In recent weeks we have seen the stories of the deadly confrontations between young Black men and law enforcement all over this country.  And in Baltimore we saw the anger and frustration of some of its residence manifest itself in the destruction of their own neighborhood.  I have heard some commentators opine that these actions are the result of institutional failures of government and business to address the systemic problems Blacks, and in particular, young Black males, face everyday in their communities.

There is no doubt that the concerns are real and they have to be addressed, but it is also true that sometimes a thug is just a thug.  You can try to deflect responsibility, but the reality is that some people make the conscious decision to be unlawful.  So when some try to give these thugs a pass, what they do is divert attention from those young Black people who have chosen to do it the right way.

This is graduation season, and we have more Black men and women graduating from college than at any other time in history.  They have chosen to be more.  And it is hoped that them being more will allow of us all to be more.  We need to congratulate these students who didn’t take the easy way out.  Those who put in the effort to obtain an education.  And while they may not quite understand the importance of their achievement today, it is certain that their educational achievement will have a positive impact on their communities.

So if you see someone who is graduating college, congratulate them for persevering.  And thank them for choosing to affect change in a positive and constructive manner.

SAM

You are God wrapped in flesh…

You are God wrapped in flesh…

Did the year fly by as quickly for you as it did for me? But, I tell this was on my best years ever. I was able to reconnect to my main opportunity. Find new systems and tools to help me promote and market.

How many Non-starters do you have in your life. Take my advice find some replacements. Find people that will make you push yourself and strive for higher.

About the Author

Clarence Coggins is an Internet Market. He has extensive experience with applying Web 2.0 technology in the promotion of business and educational ventures. He also works a Leads Broker with the Silver Fox Leads Factory to contact him you can email thebestleadscompanyintheworld@gmail.com or call him at 973-943-4073.

This is one of the best pieces of advise that I have been given. Many times we feel that things aren't working for us. Maybe we aren't making as many sales as we wanted. Or we aren't recruiting the number of people we thought we would because they just don't see what we saw nor are they willing to take a look. 

It could be that all the people who are associated with are mocking you or urging you to quit. I was listening to a CD Making the Shift by Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine  and I heard him share the story of a very special crab that lived in the ocean. It was said that is crab was very smart and very nimble. That there was no trap devised that it could not get out of. 

Yet, thousands of these crabs were caught each year. They were caught not because they were unable to escape on their own. They were caught because their associations held them back. Have you ever felt like your associations held you back?

My suggestion to you is find new associates. Get new leads. Go to places you haven't gone before. Success requires change. It requires changes on the inside and on the outside. When you feel like you want to quit, that's the time you really want to get busy. But you don't want to just be busy. You want to be active to the right things which will lead to your business success.

I hope that you enjoyed this post and found it of value. I'd loved to see your comments. 

About the Author

Clarence Coggins is an Internet Market. He has extensive experience with applying Web 2.0 technology in the promotion of business and educational ventures. He also works a Leads Broker with the Silver Fox Leads Factory to contact him you can email thebestleadscompanyintheworld@gmail.com or call him at 973-943-4073.

Defining success is like trying to glue water to sand. It’s impossible! That’s because it is so subjective! One’s definition of success is oftentimes based upon material things instead of emotional well-being and a clear sense of self. For the writer, this gets even tighter in regard to the former because to the publishing industry, your/their success is determined by book sales and bestseller rankings. I want to share with you five (5) “must-do’s” for success regardless of the publishing path you decide to take be it with a traditional publisher or self-publishing. I heard an agent speak about a few of these “must-do’s” and have added one or two of my own. The bottom line, for me at least, is to always keep my intentions for the work in perspective, and to remember that my writing is a reflection of me.

• Make sure your story is GREAT
• Edit, edit, edit (hire a developmental editor, line editor and proofreader)
• Create a killer book cover (yes, a beautiful, professional cover is imperative – it must match the storyline)
• Tune up your marketing skills (i.e., yes, you must engage in social media & know your platform)
• Commit to quality (see all of the above; this also includes format, design and paper quality)

For more tips on being an authentic, successful writer, read “5 Takeaways” or “The Key to a Successful Self-Publishing Career.” Check out The Pierce Agency, LLC for a FREE 20 minute author consultation.

About the Author

Clarence Coggins is an Internet Market. He has extensive experience with applying Web 2.0 technology in the promotion of business and educational ventures. He also works a Leads Broker with the Silver Fox Leads Factory to contact him you can email thebestleadscompanyintheworld@gmail.com or call him at 973-943-4073.

A Message from Your Biggest Fan & Advocate:

Dear Brilliantly Blessed Entrepreneur...

