She Owns It

Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Finding Comfort in Your Next Chapter by Jennifer Wolfsberg of @Centerpoint_Now

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by Jennifer Wolfsberg

There comes a time in life when a shift of professional interest seems to occur. It is not an abrupt or obvious feeling, and for some it is a gradual redirection of career focus or personal interest. The self-awareness that it takes to recognize that you are in this phase is not easy nor is it comfortable for most. There is no obvious answer, no light bulb that goes off, but it quietly grows over time; a feeling of malaise that seems to creep into your life. This feeling is a sense that an adjustment is needed yet cannot be defined.

I recently listened to a podcast of “The Tim Ferris Show” when he hosted the self-help motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. I found this interview so captivating and relevant to our daily practice as it eloquently outlined some of the personal challenges we see individuals face in defining achievement versus fulfillment as they enter different periods in their lives. A career change can poses financial risks that can generally be calculated. But emotionally, how do you calculate the cost of continuing on a path that no longer brings enjoyment, or worse – makes you miserable?

Many women have climbed the corporate ladder or built a successful business, purchased their dream home, raised a beautiful family, and have achieved the financial independence they so fiercely desired. The original drive that helped them achieve this success in a specific industry or role, however, no longer seems to function as their daily fuel for spending long nights at the office. While some can articulate this feeling, many are struggling to identify a void that they cannot describe. Their longtime profession is becoming less desirable, and they find their attention being drawn to other areas of interest. Their original plan of working the same hours, in the same structure, under the same terms, for 40+ years no longer provides the same level of satisfaction and contentment as it once had.

Our life experiences shape who we become both personally and professionally, yet the more experience we have, the more our perspectives can change. Financial success, while providing an amazing platform of lifestyle choices, may not always provide the level of fulfillment we are looking for. As humans we crave involvement, contribution, community, and progress, but these take on varying definitions along the journey of our lives. Reaching fulfillment may require changing industries, careers, and roles, starting a new business, or delving into nonprofit and volunteer work. There is no right or wrong answer, just planning and acceptance to change. This in no way means that financial success is not important, but only that success may take a different form for you as you enter different stages of your life.

While many clients and families openly communicate these thoughts and allow us to guide them in the financial planning process when needed, many avoid the discussion until they are at a critical point or immediate action is required. In our experience, the danger in not addressing the innate need for fulfillment can have negative emotional effects and irreversible financial consequences.

We find ourselves in the midst of a new era of consulting and advisory services, and perhaps one of the most difficult for many clients and advisors. Unfortunately the term “Wealth Management” can serve as an industry catchall rather than a clear encapsulation of our breadth of services. We cannot capture or illustrate the countless hours of financial coaching and active listening we so passionately enjoy as we guide clients and their families through these many phases. It may not seem like the obvious solution in your planning, but entrusting your personal fulfillment goals with your financial advisor, and being authentic and vulnerable in that process, will help these professionals lead you comfortably into your next chapter when you are suddenly ready.

 

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With over 20 years of wealth management experience, Jennifer serves as Managing Principal of Centerpoint Advisors and leads the team’s communications with clients and their families. She manages the overall client and family planning needs and thrives on the synergistic coordination and collaboration of her team with her client’s other advisors and professionals, including but not limited to their CPAs, estate, divorce and corporate attorneys, and insurance professionals. Her macro view for big picture needs solidifies the complete vision that keeps high net worth families on track to achieve their goals. Jennifer is co-founder of Centerpoint Advisors and is Managing Principal of the firm alongside her partner, and brother, Managing Principal John Wolfsberg.

 

How to own your product pricing and avoid outsourcing your confidence

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by Michelle Heinsimer

After months of hard work, literal sweat and only a handful of tears, I clicked submit, held my breath and hoped for the best.

It was the start of my latest product launch and if this one didn’t work, it was probably going to be my last. Over the prior year, I’d launched 3 different product lines, each one better (and more profitable), but I was still struggling to find the “right” thing. The product that would make my heart sing, bring joy to my customers and finally turn my part-time hobby into a full-blown side hustle. I didn’t know it at the time but this launch would not only blow all of my previous launches out of the water, but it would also 10x my revenue and profits and to think, it almost didn’t happen at all.

Only a few weeks before I’d been fine-tuning my designs and reviewing final samples. Excitement coursing through me. I was sure this was it. This was “the one.”

