Archive for Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit
4 Great Ways to Keep Your Business On Track
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a great post from good friend and fellow Book Yourself Solid Coach Sue Painter. Enjoy!
Solo professionals need a strong vision of where they’re headed and an internal warning system that tells them when they are getting off their game. Here are four ways to make sure you are keeping on track.
Take a look at your to-do list. Put a star by anything that has been on that list for more than two weeks, and look at those starred items with an eagle eye. Chances are, you are procrastinating on those items. Take the starred items and list them out on a separate sheet of paper, and out beside each one note what the very next step is to move that item forward. Now, either schedule it in your calendar for THIS week, or hand it off to an assistant. Often, entrepreneurs procrastinate because they are unsure how to proceed. If that’s the issue, call a friend, talk to your Mastermind group, put it on your coaching agenda – take an action that will get you out of “not knowing how.”
If you get into the habit of regularly scanning your to-do list and noticing what hangs on there for several weeks or more, you’ll develop the strong habit of pushing yourself out of procrastination.
Get yourself a timer. As you sit down to work on the task at hand, set the timer for half an hour and pledge to work ONLY on that task, with no interruptions. I often tell my clients that the world actually can live without them for 30 minutes at a time! Don’t check e-mail, answer the phone, Tweet about what you are doing. Stay right on task until the timer goes off. Using a timer to create concentrated periods of work teaches you focus. Entrepreneurs are well-known for having “bright shiny object syndrome” (also called fuzzy focus.) The more you train yourself to focus for short bursts of time, the more productive you will be.
Remind yourself of your big vision at least once a day, and tell someone else at least once a week. It’s easy to get discouraged when obstacles get in the way, and discouragement can lead to self-doubt. Regularly reminding yourself that you are doing your business for an important reason, and that you have every capability to succeed is critical. And about once a week, it’s good to hear that from someone else who is a supporter. Creating the habit of keeping your vision in the top of your mind fosters a strong faith in yourself and what you’re doing. It drives self-doubt out the door.
Get yourself into a Mastermind group, meet regularly, and don’t skip. You didn’t decide to be in business for yourself to play small, did you? Developing a strong relationship with other solo business owners who can encourage and support you creates a habit of thinking big. And that’s what you want to be doing, thinking big, thinking out of the box, thinking in ways that most people don’t think. A good Mastermind group will both encourage and challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, keeping you from thinking too small about yourself and your business. It’s a safe place to test out your most outrageous business ideas and get help in shaping those into reality. Develop the habit of thinking big and out of the box! It will help ensure that your business flourishes.
Using these four systems fosters four good habits that keep you right on track. And in the end, those habits lead directly to a better bottom line.
(c) Sue Painter
Want to learn more about these topics? Check out the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit Package!
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3 Steps to Achieving Any Goal
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re stuck on reaching a goal in your business and procrastination sets in, you’re not alone. It is one of the top reasons why we don’t flourish in our businesses.
If it were so easy everyone would be doing it right?
In the 4 Ways to Flourish Telesummit, Million Dollar Income Acceleration Coach David Neagle provided a great formula for becoming unstuck.
David Neagle shared a specific tool for reaching any goal in your business or personal life.
First, define your need, being as specific as possible. This is different than the big picture for your business; instead, it’s getting to the very goal you’re trying to reach in this moment. What David reminds us is that whatever we need is already here. This can be hard to accept or believe, but it’s true. When you put the need out there, the answer is there – waiting for you to find it.
Second, take a blank sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the center so you have two columns. Title the left column “Why I Can’t.” Title the right column “How I Can.” Beginning on the right side, list all of the ideas that come to your mind about how you can achieve the goal. But here’s the thing – simultaneously, your subconscious is going to tell you all the reasons why it can’t be done. Pay zero attention to that subconscious mind and continue writing the ideas down, no matter what.
Third, take action on each of your ideas. Don’t skip one, no matter how tempting! The answer is in your action. David says:
“The universe is trying to get you the thing that you need, more than you think you need it. But if you talk yourself out of doing one of those things, or you are afraid to do it, or it’s calling up some kind of fear for you, or you procrastinate – then you are not going to get the thing that you want. But if you [take action on each idea] you will take care of whatever your [need] is immediately.”
Your success is about reaching one goal at a time, and this simple tool can help you reach your next goal. This was just one of the great ideas that David shared, along with 3 other amazing entrepreneurs, during the 4 Ways to Flourish Telesummit.
Your call to action? Decide now to order the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit Package. For only $47, you’ll receive the audio files and professional transcripts from David and the other entrepreneurial leaders Sue Painter and I interviewed.
When you compare just one hour of these experts’ time with the price point of this series, I know you’ll see the value in taking action! And the truth is, you really can’t buy an hour of time with a few of these folks at any price!
Develop This and Boost Your Income
Posted by: | CommentsIn listening to James Roche in our Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit, he said something that really stood out to me.
Four Ways to Flourish is part of my "why" in serving women entrepreneurs!
He sees 1 quality in those who are able to move from some success in their business to truly growing – 6-figures, 7-figures and beyond.
What is it? Focus.
That ability to hone in on only the most important, income-producing elements of your business, and seeing them through to completion. I’ll be honest – I consider myself only a practitioner on this one, but working each day toward excellence.
Here are a two things I’m doing that have me squarely on the path:
I’m putting my team together. First I created a list of the tasks and services my business needs to run smoothly. Next to each task or service, I’ve listed 1-2 people or companies that can provide that service. I’m also in the process of hiring my first assistant to ultimately become the “point person” for daily operations, so I can focus on the creative side.