“Who are you not to be great?
You, with the imagination of a brilliant child and gifts and talents granted by God,

Who are you to be ordinary?
You, who holds the seeds of greatness in your hand,

Who are you to be afraid?
You, who can do ALL things through Christ that
strengthens you while impacting infinite lives,

Who are you to be a slave to the past?
You, who can rewrite history with a single thought, and speak life to new opportunities with one word,

Who are you to be anonymous?
You, who’s name like Albert Einstein, Dr. Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs & Maya Angelou inspires others to step out of the shadows into their greatness,

And who are you to deny greatness?
If you would deny it to yourself, you would deny it to the entire world. And we will not be denied. ”

~Adapted by Kenya Halliburton from the monologue of the new
Sony PlayStation Commercial just for you! :)

So, Whats the answer?

“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!!!!!!!!!!!

See Where You Are Going

One of the most relied upon of the five senses is sight. Sight on a basic level is the ability to see with your physical eyes. But if you dig deeper the ability to see includes creating a mental picture; a visualization. Familiar with the term “mind’s eye”? This term refers to the human ability for visualization, which is experiencing visual mental imagery. Basically, the ability to “see” with your mind. Helen Keller said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but, no vision.”

From this place of seeing you can begin to jump start your life. Use your “mind’s eye” to see yourself in the future. Where are you? Are you living the life you dreamed of living? Are you experiencing success in all areas of your life? Do you have balance? Say to yourself, “I see you in the future and you look much better than you look right now!”

Visualize the life you want and deserve to live. Harness what you see to help create the path to get from where you are to where you want to be. Use vision to see where you are going.

Pursue Your Passion

Dare to create a vision for your life? Tap into the creativity embedded within you to reach your destined place of purpose. Have you taken the steps necessary to find your purpose? That very thing you are passionate about could be the spark you need. 

I was inspired to become a life coach because I encountered individuals who have shared with me that they don’t know their life’s mission. They didn’t know why they are on this earth at this appointed time and in space. Some stated they have no desire to invest their time, resources or energy to finding their purpose, maximizing their potential and igniting the passion within. I hope you are not at this place in your life; however, if you are then you are reading this at the right time.

Now is the time for you to invest in you. You may have spent years, an enormous amount of resources or endless hours working toward something that is not germane to your life’s call. But take the time to think about that thing in your life which makes you sing. That thing you begin to talk about to the point where people can see the twinkle in your eye and the glow in your countenance. Discover, unleash and pursue your passion.

Act on Your Goals

Take a close look at the word “goal”.  The first two letters make up the word “go”. Go, to move on a course, proceed or to take a certain course. It is just that simple. Goals are not as complicated as we make them out to be. For example, your goal is the bigger picture. For this example our goal or bigger picture is to go food shopping. There are a number of “tasks” we must complete in order to reach this goal. The basic tasks include preparation, going outside, getting into the car, putting the car in gear and “going”.

An effective way to help reach your goals is to break the bigger goal down into a series of tasks. With this in mind, you may only want to tackle two to three goals at one time. Why? Because when you list out the tasks associated with each goal the list can become pretty long. Begin small, be persistent and consistent.

Rev Up Your Engine

In thinking about revving an engine, car racing came to mind. In preparation for a high speed motor race revving the engine prepares the car for optimum performance. To get your car warmed up for the race ahead.

This is certainly a principle you can apply to your life. Revving your personal engine is a great way to prepare yourself for the race head. Life is often viewed as a race. It takes many components for you to not only get in the race, but to sustain it with speed, persistence, consistency and accuracy. You are the driver and the car you have been given is called life. One of the keys to life is learning to drive and navigate with wise efficiency.

One of the ways to “rev up your engine” is to create positive affirmations which are consistent with the way you see your life in the future. They should be positive and written in present tense. View your future with your “mind’s eye”.

Kick Start Your Life

To “kick start” your life is just another way to say “jump start”. It is time to restart fresh and re-energize your life. Little to no progress can be made if you are stuck in life with no “spark” to help provide the kick start you need.

In the movie Inception, “the kick” was necessary to awaken a dreaming individual to get them from one level to another. Sometimes in order to get to our next level in life with need a kick. It is time to make room for new experiences by removing thoughts, ideas and concepts that are not helping you to get to your new level in life. What may have worked in the past may not work for your future.

Kick start your life by connecting with the right people, changing the way you see your life, pursuing your passion and getting the tools and resources you need to jump start your life.

You can receive more inspiration of awesomeness from my weekly podcast show, Awesome Living with Cheryl Pullins.

While watching the television show, Unsung, a music biography series which sheds much-do light on some of the most influential, talented and yet, somehow forgotten R&B, Soul and Gospel artists of our time. On this particular show they featured rap icon, Kool Moe Dee. He made a statement which reminded me of part of my own journey. He said “my ego does drive the car sometimes.” The statement caught my attention and immediately reminded me of what it takes to get to the place in your life where you recognize and openly admitted that your ego can be in the driver seat of the car of your life and it has a big mouth.

