Aug

31

A Great Resource for Information Publishing!

Filed Under General, Information Products, Online Business Ideas, eBooks | 4 Comments

I wanted to share this with you right away…

A new visitor to my site, Martin Neumann, has a tremendous web resource available over at www.epublishingdaily.com

Martin’s blog offers visitors insightful updates on the constantly evolving world of information publishing and product sales. Here’s a quick sampling of some must-reads:

The blog, like the rest of the site, is witty and well written. Definitely worth adding to your RSS reader.

But the greatest thing about ePublishingDaily is not the blog, it’s…

The Ultimate Resource Page
There are tons of great resources on this definitive page - well worth exploring.
I’m sure Martin will have his hands quite full in due time as the information publishing market continues to grow and expand.

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Aug

28

10 Cheap and Easy Marketing Ideas under $100

Filed Under Marketing Strategy, Online Marketing | 4 Comments

As a business owner, you’re always looking for new ways to spread the word about your product or service. The standard approach can be useful: buy some Google ads or put up a billboard. But what should you do when you’re trying to save money? Or what about when you really don’t have a marketing budget at all?

I know, I’ve been there too.

Today I want to offer a handful of quick marketing fixes for small budgets and big dreams. I think you’ll find the list accessible and insightful AND easy to use. So let’s cut to the chase…

1. Laptop Ad - $50 to ???
That’s right: use your laptop for ad space. The next time you’re at Starbucks, you’re bound to catch tons of wandering eyes and maybe even a new customer. Consider using your own laptop or even renting space on another.

2. License Plate Frame - $40 to $70
Several weeks ago I found myself reading yet another silly license plate frame when I suddenly realized, “Hey, I could put my web address on the back of my car!” I’ve yet to do it, but someday soon you might see me cruising around…

Mindful Entrepreneur
www.mindfulentrepreneur.com

3. Business Cards - $10 to $50
No, no – not just any business cards, silly. Exciting, eye-catching, useful business cards. Don’t let your cards end up buried in some guy’s wallet just waiting for the next “clean out my wallet” day! Make your cards colorful, memorable, and interesting. And while you’re at it, use the back. Trust me: everyone flips them over just to check. J

4. Email signature - FREE
It’s quite simple to setup your email signature to automatically display every time you write a message. Most programs even enable hyperlinks for web addresses and email. As of today, my email signature includes my name, title, blog addresses, and a quick add for my newsletters and my ebook.

5. Pens, pencils, etc. $25 - $75
Yes, these can be cheesy. But they work. You can order in bulk and have your business name and info stamped on for a small charge. People love free stuff, especially when it’s useful.

6. Voicemail – FREE
Don’t forget to take advantage of another message system where you can advertise for free. If you have a cell phone for business and personal use, go ahead and throw out your business name just in case. Who knows… someone you already know might not yet know about your business. Customers are everywhere.

7. Handbags and other novelty items – Price varies.
Use your imagination with this one. Think conferences, conventions, and trade shows. This approach might not be the cheapest or the easiest of the 10, but you’re bound to get some attention when your potential customer sees and/or uses the freebie.

8. Letterhead - $10 to $75 (cost of printing)
Include as much information as possible in your letterhead: business name, address, phone, mobile, fax, email, web address, hours of operation, services, etc. Doing so makes you look professional AND provides a quick info resource for the customer. Letterhead advertising is especially important if you get repeat business.

9. Blogs and Forums – FREE
It may not always be free to start a blog or forum, but it’s essentially free to participate in them. If you contribute insightful posts, comments, feedback, etc., to these types of websites, remember to include your web address and/or email.

10. Newsletters – Price varies. (cost of management/printing)
One of the absolute best ways to get new and retain old business is by providing an informational newsletter that appeals to your niche market. I currently run several of these online and would recommend the same to you. One of the best examples I’ve seen in the corporate world is “Sweet Tomatoes” (or “Soup Plantation”). On a regular basis, I get great updates and coupon-surveys in my inbox.

