So far I’ve discussed restlessness, lack of focus and impatience - all slightly uncomfortable symptoms that with proper care and treatment can actually help you improve your business and life satisfaction.  

However, today’s symptom - comparisonitis is much more troubling.

When plagued with this symptom which involves comparing your business, your life and your self unfavorably with others  - many Women Entrepreneurs find themselves disheartened and discouraged.  

Suddenly it seems that everyone else is having more success, making more money, creating better balance and influencing more people.

With this perspective, it is hard not to slide into feeling dissatisfied, disappointed and discouraged.

When this starts to happen, it’s important to remember that dissatisfaction with the status quo is a key motivator to creating change.

All of those great plans you’ve made won’t get done, if you don’t feel enough dissatisfaction with the way things are today.

Change is hard, even when it is for the better.

In order to have the energy and discipline to follow through on your plans and create the business and the life that you imagine, you have to first be dissatisfied with the life you already have.

So, instead of allowing your comparisons with others to discourage you - use them to encourage you.

Consider the idea that “if they can do it - so can you!”

 You wouldn’t have come as far as you have if you weren’t intelligent, creative and resourceful.

You might not have all the skills you need - but you can either learn what you need to know or find someone else to compensate for what you lack.

Those people with whom you are comparing yourself,  have their own shortcomings that they are dealing with - perhaps even some of the same challenges that you are facing. They found ways to get around their challenges - and so can you.

So now, when you see a successful person who seems to be living the life of your dreams - don’t kick yourself for not having achieved all of their success - instead open your eyes to see what you can learn from them, apply the lessons to your own situation and achieve your own dreams.

What people or situations do you compare yourself with?

How do you avoid feeling discouraged by the accomplishments of others?

What encourages you?

photo credit: MegElizabeth

If you’ve already felt yourself coming down with the first two symptoms of Spring Fever: Restlessness and Lack of Focus, it’s likely that the third symptom: Impatience is not far behind.

Ironically, the treatments I advised for Lack of Focus - “give in to your daydreaming”, might even make this symptom worse!

The more you imagine the way your business and your life could be - the more impatient you can become for it to happen. 

You want what you want - and you want it Now!!

This can be frustrating and irritating.  But it is actually a good sign.

Like a fever spiking and finally breaking when you have the flu - impatience is a sign that you are done dreaming - and are ready for action!!

Without impatience - you might spend forever living in your beautiful technicolor fantasies of the life you will have Someday.

But with impatience - you find the energy and the motivation to make that Someday come Sooner.

So - how do you channel the nervous energy that comes with impatience?

A byproduct of all that daydreaming you’ve been doing is that you’ve been building up your creative muscle. Now’s the time to flex that strength by channeling your creativity into constructive action.

1. Imagine that you have achieved the life you dream of - successful business, balanced homelife, whatever it means to you.  Now imagine you are being interviewed by a talk show host (Oprah? Larry King?)  and they ask you - “How exactly did you achieve this success?”  Imagine your answer and listen to what you have to say.
2. Now imagine that they ask you, “What advice do you have for other women entrepreneurs who want to achieve the same success you have?”  Again, imagine your answer and listen to what you have to say.
3. And then, they ask you “What’s next for you? Where do you go from here?” This is an interesting question - because you’ve already achieved your success - but you might be surprised to find out what comes out of your imaginary mouth - even more success than you’ve already imagined!! 

I could have just said take your dreams, turn them into goals and come up with an action plan.  But that’s a routine task for New Year’s Day. 

This is Spring when imagination, creativity and zeal rule the day.  We need to keep those creative juices flowing to keep the enthusiasm high.

And once you’ve done this exercise (and the imaginary audience has given you an imaginary round of applause!!) you will be left with:

• an action plan of how to achieve your goal
• cautionary advice of what to avoid or what to remember to do
• an even bigger and more exciting future goal to keep you motivated for achieving the next level of success

You’ll be ready to channel your creativity and energy into action.  So, welcome that Springtime impatience and use it to hurry your success along its way!! 

