Celebrating SBDC Day!

SBDC Day? What's that you ask?

It's the day we recognize the impact our Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) have on the success of our nation’s dreamers, innovators, and doers – America’s small businesses.

SBDC Day unites the nearly 1,000 SBDC centers across the country and the hundreds of thousands of clients they serve by sharing, in real time, the success stories and notable impacts SBDCs collectively have on the small business community at large. This special day will be celebrated with social media campaigns, public relations initiatives and other online events.

SBDC stands for Small Business Development Center. SBDCs provide a wide range of assistance to small businesses through their network of 900 service center. It is one of the largest federal small business assistance programs in the country.

SBDCs will assist in developing your business plans; provide financial packaging and lending assistance; market research services; and much more. They serve all populations: women, minorities, veterans, people with disabilities, and even young entrepreneurs. And the best part is the advice is free!

SBDC assistance is available virtually anywhere throughout the U.S., the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In addition to the free business advice offered through the SBDC, you can find free and low-cost training programs available to help you improve your skill set. Classes can cover everything from how to start a new business to how to export your product. There are classes on marketing, accounting, taxes, and more.

SBDCs are a great resource to help you make your small business a success. Find your local chapter of the SBDC and take advantage of free business advice, business resources, and business consulting today.

These Heavy Hitters Are About To Start Spilling Their Secrets

Imagine getting home business superstars like...
* Ray Higdon
* Diane Hochman
* Mark Harbert
* Stacey Hall
* Erin Birch
* and Lisa Torres
...to reveal their strategies and secrets that got them to the rock star status they're experiencing now.


And that's just a handful of the presenters.

There are 17 in total giving away their best secrets in the Roadmap to Rockstar Summit!

TONIGHT @ 8PM EST kicks the whole thing off with 3 guys who have built a $55 Million Dollar business.


They'll give you a SIMPLE formula to stand out in the marketplace, clearly define your dream clients...


And magically get them to buy YOUR products & join YOUR business today!


Register Now to Sneak Into Day #1 of the Summit for FREE!


See ya there!

Go GIF Yourself!

I just learned something really cool!
And of course, I just had to share!!!

Everybody loves a good GIF....

Right?

Well, I just learned how you can GIF yourself!

I've wished I could do that sometimes...

Just for fun.

Now I know how!

Here's a VIDEO that shows you how to do it too!

So go GIF yourself and have some fun!

How to Find Bundles to Participate In

I REALLY wanted to grow my email list quickly once I got it set up. I’d heard that bundles could be a good way to do this. With a bundle, several contributors get together and offer a product. Sometimes, the products offered are free, requiring that customers simply opt-in to your mailing list.

However, with some bundles, the products might be paid. Typically, the products are deeply discounted so customers are saving money. Since the customers will use your shopping cart to make the purchase, you’ll get their email address, causing your mailing list to grow.

Bundles are fun to participate in and once you know how to create a product, they can be profitable, too! The challenging part can be finding a bundle to participate in. Here are a few tips to help you do that…

Ask Around

If you’re already part of groups on Facebook or LinkedIn for bloggers or business owners in your niche, simply ask. There might be group members who know of upcoming bundles and will point you in the right direction.

Don’t be discouraged if someone posts about a bundle that’s already over. Keep a list of these bundles as many creators offer them regularly. That means they might be looking for a fresh round of contributors in just a few weeks or months.

Do Your Research

Before you get involved with a bundle, take some time to do a bit of research first. You want to make sure that the creator and the contributors are worthy of your audience. If it seems like there’s something fishy or if the contributors don’t honor their deals, then don’t sign up.

Just like in real life, you will be painted with the same brush as those you associate with. If you hang out with scammy marketers, your audience will think you’re the same way. They won’t trust you and you’ll need to spend extra time repairing your reputation.

Connect with Bundle Creators

Once you’ve found a few bundles that look legitimate, connect with the creators behind-the-scenes. Follow them on Twitter or Instagram. Subscribe to their mailing list and comment on their blog posts. Get a feel for who they are and the community they’re trying to create.

Engaging with them and their audience gives a creator a chance to get to know you. Many bundle creators carefully consider who they let contribute. That’s because they don’t want to be associated with a business owner who lacks integrity and puts together shoddy products.

