Take a Walk on the Blog Side, Part II

If a website is your brand's face, a blog is like the intellect.

A good website is like the storefront...you can have the cleanest stoop and the most dazzling window displays and a clearly placed sign, but once that customer walks through the door, they are not likely to stay if you never speak to them, or tell them all about your goods, or show them that you have a unique passion for your product or service and convince them that they cannot leave without buying something.

Once you entice people in with your branded website, then what?

As mentioned before, a blog is less like a diary and more like a book. But one that can engage and encourage your clients in ways that you may never have thought.

That is why a blog can be called the intellect.

Since I started researching this topic a week and a half ago, there have been two more articles written on the Entrepreneur.com website alone. One just yesterday titled, "Recruit a Virtual Sales Force With Your Blog." Sounds intriguing, right?

Mark Stevens writes that "catching a virus can be the best thing you can do for your business." What?! (Don't get excited, Hugh!) He is talking about the phenomenon of viral messaging in the whole social networking craze. The kind that rolls out like a growing wave reaching tsunami heights. The kind that happens when one person tells two friends who each tell two more friends...and they all are talking about how great your blog is and posting links on their blog and writing about you and your products and...well...doing the viral marketing for you. That is gold. You don't have to know how they find you to know that it is great and it works. You just need to be ready to pan the prospects.

While the website you have created might entice someone in the virtual door, it is what you do for them while they are there that makes them want to stay and, more importantly, come back and bring friends. So think of a blog as a way to connect on a personal level with every one who comes to your virtual storefront.

To be effective, a blog needs to be these things:

Educational not Commercial. This is not the place to sell everything for $9.99 or posting obvious sales pitches like that guy who screams at you on t.v. about everything from insurance to laundry soap. Blogs are a conversation, not a commercial. You need to inform your clients and show them the reasons why they should buy from you. Remember that you are the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and you have a lot to say about your product or service to those who are listening. That being said, you need to stay on message and keep building that brand with every word you write. But there are plenty of ways to show and not tell that get your message across while taking advantage of that teachable moment when you have them reading.

Compelling. We are bombarded daily by things to read every where we turn. So keep that in mind when you write. I believe that people are seeking community and will come back time and again if you are seen as writing something worth reading. You will be surprised at how much you have to say. It doesn't have to be long, and it helps to have pictures to support your writing. But there are all sorts of industry-specific updates and even your own personal insights and customer testimonies that are important to your target audience and can give you a boost in keyword search engine rankings.

And once you start making connections you might find that someone else is a great ambassador for your brand and can be called upon to write a guest post or regular column. Or how about switching perspectives with others in your company to keep the voices fresh? I am currently a contributing editor at the Watch Me Create blog and I will be doing four guest posts in the month of June for the Art Bead Scene blog. Each time I post to one of these blogs, I find that I get a spike in readership and new commenters. But the best part is that people like what they read and sign up to be a regular follower. Today I am at 63. Last week I had only 54. Pretty good for only posting once last week.

Frequent & Timely. I know people who write a blog post a day. Usually, they are really short posts that are fun to read, but that sort of pressure might just be too much for most. I personally have a Blogging Without Obligation button that basically frees me from feeling that it is necessary to stick to a hard schedule. I have an imaginary schedule, but it is pretty loose and based on the fact that something needs to spark my creativity for me to write about it. A blog is a periodical. If you only write once a month, why bother. You do have to keep to some sort of timeline, and I have found that once or twice a week is ideal. Too much and you are saturated. Too little and people won't let the door hit them on the way out as they seek inspiration elsewhere.

Exuding Your Distinct Voice. I asked several people why they haven't considered a blog. Several said that they don't have time (you don't have time to connect personally with your clients and potential customers?! Really!?), but most often I was told that they felt they couldn't write. You are the greatest ambassador of your brand, and your clients deserve to hear from you. It will personalize and humanize the experience of buying from you. From Derek Gehl at Entrepreneur.com, "You don't need to be a brilliant writer; you just need to be able to relate to your audience and give them good content."

