Mastering Change

Every business goes through evolution. It evolves in size, focus, niche, location, tools, income, and lots of other ways. Being flexible and adaptable are important traits for a business owner to have. Because evolution means change. Everything in your business is ultimately impermanent. Your customers will change; their habits will change. Your products or services will change. Your prices, rates or fees will change. The speed at which your business grows or declines will change frequently. All of this is normal, but can feel pretty scary when you have invested so much in it.

Even just reminding yourself that change is inevitable can help you in coping with the change dynamics of your business. Anticipating change can help as well. For example, if you are prepared to make changes when your business grows, it will not upset you or your business as much. In my own business, I started out doing everything myself. First I did everything manually. I wrote individual receipts and invoices using my word processor. I designed and produced my own business cards, letterhead, website, etc. I wrote each letter individually rather than have form letters I could change at need. At some point, the business grew to where I couldn't keep up with all the correspondence, financial records and online presence. The first evolution was to automate more of what I was doing. The second evolution is about to hit and that is to hire more help. Each stage was anticipated and this smoothed the way.

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006

Business as Expression of Self and Success

Does your business allow you to express who you really are? Does it show your true face to the world and allow you to use your gifts, talents and best traits? The happiest people are those that are the most authentic. That is, there is congruency between who they are and how they feel and what they do. This self-expression, when played out in all areas of our lives, can lead to increased satisfaction and happiness.

At a recent business conference in NYC, I had the opportunity to witness several small business owners talking about their businesses. When they talked about their businesses, some displayed such obvious passion. It showed up in how they spoke, their body language, their facial expressions, and the emotion of joy or excitement was clear to everyone. It made the audience want to be a part of it, to support it, and generally got us all excited about their business. When those who presented did not have that passion, it was more disagreeable to watch. It was easier to lose interest or be bored or to criticize mentally. If you can replace the audience at this conference mentally with customers or vendors or bankers, you can see why your business success could depend on you being in a business about which you are passionate and fully invested.

So how does your business line up with who you really are? Does it match your values? Does it allow you to use your talents and gifts? Are your personality and traits used to their best advantage in your business? Does it use your strengths more than play on your weaknesses? Does it work with your intended lifestyle? All of these are important areas of consideration when planning or redesigning your business.

Your business can and should be a powerful way for you to express who you are to the world at large. I challenge you to make adjustments or wholesale changes to your business so that it is more in alignment with the real you.

Please make comments by clicking on the "comments" below this blog piece.

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006

Money, Meaning and Beyond

I just returned from an incredible conference called The Power of Collaboration, led by Michael Port, Andrea Lee and Milana Leshinsky. These three speakers are my absolute favorites for my business. The conference was for small business owners and focused on how to do more with other people and truly expand your business and your vision of your business. It was attended by all types of small business owners interested in growing their business to 6 or 7-figures.

While there I was able to snag a pre-release copy of Andrea Lee's newest book, Money, Meaning and Beyond. If you don't know Andrea, she's a 7-figure entrepreneur who teaches others to grow their businesses. She has a great formula based on the multiple streams method, but also has incredible experience and insight which can take you way outside the box. I thought I might scan the book a little while on the plane. Once I opened it up, I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book on the plane (about 3 hours). I took notes, I dog-eared pages to come back to, I even wrote in the margins! She has a great writing style that is easy to understand, but very practical. I urge you to pre-order your copy now. It will be released on May 19th, so don't wait! Here's the link:

http://www.moneymeaningandbeyond.com

Traveling

I'm off to the NYC Power of Collaboration Conference tomorrow. So I will not be posting for a few days. I always have the temptation of chilling out in my room and working on my computer when I am on travel. But in the spirit of the conference, that being collaboration, I'm not taking my computer with me.

Be back next week with lots of new business ideas!

Business Failure in Ten Easy Steps

1. Be all things to all people in your business. Even though you've chosen a niche and created all that marketing material around it, go ahead and say yes to every request and whim of your clients, customers, employees, vendors and well, everyone else as well. They will appreciate it even if you are exhausted, confused and poor. And they will be loyal at least until your business folds.
2. Do everything yourself. After all it is cheaper that way! Don't know how to keep the books, spend 16 weeks in a course that teaches you the basics, or better yet, just wing it. They say the IRS is nicer these days. Never worked on a computer? How hard can it be? Geeks do it every day. Just get in there and start reading those manuals. The customers can wait til you get it done. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.
3. Don't listen to anyone else, especially those who have already made it. After all, you're really smart and enthusiastic. That should be enough. You can certainly figure out how to do almost anything. Just because they've already done it many times over, doesn't mean you have to listen to them. Why save time and money and pass on all that on-the-job learning you'll get!
4. Expect the worst so you won't be disappointed. I know all the gurus are saying have positive thoughts and be upbeat, but good grief, that means you'd actually have to pay attention to yourself. Who has the time? And just in case you find yourself feeling too happy or relaxed, be sure to have at least one or two "friends" who can bring you down at a minute's notice. Or you could just ask them to record their messages for you so you can play them back any time: "what a loser you are", "no one can make it in this economy", "you should have stayed small" and lots more!
5. Don't give up your loser friends and business partners and colleagues. After all, they need you. And surely you wouldn't put your own happiness and success above their need to stay in a losing position? Hang on with all your might and for goodness sakes, don't start meeting successful entrepreneurs and being friendly with them. Who knows what might rub off on you?
6. Worry constantly about your business, bringing in as many thoughts as you can about how "you'll never make it" or "you'll lose all your money" or "who are you to even think about being successful". Be sure to tell everyone you meet how bad your business is doing and that it's sure to fold soon. They say that worrying is like praying for what you don't want, but I think it's like a charm to keep the creditors away.
7. Integrity, Inschmegrity! Take every advantage you can of every one you can. If you find a monetary mistake in your favor, take it! Don't be a chump. Take every bit you can and give as little as possible. After all, it is a dog eat dog world we live in. If your customers find out, they'll probably forgive you because they don't expect much.
8. Hold on to your outdated money beliefs as long as possible. After all they are a tradition with your family and you learned them in the school of hard knocks. You know, beliefs like "I'll never get ahead" and "I deserve to get things for free" and "I'm too stupid to make money" and the timeless classic "I don't deserve to be rich." I bet you can think of lots more! Repeat them daily as often as possible.
9. Do what you're good at really well and forget all that marketing and sales junk. After all, if you'd wanted to be in marketing or sales, you would have majored in that in school. Just assume that because you are so good at (coaching, singing, art, retail, manufacturing widgets) whatever you do, that customers will show up in droves without you having to ever send out one stinking email sales letter or go to a single networking breakfast. Test it out and prove it to yourself. What do all those marketing books know anyway?
10. Give your all to your business, giving no thought or time or energy to your personal life, your family and friends, your hobbies or your spirituality. After all, those things don't contribute to the bottom line, do they? Tell your family if they want to see you, they can make an appointment or show up in the store! Whose side are they on, anyway?

Do you have your own favorite to add to this? Add your comment now.

All blog content is copyrighted, all rights reserved, Mary Anne Fields and Life Unfolds, 2006