Life Success Strategies for Soulpreneurs®

Faith – the Key to Transforming Your Business

 

Faith is defined by Dr. Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind magazine, as “an idea so inwardly embodied that the mind can no longer conceive of its opposite.”   But what if your business is struggling and you feel like you are living its opposite right now?  What if no matter how hard you try, all you see is its opposite?  When you have faith, such as Dr. Holmes described, you don’t have to “try” to have faith – you just have it…  Here’s an example.

When you get up in the morning do you “try” to have faith that the electricity will work so you can have your morning coffee, or do you know and expect that it will?  When you go to bed at night, do you “try” to have faith that the sun will come up in the morning and you will have all the air you need to breathe, or do you know without a doubt and expect to have a normal day with the sun coming up and air to breathe?

That’s my definition of faith – a knowing, beyond a doubt, that whatever situation or circumstance you want in your life will be what you get.  And this knowing grows from the congruent actions you take, thoughts you think, and feelings you foster consciously.

We are living in a world of fear and doubt right now.  Businesses are closing, good people are having their lives turned upside down, and they’re running scared trying to make sense of life; and at the same time figure out what to “do” next.  Most of them probably believe that taking physical action is the first place to start. 

If you live a life based on faith, the first place to start is getting clear on your mindset, what you believe to be true, and what you are feeling and thinking on a daily basis.  If you’re constantly in a state of worry, fear, and you don’t see any way out of your situation, it’s going to be almost impossible for you to open your mind to receive the creative ideas and solutions that can be right under your nose, yet unseen…

Every night and morning I read something that helps me keep my mind open to what I believe to be true about life – that at its basis life is always good and that I am free to make choices about what I think and what I do to get access to this goodness.  No matter what appearances may be – I know people still have money (me included) and they are still spending it on what is important to them.  Just look around you and you will see this is true.

We all have limitless choices on what we can do to attract more customers to our businesses.  If you remain in an open and receptive state of mind, utilize the ideas that present themselves, and “expect” life to be your greatest champion, you will build a strong foundation of faith that will serve you and your business, no matter what is going on in the world. 

Goal Setting from the Heart

It’s March already.  If you are a goal setter, you may be thinking about how you’re progressing so far.  Is life getting in the way?  I know it usually does for me.  I have my day all planned out, and then I get interrupted by any number of things that all seem important at the time.  When the end of the day comes and my to-do list isn’t done, it’s frustrating and disheartening.   So, how do you get to that elusive completion of your goals and intentions, in spite of interruptions?

When you are working on goals that motivate and energize you, the journey to completion becomes a labor of love, instead of a guilt trip.  Make sure you are working on goals that are important to you – that will enrich your life for the better.  Setting SMART goals will help you decide if your goals are the right goals.  SMART goals are:

·                    

Specific – they spell out the outcome you want to achieve.  If you to make $1,000,000 in gross sales by January 1, 2015, that’s what your goal should state.  

 

·                    

Measurable – There should be a way for you to determine if this goal has been met.  In the above example, either you have made $1,000,000 by January 1, 2015, or you haven’t. 

 

·                     Attainable – Do you believe it’s possible to make $1,000,000 by January 1, 2015?  If you don’t believe it’s achievable, you will be less inclined to work seriously towards your goal.

·                    

Relevant – Is this goal going to help you live the lifestyle you want to live, or will it cause you to move in directions that are in opposition to what makes you happy?  Is the goal relevant to the overall goals for your business?  

 

·                     Time-bound – By what date do you intend to achieve this goal? 

Goals should feel empowering.  You should believe they will get you to where you want to be in your business.  If you don’t believe they will help you move forward, procrastination will most likely be a regular occurrence.  Take the time to think about and evaluate the goals you have set, and if they don’t feel exciting and achievable, set new goals.

Goals are good to have because they give you a road map, and they point you in the right direction as you go about everyday tasks.  But the real question to ask yourself is, “Am I excited and anxious to get to work every day in my business?”  If you aren’t looking forward to building your business every day, it’s time to rethink your goals.

Your life is right here, right now.  Don’t let your goals become so all consuming that you don’t enjoy the daily routine of your life.  Like the infamous, late John Lennon told us all, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.”

Your Four Best Business Breakthrough Strategies

I read an enlightening story in Daily Guideposts recently about a child who was color blind. It's hard for me to imagine going through life not being able to dress myself with coordinating colors of pants, tops, dresses, shoes, etc. But apparently there are many born with the inability to do just that.

