Woman Entrepreneur March 18

Empowering Women In Business

GLOBAL March 2018

KIM Kiyosaki HOW TO JOIN ME AT THE TOP secrets to investing, property and growing your business revealed

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FEATURED EDITORIAL

ON OUR COVER: Kim Kiyosaki is a renowned international speaker, author of Rich Woman, Good Deal Bad Deal, real estate investor, radio show host, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Rich Woman.

Kim Kiyosaki on investing & growing your business

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SUCCESS STORIES

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INSPIRING

business and life lessons learned from a global leader

KIM kiyosaki

Kim Kiyosaki is a renowned international speaker, author of Rich Woman, Good Deal Bad Deal and It’s Rising Time!, real estate investor, radio show host, a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Rich Woman.

4 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

1

You can’t do it on your own…unless you want to stay tiny

Now here is one problem we women face as entrepreneurs. A report by the Women’s Business Council found that: a) The good news: women-owned businesses are the fastest growing sector in the business world today. b) The not-so-great news: 68% of those women-owned businesses earned less than $25,000 per year. And, c) A whopping 90% of women-owned businesses have only one employee the woman business owner herself.

That tells me too many female business owners are thinking too small. They start their business as a hobby, or to make some extra money for their household. And they do it all by themselves.

I am making the assumption, since you are reading Woman Entrepreneur, that you want to build your business to be more than a hobby. In order to build a business that makes an impact, either through the product you deliver or the number of jobs you create, you will need to also build a team that supports you.

You may not start with a team, but as you continue to grow you must nurture and grow a team - if you want your business to grow.

3

Your business must make money

The “Reason Why” you have taken on the task of creating a successful business is what will keep you going. Cash flow (more money coming in than going out) will keep the business going.

The six most important money words are: Income, Expense, Asset, Liability and Cash Flow. You have to know your numbers. The numbers tell the story. When my husband, Robert, and I were just starting our business and we had more money going out than coming in, we hired a bookkeeper. Her name was Betty.

She was a crucial member of our team, because twice a month I would meet with Betty and she would show me the truth of where we were financially. It wasn’t a meeting I looked forward to. Yet, if it wasn’t for Betty showing us our real numbers every month, our business would have probably imploded very quickly. Once we knew where we were, we could figure out how to get to where we wanted to be.

I do not buy into the concept of “do what you love and the money will follow.” I believe in doing what you love (that solves a real-world problem), working your butt off, knowing your numbers intimately and making a lot of money so you can make a significant impact in the world as a successful entrepreneur.

4

Your business must solve a problem

Every business must have a purpose. And the purpose of an entrepreneur is to solve problems.

I recommend every member of your team be smarter than you in their field of expertise or the role they play. Too often the small business owner stays small because she does not trust someone else to do it better. She wants to control every moving part of her business. Which will never allow her to grow beyond the ‘Mom & Pop’ stage. From my personal experience, when you allow talented people to use their gifts and to collaborate with other team members, the creativity, productivity and sales will flow.

Sometimes, as the leader, you need to get out of the way.

2

If the primary goal of your business is to make money, shut it down now

If the main reason you have started your business is to make money, at some point in the not-too-distant future, you will quit. This is one of the key reasons why so many businesses fail.

You have to find, within yourself, that compelling “Reason Why” you are building your business. What is so important to you that you are willing to go through all the ups and downs, the successes and set-backs and the emotional roller coaster that a true entrepreneur endures. If your “Reason Why” isn’t strong and compelling enough then, when you face some tough problems - such as losing your #1 customer, a bank account so low you don’t know how you’re going make payroll, your new product shipment arrives in the wrong size and on and on - you will quit.

If, on the other hand, you are building your business because it helps a cause you are passionate about, fulfills a purpose you believe in, or helps people live a better life, then, with a strong “Reason Why,” when you face these obstacles you will find solutions, because what you are doing is so important to who you are. You will figure out what needs to be done to keep going - and do it.

As an investor, I’m not interested in another brand of soap. But, if the soap can cure a common skin disease, then I’m interested. I couldn’t care less if you designed the best running shoe, unless this shoe was made of recyclable materials, was manufactured in a third-world country and raised workers’ standard of living in that country. That’s a game I’d pursue further.

We created The Rich Dad Company because the problem we saw was that there was little-to-no financial education in any school system worldwide. Our solution was to offer financial education that was fun and entertaining on a mass-market scale and for a very low price.

The world doesn’t need another “me too” product. People need products that create real-world solutions to all kinds of problems today. Do we really need another brand of sports car? Or skin cream? Or mattress? The world has a ton of problems to solve. I believe it is up to the entrepreneur - especially the female entrepreneur - to come up with solutions that will move our world forward.

The three questions I want answered when someone comes to me with a new business venture to invest in are: 1) What problem does your product or service solve?

2) How do people hear about you?

3) Is your business scalable? How can you take it from small to huge?

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Only do business with people you would enjoy having dinner with

I realize in the early phases of your business, you may not always have the luxury to be so picky… or maybe you can. As you are getting your business known you will need to connect with many people and organizations that can support you in growing your business. I would say this though: be very aware of who you are attracting into your business. Do they share the same purpose and vision? Are they aligned on your mission? Or are they only there for the money?

It’s been said that “Life is too short to drink bad wine.” I would say, “Life is too short to deal with difficult people.”

I made a decision years ago to get the negative people out of my life. You know who I’m talking about. A person who you dread meeting with. A person who, after a conversation, leaves you very grumpy. A person who, when you think of them, creates a knot in your stomach. Very simply, a person who you do not enjoy being around.

In reading Big Potential by Shawn Achor, he states, “Exciting new research shows that… every dimension of human potential - performance, intelligence, creativity, leadership ability and health - is influenced by those around us.

We are only now beginning to understand the full impact that the networks of people around us have on our performance, well-being, happiness, and success.” He concludes: “The key to (elevating) your potential is to surround yourself with people who will lift you up rather than drag you down.”

We all have enough “stuff” to deal with every day in our businesses. Why compound our challenges by inviting negative and nasty people into our lives? www.womanentrepreneur.co | 5

W

here has the time gone? March 2018 is already here. We are still in the first quarter of 2018, are you on track with reaching your goals? Have you started that project you said you were going to start on 31 Dec 2017? Have you given up on that bad habit you said you were going too? Have you joined the gym and actually went?

New year’s resolutions don’t last. Instead of making resolutions, set goals; realistic goals. The reason why people don’t follow through with resolutions is because they give it a 500% effort in the first 3 days and then give up, because it is too hard.

When it comes to goal setting there are 3 crucial things to keep in mind: Consistency, commitment and momentum. Being consistent will give you the result you desire. Instead of saying: “I am going to train 7 days a week”, start off by saying: “I am going to train 3 days a week” instead.

Set a realistic goal so you can be consistent with the delivery and keep the momentum flowing. That will make the commitment so much easier!

Erna Basson is an award-winning entrepreneur, world-class business coach and international keynote speaker. She is well known for starting, growing and selling companies fast and her passion is to help people become entrepreneurs so that they too can achieve and live their dream.

She is the Founder and CEO of Erabella Beauty , the fastest growing hair extensions brand in the world. She is the CEO and Founder of Woman Entrepreneur, a global platform to Empower Women in Business

The year is still fresh, and, if you have wandered off the path for your 2018 goals, that is OK. Stop and press the start over button. There is still time to get back on track and move forward with momentum.

Just remember: Consistency, Commitment and Momentum are everything.

I hope you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we have enjoyed creating it. xoxo Erna Basson Founder and CEO | Woman Entrepreneur

editor@womanentrepreneur.co www.womanentrepreneur.co

FEATURED INVESTOR

essica

fabricius

are some of 2| What your achievements?

I obtained my pilot’s license at the young age of 21. I am a cancer survivor since the age of 28.I created a globally-known biomedical company, raised two sons with Asperger’s and started my life over at 44. I am the winner of the Amelia Earnhardt Innovator of the Year Award and in 2017, I won Entrepreneur of the Year. I have interviewed Gene Simmons (Kiss founder) in front of 2500 people from 72 countries, got invited to a private dinner with Hugh Hilton (THE Hilton family) discussing the spiritual aspect of business and recently got invited to speak at High Point University.

you remember your first investment 3| Can deal and can you remember what it was?

My first investment wasn’t real estate at all! I bought stock in K-Mart. It went up slowly and I was cashed out when the company was sold. My first real estate deal was a phenomenal Arthur Dennis Stevens (the last Frank Lloyd Wright disciple) custom-built house in Oregon that has been on the market for almost 3 years.

It was a heart purchase – I offered full price, but they carried a 30 year note at 6% with 10% down. To this day I still regret selling it.

dominant expert in investing and 4| Asrealaestate, what advice can you offer to first-time investors or buyers?

Run your numbers, do your due diligence and ALWAYS have an escape clause. You can even partner with someone who has more experience to help you get started.

do you differentiate yourself from 5| How the other investors?

I am open to joint ventures and partnerships. I also bring creative funding to the table in order to make deals happen.

3 lessons that you have learned in 6| Name business and life

· ·

To quote a favourite mentor, George Ross, “The

higher you go up the ladder, the more your butt is exposed.” Have your legal structures in place!

All the stuff in the world is just stuff if you are empty

and alone on the inside. In the end it will be the smell of his/her pillow, the sound of their laugh, the love you are receiving from someone special, from family and friends. It will be about the experiences you had and those you experienced it with. It will be about how you

·

showed up in the world and for those around you.

Take care of yourself first. Once you have your

oxygen mask on, then you can help others. Too often, as women, we give up everything about ourselves for partners and family – we forget our own value. This does not require guilt, shame or blame. Exercise your “no” a bit more frequently, and remember, “maybe” is really a no in disguise.

8 | MARCH 2018

I invite women to embrace their femininity, bringing a new perspective to the world. It is complementary to the masculine… and therein lies the magic.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

1|

Give us a bit of background about you and your business(es)

I grew up in Northern California, where I learned old-fashioned ways and values from living with my Lithuanian grandparents and mother after my father left us when I was 2. My mother remarried when I was 7 and thus began the house rollercoaster of living in 8 different houses and areas/states in 11 years. I never realized my parents were actively involved in real estate - until my father developed a community in Carlsbad, CA. If only my parents taught me some of what they knew, I can only imagine where my life would be with real estate.

As fate would have it, I worked for Robert Allen, author of Nothing Down, in his mindset development company. It set my foundation of company culture. After the company shut down, I found myself in the mortgage industry working with Suntrust. It was an exciting time to be in real estate during the late 80’s early 90’s. However, I was looking at other opportunities; the chance to build a business from the ground up. I entered the biomedical field and, from an idea discussed at the kitchen table, I worked my way up and became a worldwide global provider of biomaterials to some of the world’s largest companies, including Siemens, Abbott and Quest Diagnostics. After 22 years, I retired from the biomedical industry, ready to pursue new goals and ventures.

During those years I continuously invested in real estate and gained hands-on experience with all phases of rehabilitation – including dealing with the EPA. After my second child’s birth I started a non-profit organisation and created a patented a baby product that donated 100% of the profits to Autism. I educated myself in what has always been my passion – relationships and speaking. I attended workshops, online and in-person classes, read everything I could get my hands on, and implemented what I learned.

Through my personal growth, I became profoundly aware of the long-term dejection I felt about my marriage and knew it had to change. It was the hardest decision I ever made – especially with my boys – and I only wish I could forget their pain. I started my new life with just my clothes and a car, and yet, moving into my 1-bedroom apartment was one of the most EXCITING days of my life. To this day, my ex and I are still friends and our boys have become fine young men.

Because nature abhors a vacuum, the space for love in my heart needed to be filled. I was complete in myself, I found love everywhere and joy in everything. That was the space I was in when an incredible man walked into the dojo where I trained, and rocked my world. I never truly believed those head-over-heels love stories… until it happened to me. Everything I learned and knew was turned upside-down and I found myself in uncharted territory with no map.

So, I jumped right in, buckled my seatbelt and have been on the ride of my life. Needless to say, I am madly in love with the man of my dreams (most of the time!), David Fabricius, and have been inseparable since we met.

I am now living my dream life. I have an incredible relationship, multiple streams of income, my boys experience a loving relationship, and much, much more. I have a commercial real estate company, a residential real estate company and I am now funding residential and commercial real estate in 46 states. Always the entrepreneur, I have embarked upon my speaking and coaching business and I am excited for what 2018 and beyond will bring.

Aside from business, I am the mother of 2 sons with Asperger’s and learned to look at life in a different way. My boys never were like any of the other kids – they still aren’t. I never heard “I love you”, no sports, no friends. It was not what I expected or experienced growing up or read in parenting books. Massive amounts of money, time, love and tears have been invested into my sons. It is with great pride that I say my eldest is heading off to college in 2018, and my youngest is aspiring to attend High Point University when he graduates in 2022.

They have both achieved what was said will be impossible. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 9

10 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

In the investment world, do you 7| think people buy your personal brand or your business brand or both?

