Small Business Growth Strategies

Summer has arrived and I have to admit to moving a little slower than usual lately. The morning rush to get out the door has all but disappeared. My son recently turned three and I’ve decided that this is my favorite age so far. I’ve been savoring the moments with him as he masters the ABCs, repeats everything I say (oops! Mommy didn’t mean to say that!), and learns to navigate a more independent world. Though I’ve written numerous books and have almost as many business ventures, he is by far my greatest accomplishment.

I’m a mom who works. I made that choice and I make no apologies for it. My son goes to daycare–which he loves–and he doesn’t have to spend endless hours there like he would if I had to commute and clock-in to a 9 to 5 job. He gets to enjoy new experiences and play with friends while mommy brings home some entrepreneurial bacon. I think we’re both good with that.

I believe that I am a better mom because I love what I do. I could put my career on hold and stay home with my son all day, but would I appreciate him as much? Would he appreciate me as much? Just because you’re in the same room together doesn’t mean that you’re sharing quality time.

Because I work, my family time is sacred. I have a plan for my business and a plan for my parenting. Mommy time is all about creating memories, cultivating joy and raising my son to be a good, happy, confident, empathetic human being. I want him to have as many life experiences as possible. I want him to enjoy meeting all kinds of people, behave well in restaurants, treat humans and animals with respect and say “please” and “thank you” regularly. I want him to laugh often, learn something new every day (no matter how old he is), and I want him to always know that he is loved.

I hope that the legacy I leave for my son is that I was a good mom first, and a business owner second–and that a person, male or female, can be successful at both. I hope that when he grows up, he finds something he loves doing and that he does it with all his heart. And then, at the end of the day, he will return home to his own family and he will love them fiercely. That will be my ultimate success.

written by Stephanie Chandler

I have always kept a running To Do list - it’s a 5×8 spiral notepad that I keep on my desk. If I don’t write it down, I won’t remember, so this is the heart and soul of what I need to get done each day.

The problem has been that I constantly feel like there is no end to the list. Also, there are times where there are over 20 items on the list. This is mentally overwhelming and also makes it difficult to prioritize.

So here’s the simple solution I implemented that has done wonders for me…

Each morning, I choose three to five high-priority items from my To Do list and write them on a Post-it note that gets stuck on top of my running list. These are the items that must get completed during the day–and they do!

And instead of getting side-tracked when a new task comes up during the day, I resist the temptation to switch gears and instead add the task to my running To Do list. This puts it back in the “task pool” so that I can later determine when it will get bumped up to my daily priority list (Post-it)!

So simple, yet I have to say, this has been incredibly effective for me. Try it for yourself and let me know how it works for you!

written by Stephanie Chandler

After agonizing over e-mail management for far too long, I finally found a solution that’s working like magic. It’s so simple, yet I finally figured out how to get e-mail under control. I hope it will help you too. Here’s my strategy:

1. Follow the “touch it once” rule. If I take time to view e-mail, I take the time required to deal with it. My Inbox will never again serve as a task list! Anything that takes five minutes or less to handle, I deal with on the spot. If additional action is required, I note it on my running To Do list and file the message in an appropriate folder (business networking, speaking engagements, etc.).

2. Added more folders to better sort e-mail messages. Just like the folders in my filing cabinet, I have dozens of folders to help keep track of e-mail.

3. Increased spam filters to block out more of the junk.

4. Created rules to automatically route various messages and newsletters to their corrosponding folders. For example, I have numerous Google Alerts so instead of landing in my Inbox and distracting me from plowing through e-mail, they are all sent to one folder that I can check once or twice each week.

5. Unsubscribe spree! I am carefully removing myself from mailing lists for newsletters that don’t offer enough value. (Note: this is a challenge to e-mail marketers everywhere–and I am one of them. We must provide VALUE and respect the time of those on our mailing lists, otherwise we lose.)

6. Created Rules to automatically delete. As someone who likes to shop online, I receive a lot of special offers from retailers. The problem is that many retailers send way too many messages. So instead of unsubscribing, I have filters to automatically delete them. If I need to place an order with one of my favorite vendors, I simply check my deleted items folder to locate their latest sale offer. I feel more empowered as a consumer (I am no longer tempted by special offers), yet I can still take advantage of offers when the time is right for me.

7. Checking e-mail less frequently. What is it about e-mail that keeps us so captivated? I’m making a concerted effort to turn mine off, check it less frequently, and be more productive overall.

Tomorrow I’ll share my newly discovered tips for huge increases in productivity!

written by Stephanie Chandler

The following is a list of 100 business startup ideas. Whether you want to start a home-based business, launch a part-time business or a full-time business, this list can help you seize your entrepreneurial dreams!

Food, Glorious Food

1.      Dinner to Go Service

2.      Catering

3.      Personal Chef

4.      Canning (sell goods such as jams and pickles)

5.      Cooking Class Instructor

6.      Baked Goods (pastries, custom cakes, etc.)

7.      Cart/Kiosk Operator

Read more…

written by Stephanie Chandler

I’m often asked how I manage to write so many books, articles, reports, etc. and still have time left to run a business and enjoy my family. Here’s my best secret: I check in to a hotel about every six weeks.

