- Why You Shouldn't Handle More Than Three Projects.
As I write this, my wife Holly, myself, and our assistant Kate are planning to meet in a couple of hours. And why? So we can put a bunch of absolutely amazing and wonderful ideas on the back burner, and do nothing about them. It's probably not such a surprising idea for you, that you're supposed to prioritize your projects, and only focus on a few things at a time. - Cookie Grandma's Secrets to a Unique and Powerful Business.
Your business probably seems like many others. There are billyuns and billyuns of therapists, consultants, retailers, and healers. Yet, in order to make an impact and deeper connection with customers that is so necessary for a sustainable business, you need to distinguish yourself. However, just 'finding your voice' and 'developing your uniqueness' aren't often helpful strategies. - When Following-the-Leader Gets Your Business in Trouble.
On a hot summer day in the early 1990's, I was standing in the middle of a California freeway. Four cars were piled up around me, and ambulances, fire engines, and the California Highway Patrol were arriving one after the other. Our paramedic unit had parked where the first-in unit had told us to park, and we were working on the car that first medic on-scene had directed us to. - Why your business needs a peer-led Mastermind group.
Every time I teach a class, and build in the buddy system, people are blown away by how much -easier- everything is, just from not doing it alone. And not just getting stuff done, but the insights, the perspective shifts. Everything changes when you aren't solo. - The Curse of Professionalism in Your Business.
Have you ever received (or written) an email like this one? "Thank you for your correspondence. We appreciate your desire to contact us, and someone will get back to you shortly." Kinda cold and stale, eh? I'm used to seeing things like this from corporations, and from the back of our refrigerator, but how about us teensy business folks? - Why Attraction is a Mistake in Marketing.
Coffee shop. The background beat of some silly pop music. Buzz of conversation. The glow of laptop screens. And then, one near the counter, the other in a window seat, they both look up, and their eyes meet. Attraction! Next thing you know, they're picking out paint colors, and sharing chores in some nice little house in the neighborhood. It's a cozy picture, isn't it? If only your clients would move into your business as easily. - Smoothing cashflow when your business is small or new.
A participant in the Opening the Moneyflow Course has a fairly minimal email list of potential clients, about 80 or so. It's enough to bring in a few clients, but not enough to keep her pipeline full. While she's ramping up to increase the list, which is growing every week, she's still facing that cashflow issue: how can you keep a steady cashflow with just a handful of clients, before your marketing gets traction? - Why you make some business mistakes over and over.
Why do you make certain mistakes over and over again? No matter how hard you try to fix or control the situation, they seem beyond your control. For instance, I was working with a client recently who has a number of staff working under him, and wanted to delegate to them efficiently. And the same problem showed up in employee after employee. - Does the cutting edge of social media really pay?
So someone asks you: "What's your Twitter name?" And you look at them like they are a loony. Twitter? Huh? And then the next person asks you, "You blog, right? What's the URL?" Hold it. What happened? In the seeming blink of an eye, suddenly there's all this new so-called 'social media' on the web, and you know nothing about it. What's worse, is that everyone else seems to be there already. - Handling complaints without making things worse.
The email comes, or the phone rings, and there's an absolute flood pouring right at you. "Hey, you didn't do what you said you would do. This didn't work as advertised. You goofed!" Yup, a complaint. Ahhh! A complaint?! But you poured your heart and soul into it, how could they complain? Then you take a breath, and you read what they're asking for, and you realize... they were right. You DID make a mistake. - How productivity contributes to global warming and debt.
There was an edge to my voice as I asked the question: "And so why haven't you finished what you promised to do?" I meant for it to come out nicer, more reasonable. But, it didn't. This is so often where we land, kerthunk, in business: are you getting it done, or aren't you? In the western world, we call this 'productivity' and we think it's a good thing. - How to avoid reader fatigue in your subscribers.
There's some buzz I've been reading about in forums and on blogs about what's known as 'reader fatigue.' This is the condition that happens when you, as an individual, are confronted with sixteen hundred gazillion blogs, email newsletters, forums, and pdf downloads and you just get fed up with it. I can relate. Unfortunately, when you switch hats to being a business owner, suddenly you don't want to relate. - Why giving clients more choices means they'll never buy.
