By Nadine Nicholson

Have you ever learned something that you knew, when you learned it, it was going to change everything for you?

It’s like one of those days when you see the sun shining down in rays and everything seems so much brighter?

That’s what happened to me this week. And, I think this is something you can apply in your own life and business, too…

Here’s what I learned, courtesy of my business galfriend Stephanie Pollock. In one of her audios she shared there are really two types of people:

1. “Away from” people
2. “Toward” people

Let me explain and tell you why this is important to you and your business.

Basically, an “away from” person is trying to get away from something. They’re happy when they don’t need to worry. They’re trying to get away from stress and uncertainty and they want to relieve pressure. They’re looking for safety, security, stability and control.

And, “toward” people are those moving toward something, trying to create something. They’re looking for freedom, flexibility, autonomy, independence, possibility and new horizons. They actively focus on evolving themselves and becoming more of who they are meant to be. They LOVE to leverage.

Who are you, primarily? What about your ideal clients? What philosophy are you marketing to?

Most people – actually, all people – have both qualities. If you look closely, you’ll see one quality stand out more prominently in everyone. 

Who are you, now? Do you naturally lean toward being an “away from” person or a “toward” person? 

Stability and security are important to entrepreneurs. Of course you want consistency in your systems, processes and the way you do business. In fact, that consistency will allow your business to grow.

You can have both qualities and neither one is bad. It’s not a bad thing to be an “away from” person or good to be a “toward” person.

However, what I’m trying to say is this.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you’ve got to THINK like an entrepreneur.

And, successful entrepreneurs lean heavily to being “toward” people.

Be clear about the one YOU are leaning toward, the one that naturally comes to you. If you’re naturally a “toward” person, great! Evolving as a successful entrepreneur will come much more easily to you.

If you’re not, the opportunity is to learn HOW to think like an entrepreneur, to stretch and grow to new horizons, to get comfortable being uncomfortable, and to learn how to create freedom and leverage in your business.

Okay, that’s you.

Let’s take this to another level and talk about yoru ideal clients.

Who are they? Who are you writing to? 

 Who’s naturally showing up in your business? Are they “away from” or “toward” people?

 And, even more importantly, what kind of community do you want to create?

How do you want to write to your community so they can really resonate with what you’re trying to create?

The opportunity is to crystal clear about the benefits you offer your ideal clients and write in a way that both resonates with them and aligns with the community you’re trying to create. What are the words you need to use to write directly to them?

What it comes down to is knowing how you want to show up, what type of community you want to create and really leaning to “away from” or “toward” in your ideal client marketing, while remembering to also “pepper in” the other philosophy because all people have both philosophies in them.

And, no matter which area you lean to in your ideal client marketing, make sure you, as the entrepreneur, are learning how to be and think like a “toward” person.

This is what being an entrepreneur is really about.

When it comes right down to it, the root of being an entrepreneur really comes down to being a LEADER, CREATOR, POSSIBILITY THINKER, a person who is looking for new horizons, who’s creating ideas, who’s moving toward the future.

Who are you?

And, what kind of community do you want to create?

Here’s what I’d like you to do.

In the comments below, write a quick insight or light bulb moment that you had while reading this article, as it relates to you and your business.

By Nadine Nicholson

Ever felt completely paralyzed by trying to get something perfect?

You really want to put that special something “out there” and you’re trying desperately to get it just right.

PERFECT, actually.

And, you know it’s getting in the way of your progress.

You feel stuck, scared and stalled. You’re swirling.

What if I told you the quest for perfectionism is unrealistic. The idea of “perfect” is a mental construct. It’s an ideal that’s in your mind and does not actually exist in the real world as something tangible.

And, worse yet, perfectionism is a disease, eating away at you and your ability to get clients and make money.

Did you catch that? Perfectionism is doing you no good.

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying this means you put crappy stuff out there. It’s not about being mediocre. It’s never about being mediocre.

It’s about liberating yourself – and therefore liberating your income – from the paralysis of perfectionism.

You’ll actually be a role model and your ideal clients will gravitate to you.

That’s success, in my books.

So, how do you free yourself from this income-eating disease?