For my own blog, I decided against making it merely a sales pitch for the latest creation that I made and instead focus on the mantra "inspiration is everywhere." I have found that there are a lot of people who are seeking connectivity on that very subject, and there is infinitely more to write about than just what beads I used in a piece. From there they see my creative process and a finished piece. I actually do get a lot of requests for purchase, and I try to connect with every regular follower through email as well, and some of the leads have turned into sales or sales-in-progress. All because I regularly share my passion and knowledge as a SME, and I have enticed people with my content and easy conversational style. They want to comment. They follow me. They come back. And they bring friends. And that is the sort of virus that I don't mind catching.

While you can start a blog in as little as five minutes, to truly be effective and to keep people coming back again and again takes a lot longer. But armed with a little thought and effort you can turn your blog into a strategic tool that drives traffic and sales to your online and in person business in a uniquely compelling manner.

I have heard it said that there are too many blogs in the world. I agree. Everyone with a soap box and a keyboard can have one. But really there aren't enough great blogs. If you keep those tips in mind, you cannot help but having one of the greats. (And I promise to be one of your first followers!)

Point to Success Challenge:

Let's start the dialogue!
I will give away a pair of Tesori Trovati pearl earrings to one lucky commenter this week.

Rules:

• Must be a member of the BNI Point To Success chapter.


• Must leave a comment on this post related to the challenge below.


• Must tell me what blog you found (just cut and paste a link in the comments).


• Must tell me why you like this blog that you found.


• The following blogs, while great examples, do not count since I have used them as examples in my article: Treasures Found, Watch Me Create, Art Bead Scene, Motivation Manager and Entrepreneur.com

Find at least one blog in the next week that you would enjoy reading regularly, whether for personal or professional reasons, and start reading their current and past posts. Make sure to add an insightful comment at least once on that particular blog. And leave a comment here to let me know that you are part of the conversation!

I will pick a winner on Tuesday, May 26th for our next meeting!

Working Words of Wisdom:

"I will prepare and someday my chance will come."
~ Abraham Lincoln

Take a Walk on the Blog Side, Part I

"In today’s environment, hoarding knowledge ultimately erodes your power. If you know something very important, the way to get power is by actually sharing it."
~Joseph Badaracco

Quick survey:

• Who here has a website?
• Who is on Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn?
• Who here has a blog?

If you don’t have one, why not?

Everyone knows that you need to have a website. But websites are not that easy to set up, cost a lot in hosting and maintenance fees and are not that simple for the average user to update. However, they are as essential to business as the business card and I am not denying how important that they are. I don’t know about you, but I am a website snob. I see a lot of them every day and I know what I like and what I don’t like. And when a business doesn’t have at least some sort of web presence, I find myself not believing that they are at all real.

So why not start a blog?

On Entrepreneur.com I found dozens of articles written about harnessing the power of blogs to grow your business. In fact, one of them was published just today, May 11th and I will add that information to a future installment.

First, a little crash course..

BLOG is an abbreviation of “web log” since they started essentially as a diary. A diary is a monologue, never intended for others to read (and if you had an older sister, you know exactly what I am talking about if you ever happened to break the rickety lock and read her darkest secrets…you realized quickly that no one would really want to read it!) That is exactly what I thought a blog was about…self-centered, weepy losers with too much time on their hands ranting about whatever irks them the most or telling the most inane details of their daily life….

When people suggested that I should start a blog, I admit I was skeptical. Who would want to read what I have to say? Why would they care? What would I possibly have to write about on a regular basis that might be even remotely interesting? When I started, I didn’t even use the “b-word” as I felt there was that stigma attached to it and I wanted my writing to be more than just mindless chatter about what I had for dinner or even what the latest and greatest bead that I found to use. So I set out with a mission, a direction and a plan for how to get there.

A BLOG is actually more like a BOOK. If you were to write a book to promote your ideas, position yourself as a subject matter expert and share your unique expertise, you would find a way to take it on a book tour (like our friend Tom Girolamo). A blog can help you to connect with the thousands of people in the world who are seeking your ideas, your expert perspective and community with like-minded individuals. Blogs are all about building community and it is a great way to go on a virtual book tour without leaving home. And there are millions of people who are seeking what you have to say. Trust me. Now you just need to say it. And that goes back to having a mission, a direction and a plan for how to get there.

For my path to blogging, I started by seeking out blogs, and to my surprise they were everywhere! And they were good! I also ordered a great publication called Artful Blogging to which I now subscribe. This magazine is a primer on how to make your blog stand out from the crowd, and although it is targeted to creative types, the suggestions and examples would help anyone interested in starting their own blog.