In my excitement, I thought it would be fun to share samples with some of my girlfriends and while they ohh’d and ahh’d at the sweet designs and silky soft fabric, I made a nearly fatal error. I asked what they’d be willing to pay for the product.

I already had a price in mind and I wasn’t looking to sell to my girlfriends, I was just interested in their opinion (and, ok, maybe a little validation that my price was the “right” price.) I was expecting something in the ballpark of my planned price but instead, one of my friends spit out a price that was barely $2 higher than what it cost to make it.

Shoot.

My stomach dropped.

My heart raced.

For a brief moment I thought it was all over. There was no way I could sell them at that price. Not if I wanted more than a part-time hobby.

I took a breath, smiled, and promptly changed the subject.

I got home that night and reviewed my work. Had I done the math correctly? Yes. Did I feel confident about my production and material choices? I sure did. Did I still feel excited about the designs themselves? You bet.

I could have let my friend’s opinion derail my plans. I could have canceled the launch, lowered the price or tried to add more to an already excellent product to justify the price tag. I didn’t do any of that – I knew I’d done the hard work upfront to validate my launch strategy, the product itself and the price. I was ready. One opinion wasn’t going to stand in the way.

I launched my line a few weeks later at a price that was 50% higher than what my friend said she’d be willing to pay. Within 3 weeks it was my best selling (and most profitable) product. Over the next year I 10x my total shop revenue and I now have customers who come back regularly to purchase gifts for friends. There is truly no bigger compliment. Or better validation that there’s nothing wrong with my price.

As entrepreneurs, it’s natural to want feedback from the people around us. Our work is exciting but often it’s also very isolating and asking for opinions is a fun way to involve people we love and respect.

But when we ask people how much they want to pay for something, especially out of context, we risk ending up with unhelpful opinions that are just that, opinions. Not based on data or fact. Based instead on each person’s unique biases about how much they think they’d be willing to spend on something.

People tend to respond to money questions conservatively – “I’d rather not pay more than $30” or “I’d probably we willing to spend $20.”

But the reality is our willingness to spend money is dependent on so many factors – how much money we have in our wallet that day, whether we’re searching on Amazon or Anthropologie, how lux the packaging is, whether or not the lifestyle presented in the product photos is the kind of life we really, really want to have, etc.

Ultimately, our willingness to spend (unless it’s something like toilet paper and even then we’d probably shell out extra for the right feature), has less to do with how much we’re willing to pay, and a lot more to do with how much we value the experience we believe a product will give us. And that value is hard for people to put a number on, particularly when they’re not in the market to buy what we’re selling or when they’re asked out of context.

So the next time you’re tempted to do what I did and casually ask a friend or even a fellow entrepreneur what they’d be willing to pay for something, take a step back and ask yourself:

* If their opinion isn’t in line with what you’re planning to charge, is it going to cause unnecessary drama and derail your plans?

* Are you asking because you need help? If yes, is this person equipped to help you?

* Are you asking because you’re feeling nervous and unwittingly outsourcing your confidence, hoping they’ll tell you the “right” answer?

Ultimately you’re the only one who knows the true value of what you’re offering and only you can decide if a price is the “right” one.

 

 

Michelle Heinsimer is a product pricing coach based in sunny St. Pete, Florida. A former retail consultant for one of the top consulting firms in the US, she helps product-based business owners ditch the drama and use the data to confidently set product prices. You can grab a free copy of her roadmap to profitable product pricing at www.mandkcollective.com

11 Ways to Push Past a Business Plateau

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by Liz London 

It’s common for businesses to hit a plateau at some point. You might be working just as hard, if not harder, as when you threw your doors open, giddy with excitement at all the shiny new possibilities. But profits have stalled, or you can’t seem to get past that “barely-surviving” breaking point.

Or, maybe profits are tanking while customer complaints are increasing. No Bueno.

So, what’s a ladyboss to do? Read every piece of literature on the latest digital marketing trends? Join a dozen new networking groups, hoping someone has the secret sauce to get past the hump?

The truth is that every business is unique. Your industry is unique. Your brand is unique. So, the solution will be unique, too.

Maybe what you really need is to go back to the core conventions of business and systematically evaluate your situation.

Here are 11 ways to methodically clean up your business systems and find the source of your hang-up.

