Crippled by Fear. What are You Going to Do With It?

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As an entrepreneur and small business owner, fear can paralyze you. It can stop you in your tracks. Will you let it? Or will you find a way to leverage that fear, resulting in more success and bigger impact?

Sure, I get it. We’ve been there, believe me. Sometimes the uncertainty of owning your own business can eat you alive. This was especially hard for my husband, who had just started an architectural business with my help. His perception of a steady paycheck vis a vis erratic payments from clients resulted in half-hearted attempts to grow his business.

Because the fear ruled him. He was not committed to success. He was committed to safety.

One night I helped him make the decision once and for all. I created a chart on a blank piece of paper. One side it said “owning your own business” with pros and cons below it. The next column said “being an employee” with pros and cons below it.

He started brainstorming the pros and cons of both scenarios. We laid it all out, he looked at the chart, and then I asked him, what side do you want to be on?

He chose to keep owning his own business.

From that time on, he worked on his fear. He stopped letting it control him. He stretched himself. When new and strange projects came up, he worked on them anyway, even though his inclination was not to try because he was afraid he’d fail.

As time has gone by, he stretches himself more and more. He has grown in confidence and now he is productive full-time. We are actively seeking new clients, new opportunities. Every once in awhile he looks back wistfully to when he had a job, but then I remind him that he is earning more money on his own than he could ever be paid as an employee.

He made a choice to use that fear to reach for his dreams. It’s not easy and sometimes he slips back into the afraid mode. But he keeps going.

What are you going to choose to do? Will you let fear overcome you or will you use that fear to make a final commitment to making your business wildly successful? Will you decide today to create a sizzling brand and dazzling future?

If you are ready, please take my free course that will get you started in creating a wildly successful business. Click here now to take it. What do you have to lose? Fear itself?

Picture credit: Ball And Chain© Johanna Goodyear | Dreamstime Stock Photos

What Do You Do When You’re in a Valley?

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So if we could, we all would live on a mountaintop, right? We would always have enough. Actually, more than enough. More clients. More products sold. More services sold. More revenues.

But life is full of ups and downs. And business is no exception. What can we do when we experience valleys in our business?

Here’s a few ideas to help:

1) Adjust your mindset

A scarcity mindset will trip you up. It will lead you to be not only in a valley, but in an endless sink hole. Get rid of those poverty emotions!

For instance, the other day I found that my husband was wearing a ragged shirt. I made him get rid of it. Hanging on to rags just perpetuates the cycle. I’m going through my clothes item by item and when I find a whole or tear I am throwing it away. I do this in full confidence that God is going to provide. I rely on Matthew 6 that says that He clothes the lilies of the field. He will clothe me, too! He will take my rags and turn them into riches! So I act in faith and let broken things go.

2) Discipline yourself to not spend

I can’t tell you how many times we ran out of money before the month was over. We would wonder how we were going to make it. Whether or not the lights would be on. Whether we would have the money for groceries or gas.

But each time, God provided. Sure, we had to “tighten our belts” but this discipline was actually good for us. We learned that, like Paul in the Bible, we could be content whether we had much or little. I became very adept at not spending unless I absolutely had to.

3) Move forward in faith

Sometimes the stress of being in a valley is so overwhelming that you don’t know what to do. Just do the next thing. One little step at a time.

Is there a thought nagging you that you need to do? Just do it! Are you procrastinating on something because you are afraid you will fail or that it’s too difficult? Just set a timer for 15 minutes and work on it!

Make that phone call, send that email, or write that article that will move you forward.

Being in this valley is not forever. You will climb out. It may be the climb of your life. But in the process, you are exercising your faith. Faith is what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. You are becoming more strong. You are becoming mature.

And that will empower you to help more people. To make a bigger impact.

4) Work toward having multiple streams of income

Think about different ways you can bring in money. For instance, if you sell a health product, think about how you can become a coach. Develop informational products.

For my husband’s architectural business, he is working on blueprint plans he can sell so he is not trading hours for dollars and this will be another stream of income for us, especially in those times when the construction business goes through dry times. My business is crucial, too, in this so we have several income streams.

5) Create a savings account for the valley times

This seems obvious but if you are living payment to payment like we did for a long time, this is often hard to do. Start saving up until you have at least one month’s expenses set aside.

And that will mean your brand sizzles and your future dazzles!

Photo by Sam Beasley

3 Mindsets that Kill Your Business

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LootYou may have heard the sobering statistic that more businesses are failing than are starting. So how can you, as a business owner, avoid becoming this statistic? Here are three mindsets that will hasten your failure and are to be avoided:

1. Looking for a quick fix or magic wand

Our society truly deserves the nickname, “Microwave Generation.” We expect results and we expect them right now and if we don’t get them immediately, we want to quit.

