Aug 04

Turn your Negative Attitude into a Positive Mindset

turn-your-negative-attitude-into-a-positive-mindset

Negativity is something that everyone faces. And it can be absolutely debilitating.

I suffer from negativity at times.

I would also say that I am one of the most positive people I know.

I keep my posts on social media very positive and optimistic.

I am positive and friendly in communications with clients.

I have healthy personal relationships. I try to maintain friendly and optimistic communication even during challenging times.

Why is attitude important?

There is a saying that your attitude determines your altitude. That means that your attitude is an important factor in determining whether you will be successful.

Doesn’t it seem like some people are just determined to have a negative attitude? It seems like whatever happens, they have a negative attitude about it.

And being around someone who is negative all the time feels like having your soul sucked out through your nose. It’s painful!

I generally try to avoid people like that.

One of my secrets is that I spend a fair amount of time alone. Most of my work, aside from the time spent with clients and team members, is alone. It helps me to concentrate better.

That said, I spend about 4 hours a day in meetings with clients and team members.

I understand that some people like the interaction and engagement with other others. And that’s fine. If that’s the case, and you find you are not making progress on important projects, then it might make sense for you to add someone to your team with a positive attitude who enjoys working alone and has a track record of implementing projects.

You might be interested in improving your attitude. Maybe this is the year you decide to become more positive and optimistic.

tips-to-become-more-positive

Here are 4 Tips to Become More Positive:

1. Write a gratitude list daily

Make a list of things you are grateful for. That might be people, or opportunities, a company or a product. It might be nature or a good book.

2. Take a break from the news

It seems like in today’s age it’s difficult to avoid the news. I remember when you had to wait all day till 6pm to get the news. Now, there is a steady stream of news minute by minute on TV, the radio, podcasts, streaming video on YouTube and notifications on your phone.

Plus, people talk about the news more often. You can’t go onto Facebook or Twitter without seeing some type of news story being discussed and debated.

It’s not healthy to have 24 access to news. You need to shut off the news in all forms for periods of time. This might include morning, evening and your productive times of day.

That means shutting off all electronic devices, except for your computer and then getting down to business.

In the mornings, consider meditation, a practice for centering yourself. In the evenings, read a good book with all devices off. Or read on your Kindle.

Tim Ferriss suggests a strategy for having “Device Free Saturdays” where he leaves his phone at home.

Experiment. Find out what works for you.

And by the way, when you get together with friends, agree to shut devices and focus on interacting one on one. Be present.

3. Read Affirmations

I love affirmations. I’m not the best at saying on top of reading my affirmations daily.

But, I come back to affirmation especially during challenging times.

Affirmations help to reprogram your brain. And that’s something you need to do periodically. All of the forces of the world are trying to influence you.

You need to take control and craft the life you want.

4. Develop Positive Habits

Becoming the person you want to be comes down to establishing positive, healthy habits.

And that means identifying and eliminating bad habits.

Habits are the building blocks to achieve your goals.

Determine what actions you need to take and then build daily habits around those activities.

And those could be work habits, but they could also be personal habits.

For example, I have a habit of doing yoga for 10 minutes each day. I do that consistently day in and day out. I miss a few days here and there, but by and large, I make it happen each and every day.

And the habit also makes it more likely I will do additional stretching and also take a daily walk.

Positive habits tend to build and reinforce other positive habits.

Your Turn.

Is this the year you make a shift toward positivity?

Are you ready to embrace and achieve your goals?

I want to create a little accountability for you.

Pick one of the strategies above and email it to me. Let me know what you plan to do to become more positive.

Or pick a different strategy. Come up with one on your own.

I want to hear from you.

What are you going to do to be more positive?

Jun 11

A Clever Strategy to Achieve Goals

clever strategy to achieve goals

Would you like to be more successful?

Success is sometimes elusive. It seems to be drawing closer and then suddenly moves away.

But the journey is worth it.

Don’t give up.

Keep trying.

Word hard. And work smart.

I often write about topics focused on developing Success Habits.

