Be Your Own Boss Now!
A Step by Step Guide
to Successful Self
Employment ($39 Value)
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A Step by Step Guide
to Successful Self
Employment ($39 Value)
Free guide here:
Are you ready for transformation?
Feb 26th
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What is transformation? And more importantly, how does it happen? The dictionary tells you that transformation is a change in form, appearance, nature, or character. Peter Senge, a faculty member at MIT and an expert on learning organizations, states, “as W. Edwards Deming says, nothing happens without “personal transformation.” And the only safe space to allow for this transformation is a learning community.”
On the final call of a four week Authentic Life Institute class, one participant, who had actively engaged with the reading material and phone calls, said that the course had transformed her. It was a powerful statement, you could tell it was true, and it filled me with gratitude that this learning community we’ve formed is making a true difference by creating the safe (and fun!) space for transformative experiences.
I think that, while transformation often happens subtly, so quietly that you don’t even notice, there ARE times when you are acutely aware that something in your mind has just shifted in a way that is more expansive, in a way that affirms your powerfulness, in a way that feels so true you wonder how you ever didn’t know this.
As Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”
While I don’t think you can “do” transformation in a step-by-step linear process, I can give you some ideas on how to cultivate the fertile soil of your mind, so you are ready to experience transformation when a new, expansive seed thought is planted.
1. Participate in supportive groups. As in introvert, I know this can be a challenge and a stretch. I’ve gone long periods of time without being in groups and have found that when I do, I begin to wither. You need to be listened to deeply and without judgment. This process allows you time and space to think. And in the right groups, you are asked questions to help you remove mind blocks and think of things that were unimaginable to you before.
2. Think of how far you’ve come. You are, by nature, always evolving. Take a look back at your life…how many different people have you been? I bet you can see tremendous changes that have happened in the way you view the world and yourself. Even though you may not have felt like you were changing -in the long view, you can see that you have.
3. Be a gentle observer of yourself and others. Letting go of judgment, of yourself and others, is a powerful way to experience transformation. The energy you create in yourself when judging is strong and negative. Know that in any given situation you are doing the best you can. If you are reflecting about something you’ve done and feel you could have improved on it -fine! Next time try something different to make it even better. But don’t beat yourself up about what is done. The past has no precedence. What do I mean by that? You can create your future, in the way that you choose, no matter what you have done in the past.
Watch for your own transformations. It can be as simple as using different words to describe your business that make you feel more confident and capable…and when you feel so, you are!
I would love to hear your transformation stories. Post one here. You never know who might be inspired by your transformation!
How To Solve Problems
Feb 5th
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What do you do when you hit a problem in your business? Maybe it’s how to generate more income, how to build a client list or how to create an information product. Too often you might find yourself getting stopped by a problem and just giving up. Here’s what you can do to get past those problems and on to doing what you love to do.
Jim Rohn, the wonderful motivational speaker, said to go inside first and see if you can come up a solution. If that doesn’t work, go to a book or internet sources to see if you can find an answer. If that doesn’t work, ask someone else who is where you want to be. This is good advice. Let’s explore further.
1. Go inside. You have an extraordinary amount of wisdom right inside yourself –from your past experiences and from your natural preferences. One great way to get your answers from within is to take some time to get quiet. Make a list of teachers you’ve had that made a positive impact on you. Some may have been conventional teachers; others may be people you met who were not in a classroom. You can even consider famous people, people who have died or you haven’t met in person but you learned something valuable from them. Now choose one that jumps out at you right now.
Now write out a dialogue between you and this person. Ask him/her for advice. I can bet you will find some powerful insights into how to solve your problem
2. Get some more information. When someone tells me they’re stuck on a problem, I quickly assess whether it is a lack of information that is the real problem. It often is. I’m amazed at how many people don’t take the time to seek information through books and the internet. Often there is someone out there who has solved a problem similar to yours and you can quickly get ideas about how to solve your problem.
