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How to Follow Your Own Advice

October 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

advice

I am the first one to admit that I don’t always follow my own advice. I badger my boys to floss their teeth every night and then I plop into bed too tired to floss my own teeth. I encourage clients to say no to requests that are not in alignment with their goals and values, yet I find myself caving in to pressure to take on something I should decline. I don’t always practice what I preach. Does that make me a fraud? I don’t think so. I suspect it makes me human. A little incongruent, yes, but not a failure. And certainly not a lost cause.

The world is full of nicotine-addicted doctors, overweight personal trainers and broke financial counselors. That’s because it’s easier to give great advice than it is to follow it. In fact, most of the time, it’s not the “knowing what to do” that causes the problem, it’s the actual “doing it.” Dave Ramsey says financial success is 20 percent knowledge and 80 percent behavior. Behavior. Just doing what we know we need to do.

No matter what you’re trying to do (lose weight, get out of debt, raise children or build a business), knowledge only plays a minor role in your success. Most of us can go by the rulebook for a short while, but eventually we stray from the plan, whatever that is. The motivation to “just do it,” wears thin. So how do we shift ourselves back into a pattern of following our own advice?

Having traveled this road before, in business and personal matters, I have some experience with narrowing the gap between what I say and what I do. Here are a few of the tips that work well for me.

Five Steps to Practicing What You Preach

1. Make it a Mantra. Let’s assume the advice you are spouting is actually good advice. If you know it to be worthwhile and effective at reaching a goal, then dig deep and get to the truth of your wisdom. When you understand why you need to change a behavior, it’s easier to stay on track. And when you summarize your idea in a memorable sentence, it becomes easier to embrace. For example, Lysa TerKeurst knows that spending quiet time in scripture first thing in the morning makes her a better person. So her mantra on the subject is to “exchange whispers with God before I exchange shouts with the world.”

2. Write it Down. I’m an avid journal writer and lover of visual reminders. So it’s not unusual for me to have sticky notes, photos, vision boards, index cards and other written declarations of my intentions. If I’m having trouble following my own advice, I go back to basics and write it down. Sometimes I find a scripture quote to support it, or a funny photo that illustrates the point. But I write it down and make it real. If I am really serious about it, I sign my name, as if I’m entering a contract with myself. You would be amazed at how eager you are to stick with something after you’ve signed your name on the dotted line!

3. Identify your Distractions, Rationalizations and Excuses. You’re probably not new at this game, so take a few minutes to identify the things that have prevented you from staying on track in the past. What are the thoughts and feelings you have when you decide NOT to follow your own advice? Write them down. And then write down a rebuttal for each one. For example, if you are trying to get out of debt and you know you’ll try to rationalize buying too many toys for Christmas, write down a statement that will remind you of your goal and the future happiness and security of your family. When you find yourself ready to hit the “buy now” button on Amazon, take out the rebuttal and read it aloud.

4. Find Someone to Hold You Accountable. Let’s face it – we all need help achieving our goals. So why do we keep them a secret? Are we hoping to surprise everyone we love when out of nowhere we’ve lost 30 pounds, completed a marathon, built a million dollar business and written a book? The surprise will be on us – when we realize we’re not getting anywhere on our goals because we don’t have the support we need to succeed. That’s why it’s important to find someone you trust who will gently, but firmly, hold the space for you to become who you want to become. Schedule deadlines and check-ins with this friend so you have some structure to your relationship and you both understand the expectations.

5. Give Yourself Grace. It takes time and patience to make behavior changes and create new habits. Know that it’s ok if you slip up a few times. It’s even ok to change direction and set new goals. If you recognize that you need to grow, and you take steps to make improvements, that’s all God asks of you. He doesn’t expect perfection. He expects persistence. So keep looking for opportunities to grow into the person He created you to be. And keep setting goals and working toward them. But know that He loves you unconditionally. And know that every day is a new chance to glorify Him. God believes in “do-overs,” so you should allow yourself the grace to start again.

Do you have any tips to make it easier to practice what you preach? Share them with us here so we can support one another!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , , , ,

Five Ways to Stay Fit When You Work at Home

August 6, 2012 By

If you’re running a home business while raising a family, you probably feel like you have two full-time jobs. For many mompreneurs, the last thing on the list of priorities is an exercise routine. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics found that new mothers exercise less than childless women their age. Add to that a new business, and you have a recipe for an exhausted, unhealthy mom.