I think one of the keys to success is to establish positive, healthy, and productive habits.

In fact, if you follow me on Twitter, you might occasionally see me tweet with the hashtag #SuccessHabits.

Follow me at https://twitter.com/RickCooper

So, that leads me to a topic I want to share with you: Helping someone else achieve their goal. 

Pay It Forward

If you have been following me online, reading my hundreds of blog posts, watching my videos or simply reading my emails, then you know that I have a positive, optimistic attitude.

And you also know that I like to pay it forward.

That includes adding value with lots of free content (audio, video, writing and classes).

And it also means helping people out.

I’ve implemented dozens of projects over the years designed specifically to help share other people and their message. Whether that’s creating a social media graphic to feature someone, recognizing them on my blog, creating a giveaway page, or just spotlighting someone on social media, I like to help other people out.

It takes a lot of time and energy.

And unfortunately, I don’t see enough other people doing it.

I think sometimes people have an attitude of scarcity that keeps them playing small.

They feel like the world is a zero-sum game, meaning, in order for one person to win, someone else has to lose.

I don’t believe that. In fact, I believe that there is more than enough to go around.

I also believe that if you focus on giving to others, more will be created in the process.

But, this message is not really about me, is it?

This message is about you!

Help Other People Achieve their Goals

So, the question is what can YOU do to help others?

And specifically, how can you help others achieve a goal?

Here are some suggestions:

-Have conversations with people to learn about their goals

-Ask if there is anyone you can connect them with who could help them achieve a goal

-Make a top ten list of clients you would like to help achieve their goals

-Lead a goal-setting class and ask people to share their goals

-Post on social media and ask people to share one of their goals

-Send an email and ask people to share their goals

-Ask someone to share their top goal with you

-Send someone a private message on Facebook and ask if there is a goal they are struggling to achieve

You see, there are a lot of ways you can learn about other people’s goals. And by taking time to help them, they will be forever grateful.

Not only that, you will become invested in their success.

And they will feel added accountability to accomplish their goal.  

It’s a win-win all the way around.

Do you have a goal you are trying to achieve?

Are you struggling to achieve it?

Why is the goal important to you?

Work to achieve your own goals.

And make sure to pay it forward. Find someone you can help to accomplish their goal.

Dec 21

Why to Build an Email List

I am still surprised at how few small business owners take advantage of the power of Email Marketing.

What’s more powerful than having ongoing access to prospective clients so you can add value, build trust and rapport and lead them to a next step in working with you?

Email Marketing is an extremely cost effective solution for small business owners trying to grow their business online.

Sophisticated Email Marketing tools give you a high degree of automation that can create and support sustainable Online Marketing systems to generate leads and earn sales.

The only question is when are you going to get started.

Still on the fence?

Here are 3 Reasons to Build your Email List:

1. It takes time to build relationships

One of the mistakes that small business owners make is expecting to be able to earn a sale too quickly.

Sure, you will have some instances where people learn about what you do and then say, “I need that.” However, the rest of the time, that doesn’t work.

You need a simple, cost-effective way to stay in touch with people over time.

Email marketing allows you to implement a drip marketing strategy where you add value over time. And that also gives you a chance to build relationships. Remember that people do business with people they know, like and trust.

How can you expect to just pick up the phone and call a person a few times a year and try to sell them over the phone. You haven’t done anything to earn the right to ask for a sale.

And that assumes you have the guts to actually pick up the phone and follow up with people. Many don’t!

2. Creates referral opportunities

One reason people often overlook for building an email list is that it creates referral opportunities.

People love to share. When they find someone, who adds value or a great company, they are happy to share them with their friends.

You need to create opportunities for other people to share you. This is a powerful strategy.

  • What is holding you back from accomplishing this?
  • How many referrals would you like to receive each week?
  • What actions are you taking to create spontaneous referrals?

Think about it!

3. People need to see multiple offers

Another reason why you need to keep reaching out to people is that you are faced with a conundrum. If you have a mix of products and services, let’s say, 10 products for the sake of simplicity, then you will have trouble introducing your products without overwhelming people.

