Little Fish, Little Pond

Even if you’ve been out of the workforce for a while or are venturing into a new field, everything you think and do is important at a startup. That’s because teams tend to be small, agile and innovative – often with payrolls of 10 people or less. Because everyone is generally expected to do almost everything, you will have ample opportunity to prove yourself. Play your cards right, and your input and contributions will be taken seriously and valued. It’s a great opportunity to make your mark in an industry.

Passionate People

Hopefully it goes without saying that you shouldn’t want to work at a startup just because it’s a startup. First and foremost, you need to follow your passion.People are rarely good at anything they don’t like to do, and as a startup employee, just plain “good” isn’t going to cut it. To fit in with the workplace culture, you have to be fired up – willing and able to break new ground.

Your coworkers are also likely to be driven, ambitious people who believe in what they’re doing. These are great people to learn from, and working in the trenches with them is a good way to network yourself and build lasting friendships.

Building Strong Networks

Sure, if you choose to work for a large, high-profile corporation, you can establish a great network of industry-specific professional contacts. However, if you play your cards right in the startup culture, you can build a dedicated, dynamic and, most importantly, diverse support network that can sustain your career regardless of the twists and turns it’s bound to take. Today’s startup could be tomorrow’s Fortune 500 company, so networking is really important.

Attend conferences and workshops. Get out and meet other entrepreneurs in your community. Passionate, change-oriented workaholics tend to flock together. Don’t stop there. Get to know your consumer advocates, who are the people out there who use and love your product and are rooting for your startup to succeed. Social media is a great place to get people on your bandwagon.

On-the-Job Learning

At a startup, you won’t be relegated to making copies and filing papers, patiently waiting for the chance to prove yourself. Instead, you’ll be expected to hit the ground running as fast as everyone else. It’s a race to execute the business plan; get this big, new idea up and running and make it profitable.

You will need to step out of your comfort zone and possibly do things you’ve never tried before. Yes, you can plan on making plenty of mistakes, but failure is fine, as long as you and your colleagues learn from it. Remember, you’ll be surrounded by smart people all working toward a common goal. What better learning environment is there?

Obviously, startups aren’t for everyone. The hours can be grueling, and there is a certain level of risk involved. If you have major family obligations and need the stability of a 401(k), it may be a good idea to look elsewhere. But if you’re a passionate, capable person in love with the idea of creating the next big thing, a startup may be the perfect choice. You can learn a tonne, make significant contributions to the team, and build a loyal support network.

Erin Palmer works for University Alliance and writes about HR programs offered by partner universities. Some of the HR courses help professionals with industry credentials such as the PHR certification.

One of my clients changed the colour of room along with a few other changes and bingo, that evening she met a great guy who is now her husband! Who says Feng Shui doesn't work?

I'm going to bet that you are reading this because you are frustrated with your life. You simply want to be able to relax and live comfortably in a stress free environment without everything piling up. Right?

If this described your thoughts, then you are going to love the articles I write. If you are just joining me, welcome and I encourage you to read my online articles. They will be extremely helpful to you.

The key is changing your environment to support your life.

Once we understand why we are doing what we are doing then we can seek the results we want.

In fact, the reason why your past efforts with life are going in the opposite direction to what you want is because no one has shown you, clearly, why you do what you are doing.

That is the most important thing that I do as a Feng Shui Practitioner.

There are two key things to consider that influence your life:

1. The way you think about yourself, your past, your relationships and the world.

Let's start with yourself. Respecting yourself by eating well, exercising and doing things that make you happy builds good inner Feng Shui.

• Your past: When we hold on to items from the past, they remind us of events or people good or bad. We can't change that but what we can change is letting go of these items in order to open up new opportunities. When we declutter and let go, we make room for the new and this moves us forward in life.

• Your relationships: When you respect yourself and live simply with minimal clutter, you will have built a strong and positive foundation. This strong foundation attracts positive relationships naturally because your Feng Shui flows smoothly.

• The World: Good inner Feng Shui is reflected outwardly in the world when you feel good about yourself. The confidence, respect and happiness you portray will naturally attract people to want to be around you and establish good relations, are you ready for that?

2. The way you respond to those thoughts in the form of arranging your home environment.

How you think is how you arrange your environment. If you are disorganized and in a constant state of clutter and chaos, you will attract the same type of people into your life.

It doesn't have to be this way though. By taking some time and energy to organize and rearrange your environment with some good Feng Shui principles, everything will flow smoother in your space and in your life.

Feng Shui is about using the principles and the items you have. Then by taking the time to implement some positive changes, your frustration will disappear. It will be like a breath of fresh air! Once you become aware of what is going on and use Feng Shui everyday, you'll create a more stress free, frustration free environment for yourself, both physically and mentally.

• put them in your pockets
• play with your hair
• rub the sweat off your palms onto your clothes (yes I’ve seen that!)
• rub your hands together like you’re trying to make fire

…phew I’m tired just thinking about this list. Use your hands to communicate, not groom yourself!!

Before you begin your copywriting project, you must know who your ideal client is.
 
Gone are the days of being all things to everyone. If you are not really clear about who you're talking to, your writing will reflect that and it won't connect. So, to truly be of service and help the people you are meant to help with your products and services, you must know who you’re writing to.
 
I often share one of my favorite analogies from my friend Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She says that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. Think about that for a minute… Imagine stripping away the words from any broadcast radio or televisions script, print ad, brochure, website, billboard, business card… well, you get the idea. As you imagine advertising, marketing and promotional pieces without words you begin to realize how important your copy really is.
  
This may seem obvious to you. At the same time, I've seen seasoned business owners grossly underestimate how crucial it is to get crystal clear about who their ideal clients are and what they respond to. When you lack clarity about this, the marketing messages created don't build relationships and as a result they don't connect with your intended audience (this means no action is taken and your bottom line suffers). Before you begin writing a single piece of copy you must know who you're speaking/writing to.

If you think "everyone" is your target or prospective market, your copy will be watered down. Vanilla, if you will. Bland copy doesn't build relationships or capture attention and a broad approach to capturing your market is kind of like trapshooting. Hit and miss. Unless, of course, you're a sharpshooter or in this case a professional copywriter who can skillfully reach your desired target and help you connect (and even the best copywriters still need you to be clear about your ideal client).
 
I actually once had a marketing professor in a small market claim he advised his students to target everyone in small markets because it's too expensive to segment. I was shocked and amazed by this methodology, especially since it's proven time and again that direct marketing to your ideal clients works best. Not everyone is your ideal client. Not everyone has interest in your product or services. And, most importantly, not everyone is prequalified to invest in what you have to offer.
 
So, give some serious consideration to who you want to reach BEFORE you begin writing. Consider your ideal clients. Hone your marketing skills to become laser focused on who you really want to work with and how you will be of service and benefit them. The bottom line is (and this related directly to the success of any campaign): The more clarity you have about who you want to do business with, the easier it will be to connect with them.
 
Take Action Challenge:
 
• Think about your business and who you ultimately want to work with.

• Consider all the entities of your business, products, services etc. (Note: Some of your products or services may have different ideal clients)

• Create a profile of your ideal client so you can craft marketing materials that speak directly to their needs.
 
To recap, you must first understand how important copy is, you must identify and profile your ideal client and from there you can begin the process of crafting your content in accordance to your Copywriting Action Plan which directly relates to your Content Strategy Plan (also known as your marketing editorial calendar).
 

See Also:

How-to: Choose a Copywriter for Your Marketing Success

None of us wants to have a bucket with a hole in it, but more often than not that’s exactly what we have when it comes to our businesses. We work hard to fill it with all the right stuff; planning, continuing education, contacts, PR, only to find we are left not producing the way we’d like to and what we do produce seeps out, draining us financially and emotionally.

• Become aware of the author… Half the battle is simply waking up and becoming conscious of the commentary running through your mind. Most people are oblivious to it. It is especially important to be alert to it whenever you experience adversity or trauma. What is the story am I telling myself right now? 

• Evaluate the story you are authoring. Many people confuse their old story with the truth. However, it is only one perspective, based on previous experiences and—too often—fear. We don’t have to accept that version of reality. Is this storyline accurate for where I am right now?

• Affirm what YOU know is true. You can either live life based on experiences, or current feelings about current experiences. Immerse yourself in TRUTH. Truth can be proven. Most people doubt their beliefs and believe their doubts. Do just the opposite. What do I know to be true?

• Author a new script. We are NOT passive spectators in our stories; we certainly don’t have to be victims. The ultimate Source gave us FREE WILL – our choices matter more than we think! How can I make the choices that create the best possible story?

For example, is it increasing your product sales or expanding your sales territory? Producing a video or gathering testimonials? Write it down.

Step Two – The ‘To Do’ List

List every item/action that needs to be done.

Step Three – Delegation

Determine what can be delegated and write the name of the company or person beside those actions. Give them the list with instructions on what needs to be accomplished and when.

Step Four – To Do or Not To Do, That is the Question

Evaluate the remaining items according to your immediate goal. Do they bring you closer to where you want to be at the end of the day? If not, leave them on the list for another day.

Step Five – The Six Most Important Things You Need to Do Today

Determine the six (not seven or five) most important of the remaining items that need to be done BY YOU today. Be specific. For example cleaning your office is vague. Filing the accounts payable is specific. Meeting with clients is vague. Coffee with Mrs. Smith at Waves at 2pm is specific. Get the picture?
 
Write down the steps needed to accomplish these specific tasks. It will keep you on track.

Step Six – Wash, Rinse, Repeat

When you’ve arrived at your office the next day, review your list and then go do it! At the end of the day, before you leave your office or before you go to bed, repeat steps one through six.
 
Now go get connected!
 

As a business consultant, I was frequently astounded labour, catering and other costs associated with these meetings. Focus and adhering to the agenda are particularly challenging. Why are meetings so popular and outcomes so poor?

I don’t have a good answer for this, but I do have an alternative I can share with you. Instead of a long, sit-down meeting in the boardroom, schedule a huddle style meeting – in work zones, in the board room or, when necessary, on the fly. I have used this approach for years and it allowed me to keep my finger on the pulse of the team and maintain strong relationships with each member. I gained more insights, shared more and connected more in significantly less time, which allowed me to focus on the strategic activities.

Focus on Actions and Results

Similar to a huddle in a football game before each play, team members come together to clarify what play will be executed. A huddle is a short meeting focused on actions and results. Each team member knows the agenda and is actively involved. As a team leader or business owner, it is your role to be clear on what is to be covered. Team members are responsible for being prepared with their input. Meetings limited to 10 minutes to ensure they are focused and effective.

Work Zone Centered

Huddles are held standing up and therefore can be conducted in the workzone. When people are not taken away from their primary work stations, there is no delay in the start time. Your team can step away from their desk, participate in the huddle and return to their routines in under 10 minutes.

Have a Huddle Start

Establishing huddles at the beginning of the work day offers an efficient and effective way to connect with team members. As the leader you are able to communicate tasks, work assignments and expectations. Your team can provide daily updates, ask for feedback, voice concerns and gain clarification. Everyone can contribute a great idea.

Be Friendly

Huddles do not stand on formality. You may be the manager or business owner, but stepping aside to be one of the team will help you all achieve more in less time, and at a lower cost! A huddle gives you a great opportunity to connect with your team at all levels. This approach also increases engagement and job satisfaction. When team members contribute, compliment them on their input – this offers added benefits for everyone involved.

On-the-Fly

A daily huddle at the beginning of each day is frequently the best as everyone set time aside and it provides a strong foundation to launch the work day. There are always situations where changes and last minute events require group consultation. These on-the-fly huddles address issues that cannot wait. They are focused and short and may only involve a few key members.

Why Do Huddles Work?

Most importantly, huddles focus on results and outcomes, therefore no time is wasted on long reports, unnecessary unfocused discussions or idle chatter. Huddles involve two way communication and input from every member of the huddle, rather than one way communication from the top often found in traditional meetings. Huddles also get business owners or senior managers to connect with employees and other team members in their work zone, rather than in the comfort of the boardroom.

Are you ready to change from long, unproductive meeting to short, results-oriented huddles?

Many of us women fall into the right brain category so the idea of systems can be a real turn off. However, if you consider the fact that you are already using systems it's much easier to wrap your head around the idea. You might be thinking, "But I don't use systems!" The truth is, from the time you get up in the morning until the time you go to bed, there are systems at work whether you are aware of them or not.

For example, every morning when you wake up you automatically revert to a system in order to prepare for the day. The same is true when it comes to house cleaning, cooking, working or taking the kids to their activities. For another example, on Monday nights I take my son to karate and so there is a system that goes on in our home every Monday that kicks in around 4pm until about 7:30pm.  

The key is to ask yourself, "What's working in my life and what isn't?" If something is working well then you can rest assured that your system is working in your favor. But if something is causing you a lot of stress than it's safe to assume that your system needs some work.  

This past week, a client was struggling with her laundry, grocery and paperwork system while another client was struggling with her children's bedtime routine, her self-care and meal planning. All of these require an effective system in order for them to work successfully.

So let's get to it! Here are some tips you can implement right away in order to get your new and improved systems up and running thereby making your life a whole lot easier!  

1. First things first, identify what is causing you stress. Pick a maximum of three to start. One may even be enough. Do not overwhelm yourself. Baby steps.  

2. Reflect on your current system and jot down ONLY what is working.

3. Make a list of what you need. For example, I need my children to be tucked in for the night by 8:30pm or I need to prepare a minimum of four healthy suppers per week. Your needs are very important so jot them all down!  

4. Come up with a prototype system, meaning a system that you think will work well and that you are willing to try. Don't forget to add what is already working, in other words, don't overhaul the whole system if part of the system is already working well! And do not be afraid to delegate work to others. You will have a chance to get their input at a meeting. See point #5.  

5. Call a meeting! There will likely be other people involved and it's important that you share your needs and your prototype system with them so they can offer constructive feedback and feel part of the new system. Kids, teenagers and adults all appreciate having the opportunity to express their opinions. Everyone's thoughts and feelings are important and therefore everyone should have a chance to express themselves. The purpose of the meeting is to make sure that a new or improved system is put into place and that everyone is relatively pleased with the outcome. You may hear a few whines here and there from the teenagers or kids, but that's normal.  

6. If you're a control freak like me, this is the perfect time for you to let others pitch in without nagging them to do it your way. I know… that's a tough one right?!  

7. Choose a start date to implement the new system and let it be known to all people involved.  

8. Allow at least three months to implement the new system. Have a follow up meeting after the first month to see if any tweaks or changes are required. (Again, what's working, what isn't?)

9. If after three months you notice a huge change, congratulate yourself and the others and move on to the next system causing stress!  

When it comes right down to it, almost everything in our lives requires some sort of system. Do not be afraid to get creative! Do things differently then you've ever done them before! Communicate what you need and allow others to do the same! Make a commitment to your new system and allow time for it to work!

I'd love to hear from you! Do you have a system you're using that works really well?

Monday through Thursday of last week:

We were still in Florida and, like you and I discussed, I threw in the towel trying to run on vacation.It’s all I could do to just keep up with running after the kids! Ha. After asking Karen Hagen-Richards from the Centre and Meeps, a colleague from Pennsylvania who has successfully completed the Couch to 5K program, they both encouraged me to just go on to the next training session after a week of missed workouts. I had my doubts, but…

Friday:

I was totally worn out from the trip and wasn’t able to get in touch with Dana, Susan, or Melpo. The thought crossed my mind that, after a week off, this might be it. I might be to the point that I quit and chalk this up to another good idea. Then, later in the evening, I decided to stick with it and get back on the right path. So, I decided to run the next morning while someone was home to watch the kids for a little while.

Saturday:

Saturday morning I showed up at Acorn Trail and sat in the parking lot for a little bit, just trying to settle my thoughts and slow down from a hectic few days. I called Susan to say "hi" and it turns out she was out of town on Friday. She decided to come run and, as I waited for her, I started my session. We met up at about the halfway point and I turned around and finished her run with her. As recommended, I attempted the two eight-minute runs with a five-minute walk in between and…made it! It was a piece of cake! I would have never believed it.

This program is doing amazing things for my health and perception of what my body can accomplish. Here’s the cool part: after Susan and I finished our run, we walked back to the parking lot and…there stood Melpo! So, we just turned around and did her workout with her! It was so much fun and such a great session after some time away. We look forward to seeing each other and encouraging each other to keep on going!

Last year, Michele decided to participate in the Couch to 5K program so she could run a marathon for charity. These articles are a diary of her experiences as she worked towards her goal between July and September of 2011.

See also:

Couch to 5K: Vacation, Disney and Chocolate (Week 6)

Couch to 5K: Losing My Dad (Week 5)

Couch to 5k: Storms and Skinny Jeans (Week 4)

Couch to 5k: A Much Needed Do-Over (Week 3)

Couch to 5K: This is Why People Quit (Week 2)

Couch to 5K: Getting Started on Getting Fit (Week 1)

Couch to 5K: One Mom’s Journey Back to Health (Week 0)

1. These are Tough Times

No matter where in the world you operate your business, economic uncertainty is a reality. To stay competitive and keep your revenues steady, you need to know what your market is up to. Will your customers continue to buy your products and services at the same price? Are they finding substitutes? Are their needs evolving? Part of a great business plan is a thorough market and industry analysis that’s kept up to date. How is your industry adapting to shifts in the economy? Has supply or demand evolved? Are there any new competitors? What are the biggest challenges your industry is facing? How is the market reacting?

2. You Need Money

Your business needs money in order to grow, and you might have to get that money from a bank or an investor. Even if your investor is your mom, you need a business plan, and she’d be smart to ask you to write one. The person with the money absolutely needs to know that you fully understand your business and your environment, because it’s changing all the time. Your vision might change too, and you need to articulate it to stay on track. Remember, the people with the money want to know you’re not getting complacent.

In order to engage new stakeholders and get them excited about your business, your business plan must be current, succinct, and relevant. It needs to be accessible and easy to read. It needs to follow up on your previous objectives by showing where you reached your goals and where you had trouble.

3. It’s Foggy Up Ahead

Since we can’t predict the future or see exactly where our businesses are headed, the best we can do is plan a path and do our best to follow it. You might already be in a strong cash position and generating revenue, but you can create a guideline that shows that you’re measuring your business’s current state, and that you can adapt should your business environment change (because it will). You can’t predict the future – not even these huge brands could – but you can plan for many possible outcomes.

4. Your Business Can Be Copied

When you started your business, you might have been unique – but chances are, someone else is now trying to do what you do, or do something similar and competing for the same customers. You need a plan to differentiate yourself from your competitors, because like it or not, if you don’t already have them, you will. Knowing your competitive advantage and incorporating that into a business plan that you can refer to any time you face a challenge is key to ensuring that you will continue to make money as your direct and indirect competition evolves.

5. Your People Need to Know

A business plan is a valuable tool for your employees and internal stakeholders; it may instil confidence in the people who work for you. They will know that you’re not floundering, that you’ve considered the future of the company and how your employees play a role in that development. A business plan is an exceptional internal document to share confidentially inside your company, because the long-term path of the company is usually not clear to everyone. How long can you maintain your current growth rate? Will the market become saturated? Will you have to diversify in order to keep growing? You need to know this stuff, and so do the people who work for you.

A business plan can be a powerful tool for growth, if it’s thorough and well-written. Don’t put it off!

Jessica Oman owns Write Ahead Consulting, a business plan writing, copy writing and editing firm servicing small businesses and start-ups. She is a two-time UBC alumni with degrees in English and Education, and holds an MBA from Simon Fraser University. Jessica is a hockey enthusiast, proud dog owner and obsessive cyclist.

Leadership requires more than just our position or our passion. According to Wally Buono (GM, BC Lions Football Club), “Leadership is about others wanting to follow your lead.” Buono went on to say, “when you are not authentic, those closest to you will know this, even if you are able to portray a different image to the outside world.”

Be You

One of the best approaches to leadership is to be YOU.This involves staying true to yourself and your values. It also includes having a clear vision that you can effectively communicate to others. When challenges appear, are you able to bring these obstacles into perspective and be guided authentically when you allow your values to lead the way.

Last month I wrote about Business with Heart. Operating a heart-centred business requires that you be true to yourself and those around you. When you lack clarity in your own values, vision or the desired outcome, a natural imbalance will occur.

As a leader, it is important to know who you are and what you are good at, and what areas are best performed by others. Accepting that you are not “perfect” and knowing that your team can allow you to do what you do best opens you up to more opportunities as a leader, and greater success in the long run.

Be Open and Engaged

A good leader is able to remain open to new ideas, feedback and sees opportunities that present themselves. Leadership involves leading others and guiding them to fulfill the vision. When you are authentic, barriers are broken down and communication, comfort and innovation are able to rise to the surface allowing effective solutions to be identified.

Part of leadership also involves recognizing when others are challenged, frustrated, or otherwise ‘off-course.’ The ivory tower of leadership no longer has a place in business. Today’s leaders must interact, observe and engage with each member of the team on a regular basis. Learn more about your team members – what they like, what is important to them, their family, their goals etc. Be willing to share things about yourself too to strengthen your connection on a more personal level. You don’t have to share private things that could interfere with your role, instead you share experiences, thoughts, ideas and stories that relates to what was shared with you.

Ask for Help

Leadership can be a lonely place if you do not ask for help. Help may come from your network, from your followers, a mentor or a certified coach. A mastermind group is another exceptional tool to enable you to lead effectively while stimulating your role so you remain clear on your vision, maintain and develop innovation in others, engage and develop your followers.

Get the support you need so you don’t let your internal ‘Gremlin’ interfere with your ability to lead effectively. Remain true to yourself, connect with your team and be an engaged leader.

“When you come to a fork in the road – take it.”

Do you ever feel like you hate absolutely everything and everyone involved with your business? Do you wonder why you even show up in the morning? Do you fantasize about pitching it all and running away to Costa Rica? Do you doubt your ability to make the business a success, to make it WORK?

On a Day of Doubt, give it one more day.

It’s OK to give up on your business. If you are not succeeding, you may not have yet found your true calling. Or, you may not have given it enough time. Or taken the right steps. How do you know?

Pray for a sign. Why not? You might get one. Or, you might realize the signs have been there all along. You’ve just not seen them. Is it too much to ask for a bolt of lightning?

On the Day of Doubt

Today, on a Day of Doubt, play “hookie.” Punch out for a few hours. Do something completely different.

• Read – fiction only today.
• Walk until you get physically tired. Walk for hours.
• Don’t speak out loud for the rest of the afternoon.
• Visit a cool music store and listen to unfamiliar artists.
• Draw something.
• Dance.
• Drive.
• Play with Lego.
• Play chess by yourself.
• Watch people.

Do something that you don’t usually do to unwind. If you usually work out, skip the work out and take a nap instead. And let it go at that for today. Act on it tomorrow. You aren’t quitting today. Give it one more day. The day you walk away from your business will be on a day of certainty…not on a Day of Doubt.

On the Day After the Day of Doubt

Head to the office. Close your door. Or, lock yourself in your car (without the engine running.) Today, you are going to think. Reflect on all that you have created. So often we neglect to acknowledge and enjoy our victories because so many battles lie ahead. Today, take a moment to congratulate yourself on your accomplishments. Consider these questions:

• Since the beginning of the year, what has changed…in yourself, in your business?
• What have you accomplished?
• Do you have a purpose in your business, a mission? Is your business consistent with that mission?
• Is your business supporting your values?
• Are you making more money?
• Are you making enough money?
• Are you reaching your goals?
• Are you having fun?
• Are you making a positive difference in people’s lives?
• Are your relationships strong and healthy?
• Are you fit and strong…physically and spiritually?
• If you could shut down your business with a snap of your fingers…would you?

Profitability can make the difference between a business that serves your life and a business that doesn’t. Money is terrific, but it is not the only measure of success. Does your business serve your life?

Place a blank sheet of paper on your desk. On the left side, put a minus sign on the top; on the right side, place a plus sign. Now, list the negatives and positives of your business. This is the classic Ben Franklin method of decision making. See if the pluses outweigh the minuses.

Should the business stay in your life? Should it go?

My friend Paul Swan, Swan Plumbing & Electrical, Richfield, OH, adds another element to the decision making process: “Test drive” the answers in your mind. Pretend you snapped your fingers and made the business go away. How does it feel? Perhaps according to the Ben Franklin test, the minuses outweigh the pluses. If you find yourself feeling deeply disappointed with the logical answer, consider how you can change the minuses into pluses.

Should you keep working your business plan, or change your direction…and your business? Essentially, it’s a spiritual dilemma. You are exchanging a good portion of your life for your business. It has to serve you and it has to serve others. Search your heart. Meditate. Pray. Ask God for peace and guidance.

Many years ago, a friend of mine successfully climbed a 24,000 foot mountain peak. Afterwards he said something that stuck with me. He mentioned that not everyone made it to the top. One of the members of his party struggled with altitude sickness and had to turn around less than 1,000 feet from the summit.

“He must have been hurting pretty bad,” I commented.

“Well,” my friend responded, “It had better be pretty bad before you turn around. Because once you turn back, the pain goes away. Then you forget how bad it was. And you start to wonder, ‘Could I have made it?’”

Now, you may choose to take a different route. Or change your pace, or your climbing partners. Or you might try again after you repair some equipment. But if the summit represents your mission, if you are clear on what you want, don’t give up. Just keep applying the basics. Improve your knowledge and skills in each area of your business. Make decisions and take action. And press on.

And if you choose another path?

Here is a story from a wonderful book called Mastery by George Leonard.

“When Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, was quite old and close to death, the story goes, he called his students around him and told them he wanted to be buried in his white belt. What a touching story; how humble of the world’s highest-ranking judoist in his last days to ask for the emblem of the beginner! But Kano’s request, I eventually realized, was less humility than realism. At the moment of death, the ultimate transformation, we are all white belts. And if death makes beginners of us, so does life – again and again.”

On a piece of paper, write this:

Did you choose another path? Congratulations! Life is full of options and I look forward to hearing about your new adventures. Take some time to craft a plan. Not too much time. And don’t worry about putting a bullet-proof plan together. Set your sight on the horizon and get going.

Did you choose to pursue the path you are on? Good for you! Now, pull out your calendar. Set a date, somewhere in the future. On that date, you may reconsider your decision. In the meantime, do not question it. Just go go go. Approach your business with fresh eyes. Get really clear on what you really want. Put a plan together. A plan keeps you focused and allows you to keep your ideas in written form in one place. That is so much nicer than trying to remember things. Work the plan. Address your dysfunctional relationships. Handle them. Or, disconnect from them. If that means letting someone go, let him go.

Make sure that between now and the date you just wrote on your calendar, you leave everything you have in you on the playing field. Don’t hold back. Give it all you’ve got. Because when that date arrives, you may choose to end this pursuit and select another path. Once you change direction, the pain will go away. You will be able to walk away with your head held high if you are comfortable that you did everything you could to make it work.

Life is too short to spend it doing something you hate with people who suck the life out of you. Life is long enough to have several businesses, careers and adventures.

Don’t change direction on a Day of Doubt. Wait a day. Then decide.

Feng Shui changes are often simple and use the objects you already have. These changes create a sense of joy and peace. People feel more inspired and motivated – they can feel the difference.

All of the objects we have in our gardens either make us feel good or bad. In turn, this affects how we feel every day. Eliminating clutter enables energy to move more freely and smoothly. Consequently, our lives flow more freely and smoothly too.To balance our spaces, we use the five elements in Feng Shui – wood, water, metal, earth, and fire. Each element has different characteristics.

Here are TOP ten tips to help you create a Feng Shui garden:

1. Clear the clutter.

This eliminates stale and stagnant energy. Outer clutter equals inner clutter. So, starting with a clean, organized space is key to good Feng Shui. This also includes trimming overgrown trees or plants, and removing excess furniture or pots.

2. Assess sunny and shady areas.

Identify which parts of the garden get sun and which get shade and protection. There should be a good balance of both in a Feng Shui garden. This allows you to have a variety of shady and sun plants.

3. Decide on a type of garden. Here are a few examples:

• Zen garden – great for relaxation and meditation.
• Kitchen garden – useful for growing vegetables and herbs.
• Low maintenance garden – filled with natural vegetation and flowers.
• All-season garden – contains blooms all year long.
• Entertaining garden – usually includes a barbecue, patio, and space for games.

Design your garden according to your needs and desires. The goal is to make your garden a place of comfort. If it doesn’t feel right, chances are your space is unbalanced and changes need to be made.

4. Use natural materials.

Whenever possible, it is important to use natural materials such as native plants, wood items, rocks, and mulch to add to the visual appeal. For example, plastic furniture is not good use of material in Feng Shui. Instead, choose wood or metal when possible.

5. Add a water feature.

The addition of water to your garden adds sound and brings in the flow of abundance. A slow moving fountain or pond raises the chi energy and generates more prosperity in your life. Always be sure the water is flowing towards your home.

6. Choose different colours.

Diversifying the colour of items will help balance the space and make your garden more visually appealing. In particular, try balancing reds, oranges, and purples (fire colours) with whites, yellows and pastels (calming colours).

7. Use different heights.

Varying the height of plants stimulates our sight and creates a more interesting space.

8. Create meandering paths.

Winding paths slow down the chi energy and keep it within the space. Straight passageways allow it to escape more easily.

9. Segregate sharp, pointy plants.

Avoid positioning plants with sharp, pointy leaves such as roses and holly beside paths. They give off negative energy and could harm you and your guests if you rub against them.

10. Make a list.

Prioritize what needs to be done first. Don’t overwhelm yourself and try to do everything at once. Take your time – creating a good Feng Shui garden is about the journey and connecting with nature.

1. Grab a hot chocolate, coffee, or your preferred caffeine stimulant.

We said this was about creating a simple social media strategy, not that it wouldn’t take you some time (time well spent, might we add).

2. Identify your target market and where they are online

This is the first thing you should do, and key to your overall marketing strategy. Really think about your ideal customer; how old are they, are they male or female, what does their family situation look like – married, divorced, single, kids?, where do they live, what do they do for fun? Once you’ve narrowed down who your target audience is, spend some time figuring out where they hang out online. There’s no point starting a company Twitter page or YouTube Channel, if your target customers are LinkedIn and Facebook kind of folks.

3. Start listening to your community

Now that you know where your target audience hangs out, start following them on Twitter and liking their pages on Facebook. There’s already a conversation happening online about you or your industry, start tuning in to get an idea of what’s being said.