So we agree that work-at-home moms have unique challenges when it comes to maintaining a fitness routine. But chances are, one of the reasons you chose to start a business while raising a family is so you could create a more balanced life. So you could earn a living doing what you love while remaining present at home for your family. When you ignore your own health and fitness, you can’t possibly live a balanced life. And while you may be physically present for your family, you may not be the most pleasant mom. (Trust me – I’ve been the cranky mom many times!)

Regular exercise gives you more energy to keep up with your children and your busy schedule. It helps you stay focused and productive in the office. Exercise relieves stress and endorphins that help you feel better about yourself, your business and life in general. And it creates a healthier home because a happy mommy is a good mommy.

So how can you create time for fitness when you’re running a business and taking care of your children? Try these fitness tips for mompreneurs:

Five Fitness Tips for Busy Mom Entrepreneurs

1. First Things First. Have you ever read the book Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy? It’s about procrastination and the idea of tackling your highest priority task first thing in the day (your “frog”). For me, that’s exercise. I discovered long ago that the only excuse I have the morning is that I want to sleep longer. As the day progresses, the excuse list gets longer. Life gets in the way. So I know I have to knock it out first thing. You may have better results with an evening routine or lunchtime workout, but try to choose a time of day and make it part of your regular schedule. Then you don’t have to figure out where to squeeze in a workout. It’s already part of your day.

2. Follow Your Heart. Exercise doesn’t have to be grueling and painful. In fact, if you want to stick with it, you should choose something fun. If you’re not into running or hanging out at a gym, then take a look at other options. Try Zumba, yoga, swimming or belly dancing. Take a class in rock climbing or stand-up paddle boards. Go hiking, biking or in line skating. If you’re having fun, you’ll want to do it again.

3. Set a Goal. As an entrepreneur, you’re probably used to measuring results. For some people, the motivation comes from the monitoring this progress along a journey to improve something specific. To lose weight. To get stronger or faster. To live longer. To be happier and less stressed. Get in touch with your own personal motivation. What is it that you hope to accomplish through exercise? It doesn’t have to be a number on the scale or a certain size jeans. It could simply be that you want to have energy every morning. Or perhaps you want to be able to keep up with your dog on a hike or walk that you take. Or maybe you want to run a 5k for a charity. Whatever it is, write down your goal and keep it someplace visible for motivation.

4. Find a Partner. What’s the reason Weight Watchers is so successful? Accountability. There is someone waiting for you to show up each week and get on that scale. Having an exercise partner gives you that same accountability. Just knowing that someone is waiting for you and counting on you to show up can be a powerful motivator. I’ve run a marathon, completed several bike centuries and competed in many triathlons. I know for certain I never would have made it to the starting line in any of those events without a training partner. Here’s a tip about choosing your exercise partner: find someone who is slightly faster, stronger or more skilled in the activity than you. This will ensure that you are challenged but not completely outmatched, which would leave you both frustrated and discouraged.

5. Honor Your Commitment. Once you’ve decided to make fitness a part of your daily routine then give yourself permission to spend the time you need to workout. This may require hiring a babysitter or letting go of another obligation. It may mean that something else simply doesn’t get done perfectly (like laundry or housecleaning). Take some time to explain to your family why you are exercising and how important it is to you. Help them understand that you need their support and encouragement if you are going to keep it up. Ask them to respect your need for dedicated workout time. You may even decide to include your family in your exercise program!

It’s your turn. What are your tips and tricks for staying fit while working from home? Please share them with us here!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Five People You Should Avoid When Growing a Business

July 2, 2012 By

Ever notice that sometimes you are excited and motivated about your business and other times you wonder what on earth you are doing? You doubt your own ability to succeed and you consider throwing in the towel and admitting defeat. No, it’s not your hormones talking when you are wandering clueless, beaten and hopeless through your business. More likely, it’s a reflection of the people you are spending time with. You’re being influenced by the “wrong crowd.”

Do any of these folks sound familiar to you?

1. The Complainer: This friend invites you out for coffee and spends the entire hour complaining about her job, kids and husband. Her life is an epic saga filled with drama and she plays the starring role of the victim. You can barely get a word in, and even when you do, you don’t feel comfortable telling her anything positive or exciting about your life because she’s so darn miserable. Every time you talk with her, you feel exhausted and depleted.

2. The Distractor: A fun-loving friend, this person always has a great idea or an exciting outing for you. Her magnetic personality entices you to follow her on her latest spontaneous adventure – a last minute invitation to the outlet mall, the art show or the latest chick flick. You constantly have a blast, but it’s often at the expense of something else you wanted to accomplish.

