Aspire to Inspire

Making 2009 the Year You Reach Your Goals - Part 4

The last day.  Are you excited?  

If you take the time to write out these steps and do the thinking required, you will be find that you are much more effective and efficient.

This last step may seem tedious, but will be the icing on the cake.  

If you will do this once, it will change the way you take action forever.  You will be able to analyze an activity, determine if it will get closer to you where you want to be, and clearly see whether it is worth doing.

And, if you write it out now, it will become second nature to you later.

A Review:

Step 1 - You listed in current terms what will happen in your business in the next 3 years, in the next year and over the next three months (with dates attached).

Step 2 - You inventoried your positive traits that will help you reach your goals and the negative traits that might hinder you.  And for these, you gave yourself dates by which you want to be rid of them.

Step 3 - You inventoried your time, finding the "negotiable" time you have to work toward your goals.  And hopefully, you determined you have a reasonable amount of time to work on these goals.

Now, we are going to put all of these things together in this last Step.

First, take the sheet titled 'Steps Inventory' and determine the top 10 steps you need to take in your business that will move you toward your Immediate Goals and your 1 Year Goals.  (These can include removing the negative traits you listed.)

Write these down in current terms, such as "I have 15 new clients in my offline business." beginning with those that are directed at your Immediate Goals first and ending with those directed toward your 1 Year Goals.

Now, you will need 10 copies of the last page 'Steps Analysis' because for each of the 10 steps you listed, you will want to analyze how you will fulfill the step.  This includes determining the requirements for each as well as the skills you need (or need to hire) to complete this step.

This last step will keep you from feeling overwhelmed.  When you have 10 steps that you want to take and you know what is required to get you there and help you complete them, you have the tools necessary to analyze your activities.

When a new opportunity or activity comes up, you can consult your compass.  Will this move me closer to completing these 10 steps or not?  If not, I can say "NO".  If yes, go for it.

Changing or adopting a new habit is never easy, but then nothing worthwhile ever is!  

This was a life-altering part of becoming more productive for me - learning to evaluate my actions based on what I was determined to accomplish.  With these tools, I have a roadmap to follow with clear directions toward my goals.

Here's to an Inspired 2009!  Let me know if I can be your accountability partner - I would love to encourage you in reaching your goals!

Making 2009 the Year You Reach Your Goals - Part 3

Step 3 is to inventory your time.  If you have not done Steps 1 & 2, it might be helpful to you to go back to the first 2 parts of this series.

In the Goal Inventory Sheets, there is a Time Inventory.  This is the sheet we will be talking about today.

You probably already have a calendar or system you use.  This one is not intended to replace yours, but if you need one, it is very handy!

This step should be much less painful than the last one - unless you are over-scheduled which most of us are - then it may make you tired just to look at.

Since you must know when you can work on the goals you have, you need to know what time is available. You are going to lay out a typical calendar week to find the "negotiable" time in your week.

I use different colored pens and highlighters for each activity.  And, I use a different color for each activity - work, family event, my son's activities, church responsibilities, volunteering, etc.  I draw a square around the time that is blocked off for that activity.  I even schedule hubby time, personal time and family time. The hours that are not blocked off then are the time that I can work on these goals.  (Some of these will be worked on during my working hours, of course, but if you work a separate job, you may not be able to do that).

Now, I can see what time I have to work within.  If I see I only have 3 hours of "negotiable" time per week and one of my 'Immediate Goals' is to create a 6-figure income within the next 6 months, I am going to have to adjust something or be extremely efficient during those 3 hours. 

HINT: You really must have at least 10 hours of "negotiable" time to put toward a home-based business, at least in the beginning, to create a stable, successful and solid one.  Once in place, and, if done correctly, it is possible to maintain it with less time.

Now, your turn.  Lay out a typical week with your non-negotiable activities blocked off.  Remember that your family (especially your spouse) is also non-negotiable.  You are making a life, not just a living!

Now, inventory the time you have available and make it as efficient as possible!

Making 2009 The Year You Reach Your Goals - Part 2

Did you print out the Goal Inventory Worksheets?  Yesterday, we started with aspirations and today is our inspiration.

