SoloSavvy Blog for Solo Entrepreneurs

Getting Clients by Knowing WHAT

Jennifer Davey — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:00:10 +0000

New clients are very important to the growth of your business. Successful business owners spend hours of their time marketing their services and getting new business. Often businesses fail because they put in a ton of work towards getting new clients but yield poor results. To get great results you have to know what you want. Having a clear direction for your business will PULL clients to you.

This is a simple analogy, but an apt one. Think of your business as a car on a trip. You are moving from Boise to Los Angeles. You can probably make it to Los Angeles without a map, but you will take wrong turns, waste time, waste gas, and get frustrated. With a map, or plan, your business will move along every workday. The map is laid out with what you want. This is the difference between you making things happen and letting things happen. Be proactive to get results.

When you have a clear direction and know what you want, you can easily tweak your business when things aren’t working properly. Every success story is full of failure, but those who finally reach the pinnacle knew where they were going all along and adjusted along the way.

Take the time necessary and think about your vision. Plan your roadmap to success.

There are several questions to ask yourself to create an accurate compass for your business.

• What do you want your business to look like in 3 years?

• What do you want to specifically gain from your business?

• Where are you now?

• Where do you personally want to be in 3 years?

Once you answer these simple questions it is easy to see where you are today and what to do to get where you want to go in the future.

In addition to knowing what you want, you need to know what exactly your business does. Many businesses struggle or fail because they don’t have a clear message describing what they offer. You need to be able to communicate CLEARLY to your target market the BENEFIT for them of working with you. Understanding what your business does makes it simple to communicate, what’s in it for your clients.

These are two ways to keep your business driving forwards, knowing what you want and what you do. Identify your “What’s” and you will be amazed at the results.

Want More Clients? Grab a free copy of my 14-Step Formula for Getting Clients and Report “What You Need To Know To Be Successful at Getting Clients”.

Tweetpo.st Facebook Application

Rachna Jain — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:00:45 +0000

So I’ve just set up my new road trip blog at http://www.thevagabondmarketer.com. I chose to set it up on Posterous rather than on my own server because I wanted to use some of Posterous’ functionality more easily. I know I can set up all these functions on my site, but I felt like Posterous was a good option for getting set up and blogging quickly.

Since I tend to be a blog perfectionistic, it takes me way longer than it needs to get my own self-hosted blogs set up just right.

Anyway, as part of this process, I was looking at other ways to syndicate my content to both Twitter & Facebook. I came across the Tweetpo.st application, and really like it so far. I had been using the Twitter application for Facebook, but Tweetpo.st has additional functionality. Not only does it post your content into Facebook from Twitter, it also adds a link to each update that says, “Follow me on Twitter.”

Now, this is a smart strategy to adopt, we always want to be seeking easy ways to overlap our social networks. I talk about this in more detail in my 21 lesson Build Influence in Social Media ecourse, but the idea is that you want to have as many of the same contacts on all the social networks as you can.

So anyway, I wanted to let you know that Tweetpo.st looks like a great application so far- it is working well for me, and I’ve already gained some new Twitter followers from using it for just a few hours.

If you are looking to grow your Twitter network while sending Twitter updates to Facebook, check out Tweetpo.st. You can find it in the applications section of your Facebook profile.

And stay tuned for a special announcement tomorrow which will help you streamline your social media efforts and get more value from your social media investment.

How Work at Home Entrepreneurs Can Conquer Procrastination

Kim DeYoung — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:00:44 +0000

It was National Procrastination Week (March 1 – 7, 2010) so it’s a good time as busy entrepreneurs to think about how to conquer procrastination. When you work at home it’s so easy to procrastinate. Why? Because you’re always busy.

You can confuse being busy with being productive. They are not the same thing.

For me, having three children and a home-based business make for a very busy day (as I’m sure you can relate to). There are lunches to pack, carpools to run, emails to answer, and calls to make. While all these tasks are necessary for me to run a household, and care for my children, I can use them as an excuse to procrastinate important projects that will help me grow my business.

It’s too easy, and as work at home entrepreneurs we’re all guilty of getting caught up in activities that take our time but get us nowhere in our business. I call these “time vampires” because they literally take the life out of our business.

Some Examples of Time Vampires (during business hours) Include:

• Checking emails constantly throughout the day
• Answering your personal phone line (except if it’s an emergency)
• Doing household chores and errands

The solutions is to vanquish these time vampires and intentionally set aside dedicated time and focus on activities that directly impact our bottom line.

