My husband and I are getting ready to file our taxes and as usual, the discussion comes up - do we need to make some changes for next year? As business owners, we are faced with the fact that we make all the decisions concerning our business. The choices are endless! Is it time to incorporate? If so, should I become an LLC or is an S Corporation better?
Should I let Dearl talk me into using the Blackberry he bought me for Christmas (which is still in the box) or stick with my trusty system of Day Planner and Post-It notes?
Where should I focus my marketing this year? With all of the dire warnings about the economy, will some methods work better than others?
We desperately need a new computer. I want another PC. Dearl wants a Mac. Who is right?
Is it time to hire an assistant? If so, should we use a virtual service or actually hire someone to come to our office?
Decisions, decisions, decisions. AAAGGGHHH!!! It's enough to make you crazy! Especially when the wrong choice can have drastic consequences for your business.
If you are lying awake at night struggling with the answers to these or other business questions, it's time to build yourself a team. My team consists of personal friends and professional acquaintences whose advice I trust. I simply need to pick up the phone or dash off a quick email or text message for all of the support and answers I need.
To build your team, simply make a list of all the questions you have. List all of the professional services you need or may need in the future. Then start thinking of all the people you know that can fill one or more of these needs or answer one or more of your questions. My team consists of my accountant (I hate numbers!), a lawyer (always good to have someone whose up to speed on legalities), my daughter the computer geek, my friend Ken the marketing guru, and my friend Karin who is also an entrepreneur and is a good one to turn to when I have questions about communication. (She's the one who keeps me from blasting off emails I may regret later!). I also have friends who keep me up to date with the latest Alzheimer's research and the current services available for my dad (they work for the area Agency on Aging), a nurse and a holisitc health practioner that provide me with the latest health news (Dearl's heart), and two grandchildren who remind me when I'm not taking enough time for the important things in life ("Nee-Nee, why haven't you been by to see us lately? We miss you!")
How do you find the people for your team? You probably already know many of them so just ask. Tell them you are forming a team of advisors for your business and would like them to be part of it. Lay out the ground rules for their participation such as how to contact them, when to contact them, will they be compensated for their services, etc. Once you have them in place, ask them for referrals to people who may fill other needs for you. If they can't make any recommendations, then get out and network. I met my lawyer through the Girl Scouts and the nurse at a women's networking luncheon. And I have a whole network of internet marketers I can turn to for advice just from attending the jvAlert events. And of course, there is the wonderful group of ladies that make up the Baby Boomer Divas. They are a never ending source of support and advice!
"Solopreneur" - it's just a word. It doesn't mean you have to go through the business experience alone. Build your team. Use your team. And one day when someone who is just starting out on their own asks you to be on their team, remember where you came from and say yes!
P.S. The general consensus from my team of experts has been to ditch the Day Planner, burn the Post-It notes, and USE THE BLACKBERRY. I'm not sure I'm ready for this, but I trust their advice so here goes. Wish me luck!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Over 40 Girlfriends Retreat
It's time for a Girlfriends Getaway on the Beach! We're Meeting in Daytona Beach, FL---Come join us!
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Weekend Getaway April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. We're staying at the fabulous Hilton Oceanfront Resort. The 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!!! Find out who'll be there by clicking the link below (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
BAM Enterprises presents: The first-ever "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now!" Baby Boomer Girlfriends' Weekend Getaway April 18-20, 2008 in beautiful, sunny Daytona Beach, Florida. We're staying at the fabulous Hilton Oceanfront Resort. The 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!!! Find out who'll be there by clicking the link below (and turn down your speakers if you don't want to hear the music):
Girlfriends Retreat
Give It Just a Little Bit More....
What's the difference between the very successful business person and the mediocre one? The successful ones always give just a little bit more. That little bit of extra effort can separate the superstars from the rest of the pack. They make that one more sales call, the extra follow-up call. They do the presentation when they wish they were out with their friends. They never forget the thank you note or the birthday card. They give their clients and customers the extra attention that says "you're special" and turns prospects into buyers and buyers into loyal customers.
Ask yourself today - what little bit extra can you do that will take your business to the top?
Ask yourself today - what little bit extra can you do that will take your business to the top?
Thursday, February 14, 2008
WBO Logo Contest!
As you may or may not know, we have a new mission at WBO. Our mission will involve building office space for the use of our members in various cities.
