January 31, 2011
Guest post by Melody Granger
No matter how many self development books you read, how many life coaching and business programs you buy into, or how badly you want to make changes in your life, things aren’t going to miraculously happen or change if you are living with clutter. If you have clutter, it is holding you back.
You need lots of clear, open space in order to think clearly and to have the energy and confidence it takes to grow personally and professionally.
When you don’t eliminate and simplify on a regular basis, then clutter and disorganization sneaks up on you fast. Really fast! Running a home is as demanding as running a business. Add in your obsession with running your small business from home and it can turn into a recipe for even more inner and outer chaos. Clutter exacerbates the feeling of being pulled in too many directions. I know you want to take care of your family, take good care of yourself, enjoy your work, and live a happy, fulfilling life with as much ease and fun as possible.
You know how it feels when your home is clean and clutter free.
I don’t have to tell you that it makes you feel calm, confident, more focused, and you are just a better person to be around. You already know this. That’s why you gather things up, tucking them away out of your immediate sight. You may use a bag, a box, or simply stack things in a neat pile. Or maybe you just toss the stuff on the other side of your bed or in your closet or in the guest bedroom. It’s an innocent act often used when we just don’t have the time to deal with our things properly. The problem arises when we don’t deal with it for a few weeks, then a few months, and before you know it, it’s been years since you had a good old fashioned – every single area in the house – purging.
No matter the size of the clutter accumulation and whether it is in your direct line of vision or not, it drains your energy. When you acknowledge it you will probably feel that invisible weight on your shoulders and your body probably deflates a bit. If this is true, then it’s time de-clutter, pass things on, re-organize and beautify spaces in your home.
Getting organized doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it is simpler than you may think.
I know you are busy with life in general and with your business, so here are a few organizing tips to help you get started:
- Choose one day per week to spend a few hours going through your things. I mean really going through them. Pull things out. Make a mess. Find as many things as possible that you can throw away or donate. Tidy the area up and come back to it each week until you are done. Then rotate to another area.
- When your mind starts creating scenarios of need in the form of “what if… I need it”, then don’t think you have listen to it. Keep items that are beautifying your space and items you absolutely enjoy using because those are the things you naturally end up turning to the most often.
- Keep in mind, that the fewer things you have to take care of, then the more time you have to develop healthy relationships with your family & friends, the more time you can spend on yourself, and the more positive energy, plus productivity you will bring into your business.
Feeling sane, confident, and watching your personality shine through is the real payoff. The visually appealing results are just the bonus.
Don’t believe me? Take a look around at some of the amazingly successful, happy, and confident small business entrepreneurs around you. Go ahead and ask them if they maintain clear, organized spaces. They are human, too. They have to stop and clear out their space, just like everyone else. I do, too. I have no doubt it affects every other area of their life, because it has a dramatic effect on how I show up for everything I do.
It’s no miracle that the change you want to see in your business and life starts showing up when you let go.
It’s because you have created the space to grow. The self development books, life coaching, and business programs are truly invaluable when you don’t have something like clutter holding you back from all that potential inside of you.
How about you? Does clutter make you feel crazy? Do spacious, appealing, organized spaces make you feel really good? Can you feel the difference of how you show up in business and in life when your home feels amazing vs. when it needs some de-cluttering TLC?
Melody Granger is a Professional Organizer based in Grand Lake, Louisiana. Melody is the creator of the “Get It Done! Yourself” Private Organizing Coaching program where she guides, motivates, and provides support for women when they are beyond ready to de-clutter and re-organize their homes. Your life and business is just beginning to get even better. Are you ready? Visit www.melodygranger.com to watch videos, get organizing tips, and to find time to get it all done.
January 24, 2011
Guest post by Taylor Ellwood
One of the consistent challenges to social media is the question of Return on Investment (ROI). Along with that challenge, comes a question that asks more specifically,
“How does social media actually help someone get business?”
