competition - Blogs - Black Business Women Online

What to do when your "new" business begins to feel like the "old" job you left

Posted by Katrina M Harrell on May 17, 2013 at 8:30pm

You left your corporate job (or perhaps it left you) and you’re finally self-employed. You get to finally live your dreams of business ownership right. but do you have the right mindset? Are you still treating yourself like an employee of your own business? What are the 3 things you need to do to shift your mindset from thinking "paycheck to paycheck" to thinking like a real employer?

When I said "that's IT" from my last corporate layoff (yes I had 2) I was ready to embrace self-employment head-on. I had clients almost immediately and had replaced my corporate salary and then some. BUT

I was overwhelmed, I didn't know know to set boundaries with my clients, I felt like I had to "earn" every penny they paid me. I was "crackberry" addict (my Blackberry stayed on 24/7 literally. I spend 40+ hours on client work with little time to actually build my business. Despite the fact I had 15 years+ experience and a solid background in operations and systems. I was still struggling and overwhelmed. Even though I was my own boss, I was treating my business and my value like I was still an employee.

Listen to this latest podcast for the 3 things I learned about myself and my business that literally changed the course of my business.

"Stay in your lane!' A note to "Jane of all trades" Entrepreneurs...

Posted by Katrina M Harrell on May 10, 2013 at 9:30pm

Multipassionate entrepreneurs often suffer from this...Self-competition - doing WAY too much in your business or having so many visions and passions that it's difficult and challenging to know exactly what to focus on - where and when to ask for help and how to really impact change with your work. What is the key "thing" you MUST know and understand if you desire your visions to truly manifest into real impact?

I'm excited to introduce my new PODCAST show "Liberation Conversations with Katrina" discussing a issue I struggled with for YEARS in my business. The issue that caused me to start a business on Monday and by Friday I'd be "on the next". Or to start a project and then find myself completely overwhelmed (and underperforming) because I was doing waaaay too much and not delegating properly. I got the wake up call and in this podcast I reveal the "thing" we must all do to be both effective and sane. The truth revealed here may ruffle a few feathers and be uncomfortable to hear but often the truth isn't comfortable, but it's always necessary if you intend to grow.

Listen to this podcast, then leave me your thoughts, comments. Do you agree with me? Disagree? Are you challenged in your own business with "Self-competition?"

Until next week

-Katrina

Health Business Competition $10,000 Prize Michigan

Posted by Michelle S. Hawkins on December 28, 2010 at 9:23pm

download?mid=1%5f1524327%5fAFcWw0MAAJAITRnT5wzYNXsZ3Ig&pid=1.2&fid=Inbox&inline=1

Networking with Your Key Target Audience

Posted by Joyce Oladipo on December 9, 2008 at 9:26pm

What I’ve learnt over the years is that networking the traditional way is one of the non profitable ways of growing a business. So why do people go to networking events? I guess it’s to get more clients, but that’s not what’s actually happening is it?I’m not saying networking is a bad thing but the way we do our networking is. Here are effective ways to massively increase your networking results WITHOUT ever having to waste your time at networking events!There is a lot of information out there that talks about how to network effectively. They talk about creating a powerful elevation speech, listening to potential clients and doing all the right things but they don’t mentioning the real reason why most people fail to gain anything worthwhile from their networking efforts!Why networking events hasn’t work for meMost of the networking events I go to like the chamber of commerce is full of people that are not really interested in my products and services, they are there to secure deals for themselves, which makes it a waste of time and money for me. There are a few qualified, potential clients and LOTS of competitors!You need to network where there is no competition.As a service professional, we find ourselves sharing the networking room with numerous competitors. All these competitors are there to get the same limited business that we are there for. Most of the peoples at networking events are all sellers not buyersBig companies tend to send their sales staff to networking events to help them win more business. Most of these people are not the decision makers and those that are decision makers are there to make money not to spend it. So the really potential clients are limited.I have also noticed over the past few years that these networking events are full of the same people, just a handful of them are new and that doesn’t mean that these new people are still not my direct competitors.Networking events can cost you a lot of money. You will not know how much you have wasted until you take the cost of the annual membership and ADD the cost of attending the event to the cost of your time maybe 2 hours or more to the hour you spend traveling to figure out the real value.What would €4,000 investment in a direct mail campaign win you in new clients? I just sent out 50 letters that cost me €60.47 to potential accountant that brought in a total of €60,990. Taking about investment huh.How to Network Effectively and Get ResultsI have been able to work well with accountants over the years, so I make it a priority to be where they are. I subscribed to a free Accountant ezines or magazines. These ezines or magazine always list where the next local events are held, so I don’t miss any networking event. I go there on a regular basis.When I network with my ideal clients, I tend to lookout for ways I can help solve their problems. Most of the time, they are there just to discuss problems they are facing in their businesses. In this kind of setting I know that I have access to my ideal clients with no competition. So whenever I give a solution to a well known problem, I get the attention. So when these prospective clients find out that I am there to learn more about their challenges; so that I can serve them better, they want to discuss their issues with me. People in these networking events are not there to sell. They are there to listen - making them perfect for anyone, like myself, with a valuable message. You could use this approach with just about any industry or profession.So if you are going to go to any networking event, be where there are no competitors and where the event is filled with ideal, prospective clients.~ Joyce OladipoJoyce Oladipo, The Business Growth & Marketing Mentor, is creator of the Profit Building system, the proven step-by-step program that shows you exactly how to grow your business fast without spending extra money on marketing. To Add $1,000's In Pure Profit To Your Business and receive her weekly marketing articles on dramatically increasing your income, visit www.BeAWealthyEntrepreneur.com.

