Posts Tagged ‘for women entrepreneurs’

I am currently reading the book,”The Power To Prosper:  21 Days to Financial Freedom,” by Michele Singletary.  I am enjoying this book because it outlines in practical terms how to uncover hidden monies to repurpose for your highest good, break your overspending habits, handle money with your spouse, get rid of debt, save for your future, and finally…stop worrying about money.

The financial fast invites you to take a faith walk with the Divine to confront and correct the poor money mindset, choices, and habits that have blocked you from manifesting more abundance and prosperity in your life.   It is a process that pushes you to be a better steward of the financial blessings extended to you, so that you can live a life of greater purpose and freedom, instead of financial bondage and duress.

I am inviting each of you to join me in a 21 day money fast BEFORE Black Friday.

Yes, tomorrow will be exactly 21 days before one of the biggest shopping days of the calendar year.  By taking some time to cleanse your thinking about money (e.g. what is represent in your life, how you see money, how you manage finances, etc), it just might reframe your spending choices during this holiday period…for the better. 

Are you ready for the challenge? 

You may be thinking, “How in the world is this relevant to me as a solopreneur.”Simply put, the way that you live personally will be reflected in your business as well.  The reason for this is because your solo business is an extension of you – who you are, what you value, what you believe, who you are becoming.

So if you struggle to manage finances in your personal life, the same will probably be the case in your business.  Poor money management can lead to insufficient cash flow which ultimately leads to business failure.

The bottom line:  if your interaction with money is  fundamentally sound,  financial prosperity will manifest itself in greater abundance in all aspects of your life. 

However, in order to step into real prosperity you must also develop self discipline and a keen self awareness so that you can guard against vulnerable places in managing your finances and formulate healthier money habits. 

The author coveres the following topics to move you from where you are to where you want to be in improving your relationship with money:

Day 1:  21 Days to Financial Freedom (The Beginning of a Journey)
Day 2:  A Promise of Prosperity
Day 3:  God’s Generosity
Day 4:  Tithing Today
Day 5:  The Evils of Entitlement
Day 6:  Coveting Vs. Contentment
Day 7:  The Providence of Preparation
Day 8:  The Salvation of Saving
Day 9:  Diversification Delivers
Day 10:  Matrimonial Money
Day 11:  The Impact of an Inheritance
Day 12:  The Devil Is in the Debt
Day 13:  The Curse of Credit
Day 14:  The Stupidity of Surety
Day 15:  Greed Will Not Bring Grace
Day 16:  Financial Fornification
Day 17:  Perpetual Peace
Day 18:  Broken Bonds
Day 19:  Strengthen Stewardship
Day 20:  Relationships Rescued
Day 21:  Financial Freedom

Each of these topics have a corresponding principle and pledge associated.  I will be sharing this information with my Facebook fans; you are welcome to uncover this information as well.    If you want to follow along these next 21 days, become a FAN now. http://bit.ly/successtransitions

I wish you multiplied success, prosperity and blessings.

Of all the off-line marketing strategies that exists, attending networking events is argueably one of the least  favorite for many introverts.

It always seems like the more talkative and aggressive types are able to make a connection so much easier than others.  But does being soft spoken, reflective, introspective and quiet natured mean that you can’t “work the room” or “move the crowd?”

The answer is NO!

I was reading an interesting article recently about how to make networking more fun and less initimidating — even if you struggle to initiate conversation with people whom you meet for the first time, or feel uncomfortable with self promotion.  

Say good bye to drudgery and feelings of inadequacy. 

The author emphasized 3 new rules for introverts to follow to make networking more enjoyable and fulfilling:

Old Networking Rules:

• Jump On In (Patter)
• Sell Yourself (Promote)
• Maximize Yourself With Others ( Party)

New Networking Rules:

• Pause
• Process
• Pace

From one introvert to another, read the complete article and learn more strategies about how to connect with others authentically and in your own style!  AND feel good about it

http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/2010/10/new-rules-for-networking.html

Do you agree with this author?  What are your thoughts?