Thinking about my own ego, I re-visited one of the many defining moments in my life. This one was during my time as a flight attendant. Yes, I know, you didn’t know that I had a short stint as a flight attendant. It was one of my dreams and I had the opportunity to live it.

One day I was doing a flight, can’t recall where, but on this flight I was the only flight attendant in the cabin. I did regional flights so it was usually a fifty seat aircraft. It was time for beverage service, and I always started in the rear of the cabin. While setting up for service I hadn’t noticed one of the first class passengers went in the back to use the restroom. Of course as soon as I pushed the cart all the way to the back the passenger comes out of the restroom ready to return to his seat in first class.

Since we’re talking about ego, what do you think I did? Yep. I wouldn’t let him return until I got to the front where there was enough space for him to get back into his seat. Because I wanted to “make my point” about who was in charge. Then to make matters worse, I “apologized” to him for not letting him go back to his seat. Well, he didn’t want to hear it and immediately gave me the front of his palm, also known as the “get out of my face, I don’t want to hear what you have to say” sign.

Well! As you could imagine, both me and my ego were livid. Hot! Upset! How dare he disrespect me in front of the other first class passengers. So now we are having a pretty heated exchange. I didn’t care. I was in “charge” and he needed to know it. But what I had totally forgotten was that I had an administrative ghost rider on my flight and she was sitting in first class. Usually you don’t know when you are being “watched in action.” But it just so happens there was another flight attendant on my flight heading home and somehow she knew there was a ghost rider and she had already warned me. So needless to say, I blew that observation.

What is amazing is that it took me five years to recognize who had really shown up to work the flight that day. It was my ego and it had a big mouth.

When Oprah started her Life Class, the first one I watched was The False Power of Ego. As I listened to the conversation I took it all in and was like okay, how does this relate to me?

The next day I had a conversation with my husband about the class and shared how I believed it related to me, and in that moment, my life had come full circle. The incident I shared about being a flight attendant was because my ego was in the driver’s seat and it had a big mouth. I let ego represent me and speak on my behalf because it needed to not only show the gentleman who was in charge, but it showed me that it was in charge of me too.

When it comes to personal growth, self-reflection, realization and acceptance are very powerful tools.  Using these three strategies can help to transform your thinking and assist you in making the changes needed to go to the next level of your life. There are many experiences and places you will never reach until you pass certain life lessons and learning how to tell your ego to take a back seat and shut up is a lesson you must learn if you are going to truly impact the world with your gifts, talents and abilities.

Here are a few lessons to know and learn about ego because it is tough and stubborn, and will allude you at every turn. If you entertain it, ego will have you abandoning your dreams, settling for less than you deserve, thinking you have all the answers and missing out on amazing opportunities that could move your vision forward.

1) Let go of your need to be perfect

I personally have struggled with the need to be perfect. I refer to myself as a “recovering perfectionist.”  Perfection is an ego-based need, and is used so you can avoid criticism and correction because your ego wants to protect you from them both. Perfection is also the measuring stick we use to compare ourselves to others and it can prevent you from moving forward. Let go of your need to be perfect. Perfection only serves you.

2) Be self-aware

You can’t relate to the ego of another unless you have the same ego within yourself. Becoming self-aware enables you to recognize when your ego is responding to the same ego in someone else. It’s the mirror effect. You are revealed through the reflection of someone else’s behavior. We typically don’t recognize ourselves and believe that it’s the other person with the issue, when often times we have those very same traits. Woman, know thyself. The more you know about you, the real you, the better you know what areas need to be developed.

3) Let go of the need to be right

Oh man! This is a big one. I just know it! Letting go of your need to be right gives notice to your ego that it does not control you. Ego is a tough opponent and will not go away silently into the night. Take a close notice to when you “demand” to be right and the other person is “always” wrong. That my dear is the “Ego game.” You will consistently and regularly explain yourself to prove yourself right. When you feel yourself in the middle of this “game,” stop and ask yourself, Do I want to be right or do I want to exhibit love? For the sake of relationships, personal and professional, let go of being right. I have learned that “right” will surface at some point down the road with relationships in tact. Because of how relentless ego can be, we don’t just want to be right, we want to be right, right now because it wants to protect you from being embarrassed. But when you choose love it expands you and grows you and keeps your ego in check and it’s no longer about being embarrassed, but then about being an example.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cheryl Pullins is Speaker and Peak Mastery Coach for women with BIG dreams and want EXTRAORDINARY results. As a coach and speaker, she empowers women to embrace their brilliance, release their gifts and create a life they love. Get tips, tools and empowerment at: www.iCoachWomen.com

1. Define your own success.
When it comes to success I find it interesting that people are always Googling how to make it big or how to makes loads of money. The only way to be successful under your own terms is to define success for yourself. What does it means to be successful? Does it mean a new position? A new salary? A nice car or a house is a fancy neighborhood? You cannot allow others to define success for you. 

