You are a talented women and possess many skills.  It’s a wonder each day how you are able to manage the multiple roles in your life…and do it so well.  

However when it comes to your role as an entrepreneur, it requires a different level of personal management and effectiveness. 

Remember you are the soul of your business.   This means as soloprofessional, you must “bring it” in order to maintain momentum in your business building efforts.

How you process internally affects greatly your output. 

The better you are at functioning at your peak, the more you will be able to give back to your business and operate efficiently.

Here are 8 ways to boost your personal effectiveness:

1. Maintain high energy levels.  Keep close watch and monitor how different energy levels affect your performance throughout the day.  Make consistent strides to eliminate energy drainers and replace it will energy gainers.

2. Lose the “No it all” attitude.  Maintain a positive expectation for every action and move with great expectation that good will come forth.  Always look for the best of every situation and an opportunity in every problem.

3. Make plans.  Write your plans with defined steps that lead to specific  major objectives.  Visualize the process for each initiative or new project from beginning to end.  Work to integrate the steps of your plans into your schedule every day.

4. Stop putting out fires everyday.  Instead live your life based on what’s important vs. most urgent.  Focus your attention on the role you can influence the most at any moment in time.

5. Invite helping hands.  Delegate as much as possible and communicate clear expectations of how you want things done.  Remember to show appreciation and give credit where credit is due.

6. Get Organized.  Create a separate filing or e-folder for each new person or task to find information quickly and easily.  Get rid of clutter.  Resist the habit of setting things down;  instead put things away where they belong.

7. Optimize.  Make every minute of your day count.  Learn how to say “no” so that you create space for what really matters to you and allow you to focus on becoming your personal best.  Make it easier on yourself by simplifying life. 

8. Make it happen.  Stop getting ready to get ready, spinning your wheels and going no where fast.  Take immediate action and stop procrastinating and overthinking small stuff.  Break down complex tasks in bite sized pieces and get going.

The work of your business is endless and time is limited.  Tuning up your personal effectiveness is just one component of maintaining momentum of your business.

Learn more during teleclass, 5 Strategies For How To Launch While You Work,  August 31, 9:00-10:00pm, EST

One of the barriers that stops many women entrepreneurs dead in their tracks from getting off the ground running, and declaring to the world, “We’re open for business” is fear.

-Fear of not being taken seriously.

-Fear of not appearing competent.

-Fear of what others may think or feel about them.

-Fear of failure.

Fear can be paralyzing to say the least, and if gone unchecked will dimish any hopes of who you are or who you are becoming as an entrepreneur.

Taking small steps to overcome the “fear factor” is necessary to stay the course:

1. Simply acknowledge your fear.  Write them down and get it these negative thoughts out of your head.

2. Envision what life would look and feel like without it’s existence…Paint a vivid picture of  life without limitations…now, tell me how does that feels?

3. Reframe how you see fear.  We’ve heard time and time again:  fear=false evidence appearing real. But let’s go beyond that. What if you saw fear as an opportunity for personal growth, and invitation for increased faith and reliance on Divine power to pull through?  Empower yourself by trusting and believing that whatever happens you can handle it!

4. Face fear head on. That’s right!  Put on the boxing gloves and commit to going the whole 12 rounds. But in order to get to round 12 you must start at round 1. Whatever it is that holds you back from becoming, take one small step forward — and then another, and another,  and watch your confidence soar and fear vanish!

Overcoming fear is only one of the steps to developing an incredible  mindset for sustainable long term success.  But there’s more. 

Come find out:

Free teleclass: 5 Strategies For How To Launch While You Work, August 31, 9:00-10:00pm EST

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

Returned home from morning worship earlier today and boy do I feel refreshed and renewed. 

Lately I have been feeling weighed down by the demands of the business.  It’s an exciting time – the launch of my upcoming ebook among other things - but at the same time stressful. 

My pastor’s message was entitled, “ God’s Got It.”  

He outlined 4 ways to demonstrate that God is our source of strength in the midst of challenges and difficulties.   Be inspired! 

Rejoice in the Lord.  We can rejoice because of His omnipresence, the partnership and communion we have with Him, and His promise to never leave nor forsake us.

Represent the Lord.   Choose to respond to circumstances instead of reacting to what comes your way.   Your countenance and actions should reflect God’s presence in your life.  Remember always to exude a spirit of appreciation for all that He has done for you, and anticipate the good that God will  continue to bring forth in your life.

Release frustrations.   Be anxious for nothing.   Remember all the times He’s pulled you through in a lifetime and believe he will do it again.  Relax more and let God do what He does best (and that is bless).

