Vered Neta's Blog, page 18

How to Enjoy Your Summer Vacation AND Have a Business

I just finished a coaching session with a student of mine; who is contemplating of taking our most advanced and extensive program.

She got to a point in her business where she realized that if she would not do something drastic; she will be a slave of her own success for the rest of her life.

One of the major problems entrepreneurs have is that they build a business that is all about THEM.

The more successful they are the more they become a slave to their own success and they need to be constantly IN their business in order for it to run.

However, if you are serious in making your business work for you, there comes a time when you will need to devote time in making it into a business than only a great hobby which provides you good income and a place to express yourself and your vision.

There is time when you will just have to systemize and automate your business in order for YOU to be FREE.

For me this point became clearer each year when we wanted to take our vacations.

Most small business owners are afraid of taking time off from work as they feel that if they leave their business will collapse without them (which probably is true, if they have not systemized and automated their business).

However, vacations are crucial for your own health, but also for your business. Vacations are a source of inspiration for start-up ideas, inventions, corporate programs, or even a company name. I know that my best products and services were developed while I was on vacation and I could take a distance from the daily business and realize what is it that my clients are truly looking for.

The question is how do you go on a vacation and still have your business run?

Here are 5 tips for taking a vacation and having a growing business at the same time:

1. Plan Your Vacation Off-Season

Map out your business cycle and identify patterns of peak and low demand. Then plan your vacation around the time when orders generally decrease. For example, in our training business the summer is a “dead season” as most people take vacation with their families and will not come to training. If you’re an accountant then vacation after tax season would be less disruptive to your business.

2. Get Organized

To allow you to go on vacation with a peaceful heart (and mind), get organized well in advance of your vacation. Make a list of all the things that absolutely must be done before you go. Prioritize the list so that when time runs out – and it will – at least you took care of the important things.

For example, I’m writing this blog post weeks before leaving for a vacation in Ireland and Austria. While you’re reading it, I’m probably  hiking somewhere in Northern Ireland (hopefully it will be sunny as it is today here as I write this blog…)

3. Automate When Possible

Automation is key for all successful businesses.  Every interaction doesn’t necessarily require a person to pick up the phone or type an email. Find areas in your business that you can automate. From e-mail auto responders to CRM solutions there are plenty of tools available.

4. Empower Your Staff

Taking a vacation is the perfect opportunity to test the abilities of your staff members to handle the ship. Have your staff make a list of top priorities they’re taking accountability for – before you leave.

For me that was the biggest lesson. But I learned from experience – the more I delegate, the faster my business grows.

Teach your staff to handle daily operations and make educated decisions throughout the year. This will allow you to focus on critical tasks as well as provide an opportunity for you to take a break when you need to.

If you don’t have staff, consider hiring someone for a short amount of time to perform basic operations such as answering the phone, taking messages, or providing quotes.

5. To Call or Not to Call

Before leaving, determine whether you’ll take the approach of no contact (unless there is an emergency) or call in occasionally. If you really can’t get your business out of your mind while on the beach, a 10-minute debriefing with your staff can help calm your fears.

Personally, I make it clear to my team that I’m available if they need me, but I rarely initiate contact.

They also know that I love to get a short SMS message telling me the status of important projects.

And above all… let go of control – I know, I know – that’s the toughest of all – but once you’ve done that it’s the most rewarding one – so try and let go of control of your business and enjoy your vacation and your time out!

And now it’s your turn.

What tips do you have that helped you in enjoying a vacation free of business?

Share with us your tips, ideas and solutions for having a vacation AND running a business in the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

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Have a magical week! Vered

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infamous Mistakes on Websites – Are You Making Them?

Fact: Anyone can build a website. WordPress has made that into a reality. Even if you have no professional experience with web design or coding, you can still get a reasonable and good website by using WordPress.

Still, if you approach website building for the first time, you should consider a few guidelines that first-timers are not always aware of. In a previous article I wrote about the top 5 mistakes your website should NOT have.

However, the more I look at websites the more it becomes evident that certain concepts are not clear for those that built that site.

Let’s start with common mistakes you probably want to avoid:

Annoying Navigation

In the old economy the mantra was “Location, location, location” In the new Economy the mantra is “traffic, traffic, traffic”. If you want to make sure that those that get to your site will not leave it after the average 3 seconds, make sure that once they get to your site they are able to find what they are looking for immediately.

