“I have had a great idea for years now, but never had the opportunity to do it!”

Does that statement sound like one you could make?  Then it’s time to stop talking and start doing!

I know, I know… you don’t have the time, the money, the resources, the whatever.  But I’m here to tell you those are all excuses!

If everyone waited until there was enough time, money, resources or other stuff, no one would ever move to a new house, get married, start families, open a business, etc.  Instead, we’d just leisurely sit around in rocking chairs on our porches discussing ad nauseum what we WOULD and SHOULD do… but definitely won’t.

I’m not saying that your “great idea” is going to be a success, of course, because I can’t predict that.  Who knows?  It could flop miserably.  (Hey, the same thing happened to Walt Disney a few times before he got it right…)  Still, if you don’t go for it, how the heck will you find out?

People rarely end their lives by saying, “I wish I hadn’t…”; instead, they typically say, “I wish I had…”  Keep that in mind and make your next bold move!

Many companies celebrate something every once in a while, such as the business’s anniversary, a huge sale, etc.  But those celebrations are few and far between.

What would happen if you celebrated something weekly?  What if you found something to be positive about every 7 days that was related to business but wasn’t necessarily something over-the-top? 

If you were to celebrate the small successes (or just something important) on a weekly basis, it would enable you to:

♦ Have something to tell the world about on Twitter or Facebook.  (”We hit 45 comments on our latest blog post this week!  It’s a new record… and we want you to help us do better next week!”)

♦ Boost morale around the office, especially if the weekly “celebration” is something funny or light-hearted.  (”Joan is the winner of this week’s ‘Salesperson to Receive the Nastiest Customer Phone Call’ award.”)

♦ Keep you focused on the positive.  (”Sure, it was a tough week… but the good news is that we got more hits on Facebook than we’ve had in three months and we started a new PR campaign, so things are looking up!”)

So… what will you and your team celebrate this week?

I don’t tend to send out newsletters every single day. That isn’t just because it takes a lot of work to put a newsletter together; it’s mainly because I know that I don’t need to inundate my audience with information.

In my line of work, I can wait to blog every few days and send a newsletter every week or two. Unlike a news outlet, my information doesn’t change hourly. I realize that and so I use social media to stay connected, but not to inundate my readers with STUFF.

Unfortunately, there are many companies that haven’t gotten that message yet. Those places practically spam their customers and prospects with daily “news” that isn’t really news at all.

In order to avoid becoming a pest, you need to use social media to your advantage. And that means you have to keep a few factoids in mind:

1. Social media success happens over time. Be patient. You can’t send out 100 tweets today and expect to be a success by tomorrow.

2. You want to build real relationships with your social media contacts. Don’t just “collect names”. You can have 1,000 fans on Facebook and not one of them may be really reading what you write. Develop true partnerships and make sure you reciprocate.

3. Spam is hated. It really is. So stop spamming. Always ask yourself, “Would I want to receive this information?” If the answer is “no”, you might want to rethink your strategy.

4. Oh, and that brings us to the point that you NEED a social media strategy. If you’re just blogging, sending out newsletters, and doing Facebook updates “when you feel like it”, you’re not taking advantage of these powerful marketing tools.

There’s nothing wrong with hopping on the social media bandwagon. Just make sure you pay your dues or you’ll be seen as a hobo just riding the rails!

We all have them — the “go to” sites we read while enjoying that first cup or coffee or tea.  But what do your favorite sites say about you as an entrepreneur?

Check out this quickie insider look and let me know if any of these types of “Internet surfers” describes you…

1.  You Jump on Social Networking Sites First!

You value relationships and don’t want to lose connections with others, whether in a personal or professional sense. 

Strengths:  You’re great at communications and staying on top of the “social scene”.

Challenges:  You may tend to get emotionally caught up in everyone else’s drama.  And that can lead to poor business decisions.

2.  You Look at Popular Local, National and World News Sites Pronto!

You’re the type who could probably name the people in charge of even the most obscure countries.  (After all, there ARE no obscure countries to you!)  You’re up to speed on the news and often “break it” to friends and colleagues.

Strengths:  You have a terrific perspective on society and the politics of the day.  This gives you some “insider” knowledge that sets you apart from competitors.

Challenges:  You may struggle as an entrepreneur to make real connections with people who don’t share your love of all things news.  It’s as if you don’t speak the same language.

