Why You Should Get In Touch With Your "Inner Lazy Ass"

Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead

CanadianMedsWorld.com

In an effort to get workaholics and control freaks to lighten up, I once suggested "get in touch with your inner lazy ass."

     You can work too hard.

     It will kill you.

     But you can be too lazy, too.  In fact, it's in our nature to be lazy.  I often tell people that, if you really want to understand how the human race behaves, you must go watch the gorilla cage at the zoo for a week.  At first, you'll just see a bunch of hairy apes doing their thing.  But soon enough, you'll begin to recognize the many traits they share with us.

     Such as... being as lazy as possible, as much as possible.

     I was a no-account lazy bum for much of my youth.  I enjoyed it, to tell the truth.

     But it got me nowhere.  When I finally entered the business world, I picked up on the one tactic that actually forced employees to get anything done:

Deadlines

     Oh, they can be hateful things, deadlines.  Reminiscent of high school papers due, smog tests needed, so-and-so's birthday coming up (when they expect something impressive from you).

     And when you finally go out on your own, it can be tempting to abandon them.

     Big mistake.  As inherently lazy creatures, we need deadlines to be efficient.

     Nowadays, I'm a deadline setting monster.  But I've lost the resentment I used to harbor because deadlines have made me so much money over the years.

     Do you know why most novels never get written?  Because there's no deadline.  Writers think about the plot for years on end, whittling their thumbs.  Come up with brilliant twists while showering.  Make vague plans about renting a cabin in the mountains someday and finally finishing the damn thing.

     And it never happens.

     Because there's no deadline.

      Deadlines make your goals become reality.  They form a brick wall in the misty netherworld of "tomorrow" that keeps you in line.

     Deadlines should be an integral part of your business plan.  In most corporations where I've had an inside peek, deadlines are forever allowed to be pushed back.  (Thus, they aren't real deadlines.)  Committees are formed to "study" the problem, endless focus groups are created to "test" the problem, reams of reports are written and shelved in an effort to "get at the problem."

     All bullshit.

     The ONLY way to attack a problem... is to roll up your sleeves and dig in.  And have a plan that includes a friggin' deadline for finishing it.

     This is not a small or minor hindrance in your quest for wealth.  I recently fielded yet another email from a rookie who claimed to desperately want to become "the best copywriting in the world."

     Okay.  Fine.  But his question reeked of fear - he wanted to know how much time each day he should spend reading books, about copywriting and advertising, and how often he should copy out great ads in longhand.

     Not okay.  Not fine.  This boy is crippled with "can't let the curtain come up" disease.  A pretty bad case, too.

     Unfortunately... he's got a lot of company.

     This kind of question never even forms in the mind of someone truly seeking copywriting expertise.  You're too busy making your goal a reality.  It's not "how long should I prepare," but what else can I do, right now, to make this happen?"

     Action, not excuses for inaction.

     You want to get into it up you neck, as quickly as possible.  Get the material ready for your first ad (whether it's for your own business or for your first client), do the detective work, write a dozen versions (each one stronger and more focused than the previous), and push for a test mailing or insertion into a publication or posting on the web or whatever.

     If you're placing an ad, you'll have a ready-made deadline:  The last day for submissions of camera-ready art.  If you miss it, you still get charged.

     Real life is very unlike high school where you can miss a deadline if you have a "good enough" excuse.  In the Big Boys world there are no excuses.  Not sleet, nor rain, nor dead of night, nor having your dog eat every paper in your office will get you off the hook.

     Scary, yes.  But without deadlines, civilization would grind to a halt.  Trains would stop running, no one would show up for work, food would not get delivered to stores.  You'd be sitting in a cold, dark house without running water.

     Yet, if you work for yourself, it can be tempting to cut yourself slack on your own deadlines.

     Big mistake.  That web site will take forever to get up and running.  That phone call to the new prospect will never get made.  That book won't get written, the video won't get shot, the ad will never be placed.

     I am brutal about my own deadlines.  I've never missed a deadline for a client - never - and I'll be damned if I'll treat myself with any less respect.  Even so... and even though I know the power of deadlines... I still waffle and hesitate to make them part of my plan for any project.  Because they can be painful.  You have to forgo pleasures and fun things, sometimes, to meet your deadlines.  You have to stay up late, and concentrate and focus and absorb and retain stuff.  And it hurts.  Mommy!  I don't feeeeel well.  I need to stay home today.

