You just put the finishing touches on your kick-butt marketing plan that’s going to skyrocket your business. Hooray!

Only problem is that kick-butt marketing plan isn’t going to do a thing for your business unless you actually put it into action. And that, alas, is where most marketing plans end up — a really good idea that never got implemented.

So, how do you stop that from happening? Here are 3 steps to help you move from thinking to doing.

1. Figure out what you need to be doing versus what you can get someone else to do. Look, there’s no reason why YOU have to do all the implementation. Get some help! 

If you already have a team, fantastic! Now you just have to start delegating. If you don’t have a team or you don’t have the right person on your team to do a specific job (for instance, a technical person to fix your shopping cart) then you need to put finding that person to your to-do list. In the short term yes it does add to your workload, but in the long term it will save you a lot of time.

2. Block off time in your calendar to work on your plan. The only way these things are going to get done is if you actually take the time to work on them. So start by actually setting aside the time. 

You may be someone who works better in shorter, more frequent bursts of time (15 or 20 minutes every day) versus a longer time less frequently (2 hours or half a day once a week). Only you know what appeals to yourself more and I would suggest scheduling your time accordingly. (Look, it’s tough enough to get things done, you might as well make it easier for yourself by working with your natural tendencies than against them.)

3. Set yourself up for success. Just because you set the time aside doesn’t mean you’ll actually get anything done on your plan during that time. So you need to keep yourself focused and motivated and don’t allow yourself to get sidetracked. 

Now there’s no question that’s much easier said than done. So how do you do that? Here are a few tips to try:

• Remind yourself WHY you’re doing this. Is it so you’ll be able to take care of your family better? Is it because you want to sell a million copies of your book? Is it because you’re so tired of the way things are you’re ready for a change? Whatever it is, remind yourself of the bigger WHY before you sit down to work. That will keep your motivation up.
• Make it a special time just for you. Maybe light a candle, put on some favorite music or pour yourself a fave cup of tea. Or maybe you head out to a local Starbucks to hang out. Whatever it is, make it special — something you look forward to.
• Create a “squirrel” file. If you ever watched the movie “Up” there’s a talking dog in it that keeps getting distracted by squirrels. So he’ll be talking and in the middle he’ll shout “squirrel” and completely lose his train of thought.

As entrepreneurs, we are surrounded by squirrels. And there’s no better time for the squirrels to come and play then during this time we’ve set aside to implement our marketing plan. “Oh, I’ll get to my plan as soon as I get this email out…as soon as I return this phone call…as soon as I clean up my desk.”

You get the idea.

So the way to keep the squirrels away is to create a “squirrel” file (or call it something fun like squirrel nest). Any of those squirrels come running out, capture it and stick it in the file to work on “later.” If you want, you can even designate a time to work on all those squirrels.

But the most important thing to do is DECIDE you really ARE going to implement your plan. Once you do that, the rest will fall into place.

About the Author

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business.  To grab your FREE “Ka-Ching! Business Kit” with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd

Article Contributed By Maureen Aylward of Zintro

The Wall Street Journal reports that small businesses in the US are still struggling in the worsening economy. The study says that small businesses are tweaking business plans, shifting marketing strategies, and making changes to clientele, products, and services. Zintro experts tell us what they think the tweaks small businesses are making to stay afloat.

Wayne Spivak, an expert in accounting information systems, says that a lot of small businesses are hesitant to make what they deem to be a bold move, because they don’t know what is happening and that volatility is driving everybody crazy. One issue that Spivak sees regularly in his consulting business is the need for a CFO. “Small businesses need a CFO, but they can’t afford someone five days a week,” he says. In addition, he says that sales teams are making more visits to potential clients because these clients may take longer to sign on. “I am seeing longer sales cycles, but in the end, small businesses may see more business from this extra attention.”

MJS, an entrepreneur and president of a company, says that medical device companies have been affected by the slow economy in a number of ways. “Non-critical procedures have been put off. Hospitals delay and minimize purchases and hold on to older, existing equipment thereby reducing demand and shipments of new products. This delays development of new technologies and reduces R&D and product development,” he says. “The federal government has raised questions about the regulatory approval process and certification, which has added to uncertainty and risk. This in turn reduces investment which would lead to new jobs and expansion in general.”

