Home Based Entrepreneurs Share Their Tips for Serving All Their Masters

Home-based entrepeneurs wage a daily battle as they serve their families, their clients, and themselves. Here is a link to a compilation of 95 from-the-trenches tips that people swimming in that boat have discovered as they continue to navigate the sometimes rocky waters. (My tip is #5 on this list.)

My husband Steve and I both work from home, parent our son, serve our clients, make sure the dog gets a walk, and still find a few minutes for each other. It’s not an easy path we travel, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What are the tips you have discovered to help YOU keep the balance as you work AND live from home? Share your best tips here so the rest of us can benefit from the wisdom of YOUR experience!

Speaking of working from home, I’d be honored to earn your vote in the Start Up Nation 100 Home Based Business Contest. I’ve entered in the “Recession Buster” category. You can read my profile and post your vote at this link. I am all for getting seen, heard, and celebrated — with a little help from my readers! Thanks for your support.

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From Jack in the Box to Old Spice and Beyond, Targeting the Ideal Decision Maker is Always a Great Place to Start

Did you know that I started my marketing/public relations career working for Jack in the Box restaurants?  It’s true!  I worked for the company from 1987 through 1993.  

While my career was just starting out, I remember thinking at the time how wise was the marketing leadership team.  Through market research, the company determined that going head to head with McDonald’s wasn’t the right strategy.  Research showed that adults without kids were the company’s primary customers.   These people wanted serious food that catered to more sophisticated tastes.  The product development team then began a pattern of menu innovation that catered exactly to what the ideal customer wanted.  After the food safety issues of 1993, the company brought Jack back through the miracle of plastic surgery in 1995  to save the day and give the company a whole new attitude.  It’s working pretty well so far.

The “Jack’s Back” campaign is the longest, ongoing advertising campaign in the fast-food industry. Centered around humorous and entertaining television commercials featuring Jack, the campaign has received numerous awards including several Clios, Beldings, EFFIEs, and Bronze and Gold Lions from the Cannes International Advertising Festival for the best fast-food advertising in the world.

Now, the people at Old Spice are serious about targeting their ideal customer — women.  It turns out that women are rushing to buy Old Spice in quantities even the market research people could never have imagined.   The story that ran over the Associated Press about the resurgence of Old Spice has been traveling far and wide, thanks to the viral spreading of the message via YouTube and other social networks.  The campaign is one that my 13-year-old can recite with amazing accuracy and personality.  And he’s not the only one.

These stories bring up the importance of identifying your ideal customer with crystal clarity. When you know who you serve, you can create and share messages that are likely to resonate with them.  And when you deliver the message in a meaningful, memorable, and magnetic way, great results can manifest.

Survey Monkey can be a very effective resource to guide solopreneurs to learn a great deal about their customers.  And, don’t underestimate the value of simply reviewing your client list for the last two years to  identify the characteristics of the customers you have already served and enjoyed serving.   If you can describe those clients in very specific terms, you can target your message to reach and favorably influence  more quality people just like them.

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day:  How clearly can you describe the ideal customer or client for your product or service?   And, are the messages you are sending out to the marketplace well targeted to appeal to their very specific needs, attitudes, and sensibilities?   When you get that right, a whole lot of other things will flow just right in your business, too.  Just look at Jack in the Box and Old Spice for inspiration.

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Nicole Donnelly Moves from Successful Path in Retail Soft Goods to Social Media Software and Beyond!

In this age of reinvention, I enjoy watching how successful entrepreneurs move from one quality, money-making venture to the next.   Today, my attention turns to Serial Entrepreneur Nicole Donnelly.

Donnelly is an entrepreneur who is parlaying her success in retail soft goods to a host of new initiatives relating to social media management software and more.

Nicole launched Babylegs and grew it over a five year period from zero to the millions of dollars.   Today, the company she launched and sold to a major hosiery manufacturer enjoys worldwide retail distribution of leg and warm warmers for little ones.  She credits the meteoric growth of Babylegs to the power of connection with the right people to carry a relevant message forward.  

Now, she shifts her focus toward guiding other entrepreneurs to become capable, confident, equipped, and connected to engage and profit from the strategic use of social media.   Her company — creatively named Salty Waffle — is the umbrella organization that serves the the hub for all of Nicole’s latest business ventures, including her new book, Ride Like a Penguin, her new social media measurement application called BigRuby, Salty Waffle Social Media Boot Camp, and the Salty Waffle Social Media Hook Up.

I asked Nicole about how she named her company.   Donnelly told me she is a life long lover and baker of waffles of every possible variety and flavor.  It is actually something she is well known for among her family, friends, and business colleagues.  She said, “Waffles bring people together, day or night, to connect, enjoy, and brainstorm about ideas big and small.  Since I live near the water  in West Seattle, there is always a hint of salt in the air.  When baking up a sticky brand name to serve as the umbrella for my latest business initiatives, Salty Waffle rose to the top of the list.”

