I s s ue08•J a nua r y / F e br ua r y2015
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Cont e nt s 0 2 MessagefromtheEditor 0 3 HowToOvercometheFearofSuccess 0 5 TuneInandTurnOff ui l dBus i ne s sRe l aons hi psa ndGr owY ourBus i ne s swi t h 0 7B L i nk e dI n
1 1 ResourcesforOnlineecommerceEntrepreneurs 1 3 ThePowerofCollaboraon 1 5 TheImpactofPackaging 1 7 TrusngandLe ngGo:BenefitsofDelegaon
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c ommie d, pe r s i s t e nt , pos iv e … Al l t hebe s tf ort heNe wY e a r .
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How to Overcome the Fear of Success By Lisa Rodriguez It may sound like a bit of a contradiction to think of someone being fearful of success, but it happens more often than we realise. For whatever reasons, many of us are wired to fear our own success. It may be that achieving that success brings us out of our comfort zone or simply puts us into a situation we’re unfamiliar with. Whatever the reason, letting fear sabotage your plans can be detrimental to you personally as well as your business success. Here are a few tips to help you overcome the fear of success once and for all:
#1 Be a “big picture” person Many entrepreneurs feel paralysed with fear once they look at all the minute details of a business venture. Some of the most successful business owners of our time have done the exact opposite to avoid this feeling. Instead of concentrating on minute details, they concentrate on the big picture. They know that the small details can be taken care of later. No one expects you to be familiar with every aspect of business, and there are many tasks that can be outsourced. You can also ask for help and advice when the time comes to complete each task. To avoid not acting on your ideas, ignore the small details and become a big picture person instead.
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#2 Give yourself a break. We all have times when we’re scared or feel a little vulnerable. It’s important not to let these emotions get the better of you. Simply see them for what they are – a temporary feeling. Like most things, this too will pass. Tell yourself that you may be a little bit fearful of a certain task or phase in your business at that it can be overcome. Being kind to yourself and concentrating on your successes and good points is the starting point to getting rid of fear.
#3 Ask yourself – what’s the worst thing that can happen? This simple question can help you overcome the fear of many scenarios. In the big scheme of things, what is actually the worst thing that could happen if you ventured into the unknown? Often times we realise that things aren’t that bad and our minds have a way of dramatising certain events. Stop yourself from falling into this trap by facing your worst case scenario head on. The fear of success is a real issue for many entrepreneurs, and sometimes those thoughts and feelings are etched into our belief system. But with a little time, perseverance and action you can learn to enjoy your success and relish all those moments when something good comes out of your hard work and dedication.
Lisa Rodriguez Next Level Consulting & Virtual Assistance is a small business consulting and virtual assistance firm that specializes in helping coaches, consultants, speakers and other online entrepreneurs create productive businesses, while maximising their internet presence and revenues. Collectively our background spans over 22 years as both office and virtual professionals providing administrative and business support. We specialize in WordPress website development and providing top-notch virtual assistance support. We also provide social media marketing, graphic design and branding services. It is our goal to be your “one-stop shop” for all of your business needs. http://nextlevel-va.com/
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Tune In and Turn Off By Jesse Lyn Stoner Technology gives us the opportunity to be “always on” and the illusion of increased productivity. The reality is that it’s not healthy, and over the long run you will be less productive. Even understanding this, it can be hard to resist the pressure to quickly check email or whip off a quick response, especially if you believe your boss or customers will be unhappy if you don’t respond immediately. To ensure your continued good health, productivity and positive relationships, confront your beliefs about being indispensable, negotiate new expectations around how quickly you need to respond, and make intentional decisions to create “off time.” These 7 habits can help you turn off technology for a more tuned in life. So how can you stay focused when the doubts and challenges take over? 1. Stop Multi Tasking Many people view the
ability to multi-task as an admirable skill. They believe they are able to accomplish more. But studies have shown that you actually accomplish less and do it less well. The illusion of productivity comes at the expense of performance effectiveness. The less you multi-task, the less you’ll be tempted to slip a little work in. 2. Change Your Mind-set Identify what you consider “work” and consider everything else “off.” “Off” can be when you’re with your family, at dinner with friends, or even taking a walk by yourself. During “off” time, don’t even think about work. Put your full attention on who you’re with and what you’re doing. 3. Set Up a Back Up Strategy Sometimes, things will just pop up even when you’re not thinking about work. So what do you do with the important ideas that pop up while you’re “off”? Do NOT pull out your mobile device and make a quick call or send a quick text. It’s guaranteed to pull you away from who you are with. Try to trust that if it’s important enough, the thought
