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How do I get out of accounting overwhelm? by Danielle Hayden of @KickstartAcct

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by Danielle Hayden

Close your eyes and imagine a time where it is the end of the month and your bookkeeping is complete, accounts reconciled and you pull your reports and you actually enjoy the process of reviewing your numbers and you are excited to see how well your business is doing. This scenario feels so out of reach for so many business owners and it doesn’t have to be this way.

 

This year I worked with a client who was a very successful wellness coach, her business was scaling by leaps and bounds this year but she didn’t understand why she didn’t have enough cash to pay all of her contractors and bills every month. Jenna hid from her accounting because it was confusing to her and she didn’t have time to learn a new skill. After several months of the same circle of confusion, Jenna reached out to us for help. After 3 months Jenna has been able to confidently make more strategic spending decisions so that she can decrease spending and increase her profits (this also means Jenna is taking home a bigger paycheck). Now I promise you this is not magic.

 

How can you use these same strategies that we taught Jenna in your business?

  • (1 of 5) Set revenue goals
  • Determine your financial goal for this year?

 

For example, will you be increasing advertising costs in an effort to increase your revenue or will you be decreasing expenses in order to maximize your profitability?  

  • Make business decisions with your financial data
  • Review your sales by asking yourself
    • What percent did your revenue growth year over year?
    • What product or service has the highest sales?
    • What product or service has the highest profit or lowest cost of goods sold?
  • Review your expenses
    • What percent did your expenses grow year over year? Why?
    • What expenses are consistent month over month?
    • Are your expenses growing faster than your revenue? What changes can you make to prevent this from continuing?

 

Use these questions as a guide to review your financials this month and every month. Share with us your success stories and contact us with any questions. We love to support other women business owners, let us know how we can be a resource to you. 

You can find us here:

www.kickstartaccountinginc.com

All Girls Crush on Clean Beauty by Sue Perez of @Beautyphonics

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by Sue Perez | Featured Contributor

When I use lip balm I like my lips to feel hydrated so I never use anything that has petrolatum. That ingredient is essentially what is in Vaseline, and it’s used in diaper rash ointment because it’s an excellent barrier against moisture. I always look for essential oils inside products and will often add a few drops to my favorite body lotion for the aromatic and therapeutic benefits. Who doesn’t love using shampoo that smells amazing or body washes and body scrubs with essential oils and natural ingredients? Clean beauty is something I personally shop for and lately it’s all the buzz.

 

 

Beauty Q & A

I attended a women’s networking event in midtown Manhattan. I’ve attended many but this one was different. Firstly the organizer held it in her amazing apartment and had these adorable name tags for everyone held on a string with clothespins so when you entered you could just grab yours. She was busy in the kitchen with her assistant setting up the charcuterie platter when I arrived but popped out to greet me with a huge smile and asked me what kind of wine I preferred I felt as if I already knew her and she insisted that I make myself comfortable. One by one these fabulous women arrived. Each of them unique in their summer fashionable New York City vibes kind of way. Handing me a glass of Prosecco she asked me what kind of work I do and as soon as she learned that I’m a makeup professional she began introducing me to whom she knew in the group. Other women who worked in fashion and photography, one woman who leads a businesswomen only retreat in the Hamptons, my lovely host was immediately connecting the dots. We sipped from our glasses and chatted. When I shared my expertise of being a Television makeup artist everyone had questions. Beauty is always a hot topic for women but the questions had more to do with ingredients and brands. They wanted to know what I liked and what I used. They confessed not knowing what products were the best anymore and asked for my opinion on micellar cleansing water. Naturally being an Aesthetician I have some knowledge on ingredients but truthfully there are just so many brands out there, and new ones all the time. But one thing was unanimous they all used very little or few products if any and wanted to use green products or organic if they could. Basically, Clean Beauty products, but what exactly does that mean?

 

Non-Toxic = Less harmful

In the simplest terms it means using cosmetics and products that are non-toxic and who usually don’t have a laundry list of ingredients linked to harmful health side effects. One of the reasons I chose to study at Aveda Institute was because the brand partnered with cooperatives globally. These partnerships worked together to produce and procure organic ingredients and sustainable packaging. But the true definition of clean beauty changes depending on whom you ask because “natural” and “green” are not regulated terms. The best thing you can do when you are shopping is to look for labels on the box. A stamp that has beauty seals like EWG Verified, USDA Organic and Ecocert are the best ones. Below is a list of the top offenders.

The Bad Guys

The following list of ingredients cause side effects that can range from simple skin irritation to hormone disruption all the way to various forms of cancer.