You're really wanting to be thoughtful and accommodating. You want to make your clients and customers comfortable, so they can have things the way they like it. So you start making up offers, each with different options and flavors. Eventually you have a menu of ten options. And no one's buying. Is it your marketing? Or your menu? - When networking events feel like a drag.
Going to networking events is kinda one of those things you are 'supposed' to do for your business. Some people love'em, some people hate'em. But, the truth is, especially for a new business, making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with people is incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, networking events can seem like pretty gross, low-energy, artificial affairs, with people glad-handing left and right. - Deciding whether or not to publish your prices.
Your website is up, your services/workshops/products page is finished. So... do you publish your prices along with it? If you do, won't that scare people away? If you don't, won't people think you're hiding something? It's a lose-lose situation, it would seem. So, do your clients need to see your prices, or not? - How to stop being a piranha when you really need clients.
In a recent Opening the Moneyflow class, we were discussing the balance between working on foundations and systems, and the need to get clients, like, now. As in 'now' thank you very much. Now, please? Clients? The need for cashflow in your business through having enough clients is profound. Paying the bills, keeping food on the table, and a roof over your head is no joking matter. - How to Keep Big Opportunities from Tearing Down Your Business.
"I love what you do. I want you to do project X, so we can reach a 1,000,000 people (or build that retreat center, etc.)" A few days ago I was reminded of this dynamic, when one of the current participants, using his newly-developed marketing message, started getting some pretty amazing results saying it to people. One of those results was a successful entrepreneur who shared his dream, and wanted to support him in "going big time." - Losing business for want of "The Nudge."
Our friend Erica called my wife and me to invite us to a holiday dinner. We couldn't go, because we already had plans that evening. But, when we hung up, we remembered that weeks and weeks ago we had decided to go to a show that her husband was involved in producing, but had never bought the tickets. We went online right then and bought 'em. This was an example of "The Nudge" even if it was inadvertent. - How to punish assistants for catastrophic mistakes
You finally did it. You decided to hire an assistant, or a virtual assistant, or even a full-on employee, with payroll and everything. Yahooey! You've hit the big time now. You're business is sure to take off. And then your new assistant sends you an email, or leaves a voicemail, or comes to your office. "Uh... I made a bit of a mistake. I hope it's not too bad." But it is. It's a big mistake. - Is it okay not to give all your profit back to your clients?
You finally made the leap and are getting paid a price that feels good. Except that it's itching the back of your neck, the back of your heart. You're uncomfortable. Next thing you know, you're working twice as hard, putting in extra hours, doing all kinds of extras for your clients. You're exhausted. And you only raised your prices 20%-- why is it that you feel like you're working -harder- than you were before you raised your prices? - How to be Consistently, Creatively Productive.
our business depends on your creativity. Your creativity in your marketing, in your product and service creation, and just in how you show up for your customers and clients. Without creativity, everything grows stagnant, you are unable to produce to meet deadlines, yours and others, and you begin to feel lifeless. And so does your business. And so do your profits. - If you resist marketing, then you can be great
"I've tried to market myself for years. I've worked with coaches, counselors and healers of all stripes. They all tell me I need to work through my resistance to marketing, and yet I still hate it." My heart was breaking. I was speaking with someone who had the seeds of an amazing business, one that had been limping along for years, never expanding beyond a small handful of dedicated and raving fan clients. Is this you? - When you feel so pressured to make money you can't think.
Your marriage falls apart, you or your partner is laid-off, or your spouse gets ill and you lose half your household income. The financial pressures sweep in like a sudden high tide, and as one of my clients wrote me, "I feel so pressured to make money I can't think." What do you do in a situation like this? "Forget about the bladdy-blah-blah of patience and organic growth, man! I need to make the rent like, yesterday!" - How to use systems without turning into a heartless zombie.
You can tell as soon as you pick up the phone before the other person has even said anything. That little silence, the clattering in the background, tells you that it's a telemarketer on the other end of the line, and there is nothing they have to say that is worth your precious time. With those experiences, it's easy to have strong opinions about using systems, and to avoid them like the plague in your own business. - How to avoid the funeral after a big breakthrough.
Okay, forget all this organic growth stuff. Let's say you hit the big time, and suddenly dozens, hundreds, even thousands of people are flooding towards your business. Exciting, isn't it? Sure, exciting as a funeral. If your business isn't ready, this could be The End. It's easy to want to hit it big. But, the truth is, rapid expansion is the most dangerous time for any business.
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