I know it's been a while. A loooonnngg while! Too long! I apologize. I can only say I've been very busy. Running business. Rethinking strategies. Planning for next year. How about you? Are you ready for next year? If not, now is a great time to start thinking about 2008. If you have a business, start looking at ways to grow. New products. New delivery options. New promotional strategies. Perhaps even a whole new business venture.
If you don't have a business yet, there has never been a better time to start one. Thanks to the internet it is now cheaper and easier to get up and running than ever before. And thanks to all of those who have gone before you, there is more help than ever before. People like Ken McArthur, Derek Gehl, Yanik Silver, Mike Filsame, Mark Joyner, and Joe Vitale. Some of them will even let you be affiliates of their products and resell them a commission. We discussed making money with affiliate programs in an earlier post if you aren't familiar with the concept.
So what's holding you back? I'm issuing a challenge to all of you right now. Let's make 2008 your year. Each one of us has a choice to make. 2008 is right around the corner and it's calling to you to change your life. Are you coming or not? Will you make the choice to join us?
I know many of you will be afraid of leaving what if familiar and venturing into something that is totally unknown. Others of you will be excited and challenged at the thought. All of you will be asked to do things you never thought you could do - contact people, write a business plan, promote yourself and your business.
What if you decide to make the choice? What happens next? Contrary to many of the "gurus", there is no foolproof formula. What works for me may not work for you. I can't do what my friend Ken McArthur does. I use many of his ideas but I adapt them to my situation. But there are some steps you can take to increase your chances of being successful.
1. BREATHE! Change brings stress. Even positive change can be stressful. So make sure you take time each day to relax and just breathe. Do yoga, meditate, go for a walk - whatever it takes. Just don't let yourself tighten up and be afraid.
2. Take control of the change. Each day remind yourself of your vision, your plans, your goals. Stand in front of a mirror and state to yourself your intentions to build a better life. Or even go a step further as recommended by my life coach and sing it. She claims music brings the message deeper.
3. Never stop learning. Read everything you can about your chosen business. Find out who the experts really are and study them. I've listed many of them in this blog but there are so many others. Buy their books or get them from the library. Join their forums, subscribe to their newsletters, read their blogs. Go to seminars when you can afford them. If you have questions about which ones to attend or which products to purchase, ask me. If I am not familiar with it, I'll find someone who is.
4. Don't lose touch with yourself. I've seen online entrepreneurs who thought they had to pretend to be something or somebody different from what they were to be successful. They only thing they were was phoney. And people can spot phoney right away. If you aren't credible, you won't go anywhere in this business.
5. Make sure you keep your priorities in order. Success is great, but not at the cost of your family, your spirituality, your faith, your health, or your fun. Set aside time for the things that make your success meaningful.
6. Make Nature your best friend. NATURE HAS A LOT OF WISDOM FOR US. It’s as simple as that. Don’t ignore this truth, live it.
7. Don't be stingy! Give back to the community that gave to you. Help others get where you are. You get back what you give. I have a friend who sells cars very successfully. Every day he makes it a point to do something for one of his customers. He calls it "feeding the lot." You know what? His customers love him and are very loyal. And if they have a friend or family member who needs a car, guess who gets the referral? That's how I met him. He sold me my car based on a referral from someone else. Besides, there is nothing like "free" to gain long-term, loyal customers. You can even use this concept to market. It's called "viral marketing" and we'll talk about it another day.
So - are you in? Make the choice.
By the way, speaking of free stuff - I wanted to let you know about this fabulous promotion I'm taking part in that ANYONE can join to market your business for FREE!!! It's called 30 days of Christmas and this is the third year running. When you visit the site you can become a member for free and then have access to hundreds of ebooks, ecourses, and special reports all designed to help you in your business efforts. What's cool about this site is many people give away valuable stuff so they can get their name out there and be seen by the thousands of visitors to the site each day. I'm giving away a free offer-- go now and see what it's all about: http://www.30daysofchristmas.com/index.php?id=M2183. You can also become a contributor yourself-- it's just a few simple clicks and then your giveaway can be seen by thousands, too!I hope you'll get in on the action! This is cool stuff!
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
I Asked Some Women Business Owner Friends of Mine
I can give you all the tools in the world and some of you will still not be as successful as you like. Why? What will make the difference between you and another reader of this blog? I recently participated in a program for Girl Scouts that taught girls business skills and how to become an entrepreneur. During that program we looked at being a business owner from many different aspects.
What does it take to be a successful business owner? What skills and personality traits are necessary? I asked some friends of mine who are all women business owners this question, so I could share them with the girls in the Girl Scout program. Their answers were very enlightening. Valuable enough, in fact, that I thought I'd also share them with you.