But owning a business involves a process. It is a journey and it takes perseverance. There will be many ups and downs, and sometimes more downs than ups. But looking for that magic wand or quick fix or magic pill is not going to solve your problems. This thinking leads to short-sightedness and makes you reactionary, impatient, and lacking in vision.

I think of a great example in Napolean Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. In this classic book, Mr. Hill describes a miner who gave up too soon in his quest for gold. He quit and sold it to an investor and that investor became rich because the vein the original miner found was very close! The miner quit too soon!

Looking for that quick fix or magic wand only leads to disillusionment which leads to quitting!

2. Believing that you know it all

As a business owner, you can’t know everything. Nobody expects you to know everything. If you think you know everything and can do everything yourself, you are headed for real trouble.

This example is so perfectly illustrated in one of my favorite books, Seventeen Against a Dealer by Cynthia Voight. Her character, Dicey, is so consumed with making boats that she doesn’t ask for any advice, doesn’t get any training or education, but plows ahead because she thinks she is supposed to know everything about building boats. Her business fails as a result.

Learning how to delegate is an important characteristic of successful business owners. Trying to do it all yourself leads to burnout and business failure.

3. What you have to share is not worth it

If you don’t think your target market will value your product or service, they won’t. If you don’t see the value in it, how will anyone else see the value in it?

It’s so easy to undermine what you offer due to lack of confidence or belief in yourself. That communicates a message to your prospect which will repel them. This will result in poor sales.

I did that for many years. I didn’t think that what I had to share about branding was worthwhile. Then I realized it was because I lacked self-confidence and didn’t believe in myself. It almost killed my business!

Don’t let these three attitudes lead to you becoming an unfortunate statistic! Rid yourselves of these mindsets now!

Would you like to learn how you can overcome these mindsets and others and how you can increase your profits as a result? Listen to my free podcast by clicking here now!

Loot © Dana Rothstein | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Tammie discovered her Brand Identity. Would you like to find yours?

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A Note from Dana

So I kind of disappeared for awhile. So many responsibilities I’m trying to handle at once! But until now this blog was my last priority because frankly I wasn’t sure how it all fit into the big picture of my business.

But it’s becoming more clear to me now. And also what’s become clear is I can’t do it all by myself. That’s why I’m excited to announce that I have a new team member, Tammie Polk. Below please find an important note from her:

 

I discovered my Brand Identity. Would you like to find yours?

 

image-15It was February 2013. I was headed back to work after being on maternity leave for 12 weeks. I knew I didn’t want to be there. I knew that we could’ve made it for at least six months with our income tax refund. I had to do something! When the email came out asking for those who wanted to leave at the end of the year (I worked at a school), I was the first person to respond! It was then that I told myself that it was time!
But, I changed my mind. I started another job in August that offered more flexibility. I said to myself, “Okay. I can make this work.” And then, my husband got a promotion that caused me to have to let that job go. We were a one-car family and that wasn’t going to work out. I was stuck! I needed to do something, so I turned to the Internet for help.
Months later, I met Dana. I’d already established my business to a degree, but it wasn’t sparkling like she was talking about. Something was missing. She reached out to me and told me about Brand Identity Quest, which I was hesitant about at first. Like many others, I looked at the price. Even with the monthly payments, I was like, “I don’t know.”

Then I saw the 7 Day free trial and all of the bonuses—videos, teleseminars, support being a click away, valuable resources—and it made me think.

 

All of a sudden, 3 payments of $27 really didn’t look that bad. Dana challenged me to invest in myself. She told me how important that was to do, so I did! I had to. Why?
I found myself wanting to give up on what I started. I was ready to quit. I was about to close my business, pay the taxes I owed, and wait for a better time. Then, I had my strategy session with Dana. The roadmap she gave me not only brought me down off the ledge, it helped me to strengthen my business, start writing again, and led to me starting a second business with her support still at my side.

 

ttmcfinallogosmallI found my Brand Identity through Dana’s Quest. Choice Home Education Consulting and Tammie Terrell Mompreneur Coaching exist today because I saw that, for the price of a night out with my family of five, I could have that sparkling future that she talked about. From One King’s Daughter to Another and The Virtuous Business Woman—my book projects—exist today because I worked through the thought-provoking, engaging, and challenging lessons I found in Brand Identity Quest—TWICE! Plus, the additional investment of Dana’s coaching time was well worth it, including the design of one of my logos.

Now, I’m challenging you! Dana only has 1 bonus left that includes three FREE STRATEGY SESSIONS.This is a $197 value as after this slot is filled, she will be re-packaging the program and raising her prices.

