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More Tips from the Experts to Help Overworked Entrepreneurs Get better Work/Life Balance

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Monday, April 25th, 2011

If you’ve got a business, then chances are you have trouble achieving balance between that business and your personal life. We’ve all been there. And it’s all too easy to let your business take over your entire life. Because there’s always more on your to-do list than any human can get done.

But if you want to be both successful and happy as an entrepreneur, you have to find a way to achieve a bit of that elusive balance. To help you on your quest, I recently solicited tips from more than 100 experts on productivity, time management, business/life balance, mindset and more. Below are a few more I thought were worth sharing. Enjoy!

Flexibility: One of the keys to balance your family and your business

“Balancing life as a successful, self-employed event planner and mother of three is a bigger challenge than I expected when I booked my first client years ago. I have found that balance requires enormous flexibility. Some days work requires more time and I must be prepared with ideas to entertain and care for my children. Other days, my children need more engagement so I must set work aside for later. By remaining flexible with my time, I am able to compensate for anything that arises–the mark of a good planner!” Emily McCollin, Lead Planner – Occasions by Emily www.occasionsbyemily.com

“Me Time” is critical to living a balanced, happy life and being fulfilled

“Think about when you fill your car with gas. If you wait until your tank is completely empty, it takes more time and effort to fill it. If you “top it off” every now and then, you are quickly on your way and not worried about running out of gas any time soon. “Topping off” your tank can be done in a variety of ways.

Do the ones that work best for you — ones that replenish and refuel you. Don’t let others judgments, comments or innuendo get to you. These common internal and external conflicts will hold you back if you continue to neglect your needs in favor of what boils down to a sense of guilt or obligation.” Bo Bradley, Chief Empowerment Officer – Manifest U! Inc. http://www.UniversityOfManifesting.com

You've gotta know what you’re missing to make a change

“Whenever I feel my life getting out of balance, I sit down and make a list of all the ways I spend my time during my waking hours, everything over and above a standard eight hour work day. I rank the list by the amount of time I spend on each. Next to that list, I write down the five things I consider the most important in my life, in order of their importance.

For me, just seeing the discrepancy between those lists is an incredibly powerful motivator for putting things back into perspective.” Barry Maher, http://www.barrymaher.com

At the end of the day, it's my responsibility to care for myself, my family and my business…

“…And God gave me 24 hours each day to accomplish those 3 things. There's no reason to stress myself out trying to make them fit into artificial timeslots. I schedule them when they make the most sense for me and my natural style.

For example, I'm a night owl. So I've chosen to do administrative tasks and email-based stuff after 9 p.m. when my daughter is in bed. That frees up daylight hours to take a much needed yoga class for relaxation or just to run a few errands when there are no crowds.”
Elene Cafasso, President & Head Coach – Enerpace, Inc. http://www.enerpace.com

10 Tips for Way too Busy Mom-preneurs (Many also good for us kid-free business owners too…)

1. Accept that not everything will get done on any given day (ie: laundry, beds)- the world will not end
2. Make lists and prioritize
3. Don't be a martyr- reach out to friends and family for help AND accept help when offered
4. Push through the guilt of not being able to drive for carpool (or volunteer for "media day")- it does not make you a bad mom
5. Ordering in pizza or making the same lunch for the kids every day does not make you a bad mom
6. Delegate
7. Outsource
8. Make time for yourself
9. Schedule date night with the hubbie
10. Deep breaths!

B Nathan, Founder – www.MyWorkButterfly.com

Got more tips to share, or thoughts on this topic? Please do leave a comment below…

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How Would You Grow Your Business if You Couldn’t Do Online Marketing?

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

The other day I popped on Hootsuite to post a message. But the site was down due to “widespread Internet outages”. Hellotxt was up and running so I was able to post my message, but it got me thinking…What would I do if I couldn’t really do online marketing anymore?

This is an extra-important question, because, while I don’t really think the Internet is going anywhere anytime soon, it’s definitely gotten harder to effectively market a business online. The days of making easy money on the “Wild, Wild, Web” are gone.

We’ve all heard it…Consumers are suffering from email fatigue. So email marketing isn’t as effective as it once was. On top of that, millions of new Websites are launched each year; increasing your competition online.

Now, top marketers are already saying video alone isn’t as effective a sales tool as everyone thought it would be. And getting hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube certainly isn’t as easy as it once was because there are so many videos out there.