But when you show up in their community and you bring value, you automatically set yourself apart from the crowd. Now you’re no longer a faceless contributor but a business owner who cares about serving your mutual audience.

Bundles are a wonderful way to grow your mailing list. But don’t just join up with the first one you see. Take your time to do your research and only participate in bundles that will benefit your community.

How to Quickly Boost the Value of Your Package

 

As you’re designing your package, you’ll want to think about how to boost the value of it. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to do this that won’t take you much time but can add hundreds of dollars to your bottom line. Here’s what to do…

Make It a Bundle

Sometimes, it makes sense to bundle your services to provide more value to your clients. If you have a client who needs a website redesign, they may also want their logo updated, need an SEO expert, and a virtual assistant to move all of the old content onto the new site.

You can make things easier for clients by offering to do all of these services so they don’t have to hire multiple freelancers and you can partner with another service provider to do these things.

Pick a provider with a stellar track record. Your reputation can easily be damaged if you choose to work with providers who do poor work or have terrible customer service. You don’t want to be associated with that negativity.

Instead, choose a provider with a fantastic reputation and passion for customer service. Since you’ll be working closely together, make sure you like your partner’s personality and enjoy spending time with them.

Outsource Parts of the Package

If you’d rather not take on a partner, you can still offer bundle services by outsourcing to another freelancer. Perhaps you’ve decided to offer graphics as a compliment to your writing services.

You can outsource the sales page graphics while you work on the copy. This makes outsourcing a wonderful way to increase your income without requiring you to work longer hours. Just make sure that your package price reflects the cost of a graphic designer.

Proximity + Services = Value

Another way to increase the value of your package is to offer private one-on-one sessions along with your services. This allows you to share your knowledge and experience with your clients.

If your client wants a website design, you could offer an hour or two of private teaching. Use this time to show your client how to edit their new website.  Demonstrate how to add blog posts and other content. Explain how to upload their graphics and what steps are needed to create a slideshow.

While these tasks may seem easy or even basic to you, they can be helpful for clients who want to control their websites or who are challenged when it comes to technology.

Just by showing up to teach, you’ve brought an incredible value to your clients and made their lives easier. But that doesn’t mean you’re limited to teaching. You can use consulting services to boost value and accomplish many things!

Approach your package creation like an experiment. Try different things and see what works best for your clients. When you hit on one that your clients love and that excites you, you’ll have found a sure winner!

A Brand New You

Do you have a vision board?

A Vision Board will motivate you to work towards the goals you have set. Producing a vision board will direct your mind to themes, colors, feelings or emotions.

Ok.

But is cutting pictures out of a magazine and gluing them on a piece of poster board REALLY an effective use of your time?

YES! It absolutely is!

The crafting of a vision board can produce some stillness within a hectic world. Taking the time out to focus on a vision board gives you time for personal reflection while occupying your mind and setting a goal so it doesn’t become boring.

The board is a bit like a visual wish list. It gives you a chance to be creative, be your true self and let things go on there that you’re drawn to. It can often help bring greater awareness of your hopes, goals and dreams.

Placed in a strategic place where you can see it regularly, it can serve as a reminder of where you want to be. It also lets you fantasize for a minute and be free from limitations.

A recent survey discovered that those who created a vision board that relates to their goals are almost twice as confident they will achieve their goals than those who did not. And the survey also showed that 82% of the small business owners that used a vision board reported that they have accomplished more than half of the goals they included on that board.

Plus...

It's just plain fun! It is fun to get together with other dreamers, believers, and achievers. It is fun to dream about the possibilities of the coming year.

Ok.

But do I REALLY have to go to a workshop? Isn't this something I can just do on my own and not have to pay for?

The answer is yes, you absolutely could... but will you?

And if you do, will you actually hang that poster board with all those cut out pictures where you can actually see it? Or will you just roll it up and stuff it in the back of a closet somewhere?

Are you ready for something different?

A work of art that captures your vision for the future? That you'll be proud to display?

A journal to help you create that vision?

And best of all...a game plan to help you actually ACHIEVE it?

The time is coming....

Time to imagine...

To dream...

To create...

To build...

Are you ready to make 2022 your BEST YEAR EVER?

IT'S ON!