     Nope.  Sick or stressed, crashed computer or stalled car, you gotta meet your deadlines.  It's good for you.  (It's true - nearly all the really successful business owners I know... the ones having fun making their fortunes... rarely get sick.)

     It's also another of those little secret traits that set you apart from your competitors, no matter what business you're in.  Setting and meeting deadlines is a major form of taking responsibility for yourself.  You become the "action center point" of any deal, because you're the guy making everything happen.

     And you'll come to love your deadlines, I promise you.  Because, once you stop stalling around and making excuses and start setting deadlines... an amazing amount of things will start happening in your life.  And you'll be the guy making them happen.  Projects will get done, and profits will start rolling in.

     It happens fast, and it changes your life almost immediately.  So stop whining.  Embrace your next deadline.  It's your partner.

     That's all for today.

[Via - MarketingRebelRant.Com]

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Open This

Finding a Support Network

Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead

CanadianMedsWorld.com

One common thread for all new moms is the desire for support. I'm sure that rings true for mom entrepreneurs as well. Over the years, I've been blessed with many support networks. Despite feeling I have little time available, the investment is more than worth it. If you're just getting started or feel like you need more support, try one of the following resources. There's no need to go it alone.

Online. There are countless chat groups and online groups for mom entrepreneurs. And it's no surprise, considering most moms get their work done during the fringe hours of the day and depend heavily on information from the internet. Too many websites about moms in business exist to cover them all, so I'll share some of my favorites.

Check out www.momstown.com, which hosts forums for like-minded women. Need daily inspiration and guidance? Become a member of their Big Break program for less than $10 per month to receive e-mails, newsletters and access to podcasts. The "Ladies Who Launch" site offers a great "incubator" program designed to connect people both online and in person who have the common goal of launching or expanding their businesses. And finally, besides being a great magazine, Working Mother offers great mom blogs, resources and conferences on its website.

Clubs and networks. One thing is for sure: Networking is crucial to an entrepreneur's success, and there are plenty of organizations to help you. The National Association of Female Executives offers membership benefits ranging from a subscription to their magazine and mentoring opportunities to breakfast clubs with expert speakers. The National Association of Women Business Owners offers a membership with variety of benefits, including services, products and conferences. Lastly, eWomen Network gives female business owners a variety of ways to connect with one another. There's a huge focus on networking, and you can take part in online forums as well as local meetings.

Create your own. As much as I love the traditional networking opportunities, I have often felt that my time as a mom entrepreneur is particularly crunched. I craved networking time with women who were dealing with the same demographic I was, so I created my own "MOB"--Mommy Owned Business club. If you also want to network with like-minded women in a similar business, consider starting your own networking group. I simply invited local owners who had businesses with similar client bases. I made sure that each business was unique and didn't compete with any of the others. We then set up monthly meetings at someone's home, during which we shared favorite vendors, resources and kept each other on task.

Not interested in staring your own networking group? Search local sites like www.craigslist.com or www.meetup.com to see if there are already networking groups in your area for moms in business.

No matter which path you take, know that you'll get much farther with support. I've never attended one conference, networking meeting or forum that I wasn't glad I went to. I know you're busy, but it will be well worth the time you invest.

Lisa Druxman is Entrepreneur.com's "Mompreneur" columnist and the founder and CEO of fitness franchise, Stroller Strides. Druxman is also a nationally recognized speaker and author, and is considered an expert in thefield of fitness, particularly pre- and postnatal fitness. For more information on her Mommy Owned Business webinar training, e-mail her atlisa@strollerstrides.com.

Teaching Musicians to Be Entrepreneurs
Murrieta inventor solves your everyday problems

Sewing success

Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead

CanadianMedsWorld.com

In this bleak economy, here's an option that allows you to work at home and do something you love. If you have sewing expertise, a cooperative family, a space for equipment, and a large dose of self-discipline, consider sewing for profit!