I was reading Carol Roth’s blog today and saw an interesting (and a bit controversial) entry about how your greatest passions in life are better suited for hobbies not entrepreneurship.

She opened by stating, ” I am a little bit tired (and by a little bit, I actually mean really tired) of hearing about how you should create a business from your greatest passion in life. Well, you can really screw up your passion for something by having to earn a living from it. So, here’s the other side of the coin- six key reasons why you may just want to keep your hobby a hobby.”

Click below for the complete article

http://www.carolroth.com/unsolicited-business-advice/?p=3236

What are your thoughts?

Should passion be narrowly confined to a hobby?

Can passion for your life’s work and business ownership mix well or are they more like oil & water?

I once heard someone say, “If you LOVE what you do, you’ll never “work” a day in your life!”  I believe that  wholeheartedly!  Without passion for “the reason why,” what will sustain you when challenges with the business come your way?

I was reading an edition of  Success Magazine that focused on Living Your Fullest Potential.  There were many topics of discussion that spoke to how to discover the BEST within you..

The topic I found most appealing was prepared by the publisher and editor himself, Darren Hardy.   He spoke about  Maslow’s 8 Ways to Self Actualize.

This really inspired me because I find over and over again that it’s easy to “settle” for the status quo, and circumstances and situations that don’t allow you to be your best.

The reason:  it’s just easier to do so.

But it takes a certain level of conviction, inner drive,  and motivation to rise above what’s comfortable and what’s familiar to be and become more of who you are uniquely designed to be — all that you are, and all that you are becoming, as a rising soloentrepreneur.

Here are Maslow’s 8 ways to truly self actualize and achieve the greatest goal and purpose of life — live your fullest potential:

Another part of being your best is knowing what you want and being fully committed to achieving your most important goals… no matter what!

Perhaps what you really want – what you desire more than anything –  is to start your own business as a coach, consultant, trainer or some other independent service provider.  But you have allowed every excuse in the book to get in the way of making this dream a reality.

Use Maslow’s 8 principles to motivate and inspire you to seek MORE:  more of what life has to offer, more self fulfillment, and greater purpose. And then move to action…starting today! 

Grab a copy of my free ecourse and learn how http://bit.ly/c32ELY

I think we all remember the phrase, “If you build it, they will come” from the popular movie, Field of Dreams.  However when it comes to business start up, there is a very different story to tell.

It’s one thing to start a business, it’s another to sustain overtime.  I recently read a blog post by Small Business Trends, that outlined the 5 yr success rate of small businesses by industry.    And much to my surprise the service industry’s survival rate is performing slightly higher than average.  However, in spite of this, it also means there is still a large number that aren’t making it.

There are many reasons why small businesses fail.  One area is obviously tied to insufficient financial capital.  So what makes the difference between big revenue streams vs. small or non-existent ones?

Here are my top 10 picks for why new solo businesses remain small and don’t profit:  

 10. No infrastructure to run business.  Once you find that perfect client, the question that comes next is now what?  Many newbies have a difficult time answering this question because they have been so focused on getting their first few paying clients, they don’t have a plan for how they will deliver their product promise, and/or manage the operations of their business. 

Quick tip:  Before getting your first client, establish processes to facilitate ongoing, consistent communication, and systems to manage your finances, and administrative functions of your business.  This way your focus can remain on business building and development.

 9. One-on-one client orientation.  A business model that only consists of working one-on-one with clients is short sighted and typically results in burnout overtime.  It’s much more advantageous to share more of you and what you have to offer with the masses, than with only those whom you can serve personally at any given time. 

Quick tip:  Incorporate both products and services to your sales funnel to help more, serve more and  expand your earning potential.   

 8. A website without a hook.    The harsh reality is once a  unique visitor comes to your website they will  either save your site as a favorite or leave and never return…unless you give them a reason.  Design your site with the goal of converting visitors into prospects.

Quick tip:  Provide relevant and valuable tools, resources, free giveaways…and an opt-in feature to capture contact information and keep in touch.