3. Ask someone else. If you still can’t figure out how to get past your problem after going inside and doing some research…now is the time to ask someone else. Most people are willing to share information and help you IF you show them that you have done some research prior to asking them. It’s startling how many people ask me for advice and information and when I ask them what they’ve done so far to solve their problem…they say “nothing”.
I’ll give you a concrete example. You want to run a tour business. You don’t know where to start and feel overwhelmed every time you think about this idea…but it just won’t go away.
First, you take time and journal with your teacher within. You have a dialogue and get encouragement from the teacher that you are on the right track. You even get some ideas about where you would like to lead tours and get a strong sense of the feelings of satisfaction and joy you’ll get when you achieve this goal.
Now you think, “I don’t know how to start. What insurance do I need? How do I hire a bus? What kind of outdoor microphone will I need so that people can hear me? How will I find people to enroll for my tours?”
So you go to Google and type in “how to lead tours”. You get nothing useful. So you try, “how to be a tour guide”. Bingo. You get a great article with lots of information and a link to an online course on the topic. You subscribe for the course. You then do an Amazon search and find a book that looks great on this topic so you order it.
After you’ve taken the course and read the book, you are about 100% confident that you’d like to achieve the goal of becoming a tour guide but you’d like to talk to some people who are actually doing it to get the real scoop on what it’s like and maybe ideas on how to break into the field.
Now, if you don’t already know someone in the field, it’s time to look up a few people in the field, approach them by email to request a 20 minute informational interview by phone. Send an email that says that you are interested in entering the field, you’ve taken a course and read about the field and now want to get some real world information.
Tell them that you’ll have 5-10 questions prepared before the call and that you’d be happy to email the questions to them prior to the call. You might want to ask what the best part of their work is and what the worst part of their work is. Don’t ask specific salaries, though you may ask what would be an expected range of pay for a beginner and for someone advanced in the field.
People are generally very happy to help out, happy to share information about work they love AND they will be impressed that you did your research prior to seeking them out.
So go ahead. What’s a problem you have? Try the 3 steps above and get unstuck now!
Repurpose Your Way To Making More Money With Less Effort and Time
Jan 28th
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What the heck do I mean by “repurpose?” Well it’s when you do one thing and then spin that one thing into many. Let’s take a look at how this might work.
1. Write a top ten tip sheet. My first one was called “Top Ten Ways to Live Authentically.” I wrote it 10 years ago and put it online and I still get feedback from it!
2. Flesh out each of your top ten tips into a few paragraphs and now you have an article. Write a 400-600 word article expanding on your top ten tips. You put a “call to action” resource box at the end of the article. A resource box is the jargon term that online article databases use…kind of like a byline, only it’s much more.
Don’t make the mistake of using the few sentences you have here by talking about your bio data. Instead, give people a reason to go to your website and get something free, and of value, in exchange for their email address.
That one article becomes a client list builder. And the beauty of it is that article remains online for a very long time AND other website/blog owners looking for good content, may ask you if they can post your articles WITH your website, on their webs/blogs…this happens to me several times a year.
3. Create an e-course out of your top ten tips. Set them up in an autoresponder like Aweber or 1shopping cart. Now you have something of value to give away in exchange for a person’s email address. AND the best part is, they will receive 10 different emails from you, maybe one a week. That helps build relationships. If you’re really on top of it, you’ll have a call to action at the end of each of the weekly emails.
4. Rework your article into a press release. The key to getting your press releases published is to tie your content into something interesting and newsworthy. An example from my biz might be to write about how self employments may be the key to turning around the economy and then add the content of my article.
You can submit press releases to your local newspapers, business journals and online for free (or fee). One free online source is http://www.1888pressrelease.com/.
5. Create a teleseminar based on your article content. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Your content can be used in many ways. Teleseminars are a great way to build your list and to promote an upcoming fee-based teleseminar series.
6. Create a video of you teaching some of the content and post it on YouTube. You can do this easily with an inexpensive FlipCam. It doesn’t have to be professional. Just be you. YouTube gets tons of web searches each day. Some folks just plain prefer to learn by video.
