Blogs

Hey BBWO!

Before I get to the heart of this message, a quick note - you and 29 others can now use code PCR15 to download the Replays of the SistaSense Power Circle.

I don't read emails on Mondays, so today I have a mountain of emails to go through. And as I was sitting at my desk I was just deleting away. Some things I didn't have the time to read, some things I didn't want to read, and for some things I said "How in the world did I get on this list!" Now in my rush I realized I accidentally deleted something I needed.

I was thinking about that accident and thought of you because when we get in the habit of hastily, sometimes blindly deleting messages in the process we lose messages. We miss out sometimes on things we should have REALLY looked out but lose because there is just SO MUCH to sift through.

A few Noteworthy things for you today ...
Highlights Video + Replays from SistaSense Power Circle
Latest News In the BBWO Newsletter

Question:
How well is BBWO working for you? As Deborah Owens Shared in the Power Circle, "The Key to Output is Input". You need to input on the network, add value and interact if you want the output of new connections, partnerships, promotions, and possibilities. Who have you networked with here? Are you searching for folks in your industry? Are you joining discussions? I love giving you output, but we all need your input to grow! And remember when you delete the message, you loose the message (food for thought).

LaShanda

p.s. Ready to join our weekly mastermind group calls? Click here for details.

Are you considering starting a blog? Do you already have one?

Blogging is a wonderful way to connect to potential clients and customers and share your expertise.

If you would like to test the waters with blogging, starting a free blog on Blogger.com is a good idea. You can get a quick and easy feel of what it is like to be a blogger with investing little no money.

Here are are few tips to get the most out of your free blog on Blogger and create a memorable experience for your visitors:

1. Buy a domain from Godaddy.com and point it to your free blog.

Having a personalized domain that includes a keyword helps your blog standout from the other free blogs and it helps add to your credibility. Sometimes visitors to your free blog might not take your advice seriously, even if it is good advice. So having a domain can help build confidence with your visitors.

2. Jazz up your site with a customized banner.

If you really want to convert your blog's visitors to loyal followers, it is very important to create a memorable impression. Part of creating a long lasting impression is making sure that your blog's design is professional and unique. An inexpensive way to make your blog standout on Blogger is to add a professionally designed banner to your header. The banner is one of the very first things people see when they visit and it helps increase their chances of remaining on your site if it is one that is uniquely and professionally designed.

Need help finding a banner for your blog? Check out these low-cost, professionally designed banners.

3. Share your expertise in a fun and creative way.

The absolute most important thing about a blog is the content. Share helpful information that answers your visitors'  questions. If you are comfortable doing so, share personal anecdotes.  Include pictures and if possible videos to help capture the attention of visual learners.

If after a few months, you find yourself in a writing rut, invite a few guest bloggers to post. Guest bloggers are always nice treat for your readers and it is a nice way for you to take a day or two off from blogging.

4. Have fun! Blogging should be an enjoyable experience.

It is a great way to give back to the community and help others. So don't get bogged down, if you are not getting tons of traffic in the first 6 months or even the first year. It takes time to build up traffic. The most successful bloggers will tell you that it took them at least a year before their blog became successful.

Sure many successful entrepreneurs (myself included) will tell you how they've either maxed credit cards, over extended themselves, moved in with parents, sold cars, lived IN their cars, spent their entire life savings or 401k on their dream all in pursuit of their dream and destiny. Many of them took a gamble and won having built lasting profitable businesses and wealth. One of my clients successful built her company to 7 figures after being at the brink of bankruptcy, repossession, and financial ruin.

Entrepreneur.com list it's 25 Common Characteristics of Successful Entrepreneurs and these are all dead on many of them echo the traits needed such as "creating  plan" to learning to work with integrity and so one, however there is one that is missing...

I'm adding #26 and making it #1, you MUST have a plan for how you will get your Personal Affairs in order. This means from your  personal finances to improving your credit if it's challenged, to your relationships. It's no secret to successful entrepreneurs that your personal life (particularly for women) has a direct effect on your business. Taking risk in your business is a given and while I'm neither for or against risking it all (I'm more so on the "for" side) Ignoring your personal affairs can certainly lead to undue stress.

#1 Get Your Personal Affiars in order

From your relationships, drama, and finances. If you are Planning to risk it all you NEED to have a strategy! Failing to plan how you are going to navigate and survive or deal with a mate that is unsupportive or how you plan to manage your health care can mean the difference for some of success and failure.

While it is important to have a plan BEFORE you start your business. The reality is MOST of us won't, we'll fly out into entrepreneur land blind. Hey I'm not mad at you, I get it I'm with you 100% but at some point you must get some order to your personal life in order to reach the optimal success you want to achieve in your business life. I'll share more about my own personal story tomorrow, but for now here are some steps you must take now.

