Fear is a fact of business – of life in fact.

It is totally normal to feel fear whenever we are growing – I actually think fear is a good indicator of where we could go next in our businesses!

But that being said, feeling fear can suck… and if we aren’t careful we can get seriously stuck in our fear to the point where it immobilizes us.

Here’s one of my favorite strategies to work through the fear and get unstuck…

I call it embracing your worst case scenario.

Now given all the focus on positive thinking, law of attraction and such this may seem like something we SHOULDN’T do. But what I know to be true for me (and my clients) is that if we find ourselves stuck in fear, then we can’t move forward… we need to find a way to move through or release the fear or stay stuck in it.

One of the things I like to do here is to step into the worst case scenario and really FEEL it. I stop avoiding or running from the worst case scenario and instead put myself right in it (via my imagination) and be with it. If I can be in the space of my worst case scenario and KNOW that everything would be OK regardless, then I’m quite often able to let go of my fear.

For example, back in 2002, my husband and I were building a house. We had already sold our condo, were living with friends and still didn’t have enough for the down payment due in a couple of months. I was, at the time, trying to build my coaching business and wasn’t making much money. My fear was – of course – that we would not have enough money in time for the down payment and would lose the house!

I remember very clearly one night just sitting with that fear, looking it in the eye and deciding that even if it came to that, we would be OK. We would find somewhere else to live and move on from there. And in that moment I felt peace about it and was able to let it go.

Now the great thing about letting go of the feeling of fear is that quite often it creates space for what you DO want instead! In that instance, the very next day I received an email asking me to do a project that gave us exactly the amount of money we needed. If I hadn’t let go of the fear, I don’t know that I would have received that opportunity.

So where does fear have a hold on you? What would be your worst case scenario and how can you make that OK?

Would love to hear your thoughts and how you like to deal with your fear as well.

A snippet from the lovely little book Money, Meaning & Beyond that I co-wrote with Andrea Lee a few years back…

The fact is people are no longer looking for more information. They’re looking for the perfect piece of information at the precise moment they want it. For the most part, they’re busy, overwhelmed, and just trying to make sense of their world.

And they’re looking for people they trust to find it. In every field of business, they’re looking for people they can look to, to make their life meaningful.

What should I read?
Who should I observe?
What business models work?
How should I dress, decorate, entertain?
Which artists are important? What charities are worthwhile? Which doctor should I see? Should I take that person to court?

Whether you’re a wedding planner or a mortgage broker, if you’re doing a good job in your business, people are already asking you for your opinion.

As a business owner, you have a real opportunity to become a trusted resource for your clients through whatever product or service you offer. At its best, business becomes more than a transaction.

And that’s when you successfully leap from ‘being in business’ to ‘being in a business that matters.’ Businesses that matter elevate the lives of the people around them.

So consider becoming a “Google” for your clients. Don’t just give them information. Give them the right information, filtered for them, and along the way, be sure to tell them what you’re doing. This helps them build the trust bond and increases your value to them.

–end of excerpt

Pretty simple stuff right? Consider for yourself, where can you apply this strategy to your business? What it is that you know already that can be shared at another level?

Alright folks, this one is longer than 3 mintues… but it’s juicy stuff that I get asked about A LOT so I had to make it longer.

Should you pay by the hour? A package rate? And what’s up with this incentive stuff?

There are 3 different ways you can be paying your team members, so let’s break them down here for you:

By the hour – paying someone an hourly rate for the TIME it takes them to do the work. This is the simplest arrangement as it’s the easiest to calculate, BUT the downside is that you have no control over how long it takes someone to do the work. Some people are fast, some are slow, and you run the risk of getting a “surprise” bill from someone when you don’t have parameters and strong agreements in place. Hourly is best for the “doers” in your business, such as a virtual assistant.