Here are some practical ways to get moving on a project you’ve been procrastinating:

• Chunk out times of the day for particular revenue-generating activities.

• Focus on only one task at a time.

• Close applications on your computer to prevent distraction.

Instead of procrastinating you’ll start using your work time more efficiently. As a result you’ll be able to enjoy your personal time—knowing you’ve already engaged in activities that are moving your business forward.

How to Avoid the “Too Many Choices, Too Little Time (and Too Little Cash Flow)” Syndrome

Helen Graves — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:00:45 +0000

Inspired, heart-centered entrepreneurs like us are often kept dizzy and overwhelmed by our own creativity. It’s a case of too many choices, too little time.

With all the projects, tasks and activities involved in marketing and growing a fun, profitable business, it’s all too easy to find yourself worn out at the end of the day without having many tangible results (like income) to show for it.

As I hear from clients all the time, that usually means money is going out faster than it’s coming in. We can’t have that!

The antidote to this troublesome situation is knowing which projects and activities to pursue and which to ignore (or put on hold).

Not all business endeavors are created equal. And you simply can’t follow through on all of them. It’s imperative that you have a way to sort through the abundance of ideas and possibilities to determine which ones are worth your time, attention and money.

One of the first things I did with client Marlene Clay (DivorcedHappilyEverAfter.com) when she came for a private 2-day business-building retreat last month was help her create her “Return on Resources” filter.

It’s a quick and easy method for sorting through the options and zeroing in on the most profitable, productive ones. She was so delighted with the freedom and confidence it gave her in making decisions about her business projects that she asked if we could create a ROR Filter for her money decisions as well. =-)

Your ROR Filter:

Keeps you grounded in practical action

Let’s you avoid time- and money-sucking disasters

Is unique, flexible and grows with you and your business

And just before lunch on Day 1 of my upcoming “Passionate Purpose, Inspired Income” workshop, I’ll teach you the same powerfully simple decision-making technique.

I have no doubt you’ll love the ease and speed with which you make effective business decisions once you’ve got your personal Return On Resources Filter to support you.

This simple technique will provide immediate relief from overwhelm and put you in position to greatly increase your money-making capacity without working any harder. You’re not doing more, you’re just doing it differently.

Then you’re free to allow your creativity to run wild, knowing you’ve got a surefire way to choose just the right ideas to develop.

[Get the details of the "Passionate Purpose, Inspired Income" workshop here. . .]

Where Does Faith Fit In

Eva Gregory — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:00:48 +0000

You do not have to be religious to believe in other Laws of the Universe do you? You can choose to ponder who set up these Laws of the Universe, but this is not necessary.

There are similar beliefs between religion and the Law of Attraction.

The greatest similarity is prayer. You ask God for something and he or she will grant it.

The Law of Attraction states when you ask the Universe for what you want, it is brought to you.

The process is slightly different but the results are essentially the same…

The other similarity is the concept of belief or faith. In religious practice you acknowledge that God exists and that you must have faith. In the Law of Attraction, you believe that the Universe will provide for you. The greatest difference is that you do not have to go through an intermediary such as a priest, minister or rabbi. You can ask directly.

You do have to have faith that you will receive what you ask. It is a faith that a natural law is at work. You must believe in the process. You are the director of the process. It is not different than planting a seed in the ground. You have faith that if you provide sunshine, water and the right nutrients that a plant or flower will grow. You don’t have to be religious to believe that it will happen. It is just a biological law of nature. Seeds will grow into a plant when the right components are present. A religious person may wonder how God created such a beautiful flower and see it as proof that God exists. However, the lack of this belief will not prevent that flower from growing.

Atheists may not believe in God because there is no tangible proof. They need to be able to observe things in order to accept that they exist. They believe there is a Sun and Moon because they can see them. They may believe in gravity because they have tripped and fallen as a child.

Here is a secret revealed – there is proof of the Law of Attraction. You can record it by getting a notebook and paper. As you go through your day, write down when you see progress toward your goal. No matter how small the progress is, write it down. It becomes your written proof of the existence of the Law of Attraction. When you achieve your goal, you can look back through your notebook. You will be able to see that Law of Attraction at work and how it brought you and your desire together. It will be all the proof you should need. It will increase your belief in the process and your future goals will come to you even quicker and easier.

