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My clients often feel like they are not good enough to be successful in business.  Not smart enough, not savvy enough, don’t have enough experience, or money, or not attractive looks.  I know the feeling.  I’ve been there on some of these but I didn’t let them stop me.  And I don’t want this to stop you on your path to doing work you love and being paid well for it.

Here are 5 tips to get past the not good enough gremlins.

1.  Create a file for thanks you’s and testimonials. I have a “testimonial” outlook folder.  When I get an unexpected kind word from someone, thanking me for something I did for them or raving about the result they got after following a tip I gave, I pop it into my testimonial folder.  I use these in my marketing materials AND they also pick me up when I’m feeling unsure about my abilities.

2.  What is good enough? Asking yourself questions is a great way to bust out of the not good enough feeling.  What would be good enough?  You’ll almost always find that you already have enough related experience and information to be good enough!

3.  What would have to happen? Ask yourself, “What would have to happen to make me feel good enough?”  You’ll either realize that you’ve already got what it takes or you’ll know what your next step is to keep moving forward.

4.  What would I do if I were brave? And why am I wasting time not doing it?  Mark Twain said “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.”  Each time you do something that brings up fear, you get stronger and are able to accomplish bigger and bigger steps with less and less fear.  It is easier to act your way into thinking differently than it is to think your way into acting differently.  Take a baby step, get into action and leave the fear behind!

5.  Write down accomplishments you are proud of. Think of 3-5 times in your life when you have done something you’re proud of.  Can be big or small … times you felt good about what you did.  Write briefly about what the situation was and what skills and character traits you brought to the situation to reach the outcome you are proud of.  This will instantly lift your spirits and remind you of all the qualities and knowledge you bring to every situation.

You are MORE than good enough to do anything your heart desires.  That is the truth that I know about you!

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If you’re just starting out with your business, you may not have a clue as to where your money will come from.  Or maybe you’ve given it a go and are not bringing in the income you need and deserve.  The topic of how to have multiple income streams is a murky one for most people. 

I find that there are five huge mistakes entrepreneurs make when thinking about their upcoming income.  Are you making any of these?  (Don’t worry –I did too –until I was coached by the best to expand my thinking and to translate my big visions into doable steps!)

1.  You don’t set income goals.  You just toil away at this and at that maybe bringing in dribs and drabs of money but not enough to be confident that you can make a living.  You’ve got to create a clear blueprint of where the money will come from.

If this is you, you probably don’t like thinking about money and tend to stick your head in the sand.  The need here is to make it very practical.

2.  You don’t think about the idea that you can bring in several income streams.  I coach my clients to decide on 3 income streams at a time.  This allows you to offer different services/products, in alignment with your purpose and mission of course.  It also takes away the risk of having all your eggs in one basket.  You don’t want to have one client that you depend on for the bulk of your income.

3.  You don’t create an action plan for each income goal.  This is probably the biggest mistake I see.  You set some great goals, you’re excited about them, but then you don’t spend your daily actions working in baby steps towards them.  You need to know, step-by-step how to reach your clients and sell your products or services to meet each income goal.  And then you need to move forward each day.

4.  You don’t have a calendar system that lets you know what to focus on each quarter/month/day.  This alone changed my life from one of confusion to one of extraordinary focus and clarity.  I now have a good sense of what the entire year looks like as far as my major projects.  I have a clear, detailed plan for the next three months.  This helps me stay focused and helps me to say no to those opportunities (and there are plenty of them!) that don’t fit in with my current values and goals.

5.  You don’t track your results.  I was guilty as charged on this one for way too long.  I didn’t think I’d like the detail oriented task of tracking…I was wrong.  It’s empowering to know exactly where you are in reaching your income goals and gives you the ability to make adjustments as needed so you don’t completely derail or look back at the end of the year saying, “what the heck happened!”

You need to look at the money coming in and out each week.  You need to track specific reports (they are simple not complicated) each month to see if you are on target with each of your three income streams and to make sure they are bringing you profit -not just revenue.

So now is the time to get your business on the right track.  Take  these steps to set your income goals, to create three income streams, create your action plan for each, calendar the steps and track your progress…you are on your way to doing the work you are here to do while making more money than you ever imagined.

Let this next decade be YOUR time to live YOUR life.

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In this time of planning and enjoying the holiday, slow it down feeling, I’m reprinting an article from the past…that I think is especially appropriate at this time of year, when you may be spending time with family and friends… enjoy… and post a comment about what you’re doing this holiday season on my blog…would love to hear from you!