When visitors come to your site and don’t know where or how to find the information they need, they will leave and will never come back. Avoid links that are hard to find, buttons that are not visible or placed in the wrong spot.

There needs to be logic, do not base it on your intuition make it logic for any person to find it. You want your users to be able to find what they need in as few clicks as possible. Keep header, footer and navigation bar consistent on each page. Make sure your visitors can easily access all the pages.

Too Much Clutter on the Homepage

Less is more in websites today. You can actually offer tons of great content on your site but display it in as simple and organized way as possible. Don’t use too much text, and if you want to use multiple images, go for a sliding gallery that depicts just one photo at a time.

Remember the homepage is your first impression and you can never have a second impression if they leave you on the first one. Make sure you make your homepage as simple and as attractive as possible – attractive to what YOUR CUSTOMERS are looking for.

No Call to Action

On your Homepage you MUST have a “Call to Action”. This is a request from your site visitors to act, usually represented by buttons and links. Your site’s Call to Action depends on its purpose. Do you want people to download/ register/ subscribe/ view/ share/ follow or what not? Use a Call to Action to make it crystal clear.

While humor and wit are generally a good thing in online content, with the Call to Action you want to keep it as simple and straightforward as possible. Remember, the goal here is to get them to take action!

AND… above all remember – you are not trying to SELL them anything at this stage. You just want to get to know them. It’s your “first date” you don’t ask them to merry you on it, just to check you out so they would learn to trust you.

Out-of-Date Content

Don’t give the impression that you tossed up a site and left it there. Show the world that you are open for business and active! People want to know that if they contact you through the site, you’ll actually answer them and give them immediate attention. They won’t bother to get in touch if your site seems abandoned.

You need to show the world that you are an expert at what you are doing and that you are all the time on top of things and ahead of all the others. Therefore make sure you have constant fresh material on your website.

Not investing in social media

The New Economy is based on social media. If you don’t have a link on your website that allows people to share you on the different social media channels you are missing the most powerful instrument of marketing.

Make you sure that on each page you have a possibility for visitors to share it on the 3 most popular social media channels that are relevant to you. I use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+. You check what your target audience is using most and share it on all your webpages.

And now it’s your turn…

What is your experience? What worked for you on your website and what didn’t?

Give us your tips, suggestion or advice on how to make your website perform better.

Share with us your tips, ideas and solutions in staying on track in the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



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and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered

What Inspires You?

We just finished an amazing weekend with a great event of Leef Lekker (Living the Good Life – is as best as I could translate this typical Dutch phrase), where we celebrated Open Circles Academy 15th Anniversary.

After such an incredible event with so many friends and grateful students I had to take the time and count my blessings and evaluate my life.

As we grow older the essence of birthdays tend to change.

When we are young it is all about the presents and the parties.

Later on in life it is all about the milestones and the success we have achieved.

Now, when I crossed 50 each year is about learning to appreciate what is truly important in life.

With each year that passes I come to realize that it is the small things that we do that make the difference in our life. It is the small habits that we develop that take us either on a path to success or a path to mediocrity.

As I was sitting for my daily meditation (one of my success habits) I realized that long ago I came across an inspirational story that summed up what I believe is important in life. I went to look for it and found it between one the pages of my journal.

As a gift from me to you I’d like to share it with you.

I hope it would inspire you as it inspired me.

“The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.

She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!” she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went.

She loved to dress up and she celebrated in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this Whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a Living by what we get, we make a Life by what we give.”

I’m curious….

What inspires you?

Share with us your lessons from your story of inspiration in the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

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Have a magical week! Vered

5 Ways to Make a Remarkable Experience

In a previous blog post I’ve mentioned that the best way to turn your product or service into a remarkable product is by creating a GREAT experience for your prospects and customers so they would talk about you and therefore remember you.

I got so many questions on how to do it – so I figured I’ll write something about it.

In order to create a GREAT experience you’ll need to first figure out what is the brand identity that you wish to be associated with. However, no matter what identity you wish to have one thing you need to keep in mind – people always would enjoy a good laughter.

