Hey ACTIONista!

This is a really special day! The Brand Launch of KenyaHalliburton.com Home of the ACTION SHero (You'll learn what that means in a minute. ;)...

Now, a bit of an authentic disclaimer :) ...

"The Shero's Layer" a.k.a. "this site" is still under a bit of construction, so bare with a sista.  But, there are some exciting things coming you absolutely won't want to miss!

I am happy to launch my brand spanking new brand and Online Business Mastery Video Series, all designed to equip you with the tools you need build an online business that works for you and the people that need you. Shout out to The BossLady of Branding, Catrice Jackson for making this all possible.

Okay, now let's talk about bossin' your online business...

Listen, I know there is a lot of hocus-pocus going on online and I want to help you get back to what really matters. Keeping up with the "Internet Joneses" will do nothing but leave you broke and frustrated. 

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it, okay? lol

You've got people to serve and a big vision to unveil so, let's get to work, shall we?

Check out this 4 part Online Business Mastery video series there are hidden goodies inside...

In this series you will learn:

• What it means when I call you names like ACTIOnista and ACTion (S)Hero!(Because you need to know how truly incredible you are)...
• The top three types of kryptonyte that keeps mission driven SHero-Entrepreneurs like you from making the money and meaning you desire online + how to makes sure it doesn't anymore...
• What you need to know to master the marketing, messaging and management of your online business so you don't waste time and money...
• How to get started today creating a business that frees you to do what you love and change the world...

And more...

If you don't see video player below...Click Here to Watch the Videos...

P.S. be sure to share your thoughts with me, I'd love to hear from you!

To Your Success, Joy and Freedom,

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Are Your Ready to Discover How to Light Up Your Stage by "Bringing Sexy Back" to Your Marriage?

Well, you definitely want to listen in today as we talk with SheroEntrepreneuer & Entreprenerial Rock Star, Gail Crowder.

As you know I love, love, love discovering and speaking to brilliant, trailblazing women who  are called to serve a need and fill a void and don't hesitate to answer the call to fill it. My guest today Gail Crowder is no exception.

Happy Mother, Happy Wife, Happy Home, Happy Life!

To me, rocking your stage as a Married Christian Woman is about having proper balance in all areas of your life, a lesson I have learned the hard way for sure. Achieving success in your career or entrepreneurial endeavors, mean nothing if you don't have balance and fulfillment at home. So, it would seem to me that if you are someone who is married, home matters would be important. Specifically when it comes to your spouse.

You want to listen to this conversation if you are:

• A Married Christian Woman Entrepreneur facing challenges in your marriage that are threatening success in your entrepreneurial endeavors
• Looking for a way to rekindle the flames of love and intimacy in your marriage
• Want to be inspired by the story of trail blazing women like Gail who are called to do something great (and not always accepted), so you can find the courage to do the same

Because, in this inspiring and informative 39 minute conversation, you'll discover:

• 3 practical and powerful ways to not only bring sexy back to your marriage, but success in all other areas of your life
• The #1 thing you should absolutely do in your marriage to secure it's success
• How you can join Gail's movement and attend her events to help you reignite the spark in your marriage and success in your life
• Real talk, candid and practical advice on how to navigate the challenges in your marriage that are too taboo to discuss in traditional churches or christian women conferences
• And so much more...

Click Here to Listen to "How to Rock Your Stage & Bring Sexy Back to Your Marriage"

Click Here to Listen and Learn More

http://BusinessCreditAmerica.com 5 Reasons Internet Marketers Fail in Business.

In this video I discuss why Internet Marketers fail in business and how to avoid these failures.  
goo.gl/ycLkHf
1. Internet Marketers or online marketers don't know how to properly structure their business.  They seek out help from companies like Legal Zoom to help them structure the business.  However, companies customer support  does not understand that their is more things that go along with structuring the business then just filing some secretary of state paperwork.  The clients business must be properly registered online in multiple data bases, so the company can get the exposure it needs from 3rd party companies.

2.  Many internet marketers don't use their own products.  This is a problem because if you don't know your product then it becomes challenging then to get someone else to purchase and use your product.  The force their products on potential customers not knowing if that  product it right for that customers. 
goo.gl/ycLkHf

3.  Internet Marketers need to build relationships with their customers.  Building a good relationship before and after they purchase from you.  This help builds the customer confidense that they made the right choice in purchasing from you. You never want a customer to have buyers remorse, because you never communicated with them after they purchased from you. 

Although, many of them may not use the products giving them a follow up call or sending them an email shows that you were interested in their purchase, and you want to see if they make have an issue with the product.

4. Learning how to manage the business.  A lot of internet marketer don't treat this as their business. They look at it as away to earn some extra cash with out the responsibility. Understanding they may be using it as a career change, it still is a business.