The first symptom was Restlessness and the second one was……hmmm?…..sorry, my mind wandered…. where was I?…oh yeah - Lack of Focus.

Spring Fever brings a disturbing inability to focus on the tasks in front of you.  You start working and then all of a sudden your mind starts to wander.

You think about what you were doing last night, what you will be doing tonight…. You remember the knitting project you started a year ago and try to remember where you put it….. You consider taking up the piano…… You wonder what your living room would look like if you painted the walls sky blue….. or what it would be like to move to an island with a stack of books and eat nothing but bananas and coconuts……

….and then you realize that 15 minutes have passed and you’ve gotten nothing done.

Before you know it your work day is gone and you really aren’t sure what you’ve accomplished.

So, what is a woman entrepreneur to do when plagued with an inability to focus?

Similar to my advice from yesterday - I say to give in to this symptom!!

Spring is a creative, optimistic time. It’s a time when the juices are flowing - the sap is running in the trees and the blood is stirring in your veins. While January may be the time when we set goals - Spring is the time when we dream dreams!!

So when you seem to be having trouble focusing on the task at hand - stop trying to force yourself - you’ll be miserable and the results will be disappointing.

Instead, realize that your creative self is trying to speak to you.    Instead of trying to silence those impulses - turn your focus fully on your daydreams and ask yourself - What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? What am I building with my business? How big and grand and glorious and amazing can it become?

Springtime daydreaming is different than the lazy dreams of summer. It can get you excited and restless - anxious to take on the world.  Channel that energy by keeping your body busy while your mind roams free.  You’ll be able to tap into your creativity for a longer period of time, and will be amazed at what you think of!!

• take a walk outside - the rythmic movement will free your mind to wander and the exercise will increase your energy
• engage in a repetitive task - knitting, crocheting, cooking, even housework - anything that keeps your hands busy while your mind runs free will help you sustain the moment

If you prefer quiet contemplation, try these approaches to tap into your creativity:

• Free-write in a journal. Now isn’t the time to worry about punctuation and grammar. Just let your thoughts flow.
• Create a collage.  Cut out pictures and words from magazines, old photos, postcards, advertisements, or fabric. Add illustrations, stencils, and paint. Create a visual representation of what you and your business are becoming.
• Listen to music. Follow your impulses - something loud and fast with a strong beat, something playful and jazzy, something soothing or haunting.  Let the music overtake you. What do you see, feel, imagine?
• Take a bath.  Add your favorite oil or bubbles. Light a few candles.  Close your eyes and see your life as it could be.

Don’t worry if none of this feels productive.  

If you actually give yourself some time to set aside your “to do” list and focus instead on your desires - you’ll be amazed at the things you think and the places your mind with take you. 

In fact, you may even find it’s the most productive time you spend all year long!!   

photo credit: Lin Pernille Photography

It’s official. Spring is here.

And what’s the most common ailment among entrepreneurs?

Spring Fever!!

Spring Fever doesn’t cause sniffles and sneezes, but without awareness and treatment, it can still cause you to fall behind in your business.

Symptoms include:

• Restlessness
• Lack of Focus
• Impatience
• Comparison-itis
• Boredom

Over the next few days I’ll discuss theses symptoms in more detail as well as a few suggestions for treatment.

The first most common symptom is restlessness.

You’ve been cooped up in the house, office or store all winter and suddenly you find yourself longing to be outside.  The weather is warming up, flowers are starting to bloom and you have trouble sitting at your  desk and doing your work. 

Treatment:

Give in!!

If it’s a nice day - give in to your feelings and take your work outside!

• If you have a laptop - go to a sidewalk cafe or coffee shop. 
• If you usually meet clients in your home or office, get out and meet them in a park or restaurant.
• If you can’t get out of your office or studio:
  • open your windows as much as possible
  • take a walk before or after work
  • run errands during the warmest, sunniest part of the day
  • bring the outdoors in by filling your office with flowers

Not only is this the most common symptom of Spring Fever - it is also the least serious and easiest to treat. 