  1. Go back to your start-up checklist. Did you skip steps in a hurry to get the doors open, the customers paying, and the momentum going? Take the time to work through a business plan.
  2. Re-evaluate your branding. Many of us create a brand around what we personally like best or what we think our target customers want. But, quite often, real market research shows that your brand isn’t speaking to the clients you really need.
  3. Inspect your products, processes, and team. This is usually where an objective assistant can make a huge difference. Hire a secret shopper. Do a product test with strangers at the mall. Maybe you need a rebrand.
    Thousands of big brands have undergone rebrands. My favorite example is Old Spice. They were dying as a brand that was equated with old dudes and mustiness. After a badass rebrand that didn’t involve changing their name or their logo (much), I’m proud to say that my man wears Old Spice. It’s hipster, masculine, and funny. And if Old Spice can do it, so can you!
  4. Get your cash flow tracking in order. Your cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. If you don’t have your finger on your business’s pulse, she could bleed out before you’ve even caught on to a problem.
  5. Invest some time in continuing your own education. Take a class in a new satellite skill. Immerse yourself in a retreat. Get re-inspired and re-educated with your market.
  6. Stop trying to do everything yourself. Our biggest growth inhibitor tends to be our time. Take it from Shark Barbara Corcoran, who says, “Every great entrepreneur is most reluctant to spend money on an assistant, because they feel like they can do it all themselves, but it’s the most important decision you can make—to let go of the detail into the hands of someone whose just as able as you are.”
  7. Sit down with a pen and paper and get your goals and projections in order. Forget the mood board and the mindset collages. Crunch some actual numbers to find out how much money you need to cover business expenses and personal expenses. Compare it to how much you’re actually bringing in. Calculate how many clients you need each month to hit your goals. Track your marketing ROIs and determine how you need to adjust your model in order to realistically hit your financial goals.
  8. Take a leap of faith by investing in a growth stimulator. After Step 7, you’ll know which branch of your business will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Upgrade to that premium CRM service. Hire an assistant. Invest in some real advertising.
  9. Get better at your time management. Femtrepreneurs are often creatives. Creatives are often not so great with time management. But that’s not to say we can’t practice at it. My favorite time management guidance comes from Lee Cockerell, the creator of the leadership and management program used by over 40,000 Disney cast members. He says, “Efficient” is being able to get things done. “Effective” is doing the right things in the right order and making sure you address everything that is urgent, vital, and important in every part of your life.”
  10. Shift your marketing efforts towards sales techniques that actually close the deal. Too many of us get lost in the lure of the “passive sales funnel” trend. In a world of too much content and digital noise, maybe it’s time to re-engage in some human-to-human contact in order to close more sales.
  11. Find a way to re-ignite your passion. Turning a passion into a paycheck can lead to burnout fast. After that point, your work no longer fun, and apathy does build a successful business.

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Liz London is founder of The Ladyboss Nation, a certified business coach, and author of The Business Bible for the Unconventional Entrepreneur. She’s a serial entrepreneur, dog trainer, bellydancer, reptile-raiser, and a bit of a bohemian punk who helps people understand there is a place for every personality in professionalism.

3 Steps To Call In Your Superstar Clients Using Your TV Interview by @Luana_Ribeira

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by Luana Ribeira

 

Even in the age of powerful, competing media, you’re still not considered “mainstream successful” until you’ve appeared on TV. Having a lot of subscribers is great, getting a lot of clicks and views is fabulous, but being on TV is still the rubber stamp that marks you out as being “real” – at least in the eyes of the public. The benefits of appearing on TV are enormous – you’re suddenly seen as an authority, you become familiar to viewers, you gain a huge new audience, and it all amounts to the equivalent of thousands of dollars of free advertising.

The secret to sustaining your career however, is seeing your TV appearance as a beginning, rather than as an end goal in itself. There is so much you can do to maximise the effect of your TV appearance, sometimes for a lifetime.

 

Here are three simple steps to help you to achieve this:

 

Create a pre-show buzz

Create a buzz with your existing audience. Use your lists and platforms to tell everybody all about it! Invite comments, invite people to watch the segment and leave their thoughts on your Facebook page, ask people what they think of the topic you plan on discussing – anything and everything to get people engaged. People watch TV on their devices all the time now, so it’s highly likely that some of your existing audience will tune in, especially if they’re already highly motivated by your message. This in itself can be enough to convert enthusiastic lurkers into real-life clients.
Get that footage too! Ask the producers if you can use your segment of the show for marketing purposes.