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will reoccur. As a backup, keep a piece of paper or card in your wallet. If you get a brilliant idea that you can’t afford to forget, jot down a few key words… and then put it away. 4. Schedule “off” Time Set and honour specific times that are dedicated to being with family or friends and, also being alone doing things you enjoy. Structure comes more easily for some than others. If you’re one of the people who doesn’t like structure, it’s even more important for you to do this, so you can be intentional about creating the life you really want. 5. Just Say, “No” Let people know that you are changing your habits and are not going to respond to text and email or answer your phone for work related matters during personal time unless there is a true emergency. If they understand this ahead of time, most people will respect your boundaries. They will begin to schedule meetings during times you’re available, and you will discover that many so-called emergencies are not as urgent as they seem at first.
6. Pay Attention to Your Breathing Focusing on your breathing brings your attention away from your thoughts and back to what is immediately present. During “off time,” occasionally notice how you’re breathing. If your breath is rapid and located high in your chest, take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Spend a moment focused on your breathing until you are breathing slowly and from a deeper place, which is how we breathe when we are relaxed. 7. Be Clear About Your Priorities Create a clear vision for what you truly desire and what’s most important to you that explains where you’re going and what you value most. It’s tempting to say “yes” to every request, but it comes at a cost. It will help you know when to say “yes” and when to say “no” if you know what your priorities are. “Just because technology makes it possible to be always available, doesn’t mean you should be.”
Jesse Lyn Stoner is a former business executive, consultant, coach and bestselling author of several books, including Full Steam Ahead: Unleash the Power of Vision, which has been translated into 22 languages. Over the past 25 years Jesse has worked with hundreds of leaders using collaborative processes to engage the entire workforce in creating their desired future. Her clients range from Fortune 500's to non-profits worldwide, including Honda, Marriott, Edelman, Skanska, and SAP to name a few. Jesse is founder of Seapoint Center for Collaborative Leadership, which hosts her award winning leadership blog. She can be found on Twitter @JesseLynStoner, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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Build business relationships and grow your business with LinkedIn By Jade Pluck LinkedIn is the perfect partner for your business. It can present you as an expert to potential clients and allow you to connect with important people within your network in a personal way. Plus, you can market your business, find associates or business partners and get PR opportunities. In this article, I want to talk about using LinkedIn as a way to build business relationships. Here are a few tips that you can implement straight away that will help you nurture your contacts and grow your business: 1. Ensure your profile is 100% complete Have you ever met someone at a networking event and exchanged business cards, only to find that you've been subscribed to their business newsletter? Or By having a complete profile, you are more likely to be found in LinkedIn searches by people using the keywords contained within your profile. This includes potential clients. Make sure you do the following:
Optimize your LinkedIn header
Have a professional photo taken for LinkedIn
Fill in your summary section, including keywords
Click on the blue Complete your profile button on your profile page to finish your profile
2. Connect with all your current/past clients Have a think about how many clients you work with now, or even all the contacts you have known since you launched your business. Are you connected with them on LinkedIn? If not, this is a must. You can ask for recommendations and endorsements, plus you can look though their connections and ask to be introduced to someone you think could be a potential client for your business. I always say that someone is more likely to work with you if you come as a referral, rather than if you approach someone as a complete stranger. 3. Connecting with new people
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When you connect with someone, make sure you add a personal note. Some people receive many requests each week and you want them to remember exactly who you are. It can be as simple as saying: Dear XXX, It was great meeting you at the networking meeting last night. I thought we should connect on LinkedIn to stay in touch.
you will have the information readily available to demonstrate your interest in your connection. 5. Share great content By giving your contacts relevant, useful content they will see you as an expert in your field. People will get to know what you do and know where to come to for help.