4. Create content and engage

Now that you’ve determine where your target market hangs out online, and listened in on what’s being said, you can begin creating and sharing content. This is the bread and butter of your online presence – post interesting content, and people will share it on Facebook and LinkedIn, RT it on Twitter, and +1 it on Google+. The more people that share your content, the more people see it, and the bigger your online presence becomes. Pay attention to patterns, if people respond really well to a particular style of post, for example, asking a question on Facebook, post like that more often. You’ve got a winner, engagement-wise.

5. Online cohesiveness

Make your website your online hub. When people visit your website, they should be able to see everywhere else you have a presence online. This means including a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc, button at the top of each page of your website (or, at the least, on your homepage). Link these buttons to your social networks, and include an RSS feed button if you have a blog. While you’re at it, use the same color scheme and profile picture (your company logo) when you customize your account on each social network. This way people that visit your Facebook page or YouTube Channel will know right away that it’s your company. The easier you make it for people to find you online, the better.

6. Set a schedule

Ok, now that you have a simple social media strategy and your building a presence online, don’t let it fall to the wayside. The worst thing you can do is start a Facebook page or Twitter account, and then stop updating it. Potential customers who find you on these social networks may wonder whether you’re still around if you last posted four months ago. Social media is technically free, but it can take a lot of time. We recommend making a list of things you need to do every day to accomplish your goals online, and then stick to it. There you have it, a simple social media strategy to get you started online.

This article was written by Corrie Scott, the Digital Marketing Manager at Out-Smarts Marketing. Corrie is a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with an honours degree in Commerce. Her professional interests include marketing, economics, and law, and she has aspirations to pursue a joint MBA-Law degree.

There is no magical way to achieve business success while raising your children and keeping your house sparkling clean. Different techniques will work for different people, so it might take some trial and error before you figure out what’s best for you. The following advice can help you work through even the most chaotic days.

Map out business time

Creating and sticking to specific working hours is the essential step in developing a strong work routine. Whether you choose to work for five hours at a time or carve out shorter blocks at specific intervals, it is essential to make your business a priority.

Having a schedule can also help children get accustomed to sharing you with your work. While your child is doing homework, you can get to work as well. Try scheduling working hours when your child has activities planned. Children often have an easier time adjusting to changes when a routine is worked out. Making your kids a part of the schedule can help make it easier on your entire family.

Make adjustments without giving up

Obviously, even the best schedules are not always possible to follow. Things will come up; plans will be delayed or ignored altogether. Setbacks are inevitable, but how you deal with them is important. Don’t let last minute changes derail you entirely.

If you are unable to get your work done as planned, try to reschedule it. If it is impossible to get it all done, figure out small tasks that you can get done. Every little bit helps, so take a few moments to return a phone call or send some emails. These small accomplishments can help you transition back to business mode when your schedule returns to normal.

Master the art of creating goals

Goals should not be considered an abstract hope for your business. You should create goals that have tangible outcomes. Create short and long-term goals that cover every aspect of your business. You can make goals about your schedule, sales, customer relations and work-life balance.

Monitoring your goals is a crucial part of the process. Keep track of your successes and goals that didn’t work out as you hoped. Measuring the progress of your goals can teach you a lot about your business. You can learn where your time is best spent and figure out how to keep growing. Best of all, you can celebrate the victories that come along with goal-setting.

Mend problems right away

Being your own boss means that every issue is your responsibility. Ignoring problems or putting off dealing with them will only hurt your business. Negative experiences can lead customers or clients to lose faith in your business. Word of mouth can spread quickly through social networks and undo a lot of your hard work. A website crash can deter potential customers. Make sure to address problems as they arise to keep them from growing.

Even if you are incredibly busy, take a few moments to make a call or send an email. If you can’t address the problem right away, you can at least assure your customers or vendors that it has been acknowledged and offer a timeline for fixing it. Think of business problems in terms of your children. If your children are sick, you treat them immediately. If your business is suffering, work on making it better.

Mentor other Mompreneurs

When your business becomes a thriving success, give back to others facing the same struggles. Offer advice, write a blog post or schedule a phone call. Networking is a huge part of business, so don’t ignore it just because you work from home. Not only can you help out your peers, but you will also benefit from their unique knowledge.

Running a business is a constant learning experience. Reaching out to help guide others can help you as well. You might find new business opportunities or arrange to trade services with another business owner. Making contacts with your peers can also be therapeutic. After all, no one knows the ups and downs of working from home quite like another Mompreneur. Being there for one another with empathy and advice can help make each of your businesses happy and successful.

Erin Palmer is a writer and editor for Bisk Education. She works with several top-tiered universities, such as Villanova University’s HR certification programs. Erin can be reached on Twitter @Erin_E_Palmer.

So here’s my list of do’s and don’ts:

1. Do remember that quality is more important than quantity.

Networking is about building relationships, not getting as many business cards as possible.

2. Don’t hit me over the head with your business card.

This is a big pet peeve of mine. People always pull out their business card right away – I think the polite thing to do is to wait until you are asked.

3. Do have your elevator speech down.

You must be able to tell people who you are and what you do in seconds. Don’t be afraid to make it interesting and fun! Working with a public speaking coach is a great way to learn how to create a killer elevator speech.

4. Don’t get too caught up in your smart phone.

You go to any networking event today and you see so many people standing alone texting or tweeting. They might as well be at home – I don’t know why they bother to come out and be with other human beings at all!

5. Do show a genuine interest in what other people have to say.

Listen attentively to what the other person is saying. Ask them questions. What do they do? What do they need help with?

6. Don’t ask for referrals from people you just met.

A friend told me about someone she had just met at a networking event who asked her for a referral right away. Obviously she was surprised and explained that she would need to get to know them better first.

7. Do take your business cards with you.

The number of times I’ve met people only to have them say, I forgot my business cards!

8. Don’t look like you just got out of bed.

I know that beauty shines from within, but it doesn’t help if you haven’t washed your hair in a month and you’re wearing your favourite sweats. I always dress to impress and so should you.

9. Don’t drink too much!

This is a BIG one. Drinking alcohol will impact the way you communicate and even your body language. Don’t drink at all if you’re driving – it’s not worth it!

10. Do follow up with the people you meet after either by email or social media.

Only about 10% of the people I meet at networking events follow up with me. That’s pretty shocking right? Send them a short email or an invitation to connect on LinkedIn, Twitter etc…

These tips are born out of my personal experiences attending hundreds of networking events. Ultimately my goal when networking is to expand my circle of professional contacts and see how we can help each other. That’s it – simple. Over the years I’ve been very lucky and many of the people I’ve met over a glass of wine at an event are now my clients and even my friends. So take the time to master those front line communication skills and see where they can take you.

Do you have a question about networking? Do you have tips you'd like to add to Narges list of Do's and Don'ts? Leave your comments below.

Is it really worth It?

Now's the time to take command of your time and earn what you're worth.

1. List the superfluous tasks.

List all the tasks you perform during one calendar month that don't directly relate to your core business. For example: if your core business is graphic design, then accounting, marketing, customer support, filing, are tasks that eat into your design time.

2. You earn how much per hour?

Add up the hours you’ve spent working, including core business tasks as well as business-related items like filing and answering the phone. Surprise! Spending time and money on less important tasks means a lower pay grade. OK, here’s a thought: you invoice your clients $80 for an hour spent on their project, and THEN you spend two hours on extraneous tasks like refilling the paper tray in your printer, re-labeling your filing cabinet or updating your database. Based on your hourly rate, you’ve just spent $160 on tasks that an office assistant could do for $17/hour. Did you really make any money?

3. Hire help.

Yes you can afford it. You can’t afford not to. Remember, it’s your core business that earns you an income and who better to do it? YOU!  You’re hiring for a part-time position so students, women with small children or retirees are great resources. Ask other local businesses who they use. Hiring a virtual assistant (VA) is another option. VAs can do your appointment scheduling, invoicing and data entry – just to name a few things – and it’s all done remotely. You don’t have to be in the office for them to do their job.

4. Give it away!

Delegate as much as you can. Yes, it’s your passion, baby, creation – insert other warm fuzzy adjective here – but face it, there’s only one of you and since you can’t clone yourself (not yet anyway!) to grow your business, you’ve got to engage the services of others.

Time is the one thing you can’t buy and it’s the most important asset you have. We all have the same amount to work with in any given day so make the most of that time by doing what you do best. Allow others to take over tasks that free up that time for you to build your business.

Now go get connected!

If you haven’t heard, Pinterest is currently the fastest growing social network, not only that but it is one of the fastest growing websites ever. Launched in March 2010, the site began to take off late last summer after Time magazine noted it as one of the best websites of 2011. Since then the rate of growth has been phenomenal (the site now has over 2 million daily Facebook connected users) but is it simply a fun online network or does it have potential to be a serious business tool?

What is Pinterest?

So what, first of all, is Pinterest? Imagine a virtual pinboard that you can use to pin visually stimulating things that you find online on and you are halfway there.Then imagine being able to share your pins with other users and have them share theirs with you. Pinterest’s vision it to connect everyone in the world through things they find interesting.

Pinterest is succesful because of it’s simplicity, ease of use and because it appeals to those who appreciate eye candy. Pinterest users tend to be females between 18 and 40  and they spend on average 98 minutes on the site.

Is Pinterest a Viable Business Tool?

People may be spending time on the site but what I want to know is – is it a viable business tool? Many tech bloggers and social media heavyweights have yet to be convinced (many of them are male and most have yet to think of a professional use for it) and some have gone as far as ridiculing it, so I decided to ask our friend Sue Sinclair of Raspberry Kids. Raspberry Kids is an online store that sells kids toys, litterless lunch gear, books and gifts. Their target audience closely resembles that of Pinterest users and Sue has been using the virtual pinboard for a few months now. Raspberry Kids’ website has seen an increase in traffic as a result. Not only that but customers have been sharing and pinning images of Raspberry Kids products – RK made it easy for them to do so by adding the Pin It button to each product page on their site. This has  spread the raspberry love to new audiences and sales have resulted.

I’m really excited about Pinterest because it is such a game changer for ecommerce sites and businesses like ours. – Sue Sinclair, Raspberry Kids

Pinterest appeals to creative thinkers, to right brained types who appreciate visual stimulation. It also appeals to consumers and shoppers and lovers of cute cat pictures but that aside, we believe that Pinterest could become an important tool for businesses of all types. The obvious benefactors are companies like Raspberry Kids whose target audience is similar to the demographic Pinterest appeals to but other organisations can benefit too: design firms of all kinds, photographers, fashion houses, clothing retail, and other image rich businesses will be able to use Pinterest to extend their reach.

To test the waters, we launched our own Out-Smarts Pinterest page recently and we’re already discovering benefits. For example, the infographic we shared on our blog last week called Timing Your Tweets was found on Pinterest and we are using it to track and share other useful images that our audience might find valuable on our social media, Internet and email boards. We see it as a great tool to visually represent our brand, to share useful content and to show followers what Out-Smarts stands for. From a selfish perspective it is also a great tool to help us keep track of brands on Pinterest, widgets, books worth a read and more.

Whether Pinterest will eclipse Facebook remains to be seen (and is a long, long way off) but for now, Pinterest is without a doubt a fun way to share eye candy and it also has huge potential to help businesses reach new audiences (especially if those audiences are young women), display their wares, visually convey their brand and drive traffic to their websites.

Brands on Pinterest:websites.

Some well-known brands already on Pinterest include Whole Foods, Etsy, Mashable, General Electric and Sony Music. To find them,  simply type in the Pintererest website (http://www.pinterest.com/) followed by the company's name. For example, if you're looking for Etsy, type this in your URL: http://www.pinterest.com/etsy/ and if you're looking for Out-Smarts, type http://www.pinterest.com/outsmarts/

Written by Mhairi Petrovic, founder of Out-Smarts Marketing. Passionate about social media and Internet marketing, Mhairi blogs and podcasts regularly.

I’ll admit it, the first few pages of this book didn’t spark my interest and if I’d been browsing in a bookstore, I probably would have put the book down and walked away. But I was at home and had the time to read just before bed, so I decided to give it a fair shake and read the first chapter. By the time I finished the first chapter, I really wanted to read the second chapter. And then, the next thing I knew, the birds were chirping outside, the sun was coming up, and I’d finished the entire book in one sitting!

I can’t even tell you what grabbed me, but something drew me into the story and kept me wanting to find out what would happen next. I was impressed by how real the characters were in their interactions with each other, and I kept thinking that this book would make a great movie or even a TV or Web series. I’m eager to find out what Kimberly will come up with next for her second novel, which she’s already writing.

THE GIVEAWAY:

Kimberly (the author) is offering to give away a copy of her book to two (2) lucky readers. Not only will she sign it, but she’ll also include a special message if you want. There is one required entry and several bonus entries. You need to do the required entry in order for the bonus entries to count.

OPEN TO:

Entrants from Canada and USA only, who are legally allowed to enter according to their local laws. (If the rules in your city, province, state or country say you can't enter this giveaway, then don't.) The giveaway sponsor (Kimberly) is taking care of mailing books to the winners, but if there are any other costs that arise (for example, taxes or import fees, etc) the Winners are responsible for dealing with that. Books will only be mailed out to winners with a mailing address in Canada or USA.

DEADLINE:

Giveaway ends April 22, 2012, at midnight (PST).

HOW TO ENTER:

Please include your EMAIL address on every entry. If you’re worried about spam, it can be written like this or similar: name [at] yahoo dot com

Do a separate comment for each entry. Your comments are like raffle tickets: a separate one for every entry.

REQUIRED ENTRY:

Visit Kimberly’s website and tell me one thing you learned: www.kimberlyslinbooks.com

BONUS ENTRIES: (give your twitter/facebook names in the comments section)

Join Kimberly on Facebook (1 entry)
http://www.facebook.com/KimberlySLin

Join Entrepreneurial Woman on Facebook (1 entry)
http://www.facebook.com/EntrepreneurialWoman

Follow Kimberly on Twitter (1 entry)
http://www.twitter.com/KimberlySLin

Follow Entrepreneurial Woman on Twitter (1 entry)
http://www.twitter.com/ewoman_magazine

Tweet the Giveaway (1 entry per day)
And tell us here in the comments that you did so. Include your twitter name and day/time tweeted, or your twitter-message link thingy. You know…that link code that, if someone clicks on it, will take them directly to your tweeted message.

"Enter @ewoman_magazine’s Giveaway, “Recession Proof” – a novel by @KimberlySLin #EWMBooks http://www.entrepreneurialwoman.ca/2012/03/26/review-giveaway-recession-proof-a-novel"

Join Entrepreneurial Woman’s monthly newsletter. (2 entries)
http://www.entrepreneurialwoman.ca/subscribe-to-our-newsletter

This is a 2-step process: you’ll need to click on the ‘confirmation link’ that shows up in your email after you sign up.  Put a note next to your computer so you remember that you signed up so when you receive our first newsletter, you aren't surprised. Lol! We hope you'll love our newsletter, but if you want to unsubscribe later, that’s okay. Just click on the unsubscribe link inside the newsletter. (Clicking on the ‘report spam’ link instead doesn’t work: if you click that, you're telling your ISP provider that you didn’t sign up for anything in the first place and it hurts our reputation, but what it doesn’t do is actually unsubscribe your from our list. And since we don’t know you want to unsubscribe, we'll keep sending you our newsletters.)

WHAT IF I’M ALREADY FOLLOWING YOU?

If you already follow us on Facebook or Twitter…YAY! Thanks! Let us know and give us your Facebook or Twitter name. If you’re already subscribed to the newsletter, let us know and give us the email you used to sign up with (so we can find you on our list.) You get entries as long as you remember to tell us and leave your comments below.

PRIVACY STATEMENT:

• We value and respect your privacy.
• When you enter a giveaway or join the newsletter, we only use your information in order to run the giveaway or deliver the newsletter. We do not give away or sell your information.
• The potential winners will be contacted and, once confirmed, the winners real names and contact info will be sent to Kimberly so she can mail out the books, and we’ll publish some info (name/city/country) on EWM’s pages (website, Twitter, Facebook, newsletter) and/or on Kimberly’s pages (website/blog/Facebook/Twitter) as well, so everyone knows who won.

Disclosure:

We received a free copy of the book so we could review it.

So this week I have totally crashed and burned on my workout plan.

Monday:

We were joined by a new runner, Melpo, who is totally great and is just starting the Couch to 5K plan, so my slow running pace makes us great partners. Susan and Dana share a faster pace, so there’s something there for everybody – which feels really good.

Tuesday:

Mom and I spent almost all day doing paperwork and going to different appointments to take care of things after Dad’s passing last week.It was hard to believe it had been a week since he passed away. I wonder if I’ll feel that way in a month…a year…ten years. It’s sad to think about living the rest of my life without him. His name and number are still on my favorites in my phone and I still have a voicemail from him. Sometimes I listen to it, just to hear his voice again.

Wednesday:

I had every intention of running and then packing us up for vacation, however; my husband talked some sense into me and I ended up staying home to do laundry and fill suitcases with way too much stuff. You know how that goes ….

Thursday:

In the morning our family and another family piled in our rental van and began the 19 hour trip to Tampa and then Orlando, Florida (Disney!). I had big plans to run from the hotel gym, but we didn’t stop until 1:30am on Friday morning so I pretty much just fell into bed after we got the kids tucked in.

Friday:

We arrived at our destination after two solid days in the van with three adults, two teenagers, a five-year-old, and a two-year-old. Believe it or not, the kids did great. It was like an early Christmas present, for which I was very appreciative. After two days on the road, night one of a family reunion, and basic sheer exhaustion, I didn’t run Friday, either. At that point, I pretty much decided to hang it up until we get back home and just forgave myself. I did take both kids swimming at the hotel pool, which was great.

Saturday:

We reunionized and played in the park with the kids most of the day. It was over 100 degrees outside, I think, so by the time we got back into air conditioning, we were totally wilted. Wilted, I tell you…like lettuce that’s been left out in the sun…on the sidewalk…and was never even washed properly to begin with. But, I digress.

Sunday:

As we pulled into our hotel, I saw a great running track and got all filled with inspirational thoughts about doing some running. After unpacking, getting the kids changed, and spending three hours in the pool helping our five-year-old improve her underwater swimming skills (which she calls mermaid swimming and now wants to know if Ariel is really real), I was totally worn out all over again. For which I forgave myself because, really, I’m in this for the long haul and I’m not going to give up just because I didn’t follow the training schedule for one week. After three Oreos, I felt much better about the world.

Interestingly enough, I Facebooked Karen Hagen-Richards from The Centre and another gal who has worked the Couch to 5K program successfully and they both said not to repeat last week. They said to go on to the next day I was supposed to do because I “just might surprise myself.” Hopefully that’s a good thing, but I think they both know what they’re talking about so we shall see. All in all, it wasn’t a great workout week, but I am beginning to think that this program is just like anything else in life. We do the best we can and, when we get off track, we forgive ourselves and get back on the right path. Right path, here I come!

Last year, Michele decided to participate in the Couch to 5K program so she could run a marathon for charity. These articles are a diary of her experiences as she worked towards her goal between July and September of 2011.

See also:

Couch to 5K: Losing My Dad (Week 5)

Couch to 5k: Storms and Skinny Jeans (Week 4)

Couch to 5k: A Much Needed Do-Over (Week 3)

Couch to 5K: This is Why People Quit (Week 2)

Couch to 5K: Getting Started on Getting Fit (Week 1)

Couch to 5K: One Mom’s Journey Back to Health (Week 0)

The other day I was feeling really worried about something in my business. I was trying to solve the problem by brainstorming. I wrote a couple of pages worth of notes and at the end of it all I was nowhere near a solution. I felt frustrated. I was annoyed. And I wasn't going to be much good for my family that night if I didn't find a way to resolve my issue.

So I sat in my meditation chair in the corner of my office and said, “God, what do you want me to do?” And nothing came…no ideas popped into my head, no solutions came to my mind and so I said, “You got nothin' for me?”

As I continued to sit there the thought, “nothing” kept coming into my mind.Suddenly, I said, “Wow! God, Do You want me to do nothing?” BANG ON! The moment I said it, I felt a huge sense of relief come over me. The hair on my arms stood up and shivers wiggled down my spine. I knew this was God talking to me… He's so super cool like that!

I got up off my chair, closed my office door and spent the rest of the entire afternoon and night doing absolutely nothing.

I watched TV sitcoms I've never watched before. I laughed. I took some time to play with my kids. In fact, I didn't even make supper! I have a stash of frozen meals in the deep freezer in case of emergencies…this qualified as one of those nights! I tucked my kids into bed and followed shortly after them. I was sleeping by 9pm.

When I awoke the next morning, my worry and stress seemed to completely dissipate. With a fresh mind I could see that I was making a really big deal out of something that was completely solvable. I realized that my worrying and stress was because I hadn't been giving myself enough time in my life to shut down.

I'm a huge fan of resting when necessary and keeping an early bed time at least once a week, but now I'm realizing that sitting around and doing nothing every now and again can be extremely productive! Seems a little bit like an oxymoron and yet it makes a lot of sense.

I'm so used to always being busy and productive that it's easy to forget how productive it is to sometimes do nothing at all!

How does this resonate with you? Do you cringe at the idea of doing absolutely nothing every once in a while? Or would you say that you could use a little more time to do nothing at all? Do you see the value of doing nothing every once in awhile in order to refresh or reboot your mind?

I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts! Until next time…xox

There is not any business or romantic relationship which does not have its share of conflict and problems. Conflict is a normal part of life; it is impossible to avoid. People who run successful businesses and people who are in happy relationships are those who know how to effectively handle conflict (not avoid or deny it). Conflict resolution skill #5, which is essential for success in business and life, is the ability to effectively compromise and negotiate.

Unfortunately, many people associate the words compromise and negotiation with the idea of losing. These people think if you compromise you have given up something – therefore you have sustained a loss.This is a very detrimental and non-productive way of thinking about compromise, especially since the only way any conflict can be effectively resolved is for you to compromise on what you want – so the other person will be willing to compromise on what they want. Lead by example! You give a little and you get back a lot. Once all parties are willing to compromise on what are considered to be their acceptable terms, the process of negotiation can begin. But if no one is ever willing to compromise and move away from their original position, a stalemate ensues; this is a disastrous situation for a marriage and a business.

The most effective way to begin the process of compromise and negotiation is to understand your partner’s position (whether it be your romantic partner, business partner, client, etc). Understanding your partner’s position does not mean you are agreement with it; rather it means you understand their position based on where they are coming from. Understanding allows you to see conflict from their perspective; it also sheds light and gives you a deeper awareness on how you have come to your own position. Understanding your partner’s position makes them feel heard and respected (even while disagreeing with them). Therefore, when the negotiation process is finished, both parties walk away from it feeling as if they have gained something, as opposed to having lost or given in.

Conflict understood from a positive perspective gives you the opportunity to experience mutual growth and change – a win-win for all. When conflict is resolved based on respect and understanding of the other person’s position, whether it is in your business or your romantic relationship, you can feel secure in the knowledge that your relationship can survive challenges and disagreements.

Conflict can be framed as an opportunity for growth through adversity and resolved through the five conflict resolutions skills discussed over these past few posts!

See also:

Conflict Resolution Success in Business & Marriage (for an overview and list of the five skills)

Conflict Resolution: Acknowledge the conflict exists (skill #1)

Conflict Resolution for Women in Biz: Communicate Effectively (skill #2)

Conflict Resolution for Women in Biz: Taking Responsibility (skill #3)

Conflict Resolution for Women in Biz: Make it a Priority (skill #4)

"Do you feel the need to be a superwoman…?"

Do you feel the need to be a superwoman or a Jane of all Trades? It’s great to be able to multitask but you don’t want to overdo yourself or stretch yourself too thin. Most women have to balance multiple things in their lives and there are ways to have a successful business without having to do it all. If you are a woman who is trying to run a profitable business by doing it all, you could actually be jeopardizing your success in the long run.

In this economy, the natural thing to want to do is to be the business owner, the marketing rep, the accountant, the housekeeper, the mom and more, so that you can spend your money where it really matters. But let’s think about this, if you have to train yourself all about financials or you have to spend hours upon hours on social media marketing your business then when do you have time to create new products or perfect the ones that you already have? The learning curve that is needed to do your payroll and taxes could be put to better use somewhere else.

Here are a list of services that I suggest outsourcing to better your business and to allow time to focus on aspects that you excel in. I would rather pay money to an expert in their field, and have them handle the projects that I’m not as adept at, than wasting my precious man-hours learning the application myself.

• Accounting
• Graphic Design
• Website Programming
• Advertising/ Marketing (Hiring a Social Media Manager)
• In House Cleaning Service
• Part Time Child Care
• Virtual Assistant
• Sales
• Packaging

These are just a few examples of people that are great at their jobs and want to help your business succeed by doing their jobs for you. If you are an entrepreneur at heart then you are always coming up with new products or services for your business and this is where your focus needs to be. Whenever you are coming up with something innovative then it is imperative to outsource your weaknesses and continue to focus on your strengths.

The best way to figure out what you need to outsource is make a list of tasks that you hate or that you feel are your biggest weaknesses and those are the first things to hire an outside person to do. In the immediate future, it might make you nervous to be spending all this money for tasks that you could learn yourself, but think about the long term success of your company.

Remember the mantra, you have to spend money to make money!

Let me ask you this: Have you ever walked into a stranger's home and experienced a feeling of discomfort or uncertainty? It's likely because the balance is out of whack. A home with good Feng Shui just feels right. Basically, we don't ‘see’ our own stuff – we become anesthetised to it. So, we don't know how or what to change. You also have to be mindful about not creating stuck areas in your home, as this stuck energy will start to appear in your life. A good Feng Shui home is always nourished by fresh, clear, free flowing energy.

So how do you accomplish this? Try these 9 things:

1. Declutter.

That means selling, donating, or recycling anything you DON'T USE. And be honest – it's no good keeping that figurine Aunt Martha gave you if you don't like Aunt Martha! One of my clients decluttered and won a weekend spa getaway immediately after as decluttering opens up new opportunities!

2. Clean, clean and clean.

Clean spaces attract good energy. It's worth the time and effort. Not only will it feel good, you will feel more relaxed!

3. Is everything organized for mental clarity and safety?

One of my clients was always misplacing her keys until she organized everything and now, instead of wasting time looking for keys, she doesn't feel rushed in the morning!

4. Assess the lighting, does it lift the energy or deplete the energy (ie. bright vs. dull)?

Energy is attracted to bright lights, so make sure your entrance is well lit.

5. Do the colours of the walls lift the spaces that are active? (ie. kitchen, office, living room)

Good colours for kitchens are tones of yellow, white, beige. Stay away from reds as red is the fire element and there is plenty of fire element in the kitchen with a stove!

6. Do the colours of the walls calm the areas that are private? (ie. bedroom)

Good colours for bedrooms are earthy colours which encourage sleep.

7. Do you have live plants to give life to spaces?

Plants add wood energy for growth in your life and plants like jade and bamboo are good luck! For low maintenance, silk plants are ok as long as they are kept dust free.

8. Be aware of what the art on the wall says.

One of my clients had a picture of a sad, lonely person on the wall which was not good Feng Shui energy for attracting the relationship they wanted.

9. Be open to Feng Shui.

If you are feeling cynical or doubting Feng Shui in any way, think of it this way: what have you got to lose vs. what you have to gain? Cynicism will get you nowhere, just try it! You will LOVE coming home to your private getaway!

The big change

Facebook Sponsored Stories will now appear in user’s newsfeeds. Facebook says this won’t be nearly as intrusive to their 800+ million members as it sounds. The ads will be marked as “sponsored”, they will be strictly regulated so that users will see no more than 1 ad in their newsfeed per day, and they will only contain content about friends or pages with which the user is already connected. This gives your ad better odds of being seen by those who would be interested in your business – the types of people you want to like your business page.

Also, Facebook users can’t opt out of sponsored stories, everyone’s getting them. They can, however, delete individual ads from their newsfeed, but that’s less likely to happen because the ads only show information about friends or pages they already interact with on Facebook.

Why this is so great for marketers

It allows you to get your content front and center on people’s newsfeeds, mixed in with all the organic content generated by people’s friends and page likes. Also, the ‘sponsored’ tag on the lower right hand side of the ad is unlikely to be noticed until after the user has processed the ad. If it’s even noticed at all. It’s a pretty small tag, as you can see from the screenshot below.

Another potential benefit for marketers is that this is another way to target Facebook’s 800m+ users, half of which return to the site daily. With sponsored ads appearing in newsfeeds and the right sidebar, as well as traditional Facebook ads, the amount of potential daily impressions for ads will skyrocket.

This could go one of two ways for advertisers:

1. Ad prices will decrease because of increased supply, or

2. Ad prices could increase because the addition of sponsored stories could increase demand for Facebook ads. Time will tell which one ends up being true.

Either way, there’s bound to be the usual protests surrounding any change on Facebook, but we have a feeling that will die down pretty quick. Personally, I don’t mind seeing relevant ads on Facebook, and I don’t think it will make a big difference whether they appear on the right sidebar, or within my newsfeed. Highly targeted ads are nice because they inform me of deals or pages I might not have known about otherwise. However, Facebook will need to be careful about maintaining a good ad to organic content ratio. Sponsored ads would quickly get annoying if they began overtaking the newsfeed. I know I can’t be the only one that would think that way.

This article was written by Corrie Scott, a Digital Marketing Manager with Out-Smarts Marketing and a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with an honours degree in Commerce. Her professional interests include marketing, economics, and law, and she has aspirations to pursue a joint MBA-Law degree.

I’ve been in business now for three years and I haven’t really taken a break since I started. During that time I’ve discovered deep wellsprings of extra energy and have been able to keep driving, but I’ve also discovered that this drive comes at a high price. My body gets disconnected and ignored by my ever-speeding brain and finally it broke down, leaving me in bed for almost a month with a bad case of pneumonia. What does this have to do with image, you ask?

Consider this:

a)  Many of us are in abusive relationships with ourselves.

And we'redriving ourselves like road ragers on speed, constantly cutting off our body’s signals that it’s time to eat, rest or play. Usually we don’t realize this until we’re ill. The way you drive yourself shows how you see and value yourself. Would you drive someone you love the way you drive yourself?

b) The way you drive yourself is directly related to your appearance.

