Canadian Small Business Women

Connection, Synergy, Community

3 Indicators You’re Focusing on the “Right Stuff”

sandra

I’m constantly being reminded of how powerful our focus is. Whatever we focus on expands. Good, bad or otherwise, we get what we spend the most of our energy on. While it can be a scary notion, the good news is that the choice of where we focus on minds remains in our complete control. Here are 3 ways to know your focusing your energy in a productive way.

  1. Despite any challenges you’ve encountered, your still passionate about your goal

Passion is the fire that fuels us in the pursuit of our goals. If our goals aren’t big enough, or meaningful enough, it’s easy to lose heart. When we focus on why we chose the goal, what achieving the goal is going to mean for us, those around us and maybe even the world at large, the bumps and bruises along the way are worth it. Challenges don’t discourage us from the things that are important to us. Instead, they show us what we’re made of, and empower us with the strength to make the once seemingly impossible, possible.

  1. People are starting to notice your efforts

Persistence pays off. When you persist in the achievement of your goals, things start to happen and people begin to take notice. Maybe you’ve started things in the past and left them incomplete because you lacked the necessary passion. This time is different, and the people around you can see that. What’s exciting about this is that when you commit to your goals and remain focused no matter what, people around you want to contribute to your success. Big goals are impossible to achieve on your own. We all need support to make our goals a reality. With the support of others, you’re unstoppable!

 

  1. Even in moments of darkness, opportunities present themselves to restore your faith

Have you ever had moments when you actually begin to question if you really know what you’re doing? Maybe you’ve even considered looking for a job, thinking that it might be time to think about a “Plan B”. All of a sudden, it happens – it seems like the heavens open and opportunities start showing up. They may not all pan out, but you know have a renewed faith and excitement about the possibilities when it comes to the goal you’re working towards. You see enough of a glimmer to believe in the existence of the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. I believe that these moments occur to encourage us not to give up. They are a reminder of the idea I talk about at the beginning of #2 – persistence and commitment pay off. Keep your eye on the prize and you will reap the rewards!

Remaining positive in the pursuit of our goals can be challenging, but it is necessary. Negative experiences are a part of life. We all experience failures and disappointments in our personal and business goals. How we choose to deal with them, and what we choose to focus on always remains in our control. What will you choose to focus on today?

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

3 Reasons Why Passion is Vital to Business Success

sandra

There are so many factors that contribute to our success in business or in any part of our lives really. The Internet is full of articles about the success factors for entrepreneurs, so why not add one more to the list? I believe that we have to love what we do. While there are always things we don’t like to do in our day-to-day tasks, there has to be a burning passion that drives us. Here are three reasons why I think that being passionate about your business is vital to its success:

  1. It fuels you through challenges. We hear so much about “knowing your why” and there’s a reason. You have to be aware of what drives you, what you’re working towards and why it’s important to you. When you don’t have clarity on these things, challenges and obstacles can really become a major distraction and take you off course. When you’re really passionate about what you do, quitting isn’t an option. The saying that “where there’s a will, there’s a way” is the truth. When you’re committed to your goals, the universe conspires with you to make them a reality.

 

  1. It takes selling out the sales process. Cold-calling does not excite me. I’m sure that there are lots of people who have no problem picking up the phone and making those calls, I’m not one of them. The exception to this is when I’m working on a project that I’m excited about where making calls to complete strangers is the only way it’s going to succeed. When we’re passionate about what we do, the people on the other end of the phone can hear it and they’ll want to be a part of it (some of them anyway). If you’re selling something that you don’t believe in, you’re going to have a difficult time.
  2. Life is good when you’re doing what you love! When you’re living on purpose and doing what you love, things start to flow much easier. Things that once seemed like the end of the world are no longer a big deal. Challenges and obstacles are seen as tests to our commitment rather than cruel punishment from universe. You know why you do what you do and it makes your hear sing. There are so many people out there that are living unfulfilled lives. They have dreams that they think can never be a reality. The fact that you have the opportunity to do what you love is a blessing, and you know it.

