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It's April 30th.
We're 4 months into the year. How are you doing with the goals you set at the beginning of 2010? Want your small business to be successful this year? Then it's time to be fierce about your goals and guard them with your time.
Welcome to the Inner Samurai Business Leadership Video series. In this 3-minute video you'll learn how to set goals that stick.
I saw this article written by my friend and colleague, Samantha Hartley of Enlightened Marketing and immediately thought how valuable it would be for you to read this hot business strategy!
Samantha is an expert on brand consulting and brand marketing strategy for small business, consultants, and entrepreneurs.To read her article in full, you can do so here: "What If Marketing Doesn't Work." Otherwise, here are Samanatha's 10 ways to ensure marketing success:
Ten Ways to Ensure Marketing Success
by Samantha Hartley
1. Test everything! It's helpful to think of marketing as an ongoing learning experience. You should test many different of strategies, tactics and messages. Plan time for reflection on your results.Thanks Samantha for this hot business strategy on marketing!
2. Set realistic intentions. Don't expect a 100% return on your Facebook invitation to a teleseminar. Every prospect who receives a free consultation may not hire you on the spot. You'll feel a lot of failure if your expectations are too high.
3. Stick to a plan. Marketing plans don't need to be complicated; that can lead to failure, too. Instead, select three to five things you'll do over the year and write detailed plans for them. Then, just do it. Don't get distracted by a bunch of new and different ideas. Focus on your simple plan and see what works.
4. Keep your plan alive by revising and updating it. It may sound like a contradiction to the previous point, but instead of constantly seeking new tactics, adapt and adjust your original ideas over the course of the year to make them work better. If you're networking, you can test new elevator speeches or venues.
You're likely to get better results by improving something that works rather than always trying new things. Of course, you should always test out new techniques, but be prepared - many will not work perfectly the first time.
5. Put in place ways to evaluate or measure the results. How will you know if they work or not? Try using tracking methods, like asking "Who may we thank for sending you to us?" or having a dedicated landing page (unique url).
6. Focus more on active than passive marketing techniques. I'll give you an example. Generally, response rates to phone calls (active) tend to be better than those to letters (passive). So, if you're planning a mailing to decision makers, follow it up with a phone call to each of them. It may seem like you'll face more rejection, but actually, you'll get better overall results.
7. Consistency is more important that quantity. Instead of being a member of every organization in town, join one and attend regularly. Likewise, you'll find you get better results from doing one marketing method monthly, excellently, than trying to do ten things haphazardly.
[Honestly, one thing is enough. For the first 15 years of my career I only used one technique, networking. It worked!]
8. Tell people what to do and why. Be sure to include the key ingredients in every marketing effort: a targeted message and a call to action.
9. Become a student of marketing. The more you know about marketing, the better you'll be able to test, improve and learn from your efforts. Read books on your favorite kinds of marketing, and ask business buddies about their experiences. One of my favorite questions at networking events is "How do you attract customers to your business?" I'm collecting marketing best practices while I network.
10. Get help from an expert! Sometimes the best way to learn something is to be guided step-by-step through a proven process. You can work in a supportive environment and ask questions while you apply and practice new skills. Learn more step-by-step approaches on the teleseminar, "Branding for Infogurus: Get a brand. Get known. Get clients!"
Susan L. Reid Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Patience and fortitude conquer all things.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Keep the good faith!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
As a spiritually empowered woman entrepreneur, have you ever wondered about how to ask your Inner Samurai a question? And what to listen for?
Well, the first thing to know is that your Inner Samurai will always answer you. However, you do need to know what to listen for, because the difference between how the voice inside your head answers you and the way your wise inner voice -- your Inner Samurai -- answers you is the difference between night and day.
First... how to ask your Inner Samurai a question.
The best way is to frame a question in this manner, "Is this (what ever you want to know about) in my highest good and greatest well-being right now." Since your Inner Samurai only exists in the now, this type of question is the perfect way to get in touch with your Inner Samurai response. Asking questions in the future will get you a response from the voice inside your head. So stay in the now with how you frame your questions.Second... listen for the pulse from within.
Unlike the voice inside your head, which will rationalize, explain, convince, cajole, criticize, and chew on things over and over, your Inner Samurai voice will simply pulse "yes" or "no." That's it. No chatter. No erudite reasoning. No verbose discourse.Just an inner pulse of "yes" or "no."
Here's how it works:
Ask: "Is it in my highest good and greatest well-being to pursue this career, right now?"
Listen or feel for the pulse. Did you get a "yes" or "no?"
Ask: "Is it in my highest good and greatest well-being to take that job offer, right now?"
Listen or feel for your Inner Samurai pulse. What did you get?
Ask: "Is what I am currently doing for a living in my highest good and greatest well-being, right now."
What was your Inner Samurai pulse on that one? Good question, isn't it, for all you would be Accidental Pren-hers!
Have fun with all this and... happy listening!
Susan L. Reid
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
worksheet templates that are a joy to complete.
Get your Turn Your Business Dreams in Reality Toolkit now!
