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Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.
- Albert Einstein
What opportunity is just waiting to be seen?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Just want to state up front that this in not an original thought.
My friend Carolyn stayed at The Maverick Inn a couple of weeks ago and sent me their manifesto. I loved it so much, I adapted it for the woman entrepreneur.
See what you think:
Don't you just love it?
Adapted from The Maverick Inn. Check 'em out if you're ever in Alpine, TX.
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Are you a small business owner, party-of-one, thinking about taking your business to the next level? The next step is easier than you think.
Here's our latest 4-minute "how-to" video to show you how!
Here's the difference in a nutshell:
Women like to buy in before they buy. Men do too. Men, however, will more likely buy into the value of the product before they buy. Women are more likely to buy into the seller. This is a key difference between marketing to men and marketing to women.
Here's the story:
The other day at Lowe’s, I was pricing out sliding glass doors for the four-season room on the back of my house. One of the door panels had become damaged during a recent hailstorm when a limb broke and crashed into the window. When I arrived in the door department, the sales person was helping a couple with some questions they had. This gave me plenty of time to observe different buying styles in action.
The sales associate was doing a great job answering their questions. Together, he and the husband were talking about the energy efficiency of high-performance glazing. Was it better to go with dual glazing or double-paned glass with low emissivity coating? The husband ran his hands over the vinyl cladding around the outside of the door and asked about the practicality of top-mounted insect screens. There was a lot of verbal interaction as the husband sized up the product and relative value of the product in relation to the price listed.
The wife stood quietly nearby. She was not disinterested, mind you. She was just sizing up the product in a different way. She was watching the sales associate. She was deciding whether to buy into him and what he was saying. So, she asked another type of question, “What do you think about the sliding glass doors that have the curable vinyl cladding on the outside and the warmth of wood on the inside?” Note that she asked, “What do you think?” Asking a specific question about the product was just the vehicle for her to find out more about the sales associate’s ideas, thoughts, and information. In short, about him.
When she spoke, she looked him straight in his eyes. While he referenced the sliding glass door by looking at it when he answered her, she barely gave the door a glance. She had already evaluated the product. Plus, she could tell from her husband’s questions and responses that he was already considering the purchase. She wanted to know if she could trust the sales associate. Her body language and type of question was indicative of someone who is considering buying into a person. Pam’s statement of people buy us, and then they buy what we have to offer rang true. This was so obvious in the buying styles of this husband and wife. The husband was considering the value of the product. The wife was considering the trustability of the salesperson.
They also did my work for me. When the salesperson asked if he could help me, I said, “No thanks. I just need a couple of prices so I can comparison shop.” Then I turned to the couple and said, “Thank you! You guys were great!” They looked at each other, puzzled. They had no way of knowing that they’d just given me the perfect example of the difference in marketing to men and women.
What do you think? What's been your experience? Do you think women buy in more then men?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Several years ago, I began keeping a "tips for success" list. Not the usual kind of list from famous people who have been successful. Rather, a list of success tips from ordinary, every day people who have worked hard and become successful in their life and business.
Who are these people? My former clients.
I thought you might enjoy reading some of the gems from my client's success tips list:
So what do you think about these tips?
If you were going to add a tip or two of you own, what would you say?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Your Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
How long will it take my start up to make a profit?
As a small business start-up expert, that's the question I most frequently get asked.
How long does it take once you've launched your business to the world for you to see a profit? Even a little profit?
The traditional answer is: you probably won't see sustainable profit for five years.
The optimistic answer is: it takes between 2-3 years to see sustained growth profit.
For most women entrepreneurs starting up a business, the answer lies somewhere in between. And the following three points are important to keep in mind:
Several years ago, Entrepreneur Magazine put forth their business
start up timeline and wrote an informative five-part series that is well
worth the read. Charting Your Business Timeline offers women entrepreneurs both a general overview of the the life of a
new business and helpful tools to ensure its success.
Entrepreneur Magazine's Guide to Business Timeline
Where are you in your business timeline? Did it take you longer or shorter to create a sustainable profit than you originally thought? What were some of your keys to making that happen? Leave a comment and let us know!
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Are you a small business owner, party-of-one, thinking about taking your business to the next level? The next step is easier than you think.
Here's our latest 4-minute "how-to" video to show you how!
