Blogs

Has this ever happened to you (because it has to me)? You come up with a great business idea, research it online and find either someone is already doing it or you start to think of ways to be "different". This extends your launch date and eventually the idea just fades away. Here's another scenario, You subscribe to the blogs and publications of business persons you admire and every time they send an email blast you change your direction, operation, or business idea completely, putting you back in a stagnant position, unable to get any business idea off the ground. Not you? Well, good for you. But for those that this applies to, I feel your pain. We've all been there before, in a place of bewilderment about what you should do and how to actually begin. Furthermore, the problem with the scenarios above is that you never get around to building a brand, hence why your business hasn't gotten off the ground yet. Once you F.O.C.U.S. things will start to fall in place:

 Figure it out- What do you want to actually do? Why are you going into business? Why would someone want to work with you as opposed to a competitor? Answer those questions first. They will help you develop a foundation.

Omit distractions -As demonstrated in the scenarios above; it is easy to become distracted. Stop reading every email blast and changing your business direction, stop google-ing people to see what they are doing and changing your website format, stop youtube-ing people to see what they're up to and changing your programming. GET RID OF THE DISTRACTIONS.

Create your Motivation Board- This concept is explained further in The Motivator, but you should have a board with a visual representation of your dreams and goals for your life and for your business. If you don't know where you are going, how will you get there?

Understand your competition- But don't follow their every move. Of course you should know what your competition is doing and make sure you're staying ahead of them. But you cannot be consumed with every aspect of THEIR business and expect every aspect of YOUR business to run smoothly. Learn to balance and have faith in your brand.

Set deadlines- If you have been sitting on an idea for too long because of fear of what others will say or whether people with work with you, STOP! You will never know until you actually launch it. So set deadlines for everything and tell someone you trust so they can hold you accountable. Set a deadline for your website to be done, for your next program, for your next book, for your next business launch! Just do it!

F.O.C.U.S. on what you need to do so you will actually do it. Without F.O.C.U.S.ing on your business needs you will undoubtedly have the same results in 2012 as you did in 2011, nothing. Make it a year for…GREATER! Need help staying focused and motivated in your business?

Get your copy of The Motivator for FREE for a limited time! Tamara Garrison-Thomas http://www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

Consider this because it applies wherever you are:

Severe Economic Emergency

In Southern California, the economic downturn has hurt African American men, who are heavily represented in many blue-collar industries. The effects of slowing trade with China are rippling through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, long a steady source of work for black longshoremen, truckers and warehouse workers. The cost of living is up and companies are keeping the salaries at severe recession rates. Lots of businesses have received "bailout" money and have chosen to give themselves raises instead of bringing YOUR salary up to par. PLANK ON THIS PEOPLE.
From the Desk of Political Analyst Brent D. Page

So what are you going to do about it?? Are you going to continue to sit there and do nothing, while your salary gets smaller and smaller? Are you going to keep going to work wondering if this is the day their going to give you pink slip??

Stop worrying about all of that, and start your OWN business! There are so many benefits to owning your own business: making your own money, tax benefits (house,car, and phone write-offs), make your own MONEY! If you're scared, I can help you. What are you getting accomplished by just SAYING you want to start a business. Let me show you the LAZY WAY TO GET PAID. Get started today! CLICK HERE

Receive The Lazy Person's Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business: 5 Steps to Starting and Marketing Your Business today by subscribing to my blog! http:www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

Well, it is! C'mon everybody, we can do better than this. I know it's summer time and you're probably hot wherever you are (although, not hotter than me. I'm in Phoenix, Arizona!), but business is still going as usual. Ms.LaShanda Henry created BBWO as a forum for us to SUPPORT each other, HELP each other, and USE each other...(for services, products, etc.) and we're not using it to it's fullest potential. People post blogs and thoughts all day but NO ONE comments! And how many BBWO friends do you have? 

So I'm just commenting on how quiet it has been lately. I know everyone is busy with LIFE but with the ability to comment on Twitter or Facebook it should make it a little easier to be more active. I've decided to make it a goal of mine to comment on at least one blog daily (baby steps), or to be-friend AND communicate with a few people a week. Make it a goal of yours! If you're a blog writer then you know how helpful it is to hear what people think.So, let's help each other, and start COMMENTING.