Are you looking bright eyed, bushy tailed and glowing with the challenge of business ownership, 100% ready for all the new clients you can take, or are you worn out and boosting yourself with sugar, caffeine and other legal stimulants to get through the day?  Over the long term this takes its toll on your skin, hair, eyes and body shape. You may think, “So what? My clients are buying my services, not my looks.” Unfortunately…

c) Your appearance affects your business.

It’s how you show up in the world; if you show up as a strong ‘corporate athlete’*, ready to take on the next challenge, people are more likely to take you on. If you’re looking frazzled around the edges, people may consider you too stressed out to look after their needs.

Here, with romantic February just behind us and before the renewal of spring, check to see that you’re in a loving, committed relationship with yourself and your business. Put yourself first for a change. Set good boundaries around your work time, practice good self-care (exercise, diet, hydration and renewal through sleep, meditation and other practices) and frequently check back to ensure that the abusive mind-body relationship is really over. Mine is – I’m heading for self-care and self-love rehab through all of the above so I can keep up a steady happy pace and still be prepared to drive fast when I need to without breaking down. Incremental changes are the key for me. It’s a great time for to find the keys for you. What will you do this month to love yourself first, not last?

*The term ‘corporate athlete’ is from a great book related to this topic called The Power of Full Engagement. Awesome read with terrific strategies for looking after you first.

Have you ever felt like that? You’re stuck in a role that you used to love but don’t anymore but yet you’re sticking with it only because you don’t want to be viewed as a quitter? I’m not talking about being flakey – someone who quits anything and never really tries to succeed at anything – but am talking about someone who has put their all into their business and still feels led to move in another direction but fights making the change. Your heart breaks when you think about leaving behind years of work but deep down you know that the time has come and a new chapter of your life is ready to begin.

I want to let you know that it is ok to quit sometimes. There is no benefit to trying to be a hero and persevere at something you’re no longer passionate about. People change, your interests change, your priorities change and to expect your goals to not change as well is impossible.Change is most often difficult but it is beautiful. What could you be accomplishing with your life but aren’t because you’re married to one course of action? And because you aren’t open to new ways that God wants to use your life to impact the world? What if the role you’re currently in was just a stepping stone towards a bigger goal and not meant to be the final destination?

As an entrepreneur, we often get tunnel vision and close off all our options. We stop listening to our hearts because we’re so busy working our plan that we forget to do a gut check and ask ourselves “is this really me? Is this what I want to do with my life anymore?” If you’re feeling like your heart is leading you into a different direction but your mind is afraid because you don’t want to quit I challenge you to do a gut check and be honest with yourself. Are you not quitting because of what others will think or because of what you think? What if the change promised to bring you closer to fulfilling your destiny? Would that make the change easier?

"I want to let you know that it is ok to quit…"

After many months of going back and forth with myself, I made the decision to transition out of my business and into my new venture. What surprised me was that although I had worked in the same business every day for 10 years, the moment I walked away I didn't even think about my previous life – it was almost like it didn't happen. I am so grateful for the experiences I had in the first part of my journey and feel so equipped to succeed in my second chapter. It feels strange to be on a new life path but exciting to take a step of faith and move forward.

The thing to remember this: you’re not a quitter if you quit when you feel that it’s time for the next phase of your journey. It’s not the end, it’s the beginning.

Even if you're not a professional writer – if you blog, write advice articles or engage in social media, it is critical that you find your "voice." Simply defined, voice is a writer's style; the quality that makes her writing unique and which conveys her attitude, personality, and character. In the context of this article, it is the last three qualities that are most significant.

What Finding Your Voice Means to Your "Peeps"

If you are familiar with social media, you'll know that the terms 'peeps' doesn't refer to little twirping birds – unless of course, you consider the Twitter-bird. Your peeps refer to your people, your tribe, your following. And why do they follow your articles, blogs, tweets, and comments on Facebook? Generally because they like something about you. In this highly competitive world of communication, I think it is fair to say that someone really has to like you (your personality) a lot and, more particularly, they admire your values and character. Isn't that why you follow people and their work?

Don't Have Any Peeps?

Perhaps you're new to this mass communication thing or you've been struggling to develop a following for your business. Or, maybe you're not attracting the kind of people you'd like to. The answer is to find a way to connect with people, not by expert writing, but by getting across whatever you have to say in your unique voice.

How to Know When You Have Found Them

I remember a morning not so long ago (when I was blow-drying my hair, if the truth be known) when I realized, without a shadow of a doubt that I had found my passion, my voice and my peeps. I knew this to be true because instead of sitting blankly in front of my computer screen trying desperately to add something original to an already idea-saturated market, I had begun to engage the right kind of people and I had no other motive than to be heard – not for business or to get something. I started getting many more people commenting, asking questions and generally engaging than I had previously.

It should go without saying that we should always be doing that, but judging from the feedback I'm getting, many of us are forcing ourselves to join the social-media-driven conversation and it's coming off as inauthentic.

Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It:

1.  Look around your office:

What do you see? In mine, I see two statues of the Buddha, my meditation alter, the words "Bliss" and "Cherish." I see a poster which says: "Open mind, open heart." I also see a picture of two gorgeous long legs with hosiery seams up the back that says, "Diva" – in case you think I'm a little too Zen! Chances are, whatever you've surrounded yourself with (please don't tell me you work in an uninspiring, sterile space) encompass your values and that, my friend, is part of your "voice." Use that to communicate your message.

2.  Write what's in your heart:

Sacrifice just one week of business-type blogging and other social media, and simply write whatever is in your heart. Now, before you jump on me, I understand that many of us have made a conscious decision to only use Twitter and Facebook for our businesses. I realize that the vast majority are not interested in where we walked our dog this morning. But do you know what? When judiciously shared, I get a lot of shout-outs from my "strictly business peeps" when I comment on something personal. As Dr. Seuss once said, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”

3.  Keep a notebook beside your bed:

And in your bathroom and in your car and jot down thoughts that come to you that in some way you'd like to share. Then, before you send them out into the blogosphere, try writing them in several different ways until you hit on exactly what and how you'd say it in person, to a close personal friend. I bet you anything, you'll have found your voice.

Until next time, remember to be authentically you and have fun finding your unique and inspiring voice!

(1) questions about how to deal with traffic tickets, and

(2) questions about whether their teenage children should go to law school.

Mercifully, this essay is devoted to answering only the second set of questions.

There are many misconceptions about lawyers – some good, some not so nice (as evidenced by the global popularity of lawyer jokes). One of the leading sources of misinformation about lawyers is the film industry, which gives the impression that lawyers spend most of their time in the courtroom, giving passionate speeches and leaving high-drama in their wake. As it turns out, many – if not most – lawyers never set foot in a courtroom, focusing instead on facilitating business transactions, often in ordinary corporate settings.

The close connection between law and business influences the advice that I give to people who ask whether their teenage children should go to law school. And here is what I tell them:

1. Go to law school instead of business school

The fundamental difference between a lawyer and a businessperson is that a lawyer has the capacity to change behavior, if she so chooses and is duly licensed, by demanding compliance with the law. This is the trump card. A lawyer can learn the fundamentals of accounting, finance, management, and marketing, and a businessperson can learn how to write well, make persuasive arguments, and negotiate strategically. However, without a law license, a businessperson cannot single-handedly take someone to court and vindicate legal rights. The ability to do so is a privilege and a source of power.

2. Lawyers don’t have to practice law

A law degree is a versatile degree. Because law school teaches skills that are valuable in many professional contexts – research, writing, negotiation, fact-finding, critical thinking, and public speaking – law graduates need not practice law in order to make a living. As an added bonus, law graduates are equipped with a functional understanding of the way that societies work, including the mechanics of business transactions, contract rights and property rights, and a robust grasp of the economic and philosophical underpinnings of public policy. Law graduates can credibly work as writers, journalists, professors, teachers, policymakers, administrators, and law enforcement officers. Notably, an entrepreneur with a law degree is in a unique position to provide specialized services to practicing lawyers.

3. Think carefully before you take the plunge

Law school can be a grueling and expensive experience. Getting into law school can be difficult, and the decision to go should not be taken lightly. Law students can expect to read up to 100 pages of difficult material per day, every day, for several years. Law school itself can be a stressful environment because of the competitiveness of the students (i.e. everyone desperately vying for the best grades) and the “Socratic” teaching style of law professors (i.e. teachers constantly putting their students on the spot, at random, during class).

“Should my kids go to law school?”

On top of all this, law school can be an expensive endeavor, forcing many students to borrow huge amounts of money. In light of these realities, nobody should attend law school without first getting a sense of what it is like. As with any career, it may be worth shadowing a lawyer or finding an internship opportunity with a law firm, a corporate law department, or a public interest legal organization.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is this: if someone has an entrepreneurial spirit, is interested in learning about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of society, and wants to cultivate a potent set of marketable skills that can be applied successfully in numerous professions, law school is an excellent career move, no matter what career they ultimately pursue. And so, the next time someone asks you whether their bright teenager should go to law school, tell them to read this article.

Raj Singh is a freelance writer and founder of the Capital Idea Network.

I was inspired. I have been a little embarrassed that a smart, worldly person like myself doesn’t speak a second language. So, I signed up for the Basic Spanish course at www.bilingualamerica.com I received a workbook, flash cards and a half dozen cd’s, and was introduced, via email, to my tutor, Raelys.

Each week, I progress through the workbook and listen to the cd’s, speakly loudly, “with passion.” Then, once a week, Raelys and I visit on the phone. As I stumble through speaking in this beautiful language, Raelys positively responds to my efforts with, “Perfecto, Ellen.”

And, I am loving it! The hardest part in the process: Following directions. You see, the course is nicely structured and proven to work. IF you follow the directions. Ricardo asks only that you work the program EXACTLY as it is laid out. If you are asked to go through the flash cards ten times, do that. And then sign off that you have done that in the workbook. Easy! Right?

Every time I approach my practice, I want to improvise. I want to NOT follow instructions. I want to rise up and revolt and do things my way. Even though my way has led me to a place in my life where I am 46 years old and not yet speaking Spanish. Why do we fight what we know to be right? It has been a challenge to stay focused. However, I am following directions and reaping the results.

Consistent, disciplined effort wins the race

As a consultant, I encounter resistance to solid advice. “Do THIS,” I suggest, “and you can make more money.” Most of my clients take the advice and the proof is in the pudding. They make more money. They pay down debt. They build wealth. Some don’t. I can relate to the rebels. I, too, hate having to do something…even when I know it is the right thing to do!

One of the biggest challenges I encounter is the suffocating burden of debt. Money buys options. Debt eliminates options. Do you struggle under the mounting pressure of debt…personally and/or in your business? You are not alone. The statistics on debt are troubling:

• The average American household has 13 payment cards (credit cards, loan payments and store cards.)

• Americans carry, on average, $8,000 in credit card debt from month-to-month. If you were to make only the minimum monthly payment on that debt, at 18% interest, it would take 25 years to pay off and cost you more than $24,000 in total.

• 46% of all Americans have less than $10,000 saved for their retirement.

• 96% of all Americans will retire financially dependent on the government, family or charity.

• Only 2% of all homes in America are paid for.

I got these statistics from a website offering debt consolidation services. Unfortunately, most folks misunderstand and misuse these services…and get further into debt. These services can be creditors in disguise.

Here’s the good news. You can get out of debt. It’s EASY to do. IF you follow this system EXACTLY.

Step One: Get to a KFP – Known Financial Position

Clean up your business Balance Sheet. Create a personal, family Balance Sheet. Have your Bean Team help you, or give me a call. The section called Liabilities is what you owe; it’s your total debt. Once you know, you can start bringing that number down. I know it’s scary. However, knowing is better than not knowing. You can always improve the situation if you are willing to confront it.

Step Two: Start selling at the right price

Include debt reduction dollars in your Budget. Your customers will have to assume some of the burden of your debt in order for you to create dollars to pay it off. Include in your selling price enough salary to contribute to paying off your personal debt and enough profit to pay down your company debt. Much of the debt I see in my consulting work is a result of hardworking owners trying to get by on too little. If you haven’t charged enough in the past, you may have used debt to just get by.

Step Three: Stop buying stuff on credit

On a recent episode of Saturday Night Live they aired a ‘spoof’ TV commercial for a new debt reduction book called, “Quit Buying Stuff You Can’t Pay For.” It was a one page book with one sentence on the page: Quit buying stuff you can’t pay for.

Step Four: Read The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason

This slim book uses a story to teach the basics about reducing debt and increasing your wealth. This timeless classic was written during the Depression and offers spot-on advice for today.

Step Five: Talk to your creditors

You may be able to work out a better interest rate or payment schedule. Your creditors don’t want you to declare bankruptcy. Talk to the owner or general manager of your supply house. Work with the credit agents for your store cards. Let them know you have a plan and that you are committed to paying off the balance.

Step Six: Start saving.

A little bit every month adds up. Start with whatever you will commit to…$100 is better than nothing.

Step Seven: Systematically pay down debt.

This is the easy-hard part. It is easy to do it. The problem is it is easier NOT to do it.

The following is based on the great works of John Cummuta. Put together a grid of all your debt. This grid reflects a family’s personal Liabilities. We imagine a family of four, where Mom and Dad own a business and make a combined annual income of $150,000.

 
In this example, $6,145 is the monthly DEBT REDUCTION total. That is, the amount required to meet the minimum monthly payments on all seven debts ($4,165)  PLUS $2000 "Accelerator"  to help you pay down the debts. This stays the same every month until all Loans are PAID. (You could do a separate grid for your company debt.)

So, the example family is paying $73,740 per year, or just under half of their income, to reduce their debt. If you have a high debt load like this family, but you earn less, you can reduce the Accelerator (the amount of money you choose to pay that is more than your minimum required debt payments) to make your payments fit your income. The family in our example is paying an Accelerator of $2000 per month. But, if you pay $500 per month instead, you would only need $4645 each month (or $55,740 per year) to pay down your debt.

Note that this debt reduction dollar amount is in addition to the amount that you are systematically putting into savings every month.

Once your debt is paid, you could start putting the entire DEBT REDUCTION dollar amount straight into savings every month. How fast would that stack up for retirement?

You can do this. It’s easy. Muy facil! So, why do we fight what we know is right?

We carry around all kinds of emotional and psychological baggage. Maybe Momma always told you what to do and you are still fighting Momma. Maybe you are in denial about what you really owe. Debt management counselor David Huffman claims, “97% of people don’t know what they owe. No one ever taught them ‘Money 101’ of ‘Debt 101.’ That’s why they are broke and getting deeper and deeper into debt.” Whatever. Get over it and get disciplined. Now you know. Put this system in place today and bring down your DEBT.

Felicitaciones por vivir una vida libre de deuda!

Big take aways are: 

Focus on one bill at a time. Continue to make your minimum payments on all your debts, but apply the Accelerator amount to just one bill at a time. When one bill gets paid off completely, use your Accelerator and the miminum monthly payment you were making on that bill to pay off the next bill,

Go from debt to savings. When you get your bills paid off, continue to pay your Accelerator and minimum monthlies…into your savings plan!

Dealing with Hackers and Spammers

Having a WordPress site is loads of fun. Being able to create content, make your own edits and upload images and documents without having to contact your web designer is an absolute delight. However, dealing with hackers and spammers is not that great. Granted hackers and spammers do attack non-WordPress sites, but they seem to be targeting these more frequently. There are of course ways to protect yourself.

How do you know if your site has been hacked?

If you notice weird spammy words in your website content, in your Google search result or if you’re site redirects to a strange url, then you’ve been hacked. If you’re not 100% sure, try Sucuri SiteCheck. It will scan your site for malware, blacklisting and out-of-date software for free.

How did this happen?

Hackers either managed to figure out your FTP password or they used a vulnerability in either the WordPress core files or a plugin.

Here are a few things you can do to prevent this from happening:

• When creating FTP passwords use a generated word that cannot be pronounced, uses a few symbols and a mixture of upper and lowercase letters. Of course these passwords will be more difficult to remember, but using a tool like 1Password or LastPassword can help.

• Make sure to upgrade your WordPress site every time a new version comes out. These updates usually include fixes to vulnerabilities and are very important.

• Make sure you upgrade your plugins as well for the same reason. If you have lots of plugins and aren’t using them all, don’t just deactivate them, delete them.

If your site has been hacked, then you’ll need to clean up the files. I normally delete the WordPress core files (everything but the wp-config.php and wp-content folder) and re-install everything. I also do a manual scan of the theme files to make sure that hackers haven’t messed anything up. If this feels a bit intimidating, you might want to contact Sucuri Security. For a small fee they can clean up infected sites and you can also hire them to scan your site and keep an eye on it annually.

If you’ve been blacklisted by Google or spammy words appear in Google search results, you’ll need to log into your Google webmaster tool and submit your site for reconsideration once it’s clean.

Although spammers are less harmful, they are equally as annoying. If you’re site is new and you haven’t publicized your email address, you might want to install the email address encoder plugin. This plugin will simply scramble your email address making it harder for harvesters to grab it. If on the other hand your email is already out there, then I’m afraid that once it’s on a spam list, there’s not much you can do.

Spam comments can also be detrimental with more and more evidence pointing to the fact that these are not simply generated by robots but actual people. The first thing to do is to install Akismet which will do it’s best to trap spam comments. But Akismet alone is insufficient.

Be warned against comments that seem harmless. They might praise your work or congratulate you on your blog and let you know that they are bookmarking it right now. These types of comments are simply tests to see if you will accept them or not. Once you’ve approved them, then they’ll attack your blog much more fiercely.

Finally, one of the most effective ways to reduce spam is simply to close comments after a few weeks. Most readers leave comments on newer posts. Closing off comments automatically after a few weeks is very simple. Log into your WordPress admin, go to settings > Discussion and check the box that says “Automatically close comments on articles older than __ days” and enter the number of days you want to use.

I just did this myself recently and the influx of spam comments has been reduced dramatically.

This article was written by Corrie Scott, a Marketing Associate with Out-Smarts Marketing. Corrie is a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with an honours degree in Commerce. Her professional interests include marketing, economics, and law, and she has aspirations to pursue a joint MBA-Law degree.

Hi Carmen,

I have a family member who I feel constantly looks for the negative and directs all conversations in that direction. How do I cope without total avoidance?

Thanks, Client

Dear Client,

Thank you so much for your question and thank you for your permission to share it with my ezine readers. When I received your question I had a really strong feeling that so many people would relate so I appreciate you allowing me to respond this way.

The truth is, many of us deal with negative family members, spouses, co-workers, colleagues, friends, employees and more. So what's the best way to handle a situation like this? Well, before I begin, I will tell you that the solutions I offer are my opinion. Take what works for you and leave the rest.

Break it down into Two Parts

For me, I have a rule in my life that any time I struggle with a relationship I instantly break it down into two parts. The first part is always about 'what's in it for me?' In other words, if I am bothered by someone's behaviors, actions, words, etc. in a particular relationship, that's my clue that there is a lesson in it for me in one way or another. The way I see it, if there was nothing for me to learn there would be no trigger at all. So a quick rule of thumb: if it triggers you, it has something to teach you. So let's start with you.

What’s in it for Me?

What is this particular family member showing you about yourself? Maybe it's that you need to learn to stand up for yourself by setting clear boundaries. Maybe it's that you, yourself, have a negative attitude about something in your own life? Maybe it's that you are being critical because you are annoyed with this person for completely different reasons but have never spoken your mind about it to her/him. Take some time to reflect about this. If you dig deep enough, you'll certainly find the golden nugget hidden within this particular dynamic.

What’s in it for them?

So let's talk next about the second part. If the first part is all about you, then the second part is all about the other person. Chances are very good they also need to learn a lesson from their behavior, but let's face it, you can never make someone else learn a lesson right? Trying to change another person is like trying to change the weather. Good luck. So what do we do? We accept them and we let go and let God.

Now this isn't always easy and it doesn't mean we allow other people to affect our peace of mind. In your particular situation, you will need to set clear boundaries and vocalize those boundaries.

Setting Clear Boundaries

Here's an example: when your family member takes a turn toward negative discussion, you can say something like this, "I'm really working hard to stay focused on positive things in my life so I'd rather not talk about that right now." If they become offended, explain to them that's it not about them; it's about you trying to make positive changes in your life. From there you can change the subject and talk about something uplifting. You might even want to prepare a few ideas before you visit with this person. Ex. Positive things you can bring up.

If your family member's behavior persists even after you've voiced your boundary, maintain your position by repeating your original request. If your original request continues to be disrespected, then explain to your family member that you will have to end the conversation.

Here's an example: "I feel like I've been really clear about the kind of discussion I want to have. Can we please change the topic or would you prefer getting together another time?" (Hint – the best practice is to get your point across as firmly and yet as calmly and kindly as possible.)

To sum it up, the first part is to ask yourself what the particular experience trying to teach you about yourself. The second part is to accept the person as they are without trying to change them and yet setting clear boundaries. Express what you need and stick to your guns girl! You can do this!

Cheers to your massive personal success!

Love, Carmen

What is business with heart?

Today’s businesses must focus on more than profitability if they are to be successful. Businesses continue to focus on wealth building, but they now recognize that wealth sharing is a critical facet that cannot be ignored. Giving back to the community and reducing their impact on the environment is now a necessity for a business who wishes to engage top talent, and build strong relationships with consumers and community members.

Business with heart considers all facets on the triple bottom line – people (employees, the community, clients), planet (environmental impact) and profits. They strive to create economic value while also creating social or environmental value at the same time. Each factor is important in all decisions and actions are transparent and well documented. Corporate philanthropy is as important as profit-making components of any business.

What Steps Can You Take?

1. Integrate your Values

Are you clear on your own personal values and the values of your employees? Have you established clear values for your business? If not, this is the place to start! If values are not clear and in alignment, there will be challenges – a true misfit!

One of my top values is education. This has become an integral focus of my business endeavours, my own professional development and is part of my charitable focus this year. This alignment creates a strong link between the three and allows me to maintain a strong focus. It also sends a clear message to my team, colleagues and clients of what is important.

2. Set SMART goals.

For any business, setting goals should be routine. Business goals should include philanthropic goals that are clear and measurable. For example, this year I have established a project with a local charity. My goal is to send six young women to university for one year so they can become leaders in their community.

Can you measure the impact of your social and environmental efforts? Are your efforts transparent so others can clearly recognize that you do what you say? If not, it is important to establish a method to both measure and report on actions taken and results achieved. Be specific. Rather than state “a portion of profits,” state a specific amount of total revenue ie: 1% of gross sales, or $2.00 of each book. These numbers cannot be manipulated or branded as a “green-wash.”

3. Engage Others

Are your philanthropic goals resonating with members of your team and with your customers? Are your efforts more than lip service to a cause? How do you demonstrate this commitment? Employees are more motivated to help you to achieve your goals if they are part of the process. Do you support their desire to volunteer for causes important to them?

Many large corporations are now encouraging their employees to volunteer in the communities where they live and work. They support these efforts by allowing time off from work and/or providing financial, marketing or physical resources such as equipment. Millennials and Generation Y’s now expect this involvement from employers. Failing to integrate and involve them in social enterprise efforts means they will look elsewhere for employment. If you want to attract and retain top talent, engagement is critical.

Isn’t it time for you to seriously add heart to your business? Your community, the environment and your bottom line will thank you!

Frustration can be a huge hurdle especially when you’re an entrepreneur. Ask yourself these questions. . .

• Do you feel like you’re up against a brick wall?
• That you’re on a ferris wheel and can’t get off?
• Work all day and wonder where the results are?
• Missing something but can’t put your finger on it?
• Overwhelmed? Burned out? Confused? Lost?

Good! You’re ready to move ahead! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results. Stewing over your problems won’t make them go away or get better, it just gives you an ulcer. A good portion of an entrepreneur’s business experience comes from trial an error – so you’ve made an error, get over it. Move on.

It's time for some ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking. 

You know what you’ve done, you just don’t know what to do now so try something different. What about asking those colleagues whom you admire for their business skills and trust their advice for a bit of guidance? You’re not going to be seeing any difference until YOU take action. Change it up and ASK for help.

Here’s the secret formula – you're going to pick up the phone, connect with five business colleagues, (odd numbers always seem to work better!) schedule a 30 minute coffee meeting and start moving forward. It can be a phone meeting or in person but no texting, no emails, no IM’s!  

Be prepared. Zero in on the issue(s) that are causing you to scream at your computer screen and ask for their advice on how to resolve, change, fix it. Take notes, be open to creative and unusual suggestions and be prepared to get to work!

So simple, right? Now go get connected!

Monday:

We were joined by a new running friend, Rhoda. She’s awesome and has been a local resident for a long time. As it turns out, she is the Mom of a girl I sang with in the Rolla High School choir many moons ago. We had taken my Dad to the Emergency Room Monday afternoon, so I texted the other Couch to 5K folks and let them know I wouldn’t be there. They ran without me and did an awesome job!

Tuesday:

This afternoon, we lost my Dad. He had fought a long battle with numerous health concerns and his body just wore out on him. If you’ve lost a loved one, you will understand that there really aren’t words to describe it. I don’t even really think it’s sunk in yet because I almost called him today and, as I reached for my phone, remembered that he’s not there for me to call. I still have a voicemail he left me last week and I have listened to it a bunch of times. It’s not even an important message – it’s just unbelievable to me that he could be so full of life and then be gone…just like that.

Wednesday:

Mom and I spent pretty much the entire day planning the funeral services, talking with friends and relatives, and cleaning her already spotless house. I wanted to crawl in bed and pull the covers up over my head, but seven o’ clock rolled around and I decided I was going to run. I’m five weeks into this thing and, if I quit now, I will have to start all over. Plus, my Dad definitely didn’t raise me to be a quitter, so I laced up my shoes and ran in all my exhausted, puffy-eyed glory.

Thursday:

Today seemed endless. We cleaned Mom’s house some more, answered the door and the phone about a hundred times, kept a list of who had sent food or done something thoughtful so we could send them a thank you card later, welcomed family and friends, I wrote Dad’s obituary, Mom washed and pressed Dad’s best shirt for him, and we all just waited for the inevitable – seeing Dad in the casket and saying our goodbyes.

Friday:

We ran at The Centre in Rolla because Dad’s visitation was that night and we figured it would be too hot to run outside in the middle of the day. It was a good experience, except Susan and Dana lapped me a couple times. I’m a slow runner and it’s ok with me. I like to hit my pace, listen to my Praise music on the iPod and worship as I’m getting healthy. I almost raised my hands during one worship song, but the young girls playing volleyball below may have gotten a little skerred.

Saturday:

This morning was Dad’s actual funeral and everything else that weekend was a complete blur. We heated up food, put away food, did dishes, made I don’t know how many gallons of tea, hugged people, cried together, and fell into bed exhausted.
I don’t know what next week will bring but I can tell you this…I will be running. It helps me stay centered and gives me time to think and process.

Next week, I will tell you all about the emails we’ve gotten and the fabulous number of people who are working this program or making better health choices on their own. You are awesome!

* Last year, Michele decided to participate in the Couch to 5K program so she could run a marathon for charity. These articles are a diary of her experiences as she worked towards her goal between July and September of 2011.

See also:

Couch to 5k: Storms and Skinny Jeans (Week 4)

Couch to 5k: A Much Needed Do-Over (Week 3)

Couch to 5K: This is Why People Quit (Week 2)

Couch to 5K: Getting Started on Getting Fit (Week 1)

Couch to 5K: One Mom’s Journey Back to Health (Week 0)

Run a transaction register report and look for the debits and credits.

Different accounting programs call this report by different names. Look for the detail trial balance or the General Ledger journal to find the “guts” of every transaction. Double entry accounting is based on the universal law of “what goes around comes around.” If something goes up, something else goes up or goes down by that amount. Debits and credits are the mechanics in the accounting system that cause the dollar amounts to go up and down, and the Balance Sheet to stay in balance. There are debits and credits behind every data entry screen. You can also affect accounts directly by creating a Journal Entry. I attached a “cheat sheet” of Debit and Credit rules. I reference this several times a week.

Look for before-and-after differences.

If you are not sure of what is happening at a particular data entry point, try this:

• Run the Balance Sheet and Income Statement.
• Enter ONE transaction. Run the Balance Sheet and Income Statement again and see if you can see where the dollar amounts ended up. (Make sure no one else is in the accounting system while you do this.)
• This is a street smart way to discover the “set up” behind the data entry screen.

To recode, delete or reverse a transaction?

It depends on your accounting program. With a basic off-the-shelf program like QuickBooks, MYOB or Peachtree, you can drill down to the transaction that needs to be fixed and recode it. Or, you can delete the transaction entirely and try again. With a more sophisticated industry-specific program like Successware, Ergos, etc. you may have to enter a transaction that reverses your original transaction and then re-enter the transaction properly.

Be careful with your initial company set up.

That’s where a lot of the behind the scenes accounting is created. If you are entering Service Sales and the dollar amount is showing up as Service Agreement Sales there may be an “item” or other set up instruction that is sending the information to the wrong sales account. Go to Company Set Up or the Items list and do some investigating. Figure out the default debits and credits and which accounts are affected. Update the “set up” and see if that fixes the problem.

Get bossy with your software support team.

Call for help as you need it. If you don’t understand what they are telling you to do, ask again for a clearer explanation. If they want to fix something for you, sit in as they do the correction so you can “follow the flow” of the debits and credits and learn from the experience. The more you know about your particular accounting software the less intimidated you will be by the accounting processes.

Be assertive with your CPA or tax preparer.

At the end of each quarter, take the time to make sure that your financials agree with the financial information your CPA is sending to Uncle Sam. Work together to enter the year-end Journal Entries needed to bring your accounting system up to accurate.

Learn to trust your intuition.

As your understanding of double entry accounting increases, trust your gut feeling that a dollar amount is wrong or “weird.” So often, I help someone fix a “Slinky knot” and they respond, “I thought that might be the problem!” If you have that thought, follow it and see what you uncover.

If it is your responsibility to get the financial “Slinky knot” untangled, take a deep breath and know this: You can do it. You may need some help. This accounting stuff is just not that hard once you learn the lingo and accounting basics. One of the smartest Financial Managers I know is working with an 8th grade education.