There’s only one problem with this challenge and it’s that the focus is only on social media. Social media is most effective when it is integrated into other business practices that help a person get business. What often trips people up about social media is that they don’t see how to take a social media conversation and turn it into an email, phone or in-person conversation. While social media can lead people to your website, and in some cases can even lead to people buying products from your website, it is more of a relationship tool than anything else.
What stops many business owners from embracing social media is that they think of it as a technology. It’s true that technology is the medium and means by which people interact when using social media, but first and foremost social media is a social medium, which means that you aren’t really interacting with a computer or phone screen. You are interacting with people and just happen to be using the computer or phone screen to do so. Once business owners realize that this is a social medium and that their interactions with people can make an impression it changes their perspective on social media as a business tool, because they realize it can serve a few purposes:
- Customer service and retention: Social media is an excellent tool for staying up to date on what your clients are saying about your business or what they are saying in general. It’s also an excellent means to start conversations with clients and show interest in more than just their wallets.
- Competition and research: Social media can be useful for doing research on your competition or just research in general. Ask people questions to learn more about what they think of a product or service, or to learn what they want.
- Networking: Social media provides lots of opportunities to network with people from all over the world. Want to learn about business opportunities in another country? Network online and see who you meet from that country who can give you information or refer you to other people.
And the list can go on. Social media is also a creative medium, which means you can probably think up an idea and try it out. For example, Milan Stoneworks, a company in Portland, Oregon, did a contest of the World’s Ugliest Kitchen and used Facebook to show pictures of different kitchens and get votes on which one should be renovated. The contest quadrupled their fan base and got a lot of people interested in them. But the real question, for them, and for the rest of us is how they’ll convert all of those fans into actual clients. And social media is only part of the equation…
The rest of the equation involves using the telephone, or meeting with a person, or emailing someone. In other words, at some point, in order to get business via social media, the conversation needs to move off of social media and into other mediums. Social media is excellent for raising brand visibility and awareness of your services, but unless people are motivated to call or meet with you, business will not grow. For many businesses this is a challenge because they don’t want to come off as over eager sales people. But it doesn’t have to be that hard to transition a conversation from social media to in-person or phone conversations…
- Remember to follow-up with people who leave comments. If someone leaves a comment on your Facebook page, Linked status update, or replies to a tweet, write back! That will start a conversation. Don’t make the conversation about business. Make it about what the person is interested in and pay attention to what s/he is saying. If s/he is asking a lot of questions, suggest moving the conversation to another medium. By following up and replying you establish credibility and show interest in the person’s problem or need, and that is what interests the person the most. When you request to move the conversation to another medium s/he will understand and be open to doing so.
- If you’re sending an invitation to connect with someone on Linkedin, or Biznik, take the time to personalize your invitation. Tell the person how you met him/her and why you’re interested in connecting. Include your phone number and ask if you could meet with the person to network. Don’t send the generic invitation, which tells the person nothing about you or why you want to connect and if someone sends you a generic invite ask why they want to connect and follow up until you get a phone or in-person meeting.
- Participate on Q and A forums regularly (this can also be done via twitter or facebook). I also suggest sending a personal message to someone either thanking him/her for an answer or providing additional suggestions if it’s a question. And as always include contact info, because that might just motivate the person to call or write you.
When you treat social media as a door to possible conversations and then start thinking about how you can move those conversations to other media, it makes it possible to start turning social media connections into business connections that can help you grow your business, while also developing a relationship that will hopefully last a long time.
Taylor Ellwood is the author of Understanding the Social in Social Media and a Business and Social Media Coach who teaches his clients the successful behaviors that will help them grow their businesses. For more information and informational articles please visit http://www.imagineyourreality.com/blog
January 20, 2011
Read the Transcript ▼
Hey, there. I’m Laura Roeder, and today I want to ask you are you treating your hired help like the hired help?