You still need to invest in the business, whether it may be education or software to help you run the business much soother.  Their accounting and taxes to be paid for what ever income that's generated from the business.

5. Many internet marketers want instant success.  They don't realize it takes time to grow the business in order for your to have success in it.  It's not easy, it's a growing and learning process.  We would all like to have short cuts in business, but it could lead us to a loss.  
goo.gl/ycLkHf

I encourage you to join the business credit forum to get access to more videos and other resources to help you grow your business.  
goo.gl/xfsIVs http://BusinessCreditAmerica.com

I love automation. It's one of the reasons I have a business, but it can also be a big pain in the rear when it doesn't work.

I remember this one week where I was having terrible problems with my meeting scheduler. I was using a service to set up complimentary appointments with prospective clients and I'd done this big promotion about it. What was supposed to happen is the person would go to this page, click on a link to see my available calendar, and in about 2-3 clicks they're all set.

They'd get an email confirmation and the meeting time would pop into my calendar. No back and forth, no wasted time, boom - there is the appointment.

I had a number of people trying to set up their free time to connect but they weren't getting the handy little meeting schedule. Instead every one of them kept getting an "error 404" page ... those error pages always get on my last nerve especially when it means I have a link not working! Ever had that happen to you?

So what was happening is I kept getting phone call after phone call telling me the link didn't work, asking for next steps, requesting a return phone call. Some were even downright insults saying things like "this is unprofessional" (and yes, remember I said it was a free offer ---sometimes those are the worst kind when things go wrong).

Well once I figured out what the problem was, I'd missed at least 20 prospective meetings. I had to personally call each person back who left a voicemail and arrange the meeting manually, which is what I'd set up the service to help me avoid in the first place! That free time turned into triple the hours I'd planned for.

After that little incident, I learned my lesson. I'll give you a few quick hitter tips you can use so you don't end up falling prey to an automation disaster like this.

Always Test Your Automated Systems

When I sent out the promotion emails and let people know the links were open, I should have already tested the entire process myself along with having a friend or assistant test it. I know this now. Most of the time I'll remember this horrible week and I will have someone go through the entire process as though they are signing up. That way, any errors can be worked out before the whole world hears about it.

Remember, It's People Over Process

Many people think more of their super fabulous tools and systems than what the experience will be like for the end user. If you take the time to put yourself in the other person's shoes -- you know, the person who might just be investing in you or your stuff? -- you will know if you're headed in the right direction. Think about things like, "how easy is this to use?", "how many buttons would I click?", "does this frustrate me more than endear me to the service?".

You should make it easy for people to do business with you, not harder. The more difficult it is, the less likely they will buy.

Always Have a Back Up

Sure in this case I was the back-up. I literally sat down and made a list of all the people and manually called them myself. But what if there was a better way? If I had an assistant at the time, I would have had more help. Or if I learned through the testing process that the service wasn't working, I would easily have changed over to a new scheduling service before the promotion ever went out.

Think through your backup plan. What could you use if a part of your system is not flowing smoothly? What resources are available quickly and within your budget? Just thinking this through may save you a ton of time and money.

Now I can't tell you I've never had an automation problem ever again, but I can say that putting systems in place to help me replicate my work has always cost me less in the end than doing it all manually...both in dollars and in sanity. If you remember the tips I shared with you in this post, you'll reduce the chances of automation fail.

Want to learn more about how to use automation the right way? Get more over at my main blog www.tanyasmithonline.com.

Is Your List Making You Money?

It seems like a funny thing to ask, I know. But, the mantra "the money is in the list" has us slapping opt-in boxes on our web pages and waiting for the money to roll in.

How's that working for you? I know it did not work well for me until I had this epiphany.

The money is not in just having a list; it's in the relationship you build with them.

A list is just that, a list of people who have given you permission to market to them. So, the key to unlocking the money making potential you hear so much about requires you to market.

And for most entrepreneurs, that's easier said than done.

Why does it seem so easy for our marketing heroes and professional crushes to make money their lists while you struggle to build yours?

The truth is it isn't a matter of hard or easy, It comes down to strategic and consistent execution until you find what works for you and your subscribers.

So, how can you build a list that is a win - win for you and your subscribers?

Here are a few tips to help ensure you build a list of responsive subscribers, ready to take action on what you have to say & sell:

#1. Get In Tune with Your Ideal Customer's Deepest Challenges and Desires

If you don't get this right, fuuuget about it! And it's not enough to know this intuitively, especially if you're just starting out. You need to deliberately research this information and keep a running list you can reference on an ongoing basis. This will not only help you hit the bull’s-eye with the next tip, but also when it comes to your follow-up campaign.

