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Spice Up Your Business In 3 Easy Steps

I have been quite exhausted over the past few months. Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. However, my fast-paced and ever growing business and family require every ounce of my strength and sometimes, I have to take special steps to fill up my cup in order to continue to make progress on my journey. About this time last month, I began to feel really wiped out. For a few days, my husband sort of took over everything. I lounged around all day one Saturday while he cooked, cleaned, managed the kids and got some business done. I also stopped working early during a few weekdays to ponder why I was feeling so glum.

It helped of course that I have a supportive business partner and husband, but three other things I did also quickly spiced up my Indie Business engine so I could continue creating my own version of success. The things I did made such a huge difference and were so easy to do, that I want to share them with you.

1. Connect In Person

I was dragging myself through a morning last month following the Twitter stream, when a business person in my area Tweeted that she and several others were planning to gather for lunch at a local restaurant later that day. I suited up and headed on over. I had a blast. We met for a little over an hour, a wonderful investment in me, my business and in the six other business people there.

All six of them had something special to offer. One is a corporate communications expert with a well known PR company, another a Web developer, another a licensed family therapist. Each one displayed his or her own special enthusiasm for what they do for a living. We met as strangers and parted as friends and business colleagues. How could I be glum when so many forward looking people were around to encourage and uplift me?! The whole experience left me feeling energized and excited about the future.

Check your local paper or magazines for networking events, or use Twitter to follow people in your city. If you're in the Charlotte area, you can follow me because I Tweet about local events I attend. Do these few things and it won't take long to find a few fun opportunities to connect in person.

2. Reach Out Through A Social Network

If you can't get out of the office, another alternative is to invest some time connecting with like-minded people in an online social network setting. It's not a substitute for "pressing the flesh," but when it's all you can do, at least it's better than sitting around moping.

I'd start with Ning, a popular and easy to use social networking platform that connects millions of people around shared topics of interest. At the home page, enter keywords the describe your areas of interest and several pages of social network options will display. There will be hundreds of options and one way to narrow them down is to eliminate the ones that don't display a photo icon next to the group name. That can mean that the site is not well maintained. Click on networks of interest and look to make sure there are contributions from that day or the day before. If not, continue searching. You want a community that is dynamic, makes itself look good and is also active. Once you find one of interest, just sign up for free and pick a discussion and offer your thoughts, questions and insights. Well maintained social groups always have members online so you are bound to get a response fairly quickly.

As the leader of the Indie Beauty Network, I am involved in social networking all the time, either with my members or with business colleagues who are also savvy online networkers. But when I need a kick start, I go someplace new, someplace where no one knows me and I don't know anyone else. Almost without fail, when I reach out, others reach back and meet me where I am at that moment in time. It's a beautiful thing, and sometimes, just the fix I need to regain my momentum.

3. Get A Free Consultation

Several years ago, I was struggling to give birth to a book. I was already a published author, but even so, it seemed like the new idea in my head just wouldn't come out. Thoughts about it preoccupied my day and slowed down my progress overall. Then, I stumbled upon an author's consultant's website where free 15-minute consultations were offered. I called her, enjoyed the free 15 minutes and 12 months later, my book was born.

Of course it took more than a great consultant's free 15 minutes finish my book, but in that amount of time, she affirmed my idea and give me objective feedback and valuable tips that lit a fire under me to get the job done. She gave me a new and exciting perspective, which ignited my enthusiasm and empowered me to move forward.

Lots of consultants offer short, limited consultations to help other people jump start an idea. When you find a consultant you like, check their About or FAQ pages to see if they offer any free, short consultations.

What do you think?

In cooking, sometimes, the tiniest little bit of spice makes all the difference. It's the same in business. One small step forward often turns out to be the very thing that takes your business to the next level. What are some of the simple things you do to spice up your business life? I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. The first 10 people to use the comment section below to share how they spice up their businesses will get two bonus gifts. First, I will email you the link to the author's consultant where you can sign up for your free 15-minute consultation. Second, I'll schedule a personal 15-minute consultation to help you re-discover your focus, spice up your business and gather the momentum you need to propel it forward.