3. The Skeptical Supporter: This passive-aggressive loved one claims to have your best interests at heart. She only wants what is best for you and she’s more than happy to tell you what she thinks that might be – even when she has no idea what you’re doing in your business. She’s quick to point out the failures of others, criticize your every move and predict your slim chances of success. But, in a patronizing tone, she claims she believes in you 100 percent. Despite the words that come from her lips, you inevitably leave her presence feeling down on yourself.

4. The Competitor: Often a friend in disguise, this confidant is more interested in discussing your struggles than your successes. She’s threatened by your growth. She feigns interest in your business strategies only to determine how they might apply to her own goals. She stands by your side when you’re in “struggle mode,” but as soon as your business takes off, she seems to disappear. And you end up feeling responsible for the rift in your friendship.

5. The Comfortable Companion: This well-meaning friend actually wants you to be happy. But she just doesn’t get it. She doesn’t understand why you need to start a business, write a book, travel around the country, or do whatever it is that you’re doing in order to achieve your goals. She’s perfectly content in her life and she doesn’t see why you would want anything different – anything more. She doesn’t judge or criticize or try to control you. But she prays that you come to your senses and stop chasing your dreams so everything can go back to the way it used to be. Even when you’re with her, you feel all alone.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” There is a great deal of truth to this. If we spend our days with people who complain, criticize or try to derail our dreams and goals, we are going to eventually engage in those behaviors ourselves.

As mothers, we don’t let our young children play with others who are unkind, disrespectful or disobedient. As they grow up, we hope they make good decisions about the friends they choose on their own. So why do we expect anything less of ourselves? Why do we subject ourselves to people and relationships that have the potential to steal our joy and sabotage our success?

My challenge to you is this: identify five people you know (or want to get to know better) who can lift you up – professionally, personally and/or spiritually. Create space on your calendar to spend more time with them. Surround yourself with people who allow you (and encourage you) to be the very best version of yourself. To be the woman God created you to be.

As Christians, we continue to pray for and minister to those people whom we are called to support (despite the potentially negative effect they have on our personal growth and happiness). In fact, sometimes the people who have this effect on us are related to us. We may not be able to avoid them entirely (and we may not WANT to do that), but it’s important to set boundaries (emotional and physical) when you are with them. Don’t be afraid to establish “off limits” topics or a “no criticizing” rule. Remember, it’s not our job to change them, but we can protect ourselves by shifting our perspective and changing the experience we have with them. And we can counterbalance the damaging effects of toxic relationships by fostering other healthy, inspiring friendships.

Want to surround yourself with smart women who have similar values of faith and family? Join us the International Christian Mompreneur Network for free – click here to learn more!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur

Ten Free Tools to Help You Save Time in the Office

April 16, 2012 By

One of the greatest challenges for the busy mompreneur is time management. Every week I get a call, email, text or other form of communication from a mom who is pleading for help managing her time! I don’t claim to have a magic pill for time management success, but I can tell you that it helps when you have the right tools in place. (In addition, of course, to getting clear on your priorities, but that’s another topic entirely!)

Because I like to share all my secrets with my sisters, I invite you to take a look inside my office and discover some of my favorite time saving tools. The best part about these gems is that they are all FREE!


1. Managing Bookmarks/Favorites: Diigo: This is the wonder drug of online browsing! I don’t know what I would do without Diigo. If your Bookmarks Bar (or browser Favorites) has grown so large and unwieldy that you can no longer find anything, then you need to check out Diigo today.

2. Sending Files: Dropbox and YouSendIt. If you send large files frequently or have trouble sending email attachments, then stop using flash drives as messengers. Both of these programs have a free version and they are super intuitive (which means I can figure them out without my tech support husband’s help!).

3. Measuring ROI: So you’ve invested time and money in a new website and you want to know if anyone cares. Try Google Analytics to track website traffic and even measure ROI on your social media efforts, so you can spend your time (and your money) wisely.


4. Spying on the Competition: Want to be the first to know when your competitor launches a new product? Or when someone is talking about you online? Google Alerts is a free tool to help you easily monitor news and information and keep tabs on everything from industry innovations to your old boss. Set up an alert on your own company name today!

5. Video Chat: Skype is my favorite video chat service, although there are others on the market. The ability to have a quick chat on instant message and to show something on a video chat is a tremendous time saver to me. And it saves money with free calls overseas. You can also let the kids talk to Grandma with it!

6. Screen sharing: I’ve introduced many clients to Adobe Acrobat’s Connect Now web conferencing service as a tool to work more efficiently with a virtual team. There’s a free version that allows screen sharing with one other party. It’s perfect for an online meeting that saves travel time!