The next two steps are probably the hardest part.

You will have to dig deep and consider your strengths and weaknesses.  When I sat down to do this the first time, every ounce of my body tried to find something else to do!  I could have cleaned the clutter out of several houses to avoid thinking about this.  Somehow I don't like to self-evaluate.

But, because I made the goal a fun one (see the article "3 Ways to Kick Procrastination Now"), I did it.  Now, it is kind of a fun task each year to see what new skills I have aquired and decide what I need to get rid of.  I tell you in the article about how to make it positive.

This year I have become the co-director of a non-profit organization (www.stepUPballroom.com) and have gained some unintended but very useful skills through that job.  I have learned through several courses more about general marketing, internet marketing, social media and have been working on my skills there.  So those go on the list.

What new activities have you been involved in this year?  What have you read, researched or learned?  Write those down.

I also have a few things I want to lay down, get rid of or change - I have resumed chewing  my lip when I work (ouch) and I need to stop that one!  I also want to have better control over my finances, specifically track advertising results and declutter my house one drawer at a time.  So those go on the list (with dates).

What about you?  What do you see that is in your way?  Or what habit is something you would be better of without?  Write them down.

Dig deep.  Take some time and meditate on this Self-Inventory.  It really does help.

Making 2009 The Year You Reach Your Goals - Part 1

This is the time that everyone is evaluating what they did in 2008 and looking forward to 2009.  It is a valuable skill to learn how to map out what you want to accomplish.

I told you I am so very excited about this year and I am going to be learning right along with you and sharing what I learn.

I can't wait!

The Goal Inventory Worksheets are perfect for getting us off on the right start.  I have used these sheets for the past few years to take an inventory of my current skills, likes, dislikes and habits to determine which might need to go and which need to be enhanced.

Click on the link to the right and print these out and we will walk through them together.

The first page is one I make several copies of and I brainstorm what I would like to see happen long-term,  mid-term and short-term.  I then put the top 3 things down on the lists.  I make several copies, because I make goals for several categories.  

I have heard lots of arguments for not writing down goals, but the truth is that successful people write theirs down and unsuccessful people debate whether there is any value to writing them down and I am going to do what the most successful do!

Listing what you want to accomplish within certain timeframes gives you a compass.  You can then evaluate your actions based on that compass. 

For example, I will have 35 new customers in my offline business within the next 3 months.  I will have my online business completely automated by the end of Febuary and I will have a new website and forum established by the end of the summer.  Now I know what I want to accomplish and by when, so I am ready for the next step.

Please share what you are doing with me.  I would love to be your accountability partner in implementing new skills to rocket your business forward.

Here's to Inspiring Goal-writing!

Starting a Home Based Business - Who Is Your Customer? Part 2

Now, look at why they would be searching for you:

What is their attraction to your niche? - what are they looking for?  Do they want to learn from you how to do something, are they looking for someone to do it for them, are they looking for answers to a question that you can provide?

What is their main challenge or frustration? - write down 5 questions that you can start with.   Ask yourself, "How can this situation be improved?"  Ask people in your area what services they would like, or what would make their _____ better (you fill in the blank).  

** It might be a good idea to use a survey to do this!  Check out Survey Monkey - easy and fun!

What do they want to achieve in your niche? - write down 5 goals that you can start with.  Ask people, "If you could solve any problem about ______, what would it be?"

What else are they looking for - look online and offline at magazines, websites, trade publications, newsletters etc.  These are the things they are probably already reading in your niche and this will give you insight into the things that will pull them in.  It is a good idea to also  study the other advertisements in those publications - these are the ads that work so they make great market research.

Some places to Search:  The Ezine Directory, Magazine Directory, Online Magazine Directory, 

Website Research - this site will also show you what other websites your customer looks at!

You know who you are marketing to and what they are looking for and where they go to do it.  Now, mull this over and you will be amazed at what will come out.

Here's to Inspired Marketing!

Starting a Home Based Business - Who Is Your Customer? Part 1

WHO will be buying what you will offer?