Once you get a handle on them, you can delegate the accounting tasks. It is a blessing to have done the accounting yourself because you will never be held hostage by your bookkeeper (or “girl in the office.”) You can coach someone to be even better than you were at the basic accounting tasks. And you will understand the Balance Sheet and Income Statement so much better for the experience.

Momma knows best…

My son, Max, is taking a beginning accounting class this semester. Already, he is bogged down with fancy, once-in-a-blue moon, accounting test questions. It would be so much better if his professor took this time to teach his students how to set up a simple accounting program for a business they may actually run someday. It would be so cool if he showed them how to assemble and FIX the financial reports, addressing just the basic transactions:

•    Entering Sales
•    Applying Customer Payments
•    Making the Deposit
•    Entering Bills
•    Paying Bills
•    Entering Payroll
•    Reconciling the bank accounts

That covers about 90% of all the data entry. If those things were done properly, your financials would be pretty solid. I suggest you, dear Office Manager, work with your team to create written procedures for those transactions. You probably need an accountant to help you with the fancier transactions, like:

•    Entering a new vehicle or other asset
•    Recording the sale of a vehicle or other asset
•    Regular Depreciation expense
•    Beginning Balances for a new company
•    Year End adjustments to reflect your Tax Return information

So, why bother teaching how to do those kinds of transactions in beginning accounting classes? I suppose the accounting teacher is just showing off? What about teaching readily USEFUL accounting information? Sigh.

And, it would be really cool if the teacher showed the kids how to READ the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. Taught them how to USE the information to create a winning Selling Price strategy. Taught them how to set Goals with a simple Budget. Showed them how to KNOW when you have become a millionaire. Accounting is the score keeping in the great game of business. Kids of all ages like games and like to keep score. Why not make it…FUN?

See Also: Money Management: Trouble-Shooting Tips (Part 1)

"What is your salt?"

In the current economy, it takes a lot of effort to keep a small business afloat. I was funny but being a comedian wasn’t paying the bills, so I tried calling myself a humorist. But after getting sick of years of winging it with unsteady work, I hired a marketing consultant to help me define my business. When I got the bill, I realized I had been a fool calling myself a humorist. I should have called myself a humour consultant — that is where the really big bucks are.

Marketing consultants, just like bankers, have their own secret language. My consultant and I met at a restaurant, and over a plate of fries I tried to explain to him what I did for a living: I was a writer, actor, motivational speaker and improviser, and apparently I was funny.

Funny. That was one f-word the man didn’t like. I said it again: “I’m funny.”

He didn’t crack a smile, just picked up the saltshaker off the table and said, “Yes, sure, but what is your salt?”

I thought he was joking but he is a consultant; humour is not in his mission statement. He said it again. “This is a saltshaker, and you have to ask yourself, what is your salt?”

“My salt?”

“Yes, you can put the salt in a crystal saltshaker or a packet like at McDonald’s, but it’s still your salt.”

“It certainly is.”

“So what is your salt? Deb, what is your salt?”

“I didn’t know I had salt.”

“You do. What is it?”

This line of conversation was depressing me, especially when he started yelling, as if that would make me understand. Here I was, 53 years old and I didn’t know what my salt was. In fact, I didn’t even know if I was salt. Maybe I was more like pepper? Or nutmeg? Or worse, what if I was cream of tartar, which a lot of people have in their spice rack and never use?

As an entertainer, I just did the next thing that paid. I never knew if I was between work or washed up. One time I was cast in a film as a nurse, but I was so hungover they made me a terminal patient. Because I was funny, in between real gigs I would work for side companies that hire actors to perform corporate skits. This included jobs like dressing up as fruits and vegetables and singing for a lot of cash. It was insane. One time we were hired to do a skit about empowering women, and the speaker before us did a talk on something she called “Undress For Success.” This woman got all teary-eyed telling us about the day she discovered her inner stripper. The only inner stripper I have wears polyester nightgowns and smells like Bengay.

Apparently, it wasn’t enough she had found her own inner stripper; the women in the audience had to find theirs, too. My comrades and I sat back and watched in horror as a bunch of middle-aged ladies got up on stage and tried their hand at pole dancing. Trust me when I tell you, the only people who should be sliding down a pole are firemen.

"I hired a marketing consultant to help me define my business…"

Another time I was hired to work in a murder mystery, where a bunch of performers act out a fictional crime. When we got to the gig, we were met by the event planner. Event planners are like real estate agents on crack. She had this murder mystery planned down to the last detail: the costumes, the weapon, the victim, and she’d even colour-coded napkins for each team along with their fingerprint-dusting kits.

However, there was one thing she didn’t count on happening. On location, all of the staff had been alerted that a murder mystery was going on — everyone but the dishwasher, who happened to have just immigrated to Canada that month. The poor man came out of the kitchen and into the dining room, with two trays of freshly washed glasses, just as one of the actors pulled out a prop gun and shot a fellow actor. When she fell down clutching her chest, the dishwasher’s tray of dishes went flying as he ran around the room, terrified.

This event planner ran behind him trying to explain: “See, this is just a game here in Canada. Because we don’t have a war going on in this country, we hire people to pretend to be murdered. Isn’t that fun? Don’t you love us so far?”

When we tried to point out how funny it was, she just didn’t see the humour in the situation. Some people take themselves way too seriously. Like the time I was hired by a huge pharmaceutical company for a campaign to advertise a new drug for treating yeast infections. I was cast as the woman with the yeast infection.

You might think I would be humiliated at the idea of playing such a part. I was, but only for about 10 minutes. Especially after I discovered what the rest of the deal included: a seven-day, all-expenses-paid cruise to the Caribbean, without my husband and kids. I guess my artistic integrity can be bought. The best part was the boss who wouldn’t let us use the words scratch or itch in the skits because they offended him. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the yeast infection business if those two words offend you. Anyway, it took the form of a mini-musical play called “Beauty and the Yeast: Tale as old as time…”

"What if I was cream of tartar, which a lot of people have in their spice rack and never use?"

My point is I didn’t know if I have my salt or how I tried to stay viable. So, I took a poll and asked my friends what they thought my salt was. They totally misunderstood the question and thought it was time to do a character evaluation. One told me I should get a real job, another tried to sell me disability insurance, and another wanted me to return the blue blouse I had borrowed from her in high school.

Finally, Sandra, who is one of my oldest friends and doesn’t suffer consultants gladly, laid it on the line.

“Oh, for crying out loud, you’re a Kimmett.”

“What’s a Kimmett?”

“It’s witty and wise.”

It is? I thought it was old and gassy. So that’s when I decided how I’d made a living was fine. And I thought it was okay just to keep my company name, Kimmett.

When I went to visit my mother I told her I just spent three thousand dollars to find out I was a Kimmett. To which she said, “Ha ha, very funny.” I said, “Yes, let’s hope so.”

On Valentine's Day, everyone has love and romance on their minds.

Ever wonder why some people have the ideal partner and you don't? You might want to try some of my Feng Shui tips for finding love.

These tips work for many of my clients and they can work for you too!

Top Eight Ways to Find Love or Strengthen It:

1. Clear your entrance. Make it welcoming – first impressions count, they will feel important!

2. Apply Feng Shui principles to your Master Bedroom to make sure it’s balanced for two.

3. Make room in your closet for two. No Room = No Partner.

4. Write down your intentions for your ideal partner, ie. age, interests, etc…

5. Take a class that interests you. You might find that special someone there!

6. Exercise! It will make you look and feel better about yourself

7. Let go of the past! Ready = Ready for Relationship.

8. Be kind to yourself. Have fun, smile, laugh, and express the joy of living!

AND, if you want to find out if they are really into YOU, here are some tips:

• Do they make excuses and want to be around their pet and/or friends more than with you?
• Does the art in their home spell Relationship (ie. is it one lonely person in a picture or a happy couple )?
• Do they act natural around you or is it forced? Listen to your intuition!

Good Luck in Finding Love!

Foodborne illness:

Foodborne-illness outbreak: an incident in which two or more people experience the same illness after eating the same food.

The increase in foodborne illnesses and foodborne-illness outbreaks has caused many consumers to become more concerned about the quality of the food they are purchasing and eating. Consumers expect their food to be safe, as farms, food processors and manufacturers, and eating establishments are required to undergo rigorous inspections by health inspectors on a regular basis. Unfortunately, despite these health inspections, millions of people are still affected by foodborne illness every year.

As a result, President Obama recently signed into law the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The goal of the FSMA is to ensure that the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing contamination, and in turn puts into place more comprehensive preventive controls for both human and animal food facilities.

How does food become unsafe in the first place? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the following factors as those normally responsible for foodborne illness:

• Failure to cook food adequately to the proper temperature
• Purchasing food from unsafe sources
• Poor personal hygiene by food handlers
• Holding food at improper temperatures
• Using contaminated equipment

The FDA has identified certain foods as being potentially hazardous foods (PHF) because they contain microorganisms which are able to grow rapidly, and therefore make these foods more likely to transmit a foodborne illness. PHF have a history of being involved with foodborne illnesses, as they are often moist, contain protein, and have a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

These foods include:

• Milk and milk products
• Shell eggs (except those treated to eliminate Salmonella)
• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Shellfish and edible crustacean (such as shrimp, lobster, and crab)
• Baked or boiled potatoes
• Tofu or other soy-protein food
• Garlic and oil mixtures
• Plant food (including fruit and vegetables) that has been heat-treated (cooked, partially cooked, or warmed)
• Sprouts and sprout seeds
• Sliced melons
• Synthetic ingredients (such as textured soy protein in meat alternatives)

What can you do to help keep your food safe at home, and prevent yourself and others from becoming ill? Check out these tips!

• Do not eat food that looks or smells questionable. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Check expiration dates on food packaging. If the food item has expired, throw it away, even if it looks safe to eat.
• Refrigerate leftovers and any type of food that should be refrigerated within two hours. Leftover food should be used within three to four days, unless frozen.
• Thaw food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Do not thaw food at room temperature. Cook food that has been thawed in cold water or in the microwave immediately.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool running water. Use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
• Do not rinse raw meat and poultry before cooking, in order to avoid spreading bacteria to areas around the sink and countertops.
• Do not place cooked meat or other food that is ready to eat on an unwashed plate that has had raw eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices on it.
• Keep raw eggs, meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices away from foods that will not be cooked.
• Keep fruits and vegetables that will be eaten raw separate from other foods such as raw meat, poultry or seafood. In addition, keep raw fruits and vegetables away from kitchen utensils that will be used for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Do not eat uncooked cookie dough, as it may contain raw eggs.
• When reheating sauces, soups, and gravies, bring them to a rolling boil.
• Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food.
• Use a food thermometer to make sure meat, poultry, and fish are cooked to a safe internal temperature.
• Set your refrigerator at or below 40ºF and the freezer at 0ºF. Don’t forget to check them periodically with an appliance thermometer.

By following these tips, you are helping to ensure that your food is safe to eat.

Your task:

Go through your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry periodically and check for any expired food and old leftovers. Post these tips in your kitchen as a reminder on how to help keep your food safe.

1. Since roses are the symbol of romance and passion

2. Write your own personal Valentine’s Day card or poem. It doesn’t have to be of epic style or proportion – just something heartfelt and sincere that says “I Love You” in your own unique way. Anyone can purchase a card on the way home from work but a handwritten, homemade Valentine’s Day card is sure to set Cupid’s arrow flying in your direction!

3. Leave a romantic voice message and/or text message for your lover so they get it first thing in the morning – while at work or at home. Who doesn’t love a love message to start their day?

4. Give your partner an aphrodisiac food like chocolate in whatever their favorite form of chocolate is, i.e., chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered raisins, etc. Or maybe you might want to make an outline of a heart with you and your lover’s initials inside it using m&m’s. Be creative and have fun. By the way, chocolate contains both a sedative and stimulant. The sedative has a relaxing effect on you and lowers your inhibition; the stimulant increases your activity level and enhances your desire for physical contact. Due to its effect on your libido, chocolate was actually banned from some monasteries centuries ago! So for all you chocolate lover’s out there – I say, bring out the chocolate!

5. Ladies, splash on that perfume. Perfumes are made of natural ingredients such as almond, vanilla and other spices and herbs which are known to act like pheromone – this is a hormone which plays a vital role in communicating our emotions by smell (remember, we are, after all, only mammals).

6. If Wheaties is the breakfast cereal of champions, Champagne is the drink of lovers!  Champagne, in moderation, is known to lower one’s inhibitions and produces a  feeling of warmth throughout the body. If this doesn’t set the tone for you, I don’t know what will. Or, if you are not into champagne or any alcohol for that matter, try some nice hot chocolate with marshmallows. There aren’t many things more romantic than sipping some warm hot chocolate by the fireplace with your lovers. Bring it on baby!

7. Let’s give a shout out to Hershey’s for making those little chocolate Hershey kisses – which come in a variety of flavors now: i.e. milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with almonds, etc. Buy a bag of these little babies and put them all over the place so your partner will find them throughout the day. Place some on the bathroom sink so your partner sees them as soon as they begin their day. Then sprinkle some on their car seat and/or dash board (maybe spell out their initials); put some in their briefcase – you get the picture! If you ask me, Hershey’s chocolate kisses were made for Valentine’s Day.

8. Put a little love music in your life. Pick out one of the classic love songs sung by Elvis Presley or Marc Antony or mix up a CD with you and your partner’s personal favorites. Play the music while at home and in your car while driving around. I don’t know about you but romantic music is bound to get me in the mood…

9. Get a tattoo – that’s right – get a tattoo. The (henna) temporary tattoo of your partner’s name on your shoulder and/or belly. This will be a great conversation piece throughout the night. And keep ‘em guessing – don’t let on that it is a temporary tattoo – the conversation could turn really interesting.

10. Make up a romantic screensaver so when your partner turns on their computer they see a romantic personal message from you. What a romantic way to start your day!

Roses, card, romantic text messages and voice messages, food, drinks, perfumes, music, tattoos and screensavers – these are just some of the ways to make this your best Valentine’s Day ever! And you know what, the list is really endless. So whatever your personal fancy, whether you like champagne or chocolate, music, flowers etc. find your unique way to tell your partner you love them this Valentine’s Day.

There are many methods and courses out there to help you hone in on what would make your heart sing (many of which I've suggested in past articles) but the uncomfortable truth is that for most of us, that epiphany doesn't come from something or someone outside oneself. In my experience, finding your true self comes from periods of great introspection.

How Do YOU Access Your Passion?

Rather than give you more "stuff" to do, allow me to share some strategies that I've had great success with. Pick and choose what feels right for you; there is no one right way.

Journalling has been very helpful for me, most particularly when handwritten because it allows me to tap into my stream of consciousness as my hand moves across the page. In fact, as any writer will tell you, I don't always know what is going to emerge and many times I'm shocked at what I've written! But from that process have come my greatest "aha's."

Meditation, both walking and sitting, has been another of my saviours. Now before you say "I can't meditate. I've tried and I just can't clear my mind," let me tell you that you don't have to have a completely clear mind. The reality is that achieving that state of meditation is usually reserved for Zen masters who have practiced for many years upon a mountain top. The rest of us mortals can just focus on our in and out breathe and just be. When you find yourself planning tonight's dinner, just observe it and let it go rather than trying to chase the thoughts away. What do you think of when someone says "Whatever you do, don't think of a pink elephant"? I don't know about you but I have my elephant dressed in a diaphanous tutu, engaged in an elaborate circus act!

Know and Honour Your Boundaries

When I floundered the most in my self- discovery journey was when I didn't even know what my boundaries were, never mind honour them! We need to be vigilant in letting in the good stuff and keeping out the bad. Now, I am aware and able to (non-judgementally) walk away from what my beloved is watching on TV because it goes against my feelings about violence or mindlessness. In the past, I'd stay in a conversation that belittled others or that perhaps was indulging in gossip. Now, as much as I'm able to recognize what's happening, I change the subject with such clarity that it is obvious that I'm unwilling to cross my boundaries.

Check Out Your Assumptions

If you had five other lives what might you have liked to be? I would have liked to be an actress, a singer, a pilot, a journalist and a real-estate investor. When you look at your list, do you find that you censor yourself by thinking things like: I'm too old, or not talented enough or I'd get too many rejections?

I love the mainstay of Byron Katie's work (appropriately named "The Work") in which she continually asks "Is that true?" In other words, what could you be without that thought? An actor in a community playhouse? A singer in a gospel choir? A reporter for your local newspaper?

Don't Die With Your music Still In You

It's never too late to follow your passion; sometimes you just have to get creative about how you do it. Your "music" is anything that is in heart that you dream of fulfilling before you leave this earth. I know without a doubt that you have a special gift (or gifts) inside of you that you were sent here to use. God or the Universe doesn't make any junk and it would be a cruel twist of fate indeed, if we weren't capable of using the gifts we have been given. So go for it!

Until next time, remember to be authentically YOU and to discover the magic of finding and following your bliss!

Here are five reasons that public speaking can change your life and improve the success of your business:

1. Gets you out of your comfort zone.

To get out of your comfort zone you must action and force yourself to go beyond the boundaries of what you would normally do. This by its very nature is scary. Don’t let your fear of public speaking hold you back from the potential success it may bring.

2. Increases your visibility in the marketplace.

This is one of the biggest benefits public speaking can bring and yet so few people realize it. Visibility is a hard thing for many business people to embrace because of the attention it brings. If you want to stand out from the others in your industry, then public speaking is the way to do it.

3. Builds your confidence.

I know I’ve said it time and time again; confidence is at the heart of anything great that you do. Public speaking has the ability to build your confidence in leaps and bounds. Once you discover the confidence within yourself through public speaking, you’ll see how it transforms every aspect of your life.

4. Acts as a creative outlet.

Public speaking is as much an art as a science. Just watch any great live theatrical performance, such as a Shakespearean monologue, and you’ll see that. If you allow public speaking to be part of your creative pallet, it will help transform your business into a masterpiece.

5. It’s a great marketing tool.

If you’re like me and are passionate about what you do, then you will want to share it with the world. What better way to do that then to create a keynote speech, or run a seminar or workshop about it. Many of my professional clients such as mortgage brokers, financial planners and lawyers are running seminars and workshops (with my help of course) for the very first time to great success. Education is one of the best ways to promote your business.

So whether you love Valentine’s Day, or think it’s another over-commercialized holiday, we can at least agree that doing what you love is one of life’s greatest gifts. This year why not take you business to the next level, by harnessing the power with public speaking. If you’re not sure where to begin, feel free to leave a comment below or drop me a line I’ll be happy to help you.

doing what you love is one of life’s greatest gifts

 

confidence

is at the heart of

anything great that you do

If that sounds like you or if it sounds like where you see yourself in a few months, you know that a good piece of mobile computing with excellent apps is vital to keep your business going on the go. Here are the five top apps that can keep you productive away from the computer with your android device. (Sorry iPhone and BlackBerry users we're focusing on android today but if you'd like to see a list for your favorite platform, just let me know in the comments section below).

1. Nuance Flex T9 Keyboard

While there is nothing wrong with the keyboard that comes with your android device, this app will make your mobile computing rockby redefining how you use the keyboard.The app allows you to use your keyboard in four different modes.

•    Slider
•    Handwriting Recognizer
•    Keyboard Input
•    Voice Recognizer

The slider mode is my favorite because it greatly speeds up your typing. Instead of typing things, which we all know is hard on a touchscreen, you can draw lines to connect the letters to your words and the app does the rest. It automatically recognizes the words from your gestures and will correct any spelling mistakes. And, it has reduced my typing time by at least 30%.

The other mode I love is its voice recognizer. Using this mode, you can record your story and it will automatically transcribe it for you. We are generally faster at talking than at typing (and that’s especially true for us women) so the time saved is huge. The accuracy is quite impressive and you should expect that since the app comes from Nuance, the company that makes the leading desktop transcription software, Dragon Naturally Speaking.

2. MailDroid

Emails are everywhere and we cannot avoid the speed at which they enter our lives and change our business deals. Access all your emails on the go with MailDroid. Although there are many email apps including Google's own Gmail app, this one will let you access any of your emails and doesn't limit you to Google emails. It also has built in support for handling attachments, something that the Gmail app surprisingly lacks.

Most importantly, it allows you to attach a professional signature at the end of your emails which is an extremely important marketing tool. And finally, my favorite feature has to do with the level of customization this app gives you; you can set the amount of time it checks your emails giving you more control over your battery life.

3. KingOffice Mobile

If you work out of coffee shops and C-Trains, you are probably used to leaving the documents until you get home to a proper computer than can let you edit and review them. With KingOffice, you don’t need to delay your review, feedback and decisions. You get the familiar Microsoft Office feel with basic editing capabilities right on your mobile device. This is a must-have app for any intense remote work session. The best part is that it is free and has a good open source development community behind it.

4. Skype

Skype is a great tool to keep in touch with employees or contractors to ensure your delegated and outsourced work is being done according to expectations. It is especially useful if you are working with someone in a different city and want to avoid those outrageous cell phone long distance charges. The phone version allows you to use the instant messenger features while the tablet version also supports video calling. However, more advanced and powerful phones may also support audio and video calling.

5. Seesmic

Your business likely has a Facebook Page or twitter account that needs to be updated regularly. Keep your social media marketing going while you’re on the go with Seesmic. Seesmic makes it easy for you to manage all your personal and professional networks from one place. You can use it for Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz and even SalesForce chatter. And, as far as I know, this is the only social network app that lets you manage your Facebook pages.

6. DropBox

I know I promised you five apps, but this is a must-have. In fact, you should install DropBox before you install any of the other apps. Dropbox allows you to sync files from your mobile devices to your laptop, desktop and any other device easily and quickly. Saving a lot of time in manually syncing documents via email.

Over to you: What are your favorite productivity apps on your mobile devices?

“That was the light bulb that went off in my head,” Sandra says. “I thought, maybe I should start freelancing and see how that goes.”

A few months later she had her website up and began pushing her brand. (She can now be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as well.) But, what if things didn’t work out?

“I knew I could get another job at a PR firm,” says Sandra, “but I was a bit disillusioned by the whole corporate environment.”

Her first job out of university had been at a PR firm that specialized in the entertainment industry and did about 80% event planning. She enjoyed it at first: she gained valuable experience and was excited by the idea of meeting actors. But after awhile, she realized what she really wanted to do was hone her skills in media relations, come up with story ideas, pitch them, and see the results in the paper or on TV.

So, two years after joining the PR firm, Sandra decided it “wasn’t a good fit for me” and quit.She did some travelling, worked part-time and took courses in marketing communications through the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). Then she helped her artist friend with that launch party, and discovered she liked the idea of being an entrepreneur who worked for herself.

Although she’s been running Middle Child Marketing for several years, she just recently completed a six-month mentorship program with the Women’s Enterprise Centre. WEC paired her up with mentor Cathy Kuzel, owner of The Connected Woman.

Why mentoring?

“When I started my business, I heard all over the place that you need a mentor or a business coach,” Sandra explains. “It was in the back of my mind, but I didn’t actively pursue it. I wanted to make my own mistakes, and in the early stages, I didn’t know what I wanted to work on with a mentor. It wasn’t really until 2010 that I seriously started to think about it.”

That’s when the Olympics came to Vancouver, BC and all her usual clients took a break – and business dried up.

“It was almost like starting from square one,” she says. “I had to learn about the process of getting clients and sales for myself, where previously I relied mostly on referrals.”

It’s not the first time she’s participated in a program to help her learn more about business. Just 1 1/2 years into her business, she took a government-funded, two-week consulting and contract program.

“It was intense,” she says. “I call it Business 101. It was equivalent to a first year business course you’d take in university. It was very valuable to me, someone who didn’t have a business background.”

She chose to take her mentorship program through WEC for two main reasons: its structure and length. The program is structured so you work on three main goals with your mentor, and the program is fairly short at just half a year. Other programs she looked into were up to 1 1/2 years, which she felt was too long. Sandra liked being paired with Cathy Kuzel, a general business coach, as opposed to someone in the same field.

“She’s great with business systems, which is what I needed to focus on,” Sandra says, adding one of the most useful systems she learned was how to create a sales funnel.

“I didn’t know what a sales funnel looked like, so it’s one of the things that we discussed,” she says. For example, how many people should you approach in a month and how do you keep track of it? Cathy helped her devise a paper binder system that she used for a year before recently moving to an electronic format. In addition to the initial three goals, Cathy helped her with other ideas, like sending a ‘cold’ email to a potential client.

“We went over my email template with a red pen, and I learned the difference one word can make in an email,” she says. For example, “using ‘I’ too much instead of ‘you’ because you should be focussing on the client, and what challenges they have, and the solutions you can give them.”

They also went over her business plan and conversion rates together and found ways to improve them, and Sandra changed her business card, adding a QR Code to it.

“That was Cathy’s idea,” she adds. “I’m not the first to do it, but Cathy mentioned that it may be the future.”

How did the mentoring work out?

“2011 has been my most successful year yet. It’s really due in part to this sales funnel system Cathy helped me create,” Sandra says. (Her sales increased by 377%.) They also talked about other things, like, “If someone tries to talk you down from your rate, don’t just say ‘yes’ right off the bat. See what else can be done to work with that client without sabotaging your own business as well.”

If you’re thinking of doing a mentorship, Sandra says it’s important to be honest with yourself and your mentor. The bottom line is, if it’s going well, great! Stick with it! But if you’re not benefitting from it, then end the relationship.

“Learn from who you feel will give you the best advice,” she says. “It’s your time. Always make sure you’re learning and that you can put what you learn into action.”

Sandra's Business Tips:

1. Make sure you love what you’re doing. If you’re thinking of starting a business and the thought of it is scarier than doing it, then maybe it’s not the right one for you. But if you can picture yourself in it and loving it, then it’s a sign.

2. Make sure you have some sort of education. Take courses at Small Business BC (or your local business centre), do a ‘start your own business’ program through one of the colleges, (Douglas College has a one-year long “Success Program.”) Or learn from others who have already done it. That way, you’ll know what some of the challenges are that you can expect.

3. Get out there and try it. Get a website up because it’s what people look at. Get yourself out there. Ask people to give you feedback on your website so you can test it out. If you don’t start it, you won’t know what to fix.

4. Keep learning. There’s always new technology; social media has grown so much. Subscribe to industry-related newsletters and company blogs. Keep on top of competitors and trends that your industry is adopting.

5. Know when to quit. If it’s not a good fit your you, if you’re not having fun, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing, if your sales aren’t growing year-to-year, then maybe it’s time to change things up or get out of it altogether.

"…there is no contradiction between running a business and helping the less fortunate."

One of the best ways to create awareness about your business and build trust among potential customers is to pursue community service opportunities. Thanks to the internet, the scope and sorts of service opportunities available to entrepreneurs are easier to find than ever before. What follows is a simple road map that can be used to find the right opportunity for your business.

1. Identify your products and services

As an entrepreneur, identifying your main products or services should be the first and easiest step in finding the right community service opportunity. In some cases, you might be focused on one product or service; in other cases, your business might encompass several deliverables. By way of illustration, and for purposes of this essay, consider three hypothetical examples:

(a) ABC Tech specializes in web design
(b) ABC Finance specializes in saving people money
(c) ABC Writing specializes in resume writing

2. Find beneficiaries in need and serve them

Once you have identified your main products and services, the next step is to find beneficiaries through community service projects. Using our three examples, here are some possibilities.

(a) ABC Tech, specializing in web design, decides to devote a portion of its time to creating or upgrading websites for small, nonprofit organizations that assist victims of domestic violence. Because such organizations are focused on crisis management and often run by volunteers, they may not have the bandwidth or expertise to create a functional, user-friendly website.

(b) ABC Finance, specializing in saving people money, decides to devote a portion of its time to providing personal finance tips to families in financial distress. Because such individuals may be struggling to keep their homes and other assets secure from debt collectors, they may benefit from tips on creating a budget, avoiding debt, and taking charge of their financial future.

(c) ABC Writing, specializing in resume writing, decides to devote a portion of its time to delivering educational workshops to women at homeless shelters. Because such women need assistance getting back on their feet and into the workforce, they may benefit from expertise on crafting a great resume and marketing their skills to potential employers.

3. Publicize your efforts through the media

Once you have decided on a suitable community service project, it is important to publicize it through all available media.

One easy way to create awareness about your project is to issue a joint press release with your nonprofit partner to local media outlets (television stations, radio stations, and newspapers). Although there is ample guidance on the internet about the mechanics of writing a press release, and although most media outlets publish the names and email addresses of their staff online, it is probably not sufficient to send a press release to a busy reporter without a phone call. Journalists work on tight deadlines and are constantly receiving emails. If you can identity a reporter who focuses on community issues, go ahead and call them and make a pitch for your story.

It is critically important to use all available media to create public awareness about your project. If your project receives coverage in the mainstream media, make sure to also distribute it through social media. For example, if you are lucky enough to appear on television, many television stations will often grant you permission to reproduce the footage on YouTube, where it can be a permanent record of your accomplishment and source of free viral advertising. Similarly, if your nonprofit partner publishes an online newsletter and maintains a presence on Facebook and Twitter, you can showcase your work through these media as well.

Although the basic goal of a business is to make a profit, and although profit is impossible without marketing,

By marketing products and services through community service projects, entrepreneurs can enjoy free advertising, a positive reputation among potential customers, and the satisfaction of helping others in need.

Raj Singh is a freelance writer and founder of the Capital Idea Network.

The “Real” World

Well, when I took a swing at entering my accounting data I made a big “Slinky knot” mess out of my Peachtree accounting file. Oops. I didn’t learn how to FIX my accounting in college. That would have been useful! I learned what I know from falling in holes and climbing out of them.

As a business consultant, I see lots of financial reports. Most of them have a few “Slinky knots” in them…accounts that are just wrong. The data in those accounts are the result of mistakes in data entry. In my consulting work, I start by helping my clients get to KFP – a Known Financial Position. Let’s get the accounting correct. That’s the first step. From there, we can see the impact of operational, marketing and sales behaviors. The good news is that you can always improve your financial situation once you know what it is. I am kind of like Super Nanny. I show up, we work together to clean up the accounting and we put simple systems, routines in place to help you stay at a KFP.