The short answer is you’ve got to make a mindset shift.

When it comes to liberating your income, it’s all about PROGRESS not perfection.

 Here’s a real example from my own business to see how this can be applied in the real world.

Last year, I was planning a free telesummit and wanted to give people a choice to upgrade to a new, paid, virtual group program. I knew the key steps I wanted to teach and had a course outline. However, I hadn’t yet written content for each of the program modules.

I clearly remember being terrified about putting a “half-baked” program out into the marketplace.

And, I just about didn’t put it out there because it wasn’t ready.

I used the mindset shift of “progress not perfection” and changed my tune. Instead of feeling stuck and worried about what I hadn’t yet created, I flipped things around.

I looked at my PROGRESS:

1. I was about to launch a world-class telesummit and my joint venture partners were excited to promote it.
2. And, I had a solid course outline for a group program, based on the system I use with my one-on-one entrepreneurial clients.

Focusing on these two things liberated me to take action from the mindset of progress versus being stalled by what I hadn’t yet created.

Better yet, I slid back into the driver’s seat of my business and grabbed hold of my freedom again.

That freedom helped me see I could co-create the program with the participants who show up. I could put my course outline “out there” as a pilot program and pre-sell seats so the people in the program could help me create it so they have a program that actually works for them.

What a concept! Program participants would walk away with a program that met their biggest needs.

Isn’t that what most clients actually want?

So, I kicked the perfectionist gremlin to the side and wrote a sales page using my course outline. I was transparent it was a pilot program and shared the program structure and benefits.

Thirty entrepreneurial women signed up for that program all over the world!

And, they loved being engaged in its development and knew I was listening to what they needed the most.

Every step helped me look forward to see where else I needed to go and where I needed to take that program. I could see what we had already achieved and could easily focus on laying the roadmap for more progress.

I encourage you to focus on your PROGRESS and take future action from that place.

If it’s hard to see the good things, then ask yourself this:

“If there was something that was going well, what might it be?”

And then start from there.

Liberate.

Definition: to make free.

This article was recently featured in Gina Bell’s newest Rebelations online magazine. For more articles about increasing your visibility and success in business, grab your free copy here: http://bit.ly/rebelations-2-nn. 

Guest post by Simon Wilson

Small businesses often have significant  advantages over larger companies in their ability to respond more quickly to consumer demands.

Their flexibility, adaptability and small size all contribute to their ability to survive the challenges of difficult economic times when business is sluggish.

Technology is a key tool for small companies as they seek to streamline their operations, and modern advances are making it possible for them to more easily and efficiently access the best that technology has to offer. 

Studies from Statistics Canada indicate 60 to 70 per cent of new jobs are created by small businesses, showing that even during the recession of recent years these businesses are standing strong as the backbone of our economy. For those facing redundancy, setting up a small business is becoming an increasingly popular choice…

But there are downsides to running your own business and several important points to consider at the outset – so what do you really need to know?

Four Basic Facts

Fact #1

One feature that appeals to many entrepreneurs is the idea of waving goodbye to the office routine. While this is true, it is also true that you may have to work longer hours to make the same amount you were earning in full time employment. Getting a business up and running is hard work and requires dedication and commitment. Until the business is well established you will have to perform the majority of tasks for yourself, and getting through those first early months and years can mean long hours and short weekends. You may, at times, find yourself craving the old routine!

Fact #2

Many people have entered the world of self-employment because employment opportunities are hard to find. Even if this is a step you have been hoping to make for some time you’ll need to plan ahead…  then plan some more, and then plan some contingency plans.  Plan carefully, and plan thoroughly. Don’t be rigid with your plans but have them in place. For advice and information on the types of issues you should consider, visit the Government of Canada website and specifically the “Canada Business Network” which provides a range of services for entrepreneurs. 

Fact #3

Technology is not something any business person can afford to be phobic about, certainly not long-term.  The internet alone offers you the chance to contact several million potential customers. Learn as much as you can about running a website and advertising online – consumers will expect a website at the very least – and by providing an email  you are enabling customers to contact you 24/7 while retaining the freedom to manage your communications with them as and when you can.