Studies show the vast majority of online users now ignore ads. And speaking of ads, have you checked out the costs of virtually any decent keywords for a pay-per-click ad campaign? Ack!

On the social networking front, MySpace is dead. And people have been leaving Twitter in droves. But use—and info-bombardment—is on the rise on Facebook.

All of this means you really have to do something that stands out if you want to get noticed online.

Then there’s the flip side of the coin…How many entrepreneurs are spending long days on their computers just trying to keep up with all the email, tweets, FB posts, videos, podcasts, ezines and so forth? It’s enough to drive a fair number of people crazy (myself included).

While you still need a Website, and you probably want to keep marketing online too, what else can you do? I say go old school…

Below are ten highly-effective offline marketing ideas – these don’t have anything to do with the Internet, email, or your social networking account:

1. Send press releases via snail mail to selected editors
2. Write thank you cards
3. Send postcards or sales letters
4. Put up promo fliers
5. Do speaking engagements
6. Attend live networking meetings
7. Make follow up phone calls to prospects and clients
8. Mail a monthly print newsletter
9. Hold an event
10. Attend conferences

Got thoughts on this subject, or any more ideas for marketing a business without using online tactics? Please do share by leaving a comment below…

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Use the Mercury Retrograde to Take Stock of Your Business, Marketing & Life

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Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Mercury is in retrograde right now. From what I understand, it can throw a monkey wrench in communications as well as some other things (like email). But it’s also good for picking back up with things you’d set aside. And, as an entrepreneur, it’s an ideal time for reflecting on your current business situation, your goals and your life.

I’ve been doing lots of that lately, and making changes a result. So far it’s all been for the better. So I thought I’d share a few of the questions I’ve been asking myself about my business, my lifestyle, my health and my overall happiness with you.

These are the kinds of questions we often don’t make time for in our lives. But they are incredibly revealing and worthwhile, even if you what you discover may be a bit tough to handle.

I highly recommend you set aside some time to ponder these now. Then keep coming back to review them every few months to make sure you stay on track towards your goals…

1. What tasks and activities would you do if you were only going to work 4 hours a day (or two days a week)?

Even if you have no plans to cut back your hours this drastically, it’s eye-opening to really look at which activities are most worthwhile and important.

2. Out of all your marketing tactics, which generate the best results overall? And, which marketing tactics have the best ROI (Return on Investment)?

In other words, which ones bring in the most leads, sales, and/or clients…And which ones make you the most money after you deduct the time and money costs of implementing them.

3. Can any of your most effective marketing tactics be completely or partly automated at no or low cost?

These days there are loads of online tools to help you automate your marketing both online and off. A few minutes of research can be really worthwhile, and help you get more done with less effort.

4. How can you lower your expenses?

It’s always worth taking the time to go through your expenses, and see if you can find another provider, option, software, or whatever that costs less. Sometimes simply calling a provider and asking will get you a lower price on things like Internet and phone service, or credit card interest.

5. Where are you overextended?

Are you spending too much time dealing with email; participating in social media; writing articles; volunteering; something else? Figure out what your biggest time sucks are and seek ways to limit them.

6. Is there anything about your business that hurts you physically?

This could be lack of sleep, stress, bad ergonomics, sitting too much, using a mouse, etc. Change this now before the damage creates a chronic condition!

For me, sitting is about the worst thing I can do for my sciatica and low back (ironic for someone who does so many aggressive sports!). So I’ve got a stand up workstation, and I’m actively looking for ways to limit my computer time (like writing and sending fewer ezines).

7. What are the things you most love doing in your business? What are the things you dislike doing most?

It’s good to know exactly where you stand. Because you can’t change these if you don’t know what they are.

8. In business AND in your personal life, when do you feel (or have you felt) your very best?

Is it when you’re working with a client? Or when you’re out dancing? Or playing with your kids? Or reading a great novel? Or writing your next book? Or playing an instrument? Or being outdoors? Whatever it is, it’s up to you to bring more of it into your life.

9. If you divide your take home salary by the number of hours you worked, how much are you really making per hour?

Most entrepreneurs, particularly service providers, have to work some hours that aren’t billable. This means there may be a big difference between the hourly fee you charge, and the hourly wage you make. You need to know the answer in order to make wise decisions moving forward.

