It's all up to you - Accountability

This article was originally posted on the BusinessBusinessBusiness website - link to the original article

The thing that sets apart the people who get stuff done and those who float along in life – is accountability. Making sure you do what you say you are going to do!

You can’t keep yourself accountable, too many other things get in the way. You need someone or a team of people to answer to. People who understand you and your business, who have your back, who respect you.

For accountability to be effective it must come from outside of your business – unless you have a board that you are answering to! People from outside of your business will see things you don’t see. They can be objective. Basically, they have nothing to lose by telling you what you need to hear.

In small business the owner is everything – the person setting direction, implementing the direction, doing the accounts, the marketing and even making the widget. Keeping ahead of competition, serving customers and being aware of the advances within your industry. Business can quickly become very overwhelming and you can very easily get caught up in the day-to-day running.

The ability to be able to stay in control of the day to day running of your business and think of the bigger picture becomes a balancing act. To be able to progress your business you must be able to have the head space to keep focused on the bigger picture. And having an accountability group or buddy helps with that.

SO WHERE CAN YOU FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP OR BUDDY, AND WHAT SHOULD THEIR ROLE BE?

Here are a few different styles of accountability you can use. What resonates with you? What do you think would work best for your own learning style?

• You can pay a coach or mentor to work with you one-on-one
• You can seek out an accountability program and join the group
• Join a networking group that meets regularly and keeps you accountable by setting goals/actions at each meeting and reminding you about them at the next one
• Create your own group of likeminded friends who meet regularly

Accountability groups could be online or meet in person. You may meet weekly, monthly or bi-monthly. The timing will depend on your needs and how quickly you can get stuff done in between sessions. Getting stuff done is the key to your success. It is no point just turning up with excuses as to why you haven’t done something – if you didn’t do what you said you were going to do, maybe you pursued another opportunity. Don’t stand still in your business.

Whoever you choose for your accountability buddy or group should meet your specific needs. So, what do you need help with. Is it just sticking to your goals? Maybe planning and goal setting? Maintaining clarity & focus? Brainstorming your ideas, thinking bigger? Possibly someone to call you on your fluff and excuses?

Be clear on your needs and what you want. This will help you decide who you need to bring in to keep you accountable. And it could be a mix of any of these things – you may have a coach, a networking group and an accountability group! Whichever is going to be the most powerful for you and help you to grow your business!

When you are focused in your business, ensuring everyday that you are working towards your goals. You have clarity over your goals, and know they are driving your business not only forward but up. When you are kept accountable by people who are honest and really, truly have your back. It is only then that you can move full steam ahead and feel successful in your business. Having a good support around you will also move you through your mindset blocks – like lack of confidence, inner stories, imposter syndrome and so much more.

Create or find your support today so you can have a successful business tomorrow.

Collaboration Vs Competition

This article originally appeared in the digital magazine - Smart Healthy Women - view the magazine here

I am done with competition. I am replacing it with collaboration. Because I truly believe there is enough work for everyone. I also think we get so hung up on trying to beat others. Comparing ourselves to their highlight reels. We lose focus on us. Our business, our families and ourselves.

It is possible to retrain our brains and change our thinking. When I think competition – I change that to ask – how can I collaborate with that business? Do we have complimentary skills? Do we share the same target market? Are their synergies?

If I see potential, I reach out and invite a conversation. Simply explaining what I do, how I work and maybe an invite for a program I am working on. At worse – I get no thanks. There is nothing lost, other than potential. But, both sides need to see the opportunities, especially if the collaboration is really going to work in the long run.

Collaborative working is the essence of abundance, in a work setting. Believing there is enough for everyone. Believing that more is achieved together than alone. Able to bring your collective ideas and thoughts into the same place. Delivering your message two-fold, with the power of others.

I love working in my business, being the creator of my own world. Yet, when you invite others in, you open your mind to their thinking. You see your world from a different perspective. You make choices to improve your world, your way of doing things. You fine tune your messaging and your offerings to your clients. You become more powerful, not only in you but in the world, you show up in.