Let's start now: What is your opinion? What business are you in? How has BBWO helped you in your business? Have you made any goals for your business or BBWO membership?

Ok enough of the tangent...

Stay motivated and keep moving towards prosperity!

See you at the top,

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

http://www.garrrisonprosperitysolutions.com 

This is so tragic!!! Failing! I can't stand that word actually. It is so negative! And it's sad that failing is a reality for some business owners. Briefly, I will share with you the 5 reasons why most people fail :( in their first 30 days! Forget about the first year! Some people don't even make it that long!

1. Lack of training: Some people you decide to do business with might tell you something like: they provide free training, you're in business for yourself but not by yourself, call in every day at this time for an automated training message, etc etc. They tell you how simple it is to build a business and get you all revved up to jump in and start making truckloads of money and then you never hear from them again! Unfortunately, this happens all too often and new business owners are left to figure things out on their own. It is very important that you find a mentor to partner up with and help you along as you build your business.

2. Lack of focus: Let's be real here, you were just going along with your life and then all of a sudden you decided to start a business! Great decision, but the problem is that your life continues and you never adjust it to fit in your business! It takes TIME and dedication to build a successful business.

3. Lack of strategy: Can we say, BUSINESS PLAN? How many of you have ever enrolled in school WITHOUT a plan or blueprint of your 4 years at the institution! NO ONE HAS! You HAVE to have to plan for the things you want to succeed in. 

4. Unwillingness to get down and dirty: If you are NOT uncomfortable within the first 18 months (at maximum) of your business, then you're doing something WRONG! It's ok for you to be uncomfortable calling or following up with people. Its ok to be uncomfortable telling someone about what you do and maybe asking them to join you. It's ok to be uncomfortable going to training sessions by yourself. It's ok to be UNCOMFORTABLE! Because believe it or not, eventually you WON'T be uncomfortable. And it will be apart of your routine. YOU HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT!

5. No desire or passion: This is a huge one! I always tell people they have enjoy the business they're in! Why would you have a traveling business but hate to travel? You have to be passionate about what you do! When you have passion for your business you will have a desire to succeed! And eventually all of these 5 reasons, although obstacles, will be triumphs!

The thing that seperates SUCCESSFUL business owners from the FAILED ones is that they keep trying. Whats the old saying? "IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY, TRY AGAIN!" There are even 2 trys in there! So you've got to stay motivated, stay prayerful, and stay positive when going through the excitements and woes of starting a business.

Updated 7/10/11

If this is your fear, I can help you. Contact me today! Tamara@garrisonprosperitysolutions.com

Website:
 http://www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com/

Follow me on twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/tamarargarrison

 Click here for FREE info on how to build a business on a budget:
http://tamaragarrison.buildingonabudget.com

Yeah I said it. OVERWHELMED! Let's face it, we all deal with this at some point in our lives. Being overwhelmed or feeling overwhelmed. There are so many factors of building a business that can be overwhelming or seem like too much to handle. Here are 3 ways to keep yourself from being overwhelmed or get out of your overwhelm-ing-ness

Step 1- FOCUS

Step 2- FOCUS

Step 3- did I say, FOCUS?

Last week, my husband decided to purchase a new couch for our living room. We are moving into a new house soon but I didn't expect him to start buying furniture anytime soon! Anyhow, he starts sending me pictures of all of these couches and living room sets that he liked and thought I'd like and I almost threw my phone across the room! I appreciate him trying to take initiative, use his time off wisely, and make a purchase for our family, but the thought and process of choosing a couch set via text message pictures made me really overwhelmed and I couldn't handle it! There were so many pictures coming in, I had students in front of me (I'm a teacher by hobby :)), and I just couldn't FOCUS on what he was asking me. Eventually, I just asked him to find out what the return policy was, what their weekend hours were, and asked him to choose one he liked (If I don't like it, I can return it later).

