What's Bugging You?

What's bugging you about your business? Is it cranky clients? Too few clients? Non-paying clients? How about your environment? Are you in the perfect space for your business? Location right for you? How about the hours you work or the need for you to be there no matter what? Are you able to take vacations? Are your vendors treating you well? All of these things and more depend on your intent, your desire, and your clarity about what you truly want from your business.

What does this mean? It means the clearer you are about what you want from your business, the easier it will come to you. And if you are not clear, you will get a random assortment of circumstances, people, etc. to make your business life less than ideal.

One of the exercises I ask my entrepreneurial clients to perform is to write down their "ideals". What is their idea of an ideal client? Many know they want clients, but they wrongly think that means whoever walks in the door and buys is a good client. I suggest that you can have all ideal clients simply by defining what that looks like and focusing on receiving them.

Let me give you an example. I was recently talking with a fellow coach who was bemoaning the fact that people only wanted to be coached at night and on weekends. I was surprised since I have no evening or weekend clients. Early on, in my business, I defined my ideal working hours as 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday with Fridays being mostly administrative days. In the two years, I've been a professional life coach, I've only had two potential clients ask for times outside these hours. One wanted 7 am (I don't think so!!) and the other 9 pm at night. That's kind of amazing when you think of it. But really it's not. It is my ideal. I decided it was what I wanted, I wrote it down not only in my business plan, but in my journal and just accepted that it would happen that way. Consequently, I am attracting the right clients for me, ones who can meet with me during my working hours.

I suggest we all write "ideals" for all the facets of our work, especially those that are not working for us in our professional lives. For example, to define the ideal client, here are some possibilities:

My ideal client will:

• pay my fees and prices on time, happily, and will appreciate the true value of my work


• be generous with their money, their time and their energy with regard to my work


• appreciate me, my methods, my work and love the results of our time together


• show up on time


• be easy to work with


• be open to change, ready to change, eager to change


• value my time and be ready to work during our calls and during the week on their assignments


• will happily refer me to other "ideal clients" often and easily


• will want appointments during my working hours, will keep appointments or let me know way ahead of time if something comes up


• will be the kind of person I am able to help either easily or with a reasonable "reach" on my part


• will be able to easily afford my fees


• will know when our work is completed and will have a finishing session to gain closure with the process


• will have a good sense of humor, be easygoing, and apply right effort


• be happy to be coached by phone


• will also attend workshops and classes and buy my products


• will write great testimonials for me

Here are some other areas where you may want to define your "ideals".

• Ideal office or work environment


• Ideal finances


• Ideal vendors and suppliers


• Ideal employees or support staff (accountant, printer, banker, web developer, etc.)


• Ideal product


• Ideal service


• Ideal working schedule (hours, weeks per year, days per week, etc.)


• Ideal equipment, fixtures, furnishings

Will you give it a try? Just write it down. Make it a living document as you will want to refine it as you experience what is coming your way. Make it firm in your mind that it is what you want and then just expect it to come your way.

Feel free to ask questions or leave a comment below.

All content copyrighted, 2006, Life Unfolds and Mary Anne Fields. All rights reserved.

Is Fear Stopping You?

Fear can keep us from starting a business, from running a business, from growing a business, from enjoying our business. Is fear stopping you from the next action you need to take to make your business as successful as you wish?

Stuart Knight, one of my favorite motivational speakers, has a new video out on fear.

I strongly encourage you to watch his latest weekly video.

Watch Video At: http://www.decideshow.com/fears.html

and Stuart says: "I challenge you to grab the beautiful key and to use it. Choose something that you are afraid of doing, and do it. Open that door. I think you will love what you find on the other side."

Your Customer List is Solid Gold

I recently had the chance to talk candidly with several small business and solo entrepreneurs. One mentioned she was going to have a booth to show her wares at a community festival in the next few weeks. I mentioned that I had not gotten a notice or an invitation to that. She looked puzzled. She said something like "it's only a booth at a festival, who would want to come to that?" From that I figured she did not use her mailing list with any frequency or marketing plan and that turned out to be true.

This business owner was missing out on a golden opportunity to make more sales, to build relationships with her clients and potential clients, and to build her brand identity. She has ambitious goals and her mailing list could be a primary part of her marketing strategy. Many solo entrepreneurs and small business owners are in the same boat. It is not uncommon but it certainly leaves money on the table!

Here were her concerns (paraphrased and interpreted) about emailing those on her list:

1. I don't want to bug them.
2. Why would they want to see my stuff, they already bought from me.
3. I would be embarrassed to "toot my own horn" with them.
4. What would I say in an invitation.

In this case, she had developed a new line that would be exhibited in the booth. She had kept a list, but did not use it. Here are the ideas I gave her and the rest of the group.

1. Determine what your own rules are for how frequently you contact your list. For example, do you contact those in your local area more frequently than those far away? Do you limit to twice a week or twice a month or twice a year? You may have to test these frequencies to see what works.
2. Determine how to segment your list. Buyers versus inquiries? All in one? Local versus distance? Gender? Age? Occupation? Depending on your business, any or all of these can be a reasonable way to segment your list.
3. Create a strategy for contacting your customers. Do you send out an newsletter (either email or snail mail)? How often? That counts as a contact each time you send it out. Do you send out seasonal sales notices? Birthday or Anniversary cards? Holiday cards? Each counts as a contact with your list. How about blog reminders each time your blog is updated? Do you contact each time you have a speaking engagement, an exhibition at a career fair, industry conference, or are giving a workshop?
4. Be sure you have the right tools to make the contact as easy as possible. For example, e-zine templates and leads lists, blogs and autoresponders all make this job easier.
5. Follow all spam laws. Learn about what is allowed and not. Keep your lists clean.
6. All of your marketing pieces are a way of allowing potential customers and clients a way to get to know you and your products and services better. They can be as sales like as you wish, but also should give a flavor of who you are. I think of them as conversations, not as sales or marketing pieces.
7. All marketing communication should mirror your company's image (casual, fun, folksy, executive/professional, edgy, etc.) You should be presenting a consistent image and message.
8. Tooting your own horn is a good thing! It can be done low key or screaming out loud, whichever is your style. Announcing you won an award or have been chosen to exhibit or speak or author a chapter are great ways to toot your own horn. Showing your wares and inviting others to see them is a way of tooting your own horn. If you do not communicate the excellence and value of your products and services, who will?

So, in the case above, I encouraged this professional to send an email or snail mail note announcing she would be exhibiting her "new line" at a booth at the festival and to be sure and stop by to visit and see what's new in her work.

