Are you spending or investing in your business?

It never ceases to amaze me how many newbie entrepreneurs will invest a boatload of money in a coach or consultant in order to get on the fast track of building their business. Yet, when the coach/consultant advises them on a software program, support team member or system that will save them time and help them achieve their results faster, they nickle and dime themselves saying, “I can’t afford it!”

If you’re failing to bring on the right support team, you’re trying to learn something technical when you are not a technical type person or you’re spending untold amounts of time trying to handle all the details of running your business while serving your clients, packaging your knowledge or simply enjoying the process suffers, this video is for you.

What are your thoughts? Post in the comments section.

Ready to skyrocket what you’re doing? Join me for Power Up for Profits Live! www.powerupforprofitslive.com

Are you spending or investing in your business?

Why email marketing is less effective than ever before...and what you can do about it

Ask most anyone who’s been online for any length of time if open rates on broadcast emails have gone done and the majority will give you a resounding YES!

By some accounts email marketing is in proverbial toilet. Yet, there are others who say email marketing is still one of the most effective methods they use to promote products and services.

So who’s right; the majority or the handful who swear email marketing is alive and well?

Actually, both. Here’s why.

The majority of people who use email marketing are still throwing mud on the wall and hoping something will stick.

Those who are getting incredible open rates are doing something the others are not; segmenting more than ever before.

You’ve heard how important it is to have a “sweet spot” niche market, but have you heard you need to go deeper into the process?

Case in point… The Women In the Pet Industry Conference. By far, it is one of the best conferences I’ve not only participated in, but also presented at.

As the title indicates, it is for women – and a few brave men. Additionally, the majority of those in attendance are entrepreneurs. Some are in manufacturing. Others are dog trainers. Still others are service providers such as Debra Hamilton, attorney at law, who is committed to educating pet owners on the ins and outs of making sure you and your pets are protected in case of accidents, illness, death and any unforeseen circumstance life may throw your way.

Although a woman who owns a multi-million dollar company that manufactures dog doors is in the exact same industry as someone who has a $100,000 dog training business, how you market to each is likely different; or at least it should be.

It’s the same with your niche market; there is likely an umbrella industry that has multiple segments within the industry.

Let’s say your market is the dental industry. Would you market the same to dentists as you do hygienists as you do office managers?

If you market the same to each segment there’s a great chance your email open rates are minimal at best. If you segment your marketing, there’s a great chance you’ll have a much better open rate by not throwing “marketing mud” on the wall and hoping it will stick.

According to one report by MarketingSherpa, 32% of marketers say segmenting their email database is one of their organization’s top objectives, while 52% of marketers say they have a great need to improve email database segmentation.

Not all buyers in an industry are alike. Nor do all buyers have the same buying cycle. Nor will they all buy the same thing.

In my business, I have various levels of investment my buyers make. There are those who are very seasoned, have been in business for years, make a great living and need something very different than those who are just starting out.

More seasoned entrepreneurs may choose my private consulting services over a $27 eBook. Or they may find a small group coaching program is far better for their needs than a $7 report.

What an entrepreneur who has been in business for 20 years needs is very different than the person who is just starting out, doesn’t even have a DBA and is trying to grow their business on a shoestring budget.

What the entrepreneur who has a wealth of knowledge looks for when they create multiple streams of revenue is night and day from someone who wants to create their first eBook.

So before you jump on the bandwagon of those yelling from the mountain tops that email marketing is dead, perhaps you need to look at your marketing behaviors and your overall messaging. Are you lumping all your subscribers into one group over and over? Or are you fine tuning what you’re doing in order to more fully serve your market with your messaging?

Here’s a real life example. On August 27th I’m hosting a webinar for established experts who are ready to turn your knowledge into multiple streams of revenue. This event is perfect for bona fide experts who are ready to quit trading dollars for hours.

If this describes you, join me for a content driven hour of exactly what you need to do to set yourself up for the next level of success.

http://www.powerupforprofits.com/wp/pcwebinar

So what are you doing to fine tune your marketing efforts? Are you clear on the needs of the various segments of your market? If not, isn’t it time to make the necessary changes in order to have a laser beam approach to what you do? I daresay it is.

