Tyna Price Takes On The World

Starting a blog to promote your business is a common practice and there are many benefits. I’ve seen many people start their blogs with enthusiasm only to let them fizzle out in 6 months or less. Here are some of the less glamorous realities of blogging that sometimes trip people up. If you’re prepared to deal with these, you can feel confident about getting good results from your blog.

One of the main reasons that people get discouraged is simply that they expect results (readers, comments etc) without any effort on their part. The results you’ll gain from your blog are directly proportionate to the amount of effort you put in. Actually in the beginning I’d even say they were disproportionate – you’ll feel like you are spending a lot of time setting up your blog, adding bells & whistles, writing content, and not really sure if it’s having any effect. The great thing about blogging is that your fate is in your own hands. If you create good content on a regular basis and are diligent about marketing your blog, and becoming visible in the relevant online communities, you will see results. The good news is that if your blog is on a topic close to your heart, you will actually have fun doing the work

A major reason why people ‘fail’ at blogging is because they give up too soon. It takes time to develop an audience and a strong, compelling blog. In the beginning it might be true that very few people are reading your posts but you must always write as if your ideal audience is reading. Invest time in building up your library of posts – consistent posting & promoting will lead to readers. If you look at blogging as a long-term strategy you’ll be in a better frame of mind to persevere.  It takes a while to reach a tipping point where the amount of attention you reap from your blog is greater than the labor that goes into it.

For most of us the act of blogging can feel a bit vulnerable. What do I write about? Why would anyone want to read it? What if no-one reads it? Are my posts fit to publish? You’ll come up against all your inner saboteurs – procrastination, self-doubt and other charming goblins! This is all part of the process but it actually ends up being really rewarding if you stick with it. You’ll develop a blogging ‘voice’, have more confidence in your writing skills and find that you have lots to contribute and share with the world. Not to mention the satisfaction you’ll feel when you start getting good feedback from readers on your posts.

Blogging is a lesson in non-attachment.  To be a productive blogger you have to learn to work on a post enough to make it worthy of publishing, but not so much that you never get around to publishing anything.  Learn to make compromises with your inner perfectionist. Then release your digital baby into the world and move on to the next one. The more you can make friends with this process, the more productive you will become.

Give yourself time to deal with the learning curve. Don’t set unrealistic expectations such as posting something new every day. Unless you are already a prolific writer, that probably won’t happen and you may become discouraged when you don’t meet your own standards. Forming the blogging habit is the best way to succeed so commit to writing on a regular basis -30 minutes every day is perhaps a good start, and aim for 1 or 2 posts per week.

Mentors have been an invaluable part of my success and are a critical asset for building a strong personal brand. The best mentors are those who are successful in your industry, brutally honest, and can teach you some powerful lessons. Thanks to web 2.0 platforms like twitter, connecting with mentors is easier than ever before.

If you are using twitter properly and engaging in conversations rather than just using it for self promotion you can make a good impression on experts in your field by retweeting and replying to their tweets. That is not to say self promotion is bad –it is certainly not. You just have to keep it balanced.

Try this: Find five successful people who you admire and can learn from in your industry. Follow them on twitter. Take time to respond to their tweets and engage in conversations so you show up on their radar. Think of a few questions that you would like to ask an expert about your business or industry. Pick the person who you think could best answer your question and direct the question at them. Chances are you will get a response and learn something new. I have met so many fabulous people by engaging in conversations on twitter.

Connect with new people on twitter by leaving your twitter url in a comment below. Follow me @tyna_price

Whether you run a business, are a freelancer, or just building a reputable name for yourself, you have to carefully and consistently manage your personal brand. This list of don’ts was inspired by a series of situations I have encountered recently:

• Don’t be shy. I was teaching a business seminar and I was very surprised to learn how many entrepreneurs are afraid of picking up the phone and calling customers, potential customers, and other businesses that could help build their business. If you do not feel comfortable calling people, talking to the media, and being the face of your business, you should consider hiring someone who is not shy or, better yet, a public relations professional to represent your brand.
• Don’t be a spammer. Leaving spam on blogs, twitter, or by sending junk mail will only anger potential customers. You have to contribute value to conversations via social media to build a good reputation. Brand building is all about building trust.
• Don’t try to sell your product or service to every person. Find and focus on a target market. I have people trying to sell me stuff on twitter every day and I do not even fit their target market. They just want to scream their name out to anyone who will listen and that is no way to build credibility.
• Don’t put your logo and business name on your car if you do not respect other drivers on the road. The other day a vehicle covered with a real estate agent’s logo, phone number, and picture swerved three lanes and cut me off so he would not miss his exit. I will not be calling him to buy a home!
• Don’t put a huge picture of yourself on your car like the real estate agent in the previous point

  

  It looks ridiculous. Instead, have a well-designed, custom sticker or magnet with your logo and website made for your car.

