Move From the "Can" to the "How"

How many times do you think about doing something that feels like a stretch and you ask yourself, "Can I do this'? Those four little words can really set the stage for the end result. If you ask yourself "Can I do this" you are introducing and validating your own self-doubt. When that enters, the goal seems that much further away and you are ultimately sabotaging your results.

Rather than asking "Can I do this", ask instead, "How can I do this". The mere act of rephrasing that shifts the paradigm from one of self-doubt to one of embracing the possibilities. When you ask, "Can I do this" you are really prompting your mind to make an immediate assessment and answer yes or no. The sad realization is that we often gravitate to the "no" response.. The key is to start a conversation with your mind. When your brain is confronted with the "how" it will immediately shift into offering possibilities and finding solutions. Our brain is like a computer and it will naturally seek out the solution when presented the problem. But we have to take that first step to in essence, program our brain to respond to our request.

"How can I do this" implies the solution is out there it's just a matter of us putting together the right pieces to make it happen. It entails being open and aware of the opportunities that already exist around us and a willingness to step into them. The solution always exists when you don't shut down the process. Make sure your mindset is such that you are ready to receive it.

The next time you are confronted with a situation that requires you to step outside your comfort zone or stretches you to that next level, ask yourself "how can I do this"? Allow yourself to open up to the process and you will find the solution will present itself.

Action Step:
Catch yourself the next time you say, "Can I do this". Stop and immediately rephrase that to "How can I do this" and keep reinforcing that until you sense you've let go of any self doubt and allowed yourself to embrace the possibilities. Train your mind to immediately let go of the "Can I" response. Write out your thoughts. Let any self-doubt that exists come out and release it. Open up the way for the solution to show up. The solution always exists, you just need to create an environment that allows it to manifest.

Karen Dunlap is an interior designer, business owner and creator of the Design For Your Success NOW System™, a unique training and coaching program specifically created for design professionals. Using specific strategies and systems, Karen coaches design professionals on how to simplify their business, attract ideal clients and get back to their original passion, designing and decorating.

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

Relationships Can Build or Hurt Your Business

Even though we are solo professionals,k there are many people who can influence us for good or evil over time. It is therefore important to be cautious about the people who we have as associates. There are several types of relationships that can hurt our business:

1. Partners - Many of us have been burned in the past after beginning a venture with high hopes only to have them dashed when the person who we chose to partner with does not have the same goals, lifestyle or ambition. This may be a business partner who perhaps does not invest time and energy to the degree that was promised or a romantic partner who has a completely different idea of how your lives and business should operate. Be cautious!

2. Friends - People can enter and leave your life just as the seasons change. Usually we are attracted to others because we have something in common but if one of us grows the relationship can end either abruptly or through a gradual slide that is almost imperceptible. Unfortunately, jealousy can interfere with what was previously a supportive and enjoyable relationship. It is therefore important that you live in the moment and be able to let go of the other person when the right time for this arrives.

3. Associates - It is very easy to get into habits that might not be very positive for your business. An associate might, for example, invite you for an after-work beverage which evolves into drinking several times a week or even every night. This can be an expensive, time-consuming activity that may actually result in a negative label in the community.

4. Consultants - Over the years, I have spent a great deal of money hiring professionals who claim that they are experts only to be disappointed when they tried to led me into an area that I felt didn't fit my values or goals. Just because they promote themselves as the "expert" doesn't mean that they are the "expert" of me or my business. You need to have a good match with the person who is to help you to build and grow your business. Choose well.

5. Clients - Usually you don't know clients when they book their first appointment with you and, as you get to know them you will soon realize that some of them are "toxic" individuals who would not hesitate to bad-mouth anyone who crosses their path. Be very discerning about issues that clients may have and endeavor to resolve them before things fester into a situation that might harm your business. Also, remember that it is acceptable for you to "fire" your clients if you feel that you are not making progress. A good referral might be just the answer!