Enjoy!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Known by many names, it has been called the voice within, the inner
knower, God Self, Soul, God Within, and Spirit, to name a few.
When I was younger, I used to call it “my still small voice.” Then, when I was in my 30s, “the voice within.” In my 40s, it became “my inner knower,” and now it is “my Inner Samurai.”
I began calling it my Inner Samurai when I realized how strong, vast, and powerful my inner voice is. Inner because the voice is deep within my being (to distinguish it from the voice inside my head) and Samurai because of how strong and powerful it is. Inner Samurais can move mountains, leap over tall buildings in a single bound, and stop charging wildebeests in their tracks. One of my clients calls her Inner Samurai her Inner Super Woman. I like that!
No matter what you call it, everyone has an inner voice. It is that part of you that is the repository of all your life experiences and all your hopes and dreams. Alchemized over the years from lead into pure gold, your Inner Samurai is your greatest source of strength and knowing. It is the seat of your wisdom. It is also the place of your extraordinary uniqueness.
What do you call your inner voice?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
This hot business strategy comes from Guy Kawasaki. This article originally appeared in American Express Open Forum, and I thought the tips were so hot, I thought I'd share them with you. You can click on this link to read "Ten Ways for Small Businesses to Use LinkedIn" in full.
Here are his 10 tips:
1. Acquire new customers through online recommendations and word of mouth. Satisfied customers are the best source of new customers. Increase your word of mouth referrals by asking your happy clients to write you a recommendation, which will be published on your LinkedIn profile and will be broadcast to their entire LinkedIn network.
2. Keep in touch with people who care most about your business. Sites like LinkedIn help keep your business alive in the minds of the people who care most about your business. LinkedIn is effective for two reasons: the business intent of LinkedIn users and fewer status updates, which mean you stay on top of mind. Tip: You can also increase the impact of your status updates by syncing your LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
3. Find the right vendors to outsource services you’re not an expert on. Think of the number of times you’ve asked your colleagues if they knew of a great web designer or photographer. LinkedIn makes it easy for you to find and vet vendors through the network of your peers. Additionally, you can also trade services with your vendor connections on LinkedIn; sort of a mutual referral system.
4. Build your industry network—online and in person. Search LinkedIn’s Groups directory to find industry associations and networks to take part in. For example, if you’re in the event planning or wedding industry, there are over 530 groups. In addition, LinkedIn also surfaces popular events in your industry calling out local events that your connections are attending. Imagine being able to find only industry events that your prospective clients are attending.
5. Get answers to tough business questions with a little help from your real friends. Small business owners deal with challenging questions on a slew of topics each day. LinkedIn Answers and Groups let you find answers to those vexing questions quickly by tapping into the wisdom of your network (LinkedIn tells me there are over 200 different categories on Answers including one dedicated just to small business and over 2000 groups on small business related topics). Wondering whether your recent office purchase is tax deductible? Check out hundreds of questions on related topics here.
6. Win new business by answering questions in your area of expertise. Use the many forums on LinkedIn to share the knowledge you’ve gained in your area of expertise. This is a great opportunity to win new business or at least find prospective clients to pitch your business to. Prospective customers will find your answers when they use LinkedIn’s advanced Answers search. And don’t forget, what goes around comes around. Don’t forget, this is a great way to soft pitch your skills and expertise.
7. Raise funding. You can use LinkedIn to find mentors or potential investors for your startup because there are over three million startup professionals and over 12M small business professionals on LinkedIn and it’s always good to stay in touch with folks who’ve been there, done that and willing to mentor you. Once you’re connected, your participation on LinkedIn (answers, status updates or group conversations) may even cause them to consider investing in your small business.
8. Network with peers in your industry for repeat business referrals. LinkedIn Groups is a powerful medium to find peers in your respective industries to network with and to find complimentary businesses to share referrals with. For example, mortgage brokers can find real estate agents to partner with on relevant groups and as most small businesses know, these partners are your best source of referrals that can turn into repeat business. With over 2000 groups dedicated to small business topics, you’re sure to find a relevant group to network.
9. Convince potential customers of your expertise by sharing unique blog content. Small businesses smart enough to create unique content on their expertise (either with a blog or twitter account) should link to it from their LinkedIn profiles. Or take it one step further by promoting featured blog content to LinkedIn members on the site (for e.g. with small text ads). You can specify exactly who will see your ads—Executives or VPs—and include a link to your profile so they know who’s behind this content.10. Keep your friends close and your competition closer. Over 150,000 companies have a company profile on LinkedIn, the “public profile” for companies. These pages surface key stats on companies; recent hires as well movers and shakers. Not only do company profiles give you unique insight into your competition, they also give you an opportunity to stumble upon potential hires by browsing through company pages.
Enjoy using these tips from Guy. I know I will!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Let the beauty of who you are, be what you do.
- Rumi
Ah... good reminder!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
As a woman entrepreneur, I've made my share of mistakes in business. And, as a business coach and author of Discovering Your Inner Samurai, a book about women's business success, I've thought a lot about the common mistakes that women make in business.