My friend Anna Campbell founded and runs Women Business Owners, http://www.womenbizowners.org, a non-profit that works with you to make your business work. She says you need to be confident, understanding, responsible, willing to learn, willing to fail, willing to learn again. You need to understand that you spend money to make money. You need to know how to communicate with others and how to delegate. Confidence, understanding, responsibility - these were mentioned by several of the women. I've heard "fake it till you make it" repeatedly. That phrase always bothered me until I understood that what they meant was to exhibit confidence when dealing with customers and clients. How can you expect them to have faith in your abilities if you don't have faith in yourself?
Caryn Isaacs expresses this need for confidence another way. Caryn is a patient advocate at Resource Evaluation Leaders, Inc. http://reli.com/. She says that belief in your dream is key. You can be afraid that you don't have what it takes, but the dream should be bigger than you. Once you take the first step, the business develops a life of its own. You just need to jump on for the ride. She states that she has never known anyone who succeded, if the goal was just to make money. The driving force is finding your passion, learning everything you can about the history of that field and then just get up and do at least one thing everyday, make a call, read an article or just think about your next move. Finally, reward yourself for a job well done.
Gazelle Simmons, Virtual Assistant/Owner of Admin Services, http://www.admnsrvcs.com, also lists belief as a key factor. Persistence, determination, ambition, honesty, courage and belief in yourself as well as your abilities - these are all part of Gazelle's list of necessary traits.
According to Ingrid Gonzalez, you need to have an entrepreneurial spirit. Now what exactly is that? How about all of the factors we already listed! According to Ingrid, you must be willing to take risks, be organized, be a leader, learn how to handle rejections as it's part of the package, work well under pressure, be a decision-maker, be up to date with technology. She should know. She successfully runs two business: Alco Consultants, LLC http://www.alcoconsultants.com and Dainty Beads http://www.daintybeads.com.
Kristine Sheehan, The Merry Bird, http://www.themerrybird.com, listed many of the same traits - sanity, patience, kindness, perserverance, and desire to succeed.
I really like the way my friend Dawna Jones put it. Dawna calls herself an Evolutionary Provocateur and her company is InSight Out Consulting, Inc. http://www.frominsighttoaction.com/. As you can see, Dawna looks at things in a more unique and creative fashion. When asked what personality traits were needed for business success, she stated "heart of a wolf; strength of a bear; self-discipline (is what horses have that keeps them from betting on people); see like a spider...the interconnections and relationship between everything you do and its impact on others: suppliers, customers, key relations. Wolves are family; Bear is introspection and goals ..the capacity to focus...oh and a great sense of humor helps. There is no such thing as failure. "
Do you see a common theme here? It's not just about the money. If that's all you're focusing on, you're doomed to be less successful than you could be. In order to really succeed you have to have passion for your work. Then be willing to learn all you can about your chosen business. If you stumble (notice I did not say fail. As Dawna said, there is no such thing as failure), learn from the mistake and keep going. Have courage! Take a risk and be prepared to spend a little money to make money. Anyone who tells you that you can start a business for free is dreaming or a scam artist. You make not have to spend $1000s but you will have to spend some. Be responsible. Remember, everything you do will impact your business either positively or negatively. Be disciplined. You can't work two hours a week and expect to have a prosperous business. Just because many of these women work from their homes does not mean they do not work as many hours or more than you do. If you can, set aside some space that is solely dedicated to your business. If you have a room you can turn into an office, that's great. But even a corner of the kitchen will work. Then every morning, get up, get dressed, and go to work. While you are at work, don't let anything else interfere. Dishes can wait. Tape your favorite soap. Don't answer the door. You are at work. Set a goal for what you want to accomplish that day before you can "go home." I was taught to use a point system. I must earn 4 points each day before I can stop working. Each of the activities I do that are business related have been assigned a point value. When I have 4 points, I can stop. Of course, once I've earned my 4 points for the day, I'm usually so excited about my work that I stay a little longer.
I think I'll end by sharing what my friend Marilyn Jenet, founder of Feel Free to Prosper, http://www.FeelFreetoProsper.com, said when she responded to the question.
"These great minds said it best (these are from my memoir, "Feel Free to Prosper: an Entrepreneurial Memoir of Synchronicity and Guidance")
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
~ Henry David Thoreau
Haven’t you heard of the "entrepreneur’s creed?" It was drafted by Patrick Henry in 1775…
I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
~ Patrick Henry
Okay, I know he wasn’t referring to entrepreneurship, but it’s still the same idea to those of us who listen to our own drummer. So maybe Thoreau was a bit closer to the truth."
