The Productive Entrepreneur

How could an e-business team help you?

I get compliments all the time on how great my website and various blogs look.  Did you know that my e-business team can do the same thing for you?

If you're a consultant, speaker, coach, or other customer-oriented service professional, my experienced team knows what it takes to make you look like a million bucks... and get you transitioned out of the "dollars-for-hours" approach and into making real money on-line.

We have experience with:

• Website design & blog set-up
• Product development and shopping cart set-up (we recommend 1Shopping Cart)
• Drip marketing systems (we recommend Aweber for email marketing and Send Out Cards for postcard campaigns)
• Article marketing and directory submissions
• Online project management and file-sharing systems
• Online client invoicing
• Tele-conferencing and audio recording

If any of these things are part of your 2009 business plan, please do give us a call.  We'd be glad to support your next business leap.

Female Entrepreneurs are Planners

If you are a female entrepreneur, congratulations! You know how to plan for your business growth. According to Everywoman, a female business network, 55% of female entrepreneurs work to a business plan, compared with only 34% of male entrepreneurs. The research also shows that more women entrepreneurs than men predict that their business will grow in the next five years. Read more about the study here.

It's good find out that women, who have traditionally been known as business owners who don't particularly seek to grow, are taking the bull by the horns and pursuing their true potential. I encourage you to become part of this trend!

The bottom line is, planning for business growth is essential whether you are male or female. It's the most important thing you can do to ensure that you have the resources and the capabilities to succeed. And in the course of planning, if you realize you don't have what you need, you can adjust your plan and pursue the additional finances, resources, support, or training that you need to survive and thrive. This is especially true now, when so many businesses are struggling to stay afloat in the downturning economy.

How has the economy affected your plans for 2009? If you think your business plan needs a major overhaul for the new year, I'd be happy to work with you on identifying and implementing those changes. Send me a note or give me a call!

Twitter... in Plain English

I'm a recent Twitter convert.  I enjoy the online application because powerful relationships develop between what may at first seem like trivial posts.  When used effectively, Twitter isn't a timewaster... it's a venue to make connections in a fast and meaningful way.

Recently, when I needed a few folks to preview a product I was releasing, I just shot out a tweet and got some replies right away.  Within 24 hours, I had some great feedback and even a couple of testimonials.

This video from CommonCraft provides a great explanation of what Twitter's all about.

If you're interested in internet marketing, check out Warrior Forum

I know everyone's busy with the holidays, so I'll keep this post super-brief.  I've become a big fan of the Warrior Forum, an online resource for biz owners/entrepreneurs who are looking to make money on-line.

Tons of active discussions, places for you to post special offers for members, etc.  If you're even remotely interested in growing an internet-based business, you'll want to check it out.

http://tinyurl.com/beawarrior

The Fearless Entrepreneurs Pledge

My project for the holidays was to create a video that perfectly captured my 2009 vision.  I call it "The Fearless Entrepreneur's Pledge"... I invite you to view the video, then visit www.fearlessleaps.com to sign the pledge for yourself.

Enjoy, everyone!  And Happy Holidays!

Joy

Must-Have PC Apps - for Free!

Is Santa bringing you a new computer this year? Lucky you! For us productive entrepreneurs, there's nothing quite like starting up a new computer with a fresh slate. It's probably faster, has some cool features, and will increase your productivity for 2009.

That being said, it can also be quite a chore to install all of your required software, and expensive, too. You also need to be sure you computer and data are completely protected from viruses, spyware, hackers, trojans - all those nasty little bugs that can really destroy your day!

At download.com, CNET offers 2 useful starter packages, and they apply whether your computer is new or not. You can get the Windows Starter Kit, which includes recommended programs that are free, as well as the Security Starter Kit, another group of recommended free software. Check them out!

What software program have you found that really increases your productivity? I'd love to hear about it - maybe we productive entrepreneurs can make a list of our own!

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

Takes Notes with Your Cell Phone

Who knew that camera on your cell phone could come in so handy? Sure, it's nice to be able to snap a quick picture of your kids and use it for your wallpaper, or send it on to family and friends, but your cell phone camera could actually help you be more productive.

Ever been to a seminar where the presenter keeps writing and writing and writing on a white board? It's not long before your hand get tired, and you find that you've done more notetaking than listening and applying the concepts presented. And, you're probably lucky if you can read your notes when you get home. Well, here's a thought - grab your phone and take a picture of the board at the end of the presentation. Not only will you have it all to refer back to later, but you will also be able to focus your attention on the speaker.

Now that you have this example, you can probably think of many more situations where a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe you want to capture an image, exact name, and product number of an item you've been thinking about purchasing. This gives you the opportunity to go back to your office to do some research before investing in a piece of software or equipment. Or, maybe you want to remember somebody's contact information or written directions to a new client's office. By taking a picture, you don't have to worry about losing a piece of paper, and you'll have the information with you until you choose to delete the photo.

Here are a couple of more tips that work great for iPhones and other comparable devices. Just goes to show if you think outside the box a little, you can really save time and frustration!

