06.12.07
Posted in Solutions at 2:26 pm by Rose
I was tagged by Crystal Pina of Visions Virtual Assistance to write about my best productivity tip. This tag was started by Ben Yoskovitz of Instigator Blog and the topic is favorite productivity tips.
My favorite productivity tip is my master to-do list. I had originally started this list as a computer file and was adding things to it electronically. I’ve discovered that this didn’t work to well as I would “forget” to open the fie and then wouldn’t do the things on my list.
So I reset the line spacings in order to make them big enough for me to write in them and then printed it out. You can access a copy of my to-do list here, if you would like to use this as well.
I start by adding everything to a master list and breaking things down according to the time frame in which they need to complete. By doing this I know exactly what items I need to complete each day and am easily able to stay on track with what I need to accomplish. This also helps me to know if I have time to take on other projects when someone asks me to do so since I am able to see how many other projects I need to complete.
Now I get to tag someone - I’m tagging Becki Noles and Yvonne Weld
Rose
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06.06.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:00 pm by Rose
More and more often, clients have been asking me, “how do you get it all done, Alicia?”
“I don’t know you how do it, Alicia…with a little one running around and so few hours in the day to actually focus on your work. Somehow you manage to write your weekly ezine, hold a bunch of teleseminars each month, run your 10-week group coaching program, AND be creating and promoting new offers and new products all the time. I’m so impressed and inspired by you, but more than that, I want to know how you do it all!?”
To be honest, sometimes I wonder myself! Something I often say to other, especially new, mothers is, “despite what everyone tells you to do, do whatever works for YOU.” In a way, that’s how I started running my business after I had my daughter. I just did whatever worked. I still do.
Now that she’s a bit older, it’s easier to manage both being a fulltime mother along with running a successful business. Notice I said it was easier - not easy!
Over time, I’ve figured out how to get the most important things done while still being able to focus the majority of my time on my family (after all, that’s one of the reasons why I went into business for myself in the first place).
Here are the top three things that are working for me right now:
- Setting my work hours
My typical work day looks like this: I get up shortly before my daughter to get organized for the day. This jump-starts my day and makes me feel like I’ve already accomplished something before I spend the next several hours having tea parties, blowing bubbles, exploring the neighborhood or running errands.
But I don’t get any real work done until her naptime. I work for about two hours while she naps in the afternoon, four days a week. Then for another two hours after she goes to bed at night three evenings a week. My biggest block of focused time, usually reserved for writing and product creation, is on Saturdays, when I work approximately 6 hours. During a perfect week, that would give me about 20 hours of time dedicated to business. However, there’s never a perfect week (Chloe doesn’t nap, I have some pressing non-business-related task that I can only take care of when she’s sleeping, etc.), so my best guess is that this gives me about 15 productive hours to work on my business each week.
2. Ignoring the phone
I’m serious when I say that I ignore the phone. Some of my clients get heart palpitations when I tell them that I NEVER jump when the phone rings and suggest they do the same. (It drives some of my friends batty, too.) The ringer on our phones are either off or set to soft alert that you can’t even hear it ring unless you’re really listening for it. Does this mean I miss some important calls? Probably. But I am good about checking messages quickly to make sure it’s not an emergency, and then calling people back at a more convenient time for me.
3. Quick consults
Until recently, when a prospective client wanted to speak with me about ‘just a few questions’, I used to gladly schedule a time to talk. But instead of a few questions, I’d be on the phone for at least a half hour, basically giving a free coaching/consulting session, and being frustrated with myself for not valuing my time more.
Now when a potential client or customer requests to talk with me further about working with me or about one of my products, they can schedule time to talk to me for a much smaller fee than my usual hourly rate, and if they decide to go forward with working with me, they can apply the fee they paid towards the program or product they were interested in. It’s fair and values both our time and investment in the process.
BONUS: Make and use lists
I’d be lost without my lists! I’d never remember to do anything if I didn’t write it down. I keep a bunch of reporter’s notebooks around the house and anytime I think of something I need to do, I write it down in whatever room I’m in - whether it’s business or personal. Then I periodically gather the lists and separate them into three main lists; personal, business, and other (which includes the “someday I’d like to…” stuff; things that aren’t a priority but that I want to remember to do at some point), and check things off in priority order from there.