There are some who will tell you that you shouldn’t waste your time blogging because it cannot be monetized and therefore is not helpful to growing your business. I will tell you that is dead wrong. How can it be wrong to connect with an ever-changing community of people who are carrying on a dialogue with you on the subject that you are most passionate and excited about? You never know where the next great opportunity will find you and I can tell you that they can come from all around the world with a blog. And they can actually be monetized to even make a little money on the side while you sit back and keep doing what you are doing. But more on that at a later time…..

So, why should you jump on the blog band wagon? In just a few short years, blogging has taken cyber-space by storm. According to Entrepreneur.com there are an estimated 175,000 new blogs and more than 1.6 million blog updates online every day. So, should your small business start a blog? I say yes, and over the next few installments I will tell you why. But here are a few good reasons why you should consider blogging….

• Blogs cost little, if any, money, are extremely easy to create and maintain and you can do this with virtually no training required.
• Blogs allow your business to appear more alive and approachable giving your company a personal voice which can boost customer loyalty.
• Blogs can help you gain insight into your customer’s needs and interests which you can use to develop products or services or simply fine-tune the ones you have.
• Blogs allow you to engage with current and potential customers in a direct, informal, no-pressure way.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to use a blogs and other social media to your advantage to be successful.

After all, you are a subject matter expert in your field and in our BNI Point to Success Chapter. You have something unique to say. Why not share it with the world?

And if you are a member of the BNI Point To Success chapter and you are reading this...please leave a comment on your thoughts so that we can continue the dialogue that this blog is meant to be....

Working Words Of Wisdom:

"Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them…Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes."
~Peter Senge

Keep the Momentum Going

KEY #6: ACTIVELY SEEKING MOTIVATION

"Motivation is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do because they want to do it." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower


There is no end to the mountain of motivational ideas and materials available to small business owners -- tapes, books, CD's, seminars, workbooks, videos and more. Why are there so many different motivational products, authors and speakers? Because people are buying these materials. Used effectively, they are effective and therefore they sell! But if they are just sitting there gathering dust, they won't do you any good.


But how to weed out the grain from the chaff in the realm of motivation?


It is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of self-help and rah-rah materials out there. One way to see through the clutter is to find yourself a motivational guru who can speak to the heart of the matter in a way that will not only be easy to understand but helpful to keep you on track when you might be in danger of derailing. You need someone who can get you "fired up" about working and improving your business.

Luckily for our BNI Point To Success chapter, we have just such a guru in our midst.

No. I am not talking about your resident Motivation Manager. (Although, I am pleased if you thought that I might be able to motivate you!)

I am talking about our founder, Dr. Ivan Misner.

Last week Dr. Misner was in Milwaukee for the BNI National Convention. So cool to have that located right in our backyard, so to speak. And even more cool that there were some of our members who were able to take the time to journey to witness the motivation first-hand.

Mark Pinkala, Sarah Mahon, Eileen Davis, Tim Cullen and Rick Pavlik attended the events. Some even had the good fortune to meet Dr. Misner in person. But all of them walked away with "aha" moments. I have asked those who would care to share the golden nuggets of wisdom they learned (and boy, did they learn a lot!):

