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Tonight
. . . as you are out and about with family and friends, take a moment
to pause, in gratitude and appreciation for all that came your way this
year.
Have a cool yule!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
If you think this is something your business would benefit from and you would like to be included in all future Inner Samurai Business Plan communications, please email me: susan at alkamae dot com. Include "ISBP" in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the email.
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Accepting that you can make a difference in the world is an extraordinary viewpoint.
- Notes from Your Inner Samurai
What's your viewpoint?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business ExpertAward-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
What's your definition of success?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
We’d
have a productive coaching session together, make a lot of headway
toward starting up her business, and then she would get nothing done
between sessions. Or, she would scramble to get something
finished minutes before our next meeting and send me an apologetic
email saying, “Sorry to get this to you so late. I just ran out of
time.”
Rebecca had all the best intentions. She also felt guilty about not getting things done and vowed she would get started—right after she baked cupcakes for her son, walked the dog, and picked up her husband's dry cleaning. Pretty soon, a week had gone by. And the very thing she was so excited about doing still sat, waiting.
After months had gone by, this thing that originally made her so energized had now become a “project.” Something that was hanging over her head. The joy of starting up her business, once so wonderful, had become a burden.
Does this sound like you? It used to sound like me, too. That was until I developed the Inner Samurai Priority System. This system acknowledges how important it is for business owners to be able to make decisions with complete confidence and get things done. The Inner Samurai Priority System is easy to use and highly effective.
How much time is there in one day?
There are 24 hours. That’s 1,440 minutes or 86,400 seconds. We all have
the same amount of time, so why is it that some people get a lot done
in their day while others do not?
It's because those who get a lot done understand that it's not about time. They know that it's about priorities. Specifically, about making yourself a top priority.
Right now, stop reading and take a self-priority check. How's your commitment to yourself?
Is it pretty balanced or a bit lopsided? Favored in your direction or another's direction?
Rebecca's relationship with herself was lopsided. She made sure she had everything done for everyone else first, before she took any time at all to work on her new business. She put her children’s and husband's needs before her own. She put household tasks before business tasks. She even put taking the family dog to the groomer ahead of taking care of herself.
Rebecca was always putting other people and their needs first. Her priority system was out of whack and heavily weighted in the direction of other people's needs. As a result, she wasn't getting much done for herself.
Rebecca was out of control of her time. Why? Because she had not made herself a top priority in her own life. In fact, Rebecca had made herself the last priority.
“Yeah … but,” I can still hear her saying, "You don’t understand. This thing and that thing happened this week."
Sure, life happens. But here's what Rebecca wasn't taking reasonability for: It wasn't about whatever came along and "took" her time; it was about what she'd been doing with the other 1,440 minutes of her day. “This and that” hadn't stolen her time. She had stolen time from herself because of whom and what she had set as her priorities. Because Rebecca had placed herself last on her own list, she was not in control of her time. Other people's wants and needs were.
This was hard for Rebecca to hear. Fortunately, hear me she did. Soon she was taking the steps that placed her higher up on her priority list. She put the Inner Samurai Priority System into action.
What the heck is the Inner Samurai Priority System?
Inner Samurai is a term I coined to describe the “inner voice.”
The Inner Samurai Priority System is one of the tools in the Inner
Samurai Way of Business I've developed. These tools are designed to
help the spiritually conscious businesswoman connect with her powerful
inner voice and make it the central guidance system compelling her
toward business success.
Everyone has an Inner Samurai. Inner because the voice resides deep within your being (to distinguish it from the voice inside your head). Samurai because of how powerfully it stands, fully knowing what's true for you, able to act on that knowing in every moment of every day.
If you are struggling with your business, getting in touch with your Inner Samurai will transform you into a powerful business owner able to operate in dynamic and powerful ways that are compatible with your deepest inner principals.
Step one: Identify your top two A-1 priorities each month.
Let’s
return to my coaching client, Rebecca, to see the Inner Samurai
Priority System at work. The first thing I did was ask Rebecca to
decide what her top two A-1 priorities would be for the month. She was
quick to respond, “Be a great mom to my kids and get my business plan
done.”
“Okay, great! Let’s get more specific. How would you like to be a great mom to your children this month?”
Rebecca thought for a moment and then said, “I’d be present, fresh, and there for them when they came home from school. I’d take them to the park to play on the weekend. I’d take them to swim lessons and stay there watching, without answering my cell phone. I’d be involved with their homework assignments, instead of just asking them if they’d gotten them done. I’d be fully present when I read them their bedtime stories and not skip any pages.”
Rebecca had a great list of things she would do with her children this month, given they were one of her top two priorities. Best yet, when she talked about the things she would do and how she would be, there was an inner strength and confidence in her voice. I could tell she was connected with her Inner Samurai Priority System. Nothing on her list felt like a should, ought, or must. Rebecca was energized and motivated from within.
“Rebecca, does it seem realistic that you will complete your business plan?”
“Yes!”
“How can you say yes so emphatically?”
“Because I only have two priorities this month!”
Bingo! That’s the key. Two priorities; one-month commitment.
That’s all. A one-month commitment to two priorities is achievable.
With only three remaining parts of her business plan to go, Rebecca
certainly could finish it in a month and still have plenty of time to
spend with her other priority—her children.