Fact #4

It doesn’t matter what business you operate, there are some areas of business management you’ll need to learn quickly. One area of expertise few new business people have is in the field of accounting.  If you know nothing about managing your own accounts you’ll need to learn – and learn quickly.  Luckily technology can help in this area too. 

There is a range of easy to use accounting software packages available in the Canadian market – including online accounting software, which is often the most suitable for small businesses.  These can include various features such as online invoicing and payroll software, which can be added as required to create the right system for you. 

In addition to basic accounting and invoice software you should have an accountant from the start. The software you use will help to provide the information they need to complete your accounts quickly – which will help to keep your costs down. 

While it will be hard work in the first months, possibly years, running your own business does offer more freedom and control.

Getting some of the basics right in the early days will help to save you time and money in both the long and the short term.

It will also make the transition from being somebody else’s employee to being your own boss, smoother, easier and far more enjoyable.

Simon shared a few key things to think about when starting a business. In your view, what else is important in those early stages? Please share a comment below.

Simon Wilson blogs about small business issues, covering everything from online accounting and payroll solutions to marketing tips and advice on how small businesses can leverage social media.  When Simon isn’t online he loves foreign cinema and is a keen cyclist, enjoying nothing more than exploring new areas on his bicycle. 

“The more you reach out, the more resilient you are.”

These 10 words changed the course of my life, forever.

I was a brand spankin’ new coach in the first hour of the first day of my first coaching course.

The course leader’s comment is one I’ll never forget.

It was like lightning struck when I heard those words.

Before that point, I was a fantastic soloist, or so I thought. I loved defying the odds and figuring something out … to say I DID IT.

However, most of the time, I was doing it alone.

Now I see…

Solo = Lonely.

When I’m coaching entrepreneurial women, I see many things entrepreneurial women LEADERS do differently.

One is to get be comfortable asking for help. No question about it.

However, when most women in business are asked to ASK FOR HELP, a big barrier often comes up.

There’s silence.

There’s trepidation.

The room gets really still and really quiet.

As a coach, I see a fear of failure in these incredible women. 

If they can’t do it alone, they’re afraid they’ll fail. So, to ask for help often means admitting failure.

Oh, sweet sister.

How I wish I could wave a magic wand or strike a bolt of lightning and change this perception.

If only it could be that simple.

What I know for sure is it’s a TRILLION times more FUN to be co-active (as Karen Kimsey-House would say) and joint venturous (as Gina Bell would say).

Recently, I was asked to describe the value of being part of a mastermind of entrepreneurial women, a place where I get to ask for and give help on a daily basis.

My response: “Having a sisterhood who understands you and believes in you, amazing women who cheer you on and help you get to where you need to go. A sense of energy, forward momentum and definitely inspiration!”

Sound like fun?

So, how can you make it easier on yourself to ask for help and be helped?

1. Think about something you really want to do in your business. What’s making your heart FLUTTER?
2. What’s the ONE action you need/want to do FIRST? Get really clear about the specific thing you need to get done.
3. Brainstorm the barriers that are getting in the way of that first step. What don’t you know? What’s getting in the way? Often these are the exact things you need help with!
4. Get really specific about what you need help with. Write it down in active, confident language. For example, instead of saying, “Does anyone know anyone I could talk to about my business?” say instead, “I want to make contact with busy working moms who have a million balls in the air. Can you think of someone that fits the bill and will you ask them if I can contact them for a marketing research call?” Bingo! Now, that makes me want to help you!
5. Think about who in your network might know the answer to your question or at least be able to point you in the right direction.
6. ASK, ASK, ASK. Reach out and share your specific ask with those people you listed. 

Here’s something to remember. Most people LOVE being asked for help.

They like it even more when you’re specific about what you’re looking for. Why? Because it makes it even easier to help you.

When it takes too long to “figure out” what is needed, often the potential helper gets distracted and turns her attention to what’s next on her plate. 

Think about a time when someone asked YOU for help and you were able to immediately connect with what they were asking. It made it easy and you WANTED to help, yes?

I promise you it made a HUGE difference to the person you helped.

So, think about what made it easy for you to step up and lend a hand. Take the pressure off yourself and make it that easy for others to do the same by helping you.

