Imagine An Ideal Week In Your Business

November 14, 2011 By 2 Comments

What would it be like to have a perfect week in your business? What would you do on Monday? Would you take off, would you use it as your time to organize, pay bills, return calls? What day would you have a one-hour massage? When would you pick your kids up from school?

As a coach, consultant, or freelancer you may have heard of the ideal day exercise. But what about visualizing what a perfect week would look like? A perfect week will capture not just the professional side of who you are but also the hobbies, digital ways of spending time with people that matter in your life, and more.

Watch this short video for simple instructions on how to map out your ideal week. Enjoy!

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Super Short Guide To Writing Your Own Personal Policies Manual

August 30, 2011 By 5 Comments

iStock 000009730928XSmall 150x150 Super Short Guide To Writing Your Own Personal Policies ManualI love writing about tools and systems and branding and such.  But sometimes it’s about getting back to the basics.  There have been times in my life and in my business I have compromised boundaries for simply the possibility of making more money or being more successful.  More often than not, when the choice is not grounded and aligned with my core values, something goes awry.

One thing I have learned over time is that I will never regret choices that keep me moving towards what is most important.  For me, it’s my family.  For you, it may be something or someone else.

How you operate your business is largely determined by what policies you’ve set in place.  What’s that saying?…something like, “If you don’t know what you stand for, you’ll fall for anything”.

This post is a step-by-step process I’ve used to write my very own “personal policies manual”. This is a collection of principles I’ve set in place for myself and my business to create better boundaries and to promote results in my business AND personal life.

My Super Short Guide to Writing a Personal Policies Manual

  1. First, write out the #1 reason you started your business.  For example, you may have started to escape from your corporate job, or maybe because you wanted an extra income to help fund your child’s college tuition.
  2. Second, name what is most important to you on a personal level.  Name your priorities in order.  Mary Kay Ash, the cosmetics empress was known for instilling in her salespeople the importance of order in life and business – God, family, career. She taught that if any of these were out of balance, it would be evident in your entire being and in your results.
  3. Next, list out the things you value most about being an entrepreneur.  Is it flexibility in your schedule to spend more time with your kids?  What about managing your own priorities?  How about freedom to clear up financial debt.
  4. Now write down the things you’ve been tolerating that actually keep you away from the things you wrote in #1 and 2.  We often put up with, and are dragged down by other people’s behaviors and sometimes our own.  What are you tolerating?
  5. From these lists, come up with anywhere from 1 to 10 policies you would like to set in place for yourself to honor your boundaries.  I’ll give you an example of some of the items off my own list:

A quick peek at Tanya’s list…

[content_box_grey width="75%"]I will honor my family by not scheduling appointments during designated family time – this includes most weekends, homework time, birthdays, and special school events.

I honor others most when I accept speaking invitations where the topic and the venue clearly fit within my expertise and gifts of service.

I honor myself when I set aside time for exercise, prayer, and reading each day no matter what else needs to be done. [/content_box_grey]

This is just a short sample, but do you get the point?  Take your lists and put them into a binder, a small journal, or something you carry with you daily until you know them  by heart.  You may choose to add different sections depending on your needs, but I like having all principles fit on one page.

The next time you feel that little pull that tells you, “no, this is not right for me” you can double check it in your manual.  I have found this to be a simple way to stay in balance with my values and enjoy my business more.  icon smile Super Short Guide To Writing Your Own Personal Policies Manual

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3 Ways I Miserably Failed With My Program Launch (And How You Can Learn From It)

July 25, 2011 By 2 Comments

iStock 000000861966XSmall 150x150 3 Ways I Miserably Failed With My Program Launch (And How You Can Learn From It) I often tell my friends online that I’m not great, but I’m on the way – just like you.  In the process of learning and growing my own business, I often share stories of my own personal experiences and things that happened that hopefully will help you grow your business and promote your brand in the right way.

Recently there was a program that I wanted to promote in a certain way and there were three things that caused me to not be successful.  Maybe you can consider these in your own marketing strategies for your business events and programs.