If you start applying some of these steps now, I guarantee the number of productive hours you spend on your business will increase. And you’ll also feel less overwhelmed and lessed stressed about trying to get it all done!
HELPFUL RESOURCE RELATED TO THIS ARTICLE: The above are just tiny pieces of the strategies and systems I use to ‘get it all done’. If you’d like to know the ins-and-outs of how I manage my time to continue building a more and more successful business while raising my daughter and enjoying the rest of my life, it’s all part of my upcoming new book, “EntreMoms(TM) Guide to Getting It All Done.”
© 2007 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com
Alicia M Forest, MBA, Multiple Streams Queen & Coach(tm), founder of http://www.ClientAbundance.com and creator of 21 Easy & Essential Steps to Online Success System(tm), teaches coaches, consultants, online entrepreneurs, and self-employed professionals how to attract more clients, create profit-making products and services, make more sales, and ultimately live the life they desire and deserve. For FREE tips on how to create abundance in your business, visit http://www.ClientAbundance.com.
Source: Time Management for Busy Businessowners
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06.04.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:00 pm by Rose
Been to Grandma’s lately? Maybe for a holiday get-together or a family gathering?
Well, what happens after you’ve stuffed your face with turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing? Yep, the desserts come out. Lots of them. And the most mouth watering of all? Grandma’s freshly baked apple pie. Mmm, Mmm good!
You know what happens next: Your eyes widen with anticipation. Your mouth begins to water as you envision the yummy pie you’re about to enjoy. You are sold! Gimme pie!
And that’s exactly what should happen when people visit your website. They should salivate at the thought of what you’re going to serve them - your coaching products and services.
Now let’s take a deeper look at the recipe for Grandma’s apple PIE. It has three ingredients: P for pretty; I for interesting; and E for easy.
P: It’s pretty. The mere sight of that pie sends shivers up and down your spine. It’s appetizing to look at; gorgeous to behold.
I: It’s interesting. Not only does it look good, it smells good. It’s warm and fresh. The heat and aroma emanating from the steaming pie warms your face, tickles your nose and tantalizes your taste buds. And when you bite into it, your mind and body go into pleasure shock. It’s more than interesting; it’s euphoric!
E: It’s easy! Heck, Grandma went to all the trouble of making it; all you have to do is open wide and take a bite.
You are sold!
But most coaching websites aren’t that delicious. They’re ugly, boring and tough to use.
So, how can you use Grandma’s recipe to cook up a mouthwatering website that satisfies the taste buds of new clients? It’s easy as PIE…
Ingredient 1 - P: Pretty
Your website needs to be Pretty - professional in appearance, and visually delightful. You want visitors to say, “Hey, nice site!” not, “Yuck, what a mess!”
Your visitors will need to read your website in order to get excited about what you have to offer. The fonts, colors, backgrounds and images must all work together to make your website easy to read.
Ingredient 2 - I: Interesting
Your site’s got to be Interesting - alluring, engaging and motivating.
The copy you write must be vibrant enough to interest and motivate your readers. It must also compel them to seek your coaching services, in order to get relief from their problems and maintain hope for a brighter, more successful future.
Readers need belief in you as the coach who can help them. Interesting words can do that.
Ingredient 3 - E: Easy
Your site needs to be Easy - particularly, easy to navigate. It must be organized logically so that visitors can know what’s there, where to go and how to get back. The website must guide them along naturally.
From a functional standpoint, things must work smoothly and quickly. No clunky forms, slow pages or unintuitive links.
If your site is not easy, then visitors won’t use it and they won’t be interested in what you have to offer. They’ll leave the table before dessert is served.
So there you have it - Grandma’s PIE recipe: Pretty, Interesting and Easy.
Imagine if your website tasted like Grandma’s hot apple PIE. Your visitors would probably need to join Weight Watchers, but at least you’d know they’d be chomping on your content ’til their bellies were full!
The biggest benefit? You would have more clients coming to you with a hunger for your services. What could taste better than that?
Keywords: coach, coaches, coaching, websites, web design, building effective websites
About the Author
Kenn Schroder
More Details about http://www.coachingsitesthatwork.com here.