And remember that golden quote, “The more you reach out, the more resilient you are.”

Before heading off, what other tips would you add to the list of ideas I shared? Share them in the comments below, thanks!

Ever found yourself feeling i-n-v-i-s-i-b-l-e and wondering if anyone even knows you exist? Yes?

Now instead, imagine hearing your ideal clients saying…

“I see you everywhere!”

“I want to work with you!” 

“You are THE expert on exactly what I need.”

Sound kind of dreamy?

Then take a look at this…

TODAY is the launch of Gina Bell’s newest issue of Rebelations Magazine.

Snag your very own copy right HERE.

The “Visibility Boom” issue is devoted to helping you get noticed, get clients and get your business growing.

Inside this top-notch resource for innovators, trendsetters and entrepreneurial go-getters you’ll enjoy 17 other rebelicious articles AND a special feature that
will have you creating your own Visibility Boom in no time!

I’m proud to be one of the authors … I kick the disease of perfectionism right where it belongs, for good!

And, did I mention this online mag is totally FREE?

Gina is one of my favourite entrepreneurial women and boy oh boy is she visible!

If you haven’t heard, she was just recognized as one of the “50 Women You Should Follow on Twitter” by SheOwnsIt.com.

Don’t let her celebrity status fool you. On April 13, I got to meet Gina in person for the first time. Let me tell you, she’s the REAL deal. And, she gives amazing hugs!

Be among the first to join the Rebelution and jump inside the newest issue of the digital magazine.

Get your INSTANT copy right HERE.

See you on the inside!

Guest post by Lisa Montanaro

In this “new economy,” many business owners are stressing about securing enough business to make a profit.

In the extreme, this often leads to saying yes to any and all prospects, projects and types of work.

Unfortunately, this may not be the best business strategy! Indeed, saying no to business is sometimes the smartest thing to do.

Not convinced? Let me demonstrate.

Prospect is not a good “fit”

Let’s face it, not all clients are the right “fit” for you and your business. In some instances, there is even such thing, dare I say, as a bad client.

If your antenna goes up during the initial meeting, phone call or consultation alerting you to the fact that this client will not respect you, tests your boundaries, needs more assistance than you can provide, or in any other meaningful way is just not a good fit, listen to that instinct and say no!

There are ways to turn away business that are polite, tactful, useful, and firm, and sometimes we just have to learn when it is right to say no to a prospect or client.

Turning away business can be a painful process for those unfamiliar with the concept, but it can save you and your business in the long run.

Saying yes to every prospect may unfortunately mean saying no to your Ideal Client

Every business has a Target Market and within that market is your Ideal Client. You know who they are — the people or organizations that really need your assistance, are fully ready for the transformative services or products that you provide, respect and value you and your business, and can afford to make the investment to work with you.

They are the ones that you keep in mind when developing programs and products to ensure they fit your client base.

We all know there is only so much time and energy to work with clients. Any time you take on a new client, there is a loss of potential opportunities elsewhere that could slip by because you are too busy.

This is the Opportunity Cost — the cost of opportunities you will miss by taking on each client.

Therefore, be very clear when you say yes that the prospect fits into your Ideal Client profile (or at least gets close to it!). If not, you may actually be saying no to your Ideal Client when he/she comes knocking.

Quantity of work may make quality suffer

If you say yes to every prospect, project and type of work, you may wind up spreading yourself too thin, causing the quality of your work to suffer.

In an effort to overcome the economic downturn and make more money, many business owners are saying yes, yes, yes. This can lead to burn out, decrease in quality of work, and damage to your overall business reputation. Resist the urge to say yes to all work, unless you have the infrastructure in place to handle it.

Focus on value and results

The best business owners realize what they are truly selling is value and results. When you view yourself in this light and not as merely providing products or services, you very quickly realize that you need to say yes only to the clients that you can bring your best value and results to.

You also set yourself apart from the “competition” because value and results are not easily measurable, the way tangible products and services are. The value is in the client’s mind and will almost always far outweigh the price they paid.

Saying no to work may seem like an ill-advised business strategy, but in the long run, you will come to see it is a meaningful and profitable way of doing business.