For me, it is personal brand first. I am in the process of developing a new business brand, Select Capital Funding, and I am excited to see how it grows.

How do you get new clients or 8| raise funds for your investment projects?

Social media and in person. EVERYWHERE I go and everyone I talk to, are potential clients. Personally, I utilize Select Capital Funding for my investments.

is the one quote that you live 9| What by every day?

The attitude of gratitude. I am thankful for EVERYTHING – even the “bad” stuff (which often is gold covered in poo!)

more important to you, 10| What’s motivation or execution?

Both. Without motivation you will not execute whatever is required. Without execution, nothing happens, and you lose motivation. Sometimes it takes a bit more of one or the other, depending on the circumstances.

Women are often in the business world behaving with a very hard, masculine energy. It is physically and mentally draining for us. I invite women to embrace their femininity, bringing a new perspective to the world. It is steady, flowing and creative. It is strong, resilient and powerful. It is complementary to the masculine… and therein lies the magic.

get in touch with

jessica fabricius

Jessica Fabricius | Mastery Teachings, LLC David Fabricius International, LLC 858-361-1898 | jessica@davidfabricius.com www.davidfabricius.com

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 11

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FEATURED INVESTOR

Joseph has over 30 years entrepreneurial experience in income diversification both as an independent operator/investor and a senior managing partner. He is a multiple business owner within the retail and service industry, starting and growing businesses, business restructuring, managing multiple locations, systemising and training.

He is a property developer with a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the design and construction of high end homes including automation, bespoke finishes, 6 star energy ratings, imported materials, interior design and project management.

Joseph is also a property investor in commercial, residential, townhouses and apartments.

J

oseph Surace’s working career began at the age of 8 when his parents purchased their first business retailing groceries. As he and his siblings were small children, they would accompany their parents to work often. Joseph worked after school and on weekends as well as school holidays, learning the basics of running a small business. Before the advent of social media and e-commerce, building a business relied on reputation and face-to-face engagement with customers.

What are some of your achievements?

Growing up watching my parents work incredibly long hours, sacrificing family life, and experiencing the small business lifestyle made me determined to not follow their path. After graduating high school I headed off to Montreux, Switzerland to study Hospitality Management specializing in Sales and Marketing for 3 years before returning home.

From the outside, the hospitality industry appeared glamorous, but after a year working at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne I quickly changed my perception. It was on New Year’s Eve when I had to work that I realized: this was just not right for me. When asked, my boss shared that it had taken him 12 years to work up the ladder to make the same income I was enjoying at the family business. So, I quit.

In 2002 I became one of two senior managing partners of the family business. In the first year I increased our net profit from 7.2% to 22.1 %. Over time I expanded the premises, purchasing the freehold to turning over just on $13 000 000 in sales per year. We were serving an average of just over 15,000 customers per week. We added two more stores and increased sales to just under $25 000 000 per year. I was very proud of the consistent and continual growth. From starting out with nothing financially and purchasing my first home for $220 000, I was able to purchase a new home for $2.4 Million on the coast 9 years later.

Can you remember your first investment deal?

My first investment deal was in a town called Ferntree Gully. It was a 3 bedroom home in a very leafy area with great views overlooking the mountains. I had fallen in love with it, even though you should never get emotional over investments. I was only 22. Unfortunately the agent overseeing the property was a conman and was writing false invoices for me to pay for repairs which were never needed. They often exceeded the rental payments and eventually I couldn’t afford the property or repayments. I discovered shortly after I sold at a loss from the new real estate manager, the conman was caught and had lost his licence. Sadly this left a really bad taste in my mouth and it took me years to recover from the experience. It taught to never trust anyone on face value and that I should rather do my own research and due diligence in everything.

How do you differentiate yourself from the other investors?

I have differentiated myself from other investors by my attention to detail. It’s in everything I do. I know my numbers. I know what it costs to run electrical cabling in a frame stage home per lineal meter to a completed closed home. Same as plumbing etc. I am also very hands on. It’s critical to equip yourself with knowledge on every aspect of your business. You don’t need to be an expert in every aspect, but a general understanding is helpful when conversing with tradesmen about their different subjects. Understanding the order in which development projects need to proceed is also critical in saving you money and time.

If you aren’t aware of possibilities, your choices are limited and you are at the mercy of tradespeople’s preferences. How can you challenge a tradesman or builder, or even an architect on what can and can’t be done if you haven’t familiarised yourself with the intricacies of building and design?

I also like to make things fun and upbeat and don’t stifle the child within myself. I don’t take life too seriously. Everyone loves to deal with someone who has a great work ethic, but is also able to take time out to play. Life is stressful. Making your interactions fun will make people relax and return to do business with you. Mr Scrooge was a very lonely rich man.

14 | MARCH 2018

Name 3 lessons that you have learned in business and life: Lesson number one: The most important lesson I have learned is if you don’t take a calculated risk and hold back, you end up achieving nothing and accumulate regrets. You have to be willing to do the work, be active, and get involved. They say money doesn’t grow on trees, but you can start small and, one day, that single tree will be an orchard.

The earlier you start, the better. Procrastination is your enemy.

Lesson two: Stay clear of the news and media. They mislead, confuse and stifle any growth. They have to sensationalise everything for ratings. Your mind is so powerful and if garbage goes in it stays in.

Feed it right. Read challenging uplifting literature and business journals, associate with like-minded successful people. Remove toxic family and friends from your life, the quicker the better. Release yourself from the pressure of pleasing others and living life on their terms. Harness coaching every year to improve yourself, and never stop learning.

Lesson Three: Stay focused in everything you do. There is no use focusing on a job for 2 months and losing focus for the other 10 months of the year. It has to be consistent and relentless! Get everything legally documented when dealing with partnerships. Sadly, verbal promises don’t count anymore. Never forget about your wife, husband, children etc. Work smart and prioritise your personal life. Many fortunes are lost and success stories unravel because personal lives became neglected, complicated or ignored. Money can always be made, but many people bring personal suffering onto themselves.

In the investment world, do you think people buy your personal brand or your business brand or both?

When people don’t know you initially, your personal brand is important.

It’s all you have. Over time, once you have formed a long-standing reputation, your brand sells itself. No one cares who owns Coca-Cola, the brand sells itself.

How do you get new clients or raise funds for your investment projects?

The best way to gain new clients and expand my portfolio for me has been networking. Going to industry functions and events, joining networking organisations, sharing the value I offer with everyone I meet. If you don’t share your value and believe in your product or service, how can you grow? Face to face is becoming more and more critical in a world of disconnected individuals. We all need each other, so it’s imperative that we push ourselves to be leaders and foster connections by making introductions, sharing referrals, knowledge and experience. The value you add returns threefold when you make a difference to others before you ask for anything in return.

Raising funds is only difficult if it’s not a win-win situation. If you clearly present an option for investors which shows the potential benefits for them, they will jump. Tailor your offer so it solves a problem and fulfils a need. Know your audience and make sure you show what’s in it for them, over and above anything else. Obviously this becomes easier when you can prove what you say and have testimonials, awards or a portfolio of continued success. My coach, JT Foxx, reminds me “people are always looking for ways not to do business with you”. You must show integrity and results.

A lot of builders get into trouble having to wait to sell. I have overcome this by having a cash flow business to fund my projects. This relieves the pressure.

What is the one quote that you live by every day?

Only I can change my life – do whatever it takes TODAY!

What’s more important to you, motivation or execution?

Initially, execution is the most important element of any job/profession.

You must start. Do something. Just like working out, getting started can be the most difficult part. You could have all the motivation in the world, but without action you will never move forward. Life will never get better.

But, to do something consistently year after year, you need to find the motivation. What is your why? What drives you? Why are you sacrificing social time, friends, hobbies? You have to search deep down and find your reason.

Ideally, do what you love, then the motivation will never run out. If you are simply pursuing money, you will burn out and resent the years you gave away.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Release yourself from the pressure of pleasing others and living life on their terms

As a leader and authority in investing and real estate, what advice can you give to our readers that want to do their first investment or buy their first property?

M

y first investment failed because I trusted the person that I dealt with without question. Sadly, money corrupts many people, so never trust anyone until they earn your trust over many deals. Even then, when it comes to your money, always do your own research and due diligence in every transaction. In saying this there are clearly many good honest people. If you are not good with numbers, pay a professional who is. Better to lose a small amount than thousands or millions of dollars later on.

It’s very important to purchase at a good fair price, but some people are so determined to save the extra $500 or $5000 dollars that they never get the guts to purchase. In 6 months your property could grow in value, especially in a hot market. My advice is to jump in and start.

Don’t be paralysed with doubts. What you buy today will seem very cheap in 5-10 years time. There is limited land supply with an increasing population, so unless you live in the forest, bush, countryside, land will always rise in value.

I started with small investments. These are a great way to learn all the legalities associated with investments or purchases. It is also safer.

Most people go all in and leave nothing for another investment or an emergency, then out of poor planning and desperation they have to sell urgently. This is what you want to avoid at all costs.

Look for the worst property on the best street. Land value in Australia is generally more than the cost of the home and developers and investors look for great parcels of land.

I have learnt if you can keep all your properties over time, especially in the Australian capital city market, you can’t ever lose.

Now, if you have a university or large hospital close to the city, this is a golden opportunity. The government will keep funding these organisations and making improvements which is great for the town you invest in. I have had apartments and townhouses next to university campuses consistently with tenants for over 15 years. Often you can subdivide a large bedroom and increase your return very easily.

Making a 3 bedroom to a 4 or 5 is possible, so carefully study room layouts when shopping for a property. Always think how you could increase its tenant capacity.

Another important key is to be wise with your income. Just because interest rates are at 5% doesn’t mean they will stay that way, so ALWAYS have a buffer. Could you still afford repayments at 15%?

It’s also important to purchase within a 30 km radius from the city centre. You can purchase further out, but the returns won’t be nearly as good. Look for new land becoming available that is only 15-20 mins from the city. If this is zoned as residential, they will be future gold mines.

Sometimes researching local areas planning forecasts can be a great help, so get to know people in the local council. Cheap farmland which is about to be rezoned becomes instant gold without you having to do a thing. Remember, where there is strong population growth the outskirts become potential new hotspots for residential housing.

From small units I moved up into townhouses, then homes, then multiple townhouses and apartment blocks. Then I ventured into commercial buildings.

When buying your first property, never try to save a few hundred dollars by avoiding pest inspections. Have the foundations checked.

Have the plumbing and wiring checked. There are companies that specialise in these services. Note that most people will slap on a quick coat of paint to cover imperfections before they plan to sell. You don’t want to find out that your property needs major work or even that it need to be completely pulled down. Make sure there are no covenants over the property or trees that are listed as protected. This will stop you from potentially adding value to your property by knocking down and rebuilding or adding more dwellings. Get professional help here.

If you are purchasing your first property to rent/lease out, use a local agency to manage it for you. You could save by doing it yourself, but then you lose out on the importance of networking with local agents who might be able to pass new deals your way. You may have to pay a little more when you start - say at 7%, but as your portfolio increases, so does your power to influence (which means you could be paying as little as 3-4% later on). But, building that relationship needs to start somewhere.

If you can buy a house which is positioned either to the front or rear of the property and not in the middle, do so. Even if you cannot afford to add a dwelling, an investor will find it very appealing if you ever choose to sell.

Developers/investors can do something with land. If you pick a small block it has no appeal to them, so you miss a large portion of potential buyers.

Use the local government websites for your research. In Australia, Census can give you numbers on how many 2, 3, 4 plus bedrooms are in a suburb. So, if the majority are 3 bedroom, buying a 2 bedroom is not a wise choice as the numbers show, but if you could buy a 2 bedroom cheaper and turn it easily into a 3 bedroom, bingo! You have made a great increase on your investment and appeal to a wider audience.

Today most people want lifestyle, so buying close to shopping amenities will also make your purchase grow.

Never purchase on a busy road, purchase on side streets only. The properties on main roads always struggle to sell and always fetch a lower return.

Partner up with people you can relate and communicate with easily.

Keep in mind when investing in any asset class, if it sounds too good, it probably is. Partner up with people you can relate and communicate with easily. If I get a bad vibe I won’t do business with someone.

You need to use your intuition. Also keep in mind that a property development deal might last for years, so working with someone you don’t like could turn into an uphill battle.

Do your due diligence on people you work with. It’s easy for people to offer you the world and deliver misery. It has to be a win-win situation, but so do the funds. What has been crucial for me is always doing my research. Just because someone says something, doesn’t necessarily make it true. I am the king of research and it has served me well.

www.meetjosephsurace.com | www.inputfitness.com.au email: jdsurace@gmail.com | instagram: joseph_surace

16 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Joseph with Anthony Lolli

Joseph Speaking at Master Class

Do you want to start a new business?

Do you have an existing business but want to 10x your profit?

Do you feel stuck in your current business?

Do your marketing and branding suck and you need assistance?