MJS points out that federal regulatory requirements, in recent years, have become more stringent, forcing new products to be tested and approved outside the US. In addition, he says that reimbursement or payments by Medicare and other payers have been reduced as financial pressures are squeezing clinicians and their facilities, reducing revenues and purchases of products. “Companies have been reducing work force and delaying new projects as demand for new products has diminished,” he says. “Only companies and a select few investors who have money reserves, vision, and expectations of the economy turning around in the next couple of years are continuing new product development.”

Jerome Williams, a small business development expert, says that in Miami-Dade County, Florida, small businesses are taking classes on financial management and are learning about marketing through social media outlets. “While many social media sites provide marketing tips and tools and provide some level of marketing and online networking for free or at minimal cost, some small business owners have reported that the process of generating valuable leads through this process is time-consuming. Many of the older small business owners do not have the technical skills or knowledge to post blogs or utilize social media,” he says.

SeanJC, an IT strategist, says that the tweaks small companies are doing to stay afloat are by making better use of the Internet and all its forms. “Most small businesses already have e-commerce offerings on websites and are now utilizing other online avenues to increase costs and boost profits, including using cloud-based services, out-sourcing, and increasing social networking and communication activities. I am finding that more advertising budgets are now spent on social media services than ever before.”

Tony Rodriguez, an expert in consumer goods and media in the San Diego area, says that some CEOs mistake their goals or vision for strategy and fail to tackle the more vital chore of identifying the key challenge and developing specific strategies to over come it. “Successful strategy execution is based on root cause identification and insightful solutions with specific action plans,” he says.

Danish Khan, a strategy and organizational development expert, points out that the tactics a small business might adapt will vary depending on the background and experience of the owner, many of whom are self-made entrepreneurs. “Small businesses often do not have too many processes, protocols, and tiers between the owner and the customer; therefore, any tactical moves yield results right away. In fact, any change, good or bad, will happen through the eyes of the owner,” says Khan.

Khan identified several shifts that small businesses are making:

• If a business owner has sufficient liquidity, he or she is buying the property the business is on to avoid the rent expense and write it off on accounting books.
• Owners are cutting back on headcounts by replacing staff with technological applications and solutions even in supply chain management with respective suppliers.
• Small businesses are focusing extra attention on high yield clients that can yield 80 percent of the revenue.
• Small businesses are reducing overhead costs by purchasing smartly, and that means they are no longer spending money on storing inventory.
• Small business owners are diversifying their operations being in several locations that focus on multiple ethnic groups and demographics; therefore, they churn inventory between locations.
• Owners are focusing on building a relationship of complementary products and supplementary products to manage operations smartly.

Richard Owen, a management consultant, says that small businesses do not usually have the luxury of reducing their overhead in comparison to larger competitors. “The alternative is to add value. Small businesses can do this by hiring experienced professionals that have been laid off. This allows the company to provide a much higher level of care and value to existing and probably even new clientele,” he says. “The small organization that can tap this labor market with mutually agreeable terms will soon become a ‘go to’ employer for ever increasing talent. Combine this strategy with direct marketing about how these new hires are helping clients and how the company is working with the new professionals and a company can have an expanding business in a down economy.”

Gary Shelton, a small business development expert, says that business plans should be updated annually. This forces the small business owner to take a serious look at where they are and where they are headed. “Changes in the economy strongly encourage small business owners to seek change within their own companies,” says Shelton. “Current trends show that small businesses are re-inventing themselves to be more user friendly. Areas of interest that have gained strength are federal certifications.”

Shelton says that small business owners are looking for ways to expand into the federal marketplace. “This is an opportunity for success. It is a known fact that the federal government is required to do a percentage of work with small businesses annually. In most cases the government does not reach its goal. If a small business will take the time to register with the commercial contractor’s registration (www.ccr.gov) and research federal business opportunities (www.fbo.gov), it may be more than likely they will find a fit for the business.”

MJ Plebon, a marketing consultant, says that small businesses realize that their customers are changing habits and as a result, small business must tweak their marketing strategies. “Customers are no longer using the yellow pages or local newspapers. They are going online to search for local products and services and demanding this information on-the-go with smart phones,” he says.

Many small businesses have invested in a website; however, a smart business owner realizes that a website is not enough, and a company now needs to market its message online in different formats, such as in blogs, articles, videos, classified ads, Facebook fan pages, directory listings, and LinkedIn company pages, suggests Plebon. “Business owners are realizing that the Internet is different from the more traditional forms of marketing such as newspapers, Yellow Pages, radio, or TV. It needs a laser target for the message to reach a well defined customer profile that has a specific problem that the business owner can solve,” says Plebon. “Mass advertising doesn’t work with online marketing.“

About the Author
Zintro connects Clients (expert-seekers) with subject-matter Experts for consulting engagements (ranging from one half hour phone consults to multi-month on-site engagements).

