If you are a small business owner one of [...]]]> I woke up this morning debating with myself whether or not to write this short article. When coaching my private clients I generally manage to avoid sounding like someone’s boss, or worse – their mother. But it might be useful for you to read so here goes…

If you are a small business owner one of the reasons you started your own business, and one of its greatest joys, may be that you get to choose what you work on and when. You also get to choose how long your lunch break is, whether you go shopping in the middle of the day, if you will stop to do a few errands on your way home from a meeting, or tune into Judge Judy for a little mid-day mental break.

Many of my clients come to me unhappy with their business results and often explain they are having difficulty staying focused. If I ask them to recap how they spend the previous week some of them are surprised at how little time they actually spend attending to their business.

Lack of focus and productivity has many causes but one common one is too much independence and flexibility –the very things that we love about being in business for ourselves. While most of my clients relish their flexibility and use it wisely, others simply become spoiled by it.

As boss-less entrepreneurs, left on their own to decide how to spend their time, many small business owners become quite irresponsible with their “work” time and rob their own businesses of much needed productivity to do the things their friends with “real” jobs and “real” bosses have to either leave to the weekend or forgo altogether.

Look back at yesterday, last week, and last month. If you had a boss what would he, or she, say about your productivity? About the amount of time you spent in and on the business? About your attention to making the business financially successful? The choices you made?

I’ve asked these questions of some of my clients who seemed to be behaving as if they could go on forever with a full-time business, that was generating poor financial results, giving it only their part-time attention. Usually they replied “If I had a boss he’d say ‘YOU’RE FIRED!’”

While your boss might tolerate the odd bit of personal time for urgent matters, your boss knows that long personal calls during office hours, constant late starts and frequent missed time from work to attend to personal matters, robs the company of precious resources needed for the success of the business.

Flexibility is a wonderful benefit of being in business for ourselves and it can be hard to say “no” to ourselves when a tempting opportunity to ditch work comes up, and even harder to say “no” to friends and family who know darn well we set our own schedules. Ask yourself “What would my boss say?”

As a small business owner you have great flexibility, a true blessing when you can re-arrange your schedule or when life throws you a curve ball, but are you behaving like you can never fired? As a small business owner your “boss” is your balance sheet…and if you don’t take care of business and make your boss (your bottom line) happy before you know it you may find yourself looking for a “real” job, which will come with a “real” boss.

I’d love your comments!

Answer: They both take about six days to go from ripe to rot.

It’s no accident that cold remedy commercials on TV give way this time of year to resolution-related sales pitches, most notably for weight lo**ss and fitness. The resolution season is in full swing by [...]]]> Question: What do Resolutions and Bananas Have in Common?

Answer: They both take about six days to go from ripe to rot.

It’s no accident that cold remedy commercials on TV give way this time of year to resolution-related sales pitches, most notably for weight lo**ss and fitness. The resolution season is in full swing by late December even though the flu season is far from over.

Many people are really good at creating resolutions and even those who decide not to risk any more self-inflicted broken promises pon der what they might improve, eliminate, or create in the upcoming year. Advertising agencies know that, even though we might resist participating in the annual resolution craze, the majority of us do think about the areas where we want to see improvements in the upcoming year.  The enthusiasm of a fresh new year is contagious.

For the vast majority of folks I know resolutions are like bananas – really delicious and appealing for about 6 days after which point they both get pretty rotten.

The reason resolutions don’t really last is because they are often expressed as some sort of wish and they are not coupled with effective goal setting to help them become a reality. Making a resolution without goals is like dropping a coin in a wishing well. We make a wish, drop in a coin (not a really big investment – is it?), and walk away hoping our wish will be granted.

If your resolution is to have any hope to last beyond the “rotten banana stage” you really need to invest a bit more time by getting out a pen and paper and creating some goals and some action plans to support it into reality.