• I learned that..... if we never give up "No Matter What", we will never fail to achieve what we set out to do. (Rick Pavlik)
• I learned that one of my life mottos “no matter what” has helped a lot of other determined people. (Tim Cullen)
• I met a BNI Director from Connecticut His chapter has 71 members. They always get done on time. They do 30-second 'sales manager moments'. He said that the 30's are much better than the longer versions used to be. They also get more referrals. He said "bigger IS better." (Mark Pinkala)
• It was very inspiring to be in the company of hundreds of people who truly believe in building their business through referral-oriented networking. I came away from the conference, inspired to spend more time on MY networking activities. I occasionally hear people in our chapter comment on how it's so hard to make the time to follow "BNI model networking." These people are not focused on growing their companies! (Mark Pinkala)
• I learned that... it is first and foremost about cultivating relationships by giving to others. (Rick Pavlik)
• My business is willing to serve the market like it has never been served before. (Tim Cullen)
• The motivational presentation by Lisa Nichols caused me to revisit how I interact with the people within my company. Openly recognizing the 'good' in my coworkers is regrettably an all-to-often overlooked part of my professional life. (Mark Pinkala)
• At Hazel Walker's session on on-line networking, I met a guy from Chicago who uses"LinkedIn". He asked me about my business, and advised that I check it out. Bottom line, he believed it would help me sell more work. Hazel also provided a comprehensive list of "do's" and "dont's" of online networking. (Mark Pinkala)
• I've learned that I must keep up with technology like Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, for social networking that turns into business contacts. (Tim Cullen)
• I will make great gains in life if I immerse myself in learning. (Tim Cullen)
• I learned that getting "IT" means I either (I)nform members of my products & services or I (T)rain them on how to introduce me to or get me in front of groups of people who are potential clients. (I) gets me a little business and (T) can help me make a living. (Rick Pavlik)
• I learned that members holding other members accountable is one of the keys to strong chapters. (Rick Pavlik)
• I've learned that my life is not about me. (Tim Cullen)
• I learned that you should never prejudge someone because the wisdom that they have to share might be exactly what you need. (Rick Pavlik)
• I learned that Ivan Misner is a very approachable person and enjoys conversation. (Tim Cullen)
• I got to meet Dr. Ivan Misner. How cool is that? (Mark Pinkala)

If you are still stumped in finding just the right motivation for you, try asking your BNI friends whom they might recommend. Check out the self-help and motivational section at Book Finders or Book World. Sign up to receive some motivational e-newsletters. (One of my favorites: The Happiness Project)

Be open and aware of what is going on in the motivational industry and how it might help you become more enthused and positive about your business. Do some light research of your own to find some authors and speakers that interest you. Simply doing a Good Search on the term "motivation" yielded 10,413,872 results.

("Motivation in business" brought that number down to a more manageable 4,769,482....whew!)

But I would caution against making a huge investment in this. Check out the library. Borrow from a friend. Download podcasts. Cruise websites. Get yourself on a few mailing lists of e-newsletters. Go to Entrepreneur.com to find the latest and greatest (and even Dr. Misner's monthly column). Sample as many different viewpoints as you can.

But do these resources really work? Yes, but only if you make the effort. Just like exercise, you have to work the muscles -- in this case your mind muscles.

It is up to you to take that information and apply it to your own life and business. Really use the motivational ideas over a period of time and you will begin to see results.

Motivation is what moves us forward in our daily and business lives. Take the time to examine your motivating factors and use some of these keys to improve your focus and renew your enthusiasm. If you keep on track, the motivation momentum can't help but carry you forward.

Working Words of Wisdom:

Courtesy of our guru, Dr. Ivan Misner from the book The 29% Solution:

"Becoming a Master Networker is a journey, not a destination....There's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, just lots of gold along the way and more up ahead."

All Work and No Play...or Why Everyone Needs to Invest in a Fallow Season

KEY #5: REWARD YOURSELF

Everyone works to receive rewards, whether they know it or not. The rewards can be money, free time, or a special treat. But oftentimes as a small business owner we may be so wrapped up in making sure that our business survives the day-to-day grind that we neglect to do that which would motivate us to continue. And that can grind us to a halt. Why work hard and not get a reward? Entrepreneurs work tirelessly for years because they know that they’ll be rewarded one day with riches (possibly) and freedom (most definitely) to do what they want, when they want.

So when is this reward going to come?

We have been talking about how motivating goals and organization can be personally and professionally…but sometimes the motivation should be from outside instead. Rewards motivate people to achieve more to receive more. Small business owners will always have to work hard, but all work and no play is a huge mistake. Your motivation will soon begin to fall if you never take any time away from the demands of running the business.

So why not reward yourself for big and small accomplishments? When you create a goal for yourself, don't be shy about creating a reward to compliment it.

Did you plow through that catalog mailing in record time? Take a walk through Pfiffner Park.
Were you able to return all the emails that have piled up in your inbox? Sounds like a trip to Emy J's for coffee is in order.
Did you close the big five figure deal with a client you have been chasing, like, forever? Great! There's a table with your name on it at the Silver Coach.

Remember to keep the reward proportionate to your accomplishment. But do practice rewarding yourself regularly.

So, plan frequent rewards for yourself. No, it doesn't need to be a trip to Hawaii (although this is a great idea......and if you are going, can I come, too?). Your reward can be as simple as a lunch out with an old friend, a movie with your significant other, an afternoon of shopping or a relaxing massage.