#2. Create a Compelling Signature Lead Magnet or Opt-In Gift

Make the right first impression. Your lead magnet should be both relevant and helpful to your visitors and be a natural first step to doing business with you. Gone are the days people signed up for stuff just because it's FREE. These days people's email in-boxes overflow with hundreds of messages from people who want them to sell something, read something, and do something!

Use this criterion as a general guide:

• Is this something I feel confident about referring my offline networking connections to?
• Is this something that people would gladly pay money for if it were for sale?
• Is it a natural first step to working with me?
• Is it a good introduction to my core offerings?

If you are a little shaky on any of the above questions, look at ways to change or improve your offering so you feel confident about marketing it and driving traffic to it.

#3. Provide One-Time-Offers on Your Thank You/Download Page

The "Thank You" page is the least utilized web real estate. It offers a great opportunity for you to offer your new subscriber an opportunity to solve their problem at a higher level. And, it provides you an opportunity to make a sale. They are the most excited and engaged at this point so now's the time to give them a deal on a product or service they won't want to refuse.

#4. Identify & Tell Your Subscribers What to Do Next

Be sure to build into your opt-in process, instructions on what to do next. To make this the most effective, you'll want to build this call to action into your opt-in offer itself. If you are providing a report, insert your call to action in the beginning and at the end of your report. If you free offer is a video or audio series, be sure to end each session with your call to action.

Don't assume they will go back to your site to buy something or read something. Show them that you have taken the time to guide them towards getting the results they need.

#5. Create Effective Follow Up and Nurturing Email Campaigns

"What do I write about?" This is the reason most entrepreneurs aren't making money. You have to build the know, like and trust factor and train your subscribers to act on what you have to say and sell.

I recommend when you create your opt-in gift/lead magnet. Write you first 10 follow up messages at the same time. Otherwise, it may never get done.

Here's a sample sequence you can use to get started:

• Email 1 - Welcome and set expectations
• Email 2-9 - Give incredible value
• Email 10 - Sell them something

Don't forget to work in a pitch every now and then. It's okay if you have been adding value, they will be hungry for it.

Examine your opt-in process and use the above tips to implement or improve your list building results. Understand that building a highly profitable list may take some testing and work. But, if you commit to the process, it will be well worth the reward in the end.

"Feedback is the breakfast of champions."
~ Ken Blanchard

And as a champion of your success, I'd be honored if you let me know what you thought about this article. Your tips, advice and comments are greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, you read correctly... 126 dates in 42 days. And yes, I had an amazing time. Below is the main reason I am sharing this special teleconference with you is:

I heard a startling statistic. The statistic says...

"The average single has not been on a date in 2 years."

I was shocked when I heard this disturbing statement. 2 years, seriously, this cannot be true. But then, I started thinking about the stigma and difficulties some women have with online dating:

• They get nervous.
• Are unsure how to write a great profile that attracts really great guys.
• Have been turned off by their own or other people's bad online experiences.
• Etc.

With so many misconceptions and fears surrounding online dating, I understand it can be a challenge that most women will not pursue or if they had a bad experience in the past; may be scared to try again.

I am here to tell you once you understand how to properly use online dating it can be a wonderful way to:

• Meet really good men.
• Make new friends.
• Relearn your current city and fun things to do with a fun companion.
• If you are new to the area, safely meet new people and quickly learn your way around.
• Have a really good time overall.
• And so much more.

But, you must know how to do this correctly and with ease. Why? Because, according to online dating research:

Only 20% of the people registered with online dating site are actually going on dates, getting into relationships,etc. The other 80% are not.

Well, I can tell you from personal experience. It is much more fun being part of the successful 20% and if you are ready to get out of your dating funk. Then, sign up for this special and lively upcoming call.

I will share with you some of my secrets to successful online dating and relationships. Especially since Match.com is famous for quoting that "1 in 5 relationships start online." This is probably true with the numbers being even higher. So, join me for a really great time and some fun and useful information that will enhance your love life.

126 Dates in 42 Days - Secrets to Online Dating

Success Teleconference Call

Wednesday 8/28/2013 6p to 7p. EDT (3p to 4p Pacific)

You may register at:

www.undeniablyirresistible.com/126_Date_in_42_Days.html

to receive the call in information.

Wishing you much love and unlimited joy,

Cyndi Harris

Lifestyle and Relationship Coach

www.undeniablyirresistible.com

www.1000dollarperhourquestion.com

Building a brand is all about consistency. Your customers expect to have the same (or darn close to the same) experience whenever they come in contact with your brand.  After all, consistency leads to reliability and trust.

