1189 5 2010-02-16 11965 small business coach, women owned business, business overwhelm, marketing overwhelm The one thing almost all the women I meet have in common is that they are too smart for their own good! This is probably true for you, too! If you have great ideas all the time and are very passionate about what you do, and you can never seem to get everything done when you want it done, congratulations - this is you. I understand that you don't want to give anything up, and coming up with the brilliant ideas makes you happy – so don't stop doing it. Instead, you need a tool to keep you focused so you can complete the highest priority items so you can have the ca'sh flow you deserve. Determining your priorities and sticking with them is a systematic approach. You need to know how you are getting the clients you have had. Try this exercise: look at all the clients you have gotten in the last 18 months. Add 2 pieces of information for each – where did they come from and how much revenue did you make from them? After you have these pieces of information, do an analysis of where the majority of your customers came from, then put them in numerical order according to how much revenue they contributed. Start editing the list – take out your least favorite customers. Then, really look at the amount of work it takes to get one customer and draw a line in the proverbial sand. Any clients who contributed too little revenue to make it worthwhile, remove them. As you look at the edited list, is there a story that these numbers tell you? Where did the highest ticket customers come from? Why did they pick you? What did you say and do to attract them? Do more of that! Women have a tendency to be nice in business – that's a good thing. However, when we are so nice that it becomes detrimental to our ca'sh flow, then it becomes a problem. Once you have discovered an action that is not bringing you a positive return on your investment of time and/or mo'ney, you need to stop doing it – even if it is difficult. Cut your losses. Find those actions that bring you customers – higher-paying customers – and do those things only. Put those actions on your written business plan. When the new, brilliant ideas flow, put them on your LTP – long term plan. That way you won't lose the ideas, but you don't have to do everything today. To start, pull out this list (the beginnings of your business plan) and use it once a week to plan your work. After you complete the plan and feel you are ready, then look at it once a month. Really look at it – analyze everything on it strategically to see if your actions are in alignment with your plan. You should already be feeling less overwhelmed! Copyright (c) 2007 Audrey Burton true Audrey Burton, Small Business Coach, is “The Tigress”. Get her FREE Special Report, “Closing the Sale is Not Complicated!” and her FREE monthly email newsletter at <A href="http://www.tigresscoaching.com/">http://www.TigressCoaching.com</A> .

You can be more efficient in your business and make more money - and still enjoy your work. Begin by understanding how you have made money in the past! Read this article to learn a very simple way to analyze your numbers to make your work easier.

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1229 132 2010-01-31 11872 web host, hosting, small business, home business, choosing a web host The purpose of your web site determines what you need to look for from a web hosting service. A hobby site has very different needs to that of a business site such as Amazon.com. For example, the hobby site would possibly be able to be satisfactorily hosted on a free hosting site whereas Amazon.com would need a dedicated server with 24/7 support and eCommerce capability as a minimum requirement. For the purposes of this article, the focus will be on web hosting requirements likely to be required for small business or home based business people. The most important requirement is reliability. You need a hosting service that has 99.9% up time to ensure that your site visitors can do business with you at any time. Check what is being offered by the hosting provider and ensure that they have a guaranteed up time and also strong support. Make sure that the support is included in the cost of the hosting plan. It is worthwhile to check the terms of the support offered to ensure that it suits your business. Next, you need to consider affordability. Hosting on a dedicated server is usually quite expensive and may only be needed for the larger small business operation. The other option is a virtual server. This is an arrangement where a server is shared by a number of sites. These web hosting plans are a lot more affordable for home business people and small businesses and are usually more than satisfactory for their needs. A disadvantage of shared arrangements is that you don't get to choose your neighbors. The need for eCommerce capability is also an important consideration. Check that the host provides SSL secure server. Some hosting plans also provide a shopping cart. Check this for ease of use and that the software meets the needs of your business. Your choice of plans will mainly be dependant upon how much disk space you require and the amount of bandwidth you will be using. Disk space is relatively cheap these days and you can get plans with quantities well in excess of your needs. However, bandwidth is more expensive and needs more careful consideration. Sometimes, late in a month, you will try to visit a site and a message comes up saying the site is unavailable as it has exceeded it's bandwidth usage for the month. Unless you are monitoring your site, you may not even know that this has occurred. Therefore, to ensure access to your site is always available, it is recommended that you choose the plan with the most bandwidth that you can afford. Plans will allow you to choose between operating systems. The common ones are Windows, Linux and Mac. In reality, there is not a lot of difference between them and you should choose based on your personal preference or on what platform runs the applications you need on your web server. Databases are becoming more common as a part of content management systems as well as scripts. Most web hosts these days will cater for these and often provide a range of scripts already available for your use. You will also need to check how many domain names you are allowed in the hosting package you are considering. If you use sub-domains, check how many as allowed as some providers place limits on these. Check the quantities allowed for parked domains, FTP accounts, and email accounts. Are there enough to meet your current and future needs? The control panel is your interface with your web hosting service. You need to be comfortable that it is easy to use and that sufficient help is available when you need it to ensure that you can set up and maintain your site. Don't be afraid to check out various forums for good and bad comments on the web hosts you are considering. It is also useful to do some searching through the search engines for any information on the companies providing the hosting services to ensure that they are likely to be around for a while. true Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of <a href="http://www.besuccessfulnews.com">besuccessfulnews.com</a>, a site that provides information and articles on how to succeed in your own home or small business.