Erna Basson is the coach for you. She has started, grown and sold several businesses and is now helping entrepreneurs around the world to do the same.

ERNA’S LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Named South Africa’s Top Entrepreneur Under 30

by Fast Company Magazine in 2017 Featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine in June 2017 Received the 2017 Global Female Entrepreneur award in Los Angeles Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2017 Finalist at Africa’s most Influential Women in Business 2017 Completed a 4-year Bachelors Degree in 3 years with 18 distinctions AS SEEN IN:

Log your strategy call today with Erna

www.ernabasson.com 18 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

FEATURED INVESTOR

A

lan Booth is a renowned wealth and executive coach with 30 years of global experience in both personal and business development. He is an influential property and investor tycoon with extensive knowledge in the field.

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Woman Entrepreneur | Global

G ive us a bit of background about you and your business(es):

I am a wealth and executive business coach and assist small businesses to prosper in

the bigger trade. I specialise in transforming local New Zealand businesses into competitive international companies and teach them the know-how on finding and securing capital and connecting to appropriate business associates.

I have 30 years of global experience within the business industry and property market. I am particularly enthusiastic about the property market, because of its endless opportunities.

I specialise in buying properties with a quick turnaround; buying the property, making improvements and selling it for a profit.

As a property investor you need to understand that you are not buying something for yourself, but something that is relevant to the property market instead. The biggest mistake I see investors make is buying a property that they personally like, but the property is not relevant to the market at all.

C

an you remember your first investment deal and can you remember what it was?

My first investment deal was ME. I have learned that the biggest and best investment you can make, is in yourself. I have extensive education and global experience in my field and am now focused on helping ambitious people succeed in their business.

authority in investing and real estate, what advice can to first-time buyers or investors?

A syouangive I actually have several tips for first-time buyers or investors:

· ·

Accumulate the biggest deposit possible in order to avoid any unnecessary interest, but

also keep money aside for contingencies to ensure you are not financially affected by it.

Allow several months for the property deal to go through. When it comes to property

deals, you are not always 100% guaranteed the process will be smooth. Buying property is a long and outdrawn process, so make sure to account for that time.

·

Have enough money available for unforeseen issues that may arise when purchasing a

property. This is crucial, as the last thing you want is to run out of money while buying or renovating the property to sell in again.

·

Investors often fail due to a financial deficiency or the fact that they simply ran out of time.

Make sure you allow for both these crucial aspects when buying a property.

N ame one lesson that you have learned in business and in life:

Cashflow management is crucial. It is not about the amount of money you are making

or the profit margins you are receiving. Instead, it is about how much cash you have available and the way you go about collecting that cash from your clients. This is another mistake most investors make: they don’t keep cash available. Keep plenty of cash around as the old saying, cash is king, is true.

the investment world, do you think people buy your personal or your business brand or both?

I nbrand They definitely buy both, but if you are not personable or likable, they don’t trust you. Trust is the number one fundamental when it comes to property investing or buying. If your clients don’t become to trust you, they won’t rely on you to provide the services; you need all those things. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 21

You can’t execute unless you are motivated, and you are not going to get motivated unless you know how to execute properly.

22 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

W

hat’s more important to you, motivation or execution?

You can’t execute unless you are motivated, and you are not going to get motivated unless you know how to execute properly.

So, these two principals go hand in hand.

do you get new clients and raise funds for your investment projects?

H ow The amount of underutilized money out there is more than we know what to do with. The reason people are not investing with you or buying from you, is because you have not set the record straight; you haven’t built a great picture or gathered the confidence yet.

These attributes are crucial when you are wanting to enter the real estate industry or grow your property portfolio. You need to spend time on building a story that is powerful and authentic, because that will determine your success in the property and investment market.

People fail because they rush into the market and try to get things done quickly, but that is when they overlook attention to the detail. In property, you need to take your time, pick carefully and conquer them all.

get in touch with

www.mayfairconsulting.com alan@mayfairconsulting.com

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 23

24 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

FEATURED INVESTOR

ANDREW majdlik Well known as Australia’s Leading Investment Property Strategist, Andrew Majdlik shares his first-hand knowledge on how to become a successful real estate investor.

U

nlike many property investors, Andrew Majdlik did not come from a wealthy background. Together with his three siblings, Andrew was raised by his widowed mother living on only a government pension. His future was not set with financial funds and he certainly did not win the lottery either. But, Andrew believed that your past does not define your future. “You are who you are, because of who you were.” He was persistent and excited about making his future a success.

He quotes his good friend, Vanilla Ice: “Wasting time, thinking about wasted time, is just wasting time.”

Despite his struggling childhood and lack of financial support, Andrew was able to build a multi-million-dollar property portfolio. What fuelled his fire was the negative input from people all around; people trying to put him down. He surrounded himself with successful individuals instead and soon realised these people are more likely to inspire you to succeed - and celebrate your success with you rather than put you down.

Andrew recommends that, in each person’s strive for wealth, there should be one simple goal; the goal to acquire and hold on to the biggest possible asset base as soon as possible. This essential goal is often heard of and referred to as the investor mindset. Yet, there are many people who roll their eyes at this concept, implying “it’s easy for rich people to say that, but almost impossible for others to pull off.”

“You just need a starting point,” Andrew explains. Starting with a few thousand dollars’ worth of shares and working towards a deposit on your first property is a great start. As soon as you have equity in at least one property, momentum will build, if you know how to leverage effectively.

You you are, b who you w

Andrew first entertained this idea while working 80-hour weeks; juggling 4 parttime jobs. He spent his days getting up at 4am, cleaning offices, schools and toilets, freshening up and changing uniforms for his job as a waiter, followed by delivering pizzas at night. Having had many jobs in his early years, Andrew says each experience was a learning curve and those jobs have helped him in years to come. Regardless of the job, it is important to give your best; it prepares you for the next stage of your life. However, even juggling multiple jobs, Andrew’s income was barely enough to provide for his family. He realised that working to exchange time for money was not the answer to financial freedom. He reckons that the issue with exchanging time for money is that there is only a limited amount of productive time available.

For many people, their own home is the only form of wealth they ever achieve.

That is because they only chase pay rises or promotions, live from pay check to pay check and not realising that they really have no wealth. Another common trait is that people spend their money and only use what’s left for investments. However, Andrew believes in investing first and then only spend what is left. “Always pay yourself first.” The way to measure your wealth is to ask yourself: “How many days can I survive without physically working a job to maintain the lifestyle I’m accustomed to?”

Andrew entered the real estate industry at the young age of 20. After only a year the power of property growth became clear to him. He found that property values escalated at an enormous speed when $60000 properties increased to $120000 within one year. This excited him and his real estate portfolio has been growing ever since.

Many ordinary individuals have been coached by Andrew and are now successful real estate investors; their properties mostly paid for by tenants. They are still able to maintain a great lifestyle AND they have peace of mind knowing that 10 to 15 years from now, not only will their family home have grown in value, but they will have potentially created millions in extra wealth. Because they have been accumulating a bigger asset base, this is also likely to grow in value during this time.

Unfortunately, most people are cautious of the financial impact an additional investment property will have on their lifestyle. But when they realise they can invest in a property using just a small deposit their ability to change their financial future really does become very exciting. Often the money they would have used to pay the small holding fee each week, gets spent on day-to-day items and activities instead.

For the past few years Andrew has been assisting families to make this transition.

Surprisingly it is easier than you might think, especially if you already have some equity in your family home.

If you are curious to learn more, visit www.andrewmajdlik.com.au/infosession to register your details and be notified of upcoming information sessions, frequently hosted by Andrew. Alternatively, to fast-track things, you can contact his office on 1800 422 249 to apply to work with him personally where he will show you how you can live a life of your dreams.

26 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

u are who because of were.

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 27

What are some of your achievements?

At a young age, Andrew personally managed the construction of four properties, even though he was not a builder himself. This gave him insight into the building process and familiarised him with the property industry. “You need to know what you are talking about, when negotiating with vendors, builders and developers.” Andrew found that, if you don’t understand these terms, it is important to get yourself a mentor or coach to assist.

The ability to speak to people is a major achievement for Andrew. As a youngster he was hesitant to talk to people as he had a tendency to stutter. This affected his self-confidence to a very large extent.

He says: “At school, when it was my time to get up in front of the class to speak or do a presentation, I had actually stayed away and missed that day of school. I was petrified to speak in front of others.”

Andrew is now a successful coach and speaks to couples and small groups of people every day. He is proud to say that he has even spoken to audiences of over 2500 listeners. He has been on stages in Los Angeles, Florida, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast and spoken alongside Al Pacino, Fifty Cent, John Travolta, Hugh Hilton, JT Foxx, Mark Bouris, Vanilla Ice, Randi Zuckerberg, Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak. He even interviewed Calvin Klein and Donald Trump’s right-hand man of 57 years, George Ross.

Andrew feels that his biggest achievement is the ability to empower others to realise the potential they have. “So many people don’t see opportunities they have. Yet, after spending some one on one time with them, they are inspired and really fired-up. It is so exciting to see this transformation in people. It is even more exciting to see the success they are achieving. I am powered by my clients’ success.”

Can you remember your first investment deal and what was it?

It was one of the most terrifying experiences to Andrew when he purchased his first property: an entire complex of 8 units in QLD for $290,000. At that time, each unit was being rented for $45 per week ($18,720 p.a.). Now worth well over $1Mil, those same properties are rented at circa $300 per week each ($124,000 p.a.).

Because it was Andrew’s first step towards becoming a leading property investment strategist, the recall of his initial property purchase helps him empathise with first time investors. “I wish I had someone like me, a property mentor, that I could ask questions and seek the confidence that I was doing the right thing.” Although this was a tremendously stressful event, Andrew was confident about the calculated figures as he believes that numbers never lie. Ever since then he based all of his investments on numbers instead of emotion.

Surround yourself and draw inspira people. Find out about their story, w successful, what mistakes have they have they learnt. I have had the privilege to d or spend time with many of these people, inc JT Foxx, Vanilla-Ice, George Ross, Al Pacino a

As a leader and authority in investing and real estate, what advice can you give to first-time investors?

Andrew strongly recommends going to a professional in the industry; someone who understands property and knows the market. A person that is easy to talk to and knows what you need and what you want. “You can’t do it by yourself and be successful over a long period of time. I have coaches and I value their input tremendously.”

He reckons that every successful person, or person that wants to be successful, needs a coach.

For people who don’t understand numbers or property, or don’t have time to do all the due-diligence, a great mentor will assist and support you. They will provide you with all the information required to make an informed decision. “Coaching is very important. If you have a good coach, they can tell you what you are doing wrong, tell you how to improve it and effectively help you over some rough spots that you might not know. A coach can be very helpful and save you a lot of money. A coach should give you the answer they truly believe and not an answer that you might like to hear. Having a coach is a wonderful asset in any field.”

Furthermore, he suggests to never evaluate a property investment based on photos, colours or furniture, as these can always be changed. The investment deal should be based solely on numbers.

Numbers never lie!

Andrew Majdlik with (a) George Ross, (b) Hugh Hilton (c) JT Foxx (d) Al Pacino and (e) Vanilla Ice.

28 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

ation from successful what made them y made, what lessons do business with, meet, cluding Hugh Hilton, and many more.

How do you differentiate yourself from other investors?

How do you get new clients or raise funds for your investment projects?

Andrew is certainly not an ego-driven investor. Unlike many real estate investors, he is rather conservative about his client’s first investment. He recommends starting with an entry-level property - often in the metropolitan area below the median price - that is easy to fund, easy to rent, easy to manage and that can generate a high income. He explains: “Investing in property is fundamentally about making money and that’s what a good coach should ensure.

Sometimes people forget this.”

Andrew started investing in property long before mentoring and coaching clients. He strongly believes that, as a mentor and coach, you need to have travelled down the road already. He only entered the coaching industry when friends - and friends of friends - started asking for his guidance and assistance when it came to property investing. From there his clientele started expanding. Approximately once a year he would do a portfolio review for his clients, and continue adding properties to their real estate portfolios, but he is very selective when it comes to commitment. He refers to these clients as the “Top 1% Club”. These clients include the 1% of investors that own at least 5 properties. Andrew narrowed down his portfolio of clients and now only accepts prospective clients by means of application. His decision is based on the viability of a long-term professional relationship in which he will personally mentor them in order to achieve exceptional financial success.

Name 2 lessons that you have learned in business and life.

It’s choice, not chance that determines your destiny. We make a living by what we do, but we make a life, by what we give!

In the investment world, do you think people buy your personal brand or your business brand or both?

Andrew’s personal brand is based on integrity, leadership, dedication, excellence and client experience and that’s what his clients are buying into. People prefer working with someone that’s not only likeable, but also someone who’s passion for the industry is an inspiration to them.

“I really treat my amazing clients as friends and I get excited and powered by their successes.”

What’s more important to you, motivation or execution?

“Motivation is the most important”, Andrew answers confidently.

