“Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that only radical change can make a difference. Just keeping your fridge cleared out could give you a real boost. Look close to home for ways to improve and grow.” ~Gretchen Rubin
Read More:
13 Tips for Sticking to Your New Year’s Resolutions | PsychologyToday.com | 12.16.10
Small biz owners and entrepreneurs, check out these tips from Renee Moore on how to organize your marketing plan. Then read this.
So, you have decided that this is the year to start your new business. Maybe you were laid off or you just decided that the two hour commute was more than you wanted to deal with. So, now you have taken over the spare bedroom. You have the beautiful, clear desk you always wanted, a computer, bookshelves, wall calendar and phone. You are set to take in clients. But, there is one problem. You have no idea how to market yourself to get clients.
This seems to be a common problem with many new entrepreneurs. They don’t have a plan to market and because of that they end up haphazardly marketing their services. This means they don’t know where they get clients from or how to attract more of them when they need to. A simple marketing plan will help you attract all the clients you need.
1. Decide WHY you are in business. Many people become entrepreneurs because they don’t want a boss or they want to make a lot of money. However, as an entrepreneur you will have many bosses called clients and you may not make a lot of money the first few years, so what else will keep you going? You have to know why you are in business. What wakes you up every morning? Is it sharing financial information with people, teaching what you know, selling homes? That has to be a part of your marketing plan. It will help you to focus on what is most important to you.
2. Write down WHO you want to work with. Entrepreneurs often think they have to work with everyone. But in reality you should create a niche market for yourself that attracts the people you really want to work with. On your list, write down what gender you want to work with, age range, income level, marital status, etc. Consider where they live and the jobs they have. What do they read, where do they shop, what are their needs and what keeps them up at night? Creating lists like this will help you know where you should spend your time and advertising dollars.
3. Decide HOW you will get the word out to your audience. There are several ways to connect with your audience:
• Direct contact. This can include direct mail, phone calls, face to face and meetings.
• Networking. Attend networking meetings and follow up with the people you meet. Include some types of social media.
• Public speaking. Volunteer to speak to groups and people who may be interested in your products and services.
• Writing/publicity. Write articles, blog for yourself or be a guest blogger on someone else’s site, or have the media write about you. Create a newsletter and publish testimonials from your customers.
• Promotional events. Most industries have trade shows or fairs where they can meet others interested in their business. Seminars, tele-seminars and webinars that your company produces can also attract more clients.
• Advertising. Consider yellow page ads, billboards, brochures, ads in journals, Google and Facebook ads.
Look at each of these methods and decide which one works best for your business. Maybe they all do and maybe you are only comfortable with one or two. Once you have decided how you will market your business, get a calendar and mark down the days and times when you will network or attend a trade show or write your newsletter.
Write it down for the entire year so you always know what you have to do and when it needs to be done. This will help organize your marketing and now all you have to do is organize all the client files you will be creating as a result of your consistent marketing.
About the Author
Renee Moore is the owner of Much Moore Marketing, a full service marketing firm that specializes in working with pharmacists and holistic healthcare practitioners who love what they do but don’t love marketing. She can be reached at renee [at] muchmoremarketing [dot] com or on Skype at muchmooremarketing.
Connect With Renee: Web | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter
Lifehacker, one of my favorite websites, has lots of helpful tips on how to make life just a little bit easier…your tech life, your home life, your work life, your life-life. Ever notice how we double a word to make it more than what it is? It’s not just awesome, it’s awesome-awesome.
Well, that’s how I feel about Lifehacker (and Huffington Post and the NY Times, too). In light of their awesome awesomeness, here are a couple of LH time management articles you should check out.
» Prioritize Your Time Instead of Budgeting It. Throw time blocks out the window. Simply put all your to do’s on a list and tackle them in order of priority. Do you agree?
» Use Your Teapot as a Productivity-Boosting Timer. Trying to get stuff done? Ask not what you can do for your kettle, but what your kettle can do for you.
» Ignorance is Time Management. Stop stalking the clock while you work and you’ll be surprised by how much you get done.
» How to Deal With Distractions in a Web Worker’s World. 7 ways to stay on track when you work from home.
» Devote Four Minutes Every Morning to Actual Couple Talk. Get on the winning side of work-family balance and take four minutes every day to focus on your significant other.
