Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

Tons of opportunities? Or just overextended?

 

The New Year is almost upon us, and with it a widespread, magical belief in the impossible. It’s a time when the air is filled with a Peter Pan sense of wonder, and dreams take over everywhere you look.

And I get wrapped up in EVERY MINUTE of it. I’m a dreamer. I’m also a doer. But, if I am being honest, that dreamer mixed with doer quality is what gets me into trouble. It’s a big part of what contributed to my self-proclaimed workaholic status. A status where all of a sudden and out of nowhere I am overbooked, overwhelmed and over extended. It’s a rotating cycle that I have vowed to break this year.

But you maybe thinking, “That vow is all well and good Samantha, but how exactly are you going to break a habit that is so ingrained into the way your brain operates?” At least, that’s what my husband asked me. (Not in those exact words, but what he said was along those line)

How I am going to break the habit:

Don’t get me wrong. I am still allowing myself to dream, but I’ve built a step in between DREAMING and DOING. It’s a step that has been very successful in stopping me from running off in the direction of overbooked, overwhelmed and over extended.

My dreaming ignites my wildly creative side. If left unchecked, I know I’m more likely to get swept up in the excitement and euphoria that the brainstorming process gives me. Before I even allow myself to start taking the dream through the SMART goal setting method I use, I force myself to stop and set the dream aside. I use the Voice Memo app on my iPhone to capture both the idea and the energy behind it, and then I walk away from it.

This is usually pretty easy because one of my children are inevitably on their way back into my room (yup, I prefer to work from a desk in the corner of my bedroom) to interrupt me. For me, however, that interruption is welcome. It’s needed – desperately.

I call it THE PAUSE:

The Pause is a step in between dreaming and doing where I ask myself, “What is the purpose of this?” It allows me time to let go of the excitement of dreaming and do some reflecting around that question before beginning to set goals around the dream itself.

And the clarity that I have found just by implementing this step has caused a ripple effect throughout my business. I am even more focused and intentional than before. I have created a habit of critical thinking that now innately woves itself into every thought I have about my business day-to-day.

It’s an integral tool that I am using to make this year different. This is the year that I WILL NOT END UP overbooked, overwhelmed and over extended. Not even once (if all goes according to plan, of course).

 

Samantha King is a busy mompreneur and homeschooler with two young children and a couple of businesses at home. When Samantha’s daughter was diagnosed with autism, she had to learn how to keep her priorities aligned within her family, while operating her business at the same time. She is excited to share her knowledge to empower entrepreneurs by giving them the tools they need to do something they love while building sustainable, profitable businesses.  

Contact Samantha:

Tel: 416-885-6841

Email: samantha@fempirebuilders.com

Facebook: @FempireBuilders

Leadership Opportunities

 

Sheralyn

Much has been made recently about two excellent books, “Thrive” and “Lean In,” both written by successful female leaders.  Each highlights in a different way, the importance and value of the role women can and should play in the corporate world.  Regardless of your career choice, women should collectively draw strength and inspiration from these books but it can sometimes be hard to parlay the experiences of a corporate executive into that of a SOHO entrepreneur.  How for example, do we seize opportunities to develop our leadership style, to “lean in” at the table when we have only our dog for company as we work diligently away in our home office?  How do we engage in the “third metric” looking after ourselves, our own health and planning for giving back to our communities when it seems we need every hour of every day just to keep our small business afloat? It might be challenging but leadership opportunities exist where leadership opportunities are sought. In other words, find them! Here’s how you can both “lean in” and “thrive” even while operating your SOHO business.