This dilemma led me to think about what else is not the norm for the majority of the population, yet feels normal to some people who live with these challenges on a daily basis. I have lost the peripheral vision in my left eye. It feels so normal to me that I don't even think about it the majority of the time. Like me, many people have learned to live with the inconvenience these types of situations cause -- so much so that it feels normal. Would it be productive to stress and strain over it? Not likely.

When it comes to your business, what have you learned to live with that may feel normal, yet may not be the best, most productive way to grow a business? I have the ability to create websites, but it's not my strength - it's an ability. If I focus on websites, it keeps me from focusing on those things that are my strengths, like working with clients, writing, creating information products, and planning out my business.

Are you spending time working in areas of your business that could be done easier and faster by someone who specializes in those fields of expertise? You may not realize that when you work in parts of your business that are not directly revenue producing, you are stifling the growth of your business.

There is a process called a SWOT Analysis that can help you determine the highest and best use of your time, as it relates to building your business. As defined by Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, a SWOT Analysis is:

"A strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project or in a business venture. It involves specifying the objective of the business venture or project and identifying the internal and external factors that are favorable and unfavorable to achieving that objective. The technique is credited to Albert Humphrey, who led a research project at Stanford University in the 1960s and 1970s using data from Fortune 500 companies."

Strengths - What can you do that is unique and/or better than your competition.

Weaknesses - What do you need to improve to help you attract more customers? Maybe you need a stronger marketing plan or to work on staying in touch with your customers more often.

Opportunities - Do you have trade shows or business conferences coming up that can get you in front of your target audience?

Threats - Is a new retail store opening in the same area that you serve? Is a competitor stepping up their marketing efforts?

Because this analysis looks at your business, and yourself, from multi-dimensional angles, it has the ability to reveal information that can become the catalyst to your success. Utilized to your fullest advantage, it can lead you to a happier, more successful life and business.

Taking the time to analysis your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, as they apply to your business, may provide just the leverage you need to set your business apart from other businesses providing the same type of service and/or products. Use it as a starting point to find your competitive edge when creating a business and marketing plan, and to increase your awareness of what you have to offer to your clients, and at the same time increase your level of confidence.

How to Give up Goal Setting and Get on with Business

If you own a family business, as I do, you go through the days overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the number of goals and tasks you’re trying to get done in your business in one day. I could easily let fear and frustration take over, because I may be missing something that could make or break my ability to live in the style to which I’ve become accustomed.

I’ve discovered there’s a secret to overcoming this paralyzing fear. There’s a way to get back to the basics of enjoying your life, your business, and achieving your goals. That secret is to give up the notion that everything on your to do list for today has to be done. I can hear you now saying, “if I don’t do it, who will?!” Here’s something for you to consider.

How many times have you gotten to the end of a day and finally given up getting through your goals and your to do list, because there is just no way everything can get done to your satisfaction? How many times have you looked back later and realized that is was good some of those things didn’t get done, since circumstances and events changed that made it unnecessary for you to do them in the first place? This has happened to me more times than I can count. So, I came to this conclusion, some things on your list aren’t meant to be done when you think they should be.

I believe there is a right time for everything to occur – a time when synchronistic events line-up to make the completion of goals and tasks easy and effortless. When you find yourself stressing and straining, that is a sign it’s not the right time for that particular task to be completed. That’s when it is time to step back, leave it mentally and physically for a while, and see how life’s events unfold naturally; and they will if you learn to trust in the natural order.

Here is an example. My husband and I have been legal “tax evaders” for several years. We have moved every two years to take advantage of the real estate law, which says you can sell your primary residence tax free every two years, and realize a gain of up to $500,000 per couple. We have built new homes and sold our primary residence several times. This is always a nerve racking process, as we’re trying to coordinate the home selling and buying process to avoid making two house payments.

A few years ago, we were in the middle of this process once again, building a new home, with our then current home on the market. I knew the ideal buyer for us would be one who did not want to move in right away, but still wanted to buy the house and close quickly. As time went on, I kept this ideal scenario in the back of my mind, while other less than ideal potential buyers looked at our house.

After several weeks of progressing on our new house and waiting for ours to sell, the absolute perfect buyer finally came along that not only paid us a fair price, but because of their tax situation wanted us to rent our house back for however long we needed to finish our new home.

This scenario was orchestrated so perfectly I could not help but believe it was one of those amazing synchronistic events that show how circumstances can unfold if you get out of the way and quit pushing against life, trying to make things happen in your timing instead of the “right timing”.

While the world may tell you that you need to set goals and stay focused on the steps to achieve them, I have found you can also use another system to get from Point A to Point B. This is the Intention System, which has the following five steps.