Remember that the confused mind doesn’t buy. If you talk to someone and say, ‘I have these 10 products, which one do you want?” They won’t know what to select. They’ll say something like, “Let me think about it.” Or, “I don’t need any right now.” The decision is too complicated. You wasted your opportunity.

A better approach is to let people know about each product, one at a time, over time. Allow them to think about it, process it and make a decision one by one.

Part of the process of marketing is to create desire for your products and services. If you overwhelm them, they won’t have an opportunity.

Email Marketing Builds Relationships and Creates Sales Opportunities,The fact of the matter is that Email Marketing is still one of the most effective ways of consistently communicating with prospective clients.

It allows you to create a personal connection with people and communicate your value proposition.

Email Marketing has the potential to create a two way dialogue with prospects. You can leverage email to quickly get the word out about an upcoming event, product launch or announcement.

Email Marketing can have a magical effect in being able to systemically develop new relationships, educate prospects about your products and services, generate new referrals and lead people to buy from you.

What is your plan to leverage Email Marketing?

Get started on it now.

Rick Cooper
Online Marketing and Social Media Trainer

Mar 08

How Feelings of Loss Affect Our Work and Personal Relationships

Feelings of Loss
How Feelings of Loss Affect Our Work and Personal Relationships

How Feelings of Loss Affect Our Work and Personal Relationships
By Lorna McCarty

Any loss is terrible, be it the loss of a son or daughter, parent or grandparent, aunt, uncle, friend, or spouse. Losing someone you care deeply about is very painful. It is normal to feel emotional and to experience sadness that just seems as though it won’t let go.

Living through the loss of someone dear to us affects everyone who is close to us. When this loss happens our personal world, along with the professional world we have built is shaken.

Recently, in one week’s time, I lost my favorite uncle, and then the very next day after my uncle’s passing, I learned my beloved aunt was on her death-bed and had a very short time to live.

Despite living with these deep losses, I managed to press on, doing my best to continue to keep a normal daily routine. That routine included exercise, household chores, and most importantly making sure to stay true to activities that were meant to continue growing my business.

When we are grieving, one of the first things we often do is to throw ourselves into something that keeps us busy. We want to continue seeing positive results in our own lives, despite admitting how we feel regarding the loss of a loved one.

Covering our grief this way only makes it that much harder to move on normally. Instead, our grief catches up with us, and we experience lows in energy, and the productivity we are usually capable of achieving is gravely affected.

The reality of my own loss brought me to this conclusion: I must take time to feel and work through the loss.

Losing people we love is part of the cycle of life. For those of us who are left behind, we still must bear the grief and manage the pain that affects our relationships with others.

We all contemplate our own mortality. We philosophize on whether or not we have made enough essential contributions to the good of others, and if we were to die tomorrow, we question whether those contributions were enough to make a difference.

Was our work important? Or was our work valuable to others?

• When we are grieving it is important to understand that it is OK to take time from our work goals and instead, make room to grieve in order to return to a life of normalcy.

• When we give ourselves the necessary space to grieve, we also can discern the positive experiences and life lessons we gained from the dear ones we lost.

• It is important to reinvigorate the relationships that we have. This includes both our personal and professional relationships.

• Spend time with family members and tell them that you love them.

• Lean on the people who care about you, even if you take pride in being strong and self-sufficient.

• If you are religious, find solace in your faith.

• Don’t let the emotion of your loss affect the energy that you put into your work.

As an entrepreneur, many businesses begin in the home. Step away when you are stuck in the project you are creating. Get a breath of fresh air, take a walk, or raise your heart rate with an exercise program for 20 to 30 minutes. Then return to work with a renewed, creative spirit.

• If you work outside the home, let your team members know that it’s OK to talk to you about your loss. Answering questions about your loss will help you accelerate the healing process.

We all experience loss, and that loss has the power to affect our personal relationships and the work we bring for the betterment of others.