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

Martial Arts Business Marketing to Attract Adult Students

I've spoken to a lot of school owners recently about the whole "Adult Marketing" thing.

Some of these ladies and gentlemen have as much as an 80% adult population in their schools.

Some have mainly kids and a small number of adults.

Both have one thing in common...

The want more adult students.

And not just for their "Fitness Kickboxing" programs.

Some of these schools have pretty full fitness type classes. But these are usually NOT martial arts or MMA classes. In most cases the member pays a lot less than the tuition in the "Real Martial Arts program."

Often the question from these school owners is...

"How do I ramp up my adult martial arts program?"

My response is based on one key principle regardless of whether their school is doing MMA, BJJ or "traditional martial arts."

"It comes down to the MESSAGE!"

Does the message you're getting out there for your adult program position your school against the competition of the health club?

Does it talk about the personal nature and guidance you give your students?

Does it assure them they'll be safe? Most professional good quality adult prospects can't walk in to work with a black eye the next day!

Does it warn them against all the UN-professional hacks out there who just want their money?

Does it let them know you have classes for beginners? (Don't assume they know they'll be in a beginner class!)

Are you making the mistake of trying to market to teens and adults at the same time? Big Mistake!!

This is the tip of the iceberg on what you need to think about if you want to ramp up your adult programs.

Have fun because as you know classes full of intense committed adult martial arts students can be a joy to teach.


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

Do You Embrace the "Ebbs" in Your Business?

I don't always have to be busy. Repeat that again, I don't always have to be busy. There is a natural ebb and flow to our business that we need to learn to embrace more fully. In a society that promotes 24/7 access, it's hard to give ourselves permission to not get caught up in the mindset of always having to be busy.

Just look to nature to better understand that there is an innate rhythm that allows times of growth to be offset with times of rest. When we fight this, we are fighting the flow of nature. The slow times allow for regeneration and reenergizing. It doesn't mean we don't do anything; we just alter our course a little bit and take the time to reconnect and refocus.

Embrace the slow times to really get centered on your business and your goals. Always have a running list close at hand that identifies business development opportunities. As ideas come to mind, write them down. Use the slower times to map out these opportunities. Identify the necessary steps and the resources needed to get you from point A to point B and then here is the key, IMPLEMENT! The slower times really are there to give you breathing room so you can plan and grow to that next level. I don't mean to suggest you leave business development to only the slow times, it truly should be part of every week if not every day but you can leapfrog your business development during the slow teams if you adequately prepare for them and know "what to do next".

Growth is a process. While we've all heard the "overnight" success story, typically we're only hearing about the present and when you dig a little deeper into the story behind the headline, you uncover a journey that was filled with ebbs and flows. It is how these individuals worked with these ebbs and flows that contributed to their success. They didn't accept the ebbs as defeat but rather dug in and re-evaluated and uncovered something that could make them better and stronger. That is the true measure of success.

Don't ever accept clients just to keep "busy". While it may initially seem attractive because they'll pay the bills, accepting clients that may not be your ideal client will preclude you from being able to fully embrace the intended ebb in your business. While short term goals may be met, the longer term goals will the be opportunity cost and you'll remain where you are even longer.

Resist the urge to always stay busy and accept the ebbs in your business as just a natural part of the process. Plan and prepare for those ebbs so they can create more flows in the future. When you match your business to this natural rhythm, you'll start to feel and see the difference in your bottom line results.

ACTION STEPS:

Buy a notebook or journal and dedicate it to recording your business development ideas and strategies. Having this in one place simplifies the process and allows you easily to track your progress. I used to jot down ideas and thoughts on random pieces of paper but as you can guess, that bright idea I had got buried in the business of things and was ultimately lost and forgotten.

I can't tell you how many wasted hours I've spent searching for those random notes! My little notebook has saved me and it's fun to look back and see how the little ideas have flowed and generated into even bigger and better ideas. The initial seeds are captured and given the opportunity to bloom into their potential. Embrace the ebbs in your business and look at those times as laying the foundation for your next big leap forward. You'll soon discover the wonderful benefits of working "in the flow".