In honor of this new endeavor, we are launching a logo contest for this new project. We want to showcase your talent to the nation so get those creative juices flowing. Your logo can launch a nationwide project starting in Houston, TX. We will be accepting entires through the 29th of February and have voting from March 1 - 7 for the best logo. Please email your entries to Gazelle Simmons at gazelle@womenbizowners.org or to Anna Campbell at anna@womenbizowners.org. We will post the url to our logo contest page within the next few days! I can't wait to see what designs you come up with and God bless.
Find out more about our mission here:http://womenbizowners.org/edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=75
We are building businesses, one building at a time.
In honor of this new endeavor, we are launching a logo contest for this new project. We want to showcase your talent to the nation so get those creative juices flowing. Your logo can launch a nationwide project starting in Houston, TX. We will be accepting entires through the 29th of February and have voting from March 1 - 7 for the best logo. Please email your entries to Gazelle Simmons at gazelle@womenbizowners.org or to Anna Campbell at anna@womenbizowners.org. We will post the url to our logo contest page within the next few days! I can't wait to see what designs you come up with and God bless.
Find out more about our mission here:http://womenbizowners.org/edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=75
We are building businesses, one building at a time.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
What's Your Point?
I took a couple of business prospects to a presentation last Monday. The prospects were eager to see the business, the speaker had been part of our team for several years, he was making great money and was very successful. And yet neither of my prospects joined my team. Why? Because I hate to admit it, but even I got lost during the presentation and I already knew how it worked. And the presentation I said would be 30 minutes long wound up being almost 90 minutes in length. By the time it was all over, my guests wanted nothing more than to bolt for the door and head for home.
Why do most people want to use twelve words when two will do? And what makes them think we are interested in every incident in their lives? The stories may be funny to some people, but when you're trying to get your point across, less is definitely more. Rambling, drawn out presentations only lose everybody trying to listen.
When making a presentation or sharing your business with a prospective client, get to the point quickly. You'll hold your listener's attention much more effectively. Since most people think faster than they speak or listen, if you start to ramble, their thoughts will wander to other things. And you want their attention focused on what you have to say. If you are dealing with a younger person, it's especially critical. It has been scientifically proven that younger people have much shorter attention spans. Their brains are used to processing short bursts of information. These products of the computer and video game era aren't going to sit still for your epic presentation. So lay out your bottom line quickly and succcintly. The Gettysburg Address is 272 words - a mere 10 sentences long. And yet it is regarded as one of the most greatest speeches in history.
How can you become better at making a presentation? Preparation and practice. First, listen to some speakers you like and who capture their audience's attention. Observe other business presentations and note what kept your focused and what caused your mind to wander. Then prepare your own presentation. Make an outline of points you want to make to help keep you on track, but don't write the entire presentation. You'll be too tempted to just read it and that' another no-n0.
Now the most important part - PRACTICE! Give your presentation to your family, your friends, your colleagues - anyone who will listen and give you constructive criticism. Rehearse until you feel completely comfortable. If possible, tape yourself so you can hear and see for yourself how look and sound.
Don't let poor presentations skills cost you business. Keep it short, keep it pertinent, make it interesting, and PRACTICE!
Why do most people want to use twelve words when two will do? And what makes them think we are interested in every incident in their lives? The stories may be funny to some people, but when you're trying to get your point across, less is definitely more. Rambling, drawn out presentations only lose everybody trying to listen.
When making a presentation or sharing your business with a prospective client, get to the point quickly. You'll hold your listener's attention much more effectively. Since most people think faster than they speak or listen, if you start to ramble, their thoughts will wander to other things. And you want their attention focused on what you have to say. If you are dealing with a younger person, it's especially critical. It has been scientifically proven that younger people have much shorter attention spans. Their brains are used to processing short bursts of information. These products of the computer and video game era aren't going to sit still for your epic presentation. So lay out your bottom line quickly and succcintly. The Gettysburg Address is 272 words - a mere 10 sentences long. And yet it is regarded as one of the most greatest speeches in history.
How can you become better at making a presentation? Preparation and practice. First, listen to some speakers you like and who capture their audience's attention. Observe other business presentations and note what kept your focused and what caused your mind to wander. Then prepare your own presentation. Make an outline of points you want to make to help keep you on track, but don't write the entire presentation. You'll be too tempted to just read it and that' another no-n0.
Now the most important part - PRACTICE! Give your presentation to your family, your friends, your colleagues - anyone who will listen and give you constructive criticism. Rehearse until you feel completely comfortable. If possible, tape yourself so you can hear and see for yourself how look and sound.