Getting Dirty Means Nothing if You Don't Touch Home Plate

While cheering on my son and his team, the Lightening Bolts, at a t-ball game this morning I watched youngster after youngster slide in for a home run. I enjoyed seeing how they loved sliding in the dirt. Almost without exception, when they finished a slide, they looked at their pants to assess the dirt stain. The bigger and more messy the stain, the happier they seemed to be with their efforts.

Each boy slid home, but hardly any of them touched home plate in the process. Instead, they slid dramatically across the dirt in the direction of home plate, stood to their feet, celebrated, checked out their dirt stain and started to walk away. The coach had to tell them to come back and touch home plate. Pointing proudly to his dirt stain, one boy responded, "But I was already over there. I did that already." The coach reminded him that, while he slid toward home plate, he didn't actually touch home plate. The boy went back and touched home plate with the tip of his cleat.

What the boys learned from the coach is critical. Until you touch home plate, you can still get called "out." You can work as hard as you can and kick up all the dust in the world, but if you don't touch home plate, it means nothing.

Don't just wallow and slide around in your business getting dirty. Set up your home plates and then make progress toward them. You'll get pretty messy and beat up along the way, but none of that means anything if you don't actually reach your goals.

In business, you'll have not just one home plate, but a series of them. That you slid toward them means nothing. That you got dirty in the process may be praiseworthy but in the end, results far outweigh intentions. It's important that you worked hard. But what matters most is that you got to home plate, and you actually touched it.

What about you?

What are you doing today to slide toward your home plate? Share your goals and what you are doing to reach them, and don't forget to include your website or blog link so we can learn more.

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Successful Indie Says "Steal" Your Way to the Top

I love traveling for many reasons, but lately, the main one is the interesting and friendly people I've sat next to on airplanes. Last month, I met Amri Johnson (Twitter: @amrijohnson), an author I hope to have on Indie Business Radio soon. Yesterday, on the flight from San Francisco after The Nova Studio's Business Boot Camp, I met E. Gary Smith. E. Gary, age 57, is a native Atlantian who now makes his home in the San Francisco bay area.

The first thing I noticed about E. Gary is that he was holding a book by Michael Gerber, a well known small business success guru. The first thing he noticed about me is that I was holding a book my Mark LeBlanc, a well known small business success guru. We struck up a conversation, and what do you know? E. Gary allowed me to snap a photo of him (sorry guys, he wouldn't go for the video), and he agreed to let me interview him about his journey as a successful Indie Business owner.

dM: Tell me about your business

For 20 years, I have owned Menalto Cleaners in Menlo Park, California. It's a neighborhood business; I live right around the corner. I have a few employees who manage the business for me. I also maintain accounts with local department stores and luxury hotels to launder the clothing of customers and guests.

I purchased the business 20 years ago for a song and worked hard to make it a success. Today, the business is very profitable and debt free, and it allows me to pursue many interests including launching a new business.

dM: Tell me about your new business

My new business is Tete Cuvee, which is French for Top of the Line. Tete Cuvee will officially launch in February 2010, and will offer the highest quality custom formal wear for men. I am the designer of the line. I am also the financial backer.

I am traveling to Europe in a few months for a fabric shopping mission. While I will import fabric, I am proud that every article of custom clothing will be designed and handmade by me and a small staff right here in the US.

dM: Why a clothing line?

Because I think it's important for men to be tailored and well groomed. Not everyone agrees. For example, my sister was trained to take care of her nails and to use a nail buffer to buff them to a high and healthy shine. I didn't learn this easy and inexpensive grooming tip until a few years ago! Men want to look good too, and my clothing line is designed for the man who takes care of himself and is impeccably groomed.

