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IM Nirvana has a cool downloadable spreadsheet here. Or you can try another that's more social media-based like the Loud Few here.

My friend and social media guru, Tai Goodwin, shared a great tool with me recently called DivvyHQ. This site has a great interactive calendaring system you can use to map out different points within your marketing campaigns. Personally, I'm a spreadsheet geek, so I love using Excel and other spreadsheet-style tools to map my progress.

I'd love to hear what you currently use to keep track of and post your content. Share in the comments section below.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist and coach specializing in showing service based entrepreneurs like coaches, consultants and freelancers how to save time & money with simple, yet profitable systems that engage leads and clients.  Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market.  Claim your instant access to a free 12 point checklist at: www.bepromotable.com.

S.E.A. a Houston Texas based mentoring program for high school students,college bound students and students at-risk who want to attend an Historically Black College / University, (H.B.C.U.) Visited our website: www.SSEEAA.COM



Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program

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Officers, directors, members, and employees (including Store Associates) of Foot Locker Inc., Foot or Do Something Inc. and any of their subsidiaries or divisions, are not eligible to apply; nor are Locker Foundation Inc.,members of the immediate family of anyone described above.

WEBSITE: http://www.dosomething.org/footlocker

 

Luke 12:24-28 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you!

This scripture is particularly encouraging for those who are considering embarking on new endeavours, experiencing financial difficulty or a dry spout in life. The positivity, sense of love and warmth in this scripture is overwhelming. There’s an soothing of emotions, that brings a subtle smile to ease your worries, a deep breath to relax your mind and an expansion of warmth in your heart.

Though there are only four verses, they are worth looking at individual.

24. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have neither storeroom or barn; and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 

The imagery brings one back to the essence of life and further still when we think of the animals and the simplicity of their lives compared to the unnecessary complexities of our own. We hear so often the phrase ‘keeping it real’, but how many of us really do? We have lost appreciation of the basic elements of life. The elements that are provided for us naturally and generously by God; food, water, air, heat, though we can manipulate these things none of them are dependent on us for their existence, in fact we are dependent on them. As we are so valuable in the sight of God we have been placed on an earth that has been built to provide our every need.

25. And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

There have been times in all of our lives when our finances seemed crippling, we began to worry, make calculations, consider that second job, considered crime (O.K. that last one was a joke, hmm... for most of us anyway). The point is that the reality of the situation is a temporary phase, yes, it is temporary because look at where you are now, still breathing and still living to tell the tale. Yet every time we face adversity we begin to make ourselves crazy with worry, some of us to the point of physical or mental illness. Worrying never helps any situation, it only serves to make us less focused, confused, stressed and agitated.

26. If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

We must remember that the powers of God are far beyond what any of us can possibly imagine. It is pointless to stress ourselves about situations that are outside of our control or that we are unable to predict. In these events we should look to find peace and comfort in the Lord, because when you have walked that last mile, feel heavy and burdened, and as though nothing more can be done, perhaps there is  nothing more that you can do but this is not true for the Lord who has the power to part seas for his people. So put your mind and heart at rest and trust in him as he has not brought you this far to see you fade to nothing.

27. Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Again, the use of imagery draws our mind back to the essential elements of life. Lilies just as all the flowers and vegetation on this earth when not planted or harvested by man have the ability to grow wild and naturally. They do nothing for their existence but simply exist itself and yet they are beautiful and worthy of admiration. Many people believe that depending on the Lord means that they have to content themselves with a mediocre life style or be happy to be poor. Let me remind you that the Lord has not only covered this world inch by inch with beauty and a wealth of resources but he has done the same for his people throughout history, think to King David or Solomon as in this text. Our God does not ration us with meager portions of his love, but gives in abundance to those who trust in the Lord.

28. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you!

The lillies of the valley, the grass of the fields and even the raven are not as valuable as we are to God, we have been made evidently superior to all other beings on this earth. If so much care is placed into the birds and the bees, how much more love do you think the Lord will place into our care? Bundles and bundles more!

There comes always a point when you have done as much as you can but even at that point it’s not over yet because God is able to continue working long after you have and much further than you can. So do your best, go as far as you can, work as hard as you can and then remember to enjoy your life also even through the struggles. The Lord has got your back, whist your sleeping he’s still working so trust in him, place no worries in your mind but little reminders to God in your prayers.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

original text can be found on All Black Woman

Do you want more Profit for your business? Want more qualified leads? Social Media Marketing is the answer!