Humor in today’s world is so needed. We all have heavy load to carry and if someone makes us laugh or smile during the day – this will stick out. Of course you’ll need to find out how to do it in a way that would be aligned with what you do and your product and service.

Here are a few examples of how you might add humor to your brand and spread some light in your customer’s day:

Telephone Automated Messeges

There is nothing as irritating as phoning a company or a provider and getting stuck with an automated message. Whether you have to choose from a menu of just the standard text of hold on – why not make that experience fun for your prospect or customer.

It is so easy to do especially when you are a solopreneur or a small company. Change those messages on a weekly basis and include in it personal message of what is going on. Maybe a daily quote or an inspirational quote or even a short joke. This would certainly make an impression on your callers.

Your Website personality

Why not post some amusing messages that pop up while your visitor is waiting for a search to finish. Or if you don’t have a search option, why not show them something humorous about you or your product – best if it could be visual. It creates an immediate feeling of a “real person” behind a website.

On Screen Messages

If you have a web shop on your site why not thank them once they purchased something on it, but in a way that would make them smile instead of the standard boring message of “Thank you for shopping with us” – have a sign that might say: “Thanks for demonstrated an excellent taste in your choice. You certainly know quality when you see one…”

Product Packaging

You probably spent a lot of time (and sometimes money) on designing your products and the cover for it. How about next time add some humor to it. One company that does it amazingly is Innocent. Sometimes I buy their smoothies only to read what they write on their packaging as it always brings a smile to my face.

Unsubscribe Messages

Today by law you need to allow people to easily unsubscribe from your mailing list. This is the last chance you have to keep them, then why not do it with flair and a Bang, maybe even reconsider. Have a look at how HubSpot does it and definitely watch the video that is on that page of acknowledging that you unsubscribed – it’s truly funny!

All in all adding humor and making your customer smile would create a fantastic experience for them which is different than other companies – make sure to invest some time and come up with some ideas how to do it.

Now it’s your turn…

How would you add humor to your business?

Where else in your prospects and customers journey could you add more humor to their experience?

Share with us your tips, ideas and solutions in staying on track in the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



- LinkedIn connections
and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered

5 Questions to Keep You on Track

I was having one of those “bad” days where nothing went right. You know, those days were Murphy’s Laws are being manifested one after the other.

Ever had such a day? Or am I the only one?

As I was struggling with those incidents, that kept on showing up through the day, and the growing frustration inside of me, I knew that I needed some time out and a way to recharge myself so I could continue on – as I was on the edge of throwing it all up and saying “I had enough…!”

I turned to the only person that I know that can bring some sense into my world in these kinds of times – my beloved partner (and husband…).

The only thing he did was ask me a few questions, which as I answered them everything became clearer and easier. I could breathe again and go on with my day with much more clarity and energy.

My good friend Laura Atichson says in her great book “What Would a Wise Woman Do” – it’s the questions that you ask yourself that would determine the path you would take. It’s the questions that you would ask that would eventually make the difference if you are on the Path to Success or the Path to Failure.

I know it is easy to lose yourself during these days, weeks and month that you run your business and get caught between those phone calls, networking, blog writing, clients and providers not supplying on time. It’s hard to stay focused and connected to the purpose of WHY you started that business in the first place.

So here are 5 questions to keep you on track:

1.     Start with the WHY – Why are you doing this?

In today’s economy the truly successful businesses are those that have a strong WHY, and it has nothing to do with money! Your business has to be driven by something that you care for, something, which is YOUR message to the world, something that you want to leave as a legacy after you.

When your business is driven by something authentic, which is a representation of who you are it, becomes more than just the product or service that you give… it becomes a brand.

2.     What are you here to GIVE?

The New Economy is all about giving (that’s why women can be so successful in in business today – it comes naturally for us).

The focus of your business should be on what could you GIVE, not about what would you GET. The more value you will be able to create and GIVE the more advantage would you have.

Focus on what you have to GIVE.

3.     What EXPERIENCE do you want your audience to have?

The only way your product or service would be truly successful is when you are able to create a remarkable product. The best way to create one is to create an experience that your audience would never forget and would talk about it to anyone and forever! – this makes it remark-able.

You want to design your customer and prospects experience in a way that would create engagements and connection. Have a look at every aspect of your business from the eyes of the customer and build in the exact experience you wish them to have that would be associated with your business and brand.