The first thing that contributed to the failure of this particular launch is that I tried to follow someone else’s plan that was not right for where I am in my business now.  I have to say something that is probably pretty unpopular — here goes: the thing is, often times we follow people because of their status and where they are.  We are taught to think that if we just follow their plan step-by-step, we will get the same results.  The problem is that this keeps us from using common sense and looking at how we may need to adjust for our own business.  It is important to recognize where you are in your journey may be different from theirs.

I did not count in those things that were unique to my personal situation and my own list when diving into the million dollar strategy of the person I learned from. It doesn’t mean their plan can’t work; it just means small tweaks may be necessary.

For example – people who have a list of subscribers < 2,000 may need to take different steps to promote their program or product than a person who has a list of 10,000 +.  You are in a different stage of growth in your business.  Adjustments to things like pricing, positioning of the message, etc. may need to be made for the plan.

The second factor for failure is that the delivery of the information in the content I wanted to share was way too much for the market to bear. Here’s what we do a lot of times when were putting programs and events and things together — we’re just so excited about sharing we want to deliver a jam-packed course/event with everything we know.

So I had 30 day program that I wanted to deliver that would literally walk you from point A to point Z, but the problem is my message said this would be “easy” and “simple”.  There is nothing simple about stuffing A through Z down your client’s throat in 30 days or less!  Most people are already overwhelmed about what to do.  I knew this intuitively but I just used the excuse that I wanted to “give them everything”.

A much better strategy is take your larger system or set of processes and break out one piece into a program or product.  Make it easier for your market to digest in smaller bites, and easier on  yourself to deliver what you promise.

Factor number three is that I didn’t do a really good job of mapping out the entire outcome that I wanted my clients to achieve from the program. Now I’ve often heard from a lot of experts out there that you can build the plane in the air while you’re flying and I do agree with that in some cases but delivering a solid program or product requires a plan where you start with the end in mind (just like you read in “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”).

You really have to understand the outcome you’re trying to get to and what you want your audience to glean from your delivery, then work backwards from there. The clearer your outcome, the clearer your messaging.  People know exactly what to expect from you and from your program.

If you remember nothing else from this entire post, remember this - confusion does not equal cash.  If you understand your desired outcome, your promotion messages will be much more attractive to the average buyer.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this message and that you can learn from my mistakes.  Get yourself ready for that next launch – whether it be an event, a program, or a product and remember: 1) make adjustments as necessary based on where you are in your business stage; 2) deliver content in smaller, digestible bites; and 3) plan your entire strategy with the ideal outcome in mind then work backwards.

 

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist specializing in showing service based entrepreneurs like coaches, consultants and freelancers how to spend more time making money with simple, yet profitable marketing systems.  Her company Be Promotable provides clients with fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote their businesses as power players in their market.  Claim your instant access to a free 10 part ecourse, 10 Ways To Spice Up Your List at: www.bepromotable.com.

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Goals Are Not the Answer

April 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

iStock 000004833674XSmall 150x150 Goals Are Not the AnswerAt the beginning of the year, I know you were probably in the fray of people who were gung-ho about setting up new goals.  You were excited because hey, it’s a new year, a chance to start over, blah blah blah.  Oh, and I was in that group too.

Not that I’m saying there is anything at all wrong with goal-setting.  Setting goals, in fact, is critical to the success of most people.  There is only a very small percentage of people I’ve ever read about who truly “just did it” without any planning, focus, or strategy.

I am suggesting, however, that goals are not the answer – you can have journal full of all the things you want to do, but unless you actually TAKE ACTION nothing will happen.

Take the treadmill for instance. I was very proud of myself this morning for working out.  It’s one of the things I’d said I wanted to do more regularly. When I finished the 20 minutes this morning, it was a great sense of satisfaction.  I felt like the rest of my day would be amazing too. It wasn’t the idea of getting on the treadmill that gave me joy (I actually dreaded waking up at 5 am to do it); but it was the accomplishment of the action toward what I know will be the eventual results.