BHT, BHA

Ethanolamines

Parabens

Phthalates

PEGs

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Silicones

Polyethylene

Polypropylene (mircobeads)

Propylene glycol

Metallic aluminum

Triclosan

Talc

Mineral Oil

Petrolatum

Formaldehyde

Toluene

Oxybenzone, Avobenzone, Octinoxate (sunscreens)

 

Don’t Be Cruel

It’s definitely beneficial to look for safer personal care beauty products. So many more brands both prestige and over the counter drug store brands are selling clean beauty products now too. But there can be a price disparity and it may have to do with the expensive process of getting clean products certified. It can also be a lengthy process, which increases the price of product. In my book Beneath The Makeup – 12 lessons to Empower and Inspire You, I list some of my favorite brands for makeup and skincare. Keeping in mind I also prefer using products that are cruelty free which is another disparaging truth about the beauty industry, with many companies still testing on animals. I learned while researching my book that ALL the beauty, makeup and skincare products made in China are tested on animals because… it’s the law. OUCH!

 

 

Cheap Verses Chic

So I checked a big box store and found clean beauty 1.0 oz. facial oil for $25.49. It has no dye, Parabens, added fragrance, dyes and it’s organic and cruelty free. Then I compared that to a prestige retailer who makes a similar product, makes all the same claims and it’s same size 1.0 oz. It has 9 powerhouse essential fatty acids and sells for $168.00! Luxe Beauty, Designer Beauty, even that comes labeled under Clean Beauty. With demand comes the realization that companies can ask for a high price and get away with it. The cosmetics industry is generally marked up by 60-80%. Lets not overlook all the counterfeit and fake beauty products that have infiltrated Amazon, Target and other retailers. It can be downright dangerous! You should know what your paying for.

What matters really is that you find products you care about that work for you and that are safe too. I started buying organic food and so did my neighbor. Once we passed each other in the lobby and I could tell by his brown paper grocery bags he was just organic food shopping, so I joked with him about the extra “Green” spending and he joked right back. “Better to pay for it now than later on in medical bills” I suppose that is one way to look at it.

 

5 Productivity Tips for Busy Solopreneurs by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

First of all, let me correct the title of this article. “Busy solopreneurs” is completely redundant. If you’re a solopreneur who is not busy, the word to better describe you is BANKRUPT. The very word solopreneur means“entrepreneur who does it all.” But we all know that solopreneurs can use help with increasing productivity and efficiency.

The fact is, no one can do it all. Even solopreneurs need help. You may be the solitary person responsible for everything in your business, but that does not mean that must perform every task. In fact, that is a sure prescription for burnout and failure.

So, in your few free moments to read and invest in YOU, here are five tips to help you be more productive without robbing you of even more time for personal needs.

 

Set Priorities

It’s important to take time each day to prioritize tasks. Rate each task by its due date and level of importance. Then, arrange them in descending order of importance for each day. Now you can focus on completing each task one at a time. There is a distinct pleasure in checking completed tasks off your list.

Studies reveal that multitasking reduces your productivity. Besides, multitasking really just means switching your attention between tasks, which increases the risk of making errors and slows you down as you realign your thinking to each task.

Determine when you are the most productive, and schedule important tasks for those blocks of time. During each block, focus on one very specific task and ignore everything else. For example, if you’re most productive in the mornings, use that time for creative work and save responding to emails for the afternoon.

 

Schedule Tasks

Following a schedule makes efficient use of your time. Schedule business hours and work diligently during those hours. Schedule everything, including working times and breaks. Appoint mundane tasks to be completed at the same time each day, and save your best hours for creative client work.

This is different from simply blocking out hours of the day for certain types of work, discussed above. This is setting your regular working schedule for every week. Of course, sometimes projects demand overtime or weekends; that is inevitable. But with a regular schedule in place, if something demands overtime, you can more easily charge overtime costs for the extra time you work outside your normal working schedule.

 

Use Tools

There are tools and apps for everything, and a wise solopreneur will make full use of them. Consider utilizing efficiency and budgeting software to cut down on end-of-the-month tasks. Download a scheduling app to use with your working schedule. Join it to an organization tool and input your daily task list to stay on track throughout the day. Apps like this cut out paper lists that can be lost, and will even provide timers and reminders.

Your particular industry will determine what tools and apps will best help you with productivity. Keep that in mind. Just because everyone loves a certain tool doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Software and apps that help you write better are popular, but if you don’t create copy in your business, why do you need it?

 

Delegate Tasks

As a solopreneur, you’re likely accustomed to doing everything. But there are probably some tasks that you don’t enjoy, perhaps even absolutely loathe. Like bookkeeping, or transcribing interviews, or writing sales emails. Don’t be afraid to delegate those tasks to someone else, even another solopreneur with skills in those areas.

You can increase productivity by focusing on your strengths and delegating other tasks to people who possess strengths in those areas. This doesn’t have to be a paid gig. Sometimes, family or others around you would be happy to help out just to learn about your business or help you out. Besides, you can always review the work (and you should) to ensure it meets your quality and accuracy requirements. There are also options for finding a marketing apprenticeship like GenMwhere you can pay $150 for three months and get help for up to 10 hours per week.

 

Schedule Time for You

Solopreneurs can easily work themselves into the ground. And no one is around to warn them about hitting the brakes. So, this is your warning. Just like you schedule time for working hours and completing certain tasks, schedule time for you. If you don’t schedule it like a business appointment or task, you will allow something else (like a business appointment or task) to bump it from your schedule.