7. Phone: Looking for a way to separate your business calls and personal calls so you can better manage your time? No need to invest in another phone line. Try free Google Voice with call forwarding and online voicemail. It’s also a great way to protect your privacy if you work from home.

8. Social Media: If you’re wondering how you can better manage your time on Twitter or Facebook, then HoootSuite might be the perfect solution. You can schedule some of your updates in advance and easily monitor specific online conversations.

9. Conference Calls: If you ever find yourself wishing you could have a virtual meeting with more than just a couple of people, then check out Free Conference Call. You can easily set up a free account and invite up to 99 people to call in for a meeting. I’ve used this service for everything from teleseminars to Girl Scout planning meetings! You can also record the conversation and download the audio for free.

10. Productivity: If you’re having trouble focusing and simply can’t seem to get any work done, try setting the timer on one of the devices you already own (your phone, computer or watch). Setting the timer allows you to create space for a specific task so you can eliminate distractions and dedicate time to one important project.

Next to Nothing: Here are a couple of tools that are not free, but they are low cost and have a free trial!

Scheduling Appointments: Time Trade: If you’ve ever spent three weeks and engaged in voice mail tag and a chain of emails just to get a date on the calendar, then you need to check out Time Trade.

Passwords: Do you have too many passwords to remember? Or worse – do you use the same obvious password for everything from Amazon to you online banking? Then check out 1 Password – a program for storing and creating unique and safe passwords so you never have to remember (or search for) a password again.

What are your favorite time saving tools? Share them with us here!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur, Working Moms

My Favorite Excuses (and Five Ways to Eliminate Them)

December 16, 2011 By

superwoman

Have you ever experienced a fleeting moment when your true desire for greatness took up residence in your heart and radiated within you, only to be extinguished in seconds by all of your excuses? It looks a little bit like this:

“This is my year! I’m going to run a marathon!”

“No, maybe just a 5k…I would never make it 26.2 miles.”

Or

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to open that boutique I’ve always wanted to own?!”

“But that’s too risky and we don’t have the money to invest.”

Or

“I am finally going to write that book that’s just waiting to come out of me!”

“Well, maybe I’ll wait until the kids are older – they really need me now.”

Sure, they sound like perfectly legitimate reasons for putting our lives on hold. And sometimes God does call on us to serve others and to be good stewards of our resources. But surely he doesn’t call on us to sit backstage forever and watch others step in the spotlight to achieve their goals and dreams while we dampen our own lights.

How to Tell the Difference Between Excuses and Legitimate Reasons

Trust me when I tell you that I know all about excuses. I’m a rock star when it comes to explaining, justifying and defending my choices to stay stuck in my own overwhelmed mess of a life. Whenever I have one of those enlightening moments, in which I can see clearly where God is calling me to go, I am filled with energy and passion! I am ready to take that leap of faith and I know for certain that He is going to be there for me. That euphoric feeling lasts about 24 hours at most. Then the excuses creep in. Here are some of my favorites:

“I’m too busy.”

“My family needs me.”

“I don’t have the money.”

“I need to get a degree or certificate first.”

“My friends and family wouldn’t approve.”

“I’m not ready yet.”

“That’s not the responsible thing to do.”

“It will never work.”

“Now is just not a good time.”

What to do When Your Excuses Are Calling the Shots

If these excuses sound even vaguely familiar, I want to encourage you to keep reading. Because I don’t profess to be “cured,” but I do know how to recognize – and overcome – the excuses that have held me back in my business. Here are the steps I take when my favorite excuses start to occupy space in my heart and attempt to prevent me from shining my light on others.

Five Tips for Extinguishing Your Own Excuses:

1. Dig a little deeper. Ask yourself why the excuse is true for you. Why are you not ready? Why don’t you have time? Why wouldn’t it work? Sometimes when we dig beneath the surface of our resistance, we uncover the source of the problem, which has nothing to do with our original understanding. This happened for me when I told myself I couldn’t let someone else handle the family finances. My excuse was that “nobody else will do it the right way.” What I later discovered to be my real issue was, “I don’t want to let go of control.” (By the way, if you don’t have any control issues, you can stop reading now, because I probably can’t help you!)

2. Turn it around. Choose to believe the opposite is true. Tell yourself that you do have the money and that now is the perfect time. Say it aloud as many times as you need to until you believe it. Write it down and keep it someplace where you can see it every day. If you tell your child she’s great at math, will it make her earn straight A’s? Maybe not…but as a mother, you know it will make her more likely to give it her best and to feel good about herself in the process. You can give yourself that same boost by choosing to believe in your own success.