How frustrated are you in your business endeavors right now? How much better do you want things to be? Do you believe in yourself and what you’re doing enough to invest in it? What is your business and happiness worth to you? How long are you going to sit here and stare at this email?
Are you ready to take this plunge into discovering your Brand Identity? If so, click here now to register into the program and claim your 3 free strategy sessions!

The journey of a lifetime begins with a first step! Will you take it?

Building a Strong Brand–What to Include in Your Brand to Make It Sizzle!

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calloutquote1Something all business owners need to know is what to include in their branding images. A strategic approach to this will result in more effective ones. And that will lead to more profits!

So what is an effective brand? How do you build a strong brand?

An effective brand reflects accurately who you are and what you do. It includes a well-constructed logo. This logo includes components that enhance the overall message you are trying to communicate with your brand. An effective logo is designed professionally with balance, composition, and most of all, appeal to the audience it attends to reach.

Can I show you an example of some of the components to include in your brand?

Here are some ideas to include in your branding:

  • Your identity (Business) name
  • Image/symbol
  • Slogan or tag line
  • Your personal photo
  • Your name (if you use a descriptive name for your company)

Now you might be surprised that included a photo of yourself and your name. Why do I suggest that?

Because including a photograph of yourself and your name is extremely important in this Internet age. Marketing these days is all about building relationships. Actually, marketing has ALWAYS been about building relationships. It’s even more important today!

Your prospects want to know that you are a real person. As the famous movie Wizard of Oz illustrates, you need to come out from behind the curtain and show that you are real!

How can you get started with building this strong brand?

The first thing you need to do is list each component you want in your brand in order of importance. Always think about what it is you want to communicate. What message are you trying to get across?

And then you need to be consistent across all mediums. Of course you can alter your brand in certain situations by leaving off your slogan, personal photo, and name as long as you maintain the integrity of your brand.

When you strategically decide what to include in your brand, you will be building a strong one. And that is going to make your brand sizzle and your future dazzle!

Want to learn more about branding and how to make your revenues skyrocket? Listen to my free audio! Sign up by clicking here!

Advertising Your Name As An Author–Why You Need a Brand!

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Are you an author or an aspiring one? What is the missing element that most new writers don’t even think about? How can you stand out above the slush pile? What if you want to self-publish? What do you need to do?

Find out answers to these questions in this video:

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Want to learn more? Download my FREE publishing guide by clicking here now. The sooner you read it, the sooner you can get started!

“Selling Stuff”–What to Do When You Aren’t a Sales Person

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KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAToday I saw a post that made me think of this issue. An excuse I often see that prevents people from becoming entrepreneurs:

“I am not good at selling stuff!”

Want to know a secret? Neither am I!

Sure, I know branding, graphic design, publishing, and marketing techniques, but I am not a natural salesperson.

And I’m glad.

Why?

Because the world is full of slick sales people! The world is full of advertisements and hokey messages and unpleasant, high pressure telemarketing phone calls.

Doesn’t that just make you go, “ick?”

Think about that last sales call you got that drove you crazy. I can definitely remember a few times professional sales people tried to cram their product or service down my throat. It was not pleasant. I did not buy from them. I ran from them.

But when you offer a product or service based on your passion in life, your calling, your unique skill set, and you make yourself available to serve a target market that has a desperate need for what you have, you don’t have to sell!

Yes, I know that sounds impossible. How could that be true?

It’s all about your mindset. It’s about deciding to show up to serve, to help fulfill a need. After all, isn’t that what free market economies is all about? You find a void, create or offer a product or service that fulfills that need. It’s called supply and demand.

So how can you change your thinking? Look at your sales as conversations. You’re just trying to find a fit for you and your potential customer. If it isn’t a fit, that’s great. If it is fit, that’s wonderful! It’s about dialoguing, and it’s about listening more than anything. And the more nos you get, the better! You are just making room for more yesses!

Be there for those who are experiencing pain. Offer them a solution. It’s that simple. Then ask boldly. “Is this something you might want to hear more about?” “If I could help you with that (problem), would you like to hear more?” “Is this something you would like to get started with?”

Let me give you a real life example. My husband. He is not a sales person. Far from it! He is an architect. And furthermore, he is an engineer. He doesn’t like sales. He even thought of getting a job at one point because the idea of doing sales was overwhelming to him.

Then I mentioned that if he was to get a job, he has to market himself. He has to perform in a sales meeting. That’s called an interview. He has to negotiate for his salary. And if he gets the job, he still has to do sales and marketing. He has to continually convince his employer to keep him as an employee!

He saw my point, and now he’s actively engaged in sales and marketing (okay, with my help, but you get the picture). Last night, he came back from a networking meeting excited. He had connected with the speaker. He resonated. That’s the thing. When you resonate with others, it isn’t about selling. It’s about offering a valuable product or service that people need, want, and desire.