“Motivation crushes tiredness, stress, fear, excuses and all negative aspects of emotion.” He feels that motivated individuals will always find a way to execute their goal, be it estate investing or business in general. People without enthusiasm and determination always find an excuse or a reason why they should not embark on their journey.

Get in touch with Andrew: Facebook: amajdlik | YouTube: andrewmajdlikTV | www.andrewmajdlik.com.au www.womanentrepreneur.co | 29

ERNA’S LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Named South Africa’s Top Entrepreneur Under 30

by Fast Company Magazine in 2017 Featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine in June 2017 Received the 2017 Global Female Entrepreneur award in Los Angeles

Do you want to start a new business?

Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2017

Do you have an existing business but want to 10x your profit?

Finalist at Africa’s most Influential Women in Business 2017

Do you feel stuck in your current business?

Completed a 4-year Bachelors Degree in 3 years with 18 distinctions

Do your marketing and branding suck and you need assistance?

Erna Basson is the coach for you.

She has started, grown and sold several businesses and is now helping entrepreneurs around the world to do the same.

AS SEEN IN:

Log your strategy call today with Erna

www.ernabasson.com

FEATURED INVESTOR

Can you remember your first investment deal and can you remember what it was?

Property Development in Spain

The first time we purchased a property with investor eyes, in order to make a profit, was an apartment in Stockholm. We knew the market was going up strongly and because of our local knowledge we did find an area that still wasn’t on the spot. We bought a small 2-bed near the subway, refurbed it and changed the layout so it felt bigger and lighter. We kept it for two years during while the market was going up, and then sold it with a profit of 49%.

As a leaders in investing and real estate, what advice can you give to our readers that want to do their first investment or buy their first property?

Take advice from those who have done what you want to do, and have had the results that you want to have. Family and friends may mean well and want to protect you, but their advice can hurt you if they don’t have experience in the area. Look at the facts and leave feeling out of business. Remember to not mix your investment property, which should be decorated to suit most people, with your private home where you can style to your taste. Your first deal is good to do as a joint venture with someone who has more experience than you do.

How do you differentiate yourself from the other investors?

Like all property investors we also think it is very important to be transparent and honest. We want to have long-term relationships with our partners and clients so it’s seriously important to us to live up to what we say. We offer and prefer to share profit with our investors as joint venture partners. In that way they have full insight and learn during the projects. We want to pay it forward, the knowledge. And as a second choice we suggest investing a fixed percentage.

Name 3 lessons that you have learned in business and life: Take action Take and keep control Don’t do everything yourself It is good to work in teams because people are good at different things. So you do what you are good at and find team partners who are great at different things than you are. Don’t wait too long for others, take action, and control yourself. Communication is very important to make the team function at it’s best.

32 | MARCH 2018

“Look at the facts and leave feeling out of business.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

W

e both grew up in entrepreneurial families. We saw that it was a lot of hard work and responsibility, but also the freedom to use your creativity and time as you wish. So being an entrepreneur and having our own companies felt natural.

Nicklas has worked with property construction for several years and has great knowledge in that area.

That is a big advantage when we do the due diligence and look over our property projects. Nina has worked in the health industry and in sales. The years in sales taught her the importance of marketing, pre-selling, and growing relationships.

During the years we have renovated and refurbished our own homes/properties, raising their value. We have done the same for three of our sons. We found the right locations and then refurbished and made changes in the layouts of their properties. That resulted in great profits for them too.

This made us decide to start up a professional property investing business because we were enjoying ourselves and getting great results. Nicklas’ knowledge and experience in building and construction coupled with my skills in finding the best layouts and use for properties has resulted in great cashflow.

What are some of your achievements?

There are some good ones. With three flips (buy, refurb, sell) in Sweden with profits between 45% to 49% we used the profits to build a villa in Spain and after two years that villa was worth 70% more. We had to live in a mobile home for almost a year to make it work, but we did it.

Our best achievement so far has been helping our dear friends, Berra and Laila, to start investing with us in properties. We did two joint venture flip deals in 2017 together, one in Sweden and one in the UK. The return on their investments was 71% and 50%.

They are very happy and now we are looking for more projects for them to invest in. It feels so fantastic to do this together with them and show them that it is possible to do this with these results. They have followed the projects closely and are beginning to learn and understand the process. Now they know that they can reach their goal of having a greater, and maybe earlier, pension.

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 33

Nicklas and Nina property hunting in the UK

In the investment world, do you think people buy your personal brand or your business brand, or both?

Your personal brand. They look at your skills and results, and if you are trustworthy. It’s mostly about relationships in business.

How do you get new clients or raise funds for your investment projects?

Interviewing 50 Cent about his property business

By meeting people and listening to what they want and if we can help them to reach that goal. We are going to as many fairs, events, seminars, golf courses etc as possible where we can meet likeminded people who are looking for opportunities. It is much easier to first ask people where and what they want to invest in and what results they want, and then match with a property that fits their wish.

What is the one quote that you live by every day?

“Semper Incedendo” - it’s Latin and means “Always Moving Forward”.

There is always something you can progress or improve to be a better you.

What’s more important to you, motivation or execution?

Grateful for the meeting with Hugh Hilton 34 | MARCH 2018

Both are important, depending on where in the process you are. To Nina execution is most important, because the results of the execution are motivating to her. For Nicklas it’s more important to be motivated, because to be motivated leads to execution. Perfect team!

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Project in Stockholm

Coaching with JT Foxx

Project in the United Kingdom

At High Point with Nido Qubein

Before and after: Flip property in Sweden

Personal development is a key thing for us.

It has helped us a lot when looking for business partners and investors, and while working together as a couple.

All relationships benefit from knowing more about all kinds of people.“

G E T I N T O UC H W I T H

w w w . u n i c o r n g l o b a l p r o p e r t y. c o m nicklas@unicornglobalproperty.com n i n a @ u n i c o r n g l o b a l p r o p e r t y. c o m www.womanentrepreneur.co | 35

CamCard My favourites apps are CamCard and Infusionsoft.

This is a great example of what I would call a bolt-on system, instead of an integral system. CamCard is great for scanning business cards, only occasionally getting the text on the card incorrect (mostly when it’s some fancy font). However, as impressive as it is standing in a conference scanning someone’s card and then handing it back to them, it’s useless if you don’t use that information to follow up with that person, be it a phone call or an automated email. This is where Infusionsoft comes into its own. Not only can you scan the card, you can also add them to an automated email follow up sequence, fixing a big issue around follow up failure.

Zoom My next favourite mobile app is also my least favourite. It’s a typical blessing and curse scenario. Zoom allows you to have online meetings on your mobile. It’s great for when you are out of the office, running late and need to get started or if you actually schedule to have a meeting while driving back from holiday. Just remember, mobile networks are not the same as the connection in your office. The curse part comes in where we now change the saying of ‘work from anywhere’ to ‘work from everywhere’. I once was out for a ride in the morning and in my excitement forgot to check my schedule. Next thing, a notification comes up on my Apple watch (yes, I know) “Meeting in 10 minutes’. I had to stop and make the call which was with a client in Australia. Curse because it had left me with no excuse, blessing because it kept my business going.

Uber Yes, you heard right. The amount of work and relaxation that can be achieved while sitting in an Uber getting from one point to another, in my mind, can’t be replaced. I typically only do something in an Uber if it’s absolutely urgent. Otherwise, it’s a great time to catch up with the team or clients in a very relaxed environment or, most times, to simply gather my thoughts for the meeting ahead.

Google Docs Google has simply revolutionised our business. I’m writing this on a Google Doc (Microsoft Word equivalent) which gets shared with the Editor and the rest of the team to fix my poor spelling and grammar. If Google Docs works as it should or, should I say, if the people working with it work as planned, then this article should come out as planned. The beauty behind the mobile app is that I can store, share and edit on the move - making my office truly mobile. I have found this great when managing projects to make sure people have access to the documents they need, when they need it. And, if things need my input, I can ensure that I can push it to them as needed.

Infusionsoft One ring to rule them all, which really has become true for us. Like I said, a system is only as good as the ecosystem it lives in. Having the mobile version of the world’s best small business CRM is like a magic wand in my pocket. Let’s say you need me to add you to our mailing list or send you the latest e-book, there’s a Tag for that (it’s what Infusionsoft uses to trigger automation). Do you need access to our latest e-learning course, let me give you access quickly. Oh, the deal was won, let me update my sales pipeline. You need a quote for that, just one sec….

So yes, all these things are possible and the reality that I want to share with you is that no quick-fix app will make it come together for you. You need to marry great technology with even greater people and rather rapidly you can truly take your business to the next level from your smartphone.

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Woman Entrepreneur | Global

We s ley Longu ei ra

With so many apps out there and everyone promising a revolution to your day - from managing your schedule to your task list - it’s all very promising. We all go through the dance.

Think of a problem which, at that moment, seems like it would really end your business. Like forgetting to send off that email at the end of the day or missing a meeting. It all seems too much to bear, so we turn to technology and the creators of apps that may have had similar issues and decided to solve it in their way.

A perfect example of this is an app I downloaded after seeing it on the hit show “Planet of the Apps”. A designer and entrepreneur had come together to solve the problem that has been affecting mankind and yes, to a lesser extent, women-kind. The problem of having to deal with a calendar layout which seems not to be up to their standard. (The app will remain nameless to stop you from going off and wasting 3 minutes to download it and 8 minutes to play with it, only to find out that the original Gregorian layout had nothing wrong with it.)

And this, my friend, seems to be the trend developers are following: developing what they hope will be the next big thing and then letting you do the testing by seeing if you adopt it or not. That decision is simply based on whether it has made life simpler and if it has made your business more profitable. With that in mind, I’ve developed a skill over the years: I simply wait until it has reached a critical mass - that phase where it’s moving out of the early adopter phase into the mainstream phase - and then jumping in wholeheartedly. This means that I get proven technology to implement and improve in my business.

Too many business owners get stuck in ‘shiny object syndrome’ and too many think they will get their big break from being the first to buy a $2 app, thinking this is the app that is going to revolutionise their business. The truth is, the success is dedicated to implementation of the systems into the entire business, where everyone is trained on what they need to do in order for the system to work as a whole. Only when everyone and everything do their part, do you really start to move the needle.

About the Author: Wesley Longueira | Chief Catalyst at Virtual Edge I am key to the success of our working relationship with our clients, my role is the implementation and client training specialist. My background is training, coaching and mentoring having professionally specialised in this field after I graduated as a Bachelor of Education with Honours from Wits University.

I hail from a learning and development background and have ‘been there and worn the T-shirt’. From teaching to running sizeable training companies and directing university qualifications to working in e-learning and engaging with industry representative board members there is not much that can surprise me. I live by the motto of “doing whatever exposes more people to better learning” hence digital marketing is perfectly suited to my passion.

My passion for people and wanting and getting them to succeed in their business is what ensures you will get success in your business.

I am the ‘go to’ member of our team when we set-up your CRM campaign; decide on how to best use social media; working on the best strategy to get maximum impact out of your activities in inbound digital marketing. www.thevirtualedge.com

1

BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION

Select a domain that reflects your brand and services. It shouldn’t be too long or too short. Then select a content management system (CMS) that makes it easy or at least relatively easy for you to add new content to your site.

I recommend a self-hosted WordPress site for most of my clients.

There will be some costs associated with setting it up and adding functionality, but it is remarkably easy to scale. Some of the biggest brands in the world rely on WordPress sites. There are so many tools and plugins for the platform, and there are some user-friendly drag and drop builders that eliminate the need to learn to code. Also, there are so many support forums and groups. Some people will suggest other platforms but, in this case, going off the beaten path can mean that you end up stranded on your own. Also building your own site on your own hosting vs another platform, puts you in the driver’s seat. You’ll have complete control over your site.

TIP:

Build your new site on a robust platform that has lots of support.

2

ADD CONTENT OFTEN Budget some time or money to add content. If you’re doing it yourself, set aside a few hours every month to write and

schedule some updated content for your site. Having to create and add new content regularly keeps you and the site fresh. It makes you focus on news and trends and it makes you keep an eye on your site. You’ll know sooner rather than later if there are any problems with the site or security.

Get your web designer to create couple of templates for you so that you can create new pages of content pretty easily without having to sculpt something new from scratch. Or make sure that your blog posts follow a similar layout. This will save you time when it comes time to add another article.

TIP:

Set aside four hours a month to write and schedule at

least one new article per week. The article should be engaging, educational or entertaining and targeted to your ideal client.

If you follow these steps, you’ll have a solid foundation for your new business and website. It will give you a sense of success as your site gains readers and it will open your eyes to the basics of proper SEO. Niquelle Wright has over 20 years of experience in marketing, internet marketing and consulting. She has consulted to Fortune 500 companies in Hi-Tech Manufacturing, Energy and Financial Sectors. She has always been focused on delivering the best results for every client. Moving Up SEO is fully equipped to optimized your search engine terms locally, regionally and nationally.