The purpose of your web site determines what you need to look for from a web hosting service. A hobby site has very different needs to that of a business site.

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0 37 2010-01-30 11862 copywriting,advertising,internet marketing,copywriter,small business,marketing, web site conversion, website conversion, traffic conversion, web conversion, web traffic, mentoring, coaching, web seminar Looking back at 2006, I think I accomplished about 80% of the goals I set for myself. I feel good about where I am. I hit almost all my business and financial goals, and missed a few personal ones (like having a six-pack) but that's ok. I am still working on that. Overall 2006 was a great year for me. Now I want to talk to you about how to make 2007 your most profitable year ever. There are five keys I guarantee will help you have a successful year. Key 1 - Look back at your year and analyze 2006. Start by analyzing 2006. Did you accomplish your financial goals? If not, why not? What kind of year was it for your business. Did you achieve your goals, and if you fell short, what did you learn from it? What didn't you do? What will you do next time? You have to start by looking back at your year and analyzing what you achieved, what mistakes you made and what you accomplished. Once you do that you can prepare to set new goals for 2007. You'll have a clearer vision of where you want to be so you can set clear goals. And when setting your goals make sure they are very clear and specific. Don't say, "I want to make money." Say, "I want to make a million dollars and buy a 4,000 square foot home in Beverly Hills." You have to set specific goals and follow through. So that's the first key. Key 2 - You have to invest in experts and delegate tasks. If you want to succeed in 2007 you have to outsource tasks you don't want to do that aren't worth your time. The biggest difference between Internet millionaire and non-millionaires is this: Internet millionaires build a team of experts around them. Their team helps them facilitate their goals. You have to do things yourself, but you can't go it alone. Start outsourcing small tasks. That's key 2. Key 3 - Learn to be more productive. I am surprised people check their email 20 times a day. Would you check your mail box 20 times a day? You have to be more productive than that if you want to make next year your best ever. Work smarter. Do you spend 3 hours emailing? That isn't being productive. You have to do things that are income producing to realize your goals and have a good year. Spend some time creating new products. Approach JV partners. Do things that will have a direct impact on your bottom line. Checking email isn't one of them. On to the next key. Key 4 - You must find a way to dominate your niche. You have to be the King Kong of your niche, the big gorilla in your niche. The number one person in a niche makes the most money, or at least create the perception you are number one. No matter what you are doing you have to position yourself as a leading authority. You have to dominate your niche and become the number one company in your niche. That offers you tremendous leverage. Find ways to dominate through marketing etc. Keep that in mind. Key 5 - You have to have your big vision of what you want to accomplish in 2007. Once you have your big vision or goal, break that big vision down into an action plan, into smaller tasks. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you want to be a millionaire in 2007, break down the tasks. You have to make $90,000 a month. Ok, so you have to do what activities to achieve that? So, you have to make $22,500 a week or make $3,214 a day. Do the math. Figure out what you have to do. This makes your goal seem much smaller and more achievable. Focus on the result when setting goals and break everything down into small tasks. Figure out what you have to do each day, week and month to realize your goals. Make things happen. Learn from your mistakes and successes, learn to manage your time and be productive, dominate your niche and break your big vision into more sizable tasks. Do all this and you will make 2007 your best year ever. Copyright (c) 2007 Quick Turn Marketing International, Ltd. true A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at: <A href="http://www.websiteconversionexpert.com/">http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.com</A>