2. Route your own success. 
You have to spell out success and then determine how you are going to get there. You know what it takes to get the things you want in life. Everyone knows that to build wealth you have to save and spend below your means. The reason why we aren't all rich is because everyone is not self disciplined enough to reach the goal. Chart your course so that you have a clear idea of where you are headed. (Simply put create goals and write two or three points as to how you are going to reach them!) 

3. Drive your own success. 

Do it! I know it's easier said than done but the people who become the most successful are the one's who don't just plan but do.

Content marketing is not just about saying something. It’s about saying what matters, both to you and those you want to serve. One goal that serves, both ends is “Thought Leadership“.

Thought Leadership, an admirable and attractive content marketing goal to set.

I mean, it sounds good, right? And you’re brilliant enough, no question.

But, thought leadership takes a certain commitment. A commitment to consistently say something important, sometimes controversial and the courage to be heard.

And to be honest, it carries a certain weight and power that frankly is scary and intimidating to a lot of business owners.

There’s a lot of talk about “King Content” these days and how you need a lot of it to attract and retain clients. However, it’s not until we can get over our fear of creating content for our online business in the first place, that we can achieve our goal to lead in thought.

 Do You Fit the Profile of a Thought Leader?

@MarlaTabaka asks readers to examine this question in her Thought Leadership 2.0 article publishes on Inc.com.

“A thought-leader is someone who is willing to step into the spotlight and voice their points of view, innovative ideas, and potentially controversial opinions. He drives conversation and peppers the Internet and other outlets with his insights, ideas, and expertise. She inspires others to follow their dreams and teaches them to think big, solve problems, and face their fears.”

When it Comes to Thought Leadership,
Are You More Like Scrappy or Scooby?

This may seem a silly question, but I have three small boys at home and I think in cartoons, so allow me to humor you for a moment.

Now, in my experience, people respond one of two ways when it comes to stepping out in this way:

1. Scrappy Doo: Let me at em’ – Enthusiastically, Yes, I really want to do this, I just don’t have time or know where to start.

2. Scooby Doo: Fearfully & insecurely, I don’t really have anything important to say, who am I?

The first response is pretty easy to resolve. These people are ready to burst through the gate. Give them a little direction and the right tools and they’ll be influencing all over the place. If this is you, stop reading this and contact me right away so we can get you on the map.

But, their are a lot of people who respond out of fear. The irony is, they are leading in thought everyday in a quiet and safe way.

When I have conversations with people about their business, something magical happens. They are passionate, opinionated and unafraid to be heard. Their goal in the moment is to be helpful and informative. They tell stories to help me understand complex ideas and I leave the conversation feeling smarter and grateful for the opportunity to have met them. They “fit the profile”.

It’s content at it’s best. These are the stories the advice and conversations that need to be shared on real and virtual stages.

But all too often, these conversations are never had and the stories never told to the people who need to hear it the most. Your target audience.

 Do I Have to Be a Thought Leader to be Successful?

Well, no. You can be successful without being a thought leader. But, your journey will be long and hard fought. Because, the truth is, there’s so much noise out there. There are so many people saying the same thing that prospects and customers can’t tell the difference.

So, I guess the question I’d ask you is, do you want to be THE CHOICE or just one of the best? If you answered the choice, then YES…It’s time to step into the spotlight!

Here are three questions to answer if you want to establish yourself as a leading voice and choice in your area of expertise:

1.  What do competitors in your market do, that makes your prospects problem worse or more complicated?
   
   
2. What questions “should” your prospects be asking?For example: If you are a health coach or practitioner, are they asking “How can I loose weight fast?”  when they should be asking “How can I loose weight quickly and healthily”?
3. What types of content are you comfortable producing that you can commit to producing and promoting on a regular basis?Are you better at speaking than writing? Then maybe knocking out a weekly podcast may be the way to go. Do words pour out of you like a faucet? If so, write til your hearts’ content and post a weekly blog article or apply to be a guest author. The point is, don’t get caught up in what all the “gurus” tell you you should be doing. Start with what works best for you and create your own blueprint!

Are You Struggling with Stepping Out in a Bigger Way? Are you a Thought Leader Who Has Some Additional Tips or Insights That Can Help? Please join the FB conversation , I’d love to hear from you!

You have a Facebook page. You have some fans. Nicely done. Now, like the smart beauty salon business you are, you're looking for some proven ways to engage your followers so you can acquire more of them and make the most of your presence on Facebook.

Engaging your fans is a critical piece to building and maintaining a long-lasting relationships on Facebook—and offline! Here are a few timeless strategies that local beauty salon businesses are using with great results.

♦ Spread the Love

Tell your fans how much you appreciate them. Tell ‘em often!

Thanking your fans for their questions, complimenting them on their comments, highlighting their success stories—these things go a looong, long way in social media. Many smart beauty salon businesses on Facebook run a ‘Fan of the Month’ promotion to encourage and reward engagement.