38 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

4 DIY TIPS for performing SEO on your new website Niquelle Wright

Whether you’ve just decided to venture out on your own or whether you have been building a business for several years, the most significant roadblock is how to keep a steady stream of new customers coming into your sales funnel every month.

Are you struggling to get out of your business so that you can work on your business? Do you have a problem in your business that wouldn’t be solved by more customers and sales, directly or indirectly? Maybe you need to move the business out of the garage and into proper office space, but you lack the resources to commit to the ongoing overhead expenses. If you were almost certain to get a certain number of new calls every month, could you commit?

Maybe you need to hire extra staff so that you can have more time to develop more products or services but you lack the cash flow and customers to scale up. If you could predict a certain amount of business each month, could you make the change? Maybe you need to expand the products and services that you offer, but you can’t break away from servicing current customers to create the vision for the company. Would a growing flow of customers for your existing products help generate enough cash for you to hire the professionals that you know you need to expand your team?

While SEO is not the only thing that can deliver these types of results, it’s a proven, predictable and growing method of gaining visibility for your business and services. You’re not the only one who is considering spending part of their marketing budget on SEO. According to a recent study by Borrell Associates, is predicting that the SEO industry will grow to an estimated $72 billion by 2018 and $79 billion by 2020.

Effective SEO takes businesses from obscurity to visibility. It’s like being on the first page of the newspaper or the cover of the magazine. As long as you’re positioned for the right searches, and you’re delivering the right content, you are giving yourself a big chance at snagging real business.

So what are basics that you can do for yourself? And what can you hire out if you have the budget for a professional marketing company?

3

CONNECT THE SITE TO BRANDED SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

Plan to incorporate key social media platforms into your SEO. Effectively using social media to attract readers to you, your business and ultimately your website is a great way to jumpstart your SEO. If you’ve been in business for a while and have serviced many customers, get them to like your Facebook page and follow you on Twitter and Instagram. Post often and create your content to engage with them, relate to them, offer them support and tips and to lure them back to your website. You might use a helpful hint and post more detailed instructions on the site or offer a special for current customers and link to your site.

One of the most important considerations for converting these visitors into repeat customers is to make sure that the landing page (the page they land on after clicking the link) is “congruent.” Same headlines, same images, same messaging. Make them feel like they’re walking into a perfect warm bath not doing the ice bucket challenge. It should be almost seamless to transition from what attracted them to your social media post to what they see on your landing page on your site.

If you are just starting your business, then plan some time to post relevant content to your account. Share your blog posts, success stories, holiday greetings consistently so that your profile becomes a library of engaging goodness. As you add customers, make sure that every new customer is invited to connect with you through social media. Once they connect, it should feel like welcoming and warm not cold and empty.

TIP: Link your site to your social media properties and vice versa.

Post your new articles on your social media accounts and encourage your followers to share, comment and like.

4

PLAN TO NETWORKING ONLINE

Every new business owner has been advised to get out and network. Make connections and create relationships with potential clients and referral sources. The same is true of your website. It needs to get out and socialize. It especially needs to hang out with the cool kids in your town, niche or industry.

And by hanging out with, I mean to be connected to…

We all love referrals. Someone introduces us to a potential client, and things are so much smoother. Websites work the same way.

If your perfect client is reading an article on a site that they trust and that site refers them to your site via an “anchor text link” the reader is more likely to trust your site and content as well. The same is true for your new website. A connection or “link” from the right types of sites communicates to your potential customers and to the search engines that your site is relevant to the topic at hand and that it can be trusted. These two factors are as critical to search engine optimization just as they are to acquiring a new customer.

TIP: Find two local news organizations, two local business organizations and two local bloggers who own and manage websites and find out what it takes to get them to link to your site. You may have to write a great article for them, you may be able to trade services or products, or you may have to join the organization. Do what it takes to get them to link to your website. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 39

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FEATURED EDITORIAL

KIM kiyosaki

Starting at the bottom and working her way to the top, Kim Kiyosaki shares her insight on investing, property and growing your business.

Kim is a real estate and investment specialist, influential international speaker, author, radio show host and entrepreneur expert.

1

How would you define success and wealth?

The terms rich and wealthy are usually used interchangeably. However, I see an important distinction between the two. Rich is measured in money, and according to inventor, architect and futurist, R. Buckminster Fuller, wealth is measured in time. Fuller defined wealth as: A person’s ability to survive X number of days forward.

In other words, if you (or you and your partner) stopped working today, how many days could you survive financially on the money you have and maintain your current lifestyle?

This is why Cash Flow are my two favorite words. In the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, an asset is defined as something that puts money in your pocket, whether you are working or not. A liability takes money out of your pocket. So, our formula for wealth is to acquire assets - such as apartment buildings, commercial properties, hotels and businesses - that put money in our pockets every month, whether we work or not. The more we do that, the wealthier we become.

The goal is to have infinite wealth where your cash flow pays for all your living expenses indefinitely. Infinite wealth can also be called financial freedom.

For example, the first time Robert and I achieved infinite wealth was in 1994. When we told people we were financially free, they automatically assumed that we had millions of dollars in the bank. We did not. Very simply, we had $10,000 coming in every month, primarily from our rental properties, and our living expenses were only $3,ooo per month.

According to Fuller’s definition, our wealth was infinite because, if we did nothing else, we were able to survive an infinite number of days forward, whether we worked or not.

Infinite wealth and success are really all about freedom; freedom to do what I want, when I want. Freedom to pursue whatever path, dream, or adventure I choose.

2

How did you start your first business?

I knew early on that I wanted to have my own business. That may explain why I was fired - not once, but twice - from the first job I had after college. The message was loud and clear: I hated being told what to do.

The purpose of my first business - every business must have a purpose - was to learn how to build a business. Even though I graduated with a business degree from college, I learned very little about what it took to be an entrepreneur. I created a “Win/ Win” logo (back in 1985 the term “win/win” was not such a cliché) and had it embroidered on shirts and jackets. For one year I sold them at business conferences throughout the United States. What I wanted from my first business was to learn from other entrepreneurs how to start and grow my own business.

That first business provided me with just that. The sales at these events paid for my airfare, hotel and entry into the conferences. In return I got something much more valuable than money. I got a great initial education on how to start and build my own businesses.

3

Please explain the “Pay Yourself First” theory.

“Pay yourself first” is a practice that Robert and I began about 30 years ago and it is a habit we still do today. Our rule is this: For every $1.00 that comes into our household, we take 30% off the top – before paying any bills.

From that 30%, 10% goes into a savings account (for emergencies), 10% goes into an investment account, and 10% goes into a tithing/charity account.

The reason we call this “pay yourself first” is because this 30% is our future. Most people will pay everyone else first and, if there is anything left over at all, then they may put a little aside.

When we began this practice we could barely pay our bills. Remember Betty the bookkeeper? When we told her we were taking 30% off the top—first— she went a little crazy. “How are you going to pay your bills? You don’t have enough money,” she reminded us. And she was right. So, by paying ourselves first we were forced to get very creative in how we were going to pay everyone else. And we figured it out.

The most important thing about “pay yourself first” is to make it a habit. It applies to every dollar, peso, yuan, euro, etc. that comes into your household.

People will get lazy and say, “Oh, I need a new cell phone so I’ll skip this month and pay myself first next month.” And then next month never happens. It does not need to be 30%, it could be 20% or 15%. The key is to make it a habit and you will be amazed how fast those accounts grow.

42 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

4

What are your top tips to get out of debt?

Good debt can make you richer, if you know how to use it.”

Debt to most people is a four-letter word. But there are two kinds of debt: good debt and bad debt. Bad debt is debt you pay for personally; such as your house, car, personal credit cards, furniture- and student loans. Good debt is money you borrow that is paid by someone or something else. Good debt could be mortgages on rental properties where your tenants’ rents pays the mortgage, business loans paid by the business, even a loan to purchase a golf course paid by the golfers’ green fees. Good debt can make you richer, if you know how to use it. Bad debt, generally, makes you poorer.

I discovered a formula to get out of bad debt when Robert and I had a lot of it. We actually created an audio product titled, How to Get Out of Bad Debt.

Here is a quick summary.

HOW TO GET OUT OF BAD DEBT: There are only two things you will need to do differently in your life to become free of bad debt. First, anything you buy on credit needs to be paid off that month. You do not add on any additional debt anywhere. Second, you must come up with an additional $100 per month. Get creative. An extra $100 should not be an obstacle for a woman entrepreneur. Then…

1) Make a list of all your bad debts. Under each debt, list the full amount owed and the minimum payment due. Then divide the full amount owed by the minimum payment due. Write down and circle that number.

2) Find the smallest circled number. That is the debt you will pay off first. (Not the debt with the highest interest rate! Which is what most “experts” tell you do.) All you do is pay the minimum payment on every other debt. On the debt with the smallest circled number you pay the minimum payment plus $100.

The reason you choose the smallest number is because you will pay that off in the least amount of time. It’s important to see a positive result quickly.

3) Once that first debt is paid off, go to the next smallest circled number. On that debt, pay the minimum payment plus $100, plus the minimum payment of the 1st debt you just paid off. Once you pay off the 2nd debt, the 3rd debt payment will be the minimum payment plus $100 plus the minimum payment you made paying off debts #1 and #2.

Keep doing this until all of your debt is paid off. I’ve used this exact formula and it really works.

5

When is the right time to invest in real estate?

There is no “right time” to in invest in real estate. It’s all a matter of education and experience. For the experienced real estate investor, the “right time” could be a real estate crash, because she knows how to spot a good deal at a good price. For the novice investor, a crash could spell disaster.

There is no shortcut to understanding real estate markets. If you’re thinking of investing in a specific city, you have to go there and talk with real estate professionals in that area. Become your own expert.

Real estate is very local. A broad statement like, “The U.S. real estate market is at an all-time high” or “Now is the time to get into the U.S. real estate market” is both misleading and inaccurate. Every city has its good and bad investment zones. Take the Phoenix market for example: there are great areas to buy in and there are terrible areas to invest in. If you don’t know the difference, please do not invest your hard-earned money.

You’ve got to do your homework. I always recommend starting with a small deal, because you are going to make mistakes. I’d rather make mistakes with a small amount of money than a large one. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 43

6

Can you remember your first real estate deal, and what was it?

I’ll never forget it! In 1989 I came across a small 2-bedroom, 1-bath house in Portland, Oregon. It was about three blocks from the home Robert and I lived in.

9

Why do you think women fear to close and ask for the business at the end of a presentation?

I believe it goes right back to the fear of rejection and the fear of making a mistake.

The house was priced at $45,000. I had to come up with a $5,000 down payment, which I did not have. It was a scary proposition for me. I was afraid of losing money, of making a mistake and of not knowing what I was doing.

Long story short, I went through with that deal. I got creative in coming up with the $5,000 down payment and the property was mine. Every month after collecting the rent and paying the expenses including the mortgage I ended up with a whopping positive cash flow of $50 per month. That first house was priceless, because that is where I learned the fundamentals of investing in and managing cash-flowing rental properties. The properties I deal with today are much larger, but the fundamentals remain exactly the same.

7

As my fitness coach tells me, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. And the #1 solution for this? PRACTICE. If you want to be a great salesperson, drummer, or chef… you have to practice. And sometimes practice is very uncomfortable.

I remember the first time I spoke in front of a large audience. I was terrified.

I was speaking to 2,500 women in Singapore about money and investing.

I had practiced with smaller groups for years and, every time I spoke, I was incredibly nervous. The thought I had right before going on stage in Singapore was, “An earthquake would be wonderful right now.” What was most important to me about that talk was that I said, “yes” when asked to

What guidance can give first-time investors?

do it. Because it was practice. And I continued to say, “yes” when asked

I’d offer new real estate investors five pieces of advice:

talk I do and with each mistake I get a little better. I am still practicing today.

1) Basically there are two types of real estate you can invest in. One is a property that cash flows, such as rental houses, apartment buildings or commercial buildings. The other is a capital gains property. This is a property you purchase with the intent of selling in the future at a higher price to make a profit. They are two very different animals. Decide which one you will pursue.

2) Get some real estate education. Read books, attend seminars and talk with people who are actively doing what it is you want to do, especially in the locale you are interested in.

to speak at other events in cities all over the world. With every talk, as uncomfortable as it was, I learned something. I make mistakes with every

So, you may want to say “yes” more often to those uncomfortable sales calls or presentations. Before you go into each one, remind yourself: this is just practice.

10

What is your opinion on women investing in themselves by getting coaches and mentors?

3) Start small. You will probably go through a steep learning curve. It is better to make mistakes on small properties than on large ones, which could get very costly.

If there is such a thing as a shortcut to entrepreneurial success, it is through

4) Stay close to home. By being close to your property you can see what’s happening in the area. You will have your fingers on the pulse of that specific market. Plus, if there’s a problem, you are nearby to handle it, which means less stress and less in expenses.

There is one vital distinction about what type of coach or mentor you want

5) Every investment property you buy is, in itself, a business. Treat it as such.

