What If You Already Had What You Were Seeking

May 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Recently I was reading a book that I thought was going to give me ideas to be more productive in my business. I was super excited; I can always use new ideas! Well, it wasn’t at all what I expected. I began to feel a bit dismayed and thought “I don’t like this” – but decided to finish it, because I know that everything happens for a reason and gems appear often out of nowhere. I was interested in seeing what my gem would be. About two pages until the end I realized what the gem was – this book was telling me why I was already productive! How cool is that?

What a revelation! Here I had been looking for answers and solutions and — guess what — I already had them. I gained a new understanding of how I am productive and, boy, with that awareness I saw myself differently. I believe in the statement “When you change your perspective, things change”. Wayne Dwyer is famous for saying “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” I had been thinking I needed more answers, more solutions, more knowledge, and more whatever I could get externally to help me be more, do more and learn more… when this book sent me the message I already have all that I was seeking.

How enlightening and freeing! Since one of my values is freedom, this was a joy to discover.

This got me to thinking: how often in our lives might we discount ourselves, another person, or a situation and just blow it off and not even give it a chance? Oh, I know what the answer is — it’s more times than not! I know this because I’ve done it, my family, friends and clients have done (and are still doing) it. So let me ask you this, where might you (and perhaps those around you) benefit from a change in perspective? Who could benefit from you looking at them differently?

Now, I have had a lot of coaching and I know that the benefit is in having an objective party see what I might not be seeing, challenge what I might not be willing to challenge, and to support my forward movement. Coaches help you see your blind spot and to encourage you to step out from behind it, to flourish, to grow and to fit into being you. For me, it is so helpful to see a side of myself that I didn’t see before.

My advice for you is to stop for a moment and look around you with fresh eyes. Where do you already have the information, the knowledge, and the know-how, but haven’t seen it to be able to take advantage of it for yourself? Or maybe you discovered a big revelation, like me, and are a scared to go forward and would like some support. I encourage you to reach out to a friend, colleague or a coach to help you reach outside your box. Getting that support is all that is standing in your way!

Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , ,

QR Codes Explained

May 18, 2012 By Leave a Comment

You’ve seen them, but do you know what to do with them?  They’re the funky little square things that look like they’re from another planet — think the matrix.

I’m talking about QR codes, or Quick Response codes.  Can you believe these little gems have been around since the early ’90s?  In 1994, a Toyota subsidiary in Japan, Denso Wave, invented the QR Code to track vehicles during manufacture.  The QR Codes are capable of storing more information than standard bar codes.  Of course, until the widespread use of smartphones this technology was solely for industry.  But nowadays, companies are using the QR Code technology in their advertising to consumers.

What information do these fancy little boxes hold?  They can hold a variety of information, something as simple as a website address to advanced as information about a wine and the vineyard where it’s made.  I recently went to the International Virtual Assistants Association live summit in Memphis where our summit passes had QR Codes on them.  The information on these codes was our contact information.  We all had fun scanning each other’s QR Code!  When we scanned the QR Code with our smartphone, that person’s contact information was then saved to our phone as a contact.  How fancy is that?!

According to a study by Internet Retailing, during the month of June 2011, 14 million mobile users scanned a QR Code or a barcode. Some 58% of those users scanned a QR or bar code from their home, while 39% scanned from retail stores; 53% of the 14 million users were men between the ages of 18 and 34.

What are the advantages of having a QR Code?  We are just beginning to use QR Codes regularly, but by having them on our print material, we can drive people instantly to our website or a special offer.  It’s much quicker for the reader to scan the code and go directly to the site, then it is for someone to type in a URL.  It’s like instant gratification.

How can you use QR Codes?  Your business — no matter what size — can use QR codes in a number of ways. You could have one on your website next to a product containing product details.  You could have one on your business card containing your contact details so it’s easy for someone to add you to their contacts on their cell phone.  Add them to any print advertising, flyers, posters, invites containing:

  •     A coupon
  •     Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn IDs
  •     A YouTube video
  •     Product details
  •     Contact details
  •     Offer details
  •     Event details

Well, now you know what you can put these QR Codes on, but what do you do when you see one?  If you have a smartphone like an iPhone or Android, you can download an app to your phone that will scan and read this handy, dandy box.  For my Android, I use QR Droid.  Just simply go to the marketplace and search for it, download and install it.

Whatever the QR Code is designed to do, that information will be translated to your phone.  It may send you directly to a website.  It could display contact information.  It could create a text.  It could display other information.

If you’re ready to create your own free of charge QR Code or find out more information, visit www.qrstuff.com.

Have any ideas for using QR Codes?  Share them on my blog!