Second - The "Turn Your Business Dreams Into Reality Video Toolkit" walks you through the practical steps of:
Best yet? It's absolutely fr*ee!
Our Turn
Your Business Dreams in Reality Toolkit combines both the
energetic alignment and practical know-how:
in language that is easy to comprehend and understand,
with videos that are fun and entertaining, and
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Enjoy!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Recently, I did an informal survey of 250 women entrepreneurs asking them this question, "What's the number one thing you do to boost your productivity?"
Listed in David Letterman "Top Ten" order, here are the top ten ways women entrepreneurs boost productivity:
Write out your "to do" list the night before.
10. Write our your "to do" list the night before.
Don't wait until morning to make your list. Write your list the night before. Allow the process to percolate while you sleep. Then, when you awake it's as if you've had a 12-hour head start on your day.
9. Prioritize your daily list using the ABCD and E method.
A = must do
B = should do
C = would be nice to do
D = delegate
E = eliminate
8. Wake up early and get off to a good start.
Have an established morning routine and wake up early to set the tone for your day and allow you to get into the swing of things at an unhurried pace. Establish a morning routine that is of greatest benefit to you, not just to your family.
7. Delegate everything possible.
If it isn't directly making you money, delegate it to someone else. Turn over data entry tasks, packing and shipping, and answering non-essential emails and calls to a competent administrative professional. Not sure if you should turn something over? Ask yourself, "Can this task be done by someone else, or does it need my direct attention?" As an entrepreneur, your job is to concentrate on what is of most value to you and your business success, not errands.
6. Know your energy peaks and valleys.
You are in control of your business. You get to say when, you get to say how, and you get to say how long. As an entrepreneur, you aren't locked into a 9 to 5 workday. You can start work at the crack of dawn. Go to the gym in the afternoon. Outline a new product idea in the evening. Schedule activities, family time, and personal quiet time around the natural ebb and flow of your energy peaks and valleys.
5. Find a way to love what you do.
If you love what you do then you are more apt to be productive because you are fully engaged. No matter what you're doing, find a way to love doing it.
4. If in doubt, throw it out.
Make liberal use of your waste can. Regularly go through files and throw out or shred outdated or no longer relevant material. There is no need to save everything "just in case" you'll need it later. Trust that if you throw something out today and you need it in the future, you'll be able to get your hands on it again.
3. Break up projects into tasks.
If you have something on your "to do" list that's been there for a long time, realize that it's probably not a task. It's a project. "To do" lists are for tasks. When you put a project on your list, you'll feel bogged down and productivity will slow. Many of the women entrepreneur's surveyed use business strategist Brian Tracy's method for breaking up projects into easy to do tasks:
• First, list the finished result you want.
• Next, map out every single step of the project.
• Then, put the steps into order, moving the important steps to the front.
• Now, delegate tasks and assign responsibilities.
• Lastly, track the progress of the project.
2. Give 80% of your attention to what is important and 20% to what is urgent.
As an entrepreneur, your job is to discern the difference between what's important and what's urgent. To figure out the difference between the two ask yourself, "Will focusing on this move my business forward and make me money, or will I be just putting out fires?" Dealing with the urgent all day is draining. Dealing with the important in energizing. Want to increase productivity? Make sure you're giving 80% of your time and attention to what's important each day.
1. Focus on one thing at a time.
The number one thing women entrepreneurs do to boost productivity is . . . focus on one thing at a time. Although women are known to be exceptional multi-taskers, those surveyed said they were able to get more done when they focused on one thing at a time. Starting and stopping in the middle of things was frustrating for them and meant that not much was completed at day's end.
Tip: If focusing on one thing at a time is challenging to you, have a pen and paper nearby. That way, it something pops into your head, just write it down the get right back to your task at hand.
What's the number one thing you do to boost your productivity?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Your Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Where are you headed?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
The problem with talking about financial freedom is that many people believe having lots of money is the answer to all
problems. If the spiritually conscious woman holds this belief when
starting up a business, it actually can work against her. In fact, it
can even lead to the downfall of her business.
To prevent that from happening,follow these five steps to take the focus off the quest for financial
freedom and put it where it belongs: onto the passionate cause that
needs to be at the center of your business.
Step One: Take out a piece of paper and write this question at the top of the page: What cause or causes am I already passionate about?
Then start listing all the causes that bubble up from within you. Don't think too hard about them. Just allow them to arise and be known.