The Law of Attraction does not require that you sign up for any organization. It does not require that you join a church or believe in a certain deity. It does not include a concept of sin or repentance. It does include within its concepts the idea of self creation and responsibility. Since you are the creator of your reality, you are totally responsible for how it turns out and what you do along the way.

The idea of sin is that if you do something bad or negative, then something bad will happen to you. The Law of Attraction is similar in that negative things attract negative things, good things attract the same. The more positive your life is, the more positive things you will bring into your life.

The other thing about the Law of Attraction is that it does not require you give up anything or make sacrifices to appease it. It works regardless of who you are and what you believe. It does not judge you nor does it judge what your desires are. It will serve you what you ask for, no questions asked.

The Law of Attraction neither needs religion nor is it against religion. It works well with most world philosophies and religions and does not contain anything that would offend anyone. There are those that would say that being the creator of your own universe excludes God. Creating your own reality does not mean that you, as a physical extension of non-physical energy created the stars, the moon or mountains. It means that you create how you interface with the Universe. If you choose to be positive, then you can create a shining life filled with brightness and abundance.

Hire an Intern

Bria Simpson — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 03:00:28 +0000

Mark just hired a fabulous Duke intern to help us with the marketing and PR of our new coaching business, Excelerated Success™. The energy of a smart college student who is genuinely motivated to learn from you, and help you, is fabulous. If you live near a college community, I highly recommend hiring an intern. If you screen well, you’ll find someone who can help you accelerate your business growth with minimal pay and awesome energy. (And they can probably teach us a few new tips in the rapidly advancing world of social networking, as well). We can’t wait to get started with ours.

THE Question to Move You Forward In Everything You Do

Sandra Martini — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 01:00:28 +0000

I’m often asked how I get so much done or “where to start” once someone makes their Success Action List (sounds SO much better than “to do” list).

The answer is simpler than you may think. . .

First, look over your list and pick your #1 priority. What is it that you’re going to work on in the next 30 minutes, 1 hour, however much time you’ve allotted?

Got your answer?

Great! Do the first thing you can and then, ask yourself “What’s my next action?”

By constantly asking yourself “What’s my next action?”, you eliminate the gap that frequently appears between today’s reality and tomorrow’s desired goal.

This simple question quickly clarifies things and you’ll be on your way in no time.

So, what’s your next action?

Small Business Coaching: Encore… It Works!

Allison Babb — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:50:05 +0000

http://www.greatsmallbusinessadvice.com: When marketing (meant for adults) works on a 7yr old, you know it must be effective. Find out more in this week’s video… Encore – It Works! http://tinyurl.com/yz6tqrq

Info Product Creation: How To Create Your FIRST Info Product in 7 Easy Steps

Tracey Lawton — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:00:00 +0000

Once you’ve mastered your online marketing system and you’re growing your list on a daily basis, this is a good time to then set about creating additional offerings for your subscribers. This is where you start to look at your Product & Marketing Funnel and see where the gaps are and where new products can fit.

If you’re like most solo service professionals you’ll have something at the top (i.e. the widest part) of your funnel, which is usually your free taste, and then you’ll have something at the bottom (i.e. the narrowest part) of your funnel, which is usually your most expensive one-on-one services, but you won’t have anything in-between.

This is where you need to create products at different price points so that your clients and customers can experience your services and expertise without having to invest in your top (most expensive) service, but they want more than you are offering at the ‘free’ level.

A great first info product to create is one that sits at the second level within your Product & Marketing Funnel; somewhere between $1 and $50.

So, here is the step-by-step guide on how to create that all-important first paid offering.

Step 1 Host a Free Teleclass

Not only is this a great way to build your list, but it also exposes your audience to your expertise. You get to interact with your target market via the teleclass and they are able to ask you questions right there on the call.

Step 2 Record Your Teleclass

In addition to this being a great incentive to getting more sign-ups (if a registrant is not able to make it to the live teleclass they know that they’ll be able to get hold of the information afterwards via the recording), but this is where you’ll turn your free teleclass into your first paid info product.

Step 3 Create an Accompanying Guide or Special Report

Using the notes you prepared for your teleclass, turn these into a guide to accompany your teleclass. Or turn your notes into a special report and sell the report as the paid product and offer the teleclass recording as a bonus.