Collaboration must be two-way, and often it is. When a collaboration breaks down it is often because one person has grown – after all in business we are always learning and growing. It is the greatest personal development tool available. Creating collaborations for defined projects rather than forever is a terrific way to ensure success.

Being clear from the outset on your expectations of each party in a collaboration is important. Setting it down in writing is helpful, if somewhat formal. However, we all get busy and having expectations in writing makes it easier to come back to and remind yourself what needs to happen and by who.

If you do need to end a collaboration, do it with an open heart. Be careful of burning bridges – acknowledge that at this time it is just not working, you can always come back to it later. In an abundant mindset there is always more….

With so many solo and micro businesses operating, often within a cluttered marketplace. I strongly believe that to deliver our important messages clearly and succinctly we need to work together. I have been rebuilding my business with this value at its core. I am excited for the future of this iteration of the business. Not only for me, my family and clients, but for those like-businesses who choose to walk the path too.

What collaborations can you seek or create in your world?

Is it possible to choose success?

This article originally appeared in Inside Small Business - see the article here

Being an entrepreneur and business owner is challenging. There are amazing ups, but terrible downs. Of new small businesses being started, 70 per cent are owned by women. Sadly, one in five of these businesses will fail in their first five years.

So, can you choose success? Is it really that easy? What is at play, in your mind and in your physical environment holding you back from being the absolute best version of yourself? Here are my seven reasons I believe some women are not seeing success:

1. Lack of confidence
Women feel the need to be perfect and have all their ducks in a row before they hit the go button. Have you heard yourself say, “I just need to do X, before I could possibly do Y and Z”. Believe in yourself, back yourself and just do it!

2. Lack of a support network
There is no way that we can do all this alone. We need support in our homes, with our children and in our business.

3. Work-life balance
Life doesn’t have to be “perfect” by other standards it only needs to be perfect by your standards. And if your standard of perfect is making you feel unbalanced and stressed then it is time to change your standards.

4. Fear
So many fears in our life. Being too successful. Being too ambitious. Fear of failure. Being judged. Taking on too much responsibility. Being found out as a fraud – the “impostor syndrome”. Fear of being invisible. And the list goes on.

5. Planning
Do enough planning to be able to stay focused in your business.

6. Money mindset
Have a good relationship with money, know your numbers. Where does the money come from, what are you spending it?

7. Lack of understanding of marketing
I believe you need a marketing strategy, which is well thought out and considered. A strategy, backed with sound research, giving campaigns which are measurable – all feeding your customers into a lead funnel which provides sales and customer retention.

With some work around these, maybe you can choose to be successful. It does take hard work, with no fairy dust options available!

Technology is here to stay and it is getting bigger

This article originally appeared in the online magazine - eBubble Life - follow this link

Technology has changed the way we manage our life. Most us have a smart phone in our pocket. Our smart phone is full of apps that manage so many different aspects of your life.  Technology is making our lives easier. It is also moving so fast it is hard to keep up. Technology is becoming intrusive on our lives. And it is getting bigger and bigger.

As a business owner and marketer, I get so excited at how access to technology is giving businesses so many more opportunities. We can tap into data about people so easily and cost-effectively. We can then use that data to customise products and services. To communicate with our customers. To be able to access this information, without copious amounts of research, is pure gold.

However, as a mum, I am watching my 7-year-old daughter becoming more and more ‘addicted’ to devices. She has an old phone of ours with games and music, a tablet, she has just acquired one of our old laptops. Plus, access to the TV which is connected to You Tube and Netflix. She has inherited all these devices from us and has access to the world via the internet – a world she is only starting to understand. Scarily the world has access to her also.

You can’t shut the door on technology. Our kids are exposed to it through school, their friends – it is like telling them they can’t eat lollies and find they are the ones at the party overdosing on sugar. They will find ways to get their hands-on technology. As businesses we need to be across how technology is changing our customers. As consumers we need to be aware of technology and how to protect ourselves online.