How do you use your cell phone/iPhone to be more productive. I'd love to hear. Send me your ideas!

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

"Why Santa's Marketing Works Better Than Yours"

Stumbled across this great doc by Sean D'Souza - thought others would enjoy it, too.

http://www.psychotactics.com/hohoho.pdf

And he has some fun Santa cartoons at the end of the article that you can use, too... but the link that he gives in the pdf is wrong.

Instead, you'll find them here - http://www.psychotactics.com/hohoho1.htm  :)

One of my clients is finalist for Business.com competition - Have you voted?

COMMUNICATIONS MADE EASY NAMED AS FINALIST IN BUSINESS.COM WHAT WORKS FOR BUSINESS CONTEST!!

Communications Made Easy is one of five contest finalists vying for the best solution to a Technology business challenge and a grand prize of $10,000.

To vote for Communications Made Easy simply click on the image What Works For Business to the left and then click on the technology category or click here.

Rochester, Illinois, Dec. 10, 2008 — Communications Made Easy, a 4-1 broadcast communication service, was named as one of the finalists in the Business.com What Works for Business Contest which aims to identify the best solutions to business challenges. CME’s entry was selected as one of the best in the Technology category from hundreds of contest entries by a panel of business expert contest judges.

Winners for each of the 10 contest categories, and the overall contest winner, will be chosen by popular vote at The What Works for Business Contest Voting page from Wednesday, Dec. 10 through Friday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. Pacific. The final contest results will be announced on Monday, Jan. 12 with each category winner receiving $2,000 and the overall contest winner receiving $10,000.

“We are very excited to have made the final cut for this contest,” said co-owner Michelle Tjelmeland. “We’ve worked hard to design our own software to bring rural communities the capability of sending emergency messages through text messages, e-mail, recorded phone messages, and Web site postings. It’s great to be included as one the top 5 technology solutions.”

Co-owner Mark Roberts thanked the judges for selecting their story as one of the finalists. “We appreciate the support from Business.com’s editorial team, judging panel, and all those who read our story and vote. You’ve given us a fantastic opportunity to get some nationwide exposure for CME.”

Sponsored by Business.com, the leading business search engine, directory and pay-per-click advertising network, the What Works for Business Contest is open to all North American businesses and is designed to help shift business focus from what’s wrong with the economy to what small businesses can actually do to survive and thrive in 2009. Eligible participants submitted a brief description of a business challenge they faced and how they solved it in one of 10 key business categories - Money, Technology, Sales & Marketing, Web, Office Management, Operations, People, Business Location, Startup, and Management – between Oct. 22 and Dec. 3. These entries were reviewed by Business.com’s editorial team and then rated by a panel of action-oriented business leaders to determine the finalists.

“The What Works for Business Contest showcases the ingenuity of small business owners, managers and startup entrepreneurs while creating a resource for businesses seeking real answers,” says Daniel Kehrer, Editor of Business.com and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Journalist of the Year for the Los Angeles region.

To vote or see a complete description of contest rules, visit http://whatworks.business.com/

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About Communications Made Easy

Communications Made EasyTM is an affordable communication tool that broadcasts any message in a matter of seconds to a mass mailing list, using a proprietary 4-in-1 system. This innovative and user-friendly service makes it easy to use one access point to send messages simultaneously, via the Web, e-mail, text message, and phone. CME offers monthly messaging subscriptions, premium service add-ons that enable customers to enhance their package as needed, concierge service to ensure customer messages are dispatched immediately in times of crisis, and a reseller program to allow organizations to brand and sell the product as their own. Communications Made EasyTM is a subsidiary of The Easy Life, LLC, headquartered in Rochester, IL.

Communications Made Easy Media Contact:

Michelle Tjelmeland
Co-owner
800.605.0082
info@communicationsmadeeasy.comBusiness.com Media Contact:

Dianne Molina
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Business.com
310.586.4150
dmolina@business.com

Do Your Own Market Research

Have you ever really researched your target market? I mean really investigated who wants your product or service, who can afford your product or service, and who is mostly likely to become a client or customer?

The term "market research" can sound intimidating and expensive. In fact, many entrepreneurs fail in their business ventures because they fail to do the proper research to learn how to market their products. I dare say that most entrepreneurs aren't experts at market research.

In "Why Marketing Fails: Market Research #1", Karen Greenstreet, author of The Self Employment Blog, writes, "The first - and ultimately biggest - mistake that small business owners make is that they fail to do adequate market research." She offers a free tutorial to help self-employed entrepreneurs learn how to conduct their own market research.

Take time to learn more about market research and use those newly-learned skills to hone in on your ideal target market and attract those buyers to your products and services. And as always, I can help you put your market research to good use. I'd love to help you implement a new marketing plan that pushes your business above and beyond your expectations!

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

Change Your Life in Five Minutes or Less?

I've been writing my daily email series A Day's Potential for some time now, but SelfGrowth.com Founder David Riklan one-upped me with his site’s brand-new video series, “Change Your Life in Five Minutes or Less.”  

