Featured Posts (1254)
Sort by
1. Schedule your day: Either at the beginning of each day or the night before, plan out each day. You are only one person and you probably won't be able to do everything. Use a schedule to organize your day into time blocks. Write out a daily to-do list (electronic or in a notebook) and prioritize items by importance.
Remember, only schedule around 70 percent of your day. The other 30 percent will be
filled with interruptions, travel time between appointments and errands, and sometimes emergencies.
2. Prioritize-Prioritize-Prioritize: List to-do items by order of importance and label each item by importance and urgency. Make items that are extremely important stand out by marking them with red ink, a highlighter, or a star. Only focus on a limited number of actions per day.
3. Multi-task small projects and details:Although multi- tasking does not work for everyone or every project, tasks like cooking supper while talking on the phone or ironing while listening to a motivational CD can be effective. Try reading a book on the subway or bus, or a book on tape while driving to and from work. It's more efficient and a good use of time to do simple tasks simultaneously.
4. Say NO more often:Recognize what your priorities are. If someone requests something of you that you are unable to do comfortably or does not fit into your priorities, 'just say no.'
5. Delegate as much as possible:You can't do everything alone. Allow others around you to help out. Allow friends, family, co-workers, your partner or your children to assist around the house and/or office. Many people find this difficult because they feel they are the only one who can do it right. Start off with small steps. Don't hand over an entire project, but instead a step that will save you time and energy. Make sure you remember to thank
these people appropriately.
6. Organize:The more things that are organized both within the home and work environment, the faster work will get finished and the higher quality your work will be. Make lists for yourself and others. Create inboxes and action files.
7. Control your procrastination:
Many of us are procrastinators at heart, although for various reasons. One common phrase used to help combat procrastination is 'do the worst
thing first.' At the beginning of each day, do the one item that stands out the most on your to-do list, or your most dreaded item. Set daily goals for yourself and plan lots of rewards.
Remember, only schedule around 70 percent of your day. The other 30 percent will be
filled with interruptions, travel time between appointments and errands, and sometimes emergencies.
2. Prioritize-Prioritize-Prioritize: List to-do items by order of importance and label each item by importance and urgency. Make items that are extremely important stand out by marking them with red ink, a highlighter, or a star. Only focus on a limited number of actions per day.
3. Multi-task small projects and details:Although multi- tasking does not work for everyone or every project, tasks like cooking supper while talking on the phone or ironing while listening to a motivational CD can be effective. Try reading a book on the subway or bus, or a book on tape while driving to and from work. It's more efficient and a good use of time to do simple tasks simultaneously.
4. Say NO more often:Recognize what your priorities are. If someone requests something of you that you are unable to do comfortably or does not fit into your priorities, 'just say no.'
5. Delegate as much as possible:You can't do everything alone. Allow others around you to help out. Allow friends, family, co-workers, your partner or your children to assist around the house and/or office. Many people find this difficult because they feel they are the only one who can do it right. Start off with small steps. Don't hand over an entire project, but instead a step that will save you time and energy. Make sure you remember to thank
these people appropriately.
6. Organize:The more things that are organized both within the home and work environment, the faster work will get finished and the higher quality your work will be. Make lists for yourself and others. Create inboxes and action files.
7. Control your procrastination:
Many of us are procrastinators at heart, although for various reasons. One common phrase used to help combat procrastination is 'do the worst
thing first.' At the beginning of each day, do the one item that stands out the most on your to-do list, or your most dreaded item. Set daily goals for yourself and plan lots of rewards.
Whatever you focus on expands. If you continuously focus on negative things or how much you are lacking then you will continue to attract those types of things into your life. If you continuously focus on positive you will get positive. Your assignment today is to change your focus.
I am a living witness that once I changed my focus on positive things that is what I attracted into my life. Something that I also do daily which is a great help is to have a gratitude journal. I write in my gratitude journal each morning before getting dressed. Adopting this habit has helped prepare me for an awesome day. I suggest you try it also and tell me your results.
Have a wonderful week!