Now create a generalized bio of this person and keep that in your head.  This is essential when you are creating products and then when you begin marketing.  

Design your IDEAL CUSTOMER.  This may seem like a silly step, but skipping this step will cause you to wander.  Marketing to everyone (even IF everyone can use it!) will cause you to market to no one because it will be too general.  

People are looking to buy because:

• they have a specific basic need
• they have a problem 
• they want to feel good  

You need to determine which of these categories your solution falls under and then create products and market according to that reason.

Your product may fall under more than one category - Fabulous.  But don't make the mistake of marketing to all three at once.

Determine and describe each customer individually.  For example, if you are creating products to help aging gardeners do what they love more efficiently, even if younger gardeners could use it, you will not be marketing the same way.  They do not have the same questions or concerns and therefore, do not make decisions the same way.

So, what do you know about this person?  Answering these questions will help you zero in on the right target market:

Describe them -

• Age 
• Gender 
• Marital status (and for how long) 
• Kids (how many, how old) or no kids 
• Occupation 
• Education level
• Income level 
• Ethnic background

Describe their personality - 

• Activity level (on a scale of 1being couch potato and 10 being type A never sits down)
• Introvert/extrovert
• Opinions (figure things out on their own/have things done for them
• Buying Style (carefully researches/impulse buyer, conservative, trendy, economical, frugal)
• Other Interests (shopping, sports, books, movies, gadgets....)

 The list can go on and it should!  List out as many descriptors as you can.

Some help:  Type in a domain name Here, and this tool gives you demographic info!!  (SO valuable, I can't believe I am giving away this secret!!)

Congratulations, you now have a great start at describing your perfect customer.  And what you may notice is they are a lot like you - that is great!  It is easier to start there, because we always relate better to those most like us.  Master that, then branch out!

So whether you are marketing easy meal plans for the working mom, an iphone application to make keeping track of 990 coversations on twitter easier, or a how-to manual for photographing birds, you now know who you are talking to and how they are thinking.  Now, you can figure out how to set yourself apart from the competition.

There is a market for everything -- think Pet Rocks!

Here's to Inspired Marketing!

Starting a Home Based Business - Consider Your Niche

Do you have a great idea?

Or have you had one, one you just knew would allow you to achieve time and financial freedom?

But you didn't know what to do with it, so you just went back to life as usual?

What if you had the right resources to help you take that idea from your head to your pocketbook?

In this next series of posts I will be focused on starting your homebased business.  I will highlight different work at home options and business opportunities and give you my view of the pros and cons (if applicable).

 

I want to provide practical information and give you the tools and resources that will inspire you to begin making money while working from home.

I have written before about finding your passion and how to determine what you love.  If you haven't done that, go back and read the post entitled "Have You Decided?  Take the First Step".

You know your passion, now answer these questions: What question can you answer?  What problem can you solve?  What different angle on a common issue can you give?  What can you offer that others will not?

These will be your niche.

Why have a niche?  Because you can target your marketing.  You offer something larger companies don't or won't offer.  And you can focus on offering the best service.

But what do you do with it from here?  

How do you take Your Knowledge and turn it into a Money Making Enterprise?

2 Words - Market Research

You need to know if the market will buy what you have to offer.  You may have a better recipe for sandtarts, but if the market isn't after better sandtarts, it won't pay to even offer them!

Here is a fabulous article on Do It Yourself Market Research.

And a great website to help you develop your niche into a passive online income - Niche Partners.

Check both of these out and let me know what your new niche will be!

Now, Have an Inspiring Day and turn your Expertise into Money on the Internet!

Are You A Procrastinator

Do you know what it is like to miss one more deadline?

Or are you one of those people that works right up to the deadline because you work best under pressure?

Have you told yourself that that is just the way you are and you cannot change it?

As a certifiable procrastinator who has found the secret to changing her ways, I am offering my most sincere help to you. You CAN change your procrastinating ways.

Receive a FREE copy of my article about how to Give Procrastination The Boot when you sign up to receive my newsletter - Simple Inspirations.

