eWomenNetwork Blog

Dianna Amorde

Acknowledge Your Brilliance and Your Blind Spots

A Guest post by Dianna Amorde

Your brain is a masterpiece, filled with knowledge and capabilities of which you have no conscious awareness. It’s tailor-made to maximize your unique potential at any given moment. You are brilliant—no matter what anyone or any test ever told you. You are brilliant and your brilliance is unique to who you’re meant to be and what you’re meant to do in this world. But, that brilliance comes with a caution.

Your mental knowing or intellect is associated with your inner critic as well. And that inner critic’s job is to keep you safely thinking, feeling, and doing the same old things. This part of you is your left brain’s best friend, as it’s not very comfortable with change either.

Let’s call your mental knowing or intellect ‘LB’ for short. LB knows it’s superior at processing information and thinks its way of making a decision is the only way that counts. It tells itself and you that it’s very rational and objective, bringing in all sorts of data and expert opinion. It will do all that it can to discredit any other forms of knowing, even knowing that brings up important personal beliefs and values.

While this part of us is critical to successfully maneuvering our way in this world and getting anything accomplished, it is ONLY one way of knowing—and, quite frankly, the least important way. Start seeing your mental intellect as only a part of you. It’s not your soul or spirit. It’s not the only way you receive information. So don’t blindly follow its reasoning at the expense of your other sources of information and knowing. Trust your brilliance – - all of your brilliance. Bring in the wisdom of your emotions, your intuition, your spiritual connection, and your body’s reaction into any decision too. Aha! Now you’re making your best decision.

Look for more ideas for accessing your inner wisdom over the next two weeks.  [Adapted with permission from Dianna Amorde’s new book, Aha! Moments: When Intellect & Intuition Collide]

Loral Langemeier

A Guest Post by Loral Langemeier

Don’t be Shy – Tell the World!

Starting a business on a shoestring is tough but not impossible. All you need is some creativity, especially when it comes to marketing. Advertising your business is essential but you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get your name out there. Truth is, all you really need to do is talk to people. YES you have to talk to people.

Whether your business is a product or service based Cash Machine your first step is to develop a 30 second “pitch” about what you do. Remember you’re the expert and you want to come off that way. Have it ready to spill out at every opportunity. You never know when you’ll meet a potential customer so you’ll want to know what to say when the time comes. Be ready!

Your first sale will likely come from someone you know personally, professionally, or casually. Start thinking about everyone you run into on a daily basis. Go through your address book and write out a list of people you’ve done business with such as your realtor, contractors, mechanics, and so on. If you’ve patronized their business, it’s only fair that they hear you out!
Don’t be shy! Your Cash Machine is exciting — so tell the world.

Once you’ve got your list of people you’ll want to compose a short and effective email announcement telling your friends, family, and associates what you’re up to. Follow that up with a telephone call. Don’t forget to ask people if they know of anyone that might benefit from your product or service. Referrals are a great way to expand your database and really get the ball rolling.

It sounds scary at first but you’ve got to overcome your fear. You’ll find people are much more open to your ideas than you thought. What you’re doing is exciting and that can be contagious. If you’re excited about your business, others will be too!

Once you start getting a few “YES’s” you can invest in more sophisticated marketing strategies. For right now, work with what you’ve got.

Ready GO!

Loral Langemeier

Guest Post by Loral Langemeier

Add To What You Have
The hottest trend in small to mid sized businesses today is additive revenue and I’ve been teaching it for years. Simply put, additive revenue takes what you already offer in your business and expands it to offer complementary products or services. You may even consider packaging your current products or services with a new option and rekindle the relationship with previous customers.
Are you an interior designer? You could offer seasonal or holiday decorating services. It’s a great way to earn extra cash.
Have your own housekeeping business? Offer “green” cleaning supplies to your clients to use in between scheduled services. Personal shopping services might also work well.
The possibilities are endless!
If you’re not sure what you can add on to your business, why not ask your customers? This is very effective and it will let your clients know that you’re always striving to offer them the very best in convenience and service. Give them a call and find out how you can serve them better. Compose a questionnaire or survey, and get the conversation started.
Another great way to incorporate additive revenue is to partner with another business. I’m a big believer in this method. It’s a “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” world. Cross promotions are great for all kinds of businesses. Strike up a conversation with fellow business owners that complement your products or services. For example, house cleaning services could partner with a handyman service.
If you’re in a person’s home and notice a problem with a stair step, mention to the homeowner that you work closely with a home repair company that offers discounts to your clients. Have them do the same for you. After construction clean up is a great service you could offer customers of his! Do you see where I’m going with this?
With a little effort you could strengthen your relationship with current customers and bring back some old ones. Small changes and adding a little extra could make a big difference to your bottom line.
Ready GO!