It will always be important to take time to grieve the loss of a loved one, but remember that those we love who are no longer with us, want us to live our lives fully and with love.

Utilize the energy that is affecting your grieving, and use it to bring joy to the lives of those around you. By implementing positive energy, life will again become rewarding.

I am Lorna McCarty a professional relationship coach that helps couples who are struggling and maybe on the verge of divorce. Are you at the end of your rope and feeling that life is short? You need answers now? I am here to help. Contact me at http://www.phoenixrisingrelationships.com and sign up to receive your free action guide and special bonus and discover why it’s not too late for your happily ever after.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Lorna_McCarty/224704

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-Feelings-of-Loss-Affect-Our-Work-and-Personal-Relationships&id=9167873


Feb 19

How to Avoid a Computer Crash Disaster

How to Avoid a Computer Crash Disaster
By Deidra Miller

present-a-computer-crashAre you sure that your computer backup system is providing the results you want? Just because you have a back-up system in place doesn’t mean it’s necessarily set up to save everything you need backed up.

We’ve all heard many times that you must back up your computer files often and in several places. And that is absolutely a best business practice. But what you don’t hear as often is that you need to check the data after the backup to make sure you have all the files you want to have backed up.

My Story – What I Did Wrong

I thought I was doing all the right things. I have a cloud backup service that backs up daily behind the scenes, and I also back up regularly to an external hard drive.

Then my computer hard drive crashed. It’s never a matter of if, by the way, it’s a matter of when it will crash!

Since I hadn’t needed to access my backup files before the crash, I never checked to see what was actually in the backups. As it turned out, everything wasn’t getting backed up like I thought it was. I hadn’t checked with my cloud service to make sure I had it set up properly, nor had I checked the back-ups I was saving to my external hard drive to make sure files were being included correctly. Some of my files got backed up but not all.

Luckily, my computer tech guy was able to restore my files. But of course, there is still the worry I had before and during the time he was working on my computer, plus the added cost that I wouldn’t have had to incur if I had done my backups correctly.

What I Did Right

Using an online email service is one thing I was doing right (and of course continue to do) that helped me get back some of my files. I could easily retrieve documents I had sent to people or ones they sent to me. That enabled me to continue work that I might not have been able to otherwise. It was a huge time saver and stress reducer since I didn’t have to recreate the documents from scratch!

The other thing I did right was to work with a virtual assistant. I was sending her files to work on that I would have only had on my computer (and probably would have lost) had I not been working with her. But because I was, I had them in my email Sent folder.

Here’s What You Should Do Right Now to Avoid the Problems I Faced:

Schedule regular back-ups (even daily if necessary) to several locations. You should have your files backed up to 3 different sources:

1. Use a cloud service that will save your files to their servers. The cost is well worth the peace of mind.

2. An external hard drive.

3. I also recommend backing up all your files to a flash drive or CD. I hadn’t done this before the crash, but my tech guy gave me my restored files on a flash drive and I now intend to keep it as an extra back-up. But flash drives and CDs don’t necessarily last forever so don’t use them as your only back-up platform.

And you want to back up your entire system at least once a week. Windows version 7 or later comes with a built-in feature that will make a mirror image of your entire computer. Save that to your external hard drive (or even 2 hard drives to be really safe!).

Don’t keep your external hard drive near your computer. In the event of a disaster such as a fire, you don’t want them to be right next to each other or they’ll both burn up!

Review your data after backing up to make sure all files are there. Make sure you understand the procedure for backing up with your service and/or device.

Consider working with a virtual assistant as an added measure of back-up. This is a good idea even not taking into consideration the back-up factor. Outsourcing is a great way to free up your time so you can focus on the revenue generating activities you do best to grow your business.

BONUS TIP: Don’t forget to back up your website as well, especially after you have made any significant changes. There are several plug-ins that you can install for this, both free and paid. Search what is available and choose the one that best fits your needs.

Having loyal customers and prospects who follow you around like puppies gives you the influence to change more people’s lives and gain a greater income. Get my special free report “Three Steps to Finding and Retaining Customers.” The report provides three action steps you can take right now to grow your list and retain loyal customers and followers. Click here to get your copy now: http://www.deidramiller.com/three-steps.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Deidra_Miller/1036769
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Avoid-a-Computer-Crash-Disaster&id=8997578

Jan 15

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – Why You Need One


A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – Why You Need One

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – Why You Need One
By Yvonne A Jones

Unique Selling Proposition

Business owners need a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) in today’s competitive business market if they wish to stand out from the crowd. This is especially true in the online marketing world. What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)? Let’s analyze what it is, why you need one, and what are the essential elements of a USP.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition?

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a statement that explains clearly to your target audience what makes your business unique, and how it’s different from everyone else in the marketplace. It tells your customers and prospects how you can better meet their needs and what makes you special.

It is not always easy to do because it takes time to analyze your business and yourself. You may have been doing the same thing for quite some time and been successful at it, but never stopped to consider what specifically is contributing to your success.

In addition you must take time to analyze the people whom you serve in order to identify who your target audience is. It is never “everyone.”

In the book “Reality in Advertising”, television advertising pioneer Rosser Reeves defined the unique selling proposition. Two of the three parts of that definition are:

1. The proposition must be one the competition cannot or does not offer. It must be unique-either in the brand or in a claim the rest of that particular advertising area does not make.

2. The proposition must be strong enough to move the masses, i.e., attract new customers.

Why Your Business Needs a USP

  • A unique selling proposition will contribute significantly to your success. Careful analysis will help you determine your strengths as well as any weaknesses that could negatively impact your reputation and standing in the marketplace.
  • Why are people buying from you, or using your services rather than someone else? What do you do for your customers that create loyalty so that they buy from you again and again, and refer their friends and family to you? What is it you do that makes you stand above the rest in the marketplace who are doing the same thing?
  • Identifying what you do that’s different from others in the market will take time to measure as it will likely involve doing research on your competition, studying what they’re doing, and determine what you do or can do differently.
  • Your USP must offer a strong benefit and value to the customer so that current customers can readily recognize this, and prospective customers will be able to determine what you do that others do not.
  • Your USP helps to establish your brand in the minds of your customers and creates top-of-mind-awareness.

Once you’re able to clearly identify what makes you different, you can continue to build on that as the business owner, but you can clearly bring it to the fore so your customers and clients think of you first when they need your products or services.

Two Essential Elements of a USP

1. A good USP is hard to forget. When people need products and services that your business offers, you want to be the first one that comes to mind. This means that your USP has to be consolidated to convey your uniqueness without being too wordy. It must say a little but convey a lot. Do keep in mind that your USP is not the same as your tagline.

2. It needs to resonate on an emotional level with your clients. Good USPs speak to the fears, worries, desires, and frustrations of your target market. It also provides guidance in terms of how they can solve their problems.

It is vital to your business success that you take the time to create your USP through diligent research and analysis. Additionally, creating a fabulous USP is only the first step. Your service offerings and products must mirror the promises you articulated in your USP. Delivering anything less will negatively affect both your business and reputation while costing you the customers that you worked so hard to attract.

You may be new to online marketing, or you may have been building your business for some time, but you feel stuck and out of balance. I invite you to claim your “Entrepreneur’s Success Kit” at http://www.blueprintforbiz.com. In the Success Kit you will discover three areas of business that many entrepreneurs overlook and what to do about it. You will also be helped to manage your time on social media, and what you must do with the clients and customers you attract online.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_A_Jones

http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Unique-Selling-Proposition-(USP)—Why-You-Need-One&id=9160015


Aug 25

Best Practices to Balance Your Relationship and Your Business

Balance
Best Practices to Balance Your Relationship and Your Business

Best Practices to Balance Your Relationship and Your Business
By Lorna McCarty

I spent a good part of my life teaching English to Second Language Learners, schooling them in reading, writing, and how to speak English. I also devoted long hours outside the classroom supporting these same students on how to successfully maneuver the trials and tribulations around life issues that caused them deep struggle and emotional upheaval in their family unit.

At the time, I did not realize this would not be a lifetime career for me. Instead, another door opened where I would serve couples, particularly women struggling to survive in their broken relationships and often times on the verge of divorce.

I became an entrepreneur, ready to make a difference, passionate in saving committed long- term relationships, bringing out the best in the couples I coach.

What I didn’t think about was the long hours that it would take to pursue a successful business and how it would interfere with my personal time with my husband. I also had no idea that there would be a considerable learning curve involved in bringing a business up to speed in order to become a successful entrepreneur.

One thing I have learned, entrepreneurs have to be patient. Overnight success happens to a few people, but the majority of entrepreneurs must be willing to put in long hours on their journey to the top.

Realistically speaking, making it as an entrepreneur is stressful and it is normal to live through tough times; especially when it strains the survival of your relationship due to financial goals not immediately being met.

For those of us in a long-term relationship, you need to be creative in finding ways to show your partner that they are still appreciated. You can set aside time for a quick date, such as a 30 minute walk, or catching a bite to eat together. You can build a business and have a loving relationship if you make the most of the time you have together.

Don’t leave your partner out of your business. When you are writing blog articles, copy for sales pages, or new content for your website, ask for a second opinion by sharing the work you have produced. Getting another’s point of view is an excellent way to get that person involved in your business, helping you to produce more quality content and at the same time making your partner feel valued.

Take the time to ask your better half about how their workday turned out. What were the highs and lows of the day? This action demonstrates that your business is not the only important focus in your life. Share with each other how things are going when you are apart.

Communicating what you are feeling will help you both to understand and appreciate each other more. This will bring you closer together and increase the desire to support each other’s successes.

Are you interested on making powerful shifts in your relationship and succeed as an entrepreneur? I am Lorna McCarty, Founder of Phoenix Rising Relationship Coaching. Contact me at http://www.phoenixrisingrelationships.com and get your free action guide + bonus report- “10 Secrets to Re-kindle Your Passion and Create a Connection that Lasts a Lifetime” and “5 Biggest Mistakes Couples Make.”

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorna_McCarty

http://EzineArticles.com/?Best-Practices-to-Balance-Your-Relationship-and-Your-Business&id=9127773


Aug 05

Love Your Business, Love Your Relationship


Love Your Business, Love Your Relationship

Love Your Business, Love Your Relationship
By Lorna McCarty

Work Life Balance

How important is the success of your business? That is an easy answer. To the majority of entrepreneurs who are building a business to a fruitful level, getting there, means putting your heart and soul into every detail of the operation. Now, how important is the success of your relationship with your partner?

Most of us would reply by saying just as important, if not more important. But, for some reason working long hours and putting every last bit of energy you can to create a prosperous business, is not the same as maintaining a sustainable relationship.

A thriving business is a necessity for a promising lifestyle; but even our desire to maintain a healthy relationship is not always enough; and that desire can often take a back seat because we get so caught up in the importance of our professional success.

When we are building a business we have to maintain a balance of our time and energy so that we are able to enjoy a healthy relationship, while still sparing the right amount of our get-up-and-go to move our entrepreneurial dreams forward.

Here’s the solution. Look at your relationship just like a business. When you forget to love and nurture a relationship, it crumbles. It is the same for a business. Your business requires your love and attention if it is going to survive.

Just as there are days where we experience the fear that we may never make enough consistent cash flow in our businesses, there are also days we experience fear and doubt as to whether or not we can live another day in our personal partnerships.

If you want to discover the happiness advantage in both your business and your relationship, start with not being afraid to try new ways to make a difference in how you love your partner and how you can uniquely stand out in your field.

This doesn’t mean going to extremes in either area of your life, it just means you must have the willingness to take a chance and step forward in a positive way.

So often we tend to stick with the same old ways in both our relationship and our business. Sometimes, if we try something we have never done before it can make all the difference in the world. It makes life more exciting and definitely more interesting.