3.  You Check Out More Hollywood/Gossip Sites Than Anyone Could Shake a Stick At!

Before you justify your actions, know that there isn’t anything intrinsically wrong with seeing what Perez Hilton has written before getting to work.  It’s just your style.

Strengths:  You probably have the ability to join any conversation, especially the day after American Idol is picked or something particularly shocking happened on CSI!  That makes you the “go to” person for the trendy gossip of the day.

Challenges:  While you know exactly how many kids Angelina Jolie has, you might not be as up to speed on the ins and outs of your business.  You have to train yourself to become interested in the non-dramatic, too!

4.  You Head Right for Information on Your Field!

You are the type who has immersed him- or herself in one chosen industry, and you’ll be doggoned if anyone knows it better than you!  That’s why you seek out as much info daily as you can… including on the competition!

Strengths:  You are seen as a leader in your field because you know so much.  This helps you make connections and win opportunities to speak at events or “guest write/blog” pieces.

Challenges:  You’re so absorbed by your own industry that you tend to think only on those terms.  Thus, brainstorming could be particularly difficult for you because you think only of what’s already been done, not what COULD be done.

5.  You Have No Set Surfing Habits — You Let Your Mood Dictate Your Clicking!

You’re a true “free spirit”, roaming the Internet at will!  You’ll just as likely visit StyleList as you will ParentDish or the Wall Street Journal! 

Strengths:  You have a wide variety of interests and are able to synthesize information quickly.  You take from a range of knowledge bases.

Challenges:  It may be tough for you to focus on your career for any length of time because you tend to get so bored!  You have to learn how to keep everything feeling new!

So… which are you???

Mistakes are going to happen.  They’re just a fact of life.  But how you deal with your company’s mistakes will set you apart from your competitors and potentially win you loyal customers.

How can you turn a misstep into a golden opportunity?  Try these techniques on for size:

• Say You’re Sorry!  You’d be surprised at how few entrepreneurs are willing to admit they erred.  Just apologizing will set you apart!
• Give Clients Something in Return.  If the mistake is large enough, offer the clients something more than they think they deserve.  That may be a free offer, a reduced price on a product/service or even a gift card in the mail with a handwritten apology.
• Learn from Your Mistakes.  Your mother always told you to learn from your mistakes… and you know what?  She was right!  If you don’t address the core issue of the mistake, it’s likely to happen again and again.

I’ve met a lot of “big talking” would-be entrepreneurs and I bet you have, too.  They have tons of ideas, they have a million things they’re going to do… and the list never changes.  Year after year. 

The problem isn’t the list.  It’s the fact that these entrepreneurs never do anything.  They never move forward. 

They are Dreamers, but they’re not Doers.

If you fit into this category of entrepreneurs, it’s time to do something, already!

How can you do that?  Try any or all of these steps:

1.  Hire a business coach.  I’m one and I know the value here.  There’s no doubt in my mind that a business coach will help you get moving.

2.  Hold yourself accountable to start getting things accomplished.  Stagnancy begets stagnancy.  You can’t afford to waste more time.  Find a way to remain accountable and begin.

3.  Just do something.  Take a first step.  That’s how it’s all going to begin.  It doesn’t matter how big of a step it is, either.  As long as it’s in a forward direction, it’ll be a huge leap!

4.  Leave the perfectionism behind.  Perfectionism is just a trap that keeps entrepreneurs from doing their best.  Leave it at the doorstep and do something… even if it’s not “perfect”.

5.  Stop talking.  If you’re only an entrepreneur in your mind, that isn’t going to get you anywhere.  Whenever you find yourself pontificating about what you “would” do if you “were” an entrepreneur, stop yourself. 

It’s time to be a Doer, not a Dreamer!

“I don’t have time to go to a seminar offsite, let alone head back to school!”

It’s something that plenty of entrepreneurs say when asked why they haven’t stayed on top of the latest trends and techniques to manage and improve their businesses.  But it’s also just an excuse.

In today’s fast-paced Internet world, there are mucho opportunities for entrepreneurs to keep their ears to the ground.  Best of all, many of them are FREE:

1.  Webinars

These are hot, hot, hot and are a great way to find out what’s going on.  (You can even check out your competitors if they offer free or low-cost webinars.)  You don’t have to leave your home or office, either.