3. Create a daily habit. Excuses are like head lice — by the time you can see them, they’ve taken root in your soul and require painstaking attention to eliminate. And they’re quietly infectious, which makes it easy for us to be surrounded by others who feed on our excuses. So we have to be diligent each day in taking action to combat our excuses. What’s ONE thing that you can do to extinguish your own excuse each and every day? If you tell yourself “It will never work,” then perhaps you need to spend ten minutes a day reading inspirational stories and words of wisdom from others who “made it work.” If you think you’re too busy, then maybe you can commit to 30 minutes a day at first. Surely you can create 30 minutes a day to your life purpose!

4. Tell someone. Not just anyone. Share your fears with someone who won’t accept them as truth. Someone who believes in you and sees you in the place you want to be. It’s easy to confide in a “Yes Man” – someone who will agree with you and tell you that you’re doing the right thing by putting your hopes and dreams on the back burner because it’s safe or smart or caring. It’s easy to find validation for our excuses. But what you really need is to be challenged. You need to share your excuses with someone who doesn’t accept them. Who will force you to confront them with gentle but firm compassion. So find someone who can hold you to a higher standard and ask her to do that for you.

5. Pray on it. Don’t assume that your excuses are coming from God just because they are rooted in noble intention. If you’re putting off your business because your family needs your attention, it’s natural to think that God is calling you to be a mother and a wife. And maybe he is. But maybe he has other plans for you – plans that allow you to expand your capacity to serve hundreds (or millions!) of people with the gifts he has bestowed on you. How do you know he isn’t calling you to do more? Or to do less? Ask. Listen. Trust.

What’s your excuse? Have you been putting your business or your dreams on hold for a seemingly logical reason? Can you tell the difference between excuses and reasons in your own life? Share your story with me here!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur

Seven Unique Ways to Keep a Gratitude Journal You Can Stick With

November 11, 2011 By


I confess – I have abandoned more journals than I care to admit. I always begin with good intentions. Like any devoted Oprah fan, I set out on a mission to write down three things I’m grateful for in an attempt to focus my attention on the blessings in my life. The whole process is like a diet – it works for a few weeks or a month and then I let it slip. I take a day off. Or a week. Or a month. Sometimes I pick it back up again and rededicate myself to the daily practice. (Once I even made it a whole year!) But eventually my journal ends up lost under a pile of papers or stuck between the seats of the couch cushions, collecting dust while my heart collects complaints and criticism.

I used to beat myself up for this abandoned gratitude. I dubbed myself a failure. But now I realize that I was setting myself up for failure. That there is more than one way to do this gratitude thing. Experts tell you how to do it “right” – select a beautiful journal and a pen that feels good, allocate time each day in your schedule and create a dedicated space where you can write comfortably without distractions or interruption. All great tips. But even when I follow them to the letter, I somehow end up getting derailed. This recipe for journal writing doesn’t work for all of us, all the time.

So, here are my personal tips for keeping an attitude of gratitude even if journal writing isn’t your thing!

1. Gratitude Cards: Who needs an entire notebook when you can do the job with a single index card? Buy a stack of colorful index cards and keep them someplace where you will see them. Any time you feel joy, take a minute to write a sentence or word down on an index card and post it on a wall, refrigerator or bulletin board so you can be reminded of your blessings. You can also use sticky notes.

2. Be Social: Turn your Facebook posts or Twitter tweets into a feed of gratitude. Make it a point to share your blessings with your virtual friends each day. You may be surprised to see some of them join in!

3. Gratitude Buddy: Find a partner who is interested in inviting more gratitude into her life as well. Make a commitment to share one thing each day that you are grateful for. Do it by phone, email, text or in person. It helps to have someone else depending on you and expecting you to deliver a thankful thought each day!

4. Thanksgiving Everyday: If you enjoy the tradition of going around the table at Thanksgiving dinner and expressing a sentiment of gratitude, why not make it a daily habit? If you have young children, make it a game. At my house, we play “High/Low” at dinnertime. Each person shares a “high” and a “low” from the day. It’s the one time of day when we all truly stop and connect with one another.

5. The Grateful Doodle: Sometimes there are no words to express our feelings. Let your markers and pencils do the talking by spending 10 minutes doodling your delight on a blank page. There’s a side effect to this creative exercise – you get to experience the Art of Being a Stress Free Mom!