What your favorite Lifehacker article? Share by leaving a comment.
From time to time, I am sent products to test out.* Some are great, like this one and this one…others, not so much, like this one.
Lucky for me – and you – I was sent adhesive pockets made by 3M that work. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I am in LOVE with post-it notes. My dream would be have to 3M and Sharpie come up with a post-it note and Sharpies combo. Together. Side by side. In the same package. Sorry, just thought I’d share.
Anywaaay…back to the pockets…
To borrow a line from Tony the Tiger, they’re great! They’re easy to use and they really do help to clear up fridge clutter. For those of you who tend to put papers that you want to remember (like football tickets or that form you need to complete) on the fridge, these pockets will help you to keep them all together in a neat, orderly way. Simply peel off the backing and place on your fridge. You could probably put them on the side of your file cabinet, too.
Here’s a look at the two that I’ve been using for the last month or so. I use the larger pocket for docs and the smaller pocket is the place I store coupons. Good news: I’m always able to find papers, continually update my household inventory form, and have my coupons in sight. Bad news: I have to remember to take the coupons with me! Can you say senior moment? ;)
*I received these products free of cost without solicitation from 3M. They in no way directed the content of this post.
Buy Post-It Pockets
“Research has shown that, after six months, fewer than half the people who make New Year’s resolutions have stuck with them, and, after a year, that number declines to around ten percent.” [San Francisco Chronicle |1.4.10]
With stats like that, what’s the point of making resolutions? It’s the time of year that everyone makes the decision to be better at one thing or another. It’s also an uphill battle because of one little thing – YOU…and me, too. All of us.
While we may WANT to change, it’s the required HABITS and new routines that’s tough for us to wrap our arms around. Change involves planning and long-term commitment to a reasonable, new way of doing things.
Do these resolutions sound familiar?
1. Lose weight/get healthier
2. Get a better job/make more money
3. Go back to school/learn something new
4. Relax more/spend more time with friends and family
5. Get more organized/manage time better
They should. Well, they do to me. All of them have been on my own “new year to do list” at one point or another in my life. In fact, I’ve been working on #4 for much of 2010…more on that in a bit.
Change is no easy feat, especially the part about sticking to a reasonable plan. Anybody can come up with a plan but it takes some forethought to create something you can ACTUALLY stick to. It might help to talk it through with people you trust to get their feedback. They’d probably tell you that trying to change every aspect of your life is, in fact, not only unreasonable, but also unhealthy and sets you up for failure.
Some of us can easily get up an dust off our backsides and try again, but there are many of us who just fall into a rut and throw our hands up the air. So, again I ask, what’s the point of making resolutions? And, again I say it’s a struggle.
BUT…you can choose the direction your life is going in AND you can choose which goals you will focus on first. You can be REALISTIC about how to incrementally and systematically make changes. There are specific things you can do to stay inside the 10% of people who keep their goals alive throughout the year.
Zig Ziglar’s Seven Steps to Goal Setting
I happen to like Zig Ziglar’s seven steps because they make sense to me and because they can be applied to both personal and business goals. Plus, they’re only seven steps…just seven things to help anyone stay focused.
1. Identify your goals – write them down
2. Identify why you want to reach that goal – list the benefits
3. List obstacles you have to overcome
4. Identify the people, groups, and organization you need to work with
5. Identify what you need to know – list the skills
6. Develop a plan of action
7. Put a date on when you expect to achieve the goal – set a deadline
Here’s a quick example of how you can use Ziglar’s process. You could say: I want to lose 50 pounds…or you can be be reasonable and realistic and replace that statement with: I want to lose 10 pounds by March 31, 2011 (i.e., the 1st step toward the overall goal of losing 50 lbs).
Then, follow up with the things that might make it difficult to lose those pounds (e.g., everyone around you eats junk food). Really put your goal(s) through all of the seven steps.
Other Things You’ll Need Besides Zig
Are you thinking that maybe that’s ridiculous? …that losing 10 pounds in three months would take too long, particularly if you want to lose 50 pounds? Ziglar’s goal setting process works but you will also need:
Patience, Patience, and More Patience! Remember to pace yourself and to give enough time to achieve your goals. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? Slow and steady wins the race. If I come with any other clichés, I’ll let you know…but I think you get the picture.