1. Know what you want.
2. Stay focused on what you want.
3. Take the steps you are intuitively led to take.
4. Let circumstances and events unfold in their right timing.
5. Do what you need to do to be happy while you’re waiting for this natural unfolding to take place.

How would your life be if you could give up the stress, strain, and overwhelm of thinking only you know what is best and how to get there? This Intention System will give you more freedom, less judgment, and a happier more relaxed way of living. Why not give it a try?

Where's Your Business Coming From in 2009?

According to the Census Bureau, 305,529,237 Americans are now living in the United States.  This is an increase of 2,743,429 persons in one year.  That's a lot of potential customers for our businesses, don't you agree?  The question to ask yourself is, "how do I reach the right ones?" 

Branding your business is becoming quite a buzzword in the online marketing world.  We all want to differentiate ourselves from the masses, so we don't get lost in the huge numbers of businesses - people who are trying their best to make a living.  But branding alone is not enough.  Even if thousands of people know your name and what you have to offer, they won't necessarily give you their business - unless they know you care about them, not just their ability to pay you.

How can you demonstrate that you care?  By listening to what your customers want, without any preconceived notions about what they should have. 

We had a customer contact us recently who was in the market to either buy an existing home or build a new one.  We were astounded when he told us that there were Realtors who refused to show him properities and write offers on houses because the Realtor didn't believe it was in his best interest.  In other words, judgments were made based on personal preferences and opinions, without allowing the customer to come to their own conclusions.  What if this customer was specifically looking for a fixer-upper and didn't want to go into details, for personal reasons. You never know...

If you want to be sure and reach the right customers, think about how you would want to be treated and give your current and prospective customers the same consideration.  Take the time to find out what they want, and focus on providing that - to the best of your ability - and make 2009 your most profitable year yet.

Writing Sales Letters that Get Your Phone to Ring – How Much Money Are You Leaving on the Table – Part 2

It’s a known fact that people buy from people they know, like and trust.  Most often, they buy from people – not from companies, unless you happen to have a company with a nationally known brand such as Pepsi, GE, State Farm, etc.  So, building rapport in a one page sales letter and brochure may be a tall order.

Before you begin the process of writing your sales letter, imagine your ideal customer is sitting before you.  Ask yourself these questions, and any others that may feel appropriate.

ü  Who are they?

ü  Where do they live?

ü  What’s their income level?

ü  Where do they shop?

ü  Where do they work?

ü  How many children do they have, if any?

It’s easier to write a sales letter, if you know who you want to reach.  You can then write as if you are having a personal conversation with your target audience.  Think about what you want to tell them that will make buying from you the next logical step.

Here are 5 more elements to help you get their attention, build trust, and entice them to buy your product or service.

1.       Keep it short and sweet.  The letter should be no more than one page.  You will rarely find someone who doesn’t know you that is willing to read pages of sales copy after a busy day at work.   Think about what you want to say and get your message across without wasting space on unnecessary, flowery words. 

2.      Fun works!  Get their attention in the first paragraph by starting off with a humorous or pithy statement.  Here are a couple of examples from the famous Marketeer, Dan Kennedy.“It’s April Fools MONTH.  And sometimes it seems like the entire federal government, the entire nation, many once-leading companies, even some clients’ businesses have all become Ships of Fools wandering about on the high seas absent navigation.”

 

“I hereby strip you of all rights to ever complain about your income or wealth.”

 

 

I don’t know about you, but these statements got my attention!

3.      Give them a reason to act now!  Offering time sensitive discounts or free offers, with a deadline, will give your potential customers incentive to act now instead of putting off the buying decision until later.

4.      Offer a guarantee.  It’s tough to build trust in a one page sales letter.  Offering a guarantee will let your audience know you stand behind your products and/or services, so they will be more inclined to pick-up the phone and call you.

5.      Why would they buy from you?  Get your competitive advantage across quickly and succinctly.  Use bullet points and bold type to help emphasize key selling points.  Don’t be shy about telling people what you have to offer and how it can benefit them. 

Using these five elements in your sales letter will help you get your letter read and the phone ringing.

 

© 2008   Sandy Reed - All rights reserved

Want to use my articles in your ezine or website?

You're welcome to, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE).  She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business.  If you're ready to take your family business to the next level of success; receive support, education, and connect with like-minded women, join her members at www.iawife.com.  Sandy's business building articles have been published in True Wealth and Simply Home magazines."

How Much Money Are You Leaving on the Table?