Everything you do reflects positively or negatively on your brand. Consider how you are currently representing your brand and examine areas that you could make improvements.

How are you building your brand? What tools are you using? Do you have any branding dos and don’ts to share?

The other day I was among the attendees at a national conference. Like everyone else I wanted to hear an informative presentation by an exciting and charismatic professional. We were quickly disappointed. We were no longer listening to her message.

The speaker – a successful writer – sat behind a podium and microphone so we couldn’t see her face very well. She promptly told us this was the first slide show she had ever created, then was unable to use the projector’s remote control and couldn’t remember the order of her content. The presenter in the next session also had some technical difficulties, but she managed it well.  She walked away from the computer and talked to us while tech support solved the problem.  Her engaging presentation style kept us interested in her topic.

While it’s perfectly acceptable to warn your audience that you’re not a professional speaker, you should be aware that everyone still expects you to be good at it.

It’s not easy to keep people’s attention. Effective presentation skills improve the chances of people absorbing your message. Make sure people remember you for the right reason. In future articles I’ll talk in more detail about communication strategies and how to create powerful content, but in the meantime use these tips to make yourself a better presenter:

• Outline the objectives of the speaking engagement. This will make writing notes or creating slides easier.

• Think about what participants will expect from you.
• Keep slides to a minimum. Slides should have only four bullets with fives words per bullet. (See know your content)
• Will you need printed material? (such as business cards or brochures)
• Make notes. Use your software’s Presenter Notes function to document your script.

• Always assume that you’ll have technical problems and that you’ll have to rely on your notes and your voice to engage the audience.
• The best speakers rarely look at the slides. Excellent presenters just talk!

• Always rehearse all the content: Use the Rehearse function of your presentation software to run through the presentation and check your timing. This helps determine if content is the right length. You should also verify your knowledge of the content. You should NOT be reading the slides word-for-word. The slides only summarize your detailed knowledge of the topic(s).

• Show up early to the location, test microphones, computer and projector and slide show.
• Get to know the room and make it yours.
• Where is the screen set up to display your presentation – can you stand beside it?
• Is there room for you to move around while you’re talking?

• Never stand behind a podium or a lectern.
• Make periodic eye contact with members of the audience
• Stand to the left of the screen – People read left to right; and their attention will naturally return to your face regularly
• Pause regularly for a breath, to collect your thoughts or check your notes. Silence also encourages people to ask questions.
• Close well by summarizing your key message(s).

• Be approachable by telling people they can talk to you after the session
• Follow up with the host of the event or the participants

In time you’ll develop your own presentation style and preparation will be shorter.  Take advantage of speaking opportunities. But make sure your message stays in the spotlight.

My goal is to teach you how create an online personal brand that maximizes your personal and business success.

If you want to develop a personal brand that presents “you” to the world in the most effective way possible I recommend following a proven, structured process.

If you take the time to do things right the first time, you will save yourself from wasting a lot of time in the future.

This proven process starts with me asking you a series of questions -and it will require some deep thinking and soul searching on your part.

One of the habits of highly effective people is that they “begin with the end in mind.”  That means they set goals.  They think before they act.  They get clear on where they want their ship to go, before they set sail and leave the harbor.

So to begin, I suggest you take the time to describe in detail your answers to the following questions:

• What do you want to be known for in the future?
• How will you know when you have succeeded?
• What exactly will you be doing?
• What will you have achieved?
• How will you feel when you have achieved this success?

The more vivid and compelling you can paint this vision of your ideal future – the greater your chances of achieving it.