Compare this to your business. If you are always looking at what others are doing, have so many business ideas that you start and stop on, then you are not FOCUSed. There's no way you could be successful with so many OTHER things going on. You need to chose. In my book, The Motivator (coming this summer!), I share that you should write down the actual hours you are going to work your business during the week and stick to them! Having a set amount of daily working hours will help you to not get so overwhelmed.

I mentioned earlier, "looking at what others are doing": If you were privileged enough to experience the twitter party this weekend, you saw or read information about so many different business people. Which was so cool to see. (Hat's off to LaShanda Henry of Black Business Women Online...mybbwo.com) However, if you are not FOCUSed in your business, still trying to figure out what services you're going to offer, then that might have been a little overwhelming for you. You were probably the one looking at everyone's website, getting ideas of what you want to do, then seeing someone else's website and seeing something ELSE you want to do, and eventually having too many ideas to choose from (don't get me wrong, it is always nice to check out other peoples websites to support them and refer people to them, but stay focused on what you are trying to do)!

Here are some things you need to do, in order to find your niche in business: First, you need to take the B.A.T. (Business Aptitude Test: determines what type of business would best for your personality type). This test will help you decide what you would most enjoy doing, if you could FIRE YOUR BOSS tomorrow! Second, you need to find a business coach ( I know a great one offering a FREE introductory consultation that can help, ME!). A business coach can help you create a business plan and hold you accountable for sticking to the plans. Once you have these two steps done, you will be on your way to success.

Remember the old saying, "time is money". So you are losing out when you are wasting time and distracted by other peoples websites and services You are losing out when you are wasting time and doing things in your free time OTHER than working your business. You are losing out when you are not FOCUSED on your goals for building a successful business. Remember, "when you are not focused, you fail".

See you at the top!

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

http://www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com/

garrisonprosperitysolutions@gmail.com

www.crazygood.com/refer/whywait

• Become aware of what you're doing. Comparing is usually done without you even really thinking about it. The solution? Watch out for those thoughts. If you're on the lookout for them for a few days, they'll be easier to recognize, and soon, it will be hard not to notice them.
• Stop. When you see that you're comparing, take a moment, and realize what you're doing. Don't criticize yourself or feel bad-- simply recognize the thought and gently alter your concentration.
• Recognize your blessings. You'll be much better off if you focus on the things you already have-- shelter and food, the people in your life and the fact that you're still breathing!
• Focus on your skills and talents. That doesn't mean boast and brag, but you should feel good about them and use them to your best advantage.
• Be okay with imperfection. Realize you aren't perfect, and you never will be. Of course, you should always strive for excellence, but don't think you'll be the "perfect person." Your flaws make you you so you're already perfect.
• Don't belittle others. At times, we criticize other people to make ourselves feel and look better. Doing this, however, is damaging, and in the end, it hurts you, too. How about encouraging someone instead?
• Concentrate on your journey. Regardless of what society thinks and portrays, life isn't a competition-- it's a journey, and you should only be concerned with yours.
• Embrace having enough. By wanting what the Jones's have, you won't see that you have everything you need. Realize that even if you only have the basics and people who love you, you are blessed.

Feel free to share your tips below!

Get more posts like this on my blog, www.mochawrites.com.

If you have been in business for a while you are likely to run into periods of burnout. You will recognize it when you see it because it is where creativity takes a nose dive and your get up and go seems to leave without letting you know. I have worked with lots of women business owners and there is a common thread that weaves many of them together. Here are a few quick observations on how people with the business blahs have managed to get the wind back in their sail.

Re-evaluate

One of the things that I notice among those going through periods of burn out is a lack of clear focus in not knowing which way to go. If you ever find yourself feeling that way take some time to re-evaluate and ask yourself what it is about your company that you most enjoy right now. Many times when you’re stuck it’s that roadblock that has your feet feeling like led and unable to move. Brainstorm with others about the direction of your company. You may simply need someone to help break that cement up with you so that you can get moving again.

Another thing that you can do if you are thinking, “Hey, this is my business. I want it to succeed but I don’t have the motivation." is to ask yourself “What are the obstacles that you are facing in your business today that keeps you from seeing the forest from the trees?”