Why email marketing is less effective than ever before...and what you can do about it

My business has gone to the dogs

We’ve all heard how important it is to niche what we do and who we do it with. Yet, a great many businesses are so flipping general in what they do they continue to flounder from day to day.

Then there are those who are so clear on what they do, who they do it for and why they do it, business literally comes out of the woodwork.

Something else almost every entrepreneur has heard is that it’s so much easier to do something you’re passionate about in business than to do something strictly for the money.

It’s true. When you find your niche and you do what you’re passionate about, you can weather the storms that are inevitable in virtually any type of business.

Case in point…Over the past couple of days I’ve been at the Women In the Pet Industry Conference. I’ve met dozens of entrepreneurs who are incredibly passionate about the businesses they run.

Many have their businesses set up to raise awareness about issues specific to animals. Whether it be dogs, cats, horses, birds, ferrets, goats or any of the other animals we have an affinity to, there are those who are overt about their love and passion for animals, and there are those who have businesses outside of the animal industry who continually contribute through a portion of their profits going to causes to improve the quality of the lives of our furry friends.

I’ve spent the past few days realizing how blessed I am to be one among many who love animals and have a commitment to doing what I personally (and professionally) can to raise awareness and funds for those whose life work is directly connected to the animals.

Between those in attendance, millions of dollars are generated yearly in their respective businesses and nonprofits.—money that goes to benefit our furry friends. Yet, there is so much more to be done. It’s truly a never-ending process.

On Friday, I was the opening keynote speaker for the conference. I succeeded in inspiring those in attendance to play at the highest level to do all they can to fulfill their mission with animals. Not only was the group incredibly responsive, we managed to raise a lot of money for some very worthy causes. More on that in a future post.

For now, I want to do a huge shout out to Shawna L. Schuh for creating such an incredible conference to bring together so many movers and shakers, who are incredibly passionate about the well-being of animals. When I think about how much is being done for raising awareness by each and every person here, it blows my mind.

With everything from solopreneurs to huge corporations being represented at this conference, this is business at its best.

My post wouldn’t be complete without recognizing the efforts of Yvonne DiVita—2015 Woman of the Year in The Pet Industry. As one of the founders of Blog Paws, Yvonne has worked tirelessly for years to create the largest community of pet bloggers. Blog Paws holds an annual conference that brings together bloggers from around the globe, who are also committed to the well-being and awareness about the needs of every type of animal.

Between Shawna and Yvonne, these two women are powerhouse entrepreneurs, who have overcome incredible odds to create a voice for the animals through their businesses.

They have shown, by example, that it takes more than simply having an idea, and that in order to make positive changes in the world you absolutely must put the idea into action.

Congratulations to Shawna for the success of the 2015 Women in the Pet Industry Conference! You knocked it out of the park.

And congratulations to Yvonne for being the well-deserving recipient of 2015 The Woman Of the Year In the Pet Industry.

I love and respect both of you! Keep doing such an amazing and PAWSOME job! You are a blessing.

My business has gone to the dogs

Done talking about getting your Kindle book done....someday?

If you’re a skilled author who has already published one or more books, this post is not for you. If, on the other hand, you’ve been thinking of writing a book and getting it up on Kindle, then what I have to say will likely be of interest. 

In the years I’ve been writing Kindle books I’ve talked to countless experts who swore upside down, inside out, top to bottom, they are committed to writing books, but have yet to get their first book done.

According to Book Catch dot com over 80 percent of adults in North America dream of writing a book. That’s huge. And yet, very few will ever realize their dream.

There’s a very simple reason why the majority of people who dream of writing a book never will; they don’t have a clear route on how to get it done.

Does this describe your situation? Want a clear route? Finally ready to get your book done? Want to use your Kindle book to increase sales opportunities? Ready to quit talking and take action once and for all?

If your head is nodding up and down, then join me on August 11^th for The Power & Profit of Kindle Books.

