Featured Expert Article

The Ammunition Every Business Needs
By Dave Lavinsky | growthink

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of helping thousands of entrepreneurs develop their business plans.

In fact, when you look at the number of business plans that Growthink has written for our clients, the number of entrepreneurs who have purchased our business plan templates, and the number of entrepreneurs who have downloaded our business plan guides, the number exceeds half a million.

This vast number has placed a large responsibility on me; mainly it has forced me to spend countless hours figuring out how entrepreneurs can most easily create their plans, and more importantly, how to ensure that their plans lead to success. And in terms of success, one key factor that’s top of mind for me, is how successful these business plans are in raising money.

Importantly, in assessing business plans and their success in raising money, I have found a clear correlation between the maturity of your business and the importance of your business plan.

The correlation is this: the younger your business is, the more important the quality of your business plan when raising capital.

When you think about it, this is really intuitive. Here’s why. Business plans are read by investors and lenders for risk management reasons. These money sources realize they are taking a risk with every check they write, and want to mitigate this risk. The business plan explains to them how the business will use their funding, and paints a picture as to the likelihood that they will get an adequate return on investment.

For mature businesses, the business plan is just one of several variables the investor or lender can assess in their decision-making. For example, if you have a mature company, the investor or lender can speak to your customers, analyze your financial history, assess your team members’ backgrounds, compare your product to competitive offerings, and so on. As a result, if your business plan is weak but the other factors are really strong, your mature company may still receive funding.

On the other hand, for a new company, particularly one that doesn’t yet have revenues, the quality of your business plan is critical; because it is one of very few variables that the investor or lender can review. The investor or lender can consider your business plan, the bios or you and your team, and maybe a product or service prototype if you have one. That’s pretty much it.

Clearly, because raising capital is so competitive (i.e., the number of entrepreneurs seeking funding dwarfs the number of funding sources), entrepreneurs need all the ammunition they can get. And if you’re not yet a mature company with revenues and a track record, that ammunition needs to go in your business plan.

Below are some tips to make sure your business plan is fully loaded and ready to penetrate the checkbooks of any funding source to which it’s presented.

1. Always remember that your business plan is a marketing document

You need to view your business plan as a marketing document. You use it to convince a lender or investor to write you a check. It is not a stodgy 50 page document, but rather should be more like a brochure that gets the reader to turn page after page. They should be excited to get to the end, as each page should make them more and more certain that your company is a solid investment opportunity.

2. Write with confidence, but be careful of superlatives

Your business plan needs to give investors and lenders confidence that you will be successful. As a result, you need to write in an appropriate style.

For example, business plans should never say things like "we hope to achieve this and that." Rather, they should say, "we will achieve this and that" and "we are poised to achieve this and that."

However, at the same time avoid superlatives like "best," "greatest," "most powerful," etc., unless you can back them up. For example, saying that you have the "best management team" will turn off many investors. Rather, you should say something like, "our management team has the experience, skills and track record to successfully execute on our plan. Among other things, our management team has [and then list the credentials of your team]."

3. Answer the key questions, but not all the questions

The purpose of your business plan is not to answer every conceivable question that an investor or lender might pose. Rather, you need to answer the key questions that will get them excited about your venture, and influence them to invest more time meeting with you to discuss investment possibilities.

The key questions to answer relate to key sections of your business plan, such as:

• Who are your target customers, what are their needs, and how does your product or service meet those needs?
• How big is your market? What trends are effecting your market size, and how will that influence the success of your venture?
• What marketing tactics will use you to attract new customers?
• How much money do you need for your venture and why?

All of these answers should help support the main premise of your business plan, which is to prove to investors and lenders that your venture will ultimately be successful.

In summary, remember that unless your business is mature and has a track record of success, your business plan will be a critical factor in your ability to raise funding. And remember that your business plan is a marketing document. You should be proud of your plan, and know that when investors and lenders look at it, they will be nodding in agreement; and not throwing it in the trash pile along with the majority of plans they review.

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Do You Know the Answer to these 5 Questions?

By answering these 5 simple questions you can clearly define how you’ll serve your market with a product or service they’ll value.

1. Ask prospective customers what problem they care about solving.
2. Ask them how much they care about solving it.
3. Ask them what they would pay to have you help them solve it.
4. Ask them what they are going to need from you to know whether or not your product provides them what they want or need to help them solve it.
5. Ask them how they will go about making the decision to invest in a product to help them solve this problem.

Read the full article here

There is something remarkable about coaching that is inexplicable…

My coaches ability to rally round his clients’, ultimately bringing them [me] to a place so magnificent is amazing – I have been brought to an awesome peace, for the only thing before me, is peace.

I thank you. I offer you a bow of deep gratitude. In my darkest time; in my deepest darkest night of my soul, you showed me the profound, peaceful existence, which I may have otherwise missed. Thank you for showing me my real life… A step appeared, and I have been taught how to fly.

Bill S.

Learn more about the program that helped Bill find his dream job

Featured Expert Article

How to Start a Successful Affiliate Business in 7 Steps

By Paul Evans| Nicheology.com

It’s exciting to think about how much money you can make online. But if you’re new to online marketing, it can also be overwhelming to try to figure out which business model is right for you.

The solution? Keep it simple.

Just follow these seven surefire steps to online profits…

Step 1: Choose a Market

But don’t just choose any market – instead, choose a HUNGRY market. That means you’re looking for a market that is actively seeking paid solutions to their problems.

Here’s how:

Search marketplaces like Amazon and Clickbank to see what types of niches attract eager, proven buyers.

Use a keyword tool like WordTracker or the free Google Keyword Tool to find out what people are searching for. You can enter your proposed niche keywords (like “dog training”) to see if there is a demand, or enter a broad keyword (like “secrets” or “how to”) to uncover new niches.

Go to EzineArticles and browse the top articles to see which niches are popular.

Step 2: Get Your Tools In Place

Once you find a niche that spends money, your next step is to gather your tools. These include:

• A domain name, which you can get at NameCheap.
• Hosting, which you can secure at HostGator.
• An autoresponder, which you can purchase through Aweber.

Step 3: Select an Offer to Promote

Next, you need to find an affiliate offer that you can promote to your hungry niche. The best way to do that is to find out what they’re already buying… and choose a similar offer.

Simply go to Clickbank and browse the relevant niche category. Those products appearing at the top of the catalog are your best sellers – you should choose a product near the top of the list.

Just be sure to buy, read and use the product to ensure that it is, indeed, a good product.

Step 4: Write and Upload a Mini eCourse

Your next step is to create an autoresponder series around the topic of your product so that you can promote your offer. Your autoresponder series should be at least 7-12 messages long.