There you have it: 10 ideas to help attract new business. Have some other suggestions? Feel free to toss in your 10 cents below! :)
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Aug

23

7 Mindful Business Practices

Filed Under General, Goal Setting, Personal Development, Time Management | 4 Comments


I recently heard an excellent podcast on mindfulness. The podcaster, Robert Jackson, offers a simple exercise for getting mindful: just do the dishes.

At first blush, I thought “just doing the dishes” would be a mundane experience. After all, that’s exactly why I usually do about 5 other things while doing the dishes (thinking, singing, watching, calculating, etc.). But after actually following this simple advice I experienced an incredible 15 minutes of pure mindfulness…. Well, maybe not perfectly pure. But close:

I actually heard the water splashing and sloshing. I actually felt the contours of each dish and utensil. Yes, I actually enjoyed washing the dishes.

After this exercise, I decided to apply the same concept to entrepreneurship. I wondered, “How could entrepreneurs *do* mindfulness? How could we really experience our businesses instead of just trying to make money?”

So here’s my offering: 7 Mindful Business Practices that are a bit like just doing the dishes…

1. Determine the Purpose behind the Business
This is a perfect place to begin. Put profit aside and ask yourself what the driving purpose of your business really is. If you’re a product-based entrepreneur, are you trying to improve your customers’ lives in some way? If you offer a service, what does that service do for the customer?

I’ve always felt that good business really can should change lives – on both sides of the equation. The entrepreneur is happy when the checks come rolling in and the product or service works. The customers are happy when they get what they want – the product, service… even the image or experience (Starbucks comes to mind here). So how does your business-purpose change lives on all ends?

2. Focus on One Thing at a Time
Focus can apply to both the day-to-day steps and the overall “work” of the business. For example: if you sell information products on the web, focus your business by developing and marketing ebooks one at a time. Then, you can apply focus every day in accomplishing specific tasks to achieve that end.

Focus is especially important for internet entrepreneurs who can become easily lost in pointless online “surfing.” I know, I know: there’s tons of great info out there and countless possibilities, but without a focus you’ll never get moving. Once you’ve defined a purpose, setting your sights will be much easier.

3. Reduce Distractions
You may have trouble getting focused if you’re constantly distracted. Don’t limit your idea of distraction to noise alone: sometimes, silence or “mental noise” can be just as distracting as the neighbor’s kids.

The Catch-22 with mindfulness is that the more you practice mindfulness in daily work, the easier it will be to get into that zone. Even when something distracting does take place, you’ll ride the wave without losing your cool.

4. Create a Positive Workspace
You should look forward to work. (Isn’t that why you’re an entrepreneur?) It is important to have a professional touch, just don’t make the mistake of recreating an Office Space cubicle nightmare. For those of us who work from home, we don’t usually need to impress clients and can do whatever works for us. But even if you have an out-of-home office space, you can add plants, fountains, framed art, pleasing music, and other goodies.

5. Emphasize “Tasks” over “Time”
Start every workday by becoming mindful of what you want to realistically achieve instead of blocking out time. Time management is a sticky point for most entrepreneurs as time is so connected to money in the business world. But if you’re too busy thinking about how much time something will take, your mind will focus more on the time and less on the task.
This is a kind of balancing act, I know. But with fewer distractions, more focus, and a general purpose, you’ll almost always find that mindfulness brings more bang for your buck… or hour.

6. Simplify Everything
And I mean everything. Paperwork. Marketing campaigns. Computer files. Scheduling. Purpose statements. Even your business cards.

We’re all bombarded with so much information everyday – flashing web ads, enormous billboards, excessive decorations – that simple is refreshing. You may be surprised by the connection between the state of your desk and the state of your mind.

Feeling stressed out? Overwhelmed by the job of entrepreneurship? Control it before it controls you. Clean off your desk. Cut out the fluff. Consolidate to-do lists. Shorten your mission statement. And while you’re at it… trade in your PC for a sleek Mac!

