“There are two ways of meeting difficulties.

You alter the difficulties or you alter yourself to meet them.”

Phyllis Bottome, novelist and short story writer

It’s the beginning of a new quarter…a good time to assess where you are in meeting your most important goals and measuring your progress relative to the same time last year.

You may be wondering how to do this quickly and easily. It’s not as hard as you may think.

Use these three questions to get a handle on where things stand now and where to focus next:

1. What is working for your business? There is no need to fix what’s not broken. Keep doing what works and brainstorm how you can achieve even MORE with the strategies that get you good results.

2. What is not working for your business? If there are any tasks, activities, or strategies you have been using that do not serve your business, you must either stop doing it completely or do it differently in some shape, form, or fashion. Doing things the same way you’ve always done them and expecting change simply won’t happen. One small tweak can make a BIG difference in your business.

3. What can you improve upon to get better, faster results?

In business ownership there is always room for improvement. Reflect on mistakes, missteps, and what you need to do better in the future. Take some time today to create your list of if I: coulda, woulda, shoulda and gain new perspective on how to best move forward.

Also pinpoint where you’re stuck. The only way you can get past this place is to be honest with yourself, and admit where you’re falling short. What are you in need of: More training? More support (personally or for your business)? More information, resources, tools to get to the next level?

Last but not least, take action. It’s not enough to have awareness. You must also act to get from where you are to where you want to be.

Tired of trying to figure out what’s next all on your own? Struggling to overcome the obstacles that seem to keep showing up and getting in the way of making forward consistent progress in your business? There’s a better way…

Spring has sprung!! For a limited time, I am giving away complimentary I Want to Launch & Grow My Business breakthrough sessions. These sessions are designed to uncover the challenges that keep getting in the way, slowing you down or stopping you from reaching your most important goals, and more! Learn more & grab your session here.

It doesn’t matter if you’re writing a sales letter, email message for your list, or even writing an article, a blog entry, or posting on a message board — this is all copywriting because everything you write for your business should have a marketing objective.

The Internet is a place where people go, first and foremost, for information. That means YOU as expert in your niche should be the one providing it for them. The more informative you are and effective in communicating that you have the solution for what they desire most, the more readily you will be able to convert interested readers and prospects into customers and clients on line.

But the trick is knowing how to do this successfully.

Which is why I’ve partnered with Lavada Thompson of Your Lucrative Launch.com to reveal several copywriting secrets that will empower you to significantly increase your monthly income & cash flowing into your business. Lavada’s background and expertise is in creating websites that sell and converting clients online.

On Wednesday, March 14,  I will be interviewing Lavada for a 60-minute, high-value, content-packed call, that you truly don’t want to miss.

You will discover:
* The number one, most important thing you must do in your sales copy to motivate your ideal clients to pull out their credit cards.
* The easiest way to create the gap in their minds and convince them that your solution is the answer.
* How to address their objections right there on the sales page so they can move forward with the sale.
* 3 proven tips to create a sense of urgency so they say, “I better get this now!”

And much more!

Register here now.

Copywriting is a very important skill to have if you’re going to be successful doing business on the web. Knowing how to write in such a way that compels and motivates prospective clients to buy is critical.

And, no you don’t have to be an expert copywriter to write engaging and effective sales copy. We’re going to show you very simple, proven copywriting techniques that can have a huge impact on your online sales – immediately!

Join us this Wednesday, for this one-time-only FREE teleseminar: “5 Simple Ways to Get Ideal Prospects to Click ‘Buy Now.’” All the call in details will be provided immediately after registering.

Let’s partner to grow your business by selling more of your products and services online!

Hope to see you on the call!

Can’t make the call, no problem! You will have access to the replay right away… but you must be registered! Hope to “see” you on the call.

Marketing, it’s a lot like a science experiment: test, test, test. Study your data.  Take note of what works & doesn’t.  And always be tweaking.

Unfortunately with marketing, there’s no silver bullet to meeting your most important marketing goals.  A variety of approaches are needed and necessary to meet your bottom line.

As you know,  what may work for another,  may not work for you. Not all strategies are best for your business.

Fortunately hindsight is 20/20. Looking back on your business journey thus far what do you know now that you wish you knew then, that would have made all  the difference?

What is the worst marketing advice you’ve ever gotten? What happened when you followed it & what did you learn in the process?

Please post your comments here.  Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

A wise [woman] will make more opportunities than [she] finds.

~Francis Bacon

In everything the ends well defined are

the secret of durable success.

~Victor Cousins

The ability to convert ideas to things is the secret to outward success.

~Henry Ward Beecher

“OMG, Brandi Starr I have been wanting to meet you!”

That was the first thing I heard from a woman rushing towards me as I stepped into a room full if women business owners who were all buzzing about meeting, greeting, and networking. Although my last name is “Starr” I’m in no way a celebrity so why was this person so excited upon my arrival?

Despite the fact that this was our first meeting we already had a relationship. The conversation concluded with a meeting to talk through how we could work together and she later became a client.  This is just one example of the power of social media!

Social media marketing also allows people to connect with your business, your brand, and you. Almost every person who has studied marketing has heard the statistic that it takes at least 7 touches over a period of time before a person really connects with your message. In the past that meant lengthily marketing campaigns using a variety of mediums such as direct mail, email, and print advertising.

Although those tactics (and the many others available to you) are still useful marketing tactics we can now make that connection with people in a faster more cost effective way.

Through social media efforts such as Twitter, Facebook, and your blog  your prospective and current customers are repeatedly seeing your marketing message. And more important they are able to directly engage with you AND easily share that message.