I love clothes and I take care of myself. I have enjoyed two manicures within the past week and I make sure I am well dressed even in casual settings. I plan to stay at the Four Seasons Hotel while I'm in Atlanta settling my father's estate. This will be important to me since a death in the family is always challenging and I plan to treat myself well while I am going through the process.

dM: Tell me more about how you take care of yourself

Well, fitness is a huge part of my life. I generally go to bed before 10:00pm. I get up without an alarm at about 4:00am. I am out with my running parter by 5:00am. I run about 6 times a week, and go to the gym throughout the week for weight lifting. I try to work specific areas of my body to stay strong. I enjoy socializing with guys at the gym, many of whom are my informal workout partners. Having partners holds me accountable and makes fitness fun.

Our bodies were meant to be moved. I believe that exercise and a healthy body are two of the keys to success in life and in business.

dM: Based on your two decades as a successful business owner, what is one of your best success tips?

My mother always told me: "Steal with your eyes." I have used this advice throughout my business career and I think it is a major part of the reason I have been so successful.

There is no reason why a person cannot be successful in business, so long as they steal with their eyes. This does not mean that you take other people's work and represent it as your own. What is means is that you remember that you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Just watch what others do.

Study the habits, characteristics, websites, marketing materials, etc., of people with businesses like you envision yours one day being. Then, simply do what they do. Put your own spin on it of course, but the bottom line is that you use your eyes to watch and then you "steal" what works, make it your own and put it to work for you. Steal with your eyes.

What did you steal today?

This is NOT about becoming a thief and infringing on others' intellectual property rights. Neither I nor E. Gary condone such activity. "Stealing with your eyes" is about watching what other people do, filtering it through your sense of style and business goals, and then repeating it with your own spin. One of the things I have "stolen with my eyes" is listing "Related Posts" at the end of each my blog posts. This makes it easy for readers who like the current post to stick around and enjoy others. Several bloggers do this, but I specifically remember "stealing" it from Brian Clarke.

So think about it, what did you steal today. Share it in the comments section below. Maybe it will help someone else.

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Love Her or Hate Her, What You Can Learn From Her Journey

Once upon a time, as a small child growing up in the south, Oprah Winfrey had few financial resources. But that was then. Today, she is one of the world’s wealthiest people. This wealth extends far beyond her bank account, for Oprah seems decidedly rich not only in a financial sense but also in terms of her life. So many people love Oprah. So many people hate Oprah.

Whether you're on one side of the fence or another, or are straddling it, if you're Indie, you can learn a lot about business by studying Oprah's career choices. This post outlines the three main things Oprah has done to create a lasting empire -- things Indies can do to manage and sustain our own piece of the American dream.

1. Oprah Owns Her Business and Herself

Earlier this year, Oprah and Discovery Communications announced the Oprah Winfrey Network, or OWN, a multi-media platform joint venture. If all goes according to plan, OWN will launch Oprah into the next phase of her career. The name OWN is no accident of course, and the concept of brand ownership runs deep with Oprah.

When she was hired as the host of AM Chicago in 1984, it was hard to imagine Oprah owning anything, at least if you compared her with the people in America who owned most everything at that time. She grew up poor. She was a brown skinned black American. She was overweight and short. He hair was a little out of control, her lips were beautifully full and her nose was distinctively wide.

By typical American standards, she possessed little outward beauty. But she had an ability to attract women from all walks of life to her talk show, which beat out the Phil Donohue Show within months of its debut. In 1985, when we saw her in The Color Purple, we knew there was something special there. And Oprah knew it too. From the very beginning, she set out to create an empire. And today, she owns all of it.

Oprah owns a variety of profitable ventures. With Hearst Magazines, she launched O, The Oprah Magazine in 2000. Today, the publication boasts a circulation of 2.3 million monthly readers and an advertiser base that most publishers can only dream of. The Oprah Winfrey Show airs in 134 countries and is seen by an estimated 46 million US viewers a week.

Her new series of church-like online seminars and discussion groups, based in large part on one of her Oprah's Book Club choices, has drawn both praise and criticism. Either way, there's no denying that Oprah is a master at using technology to spread her message far and wide.