All content copyrighted, 2006, Life Unfolds and Mary Anne Fields. All rights reserved.

Free Screening of the Movie: The Secret

Movie: The Secret

If you haven't seen the movie about the law of attraction, The Secret, you can see it now online for free. Here's the link:

http://www.thescienceofgettingrich.biz/

FIve Ways to Touch Your Clients

As small business owners, we know how important our clients are to our livelihood. Marketing experts say it takes abour seven "touches" with someone before they will feel comfortable buying from you. And this is at the low end of buying. If it is high end, like coaching or therapy or big ticket items, it may take more. I'm always looking for more creative ways to connect with potential clients and students and customers. Here are a few from my own experience.

1. Go through your files or database or customer list right now. Separate the names into currently hot (bought in the last three months), stale (bought in the last year) and cold (bought prior to one year ago). Also separate out those that contacted you, maybe take your ezine, but have never bought from you. Develop a contact email or snail mail for each category offering something to bring them back into an active status. Make it enticing and they will come. Be sure to track the responses so you can repeat successes and improve failures.

2. Send out a holiday greeting. It doesn't have to be in December. Any holiday will do. Be sure to include something about your business, a new offering, a new service or product.

3. Send out birthday greetings on their birthday and include a special offer. Also don't forget to celebrate your own business milestones (one year in business, certifications, store openings, ezine anniversary, etc.) by sending out a mailer.

4. Send out a greeting on a non-standard celebration, such as Bastille Day or Groundshog Day, etc. Make it funny or entertaining and include a special offer.

5. Give a free assessment. Invite them to visit your website where they can take a free assessment on something that relates to your business. ("how happy are you" "are you ready for a new career" "find the perfect holiday gift for your mate" etc.)

All content copyrighted, 2006, Life Unfolds and Mary Anne Fields. All rights reserved.

Ten Ways to Take Advantage of a Slow Time

Many businesses have regular slow times, often around the holidays or in the dead of winter. Instead of feeling anxious about this, use the time to do the things you have been putting off. Here is my own personal list of what I'll be doing over the holidays.

1. Get organized. End of year is a perfect time to clean out files, get rid of old papers and books. Generally clean out your office and filing system to prepare for the new year. This will help not only your working environment, but your physical and mental energy.

2. While you are cleaning out, notice how many client or customer files have gone dormant. Pull them all together and make contact. Offer a freebie or a discount that may bring that client back as an active client.

3. Plan for next year. Develop your marketing plan for the start of next year. What new products will you bring forth? What new services? How will your business grow and change next year? Now is the time to start thinking about and preparing for these new initiatives.

4. Review lessons learned. What good things happened this past year? Why did they happen? Can you build more of that into your next year? What calamaties occured? Can you build preventions into your systems so that it doesn't happen again? This is the time of year to look back and see what happened and what caused them to happen. What marketing strategies really worked and which ones failed? Has your customer base stayed the same or changed over time? Are your name and branding understood and do they still serve you? Do your computer systems work well? Do you have adequate backups, virus and spyware protection and updated programs?

5. Produce one new product or service. We all have felt like we don't have enough time to get out another product or service, something that will add to our income. Now is the time! Set yourself a goal and a schedule and get started in this slow time.

6. Review your metrics system. How do you keep track of your business? You know, tracking how many clients or customers you have, repeat or new business, how much spent and on what, marketing campaign results, etc. These are called metrics and will help you understand and grow your business. Review your metrics and see if you are tracking the rights things. Is there a better way? Are there things on there that do not help you? Are there things you should add? Are your metrics serving you and your business?

7. Review your systems. We all use systems in our businesses even though we might not call them that. We have a time management system (calendar, day planner, computer calendar, assistant, etc.). We have an accounting system, whether it is an accountant, a computer program such as QuickBooks, or a paper and pencil system. We have a shopping cart system whether it is done through snail mail, on the computer or in person at a retail establishment. Often we outgrow our systems and they no longer are efficient. This would be a good time to determine if changes are needed. Another great step is to document your systems. Actually write down a procedure, the steps to accomplish all of the normal activities and tasks required in your business. This makes it much easier to train employes, to give work to a virtual assistant or to get temporary help when you need it.

8. Send out holiday greetings and marketing material. Your list is your gold mine. This is a great time to contact everyone on your customer or client list and also those on your vendor or associate list.

9. What's the one thing you regret not having done in your business this year? Maybe it is a goal you did not meet or an action you took that didn't turn out well. Is there something now you can do to remedy this situation? Something you can do to meet that goal?

10. Take time out for renewal, refresh yourself for the new year. Relax.


All content copyrighted, 2006, Life Unfolds and Mary Anne Fields. All rights reserved.

Holidays and your Customers

The holidays are a great time to make contact with your clients and customers. If you have a mailing list, now is the time to send out holiday cards. Be sure they are non-denominational (happy holidays instead of merry christmas or happy hannukah). Be sure to include your business contact information or a freebie such as a calendar.

Marketing studies have shown that you probably will need to touch a client seven or more times before they will buy from you. That means seven or more advertisements, articles, newsletters, emails, phone calls or other material put before their eyes and ears. Holidays are a perfect time for one or more of those touches.

In your holiday greetings, aim for personal and memorable. After all, if your card is just like every other business' cards, why bother? The card or e-greeting itself can be special, either artistic or particularly touching. The freebie can be unusual. Or your message can be memorable.

If time is short, there are greeting card services which will do the addressing and mailing for you.

If you do not have a mailing list, start one now. Your mailing list is pure gold.

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Organizing Your Office

Keeping your office organized is more than just for looks. It adds to your productivity, your efficiency, and best of all, your attitude and emotional state. I've found this incredible organizing website to help you be better organized at home and at work. Ramona Creel, a professional organizer and coach, really is an expert. Her jam-packed website is crammed with tools, advice, assessments, stories, picturs and more, all to help you get organized. She's so good that her site has won the National Association of Professional Organizer's "Organizer's Choice Award" three years in a row! That's voted on by a jury of her peers, so you know she's an expert.

http://onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdvice.asp

http://onlineorganizing.com/ExpertAdviceToolbox.asp

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

Perfectionism versus Good-Enough

Perfectionism in a business can be a killer. Your products and services have to be good enough for your clients and customers. They do not have to be perfect. In fact, I don't think it's possible for them to be perfect. Someone will always find fault, not be attracted to your business or criticize. No matter how much time and energy and money you invest in perfecting it.

