http://odeo.com/channels/2122298-FemalePreneurs-com-Success-Secrets-by-Jan-Marie-Dore no The Professional Womens Success Coach shares secrets to having more clients, income and freedom in your business....and living a great life The Professional Womens Success Coach shares secrets to having more clients, income and freedom in your business....and living a great life FemalePreneurs Success Tips Podcast en 40 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:02:31 -0700 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:02:31 -0700 ©Jan Marie Dore Business, Small, marketing, Women, coaching, strategies, entrepreneurs, clients, attract Marketing Business Small Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/25353867-Three-Powerful-Reasons-to-Create-a-Unique-Personal-Brand Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Personal Branding is vital to your success in the new Creative Economy. Personal branding will bring you more recognition and respect . . . and more income. When lots of people know who you are and what message you stand for, you are in a much better position to be more fulfilled and more profitable in your small business. Here are three powerful things a unique, strong personal brand will do for you: 1. Define the impression you want others to remember about you. Through the process of developing a professional brand identity, you will gain clarity on what can you do better than anyone else or what you have to offer that no one else can. You can stand out and create a niche for yourself by thinking differently, challenging conventional wisdom, and having a unique perspective or point of view. Your fresh perspective or distinctive point of view about a challenge that your target market is experiencing will set you apar... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Personal Branding is vital to your success in the new Creative Economy. Personal branding will bring you more recognition and respect . . . and more income. When lots of people know who you are and what message you stand for, you are in a much better position to be more fulfilled and more profitable in your small business. Here are three powerful things a unique, strong personal brand will do for you: 1. Define the impression you want others to remember about you. Through the process of developing a professional brand identity, you will gain clarity on what can you do better than anyone else or what you have to offer that no one else can. You can stand out and create a niche for yourself by thinking differently, challenging conventional wisdom, and having a unique perspective or point of view. Your fresh perspective or distinctive point of view about a challenge that your target market is experiencing will set you apart. Your brand will set you apart and let others know what’s unique about you and the services you offer. Your brand exists solely in the mind of the buyer. Success in branding has to do with the perceptions you create in the marketplace, and the value your market places on those perceptions. 2. Easily differentiate yourself from your competitors. Your expertise is no longer enough to differentiate you from others in your field. Your brand can differentiate your professional service business well enough to position your as a brand contender or dominator, rather than as a commodity. One of the greatest benefits to you of having a strong brand is that it creates a sense of individuality and “separateness” in the marketplace so that your clients are able to easily differentiate your company from your competitors. Through the branding process, you will become very clear on what you have to offer to the world and to your marketplace, and what makes you different from everyone else. Letting others know this through your central marketing message that captures the soul of your business will make you stand out and be recognized and remembered. Differentiate your unique strengths and skills to stand head and shoulders above your competition, get more easily noticed, and get hired. 3. Develop a memorable professional identity that others will easily remember you by. Branding is the ability to create a relationship of meaningful value between your company and your clients. It is having a reputation for delivering a product, program or service that delivers extreme value to the target market. Your brand is a relationship that develops from emotional connections that are maintained and nurtured. It is the image your customer connects with your company. In an overcrowded marketplace, if you’re not standing out, then you’re invisible. Branding identifies and differentiates you, your business and your products and services so you stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Don’t be afraid to be controversial or innovative. Dare to be different. Develop a unique, strong personal brand that commands attention and gets you hired! © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, personal brand, personal branding Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Personal Branding is vital to your success in the new Creative Economy. Personal branding will bring you more recognition and respect . . . and more income. When lots of people know who you are and what message you stand for, you are in a much better position to be more fulfilled and more profitable in your small business. Here are three powerful things a unique, strong personal brand will do for you: 1. Define the impression you want others to remember about you. Through the process of developing a professional brand identity, you will gain clarity on what can you do better than anyone else or what you have to offer that no one else can. You can stand out and create a niche for yourself by thinking differently, challenging conventional wisdom, and having a unique perspective or point of view. Your fresh perspective or distinctive point of view about a challenge that your target market is experiencing will set you apart. Your brand will set you apart and let others know what’s unique about you and the services you offer. Your brand exists solely in the mind of the buyer. Success in branding has to do with the perceptions you create in the marketplace, and the value your market places on those perceptions. 2. Easily differentiate yourself from your competitors. Your expertise is no longer enough to differentiate you from others in your field. Your brand can differentiate your professional service business well enough to position your as a brand contender or dominator, rather than as a commodity. One of the greatest benefits to you of having a strong brand is that it creates a sense of individuality and “separateness” in the marketplace so that your clients are able to easily differentiate your company from your competitors. Through the branding process, you will become very clear on what you have to offer to the world and to your marketplace, and what makes you different from everyone else. Letting others know this through your central marketing message that captures the soul of your business will make you stand out and be recognized and remembered. Differentiate your unique strengths and skills to stand head and shoulders above your competition, get more easily noticed, and get hired. 3. Develop a memorable professional identity that others will easily remember you by. Branding is the ability to create a relationship of meaningful value between your company and your clients. It is having a reputation for delivering a product, program or service that delivers extreme value to the target market. Your brand is a relationship that develops from emotional connections that are maintained and nurtured. It is the image your customer connects with your company. In an overcrowded marketplace, if you’re not standing out, then you’re invisible. Branding identifies and differentiates you, your business and your products and services so you stand out from the crowd and get noticed. Don’t be afraid to be controversial or innovative. Dare to be different. Develop a unique, strong personal brand that commands attention and gets you hired! © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, personal brand, personal branding tag:odeo.com,2009-10-22,25353867 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:02:31 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore personal brand, Personal Branding, Small Business Marketing, Creativity in Business, * Articles for Solo Professional Women, Law of of Attraction Marketing Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/25296706-Shifting-From-Ideas-Into-Action-Tips-to-Nurture-Your-Creative-Ideas “Shifting From Ideas Into Action: Seven Tips to Nurture Your Creative Ideas Into Reality” Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Can you relate to this? Do you ever get thinking about new ideas for your business, then get so caught up in talking about those new ideas and researching them that you get totally overwhelmed and never take action? Analysis paralysis! I have often suffered from this. Started my day feeling energetic and creative and full of vitality, and got so mired in detail that all of the joy and enthusiasm leaves me. Then, nothing happens. The article doesn’t get written, the phone calls don’t get made, the new workshop content doesn’t get written. The list goes on. I lose the energy and focus I need to keep going and do the things that my business needs for me to thrive. I feel like giving up and going to watch Oprah! Have you ever experienced that feeling? What has gone wrong? There are seven things you need t... “Shifting From Ideas Into Action: Seven Tips to Nurture Your Creative Ideas Into Reality” Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Can you relate to this? Do you ever get thinking about new ideas for your business, then get so caught up in talking about those new ideas and researching them that you get totally overwhelmed and never take action? Analysis paralysis! I have often suffered from this. Started my day feeling energetic and creative and full of vitality, and got so mired in detail that all of the joy and enthusiasm leaves me. Then, nothing happens. The article doesn’t get written, the phone calls don’t get made, the new workshop content doesn’t get written. The list goes on. I lose the energy and focus I need to keep going and do the things that my business needs for me to thrive. I feel like giving up and going to watch Oprah! Have you ever experienced that feeling? What has gone wrong? There are seven things you need to do. These are my tips on how to nurture your creative ideas into reality. 1. Develop a Compelling Vision If you don’t have a clear vision for where you’re going and a strategy to get there, you’ll end up spinning your wheels for months and even years. A strong, compelling vision statement about something you’re passionate about is the starting place to give you a road map to guide your actions. 2. Get Clear on Your Top Priorities Prioritize each day either at the end or beginning of your day. Keep it simple. Make a list of two, or no more than three, things you can accomplish that day. And do them! Keep that commitment to yourself of limiting your priorities for three weeks and you’ll have a high productivity habit for life. 3. Start an Idea File Don’t get attached to every creative idea that pops into your head. Start an idea file as a way to capture your creative ideas without feeling the urge to act on them. Your idea file can be either on your computer or an actual physical folder where you keep clippings and lists of ideas. 4. Take Action Consistently Decide what actions you are going to take each day based on your priorities and vision. Commit to taking those actions as your first priority each day. Focus only on those high payoff activities that will give you the results you want. I don’t know about you, but it helps me to commit to someone else about the actions I intend to take. For me, my mastermind team, my coach, and my virtual assistants all help me stay accountable and committed to the actions I want to take. 5. Give Yourself a Deadline Our actions have a way of filling all the time we have available. If you allow yourself four hours to write your next article or plan your next workshop or whatever activity you need to accomplish, it will take you four or more hours. If you give yourself a tight deadline of only two hours, it will have the effect of making you super focused and productive so that you’ll accomplish what you want to achieve in the time you set. 6. Ask Yourself a Focusing Question Every hour throughout the day, stop and ask yourself: “Is what I’m doing right now getting me closer to my goals?” If it is, great. If it’s not, this gives you a chance to course correct and get back on track. 7. Celebrate . . Go Play! With those extra two hours you just gained, do something fun. Reward yourself for doing your best work. Spending time with friends and family, or doing some activity you enjoy will re-energize you and clear your mind so that you can be focused and productive the next day. This is a step that many people overlook, and I believe is the number one reason why they don’t move their ideas into action. Being inconsistent in putting your priorities into action delays your results. If you implement any one of these ideas,  you’ll feel more empowered and have a real sense of accomplishment and productivity. This will lead to much better results for your business. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business success, business vision “Shifting From Ideas Into Action: Seven Tips to Nurture Your Creative Ideas Into Reality” Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Can you relate to this? Do you ever get thinking about new ideas for your business, then get so caught up in talking about those new ideas and researching them that you get totally overwhelmed and never take action? Analysis paralysis! I have often suffered from this. Started my day feeling energetic and creative and full of vitality, and got so mired in detail that all of the joy and enthusiasm leaves me. Then, nothing happens. The article doesn’t get written, the phone calls don’t get made, the new workshop content doesn’t get written. The list goes on. I lose the energy and focus I need to keep going and do the things that my business needs for me to thrive. I feel like giving up and going to watch Oprah! Have you ever experienced that feeling? What has gone wrong? There are seven things you need to do. These are my tips on how to nurture your creative ideas into reality. 1. Develop a Compelling Vision If you don’t have a clear vision for where you’re going and a strategy to get there, you’ll end up spinning your wheels for months and even years. A strong, compelling vision statement about something you’re passionate about is the starting place to give you a road map to guide your actions. 2. Get Clear on Your Top Priorities Prioritize each day either at the end or beginning of your day. Keep it simple. Make a list of two, or no more than three, things you can accomplish that day. And do them! Keep that commitment to yourself of limiting your priorities for three weeks and you’ll have a high productivity habit for life. 3. Start an Idea File Don’t get attached to every creative idea that pops into your head. Start an idea file as a way to capture your creative ideas without feeling the urge to act on them. Your idea file can be either on your computer or an actual physical folder where you keep clippings and lists of ideas. 4. Take Action Consistently Decide what actions you are going to take each day based on your priorities and vision. Commit to taking those actions as your first priority each day. Focus only on those high payoff activities that will give you the results you want. I don’t know about you, but it helps me to commit to someone else about the actions I intend to take. For me, my mastermind team, my coach, and my virtual assistants all help me stay accountable and committed to the actions I want to take. 5. Give Yourself a Deadline Our actions have a way of filling all the time we have available. If you allow yourself four hours to write your next article or plan your next workshop or whatever activity you need to accomplish, it will take you four or more hours. If you give yourself a tight deadline of only two hours, it will have the effect of making you super focused and productive so that you’ll accomplish what you want to achieve in the time you set. 6. Ask Yourself a Focusing Question Every hour throughout the day, stop and ask yourself: “Is what I’m doing right now getting me closer to my goals?” If it is, great. If it’s not, this gives you a chance to course correct and get back on track. 7. Celebrate . . Go Play! With those extra two hours you just gained, do something fun. Reward yourself for doing your best work. Spending time with friends and family, or doing some activity you enjoy will re-energize you and clear your mind so that you can be focused and productive the next day. This is a step that many people overlook, and I believe is the number one reason why they don’t move their ideas into action. Being inconsistent in putting your priorities into action delays your results. If you implement any one of these ideas,  you’ll feel more empowered and have a real sense of accomplishment and productivity. This will lead to much better results for your business. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business success, business vision tag:odeo.com,2009-10-16,25296706 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:49:33 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Mindset, Motivation & Success, Creativity in Business, Lifestyle & Life Purpose, * Podcasts for Solo Professional Women, * Articles for Solo Professional Women Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/25034079-Seven-Steps-to-Leverage-Your-Expertise-into-a-Highly-Profitable-Business Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the ne... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the new Web 2.0 marketplace you must learn how to create information products. You can leverage your expertise into a very profitable business by turning what you know into products and programs. You can use the internet to create instant passive income. You can automate some of your income so that you can sleep on it and let the money roll in. Automate your marketing and sales to make it a no-brainer that happens independently of your time. What you need are technology, automation, systems and support. I have learned a very good strategy to build a highly profitable business: position yourself as an expert in a profitable micro-niche and create information products. Teach people what you know, and solve their problems with your information and how-to expertise. There are seven specific steps you can take to redesign your business around your strengths and turn your expertise into lucrative profit centers. 1. The first step is to establish your reputation Create a national or international reputation and a brand in your segment of a profitable niche. Why is it important to have a strong personal brand in your area of expertise? Because the more people who know of you the more who will buy passive revenue products from you. You can still earn active revenue from delivering your services and offering workshops and seminars, but if you’re like me, the passive sources are a lot more appealing because you can maintain your ideal lifestyle without working so many hours one-on-one or traveling all the time. 2. Map out your passive income marketing funnel The marketing funnel is a basic marketing concept that can have a huge impact on your profitability. First, you get lots of prospects in your funnel, then you guide them through the funnel. You need a plan for bringing people from your free talks or your free newsletter to your lowest priced offerings and then on to your highest paid services. The mistake many professionals make is to try to sell people directly into their high end services. That rarely works. Instead, your information products will allow potential clients to get to know you with less work on your part and little risk or cost to them before they try your higher priced services. Your clients move down through your funnel so when they are ready to work one-on-one with you, you have already developed trust with them and you don’t have to sell them. 3. Learn passive income skills and info-preneur strategies You can multiply your profits by turning what you know into info-products and using the internet to create instant passive income. Learn the many ways to package your information and sell it online. Learn about content development to leverage the content you already have from your talks, articles and workshops. Learn general information about article marketing, web 2.0 marketing, affiliate marketing, blogging and pay per click advertising to determine which tactics are right for your business. Then, delegate those tasks to the specialists who can support you in growing your business. 4. Nurture your creativity If you’re so busy all the time that you don’t have the energy to come up with new ideas or to spend writing or creating programs, you may not be able to earn passive income. Creativity and innovation are key to coming up with new ideas. You need to carve out blocks of time out in your week for creative right-brain, intuitive thinking. I encourage my clients to take time for what I call ‘creative silence’. It’s in these moments of silence – when we are in the flow and a ‘non-doing’ state of mind – that inspiration comes to us. Get into the habit of capturing your ideas and writing regularly to develop information products to position yourself as a credible expert. 5. Create systems Systems are the key to leveraging your time and expertise. You can create a system for every function in your business so that you do something one time, and then it is either delegated or automated to be done in future. You don’t want to be doing all the work yourself and reinventing the wheel each time. You can have systems for getting client referrals, for contact management, for delivering your newsletter, for your recordkeeping, and for product development. In fact, everything you do in your business can be made into a system. Leverage the power of technology and the internet to reduce the mundane tasks that take your time and energy. 6. Delegate and automate It’s impossible to build a highly profitable business by doing it all yourself. Learn to delegate. Build your team to help you create your ‘information empire’. You can start small with delegating the tasks you don’t like to do to one person a few hours a week, then build from there. To know what to delegate, make a list of all the things you don’t like to do or are putting off doing. I call this my ‘not to-do’ list. These become the first tasks that you delegate. Automation is also important to free up your time. You can automate your follow-up messages using autoresponders, such as AWeber and Get Response. Automate your sales using a shopping cart system, such as the 1 Shopping Cart system through Practice Pay Solutions. Automate your article marketing using a paid service like Article Marketer. Have your teleseminars recorded automatically using one of the many free services, such as Free Audio Conferencing 7. Play a bigger game Do you have a big vision for what you see as possible for people and for the world? What’s your contribution going to be? To play bigger and make more money, you need to enroll other people in your vision and create accountability and support for yourself by joining a coaching program or mastermind team. You need to take a leadership role in your industry to make a bigger impact. You can leverage your expertise through joint ventures and collaboration with others. If you have a purpose and passion for your work, you can develop a base of lifetime followers that will sustain your success for years to come. We’re in the information economy. Are you taking advantage of it to earn passive income and up-level your business profits? ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our brand new Marketing Mastery 101 and Inner Circle Advanced Mentoring Programs and start kicking your business into high gear today. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success, passive income Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the new Web 2.0 marketplace you must learn how to create information products. You can leverage your expertise into a very profitable business by turning what you know into products and programs. You can use the internet to create instant passive income. You can automate some of your income so that you can sleep on it and let the money roll in. Automate your marketing and sales to make it a no-brainer that happens independently of your time. What you need are technology, automation, systems and support. I have learned a very good strategy to build a highly profitable business: position yourself as an expert in a profitable micro-niche and create information products. Teach people what you know, and solve their problems with your information and how-to expertise. There are seven specific steps you can take to redesign your business around your strengths and turn your expertise into lucrative profit centers. 