Are You On Track For Success In Your Business?

January is in the record books and February is here.

How is your business doing?

Do you have your goals written down and created a system to reach them?

Are your financial records in order so you can take care of your tax obligations on time?

If not don't worry. There is still time to take a step back and put a plan in place. This month we will focus on business operations and making sure everything is set up to run smoothly. In the meantime check out this post I wrote about how to create more peace in your business. This will get you in the right frame of mind to be the amazing entrepreneur that you are meant to be.

Keep It Sunny!

3 Easy Ways To Create Unlimited Peace In Your Business

Are you one of those people that has a to-do list for your to-do list and nothing ever gets completed?

Or are you constantly telling yourself I will finally finish (fill in the blank) project next week but next week comes and your project is still not done?

Do you feel like your that little hamster in the wheel that keeps moving fast but never goes anywhere? Cute little fella:)

BUT doesn’t this leave you feeling stressed out?

Well it’s time for the madness to STOP!

It’s a New Year. And it is time to take action to create unlimited peace in your business. Here are 3 easy ways to do just that!

1. SCHEDULE EVERYTHING

I know this sounds crazy but successful entrepreneurs like Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income swears by it.  On a recent podcast episode of Christy's Wright's Business Boutique, He stated that "everything get's scheduled". This includes time with his family. He says that if it doesn't get scheduled then it doesn't get done.

Pat also suggests, creating a list and putting things in order of priority and listing out all the things you need to do. This will help you to see what things are really important to tackle or what is just keeping you "busy" but not producing real results in your business.  A great tool to use for scheduling items is Google Calendar which is included in Google's G Suite platform.  Trello is a project management tool that can be used to brainstorm your list of priorities. 

2. USE TIME BLOCKING

You know how this goes: Your knee deep in your zone of genius and the phone rings or an email notification goes off and your focused is gone. In the book The 12 Week Year, They suggest using a system called time blocking. It is categorized into 3 buckets of time:

• 3 Hour Strategic Blocks which is where you eliminate all distractions to focus on the one pre-planned project that you must complete for the day.

• Buffer Blocks - These are smaller timeframes (30 minutes to an hour) to deal with low-value tasks such as email responding or responding to a phone message.

• Breakout Blocks - This is pre-planned time scheduled for leisure activity. This block is about 3 hours during your normal business hours during the week where you can get OUT of the office and go do something fun and relaxing like yoga or going for a walk in nature. This will help you to feel re-energized and ready to tackle your business goals.

3. STOP MULTITASKING

According to an article in Time Magazine, Dr. Kubu a neuropsychologist at the Cleveland Clinic stated that "We are wired to be mono-taskers. One study found that just 2.5% of people are able to multitask effectively. And when the rest of us attempt to do two complex activities simultaneously, it is simply an illusion."

The research is clear: multitasking isn't an efficient use of your time.

Check out this article that list some ideas about how you can stop multitasking. I especially liked idea #1. 

It is time to take action. You can use these 3 ideas to create unlimited peace in your business. I will leave you with this quote from my favorite new book The 12 Week Year:

"A year from now you will wish you would have started today."

Do you have some easy ideas that you use to create peace throughout your day? I would love to hear them.

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Do You Need Someone To Answer Your Phones?

Growing your business is a full-time job.

There are clients that need your attention and new ideas to bring to life.

If you are a solopreneur there is only so much you can do by yourself. If you are missing important phone calls because you are too busy to respond to customers in a timely manner then check out a previous article I wrote about virtual receptionist solutions. Yes, it is another expense BUT you must ask yourself how much is your time worth? The opportunity cost you are losing by trying to wear one more hat in your business could be costing you more than you realize. 

Check out these resources and breathe a sigh of relief.

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Are You Ready To File Your Taxes?

The new year is in full swing and with the chance of a fresh beginning means getting rid of some old things like:  paying taxes.

I know it isn't what you want to hear but it can be relatively painless if you get your ducks in order.

Check out this previous post I wrote about doing just that.

Also, check out the show notes from a recent podcast on Entrepreneur on Fire.  CPA Josh Baurele discussed the implications of the new tax laws and how it could affect small business entrepreneurs.

Don't procrastinate.

Start the new year off strong and get your books in shape. 

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DO YOU HAVE A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO THINK MORE POSITIVE?

Happy New Year!