This is not to say your products and services should be low-quality, haphazard or flimsy. It just means somewhere this side of perfect. There is a huge chasm between perfect and bad. Good-enough will satisfy, even thrill your clients. Good-enough will require a reasonable investment of time, energy and money. Good-enough can include high-quality, excellence, style, aesthetics, functionality, and anything else that your client requires in order to buy. Good-enough can be best, and still not be perfect. Just enough goodness to make you and your customer happy. Not one ounce more.

The quest for perfection can prevent us from: sending out that press release because it's not perfect, posting our new product on our website because it's just not quite right or all the supporting processes are not yet in place, putting out a website because it still needs a little work, having our grand opening because it is not yet perfect, handing out business cards because you're still not quite happy with them, etc. Completion wins over perfection every time.

So how do we get caught up in the perfectionistic behavior? For some of us we get an ego boost from this as in "see how good I am". For some of us it is a way of trying to avoid criticism or judgment. For some, it is a misunderstanding of what your clients want and need and delusions of grandeur about what you can provide. For others, it is a way to avoid ever launching your products and services, of avoiding the possibility of failure. Whatever your own personal story is, perfectionism can destroy your business. And it wreaks havoc on your nerves, your time and energy, your bank account, and your confidence in yourself.

Practice noticing where you are feeling as if something must be perfect. When you notice it or even suspect that this is causing you a problem, back off. Try to examine what problem you are trying to solve and who you are trying to satisfy. See if you can come up with a solution (product or service) that is good enough. Let something out the door before you think it is perfect and see what happen. Every time I've done this, expecting a huge backlash from clients, absolutely nothing negative has happened. Often it engenders positive feedback. So give yourself permission to be less than perfect. If you can't see any way to back off from perfection, ask for help. Often a more objective look at something can tell you when you are done or when you really do need to invest more in it.

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

Please leave comments if you found this useful.

5 Deadly Mistakes for Solo-Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners

Most of us start a business because we love to do a certain activity, such as therapy or construction or coaching. So often though our businesses flounder or roller coaster along causing fear and frustration and doubt. We know we are good at what we do, why isn't that enough?

Here are the five deadliest mistakes that solo (and small business) owners make.

1. Thinking that they are in the business of X (psychologist, coach, artist, trainer, selling widgets). Unfortunately, this is a common misperception. The main business is marketing and most of their time will be spent in marketing. Your love of X is what made you start the business, but without marketing, you have no business.

2. Not having a business plan because they aren't borrowing money from a bank. Many solo entrepreneurs and small businesses do not bother with a business plan because they believe they are too small, it is only them so it can be held in their heads or there's no need for one unless you are borrowing money from an investor or bank. A solid business plan serves many purposes. The primary purpose being to explore and clearly lay out what your plans for the business are. It should include tangibles and intangibles such as location, typical/ideal clients, schedules, training, work hours, support staff and/or employee plans, ramp-up planning, marketing strategy, income goals, expenses, cash flow, etc. This is the place where you get clear what you are building. Even if your business is years old, the exercise will strengthen your business and your own understanding of what you and your business really mean.

3. Not having a marketing plan. Often business owners don't even know such a thing could exist much less that it should. Without a plan, marketing is haphazard, and can easily be dropped as we get busy or avoided because we don't like to do it. A marketing plan is a written document that includes what marketing you will do, when and where, metrics you will keep, how often you will review and change it and your expectations from the marketing (name recognition, new clients or customers, list building, etc.). It can take the form of a calendar with all marketing events scheduled. This makes it very easy to follow.

4. Not being able to speak about their business in clear, interesting ways. We've all heard about the elevator speech, but few have actually developed one. You must be able to instantly answer the question "And what do you do?" with words that will engage the listener and draw them into a conversation. You should be able to say what you do for whom and what benefits or results will occur within a single statement or two in 30 seconds or so. Practice it until it is automatic. Additionally, you should be able to talk to someone about what you do, asking them questions that will help you give relevant information so you can frame your answers. Write a list of questions that you've been asked or imagine what you might be asked and practice short answers. Give business cards to everyone you meet.

5. Not having systems in place. Most of us don't think in terms of systems when we are solo professionals or very small businesses. After all, we do most of the work anyway. Systems will allow everything to be done more efficiently. They also make it much easier to delegate when necessary because the instructions are clearly laid out and easy to understand. Systems might include bookkeeping processes, website maintenance, customer lists and customer service, appointment setting, order fulfillment, and pretty much any other operation that occurs in your company. You design the system so that it meets your needs and then document it and follow it. The creativity is in the design, not in the execution!

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

Please let me know what you think about this.

What You Need to Know About Your Business Now...So You Can Tell Your Clients!

We, as business owners, have all heard about giving elevator speeches or a 30 second intro, preparing vision and mission statements, having a business plan and a marketing plan, and how important marketing is to the success of our companies. But how many of us actually have this important material? Many of my friends and some of my clients are business owners. And many of them have none of these. I hear reasons such as "I don't have time" or "I don't really know how to do them" or "I hate marketing" for not taking the time to create these products. So why are these documents important? Is it just for marketing? Or just for your clients or bankers? No, the real significance of all of these is what it does for you and how you run and market your business. There are five key things you must know that can make or break your business and speed up or slow down your success.

Write the answers to these questions as completely and with as much thought and consideration as you can. It may take some time, even days or weeks to thoroughly explore them. After you've delved deeply, fully described and then narrowed down your answers, try to sum each up in a single statement.

First, what is it that you/your business does for people? What specifically do you provide for your clients and customers? This is not just your title, such as accountant or psychiatrist, but deeper. What problems do you solve and how? What are your products and/or services? How do you provide them?

Second, who is your ideal client or customer, that is, who do you do the above for? Here you must describe the person you are trying to reach, and the answer is almost never "everyone". What do your clients do as a profession? What gender and age are they? What are their problems and aspirations? Where do they hang out? What religion are they? What hobbies or interests do they have? How would you recognize one? What problems do they have that you can solve? If you had to ask a friend to refer people to you, how would you describe a prospective client?

Third, what are the benefits your clients receive from you and your services? What is your value proposition or what value do your services or products have for your customers? What tangible and intangible benefits do they receive? How are their lives better for having used your business? Why should they buy from you?

Fourth, what makes you the one they should spend their money with? What makes your products and services unique? Why you? What sets you apart and above the rest of your competitors? This is where you bring in your background, education, specialties, experience, and the extras that you bring to the table.