 

Shine brightest to the right people

To focus on gaining superstar clients, the best thing you can do is to imagine yourself talking directly to them. Visualise your ideal client, and when you’re speaking in your interview, imagine that you are speaking to them. The best way to come across well on TV is to feel comfortable, as if you’re chatting to an old friend. Avoid the temptation to hide behind a mask of professionalism, which will hide your personality and uniqueness. Dare to be less filtered, and to let your true personality shine through.

Finally, to spin out the magic of your TV appearance long after the show is over, seek the producer’s permission to take behind the scenes footage or photos of the show to share with your audience.

 

Beyond the show

Once you have taken part in a TV show, you have a powerful marketing tool at your fingertips. There are many ways that you can use this, but here are some suggestions:
• Use your show segment as part of your marketing funnels
• Use a Facebook advert showing your clip, and include it with your chat bot sequences
• Use the logo of the show on your marketing materials for credibility
• Take screen captures and use them with your marketing
• Create images with quotes from the show
• Write a blog post to share your experience

Finally, remember that media leads to more media. Adding your segment to your media kit will help you with further TV pitches, as well as radio, podcast, magazine and newspaper pitches.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to using TV to land your superstar clients. Leave a question or comment below!

 

Luana Ribeira is a book & media coach. She helps entrepreneurs to skyrocket their business with a bestselling book, and by helping them get media publicity elevating them into celebrity status in their niche. Since she became a bestselling author, she has been featured multiple times on FOX TV, become one of FORBES top 21 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2018, developed relationships with media outlets including Huffington Post, NBC, ABC, Miami Herald and many more; been booked for speaking gigs internationally and rapidly grown her audience taking her business to new levels. Luana currently resides in rural Portugal where she is setting up a fully sustainable, eco friendly animal sanctuary. She is also a black belt in kickboxing and has 2 homeschooled girls.

Living in Bali and running a successful online business – Charlotte O’Hara shares her top 3 tips by @LottieOhara

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by Charlotte O’Hara

A few years ago, Charlotte O’Hara accidentally started a new business as a web designer/developer. She had been working in tech since graduating from university but had never considered working for herself. But word got out that she was “good with computers” and could “build websites and stuff online”, and she started receiving requests from friends and family to help them with their websites. One thing led to another and Charlotte started freelancing and eventually turned this new side hustle into her full-time job.

For several years, Charlotte built custom websites for professional businesses out of her home office in Vancouver, Canada. She mostly worked with lawyers, accountants, and consultants and grew a profitable business serving dream clients. Referrals were coming in on auto-pilot, she had a waitlist of clients who wanted to work with her, and she could pick and choose the projects she accepted. Business was booming and Charlotte was so proud of what she was building!

But as much as Charlotte loved her work and business, she still felt tied to her desk and at the mercy of her clients. She worked online and most of her clients weren’t local anyways, so Charlotte started thinking about taking her business on the road. She was dying to travel more and explore the world, and most importantly skip out on those freezing Canadian winters!

So in January 2018, Charlotte put her stuff in storage, packed her bags, booked a one-way ticket and hopped on a plane to Bali!
Now, Charlotte runs her successful web design & SEO consulting business from the beaches of Bali! She is a true digital nomad and has worked remotely in 7 countries around the world… and counting! Best of all, this dreamy new lifestyle has actually helped her to grow her business, earn more money and help even more ideal clients!

Charlotte shares 3 of her tried and true tips for running and growing a successful online business from paradise on the other side of the world.

Tip #1 – Just do it

If you’ve ever wanted to be a digital nomad, run your own business or work remotely from anywhere in the world – trust me that it’s totally possible! Not only can you build a new business abroad, you can also grow your existing business and reach new milestones!

Instead of creeping people’s Instagram accounts like the Green Eyed Monster wondering how they heck they do it or feeling like these #bossbabes know some secret that you don’t, by biggest suggestion is to reframe your thoughts.

These people are showing you that your dreams are possible and trust me, they’re nothing special! If they can do it, you can do it.

The first thing to do is to decide that you’re going to do it. Be brave, have confidence in yourself, and just get started wherever you are today.

A few months before I ended up moving to Bali, I saw this quote on a cheesy motivational Instagram account but it really stuck with me and gave me the kick in the pants I needed to follow my dreams: “ There are people less qualified than you, doing things you want to do, simply because they believed in themselves and took action.”

Tip #2 – Get organized

Many people decide to begin their new online business by offering services related to their experience or skill set – anything from web design to social media management to consulting to branding, the sky is truly the limit!