A fake teacher is one who will tell you what to do and how to do it, but

WHAT NOT TO DO? Do not blindly turn your money over to someone who promises you a guaranteed return. You work very hard for your money. Why in the world would you turn it over to someone else, hoping he or she will manage your money better than you? This applies to any type of investment, not just real estate.

8

What is your advice to entrepreneurs to overcome rejection?

Stop looking at rejection as a negative thing. Instead, why not see it as an opportunity to learn and to be better?

Most people hate rejection, because they have a horrific fear of making a mistake. Whether the rejection is the result of a sales call, an offer on a property, or someone dismissing your new idea, people take it as a personal failure or mistake.

A mistake, in my world, simply shows me something I did not know. When I step back and look at it, there is always a gem of a lesson that I can take forward with me.

It’s no different than a baby learning to walk, or when you learned to ride a bicycle. Had it not been for making many mistakes and learning from them, you would still be crawling and never riding a two-wheeler.

coaches and mentors. I have coaches for almost everything I do: business, investing, fitness, golf and personal development.

to seek out. There are primarily two kinds of teachers in the world: real teachers and fake teachers.

has never done it themselves. For example, my business law professor in college never practiced law. Many financial consultants do not invest in what they are recommending you to invest in.

A real teacher is someone who is doing the real thing, every day, or has very successfully done what it is you want to do. My business mentor has several businesses he is currently operating and growing today. My real estate mentor is buying, developing and managing properties every day.

My fitness coach has done 30-plus triathlons. I only want be coached and mentored by people who practice what they preach and teach.

Be sure that when you’re seeking out great coaches and mentors that they do, successfully, what it is you want to do.

“A mistake, in my world, simply shows me something I did not know.

Mistakes are priceless to the entrepreneur. Instead of avoiding them (or worse, lying about them) when you make a mistake do two things: 1) Take a deep breath; and then 2) Ask yourself, what is this mistake teaching me? What can I can away from this?

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Woman Entrepreneur | Global

The world will be a better place with more accomplished women entrepreneurs.”

11

What advice can you give women that are struggling to move from the dreaming phase to the implementing phase?

You have to start. You have to get in the game. I suggest you start small: possibly a part-time business on the weekends and evenings. You don’t have to quit your day job.

There is no substitute for “doing the real thing.” At some point you have to get out of the theory stage and move into the action stage. When you take action, you’ll get feedback. Feedback is essential; how people react to your product or service. Is your product selling? Is your message getting through? From the feedback you make corrections and adjust your course of action You also may want to seek out women entrepreneur organizations. These groups can serve as an excellent resource center and, more importantly, you will surround yourself with other budding and experienced female entrepreneurs, women who are like-minded and have similar goals and aspirations. It’s so important as an entrepreneur, at every level, to surround ourselves with positive, inspiring, and accomplished women. They are true assets.

12

What is your view on the Woman Entrepreneur platform and the vision we have to help, inspire and educate women to start or expand their businesses?

The vision of Woman Entrepreneur is perfectly aligned to my purpose, as well as to so many women entrepreneurs whom I’ve met all over the world. We want to educate and support women becoming successful role models and leaders throughout our communities, cities, states, provinces and countries. The world will be a better place with more accomplished women entrepreneurs.

I believe the world, in general, is in need of an overhaul. I see entrepreneurs as the solution to so many problems we face. It is, in my opinion, the women entrepreneurs who can make the greatest positive impact throughout the world.

So, I applaud Woman Entrepreneur and its entire team for the difference you all are making in so many women’s lives around the world. It is my honor to contribute just a small piece to your vision and to the inspiring and exciting work you do. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 45

CHEAPER AND MORE ADVANCED APPROACH TO MARKETING - Versus traditional types of marketing like radio, billboard, and TV, social media is targeted specifically towards your desired audience.

3

This is a new generation of marketing, no more “spray & pray,” no more hoping your “bait” will hook someone. To prove social media saves businesses money, let’s discuss one of my clients, we’ll call him “Max” for the sake of this article. Max was spending thousands in marketing on channels like radio, newspaper, TV, and even billboards. He eventually had enough of not receiving an ROI and decided to give social media a try. I began marketing for him on Facebook and Instagram, with HALF the budget he was spending before, and INCREASED his leads by 50%. This is not to “brag” about results, I am simply proving the power of social media and what it can do for you.

BUILD TRUST, EXPOSURE AND BRAND AWARENESS Being on social media and simply “popping up on someone’s news feed” isn’t just merely posting a picture of your restaurant’s food or your store’s new collection. It’s the fact that you are building trust and awareness about your brand. You are developing an online presence and getting people familiar with your product or service, your name, your logo, your branding/vibe, so that once you DO go in for the sale, it is a more smooth transition and they are actually WILLING to buy. They are asking WHERE, HOW, WHEN?! This is because you have developed an online presence with fans that have gotten comfortable and have developed trust with your brand.

LEAD GENERATION Lead generation is all about bringing the right people through the right process of a sales funnel. This is not the same as selling, think of this as gathering intelligence on your customers. You get to know what your targeted audience is interested in, which products they’d be interested in buying from you, and what their pain points are. Before, “lead generation” consisted of sending surveys out in the mail or filling out a form on the back of magazines. Today, lead generation is all about the content, the video marketing, the email opt ins, the paid ad campaigns, these are all aimed at getting potential customers into your funnel. The power of the internet allows lead generation to be done faster, quicker, and it’s easy to track. 40% of people socialize on social media more than they do face to face, the data social media collects on people has made it the perfect place to find your targeted audience and turn them into sales leads.

It is easier than you think to begin to reap the rewards and benefits of social media for your brand. Like mentioned before, in this day and age, social media will sooner or later not merely be a choice, it will be crucial for businesses to thrive. The bottom line is this - if your business is not on social media while your competitors are busy developing a social media presence and strategy to gain new fans and ultimately sales, who do you think will be more relevant in the consumers’ mind? In the end, the debate over whether it should be used at all or not, is a closed case in my books!

I encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn, ask me anything!

Christina McMasters CEO of Black Paw Marketing www.linkedin.com/in/christinamcmasters/

Many people think of social media is expensive and a waste of time. presence is not just merely an optio channels has grown rapidly and business online, may my 3 rea

REASONS WHY YOU

Christina McMasters

a as this unnecessary and expensive waste of time. Truth be told, NOT being on social media No business in this day and age can afford to NOT be on social platforms. Good social media on, it is necessary for brands nowadays. In the past couple of years, marketing in social media d is expected to more than double in the next 5 years. In case you have not yet gotten your asons of why you can’t afford to NOT be on social media encourage you to get on it asap.

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 47

LESSON 1

Going in with a negative mindset automatically sets you on the path to failure, networking included.

If you have already told yourself that the venture is going to be a waste of your time, then you are 100% correct. Not only that, but you are now wasting the valuable time of every other person in the room who spends their energy attempting to network with you.

An Abundant Mindset is what will set you on the path to building long-lasting business relationships, not just referrals.

My property coach and mentor, Mark Rolton, taught me to go into every negotiation with an abundant mindset – meaning treat the negotiation as though whatever comes of it is a bonus, not a necessity. If you enter the negotiation with a sense of desperation and need, then your “opponent” will sense that straight away, and you have already lost the deal.

LESSON 2

The same principle applies to networking. You should enter the room with the intention to build lasting business relationships, not look for the quick sale or to spam as many people as possible with your card. Spend your time making quality conversation, not quantity of conversations and use your abundant mindset to decipher whether you will be able to help the person you are talking to achieve their goals, rather than thinking “will this person buy from me?”

Do this and people will naturally want to find out more about you, in turn asking what they can do for your business. Before you know it, the room will be gravitating towards you and networking will be as easy as drinks with mates.

Always look the part.

I was recently told a story by my wealth coach and business partner, JT Foxx. He described a large property deal that a colleague of his lost. His colleague was highly credentialed and had a fantastic track record with this type of transaction, but he lost the deal to someone of inferior experience. He was baffled as to how he lost the deal, so after several days he called the vendor and asked.

The answer was blunt, “Your shoes weren’t polished and the other guy’s were.”

Dr. Albert Mehrabian, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at UCLA and author of several publications on non-verbal communication, found that 55% of your message is received through visual means (body language, facial expressions and physical appearance). These numbers suggest that how you look in the eyes of your fellow networkers holds more weight than what you actually say to them! That means if you dress the part, carry yourself with confidence, smile, and greet people with an open posture (not arms crossed) then you are already over 50% of the way there.

Wether you like it or not, assumptions are made based on the way you are dressed. Now sometimes those assumptions hold merit, and other times they don’t. I say why leave it up to chance?

Now, in the case of the neglected shoe story I mentioned before, the assumption was made that if he was unable to look after a pair of shoes, how could he look after his business?

Again, some assumptions hold merit, while others don’t, but I feel if over half of my message is portrayed visually, I want to make sure that picture is sending the right message.

Be careful not to judge too harshly if the unpolished shoe is on the other foot. Often, if you assume, it only makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”. I’m not saying if someone is in the room in boardshorts and singlet you don’t talk to them, I’m saying that if assumptions are going to be made of you, why not make them good ones?

These are just 2 of the many lessons I have learnt on my networking journey to millions, but they are 2 of the most important. Keep them in mind at your next networking event and always remember: “It takes just one connection to change your business and life forever.”

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Woman Entrepreneur | Global

Jeremy K. Streeter

So, whose first thought when they read the headline was “Not more network marketing propaganda”? Well, you are forgiven if it was, because had it not been for my last 12 months, I would have been thinking the same thing.

Hi, my name is Jeremy K. Streeter, and a few short years ago I was asked to attend a business networking breakfast to drum up more sales and build my client base. The idea mortified me, not because I was afraid of talking to strangers or the possibility of some form of public speaking, but because I felt it was going to be a complete waste of my time. Here are some things I’ve learned.

www.womanentrepreneur.co | 49

GET FEATURED Are you a leading female entrepreneur and authority in your industry? Do you want to take your brand to the next level, but not sure how? Do you want to increase your googlebility and SEO? Are you in desperate need of branding?

Do you want to gain more clients?

Then we want you!

Grab this once in a lifetime opportunity to get featured in the Woman Entrepreneur magazine or online platform. The world needs to know about you and how amazing you are, and

Woman Entrepreneur is THE #1 SUCCESS PLATFORM for Women in Business!

You deserve all the recognition.

Get featured today and be seen by millions of potential clients.

www.womanentrepreneur.co

D E D I C AT E D T O E M P O W E R I N G W O M E N I N B U S I N E S S

SUCCESS STORIES

Distinguished by her open and integrated approach to mental health and wellness, Daniella Princi is a professional psychologist, an empowerment and success coach and international speaker. Well-known as “The Conscious Psychologist” and the health and wellness authority of “Your Intrinsic Life”, she brings healing to individuals through conscious connection and awareness and comprehensive mental health education. Daniella assists her clients with self-empowerment, enlightenment and transformation, resulting in success in life and leadership, relationships, family and business.

Born and raised in South Africa, Daniella moved to Australia with her family in 1997, after she completed high school. She commenced her studies in psychology and has been a practicing psychologist for 14 years. She is a successful business woman and the mother of two beautiful boys, aged 10 and 12.

Even though Daniella was thriving in her career as a psychologist, she felt somewhat unfulfilled.

She allowed herself the journey transfiguration of self-discovery and explored further her life’s purpose. She soon found that many of her clients shared similar moments of discontent and overwhelm and realized it was her vocation to help them reconnect with themselves, as she herself had done. She adjusted her approach as a psychologist, to become more holistic and started developing her 30-day empowerment, success & transformation coaching program.

She advanced her knowledge by studying mindful-based practices and nutritional components to mental health as well as coaching practices. Daniella embarked on her own journey of personal growth and development- an ongoing journey for her, yet vital to her and her clients. Daniella is now a renowned holistic psychologist and provides her clients with tools to empower them to reconnect and transform in order to gain a sense of control over all aspects of their lives; living and leading with consciousness, purpose, fulfilment and sustainability.

1

Tell us about some of your amazing achievements?

I take pride in having the courage to step out of my business partnership of 7 years to start my own practice, owning my truth and purpose in both my personal life and career. Commencing my holistic psychological and coaching practice and gaining acknowledgement for this – both locally and globally – has been a wonderful achievement. I developed a 30-day empowerment, success and transformation program; based on both my learned skills and strategies, as well as valuable personal experiences.

Being able to help people to consciously connect to their own truth and success, and the amazing transformations that occur as a result of this, is very humbling.

After meeting and working with Worlds #1 Coach, JT Foxx earlier in 2017, I was a speaker at a global event in Los Angeles. During my speech, I introduced the power of conscious connection to self as we face and move through life’s battles to almost 3000 influential individuals. Additionally, my speech in Los Angeles was published by global news websites such as ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC. I have also had articles published in an Australian magazine and local newspapers.

Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for all other relationships.”

2

What are your core business principles and values that you will not change or give in to?