If you are thinking “well I don’t really have a resolution but I sure would like to see some better business results this year” try this resolution on for size: “I resolve to get really good at goal setting”. Sure, I know I sound biased but it is only because I am. Goal setting works for those who learn to do it well.  I’ve yet to have a client or student tell me that goal setting was a waste of time or that learning to become really good at goal setting was a waste of effort. It is the single best investment you can make and the one with the biggest short-term and long-term payoffs.

If you are looking to make big changes in your business this year (more profit anyone?) I recommend you resolve to get very good at goal setting.  But mo re than that – get really good at using goals in ways that can super-charge your small business success. Knowing how to set and use goals can mean the biggest difference between having a year much like last year and making 2010 the year of your dreams. What’s more, Magnetic Goal setting is not boring, doesn’t mean tedious hard work, is as tasty as a ripe banana, and never goes rotten.

To learn more about Magnetic Goals register for the upcoming complimentary teleseminar on January 12, hosted by my friend and mentor Kathleen Gage, by Clicking Here.

(note: if you are a member of Kathleen’s VIP program we will be announcing something special for you on January 12. If you are a not a member please check it out by Clicking Here)

For information about the Magnetic Goals for Small Business Owners Home Study Course Click Here.

The general school of thought these days is that while sales for higher ticket items might be sluggish people are still buying lower priced items such as short reports, mini-workshops and inexpensive membership [...]]]> When people stop buying what you are selling – sell what they are buying. But this begs the question “what ARE they buying?”!

The general school of thought these days is that while sales for higher ticket items might be sluggish people are still buying lower priced items such as short reports, mini-workshops and inexpensive membership programs. While all that may be true it’s been bugging me, and a lot of my clients, that selling lower priced items means that we must generate dramatic volume increases to come anywhere near our revenue goals.

As I was noodling over this dilemma I started to learn more about “desperate buyers”. A desperate buyer is different. They think differently and behave differently. A desperate buyer is very clear about the problem and wants a solution now – right now. They are not looking for the best deal nor are they likely to surf endlessly collecting bits of information as they go. Often when such a person finds your information and is satisfied that you can provide a good solution they will be highly motivated to press they buy button, right there, on the spot.

What started me thinking about this is an ebook called “Desperate Buyers Only” and, while I am not crazy about the title, it does describe the perspective of the person most likely to purchase the moment they see your sales information – a buyer desperate for your solution. I want you to know about it because it is one of the most important books I have read this year.

This ebook shifted my thinking about how to develop and sell products that people will buy sooner rather than later. As the author, Alexis Dawes, explains “Desperate people – people with throbbing problems, pressing issues, and insane drives – buy on impulse. Desperate people buy on impulse because they’re in an emotionally charged state-of-mind or state-of-being and they want to get out of it.” Think of it this way: If you are selling a book or workshop on how to install great plumbing you might get some folks interested. But if you reposition your solution to “how to unplug a stopped-up toilet right now” well, I think you see the difference!

The book is focused towards those who want to create ebooks that sell but I found that my mind dramatically shifted gears in terms of how all products and services can be developed and sold more effectively. It is this shift in thinking that makes this ebook worth the time and money – and then some! My thinking, and the thinking of several of my clients, began to focus like a laser on the situation of the desperate buyer, what was causing the desperation, and how to communicate the benefits of the salve that would ease that desperation – the product or services offered.

As you are planning for 2010 and thinking about how you can generate more sales revenue check out Desperate Buyers Only by clicking here. I think you will find it illuminating, thought provoking, and useful.

Warmly,

Cathy Demers

PS. I`d love for you to leave a comment!

This is my favorite time of year, not only because of the festivites (which I adore), but because it’s the time of year that successful small business owners around the world are turning their sights towards a new year and new possibilities for [...]]]> Are you starting to wind down 2009? Getting ready for the holiday season?

This is my favorite time of year, not only because of the festivites (which I adore), but because it’s the time of year that successful small business owners around the world are turning their sights towards a new year and new possibilities for success! It’s the perfect time for deciding what you are doing to do differently during the upcoming year so that you experience greater levels of personal and financial success.

