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February 23, 2007
Fine Tune Those Ethics
Is there something you are doing in your business endeavors that causes you to pause and wonder, "Should I be doing this?" or "Is this right to do?" If so, then you are more than likely engaged in behavior that is a bit questionable and need to listen carefully to your inner voice.
Many times people will get caught up with desiring to have the highest volume in sales, the most traffic to their site, or wanting to look better than a competitor. When these feelings of greed, envy and power take over, beware. It is at this time you need to be the most honest with yourself and take inventory on how you are conducting your business.
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Remember that old saying "what goes around comes around", and even though things may appear "rosy" now, there may be times ahead where you reap the consequences for your actions now. Play it smart and always use Am I using copyrighted or licensed material without
permission? (this |
Am I putting down others and their services to try to gain
more business and look better than my competition?
Am I original in my ideas or do I copy what others are doing to get ahead?
Am I truthful to my clients, peers and other companies I do business with?
Am I being responsible and paying my bills?
Am I keeping my word and abiding by written contracts I've signed?
Think twice before making a decision, especially if you have questioning
thoughts. You have either everything to gain or everything to lose by the way
you do business. The choice is yours.
Posted by Cyndi at 07:25 AM | Comments (1)
February 20, 2007
Golden Nuggets
I wanted to share with you some of my favorite and most powerful quotes that I've come across for women. I have found many of these to either give me the extra encouragement I needed, a gentle push in the right direction or the ever necessary "reality check". I hope you will find some of these helpful for your life and your business.
"Our job is not to straighten each other out, but to help each other up." Neva Coyle
"Your example is much more powerful than anything you can ever say." Elisabeth Elliot
"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." Dolly Parton
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"It is easy to love those who are far away. It isn't
always easy to love those who are right next to us. It is easier to offer a dish
of rice to satisfy the hunger of a poor person, than to fill up the loneliness
and suffering of someone lacking love in our own family." Mother Teresa |
"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:
if we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
Anne Bradstreet
"Whatever our situation in life...we can and should surround ourselves with
friends who not only understand us, but also inspire us to make the most of our
current calling." Beverly LaHaye
"Originality is not doing something no one else has ever done, but doing what
has been done countless times with new life, new breath." Marie Chapian
"I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery
depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances." Martha Washington
"Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great
strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when
to let go and then do it." Ann Landers
"A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude, and integrity
can do a great deal to make all women beautiful." Jacqueline Bisset
"Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them: but do not let them master you.
Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight. When we do the best we can, we
never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
Helen Keller
"It's never too late - in fiction or in life - to revise." Nancy Thayer
Posted by Cyndi at 01:04 PM | Comments (1)
February 19, 2007
Networking - Making or Breaking Your Business
One of my favorite business authors is Harvey Mackay. He has written many books on networking and success. He has such wonderful simple principles and guidelines that if we all would follow them, we would see a drastic change in our businesses. I'd like to share a few of my favorite bits and quotes from his book "Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty" (A Currency Book, Published by Doubleday Copyright 1997). Even though this book is geared towards networking, there are many truths and thoughts to bring into any business. And really, in essence, our business will die without us actively pursuing the practice of networking.
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"No matter how smart you are, no matter how talented, you
can't do it alone." |
"Find an outfit to join that recognizes you have something
to offer, and find out what they can offer you: contacts, exposure, experience.
It's all there - in exchange for a little effort."
"The wise person isn't the one who makes the fewest mistakes. It's the one who
learns the most from them."
Networking is, in my opinion, one of the most critical areas of your business
that you need to constantly keep on top of. Your "network" needs to consistently
be growing for your business to continue to prosper. When you are tuned into
networking, you will become aware of the fact that opportunities to network are
presented to you each and every day, in almost every situation.
Posted by Cyndi at 01:01 PM | Comments (1)
February 16, 2007
Has Your Fire Gone Out?
Have you found that you've lost the initial excitement of having your own business? Do you find you are experiencing burn out?