Live your life for yourself. Stop trying to be someone that you are not! Find YOUR values and purpose; live and work with authenticity, integrity and gratitude. Walking your talk and being true to what you speak are paramount in working with and serving others.

Love what you do! Live through your own values! My business is my passion and my purpose; I strive to be of service to others - it fulfils me.

Be true to yourself. Value, honour and respect yourself. Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for all other relationships.

You cannot give to others if you don’t first give to yourself. Nurture yourself on a daily basis to fill your vessel, to grow and to keep moving forward.

Inhabit a place of love and respect in everything you do - on both professional and personal levels.

Surround yourself with those you wish to grow with - remove negativity and pessimistic people.

Always give thanks and be grateful for every person, situation, opportunity and experience you are given.

52 | MARCH 2018

3

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution. Why?

It may depend on the individual and their personal desired outcomes. However, I believe motivation, because with motivation comes drive, passion and authenticity; as usually it stems from a place of wanting. That will, in turn, lead to execution; through which your truth and passion will come through. This is felt by others- this sharing of “energy” goes so much further than we are consciously aware; and has the likelihood of motivating others from a deeper level.

Execution without motivation (i.e. simply following the steps), may get the job done, but without your energy, your passion and your authenticity, that “inner spark” may be lacking.

4

What inspires and motivates you? Basically, why do you wake up every morning, get the work done and do it all over again the next day?

I am truly motivated by my ability to connect with others and create positive change in them. The opportunity to reach as many people globally as possible and to help them reach their full potential, fills me with so much excitement. It is that which drives me every day to better myself, to keep learning and growing - personally and within my business. My growth and experiences are my clients’ growth and experiences. In the long term, my experiences, success and growth are also really great lessons for my boys. They are my why!

5

What has been your biggest fail to date? How did you overcome it and what did you learn from it?

Honestly, I do not look at any experiences as failures. Every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. I have had unhealthy relationships, a business partnership breakdown, my intellectual property infringed, less-than-satisfactory external services used, given less focus to one aspect of my life than I “should” have, responded to situations in a way not quite in alignment with my expectations of myself… the list goes on. However, I do not look at any of those experiences in a negative light. The reality is, no experience or situation is “good” or “bad”- it simply, “is”. It is our human perception and interpretation that creates our experience.

Every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. With every one of these experiences and opportunities, I have asked myself, “What can I do differently next time?”.

Do I keep making mistakes or have experiences that aren’t quite what I would like? Of course! And I keep learning, growing and moving forward!

6

What is the secret to your success?

Firstly, what is success? That is the crux of what my coaching is all about - connecting to your success. To me, success is within self. To consciously know, understand and connect with self - that is where success lies. So, my secret to success? Know who YOU are! Be true to yourself. Do not try to be someone that you are not.

Do not live your life trying to please others at the minimization or detriment of yourself. If you are true to you, and you make choices and decisions based on YOUR value, truth, authenticity and integrity, you cannot fail.

7

What quote do you live by and why?

“Where your attention goes, your energy flows.”

Whatever thoughts, stories, catastrophes and excuses you are giving energy to, that is what you manifest. That is the reality you are creating. At the same time, whatever value, successes, abundance and achievements you are giving energy to, is also a reality you can create.

You have the power to construct whatever reality you wish from within you. The power to connect with self and your own intrinsic authentic truth and strength, no matter life’s circumstances; through your choice in where you place your attention and intention. I love this!!!

Where your attention goes, your energy flows.�

Get in Touch with Daniella Princi www.yourintrinsiclife.com | daniella@yourintrinsiclife.com Facebook: YourIntrinsicLife | Instagram: YourIntrinsicLife

Do you want to start a new business?

Do you have an existing business but want to 10x your profit?

Do you feel stuck in your current business?

Do your marketing and branding suck and you need assistance?

Erna Basson is the coach for you. She has started, grown and sold several businesses and is now helping entrepreneurs around the world to do the same.

ERNA’S LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE: Named South Africa’s Top Entrepreneur Under 30

by Fast Company Magazine in 2017 Featured on the cover of Fast Company Magazine in June 2017 Received the 2017 Global Female Entrepreneur award in Los Angeles Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans 2017 Finalist at Africa’s most Influential Women in Business 2017 Completed a 4-year Bachelors Degree in 3 years with 18 distinctions AS SEEN IN:

Log your strategy call today with Erna

www.ernabasson.com

tina SUCCESS STORY

BERGSTEDT

With extensive experience in traditional and social media marketing, public relations and brand management, Tina Bergstedt is a multi-talented corporate consultant. She empowers individuals to transform their businesses from average to excellent.

Images by Jennie Kvintahs

Tell us about some of your greatest achievements?

What is the secret to your success?

Some of my notable personal achievements include giving birth to two fantastic children while suffering from PCOS. The designing of our two fabulous houses without being an architect and also buying the land where we built our second house, even though it was already sold to someone else at a higher price.

Diving the largest underwater cave system known to exist situated along the Caribbean coast. Diving inside one of the US Navy’s first aircraft carriers, USS Saratoga. Tenting - and surviving - in the cold wilderness of Svalbard, the home of Polar bears.

I am great at visualizing and seeing results before execution. I dream big. I also

Some of my most amazing business achievements are creating and running a campaign to prove the excellence of the camera in one of the first smartphones.

This was way before the first iPhone had even entered the market and nobody believed that a smartphone could replace a camera. The entire crew travelled from Scandinavia to Canada to implement the campaign and succeeded in making it the top selling and most loved smartphone for years.

Creating 20 live YouTube broadcasts over the 4G network for the first time ever in the north of Sweden. This was to prove that the 4G network was outstanding even in those remote places, despite the huge amount of live streamed data and multiple simultaneous interactions with the viewers. Although the network department strongly advised against it, the project was a huge success and the 4G network proofed to be outstanding nonetheless.

Giving up on an enviable corporate position to start my own business, to follow my heart and live my vision and mission, even if I had no idea where to start.

What are your core business principles and values that you will not change or give in to?

My business principal states that everyone should have the right to truly feel and know that they are worthy of love, happiness and success, and that they are able to pursue the life of their dreams by following their hearts. My core values are freedom, respect, trust, happiness, growth and adventurous courage.

have the courage to throw myself out into the unknown. I am determined, industrious and committed to reaching my goals and have the determination to follow through once I decided what I wish to accomplish. I have a positive mindset and see possibilities and solutions instead of obstacles. I sense other people’s energy and I choose to see the beauty in them and in life. I am resilient.

I don’t see failures as failures. I understand that my own actions and beliefs are the reasons to what I will accomplish or not. I do not blame others or outer circumstances for not achieving my goals. I take full responsibility for my own actions or lack of actions. I never give up.

What quote do you live by and why?

“Live life to the fullest, because it only happens once.” Nobody knows how much time they are given in life. Value your time here and now. Do what makes you happy today. Don’t postpone the journey towards your dream life until next month, next year, until you are retired, until you have done this or done that.

What if tomorrow never comes? I don’t want to end up regretting the things I didn’t do in life. I want to live and not just survive. I strive to inspire and empower others to do the same.

What advice can you give to fellow female entrepreneurs that are on the same journey as you, and want to achieve the same success?

If you feel you are not doing what you love, take action and change. Listen to your heart and go for it. Surround yourself with people that will support you, guide you and motivate you to move forward. Identify the areas where you need assistance and get help. Do you need to get clear on your vision,

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution and why?

your destination, where you are today and where you want to go? Or are

The ideal is for the two to be in balance. If that was the case, you would be in a really positive flow. But, before reaching that stage, you need to execute.

You can have all motivation in the world, but without execution you will simply not move forward. When you execute without motivation, you might feel you are struggling and might easily give up. Always keep on going. Once you start moving forward, motivation will follow. When you reach the stage where motivation and execution are in balance, you will - without struggling - move forward towards your goals.

successfully completed the journey you are about embark on.

What inspires and motivates you?

I wake up every morning to be able to make a difference in people’s lives. I want to empower others to live the life of their dreams and be their true selves.

I want to create a life full of love, freedom and fulfillment. I strive to be a role model, motivating my children and passionate entrepreneurs to make their own choices in life. I want to inspire them to not just try and fit in by violating their inner values, but to follow their hearts instead. My goal for them is to bring forward the best versions of themselves.

you in need of someone to show you a step-by-step framework and push you forward to take the action needed? Listen to the advice of those who

Don’t postpone the journey towards your dream life.”

I realise that, in order for me to be that kind of influence and inspiration, I need to start with me. All major changes in life start with yourself. For me to be the best mentor and coach, I first need to walk that path myself. Since starting my own business, I have been on that continuous journey. My destination is a life of freedom and happiness; pursuing my dreams, living to the fullest, seizing the day and making the world a better place. I have never-ending hunger for learning, exploring and constantly developing myself on all levels. I endeavor to become a better and more empowered version of me. My passion for making a difference is key to being able to help even more people.

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors, what makes you unique?

What has been your biggest fail to date and how did you overcome that and what did you learn from that?

completely truthful. Working with renowned global brands for the past 20 years

I don’t see failures as failures. I consider things and situations that didn’t go so well as learnings. That is one thing that’s been moving me forward, making me the person I am today.

marketing strategies, storytelling, content marketing and creation, events,

Looking back, if we choose to see it as a failure, one of my biggest failures - or learnings - would then be that, in too many situations in the corporate world, I swallowed my dignity, violated my values and neglected my health only to fit into the norm. I held on to something that looked good from the outside, regardless of how I was treated or how I felt on the inside.

Again, without those struggles, I would not have been so determined and devoted to my mission as I am today. Everything happens for a reason, and it only makes us stronger. By being on this journey towards a life of freedom, I know that I will not walk that path again.

56 | MARCH 2018

There are several mentors, online business coaches and brand strategists out there, each with their own story, experiences and personality. My story is what makes me unique and shaped the person I am today. I make dreams come true. I am open, honest and have a strong belief in others’ capacity. I am very sensitive to the energy of other people and can sense when someone is not has given me extensive experience and knowledge in marketing, branding, communications, public relations, product marketing, digital and social media sponsorships, influencer and retail marketing, product launches and go-tomarket strategies.

I work well with individuals who have similar experiences to mine; ambitious, yet overwhelmed, women from the corporate world wanting to radically change their lives. I will resonate with those who have difficulty with a family situation, perhaps a child with special needs or even complications with a pregnancy.

I enjoy collaborating with dream makers and passionate entrepreneurs that want more out of life, that cherish freedom, balance and happiness, and are able to live life on their own terms. Coupled with those who love adventures, sports and travel.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

B

orn and raised in Sweden, Tina has always been passionate about sports. She took part in a variety of sports, including horseback riding, soccer, volleyball, handball and athletics. At the young age of 11, a severe injury confined her dream career as a professional sportswoman, but Tina still participated on a recreational level. Four years later, Tina discovered her love for travelling and started exploring different countries. She was fascinated by the diversity of cultures, new places, beautiful nature and scenery.

When she turned 22, Tina moved to New York and studied International Marketing & Business. After she completed her studies, she returned to Sweden and entered the corporate world of marketing. She considers herself fortunate to have worked for a leading mobile phone company during the early years of the smartphone era and the introduction of digital TV in the market. This helped her to quickly adapt to changing conditions and to focus on solutions instead of problems.

Furthermore, she gained valuable experience in marketing, branding, communications, public relations, product marketing, digital and social media, events, sponsorships, retail marketing, product launches and go-to-market strategies.

In her early 30’s, Tina’s immensely busy career overwhelmed her and she was forced to take a break. During her recovery period, she reevaluated her life, identifying what was really important to her and the ones closest to her. After Tina’s much-needed introspection, herself and her fiancée decided to pursue their dreams; her great love for travelling and the outdoors and his desire to go wreck diving in the Bikini Atoll Lagoon. They explored the waters of the Pacific Ocean where World War II wrecks make way for the most amazing wreck diving destination and decided to go to Mexico afterwards to become certified cage divers. Their adventure continued as they went rock climbing in Thailand, scuba diving in the Red Sea and skiing and tenting in Svalbard. After their travels they decided to get married in the Swedish mountains.

Tina challenged herself with the prolific project of designing their own house. After settling down they decided to start a family, but doctors soon discovered that Tina suffered from a hormonal condition called PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) which affected her fertility. Starting a family was difficult for them, but after numerous treatments they are now the proud parents of two beautiful kids. After their second child’s birth, Tina designed yet another family home for them, which they are currently staying in.

On Tina’s return from maternity leave, there were major changes at the mobile company she was working for and her position became redundant. She started another challenging job at one of the largest telecom operators in Sweden. She was given many exciting projects to work on, including the global sponsorship as Official Mobile Operator for “Eurovision Song Contest” including agency briefing, concept creation and the project’s execution. As well as collaborating with a YouTuber network called Splay Networks, entailing co-production of several new YouTube program series and engaging in influencer marketing. Tina had extensive interaction with several stakeholders, agencies and partner and was thriving at her position. Although her performance was beyond expectation, she still felt empty and unfulfilled.

