Consider this because it applies wherever you are:

Severe Economic Emergency

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ok enough of the tangent...

Stay motivated and keep moving towards prosperity!

See you at the top,

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

http://www.garrrisonprosperitysolutions.com 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Updated 7/10/11

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

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

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

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

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

Step 1- FOCUS

Step 2- FOCUS

Step 3- did I say, FOCUS?

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

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

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

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

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

See you at the top!

Tamara Garrison-Thomas

http://www.garrisonprosperitysolutions.com/

garrisonprosperitysolutions@gmail.com

www.crazygood.com/refer/whywait

“Time is money.” That three word sentence sums up the life of the woman entrepreneur. When your staff consists of only you, you realize quickly that passing the buck isn’t an option. Instead, you must quickly learn to sort through the multitude of tasks facing you each day and narrow down to only the key revenue- generating activities, while letting the majority of the “noise” fade away.

It’s a fact that you and every other entrepreneur in existence have one thing in common – a 24 hour day. However, what you DO with those 24 hours can be the single difference between having a profitable business or having to take on a side job.

I’m going to give you an opportunity to discover  several ways you can increase your productivity by narrowing down and focusing on the tasks that are going to move you towards your biggest money goals. You’ll learn about prioritizing your daily tasks, grouping them for greater efficiency, and how to keep on top of all the various projects you have going, so you don’t drop any critical elements.

Though you may already feel pressed for time (and the thought of attending a call seems like just another of countless things to do), I encourage you to take a break from your crazy schedule, sit down and secure your place for this call. The time you invest will be paid back in greater efficiency – and therefore profit.

Join me for my no cost call!

Tap into irrefutable productivity secrets and cure patterns of
disempowering habits so you can realize a juicy manifestation of more
time and more money.