For many of us, mid-December is a slower time in our business. This is both a welcome relief, *and* a wonderful opportunity for you to work ON your business rather than just IN your business. Without setting time aside to work ON your business you will find it very difficult to grow your business.

Here are ten things to consider between now and December 31st:

1. Do you have boundaries around your business practices (i.e., hours, availability, rates, turnaround times)?

Boundaries are simple a way for you to say ‘yes’ to yourself and your business. Boundaries also show your clients that you take yourself seriously as a business owner and respect not only your time but their time.

2. Do you know what you are going to charge and why?

It is important that you are solid in your decision to charge a certain price. It does not matter if this price is hourly, per package, or a retainer. If you waffle on this important piece of your business you set the tone with your clients that they can bargain rates with you. The ‘why’ part of this question is important for YOU only, as you do not (and should not) feel you have to justify your rates. Just be sure you are solid and comfortable in your reasoning.

3. Do you know who your Ideal Client is?

If you don’t know "who you are doing what to" how can you expect to be successful? You can’t, and shouldn’t, be all things to all people. A Target Market or Niche Market is not your Ideal Client. You need to be much more specific in "who you do what to" in order to be more successful.

4. Do you have a website?
   
There really is no excuse for not having a website. If you are not web-savvy either use a template based website or think about hiring someone to create the website for you. The WordPress blog platform is a very popular format today. (I know several savyy VA’s who can help you create one if you need help. Get in touch with me if you need some names.) Make sure your website speaks to your Ideal Client.

5. Do you have a marketing plan?

Like a business plan (and you do have one, right?), this is an important detail! How do you know where you’re going if you don’t have a plan or a map? It’s like getting dressed up with no place to go. Take some time and lay out a plan. This does not have to be 50 pages. If you can lay out a plan in 1 or 2 pages, then go for it! As long as it makes sense to you and you have a map to follow that’s all that is important. Napkins work well in keeping it short, sweet, and to the point!

6. Do you have specific, measureable goals for 2012?

Without specific, measureable goals anything you achieve will be fine, but it is really?  Make the goal a bit of a stretch. If it’s too easy you won’t do it, and if it’s too hard you won’t do it. Find a happy middle ground and go for it!!

7. Have you identified your opportunities?

In looking at your business, do you know where the opportunities for continued success lie? If no, now would be a good time to take a look. Do you need to do something different in 2012?

8. If you answered yes to above question, do you have specific plans to capitalize on those opportunities?

Again, without a plan anything you do is fine, right? Do you need to investigate the opportunity further? Do you need to spend time creating ‘it’? Whatever you need to do be sure and create a plan of when you are going to actually DO it and not just think about it.
 
9. Have you analyzed your success in 2011 so you can continue to capitalize on those strengths in 2012?

You should always know what is working for you and what is not working for you. Always. And if you haven’t kept track, now is a wonderful time to set up a system so that next year you can answer ‘yes’ to this question!

10. Does your 2012 calendar have a day set aside each quarter where you are analyzing and planning?

You should have at least one day each quarter where you work ON your business. Plan a day out of the office where you can let the creative juices flow. Don’t limit yourself! Write everything down. You never know when a crazy idea may be the perfect idea!

To help you with your planning, I’ve attached an Action Sheet here for you.
Here’s to a successful 2012!

Did the title catch your eye? Why? Because you’ve been thinking it might be time for a change and a J-O-B might just be the answer?

Recently, I’ve had several  conversations with clients and colleagues who’ve indicated that they have been looking for a J-O-B. Some are considering making some changes in their life and some are just plain frustrated with where their business is currently. What I have found interesting in these conversations is this: Looking for a J-O-B has been done on the sly and no-one but immediate family/friends has been aware that this is what they have been doing. It’s as if looking for a J-O-B is a dirty little secret!  Why is that?

Of course the global, national, and local economic conditions came immediately to mind, yet it struck me as odd that all would feel the need to change at the same time three years after the Wall Street "crash". Mentally looking around, it occurred to me that the strong sense of change and the notion that something big is happening was impacting many folks, even if they could not articulate that sense. I am no different. I’ve been feeling that a big change is coming, and I, too, have been feeling frustrated in my business. (Confession time folks!) Many of you will note that I’ve been laying low for the past several months. I’ve been taking a look around and trying to decide what’s next for me and does a business fit into that?

I, too, thought a J-O-B was the answer. And it was until the interview! LOL That interview made me stand back and take a good look at what I really wanted and why. As I looked at the two men sitting across the table from me, I thought to myself "What the hell am I doing here?" (Believe me, those guys where thinking the same thing! They were just too polite to ask. ) So, I left that interview, came home and sat with myself for a while and asked some really hard questions. I came to the conclusion that I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing. So, I’m not going any where anytime soon!! Yay!