6. Write Where You Are: Sometimes it’s just too much to add another place to go –another project to keep up with. What are you already writing on or in every day? A shopping list? Day planner? Devotional? Add a sentence of gratitude anywhere on the page! If you’re a digital momma, type it into an existing list on your smart phone. Don’t worry that it doesn’t “belong” there – that somewhere between the bananas and the paper towels you’ve written, “I’m thankful for my dog!” There are no rules – gratitude belongs everywhere!

7. Green and Grateful: For some people, it’s overwhelming to fill a book of blank pages or use a stack of index cards. Try the eco-friendly approach of expressing your gratitude on a chalkboard or whiteboard someplace visible in your home. When something new fills your heart with joy, erase it and start over. This takes the pressure off how many sentiments you have to come up with and how often you need to add to the list. And it spreads joy and gratitude to everyone in the home.

Now, does that help make the gratitude thing seem more manageable? I’d love to know what’s working for you – leave a comment here and let me know how you are practicing gratitude in your own way!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , ,

How to Recover from a Bad Business Decision

October 18, 2011 By

So you made a decision you regret. Hired the wrong person. Invested in a lemon. Trusted the untrustworthy. Lost money. Wasted time. And now you’re beating yourself up. We’ve all been there. In fact, if you haven’t been there, it’s probably because you’re not willing to take the risks that are necessary in business.

Just this week I heard from a client who invested $200 in a contractor who said he would optimize her website and improve her business ranking in Google. She’s frustrated and disappointed that she seems to have thrown that money down the drain. Another client tells me she spent $3,600 on a PR firm that was handling her social media for her business and she had to let them go because she spent more time managing them and cleaning up the mess they made, than she would have if she had done the work herself. And I recently hired a contractor who agreed to deliver a project in ten days for $1,600 and it’s now going on three months of excuses, delays and empty promises.

What’s a mompreneur to do?

Let it Go!

Well, the first thing is to let go of the frustration, anger and disappointment – it’s not helping the situation. Instead, let’s focus on the blessing and the lesson. My guess is that if you search deep enough, you’ll find a single lesson – a powerful truth – from the experience that God has placed on your path.

“There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.“

- Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Assess the Problem

Next, we need to figure out how we got into the situation in the first place. From my experience, small business owners and entrepreneurs tend to engage in five specific behaviors that lead to bad business decisions. So let’s take a look and learn from their mistakes (ok, so they’re my mistakes, too)!

Five sure-fire ways to get swindled, bamboozled or cheated in business:

1. Go for the lowest price. You’ve heard this before: free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it – nothing. The same holds true for choosing a product, service or vendor solely on the price point. Ask any volunteer coordinator and she’ll tell you that managing a team of unpaid workers is more of a challenge than managing a staff of highly paid professionals. If you really need a professional job done for your business, then hire a professional – and pay them what they are worth.

2. Hire a friend. If you’re hoping for a disaster, the next best thing to getting work for free is hiring a friend or family member. This is not to say you should never work with friends or family, but take an honest look and determine if there is a pattern of failure with this tactic. There are ways to protect your interests when hiring anyone – including a friend. Do you need a written contract perhaps?

3. Barter your services. OK, so I’m repeatedly guilty of this tactic but I seem to have found a way to make it work. My rule of thumb is that I never barter my services unless I would have purchased the other business owner’s product or service anyway. So I avoid agreeing to provide my services in exchange for something I may never want or use. (Consider this an open invitation for Starbucks to barter with me for copywriting services!)

4. Dig your head in the sand. There’s something to be said for developing your strengths and outsourcing your weaknesses, but we can’t afford to be entirely ignorant about what we’re purchasing. That means we need to understand enough about search engine optimization or website development to know what the contractor is going to deliver and how the process works. We need to know enough to ask the right questions. And if you don’t know – find someone you trust to help you understand the basics.

5. Play Mrs. Nice Guy. Women often have excellent intuitive and social skills, which work in our favor in business. We develop relationships, make people feel comfortable and we truly desire to help others. But we tend to be too nice, showing empathy and granting extensions and exemptions to employees and vendors. Sometimes it’s our compassion that leads to a nice big mess in business. This is my biggest downfall. This is where I let my feelings take over at the expense of my business. This is where I forgive and forgive and forgive (letting the resentment and frustration build up inside).

Proceed with Caution!