Positive Vibes. You’ll want to have doses of positivity for when you come across a few bumps in the road. You will inevitably come face-to-face with road blocks, so find out what makes you happy and keep it in your back pocket. Maybe it’s your favorite music or writing with your favorite pen. Whatever it is, go find it now. Have more than one thing that lifts your mood? Even better. More aces in your pocket. Or up your sleeve. Or wherever you choose to keep them.
People. The right people with their own positive vibes also help with those bumps in the road. They can be sources of strength and motivation. Keep them close by.
Final Word
It’s harder to make several changes simultaneously, so try focusing on one goal. Sometimes, becoming successful in one area will have a positive impact on other parts of your life.
This seems to be working for me. I’ve been focusing on spending more time with family – without rushing and making mental notes about everything I need to do. Making time to be with the people I love actually elevated me to the top of my to do list. This made me happier and less stressed, two things that were also on my list.
Give it a shot and let me know what worked and what didn’t.
It’s Christmas Eve and many folks stateside have the day off. If you’ve already begun the festivities, remember to keep stress at bay. If you don’t celebrate, we hope you still have the day off, and that you’re relaxing and doing your favorite thing. Or, just nothing at all.
“For fast-acting relief try slowing down.” ~Lily Tomlin
Read More Stress Busting Quotes:
Holiday Stress Quotes: The 11 Best Thoughts To De-Stress Your Holiday Season | HuffingtonPost.com | 12.5.10
Chaos at home? Struggling to get it all done after a long day at work? Certified Professional Organizer® and Family Manager Coach, Ellen Delap, shares tips on how you get your family to pitch in.
The work day is ending, your second job at home is starting! Everyone is hungry, someone is missing something, laundry is in the living room, but most especially your family is nowhere to be seen and you haven’t heard from them. What’s a family to do?
There is something remarkable about family team building. We know there is an assault on our time and efforts as a family unit. Families are spending less time together, and more time with technology, even when they are at home at the same time.
Getting Started
It all starts with a family meeting. Gather your family together to begin talking about a family “mantra.” Not sure what that might be? Have everyone share what they think the family is about, no matter how random it may sound. You are hearing very valuable insight into what is really going on for your family. Here is your chance to get everyone going in the same direction. The bottom line is to encourage working together and “we’re all in this together.”
Family Fun Night
Now decide on a time you can meet weekly as a family. It should be a heads up if you can’t find a time other than 10 pm that you are all at home together! Evaluate the commitments that you and your kids have. We want our children to have opportunities for personal growth, however, remember there are different options and levels. Also, keep in mind you are modeling time management and helping your kids learn. For yourself, think about your level of outside commitments. It comes down to this, “We can do it all, just not all at the same time.”
Commit to meeting weekly as a family, regardless of whether it is the same day. Remember that having fun and getting together are the key points. Easy options are movie or game night, or be more creative with cooking dinner together, art and crafts or a family sport.
Figuring Out Family Jobs
On these family nights, take a few minutes to talk about responsibilities for your family. Think through a simple list and then be creative!
» Work from family members’ strengths and give everyone jobs they do well.
» Give the chores different point values by “difficulty” of completion.
» Create partnerships to complete the chores, such as mom/son make the dinner, dad/daughter do the dishes.
» Set a time where everyone picks up and puts away each evening.
To finalize, create a chart for the responsibilities and post it where everyone can see it. Purchase a family month at a glance calendar to post in a prominent place to capture upcoming dates, commitments and activities. It will serve as a reminder throughout the week of what is going on and keep everyone on the right track. Remember to add family night and upcoming family events.
Family team building not only makes for a smoothly running home, but also adds fun, cohesiveness and communication. And we all want that!
About the Author
Certified Professional Organizer ® and Family Manager Coach, Ellen Delap, is the owner of Professional-Organizer.com. Since 2000, she has worked one-on-one with her clients in their home and offices, streamlining their environments, creating effective strategies for an organized lifestyle, and helping them to prioritize organization in their daily routines. She holds ADD and Chronic Disorganization certificates and specializes in working with ADD and ADHD adults and students. Ellen has been featured at The Woodlands (Texas) Home and Garden Show, on ABC13 Houston, in the Houston Chronicle, and is an Expert on The Clutter Diet, an online organizing resource.
No doubt, if you’re one of the many people celebrating the big holiday this weekend, you’ve probably already made several trips to the grocery store. Did you happen to have your shopping list with you?