And that’s just the beginning! The next time you decide to create something, brainstorm all the possible ways it can be used.
Why Blog?
Jan 20th
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When I first heard of blogging, I said to myself –that looks silly and time consuming and how the heck could it help my business? And I buried my head in the sand for a couple of years. And then, one of my coaches started nudging me and showed me some practical reasons to blog. And now I’m hooked. Today I ‘m going to share with you the top reasons to blog and how to get started.
1. Internet interaction is here in a big way and is here to stay. With the advent of social media (linked in, facebook, twitter) and smart phones, people now expect to be able to interact with you online. Your website is a one way street. You give out content. Your readers receive it. With a blog, people can comment on what you post and a dialogue occurs.
This is great because it builds relationships AND it’s great for driving traffic. Search engines and blog directories are notified of your updates and they love that!
2. Google Loves New Content. In the past, google would find your web pages and if they hadn’t been around for 9 months or so, it was considered too “new” to land high on the search engines list. Now, fresh content is queen. Google loves it. I use “google alerts” to keep an eye on several keywords I’m tracking. Don’t know what I’m talking about? I’ll explain!
Go to google and type in “google alerts”. You will be taken to a google tool that allows you to put in words you want to track that are being picked up on the internet. For example, I track Ann Ronan, @anncoach (my twitter address), self employment, and Providence, RI (to get new content for my www.providencelover.com site and to see when that site is mentioned).
Each day, google sends me a list of websites and blogs that have used one of my articles, or mentioned my name or keywords. Often when I post a blog, google picks up the content the very next day. It’s not so quick at finding my website content. This is powerful for bringing readers to your website/blog.
3. It’s Easy To Upload Content. For years, I had to rely on others who were expert at html language (don’t ask!) to update my website content. Now, I can easily type in what I’m thinking and click a button and it’s done! I recommend using WordPress (it’s free and powerful).
I also recommend having an integrated website/blog –don’t worry… I didn’t want to learn the technical aspects…and if you don’t either I have a resource for you. Thomas Usborne (his dad is my coach on the website projects my husband and I am working on).
He can be found at http://www.midnightdonkey.com/. His email address is thomasusborne@gmail.com. He gives a quick turnaround, a reasonable rate and a high quality product –if you like the looks of my www.authenticlifeinstitute.com site, thank Thomas!
(I am not an affiliate with Thomas –I just want you to have the resource you need so you don’t put off getting your blog up!)
How to Make Money With Teleseminars
Nov 19th
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Do you ever wonder how those folks offering free teleseminars ever make money?
I’ll let you in on three secrets.
First, making money with teleseminars is a great goal…however, don’t overlook the importance of building your email list with teleseminars as well. Many people from all over the globe have registered for my teleseminars and continue to receive information and promotions from me.
Second, teleseminars are a great way to deliver good content that you can then repurpose (reuse) in other information products that you can sell. Here are just some ideas to get you started:
1) Record your teleseminars and post the audios in a membership only library on your website or blog. Members pay a fee to join.
2) Record your teleseminars and turn them into a CD that you can sell or send for free to people who will share their postal address with you. Gathering postal addresses is becoming more important as people are inundated with emails that they don’t open.
When you have their postal address, you can send direct mail pieces like postcards and letters.
3) Have your recorded teleseminar transcribed – you can then combine the CD and transcript and sell them as an information product. You might “beef it up” with additional bonus pages and reports.
4) If you have several related teleseminars or a multi-part teleseminar series, you can create several CDs with transcripts and create a home study kit. These can sell from $97 to $997 depending on the topic and volume.
Topics that are targeted to a very special niche are good candidates for the higher dollar information products. For example, you could sell a “time management for busy professionals” information product. If you instead created “time management for dentists” you’d command more money. You’d have to use their jargon and know something about the demands of their work to customize your content to them but you don’t need to be a dentist!
Third, teleseminars are a great way to gather information for a book or for a coaching group or a teleseminar series. Hold a teleseminar on your topic area and leave plenty of time for participant questions.