Over the last few years more of the general population have become increasingly aware of the importance of personal branding and creating a strong personal brand. Reality TV shows have become popular on mainstream Television and we have seen people seemingly rise from being virtually unknown to household names. Personal branding isn’t a new concept; some examples of successful personal brands that have stood the test of time are:

• Martha Stewart
• Tony Robbins
• Richard Branson and
• Oprah

They have all used their personal brands to build phenomenal business empires. Newer celebrities such as Bethenny Frankel; have shown us how to build a strong personal brand by being our amazing authentic selves. This is actually a major key in successful Attraction Marketing. Celebrities naturally build a personal brand by default – whilst we tend to think of celebrities when considering personal branding – we all have our own personal brand! Social Media has leveled the playing field and has made it far more common for every day people to become household names in their own right. From Wine TV’s (Gary Vanyerchuk author of Crush It!) to Carrie Wilkerson (The Barefoot Executive) every day people are becoming Global Names using Personal Branding techniques on the Internet. It makes sense that you will be able to sell more of what you’ve got if more people know like and love you right?

Your personal profile and brand also play a major role with increasing a potential customers trust, relationship and likeliness to buy from you. Branding is a critical component to a customer’s purchasing decision -it is all about how they perceive you.  Building a Powerful Personal Brand will also increase the opportunities that will arise when people recognize you for what you do. From getting paid to speak on stage, publicity opportunities and potential book deals to TV appearances; so many other options become open to you when you build a strong personal brand.

Thing’s to consider when developing a personal brand are:

• What you do
• Who you serve
• What results you desire
• Your passions, morals and values

Usually a personal brand will develop through what you do. You will find people referring to you as the “go to” person for something in particular – when you can couple this with a smart marketing strategy you can literally overnight become the “go to” expert in your niche or area of expertise. We are living in such an exciting time with an abundance of opportunities – you can quite literally now become famous for just being yourself and doing what you love – how cool is that!

The importance of branding should not be overlooked as an integral part of your business strategy; regardless of your industry. When you develop a powerful personal brand and pair it in a powerful partnership with Social Media and building a database of clients, customers and people who are interested in you and what you do you can literally take your list and business with you wherever you go and continue to grow your business and monetize from many different opportunities.

Are you where you want to be in your life professionally? Are you making what you thought you would be making? Have you accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish to date?

We all have dreams and goals of obtaining something, whether it is finding true love, starting our dream business or finding our dream job, or attaining financial freedom. When times get difficult, we may feel overwhelmed and weighed down with details. We have a tendency to lose focus on what those dreams and goals are because they become somewhat elusive. The goal setting and goal achievement process may become mundane, and in turn, we may feel hopeless; however, when we plan with flexibility, the goal attainment process becomes easier and much more realistic.

Continue reading for 5 tips on how to stay on track and meet goals effectively.

1. Desire to succeed – We need to have a passion and desire to stay on track when we are planning our goals. We have to commit to whatever we are trying to accomplish.
2. See yourself succeed – Seeing ourselves achieving the goal, even if we were not successful the first time is important. How many business people really become successful on their first venture? How many times have we found true love with the first person we dated? How many times does the average self-made millionaire fail before making it? Keeping a positive attitude and optimistic outlook with realistic expectations will never lead to disappointment.
3. Outline and blueprint – We need an outline of the path we want to follow. Create a plan of action. Identify the critical path – the things that need to be completed in order to make the goal become a reality. Remember, the most successful people are those who plan and actually stick to the plan while being flexible. Successful people often have a backup plan too.
4. Create a plan – After identifying the first goal, write it down and create a plan of action on how to attain the goal. Set a timeline to complete the task. Then move onto the second goal.
5. Monitor progress – Manage goal timelines by checking progress. Use a calendar, day planner, or PDA to consistently meet objectives and goals. Every time a task is completed, cross it off the list. If progress is not being made, don’t let negative emotions get in the way. Re-assess the tasks and goals.

Remember that flexibility is the key when planning goals. Review progress at least two times a week. If objectives are not met, ask for help. Stay focused and be sure not to give up.

There are many factors beyond our control, making it difficult for anyone to make solid and consistent plans for a year such as this one. With proper planning, however, small businesses can weather the storm and even thrive.  Let’s look at how to get the most out of your marketing dollars:

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising still seems to be a decent marketing strategy, however, the expense is slightly higher than other internet marketing strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO). For better results, less cost and an overall better return on investment, SEO is usually the best option despite being more time consuming.  If you decide to hire a firm for SEO, make sure you check the references of the firm because many claim they can deliver results when, in fact, they can’t.