This is really savvy way to make people feel good about themselves and your business while also capitalizing on the power of social proof.

♦ Offer Coupons and Run Promotions

Discounts, coupons, special offers … your followers will NEVER get tired of opportunities to save money and get more value from their purchases. Pro tip: If you want to run a promotion for a specific geographic location, use the Custom menu when you’re posting to target your followers in a certain area

♦ Share Your Knowledge

You run a beauty salon business. You have special knowledge and insight. You can help people. So share! People are always grateful for information that makes their lives easier or more fulfilling. Sharing helpful tips is some of the best engagement around.

It also helps you take advantage of the reciprocity principle: do something nice for someone, they’ll feel bound to return the favor.

♦ Issue a Challenge

We humans are deeply competitive by nature and simply cannot resist a challenge, an opportunity to show the world that we’re pretty darn smart. Test your fans’ knowledge using fun quizzes and polls. Trivia, brain teasers, riddles … you’ll have your followers eating out of your hand by day’s end, trust me.

♦ Take Photos of Your Happy Clients & Customers

Don’t hire a professional photographer. Just start snapping photos with your cellphone and post them to Facebook. You will be amazed—truly—at how people respond. Data collected by social media expert Dan Zarrella shows that photos get more shares and likes than text, video and link updates. This also a great social-proof strategy: other folks will see people enjoying your products/services and they’ll want to join the party, so to speak.

♦ Ask for Advice

The highest compliment a business can pay to its customers is to ask for their input. If you own a beauty parlour, ask your fans to come up with a new beauty salon giveaway! Or let them name your new product. Make it a contest! Solicit ideas and then let your fans vote for their favorite.

♦ Use Insights to See What’s Working

Here’s the beauty of Facebook: you can see what’s working and what’s not. Just export your Facebook Insights data to an Excel spreadsheet to a get quick, clear look at which status updates performed best, what kind of media your audience responds to and what's driving engagement.

Could your beauty salon business be generating more clients and customers online?

Contact me today for your free marketing assessment!

If you’re a serious minded Black Business Woman, I’m sure that when you saw the term Business-Savvy Barrier in the title of this post, you raised your eyebrows and thought, “What the what?” But the numbers representing our success and progress compared to women in other races are startling. Black women business owners have come a long way in the past 20 years, but we still have a way to go.

Despite the growth of Black women entrepreneurs, there are multiple challenges, specifically regarding the income disparity experienced in the entrepreneurial sector. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, although Black female business ownership is up 59% since 2002, we only generate a little more than 3% of the gross sales receipts of the $1.2 billion dollars of all women-owned small business firms.

These are the demographics of the top three women-owned small business firms by race: White (72%); black (12%); and Asian (7%). While there are approximately 388,759 more Black women business owners than Asian women, they generate $51 million dollars more in annual gross sales receipts. Conversely, Black men with small businesses earn an average of $103,310 annually, compared to Black women business owners who earn an annual average of $43,000. This is disturbing and ladies, we must do better!

This suggests that Black men are somehow more successful in charting their ascent up the business ladder, being their own bosses, and spearheading their own economic futures. This may also indicate that Black female entrepreneurs have significant hurdles to overcome outside the corporate setting without access to capital, economic resources, angel investors, and eminent business advisors with “real-world” experience to help navigate the rough business terrain.

This should be an eye-opener for Black women business owners collectively. If, as the data indicates, we are struggling with disparity in gross sales receipts, what will it take to change the numbers? How can we enhance our Earning Power? I’ve already pointed out several barriers that we must overcome, but there are also other major obstacles such as lack of market expansion. Studies have also shown that Black women tend to network and sell to “our own people”, because we perceive that they are most interested in our products and services. But by far, the most substantial hurdle has to do with being Business-Savvy.

Is the research pointing to a legitimate short-coming? Is there a Business-Savvy Barrier for Black women entrepreneurs? Strong Business Acumen (the term I prefer) involves having solid business management skills such as, financial acumen, driving strategy and innovation, critical thinking, and the ability to build strategic relationships. This goes beyond technical skill and the depth of knowledge that you may have regarding your industry. So, for Black women, the missing element of the success and financial profitability equation is Business Acumen.