Kind regards,
Here are some great ways to share content on LinkedIn:
XXX
Use the LinkedIn publisher to share articles with your LinkedIn audience. Make it relevant and useful so that it gets viewed, liked and shared. A notification goes to all your contacts to say that you have published a post but if you feel someone would personally benefit from reading your article and you want to go the extra mile, you could send it to them as a private message. Think about answering your clients’ questions and giving them useful information. Look to see what others are doing in your industry for inspiration.
Add a status update. Posting a few times a week will ensure you stay in the forefront of your connections’ minds. Here are some ideas:
What are you working on? Telling your network that you’re giving a presentation or a talk, or working on a specific piece of work will highlight what you are good at and plant the seed with potential clients that your business is
This is just the first step in building that relationship. Don’t forget to keep in contact. Follow up with a meeting or telephone call, or by asking if they would like to go on your mailing list. 4. CRM (Client Relationship Management) Did you know that you can use LinkedIn to make notes about a person? Notes are only viewable in your profile and can act as a useful CRM system. You can also set yourself reminders, so that you never forget to make the next contact. Show you care about your contact by asking them something relevant. You could ask about a holiday they’ve taken, or enquire after their family or something else relevant to them. People like to feel valued and having someone remember a personal fact about them will ensure you are not forgotten. After your initial contact, record a few notes within the relationship tab found on your contact’s profile page. When you next speak,
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exactly what they need.
Have you won a contract? Share your skills and good news. Have you just partnered up with a company? Giving a small description may interest others.
Got a recommendation? Share it!
Found an interesting article? Others may want to read it too.
Got a relevant tip? Your LinkedIn connections might benefit from it.
A blog is a great way to attract people to your website. Rather than just posting a link to your blog, be creative. Ask a question around it or pull out a useful statistic with a link to read more. This will help you build relationships with other LinkedIn users.
6. Recommendations Obtaining feedback from your clients makes sure you are always ahead of your competitors. By having regular review meetings, you can find out what else your client is struggling with. Take away their pain and you have a happy client. Following your review, ask for a recommendation. When asking for a recommendation you want to be specific. Ask them to describe the benefits of working with you. What’s changed for them since you started working together? Have you saved your clients money or helped to increase their revenue etc. When potential clients look at these reviews,
they will see first-hand what a difference working with you will make to their business. Tip – Copy your LinkedIn recommendations and add them to the testimonials page on your website! If you want to start using LinkedIn to generate more business, sign up for my free gift 10 tips for LinkedIn Success http:// www.linkedintosuccess.co.uk/ If you want to be successful on LinkedIn and don’t know where to start, take a look at my packages to see how I can help you. LinkedIn for Entrepreneurs http:// www.linkedintosuccess.co.uk/services/online -course/ LinkedIn tailored packages http:// www.linkedintosuccess.co.uk/services/ tailored-packages/ I am a business owner who has been successfully using LinkedIn for clients and myself since 2011. I launched LinkedIn to Success to show you how to get the best out of LinkedIn and help you get the success you want. I am passionate about building relationships, helping others and networking. Let me start showing you the potential of LinkedIn now. http://uk.linkedin.com/in/jadepluck www.twitter.com/jadepluck
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Resources for online ecommerce entrepreneurs By Gemma Falconer These days, the world of online retail can
The first thing to consider is probably the
seem impossible to crack. Search for
most important: your product, your service,
anything – clothes, furniture, electronics,
whatever you are trying to sell. What sets it
skincare, toys, sporting equipment – you
apart from everyone else, and how can you
name it, there are millions of options on the
leverage that uniqueness against your
market. The National Australia Bank
competitors to create gains? ‘Buyers want
estimates that Australians spent $15.9
to be inspired not only by your products
billion on online retail in the 12 months to
but also by the story behind those
September 2014 – so how do you draw
products,’ says Mike Effle, CEO of Vendio –
those customers to you?
