Why do entrepreneurs struggle getting clients? Simple. They aren’t marketing their business in an effective way.

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Oh it’s been one of those days…

I notice my wedding ring is not on my hand – oh that’s right – I took it off to put on lotion, and now where did it go????

Halfway thought he day I think “Did I take my morning supplements?”  Gosh, why can’t I remember? Oh well, a double dose of fish oil will do me good.

I make notes from a client conversation, now where did that piece of paper go?  Did it create legs or are there really gremlins?

Gee, it’s awfully quiet around here, Tucker must be sleeping. Hmmm, where is he? Oh yeah, I put him out on his lead to sit in the sun and chew on his favorite bone.

Do you ever feel scattered and unfocused?  Do you spend more time chasing after and finding things than being productive?

I have those days once in a while, but to be honest, I have very low tolerance for them. I find that kind of lack of focus totally distracting and unacceptable for myself. Even though I know I’ll have my moments, , I’ve disciplined myself to pay attention. I hate the feeling of being scattered.
 
Try these tips:

1. Focus on the moment. If you’re worrying about what comes next, or thinking about the past, you’re bound to forget what you’ve done and have to retrace your steps. You waste time and the mental energy is a drain.
2. Do things consciously. Have an awareness of your surroundings, sensations and thoughts, and do things intentional. Pay attention. (Especially while driving!)
3. Enjoy being in the moment. Be thankful for the healthy skin you’ve got when you put on lotion, bless the client you just made notes on, kiss and hug your dog when you put him out, thanking him for their loyal companionship even though you’re too busy to give them all the attention they crave.  Slow down to enjoy each moment.
4. Put things away and in their place.  This makes a huge difference for me. If I put my ring in that little dish, it’s always there for me. Habits are good to have. 

We are all rushing too much and taking on too much. If we run around scattered and unfocused, we don’t get anywhere. Slow down, breathe, be intentional, and stop losing your car keys….they are right where you left them.

p.s. Share with me what kind of strategies help you be more organized?
 

When I think about summer, I think about how much I love spending time in my garden, taking road trips on the motorcycle and my husband Joe,  or spending time with my friends and family.  I’ve also learned to think of summer as the perfect time to . . . .focus!  Not what you were expecting?  I know! 

Summer is a great time to choose a goal.  I usually pick something I’ve been avoiding or slacking  – but make sure it’s something you can accomplish in three months.  There’s no better way to start your fall knowing that you’ve chosen a goal, worked hard to achieve it, and savor the joy of finishing it. 

Unfortunately, sometimes choosing the goal is harder than actually accomplishing your tasks.  What’s the best way to figure out what goal to tackle?  And how the heck do you focus on it, when there are so many delicious diversions?  We’ll take it one step at a time. 

1. Pick a project that has been building in your mind.  If it’s something you’ve put aside, but want to do – it’s perfect for a summer session.  Make sure the goal you choose is realistic to complete in three months.
2. To succeed with your goal, and to enhance your focus, it’s important to declutter physically.  Make sure your work space makes you feel calm instead of stressed.  Declutter mentally. Are you volunteering too much at school or for other types of organizations?  Saying yes to everyone?  Not focusing on your business?  Take a long look at what you spend your time on, and if it’s too diverse, start shutting them down.  
3. Look at where the lion’s share of your money originates.  If you make most of your money from meeting others at networking meetings, get out there and be the  money maker. Networking events and social gatherings are all excellent places to refine and explain who you are and what you need to be successful. 

As a final suggestion, customer appreciation is always an easy way to generate goodwill as well as new business.  It’s the easiest way to get new clients – word of mouth and business referrals are the best type of marketing!  It’s easy to forget the power of your previous clients.  A good summer goal might be to get in touch with your clients from the previous year.  You can offer them something new, reconnect with them, and tell them what kind of business and clients you are looking for.  Asking clients what they think of your services or a new product is a great way to get them engaged with you again. 

What could you accomplish if you put your mind to it this summer?  Whatever your goal, I wish you the best for your summer.  Enjoy it, and your life! 