I want to ask you what do you know about the following sites – FaceBook, Twitter, Linkedin, MySpace, Youtube ?

While you might know the URL for the sites in question, did you know that you could use these Social sites to drive qualified leads to your business?

For small business owners running a business and making a profit is more difficult day by day. Very few business owners have enough clients. Paying for leads, advertising in the Yellow Pages, running ad’s on radio and television are all expensive, and without any guarantee of getting the results you need.

I don’t want to sound negative, but that is the reality.

Social Media Marketing is affordably, and more importantly it is guaranteed to work. We are a local business who specialise in delivering results for small businesses in the Sacramento area and Globally via the internet.

Social Media Marketing is really a very simple concept. Our small team uses the most powerful software available to make sure that your message is delivered to exactly the right target audience.

The fact that you have heard about FaceBook, Twitter, Linkedin, MySpace and Youtube should give you some confidence, because your customers have too. They use their computers just about every day – so getting your message in front of them is not going to take long.

We can adapt our campaigns to suit your budget. Give us a try, we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Please feel free to contact us at aboutworldwidevisibility@gmail.com

I look forward to speaking with you.

Empowering you!

Robin aka The Empowerment Diva

Have you watched what is going on in the entrepreneurship world today? Have you noticed the trends of businesses that are emerging in the wake of other concepts? Maybe it is just me, but I can never decide which one to choose from. It can get confusing!

Let us take a look at the concept of what I like to call the ‘Control, Alt & C’ business concepts. It seems to be spreading like wildfires. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by a concept from a mentor or visionary; it is another issue when you are not starting your business with your authentic God given gifts and talents.

The authentic visionary takes the time to perfect their craft, gain the following and captivate business based on the need for the concept then grow their business. An authentic visionary stands out by understanding and catering to their target audience. They spend time supporting fellow visionaries rather than pressing the Control, Alt & C functions and adding it to their business. There are a great deal of visionaries and mentors who have had an invisible hand of greatness in my life and business, however, I have to remain authentic by providing my followers the best products, services and information that my target audience needs.

Do not spend time perfecting the craft of your competitors. Build your business that reflects YOU and serves as your gift to those who need it. Take the time to be mentored from those who can teach you the importance of perfecting your skill, but leave the Control, Alt & C functions out of the equation. Remain authentic so you can stand in the line of greatness rather than get lost of the sea of the imitation!

www.CarolSankarEnterprises.com

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I’m sure many of my readers are not in the literary field. But there comes a time in our lives as professionals when we have to put on the breaks and check ourselves.

In business there is a level of professionalism that is expected among us. I’ve experienced a lot of unprofessionalism in the four years I’ve been in business but never gave it to anyone. One thing that every person in business must know; being unprofessional can turn away potential customers.

I work around a lot of passionate, motivated, intelligent, out-going, fun and informative people. None of us are multi billionaires and none of us run a multi-billion dollar company but being professional is still a matter at hands.

If you want to be anything in your life; anything in a professional world, you must act professional. Greet people with manners, talk to them with respect, not have the need to down play other people or set revenge on people for their actions. There’s always a way to handle things.

Quick tips on how to be professional

• Have good phone etiquette. Answer the phone professionally; with a smile on your face as if you are eager to help the person calling
• Have good email etiquette. Respond quickly to emails saying Hello Mrs. (Mr.) Ending the email saying thank you and have a great day. Make people have a sense of comfort and eagerness to get back in contact with you.
• Set priorities. Get work done that’s most important for the day. If you told someone you would get a certain thing to them by this hour, make sure they have it.
• Be organized
• Be on time; with anything!

Now let’s talk about setting a different between twitter/facebook and business

When I sign on to twitter or facebook, I let my hair down.  I am not generally who I would be in business. I am socializing and there’s no need for me to be on my best professional behavior. But when the tables turn and it’s time for me to be CEO, Owner and operator of From A Writer’s POV, I am 100% professional. I’ve met several people on twitter that I like talking to and laughing with but if I ever come in contact with someone professionally, I’m using my quick tips above to address them.

No matter what the level of friendship is, business is business and it’s important to be professional in business. This is where a lot of business professionals go wrong. They incorporate pleasure with business and then lose their grounds and respect for what they are trying to do.