Black women have brilliant business ideas, but we have to shift our focus to learning how to become “Masters in Business Acumen”. Our businesses have the potential to get us a much bigger piece of the revenue pie. So how can Black women bridge the financial gap and greatly enhance our gross receipts over the next several years? Here are four steps that I suggest:

1. Become More Business-Savvy: This means cultivate a deeper understanding of the business behind your business. From a business portfolio perspective, you must be cognizant of the primary functions that impact the bottom-line of your small business: Cash Flow (i.e. days of cash on hand and speed of cash generation), Customers (acquiring, serving and retaining them), Growth (achieved through new or enhanced products or services, reaching new customers, or moving into new markets), and Return (as a function of margin and velocity).
2. Develop Financial Acumen: Don’t relegate this to a bookkeeper and then glance at the numbers when you get your reports. You must learn how to interpret the story that the numbers tell and take the appropriate action (strategic and/or tactical) in response to that story. This means knowing exactly what your company's financial numbers mean and their implications.
3. Constantly Focus on Business Strategy: The business arena is all about change, all the time, no matter what industry you’re in—and that's more evident now than ever before. Your business strategy must do three things effectively: gain customer preference, create a sustainable competitive advantage, and leave money in the bank. To avoid the red zone of failure or to move from just breaking even, you must operate more strategically.
4. Understand the Power of Positioning: Whether you are a new business owner or seasoned, you wear the mantle of a business leader. Innovation and strategy within your business will be driven by your great ideas and your ability to execute and implement those ideas. Understand your current position in the marketplace, see where your industry is heading and then take a LEAD position – get in the front of the line and deliver!

To know how closely you fit in the statistics, ask yourself this question: Based upon your tax return from 2011, would your accountant say that you have a “business” or a “hobby”? I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic.

I have a new virtual service coming on October 16, 2012 that can help you enhance your Business Acumen.  Take a look at this e-Brochure to learn more.  If you are serious about becoming a Business-Savvy Black Woman and want to increase your earning potential, the MBA Center for Women can help you! If you would like more information or want to sign-up for the MBACW mailing list, please visit http://www.moniquestoner.com/the-mba-center-for-women/. The MBACW website and virtual training services can be previewed live on October 9, 2012 at www.mbacenterforwomen.com.

Small Business Success for Women in 2013 and Beyond

In light of the significant job losses resulting from the 2008 economic recession, there has been an intense focus on boosting small business as a way to stimulate job growth.  Yet, it’s becoming more evident that many of the issues plaguing the American workforce are also impacting the small business industry.  According to the Small Business Administration, as of 2010 there were 27 million small business firms in the U.S. and approximately 2.3 million have more than four employees.  However, 22 million of those firms are non-employer firms – better known as solo or micro entrepreneurs – with combined gross receipts of $950 billion.

This figure looks impressive as a whole, but when you divide the average revenue among 22 million small businesses, the typical “non-employer business” made approximately $43,000 in gross receipts.  Conversely, when you analyze the slice of the pie for women-owned small businesses, the numbers are much lower.  There are a number of reasons why solo and micro entrepreneurial women are not achieving higher revenues in their businesses, but it's certainly not from lack of hard work and passion.

Women-owned small businesses, particularly solo and micro entrepreneurs, add tremendous value to the U.S. economy and we’re an important source of competition globally.  The statistics tell the story:

• Women own 50% of all the solo and micro enterprises
• 52% of the private workers are employed by solo and micro businesses with the largest proportion of those employees being younger, older, women, or part-time workers
• Solo and micro entrepreneurs provide 80% of the net new jobs.  Sixty-seven percent of all workers received their initial on the job training from small business owners
• 53% of solo/micro businesses are home-based and 3% are franchises

Additionally, the advancements in mobile technology and social media are leveling the playing field allowing solo and micro entrepreneurs to compete with their larger company counterparts. However, there’s still considerable room for improvement and we have to do better!  Going into 2013, we have to make sure that those who make up the heart and soul of our economy –solo and micro women entrepreneurs – receive earnings that are proportionate to our contribution.

Subsequently, just like the U.S. pathway to job creation, the path to increasing profitability for women small business owners is wrought with challenges.  Working with no staff or a small staff, limited time and a constrained budget, small business owners must find a way to balance the development and marketing of their ideas with the speed of the information age. Market and customer needs are continuously shifting and the size and pace of the information and services available all across the world to meet those needs creates fierce competition for solo entrepreneurs.

The shelf life of the current knowledge and specialization for most small business owners is already close to expiration. We now live in a “knowledge economy” where our skills inevitably lose their relevance and niche abilities may be difficult to apply as opportunities and technologies evolve.  Whether you have a product or service-based small business, it is also important for you to be able to see across market sectors and connect the dots between how innovations in one industry can be applied to another.

Economists and business leaders both agree that the solution to sustaining a small business and increasing profitability for entrepreneurs is ongoing and more specifically tailored development of core business skills. This will help to keep your business on the front lines moving into the future. In order for women to compete, remain relevant, and earn more in 2013 and beyond, we must pursue training to obtain ADVANCED BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE and consistently focus on ways to INNOVATE our products and services. 

Watch the Path to Profitability Video Blog:

Both career women and those in business have faced many obstacles in past decades and unfortunately, still today. Women in the workforce have battled glass ceilings, unequal pay for equal production and undeserved stereotypical barriers. As business prototypes have changed with the advent and growth of the internet, so have the unique issues encountered by women in business. Below are five of these challenges and solutions to overcome and achieve success.