For me, a re-imagining of my business was the necessary next step. Is that your next step? Are you still doing business the way you did two, four, five years ago? If so, it’s time for a business face-lift! It’s time to take a look at what you do, who you do it to, and why you do it. What needs to change? (I promise you something does!) Perhaps it’s a small tweak you need to make. Perhaps it’s a complete about-face. Either way, take some time now to envision what 2012 is going to look like for you and your business. You’ll be glad you did (and you won’t have to sit in an interview wondering why you are there)!

I would love to hear either where you are stuck or what you are doing to make changes. Let’s have some conversation around this topic!

With the recent passing of Steve Jobs, much has been written about the man, especially the extent of his, and Apple’s, influence.

Much has been expressed about his brilliance, prescience, and so on. Much of this was indeed mentioned during his lifetime. 

I found this quote from 1989 (from Inc. Magazine, April 1989):

"You can’t just ask customers what they want then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new".

The sense of it registered first, then the date really hit me.

Do you hear this philosophy very often? No. Quite the opposite.

What I hear from all the internet "geniuses" is that you find out what the market (customers) want and give them exactly what they asked for.

In the first case, you create something that people come to desire, believe in, utilize, and make a necessity.

In the second case you create something that people briefly embrace, than dispose of.

Therein lies the difference in the approach.

Given the past successes of both approaches, which would you choose?

I never realized how hard it is to find an expert! Seems kind of hard to believe, doesn’t it? I found lots and lots of world recognized authorities, gurus, shamans, goddesses, mavens, most-sought-afters, acclaimed geniuses, wizards, etc. I just want an expert and now I have to sort through all these folks and ultimately decide if they are really an expert in their field or just really good at coming up with titles.

I can only surmise that the biggest reason behind this proliferation of descriptors is an attempt to distinguish oneself from others offering the same sort of expertise.

But I can tell you what one of the consequences of this effort is: the devaluing of the descriptor and the resulting confusion in consumers. I don’t think this is your goal as a business person, right?

What exactly is a business goddess and what does she do?

How much conjuration is there in business?

Unfortunately, the desire to distinguish through such descriptors has only resulted in a confusing and somewhat boring sameness. What was originally thought to be clever and provide some meaningful insight now only provides non-meaning (i.e. nonsense). Much of this devaluation has bled through to products and programs so that they too are full of words of such exaggerated connotation that meaning has been largely lost.

Why not just say what you mean and what you do in clear precise language devoid of descriptors which dilute your message? Compared to some of the wild proclamations that exist, your text may seem rather bland, but ask yourself these questions: does it convey what you do, who you are, and what it means clearly, unambiguously, and concisely? If so, then you’ve covered what you need to cover! The consumer will overlook the blandness you perceive if the message is one they are looking for.

Again, if I am looking for an expert, I am not at all sure why I need a goddess, maven, wizard, etc.

Simplicity, clarity, and conciseness facilitate communication not impede it.

If your Ideal Client is looking for something…what will she hear from you?

The more people talk about "getting out of the box", the more things look the same, don’t you think? Paradoxical? Not really. As most of us know, talk does not equate to action. Things look the same because they are–the mantra is just words.

So far.

The fact is many people really are tired of the way things are (yay!), especially in their immediate circle, the one they interact with on a daily basis. So they express their dissatisfaction and desire to change but really are stymied as to how to affect that change.

So, what does it mean to "get out of the box"?

It means to be or do in a way that is not normative but is highly effective. That doesn’t sound so hard now, does it? But we all know it can be extraordinarily hard! This is because of a couple of things not mentioned in the meaning. One is that if one is to be simply different, it is easy–just act out of character. The unstated part is that it has to be in character (must be something comfortable and agreeable for you to do) to be effective. Secondly, it has to be effective. Just being different is not necessarily mean efficacy. 

Here’s my version of "getting out of the box": to be or do in a way that is not normative on a large scale but is consistent with your personality and the being and doing are highly effective on that large scale.

Sounds good, but HOW does one "get out of the box"?

You must forget about the box to get out of it! Simply doing the opposite just produces another box…the anti-box, which is still a box.

Forgetting the box itself is not easy at all because it is what we know. How do you forget the box? Ask yourself what would you like to do/be? What does that look like? This will get you started on the right road. You will find some correspondences within you to the box but that is ok. If you continue your exploration simply from your own perspective, you will find yourself in some pretty fresh surroundings. If you are unique (and there is little doubt of that anymore) then your "box" has to be in many ways also unique. AND it is completely in agreement with who you are!