Passion is what keeps us going as entrepreneurs. It’s the fuel that drives us and our business. If you’re not passionate about what you do, you need to ask yourself why you’re doing it. If passion was what started it, then it’s just a matter of reconnecting with it. If you were never passionate about what you do, it’s time to figure out how to add passion to what you do or do something that you are really fired up about. If we want meaningful success in life, passion is a must-have.

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

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I was Younger

sandra

I’m organizing a job fair in the fall and one of my goals is to help high school students explore their career options beyond the traditional professions. Since this idea has been kicking around in my head, I’ve been thinking about what I wished I’d known a few years ago (ahem), when I was in high school 🙂

  1. Entrepreneurship is an option

Maybe times have changed, but I don’t remember much conversation about entrepreneurship as an option when I was in high school. It’s possible that I was just talking to the wrong people. Career day never had someone who owned their own business. I know that the Richard Branson’s and Bill Gates’ of the world aren’t the norm, but wouldn’t it be great to light the fire of entrepreneurship at an early age?

  1. A degree doesn’t guarantee a job, never mind a high paying one

While I was in high school, I had a standing summer job at my mom’s warehouse. I started there making $8 an hour, working 40 hours a week. Not bad for a 15 year old! By the time I left there I was making about $16 an hour. Imagine my horror and dismay when my first job after graduation paid me $10 an hour! Sure, I wasn’t lifting heavy boxes and wearing steel toed boots, but it was still a letdown. Even my parents couldn’t believe that my education didn’t command higher pay.

  1. You don’t have to figure it all out now

I don’t know about you, but what I wanted to be when I grew up isn’t what I want to be now! Before becoming an entrepreneur, I averaged three years at any job. How can you possibly know what you want to do when there’s no way you’re aware of all the options, especially at the age of 17 or 18? I used to roll my eyes at people who needed to take a year off to “find themselves”, but now I totally get it!

  1. Follow your passion and the money will come

I used to think that there was no way that you could do something you love and get paid well for it. My father was a truck mechanic and loved his job. I believed that he was the exception to the rule. When you so many people working jobs that brings them no joy, you begin to believe that’s just the way things are. When you love what you do, you’ll spend the hours needed to master your craft, whatever it is. It’s not easy to commit to something that you’re not passionate about.

  1. The concept of “work smarter not harder”

There was a time when I was working a full time job and a part time job. I remember being on a flight to Las Vegas for work and chatting with the couple I was sitting next to. I was talking about my lack of time for fun when the wife told me that I had to learn how to work smarter, not harder. It was the first time I had heard that, and I thought she was crazy. I totally get it now and no longer believe I have to exchange my time for money, as an employee or a business owner. There are only so many hours in a day and I don’t know about you, but working 24/7 doesn’t sound appealing to me!

What advice would you give students graduating from high school? What words of wisdom would you share with your younger self if you could? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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

Can you grow your business on passion alone?

selfy photo

Not everyone is as lucky as Dries Buytaert.  Buytaert invented the open source content management platform called “Drupal”.  Lots of universities and government websites are built using Drupal; it’s a bit like WordPress only more complex and arguably, more powerful.

I’m not suggesting that Dries is lucky to be successful: he’s a brilliant computer scientist and an even better businessman, having leveraged his opensource platform into a multi million dollar business called Acquia.  This wasn’t the lucky part.  He is lucky because he stared out by simply doing what he loved, and what he was good at: writing computer code.  Dries Buytaert invented Drupal when he was a student, living in Antwerp in a dorm.  He wanted to build a message board to exchange messages and meetups with dorm mates, and he couldn’t find anything that met his needs, in 2000, when there really wasn’t such a thing as social media. This is eerily similar to the Facebook story: sometimes genius consists of building the thing you need, because no one has built it yet, and then it turns out that millions of others need it too.