Challenge 1: Lack of Cash Flow

Even the most brilliant business plan will fail without sufficient cash flow. Simply put, cash flow can be loosely defined as "cash in" (as generated by revenue) and "cash out" (to pay the expenses incurred to achieve "cash in." Inadequate cash flow can stifle a business into failure.

Let’s just get real… your creditors, employees or suppliers don’t care about your cash flow woes. They want to be paid in a timely manner!

Solution:To simplify this problem, as well as correct it, look at all facets of the balance sheet and income statement. Is there a lag time between the time you have to pay your creditors, suppliers and employees and when you collect from your customers? If so, you must pinpoint the problem areas and take necessary steps to correct them.

Four quick solutions to manage your cash flow:

• Consider factoring. In factoring, a business owner sells accounts receivable at a discount to a third-party funding source that pays invoices immediately. Chris Lehres, a loan officer for Versant Funding says, “A wide range of companies in a multitude of industries, including some with a negative net worth, that are losing money, and often even companies in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy are eligible for factoring services.”
• Open a line of credit. A line of credit is a standard service provided by many banks and credit unions that serve small businesses. Your banker can best discuss the benefits of a business line of credit.
• Offer several payment options to your clients, such as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or pay pal.
• Track your receivables. Have a collection process in place so that you have a protocol to handle aging invoices.

Challenge 2: Undefined Niche

To Niche or Not to Niche…that is the question. What is a niche? A niche business is one that targets a very specific group of people with specific shared interest. A business with an undefined niche is like a ship sailing in shallow water.

By creating a niche business allows you to market to your ideal clients. For example, if you were a behavioral psychologist targeting teens, you would market your services in places where parents are likely to find out about you; such as advertising in parent magazines, providing resources to local middle and high schools or joining organizations geared towards parents.

Solution:By understanding who and where your ideal customers are; it is easy to craft a marketing plan to target them. Here are three easy ways to target your potential clients:

• Improve your website’s SEO with specific key words
• Generate exposure locally and virtually with professional speaking, seminars or publishing a book or articles.
• Craft a clear message that speak at the heart of your customer

Challenge 3: Not Understanding the Power of Referral Marketing

For years, the mantra for success in marketing was "cold calling." Today, we know that cold calling is ineffectual, especially when compared to referral marketing. Referral marketing is promoting your business thru referrals and word of mouth networking to more effectively gain sales.

When comparing referral marketing to cold calling, think of it as sowing grass seed. It is much easier to grow grass from seeds if you know how fertile the ground is. You can scatter a handful of seeds over a wide area of dirt and some of it may, or may not, take root.

Solution: Find others with whom to network and collaborate to gain sales. For instance, if your business sells cars, you might collaborate with a local automobile service company with the result that the purchase of a car includes a certificate for a free oil change from the car servicing business. Both businesses benefit and just increased the likelihood for repeat business.

Challenge 4: No Social Media Plan

Random tweets and meandering Facebook posts will result in a lot of time devoted to zero results. Before making another useless post, sit down with pen and paper and make a list of what you want to achieve from social media. To which social media do you belong? What are some social media marketing strategies that you have noticed from other companies? What do you have that will offer value? You may find that your company is spread a little too thin across the social media spectrum. Quality truly is superior to quantity in this respect.

Solution: Create a social media marketing plan and stay the long haul. Establishing a strong presence can be a very time consuming process. It is unwise to expect your list of fans, followers or subscribers to grow overnight.

Challenge 5: No Strategic Plan (after 3 years in business)

Without a strategic plan, a business can become stagnant in the mire of what is immediately going on, rather than focusing on long-term goals. Successful businesses recognize the critical need for strategic planning and it is an ongoing process - it is never finished.

Solution:An effective strategic planning process allows small businesses to take control of their future and stay focused on the essential areas that will result in sustained periods of growth and success. Here are six tips to help you in the planning process:

• Assess the Current Business Environment
• Focus on Important (SWOT) Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
• Define (or Redefine) the Company’s Mission and Goals
• Start with An End In Mind
• Establish Mini Milestones
• Plan for Follow Through

If starting your strategic plan seems a little intimidating, download your FREE ‘Strategic Planning Strategy Worksheet.’

As you can see, there are many hurdles that can cause women to fail in business; nevertheless, many solutions to prevent failure from happening. These are my top 5 challenges; what other challenges do you think women face today?

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Sylvia Browder is a small business consultant, trainer and author. She is founder of National Association Women on the Rise, a virtual community for aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. For the past 6 years, she has worked as Project Director of the Women's Business Center; and served as an online volunteer SCORE counselor since 2004. For FREE weekly articles go to Sylvia Browder's Blog for Women Entrepreneurs, http://www.sylviabrowder.com.