Without a list, you’d likely wander the aisles aimlessly and spend way too much time at the market picking up things that really should not be in your cart. This is where ZipList comes in, that is, if you choose to use an app instead of writing your list the old school way.
ZipList lets you create a shopping list that you always have access to online. Basically, it lets you type in what you want and it will figure out from there. You can also add more than one item at a time. Just be sure that you separate each item with a semi-colon.
You can revise your list on the web or using your smart phone and even share them with others. If you don’t have a smart phone, ZipList lets you retrieve your lists via text message.
Another cool feature is that it let’s you store recipes and add the ingredients to your list in just one click. Talk about a time saver. You can use their Recipe Clipper to “cut” recipes you find online or type in your own.
Prefer going to two separate stores to get your stuff? ZipList lets you assign items to a specific store. Did I mention that this app is free?
ZipList is pretty robust and lets you do more than what is covered here, so check out their FAQs to see if it would work for you. If you are using or have used ZipList in the past, leave a comment telling us what you think about it.
How many label makers do you have? I am the proud owner of four! Yes, four…and I use them all, believe it or not. I’m a fan of the Dymo brand, though I also like Brother lablers, too.
What can a label maker do for you? They create labels, of course. ;) And those nice labels make it easy for you to not only find
what you’re looking for quickly, but also make it more likely that you’ll put your stuff back where they’re supposed to go. That means that you’ll find what you’re looking without the nasty side effects of a scavenger hunt.
See how this works nicely? So, become one with your label maker. Here are a few ways to get started…
6 Places You Can Put Labels
1. Bookcase. Label books by author or genre.
2. File Folders. You don’t need a fancy filing system – just a word that will help you find what you want when you want it. Labels on file drawers and archived file boxes are very helpful, too.
3. Spice Bottles. Spices come with their own labels, but some people use clear bottles that they fill with their spices. If you change what’s inside, then change your label. I recently watched Blais Off, a new cooking show on the Science Channel. Chef Blais had lots of glass containers that had the name of the spice and a QR code on the label.
4. Moving Boxes. Labels are crucial when you’re moving. No label = OMG! What’s in the box?! …which means you’ll have to open every single box to find what you’re looking for. Avoid that by putting the (a) general contents and (b) the room the box will be going to in your new location on the label. You can also number each box so that you can verify that if you’re supposed to have 20 boxes, that you actually have 20 boxes once the move is complete.
5. Cables and Cords. Don’t waste time trying to figure out which cable belongs to which device. Check your label instead.
6. Anywhere!
» I use clear, plastic envelopes for a variety of documents. I have one in my car that has my insurance info. It’s labeled with my car’s make, model, and year. That way, if I’m a bit frazzled, the label will help me get unfrazzled.
» I also have labels that tell me which container has my black socks and which container has my hot pink ones. =)
» Would you believe that I have a label on my label makers? Yep, my name is on each one since I usually have them with me when working with a client or when prepping for an event.
Where do you put labels?
Welcome to our regular “Transformers” feature (click link and scroll down to see them all). A transformer is a thing that started out as one thing, has been rehabbed, and now functions as another thing. A transformer can also be a thing that is really another thing all at the same time. Check out our latest find…
Over the weekend, I noticed a growing trend as I looked around. Lots of pregnant women. Everywhere. I guess there’s love in the air, or at one point it was. All these mommies-to-be might well be interested in today’s featured transformer: The Studio Crib by Nurseryworks.
This piece of furniture can help every new parent furnish their baby’s room with an eye to the future. It starts out as a crib with an attached changing table (changing pad included), a great option when you’re limited on space since you get the function of two things in one unit.
You also get storage cabinets under the changing table. Once the table transforms into a desk, then toys and other supplies can be stored there.
You can also purchase a conversion kit to turn that crib into a daybed.
There are a couple possible drawbacks the Studio Crib, one being the price tag – $2100. It’s a chunk of money to lay out, but it’s a piece of furniture that will live with you for a while so it might be worth it to you.
The other is the shape. It has hard lines and is not “pretty,” particularly for a girl’s room. If you’re looking for cute, check out this bassinet that turns into a rocking chair…or is it the other way around? It provides a different function, but has quite a bit of style, don’t you think?
Sources:
Check Out These Other Transformers
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