Game Change Your Biz

Why blog? We all know that blogs are featured on social media and on various magazines, but what can blogging do for you?

Here are 8 points on how blogging can change your life:

1. You will become a better writer and thinker
2. You will have a filter of what's really important and meaningful
3. You will have opportunities to meet new people
4. Blogging is FREE!
5. You will become more confident
6. You will inspire others
7. You might even make MONEY!

Take the plunge and start blogging. You may find benefits that you never realized!

Have you ever wondered how you are going to get your business off the ground? How do you jump start your business if you are still struggling with cash flow? That's what we are talking about today. Some simple ideas that you can implement to help you get your business off the ground and see some early success:

1. Put your game plan together.

This gives you a road map for your business. Detail what it is you are expecting your business to do in the course of the year. Now you have a place to focus your efforts and try to do everything possible to meet your goals. You need to set your budget and really do your homework. Most people over estimate the revenues they think they will bring in. Don't make this mistake because it will throw you plan off.

2. Find a mentor.

It doesn't really matter where you are in your business, you can always use a mentor. They have already been down the same path and can help you avoid some of the mistakes they made.

3. Set up your website.

You need to be able to be found online. If you have technical skills, you can do this yourself, or you can hire someone else to do it. The idea is that people need to be able to find you and when they do, they need to be able to book an appointment.

That's another piece to game changing your biz!

Welcome! Last week we talked about Recharging YOU, taking breaks, and getting away from your business. Today, we follow up with a discussion about Recharging Your Business. After you return from a break, you should feel revitalized in your purpose, energy, and goals. Let's get into the details!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Take your renewed energy and use it wisely: How?
• • Set aside one day weekly to think BIG about the future of your business
  • Engage your employees and share your goals with them
  • Set action into motion
• Recharge your business itself:
• • Prioritize
  • Examine your time management
  • Manage the highs and lows of your business cycle
  • Evaluate yourself as a business leader
  • Reconnect and network
  • Take time to give back to the community
  • Take time to unplug and recharge
• There you have it, another piece to game-changing your business. Look objectively at your vision and goals. A fresh mindset and positive outlook can have an impact on your industry and on how you lead your team. What are you waiting for? Recharge!

Today we're looking at another piece of game-changing your business. It's the very important topic of Recharging YOU, or taking time for yourself. We all know that being stressed out can lead to burnout, self-doubt, laziness, guilt, and other negative feelings. Maybe an energy problem is the root cause of what's going on. Let's talk about some ways you can step back and recharge, both physically and mentally.

• Look for quiet times, or lulls, in your business
• Get away from it all and take a vacation—Why?
• • You can rest, relax, and recharge
  • You can have time to create new ideas, like marketing strategies, a blog, etc.
• Plan your time off around your clients' vacations or down times
• Let customers know ahead of time about your plans—You don't want to surprise them with your vacation plans!
• Consider delegating a "second in command" who can fill in when you're gone
• Take a break from your computer and cell phone as much as possible on vacation

I hope these tips are helpful for you, and that you can implement them in doing your number one job, which is taking care of yourself. Don't be afraid to take a break and Recharge YOU!

Welcome! How is your business? Do you plan on starting a business in the near future? Statistics show that nine out of ten new businesses WILL fail. I don't say that to discourage you, but to encourage you as an entrepreneur to do your research to prevent failure. Being successful requires some forethought and some homework. Join me now for today's conversation—and avoid these common mistakes!

Five Mistakes Entrepreneurs Should Avoid When Starting Up Their Business:

1. Confusing your product or service with your business

• Have a revenue stream beyond a one-time purchase

1. Not knowing your numbers

• Know your monthly income and expenses

1. Failing to get expert advice

• Many startups think they can't afford expert help

1. Not realizing the emotional toll of entrepreneurship

• Get proper rest and nutrition, and make time for friends and family

1. Expanding too soon

• You must have the proper foundation in order to grow

Last week we talked about being GREAT:

Giving

Relating to Others

Exercise

Appreciation of things around you

Trying out new things

Today, we are taking it a step further by talking about DREAM:

Direction

Resilience

Emotion

Acceptance

Meaning

In this episode I discuss each of these in depth. Listen to this episode to get challenged and motivated to achieve more than you are now.

Don't forget, International Day of Happiness is on March 20, so map out your dreams and celebrate!

This content is based on Vanessa King's 10 Steps for Great Dreams from Success Magazine April 2016

The happy medium between being deadly serious about your business, but still being happy may not be easily achieved. We can have the best of both worlds while we build our dreams.

5 Steps to Keep A Happy Mindset:

1. Give - do things for others
2. Relating and connecting with people
3. Exercise and rest - restores and refreshes your bodies
4. Appreciation - be grateful
5. Learning new things

How does one go about developing their ability to persuade someone to invest in your company, or the products or services you provide?

6 Principles of Persuasion:

1. Reciprocation - People respond better to a mutual exchange

2. Consistency and Commitment - write it down to make it stick

3. Social Proof and Social Media - This is a huge part of today's culture and a necessary one

4. Knowing Your Subject - People gravitate towards others that have the same interests

5. Authority - What do people get advice from you about? You may be an expert and authority!

6. Scarcity - You want people to act immediately and have a limited time offer!

Use these principles with the highest integrity so that you can maintain your reputation!

Today we're talking about how to do a mood makeover.Maybe you've had a traumatic event, faced rejection, or had something else happen. Sometimes it's hard to find your happiness!

Strategies to change your mood and have a positive outlook on life:

1. Figure out what is holding you back.
2. Find the motivation - inspirational books or movies
3. Set up your positive practice to take action - maybe set up a vision board, exercise, talking to others and share encouragement. Turn negative thoughts into a positive. Pray. Eat chocolate. Whatever makes you happy!

Books Recommended:

The 7 Habits of Highly

As a Man Thinketh

The Alchemist

The Power of Now

Getting Things Done

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Your frustration and low morale will have negative effects on your emotions and on your health. Whether you've received negative feedback or been rejected, all of these can take a toll physically and emotionally.

Here are a few quick tips to help you handle rejection:

1. Think about the feedback from a different perspective. This may keep you from taking it personally.
2. Try not to jump to conclusions - maybe they are having a bad day and not rejecting you personally. Take some time to think about it for a few days before you judge it.
3. Focus on more positive thoughts and joyous events. Don't stay focused on the rejection.
4. Try to be empathetic to the situation and the parties involved. Give them space and allow them to cool off. Don't react out of anger and don't react to the person - judgment is clouded when we are angry.
5. Take an analytical approach to the issue. Think like a scientist and keep emotions out of it.