4.     What can you LEARN from this?

OK, I admit this one comes from the trainer part of me and is a result of years in the Personal Growth arena. However, I find it the most helpful question I can ask myself, especially on Murphy’s Laws Days.

In business it is natural you would have days when you encounter challenges and disappointments. The difference would be in HOW you deal with challenges. The more positive approach you would take to them the better you will be able to handle those challenges.

Start learning from those challenges. Have a look at what is the meaning of those set backs and see what can you learn from it. What do you need to develop? What do you need to stop doing? On what should you focus etc.. This would help you in moving forward and beyond these days.

5.     WHO could do this better?

I hate this question! Each time Nisandeh (my partner) asks me that question I want to scream – NO ONE! But I know the truth.

The way to grow your business is by becoming a bigger person and realizing you need to find the best people around that could help you with your business.

You need to focus on what you do the BEST and delegate everything else to those people that do it better than you, because it is THEIR strength.

When you come to understand what is your strong point in your business and you find partners, employees and teammates who can do the other areas in your business, your business will grow exponentially.

Now I’m curious…

How do you handle Murphy Law’s Days?

What do you do to stay on track?

Share with us your tips, ideas and solutions in staying on track in the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



- LinkedIn connections
and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered

Thinking About Starting a Business – Think About this…

I’ve been working with entrepreneurs for the past 13 years. I’ve worked in startup companies for the past 20 years and it still amazes me how many times people overlook the fundamentals of business.

One of the biggest mistakes women entrepreneur make (and also men…) is that their enthusiasm and optimism (which is essential for entrepreneurs) blind them from looking at the one issue that will break them or make them – which is numbers…

Most women HATE looking at numbers and figures, they prefer playing the ostrich and keep hoping that it “will all work out”. The biggest problem that I see is that they are so “in love” with their product/service/idea that they forget looking at the numbers and figures and focusing on their target audience and on their market. I’m not saying that money is the most important thing, but numbers and money are essentials for the livelihood of your company and YOU.

Having being part for so many times for new companies and adventures of entrepreneurs I sometime wish that someone would have told me what are the important issues that I need to look at when starting a company.

After so many years (and mistakes) here is what I would have wished someone would have told me I should focus on when starting a new business.

7 Point to remember when starting your own business:

1. Do your own research – The only way you would be able to get money is when you truly understand and know your audience. What it is that they love, what it is that they dream about, what it is that they fear and what keeps them up at night. For that you’ll need to know your market and audience better than anyone else – don’t delegate this to anyone else – You need to do this research. Do it thoroughly and make sure no one knows your market better than you do.

2. Divide your financial expectations by 3. Most women would not even bother with creating a business plan (unless forced by the bank in order to get a loan). Even those that do it would usually be over optimistic. It’s easy to put impressive numbers on a spreadsheet, but it’s extremely difficult to realize those ambitions in the first years. It takes expertise and market knowledge to forecast properly. Do yourself a favor – divide your financial expectation by 3 for at least the first year.

3. Give 20 to 30% to non-expected costs. When thinking about your budget, make sure you take in account unexpected costs. For crying out loud – it’s your first business; you are not supposed to know EVERYTHING, so just be prepare well for the surprises. What do you really know about your legal costs or how much your accountant is going to charge? Trust me: it will be more than you imagine. Make sure to allocate some money for unexpected costs.

4. Cash is king – especially for a startup. Make sure that your cash flow is positive. Be a MacDonald not a restaurant. In MacDonald you pay before you get your food. In a restaurant you pay after. Build your payment system in a way that your customers are paying in advance.

5. Take care of your first sales personally. You are the best sales person you could ever have make sure that you stay in touch with your audience and market – take care of them. This way you can also learn a lot from the feedback of your prospects and customers. Cherish it.

6. Stay Positive – if you, your product or your services are criticized, listen to what they are saying. I know it is hard, but by defending and giving explanations you will be missing out on some free advice. Stay positive even when you get those feedbacks and thank those clients. People want to do business with positive people.

And the most important tip…

7. Have fun – learn from everything that comes your way. Starting a business will be the biggest adventure you’ll have in your life. It would also be the most powerful and would stretch you the most – you would have to grow as a person. So just enjoy this journey. It might feel at times as a roller-coaster ride of and it might upset your stomach every now and then. But using the tips above, I hope you will be able to keep things real. It’s a fantastic journey!