Sometimes, we clean stuff up and then it gets messy again. Just like Super Nanny, I go away after my consulting visit. It is up to my clients to maintain the systems we put in place. I can always come back and I often help over the phone. However, the key to staying at KFP is your willingness to learn enough about the accounting systems to enter data properly and to fix things when they get balled up.

If you are the owner of a very small shop, you might be the Financial Manager of your company (as well as the Service Manager and Marketing Manager and Salesperson, etc.) That’s the way it goes. If you dream of being a bigger shop, take heart that every big company was once just your size. The way out is through. Take responsibility and do a good job as the Financial Manager. Quit looking for a magical solution (accounting fairy?) who will handle the accounting for you. Learn how to do it yourself and document your basic procedures. This will help you hand off the accounting duties successfully.

In larger shops, sometimes the accounting duties get handed to:

•    The Financial Manager
•    The Office Manager
•    The owner’s wife, mom, daughter (other relative)
•    The Bookkeeper
•    The Secretary
•    The “Girl in the Office”

Whatever YOUR title, if you are the one who is responsible for the financial information at your company, I am here to help you. The following are a few tips and tricks for finding and fixing the “Slinky knot” messes in your accounting program.

Financial Fix Tips and Tricks

It’s probably YOU:

I often hear something along these lines, “That number wasn’t there yesterday. It must be a QuickBooks problem.” That weird dollar amount in your financial reports probably has a very simple explanation. Somebody, maybe you, entered that information. In every accounting software program, there are debits and credits. Sometimes the debits and credits are not visible from the data entry screen. You will have to do some digging. Follow the flow of information from the entry point to the Income Statement (aka Profit & Loss or P&L) and/or Balance Sheet. (In my lengthy career, there have been only 2 cases where the accounting program was corrupt. Chances are YOU are the problem. Start trouble-shooting from that assumption.

Stay current with your financial reporting:

I recommend a WEEKLY review of the Balance Sheet and Income Statement. Some contractors I know get daily reports. That’s great! Once a year at tax time is just not going to cut it. Get to KFP and run the financial reports at least once a week. It is so much easier to find and fix a mistake that happened in the last few days than trying to track down something goofy from six months ago. Also, you can fix the mistake in the current month. That is better than having to re-open a previous month and adjust it. Once I “close” a month, I don’t like to open it again.

Go line by line down the Balance Sheet and Income Statement and look for “weird” things:

If you are just getting started with this process, I can help. Or, your accountant may help you learn what’s “weird” and what’s right. What a great opportunity for him or her to add value to your relationship. KFP means that every account is RIGHT. It reflects what you have in Assets, what you owe in Liabilities and what you own in Equity. The Sales account should equal what you have sold for that period of time. The Expenses should reflect what you have expensed for that period of time. The financial reports should be current and true.

Here’s a list of “weird” things that may need fixing:

• A dollar amount that is positive when it was negative last time (or vice versa.)

• A negative Asset. (Unless it is Accumulated Depreciation or Amortization. Those numbers are “contra” accounts and serve to reduce the value of the associated assets.)

• A negative Liability.

• A negative Sales account (unless it is the Customer Refunds or Discounts…contra accounts.)

• A negative Expense account. Now, an account may look weird but be right. For instance, if you enter a rebate for your Insurance it will show up as a negative expense for that month. Drill down and make sure.

• An account that is very different from last week or last month. If all of a sudden your Advertising expense went from about $2,500 per month to $300,000 this month, drill down. Something may have been miscoded.

• Have your accountant help you make the weird things right with an appropriate Journal Entry or reversing entry.

• Find out how it got weird, if you can, and update the data entry procedure. Written procedures are KEY to staying at KFP.

• If you don’t know how it got weird, at least get it to right. If it is a small dollar amount, create an adjusting entry and watch to make sure it doesn’t get weird again. If it does…look through the previous week’s transactions for that account to find the entry. This is forensic accounting!

Pay particular attention to your Payroll liabilities:

I recommend using a Payroll service like ADP or Paychex. The number one reason: The service handles the liability so you don’t have to. The service will tell you what the cash requirements are to pay your team and Uncle Sam. They will do the tax payments for you. The Journal Entry to enter Payroll is much easier if you don’t have to keep track of the appropriate liabilities and payments. Follow the flow of debits and credits. You could create a sample transaction for your Payroll procedure and reference it every time you enter Payroll.

Frequency

If you do this once a week, YOU will get intimately familiar with the accounts and the dollar amounts. You will become an expert in what looks right and what looks “weird” and how to fix the weird stuff.

Next post, I'll give you tips to help you untangle any financial messes you may have discovered while checking through your financial statements.

See Also: Money Management: Trouble-Shooting Tips (Part 2)

1. Not taking social media seriously

There’s over 800 million people using Facebook, and over 200 million Twitter users – not to mention, a similar number of folks on LinkedIn, and yet many businesses still dismiss social media as a flash in the pan. Your business has the potential to take advantage of this massive online hub; ignoring it is a huge folly. You don’t have to start with a presence of your own if you’re not comfortable. Using social media to listen to, and learn from, others in your industry can be a valuable research method, and it is also a great way to get a feel for how social media is used in your sector.

2. Ignore it and hope it will go away

Back in the early nineties when I sold Internet technologies, lots of companies weren’t convinced that the Internet would take off, so they ignored it and hoped it would go away. Many were left scrambling at the last minute to catch up online and some didn’t survive. A hundred or so years ago many naysayers dismissed the phone. The same story is now replaying with regard to social media. Don’t stick your corporate head in the sand – social media isn’t going away and the sooner you accept that, the less risk to your business.

3. It’s only for small business

I’ve read a few articles recently that write off social media off as a tool that’s only useful for small to medium sized businesses. Many large, established businesses use this as an excuse because they have done things the traditional way for so long that they know no other way. However, pioneers like Whole Foods, Southwest Airlines and Ford are proving that social media can be a driving force for larger organisations too, if it’s done right.

4. The Intern can do it

Many organizations get a young intern to maintain their social networks because this person has hundreds of Twitter followers, or is on Facebook all the time. However, just because you are familiar with using these tools socially doesn’t mean you know how to use them for business. I am not saying an intern can’t do it, but you should make sure that they understand your goals, mission, audience, brand and such first, so that they can represent you appropriately online.

5. Failing to consider company strategy

Point 4 leads me nicely to point 5 – not approaching social media from a strategic perspective. Only 8% of companies surveyed in a recent Forrester report are using social media in ways that tie in with their corporate objectives. Again, companies often embark on using social media for the sake of using it rather than using it from a strategic perspective. Before your company sets out on the social media path you should ask – who is your target audience, what is your message, which tools are right for your business given your brand and mission, and how can you use social media to augment your everyday activities. If you do that, your social media efforts are more likely to amount to something.

6. It’s all about you

In the old business world, marketing was all about corporations; all activities centered around the product and service, and not the consumer. Every message had to be vetted – which took time and meant the the company was in control. Many organizations take this approach to social media, and then wonder why they are spending lots of resources but have few results and little return to show for it. They aren’t succeeding because they need to re-engineer their approach. These days, it is not about you, but rather, it’s about your audience and every social touchpoint should reflect that. To be effective in social media you need to focus on your target audience, be able to move faster, and to communicate in the moment before content gets outdated.

7. Blatant selling

This is the biggest faux pas you can make with social media. Never use social media to blatantly sell. It is okay to promote your offering, but in your face selling is off putting. Here at Out-Smarts, we use the 80-20 rule – 80% of our posts are aimed at adding value, and only 20% are promotional.

8. Failing to set goals and objectives

As with any other business function, you should set goals and objectives before you start rather than haphazardly setting up your social shop (as it were). What is it that you hope to achieve? You may want to build community with your target audience, extend your reach to new communities, use social media as a conduit to extend the reach of your content, drive traffic to your website, etc. Whatever your goals are, you should document them, quantify them and make sure that they are achievable.

9. Failure to measure success

Many companies have no idea whether their social media presence is benefiting them or not, nor are they able to respond to what is being said about them online. Once you’ve determined your goals, you should put in place tools that allow you to measure your success and to listen effectively. These might include free tools – for example; for web traffic analysis you can use Google Analytics, to measure your Facebook following use Insights, for Twitter use counters or paid tools like Radian6 that allow you to monitor and measure engagement.

10. Failing to take a holistic business approach.

Up until recently, many businesses have looked on social media as a stand-alone approach rather than considering it as a way to complement and augment their entire marketing strategy. 2012 is going to be the year when the penny drops and companies realise that the best social media projects are those that complement their real world activities.

When you become overwhelmed, your workload, thoughts and situations feel like they are out of control leaving you feeling upset, frustrated or unsure what to do next.

Overwhelm can occur whenever you experience change — even when the changes you are making are positive and moving closer to your goals. Similar feelings can be experienced when you encounter unexpected changes or your schedule revs up and taxes your time and energy leaving you feeling like you have too much to do.

When I work with clients, it is not uncommon for each to enter a state of overwhelm at one point or another as they gain momentum.
Take these three steps to help conquer your overwhelm.

1. Narrow your choices

When faced with too many choices, you are more likely to avoid making a decision. A study led by Sheena Iyengar, a management professor at Columbia University Business School, demonstrated that you are ten times more likely to make a decision if offered only six choices, than if you are offered 24 options. More choice leads to more confusion and decision making inertia.

Quickly identify your top three best options and make decisions from these options only. If you have a clear vision and understand the deliverables and outcomes you want to achieve

2. End the ‘Rattling Brain’ Syndrome

The ‘Rattling Brain’ syndrome occurs when information, ideas, or action items are bouncing around in your brain. This leaves you easily distracted, unable to concentrate or focus.

Free up your brain and take time to write down all of these ideas and thoughts. Use your journal, a notebook to get them out of your brain. Resist using your computer, tablet or smartphone – you will make a stronger connection when you put pen to paper, and this act of writing it down will set things in motion. Later, crossing it out will keep the momentum going.

At the end of each day, take 10 – 15 minutes to write your top three priorities for the next day, and write in your journal to recognize your own successes and thoughts from today.

3. Use the 15-35-10 Rule

When you feel as though you have way too much to do and not time to get it all done, the 15-35- 10 rule can provide the framework to ignite your day and the results you achieve.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and do as many things on your list as you can – answer emails that require a fast answer; make a phone call that gives a go-ahead, or files a piece of paper. The goal of this first step is to cross off as many items from you list as you possibly can, regardless of their priority. You’ll feel great when you reduce your list so quickly.

Next, reset the timer and choose “your frog”, the most overwhelming or unpleasant item on your list. Work on it for 35 minutes. Do not answer the phone, respond to emails or allow yourself to be distracted by other items on your desk. Just work on this one daunting task until your timer rings. If you are on a roll, keep the momentum going by continuing to work until a natural break in your work flow occurs.

Now, take a 10 minute break away from your desk. Take a walk, get a glass of water, or stretch – anything but work. This is time for you to rest and rejuvenate yourself.

Repeat the process again each hour. Your focus and productivity will soar and feelings of overwhelm will be reduced.
Break down projects into parts and parts into steps and take one step at a time so it’s all more manageable and less overwhelming.

“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.” ~ Unknown

1. Zinc:

Zinc is an important mineral in supporting the immune system, collagen structures (skin and bones), and taste and smell. Zinc also affects the utilization of keratin (hair, nails) and is involved in balancing blood sugar.

An interesting note about zinc is that it competes with copper and the body requires a higher amount of zinc in ratio with copper for optimal functioning and disease prevention. In Vancouver, BC, people are often zinc deficient due to the large number of houses and apartments that have copper water pipes.Other causes of zinc deficiency include digestive malabsorption, diabetes and chronic illness.

Symptoms associated with zinc deficiency include:

• Dry hair or hair loss
• Frequent colds and flus
• Slow healing of wounds
• Decreased ability to taste and smell accurately
• Mental fog
• Fatigue and low energy
• Sugar cravings

Foods containing zinc:

• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• mushrooms
• whole grains
• meat (lamb, beef)
• seafood

Supplement recommendation – 25-50mg zinc citrate daily*

2. Selenium:

Selenium is required in small amounts but without it, the thyroid can’t make thyroid hormones, sperm and egg production is compromised, the liver can’t function, and mental focus lags. Deficiencies occur with smoking, drinking alcohol, birth control pills, and those with digestive absorption difficulties (e.g. Crohn’s, colitis).

Symptoms associated with selenium deficiency include:

• poor thyroid function (hair loss, dry skin, fatigue, weight gain, low mood, memory loss, muscle aches)
• reproductive disorders and infertility (male and female)
• mental fatigue

Foods containing selenium:

• brazil nuts
• mushrooms
• seafood
• cheese and butter
• meat (lamb, beef, chicken)

Supplement recommendation: 55mcg selenium as selenomethionine*

3. Magnesium:

Magnesium is a ubiquitous mineral in bones and muscles and your body uses a lot of it daily. Its main use (along with calcium) is in muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and bone integrity. Other important functions include aiding metabolism and aiding brain function. Deficiencies occur with poor diet, digestive disorders (e.g. Crohn’s disease, celiac disease), diabetes, and excessive alcohol consumption.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

• muscle weakness
• agitation
• insomnia
• headaches
• sugar cravings
• nausea

Foods containing magnesium:

• spinach
• Swiss chard
• molasses
• pumpkin seeds
• mustard greens

Supplement recommendation: 250-500mg magnesium citrate* (often found in a liquid with calcium citrate in a 2:1 ratio e.g. 500mg calcium citrate, 250mg magnesium citrate)

4. Iodine

Iodine is a mineral essential to thyroid function and creation of thyroid hormones (T3, T4). Iodine used to be consumed in adequate amounts in iodized table salt, but the decrease in salt in diets and the increased consumption of sea salts (which do not contain iodine) has contributed to an iodine deficiency.

Symptoms of iodine deficiency include:

• hair loss
• dry skin
• fatigue
• weight gain and inability to lose weight
• low mood
• memory loss

Foods containing iodine:

• sea vegetables (especially kelp)
• yogurt
• cow’s milk
• eggs
• strawberries

Supplement recommendation: 1100mcg iodine* (often taken as Lugol’s iodine solution)

Most mineral imbalances can be corrected with dietary alterations.

* Before supplementing with any individual nutrient consult with a naturopathic physician to ensure safety and correct dosing, as mono-supplements can lead to imbalances in other nutrients in the body.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to tell you that it worked extremely well for me but basically has caused my cats to have nervous breakdowns! It appears to have affected one of them so profoundly that my beloved soul-mate has threatened to permanently disable the audio volume on my speakers if I don't voluntarily turn it down at night. So, the lesson learned appears to be that not every suggestion works for everybody (or species).

This Stuff Really Works

Now that I've digressed, this month, I wanted to share with you that although hitting the proverbial wall, crashing and burning to a crisp was not high on my list of fun things to do last year, I have to tell you that taking the time off to heal and write, works!

I continue to be amazed at the huge progress I have made in my mental, physical and spiritual health as a result of listening to those around me who had been urging me to take this "time out" for a number of years. However, I remain one hundred percent cognizant that many of you simply cannot just step away from your businesses and continue to survive, much less thrive. Believe me, I couldn't do it for many years, which is how I got myself into this pickle in the first place.

Quality Versus Quantity

As the early part of the year tends to be a time when many of us are either setting goals or wondering why we can't stick to the ones we've already set, I thought this would be a good time to talk about a different approach to goal-setting.

I only had two goals going into this year. One, was to have the first draft of my manuscript ready for the 2012 Surrey Writer's Festival this October. The other was to continue taking care of my health. I am on track and seeing tangible results from both.

In the past, I've made a list of at least a dozen personal and business goals. I immediately started feeling that I was losing ground almost as soon as the end of January approached. I was very hard on myself and either drove myself to distraction by trying to achieve them or, I gave up and subsequently felt worse about myself. Neither of those alternatives brought me joy.

What Would Happen If?

I would ask you to indulge me for a moment and ask yourself, what would happen if I focused on just one or two "changes" (versus "goals") and what would that mean to my life?

Don't fall into the trap of saying you should lose weight or eat healthier. Yes, those are worthy changes but they still snap of the over-achieving goal-setter. It should be a WHY that is big enough to make you cry. In other words, making this one change would literally change your life.

For example, although this may seem like a "duh" to others, I had not internalized that without the ability to live without constant pain and fatigue, no amount of achieving my other goals would be worthwhile. So, basically everything else I wished to accomplish came secondary…or not at all.

Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It

1. Assuming that you need or want to continue working in your business and can't take an extended sabbatical, in your journal or on a piece of paper write ONE action that you can honestly see yourself doing this year and commit to it. It might be as simple as going to yoga or meditation one night a week but the benefits from it would make everything else you do, more joyful.

2. DO IT! Don't let business or family commitments get in the way. This is something for YOU that you do every day or week, that is non-negotiable. Think of it as being as fundamental as showering or brushing your teeth; you wouldn't even think of not doing it!

3. Keep track of your progress. For some, it's journaling; for others it is just taking down-time to think and reflect. Use whatever works for you that will give you honest self-feedback.

Until next time, remember to be authentically YOU and discover the magic of making ONE life-changing habit versus a tonne of often-broken goals!

“You were born an original, why die a copy?” ~ Oscar Wilde

I know, I know, you’re probably thinking, “What?” At this time of year when we’re bombarded by ads that tell us we need a whole new look, a whole new body and a completely new way of being, I’d like to be the voice in the wilderness that says instead of looking to create something new, how about looking to the past to discover the ‘old you’ and what was great about that person?

I dare to stand up and say, “There’s nothing wrong with you.” And, “You’re perfect just as you are.”

I’m not suggesting that there isn’t room for ‘sharpening the saw,’ but do you actually know what you’re sharpening? Maybe you’re not a saw, maybe you’re a hammer and maybe it’s time to start being the best hammer you can be.

So much time in our society is spent working on our weaknesses; I say it’s time to embrace your strengths and let the true you shine out.The poet Mary Mackey wrote, “I grew in rings, like a tree. At the center I’m always ten with pink glasses and braces.” I’m willing to bet that your authentic ten-year-old is every bit as amazing and fascinating as anything new your current self could cook up!

Here are some tips to uncover your true self and start building from a solid foundation:

1.    Take out a piece of paper and a pen you like.

2.    Think back to your kindergarten self or even earlier if you can remember back that far.

3.    Ask yourself these questions:

a.    What kinds of things did you like to do?
b.    What topics and information interested you the most?
c.    What kinds of clothing did you like to wear?
d.    What activities were your favourites?
e.    How did you move in the world?

4.    The answers to these questions will give you a good indication of who you really are. Perhaps you’ve developed an appreciation for grand opera over your lifetime, but if you really loved crazy dancing to country tunes as a kid, it might be worth giving that a try and see what it unlocks. If you loved turtles and being in nature, how can you manifest that love in the here and now? If you loved wearing colourful tights and dresses, is there a way you can add that love of colour into your adult world?

Ultimately who you are at 4 is who you are at 104. There are layers of sophistication and learning that get added, and it’s time to understand which of those layers are really yours and which are just stuff put on you by other people who said you ‘should’ be, do or have certain things in life.

Oscar Wilde said it best: “You were born an original, why die a copy?”

Take your ‘old self’ out for a walk and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to be, do and have all that you need and want.

New confidence.

You know that feeling when you do something you never thought you could do? I mean, never ever? It’s kind of like when you give birth the first time, ladies, right? When I was about 15 months pregnant with our first child, I got freaked out about the physics of the whole thing. I used to walk around Wal-Mart and size up women with kids, thinking “I’m as tough as her…maybe tougher…if she can do it, I can do it.” This running journey is kind of like that. It’s pushed me beyond my former limits in a lot of ways: time management, physical exertion, and, of course, sharing this journey with you as we plod our way toward the finish line.

New wardrobe.

Actually, it’s my old wardrobe, but it fits again and it’s still somewhat in style. Which is fabulous. But, really, do Mom jeans and polo shirts with baby food stains ever go out of style? See?! We’re fashionistas!

So here’s the breakdown of this week.

Monday:

Monday, our training program calls for a five minute warm up, alternating jogging/walking for 90 seconds and then 3 minutes, and then a five minute cool down walk. I was super nervous about the 3 minutes but, surprisingly, it wasn’t that tough. Don’t blank out on me here, I’m fat, too, remember? This is me you’re talking to and I have spent the last five years eating chips on the couch and becoming an expert in all things Grey’s Anatomy. See? Yes. We are the same. Hug!

Wednesday:

Wednesday, we were joined by a new fabulous person named Dana. She is a science teacher from a town near here and her mom saw the article in the Kaleidoscope. She is a great addition to our team! On her first night of running, she was initiated by God himself with a pouring down, thundering rainstorm with winds so hard the rain blew sideways. Remember that storm last week? Yeahhh…we were training in that storm. Isa is out of town, so Susan, Dana and I ran in the pouring down rain and I carried my Mom’s black umbrella to shield my new Mobile Gateway iPhone 4 from the rain. In the end, it was a miracle my iPhone 4 still works…it’s not as fragile as one might think. Umbrella or not, we were soaking wet but we finished!! We stopped by the Rolla Rural Fire Station on our way back to the car. Alek, the friendly fireman, good naturedly posed for a picture with us and didn’t even complain that we dripped water on their beautifully clean floor. I’m telling you – we felt like superwomen after that training session.

Friday:

Friday, Dana and I trained by ourselves because Susan was waiting on the air conditioner man to come fix her A/C unit. After the torrential downpour we ran through on Wednesday, it was a breeze to complete this session. Who knew it would be so easy to do run this long!

So I’m a little freaked out about next week. We have to run for a little longer and there’s still a lingering thought that something might happen and I may not be able to physically finish this. Plus, there’s the email from the guy who told me I’m doing it all wrong. Anyway, let me tell you this! My skinny jeans are loose!!! I feel fabulous. I feel like an athlete. I do not feel embarrassed about my body anymore. I feel like I’m setting a great example for the kids, who are now walking with me on my off days. And, I feel very grateful to be able to share this journey with you. Oh, and guess what? We have a new person joining our team next week!

If you want to do this on your own, Google “Couch to 5K” or download the app on your iPhone or Android and let us know how it goes! There’s a great Facebook page for “Couch to 5K” participants and you can also email me at mlbroxton@bigkonline.com. We’d love to hear from you and see your pictures! We may post them online and share your story. Just remember, no matter how poor the run, it’s better than sitting on the couch! See you next week!

See also:

Couch to 5k: A Much Needed Do-Over (Week 3)

Couch to 5K: This is Why People Quit (Week 2)

Couch to 5K: Getting Started on Getting Fit (Week 1)

Couch to 5K: One Mom’s Journey Back to Health (Week 0)
 

But imagine if we loved ourselves unconditionally. How would it impact our lives if we loved ourselves despite our errors? Even if we screwed up over and over again and made the same mistake over and over again – what if we loved ourselves anyway?

The struggle would be over. How do I know? Because I've been there.

When we get angry with ourselves because of our weaknesses and imperfections, we are literally choosing to go to battle, and the war is with ourselves! Imagine if your child had the same weaknesses as you. Imagine if he made the same mistakes over and over again. Would you be ashamed of him? Would you make him feel guilty every time he made a mistake?And if you would treat him this way, how do you think it would impact his self-esteem and self-worth?

How are you any different than your child? If you have a weakness, an addiction, an imperfection or a flaw of some sort how is it helpful if you beat yourself up over it? What if you just accepted yourself as you are and loved yourself anyway?

So how do you love yourself even when you screw up? Here it is in its simplest form – you give yourself no other option but to love yourself! Breathe…and re-read.

Yes, you love yourself now no matter what! You love yourself like you love your child! You love yourself period! You give yourself no other choice no matter how hard it is!

When you screw up, no matter how many times, your default setting is to love yourself anyway.

And what happens when you do? The struggle is over, there is no more battle and you slowly but surely begin to heal your life little by little and before you know it your weaknesses, flaws, imperfections and addictions slowly begin to fall away because there is no more resistance. There is no more battle; no more being at war with yourself.

How do I know this? Because I've been there. Unconditional self-love = freedom!

Daily Affirmation:

Dear _______________,

I have many imperfections, flaws and weaknesses. The only option I want to choose when I make a mistake is unconditional self-love. This can be a very difficult task; to love myself no matter what. But I know that being angry with myself or feeling guilty and shameful doesn't help me in any productive way.

___________, please help me to love myself no matter what, each and everyday despite my errors, weaknesses, addictions, imperfections and flaws because I know that when I love myself I heal myself little by little.

Thank you! I love you! And so it is!

On one hand this is very sad. You see countless amounts of incredibly talented individuals get voted off because they weren't the fans' favourite. Most likely they have been developing their talent for years only to get bumped out by someone who is less talented but is better at delivering what the crowd loves. I will never forget an episode of America's Got Talent where, admittedly, the most incredible talent was outed by an only average singer because he was cuter and told lots of sob stories about what he would do with the $1,000,000 if he won.

On the other hand, the strategy of truly understanding who you're marketing to (your voters if you will) is a second-to-none approach. When you know who they are, what they want, how they spend their money, what their problems are, etc., you can develop your organizational strategy accordingly. Every organization succeeds because it has a target demographic and it delivers what that demographic wants (not needs).

Ideas for finding out the needs of your target market:

1. Study your competitors: what products do they offer, which social media tools do they use to connect to their prospects, what do they blog about? When you study someone who is already serving the people you wish to serve you will get insight through the services they offer and the topics they write about what some of the problems are of your target market. Take their ideas and repackage it in a way that is unique to you and your personality style.
2. Join topical Linkedin groups: which groups are your target prospects a member of? Don’t join groups with people who do what you do but join the groups where your ideal clients are. Once you’re in the group, listen to the discussion and contribute meaningful ideas. Don’t promote, don’t spam – just get involved in the conversations that interest you.
3. Take a survey: why not ask your existing clients how they have benefited from your work? Ask them questions like: why did you choose to work with me? Which benefits did you think working with me would bring you? What have you like the most about working with me so far? Which problems have I been able to help you solve? You’ll find out so much about your target market by polling the people you know who have already hired you.
4. Study your industry’s key words: as you’re reading blog posts on your topic make note of the key words the author uses. Use free programs like google adwords to see which variations of these words/phrases people are searching for and how often. Start a list of the words related to your niche that people are searching for and begin to incorporate them into your blog posts, copy and social media profiles.

You can be the most qualified, highest quality professional in your field but if you’re not giving your prospects what THEY want (instead of what you think they need) you’ll never be able to grow your business. When working out your strategic plan, think about the X-Factor and that your ultimate success lies is your ability to connect with your audience and not just in how great a talent you are.

For advice and tips on setting up Google Analytics on your website, check out our earlier blog post.

Why you should be using Google Analytics

1. Measuring your website performance over time.

Using Google Analytics, you can easily compare your site’s performance with its past performance over a specific time period. We like to compare both this month versus last month, and how we’re performing this year versus the same time last year.

2. Visitor loyalty.

It’s great if your website is getting tons of hits, but if those people visit once and never return then something isn’t resonating with your target audience. Analytics tracks all visitors to your website and determines how many are first time visitors versus returning visitors.

3. Integrate your adwords account.

If you already have a Google AdWords account, you can integrate it with analytics to collect campaign, ad group or keyword specific data. The data collected includes cost, conversions, impressions, clicks and whether the ad resulted in a sale. You can even see your profit margin for each ad that led to a sale.

4. Dashboard customization.

The basic Analytics dashboard comes with all kinds of useful tidbits of data; including, most popular pages on your site, visitors, bounce rate, time on site, traffic sources, etc. But, there’s a lot more to Google Analytics than the dashboard. These other metrics, such as the Adwords overview, top landing pages, goals, and the keywords entered into internal search must be accessed manually from the left hand navigation bar. If you find you use manually accessible features often, you can add them to your dashboard using the ‘add to dashboard’ button at the top of the page. Once you’ve added something to your dashboard, it will stay there until you choose to remove it. It’s also possible to rearrange your dashboard to your preferred layout.

5. Internal search.

If you have an internal search bar on your website, Analytics tracks exactly what people are typing into that field to find things on your website. It also tracks what page they were on when they made the search, and where they ended up after completing the search.

6. Assign access to your account.

You can give people two types of access to your Analytics account. Administrator access gives key people full access to your account, whereas read-only privileges allow people to run reports, but they are unable to make any changes or access your website specific Analytics code.

7. Set goals.

It’s easy to set up a goal for almost anything you would like users to do on your website; including, visiting a certain page, making a purchase, signing up for your newsletter, ad conversions, etc. This will give you a clear idea of whether people are taking the steps on your website that you would like them to follow.

8. Scheduled reports and easy exportation.

If you can never remember to check your Google Analytics account, it’s possible to set it up so that regular reports get emailed to your inbox. Or, you can schedule reports to regularly be emailed to key employees, in a variety of handy formats. It’s also possible to export your data in a CSV file where you can view and manipulate it in Excel.

9. Funnel visualization.

This is a great tool that allows you to see when visitors are backing out of the conversion process on your website. For example, it lets you know if most people quit trying to buy your product at the shopping cart step, or if people stop signing up for your newsletter when they realize how much personal information they have to divulge. This information lets you know what it is about your conversion processes that are deterring your customers.

10. Bounce rates.

The bounce rate is the number of people that immediately leave your site after landing on it. You can look at the bounce rate for each individual page to determine which ones are ‘sticky’. If the majority of people land on a page of your website and leave right away, you may want to rethink the copy or layout of that particular page.

This article was written by Corrie Scott, a Marketing Associate with Out-Smarts Marketing and a graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia with an honours degree in Commerce. Her professional interests include marketing, economics, and law, and she has aspirations to pursue a joint MBA-Law degree.

The schedule that my husband has at work is weird and he is gone most of the day and doesn’t usually get home until after the kids are asleep. I’m doing most of the parenting and many days feel like a single parent. Sometimes I ask myself where is my 8-hour break that moms who work outside the home get?

In the time that I have become a mother I have also become a work-at-home mom. This allowed me to make money for groceries and extras that we wouldn’t normally have as a family on one income. It gives me the opportunity to branch out from my role as mom and focus on being a woman; a working woman. I get to network with other moms and business owners and escape from a world where I talk about Max and Ruby and toys all day long.