Love that.

If you want to taste what Nicole is baking up beyond tasty waffles, don’t miss the Salty Waffle Social Media Hook Up.  This speed dating, social media hook up event that offers guests interested in social media the opportunity to meet up with passionate social media players who know how to make social media work for just about any business.   It is also a fundraiser to benefit EO Accelerator and Ravenstone, both of which are classified as 501c3 non-profit organizations.  A silent auction of fine art will fill the coffers for both worthy organizations.

EO Accelerator guides business owners to grow from $250,000 to achieve the $1 million revenue mark, and Ravenstone guides fine artists in the business of successfully running their businesses.

Here are the event details so you can mark your calendar and gather up a group of your friends to attend, enjoy, and savor the practical knowledge that can propel all of your businesses forward:

DATE & TIME:
Wednesday, June 9
5:30pm-8:00pm

LOCATION:
SODO Commerce Building
66 S. Hanford Street
Seattle, WA 98134

COST & REGISTRATION – Click on the link!

I’ll be there.  How about you?

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Michele PW Shares the Value of Attending Events to Boost Your Business

In January of this year, I was invited by Action Plan Marketing Guru Robert Middleton to attend an Info Guru Summit of top contributors from across the nation.  Honored to be invited, I gladly accepted and spent the weekend with successful business owners who share a commitment to serving others through a wide variety of marketing expertise.    I am convinced beyond measure that attending events packs a powerful punch for inviting new relationships that can help business grow and make life better because I have experienced it first-hand in abundant ways.

Just since January, successful joint ventures between me and Radical Marketing Founder Tad Hargrave, Master of Enrollment Coach Bill Baren,  and Tips Booklet Queen Paulette Ensign have taken place to add value for our respective communities and all of our businesses.   And the “Done for You Sweepstakes of the Century” starts on Monday during which over $250,000 in “done for you” services to build and support your business will be given away.   I would have never been invited to participate in this amazing event had I not been in the room with that remarkable, successful collection of business owners at Robert Middleton’s kind invitation in January.

That’s why I am sharing this excellent blog post by Michele PW that appears on Nancy Marmolejo’s Viva Visibility Blog today.   Her message?  You must attend events to grow your business.

I would add to Michele’s post to be aspirational when you make your event choices.   Attend events where you are truly honored to be in the room.  Along those lines,  I like what Oprah Winfrey once said.  “Surround yourself only with those who lift you higher.”

Speaking of which, the Publici-Tea™@Sea is coming up August 8 – 15, 2010.   Why not treat yourself to a luxury cruise to Alaska with 200 very successful business owners and see what magic can manifest in your life and business while you are having the time of your life?   It doesn’t cost a penny to learn more.  Robert Middleton will be sharing essential marketing wisdom along the journey, and other experts will be adding to the conversation.   Sounds pretty fabulous to me.  How about you?

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On Paying It Forward, “The Gift” and Seeing the Possibility for More

Every now and then, something wonderful takes shape, right before your eyes, and you just have to share it.

Kammie Lisenby is a 23-year-old business owner of Simply Efficient who is really serious about building her business and making a huge difference in her own backyard and beyond through her work as a professional organizer.   Launching a business two years ago at a young age required a fair amount of courage.  Staying alive during the last couple of years has required a lot of hard work and focused effort.  She’s serious about learning more so she can build the buzz and grow her business even more.

A few days ago, an anonymous business owner stepped forward to offer a scholarship to help Kammie pay the tuition associated with tomorrow’s All Day Custom Publici-Tea™ Retreat.   Then, Kammie sought out additional sponsors  who believe in the business she is building and asked for their support.  She posted messages to Facebook to make her case.  She spoke to family members.  She asked for what she needed.

So touched by this effort was I that I offered a partial scholarship, as well.   Late yesterday afternoon, Kammie reported she had pulled together the tuition to benefit from the event.   She was touched by a profound kindness from an anonymous donor.  That moved her into powerful action, and now she stands to receive some powerful support to help her get to the next stage of her success.  It’s just a beautiful thing.

The first donor said that when she was first getting started, a business owner who believed in what she was doing gave her a similar expression of support.  The only requirement the donor made was that when she got to a point of success later that she would pay it forward and return the favor.  That donor has certainly done that.  And I have a keen sense this isn’t the first time.  What a great gift.