Now is the time to ask yourself these questions:

• Are you tired of worrying about the financial health of your small business?
• Do you want to feel clear and confident about your decisions every day?
• Do you want to stay focused in a way that feels easy and natural?
• Is it time for you to stop struggling, feeling overwhelmed, and spinning your wheels in your small business?
• Do you want to achieve even higher levels of business success, or are you certain you don’t want to get a “real” job but not sure how you will avoid needing one?

If you said “no” to all of these questions, you can stop reading this message. If you answered “yes” to any of these questions this message is for you!

Last Time this Year!

Complimentary Teleseminar

Magnetic Goals that Draw Success to You! Thursday

Dec 17, 2009 9 am Pacific (Noon Eastern)

If you haven’t heard me reveal how to set and achieve Magnetic Goals and unleash the potential in your small business, this is your last chance this year! Now is the time to have financial freedom and security while you make a difference in the lives of others.

You will learn:

• What Magnetic Goals are and why what you have learned about goal setting doesn’t work
• How to create your own Magnetic Goals that will attract success to you like a magnet
• How to ensure your goals are not basketballs but magnetic gorillas (it’s not complicated and I’ll explain!)
• How to apply the Magnetic Goals strategy in less than 5 minutes a day to create amazing financial results in any business, eliminate overwhelm and stress, and do more of what you love.

You will be amazed at how easy and effective this is! Learn How to Use Magnetic Goals and Draw Financial Success To You.

This call will fill up fast – so please register early!

To sign up for this no-charge LIVE teleseminar, just CLICK HERE

Note: if you can’t attend register anyway and you will receive the audio replay.

Please pass this message on to anyone you think could use new information and strategies to ensure their small business success in 2010. I am sure they will thank you for it!

In Support of Your Success,

Cathy Demers

You probably already know that abundance is a feeling, not a state of being. One person can feel abundant with $1,000 in savings while another feels panic-inducing scarcity. Today I want to share with you another important strategy I learned from Thomas Leonard while he [...]]]> Prefer to Listen to this Feature Article? Click Here to Listen

You probably already know that abundance is a feeling, not a state of being. One person can feel abundant with $1,000 in savings while another feels panic-inducing scarcity. Today I want to share with you another important strategy I learned from Thomas Leonard while he was alive: building super-reserves to replace feelings of scarcity and lack with feelings of abundance. It’s simple, easy, and the results are simply astounding.

Here’s the strategy: Build a super-reserve of as many things as you can so that you eliminate many of the sources of feelings of scarcity in your life.

You can think of the balance between feelings of scarcity and abundance like a set of balance scales. As thoughts and feelings of neediness or lack are reduced your general feeling of abundance increase.

Think about something you use every day. Now think about what happens when your reserve of that particular thing becomes low or runs out completely. If you have many items for which there are frequently feelings of scarcity attached you should know that these feelings of scarcity pile up and contribute to a greater overall feeling of lack and a lesser overall feeling of abundance.

If you stockpile a super-reserve of everyday items, those you use and replace when supplies of them are low, you never feel a lack of them. This dramatically reduces your feelings of lack and at the very same time increases your feelings of abundance. It’s simple math to tip the scales in your favour…in the direction of abundance.

Here a few examples of things you might stockpile at home and at work:

• Printer Paper and Ink
• Light Bulbs
• Spagetti
• Soap
• Computer Disk Storage
• Popcorn
• Batteries
• Gas in Your Car
• Postage Stamps
• Windshield Wiper Fluid
• Plates, Glasses and Cutlery
• Thank You Cards
• Yellow Stickies
• Spare Keys
• Ice
• Favorite Pens and Notepaper

I am sure you can think of dozens more.

I want to be clear here. I don’t mean that you should have enough on hand – I mean make sure you have waaaay more than your immediate needs so you will never feel needy for that item again. For many items if you can stockpile a year’s worth – that would be fantastic.

Even super-reserves of silly sounding items are important. I purchase toilet paper 50 rolls at a time and I have way more socks than I can ever dirty before laundry day, and more dishes than my dishwasher can hold – I never hunt for any of them. My husband used to look at me a quizzically when I came home from shopping but I feel juicy abundance when I know I have more than enough of a lot of things – so I simply smile at him. He’s used to it now.