Make your requests known.  In the midst of your tests and trials, ask the Lord to clarify it’s purpose at this particular time in your life.   Seek His provision for what you need, and ask God to give you power and strength to persevere and endure.

Hopefully these tips serve as a powerful reminder to cast your cares unto Him.

Lighten your load today by giving over to God the biggest portion of what weighs you down most.  

Trust in His promise to perfect the things that concern you – and live!

Have a FANTASTIC week.    : )

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:  Write out your vision for a life of freedom. Be specific…include every intricate detail that you can think of.  Here are some questions to get you started:  What does a life of freedom mean to you?  What does it  look like to you?  Your family?  What does it feel like?  What kinds of activities are you engaging in daily? weekly? monthly? And under what terms?   How much time are you devoting toward self exclusively?  With loved ones and friends?  How will ”being” and “becoming” on your own terms  change your life for good?

Your Assignment:  Summer vacations are a GREAT way to create real moments with your family. Commit yourself to taking quality time with loved ones and return to center.

THOUGHT TO PONDER:  Are you ready to take a bold and daring step in some area of your business?    In what ways have you allowed fear to hold you back from taking action and successfully launching your new business?

Tomorrow will be the first day of Brendon Burchard’s Experts Academy Training.    I am filled with much expectation of what will be and excited about all that I will gain from this experience.

As a successful entrepreneur it’s important to always invest in personal and professional development.  With you as the heart and soul of your solo-business, it’s up to you to learn continuously.

Top 10 reasons why learning is key:

• Advances your business faster
• Opens up the door to new perspectives, insights, and new ways of thinking
• Makes you become more competent and feel more confident in the work that you do
• Sets you on the fast track to profits
• Helps you overcome obstacles that block your success
• Instills both knowledge and wisdom for future business development
• Makes business building feel less daunting, but more interesting and fun
• Facilitates creativity and innovation
• Fosters business mastery and expert status
• Prevents you from making costly mistakes and unnecessary setbacks

You see, as you evolve, so will your business. 

A business that is stagnate is one that is no longer moving forward and will cease to exist. 

When you commit yourself to ongoing  personal and professional development, you will set yourself a part from all the rest and thrive. 

Here are some practical ways to continue learning and developing:

- Capitalize on opportunities to use professional development monies from your employer.  Be creative.  Seek workshops, seminars, and conferences that foster personal and professional growth for your job but also benefits you as business owner. 

-  Read.  Choose publications  that teach you ways to advance your business or heighten your understanding of the pressing issues pertaining to your industry or clientele.   This also helps you  formulate your own perspective of what solutions are needed or missing.  With this understanding you can fill that void and better position yourself in the market as an expert on your topic.

- Learn from the masters.  Yup!   That’s what I’m doing this weekend    Seek guidance and understanding from those who have been where you are, and know where you’re going.  Avoid spinning your wheels and encountering needless set backs in your business based strictly from lack of knowing.

- Jump right in. We’ve all heard the expression, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”  Sometimes the greatest way to stretch and grow is simply by doing.  Rolling up the sleeves and experimenting with a new idea or approach can be the powerful catalyst to move your business forward.  It’s liberating and encouraging to see the fruits of your labor manifest into very positive results in your business.

- Get coached.  A coach helps you develop strategies for success, and formulate your most important personal and business goals. Working with a coach accelerates your business building progress by challenging you to stretch beyond places of comfort.  This helps you leap frog to greater profits more quickly.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:  Always assess value when choosing any form of professional development. 

Ask yourself three questions: 

-What is the cost of not knowing this information right now ?  Time?  Energy? Frustration?  Money?   

-How will acquiring this knowledge help me grow my business? (Hint:  think measurable obtainable results.) 

- How soon before I see a return on investment?

 What most new coaches don’t realize,  is not only are they creating a service business, but also an on-line business.

Who would have ever thought when you decided to pursue this life’s path, you would have to do business on the web, right?   I know how you feel…if someone would have told me this when I first start out, I would have laughed in their face.

However, during my journey as a coach and women entrepreneur, I’ve had to gain a whole new perspective about how to ”reach the masses”, and wish to share with you.

Last week,  I participated in a call sponsored by Biblical Coaching Alliance, called “Search Engines & Web Traffic ” with Lynne Lee.  Her content affirmed over and over again, much of what I’ve come to learn about ” doing business on the web.” 

You may be kicking and screaming at the very thought of this, especially if you’re a techno-phobe.  But trust me when I say this is one of the easiest ways to reach whom you are meant to serve,  in large numbers quickly, and inexpensively.