Looking back at 2006, I think I accomplished about 80% of the goals I set for myself. I feel good about where I am. I hit almost all my business and financial goals, and missed a few personal ones (like having a six-pack) but that’s ok. I am still working on that. Overall 2006 was a great year for me.

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1207 5 2010-01-29 11861 2006, 2007, predictions, resolutions, new years, new year, new years resolutions, overview, summary, resolution, prediction, technology, business, business predictions, technology predictions, small business, biz, small biz, soho, blogs, podcasting, For the most part in 2006, the world escaped Natures wrath, but people were far less kind to their neighbors. 2006 is scarred not by the winds and oceans but by political turmoil across the globe. The Middle East quagmire is the epitome of how wrong things can go, with the war in Lebanon, infighting in Palestine, Iran's nuclear ambitions, and Iraq's sectarian violence the deepest scars of 2006 were self inflicted with man being his own enemy. Of course, the Middle East is not alone with it's own self-destruction. Genocide in Chad and Sudan show how truly intolerant the human race really is. North Korea's impatience and nuclear activity have disrupted Asia. In fact, few areas of the world were left unscathed by man's ambitions in 2006. Again technology has brought the tragedies of war and the personal stories of families from the farthest corners of the earth, to the door steps of the west. Citizen journalism and Internet propagation has added a complex layer to the stories. The growth of YouTube, Blogs, Podcasting and RSS have personalized the media and given listeners and watchers a personal connection to the reports. Technology has not only revolutionized news and how it is viewed, interactive technology is shaping the news. Wikipedia, while still a powerhouse in the search engines has a tarnished reputation due to relevancy issues. While persistence pays off for some, there are hints that not all are equal in the most popular social-wiki. Looking back on last year's predictions, (http://www.small-business-software.net/2005-in-review.htm ) sadly I see little has changed in the online world of SPAM and splogs. As feared, social networks and social bookmarking seem to be the next staging ground for spammers. We are already beginning to see the cracks in the ever popular Digg. The collective voice while powerful can be manipulated, bringing into question the usefulness of user generated content. As a result there is a strong indication that web credibility will continue to be an issue in 2007. Transparency will likely continue to be an issue in 2007, with lack of legislation and no accountability for online journalistic integrity. Readers should not believe everything that they read. Traditional media will continue to struggle, creativity will prevail. Newspapers and traditional media will need to adapt in order to survive in 2007. We will likely see interesting new advertising models emerge in 2007, with video ads and sponsored podcasts taking hold as big media attempt to amortize these new communication mediums. The world of online advertising saw some significant changes in 2006. Google tightened its grip on publishers in 2006. Enforcing strict new rules for displaying ads. While ad relevancy was critical in 2005, website quality became part of the formula in 2006. Google's change of heart and fall from grace with publishers encouraged new advertising models in 2006 with two new services PayPerPost and ReviewMe emerging. The new pay-per-post models match bloggers and advertisers. Bloggers, or online writers, are paid to review and write about advertiser projects, and like all new mediums, the road was not free of bumps and there were some transparency issues. Both services now require that bloggers or writers disclose that they are being paid for their comments. This new model will likely be a winner in 2007. As the web becomes more cluttered it is obvious that personalized content will continue to grow, but filtering will play an even more important role. RSS feeds and user selected content will become more mainstream with more and more users opting to choose the content they receive. Companies hoping to stay competitive online and increase communication with potential customers will start to really understand the benefits behind RSS. Venture Capital money returned to the web in 2006, and the 2.0 bubble continued to grow. While there will continue to be mergers and acquisitions with 2.0 companies in 2007, the activity will likely slow. The courts will likely become crowded in 2007. With big players like Google housing content on YouTube that is in clear violation of western copyright laws, victims will attempt to parlay the copyright infringements into cash in 2007. Top 10 Winners Predicted for 2007 1. Content Filtering - Search 2.0 will be all about filtering 2. Personalized Search and Vertical Search will be a winner in 2007 3. Social Networks 4. RSS 5. iPod / iPhone / Video iPod / iTunes 6. Cyber Security 7. Going Green 8. PodSafe Music 9. Videocasting 10. Online Real Estate Honorable Mentions 1. Web Services (Software as a Service) 2. Mobile Web 3. International Web 4. Local Web 5. Podcast Quality 6. Video Advertising Top 10 Losers Predicted for 2007 1. Zune 2. Software Patents 3. Websites that Infringe on Copyrights 4. Video Conferencing 5. Social Wikis 6. Journalistic Accountability 7. YouTube in Court 8. Outsourcing 9. Personal Privacy 10. Web Legislation More on 2007 Predictions - http://www.small-business-software.net/whats-hot-whats-not.htm true About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll <A href="http://www.feedforall.com/">http://www.feedforall.com</A> software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for NotePage <A href="http://www.notepage.net/">http://www.notepage.net</A> a wireless text messaging software company.