Kenn Schroder helps coaches who are struggling to attract clients. He provides web design, web marketing and search engine optimization to help you build a client-attracting coaching website. Get your FREE report and FREE newsletter to help you build a practice full of clients. www.CoachingSitesThatWork.com
Source: How to Build Great Websites Using Grandma’s Apple PIE Recipe
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05.31.07
Posted in Marketing at 11:00 pm by Rose
The number one key to internet marketing is being able to effectively brand yourself. You don’t want people buying products and services from you based solely on the products perceived value. (Though this does need to be taken into consideration) you want people buying from you on your word, and because they trust you. Branding yourself in your business can be one of the most important things you can do.
Many people try to market online. Some do it better then others and use more effective methods, but the truth is you STILL need to create a relationship with the buyer. The fact of the matter is, people only buy from people they like. If they don’t like you, they are not going to invest in anything your trying to sell. No matter how good the product or service may be.
The first step in branding yourself is packaging yourself as a product. People need to buy YOU before they will buy any of products. This can be done with a simple introduction in your emails, maybe sending out a little bit of information about yourself to your list. Adding a personal touch to communications can be huge for you and your business. Simply by adding a short paragraph to a sales letter telling the reader about yourself, with your accomplishments and other details can go a VERY long ways.
The second step is personal communication. Try to contact everyone who you associate with personally. Whether this is with a phone call, a simple letter or a PERSONAL email to that individual. This makes the customer feel ‘special’ as you have taken time out of your day to communicate with them directly. What I usually recommend is a phone call. Call the person up and talk with them, just to get the professional relationship jump started. There are a ton of internet marketers out there, but very few go through the trouble of adding their own personal touch to communications.
The third and final step to branding yourself is following up after the personal communication. Basically you want to stay in contact with these people. Even if your not soft selling, or promoting anything, you want to maintain relationships with everyone who enters your sphere of influence. These people are basically money in the bank for you, and you want to want to make sure you are there when they are ready to buy. Again, people will only buy from people they like, and the more personal communication you can maintain with a potential buyer will go quite a distance in the long run.
Internet Marketing is a lot more then just firing out a bunch of pre-written marketing emails, much of it is based on effective communication and relationship building. If you are able to master this skill you will do very well in this industry. If possible, be creative with how you choose to be personal with your contact lists. Consider adding video and audio to your emails, web pages and blogs. When you send out a personal email to an individual use an audio with their name, talk about things that are specific to that individual. This type of personal touch can go extremely far in online marketing, and can increase your bottom substantially.
Steven Lanier is an online marketer, and professional list builder. Steven has grown large downlines in several MLM’s and is a top affiliate in many companies and opportunities. Visit his website here http://www.maxprofit.ws
Source: Branding Yourself: The Most Important Part of Internet Marketing
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05.29.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 11:00 pm by Rose
There’s two purposes to article marketing, and I don’t see a whole lot written about this on the internet marketing websites, but it’s something that I have found that really works for me. There’s two purposes for article marketing. One purpose it to build back-links: if we’re going to build back-links, then we want to write multiple articles and we want to submit those articles to multiple directories.
The second purpose to article marketing is to create direct traffic–and if we’re going to create direct traffic then we want to create a large number of articles and submit those article to a very small number of article directories–typically the first three or four article directories.
That’s the second purpose, is to drive immediate traffic.. The question about duplicate content– we debate that a lot. What I have found, currently, is that if I am currently submitting articles to multiple directories–a lot of the directories have things that they do with their individual pages, that prevent those articles from necessarily showing up as duplicate content–there’s a lot of information out there right now that indicates that we can change those articles up some.
Again we get into the re-writing thing. What I am doing right now, what I continue to recommend, is that if you’re looking for multiple links you can continue to submit one article to multiple directories–now, if you submit one article to let’s say a hundred or a hundred and fifty directories, you’re not going to get a hundred and fifty back-links out of it. You are going to get back-links from the websites that are able to catch your content with search engines, that are able to catch you’re content earlier than others.
The key here is your links: it’s not what the article looks like. And then, again, we’ll go back to point number two–the purpose. In terms of just driving traffic, that’s when you’re really going to want to write a good bio.
Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘
Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion
About the Author
Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1200 articles in print and 9 published ebooks.