Since I've been doing a lot with visual maps these days, I've really gotten into studying how visual schemes impact your brand.  Here are a few tips that might help you.

Design Schemes and Associations

Think about this - what if you bought one of those red cola cans at a convenience store only to find when you drank it, something orange came out of the can.  That's pretty crazy, right?  You'd probably storm back into the store and confront the cashier at the counter with your red can.  The experience would make you second guess ever buying another from that store, or possibly, ever again.

In fact, that actually happened...sorta. Remember when they came out with clear cola?  It crashed and burned badly...why? Because we expect cola to be dark brown.  And when a very popular condiment maker came out with green ketchup, it ended up making appearances as a collectible on eBay, not on kitchen tables.

Something very similar happens with brands online.  Certain colors and design schemes are associated with certain products. If the product has the wrong color or design, it's off-putting to potential customers.

An important part of creating a consistent brand image is to choose a visual scheme that will always be associated with your name or your company’s name.

Your Visual Brand Language

To create a design and color scheme for your brand, you need to create a visual brand language, or VBL.

So what's that? A VBL incorporates design elements such as shape, color, materials, finish, typography and composition. All of these items together should work smoothly to communicate your company's values and personality.

For a good example, take BMW's front grill. When you see it on an advertisement or website, you automatically think of BMW and all the qualities associated with this luxury car designer. This distinct design feature is used as a visual marketing tool by the company to trigger feelings and associations in the minds of its target market.

An important key to creating a VBL is to remember that it isn't static, but something can be changed and used in different ways.

Think about Google's logo - basic letters on a clean white background. During different times of year or during promotions,  incremental changes are made to this basic design theme. Your VBL can be something flexible as well.

Visuals for Your Niche

Your own images need to create a brand personality that fits with your niche. Think about your target market and what they like. Consider your products and look at how other companies in your expert niche create their brand personality.

For example, some niches tend to showcase stark, hard line visuals, while others use soft, curvy lines. Each image a company uses fits with its personality to create a sense of consistency across all of its marketing and content creation.

Your Brand's Logo

The single most important visual element is your logo.  Recently, I went to my friends over at Logo Nerds to come up with a new design for me.  I knew the one I had was not fitting well with my niche and I wanted it to make a stronger connection with my brand.

To create a logo, you need to go back to your brand's unique selling proposition. What is your brand's promise and personality? These should be communicated through your brand's logo. Your logo should be based on this foundation and it should harmonize well with your other design elements.

The best practice when designing a logo is to start by choosing a primary and secondary color. The primary color is for your symbol, icon, or lettering. The secondary color is for the background. Take advantage of color meanings and associations when choosing colors.

The Importance of Visual Branding

A common business mistake is to bring in outside visual experts as an afterthought rather than a central part of your business's initial planning.  Remember when I mentioned redesigning my logo?  I have seen people make the mistake of trying to design their own, but that sometimes doesn't send a clear message about who you are and your professionalism.

Here's another resource for you.  Pam Wilson has an amazing blog that teaches a lot about visual branding.  Be sure to check out her Big Brand System here for great tips.

Remember - your brand's visual plan is just as important as your unique selling proposition or your products: it's part of your company's basic image and it can help you communicate clearly about who you are and what you do for your target market.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

Hello community,

JMCC is really enjoy sharing All Nations TV Network programming  ( www.jusmcc.info )

This dynamic group really gets you involved!!!

click here to view The William family Cooling Waters

Are you tired of hearing this: The gold or the money is in the list. You might get weary of hearing it asChristian Women Entrepreneurs, a Coach, Speaker or Author , but it’s smacking you in the face for a reason – it’s the truth, however, I’d like to add a twist the gold or money is in the relationship you build with the list/community! First of all, let’s answer the question, “What is a list?”

A list in Internet/Online marketing terms is a database of contact information for your prospects. So if you have a product or promote products about gardening and I sign up for your list, I’m a prospect that you can market to repeatedly until I unsubscribe.

So why is building a list so important? Let’s say you start off as an affiliate marketer. You find a niche you truly enjoy and you start working what you’ve learned into some traffic for your affiliate links.

Over a period of 30 days, you funnel 5,000 prospects from the World Wide Web who are interested in your niche straight through your affiliate link to the product owner’s site.

Let’s look at it a little deeper they even buy – yea! You’ve made a 50% commission with a 2% conversion rate. That means 2 out of every 100 people you sent bought the product, and your share was $26.00 (as an example). You earned a cool $2,600 this month – good for you!

There’s only one thing, you’re leaving money on the table. Those 100 people who bought from your 5,000 clicks? They’re now on the product owner’s list, not yours. So what he’s going to do is send them more offers over the coming weeks.