I’m creating my business and life schedule. If you’re anything like most entrepreneurs, your calendar has appointments and commitments spread all throughout the week – but no true focused blocks of time on revenue-generating activities. And you’re working late hours to finish what you’re not getting done during the day. I’ve now committed each week on Sunday evening – creating my schedule for the week and creating blocks of time dedicated to focus time, flex time, and open time so I can better manage my business.
James has achieved excellence in focus, and openly shared specific strategies and tactics with our listeners.
To learn more from James and our other speakers, order the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit Package. For only $47, you’ll receive mp3 files and professional transcripts from all of these amazing entrepreneurial leaders.
When you compare just one hour of these experts’ time with the price point of this series, I know you’ll see the value in taking action! And the truth is, you really can’t buy an hour of time with a few of these folks at ANY price.
Why did you go into business for yourself? Share your story!
Posted by: | CommentsThis blog post, “Are Men More Likely to Be Entrepreneurs than Women?” came across my Google Alerts this morning. I say the answer unequivocally is no way! The overwhelming majority of new businesses are started by women.
Check out the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit - all part of my "why" in serving women entrepreneurs and solopreneurs!
I’ll still never forget the day in November 2006 that I called my manager to resign. That was one of scariest and most exciting days of my life!
I had a successful career in sales, and although I worked a lot of hours, I loved it. I had lots of freedom to set my own schedule, travel to see customers, and run my territory like a business.
So why did I leave?
Being in technology sales didn’t thrill me. I didn’t leap out of bed every day and say “Hey! I can’t wait to sell computer hardware today! Bring it on!”
As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work for myself. I’ve always wanted to put a stamp on the world in my own way. To make a BIG difference. My favorite slogan of all time? Nike’s “Just do it.”
I grew up in a family of 5 daughters. And that I think that fostered a couple of things -
- A real independent streak. Some might even say I have a competitive nature. ;-)
- The decision to work with women entrepreneurs.
And this is my why: You see, I want every woman out there – who’s courageous enough to start her own business – to make it on her terms. To create her own stamp on the world, own her sense of self, and have her own wealth. I want to take the fear out of building a business that matters.
And you know what else? I think it would be SO COOL – when I learn about a person or an organization with a need – to be able to say without hesitation, “Hey! I want to support you, and I can do it. I can’t wait to write a big fat check or volunteer my time to help you make a difference. Bring it on!”
What’s your story? I want to hear!
Are you using V+C = P in your business?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s some new math to memorize for your business: V + C = P. (Credit to Mark Storey for the idea! @mastorey on Twitter).
Join us for a free telesummit! http://fourwaystoflourish.com
It’s simple but powerful.
Visibility + Credibility = Profits
In this equation, both visibility and credibility have an effect on profit. You can’t have just one and hope to create a profitable, sustainable business. And both increase, so do your profits.
Let’s look at each one individually:
Visibility. Think of visibility as showcasing your expertise in a way that makes others want to learn more. But here’s the thing: your target market needs to know you exist, and you have to know where to find them. Some strategies include public speaking, article writing (online and offline), offering free teleseminars and workshops. One big one? Your website. It’s your hub where people can get to know you, and you can always direct them there from any of the visibility strategies you use.
Credibility. Visibility gives you the opportunity to prove you’re credible. Think of your own buying experiences. Trace your steps from the time you became aware of someone through making your first purchase, and then any subsequent purchases. How did they do it? Through a thoughtful sales cycle. When your sales cycle includes a range of low-barrier to entry offering through your most expensive core offerings, you’re allowing someone to get to know you over time at a pace that’s comfortable to him or her.
Profitability. Combining visibility strategies and the credibility built through your sales cycle leads to better relationships with your target market. Better relationships over time lead to profitability, not just from a one-time sale, but multiple sales with the same client over time.
Learn more about one of my visibility and credibility strategies.
I invite you to register for a complimentary tele-summit, “Four Ways to Flourish for Solopreneurs,” beginning 9/29/2009.
Four well-known entrepreneurs will share their how-to’s on overcoming procrastination, self-doubt, distraction, and small thinking – things that can stop entrepreneurs in their tracks. Even addressing one of these behaviors will make a difference in your business!
Procrastination ≠ Profits (and what you can do about it)
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- Join us for this free telesummit! Register at http://fourwaystoflourish.com
Did you know there is actually a Procrastination Research Group? There is, and the group studies the causes and effects of procrastination on our well being.
The bottom line? It has a very real and negative effect on our lives. No surprise there.
This couldn’t be more true for us solo professional women. Procrastination directly affects our ability to earn income because we’re solely responsible for it, no corporate pay check! That in turn diminishes the lifestyle we had in mind when we began our business.
After some research and a couple of aha moments from my own experiences, I learned that procrastination is rooted in two big areas: knowledge and demand.
- The first area is knowledge. When something in our business directly challenges our level of knowledge, we feel threatened. The brain is wired to diminish threat and we focus our energies elsewhere, to less threatening tasks. That might be email, web surfing, letting the dog out, or checking on the laundry.
- The second area is demand, and especially time demands. In today’s world, we have a heightened awareness of productivity, but it’s not always the right productivity. Many demands are imposed from the outside, and that can breed resentment and delay. Do you notice those demands also sap a lot of mental energy?
We need to shift where we allow time demands to occur – from external demands to more quality internal demands. This means we choose where we spend our time, and ideally look forward to those tasks central to growing our businesses so we tackle them! And outsource the rest.
Here’s how you can take action today – register for the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit. Join me and my friend Sue Painter and learn from some notable entrepreneurs on how to tackle this topic and others. It’s completely free and our way to give back to the entrepreneurial community!