Marianne Balogh, 48, of Troy has enjoyed her home-based business for the past 18 years. She offers custom work and alterations, and began teaching classes.

What motivated you to get started in this field?

When my children were young, I wanted to stay home with them, but make some money to supplement my husband's income.

What were your qualifications?

I had a background in sewing, from middle school on. I learned about fitting and tailoring, and continued taking classes to update and perfect techniques. I also felt I could work with people, and count on repeat business.

What other traits are necessary?

Besides skills, one needs to be motivated, to learn to avoid distractions, to have a realistic sense of time and energy to devote to the business (especially in meeting deadlines), and some start-up money (but less than most other kinds of work).

Is that because space and equipment are minimal?

You do need space to dedicate to the sewing, where projects can be left out. The biggest expense is a good quality sewing machine which can be a few thousand dollars (or use the one you already have if it's in good condition). You also need a serger (for professional finishing,) pressing equipment, work tables and supplies. Be sure you have good lighting, too.

Can you really make enough money to justify the hard work and time?

Everyone has different goals and ambitions and strengths. Sewing couture bridal or custom home dec, for example, would bring in more than alterations, for which you charge less but do a higher volume. My advice is to choose whatever specialty you love and are good at. You may have to test the waters at first, and evolve as your reputation grows.

How do you get started establishing and growing your business?

I chose the name Style by Marianne and had cards printed. To get the word out, I gave them to neighbors, church members, kids' friends, etc. I let the public know I had a service to offer, and gradually my business grew by word of mouth.

What about pricing and paperwork?

Call local shops for an idea of their charges. I have price lists for various alterations, and try to pay myself about $20 per hour for the custom work. I give job estimates, maintaining a quality image but staying fair to the client. Place realistic values on your time and skills. The record keeping is my least favorite part of the job, but it's important to keep all receipts, have a separate bank account and credit card for business, and pay income taxes.

"In general," Marianne says, "what goes around, comes around, and if you are truthful, fair, and talented in your work, you can make it succeed." Reach her at mbalogh@wideopenwest.com.

At 59, entrepreneur redefines 'granny' role
Picking out a nit niche

World's Most Unusual Moving Company

Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead

CanadianMedsWorld.com

Shawn Lyons Story

http://www.rabbitmovers.com/

Rabbit markets itself as an anomaly in an industry with a bad rep, capitalizing on a staff of artistic types, word-of-mouth referrals, and a Web site that posts positive customer testimonials and descriptions of extra services traditional moving companies don't usually offer.

So far, Rabbit's bare-bones sales and marketing strategy—except for maintaining its site, the company spends no money on advertising—is working. Rabbit's founder, former itinerant writer Shawn Lyons, who started the moving company in 2004 for $1,500—the cost of a 1981 Dodge Ram cargo van—estimates revenues will be around $300,000 in 2006. This is up one-third from a year ago. "Originally, I was just going to do the 'man with a van' thing and have time to write," Lyons says.

But about nine months into helping friends move their furniture in his spare time, Lyons decided he was onto something because demand kept increasing. So he pursued the licensing and insurance required by New York City and State and started to build Rabbit into more than just a traditional moving company, carving out a niche with young urban dwellers.

Today Rabbit, apart from making residential and commercial moves within the New York metro area and renting storage space, also offers massages ($80 per hour) and feng shui ($200). Clients normally take advantage of these extras after the move. Moving prices range from $100 an hour to a flat $1,500 for a complicated, labor-intensive move that includes packing.

Toby MacPhearson, a 31-year-old information-technology worker in Manhattan, paid Rabbit about $650 to move from the neighborhood of Chelsea to Hell's Kitchen, and is glad he took advantage of the feng shui service. "I was mostly in it for the practical aspect: It helped me reduce my stress by helping me set up the apartment in a logical manner," says MacPhearson, who has since referred two friends to Rabbit.

Still, Rabbit is a tiny presence in an industry that generates approximately $7 billion a year in revenues and employs an estimated 450,000 workers. David Sparkman, a spokesperson for the American Moving and Storage Assn. (AMSA), an industry advocacy group with 3,400 members, estimates that there are 5,000 to 6,000 mostly small, family-owned moving companies, with just a handful of large van lines.