To help you get on track for the fresh New Year and all it’s possibilities, I thought I’d share 3 simple steps to get you and your business started on the right foot.

1. Start by cleaning out the old year. Are you surrounded by stacks of papers or old files? Now is the time to clean those up and make room for all the new business and opportunities that are bound to come your way (unless there’s no room for them).

What about old products or programs? Is everything you’re offering in your business still a good fit? Or maybe there’s something you’ve outgrown or doesn’t work with your brand anymore?

And don’t forget to look at your mindset or your habits. What are you still not doing you know you should be? What habits or blocks are you finally ready to ditch for good?

Get it all out there. Write everything down you want to throw out with the old year. Then you may want to destroy it — burn the paper or shred it. Remember, this is all about clearing away what you don’t want or don’t need anymore.

2. Be grateful for what you HAVE accomplished. Now that you’ve gotten rid of the old and worn out, don’t forget to take a moment and write down everything you’ve accomplished last year. What are you grateful for? What are you most proud of? It’s time to celebrate your accomplishments — take the time to do this. (If you’re anything like me, this is the first thing to go. It’s difficult for me to celebrate anything, I’m constantly looking at all the things I WANTED to do and didn’t.)

3. Now, get set up for the New Year. Some of the things I do include getting my new calendar in place and writing down my goals in it. Then I put together a marketing and promotional plan for the year so I can reach those goals.

You also may want to take some time to lay out a plan for getting rid of those blocks. Is there a program you need to buy? A coach you need to hire? Or maybe there’s something you need to implement. (Ditto for the changing those habits — what do you need to do to ditch those old habits that no longer serve you for good?)

Now, when you set up a plan, make sure you do what many people do when training their dogs — set yourself up for success. Create the plan with your success in mind. Don’t make it so overwhelming or paint yourself in a corner so there’s no way for you to succeed. Push yourself but be realistic too. There’s no shame in taking small steps toward your goal — the only shame is making yourself feel bad because you didn’t give yourself a realistic plan to meet your goals.

And, whatever you do, don’t forget to celebrate! You deserve it.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business.  To grab your FREE “Ka-Ching! Business Kit” with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd

Article Contributed by Amanda Tradwick

Home-based daycare operations present an excellent business opportunity for parents who wish to stay at home with their own children or for any entrepreneur who loves working with kids. It offers the potential to create independent income or a growing small business and it can be started with low capital. If you think starting a home-based daycare might be the right work-from-home idea for you, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Licensing Requirements

Caring for children is a serious responsibility and there are many laws governing professional child care, even for home-based providers. Laws vary by state so be sure to fully research what licensing you will need to start your daycare. Often, this will include a background check and a home inspection. In addition, you will need to make sure that your home meets zoning requirements for operating a home business. Speak with your local Small Business Administration or city office if you need help determining the requirements.

Certification

Some states may require you to become certified as a caregiver or in certain safety procedures. But even if law does not require it, you should consider pursuing these certifications to make parents more comfortable trusting you with the safety and well-being of their children and to make yourself more marketable in a crowded market. Consider becoming certified in basics such as CPR, first-aid care and infant care, then continue to look for ongoing training opportunities.

Insurance

Again, some states will require that you have a certain type of insurance to operate a home-based daycare, but even if law does not require it, you should carefully consider it. You may be liable if children become sick or injured while under your care; and insurance can protect you in case of such incidents. Having the right insurance will also show potential clients that you are a professional who cares about the welfare of their children and will assure them that their children are safe in your care.

Start-Up Costs

Opening a home-based daycare requires few start-up costs. You can open with as little as a few hundred dollars or can spend thousands, depending on the kind of amenities you want to offer and what modifications are required for your home. Basic needs will include toys, child safety equipment such as gates and outlet covers and basic feeding and sleep equipment. More extensive costs can cover: creating a dedicated play space, technology for learning and entertainment
activities, remodeling costs to your home for creating dedicated spaces and much more.