If there is one thing most people would agree on it’s that few people have ever come across a situation made worse by having too much money.  We all know in the business world more clients = more money.

 

 

In a study conducted by Dartnell and McGraw Hill the following statistics were discovered.

 

80% of all sales are made only after 5 or more contacts.

48% of all salespeople give up after the first contact.

25% give up after the 2nd contact.

17% give up after the 3rd or 4th contact.

 

This study indicated that 90% of the salespeople give up before 80% of the sales are ever made!

 

Are you part of the 90%, or are you one of the persistent 10% who end up getting the sale?

 

This is Part 1 of a 5-part article giving you valuable tips on how to follow-up with potential customers, to ensure you are a part of that money-making 10%.

 

It goes without saying that your brochure should look professional, but here are five more keys to a client-capturing brochure.

 

1. Your brand should be front and center.  What is a brand anyway?  A brand is a logo, slogan, or other means of communication that identifies your business.  Can you guess what the brand is of Allstate Insurance or McDonalds?  I bet you immediately thought of “good hands” and “golden arches” didn’t you?  That is the power of a brand, and it should be communicated on all your company’s business cards, stationery, and brochures.

 

2. Your Unique Selling Position (USP) should be stated clearly on your brochure.  Why would someone hire you versus your competitor?  This may require some research, but it is time well spent.  Your USP will be communicated throughout all your marketing materials.  It will clearly tell your prospective customers what skills, services, and/or products you have to offer and how they are better than your competitors.

 

3. Compelling headlines and subheads.  All of your headlines and subheads should strike an emotional chord with your target audience.  Here are a couple of examples.  Which one would compel you to take action?

 

Let us help you. – or - Let us work our magic!

 

How about:

 

This is something you really need. – or - This is absolutely essential to your success.

 

Enough said…

 

4.  Client testimonials are a must in a successful brochure.  They give you credibility to prospective customers; let them know how you have served others, and how you can serve their needs.

 

5. A clear call to action.  What do you want your prospective customers to do?  Do you want them to call you TODAY?  Do you want them to visit your website first, so they know what you have to offer?  Be sure and tell them what the next step should be – and make it big, bold, and front and center!

We have been using a brochure in marketing our construction business for several years.  Clients have called who kept that brochure for over two years before they were ready to meet with us.   Second only to referrals, it has been the most powerful marketing tool we have utilized.

 

© 2008   Sandy Reed - All rights reserved

Want to use my articles in your ezine or website?

You're welcome to, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE).  She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business.  If you're ready to take your family business to the next level of success; receive support, education, and connect with like-minded women, join her members at www.iawife.com.  Sandy's business building articles have been published in True Wealth and Simply Home magazines."

What One Business Can Do

Dan West was a farmer born in Ohio in 1893.  He served as a relief worker in Spain following the Spanish Civil War.  Day after day he handed out rations of milk to those he could, even though there were many who received none.  Dan saw that there was never enough to go around, and it was gone all too quickly, leaving many children hungry. 

 

One day he had an epiphany, "They don't need a cup, they need a cow!"  Thus was born the mission of Heifer International, which now spans the globe, to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. 

 

 

 

The first shipment of dairy cows went to Puerto Rico more than sixty years ago to families whose children had never tasted milk before.  "What does this have to do with business", you may ask.  For Nikiema Aminata, who is a member of a Heifer-funded women's poultry association in the African nation of Burkina Faso, it has everything to do with business and the opportunities business can provide those in need around the world.

 

Another Heifer recipient was the mother of Beatrice Biira, who grew up in the village of Kisinga, Uganda.  She received a got in 1991.  Because Beatrice's mother was able to sell enough goat's milk to send Beatrice to the local elementary school, she then won a scholarship to a high school in the capital of Uganda, Kampala.  Beatrice went on to attend a prep school in the US, entered Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut on a full scholarship, where she majored in international development.  Beatrice now has a best selling children's book, Beatrice's Goat, and has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning, America.  She is an avid spokesperson for Heifer International and gives talks to various groups to raise money for the organization that has been of benefit to so many.  

 

All Heifer recipients must agree to "pass on the gift" to someone else.  In this way all gifts are multiplied over and over again.  Through Heifer's gift of chickens to Nikiema, she was given the ability to help her community survive a famine by using the money from the sale of eggs to pay for food, education, and literacy training, and passing on the offsprings of her chickens to those women .  These classes teach women in the poultry association to read and write, and develop the skills to manage their own crops, giving them the ability to become self-reliant and in turn pass on the gift of the offsprings of the chickens, and so it goes...