For the most part in 2006, the world escaped Natures wrath, but people were far less kind to their neighbors. Again technology has brought the tragedies of war and the personal stories of families from the farthest corners of the earth, to the door steps of the west. Citizen journalism and Internet propagation has added a complex layer to the stories.

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2065 5 2010-01-11 11750 tax planning, year end tax planning, 2006 tax, income tax, cash basis taxpayer, sole proprietor, small business taxpayer, 2007 planning There are only a few days left in the year. So now is the time to take those last minute tax savings. Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV. So do your due diligence and either check with your CPA, tax planner, or the IRS site. If you are a cash-basis taxpayer, as many sole proprietors are, you claim expenses as they are paid. Likewise, you claim revenue as you deposit it. So take a quick look at your annual Profit and Loss statement and decide: Do you need more revenue or more expenses? Now I'm not talking about making more money. I'm referring to when to claim the money. If you are facing relatively low income for this year, as compared to what you think you will have next year, then you may want to move as much revenue into this tax year as possible. So gather up all those checks lying around and head for the bank. Send out invoices via paypal to vendors who may be willing to pay you this year. Call people who may already have an invoice they could pay. Pull as much revenue into this year as possible. On the other hand, if you've made more money this year than you planned - and you may have "forgotten" to file estimated income tax, then let's move some expenses into this year. Otherwise, you'll have to claim more income - and perhaps pay a penalty for the estimated tax you missed. Stock up on office supplies. From paper to pens to file folders, you can use these items "next year." But you can pay for them this year. And don't forget the calendars and tax software! Prepay expenses. If your insurance is due on January 12, go ahead and pay it now. (Remember, this only applies to cash basis taxpayers!) Look at all of your other payments and pay them now. Buy equipment that you can expense. As a Section 179 expense you can expense any piece of equipment up to a total of $108,000! (Be sure you read the IRS document on Section 179.) Buy an SUV. No, I'm not kidding. Any vehicle over 6,000 pounds can have $25,000 of its cost expensed in Section 179. (You have to purchase and put it into use before the end of the year. If it's not practical this year, remember this tip for next year.) Pay your employees and contractors at the end of the year - even if it's not their regular payday. If ever there is a deadline you want to meet, it's the end of the year. There is no putting it off till tomorrow. Taking action can make the difference between paying a penalty or getting a refund. So take the next hour and get your tax savings! true Dr. Jeanette Cates is an Internet strategist who works with experts who are ready to leverage their expertise into Online Success. She offers ongoing tips, techniques and trends at <A href="http://www.onlinesuccesssecrets.com/">http://www.OnlineSuccessSecrets.com</A>

What you do in the last few days of the year can determine whether you owe taxes or get a refund, if you're a cash basis taxpayer. Here are some easy tips to really profit from the last week of the year.