This is important: this is not about being greedy or stockpiling unnecessary junk. It’s about increasing your overall feelings of abundance by directly eliminating sources of feelings of lack.

These stockpiles should not cost you any more than you are spending now (and often will save you money). If you are thinking “I can’t afford to build these super-reserves right now” I encourage you to shift your thinking to identify what you can afford. Small shifts can and do create big results. If you are thinking “my place is too small…I don’t have any place to put all that stuff” here’s another opportunity to shift your thinking away from scarcity (not enough room) to abundance. Start with what you can store…paperclips don’t take up much room!

While I have only included examples of physical things, you can build a reserve of both physical and non-physical things like a surplus of unallocated time between your meetings or appointments.

I told you it was simple and I encourage you to try this strategy of creating super-reserves.

I think there is enough scarcity in the world. It’s time to make a list and go shopping!

In Support of Your Success,

Cathy Demers

When I ask my clients what is the biggest challenge they face in building their businesses I commonly hear that their biggest challenge to the success of their businesses is lack of focus. Coping with the endless stream of wonderful, exciting, interesting, and enticing bits of information, ideas and opportunities can be a [...]]]>  

When I ask my clients what is the biggest challenge they face in building their businesses I commonly hear that their biggest challenge to the success of their businesses is lack of focus. Coping with the endless stream of wonderful, exciting, interesting, and enticing bits of information, ideas and opportunities can be a very big problem for many small business owners. Often hours, days and even weeks can go by with very little significant progress made even though they have been busy, busy, busy.

Our email in-boxes are literally jammed with email that promises to hold the key to the actualization of our dreams. Fascinating articles beg to be read, promising books are everywhere, new technological solutions are around every corner, interesting people pop into view, invitations to explore beckon constantly. The myriad of ways to spend our time and energy is never ending and constantly growing.

And so, left to our own devices, we can go down one “rabbit hole” after another as we click on link after link, only to find that we have spent much of our precious time and energy chasing yet another BSO (bright shiny object) rather focusing on just those areas that we are certain will move us closer to the business success we crave.

What is the solution to fortifying our resistance against chasing those BSOs that really do little more than satisfy our curiosity and leave us with a profound sense of frustration with our lack real tangible results? Successful people do not have fewer BSOs to contend with – they have a strategy that allows them let the BSO fly past barely noticed and rarely chased while they select only those bits that will are truly worthy of their attention.

How can YOU stop yourself from following those BSO’s, like Alice in Wonderland, down yet another “rabbit hole” only to realize that you have been distracted and precious business-building time has passed that can never be recovered? The solution is not fortifying your will power. The minute you relax your will power – poof- down another rabbit hole you go. The solution is in your brain.

I’ve written before about the remarkable benefits of deliberately training your brain to draw your focus, your energy and your decision making powers to only those bits of information, ideas and opportunities that best serve you and your business.

Your RAS (Reticular Activating System) is the part of your brain responsible for filtering the millions bits of information that bombard you at any moment. It is the best tool you have for selectively focusing only on what will best serve you and your business. It is infinitely easier to train your brain to flag only those bits of information that are in your best interest than it is to use your willpower to ignore most of what flies past or to try to assess each and every bit of information as it arrives.

There are many ways to train your brain, your RAS, to do the work of filtering so you can stay focused on your priorities. By far the most effective method is setting magnetic goals and keeping them top of mind.

All those stodgy business consultants who tell you that you need to set goals so you know where you are going are missing the most benefit of goals – goals help you GET where you want to go by helping you every minute of every day to stay focused and choose only those bits of information and opportunities that will directly contribute to your success.

I’ll write more next time on how magnetic goals are your best tool for staying on focused and on track all day every day. Or, you can read about how “Magnetic Goals for Small Business Owners” will dramatically improve your ability to focus on what’s important and making it easy and natural to avoid distractions by clicking here. I assure you…it is not a BSO!

photo credit: Greg Veen