10. Why do you do what you do, AND are the costs worth it?

Goodness knows there are all kinds of reasons people start businesses. Sometimes it’s kinda by accident. Or forced by circumstance. Other times it’s because you have a certain passion. It may even be just for the money. The important thing it to understand why you’re doing it. Then look at the costs to make sure it’s really worth all the effort.

There may be other things you could do in this world that would make your happier, make you more money, and help more people. Or there may be better ways to do what you’re already doing. But you don’t know if you never look.

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Categories : Build Your Business, Entrepreneur Mindset, Practical Marketing, Work/Life Balance

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My New Favorite Business Automation Tool – The Online Scheduler!

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Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Entrepreneurs and small business owners, if you’re already overwhelmed by all you have to do in a day, you have to try using an online scheduling system! It’s especially nice if you spend way too much time dealing with email (and these days, who doesn’t?).

I admit I stalled on trying an online scheduling system for, like, forever (and maybe a day). I was concerned about it’s compatibility with Outlook. I thought it would be a pain to block out time for calls and meetings. The list goes on…

Now that I’ve gotten mine up and running I am sold. It is SUCH a time saver to simply send someone the link to your online calendar versus emailing back and forth (and risking double-booking) to schedule a meeting or appointment.

You can find paid products like TimeTrade and others by doing a quick search online. Or you can try the free service I’m using, Tungle.me and see how you like it. It takes a few minutes to figure out how to get your availability set up right, but once you’ve done it the first time it’s easy.

Plus it automatically connects with, and puts the appointments in: your Outlook calendar (with or without Exchange), Google Calendar, Apple iCal, Entourage for Mac, Lotus Notes, BlackBerry Yahoo!, Windows Live, Facebook, TripIt and Plancast.

Try it…You’ll like it.

Have you used on online scheduler? What did you think? Other suggestions for good services? Or other tips and tools for reducing overwhelm? Please do share…

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Categories : Business Systems, Work/Life Balance

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More Tips to Help Overworked Entrepreneurs Achieve Better Business / Life Balance

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (2)

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

All too often entrepreneurs start businesses with dreams of more freedom and work/life balance. Then they find they’ve somehow given up their lives to grow their businesses. This is a recipe for illness, frustration and burn out.

While I offer tips, tactics and ideas for helping entrepreneurs find better work / life balance all the time; I always like to hear what others have to say on the subject. So recently I solicited tips from experts. And wow! I got more than 100!! Many of them terrific and different from what I’ve shared before.

I included the first few in last week’s ezine and on my blog. Today I’m including a few more. And I plan to keep ‘em coming in the weeks to come. I hope they help you enjoy your entrepreneurial life more and more.

Don’t be a slave to your email (So true and helpful!)

Only check your email every few hours. Don’t be a slave to other people’s requests – as a business owner, manage your time for yourself.

Stephanie Mansour – CEO, Step It Up with Steph www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Make time for taking care of yourself

Pencil in time for a workout for yourself. Put your workout on your calendar and view this as an important appointment…with yourself.

Stephanie Mansour – CEO, Step It Up with Steph www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

It’s all about the three A’s

There is a key to business/life balance that can be described with 3 A's:

Awareness – that you need to achieve this to have success in work and in life.
Accountability- that it is totally up to you to make this happen and there will never be a 'perfect' time – so do it now!
Attitude – if your attitude is such that you can't, won't, shouldn't take time to balance your schedule it need to shift to an attitude of YES, I CAN, WILL, NEED Stephanie Staples

Stephanie Staples – Motivational Coach, Your Life Unlimited www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca

Steps to achieving work / life balance

Work/life balance is essential to well-being. First, clarify your vision. What do you want your life to look like? Write it in detail, review it daily, consider it your ultimate guide. Next, inventory your activities, personal and professional, and ask yourself if they move you closer to your vision. Those that don’t need to leave your life. Those that do need to be scheduled. Seriously, if you don’t schedule things they wont happen. Make appointments with yourself for both work tasks and pleasure. Leisure time is critical, it refuels you so you can be a better business person.

Kelly Jayne McCann – Professional Organizer & Productivity Consultant, PERFECT ORDER ORGANIZING www.perfectorderorganizing.com

Block out personal time first.

If I don’t say Ill cook dinner with friends between 6pm – 9pm on Tuesday, it doesn’t get done. If I don’t agree to meet a friend for lunch in three days, I end up working through the meal. Take your highest priority personal items and put them on your calendar first. Your work can fill in the rest.