Pay for a package – this is paying someone a flat rate for a specific DELIVERABLE. For example, if you are hiring a web designer to create a new website for you and you have a clear agreement on what specifically they are going to deliver. The beauty of paying for a package is that you know exactly what you are getting, what you will be paying for it and it doesn’t matter how long it takes them to do the work. That being said, this arrangement is NOT ideal when there is not a clear deliverable or specific start/end to a project.

Incentive Based Compensation – this is when someone is paid a simple flat rate base (or retainer) amount with the option to earn more based on the RESULTS that they are helping to create in the business. This is ideal for the people on your team who help contribute to the overall growth and success of your business. A launch manager who is running a launch for you A to Z. An Online Business Manager who is responsible for setting the foundation for growth in your business. A sales person who is bringing new clients into your business.

The key to incentive is that the person has a bit of “skin in the game” – and that they don’t get paid more unless there is growth in the company (results). Again, hourly can be taken out of the equation here by giving the person a base/retainer that is enough to keep them engaged without having to track time and get caught up in the hours. Instead, they know they can truly make more money as the business grows and that the investment of time/energy on their part will pay off. Incentive can take the form of a percentage of revenue (5-10% or more in some cases), percentage of profits or a flat rate bonus based on reaching certain milestones.

According to a study from 2012* half of entrepreneurs do not take summer vacations. And for the 52% that do, 71% of you are taking work along – yipes!

Check out today’s video for one simple step that you can take TODAY to ensure you get a vacation this summer… it’s not too late.

* Small Business Trends July 2012

I was at Andrea Lee’s Midas Camp last week and was reminded of something that quite honestly I had forgotten in recent years:

“Business is an experiment.”

As soon as she said that I felt a visceral weight lift off my shoulders, because I had been doing the exact opposite – trying SO darn hard vs. taking an experimental approach.

So what’s the difference? There are a few keys things:

1. Trying is really hard work – it usually comes from a place of needing to prove something to yourself and/or those around you and that is very tiring! Experimenting comes from a place of service and is much lighter and enjoyable. Even the word gives me a sigh of relief.
2. Trying is emotionally based – when we are trying to prove something it bring emotions into play, and if something doesn’t work out as planned we can easily end up feeling really sad, upset, defeated and ready to give up. When we are experimenting we “know” that it may not work out, and can release and emotions around it and get back to the drawing board.
3. Experimenting leaves room for growth – when we come from this scientific mindset of “I wonder” vs. “I must!” I believe it opens up many more opportunities and options that we would otherwise be able to see. Experimenting opens doors where trying tends to close them.

I came to realize how much I used to experiment in my business and how much i’ve been missing that lately due to my own expectations. Heck, the entire world of being an Online Business Manager didn’t even exist when I wrote that book almost 5 years ago. That whole world was one grand experiment and I loved it every step of the way.

I’m getting back to a place of experimenting and having more fun. How about you?

I’ve been a fan of Jillian Michaels for years now… not only is she an amazing coach (ala her work on Biggest Loser), I think she is also an amazing business woman and person.

(I highly recommend her Podcast if you like a dose of health, life and biz advice with authenticity and heart.)

Here are two of my favorite Jillian-isms that I think can apply to our businesses as well as our lives.

1) You don’t have to spend a bunch of time in the gym to get results.

I’ve been doing Jillian workout videos for years now, I think I have them all. What I LOVE about doing Jillian workouts is the fact that they are just 30 minutes and will kick your butt in that time! Her high-intensity approach means that you work really hard for a short period of time and get great results… vs. spending an hour or more in various other types of exercise activities.

And so it occurs to me – where in your business could you spend LESS time and get MORE results? Where are you working harder than you have to? Interesting food for thought as we go about our daily activities

2) Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

If you have ever committed to an exercise or healthy eating program you know – it gets darn uncomfortable at times! And yet as we know, in order to effect change we NEED to get uncomfortable. If we aren’t feeling that discomfort, chances are nothing will change.

I find in business that my default is to work to avoid or to lessen discomfort – and I’m guessing I’m not alone. I have to really remind myself that yes, this stuff is uncomfortable at times and it’s all part of the journey… even when it sucks.