Eat healthy foods and incorporate exercise into your daily activities. Make sure you get adequate sleep. Take the time out to rest and rejuvenate. Schedule exercise, meal, and vision breaks into your daily routine. Scheduling time for yourself (and taking it) is the best way to honor your business and your clients. If you do, you’ll be able to give the business your all and even more when it demands it.

Schedule and invest in a vacation away from work demands, if possible. Pay into a vacation fund as if it were an actual monthly expense. Get away from where you normally work and relax, eat out, have fun, and celebrate your solopreneur freedom and accomplishments. If you plan ahead for a vacation, budgeting finances and time for it in advance, you can do it.

If for some reason you cannot get away from work, at least travel to a relaxing destination and work from there. In your off hours, you can still eat great food, visit beautiful places, and engage in relaxing or fun activities. Even working from an exotic or fun location can be invigorating and refreshing, just the thing a busy solopreneur needs.

What are the best productivity hacks that work for you? Share them with our readers in the comments below!

Why do we focus on the negative more than the positive? by @AZAnswers

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 by Ann Zuraw | Featured Contributor

As a registered investment advisor, I’ve been investing in the stock and bond markets for over 30 years. During this time, I’ve noticed when the market (DOW, NASDAQ, S&P 500) has a significant decline, and we hear more noise than usual. Everyone starts listening to the financial news networks much more closely, and the negative noise is absorbed by all, as they anxiously await an explanation.

I must listen to the noise. It’s my job. Growing up in New Orleans, I experienced hurricane Betsy, and my family felt the wrath of Katrina.  Now, unfortunately, every time there is a hurricane heading in the direction of NO,  Everyone thinks back to Katrina, and the negativity and fear begin to spread.

Even the weather channel and CNBC have adapted the same red area for bad news alerts…

According to scientific studies, our inclination to pay more attention to bad things and our failure to take notice of the good things is likely a result of evolution. Our ancestors had to pay attention to bad, dangerous, and negative threats in the world because it was a matter of survival. While we may no longer need to be on constant high-alert to survive, the negativity bias still has a starring role in how our brains operate.

I play USTA tennis, and when I win, I rarely talk about it, but when I lose, I will tell anyone who will listen to what went wrong.

Markets are cyclical and cannot be expected to go up in a straight line.  There are many profitable, strong companies in the public markets.  A downturn in the market is not necessarily going to be like October in 1987 or 2008.

Hurricanes come every year, but it does not necessarily mean it will be another Katrina catastrophe. We will continue to have four seasons of the year. Some seasons will be great, and others will be not so good.

I will win some tennis matches and lose some too. But I will still go out there and try my best. So I am telling myself to stop focusing on the But scenario and put situations in perspective.

Negativity can have a powerful impact on our behavior, but being aware of it means that you can take steps to embrace a positive outlook on life. Once you become aware of the negativity, you can start to remove the negative thoughts and replace with happier ones.

3 Rules to Live Powerfully Every Day—And Why It Matters by @JThiefels

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3 Rules to Live Powerfully Every Day—And Why It Matters

by Jessica Thiefels | Featured Contributor

What does it mean to “live powerfully?” It means to live with intention. To make sure that every choice you make is getting you closer to where you want to go—whether that’s to bed after a long day of work or to travel the globe for a year. If you want to love your life, you have to move with intention to create it, but doing so  is hard.

Here’s a simple example I’m sure we’ve all experienced: You get out of work after a long day, and all you want to do is go home, put on sweats, and relax. Your friend calls as you walk out the door with plans of happy hour. She really wants you to go—she’s had a great day and wants to celebrate. So, instead of making the best decision for you, to stay home, rest, and show up as your best self at work tomorrow, what do you do? You say yes and go out anyway. Because you don’t want to hurt her feelings or leave her hanging.

That’s the crux of it: we’re so focused on other people—living up to their expectations, afraid to hurt their feelings—that we don’t make the best choices for us. When we live for other people, and not ourselves, we drain our power. Instead of using it, we give it to other people.

The example I shared above is relatively harmless. However, when passionate entrepreneurs don’t start that business, and instead stay in a job they hate for fear of letting co-workers down or because they have no support network—that’s when living without power and without intention stops you from living a life that you love.

My Life-Changing Moment

Life changes when you embrace the ability to make the best choices for your life. I know this because I had 5 jobs in 5 years. I was making conscious and intentional decisions at every step of the way. To make the best move for my career. To say no to bad bosses and being treated poorly. At each job, I could have stayed, been miserable, and dealt with it. But I refused.

So much so, that in one case, I left a new job after just a week and a half. While I didn’t leave feeling fine, of course I felt bad and guilty for doing so, I knew I had to go. I made the decision to leave, on a Tuesday, and when I told my husband he had the reaction I was expecting: “I just don’t feel comfortable with you leaving when you don’t have another job.”