It’s time for you to make  your mark among the sea of greats!  Here are some key pointers to get started that were outlined during the call:

1.  Keywords are the basis for which people find your business – use tools like Google and Freewordtracker to research possible key words and phrases that best resonate with your practice.  BUT, you must also consider  the popularity, of the phrase – if it’s too popular the competition will be too steep; if the numbers are too small, then it’s not a good choice either (your objective is to have your site appear on the first two pages, but preferably the first).

2.  Your website should be about your client, not all about you – remember  people buy solutions, not coaching.    Resist the tempation of explaining what coaching is and how it helps people.   You only have a few seconds to capture the interest of the visitor.  Focus on communicating effectively how you help them solve their unique problem, issue, or pain.    

3.  Websites need a call to action – in other words,  there needs to be an easy, convenient way to invite visitors to become prospective clients.  Once a visitor leaves  your site, most likely they will not return.  Be sure to incorporate an opt-in box that has a freebie of perceived value and relevant to what you teach.  This way the visitor has an opportunity to get a ”taste” of you, and enter in a long standing, trustworthy relationship as a client. 

4.  Keep your website simple – some people spend thousands of  dollars on fancy sites that use Flash and other spiffy programming.  This looks good to the visitor, but this complicated programming makes it harder to the “internet spiders” to read your site easily, assess your relevancy, and ultimately rank your site.

5.  Keyword placement matters – be sure to use keywords in your title bar as well as in the content of your page.  Choose different key words for each page of your site. This way you can be found a multitude of ways,  beyond the key words on the home page.

Remember it’s about gettting found among a sea of greats!  Set up your website that will allow people to find YOU -  your services, your products, your expertise - quickly and easily.  Start TODAY!

If you missed my teleinterview Wednesday with my expert guest, Ms. Carey Peters, Money, Marketing & Soul Coach and Creator of Coach Tools To Go, you missed a treat!!

As I was preparing for this interview I reflected on the fact that so many women coaches and service entrepreneurs are clear about their desire to pursue a more God purposed life by helping and serving, making a greater difference in the lives of others, and more money on their own terms.

I thought about how so many of you have sought formal training to perfect your skill as a coach and service provider.  You use your God given talents, gifts, and professional experience to start, launch, and grow your business.  

But it hasn’t been easy. 

You’ve investing time and energy toward learning business tactics and strategies, and following prescribed formulas for success… yet you still struggle to make progress. 

My advice - stick with it!  Know that you are enough –  smart enough and capable enough.  

All that is probably missing is the right mindset for business success. 

The bottom line is you can’t attract prosperity  in your life and business  if  your passions, beliefs, thoughts, and actions are counter to receiving abundance.

Here are some things to think about and start doing TODAY to create a money mindset:

• Function day to day, as if you are already wealthy…this way when it happens you are already in a place of receiving abundance.

• Money is energy; when others pay you for your services it’s an exchange of energy….this means you must maintain your energy levels  by stop working for free.   Instead value more what you do, and how you transform lives.

• Limited beliefs are created from your background, upbringing, and personal experiences… open up to prosperity by letting go the past, and re-program your thinking about how you relate to money.

• Money is a magnifier of your true self…if you are a giver by nature, having wealth will allow this character trait to resonate so much more profoundly.  This unfortunately is the case if your character is the reverse.

• Money is NOT the root of all evil!  In fact the only way you can live a life ordained by God (and yes He wants you to be prosperous and generious) is to have money.  Without it, you deny yourself the life you are meant to live.

Remember, the greatest philanthropists of the world are millionnaires and billionnaires.  Imagine being able to write a check with unlimited number of zeros to your favorite charity, or for a cause that is near and dear to your heart…without blinking an eye.  Think about how powerful that would be, and also deeply soul-filling.

It can happen!  Starting today, make a commitment to creating your money mindset for success.

TAKE ACTION:  Remember the age old expression, ” it’s the little things that means so much? ”  Start small and build from there.  Begin by becoming self aware about how you handle money.

Ask yourself the following:

• Do I exercise discipline to follow and maintain a budget?
• What is the appearance of my wallet – is it old and tattered?  Is it stuffed and unorganized with things falling out of it? (In other words, what would Oprah’s wallet look like?)
• Do I know when bills are due, and do I pay on time?
• Do I know the balance on my credit cards?
• Do  I know how much debt I have, and my net worth?
• Do I remember to tithe? give offerings? pay myself first? … before spending a dime of my check?