This is a newsletter designed to give you the inspiration (or kick in the pants -whichever you might need) to get going. Whether you are already in business for yourself, or you are thinking about starting a home based business, this newsletter will provide Simple, Quick, Easy to Read and Inspiring Ideas to get you started making money working from home.

Each week you will receive a complimentary copy of a newsletter that inspires with ideas to get you started or get you moving. Ideas about what to do and not do to attract customers. Places to go for great training. And success stories to inspire you with what works!

We all get a lot of e-mail and I hope you are getting some really good content in the ones you are already subscribed to.

Let me promise to make mine brief and useful. If I don't, please let me know how I can fix it.

Now, Have an Inspired Day.

Step 2 - What Will You Do In Your Jammies?

You are revving to go. Passionate to make an income while working from home. Ready to start a new life and be self employed!

But, what are you going to do?

This is an area that can be the most difficult - the information out there is overwhelming!

Start with taking an inventory of your likes and dislikes, your skills, interests and character traits. Download a copy of my Goal Inventory Worksheets at the right. There is a page that covers these topics. This will help you discover what you will actually enjoy doing!

Make 2 Goals to be reached in one month. Don't overwhelm yourself with too many goals! This is a good example of 2 goals for your first month:
1. You will make a decision by __(date)__. Do not give yourself more than 2 weeks.
2. You will be operational by __(date)__. Do not give yourself more than 2 more weeks.

In order to reach those goals, you will have to take some specific steps. You need manageable chunks where you see exactly how to get from one place to the next. When you download the Worksheets there is one in there called Step Analysis that will help you determine your step by step plan to reaching these 2 goals.

Now, you have some research to do. There are many vehicles that you can use to create an income from home. You have to choose the one that you will use.

Here is a fabulous article that talks about 10 ways to make money online - 10 Ways Article

And a follow-up article to it - Another 10 Ways

I love these two articles because she paints the picture so accurately!

Whatever you choose to do, be prepared to work.

Now, what are your goals - let me know! I would love to hear from you. How can I inspire you to reach those goals?

Have You Decided? Take The First Step

I talked about knowing what the steps of your particular business were and then mastering them.

Well, part of my purpose is to inspire people to take the leap to start their own business, so some of you may not even have a home based business yet.

Perhaps you are still in the process of research and you are just not sure what you want to do!

So, let's start with a few basics of choosing.

Step #1 - Ask Yourself WHY?- Why do you want to work from home?

Take a few minutes and ask yourself "If I could do anything, and time and money were no object, what would I do?" Jot down the things that come to your mind.

What gets your heart racing, makes you giddy with anticipation? What makes your blood boil that you wish you could fix? What draws your eyes, your mind, your heart? What do you read, listen to or search out?

Everyone wants more money, but that is not the true motivator! The true question then is, what do you want to DO with the money?

Everyone wants more time, but that is not a motivator either! The question here is, what would you DO with the extra time?

These are the things that matter to you. These are the things that make you tick. And these are probably the things you are passionate about.

These actions that you wrote down (what you would DO with the money and time) are your reasons for taking a chance, learning new skills, creating new opportunities and connecting with your dreams.

So, what are you passionate about? Write this down in a 2-5 sentence paragraph, in current tense.
This is your reason WHY.

BUT what if you couldn't think of much and you find you don't have a particular passion? You might be asking, "Isn't it enough to just want to be in control of my schedule and make a lot of money?"

The answer is NO. If that was enough, more people would find a way to do it.

Do you want to go to Hawaii? What if I told you the cost was $6000 and you could have a fun-filled week with your family? Would you find time in your schedule, talk to everyone you know and come up with that money by next Friday the deadline? You might, BUT, more importantly, you might not.

Now, what if your son was extremely ill and I told you the cost of the treatment is $6000 and we needed to begin the treatment next Friday? Would you find the time in your schedule, talk to everyone you know and come up with that money? You bet you would - no matter the personal cost!

See, THAT is a reason WHY that stirs your PASSION!

Start here, with Step 1. Figure this out and you will find a way.

Here's to Inspired Passion!