an ecommerce software that lets users sell
The answer: well, that’s something you
on multiple platforms like Amazon, eBay,
need to discover on your own. However,
and Facebook. So think about what really
armed with the advice of online retail gurus
gets you excited, and how you can craft a
and a few handy tools, success isn’t far off.
brand story from that. Customers are more
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likely to get behind an idea fuelled by
whether you sink or float – is your
genuine enthusiasm, and this can lead to
customers. It’s absolutely essential that you
lasting business relationships.
are in tune with their needs. A great way to connect with clients and customers is via
Next, you need to figure out the right ecommerce platform for your business. With the low cost and lack of IT requirements, this is a safe bet for those who are just starting out, as they provide the basics of everything you need to get started: integrated shopping cart, SEO, email marketing, inventory management, and analytics. A great example of this kind of software is Shopify, which comes with built-in mobile commerce that includes an iPhone app and smartphone storefront – a definite bonus, considering the immense growth in mobile shopping over the past few years.
virtual meetings with software like GoToMeeting. Using a webcam to hold meetings is more cost-effective, (no more heavy spending on plane tickets or petrol refills), opens your business up to international clients more easily, and adds a personal touch. Instead of solely relying on conference calls and emails, which can feel a bit impersonal at times, you can literally show new clients the face of your business and make healthy (and hopefully lasting!) professional connections. Don’t feel too intimidated to start your own online company – the tools are there for you to take advantage of. If it’s your passion to sell
But the most important part of your online
your product and if you take the expert’s
venture – the force that can determine
advice, I say go for it!
About the Author Gemma is a Senior Campaign Specialist for Citrix GoToMeeting. She has been part of the Demand Generation team for the past five years, looking after anything from webinars to content creation. In her spare time she enjoys playing volleyball, trying to learn Portuguese and eating cake – lots of cake. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter @GemmaFalconer
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The Power of Collaboration by Malik Muhammad The start of a new year is typically the time when the word - resolutions - gets overused. Personal resolutions, New Year resolutions, resolutions to get fit, go on the exotic holiday, purchase the desired car; improve the bottom line of your business. 2015 is as good a time as any to connect with like-minded businesses on joint ventures. 20% of ÂŁ500,000 is better than 100% of nothing. Mergers erase the individual identity of a business but add value through the synergy of their union whilst joint ventures add value to both parties whilst retaining your personal brand identity, increasing your exposure to different markets and improving your potential client base. I'm spelling this out because businesses sometimes lose sight of the benefits of simplicity. The most obvious answer is often the most simple. Globalisation and social media have made it easier to form mutually beneficial business links so getting back to the essence of your
core values, unique selling point and personal / business branding can only reap positive results in 2015. When priorities are clear; there are no conflicts of interest. Understanding the value that you bring to a joint venture puts you in a stronger bargaining position thus making you a more appealing entity to do business with. Why? Because you bring something to the table that the other party will value. The real value comes from how you do what you do rather than simply what you do e.g. there are a many search engines but 'googling' information is synonymous with 'searching on the Internet' for information. When you decide to come together with other businesses on a specific project and share the profits in an agreed manner there are potential risks. There may be fundamental differences in culture, levels of investment/experience/commitment / share capital may vary or bouts of poor communication can occur. The rewards
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include: being able to access fresh markets, more profits and greater productivity, fusion of creative ideas and better content (seeing that in this Information Age content is king). Shell Global is an oil multinational company that has interests in Infineum International, Saudi Petrochemical Company, ELLBA BV, ELLBA Eastern, Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore and The Polyolefin Company Pte. These companies are joint ventures with ExxonMobil, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, Qatar Petroleum and Japanese consortium, Sumitomo. These companies are in the same industry but see the leverage to be gained and increased profits to be derived from working together on specific business projects. 'In the end, all business operations can be reduced to three words; people, product and profits. Unless you've got a good team, you can't do much with the other two' - Lee Iacocca
More will be achieved by collaborating with other people/entities to achieve a particular objective. The era of the ruthless business model is outdated and investing in forming positive relationships with people is good for business. You will make year on year profits and still live your core values. When you look at some of the most profitable companies worldwide you will see how investing in staff and a good working environment contribute to their profit and increases market share e.g. Apple and Facebook. Joint ventures is all about building then mutually benefiting from the business relationship. The business relationship is based on what you bring to the table. What you bring to the table is your unique way of seeing the project, your experience/connections/ expertise and your overall financial investment. It's a win/win.