 7. One dimensional marketing.   Think about your marketing plan as a portfolio of sorts – the more diverse, the better your chance of reaching your intended goals and benchmarks, and the less risk of losing time and money with all your eggs in one basket.  It’s also important to monitor the performance of each strategy to  ensure you are pouring the right resources in the right areas at the right time. 

Quick tip: Incorporate a tracking mechanism for each strategy to eliminate the guesswork around what works, what doesn’t, and achieve optimal results fast.

 6. The wrong offer. Not all solutions you have ideas about are the most viable in the eyes of your prospects and clients.  Remember it’s not about you, it’s about your clients.  Focus on what your clients really want and avoid the temptation of creating services or products in a vacuum.

 Quick Tip:  If you are unsure about what solutions your prospects or clients need, simply survey them or ask directly.

 5. A non-compelling marketing message.  It’s one thing to know who you are seeking to attract, it’s another to know how to communicate with them and enlist them as clients.  Without careful attention to this, you’ll end up working ten times harder by chasing down prospects instead of pulling them toward you.

Quick tip:  Your “sales conversation” should always speak to their heart and mind, by focusing on what matters and concerns them most.

 4. Missing marketing plan.  The “art” and “science” of attracting ideal clients is a focused and purposeful activity.  It’s always a good idea to start with the end in mind and design your strategy for how you will get there.  

 Quick tip:  Establish goals for how you wish to build your list, bring in more business,  and then take action to make it happen.

 3. Fishing in the wrong pond.  There are many criteria for choosing viable markets, to include the ability to reach your prospects easily and inexpensively.   However, without a clear idea of where they “hang out” you will be hard pressed to begin any marketing conversation, build your list, or grow your business.

Quick Tip:  Take time to study your target first so that you know where to direct your marketing efforts.  This way you avoid the “spray and pray approach” to marketing. 

2. Inconsistent marketing efforts.  This fatal error fosters the feast or famine syndrome. In order to keep your pipeline full of prospects, see marketing as an ongoing and consistent activity.  Always remember, if you aren’t actively seeking business, then your business is not making money.

Quick tip:  Carve out time every day to devote toward some aspect of marketing.

 And the number one reason:  Jack of all trades and master of none.   It’s extremely difficult to be a generalist and attract all the clients you will ever need at the same time. Having a specific target audience or niche in mind, will help you formulate a cogent marketing message that pull prospects toward you, more quickly, more often and without fail. 

The end result:  more clients, more business, more money!!

 Quick tip:  As you seek to find the ideal client, never lose sight of what fills you up on the inside – an eager individual with a pulse and credit card in hand shouldn’t be the only criterion for ideal. 

Sometimes a complete business makeover is required to get your business turning profits. But other times a small tweak is all that’s required. Use these simple strategies to audit what’s working  and what isn’t with your business to accelerate your profit making potential by leaps and bounds. 

For more viable solutions for getting your business off the ground running, growing, and making more money: http://bit.ly/9jW642

I just came across a blog post entitled, 5 Ways to Spot a Great Product.  The author Charlie Page, CEO of Directory of Ezines, outlined 7 questions to ask yourself when deciding whether to purchase an information product:

-Do I need this right now?
-Do I already own something similar that will do the job?
-Is the person selling this product credible?
-Will I use this? (In other words, will I take the time
to learn the system so I can profit from it?)
-Are there others who use and like this product? (e.g.
are there testimonials)
-Am I protected if this does not work out?
-Is there any reason to NOT buy this right now?

One of the concepts discussed in my new ebook discusses the importance of investing in your business for personal development and long term sustainability and success.  

The questions above serve as a nice checklist to help you figure out whether a purchase will be a valuable one and beneficial in the long run. 

You may be sitting on the fence about whether to take advantage of my birthday bash sale….use the checklist above to help you simply say YES!!