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

How To Set A Price On Projects As A Freelancer

So you have decided on leaving your job and become a freelance worker. It is a good idea indeed, having control over the time and kind of work you will do and have the potential to earn more than what you receive as a company employee. Becoming a freelancer means you can set your own price on projects you choose but this is where new freelancers often falls into the trap of pricing themselves too low.

Some things to take note are the cost of working at home. You might not need to go outside and drive a car or take a cab but you are now consuming more electricity and other utilities. All the time you use are not billable hours so you have to check how much is the expenses added since you started working at home. You have to set a price that will let you pay your bills on time.

I have seen listings on many job sites offering less than a dollar per hour for a full time work! Imagine you are applying for this work. Even if the work is easy, you have to be working for full 8 hours a day which translates to 160 hours a month. Less than a dollar per hour would just give you roughly $100 or even less. Do you think you'd want to still take that job? Many people I've seen are always applying to those kinds of listings thinking they have a job and can start saving but in reality, just by using their computers for 160 hours, they may not even be able to pay the electric bills. Its a win-loss type of work. Win for the employer and loss for the employee.

Lastly, you know what your skills are. You know the kind of work you are best so market those skills and charge a competitive price. Don't charge first over the standard rate if you are new to freelancing but over time once you have gained a lot of clients and have more experience, then you can raise your price. Clients will happily pay you a high rate per hour if your work meets or exceeds their expectations. Some clients may take advantage but you can weed them out and just continue working on the good ones.

Bottom line is, setting a price can be tricky but with enough experience and some planning ahead, you will be sure that you can pay your bills on time and have enough savings left at the end of the month.

Be a winner at the rat race and enjoy living life to the fullest!


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

Create a Framework for Your New Planning Business

When building your wedding planning business, it's important to make time for administrative work. Creating a framework for this work will make it easier to implement and get done. Problem is, there's so much to do, it may be difficult to see the big picture. I have three simple steps to get you started.

When a new planner begins coaching with me, one of the first things we do is create an organization chart. This helps to paint a nicely compacted picture of all the different things that need to be done in her business. We include all the positions/job titles in a traditional, small business and then we add the tasks that would be completed by each position.

Now, because you are flying solo (for now), your name will appear in every single section on this org chart. I know...sounds like a lot of work...but realistically, you ARE the person who needs to do it all. At least in the beginning.

The good news is, documenting it in this way helps to give you focus and clarity on what you need to do as a new business owner.

The second thing we do is to create a schedule of everything that needs to be done in a typical week. Blocking out chunks of time for similar tasks gives you the flexibility you need to work "on" and "in" your business which is just as important as doing "client" work.

For some new planners, this means including a regular 9 to 5 job. Let's face it, more than likely, you are starting your business by building it during evenings and weekends. I don't like to call it "part time" because if you are as ambitious as I think you are, building your wedding planning business is a 30-40+ hour per week job. There's nothing part time about that! This schedule will also help you to make sure nothing is missed and that you stay on track with the goals you've set for your new business.

And finally, the third important first step in creating the framework of your new planning business is to create your business plan outline. Notice I didn't say, "create your business plan." It's sounds so daunting and a little scary, I know. I said, "create your business plan outline", not "write your business plan". Creating a formal business plan can be a long process. I worked on my plan for almost a year before I felt ready to launch my business. Starting with an outline will give you the framework for a comprehensive and more traditional business plan, when the time comes to write it, which is very important for any business.

Now? The REAL work begins. You have a framework for your business and it's time to put a plan into place.

What else are you struggling with in your business? Have you setup your systems for when you get that first lead? You DO want to be ready BEFORE that first bride calls, don't you?