Here are some tips:

• ·         Keep your devices safe by using anti-virus protection
• ·         Use Google Kids for your children on their devices
• ·         Be aware of the information that you put online – use privacy settings
• ·         Monitor what your children are watching and sites they visit
• ·         Keep an open conversation with your children about what they see online – teach them that it is not always truth

Embrace technology, understand it, try and keep up with the changes. Our kids are adapting to technology so fast, and earlier and earlier. They swipe through phones like they were born doing it. 

They are learning and discovering new things all the time. Shouldn’t we encourage this and keep it safe?

Embrace technology in your business – it will open doors for you. Your competition is. Don’t you deserve to be ahead of your competition?

Use technology to connect with others, to learn new things, to help organise your life. Stay safe and be aware of how and what you share. Remember to also unplug. Give your mind time away from technology, away from reminders and notifications. Look up and be present in life also. As we become more and more reliant on technology, we sometimes forget to plug into the real world around us – and that is the big danger, in my opinion, with technology.

Press the reset button - it is never too late

This article originally appeared on the Business Business Business blog, you can see it here

We are now a quarter of the way through the year. How are your plans going? Your news resolutions? Your goals?

Are you kicking goals and achieving great things? Or maybe you have forgotten all those good intentions for how your 2018 will play out.

This is a terrific time to stop what you are doing. Review what you have achieved. Understand why you haven’t achieved what you wanted to. Make changes so you can achieve what you want as we head into the next quarter.

It is never too late to press the reset button.

Pressing the reset button is a chance to start again. To take learnings from what you did well and how to improve so you can achieve all t he things you want to. Whether in your life or your business.

The important thing to do is to change what you are you doing, if it is not working for you. If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same result. So, what can you do differently to achieve the great things you are destined to achieve.

• Change could be mindset – your own confidence and belief in you.
• Change could be in your daily actions – stopping procrastination, becoming focused, managing your time better.
• Change could be in your goal setting – are you trying to do too much, or are you not thinking big enough.

If you are setting goals for yourself, you also need to commit to reviewing, and celebrating, on a regular basis. With self-reflection, making a commitment to changing something, you can press reset. When you press reset add new energy into your life, focus on the new goal and go for it.

Remembering to break down the goal into easy actionable steps – so every day, week and month you are working towards achievement and success. And when you review at the next quarter, mid-year, end-of-financial year, you can celebrate the success of your goal. Or simply change and press reset.

Staying accountable to your goals and having a group who you are accountable to, is so important. People who lift you up, support you and importantly tell you when you are losing focus. Seek one out or create one for yourself.

Enjoy the goal setting process. Enjoy ticking them off. Enjoy reviewing and pressing the reset button. Enjoy celebrating your success.

Who Are You?

This article originally appeared on the 1000 Ripple Effects blog, you can see it here

When was the last time you asked yourself “Who am I?” Really truly explored ‘you’. Your history, future dreams and how you show up in life today?

Everybody has a story, a journey they have travelled, learnings they have made, history. Very few people have led a ‘privileged life’, we all have stories of sadness, of absolute joy. Too many people have seen the extremes of violence and felt desperation. Seen the effects of illness on loved ones, and themselves. Suffered loss they never felt they could move on from. This is your story, your beliefs, possibly even your anchors, holding you in place, unable to move. 

These experiences are what have shaped you to be the person you are today. They don’t have to define your future. 

When was the last time you dreamed of a better future for yourself? Do you wish for happiness, fulfilment, clarity, freedom, or balance? You are not alone – most people do. You can change your story – and you can start today!

The journey of self-discovery takes a lifetime. It takes a lifetime because you always change and grow. This is good, this is what you want to happen. What is holding you back from starting? Do any of these sound familiar:

Fear
Fear of what you will learn about yourself. Fear of being vulnerable to others. Fear of accepting things you have done in the past. Fear of reliving your past. Fear of change. Fear of becoming the person you always dreamt about. 

Think about what scares you? Why does it scare you? How can you face the demon? What will motivate you to work through the bad stuff? What does fear look like to you?