Buytaert is lucky because he was able to follow a relatively simple path as an entrepreneur, the kind of “dream” path that any entrepreneur would strive to follow: he built something that he wanted, and it turned out to be something that lots of other people wanted.  He did what he loved, and it turned out that other people are willing to pay for it (or, in the case of open source, are willing to contribute to its success in a way that allows him to monetise it).

The perfect business formula

It’s not easy to find that perfect formula in business: we often go into business for ourselves because we just want to do what we love, until the reality of buying groceries hits home and, often at some point in the first year, we have to take a step back and ask ourselves some tough questions.  Questions like: who is my ideal client?  What is my niche?  How can I best make money and grow my business?

There was a saying that I heard often when I was promoted into management during my relatively short time working inside a medium-sized organisation and it is “what got you here won’t get you there”.  What that saying means is, everything that I might have done to rise through the ranks to a get a management position, wouldn’t be any of the things that would make me a good manager.

I have been reflecting a lot on this saying lately, as it has been slowly dawning on me that everything I knew about making money as a freelancer – what I have been for most of my career – is not much good to me as a small business owner.  For example, one thing we tend to do as freelancers is say yes every job that comes along.  And that is no way to run a business!

Identifying your niche as a business

The question we need to ask ourselves, especially if we are consultants, coaches, or running a small shop that provides a service of some kind is: what are the jobs we should be taking?  Because there is a tendency when you start a service-or-expertise based business to start quite broad.  But you learn over time that you need to go much more narrow, and in fact you need to have the courage to say no to some clients.

I was recently reminded of the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins.  Collins talk a lot about change in the book, and what it takes for a company to grow from a good company into a great company.  He says there is no magic pill, but there is, in some sense, a magic formula, illustrated by one of the most useful Venn Diagrams I have ever seen, and here it is:

 GoodtoGreatVennDiagram

It shows so clearly where the magic formula lies: it shows what happens when, like Dries Buytaert, you can find that sweet spot where Passion (doing what you love) intersects with Ability (doing what you’re good at) and the Market (doing what people will pay for).  That middle part of the diagram is your niche as a business, where you uniquely can make a difference, and make money.

This is a great tool to map your business against, and it will become part of my annual ritual to make sure I list all of our passions as a business, all of our capabilities, and what I’m seeing the need for in the market, against this diagram to make sure that I’m narrowing down the field of the ideal job, and the ideal client, and having the courage to say no to the less than ideal clients.

And, of course, making sure that all of my marketing language reflects the needs of my ideal client: the more we think through this puzzle, the more targeted we can be in our language, blogs, and social media.  And this can only mean more of the right clients and less of the wrong.

For more resources and information on Content Strategy and to download a detailed description of what content strategy entails, go to analyticalengine.ca/resources or download a Content Strategy Info graphic at http://bit.ly/1qY9tYp.

Christine McGlade is a Business Analyst, Content Strategist, and Usability Consultant.  With over 25 years experience in the media business, Christine helps small business, social enterprise, and Not for Profits how to leverage the power of the Internet to grow their business.  Learn more about Christine at analyticalengine.ca

How to Network when Networking isn’t your thing

Sheralyn

You’ve opened your own business. You have hopes and dreams of hitting the big time or maybe you just have a vision, values and a commitment to a product that you want to share with the world. The problem is – you’re just not that comfortable sharing. You believe in your product and that YOU are the subject matter expert but talking to others makes you tremble in your boots. How do you overcome this challenge and get out there to meet, greet and network?