~ Marilyn
What does it take to be a successful business owner? What skills and personality traits are necessary? I asked some friends of mine who are all women business owners this question, so I could share them with the girls in the Girl Scout program. Their answers were very enlightening. Valuable enough, in fact, that I thought I'd also share them with you.
My friend Anna Campbell founded and runs Women Business Owners, http://www.womenbizowners.org, a non-profit that works with you to make your business work. She says you need to be confident, understanding, responsible, willing to learn, willing to fail, willing to learn again. You need to understand that you spend money to make money. You need to know how to communicate with others and how to delegate. Confidence, understanding, responsibility - these were mentioned by several of the women. I've heard "fake it till you make it" repeatedly. That phrase always bothered me until I understood that what they meant was to exhibit confidence when dealing with customers and clients. How can you expect them to have faith in your abilities if you don't have faith in yourself?
Caryn Isaacs expresses this need for confidence another way. Caryn is a patient advocate at Resource Evaluation Leaders, Inc. http://reli.com/. She says that belief in your dream is key. You can be afraid that you don't have what it takes, but the dream should be bigger than you. Once you take the first step, the business develops a life of its own. You just need to jump on for the ride. She states that she has never known anyone who succeded, if the goal was just to make money. The driving force is finding your passion, learning everything you can about the history of that field and then just get up and do at least one thing everyday, make a call, read an article or just think about your next move. Finally, reward yourself for a job well done.
Gazelle Simmons, Virtual Assistant/Owner of Admin Services, http://www.admnsrvcs.com, also lists belief as a key factor. Persistence, determination, ambition, honesty, courage and belief in yourself as well as your abilities - these are all part of Gazelle's list of necessary traits.
According to Ingrid Gonzalez, you need to have an entrepreneurial spirit. Now what exactly is that? How about all of the factors we already listed! According to Ingrid, you must be willing to take risks, be organized, be a leader, learn how to handle rejections as it's part of the package, work well under pressure, be a decision-maker, be up to date with technology. She should know. She successfully runs two business: Alco Consultants, LLC http://www.alcoconsultants.com and Dainty Beads http://www.daintybeads.com.
Kristine Sheehan, The Merry Bird, http://www.themerrybird.com, listed many of the same traits - sanity, patience, kindness, perserverance, and desire to succeed.
I really like the way my friend Dawna Jones put it. Dawna calls herself an Evolutionary Provocateur and her company is InSight Out Consulting, Inc. http://www.frominsighttoaction.com/. As you can see, Dawna looks at things in a more unique and creative fashion. When asked what personality traits were needed for business success, she stated "heart of a wolf; strength of a bear; self-discipline (is what horses have that keeps them from betting on people); see like a spider...the interconnections and relationship between everything you do and its impact on others: suppliers, customers, key relations. Wolves are family; Bear is introspection and goals ..the capacity to focus...oh and a great sense of humor helps. There is no such thing as failure. "
Do you see a common theme here? It's not just about the money. If that's all you're focusing on, you're doomed to be less successful than you could be. In order to really succeed you have to have passion for your work. Then be willing to learn all you can about your chosen business. If you stumble (notice I did not say fail. As Dawna said, there is no such thing as failure), learn from the mistake and keep going. Have courage! Take a risk and be prepared to spend a little money to make money. Anyone who tells you that you can start a business for free is dreaming or a scam artist. You make not have to spend $1000s but you will have to spend some. Be responsible. Remember, everything you do will impact your business either positively or negatively. Be disciplined. You can't work two hours a week and expect to have a prosperous business. Just because many of these women work from their homes does not mean they do not work as many hours or more than you do. If you can, set aside some space that is solely dedicated to your business. If you have a room you can turn into an office, that's great. But even a corner of the kitchen will work. Then every morning, get up, get dressed, and go to work. While you are at work, don't let anything else interfere. Dishes can wait. Tape your favorite soap. Don't answer the door. You are at work. Set a goal for what you want to accomplish that day before you can "go home." I was taught to use a point system. I must earn 4 points each day before I can stop working. Each of the activities I do that are business related have been assigned a point value. When I have 4 points, I can stop. Of course, once I've earned my 4 points for the day, I'm usually so excited about my work that I stay a little longer.
I think I'll end by sharing what my friend Marilyn Jenet, founder of Feel Free to Prosper, http://www.FeelFreetoProsper.com, said when she responded to the question.
"These great minds said it best (these are from my memoir, "Feel Free to Prosper: an Entrepreneurial Memoir of Synchronicity and Guidance")
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
~ Henry David Thoreau
Haven’t you heard of the "entrepreneur’s creed?" It was drafted by Patrick Henry in 1775…
I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
~ Patrick Henry
Okay, I know he wasn’t referring to entrepreneurship, but it’s still the same idea to those of us who listen to our own drummer. So maybe Thoreau was a bit closer to the truth."