During the training you will…

• Discover how simple it is to create a Kindle book and start making money right away


• Learn the #1 mistake most experts make that prevents them from making money on Kindle


• Find out how to put a proven process in place to create sustainable revenues with Kindle


• Learn what you can do to create multiple streams of revenue with each and every Kindle book you create

Jump on over and register at http://powerupforprofits.com/webinar-power-profit-of-kindle-ebooks.html

I’m not talking theory on this webinar. I’m going to share what really works so anyone who is ready to take action can get results…fast!

You’ll get proven information on how you can become a Kindle author in record time.

 

 

Done talking about getting your Kindle book done....someday?

Social Media Marketing Plan Built During Free Workshop!

Get Your Social Media Plan Built for You by These 7 Special NAMS Experts Live on Thursday, July 16th!

You are so lucky! You know how important it is to have a viable social media plan. But you also know how tough it is to build one that gives you the results you want.

On Thursday July 16, 2015, 7 NAMS Insiders and Instructors will show us exactly how to get BIG results on their favorite platforms.  Click here.

These experts reveal:

• Their favorite Top Tool they use to create their social media plan


• The steps and strategies to devising a social media plan that works


• How to deligate and outsource the day-to-day work needed to make their social media plan pay off

And these experts are:

• Sarah Davidson -Instagram


• Brian Basilico – Podcasting


• John Paduchak -Hangouts on Air


• Ray “The Video Guy” Lane – YouTube


• Ellen Britt – Facebook Communities


• David Baer – Facebook Advertising


• Nile Nickel – LinkedIn.

What is a Micro Workshop anyway? Find out CLICK HERE

A workshop means focusing on implementation. And most live workshops are weekend or weeklong events in a hotel and require airfare. A micro workshop is virtual using Google Hangouts techology.

And it’s built in two parts:

Part 1 is Discovery

We dig into an essential business topic, grill the experts, and extract as much specific and actionable information as possible from them that we can duplicate to build our success.

Part 2 is Implementation

We take everything we learned in Part 1 and build a checklist / project plan for implementing all the strategies and techniques revealed by the instructors.

Resources

Students who attend these workshops get access to the Mindmap and checklist for the entire implementation.

Normally this Micro Workshop sells for $197. MyNAMS Insiders get access to all of our 2 dozen micro workshops as part of their membership!

Signup here to get your spot.

Be sure to share this with your friends.

Social Media Marketing Plan Built During Free Workshop!

7 top reasons to attend live events

I just returned from a live event in Miami. What a great experience. Not only did I get energized by all the great information, I was one of the trainers AND I’m on fire with a renewed sense of why I’m in business.

If you’ve ever wondered if attending live events is worth it, I can assure you,  when you pick the right events there’s no better use of your time.

Far too many people have gotten comfortable with “hiding out” behind their computers to the detriment of getting out and being seen. Although what you do behind your computer is incredibly important, don’t miss opportunities to attend live events.

Some of the best reasons for attending events are…

1. Get out of your office. It’s amazing how “safe” our offices have become. Whether your office is in your home or offsite, we can fool ourselves into believing sitting behind the computer is going to get us all the results we want and need. Periodically you need to get out of your office. A change of scenery can be incredible for our creativity, energy and vision. Events are a great way to do this.

2. Reconnect with colleagues. When I was in Miami I had the opportunity to see people I love hanging out with.  There’s a lot of power in meeting face-to-face. Even though email and phone conversations are good, there’s nothing better than sharing time with those you feel really connected to.

3. Meet potential clients. Again, it’s one thing for others to get emails from you, see you on social networks and read your blog, but there’s a heck of a lot more power in potential clients seeing you in the flesh. It’s much easier for someone to make a decision to do business with you when they see you in person. Even though the decision may not be made right there and then, face-to-face encounters accomplish a lot and set the tone of what comes next.

4. Get out of your “safe bubble” and mingle. As with point #1, you have to be willing to get from behind your computer to shift your energy. Far too many people fool themselves into believing they are being productive by never getting out from behind their computer. We need human interaction to get the creative juices going.