Filed Under: Business Building Tips Tagged With: , , ,

Convention Lessons

May 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

During the last week of March I attended my first business-related convention and I’ll tell you what, it was nothing like I expected! The presenter not only had a stage, she started the “show” with a band, hired a professional and well-known comedian to emcee the event, showed movies, played upbeat music, had an exhibit area for sponsor booths, and had a multitude of speakers… all in addition to the material she was teaching! Talk about information overload!

But it was all good. I was given the opportunity to meet several fellow virtual assistants and a couple of clients I had never met face-to-face before. Of course, I met a LOT of other people too since there were over 650 people in attendance.

So you might expect this newsletter to cover some of the topics I learned regarding marketing, networking, promotion, business planning… but I’m not. Instead I’m going to share some of the nitty-gritty nuts and bolts I learned about the process of attending a convention instead. Even if you don’t travel to conventions, I think you’ll find some of this information to be useful even for vacations!

  • Make a list of what you need to take. Most people know I’m a huge fan of lists, and traveling is no exception. I made a list, starting a week in advance, of everything I knew I wanted or needed to take and added to it as the thoughts popped into my head. It’s fantastic for those last minute things that you might otherwise forget in the rush to leave.
  • Roll your clothes when you pack them. I never tried this trick before but I actually was able to fit far more clothes in my suitcase than I’m used to packing. I don’t think it cut down on wrinkles, but as long as I hung out my clothes, the wrinkles lessened.
  • Taking extra vitamins might not be enough to keep you from catching something! This particular event was held at a hotel located in the Orlando airport. Meals were eaten among the general travelers. Even though I washed my hands often and don’t touch handrails and such, I still came down with one of the worst “colds” I can ever remember having. I can’t speak for its effectiveness, but next time I’m giving Airborne a try.
  • Be yourself. Everyone lately is talking about being authentic, being different, standing out from the crowd to get noticed. I learned through networking with some folks that simply being myself got more attention than when I tried to put on the professional business woman guise. Yes, I am one, but that’s not the skin I am comfortable in. So, be yourself and be relaxed.
  • Have plenty of business cards HANDY. Conventions are typically places where you’re expected to network… i.e. exchange business cards. Someone showed me a great tip for keeping my business cards accessible: I put them inside my plastic name badge holder but behind the name badge. It worked like a charm!
  • Establish a collection method in advance. Have a system for where you will put all the business cards you collect, as well as all of the receipts. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you have a piece of paper with important information on it and can’t remember which of five places you might have put it.
  • Have a plan for doing something with all of those business cards once you get back! I made notes on the business cards I collected so that I would know who they were later when I reviewed them. When I returned home, I decided with whom and how to keep in touch… and I followed through. I’m amazed at how many folks, especially the booth sponsors, have not added me to their mailing lists or reached out in any way. That’s poor follow-up.
  • Somehow you will always come back with more than you took. This convention gave us notebooks, binders, bags and countless other goodies that took up far more room than you would expect! Plan for this additional baggage in advance, especially if you are flying.

Traveling can be stressful, confusing and overwhelming, but if you take just a little bit of time to plan in advance you’ll find you can lessen the hectic moments of panic. Enjoy your travels!

Filed Under: Random Thoughts Tagged With: , , , ,

Are You Stepping into Growth?

May 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It was the early morning hours of March 31, when suddenly, the house was shaking, the wind was howling, and all was dark. Electricity was off. Cell phone was dead, and of course, no computer either.

I found my portable radio and listened to the tornado warning. Intuitively, I knew where in the house to go, but I couldn’t tell how close the weather system was to my house and neighborhood. I don’t live in a tornado area, so this was highly unusual. Luckily, though close, it did not affect my area directly, but the noise and the wind were quite scary. Then I thought how lucky I was because there was a warning. Immediately I wondered, what did I learn from this????

I learned that FEAR helped me step into Growth! Fear gave me the courage to grow into a more self-assured version of me. To take charge even in the worst of situations, and to know, that no matter what, I’d be moving forward and never to look back.

So you see, Fear in itself was my warning system.

With Growth sometimes comes pain. It is all part of the evolution process, and we have to be valiant enough to face it, embrace it, and wear it like a pair of leather gloves, allowing it to fit just beautifully.

So tell me, how do you step into Growth?

CONSIDER:

  • Are you open to new adventures, possibilities and circumstances?
  • Do you look to make new friends, new contacts, new partners?
  • In your business, do you go out of your way to prospect on a fairly consistent basis, and…..do you cultivate your already existing relationships?
  • Do you value what you have?
  • Do you hunger to learn something new every day, no matter how big or small?