Unlike many other well-known entrepreneurs, Oprah is not for hire. While people like Paula Deen and B.Smith, popular cooking and lifestyle hosts, attach their names to brands like Bed, Bath & Beyond (Smith) and Smithfield (Deen), the only way you’ll find Oprah’s name on someone else’s product is if she just purchased it or if her name is being used without her permission.

Oprah owns her business and the many brands associated with it in every imaginable sense of the world. There are investors. No multi-million dollar bank loans. No favors. It's all hers. Oprah owns her own brand and maintains tight control over every aspect of them. Do the same in your Indie Business to enjoy maximum profits, flexibility and opportunities.

2. Oprah Knows Her Value

Oprah exerts tremendous control over everything she touches because she knows her value. When her name is associated with something, she wants it to be “just so,” and she wants to profit from it at least as much as everyone else involved. Oprah seems to have understood early on that she had a personality and other assets that would draw people to her in droves. She knew that, if she could draw people, she could also draw advertising dollars. And she knew that if she could draw advertising dollars, she could become a very wealthy woman, and use that wealth to duplicate herself, and make even more money. Hence, her syndicated television show, the “after the show” show, the magazine, the book club, the retail store, the Angel Network, the website chat rooms and the Oprah & Friends satellite radio show.

Oprah seems to have decided that she is not for sale to the highest bidder. Instead, she creates all the outlets she needs to be profitable, and essentially bids against herself. Oprah has created a brand. Not only that, Oprah is the brand. She draws so many people that she does not have to settle for a salary. She knows what she’s worth and she has structured her business ventures so that she can command what she’s worth in whatever situation she finds herself.

Oprah knows her value and every business decision she makes seems to be focused on earning a return on that value. No matter what you sell – be it product or service – acknowledge the value of yourself as nothing less than your businesses’ greatest asset, and seek out and create new and innovative ways to command and keep more of the money you make. Oprah knows her value and she capitalizes on it every chance she gets.

3. Oprah Shares Her Blessings

Oprah says that she knows what it’s like to be poor. By all accounts, that is true. But she is a long way from that these days. Still, Oprah finds inventive ways to use her wealth to make positive contributions to the world. A few years ago, just a few days after launching a child predator campaign on her show, two of the profiled child predators were captured after being recognized by her show viewers. Oprah then offered $100,000 to anyone who provided information leading to the arrest of any of the predators on her list.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah committed $10 million dollars to launch Angel Lane, an Angel Lane, an online gift registry where site visitors buy everything from a picture frame to a house to help hurricane survivors. Oprah’s Angel Network has raised several million dollars to establish scholarships and schools, support women's shelters and build youth centers. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Johannesburg, South Africa, which opened last year, is playing a vital role in the shaping of the next generation of woman leaders from southern Africa.

Earlier this year, Forbes Magazine estimated Oprah's net worth at $2.5 billion. At this rate, she is poised to become one of the most prolific philanthropists in the history of the world. And perhaps this is the best way to conclude this post. With a reminder that sharing our blessings with others is something all of us can do.

Oprah works with what she has. She has always done that, even when she was an overweight talk show host who couldn't stop talking about how Steadman wouldn't marry her. Oprah is a planter. She plants seeds, sows them and reaps a harvest that benefits millions of people. Do what you can with what you have to achieve the same results on a scale that appropriately reflects your resources, your business and your own life missions.

What do you think?

In my experience, business success boils down to these three things: (1) own it; (2) value it; and (3) share it. If you embrace those three concepts in business, you can't go wrong. Is that your experience? I'd love to hear if your journey is consistent with them, and whether you have anything to add based on your own experience.

You can read Oprah Winfrey's official bio here. The information in this post is widely available through public records, but I found many of the details at Oprah.com. I hope she doesn't find it and unleash her legal staff on me to take it down.

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For more Indie Business success tips, subscribe to Indie Business Blog today.

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