In my next few posts I’ll discuss some of the more dangerous symptoms, but if restlessness is your main concern - smell two flowers - and email me in the morning.

photo credit: my3sons_nh

Rather than seeing their narrow niche - hair products for people with curly hair - as a limitation - the owners have chosen to view the specificity of their niche as a strength.

For example, enter the keywords “hair care” into google and NaturallyCurly.com isn’t anywhere in the first 100 entries.  (And who knows how much further down the list they are? I wouldn’t bother to look and neither would any potential customers)

But enter the keywords “curly hair care products” or  even “curly hair care” and they are Number One on Google for both!

By definining their niche narrowly and focusing exclusively on a target market, NaturallyCurly.com has been able to stand out in a crowd.  They would be (and still are) lost in a sea of generic hair care - but they’re beginning to get status in the area of curly hair.

How are they doing it?

1. Exhibiting their expertise.

Michelle and Gretchen can’t be experts on everything about hair care - but they can become experts over a smaller topic - the care of curly hair.

• They both have the advantage of actually having curly hair and from there they’ve accumulated a wealth of information on the frustrations, challenges, opportunities and nuances of having curly hair. 
• They know which products work and which don’t.
• They know which external factors affect curly hair and what can be done about it.
• They know which salons cater to curly hair and which haven’t got a clue. 

In other words, by keeping their area of focus relatively narrow, they can dig deep and become true experts.

2. Building Community.

Michelle and Gretchen could have created a generic site that simply lists hair care products for sale. But they realized that their target market was largely women (women make most of this type of purchase even for men and children).

They knew that women don’t necessarily shop for efficiency. Women like to browse. They like to comparison shop. They like to discuss their potential purchases. They like to share their success tips and vent their frustrations.

So, Michelle and Gretchen created a community forum for women to discuss their hair. They solicited salon reviews from readers who had good (or not so good) experiences with local salons. They write articles about the trials and tribulations of having curly hair - dating, self-esteem, images in the media, etc. 

They give their customers a reason to visit their site, even when they don’t have anything they need to buy. 

This keeps them top of mind with their customers. It ensures repeat sales and enables them to take advantage of advertising revenue.  Other retailers want to advertise to the community they have built.

3. Developing Customer Loyalty.

Michelle and Gretchen stand by their products. They have a reasonable return policy which they explain upfront.  They have a customer service support line. They have feedback forums. 

They realize that their main profit will come in repeat sales and word of mouth referrals. Therefore they focus on developing and maintaining a long-term relationship with their customers for repeat business - not on a single, quick sale.

What about you and your business? How can you incorporate some of these ideas into your marketing strategy?

photo credit: mbtrama

In yesterday’s post I discussed NaturallyCurly.com a business that is devoted solely to people with curly hair.  When first developing the business, Michelle was advised to broaden the target market by carrying products for people with all types of hair.  Instead she listened to her Inner Samurai and continued to focus on a narrow group of customers.  It was a risk that paid off - she and her partner, Gretchen,  now have a million dollar company.

That bold decision to stick to a well-defined target market is one of the key success factors for Naturally Curly.     

How do you know whether you have a well-defined target market for your business?

Let’s look at NaturallyCurly as an example.  Before reading further - state out loud who you think their target market is.  Then look below - how close did you come?

Levels of Definition of a Target Market.

Level 1: People with hair.

Level 2: People with curly hair.

Level 3: People who struggle with their curly hair.

Level 4: People who struggle with their curly hair and want to look better.

Level 5: People who struggle with their curly hair and want to look better and have money to spend on caring for their hair.

Level 6: People who struggle with their curly hair and want to look better and have money to spend on caring for their hair and have a history of spending on their hair.

Level 7: People who struggle with their curly hair and want to look better and have money to spend on caring for their hair and have a history of spending on their hair and are users of the internet.

How did you do? 

Are you wondering what’s so important about the 7th level of definition?  

1) It includes a pain point. People buy from pain.   Simply having curly hair wouldn’t be enough to motivate potential customers to buy their products - they have to be somewhat unhappy with their hair - struggling to make it look better.