And finally, what is your call to action? It is all fine and good if you can describe what you do, who you do it for, what the benefits are and how you are special, but do your clients and customers know how to contact you? Have you given them a reason to reach for the phone? You must make it as easy as possible to find and contact you. And oftentimes, given them a reason to contact you, just as a free gift or complimentary session.

The biggest impact doing this exercise has is on the amount of clarity you gain around your business. Many business owners do not think through what they actually serve and who they serve. This makes for confusion, missed opportunities, weak and scattered marketing efforts and slow or no growth and movement. Clarity about why you are in business, what your business is and who your customers are can fuel your business and marketing efforts like nothing else. If you know these things, then they become the meat of the business plan, the marketing plan, your elevator speech, your direct mail piece, your website, etc.

If you are trying to reach everyone, then you typically are reaching no one. If you know your target is adolescent males, that gives you a strong leg up on how and where to market. It probably won't be advertizing in Martha Stewart's Magazine! Or in the senior section of your local newspaper. Just knowing what problem (for the client) you are trying to solve, gives you the information to include in your advertizing. People must be able to relate to your services and the best way is by appealing to their own problem..."losing your hair or going bald?" or "feeling overwhelmed and out of sorts?". You get the idea.

So start now and develop a very clear picture about what your business is and who your ideal clients are. You may not know all the answers today. This information may evolve over time. But any clarity is better than no clarity!

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

Please leave a comment if you found this article helpful.

Top Three Energy Drains

Most of us want to live our lives with passion, zest and joy. We all want to have enough energy to do more than make it through the day. We want to feel energized and fully alive. Our active lives today are usually filled with activities and things that weigh on us. Below are three things that consume our precious energy and make us feel less than our powerful, fully alive selves.

Too Many Choices: Today everything we do and everything we have requires thought, decisions and action. Even watching TV to relax requires you to choose from hundreds of channels, make decisions about time and place, reach agreement with significant other, and determine what's appropriate for family members. The TV we bought probably required trips to several stores, research of the consumer magazines or Internet technology sites, price comparisons, discussions of size, type (HD or not), flat-screen or plasma, console or table-top, etc. Expand those choices to things like cereal, cars, careers, diets, cell phones and cell phone plans, and you can see we are inundated with too much, too often. A strategy for reducing this stressor is to simplify. Simplifying will mean fewer purchases, fewer, more satisfying belongings and less activity around what you own and do. Start small and take baby steps.

Yes Too Often: Many of us are trained from birth to be helpful and nice, especially women. And those are good things, but not when they rule your life. We say yes to PTA, being a room mother, helping with Boy Scouts, chairing a committee, helping a friend move (YUK!), going to parties and dinners, and on and on. Those are all great if you have the time and really, deep-down want to do them. However, being able to say no to things you do not want to do or cannot easily fit into your life is an essential way to reduce stress and have more energy. You don't have to give excuses or explanations, just say, I'm sorry, I can't take that on right now. I have a magic phrase that works every time if you are shy about saying no. Just say, "that doesn't really work for me". It's very difficult for someone to argue with it or convince you that you can take it on. Just keep repeating it when pressured. Any request or activity you say yes to should be one that gives you fulfillment, satisfaction and/or pleasure.

Too Much Work, Too Little Play: Many Americans are spending more time at work than ever before. It is one thing to work a decent workweek for your salary, another to give your life energy away to make money for someone else. Even running your own business can consume your life if you are not mindful. Every hour you spend at work over and above what is absolutely required is an hour you could be spending getting to know your family, finding and nourishing the right relationships, developing your creativity, having fun and pleasure, finding out who you really are through hobbies or personal growth, relaxing, meditating, exercising, or volunteering with your favorite organization. Most of us have a choice about how much we work. Start now to really examine how much of the overtime you put in is really your choice and not a requirement of the job or the career. Read inspiring stories of others who have cut back and are still doing well in their careers. This life will be over before you know it. Don’t waste it.

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

Business Success - Fear of Overwhelm

Often, entrepreneurs throttle the forward movement of their businesses because they are afraid of being overwhelmed. Overwhelm may take the form of too many hours worked, having to do too many thing that are unpleasant, unable to take off work, too many demands, etc. It is important to recognize that this is what may be keeping you back, if it's true for you. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome and work with this fear.

1. Create a crystal clear vision of the desired outcome or goal for your business. The crystal clear vision includes what, when, how, why, where, who and especially how you will feel with this desired outcome. This will keep you motivated and moving forward if it is clear and compelling. It will also consistently give you a measure of whether you are on the right track. For example, if your vision has you working no more than 20 hours a week and around your family life, and you suddenly find yourself working nights and weekends, you can clearly see you are off track.

2. Ask yourself at each step along the way, “what is my desired result?” For example, if you are meeting with someone about starting a project, before the meeting, ask yourself “what is my desired result or outcome?” You can ask that question the day before to give your subconscious mind time to mull it over and ask it again right before the meeting to remind yourself of what you truly desire to have, do or be. This works in any situation; meeting with your son’s teacher, buying a new dress, writing a book, communicating with your significant other, etc. It’s like magic!

3. Constantly and consistently measure your actual experiences with your desired result. If you have clearly stated your desire to work a certain amount, or to have a feeling of satisfaction and calm, for example, when creating your business, is that what you are getting? Is that what you feel? Feelings are an important indicator of whether you are on track. This should be done daily to have real effect.

4. It’s all about choices! With each choice you make, you are setting the stage for the next results. For example, if you are asked to do a project that you think will take six months (at your desired rate of work), and the requestor says it must be in three months, what are your choices? First, you can say yes and work really, really hard, throwing all your desired outcomes out the window to make it in three months. Second, you could say, let me think about it. Then go figure out a way to get additional help, delegate some of it, do it smarter. Then go back and negotiate payment for the extra help. Third option might be to negotiate the deadline asking for five months instead of three and then figuring out a way to still have your desired result and meet the negotiated deadline. And there are a hundred other choices you could make as well. The only trick with this is to remember, that we are looking forward and it is always a guess as to how it will play out. That’s why the other steps are so important.

5. Notice the subtle signs of fear and overwhelm. Don’t wait until you are so fearful that you can no longer move forward or so overwhelmed that you are exhausted and on the road to burnout. Make it a daily practice to ask a question in the morning and a question in the evening. The morning question is “what do I intend to happen today?” and the evening question is “did my day meet my intention, and if not, why not?”. You can do a “lessons learned” each night so that you learn from your experiences and your old programming and patterns don’t take over. This should not take more than a few minutes.