With the rise of smart phones, mobile sites and developing a mobile strategy is necessary. It doesn’t matter what type of business you have.  For instance, if you own a restaurant, accept reservations through a platform like Open Table. Make sure the business is listed under local listings such as Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, and Yahoo Local and Google Local searches because you want your business to come up as a top local listing when someone searches for the type of cuisine you serve in your local market.

Viral marketing is a great way to enhance search engine rankings. YouTube has become an important platform for viral marketing and popular videos can greatly increase traffic to your site. For example, the Free Hugs Campaign generated over 50 million views on YouTube with this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3x_RRJdd4&feature=player_embedded

The success of the video landed the Free Hugs Campaign founder, Juan Mann, on the Oprah Winfrey show as well.

Press release distribution centers and article content directories help with generating more traffic for your website.  Both portals allow publishers to publish a signature file containing your name, contact information, and link to website (which also helps with search engine rankings).

Using social media websites and networking sites have changed the way that business is conducted online.  It has revolutionized the way that businesses communicate with their audiences and the way that businesses brand themselves. Twitter and Facebook seem to be the two hottest websites out there right now and there are many other social media platforms that can help build brand awareness.

While putting together your marketing plan, investigate the various strategies that can take your business to the next level -even during a recession.

Every day around the world millions of people think of new business ideas yet only a small fraction of these ideas will ever become businesses.

What prevents these ideas from becoming businesses? Perhaps the idea is not feasible. After all, not every idea can become a profitable business. There may be life circumstances standing in the way of taking action on the idea. Or maybe it is simply because people have no idea how to turn an idea into a business.

If you are someone who has thought and dreamed of starting a business but you don’t quite know the start-up process, you are not alone. The Ready, Set, Go Business Start-Up Guide will take you through the steps of turning your idea into a business:

Get Ready…

• The big idea -If you already have your big idea, that is great! For others who have what it takes to be an entrepreneur but don’t have an idea yet, read 24 Business Ideas to Start Now for a little inspiration. SpringWise.com is also a good place to look through the latest business ideas from around the world.
• Choose a business name -In most cases you will need to obtain a name search report to make sure the name is not already being used. The name should suggest what your business does. For example, a vegetarian restaurant named Green Gardens may confuse potential customers. Green Gardens Vegetarian Cuisine, however, clearly states what the business does. Susan Ward, Canadian small business guide for About.com wrote a great article on this topic called 5 Rules for Choosing a Business Name.
• Check if a domain name is available -When deciding on a business name you have to keep the domain name in mind. I had to change the name of this blog based on the fact that this domain was available and the other name I wanted was not. This name has grown on me though and it is very “me.” To check the availability of domain names go to WhoIs.net, a database of domain names, who owns them, and whether the domain you want is for sale. If the name you want is for sale, buy it right away even if you are still in the planning phase of the business.
• Decide on a legal form for your business -A sole proprietorship or partnership are the simplest structures for a business, however, you have unlimited liability which means you are liable to pay back debts the business incurs or pay a settlement if your business were to be sued. A corporation is a more formal structure but gives you limited liability and the most legal protection because a corporation is a separate entity from any shareholders. Creating a corporation is essentially creating a new person. In some countries there is a limited liability corporation (LLC) structure. LLCs combine some aspects of the simpler sole proprietship or partnership structure with aspects of the corporate structure. This structure allows you the freedom to be taxed like a sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation. You still have limited liability like a corporation with much less paperwork. For more information, read Inc.com’s very informative business structure guide, Choosing a Form for Your Business.
• Plan, plan, plan -You have likely heard it before: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Depending on your business and whether you need external financing you may or may not need a full business plan. Bplans.com is the best resource I have come across for business plans and I have used the Business Plan Pro software for years. I will be interviewing Sabrina Parsons about business planning next week. She is the CEO of Palo Alto, the software company behind Business Plan Pro. If you don’t need a formal plan I like using the free fill-in-the-blanks plan offered by Business Development Canada. You do not need to live in Canada to use this great resource!
• Protect yourself -I learned this lesson the hard way not once, but twice. Take my advice and make sure your personal protection is a top priority. Protecting yourself is so important and will give you peace of mind. I have used legal forms from FreeLegalForms.net. There is no substitute for a lawyer, however, and you should always hire a lawyer if you are starting a partnership, corporation, or a business in which intellectual property is involved. You should also protect yourself by making sure you have proper insurance for you and your business. When it comes to protecting yourself, you can never be too careful.

