Tag: business secrets

Believing in YOU—Essential to Your Branding Success

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What makes or breaks your success? What one false belief could derail your future? What mindset could kill your dreams?

A lack of self confidence. A lack of believing what you have to offer has value. Not believing in YOU!

Not long ago, I sat down with a potential client in a strategy session. I could tell that lack of self confidence was causing her business to stifle. I told her this message, and it came from my heart, because it’s an issue I also struggle with:

“God does not make junk. You are a treasure.”

It took me years to come to that conclusion about myself. I’ve always thought there was something “different” about me, that people didn’t like me, that I was not valued and that I didn’t matter or that I didn’t count.

These attitudes stalled my business endeavors. These attitudes almost ruined my marriage. These attitudes threatened to keep me from reaching my dearly held dreams.

At some point through all my searching for answers, I realized this: God made me. He gave me the talents and gifts and dreams I have. If I believe that what He gave me is garbage, than I am dishonoring God.

No, I realized. God does not make junk. I am His treasure.

And so are you. He gifts each and every person with a unique calling in this world. You have an important job to do because people need your gift. But the question remains, do you believe in YOU?

Without this belief in yourself, why would potential customers believe in you? Why would they trust you if you don’t even trust yourself? Why would they value what you offer if you don’t value what you have to offer?

How can people tell? It might be in your speech, the way you put yourself down, it could be in your appearance, that you don’t take enough care to look professional, it may be in your branding, that your logo image is amateur looking.

Whatever the case, your first step is to identify the fact that you lack self confidence, and then start identifying why. Take these blocks away and start building confidence. I like to think of it in even stronger terms: Develop GOD confidence!

Then correct those avenues where you are communicating a lack of self confidence, whether it’s in your speech, your appearance, or brand!

Do that and you will have a brand that sizzles and future that dazzles!

Want to learn more about mindset issues and how you can overcome them, resulting in a more profitable business? Listen to my FREE podcast by clicking here now.

Treasure In Hand © Jyothi | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Want a Successful Brand? Be Bold!

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So confession time. For many years I suffered with low-self esteem and extreme shyness. I believed that I didn’t matter, that there was no value in what I had to offer. As a consequence, I was too timid. I was not bold enough. And that has cost me dearly.

Now I am shifting my “stinking thinking.” I’m realizing the importance of boldness and starting to practice it more and more.

While it is uncomfortable, I know that it is the action that will get me where I want to be. So how can you be bold and how can that help your brand? Here are some ideas for you:

1) Find key influencers on social media, whether Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Look for people that you admire and you want to be like, that are where you want to be. Get to know them by commenting on their posts. Write about them and when you do, send a shout out to these people that you have done so.

Years ago, I asked a successful author if she would endorse one of my books. I had gotten to know her by commenting on her posts and asking for help. She was happy to endorse my book and she did!

2) Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to speak up. Whether it’s in a Facebook group, at a networking group, or in an email.

For months now, I have been struggling with a publication project that seemed dead in the water. Yesterday I finally got the boldness to ask for help in a writer’s Facebook group. I received several responses and even got offers from people wanting me to interview them for my radio show. Bonus! I need to ask for help from these groups more often!

3) Ask for what you deserve. Don’t undervalue yourself. Don’t think you have to ask “how high” when someone asks you to jump. Be confident about the value you offer to your customers and don’t feel guilty for asking for a price you deserve.

My husband, who owns his own architectural business, was vindicated today. Several months ago he received an inquiry from a nail salon wanting him to design some plans. They didn’t like the price and went elsewhere. Today he received a call from them and it turns out this nail salon had hired an architect who did things “on the cheap” for them and then went out of business. They were asking my husband to do a quick turn around and fix the problems so they could get it submitted to the building department.

My husband responded that he couldn’t look at it until next week and explained that he is very thorough and thinks holistically. Through that action, he boldly proclaimed he was NOT going to design cheap stuff and in a hurry.

4) Get out of your comfort zone. Try your hand at speaking, blogtalk or podcast interviews, writing a blog, publishing a book… whatever scares you, do it. When you stretch yourself, you activate that “boldness” muscle and the result, more action and movement for your brand.

5) When negative responses come, move on. Yes, it happens. I will not sugar coat the fact that sometimes you will be rejected. If that happens, just “shake the dust off your feet” and keep on moving!

It’s happened to me several times, and after I get over the initial shock I realize it wasn’t me that they were rejecting, but other factors at play. These factors could be that it’s simply not the right fit, not the right timing, or there might even be some jealousy or favoritism going on. Just keep your head up and keep being bold!

Boldness is key for building your business! And when you are bold, your brand will sizzle and your future dazzle!