In that moment, I understood where he was coming from—and that my decision to live as intentionally as possible was going to affect both of us, but I knew I needed to leave. I told him I’d try to get a job between Tuesday and Friday, and I did intend to try—crazier things have happened—but I knew I had to go by Friday, either way.

When I made the decision to leave, despite how hard I knew it would be, the magic happened. The next morning I had an email from a company who saw my resume on indeed. It was a dream position for me at the time: working remote, managing my own time, and building a skillset that is now the most popular service I offer clients.

We had an interview on Thursday and by Friday I had the job. I told my boss that I needed to go that Friday afternoon and walked away feeling a massive weight slide off my shoulders. Making the choice to live with intention—knowing that that job was not right for me—opened me up to something new, and that something new ended up being a gift in so many ways.

How You Can Live Powerfully

Three years after taking that job, I’m running a six-figure business while traveling the world for eight months. Making the decision to live powerfully and with intention got me here, writing this on the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, and letting my dreams unfold before me.

living powerfully while traveling the world

The good news is, you can start charting your way toward a life you love too. You can even start today. Here are my three rules for doing that.

#1: Find the people who lift you up and ask for their support.

Whether you’re 15, 25 or 52, the people that you surround yourself with play a critical role in the life you create for yourself. Look at the people around you. Do they support you, or burden you with expectations? If you said, I’m leaving my job tomorrow; I know I’m just an admin right now, but I want to run a virtual assistant business and I need to do this. Would your closest friends or family support you or fill you with doubts?

If you don’t know that they’d support you, there’s one simple step to take: start networking. You love your friends and family, there’s no need to find new ones, but look for the people that will lift you up.

I started networking actively with women’s groups around San Diego just one year ago and my network of supportive women has quadrupled. People want to support you and show up for you, I promise. You might just need to do a little work to find those people.

#2: Start doing what YOU want to do.

This may sound straightforward, but you can imagine from what I’ve already said that very few of us are actually doing it. Start by making a list of things that you want and don’t be afraid to walk away from anything that doesn’t get you closer to that. A new job? A better apartment? To travel the world? Once you know what you want to do, you can start making decisions to get to that place.

Perhaps you want to go to law school but you have to pass the bar to get in. Suddenly, it’s a lot easier to say no to that happy hour. You know what you want, and it’s not to get drinks after a long day of studying or be exhausted for your practice exam the next day.

Most importantly, remember: you don’t have to know your entire life plan right now. You may want to leave your job in six months, so step one is to have a conversation with your boss and decide what’s next. Get clear on what you want and then start tuning in to how your decisions are getting you closer to that.

#3: Say no.

So often we are too afraid to say this very small, yet very difficult word because we don’t want to disappoint someone, let them down, make them mad. So we get the college degree our parents want for us or go to that party when we don’t care about.

The sad thing is, when you say yes to someone else, and you don’t want to, you’re saying no to yourself. That means someone else is writing your story—and who knows how that will end. But when you start saying no to others and yes to yourself, that’s when you begin making intentional decisions to build the life that want to live.

Go Live Powerfully

Living powerfully has helped me build a life that’s fulfilling, exciting and challenging all at the same time. It hasn’t been easy for me every step of the way—I’ve said no a lot, I’ve hurt people’s feelings, and I’ve taken the hard way out every time the easy one presented itself. And if you want to create a life you’re excited to call your own, can do the same—I know that with total confidence. If you need a little push, follow me, @HowtoMastertheArt, on Instagram where I’m sharing all the motivation you need to create a life you’re stoked about. You’ve always had the power, you just didn’t know it.

How to Make Employees Excited About Training by @DrRKayGreen

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by Dr. R. Kay Green | Featured Contributor

You probably understand the value of training. Perhaps your employees even understand the value as well. But understanding the value of something is not the same as being excited for it. You can see the value of, say, mopping your floor, but that does not necessarily mean that you are excited to do it.

And this becomes a problem when it comes to training. Because if your employees are viewing these classes as an obligation or a chore, they’re already at least partially “checked out.” They are not paying a lot of attention, which means that they are not getting the most out of the class. This, in turn, means that you are not getting the return on investment that you put into the class.

So, how can you create a culture of excitement and engagement around training?

Offer incentives.

Incentives are a great way to get employees engaged in business in general, and training is no different. It is much easier to get excited about something if you know that there is a reward at the end, and it can be as simple of an investment as a small gift card.

Incentives make employees excited to participate, but it also shows that you are taking their work seriously. You recognize the effort that they are putting into becoming better at their jobs, and they will appreciate that, in turn working even harder.

Make it a competition.

People like a little friendly competition. They like to earn “points,” and see how they rank agains their peers. You can easily use this to your advantage when you offer training. Offer prizes to people with the best grades, or people who complete a certain number of classes. Or, if your company’s culture allows it, create a “leaderboard” for employees to track their own and each other’s progress.