~ Marilyn
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Colors Decorate the World
No business on this post. Instead I want to share the birthday wishes of a very unselfish little girl. I hope you will help me fulfill them for her!
I am writing this on behalf of Sami, the daughter of a friend. She is turning 7 next month and instead of personal birthday gifts, she has created a team to send 10,000 coloring books and crayons to the kids at St. Jude's Hospital. She has named her team "Colors Decorate the World."
*************************
A note from Sami...We all know how exciting it is to look out our window and see the bright colors of a sunshine filled day. The red and yellow of the sun, the bright blue sky, the vibrant green of the grass, the brown of the trees and so much more! By working together we can help the kids at St. Jude's to bring these colors into their rooms while they receive treatment from the wonderful doctors.
The goal and promise of my "Colors Decorate the World" Team is to bring 10,000 coloring books and boxes of crayons (24+ size) to the kids of St. Jude by December 31, 2007.
Let's work together and make the world a better place for everyone!
Loads of love,Sami
How can you help?
It's easy! Simply send a new coloring book and a box of 24+ crayons to St. Jude with a note stating you are sending your gift as part of the "Colors Decorate the World" Tribute for Sami's 7th birthday.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Attention: Vilma Carnahan
595 N. Parkway
Memphis, TN 38105
Questions? Visit: www.stjude.org for more information
*************************
Would you be so kind as to forward this request to those on your mailing list and of course make a donation as well?
Sami's promise and goal is to have 10,000 coloring books and matching boxes of 24 crayons to the kids of St. Jude's by December 31st. Although this is only 70 days away, we know by working together we can achieve this goal and bring smiles to the kids at St. Jude.
Thank you in advance for your support of Sami's "Colors Decorate the World" Team!
I am writing this on behalf of Sami, the daughter of a friend. She is turning 7 next month and instead of personal birthday gifts, she has created a team to send 10,000 coloring books and crayons to the kids at St. Jude's Hospital. She has named her team "Colors Decorate the World."
*************************
A note from Sami...We all know how exciting it is to look out our window and see the bright colors of a sunshine filled day. The red and yellow of the sun, the bright blue sky, the vibrant green of the grass, the brown of the trees and so much more! By working together we can help the kids at St. Jude's to bring these colors into their rooms while they receive treatment from the wonderful doctors.
The goal and promise of my "Colors Decorate the World" Team is to bring 10,000 coloring books and boxes of crayons (24+ size) to the kids of St. Jude by December 31, 2007.
Let's work together and make the world a better place for everyone!
Loads of love,Sami
How can you help?
It's easy! Simply send a new coloring book and a box of 24+ crayons to St. Jude with a note stating you are sending your gift as part of the "Colors Decorate the World" Tribute for Sami's 7th birthday.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Attention: Vilma Carnahan
595 N. Parkway
Memphis, TN 38105
Questions? Visit: www.stjude.org for more information
*************************
Would you be so kind as to forward this request to those on your mailing list and of course make a donation as well?
Sami's promise and goal is to have 10,000 coloring books and matching boxes of 24 crayons to the kids of St. Jude's by December 31st. Although this is only 70 days away, we know by working together we can achieve this goal and bring smiles to the kids at St. Jude.
Thank you in advance for your support of Sami's "Colors Decorate the World" Team!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Something old, something new, something borrowed...
I know I've been so busy lately, I slipped behind a little on the blog. Don't worry! There are LOTS of brand new things coming up very soon for WealthTogether. In fact I hope to get to my good friend Ken McArthur's jvAlert event in Orlando or Atlanta. He hasn't decided on a location yet, but I am planning to be there either way to discuss some new ideas. I'll keep you updated and hopefully some of you will join us there. I'd love to meet you and introduce you to Ken.
In the middle of all the new and exciting things, it's easy to forget about all of the wonderful resources that we ALREADY have. I've been thinking about how many times we forget the basics when it comes to our on-line businesses, so I've included some old stuff and some new stuff and some stuff I borrowed from Ken.
First the old stuff. I don't understand why, but many of you sent me copies of your first ezines right after I posted that information. Most of them were pretty good and I asked to become a subscriber to several of them. And of that bunch - only two have followed up. Where are the rest of you? The number one reason people don't make money with affiliate marketing or an internet business is LACK OF ACTION! An ezine is a free and simple way to promote yourself and your products. So let's get back to work. I'll be waiting for my next issues from those of you who still owe me. You know who you are!