Here is what I mean. My mom has this phrase which she says. I don’t know if other people say this or my mom just made it up, you never know with my mom, but she’ll sometimes say that someone treated someone like the hired help. Like she has this story about how my grandpa was raised by people who weren’t his family and how instead of treating him like family, they treated him like the hired help.
So treating someone like the hired help is not a good thing. Treating someone like the hired help means that you view them as beneath you instead of having an equal relationship with them. You just give them orders, right? And a lot of people treat their hired help like the hired help, and then they’re surprised when they have problems or when things don’t go well or they’re not getting the kind of performance that they want from their independent contractors or from their employees.
And what I would like to offer is that you don’t want to treat your hired help like the hired help. You want to treat them like the good old golden rule, right? You want to treat them how you would want to be treated. You want to be friendly. You want to be kind. You want to be nice. You want to have a respectful relationship. You want to speak to them the way that you would like to be spoken to.
I think a lot of us hire people and we just expect them to be little working robots, right? We just expect to be able to put in an order and have the exact work we want come out. That’s part of it, right? You give people assignments and they do them. Of course that’s part of work, but they’re also humans like you are and you want to interact with them just like you would other humans that you like to have positive relationships with.
Again, it’s the good old golden rule. Treat people how you would like to be treated and it especially applies if you want to have great relationships with the people that you work with and the people that work for you. So don’t treat your hired help like the hired help.
January 17, 2011
Guest Post by Jane Tabachnick
I’m sure you have noticed that video is everywhere and it’s hot. YouTube is now one of the largest search engines in its own right. The benefits of video can be great for business whether you are a solopreneur or company of any size.
These benefits range from increased brand awareness, improved keyword and search engine rankings to better customer engagement and increased sales conversions.
It can be a bit intimidating getting started creating your own videos, though it doesn’t have to be. The technology has advanced significantly as has ease of use; and costs have gone down dramatically. Take for example, the Flip camera, which at $99 is designed to take video, plug directly into your computer and post your videos to YouTube in one click.
What has also changed is the style of videos; You Tube videos are often more relaxed and spontaneous- or at least that is how they appear. There is still a place for high production, Hollywood or Madison Avenue quality videos, ones that require a team that includes lighting, hair and make up, as well as wardrobe. For most of us nowadays, that is not a standard we need to adhere to.
One of the biggest benefits of video is its ability to engage with your audience – prospects and clients alike. Even if you are only the narrator, without appearing on camera, the video creates the illusion of being in the same room with a presenter, even though people know you are actually on film or tape. It still provides the feeling that they are interacting with you personally. The real you. Being real and natural is a great way to engender trust, which helps convert prospects into clients.
What’s most engaging about video today are the spontaneous moments caught on tape or the impromptu video messages that businesses are creating to communicate with their audience. It’s easy to relate to the person sitting behind a messy desk, clearly not tidied up for the camera, more so than the star with perfect makeup and hair. It also lends a feeling of being invited into their home or behind the curtain in their business; something usually reserved for friends and family. Yet one more reason to make you feel like you ‘know’ the presenter.
People like to do business with people they know and like. Feeling like they have spent time with you in your office, even if in reality they are halfway around the globe, is a genuine bonding experience.
The main requirement for your videos is the real authentic you. Quality still counts. At the movies you still expect to see Hollywood production values. When people come to your website or YouTube video, they have become accustomed to a different production style. They are more focused on the content and message then the slick/perfection of it.
It is estimated that about 30% of Internet traffic is based on people viewing videos. It’s often an audience you might not otherwise be able to get in front of, as well as one of the most affordable, effective forms of marketing available today. Go have some fun creating videos; we’ll leave production perfection to the Hollywood studios.
Jane Tabachnick is an entrepreneur, marketing coach and product launch manager. Recently named one of the top most influential people online by Fast Company, Jane helps businesses create buzz and grow exponentially. She is the author of the Easy Video Creation Toolkit www.easyvideocreation.com
January 13, 2011
Guest post by Alexis Neely
So I wrote a whole long article about my history in business, how and why I’ve invested more than $250,000 in my own business education and apparently it didn’t save before my computer rebooted on its own in the middle of the night. Argh.