If you do not take professionalism seriously, you will lose customers, your business will fail. I’m sure most people are like me and will not deal with someone being unprofessional. When I go to eat, I want a waiter who is professional, good manners, quick on their feet and quick to respond. Not someone that is coming at me like “hey girl what you want to eat.” No I want “Hello, how are you? May I take your order?” Why? Because it’s professional it’s a part of that’s person’s job. With an attitude like that they can expect me to come back time and time again because of their professionalism and manners.

So if you are in business, check yourself right now and ask yourself are you professional enough. If you want people to take you seriously, it’s time to get some professional business about yourself and get to the next level.

Straight from the DIVA

Dominique

Article written by: Dominique Watson

Http://thepovlounge.wordpress.com

If you are looking to get to the next level in your literary career, sign up with me so I can be your literary career mentor: www.literarycareermoves.com

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Are you a victim of Time thieves?

Maybe that would be easier to answer if you knew what time thieves were. And quite possibly you already know what they are but need to be reminded of how much they are stealing from your Destiny, from your relationships, okay from your life.

I’m sharing another post on Productivity secrets because it is one area that most women have a challenge with whether in business or their personal life.

You’ve probably given in to most of the time thieves I’m going to mention below.

Phone
You can actually use the phone as a timesaver if you know how.

TV and Radio
How many hours have we given to watching TV or listening to the radio. Now get this, some of it is done out of habit. What that means is if you actually made a decision (remember everything begins with a decision) a decision to reduce the amount of time you watch Television and replace it with a productive activity you could achieve that goal and realize increased revenue in the process.

The same thing applies to the radio. Be intentional about your listening and not habitual.

Waiting in Line
I truly believe that this is one way our patience is tested.

Sometimes going to crowded places can’t be avoided, however, there are peak hours that you can expect longer lines. Pick a schedule where you least expect many people to show up. For example, buy your groceries on weekdays. Don’t shop during weekends and paydays. If you can afford the higher price tags of items that can be bought through the phone, internet, or third-party services, then go ahead and buy them. If you treat time as gold, then the extra time you’ll be saving as a result of this act is worth much more than the extra money you’ll be spending. In case you really have no choice but to wait in line, then don’t waste your time complaining. Do something productive like reading a book, listening to educational tapes, or writing your future plans on your little notebook.

Social Media
Yes I said it. Social Media. Some individuals spend all day on Social Media sites and get absolutely nowhere. Social media is a power resource if you know what you’re doing. Automate your activities. Up grade your skills. Connect with a Social Media Coach such as myself to learn how to monetize your efforts or outsource it. Our World Wide Visibility movement is set for this very thing. to support you in your efforts to gain World Wide Visibility.

Email overwhelm

The ability to send emails has contributed to productivity in the office whether you have an office at home or in the workplace. It’s become such a part of our daily activities that we’ve forgotten about the snail mail which can end up being more effective due to the fact that some people don’t even open most of their emails.

However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Do you check your emails many times in the day? If so you’re hampering your productivity. It can end up being a very time-consuming activity.

Traffic Traffic and more Traffic
This is another hair-pulling moment, especially when you’re running late for an important appointment. Avoid the rush hour by all means. Anticipate when a traffic jam is usually occurring during the day so you can adjust your commuting time. If your destination is not too far away, a walking session might
be a great idea to evade traffic, save on gas or money, and attain a healthy lifestyle.

I’ve shared with you a few time thieves and you may be asking “Okay Robin that’s all good but what do I do about it?” I’m glad you asked.

I’m hosting a Tele-series “Get it Done – Make it Happen: Get Focused, Make Big Changes and Get Results!” I’ll be sharing some yummy insights on this very topic and more! If you’re serious about keeping your appointment with Destiny, manifesting your most desired results and ideal lifestyle while having time for what matters most, you don’t want to miss this call.

Go to http://bit.ly/90daysofempowermentinfo to secure your VIP ticket to my Tele-class. There are only 200 lines so secure your ticket and call in early.

Here’s to your empowering success!

“The Empowerment Diva”

Comfort means you’re safe, you’re in a domain that is not opposing or challenging, you’re familiar with that around you and there is no intent on changing from your large, strong and coo-shy safety net, but what happens when you want to break free from that net, jump back into the ocean or spread your wings? DISCOMFORT! Facing new challenges is exactly that as it means taking a risk, a chance, grasping at an opportunity. There's nothing comfortable about striving to achieve a goal but there is joy in the making of dreams.