His premise?  That the entire course of your life can be changed by an experience that happens in five minutes or less.  Watch his video and check out his post here. 

Navigate the Social Networking Maze

Social networking is fast becoming the new networking and marketing trend, and it certainly seems to have taken on a life of its own. And along with this trend is a whole new world of technological jargon. Don't let that language scare you! There are many advantages to joining this popular online culture, especially when you can use it as a marketing tool for your business.

Successful entrepreneurs are naturally adventurous and willing to try something new, and they always start by feeding their natural curiosity with a little research. Today I have a great tool that you can use to figure out what this social networking craze is all about. John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing wrote a guide to help you navigate through this social networking maze, and thanks to a sponsorship from Microsoft Office Live Small Business, you can download it for free.

After you read this, and do a little more exploring on your own, I'd love to hear how you plan to use social networking in your own marketing plan. And if you're not quite sure how to leverage this tool, let me know! We can figure out a plan together.

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

Project Management Tools to Maximize Productivity

Successful and productive entrepreneurs know how to manage projects, and they appreciate good business tools that help them implement a project management system. If you've every tried to find a system that works for you, then you know that there are hundreds of options available.

"Smashing Magazine" has tried to help you narrow your choices by summarizing the features and benefits 15 project management tools. These are especially targeted toward creative entrepreneurs, such as Web designs, graphic and print designers, but actually, almost all of them work well for anyone needing a project management tool. Check out their article to see their list and recommendations.

I have a few additional recommendations of my own to add:

WebEx WebOffice - online project management and collaboration

Wrike - online project management for individuals, teams, and businesses

ToodleDo - online to do list and task manager that also allows you to collaborate with others

TimeTraces - a time tracking program that you DON'T have to initiate - it's automatic and produces very insightful information in regards to how you use your computer

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

Is happiness contagious?

Make Your Home Office a Productive Office

We've all had those conversations with others who, upon finding out you "work from home", say, "Oh, you're so lucky you're able to do that!" You probably stand there, nodding your head in agreement, while secretly thinking, "Yeah, but if I only had a real office..."

Those who work from home certainly appreciate the advantages, but also understand that sometimes, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Sure, we generally set our own hours, save money and time because we don't drive to work, and can work in our sweats if we want. But there are SO many distractions at home - kids, TV, that pile of laundry, the refrigerator - and having a productive day maybe the exception rather than the rule.

Working from home takes discipline - not only for you, but also for your family. Here are a few tips to help you establish some guidelines to promote productivity:

1. Have your own office. This is the best way to keep your work life and your home life separate, not to mention maintain an organized workspace. Establish a "sign" (such as a closed door) so your family will know when it's ok to come it, and when you don't want to be disturbed.

2. Add a phone line just for business calls. With a dedicated phone line, you'll know when business-related calls are coming in. This can help you avoid lengthy chats with friends who are just calling to catch up. It will also help your family distinguish between calls from your clients or customers, and personal phone calls.

3. Set a work schedule and stick to it. Determine what time you will begin each morning, when you will take your breaks, when you will eat lunch, and when you will close up shop for the day. Working from home allows you to be flexible with your scheduling, but you will be more productive if you are determined to work at specific work times. This will also help you separate life from work and family.

4. Determine who has access to your office and when. You children might think it's fun to "work" at your desk, but you should be sure to have important papers and files stored away for safe keeping. You never know what could disappear, or turn into artwork, when you're not around.

5. Dress professionally. If you're having trouble getting motivated, maybe you're in "lounging mode" because you are still wearing your comfy pajamas. Shower and dress for work each day as if you were going to drive to the office and be surrounded by co-workers and clients. If you dress the part, you will have a different attitude toward your work and be a more productive entrepreneur.

6. Allow yourself 10 or 15 minute breaks throughout the day. Take a brisk walk to stretch your legs and get some fresh air. This will help clear your mind and keep you from feeling stuck in a little office all day long.

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals. 

Free Download from Productive Magazine

Here's a resource that I simply have to pass on to all of my Productive Entrepreneurs. It's called "Productive Magazine" and it's full of articles on, well, productivity!

Editor Michael Sliwinski is offering his first issue as a free download, so there's no risk in checking it out. The very first issue was just released on November 20, and already, Sliwinski is reporting over 20,000 downloads. Here are the highlights:
    * An interview with the David Allen himself - the best-selling author of the Getting Things Done book
    * 17 great articles by the most active productivity bloggers in the blogoshpere

Can you imagine how many great productivity tips and ideas are in this issue? I think you'll find some very worthwhile information that you can implement TODAY to help you increase your business and personal productivity.

And if you have questions about how to apply these suggestions to you, call me!

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Joy Duling is a business strategist and creator of The Productive Entrepreneur ProgramTM.  If you enjoyed this post, we invite you to explore the resources available at www.theproductiveentrepreneur.com.  Each month, Joy presents resources and educational opportunities aimed at helping self-employed, entrepreneurial business owners increase their personal productivity so that they can accomplish BIG goals.