5. Build alliances. It’s amazing how many joint venture partnerships began when we met someone face-to-face. As with the previous points, when your colleagues meet you in person, it’s a lot easier to strike up deals. There’s a high level of trust that’s built.

6. Recharge. If you’ve been feeling stuck, events are often the very thing that will recharge you. Again, when they are the right events for you. Attending an event simply to be attending an event may not be the right reason. However, if it’s an industry specific event, one with lots of networking opportunities and one where you will learn great information, there’s a great chance you will return to your office on fire with enthusiasm.

7. Learn. As an entrepreneur you should always be learning. What better way than an event specific to exactly what you need to know to build your business. The best way to learn is to go into the experience with the intention of learning. This means, be fully present, avoid distractions and give it your all. 

These are only some of the great reasons to attend live events. Myself, I regularly attend, and speak at, live events. I know how essential attending events is to my business growth. I always leave with more enthusiasm than I started with.

I am very strategic about the events I attend. They must be in alliance with my overall business goals. After all, I am investing time, money and energy with each one I participate in.

If you’re in need of an infusion of ideas, energy, passion and focus for your business, the right event can give you all this and more. I designed Power Up for Profits Live! with all of this in mind. It’s three days of learning, connecting, brainstorming and networking.

Power Up for Profits Live! is perfect for any entrepreneur who’s ready to get an infusion of energy to take your business to the next level.

Join me on October 22 – 24, 2015 in Vancouver, Washington for Power Up for Profits Live!

Click here to learn more and register.

 

7 top reasons to attend live events

Do you have the disease of more?

More money. More time. More love. More business.

I want more!

Never enough. Always more.

Seems this is a condition that plagues countless individuals. No matter what they have it will never be enough.

Not that wanting more is wrong, but if you are not happy and grateful for what you currently have, more of the “thing” still won’t bring you happiness.

It’s somewhat of a paradox. In order to have more to be grateful for you are well served to be grateful for what you already have. When you are grateful for what you already have you get more to be grateful for.

It’s about being happy with what you have AND also visioning and working for more of what you have. Hmmm. Seems such a contradiction, but those people who seem to manifest “at will” are usually the people who are incredibly happy with what they already have. They know happiness is an inside job.

Living in the space of “this is never enough” sets you up for never having enough which likely leads to being restless and discontent regardless of how good things really are.

For example, you could have a windfall of business and rather than giving thanks for the new business your response is, “It should have been more.”

I’ve seen this happen with far too many people. They sign a few new clients and then bitch about those they didn’t sign.

Energetically, whatever we profess to be true becomes a reality. When you sign the new business, give thanks. Treat those who “chose” to do business with you as valuable. When you do, you attract more.

If you begrudge the fact that “some got away” you set yourself up to lose what you already have.

Life is an ebb and flow. Outward appearances don’t tell the whole story.

As with the seeds planted in your garden, there is a lot going on under the surface that can’t be seen. You have to “act as if” the seeds will grow. Take care of the soil, fertilize, water and “know” you will get a result for your efforts.

The next time you find yourself saying, “This isn’t enough,” try expressing appreciation for what you have. Do so with a lot of sincerity. Feel the feeling of gratitude.

You also must get really honest about how much effort you are putting into your outcome. Are you doing the necessary footwork to get the outcome you desire?

For example, if you are want to get in top physical shape are you eating and exercising to support this desire.

If you say you want more business, are you reaching out to potential clients on a regular basis or are you sitting around bitching about what you don’t have and not taking any action.

Whatever you say you want more of actually has a simple formula for success.

The formula includes:

• Appreciation for what you do have.


• Vision of what you do want


• Action towards the outcome


• Letting go of the outcome in order to be fully present in the current moment

Don’t confuse simple with easy. Sometimes it’s not easy. Always simple, not always easy. The most important ingredient is gratitude.

Energetically, the more you are grateful for what you have the more you have to be grateful for.

Today, in this moment, what are you grateful for? Post your #1 reason for gratitude in the comments box below.

 

 

Do you have the disease of more?