This morning, I wrote the whole thing out for you again. And then decided to cut all of it (if you want to hear my story, let Laura know and maybe we can do an interview or something) and just get right to the point.
Bottom line …
I’ve invested nearly $250,000 in my business education over the past 6 years. I’ve leveraged that investment into revenue of more than $6,000,000.
And the best thing I learned after all that, is figure out how little you can charge and build your business from that perspective.
Now, that might sound like crazy advice in a world of $100,000 coaching/mastermind programs (which, by the way, I have invested in and would very likely NOT recommend for you), but it’s the truth. When you figure out what the least you can make is to support a lifestyle in which you can be happy, you can begin to take money and the deeply ingrained (sometimes hard to see) motivation for more, more, more (which is never fulfilled) out of the equation and off the table.
When you come into the relationship with money from a place of truth, honesty, and awareness (which very few people have, but you can), you begin to experience it the same way you experience fuel for your car. If you get low, you do not freak out, stress out, or worry; you drive to the gas station and refill the tank.
Imagine, if your relationship with money was just like that.
How would that shift the way you are in the world? How would it shift your decision-making? How would it change how and what you are doing on a day to day basis?
Feel into that now and then begin to take the steps necessary to live from that place instead of from a place of fear about running out or losing what you have.
Okay, so how do you do it?
- You get more honest and clear than you have ever been about how much money you really need to earn each revenue generating hour you work to meet your minimum level of happiness in your life. You look at the real resources you have at your disposal, taking into account that most of what you have learned about saving money, investing, retirement and using credit/debt is bunk when it comes to living a life of freedom.
- You price and package your services in such a way that you are able to earn that revenue without charging hourly again, EVER! Instead, you create packages and even multiple streams of revenue, so you are not depending on one single source of income ever again.
- You build your calendar around the life you want to have first, then around the marketing you have to do to offer the number of packages you have available based on your minimum to be happy plan, and then you build a support team (both at home and in your business) around all of that.
Now you might be saying … “yeah, but Alexis, when will I ever get to have the fancy cars, the first class travel, and the big house? I don’t want to just have the minimum I need to be happy. I want more.”
Yes, of course you do. We all want more. And more will come when you release your attachment to that and begin to put service, love and a focus on what you want to be doing and how you want to be doing it and who you want to be doing it with first.
Build your business from that place and you’ll have more abundance and prosperity than you can imagine. Put money first and it will never be enough.
So, shift your perspective – instead of asking how can I make more money, ask what’s the least I can charge. And start building a business around what you really love to do, who you really love and how you really love to show up – say no to everything else because you never need to do anything again, because you need the money.
See what happens.
And then come back and tell us.
If you’d like more of this, I had a candid conversation with Jonathan Fields (who called me a Bohemian Entrepreneur Savant) about this topic and a whole lot more last night including the Money Map program that begins next week. The Money Map to Freedom, ironically guides you step by step to take money out of the equation and really build a sustainable, profitable business model based on what you really want.
You can register to get the recording of my interview with Jonathan here and while you are there submit any questions you might have that I can answer in a future interview.
And if you are interested in the Money Map, you can check that out here.
Alexis Neely has built 2 million dollar businesses, published a bestselling book and appeared on many of the the top television shows as a legal expert, all while raising two kids and discovering her Truth. Today, she trains, coaches and strategizes with business owners on how to put in place the business and life foundations needed to truly think and play big through her ground-breaking Money Map technology and her (so badly needed in our industry) LIFT Foundation System. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlexisNeely, visit her media site at www.AlexisNeely.com or go behind the scenes as she talks about Life, Business and the Pursuit of Truth on her blog, www.AlexisMartinNeely.com.