2018 is finally here and I don't know about you but I am excited about the possibility of a new fresh beginning.

What about you?

Did 2017 do a whammy on you? Well, that year is history and it is time to move on. Are you ready to grow your business and help more people than ever before? Well, it all starts with positive thoughts. If your thinking stinks then you will not be effective to help your clients achieve success. Check out the video below from Wayne Dyer to kick off your new year in a positive way.

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Are You Thinking Big Enough To Make Your Goals Happen?

2018 is almost here!

This could mean a lot of things to many people.

You may be excited about the new possibilities on the horizon OR you might just be happy that this year is finally over.

Whatever the beginning of a new year means to you it does bring hope for fresh beginnings in your business and personal life. But it all starts with your thoughts.

Are you thinking yourself into bigger possibilities or thinking yourself into defeat?

I am a huge Wayne Dyer fan and will be listening to his motivational teachings to keep my mind energized to win.

What about you? What do you do to stay positive and what does 2018 mean to you?

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Do You Know What Things You Should Post On Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest?

Social Media is here to stay. We all know that BUT do you know what types of content works best on the different types of social media platforms? I did some research and the results are below in this handy infographic. Check it out and get those creative juices flowing!

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Are You To Busy To Cook? Check Out These Healthy Meals Delivered To Your Door.

Does this sound familiar, you finish coaching a client and it is now time to shut down for the day but you have your children to pick up or errands to run and dinner is still on your to-do list. Or you have been working so hard you forgot to each lunch.

What are your options as a busy entrepreneur?

You'r Busy and Stressed!

Are you going to just starve to death?

Of course not BUT stopping at Whole Foods to pick up ingredients to prepare a fresh healthy meal from scratch when your already tired is probably not going to happen.

Thank goodness there are some enterprising healthy meal delivery services that make the meals for you and all you have to do is warm them up or just put it on a plate to eat. Let's take a look at a few below.

Factor 75 

Factor 75 delivers fresh meals weekly to your door at home, your office and even at a hotel. They have options that range from Grass-fed Burger with Tomato Bacon Chutney to Butternut Squash Lasagna. All their menu items are always "Grass-fed, pasture-raised, preservative-free, antibiotic & hormone-free, soy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO and organically grown". Weekly plans start as low as $60 per week. 

Clean Eats

Clean Eats is a made for you meal delivery service that has a tagline of "Healthy Meals Delivered". Their menu offerings include; Vegetarian, Gluten-Free & No Carb. If you wish to go with one of their meal plans they have the option to based it around a certain goal such as weight-loss, healthy weight maintenance, building muscle or create a custom goal. Plans start as low as $8 per. day. They offer 10% off the first order to get started. 

Original Meal Prep Vegas

Original Meal Prep Vegas is right in my backyard and I didn't even know it. They are a healthy meal prep delivery service that specializes in "Healthy prepared fresh and delivered meals, that are affordable and delivered to your door ". Their meal choices include chicken fajitas with sweet potato, turkey meatballs marinara with quinoa and pot roast angus with mashed cauliflower. Plans start as low as $8.88 per meal.

I had a hard time writing this blog post because it made me hungry! :)

It's great to see there are a number of options available to suit any lifestyle and meal preference. As a busy entrepreneur, it is important that you take care of yourself so that you can deliver the best service to your clients. Check out the options above to get a jump start on treating your belly better. 

What about you? Do you know of some healthy meal delivery services that you want to share? Let's us know in the comments below.

Keep It (HEALTHY) and Sunny!

How To Start A Home-Based Business With No Money In 4 Easy Ways

You are always coming up with new ideas to the point it is driving you bonkers. Maybe it's time to do something with all those great ideas and start a home-based business. 

1. Decide on if you will offer a service or a product.

It can be tricky putting together the pieces of this puzzle. According to Elle and Company Design, offering a product first can be costly if you don't have a wide audience. In contrast, offering a service can be less risky and "you only need a handful or two of interested clients to generate a significant profit". 

2. Figure out if your idea is viable or not.

It's important to do market research to see if people will pay money to buy your services and products. Is there an unmet need for what you want to sell? This is where many of us freeze up and dreams die off. But it doesn't have to be that way. In an article on Entreprenuer.com, they state that "You can gather information from industry associations, Web searches, periodicals, federal and state agencies, and so forth. A trip to the library or a few hours online can set you on your way to really understanding your market. Your aim is to gain a general sense of the type of customer your product or service will serve-or at least to being willing to find out through the research process".