By having that consistent and repeated interaction when a need arises for your product or service you are top of mind and that prospect quickly converts to a paying customer.

Here are my tips to build relationships through social media:

BE Consistent: Branding is all about consistency, so having a consistent voice in your social media activities is important. Overtime people should know what to expect from you. The types of content & information you share, the frequency in which you share it, the best ways to connect and relate to you.

BE Relevant: Keep your goals and your target audience in mind and share content and information that is relevant to them.

BE Human: Sounds simple right? Too often business owners get caught up in representing their business that they fail to include the ‘human factor’. Share your mistakes and failures as others can learn from them. Share something personal (but don’t air your dirty laundry or be a Debbie Downer).

BE  YOURSELF: You only have one you, and people need to experience who you are through your social media interactions. If you have a slightly quirky sense of humor let that shine through, if you have a knack for motivating others be a source of inspiration for your followers. Whoever you are, just be YOU.

BE Engaged: Social media isn’t one of those things you set up and sit back and watch t blossom. It takes work to build relationships and those relationships must be cultivated. So have an open dialog with your followers and fans. Just like your mom taught you when you were a child, when someone speaks to you, you speak back. Or do one better and speak first.

For more tips on using social media view my recorded webcast Social Media 101 for Start Ups & Small Businesses.

About the Author: Brandi Starr is the Owner and Marketing Maven of Cassius Blue Consulting. With over 10 years marketing experience Brandi energizes business owners small businesses who are in the first 0-5 years of their business to win more customers, grow sales and build reputation. Brandi is a bubbly, forthright, positive, woman of many dimensions who has a passion for helping small businesses to succeed.

Each weekend is filled with wrestling matches and tournaments, as this is the winter sport for both my boys.  It’s one of the hardest sports around — just you and your opponent, one-on-one.  There’s no one to blame but yourself if things don’t go well.

It occurred to me the other day as I was watching them just how much the sport reminded me of business, which similarly isn’t easy to do.

The following are 5 instructions I typically hear my son’s coach yelling from the corner during a wrestling match that I couldn’t help to relate to success in business:

“Get to your feet.” In wresting one thing that is critically important is to stay on your feet because this is where you are strongest.

In a business sense, this is a lot like staying true to core:  your business vision, mission, what you do really well, and niche focused.

There is so much competition in the marketplace. When things don’t happen for your business as quickly as you would like, it’s tempting to change your course and become something else for whomever is willing to hear, listen, and respond to your message.

However this “make it up as you go along” approach leaves you scattered with no sense of purpose or direction.  And as a result you will struggle to establish your brand and jeopardize your position in the marketplace.

Although there are times when you feel “lost in the wilderness” with aimless pursuits, you can always find center and get back on track when you stay grounded and “get to your feet.”

“Pop your head out.” Sometimes when a wrestler gets tangled up, their head can get trapped in an awkward, downward position.  This keeps the wrestler from executing other moves because their eyes are focused in the wrong place – down at the mat.

In business it’s important to keep your head up and eyes open to new possibilities, and pay attention to new trends in your industry and/or niche. With this global perspective coupled with your own knowledge and expertise, will not only elevate your expert status, but also position you as a thought leader and the one to watch in your niche.

Rising to a level of prominence and influence sets you apart from all the rest, as well as attracts other potential JV partners and prospective clients too.  So stop looking down – pop your head out!

“Shoot.” This is when both wrestlers are standing in neutral and one reaches or drops low with the intent to grab the leg of their opponent for the take down. What’s critically important about shooting successfully is focus, speed, and precision; otherwise you end up in a vulnerable position for your opponent to score points.

It’s so important as a business owner to take risks and be decisive. Seeing an opportunity and going for it (even if you’re not 100% sure it will pan out) is an important success trait to adopt.

Sometimes you can self sabotage by over thinking and over analyzing a situation.  Meanwhile, as you sit and ponder, should I or shouldn’t I, the opportunity could pass you by.

Focus on what it is you want and make the decision to go after it.  Realize of course your aim should always be calculated; but once you’ve determined that it’s the right thing for you and your business, trust it, and go for it – full throttle, no hesitation.  Shoot now!

“Circle, circle.”  Whether on your feet or down on your knees, you’ve got to move constantly or risk getting called for staling.

Long term sustainable business success requires stamina, consistent devotion of time and attention to avoid stagnation. Remember small consistent steps can sometimes get you to where you want to be faster overtime than bigger, more sporadic activity.

The small wins you experience every step of the way are what affirm yes over and over again, and provide you with  the motivation to keep moving forward toward your goals and executing your action plan without fail.   It’s time to achieve more of what you really want for your business – circle, circle!

“Grab a wrist.” This is what allows a wrestler to get control of their opponent so that they can “set up” their next move.

The fatal mistake for so many new solopreneurs is spending so much time on preparation and planning of an upcoming teleseminar, webinar, launch of program, etc. (the set up), but failing to focus on the backend  (what comes next).

The objective should always be to keep the sales dialog going so that you retain subscribers, and foster loyal customers and clients over the life of your business.

Before you finish planning your next event or program, remember these three steps: begin with the end in mind, offer next steps that your target market wants, needs, desires; create calls to action that will lead them down your sales funnel.   So “grab a wrist” and lead them to YES over and over again over the life of your business.

Wondering what else you can do to improve your bottom line, stop sabotaging your success, attract more clients, earn the revenue you really want, and build a better business in 2012?  Join me for teleseminar, Ready to Launch 2012. http://www.launchwhileyouwork.com/readytolaunch2012

Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow.

Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.

~Mary Tyler Moore