A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown. - Denis Waitley

As black women we are all to ready to clutch to our comfort zones, we take a step, two or three, achieve a university degree, a white career and then phew we made it, and it feels good being right here, so let’s stay right here, in the comfort zone. If that’s were your dream ended then congratulations be proud of yourself but that doesn’t mean you have to stop dreaming.

 We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present. - Thomas Edison

Discomfort is falsely associated with failure and we misinterpret the feeling of discomfort and evade it where we should welcome it. Ever heard the expression ‘no pain, no gain’? We understand this very well for beauty and fitness but fail to recognise the same for our professional and personal progression, although it’s entirely the same game.

Progress always involves risk; you can't progress to second base and also keep your foot on first. - Christie Mason

Success is always preceded by a temporary condition of discomfort and discomfort is a temporary condition of expanding your comfort zone, but the longer you dwells in a comfortable the greater the number of situations that make you feel uncomfortable will grow.

Nobody ever died of discomfort, yet living in the name of comfort has killed more ideas, more opportunities, more actions, and more growth than everything else combined. Comfort kills! - T. Harv Eker

Comfort is the most potent inhibitor of success. We must remember that as black people it took many stepping far outside of their comfort zone for us to finally arrive where we are today. In two of my earlier articles I address the history of Queen Amina the African warrior queen who achieved one of the greatest military success in African history and Harriet Tubman who refused to remain a slave and went on to free hundreds more. These great black women are fine examples that demonstrate; the higher the measures of discomfort the greater the achievement.

Be brave enough to live life creatively.  The creative is the place where no one else has ever been.  You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. - Alan Alda

In order to rise we must prepare to be discomforted, expect discomfort and welcome it with a “Hello old friend, let’s push the boundaries together again”. Make discomfort a familiar friend and not a stranger in so far as your competence allows and where is doesn’t find the tools to make it do so.

Original article can be found here: Why you should Break Free from Comfort.

He is everything you looked for in a man. He has a great job, fine as wine, a great father to your kids and most of all, he’s a great lover. You will do anything you can do to keep the relationship on a tight rope just so he won’t be in another woman’s arms. You listen to his stale jokes, pretend you love his hobbies and you tell him every day that you love him even though he brushes you off. You even go as far as washing his dirty underwear and making sure his food is hot.

But would you go as far as trying to spice thing up in the bedroom so he won’t get bored? If he wants you to be creative by trying new position or using kinky games as foreplay, would you? How about dressing up for him to make him feel proud to be with you or do you say to yourself that you got him now and so this is what he gets?

Just because you exchange your vow does that guarantee him to stay committed to you now and forever?

Check out my blog page on a short story about a man hiding his affair from his wife. Also join my blog and on facebook.

http://urbanbooksbymelissalove.blogspot.com

I repeat myself because I am extremely optimistic about success. I am passionate about enriching the lives of others who are stuck in a place where their greatness is close but the patterns that keep holding them back are always closer.

Let me tell you about comfort. It is a word that I personally and professionally limit from my vocabulary. I believe the word comfort is a true enabler of habitual limitations. Think about for a second if you do not believe me. Many of you live in the same geographic area because of comfort. You stay at the same job because of comfort, Am I right? We also hold on to relationships due to comfort as well. We become addicted to a pattern of behavior that we are familiar with.

However, when it comes to success, the addiction to comfort must shift. You have to be ready to step out of your comfort zone in order to achieve things that you are striving for. I have even received this same gift this week from a long-time friend who I thought would support a concept that I am working on. Once I heard the skepticism, I realized my thought was far outside of their comfort zone therefore, they cast doubt in my hour of glory. Once again, I cleaned my house!

What are you ready for? Success is all about your willingness to accept the new challenges that are ahead. You will have to trust in the parachute of life that is victory in order to let go of you comfort attachments which includes relationships, places, situations, circumstances, etc. If you believe in it and accept the fact that increase is on the way, begin today by evaluating all of the things that you are holding on to that are not creating VALUE. Start working on the eviction notices so that you can collect your inheritance.

~Carol

www.CarolSankarEnterprises.com

Going nowhere fast - Photo credit: Gary Kaemmer

Early on in my business, I was a human tornado (in some ways I still am, but much more strategic and controlled now), I was so excited about my business and the impact it would make on people that I constantly was doing "something" every single day to bring awareness to my business and why it is so "awesome".  