Get Set…

• Register online -A lot of countries let you register online now. If you’re in the United States, Canada, Australia or the UK you should be able to register online and I have even found exactly where you can register: Americans click here, Canadians here, Australians here, and British citizens click here to register. I’m sorry I can’t cover all countries but visit your country’s business services website or your local Chamber of Commerce to find out how to register.
• Register trademarks and/or patents -Registering a trademark is only beneficial if you have the legal resources to enforce the trademark registration. Filing for a patent is essential if you have intellectual property. If you think you need a patent the best thing to do is seek professional legal advice. You can file a patent application online in the United States here, in Canada here, in the UK here, and Australia here.
• Set up a tax account -In most cases you can set up a tax account at the same time you register your business. Check with your local business center or online to make sure you set up the proper accounts for collecting and remitting your business taxes.
• Get necessary licenses and permits -Again, check with your local business center. Required licenses and permits will depend on what kind of business you are starting and where you are starting it.
• Set up a bank account -Shop around for a bank to find low fees and a low interest rate if you need a business loan. A corporation must have its own bank account but a sole proprietorship or partnership does not. If you are starting an online business as a sole proprietor, PayPal might suffice as your business account since you can send invoices, receive payments, and print statements. I know many entrepreneurs who do this although I can’t recommend it because I have not done this myself even though I use PayPal for online transactions.
• Find an accountant -A good accountant will save you a lot of money, and perhaps most importantly, a lot of headaches and stress. Interview several accountants before making your final decision because this is the person who is going to deal with your money. I interviewed six accountants before I chose one that I felt comfortable with and who best understood my business.
• Hire a designer -Hire a designer to design your logo, business cards, letterhead, and other marketing materials such as fliers and brochures. Once your branding package is designed you will have a logo and your company colors in place to develop another important thing for your business: a website. For affordable design work try posting a short proposal on elance.com. Several different designers will review your request and post a quote for you.
• Print branding package and marketing materials -If you are happy with your logo and other promotional materials, it is time to have them printed for distribution. There are many printing companies online that offer high quality printing at affordable prices. I have used OvernightPrints.com for the last three years. VistaPrint.com is another popular online printer.

Go!

• Market your business -Execute your marketing strategy from the business plan you developed in the “Get ready” section of this guide. Launch your website and distribute marketing materials. Attend as many relevant conferences and events as you can that will get your name out there.
• Leverage social media -Building a strong online presence is essential. You should be using twitter, facebook, linkedin, stumbleupon, and any other social networking websites that your target market uses. To find social networks that are relevant to your industry and business, Mashable’s 350 social networking websites article is a must-read.
• Tap into your personal network -Tell everyone you know about your new business. Chances are they will be able to give you the leads you need to land your first customer.
• Submit a press release -A press release is an important tool for landing your business some media coverage. If you are not quite sure how to write a press release, CanadaOne has an incredible (and free) interactive press release builder that you can use. Distribute the press release to local newspapers, websites, and blogs. For international distribution you can try a service like PRWeb to distribute your press release to millions of potential customers.
• Keep customers happy -Good customer service is key to growing a business. Once you have customers, do whatever you can to keep them happy. Finding new customers costs seven times more than keeping the ones you already have.
• Keep on keeping on -There will be many ups and downs during the start-up process but keep a positive attitude. Constantly fine-tune your business plan and revise your strategy.
• Improve -Follow the Japanese mantra, kaizen, meaning continual improvement. Toyota, one of the world’s most respected companies, has the kaizen philosophy built into every process. I know this because as a student I worked at Toyota and not a day went by that I did not hear the word kaizen!

Be prepared to learn a lot on your entrepreneurial journey. Successful companies are built one day at a time with blood, sweat and tears. Remember these words by Arthur Ashe: “Success is a journey, not a destination.” Now go out there and take on the world.