3. LeverageTechnology.

We live in the greatest technological time. It has never been easy to get up and running with sharing your gifts and talents. Just look at all the Youtube stars. You can use the internet to test the market and sell your service and products with minimal barriers to entry. This is a game changer.

4. Sell, Sell, Sell! When many people think of selling to others the image of a slick talking used car salesman usually comes into focus.

Image courtesy of somkiat2023 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

According to Springboard Biz Development, this is known as transactional selling and is based on " short-term solutions which are primarily concerned with the promotion and selling of the product with little or no emphasis on customer needs".  This definition of selling according to Dictionary.com is to persuade or induce someone to buy (something)". Eww! I don't know about you but I don't want anyone "inducing me to buy anything". But I would be interested in someone getting to know my needs and pain points and sharing a service or product that would alleviate my problem. This version of selling is relationship based. Relationship-based selling is focused on "building long-term relationships where the sales rep gets to know his/her customer, their needs, and their wants. Then and only then does the salesperson even think about trying to make a sale".

When you have zero dollars to start a business starting a home-based business could be the answer. It's important to:

• Decide if you will offer a service or product

• Figure out if your product is something people need or want

• Use technology to test the waters

• Build relationships with your customers so that you can share services or products that they want

Are you pumped and ready to hit the ground running with your new home-based business? Do you have other ideas to share to help others who are looking to build their business with no money? Share in the comments below.

KEEP IT SUNNY!

It's Tax Time - Are You Prepared?

As the year winds down and we all start to get into the holiday season there is one thing to start thinking about as a business owner: TAXES

I know I just ruined your breakfast this morning but it is something we cannot ignore. Here are 3 quick tips to help you as you prepare for this all-important task:

1. Make sure you have updated contact information and W-9's for all vendors who you have paid $600 or more to this year. If they are a corporation then they will not need a 1099 to be issued to them but if they are a sole-proprietor or LLC then you will need to issue them a 1099. If your not sure then get a W-9 from any vendor who you have paid more than $600 to this year. It's better to be safe than sorry.

2. Start gathering all your business related receipts you used for expenses this year and capture them on an Excel spreadsheet for easy retrieval for your tax preparer. For next year think about using Expensify to manage all of your expense recordkeeping.

3. Make sure your bookkeeping is up to date and is working for you. Do you use a specific accounting software or are you only using Excel spreadsheets? If it is the later it may be time to review if that system is still working for your business.

If you need more specific information related to tax planning and how to work with the IRS should you find yourself owing them check out Josh Bauerle's site CPA On Fire to learn some cool tips and tricks.

It is the season to be jolly but you won't have much to be happy about if you have the tax monster nipping at your toes. Be proactive and check out the tips above. Do you have a good system for keeping track of your tax-related information? Or do you just hate the word taxes? Share with us in the comments below.

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3 Reasons To Feel Thankful As You Build Your Business and The Lifestyle of Your Dreams

Well, it's that time of year when we get together with our family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving. For some of us, it will mean going shopping for Black Friday doorbusters. And for others, it will mean watching football and grazing on all the Thanksgiving Day goodies. No matter what your family traditions are it is usually a signal to start taking stock of the year to see what you have accomplished. What if you haven't reached your business or personal goals?

Take a deep breath and read below to stay encouraged.

Reason Number One:

You are taking intentional steps toward realizing your dream work/lifestyle. You might feel discouraged because you haven't arrived at your destination but at least you are on the right path.   

Reason Number Two:

You are using your gifts to change another person's life. This is HUGE! Your business is unique to your specific "gifting". And instead of continuing on the road that is much traveled you decided to be a maverick and use the gifts God gave specifically to you to be an agent of change. 

Reason Number Three:

You are changing your family tree. Dave Ramsey from The Dave Ramsey Show a personal finance podcast, often mentions how going on the journey to live debt free will change your family tree for the better. The same analogy can be said when you go out on your own and start your own business. You are setting a trend in your family (maybe for the first time) to create financial security by starting and running a successful business. And if you are a women entrepreneur you are really changing your family-tree by starting your own business according to an article on Fortune.com. "Researchers found that almost 90% of women entrepreneurs expected their companies’ gross profits to increase or remain stable in the next year. More specifically, 61% expected profits to rise, compared to an average of 58% among all entrepreneurs".