It all boils down to this: GET REAL and BE R.E.A.L.! (Be Realistic & Reasonable, Manage your Expectations, Develop a positive Attitude & Love what you do!) Too many of us spend far too long trying to be something that we’re not. If networking isn’t a strength, that’s fine. Some of us are experts at writing words and some are great at speaking them. Either way, OWN who you are and be proud of it. This one act alone will help boost your confidence. Getting R.E.A.L. is about acknowledging who you are and what strengths you have, then setting targets that are reasonable and realistic. When it comes to networking these first two elements are key: Be Reasonable and Realistic about your Expectations. If you’re a wallflower, don’t schedule a conference with over 200+ attendees as your first venture into networking. Rather, find something local, check in with your Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Enterprise Centre and connect with like-minded local entrepreneurs where there may only be 12-15 people in the room. Log in to “MeetUp” and search for groups that are within your specific market and consider attending one of these meetings just to observe how others in your field interact. If you work up the courage to engage even one person in conversation, distribute a business card or two, consider that the first step in your successful networking career! There are also many organizations that cater exclusively to networking for women and while cutting off 50% of your potential clientele is not a good long-term strategy, it is an excellent place to start and feel comfortable – in a nurturing all female environment. Before heading out the door on your first attempt, practice on family members, heck speak to the family dog or sit hubby or your best friend down on the couch and practice your pitch on them until it sounds right. Writing something down vs. saying it “in your out loud voice” are often two entirely different things so don’t just write a great intro for yourself, practice saying it out loud to see how it sounds.

Along with Reasonable and Realistic, make your first few networking experiences memorable by adopting a positive Attitude. This might sound simplistic but if you’re nervous going in it will show. Attitude isn’t just about the words you choose it’s how you carry yourself and the face you show to the world. Stand tall, put a smile on your face, project a positive attitude out into the room and you will receive it in return. Put your cell phone away and don’t rely on it as a crutch. I once watched a women at a networking event as she arrived, “reading” email messages, checked in, found a seat and cell phone still in hand, never looked up once. As others joined her table she would glance up briefly and smile but no words were exchanged. I purposefully approached to chat with her and it was obvious she was very nervous. I understand but never looking up and attempting to make eye contact or engage with others won’t help improve your networking skills. No doubt her overall impression of that networking event wasn’t positive but she did nothing to help herself. A positive “I can do this” attitude while you are at an event will help carry you through the event.

For women networking here are some other practical tips:

  • Ditch the purse or invest in a crossbody bag that keeps you hands free.
  • Find a small, easily opened case to hold your business cards and in which to store those you receive.
  • Put your cell phone away – unless it’s your kid calling from school or jail chances are you don’t need to take that call. Cell phones are a distraction and make it too easy for you to appear busy and not focused on the reason for attending in the first place.
  • Likewise – stash your coat, your nerves will keep you warm enough!
  • Networking isn’t about the coffee – make your goal to meet people first then suggest to someone you’ve just met “let’s grab a coffee and find a table.” It’s a great way to extend a conversation rather than fumbling to balance that coffee and extend your hand for a handshake when you are first introduced.
  • If you are more comfortable attending your first couple of events with another person that’s fine but agree to split up when you arrive. Maintain eye contact for mutual support and you can always join up later to sit together. You’ll have the confidence of knowing someone is there with you but the opportunity to meet other people too. You might even double your odds if you both meet others and mutually share the contacts and introductions you’ve just made!
  • Recently, someone suggested to me that you make a specific goal for yourself like “Meet three people” or “Exchange 4 business cards” and then you can leave. Having an objective before you head into the event will leave you with a feeling of accomplishment when you achieve it.

Finally, you hear a great deal about passion these days. That is – hopefully, if you are a small business entrepreneur trying to grow your business, you LOVE what you do. If you love what you do your passion will shine through and that’s going to help you in terms of your positive mental attitude and your confidence level when walking into a room for networking purposes. Here is the most important tip – if you LOVE what you do, fine-tune your introduction so your love, commitment and passion shines through. We’ve talked in this space before about your “pitch” or “elevator speech” or introduction. Whatever you call it, it will only work for you if it truly resonates and you are comfortable both saying it and believing it. In my Communications Course I talk a lot about the rule of 10 and this can be applied to your introduction as well as any other areas of your business. Take the time to identify the top ten words that best describe your business and what it is you want to convey to potential clients. Once those words are on paper, play around with them to create one short sentence that acts as a great introduction of yourself and your business. Most importantly – it should be a sentence that invites and encourages conversation through questions. I learned a similar technique several years ago while attending an event hosted by The Leadership Forum in Caledon. Conversation engages and encourages and is so much better then throwing a business card at someone hoping it sticks. Engaging in a great conversation is what just might lead to future business.