After all, they are proven buyers. Over the next 30 days, those buyers give even more money for products that complement the original one they bought. That money goes to the product owner, not you – because you passed on building a list the first time around.

A better way to build YOUR business is to start with a list from day one. Before you let a single person slip through your link without capturing their name and email address, have your system set up to build a list.

You can have unlimited lists for different niches using a simple tool like Aweber, which will end up being less than $20 per month and you can get a 21 day trial for $1 by clicking here. Every day you can log in and see how many people have signed up, and you can create automated messages to send out to help convert your list into more sales.

Why should the product owner get to cash in on that person again and again when you’re the one who brought him the customer in the first place? Stake claim to each prospect and leverage your relationship with him for future sales and commissions.

Now there is a strategy that you can use if you’re just simply looking to add cash that would possibly make not building your list out the door ideal, however, if you’re looking to build your business, grow your community you would want to opt for this strategy.

Would you like to discover more strategies, tips and more on getting new leads, clients, customers and money “authentically?”

I invite you to join me for my much anticipated Mindset, Marketing and Money e-workshop (webinar). You’ll also received immediate access to my Rapid Profits Promotions Handout.

Register here: http://bit.ly/marketingeworkshop

Juniques Multi Cultural Connections strikes "Communication Gold!".

Juniques Multi Cultural Connections now can help you reach offline and online communities around the world!! JMCC is constantly seeking ways to help multi cultural communities connect.

JMCC discovered "Communication Gold" when it connected with  All Nations TV Network

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check us out at http://www.jusmcc.info  call me 623-455-6364 

Remember that old Biz Markie song, ♪ "You, you got what I neeeed...." ♫.  Don't you wish that every time your ideal client or customer saw your stuff online that song would just automatically pop up in their head?

If you don't, you should.  Because that means you've made the right connection.  See it works like this...

But often we just focus on the first part of the equation - what we want to sell.

The fact is it can be pretty time consuming to do market research, but it's crucial to your business.  It's just one of those things you've got to do.  Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time creating products and promoting services no one will every buy.

You know my answer to almost everything when it comes to saving time, right?  Turn your research into a system, (my quick definition?  a system is a set of repeated activities you can map out, delegate and automate to get similar results).

Where Should You Start?

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first step for most solo service providers. It helps you understand what people are searching for online and what words they are using. There are numerous tools that can help you do this research, including Google’s own AdWords keyword tool, a free and paid tool from Wordtracker, and a popular software program called Market Samurai.

It takes a little practice to learn to do keyword research well, but knowing the most commonly searched terms will help you target the problems that people are facing. It also means you can optimize any content you create, helping it rank in the search engines.

Study Problems People Are Facing

When you know the problems people are facing in your target market, you can create solutions. Solutions sell. Look at the questions people are asking and why they are asking them. Look for the places your target market hangs out, like forums or Facebook groups, and listen in.  You might even create a list using a tool like Evernote or Google Drive.  I call this list my R&D (research & development) list.

Other places people don't really think about are YouTube videos and Amazon books.  What's popular?  What are people talking about around the topic you're interested in promoting?  Watch the discussions that take place and the questions asked. If there are problems that people consistently talk about, you’ve just found a great opportunity to provide a solution.

Paint a Portrait of Your Customers

It helps to paint a portrait of your ideal customer in as much detail as possible. This isn’t necessarily a visual picture, though some people do that, but one that describes little details about them. What are their demographics, such as age, gender, occupation, where they live, etc? What is some of the lingo they use? Do they tend to have similar interests or hobbies? Write it all down. Some marketers even keep this list in front of them whenever they write anything for or to their customers.

While it can take what seems like a lot of time, having a system you use to do market research can save you from sinking a fortune in time and money in a doomed project. The more market research you do from the start to understand your market, the less risk you face and the more likely they'll be singing your song loud and clear. ;)

In my lunch time series coming up I'll share a few more tips on how to create great, but simple systems for your biz.  Get on the "notify me" list now so you get reminders.  

Very few people I know use business process mapping, but it can be a really good way to figure out the difference between what is happening now vs. what you want to have happen with certain systems running in your business.

For example, you might have this really great product out in your online store, but you somehow keep losing customers -- like 85% of the time -- after they click the "add to cart" button.  What happened?

Or in another instance, you may have tons of referrals and they come to you willing and ready to invest, but you only convert 10% of them into clients.  Where's the breakdown? How do you know?  And what resources do you need in order to increase that number?

Many times, knowing the solution that works the best for you does not just pop up in a magical light bulb over your head.  Instead, it requires knowing what is taking place, step-by-step, so you can make improvements for the better.