Not only does a hotel offer peace and quiet away from the chaos of daily life, but it provides a change of scenery. I always feel more creative when I’m in a different environment. When I need to do some major brainstorming or if I want to solve a problem, I will take a walk, visit a new coffee shop, go for a drive or get the heck out of town!

When you change the pace and the scenery around you and simply give yourself time to decompress, the answers come more easily.

Try this: Go visit a new coffee shop — one you’ve never been to before. Order a good drink, find a quiet corner table (bonus points if it is outside on a beautiful day), bring a spiral journal/notebook and open it to a blank page. Quietly consider what you’re working on, what problems you need to solve or what you want to accomplish. With pen in hand, watch how the answers come to you.

written by Stephanie Chandler

If the mere thought of standing up in front of an audience makes your knees quiver, you should know that you’re not alone.  Public speaking is one of the top fears listed by Americans and for good reason- most of us don’t do it very often.  My personal theory is that the fear stems from the possibility of failure.  What if I get up there and can’t talk?  What if they think I have no idea what I’m talking about?  What if I forget my speech?

After spending several years as a technical instructor and in sales, speaking to audiences of 4 to 400+, I’ve built an arsenal of strategies for presentations.  The truth is, even the most seasoned public speakers get at least a little nervous before they step on stage.  But the seasoned pros also know the tricks to delivering seamless and engaging presentations. 

Keys to Writing a Winning Presentation

¨    Create an Outline.  You may not think you need to outline your topic, but be assured it will save you time in the long run.  Outlining your entire presentation before you set out to write it lets you organize the flow of information and ensure that you have included all of the relevant topics.   One great trick for outlining is to write each key topic on a Post-it note and map it out on a large white board.  The sticky notes can be moved and reordered until you find a logical progression. 

Read more…

written by Stephanie Chandler

1. Blaze your own trail.
Employee Life: Get an education in order to get a job, work tirelessly until retirement and HOPE to have a few good years left for traveling and enjoying life.
Entrepreneur Life: Start with a dream, work your tail off early on to build your empire, hire, outsource, get help to grow and enjoy the ride along the way. Why wait for retirement?

2. Greater likelihood of getting rich.
The vast majority of millionaires are entrepreneurs. We control our own destinies and have the power to generate wealth beyond our wildest dreams.

3. No false sense of security.
We’re in a recession and entrepreneurs have options. We can market through it, reinvent, and refine our businesses. We may be working a little harder, but we know we will come out of this bigger, better, and stronger because we’ve fought a good fight. In corporate America, nobody has any control over what will happen to their future. 

4. Freedom to create.
What gets my blood pumping is creating something new. Whether it’s a new product or service, a marketing campaign, a book, an article or a blog post, there is pure joy in the process of creating.

5. Mondays.
In my past life as an employee, Sunday nights were depressing. The weekend was over; the fun was over. As an entrepreneur, Sunday nights are energizing because Monday is coming! I get to do what I love on Monday!

6. It’s a really cool club.
Entrepreneurs are unlike any group of people I have ever known. We come together at events and meetings to share, learn and support each other. We share a common bond and outsiders feel like aliens in our world.

7. Nobody else is pulling the strings.
No subjective performance reviews, no one to ask for time off, no accusations of insubordination (yes, this happened to me!), and no mandatory time-sucking meetings.

8. Ongoing learning opportunities.
I don’t know any entrepreneur who hasn’t made mistakes or run into some obstacles along the way. But these experiences bring opportunities to learn. The most successful business owners find the lesson, avoid repeating it, forge ahead and celebrate successes.

9. The playing field has been leveled.
Big businesses are suffering from high overhead in a bad economy. While nobody wants to celebrate the demise of any business, the reality is that the recession is leveling the playing field. As over-stuffed businesses lose market share or disappear off the map completely, new opportunities emerge for small business.

10. Flexibility and freedom.
This morning I checked e-mail, updated my social networking profiles, taught a teleclass, handled a few calls, took a walk, ran out for coffee, and returned to pick up where I left off. I’m leaving early today to pick up my son and go to the park. I might do the same thing tomorrow. Life is good.

About the Author:
Stephanie Chandler is an author of several business and marketing books including “LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business” and “From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur.” She is also founder and CEO of Authority Publishing, which provides custom book publishing and author marketing services for business, self-help and other non-fiction books. A frequent speaker at business events and on the radio, she has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, BusinessWeek, Inc.com and many other media outlets.
 

written by Stephanie Chandler

Paul Krupin assembled a great resource on his blog: Submission Guidelines for Book Reviews. This includes links to the top 21 book review publications.

As I work with a lot of non-fiction authors, I want to mention that book reviews aren’t always as easy to come by for non-fiction books UNLESS you are targeting the appropriate audience (your industry/niche). Often your time would be better spent working on getting publicity with the right publications.

Also, I do want to point out a couple of favorites from the list above:

Midwest Book Review is very author-friendly, especially to self-publishers (and non-fiction authors!). They also post their reviews to Amazon and other sources. I highly recommend submitting your book to them.

Foreword Magazine runs an annual contest - and it’s legitimate! I know because my first book, The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams, came in second place in the business book category several years back. That was a great thrill for a first-time author!

Write on and visit http://AuthorityPublishing.com for custom book publishing assistance or author marketing services.

written by Stephanie Chandler