As you know, I just announced the last SistaSense Circle of the year. To that I saw this response from Kai, "Aww man... I want to do it, but I wont get paid till Friday bummer."
In case you are in the same boat, here are a few things to note. You have a few options. There is an early bird promo to sign up for $67 or you can do a two part payment of $49. Also note that registration ends November 12th, so if you miss the first live sessions you can catch the replays.
For more details click here. If you would like to have me as your mentor and learn my latest 20 minute marketing strategies, I hope to see you in the circle! TTYL -lh
I have really begun to mentally process how the discipline of marketing a business and many of the principles that come with it are just as critical for personal success.
There is great value in developing a personal brand marketing strategy that helps you stand out, and that makes you more credible in the eyes of your select audience. Unfortunately, it is way too easy to ignore because of competing priorities for our time.
Here is a short list of though provoking questions and action plans for you relevant to your personal marketing strategy:
- Do you have a personal brand marketing plan or do you personally market yourself unintentionally?
- If you have a brand marketing plan, does it include specific promotional activities and are these tied to events?
- Have you taken the time to identify a target customer, or employer? What desired characteristics have you named?
- Does your personal brand strategy identify ways to sell to and maintain your current clients while attracting new ones?
- What are the demographics of your key prospects? What makes you distinctly different, or unique as compared to your competitors?
- What is your personal brand marketing budget? How will you distribute these funds?
About the Author: Expert-ize your personal brand. As a Personal Brand & Marketing Coach, Tanya Smith offers female professionals with dual career & entrepreneurial roles access to cutting-edge strategies to help them thrive and promote themselves as experts in a progressively competitive work and marketplace. Claim
your free instant access to a special report at: http://www.bepromotable.com.
The Link Exchange
6 members Latest Activity: Oct 1 Would you like to exchange links with other wonderful BBWO members?
Ning Network Creators
241 members Latest Activity: Sep 23 This is a group for anyone with their own network, interested in sharing their neworks on BBWO and learning how to make their networks better.
Ning Network Creators
241 members Latest Activity: Sep 23 This is a group for anyone with their own network, interested in sharing their neworks on BBWO and learning how to make their networks better.
Sister Authors and Writers
261 members Latest Activity: Sep 16 This is the place for authors and writers (and those who want to be) to meet and discuss the art and business of writing. It’s about getting the words…
About the BBWO Spotlight
Most of you know that sistasense.com is my personal info-blog for women entrepreneurs, but it is also the official blog for my social network, ‘Black Business Women Online.’ Well, the Ning tech staff has been working really hard to give us premium members new features and the latest one is a wordpress plugin that allows network creators to post content via our wordpress blog and then have that content automatically posted to our ning network blog! How cool is that!
I already have my blog connected to my twitter and facebook page using twitterfeed (video tutorial here), so this is one more cool way for me to add content to all my social media spaces directly from my blog. Now that my wordpress blog is connected to my network, you will see a lot more BBWO posts here on SistaSense. This is the first official BBWO-Beautiful post using my new ning publisher wordpress plugin.
While updating the like button for my facebook fanpage, I noticed a new comment in response to my recent post on web projects that I am working on. Laura T said:
Great Work Lashanda! You are a master at what you do! It’s also exactly what I do – WordPress Websites & Creative Marketing Ideas for the Pet Industry Niche only. Love working with WordPress! I’m wondering..whether you have a lot of women entrepreneurs who are web designers and if you do I’d love to see a help guide on running a web design business. If some day you are looking for a new topic to write about LOL – Do’s and Don’ts. I learn the hard way!
Well, a few months back when I did my 90 video, Technology, Tools and Web Talk Series, I did a few videos on how this work at home mompreneur started her own web design business online. I figured you might be curious about this too, so I am reposting my Startup Home Business videos below. If you can not see the videos, click here.
Starting Your Own Web Design Business
Selling Web Design Online + Selling Services In General
If time permits, I will create a new 7 day challenge specifically on maintaining your own web design business. For now you can still sign up to my Sistas Who Sell 7 day Challenge, which is a great place to start if you want to learn more about improving your visibility and cashflow.