Speaking of massage....Our expert perspective today is from Allen Musch of Inner Element Massage. One way to reward yourself or a colleague would be with massage but also the reward of relaxation techniques to increase your overall well being has its rewards as well. I asked Allen to share with us some of the rewards that he finds motivating.

Allen Musch first wondered how I knew that rewards and motivation are something very important to him. (Note to Al: I have been listening!). Allen says that there is no better way to reward himself after achieving a goal than to relax and unwind with his friends, family and loved ones. Just kicking back and watching a movie can be all the revitalization that he needs. But Allen has also been working really hard as he goes back to college at UWSP. This has been a challenging semester for him, but he has made a deal with himself...if he finishes out the semester strong (and with weather outside like today that can be harder than it sounds!) then he plans a big reward...a week in Yellowstone later this summer.

It sounds like Allen is well on his way to that vacation. Way to go, Al!

If your budget and time will allow, take a few days off for a short trip or simply schedule a vacation from work for a few days. Make it a real vacation -- even if you don't leave town -- so no checking email, voice mail or the fax machine. Add to that the Facebook, Twitter and blogroll addiction you have contracted. That little stipulation might be the most crucial part of the equation no matter where you go. (And oftentimes the hardest to resist).

But if your budget or business doesn't allow an actual physical, break-me-out-of-the-funny-farm escape, why not take one that is free and allows you to stay right at home?

Free...you say? I like things that are free!

A fellow Wisconsin writer friend of mine named Lance has a blog called The Jungle of Life that I follow. Coincidentally, today Lance wrote about taking a mental vacation. That type of reward goes so well with the theme for this week. Essentially, Lance did in fact go away with his family to a new locale to sample the sights and sounds and culture of a new place, but was surprised that it also prompted him to take a detour inside himself. This virtual vacation allowed his mind to travel to new thoughts and sample new possibilities...and was just as powerful a rejuvenator as the actual destination that he traveled to with his family.

I like to call that fallow season. You know when farmers leave a field alone for a time? It gives the soil a rest and allows the natural process of creation and potential to take hold so that when it is time to grow again, there is something there to feed the seeds.

You need to get away, unwind and renew yourself from time to time. Don't think that you don't. It sounds corny (no farming pun intended), but if you take the time to reward yourself, even just a little, you will come back to your business with a new sense of motivation. This "fallow season" to regenerate will help improve your attitude, perspective and outlook. It will help you plant new seeds and prepare yourself for the next big thing that is waiting to grow.

After all, you deserve it.

(And I totally deserve the two hour massage I have pending with Al tomorrow!)

Working Words of Wisdom:
"The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone."
~ Orison Swett Marden

Choosing Your Best Dance Partners

KEY #4: NetWORKing=WORK

The fourth key factor in getting and staying motivated is networking with other small businesses. Of course, that is something we all believe in or we wouldn't be members of the BNI Point to Success chapter, would we? One of the most difficult aspects of being an entrepreneur or small business owner is the isolation. Mutual support can be very empowering and motivating. We each seek to make connections in our communities and neighborhoods, whether they are physical or online. And we all know that even if our business interests are unrelated we somehow find a way to stand on common ground and work together for the benefit of us all.

When we come together weekly we do so not only to bring each other referrals, but to help each other solve problems, share ideas of how to be successful and experience the connectivity that makes our little community so special. We have elected not to be wallflowers, but to get out there and tango with all those who would help us build our business.

Often it seems that the burdens of being a small business owner can be overwhelming, but by coming together and sharing our expertise and ideas we can be a stronger community than if we remained secluded in our own little business world.

Dr. Ivan Misner is a frequent contributor to Entrepreneur.com. He wrote a column titled, "What is Business Networking, Anyway?"

He tells us that, "Business networking is leveraging your business and personal connections to bring you a regular supply of new business." That sounds deceptively simple. In practice, it is a lot of work.

You have to be proactive to get the most out of the process but the returns can be great. It is not about going to an event, shaking hands with everyone there, gathering business cards that then become nothing more than recycling bin fodder.

So what is the secret to networking like a pro? The answer: Creating and building relationships.

Think about it...how many people do you know in your spheres of influence? And how many of these people really know and understand what it is that you do? How many of these people you know actually send you prospects? And how many of those turn into actual business?