It is easy to get down on yourself if you're not exactly where you want to be in your business or living the dream lifestyle you desire. The holidays can bring out the "comparison gremlins" to make you feel lousy. Don't buy into that trap. Take stock of your goals and keep taking one small step forward towards your destiny. I am here to help you reach those goals. If you need to delegate some items off of your to-do list take some time to jot down what things you are doing that are keeping you from focusing on your gifts and email me.

Happy Thanksgiving & As Always Keep It Sunny!

Are You Still Living Healthy?

2017 is almost over.

Did you keep your goal to live more healthy this year?

Don't feel bad if you went off track. As a busy entrepreneur, it can get really challenging to make healthy choices. Next week we will take a look at companies that offer healthy prepared meals delivered straight to your door. This might come in handy after eating all that Thanksgiving turkey. 

:)

Until then take a look at a previous post I wrote on fun options for staying healthy.

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4 Reasons Why You Can't Get Anything Done In Your Business & How To Move Forward

Do you feel like this in your business?

OR

Do you feel like this in your business?

If you feel like the second photo then you are not alone.

According to a survey found on Small Biz Trends website, "72% of Small Business Owners Feel Overwhelmed".

There could be a variety of reasons why we as entrepreneurs could be feeling this way.

Reason Number One:  There aren't any processes in place in your business!

Do you have specific tasks that you do to engage with prospective clients and after they become your client? If so take a moment to write down those tasks and begin to create steps toward a workflow. This will help you to get a visual on what repetitive steps you are doing in your business and create a streamlined process for doing it. If you need tools to help you visualize everything try MindMeister and Evernote.

Reason Number Two: You have shiny object syndrome!

I am always getting excited about whatever new training tool or workshop that pops up and then when something else comes along I head for that. I know that I am not alone in chasing the latest and greatest "shiny object" but this acronym for focus has been helping me tremendously; follow one course until success equals F.O.C.U.S. 

John Lee Dumas says this all the time and as you guys know I am a huge fan of his. The reason I love this acronym is that it helps me to stay laser-focused what I am currently working on and avoid "shiny object syndrome". Staying focused and not allowing myself to drift off the deep end helps me to be more productive in my business. If there is something that looks cool and interesting to me I just use tools like Pocket, Evernote Web Clipper or Clipular to capture the information for future reviewing.

Reason Number Three: You are too focused on the big picture!

 As entrepreneurs we get so excited about our big picture goals; hitting a certain dollar revenue or creating awesome products to sell to our clients. But we don't get so excited about doing the small routine daily tasks to get there. 

The hardest thing it seems to do as an entrepreneur is to: 

SLOW DOWN and BREAK GOALS DOWN!

But it must be done in order to achieve those big-picture goals. My system is very simple. I break tasks into daily to-do lists of 3 items or less. I use a notepad that I can physically cross things off as they are completed.  If other things get done that are outside of my 3 things then that is gravy on the biscuit. It may sound boring but it can be very exhilarating to see things finally get crossed off your list because you were able to just get it done!

Reason Number Four: You don't Reward Yourself!

Do you treat yourself like a prisoner? Well, that's not going to motivate you to get through a boring task. But if you knew that at the end of an exhausting project you have whatever your favorite thing to do waiting for you then it could make working on tasks that much more fun. After I am done writing this post I will shut down and watch a movie with popcorn. 

What about you? Do you have things that are preventing you from accomplishing your business goals? Share in the comments below.

KEEP IT SUNNYSIDE UP!

STRIPE PAYMENT PROCESSING SOLUTION FOR YOUR CLIENT PAYMENTS

Your business is thriving and but you're having issues with faulty credit cards and making easy online payment solutions available for your clients. The technology is available and as it is true of most things in our world today: There is an app for that! Check out Stripe as a payment processing solution for your clients.  

An article posted by QuickBooks online states that, "Credit cards have evolved into one of the most common methods of consumer payment, with nearly 60% of U.S. consumers using cards over cash, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve". It is important that as an entrepreneur that you provide a simple, easy and convenient tool for your customers to use. This will help them pay for your services easily and it will help you collect receivables more efficiently.

Stripe is a great payment solution that comes with a hosted page that is included in its price. This means your customers will not be taken away from your website to make a payment. Unlike PayPal which does have a hosted page but you must upgrade to their pro plan for that feature. Stripe isn't an invoicing program so you need to connect it to your bookkeeping software which is relatively easy.