Link to Article Marketing - Notes on Submitting Same Article to Multiple Directories
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05.27.07
Posted in Motivation at 11:00 pm by Rose
by Dale Noles
“Success” the 4 Letter Word
Success is often contrived as being a taboo word. Every one has heard about it, but no one really discusses it. I have met few individuals who understand exactly what success is. Most think that success is money in the bank; while in some cases this may be true. The reality is money never bought anyone happiness.
What does it mean?
The definition of success is someone who has achieved success; procurement of fame or being prosperous, or achieving something that was planned or desired. If you examine each attribute of the definition you will see that this may be where the confusion of the word was birthed.
Double-Talk
Someone is a success when they achieve success. If this was the only explanation that I was given as to what success was, I would think that the person who told me would have no clue what success is. In short, I would think that they were full of malarkey. It sounds like a bunch of double-talk!
This definition refers to a state of mind. To be successful, you must think and act like you are successful. Once you are in the “success” state of mind, those around you–your clients, your co-workers, and even you will notice that success is making the perception of success a reality.
I’m Ready For My Close-Up
The procurement of fame and fortune is the common definition of success. For this reason, success seems elusive. It takes time and money to make money. It takes getting noticed and living in the spotlight to attain fame. This kind of success can happen over night. The sad reality is that it usually lasts that long unless you are successful at being successful.
The definition implies that once you have figured out what success is, sought after it, and achieved it you will enter the success hall of fame. You no longer have to worry about being successful because you are already there. You made it! You are the big cheese! Any second now, you are going to have a handful of reporters busting down your door to do an interview and take your picture for the daily news. No wait, this should make national news! Don’t rely on this form of success, she can be an enticing mistress and she can lead to your demise. She can hurt you as well as those around you.
The Success Blueprint
If you have goals set at an achievable level and are hard pressed at reaching your goals, you will be successful! This form of success refers to achieving something that was well thought out or was desired enough to make you want to make it happen. This success is the kind of success that builds relationships and enhances your life.
If you can define what makes you successful into terms that have the greatest impact on your quality of life, your success will resound in a positive way. For example, success is being able to spend more time with your spouse and family, or success is having the freedom to golf with your buddies once every month at a really nice club, or success is being able to help out your loved ones when times are tough, or maybe success is finding out that working for yourself has a profound effect in your overall health. If you determine what gives you the greatest joy and are able to make it happen, that, my friend, is success!
Paint me a Picture.
Clarity of whether or not you are a success comes when you can take a step back and examine the entire picture. A painter’s canvas is not a strip of cloth stretched across a few pieces of wood but rather an idea becoming reality. If you focus on a two-inch by two-inch part of your life all you see is the nebulous paint in that tiny square. You have to back away to view the whole painting. That little square is not the painting itself but rather an integral part of the whole painting.
I challenge you to examine what it is you want out of your life. What will bring you the most joy? What will improve your quality of life? What will it take to attain it? Answer these questions and map out a plan to achieve it. My friend, you are a success, believe it and live it!
© 2005, Virtual Accuracy
About the Author:
http://www.VirtualAccuracy.com
Dale Noles is the President of Virtual Accuracy, Assistance For Coaches and VA Training. His areas of expertise include sales, marketing, website design and coaching virtual assistants to success. For more information visit www.VirtualAccuracy.com or www.AssistanceForCoaches.com.
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05.15.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:09 am by Rose
One of the newest services that Expert Business Results is offering now is podcast editing. We can add intro and outro music, edit out unnecesary words and long pauses. Podcasting is an effective means of reaching your audience.
To learn a bit more about podcasting read this article:
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Podcasting is another mean which is used by the people today, who want to advertise and promote their products. If you have a clear picture in your mind about who your target market is, you can use Podcasting as a tool to market your self. Your website and your business can be promoted by using pod casts as a tool to do so. Pod casts are files of digital nature. A pod cast can be a single file or it may be a series of files. The pod casts are generally distributed over the internet. The feeds of syndication nature are used to distribute these.
The pod casts can be run on the personal computers as well as on media players of portable nature. Pod cast is simply a type of web casting. The person who is the host of any pod cast is generally called as a pod caster. Pod casting is becoming an increasingly important source of promoting your online business. Pod casts offer the facility to the user to download the material which is there in the pod cast. You can download material from the pod casts by using software like RSS which can read the feed formats.