• Want advice from from real entrepreneurs who've been where you are?
• Need inspiration to get started or keep moving forward in your business?

If so, I think you'll love this! I'm so happy to announce that in February 2013, I'll be launching a magazine, exclusively for women entrepreneurs called flyy, female & fabulous! This publication is dedicated to profiling a variety of women entrepreneurs who encourage and motivate women who aspire to become entrepreneurs and those interested in growing their businesses.

Available in both digital and print formats, our mission is to inspire, motivate and encourage aspiring and current women entrepreneurs. To learn more about flyy, female & fabulous, please visit our website, and check us out on Facebook! :-)

(From my book, How to Change Your Mindset + Live Your Most Fabulous Life)

Goal setting is the first step in successful goal achievement. If you don’t set goals, the other steps in achieving them can’t happen. A few reasons you need goals:

1. They provide clarity on your vision. By not having goals in life, you’ll just be running around without ever accomplishing anything for yourself. You first have to create what you want in your mind (by setting the goal), and then your desires can become a reality.
2. Goals give you one focal point to concentrate on. While your vision and purpose gives you a wide focus, your goals provide laser focus on what, exactly, you need to spend your energy and time on.
3. They move you forward. They represent the inner desires that motivate you and are what push you to keep going when things get rough.
4. Goals help you become the best version of yourself (your most Fabulous you!). They can help you reach your highest potential, and without them, you subject yourself to the normal, daily actions that make you feel comfortable and safe. And while those actions may feel good, they keep you from growing and don’t allow you to be the best you that you can be.

Have a goal you want to achieve but need assistance getting started? Or, do you need someone to hold you accountable for taking action on your goals? Goal-getter Sessions are for you! Learn more here, or email me: coaching (at) jamieflemingdixon (dot) com.

Dreamer. Lover of life. Goal getter. These are just a few words to describe Jamie Fleming-Dixon, inspirational writer, blogger, editor and F.A.B. Life Strategist. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of For Colored Gurls, a blog that inspires and empowers women to live their most Fabulous lives. Additionally, she is owner of Mocha Writer, a boutique copy editing and proofreading service.

Jamie is also the author of How to Change Your Mindset + Live Your Most Fabulous Life, a motivational book, providing practical tips for creating a more positive mindset and living the life of one's dream. She has been featured in several websites, blogs, magazines and Blog Talk Radio Shows, including TheCEOMamma.com, AfroElle Magazine and Prominence Magazine and was recently named one of the 2012 50 Fabulous Women Entrepreneurs on BBWO (Black Business Women Online). Get inspired on her blog, ForColoredGurls.com.

We all want to live the uncommon life. I know I do. As a coach, I value change and reinvention. I believe change is necessary for energizing your soul. The one thing I know is that changing your perspective is key to an uncommon life. In order to see the fluidity of life, you must see it through a new eye. This may require daily refocusing. It's like refreshing your eye "browser." We need to refresh every now and then with a new direction, new relationships, new knowledge, new assignments and whatever else that will jumpstart us out of the common to the uncommon. If you are responding to life out of the old eye, allow me to share some concepts on how to live the uncommon life.

• It's important to see yourself as a brand. You are your own message. Ask yourself, "what am I saying to people when they encounter me? Who and what do you represent? Make the appropriate adjustments to deliver the right message.
• It's important to reinvent yourself 2-3 times in your life because there is so much more untapped potential on the inside of you that it will take your whole lifespan to bring it out.
• You must be active in the game of life - you must keep going because success comes through working it out. Giving up is not an option unless you know that you are absolutely in the wrong place. And even then, take what you've learned in that place and keep moving forward.
• Stop looking at the mountain top and purpose in your heart to start at the level you know you fit. Then, advance up the mountain one step at a time. Cover all of your bases.
• Figure out what your goals are because doing nothing will cost you. Create weekly, monthly, yearly goals.
• You can get what you want as a long as you can help other people to get what they want. In other words, don't live a selfish life. What you do for others, God will make happen for you.
• Listen to your dissatisfaction. Sometimes when you are unsatisfied, your heart may be trying to tell you something. Don't override your internal alarm system.
• You must see things that normal people don't see. Train your eye to see beyond what is there. Examine the different territories that you find yourself in and create from what you see.
• Learn to give more than you have. God's economy is vastly different than the world's economy. It doesn't make sense to give when you don't have anything, but when you sow into people's lives, you shall reap. It's the law of nature.
• Move away from people who don't believe in you and who don't agree with the plan for your life. Otherwise they will pull on your motivation and enthusiasm. Stay connected to people who bring light into your life.

Want to know more about how to live an uncommon life using what's already on the inside of you, visit www.unlimitedcoaching4you.com for more information. Do you want to become a coach, a new Become a Certified Coach program in life coaching and health and wellness is about to start in September. Contact me for more information.