OPTIONS:

  • Look to meet new people that really appeal to you.
  • Be sure to meet people that are people magnets.
  • Those that attract amazing people into their lives.
  • And those, who know how to have fun while stepping into their greatness by knowing How to Step in their own Growth.
  • Those that treasure fears because they know that’s how they find the courage to move forward and step into growth.
  • Be sure to be strategic about the new people you meet.
  • Be sure they are a lot smarter than you are. This is your Learning Evolution and Revolution. It’s juicy, it’s yummy, and you deserve it.

ACTION PLAN:

  • Be a human connector. Find people that you like and connect them to others who can be mutually beneficial for each other, you excluded.
  • Enjoy the process. Growth is a welcome side to our divine humanity. Embrace it with joy.
  • Put yourself out there, go out on a limb, and connect with people you don’t yet know, but would like to know. All this is part of stepping into Growth. It’s okay to be fearful, but think of what you’ll gain.
  • Remember that: “Courage is fear that has said its prayers” (A.U.)
  • Get outside your physical box, and take your chances.
  • Once you do all of the above, it will feel like second nature to you and you will be on your way to making amazing connections, growing your business, while cultivating your personal attributes to let your greatness shine. After all, that’s what you are taking with you….and think of how you would want to be remembered.

So a little fear, a little courage, a whole lot of determination, and a great amount of joy in connecting with the unknown is all it takes at times, to have an amazing life, with all the right people in it.

So tell me, I want to know: How do you Step into Your Own Growth?

Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , ,

Idea-itis

May 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I recently got back from an amazing event called Be The Change. What I love about these events is that I learn tons of things, get new ideas, find inspiration, build new relationships, discover opportunities for growth and, of course, uncover new paths to profit.

These events are amazing brainstorming sessions on steroids!

But there is a problem with them. Oftentimes it’s too much. You end up with a terrible case of “idea-itis”. You have too many ideas and after a day or two of excitement you find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated and in some ways in worse shape than you were before you went. And let’s be honest here, it doesn’t take an event to leave you feeling this way, does it?

The truth is that there is no way that you can do it all, even if you have a team of people helping you. The only way to create a thriving and sustainable business is to first, evaluate your options, second, decide which things you will do and which you won’t and finally, getting into action and doing!

Letting go of super cool ideas can be tough so here’s the three step process that I will be using over the next few days with my own to-do list and with those of my clients.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Building Tips, Productivity, Reaching Goals Tagged With: , , , , , ,

4 Reasons to Host a Virtual Event for Your Small Business

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Virtual Events

Virtual events are becoming an extremely popular and effective way to market your business, rejuvenate dormant clients and win new customers for your business. If you’re still unsure about hosting your own virtual events, below are just 4 of the reasons why you should consider virtual events for your small business:

1. Global Access
Virtual events provide global access to anyone who wants to attend your event. Live events require individuals to travel to the event, which instantly limits who will be able to attend the event and therefore who takes an interest in what your business has to offer. If your small business has a product or service that can benefit individuals that live anywhere, hosting a virtual event will effectively open your doors to the entire world, increasing your target market and the chance of winning new and valuable customers.

2. Cheaper Costs – Bigger Profits

Running a virtual event is substantially cheaper than the expense involved in setting up a live event. There is no renting of exhibition space, large halls or finding venues. Also, you won’t need large amounts of staff and you won’t have to worry about additional costs such as supplying refreshments and so on.

3. Statistics Show You What Works
With live events, it can be hard to know who attended, let alone what they actually looked at or had an interest in. With virtual events you have the invaluable chance to capture the details of exactly who attended, what they were interested in and many other statistics that will help you to optimise your next event and also follow up on visitors with the potential of generating extra business.

4. Increased Convenience
Virtual events are often times more convenient for both you and your customers. It allows customers to access your event when they feel the need and from wherever they happen to be, therefore making them much more likely to actually attend compared to if they had to endure a long drive or simply didn’t have the time. It also frees up your own time as it allows you to still be on your premises and also cuts down on set up times and so on, therefore making sure that you don’t take your eyes off of your daily business.

Filed Under: Business Building Tips Tagged With: , , , ,

Fear, What’s It Got To Do With Anything?

April 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Fear – I know it well. It has been a part of my life since… well, since I can remember! Sometimes it has served me and other times not. So what’s it got to do with anything?

For the most part, I have come to discover that it really doesn’t have to do with much at all when you ultimately realize what it is. Fear is our mind creating stories, situations, and scenarios that hold us back. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is real fear – like if someone is chasing you down a dark alley, that’s real and is truly frightening. But let’s say that you wanted to leave your job but stayed because you were fearful that you might not get another one or that you wanted to lose weight but were fearful that your loved ones wouldn’t support you. See, fear – as we humans have come accustomed to feeling it — really is just a stumbling block to being what you want, having what you want and doing what you want. Fear is an excuse.