If you are struggling with overwhelm, a coach may help you to succeed easier and quicker. Click here to contact me.

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

Business Tip: Skyrocket Your Business Through Referrals

Referrals are one of the best ways to build your business. After all, if a trusted source refers to you, it's worth it's weight in gold because you already have half your work done for you. You already have credibility and a certain amount of trust from your new customer. Just based on their relationship with the person who referred them to you.

So how can you get more referrals, especially when you are new in your business?

If you are in a services business (psychologist, coach, hair dresser, cleaning, etc.), think of who knows your ideal client. Make a list of all of those service provider types who might also deal with your client. For example, coaches sometimes have to refer clients to psychologists, massage therapists, feng shui specialists, personal organizers, accountants, financial planners, attorneys, housecleaning services, wedding planners, etc. If your business is any of these, have you directed marketing towards coaches? Can you use this idea and do some out-of-the-box thinking about who may be able to direct clients or customers your way?

Make a list of every one you know who is in a business who may be able to refer to you. Be generous and include more than you think is strictly applicable. Get out your rolodex or your business card file. Even if you do not know the person well, add them to the list. Now write a marketing letter that introduces you and your business in a positive, catchy way. Include a professionally taken photo. Directly ask for referrals and offer to refer to them. You may even offer a money or service incentive for the referral (e.g., $50 if they sign up for X or 25% of amount spent in first visit, etc.). Be sure to include the kind of information the referring person would need to make the determination about your qualifications and fit for their client. Make it as easy as possible to refer to you. Include all your contact information and a few business cards. Ask if there is something you can do for them in return. This letter needs to be very professional looking and include a brochure or other information that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Here's one more idea for the people-person entrepreneur. Hand your business card to everyone you meet. You can do this all the time, or if you have to work up to the idea, only do it at lunch time or only on Mondays. At least try it a few times to see how easy it truly is. When you drive through the bank or fast food line, hand the cashier a card with a big smile and ask for their referrals. When you pick up your dry cleaning, stop at the grocery store, meet with your financial planner, visit your attorney, give them your card and ask for their referral and business. After a month you will have given out hundreds of cards. After a year, thousands. Referrals often come from the most amazing places, so be bold and hand out your cards. And all for free!

If you have other ideas about getting referrals for your business, please make a comment to this article.

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

Business Tip: Say Yes to Marketing

I think it was Dan Kennedy, world famous marketing machine, who said that we are not in the business of X (massage therapist, selling widgets, web designs, etc.) but instead are in the business of marketing. If you own your own business, you know that marketing takes a huge chunk of your time and is critically important to your success in the business.

That being said, it's amazing how many of the business owners I know "hate" marketing or have an aversion to it. I cannot count the times I've heard a smart, ambitious business owner say "but I don't understand why I can't just do my business and have people recognize my value without me having to tell and sell them!". It is the extremely rare business that does not have to market itself.

I have this belief and have experienced it for my own business and also in coaching business clients that because you need to market does not mean it has to be difficult and uncomfortable. There are literally hundreds of ways to market your business. I believe that we all can find the ones that work for us. And by "work for us", I mean are easy and pleasant AND bring the results we desire, that is, success in our business.

Let me give you an example. Every marketing book will tell you that networking is vitally important to your business. They recommend attending one or more, preferably more, of those breakfasts or happy hour business networking meetings. Now I know several folks who are incredibly good at this and love it. Their businesses have grown, some significantly, through this type of marketing alone. But suppose you hate this kind of marketing...dislike getting up early and dressed in a suit for the breakfast meeting, stumbling through the one minute business introduction, shaking hands and smiling for an hour or more with people you don't know. Not all entrepreneurs are naturally inclined to be good at this. Now some people are able to learn this skill and truly enjoy it. If that's you, go for it. Test it out and see if your business grows using this method. If you shudder at the thought of it or make yourself do it out of sheer willpower, trust me, it will show and will put you at a disadvantage. What could be worse, to do something you don't really want to do and not have it show results anyway?

I am a big proponent in finding the right mix of marketing methods based solely on what is right for your style, is easy and pleasant, and by measuring the results it brings you in new clients and customers and income. Here are a few examples:

If you love to write:
- Write articles and submit them to the many print and online journals, magazines, directories including all your contact information and tagline
- Produce written products to give people a taste of who you are or what your business does online
- Offer to write articles as a joint venture with others in or out of your field
- Write a regular column for a local newspaper or magazine
- Create a website for people to get to know you and to sell your products or services
- Send out a direct mail piece, unique and beautiful.

If you never met a stranger and like working with people in person:
- go to those networking meetings mentioned above
- attend other meetings (women outdoors groups, sierra club, junior league, whatever) with the express purpose of networking for your business
- give your business card to every person you meet

If you like talking to groups:
- put on a free workshop at your business or local library. Be sure to have marketing materials to give away
- give speeches to business groups, professional associations or wherever your clients and customers hang out

If you speak well, but are nervous about large groups:
- give a free "teleclass" on a topic of your choice
- give an interview on the radio
- create an audio product such as an interview with you or even a short class that can be offered as a giveaway to help people get to know you and your business

These ideas just barely touch on the many ways you can market your business. I'd love to hear from you about what works for you? Please leave a comment.

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

Holistic Business Journal

One of my articles was recently published in the Holistic Business Journal. Their tagline is "You're too smart to do business the hard way!" I couldn't agree more with them. It is sometimes difficult to find business related resources that are in alignment with my goals, beliefs and values. I am finding this journal very useful and inspiring for my own business. If you want to check them out, click here. My article, Freedom versus Stuff, is published in their July issue at www.holistic-business-journal.com

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

Boomer Humor

Looking for a greeting card line that:
• Helps baby boomers laugh at life’s experiences?
• Shows baby boomer women enjoying and celebrating their journey through life?
• Portrays baby boomer women as they want to be seen – vital and energetic?

I'm always looking for new and creative ways to communicate with my friends, clients and family. I just discovered these cool greeting cards. They are a kind of boomer humor cards for women boomers. I like them because they are so positive and not insulting like so many cards I see. Check themout for yourself.

http://www.cascadegreetings.com

Top Ten Ways to Make More Money without More Work

Many of us believe that the only way to make money or to increase income is to work harder. Often this stops us from being truly financially successful or achieving that next level. We work as hard as we can, even to the point of burnout, and just don't see a way to work harder. The truth is we don't have to work harder to make more money. We've developed some psychological link between hard work and money. In this case, though, just because you believe it doesn't make it true. And, this limits us from seeing easier ways to do things.