Services

After you have prepared your home and taken care of all your licensing and certification requirements, you can begin to define the services you will offer. What age groups will you accept? Will you provide full-time or part-time care? What will be your hours of operation? These are broader operating questions that you need to answer first, then you should create a more specific day-to-day operating scenario, including what types of activities will be offered, when snacks will be served, and how nap schedules will be accommodated.

Advertising

The final step in getting your home-based daycare started is to advertise your services and find clients. Start with your own circles, including friends, play groups, church members, former co-workers, and so on. Create a Web site for your business, join social-networking sites and consider starting a blog (parents will love being able to check in on their children this way, as well). Buy advertising in your local newspaper or family oriented trade publications.
Starting a home-based daycare business is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents. The low start-up costs and minimal preparations (no need to hire staff, buy inventory, or create company manuals) make this home-based business more accessible to many, as well.

About the Author:
Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on student grants in alaska and student grants in colorado.

Putting up a money-making website can be as simple as 1, 2, 3 — just as long as you have these 3 crucial elements in place.

(And, if you don’t have a website, I’m going to share just how easy it can be to get one up TOMORROW. Yes, it really can be that simple — so no more excuses about “I need to get my website finished before I can do X,Y,Z.”)

Let’s get started.

1. Have a place for people to opt-in and download a special free gift from you. This can be as simple as a box located at the upper right-hand corner of the screen.

Why do you want to do this? Because having a list of prospects you can build a relationship with is crucial to your business success. People buy from people they know, like and trust. A website, no matter how extensive, is only going to take you so far. Relationships are built over time and through communication — which is why publishing a regular ezine can be such a great marketing tool.

Now, I want to point something else out — notice how I said “a special free gift” I did NOT say that opt-in box should say “subscribe to my ezine.” No one wants more email — what they DO want is solutions to their problems. If you give them trusted solutions to their problems, they WILL take the time to read your emails.

2. Post a photo of yourself. People want to do business with people. They want to build relationships with people. Why do you think major corporations pay big bucks for spokespeople? Sure part of it is benefiting from the spokesperson’s credibility, but part of it is also putting a face on an otherwise “nameless, faceless” corporation.

Folks, this is where YOU have the upper hand from the corporations. You really CAN reach out and build relationships personally with your ideal clients. So proudly post your photo — you’re a real person, let your ideal clients see you’re a real person.

Now, I’d prefer a professionally shot photo if at all possible. And I would also prefer for all you ladies to get your hair and makeup done (yes, it’s worth it). It really does make a difference to your professional image. However, if you’re going to use that as a reason to not get your site up, then put up the best photo that you have RIGHT NOW.

What if your goal is to build a big business where people would be working with your team or your employees? Should you still put up a photo? Well, that depends on where you’re at in your business development. If you’re just starting out, it is easier to build momentum and get the ball rolling if you put yourself out there. If you’re already established, you probably still do (because, remember, people do want to do business with people) but there will probably be other changes you’ll need to make to your site so it’s clear there’s a team involved and not just you.

Bonus tip — you could use a video instead of a photo. Video is a great way to increase your conversions (i.e. turning prospects into paying customers or encouraging your visitors to give you their email address) but again — if you’re going to use video has an excuse to not more forward, then just get a photo up.

3. Make it VERY clear what the next step should be if they want to move forward working with you. Now, I’m a big believer in getting the opt-in, so if you look on my home page you’ll see I do encourage people to move forward by getting my free gifts. But I also give them very clear instructions on what they should do if they want to move forward as a paying customer.

Now, how do you get started if you don’t have a website? Just put up one page that has your photo, a description of your free gift and a place for people to give you their name and email address. (This is also known as a squeeze page).

That’s it. Yes it really CAN be that simple to get started.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business.  To grab your FREE “Ka-Ching! Business Kit” with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd

Forget using it just as a business tool. It’s everywhere. You can’t get away from it. (And we’re not even talking about, ahem, inappropriate uses of it such as sending nasty pictures of yourself over Twitter when you really ought to know better)

Anyway, I digress. The point is social networking is so prolific and so everywhere that websites and blogs are starting to look like something your grandpa used to market himself. After all, now you have gurus proclaiming Facebook fan pages are the absolute MUST HAVE little black dress and you are seriously behind the times without one. (Here’s an example of a fan page if you want to check it out: http://www.facebook.com/michelepwkaching — feel free to “like” it once you’re there too. J )

So are websites and blogs even worth it? Should we just throw all our chips in the social networking pile and not spend any more time or money on websites or blogs? And what if you don’t have a website yet — should you even bother?