Starting a business with a partner is a big commitment. In my opinion, it is so easy to be a solopreneur with social media and access to talented freelancers. You should have a clear reason why you need a business partner. As a solopreneur you can use a website like Elance.com to hire freelancers to fill in where you may be lacking strength and provide help when needed. Being a solopreneur is easy for tax purposes, you have full control over the business, and your schedule can be quite flexible which is great if you need to keep a 9-5 to pay the bills while you work 5-9 on growing your business. After giving it some thought you may still decide that you want a partner to bring added skills to the business and share responsibilities and start-up costs.

If you do decide to work with a partner, consider the following:

• Will your partner be as enthusiastic and passionate about the business as you are? You want someone who will pull their weight and be passionate about making the business work. Having passion gets you through the tough days.

• Are your strengths in the same areas or do your strengths complement each others? Having a complimentary skill set and strengths are essential for efficiently sharing responsibilities and dividing up tasks.

• Are you on the same page and working towards the same goals? If you are not, it means you are not communicating effectively. Communication is key between partners.

• Have you agreed upon and signed a Partnership Agreement? I do not care if you are going into business with your best friend or a close family member (which, by the way, I don’t recommend) you absolutely need to have a signed Partnership Agreement. Small Business Notes, a website for small business owners, has a Sample Partnership Agreement here.

I have had good and bad experiences with business partners. I have tried going into business with family members and close friends and it presented too many challenges and strained our personal relationships. That is not to say it can not work for you to have a business with someone you have a close personal relationship with but you should be really careful. I do not think it is worth risking a relationship with someone you care about. For me it definitely is not worth the risk so I likely would not do it again.

With any partnership the most important thing is to not enter into a partnership too quickly. From talking to other entrepreneurs I have heard far more stories of failed partnerships than successful ones and a lot of the time people say they did not think it all the way through. Ask yourself why you really want, and need, a business partner.

Are you happy as a solopreneur? Do you have a partnership story to share? What is your opinion on being a solopreneur versus having a partner?

Every business needs loud and enthusiastic supporters. Your cheerleaders will refer your business to others, brag about you, and keep you motivated when times get tough. I have some pretty amazing cheerleaders. Some are clients, some are family and friends, and others are business associates. One of my cheerleaders even mentions me in her media interviews!

The key to building your cheerleading squad is to support your cheerleaders as much as they support you. Make them feel valued. If your cheerleaders are constantly giving you referrals, consider giving them a small commission or free services as a way of showing how much you appreciate them. I also like to send out hand written thank you cards once in awhile. A little goes a long way. Think about these questions:

Who are your cheerleaders?

Who are potential cheerleaders?

How can you show appreciation to your cheerleaders?

My directions to you are as follows:  Take 1.5 hours a month, open a word doc and write down 60-90 tweets.

Stumped on what to write about? Try these ideas:

• Have a Calendar: Open your outlook calendar and discuss upcoming events in the next month
• Have Favorites: View your favorite websites and link back to them in tweets
• Have Inspiration: Link articles that have inspired you, share the content and mention mentors
• Have a Pay-It-Forward Attitude: Plug past clients in a tweet with a link to THEIR website
• Have Solutions: Mention past client solutions you’ve been able to offer with your website link
• Have Personality: Write down a random thought here and there (stay P.C., of course!)
• Have Fun!

The benefit of doing this yourself one day a month is now you have 60-90 tweets all ready to go. These 2 -3 tweets per day can be copied and pasted from your word doc before you start your day, on your coffee break, on lunch or while you’re running the treadmill. Try updating your account in-real-time, but when you’re extraordinarily busy, reference this handy cheat of what to write. Keep it saved on your blackberry or desktop and allow yourself to tweet value added content.

What I’m suggesting does not replace the SOCIAL in Social Media and I strongly encourage interaction and engagement; however, if you’re just getting the hang of things this can head you in the right direction. Writing down tweets ahead of time that mention articles you like, people you admire or calendar events coming up isn’t cheating as long as you remember to be yourself and keep it SOCIAL!