About the Author Malik Muhammad (www.be-motiv8d.com) focuses on providing people with the tools to feel empowered to achieve their goals in a specified time and motivates them to overcome major obstacles. His expertise is based on applying the 8 Principles of Self Empowerment that are guaranteed to help people be successful, see returns on their investments and make measurable progress. Malik is a motivational speaker, radio presenter and author of Empower yourself to Succeed. He was raised and educated in Jamaica, read law in London and enjoys quad biking. www.be-motiv8d.com
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Trusting and letting go: Benefits of Delegation By Sandra Hinshelwood As a business owner, I know that you feel you should be 100% involved with all the aspects of your business for it to run efficiently.
they need to be, you’re also assured that they are done correctly.
You have to be aware of all the little details. You feel that you have to be involved in all the decision making, whether it involves major ones, like partnerships and franchise opportunities, or minor ones. This includes what brand and model your microwave should be, and how much budget you should allocate for paper and pens.
The problem with this setup is that, instead of channelling your energy and expertise on the things that matter more – such as ensuring that your products and services are meeting customers’ expectations, and coming up with ideas and plans to grow your business – you get stuck doing tasks that other people can do. You also get stressed and overwhelmed when you need not be!
You feel that for you to effectively run a tightly-manned ship, you must be an expert at everything that involves your business. You must be able to do everything, so that, if all else fails, you can do the tasks yourself. Not only do you know they are done when
This is where effective delegation comes in. To delegate means entrusting tasks to able, highly-trained staff who are expected to deliver positive results. The following are some of the things you need to keep in mind when delegating:
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You free up time for yourself. Having other people handle some of your tasks allows you to focus on things that are more important – such as pondering on major decisions that need to be made, coming up with solutions to pressing problems, and planning for the future so you can grow your business. You get the gift of time, which, according to an old adage, is money. Identify the things that you should be spending more time on, and those you can do without (or have other people worry about). Per the 80/20 rule, it only takes 20% of your effort to produce 80% of your bottom line results. You’re probably spending 80% of your time on the actions that only produce 20% results. Delegating tasks to
your staff means that you can focus your actions on the 20% that matters more to your business. Avoid setting impossibly high standards and seeking perfection at all times. It not only puts undue pressure on your staff - it also makes it very tempting for you to micromanage. Nobody likes to have a boss breathing down their necks all the time or having them do a task over and over again, as it’s simply not good enough. Keep in mind that sometimes, good enough is good enough. Let go, and focus on other things. Remember, you don’t have to do it all by yourself! Trusting other people and leveraging on their expertise can benefit your business tremendously.
About the Author Sandra Hinshelwood is a business coach and mentor. Drawing upon her experience as a virtual assistant and team leader in the corporate world, she works with small business owners and solopreneurs to eliminate feelings of overwhelm and empowering them to focus on their goals and visions with greater clarity. www.sandrahinshelwood.com
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Cont r i but e I fy ouwoul dl i k et oc ont r i but et of ut ur ee dionsofBus i ne s sPa r t ne rMa g a z i neďŹ nd outmor ehe r e .
Ge ti nT ouc h Wewe l c omey ourf e e dba c k , c omme nt sa ndque sons . Pl e a s es e nda ne ma i l t oi nf o@bus i ne s s pa r t ne r ma g a z i ne . c om
Phot oCr e di t : Phot ok a nokwww. f r e e di gi t a l phot os . ne t