2) It is lucrative. Potential customers must have money and must be willing to spend it on your product or services.  Unless you are running a non-profit, it is important that customers have money to spend and it is helpful if they already have a history of spending money in similar areas.

3) It includes a way of reaching potential customers.  If NaturallyCurly was a brick and mortar business, their niche might be “people who live within 15 miles of a store located in Houston, Texas”. But since theirs is an online business, then their customers must have access to the internet.

Now try it with your business. 

Write down a definition of your target market.

• does your market have some problem you can help them solve?
• can your market afford your product or service?
• does your market have a history of spending on similar products or services?
• is your market somewhere you can reach them?

Dig deep. The answers may not be immediately obvious. 

But if the answer to any of the above questions is no, you may want to consider modifying your target market to include more of these traits.

photo credit: angela sevin

My grandmother had an unusual and beautiful first name - Verena.  But for most of her life she was known by her nickname “Curly”.    I’m sure she never imagined a business that was devoted to helping people with curly hair look their best - but she definitely would have loved the idea!

In fact, according to the people at NaturallyCurly.com, my grandmother was not alone in defining herself by her hair - many people with curly hair do.  Which is what led the co-founders, both of whom have curly hair, to create a business devoted to serving the needs of this small niche. 

And as Chris Anderson predicts in The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More , technology really can help your business capture more of a smaller market.

What follows is a story that was sent to me of how two moms turned their curly-haired woes into a million dollar business and the lessons that you can learn from their experience.

When moms Michelle Breyer and Gretchen Heber started NaturallyCurly.com in 1998, they had no idea that their concept of an online community for curlies would grow from a mere $500 investment into a million dollar enterprise.

NaturallyCurly.com informs, empowers and unites a community of people brought together by a common interest – curly hair – which often defines them in their everyday lives.  Using a straightforward, informative approach, NaturallyCurly attracts educated, affluent and influential consumers, who have experienced both triumphs and challenges in their love/hate relationship with their locks.

Michelle – mom to Emma (age 7) and Gretchen – mom to Reece (age 7), and Caden and Mason (ages 6) started NaturallyCurly.com while working at the Austin-American Statesman.  The two would spend days in the newsroom complaining about their curly hair and wondered why there was no online resource where women (and men) could go to address their curly hair needs.

From there, NaturallyCurly.com was born.

It didn’t take long for advertisers (including Proctor & Gamble) to recognize the potential of the site and they approached Michelle and Gretchen and became one of their first advertisers.

Now NaturallyCurly generates most of its revenue from advertisers and CurlMart, its online boutique that sells a variety of haircare items and accessories ideal for curlies.  It relies on marketing and public relations initiatives to attract visitors to the site.

Think you have what it takes to start your own business?  

Michelle and Gretchen offer the following tips for fellow mom-preneurs:

• Don’t quit your day job. NaturallyCurly originally started with an initial investment of $500. Michelle borrowed money from her father to help with public relations and website redesign. They kept their expenses low by working out of their homes. Both Michelle and Gretchen kept their day jobs for 7 years before quitting to do NaturallyCurly full time.

• Don’t listen to the naysayers. One person told Michelle they were limited themselves by just focusing non curly hair and should include all hair types. However, both women were very passionate about their idea and what the site should be and stuck to their guns.

• Employ other moms. NaturallyCurly presently employs 6 moms and more as contractors. They are very flexible with their mom employees because they know what it’s like to juggle kids with work.

• Make sure you have a support network. Find trusted friends and family members who can help out with the children. Make sure that you carve out time for your children and try to work as much as when they’re asleep. Whenever possible, try to involve your children with your business. Michelle and Gretchen’s children have all helped put stickers on bottles, rearrange shelves, etc. and they’ve gotten paid for their work!

• Don’t panic. After both women quit their day jobs at the newspaper, one of their largest advertisers told them they wouldn’t be renewing their contract. It was terrifying yet soon after they had a meeting with the founder of Paul Mitchell and decided to advertise on the site right on the spot!

