, and learn while doing that real business know how and expertise comes about.

Take risks and be open to setbacks – this will help you grow as a new business owner. Don’t forget to also celebrate your triumphs and relish your redefining moments.

Build your business as a business right from the start – find a greater balance between the time you spend perfecting your skill as coach, consultant or practitioner, and learning business building skills. Design your business model so that you are not trading hours for dollars. Create ways to put your business on autopilot so that it operates with or without you.

Write the vision –at some point during your business development you will need to write a plan that outlines the vision and mission of your business. This important view of the future, is necessary for your business; otherwise, it will remain stagnate and cease to exist. Action leads to forward movement. However, this cannot occur if there is no goal or destination to reach.

Chart your course – as a new business owner you are traveling unchartered territory. This means you will need a compass, or guide to get you to your final destination – SUCCESS! This roadmap is essential to business building because it dictates how you will make money as well as clarify your unique system for how to solve your client’s issue or problem. Every successful business needs this.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Take some time to reflect and think about what areas of business building is holding you back. Set some new goals for how to overcome these stumbling blocks.

Stay tuned for part 2 – NEXT WEEK!

Live more? Make more? Grow more? Help more? BE more?

As working women solopreneurs, we are faced with greater challenges. We have responsibilities not just to ourselves, but to our job, our family, and our household. I realize this venture, this journey you are traveling is not an easy one. However, I just want to encourage you today to be bold, and know that you ARE enough.

Perhaps today you are feeling run down and completely off balance. There are too many things on the to-do list, but not enough on the to-BE list. The work of your business is endless, and time limited. Maybe your efforts toward your business do not appear to be “paying off.”

Take a deep breath! Reframe from this place of overwhelm and take a moment to remember the reason you started this journey in the first place…the joy and excitement that came with your decision…the feelings of hope and possibilities…the decision to reinvent yourself, and simply BE on your own terms.

Do you remember that day? That moment?

I am sure you do — we all do. So today, re-focus your energy and efforts on what IS and what WILL be. What is working and how you can build on the strong places of your business, your expertise, and business know-how. Identify where you need more support, information or resources to keep moving foward. It’s alot easier to take others along in this journey who have traveled this road and can navigate it for you. I’m wondering if you’ve been traveling alone…who is standing by your side?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Make a list of the areas of your business development you are feeling stuck. Choose one to focus on for the next week. Ask yourself, “What resources can help me gain further clarity, and move along more quickly? Who in my inner circle (work and/or personal) is in a position to help me think through the uncertain places of my business?” Commit yourself to one action you will take right at this moment to uncover solutions. Tell at least one person of your commitment and update him/her with your progress the following week.