Here are ten ways to make more money in your current business without a significant amount of extra work. See if this doesn't open the way you look at your business opportunities.

1. Raise fees or prices. Counterintuitively, this often brings in more clients, rather than fewer. Test it out if you don't believe this.

2. Offer and sell more high dollar services or products. You probably already have one or more of these. Add more of the same (that is market more often) and sell more or add new ones.

3. If you do workshops, teleclasses or group sessions, make sure the classes are full. Hold larger classes, less often. Same effort, more money.

4. Allow others to make money for you. If you have assistants or employees, allow them to offer products or services under your auspices, using your marketing machine or your facility, for a cut of their fees. You can also license out your products and services.

5. Put your assets to work for you. If you have a building, rent out space, even by the hour. There are lots of freelancers who need a space to meet with clients or to hold classes. If you have an assistant, could someone else pay you a fee to give him or her occasional work? Do you have a street sign or a delivery truck you could "rent" out? What about referral fees? If you often refer to your favorite web designer or printer or accountant, are you getting referral fees or at least discounts?

6. Collaborate with others. This can be within your field or outside. Often new entrepreneurs will do most or all of the work in exchange for your marketing machine. And you both make money by selling the final product or service.

7. Repackage what you already have. If you have a product that isn't selling too well, can you combine it with something else to make it more appealing? If you have been teaching a workshop or producing a program for awhile and it no longer is selling as well, can you revamp it, change it's focus, upgrade it a bit (remember, we're looking for minimal work) and sell it again? Do you have a service you can break up into smaller chunks to sell individually or combine several into a "gold" package? Of course, price so that you make more money, rather the same or less.

8. Develop new products or services from supporting material, old products or marketing material. Often we have lots of material just sitting around that, with a little effort could be made into a salable product. For example, if you write articles, combine them into an e-book or booklet. Maybe you have an old interview you did with someone, turn that into an audio product for sale. Workshop or class material can be turned into workbooks, manuals, e-books, booklets, or shorter workshops or teleclasses.

9. Affiliate with others. They sell your products (for a cut) so you sell more. You sell their products for a fee.

10. Widen your distribution. This could mean sell your electronic products in more than one place (your website, clickbank, etc.) or by using affiliates. Exchange marketing with others, be creative about where you sell.

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

Business Tip: Monday Meeting

Start every Monday morning off with a metrics review and action plan. Metrics are simply measurements of what is important to your business. Depending on the business it can be almost anything. Choose the most important things that contribute to the success of your business and measure them. For example you might measure: repeat customers, top 10 customers and how much they spend, number of new clients, number of prospects converted to clients (or conversion rate), income from affiliates, income from various products and services, subscribers to your ezine list, etc. You can record these numbers in a simple spreadsheet.

Update these each day or at least once per week, preferably Friday end of day or over the weekend. Then first thing, Monday morning, review these metrics. If you have staff, the review should be done with them. They each will have updated their own parts of the spreadsheet. You will be looking for what has changed, what is your progress, what is working well and what seems to be broken or lagging. For example, if you notice that all of a sudden you are getting double the number of calls from prospects as usual, figure out why. In your weekly action plan, set out actions to duplicate your success in this area. If you notice that no one is signing up for your ezine, ascertain why. Set out weekly actions that will correct this or get you back on track. If you notice your income is not at goal or above, then think of new ways to create more income. Add action steps for this week to make this happen.

Metrics are a gold mine of information about your business. And can be very motivating as well.

Do you keep metrics? What has it done for your business? Do you have suggestions for others around metrics? Add comments.

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

Easy Time and Date Converter

I found this great little tool online and wanted to share it with you. How many times have you had someone traveling overseas and wanted to know what time it is there? Or wanted to attend an international online event but are not sure what time it will be? Here's a handy little tool to help you convert the time. It even has a "personal" time and date converter. You can set up your own page with a selection of cities so that it shows the time in each. For example, my husband is currently in Switzerland, I want to view an online video streaming in Spain this week and I live in Houston, Texas. I simply put all three cities on my personal page and voila, the dates and times are there and I don't have to keep entering them every time I want to make a call. Here's the link: http://www.timeanddate.com/

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

Networking Magic

Some of us love networking and some of us hate it. But it will be a huge factor in growing your business if you learn to do it well. Everyone you know or even just come across in your daily life is in your network. You never know who will be the contact that gives you a referral or has the perfect piece of information you need just at the right time.

Because I am an introvert, meeting new people does not always come easy to me. It's not that I don't know how, it's more that my first thought is not to call someone or go out to meet folks. My natural way is to look to or be with myself. But I know and I have proven to myself repeatedly that my business grows faster with the help of others.

Going to network meetings can be fun. It's all in how you look at them. Psych yourself up to make new friends, not to get business. Meet folks, ask questions, offer help.

When it comes your time to give one of those 10 minute introductions to your business, it really helps if you can make it memorable. I know of one person who showed up for hers in her pajamas since she worked out of her home. Another wore a crown and a pageant sash and dubbed herself "queen of the mortgage loan". The only ideas here were to have fun with it and to be remembered. You know that both of these folks were talked about for months after their speech and were remembered by all. The guy who stood up and give a fast, boring summary of what he does, was not remembered an hour later. And the ideas do not have to be as outrageous as these. It could be as simple as handing out a gimme gift, offering a cool computer projected presentation with music, making it very humorous, or anything else that gives you the edge. Maybe it's wearing a clown nose or harry potter glasses and somehow tying that into your talk. Maybe it's wearing all red because "red" is in the title of your business or having an unusual handout, maybe an origami folded fact sheet about your business. Whatever it is, it's going to make this part of networking more fun and have more lasting effects.

I'd love to hear what other techniques you've experienced at networking meetings.

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

The Super Conference 2006

I'm going to this cool conference in NYC and I hope you will be interested too. This is an incredible event called Super Conference 2006: The Power of Collaboration to Build Your Business. It's to be held in New York City in mid-May so you have to hurry! It's produced and led by three of my most significant mentors, Andrea J. Lee, Michael Port and Milana Leshinsky! Two full days of workshops, seminars, conferences and networking for under $400! You owe it to your business, no matter what kind of business you are in, to check this out.

The Super Conference 2006


Let me know if you're going, too. I'd love to meet you in person!

How To Be Creative

A presentation on How To Be Creative. This is one of the most popular articles on the site "Change This". Here's the link:

http://www.changethis.com/6.HowToBeCreative

I thought it was an intriguing viewpoint from someone on the front line of creativity.