Did I get your attention? I hope so, because I really want you to stand up and say “I will not allow fear to rule my life and keep me in limbo.” I was in limbo for many years. Although I still feel fear when I’m about to do something new – like when I left my secure, well-paying job (that I hated by the way) and embarked on a new career — now I ask myself, “So what’s fear got to do with this anyway?” The answer is always because I made up some story about what may happen and what I might be leaving behind. I focus on how lousy I believe my experience is going to be without knowing for a fact how it will turn out. So no wonder I get fearful!

How many times do you do that? I know I was doing it way too much – even down to trying a new restaurant because I was afraid it would not be good. Then I realized my fear was just a story I made up in my head; so I changed the story and tried the new restaurant… and I love it! It showed me that by having a positive approach and outlook, I give myself the opportunity to have a wonderful and successful experience. So no longer am I stuck doing the same things, feeling the same ways and being miserable. The gift is that I experience so much joy on a daily basis, I have fun all the time, and I have fantastic adventures that I wouldn’t have had if I stayed in my fear zone!

I’m here to tell you that fear has NOTHING to do with it – you do! As Eleanor Roosevelt said: “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” Again, I can tell you that this statement is so very true! And once you do it, you will be so amazed at the results – sometimes you even get something you never imagined.

How will you go out and get what you want now that you know that fear doesn’t have to control you? What is one fear you will face in the next week to move you forward? Share your fears and how you’ll change those ‘stories’; I’d love to hear them!

Filed Under: Reaching Goals, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , , ,

What Are Virtual Blog Tours? And Who Does Them?

April 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Do you have a product to sell or a message that you would like to share? Are you interested in expanding your target audience? If so, you should consider setting up a virtual blog tour.

OKAY, BUT WHAT IS A VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR?

Virtual blog tours allow you to travel the internet, meet new people and share your expertise without ever leaving the comfort of your home or office. As the tour operator, you prepare guest posts for blogs that you have previously researched and identified as appropriate for your message. On the days that your blog posts are published, you visit the blog to comment, maybe ask questions to encourage discussion, and otherwise converse with the audience.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO DO THAT?

You might want to go on a virtual blog tour for several reasons, including:

* Virtual blog tours save you the expense and inconvenience of travelling to meet personally with your audience. (Imagine if you are an author on a traditional book tour.)
* The likelihood of connecting with your audience is higher than if you were to actually meet with them in person. While someone may miss an in-person event, anything published online tends to stay online for awhile if not forever. Someone could find you months, maybe even years, later.
* You can do the tour right from your home or office.
* You can reach more of your target audience in a relatively short amount of time.
* As you interact with members of the audience, they get to know you personally, and you gain more credibility with them.
* After they have formed a connection with you, they may decide to visit your website, opt-in to your mailing list, and/or purchase your products.

HOW LONG WILL I BE ON TOUR?

That’s really up to you, but I won’t lie to you. Preparation for your tour takes some time, and that time is in addition to the tour itself. You will want to give yourself a couple of months at a minimum to prepare.

When deciding how long your tour should be, you will want to be sure that it lasts long enough for you to adequately connect with your audience. In general, tours that last 12 to 21 days are about right.

WHO TAKES A VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR?

Virtual blog tours are perfect for published authors, speakers, business owners, activists, event promoters, and basically, anyone with a message. Regardless of who you are, it is necessary to follow through and connect with the audience, not just through your blog posts but also in the comment area as well. It’s very important to plan for the follow-on discussion and visit the blog several times during the day so that you can interact with the audience.

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

First, you will identify which blogs to contact, focusing on those that have the audience that you target and that will welcome your message. Then, you will write your content and contact the blog owners to set up your tour.

Keep in mind that this is just a general overview of virtual blog tours and not a step-by-step plan for executing them. However, it is important to point out that planning is vital to a successful blog tour. You must set up a schedule of when and where your guest posts will appear, submit your blog posts in advance, and be ready to comment on the day that your blog post is published.

If you follow the proper steps, you will share your message with a wider audience, gain more followers, and maybe even sell more of your products. Now that would be a very successful virtual blog tour!!

Filed Under: Publishing Tagged With: , , ,

Are You Spring Training?