Re-connect

Next, reconnect with exactly why you are in business in the first place. Be honest with yourself. If it’s something that you are really passionate about then connect with that passion again. Maybe it’s not passion at all but the use of a skill that is helping you to temporarily make ends meet. Be honest about that, too, because when you can do that then you can move on to creating a game plan and designing a company that is successful. After all, the goal is to own a company that you can wake up to and say that I am proud to own this business.

Re-structure

Perhaps there is something in the business that you do not want to do. Think of how you can change that. Maybe it is certain aspects of the business that you don’t like to handle. How can you eventually get away from those tasks and create a pre-exit plan where you are doing what you love versus working in your business? Begin mapping it out today so that in the end when you set sail again you will do so knowing that you did it your way!

And if part of the fatigue in running your business comes from overwhelm in financial management and poor cash flows then I invite you to sign up for my newsletter at www.tbsusa.com where you will receive tips and access to resources that will help guide you in a more profitable direction.

“We accomplish more by concentration than by fitness; the man that is apparently best suited for a place does not always fill it best. It is
the man that concentrates on its every possibility that makes an art of
both his work and his life.”
–Theron Q. Dumont

As a writer, blogger and online entrepreneur, I find that one of my biggest challenges is to remain focused. I will candidly share with you the fact that I have both ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and Dyslexia, which is a learning disability related to reading decoding, comprehension and fluency. I was fortunate enough to have an observant mother who noticed my quirky reading and ‘inventive’ writing when I was in Kindergarten, so I was tested and given special resources to help me to overcome these challenges and accommodate my peculiar learning style in the classroom.

Because I have been blessed with the gift of a dyslexic brain, I have been forced to learn how to focus my attention and to constantly course-correct when I get easily distracted. My special learning style has taught me to be very organized in my work. I create lists and spreadsheets for everything to keep all of my concurrent projects on track. Without lists to work from and keep me on task, my ADD brain would go sailing off to find something completely unrelated to occupy herself and I lose valuable time.

With that being said, many of us approach developing and running a business with our own unique set of challenges, but the ability to focus on the task at hand and bring it to a successful conclusion is a skill
that can be learned. By the time you have finished reading this blog post, you will have learned some new strategies for improving your focus so that you can increase your productivity regardless of what you are
pursuing.

Your time is your most valuable asset. Everyone on earth is given the same amount of time each day. The power is in your hands as to how you will leverage your time to create the things and the life that you
desire. The ability to focus on your goals will help you to manifest your desires.

Ask yourself these questions to help sharpen your focus:

What is distracting you from focusing on your daily tasks and goals?

From the moment you wake up in the morning your brain is filled with chatter about a million things. The power of concentration allows you to shut out those distractions that are vying for your attention so that
you can focus on the task that you have before you.

Take a look at your work environment and eliminate things that can distract you. For instance, is your desk facing a window? Do you ever find yourself staring out the window when you should be working? Move
your desk so that you are facing a wall if the window presents a distraction.

Are you distracted by the Internet when you should be focusing your attention on a particular task? If you are working on a writing project, unplug from the Internet so that you can focus on your work. If you need the Internet for a particular task open just one browser window at a time, work through that task until it complete; check it off your list and then move on to the next task.

What habits are contributing to your lack of focus?

How can you tighten up your overall work and productivity habits? Make a list of everything you must accomplish each day and create daily rituals. Create a morning routine, a framework for a workday routine and
an evening routine.

What should you be focusing on?
Every business has basic tasks that must be done to keep in running, and then there is the actual area of expertise that requires attention.

Focus on practicing and honing your area of expertise and get help with the other necessary tasks that can be done by anyone.

How to leverage your time by outsourcing so you can focus on your high value tasks.

Outsourcing or hiring someone outside of your company–typically an independent contractor–is a great way to get those essential tasks such as record keeping, email, marketing and advertising, etc. done for you so that you have more time to focus on your core strengths.

If your business is not bringing in enough money to hire a full-time person, start with hiring out just a specific task and see how much time and energy that frees up for you.

Another option is bartering services. What do you have or do that other people in your network want or need?

What can they do for you in return?

All of this leads back to the area of focusing your attention efficiently so that you can accomplish more in less time.