Speaking of gifts, my good friend Thach Nguyen and his team are hosting an amazing event this Friday called “The Gift” that celebrates the spirit of paying it forward.   I had the amazing opportunity to work with Thach when he and his co-collaborator Matthew Ferry brought the first iteration of their event to Seattle a couple of years ago.    The gifts that have been unfolding in my life and business started flowing with abundance as a result of embracing the lessons shared throughout that special event.     You can learn more and hear directly from Thach on his key points by watching this Q13 Fox News Segment.  Thach invites everyone he meets to consider these four steps:

1- Connect deeply with others.
2- Discover what they are up to.
3- Contribute on the spot.
4- Watch miracles happen in your life.

The stories unfolding here and beyond as his many followers embrace this message are many.

Speaking of which, a couple of years ago, my name came up as someone who could handle the PR for his big event.  Frankly, I was intimidated by the challenge of using PR to compel 1,000 perfect guests to show up for a never-before-held event in Seattle.   In fact, I referred the project to a bigger PR firm with deeper bench strength than mine could offer.  As things turned about, Thach spoke with the other PR firm and then called me back.  He said he knew I could do what needed to be done.  He challenged me to rise to the occasion and submit a proposal the following week, coincident with the date the other firm was submitting theirs.   At some level, I knew Thach was offering me a very powerful gift.  He believed in my capabilities more than I believed in myself.  He connected with me in a way that caused me to think differently.  The more I thought about it, the more energy and ideas started to flow to help him achieve his goal.

• Did I write up a PR proposal in time for the submission deadline?  Yes.
• Did I put my heart in it?  Yes.
• Did we work together to bring 1000 perfect guests to benefit?  Absolutely.

But here is the thing.  The gift I received was far greater than doing a great job for a client and making a treasured friend for life.  I found untapped possibilities in my own work and life than have continued to deliver wonderful rewards for my clients, my friends, and my personal life, thanks to Thach taking a genuine interest in me.  I will be forever grateful.

Here is the way I see it.  Either you believe in unlimited possibilities or you don’t.    If you want to get steeped in possibility inspiration, treat yourself to The Gift with Thach and his team on Friday.  You can still purchase tickets to the event.  Here is the link to make that easy.

Thach, you are on your way to inspiring a billion people to make amazing contributions to the world.  I salute you.  I appreciate you.  And I can’t wait to see what miracles manifest as others follow your lead.

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Stopping to Smell the Tulips has Its Rewards – Do You Want What I am Having?

Spring break came at a good time.   I took a few days to unplug and focus my attention on my family.  It was wonderful to enjoy unstructured time to take in the tulips in Skagit County with my son Kyle and husband Steve, watch some great movies,  and tend to the garden.   I really should do this more often because the new business and speaking opportunities just flowed in while I was away.

Three radio interviews including NPR, two speaking engagement invitations, four Extreme Bio Makeover appointments, four Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide purchases from my own backyard and from as far beyond as Jerusalem, one article invitation to contribute to a perfect trade journal for my expertise, and THREE serious inquiries for retainer/project work all came in while I was on vacation.

All this tenacious, consistent, and passionate effort to build my brand and expertise among audiences near and far is paying off in exactly the ways that I intended when I started this journey to earn expert status about four years ago.

I mention this because I wonder from time to time if all the effort I put forth to build the buzz about my expertise is paying off.

It takes a lot of effort to sustain a quality ezine, post regularly to the blog, scan media queries for perfect placement opportunities for myself and others, engage with my social networks, connect with people in person, contribute to teleseminars and “live” workshops, submit articles to online media avenues and business journals, and engage in joint venture arrangements with quality partners.   These activities are in addition to serving clients who have high expectations for exceptional service and results through the fee-for-service publicity and messaging work I contribute to support their success.

Having stayed consistent with these activities for the better part of four years, I can tell you that patience and tenacity do ultimately pay off.

And they will pay off for you, too.  Those activities  to which you apply your passion, time, quality effort, and talent consistently over time do deliver remarkable results.  And anything you try just one time and abandon will never deliver the goods.

Either you are in it for the long run, or you aren’t.  And if you are in it for the long run, you know that investing an hour a day at least in building your professional reputation is crucial, essential, and well worth the effort.

Can you outsource this work to someone else?  Sure.   The rub is that it takes a fair amount of time and effort do to this work, and the investment required with outsourced talent may be difficult to immediately capture at your bottom line.

That is why  I am a huge proponent of learning the essential skills you need so you can have control over attracting your own media and revenue generation opportunities on a DIY basis.  In what the Wall Street Journal calls today’s “age of going solo,” this just makes good business sense.

Do you invest at least an hour a day in building your professional brand and reputation by sharing your expertise and message on a one-to-many basis?   Are you consistent in your efforts? And, are you at the point at which you know you need a guide to show you the way?