With so much competition out there, concentrating on a unique group of customers has helped Rabbit establish a strong reputation. Apart from Rabbit's positive plugs in its Web site's testimonials section, sites like Apartmenttherapy.com and Brooklynian.com include posts such as: "Rabbit Movers are awesome. I've used them and passed them on to friends as highly highly recommended."

That seal of approval lends multiple benefits to Rabbit. "The notion of community in an urban setting leads to positive word of mouth, customer loyalty, and branding, and it seems like Rabbit has all of those," says Heidi Neck, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College.

Those who hire Rabbit to help them move shouldn't expect stereotypical movers. "Most of our guys are artists or in some creative field; they're just a really creative bunch," says Lyons, who counts chefs, painters, musicians, and writers ranging in age from 23 to 43 as his employees. "We're trying to move away from the perception of movers being supermacho creeps. Movers kind of have a bad rep in New York, and for good reason. There are a lot of scams, so we try to combat that," he says.

Aside from wanting to work with people whom he liked on a personal level, Lyons says it was easier to communicate the tone he's trying to create for the company to people who already intuitively understood it through their own experience. Trying to nurture friendly interactions with clients further sets Rabbit apart from the competition.

Since good employees are the key to creating a good moving experience, Rabbit pays fair wages across the board. Lyons says most of his movers make between $13 and $15 an hour, while many other companies pay workers under the table or at minimum wage. Keeping morale up, he says, is a necessity when your primary selling point is alleviating stress for the customer.

Also atypical of a moving company: Rabbit's community of young movers and customers is forming around the Brooklyn art scene. Lyons studied literature and writing at Temple University in Philadelphia and wanted to have his career fit with his creative background. So he recently bought and renovated a space in Brooklyn's Dumbo neighborhood (Dumbo stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge), where he now rents space for artists to display their work.

Not directly related to Rabbit's moving business but intimately connected with its people and its style, the studio will host exhibitions at this year's Dumbo Arts Festival, and some of the artists will be Rabbit's own movers. Lyons says most of the people he expects to attend the exhibition are former customers who asked to be added to the Rabbit mailing list.

The company also specializes in moving art for galleries. Lyons says the movers' appreciation for the work establishes a trust between them and the client. "What's really great is that they're not just movers, they're really smart guys. In a business you need things that are malleable—people who are quick and able to adjust to what you need," says Priyanka Mathew, gallery director for Gallery Arts India, one of Rabbit's clients, and a former banker at Goldman Sachs. Mathew says Rabbit has moved scores of contemporary Indian paintings and sculptures without damaging a thing.

The company also employs a design aesthetic on its Web site, trucks, and T-shirts that appeals to its target demographic of young urbanites. "I just went along with what I would want in the aesthetic of the designs, the character, and quality of the movers. So far it's working, I think," says Lyons.

Rabbit's faithful clients—Mathew included—agree that the company's got staying power. "I really think this is the way that business is going to be moving—especially small business. You have to be sound fundamentally, but to create a niche and an edge, you've got to try and differentiate yourself, and that's what Rabbit does very well," says Mathew.
The End Of News As We Know It
Building Residual Income With A Website

Honest Confidence Sells

Distance Education Helps You Get Ahead

CanadianMedsWorld.com

Do you know where your cash-flow is?

     Because of sheer lack of marketing savvy, entire populations of businesses voluntarily shut down the profit spigot, and willingly allow dollars that were headed their direction to suddenly flow back away from them.

     Yes, this is insane. But it’s common.

     Why? Because it "seems" to make sense. After all "everybody does it." It is invisible robbery, and there isn’t an accountant in the world who will warn you away from it.

     Here’s what happens: You’re selling widgets at $39 a pop, and you’re doing well. Then, for whatever reason, sales begin to drop.

     You decide your widgets need a dramatic rescue to perk up sales again. So you do what most marketers do and...

Slash The Price!

     And it murders your bottom line.

      You know what I tell clients to do? It’s simple: Don’t slash the price. Rather... increase the perceived value of the deal by sweetening it with a ton of free goodies.

      So instead of a widget at $39, your customer now gets (for a short time only) the widget, plus a free report on how to use the widget like a pro, plus an audio cassette interview with Mr. Widget from the famous TV show... plus a 2-for-1 coupon for dinner at a local hotspot... PLUS a free tee shirt with a cool widget logo.