But if you’re going to do services-based work, you must make sure that you’re organized and take time zones into consideration.

Google Calendar will become your new BFF. You will rely on tools like Acuity scheduling to book meetings with your clients across different time zones. Project management tools like Asana and Trelo will be lifesavers! Zoom is an amazing replacement or alternative to face-to-face meetings!

Tip #3 – Pitch your services to dream clients

Running a remote business is great…until you realize that you probably won’t be able to rely on networking events or local connections to help you land new clients and work projects!

I’m a HUGE believer in the power of pitching your services to dream clients because it gives you real control over your online marketing strategies, ensures that you to work with ideal clients, and helps you to build a stronger and more streamlined portfolio.

Pitching my services was a game changer in my business – start with a personalized email pitch and then invite the potential customer to book a discovery call with you to discuss the project further.

Remember, pitching is a numbers game and you’re bound to hear a lot of No’s…. But don’t let that rejection get to you! It only takes a few Yes’s to build your business and reach your income goals so at the end of the day, that’s all you should care about.

 

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Charlotte O’Hara is a web designer/developer, SEO consultant, digital product creator and online educator. At the start of 2018, she booked a 1-way ticket to Bali and never looked back. Since then, she’s traveled extensively around South East Asia, worked with dream clients in 3 continents AND grown her business! When she’s not head down at her laptop building cool stuff on the internet, Charlotte loves surfing, hiking, practicing yoga and enjoying a lazy sundowner on the beach.

Gratitude Makes Us Richer Than Our Q4 Reflects @BESTMOMFILM

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by Meg Weidner 

We live in a world where numbers dictate our success. What is your net profitability? How many followers do you have on social media? How many views did you get on your last post? If we only use numbers to measure our success, we’ll never know our immeasurable potential.

So how do we push past the numbers game and connect with something that fuels us when our numbers fall short? Gratitude.

These 5+ simple ways of expressing gratitude will make you think and feel like the richest woman in the world even if your Q3/Q4 reports say, “You broke.”

  1. First thing in the morning, it is so tempting to check emails, update statuses, or return a text. You will get to all of this and more, but first, write down five people, opportunities, experiences or things (POET) you are grateful are and be very specific as to why you are grateful. For example, I could say I’m grateful for my mom but that feels beige. When I write, I am grateful for my mom because she consistently shows up for me and listens to me I feel empowered. Whew, that’s some stuff right there.
  2. Tell someone in person why you appreciate him or her. It could be anyone from a family member, a colleague, a boss, an employee to the person who makes your coffee exactly how you want it before you even order it. Again, be specific. If I tell my daughter, “You’re really nice,” she does not look up from her mobile. When I touch her hand lightly and say, “Hey, I really appreciate how you choose quality friends instead of quantity,” she smiles. She genuinely feels seen and I feel heard.
  3. Give an UNEXPECTED shout out on social media for someone you admire or appreciate long after his or her fifteen minutes of fame has passed. While I mostly post about day to day life, I mix it up and give a shout out to our producer, Leann Lei, who is my rock and guiding light in all things personal and professional. She lead by example and got our indie film done on a tight budget and with grace. No small task. She is my superhero!
  4. Write a thank you letter to someone who makes you smile, who makes the world a little better just by being in it. Do you remember your first boss who believed in you, your first customer who became a long time repeat customer, your first positive review? It feels so good and it feels so much better to take a moment and thank these people. Break out your pen and paper. There is sincere magic in handwriting. Trust me. It makes the heart and soul feel good.
  5. While lying in bed at night, close your eyes and play a little game of Alphabet Grace. Go through the alphabet starting with the letter “ A,” and with each letter, list people, opportunities, experiences and things (POET), you are grateful for. Just think them, don’t write them, stream of consciousness style, no edits. You’ll fall asleep on a positive note and most likely, before you even reach the letter M.

I’m a failure –based mom and an award-winning filmmaker even though my short list of Imdb credits will make you ask, “Who did what again?” But instead of getting distracted by the numbers, I think of all the people who made my film BEST MOM come to life beyond the words I wrote on a page, I write their names in a journal with very specific reasons as to why I am grateful to each member of the cast and crew. I write down the names of family and friends who supported me on this journey long before the director called action. I share how grateful I am for the opportunity to make a childhood dream come true. I reflect on the experience and honor how I have grown personally and professionally. I thank all the future things in store for Best Mom. Ah-ha, Bonus Gratitude!