It became very clear to me once I found myself worn-out, exhausted stretched but not any more profitable when I began, that there is a difference between  "BUSY-ACTIVITY" and "BUSY PROFIT-GENERATING Activity"

BUSY-WORK-ACTIVITY is what alot of business people do in the very beginning or it's an easy trap to fall into at some point in the first 5 years or so of being self-employed. It's when you realize the excitement of your business but underestimated how much work it would take to truly promote, advertise and market your products and services. True there takes time for momentum to build in your business so every business has to be in a state of alot activity that may not product immediate return but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about creating so much activity that it never reaps any return in the long run.

Common examples of "BUSY-WORK-ACTIVITY":

• Not treating social media time the same as face-to-face networking (you wouldn't linger at a networking event for hours and hours would you?)
• Checking and responding to every single e-mail as soon as you receive it instead of carving out time to check those that resort in new profit opportunities (I'm still at times guilty of this)
• Checking email and voice mails as soon as you wake up in the morning, before you have breakfast or
• Your networks are based on your personal needs and not the needs of your business
• You spend a ton of time each month on tasks that can be delegated to someone else while you focus on generating new revenue streams (I'm talking about your EP-Entrepreneur Personality)
• Spending TOO much time researching and networking - there comes a time when the next step simply just needs to be ACTION!
• and I could go on...

But I think you get my point,

Do any of these seem familiar? Where do you fall? What should you do next?

1. Follow my D.E.T.O.X steps to gain new clarity. Learn to get rid of the unnecessary noise and gain new focus for yourself and business.

2. Don't fall into a Love affair with your business. Meaning it's easy to get so infatuated with the new found attention or too pulled into the power of networking that you essentially loose focus on your main goal of your business. It's always best to build quietly. You don't need ALL the attention right away especially if you are doing the business alone.

Click here for the other 3 steps to help you get clarity in your business now.

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Katrina M. Harrell is author of "Embrace.Your.Journey.: 180 Day Journey to Unlocking Your Wisdom, R... (The Sum of Her Publishing, 2011). President of the KM Harrell Group, LLC a Strategic Business Development & Management firm supporting minority and women-owned businesses. She is the creator of the "Under the Hood" Business Mastermind Group which is helping business owners get actionable and profitable business strategies. Her firm’sconsulting services have helped many minority and women owned businesses establish foundational structures and exit strategies within their businesses that have aided them in selling for profit or obtaining investor funding. Passionate about entrepreneurship education, Katrina’s insight and expertise is highly sought after both online and off. She is also founding CEO for Your Simple Bookkeeper, outsourced national bookkeeping company for micro and small business.

As entrepreneurs, we are so busy that we miss out on the clarity that comes from just being still. We have to take time to just sit and visit with our own thoughts - with no noise and no distractions. It has to be a "must do" on our "to do" list. Just like we "must" take time to renew ourselves spiritually. We also "must" renew ourselves professionally. Even if we have to schedule time to do it and do it in small increments of time, it will be well worth it. You will feel better about why you do what you do and more importantly why you love what you do.

So, my fellow entrepreneurs, take some time to just be still. If you do this, watch how creativity, new ideas, new strategies, and much more will come flowing out of your stillness. You will be glad you did.

Until next time, the Queen of Excellence has spoken.

I remain in excellence,
Nickquolette

P.S. Need help on bringing clarity to an idea, a new business venture, or just need help in developing a dynamic mission/vision statement, give me a call. Invest in your development as part of your investment in your business. I work within your budget. Try B Excellent, Inc. and begin your journey into excellence.

Greetings BBWO!

Its time to Get Back To Business and Back on Track Twitter style!

We have a Twitter Party tonight from 6pm - 9pm est. #BBWO

Plus LaShanda Henry Hosts the Get Back On Track Free Call Tonight

To learn more about the party and get call in details click here.

Thousands of women have downloaded the Black Women Online eGuide.
Now its time for an upgrade! Would you like to add your website to the
new eGuide? For submission details go to the following website:
http://bwo.sistasense.com

Are you looking for even more exposure? Sponsor the upcoming
SistaSense Social NC Event for inclusion in the SistaSense Magazine,
Blog and on the BBWO homepage. Details here.

Last but not least, review the latest discussions from featured BBWO
members: Seeking Guest Bloggers, Booth Advice, and Good PR

More to come!

See you at the Twitter Party and On the Call tonight!