It’s been a couple of weeks since I last posted and a lot has happened in the world since then that is creating a great deal of fear in people, especially here in the US.

Although there is definitely a recession I have chosen not to be part of it. Will it affect me yes, my retirement fund is losing money fast! Am I going to go through every day living fearfully, absolutely not!

I’m in touch with reality however, I decided I’m not buying into the frenzy that is going on.

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Your business is always changing and evolving.  As you grow, your business grows.  Growing can mean a lot of different things - higher paying clients, creating products or programs, or adding a new line of revenue.  As your business continues to shift you will find that it might be time to upgrade your client.

What does “Upgrade Your Client” mean?  It means that you are ready for a new type of client.  It might be one that is commited or further down the experience curve than your current client.  In my first few years of business I was great at attracting brand new business owners. Those who were just leaping into the solo-entrepreneur home-based experience. I loved them at the time. Over the years my business has evolved and I attract a much more seasoned and commited type of business owner who is adding multiple streams to her business, leverage her marketing with systems and is creating products and programs to reach more people. Now I really love this client!  The evolution has keep it interesting and me growing along with my business.

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I was visiting with a friend of mine recently and when I asked her how business was, she replied, “Slow!” Her clients were either out of town, hadn’t rescheduled for missed appointments or had simply drifted away.

Businesses are no different than the people who run them. They have moods, cycles and rhythms that, if properly recognized and honored, can help you maintain momentum even when you may not be bursting at the seams with new business.

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One of the best time-saving strategies I’ve implemented is my client conversion system.  You know the drill; a potential client comes along and emails/calls you asking about your services.  You spend time responding, maybe even putting a detailed proposal together, and then you never hear from them again!  Not even a thank you for your email!

This is one area that’s a huge time drain for solo service professionals, but one that is so important – you need paying clients so you have to spend time responding to them.

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Then you “gotta let go to let something in.” Here’s a quick tip on how… Every week, I ask the members of my Success Circle Coaching Club a series of powerful questions to keep them focused, motivated and stretching the limits of what they think they can do (believe me, we’re ALL capable of more with the right coach!).

The best question I save for last, and it’s “What is ONE thing you can let go of?”

Sounds simple.

But what makes this question so powerful is it sparks you to take a good look around you and see with new eyes, what you are holding on to that is actually holding you back.

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Many solopreneurs tell me that one of their areas of overwhelm is in keeping all that information they gather from the web and/or forums organized and easily accessible.

So, how do you keep track of those all-important pieces of information that you come across daily?  Create a Resources Folder!

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If you could see how many emails I get each day from subscribers telling me that their biggest office headache are the piles of paper…

This is one of the reasons that I’ve included a step on how to tackle your paper piles in my free report - The 7 Key Steps To An Efficient And Organized Office (available from http://www.officeorganizationsuccess.com).

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Here’s a quick tip on confidently handling that dreaded “money moment” in your client conversations with grace and ease:

In every potential client conversation there is a “money moment” when it’s time for you to quote your fees. I bet that when that mo-ney moment arrives your heart sinks and your stomach does a quick somersault. (I’m right here, aren’t I?!)

Believe me, practically everyone feels this way!

The reason we fear that money moment is because we’re afraid that in that instant, we’ll be cut off, left out, or rejected in some way. Suddenly, this isn’t just about business, it’s personal.

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Here at Solo-E we often talk about how important it is, as a home based solo entrepreneur, to have support. We need the support of our family and friends; we build a support team for our business; and we actively seek out the collaborative support of colleagues.

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Museâ„¢, makes a great distinction between the support of people who are at about the same level of success as we are — certainly a source of comfort that we aren’t alone! — and working with and around people more successful than ourselves. The latter, scary as it may be, is how we stretch, grow, and leap to the next level.

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Being a solopreneur isn’t easy - but being isolated & not “playing well with others” pretty much guarantees it’ll be tougher than it needs to be!

JV’s or Joint Ventures, require strong commitment to your mutual success-the whole is greater…By working together, you can accomplish so much more than indidually!

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