Your Small Business Podcast

Creative soul April Bielefeldt has been a photographer for 15 years. April has always been creative as a child. Taking pictures while she was with her grandmother for the summer and delving in the world of painting. She later when on to get a degree for fashion design and worked in retail management for some time.

When her husband bought her a camera, her passion came back for photography. She has combined her love of travel and photography to now do photography tours! April travels around the world, taking people to the most beautiful places to take amazing pictures. Her most sought after tour is in New England. In the fall months, the leaves are a main attraction as well as the covered bridges. She takes people and teaches them how to take the best pictures from these settings. Some people use them for post card photos or sell to a galleries. Her photography travels to Alaska, California coast line tour, Michigan, Vermont, and other picturesque cities capturing the most serene and fascinating pictures, all the whilst teaching how to do the same.

April let’s us in on how she has built her business. Having an email list is essential to connecting with her clients. Not only to advertise, but to keep in touch and build a genuine relationship. She says a good way for beginner photographers to get their business started is to make strong ties in your community. School and women’s groups, community benefits, free kids photos, and teaming up with your communities are association are all ways you can get a good head start in getting your business known.

Tune in to the show to hear about her famous photography tours and learn what it takes to have a successful photography business.

You can connect with April at the links below:

www.fallphototrips.com

www.yourphototravelguide.com

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/april-bielefeldt.html

https://www.yelp.com/biz/fall-photo-trips-phototours-newhall

https://www.meetup.com/Tours4women/

www.instagram.com/fallphototrips

Confidence is one of the first keys to being an entrepreneur. You have to have it already made up in your mind you will reach your entrepreneurial goals or you will set yourself up for failure before you have even started.

These days with so many of us women taking control of our own destiny and being our own bosses it’s easy to fall into the,” Can I do this?” mindset. Why is it so easy to fall into this insecure state of mind you ask? Think about it, we are wearing multiple hats under our luxurious hair all day!

The answer is yes! We are built to slay in life ladies!

We have to work on methods to boost our confidence! Then we can get out of our comfort zones and live out our dreams. Here are ways to become more confident as you crush your goals and build your empire!

1. Surround yourself with positive people. A definite confidence killer is being around people who are negative and don’t have an encouraging bone in their body. I am pretty sure you can think of a few people who are Negative Nancy’s. Unfortunately, some of those people can be family members. No, you can’t choose who is in your family but you can choose who you tell your business ventures to. Everyone doesn’t have to know your plans. You know who those people are who will just shoot down every hope and dream you have, it’s best to just sshhhh when they are around. Surrounding yourself with inspiring and motivating individuals will keep you positive and living out your dreams. Other women entrepreneurs, a group for business women, any clubs for women who own their own businesses etc. This atmosphere will keep your spirits up and cheer for you when you are crushing those goals.

2. Mindful Thinking-Once you have set in your mind that you are confident the world is yours. This way of thinking works wonders for me. I have to mentally think of what I want to achieve and visualize it. Where I want to be, how I will get there, even how I will feel once those goals are reached assists me on paving the way to success. Confidence is purely mental.

Daily affirmations will help put you in the state of mind of achievement. You are what you think. Think positively everyday about yourself. Once you think a certain way, you will act a certain. Put yourself in the mindset of positivity, you will exude positivity. Every morning before you start your day think positive thoughts. Come up with mantra’s to start your day. Can’t think of anything? Here list of ten affirmations:

• I will continue to learn and grow

• I am competent, smart, and able.

• I deserve to happy and successful.

• I believe in myself and trust in my abilities to succeed in all I do.

• Happiness, success, and money come easily to me.

• I am passionate about my business and that shows in everything I do

• I boldly go after what I want in life

• I will always meet a difficult situation with a confident action

• When I see something I want, I go for it without hesitation

• Feeling confident, assured, and strong is a normal part of my every day life

3. Educate yourself. Enroll in seminars, classes, and courses that will keep you up to date on your business. The more educated you are in your niche, the more confident you will be in handling your business and dealing with your audience. Speaking about your work and answering any questions will be a breeze.

Continual learning and educating yourself will make you an expert in your niche.

4. Celebrate The Small and Big Things– For every victory and accomplishment celebrate. Those accomplishments will boost your confidence and remind you how efficient you are at running your business. Giving yourself a pat on the back on even the small things will give you the motivation to keep going forward.