This is a great way to engage employees, giving them a tangible way to track how far they have come. It will also make classes feel less like a chore and more like a game for them to “beat.” This will make it far more enjoyable for them, which will make them pay attention more.

Spread things out.

Do not put classes back to back. You run the risk of your employee burning out if you do this; in addition, they will start to resent all of the extra time spent on classes when they could be doing other things. Instead, spread your classes out so that they only have to take a few classes at a time.

This will help to make sure that employees do not feel stifled or overwhelmed by classes. It also shows a respect for your employees’ time. It shows that you do understand their need for down time, and that you do not expect them to sacrifice their free time for an extended period.

Make courses online.

In-person classes are often inconvenient. They require a commute, a shuffling of obligations, and frequently they require babysitting for those employees with families. All of this can make your employee resent the class before they even walk in the door, which is not conducive at all to an excited, engaged classroom.

This is why more and more businesses are turning to elearning solutions.

Online courses allow employees to take their education into their own hands. By allowing them to pick the time and place that the class occurs, it gives them a sense of ownership. This is probably the best thing you can do to make sure that employees are excited and engaged.

———————————————————————-

Dr. R. Kay Green – Marketing Expert from RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. from Atlanta, GA.

Dr. KayDr. R. Kay Green is the CEO/President of RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. With over 190,000+ Twitter followers, 35,000+ Facebook Likes, and the Top 1% LinkedIn profile designation, Dr. Kay, a self-motivated trailblazer, is the Quintessential “New-Age” Professional Woman, and PhD Marketing Pro. She earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in Marketing, and has completed PhD coursework in Leadership and Organization Change. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Management, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, and an Associate of Arts in Marketing Management.

She is affiliated with several prestigious universities and has instructed over 350 courses online. A popular speaker on Marketing and Business topics, Dr. Green is currently featured on Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Black News, The Network Journal, Business Review USA, Digital Journal, College View, Business New Hampshire Magazine, Bay State Banner, Reader’s Circle, North Dallas Gazette, Harlem News, Top News Today, One News Page, NE Informer, Women in Business PR News, Consumer News Today, Women PR News, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Daily Herald, The Miami Herald, and Book News Articles.

Twitter – Facebook – LinkedIn

How Entrepreneurs Stay in the Game When Everyone’s On Summer Vacation by Deb Coman @debcomanwriting

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How Entrepreneurs Stay in the Game When Everyone’s On Summer Vacation

by Deb Coman| Featured Contributor

It’s summer in the U.S.

School’s out. Beaches are filled and sun-kissed noses have that papery, lace-like, peel-y thing goin’ on.

And you’re still clacking away on the laptop trying to stave off the summer lull that no one wants to admit is a bit of a dark, gloomy cloud.

Just the other day when I was mustering up some motivation on a group call, I acknowledged the strain of maintaining steady income levels as an entrepreneur during summer months. Someone quickly chimed in she did not want to throw her hands up and give away all her power to the summertime slog.

Can you blame her?

I caught right on to where she was going with it and I applaud her staring down “the slow” almost willing it to pick up the pace.

Don’t Give Way to the Summertime Blues

If we allow ourselves to succumb to the summertime blues slump, we’re dead in the water.

Any service offers or summer specials won’t get off the ground no matter how we wrap them in a bow or tout summer-slashed-pricing.

Now more than ever, it’s time to stay the course and stand in our power. And here are some simple ways to get the upper hand this time of year.

#1 Decide How To Spend Your Time

Consider your current client work, business development goals, and all the things that have been on your To Do list that never get done. Maybe it’s time to just kick back and summer!

Prioritize Current Client Work

This is an excellent time to prioritize all your existing client work to get it back in their hands sooner. As you meet deadlines early and wrap projects ahead of schedule, clients may keep the momentum going and be willing to add new projects, negotiate more time with you, or address some of their “hang-on” To Dos that fit your skill set. Let them know you have the time and space to take on additional work.

Revisit Business Development Goals

Maybe it’s time to dig into your own business goals, optimize your systems, and implement next steps. Consider your lead generation, client onboarding, list nurturing, content creation, social media engagement. Are there glaring holes you need to address? Is there a course you purchased that you could spend time on? Is it a good time to re-evaluate your overall business operations? Put it on your schedule for now! Let your business be your top summer client.

Resurface Old To Dos

We all have tasks that seem to remain bottom-feeders on our To Do lists or get carried over every time we start a new productivity platform or system. Set aside time to go through them ALL and make a decision: do now, do [insert specific date and put on calendar], or cross off the list. It’s a never do. Maybe it’s no longer relevant. That’s totally fine. Move on.

Take Time Off

If it’s not coming together and you are able and willing to take a break, do it! Work shorter days, shorter workweeks or–gulp–take more planned time off. There’s nothing like a break in routine to drum up creativity when you get back to work after much-needed R & R. Do it and enjoy it, sans any guilt!

#2 Go With the Flow and Don’t Fight It!