Now the new stuff. Recently a friend of mine who is starting her own business asked me about PayPerClick advertising. She understands how it works. But she wanted to know if I had any favorite PPC search engines. There are a multitude of them and the ad campaign that works on one may not work on the other. You'll also notice that certain keywords may be more affordable on one PPC over another. So do I have some favorites? Yes, I do. And here they are: http://www.7search.com/, http://www.enhance.com/, http://www.looksmart.com/, http://www.miva.com/, http://www.search123.com/, http://www.searchfeed.com/, and of course my absolute favorite, Google AdWords. There are several others, but these are the ones that have worked best for me. In a future post, I'll tell you how to get the most bang for your 50 cents (that's the most I've ever had to spend for a keyword) using PPC advertising.
Next new thing: There are two great events coming up that I hope you will all attend. Oh, and sorry guys but these events are just for the ladies in the crowd. First -
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Retreat on April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. This fabulous weekend will feature Beverly Mahone's "I'm Still Hot…It just comes in Flashes now!" Girlfriends Pajama Party weekend and a Town Hall Meeting which will be taped by a local television station. We're gonna party like it's 1979!!! For more details, click here (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
The second is actually another first - The first-ever WBO "Free to be ME" Convention" on October 10-12, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Women Business Owners from around the world will be coming together to meet at this annual event to share their stories, adventures, pictures, and dreams. We will be building bonds that will launch businesses and maintain those that are growing. To register or to find more information go to http://www.womenbizowners.org/ and click on WBO convention.
I am really excited about both of these events and I hope to see some of you there.
And now for the something borrowed. Ken McArthur, marketing wizard and founder of jvAlert, always keeps me updated on the latest "must have" resources for online and affiliate marketing. He recommended a book to me and I am so glad that he did. It's an absolute classic that I now always recommend to people involved in affiliate marketing -- That's YOU. It's called "Affiliate Mistakes" by Chuck McCollough. Chuck is a regular guy who lives in San Antonio with his wife Carol and his daughters Crystal, Ashley, Amber and son, Cody. Chuck claims that they are "the smartest and most beautiful youngsters you will ever meet" but he could be prejudiced. Chuck runs some of the most visited sites on the web today, but it wasn't always so. In fact for three years Chuck "busted his butt and still wasn't making money." Chuck didn't go from zero to thousands over night, but from the time he started working smart, avoiding the mistakes everyone else was making, the checks gradually increased. You can check out his book at: http://www.affiliateproblems.com/
More soon!
In the middle of all the new and exciting things, it's easy to forget about all of the wonderful resources that we ALREADY have. I've been thinking about how many times we forget the basics when it comes to our on-line businesses, so I've included some old stuff and some new stuff and some stuff I borrowed from Ken.
First the old stuff. I don't understand why, but many of you sent me copies of your first ezines right after I posted that information. Most of them were pretty good and I asked to become a subscriber to several of them. And of that bunch - only two have followed up. Where are the rest of you? The number one reason people don't make money with affiliate marketing or an internet business is LACK OF ACTION! An ezine is a free and simple way to promote yourself and your products. So let's get back to work. I'll be waiting for my next issues from those of you who still owe me. You know who you are!
Now the new stuff. Recently a friend of mine who is starting her own business asked me about PayPerClick advertising. She understands how it works. But she wanted to know if I had any favorite PPC search engines. There are a multitude of them and the ad campaign that works on one may not work on the other. You'll also notice that certain keywords may be more affordable on one PPC over another. So do I have some favorites? Yes, I do. And here they are: http://www.7search.com/, http://www.enhance.com/, http://www.looksmart.com/, http://www.miva.com/, http://www.search123.com/, http://www.searchfeed.com/, and of course my absolute favorite, Google AdWords. There are several others, but these are the ones that have worked best for me. In a future post, I'll tell you how to get the most bang for your 50 cents (that's the most I've ever had to spend for a keyword) using PPC advertising.
Next new thing: There are two great events coming up that I hope you will all attend. Oh, and sorry guys but these events are just for the ladies in the crowd. First -
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Retreat on April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. This fabulous weekend will feature Beverly Mahone's "I'm Still Hot…It just comes in Flashes now!" Girlfriends Pajama Party weekend and a Town Hall Meeting which will be taped by a local television station. We're gonna party like it's 1979!!! For more details, click here (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
The second is actually another first - The first-ever WBO "Free to be ME" Convention" on October 10-12, 2008 in Houston, Texas. Women Business Owners from around the world will be coming together to meet at this annual event to share their stories, adventures, pictures, and dreams. We will be building bonds that will launch businesses and maintain those that are growing. To register or to find more information go to http://www.womenbizowners.org/ and click on WBO convention.
I am really excited about both of these events and I hope to see some of you there.