Step two: Stay on track and know what to do by asking this question.
Once
you've decided on your two A-1 priorities for the month, there's only
one question you need to ask yourself in order to stay focused and on
track: Does or doesn't this activity support my two A-1 priorities?
Let's return to Rebecca to see how she handled this step. She wondered, “What about the laundry?”
“Does getting the laundry done support or get in the way of either one of your priorities?” I asked Rebecca.
”Yes … No. I mean, I want my family to have clean clothes to wear. I can’t go all month without doing laundry!”
I chuckled, imagining a month’s worth of dirty t-shirts and socks waiting to be washed in stacks outside the laundry room. “Yes, of course, do the laundry. After—not before—you’ve attended to your top two priorities.” That's the key. Your two A-1 priorities come first, before anything else.
“Oh. So that would be the same for dishes, going shopping, and committees I’m serving on at school and church?”
“Yes. Being a great mom to your kids and getting your business plan done are your two A-1 priorities for this month. Let nothing and no one get in the way of them.”
At first, this was a difficult task for Rebecca. She was used to putting everyone else's priorities before her own. Therefore, changing to be in alignment with her Inner Samurai Priority System was a challenge. Yet, she persevered.
One week later, she reported that she had been successful at reorienting her day. She worked on her business plan while her children were at school and was present for them when they came home. She completed the one-year objectives section of the plan and reported feeling energized and optimistic.
When I asked her how she managed to stay focused, she said, “I kept asking myself that one question: Does or doesn’t this activity support my priority? The answer was immediately clear. Then all I had to do was take action in that direction.”
At the end of one month,
Rebecca completed her business plan. She was ecstatic! She also had
done every one of the things she said she wanted to do with and for her
children. She felt good about herself, her priorities, and all that she
had accomplished.
Moreover, Rebecca learned, not through reading a book but by direct application, that she was in control of her time—time was not in control of her. Best yet, she was able to take back control very simply yet powerfully. By assigning two A-1 priorities each month, she made herself a priority and became more aligned with her Inner Samurai Priority System.
Rebecca was no longer out of time.
Inner Samurai Business ExpertAward-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
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Enjoy!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
That is… until now.
As a small business owner, have you given any thought to what the tradition of gift giving can do for your business? With the countdown to Christmas underway, do you have a plan to utilize this festive holiday season to promote your business and maximize your success?
Well, here's an effective, easy-to-implement twelve-day plan that will guarantee you have something special to offer all month long.
1. On the first day of December - Get your story, idea, product, or service announcement out into the marketplace seven different ways, all at once.
Choose from these options to make a powerful impact:
2. On the second day of December - Use free classified ads to promote your business.
If
you have a knack for writing short ads, you will be able to increase
your site traffic by using free (or pretty darn cheap) classified ads.
Place ads where you know your target audience will see them.
3. On the third day of December – Write down your personal affirmation for the month.
The
goal here is to help you step back from the hustle and bustle of the
holiday season and stay focused on what's important to you.
4. On the fourth day of December - Introduce yourself to three potential referral sources.
A
nurturing referral relationship can be quite profitable. So think of
professionals who would be good referral sources for you. Then make
contact with them today.
5. On the fifth day of December - Add three success stories to your website.
You
already may have testimonials from your clients on your website. Now
create a space for their before-and-after success stories. Remember to
include a link back to their sites so everyone gets some love during
the holiday season.
6. On the sixth day of December - Add a tantalizing promotional "special" to your email signature space.
Put
a brief promotional line about the special product or service that you
are giving away (or offering at a reduced rate) this December.
7. On the seventh day of December - Write each of your clients and customers a personal, hand-written "thank you" card.
Thank
them for sticking with you through the 2009 recession. Be sure to
include a coupon they can use between now and the end of the year for a
special product or service.
8. On the eighth day of December - Offer a deal, such as “buy-one-get-one-free.” This will increase your sales!
9. On the ninth day of December - Follow up with all your 2009 leads who showed an interest in your product or service but didn't buy.
Call (don't email) them and see if they now have a need for anything you offer.
10. On the tenth day of December - Let your clients know about something big you'll either be doing or offering in 2010.
Here are some big ways to make an impact and get their attention:
11. On the eleventh day of December
- Take 10% of your profits and make a donation to a charity of your
choice. This one thing alone is sure to make your business merry.
12. On the twelfth day of December - Do something nice for you.
The countdown to Christmas is underway, and many people are shopping online this holiday season. As a smart small business owner, you need to offer special buying opportunities all month long. The list of "12 Things You Can Do to Make Your Business Merry" will help you do just that. Implement one idea each day.
You'll not only be promoting your business during this holiday season, you'll also be making certain it will be a success in the coming New Year.
Inner Samurai Business ExpertAward-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Failure is often the line of least persistence.
- Zig Ziglar
What needs your attention?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q: I would like to start my own business but with having bad credit I have not been able to get a loan. What should I do?
A: If you have bad credit, you already know how hard it is to get any kind of a loan, whether it is for a car, home, or small business start-up.
Therefore, if you have a terrific idea and bad credit, the key is to start small, use cash, and get creative on how you market (let people know about) your business.
Five Ways to Start-up Your Business with Bad Credit
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.
Inner Samurai Business ExpertAward-winning author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Journey to Business Success
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