The Before the Bride Business Planning System is a 10 step program developed to help wedding planners start their businesses the right way...to become business owners and not just hobbyists. It comes complete with step by step exercises, worksheets and audio files to guide you in building a planning business that's ready to accept new brides. To get it, visit the services page at AspiretoPlan.com.

Wendy is the founder of Sacred Moment Weddings, a planning business that concentrates on giving her clients delightful food choices, music that delights and moves a crowd and wedding décor with a dazzling and inviting atmosphere. These are the three foundational elements she uses for planning her clients wedding day.

She is also the founder of Aspire to Plan and Before the Bride; a program created to empower and develop wedding planners into wedding industry leaders. She feels there is a need for more business coaching for aspiring wedding planners in order to promote more professionalism in the industry.

Tips for the Solo Entrepreneur to Get Unstuck

Sometimes life can seem to get in the way of our business. We can get so busy doing what we do that we never take the time to invest in ourselves, in our own personal lives. Our gift and our creativity can get us to a certain place. Yes, we may enjoy a measure of success but in order to keep it or get to the next level, personal and professional development is a must.

Just like every physician needs a physician, every solo entrepreneur needs a coach, a mentor, a mastermind group. Iron sharpens iron. It brings growth or in the least camaraderie. Just like life, operating a business is a journey. Bill Gates talks to Warren Buffet. Napoleon Hill talked to Dale Carnegie. They did this not only for their professional growth but for their personal growth also. If you are the smartest, one in your group, then it is time to find another group.

As people who are following their purpose in life, we must be careful not to isolate ourselves, trying to achieve business goals and just want people to follow us and receive our services or products. It is possible that in the midst of following our dream, we can negate our personal responsibility.

I understand in growing our business, our time is short and our energies have to be focused on what takes priority. Here are a few tips for the solo entrepreneur who may be feeling stuck:

1) Take the time each day, preferably before your business day starts and do something for yourself, spiritually and physically. This will help us to move forward. Look at this as part of your business day. Your mind will be clearer to stay focused for making a decision or meeting with your clients. Purposely allowing our minds to have a time of peace without thinking about our businesses will help us to be more creative. We have the same twenty four hours in a day as the likes of: Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Helen Free and Sarah Boone. Each of them understood they needed to do something to help their minds have the freedom needed to create. As solo entrepreneurs, we need to make sure we do the same thing.

2) Make sure each day you have a time where the business is over and your life begins. This brings work balance and energy. Constantly mixing and mingling your business with your personal life will cause one or the other to suffer. Oprah Winfrey, Ray Kroc and Debbi Fields understood this. In the midst of trying to gain what each of us define as being successful, we don't want to forget to be a success in our own personal lives. Losing our families and our true friends does not equal success. It can be lonely at the top if we choose it to be that way.

3) Start and end each day with a grateful heart and attitude. Life is going to bring ups as well as downs. Our businesses will experience everything between times of great success to times of deciding whether we should close the doors. Having a positive attitude will help to keep us motivated. Gratitude is the fuel we need to move us beyond whatever we are experiencing to just being thankful for a chance to live life and do what we love doing, which is a gift.

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

Stress Management and Work-Life Balance: When Setting Boundaries Is Vital for Women in Business

Women are known for their ability to multi-task and perform many roles at one time. This is true within business where a woman may be performing a myriad of roles including administration and finance officer, director of sales and marketing, and customer service representative, to name but a few!

The same is true when the picture is broadened. How many of the following apply to you:

* business owner/leader/manager/entrepreneur
* homeowner/ home maker/housekeeper
* cook/chauffeur/washerwoman/tidier
* wife/mother/friend/counselor/homework helper/playmate
* etc

The Center for Women's Business Research in the US has found that 82% of all women business owners are mothers.

With so many things on the go at once, work life balance can get out of kilter, stress levels can rise, and it can be difficult to create the space and time needed to work effectively on a business.... little surprise when you stop to think of all the other things you are doing alongside the business, but more crucially, what structures (or lack of) you have around your work time and space.