And now for the something borrowed. Ken McArthur, marketing wizard and founder of jvAlert, always keeps me updated on the latest "must have" resources for online and affiliate marketing. He recommended a book to me and I am so glad that he did. It's an absolute classic that I now always recommend to people involved in affiliate marketing -- That's YOU. It's called "Affiliate Mistakes" by Chuck McCollough. Chuck is a regular guy who lives in San Antonio with his wife Carol and his daughters Crystal, Ashley, Amber and son, Cody. Chuck claims that they are "the smartest and most beautiful youngsters you will ever meet" but he could be prejudiced. Chuck runs some of the most visited sites on the web today, but it wasn't always so. In fact for three years Chuck "busted his butt and still wasn't making money." Chuck didn't go from zero to thousands over night, but from the time he started working smart, avoiding the mistakes everyone else was making, the checks gradually increased. You can check out his book at: http://www.affiliateproblems.com/
More soon!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Network, Network, Network
Today is the day I check in with all of the online networks I belong to. As it took the better part of my afternoon, I had to give some thought as to whether this was a valuable use of my time. And the answer was - definitely! I have gained quite a bit of business simply from social networking and you can too.
First, let me clarify one point. Networking is NOT going to every event in town and handing out your business card to 100 people whose name you won't remember 10 minutes from now. Nor is it joining every online networking site and blasting all of your friends with SPAM. Networking is all about building relationships. Anyone who can understand that concept can network their way to more business.
To get started, you have to create a network. Start by making a list of all the people you know. You'll be surprised at how many there are! This is your immediate circle of influence. If you maintain regular contact with some of the people on your list, great! Keep it up! For those you haven't had much contact with in a while, it's time to renew that connection. Send an email or give them a call. Invite them for coffee or lunch or just to chat. The idea here is to re-establish the connection between you, so do not spend your first get-together listing all that you have been doing and how they can help you. You want to find out what's been going on in their life. Let them do the talking. You'll make a much better impression that way.
Once you have rebuilt your initial network, be sure to check in with these people regularly. Whether it's a quick email or phone call, a note to say thanks for some small favor, - even a gift - make sure you keep in touch. If you find yourself in need - your network will already be in place.
Now that you have your initial network established you want to continue to expand it. There are many ways to do that. Get involved - in your church, your children's school, with community groups. Join any professional associations related to your field. When you go to parties, mingle and chat.
You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. My personal favorites are Ryze, LinkedIn, and Xing. Each of these is a little different. Ryze is a site focused on business to consumer networking and provides a venue to create a community around your business and personal interests. You can check out my Ryze page at http://www.ryze.com/go/marguarite. LinkedIn is easy to use and has many features including providing a testimonial for someone you know, passing along requests for connections, job listings, and easy networking with those with similar interests. My LinkedIn profile is at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melodieannwhiteley. Xing is sort of a cross between Ryze and LinkedIn. My Xing profile is can be found at
https://www.xing.com/profile/Melodieann_Whiteley. There are tons of other sites as well - MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Friendster. Each one is a little different but all give you the chance to expose yourself and your business to more people.
Now how do you use your network once you have it established? Simple. Keep in touch. Do favors for your contacts whenever possible. (Now they owe you one). Be genuinely grateful for any assistance they provide and be sure to acknowledge it with a card, a call, or even a gift. Make sure they all know what you do for a living - and make sure you understand their businesses. Otherwise, how will you send each other referrals? Participate - whether in person or by posting on the online networks. As I said when I started this post, it's all about building trust and relationships. Do that and the rest will fall into place. So I hope to see you on some of the networks. And for those of you living in NWA, contact me. I'll give you a list of local networking events. Hope to see you there!
First, let me clarify one point. Networking is NOT going to every event in town and handing out your business card to 100 people whose name you won't remember 10 minutes from now. Nor is it joining every online networking site and blasting all of your friends with SPAM. Networking is all about building relationships. Anyone who can understand that concept can network their way to more business.
To get started, you have to create a network. Start by making a list of all the people you know. You'll be surprised at how many there are! This is your immediate circle of influence. If you maintain regular contact with some of the people on your list, great! Keep it up! For those you haven't had much contact with in a while, it's time to renew that connection. Send an email or give them a call. Invite them for coffee or lunch or just to chat. The idea here is to re-establish the connection between you, so do not spend your first get-together listing all that you have been doing and how they can help you. You want to find out what's been going on in their life. Let them do the talking. You'll make a much better impression that way.
Once you have rebuilt your initial network, be sure to check in with these people regularly. Whether it's a quick email or phone call, a note to say thanks for some small favor, - even a gift - make sure you keep in touch. If you find yourself in need - your network will already be in place.