Business Analysts (also known as BA's) tend to take advantage of process mapping because it suits them perfectly since they tend to be practical thinkers, always looking for the "why" behind what's going on.  They also get really passionate about information.  I like how this article from TDWI says, "They love to wallow in it, get it all over themselves, see what they can do with it, and see it change state and morph and eventually crystallize into facets of meaning."

Basically, these guys can get really geeky about improving a system, or set of activities so you get the most optimal results.

How do I know?  Because I actually have an analyst background in my "other" career.  Yeah, that's how I got to be such a systems geek.

Now here's what is cool about that...

There are a lot of creative thinkers marketing how great it is to use your creativity to ...well...create things. Products, new service offerings, you name it. I love it and I think that's great.  If you want to promote creative thinking, mind-mapping is a very effective tool. But that's a whole different type of method than what I'm talking about.

The thing is, not everyone is naturally given to creatively wild or illustrative thinking.  Some of  us tend to be a bit more structured and systematic in our thinking.  Having those type of people in your business network can be tremendously helpful because we help with the execution of the actual sale of that wonderful new product, or we help you fix problems with the way you're handling questions from prospective buyers so they feel better about trusting you and affirmed when they buy.

This is the beautiful place where process mapping comes in.

In my upcoming webinar, 10 Ways To Design Better Systems For Your Business, I share more about process mapping and what it can do. Plus I'll be talking about more ways to improve what you're doing in your business, so you can be more efficient which => (ta-dah) more profitable.

Business process mapping may just be the answer to your problems. Oh, and if you search the internet now for some process mapping resources, it will probably look a lot more boring than how I do it.

I've made the webinar publicly available.  No registration required.

=> Just click here to watch and get my free Systems Success Roadmap

Most of the people I know are high achievers; and a large portion of them are "control addicts".   But the bad part about being in control of everything is that you often end up doing everything in your business.

This kind of behavior creates failure, not success.

One solution is to consider outsourcing - hiring an independent contractor to help you get things done.  Outsourcing can help lift a huge weight off your shoulders.

And it's not just a resource for larger businesses.  Businesses of every size are starting to acknowledge the need to spend more time perfecting their expertise while they free up time by giving work away.  This serves to help you build stronger relationships with prospects and retain current clients.

Why Outsource?

Outsourcing can help you make the most of all of your resources—people, time, money and energy—because you and your staff can focus on the what's most important to your business. When you outsource, in essence you're allowing other companies or individuals with different skill sets (e.g., accounting, human resources or information technology) to do what they do best for YOU. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

As a result, you have more time to be laser-focused on your specialization which then enhances your credibility, and you become more attractive to people who are looking for the precise solution that you or your company offer.

Fitting Outsourcing Into Your Lifestyle

Outsourcing can definitely require an attitude shift and a willingness to give up a bit of control.  Realistically, it can feel uncomfortable at first.  But staying in a comfort zone is often what leaves some people stuck at the same level year after year.

Really think about your hesitation; what are your concerns about outsourcing?

Here are some common objections:

• Reputation. Business owners might worry what their customers, clients, staff and other stakeholders will think about their decision to outsource. You might also be concerned that the outside specialist will make some kind of drastic error that will harm your reputation.
• Security. Outsourcing may require that you consider sharing certain information to get certain tasks done.  Businesses may not be sure how to protect their intellectual property and other key data from fraud, tampering and other damage.
• Offshoring. A lot of outsourcing is done at the local or national level, but more and more is taking place using foreign associates. You might be concerned about language barriers, health and safety standards, work quality or the impact on your national economy.

With each of these concerns and any others you may have, take some time to answer the question, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if we outsourced?” and then ask yourself, “If that happened, then what?”

Many businesses have outsourced successfully and made mistakes that you can learn from. Do your research and be confident and intentional about your decision to move ahead.

How to Get Started with Outsourcing

Look at the activities you are spending time on that divert you from the core of your business. What’s draining you? Is it administrative tasks, technical support, accounting, human resources, internet technology or something else?

Determine how much time it's taking you to get these things done.  Are you generating profit by doing these yourself?  Could the work be assigned to someone else who has expertise?  What would it take to give up the work?

Start with these questions and begin looking into options for outsourcing to quality contractors.

Need help getting started?  For a complete course on how to find the right outsource partner, check out my brand new online course, "Outsource Your Service Business" on Udemy.com.  I will walk you through the entire process step by step.  For a limited time, you can get it at no cost here: http://udemy.com/outsource-your-service-business.

Ready to focus on what you do best and outsource the rest? The move to outsourcing requires a shift in thinking, some preparation and a slight learning curve, but in the end, you will emerge with a stronger focus on the "main thing" in your business. And it might just be the answer to growing your business to the next level.