Enjoy!

To Collaborate or Not To Collaborate: There is No Question!

I am a strong introvert and I have to admit that collaboration does not come easily to me. Left to my own devices, I tend to work alone, be very independent and autonomous and to enjoy my alone time. However, when it comes to running a business, I see the value in collaboration.

My own collaborations started with running a workshop with one of my wonderful coach friends, Dorothy. She and I have been "money buddies" for a long time and decided to do a workshop called "Transforming Your Relationship with Money" together. It was a wonderful experience for me. I gained knowledge from her, learned valuable skills in working together and successfully put on my first professional workshop. We also exchanged ads in each other's mailing lists and divided the labor.

Another significant collaboration was with my friend and "art as process" coach, Kay Kemp. She already had a successful coaching business along with her art business. We collaborated by exchanging ads in each other's mailing lists, but she also has served as one of my business "angels" by letting me use her art studio as a place to hold my workshops. It has been very successful and continues to this time. Her business and her website (http://www.wildheartart.com) serve as inspiration and model for me in my own business.

So what is a collaboration, exactly? The dictionary says it means to "cooperate together". I think of a collaboration as one where both or all parties come together with a common need, share solutions and both or all benefit from the experience. Collaborations can be found in many different guises and can be extremely easy to initiate. Here are a few ideas:

• Ask for an interview with an almost famous or famous person in your field
• Exchange web links with another person in your or a related field
• Ask someone to mail an ad of yours to their mailing list in exchange for the same in yours
• Become an affiliate or create an affiliate program for your products
• Ask someone to be a guest columnist in your ezine or news letter
• Be a guest columnist in someone else's ezine
• Join with others in your field and put on an event, a retreat, a workshop
• Join with others in your field or your geographic location or in related fields and put together a public relations blitz, sharing the costs and the exposure.
• Exchange testimonials for products or services
• Invite others to teach a part of your workshop, exchange advertizing and waive workshop fees

So what are the benefits of collaboration for a solo-preneur?

• First, you spend time with other people instead of staying in your home office alone!!
• Business is expanded way beyond what you could do by your self through your own efforts.
• Your mailing or contact list is expanded more quickly.
• You gain contacts through others that provide you with additional business in the future.
• You gain knowledge and skills by exposure to others in your field
• You stay in the loop of what is happening in your field.

And lots more.

So instead of trying to do everything yourself, try collaboration.

I'm attending the Super Conference 2006: The Power Of Collaboration in Building Your Business in New York City in May. This is being presented by the incredible team of Andrea J. Lee, Michael Port and Milana Leshinsky (WOW!). If you're interested in knowing more about it or in registering for the incredible event, go to their Super Conference website.

Email -- Wonder Tool or Time Waster?

If you are like me and many others, you can waste many hours a day or a week just reading and answering email. Email can be an important communication tool with your clients, customers, vendors, collaborators, and others. But it can also be a huge waste of time! It can even be a "legitimate" way of avoiding what you don't want to do. And it can make you feel "busy" at work at the same time. What a deal!

I admit to being guilty to subscribing to many ezines, e-courses and other email. The reason I gave myself was that it was important that I see what my colleagues were doing in my field and also to learn more about marketing, sales, multiple streams of income, coaching, etc. So for valid reasons, I signed up for lots of email. Right now in my inbox sits more than a hundred unread emails. This does not include the fifty or so I deleted without reading. But I am taking control of my email and my time.

Here's what I am doing and maybe it will help you to waste less time in your business and to make more money!!

• I am ruthlessly unsubscribing to all but two of the coaching ezines.
• I am determinedly unsubscribing to all but one of the marketing ezines.
• I am tenaciously unsubscribing to all but one of the internet/multiple streams of income ezines.
• I am deleting everything not directly related to my business without reading it.
• When I decide to read an email or answer an email, I ask myself two questions (Learned this from the fabulous Andrea J. Lee at www.andreajlee.com), first, is this making me money? and second, what happens if I don't read or answer this email? Most of the time the answer will be: this is not making me money and nothing happens if I don't read it or answer it!

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

Your Best Asset as a Business Owner

Your best asset as a business owner is, yes, you guessed it, your clients or customers! But how much do you really know about them? Many entrepreneurs or business owners love having clients, but don't really know much about them. They may track inventory and say widget A is selling better than widget B, therefore, my customers like widget B better. Or they may know that most of them are men or women (unless your clients are all online!). Getting to know, understand and even think like your clients and customers is the best marketing move you can make. Have you ever had a friend or family member that you knew so well that you could buy gifts for them knowing absolutely they will love it? That's the way you should know your customers.

So how do we get to know them? By paying attention and gathering information; even by asking them what they like and don't like. At the very least you should be gathering names and addresses or email addresses depending on the nature of your business. These links to your customers are pure gold in your business. With a strong mailing list (either online or offline or both), you can send new offers to existing customers, send thank you notes, send out a survey asking about new products or new services, or send free "gifts" or enticements to visit your site or blog or store or office. Conventional marketing wisdom says that you must get in front of a potential client or customer at least 7 times, on average, before they recognize who you are and even longer before they will buy. The more you have contact with them, the more they feel they have a relationship with you and that helps to create loyalty. Clients with loyalty will buy more from you and even more important will refer their friends to you.

Here are ten ways to connect with your clients:

1. Send birthday greetings each year
2. Send an anniversary card on the anniversary of when they bought from you
3. Send out a newsletter or ezine
4. Send out thank you note every time some one buys from you
5. Send out a note announcing new products or services
6. Send out a free "report", e-course, article, book review or electronic resource
7. Send a receipt with an additional offer or "free gift" when someone buys from you
8. Send out holiday messages
9. Send out a survey asking for their help defining a new product or service
10. Send a note letting them know you've updated your web-log or website with new info

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

Time Wasters

Wasting time is universal. We all do it in some form or another. And some things that waste time can have some side benefits, like relaxation or getting information. But it can kill your business! My own time waster is playing computer games. I can sit for an hour or more if I let myself. And then I complain because I "don't have enough time" to create my products or write my ezine.

Below is a list of time wasters. Some are only time wasters when they are being used to avoid doing what you need to be doing! After all, you set the priorities here. And, of course, one person's waste of time is another's fun activity. Which ones are yours and how much time do you spend on them? Come on, be honest!

• Computer games
• Crossword puzzles and Sudoku
• TV watching
• Talking on the phone with friends and family
• House cleaning
• Having lengthy lunches with the girls
• Reading novels, magazines, newspapers
• Organizing
• Daydreaming
• Shopping
• Perfection seeking

If I didn't mention yours, give me a comment about it. I'll add yours to the list.