You leave yourself open for the Ideal Clients you should be serving, and you don’t drain yourself and the business by trying to serve everyone.

Resist the urge to be all things to all people, and focus on what you do best for the target market that wants, needs and can afford it.

Saying no will be difficult as you turn away the ill-matched prospect with money to burn and a desire to buy, but the flip side is saying yes and then resenting it for not being true to yourself and the business that you have created.

Let’s hear from you. What insights did you get from Lisa’s article? What is the first thing you’re going to start doing in your own business as a result of reading this article? Please share a comment below.

Lisa Montanaro is a productivity consultant, success coach, business strategist, speaker and author that helps people live successful and passionate lives, and operate productive and profitable businesses. Lisa publishes the monthly ezine, “Next Level Business Success” for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com. 

By Nadine Nicholson

Quite often, the smallest, most simple and obvious things can have the biggest positive impact.

Here’s an example.

Two words, when used together, can do absolute wonders for your clarity, focus, confidence and all around way of life.

Especially when fear creeps into your day.

And, as an entrepreneur, you pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone every day and fear creeps in.

A lot.

The magic two words are: OF COURSE.

Yup, that’s it.

Of course.

That’s all there is to it.

It’s the power of positive affirmation.

Let’s put this into practice.

The next time you run into a barrier, take a moment and simply say “of course” to yourself.

Whenever the little (or big) gremlin pops up and gives you his or her two cents, say “ooooof coooooursssse” back.

In fact, you can say “of course” pretty after much anything.

You’ll be amazed at what positive affirmation can do for you.

Just try it. And try it often.

Here’s what I want you to do, starting now. Say these two words to yourself today whenever you can. Then, pop back and write a comment below with what you noticed.

Guest post by Shawn Driscoll

I’m going to ask you a tough question.

Are you approaching your goals half-heartedly or whole-heartedly?

I believe half-heartedness is epidemic in business. 

In my experience it’s the number one reason we don’t achieve our goals or have what we desire. 

It’s why it feels so hard, so much of the time.  It’s why we invest in solutions that don’t produce results. 

We approached them half-heartedly.  We held something back.  We weren’t all in.

This is not an indictment, it’s an observation.  So many business owners are going about things half-heartedly.  But to really succeed requires your unwavering, whole hearted commitment.

I’ve done it.  I still do it. 

I recently realized I was half-heartedly attempting to get fit and lose a few pounds.  On one level I was committed.  I had hired a trainer, was doing my ‘required’ workouts and watching what I ate.

Except I was only giving about 70% to all of those things.  And my results proved that out.  It was hard for me to face.  I much preferred whining about why it wasn’t working!  But the truth was right there under my nose.  I was doing the minimum.  I was half-heartedly going about my goal.

Simply put, half-heartedness is giving less than 100%.  Maybe even less than 90%.

It’s deciding something isn’t working for you, long before you’ve given it your full commitment.  It’s ‘checking out’ of your commitments and looking for a new solution when things get tough.  It’s constantly causing you to be on the lookout for a better answer, a simpler solution or something new to get excited about instead of going all in.

Half-heartedness looks like this:

1. Investing in a coaching program or information product only to work through it about 50%.  You show up some of the time but don’t go out of your way to make showing up a top priority.  You do some of the agreed upon work, but not all of it.
2. Joining a networking group or organization, but then missing the meetings.
3. Starting, but not finishing.  Maybe you start creating a new offering or writing a book but then set it aside, get distracted by something else, and never finish.
4. Committing to writing a blog post or newsletter on a specific schedule, but sending it only 30% of the time.
5. Setting goals but then only taking action in the first few weeks before letting them disappear from focus.
6. Spreading yourself too thin—taking on too many projects, opportunities, clients, or whatever—and never being able to fully give your best to any of them.
7. Constantly chasing the next new idea, guru or solution that shows up in your inbox, instead of completing and committing to the ones you’ve already taken on.
8. Creating a new program, product or service, but not fully marketing it.  Holding back on telling your clients and prospects that it exists.  And then deciding the program is a failure when it doesn’t sell out.