However you decide to spend your time, understand that others will approach it differently. It may be harder to reach people, return emails and calls may be a lot slower coming, and if you get one more autoresponse vacation email …. Oh, I understand. But be cool! Know that some business owners embrace the summer feel, do work less, and take big chunks of time off. Don’t sweat it … do YOU!

Build Some Me Time Into Your Workday

If the pace is a bit slower, ease into the day with some self-care, grounding and mindset work, or a quick dose of exercise or meditation. Maybe you’d enjoy reading inspirational or business books. Whatever your choice, build in something you love that starts your day with some gas in the tank.

Reach Out to Former Clients and Contacts

Go through your CRM or files and revisit people and work that you loved. Pick up the phone or write a handwritten letter (yes!) or email a former client, connection, or colleague and check in. Tell them what came to mind when you came across their name or thought about the work you did together. Be grateful. Let them know. Reconnect. Bring them up to speed on what’s new in your business. Who knows, it may lead to something … perhaps on a personal colleague level or maybe even a business opportunity. Don’t focus on what might happen. Just be in the moment of reconnection.

Nurture Creativity

Put a little fun in your business. Spend time really talking about, writing about, and otherwise sharing what brings you joy–business and otherwise. Share it in your client and subscriber emails. Spend more time sharing and engaging on social media. Do a live stream. Post more photos. Tell more stories. Pull back the curtain just a little bit more on your business. It’s amazing what happens when you do.

#3 Stay the Course, It Doesn’t Last Forever

Whatever your approach to summer, or whatever season you’re in, know there will soon be a shift. With new seasons come new energy, new opportunities, new possibilities. What’s possible for you? What are you looking forward to?

Make a Plan For What’s Next

Enjoy the present while also envisioning what’s next. Set goals, intentions, and make plans to take action when the pace picks back up. Be ready for it. Shore up your systems. Practice new habits. Embrace the seasonal change with joy and open arms. Who knows what’s in store and what next thing is around your next corner!

Keep Doing What’s Working

Acknowledge your patterns and work habits and practices that serve you well and make your business stand out. Those things that are your uniqueness need to be celebrated. Keep some semblance of order in spite of what the weather does and no matter what your colleagues do this time of year. This is your business, your rules, your successes! When your systems are working, keep it going. Summer is not a permission slip to throw all systems to the wind.

Be Present To What Is

Whether you slow down, speed up, or keep your usual pace, make a little time to step in the grass, feel the ground beneath your feet, and sunshine on your face. Consider working outdoors even just for part of your day. Move your desk closer to a window view. Listen to more music. Take short walks around the block. Step into whatever the season means to you and the parts you enjoy. Work is work but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun.

We always get to decide what this time of year will be like and summer doesn’t have to mean slow and it certainly doesn’t have to mean STOP.

What does summer mean to you?

5 steps to own your role as the CEO of your business by Danielle Hayden of @KickstartAcct

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by Danielle Hayden

As a women business owner, I understand the ups and downs that we all experience in entrepreneurship. One minute we are flying high and the next we are down and out thinking that this business idea that we came up will never get to the next level. Over the past 15 years, as I moved from corporate accounting as a chief financial officer to working with women on their bookkeeping, I have seen so many women struggle to feel empowered and really own their role as founder and CEO of their business. I am here to tell you that you deserve it! You founded this company and now it’s time to grow your organization! But how you say? Let’s break this down for you in 5 steps that can help you move into your leadership role: 

  1. Delegate-We CANNOT do it alone and that is OK! I give you permission to give yourself grace and ask for help. Help can look like this: 
    1. Consider outsourcing tasks that are not your specialty 
    2. Ask your team to work on additional tasks 
    3. Ask your family for help around the house
  2. Set strategic goals-You need to know where you are going so you can measure your progress along the way. 

Use the following questions to guide your strategic goal setting: 

    1. What are my current tactics including sales, marketing, team and key partners?
    2. How am I remaining competitive in my industry? How is my company different? 
    3. What are my goals and milestones? Take time right now to write out your:
      1. 10 year target
      2. 3 year picture 
      3. 1 year plan 
      4. Where do you want to be in 3 months? 

 

  • Work on your business not just in your business using daily ceo time

 

When I worked in corporate accounting we sent the CEO a series of daily reports to help keep her focused, and I use the same strategies in my business today. I call this process my daily CEO review. 

  1. Daily-State your goal.  Ensure daily activities are connected to your desired result. Keep your goals top of mind.
      1. Set your intentions daily. Where do you want to see your business go? 
      2. Magnetize your mind toward the goals you want to achieve. When you do this every day you signal to your subconscious mind that your thoughts, actions and decisions should be directed to that goal.
      3. Define what success means to your business. If you don’t determine what success looks like how will you know when you have arrived? 