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1915 155 2010-01-02 11696 small business, project leadership, project management, communication, team work, success A regional claim center of a major insurance company was in big trouble. It's customer service rating was a miserable 58%, entirely unacceptable. A senior manager was brought in to lead a critical turnaround project. After experiencing a Leadership workshop, the approach he took was very simple, so simple that he attracted lots of naysayers, lots of pushback from all directions within the organization. Eighteen months later, his simple approach to project leadership had taken their customer service rating all the way to 93%. That regional claim center became the customer service benchmark for the rest of the company. How well a manager provides project leadership will determine whether the people factor is a divider or multiplier of project team performance. If the leader is effective in dealing with the soft, people issues, the performance of the project team is multiplied. If not, the people factor is divided, and project performance nosedives. The key to successful project leadership and successful projects is to bring out the best in people. Unleash their potential and focus the resulting energy, creativity, spirit, buy-in, passion, talent, enthusiasm, etc. on accomplishing our project objectives. It is not an exaggeration to say that project leadership is mission critical! With so much riding on the skills of the project leader, it's not surprising that innumerable complex leadership theories have made their way into the business world. Leadership has gotten a reputation as a complex, mystical, ethereal, maybe even touchy-feely talent that we can't quite wrap our arms around or demonstrate routinely. Everyone knows it is important, but many might not know how to do it. Most managers have become experts in the hard parts of their jobs through training, education and practice. The same cannot be said for the soft parts of those jobs. In general, managers and executives don't have nearly the experience or the education to cultivate sound practices in dealing with the soft, people issues. So, the challenges of leadership can look more complex than they really are. It's much more effective to simplify the way in which leadership issues are viewed and approached. Most of life's complex challenges are tackled by distilling them down to their simplest forms. Even cleaning out the garage is overwhelming (at least at our houses!) unless it's reduced to a series of simple tasks! The power of simplicity Complex solutions are rarely executed successfully, except on television. A number of years ago there was a series of TV commercials that featured basketball greats Larry Bird and Michael Jordan having an amazing shoot out in which they each tried to trump the other's best shot. The dialogue that laid out the shot always went something like, "Off the ceiling, around the pole, over the car, through the window, nothing but net." The player would then nail the shot perfectly as described. In real life, the margin of error in those shots is so infinitesimal that it would be impossible to succeed. The slightest miscalculation would mean a colossal air ball. Yet, project managers often choose complex solutions with long odds instead of effective, albeit simple, effective methods of leadership. Former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch, shed some light on the reason complexity is chosen over simplicity when, in an interview with The Harvard Business Review, he said, "Insecure managers create complexity. ...Real leaders don't need clutter. ...But it's not easy. You can't believe how hard it is for people to be simple, how much they fear being simple. They worry that if they're simple, people will think they're simple-minded. In reality, of course, it is just the opposite. Clear, tough-minded people are the most simple." Like a trick shot, a complex solution is almost guaranteed to be difficult. A simple solution might not be easy, but at least it has a chance of succeeding. Experience suggests the simpler the better. Complexity is best reserved for those competitions in which "degree of difficulty" has a weighted impact in judging who gets the gold medal! While many aspects of project leadership can be very complex, there are always ways to simplify them. Successful executives are beginning to recognize the power of simplicity. John Sculley, former CEO of Apple Computer, said, "Everything we have learned in the industrial age has tended to create more and more complication. I think that more and more people are learning that you have to simplify, not complicate. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." true Ed Oakley is the founder of <a href="http://www.leadershipmadesimple.com" target=_blank">Enlightened Leadership Solutions.</a> Solve your greatest management challenges with his new book, Leadership Made Simple http://www.leadershipmadesimple.com

The key to successful project leadership and successful projects is to bring out the best in people. Unleash their potential and focus the resulting energy, creativity, spirit, buy-in, passion, talent, enthusiasm, etc. on accomplishing our project objectives.

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