Okay. Let’s all take a deep breath here. Feel better? Good — now let’s look at the facts.

Social networking is still in its infancy. I know, I know. It feels like it’s a rebellious teenager. But honestly — this is still very, very new. It’s really only seriously caught on in the past few years. And let’s look at what happened during those few years:

* MySpace was THE place to be if you were an entrepreneur (Does anyone else even remember MySpace? Anyone?) Facebook was this weird, red-headed stepchild. In fact, when I first opened an account, when you sent out a friend request, you had to indicate how you knew the person and one of the options was (I kid you not) “hooked up.” Yeah. I think there was only one option, something like “know from a group or an association” that was safe for business purposes. Linked In was basically for “corporate only” or if you were looking for an actual job (I had an account and I really had no clue what to do with it.) Twitter was still being programmed in someone’s basement.

To put this into perspective — this was 4 years ago.

* Then came the huge “MySpace migration into Facebook” revolution. Everyone was on Facebook. MySpace was SO last year.

* Then Twitter exploded onto the scene. EVERYONE was on Twitter. And a bunch of other social networking platforms suddenly popped up out of nowhere — plurek, plaxo, etc. Suddenly there were HUNDREDS. Yee gads.

Fast forward to today. Twitter is declining in popularity as a tool to grow your business. (Although it remains tops on the list as the best tool to embarrass yourself.) Facebook is back on top. Linked In has rediscovered a new surge of popularity — thanks to never getting away from its roots (keeping it a more formal platform, which serves its core customers) but still adding new bells and whistles (like groups). Many of those other social networking platforms have fallen by the wayside.

And what will the future look like? Who knows? I certainly don’t. For all I know, Facebook fan pages could be as popular as yesterday’s newspaper — heck, Facebook could be as popular as yesterday’s newspaper. MySpace could be back on top and something called “Yowzer” could be the hottest thing.

Which is why those old-fashioned websites and blogs still have a place in your marketing.

You see, you control your websites and blogs. You’re not subject to whims of playing in “someone else’s sandbox.” You don’t have to worry if the rules change, if Twitter decides it doesn’t like your picture and shuts your profile down or whatever. You have your own online real estate that you can do what you want to with it.

So the question is — do you want to have control over your business, your message, your visibility? Do you want to have a hub for your online activities — your “online home” to invite your ideal clients to if they want to learn more about what you do?

Or not?

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a premiere direct response copywriting and marketing company that helps entrepreneurs attract more clients, sell more products and services and boost their business.  To grab your FREE “Ka-Ching! Business Kit” with a FREE CD visit http://www.MichelePW.com/freecd

Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if they simply tapped you on the shoulder and said “hey — this is an issue for you, maybe you should take care of it?”

Alas, they prefer to communicate with you by wreaking havoc in your business and your life.

And, when it comes to your business, one of their favorite ways of messing with you is through marketing.

So, how do you know if this is something you’re doing? Below are the 3 Danger Signs:

1. You know what you should be doing to market your business (for instance, getting an ezine out on a regular basis). But somehow it NEVER gets done. Or it gets done very sporadically — like once every 6 months. You say things like “I really need to get this done” and you never do.

Now this could mean one of two things — it could mean this is the wrong marketing strategy for you, your business, your ideal clients, etc. Or it could be a form a self-sabotage, where you find you just “never” have the time to get those things done that will grow your business.

How do you know the difference? Look for a pattern. Do you find yourself often starting a marketing tactic only to abandon it? Or is it just THIS particular one?

Obviously if it’s a pattern, then you’re definitely dealing with a mindset block. If it’s an isolated occurrence then there could be something else going on.

2. You’re always looking for the silver bullet. You constantly are trying, and abandoning, new marketing strategies. Maybe you are constantly buying the newest “blueprint” or “formula.” Or maybe you’re one of those who ask every marketing person in a ten-foot radius what you should be doing, and then you change your entire marketing strategy based on that person’s advice. (Of course, the moment it looks like it’s not working or you meet a bright shinny new marketing person, you switch strategies again.)

Look I know how tough it is out there. And it’s especially scary when even though you’re doing everything you can to market your business and you follow every single step, you still don’t see results (or at least not the results you’re looking for).

But the problem is if you keep switching marketing strategies you’re never going to gain any momentum. And momentum is a BIG part of getting results.