April 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It happens to all of us. We have been hibernating during the Winter, and all of the sudden Spring is upon us, at which point we find out, we are simply “out of shape” not to mention hungry, thirsty and in need of much-wanted nourishment. And it is not just about the body, but the mind and emotions tag right along with it, as well as the “I” word…(shhhhh…Intuition!) – Such a marvelous word, amazing gift, wonderful companion, and yet, so many of us tend to ignore its power, usefulness, and all together, GPS guidance system that takes us places we never knew existed; especially, when we come out of hibernation…no matter the season. Do you agree?

Mystery builds when we don’t know where higher guidance is coming from and yet, it simplifies itself when we ask for clarity and as if by magic, clarity appears, to be the guiding light to our path to development and best lives ever.

This is all part of you being in spring training. You need to learn how to be fit in all areas of your life, so that you can be ready to tackle what’s yet to come. Hibernation is easy, coming into Spring needs training. Let’s get ready, shall we?

CONSIDER:

  • Do you feel like you’ve been on ICE way too long?
  • Are you hungry for a new way of life?
  • Are you ready for a new of being?
  • Do you have a support system?
  • Are the people in your life ready to be there for you NOW?

OPTIONS:

  • Choose new beginnings. (The past is PAST.)
  • If your phone rings and the PAST is calling, tell them to go to voice mail, you’re sure there’s nothing new for them to say.
  • Be picky who you spend your time with, as they could be joining you in your next hibernation!
  • Your time is NOW, not tomorrow.
  • Exercise…your right to move, to think, to speak, to gather, and to think out-loud.
  • LAUGH! – Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins wisely tells us to do so. “The more I laugh, the more I feel with glee, the more the glee, the more I’m a merrier me.” (Mary Poppins – 1964)
  • Spring will spark your creativity. Give it a try. This is where you can really begin to grow, nurture and display your greatness.
  • Be happy that you are who you are, and not somebody else’s version of yourself.
  • Strategize. These are your most fertile months to forward-think into how your future will look like.

ACTION PLAN:

  • Always know where you’re going. Get a coach or mentor to help you design your future now.
  • Lack of clarity is lack of light. No one can live in the dark for long. Find a way to turn on the switch.
  • Identify those who can help.
  • Ask them to join you.
  • Have a steady income, even if in a “trickled-down” kind of way. You can start something new but NEVER by utilizing your back- up financial income or cash reserve.
  • Know that what you have to offer is of great benefit to others.
  • Relish in your greatness.
Filed Under: Self Improvement Tagged With: ,

How’s It Going So Far?

April 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It’s officially springtime and while many people use January 1 as a date to spur them into action, I find Spring is when my brain really kicks into gear and I get down to business.

In order for me to get myself moving I first need to set the stage and clear away the winter cobwebs with a good spring cleaning. What I’ve noticed is that I tend to do the same things to help my business and life grow as I do in the garden.

Here are four things that you can do this spring for your business, life and garden to make them thrive.

    1. Clean up the debris. First you have to set the stage. In your garden you get rid of the branches that fell during storms, leaves that came down after the last raking and the shells from the acorns that the squirrels munched on during the winter. Now is also a great time to take a look at your desk, workspace and to-do list and get rid of the junk. Ask yourself if the things you have around you are things that will help your business thrive or if they are things they just ended up there?
    2. Prepare for new growth. You break up the earth and spread fertilizer in the garden. Now is also the time to prepare your workspace, mind and calendar. Are there programs that you want to invest in to help you grow? Are there things that you are in the middle of that you want to wrap up so that you are ready to move on? Are the things you are doing and have around you fostering creativity or stifling it?
  1. See what’s growing. You check to make sure that your plants have survived the winter and that you still like what you have growing. Now is the time to look around and make sure that the projects that you have lined up still make sense for you. Was the idea a good one when it was planted? Is it still a good idea? Is it time to let it go? Is it time to give it all you’ve got to make it flourish?
  2. Decide what you want to grow and see if it fits. None of us have endless space, and even if you do have room, the space doesn’t always suit the things you want to grow there. So, while you look over the things that you want to do, see if they fit into your plan. Do you have the time, space and environment you need to devote to these projects to make them grow? Does it make sense for you to spend your time and energy on them?

When you give your calendar, to-do list and things a good spring cleaning you will set yourself up for a business and a life that thrives.

But there’s one more piece … do you have the help you need? My garden will not look the way I want it to without someone to help me mow the lawn, move rocks and keep up the beds. My business would not function the way I want it to if I don’t get the help I need there too. Some of the help I use is a coach, a support network, equipment and training in skills that I may be lacking or want to brush up on.

What help do you need to make your business and life run better? What skills do you want to learn or sharpen? Go ahead and share your thoughts below.

Filed Under: Business Building Tips, Productivity, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts