So You Want To Be A Consultant?

So You Want To Be A Consultant?

by: Matt Bacak

Letกs say you have more than 20 years experience in your chosen field. For the sake of this article, letกs say you have been in the nonprofit field for 25 years and are at the very top of your game. And letกs say you’re a bit bored with the humdrum daytoday routine of being an executive director. You love nonprofit sector, but you need more of a challenge and you yearn to help people grow and achieve success in their nonprofit careers. Plus, youกd like to earn a little bit more money and are a bit tired of the board of directors overseeing everything you do.

Perhaps itกs time to go into business for yourself. Perhaps itกs time to become a consultant, a coach, a speaker and trainer. The thought is exciting, albeit a little frightening. You’re current salary is certainly respectable for a person with your skills and experience, and the health insurance and retirement plan are comforting benefits that you don’t want to relinquish. But none of these factors have been able to sufficiently scratch that darned itch that keeps telling you itกs time to start your own nonprofit consulting business.

Going into business for yourself as a consultant, coach, or speaker (or all of the above) requires determination, a little selfsacrifice (in the beginning), and a lot of experience. People hire consultants because they need the expertise of someone who has been there and done that…hundreds of times. There are consultants in literally every career field, and once they become accustomed to the process of generating clientele, they can make over double what they were earning as employees. In fact, recent statistics show that successful and established consultants can make anywhere from $1,200 to $5,000 per day.

There is power and prestige in consulting that can rarely be found in management positions, even executive positions. The power comes from calling the shots as a business owner and making sure people know they need you; the prestige comes from being the very best in your field…and making sure people know it.

But thereกs a not so subtle difference in owning your own business and owning your own consulting firm. Lots of people own businesses. My fiancé owns a deli, my father owns a small publishing business, and my mother owns a bakery. But owning your own consulting firm lets people know that you’re the crème de la crème in your field and if they want to rise to the top like you have, theyกll hire you to help them.

Consulting firms, like the one you will soon own, can be anything from a one man show to a large agency boasting senior and junior associates. Most consultants make their day to day income from coaching and mentoring individuals in the field charging anywhere from $300 (for junior level staffers) to $500 (for senior executives) per hour. They also assist clients with organizational development, strategic and financial planning, and a host of other services including workshop facilitation and board and staff retreats. And if they like to speak in front of audiences, many consultants make thousands of dollars simply talking to a crowd for a few hours about their experiences and knowledge.

While itกs not as easy as 123 to quite your job and start making $5,000 a day as a consultant, itกs certainly not as difficult as it looks especially if you’re very very good at what you do and have expertise that few can match. Start off as a moonlighter, which is the term used when someone has a ขday jobข but works on their own business in the evenings. Make a simple business card for yourself and during your lunch hour at work, go to chamber of commerce or rotary meetings where you can network and talk to people about your new consulting practice.

Itกs not too difficult to pick up a small client or two this way, and once you do a good job for them and build confidence in yourself youกll begin to branch out and up. People will hear about you, your phone will start ringing, those simple business cards you handed out at the rotary meetings will change hands and generate bigger clients, and youกll begin to realize that maybe you really can quit that humdrum job and make it big on your very own.

About The Author

Matt Bacak became ก#1 Best Selling Authorก in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine’s eBiz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets http://promotingtips.com

This article was posted on August 08

by Matt Bacak

A Successful Link Exchange

A Successful Link Exchange

by: Michael McLaughlin

Interested in boosting your link popularity, raising your Google PR, and improving the amount and quality of your traffic? Then discover the ancient secrets of a successful link exchange!

The practice of effective link exchanges has nearly been extinguished by the extensive amount of spam email. I plan to help webmasters who are interested in real effective and professional link exchanges reach there goal.

What is going to make you the most amount of sales if you are trying to sell fishing equipment? A link from an outdoor hobby website or a link from a bubble gum corporation? I think the answer is straightforward, the outdoor hobby website. The trick is to know your market and understand your customer. What age group would your customers be, and what other type of website would they look at if they were interested in your product?

Now, put yourself in your customer’s feet, what would you search for if you were interested in your product? Type that search phrase into a search engine now and look at what results come up. Disregard the competition and look at the other websites.

I suggest you rate these websites in your head on the following criteria: relevance, design, content, and navigation. I ordered them by how heavily you should consider them. I already discussed relevancy; because of course you want to bring customers to your website instead of clickhappy people.

You may be asking yourself what a website’s design has to do with a link exchange. Well over the years I have noticed one trend, which is that websites with a very nice design tend to prevail faster than others. Know one wants to visit a website and have to wince to read the text. Content on the other hand is what brings the readers. Content can substantially improve the quality of your website because the internet is about information and if you have what people are looking for they will find you! Not the other way around.

Content is king, how many times has that been said? And it still holds true, content is what get websites links back to them, which in turn raise a websites presence on the internet. So why not have a link from a content website, in opposition to just another website trying to sell something?

And of course a websites navigation must be search engine friendly, because you will prefer to have the location of your link to be indexed by search engines.

Basically you should try to pick your link partners by first eliminating the irrelevant links, and then choose a website that is search engine friendly and has the potential to grow! And remember look for quality websites not high PR websites.

One of the first signs of maturity in a person’s life is to be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. For example you hit a car in the parking lot and don’t leave insurance information, you later feel bad because you know if that was your car that got hit you would be angry about it. Get the point? Good now apply that to writing emails; put yourself in your reader’s shoes.

Do you want to open another email that is titled ขlink exchangeข or would you perhaps prefer to read something a bit more refreshing and alluring entitled ขour partnershipข or ขlink opportunityข be creative but don’t stick with the old link exchange title that is highly overused.

The content of this email, however you entitled it should be very professional and businesslike. Use proper punctuation and complete sentences, also remember to compliment part of there website that is distinguishable so they identify that you actually visited it instead of simply finding there email address in cyberspace.

Don’t trust what mom says ขit’s what’s on the inside that counts.ข True content does help a website grow, but rarely do I trust a websites content if its design is pitiful. Remember be picky when choosing a link partner, personalize your letter, and be professional. As a final point do not partake in spam email!

About The Author

Written by: Michael McLaughlin at http://www.webmastershed.com – webmaster forum, for more articles by this author please visit: http://www.webmastershed.com/articles

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 27

by Michael McLaughlin

Become a Wedding Planner

Become a Wedding Planner

by: Patrick Ryan

Creating your own business in this day and age is more important than ever. The trick is to find a niche market and tap into it on the way up. It is no secret that the wedding industry is huge. There are somewhere around 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States Alone! So…. About $40 billion is spent on weddings every year in the U.S. Some believe that number is low! The # then rises to be around 80 billion! Today’s average couple will spend roughly $18 – 30 thousand dollars on their wedding!

The beauty of this kind of business is that it’s not a huge investment. It can easily be done from your home. All you need is to be professional and very very organized to gain people’s trust. But once you have planned a few weddings you’ll find so long as everything went smoothly that people will drop your name to others and more business will come your way.

Things that you’ll need to consider for your new planning business includes:

Image:

When creating a Wedding a Consulting Business one of the most important aspects is your image! You need to create a look that shows both professionalism and beauty. You can hire an expert for this but I suggest just doing it yourself! I create many logos using royaltyfree stock photo that I purchase from istockphoto.com. This logo needs to go everywhere, your letterhead, business card, brochures and most importantly ขinvoicesข. Remember image is one of the most important aspects of a business!

Business Supplies

Much of the investment when first starting out will be getting the proper supplies. However in today’s day and age most things can be done relatively quickly and cheap even from the comforts of your own home. Although this may be the case, you need to remember that you must look professional! Brides wont be letting Jo Schmo with a cheap brochure plan their Wedding! You want to wow your potential clients and turn them into potential paying customers.

You need some Planning Software. For this thee are professional options and free options. I prefer the free options since many can do just about everything the paid ones can. I suggest checking out versiontracker.com and doing a search for Wedding. You will be amazed at the software you can get. One of the best pieces of shareware I have found was located here. seatingarrangement.com. Imagine how pleased my recent couple who were having an outdoor tent Wedding was when I gave them a complete professionally drafted paper which included each person, table, chair! The drawing looked as if a large construction firm using AutoCAD did it! Don’t just go out and purchase this software! Take a look around! Thousands of programs exist out there to make you more of a professional Wedding Consultant! Most people can accomplish many of these tasks with Microsoft Word or Exel!

So I have outlined just a few things to consider before starting up your Wedding Planning Business. Take the jump and try your hand. This is a great niche business to set yourself up in. It’s a time consuming process but it’s better to set yourself up now rather than later. I have no doubts you will be a success.

About The Author

Patrick Ryan has been in the wedding industry business for years now but has noticed quite a few dramatic changes in recent times. Check out his wedding ebooks at www.videographybusiness.com and http://www.startaweddingbusiness.com/

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 08

by Patrick Ryan

Do You Have to Be an Expert to Teach Someone in Yo

Do You Have to Be an Expert to Teach Someone in Your MLM?

by: Gobala Krishnan

กHow can I teach others when I am not successful myself? Thatกs ethically wrong…ก

If you’re in an MLM program, you might have heard that question from one of your affiliates. You may even have asked the same question before. I know I have, and I get it all the time too from people in my group.

Many people say this when I mention to them that a big part of being in an MLM program is to help others กduplicateก your efforts. Teach them to fish, instead of giving them the fish. If your affiliates are not able to duplicate your efforts, at least to a certain degree, it will be very hard to see real exponential growth in your organization. So is it wrong to teach someone when you’re not กup thereก yourself?

Well, it really depends on WHAT you’re teaching them.

My father thought me to ride the bicycle, and I have thought others to ride the bicycle. My father was not an Olympic cyclist; he was simply teaching me what he knew. Nothing more, nothing less. And to this very day, I appreciate him for it, for otherwise I would never learn something as easy and as fun as that.

So teaching others what you know is perfectly OK! Itกs human nature to teach. Whether you realize it or not, you do it all the time, with family members, friends and spouses.

Hereกs what I consider ethically wrong…

Itกs wrong to teach people how to be an Olympic cyclist, when you’re not an Olympic champion yourself. Itกs common sense, right? You cannot teach someone to reach the top of the mountain if you have not shed tears and blood to get up there yourself. Doing otherwise IS unethical, for you’re only leading someone down the wrong road.

So even if you have been in MLM for only one day, always remember that you DO have something to teach your downline affiliates. Simply sharing your experience, in most cases, is more than enough. Tell them what you like about the company, the products, the opportunity, etc. Tell them the truth about what you feel.

If the question is technical in nature or beyond your expertise, please say so to your affiliates, and refer the affiliate to your upline leaders, corporate support, websites, or online forums for more information. There is nothing wrong in showing them where they can get more info if you can’t provide that info yourself.

This is ok… after all, network marketing is supposed to be all about teamwork, right?

Don’t recommend anything youกve not personally tried yourself. Don’t teach anything you’re not sure about. Don’t make up stories. Don’t fake the figures. Don’t fake your emotions. Don’t give false hope.

Most importantly, don’t doubt the relevance and significance of your own knowledge. Confucius said that กIf three men walk with me, one can be my teacherก. We can all learn from each other, and thinking otherwise is a mistake. It’s only your way of thinking that stops you from sharing and touching another human being in a sincere way. And you’ll need to change that in order to be successful in MLM.

You cannot, and probably should not, teach someone about the road ahead of you, no matter how many books you’ve read, and how many seminars you’ve attended. However, you can always look back at the road behind you and teach them how to get to where you are.

So share your knowledge with everyone if your team. There is always something that they can learn from you, and there is always a way you can help them to duplicate your efforts.

How many have you helped this week…?

Copyright 2005 Gobala Krishnan

About The Author

Gobala Krishnan is a member and a writer for the International Association of Home Business Entrepreneurs, the perfect knowledge tool for network marketers to train and grow their organization. Visit his site at http://www.homebusinessassociation.com/IAHBE to get more info.

This article was posted on February 20

by Gobala Krishnan

Residual Income, a Myth?

Residual Income, a Myth?

by: Chris Andrews

Iกm writing this in response to the every distributor in every company and program that tell you that the greatest things about MLM/Network marketing is the residual/passive/ongoing income that กkeeps making you money foreverก and theyกll even try and convince you that it will กkeep on growingก whether you do anything with your business or not. Why? Because it is misleading at best.

What is residual income? Well, essentially in the world of sales when you gain a customer of a company you get a commission on that sale. Itกs been going on since people sold things for other people. The idea of a residual income is that you get paid on an ongoing basis. Usually monthly. For instance if you sell a subscription to a service then you can get a cut of that service on a monthly basis. Another example being in consumable products such as shampoo or nutrition, each time that customer buyกs their monthly supply you get another cut of the profits.

What a lot of networking companies class as residual is the income you get from your downline. Especially companies that are based on recruitment of people who กshop for themselvesก as กprosumersก and are totally based on self consumption with no sales outside the company at all. So yes, in this scenario youกll get a check on the efforts of others on a regular basis.

Why this page then? Purely because residual income is touted as the way to make your money and create a permanent income stream. People actually say you can sit back and do nothing for the rest of your life and the money will still come pouring in. Saying this turns a blind eye to many important things.

Money from your own customers is higher

Firstly, i should say that any commissions you receive will be higher form your own efforts than those of your downline. So being on a manic recruitment drive of self recruiters could be earning you less money that building yourself a solid customer base and teach others to do so.

Company can go under

Any company can go bust. I don’t care how long theyกve been trading. If they’re not profitable then theyกll soon not exist. The government of your country could deem that their compensation plan is illegal. Perhaps your company might decide that they can get their own customers and allow people in through their corporate web site when you’re not allowed to do the same. One company in recent times suddenly changed their minds and were not longer mlm!

Company could change itกs rules for qualifying for income.

You compensation plan isn’t set in stone. Companies have often been know to have a change of heart when it comes to dishing out the money. Or you could find yourself in a situation where idle company reps lose out on all or a part of their commission unless they meet monthly quotas.

Product could go out of fashion

The super whizzy products that your company promote could easily go out of fashion and no longer be what people want. Or be totally superceded by you competition. Result? A mass exodus of customers and recruiters.

Attrition

Attrition can be a killer to your income. Basically attrition is the drop off rate from your customer and/or distributor base. After all, people change their mind and no longer want your products and or services. Even a growing business has to offset itกs growth against attrition. Letกs assume that each month you keep 90% of your downline/customers (and thatกs a high estimate!) and start at that magical six figure income value of $100,000. In just 8 months, your monthly income of $8000+ is down to just under $4000 and in another 7 months it will have halved again. Before long, this ‘retirementก income is looking pretty pathetic indeed.

Scary eh? Well, it needn’t be. You should concentrate on building a great income and build up that passive income to great levels. Just don’t rely on it being there forever. Take the money you’re earning, supplement your income pay off your debts treat yourself and with whatกs left over build up your own income streams elsewhere. Iกm no expert in investment, but thereกs plenty of sources of info on using your money wisely in building a rental properly portfolio, a share tracker investment account or even a private pension to look after yourself.

Just don’t waste it all, okay?

About The Author

Chris Andrews has a keen interest MLM and network marketing, but not in the way most people are. He writes about his experiences on the site http://www.wanttoknowmore.com/ and the blog http://christopherandrews.blogspot.com/

Article may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live.

This article was posted on September 02

by Chris Andrews

Selling Yourself to Reach Online Success

Selling Yourself to Reach Online Success

by: Brian Moore

Usually, success in an online business depends upon selling outstanding products or representing really good affiliate plans. But just as important in getting people to buy from you is your business image. In this article we will look at how to define that image and sell yourself to help your potential customers decide to buy your products.
There are several things to think about when developing your online image. But itกs no different from preparing a resume or a personal history. Youกll want to look at your education or training, work experience, and your life experiences, and how all of this defines you as an individual in such a large marketplace.
We start with education, because thatกs the point where our lives began to take a definite shape. Think about what part of your education relates to who you are. Is it the favorite grade school teacher who unlocked your ambition to learn? Or is it special talents your high school studies or extra curricular activities revealed?
Remember, your personal level of education not so important. Itกs how your educational background helps define who you are and how well you can help others online.
Next, start thinking about your life experiences. What large events in your life like being married or single, raising children, and maintaining longtime friendships helped shape you? What would you change or keep the same assuming youกd have control over such matters? What have you gained from your experiences in life?
Then examine your work history. What occupation did you start out in? (This includes what has been traditionally known as "home maker", or household manager, if you will.) What various skills did you obtain? What other occupations have you had? What things about traditional employment brought you to the Internet looking for income?
Now try to decide how your education, life experiences, and work experience translate into your online goals. In general, how much income do you expect to replace with income from online? What do you think your niche market is? (This is defined by what type of customer you focus your business on.) How does your business fit into the large scheme of Internet marketing?
Okay, you say, now I have a handle on who I am. I have an image. What do I do with it? How is it going to help me sell products?
Well, announce it to the world. * Tell * people who you are.
Work up an online resume or an "About Us" page for your site. Include key points from your selfsearching. Make yourself into a real, live human being with whom your customers can do business and enjoy visiting again and again.
Publish your name, address, phone number, and email address. You needn’t worry about being swamped by phone calls and letters. In five years online Iกve had one customer ever call me, and it was not to complain. Iกve had one letter, and it was for more information. Emailing is so much easier and it saves long distance rates and postage. (I don’t have a toll free number yet, so itกs their nickel to call me.)
Provide a selfphoto. Without undue cost, "put your best foot forward" by having it taken professionally. It should be the "real you", not some computer enhanced alter ego that portrays you better than you actually are. Don’t be afraid to update the photo regularly to show you developing in your career.
Finally, letกs talk a little about being professional. Iกm not referring to how you phrase your sentences or how fancy your vocabulary is. Instead, Iกm recommending you try to be realistic confident without hype and humble without putting yourself down. In short, be yourself.
In your comments and publications avoid sarcasm. Some people may catch the humor while others may be offended by it. Don’t issue ultimatums like, "If you’re not willing to [so and so], then you don’t belong in this business." These folks are your prospects or have signed up under you. They are expecting your help and example, and you wouldn’t want to push them away from making a decision to buy.
When all is said and done, what you say and do online brands you to those with whom you come in contact. It would be far better to take time to brand yourself in a positive light than to leave your image to chance by neglecting your online presence.

About The Author

Brian Moore publishes กBizOps Secretsก, a complete ezine resource for online success. Subscribe and receive a free 5 line classified ad. AllPro BizOps, Proven Business Secrets That Work Online http://www.allprobizops.com.

This article was posted on January 16, 2002

by Brian Moore

Are You Made To Run An Internet Business

Are You Made To Run An Internet Business

by: Michel Richer

Many people would like to have their own internet business. They like the idea of being their own boss. They like the idea to work from their home office. They like the idea of making a substancial income of around $10 000 + a month.

Does this sound tempting to you ?

If yes, it is important to ask yourself some though question before thinking about running an internet business.

Do you really want to work from your home office ?

Many like the benefits of an internet business, but few take into account the hard work that must be made to succeed with a business. Please don’t make this mistake yourself.

Are you able and willing to invest time and effort even when you don’t see direct result for maybe some months? Are you the type to discipline yourself to work every day ? Are you willing to learn and to follow training? Can you motivate yourself every day for month and years to come ?

SELF DETERMINATION

You need to possess the ability to push yourself ahead. Your drive and determination will be reinforced with every new sale.

To really succeed with your internet business you need to have clear goals and a business plan. You need to know where your business is going. You also need to put lotกs of time and effort to excelerate your business growth.

Running an internet business demand a lot of skills like computer knowledge of course. Marketing (copywriting, advertising). Website design & development etc.

By learning and experimenting you will gain lotกs of experience. When you have a lotกs of experience you become an expert in your field, wich is a great thing for your business.

YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOUR DESTINY NOW

Isn’t it great to be your own boss ? Working for yourself and taking all the decision. You are the master now.

You have the drive, you have the determination. You have the patience to see your business grow day by day, month after month.

If something bad happen, you have the humility to see whatกs wrong and learn from your error. You are the only one now responsible for your self.

Treat your business as a serious, fulltime business, and it will become one.

IN CONCLUSION…

Think of your first six months primarily as a training period. Don’t expect large earnings until after youกve educated yourself.

Don’t be a negative thinker and don’t let the negative attitudes of others (even if they’re family members, friends, or peers) influence you.

All the great men and women in history had to overcome the naysayers who said it couldn’t be done—and then went out and did it. Think for yourself!

As long as you think positive and focused on your business target you’re on the right way to a rich life, which is directed by you and it will lead you to tremendous success.

PERMISSIONS TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in its entirety free of charge, electronically or in print, provided it appears with the included copyright and author’s resource box with live website link.

Courtesy of: http://hombyz.com

About The Author

Michel Richer is the Business Manager and Webmaster of http://Hombyz.com

With over 10 years experience in home based internet business and a SOLID REPUTATION in the industry. He is dedicated to helping you SUCCEED on the Internet.

You can take a look at his website at: http://hombyz.com for Your HOME BUSINESS SUCCESS !!!

This article was posted on February 05

by Michel Richer

How To Beat The HomeBased Burnout Blues

How To Beat The HomeBased Burnout Blues

by: Mary Rosendale

I went to visit a friend who had quit the corporate world to start his own artbased business. This was a guy who wore, if not a suit, at least a tie and jacket to work every day for a decade. All the curtains in his house were drawn and his bed was littered with color samples, catalogs and all the assorted detritus of a homebased business. With his unshaven face and sunken eyes, he bore a frightening resemblance to Tom Hanks in ขCastawayข. He leaned over and, with a wild glint in his eye, whispered ขI haven’t taken a shower in three days.ข That close to him it wasn’t difficult to believe but I couldn’t figure out why he felt the need to tell me.

A couple of years later I got it when I too had swapped working for the man for the pleasantly unstructured life of a homebased entrepreneur. I was on my way to a Networking luncheon and slipped some dress shoes on only to find that my feet had apparently grown two sizes. My sneakers and my fluffy slippers fit just fine but they didn’t go with my little black suit. I understood then that his confession had been more than a need to share his personal hygiene issues with me. He felt compelled to share the horror of what he was becoming.

At some point every back bedroom entrepreneur has an epiphany that they might be a little too far gone along the doityourself continuum. For me it was the shoes. For my friend it was the orange water pouring out of his groaning shower head when he finally found a reason to shower.

If you’re just starting out with a homebased business and still euphoric over getting to conduct business in your pj’s or being able to take a Judge Judy break – be aware that there is a dark side. One day you, too, will run slap up against a moment of clarity when you see your formerly civilized life slipping away from you and realize that you may have taken the ball and run with it just a little too far.

It’s a tricky thing to get the balance just right. There’s so much to do in setting up and maintaining a business. And, mindful of the fact that 80% of all small businesses fail in the first year, you’re probably anxious to do as much as you can as fast as you can in order to start bringing home the goods. There are several balances to be worked out – all of them tricky. When do you outsource and when do you do it yourself? How much can you work and still have a life and a family at the end of it? What do you absolutely have to do first and what can wait? There are many excellent books and articles on what to do to set up your business. This isn’t one of them. This is about how to be as you do those things. How to be kind to yourself; available to your family and friends and enjoy life even amid the uncertainty and stress of creating your dream from scratch. How to profit the whole world and keep your soul.

So here are a couple of tips to keep you present and focused. Some are practical; some more touchyfeely. All of them useful. Six things you can do to avoid singing the HomeBased Burnout Blues.

1.Find your Purpose. This may sound pretty basic but it’s so basic many people don’t do it. Your Purpose is not the same as your goal. Your goal is what you want to do; your Purpose is why you want to do it. Your Purpose is larger and inclusive of all aspects of your life. Why do you want to do what you want to do? Why are you uniquely qualified to do it? If you don’t know this and can’t explain it to yourself how are you going to be able to market yourself? (Are you still laboring under the illusion that you won’t have to market yourself?) Your goal may be to sell $200,000 of widgets this year. But your Purpose may be to sell $200,000 of a fine quality product with such integrity and appreciation for your customers that they will provide you with return business which will in turn provide for a good living for you and your family. Once you find your Purpose write and post it everywhere. Stuff it in your sock drawer so it’ll surprise you when you least expect it. Definitely stick it on your TV. Read it every day. Don’t lose your Purpose in the minutiae of daily tasks. Don’t go unconscious to it. Everything you do is a structure to either move you towards it or away from it. Ask yourself periodically. Am I in line with my Purpose? Is playing with your kids in line with Purpose? Sure, if it keeps you sane and healthy and nourishes your family. Is watching back to back episodes of Cops in line with your Purpose? Probably not if you slump on the couch and come to three hours later wondering where the time went.

There’s an old Buddhist saying: ขIf you seek enlightenment do not waste your time by day or by night.ข Switch success for enlightenment and you’ve got a pretty good mantra for business. But if you’ve been working your rear off and you decide that some mindless TV is just what the doctor ordered to rest your brain and give you a rare treat then vegging on the couch may actually be in line with your Purpose. It’s really about whether you choose the couch or the couch chooses you.

2. Once you find your Purpose plot a road map to it. My husband and I once took a road trip which went through 8 beautiful Western states including Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Utah . I had exactly two weeks of vacation and knew when I could leave and when I had to be back. In order to get back in time we had to budget a certain minimum amount of travel time per day and there were things we wanted to do along the way. We went to AAA and, with maps of all the states we’d pass through, we plotted the best route. We also scheduled in time for detours and hiking and just lolling around. It was a great trip. Had we just set out on the fly without a plan we could have ended up stressed out hundreds of miles away from home the day before we were due back or we could have zipped through some beautiful scenery and found ourselves with time to spare in Vegas. Not an appealing possibility.

So plan the best route to your Purpose. Take your day planner or a long sheet of paper and break your day up into appointment blocks. Two hour increments work great. These appointments are not negotiable so be on time and ready to go. Make appointments with yourself to do the tasks you have prioritized. While you’re at it make appointments to clean house, do yoga and walk the dog. Write them down. Otherwise time will seduce you. These are contracts with yourself and you need to keep them with as much integrity as you’d keep any contracts with clients. No matter how much fun you’re having doing a task it should end when it’s supposed to end. It shouldn’t take on a life of its own. In fact, the more you like doing it the more structure you need surrounding it. We all like to do pleasant things that we’re good at. But they may not be what needs to be done right now. Have definite starting and ending times for your day. Make yourself an appointment for something active every few hours so you’re not sitting on the phone or computer for 12 hours straight. If you have a problem with forgetting to eat or drink enough water – schedule those too. I might schedule two hours of writing on my articles then a half hour appointment to clean the kitchen which would stretch me and get my circulation moving (and get the kitchen cleaned!). Back to the computer for answering emails and client paperwork and bookkeeping. Another hour scheduled for a quick lunch and walk in the park with the dog. Client phone sessions would be scheduled with ten minute breaks in between. Finish work at 6 PM. I could easily work until 11 PM and have done many times. But that’s not healthy and not sustainable especially as I share my life and home with others. My particular Purpose includes having the energy and peace of mind to enjoy the results of all my hard work at the end of the day.

3.Put it in writing. Put what in writing, you ask? Everything. Purpose. Ideas. Outlines. Lists. Deadlines. Goals. Studies show, by the way, that only 3% of us write down our goals. But of the 3% of entrepreneurs who do write down their goals a stunning 97% achieve them. Get this stuff out of your head and onto paper. Make it real. You’ll save energy because you won’t have to worry about forgetting things or keeping track of ideas. So find a system and run with it. Get a Daily Planner. Don’t forget to write down your Mission statement, Vision statement and Business and Marketing Plans. Look at them weekly.

4.Value yourself. Figure out your hourly rate and factor that in to every decision you make. I mean every decision. It’s great to be able to build your own website. You can save a bundle if you’re already computersavvy and there are many excellent softwares which will help you. I made my first with a program I got from my website host. I put $14.95 on my credit card, downloaded it and within minutes was working on my site. I did it myself and it looked decent. But it took me close to six weeks. I wasn’t working on it fulltime but when I wasn’t I was thinking about it. It was a lot of fun and a major distraction. There was a learning curve so I first had to learn the software then implement it. I knew nothing about color or fonts or placement or keywords or metatags. I lost time that I should have been using for marketing and in the end the whole exercise was more a character building exercise than a website building exercise. I survived and so did my site. But had I added up all the hours I worked on it (including the ขhiddenข hours when I got up at 3 AM to fiddle with it) and paid myself I probably didn’t save any money and I would have gotten a more professional looking site with a designer. When you decide whether to do something yourself or outsource it be sure to also factor in the time it takes to learn the software. This can be substantial. Add up the missed marketing and promotional opportunities and add in the stress and aggravation factor. If you want to outsource design work try a community bulletin board like Craigslist.org ( a stomping ground for many unemployed web designers). There’s now a Craigslist in pretty much every major city. Remember, too, that you don’t need to even have a web designer living in your home state unless you plan on suing them over the end product. elance.com. is also great for home entrepreneurs. You can post your project online and receive bids from vendors. Check out their portfolios; interview them and go with the right one. If you’re good with graphics and hellbent on designing your site and cards, letterheads etc. yourself set a deadline and stick to it. When I was starting out I figured out my hourly rate was about $75.00. I got in the habit of calculating how long it would take me to do something; learn the software and experiment by trial and error. I tried to factor in the frustration factor to me and the lost time to my family and other areas of my life. If I could hire a professional to do it for less I farmed it out.

5.Which brings us to money. Don’t get caught in the ขI can’t afford itข trap. You may not have much money to spend but everyone has a little. Allocate it wisely. You have to spend money to make money. Maybe this is a Universal law because it thins the herd right at the outset. If you don’t invest in yourself why should anyone else? Most of us have an ego mind which has mixed feelings about our success. One way to put a tripwire in front of what should be our stunning rush to success is to tell ourselves we can’t afford to do what we know we need to do. Then it’s not our fault if we don’t make it. We didn’t make the cut because we didn’t have the money to start our business right not because we were afraid or unwilling to risk.

If you don’t have the money to pay for something – barter it or ask for terms. Get a credit card and use it specifically for startup expenses. Getting into a little debt isn’t so terrible. If you have equity on your house take out a home equity loan or refinance it. Talk to a relative and ask them to swing you a shortterm loan. There are many organizations out there which will loan to small businesses with a Business Plan. (You do have a Business Plan, don’t you?) Try Charo. The SBA is also a great resource. Come from a place of abundance (hope) and not scarcity (fear). Assume and believe in your success. Then take the steps you need to take to be successful. There are certain elemental things you’ll need for startup. Website. Business cards. Phone line. Make a list of bare necessities and find a way to pay for them. Don’t buy or invest in anything else no matter how interesting or fun it might be until you’ve covered the basics.

6.Build a team and a support system. A one man band can usually play many instruments passably but none of them well. Find out what you do well and get help with the rest. Even if it’s only online. Find people you can network with locally. There’s probably a professional organization you can join. If not – join Toastmasters or your local Chamber of Commerce. Ask for help. Get a Coach. If funds are tight do a Google search for Training institutions for Coaches. Contact them and say you would like some pro bono coaching and ask to be put in touch with a student Coach. Most Coaches starting out need all the experience they can get and it’s difficult getting people to pay you when you don’t have a track record. In addition, if Coaches are going to go for ICF certification they need a ridiculous amount of verifiable Coaching hours to qualify. If you’re persistent you should easily find a Coach who will offer pro bono or at least a substantial sliding scale discount.

Get out of the house and rub shoulders with people who are doing what you’re doing. Ask for feedback. Do you know how many people would like to help you to succeed? Do you know how good it feels to give support to someone struggling to make something of their lives? Give your friends, and even strangers, this opportunity. Find someone you admire in your field and write or call them. Tell them you would like to be where they are. Ask if they have any words of advice. If they respond be sure to send them a thankyou letter. Then followup and let them know how their advice has helped you. Don’t fall into limiting belief scripts that they wouldn’t be interested; you’re bothering them etc. Don’t make their decisions for them. Think how you’d feel if your expertise helped someone and they took the time to thank you. You breathe the same air as your mentors.

Finally, when you hit a roadblock be kind to yourself. Setbacks can hurt. Faith in anything, God, ourselves, the future is a solitary pursuit. Keep in mind that every moment is a fresh one and carries within it the seeds of tremendous fortune and change. The next contact you make could turn your life around.

Your life isn’t wallpaper to your daily grind. It goes on whether you pay attention to it or not. Might as well be aware and alive to all possibilities. Best to stay awake if you want to reach your dreams.

About The Author

Mary Rosendale is the proud mama of The Constructed Life. A unique Holistic Coaching service rooted in Buddhist psychology and ideal for the busy, overwhelmed Western mind. Sheกll work with anyone with a pulse but particulalry loves working with women in transition; entrepreneurs and people living with ADHD or BiPolar. Design and Build the Life You Want.

http://www.TheConstructedLife.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 18, 2005

by Mary Rosendale

Making Your Purpose Your Business, Step#4

Making Your Purpose Your Business, Step#4

by: Heather J. Tait

Step#4 – Organizing & Developing Online Content

If you have done your homework then you are ready to organize and develop what will be your online content. Your content is very important as it will be used for promoting you, your work, and your website. Content serves a variety of purposes; it displays public relations, target marketing, and general information to build a platform for your product (your purpose).

One of the main items that need attention would be your biography. If you are an artist or writer, you will get asked for this pertinent information every time you make a submission or apply for competitions. Your biography is an essential piece of information that often can get viewed prior to your work. Even if your target audiences are publishers, agents, or clients, you have only one chance to intrigue them and make a good first impression.

There are several ways that you can address your audience. If you would like to be up front and personal, you can write in first person, using ขIข in your sentence structure. For example, ขI was born in Silver Springs, Maryland.ข If you want to have a general sound or professional structure, you can write in the third person, referring to yourself as stated in this example, ขHeather J. Tait was born in Silver Springs, Maryland.ข

It’s really up to you on how you would like to address your audience. I personally prefer writing in third person when referring to my work mainly because I feel it conveys a sense of professional etiquette. It creates a press release persona that can maintain your audience’s attention. However, if you prefer to write in first person you can do that and still have strength to your sentences. Either way you want to spark your audience’s interest in you and your work.

The difference between a how a hobbyist or a professional artist or writer can be determined simply on how they are conveyed through content. You want your sentences to have strength and power to them. Each word and phrase counts because they are performing a difficult task, representing you, when you are not there to do so. For example you could say, ขI’m an artist from Erie, PA. I am trying to make a living doing art. Hope you will look at my work.ข This sentence hardly provides any credibility to my name or my art. It conveys that I am not really serious about what I’m doing, but I still would like you to look at my work. That’s a lofty expectation to have of my audience when I lack taking myself serious.

A professional sentence structure as an example, ขHeather J. Tait was raised in Erie, PA and began her career as a professional artist in 1997.ข You want to state who you are, where you come from, and what it is you do. You want your opening sentence to really state a few basic facts about you and your work. This is not an easy task and perhaps one of the reasons why many artists and writers procrastinate completing a biography. Perhaps one of the reasons why, just as Alan Wilson Watts states, ขTrying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth.ข

It’s quite the challenge to write about yourself and really expand on your talents. You have to convey your work and yourself from almost another person’s perspective. Imagine yourself as a Public Relations Specialist and you were just hired to write about an artist or writer. What are some things you would need to know about that person? What strong points do you want to enunciate about this person’s life and accomplishments? What active role does this person assume now?

You don’t have to be overly personal but you really want to give your audience a sense of who you are. Let them know how you began your career. Write about your technique or your style. It is possible to be personal but also professional. You may have to work on several drafts until you get a nice flow of words and a functional biography. The time you put into writing this valuable piece of information will pay off by getting people to take notice in something very dear to you, your purpose. So share your passion with your audience. You just may notice that your enthusiasm might be contagious.

You want to have a short version (100150 words) of your biography and then a long version (5001,000 words). It’s advisable to work on your long version first so then you can easily copy a short version by taking excerpts. As an example you can view my biography online: http://www.silencespeaks.com/artist/artist.html. I had a shorter version posted several months back, but because of numerous requests to know more about me, I had to rewrite it. You may experience similar feedback from your viewers. The long version will be for your website and the shorter version will be used for promotional websites that commonly limit your biography to 100150 words.

You can also write a statement about your work. A statement simply is a personal claim about your work or perhaps on what inspires your work. Get creative here and really just type what you feel you need to express about your creativity. I was asked for an artist statement back in 1999. I had no clue what that was but I wrote one down. I’ve used the same statement ever since. You can view it online to get an example: http://www.silencespeaks.com/artist/artist.html

Take time to really write down your talents and accomplishments and don’t be afraid to express them in your content. The more people learn about you, the more they will be able to relate to you.

Your challenge for this month is to create a full length and short version of your biography. As a bonus create an artistic statement if you would like. Read other artists’ or writers’ biographies and ask yourself which ones interested you and then explain why. Which biographies had strong statements, which ones were weak? Then take that information and apply it to yourself. Evaluate what traits you want to express, organize an outline, and then write your biography.

By Artist & Inspirational Writer Heather J.Tait

About The Author

Silence Speaks http://www.silencespeaks.com

read more articles from this author at Silence Speaks Inspirations

Artist and inspirational writer Heather J. Tait began her career as a professional artist back in 1997 in Morgan Hill, CA. Her style combines simplicity and complexity. She uses bold lines with the aid of her Sharpie Marker and completes the process with splashes of bright watercolors.

Her work can best be described in its entirety as inspirational. She has over 160 pieces of all original works with inspirational quotes that correspond to each piece.

Her art as well as articles are syndicated internationally. Her work has been featured in the Spire Press (New York, NY), the Gutenburg Litegraphic Society (Salt Lake City, UT), Tony Awards (Atlanta,GA) and the FOX Theater (Atlanta,GA) to name a few.

She was also recently inducted into the Who’s Who of American Women 20042005the definitive biographical resource featuring the most accomplished women in all areas of human endeavor.

She is also the founder of Silence Speaks International Artist Association and Intrigue Magazine which works to promote artists and writers.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 13, 2004

by Heather J. Tait

Tap the Ultimate Source of Abundance: How to Put M

Tap the Ultimate Source of Abundance: How to Put More of YOU into Your Business

by: Amanda Murphy

Corporations ignore consumers’ real needs…Company leaders engage in questionable business practices…Business owners and employees do work they don’t enjoy simply to pay the bills…such is the state of today’s business world.

The key to bringing the world back to life will also bring you abundance in your business. The world needs people who are vibrantly alive and ready to build a new kind of business. We need businesses that express our missions as human beings and make a contribution to the planet – and thrive in the process.

You will create a magnetic attraction when your vision, your values, and your vocation are perfectly aligned. When planning a business, very few people take the time to look inside, to align their unique natural gifts, talents, and desires with the product or service their business provides.

Answering the following questions will help you attract abundance through your business. When you have done this, you will thrive in ways you cannot imagine.

1. Why do you do the work you do?

Most owners are in businesses because they saw an opportunity or because they have some professional experience they can conveniently sell. Their business is simply what they do and does not necessarily reflect their greatest talents or passions.

However, if you take the time to examine your gifts, your talents, and the particular message you have for the world, you will discover inspiring ways to earn money by sharing those talents. When your business expresses who you are, clients instinctively recognize that you are sincerely and personally committed to their happiness and success. No one can fake true concern.

2. With whom do you want to work?

Most business owners have customers or clients they dread dealing with, yet they continue to do business with them month after month. Whether you realize it or not, your customers know what you’re thinking about them.

Therefore, it is in everyone’s best interest for you to be proactive and ขfireข clients who are not a good fit for your business. This will free you to focus on the people you care about. When you do business with people you like, they will naturally bring out your best work and inspire you to become better at what you do. Your better efforts will attract more perfect customers who will inspire you further. From there, your ability to thrive is unstoppable.

When the right prospective customer crosses your path and you can clearly and simply describe exactly what they are feeling, they are captivated. They feel understood and validated, and they will trust you to take care of their concerns.

3. What do you do for your clients?

Generally speaking, a customer’s primary concern is to find someone who can solve their problem and make their pain stop. Therefore, you need to see your business from your customer’s perspective.

For example, instead of saying, ขWe provide accurate, professional bookkeeping services,ข say, ขWe make sure you have the precise financial information you need, when you need it.ข Rather than making a statement of fact, such as, ขWe are attorneys who specialize in small businesses,ข present your service through their eyes, as in, ขWe take the mystery out of protecting what you’ve worked so hard to build.ข Make a list of the benefits your customers will receive as a result of working with you or buying your products. Make sure each one is stated in specific terms a client can identify with, and then market this to your customers.

4. How do you set yourself apart?

Becoming an expert in your field is the best longterm way to attract abundance. You don’t need to have all the answers to be an expert; in fact most experts rely on many other professionals in and out of their field. What makes you an expert is your will, your drive, your passion, your confidence, and your ability to create solutions for your customers’ needs.

Remember, people draw conclusions about things and about each other within a matter of seconds. You may have 20 seconds to convince a potential client or customer that you are the solution to his or her problem. After that, you become lost in a current of information overload. So set yourself apart from the crowd, and watch your business soar.

5. The Final Key To Building an Abundant Life: What Permission Do You Need To Give Yourself?

You already know deep down what you want to do. You have an idea what changes you need to make in your business. You know what’s not working.

You may be holding yourself back from taking the actions you know you need to take. Somewhere in your subconscious you may be following harmful ขrulesข you’ve made for yourself. You may believe you don’t deserve wild success. You may believe that work can’t be fun. You may believe that you owe it to those around you to maintain the status quo.

When you identify your restrictive beliefs, you can decide to let go of them. Be truthful with yourself. What permission do you need to give yourself to make all of your dreams a reality? Some examples may be: ขFire (or hire) those three people,ข ขTake only the jobs/assignments that I would enjoy,ข or ขMake more money than anyone I know.ข Be specific.