 

 

Take a moment and think about that special person, opportunity, experience or thing (POET) in the future that will make you feel joy. Trust this moment will come to you and feel grateful. Think and feel as though it is real right now. This level of gratitude is” a whole ‘nother level” as we say in the south.

Thank you to Melissa Stewart for creating this space for all of us to share our stories and to learn and grow together. Thank you to all of you hustlin’ women for taking the time to read this and making great things happen. We are all more than a bottom line and I’m so grateful to share this journey with you.

 

 

Art imitating life, life imitating art, Meg Weidner is a failure-based mom and the award-winning filmmaker of BEST MOM streaming on Amazon and other platforms. She can write 40 drafts of a screenplay but she can’t create a hyperlink to save her life. Check out www.bestmomfilm.com to view a trailer and all viewing platforms. When not getting lost in her head, Meg loves connecting with friends and traveling. She also does the bare minimum of exercise to justify her love for food.

Benefits of Writing: 11 Scientific Facts (Inforgraphic)

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Have you ever wondered why you feel so good inside whenever you write your heart out in your journal? That’s because the benefits of writing go far beyond building up your vocabulary. Writing not only eases the symptoms of mental illness but also improves your mood and manage stress levels.

And there is actual scientific evidence that supports the various psychological and wellness benefits of writing and journaling which we are to share with you in this infographic below.

The best part of writing is that you don’t need to be a creative genius or a passionate writer to benefit from writing, though I can assure you that you will join the ranks of some of the most visionary people. Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, and Leonardo da Vinci all kept journals, writing down their thoughts, ideas, sketches, musings, and jokes.

So the next time you feel stressed and overwhelmed and wish to fix your complex problems, think of writing in your journal.

In the infographic below, we present 11 science-backed benefits of writing.

Check it out before you embark on your writing journey. Even if the world fails to recognize your talent, you will ensure better memory, mental well-being, and cognitive skills.

scientific benefits of writing
This infographic about the benefits of writing was originally created by and published at https://www.syedirfanajmal.com.

How to make time for your side business (and take it full-time)

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by Camilla Hallstrom

When I first started building my business, there was one big thing that kept me back: Time. It felt like I never had the time to grow my business so that I could take it from a side business to a full-time venture. In hindsight, I know I could have done a few things more effectively and achieved my goal faster. Here they are:

1. Build the right business

To be able to quit your job as fast as possible, you need to focus on the right type of business. What do I mean? Compare an ecommerce store and a service-based business. With an ecommerce store, you need to make more money to make it profitable because you need to pay for inventory and shipping. A service-based business (like a freelance business) doesn’t come with these costs.

2. Use a skill you already have

When you’re building your business, focus on a skill you already have so that you don’t have to waste time on learning new skills. I first got started with a translation business and later a freelance writing business because those were skills I already had. This way, I could focus on getting clients (rather than acquiring new skills) from day 1.

3. Focus on the right things

One of the biggest mistakes side business owners make is to focus on the wrong things: Building a website, setting up social media accounts, blogging, and podcasting. I made this same mistake and it set me back many months. You see, when you’re first starting out, the ONE thing you should focus on is getting clients and the easiest and fastest ways to get clients. This includes tapping into your network and directly pitching clients to work with you.

4. Cut down on your time-wasters

You might be thinking: “But it’s so hard to find the time to work on my side business!” I hear you. I used to think that way, too. But then I realized just how much time I was wasting on things that weren’t really that important to me, like hanging out on social media. In fact, you can easily waste hours on these activities every day. Track your time for a few days to find those things you waste time on.

5. Get recurring clients

To build a business, you need to get clients. Unfortunately, all the time you spend on marketing and sales is unpaid. A great solution? Get as many recurring clients as you can, so clients who hire you every month, by focusing on projects that clients need help with on an ongoing basis. In my business, I focus on blog posts rather than one-off projects because this is a service clients need every month.

In the end, building your side business does take time and work. But being able to hand in your notice is well worth the effort. After all, you’re building a business for life.

 

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Camilla Hallstrom is a freelance writer who helps others start their own writing businesses and work from anywhere. Get your free PDF “The 3-Step Plan to Earning $1000 on the Side in the Next 30 Days as a Freelance Writer (Even if You Have Zero Writing Experience)”: https://www.writefromanywhere.com/.