With my kids being so demanding at their young ages, they need me to be for them all the time. Luckily, my toddler and preschooler are great at entertaining themselves, but I still have to take care of a newborn plus be at the other two’s beck and call. I hear this a lot, “Mommy, come color. Mommy, come play. Mommy do this. Mommy do that. Mommy I need this. Mommy I need that.” I think you get the point. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing with them, but from 7am -8pm is a LONG day together even if I get a break from one (naptime). I cherish the memories I had when all kids were napping from 1pm until 4pm every day. It was my time to be able to catch up things around the house but usually I spent the three hours working my tail off so that I could focus on the kids when they woke up.

Now that our schedule has changed again with the new baby, I have gone from getting the Mommy guilt when they were napping to what I now call Business Guilt. Since, I don’t get a solid break until after 7:30pm, I have to fit the business into our schedule throughout the day. I do make my kids rest from 1-2:30 pm, but it is still  a time that is flooded with questions and I need this. Usually when I hit my stride in an email or post, someone needs me or wakes up from their nap. (This actually occurred as I was writing this sentence.)

I always knew that as my children got older, fitting the business into our schedule was going to be a little different, but some days, I feel like my business or my “fourth baby” gets neglected. I am seriously passionate about helping other small business owners get more exposure for their companies and I wish I had more time in the day or more money to get a babysitter but I don’t, so when the kids need me the business gets the brute end of the deal.

Balancing work and kids has been a struggle since one child has cut out naps, because I am mom all day long. No longer do I have a 3-hour break in the middle of the day to focus my attention on business. I have to fit it when I can. So if that means checking twitter after I get the kids’ breakfast ready or answer a few emails before my husband leaves for work or make a phone call while my older two are playing with play doh for an hour then so be it. My business is not something that I want to just fade away because my children need me. It is still an important aspect of who I am and who I want my children to see me as.

Your office should support you energetically. For example, are the colours on the walls supportive for productivity? What about clutter – does your office look like it should be featured on the next edition of HGTV’s "Consumed"? Also, be sure to look at enhancements. Is the art on the wall leftover pieces that didn't fit anywhere else in the house? The answers to all these questions are very important when trying to create a space that will keep you focused and happy in all of your office-related work.

With all the focus on high-tech equipment and gadgets these days, people often overlook the subtle but equally important energy requirements. These things help you feel focused and productive. But before we talk about these subtle things, you must make sure your office is free of clutter. You don't want to energize the clutter. In Feng Shui, this doubles it! So de-clutter and either organize it, file it, or get rid of it!

Here are some Feng Shui principles to create a balanced office space:

• The position of your desk is most important. It should be in the power position of the office, where you have a view of the door from your chair and a solid wall behind you for support. If you cannot place your desk where you have a view of the door, then place a mirror on the wall you are facing so you can see behind you.

• Keep all electrical wires neatly wrapped with ties or enclose them in a tube so they are not visually seen. This also keeps you safe from tripping over them when moving around the office.

• Make sure the door to your office can open freely. This is the entrance to your success and productivity. It affects your entire business.

• Paint your office wall a colour that provides supportive energy. White is a metal colour in Feng Shui and helps to get you motivated. Also, add more metal objects and less wood objects if you are having trouble focusing. Metal gives you that energetic tension needed for productivity.

• Motivational art on the wall also enhances focus and productivity in a home office. Art that shows teamwork, success, and a positive attitude is good.

• Energize new business and wealth by adding uplifting plants, like bamboo. You can use silk plants or trees if you do not have a green thumb. Pictures of large trees give added energy to income generation.

• A water feature provides flow to your career success. A small tabletop water feature with a gentle sound works well. Be sure to use the fountain every day and fill it with fresh water. This keeps your wealth flowing and doesn’t allow it to stagnate.

• Stay organized in your office. This isn’t an option – it’s mandatory for success. You can't work in a chaotic space. Mentally, you see the clutter before starting your work and it subconsciously irritates you. It is crucial to your creativity and energy levels to spend a few minutes effectively tidying up. Your creativity will flourish – just try it and you'll see!

• Clean all the electrical cords – they magnetize dust. In Feng Shui, this is negative energy. Move things around in your office, and clean underneath and behind furniture. Just like spring cleaning, your office deserves a deep cleaning too!

By surrounding yourself with good energy in your office, a nice cup of coffee, a good chair, beautiful scenery, and nice music, you will be inspired, creative and productive. You will manifest good things and the rewards will be abundant!

Make lifestyle changes slowly.

If you try incorporating all of your chosen lifestyle changes at the same time, it will be difficult to follow them all. Instead, incorporate your lifestyle changes slowly over a period of time, in order to give your body an opportunity to adjust to them, both mentally and physically.

Dietary fats are not all bad.

Remember that although dietary fats can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, they also contribute to satiety (feeling full after a meal), give our body energy, help protect our organs, and help our body absorb certain nutrients and produce important hormones. The good dietary fats, which include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, can lower bad cholesterol levels when consumed in moderation. The bad saturated fats, which include saturated and trans fat, raise the bad cholesterol (LDL) levels in your blood. Therefore, when making food choices, try to choose food items that contain the healthier types of fat, but remember to consume them in moderation.

Eat more meals at home.

Many restaurants and fast food establishments are offering great deals as a result of the economy in order keep, and even increase, their customer base. However, from a health standpoint, it may not always be in your best interest to take advantage of these specials. Be sure to read the nutrition label before making your purchase to determine if it’s really a healthy bargain.

Drink more water.

Cut back on sodas, energy drinks, and alcohol – these products not only cost more than water, but are also not as healthy. Need some added taste? Add some fresh lemons, strawberries, or cucumbers to your water for some healthy flavor!

Don’t buy junk food.

Vending machines and the end caps in grocery stores often contain more junk food than healthy options. Brown bag your snacks and meals for work, school, or wherever you might be going that day.

Stay away from fad diets.

Their claims sound great – quick, easy weight loss without much exercise involved, if any, and you can be thin for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, many of these fad diets not only do not deliver on their weight loss promises, but many of them can be damaging to your health as well, both physically and psychologically. In addition, many fad diets tend to over-emphasize one particular food item, or type of food, which contradict the guidelines for healthy eating. Remember that traditional weight loss and weight maintenance methods recommend a well-balanced meal plan with a variety of foods that are low in saturated and trans fat, in addition to being physically active.

Carbohydrates do not cause weight gain.

Weight gain is caused by calories and fat, not carbohydrates. Excess carbohydrates are not any more fattening than calories, regardless of where they come from. Note that fat contains nine calories per gram of fat, whereas carbohydrates contain only four calories per gram of carbohydrate. Many people do not realize that most of their energy comes from carbohydrate consumption, making carbohydrates a vital part of their meal plan.

Your task:

Are you considering making a lifestyle change in 2012? If so, make a list of the changes you wish to make, then determine their level of difficulty. Begin by incorporating the simple changes, then move on to the changes you feel will be more difficult. Soon you will be reaping the healthy benefits!

Here are some tips to make your toast special for any occasion:

Don’t drink and speak.

Now I know that during a special occasion people drink and that’s fine. What I’m saying is don’t get inebriated and then speak – you’re going to sound like an idiot, slur your speech and make a fool of yourself! Speaking sober is my recommendation – drink after, not before.

Share a personal story.

Nothing touches people more than a personal story or experience shared. Keep it short though, don’t ramble on. There is an art to storytelling and that’s something I always work on with my clients.

Don’t tell an Internet joke.

Unless you have amazing comedic timing, telling an Internet joke is never a good idea. If you tell your personal story right, you will be able to infuse it with natural humour and get people laughing anyway.

Use the full potential of your voice.

When you give a toast you typically raise your glass right? Well you do the same thing with your voice – use its full potential and make it as varied as possible. This is a tough one for many people and something I work hard on with my executive speech coaching clients. Try your best – your audience will appreciate it.

Use BIG body language and gestures.

A toast is a grand gesture that should fill the room with warm, positive energy that enthrals your friends and family. That’s not going to happen if you are slouching with a frown on your face. So stand up straight, smile and use big arm and hand gestures to really liven things up.

Practise on your family or co-workers.

It’s always a good idea to write down what you’re going to say (don’t read it though – memorize it) and practise on people you trust and get their honest opinion.

We went through six keys to giving a great special occasion toast. If you’ve enjoyed my column over the year I would love to hear from you, so remember to keep in touch with me by leaving a comment below.

But here’s the really silly part. Have you ever adjusted your selling price to match or beat his price?

If you took Economics 101 in high school or college, you learned that selling prices for goods and services are determined by “what the market will bear.” That means that consumers – the market – decide what a product is worth and will give so much money, but no more, for that product.

After doing a fake-voice phone survey of a few companies, and setting your prices somewhere in their range, you might say you are charging “what the market will bear.” This beats going to the trouble of figuring out what your company’s break-even point is. “We can’t charge more than what the market will bear!” is delivered as a logical reason for maintaining below-cost selling prices.

But here’s the rub. The “what the market will bear” rule applies to commodities. Commodities are products that don’t differ much from vendor to vendor. Gold, for instance, is a commodity. Gold is gold is gold. Gold will follow the Economic rule of ‘what the market will bear’ pretty nicely. It will be directly affected by the law of ‘supply and demand.’ Economics 101 works well when you are talking about commodities.

But it doesn’t count for much as far as your products and services go.

Here’s the real rule, the ‘street’ rule, the rule they don’t teach you in Economics 101: the market doesn’t set the selling price. The marketers do.

• Why does Coca Cola sell for three times the price of store brand cola?

• How come Rolex sells watches for $50,000 when you can get a very nice watch for $100?

• Why would anyone pay $15,000 to cross the Atlantic on the Concord when a jet plane will get you there for about $500?

The marketers in this world differentiate their products, and make them something more than a commodity. Marketers create and communicate features that benefit consumers. Benefits add value to the product. Coke is the real thing. A Rolex is a symbol of wealth and power. And the Concord goes really fast. (Speed is always a cool product feature). Higher value commands a higher price.

If value equals price, then there is no sale:

V = P; then, No Sale

Cash in pocket will only be exchanged for something that has a higher perceived value. So, if a product is worth exactly what you are charging for it, no one will buy it. What usually happens is that you will drop your price until the value of your product becomes bigger than the price:

V > P ; then, Sale

However, the marketer increases the value until the price looks insignificant:

V > P ; then, Profitable Sale

You see, there is a huge problem with basing your prices on what your competition is charging, on what the market will bear. I bet your competition is even more ignorant than you are when it comes to knowing his break-even and his true costs of doing business. He got his selling price by calling other companies, companies that are now out of business. Don’t assume that your competition knows what he is doing!

Lots of folks get confused when they set their selling prices. They look at what everyone else is charging, then they hope and pray that they can make money at those prices. So, don’t beat yourself up. Just do it the right way.

How To Price Yourself:

• Decide how much money you want to make.
• Offer a terrific product.
• Figure out ALL your costs of doing business.
• Come up with a selling price that makes your dreams come true.
• Adopt a marketer’s mindset.
• Create so much value for your product that your customers beg to buy it.

And forget what the market will bear.

First some Statistics showing why it's important to get your audience engaged:

People on Facebook

• More than 800 million active users

• More than 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day

Activity on Facebook

• More than 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events and community pages

• Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events

Mobile

• More than 350 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile devices

Savvy business owners are now including Facebook as part of their marketing plan but the downside is that fans are being inundated with offers, promotions and sales tactics from these very owners.

How do you get YOUR message heard above the ‘noise’ coming from these Facebook pages?

As a business owner, the secret to succeeding on Facebook is to observe the 80/20 rule.

• 80% of your status updates should offer no-strings-attached value

• Offer/sell products or services the other 20% of the time

To attract and convert your fans into customers, focus your posts and status updates on creating relationships through conversations. As with any business, once you’ve developed that rapport and built a solid relationship, your Facebook fans will be more receptive to what you are offering/selling in future promotions.

Here are 10 MORE Facebook Conversation Starters

1. Ask them what info they need – What’s your burning question for the day about (insert topic).

2. Give them reasons to share – You’re the best and to show our ‘love’, here’s your link to a complimentary ebook. Yes, you can share! (insert link)

3. Share quotes related to your business – “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw

4. Leverage the celebrity factor – Here’s our Founder, Cathy Kuzel with Trevor Linden at the National Speakers Bureau event last week. Definite ‘handsome’ factor!

5. Ask them to submit a photo related to your subject matter – Have you had your picture taken with a celebrity? Please share and post it on our wall.

6. Give a ‘heads up’ on upcoming events/announcements – FOR YOUR EYES ONLY! Facebook fans, stay tuned – tomorrow we’ll have news just for you!

7. Share a story about the history of your product/business – The concept for our re-usable gift bags started in 2004 when . . .

8. Share events – For our fans in the garment industry, you just might want to attend the XYZ Fashion Show being held on . . .

9. Share your values and beliefs – This December 1st, we join the global community in observing World Aids Day to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV.

10. Express Gratitude – It’s because of YOU that we’ve reached 10,000 fans. You’re the best!

And, as promised, here's one more bonus conversation starter:

11. Have Fun with Contests – The first five people to find our previous post about (insert topic), tag it and share it wins coffee on us!

The key to leveraging Facebook as a marketing tool is to keep in mind that “hard sales” (ie: promotion after promotion after promotion. . .) just doesn’t work.

Now Go Get Connected!

As an entrepreneur, having a more flexible work schedule was probably one of your desired items, particularly if you came from a very structured corporate job. If this was high on the desire list, why has it fallen down the priority list now?

The 3 R’s of entrepreneurship are Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation. Each component is vital if you want to remain a creative, productive entrepreneur and a great leader of your business. There are various ways you can include each “R” into your daily routine.

1. Get A Good Night’s Sleep

This is one of the most challenging aspects of most people’s lives, especially when you are an entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs will work late and get up early, only to repeat this cycle of burning the candle at both ends over and over.

As an entrepreneur, your brain is active creating new processes, creating and innovating. This is possible only when you are able to rejuvenate at night. A lack of adequate sleep has been shown by researchers to affect your memory, mood, motivation, judgment, and your perception of events. It also impacts your ability to learn new tasks.

Consider setting a regular daily sleep routine with set times to rest and rise. Sunshine (when possible) during the day also helps.

 2. Take Frequent Breaks

Some refer to this approach as the Pomodoro Approach. Before you start a task, set a timer for 25 minutes. When the timer rings, get up from your desk (or away from what you were doing), and take a 5 minute break. Repeat this cycle three more times but take a 25 minute break after the 4^th cycle.

Taking frequent breaks gives your eyes, brain and body a break, allows you to stretch and change your position. Use the mini breaks to get some water so you stay well hydrated. Take a walk around the block for some fresh air and exercise during longer break.

Each break will allow you to rest the brain cells, and help you relax.

3. Play Hard

To be a successful entrepreneur, you work hard. It is equally as important that you play hard. Schedule at least one day per week where you totally unplug. Stay away from your computer (and smart phone), schedule time with family and friends or alone time activities that you love to do. Curl up with a good book, play a round of golf, go for a walk or hike, spend time with a significant other, play with your kids or meet a friend for tea. Whatever it is, ensure it’s something you really enjoy (save the housework for another day!)

Don’t forget to schedule a holiday each year. If a week away seems too long, initially start with a four-day weekend and build up to a week away. Then aim for two weeks a year!

No matter what options you choose, include the 3 R’s in your daily routines to improve your brain power, gain productivity and efficiencies! Preschedule your R3 time and use good time management techniques to honour these timeslots. Your business will thank you!

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time." ~ John Lubbock

The best approach to preventing colds and flus is through lifestyle changes which lay the groundwork for your immune system to efficiently recognize and destroy foreign bacteria and viruses. The foundation of good health begins with:

• Regular exercise – 30 minutes a day of moderate enjoyable activity supports immune function

• Whole foods diet – whole grains, lean meats, healthy fats, and a variety of vegetables increases antioxidant and nutrient status

• Plenty of fluids – one to two Litres daily

• Low sugar intake – minimize sugar as one teaspoon can suppress immune system function for up to five hours

• Stress management – positive coping methods (exercise, yoga, meditation, social activities) help decrease cortisol levels (cortisol is a stress hormone which impairs the immune system)

• Sleep – good quality sleep allows defense systems to operate fully

The health of a company is connected to the health of its employees. Maintaining a positive, active and healthy lifestyle will help reduce sick days and improve workplace productivity.

If the symptoms of achiness, sore throat, stuffy nose, and general malaise have already begun, it is important to support and maximize defense mechanisms to reduce the length of illness and return to work in a healthy productive state. Options to decrease the length of your cold or flu include:

• Garlic – has the widest spectrum antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral activity of all foods; consume it in its raw form to benefit from its active properties

• Homemade organic chicken broth helps thin mucous

• Sleep – the most important remedy for cold or flu illness as it allows for repair and optimal immune action

• Drinking plenty of fluids during illness helps the body get rid of toxins and waste products; at least two Litres of water or herbal tea daily is recommended

• Echinacea – a good quality Echinacea like MediHerb will help improve your body’s defense reaction to the virus or bacteria

• Vitamins A, C, E, and zinc and selenium – decrease the life of a cold/flu virus, repair mucous membranes, and support immune and detoxification

• Complex homeopathics are beneficial – Boiron and Heel have remedies specific for flus available in health food stores

Emails are an unavoidable reality of doing business these days. Most small business owners I talk to receive anywhere from 200-1000 emails a day. And, not all of these emails are “business critical.” No wonder most of us feel overwhelmed by email and some of us even avoid it completely. However, as more and more business is done online, ignoring business critical emails could be catastrophic. Here are three tips to help you deal with the email overload without completely ignoring it:

Clear the inbox

The inbox is not a garage. Don’t treat it like a storage space. Think of the inbox like your living room. You work hard to keep the living room clean so extend the same principle to your emails. Keeping the Inbox clean helps you quickly scan through the emails you’ve received to pick the important ones that you want to read and respond to. It also helps you consume emails at bite size. Wouldn’t you rather deal with 25 emails at a time than 200? That can be achieved and it has to start with a clean inbox.

Follow the Rule of 4D’s

The decision making principle called the “Rule of 4Ds” has helped many of my clients get rid of email clutter and use email as an effective means of communication. Here is how you use this principle:

• Take each email and realize that you have four options in dealing with it. You can either “Delete it,” “Do it,” “Delegate it” or “Defer it.”

• “Delete” emails that do not have any value. These are the forwarded chain letters, newsletters that you no longer read and junk mail.

• “Do” as in respond or take action for the emails that can be acted upon in two minutes or less. These are the emails that require a quick response from you. It is better to complete them than to put them on your To Do list.

• Delegate” emails that can be effectively answered by a team member. Your team members, in some instances, may be able to respond to some emails better than you can because they are the first line of contact for various tasks.

• “Defer” emails that require your inputs, are important and take longer than two minutes to complete. Once you have finished this process for each email, set aside a 30 minute time block to go through and take action on your deferred emails.

Write effective emails

One of the best ways of minimizing email clutter is to learn how to send effective emails. In general, you want to ensure that your reader knows what he/she needs to do after reading your emails. Follow these four rules to start writing effective emails:

1.      Let them know what actions you expect them to take

2.      Let them know when they need to reply back by

3.      Give the bottom line first

4.      Be direct in your communications

Follow these tips and I can guarantee that your email communications and the level of emails you receive will both improve.

Over to you: What are some of your favourite methods to deal with email overwhelm?

In making dinner last night I got to thinking about cooking and leadership. What is the common ingredient of leaders who seem to get so much out of their teams while other leaders inspire nothing more than apathetic compliance from their staff? What makes the difference between the masterpiece meal creators and those who just make fill-the-hole meals when both have the same ingredients to work with?

From my work with all different types of organizations, I have come to see that people who lead great teams do not necessarily have a “better” team but are better at tapping into the true strengths of the individuals on those teams. They have the ability to get to the core of who that person is, find their passion and then assign them to an appropriate role where they will feel fulfilled and challenged.

An inefficient leader; however, delegates roles based on the operational to-do list without giving much attention to what could be accomplished if the right people were in the right roles. This person is lazier because taking the time to discover what incredible talent lies right under your nose is a long process of exploration and emotional involvement on the part of both the team leader and their team mate.

Is it easier to just go for a quick fix as opposed to setting your intention to create a masterpiece out of the resources you have? Of course, but what if someone were to tell you that inside your team you already had a marketing genius, a technology whiz, and a team building expert but you never took the time to find out?

Three steps to help you tap into your team’s talents:

1. Sit down one-on-one with each person on your team and sincerely ask them: so what do you love about your job? What do you hate? If you could do anything here, which role would you choose? What part of this team accomplishing it’s goal are you most passionate about?

2. Show you’re serious by taking notes as your teammate is talking. Use lead phrases like “tell me more what you mean by that?” and “so how exactly did you do that?” People love to talk about themselves and will be grateful for the attention you’re giving them.

3. Listen with no agenda. Don’t use the time to try to find them a different role on the team or to do a performance review. Just listen – review your notes later once they’ve left.

After you’ve completed this process with every person on your team, set your goal to make a magnificent entrée out of the ingredients you have. It will take some trial-and-error and will be a lot more work but I guarantee you that will be a meal worth making.

"He could be married. Gosh, how embarrassing would that be."

"You have a zit on your chin, maybe tonight's not the best night to be picking up men."

"What if you say something stupid? You do that quite often you know."

"If he was into you, he'd of noticed you by now."

And with all of that rationalizing you go home and never meet this man that you were so incredibly attracted to. You spend the next three years wondering if he might have been your future husband. Your only mistake? You bought into fear.

You're totally sick of your job. For years you've been wanting to be your own boss. There's nothing you would love more than to run your own consulting business. So, you do a lot of research and have some in depth discussions with your partner about it. He's totally supportive! You can't remember the last time you felt so great! As you begin to plan your resignation date from your current employment, there's an old familiar voice in your head…

"If you quit this job you will be putting so much stress on your husband."

"Most entrepreneurs fail, what makes you think you can do this?"

"How will you ever forgive yourself if you blow all your savings for nothing?"

"Let's face it, you're not really the entrepreneur type."

And with all of that rationalizing you stay at your job for the rest of your working years and you wonder everyday what it might have been like to be your own boss. Your only mistake? You bought into fear.

There is a little mistake that can cost you your happiness, and that little mistake is listening to your voice of fear. How do you know if you are listening to the voice of fear?

Actually, it's quite simple to detect. If you are always justifying, rationalizing or being practical when opportunities knock, chances are very good that you are buying into the voice of fear. And a sure way to know that you are listening to fear: fear makes you feel bad. When you are listening to fear, you feel disappointed, sad, stuck, etc.

Your Mission:

• Write down five things you haven't done because you were justifying, rationalizing or trying to be practical.
• What exactly were you telling yourself?
• Were those things really true or were you just scared?
• How can you take your control back?
• Write out a daily affirmation, like the one below, and say it to yourself every day.

Daily Affirmation:

Dear ________________.

I am beginning to notice how often I buy into the voice of fear. I do not want to live a life controlled by fear and so I ask that you give me the strength to quiet that voice and the courage to say "YES" to the opportunities that come my way. I trust that when opportunities come to me, they come to me on purpose and with a purpose to help me grow into the person I am truly meant to be. Thank you! I love you! I trust you! And so it is!

1. acknowledge the conflict exists;
2. communicate effectively about the conflict, and
3. take personal responsibility for the conflict

Conflict resolution skill #4 is: resolving to make conflict resolution a priority.

Think about this for a moment. We all know people who seem to thrive on conflict; this is sad but true. It seems as if for every person who avoids conflict at all cost there is a person who never misses an opportunity to create it. Regardless of the circumstances which created the conflict, conflict cannot be resolved unless you make it a priority to resolve it.

In your relationships and your business you must be willing and determined to resolve conflict from the perspective of what is best for your business and what is in the long term interest of your relationship.

The mistake many people make is they fail to prioritize their business or relationship and get bogged down on the specifics of the conflict and who is “right” and who is “wrong.” Focusing on the minor details of an argument instead of focusing on what is at stake for the business or your relationship from a long-term perspective makes us run the risk of losing sight of the forest from the trees. When this happens, conflict remains unresolved and ill will is perpetuated.

Tenacity is an admirable quality when it provides resilience for learning something new. But when tenacity gets us stuck in a conflict, refusing to let go of it, it can be responsible for leaving our conflicts unresolved – which eventually destroys our relationships and the productivity of our business.

The next time you are faced with a business or relationship conflict that you are having difficulty letting go of or resolving, ask yourself this question: “Is maintaining the conflict worth your relationship or the productivity of your business?” Chances are you know the answer to this question. If you make it your priority, all conflicts are resolvable.

See also:

Conflict Resolution Success in Business & Marriage (for an overview and list of the five skills)

Conflict Resolution: Acknowledge the conflict exists (skill #1)

Conflict Resolution for Women in Biz: Communicate Effectively (skill #2)

Conflict Resolution for Women in Biz: Taking Responsibility (skill #3)

This will not be the case for me when my third child comes along. When my son was born, I had been running my business on my own for about seven months and it was still in the growth stages. In October (he was born at the end of November), I started planning on what I was going to do when he arrived. Was I going to take a break? Could I really go on maternity leave for an extended period of time? Did I really want to step away from all the hard work that I had put in for someone else to help me during this time?

I truly love my job and would not change anything for the world. The great thing about being a work at home mom is that I am able to create my own hours and live on my own schedule. Going on maternity leave as a sole business owner is hard to do but if you run your business out of your home and do not have a brick and mortar then it is doable.

Schedule Guest Contributors:

I enlisted the help of other mom businesses owners to write six weeks of blog posts. This ensured that even if I couldn’t write my own material my readers would still have something to read about running a business, marketing tips, etc. while I was nursing the baby or taking care of my toddler.

Hire a Virtual Assistant:

If you don’t have staff on hand to take over emails or simple tasks then hire a VA (Virtual Assistant) to do some of the work for you. Yes, there might be emails that pertain to just you but I’m sure many of your emails can be answered with a stock answer. They are also available to help you with your social media as well. There will be a fee with this service but if you really do need a break, it’s well worth the help.

Don’t run big promotions or giveaways:

Do as I say and not as I did. The only thing that I was thinking about during the end of my second pregnancy was “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that I’m running a huge Holiday giveaway and hosting my first ever Holiday Gift Extravaganza (to promote businesses over the holidays).” Luckily, I was smart about one thing and I wrote out all my tweets and Facebook mentions ahead of time so that all I had to do was copy and paste. I apparently like to add stress on top of an existing stressor, like pregnancy, so needless to say it was a very hectic holiday season in our house.

Have a staff member fill in:

At the time of my first two pregnancies, I did not have the advantage of having staff members being able to fill in and help out after I had my babies. Now pregnant with my third child, I know that I have a reliable and trustworthy co-owner that will be able to handle tasks while I am gone. The thing is, maternity leave might actually be something that I could do this time because I know that my business will be in the best hands if I’m gone.

Find someone to play with your other children:

For me this will be one of the major challenges when bringing a new person home to take care of. My children have been known to nurse every hour on the hour for an hour at a time, so whenever the day may come that I bring a new baby home then I will need someone to entertain the older kids. Does this pertain to you? Enlist the help of your husband (if he’s able to take off work), your mother, friends, or a nanny. After having two rambunctious kids, taking care of a newborn is easy. I’m pretty sure if I just had to take care of a newborn then running a business would be a cinch. I could answer emails and do conference calls while sitting on the couch nursing a baby.

Whether this is your first child or fourth child, remember that even if you love your business as much as I do, take a break, even if it’s just a day. That’s all I did with the second one ‘cause can you believe it, I was answering emails in the hospital and cooked a Thanksgiving meal the next day. Crazy I know, but there is such a thing as too busy. Enjoy your newborn and the bond that they will create with their siblings. They are only little once. Your business will survive if you take a break. All you need to do is find the right people to help you out.

QR codes (or Quick Response codes), those little black and white squares that look like crosswords, are appearing everywhere: in magazine ads, on product labels, on bus stops, you name it. If you scan them using your smart phone you are taken to a related webpage (without having to type in the URL). I blogged about them a year or so ago and have watched with interest as they proliferate. Marketers love them but are the really resonating with their intended audience? I decided to find out.

According to a recent Comscore report, 14 million Americans scanned a QR code using their mobile device in the month of June. So people are using them but it is interesting to note that the main demographics were males aged 18-34 in the high income bracket – so be cautious in using these if your target markets differs. Another recent report in this CNN article in the US surveyed students and only two out of 10 even knew what a QR code is.

QR codes are a great marketing tool in theory but using them is far from a seamless experience. In the last week I scanned several QR codes and have been frustrated by the lack of compatibility between the QR scanner on my phone resulting in the appearance of error messages rather than taking me to the enticing, targeted websites I expected to see. Of the 10 or so codes that I scanned only one worked seamlessly to launch the intended web site – the rest I gave up waiting on and couldn’t be bothered to download another barcode app that would work.

Here’s an example: I ate out recently and saw this QR code (see photo) being used in at the MAC Shack in Kerrisdale (Vancouver, BC) as part of a promotion. Above the code, it says "Every Scan is a Winner!" and under the code, it says "Win free drinks, up-sizes, desserts and $10 or $25 gift cards!" So in my quest for QR knowledge, I decided to scan it to find out what my prize would be. Sadly I never found out because the app failed to launch properly, I ended up frustrated, annoyed and hungry for more. It didn’t put me off my mac cheese thankfully (nothing could) but it did give me some food for thought.

In this case, I only wasted a few minutes tinkering around trying to get it to work but for the marketer who devised this campaign, their time in putting this together was rendered useless (I’m assuming that I wasn’t the only one that tried to scan it in vain). There are far better ways to build your audience (tried and tested ways) that work. Not only that but from a marketer’s perspective when your audience is expecting something and they don’t get it (or it fails to work), what does that say about your organization. It’s all about the optics. If you can’t get it right then why bother wasting your audience’s time.

Sources in the telecom industry tell me that the next generation of phones will be able to scan these automatically so the problem of unstandardized apps may go away but in the meantime, marketers should give close consideration to their audience and to making sure that their QR codes work seamlessly with as many of the readers as possible. Otherwise, it might be better to consider more tried and tested methods to grow your community. Don’t get me wrong, the potential for QR Codes is huge and one day they will be a marketing tool that you can’t ignore but for now not so much.

For better or for worse, people usually want to learn more when they discover how their closet and clothes can affect them.