One solution for this is to find someone who still has that spark in their eye and bounce in their step that comes along with being the proud new owner of a home based business. What better way to get a little jolt by looking at a reflection of yourself when you first started out. Not only will you benefit by watching and listening but you can offer your mentoring and experience to someone who is just starting out. We can tend to get into a routine, which, if we aren't careful, can bring us into a slump.
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Another trap that many fall into is thinking that they
cannot learn from someone who hasn't been around the block, so to speak.
Sometimes those who are just venturing out have more to teach us than the
seasoned veterans. The mistake is thinking that they don't. |
Posted by Cyndi at 12:08 PM | Comments (1)
February 15, 2007
When to Say When
Do you know when to say "when"? Not to stereotype our gender, but it does seem that we have a problem with being able to say "no" to the requests for our time, services and money. When friends and colleagues come to us for our expertise in what we do, we gladly give away our knowledge and insight. Many times though, this can also lead into using your skills and services. If this goes on without keeping it in check, soon you find that what you typically get paid for from your clients, you are now doing free for those close to you, which in turn, uses up too much of your time.
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Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we never offer our help and services, but you need to know where to draw the line. We all are trying to create an income for ourselves and that is not going to be possible if you spend most of your time giving away your services. I mention services here because this is the area where it seems to be most common. (Those who sell products have also had many people approach them wanting a discount on the products which cuts into what their income could be.) When people give away their services for free - this cuts into their time for when they could be either doing work for paying customers or actively pursuing some new customers. |
This is something that I have struggled with most of my life.
I tend to be the type that loves to give and has a hard time receiving, and I
hope I never change in that aspect. But over the last several years, after leaving my full-time job to run a home based business, I have been required
to change in the way I think and feel when I do need to say no to someone. I
have had to do this because I no longer have the luxury of a steady guaranteed
income that came from my job outside the home. After becoming a full time work at home mom, it was a necessity"need" to
create a new steady income. I still feel very guilty at times when saying no.
But I found, for the first couple years of running my home based business, there were times where literally well over half the time I spent
each week "working",giving my services away. Again - nothing wrong with
helping others and contributing our time and talents to others IS something we
all should do. Many times this is an excellant way to build alliances or barter for
other products/services that you need. But you need to get to the point where
you put a limit on the time you can spend doing this. If we all had the steady
income that we desire, and most of the time NEEDING to bring in, then we wouldn't
need to worry about any amount of time and energy spent on free services.
Does this mean you shouldn't help others or offer your services without pay - absolutely not. But
it does mean learning to prioritize and coming to the realization that you
cannot do everything for everybody and grant every request coming your way. So,
know when to say "when" and try not to feel guilty about setting boundaries and
limitations for yourself and your business.
Posted by Cyndi at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)
February 14, 2007
Where Has All the Originality Gone?
As time goes on, the internet seems to be turning into a large field of "sameness". Fresh, new ideas and concepts are quickly snapped up by competitors who want to ride on the tails of success of similar companies. These actions of copy cat behavior are not limited only to the internet, but the internet has made it very easy for individuals to take advantage of someone's hard work in order to create a business for themselves.
I know many small business owners who spent years perfecting a business, creating a unique company after much planning and research, only to have someone come by and take all they have created and put up their own "shop" sign without any of the hard work.
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Some have tried to be deceptive, ordering product from a
company, to see exactly how things are done, and then attempt to duplicate the
concept. Not only is this lazy, but in my opinion, ethically wrong. And....these
people are If you want to work from home, and start your own home
grown business, be creative! Be an individual and come up with some original
ideas and concepts. While there may be many a business that has similarities, do
not blatantly copy what is obviously a business born from originality, |
be on the up and up and contact that individual. Let them know that you find their business model and idea something that you'd like to create in your own area. Ask if they'd be willing to share ideas and resources, OFFER to pay for this sort of consultation as opposed to expecting to get information and direction for free. If they are open to this - great, if not - then you need to decide if you want to move forward with this similar business. If so, make sure that you are putting your own creative twists to the idea and making it your own.