Our resident expert is Dave Harvath of D & D Auto. Dave understands the value of relationships and seeks to make his customers his friends. I asked Dave to share with us his expert perspective on his success in networking.

Dave Harvath says that of those that pass through his door and drive into his shop, 10% are customers and 90% are friends. Dave makes it his duty to get to know those who take the time to come into his business. Dave doesn't just service their vehicles and take their money. He wants to know all about them and make an investment in their lives. He becomes their friend. He treats them with respect. He cares not only for their vehicles but for their lives as well. That makes him a trusted business man and someone that has established a thriving repeat business.

Dave tells us that he really does qualify all those referral slips that he passes. He will not refer a customer to one of his BNI partners. He only refers friends. He knows what they need, knows that they are a precious client of his and then will refer them to one of us, the referral partners that he believes in. In short, because he has taken the time to establish a trusted relationship with them, he can assure us of the quality of the referral. That is what relationship networking is all about. And Dave Harvath really lives that in his business.

Networking must be strategic and focused if you want to see growth from it in your business. While not everyone you meet can move your business forward, you never know where the next great referral can come from. Everything you do in your business should be founded on the idea that you intend to grow your business.

Networking is proactive. "The core of networking is doing something specific each week that is focused on networking for business growth," Dr. Misner says. I challenge you to think each week about one something specific that you can do and go and do it. Then come back and tell us how it went so we can learn from you, too. Because sharing our success is a part of growing our relationships with each other as well.

Working Words of Wisdom

"Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor."

~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Now, get out there...and dance!

Get It In Writing...The Fine Art of Setting Goals

KEY #3: SETTING GOALS

Short and long-term goal setting is vital for any business owner. If you didn't set goals, you would be adrift with nothing to strive for and no charted course to follow.

I know that. I understand that. But in practice, I have a hard time with that. Do you have a hard time with that too?

I am personally not a goal-oriented person. But yet I understand the value of having goals...little things like I might be more likely to meet them and therefore enrich my business and personal life if I have them written down.

In 2008 I set a very vague goal to be published. I went after that and to my great surprise was published five times throughout the year. So in 2009 I decided that I should do more than just state it, I should write it down. My goal is to be published once per month and to donate one ensemble per month for the entire year. So far I am up to date on the donations (but currently seeking an April and May opportunity), and I am scheduled to have my work published through September of this year. These opportunities don’t find me, I have to find them, but by setting that goal and keeping tabs on it I am doing all that I can to make them happen. And I believe that when you put it out in the world you would be surprised how the planets aligned to make your goal a reality.

How could you possibly be motivated if you were unsure about the direction of your company?
One obvious way is to take the time to put your goals in writing. Rainy Worzalla of Art Village is the most goal oriented person I know. And setting her goals has helped her achieve them, as we are all witness to with her recent move. But beyond her long-term goals, Rainy has a wonderful tool that she and her staff use to motivate them on a monthly basis called M.A.I.N.L.Y. I asked Rainy to spend a few moments detailing how this worksheet has helped her be a success.

BALANCE is not a word that Rainy uses in her vocabulary. But HARMONY is. While she may not be setting life goals involving fitness or spirituality or other equally important subjects, she does believe that there should be a harmony among the various areas of your life. The M.A.I.N.L.Y. goal sheet from The Monthly Mentor has helped her acheive that. That and the fact that she has a partner in her business who does this monthly with her to keep her on track.

M.A.I.N.L.Y. stands for Mess, Acknowledgment, Increase in Wealth, New, Learn and Yourself. Really all areas of your life and business can be categorized by one of these points. Rainy points out that we all have messes in our lives, all need to give gratitude, all are looking to enrich our bottom line, all have the drive to try new things and learn something new everyday and last, but not least, we need to be good to ourselves. The M.A.I.N.L.Y. sheet has a place for all of them.

Writing the goals for your life and business are one thing, but to have another person holding you accountable to them really allows the process to work. Rainy and Kristin sit down each month and go over their individual and business goals using the worksheet and decide how they can acheive them. They also go over the previous month to be sure that they can score the sheet accordingly. I know that the results have been amazing and the fact that they do it together not only keeps them honest about the outcome, but motivates them as well to be the best that they can be. The benefit of scoring the sheet allows for instant feedback on the progress.