Related: Startup Sista: Start Your Own Business Online eCourse
I am sure you want to know why there is a Teddy Ruxpin doll in the Blogalicious Picture of me and one of my new found Blogalicious friends, Lesley from HP. Well, yesterday, I frantically stared at my web browser while trying to buy one of the original 1985 Teddy Ruxpin dolls for my son. I would have given him mines, but the bottom part of his mouth is gone (lol). Anyhoo, as a proud 80s baby I am determined to give my toddler all the cool stuff I got, and I love that Teddy Ruxpin reads you stories, so in addition to a Leapster, Teddy has to be apart of his birthday bash (shh… it’s a secret).
After almost being outbid, I won a Teddy Ruxpin on ebay! (Whoo hoo!) As I am shaking with excitement, I think to myself, “the classics never die.” No matter how good technology gets, no matter how advanced our electronics become, the simple things that worked for us in the past will always be relevant.
This is a point that was really hammered home to me at Blogalicious. I’ve spoken with different women and brands via twitter, email, linkedin, etc., but nothing can compare to sitting across from someone and sharing ideas. As a tech savvy sista, I was so excited to speak with Lesley, who has been working with HP for years. She told me all about HP’s Lets Do Amazing project, their latest products for entrepreneurs like myself, AND the collection of how-to video tutorials that HP has online for users who want to learn more about using software to make their home office and home lives better.
In addition to getting the inside scoop on very cool hp products that I will fill you in on in posts to come, I just really valued having the opportunity to network with other successful, ambitious, tech savvy women of color at Blogalicious. I know ALOT of women entrepreneurs, myself included who do EVERYTHING online because to be honest its cheaper. While there is alot we can do online to build our businesses and brands, do not put yourself in a space where you use the internet or online freebies as a crutch. Email marketing and buying access to big lists won’t always drive traffic to your space. Sending a tweet out to brands or other entrepreneurs you follow, won’t always get them to respond and follow you back.
BASICALLY… like it or not, sometimes you have to stop pounding the digital pavement and go back out into the real world. Attending events, doing old school marketing, radio, print, workshops, etc… its not a bad thing. I don’t see books becoming obsolete anytime soon, so please don’t get fooled into thinking your life begins with your website and ends with your iphone.
Related: The Real Reason Social Media Alone Can’t Fix Your Business
For all 30 Blogalicious lessons learned, read my series of Blogalicious 2010 Adventures.
Having a home based business can be fun but it takes a lot of work to get a company off the ground. People often see the glitz and glamour of work-at-home business owners but do not often see what goes on behind the scenes. What follows are some of the pros and cons of living and working in the same place.
#1: Be Your Own Boss
Owning a home-based business is quite an exciting time in the life of an entrepreneur. For those who are serious about growing their company the effort is very challenging. There is a lot to learn and you wear many hats so there is rarely a dull moment in business. However, this also means that you lose much of the freedom that you may be used to in terms of spending time with family and friends. The flip side is when you run a home-based business you should not have to go it alone. When possible seek help from others to avoid burnout and overwhelm. A good place to start is with your family, friends, or colleagues who may want to earn extra money. Another option is to hire contract employees such as a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, or accountant.
#2: Set Your Own Salary
Having your own business is not like working a traditional job where you receive a regular pay. In fact, when you are just getting started there may be consecutive periods where you barely earn enough to break-even. However, as demand for your products and services increase there will be limitless opportunities to create the income and lifestyle of your dreams. Stay focused on improving sales and maximizing the bottom line so that you can reap the benefits of ample profits.
#3: Comforts of Home
Having an office in your home is convenient. Many people who work-at-home pride themselves on being able to run their business in their pajamas. However, one point that should be made is that although comfort is a benefit it must not overshadow your attitude of professionalism. So even if you are a no suit environment keep in mind that customers may not see the clothes you have on but they do see the results of your mindset.