Meaningful Conversations

Lately I’ve spent time slowing my life down, thinking about and observing what absolutely delights my heart, knowing that in these activities, I am in touch with my essential self. As I spend more time in these activities, I flourish, bloom and live in joy. I recently fell in love with the word “exquisite” and here’s how I played with it: “My life is exquisite…of intricate and beautiful design of such beauty and delicacy as to arouse intense delight.” And I wish that for each of YOU!

One of the activities I value and treasure is “real” conversations. I thoroughly enjoy listening deeply to the heart of another. To share conversation where we each have a chance to speak and feel truly heard without being judged. I recently read a book by Margaret Wheatley “Turning to one another: simple conversations to restore hope to the future” that moved me greatly. In it she states: “We have never wanted to be alone. But today, we are alone. We are more fragmented and isolated from each other than ever before… we move at frantic speed, spinning out into greater isolation. We seek consolation in everything but each other. We’ve forgotten the source of true contentment and well being.”

The intent of her book and the intent of this article is to encourage and support you in beginning conversations about what’s important to you. Here are a few conversation starters that Margaret offers. Go ahead, start a conversation with someone you trust about any of these topics:

1. What do I believe about others? 2. When have I experienced good listening? 3. Am I willing to reclaim time to think? 4. What is my unique contribution to the world? 5. When do I experience the sacred?

Another author who gives us great ideas for meaningful conversations is Parker Palmer. In his book, “A Hidden Wholeness” he states “the soul wants truth, not trivia.” That is such a powerful statement to me. He outlines a process called circles of trust. In these circles we trust the soul and its capacity to speak the truth, we trust each other to have the intention to create a space that is safe enough to welcome the soul, we trust that having a no “change agenda” will allow the soul to have transformational outcomes.

Become curious about others, slow down and talk together, over time, in a place you love. When you’re comfortable, begin to invite new people into your conversation. You can meet physically or by telephone…I’ve had some wonderful, meaningful conversations with people all over the globe through teleconferences.

To your meaningful conversations!

Great new post from my coach on several resources you might not have thought about when you get stuck or need info:   Check it out here http://3.ly/Entrepreneur

Igniting Your Entrepreneurial Spirit,
Ann

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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 success 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.  Know What You Want to Say and Who You Want to Say It To

What is the main point you want to get across?  My example is “Self employment is the best road to happiness–you absolutely can be paid to do the things you enjoy doing.”

Who are you talking to? Is your ideal customer/client within your local geographic area or are they national?  Get clear on who you love to serve.  Individuals or businesses.  Consider demographics – gender, age, income level, educational level, etc.

Success Tip #2.  Define which media you want to approach –what are your customers/clients reading and listening to?

Which magazines, blogs, ezines are they reading?  What radio stations or podcasts do they listen to?  Which social networking (Facebook, Linked In) groups are they participating in?  What has got their interest right now?  What problems do they have?

Success Tip #3.  Create your own media list. 

Here are great resources to get you started.

The Internet Public Library (www.ipl.org/div/news) lists newspapers for each state and all over the world.  You can also choose subject areas and find blogs and groups you may want to get active in. 

Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs (http://technorati.com/pop/blogs)

TVA Productions provides a media directory on their site with listings of major networks and cable programs. Once you identify those you’re interested in, you’ll need to Google to get current contact information.

MediaOnTwitter bwiki (http://www.mediaontwitter.com/)

This tool can help you find specific media contacts.  And don’t be afraid to pick up the phone to call and ask for the appropriate contact person’s email address.

Bacon’s Media Directories

You can find these directories in the library –one for newspapers, one for magazines, one for TV/Cable, one for Internet –they’re pricey at about $495 each so you probably don’t want to get your own unless you’re doing a lot of research and “pitching”.

More to come in Part II about what a “pitch” is and how to do it.  Building your list takes time – and it is time well spent.  PR is a powerful, free, strategy to build your credibility and get known.

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The way you think and the beliefs you hold are reflected in how successful you are (success defined as YOU would like it!) and how much money comes into your life. 

These are not new ideas.  In 1937, in the midst of the Great Depression, Napoleon Hill published the book Think and Grow Rich.  He was inspired by billionaire Andrew Carnegie to take on an enormous project – to interview 500 of the most successful men at the time (today we KNOW at least half of these would be women) and to determine what they had in common that contributed to their success. 

Carnegie used his influence to open the doors to interviews and Hill spent more than 20 years putting together the project. In the end, he discovered that all of the men had 13 principles that they all used.