Don't let poor presentations skills cost you business. Keep it short, keep it pertinent, make it interesting, and PRACTICE!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Article Marketing To Grow Your Business
Article marketing - everybody's doing it. Everybody except you? If you haven't yet discovered this method of marketing your company, here's all you need to know.
By writing articles about your area of expertise (your business), you position yourself as an expert on this subject. Once you have written your articles, you gain exposure by making them freely available for publication. Include your bio, contact information, and a link to your website. People reading your article then have all the information they need to contact you!
Busy online publishers love article marketing. It provides them with a source of free content for their websites and ezines. I use "guest articles" in my own ezine - it's one less article I have to write for each issue and it gains exposure for some of my friends and fellow entrepreneurs.
Once you written some articles, which is usually the easy part, you have to find places to publish them if you are going to gain any exposure. There are two ways to do this. You can contact different ezines, magazines, and websites individually and submit your articles to them for consideration. Or you can use an article directory or submission service.
Article directories are like libraries where publishers looking for content can look at articles from a wide range of authors. Each article is available for publication as long as it includes the author's bio and contact information. Some article directories are free while others are membership sites.
Article submission services differ from article directories. They actually submit your articles to publishers and web sites instead of waiting for them to choose your article from the pack. If you use a submission service, be sure they do manual submissions.
If you are really pressed for time and still want to take advantage of this type of publicity, there are now even article writing and submission services. Not only will they submit your article, they will also write it for you.
So write some articles - it's easier than you think. And I'll even give you the first place to submit one. Email your article to me at wealthtogether@hotmail.com and I'll include it in my WealthTogether ezine. (Remember, that's one less article I have to write!). When I publish your article I'll send you a copy of the issue it appears in. Be sure to include your bio and contact information so my readers will know how to contact you!
By writing articles about your area of expertise (your business), you position yourself as an expert on this subject. Once you have written your articles, you gain exposure by making them freely available for publication. Include your bio, contact information, and a link to your website. People reading your article then have all the information they need to contact you!
Busy online publishers love article marketing. It provides them with a source of free content for their websites and ezines. I use "guest articles" in my own ezine - it's one less article I have to write for each issue and it gains exposure for some of my friends and fellow entrepreneurs.
Once you written some articles, which is usually the easy part, you have to find places to publish them if you are going to gain any exposure. There are two ways to do this. You can contact different ezines, magazines, and websites individually and submit your articles to them for consideration. Or you can use an article directory or submission service.
Article directories are like libraries where publishers looking for content can look at articles from a wide range of authors. Each article is available for publication as long as it includes the author's bio and contact information. Some article directories are free while others are membership sites.
Article submission services differ from article directories. They actually submit your articles to publishers and web sites instead of waiting for them to choose your article from the pack. If you use a submission service, be sure they do manual submissions.
If you are really pressed for time and still want to take advantage of this type of publicity, there are now even article writing and submission services. Not only will they submit your article, they will also write it for you.
So write some articles - it's easier than you think. And I'll even give you the first place to submit one. Email your article to me at wealthtogether@hotmail.com and I'll include it in my WealthTogether ezine. (Remember, that's one less article I have to write!). When I publish your article I'll send you a copy of the issue it appears in. Be sure to include your bio and contact information so my readers will know how to contact you!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
If It's Your Time to Shine, Let Beverly Mahone Help You Turn on the Spotlight!"
My good friend, author and Baby Boomer Diva, Beverly Mahone, is hosting a Blogging TeleseminarThursday, January 24, 2008 8pm
This teleseminar is for you if:
You've been thinking about blogging but don't know where to begin.
You're not sure what to "blog" about.
You want to learn more about how to attract more readers.
You don't quite understand the "technical" aspects
You want to make money from blogging
These are just a few of the topics that will be covered with a panel of experts:
Heidi Caswell connectsimply.com/blog
Betty Lynch mycountrykitchen.wordpress.com
Karlyn karlyns.com
Kathie Thomas www.vadirectory.net/blog/
Signups are located at: http://www.talk2bev.com.
I'll be there. You should be too!
This teleseminar is for you if:
You've been thinking about blogging but don't know where to begin.
You're not sure what to "blog" about.
You want to learn more about how to attract more readers.
You don't quite understand the "technical" aspects
You want to make money from blogging
These are just a few of the topics that will be covered with a panel of experts:
Heidi Caswell connectsimply.com/blog
Betty Lynch mycountrykitchen.wordpress.com
Karlyn karlyns.com
Kathie Thomas www.vadirectory.net/blog/
Signups are located at: http://www.talk2bev.com.
I'll be there. You should be too!
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