Now I’m curious…

What have you learned on your journey?  

Share with us your tips and advice to someone who is thinking about starting their own business.  Share with us in, the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



- LinkedIn connections
and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered

Authority and Power – Are They The Same?

Last month my book “Financial Independence for Women” was published in the States and is available on all shops and on Amazon.

(that’s the photo with my US attorney that helped me get my book contract with my publisher… The nicest attorney EVER!!! – Thank you Peter Hoppenfeld)

If you’ve done any work with us in Open Circles Academy you know that writing a book immediately puts you in a position of an expert and an authority on the topic you’ve written.

The days after the book was published I kept getting emails and messages of questions about the issues I raised in the book. I noticed that while I was happy to hear how much the book has helped so many women (and men) in the ways they took control over their money, I had some struggle with the notion that I was associated in being an expert and an authority about financial issues.

My book deals with money, wealth and financials, but I never considered myself an expert or an authority on the issue of financials. I kept explaining to people that I don’t have the right diplomas to talk about financials. I’m not authorized to give any advice or suggestion when it comes to money. The only thing I can do is share my journey and what I have done to become financially independent and later on financially free.

Women find it difficult, to show their authority on the issues that they are experts in.

Let’s examine for a minute the issues of authority and power and try to shed some light on this issue from a different angle.

Have you noticed that the word Authority has in it the word Author-ity. This means that the idea behind authority is that the person who is in authority has meaningful issues to deliver. They have more wisdom, more knowledge, more experience than others and are in a position of authority on a specific topic.

The issue becomes complicated when it comes to the corporate world where some people have bosses that know less than them and they became an authority because of their title, not because of what they know.

When you are in a position of authority but you know that your people know much more than you, most people would start working out of force (not power). That’s when authority is being misused.

The definition of Power is the ability to act . Most bosses act not out of inner power but from power that was given to them by their title and not from their own inner power.

Therefore we will find that so called authority will act not because of their power but due to their position and title that was given to them.

If we wish to become an authority we will need to develop our inner power which comes with self-esteem and confidence and has nothing to do with the title that we carry, the diplomas that we have or even the years that we have.

I believe that we are all born as authorities in our own field. I mean who else knows what YOU like, think, or dream better than you!

Of course that is not enough to become an authority. However, if you’ve ever looked at kids (before education and school hit them and in most cases destroyed them…) they act out of authority. They are very clear about what they want, what they think and how things should be. Sometimes they are too clear for us adults and we try to educate them and tell them: “shush, you don’t say those things in public”… or; “that’s not polite to say such a thing” (even when we think the same…

Somehow we’ve lost our natural authority in life and we are looking for other people to give us the permission to be an authority and to recognize us as an authority.

I believe that each time that we are willing to share our knowledge, our experiences, our success and failures; we demonstrate our leadership and teach other people who are willing to listen. This for me consists of authority. Authority doesn’t mean that you need to know it all. On the contrary many of those people that had the I-know-it-all attitude are the least authority people that I have met.

The question that I have to you is… what are you willing to share about?

Share with us what are you an authority about…? Share with us in, the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



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Have a magical week! Vered

Turning Strategy into Action

My book Financial Independence for Women was published on May 12 in the USA.

If you’ve done any of our seminars you already know that publishing a book is just the first step in making any kind of business from it.

Publishing a book is a vehicle and a tool to build your expertise and your business. Therefore right now I’m busy building the right strategy to use my book in expending my brand of Balanced Business Women to North America.

To me getting clear about strategy is the most important challenge business owners face, it forces you to look inward.

Having to think on the right strategy forces you to think who you are, why you do what you do and how to use that story to attract opportunities and clients.

Here are some specific sets of tactics to put in your strategy in order to take it into action and make it happen.

You might feel that your business has unique needs, or ways of marketing to them – that you are the only one that must rely on word of mouth or referrals.

The truth is that even though every industry has a unique set of clients, a unique language, maybe even an unusual distribution model, the way that customers come to know, like and trust them is fundamentally the same.

Today, I am going to introduce to you to some core practices that every business can use to communicate their simple, clear, marketing strategy.