Now that you have your initial network established you want to continue to expand it. There are many ways to do that. Get involved - in your church, your children's school, with community groups. Join any professional associations related to your field. When you go to parties, mingle and chat.
You can also network online. The internet has spawned a wide variety of social networking sites, each one offering access to literally millions of people. My personal favorites are Ryze, LinkedIn, and Xing. Each of these is a little different. Ryze is a site focused on business to consumer networking and provides a venue to create a community around your business and personal interests. You can check out my Ryze page at http://www.ryze.com/go/marguarite. LinkedIn is easy to use and has many features including providing a testimonial for someone you know, passing along requests for connections, job listings, and easy networking with those with similar interests. My LinkedIn profile is at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/melodieannwhiteley. Xing is sort of a cross between Ryze and LinkedIn. My Xing profile is can be found at
https://www.xing.com/profile/Melodieann_Whiteley. There are tons of other sites as well - MySpace, Facebook, Squidoo, Friendster. Each one is a little different but all give you the chance to expose yourself and your business to more people.
Now how do you use your network once you have it established? Simple. Keep in touch. Do favors for your contacts whenever possible. (Now they owe you one). Be genuinely grateful for any assistance they provide and be sure to acknowledge it with a card, a call, or even a gift. Make sure they all know what you do for a living - and make sure you understand their businesses. Otherwise, how will you send each other referrals? Participate - whether in person or by posting on the online networks. As I said when I started this post, it's all about building trust and relationships. Do that and the rest will fall into place. So I hope to see you on some of the networks. And for those of you living in NWA, contact me. I'll give you a list of local networking events. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
One Person CAN Make a Difference
Do You Believe That One Person Can Make A Difference? My good friend Cheryl Antier does. And she need you to help prove it. If you don't believe it's possible then skip this post. If you do - read on. #
1. Think about what issue you're passionate about. Is it helping kids? The environment? Literacy? The elderly? Reducing violence? The Experiment and What You Can Do: On 10/2, Cheryl is giving a free teleconference for VISTA Volunteers. VISTA is like the domestic branch of the Peace Corps. Volunteers spend a year working some of the poorest neighborhoods in the USA working on poverty issues - like those mentioned above. They're thrown into their projects without resources, skills or training and have 12 months to create a sustainable project. That's why she's doing the conference - she served 3 terms of service. She was a VISTA during 9/11. This is her way of giving back. 150 VISTA Volunteers signed up. They’re all working on worthy projects and want to make a difference in their communities - maybe even yours. But if not, they're working on issues that you care about. I'm asking you to reach out and help. As a former VISTA volunteer myself, I can tell you these young people need your support. You could help build a playground, see to it that a child has a home, or enough food to eat tonight. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If you don't have the time, then write a check - and know that you're changing a life. Maybe you have an old computer - one of Cheryl's VISTAs needs computers. Another needs formula and diapers for parents who have more month than money... If you're a business owner, what about donating a case of printer paper, or postage stamps? Or donate a product or service or an hour of your time? #2: Ask someone who is in your circle of influence to help too. It doesn't have to be Cheryl's VISTAs - help a cause you support. Say it’s part of the "Activist's Guide" experiment & post on the blog, so she can track results. Deadline: 10/1. Go here: http://www.activistguide.blogspot.com
1. Think about what issue you're passionate about. Is it helping kids? The environment? Literacy? The elderly? Reducing violence? The Experiment and What You Can Do: On 10/2, Cheryl is giving a free teleconference for VISTA Volunteers. VISTA is like the domestic branch of the Peace Corps. Volunteers spend a year working some of the poorest neighborhoods in the USA working on poverty issues - like those mentioned above. They're thrown into their projects without resources, skills or training and have 12 months to create a sustainable project. That's why she's doing the conference - she served 3 terms of service. She was a VISTA during 9/11. This is her way of giving back. 150 VISTA Volunteers signed up. They’re all working on worthy projects and want to make a difference in their communities - maybe even yours. But if not, they're working on issues that you care about. I'm asking you to reach out and help. As a former VISTA volunteer myself, I can tell you these young people need your support. You could help build a playground, see to it that a child has a home, or enough food to eat tonight. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If you don't have the time, then write a check - and know that you're changing a life. Maybe you have an old computer - one of Cheryl's VISTAs needs computers. Another needs formula and diapers for parents who have more month than money... If you're a business owner, what about donating a case of printer paper, or postage stamps? Or donate a product or service or an hour of your time? #2: Ask someone who is in your circle of influence to help too. It doesn't have to be Cheryl's VISTAs - help a cause you support. Say it’s part of the "Activist's Guide" experiment & post on the blog, so she can track results. Deadline: 10/1. Go here: http://www.activistguide.blogspot.com
Monday, August 27, 2007
To do list
You absolutely must accomplish two things this week. First, if you haven't submitted your site (whether it's a website, a blog, a feed, or all three), you need to get that done. Second, you must register for Ken McArthur's jvAlert event.