1. Pull your personal credit report and get an understanding of where you credit stands. If you have challenges you may not be able to fix them overnight, but get clear on where you are so you can make a plan.

2. Make sure your tax returns are filed or at least you have a strategy and plan in place and know where you stand with the IRS. The worse feeling is being on top of the world in your business and then BAM! You are hit with an audit on the personal side. See it with clients...you don't want this.

3. Get an Life Insurance policy for yourself and your family. Leaving a comfortable 9 to 5 where they (should) provide life insurance for you, many entrepreneurs simply don't think about this when whey start out on their own. Sure you want your business to be your insurance policy but be realistic. If you are a young person be sure to have a plan of how your family will survive if you become disabled.

4. Create a Will. I hope you didn't create your business but have no plan of how it will pass on after you? Create a will for how you plan to leave your business, or other assets. A living will may be good as well to cover how things should be governed should you become disabled and unable to care for your family or your business.

5. Create a salary for yourself in your pricing. If your fee for coaching is $100 an hour, make sure you know that about $75 is going to go just to cover expenses, pay insurance, travel etc. That leaves you with $25 an hour to live off. If this isn't going to be good for you, then maybe you need to increase your hourly rate to $150 or $200 an hour. 

Check here for the rest! 

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Thanks for liking my blog post! If you wish to share it or repost it, you must include the information below!

Katrina M. Harrell is author of "Embrace.Your.Journey.: 180 Day Journey to Unlocking Your Wisdom, Redefining Your Success and Discovering Your Abundant Wealth" (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. Her firm’s consulting 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. 

Can you believe we are already talking about Back to School deals? Yes it’s here!!

Get a FREE Backpack and Lunch Tote at Office Depot beginning  Sunday (7/31) with a minimum $15 purchase. Here is a sneak peek  at some of the other great deals that will be available.

Five Cent Items:

·        Paper pocket folders

·        Pencil pouch

·        Protractor

For a list of great Back to School deals please visit here: http://mim.io/3e2951 

Let's be real, no matter the mindset shift, strategies you create and implement or how successful you may be, being a business owner is a tough job! It has it's ups and downs. I don't have to tell you the number of snafu I've averted or how much my prayers and faith have evolved and strengthen through perseverance. At each new level I achieve as an entrepreneur comes the same challenges just dressed up a little fancier. Sure I've learned to master many things so that I can continue to build exponentially, but there are things in which I cannot control that throw a nasty little wrench in the operations! 

There have been times when I wanted to not just throw in the towel but cut that sucker up in tiny little pieces then burn it to ashes, then take the ashes and place it in the grill under  lip-smacking ribs, burgers in my backyard of "Normal" life with a 9 to 5 job and predictability. Of course those thoughts are fleeting as I'm passionate about what I do, but there are times when you wonder about a life of predictability.

Real talk...no matter where you are, at each new level, comes new set of mindset shifts that you will need to master to move on to the next level. Therefore we all need a little dose of Affirmation, Confirmations, and inspiration to remind us why this journey is all worth the fight.

SO! This list of my 77, compiled while I was cleaning my bathroom, making the kids lunch, trying to figure out where the heck these fruit flies came from, AND responding to client emails, checking on book orders, confirming speaking engagements (WHEW!), is for all the women entrepreneurs, regardless of your level. This is for those who have embraced a lifestyle that you wouldn't trade for the world! but recognize that we all need a little pick me up every now and then.  ENJOY ;-)

77 Affirmations, Confirmations & Reminders why You're AWESOME!

1. You Rock! Yes you do! Why? Just because you rock ;-)

2. You were made for this! Everything in you tells you are, you got a strategy (if not get one) so WORK it!!

3. Your Time is NOW! Not tomorrow, not yesterday, just NOW (see#2)

4. Let it all go! Whatever is hurting you, bothering you, holding you back, just... let it go! You can't bring carry-on on this Success journey you're on!

5. Remember what counts! You deserve a break today! Go for a walk, have a bowl of (low fat) ice cream, don't forget about you!

6. Keep on dreaming! Even when others think you're crazy or simply don't notice you...keep on doing what you do! Blaze your trail and let other's catch up to you!

7. You are beautiful! You were made uniquely and out of love. Your eyes, your smile, you skin, your curves, whatever, celebrate your awesome beauty!

8.You are a natural leader! Women by design are natural leaders! You have the ability to lead nations with your power and influence.

9. Remember to smile! You know the song! Even when you feel like you can't, find a reason to smile.

10. Let the dishes go! And go indulge in a hot bath! Take time for you!

11. You know what? Stuff happens! It's bound to happen and it will. So, go with the flow, roll with it and keep on pressing!

12. You are gifted and talented! And you can use those gifts to make as much money as you can and create the lifestyle you desire.