The rising popularity of Feng Shui has been extraordinary. Did you know that there are over 1,000 Feng Shui consultants in California and the popularity of Feng Shui in Canada is on the rise? Feng Shui is the art of balancing and harmonizing the flow of energy to create beneficial effects in our lives.

People get excited about Feng Shui, but they don’t realize that they need to clear the clutter first. Hanging a mirror in your closet to attract more wealth is good, but not if it is mirroring clutter as it will double your problems! It is vital to have a good flow of life force energy in your closet. Feng Shui principles teach ways to improve energy flow and clearing clutter. In your closet, for example, you will be able to lift that stuck energy and experience dramatic results.

Most of our closets are filled with clutter. This is negative energy. Clutter is like having problems hanging over you – waiting to be dealt with. It restricts us from thinking clearly and freshly. If it’s the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, you will tend to wake up sluggishly. Clutter stashed higher than eye level will have an oppressive effect and may induce headaches.

Take a look at your closet and really ask yourself, “Do I really need all this stuff or am I just hanging on to it out of guilt?” If the answer is the latter and you don’t love the item(s), then it’s time to let go (you can donate clothes to charity or sell them in a consignment store). These items are holding your life back in the past and you can’t move forward. They will make you feel tired, lethargic, and depressed. On the other hand, keeping the things you love creates positive energy and opens up new opportunities in your life.

Keeping your closet clean will allow the energy to move more smoothly and harmoniously around the space. Remember that Feng Shui knows no bounds. Even though your stuff may be hidden in your closet and you don’t see it all the time, it is still part of your space. Your clo

set holds negative energy when filled with stuff.

Most people wear about 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. If you have any doubt, take this test for a month. Each time you wear something and clean it, hang it at one end of your wardrobe. At the end of the month, you will find you are wearing the same clothes most of the time.

Separate the clothes you love to wear from those you don’t. This will help when trying to clean your wardrobe and dump the excess. Be clear on your criteria for whether something stays or goes though. For example, observe the colors. Do they uplift and enhance your energy? This alone will likely help you sift through the majority of your clothes.

In the same way we decorate the walls of our homes, we choose colors, textures and fabric designs that reflect our own energy vibrations. People go through color phases. Next, rank items based on feel. If you don’t like the material, shape, or anything else about it, let it go. You owe it to yourself to create a collection of outfits you absolutely love.

Make a decision to never buy anything that isn’t quite what you want because you know it will end up in the excess pile. Resolve to buy clothes that you love and look great, even if they cost a bit more. Get a friend to help you choose styles and colors. If you look good and feel good, you’ll raise your energy and attract prosperity. Some people keep things they haven’t worn in over 20 years. If you haven’t worn it in the last two or three years, then let it go.

Comfort shopping is one sure way to end up with clothes you will never wear. The trick is to never go shopping when you feel emotionally out of sorts.

Some people hang on to clothes that are too small because they’re planning to lose weight so they can wear them again. Life rarely happens this way. Instead, find something that makes you look and feel really good exactly as you are now. What will happen? You’ll lose weight. Love yourself exactly as you are, instead of waiting until you lose weight.

In addition, clothes in need fixing or a new zipper hold negative energy. Every time you look at them, they remind you of not having time to fix them. This is an energy drain. Everything you own is subconsciously connected to your energy. This is considered a lack of respect and care for yourself. If you don’t intend to fix something or don’t love it enough to keep it, let it go. Someone else may love it. What about clothes in need of constant ironing if you hate ironing? Launder and iron them for the last time, and consign or donate them.

Don’t put up with second best. When you nourish yourself with the best clothes, you’ll attract the best in other areas of your life too. If you are just getting by with the clothes you have, love them and be grateful. When resources become available, replace these clothes to feel even more wonderful. Most people are surprised how quickly this becomes possible once they set their mind to it. Remember to live with what you love!

Use this list (below) to see how you can make simple ingredient substitutions that can help reduce the amount of calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar in your meals.

Your task:

The next time you see a recipe that looks great but are concerned about the nutrition value, use this list to substitute one or more of the ingredients. This change can lead to a long-term habit of substituting ingredients, while allowing you to expand your healthy recipe collection.

"How could that be?" you gasp. Any of those activities, if you find them enjoyable, are a great escape from the normally hectic tasks that seem to consume your days. But, that's just it—you're using any of those pleasurable activities to escape just being in the present moment. I mean just being.

Being Versus Doing

When was the last time you ate a meal while reading a book, a newspaper or watching TV? While doing that, were you aware of the taste of every grain and morsel that you put in your mouth? Did you chew each bite, perhaps thirty times, or until the food was pulverized? Do you even remember the tastes and scents and textures that you experienced from the time you started your meal until your plate was empty? When was the last time you consumed a meal, with or without another person being present, completely in silence, focusing on nothing but the taste and your gratitude for having that meal?

Now before you tune out and think I'm another of those woo-woo crackpots, I want you to know that this perspective is coming to you from a still-reforming Type A personality. Multi-tasking (even though I coached my clients not to do it) was my middle name. If I didn't have at least five things going on at the same time, or several files open on my desk simultaneously (ten was my record), I didn't feel that I had achieved anything. I fooled myself into thinking I was being super-productive, getting so much done in a day.

I did that for a long time. Until, as you may have read in my bio, I hit a wall, crashed, and burned to a crisp. Believe me, it wasn't pretty. I was physically in pain, emotionally drained and spiritually void.

Coming Back To Yourself

I had heard, countless times, how if you just become quiet long enough you will hear the answers. Are you kidding me? I didn't even know the questions! Even if I did hear a response, I would doubt it, figuring I was making it up or hearing voices in my head.

For me, the turning point in what felt like a fruitless struggle to find the answers came with an unexpected opportunity to attend a one-week meditation retreat. Quite fortuitously, a new friend emailed me on a Sunday, I just happened to be at my computer, and I was literally able to grab one of a precious few cancellations before too many other people knew about them. I didn't even know if I could really afford to go or where I'd be housed or with whom.

Was it a coincidence that all that happened seemingly out of the blue? And that I happened to be at my computer on a Sunday, which is rare? I think not. It was the beginning of starting to hear the answers. Your moment of truth may not be the same as mine (it probably won't be) but if you pay attention, you'll become aware of the right opportunity for you to figure out what it will take for you to slow down long enough to come back to yourself. But how exactly, does one "come back to oneself?"

I'm glad you asked.

Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It

1. Connect with your breath.

As Buddhist Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh says in his book, You Are Here, mindful breathing is a kind of bridge that brings the body and the mind together. If through mindfulness of the breath you generate harmony, depth, and calm, these will penetrate into your body and mind. Don't think too hard about meditating (unless you want to). Instead, just say silently to yourself, “Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.” Practice doing that throughout the day, when things get hectic. You can do it in your car, when walking on crowded sidewalks, or when taking your dog for a walk.

2. Without mud there is no lotus.

Without experiencing pain, we'd not know joy. If we didn't feel anger, we wouldn't understand compassion. Without life feeling hectic and chaotic, we wouldn't recognize peace and tranquility. Be grateful that you own the "bad" stuff in order to know the good. Think about what adversities you've had to deal with, like having had a difficult childhood, being in an abusive situation or personal demons you've managed to overcome (and remember you're still a work in progress). Take the time to write those down and then journal some more on how those experiences can be used to help others with understanding, love and compassion. If you read my last article, you'll find this exercise extremely helpful to get in touch with your Blessing, Essence and Mission.

3. Catch Yourself Multi-Tasking.

For some of us this nasty habit has become so ingrained that we're not even aware that we're doing it. Curiously, even though I didn't think I was aware in the past, I recently remembered that tightness I'd feel in my gut when I was doing too many things at once. I mistook it for an adrenalin rush which was conducive to working well to deadlines. In a way it was because I ended up with almost flat-lined adrenals. Don't go there! Instead, do this: type out and put somewhere highly visible: Focus ONLY On (your task at hand) Until Completion. Alternatively, you can download a bell to go off randomly or at least once an hour, at which time you stop what you're doing, close your eyes and take three deep in and out breaths.

To get the free download, click here if you're a PC user or here for Mac.

Until next time, remember to be authentically you and discover the magic of living in the present moment!

If you're asking yourself, "I’ve got the ‘Page’ now how the heck do I engage people on FB?" you are not alone. We're smart, we're savvy and we're darn good at what we do – it's just that we need someone to show us how to get the ball rolling, right?

10 Conversation Starters

Here are 10 ways to get your fans to comment, like and share your posts on Facebook:

1. Offer tips – Create an “Intriguing Introduction” guaranteed to encourage conversation. Read more on our blog . . . (then include a link to your blog)

2. Ask questions – How do you follow up with customers? Which method works best – phone, email, text or . . .? Pleases share your tips and ideas.

3. Answer questions – An excellent question Linda! I would recommend the ‘2 Pocket’ networking method. Anyone have other suggestions for Linda?

4. Start a poll – Who’s your favourite (Vancouver Canuck)? Why?

5. Share the results – The results are in! 65% of the people who responded to our poll said that (Daniel Sedin is their #1 favourite Canuck)!

6. Solicit Feedback – How are we doing? Is our content relevant? Want more? Less?

7. Make Announcements – We’ve just reached our 100th member of The Connected Woman Association!

8. Respond to comments – (Sabine), that’s a fabulous idea! Thanks so much for sharing!

9. Celebrate holidays and special occasions – Happy New Year! Here’s to YOUR success! – Happy Valentines Day! Did you remember the flowers?

10. Share “little known facts” – Did you know that the . . . (insert fact)

These are just a few ways generate conversation and turn your fan page into a contributing factor to your business. The purpose of Facebook is ‘socializing’ so do it! Write the majority of your posts and status updates with the focus of creating conversations. Using it for ‘selling’ and blatant self-promotion will just turn people away.

If used properly, a Facebook fan page can become a very strategic part of any successful business marketing plan.

Now Go Get Connected!

see also:

10 MORE Conversation Starters for Your Facebook Page

Our customers today want more from the businesses they buy from. As a business owner, you want to set the bar high and attract others who support your vision and will help you achieve the goals and outcomes identified. Your goals and values should be transparent so customers can identify with you and support your efforts. Short-term success is not the desired outcome. Instead, efforts should be directed toward long-term sustainability. In addition, each of the results attained must be measureable.  

Sustainability is often thought of in terms of social or environmental sustainability.Economic sustainability is the third area and critical for business longevity. Sustainability, by definition, requires that results can be maintained over the long-term and resources are not depleted or damaged permanently in the process.

As a business owner, leadership in sustainability is important but often not top of mind. I reckon sustainability in business is a whole lot more! As a business owner today, it is important to consider sustainability in three critical areas.  

1. Earth Friendly

The “green” movement has heightened our awareness of environmental sustainability.  Business owners have the ability to take many steps to reducing their carbon footprint. The key is to integrate earth-friendly activities into everyday activities in your business rather than have them as a separate initiative.

Some easy earth-friendly initiatives you can implement easily include:

• Work from home – a common choice of small business owners which eliminates commuting
• Allow your team to also work from home can create a very productive team while also providing an environmentally friendly benefit for all
• Turn off task lights and screens when you are away from your desk
• Shutdown the computer at night
• Print on both sides of paper
• Choose recycled paper or paper from sustainable forestry practices
• File documents electronically instead of printing and filing hard copies
• Use reusable cups and water bottles instead of disposable
• Check out the earth-friendly options your suppliers have to offer 
• Choose suppliers who maximize your ability to choose earth-friendly supplies and delivery options
• Order less often to reduce deliveries

2. Be a Good Corporate Citizen

Social sustainability encompasses your community, your suppliers and your team. Philanthropy is one component of social sustainability.  When you are a profitable business, it is important to “give-back” to community endeavours. These efforts can include financial donations as well as donations of time or skills.

Social sustainability also includes a business owner’s responsibility to ensure they offer a safe work environment and pay a decent wage. In some areas, the living wage has been established to reflect a wage that is necessary to keep employees above the poverty line. The living wage includes wages and benefits including vacation and health care benefits. All workers are covered by employment and work safety regulations in your areas.

When you have a good social sustainability program in place, you are viewed to be a good employer and therefore able to attract and retain top talent. In addition, customers and your neighbours will view you as a good corporate citizen.

3. Focus on Black

A sustainable company is one who is able to generate revenue that covers current expenses and allows for profits that can be reinvested into the business and the community. Economic sustainability will enable your business to meet all current and future government regulations and ensure proper protection of all assets, including risk and crisis management.

Are you like so many small business owners who turn a blind eye to your financial reports? When you fail to closely track your financial reports you may not be able to react appropriately when things spin out of control. Need some help?  A business coach with a sound knowledge of financial reporting can support your efforts to stay in the black with an eye on the green.
 

6. Keep a Master To Do List.

I recommend a single subject, spiral bound, three-hole punched, college-ruled notebook for your Master To Do List. You are going to have lots of great ideas for your business. However, you can’t do everything all at once. You will learn to prioritize your ideas and focus your energy on the things that will have the most impact on your business success. When you, or a team member, have a good idea, or think of something that needs to be done, a “to do,” jot it down on the Master To Do List.Also, use your Master To Do List to jot down anything that needs jotting down as you go through your day. Don’t use Post-its or scrap paper.

7. Keep a Journal.

This is where you write down the story of your business. Insert a few blank pages and store them in the Journal section of your Biz Plan Binder. Date your entries. You will learn wonderful lessons as you create and implement your business plan. Keeping a Journal will help you to remember those lessons, and give you a nice way to pass the lessons along.

8. Look in the mirror.

Look yourself in the eyes and tell yourself, “Now is the time. This is what I want. And I am committed to this Extreme Makeover – My Business Edition.” Do or do not but make the decision! Commit to winning. Commit to being and doing your best.

9. Take action.

Commit to the times on your calendar to flesh out the Biz Plan. You are going to tear down your business and build a brand new, profitable one. Block out your calendar with time to do the actions required in your Biz Plan. Delegate and hold team members accountable for their assigned activities. Plan…and go!

10. Be happy with where you are now.

You can’t have a happy ending to an unhappy journey. Decide to be happy now. Decide that the journey is going to be just as important as the results. There is no “there” which you will achieve that will make you happy. Enjoy and acknowledge the successes and challenges along the way. Reflect on the results and change the Biz Plan as needed. Expect miracles and embrace serendipitous events. If everything went according to plan, we wouldn’t have anything to write about in our memoirs!

A Couple of Extra Tips…

Could you do all this in your computer? Sure you could. Whatever you are comfortable with. I have a printed version of my Biz Plan in my Biz Plan Binder, and I keep the digital files on the computer.

Don’t copy someone else’s plan just to hammer one out.

Don’t use a canned template and merely fill in the blanks.

Don’t waste time building a Biz Plan because you think you should. Put your thought and heart and soul into your Biz Plan. The energy you put into your Biz Plan will super-charge your business.

Do share your Biz Plan with your family and your team. If you would like to share your Biz Plan with a banker or a potential investor, pull out the most critical sections and share those.

For showing to bankers and investors, I suggest a formal Biz Plan include:

Setting Sights

• Your Mission
• Your Goals
• Your Target Market
• Your Elevator Speech
• The Executive Summary

Building the Team

• The Organizational Chart

Making Money

• The Financial Plan

Getting it Sold

• The Marketing Calendar/Plan

Getting it Done

• The Top Projects List

Making Sure

• Your Story

OK. Ready? Set! Go go go! I congratulate you on your Biz Plan and your amazing, expanding, inspiring business!

1. It makes dollars and cents.

When you work with a pro, you understand basic wardrobing concepts such as how many pieces of clothing you actually need to fulfill the roles you play. You spend less on stuff you don’t need and learn how to invest in things that will last and will work. You save time because you know what works, what doesn’t and why and you can easily and quickly sift through the shops and get dressed faster.

2. It’s easier to be accountable with someone there to help.

If you have a guide and a cheerleader and wise advisor behind you, you are far more likely to reach your image development goals, whether that is a physical body change or a simple sort and purge of the clothes that no longer serve you. Furthermore, you get practical tips and strategies for implementing your changes and someone to keep you on track for the long term.

3. You get an objective opinion.

It’s fantastic that your relatives, friends or colleagues want to help and it’s great if they have an eye for fashion. However, are they dressing you in what’s good for you, or what they like? With a pro, you get (if they’re well trained and certified) an objective opinion that is based on your colouring, your body type and your personality. It’s not that your friends don’t have your best interest at heart; it’s that they don’t have sufficient training to be the best help possible.

4. Who you are is who you attract – what is your image attracting?

There’s a common misperception that if you work with a pro, everyone will like how you look and what you wear. This isn’t true. What will happen is that you will feel more comfortable with how you look and you will like how you look and this will help you attract the customers that are ideal for you. It’s okay to be different, as long as you understand what you’re communicating with your image and who it’s attracting. If you’re unsure, or not getting the clients you want, it’s time to work with a pro to assess what’s happening.

5. You can take your image and business to the next level.

You get professional assessment, strategy and implementation for taking your image and business to the next level. Your business is you. Your values, your character, your energy and your image are what your customers are buying. That’s not to say that all customers will come to you immediately when you’ve refined your image; it’s more about attracting the right customers for you. With the right pro, you’ll get proven systems of analysis, assessment and implementation for you to create the image that’s absolutely aligned with who you are and what you do in the world.

Businesses like mine can get away with a weekly or even monthly newsletter to share with their readers about promotions they have currently have going on. There are some businesses where they are able to just send out newsletters when needed. It all depends on what you need to share with your readers and how often they are actually going to read what you say.

Even though you want to keep your readers in touch with you, be mindful that they are taking the time out of their busy schedules to read what is happening in your world. They don’t want to be bombarded with unnecessary emails but do want to open the ones that intrigue them the most. 

How to gain new opt-in subscribers:

When looking to gain new subscribers to your email newsletter, one thing you must remember is that they need to be opt-in subscribers. Do not just randomly add people to your list without them knowing what they are subscribing to. They will be upset they are receiving a newsletter they didn’t sign up for and they might take it out on you. You want to keep your subscribers happy. One way for your list to grow is by having a link on your website or blog that invites people to join your list. Make it enticing by offering some sort of freebie that will draw more people to sign up. This can be tips, coupons, a free e-book, first to know about promotions, whatever suits your business best. It is also important if you want your list to grow to put your sign-up link on everything that you send out. Put it in your email signature, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and then on every exit page of your site. It doesn’t need to be a popup window, but maybe a satisfaction survey that will get people to give you their email.

How to keep the subscribers interested:

Know your audience! Do your clients need to be updated on a daily basis due to coupons or freebies? Do you need to send your subscribers weekly emails to tell them about promotions or sales you are having on a particular item? Do you just want to update them on important news that has happened in your company? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before committing to a daily or even weekly newsletter. You must have the time to publish these emails and still make them interesting enough for your subscribers to continue reading each time in order to keep your numbers up.

Don’t take it personally when people unsubscribe to your newsletter:

The important people, the buyers, will stay because they are interested in what you have to say, the promotions you tell them about now and what exciting things they can expect from you in the future. Remember that the people who leave were never going to buy from you. These are the people that could have signed up to get a freebie or as an entry for a giveaway. What you really want for your business (and need) is the quality people who are going to buy from you to stay.

Everyone has a list of emails they have to go through on a daily basis so make sure that your subject line is one they want to open. If you can hook your readers on a great subject line then they will want to see what you have to say inside the email. This is a great tactic for any email you send out, but an important one for sharing your news with your fans. Keep them intrigued and they will come back for more (maybe even share with their friends).

When Steve showed up, not only were my husband and I prepared for a day of heavy lifting but my four year old son Aidan had rake in hand ready for the adventure of finding the grass in our yard. Out came the chain saw, pruners, and twine. Aidan was enchanted; I was praying that our neighbours would happily come over and help us clear this eye-sore so I didn’t have to do it. No luck.

As I stood there I thought about why so many employees put themselves in this position day after day, showing up to a workplace they dread and doing a job they don’t like.

“How could they put themselves through this agony every day?” I wondered.

After binding and hauling piles and piles of scratchy bushes with hands that were raw from tying twine, I looked over at my son working alongside Steve. He had been working with us since the beginning but didn’t show any signs of wear and was totally engaged in the task at hand. For hours he had been dragging branches from the back of the yard to the front and picking up scraps and dumping them in the compost bin. He hadn’t stopped for snacks or a break since we began and looked as happy as I had ever seen him. I had to ask: why was he so engaged and enchanted by this project instead of being resentful and mechanical in his work (as I was)? What separates employees who are engaged from those who aren’t?

1. Their work contributes and is meaningful to the success of the organization.

Every branch that Aidan dragged was one less we had to move. Bit by bit he saw that his work was playing a part in fulfilling the goal we were setting out to accomplish and he was so proud of his progress.

2. They need to be sincerely acknowledged for their specific contribution to the success of the organization.

While we worked throughout the day, he was constantly being praised for how hard he was working and how great he was being a team player. With every word of belief, he became more committed to doing an even better job.

3. They are given responsibility with the freedom to make their own mistakes without fear of being fired.

At one point during the day Aidan wanted to use a pair of sharp pruning shears to cut the limb off of a branch that was too big to move. As his mom, I realized the potential danger in letting a four-year-old loose with very sharp scissors; however, I also understood that showing him that I trusted his judgement and his commitment to be careful was more important to me than protecting him from potentially cutting himself. Needless to say he took the scissors, cut the branch very carefully and then put the scissors back in the tool kit. Was it possible that he could cut off his finger? Yes. Did he feel great because I gave him the freedom to handle a difficult situation by himself and he succeeded? Yes, and to me, that was worth the risk of a trip to the emergency room.

As the sun started to go down and the work was almost done, I heard Aidan say “great job Steve! You are a good man and did a GREAT job.” I had to laugh – here was my son encouraging the landscaper despite how tired his own little body was. Where I had just been going through the motions all day, he still had enough love to give for the purpose of building up the group because he was fulfilled in his role on the team. After flopping into our recliner to watch Dora the Explorer he said to me, “Mommy, we sure worked hard today. I can’t wait for Steve to come and do the back yard!”

I kissed him, told him how proud I was of him and then flopped on the couch, happy now that the 20 bundles of yard trimmings were now the garbage man’s problem!

The thing is, these bad days always contain a message. That's the funny part about life; it keeps us on our toes. If we want to avoid having crazy day after crazy day, it requires us to do a little detective work. Life doesn't just magically get better or less hectic; it's our job to reflect and make changes accordingly.

So here are a few key things I strongly suggest when you find yourself having one of those crazy days. I've listed them as do's and don'ts.

Your List of Do's

1. STOP! If you're having a crazy day, stop what you're doing and shift gears. Give yourself an adult time out. Take 10-15 minutes...grab a pen and paper and bring it with you.

2. Take your "time out" wherever it's convenient. Honestly, I often use the bathroom. As weird as that may seem, let's face it, there's a good chance no one will bother you if you're in the 'throne room'. While on your time out, take 10 deep breaths in and out. Breath in deeply. Hold. Breathe out deeply.

3. Take your pen and paper and do what I call a brain drain. Write down every single thing that's on your mind. Don't stop writing for two minutes. Write whatever comes to your mind. In other words, avoid being mindful and focused… just write.

4. Next, ask yourself these three questions and write the answers on your paper. "What is this crazy day trying to show me? What do I need to do differently? What can I change right now in this moment?"

5. Now browse over everything you've written. Circle only a few things that you want to concentrate on for the rest of the day. (Everything else can be transferred to a to-do list…after you get out of the bathroom).

6. Have a quick chat with The Big Guy (whoever or whatever that might be for you):

"Dear _______________, I am feeling ____________________ but I want to feel ____________________. Please help me choose this feeling now. Thank you. I love you. And so it is."

7. Get out of the bathroom, smile (don't forget to smile) and complete the tasks you circled. These are all that need to get done today. (Trust me, everything else can wait…nobody is going to die).

8. When you get home in the evening reflect about your day. What did you discover when you answered the three questions? What can you change in your life so these crazy days happen less often? Maybe you need help? Maybe you've put your kids in way too many activities? Maybe you've bitten off more than you can chew at work? Maybe you need to be more pro-active? Get clear about what is going on and get clear about how you can improve it.

9. Give yourself permission to make the changes you need to make. Love yourself by honoring your needs always!

Your List of Don'ts

1. Don't pretend nothing is wrong.

2. Don't blame other people for your crazy day. Take full responsibility for your life!

3. Don't give up on happiness (or on anything else for that matter).

4. Don't feel bad about your crazy day; instead learn from it!

5. Don't feel bad about what you need.

6. Don't strive for perfection.

7. Don't assume you have to do everything all by yourself.

8. Don't spend your whole day in the bathroom; people will begin to suspect something.

Myth: Eating before bedtime causes weight gain.

Regardless of what time of day you eat, calories and fat have the same effect on the body – your body will store extra calories as fat. What does make a difference is what you eat, how much you eat, and the amount of exercise you engage in on a regular basis.

Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means there are no calories.

Food items that are labeled as low-fat and fat-free are often lower in calories than the same portion size of the full-fat product. However, many processed low-fat and fat-free food items contain just as many, if not more, calories as the full-fat versions of the same foods. They may also contain added sugar, flour, or starch thickeners that help improve the flavor and texture once the fat is removed. These ingredients also add calories to food.

Myth: A normal body weight is a sign of a healthy individual.

A person’s body weight is one of many factors used to determine whether an individual is healthy. Note that the weight on a scale consists of two items:

1. body fat (adipose tissue), and

2. fat-free weight (all of the body’s weight excluding fat – muscle, bones, blood, organs, etc.).

Standard scales do not determine what one’s body fat percentage is – body fat percentage is the percentage of total body weight that is carried as fat. Note that muscle weighs more than fat, so if you see the number on the scale inching up, you may be gaining muscle and not fat. Some people use the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a way to measure their body fat; however, BMI is just a relationship between a person’s height and weight.

Myth: Eating sugar can cause diabetes.

Diabetes is not caused by the amount of sugar an individual consumes, but by a lack of insulin in the body. Because foods that are high in sugar are often high in calories, consuming too many of these types of foods can lead to weight gain. This in turn leads to an increased risk of developing diabetes.

Myth: Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than frozen or canned.

Research shows that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh. Because frozen fruits and vegetables are usually processed within hours of being harvested, their vitamins and minerals are able to be preserved. Note that raw produce can sometimes spend several days in transit or in storage prior to them being consumed, losing important nutrients during this time.

Myth: Eating carbohydrates causes weight gain.

Weight gain is caused by calories and fat, not carbohydrates. Excess carbohydrates are not any more fattening than calories, regardless of where they come from. Note that fat contains nine calories per gram of fat, whereas carbohydrates contain only four calories per gram of carbohydrate. Many people don't realize that most of their energy comes from carbohydrate consumption, making carbohydrates a vital part of their meal plan.

Myth: Fad diets are a safe way to lose weight quickly.

Many fad diets are developed by people with no science or health background. Therefore, many of these diets are considered to be harmful to people, especially those with underlying health problems. Many fad diets tend to over-emphasize one particular food item, or type of food, which contradict the guidelines for healthy eating. Skipping meals is not a safe way to lose weight either, as people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and then eat more than they normally would. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Your Task:

Are there any nutrition myths that you accept as being true? If so, be sure to do some research before making any lifestyle changes. The Food Cop would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Copy is the written part of any of your marketing, advertising and promotional materials. I often share one of my favorite analogies from my friend, colleague and the first high-level mentor I ever invested in, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero. She says that copy is the DNA of all marketing materials. Think about that for a minute. Imagine stripping away the words from any broadcast radio or televisions script, print ad, brochure, website, billboard, business card…well, you get the idea. As you imagine advertising, marketing and promotional pieces without words you begin to realize how important your copy really is.

The bottom line (both financially and realistically) is you should have copy in all of your marketing materials that builds relationships, gets clients and makes money.

Often, those who have not worked with copywriters are not familiar with the process of copywriting. Some even expect that the copywriter will automatically know what you need. Others hope copywriters will magically turn out a proof perfect piece with the very first draft. Copywriters can (and good one’s will) make suggestions on marketing direction and provide valuable input based on experience. This direction comes once you have provided the basic project information needed to proceed. The expectations vary but the reality remains the same.

Copywriting is a process. You, the client, have your work cut out for you. You owe it to yourself and your selected copywriter to commit to due diligence. Your input is valuable and your initial legwork will make the difference between mediocre and money making content.

As you carefully review your current marketing, advertising and promotional materials, decide what else you might need to create copy for and create your content strategy plan (otherwise known as your Internet marketing editorial calendar), it’s time to make an important business decision: will you outsource to a professional copywriter or write your copy yourself?

While it’s been said that copy is one of the most expensive items to outsource, I have to challenge that a bit. I believe it can hurt your business and cost even more if you don’t have the right person writing your copy. I also want to make it clear that I am not the right copywriter for every project either. You’ll want to explore your options and find a copywriter who matches your voice and working style.

When selecting a copywriter there are three key steps you’ll want to take:

1. Do your due diligence. This means checking out at least three candidates and selecting the best writer for your job.

2. Get really clear on the process. Copywriters have processes, turn-around time, policies and specific ways they work. Make sure the copywriter of your choice has a work style that gels with you and the way you want things to work in your business.

3. Talk shop. Be sure to review websites, check out testimonials and, if possible, speak with clients who have worked with the copywriters you are considering.

Remember: All your advertising, marketing and promotional efforts are INVESTMENTS, not expenses. If you choose to write your own copy it’s wise to, at the very least, invest in topnotch copywriting training or, as I like to say, do what you do best and outsource the rest. Return on investment should drive all of your decisions, so make those decisions wisely and remember, your copywriter should save you time, bring real value to the table in form of creative ideas and experience and make the process as painless as possible for you.

Boring people is easy. Dazzling people is difficult. Whether you’re giving a keynote or pitching angel investors, you need to be amazing if you’re going to succeed. Good just doesn’t cut it anymore. Why? Because there’s too much competition out there. Here are seven ways dazzle your audience:

1. Write killer content.

Great speeches begin with great writing. This always surprises my clients. The last thing people think of when you talk about public speaking or presentation skills is good writing. But at the soul of both speaking and writing is the ability to communicate your thoughts and emotions with clarity and power. That’s at the heart of what I help my clients do. With these tips you will be better able to do that yourself.