Have it transcribed and note your answers, in your words, to their questions. You find out what your audience’s concerns are, how you provide solutions and where you might need to do research to get more information.
Now you’re on your way to creating your next information product –the biggest secret is that you’ll want to create several products –once someone loves your product they WILL want more.
Ready to get into action? “Launch Your Teleseminar in 14 Days: Make $100,000 Income Sharing Your Interests and Passions” at http://authenticlifeinstitute.com/teleseminars.htm is a complete training in Teleseminars which opens the door to unlimited opportunities. My clients who use it say “I’ve been putting off using teleseminars because I didn’t know how to begin –now I know!” In addition to discovering how to create powerful teleseminars, you’ll get tips on how to leverage them into information products for profit, and free coaching with me to be sure you USE the information and much more.
Living a Rich Life Without a Job
Nov 6th
My current coaching clients are all in the process of becoming self employed. They’re excited (and so am I). And they’re thinking about how to creatively make money doing what they love. Are you considering becoming a “free agent”? If so, here are some questions to ask yourself:
What topics/subjects really interest me?
How could I be paid to inform people about this interest?
How could I be paid to provide people with a service related to this interest?
How could I be paid to perform this interest for other people?
How could I be paid to create products related to this interest?
How could I be paid to assist people who are focused on this interest?
How could I be paid to learn more about this interest?
You may find that you have several interests. And if that’s the case you may want to pursue more than one. Imagine if you could live 5 different lives and in each you get to go deeply into different interests. Here’s my list (you can have more or less than 5 if you like!): I’d be a writer, traveler/tour guide, teacher, sex therapist, and singer. How can you indulge in all your interests in one lifetime? You can pursue your interests sequentially –doing one a time for a period of time. You can do some of them simultaneously. You may work on them in alternate blocks of time -6 months a year on one, 6 months on another. And, sometimes you can combine interests. For example, I may choose to combine my love of travel with writing and be paid for travel articles.
I’ve noticed that my clients tend to focus on their “options” and that these options are limited by their previous experience. Instead, I invite you to ask “What is possible?” You may want to have this conversation with another person to help expand your “possibility” thinking. Please know that you absolutely can earn money by providing value –not time.
As you begin this exploration, fear will most likely creep in. The best antidote for that is to remind yourself that you can only live one day at a time. Don’t try to forecast too far out in the future. You can take a step today towards fulfilling work and that step may lead you to a very unexpected, exciting place that you could never have foreseen. Just keep taking steps and moving forward. AND, get support! As Barbara Sher says, “Dreams Die in Isolation.”
PR Basics for Your Entrepreneur Success- Part II
Oct 7th
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Are public relations a big mystery to you? Have you avoided creating your PR plan because you just don’t know where to start? Well the good news is most PR is free and I’m going to show you how to begin. Here are 3 more success tips (see last issue for the first 3 tips) that you can implement RIGHT now to get the exposure you need to be seen as an expert and to become a “go to” person in your field.
Success Tip #1. Hold a Contest
Everyone loves a contest. They’re fun, generate client interest and they can get attention from the media. You can send a press release announcing the contest, keep the media posted throughout and then let them know about the winner(s).
You can create a contest around your business birthday, when you release a new product or service, or to celebrate holidays. You can use local celebrities to serve as judges to boost visibility. Don’t forget to get contact information and email addresses for everyone who enters the contest. It’s a great way to add to your marketing list.
Success Tip #2. Use Social Media
I use Linked In, Facebook and Twitter. The key to success with these tools is to establish relationships with people online –don’t just sell to them-especially when you first meet.
I have to admit, I resisted Twitter for a long time after I saw that many people would post the trivia of their life –I really didn’t care what time they got up or what they ate for breakfast.
I’m now a convert. Using social media is a great way to build your list and get noticed (you could also announce your contests here!). I have had people refer my work to their “friends” (that’s what you’re called when you join someone’s facebook page). I am reaching people I never would have through these amazing networks.