I know many seasoned women business owners.  And even with our experience, there  seems to be a  common trait that gets in our own way. We worry about what other people think of us. We want to be accepted.  Instead of daring to be different, many women are being conventional and doing things the safe way. 

Being different is what sets you apart from your competitors, plain and simple.  By not owning your power – your difference – your uniqueness – you will definitely not attract as many clients. Being unique might REPEL a few, however, by being unique, you will attract the RIGHT kind of people and business, and they will be excellent fits for you. 
A good friend and client of mine is an EFT practitioner (Emotional freedom technique) and is successful using that gift and talent with her clients. She is also an angel reader, channeling angel’s wisdom.

She used to hide her uniqueness, and was nervous about telling others about her angel readings because she fears their judgment.  I’ve taught her how to embrace her gifts, and she has become tremendously popular.  She knows that by holding herself back, she is also holding herself back from truly finding success and fulfillment in an area she loves, and from helping those who most need her services.  

 There is something about each of us that makes us unique and wonderful. It could be your intuition, organizational skills, empathy, and sense of humor, quirks, or spiritual beliefs.  Whatever it is, we should recognize and cherish it.  Don’t run from it, or worse, hide it from others.  Own your individuality!

Owning your individuality won’t make everyone love you, and that’s just fine.  The most important thing is to love yourself and be proud of what you do best.  There are many, many people in our world. A good rule to remember is that  1/3 of these people will not be “your” people.  1/3 will feel neutral about us – and the remaining 1/3 will be those you bond with, and who love and respect your wonderful, unique self. 

What unique gift or talent are you ready to embrace and show to the world??? 

Many people are delighted and joyful this time of year, but many feel especially lonely. 

During a call with a coaching client, she expressed feeling very left out. She had been out at a holiday concert at her local school, and afterwards, noticed people greeting one another. She was not involved in that friendliness, and felt like an outsider. After talking about how sad she felt, we came up with some solutions. Loneliness can happen anytime, but  I think that feeling is more common this time of year than we know. 

Maybe  you have experienced it, I know I can certainly relate.  The media portrays these gay holiday family events and happy holiday festivities, yet holidays can be a time of feeling isolated, lonely and depressed. Some can’t wait for them be over and done with,  to be done with the expectations of wonder and joy,

Some suggestions to deal with loneliness this time of the year:

1) Don’t isolate yourself. Maybe the big parties are not your agenda, but do make an effort to call a friend for a cup of coffee or suggest seeing a movie together.

2) Be aware of others and try to reach out to those who may be feeling the same loneliness. It’s easy to get locked into our individual pain, but if you look outward, you’ll see you are not alone. 

3) Do what my client decided to do: One random act of kindness each day. She vowed to call her husband at work to say "I’m thinking about you", greet the store clerk by her name and give her a compliment, or share a friendly remark with someone else during the day. Wherever you are this holiday season, I wish you joy, health, peace, and happiness, and know you are not alone.  

Making Twitter Easy

One of my goals for my personal business development is to increase
my use and get savvier with social networking, especially Twitter.

I’ve admittedly been a “lurker” on the twitter scene especially,
because the feeling I got is that these “tweets” are a bunch of
hyped up vendors trying to sell me something.

But after taking several classes to really learn more about
social networking, and by seeing how the people I admire
“tweet”, I’m convinced that it has incredible power, when
used in the manner that makes it most effective – and that is
“being a resource and giving to others.”

It took a bit of practice to shift my mindset, but
once I started to think about how I could be helpful to someone,
or connect people with each other, it felt really good to be able to
solve a problem or provide resources that helped them out.

I’ve practiced this “giving, connecting and helping” philosophy from the in-person network groups I’ve belonged to. The more I tried to connect people, be helpful and give them business leads, the more satisfied I was with the networking experience. And I saw the
success others received by also being a resource. The ones who only had their own self interest in mind most often annoyed others.

Remember, in order to build your business, you must practice
the “KNOW, LIKE and TRUST” factor. Online social networking
is an effective strategy to do just that.

A quote from Mitch Albom says “The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”  We can all do that!