2. Make eye contact.

Let’s assume you’re speaking to a small to medium sized group; then it’s essential to make eye contact and connect with your audience. Don’t think of them as potential clients or investors first, but as people just like you.

3. Dress to stand out.

About 8 times out of 10, I see people on stage wear the standard boring black suit. Why would you do that when there are so many beautiful colours in the Universe?

4. Act out.

Don’t just tell me, show me. Use your entire body to describe what you’re trying to say. I spend hours working on body language with my clients. It’s a huge part of any speakers’ repertoire and something that people often under utilize.

5. Use your voice.

A flat monotone voice is so dull. Imagine that your voice is a landscape – you want mountains and valleys. That way you’ll make your audience’s journey more interesting.

6. Respond to your audience.

It’s important that throughout your presentation or keynote you take cues from your audience. This takes attention and experience, but start with the basics. How do they look? Interested and engaged or bored? Are they asking questions? Be flexible and respond to their needs.

7. End BIG.

You want to end with something that will be both powerful and memorable. An emotionally charged personal story or a bold call to action. Something to remember!

We’ve gone through seven ways to make a more commanding impression the next time you have a sales presentation to give or are delivering a keynote. The key is to take one idea and implement it each time you take the stage (or the front of the boardroom). You can become a much more powerful speaker, with a lot of hard work and a little help from me.

In my previous post, I asked, Does Your Biz Plan Suck?

If your business plan, like one of those rundown houses, isn’t quite working for you, then why not make a new start? Why not be fabulously successful doing what you love to the delight of your customers and the well being of your wonderful team? Why not help someone else do that, too? Why not commit to your business and your life? Why not be one who makes their dreams come true?

Why not do an Extreme Makeover on YOUR business?

1. If you have a plan already, find it.

Dust off the one you showed to the bank 100 years ago. Read through it. Consider if what you wanted then is what you still want now. Marvel at the realization that some of the things you wrote in your Biz Plan have come to fruition. That’s cool! And that’s why business planning works. When you think about what you want and commit it to writing, you help bring that thought into reality. Look around you. Everything you see was once a thought. Thought begets reality. Biz Planning is a powerful tool for manifesting what you want. Look for evidence as you review your existing plan. If that plan captures what you intend to create and inspires you to get it done…then you are good to go.

2. Get a calendar and use it.

One of my mentors taught me to, “Plan or be planned for.” Biz Planning needs some attention, some of your time. And most days are just whittled away by others’ needs and wants. How many of your days have been dissolved by an endless stream of, “Got a minute?” interruptions? A calendar helps you lay claim to your time. Your calendar can help you focus time on planning and to engage the actions you commit to in your Biz Plan. If you use a calendar, take a clear-eyed look at it. The “busiest” people I know have wide open calendars.

3. If you don’t have a Biz Plan, carve out some time to create one.

Commit some uninterrupted time to think about what you want and write your thoughts down. How much time? How about…an hour a day? An hour a week? Make a commitment of time and carve it into your calendar. (In The Bare Bones Biz Plan, I encourage you to kick off your Biz Plan by working on it an hour a day, five days a week for six weeks. Then, you can commit to one hour a week to review and update your Biz Plan.) In that time, you could create a quantum leap from where you are now to the next level of prosperity and lifestyle. Use the time to think and gain clarity. NOTE: You do have the time. You won the lottery of time…you have all there is! You may have to stop doing something else to spend time business planning. You could stop doing something you hate to do, or feel pressured to do by someone else. You can find the time.

4. Get a two-inch, three-ring binder.

You can get a nice leather one at Office Depot for about 30 bucks. Make sure it is in nice, clean condition. Your best work is going in it. This Binder is going to house your Biz Plan. Call it your Biz Plan Binder.

5. “Tab” your Biz Plan Binder.

Get the customizable, write-on kind of tabs with eight tabs in the set. Use six of the tabs to organize your Biz Plan Binder like this:

a. Setting Sight.
What does it look like when you're done? How much in Sales? How many employees? Number of customers served? What services will you offer? What will you do different and better from the competition? This tab of your Biz Plan Binder houses the pages that describe your ideal business, your target market, your goals and how this business serves you, your family, your team and your customers.

b. Building the Team.
Who does what? Why, how and when? Use this section of your Biz Plan Binder to store your Organizational Chart and Position Descriptions. Keep your recruiting activities organized here.

c. Making Money.
Keep a current copy of your financials in this section. Are your books a mess? Craft an action plan for getting to KFP – a Known Financial Position. Build a Budget and set Goals, in dollars and percentages for Sales and Expenses at your new and improved company. Get real about your selling price. Crunch the numbers…and commit to implementing higher prices. Which leads us to…

d. Getting it Sold.
If you are going to charge more (and, face it, cutting costs won’t make up for years of financial losses) you are going to have to be more…be faster, nicer, cleaner, more organized, professional, timely and loving. And, you will need to discover better ways to communicate the value of your service to customers and prospective customers. Craft an action plan for improving your sales skills. Store your marketing plan under this tab in your Biz Plan Binder.

e. Getting it Done.
As you develop your procedures, sure-fire systems for delivering on your promises, store copies of your procedures under this tab. Create a Top Projects list and assign projects to team members. Be sure to include the due dates.

f. Making Sure.
Are you on the right track? Are you delivering what people want? Is this working? Ride along with your field team. Sit side-by-side with your inside team. Ask your customers to give you feedback: what’s working, what needs to be made over? Organize your Making Sure activities in this tab of your Biz Plan Binder.

The remaining two tabs are for your Master To Do List and your Journal, which will be explained in my next post.

See also:

Does Your Business Plan Suck?

How-To: Prune your Business Plan for Success

How-To: Create Your Business Plan in a Weekend

Conflict in our relationships cannot be created in a vacuum. At least two people are responsible for it when it enters our lives. Regardless of whether you started the conflict or you are allowing it to perpetuate, you have some personal responsibility for its presence in your relationship. If you want, you can choose to act childish and immature and refuse to take any personal responsibility for the conflict that exists within your relationship. If you do this however, you are putting the romance and intimacy, and your very relationship itself, at risk. As I mentioned in the article: Conflict Resolution Success in Business & Marriage, there is no such thing as a one-handed clap. Therefore, both partners are responsible for its creation and resolution.

Many times conflict can only be resolved when we take personal responsibility. Since we cannot change anyone’s behavior but our own, changing our behavior and/or attitude is often the best way to resolve conflict in our relationships. Although it might be difficult to realize and accept, many times it is our attitude and behavior that is at the heart of conflict in our marriage.Sometime we are totally unreasonable, rigid, unyielding or unrelenting about a position within our marriage which is creating the conflict. When this happens, it is impossible to come to any healthy conflict resolution. If we refuse to see the unreasonableness within a certain conflict while stubbornly refusing to give ground, the conflict cannot be resolved. It would be helpful to remember that there will be times when you want your spouse to admit their responsibility for conflict in your marriage and you will increase your chances ten-fold of getting your spouse to admit this if you have been willing to do this, yourself, at times. Remember, action speaks louder than words – lead by example, even within your marriage.

Once your marriage has a history of resolving conflicts in a healthy productive way (that means not leaving a trail of dead bodies in its wake – lol!) your relationship with your partner will grow deeper and more meaningful. Why? Because the next time a conflict surfaces, you will be confident in the knowledge that you and your spouse have been down this road before, have reached a successful resolution while coming out of the conflict with a deeper connection and understanding of each other.

See also:

Conflict Resolution Success in Business & Marriage (for an overview and list of the five skills)

Conflict Resolution: Acknowledge the conflict exists (skill #1)

Conflict Resolution: Communicate Effectively (skill #2)

No, not at all. It's just that I found that somewhere along the line I had lost touch with my gifts and who I really wanted to be going into the second chapter of my life. Sound familiar?

“Sometimes we have to lose ourself to find ourself.” – unknown

Author Tim Kelley, in his book True Purpose – 12 Strategies for Discovering the Difference You Are Meant to Make, tells us that we all have an Essence, a Blessing, and a Mission.Or, as he summarizes it:

• Why are you here?
• Who are you meant to be?
• What are you meant to do?

Essence

The most difficult one to describe and that is probably the biggest mystery to you, is your essence. Have you ever witnessed someone walking into a room and the energy seemed to change instantly – positively or negatively? That, is your essence. It's not something you do, but rather something that you are.

Blessing

Regardless of whether you know your true purpose or if you're presently in the right vocation, your blessing is what you bring to everything you do. Whether you are working, volunteering, or just comforting a friend, when you're doing your blessing, you feel good about yourself and you do what you do unconsciously. Even if you're not following your authentic path at this moment, you likely still have times that you use your blessing.

Mission

As Tim Kelley puts it, "your mission is the highest level instruction you've been given by your soul."

Have you ever had the desire to be a published author or to be an actor or professional singer? Just fill in the blank for whatever your dream has been. Did your self-talk quickly kick in with things like, "who am I to think that I could do that?" or "I don't have the talent to achieve my dream." That's your ego talking and it's the primary reason why you might be having trouble learning what your mission is. Your ego is trying to protect you.

Your Mission Changes!

It does not nemean that what you and I have been doing for a large part of our lives is our one and only mission in life. As with everything, it can change.

That's what's happening to me right now. For the first time ever, I found myself telling someone that if I had to choose between coaching and writing, I would choose writing hands-down. It was actually a bit of a shock to me! But I know that although I might miss aspects of coaching, I could still live and be happy. However, if I could never write again, I would be devastated. My life would be without joy and with my loss of creativity would go my hope and optimism.

Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It:

1. Essence:

It's virtually impossible to know what your own essence is. So, ask three people (whom you trust and respect) what three words they would use to describe you. Don't be nervous! Most people will give you positive qualities about yourself unless you ask them specifically for the good, the bad, and the ugly!

2. Blessing:

Write down one to three things you do that, when you're engaged in these activities, you're not even aware of time going by. Even if you're in a career that is less than your ideal, look for the tasks that you do enjoy doing and would like to do more of. If that's not possible, then look to your hobbies or volunteering. Activities that you find joyful will emerge.

3. Mission:

Write out five or ten things that you love doing. Then, ask yourself: if I could have number one but not two, which would it be? Take your choice from that question and compare it to the next, and so on, until you are left with your one main choice. Chances are that this one main choice is, in some way, part of your mission.

The preceding is my version of some quick and simple ways to get in touch with who you are and what your true purpose is. To get into more depth, I highly recommend reading Tim Kelley's book. If you like to journal, you'll love the introspective exercises he leads you through.

Until next time, remember to be authentically you and endeavour to live in the present moment (more about that next time!)
 

A gift is an easy way to let your “team” know how much you appreciate their dedication and hard work; and show clients how much you appreciate their business. It’s your way of saying “thank-you” in a tangible manner.

Corporate gift giving is usually at Christmas time – and contrary to popular belief, it’s less expensive than you might think. For example, with planning ahead, you can order promotional items in bulk to significantly minimize your costs. Of course, if you are new to corporate gift giving, there are a few things you should know:

G³ – Gift Giving Guidelines:

• Before giving any corporate gift, check and be absolutely sure that gift giving is allowed with the company of your client.Many companies have policies in this regard. *NB: This is the most crucial guideline that you must follow.

• Do not give personal gifts. Instead, consider giving generic gifts that anyone can enjoy, like food gift baskets, office/desk accessories, tickets to events, restaurant gift certificates, etc.

• Corporate gift giving should never be used to compensate clients or employees for less than expected wages or services. A corporate gift should be something that is given in addition to the wage or salary of an employee. Gift giving should make recipients feel good about their accomplishments.

• If your company chooses to give a corporate gift for the holidays, be sure to check the recipient's religious or cultural background as there is the possibility of offending your recipient and defeating the entire purpose for the gift.

• When possible, consider giving the gift in person. Be sure to check with the schedule of the recipient, first.

• Corporate gift giving should be in line with your company's budget. Do not go overboard and buy gifts that you cannot afford nor should you try and save money by purchasing gifts that are "cheap."

• Employees and clients DO talk amongst themselves so to avoid conflict, give gifts that cost about the same price across the board.

Gifts are available for all budget ranges, from free coupons with a link to your site for an electronic download (like an ebook) to practically any dollar amount you want to budget. So when you are looking for ways to show your appreciation and support, reach out with a gift. (PS – I love chocolate!)

Now Go Get Connected!

Why Formspring?

Essentially a question-and-answer platform, you may ask what gives Formspring.me an edge over Facebook or Twitter? Although both social giants, Facebook and Twitter, allow users to post any content they desire, their primary focus is not centered on questions. By limiting the type of content and type of status updates posted, Formspring.me has created its own niche in the social networking space.

Benefits for businesses both small and large include tapping into the consumer’s mindset and listening to the types of questions their consumers want answered. Every entrepreneur’s dream essentially lies in finding a solution to a problem or question commonly asked among a target group of individuals. Businesses may also gain a substantial competitive advantage by asking the right questions prior to development phases for new products or ventures, essentially saving them a considerable amount of time and money.

Formspring.me is free, easy to use, and easy to understand. Its simplistic design and format create a comfortable atmosphere for users to ask their smallest or biggest queries. The only question left to answer is, what is YOUR question?

Written by Prianka Dhir, intern with Out-Smarts and a Sauder School of Business student. She is specializing in marketing and has experience in both promotional marketing and consumer relations via social networking. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta and currently residing in Vancouver, B.C., Prianka has a passion for innovative and creative expression through creative writing.

I have been known to sneak out of the house and go buy things I don’t need with money I don’t have. But even then, there is no escape from bossy machines.

Now the grocery store and Wal-Mart both have this self-checkout system where instead of them paying somebody to learn how to use the machine to tally up the money you are spending at their store, they get you to experience the double pleasure of spending your own money and checking out the groceries yourself. You scan your item and the computer goes, "beep scan, beep scan, put the item in the bag, put the item in the bag, take the item out of the bag, scan the item, scan the item, scan the item, call the cashier."

I live on an island, so I have to get a lot of groceries at once. I was buying my normal ten bags worth and there were six bags on this carousel. So when they were all full, I took one off to start another one and all Hell broke loose! The computer went mental! Hal 9000 mental.

"Put the bag back on the carousel. Shoplifter, shoplifter."

I called the allegedly human cashier for some support, but she held up her Carpal Tunneled wrists as if to say, “I’m not helping ya.” I stormed out, thinking, “I shouldn’t have to buy groceries this way,” and Stephen Hawking was still screaming at me,"Get back here. Put the items back on the shelf!"

The What, Who, Where, and Why

A common challenge faced by many entrepreneurs is systems. What are your systems? They are the steps you take to accomplish the tasks and procedures in your business. What needs to be done, who needs to do it, where is it happening and why is it important. When you create strong systems, a strong foundation for growth is created.

For example, when you are a solo-preneur, you are essentially the chief-cook and bottle-washer. You do everything in your business. When your time and energy is stretched, and growth is on the horizon, if you haven’t documented your systems, and know that they can effectively assist others to follow in your footsteps, growth will be challenging and frustrating.

Take a Step Back

When I work with entrepreneurs I find that taking the time to think through procedures, identify the best place for tasks and responsibilities to be delegated and create an environment for solid growth can be challenging. It feels like you are going backwards. Sometimes this is true, other times it is a fabulous opportunity to make some adjustments to make improvements in efficiency and productivity.

You are the expert in your own business. When you are close to the processes, you may not see where inefficiencies lie. Always ask yourself a few critical questions – Why do we do it (whatever it is) this way? Is there a better option? Is the right person responsible for this task? Are my clients best served with this model?

Three key factors to keep in mind when reviewing your systems:

1. Ask your staff/contractors where bottlenecks occur in your current systems and how they think these can be resolved. Like you, your staff or contractors may be just as frustrated as you are, and they can offer great insights. If your team performs the tasks, they are a great resource for you in identifying what can make things better.

2. Do your systems capitalize on the interests and best skills of the people completing the tasks? Often we delegate tasks to people because of their position, instead of their skill-set. Taking time to identify which team member has a key skill, or is better at completing specific tasks or managing responsibilities can improve productivity and employee satisfaction.

3. Focus on your client experience and determine if the procedures you have in place or are about to implement best meet your clients' needs. Do these procedure improve their experience with you? If not, what needs to change? Everything you do should be focused on creating a positive client experience in the most efficient and effective way.

Review, Revamp, Rejig

What steps will you take to review your internal systems? If you are unsure how to proceed, or if creating strong systems that allow you to grow are not your strong suit, connect with a coach who can be that external, impartial eye. Sometimes you, as the business owner, are too close to the problem to clearly see the solution. Sometime, your business is "your baby" and it is hard to make the necessary changes because you have always done it that way. With growth, things will change – usually for the better. You must be open to change and willing to undergo the instability that accompanies this change in order to be successful.

Change is a constant in our lives and businesses. It keeps us on our toes. Our systems allow us to grow and expand and breakthrough the overwhelm. As Susan Jeffers says, "Face your fear and do it anyway!"

I love this show. I love it that they even try to do the project in 7 days. I love it that the show gives a hand up to a family in need. I especially love the fresh start. From here on, things are going to be different and better for the family.

You’ve been selected!

Are you in need of a fresh start? Wouldn’t it be cool if you helped yourself to an Extreme Makeover – Your Business Edition?

How would you do it? Like the Makeover design team, start with a plan…a Biz Plan.

Of course, you’ve heard before that you should have a Biz Plan. You may even have a plan that you put together, once upon a time, for the bank when you went looking for a loan. That plan may be in a drawer somewhere or on a shelf, thick with dust.

Many people think of business planning like dieting. Yuck. You know you should eat better and exercise but it is easier just to muddle through the day. If business planning is drudgery, you probably won’t find time for it.

Even if you have a plan, most business plans – indeed, most business – suck. They are uninspired and lack focus, much like their owners. How about you? Are you ready for a Makeover? Great. Assemble a Biz Plan that gets your juices going and the profits flowing!

A Biz Plan can do two wonderful things for you:
 

• Helps you get clear on what you really want to be, do and have.

• Helps hold you accountable for taking inspired action in the direction of what you want.

So, set aside your thoughts about business planning. Yes, it takes a bit of discipline to craft a winning Biz Plan and a profitable business. However, it shouldn’t be a chore. It should be fun! Biz Planning can be a powerful exercise in creativity and manifestation of your dreams. Open your mind!

In my next couple of posts I will reveal how YOU can create a profitable biz plan!

Journal Assignment:

Are you happy with your business? Can you see ways of making it better?

Set the timer for 10 minutes and brainstorm all the things you can think of to create a better experience for you and your clients. When the buzzer goes off, review the list and see if there's anything you really like, that you can implement now or in the near future. If you need to, put the list away for a day or two and then go back to it with a fresh mind.

Alternatively, make a list all things you're not happy with.

Divide the page in two and on one side, list things about your biz that you're not happy with. When you've run out of things to put on that side of the page, ask yourself, "how can I change these things?" Write your answers on the other side of the page. In a few days, look at the list and see if you're answers are still the same. Add, remove, or change as needed until you feel happy with the result.

See also:

How-to: Create a Profitable Business Plan! (Part 1) – This is the next post

How-To: Prune your Business Plan for Success

How-To: Create Your Business Plan in a Weekend

The Price is Right! – Figuring Out What to Charge

I was recently talking to two new clients who were in different industries but had the same problem – business was doing well but they were working themselves to death! They both wanted to take a vacation but if they did, they knew the business could not sustain itself. And worse, there was no plan to get to the point where the business could sustain itself. All of their time was spent on getting through the day-to-day tasks and no effort was spent on growing the business or putting in systems to sustain growth.

And that’s okay. Some entrepreneurs just want to keep their businesses small. However, entrepreneurship means different things to different people and for those of you who want to one day grow your businesses, here are three things you must make time to do on a regular basis.

1. Review your strategy monthly.

Consider the process of growing your business as a series of big projects. For a project to be successful, it must be reviewed regularly so that project costs and uncertainties can be controlled. A project must have an objective, a start date and an end date. You can use this basic definition of a project to monitor and manage your business growth strategies. Take an hour or two each month to ask yourself some simple questions such as:

• What business growth initiatives did I commit to last month?
• What have I accomplished last month?
• Were there any challenges?
• What are the business growth projects that I’m going to work on this month?
• What is needed for this project to be considered complete?
• How am I going to meet the objectives of this project this month?

2. Go through administrative tasks.

Often, a prospect or customer’s impression of your business is directly tied to the quality of your administration. Think about it. The newsletters, emails, phone calls, invoices and thank you cards that your customers receive are all products of good administration. Make sure you give these tasks the attention that they deserve. If you’ve created a newsletter to stay in touch with your potential clients, make sure you are setting aside time for it.

Administrative tasks can often become “bottomless” and cause overwhelm. That is exactly why most entrepreneurs neglect administrative tasks. This results directly in unsatisfied customers and a lack of new leads coming into the business.

3. Document procedures and standards

Each business has a unique way of completing day to day tasks such as handling phone calls and emails. These “unique twists” communicate the brand position and company’s culture to your customers. As you go through administrative tasks, get into the habit of documenting procedures and standards. Is there a way that you think customer complaints must be handled? Write it down so that when you bring in outside help, you have an easier time explaining what needs to be done and how to do the job right.

Get into the habit of reviewing your business strategies every month and document procedures and standards to grow your business and sustain that growth.

Over to you! What are your favourite business growth strategies?

• why you started your business in the first place
• if you wanted to work more on your business than in it, and
• whether you want to remain as a "solo-preneur" or if you want expand and add staff

Would it surprise you to know that everything you do in your business – from what value you provide your clients, to what you charge, what kind of hours you work, and what types of clients you attract – all comes down to what LEGACY you are committed to creating?
 
Determining your purpose and turning it into your business should become your mission. Your mission and how you plan to take it to the marketplace and serve is what determines who you are, what you contribute, and what you will eventually be known for when you leave this earth.
 
Whether you are a photographer, an interior designer, a health and nutrition expert – you name it, it isn't about what you do that counts to your clients, it's about the transformation that you help them produce. Put another way, it's not the process of what you do that causes a prospective client to invest in your product or service. It's the results they believe they will achieve by working with you that determines your value in the marketplace. By focusing on communicating your transformational value to your prospect, you can actually work less and charge more.
 
Very often, when I start mentoring a client, they feel that in order to make more income, they either have to work harder or add more "stuff" to their product offering in order to justify charging more. Or, they simply deduce that they need more paying clients to bring in more revenue.
 
Instead of trying to attract a greater volume of clients, what if you could attract fewer clients who each represent greater value to your business? By being clear on your Mission and your Transformational Value, you can do exactly that. But, you have to stop selling what you do and start selling how you help you clients.
 
By working with fewer clients who pay you more, you are accomplishing a number of significant things for both yourself and your clients. Let's just explore that:
 
1. Fewer Clients

When you work less hours with fewer clients, you can afford to serve them more effectively. If you believe that your contribution is to serve others (which I do), this premise allows you to be more effective in transforming the lives of those you work with. You will find yourself more able to be fully present, less stressed and more "intimate" in your work with them. You can afford to provide much more hands-on support when you serve less people.

2. Higher Value

If you build your value on higher-priced products/services, you can afford to stay in the game long enough to truly be of service. How would you feel if you knew you were providing really good value but couldn't afford to stay in business because you weren't charging enough? Then one day, someone (many people) call, only to find you've gone out of business? Or worse, you've become a burned-out wreck! You can't serve others if you don't serve yourself and your needs first.

3. Charging More

By charging more for better results, you actually develop client loyalty. The more "skin in the game" they have, the more likely it is they will continue to buy from you over and over. They will also provide you with more high-quality referrals because they can point to tangible changes for which you were responsible. Think about it: if they know your product/service produces results, why would they want to switch to investing in an unknown?

Marketing Assignment (Part 2)
 
1. What is your Mission?

What Legacy do you wish to create? By getting really clear on this, you are better able to answer the next question, which is…

2. What is your Transformational Value?

Write out exactly what results someone will achieve by working with you or purchasing your products.  Be sure to keep you and what you do, out of the equation. This is all about them! What will their life look like when they avoid the pain or achieve the gain?

3. How do you communicate your Value?

Write out exactly what you will say the next time someone asks, "What does it cost to work with you (buy your product, etc.)?" If you are not 100% prepared for this question or you give them a number right up front, you may as well kiss the prospect goodbye! Abraham Lincoln would spend two hours sharpening his axe and one hour cutting down the tree. Knowing how to communicate value, versus quoting your price, will be one of the most significant things you will do in your business. It will allow you to work less, attract the right clients, and take your business and your income to the next BIG level!

Until next time, remember to market authentically and attract new clients by design!

Back to the point. Monday was fabulous. We’re re-doing the Week 2 training plan because of illness, etc. week before last. Isa, our next door neighbor, joined us again. He’s doing a great job! Susan also joined us this week and her love of running has motivated us and helped us pick up our pace a little bit. That first day with her was a shock to my slow jogging/shuffling system, but I’m working the right muscles and it feels awesome!

Wednesday was a little trying. Ava got pretty tired and no amount of “tag, you’re it!” motivated her to move those little feet any more. Plus, she fell down and skinned her arm and was very dramatically upset that I could not procure a Band-Aid, cold washcloth, and Neosporin out of thin air. Like Oscar winner upset. But, she kept plugging along and we made it home.

Friday, Annamarie had the great idea for Ava to take her scooter with us. It was a fabulous idea and I could just picture her little curls blowing in the breeze from under her princess bike helmet as we sailed through another run. When attempting to implement the scooter idea, however; Ava spied her bike and decided to take it. It had a low tire. I thought I knew how to air it up. I clearly did not and the tube popped out before we even made it out of the fire station parking lot on Lions Club Drive. Susan and Isa graciously waited for me to sort through all this and get the bike back in our vehicle. They also waited graciously as Ava had the first of several meltdowns because my magical powers were found lacking again and I could not produce her scooter out of thin air. Grandma and Grandpa to the rescue, they found us at the halfway point and, with scooter under foot, we started on the journey back home…the epic journey. Fast forward through another fall (and this time a skinned knee, for which I was again ruled totally inept for not being able to produce the washcloth, Band Aid, and Neosporin), and countless stops so we could monitor the one drop of blood that had seeped out of Ava’s knee, we finally gave up, skipped the last 90 second run, and walked it the rest of the way to the car.

It’s at this point I have a tough decision to make. I need to get in shape. I want to work this training program, but it is not working for me to do this with Ava. Do I scrap the training program and just walk at whatever pace she can? My heart says, “Yes!” but my mind tells me that if I lose this momentum, I’m going to eventually stop and be right back where I started, three weeks and two pant sizes ago. Little Man wants to go, too, and there’s definitely no way a 2 yr old can do this training. Here’s what I’m thinking: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I will continue to work this training with other grown ups. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, I could just take the kids for a nice 30 minute walk. We could put our “running” shoes on and make it a big deal so they feel special. I want them to feel special, know how much I love them, and learn great exercising habits early. This sounds like a plan and I’ll let you know how it goes! Wish us luck!

See also:

Couch to 5K: Storms and Skinny Jeans (Week 4)

Couch to 5K: This is Why People Quit (Week 2)

Couch to 5K: Getting Started on Getting Fit (Week 1)

Couch to 5K: One Mom’s Journey Back to Health (Week 0)

To these questions there is only one true answer: there is no such thing as one perfect way to accomplish anything nor is there one type of personality that is destined to be more successful than any other personality type.

Want to know how to stand out as a brand? Why not try being authentic to who you are? When everyone else is trying to be like everyone else, why not be the one not trying to be like everyone?  For example; do you hate business suits and heels? Throw them out. Do you hate Twitter? Don’t use it. Are you excitable and silly instead of being calm and collected? Go ahead and bounce off those walls. There is no one-way to win in business and anyone who says so is lying and has not built a business.

Who you truly are is unique and precious. Instead of listening to what all the “experts” are saying, why not take a moment to reflect on how you want to run things? Ask yourself: what do I want? What do I want to be remembered for? What do I truly believe is the best way to do this?

Action step: stop the noise by doing a media fast. For one week, totally unplug from ALL social media. Don’t check your facebook, your twitter, or your linkedin (post that you’re away on vacation and will be back soon). This week, take that same social media time and use it to stop and think about how you want to represent yourself and your business. There is no better feeling as a business owner than being able to do what you love in a way that you love to do it.

For more incredible ideas for how to truly stand out by being your remarkable self, read Seth Godin’s book: The Purple Cow.

I could relate…can you?

For those of us guilty of living under the microscope, let me explain my perspective about why this happens and how we can correct it.

Why this happens:

It is my observation that those of us, who are guilty of focusing on our faults, are the same people who are ambitious and motivated to be the best we can be. If we are being or doing something we don't like, we focus all of our attention onto it in order to change it. But can our faults really be the building blocks we need to reach our personal best?

How can we move forward in life, reach our goals and accomplish our dreams when we focus on what we're doing wrong instead of on what we're doing right?When we focus on our faults all the time, we put ourselves in a very vulnerable position. Would you inspect your children for their faults or would you encourage them based on their qualities and strengths?

I agree that self-reflection is an important practice, but to pick ourselves apart is an approach that isn't getting us anywhere. When we pick ourselves apart we are treating ourselves harshly; we are over-looking all of our wonderful qualities.

How we can correct it:

Lets remember the reason we put ourselves under the microscope: it's because we are open and willing to improve ourselves so we can be the best we can be.

In my opinion, if we are eager to become our greatest potential, then our attention should be focused directly on our qualities, gifts, talents and strengths. We must focus on what we're really good at, on what we do right and on what we've already accomplished. These are authentic building blocks; these are positive motivators. When we focus on all that is good about ourselves, it inspires us to keep moving forward. To me, it makes all the difference to focus on who we are rather than on who we are not.

If the law attraction is true, and I believe that it is, then we want to place our focus on things that have a positive impact on our energy. When we are focused on our qualities it certainly gets us excited and that excitement surely impacts our energy!

Three helpful rules you can choose to implement in your life:

1. I will not focus on my faults or weaknesses unless there is a reason for me to self-reflect.

2. I will not allow others to focus on my faults or weaknesses unless I have specifically asked them for constructive criticism.

3. When I catch myself focusing on my faults or weaknesses, I will say, "STOP" and redirect my thoughts to my qualities, gifts, talents, strengths and accomplishments.