For example:

• You’re selling a copywriting product. You can create a seven-part ecourse on how to write a sales letter. Then promote the copywriting product in every message.

• You’re selling a diet recipe book. You can create a 10-part course that pitches the recipe book in every message.

• You’re selling a dog training video. You can create a seven part course that teaches the basic obedience lessons such as sit, down and stay. In every message you refer your prospects to the paid video for more information.

Here’s the key: Do NOT solve your prospect’s problems 100%. You want to provide useful but incomplete information, so that your prospects need to purchase your affiliate offer in order to fully solve their problems.

Step 5: Create a Squeeze page

Next, you need to persuade your prospects to subscribe to your ecourse. You do this by creating a mini sales page (AKA squeeze page). This page should include:

• A headline that touts your course’s major benefit (e.g., “FREE: How to housetrain your puppy in just three easy steps!”).

• A list of the other benefits of your course (e.g., “You’ll discover the secrets of turning an unruly, rambunctious puppy into a perfect houseguest!”).

• And a call to action (e.g., “Just enter your name and email address in the form below now, click join and you’ll get instant access to this eye-opening report!”).

You may also provide proof of your claims, such as testimonials, videos, screenshots, pictures and similar evidence.

Step 6: Drive Traffic to the Squeeze Page

Next, you need to drive targeted traffic to your squeeze page so that you can quickly build your list. You can do this by:

• Starting a blog and posting articles that are optimized for the search engines.
• Trading links with other high traffic sites in your niche.
• Being a guest blogger on other peoples’ blogs.
• Co-promoting with other marketers in your niche (e.g., endorsing each other in your newsletters).
• Submitting articles to EzineArticles and other article directories.
• Using social media sites like Squidoo, Yahoo! Answers, and Facebook.
• Participating on niche forums on in niche blog discussions.

Step 7: Add Messages to Your Autoresponder Series

Once you’re getting traffic, building your list and making a profit, you can start adding even more messages to your autoresponder – anywhere from a couple month’s worth of messages to a year or more.

That way you’ll make money virtually on autopilot – all you have to do is build your list and let your autoresponder do all the work!

Success is NOT an Accident!

Paul

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7 questions you need to include in your marketing plan in order to ensure your success:

1. What is the purpose of your marketing plan?

1. Who is your target market?

1. What is your niche?

1. What are the benefits and competitive advantages of your marketing plan?

1. What is your identity?

1. What tactics, strategies and weapons will you use to carry out your marketing plan?

1. How much money will you spend on your marketing plan; what’s your marketing budget?

My coach heped me discover what was stopping me all those years…

Truth be told, I was skeptical that working with a coach would get me past where I had been stopped in my life and my business for the past 20 years. I am happy to report I was wrong. In just a very few sessions of coaching, I discovered what was stopping me all those years- and when I discovered that, my whole outlook on life changed. I am thrilled to report that I have had more steady successes in the past several months than I have ever experienced…and I owe that to the powerful, direct coaching style of my coach and his unwavering commitment to my success

Jordan P.

Learn more about the program that helped Jordan find his dream job

Featured Expert Article

Protecting your Business Idea
By Steve Little | www.HowToBeginABusiness.com

Now that you have your business idea in place, you are probably thinking to yourself, "how do I protect my idea so no one steals it?"

Often, people will want to brag about their business idea to let people know the business track they are one, to brag or brainstorm with others. This is not the best time to disclose information if you want it to be kept confidential.

Now, there is competition everywhere but there is nothing worse than having your business idea duped by the very people you trust and go to for financial support and/or advice.

Here are some tips on disclosing information about your business idea:

• If you are looking for investors, do your homework and checkout, or even do an initial background check on them before you discuss any information about your business idea.
• While you cannot copyright an idea, you can take some degree of caution when presenting your business idea. Understanding Intellectual property rights is important. It simply means that if you come up with an idea, you have the exclusive right to implement the idea for a period of time.
• Send the executive summary of your business plan to investors or others you are seeking out for advice or feedback.
• Include a standard Confidentiality Notice on the first page of your business plan.
• Seek legal advice if you are unsure at any point.
• Proper planning and knowing when and how much information to share about your business idea is the key.

All the planning in the world will not make a bit of difference, if you share the information without the proper tools and strategies in place.

If you are looking for support in developing or growing your business idea, hiring a business coach can make all the difference in the world.

Coaching is what sets successful individuals apart from the masses. If you are looking for assistance in developing or growing your business ideas, I am here to help.

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Here are some great tips on how to avoid burnout as a new business owner:

Make time to do nothing – We all need some quiet time to just relax and refresh.

Get back in touch with the things you value – There may be times that you feel like your work has consumed your life and you can’t seem to find time for the other things you enjoy. Make a conscious effort to get out and do the other hobbies and activities you enjoy.

Think out of the box and challenge yourself consistently - Has work become a chore lately? Even though you may be a new business owner, consistently working to improve your business performance, products and services can help fight off burnout.

Establish realistic expectations and establish boundaries and limits – You can’t do it ALL! If you are feeling overwhelmed and have too much on your plate, take a step back and slow down.

Deal with your emotions – If you are bottling up your feelings of being overwhelmed or anxious about your business, it is important to talk to someone. Just acknowledging that you are overwhelmed can be a relief in itself.

Ask for help – you can’t be everything to everyone and you can’t be a one-man show. It’s ok to ask for help.

Take care of YOU first – Eat right and exercise. This is possibly the most important tip on the list! If you are run down and not healthy, you will experience burn out much faster.

Laugh, smile and enjoy everything you have accomplished. YOU deserve it! Don’t forget the reasons you went into business for yourself. Take the time to do things for yourself and as a new business owner you will continue on the path to success and continue to do what you love.

This simple little tool has transformed my life!

One of the most powerful results I have received in my coaching is the word NO.

My life had been spent saying yes to anything and everybody – often when it had nothing to do with something I wanted or when it was actually detrimental to me.

The result was that I would get angry and resentful and not follow through and feel miserable.

I learned a simple tool from my coach that I use daily: I ask myself 3 questions any time I am presented with a request or opportunity.

Those 3 questions are:

1. What am I committed to? (reminds me what is important to me)
2. Does this request or opportunity align with what I am committed to?
3. Does it WORK for me (or am I just being nice, avoiding conflict, etc)?

If not, I say NO! This simple little tool has transformed my life and opened up the inclusion of FUN – an enjoy people around me more because I am not being resentful and I am doing the things I love to do.

Mike R.

Learn more about the program that helped Mike find his dream job

Featured Expert Article

Does your fear of Criticism keep you from Success in your Business?
By Crystal O’Connor | www.MoxieMompreneur.com

Does your FEAR of failure or fear of criticism rule or dictate your actions?