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

Keywords - How do you know which ones to use?

I found this great online resource and thought I'd share it with you.

http://www.wordtracker.com/keyword-research-guide.html

It explains in detail how to use WordTracker and how to select the right keywords, right being the ones that will get you the traffic you desire or make you money!

So if you have an online business, this resource is worth it's weight in gold.

Enjoy!

For the Business Plan Averse

Even a small business or solo business needs a business plan. My own business plan, which is only a few pages long, clearly lays out what I want my business to be and also how it fits into my life. A previous article listed some groundwork (the Ideals) you may want to work on before your start writing your business plan.

The following are areas to address in your own solo-preneur business plan.

1. What is the business, a brief description. This should clearly define what your business does. Include your mission and vision.
2. Who does your business serve? Who is your target or ideal customer or client?
3. What is your role in the business? Where will you need help?
4. When does your business take place? For example, how many hours are you willing to work, what days, how many weeks per year, is it seasonal or on weekends only, etc.
5. Where will your business take place? From home, an office, traveling, etc.
6. How will your business be run?
7. How will you market your business? Traditional direct mail, Internet, in person via speaking engagements, paid advertising, etc.
8. What operations will you do versus what you will hire out or delegate?
9. If your business is a service business, what services in what areas will you perform?
10. For both services and products, how will you produce, sell and deliver these?
11. What is your financial situation now and in the future? Plan for cash flow, capital. Set goals for both income and expenses. State your philosophy about debt and managing money.
12. Size of business, when and how will you know it is time to expand, hire help, get further funding, change directions, etc.

Your business plan is a living document. It will evolve as your business grows and changes. You may stick very closely to your plan or yours may grow more organically. But either way, you need to have a plan from which to create your actions. Don't be surprised if you change your business plan several times in the first year or two of your business. Things often go in a different direction than that envisioned.

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

The Ideals - What Do We Really Want From Our Business?

Most of us have some idea of what we want from our business and how much money we want to make. If you don't, now is the time to work that out. If you are not clear about where and how your business fits into your life and what lifestyle you desire, it is likely that your business will run you instead of the other way around. I am a big proponent in defining your "ideals" before writing a business plan, indeed, before starting a business. But it is never too late and as your business evolves, you may need to readdress your "ideals" occasionally.

Take some time now to fully flesh out the following. It may take a page or two for each area. You can list bullets or use prose, whatever works for you. Take out paper and pen or your computer and give yourself time to think through the following areas:

Ideal working lifestyle
Ideal customer or client
Ideal partners or collaborators
Ideal vendors or suppliers or service providers
Ideal working area or office and location
Ideal life (to insure your business supports and enhances it, not overtakes it!) Ideal finances/money (cash flow, income, expenses, capital, etc.)
Ideal business for you

When you are listing your ideals, try to let go of any judgment or thoughts about whether it is realistic or not. These are your desires and a definition of what would be best for you and your lifestyle. They may not come true 100% of the time, but can be used as a measure of whether you are getting what you desire from your business. Many business owners just live with crabby clients or late deliveries or a toxic work environment. Giving it some serious thought can help you to be clear about what you will and won't tolerate in your work life. And setting goals against these ideals along with creative actions can insure that most or all of your ideals can be realized within your business.

A brief example of an ideal work page is below.

My ideal work environment is:

• beautifully decorated with a sense of serenity, but energetic at the same time
• I will feel calm, energized and motivated when I walk into the room
• very organized
• professional feel
• near a large park, garden or countryside
• functional
• visitors and clients feel comfortable in the area
• enough space to both work and relax, for example, to stretch or do yoga at breaks
• in my home
• separated from my other home functions such as art studio, bedroom, etc.
• can be closed off from remainder of home
• air conditioned
• lots of light and with a window
• conducive to writing, researching and working with clients via phone
• lots of space for books and supplies
• best technology
• quiet space
• ergonomic furnishings
• easy to clean and maintain

Doesn't having this information make it much easier to tackle that business plan? Information created in identifying your ideal market aids you in developing a marketing plan. If you take the time to fully develop your desires for your business, the pay off will be huge.

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

Fast Track Your Business Systems

I am lucky that I am a naturally organized person. Always have been, even as a young child. So keeping up with the administrative work in my business has been fairly easy. I have several systems in place to help me track clients, monitor website visitors, reports on my ezine, monitor overall metrics on various marketing efforts, bookkeeping, etc.

My business is growing fast, however. And I'm noticing that things I am doing manually that were perfect when I only had a few clients and ran a few workshops are now slowing me down. So it may be time for new systems. Ones that will take me to the next level and beyond.So what are business systems?

Entrepreneurs often don't take the time to write down what they do. It seems unnecessary when their business is run solely by them or is very small. However, writing down our business systems helps us to think through processes clearly so they are designed efficiently. This can be a huge time and money saver, both of which are critical to a business's success.

Business systems are the tools, processes and procedures that we use to run a business. They may be used in all areas of our business: sales, marketing, accounting, operations, production, etc. Examples might include using Quickbooks for your accounting and bookkeeping and tax reporting. Of course, just using Quickbooks is not a system. There has to be a regular routine around it such as entering receipts each day or each week. Printing reports weekly or monthly and at tax time. Another system might be the metrics by which you measure your business's success. This can be a spreadsheet or program report that gives you the critical information needed to see if you are on target with your goals. For example, I measure how many workshops I have given, average number of attendees, how many people are on my ezine list, are added to my ezine list and have dropped off my ezine list, as well as lots of other factors. I track my income, my marketing efforts, both what and how productive. I review the counts each week. Your own systems may include sales, tracking a particular marketing campaign, expenses, new products added, products retired, customers added, complaints, etc. Almost anything can be counted, but you don't want this to be so unwieldy you never get anything else done. Just count what is critical to your business success. A third system might be how you handle payroll or even update your website or perform data back-ups on your computer(s)

.So a system consists of what is being done, who does it, when they do it, where it is done or kept, using what tools and why, because you don't want to develop unnecessary systems. I find it best to have these systems written down. And when your business is big enough to start hiring help, such as an assistant or virtual assistant, you'll already have training material to hand over. After all you want everyone who works with you on the same page. Business systems can be an entrepreneur's best friend, making your business run more smoothly, helping you manage your time productively and insuring you always have the information you need to run your business and have the most success. If you aren't using business systems today, try it.

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