Debra DeVilbiss and I are hosting a killer workshop on February 12 in Bentonville. PM me for details. This is not your mama's vision board workshop!

Debra, aka your Dream Doula, has helped hundreds of frustrated women put their dreams into action!

So first, I will show you how to use your Vision Board Journal to bring your dream into focus.

Debra will help you understand what has held you back before and then create ways to get past those sneaky Dreamkillers.

AND THEN...You'll create a beautiful piece of art that captures your vision as a visual reminder of your dreams and plans for your life.

No magazine cutouts on posterboard...

We're talking ART!

Want in?

Register here!

I LOVE My Jeep....And What It Symbolizes

I'm a car girl. I like big, powerful vehicles. I like driving them. I loved selling them back in the day. It was fun to see the looks on some customers' faces (guys, you know who you are) when the sales girl could talk "car". 

And I'm not just any car girl. I'm a JEEP girl! That's a category all by itself. We have the "wave". And tire covers that say "Don't follow me. You won't make it." Bumper stickers that say "You can go fast, but I can go ANYWHERE." T-shirts that say "Jeep hair. Don't care." We have clubs and rendezvous and jamborees and rallies. We get new bumpers for Christmas and light bars for birthdays and are THRILLED!

I currently drive a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Mojave. The first desert-rated midsize truck. And I love it. Yes, it gets about 17 MPG in town where I actually do most of my driving. It's my daily driver. And it's probably not the most comfortable vehicle on long road trips. But it says all there is to say about me. Which is why I drive it. That's why most people choose the cars they drive, if they have the option.

The truth is a car is THE ultimate status symbol for many people. There is this popular notion that bigger, more expensive cars indicate that you are more financially successful than the average person. And that is actually probably true. It does take a fair amount of success to be able to drive a $60K - $70K vehicle.

Now before you misunderstand, let me explain. I don't drive my Jeep so I can show off my pricey vehicle. The truth is there are a lot of cars in this area that cost way more than mine! This is Walmart country. The Walton's can buy a fleet of my Jeeps if they want. This is Tyson country. J.B Hunt. Dillards. George's. This little corner of Arkansas is home to some very well-off folks!

No, when I say I drive my Jeep because of what it symbolizes, I'm talking about what it means to me. I grew up poor. I didn't even own a car of my own until I was 24 years old! And then it was a Mercury Lynx station wagon so I would have something reliable to haul the kids around in. It was a practical decision. Decent gas mileage. Room for kids and pets and groceries. And most of all...affordable. 

The Lynx was followed by a string of equally reliable, practical, AFFORDABLE vehicles. None of them were exciting. All of them served their purpose. But the car girl who also loved being outdoors always wished...just a little...for her dream car. You guessed it. A fully-loaded Jeep Rubicon.

If you have followed me for a while then you know that dream came true finally, a few years ago. I did own a 4-door Rubicon for a couple of years. But when I heard the Jeep truck was finally going to be a reality, I knew this was the vehicle I had been waiting for. And so on Black Friday 2020, I got the ultimate Black Friday deal. A brand new Jeep Gladiator. It's not the Rubicon. Because it's not the status symbol that's important to me. Driving the 4-door Rubicon helped me see I didn't actually need all that came with it. My life at the moment does not include a great deal of rock-climbing, extreme trail-driving travel. The desert-rated Mojave is much more suited to my actual needs.

No, it's not the status of driving a $60K vehicle. It's the fact that I worked hard enough and learned enough and persisted long enough to be able to buy the vehicle I wanted. It's a daily reminder to ME of what is possible if you just keep pushing. If you don't give up. 

I love my Jeep. I love going off-roading with my family. (Check out video from most recent trip to Palo Duro Canyon). I LOVE when someone tells my husband they like his vehicle and he tells them it's not his, it's mine. I love being able to throw it into 4-wheel drive on the rare occasions we get that much snow in Arkansas. I love knowing it will carry me and my family just about anywhere we need to go. I love knowing that whatever life on the dirt road brings, we can get through it. 

Most of all, I love knowing that my own hard work and determination got me where I am today...riding around in "Mo" (named after my granddaughter Morgan), with the top off and the music playing, feeling the sun on my face. Jeep hair! Don't care! Oh, and don't try to follow me. You might not make it!