The fees are comparative to PayPal. Both Stripe and PayPal both charge 2.9%+$.30 per transaction fees.  The major differentiators that I like are that Stripe has a hosted page for clients to go to for online payments, their fraud resolution tools are user-friendly, they integrate with many third-party apps like QuickBooks Online and they are cost competitive with other comparative options.

Give your customers another option to pay for your services online and check out Stripe to see if it can work for you.

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8 IDEAS TO FIND YOUR IDEAL CLIENT

Do you know who's your ideal client or where to find them?

Have you heard catchphrases like, "Create your ideal avatar"?

Have you thought, "What in the world is an "ideal avatar" and how in the world do I create one?  According to Rich Brooks from Social Media Examiner, "You’ll want to create a fictional persona of your ideal customer, to the point of naming it, knowing how many kids it has or what it does on the weekends".

The point is to get so detailed that you can start to visualize what this person looks like and how you can best provide value-added services. If all this sounds completely overwhelming check out how John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneur On Fire created his avatar named Jimmy. And once you figure out who your ideal avatar/client is, check out the infographic below for ideas on where to find them.

Does all this talk of "avatars & ideal clients" make your head spin? You're not alone. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

KEEP IT SUNNY!

How to Grow Your Practice Using A Business Coach

Are you stuck in your business? It's easy to get in a rut. You have all these ideas but start to feel the sense of overwhelm taking over and you become paralyzed. Well, maybe it's time to start using a business coach to help you get unstuck.

According to an article on BidSketch.com, "As a business owner, you can get in your own way a lot, and spend a lot of time in your head. So you need someone to pull you out of the funk". Check out 10 ways that using a coach can relieve you of getting stuck in your business and move you toward success.

What are some current issues you're facing right now that a coach can help you with? Share in the comments below.

 

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How To Run Your Business Without Employees

Are you struggling with the idea of whether or not to hire an employee to help you in your business?

If so check out one of the first posts I wrote on this very topic and see if it helps to clarify your thoughts.

 

KEEP IT SUNNY!

IS IT TIME FOR A BUSINESS CHECKUP?

We all get busy and if you are a team of one then it can get increasingly hectic to make sure your business is going in the direction you want. You might have a few sleepless nights wondering if your bookkeeping is in order or how to get the shoebox of receipts into your QuickBooks account.

What about writing out a future plan to grow your business? That probably fell by the waste side as you got focused on resolving a client issue. You might have thought about creating some sort of standard operating procedures for your business but got busy wearing your marketing hat. I get it.

Check out a previous post I wrote on this topic that pinpoints some areas to zone in on.  And share some of your administrative challenges in the comments below so we can collectively learn from each other.

KEEP IT SUNNY!

GOT VISION?

Hello and welcome to the first Motivational Monday.

Here you will find little tiny nuggets of encouragement and inspiration to get you started toward having a positive week.

Take a listen and enjoy!

KEEP IT SUNNY!

Top 3 Resources to Use For Answering Your Phones

Are you ready to pull your hair out because you're missing calls while you're away taking care of a customer?

Or maybe you have thought of hiring a remote worker to handle your incoming calls so that your clients don't fall through the cracks.

Not sure what you should do?

Well check out the 3 resources below and bring some calm back to your life.

 

Red Ruby 

Red Ruby Receptionists offer live call answering in English or Spanish. The call handling experience is controlled by you. If you want them to take a message, forward a call to another line or even do outbound calls they provide this service with a concierge touch. Check them out here for more information.

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Conversational Receptionists

Conversational Receptionists is a virtual receptionist provider of small businesses, medical offices, and legal firms. They offer a wide range of services such as responding to general inquiries, customer service, and appointment setting. They are based in Virginia and Canada. Check out their 30-day free-trial here.

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Live Voice

Live Voice offers a wide variety of services that include lead generation, call center support, virtual receptionist and the list goes on. Their pricing plans seem reasonable and they sell themselves as a one-stop-shop. Check out all their services here to see how they can best assist you. 

Do you want to take the chance of losing customers or clients because no one was available to answer their call?

Save your time and sanity and let any of these 3 virtual receptionist service companies help you.

Have you had problems finding a good receptionist for your business? Share in the comments below?

KEEP IT SUNNY!