Working from home is a great way to create your ideal lifestyle. This article highlights just a few of the things that happen behind the scenes. Talk with other entrepreneurs to get a better idea of working from home so that you know if this is the right move for you. To get more tips about running a home based business visit http://www.tbsusa.com
The title of this blog post is probably somewhat startling isn't it? While many of us are rather passionate about Social Media and cannot go a day without checking our Facebook and Twitter, the fact of the matter is that to many people, social media is to a great degree meaningless! This is a point that many people often don't think about - but this is something that business owners and entrepreneurs especially need to remember.
I am amazed at how many people I encounter on a regular basis that rely solely on Facebook to "promote their products and services." Never mind the fact that one can only have so many friends on Facebook and need I mention the fact that most of what is posted will be ignored!
In the big scheme of things, the point I am making today is that if one has high expectations for building and growing business and profit, the level of thinking needs to surpass that of social media. Yes, social media is definitely a critical component in today's world and will continue to be, but it would be naïve to forget about the millions of people in the world (potential customers and prospects) who could give a darn about social media. Contrary to popular belief, people still appreciate face to face communication and interaction, especially when they have no idea who the individual really is behind the tweet or post!
Think about how many emails, texts and tweets that you personally ignore and delete on a daily basis! Ultimately, business building is about problem solving and acting and serving in the best interest of clients and customers. Business building is about establishing relationships. Business building goes way beyond jumping on the social media band wagon in hopes of making a quick buck.
Are you a freelance writer that is looking to get your name out? Do you specialize in financial media writing? TheCASHFLOW.com focuses on teaching, inspiring, and providing young urban entrepreneurs with key information on being successful. We are currently looking for writers to contribute to our website and focus on current financial issues relevant to becoming a successful entrepreneur. If you are interested or have any questions regarding the position please contact Lucas Riggins at the following email address, Luke@thecashflow.com. Please include samples of writing. Further details will be discussed upon contact of interest.
A few weeks ago the family and I went to Seafood Fest NC. While driving I overheard my son (age 3) and his aunt (age 10) (I know crazy right) in the back of the car. It sounded like my son was playing with her DSi, but that couldn’t be right because he’s only three. I say to her, "Is he REALLY playing or is he just pressing the buttons to be cute?" She told me he was actually playing the game and I couldn’t believe it! I promptly told my hubby, “Get the camera out! Take a picture of this moment. My boy is growing up!”
The week before that, we were having our usual family fun on Saturday and I was looking for things to buy him for his upcoming birthday (November 18th). At Best Buy he took a liking to the Leapster, so I added it to the list because I LOVE LeapFrog’s educational toys and videos. BUT when I saw him having so much fun with the DSi on our trip, I thought maybe that was the better choice? BUT I quickly decided to stick to the Leapster, because I really wanted to focus on learning games.
While at Blogalicous 2010, I was introduced to Sesame Streets new series of learning video games for Wii and the DS. I couldn’t believe it! I recorded a few video clips below to show you the Wii games in action. They have some great new video games plus they created a bigger, kid-friendly stylus for the DS. I was also lucky enough to snag this 10% coupon code for Sesame Street, if you purchase them on their website, use the code MOMMY at checkout.
Blogalicious: Sesame Street Games For Wii and DS
Did you watch the two videos above? Man, my decisions just got harder. I’ll keep you posted on any new developments. I really want to figure out which handheld game system is better for my toddler AND will give me the best bang for my buck. So for now its Leapster vs Nintendo DS. Hopefully I don’t discover something else to make the picking process even harder.
Before I forget, please remember to vote for my Bedtime Story in the NatureMade Contest. Did you know you can vote once a day? Thanks in advance for your support!
In This Edition
DO Foundation
Music/Composer
Brian O'neill
Take Wings Foundation Award Winning Actress/Mentor
Terri J.Vaughn
Stuntwoman To The Stars
"Are You Safe Texting & Walking"
April Weeden Washington
Black Scroll Tower
"Take Action To Get Ahead"
Shyra Smith
Parenting Corner
Gaetane Borders
Homeless To Heading For The Stars "
Cedric Boswell
Woodbine Wellness Center, LLC
Candidate for Mayor Of Woodbine New Jersey
Julia Hankerson
The Thoughts Of
Black Men
Kevin T. Coston - TEE
WrightVision Foundation
Darnice L. Wright
Kenice Griffin
Southern Hospitality
Sharon Fox
We Need To Talk
"A Message To Our Daughters"
Producer Janks Morton
Safely Ever After, Inc.