January 10, 2011
Guest post by Andy Fogarty
In case Stella’s cuteness was too much to watch, lets recap the video
Plan your business around your family
This is the most important piece of advice I give to everyone who works with me. It’s easy to get so caught up in the excitement and momentum of building your business that family falls to the wayside without you even noticing. Chances are, if you’re building a business, it’s because you want something better for your family’s future. Always keep them first, and you’ll achieve that goal. Forget about them, and you’ll build a business that you like, but one that your family resents. If they resent the business, they resent you.
Explain what you’re doing and why you’re doing it
We’ve all had those conversations with our wife (or husband if that’s your thing 
). You know, the ones where you try to explain your master plan and how you’re going make it happen. They look at you with complete boredom or maybe even roll their eyes a bit and give you a not so enthusiastic, “Mmhmm, yeah, that’s great honey.”
Sound familiar?
No matter how bored and uninterested they might seem, they DO want to know what’s going on. Don’t be afraid to share what your doing to grow your business with the family. It takes a lot of support to build a business. Bored or not, your family will be able to better support you when you need it if they know what you’re doing.
It’s not just important for your family to what you’re doing, they also need to know why. There’ll be times when things are tough and they might not understand what the point of all your effort is for. By continuing to remind them why you chose this path, you’ll reassure them and give yourself the confidence to press on.
Make sure your goals align with your families goals
It’s easy to think that your goals are the same as the rest of the family. After all, you’re doing this for them, right? All the hard work, stress, and long hours. What else would it be for? Even if everyone was aligned in the beginning, things change.
Sit down with your family regularly(all together or individually), and ask how they really feel about the direction the family is heading. This might be a heavy question to ask your kids. Not necessarily heavy in topic, but hard for them to fully grasp and answer. You might be better off just keeping up with asking what their aspirations and interests are as they grow older.
Set achievable goals and reward the whole family when you reach them
This is just part of good planning. You have to set milestones and goals that you know you can reach. What’s the first thing we want to do when we get something right? CELEBRATE! So do it. Take the family out to celebrate or give your significant other a romantic night (or weekend) away.
Of course you need to set aside time to congratulate yourself on the victory, but you also need to have time to include your family in the partying, too. You might have done most of the work, but they’ve been the ones manning your support line and dealing with their own concerns about all the energy you’ve put into your crazy ideas.
Now It’s Your Turn
Tell us in the comments how you manage your family and business?
What’s worked for you and what tips do you have for folks just getting started?
Andy Fogarty is the force behind Destination Thrive. He specializes in teaching smart business owners how to turn the business they have now into the thriving business of their dreams. He’s an Atlanta, Georgia boy, where he blogs, hangs out with his wife and two girls, plays with Alice “The Wonder Dog”, and plays guitar.
January 6, 2011
Ever read that you should find other blogs in your niche? It’s an umbrella tactic that can be useful in many different ways – leaving targeted comments, guest posting on the blog or running special promotions with the blogger.
But how do you find these blogs in the first place? One of my favorite spots is alltop.com. What’s cool about alltop is that every category is hand-selected – which means there’s no spammy stuff or unrelated junk. Plus they have pretty much every category you could imagine ranging from microfinance to the muppets!
I highly recommend you go to alltop.com right now and use the categories listed at the top of the site to find three new blogs that your customers might read. (Hint: if you are a divorce lawyer your customers are probably NOT reading lawyer blogs – they’re reading divorce blogs!) For today, just make one comment on each blog and bookmark them to visit again. This is super easy and you never know where it will lead!
Bonus: To up the ante on your trip to alltop…go to their submissions page and submit your own website or blog. If your site is accepted, you could be listed in your relevant category. You’ll start getting some interesting traffic if you blog regularly and YOU might be the one surprised by who finds you!