 

  1. Targets-Determine your top 3 priorities you need to accomplish that day to achieve your goal.
  2. Plan your day! Use the daily schedule to plan your day
      1. Determine what time of the day you are the most productive
        1. Do a self-analysis today and note when you felt you had the most energy and concentration. When did you have the fewest amount of interruptions and distractions? 
        2. Remember there is no right way here. Some people feel the most energy in the morning and will enjoy getting the most demanding tasks completed in the morning to have a sense of completion, and other people feel the most energetic at night and enjoy working against the pressure of the clock and their deadline.
      2. Group each of these tasks logically by the type of tasks. 
        1. Segment one: Phone calls
        2. Segment two: Client calls
        3. Segment three: Content generation
        4. Segment four: Training/Team meetings

 

  1. Analyze your financials-Perform weekly financial checkups, a monthly financial review and a quarterly financial goal review. If you don’t review your books weekly, you can end up with bounced checks and overdue invoices. Then at the end of each quarter, review your bookkeeping and accounting records thoroughly. Look for trends such as an increase or decrease in sales.
    1. What percent did your revenue grow year over year?
    2. What percent did your expenses grow year over year? Why?
    3. Are your expenses growing faster than your revenue?
    4. Does your spending align with the goals you set for your business?
    5. What is the net amount of cash in/out of the business?

 

  • Continuously learn and develop You cannot expect to grow your business if you are not growing as an individual. There are so many aspects to entrepreneurship, and you need to decide on one topic at a time and really dive in and learn. 

 


My challenge to you: Take the next 90 days and learn to love reviewing your numbers. I know it sounds crazy, but if you take one goal and one action step at a time you will feel empowered and confident in your business like you’ve never felt before. 

 

If you are lost on where to start, I welcome you to download the first seven days of our profit planner for free here: www.profitplannerbookkeeping.com

Leadership’s Many Flavors by @SBSLEducSoltns

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Leading from the Front with Four

 

Ground Floor : Leadership & Management

 

It’s nearing mid summer in the northern hemisphere; recently, we celebrated national Ice Cream Day! Many have favorite flavors of this delish dessert; this holds true for leadership, too.

 

Paraphrasing a Supreme Court justice: ‘We know leadership when we see it.” , yet we all don’t ‘see’ the same thing, since we view business through our own experiences, lenses, & mindset.

 

Further, let’s push a related theme up for thoughtful discussion:

 

Leadership & management are NOT differing flavors; instead, they are two landmasses, separated by a gigantic ocean. We realize this while standing on the ground floor; now, let’s climb up a metaphorical ziggurat for a panoramic view.

 

Position, power, experience, credentials …?

On level 1 & 2 of our ziggurat, we start separating the wheat from the chaff; this act drives big answers , bringing us closer to leading from the front.

 

Q> Are any of the below characteristics necessary for organic leadership?

 

  • Seniority / experience

  • Credentials

  • Power \ Authority

  • Position

  • Perks /privileges

 

A> None are truly required. For a positional leader, they might bring benefit in a company’s hierarchy; however, in a free enterprise entrepreneurial business, they’d likely delay professional development.

 

Q>> Does leadership necessitate a certain type of business structure?

 

A>> No. Most structures ‘tell‘ us that an established business has an uneven field; you’ve built a ladder for your staff to climb up a pyramidal hierarchy, &/or you’ve not empowered them to address deep issues, like customer service, in your workplace, putting a collar on their ability to organically lead.

 

Bottom Up > Top down ; front > back

 

Leading is most impactful from the bottom up if there is a structure; Why? Easy. Those people are most aware of the day to day matters impacting your business’s success.

 

Take note, founders:  if you’re one, put yourself out front, clearing roadblocks so your staff can be most effective in building a better workplace for the betterment of all.

 

“People ask the difference between a leader & a boss. The leader leads & the boss drives.“

— Theodore Roosevelt

 

Q >>> What to do in situations where staff engagement, customer service, &/or client retention are below par?

 

A >>> Leverage this call to action using a ‘Test of 3’

 

 

First of 4 Flavors : Thought

 

Your climb up our ziggurat continues! Any of 4 could be next, as we aren’t building a rigid hierarchy; instead, you’re encouraged to visually sketch out this post’s content to better grasp these principles.

 

A thought leader leads from the front by sharing learned wisdom, stories, & a vision for the future with her staff, fellow entrepreneurs, & her tribe.

 

She might call herself a futurist, a disrupter, or an innovator. No matter the lingo, she oft comes up with fresh ways to address persistent business problems.

 

Second of Four : Replicative

 

Often, an entrepreneur, especially a family business owner,, recognizes replicative leadership as = succession planning; it could be, yes.

 

I thoughtfully ask you to expand your mind, furthering the case that this ‘flavor’ is imperative for all types of businesses, regardless of size, industry, or age.

 

A replicative leader seeks to replace herself; no longer is she indispensable; she’s begun, or accelerated her ability, to work ON her business & no longer IN it, becoming dispensable.

 

Systems thinking, soft skills [ e.g., humility & adaptability, ] & a focus on a self directed education all enable the above.

 

Third of 4 : Servant

 

When we serve, we win = Truth.