Did you know that fear of CRITICISM is more common and BIGGER then the FEAR of death?

It’s okay to admit.

Let me be completely FRANK with you here and admit something I consider to be very personal.

I used to fear that people didn’t like me.

I think it all started in elementary school. As a child my family and I moved and I had to change schools while in the 4th grade. I was 9 years old and can remember that day like it was yesterday.

I remember what I was wearing (burgundy corduroy jumper) and remember the next day even more clearly when my teacher, Sr. Marie Celine, decided to have me labor over a long division problem on the the black board while the class silently watched.

YIKES!

I hated anything resembling a math equation, especially long division… not to mention I was really BAD at it. (I got better REAL fast though)

The class had to stay in longer than usual from recess because I was working away (actually more of my attention was given to what the class was ‘thinking’ of me than anything else.) It distracted me like crazy…all I could do was sweat it out and think about Brad in the front snickering at me and Michele sneering at me like she did because I wasn’t wearing a trendy Izod shirt with my ‘uniform,’ which I might add… was on back order. As far as they were concerned I was stupid, dressed funny and was basically the laughing stock….or so I thought.

The sneering continued as my elementary years forged on….my clothes weren’t the ‘right’ clothes, I didn’t get invited to the ‘certain’ birthday parties. And you know what?… it shaped me….and eventually I became VERY immune to it.

I mean, I had to go to school…it wasn’t really an option so I made the decision to just DEAL with it.

Yes, I had friends….and yes, I had a lot of good times…but I will never forget the occasional taunting about my attire and Math incompetency.

The fact is…we shape our image early on by the reactions of others and those become fears that show up in other ways. I’m not saying it didn’t bother me or I didn’t cry about it or I never let it affect my decisions. I’m saying that eventually I didn’t care if people liked me…which has it’s own set of consequences. (another blog post all together!)

The bottom line is…whether we like it or not…we have to move forward and we will most likely be judged by others. Others will have their opinions and their ‘ideas’ of you, that won’t always be sparkly or ‘feel good.’

It took me years to really ‘like’ myself and then it took me years later to realize that when others had a problem with me it was NOT usually about of me as much as it was about them.

If you can get to that stage, that understanding, that concept and embrace it…you will begin to grow…and may even grow beyond what others around you are capable of. You see, when you grow you begin to acquire more compassion for those that have not yet come to love themselves. The wonderful thing about this is that you begin to care and love others as opposed to resenting their judgments.

You realize that it’s okay and they may have not yet crossed the threshold of ‘self-love.’

What I’m getting at here is that the key to overcoming your fears is understanding, loving and accepting yourself for what YOU see…not what THEY see and think.

Even as an adult I am sometimes faced with sneering, objections and overall misunderstanding about what I am doing with my business….hey, I talk about MONEY…it’s a subject that brings up a lot of ‘emotion’ and insecurity in people.

Just the other day in fact I was sent an email that most would consider not only irrational but obscene and that should have torn at my insecurities…it was downright cruel in fact. This person chose to take a quote that I had posted in the wrong way about my views regarding, ‘ money’ and decided to vent….what came out of their mouth (in the form of an email) was a reflection of how they felt about themselves…NOT me.

I have earned that mindset and I know that what I am doing is useful and because they don’t ‘understand’ and chose to berate my mission and objective…doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t shape who I am…because I don’t chose to let it.

You see, what I tell my clients to do is to follow these 3 steps when faced with the same challenges…

3 Questions to ask yourself when faced with procrastination and fear:

1. What will I lose from overcoming this fear and ‘just do it?’ (a friend, money, love?)
2. What will happen if the worse case scenario happens? (am I alone? homeless? no one will speak to me? ostracized?)
3. What now? Then what will happen? (usually the answer is nothing…)

You see, these simple questions can actually be a way of preparing you for what is truly happening in your mind….which more times than not…. is empty FEAR with nothing to back it up. The fear most of the time is put to rest when you begin to chip away at the ‘WHY’ and the ‘WHAT NEXT’ set of questions.

Isn’t it funny that in the end…the FEAR that is preventing us from what we really want is simply a figment of our own imaginations?

Start asking yourself these questions and working through them when your progress starts to waiver or you feel procrastination setting in…it’s usually caused by FEAR and then you can begin to take note of the real reasons you aren’t gaining any momentum.

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How to Keep Your Customers Coming Back for More

In most cases, business owners’ main focus is on finding new customers and they sometimes forget about the customers they do have.

Here are some question to ask yourself when it comes to keeping your current customers:

1. Do you have a personal connection with your customers? – Making your customers feel special and that you really do value their business can make all the difference in the world.
2. Are you transparent with your customers? – Do you ask their opinion about your products and services? Asking your customers for feedback not only lets your customers know you care, but also enables you to catch and resolve issues in a timely manner.
3. Do you use social media or email to stay in contact with your customers? – This is a great way to connect with customers you have not seen or heard from in awhile. Sending them an email with updates and specials can help draw them back.

My coach listens beyond the words!

Over the years I have worked with my coach, she has clearly demonstrated the diverse practical knowledge of skillful marketer, business expert – and other gifts that have been even more important to me.

My coach is fiercely dedicated to elicit the best in her clients, and to challenge our assumptions. She consistently provides this in-depth support by being present in an extraordinary way and listening beyond the words. In this manner, she maintains focus on our agreed upon outcomes while she gives me the space to find my own source of inspiration.

As a result, her collaborative style discourages simplistic answers, and promotes creative solutions that authentically reflect the client’s values and desires.

~David J.

Learn more about the program that helped David take her business to the next level

Featured Expert Article

Fear and Patterns

By Kristen Howe | LawOfAttractionKey

So many people are in a battle with fear. In fact, the struggle with fear has reached epic proportions. When we act from fear, we create more struggle for ourselves. I know that seems counter intuitive, but I’m telling you that nothing good comes from fear. When we feel fear, we constrict and when we constrict we cut ourselves off from everything that fuels success.

I have some important questions for you. I use the power of questions all the time, and when you start using the power of the questions I am going to share with you, extraordinary transformations become possible.

So, here are the questions I want you to ask yourself right now – and the only thing I ask is that you are completely honest with yourself.

1. What are you scared of?

2. When you feel fear what is it about?

3. What doubt grips at you and won’t let go?

Here’s the deal…

We all have fear and doubt, but I have a secret for you…

Normally WHAT we fear and doubt is a recurring pattern in our lives…

And this is what I mean…

Your fears and doubts may seem to be about different things, BUT when you really break them down, they are all the same 1-3 fears AND these fears have been the same for as long as you have had fear.