Kathryn Minshew – Co -Founder / Editor in Chief, Pretty Young Professional www.prettyyoungprofessional.com

Take the weekends off (I am SUCH a fan of this one!!)

From midnight to midnight (Friday or Saturday) completely abstain from email, blackberry, reading anything pertaining to work, work of any kind and allow yourself to enjoy your life with your family and friends. If you start thinking about work, stop yourself immediately. Allow yourself to do activities that are fun and joyful. It is amazing how your Mondays will be creative, productive and power packed! When you are plugged into work 24/7, you lose enthusiasm and creativity. Give yourself time to maximize the value of your time off.

Connie Kadansky – Sales Call Reluctance Coach and Trainer, Exceptional Sales www.exceptionalsales.com

Do you have more tips to share? Or thoughts on these? Please do leave a comment below…

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Categories : Business Systems, Work/Life Balance

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Tips to Help Overworked Entrepreneurs Achieve Better Business / Life Balance

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (0)

Friday, March 11th, 2011

It’s no secret that when you run a small business it’s easy to lose your life in your efforts to achieve success. Because it does take a lot of time, effort and work to build that successful business you’ve been dreaming of. But that doesn’t mean you should give up your personal life in the process. Do that and you’re likely to be unhappy, whether or not you’re successful.

Today I’m including just a handful here. But I’ll keep publishing them in this ezine and/or on my blog for weeks to come. I hope they help you enjoy your entrepreneurial life more and more.

Getting spousal buy-in is critical to help small-business owners balance work and life

* Make a plan as you would a business plan in viewing your short-term and long-term work-life balance. Be flexible in knowing some days or weeks may be work-heavy, but planning ahead can reap big benefits down the road.

* Both spouses absolutely need to accept that they're in it together as a team, and to be accountable to each other.

* Demonstrating unwavering support is important. Both spouses need to make concessions to make sure the other one is happy and fulfilled, and acknowledge the other's contributions.

Colette Young – President, ExecuMate LLC www.ExecuMate.net

Freelance, flexible part time help is key

I have an online art eco gift store and run it along with a part time freelance editor, web designer, and artist (have never met some in person). I also work with p/t admin assistants who help process packages during the winter holidays, when there are unexpected rush periods or when I'm away. It takes a while to find them, but it is worth the time for a search and interviews.

Reena Kazmann – Director, Eco-Artware.com. www.eco-artware.com

Know your priorities and how you’re using your day

We must breakdown our day into smaller components. Let’s assume we sleep 8 hours and lose 4 hours to eating, travel and transitions. That leaves us with 12 useable hours. We all have the same 12 hours. Record your day: How many hours do you give to your career? How much time do you put towards your family, exercising, or community? Mapping out your priorities as hard variables is the first step to understanding the balance that can bring you a happier lifestyle.

Daniel E. Vega – founder and CEO of Blue Star Business Institute and Vega Group International www.bluestarbusinessinstitute.com

Test your activities against the five-year rule to prioritize and find better work-life balance

The five-year rule, very simply, is asking yourself whether this activity or thing that demands your attention or is giving you anxiety will make a difference in five years. If the answer is yes, then it deserves your attention. If the answer is no, then there may be something, or someone, else that deserves it more.

Darla Demorrow – Certified Professional Organizer, Heartwork Organizing www.heartworkorg.com

It is worthwhile to spend time figuring out how to make things easier the next time

Think in terms of systems and routines from the beginning. This applies to getting organized and simplifying any area of your office or home. Here is what I do:

DETERMINE THE STEPS. Just think through the steps and get them listed.

FOLLOW THE STEPS. It will allow you to keep your focus, one element at a time.

ELIMINATE THE STEPS THAT DIDN'T PAY OFF. Focus on the steps that move you forward. INCLUDE NEW STEPS YOU LEARN ALONG THE WAY.

Miriam Ortiz – CPO More Than Organized www.morethanorganized.net

Put “pleasure before business,” especially when it comes to planning your time

There’s the old saying "business before pleasure." But I say “pleasure before business,” especially when it comes to planning your time. First, calendar in everything “pleasure” – those things that will boost your personal happiness and overall well-being, whether it is your summer vacation, annual doctor’s appointments, weekly mani/pedis, or Saturday morning golf games. Then calendar in everything “business." I always say the first step toward finding balance and getting organized is taking care of yourself. And if you don’t make time for YOU, first and foremost, then you likely won’t make time for you at all.