Lack of self-love
Guess who our biggest critics are – yep our self. How many times have you told yourself you will do x only when you have achieved z? How many times have you thought ‘I don’t deserve this’? 

Poor body image, lack of self-worth, lack of confidence, all come from lack of self-love. When was the last time you loved yourself? Wore jewellery or clothes which made you feel great. Exercised or had a massage to make your body feel great. Laughed, orgasmed – releasing the natural feel-good drug of oxytone.

When was the last time you celebrated being you?


Stifle dreams
Dream takers are everywhere. It starts in school and with our parents, then their ‘can’t’ and ‘don’t’ language becomes our inner voice. And we most likely say those words to others – our friends, team members and our children.

Remove negative words from your language. Replace negative speak with positive affirmations. Remove people from your life you do not believe in you. Stand tall and back yourself. Be your own personal cheer squad.

When was the last time you dreamed of your future – and then plotted how you were going to make your dream a reality? 

Too much noise
When was the last time you stopped and listened to the noise in your world? The cars, sirens, children, dogs, birds, trucks, workers, builders, the radio, TV, your phone. How do you feel? Can you concentrate on what you are trying to do? Does it raise your stress levels?

Stepping away from the noise and busyness of life, enjoying the silence, being in your mind, is important. In fact, meditation and mindfulness are key to self-discovery. Slowing your mind, allowing sub-conscious thoughts to filter through. Reduces stress, allows for problem solving and connects you with your mind and body.

Where do you start on your journey of self-discovery? How do you find out who you are? 

• Face your demons – release your fears – revisit your past
• Recognise your strengths - understand who you are
• Define your life purpose – identify your passions – do things that make you happy
• Clarify your values – understand your beliefs
• Set goals – create daily intentions - be focused
• Find inspiration – surround yourself with people and things that lift you up
• Seek challenges – stretch yourself - create new thinking
• Spend time alone – practice self-care

Stop being your own worst enemy! Stop lying to yourself about your emotions and feelings and start accepting them and allowing yourself to feel whatever is it you feel. If you have no clear idea of who you are, you will have no clarity in what you want or seek.

Self-discovery is a journey of a life time. There is no easy fix, no magic pill or fairy dust. It is constant – as you evolve and grow, you will receive new insights about who you are. The more you understand about yourself the more empowered you are going to be.

A clear self-understanding will bring renewed confidence, awareness, and strength. You have a purpose. You find happiness, fulfilment, clarity, freedom, and balance in all areas of your life.
What difference can you make to the world, yourself, your family and community? How are you going to show up?

Simple: marketing starts with a plan

Keep it simple. Make it easy. Be creative. See the results.

Marketing confuses business owners. I see it all the time. It doesn't have to be. You need to make your marketing efforts relevant to your business. Set objectives you can achieve, without setting yourself up for failure.

Marketing is not sales. Marketing is not about doing everything you can think of. Marketing is not free. Marketing is not a quick fix.

Forget confusing marketing concepts and jargon: let's go back to basics.

Marketing is about getting your customer into your sales funnel and making a sale to them.

You need to ensure you have the right customer in your sales funnel. You need to be aware of your competitors and what they do. You need a strategy with goals and how you will achieve them. You need campaigns. You need a customer focused funnel. You need to measure and review everything you do.

You need a plan.

Not just any plan a strategic marketing plan.

Your marketing plan needs to be aligned with your business plan. Ask what business goals you have that require marketing to see them achieved? There is the start of your marketing goals/action.

Don't have a plan sign up to our free 5 day challenge (for business and marketing plans).

Planning is crucial to a businesses success - you really do need to allocate some time to creating a plan. Think of it as a road map. If you take the 5 day challenge - you spent an hour or two, once a day for 5 days to give yourself a way of moving forward and achieving goals in your business.

I just don't understand marketing
No problem. What you need is the knowledge around the different elements of a plan. Easy. Do what I did - go to Uni for three years, work in the industry for 20 years. Or shortcut it and join the Marketing Accelerator Program. Where in 12 weeks you will receive all the knowledge you need right now to set yourself up for a fabulous future in business.

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