Are you scratching your head wondering why people just aren't responding to your emails? I mean it's bad enough that they don't respond to your special sales promotions. But, they don't even respond when you give away free stuff.

What gives?

I believe there are three things that could be happening here:

1. You have spies on your list: You know, people who signed up just to see how you did your ebook or what kind of email campaigns you deliver. Oh, don't act like you've never done it :)

2. They're just not that into you: These people may have joined your list for something very specific that met their need at the time and now that they got it, well, they could care less what you send them. So, why have they not unsubscribed? They hang on waiting for something from you that wow's them to buy from you again.

3. You're not putting your back into it: I'm sorry, what I mean is, you aren't even trying. You are just throwing together emails, hoping that that best practice tip (you know the one where they said to email your list once per week?) will hypnotize your subscribers into obeying your every command.

If you want to get your marketing emails opened and your subscribers to take action you need to shift and shake things up a little.

Give value, value and more value and you'll be rewarded for it. Yep! Content Marketing applies to your email marketing efforts too!

So, how can you create a follow up campaign that keeps subscribers engaged, responsive and eager to buy from you?

Here are five quick tips:

1. Don't just send promos: Follow the 80/20 rule provide value eighty percent of the time and promote your offerings twenty percent. This will keep your subscriber's sales walls down and show them that they are worth more than a sales pitch.

2. Be intentional about providing value: Do you take time out each week and look for ways to make your subscriber's lives better?  I myself have been guilty of just throwing together a "fluff" email just to keep in touch. But, if you want to pass the "so what" test, you need to demonstrate that you really care about giving them valuable information they can use, whether they work with you or not.

3. Provide incentives: Sure coupons and discounts on your products and services are cool, but find ways to take it even further. What can you use as a carrot to get people to act? Can you offer tickets to an event, a gift card, a gift basket? Maybe you could partner with someone  and have them sponsor a gift to your list? The possibilities are endless, get creative.

4. Give your subscribers a piece of you: It's important to be you in style and tone when writing your list. It helps them to create a deeper connection and establishes the all important "know and like" factor of that famous marketing mantra.

5. Reward your most responsive subscribers:  If you want your subscribers to engage and pay attention to you, show them that you're paying attention too! Try rewarding them with exclusive discounts, a spotlight interview or a cool prize. I feel the best way to do this is unexpectedly. By the way, this could be a great incentive.

Employ these tips and your subscribers will go from "so what" and ignoring your emails to looking forward to communication from you.

I know there are a lot of email marketing blueprints and advice that give you the A to Z on how to build a responsive list. But, there is no magic bullet. You have to put what you know into action and see what works. Repeat what does and tweak what doesn't until it works too! Don't forget to have fun and be creative, your subscribers are people....not robots :)

 What are some techniques you use to keep your subscribers engaged and happy?

So everybody knows the Super Bowl is coming. I can see all the signs in my neighborhood - people lining up at the grocery stores for snacks, soda pop, chicken wings (my fav are the lemon pepper!).  Flags waving in yards.  Big screen TV boxes next to trash cans for Thursday pickup.

It's on.

Now I'm not going to try to sway you one way or the other on which team to hoot and holler for. In fact, I don't even know much about football (okay, I heard that...and yes, I am a proud American).  BUT what I do enjoy?

The commercials.

Even if you've never watched a Super Bowl game in your life, I bet you've seen the commercials.  Frankly, they're the best part of the whole celebration.  I always tell my husband, "call me when a commercial comes on!" ... then I head in to watch.  The New York Times says the Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year for advertising.

Ever thought about why?  I have - and I thought it might be fun to write about in terms of ways to create buzz for your business.  So here's a few tips on creating buzz Super Bowl Style:

Plan Ahead

Advertising companies start not just weeks, but months in advance.  It takes work to create a promotion campaign that will connect with the right audience and generate actual sales.  Right - at the end of the day, the commercials aren't there just for you to enjoy; they're meant to entice you to take up the offer.  It's about getting results in the form of sales.

Think about this with your next promotional campaign.  How much time are you putting into researching ways to reach your audience? What is the offer you're making and how will you measure success? Just because people "like" your posts, that's not always equivalent to dollars for your business.  Make the connection by planning your campaign well in advance.

Make It Connect

Remember the Darth Vader commercial for Volkswagen?  Hilarious and cute, right? It caught the attention of people watching because they could either see themselves as the boy pretending to be a famous character, or as the parents having fun watching their child play.  Viewers could connect with something in the ad.

When you create promotional campaigns, are you telling a story?  Does it tag something in the hearts, minds, or pockets of your audience?  What emotion are you trying to evoke?  Think about how your message connects through your marketing campaign.