I told you last post that Ken's next event was being planned. Well, I just got word that he has opened registration. I know there are dozens of seminars and workshops and conferences - all supposedly to help you make money on the internet. The difference between those events and Ken's - Ken's really works. It's not him ... It's not the speakers ... It's not the place or the time ...
It's just the perfect mix of people that have good hearts and generous, brilliant minds, all in one place in a setting that is small enough to be able to build the friendships that real partnerships and real profits are based on.
Imagine brilliant marketers helping people who have never made a dime on the Internet -- at the same time that they build their own businesses by working with some of the best marketers in the world.
Check it out at http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?WFx.ny_0fnD4IwWseWCq5A and if there is any way you can make it, I highly recommend it. And when you see Ken, tell him Melodieann sent you! I don't get any kind of referral fee or anything, but I want Ken to know that I think jvAlert is valuable enough that I recommend it to everyone I know.
I also told you last post I would teach you how to submit to search engines. I had to learn how to do this myself and it wasn't that hard. Previously, I just let my websites take their time and hopefully pop up one day on the search engines by gaining hits. The problem with that is it takes FOREVER! And I don't want to wait that long anymore. I'm guessing you don't either. So let's speed things up a bit.
I learned there are two ways to do this - manually and or using a program like Web CEO. For the big guns like Google and Yahoo, manually is the only way to do it. Then use Web CEO or a similar program to submit to the smaller search engines.
Submitting to Yahoo and Google is very straightforward. Let's start with Yahoo. Got to their website (http://www.yahoo.com/). At the very bottom of the page is look for "suggest a site." Click on it. You will go to Yahoo's Submit your Site page. Here you can choose either the free listing or the premium listing which has a nonrefundable annual fee of $49 per URL. Click on the one you want and follow the instructions. It's a snap!
Submitting to Google is similar. Simply go to their submission page at http://www.google.com/addurl and add your site. It's even easier than Yahoo.
Now that you have the hang of search engine submittals, you can do more on your own. Simply go to more search engines such as MSN, Dogpile, and Lycos and keep submitting your URL .
Well, it's 3:00am and I'm tired. I have some more exciting news to share but I think I will let it wait until next time. Meanwhile, don't forget your to do list!
I told you last post that Ken's next event was being planned. Well, I just got word that he has opened registration. I know there are dozens of seminars and workshops and conferences - all supposedly to help you make money on the internet. The difference between those events and Ken's - Ken's really works. It's not him ... It's not the speakers ... It's not the place or the time ...
It's just the perfect mix of people that have good hearts and generous, brilliant minds, all in one place in a setting that is small enough to be able to build the friendships that real partnerships and real profits are based on.
Imagine brilliant marketers helping people who have never made a dime on the Internet -- at the same time that they build their own businesses by working with some of the best marketers in the world.
Check it out at http://clicks.aweber.com/z/ct/?WFx.ny_0fnD4IwWseWCq5A and if there is any way you can make it, I highly recommend it. And when you see Ken, tell him Melodieann sent you! I don't get any kind of referral fee or anything, but I want Ken to know that I think jvAlert is valuable enough that I recommend it to everyone I know.
I also told you last post I would teach you how to submit to search engines. I had to learn how to do this myself and it wasn't that hard. Previously, I just let my websites take their time and hopefully pop up one day on the search engines by gaining hits. The problem with that is it takes FOREVER! And I don't want to wait that long anymore. I'm guessing you don't either. So let's speed things up a bit.
I learned there are two ways to do this - manually and or using a program like Web CEO. For the big guns like Google and Yahoo, manually is the only way to do it. Then use Web CEO or a similar program to submit to the smaller search engines.
Submitting to Yahoo and Google is very straightforward. Let's start with Yahoo. Got to their website (http://www.yahoo.com/). At the very bottom of the page is look for "suggest a site." Click on it. You will go to Yahoo's Submit your Site page. Here you can choose either the free listing or the premium listing which has a nonrefundable annual fee of $49 per URL. Click on the one you want and follow the instructions. It's a snap!
Submitting to Google is similar. Simply go to their submission page at http://www.google.com/addurl and add your site. It's even easier than Yahoo.
Now that you have the hang of search engine submittals, you can do more on your own. Simply go to more search engines such as MSN, Dogpile, and Lycos and keep submitting your URL .
Well, it's 3:00am and I'm tired. I have some more exciting news to share but I think I will let it wait until next time. Meanwhile, don't forget your to do list!
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