"Halloween Safety Tips"
Patti Fitzgerald
Grands As Parents
Monthly Treats
Pat Holmes
The Souls of Black Girls
"Critical Look At Media Images"
Producer Daphne Valerius
National Black Women's Town Hall Meeting
Blanche Williams
Ego Extensions Virgin Indian,Brazilian and Malaysian Hair Extensions|Buy1 Get 1 Free
A few days ago, I was just browsing through my email and saw a message from lulu.com about a contest from NatureMade to write a bedtime story. I love writing. Before I got so busy writing ebooks world, I started by self publishing some of my poems and children's books on lulu, so I thought I would try my hand at this contest.
I just wrote my entry, a bedtime story entitled, "Let's Play A Game" dedicated to my son Chris. I would love for you to read it and vote for it if you like it. Then share it if you love it! I'm not so lucky when it comes to contests, so I could use ALL the help I can get (lol).
For my fellow entrepreneurs and mommy bloggers I have one final thing to say, always stay in the loop and be aware of what other people are doing in the online world. You might learn something new or earn something new that could make your day a little better than it already is!
Thanks for reading this post and an extra thanks for clicking here to read my story. TTYL -lh
A few days ago, I was just browsing through my email and saw a message from lulu.com about a contest from NatureMade to write a bedtime story. I love writing. Before I got so busy writing ebooks world, I started by self publishing some of my poems and children's books on lulu, so I thought I would try my hand at this contest.
I just wrote my entry, a bedtime story entitled, "Let's Play A Game" dedicated to my son Chris. I would love for you to read it and vote for it if you like it. Then share it if you love it! I'm not so lucky when it comes to contests, so I could use ALL the help I can get (lol).
For my fellow entrepreneurs and mommy bloggers I have one final thing to say, always stay in the loop and be aware of what other people are doing in the online world. You might learn something new or earn something new that could make your day a little better than it already is!
Thanks for reading this post and an extra thanks for clicking here to read my story. TTYL -lh
I recently came across a classic post from one of my fellow mommy bloggers and I thought I would share it with you. 5 Side Hustles to Make Extra Cash Fast by Tara from Young Mommy Life. I actually do some of the things she recommends like niche blogging and writing. There are so many ways for writers to make money online, from freelance work to ebooks to blogging, the list of opportunities is endless.
I personally don't think there is really such a thing as Fast Money, but I do believe you can make extra money to add to your income if you commit to finding something that you love to sell AND that will actually sell. I say you need to do both because its honestly just not about passion, its also about discovering a product that has a real demand. One of the "money making" solutions I shared with the ladies in my SistaSense Circle (giveaway happening now), is to "start with a profit project that pays."
Real Talk: Startups Don't Payup Right Away. - LaShanda Henry, StartupSista eCourse
Don't get so excited about all your business ideas that you fall into the trap of wanting to do everything at once. I can't tell you how often women say to me, "LaShanda, I want to do these 10 business ventures, where do I start?" My answer is always the same, "Start with the one that has the most profit potential, then use money from that to invest in another venture."
Listen to me... I am getting off topic and this post is about making extra income. For me, the easiest way to make extra cash is through affiliate marketing. It isn't fast, in the sense that I have to wait a month to get my affiliate checks, but it does work. I have a circle of business women around me, so to them I recommend web products that I use and make commissions from those. To the mommies in my circle, I recommend parenting related products and the process works just the same.
Consider this very simple affiliate project. A few months back, I switched over my social network for women entrepreneurs, to a pay for access website. It is not a membership subscription website, new members are only required to pay a one-time sign up fee of $25. As a member of my affiliate program, you make a commission when you share BBWO with the women entrepreneurs in your circle.