Carmen Coker – Professional Organizer and Productivity Expert, Organized Entrepreneur www.organizedentrepreneur.com

Want expert guidance and accountability for achieving better balance in your own business life, join my upcoming Business Lifestyle Catapult program http://www.businesslifestylecatapult.com

What are your thoughts on these ideas? Do you have other tips to share? Please do by leaving a comment below…

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The Solution to Your “Entrepreneurial Envy”

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Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Do you feel a bit envious whenever you hear about another entrepreneur taking a huge leap forward (IE: publishing a book, launching a new program, or getting their blog, ezine or social networking ramped up), because you haven’t been able to make time to get yours done?

Do you feel a twinge of jealousy every time you hear about a vacation or fun adventure someone else has enjoyed, because you can’t make time to take one?

If you answered yes to either of these I totally empathize. I remember being stuck in just that same place.

For years I was so busy just trying to run my business, I couldn’t even begin to think about writing a book, launching a program or even getting any of my own marketing done—let alone taking a vacation. And it practically drove me nuts watching other people make all that happen and more.

Not to mention the pain of my soul shrinking as I watched my hubby head off kayaking, skiing or biking with our friends while I sat chained to my computer.

But thankfully, those days are long gone. I regularly get out for vacations and adventures. And I’m always launching something new.

It feels SO much better when you have some balance in your business life. Because you’re happier, less exhausted and more successful. And you deserve to have a successful, growing business and a happy, healthy personal life!!

The thing is…It doesn’t happen on its own. You have to take a good look at your business and your goals. Then create a plan to put more of your marketing and day-to-day tasks on autopilot.

That way you can focus on what’s most important and get your business and your life in balance.

If you’re suffering from entrepreneurial envy (and if you answered yes to either of those questions above, you are), then you’re in luck. My next Business Lifestyle Catapult small group virtual coaching program starts March 16th!

During this 3-week program you’re going to:

• Discover the exact steps I take to get WAY more done in my business than should be humanly possible—and how to apply them in your own business.

• Learn how and what you can replicate and repurpose to create the latest Web marketing tools like ezines and blogs—as well as ebooks, books, coaching programs, products and more—without working yourself to the bone.

• Figure out exactly what your priorities are and where you’re wasting time, then make a plan to change it.

• Discover at least five things you can easily and cheaply automate in your business right away so you can get more done with less effort.

• Get access to a list of my own providers and systems for replicating, automating and delegating so you can get started right away.

• Have me personally help you decide how best to use what you’ve already got to move your business forward—without reinventing the wheel, wasting time or spending a fortune.

• BONUS #1: Benefit from having my expertise focused on your business during the Live Q & A and Laser Coaching time built into every call (Priceless!). Plus get access to me via the online forum for an additional month to make sure all your questions are answered.

• BONUS #2: Get all the info and guidance you need to start delegating and outsourcing to your own team of Virtual Assistants in your very own copy of my action guide “The Overworked Entrepreneur’s Guide to Outsourcing Success” (a $397 value!).

As if that isn’t enough, here’s the best part…

To make sure you get all personal attention you need, I’m only accepting 10, savvy entrepreneurs into this program who are truly dedicated to taking action.

So you get personal guidance, live laser coaching, homework, support and accountability. All you need to do is give yourself time and permission to focus on your business.

If you’re ready to dig in and make a plan for growing your business AND getting your life back, you need to be a part of this program. The Early Bird Rate ends on Thursday, March 10th at midnight EST. And the first seats are already spoken for. So go here now to get all the details and secure your spot: http://www.businesslifestylecatapult.com

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Categories : Build Your Business, Business Systems, Work/Life Balance

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Three Reasons to Never Hire a Virtual Assistant Based on Referral Alone

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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

I remember when my husband and I first moved to Seattle and a newfound friend of ours raved about a particular sushi bar. I mean RAVED! So being big sushi fans we went to check it out. The sushi was okay, but nothing to write home about.

The next time I saw our friend, I asked an important question… “What other sushi bars have you tried and liked?” The answer? None. This was the first and only place they’d ever eaten sushi. If we’d known that up front we would’ve taken their recommendation with a big fat grain of salt.

What’s this have to do with finding and hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA), you ask?

Well, people are often looking for referrals to “The best VA you know”. And they want that person right now to take care of a million things. But all too often they don’t consider where that referral is coming from. And that’s just one, fundamental reason that holds true for everything from restaurants to employees to health practitioners.