(Note — another way this Deadly Sign manifests itself is if you’re constantly switching your branding or what you stand for. If you find you need to keep reinventing yourself you definitely have a block somewhere.)

3. You give up on your marketing. This looks like not finishing a marketing campaign, not sending out enough emails to do a launch correctly, racing through a launch, or just throwing in the towel.

Look, part of growing a business means you have ups and downs. Some marketing campaigns are more successful than you anticipate and some are less. Some are utter failures. Some are out-of-the-park home runs.

That’s the way it is.

If you let a failure or two derail you, you’re never going to make it in business. And, if you allow your failures or perceived failures keep you from finishing a marketing campaign, that’s a problem. (Especially since you could be pleasantly surprised by sending out “one more email.”)

So what should you do if you find yourself plagued by any of these self-sabotage marketing mistakes?

Realize what the problem is. A block. And get help with it.

Now, this isn’t to say you don’t need help with your marketing. You may very well need to hire someone to help you put together and implement a strategy. But, unless you’re willing to be committed to that strategy, see it through and not be changing direction the moment something happens, it won’t help you grow your business.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency.  She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business.  To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com Copyright 2010 Michele Pariza Wacek.

However, I can only do so much.

I can tell you what the truth is. And you may even believe it. (In your head that is.)

But then, come the darkest part of the night, you’ll wake up in a sweat. And you’ll be thinking: “What if Michele is wrong? What if the reason why I’m having so much trouble succeeding on the Internet really IS all about me?”

During the day it’s easy to be rational. We understand in our heads that some marketing strategies will succeed, some will fail, and the best way to grow a successful business is to analyze why the failures failed and use that information to create more successes.

But in the dead of night, all of those good, objective intentions can fly away, leaving us alone with our doubts, fears, frustrations and anxiety.

So what IS it about these Big Fat Internet Marketing Lies that can wreak such havoc in our mental and emotional health?

This is what I believe — marketing pushes entrepreneurs’ hot buttons more than anything else out there.

Think about it. What other activity do you do for your business that is knotted up with all these MAJOR fears and blocks you’re dragging around right now? Marketing DIRECTLY relates to:

• Fear of success
• Fear of failure
• Fear of visibility (including being seen, becoming famous, etc.)
• Any blocks you have around making money
• Any issues you have around the value you offer to your clients or the world
• And more

The problem is, if you want to make enough money in your business to actually live on (much less get rich with your business) you’re going to have to make marketing a priority. But if you have any of these blocks or fears rattling around in your head, more likely than not you’re going to self-sabotage your marketing strategies.

(Or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat with these Big Fat Internet Marketing Lies swirling around in your head.)

Worse, these blocks can also suddenly appear when you start reaching for another level in your business. (It’s like that darn onion — peel away one layer and another one appears.)

So what do you do? Well, first off, knowing there’s a connection between marketing and blocks/fears is a good first step. Now, if you see any sort of sabotage (or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat) this is what’s happening.

And the second thing to do is get help.

Because even though I can tell you the truth, I can’t make you believe it. Only you can do that.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency.  She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business.  To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com Copyright 2009 Michele Pariza Wacek.

But the truth is, it IS possible, even if it isn’t magic. It’s all about good, solid marketing principles. And if you follow the below 3 keys, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing that for yourself in your business.

1. Create a powerful message that appeals to your ideal clients. This could also be thought of as your Unique Selling Proposition (or USP).

So what exactly is that? Basically it’s the solution you provide presented from your ideal client’s viewpoint. So, for example, let’s say you’re a business coach. Well, those are a dime a dozen. Instead, what if you specialize in helping women entrepreneurs get over their blocks to making more money in their business. See how more powerful that is? And how it can magnetically attract your ideal clients to you?

Or let’s say you’re a fitness and nutrition expert. Yawn. But what if you specialize in helping women with hormonal issues lose weight. Ah, much more powerful.

In addition to attracting your ideal clients to you, you’ll also notice these also position yourself as an expert. After all, if you have such a specialty, then you must be an expert. And of course, people would much rather do business with experts.

2. Be consistent with your message. Once you know what your message is (and you’ve tested it so you know it attracts your ideal clients) now you need to get it out into the world. Resist the urge to be creative about it.

I know, I know. You get tired of saying it. You’re sure other people must be tired of hearing it. But if you’re not consistent, if you tweak a little here, a little there, maybe edit it here, you’re not getting the full power of it out there.