5. Get A Mentor– Getting a mentor while you are on the road to success is a very strategic move as you go through your journey of being a business owner. Yes you can read every book in the library on your expertise, but there is so much that experience can teach you that you cannot find in books. Having a mentor has been proven to give a boost of confidence and reassurance. To have someone guide you and assist you on a journey that you can actually see for yourself has worked is powerful. Having a mentor also benefits your career by giving you a platform to network. Mentors already have been in the business for quite some time and they can link you with numerous people which is an added benefit.

Again, confidence is mental. Once you mentally get in your head you are unstoppable you will be a force to be reckoned with. Watch out world!

You can connect with me on Instagram at www.instagram.com/janice_b_martin

[email protected]

Have you ever felt a fear of failure? I believe as entrepreneurs there will be a time in our journeys that we will all experience that feeling. Fear of failure seems to come so easy for some of us. Especially when we are trying to go live on FB, launch a product, or open our brick and mortar store.

Some people have the emotion of fear of success. Dimming their light to not outshine anyone else. Or the fear of family taking advantage or overwhelming them. Do you know anyone who has this fear? Or is this how you feel? Have you felt these type of feelings before?

These unfortunate beliefs we put on ourselves keeps us from living out our best lives.

Limiting beliefs not only can hinder your business, these beliefs can hinder your life. Maryam Abdullah LMSW (for 19 yrs) of I Am Well Consulting LLC in Nashville, is talking to us all about limiting beliefs. She is defining for us the fear of success, failure, and rejection. And giving us ways to step out of these beliefs to lead more successful, fulfilling lives; and thrive in our businesses.

I Am Well Consulting is a safe place to go to to get healing from any traumas or mental hinderances you may have. You can call at 615-543-6589.

You can connect with Maryam Abdallah LMSW at

Maryam Abdallah, LMSW

I Am Well Consulting, LLC, Founder & CEO

[email protected]

(615) 543-6589

https://iamwellconsulting.com/

Instagram www.instagram/com/iamwellconsulting

Facebook- I Am Well Consulting LLC business page

Nashville Emotional Wellness Counseling, Therapist

[email protected]

4205 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 314

Nashville, TN 37215

(615) 398-1292

https://www.newcounselingpllc.com/

Don’t forget to subscribe to Your Small Business Podcast.

Check out my tree to get helpful tools for your business. www.linktr.ee/JaniceBMartin

Trying to figure out what to post every single day on social media can give you a headache! Pass the Tylenol please!

Having a content strategy not only assists you with posting valuable content, it also will increase your followers, engagement, and create lasting customers and clients.

To connect with your audience use these key strategic 5 points for the foundation of your social media content.

Educate

Personal

Passion/Why

Promote

Engaging

Tune in as I go more in depth of each of the 5 points!

Don't forget to subscribe to Your Small Business Podcast so you will not miss an episode!

www.linktr.ee/JaniceBMartin

That statement right there made me look at my whole interview with financial consultant Larry Poteat totally different. So much so, I have now followed his tips in this podcast on being more mindful on my own spending.

Larry Poteat is a financial consultant with three different businesses. Sitra Associates LLC is a financial planning business. Sitra & Associates (financial planning), Sitra Real Estate (agent with Arbitage Brokers), and Sitra Consulting LLC (Project Management Consulting).

Larry tells us why it is important to have a budget and what is the key thing to do set your budget into place. He also explains why it is so difficult for people to even stick to a budget. People run with they hear the “B” word!

And guess what is the one thing that is silently taking your money every month that we pay not attention to?

Get all the details on now to be more financially savvy and save up for your future in today’s podcast episode with Larry Poteat!

You can link with Larry at:

LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-poteat-jr-pmp-pmp-sp-63aa1b19/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/lpoteatjr

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/lpoteatjr/

There are so many ways to market. Go to Google and you will find hundreds of thousands of articles about how to sell your product and services.

Majority of those articles tell you to sell by telling all the benefits of what of your services and product. This is a good tactic to use. And it does work in most cases.

I have discovered another tactic. And it is actually the complete opposite of leading with benefits. I have was doing research one day and stumbled upon The Pain Funnel. This is a systematic series of open ended questions to dig deep, and get the prospect to end up selling themselves the product.

This tactic is part of the Sandler Sales System by the late sales guru David Sandler.