Enter to Be Startupnation's Home-Based Business of the Year!

Posted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson on September 15, 2008 at 6:25pm

You Owe It to Your Business to Enter!

In late 2002, I received a phone call from someone saying they wanted to nominate me as one of the US Small Business Administration's Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year. I had only been leading the Indie Beauty Network for two years at the time, and I wondered why anyone would consider me a worthy candidate for an award. I answered her questions and submitted a package of information by the deadline. A few months later, I was walking (really, waddling since I was several months pregnant at the time) across a stage accepting the award for the SBA Washington, DC office Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year.

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Through that experience, I learned that, no matter how unqualified you think you may be for an award or honor, you have nothing to lose by applying for it anyway and putting your best foot forward. In fact, one could say you owe it to your business to give it your best shot. And like they say, there's no time like the present, right?

So, here's your chance. StartupNation is now accepting nominations for their annual Home-Based 100 Competition. Why don't you enter??! There are 10 categories:

Best Financial Performers
Most Innovative - you can vote for the Indie Beauty Network for this one if you are so inclined!!
Boomers Back in Business
Greenest
Yummiest
Grungiest
Recession Busters
Most Slacker Friendly
Most Glamorous

You must submit nominations and votes by midnight on September 30. I know tons of great Indie Business owners out there working from home, and so many of you qualify to win this competition. So why not enter today??!

And if you've already entered, please let us know in the comment section below so we can check out your entry and perhaps vote for you!

The Importance of Personal and Professional Branding

Posted by Alecia D. on July 21, 2008 at 12:39am

In today's business world, every Tina, Debra, and Suzie is an entrepreneur. With the convenience and accessibility of the internet, it's never been easier to carve out a business presence on the world wide web. With that said, there has to be something that sets those super-successful businesses apart from the mediocre ones. What's that thing? Branding.Branding is the ongoing development of the perceived value of an individual or business, in relation to its competitors, as viewed by an audience -and whether you have a small startup or a mega-franchise or are simply trying to market yourself, branding should be at the forefront of your mind.There are two main types of branding- personal and professional- and both types are extremely crucial in the success of an individual or business. Here are some tips that can apply to the development of both types of branding.Image should not be contradictory- you cannot market yourself or your business as one thing but speak, dress, and act as another. It's important that you stay true to who you are and what you want to portray. As long as you are honest with yourself and others, it won't be difficult to maintain consistency in branding your business and/or yourself.Brand should be easily accessible and identifiable- if you google your name or your business' name what would you find? If there is any information there at all, is it accurate and consistent? If you are less than satisfied with the results, be sure to do what you can to correct it. There are plenty of articles out there that help you figure out how to successfully use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to build your personal and professional brand.Be consistent in your brand development- you cannot expect to build or change your brand overnight. Branding is an ongoing process that should be taken seriously and given much thought. Create a daily, weekly, or monthly block of time for you to focus on branding. Once you find a method (or methods) that work for you, stick with them and monitor how effective they are.Be careful where you leave your footprint (mouse-print)- although the internet is a great tool to build your business and your brand, it can also prove to be a place where images are destroyed. Pay attention to the pictures you let circulate, the comments you leave on others' blogs, and the social networks you become a member of. With the click of a mouse, anyone can learn all about how you spent Spring Break '07 in Cancun. If it fits into your image and brand, then there's no problem. But if it doesn't, it can put a damper on the way others see you.Personal and Professional branding, if used correctly, can really give you the competitive edge as you grow your business. It's important that you take the time to carefully develop and maintain a brand that will prove to be a positive addition on your journey to success.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.

Note: this page contains paid content.