In addition, many business women work from home, opening up opportunity for the work/life boundary to become very blurred.

Women who work from home often report constant interruptions from multiple sources:

* Friends calling in to visit because you "are at home".
* Tradespeople dropping by to fix something up (usually organised by your husband or partner).
* You see a pile of laundry right next to your workspace and take the 5 minutes to pop the washing on,

And for women who go out to work, countless commitments and pulls on your time can lead to confusion and stress.

Given all that is going on it is apparent that if you don't have firm structures in place to define what is work time and space and what is not, the distractions can become overwhelming. This leaves little head-space to get on to the task of efficiently and effectively running your business, or your life. The offshoots of this will include feelings of frustration, lack of work life balance, high levels of stress and ultimately less productivity and success in both business and personal life.

Take ACTION!!!

Take the time now to examine how you are currently operating to identify areas where you are already magnificent, and other areas where you could put more structure in place in order to create clearer work life balance and reduce your stress.

Your work space:

* Do you have a clearly defined space in which you work?
* Is this clearly for work only? What possible distractions are there in your workplace (e.g. can you see the laundry pile from your chair? Can you hear your home phone ringing?)
* What could you do to more clearly separate your work space from your home space (if you work from home)

Your work hours:

* Are you clear with yourself when you are working and when you are not?
* Do you stick to these hours? Be really honest with yourself - are there times when you are in work time and are doing non work-related tasks?
* Do you ever hop onto the computer outside of work hours, just to check an email or finish up a task?
* How could you more clearly delineate your work and out of work times so that you create the time and therefore head-space in which to succeed both in business and in your personal life?

The reality is that if you are a female business owner or manager, it is likely that this is but one of the roles you fulfill on a day-to-day basis. We often aim to be everything to everybody, leaving us with little time to do anything to the standards we aspire to. Work life balance is often talked about but tricky to implement... but making conscious choices now will be a step in the right direction.


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

Freelance Writers: How to Use Online Job Boards to Earn Fast Cash

If you're one of those writers who never seems to find any assignments on the online job boards, you're probably being too picky OR you may just be looking at the wrong kinds of ads. Here's something to try that should help you land a job you can complete quickly to earn some fast cash.

Search for just one short assignment that pays at least $50 for something you would feel comfortable writing because you have the skills and knowledge to pull off the job. It doesn't have to be something you're passionate about writing. You just want a quick assignment. For example, if you're good at writing press releases or book or product reviews, or cover letters, or artist statements, look for ads for one of those assignments.

As soon as you see the ad, follow the application guidelines immediately.

If you get the assignment, do it right away and bill the client.

The point of this is to look for jobs that you can complete quickly and that are relatively easy so you can make some fast cash. But then you want to move on to another new client and another new project that you can complete quickly.

Skip over the ads that promise regular work - these are usually the ones that will gobble up your time for very little pay and you won't be able to do anything else. Also, skip over the ads for assignments that will take weeks to complete. You aren't looking for a regular client at this point or a long-term assignment. You just want a short, easy assignment that will give you some quick cash.

Get in the habit of scanning a variety of online job boards like this on a regular basis and you'll soon be making some quick cash every week!

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

Simple Facebook Tips for Business Networking

It seems these days that most people are on Facebook for either their personal life or their business life, or both. Social media is very popular, but I would still say that Facebook is king in the social media world.

From a business standpoint, Facebook is a very effective way of networking, different than Twitter or LinkedIn or some of the others out there, Facebook is easy because it's so... well... big, for lack of a better word!

It's easy to browse around and see what people are up to, and it's easy to connect and network with people, but there are a few tips that you might want to use to improve your business networking so that you can maximize your time online and really use it effectively.

Be selective. It's important to have quality over quantity for your business contacts. On your wall feed, you will see posts from all of your connections. If you have people who post valuable content once a day, and you have others who post things that don't interest you much more often, you may miss the things you are really interested in. It's not a race, and it's not a contest. Only connect (or stay connected) with people that you really want to be in contact with. And don't be afraid to try people on for size first. I have friended and unfriended many business people/pages/groups - if they take away from my online experience (or even just don't add to it), I am not afraid to disconnect with them.