This is the dirty little secret: we ALL have to learn how to do sales and marketing! Whether you are looking for a job or become an entrepreneur.

But when you build a brand, you attract customers to you rather than trying to force a prospect to buy from you.

Doesn’t that sound promising? If you’d like to know more timeless principles of business, take my free mini course, 5 Secrets to a Wildly Successful Home Business! Click here now! The sooner you get started on this valuable knowledge, the sooner you will get that successful business you’ve been dreaming of!

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Customer Service–How You Can Rise Above the Competition

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MindsetAs I am writing this blog article, my husband is on the phone with our mortgage company. We have had nothing but problems with what should be a very simple request. One person says to do one thing, and another person says another thing. The sheer incompetence and apathy of this company is frustrating. He has been bounced from one customer service operator to another. All because they misspelled my name on one of the forms that has to be recorded with the county. This is causing my husband a great deal of agony and lost time.

While he talks firmly with these customer service people, practically telling them how to do their jobs and demanding to talk to supervisors, I am reminded how important excellent customer service is. In fact, excellence is so important!

By proving excellence in your company, you can set your brand apart. How can you do that?

By doing things right in the first place! Don’t be careless or apathetic. Be competent and treat your customers right. Make sure everyone in your company is up to speed and can handle various situations with customers.

There are so many companies these days who just really don’t care. If you want your business to shine, don’t be like this!

When you provide excellent service, your brand will sizzle and your future dazzle!

Want more ideas on how you can create an excellent business that stands out above the crowd? Take my free online course today. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will be successful!

 

 

 

Business Success–5 Essentials You Need to Succeed!

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IMG_0069Last Saturday, I had the honor of being a guest on a local radio show. The topic was how to make a business wildly successful. Here are some ideas to help you succeed beyond your wild imaginings!

1) Integrity.

This is the number one factor of success in business. Truly. Don’t take shortcuts. Strive to have integrity in your business, in your client relationships, with your vendors.

When you take shortcuts, you will be hurting yourself in the long run. And it will come back to haunt you sooner or later. If you do not walk in integrity, your reputation will suffer and this will damage your brand.

2) Come through with your promises.

This kind of goes along with integrity, but this is so important. Increasingly, it seems like the work ethic is lost to business owners. The path of least resistance seems to be the modus operandi. This can encompass not returning phone calls promptly, missing deadlines, and performing shoddy work. You do not want your customer to be dissatisfied, you want your customer to be dazzled, so they’ll come to you over and over again. Because the best customer is a repeat customer.

Under promise and over deliver. That is the sure way to dazzle your customer. And your brand will sizzle as a result!

3) Support from your family.

I would say this is one of those nice things, that would be icing on the cake, but sometimes not always realistic. It is great to be on the same page with your family members, especially your spouse. If you are not, then I would devote some serious prayer to the matter and explain to your spouse or loved one your vision and ask lovingly for concrete ways they can support you.

God has worked amazing circumstances in our lives because my husband and I have the same vision. He thoroughly supports my business and I support his. The result is incredible. And most importantly, it has brought us closer together as a couple. I have never been so in love with my husband. And he knows I have full respect for his talents and a desire to see him succeed. This has helped him in the process of launching out on his own. And conversely, his belief in me has given me courage to stretch myself in new ways.

4) Take care of yourself.

Now, full disclosure. I don’t do so well with this. I am trying to change that one little goal at a time. But adequate sleep, nutrition, exercise, fun, relaxation, and quiet time for yourself is so important. If you are not taking care of yourself, there is no way you can take care of your family and your business.

It’s like what the flight attendants tell you before takeoff: if there is an emergency, first YOU breathe into the oxygen mask BEFORE you give it to your child!

5) Don’t let relationships suffer.

It’s easy, as an entrepreneur, to work all the time. And when you work at home, it’s even easier. There’s no barriers, no fences to say this is the time to work and this is the time to be with my family or to spend time with your husband or to spend time with friends. You have to set those boundaries yourself, boundaries that will work for you and your family.

My husband and I struggled with this early on in our relationship. He would wait to spend time with me until after whatever project he was working on was done. I would get resentful. This became a vicious cycle. Finally, we learned to spend a few moments together before he spent time on his project so I was able to let him go for his “cave” time–his projects. Then he had more energy later to be with me later.

And now, a weekly date night is a MUST on our calendar. We almost paid a very steep price for neglecting us and letting busyness get away. Make regular date nights with your spouse a priority, even if all you do is go out for coffee.

May these ideas help you have a sizzling brand and a dazzling future!

Want more ideas on how to have a wildly successful business? Take my free mini-course, 5 Steps to a Wildly Successful Home Business at http://www.WildlySuccessfulHomeBusiness.com

Photograph by Sam Beasley.

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