Social media has given us great ways to protect and build our digital reputations. Today we have the ease of searching conversations, the ability to set alerts to help us monitor our names, the constant availability of learning opportunities and more ways to communicate and interact with others. All of these tools, which were not available just a few years ago, now make it possible for us to be proactive in maintaining, building and protecting our good name. Here are five easy ways to do just that:

I am sure you have done this already, but just in case, first do a search on Google for your name in quotation marks. It is important to see what comes up on the first page. The first page of a google search result is precious real-estate. Then set up a simple spreadsheet so you can keep track of your digital footprint. Do a little research and spend some time collecting numbers. How many Facebook followers do you have? What kind of traffic do you get on your site? Once you have the numbers you can then decide on your goals.

Are you interested in growing the numbers of links/connections/followers or do you want more one-on-one engagement? Or are you more interested in getting retweets on Twitter (which, as Guy Kawasaki said recently is “now the sincerest form of flattery”). Once the goals are in place, track the results in the spreadsheet and adjust as needed.

To accomplish any of these goals, you are going to need to learn. The new world of communication is moving quickly, which naturally lends itself to a couple of advantages. First, there is a lot of room for experimentation, so use your talents and skills to communicate in your own unique way. Second, this experimentation has led to collaboration, and smart people are sharing information all the time. Make sure you make time every day for “learning.” Look over sites and information to keep up with the developments in social media. Currently I am taking part in an online conference, called Social Media Success Summit 2010 and am learning a lot. And among the many sites I visit, one of my daily stops is: PR Daily News: Public Relations news and marketing in the age of social media.

To communicate 24/7, which is now the expectation and the norm, you need to develop different types of content. Blogging is a great way to share your knowledge and collaborate with others. However, blogging can be a big undertaking. Blogging expert Denise Wakeman recommends that you blog 3 times a week. If that is a daunting task for you, try guest blogging on an established site or blog in your industry. Another way some of my clients have developed content is through books, ebooks, whitepapers, audio recordings, slide presentations and videos.

Building and maintaining relationships has never been easier. Those of us in sales and marketing have always known the value of relationship building, but now everyone needs to make it a priority. Make sure you have profiles on LinkedIn, and Facebook. Twitter is a fantastic source of information, and an excellent place to learn. People on Twitter are eager and happy to help each other. To get tips on effective communication on these sites, I look to Cindy Ratzlaff who has a daily video tip along with regular blog posts on her site. Social media is an excellent way to build relationships, but don’t forget the value of face to face meetings, phone calls, hand written notes, and emails. It’s good to focus on important clients and influencers, but leave room for the “accidental” connections. Social media networking can be serendipitous, you never know which person may lead you to a new connection or client.

Social media alerts (Google or Social Mention) are a great way to monitor your name and/or industry. If something important happens in your industry you’ll know about it and can comment. If someone says something positive, a thank you goes a long way. If there is negative chatter starting up around your name or company, alerts keep you on top of it and you can jump in and take care of things quickly. I also use Addictomatic which is a great site for big picture monitoring.

There are many tools and resources now that can help us to become better communicators and better guardians of our reputations. I know it is a big undertaking, but the question to ask yourself is: If you are not investing in yourself, why should anyone else?

Before seeking funding, there are several things that I advise you to do in order to determine if your business idea is viable.  These are important tips that should be used by all entrepreneurs – things lenders will look for when making a decision to approve funding or NOT!  Here are 4 extremely important steps that all new entrepreneurs need to take before seeking funding!

Prepare a Business Plan

A comprehensive business plan is imperative to your business success.  It is needed to not only organize your business but to get a small business loan. Your business plan should be written early in the planning process and is your road map for starting and operating your small business.  Because business plans can be daunting, you don’t have to do it alone.  Here are some resources available to assist you:

• SCORE offers online business tools to assist you in business planning.
• SBA offers online business tools to help you start grow and succeed.
• Business Plan Pro software is easy to use, affordable and loaded with hundreds of templates which guide you in writing your business plan.

Research and Know Your Competition

Understanding who your competitors are helps to project sales, avoid surprises, decrease reaction time as well as helps in understanding your own business (or proposed business) better.  After your research information has been compiled and evaluated, it is important to develop strategies for competing, thus, determining if your if your idea is viable.

When you look at your competitors, you are analyzing:

• Who are your major competitors?
• What share of the market do they have?
• How do you compare to your competitors and how will they react to your entry into the
  market?
• What are their strengths and weaknesses (e.g. quality, price, service, payment terms, location, reputation, etc.)?
• What factors could increase or reduce your competition?