So why do we do it?  Why don’t we wholeheartedly give ourselves to our goals and our dreams?

Maybe it’s scary to imagine committing all of ourselves to what we want.  What if it doesn’t work? Or, what if it does?

Maybe it’s that we’ve learned, early in life, that giving 70% is enough.  We’ve gotten by and done well for ourselves on 70% power and so it’s a habit (this happens with smart people all the time.  Your 70% is pretty impressive, and so you learn to not go for 100%. After all, no one likes a show off!).  We’ve measured ourselves against someone else’s standard for what’s good enough, instead of our own.

Maybe we’re not really committed to what it is we say we want.  We want it only if it’s easy, simple, or doesn’t ask much of us. Or we think we want it because it’s what we SHOULD want, rather than the truth of what we want.

Maybe the power of having what we want…and of knowing what we’re capable of…is overwhelming.  Our full potential is a powerful thing.  And we question if we’re ready for us at ‘full power’…and are those around us ready?

Maybe we think we’re supposed to spread ourselves thin, take on too much and be able to participate in the collective conversation of “I’m just too busy!”

The answer is different for each of us.  And it’s a worthy question to explore.  Especially if you’re not getting the results you expected or desire.

So how about checking in today.  Am I all in?  Am I wholeheartedly going for it?  What would happen if I were?

Let’s hear from you. What insights did you get from Shawn’s article? What might be different in your business with a whole hearted approach? Please share a comment below.

Shawn Driscoll, known as “The Trailblazer’s Coach”, is fiercely committed to discovering what makes each business owner distinctive and supporting them in creating exclusive products and programs around that talent or ability. Her smart and level-headed style, coupled with a dash of sass, causes Shawn to be a sought after coach and business consultant to high-achieving entrepreneurs globally. In just 10 minutes you can pinpoint your own unique profit path and claim your place as a leading influencer. Do Shawn’s Trailblazer Quotient Assessment here.  

Taking even 30 or 60 minutes a week to comment on blog articles is a powerful way to increase your visibility to those blogs’ authors and readers.

You know the little box beside your comment? That’s a spot for your picture. It’s a called a gravatar.

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.

You have a better chance of being remembered your precious face is beside your comment. It makes people instantly connect with you and feel like they know you better.

I see many entrepreneurs missing out on this free, valuable online tool.

Gravatar, you ask?

According to gravatar’s website, “Your gravatar is an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things like comment or post on a blog. It helps identify your posts on blogs and web forums.”

This is an easy and free way to get visibility.

To create your own gravatar go to http://en.gravatar.com/site/signup and enter your email address. The site will walk you through the rest. You’ll need to upload a photo from your computer.

I suggest using the same photo you use for other social media outlets, like Twitter and Facebook. Make sure it’s a head shot so people can better see who you are.

It’s your turn. Take five minutes to get your own gravatar. Then, post the word “done” as a comment under this blog article to see your gravatar in action.

Guest post by Christine Marmoy

Have you ever heard or said this: ‘I’m loving my life, I work from home part-time so I get to enjoy more time with my kids and I don’t have to ask to take a day off’.

I hear that quite often. And my answer is almost always the same: ‘Fantastic, I’m happy for you, so what do you need me to help you with?’

And here comes the truth behind that wonderful statement: ‘Well, I’m exhausted, I work during the kids’ naps, or at night when they are sleeping.  I try to get as much done as I can, but it’s not really working as I had hoped.  There must be another way’.

And this is the scary truth for so many mother solopreneurs; they signed up for a part-time business when in actual fact, they’ve jumped into a ‘double-shift’ job!!!

The problem with this goes deeper than just the time issue; it affects your income as well. You see, when you feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done, when you feel guilty about working instead of playing with the kids, when you can’t enjoy any fun family time because your business is always there haunting you at the back of your mind, you are sending a powerful message to the Universe. 

You are simply telling it: ‘No more, I cannot handle any more clients, any more business, I am fully booked’. Before you know it, you start seeing less clients coming your way, it gets harder to attract new ones and what do you end up doing?  You work even harder and longer hours for less and less results!

So please do yourself a big favor and STOP right now!!!