Believe in yourself and what you can create and call your own. You will feel better about yourself and see greater success.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2007
Nice vs. Honest - A Woman's Struggle
Why is it that women have a hard time being "honest"? Honest in the sense that when a colleague or peer asks for advice on a task they've done, an article they've written, or a new project they've created.... women will tend to be "nice" as opposed to honest. Instead of giving them an honest response and critique, women many times will just say, "It's wonderful", "It's perfect', or "I think you did a great job", when in reality they think it needs a lot of improvement.
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This is not to say that you are rude and trash another person's work. But if you are asked an opinion and you know that what has been created is something that will not enhance that person's business or has mistakes in it - be honest in a caring and encouraging way. Point out the good ideas and qualities that you can see in their work and then make the suggestions as to how it can be better. We owe it to each other to be honest in the feedback we give. And we owe it to ourselves to not take critiques and constructive criticism personally but to be grateful that our friends and associates care enough for us to put our best foot forward. |
I have a very close friend in that neither of us holds
back anything on our opinions of each other’s work and ideas. I thank God I have
someone like that because she has been so helpful with her pair of eyes and
providing a springboard for me. We both know and trust each other and would
expect nothing but an honest opinion, even if it means throwing out an entire
concept or project we had spent hours on creating.
So - keep asking for those opinions of others, and when asked for yours, tell
the truth, as you would want to hear it.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:36 AM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2007
Taking Back Your Life
Do you feel like you are a slave to your business? Are you working 7 days a week, with many of those days being 10 - 12 hour work days? If your answer is "yes", you are not alone. This seems to be the syndrome that many work at home moms fall into.
One of the downfalls in running a home-based business is that many are not able to break away as they would if they worked outside the home. It is too easy to walk by your office, pop in for what you think will be a quick 5 minutes, and end up coming back out an hour or two later. When your office is in the home, the hours can blur together, and, if you are not careful, your business will consume you.
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Try creating and setting a schedule as you would for if you worked outside the home. Allow yourself only so many hours during the day to run your business, and stick to it. Just as you would have regular office hours when working outside the home, you need to create work hours for your home based business. Working at home allows you the flexibility to decide what hours they will be, but be fair to yourself and your family by sticking to your plan. For most of us, the reason we have chosen to work at home is because we want to be home with our children. If you let your business take up too much of your time and energy, you are defeating the purpose of your original goal. |
Take back your life. Allow yourself the freedom to be the mom, wife, and friend that you need to be. Your business is important, but so are you. Don't lose sight of what is truly valuable during our short time at home with our children. What you don't get done today will still be there tomorrow.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2007
Too Big for Your Britches?
I decided to reach back and include some "Snippets of Success" bits over the next couple weeks that I wrote a few years back. They are just short thoughts and tips on what can help make or break you in your business. I hope you can learn from these, or they make you think:
Too Big for Your Britches?
I have seen, to my dismay, many women in business who put themselves on a pedestal and snub peers whom they consider to be of no use to their business. These women are making a big mistake. Not only are they losing potential networking opportunities and a chance to learn valuable lessons, but they are also creating a bad reputation for themselves.
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There are some women who feel that their business of choice is much more important than the business of a woman who has chosen, for example, a direct sales company to represent. They want nothing to do with the woman involved in a business unrelated to their field. This way of thinking has always perplexed me. While you may not share the exact goals or similar arenas in which to obtain those goals, there are certain “business basics” that everyone in business needs. Customer service skills, tax information for a home-based business, balancing career and family life, and marketing resources are common needs for all businesses. |
If you are of the mindset that you should only associate with certain women in business, I urge you to reconsider your way of thinking. You may miss out on learning some of the most valuable skills in business from the women you may be tossing aside. Humility, people skills, and piggyback networking, among others, are all tools which can lead to your success.
Posted by Cyndi at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)
February 05, 2007
What Gets Me Thru the Day Plugging Away
as my husband says - I should just have an IV of this hooked up to me. But - it keeps my brain going and my fingers moving :-)
Posted by Cyndi at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