No, I don’t fritter away my time. I spend an average of 15-20 minutes a day nurturing these networks. AND I don’t have to get dressed and drive anywhere to meet all these nice folks!
Success Tip #3. Write Press Releases
You can use press releases to announce the launch of your website or blog, to draw attention to a new service offering, your contests, industry groups you’re joining, and pro bono work. Make press releases a part of your marketing calendar so you don’t forget to do this. Type “how to write a press release” into Google and you’ll see plenty of samples and formatting tips.
Do You REALLY apply the 80/20 Principle: Why ignore one of the most important success factors?
Sep 16th
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I can’t remember where I first heard about the 80/20 rule – Pareto’s Principle –a powerful success factor. I do remember that it sure got my attention. True to form, first I researched it to see if there was truly evidence for it. There was. Then I applied it to my business and my personal life. And I saw results. It’s now 2nd nature for me to ask myself routinely –does this activity fit into my 80/20 rule? Maybe you’ve heard of it but forgot all about it…or maybe you’ve never heard of it. Either way, here it is:
About 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. Joseph M. Juran, who studied quality improvement, suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Juran found that in quality management, 20 percent of product defects caused 80 percent of product problems.
Turns out this success factor applies in all areas (maybe not always 80/20 but close enough!). Picture your clothes closet. If you’re like most of us, you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. If you keep files, there’s a good chance you look at 20% of them 80% of the time.
In sales 20% of customers bring in 80% of sales. 80% of delays in schedule arise from 20% of the possible causes of the delays. 80% of customer complaints arise from 20% of your products or services.
Here are 3 tips for applying this rule to your success:
Tip #1: For a few days, write down everything you do. Then pare down your list to the 20% of things that you see as most important. For example, if you find in the last 3 days, you’ve done 15 different things, which 3 things were most important to reaching your goals, or bringing in money, or serving your best clients? Now focus most of your daily time and energy on those things…when distractions start occurring…remember where to keep your attention…on YOUR success factors.
Tip #2: Do you sell products? Even if you’re in a service business, I encourage you to have information products! Pay attention to how much of your profit comes from each item. Put your effort into the 20% that give you 80% of your sales. Sometimes it pays to bundle together and discount the others that aren’t bringing in 80% of sales.
Tip #3: Most of the time, 80% of your sales come from 20% of your customers- the ones who make the big purchases and are repeat-buyers. Make that 20% feel special. Give them advance notice of new services/products and offer them discounts. Give them exclusive services, available only to them. If you do business face to face –periodically host a breakfast or lunch for your best clients…don’t ask them for anything in return, just honor them.
For the next week pay close attention to what activities you’re doing. Ask yourself if they fit into your 80/20 success factor rule. This is one of the most powerful ways to moving away from working “hard” to make money to working “smart” to make money.
Hot Trends: Five Ways to Make Money From Home
Sep 9th
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The first book I fell in love with as a child was Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery…here’s a quote I could (and still do!) relate to: “There’s such a lot of different Anne’s in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”
Working with people who want to start their own home based businesses is pure joy for me –it allows me to use my possibility thinking to the max. Once you start seeing all kinds of opportunities to make money…you won’t be able to stop! Start by thinking of possibilities for other people you know…before you know it…you’ll start creating multiple profit centers of your own.
Here’s a roundup of just a few home based business ideas to get you started:
1. Writing. I’ve made six figures in a year from writing for the last four years. There are all kinds of ways to make money through writing: grant writing, technical writing, copywriting, resume writing, travel writing, website copywriting, and creating blogs that attract ads are just a few of the ways you can enjoy your writing skills while bringing in the bacon.
2. Computer repair. I’ve often wished I had someone reputable (a good sense of humor would be a bonus) I could call who would make home visits to repair my computer. You can serve consumers or small businesses or both.