 

Yet, sole proprietors & entrepreneurs with staff, especially those who’ve come from corporate backgrounds, each have big adjustments in unlearning positional leadership & replacing w/ servant leadership’s unwavering principles.

 

Allow yourself to challenge assumptions, dismissing nostalgia & past credentials earned, as you realize that serving first gives you rich tools to lead from the front, flipping hierarchy upside down.

 

Fourth of Four : Conscious

 

Leadership done well is often a lonely path. Engaging mind, soul, & spirit is far stronger than merely one. Thus, being conscious about leading yourself & others enables infinitely more progress in your business culture, while concurrently helping you buck societal winds regarding capitalism.

 

Rarely are we taught that free enterprise & capitalism are very different concepts. Those who become conscious leaders better grasp this truism & cultivate a business that embraces the former.

 

Organizations dedicated to this flavor of bottom-up leadership often hold gatherings in your local area; seek them out & turn their events into networking opportunities.

 

Suggested Social Follows :

 

SR Thought Leader

Angela Montgomery

Waters Center

SLI Lead

Greenleaf 

Conscious Leadership

 

Dig for more gold — it’s 1849 all over again!

 

This blog is a drop of water into a deep sea. Be a modern day gold prospector & start a new rush!

 

How to Become …

6 Steps …

Don’t Let the … 

Rela Leadership

The Serving Leader

5 Ways to … 

Practicing the 15 …

 

In short :

 

  • Ground floor
  • Characteristics of leadership
  • Test of 3 – CTA
  • Thought & Replicative
  • Servant & Conscious
  • Social follows
  • There’s a vast universe to explore

 

Thank YOU for reading!

____________________________________________

3 Simple Instagram Mistakes that Will Kill Your Engagement and Growth by @LeahLatini

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Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

by Leah Latini

Most business owners and solo entrepreneurs would agree that having a strong Instagram presence can be a game-changer in terms of growing their audience. However, many businesses we consult with, struggle to find their groove when it comes to creating content that engages their audience in an authentic and sustainable way.

Engagement directly influences the reach your content receives on Instagram and builds upon itself over time. So, it’s incredibly important to ensure you’re encouraging maximum engagement with every post. Especially now with the latest Instagram update, engagement rates can make or break your content strategy and determine whether you continue to grow on the platform or stagnate and decline.

The following list includes the most common mistakes that can cripple your growth on Instagram, even if you have a healthy following.

1) Yeah, but what IS that? – No Context
How many times have you been browsing your Insta feed only to come across an intriguing photo that stops you from scrolling, but then ultimately confuses you? For instance, you see a food pic that looks delicious, but when you stop to learn more about this mouth-watering post, you find that there’s zero information about what it actually is or what restaurant it came from.

Many content creators would argue that a post like this can stand on its own, and people will like it regardless of the caption. The biggest problem with this argument is that it promotes a superficial engagement. It’s easy to get a quick “like” on a post based on aesthetic beauty or visceral reaction. But now, Instagram wants to reward content creators that go the extra mile to create conversations and deeper connections with their audience.

This means that if you leave out the basics of who, what, where, and when you are cutting out a massive portion of your audience that might have otherwise engaged. Give them details about what they’re looking at, and a reason to comment, question, and save your content!

2) Wordplay Overwhelm
While the story behind a photo or video is essential to building a deeper relationship with your audience, many entrepreneurs take editorial content to an extreme and overwhelm their audience with novel-length posts.

I know what you’re thinking, “But you just said that people wouldn’t engage with my content if I don’t include enough detail!”

Oddly enough, both of these concepts are true!

You have to find your audience’s sweet spot or your “Goldilocks Content-Length”. It’s the post length that’s just right and allows you to include a sufficient amount of factual detail but is brief enough that you don’t lose the majority of readers halfway through your post.

Identifying this ideal post length can be a process of trial and error to find what your audience responds to the most. However, a general rule of thumb is to limit the editorial content to under 150 words and save larger pieces for other platforms. If you’d like to create longer narratives on Instagram, consider doing so in video format and experiment with features like Instagram TV. These features are relatively new to the platform and allow you to get a boost in reach just by using them regularly.

3) Too Glossy
The third most common mistake I see with Instagram content strategies is an overuse of stock photos and graphics that are over-worked. By over-worked I mean too corporate-looking or slick.

There is a trend toward the more organic and authentic in the social media space in general. Meaning, we don’t want to be sold to and treated like just another number on a sales list.

So, while it is still important to build an Instagram feed that is aesthetically coherent and cohesive, don’t overdo it on the stock imagery and graphics. Focus on building your look and voice on the platform in an authentic, and sometimes imperfect way. Your audience will connect with your imperfections and trust you more because of them.

Many larger corporations spend a lot of time and resources, figuring out how to “look authentic” to their audiences. In a sense, how to fake small business authenticity while still operating as a mega-global corporation. This alone illustrates the power of personal connection with your audience.

For entrepreneurs, the ability to “be real” is inherent in who we are. Embrace your imperfections and don’t be afraid to add a little grit to your content strategy!