Remember the sale ends Tuesday 12 noon EST.  Don’t miss out on the sale price and 2 extra bonuses:  2 special reports – 30 Minutes a Day P.R.O.M.O Blog & 21 Ways to Recycle Content & Make More Money

These two special reports as available with the ebook purchase and exclusive to my birthday bash sale.  http://bit.ly/9jW642

Once the sale ends, so will these 2 additional bonuses (the other 4 standard bonuses will remain in tact)

However, you can get more for less now!  Take advantage of this cost saving unique opportunity today!  Visit  http://bit.ly/9jW642

If you have any questions about the ebook or need additional help with figuring out whether this purchase is really for you,  please email me at zenobia@successtransitions.com.

Have a great weekend!

I just have to share…

I am soo excited because I am featured today in Carol Roth’s business blog today, 82 Time Wasters in Business.

Check out #82; it’s last but certainly not least!  You can read all the submissions here
http://is.gd/fllBW 

If you are on Twitter, you can tweet this as well (simply copy and paste)

RT @caroljsroth Having trouble being productive? 82 Secret Time Wasters in Business http://is.gd/fllBW  via CarolRoth.com contributors

Feel free to share with friends & all those whom you feel may benefit.

Remember ladies, the work of the business is endless and time limited.  It’s time to do more in less time.

Enjoy the blog entry.

I  remember when I started my practice as a business coach, I didn’t have a clear idea who I wanted to serve.  “Come one, come all” was my motto.  I was open to helping anyone with their business as long as they were willing to pay me.  Sound familiar?

However, what I found over time is that I actually did have preferences, and that I couldn’t help any and all small business owners.  I also learned that it was impossible to formulate my marketing message because I simply didn’t know to whom I was speaking.   And last but not least, there really wasn’t anything that set me apart from other women coaches or made me more client attractive to prospects.

It wasn’t long before it became clear that I needed to narrow my focus and choose a target if I wanted to find clients more easily. 
 
Here are 5 strategies to finding your ideal market and filling your practice:

Define Your Niche
A niche is a cross section between a targeted segmentation of a particular market and your specialty.  For example, if small business owners were your overall market, a segment of this population could be service solo entrepreneurs.  A more targeted audience could be beginner women solo-entrepreneurs. From there you could target only new women coaches, or consultants, or speakers, etc. 

Your specialty, is a blend of your expertise and what you do to help your clients.   So in a nutshell your niche could be:  a systems business consultant who helps new women coaches automate their business to run independently.    

Focus on Demographics
All targeted audiences have specific characteristics that define who they are.  Demographics such as age, gender, income level, marital status, wants/needs/desires, and lifestyle choices are the first level of consideration.  It is also important to understand what weighs on their heart and mind  (e.g. what they value most, what keeps them up at night).  In so doing, you will be able to formulate a compelling marketing message that illustrates your keen understanding of their unique issues and concerns.  

Answer the question, “Does it hurt enough?”
As an entrepreneur, you are in business to make money. So the question of whether your targeted audience has the ability to pay must factor into the equation.  When you provide solutions at different price points for prospects, it’s easier to convert them into becoming a client or customer. However, in the end if your offer doesn’t address a great enough need or benefit, they simply won’t invest in your services or your products.

Determine whether your audience is within reach
The ideal audience would be one you could reach relatively easily and inexpensively.  Otherwise, it may be difficult to keep the pipeline full of prospects and clients.  Sometimes it pays to break ground in untapped or “unknown” markets; it can give you unique positioning, and immediate expert status.  The risk involved, is not yielding the results you are looking for after investing lots of money, time and energy.
 
Choose a market that knows they have a problem
One of the biggest mistakes new marketers make is going after a viable market with a solution they are not seeking.  Your marketing efforts shouldn’t center around convincing others to take action.  Instead focus your energies toward making an authentic connection with your audience and communicate effectively how you relieve them of the pain or frustration they are experiencing and looking to resolve.  

These 5 strategies are essential to becoming client specific and targeted. Once you get clear about your audience, marketing will be easier and you will be able to fill your practice with all the clients you will ever need.

You may be wondering how to begin this process; use the quickest, easiest, cheapest resource around:  the internet.  Click here for a free special report to learn how:  http://bit.ly/a0uh69