Mix it up. Be sure to have a good balance of personal and business posts going. Business is business, and of course you want to use your social media to expand your business, but the people that will work with you are going to want to connect with you, the person, so it's important to balance that. Same can be said for the other way - if you are posting only personal content, people may not find that business connection with you that you want them to find.

Build lists. The easiest way to separate the content that comes in over your wall feed is to use lists. You can create lists to segregate all of the people you are friends with - so you can keep your personal contacts and your business ones separate. I also keep a couple of separate business lists, for pages, people and really interesting contacts, so when I view my feed I can select to view only what they have posted. On the Most Recent tab, there is a dropdown menu where you can choose which list of contacts you want to show. This is a great way to get yourself up to date quickly. Pick a list to check out, scan the posts, and comment or share as you wish!

Interact. It is social media after all! Don't just lurk on people's walls - comment on their posts and updates. Interaction is the networking part of things. Share things that others have posted to your own wall. You may think that they don't want to hear what you have to say, but they really do. Everyone likes to have someone comment on something they have 'put out there'. From a business standpoint, it makes great sense to post interesting things and to comment on other people's as well. You are trying to establish a reputation as an expert, so share your knowledge and opinion!

Be active. Once you put your social media strategy in place, it's important to keep up your activity. Check in regularly, and interact regularly. Post your own content regularly too. Share your expertise in your industry. Be interesting. Don't overload people, but don't disappear. It can be a fine balance, but using a social media strategy will help you keep on track.

Connecting with potential clients and colleagues alike on Facebook makes good business networking sense. You can do it easily in minutes a day when you follow these simple tips!


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_D'Aviero

The Benefits of Being A Virtual Assistant

A VA, if you're unfamiliar with the acronym, is a virtual assistant. It's an administrative assistant that works virtually or online. It's a fantastic career choice for many. Here are just a few of the many benefits to being a VA.

#1 Ability to work from home

The choice to become a VA is a great one for many. If you're a parent or caregiver, it enables you to stay home and earn a paycheck. Being a virtual assistant means you can work from your computer. You don't have to go into a formal office. Your clients are managed all online.

Additionally, you can work from anywhere. If you're heading to the beach for spring break, you can take your work with you. You can work from a coffee shop. You can work from the poolside. You can work while you're waiting at your child's dentist office.

#2 It's interesting

There really is no end to the type of work you can do as a virtual assistant. You can offer a broad base of services or a specialty service like transcription. This variety can help keep the job interesting. You won't suffer from burnout. Likewise you can manage a number of different clients. This provides the ability to learn about a lot of industries and topics.

#3 Demand

Virtual administration is a growing industry. As more and more people go into business online there's an increasing need. Additionally, both individuals and companies are realizing the benefits of outsourcing. It puts you in a prime position to create a business and a career.

#4 Low startup requirements

There's not much required to get started as a VA. You'll need a computer, a website and the means to market and grow your business. All of this can be managed for just a few hundred dollars. You also don't need any special degree or certification. While administrative certification is available, if you have the skills you're ready to get started.

#5 You're the boss

In addition to being able to work from home there are also many other freedoms. For example, you can set your own work hours. If you're a night owl this means you can work at night when you're awake and alert. You can also take time off whenever you need to. No more asking the boss for a vacation day or worrying about sick leave. Finally, you also get to choose who you work with. You choose the clients and the projects you'll take on.

If you're looking for a full time career or just a little extra money consider becoming a VA. Virtual Assistants are in high demand. You can create the lifestyle you need and want.

Pam Ivey is founder of VA Training Academy and is a 10 year virtual assistant veteran, author, speaker and trainer. Visit http://www.virtualassistanttrainingacademy.com to pick up your free business reports:
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