      All for just $49.

      That’s right - we actually raised the price ten bucks. The tee shirt and the free dinner alone are worth twice that.  It’s a bargain.

      What did it cost to add all this free stuff? Almost nothing? The free report is paper and ink. The audio cassette costs a buck-fifty to dupe, and Mr. Widget did the interview for the PR value. The dinner coupon offers the restaurant fabulous advertising, so you get them free. The tee shirts are a couple of bucks, maybe.

      I’m using these items as examples only. To make a point: Your product is worth what you convince your customer to perceive it’s worth.

     People respond to free stuff. They love getting things they would never otherwise be able to find (like Mr. Widget’s autograph). Especially when there’s a story attached. ("Mr. Widget is really a nice guy! He was kissing babies and everything! But he’s shorter than he looks on TV...").

      I like information-based freebies best. You can pile them on like crazy... and it will cost just pennies to create. Offer ten free reports on something closely related to your product.

     Selling garden equipment? Add reports on growing prize winning roses, getting rid of gophers, designing decks and fountains and weed-free lawns.

     Selling a diet? Add info on finding cheap-but-expensive-looking clothes for your new figure... tips on getting free airfare to the Bahamas (because you can now wear bathing suits again)... and maybe a list of little-known places to meet your future soul-mate.

     Selling insurance? Add free reports on how to organize your important papers in a simple but easy-to-navigate home-made system. What to do when you can’t find crucial phone numbers. How to get the best mortgage rate in the country using the Internet. What to put in an emergency kit is your garage to fix plumbing, electrical and structural problems until the contractor shows up. A thousand and one ways to use duct tape.

     Get the idea? None of this will cost you a cent, if you can write it yourself. Even if you have to hunt down someone who knows stuff you don’t, you can often convince them to do an interview (which you can transcribe) just for the exposure.

     And that means you don’t have to rely on cutting prices -- just like every other podunk business in town.

     Now here’s another cunning way to widen the gap between you and the competition.

     Most of us have competition. And the natural urge is to trash them to your customers. To impugn their integrity and worth. To suggest criminal nature and evil intent. Anything to stop the customer from ever dealing with them.

     Don’t do that. You don’t have to.

     There are 3 ways to trash the competition... and only the last one makes any sense to the savvy marketer. Check it out:

     First method: Outright slander. "Don’t deal with them. They have shoddy merchandise, and cheat people." Saying things like this only makes you look jealous and out-of-control. And it can have the opposite effect you desire: Think of a teenager being told not to listen to rock and roll because it’s evil. That same day, he’ll be smuggling CDs of Eminem up to his room.

     It’s just as bad to feign superiority: "No one with any taste at all buys from them. We’re the only store in town with the real thing." I actually had a guy in a shoe store pull this on me once. It only made me eager to see what the competition had that was pissing him off so much.

     Second method: Damning with faint praise. "Ah yes, that other store. Well, they certainly sell a lot of products... to kids." The implication being, you don’t wanna be seen as a kid, do you?

     The ol’ backhanded compliment. "Sure, they’re a good choice, if all you care about is saving a few bucks right now." It’s a decent psychological tactic...  but if you really do have a good product, with substance and value, take a page from the master salesman’s manual and use...

     Method Number Three: Insist on a side-by-side comparison. "Hey, they’ve got a fine product over there. And sometimes it’s hard to judge the value without a direct comparison. That’s why we urge you to give their product a trial run... at the same time you give one to ours. After all, you’re the best judge of quality."

     Very cool technique. Claude Hopkins himself used it, when he knew he had a great product that would withstand all comparison. It’s not a cocky, in-your-face stance -- just a confident suggestion, made sincerely.

     Most people won’t bother with the "field test". All they’re looking for is a reason to buy - a reason they can explain to themselves, to their wives, to their skeptical buddies. And every time someone does the comparison, and chooses you... you have another compelling testimonial to use.

     You are in such a powerful position when you have substance and value, it is pure foolishness not to use that power. Honest confidence sells.

[Via - MarketingRebelRant.Com]

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