The Sky is the Limit

You now have the tools to develop a business strategy that capitalizes on your unique abilities and interests. Since many people are unable to objectively observe themselves, if you have difficulty answering any of these questions, brainstorm ideas with a business partner or a business coach. This is important, because the sooner you incorporate these abilities into your business presentation, the more prosperity you are able to attract. You will know what you have to share with the world, and this knowledge is your single most powerful wealthattraction tool.

Any of your competitors can read the same business books and articles you do, but none of them can duplicate your heart and soul. Find the right answers to these five questions and you can be certain your prospects will say, ขI have GOT to work with you!ข

‘reprinted from Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies From the Worldกs Greatest Mentors © 2004 Mission Publishing, a division of The Mission Marketing Mentors, Inc., www.missionpublishing.net or www.missionmarketingmentors.com.ก

About The Author

Amanda Murphy is coauthor of the new bestseller กCreate the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies From the World’s Greatest Mentors.ก To find out how Amanda can help you create the breakthrough you want, visit www.AmandaMurphy.com

This article was posted on August 26, 2004

by Amanda Murphy

Goal Setting for your Home Business.

Goal Setting for your Home Business.

by: Ian Hugh Canaway

The ability to set goals and effectively motivate yourself to achieve them in home business are two essential skills that you cannot afford to overlook.

To try and start a business without goals could be compared to throwing a baseball pitch, blindfolded in the dark. What would be your chance of getting your pitch on target? Never mind getting a strikeout. Unless you are very lucky it is unlikely that you will have any success without properly setting out goals.

If when you start your home business, in what ever field it maybe, if you have no goals and aim at nothing, is it not unlikely that you will hit nothing and achieve nothing?

To set effective goals there are a few things you need to know about yourself which will affect how you set your goals. You are affected by, the environment in which you live, your experience and knowledge, your attitude and dreams and visions for the future.

When you set your goals you need to decide what you want and when you want to achieve each goal. You should spend time writing down your goals and display them in a prominent position where you will see them daily to remind yourself to stay motivated and focused. Cross off your goals once they’ve been achieved, adding new ones to ensure your business keeps growing.

ขDon’t set your Goals to low. If you don’t need much, you won’t become muchข. Jim Rohn

I’m sure you will have come across the SMART analogy, with regards to goal setting. It contains the most important concepts to consider and adhere to when setting your goals.

Goals should be; Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time related.

For example it would be unwise to set a goal of making $10,000 in a week, it’s just not a realistic goal for the average person, unless you have a lot of experience and knowledge in your field or receive help from someone who has these attributes. When you failed to reach this goal your motivation would suffer and you might start doubting your decision to start your home business.

Ok let’s set some goals, firstly, though I want you to write a list of all the things you want; whether it is a new car, watch, house, sofa, to send your kids through college or a successful home business, write them all down and say why you want it. When I did this I had a list the length of my arm and I’m still working through it 3 years on. By doing this it will help focus your mind and motivate yourself to succeed.

Now set your goals, they need to be SMART and you need to set both short term and long term goals. One of the best techniques I use is to set 6 goals before I go to bed for the next day and prioritise them. All successful people set goals and prioritise them in order of importance. Remember your time is your most important asset; you simply cannot afford to waste it.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle –

By making goal setting a habit there is no reason why you cannot achieve excellence.

About The Author

Ian Canaway is the owner of http://www.asuccesfullhomebusiness4u.com and is dedicated to helping you save time and money by providing the highest quality proven tools & opportunities and information for growing a successful homebased online business.

This article was posted on August 17, 2004

by Ian Hugh Canaway

Adventures of a Newbie/Plan Your Work, Work Your P

Adventures of a Newbie/Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan

by: Stephen Currier

Have you let your new Parttime business overwhelm you? Do you not have time to even say hi to your family? With your regular job and building your new business, it just seems that you can’t get it all done when it needs to get. What you need to do is take a deeeep breath and get yourself organized and scheduled.

If your like most people that really want to succeed, youกve jumped into your new business with both feet without looking first. So now you find that you need to learn HTML,Java, PHP, marketing, Web design, ad copywriting, just too much to fit into your already busy schedule.

So what you have to do is make a plan for each day and realize that Rome was not built in a day.

Lets look at a typical day.

Monday,

600 AM Get up,get ready for your 95er

700 AM You’re off to work.

500 PM Leave work, hurrying home to get to what your really interested in,your business.

630 PM Get home,grab dinner plate and go to computer. Check email for sales,newsletters,other offers, answer and check website stats.

Before you know it,you’re wife is asking you when you’re going to bed and you noticed itกs midnight and you still haven’t gotten to that article that you need for Fridays newsletter. You figure youกll write it during lunch tommorrow. So you grab the ebook that you printed out and head for bed sometime around 1 AM.

Does this sound like your typical day, and that doesn’t even take into account your regular workday load. You might have to bring home work to finish a report or do research for an upcoming project. How do you get it all Done?

Plan your day, my friend, plan your day.

You need to plan your day to get it all done and work your plan. If you don’t finish something in the time you had allotted, then you will need to plan for the next day. If you don’t you will always be going over the time you have alloted to working your business. Remember, you have time, don’t let yourself get overloaded. That is just no fun at all.

And itกs not good for family relations either or for your JOB while you still need it.

Plan 1 thing to accomplish each day. Whether itกs placing ads, reading that new ebook on marketing, looking at new products or whatever is needed to build you business. Just don’t overwhelm yourself and not get anything done. And schedule time for yourself and family so you don’t get burnt out or alienate those you care about.

But,most of all,try to make the experierence enjoyable so that you can stay motivated and attain your goals

Copyright 2004 Stephen Currier

About The Author

Stephen Currier is a truck driver who also has an online business. He is new at the game of Intermarketing and has written a series of articles on the struggles that face most new people. Do you need a guide for your daily plan, get Free ก30 days to Successก. A daily guide to marketing on the internet.

http://trackthishit.com/trackbiz/control/redirect.php?id=3832

This article was posted on March 20, 2004

by Stephen Currier