 

What can one successful business do?  It can make a world of difference to those who receive its gifts, whether they be gifts of chickens, cows, or the ability to do a job, or provide a service because of what you can provide to your customers.  Never underestimate the power of what you have to offer and your ability to make a difference in the world. 

© 2008   Sandy Reed - All rights reserved

Want to use my articles in your ezine or website?

You're welcome to, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE).  She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business.  If you're ready to take your family business to the next level of success; receive support, education, and connect with like-minded women, join her members at www.iawife.com.  Sandy's business building articles have been published in True Wealth and Simply Home magazines."

 

 

 

 

Family Business Extraordinaire!

I read a wonderful story this morning in the November 2008 Guideposts Magazine about how an unlikely family business came to be.  It was called "The Team Dean Diet - The Family that loses together stays together". 

 It's about a close-knit family of six grown children, and mom and dad, living in Nebraska.  They had all been eating the traditional Nebraskan diet their entire lives - and it showed...  Along comes the TV show The Biggest Loser, and it struck a cord with one of the family members, enough so that it inspired him to speak up and enlist not just one, but all the other family members to begin a family diet plan based on developing healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and accountability - to each other.   But this isn't where the story ends...

The result of this new accountability plan is that the family lost a combined total of 500 pounds on the diet they now call F.A.S.T. - Families Always Succeed Together.

The family has been on TV, written a book, and are now organizing people all over the country to try their diet!  This family is now working together in what has to be, or will become soon, a very profitable enterprise for all of them.  Just goes to show you that family businesses can come in all shapes and forms...

© 2008   Sandy Reed - All rights reserved

Want to use my articles in your ezine or website?

You're welcome to, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE).  She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business.  If you're ready to take your family business to the next level of success; receive support, education, and connect with like-minded women, join her members at www.iawife.com.  Sandy's business building articles have been published in True Wealth and Simply Home magazines."

Escape Relationship Conflicts by ALIGNing

You just got your company’s cell phone bill, and it’s higher than the balance in your checking account.

You’re getting customer complaints about loud music, high costs, and/or lack of communication.

Whatever the scenario is in your business, conflicts are never pleasant.

Within all of us is an intelligent energy that is the essence of who we are. It is our personality, our preferences, our wants, and our needs; and our happiness and well being lies within this energetic essence.

There is an inherent need for us to line up with this energy in order to be happy and create harmonious and satisfying relationships. When we have a conflict with another person, it disturbs our ability to line up with this energy and live in peace.

Because we are all unique individuals with our own ideas about what is right and wrong, it’s difficult to live in the world without having a conflict with someone at some time. So, what do we do about these conflicts? What if we looked for a compromise that both parties could live with and still respect one another? What if we could find a way for everyone to be happy and at peace?

Especially in family businesses, where everyone’s past history is well known, and rarely forgotten, it can be difficult to get past conflicts, look at people as they are, and give them the respect they deserve. Here is a 5 step process to help you ALIGN and find a compromise, even when the other person may not be in a compromising mode.

1. Always take time. Give the situation time to come to a natural conclusion. When you step back for a few days, new resolutions may become apparent that you couldn’t see in the first emotional throes of the conflict.

2. Let clarity rise to the surface. Write down your feelings, frustrations, and what you believe is the problem and the best solution. Live with this for a couple of days – without approaching the other party.

3. Introspection - brainstorm possible solutions. This is the time to think out of the box, not just from your normal point of view. Sit in the other person’s chair and think about how the situation is affecting them.

4. Get solutions. Approach the other person with a clear intention to discuss several solutions, and be open-minded and sensitive to what they have to say. Don’t expect a decision to be made at this point. Let each other’s possible solutions percolate for a few days.

5. New resolution. After the percolation period, meet again face-to-face and talk about pros and cons of each other’s preferred resolution. Try to pick one you are both satisfied with – and that maintains your harmonious relationship, assuming that it is your desire to do so.

Using this process to ALIGN will give both parties the opportunity to feel heard, respected, and at the same time maintain their source of peace and happiness. Keeping peace and happiness at the forefront of relationships leads to your own peace of mind, stronger interpersonal relationships, and a better business.

© 2008   Sandy Reed - All rights reserved

Want to use my articles in your ezine or website?

You're welcome to, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Sandy Reed is the President and Founder of the International Association of Women in Family Enterprises (IAWIFE).  She is a professional business coach, writer, and co-owns her own successful family business.  If you're ready to take your family business to the next level of success; receive support, education, and connect with like-minded women, join her members at www.iawife.com.  Sandy's business building articles have been published in True Wealth and Simply Home magazines."