3. Senior Services. This industry is exploding. You can provide all kinds of non-medical services. You could specialize in one or create different service packages. Some ideas: caregiver who keeps a person company while doing light housework and maybe cooking, provide transportation to appointments, shopping, yard work, or pet care/grooming/boarding.
4. Virtual Assistant. I’ve had the same VA, Pat, for several years. She lives in Texas and I’m in Southern California…and we work together beautifully. There are online schools that will provide training, certification and a listing on their websites. Pat recommends AssistU where she got her training.
5. Website/Blog Designer. This is another fast growing field. Most people are overwhelmed at the thought of creating a website or blog…if you come in with a “Do It For You” service that keeps it simple for them, you’ll have more business than you can handle alone (not a bad problem to have!). You might want to team up with a marketing coach who can help the client decide on the overall focus of the website and the copy that describes specific benefits about their products or services. Or maybe you’re talented in copywriting and can do it all!
Keep on looking for those opportunities that are a great fit for YOU. They’re endless.
Put Money In Your Pocket With Sizzling Sales Copy
Sep 2nd
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Every self employed person needs to learn how to write successful sales copy. Sales copy is a different style of writing. Just as I had to drop the academic boring writing to the more conversational writing you’re reading now…I had to learn to spice up writing when I wanted to sell something.
For each product/service you would like to deliver to your customers, you’ll need to write a sales letter – start out with about 1,000 words, as you get practice, you can make them longer.
Here are my four best tips to get you started:
1. You gotta get their attention with the headline:
Would you bother reading a page about this? “5 Ideas for Home Based Businesses.” Maybe. How about this one? “Why Home Based Businesses Are Raking In More Money Than Ever Before.” Or, “Smart Tips When Eating In Airports” compared to “What Never to Eat Before Boarding a Plane.”
Your headline must get your readers attention. Then it can get them curious, introduce a compelling idea or make an offer.
You don’t want to “trick” the reader. Be authentic. But spice it up with power words. Here are some to get you started: “You owe yourself a _____.” “Straight talk about _____”. Here are some power words you can use anywhere in your copy: energizes you, relieves stress, a smart buy, knocks your socks off…are you starting to get a feel for it?
2. Focus on the readers “pain” or problem that you can solve. We all make purchases from emotion. Then we justify them with logic. A good sales letter moves the reader from emotion to desire to action. Want proof? Think about the purchases you’ve made lately, particularly those in response to a sales letter you read.
Even better…start collecting those sales letters that get you to take your credit card out of your pocket and buy. What is it about the letter that appealed to your emotions? What pain/problem were you looking to solve?
3. Why you?
What makes your service/product unique? What is your Unique Selling Proposition? This is what you will build the sales letter around. You must make the reader know that YOU or your product can solve their pain/problem.
Maybe you’ve have had a similar pain/problem and have turned it around, perhaps there is strong research evidence available about the product you are selling.
Testimonials can also boost credibility in your sales letter. If you use them be sure they are specific, address only one benefit and have a full person’s name, city and state.
4. It’s All About the Benefits NOT How You Deliver Them
Here’s where most of us trip up. Many of my clients focus on the features of their products/services rather than benefits. For example, in a home study kit on “How to Make Money Online”, the features may be a 100 page workbook, 2 audio cds, 5 worksheets and 2 bonuses. That’s nice but what do I GET if I buy it? What problem do I solve?
Benefits are the specific advantages your customer/client will receive from your products or services. In the online home study kit example benefits might include: make money from home with no commute, create passive income that brings in money while you sleep, pay off your debts putting in only 3 hours a week online.
If you can show that your product or service will: make someone money, help them lose weight, get them healthier, make them more popular, improve their appearance, save them time, or make something more convenient for them, you’ll get their attention.
People don’t care how you are going to fix their problem…they just want to know you can.
What service or product are you ready to offer? Go ahead. Write your first sales letter. Sure, it will feel like riding a bike for the first time…you’ll be wobbly…it’ll take time and a few revisions. But after you’ve written five or so, you’ll be able to crank these out in no time AND you will put money in your pocket while serving others in your unique way!