The first thing you need to do, for the sake of your business and your ability to learn, practice and engage in leadership style behaviours, is join your local Chamber of Commerce or Board of Trade.  Typically, fees for doing so are nominal and the benefit exponential.  Not only are you opening the doors of your business to potential customers and referral networking opportunities but you are also affiliating yourself with a known and respected entity in the community.  This official office might also help lend an air of authenticity to your business.  Once a member, it’s up to you to lean in and seize opportunities to become further involved, perhaps by taking on a leadership role in the governing body of the organization or by volunteering for speaking engagements or trade shows where presentations and public speaking may be required. This will provide you with plenty of opportunities to enhance your skills in these areas and to make new contacts and develop new relationships.  Personal growth and business growth will both result from these experiences and each, in turn, provides you with the tools to learn and grow your leadership skills.

While time remains the enemy of us all, with a bit of planning and a little dose of ingenuity and foresight, take on a voluntary role with a community social service agency.  Join the Board of an organization or charity that you already support and believe in or leverage your current business skills and link with an agency that mirrors the type of service your business offers and requires someone with your expertise. These volunteer positions represent networking opportunities, a chance to enhance and grow your personal leadership skill sets and you will be doing a good thing, engaging in your community. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Many towns and cities also have Small Business Enterprise Centres and these offices often look for Guest Speakers and Experts in the field to come in and provide one hour seminars to program participants.  Again, this is another fantastic way to reach out, share your expertise and learn public speaking skills while engaging in a leadership role. Often these programs are geared to new immigrants and/or young entrepreneurs just starting out who are looking for mentors and the type of sage business advice you have to offer.

Consider your skill sets and what you can give back. How can you package your experiences into an opportunity that benefits both you and your business? There is nothing wrong with offering your services to community organizations in a way that also enhances your business profile. If you need practice with public speaking Toastmasters is an excellent way to learn confidence, speaking skills and further develop your leadership abilities. Give each of these suggestions some serious consideration.  By leaning in, getting involved in your community and taking on a leadership role you will help foster your own personal and professional growth.  Watch your business thrive as a result and Rover will no longer be your only companion in the office!

 

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

LinkedIn / Facebook / www.writingrightforyou.weebly.com

Getting clear and focused

sandra

Clarity is an amazing thing.  Once you are clear on what you want to achieve and why you want to achieve it, it can almost seem as if magic is starting to happen.  Opportunities present themselves in ways you never would have imagined.  You’re able to focus on exactly what you need to do to make realize your objectives.  Achieving clarity can feel like the heavens have opened up and the seas have parted, but getting there is the challenge.

We all have goals that we want to achieve.  Most of us can agree on some basic goals that we’d like to achieve: more freedom, financial security, continued great health and happiness.  How each of us achieves these broad reaching goals is totally up to us as individuals.  The way I define freedom, may not be the same as yours.  What’s going to make me happy may not resonate with you at all!

It’s sometimes easy to get caught up in what we think we should do or what we believe we ought to be focusing our energy on.  If we want success in achieving our goals and getting a feeling of accomplishment, we have to do some soul searching.  Consider what your ideal life looks like, not what you think others expect of you.  Think about what’s going to get you out of bed no matter what.  Dig deep and figure out why your goals are important to you, what they mean to you and what their achievement is going to bring to your life.

Once you start to figure those questions out, the picture of the life you want to create will start to become clearer.  You’ll have a vision of the goal you’re working towards and then you can start to map out what you need to do, with that final destination in mind.  It’s like planning your route on a map.  Once you know where you want to go, you can look at the various paths that will get you there.  After that is figured out, you can focus on what you need to get you there.

What do you need to bring along on your journey?  Do you have all the right people and things in place, or do you need to recruit help and get the right tools and materials to help you get to where you want to go?  When you achieve clarity, feelings of overwhelm diminish, you’re able to focus on what needs to be done, and obstacles and challenges don’t deter you from getting the job done.

Take the time to contemplate where you want to be a year from now.  Don’t limit yourself; think in terms of “best case scenario”.  Listen to your heart, and not the naysayers.  Once you have a picture in your mind of what you want your life to look like twelve months from now, start to put together the plan to make that vision a reality.  Get clear, get focused and get it done!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect: 
www.embraceyourdestiny.ca
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook
www.twitter.com/sandradawes