Now it’s time to set boundaries. Once you figure out your weakness (like hiring someone you know from church who promises to solve all your problems), then set up a structure in your business to protect your interests. Maybe it’s a contract or written agreement. Or perhaps it is a financial incentive for finishing the job on time or within budget. Be very clear about what you understand and agree to, as well as what the deliverables and deadlines are. Then put checkpoints in place to re-evaluate and reassess.

This is what it means to put on our “big girl panties” and act like the businesses owners we are! It’s not easy, and I certainly haven’t perfected it, but every time we stretch ourselves in the entrepreneurial role, we learn and grow. And if you truly believe that your business is part of God’s purpose for you, then he will equip you with the confidence and courage to lead and serve as he has called you to do.

Now it’s your turn: have you made a bad business decision that taught you a lesson? Share your insights with us!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , , ,

Product Presentation For Profit!

August 24, 2011 By

How do you learn everything it takes to launch a successful business if you have never done it before? How much do you do on your own; how much do you leave to fate and how much do you trust to your friends and family in terms of feedback, support and validation?

If you want to be in business AND make money; you leave nothing to chance, no stone unturned and you NEVER rely on friends and family for honest feedback and product viability comments! They love you too much!

The first step in developing your product idea is to research WHO and WHAT you want this product be. What need in the marketplace is it answering? Why is a mom going to reach for your product on the shelf as opposed to the next competing product? This may seem very basic but it is an important step in developing your game plan and entry strategy later on.

Let’s say for example, you love to sew and you want to develop a new line of baby bibs. You maybe have a design background or maybe you just think you can do it better. My first question to you as a consultant will be, the why factor?

Why do you feel there is a need in the juvenile market for YOUR bib?

Why will your bib be any better than the other current brands?

Why do YOU feel compelled to be the entrepreneur to bring this to market?

Why does the market need your product(s)?

When it comes time to start formulating your presentation plan and line sheets, these are all valid questions that buyers will expect you to respond to with confidence and ease.

It makes sense to me that when developing a new concept; you must understand it intrinsically from the ground up. Good ideas are born every day! What makes the difference is WHAT you do with that great idea and how thoroughly you groom and nurture it.

First, you need to figure out your product’s personality, Who is she/he? What is she going to DO for the consumer? How does she do it successfully? What does a successful interaction with this product look like? Feel like? Once you have determined your line substance, get a good …no, a GREAT Graphic Designer to help you tell this story. This is going to be somebody who has experience in your designated industry either as a specialist in packaging and merchandising or somebody who has personally worked in your field and has their finger on the pulse of that particular industry or customer.

Their job is to help you create your brand’s identity in the marketplace; no easy undertaking! If you are a client of mine, I have a roster of Graphic Designers, each in their own niche fields and I can happily provide you with their contact details, both in Canada and the USA.

Before you commit to a graphic designer, there are a few more puzzle pieces to determine. The first thing that comes to my mind when I am designing a product, beyond the obvious item itself is actually where is it going to live in my stores. I need to be able to visualize it’s home in order to be able to design it’s packaging and merchandising profile.

Every product in a retail store has a footprint. It either takes up wall space, table space, shelf space, hook space, rack space or floor space. Your job is to determine how BEST to maximize your product’s footprint in order to sell more of them. I am not talking about the obvious eye-level, cash counter, target floor space; but actually HOW that product will live in that space.

This is your first step into preparing your product for market presentation; watch for more steps on my next post!

For tips and market proven advice on getting your product to market, you can download my e-book on “Product Presentation For Profit!” http://www.leahchevallier.com/productionmftg-e-books.html

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur, Uncategorized

Take the Peace Challenge

July 15, 2011 By

“Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Sometimes I think my daily struggle to attain five minutes of peace is futile. The kids, the phone, the never ending laundry…Repeated interruptions, unexpected delays and devastating news tug away at my heart leaving me feeling unsettled. The chaotic pace of life adds to the frustration making it impossible to complete my quest for peace.

But I’ve realized that peace is not the destination, it’s the mode of travel. And I’ve discovered that there are small but powerful actions I can take every day to contribute to a more peaceful heart, a calmer environment and a happier home.  Some of them seem effortless but the results are dramatic. If you’re struggling with clutter, chaos and angst, take the Peace Challenge by implementing one or more of my personal tips.