• Don’t sweat the small stuff. Michelle and Gretchen both agree it’s often utterly overwhelming to juggle running a business with raising children. There aren’t enough hours in the day and you feel guilty devoting 40 hours a week to work. Take a day off to spend time with your kids or an extended vacation – after all, you are the boss!

And above all: do it on your own terms!

What do you think of Michelle and Gretchen’s advice? Would your business do better if it focused on a smaller, exclusive niche?

Four ebooks are currently available on the topics of:

• Marketing
• Productivity
• Entrepreneurship
• Innovation and Management

There’s also a fifth ebook that contains the top article in each book.

Sound good? It is…… But wait!! There’s more!

HP also has links to all the articles submitted into their Top Businss Blog contest. So you can read all the posts on these subjects, not just the ones that made it into the books!

Sound good? It is….. But wait!! There’s more!

HP is also giving away the templates they used in creating these ebooks - so you can create ebooks yourself!

Packaging content and giving it away to prospective customers is a proven way to let your customers get to know who you really are, both generating and converting more leads.

So be sure to let me know about any ebooks you create to promote your products - I’ll be glad to promote them here!

And if all this talk about writing has inspired you to learn more, be sure to check out Susan Gunelius’ upcoming course on Copywriting, based on her soon-to-be-released book, Copywriting in Ten Easy Steps.

Whew!   Only a few links today but they’re jam-packed with a dizzying amount of high-quality information - enjoy the ride!!

• Where did I leave my keys? 
• Do I have clothes at the dry cleaners?
• What is there to eat for dinner?
• What meetings or social engagements do I have?

So, before I leave, while I am still caught up in all the day to day challenges of my life, I take a few moments to prepare an easier re-entry for my future self. It doesn’t take that much more preparation time and it definitely saves time, energy and missed appointments when I return.

1) I straighten up before I leave.  Nothing depresses me more than coming home to a mess. The normal stuff you live with when rushing out the door - unmade beds, dishes in the sink, clutter on the coffee table can be defeating when you come home to it after a long flight.  It’s better to take a few moments before you leave to pick up the mess than to face it when you return.

2) I collect my car keys, IDs, credit cards, cash or any other important items I’m going to need in a prominent place. I travel with as little as possible - one or two credit cards, a drivers license and passport if necessary, and only the keys I need to get back into the house.  The less I take, the less I have to keep track of.

3) I make a list of any urgent deadlines or items that need to be taken care of as soon as I return. It could be phone calls, emails, bills, drycleaning slips, meetings or other deadlines.  Whatever it is I put all the info I need in one spot so I’ll have it handy when I get back.

4) I inspect the refrigerator, the bathroom and the laundry room. I know when I get back the last thing I will feel like doing is going out to the store.  So I make sure I have all the essentials - coffee, non-perishable food, toiletries and laundry supplies so that I can recover from the trip and get ready to face the world again - without having to run any errands.

5) I leave myself a treat - nothing big - a magazine or book, a candy bar, a face mask, a movie, etc. Just someting that I can look forward to enjoying when I finally get home.

And there you have my recipe for a successful homecoming - the peace of a clean, well-stocked house, the serenity of an organized to-do list, and the thrill of a small self-indulgence. 

Almost makes it worth the trip!!

What about you - do you prepare for a successful return before you leave? Or do you come home to chaos?

Well, I’ll tell you why - you’re less likely to leave something behind.

Take a look at your room -

See the jumble of bedcovers?  Underneath is the novel you were reading before falling asleep last night.

See the towels on the counter in the bathroom? Underneath is your favorite tube of lipstick.

See the newspapers scattered on the coffee table? Underneath is the powercord to your cell phone.

So, before you check out, do yourself (and the maid) a favor.  Straighten the bed, pick up the towels, throw out the newspaper, and pick up any other clutter you see.

You’ll be amazed at what you almost left behind.

I’m actually pretty good at this one considering I’m in a hotel two or three weeks a month - but last December I left a bottle of prescription anti-inflammatory medicine at a hotel in New York. What about you? Have you ever left something in a hotel room??

photo credit: markresch