Leak Information in Advance

Why share tidbits about your next program or event?  Why would you leak information before you're ready to deliver the product?  Because it works, says Fast Company in this recent article about pre-game content.

In the article, they talk about how  last year, 34 campaigns were released in some form or another on YouTube before the game. “Marketers saw the amount of buzz and views they were able to generate before the game even started, and realized that they can get much more out of their Super Bowl investment if they build a digital strategy around it,” says Suzie Reider, Head of Industry Development at YouTube.

That's pretty interesting, hunh?

What kind of buzz can you create?  You might not give away the entire program idea, but what if you shared a short tip series related to your topic?  How about a video teaser?

Think of creative ways to generate buzz for your business.  Even if you're not a football fan, you can work it Super Bowl style!

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

I have been building my subscriber list for a few years now. It's had wear and tear, much of it because of my abuse.  I switched focus, lost focus, tried different paths, different brands...all of the things new business owners tend to do when they're finding their way.

There are a ton of reasons people stay on your subscriber list.  Many stay even when they're no longer getting value. Maybe it's because they like you as a person, though they don't have interest in your topic. Or maybe they forgot to disconnect at some point. Instead they just delete everything you send.

Perhaps, they find a few tidbits of information you've sent for free they could appreciate, but now that you're asking them to invest they are offended.  The point is - my audience members came in for different reasons and stayed for different reasons.

The danger in this is at some point, you may find yourself with a huge list of people that DON'T CARE A THING ABOUT YOUR OFFER.

Signs of a list that needs to be downsized? You have dead silence when you're sending out market survey questions. You actually look at your metrics and find that your open rate is not only low, it's in the red. No one shows up for your special events that are only for your subscribers.

When these things are happening although you have list quantity, it's a good chance you have a list that needs to be downsized.

Recently I did a downsizing of my list.  It gave me a sense of freedom I never thought I'd have. At first, I was afraid (♪ I was petrified ♫...I love that song...short digression...ok, back on track now). Seriously though, when you work hard to build a good sized list it can be very intimidating to even think about minimizing it or tearing it apart.

But I had to do it.

Ever heard of the law of the vacuum?  Catherine Ponder talked about it in the book, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity.  It says something like, "Make room for the thing you desire by letting go of that which you do not appreciate or use. Give it away with a giving, charitable heart, and let the Universe compensate you."   In other words, when you let go and make space you have more room to receive what's really meant for you.

I knew that downsizing my list would put me in a different place, giving me the freedom to really talk directly to an interested audience of people who want what I have to share. No more wondering "do they care?" or "is anybody listening?" And for them - the ones who were purged voluntarily from my list - I gave them back freedom, freedom to read and receive information they truly would find useful and immediately applicable.

So how did I do it? I'll break it down for you:

First, I used my email marketing service, Mailchimp (shout out - "eep eep"), to evaluate my list. They have some pretty decent analytics and along with a tool called Hairball, it was pretty easy to create a small list, or segment of people who were rated below a 3 rating. These ratings give you an idea of how often your emails are opened or clicked by the user, along with a few other stats. Your service may have a different way to show you this information.

The key is to figure out who is least active in your list over a period of time. By the way, I did not include users who were fairly new and still building a rating.  Since they recently added themselves to the list, I assumed they have an interest in my content.

Second, I sent out an email to the folks in that group about 14 days before the purge date (you can adapt this to your comfort level). The subject line read something like "Only open this if you want to keep getting my emails!". I wanted to make it super easy for those who didn't open them anyway to take little to no action. Only the genuinely interested people would reply back to say "leave me on the list". And yes, I had several who read the email explaining my "Spring Cleaning List Purge" and they asked to stay on.

Great! That separated those who were missing in action, but still interested so I wouldn't remove them from the active list.

Third, on the date I'd set for myself I exported the segmented list (minus the ones who wanted to stay) and did a mass unsubscribe. I will admit, I was pretty nervous but after I clicked enter I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.  It was like, "now I get to talk to people who really care to connect with me and to get the full benefit of my sharing".

Here was another added benefit I didn't think about until later. You know how many email service providers charge you based on your total count of subscribers? Well, I was able to reduce my own email marketing fees because of the reduced count. Cha-ching!

Now mind you, I would be fine paying more for a more responsive, targeted list. It was just a good reality check to realize that I was actually paying to keep people on my list who never really wanted the info anyway.

So that's my story...and I hope it connects with you in some way. Does it make you think about downsizing your own list?  Don't you think that having 100 or 200 or 500 people who really connect with your message is better than having thousands who don't get it and won't take action at all?

As a business owner, we have choices to make for the good of our customers and ourselves. I chose to downsize for peace of mind and it was one of the best decisions I've made so far in my business.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

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