Here are my top five.
1. Letting them see you sweat.
Too many times I've seen women, when they aren't feeling confident about themselves or their abilities, disclose their lack of confidence. They do this by peppering their clients and colleagues with lots of questions before they delve into a project, hedging when it comes to making a commitment, as well as breaking eye contact and fidgeting.
Showing lack of confidence, either by word or action, is a self-defeating behavior. Never let them see you sweat! Say yes. Then figure out how to deliver.
2. Displaying negative emotions.
Displaying anger, bitterness, or spite is never attractive. Turning into the victim or martyr when things don't go your way by whining, complaining, or blaming is counterproductive. Don't defend yourself, argue, or yell at your clients or colleagues. And, for heaven's sake, don't cry!
You can deal with every challenge in business without being negative. Instead, take action. Offer a solution.
3. Making excuses.
Women seem to think that, if they explain why they didn't return a call, answer an email, show up on time, or meet a deadline, everyone will understand and it will be okay. Not so.
Excuses say that what you were doing was more important than what someone else wanted you to do. An explanation means you are asking permission to be excused for what you did not do.
Instead, be impeccable with your word. Do as you say.
4. Being bitchy.
Take your cue from Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer: Stay calm and assertive. You do not have to be tough or come across aggressively in business. Instead, stay calm, be assertive, and develop a cooperative model when dealing with others.
5. Making decisions from a “lack mentality.”
Too many women have a mindset of scarcity when it comes to their businesses. They believe they lack time, money is scarce, and there aren’t enough customers. They don’t understand that near-term lack infects long-term prosperity. Therefore, make decisions for your business based on the far-term vision of expansion and growth.
What's the biggest mistake that you see women entrepreneurs make?
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
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
worksheet templates that are a joy to complete.
Get your Turn Your Business Dreams in Reality Toolkit now!
Enjoy!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. It's tax time, and she wanted to know what small business tax books I'd recommend for her to read.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q: "I need help with my taxes. Do you have any books you'd recommend to help me figure out my home-office deductions?
A: This is a great question and very important consideration at tax time.
Here is a short list of books I've read and currently have on my bookshelf. They are very helpful to me, both in the daily operation of my business and for future planning. The last book is the one I take with me when I go visit my CPA:
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
I hadn't read this book in ages! So it was with great anticipation that I opened the pages, preparing to settle in for a good read... and hopefully to fall asleep.
Right from the start, I was galvanized awake:
On glancing over my notes of the seventy odd cases in which I have during the last eight years studied the methods of my friend Sherlock Holmes, I find many tragic, some comic, a large number merely strange, but none commonplace; for, working as he did rather for the love of his art than for the acquirement of wealth, he refused to associate himself with any investigation which did not tend towards the unusual, and even the fantastic.
Holmes actively sought out the unusual, even the fantastic and unusual cases that other investigators did not want. And he did it all for the love of his art. Now that's a hot business strategy that more entrepreneurial women, including myself, need to adopt!
This week's hot business strategy is to seek out fantastic and unusual clients, offering them unusual and original products or services that provide solutions for their yet unsolved and most vexing problems. Now that's niche marketing at its best!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Inner Samurai Business thought for the week:
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
- Buddha
That's right!
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
Have
you ever wondered what the distinguishing characteristics are of women
entrepreneurs? What sets them apart from regular women who go to work
and have a job?
Fortunately, psychologists, sociologists, and historians have been studying the behavior characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs for long enough to have come up with a composite list of there attributes and characteristics.
Here they are! See how many of them you have.
Top 10 Characteristics of Women Entrepreneurs
- You have a strong desire for autonomy, to be your own boss, and live life on your own terms.
- You are an independent self-starter, not needing or wanting others to tell you what to do.
- You have a powerful drive to make money and accumulate wealth.
- You are a calculated risk-taker with a higher-than-normal tolerance for failure and consider failure a non-issue.
- You like to be in control and call the shots.
- You are highly self-motivated and are indefatigably fearless when it comes to getting the job done.
- You had childhood experiences as a budding entrepreneur and/or entrepreneurial parents, grand parents, or relatives.
- You have a high level of energy that is sustainable over a long period of time.
- You are creative and innovative, a strong decision maker, and able to think quickly on your feet, and set things in motion.
- You are a big-picture thinker capable of seeing how everything relates to each other.
So, how many of the characteristics did you resonate with?
Susan L. Reid
The original Accidental Pren-her™
Today . . . I am thinking about this question that came in from one of our readers. She is just starting up her business and wants to know what the different business entities are and how to decide what business entity is best for her.
If you have a small business question that you'd like for me to answer, let me know.
Q: "How do I decide which business entity is best for me?"
A: This is a great question and very important consideration for both small business owners just starting up and those wishing to expand.
Here is a brief overview of the seven main business entities available in the U.S.:
When determining what's best for you and your business, consider the following:
For example:
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.
Susan L. Reid
Inner Samurai Business Expert
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