7. Connect Passion with Profit
We’re in business to make money. There are few exceptions to this rule. But if we spend most of our lives working only for money, we will soon find a void in our days.

I firmly believe many of the problems in modern societies today often relate to the quality of our working lives. So many of us find “real jobs” boring, monotonous, demeaning, and lacking real purpose. But the ideas we hold about work can affect us on a subconscious level. Before we know it, the very thing we we’re trying to eliminate quietly manifests in our lives as entrepreneurs. Remember to keep the font of passion healthy!

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Aug

22

Wendy Piersall - Mindful Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

Filed Under Blogging, Mindful Entrepreneurs | Leave a Comment


The following article is part of the ongoing series - “Mindful Entrepreneurs: Feature Articles from the Blogosphere.” Each installment offers a brief bio of a blogger who offers a unique perspective of entrepreneurship. To learn more about this series or to submit a post for consideration, submit an email to the Mindful Entrepreneur.

**********

If you haven’t yet visited the eMomsAtHome website and blog, take a minute and add this inspiring entrepreneur to your favorites bar.

Wendy Piersall is the author, entrepreneur, and all-star Mom who runs this comprehensive site. My first encounter with Wendy came by way of a personalized email campaign requesting “blogging partnerships” with worthy bloggers. The eMom’s audacity and optimistic approach to self-creating inspired me to contact her right away. Since that first email exchange, I have become a regular follower of her blog and have watched her ascend to the heights of blogging success.

Today, I’m featuring a post from Wendy’s blog:

“Mindful Marketing on a Shoestring Budget.”
Click through the link to read directly from Wendy’s site. And be sure to leave some inspiring comments along the way. Also, stay tuned for some exciting developments over at eMomsAtHome.

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Aug

16

7 Ways to Overcome a Personal Development Slump

Filed Under Goal Setting, Change & Growth, Life Balance | 2 Comments

Every personal development step, plan, or program is bound to have temporary setbacks.

You know what I mean: Everything is going along just fine until you have the day that just doesn’t bring you optimum energy. This often occurs a few weeks into some major change in your life: a diet, an exercise plan, a 30-day trial, a new mental outlook. Instead of feeling the high of starting something new and making an important change, you begin to feel the low that always seems to lurk in the background. It’s a common experience and an important obstacle to understand. Let’s look at why such a “slump” is bound to happen and what you can do about it. Overcoming these setbacks can make the difference between achieving a goal and failing to reach our dreams.

Why Do You Experience Slumps?
In short, slumps are inevitable because they are necessary. There are a few reasons for this that speak to basic human psychology. First, you can’t have the good without the bad, the light without the dark, the rich without the poor, etc. Really: what would life be like if things were always fantastic? If that were the case, nothing would really be that great. Sure, it sounds obvious but it’s remarkably easy to forget.

Another important reason we often fall briefly during growth has to do with the problem of “self-hypnosis.” Self-hypnosis – or autohypnosis – is a way of temporary programming your mind into a new way of being. We do this all the time – when we need an extra boost of energy, when we need to impress someone, etc. It’s a very important human ability.

During a personal development program, we take on a new set of beliefs and attitudes to accommodate our new way of being. As time passes, the self-induced way of being can begin to lift temporarily or permanently if our new beliefs do not fit into our personal fabric. Even if we are making a change that ultimately will last, a slump may set in briefly as part of the growth process. You might think of all personal growth and change in terms of physical exercise. When starting a new exercise program, it’s hardly surprising that the body needs an occasional rest from the plan.

Just today, I was up at 530 ready to start my morning workout but felt far too tired to hit the gym. I had to remind myself that my body was sending an important signal and a day off would probably help - not hurt - my progress.

Should You Fight or Accept a Slump…or Both?
When these slumps do take place, it’s important to handle the experience with resistance AND acceptance. If you just resist, you may impede your progress further and hurt impact confidence and self-esteem. And if you just accept, you may fall into a permanent slump and be unable to get back on track. This morning I accepted my slump by acknowledging that I needed rest but resisted the slump by applying some simple exercises to reinvigorate my goals.