13. You're skillful and genius. Use those skills and gifts to build your generational wealth! 

14. You DO know what you're doing! You may not have all the tools yet but that's part of the process, keep pushing you will find your chord.

15. You are not your past! Your past is just that, keep it there. Learn what you MUST learn from it accept it and use it as fuel to ignite your future!

16. You are worthy of love! Simply because you exist. There is nothing else you need to do to earn it.

17. You are an incredible multitasker! Even though at times you shouldn't, the fact that you CAN and HAVE makes you genius at building an awesome business.

18. Your business is wealthy! You have the ability to create a foundation in your business that will leave a legacy to your family, children, and other women (and men) throughout the world.

19. Your Business IS successful! Whether you wanted to earn $100,000 but you've only earned $10,000 or you earned $1,000,000 but you are still at $500,000 girl you EARNED those dollars using your OWN genius, skills, influence and talent. You better celebrate that! And keep moving forward

20.  You are a QUEEN! And you deserve to be treated as such! Don't except anything less!

21. You got this! Trust your instinct and gut!

22. You are a master communicator! 

23. Your Emotional IQ is high

24. You Survived! Whatever happened, if you're reading this that means you survived it and you have the ability to conquer anything.

25. You are open minded and willing to try new things.

26. You embrace your haters. They aren't really haters, but all the naysayers or those who doubted you, love them anyway!

Click here for the rest! I promise they won't disappoint!!

Copyright 2011 Katrina M. Harrell www.katrinamharrell.com (Please include FULL author credit if you repost or share!)

Hello,

 Please make sure to shop in the New Fall/Winter 2011 Cookie Lee Catalog. This catalog is full of color and a variety of 150 items under $25.00

 http://www.cookielee.biz/rojulinedixon

Here is a brand new exclusive, one of a kind pre-made WordPress design for a self-hosted WordPress blog. This design will not be resold. Click here to learn more or see a live preview.

My workshop "Boost your Business with a book" has been extended to August 18th.

During this workshop I plan to help you get on the right track with writing a book that surrounds your business.

It's a six week workshop through email that gives advice and tips on writing a book surrounding your business.

Read the flyer here and sign up: www.literarycareermovesonline.com

**Sign up date has been extended**

Thanks,

Dominique

Author/Writer Mentor & Consultant

www.literarycareermovesonline.com

Rising Motivation: 

If you want to make money in your business, you have to do it BIG. You have to Go HARD or Go HOME! Have a great day, I must go finish my new ebook and the revisions of my website.

ShaChena Gibbs

Founder & Small Business Educator

Real Sisters Rising, LLC

http://www.realsistersrising.com

Author Johnny B Truant, recently published an article on 'How to NOT Get Paid to Write Online (And Make Money Doing It).' This article was insightful and thought provoking. Often times as writers, the primary focus is on "Getting paid?" and if so, "How much?" Rarely, is the focus directed towards working for free on purpose.

Read more: http://savvy247.com/profiles/blogs/the-benefits-of-writing-for-fr

Are you aware that countless opportunities to send out press releases and receive valuable, free publicity get missed everyday?  There are literally dozens of newsworthy opportunities for getting positive media exposure.  Being recognized on a List of some kind or receiving an award is a great way to generate publicity for yourself.

It also becomes a win-win situation for you and the person (or business) honoring you because they get publicity too!

Here's the one I created after being named one of the Top 50 Fabulous Women Entrepreneurs:

(Durham, NC-July 22, 2011) Beverly Mahone of Durham has been named one of the top Fabulous Women Entrepreneurs by SistaSense Magazine and Black Business Women Online.  Mahone is one of 10 women selected in the category of print and digital media.  After leaving the television news business in 2006, Mahone created BAMedia which caters to fellow baby boomers who want to learn how to self-promote themselves and their businesses. 

In making the recent announcement, SistaSense Editor-in-Chief LaShandra Henry says “I see thousands of black women whose deeds go unnoticed. I wanted to recognize the BBWO50 for their hard work and diligence and show Sistasense readers these are our women to support, promote, and aspire to be like.  Henry says she chose women who have built established businesses with visible growth over time both online and offline. She also focused on up and coming women entrepreneurs whose innovative online business ventures are publicly recognized. “In short, these women are widely respected for the businesses they have established and their social influence both online and offline is undeniable,” she added.

Mahone says, “I am honored to have been included on this list.  LaShandra Henry is right.  Many times Black Female Entrepreneurs are overlooked in spite of how hard they work and the expertise they bring to the table--especially those of us who are baby boomers.” 

You can find complete list here:  http://www.sistasense.com/2011/07/sistasense-magazine-july-issue-bbwo-50-fabulous-women-entrepreneurs

**If you want to learn more about how to self-promote, contact me**