2.  Teleseminars

Like webinars, these learning opportunities take place in a virtual capacity, via telephone.  You’ll call into a special number and be tied into a training session.

3.  Ebooks

Many sites offer free ebooks if you sign up for their newsletters.  Avail yourself of this freebie; most ebooks are relatively short and you’ll probably learn at least a nugget of new info.

4.  The Library

It’s old-fashioned, but it’s free!  All you have to do is take the time to go there and peruse the book aisles.  You won’t spend a penny, but you’ll have all the great minds at your fingertips!

5.  Blogs and Websites

Many blogs and websites keep you up to date on new and emerging trends in your industry as well as peripheral industries.  Subscribe to these fountains of knowledge… you never know when you’re going to read something that makes you go “Aha!”

I love this story from ParentDish, which I’ll excerpt here:

[Ben] Hedblom has been wearing the same pair of shoes for four years. How many teenagers these days can make that boast?

It started off as a bet… the senior at Land O’ Lakes High School in Florida tells the St. Petersburg Times it was all about keeping his word…

The bet began four years ago when Hedblom was a freshman in Land O’ Lakes, a town of 21,000 located just north of Tampa Bay . He had a bet with Spanish teacher Adrian Antonini that he would begin and end high school in the same pair of shoes.

The loser of the bet would have to shave his hair and eyebrows. The Times reports Antonini left the school the following year and promptly forgot about the wager. Hedblom did not.

Now 17, captain of the football team and getting ready to graduate, he’s still wearing the same shoes.

Would that all companies had the same passion for keeping their word!

We can all use Ben’s story as a guideline for how to market our products and services:

1. Don’t follow through on PART of your promises.  Follow through on all of them.
2. Be true to your word.  If your marketing tells people they’ll get something, they better get it!
3. Pick some visual way to make sure your marketing message gets “out there”.
4. Get some PR for yourself by doing something unusual.
5. Don’t be afraid to be different from everyone else. 

I’m guessing that Ben is going to be a company’s dream when he gets into the workforce full time thanks to his obvious level of personal commitment.  Much success to him!

Who holds you accountable for accomplishing what you need to accomplish each day?

If you said, “I do!”, then you’re probably not working as efficiently or effectively as you could be.

One of my roles as a professional business coach is to hold people accountable.  I make sure they’re staying on the right track so they can achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves. 

How is this accountability accomplished?  Check it out:

1.  From the first business coaching session, I learn what makes the person “tick”, what energizes and motivates him/her.  Then, I tailor my coaching appropriately.

2.  After we begin working together, I become the person holding them accountable.  After all, they know that they’ll be talking with me on a regular basis and they want to make sure they have something to tell me!

3.  When clients don’t make their goals, I don’t berate or judge (hey, I’m not Jillian Michaels here!)  I simply help them uncover their stumbling blocks and reset their expectations.

In the end, the client is held accountable because a third party is interested in what he or she is doing.

If you feel that you need a boost of accountability (and let’s face it — we all do!), give me a call and we’ll talk about business coaching for you.  There’s no obligation.  Really.  You have nothing to lose and a whole lot of accountability to gain!

Have you ever wondered how people are finding your blog or website? If you haven’t, it’s high time to check it out! Not only will it give you an idea of which of your pages or posts are “pulling” the hardest for you (from a marketing standpoint), but it also just may give you quite a chuckle.

I wrote a post last summer about Starbucks changing the name of some of its Seattle shops. Many, many people stumbled across it, ostensibly looking for info on the monolithic company that has become a household word. (Even kids know about Starbucks - we could all take a lesson from them!  But I digress…) So that’s been a huge source of traffic for me.

However, other posts have gotten me traffic in the strangest ways possible.  (Sometimes you have to wonder about Google’s methods.) 

Below are 7 of the oddest ways that people have found their way to my blog. (Warning: Don’t drink during reading.)

1. Head Trash Selling
2. The Telephones Bossmobile
3. What Does a Witch Wish
4. Wrath of Kahn Worms
5. Bacteria Halloween Costumes
6. Teacher A Jads
7. Driving a Stick Shift

The moral of the story?

You never know how some people are going to find their way to your doorstep. But that doesn’t mean you can’t control how MOST people find you. And that comes from targeted marketing and strategic planning.

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