The thing is…Even if your referral source has worked with loads of VAs you don’t want to just take the referral and run.

Entrepreneurs get in touch with me all the time because they’re looking to hire a VA and want me to recommend one. While I’ve certainly worked with a lot of different ones over the years, and I’m happy to pass a few names along, I still always do so with a big warning…

DO NOT simply hire one of the people I—or anyone else—recommends. Or the first VA you run across. Do you due diligence!

Otherwise chances are you’re going to end up with another outsourcing horror story for me to add to my files.

Here’s why…

Everyone needs are different and every VA has a different skill set. If you want a VA to manage your shopping cart, and the one your friend referred you to is more skilled at social media and blog development, you’ve got a problem.
It’s your job to make sure the person you hire has plenty of experience doing the tasks you want done, in a way that’s proven to be effective and efficient.
Your communication styles need to mesh. I prefer to work with my VAs via written communication most of the time, and phone occasionally. You might prefer phone over email. Or you might rather use video SKYPE.
On top of that, you need someone who just fundamentally gets what you’re after and what you’re trying to say. And I’ve yet to meet a VA that studied Mind Reading in school. So the VA your friend loves may not understand you or what you want very well or very easily.

Ineffective communication leads to massive frustration. Plus wasted time and dollars.
You need to have a little skin in the game. While most VAs are highly skilled and can largely hit the ground running, it still takes time to get to know each other. And time for them to learn your style and how you like things done.
If you haven’t spent any time on the hiring process it’s too easy for you to bail the first time something doesn’t go exactly as you’d planned or hoped. If you’ve invested time searching for the right Virtual Assistant (including interviewing and checking references on a few top contenders), you’re less likely to walk away at the drop of a hat.

Think about it…Most traditional employees are given a certain number of weeks or months to get up to speed. Because employers don’t want all that hiring time, energy and investment to go to waste. And they don’t want to have to start the process again. You should feel the same.

While you can successfully hire a VA based on a referral for a one-off project, the big benefits come when you have long-term relationship with a VA. You want them to become an integral part of your business support team. That doesn’t happen overnight. And it doesn’t happen unless you find the right Virtual Assistant to support you.

Take your time. Do your due diligence. Then once you’ve hired the best VA you can find for you, remember that it’s up to delegate and communicate effectively to let them know exactly what you need. While it may take a little while for them to get things just right, it’s going to be well worth your investment once they do.

What are you thoughts on the subject? Have you hired a Virtual Assistant based on referral alone? Have you had good or bad experiences with finding and hiring VAs?

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Categories : Outsourcing & Delegating, Work/Life Balance

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The Three Best Ways to Put Your Small Business Marketing on Autopilot

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Thursday, February 10th, 2011

Let’s face it…We truly are all given the same 24 hours in a day. As an entrepreneur, on any day you likely have to handle your social networking, write an ezine or blog, answer a zillion emails, take care of clients, projects or customers, attend meetings of one sort or another, do some bookkeeping, and on and on and on.

On top of all that, with all the noise and competition out there, you have to be marketing your business constantly and consistently. Because if you don’t, people are quickly going to forget all about you and what you do—if they ever even noticed you exist to start with.

So forget sleeping more than four or five hours a night. Or taking even an afternoon off on the weekend. Unless you find a way to put your marketing on autopilot.

Because if you don’t keep marketing you don’t exist. And if you don’t take some tasks off your own plate you’re going to hit a plateau in your business and a wall in your life.

Luckily, there are three ways any overworked entrepreneur can put their marketing on autopilot…

Replicate Experienced marketers rarely reinvent the wheel. Instead they find ways to replicate and repurpose everything they know, do or create into different forms and formats. A web page can become three emails, a press release and a postcard mailing. Ezine articles can become blog posts, Tweets, link builders, the foundation of your next book and more.When you do this, you get more marketing done with less effort. Plus you easily create your own ebooks, books, audio products and more. Thus gaining expert status, some passive revenue, and more ways to get your name out there.
Automate If your business is on the Web—and if you have a Website, it is—you have to deal with everything from social networking to online sales, product delivery and follow-up processes. Plus all the marketing that goes with driving people to your site and turning them into subscriber, then a customer or client.Handling all this can be a full time job and then some. But if you’ve designed your Website properly it can handle all or most of the sales job for you. Combine that with the latest widgets, email marketing, microblogging and blogging tools to automate much of your online marketing and sales follow up, and you save yourself tons of time and hard work.
Delegate Solo-entrepreneur is such a misleading title. Because no one can do it all alone anymore. That’s why you need to delegate. For a lot of small business owners, hiring an employee just isn’t in the budget. Instead the key is to outsource as much of your marketing as you can to your own team of experienced Virtual Assistants.These experienced assistants can set up all your online automation tools as well as handle much of what can’t be automated from their own home offices. Since they run Internet-based businesses they’re typically pretty savvy about the ways of the Web.That means you don’t have to teach them how to do something, you just need to explain what you want done. And you can scale up and down as your business and budget demands.