Have Your Own Voice – You must develop a set of fundamental stories that you use in your business building. The stories that help people understand how your business is different, not because of what it does so much, but because of what it cares about or doesn’t do.

These stories must have your personal story in them. People should feel, when they read and hear them, that you are a REAL person, just like them. These stories would ultimately make up the foundation of your brand promise.

Stop Selling – Start Teaching – Nobody likes to be sold, but people like to be educated and learn. The best persuasion method in the world is teaching people. Commit yourself to become a great educator and you will not have to sell anymore. Using education is one of the most powerful ways to differentiate your business in the eyes of those that come to work for you as well as those that comes to experience your unique point of view through exposure to your teaching.

Create a Community – We live today in the world of communities. It’s not enough to think of a product or service. You need to build a community of prospects, users and buyers.

In order to truly differentiate you must begin to think of your business as a community place for others to get what they need. You must expand your thinking from business to marketplace.

Here are some important questions that could help you in building such a community:

Can you create opportunity for strategic partners?
Can you teach others how to launch businesses from your business?
Can you mentor others for their personal growth?

These are questions that will take you far beyond the typical business building mindset, but the answers may become the higher purpose for your business.

Create a Remarkable Experience – The best type of remarkable product is when you create and deliver a remarkable marketing experience before, during and after a customer is a customer.

Stephan Covey in his famous book carved the term start with the end in mind. Which means that if you want to deliver an exceptional experience you must start with the end in mind. You must begin the entire process by considering what you will do 90 or 180 days after you make a sale and then work backwards to the point where you first meet.

Having said that experience is the most remarkable element that you can add to your service or product here is now my request…

In order for me to create a platform in the USA I need you support.

If you’ve read my book I would truly appreciate if you could go to http://amzn.to/12W5dIX and write your review on my book.

If you could share this review with your contacts and in your circles, I would truly be grateful to you in helping me spread the word and the message in that book.

If you didn’t read my book, you can download the first 4 chapters once you add your comment to this blog post.

Now I’m curious…

What would you like to read and learn on this platform of Balanced Business Women?

Share with us your ideas, wishes and challenges, so I can create for you the best experience possible

Share with us in, the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

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Have a magical week! Vered

Networking in 4 Easy Steps

In today’s economy, networking is more important than ever.

With more competition you have to work much harder to get your business recognized.

Not only that, you have to continue to network so they don’t forget you.

It’s not enough anymore to put a sign in the window or create a website. There are too many others doing the exact same thing.

For example, if you started a coaching practice in nearly any city five years ago, you were probably the only one and therefore had to do very little to get noticed and hold onto your clients.

Today your customers probably have several dozen other practices like yours within driving distance.

How are you going to attract and keep them? What makes you memorable?

The answer is… networking.

Everyone networks nowadays. Online and offline. There are almost 200 networks events in Holland EVERY single day.

But be aware that although networking opportunities are all around you, some will do a lot more for you than others.

Be choosey

Just because you can network anywhere doesn’t mean that you should. As usual – quality is more important than quantity.

You want to make sure that the time you’re investing in networking is really helping you grow your business.

You time is valuable so you need to make the most of it. Ask any entrepreneur or business owner in similar markets to yours where they network or post the question in the relevant LinkedIn groups.

Here are a few tips when coming to a Network Event:

Observe

When you attend an event, you don’t have to mingle the entire time. Take a few minutes, here and there, to simply watch the room.

Look for those who appear to be comfortable and in the centre of attention. These are the leaders you want to network with.

When you figure out who the key players are, don’t be shy. Introduce yourself; find out what they need and how you can help them.

Get involved

You can’t show up at an event once, drop your name, offer to help and expect your phone to start ringing off the hook or emails to flood in. You have to do more if you’re going to be recognized by the key players.

You need to be committed to networking.

Attend as many events and meetings as you can so others will see you as reliable.

I see thousands of entrepreneurs come and go in our events, but I remember those who I see regularly. And those are the ones I do business with and refer business to.

Follow-through

Reply to requests for information, materials, etc., within 24 hours.

You need to make the most of every single opportunity you get because you never know how valuable it is or where it will lead. The longer you wait to provide requested information, the more time that person has to look elsewhere or lose interest.

One warning

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to learn the difference between networking and selling.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is being too pushy.