Overdelivering is overrated in my opinion. This strategy of throwing in tonnes of bonuses and extra goodies for clients can actually set up some really skewed expectations that can ultimately get in the way of serving your clients.

How do you know if you are overdelivering or if you are overcompensating?

There is actually a very simple “test”…

Does it come from a place of joy or a place of fear?

Overdelivering comes from a place of joy – you know you are already providing great value to your clients and you want to give them something extra. For example, I love to send people in my Mentorship programs some of my favorite books… it is an unexpected gift, they love it and it makes me really happy to do so.

Overcompensating comes from a place of fear – when you wonder if you are giving enough value? Are you doing enough? They are paying you good money, so it should feel really hard and you need to bend over backwards right?

If you have any fear that the value of what you are offering may not match what people are paying, then overcompensation can sneak in… perpetually going over time on coaching calls, not billing for all the hours worked, letting clients break your boundaries, randomly throwing in other stuff along the way just to make sure they are happy.

Put simply, overcompensation will NOT feel good and in fact puts you in a highly stressful work environment.

If you aren’t sure that what you offer provides value then you need to either work on your mindset (to OWN your inherent value) or work on your packages (to ensure they are truly giving people what they want.)

Aim to keep it simple and deliver 100% on what you promised! That alone will be more than enough for most clients to be thrilled with you. Wow your clients with that FIRST and if it makes sense to throw an extra goodie in along the way and surprise your clients go for it – just make sure it brings you joy to do so.

After my video last week I was asked a great question:

“Tina, I get that having a relationship is ideal when it comes to this stuff, but what if you are newer to your biz or don’t have any relationships with potential affiliates yet?”

Here’s my top 3 tips to approach a potential new affiliate or JV partner:

1. Get to know the person first – if you send a generic request to someone asking them to “help promote your stuff and earn some money” I can pretty much guarantee it will be deleted.

   You need to do some work upfront and get to know the person and their business BEFORE you approach them. Do your research, learn what they offer already and who their clients are and see where your stuff can help compliment what they are doing already. Look to see how you can solve a problem for THEM as well as their clients. ie: If someone is a marketing coach but they don’t teach team building and yet their clients all struggle here, you could approach them to offer a team building program that could fill a need for their clients that they can’t (or don’t want to) fill themselves.

2. Give them a sample of your program – how does the person know if your stuff is any good? If you don’t have a relationship already the next best thing to establish credibility and trust is to give them a copy or sample of your stuff. This way they can see *exactly* what it is that you are offering and determine if it’s something they can confidently recommend.

   Now some people resist this because they don’t want to give something away for free or fear that someone might steal their stuff and use it themselves. If you give away one sample of your product to someone who could potentially get you lots of sales then that’s a great ROI in my opinion. Likewise, you can ask someone to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) that prevents them from using your stuff outside of review purposes.

3. Leverage a Relationship – do you know anyone who knows the person you want to reach out to? If yes, ask that person if they would be willing to introduce you or if they have any suggestions on the best way to reach out to that person. A connection via a mutual contact is a great way to establish credibility and make a connection.
4. BONUS TIP: Make it BEYOND easy for them to promote – the worst thing you can do to a new affiliate is have them say yes and then you drop the ball. It is *essential* that you have your team and marketing resources 100% in place so that they can just “plug and play” on their end.

   I’m amazed at how often people drop the ball here – and at the same time I get it because it takes work to setup your promotion materials, affilaite links and continue to communicate with all the parties. Make sure you have a person on your team who is dedicated to this and can make you look like the rockstar that you are.

I’m honestly amazed at some of the requests I get from people when it comes to their asking me to be an affiliate, JV or simply to help them promote something. Enjoy my “rant” and would love to hear your pet peeves here as well!

There are four key areas of your biz that you will want to automate so that you no longer have to struggle to find clients and can instead enjoy a steady flow of hot-leads and eager buyers.