Think about it, how many business sistas do you know? You signup to the program, get your unique affiliate id, and then shoot out a quick email or blog post about Black Business Women Online; recommending them to join. If people signup you make extra cash (view video tutorials here). I should add that as easy as affiliate marketing can be, you should not be a lazy affiliate marketing. I find folks who struggle with making affiliate sales are just plain lazy (no offense). They grab a few affiliate banners, throw them up on their website and wait for people to do the work. When what they should be doing is following my 3 R System for Affiliate Marketing:
1) Recommend Products by Sharing Thoughtful Messages
2) Review Products as Blog Posts and Articles so People Get a thorough idea of what you are promoting
3) Remember to remind people about your recommendations and reviews
You don't read everything you see the first time, so don't expect other people to. Sending out reminders helps you reconnect with old people in your circle and introduce yourself to new ones. Taking time out of my schedule to promote other people's stuff is apart of what I do. Once I setup an affiliate marketing campaign, I can forget about it (for awhile) and then just wait for those extra cash checks to roll in.
Related Posts:
Passive Income for Newbie Entrepreneurs
Would You Like $3000 A Month?
How many businesses are you buying into?
The Only 3 Ways to Make Money Online
There are several different types of business documents that you may need as a business owner. Let's take a look at the most common business documents that are typical in most companies.
Assumed Name
There are many documents that are used by businesses today. If you are serious about your company and want to go from hobby to a full fledged business owner then the first step you will want to do is claim your name. The simplest way to get started is by completing Assumed Name documents. This applies if there will be one owner and you operate an unincorporated business.
Articles of Incorporation
If there will be more than one owner and you decide to incorporate the business then you will need to have Articles of Incorporation. When setting up a corporation you will need to complete what is known as Articles of Incorporation. This applies to you if you want to operate a profit based or non-profit corporation.
Tax Identification Number
After you have secured your business name and filed the necessary paperwork then contact the Internal Revenue Service if forming a company in the United States. You will need the name of your business as well as the names and contact information of your business officers. A tax identification number can be applied for by phone or online at http://www.irs.gov. Most business owners will need a tax identification number. A few instances of when a Tax ID is required are when you hire employees and open a business bank account.
Sales Tax License
If your company will sell taxable items then you will need to apply for a sales tax account. Most States have a website that makes it convenient for you to register online. Check with your State to see if it has sales tax registration forms available.
Other documents that are commonly used in business are financial reports, income tax returns, and insurance papers, to name a few. Depending upon your business, there may be others such as business licenses and certifications. Be sure to check with your locality to find out which of these documents you business will need.
For more information on the business documents and recordkeeping visit http://www.tbsusa.com.
LaShanda Henry, creator of the Black Parenting Blog shares why you should join the Jump Start Read for the Record Campaign AND her giveaway of this years book: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Click Here to Enter Giveaway.
Another New Video:
Natural Haircare Products for African American Children: CARA B Naturally Review
Sorry... my writing skills are off today. What I meant to say is I’ve been featured in the new book, "Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies." A few months back, they asked to feature screen shots of Black Business Women Online, my social network in their book! How cool is that? AND now it is officially in print with BBWO on page 653!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "Thank God for Ning! Creating my own social network was one of the best things I have ever done to really boost my business, my brand, AND my buzz online". And the funny thing is, the more I make my network better, the more requests I get to do custom designs for other social network creators. I've gotten so many new requests this month I had to post-pone my next SistaSense Circle and create a pdf pricing guide for new clients looking to customize their ning networks (download pdf here).
With respect to using social media marketing to build your business, branding your own social network is a great idea. The key is to make sure that when you do decide to create your own space, you proactively fill it with great content to keep your visitors coming back for more.
Just for a few more days:
Go Download My Two eBooks: Create Your Own Ningalicous Network + Making Money With your Social Network: Price: $19 (regular $29) | Download Here | Promo Code CNN19
Related Posts:
Social Media Money Advice for Women Entrepreneurs
Facebook Marketing for Coaches: Profile Page Vs Fan Page
I Want to Start My First Social Network
7 Ways Women Entrepreneurs Market Online
LaShanda Henry has also been featured in:
Essence Magazine | BlackEnterprise.com | The Network Journal | BlogHer
