Thursday, April 30, 2009

"I Can Do It!" Oh, really?

I met an extraordinary woman the other week. She owns a farm, with horses and goats, meadows, a pond and herbs. She grows incredible produce and handcrafts fragrant, organic soaps.

She does not have a business card (at least not at the event where I met her and we were two of more than a thousand people in attendance); her brochure is unattractive and lists “new” products for 2003 (I kid you not!) and her web site has that painful appearance of a home-made effort by someone who is not a designer, developer or writer; there is no mechanism for buying the soap.

Why do so many business people – women in particular – think they can do it all themselves? Making the product, keeping the books, finding the markets, selling products and collecting payments, cleaning out the manure, growing the herbs, mowing the meadows, tending to the livestock – and then designing and launching a web site that does nothing for the business?

It’s a puzzle to me. One I encounter frequently.

Another woman, owner of a professional services firm – with employees! -- with whom I had a telephone conversation a day or two ago, confessed that she is “not in love with writing”, even though she does it all the time – newsletters, promotional pieces, her web site and her blog. She’s got it figured out, though. Her passion, she has discovered, is mentoring and inspiring others. She is working towards having an office manager and a few more service providers in her growing business, so that she can go on the road for speaking engagements and workshops. And, she wants to hire a writer (that’s why we had that telephone conversation).

This is the idea: in your business, do what you love best and what you’re good at (“follow your passion”) and farm out the rest. It’s the only way to grow a business and achieve more than middling success.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

"Lightning Can Strike Twice in the Same Place"

Yesterday, SelfGrowth placed my "Gardening for Good Health" in the Top Self Improvement Articles, where nearly a million people can click on a link and read it.

Today, my second submission is in this "Top" . . . .; amazing, isn't it? Check it out at http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Earth_Day_What_Are_We_Celebrating.html.

Messages to my readers:
1. Listen to Barb Giamanco and act on what she tells you.
2. "Lightning" can - and does - strike twice in the same place.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

SelfGrowth - a Powerful On-line Tool

Wow - I am impressed, and it takes a lot to get me to that point, believe me!

It was just yesterday that I became a contributor to SelfGrowth and submitted my first article (my second one was submitted today) and today . . . ., it ("Gardening for Good Health") is rated one of two (the first!) "Top Self Improvement Articles" in the site's Lifestyle section.

Who knew? Well, let me share this with you: Barbara Giamanco knew! She not only encouraged me onto SelfGrowth, but she is also an Expert and Official Guide there. Barb knows her stuff!

Almost every day I encounter people who have stories to tell and contributions to society to make, but they cannot write or don't have the time to write. Well, I can and I have. So, if you need help crafting your written communications, let's talk.

Monday, April 13, 2009

"Mel Gibson's wife files for divorce after 28 years"

And I should care? How does this affect my life? Or my business?

It's an amazing phenomenon that we live in a celebrity-obsessed society. If it's not Mel Gibson, then it's Paris Hilton or that Lindsey girl or Britney or Miley (wait till she outgrows Hannah Montana - the paparazzi will have a field day then).

In the meantime, unemployment is rising, the housing market has imploded, and the financial markets are in perpetual turmoil. The planet is in flames while the U.S. media fiddle.

Branding

Quick - put a name (of someone you know personally) behind the following words:

Sales

Marketing

Coaching

Broadcasting

Image

Web design

Web development

Fashion

Cosmetics

Writing

Speaker

Communications

Training

Now post your comment, and I will let you know if this "branding exercise" has worked!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Professional Development

Are women truly interested in professional development opportunities in the furtherance of their careers or enterprises? If they are, are they willing to make an investment in this - as in "paying money" . . .? I doubt it, but if you have a different opinion, I'd be interested in reading it.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Finding Money for Your Small Business

In a live Internet broadcast last night, co-hosted by E.Factor and Profitability Channel, five funding experts described the financial landscape for small businesses and interactively engaged the audiences (in-studio and virtual) in their areas of expertise, dispensing information, insights and tips for the pursuit of capital.

Read more . . . . .