Step Two: To the right of each of your causes, put a number between one and ten that indicates your degree of passion for each. One would be a cause you're mildly excited about. Ten would be a cause you're wildly passionate about.
Step Three: To the left of each cause, put a number between zero and ten that indicates your level of resistance to starting up a business with this cause at its core. Zero would be very little resistance. Ten would be a lot.
Step Four: Narrow down your list to the one main cause that is both high in passion and low in resistance. Ideally, you're looking for a degree of passion of nine or ten and a resistance level of three or below. Circle the cause or causes that fall within these parameters.
If you have more than one cause circled, then take a moment to center yourself and feel into each cause. Listen inwardly for something that will make one cause stand out from the others.
Step Five: Draw a circle in the middle of your paper and place the number one cause at the center. Now draw spokes radiating outward from the core and brainstorm a list of products and services you are excited about offering that will tantalize all the money in the world toward your cause. Notice that I didn't say, to you or to your business.
Your products and services are what will entice
the flow of money to your cause, not your slick marketing strategy,
fancy product packaging, or snazzy website. Yes, all those things are
important. However, without your cause at the core of your business
generating a magnetic vortex through which money flows, fancy product
packaging and a snazzy website will not be enough.
What cause are you putting at the center of your business?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Are you a small business owner, party-of-one, thinking about taking your business to the next level? The next step is easier than you think.
Here's our latest 4-minute "how-to" video to show you how!
Have you given much thought to your business card lately? When was the last time you updated it? If it's been awhile, it might not be working as hard for you as it could.
Your business card is prime marketing real estate. And, as you know, marketing is all about making connections and building relationships. Therefore, it only makes sense to use all the real estate - front and back - on your card to let people know who you are and how your product or services can help them.
Here are five attention getting items to put on the back of your business card:
Here are five creative business card ideas sure to make an impact:
Lastly, business cards are not just for business settings. Leave one at restaurants with the tip, include a few with your bill payments, and put them in your notes to clients.
Have them with you at all times and leave them everywhere!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Your Inner Samurai Business thought for the day:
For whereas the mind works in possibilities, the intuition works in actualities, and what you intuitively desire, that is possible to you. Whereas what you mentally or "consciously" desire is nine times out of ten impossible; hitch your wagon to a star, or you will just stay where you are.
— D H Lawrence
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one
of our readers. She is a businesswoman exploring the possibility of becoming an author.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q #1: "As an author yourself, what tips would you give other businesswomen aspiring to be authors?"
A: Wow, what a great question!
Here are my top 7 tips for aspiring authors:
All the best, and keep writing! If I can do it, so can you!
Do you have any other suggestions? If so, leave a comment and let us know. And, if you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
If you've been having difficulty finding all those millions, nay billions, of Federal grant money dollars that are out there; join the crowd.
Tens of thousands of women search the Internet each month looking for small business grant money to start up their business, and tens of thousands of women give up feeling frustrated, disheartened, and baffled by all the scam sites promising money leading to nowhere.
The fact is: It's not there. At least not like it used to be.
During Lyndon Johnson’s presidency (1963-1969), grant money was plentiful. However, successive administrations and congresses re-grouped, re-categorized, and generally limited and restricted the monies and organizations that were eligible for grants. Currently, the few grants that are available to small business start-ups are for highly specialized fields and minorities.
Don’t give up hope, though! All is not lost.
Funding opportunities for women starting up small businesses do exist. Here are eight places to go an strategies for finding small business start-up money:
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one
of our readers about how to get grants for starting up her business:
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q: "Where can I go to find information on how to go about getting a grant for my small business?"
A: Here are my favorite two place with specific sub-pages that you'll find helpful:
1. About.com: small business grants from states - This site gives a link to each state's economic development agency. Also check out:
2. Startup Nation - Nice, clean, easy to follow and understand website for small businesses starting up.
That's it!
Do you have any other suggestions? If so, leave a comment and let us know. And, if you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Award-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Inner Samurai Quotation of the Day
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
~ Aristotle
Grants for women starting up businesses in America are hard to come by, especially if you don't know where to look.
If you've been searching for small business grant money and had difficult finding any, or thrown up your hands in frustration because of all the scam sites promising money that lead to nowhere, don't give up yet!
Funding opportunities for women small business owners do exist.
Here are seven of them:
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