As budding entrepreneurs we also worry extensively about money. We never seem to have enough and consequently, we spend more time living our lives in scarcity, rather than living our dreams to attain abundance.

If something isn’t working in your business, or in your relationship and you are nervous about doing something big, fearing the choice may cause a disastrous result, try small changes, because small changes can become great changes.

Are you ready to take a deeper dive to attain a fulfilling balance in business and love? Contact Lorna McCarty, Founder of Phoenix Rising Relationship Coaching at http://www.phoenixrisingrelationships.com and get my free action guide + special bonus report – “10 Secrets to Re-kindle your Passion and Create a Connection that Lasts a Lifetime” and “5 Biggest Mistakes Couples Make”.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorna_McCarty

http://EzineArticles.com/?Love-Your-Business,-Love-Your-Relationship&id=9106106


Jul 13

How Women Entrepreneurs Get It All Done


How Women Entrepreneurs Get It All Done

How Women Entrepreneurs Get It All Done
By Lorna McCarty

Have you ever had one of those work days where nothing is going right? Constant interruptions and you seem to be answering to everyone’s bidding before getting your own projects in order?

This is an all too familiar scenario for the entrepreneur who works out of their home. But for those of us who also have the role of being moms, the work demands grow even deeper.

Mothers have always been expected to wear many hats including being the head dishwasher and laundry maid and housekeeper; the one who keeps the fridge loaded with food, is responsible for planning all meals and cooking them to perfection. She is the pet caretaker and the one who puts the most miles on a vehicle thanks to taxi driver status she holds; transporting her kids before school and to after school events and practices.

With all of these additional work demands, it is a wonder that the female entrepreneur is able to live long enough to claim their fame as a successful business owner.

Women have been trying to fit it all in for a long time, on very little sleep, and hitting the floor running every morning.

And it all comes back to these catabolic words, “I still can’t get everything done.”

As a thriving entrepreneur it is important to get things done so you are making money instead of losing money.

How you spend your hours in your work day is important to your business success. It is easy to get caught up in what you want to accomplish by being “busy.” But where

is the actual progress in that word?

Here are ten tips to help you get it done:

1) In order to make progress, you need to set your goals for each day. This requires some planning usually the night before, or at the end, of your work day. Prepare for meaningful actions. Make a list of tasks for the next day’s work goals. Prioritize what needs to be completed first, followed by items that will take more attention and time before you can cross them off of your list. Set deadlines for these more time consuming tasks. As you check off items you have completed, the feeling of accomplishment becomes real. And as we all know, getting things done makes you feel positive and productive.

2) There are days we feel blue and it is much easier to procrastinate and avoid being productive. On those days, spend some quiet time in meditation picturing yourself, seeing the vision within you that allows you to remember your talents of serving others completely, knowing you are capable, and that you possess the power to deliver the best of who you are.

3) Time is something we can never have enough of, but we can practice time management to get things done. Timers are effective tools to keep us on task. Whatever the project may be, perhaps you are writing an article, setting a timer for a certain number of minutes gives you the option of working in blocks of time, and then stopping when the time is up, and moving to other activities.

4) Here’s a tip for young mom entrepreneurs raising little ones as they start a business at home:

We don’t always have to be, “Super Girls.” Some days, the house will not get cleaned, and often, more than not, the kids’ needs will come first over the work you are doing for your business. Keep in mind that everything can work, if you are willing and have the drive to succeed. Balancing family and work is different for everyone. But, if you want a healthy business, and a happy home, begin by taking care of you and believe that all things are possible.

5) Mom entrepreneurs require support to keep a positive outlook. Talk with someone regularly who can relate to the experience you are going through.

6) Get a jump on your day by rising early to complete some work, writing, looking at your calendar for the day and check your email. Do these tasks prior to the time your family wakes up. Enjoy that cup of coffee and the serenity of being alone and not distracted.

7) Delegate responsibilities at home to lighten your load. Delegating chores frees up your time so you can concentrate on making the business a priority. It also helps you stay more organized and shows family members you trust in their abilities.