Since what you’ve been doing up until today has brought you to exactly where you are right now, it is safe to say that to achieve a different result, you’d better do something else, right?

Set your expectations right from the start:

The first thing you need to do is to take a real hard look at your life! What kind of lifestyle do you want to maintain or develop? It’s about setting your expectations right from the start. To be honest with you, it took me a while to fully grasp the meaning of this. Of course I understood it intellectually and I thought I’d got it, but it turned out that I hadn’t.

This means that you have to decide how many real hours you can give to your business while having enough hours with your family. Here is a simple example: you may choose to work only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which would mean a total of 24 hours.

Knowing that, remember that you are the one to ensure that this schedule is respected by your clients (so don’t book any clients on a Friday just because it would be nice to get more money) and by your kids (don’t commit to anything on these days either….no trip to Grandma, no shopping, etc.).  

Now if you only have 24 hours a week to work on your business, how many clients can you handle? How much money could that represent? Everything must be aligned otherwise you’ll only set yourself up for disappointment or frustration.

Life is not a linear road:

As much as I’d love to tell you that I split my time 50/50 between my businesses and my kids, the truth is that it’s NOT possible. Life doesn’t work that way, even less with your business. So what can you do to ensure you don’t burn both ends of the candle at the same time? You need to understand that sometimes your business will take the front seat, and sometimes it will be your family.

This is the best way to maintain balance. When you are preparing for a Telesummit or a new program launch, you’ll be busier than usual; however, you can easily plan for some quality time with your family before and after such a big event. Include your family time, your ‘Me’ time, chores’ time in your calendar, so you don’t miss anything.  It will be a lot easier to plan accordingly and to avoid overwhelm.

Become a ‘bee’ fanatic:

Have you seen how a hive is organized? Even though you don’t need to reproduce a ‘Taylorism’ approach to your life, nonetheless, organization is a skill to master.

The key is to regain control where you can. You have complete control over how your business and your home are run. Get organized so you eliminate wasted, redundant time. Do you spend an hour every time you try to find something, a paper, an email or a contract? Do you run around the house every morning because you can’t find the youngest one’s shoes? (I’ve been there, remember!).

Simple organization tactics can make your life so much easier. Stress, overwhelm, frustration, the feeling of being lost, are direct consequences of a lack of organization.

Got help?

Where on earth did you read that you could do it all alone? Let me tell you, you can’t and you cannot convince me otherwise. If you want to be a Business ‘Superwoman’ fine, I love that title as well, but that doesn’t mean that a ‘Superwoman’ has to do everything. Here is my own definition of a Business Superwoman: ‘A woman who can achieve anything through systemization, automation and delegation’.  The Superwoman gets it done, it doesn’t mean she is the one doing it!

Here are a few tips to help you get going:

1. Hire a coach so you’ll learn the shortcuts and you’ll receive all the support you need from somebody who’s been there.
2. Document everything you do, write down all the steps, so you won’t have to reinvent the wheel each time.
3. Make technology your ally. Automate everything that you can, so you free up your time to focus on what really matters.
4. Identify where you need most help right now. It could be somebody to clean the house or pick up the kids from school on your working days.
5. Forget technology where you should: don’t try to fix your website, create your sales pages, or publish your articles. These are ‘delegation’ items. Why? Because it will take you more time to do them for far less results. Do like your clients do when they come to you…hire a professional!

Let me tell you that for me, everything is possible when we know how to get it. The examples above are very minimal, however don’t take my word for it, just give it a try.  You will be amazed to see how much your life can change when you apply a few tweaks. And if you are eager to learn how to run your business so it becomes as smooth as possible while increasing your income AND your free time, come and join me at www.coachingandsuccess.com/s/buildyourdreamteam.

What’s your takeaway from Christine’s article? Any light bulb moments?  Please share a comment below.

Christine Marmoy runs two successful online businesses while raising her four children. She has a true gift backed up by almost 20 years of experience; she knows how to build a Dream Team to facilitate Magnetic Marketing Strategies, so you can easily increase your income while keeping the life you want. To get you started join her community and access to a FREE 10 weeks E-course so you discover how to build your own team.