Theresa’s Top 10 Ways to Create a Peaceful Journey

  1. Turn off your cell phone, email and internet browser during specific times of the day – especially when you are working or having a conversation or meal with someone. If you can’t turn them off, set the alerts to silent (not vibrate!).
  2. Silence all background noise – including the television, radio or anything that you are not actively listening to at the moment.  You may not realize that the negative messages coming from the news reports while you are making breakfast are robbing you of a peace-filled morning.
  3. Go to bed by 9 pm once a week. This is a tough one for me because I am often just tucking my kids in bed at this hour and I feel like I finally have time to myself. But getting to bed early is a treat, so I try to do it once a week.
  4. Make your bed every day. I know it sounds crazy, but this small act of creating order is just what I need to start my day feeling somewhat “in control.”
  5. Throw away junk mail before you walk in the door – take it directly from the mailbox to the trash can (unless you need to shred it).
  6. Refuse to engage in or listen to gossip of any kind. The same thing holds true for complaints – make a commitment to yourself to be complaint-free for one week and ask a friend to hold you accountable.
  7. Spend at least one hour a day outside — walking, running, sitting, bird-watching, gardening or doing something that allows you to appreciate the beauty of nature. Breathe fresh air!
  8. Forgive someone – maybe yourself.
  9. Smile. It’s contagious.
  10. Put a journal or notebook by your bed, in your car, in your purse or anywhere you might get a ‘brilliant idea’ and need to capture it before you forget!

Not everyone has the same definition of peace. The music I perceive to be distracting noise may create a state of peace for my nephew. So the trick is to recognize the activities and environmental factors that cause discomfort in your heart and avoid them.

What would you do to create your own personal Peace Challenge? Share your tips with me!

Filed Under: Mom Entrepreneur Tagged With: , , , , ,

Frugal Meets Function

June 6, 2011 By

Times are tough all around, so how can YOU save a little green while growing your business? Here are some of my favorite frugalities!

Join an online fax service instead of installing a secondary phone line.  Why?

  • It is more than half the price of the phone line
  • it uses no paper (save your faxes as PDF files on your computer)
  • it uses no toner
  • it uses no electricity
  • it frees up valuable desk space
  • no long distance charges
  • you can ACCESS it from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection

The first question I get from clients regarding this system is, “what about signing contracts and sending signatures?”.  My response is to smile and refer them to my next favourite office item!

Some online fax companies to check out:

Sign up for online signature and document sending!   This brilliant, little service (that also happens to be free) offers:

  • the ability to sign, track and file any papers in one easy online step
  • real time visibility
  • no software downloand to install or learn
  • 100% secure, compliant signature controls and audit history
  • support for both e-signatures and hand written signatures
  • no long distance fax charges for those exceptionally long contracts or line & catalogue sheets!

Just imagine being able to send a 200 page contract to the other side of the world, electronically, have all the pages initialled, final pages signed and dated back in your inbox without ever ever ripping out a single staple or feeding a single sheet into the fax?
Check out www.echosign.com!  There are other services out there but EchoSign seems to have it all locked up.

Start using Skype or VOIP for all outgoing calls
Skype and VOIP are huge money savers if you don’t have an unlimited phone plan for long distance. The cost varies but generally the rates are lower than standard phone rate.   What you can do is start by using Skype for all your outgoing calls and then use your office phone or cellphone for all incoming calls.  Assuming you have a free incoming call plan.  Why is skype so functional?

    • One of the great things about Skype phone calls is that you can share your screen, documents, and websites with      the person on the other end of the line.
    • Assuming all your other contacts and clients all have Skype; it is a super convenient way to execute conference   calls.  Since it is free, you can host a meeting (up to a maximum of 25 people) and literally stay in touch, brainstorm, network with people on the other side of the world.
    • I don’t need to spell out the obvious phone line savings here do I?

Stop using sticky notes and discover Evernote!
This is truly my favourite software download, EVER.  For all you Mac fans, it works with your i-phone, i-pad and laptops, so get excited!
This lovely program allows to literally organize any thought, note, message, document, image, webpage details, contacts and more.  It allows you to upload ANYTHING at all, label it, add as many tags as you need (I have yet to max out a tag list).  Why do I use it so much?

  • can upload any piece of information in any format and label/organize it in 2 seconds.
  • Unlimited tags let’s you organize projects by client, by month, by delgated employee name, by industry, by country …anything!
  • If you subscribe to the Voice2note.com feature, you can also leave yourself voice memos and the system will transcribe it to text and at your next upload, the file is waiting in your inbox to be labelled and tagged!
  • This replaces every scrap piece of paper in your office, briefcase, notebook and it all auto saves and syncs with your i-phone

These are just a few tips that ANY Mompreneur can implement and see financial rewards from.  If you have any other great frugality business tips, be sure to send them my way at info@leahchevallier.com or post them on my blog at www.leahchevallier.com

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