8) Guard your time by setting boundaries, including what hours belong to you to work on your business. Keep a calendar where family members can see it to know what you’re up to and where you are, on a daily basis.

9) Once you’ve set your working hours make sure there is also family time. Keeping work and family time in balance will maintain a more positive state of mind for you.

10) Plan meals for the week. Decide in advance what will be served for each night. Treat yourself and order in with pizza delivery, get Chinese take-out or grab some chicken wings once a week to celebrate your progress in your business.

Meeting the demands of motherhood and being an entrepreneur is no easy task. Staying organized, balancing work hours, keeping sacred quality time for family, along with a positive attitude and personal drive to succeed, will take you far when climbing that ladder to success as a woman entrepreneur who can get it all done.

I am a professional certified relationship coach helping couples in long-term relationships who are struggling and maybe on the verge of divorce. I help them find the real causes of the problems in the relationship, resolve those, and get them living happily ever after. Contact me at lorna@lornamccarty.com to schedule a free “Rescue Your Relationship” coaching session today. For more information, and valuable resources, register at http://www.phoenixrisingrelationships.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorna_McCarty

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Nov 19

How to Share From Anywhere

Linkedin
How to Share From Anywhere!

How to Share From Anywhere!
By Penny Pearl

Are you interested in an undiscovered yet simple way to share great articles or websites with your LinkedIn network?

You know how to demonstrate networking skills when you make introductions to your contacts or share information. Now, when you run across an article or website that your contacts or prospects would benefit from, you’re more likely to pass it along if it’s easy.

Here’s a hidden tool on LinkedIn that is invaluable for keeping in touch with your network! All it takes is a one-time 2 minute drag and drop of the LinkedIn Sharing Bookmarklet to add a share button on your browser tool bar. Then, in one step, you can write an update and share a webpage or article with your LinkedIn network, individual emails or LinkedIn Groups. You can even post to Twitter!

Add the Sharing Bookmarklet to your browser… Follow these 3 easy steps:

1) At the bottom of your LinkedIn homepage, click Tools. Note: It’s hard to scroll down to the bottom to click that Tools link! LinkedIn keeps on displaying more content at the bottom and the Tools link disappears out of site. But, here’s how to catch it: drag the scrollbar down, then put the cursor in approximately the right location, and use your mouse’s scroll button to scroll down again. Then quickly click that link. You can also try using this link (after you have logged into LinkedIn): http://www.linkedin.com/static?key=tools&trk=hb_ft_tools

2) Go to the top of the page and click the Sharing Bookmarklet tab.

3) Drag and drop the Share on LinkedIn button directly onto your browser toolbar. You may also see specific instructions for your browser.

Use the bookmarklet to share a link

Once you’ve dragged the “Share on LinkedIn” words to your browser, it will appear as a tab on top just under the browser “search” bar. In my case, I use Google Chrome as my browser (but it works the same on other popular browsers).

The same “Share on LinkedIn” button will display every time you open your browser allowing you to share pages with others. Sharing content with prospects is one way to build relationships and business.

For example, if you are on a CNN travel page that contains information on travel to Copenhagen and you have a client or prospect that is traveling there—let him or her know you are thinking about their trip and thought this may be an interesting find for them!

Now that you have a page to share, select the “Share on LinkedIn” tab and you’ll see the dialog box where you can write an update, share on all of LinkedIn, share with your connections, Twitter, Groups and individual emails. When you make your selections, just select “share” and you’re done!

Penny Pearl, Founder of Bear2Bull Coaching is skilled in networking both at social events and online using LinkedIn. Penny is an entrepreneur with a strong sales background and is a Board Member for the International Coach Federation, Sacramento Chapter. Her engaging coaching style makes the adventure of learning online networking skills using LinkedIn simple so you can get results to grow your sales!

For more articles and a free download on Networking and LinkedIn, or to register for Bear2Bull Coaching Webinars and Workshops, go to http://www.Bear2BullCoaching.com or get in touch: Penny@Bear2BullCoaching.com or call… (530)277-7037.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Penny_Pearl

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