Go ahead…if you are tired of what is there and want a change, design the change by asking yourself what you want to be/do and write it down. Then commit to taking one action daily to work toward the change. If you need help with this, hire a coach. A coach can help you make these changes so that you are ‘outta of the box’!

Here’s to you and no more boxes!!

I recently ran across a high-profile individual telling her list that if money was an object to signing up for her program that perhaps you could find something you no longer needed and could sell it, or perhaps you could borrow the money to ‘invest’ in your business by doing business with this individual.

My first reaction was, "Are you serious?" If people have a money problem is it really a good idea to sell items you don’t need or borrow money from someone you know to invest in a program that may or may not work for you? After all, these programs not only come with no guarantees, but are usually promoted as blueprints, done for you systems, etc.

If money is that big of an object, perhaps you should take another look at your business and determine if you need to get a part-time job to bring in some money, take another look at how you are spending your money, or look at how you can bring in some new clients based on what you know right now.

If you are going to sell items or borrow money with the promise of making 6-figures within XXX period time, I want you to ask yourself this question: Is this someone you really want and should do business with if they are asking you to sell or borrow money? Whose best interest do they have at heart? Is it really you or are they concerned with preserving their lifestyle at your expense?

Please don’t become like a person I know who spent untold thousands of dollars for all these programs that in the end didn’t get her anything but a J-O-B. She was told repeatedly to follow the process again and again in the hopes that it would finally work for her. There was no deviating from the program because don’t you know it works for everybody!?!?

"This simply works!"
"…a proven system for success"
"Done for you"
"Follow this blueprint to create the same million-dollar business I did!"

And so on….and so on!

Every day you see and hear these types of claims for all types of products and services. As Business Owners/Entrepreneurs we are inundated by such messages offering some version of success, and it is the rare Business Owner/Entrepreneur that is totally satisfied with how their business is performing. Therefore, there is usually some type of temptation in those claims. You begin to think, hmmmmm, I wonder IF XY&Z would work for me?

This, then, should lead to you asking yourself this question: How can I know if this person and/or product/service is right for me? How do I can I can trust this person to deliver what they say they will? Of course we all realize that the real issue here is, as Lou Reed sang, ‘how do you tell the good act from the bad?’.

Here are some questions you should be asking yourself as you contemplate whether or not to purchase that product or service:
 
    1. Do you know the entity making the claim? 

    2. Do you know someone who does know them? If so, what do they say? Good word of mouth is usually a reliable indicator that they are "good".

    3. How do you feel reading the ‘salespage’ or hearing the claims? Your intuitive reaction is a pretty reliable indicator as well. 

    4. What is the "hype" factor?  Is it believable? Does it violate your own sense? Are they caught up in the one-upmanship of exaggerated claims? Apparently the simple truth does not have a chance in a hyped up environment…do you believe this? 

    5. What is the ego factor? Is the person believable? Does it seem real or just exaggerated? 

    6. What are the contradictions? Do they claim one thing but in such a way that it seems incompatible (for example: everyone is unique and they are offering a one size fits all program)? 

    7. What is the length of the salespage? Why so long? (As Norm Levine once said: "the thicker the proposal, the dumber the salesman.").

If you go through these questions, you should be able to figure out if the person or entity is worth listening to. Of course, from there you still have to consider if it is the right fit for you. There are many good programs by many good people that may not be right for you. It is important to recognize what you are looking for and then find someone who matches your criteria!

It is often written that innovation drives business. That innovation is essential to a vibrant business community. It is also said  that it is the small business owners/entrepreneurs who drive innovation. However, when you look around at those who offer their help to such small businesses and entrepreneurs what do you find? You find step-by-step instructions on how to be successful.

Obviously there’s a  conflict within this particular message, right? How can anything as rigid as steps one through twenty-five (or pick any number here) fuel innovation? By its very nature of having steps, the innovation and creativity has been removed from the process. Let me go on record here and say that innovation IS critical to your business and it is NOT in a systematic form! Innovation can be messy and fun. Think about the child who grabs a blank piece of paper, some finger paints, and begins to create a whole new world complete with details about everything on that paper. This is what you need to do with your business! "Paint" a new picture for your business. You should do this on a fairly regular basis in order to be not just current, but ahead of the game.

Do you think that Bill Gates and Steve Jobs followed someone else’s step-by-step blueprint? Think of any successful, vibrant, out-of-the-box company, and ask yourself how they managed to create what they did? The answer is, they did not follow someone else’s steps! They did not use a system that worked last year or the year before to develop and create the ideas of tomorrow.