Step 4 Create a Workbook

If you also provided instructions or how-to information as part of your free teleclass, take that information and create an additional workbook. A workbook is a simple document that will allow your customer/client to make notes, write down their ideas, or plan out how they’re going to implement the how-to information that you shared with them on the teleclass.

Step 5 Bundle It All Together

Now that you have your teleclass recording, and you’ve created an accompanying guide/ebook and/or workbook, bundle all this information together to offer as a paid product at the second level within your funnel i.e. between the $1 and $50 price range.

Step 6 Create a Sales Page and Shopping Cart Link

You now need to create a sales page for your product, and associated shopping cart link. It is also a great customer service feature to create an autoresponder so that you can follow-up with your customers to check that they are happy with their purchase and are implementing the information you shared with them.

Step 7 Promote to Your List

Once you have your product all set up (Step 5), and created the sales page (Step 6) it’s time to promote it to your list and make sales! This is the exciting part! Include some teaser information in your newsletter leading up to the launch of your product, and once you’re ready to take sales send a solo mailing announcing the launch of your product. A solo mailing is much more effective than including the announcement as part of your regular newsletter.

After the initial launch continue to promote your product through your newsletter; promote it on your blog; and tell all your social networks about your product.

About the author: Online Business Development Strategist, Tracey Lawton, teaches professional speakers, coaches, and authors how to create the essential online marketing and office organization systems needed to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how YOU can create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com

How to Deal With Fear Sentelligently

Stacey Mayo — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:00:32 +0000

One of the emotions we all experience from time to time is fear — fear of rejection or being humiliated, fear of public speaking, fear of making a mistake or a bad decision or failure, fear of getting in trouble, fear of getting hurt. I could go on and on. When it comes to fear, people generally have one of two responses: Flee (i.e., stop and give up on your current project/endeavor) or suppress the fear and push through it. Neither is Sentelligent ( utilizing and honoring the intelligence of your six senses). If you allow fear to run your life and stop you from proceeding, your dream won’t become a reality or you’ll never make a decision to go in one direction or another. If you force yourself to push through the fear, likelihood is you will make some progress but it will be hard and fraught with obstacles.

When you force anything or push against it, you are not in the flow. This includes forcing yourself to go past your fears. In “I Can’t Believe I Get P-A-I-D To Do This!” I talk about the difference between forced action and inspired action. Likelihood is if you take forced action, it could easily take you twice as long to accomplish your task. It’s like swimming against strong currents. This is because there is part of you that is resistant to it. In this case, the resistance is fear. (Resistance can take many other forms as well, but that’s another article.)

By now you may be asking, what is a person to do? The Sentelligent(tm) thing to do is feel the fear, acknowledge it and then release the fear or at least lessen it. “Hah, easy for you,” you say. Well, it doesn’t have to be that hard.

We can try talking our way out of fear and sometimes that works. But fear is generally not logical. You’ve probably seen the acronym for F.E.A.R. as False Evidence Appearing Real.

Many of our deeper fears are not logical. And if they are not logical to start with, then trying to use logic to release it probably won’t work.

I find that energy work is most helpful when you find you can’t logic your way out of a problem — when logically, you know what you should do, but find yourself unable to do it. The reason you are unable to is because old core beliefs and anxieties are stored in the cells of our body. So they need to be released from your body, not just your mind.

There are many energy techniques and I have a couple of favorites. I’ll use EFT as the example here. In EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) you tap on designated acupressure points on your body while focusing on the negative thought or belief to release it from the cells in your body, and then you replace it with something positive. When you tap on the fear in the prescribed method, you either release it or at least significantly lessen it. When you do this, you are then able to move forward without having to force yourself. People find themselves taking action naturally that they would have fretted over before, such as calling prospective customers, or speaking in public or standing up for themselves.

This may all sound like woo, woo. But actually this technique was developed by an engineer — Gary Craig. EFT has become very popular over the last year. This was due to a video that demonstrates EFT and the EFT World Tapping Telesummit which is happening again this year with lots of awesome speakers.

The thing is old beliefs and fears get triggered every day. It takes a commitment to your goal and your well-being, even to your peace of mind and accountability helps. But your life and your success is worth it. Right?

In the Vibes Up sessions I have been leading, we are using energy techniques to release the fears, doubts, lack of self worth, and so much more and then replacing that with love, joy and peace. It feels sooooo good and it only takes 15 minutes a day. It sets the tone for your whole day and the results people are experiencing in their life and business are phenomenal.