Don’t sell yourself when networking! You want to offer information about your business that makes them want to learn more. When you build trust and credibility, people will come to you…

Now it’s your turn…

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the sentence: “In today’s economy, networking is more important than ever.”

Do you agree, or disagree, and why… What makes networking so important today, and how can you profit from it.

Share with us your ideas about networking?

Share with us in, the comment box below.

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



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and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered

 

Rules to Keep Your Sanity With Social Media

Does any of these statements  sound familiar?

Lacking at engagement, responding to tweets, comments on Facebook etc.
LinkedIn page needs added or updated.
Not sure what to do with the new Facebook applications that replaced the Facebook tabs.
Social listening, how do you do that again?
ROI, measuring results, what is that?
Blog site performance has hit the ground due to all the traffic.
Live event coming up and you need to integrate social but where to start?
Friends, kids, fun? What’s that?

If you can recognize yourself in the above I promise you that it is possible keep your sanity with Social Media. You are going to have to make a commitment to do such though.

Are you ready? Here are a few tips to get you started.

12 Tips to keep your sanity with Social Media

1. Get over your perfectionism. This is the most important tip for keeping your sanity. It is never going to be perfect. Accept the fact and move on.

2. You can’t make everyone happy all the time. Focus on your goals, your business and your results.

3. Planning is still important. You must have a solid business plan with goals and objectives. Align the social media plan and efforts where social can have the greatest impact.

4.  Social Media is like a good orchestra. It’s not about how fast they play, but how GOOD they play! It is not about winning the race. It is about finishing the race with good quality, staying healthy and keeping fit so you can endure. Slow down to take time to plan, organize, hire a team, train a team.

5. Know your audience. Who are they? What are they? How can you help them? If you don’t know them and you don’t know what they need or how you can help them then figure it out. Ask them on your Facebook page. Conduct a survey and hand it out at the next live event you host or attend. Conduct an online poll or survey. Don’t just do social or be social, be socially relevant!

6. Prioritize what really matters. Don’t wake up each day do what “feels right”. Instead stay focused on your plan and achieving your goals.

Chances are there are many things you WANT to do but you can do only a small portion of those things at the same time. This is why you must develop a plan with goals as well as set priorities. You don’t have to complete everything within the next 30 days. Focus on the right stuff first and you’ll be fine. The key to balance is knowing when is the right time for what. There is a time and season for everything. Knowing your “season” is the key

8. Look at your numbers. Dig into your data. When it comes to how much content you should put on your website, what kind of content etc. the data has the answers. Look at your own data and make decisions based on such.

9. Get the right tools and technology in place. Even if you have technology phobia realize that technology is there to help you. To keep your sanity with Social Media it is imperative that you have the proper tools in place to measure results, engagement, conversion, community growth and ROI. If you have no clue about it and suffer from technology phobia hire someone that would do that for you.

10 Learn to delegate what you’re not good at. If you simply don’t know how to write a plan or know you are not going to be able to complete a critical component of your social marketing plan, then delegate it.

11. Nothing like a good community to help your sanity. Remember you’re not the only one in the world who is suffering this… Don’t just sit in your office tearing your hairs out. Connect with people who are also trying to keep their sanity while navigating between social media, their business and life. Connect with folks who have already managed to do it. Many people online and living in the social world are happy to share their experiences so that you can grow and learn from them.

12. Take a Break! Like John Lennon said – “Life is what takes place when you’re busy making plans!” Take time for real life! Sitting in the house or office trying so hard to keep your sanity with the social media is doing nothing for you or your business. It is only makes you lose it even more! Get out there and get some fresh air. You’ll be amazed how many new content ideas, solutions for problems and overall inspiration will come if you take time out!

If you wish to get more in-depth information how to do Social Media effectively….

Now it’s your turn…

What are your tips in keeping your sanity when it comes to Social Media?

Share with us your tips, advice and suggestion in how to stay sane with Social media?

Share with us in, the comment box below and I’ll be happy to give you my FREE report on “How to Do Social Media Effectively without Losing Your Sanity”

If you find this article inspiring, please SHARE it on Facebook, LinkedIn or retweet it, by pushing the button on the left, for the right channel, so more women could benefit from it.

Please share this article with your:



- LinkedIn connections
and blog readers...

Have a magical week! Vered