The M.A.I.N.L.Y. sheets are just one helpful tool to use to get those goals in writing. Give it a try and see what it can do for you and your business.

How many of you have a business plan? Notice that I am not raising my hand. I know this is a weakness of mine, but one that I know is essential to long-term success. After all, it can be a very scary thought to put one together. A business plan may sound daunting, but it is really nothing more than written goals, strategies, implementation and a budget. Write your own business plan and update it at least annually. Include "mini-goals" that can be accomplished in a matter of hours, days or weeks as well as the more ambitious "grand-goals" that may take years to complete. Refer to this plan throughout the year.

How about long-term goals. Don't UNDERestimate what you can accomplish in a decade. Think about how far you've come in the past ten years. Think about how far you MIGHT have come in the past ten years if you'd set goals for yourself way back when! So, here's your assignment: take one of your one year goals you have today and stretch it out to ten. What will you look like ten years from now? What will your relationships be like? Where will you live?Where will you work (if at all)? What will your income be? What will your wealth be? Now, take that ten year goal and break it down into what you will accomplish each year. Finally, what can you do TODAY to start you towards that dream?

Can GOALS really help motivate you? Yes! Written goals will make you feel more professional and certainly more connected to your business. It will also free you from having to reinvent your business every single day.

Working Words of Wisdom:

"When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word 'succeed',
you find that it simply means to follow through."
~F. W. Nichol

Creative Minds are Rarely Tidy...or Why My Lack of Organization Is Killing My Motivation

KEY #2: ORGANIZATION (with testimony from….Troy Aeby)

How many of you are "organizationally challenged"? Good. Me, too. That would explain why I found it so hard to find an expert perspective today!

Organization is critical to motivation. You might have the INSPIRATION to be a success, but if you don’t have plan you won’t be able to see where you are going or even know if you got there when you did.

But even if you have a plan and you are merrily moving along, what happens when your work space is overrun by piles preventing you from being efficient and productive?

I am NOT a very organized person. My space can become cluttered overnight and it gets to a breaking point for me every once and awhile (note to self: you are at that breaking point now!). As a child, when asked to clean my room, I used to tell my mom that "Creative Minds Are Rarely Tidy". Well, you can imagine how that went over when I was growing up. As an adult and especially as a business owner I am forced to find ways in order to make sense out of my chaos or I know that I just won't be productive no matter what.

How can you feel good about your work, when you can't find important papers or you are constantly late returning messages? Your business will falter and your motivation will suffer.
Some people just can't get organized. If you are one of them (like me…), then consider bringing in someone -- a business friend, family member a neighbor or professional -- to help you get the clutter and mess cleaned up.

When Marcia Yokers of Stevens Point Home Staging and Organization came over to my house to do an assessment, I am sure that she was shocked by my ribbon and wrapping paper fetish and my propensity for keeping every little bit and scrap for use later. But we developed a plan and I have completed most of what we set out to do in the past year, and I think that she would be proud of me…except not looking at my studio today!

You will be amazed at how this one important thing will help you get back on the motivation train. Don't stop there. It is more than just the physical reality of your work space. Really get organized by creating business systems that will help you streamline your operations.

Our perspective today is from Troy Aeby. Troy is the owner of a long-time family business called Duralum. It is no secret that he is very organized and that is what makes him a great secretary/treasurer.

For Troy, organizing isn’t a challenging task as it is for most of us. On the contrary, organizing is a priority for him. {And he even makes it sound fun...Lucky!}

Troy told us that he divides his life into major categories like work, family, physical and spiritual. He has goals, both long and short term, for each category. On a daily basis, Troy makes lists of the tasks that are necessary to complete his goals. He then selects three things off the list that are of the highest priority and he is sure to get those done first, often before he even steps foot in his business at Duralum. Troy told me that his greatest organizational secret is to write these things down and to stay focused.

Eyes on the prize, my friend! Thank you for your perspective, Troy. {Don't be surprised if we are calling in your organizational favors!}

While you need to find an organizational strategy that works, the real challenge will be keeping yourself on track by maintaining systems that work FOR YOU. For many, it is a daily challenge, but if you use your organizational systems you'll be free to think about other important issues.

And that’s good for business.

Working Words of Wisdom:

"Organizing is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up."
~A.A. Milne (author of Winnie the Pooh)