WHAT?

Do this exercise and you’ll understand…

• Write down your top 3 current fears RIGHT NOW.
• Now, look at those fears and ask yourself this –

“I know it seems like I am scared that (whatever it is you are scared of), but what I’m really scared of is that (whatever you are scared of) will mean that I __________________.”

Here’s a good example, let’s say you are scared you are going to have to declare bankruptcy, this is what your answers would look like…

“I know it seems like I am scared that (I will have to declare bankruptcy) but what I’m really scared of is that doing so will mean that I am a failure.”

So, what you are really scared of is being a failure…

• Now, I want you to take it a step further and ask yourself why?

For example: “I am scared of being a failure because then people won’t love me and I’ll be disappointed in myself (in other words you won’t love yourself).”

In other words, what you are really scared of, is NOT being loved (by yourself and others)…

NOW…

Here’s the important part…

• Look back at different times in your life when you have been scared and do the same exercise –

Chances are good that your whole life, you have been dealing with the same 3-5 patterns of fear.

The great part about this is that you only have to address those issues — the real fears to rise above them –

Hear me now –

It isn’t about the specific thing you think you are scared of now, it is about 1 of your base recurring fears — and once you identify that, you can move on!

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Business Tips for 2012

Here are some great business tips to help you keep up with the every changing ways of conductng business and help keep you on the road of continued success.

Make List of the Good and Bad

What worked and didn’t work in your business in 2011? Writing these down is a great way to help you move foward and not repeat mistakes.

Update your Marketing Plan

Because the way people are purchasing and looking for services is continually changing, it is important to keep up on the most current ways of contacting your target market. This includes social media and keeping up on the new trends out there, as well as updating your website with a fresh look that connects with your perfect client.

Delegate

Revisit what tasks you do yourself and see if there are any that can be delegated to others so you can free up your time and focus on growing your business and what makes you shine.

Partner with someone Sometimes partnering with another entrepreneur that complements your business can open you up to new possibilities and clients. Is there someone you can share a joint venture with such as hold a teleseminar or seminar that can help grow your business?

Take Time for Yourself This is also a time to remember YOU and carve out time to spend some personal time with family and friends. You will find yourself energized and motivated to continue your day.

What a Gift It Is To Be Coached!

I want to express what a gift it is to be coached by my coach, she is a true master. Not only is she steeped in experience, talent and ability she has the magic ingredient that is priceless; she provides and allows for you to have a brand new scope and landscape that gives such freedom and opportunity that you are launched and winning beyond your expectations.

~Cindy D.

Coaching…Wow!

This is the single most powerful, impactful thing I have ever been involved with. I have read tons of books, listened to many tapes, attended seminar after seminar. Out of all of those things, I got tremendous benefit….but most of it faded in time. I would come home pumped up, and in a short period of time, I was back to life as usual. Having a coach, one person completely committed to my success, with the level of training and skill of my coach, has provided what I had been seeking….permanent, lasting change in my thinking and the way I interact with people both personally and at work. I am so grateful to my coach!

~Amlie R.

Learn more about the program that helped Cindy and Amlie find their dream job

Featured Expert Article

Crowdfunding 101: What You Need to Know
By Dave Lavinsky | growthink

I believe that Crowdfunding is the most significant new fundraising tactic for entrepreneurs in the past decade. In fact, it might be one of the most important fundraising tactics ever.

In this essay I will let you know exactly what Crowdfunding is and how to get it.

What is Crowdfunding?

According to Wikipedia, "Crowd funding (sometimes called crowd financing or crowd sourced capital) describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money together, usually via the Internet, in order to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations."

In layman’s terms, Crowdfunding is getting a group of regular individuals (versus banks, venture capitalists or angel investors) to collectively fund your venture.

What are the 3 Core Types of Crowdfunding?

I have identified three core types of Crowdfunding.

The first is debt-based Crowdfunding also known as peer-to-peer lending. This is offered by sites like LendingClub and Prosper. On these sites, entrepreneurs (and individuals) can solicit loans from other individuals. Because they are loans, they must be paid back. Generally these loans are capped at $50,000 per year.

The second type is equity-based Crowdfunding. This is offered by sites like ProFounder and GrowVC. With these sites, individuals who give you money become investors and own equity in your company.

The final type of Crowdfunding is donation-based Crowdfunding. This type of Crowdfunding is the most popular and is offered by sites including Kickstarter, RocketHub, IndieGoGo and several others.

Donation-based Crowdfunding is my favorite since you neither give up equity nor have to repay the debt you receive. And it’s MUCH easier to raise since there are tons more potential funders than funders of debt-based or equity-based Crowdfunding.

However, there is an important caveat with donation-based Crowdfunding. Which is this: generally people don’t donate money to your cause simply out of altruism. Rather, the companies who have successfully raised donation-based Crowdfunding offer rewards in return for donations.

Specifically, these rewards typically include the product or service the company intends to produce and/or offer. For example, San Francisco’s Peter Dering wanted to raise money for a new product he conceived called the Capture Camera Clip System (an accessory for photographers that secures their cameras to their other gear).

So, as a reward to those who donated $50 or more, he promised to ship them the Capture Camera Clip System product when it was developed.

So, as you can see, this type of Crowdfunding is essentially pre-selling your products or services to your customers. Which is really the same as customer financing, which has been around for a while. But, with the internet, it’s so much easier to reach tons of prospective customers.

What I also love about donation or rewards-based Crowdfunding is that it is amazing market research. I mean, if customers are willing to buy your product or service before it’s even available, you clearly have a winner on your hands.

Oh, by the way, just last month Peter Dering raised $364,698 in Crowdfunding for the Capture Camera Clip System. Yup, it works!

And in case you were wondering whether donation or rewards-based Crowdfunding can work for you, below is a sample of companies who have recently raised funding with it:

- An online magazine who raised $3,895
– A mustard manufacturer who raised $4,293
– A cupcake retailer who raised $7,240
– A butcher shop who raised $16,405
– A portable hot water heater which who raised $60,642
– A speaker company who raised $88,321
– A bike lock which raised $108,065
– A video company who raised $120,514
– A cell phone accessory which raised $131,220
– A battery charger which raised $145,034
– A digital camera which raised $169,209
– A tablet stand which raised $190,352
– A social networking company who raised $200,642
– A coffee temperature device which raised $306,944

What are the Steps to Attaining Donation-Based Crowdfunding?

Below are the 14 steps I’ve identified that are critical to successfully raising donation or rewards-based Crowdfunding.