Taking any one of these three steps is going to start freeing you up to do the things you do best and enjoy the most. And because your marketing is going to be happening consistently without you turning that crank, you can grow your business without being chained to it.

Want help figuring out what and how to best put your own marketing on autopilot? I currently have a couple of consulting slots open each month just for this.

Interested? Email your phone number, time zone, and time of day that works for you to stacy @ theunchainedentrepreneur.com (without the spaces). I’ll get back to you with a time we can chat, so I can learn more about your business and see if this is indeed a good fit for you.

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Categories : Business Systems, Outsourcing & Delegating, Practical Marketing, Uncategorized, Work/Life Balance

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Entrepreneurs, is this Where You’re Holding Yourself Back…In Business or In Life?

Posted by: Stacy Karacostas | Comments (1)

Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

I get ezines from a few, really powerful folks. Just the other day I received my friend Scout Wilkins’ monthly missive. Scout is an amazing entrepreneur who shares my love of the outdoors. In fact, we both spent years working for the Forest Service.

She also helps people move through their internal blocks and issues so they can actually achieve their goals. It’s powerful stuff!

Anyhoo, in her ezine she had a short Tip of the Month this time that really struck a chord with me. So much so that I just had to share it with you because…

How you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING

By Scout Wilkins

OK – here is where the rubber meets the road! You ready?

Get ready to play full out. Get some paper and a pen, and take some time to do this. If you can’t do it right now, set a time when you will do it, and come back.

Pick something simple that you have done within the last few hours. It might be making the bed or walking the dog. Pick something that has no emotional charge – just something you did.

Examine how you did it, microscopically. Look at every part of it, and ask yourself these questions:

How did I feel while I was doing this?
Did I do the best job I could do, or did I cut some corners?
Did I take my time or rush?
Was I multi tasking, or giving it the attention it deserved?
Was this important to me? If not, why was I doing it?
What emotion am I feeling as I think about it?
Did I finish it, or leave some for later?
What are all the details I can see in this, about how I am showing up?

Add whatever other questions occur to you. Examine it in depth.

Next – think about an area of your life in which you are frustrated, not getting the results you want, or the area you most want to change.

Ask yourself – how do the answers I have given above apply in this situation?

If you allow yourself to go deeply into this exploration, my advice to you is to take some Kleenex along on your journey. And as you are crying, or screaming in frustration, or whatever emotion is up for you – be thankful for all the roiling emotion you can feel. Because THAT is what is going to move you to change in the way that you want to change.

Now – let’s sneak in a little surprise…and stretch you a little more.

Ask yourself how you did THIS project. Because this will tell you things about how you value yourself.

If you didn’t allow yourself to go deep, look at that. Where else in your life is that true?
Did you get the pen and paper and give it attention?
If you set aside time to do it – YOU time – did you come back and take it?
Did you play full out?
Or did you blow yourself off?

Food for thought. I invite you to add this to your awareness. Notice how you do things, as you move through your day, and just have that thought in the back of your mind.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

About the Author

Scout is a Mind Repatterning Ninja who specializes in helping successful women move through their upper limits, the fears and doubts that are holding them back. She offers a free one-on-one Discovery Session to get you into action. If you are are aware of not yet playing full out, in your business, your relationships your fitness or anywhere else in your life, you can learn more here: http://scoutwilkins.com/discover

By the way…Scout is going to be interviewing me on How to Find, Hire and Happily Outsource to Your Own Virtual Assistant on Feb 16th. It’s a free call, but phone lines are limited so you do have to register to listen in. Go here to reserve your spot: http://TheUnchainedEntrepreneur.com/outsourcing

What did you think of this article and the exercise? Did you give it a try? Have any great
ah-ha’s? More to add? Please do share by leaving a comment below…

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