I know if can feel very scary, unnerving, etc. to step out of the ‘norm’ and go with your intuition about your business, but who knows your business better than you? Who knows what unique gifts you bring to your clients better than you and your clients? Things are changing very quickly in our world today. No-one knows what the next big thing will be.  Or who will be bringing that next new thing to the forefront. Being flexible, allowing yourself the time to dream about your business, and trusting your instincts are all steps in the innovation process. Do yourself and your clients a favor and innovate!

Over the years, and more so lately, I hear people telling their audiences to dream big, imagine success. They say to ignore the “hows” and just focus on the end result. The “hows” will magically reveal themselves. Sadly, this is only partially correct—were it more so the failure rate of new businesses would be declining and they are not. The one advantage to espousing this is that it makes it easy to talk about. After all, generalities are far, far easier than specifics and less likely to be proven wrong. The disadvantages are obvious.

So, what about this is partially right and what is partially wrong?

What is partially right is the fact that imagining (or visioning) the end result is a correct step, an essential step. The process is slightly more involved and therefore should be slightly more guided. Imagining is not fantasy, nor mere escapism. It is a process of seeing the end result in detail, and it is a blend of known reality and reality desired. It is not impossible in the sense of violating the workings of nature but only in the sense of something  someone never imagined themselves doing or having. The delineation of the details needs to be guided as well as the fit to beliefs.

The partially wrong part is the revelation of the “hows”. It is true that the “hows” should not intrude upon the imagining of the final product. Once the final product (whatever the vision is) is determined, some of the “hows” should be obvious. The key is the ability to recognize the “hows” when they appear. Needing to accomplish something will often suggest how to accomplish it, but not always, nor is it always the best how. Exploring the “hows” should be a guided process.

With my clients we go through a process of discovering the "hows". We talk about/dream about what they want and what it will look like in detail. Then we take that first step TODAY toward making this a reality. We look at where they are right now and what they can do today (even if it is a small step) or this week that will begin moving them toward this new vision. Once that first step is taken, we can then determine what the next step should be. It is a process that we repeat on a regular basis.

The point here being that you do not envision what you want and then leap frog over the steps. There will be several steps in the process of getting your from that vision (point A) to the end result (point Z). Remember that the path traveled is rarely a straight line. There will always be twists and turn! This is why it is important to keep your eye on the end result and have someone to walk that path with you.

Last week I attended Andrea Lee’s Wealthy Thought Leader via Simulcast. This is the second time I’ve attended (via Simulcast) and this event was even better than the first one I attended! I didn’t think that was possible, but Andrea has shown us once again that just by shaking things up a bit you can make an impact.

One of the questions she asked the attendees was this: How much is enough?

Isn’t that a great question?! I was jumping up and down with excitement because I, for one, am tired of hearing about 6-Figure Income. Just do blah, blah, blah, and you too can have a 6-Figure Income just by working 5 hours a week (or month or year. Insert whatever other claim you’ve heard in this space.). It’s not that I don’t think peeps should make 6-figure incomes. It’s just that I’m tired of hearing that this is the magic number needed to either be successful or to no longer have a business that functions as a hobby.

I’ve personally always believed, and tell my clients, that success is THEIR version of success. No matter what that looks like to others.

All of this to say, don’t have any regrets when it comes to your business and your life. Michael sent me this article about the Top 5 Regrets People Have On Their Deathbed.

What if we look at these regrets from a business perspective?

    1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
   
What if you went ahead and tried that really crazy idea you had? What if it was wildly successful? What if it was mildly successful? Would you feel better for having had the courage and opportunity for trying? You bet!

    2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
   
Does your business feel like work? Has it lost the fun factor? If so, what can you do to put some more fun into the gift you bring to the world? Go ahead. Take some time to really think about it, and then implement it. Don’t wait for someone to tell you it’s ok. Have the courage to believe in your ideas.

    3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
   
Does this sound like you? Do you think because you are an entrepreneur that you must always be stoic and business-like? I have some news for you…your clients need, and want, to see/hear you express your feelings. This does not mean you share everything! Please. Be cognizant of your audience and the fact that TMI (too much information) can have the opposite effect.

    4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
   
Do you get SO busy in, and with, your business that you forget to stay in touch with those around you? While it’s fun to own, and grow, a business let’s remember that all business and no play makes for an extremely dull and unhappy you. Just like you schedule business appointments, take the time to schedule personal appointments. These are the peeps who will be there for you through thick and thin. Make the time now (really, it’s all you have!) to reach out and schedule time with your friends.

    5. I wish I had let myself be happier.
   
Wow! Do you really want to get to the end of your business and say the above words? No, I didn’t think so! There is only one person you need to get permission from to be happy and that one person is YOU!! Go ahead, give yourself permission to be happier. Your business, your clients, and your family/friends will thank you.

Let’s try business with no regrets. Let’s make this the new model!!