1. Choose your Crowdfunding platform
2. Create an account
3. Create your funding project
4. Categorize your project
5. Create your project tagline
6. Create your project teaser text
7. Create your full text project summary
8. Determine the right fundraising amount
9. Determine the right donation time
10. Develop your list of rewards
11. Create your project visuals
12. Create your project video
13. Promote your project to your network
14. Maintain and update your project

Follow these steps and you can get hundreds or thousands of individuals to donate money to your venture. And then you’ll be off to the races.

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Tips on how to generate business and find customers:

Business Plan – A business plan is a roadmap for the business – a document that provides vision, goals and benchmarking. It creates momentum and also provides an opportunity for a reality check – what worked last year, where the gaps are, and what next year is going to look like.

Market Testing: You can find customers by giving out free samples or some free time to get the word out about your product or service. Word of mouth is the best type of advertising because IT’S FREE!

Study your competition: Find out where your competitors advertise and do the same.

Networking - What better way to find customers than networking. Attend meetings and seminars where you think your potential clients may be. Attend community events. Does your Chamber of Commerce hold any networking events that you can attend? This is a great place to have a booth and showcase your new business.

Team-up With a Colleague or Peer: If you know of someone who has a business that compliments your own product or service, it might be possible to team-up together and do some advertising to each other’s "list" and find customers through another person’s "list".

Social Media: Social media is a great way to get your presence known and find customers. The possibilities are endless when it comes to social media and online marketing.

Get Feedback – Keep track of those people you contact but do not buy from you. You can send out survey’s that can be completely anonymous and ask them various questions about your product and why they did not buy from you.

Through my coach I was enabled me to create my life purpose

When I began working with my coach, I had some ideas of what kind of business I wanted, but I felt scattered and unclear on how to move forward and make it all work.

Prior to starting coaching, I was given all kinds of advice about branding. I intuitively understood that branding wasn’t the problem I was facing. I could see that I was directly in the way of my own growth.

With Russell’s tenacious coaching and questioning me on my weekly assignments, my life started to turn around and I began to think and act more clearly.

While working through my values, passions and talents, I started to define and evaluate what kind of business would best suit me. With his coaching, I became clear that it would be based on who I am and my chosen lifestyle. I made the decision that it would be a combination of an independent/home based, coaching/consulting, and Ecommerce business.

The greatest gift from this program is that it enabled me to create my life purpose: "To inspire others to discover, explore and express themselves and their unique gifts in original and innovative ways." This purpose statement was truly the underpinning of everything else and serves as my north star in designing and running my new enterprise!

~Marlene Gibb

Learn more about the program that helped Marlene Gibb find her dream job

Featured Expert Article

Profitable Content Creation
By Paul Evans| Nicheology.com

Profitable Content Creation – Content Is Cash and How to Get Your Fair Share (About Time, Right?)

Content is the basis of EVERYTHING online. Creating your content and then marketing it well is how you profit from your content online.

Create It - The key to successful content creation is to be prolific. What most people do is wind up staring at a blank screen. I don’t want you to do what most people do because most people are broke.

Instead of staring at a blank screen I want you to use templates. Create a 7 tips article or a 3 mistakes article. Then all you have to do is fill in the blanks with your information.

Another way to become prolific is to write on regular basis. Make it a habit, and you’ll find yourself the flow. Set a specific time each day to write. And most importantly, write even if you don’t feel like it. Make it part of your daily ritual.

Market it – So many people create their content and then do nothing with it. Again, don’t be most people.

There are so many ways to market your content that you really can’t run out of ideas. Start with your blog. Then post your article on EzineArticles and other top Article Directories. Next is Social Media. Use your article content or parts of your content on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can also turn your content into teleseminars and webinars.

Convert it into products & services and sell it – What most people do not realize is that while you are creating your content you are also creating your information products.

For example, a simple 7 tips article expanded on could become a great eBook. In a similar way, a collection of several articles on a specific topic gathered into one document becomes an ebook or mini-guide.

A few years ago I took the articles on this blog and turned it into an ebook. I sold several thousand dollars worth to readers. Seth Godin does the same thing. Many of his New York Times Bestselling books are simply the compilation of his blog.

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Do you have effective delegation skills?

Having effective delegation skills is one of the most vital skills you can possess as a business owner. It is actually crucial to your business success. What does it take to achieve effective delegation skills?

First, think about the tasks that you do. Can any of them be automated or eliminated? This can significantly increase productivity time and narrow down what really needs to be done by you or your employees. Keep the tasks that you are good at.

Start by delegating small tasks first so you can easily track them. As your comfort level increases, you will be able to delegate larger, more complicated items. Don’t micromanage but give plenty of information and what your expectations are, as well as deadlines to complete the items or projects.

Effective delegation will definitely make your life easier and will also help those you delegate to. It offers them a chance to learn the business and create a sense of responsibility, achievement, enjoyment and fun of sharing a process, can increase your income and offer more opportunities for people to grow, learn and contribute to your business.

Thank you for your words of wisdom

"I just wanted to express my gratitude to you for your extraordinary coaching and your commitment to me and my dreams. Your ability to really listen to me during our calls made a huge difference, for as you listened I felt heard and acknowledged which made it easier for me to let go of my upset and get back on track with what was important to me.

Your powerful, yet lighthearted approach also helped lift my spirits and get me present to what is truly possible. As you helped move me from where I was disempowered and stuck, into a place of empowerment, I began to move in concert with what I really wanted in life – and it was easy and effortless.

Thank you for your words of wisdom, your patience, your humor and your love. I deeply appreciate you and I am blessed to have you in my life."

~Alan R

Learn more about the program that helped Alan take his business to the next level

Featured Expert Article

Using Social Media to Grow Your New Business
By Steve Little | www.howtobeginabusiness.com

As a new business owner, are you missing the boat when it comes to using social media to its full potential?

You would have to be living under a rock if you haven’t heard about Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, and LinkedIn. If you haven’t started to utilize social media in your new business, it is definitely time to hop on board.

From client support to marketing to R&D, recruiting and even keeping tabs on the competition, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by what this new era of social business means for the enterprise as a whole. There is a lot of information out there and many tools to choose form.

You can also use social media to provide emergency updates, get customer feedback and opinions, and just simply drive traffic to your website. What better way of marketing can there be for your new business?

And the best part is that most types of social media don’t cost a thing to grow your new business!
So, what do I mean by social media?

Social media is:

• Your website and your message
• Your Blog
• Flickr and YouTube
• Forums – created online by you or with the use of Ning
• Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning, FourSquare (These are just a few. Google "types of social media" and you will have an endless list).