Pod casting can be an effective way to promote your website. You need to target the market carefully. If you target your market with care you can get the desired results from the Podcasting exercise. No effort can be effective until and unless you pay due attention towards it. If you want your Podcasting to be effective you need to do your homework carefully.
Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook, Steps to Article Marketing Success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_Krawder
Link to Targeted Podcasting – Doing Podcasting Effectively
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If you want to get started with podcasting contact me today and I’ll help you get started.
Rose
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05.11.07
Posted in Solutions at 8:42 am by Rose
This is truly a great article about how article marketing can help your business. I do quite a bit of article marketing for my clients and they truly enjoy the benefits.
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The Internet is full of articles so it’s no surprise that there is money in article marketing. We hear how valuable and precious this marketing technique is on a daily basis. But so few really understand just how valuable it is.
“Write as many articles as possible and submit them to as many article directories as possible.” That’s what you hear, right? Well, that statement is actually extremely false!
The true value that article marketing holds is in the fact that one well-written, interesting article can generate literally thousands and thousands of dollars over time. The following are just a few of the many benefits effective article marketing can and will provide if done correctly:
- List Building Opportunities — “The money is in the list” is one of the most popular phrases in the Internet Marketing community. Whether you offer a free report that requires an “Opt-in” or you have a newsletter subscription form on your website, articles can and will bring in thousands, even tens of thousands of subscribers that will make you money.
- Joint Venture Opportunities (JV) — When others read your interesting articles, it provides a form of written confidence in your expertise. Some of these people own newsletters and ezines that could generate thousands of dollars literally overnight! Thousands of dollars overnight isn’t bad for one well-written article, is it?
- Name Branding — When your viewers constantly see your interesting articles, a relationship forms. Whether they realize it or not, they start to trust you and look for your name. Getting your name known is one of the most powerful things that will ever happen to a marketer!
- Incoming Links to Your Site — Although many Article Marketers are wrong in believing the incoming links you obtain through article marketing are the most important factor, they are somewhat valuable. Most of the links that you will obtain through the article directories are of little value. But when your articles get published to popular “Authority” websites, the links can be extremely valuable!
So what is article marketing all about? It’s all about creating interesting, informational articles that cause others to talk about them. Write articles for people, not search engines, and you will start to see the true value of this beautiful, powerful marketing technique!
Link to Article Marketing - Do You Really Know What Article Marketing Is All About?
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05.08.07
Posted in Solutions at 12:37 pm by Rose
I’ve recently started using Time Stamp to keep track of hours that I spend on my various client projects. Time Stamp is open source software and works fabulous. You can create a paper printed version of your reports and also have the ability to print the report to PDF.
Another really neat feature of Time Stamp is that you can set up various projects (I set up one for each client) and switch between them with one click of your mouse.
If you charge different rates for different types of project you can establish your rate for each individual record in your project and Time Stamp does all the calculations for you.
This is a truly powerful, easy-use, and free software that most any business would appreciate. If you check it out, let me know what you think about it; or if you have questions on using it, fee free to contact me and I’ll see if I can help you with it.
Have a great day everyone!
Rose
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05.06.07
Posted in VA Partnership Success at 1:20 am by Rose
“You’ve hired a Virtual Assistant and you have a great plan of action - great! Now all you need to do is hand the work over to your Virtual Assistant. How you communicate with your VA at the beginning of a project and throughout that project can have a big effect on how productive she is.”
Angela Willis offers excellent advice about how to communicate with your virtual assistant once you begin a working relationship with him/her. She offers 3 valuable suggestions that are beneficial to getting you started on the right track.
Project Objective
Make sure your VA knows what the objective of your project is so you are both on the same track with where the project will be going and why you want it done.
Personal Communication
Most communication is done via e-mail, fax, or IM; it may be helpful to talk person to person with your VA on a regular basis in order to make sure you both understand each other and what you want to accomplish.
E-Mails
Try to include pertinent information in your e-mails, attach the files you wish your VA to use for a specific project, and lastly focus on one topic or project per e-mail. This advice will help your VA keep track of each individual project and perform more efficiently for you.
With proper communication the relationship between you and your virtual assistant can be very productive and profitable for you. Take time to make sure you virtual assistant know what you expect and what your goals are for each project.
Top Three Tips For Communicating With Your VA
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