I read this book years ago and applied some of the principles…and they worked!  I also have an audio recording of the book which I often listen to on my Ipod while driving. 

I recently started working with a new coach.  The very first task he assigned me?  To write out my “prosperity plan”.  And I did.  I continue to refine my visions, desires and beliefs as I learn more and more about who I really am and what I can achieve while living the lifestyle I love.

Here’s the first principle that Hill shares…I have used it creating my latest prosperity plan.  I invite you to test it for yourself.

Principle #1.  Desire:  The Starting Point of all Achievement

Every successful person has a burning desire.  They don’t let anything quench it.  Here are six steps to put this principle into place.  It’s not hard…just do it!

1. Choose the exact amount of money you desire.
2. Determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire.
3. Choose a date when you intend to reach your money goal.
4. Create a plan to carry out your desire, start right away whether you feel ready or not –put your plan into action.
5. Write out your prosperity statement.  Write the amount of money you intend to acquire, the date by which you will have reached the goal, what you will give in return for the money and a plan of how you will accumulate it.
6. Read your statement aloud once in the morning and once before bed.  As you read it, feel and believe you already have the money.

Abundance and prosperity begin with a state of mind, with strong purpose, AND with little or no hard work. You don’t have to work hard; and, on the other hand, you can’t just sit back and wait for luck. 

All who have attained success had desires and plans.  Be ready to receive.  Open your mind.  Your thoughts create your life –you can create abundance and success or you can create hardship…you’re always thinking.  Make your thoughts good ones!

It’s easy to find your confidence waning when you own a home based business.  You compare yourself to others, you might feel isolated and you wonder if you’ll ever achieve success.  Here’s what successful entrepreneurs have done to boost their confidence to the  moon.

1. Trust Your Instinct

How to build entrepreneurial confidence.  Trust your instinct, share knowledge and help other achieve their confidence and goals as well, as its not only about us, but how we make a difference that is important.

Thanks to: Robbie Motter of Robbie Motter

2. Learn to Fly

How to build entrepreneur confidence.  Just close your eyes and leap, you will either hit solid ground or learn to fly. Just go for it..

Thanks to: Pamela Fill of Peacefully Uniting Girlfriends

3.  Show Up

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. Done it twice, once at forty, the second time at sixty.  success comes from showing up. Half of new real estate agents are gone in one year, eighty percent have given up after five years.  As an author, I begin talks and signings by asking how many people in the audience have thought seriously about writing a book. Half the hands always go up, but people don’t follow through and do it.

Thanks to: Nancy Lynn Jarvis of Good Read Mysteries

4.   You Were Meant to be an Entrepreneur

How to build entrepreneurial confidence.  Be Yourself – no one is better qualified.

Thanks to: Debi Silber The Mojo Coach

5. Be tomorrow’s you today!

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. When thinking about your vision of the future(what you want & where you want to be)consider who you are in that place. Be that person today and make your decisions as though you are already the successful entrepreneur of your dreams. Watch how the quality of your decisions change.

Thanks to Jayne Warrilow Max Executive Coaching

6. Fear is a Great Motivator

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. Use your fear as fuel. Harness the energy of fear and make it work for you, rather than against you. Channel your fear into creativity, resourcefulness, and flexibility.

Thanks to BJ Gallagher Women Need 2 Know

7. Confidence comes in small bites

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. Just like climbing stairs, it is easier to take one small step at a time toward your goal. As you achieve each step, your confidence will grow that you accomplished that step. Now onto the next step. This will propel you to the top.

Thanks to Eileen Roth, Everything In Its Place

8. Dig deep, Fly high

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. Deep within is your childlike spirit of possibility. It might be gunked over with “can’t do” messages, but if you dig deep to find your pure “can do” essence you will fly high and soar over barriers you encounter on your entrepreneurial journey!

Thanks to Susan Colantuono, Leading Women

9. Decorating Is Cheaper Than Therapy!

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. Have a fun and laughter filled time creating a fabulous website that reflects your sense of style and sense of humor. When you can laugh, nothing can stop you so go for it!

Thanks to Carol Bowman and Debbie Thompson A Change of Space

10. Manage You Then Your Business

How to build entrepreneurial confidence. You will succeed if you are passionate and knowledgeable about your product/service. Know how to clearly describe your product/service. You learn by doing so don’t wait for it to be perfect.

Thanks to Gloria Pierre, Clearly Speaking, Clearly Speaking