No matter what you use, using social media to its fullest can help in the success of your new business. Here are some tips on using social media effectively to grow your new business:

1. Stay Current and Active – If you are going to swim in the social media circle then you need to make sure you are regularly on your accounts and actively sending messages and replying to messages. This doesn’t mean to be constantly sending messages or posting about promotions as too many promotions can cause people to unfollow you. Posting information relevant to your business and keeps the attention of your audience is important.

a. When using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. you have the ability to set up posts in advance by using tools such as HootSuite and TweetDeck. The offer you the advantage of setting up "tweets" and posts in advance so you do not have to be online all day. You do need to check your account regularly and respond and interact with your followers for social media to make difference. Your audience wants to get to know you and if you strike a chord with them, they will always come back for more.

2. Establish Goals – When starting your new business, you probably have thought about how many clients or how many products you need to sell in order to make a profit. It is the same idea when it comes to social media. Think about how many followers you would like to have, how many people you will follow each day, how many "likes" on FB per day, and a target of new clients you would like to pull from social media per week or month as new business. It is important to grow your business and ‘follow’, ‘friend’ and/or ‘connect’ with others to grow your new business.

3. Offer Value – When using social media, you need to keep people’s interest. When you think about the famous stars that ‘tweet’, they have thousands of followers because people want to know what they are up to and can’t wait to hear what they will say next. You need the same intrigue with your target audience to grow your new business. Be sure to provide insights and information that is relevant to your audience and always think about who you are speaking to and what they are going to find helpful. Also, don’t forget to listen to their feedback. This will help you refine your process and help you to tighten your focus on your target market.

4. Hire an Expert – Several companies do this and at some point it may be beneficial for you to hire someone, a social media expert or Virtual Assistant to take in this task. Until you are ready, taking on this task at the beginning may be beneficial as you know your business the best and having you engaged in the process is important. Whether you need a little or a lot of help, contacting someone for consulting services can be very helpful to get your started.

Starting your new business can be very overwhelming and thinking about adding social media to the mix may be hard to even think about. But the truth is, social media has far surpassed the fad stage and is here to stay. Whether you embrace social media or not, your new business will be impacted. You can take the leap and start driving more traffic to your new business or keep the status quo but there is a world of conversation and engagement that’s happening right now, with or without you.

If you haven’t put your hat in the ring yet, it’s time to toss it in and join the social media network and grow your new business by checking out my Biz Builder Program!

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Scripting Your Way to Your Perfect Business

Here is powerful technique called ‘Scripting’. Scripting can help you align your conscious imagination and your subconscious intentions and is used by virtually all champion athletes and superior performers in all categories in life.

In this exercise you will write "The Story" of your perfect business. You will approach this exercise first by writing a detailed descriptive narrative about your perfect business from the perspective of having already built it.

First, begin with the purpose statement. Use the power of your imagination and when you hear the disparagement of those subconscious saboteurs, use clearing techniques to clear your mind of these negative thoughts and let go of these feelings. Be sure to include plenty of emotion and feeling.

Here is what you will include in your story:

1. Describe how you feel about the success you have been able to generate doing what you are truly passionate about doing?
2. Portray how the joy of success and freedom has affected those you love or are closest to?
3. Depict how you express the satisfaction and gratitude you feel each day with your perfect business?
4. Explain how your perfect business has enabled the accomplishment of your greatest life purpose?

This Scripting exercise will consolidate your thinking into a crystal clear vision of the perfect life your perfect business will create.

Thank you for being in my life

Thank you coach for being on this planet and making a difference in everyone’s lives that you touch and for being an amazing example and teacher to your friends and clients, their husbands and wives, children, and grandchildren. I am certain that this world wouldn’t be the same without you in it.

Thank you for being a stand for the happiness of others, whether you know them or not.

Thank you for being in my life.

~ Kristen Mc Gill

Learn more about the program that helped take her business to the next level

Featured Expert Article

How to UnClutter your life and Online Business and get more Clients fast
By By Crystal O’Connor | www.MoxieMompreneur.com

Would you like to unclutter your life and business so that you can let more clients and business into your life fast?

Have you ever heard this before?

"Nature abhors a vacuum".

This concept is used to express the idea that ‘empty’ or ‘unfilled’ spaces are unnatural as they go against the laws of nature and physics.

Let’s take a look at the definition of "vacuum" from www.Wikipedia.com: "A vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, so that gaseous pressure is much less than standard atmospheric pressure. The root of the word vacuum is the Latin adjective vacuus which means "empty," but space can never be perfectly empty. A perfect vacuum with a gaseous pressure of absolute zero is a philosophical concept that is never observed in practice, not least because quantum theory predicts that no volume of space is perfectly empty in this way."

I’m sorry…but "huh?"

Okay, let me be completely honest with you here….I basically faked my way through Science class. I’m good at a few things in life but comprehending long drawn out Scientific explanations isn’t one of them.

Well, it wasn’t until just this last January that I didn’t completely understand Feng Shui. I had heard of it but a woman caught my attention, her name is Marie Diamond …she’s a Feng Shui Expert , was in the movie ‘The Secret’ and was able to explain it in simple terms and how it’s concept (basically scientific) can be applied to our lives and make it well, a whole lot better!

After interviewing her for my Moxie Talk Tele-Summit Series I became not only a fan but now a BIG believer in Feng Shui and how clearing clutter can leave room for new things in your life.

Karen Kingston’s outstanding book called Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui is a wonderful read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to clear out the clutter in their life and start letting in more success and happiness.

By the way, in my experience, clearing clutter and emptying out spaces to attract new things applies to many things in life. One example is that if you clear MENTAL clutter, you end up focusing on one thing and attracting that one thing into your life very fast.

Hey, you’re talking to someone that has had to deal with mental clutter for years!

A lot of you may know exactly what I’m talking about. When you are trying to run a successful, profitable business there is a lot to do…and mental clutter can lead to UN-productivity! You need clients and business fast if you are going to stay in business.

For instance, if you want new clients, more income..whatever it is…start making room for them today!

One thing I do now, if I want to gain a new client for instance, is …. I intentionally set up a place for them…literally in my office and life. I make a new file folder and have it ready and sitting on my desk waiting for their arrival. I will then fill the folder with everything I give to new clients….i.e. the questionnaire, their ‘getting started-packet’, all the goodies to get them going with their marketing and their own success.

So, be intentional and make room for what you WANT. Trust me, it works every time!

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6 Business Tips to Kickstart Your Game When Time and Life Savings are On The Line

1. Find the market gap in the business you know

2. Consider turning your hobby into a business

3. Investigate franchising

4. Use your connections

5. Keep upfront expenses to a minimum

6. Avoid a 40-hour work week to start

My coach is amazing and truly special!