To build and create a strong brand is key to attract customers and have them come to you, instead of you chasing them.”

Email: tina.bergstedt.of.sweden@gmail.com | Phone: +46-703 147 732 Instagram: tina.bergstedt.of.sweden | Facebook: tinabergstedtofsweden

After a series of personal and professional obstacles, Tina finally decided to get out of the rat race and make some radical changes in her life. She attended seminars, read books, joined groups and enrolled in training that focused on mindset, balance in life, mindfulness, inner values, visions, goals and every imaginable topic in order to create and live the life of one’s dreams. To Tina, this was the starting point of the journey towards a new life.

She started working at a small digital and social media agency as marketing manager and gained extensive knowledge and insight within digital and social media marketing strategies, storytelling, content marketing and content creation. After only a few months, Tina was still not fulfilled, not stimulated and did not have the freedom she needed. She felt as if she was still just building somebody else’s dream, not chasing her own.

She finally took the big step towards her freedom - financial freedom, location freedom and freedom of choice - and started her own consulting business. www.womanentrepreneur.co | 57

GET FEATURED Are you a leading female entrepreneur and authority in your industry? Do you want to take your brand to the next level, but not sure how? Do you want to increase your googlebility and SEO? Are you in desperate need of branding? Do you want to gain more clients?

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SUCCESS STORY

shilamida KUPERSH TEY N

All experiences - good or bad are lessons which we need to learn and grow from.”

Tell us about some of your greatest achievements?

I have several notable accomplishments in my career. One of my most remarkable accomplishments is overcoming trying times in my younger years, which, looking back at it now, shaped me to become who I am today. I transformed from a single mother, discontented with my career, to a successful and fulfilled business woman. I now utilize my experiences to guide and mentor others. My acupuncture business enables me to help individuals suffering from anxiety and depression and struggling with stress related issues, without the dependency of medication. Through my workshops I assist my clients to learn and adapt to a new, positive mindset. My book, “31 Days of Gratitude”, is an interactive journal integrating individuals with their journey.

What are your core business principles and values that you will not change or give in to?

My fundamental focus is Gratitude - every moment of every day is a gift. Followed by Forgiveness, Humility, Generosity, Intention and Honesty. By making these an everyday practice, I have built a solid foundation for a successful living. It’s these very principles I use as an outline in my workshops and my book.

What do you think is more important, motivation or execution? Why? I really do not believe that one is more important than another. In order for you to obtain your overall goal, motivation and execution must go hand in hand. One must be motivated to be successful, but execution is necessary for the final result. My coach, JT Foxx always says: “It’s about Speed of Implementation. Are you going to listen and wait, or take action?”

What inspires and motivates you?

I am both inspired and motivated by helping others, which brings me back to my fundamental principal: Gratitude. The gratification I receive by doing good to and for others is incredibly rewarding. I am grateful that my career encompasses what I enjoy most.

What has been your biggest fail to date and how did you overcome that and what did you learn from that?

I think I compartmentalize all my fails that nothing specific comes to mind. All experiences - good or bad - are lessons which we need to learn and grow from. If we don’t learn or grow from them, we need to repeat these experiences over and over until we do.

What is the secret to your success?

Gratitude! Learning to be grateful and appreciating every second that I am alive has completely changed my life!

What advice can you give to female entrepreneurs that are on the same journey and want to achieve the same success?

Believe in yourself! Love yourself! Set goals. Hire a coach. Have a team that supports you objectively.

How do you differentiate yourself from your competitors and what makes you unique?

Honestly, I don’t look at anyone as a competitor and that’s probably what differentiates me. I feel there’s enough of a pool for everyone to tap into. I am confident in who I am and what I do. I have passion and drive and am in love with waking up each day to live my life’s purpose.

60 | MARCH 2018

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

S

hilamida Kupershteyn is a successful entrepreneur and licensed acupuncturist. In her early twenties, she entered the sales and marketing industry and, after a decade of thriving in the corporate field, Shilamida encountered a series of devastating incidents that changed her life forever. Although these experiences were hard for her to come to terms with, they helped her discover her true calling as a spiritual guide and health mentor. For 13 years she has studied under some of the world’s greatest healers and spiritual leaders, including Louise Hay, Doreen Virtue, Oprah and Deepak Chopra. She is the author of the number one bestseller, 31 Days of Gratitude, a practical journal of positive affirmations and guidelines.

Apart from her professional acupuncture practice, Shilamida is also a lecturer and facilitator for workshops on “how to create the life you desire”.

www.shilamida.com | www.meetshilamida.com www.instagram.com/shilamidainspires | www.facebook.com/shilamida www.facebook.com/groups/shilamidainspires | www.pinterest.com/shilamida

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CRM, lead generation, marketing and automated follow up: Infusionsoft: Leads, Profits, Time How do you capture leads? Are you putting it into an excel spreadsheet or do you have a drawer full of business cards? Are you using some sort of CRM? The next question is: how are you following up on those leads? Are you trying to get to them and run your business? Do you have sales people making phone calls or are they just not being followed up on?

With the amount of companies marketing nowadays, it takes an average of 7 to 14 touch points before an interested lead becomes a paying client. Here are some numbers to put things into perspective for you: 44% give up after 1 follow up 10% make more than 3 contacts 80% of sales close between 5-12 contacts If this is you, you are missing out on your biggest revenue generator – the 80% of people who you don’t follow up with regularly.

In order to effectively capture and follow up, there are a few pieces to this puzzle: A landing page to drive traffic to and capture leads A CRM to capture customer information An autoresponder to automatically educate and nurture your prospects to get them to become customers In the past you would have needed a few different systems to achieve this, but Infusionsoft has made it all available to you in 1 platform that is easy to use. It includes a landing page builder, CRM, automated follow up and much more. Imagine capturing and following up with thousands of leads simultaniously without having to do the work yourself and only talking to your leads when they are ready to buy or they can buy online, automatically.

Infusionsoft is for growth-minded businesses that need a multi-functional CRM platform.

This platform organizes all of your customer interactions in one place. Infusionsoft has empowered 145 000 businesses worldwide to deliver more personalized services and close more business deals.

If you are looking to do any one of the following, Infusionsoft will be a good fit for you: Capture more leads Turn more leads into customers Turn more customers into repeating customers Know what to do next with each customer Follow up with timely communication Schedule calls/meetings What can you expect to pay for Infusionsoft?

You can get an Infusionsoft license from $99 - $397 per month depending on how many contacts you require in your database and how many users you need. The system grows with your business and you can upgrade at any time.

You need to purchase a kickstart package so you can get help from a professional to get you going.

These can range from $249 for basic, get started services up to $30k plus for more specialized needs. You can watch a demo of Infusionsoft at www.thevirtualedge.com or contact me directly for more information.

62 | MARCH 2018

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This is the best scheduling software that I have come across. It is easy to set up, simple for your customers to use and understand and it integrates with many other platforms - like your calendars and CRM’s (including Infusionsoft).

ScheduleOnce can also trigger automation.

LastPass is online password management software storing passwords and logins and organizing them in folders for easy access. It allows you to share access to your sites with team members, freelancers and colleagues without actually sharing your password – you control the access they have. LastPass automatically populates your logins, so you never have to remember all the crazy passwords you come up with. You’ll never have to click the “Forgot My Password” button ever again!

Scheduling Appointments: ScheduleOnce

With ScheduleOnce, you can set up your available times and segment it in order to have times set up to talk to new leads or do sales calls. You can also set up times to talk to existing clients through a different link. One of the most appealing features is the ability to set up a form so that, when people book appointments, you are able to get the required information before the meeting. I use this extensively in my own sales process and it is incredibly effective.

Here are some of the awesome features that this great tool boasts: Payment collection for consultations - You can have a payment link in the booking form (must be an integrated payment gateway) when you do paid consultations or calls and Book group sessions and team sessions Integrate it into your website for direct booking Fully customizable with your company’s branding Automated reminders and follow ups with sms notification Full reporting on all historical appointments What can you expect to pay for this amazing tool?

Between $5 and $49 per month depending on how many booking forms and users you need.

The most popular option is $19 per month, which is a steal for how much it allows you to do and how much more productive you are able to be. Here is a link to get this amazing software - https://www.scheduleonce.com/ pricing?refcode=yjkCgV

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Organizing shared documents: Google Drive

Trying to find documents and have all your files easily accessible can be ‘fun’ if you are not an organized admin person. I travel a lot and don’t always like to carry my laptop with me. It’s important for me to have access to my files and documents and to share it with my clients and my team while getting real-time updates.

One of the most exciting features is the ability to work on documents live with clients or your team. You can have a document open in Word, Excel or PowerPoint while multiple people are working om it at the same time - no more back and forth and trying to figure out which is the correct version. You don’t need any servers or any hard costs for equipment.

This tool has been one of the biggest game changers for my business, as well as for many of my clients.

I use Google Drive for 3 main purposes: Storing internal files so my team works from one central place.

To back up my hard drive. Google’s apps make access to those files seamless anywhere in the world.

Storing client projects and files granting them access to certain folders, which makes the transfer of files painless.

What does it cost?

Free to $5 per month per user. If you want your business emails to be integrated with Google Drive and if you need more storage you can upgrade at any time. You can get google drive here: https://www.google.com/drive/

Saving passwords and access to sites: LastPass

How much does it cost?

This is why I love it so much – its FREE! There is a paid version which will give you access to the mobile app, but the free version is pretty awesome.

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Online Meetings ZOOM

This is one of my favourites! It is similar to Skype, but provides a more stable and versatile platform. The free version can record calls and has a simple link to click to launch the app so you don’t have to look for the other meeting attendees before they join. This means you can have a call set up and going within 30 seconds anywhere in the world. They also have a mobile app.

The one limitation on the free version is that you can only run group calls for up to 45 minutes before it cuts out, but the paid version is only $20 a month, so it’s well worth the upgrade.

Some other features of the paid version: Breakout rooms Video webinars Connect to existing systems This tool also connects to other platforms like your CRM which makes it an incredibly powerful tool to be more productive in your business by not having to travel so much.

How much does it cost?

The price of this amazing tool starts with the FREE version, which suits most businesses. If you’re looking to do more, it ranges between $20 and $69 per month. Enterprise users can expect to pay a couple hundred dollars.

You can get it by going to their site – www.zoom. us or you can use my referral link http://bit. ly/2D3XhxQ

A

ll these systems have helped me to increase revenue and profits by 300% year on year. It allowed me to scale without adding big overheads and more staff. We have helped hundreds of businesses worldwide how to become more productive by using these tools and have seen incredible growth from the ones that have implemented.

If you are able to free up more time and create more revenue and profit without adding extra overheads, your business will grow fast. Maybe your goal isn’t to grow, but to create more time and freedom.

Whichever it is, these tools will help you achieve them in a simple way and with little cost.

Woman Entrepreneur | Global

S Y S T E M I Z E Your Wealth Mat t C lark

The everyday systems you need to increase profitability in your company.

The 2 biggest challenges every growing business faces, are cash flow and time. Most businesses are stuck in a cycle of feast or famine. You are either marketing and selling or delivering, which means your cashflow is not consistent and you’re on a constant roller coaster chasing time. Imagine for a second what it would be like to know your business is growing, based on what you put in. Isn’t that an exciting thought? It certainly was for me.

There are many ways to grow your business; profit being the most important. If we are not turning a profit that increases year on year, our business dies… or we die (metaphorically) trying to keep it alive. I have other intentions for you. I want you to be able to have the time, the money, the fun, the love for your business AND absolutely love the journey along the way.

You can do this by implementing systems so you can focus on what you love and are good at, while your business can grow and scale without everything relying on you. You can’t always automate everything, but we can try…

There are a lot of systems, tools and strategies to choose from and it’s easy to get caught up in what I call “The shiny object syndrome”.

This is when you get excited and caught up in the hype of all these technologies and end up buying a whole bunch of tech you don’t need, because the people selling it had really great copywriters and awesome videos. You end up wasting money on solutions that don’t deliver results.

I am going to simplify it for you and share 5 tools with you that range from free to paid. If implemented properly, it can skyrocket your revenue AND profits while creating the most precious commodity - TIME.

M

att Clark is a sales funnel expert and the creator of The Automated Income System. He has built his own multi-million-dollar companies both online and offline (door to door sales). He works with businesses all over the world helping them to automate, grow revenues, profits and free up more time. His clients have been able to entirely automate their businesses and create more revenue in one month than in an entire year - growing their business x5 by just doing things differently. His mission is to elevate the level of business worldwide by making tools and strategies available to business owners.

Get your free copy of his book, The Automated Income System: How To Charge More, Work Less And Feel Great About It, on his website. Or get in touch with Matt directly if you need some help implementing these tools and to find out more about what is possible for your business.

Email: matt@thevirtualedge.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattclarksa Website: www.thevirtualedge.com www.womanentrepreneur.co | 63

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