If you answered “YES” to that last question, here is today’s call for action.  Send me an email at nancy@nsjmktg.com asking to receive your application to enroll in the May 14 Publici-Tea™ All Day Private Retreat. During a delicious day together with just five special, publicity-seeking guests, I’ll show you the way and then some.

This retreat isn’t for the faint of heart.  You have to come prepared to work and invest some of your hard-earned money, time and talent into the process.  But I can tell you the effort is well worth it.  I want you to have what I am having, and action is always the key.  Send me your application request at nancy@nsjmktg.com.  Applications are due April 30 for the May 14 retreat.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

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Here’s to Riches in Niches with Best Wishes to Little One Books

My hearty congratulations to my good friend and respected colleague Barney Cohen and his wife Joan McCoy for launching among the most brilliant websites I’ve seen in a long time. Little One Books is a resource to guide parents, grandparents, and those who love kids aged 0 – 5 to make the perfect book selections to guide precious minds.   Just click, buy, and enjoy.

The site launched just days ago, and I have a keen sense that Barney and Joan will be making thousands of friends around the world by recommending one stellar book for the precious children in YOUR life, one fabulous choice at a time. Check out the site and tell your friends.

And Barney, way to go. Keep me posted on your unfolding and escalating success!

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Two Weeks of January Down and Ready to Rock. P.S. Did You Register Yet for the Small Business Telesummit?

Have you been on roller skates, getting organized and in motion to bring on amazing results for 2010 in your life and business?   Me, too.  All I can say is “Whew!”

As I said a welcome “goodbye” to 2009, I resolved to practice better self talk, hire a proven coach to help guide the growth of my information products business, and get better control over my time and my life.

I am working with heart on the first one.  Anyone who struggles with this knows that getting over it has to be an ongoing process.  And, I have finally  hired a coach and a team of Virtual Assistants to support me as I grow my business.

It’s a funny thing.  People I like, trust, and respect have been telling me to hire a coach and a VA team for the last several years.  For whatever reason, I just wasn’t at the right time or place in my life or business to take action. Now, I am.  The sense of relief and optimism I feel for having finally taken these essential steps is huge for me.

One of those people who has been telling me to hire a VA is Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas. She is about ready to debut her amazing guide to help you know everything you ever wanted to know about hiring a VA.  She asked me to review it before launching it to the world.  I will tell you this.  It’s a fabulous tool.  After reading it, I finally felt comfortable taking action on my own behalf.

Speaking of Stacy, did you sign up for Stacy’s 2010 Small Business Telesummit? . It starts on Tuesday, Jan. 19, and there is still time to secure your place to listen to an amazing line-up of experts who can guide you and your business to the next level of success.  There is no cost to participate.    I’ll be Stacy’s guest on 1-20 at noon PST, talking about how to write a rock star bio.  I hope to “see” you on the call.

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How to Avoid a Joint Venture Gones Bad

While visiting Nancy Marmalejo’s fabulous Viva Visibility Blog today, I found this useful post that offers tips to avoid JV’s gone bad.

It’s a timely read, especially if you are planning your 2010 activities in collaboration with partners.   Muddy water is bad news when mixing time, money, and resources.  Clear things up before you start, and your prospects for clear sailing will be a whole lot better.

The author’s bio box reads as follows:

MaryPat Kavanagh, President & Owner of Strategic Results Marketing LLC, credits her success in business to the many relationships she has developed over the years. To learn more about her and her relationship-building strategies and joint venture tips, connect with her on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/QueenofConnections.

I will be connecting with MaryPat on Facebook as soon as I activate this post.   I am sure she has more wisdom to share to guide you successfully down the Joint Venture path, and I am going to ask her more about that!

Main Street Media Savvy Question of the Day: What are the best tips you’ve put in place to make sure your joint ventures go swimmingly instead of run into rocky waters?   Please share so we all can benefit from the wisdom of your experience .

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A Useful, Business and Buzz Building Gift for You – Action Required

If you’ve decided that 2010 is your year to get seen, heard and celebrated in the media in your own backyard and beyond, let me make it easy for you.   The first ten people who comment on the blog about this post will receive as my gift my “N” list, which includes just shy of 40 useful tips, links, and resources I’ve used, tested, and proven to be effective in supporting DIY publicity and online visibility success.

Action Required: Be among the first ten people to post a comment to this blog post that says something like:  “Nancy, I absolutely must have your time-tested, proven to be effective resources to support DIY publicity and online visibility success.”   And, you must share your email address with me so I can send the report your way. A comment without an email address doesn’t get the job done.  Use your imagination.  Put some heart into it.    And , when you are among the first ten people to reply, your prize will help you advance toward your goals a lot faster than proceeding without it.  Can’t wait to hear from you!

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