"My coach is amazing and truly special. When we worked together, she had a way of reminding me what a magnificent person I am; and I was so empowered to ‘go for it’. Her style is tough love, straight shooting, and major results!

If you are ready to take yourself and/or your business to the next level and higher, coaching is the way to do it!"

~Elaine W.

Learn more about the program that helped Elaine take her business to the next level

Featured Expert Article

The 1 Thing You Must Know If the Law of Attraction Doesn’t Work For You
By Kristen Howe | www.LawOfAttractionKey.com

When ‘The Secret’ hit the public eye and turned the spotlight on the Law of Attraction, people started jumping on the LOA bandwagon to attract money, success, love…you name it.

BUT if you are like most of these people then chances are good you tried to harness the power of the law of attraction but have been left with nothing to show for it (and may be worse off then when you started.)

I know where you are, I was in the same boat until I found out the hidden truth behind making the Law of Attraction work.

There is one great misconception about the Law of Attraction and, if you are almost certain that the law of attraction doesn’t work for you, have no fear, removing this misconception may be the first step to turning things around for you as it was for me.

What is this great misconception? The primary reason the Law of Attraction is probably NOT working for you, and that reason is this…

For the law of attraction to work, you HAVE to take inspired action.

I repeat…

For the law of attraction to work, you HAVE to take inspired action.

Yup…sorry to say, you can’t just sit around visualizing and have the life you desire ring your doorbell. (I’m not going to lie; years ago I believed this misconception and am I glad I learned the truth.)

Visualizing is powerful and SO IMPORTANT…feeling it and seeing it and tasting it is the beginning, the foundation, but it is not the whole picture.

Look at it this way, visualization is the thing that leads you to the right and inspired action that will make the law of attraction work for you and attract the life of your dreams.

Anyone who leads you to believe that all you have to do for the Law of Attraction to work and bring you everything you want, is sit around your house and think about it, is trying to take your money and give you nothing in return.

I need you to know this false belief is what some (not all) ‘Law of Attraction Gurus’ are counting on…because as long as you have this belief, the law of attraction won’t work for you and you’ll need them.

Don’t get me wrong, there are AMAZING teachers out there that legitimately teach the principles of the Law of Attraction (and believe me, I’ve tried them all, the good and the bad, so I know from years of personal experience.)

Go Big!

Kristen

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Common Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a New Business

Are you making some of these mistakes when it comes to starting a new business?

Treating Your Business Like a Hobby
When people think of starting a new business, they often do turn to something they love doing, which is often a hobby. This is a great idea but be careful once you start your business, that you don’t treat your business like a hobby. You will need to work hard to get your business going and also to keep it going. You can’t just tend to it when you feel like it.

To overcome this struggle, have a schedule of when you work. Also set daily tasks and goals and even more important COMMIT to getting them done in the specified time.

No Clear Plan or Strategy
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Do you have a business plan or strategy to go by – a vision of what you want your business to be and a step-by-step of how you are going to get there? When starting a new business, this is essential to keep you on track.

Spending Money in the Wrong Places
When you are first starting a new business, be careful where you are spending your money. Yes, you need some form of marketing but be careful about spending too much money on needless brochures and other marketing material until you establish your brand and your message and have done so for a set period of time. Most resources suggest having 6 months of typical sales and presentation before you spending a substantial amount on marketing materials.

Marketing materials that will serve you best are your website, starting a blog, some fliers or information on your business that you can share with others.

Attend free networking events, attending events through the Chamber of Commerce, speaking at events in your community and WORD OF MOUTH. Could there be a better way of marketing?

No Recordkeeping System
Everyone knows they need to keep records when starting a new business. However, this task is probably one of the most mundane and often gets pushed to the back burner until something forces you to get organized. Start off right by keeping good, clean records from the beginning. Find out what you need to keep and for how long. You can find this out from resources such as www.irs.gov or your local Small Business Administration office. You will feel more in control when you are organized and your day-to-day office tasks will go a lot smoother.

Not Having a Niche
Do you know your market? Is there a demand for what you are selling? Some important advice: Don’t fake it. People may be drawn in at first, but if you do not know your market and what they desire, you will fall flat and your customers will eventually see through the facade.

Not Getting Any Feedback
Before starting a new business, you should have done some research or legwork on your product or service you are offering. Have you tested your product or service on anyone yet? Have you gotten feedback on whether people would buy from you?

My Coach Was Always There For Me

What would you do for success? Would you entrust yourself and your business to a coach that can help you achieve the success you desire and build the business of your dreams? Read on as Andrew Poles from Austin, Texas worked with a coach from PerfectBizBuilder to do just that. His story is another great testament to how successful the program really can be.

I am up to a lot in my life and everything I am up to really matters to me. I manage a multi-million dollar corporation; I sell very expensive high-end products for my company; I am a husband and a father and I lead personal development seminars where people go to work on things that really matter to them. My coach has coached me in each and every one of these areas almost continuously for the last 4 ½ years. She has never failed to be generous with her time and I have not yet found the boundaries of her commitment to my success.

One of the most amazing things about her is her ability to be with and just accept everything the way it is. No matter how much of a scoundrel I have been, no matter how much I have resisted her coaching or just flat out ignored it, I never felt invalidated. Everything I did or didn’t do became an opportunity for my growth and development. Because of her, I am more loving and accepting than I ever thought I could be.

And she’s just so real. A lot of coaches are good at delivering coaching that helps you see things from a different point of view. Her coaching goes way beyond that. She has been through her own successes and failures and disappointments as a professional, a wife and mother and as a leader in the world and she shares them all with you. She’s not one of those people who are up there somewhere. You always know you’re talking to someone who will not only coach you through what you are dealing with, but who has walked a mile in your shoes. With her, everything seems possible. I have accomplished things I didn’t think I could.

Most recently, I called her for coaching around a deal I was negotiating. I was really stuck. I was sure that once I laid my cards on the table, my prospect was going to take offense and walk. I couldn’t see how to get past the bitter pill I needed him to accept. I called my coach in just five minutes; I completely got my own concerns out of the way so I could listen to my client again. When he did get upset about the deal I offered, I was able to really hear him and to validate what he was concerned about. As a result, we worked out a win-win in no time and I closed a $32,000 deal. That was 5 minutes of coaching. I am certain that had I not called her, the deal would have gone south.

If you are someone who is really up to something that matters to you, you want my coach in your corner. She will have you be successful. Because of her, I am up to things that I never dreamed possible, and I am accomplishing them! Thank you for everything you have contributed to me and my life. I will never forget what you have contributed to me.

Learn more about the program that helped Andrew find his dream job

Featured Expert Article

10 Leadership Lessons

By Dave Lavinsky | www.growthink.com

Both my son and daughter play lacrosse (in fact, my son’s gotten really good and played in a ‘select’ league this summer).