Look, even you’re most loyal clients aren’t going to get sick of hearing your message. Why? Because they really don’t “hear” it as much as you think they do. People are busy with their own lives and they really aren’t paying as much attention to you as you think they are. So if you don’t repeat it and repeat it consistently, then you run the risk of people not remembering what you stand for, or maybe being confused about it, and if they don’t remember or are confused, they’re not going to invest with you or recommend you or anything else.

3. Be frequent with your message. You’re going to feel like a broken record, but the best marketers are the ones who have a simple, powerful message, are consistent with that message and repeat it over and over again.

And don’t just repeat it in the same places, find different ones. Get your message out there in as many ways as you possibly can. (Just as long as those places are where your ideal clients hang out.) Online. Offline. Networking events. Speeches. Podcasts. Etc.

In fact, here’s the place where you can be creative. Find new and different ways of getting your message out there, and do it as frequently as possible. Because the more often your ideal clients stumble across your message, the more likely it is when they’re ready to make a change, they’ll reach out to see how you can help them.

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) is your Ka-Ching! Marketing strategist and owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting and marketing agency.  She helps entrepreneurs become more successful at attracting more clients, selling more products and services and boosting their business.  To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.MichelePW.com Copyright 2009 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Article Contributed by John Brook

Brainstorming is a very effective tool to use within business settings; however, it is important that all managers and team leaders take not that there are wrong ways to go about brainstorming. Brainstorming in inappropriate manners only wastes time, and we all know wasting time means lower worker productivity and a loss of money. Let’s take a look at several different tips that can be utilized to make your office a little more successful when it comes to solving problems by brainstorming.

1. Set Up Different Sessions

Brainstorming itself is broken up into several different portions. There is no sense in trying to cram all the parts of a brainstorming adventure into one session. In fact, different parts of brainstorming include critical thinking and other parts include creative thinking, and each of these parts take utilizing different sides of persons’ brains. So, do not let your group overwork and overwhelm itself by trying to use both sides of their brains at one time. Set up several different sessions for brainstorming.

2. Never Criticize

As creative thinking is taking place in a brainstorming session there should be no person there to criticize, no matter how silly or absurd an idea may sound it should be left out on the table at least for the first brainstorming session. There are a large number of ideas that often seem silly in the beginning; however, these ideas are often so creatively thought of that they can be utilized in several different manners to address several different types of problems.

Having a critic at a brainstorming session also dampens the atmosphere, creative ideas tend to not flow as easily. In fact, many people taking part in the brainstorming session will keep all their ideas to their self in fear they will only be criticized if they speak up. Not only should negative criticism be left at home for the first brainstorming session but praise for ideas should be left at home too. While this may seem silly it does prove to be helpful because people will generally throw more ideas out on the table knowing they will not receive praise or criticism.

3. Move On To Better Ideas

Just like said before there are many creative ideas that often lead to a formation of more and more ideas being developed; however, when an idea or even a heap of ideas run dry it is time to move on. Do not waste time trying to revive an idea just because it sounds good.

4. Try To Come Up With As Many Ideas As Possible

Always, always, always seek more and more ideas. The more ideas that are thrown out on the table the more a group will have to work with. As long as tip two stated above can be thoroughly and effectively followed then the ability to gain as many ideas as possible from group members should be no problem.

5. Establish Time Limits

One of the most important elements to implement into brainstorming sessions is time limits. The best ideas and most quantitative amount of ideas will come out within the first four to six minutes of a brainstorming session. Keeping this is mind it is always best for the brainstorming sessions to be kept at a minimal time limit, generally no longer than ten to fifteen minutes to start, brainstorm and finish.

6. Define All The Factors

When brainstorming for ideas on how to solve an issue it is best to first brainstorm on what the exact issue is that needs to be resolved. So, do not always start out a brainstorming session looking for solutions. Be creative and bring ideas to the table that are most likely causing the issue to be occurring. After ideas for both issues and solutions have been developed it is best to narrow down the ideas by making a list; however, everyone in the group should agree on ideas that should be kept or thrown out. If all group members cannot agree for an idea to be thrown out then it should be kept because at least one member sees some potential in it. That group member should go home and develop the idea to a further level and present their developments to the group at a later date. If the group does not like the further developed idea it can then be thrown out.

About the Author

Deeply involved with OfficeKitten.co.uk, John Brook finds himself helping out by writing reviews of cheap office furniture on the internet.