Here are seven ways you can make your slump work for you instead of against you:

1. Write Affirmations
This first idea is my absolute favorite. I find writing affirmations a refreshing experience, useful during both the highs and the lows! Plenty of self-help authors and gurus recommend their own brand of writing affirmations so do what works for you.

My personal approach is very simple: I open up my laptop or notebook-journal and start writing one sentence after another of inspiring statements. For example:
I am enjoying the benefits of my exercise program.
I am feeling stronger and healthier everyday.
I am taking a day off from exercise to rejuvenate my body so I can start fresh tomorrow.

2. Do Something Active
Activity of any kind does wonders for the mind. Many physicians and spiritualists highlight the importance of creating a mind-body connection. Virtually everyone experiences a spurt of positive energy after moving the body, whether by dancing, swimming, walking, or doing a quick set of jumping jacks.

Even if you’re slumping from a workout routine, you can still follow this step. When I take time away from the gym, I hop into the pool even just to float around for a few minutes and stimulate my body in a new way. If you’re having trouble writing the next chapter of your book, try pacing around the room for a few minutes and talking yourself through the problem.

3. Listen to Audio Books
By all means - if you have a personal coach at your disposal, grab him/her and have a chat about your slump. For most of us, that’s not an option. Instead, grab an audio book. If you don’t have one, get out of the house and buy one. You can even instantly download something inspiring from iTunes or other online sources right now. Hearing another person speak about something inspirational is a fantastic way to get through a rough spot and keep your eyes on the light.

4. Meditate
Sometimes temporary setbacks arise from anxiety and restlessness. Especially when it’s time to focus on something important, your mind’s incessant noise can be a formidable obstacle. Meditation is an ideal way to calm the mind and clear out the useless noise. You may discover your inability to focus is a recurring problem in many areas of your life. Meditating on a daily basis will bring transformative results.

It’s not necessary to become a Zen Buddhist and assume the lotus position just to meditate. Simply take a moment in your chair at home or work for a mental timeout. What really matters is that you accept any thoughts that come into your mind and quietly “look” upon them as a natural, normal noise. Even 10 minutes of sitting quietly and doing nothing can bring results.

5. Be an Anti-Perfectionist
A slump is especially dangerous for the perfectionists among us. It may be a kind of Catch-22, but many growth-oriented people tend towards perfectionism. When this side of you rears its ugly head, try applying an exercise I learned from David Burns’ classic, Feeling Good.

On a sheet of paper or with your computer, write about one paragraph on why it’s great to not be perfect. Think of 3-5 things you did imperfectly today or yesterday and celebrate those mistakes. The idea here is to remember that you’re human and be proud of it! If life were perfect, it would be horribly boring.

6. Revise Your Goals
Often, we may not fulfill a goal because it is unrealistic or even unnecessary. You may need to take a minute and reconsider what you’re trying to achieve. Think of your goals in layers. Spend some time writing about your purpose in terms of the big picture. What are you here to do? What is the point of your existence? Then, consider how your current goals contribute (or don’t contribute) to your overall purpose in life.

It might also need to scale back your intentions: Is it realistic for you to start a 1500 calorie/day diet this month if your existing diet consisted of close to 3000 calories/day? Should you really try to quit smoking and look for a new relationship and start a website?

7. Visualize Tomorrow
Visualization is a nice way to top off the exercise(s) you choose to apply. After you revise your goals or write affirmations, take a few minutes to visualize yourself achieving the goal in the future. “See” yourself successfully dieting, exercising, or building your website. You might also try writing out the description of yourself doing the activity. Either way, conceive of the action in the present tense. Although you’re visualizing what will happen, you should do so in such a way that it *is* happening.

Getting over a slump can take one day or one month. For many just getting started working on changing their life is a process of personal development. Overcoming a slump may be the most important step you take today.
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