Social Selling: Why You Should Care by Veronika Vaghina of @x_cart

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by Veronika Vaghina

Let’s see the definition of social selling, to begin with. Social selling is when entrepreneurs use social media to contact their potential customers directly (and to finally stop those evil cold callings). It’s also a way to actually find your prospects and customers and to build long term relationships with them via social networks.

An integral part of social selling is social listening. It means you should monitor how and what your prospects are saying. This way you’ll be able to influence the sale process and to benefit from it.

So why care about social selling?

  1. Teach your sales and marketing teams to use the information people give. Let’s be honest: today people share a lot on their social media (sometimes they even overshare). From a sales perspective, it’s a good thing as your prospects are giving you all the information about their needs — you just shouldn’t ignore it.
  2. No more cold calling. One more point: social selling can replace cold calling. And in terms of building relationships, cold calling doesn’t do any good. Some statistics to prove it: 9/10 of decision-makers don’t answer to cold calls.
  3. The funnel becomes more effective. If social selling is a part of your marketing funnel, it’ll make lead generation easier and more productive for you.
  4. Your potential customers always remember about you. Well, they do in case you remind them about yourself on a regular basis: they can be following your updates, participating in some of your social media activities, they can see your sponsored content or a friend’s mention of your company. Either way, if you are online you can be found.
  5. It’s your opportunity to build a reputation. You decide who you want to be: your tone of voice, your offers, your style. And please, no bots: it’ll influence your professional and personal brand. You should show your sales prospects that there are real people behind your brand.
  6. Your competitors are already there. What are you waiting for? For most salespeople, social selling tools are critical for sales performance. No wonder: I can hardly imagine a company not present on social media.

There are some basic steps to get started with social selling. Let’s check them out:

  • Create content & make people trust you
  • Widen your network
  • Communicate with existing customers
  • Find new customers in social media groups
  • Check out what your competitors are doing; change your strategy if needed
  • Engage with other companies

Your social selling success depends on the relationships you build with your audience. And one of the best ways to do it is to follow the tips below. This way you can be there for your prospects with relevant offers.

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Veronika is a Marketing Manager at X-Cart. The company provides X-Cart, an open-source eCommerce platform, along with the full range of services for online business. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and reading.

Trust Your Team to Grow Your Business by Katrina Petersen of @crooked_steeple

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by Katrina Petersen

It’s not always easy to trust, especially when it comes to your business. But without trust, you’re on a fast track to burnout. I should know. I bought a historic church and tried to turn it into a premier wedding and event space all by myself.

In my defense, I had good reason not to trust other people. Until recently, I’d been business partners with my husband. We co-owned a property management company together. Then we got divorced, and the divorce got messy. Really messy. As in, I had to take out a restraining order on the father of my children. That kind of messy. It’s no wonder I wasn’t feeling warm and fuzzy about handing portions of my business over to strangers.

So, I threw myself into my new business. The building was in rough shape. It had been privately owned for almost 20 years. First it had been used as a man cave. There was a pool table where the altar used to be and that owner converted the church kitchen into an apartment. Then it was music store and performance hall. The owners had done their best, but the apartment had been pretty much neglected and there was a to-do list longer than a Maine winter.

When I did ask for help, I was careful not to give anyone too much power over the business. I would make all of the decisions. I would approve the designs, pick paint colors, critique and nitpick until everything was just so. I had this idea that I needed to do this on my own. I needed to do the work and if I worked hard enough it would come.

To be clear, buying a dilapidated but historically significant church wasn’t exactly on my bucket list. It just seemed like the right building at the right time. I didn’t have a ton of cash and the owners were willing to do owner financing to help make the sale possible.

So there I am, sweating, dirty, all alone in this 170 year old building while my kids were at daycare and I thought, “What am I doing?”

Actually, it was like someone had slapped me and yelled in my face. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” It was an epiphany. I could renovate this space and turn it into a beautiful, uniquely Maine event hall. I absolutely could. But not alone. I needed help. I needed to trust the small team I’d been building. They were professionals and I could let them do what they were best at.

Now the work gets done and I get to spend more time with my kids. Crooked Steeple Hall is booking events for 2020 and beyond. I thought I needed to be in the middle of everything or my business would fall apart, but it turns out that what I really needed to do was trust.

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Katrina Petersen was a property manager and event planner before she purchased Crooked Steeple Hall and started building her dream business. Located in the historic town of Winterport, Maine, Crooked Steeple Hall hosts weddings, receptions, town-hall debates, and other unique events.