Are you ready to be bold? Take a huge step and get some one-on-one help today. Click here now to take this step.

 

Formidable Towers © Joy Prescott | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Investing in Yourself–You Are Worth It!

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“Because you’re worth It.” Remember that old L’Oreal commercial for hair color? If you’re over 40 like me, you might recall. It starred Meredith Baxter-Birney and in it she demonstrates vividly that choosing premium hair color is worth the extra cost.

You also are worth it. As a business owner, you are worth investing in. Without it, you will die. Your business will die. Investing in yourself causes growth. It is a process. It takes nourishing, waiting, sowing, and harrowing.

Like planting a vineyard. You need seed, good soil, fertilizer, pruning, water, sunlight…

Your business needs certain things to in order to grow. First you have to create a vision and mission for your business. Why do you exist? Whom are you serving? What is the purpose for being in business? These questions take time and thought to answer.

You need good soil. The right target market. If you attempt to reach the wrong market, you will experience frustration, lack of clients, and eventually your business will die if not corrected. Reaching your target market takes an investment.

For instance, for the first year my husband and I used Craigslist to promote his architectural company. But it is attracting cheap clients who want something for nothing. While we made some money using this free platform, we are realizing that if we want to reach the right clients–those who value quality over price–we need to pay for that advertising. We need to go where they are and they are probably not on Craigslist.

Your marketing materials are like fishing poles. If you are trying to catch fish (your clients) then you need the proper equipment (fishing pole, hook, bait). That requires investment in branding that expresses accurately the essence of who you are as a business. That requires marketing materials that communicate your message effectively to your prospects and gets them to buy from you or sign up with you. Cheap and free is not investing in yourself. It is the easy way out.

But ultimately, these free or ultra inexpensive options only lead to stagnation. You hurt your credibility. It’s like driving through a cookie cutter neighborhood. It’s easy to get lost. When you use cookie cutter logos and marketing materials, you are confusing your prospects. And they will not find you. You will lose business.

Do you believe you’re worth it? Do you believe that what you have to offer is worth it? After all, how much is one customer worth to you?

Stop using sub-par branding, cheap graphic design, and free marketing material templates. Invest in yourself and your business and you will grow.

And your brand will sizzle and your future dazzle!

Are you ready to invest in yourself? Check out the various packages I have to help you refine and define your brand. I can build an excellent one for you specifically tailored to your business and your vision and then I can create branded marketing materials that result in more clients and revenue. Click here now to find out more.

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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

Just Finished a New Video for My Brand Identity Mentor Program!

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I am happy to announce I finished a new video for my brand identity mentor program!

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Want to get started on your brand image? Click here to sign up today! The webinar starts September 14 and space is limited!

Branding Strategy–Build Your Brand Identity Through the Five Ws

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Branding strategy. How do you do it?

The other night I was thinking about the classic questions asked in journalism: who, what, where, when, why, and how; and it occurred to me this would be a fantastic tool to developing your brand and reaching new levels in your business.

So I came up with a laundry list of brainstorming questions:

1) Who

Who are you in business for? Whom do you serve? Who runs the company? Who is your staff, if you have any? Who are your important resources? Who are your mentors? Who are the business owners you admire? 2) Who motivates you to be an entrepreneur, especially in hard times? Who do you need to delegate tasks to?

2) What

What does your business do? What is the history of your business? What is your history? What do your important publics think of you and your business? What is your business perceived to be by your target market? What motivates you when you experience roadblocks? What resources do you need to really achieve the level of success you are aspiring to? What skills do you need to learn? What equipment do you need? What are your products and services. What tasks can you delegate? What obstacles are holding you back?

3) Where

Where do you serve? Is your business in geographical in nature or is it online? If you are primarily a regional business, can you expand your business online. For instance, if you teach a class in your town, can you teach it via a webinar? Or, if you teach a webinar online, can you form a local class?  Where is your audience located? Where do they hang out? Where on the Internet do they surf?

4) When

When does your target market get on the Internet? When is your target market able to make purchases? When do they have cash flow? When do they have the least cash flow and therefore in the most pain? When do they need your products or services?

5) Why

Why are you in business? Why do you serve your target market? Why did you start your business? Why are you an entrepreneur? Why did you choose your target market? Why did you create your products and services?

6) How

How does your target market benefit from your products or services? How does your business work? How do you promote your product or services to your target market? How do you get paid?

That’s a lot of questions, but brainstorming the answers may help you build a brand that gets noticed and reach a new level in your business!

Want more help with your brand strategy? Join me in a journey to unmask your authentic identity! Several programs available, including webinar workshop series starting September 14! Space is limited, so reserve your spot today by clicking here!

 

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