Now what about when that action doesn’t take place?  I said at the start of the year that I wanted to get offline more and network through more local events.  This will be a major way for me to generate more leads for my business.  At the end of March when I looked at my first quarter of the year, however, guess how many local events I’d attended?  A big zero.  So to remedy this I’ve decided to actively find and map out events I will attend in 2nd quarter. Again, this is a goal. Until I hit the first event I can’t enjoy the sweet smell of a task completed, can I?

For what goals have you set a timeline and not yet taken action?   Remember, the goal itself is not the answer, you need some backup – the push is in the action.  Good luck.

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How to Write An Online Brand Marketing Plan

January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

iStock 000004466938XSmall How to Write An Online Brand Marketing PlanCreating a branding strategy is probably the last thing on the mind of a solo business owner when they are juggling so many different things.  BUT I promise you it can be the one thing that turns your business around from lackluster to golden.

I often have people ask what it takes to put together a branding strategy. So in today’s post I’m going to give you a 7 step formula for developing your own brand marketing plan.  Mine is 33 pages long and I can go back to it any time to find things I need when I’m preparing to promote my business through a radio show, on a sales letter, in an in-person networking event, and more.

If you take the time to complete the sections I’ll describe, you will be amazed at how much clarity you have to move forward.  Oh, and if you’re having any trouble, you can always hire me to help you fill in the gaps (shameless, unabashed plug here icon smile How to Write An Online Brand Marketing Plan …only because I really do love this stuff).

Why is it a great idea to have a brand marketing plan?  Because it can help you understand where you are now, how you want your brand to be seen, and what it will take to get you there.

7 Parts of an Online Brand Marketing Plan

  1. Executive Summary – a one page overview of the main points of your brand plan; this is something you want to be able to view at a glance when you go back to look at it over and over again, reminding yourself of the type of brand you want to portray
  2. Personal Brand (Mission) Statement - here is where you outline why you are doing what you’re doing in two to three sentences; it covers who you are, what you do, who you serve, and how you serve them (see one of my previous posts on Creating a Fabulous Personal Brand Statement)
  3. SWOT Situational Analysis
    • Strengths & Weaknesses – this is a reality check, a snapshot of your current brand situation; where are things right now – e.g. market, current customer base, products/services line, distribution channels, competition, overall environment
    • Opportunities & Threats – competitive analysis, where you can be different, what is holding you back, what environmental advantages you can dig into to better position your brand
  4. Goals – what are the quantifiable things you want to achieve with your brand; include dates, times, frequency – as much detail as you can muster for the objectives you are pursuing
  5. Brand Marketing Strategy – big picture of your brand marketing (probably the lengthiest piece of what you’ll write); includes information about your strategic position, target market, your ideal client, your product & services line, pricing model, distribution channels, administrative systems, current and intended online activities, visual elements
  6. Action Plan - step by step activities to move forward; tactical moves you will make to accomplish #4 goals
  7. Budget – what you expect to bring in monthly based on activities, sales, etc., how much you will spend on business resources, net income goals for the next 12 months

Sound like a lot?  Well, it can be if you try to do it all in a day.  Remember, good planning and strategy takes time.  Look at it as a worthwhile investment in the future of your business brand.

It can also take the help of a great accountability partner to give you honest feedback.  As a solopreneur, we are not always positioned to have a full team of resources.  Tap into someone you trust to review the plan as you go – a trusted advisor, a mentor, a coach, mastermind group – find someone to partner with you in your brand success.

This is the path to brand excellence!

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About the Author: Tanya Smith of Be Promotable is a premier personal branding & marketing coach.  Her creative genius has unlocked the potential of many women solopreneurs, helping them to reinvent themselves as power players in their startup business.  Claim your free instant access to a free video download, 5 Secrets to Developing Your Unique Brand Proposition at: www.bepromotable.com.

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