Even though I never played lacrosse, I was a high-school and college athlete (soccer & wrestling) and am a huge proponent of kids playing sports.

I was recently sent an article written by the US Lacrosse Association entitled “10 Steps to a Positive Lacrosse Experience” on what parents can do to foster a better experience for their kids. I didn’t find the article eye-opening — just common sense stuff in my opinion — until I started thinking about it in a business sense.

Specifically, these steps can be directly applied and serve as a great guide for being an effective leader. Let me show you why…

#1: Be supportive of your child by giving encouragement and showing an interest in his or her team.

As a leader, you need to constantly give encouragement to and show sincere interest in your employees if you want to motivate them and boost their performance.

#2: Attend games whenever possible. If you cannot attend, ask about your child’s experience, not whether the team won or lost.

Great leaders see what’s going on in the workplace. They walk around. They attend meetings. And they speak to their employees to understand how things are going.

#3: Be a positive role model by displaying good sportsmanship at all times to coaches, officials, opponents and your child’s teammates.

Effective leaders are positive role models. If you don’t act in the manner you’d like your employees to act, they won’t.

#4: Let your child set his own goals and play the game for himself/herself. Be your child’s “home court advantage” by giving him or her your unconditional support regardless of how well he or she performs.

Great leaders allow their employees to set goals. Sure, those goals need to align with the organization’s goals. But employees are much more successful and dedicated to achieving goals that they set or helped establish. And employees who do not meet their goals should be supported and helped so that they improve and meet their goals the next time.

#5: Let the coach coach. Refrain from giving your child advice when he or she is playing.

If your organization has multiple levels of management, this comes into play. For example, if a manager tells an employee one thing, the organization’s president needs to be careful not to tell that employee conflicting information. All management needs to be on the same page – this is simply done via effective communications.

#6: Respect the decisions of the referee or umpire. This is an important part of honoring the game. Your child will pay more attention to how you act than to what you say.

Things will not always go right in organizations. Some battles you will win, and others you will lose. When you lose a battle, the answer is never to point fingers or complain about external reasons that caused the failure. Rather, you must accept the failure, and figure out how to improve and avoid failure next time.

#7: Read the rule book. A full understanding of the rules will help you enjoy the game and educate others.

In my opinion, the only real rule book in business is the ethics rule book. By being a positive role model (see #3) and showing a high degree of ethics, your employees will most likely do the same.

#8: Get to know who is in charge. Meet with the leadership of the program, whether it’s school-sponsored or recreational, to discuss topics such as cost, practice and game scheduling, insurance coverage, emergency procedures, etc.

Effective leaders get involved in their industries. They go to industry events. They meet other leaders. They sit on industry boards.

No organization operates in isolation. Understand and get involved in your industry. This will help with setting industry policies, finding partner organizations, and becoming well-known, which will positively influence sales, the number of quality employees seeking to join you, etc.

#9: Get involved! A great way to support your child’s lacrosse experience is by becoming a volunteer for the program. Some of the ways you can get involved: keep the scorebook, run the clock…

See #2 — make sure you circulate around your workplace and get involved.

#10: Sit back and enjoy the game. Remember, lacrosse is played for FUN.

Great leaders enjoy the journey and not just the end result. Running an organization is hard work, but it should be fun. You should be doing what you love to do. And if your employees are motivated and truly care about the welfare of your organization, running your organization is an extremely rewarding experience.

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Tips for Successful Networking

People like to do business with people they know, like and trust. To achieve this, it takes time to build these kinds of relationships but once you do, you will definitely be rewarded with loyal customers who will not only return but spread the word about their great experiences. Here are some tips for successful networking:

1. Know your business inside and out - In order to ‘sell’ yourself when you are business networking, you must have a clear understanding of what you do and why, who your target market is and what makes you special and sets you apart from others who are doing the same thing.
2. Attend local business networking events – This information could be obtained from your local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Administration Office.
3. Be the expert – By business networking and speaking at events, getting to know people and spreading your message can help you become known as a powerful resource.
4. Ask open-ended questions – Asking open-ended questions such as who, what, where, when, and how opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them.
5. Follow through, follow through, and follow through - I can’t stress enough how important it is to follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given.

You may find yourself very nervous about getting out there and doing some business networking but once you have attended a few events or approached a few people it will get easier. In business, networking is necessary and will pay off in the long run. The more people you can expose to you and your business increases your chances of success.

Because of my coach, I’m pursuing what I love

Here is a perfect example of what can happen when you work with one of the wonderful, experienced coaches at the PerfectBizBuilder Program.

Read on as Ms. Gordan talks about the difficult decision to end a business relationship that ultimately created a stronger relationship and empowered them both the pursue business they love.

“My coach helped me dismantle a pattern I repeated for over 5 years!

I was in a business partnership that wasn’t working and I *knew* it. For years, nothing anyone said or did made a difference. With a commitment on my part and only a few conversations with my coach, I ended that partnership. It took less than a week from when we began coaching together.

I am now in a business I truly love and I have a powerful friendship with my former business partner. Because of my coach, we are both pursuing what we love. And I know what it is to actually *choose* what happens in my life rather than being a victim of past choices I’ve made. It’s amazing!

Thank you coach!”

~E. Gordan, Austin, TX

Learn more about the program that helped Ms. Gordan find her dream job

Hello!

This week we are talking about the various tools you need to have in place before starting your new business venture, as well as what it takes to be successful at networking your business.

In the feature article, “The Entrepreneur and Successful Business Networking“, I offer you some tips on how to be successful in business networking, a very critcal and necessary skill to attract your target market.

Have a great and prosperous week everyone!

I’m standing for all that’s possible for you in life and business.

Sincerely & Gratefully,

Steve

www.HowToBeginABusiness.com

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Receive “How To Begin A Business” online magazine to your email and access the archives - register now!

Hello!

This week we are talking about the characteristics of an entrepreneur and strategies to attract high paying clients. Do you know your clients? I mean, really KNOW your clients? This means, not only knowing who your clients are, but knowing their needs, wants and how to make their lives easier.

In this week’s article, “How to Get more high paying clients to come to you for business” by Crystal O’Connor from 

www.MoxieMompreneur.com discusses how you may be sabotaging your efforts to attract high paying clients, as well as some strategies you can put in place to get on the fast track to attracting the clients you desire. I hope you enjoy this week’s article.

Have a great and prosperous week everyone!

I’m standing for all that’s possible for you in life and business.

Sincerely & Gratefully,

Steve

www.HowToBeginABusiness.com

• Featured Article: How to Get more high paying clients to come to you for business
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