Analyze Your Market

The success of your business depends on making sales. Marketing is a way of communicating with your target market so they (customers) will buy your products and services. It is a necessary element of business.  A constant marketing effort is required to establish, stabilize, and grow a successful business. Marketing & Sales practices include: describing your products and services clearly; continuously developing your understanding of your “marketplace”- who’s buying (customers), who’s selling (competition), what’s selling (products & services) at what price, how is the market changing; tracking the success of your marketing & sales strategy; improving your business’s ability to establish and maintain good prospect & customer relationships.

Put Personal Finances in Order

A prospective entrepreneur’s relationship with money and his/her ability to successfully manage personal finances and credit are directly connected to his/her success in the planning, decision-making, detailed oversight and big picture strategizing that are necessary to healthy business finance management.  It can take time for a new business to develop a cash flow, so, making sure your personal finances are in order before launching your new business, is essential. Here are four quick tips to organize your personal finances:

• Pay off your credit card debt.  Charge it!  We are so used to whipping out the credit card and buying ‘things’ that we don’t need or can’t afford.  Consider paying off your credit cards and consolidating balances to the credit card with the lowest APR. You will breathe a sigh of release once you realize you ‘CAN’ live without the dreaded plastic.  And, you can thank me later!
• Invest wisely.  Having an investment plan is the key to long term success.  There are a lot of options out there, so I suggest you speak with a financial advisor.
• Save for an emergency. With the economy being so weak, sometimes it takes every penny that comes in to make ends meet.  You must get out of that mind set and start saving on a regular basis.  Start small and increase as time goes on.
• Create a personal budget.  A personal budget is extremely important in managing your household.  In fact, your monthly budget will help you in determining how much you will save and invest!    An informative book that I’ve read and suggest is by author John L. Macko: Budget Yes! 21st Century Solutions for Taking Control of Your Money Now!’

By following these steps, you will position yourself for a successful funding request.

Sweet dreams!

It’s a weird phrase, but the basic habits of setting the stage for slumber are known together as “good sleep hygiene.” Here’s all the steps you should take (and stuff you should avoid) if you want to sleep like, well, a baby:

• Put a cork in it -You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: As good as booze is at knocking you out, it messes with your REM sleep. So consider steering clear, at least on school nights. And layoff the coffee after 4:00 P.M., too. That will give the caffeine time to wear off.
• Back away from the fridge -No big meals right before bed, although a light snack is fine. You don’t want your stomach going into digestion overdrive when you’re trying to doze off.
• Finish working out at least four hours before bed -Otherwise, there’s a chance you’ll get all hopped up and energized, and that’s no state of mind/body in which to sail off to Sleepy Town. Yoga might be okay, but why risk it?
• Spring for comfy bedding -You don’t need to spend a fortune (unless you want to), but at least splash out on high-quality sheets and a great pillow.
• Develop routines -Go to bed at the same time, wake up at the same time, do the same “wind-down” things in the same way, religiously. (See my night-night routine in “Worked for Me.”) Practicing the same routine nightly will help send sleep cues to your mind and body.
• Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cold -From the digital clock to street lamps, we underestimate all the light creeping into our bedrooms at night; I’ve actually taken to wearing a mask. If you sleep with a snorer, buy earplugs. And as for the chilly temperature, that’s what blankets are for.
• Reserve your bed for sleeping and sexing -This is a toughie, because who doesn’t have a flatscreen and a pile of books in their bedroom? At the very least, don’t drag your laptop or anything else work related in there. You want your mind and body to associate your bedroom with sleep, not every other activity known to (wo)man.
• Zap the nap -A midday snooze throws off your circadian rhythm, which makes it harder to fall asleep at night. If you’re completely exhausted, limit your nap to fifteen minutes. If you’re zonked out long enough to get through all the NREM and REM cycles, you’ll wake up anything but refreshed.
• Get up if it just ain’t happening -After about ten sleepless minutes, cut your losses, get out of bed, and head somewhere else in the house. Then do something boring and snoozeworthy, such as watching a rerun of a show you’ve already seen about ninety-five times. When you find yourself dozing off, head back to Sleep Central.