August 8, 2008
- 3 Tips for Managing Your Business Technology
I know it's been a while since I wrote- it's been really hectic, which is part of the reason I haven't had much time to blog, but the other reason was much more sinister.
My website had been hacked with some redirection type errors which, as far as I understand it, tried to install viruses whenever anyone visited my site.
May 22, 2007
- Following Through on Following Up
One of the reasons I've been able to build my consulting business so quickly is that I'm very good at following up. I respond to every phone call within 48 hours (unsolicited sales call excepted.) You'd be surprised, but I, very often, am the first person to respond when people are seeking information. You'd be surprised at how many times people leave messages or send emails to learn more, and nobody ever gets back with them.
March 9, 2007
- Is Your Business Ready for April 15th?
As April 15 looms ever closer, your mind (like mine) may be on taxes and finances. Last year was a very busy year for me- between getting married, buying a house, and keeping my consulting practice going- so my paperwork and financial management suffered a bit. I spent about an hour today looking for bank statements and getting everything in order to do my pre-tax analysis.
January 18, 2006
- Note your best ideas…
Record all your business products, business service and business promotional ideas in a journal or notebook.
November 10, 2005
- Do you market by feeling or plan?
When you're out there in the world, showing up to market your services, you are liable to experience a mix of feelings on any given day. Some days (the good ones!) you'll feel confident, enthusiastic, joyful. On the other days (the not so good ones!) you'll feel overwhelmed, stressed, and questioning if your marketing efforts are doing any good.
November 3, 2005
- Demonstrate integrity in your business.
One of the hallmarks of any healthy relationship is whether that relationship possesses integrity. Integrity, according to my dictionary, is defined as "the quality of being whole or undivided, completeness." Integrity is an important element of your business building process, because you can only make progress when your feelings and your actions are pointing in the same direction.
November 1, 2005
- Keep learning.
While you are, be sure to build in some time each week (or month) for you to invest in your own learning.
April 13, 2005
- Set aside a quiet place to plan.
My assistant is out sick for the near future, and I've taken on several new clients. My business life is feeling a bit hectic and rushed lately, and there hasn't been much time to plan. Since I like the creative space of thinking about my business and planning my next actions, I have been feeling the loss of this time pretty clearly.
March 17, 2005
- Have promotional material ready.
It's a good strategy to always have your promotional materials created, updated, and ready to hand out at a moment's notice. What materials should you create?
February 22, 2005
- Your time is your most valuable asset.
If you are a service provider, it's important to provide avenues for your potential customers to "sample" you and what you offer. Many service providers offer free initial consultations to allow their potential customers to "try before they buy". While I agree with this philosophy, in general, I also know that there is no end to requests for free consultations and sample sessions- and, you, yourself, need to decide when to say "when".
February 4, 2005
- Get your policies in place.
Does your business have well-defined policies already in place? If not, it's a good idea to craft some.
January 31, 2005
- Commit to a plan for at least 6 months.
When you're creating or revising your marketing plan, build in a long term view by planning to stick with your plan for at least six months, and a year is preferable.
January 26, 2005
- Address problems while they are small.
While running a business, you have the opportunity to address problems head on and manage them effectively before they become too big and out of control. However, avoidance seems to be part of human nature, despite the fact that the areas we keep avoiding tend to drain our energy and motivation, and we feel more and more overwhelmed as time goes on.
December 27, 2004
- Cultivating patience.
Entrepreneurs, in general, are a somewhat impatient group of people- always looking for results and thriving on the excitement and energy of new business, new contacts, new clients.
December 23, 2004
- Procrastinating on marketing? Try some self care, first.
One of the most interesting findings I've read lately suggests that good self care (i.e. taking time to relax, recharge and rejuvenate) can actually decrease the amount of time a person procrastinates.
December 20, 2004
- Consistency is the key to success.
Woody Allen once said that 80% of success is just showing up. I think this is especially true when marketing your business.
December 14, 2004
- What's working?
Do you ever find yourself feeling low energy, unhappy, overwhelmed or depressed about your business and the effort to be successful? If so, you've been spending too much time looking at what's wrong- rather than looking at what's right.
December 13, 2004
- Too much to do, and too little time.
Here are a few tips to be more efficient, both in your business & in your life: Don't multitask. Research shows that you can lose as much as 15% of your productivity switching too frequently from task to task. Instead, prioritize and work in larger chunks of time, where possible.
December 9, 2004
- Do you know what motivates you?
During a session yesterday, one of my clients mentioned that he was planning for 2005, and that he wanted to set up his working schedule differently for next year. When asked, he mentioned that he'd like to enjoy himself more often, and find a way to keep his business going strong, while overall having more time off.
December 6, 2004
- Success is a Journey
What this brings up for me is the reminder that success is really all about the journey- its all about the actions you take day by day- these actions line up, creating stepping stones to success. I think of the road of my life as being paved with amazing synchronicities, great views, and, yes, even the occasional pothole.