January 3, 2011
Guest post by Jack Price
After dropping many hints, I received a Flip camera for Christmas. Last Christmas…2009. I had taken Laura Roeder’s Creating Fame workshop, and she recommended using video on business websites. It made perfect sense. People like to get to know a little about you and why you think your work should matter to them. Video is now a cheap and easy way to give them a glimpse of the real you. Why not?
Then I made a few test clips. OMG! What the years have done to me.
For a solid year I have been procrastinating.
My Inner Brat
Luckily, living somewhere deep inside me, is my inner brat: a 10-year-old boy with a wicked sense of humor, who likes to poke fun at me. “Imagine all the traffic a video could create,” he said. “Kids will show your website to their parents. ‘Look, Mom, I found DUMBLEDORE!’”
My inner brat first annoyed then tickled me, so I got into the spirit. “The video will need a disclaimer. ‘I AM NOT DUMBLEDORE.’” At least he got me laughing at myself.
I Am Not DUMBLEDORE!
It’s not that I mind being, well, let’s call it mature. In fact, I rather like this stage of my life. But as I explore the social media scene, one fact is inescapable: those on the frontier of social media are young. They have grown up with the Internet and wireless connectivity.
Excuses, Not Reasons
But there’s always a good excuse for not doing things, isn’t there? We are always too old, too young, not good-looking enough, not smart enough, not educated enough, or not quite good enough in some way.
I asked my inner brat to make a list of reasons why I should put myself out there with video. Here’s what he came up with.
1. Video Isn’t New Any More
Video is mainstream. Websites without video look a little old-school. Putting video on your website at least demonstrates that you’re not living under a rock.
2. People Wonder about You
If there’s no video on your website, people may imagine that you look even worse than you do.
3. The Mind Needs Associations
Information is important, but people are more apt to remember information if they can associate it with a person. It gives them a shorthand way to think about you. Video is personal and engaging, and therefore more memorable.
4. People Respond to People
When you are in business, marketing is an important part of your job. And what is the goal of marketing? To create a response: buy, try, call, visit, or whatever. People take action based on emotion not logic, and video is a good vehicle for creating an emotional response.
5. You Are What You Are
You’re not going to become any better-looking than you are right now. Even if you have that crooked nose fixed, buy a hairpiece, or even get a facelift, the difference won’t be all that dramatic.
6. Flaws Are Endearing
Notice TV commercials that feature children. You’ll see kids with freckles, glasses, unruly hair, and dorky expressions. Why? Those small flaws help the viewer relate to the character.
7. Video Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect
The Internet is an informal place. Studio-produced videos can look a little contrived. Why are they trying so hard? Good videos look as if the person came up with a good idea and couldn’t wait to share it with you.
8. Do-Overs Are Easy
When the ink hits the paper, a brochure is done. But digital formats can be edited, massaged, refined, and tweaked. Worst case, you can dump your initial version and do it over.
9. Darren Rowse Does Video
Darren is the founder of Problogger.net, one of the most popular blogs in the world. He’s a pleasant-looking guy, but Brad Pitt has nothing to worry about. (As my inner brat pointed out, I don’t really look like Dumbledore; I look more like I could be Darren Rowse’s grandfather.) Darren often uses video to deliver his message, and seems perfectly comfortable doing so. If he can do it, I can too.
10. Your Message Is Important
And this is the most important point of all. Don’t hide your important message. Deliver it to the world. Start getting some responses. Find out what your market thinks of you and your message.
Pretty smart advice, coming from an imaginary 10-year old.
I’d love to hear your thought processes:
- Video virgins: If you haven’t done it yet, (video, that is), what’s holding you back?
- Video first timers: What helped you decide to give video a try?
- Video veterans: How does video fit into your business strategy?
Oh, and send us links to your videos, so we can witness your bravery. Below is a link to mine. Yikes, don’t look.
Jack Price is a copywriter and the author of The Benefit Arc, which can be downloaded free, with no email address required, at http://PriceWrite.com, where you can also view a brief video featuring Dumbledore Darren’s Rowse’s Grandfather Jack Price