You are leading with pain. Instead of making your content about benefits. Try a few with identifying the pain. When you get someone to stop the scroll on Instagram because you just came right out and said, “It totally suck you have spend so much money with that business coach and they still haven’t helped you build your business.” Or “Is it taking you hours to come up with your posts for you to get no engagements?” Or “You have spent thousands on FB ads and now you can’t pay make your car payment?”

That is real emotional marketing right there! If you can get people to feel something when they look at your content, most of the job is done.

Pain can help a client take action.

Check out the podcast to get the ins and outs of The Pain Funnel.

How To Get Sold Out On Your Products & Services Without Chasing The Sale course has this exact funnel and two videos in 1 of 13 lessons in this course.

This 13 lesson course if full of videos, fillable questions and answers, and downloadable pdf’s to get you to sold out! Use code PODCAST to get 80% off.

Nashville Native Brandi Lynette is a busy woman. Holistic life strategist and editor in chief of monthly digital magazine Manifest Prosperity Lifestyle Digital Magazine. You can tell by the way her eyes lights up that this magazine is one of true passions.

Brandi highlights women entrepreneurs in her inspiring magazine. She believes in women owning their own destinies. Claim it and work it! She puts the spotlight on women who are following their passions and being trailblazers.

Brandi goes in detail telling us a day in the life of running a digital magazine. She says mindset and creating systems to stay organized is the key. Creating productive habits will get you where you need to be.

If you want to be featured in her digital magazine please contact Brandi on all social media platforms @iambrandilynette

The 12 Week Year

http://imbrandilynette.com/mplmagazine

@mpldigitalmagazine on FB and IG

[email protected]

It is exhausting trying to get people to like your posts. Take out time to look at your business. Click your links. Sign up for your newsletters. It is like you are prospecting all day long trying to get people to buy your services and products.

After awhile you feel like a puppy nipping people’s heels trying to make a sale.

No more of this. Listen in as I talk to you about using a strategy I call “invite yourself in”.

Connect with me in my Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/yoursmallbusinesspodcast

I would love to chat with you!

How do you know if you are needing assistance in your business?

If you are working 70 hours plus on your business….you need some help.

If it is taking you three hours to make one post because you cannot think of any content….you need help.

If you are being weighed down by administrative tasks and can’t get anything else done….you need a virtual assistance.

This is where CEO Taishma Owens Council of Virtual Goals Assistant Agency in Wichita, Kansas. VGAA helps small businesses grow and go to the next level. With Taishma and her Dream Team putting their golden touch to your business, you will have no worries!

If you find yourself in your office 16 hrs a day and missing time with your family, Virtual Goals Assistant Agency is the answer to all of issues.

Taishma clues us in on the signs when it is time that your business needs a virtual assistant. Her team can assist with content writing and administrative tasks.

Not only that, but they can assist in a multitude of services: web design, marketing research, graphic design, online business management, and so much more.

Tune in as Taishma gives us a run down on her amazing business!

To connect with Taishma and her Dream Team check out her website at www.vgllac.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VGAALLC/

Don’t forget to subscribe to the show so you will not miss an episode

www.linktr.ee/JaniceBMartin

Have you been thinking about getting a business credit card? Or been wondering if your personal credit impacts your business credit? Get out your pens and paper today to take notes!

Shaterial Starnes is the owner of The Starnes Group in Nashville. She is a financial literacy coach. She calls herself the “financial farmer” because she helps people plant seeds and reap a financial harvest.

She dives deep into the subject of business credit and throws so many value gems we are tripping over them!

We go over how your personal credit score can impact your business credit, and the differences between the two.

The steps you need to take to apply to get business credit.

She even schools me about 411 and why we need to register our business with this site.

The process you need to take if your credit score has accounts on it that are not yours.

We even go over Credit Karma and other online credit sites and why their number is either slightly higher or lower than the three main credit bureaus.

Episode 20 is jam packed to the brim with business financial info that you might have to listen to it twice to get all the value gems she is dropping.

You can connect with Shaterial at the links below!

The Starnes Group

Shaterial Starnes, Owner

Financial Literacy Coach

www.coachstarnes.com

[email protected]

twitter @thestarnesgroup

Facebook: www.facebook.com/starnesgroup

Instagram: www.instagram.com/starnesgroup

If you wish to download her ebooks Top Ten Credit Credit Repair Tips & Save $1,000 In 120 Days send me an email at [email protected] and I will send you the download!