1. The first step is to establish your reputation Create a national or international reputation and a brand in your segment of a profitable niche. Why is it important to have a strong personal brand in your area of expertise? Because the more people who know of you the more who will buy passive revenue products from you. You can still earn active revenue from delivering your services and offering workshops and seminars, but if you’re like me, the passive sources are a lot more appealing because you can maintain your ideal lifestyle without working so many hours one-on-one or traveling all the time. 2. Map out your passive income marketing funnel The marketing funnel is a basic marketing concept that can have a huge impact on your profitability. First, you get lots of prospects in your funnel, then you guide them through the funnel. You need a plan for bringing people from your free talks or your free newsletter to your lowest priced offerings and then on to your highest paid services. The mistake many professionals make is to try to sell people directly into their high end services. That rarely works. Instead, your information products will allow potential clients to get to know you with less work on your part and little risk or cost to them before they try your higher priced services. Your clients move down through your funnel so when they are ready to work one-on-one with you, you have already developed trust with them and you don’t have to sell them. 3. Learn passive income skills and info-preneur strategies You can multiply your profits by turning what you know into info-products and using the internet to create instant passive income. Learn the many ways to package your information and sell it online. Learn about content development to leverage the content you already have from your talks, articles and workshops. Learn general information about article marketing, web 2.0 marketing, affiliate marketing, blogging and pay per click advertising to determine which tactics are right for your business. Then, delegate those tasks to the specialists who can support you in growing your business. 4. Nurture your creativity If you’re so busy all the time that you don’t have the energy to come up with new ideas or to spend writing or creating programs, you may not be able to earn passive income. Creativity and innovation are key to coming up with new ideas. You need to carve out blocks of time out in your week for creative right-brain, intuitive thinking. I encourage my clients to take time for what I call ‘creative silence’. It’s in these moments of silence – when we are in the flow and a ‘non-doing’ state of mind – that inspiration comes to us. Get into the habit of capturing your ideas and writing regularly to develop information products to position yourself as a credible expert. 5. Create systems Systems are the key to leveraging your time and expertise. You can create a system for every function in your business so that you do something one time, and then it is either delegated or automated to be done in future. You don’t want to be doing all the work yourself and reinventing the wheel each time. You can have systems for getting client referrals, for contact management, for delivering your newsletter, for your recordkeeping, and for product development. In fact, everything you do in your business can be made into a system. Leverage the power of technology and the internet to reduce the mundane tasks that take your time and energy. 6. Delegate and automate It’s impossible to build a highly profitable business by doing it all yourself. Learn to delegate. Build your team to help you create your ‘information empire’. You can start small with delegating the tasks you don’t like to do to one person a few hours a week, then build from there. To know what to delegate, make a list of all the things you don’t like to do or are putting off doing. I call this my ‘not to-do’ list. These become the first tasks that you delegate. Automation is also important to free up your time. You can automate your follow-up messages using autoresponders, such as AWeber and Get Response. Automate your sales using a shopping cart system, such as the 1 Shopping Cart system through Practice Pay Solutions. Automate your article marketing using a paid service like Article Marketer. Have your teleseminars recorded automatically using one of the many free services, such as Free Audio Conferencing 7. Play a bigger game Do you have a big vision for what you see as possible for people and for the world? What’s your contribution going to be? To play bigger and make more money, you need to enroll other people in your vision and create accountability and support for yourself by joining a coaching program or mastermind team. You need to take a leadership role in your industry to make a bigger impact. You can leverage your expertise through joint ventures and collaboration with others. If you have a purpose and passion for your work, you can develop a base of lifetime followers that will sustain your success for years to come. We’re in the information economy. Are you taking advantage of it to earn passive income and up-level your business profits? ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our brand new Marketing Mastery 101 and Inner Circle Advanced Mentoring Programs and start kicking your business into high gear today. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success, passive income tag:odeo.com,2009-08-27,25034079 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:01:10 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Passive Income, Small Business Marketing, Information Marketing, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, * Podcasts for Solo Professional Women, * Articles for Solo Professional Women, small business success, small business coaching Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/25042139-Seven-Steps-to-Leverage-Your-Expertise-into-a-Six-Figure-Business Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the ne... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the new Web 2.0 marketplace you must learn how to create information products. You can leverage your expertise into a very profitable business by turning what you know into products and programs. You can use the internet to create instant passive income. You can automate some of your income so that you can sleep on it and let the money roll in. Automate your marketing and sales to make it a no-brainer that happens independently of your time. What you need are technology, automation, systems and support. I have learned a very good strategy to build a highly profitable business: position yourself as an expert in a profitable micro-niche and create information products. Teach people what you know, and solve their problems with your information and how-to expertise. There are seven specific steps you can take to redesign your business around your strengths and turn your expertise into lucrative profit centers. 1. The first step is to establish your reputation Create a national or international reputation and a brand in your segment of a profitable niche. Why is it important to have a strong personal brand in your area of expertise? Because the more people who know of you the more who will buy passive revenue products from you. You can still earn active revenue from delivering your services and offering workshops and seminars, but if you’re like me, the passive sources are a lot more appealing because you can maintain your ideal lifestyle without working so many hours one-on-one or traveling all the time. 2. Map out your passive income marketing funnel The marketing funnel is a basic marketing concept that can have a huge impact on your profitability. First, you get lots of prospects in your funnel, then you guide them through the funnel. You need a plan for bringing people from your free talks or your free newsletter to your lowest priced offerings and then on to your highest paid services. The mistake many professionals make is to try to sell people directly into their high end services. That rarely works. Instead, your information products will allow potential clients to get to know you with less work on your part and little risk or cost to them before they try your higher priced services. Your clients move down through your funnel so when they are ready to work one-on-one with you, you have already developed trust with them and you don’t have to sell them. 3. Learn passive income skills and info-preneur strategies You can multiply your profits by turning what you know into info-products and using the internet to create instant passive income. Learn the many ways to package your information and sell it online. Learn about content development to leverage the content you already have from your talks, articles and workshops. Learn general information about article marketing, web 2.0 marketing, affiliate marketing, blogging and pay per click advertising to determine which tactics are right for your business. Then, delegate those tasks to the specialists who can support you in growing your business. 4. Nurture your creativity If you’re so busy all the time that you don’t have the energy to come up with new ideas or to spend writing or creating programs, you may not be able to earn passive income. Creativity and innovation are key to coming up with new ideas. You need to carve out blocks of time out in your week for creative right-brain, intuitive thinking. I encourage my clients to take time for what I call ‘creative silence’. It’s in these moments of silence – when we are in the flow and a ‘non-doing’ state of mind – that inspiration comes to us. Get into the habit of capturing your ideas and writing regularly to develop information products to position yourself as a credible expert. 5. Create systems Systems are the key to leveraging your time and expertise. You can create a system for every function in your business so that you do something one time, and then it is either delegated or automated to be done in future. You don’t want to be doing all the work yourself and reinventing the wheel each time. You can have systems for getting client referrals, for contact management, for delivering your newsletter, for your recordkeeping, and for product development. In fact, everything you do in your business can be made into a system. Leverage the power of technology and the internet to reduce the mundane tasks that take your time and energy. 6. Delegate and automate It’s impossible to build a highly profitable business by doing it all yourself. Learn to delegate. Build your team to help you create your ‘information empire’. You can start small with delegating the tasks you don’t like to do to one person a few hours a week, then build from there. To know what to delegate, make a list of all the things you don’t like to do or are putting off doing. I call this my ‘not to-do’ list. These become the first tasks that you delegate. Automation is also important to free up your time. You can automate your follow-up messages using autoresponders, such as AWeber and Get Response. Automate your sales using a shopping cart system, such as the 1 Shopping Cart system through Practice Pay Solutions. Automate your article marketing using a paid service like Article Marketer. Have your teleseminars recorded automatically using one of the many free services, such as Free Audio Conferencing 7. Play a bigger game Do you have a big vision for what you see as possible for people and for the world? What’s your contribution going to be? To play bigger and make more money, you need to enroll other people in your vision and create accountability and support for yourself by joining a coaching program or mastermind team. You need to take a leadership role in your industry to make a bigger impact. You can leverage your expertise through joint ventures and collaboration with others. If you have a purpose and passion for your work, you can develop a base of lifetime followers that will sustain your success for years to come. We’re in the information economy. Are you taking advantage of it to earn passive income and up-level your business profits? ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our brand new Marketing Mastery 101 and Inner Circle Advanced Mentoring Programs and start kicking your business into high gear today. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR SOLO-PROFESSIONAL WOMEN Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success, passive income Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. Is passive income in your success plan? If not, it should be. Smart professional women develop multiple streams of income in their business. They know that financial freedom begins with passive income. They sell their ideas, not just their time. You can turn your passion and what you love into profitable income streams. Coaching, consulting, speaking and delivering workshops are examples of active sources of income. Selling products, assessments, licensing your programs, and affiliate marketing are examples of passive sources of income. To be really profitable and free up more of your time, you want to shift the mix so that most of your income comes from passive sources. You can redesign your business around your ideal lifestyle and free yourself from feeling trapped in your business. You can design your business so you work less, make more and live life on your own terms. To build a very successful business in the new Web 2.0 marketplace you must learn how to create information products. You can leverage your expertise into a very profitable business by turning what you know into products and programs. You can use the internet to create instant passive income. You can automate some of your income so that you can sleep on it and let the money roll in. Automate your marketing and sales to make it a no-brainer that happens independently of your time. What you need are technology, automation, systems and support. I have learned a very good strategy to build a highly profitable business: position yourself as an expert in a profitable micro-niche and create information products. Teach people what you know, and solve their problems with your information and how-to expertise. There are seven specific steps you can take to redesign your business around your strengths and turn your expertise into lucrative profit centers. 1. The first step is to establish your reputation Create a national or international reputation and a brand in your segment of a profitable niche. Why is it important to have a strong personal brand in your area of expertise? Because the more people who know of you the more who will buy passive revenue products from you. You can still earn active revenue from delivering your services and offering workshops and seminars, but if you’re like me, the passive sources are a lot more appealing because you can maintain your ideal lifestyle without working so many hours one-on-one or traveling all the time. 2. Map out your passive income marketing funnel The marketing funnel is a basic marketing concept that can have a huge impact on your profitability. First, you get lots of prospects in your funnel, then you guide them through the funnel. You need a plan for bringing people from your free talks or your free newsletter to your lowest priced offerings and then on to your highest paid services. The mistake many professionals make is to try to sell people directly into their high end services. That rarely works. Instead, your information products will allow potential clients to get to know you with less work on your part and little risk or cost to them before they try your higher priced services. Your clients move down through your funnel so when they are ready to work one-on-one with you, you have already developed trust with them and you don’t have to sell them. 3. Learn passive income skills and info-preneur strategies You can multiply your profits by turning what you know into info-products and using the internet to create instant passive income. Learn the many ways to package your information and sell it online. Learn about content development to leverage the content you already have from your talks, articles and workshops. Learn general information about article marketing, web 2.0 marketing, affiliate marketing, blogging and pay per click advertising to determine which tactics are right for your business. Then, delegate those tasks to the specialists who can support you in growing your business. 4. Nurture your creativity If you’re so busy all the time that you don’t have the energy to come up with new ideas or to spend writing or creating programs, you may not be able to earn passive income. Creativity and innovation are key to coming up with new ideas. You need to carve out blocks of time out in your week for creative right-brain, intuitive thinking. I encourage my clients to take time for what I call ‘creative silence’. It’s in these moments of silence – when we are in the flow and a ‘non-doing’ state of mind – that inspiration comes to us. Get into the habit of capturing your ideas and writing regularly to develop information products to position yourself as a credible expert. 5. Create systems Systems are the key to leveraging your time and expertise. You can create a system for every function in your business so that you do something one time, and then it is either delegated or automated to be done in future. You don’t want to be doing all the work yourself and reinventing the wheel each time. You can have systems for getting client referrals, for contact management, for delivering your newsletter, for your recordkeeping, and for product development. In fact, everything you do in your business can be made into a system. Leverage the power of technology and the internet to reduce the mundane tasks that take your time and energy. 6. Delegate and automate It’s impossible to build a highly profitable business by doing it all yourself. Learn to delegate. Build your team to help you create your ‘information empire’. You can start small with delegating the tasks you don’t like to do to one person a few hours a week, then build from there. To know what to delegate, make a list of all the things you don’t like to do or are putting off doing. I call this my ‘not to-do’ list. These become the first tasks that you delegate. Automation is also important to free up your time. You can automate your follow-up messages using autoresponders, such as AWeber and Get Response. Automate your sales using a shopping cart system, such as the 1 Shopping Cart system through Practice Pay Solutions. Automate your article marketing using a paid service like Article Marketer. Have your teleseminars recorded automatically using one of the many free services, such as Free Audio Conferencing 7. Play a bigger game Do you have a big vision for what you see as possible for people and for the world? What’s your contribution going to be? To play bigger and make more money, you need to enroll other people in your vision and create accountability and support for yourself by joining a coaching program or mastermind team. You need to take a leadership role in your industry to make a bigger impact. You can leverage your expertise through joint ventures and collaboration with others. If you have a purpose and passion for your work, you can develop a base of lifetime followers that will sustain your success for years to come. We’re in the information economy. Are you taking advantage of it to earn passive income and up-level your business profits? ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our brand new Marketing Mastery 101 and Inner Circle Advanced Mentoring Programs and start kicking your business into high gear today. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR SOLO-PROFESSIONAL WOMEN Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success, passive income tag:odeo.com,2009-08-27,25042139 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:01:10 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Passive Income, Small Business Marketing, Information Marketing, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, * Podcasts for Solo Professional Women, * Articles for Solo Professional Women, small business success, small business coaching Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/25027615-Could-Your-Business-Model-be-More-Profitable Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article When I first started providing business coaching services, I followed the time for money model that all coaches at that time were trained to use. I charged a monthly fee for two hours of time with me every month. That worked well while I was in start-up mode. But, it stopped working so well when I reached a full practice. I ran out of the time and energy I needed to add more new clients and additional income. I started to realize there was a cap on my profits. I could see only three options: either work harder and longer hours to increase my income, or raise my rates, or settle for a less than satisfactory income level. I chose to raise my rates. I was too timid to go back to my current clients and tell them I wanted more money, so I just increased my fee for new clients. That worked all right for quite a while, and I was content with a decent hourly rate and a full roster of clients. It wasn’t until I started le... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article When I first started providing business coaching services, I followed the time for money model that all coaches at that time were trained to use. I charged a monthly fee for two hours of time with me every month. That worked well while I was in start-up mode. But, it stopped working so well when I reached a full practice. I ran out of the time and energy I needed to add more new clients and additional income. I started to realize there was a cap on my profits. I could see only three options: either work harder and longer hours to increase my income, or raise my rates, or settle for a less than satisfactory income level. I chose to raise my rates. I was too timid to go back to my current clients and tell them I wanted more money, so I just increased my fee for new clients. That worked all right for quite a while, and I was content with a decent hourly rate and a full roster of clients. It wasn’t until I started learning about different business models that I realized I had been in my own little world of not knowing there were other options for me to have a much more profitable business. It wasn’t until I implemented a new business model and leveraging strategies that I was able to bring in the kind of income I wanted to make. The knowledge of new business models and ways to leverage my time and energy was the foundation for my being able to even imagine making six figures or more. I made the shift from professional practitioner to business owner first by branching out into multiple streams of income – such as group coaching programs, workshops, training and speaking, and then creating a line of information products. Over time, I discovered additional leveraging models, such as the membership or association model. Now I know that there are many ways to structure your business so you can move away from trading all your time for money and enjoy much more income and freedom in your business. If you’re not bringing in the kind of money you want, your business model and service delivery systems are the first places to look. The business models and systems ideas are almost endless so you can attract more clients and make more money without working so hard. I teach those newer models to all my clients. I love showing women how to shift away from trading all their time for money and implementing systems to leverage what they know into multiple streams of income. Is your business model set up so you can bring in more money with less effort? If not, here’s what to do. First, look for ways you could deliver your services to multiple people at one time. Or, consider raising your rates by packaging your service delivery in different ways that provide more value without taking more of your time. Or, if you have a proven program or signature system, licensing or selling your home-study system might be another option for you to consider to increase your income to the level you want. Think out of the box with creative, innovative ways to deliver and leverage your existing services, and watch your income start to soar! ………………………………………………………. Is your business model set up so you can bring in more money with less effort? I love showing women how to shift away from trading all their time for money and implementing systems to leverage what they know into multiple streams of income. Join me for a Special FREE one hour Teleseminar Thursday August 27th at 5pm Eastern / 2pm Pacific “Seven Steps to Leverage Your Expertise into a Six Figure Business” You’ll learn the steps you need to take to redesign your business around your expertise and shift into a six-figure business model. Find out more and sign up here ………………………………………………………. If you’re ready to start building the foundation for a six-figure business, sign up NOW for my new “Marketing Mastery Teleseminar Training Program* that starts September 8th. You’ll get live expert interviews on specialized topics, instant access to our full library of interviews, transcripts, training manuals, online resources, masterminding and networking so you can attract more clients and increase your cash flow! You can find out more and sign up now for this special offer here. There is a special 60 Day Membership trial. Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article When I first started providing business coaching services, I followed the time for money model that all coaches at that time were trained to use. I charged a monthly fee for two hours of time with me every month. That worked well while I was in start-up mode. But, it stopped working so well when I reached a full practice. I ran out of the time and energy I needed to add more new clients and additional income. I started to realize there was a cap on my profits. I could see only three options: either work harder and longer hours to increase my income, or raise my rates, or settle for a less than satisfactory income level. I chose to raise my rates. I was too timid to go back to my current clients and tell them I wanted more money, so I just increased my fee for new clients. That worked all right for quite a while, and I was content with a decent hourly rate and a full roster of clients. It wasn’t until I started learning about different business models that I realized I had been in my own little world of not knowing there were other options for me to have a much more profitable business. It wasn’t until I implemented a new business model and leveraging strategies that I was able to bring in the kind of income I wanted to make. The knowledge of new business models and ways to leverage my time and energy was the foundation for my being able to even imagine making six figures or more. I made the shift from professional practitioner to business owner first by branching out into multiple streams of income – such as group coaching programs, workshops, training and speaking, and then creating a line of information products. Over time, I discovered additional leveraging models, such as the membership or association model. Now I know that there are many ways to structure your business so you can move away from trading all your time for money and enjoy much more income and freedom in your business. If you’re not bringing in the kind of money you want, your business model and service delivery systems are the first places to look. The business models and systems ideas are almost endless so you can attract more clients and make more money without working so hard. I teach those newer models to all my clients. I love showing women how to shift away from trading all their time for money and implementing systems to leverage what they know into multiple streams of income. Is your business model set up so you can bring in more money with less effort? If not, here’s what to do. First, look for ways you could deliver your services to multiple people at one time. Or, consider raising your rates by packaging your service delivery in different ways that provide more value without taking more of your time. Or, if you have a proven program or signature system, licensing or selling your home-study system might be another option for you to consider to increase your income to the level you want. Think out of the box with creative, innovative ways to deliver and leverage your existing services, and watch your income start to soar! ………………………………………………………. Is your business model set up so you can bring in more money with less effort? I love showing women how to shift away from trading all their time for money and implementing systems to leverage what they know into multiple streams of income. Join me for a Special FREE one hour Teleseminar Thursday August 27th at 5pm Eastern / 2pm Pacific “Seven Steps to Leverage Your Expertise into a Six Figure Business” You’ll learn the steps you need to take to redesign your business around your expertise and shift into a six-figure business model. Find out more and sign up here ………………………………………………………. If you’re ready to start building the foundation for a six-figure business, sign up NOW for my new “Marketing Mastery Teleseminar Training Program* that starts September 8th. You’ll get live expert interviews on specialized topics, instant access to our full library of interviews, transcripts, training manuals, online resources, masterminding and networking so you can attract more clients and increase your cash flow! You can find out more and sign up now for this special offer here. There is a special 60 Day Membership trial. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-26,25027615 Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:05:54 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Information Marketing, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, * Podcasts for Solo Professional Women, * Articles for Solo Professional Women, six figure business Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24985777-Are-You-Hiding-Out Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times when business may be slow and people don’t seem to be spending as much, it’s easy to hide out and lay low thinking you’ll just wait till it all ends. You may think that’s a good strategy. I know I considered it. But, if you have a purpose in life and a passion for helping people, then what is called for in these times is just the opposite of what you might be doing. Are you hearing the call to step into your brilliance, or are you standing on the sidelines hoping this will all go away? The businesses that will survive this economic shift are the ones who make over their business model, keep in touch with their market, and come up with new product and service offerings. I notice many women are hiding out from their life purpose and bigger vision of what’s possible them and for the world. They’re shrinking back instead of being the voice of encouragement and change. If y... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times when business may be slow and people don’t seem to be spending as much, it’s easy to hide out and lay low thinking you’ll just wait till it all ends. You may think that’s a good strategy. I know I considered it. But, if you have a purpose in life and a passion for helping people, then what is called for in these times is just the opposite of what you might be doing. Are you hearing the call to step into your brilliance, or are you standing on the sidelines hoping this will all go away? The businesses that will survive this economic shift are the ones who make over their business model, keep in touch with their market, and come up with new product and service offerings. I notice many women are hiding out from their life purpose and bigger vision of what’s possible them and for the world. They’re shrinking back instead of being the voice of encouragement and change. If you find you’ve been hiding out, feeling disconnected from your prospects and clients, and going to overwhelm and confusion about what to do next, here are five things you can do right now. These five things will call on you to step out of your comfort zone and be at your best. Have an opinion This is not the time to be sitting on the fence. Be opinionated. Be contrarian. Be controversial. Let your personality shine through as a people get to know the real you. Be visible This is not the time to be hiding out. You need to step out of your comfort zone and be seen and heard. Your ’small mind’ may be telling you to play it safe, but your big mind knows it’s your time to shine. The world desperately needs more teachers, healers and leaders with a strong message of hope and change. Share your thoughts in various media There are so many ways to get your message out now that there’s no excuse not to. Speaking to a group of people is one of the more powerful ways to share your message. Publishing a blog or articles is another great way. Bring your message forward to heal the planet. Redefine your market You may have noticed that the marketplace is shifting. What you may not know is that this means it’s the perfect time to redefine who it is you’re meant to serve and what your product and service offerings are. We can no more treat our business like a hobby and expect a continual stream of ideal clients unless we have a tightly defined target audience, specialty and niche. Start or join a mastermind group and work with the coach No one can make it through challenging times on their own and come out ahead. The ones who reach out for support will be the ones who not only make it through, but come through stronger, more purposeful and more profitable than ever. You need someone to challenge and inspire you. You need someone who will hold the possibility of your big dream even when you lose sight of it. To grow and change, you need to be around people who have ambition and are playing a bigger game. People who will motivate you to do your best and be your best and will call you on your stuff so you don’t get away with hiding out. Service providers who are complacent or have mediocre services that no longer meet a pressing need are the ones who may not survive the shift unless they are ready to make changes. This is the perfect time to make a lot of money doing what you love. There’s really no lack of money out there. It’s time to dream bigger and stop hiding out. Be around people who have ambition and will inspire and support you, and you’ll come out ahead. ………………………………………………………. Join me this THURSDAY, August 20th at 5pm Eastern/NY Time (2:00pm Pacific/LA Time) for my FREE Teleseminar. “How to Break Through the Trading Time for Money Income Ceiling” Find Out More and Sign Up Here. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times when business may be slow and people don’t seem to be spending as much, it’s easy to hide out and lay low thinking you’ll just wait till it all ends. You may think that’s a good strategy. I know I considered it. But, if you have a purpose in life and a passion for helping people, then what is called for in these times is just the opposite of what you might be doing. Are you hearing the call to step into your brilliance, or are you standing on the sidelines hoping this will all go away? The businesses that will survive this economic shift are the ones who make over their business model, keep in touch with their market, and come up with new product and service offerings. I notice many women are hiding out from their life purpose and bigger vision of what’s possible them and for the world. They’re shrinking back instead of being the voice of encouragement and change. If you find you’ve been hiding out, feeling disconnected from your prospects and clients, and going to overwhelm and confusion about what to do next, here are five things you can do right now. These five things will call on you to step out of your comfort zone and be at your best. Have an opinion This is not the time to be sitting on the fence. Be opinionated. Be contrarian. Be controversial. Let your personality shine through as a people get to know the real you. Be visible This is not the time to be hiding out. You need to step out of your comfort zone and be seen and heard. Your ’small mind’ may be telling you to play it safe, but your big mind knows it’s your time to shine. The world desperately needs more teachers, healers and leaders with a strong message of hope and change. Share your thoughts in various media There are so many ways to get your message out now that there’s no excuse not to. Speaking to a group of people is one of the more powerful ways to share your message. Publishing a blog or articles is another great way. Bring your message forward to heal the planet. Redefine your market You may have noticed that the marketplace is shifting. What you may not know is that this means it’s the perfect time to redefine who it is you’re meant to serve and what your product and service offerings are. We can no more treat our business like a hobby and expect a continual stream of ideal clients unless we have a tightly defined target audience, specialty and niche. Start or join a mastermind group and work with the coach No one can make it through challenging times on their own and come out ahead. The ones who reach out for support will be the ones who not only make it through, but come through stronger, more purposeful and more profitable than ever. You need someone to challenge and inspire you. You need someone who will hold the possibility of your big dream even when you lose sight of it. To grow and change, you need to be around people who have ambition and are playing a bigger game. People who will motivate you to do your best and be your best and will call you on your stuff so you don’t get away with hiding out. Service providers who are complacent or have mediocre services that no longer meet a pressing need are the ones who may not survive the shift unless they are ready to make changes. This is the perfect time to make a lot of money doing what you love. There’s really no lack of money out there. It’s time to dream bigger and stop hiding out. Be around people who have ambition and will inspire and support you, and you’ll come out ahead. ………………………………………………………. Join me this THURSDAY, August 20th at 5pm Eastern/NY Time (2:00pm Pacific/LA Time) for my FREE Teleseminar. “How to Break Through the Trading Time for Money Income Ceiling” Find Out More and Sign Up Here. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women tag:odeo.com,2009-08-18,24985777 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:36:32 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Mindset, Motivation & Success, Spirituality, Consciousness & Leadership, Lifestyle & Life Purpose, women entrepreneur, spirituality & consciousness & leadership for w, * Articles for Solo Professional Women, Law of of Attraction Marketing Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24942463-The-Formula-for-Making-More-Money-and-Having-More-Freedom-in-Your-Business-%E2%80%93-Free-Teleseminar In this Teleseminar, Kate Sanner of VivacityMedia.com interviews Jan Marie Dore on “The Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Click the arrow to play or pause the Audio. Teleseminar Interview Description Too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this teleseminar, Jan Marie Dore will share with you the twelve most important business success principles she has learned about being financially successful in any professional service or ’special knowledge’ business. She calls it her formula for simplicity & prosperity that when followed leads to more success, more time off, and more money. You’ll learn the steps you need to take to redesign your business around your expertise and build a profess... In this Teleseminar, Kate Sanner of VivacityMedia.com interviews Jan Marie Dore on “The Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Click the arrow to play or pause the Audio. Teleseminar Interview Description Too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this teleseminar, Jan Marie Dore will share with you the twelve most important business success principles she has learned about being financially successful in any professional service or ’special knowledge’ business. She calls it her formula for simplicity & prosperity that when followed leads to more success, more time off, and more money. You’ll learn the steps you need to take to redesign your business around your expertise and build a professional service business that is financially rewarding, gives you the lifestyle you really want, and makes a big difference in the world. It’s a step-by-step process any service professionals or ‘expert entrepreneur’ can use to simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money. You’ll learn how to: simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money shift your business model from one to one service delivery to one to many and multiple streams of income. redesign your business step-by-step around your expertise rise to the top of your field and become the leader of a micro-niche market grow a financially successful professional service business that gives you the lifestyle you really want and makes a difference implement the formula for making more money and having more freedom in your business As a result of this teleseminar, you’ll be on your way to breaking through the “time for money” income ceiling and increasing your financial success! About Jan Marie Dore Jan Marie Dore,`The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, is a business coach who mentors women entrepreneurs and independent service professionals to attract more clients, make more money, have more freedom, and take more time off. She is known internationally as a mentor to professional women, a speaker, author, workshop facilitator, and retreat leader. Jan Marie has been interviewed or quoted as an expert on small business coaching and women’s small business issues in the media, including radio, magazines, and professional journals and has written numerous articles that have reached audience across the globe. Jan Marie is the founder of Femalepreneurs.com, a business coaching and training company that provides professional mentoring for women entrepreneurs and service professionals worldwide. She speaks frequently to women in small business who wish to connect passion with profits. She publishes the ezine and blog “Success Secrets for Professional Women”. Visit her online at www.FemalePreneurs.com for free resources and tips to grow your business and income and live a great life. In this Teleseminar, Kate Sanner of VivacityMedia.com interviews Jan Marie Dore on “The Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Click the arrow to play or pause the Audio. Teleseminar Interview Description Too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this teleseminar, Jan Marie Dore will share with you the twelve most important business success principles she has learned about being financially successful in any professional service or ’special knowledge’ business. She calls it her formula for simplicity & prosperity that when followed leads to more success, more time off, and more money. You’ll learn the steps you need to take to redesign your business around your expertise and build a professional service business that is financially rewarding, gives you the lifestyle you really want, and makes a big difference in the world. It’s a step-by-step process any service professionals or ‘expert entrepreneur’ can use to simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money. You’ll learn how to: simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money shift your business model from one to one service delivery to one to many and multiple streams of income. redesign your business step-by-step around your expertise rise to the top of your field and become the leader of a micro-niche market grow a financially successful professional service business that gives you the lifestyle you really want and makes a difference implement the formula for making more money and having more freedom in your business As a result of this teleseminar, you’ll be on your way to breaking through the “time for money” income ceiling and increasing your financial success! About Jan Marie Dore Jan Marie Dore,`The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, is a business coach who mentors women entrepreneurs and independent service professionals to attract more clients, make more money, have more freedom, and take more time off. She is known internationally as a mentor to professional women, a speaker, author, workshop facilitator, and retreat leader. Jan Marie has been interviewed or quoted as an expert on small business coaching and women’s small business issues in the media, including radio, magazines, and professional journals and has written numerous articles that have reached audience across the globe. Jan Marie is the founder of Femalepreneurs.com, a business coaching and training company that provides professional mentoring for women entrepreneurs and service professionals worldwide. She speaks frequently to women in small business who wish to connect passion with profits. She publishes the ezine and blog “Success Secrets for Professional Women”. Visit her online at www.FemalePreneurs.com for free resources and tips to grow your business and income and live a great life. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-11,24942463 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:11:20 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, Life Purpose, Small Business Tips, Attract Clients, * Podcasts for Solo Professional Women Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24908380-Article-Marketing-Tip-Write-a-Top-Ten-List Have you ever had a mental block when you sat down to write an article for your ezine or blog? This can happen if you don’t have a plan for what topics you want to write about. An easy way to break through this barrier is to write a top 10 list. A top ten list — as we all know from David Letterman — is a list of 10 items on a particular subject. Examples might be: The Top Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship Ten Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity Ten Teambuilding Activities for Leadership Teams The Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Business You get the idea. Once you have your specific title, it’s easy to write up a quick list. Then, just fill in a sentence or two under each bullet point, and you have your article. It’s a really quick way to break through the mental barrier of feeling that you have nothing to say. Try it and you’ll see. It doesn’t get any simpler than that! Here’s a great resource from Chris Knight @ezinearticles. It&#8217... Have you ever had a mental block when you sat down to write an article for your ezine or blog? This can happen if you don’t have a plan for what topics you want to write about. An easy way to break through this barrier is to write a top 10 list. A top ten list — as we all know from David Letterman — is a list of 10 items on a particular subject. Examples might be: The Top Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship Ten Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity Ten Teambuilding Activities for Leadership Teams The Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Business You get the idea. Once you have your specific title, it’s easy to write up a quick list. Then, just fill in a sentence or two under each bullet point, and you have your article. It’s a really quick way to break through the mental barrier of feeling that you have nothing to say. Try it and you’ll see. It doesn’t get any simpler than that! Here’s a great resource from Chris Knight @ezinearticles. It’s a worksheet called “My Next Ten Article Ideas“. Have you ever had a mental block when you sat down to write an article for your ezine or blog? This can happen if you don’t have a plan for what topics you want to write about. An easy way to break through this barrier is to write a top 10 list. A top ten list — as we all know from David Letterman — is a list of 10 items on a particular subject. Examples might be: The Top Ten Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship Ten Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity Ten Teambuilding Activities for Leadership Teams The Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Business You get the idea. Once you have your specific title, it’s easy to write up a quick list. Then, just fill in a sentence or two under each bullet point, and you have your article. It’s a really quick way to break through the mental barrier of feeling that you have nothing to say. Try it and you’ll see. It doesn’t get any simpler than that! Here’s a great resource from Chris Knight @ezinearticles. It’s a worksheet called “My Next Ten Article Ideas“. tag:odeo.com,2009-08-04,24908380 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:16:47 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Uncategorized, article marketing Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24849115-Use-An-Ezine-To-Build-Relationships-And-Grow-Your-Client-Base Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Have you started your newsletter, ezine or tips list? By sending out valuable tips and articles on a regular basis, you get the chance to demonstrate your expertise and build relationships with prospects and clients. You may have heard that your name and marketing message need to be seen or heard by people at least seven to nine times before they are ready to do business with you. An ezine or email newsletter are great ways to keep your name and expertise in front of your target audience. Prospects sign-up and agree to let you deliver your messages directly to their inbox. This is a great way to get people’s permission to deliver valuable content as well as some promotions by email for your products and services. And the best thing is – it’s almost free to do it! Use your ezine to provide valuable tips, articles, recommendations and resources. You can also write about your latest service or product, b... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Have you started your newsletter, ezine or tips list? By sending out valuable tips and articles on a regular basis, you get the chance to demonstrate your expertise and build relationships with prospects and clients. You may have heard that your name and marketing message need to be seen or heard by people at least seven to nine times before they are ready to do business with you. An ezine or email newsletter are great ways to keep your name and expertise in front of your target audience. Prospects sign-up and agree to let you deliver your messages directly to their inbox. This is a great way to get people’s permission to deliver valuable content as well as some promotions by email for your products and services. And the best thing is – it’s almost free to do it! Use your ezine to provide valuable tips, articles, recommendations and resources. You can also write about your latest service or product, but write a short piece to direct people to your website where they can find out more information. Don’t be too ‘salesy’ in your ezine or people will be put off. Keep the majority of your publication focused on tips, information, advice and resources for your readers to maintain your credibility as an expert in your field and trusted advisor. Two to four times a month is a good number of times to send out your ezine. Two times would be enough if you also have a blog that you regularly post to where readers get more exposure to your expertise in your area of specialty. Once a month works for some, but if you’re using your ezine to build relationships, twelve contacts a year is not really enough to build trust and to demonstrate the value you can provide. I recommend at least twice a month. Over time, as you provide consistent valuable information in your area of specialty, your readers will come to know, like and trust you, and your brand will become established in their mind. One of the main marketing activities in your business should be to grow your list. Tell everyone you meet about the valuable tips and articles you send out and invite them to sign up. You’d be surprised at how many people will take you up on your offer! If you’re just getting started building your list, start by asking your current clients, associates and friends to subscribe. Anti-spam laws say you can’t automatically sign them up yourself, but you can send them a sample issue and direct them to a sign-up form at your website. To see an example of my sign-up page, go to Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs There are many good online services to automate your ezine subscription process. If you’re just starting out and only need a database and delivery system for your ezine, you might try Constant Contact. AWeber is another good system that will manage your database and automate the subscribe/unsubscribe process. I use and highly recommend Practice Pay Solutions as your online management system for your ezine database and customer relationship management. It’s the best system for marketing online, and they offer a fr.ee 30 day trial. You can upgrade as your online business grows from the basic package to the more advanced system that includes a shopping cart, digital delivery of your ebooks and audio programs, and an affiliate program. A great resource for starting your ezine and growing your list is Boost Business With Your Ezine by Alexandria Brown. Her ezine and her products are all excellent resources for publishing and promoting an online newsletter and information marketing business. Take action and start today to begin publishing regular information to send to your prospects and clients, or if you already have an ezine, set a goal to grow your list. If you want to read more about writing a successful online newsletter and growing your list, read my articles at my blog on Six Secrets To Email Newsletter Success and Six Key Ways to Promote Your Ezine & Grow Your List ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business marketing, ezine publishing, write a newsletter, grow your list Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Have you started your newsletter, ezine or tips list? By sending out valuable tips and articles on a regular basis, you get the chance to demonstrate your expertise and build relationships with prospects and clients. You may have heard that your name and marketing message need to be seen or heard by people at least seven to nine times before they are ready to do business with you. An ezine or email newsletter are great ways to keep your name and expertise in front of your target audience. Prospects sign-up and agree to let you deliver your messages directly to their inbox. This is a great way to get people’s permission to deliver valuable content as well as some promotions by email for your products and services. And the best thing is – it’s almost free to do it! Use your ezine to provide valuable tips, articles, recommendations and resources. You can also write about your latest service or product, but write a short piece to direct people to your website where they can find out more information. Don’t be too ‘salesy’ in your ezine or people will be put off. Keep the majority of your publication focused on tips, information, advice and resources for your readers to maintain your credibility as an expert in your field and trusted advisor. Two to four times a month is a good number of times to send out your ezine. Two times would be enough if you also have a blog that you regularly post to where readers get more exposure to your expertise in your area of specialty. Once a month works for some, but if you’re using your ezine to build relationships, twelve contacts a year is not really enough to build trust and to demonstrate the value you can provide. I recommend at least twice a month. Over time, as you provide consistent valuable information in your area of specialty, your readers will come to know, like and trust you, and your brand will become established in their mind. One of the main marketing activities in your business should be to grow your list. Tell everyone you meet about the valuable tips and articles you send out and invite them to sign up. You’d be surprised at how many people will take you up on your offer! If you’re just getting started building your list, start by asking your current clients, associates and friends to subscribe. Anti-spam laws say you can’t automatically sign them up yourself, but you can send them a sample issue and direct them to a sign-up form at your website. To see an example of my sign-up page, go to Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs There are many good online services to automate your ezine subscription process. If you’re just starting out and only need a database and delivery system for your ezine, you might try Constant Contact. AWeber is another good system that will manage your database and automate the subscribe/unsubscribe process. I use and highly recommend Practice Pay Solutions as your online management system for your ezine database and customer relationship management. It’s the best system for marketing online, and they offer a fr.ee 30 day trial. You can upgrade as your online business grows from the basic package to the more advanced system that includes a shopping cart, digital delivery of your ebooks and audio programs, and an affiliate program. A great resource for starting your ezine and growing your list is Boost Business With Your Ezine by Alexandria Brown. Her ezine and her products are all excellent resources for publishing and promoting an online newsletter and information marketing business. Take action and start today to begin publishing regular information to send to your prospects and clients, or if you already have an ezine, set a goal to grow your list. If you want to read more about writing a successful online newsletter and growing your list, read my articles at my blog on Six Secrets To Email Newsletter Success and Six Key Ways to Promote Your Ezine & Grow Your List ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business marketing, ezine publishing, write a newsletter, grow your list tag:odeo.com,2009-07-22,24849115 Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:10:02 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, Creativity in Business, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24772306-Are-You-Making-These-Mistakes-at-Your-Website Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Is your website bringing you all the sales and opportunities you want? Over the years as I have studied marketing best practices and mentored thousands of women entrepreneurs in marketing and growing their business, I have observed what works and what doesn’t work in creating effective websites that sell. All too often I have seen entrepreneurs and professionals spend thousands of dollars on pretty but ineffective websites. They pay someone for a lovely design but that person may not know the basics of how your website needs to be designed so that you get more leads and more sales. Here are the mistakes I see and the steps to fix them: Mistake 1: No Way to Capture Leads The number one goal of your website should be to capture names and email addresses of prospects so you can get your message in front of them over and over. You’ll want to automate this system with one of the many services that will do this f... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Is your website bringing you all the sales and opportunities you want? Over the years as I have studied marketing best practices and mentored thousands of women entrepreneurs in marketing and growing their business, I have observed what works and what doesn’t work in creating effective websites that sell. All too often I have seen entrepreneurs and professionals spend thousands of dollars on pretty but ineffective websites. They pay someone for a lovely design but that person may not know the basics of how your website needs to be designed so that you get more leads and more sales. Here are the mistakes I see and the steps to fix them: Mistake 1: No Way to Capture Leads The number one goal of your website should be to capture names and email addresses of prospects so you can get your message in front of them over and over. You’ll want to automate this system with one of the many services that will do this for you. Mistake 2: Opt-In Box and Call to Action Not Visible Your opt-in box for your free offer and to subscribe to your list needs to be at the top of every page of your website. Top left is ideal, or in the header or top right are excellent too. All too often, these boxes are hidden far down the page. Make it very easy for people to find it as soon as they come to your site. A call to action is what tells people what to do next. Don’t assume they will know. Say “click here now to get your free report” or “enter your name to receive your free gift instantly”. Mistake 3: No Compelling Offer to a Specific Target Audience This is the biggest mistake I see. There are two aspects to this. First, the target market is too broad or general. Second, there is nothing offered that is compelling enough for these ideal prospects to exchange their name and email address for. It’s not enough now to say “sign up for my newsletter”. You need to make it much more enticing. Offer something that will solve a problem for your marketplace. Offer something they’ll get instantly - such as a special report, tips lists, audio class or e-course, a quiz or assessment, a CD or a video - and let them know they’ll also receive your ezine or weekly tips. Mistake 4: A Homepage That Is All About You When someone visits your website, the first thing they want to know is “what’s in it for me?” They want to know that you understand them and their challenges before they want to know about you. The mistake I see too often is the website owner’s mission statement or vision or credentials first thing on the homepage. Make the beginning paragraphs about your prospects, not about you. Show them that you identify with them and understand their frustrations, and only then let them know how you can help them. Mistake 5: No Compelling Headline on Each Page A headline serves two purposes: to capture people’s attention so they will want to read more, and to tell the search engines what your site is all about. Search engines look for key words or phrases in your headlines and first two paragraphs of text, and so do people. When prospects see that you understand them and you’re talking to them, they’ll want to read more. Mistake 6: No Clear Path for Prospects to Follow Keep your navigation at your site very simple and guide people through so they aren’t overwhelmed at your home page by too many options. The main goal of your website should be to get people on your list. Once they are on your list, you will have multiple opportunities to sell to them. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to sell high-end services too soon before prospects get a chance to know you and appreciate your expertise. Get them on your list first, and then as they come to appreciate you as a resource and trusted advisor through your articles and tips, start telling them gradually about your services and products. Here are six steps you can take right now to shift your website from ineffective to a continual sales generator: Have a way to automatically capture prospects names and email addresses. There are many excellent services that can automate this for you such as 1 Shopping Cart, A Weber, or Get Response. Make sure your opt-in box and call to action to capture leads are at the top of every page. Create an enticing offer that prospects will clamor to get and will gladly give you their name and email address to receive. Review your homepage to ensure that it’s mainly about your prospects and their challenges and not all about you. Write a compelling headline using your keywords for each page of your website. Develop a clear path for prospects to follow from the initial subscription to your list to something free or low-cost, then on up to medium and higher priced products and services. This is often called your “marketing funnel”. Do all these things, and you should start seeing more subscribers added to your list and more sales at your website. ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our FemalePreneurs.com Inner Circle Mentoring and Mastermind Program and start kicking your business into high gear today! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, website tips, women entrepreneur Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Is your website bringing you all the sales and opportunities you want? Over the years as I have studied marketing best practices and mentored thousands of women entrepreneurs in marketing and growing their business, I have observed what works and what doesn’t work in creating effective websites that sell. All too often I have seen entrepreneurs and professionals spend thousands of dollars on pretty but ineffective websites. They pay someone for a lovely design but that person may not know the basics of how your website needs to be designed so that you get more leads and more sales. Here are the mistakes I see and the steps to fix them: Mistake 1: No Way to Capture Leads The number one goal of your website should be to capture names and email addresses of prospects so you can get your message in front of them over and over. You’ll want to automate this system with one of the many services that will do this for you. Mistake 2: Opt-In Box and Call to Action Not Visible Your opt-in box for your free offer and to subscribe to your list needs to be at the top of every page of your website. Top left is ideal, or in the header or top right are excellent too. All too often, these boxes are hidden far down the page. Make it very easy for people to find it as soon as they come to your site. A call to action is what tells people what to do next. Don’t assume they will know. Say “click here now to get your free report” or “enter your name to receive your free gift instantly”. Mistake 3: No Compelling Offer to a Specific Target Audience This is the biggest mistake I see. There are two aspects to this. First, the target market is too broad or general. Second, there is nothing offered that is compelling enough for these ideal prospects to exchange their name and email address for. It’s not enough now to say “sign up for my newsletter”. You need to make it much more enticing. Offer something that will solve a problem for your marketplace. Offer something they’ll get instantly - such as a special report, tips lists, audio class or e-course, a quiz or assessment, a CD or a video - and let them know they’ll also receive your ezine or weekly tips. Mistake 4: A Homepage That Is All About You When someone visits your website, the first thing they want to know is “what’s in it for me?” They want to know that you understand them and their challenges before they want to know about you. The mistake I see too often is the website owner’s mission statement or vision or credentials first thing on the homepage. Make the beginning paragraphs about your prospects, not about you. Show them that you identify with them and understand their frustrations, and only then let them know how you can help them. Mistake 5: No Compelling Headline on Each Page A headline serves two purposes: to capture people’s attention so they will want to read more, and to tell the search engines what your site is all about. Search engines look for key words or phrases in your headlines and first two paragraphs of text, and so do people. When prospects see that you understand them and you’re talking to them, they’ll want to read more. Mistake 6: No Clear Path for Prospects to Follow Keep your navigation at your site very simple and guide people through so they aren’t overwhelmed at your home page by too many options. The main goal of your website should be to get people on your list. Once they are on your list, you will have multiple opportunities to sell to them. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of trying to sell high-end services too soon before prospects get a chance to know you and appreciate your expertise. Get them on your list first, and then as they come to appreciate you as a resource and trusted advisor through your articles and tips, start telling them gradually about your services and products. Here are six steps you can take right now to shift your website from ineffective to a continual sales generator: Have a way to automatically capture prospects names and email addresses. There are many excellent services that can automate this for you such as 1 Shopping Cart, A Weber, or Get Response. Make sure your opt-in box and call to action to capture leads are at the top of every page. Create an enticing offer that prospects will clamor to get and will gladly give you their name and email address to receive. Review your homepage to ensure that it’s mainly about your prospects and their challenges and not all about you. Write a compelling headline using your keywords for each page of your website. Develop a clear path for prospects to follow from the initial subscription to your list to something free or low-cost, then on up to medium and higher priced products and services. This is often called your “marketing funnel”. Do all these things, and you should start seeing more subscribers added to your list and more sales at your website. ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our FemalePreneurs.com Inner Circle Mentoring and Mastermind Program and start kicking your business into high gear today! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, website tips, women entrepreneur tag:odeo.com,2009-07-08,24772306 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:12:27 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, women entrepreneur, website tips Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24739617-Relationship-Marketing-The-Secret-to-Small-Business-Success Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article If you’re in business today, it’s all about relationships. I have noticed that the more I focus on adding value and deepening relationships with potential and existing clients, the more effortlessly my business grows. I’d like to share a few tips with you that I’ve learned about developing relationships through web-based marketing. Relationship marketing is the process of attracting, maintaining, and enhancing relationships with clients and prospective customers. It’s taking traditional marketing up a notch. It’s setting out to make strong connections with those who will potentially buy your products or services. A small business may not have the financial clout of the bigger firms in the marketplace, but there are advantages to being small. You may have less visibility, but you have more personality. You might not have a sizable marketing budget, but you do have something beyond the... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article If you’re in business today, it’s all about relationships. I have noticed that the more I focus on adding value and deepening relationships with potential and existing clients, the more effortlessly my business grows. I’d like to share a few tips with you that I’ve learned about developing relationships through web-based marketing. Relationship marketing is the process of attracting, maintaining, and enhancing relationships with clients and prospective customers. It’s taking traditional marketing up a notch. It’s setting out to make strong connections with those who will potentially buy your products or services. A small business may not have the financial clout of the bigger firms in the marketplace, but there are advantages to being small. You may have less visibility, but you have more personality. You might not have a sizable marketing budget, but you do have something beyond the reach of the big guys – the ability to create truly personal relationships with your clients. Despite all our technological advances, the truth is that people want to be known and recognized. They make decisions based on their personal affiliations and the level of trust they feel toward someone. Build Relationships on the Web You can build relationships on the web by attracting prospects and customers and inviting them to visit your web site. Make it easy for them to find you by listing with search engines and participating in social networking and discussion groups. Join in – or take the time to host – and raise your web profile. Focus on Them, not You Often small businesses make the mistake of focusing their websites solely on their products and services. You can get an edge in the marketplace by approaching prospects in a more personal manner. Do some research into the needs of your clients and think about how your product or service answers their need – and develop your website accordingly. First Impressions Count See your website as a way that you can assist people. Invite them in. Make it an easy and useful experience. Attract them by offering lots of free, valuable information on an ongoing basis. Ask them if they would like to participate in an ongoing relationship… thereby creating a database of visitors, potential customers and clients. People are more likely to trust someone they have a relationship with. If prospects feel looked after and cared about, they’ll come back for more. You market to them by building their confidence in you. They will come to trust your expertise – and the relationship begins. Let Prospects See You as an Expert Source In web-based marketing, the relationships you build allow your contacts to see you as an expert resource, someone who knows what they are talking about and is willing to share that knowledge. And this is a vital step in convincing prospects that your product or service is of value. Stay in Touch Keep in contact with your current client list by developing a weekly or twice-monthly email newsletter or tips list. When you invite prospects to sign up, make sure the benefit of receiving your newsletter is very clear. Make it easy to opt-in and opt-out of your subscriber list. Reassure subscribers that you will not use their contact information inappropriately – and keep that promise. The purpose of the ezine is to establish your credibility as an expert in your field, so be sure that your ezine provides information of value to your clients, and keep the sales pitch to a minimum. Build a Solid Foundation As you grow your business, how you relate to clients and prospects will become more and more important. Your communication skills, the strength of your interpersonal relations, your ability to put yourself in your prospects’ shoes, all play a part in building a solid foundation for creating successful relationships with the people who you hope will want to buy from you. If you build a good relationship with a client and he or she is happy with your services, you’ve not only made a friend, you’ve created brand loyalty. Treasure it – it is the hallmark of success. Relationship marketing is the ability to build and maintain close relationships with current clients and prospective customers. There are a number of ways you can develop client trust and nurture long-term relationships: Build credibility by taking a personal approach. Make it easy to contact you. Make sure your telephone, address and email are listed on your website. Invite visitors to contact you with questions. Establish a quick response time to enquiries - 24 hours is good. Use relationship-oriented thinking when developing your website or blog, and update it frequently. It takes five to seven contacts before a person is ready to buy a product or service from you. Give them a reason to come back again. Offer something of value for free. Demonstrate your expertise by making it easy for visitors to your site to find good information. Offer tools that help your clients meet their goals. Include a variety of resources or links on your site. Offer good support for users of your products and services. © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, relationship marketing, women entrepreneur Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article If you’re in business today, it’s all about relationships. I have noticed that the more I focus on adding value and deepening relationships with potential and existing clients, the more effortlessly my business grows. I’d like to share a few tips with you that I’ve learned about developing relationships through web-based marketing. Relationship marketing is the process of attracting, maintaining, and enhancing relationships with clients and prospective customers. It’s taking traditional marketing up a notch. It’s setting out to make strong connections with those who will potentially buy your products or services. A small business may not have the financial clout of the bigger firms in the marketplace, but there are advantages to being small. You may have less visibility, but you have more personality. You might not have a sizable marketing budget, but you do have something beyond the reach of the big guys – the ability to create truly personal relationships with your clients. Despite all our technological advances, the truth is that people want to be known and recognized. They make decisions based on their personal affiliations and the level of trust they feel toward someone. Build Relationships on the Web You can build relationships on the web by attracting prospects and customers and inviting them to visit your web site. Make it easy for them to find you by listing with search engines and participating in social networking and discussion groups. Join in – or take the time to host – and raise your web profile. Focus on Them, not You Often small businesses make the mistake of focusing their websites solely on their products and services. You can get an edge in the marketplace by approaching prospects in a more personal manner. Do some research into the needs of your clients and think about how your product or service answers their need – and develop your website accordingly. First Impressions Count See your website as a way that you can assist people. Invite them in. Make it an easy and useful experience. Attract them by offering lots of free, valuable information on an ongoing basis. Ask them if they would like to participate in an ongoing relationship… thereby creating a database of visitors, potential customers and clients. People are more likely to trust someone they have a relationship with. If prospects feel looked after and cared about, they’ll come back for more. You market to them by building their confidence in you. They will come to trust your expertise – and the relationship begins. Let Prospects See You as an Expert Source In web-based marketing, the relationships you build allow your contacts to see you as an expert resource, someone who knows what they are talking about and is willing to share that knowledge. And this is a vital step in convincing prospects that your product or service is of value. Stay in Touch Keep in contact with your current client list by developing a weekly or twice-monthly email newsletter or tips list. When you invite prospects to sign up, make sure the benefit of receiving your newsletter is very clear. Make it easy to opt-in and opt-out of your subscriber list. Reassure subscribers that you will not use their contact information inappropriately – and keep that promise. The purpose of the ezine is to establish your credibility as an expert in your field, so be sure that your ezine provides information of value to your clients, and keep the sales pitch to a minimum. Build a Solid Foundation As you grow your business, how you relate to clients and prospects will become more and more important. Your communication skills, the strength of your interpersonal relations, your ability to put yourself in your prospects’ shoes, all play a part in building a solid foundation for creating successful relationships with the people who you hope will want to buy from you. If you build a good relationship with a client and he or she is happy with your services, you’ve not only made a friend, you’ve created brand loyalty. Treasure it – it is the hallmark of success. Relationship marketing is the ability to build and maintain close relationships with current clients and prospective customers. There are a number of ways you can develop client trust and nurture long-term relationships: Build credibility by taking a personal approach. Make it easy to contact you. Make sure your telephone, address and email are listed on your website. Invite visitors to contact you with questions. Establish a quick response time to enquiries - 24 hours is good. Use relationship-oriented thinking when developing your website or blog, and update it frequently. It takes five to seven contacts before a person is ready to buy a product or service from you. Give them a reason to come back again. Offer something of value for free. Demonstrate your expertise by making it easy for visitors to your site to find good information. Offer tools that help your clients meet their goals. Include a variety of resources or links on your site. Offer good support for users of your products and services. © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, relationship marketing, women entrepreneur tag:odeo.com,2009-06-25,24739617 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:56:02 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, relationship marketing, women entrepreneur Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24688441-13-Great-Ways-to-Spin-off-Your-eBook Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article I’m a big fan of repurposing everything I do. I like to take anything I write or speak about and find ways to use it multiple times. If you have written an ebook or special report, or given a workshop on your favorite topic, here are thirteen different ways you can repurpose your original content: #1. Give Away Free Reports Package an eBook chapter as a bonus giveaway when you sell products online, or to thank people for signing up for your newsletter, or as an incentive to buy the complete eBook. #2. Print & Bind your eBook If you print off a copy of your completed eBook (or create a digital file), you can take it to your local printer for copying & binding. This will give you a hard copy of your book that you can, for example, sell at conferences, speaking engagements, or other networking events. You can also offer copies of free chapters to promote your book. #3. Publish Articles Online Promote your eB... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article I’m a big fan of repurposing everything I do. I like to take anything I write or speak about and find ways to use it multiple times. If you have written an ebook or special report, or given a workshop on your favorite topic, here are thirteen different ways you can repurpose your original content: #1. Give Away Free Reports Package an eBook chapter as a bonus giveaway when you sell products online, or to thank people for signing up for your newsletter, or as an incentive to buy the complete eBook. #2. Print & Bind your eBook If you print off a copy of your completed eBook (or create a digital file), you can take it to your local printer for copying & binding. This will give you a hard copy of your book that you can, for example, sell at conferences, speaking engagements, or other networking events. You can also offer copies of free chapters to promote your book. #3. Publish Articles Online Promote your eBook by posting articles online. Write a short introduction to your eBook that could easily be submitted as a stand-alone article. Your bio, posted at the bottom of the article, includes a link to your eBook sales page. #4. Create a Tips Booklet Create a short list of tips that can be published in a brochure or small booklet. Get it copied or printed, and hand it out or sell it at networking events, seminars, conferences, etc. Include information on your other products and services. You could also get someone to sponsor your tips list with their ad on the back or make bulk sales to a corporate account. #5. Write an eCourse An ecourse is a series of lessons that are typically received via email either daily or weekly. You could choose, for example, to create some action steps for each chapter in your eBook. Each chapter would inspire a lesson. You would summarize the chapter, and add action steps for that day or week. #6. Develop a Workbook A workbook can be a companion to your eBook - or it can be a stand alone entity. Similar to an ecourse, you create a series of lessons based on the chapters of your eBook, and then ask questions to help the reader brainstorm their problem and find solutions. You may assign tasks for the day or week that will help them stay motivated and learn how to do what you are suggesting they can do. You can summarize each workbook chapter with action steps that the reader can take to achieve the goals you’ve suggested they set. #7. Make a How-To / Training Manual A training manual is similar to a workbook, but it is more technically based, and offers step-by-step applications and how-to information to assist the reader to become functional in using your system or product. #8. Wrap up a Home Study Course If you package your audio materials with an eBook and/or a workbook, you can market them as a ‘home study’ course. You can charge a much higher price for this as a premium product. #9. Blog It Use your chapter titles and your information to create content for your Blog. Regularly post tips & action steps on your blog with a link to your eBook page, sample chapters, free reports, and newsletter sign-up. #10. Start a Teleclass/Teleseminar A teleclass is a class you offer over the telephone, using special technology called a ‘bridge line’ that allows a number of callers to be on the line at the same time. You can be interactive with callers, present your information, give them action steps to take and answer questions. It can be a valuable way of delivering information, since the questions that come up and the feedback you get can help you refine and develop your information products. You could offer a free teleclass as a promotional vehicle for your eBook and other products or offer a paid series based on your book. #11. Create an Online Seminar or Webinar Modern technology has added web-conferencing to the list of things we can do from our home office. A web-based seminar is similar to a teleseminar, except you are on the web instead of on the phone. Like a webcast, a webinar allows you to present, lecture, give a seminar or workshop, but it goes a step further and allows interaction - essentially allows you to give and receive information with a group online. #12. Record Single or Multiple CD Sets You can develop your eBook chapters into audio presentations. One simple way to do this is have someone interview you on the subject of your eBook or one of its chapters, and record that interview for reproduction. Or you may choose to record a summary of each chapter and present further information as though you were lecturing on the subject. You could also develop a lecture series based on chapters of your eBook and package them as a multiple CD set. #13. Get into Podcasting Podcasting is offering a short broadcast of material using the web as a vehicle for delivery. Some people use podcasting as a form of audio blogging, others use it as a delivery system for audio files they’ve created from teleclasses and teleseminars, etc. In podcasting, you offer a download of an audio file (an MP3) which may be played on a computer, burned onto a CD, or added to an MP3 player. The more ways you think of to repurpose your content, the more you reinforce your expert status and the more money you will make. Include some of these 13 ideas in your information publishing business plan and watch your business take off! ——————————————————————- MY NEW GROUP COACHING PROGRAM TO CREATE INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND PASSIVE INCOME STARTS JUNE 15TH. As a BONUS, you’ll receive my ebook “Publish eBooks for Profit: The Complete Guide to Selling Information Products Online”. If you want to learn how to publish and sell ebooks, reports, ecourses, audio, video and other information products, check out my new 3 month group coaching program. Register Here for Online Profits with Information Products. Starts Monday June 15th. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: publish ebooks, write ebooks, sell information products, passive income, lead generation, information marketing Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article I’m a big fan of repurposing everything I do. I like to take anything I write or speak about and find ways to use it multiple times. If you have written an ebook or special report, or given a workshop on your favorite topic, here are thirteen different ways you can repurpose your original content: #1. Give Away Free Reports Package an eBook chapter as a bonus giveaway when you sell products online, or to thank people for signing up for your newsletter, or as an incentive to buy the complete eBook. #2. Print & Bind your eBook If you print off a copy of your completed eBook (or create a digital file), you can take it to your local printer for copying & binding. This will give you a hard copy of your book that you can, for example, sell at conferences, speaking engagements, or other networking events. You can also offer copies of free chapters to promote your book. #3. Publish Articles Online Promote your eBook by posting articles online. Write a short introduction to your eBook that could easily be submitted as a stand-alone article. Your bio, posted at the bottom of the article, includes a link to your eBook sales page. #4. Create a Tips Booklet Create a short list of tips that can be published in a brochure or small booklet. Get it copied or printed, and hand it out or sell it at networking events, seminars, conferences, etc. Include information on your other products and services. You could also get someone to sponsor your tips list with their ad on the back or make bulk sales to a corporate account. #5. Write an eCourse An ecourse is a series of lessons that are typically received via email either daily or weekly. You could choose, for example, to create some action steps for each chapter in your eBook. Each chapter would inspire a lesson. You would summarize the chapter, and add action steps for that day or week. #6. Develop a Workbook A workbook can be a companion to your eBook - or it can be a stand alone entity. Similar to an ecourse, you create a series of lessons based on the chapters of your eBook, and then ask questions to help the reader brainstorm their problem and find solutions. You may assign tasks for the day or week that will help them stay motivated and learn how to do what you are suggesting they can do. You can summarize each workbook chapter with action steps that the reader can take to achieve the goals you’ve suggested they set. #7. Make a How-To / Training Manual A training manual is similar to a workbook, but it is more technically based, and offers step-by-step applications and how-to information to assist the reader to become functional in using your system or product. #8. Wrap up a Home Study Course If you package your audio materials with an eBook and/or a workbook, you can market them as a ‘home study’ course. You can charge a much higher price for this as a premium product. #9. Blog It Use your chapter titles and your information to create content for your Blog. Regularly post tips & action steps on your blog with a link to your eBook page, sample chapters, free reports, and newsletter sign-up. #10. Start a Teleclass/Teleseminar A teleclass is a class you offer over the telephone, using special technology called a ‘bridge line’ that allows a number of callers to be on the line at the same time. You can be interactive with callers, present your information, give them action steps to take and answer questions. It can be a valuable way of delivering information, since the questions that come up and the feedback you get can help you refine and develop your information products. You could offer a free teleclass as a promotional vehicle for your eBook and other products or offer a paid series based on your book. #11. Create an Online Seminar or Webinar Modern technology has added web-conferencing to the list of things we can do from our home office. A web-based seminar is similar to a teleseminar, except you are on the web instead of on the phone. Like a webcast, a webinar allows you to present, lecture, give a seminar or workshop, but it goes a step further and allows interaction - essentially allows you to give and receive information with a group online. #12. Record Single or Multiple CD Sets You can develop your eBook chapters into audio presentations. One simple way to do this is have someone interview you on the subject of your eBook or one of its chapters, and record that interview for reproduction. Or you may choose to record a summary of each chapter and present further information as though you were lecturing on the subject. You could also develop a lecture series based on chapters of your eBook and package them as a multiple CD set. #13. Get into Podcasting Podcasting is offering a short broadcast of material using the web as a vehicle for delivery. Some people use podcasting as a form of audio blogging, others use it as a delivery system for audio files they’ve created from teleclasses and teleseminars, etc. In podcasting, you offer a download of an audio file (an MP3) which may be played on a computer, burned onto a CD, or added to an MP3 player. The more ways you think of to repurpose your content, the more you reinforce your expert status and the more money you will make. Include some of these 13 ideas in your information publishing business plan and watch your business take off! ——————————————————————- MY NEW GROUP COACHING PROGRAM TO CREATE INFORMATION PRODUCTS AND PASSIVE INCOME STARTS JUNE 15TH. As a BONUS, you’ll receive my ebook “Publish eBooks for Profit: The Complete Guide to Selling Information Products Online”. If you want to learn how to publish and sell ebooks, reports, ecourses, audio, video and other information products, check out my new 3 month group coaching program. Register Here for Online Profits with Information Products. Starts Monday June 15th. ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: publish ebooks, write ebooks, sell information products, passive income, lead generation, information marketing tag:odeo.com,2009-06-10,24688441 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:18:34 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24653667-Publish-eBooks-for-Profit-Free-Teleseminar Jun 4 5:00 pm “Publish eBooks for Profit: How to Create and Sell Information Products Online to Achieve Expert Status and Make Passive Income” LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Trading hours for dollars in your professional service business will never bring you wealth or freedom. How can you make more money and have more time off? By creating ebooks and other information products to add a nice additional revenue stream to your business and bring in passive income. Join us in this teleclass to learn how to create and sell ebooks, how to get through resistance to writing, and how to package, promote, and sell your ebooks online. You can use an ebook to position yourself as an expert in your niche. On the call, you’ll learn how to…. * find compelling reasons why you should write an ebook * research topics that will sell * choose hot topics and titles for your ebook * create a simple marketing plan and timeline for your ebook project * use mind maps to tap into your cre... Jun 4 5:00 pm “Publish eBooks for Profit: How to Create and Sell Information Products Online to Achieve Expert Status and Make Passive Income” LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Trading hours for dollars in your professional service business will never bring you wealth or freedom. How can you make more money and have more time off? By creating ebooks and other information products to add a nice additional revenue stream to your business and bring in passive income. Join us in this teleclass to learn how to create and sell ebooks, how to get through resistance to writing, and how to package, promote, and sell your ebooks online. You can use an ebook to position yourself as an expert in your niche. On the call, you’ll learn how to…. * find compelling reasons why you should write an ebook * research topics that will sell * choose hot topics and titles for your ebook * create a simple marketing plan and timeline for your ebook project * use mind maps to tap into your creativity and authentic message * overcome resistance to writing and writers block * enroll support and assistance to complete your writing projects * make layout and design decisions * choose publishing and pricing strategies * market and promote your ebooks, reports and workbooks * sell your ebook online at your website This call is a preview of my new 90 day coaching program “Online Profits with Information Products” that starts in June. You can complete an information product over the summer and add additional revenue streams to you business. That’s’ a great strategy in this recession! Details on that program are here Online Profits with Information Products Jun 4 5:00 pm “Publish eBooks for Profit: How to Create and Sell Information Products Online to Achieve Expert Status and Make Passive Income” LISTEN TO THE AUDIO REPLAY HERE. Trading hours for dollars in your professional service business will never bring you wealth or freedom. How can you make more money and have more time off? By creating ebooks and other information products to add a nice additional revenue stream to your business and bring in passive income. Join us in this teleclass to learn how to create and sell ebooks, how to get through resistance to writing, and how to package, promote, and sell your ebooks online. You can use an ebook to position yourself as an expert in your niche. On the call, you’ll learn how to…. * find compelling reasons why you should write an ebook * research topics that will sell * choose hot topics and titles for your ebook * create a simple marketing plan and timeline for your ebook project * use mind maps to tap into your creativity and authentic message * overcome resistance to writing and writers block * enroll support and assistance to complete your writing projects * make layout and design decisions * choose publishing and pricing strategies * market and promote your ebooks, reports and workbooks * sell your ebook online at your website This call is a preview of my new 90 day coaching program “Online Profits with Information Products” that starts in June. You can complete an information product over the summer and add additional revenue streams to you business. That’s’ a great strategy in this recession! Details on that program are here Online Profits with Information Products tag:odeo.com,2009-06-03,24653667 Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:39:13 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Information Marketing, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women, * Events & Teleseminars for Women Entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24618827-Publish-eBooks-for-Profit Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article There has never been better time to write an eBook. Ebooks and other “How-To” Manuals are the hottest thing selling on the internet right now. There is a phenomenal global potential to distribute information products using the Internet. Writing about what you know and publishing it in eBooks is one of the most effective ways to grow your professional service business. Publishing information products can help you become a recognized authority in your area of expertise as well as substantially increase your income. Writing an eBook or other information product will help you to: market and grow your business focus your energy and business efforts develop a strong reputation establish yourself as a recognized expert in your field stand out in a crowded marketplace attract traffic to your web site gain you new clients with less effort get you noticed by the media expand your business globally command much higher... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article There has never been better time to write an eBook. Ebooks and other “How-To” Manuals are the hottest thing selling on the internet right now. There is a phenomenal global potential to distribute information products using the Internet. Writing about what you know and publishing it in eBooks is one of the most effective ways to grow your professional service business. Publishing information products can help you become a recognized authority in your area of expertise as well as substantially increase your income. Writing an eBook or other information product will help you to: market and grow your business focus your energy and business efforts develop a strong reputation establish yourself as a recognized expert in your field stand out in a crowded marketplace attract traffic to your web site gain you new clients with less effort get you noticed by the media expand your business globally command much higher fees earn passive income With all those advantages, writing an eBook or information product would seem like a great thing to do. And it is. Here are some tips to get you off to great start: Choose a Subject for Your eBook or How-To Manual Research the needs of your target market Get feedback from your current clients and customers Decide on a topic and research it well Get clear on the benefits of your solution for your target audience Create an Outline An outline is a roadmap for the subjects you plan to cover as you write - the steps to the solution you have for the problem your target market has. Brainstorm ideas about everything you want to share on your subject. Write ten points you want your readers to know about your topic. Define the problem your target market has, and the solutions you have for each of their specific challenges. This becomes the outline for your book. Transfer this list to a table of contents. Expand on each point. Create a new directory folder on your computer for your eBook project. Define Your Book Topic Define your book topic in a one or two sentence description to bring your entire project into focus. Define the core of your message and build everything around that. Create a ‘book hook’ to position yourself as an expert. Guidelines for Focused Productivity While Writing Your eBook You will have to have to commit a certain amount of time and take focused, consistent action to achieve results. Set an intention and make the commitment to make this project your number one priority Focus your writing time: commit to writing in large blocks of time, or at least 2 hours a day, or 3 to 5 pages a day. Begin each day with your number one priority - writing your eBook. Enroll the support of a writing partner, a group, or a coach. You Can Position Yourself As An Expert by Writing An eBook One of the great advantages of creating a product is that you can position yourself as an expert or specialist in your field by writing an eBook, workbook or program for your niche market. As an expert, you will be able to charge much higher fees for your services because specialized knowledge and services are much more highly valued than general information. Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your field is a smart marketing strategy. It takes work, a good plan, and support to achieve expert status, but it’s well worth the effort to take this approach as part of your long-term business development strategy. The media will call you, associations will ask you to speak at their events, and you will start to stand out, get noticed, and get hired. Take action today to commit your words to paper - or computer. Start by believing in your own expertise. Then, step-by-step start to position yourself as a credible authority by writing ebooks and other information products. Over time, you can declare expert status. If you would like to see my valuable resource guide on Publishing ebooks and other information products, go to Publish eBooks for Profit:The Complete Guide to Selling Information Products Online. Technorati Tags: publish ebooks, write ebooks, sell information products, passive income, lead generation, information marketing Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article There has never been better time to write an eBook. Ebooks and other “How-To” Manuals are the hottest thing selling on the internet right now. There is a phenomenal global potential to distribute information products using the Internet. Writing about what you know and publishing it in eBooks is one of the most effective ways to grow your professional service business. Publishing information products can help you become a recognized authority in your area of expertise as well as substantially increase your income. Writing an eBook or other information product will help you to: market and grow your business focus your energy and business efforts develop a strong reputation establish yourself as a recognized expert in your field stand out in a crowded marketplace attract traffic to your web site gain you new clients with less effort get you noticed by the media expand your business globally command much higher fees earn passive income With all those advantages, writing an eBook or information product would seem like a great thing to do. And it is. Here are some tips to get you off to great start: Choose a Subject for Your eBook or How-To Manual Research the needs of your target market Get feedback from your current clients and customers Decide on a topic and research it well Get clear on the benefits of your solution for your target audience Create an Outline An outline is a roadmap for the subjects you plan to cover as you write - the steps to the solution you have for the problem your target market has. Brainstorm ideas about everything you want to share on your subject. Write ten points you want your readers to know about your topic. Define the problem your target market has, and the solutions you have for each of their specific challenges. This becomes the outline for your book. Transfer this list to a table of contents. Expand on each point. Create a new directory folder on your computer for your eBook project. Define Your Book Topic Define your book topic in a one or two sentence description to bring your entire project into focus. Define the core of your message and build everything around that. Create a ‘book hook’ to position yourself as an expert. Guidelines for Focused Productivity While Writing Your eBook You will have to have to commit a certain amount of time and take focused, consistent action to achieve results. Set an intention and make the commitment to make this project your number one priority Focus your writing time: commit to writing in large blocks of time, or at least 2 hours a day, or 3 to 5 pages a day. Begin each day with your number one priority - writing your eBook. Enroll the support of a writing partner, a group, or a coach. You Can Position Yourself As An Expert by Writing An eBook One of the great advantages of creating a product is that you can position yourself as an expert or specialist in your field by writing an eBook, workbook or program for your niche market. As an expert, you will be able to charge much higher fees for your services because specialized knowledge and services are much more highly valued than general information. Positioning yourself as the go-to person in your field is a smart marketing strategy. It takes work, a good plan, and support to achieve expert status, but it’s well worth the effort to take this approach as part of your long-term business development strategy. The media will call you, associations will ask you to speak at their events, and you will start to stand out, get noticed, and get hired. Take action today to commit your words to paper - or computer. Start by believing in your own expertise. Then, step-by-step start to position yourself as a credible authority by writing ebooks and other information products. Over time, you can declare expert status. If you would like to see my valuable resource guide on Publishing ebooks and other information products, go to Publish eBooks for Profit:The Complete Guide to Selling Information Products Online. Technorati Tags: publish ebooks, write ebooks, sell information products, passive income, lead generation, information marketing tag:odeo.com,2009-05-28,24618827 Thu, 28 May 2009 03:12:42 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Information Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24545199-Is-Your-Marketing-Message-Targeted-and-Powerful Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. For your marketing message to be really powerful and effective, it needs to be very targeted and specific. You’ll want to define who the ideal prospects are who could most benefit from your products and services, and include that in your message. You’ll also want to really understand their most pressing issues and challenges so that you can demonstrate that you provide targeted solutions to their problems. Here are three steps you can take to target your marketing message more specifically: 1. Define your target market When you started your business and wrote your business plan, you spent some time defining your target market. Now is the time to be really clear about who this target group is that you want to attract. Define who they are, where they work, where they live, what they read, how old they are, what groups they belong to, what magazines they read, and how much they earn. Be as specific as possibl... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. For your marketing message to be really powerful and effective, it needs to be very targeted and specific. You’ll want to define who the ideal prospects are who could most benefit from your products and services, and include that in your message. You’ll also want to really understand their most pressing issues and challenges so that you can demonstrate that you provide targeted solutions to their problems. Here are three steps you can take to target your marketing message more specifically: 1. Define your target market When you started your business and wrote your business plan, you spent some time defining your target market. Now is the time to be really clear about who this target group is that you want to attract. Define who they are, where they work, where they live, what they read, how old they are, what groups they belong to, what magazines they read, and how much they earn. Be as specific as possible. 2. Create a profile of your ideal client It’s helpful to imagine your message will attract one specific person. Be clear on their specific characteristics, key challenges, problems, frustrations, desires and needs. For example, a professional service provider specializing in career transition might market directly to a female executive age 45 who lives in New York, earns $150,000 or more a year, is on the verge of burnout, wants out of her job, and is looking for solutions to manage stress or leave her job, belongs to the local executive women’s network, and reads Executive Women Magazine. You get the idea. You need to be very clear and specific about who your ideal prospect is. Have this profile handy whenever you write a talk, an article or a blog post so that you can write or speak directly to that person using words that will appeal specifically to them. 3. Understand the problems and challenges in your niche market Get to know the people in your defined market. Attend networking events, workshops and conferences. Go online to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, go to blogs, forums, and groups like Google groups or Yahoo groups that have interactive mailing lists. Do some market research. Find out about their greatest needs and challenges, their most pressing problems, and their biggest frustrations. If you don’t know, ask them for feedback by email or phone, take them to lunch, or conduct a survey. Do these three things so that your message will carry more impact and will resonate with the specific clients you most want to attract. Incorporate your research into all of your marketing messages so that they will be more targeted and powerful. ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our FemalePreneurs.com *Ask The Experts* Business Success Coaching Club and start kicking your business into high gear today! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, niche marketing, small business marketing articles Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. For your marketing message to be really powerful and effective, it needs to be very targeted and specific. You’ll want to define who the ideal prospects are who could most benefit from your products and services, and include that in your message. You’ll also want to really understand their most pressing issues and challenges so that you can demonstrate that you provide targeted solutions to their problems. Here are three steps you can take to target your marketing message more specifically: 1. Define your target market When you started your business and wrote your business plan, you spent some time defining your target market. Now is the time to be really clear about who this target group is that you want to attract. Define who they are, where they work, where they live, what they read, how old they are, what groups they belong to, what magazines they read, and how much they earn. Be as specific as possible. 2. Create a profile of your ideal client It’s helpful to imagine your message will attract one specific person. Be clear on their specific characteristics, key challenges, problems, frustrations, desires and needs. For example, a professional service provider specializing in career transition might market directly to a female executive age 45 who lives in New York, earns $150,000 or more a year, is on the verge of burnout, wants out of her job, and is looking for solutions to manage stress or leave her job, belongs to the local executive women’s network, and reads Executive Women Magazine. You get the idea. You need to be very clear and specific about who your ideal prospect is. Have this profile handy whenever you write a talk, an article or a blog post so that you can write or speak directly to that person using words that will appeal specifically to them. 3. Understand the problems and challenges in your niche market Get to know the people in your defined market. Attend networking events, workshops and conferences. Go online to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, go to blogs, forums, and groups like Google groups or Yahoo groups that have interactive mailing lists. Do some market research. Find out about their greatest needs and challenges, their most pressing problems, and their biggest frustrations. If you don’t know, ask them for feedback by email or phone, take them to lunch, or conduct a survey. Do these three things so that your message will carry more impact and will resonate with the specific clients you most want to attract. Incorporate your research into all of your marketing messages so that they will be more targeted and powerful. ………………………………………………………. Are you looking for proven business growth and internet marketing strategies that REALLY work? Get all the details here for our FemalePreneurs.com *Ask The Experts* Business Success Coaching Club and start kicking your business into high gear today! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.femalepreneurs.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Solo-Professional Women’.Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Prosperous Professional Women RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, niche marketing, small business marketing articles tag:odeo.com,2009-05-08,24545199 Fri, 08 May 2009 16:15:43 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore niche marketing, Small Business Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24490219-SWOT-Analysis Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. SWOT Analysis: Clarifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats One of the planning tools I use for my business is the SWOT analysis. It’s a great tool to be familiar with, and it has many applications. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Here are some tips on how you might use it for your small business. The SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing your small business and its environment – both internal and external. It forms an important part of your strategic planning process. SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your business, and the opportunities and threats you face. It is an important component of long term planning that takes into consideration many different internal and external factors, maximizing the potential of the strengths and opportunities while minimizing the impact of the weaknesses and threats to your business.... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. SWOT Analysis: Clarifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats One of the planning tools I use for my business is the SWOT analysis. It’s a great tool to be familiar with, and it has many applications. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Here are some tips on how you might use it for your small business. The SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing your small business and its environment – both internal and external. It forms an important part of your strategic planning process. SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your business, and the opportunities and threats you face. It is an important component of long term planning that takes into consideration many different internal and external factors, maximizing the potential of the strengths and opportunities while minimizing the impact of the weaknesses and threats to your business. It’s generally a good idea to carry out a SWOT analysis once a year as part of your strategic planning process. This analysis that takes into account not only your own business, but also your competitor’s activities and current industry and marketplace trends. The strengths and weaknesses are internally focused – they are about you, your company, and your services. The opportunities & threats are externally focused – they are about key opportunities or threats that are external to your company or that your services face. You can use this analysis as a very effective ways to identify different internal and external factors that will affect your business. Why use this tool? Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework helps you focus on your strengths, minimize weaknesses, take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available, and anticipate any threats to your business. How to create your SWOT analysis To begin the analysis, create a four-cell grid or four lists, one for each component: Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats. Then, begin filling in the lists. Internal Analysis: Examine the capabilities of your business by analyzing your company and services strengths and weaknesses. External Analysis: Do an ‘environmental analysis’. Identify opportunities for your business, and any threats or obstacles to performance. Enter the information you have collected into a table. You can use this information to help you develop a strategy that uses the strengths and opportunities, reduces the weaknesses and threats, and achieves the long term objectives of your business. Some examples: Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. For example: A strength could be: your specialist expertise a new, innovative product or service the location of your business top quality products, processes, and procedures A weakness could be: lack of marketing expertise undifferentiated products and service (i.e. in relation to your competitors) location of your business damaged reputation Opportunities and threats are external factors. For example: An opportunity could be: a new developing or international market a market vacated by an ineffective competitor new market segments that offer improved profits mergers, joint ventures, or strategic alliances A threat could be: a new competitor in your market price wars with competitors a competitor with a new, innovative product or service competitors with superior access to channels of distribution Guidelines for successful SWOT analysis A word of caution, SWOT analysis can be very subjective. Do not rely on it too much. Two people rarely come-up with the same final version of SWOT. be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your business be specific; avoid grey areas always analyze in context to your competition i.e. better than or worse than your competition keep your SWOT short and simple; avoid complexity and over analysis analysis should distinguish between where your business is today and where it actually could be in the future based on your current situation In Summary Completing a SWOT analysis helps you identify ways to maximize the strengths in your business while minimizing the effect of the weaknesses. Ideally, you will match your strengths against market opportunities that result from voids in your competitors’ products and services. You can also learn more about your own as well as competitor’s businesses and expand the reach of your SWOT analysis through the use of surveys. With a thorough SWOT analysis, you are sure to come away with newfound insights. Use these insights to increase your company’s effectiveness and as input to your strategic business and marketing plans. Take Action Start by listing all your small business strengths and weaknesses – the internal analysis. Focus on the strengths that can be leveraged in your marketplace to gain a competitive advantage. Identify the weaknesses of your small business and services that you can manage or overcome. The external analysis begins with a list of opportunities and threats – sometimes called issues. Identify key opportunities that you can capitalize on in your marketplace. Then, list the external threats or issues that could significantly impact your company or service. Here are some questions you can answer to determine your SWOT: Strengths What advantages do you have over other businesses? What do you do well that your competition can’t? What makes you stand out from your competitors? What do other people see as your strengths? In looking at your strengths, think about them in relation to your competitors - for example, if all of your competitors provide a certain type of service, this would not be a strength in your market, but rather, a necessity. Consider this from both your point of view and that of your clients. Don’t be modest. Be realistic. If you are having any difficulty with this, try writing down a list of your characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! Weaknesses What do you do badly? What do your customers complain about? What could you improve? Are your reputation and market presence as strong as they could be? What are the areas of struggle for your company? Do you have the staff and technology to provide top notch customer service? Do other people perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Are your competitors doing better than you? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible. Opportunities Where are the opportunities for your business or services? What are the trends in your area of specialty? Will changes in demographics, social patterns, or lifestyle changes affect your business? Is your business sector expanding? Are there emerging trends that fit with your company’s strengths? Is there a product/service area that others have not yet covered? A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. Try to uncover areas where your strengths are not being fully utilized. Also, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them. Threats What obstacles do you face? What is your competition doing? Are your competitors becoming stronger? Are the required specifications for your products or services changing? Do you see other external threats to your company’s success? Examine your weaknesses and ask yourself whether any of them could seriously threaten your business. Are there emerging trends that amplify one of your weaknesses? Internally, do you have financial, development, or other problems? Look both inside and outside of your company for things that could damage your business to see the big picture. Create a four-square grid to develop a preliminary SWOT analysis for your small business. List your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and strengths. If you have different niches or specialty areas, you might want to create separate lists. This information can then be included in your overall strategic plan. Carrying out this analysis will often be illuminating - both in terms of pointing out what needs to be done, and in putting problems into perspective. © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business planning Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. SWOT Analysis: Clarifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats One of the planning tools I use for my business is the SWOT analysis. It’s a great tool to be familiar with, and it has many applications. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Here are some tips on how you might use it for your small business. The SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing your small business and its environment – both internal and external. It forms an important part of your strategic planning process. SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your business, and the opportunities and threats you face. It is an important component of long term planning that takes into consideration many different internal and external factors, maximizing the potential of the strengths and opportunities while minimizing the impact of the weaknesses and threats to your business. It’s generally a good idea to carry out a SWOT analysis once a year as part of your strategic planning process. This analysis that takes into account not only your own business, but also your competitor’s activities and current industry and marketplace trends. The strengths and weaknesses are internally focused – they are about you, your company, and your services. The opportunities & threats are externally focused – they are about key opportunities or threats that are external to your company or that your services face. You can use this analysis as a very effective ways to identify different internal and external factors that will affect your business. Why use this tool? Carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework helps you focus on your strengths, minimize weaknesses, take the greatest possible advantage of opportunities available, and anticipate any threats to your business. How to create your SWOT analysis To begin the analysis, create a four-cell grid or four lists, one for each component: Strengths | Weaknesses | Opportunities | Threats. Then, begin filling in the lists. Internal Analysis: Examine the capabilities of your business by analyzing your company and services strengths and weaknesses. External Analysis: Do an ‘environmental analysis’. Identify opportunities for your business, and any threats or obstacles to performance. Enter the information you have collected into a table. You can use this information to help you develop a strategy that uses the strengths and opportunities, reduces the weaknesses and threats, and achieves the long term objectives of your business. Some examples: Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors. For example: A strength could be: your specialist expertise a new, innovative product or service the location of your business top quality products, processes, and procedures A weakness could be: lack of marketing expertise undifferentiated products and service (i.e. in relation to your competitors) location of your business damaged reputation Opportunities and threats are external factors. For example: An opportunity could be: a new developing or international market a market vacated by an ineffective competitor new market segments that offer improved profits mergers, joint ventures, or strategic alliances A threat could be: a new competitor in your market price wars with competitors a competitor with a new, innovative product or service competitors with superior access to channels of distribution Guidelines for successful SWOT analysis A word of caution, SWOT analysis can be very subjective. Do not rely on it too much. Two people rarely come-up with the same final version of SWOT. be realistic about the strengths and weaknesses of your business be specific; avoid grey areas always analyze in context to your competition i.e. better than or worse than your competition keep your SWOT short and simple; avoid complexity and over analysis analysis should distinguish between where your business is today and where it actually could be in the future based on your current situation In Summary Completing a SWOT analysis helps you identify ways to maximize the strengths in your business while minimizing the effect of the weaknesses. Ideally, you will match your strengths against market opportunities that result from voids in your competitors’ products and services. You can also learn more about your own as well as competitor’s businesses and expand the reach of your SWOT analysis through the use of surveys. With a thorough SWOT analysis, you are sure to come away with newfound insights. Use these insights to increase your company’s effectiveness and as input to your strategic business and marketing plans. Take Action Start by listing all your small business strengths and weaknesses – the internal analysis. Focus on the strengths that can be leveraged in your marketplace to gain a competitive advantage. Identify the weaknesses of your small business and services that you can manage or overcome. The external analysis begins with a list of opportunities and threats – sometimes called issues. Identify key opportunities that you can capitalize on in your marketplace. Then, list the external threats or issues that could significantly impact your company or service. Here are some questions you can answer to determine your SWOT: Strengths What advantages do you have over other businesses? What do you do well that your competition can’t? What makes you stand out from your competitors? What do other people see as your strengths? In looking at your strengths, think about them in relation to your competitors - for example, if all of your competitors provide a certain type of service, this would not be a strength in your market, but rather, a necessity. Consider this from both your point of view and that of your clients. Don’t be modest. Be realistic. If you are having any difficulty with this, try writing down a list of your characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! Weaknesses What do you do badly? What do your customers complain about? What could you improve? Are your reputation and market presence as strong as they could be? What are the areas of struggle for your company? Do you have the staff and technology to provide top notch customer service? Do other people perceive weaknesses that you do not see? Are your competitors doing better than you? It is best to be realistic now, and face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible. Opportunities Where are the opportunities for your business or services? What are the trends in your area of specialty? Will changes in demographics, social patterns, or lifestyle changes affect your business? Is your business sector expanding? Are there emerging trends that fit with your company’s strengths? Is there a product/service area that others have not yet covered? A useful approach to looking at opportunities is to look at your strengths and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. Try to uncover areas where your strengths are not being fully utilized. Also, look at your weaknesses and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating them. Threats What obstacles do you face? What is your competition doing? Are your competitors becoming stronger? Are the required specifications for your products or services changing? Do you see other external threats to your company’s success? Examine your weaknesses and ask yourself whether any of them could seriously threaten your business. Are there emerging trends that amplify one of your weaknesses? Internally, do you have financial, development, or other problems? Look both inside and outside of your company for things that could damage your business to see the big picture. Create a four-square grid to develop a preliminary SWOT analysis for your small business. List your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and strengths. If you have different niches or specialty areas, you might want to create separate lists. This information can then be included in your overall strategic plan. Carrying out this analysis will often be illuminating - both in terms of pointing out what needs to be done, and in putting problems into perspective. © Copyright Jan Marie Dore www.janmariedore.com All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Professional Women’s Success Coach’, Speaker and Author, publishes valuable marketing tips to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter and blog ‘Success Secrets for Solo Professional Women’. Jan Marie teaches women how to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com . RETURN TO DIRECTORY TO READ MORE SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING ARTICLES FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business planning tag:odeo.com,2009-04-22,24490219 Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:18:48 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, small business planning, Small Business Tips Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293180-Does-Your-Workspace-Inspire-You Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. The environments we surround ourselves with are often overlooked as a potential nurturance for both our work and our daily lives. Our surroundings shape the way we think and feel. Exceptional achievers make sure their surroundings reflect their commitment to perform at their best. Your office space can reflect your intention to do great work that makes a contribution to the world. It can provide aesthetic nourishment where the colors and textures of the interior space nourish your creativity and inspire you, or it can leave you feeling exhausted and unfocused. We need only to step into different offices to notice how they affect us. Close your eyes and picture this. It is morning, and you are walking into your office to start your work day. You step onto a lovely patterned carpet, and walk over to your beautiful, functional wooden desk. You sit in a very comfortable chair that supports your back, and gaze out the wind... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. The environments we surround ourselves with are often overlooked as a potential nurturance for both our work and our daily lives. Our surroundings shape the way we think and feel. Exceptional achievers make sure their surroundings reflect their commitment to perform at their best. Your office space can reflect your intention to do great work that makes a contribution to the world. It can provide aesthetic nourishment where the colors and textures of the interior space nourish your creativity and inspire you, or it can leave you feeling exhausted and unfocused. We need only to step into different offices to notice how they affect us. Close your eyes and picture this. It is morning, and you are walking into your office to start your work day. You step onto a lovely patterned carpet, and walk over to your beautiful, functional wooden desk. You sit in a very comfortable chair that supports your back, and gaze out the window at the sunny day. A fresh breeze blows in from the open window. You hear the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind. A large green plant is in the corner and a vase of fresh flowers is on your desk. A beautiful lamp infuses warmth and soft light throughout the room. Your eyes are drawn to a lovely piece of art on the wall, then to an artifact you bought on your latest trip, and then to an array of family photos. Would this type of space uplift your spirit and inspire you to do your best work? You bet it would! Yet, very few people take the time to create for themselves an office that is truly nourishing and uplifting. If our offices are beautiful and inspiring, then what is produced in those offices will have a sense of purpose and integrity. The challenge is to seek a way to occupy your office space in a way that harmonizes with your personality, energy, and purpose. Take Action Look closely at your workspace. What is the message that your office area currently communicates to you and others? What do you see that stimulates your creativity and inspires you to do your best work? If your workspace doesn’t currently nourish your creativity and effectiveness, take a moment to mentally create the perfect space for you to do your best work. Think about changes you could make, even if you’re on a limited budget, to create a more inspiring work environment. Could it be by moving your desk so that the view is more inspiring? Or by adding fresh flowers, a plant, or music? What about adding a water fountain, a wind chime, a poster, or a beautiful piece of art to your workspace? Or, choosing to write with pens in a rainbow of colors? Are your office and desk areas visually stimulating with lots of pictures, photographs, quotes, and memorabilia? Or, you may prefer a clean, uncluttered state for working. Only you know the type of surroundings you will thrive in. Determine what you need in your environment to inspire your best work. Decide how to change your space so you feel more inspired and creative - and watch your productivity and satisfaction levels soar! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: mindset & success, spirituality in business Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article. The environments we surround ourselves with are often overlooked as a potential nurturance for both our work and our daily lives. Our surroundings shape the way we think and feel. Exceptional achievers make sure their surroundings reflect their commitment to perform at their best. Your office space can reflect your intention to do great work that makes a contribution to the world. It can provide aesthetic nourishment where the colors and textures of the interior space nourish your creativity and inspire you, or it can leave you feeling exhausted and unfocused. We need only to step into different offices to notice how they affect us. Close your eyes and picture this. It is morning, and you are walking into your office to start your work day. You step onto a lovely patterned carpet, and walk over to your beautiful, functional wooden desk. You sit in a very comfortable chair that supports your back, and gaze out the window at the sunny day. A fresh breeze blows in from the open window. You hear the sounds of birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind. A large green plant is in the corner and a vase of fresh flowers is on your desk. A beautiful lamp infuses warmth and soft light throughout the room. Your eyes are drawn to a lovely piece of art on the wall, then to an artifact you bought on your latest trip, and then to an array of family photos. Would this type of space uplift your spirit and inspire you to do your best work? You bet it would! Yet, very few people take the time to create for themselves an office that is truly nourishing and uplifting. If our offices are beautiful and inspiring, then what is produced in those offices will have a sense of purpose and integrity. The challenge is to seek a way to occupy your office space in a way that harmonizes with your personality, energy, and purpose. Take Action Look closely at your workspace. What is the message that your office area currently communicates to you and others? What do you see that stimulates your creativity and inspires you to do your best work? If your workspace doesn’t currently nourish your creativity and effectiveness, take a moment to mentally create the perfect space for you to do your best work. Think about changes you could make, even if you’re on a limited budget, to create a more inspiring work environment. Could it be by moving your desk so that the view is more inspiring? Or by adding fresh flowers, a plant, or music? What about adding a water fountain, a wind chime, a poster, or a beautiful piece of art to your workspace? Or, choosing to write with pens in a rainbow of colors? Are your office and desk areas visually stimulating with lots of pictures, photographs, quotes, and memorabilia? Or, you may prefer a clean, uncluttered state for working. Only you know the type of surroundings you will thrive in. Determine what you need in your environment to inspire your best work. Decide how to change your space so you feel more inspired and creative - and watch your productivity and satisfaction levels soar! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: mindset & success, spirituality in business tag:odeo.com,2009-03-11,24293180 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:07:24 -0700 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Mindset, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, Mindset, Motivation & Success, Spirituality, Consciousness & Leadership, Creativity in Business, Spirituality in Business, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293181-Do-you-want-more-money-and-more-freedom-in-your-business I was recently interviewed by marketing coach Jody Gabourie on “My Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. In this teleseminar, I shared my twelve step formula that when followed leads to more success, more time and more money. I call it my formula for Simplicity + Prosperity. Click the arrow to listen to the interview I see too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this audio program, you’ll learn how to: simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money shift your business model from one to one service delivery to one to many and multiple streams of income redesign your business step-by-step around your expertise rise to the top of your field and become the leader of a micro-niche market grow a financially successful pr... I was recently interviewed by marketing coach Jody Gabourie on “My Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. In this teleseminar, I shared my twelve step formula that when followed leads to more success, more time and more money. I call it my formula for Simplicity + Prosperity. Click the arrow to listen to the interview I see too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this audio program, you’ll learn how to: simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money shift your business model from one to one service delivery to one to many and multiple streams of income redesign your business step-by-step around your expertise rise to the top of your field and become the leader of a micro-niche market grow a financially successful professional service business that gives you the lifestyle you really want and makes a difference implement the formula for making more money and having more freedom in your business In this interview, I share with you the twelve most important principles that I have learned about being financially successful in any ’special knowledge’ industry, such as coaching, consulting, speaking, training, etc. It really is possible to build a professional service business that is financially rewarding, gives you the lifestyle you really want, and makes a big difference in the world. Jody Gabourie who interviewed me is a marketing coach in Vancouver, BC. Find out more about Jody here. I hope you enjoy the interview! Jan Marie I was recently interviewed by marketing coach Jody Gabourie on “My Formula for Making More Money and Having More Freedom in Your Business”. In this teleseminar, I shared my twelve step formula that when followed leads to more success, more time and more money. I call it my formula for Simplicity + Prosperity. Click the arrow to listen to the interview I see too many women entrepreneurs struggle with growing their business. Often it’s because they were not taught the right way to market themselves or to build a sustainable business that doesn’t drain all their time and energy. In this audio program, you’ll learn how to: simplify and streamline your business so you can work less, have more freedom, and make more money shift your business model from one to one service delivery to one to many and multiple streams of income redesign your business step-by-step around your expertise rise to the top of your field and become the leader of a micro-niche market grow a financially successful professional service business that gives you the lifestyle you really want and makes a difference implement the formula for making more money and having more freedom in your business In this interview, I share with you the twelve most important principles that I have learned about being financially successful in any ’special knowledge’ industry, such as coaching, consulting, speaking, training, etc. It really is possible to build a professional service business that is financially rewarding, gives you the lifestyle you really want, and makes a big difference in the world. Jody Gabourie who interviewed me is a marketing coach in Vancouver, BC. Find out more about Jody here. I hope you enjoy the interview! Jan Marie tag:odeo.com,2009-03-05,24293181 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:03:46 -0800 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, Six Figure Online Business, Internet Marketing for Women Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293182-No-Cost-Marketing-Strategies-to-Increase-Sales Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times of tight budgets, many of my clients are looking for low cost and no cost marketing strategies to promote their services and make more money. We still need to get the word out about our business and continue to be visible, and there are many ways to do this even on a limited budget. All they cost you is your time. Here are four ‘no cost’ ideas to promote your services and increase your income: 1. Write and submit articles Article publishing has been one of the most effective strategies I have used to get more visitors to my website and grow my business and income. Whether you like to write or not, you can either write or record your tips. You always have some good tips and ideas to share with your clients. You can speak an article into a voice recorder, and then have it transcribed. Or, use speech recognition software like I do to dictate your articles and have them automatically typed up. I ... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times of tight budgets, many of my clients are looking for low cost and no cost marketing strategies to promote their services and make more money. We still need to get the word out about our business and continue to be visible, and there are many ways to do this even on a limited budget. All they cost you is your time. Here are four ‘no cost’ ideas to promote your services and increase your income: 1. Write and submit articles Article publishing has been one of the most effective strategies I have used to get more visitors to my website and grow my business and income. Whether you like to write or not, you can either write or record your tips. You always have some good tips and ideas to share with your clients. You can speak an article into a voice recorder, and then have it transcribed. Or, use speech recognition software like I do to dictate your articles and have them automatically typed up. I use ‘Dragon Naturally Speaking’ by Nuance. Submit your articles to online article directories, print publications, and specific online sites that your target audience would go to. My favorite online article directory is EzineArticles.com. 2. Contact former clients Previous clients can be one of your best sources of repeat business. It costs much less time and money to market to someone who already knows you well than it does to try to continually find new prospects. Yet, many business owners fail to pay attention to the potential gold mine of former clients. They continue to look for new prospects rather than keep in touch with previous satisfied clients. Designing a ‘keep-in-touch’ strategy is crucial to your business growth. Regularly sending out tips and resources to prospects and clients will keep your services top of mind. Survey your former clients using a free tool like SurveyMonkey.com and entice them back by making them an irresistible offer. Provide exceptional customer service to keep them satisfied and buying more. Get creative in thinking about what clients would really like from you and over-deliver on value. 3. Get more visible on blogs, forums and social networking sites There are lots of places online where you can be more visible, express your opinion, and let others know who you are and what you do … and how you can help them. Posting helpful comments to other people’s blogs in your area of specialty with a link back to your website can be a very effective strategy for attracting new visitors to your site. Posting or answering questions in forums is also worth doing. And - social networking is one of the latest ways to get connected and visible online. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.com can be very effective to develop relationships and joint ventures. Be strategic and limit your time on these sites so they don’t consume all your time. Writing testimonials, comments and book reviews are also ways to get noticed for r fr.ee. 4. Send out press releases Press releases are often overlooked as a low cost marketing tool. There are paid services of course, but there are also many fr.ee press release sites - such as 24-7PressRelease.com or Free-Press-Release.com. You can send a press release about a new service offering, or a workshop or teleseminar or a new product. To make your release newsworthy, connect it to a current news item or a current event or holiday. Create a list of media contacts, and send the information directly to specific editors or contact people in your area. Don’t let not having a budget for marketing stop you from promoting yourself and increasing your visibility and income. All it takes is some time and a little creativity! Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article In these times of tight budgets, many of my clients are looking for low cost and no cost marketing strategies to promote their services and make more money. We still need to get the word out about our business and continue to be visible, and there are many ways to do this even on a limited budget. All they cost you is your time. Here are four ‘no cost’ ideas to promote your services and increase your income: 1. Write and submit articles Article publishing has been one of the most effective strategies I have used to get more visitors to my website and grow my business and income. Whether you like to write or not, you can either write or record your tips. You always have some good tips and ideas to share with your clients. You can speak an article into a voice recorder, and then have it transcribed. Or, use speech recognition software like I do to dictate your articles and have them automatically typed up. I use ‘Dragon Naturally Speaking’ by Nuance. Submit your articles to online article directories, print publications, and specific online sites that your target audience would go to. My favorite online article directory is EzineArticles.com. 2. Contact former clients Previous clients can be one of your best sources of repeat business. It costs much less time and money to market to someone who already knows you well than it does to try to continually find new prospects. Yet, many business owners fail to pay attention to the potential gold mine of former clients. They continue to look for new prospects rather than keep in touch with previous satisfied clients. Designing a ‘keep-in-touch’ strategy is crucial to your business growth. Regularly sending out tips and resources to prospects and clients will keep your services top of mind. Survey your former clients using a free tool like SurveyMonkey.com and entice them back by making them an irresistible offer. Provide exceptional customer service to keep them satisfied and buying more. Get creative in thinking about what clients would really like from you and over-deliver on value. 3. Get more visible on blogs, forums and social networking sites There are lots of places online where you can be more visible, express your opinion, and let others know who you are and what you do … and how you can help them. Posting helpful comments to other people’s blogs in your area of specialty with a link back to your website can be a very effective strategy for attracting new visitors to your site. Posting or answering questions in forums is also worth doing. And - social networking is one of the latest ways to get connected and visible online. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.com can be very effective to develop relationships and joint ventures. Be strategic and limit your time on these sites so they don’t consume all your time. Writing testimonials, comments and book reviews are also ways to get noticed for r fr.ee. 4. Send out press releases Press releases are often overlooked as a low cost marketing tool. There are paid services of course, but there are also many fr.ee press release sites - such as 24-7PressRelease.com or Free-Press-Release.com. You can send a press release about a new service offering, or a workshop or teleseminar or a new product. To make your release newsworthy, connect it to a current news item or a current event or holiday. Create a list of media contacts, and send the information directly to specific editors or contact people in your area. Don’t let not having a budget for marketing stop you from promoting yourself and increasing your visibility and income. All it takes is some time and a little creativity! tag:odeo.com,2009-02-25,24293182 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:19:24 -0800 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore social media marketing, Small Business Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, Internet Marketing for Women, internet marketing for women entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293183-Cultivating-an-Attitude-of-Gratitude “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melodie Beattie Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool for recreating your life so that you regularly experience happiness, joy, and contentment. Gratitude is simply a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for all that is. Grateful thoughts align your heart, mind, and soul. Opportunities are given to you in every moment to be grateful for what you have and what you experience. Beauty, richness, and love already exist in your life. There are gifts and opportunities in every situation. The core of gratefulness is having an awareness of these opportunities inherent in life ... “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melodie Beattie Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool for recreating your life so that you regularly experience happiness, joy, and contentment. Gratitude is simply a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for all that is. Grateful thoughts align your heart, mind, and soul. Opportunities are given to you in every moment to be grateful for what you have and what you experience. Beauty, richness, and love already exist in your life. There are gifts and opportunities in every situation. The core of gratefulness is having an awareness of these opportunities inherent in life events and circumstances, and then thoughtfully choosing your response. Gratefulness is about enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and abundance all around you, appreciating all of your emotions and feelings, and celebrating the blessings of family and community. We all have the ability to make our lives even richer and more positive by noticing daily events, appreciating the benefits we receive, and being mindful of surprises. You have the power to control whether your thoughts will be positive and focused on what’s going well in your life or negative and focused on what is not going well. You can be an example of happiness and gratefulness by expressing appreciation to people on a regular basis. Let the people you care about know that you are grateful they are in your lives - and why. Having much to be thankful for does not diminish the reality of sadness, disappointment, or discouragement, or the need to feel those feelings at times. You can, though, intentionally reframe painful or disappointing events as opportunities for growth and learning, and deliberately look for the silver linings. “Whatever you are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of Simple Abundance - it will surely come, but only when you are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach Here are five intentional practices to feel more peace and contentment and to make your life richer and more positive: 1) Gratitude Journal Create your own personal gratitude journal - a place to list your blessings on a regular basis. Record the small and large gifts and moments that are enriching your life every day. You can also create a family gratitude journal where everyone makes entries. 2) Gratitude Ritual Create a gratitude ritual. Before going to bed at night, glance back over your day and reflect on moments of grace, abundance, joy, friendship, and contentment - the things that you enjoyed or felt blessed by that day. Nightly, record three things that went well each day and why they went well. 3) Evening Meal Blessing Pause before your evening meal to acknowledge the things that make your life abundant and meaningful. 4) The Gratitude Alphabet This exercise works like magic when you need a change in attitude. Either aloud or in writing, beginning with “A”, think of the first thing that comes to mind that you are grateful for that starts with that letter and say (or write) ‘I am grateful for ______.’ Do this quickly without too much thought. Continue until you have reached “Z”. You might also share this exercise with your loved ones, speaking aloud alternate letters. I am grateful for Apples I am grateful for Beauty I am grateful for Chocolate I am grateful for DVD’s I am grateful for Email I am grateful for Friends I am grateful for Grass I am grateful for Hugs …. . you get the idea 5) Gratitude Affirmation Practice gratitude by reading this affirmation on contentment: This day, I am content. I am grateful for what I have and for what I do not have. I learn from both joys and disappointments. I refrain from criticism and fault-finding. I don’t try to change others. I accept myself as I am and as I change. Begin to notice if your words and thoughts are full of complaints about what is lacking in your life. You can begin right now to start to see the perfection and beauty in everything and everyone. By applying gratitude daily in your life, it’s possible to achieve peace and contentment in a demanding, overwhelming, and sometimes disappointing world. It’s a habit of mind! “If the only prayer you ever said was ‘Thank You’, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melodie Beattie Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool for recreating your life so that you regularly experience happiness, joy, and contentment. Gratitude is simply a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation for all that is. Grateful thoughts align your heart, mind, and soul. Opportunities are given to you in every moment to be grateful for what you have and what you experience. Beauty, richness, and love already exist in your life. There are gifts and opportunities in every situation. The core of gratefulness is having an awareness of these opportunities inherent in life events and circumstances, and then thoughtfully choosing your response. Gratefulness is about enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and abundance all around you, appreciating all of your emotions and feelings, and celebrating the blessings of family and community. We all have the ability to make our lives even richer and more positive by noticing daily events, appreciating the benefits we receive, and being mindful of surprises. You have the power to control whether your thoughts will be positive and focused on what’s going well in your life or negative and focused on what is not going well. You can be an example of happiness and gratefulness by expressing appreciation to people on a regular basis. Let the people you care about know that you are grateful they are in your lives - and why. Having much to be thankful for does not diminish the reality of sadness, disappointment, or discouragement, or the need to feel those feelings at times. You can, though, intentionally reframe painful or disappointing events as opportunities for growth and learning, and deliberately look for the silver linings. “Whatever you are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of Simple Abundance - it will surely come, but only when you are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach Here are five intentional practices to feel more peace and contentment and to make your life richer and more positive: 1) Gratitude Journal Create your own personal gratitude journal - a place to list your blessings on a regular basis. Record the small and large gifts and moments that are enriching your life every day. You can also create a family gratitude journal where everyone makes entries. 2) Gratitude Ritual Create a gratitude ritual. Before going to bed at night, glance back over your day and reflect on moments of grace, abundance, joy, friendship, and contentment - the things that you enjoyed or felt blessed by that day. Nightly, record three things that went well each day and why they went well. 3) Evening Meal Blessing Pause before your evening meal to acknowledge the things that make your life abundant and meaningful. 4) The Gratitude Alphabet This exercise works like magic when you need a change in attitude. Either aloud or in writing, beginning with “A”, think of the first thing that comes to mind that you are grateful for that starts with that letter and say (or write) ‘I am grateful for ______.’ Do this quickly without too much thought. Continue until you have reached “Z”. You might also share this exercise with your loved ones, speaking aloud alternate letters. I am grateful for Apples I am grateful for Beauty I am grateful for Chocolate I am grateful for DVD’s I am grateful for Email I am grateful for Friends I am grateful for Grass I am grateful for Hugs …. . you get the idea 5) Gratitude Affirmation Practice gratitude by reading this affirmation on contentment: This day, I am content. I am grateful for what I have and for what I do not have. I learn from both joys and disappointments. I refrain from criticism and fault-finding. I don’t try to change others. I accept myself as I am and as I change. Begin to notice if your words and thoughts are full of complaints about what is lacking in your life. You can begin right now to start to see the perfection and beauty in everything and everyone. By applying gratitude daily in your life, it’s possible to achieve peace and contentment in a demanding, overwhelming, and sometimes disappointing world. It’s a habit of mind! “If the only prayer you ever said was ‘Thank You’, that would be enough.” ~ Meister Eckhart tag:odeo.com,2009-02-21,24293183 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:08:49 -0800 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, Mindset, Motivation & Success, Spirituality, Consciousness & Leadership, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs, practicing gratitude Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293184-Elizabeth-Gilbert-a-Different-Way-to-Think-About-Creative-Genius Did you read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert? If so - I’m sure you loved it like I did. If not, do yourself a favor and go get it at the library or bookstore to read. It’s a great memoir and adventure story about finding oneself and one’s authenticity. Elizabeth gave a talk this week for TED about creativity and our relationship to the creative process. She speaks about all of us having a genius - rather than being a genius. It’s very inspiring to listen to. I hope enjoy this dose of inspiration. Did you read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert? If so - I’m sure you loved it like I did. If not, do yourself a favor and go get it at the library or bookstore to read. It’s a great memoir and adventure story about finding oneself and one’s authenticity. Elizabeth gave a talk this week for TED about creativity and our relationship to the creative process. She speaks about all of us having a genius - rather than being a genius. It’s very inspiring to listen to. I hope enjoy this dose of inspiration. Did you read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert? If so - I’m sure you loved it like I did. If not, do yourself a favor and go get it at the library or bookstore to read. It’s a great memoir and adventure story about finding oneself and one’s authenticity. Elizabeth gave a talk this week for TED about creativity and our relationship to the creative process. She speaks about all of us having a genius - rather than being a genius. It’s very inspiring to listen to. I hope enjoy this dose of inspiration. tag:odeo.com,2009-02-21,24293184 Sat, 21 Feb 2009 03:08:30 -0800 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Spirituality, Consciousness & Leadership, Creativity in Business, Lifestyle & Life Purpose Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract http://odeo.com/episodes/24293185-Top-Seven-Business-Tips-for-Women-Entrepreneurs Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I’ve noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth. Here’s a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business - my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs: 1) Focus on your strengths There’s an old saying - ‘Do what you do best and delegate the rest.’ Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you’re not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income. 2) Put yourself first Your growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth... Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I’ve noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth. Here’s a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business - my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs: 1) Focus on your strengths There’s an old saying - ‘Do what you do best and delegate the rest.’ Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you’re not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income. 2) Put yourself first Your growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth on their list of priorities. Put you and your business first and everything else will fall into place. 3) Learn to say ‘no’ I ask women who have started a business to drop anywhere from 25% to 50% of their time commitments when we start working together. Most women are too over-committed with non-business related activities. Be strategic about what you say yes to, especially in the first few years of your business. Guard your precious time as the valuable asset that it is. 4) Plan for success Lack of planning causes more businesses to fail than anything else. Planning is very valuable because it causes you to think ahead to your vision and next steps to reach your goals. You can create a simple one page marketing plan that outlines your business objectives and how you will achieve them. 5) Ask for support Don’t try to figure it all out by yourself. Notice where you are stuck and could use some help, and ask for it. Ask colleagues or others who have been in business and could mentor you, hire a business coach, or form your own mastermind support team. 6) Delegate or drop your weaknesses Get clear on what you don’t enjoy doing or don’t do very well. Either stop trying to do it, or find someone who will do it for you. A perfect example is bookkeeping. If you dislike it, give it to someone else to do, and free up your time to earn money doing what you do well. 7) Keep an eye on the bottom line You don’t need to have complex financial statements, but setting targets and tracking some key indicators every month will help you understand how you are doing. You’ll know sooner what’s working and what’s not working so that you can make strategic adjustments. Implement at least three of these tips, and watch your business flourish! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success Click the arrow to listen to Jan Marie Dore reading this article Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I’ve noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth. Here’s a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business - my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs: 1) Focus on your strengths There’s an old saying - ‘Do what you do best and delegate the rest.’ Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you’re not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income. 2) Put yourself first Your growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth on their list of priorities. Put you and your business first and everything else will fall into place. 3) Learn to say ‘no’ I ask women who have started a business to drop anywhere from 25% to 50% of their time commitments when we start working together. Most women are too over-committed with non-business related activities. Be strategic about what you say yes to, especially in the first few years of your business. Guard your precious time as the valuable asset that it is. 4) Plan for success Lack of planning causes more businesses to fail than anything else. Planning is very valuable because it causes you to think ahead to your vision and next steps to reach your goals. You can create a simple one page marketing plan that outlines your business objectives and how you will achieve them. 5) Ask for support Don’t try to figure it all out by yourself. Notice where you are stuck and could use some help, and ask for it. Ask colleagues or others who have been in business and could mentor you, hire a business coach, or form your own mastermind support team. 6) Delegate or drop your weaknesses Get clear on what you don’t enjoy doing or don’t do very well. Either stop trying to do it, or find someone who will do it for you. A perfect example is bookkeeping. If you dislike it, give it to someone else to do, and free up your time to earn money doing what you do well. 7) Keep an eye on the bottom line You don’t need to have complex financial statements, but setting targets and tracking some key indicators every month will help you understand how you are doing. You’ll know sooner what’s working and what’s not working so that you can make strategic adjustments. Implement at least three of these tips, and watch your business flourish! ………………………………………………………. Copyright © Jan Marie Dore ~ www.janmariedore.com ~ All rights reserved. Jan Marie Dore, ‘The Women Entrepreneurs’ Success Coach’, Master Certified Coach, Speaker, and Author, publishes valuable ideas to grow a professional service business and increase profitability in her newsletter ‘Success Secrets for Women Entrepreneurs’. Jan Marie teaches self-employed female professionals to attract more clients and financial success, and as a result, live extraordinary lives. For free resources and programs on marketing a professional practice please visit Femalepreneurs.com and read the Blog Success Secrets. Technorati Tags: small business marketing, small business coaching, small business success tag:odeo.com,2009-02-11,24293185 Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:06:20 -0800 no FemalePreneurs.com Success Secrets by Jan Marie Dore Small Business Marketing, * Podcasts for Women Entrepreneurs, Mindset, Motivation & Success, * Articles for Women Entrepreneurs Business Small marketing Women coaching strategies entrepreneurs clients attract