In the end, being R.E.A.L. about who you are will allow your integrity to show. Trust and integrity are an enormous part of why someone chooses to do business with you. If you are not great at walking into a room – that’s fine – practice some of these tips and be passionate about what you do and that will help significantly. Maybe even admit your fears when you’re having a chat – chances are, the person you’re speaking with might be feeling the exact same way!

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

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FINDING PASSION IN WHAT YOU DO!

Amina

The other day I was speaking with a friend I had not seen in over a year and we got to talking about kids, family, marriage and finally work.  She asked me if I was enjoying my work after having had a great career in film and tv.  She had been working in the same job for the last 18 years and while she was building up a great pension, she had lost the passion for what she was doing and needed a change of life, so to speak!

Personally, I never thought after working in film and television that I would find something that had made me as happy as I was then – but I was wrong!  I am absolutely loving what I do now and I will give you the same reasons I outlined for her.

I get to meet new people every day that need solutions to their current problems. For instance, perhaps it’s the clients, who were facing a possible bankruptcy and I was able to come up with a solution for them, which helped them avoid the bankruptcy, refinance their current mortgage and see a way to the future with one payment instead of 10 separate payments with all of their debts; or it was the client who had 10 days to close on an investment purchase or be liable to be sued by the seller and I was able to get them a mortgage that the bank turned them down for and add to their investment portfolio.;  or it could be the client, who came to me after approaching the bank and two other seasoned brokers because her case would have proven to be difficult – which it was – and I was able to get her out of her 7% – 1st mortgage, her 14% – 2nd mortgage and her $100K in debts and in the end got her a 4.7%- 1st mortgage for 80% LTV that helped her save her sanity and got her out of debt.  She has now been able to follow her life-long dreams of becoming a drug counsellor because of the amount of money she was now saving, which was put to further education for her degree.

These are the stories that keep me going every day!

Another reason I love this career is that I get to put the same tactics for lack of a better word, that I used in film and tv to each mortgage case and/or client.  What do I mean? – well for instance, with every film or tv project that I was producing and/or production managing, I would start with a budget – I do the same for each client as I want to see where I can save them money.  Next I would look at what each project needed – everything from casting, wardrobe, sets, etc.  I do the same with a mortgage – what does the client need? Is it s a straight refinance, purchase or debt consolidation?

Each mortgage is different and the parameters are never the same –if we treated each mortgage and/or client like a one-size fits’ all situation, not only would we be failing as mortgage agents, but we would end up failing our clients as well.  Being able to use the same “out of the box” thinking that I was able to use in my previous career, keeps me waking up every day with a smile on my face, ready to welcome any challenge presented to me.

Have I found passion in what I do? Absolutely and I am greatful for this new-found passion everyday!

 

To your wealth!

Amina 

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Happiness Is True Success

anna

We live in a society where patience for the end result needs to be instantaneous. We’ve convinced ourselves into believing that fame and success can be achieved overnight, if we work harder, longer and faster. The biggest misconception is the firm line division between succeeding and failing.  We miss the ride to the finish line and the great learning we have come into as we take that ride.

The truth is that ride to the finish line is your success.  Think of the steps you have taken in your personal and business life and notice the little successes along the way.  Each meeting taught you to negotiate better. Each failed relationship taught you what you wanted and didn’t want in another relationship.

Passion
You need to believe in your business.  You need to have passion for your product or service.  Why are you in the business if it doesn’t move you to the core?  Do you have a passion? What is it that passion? And how can you express it more fully in your life? If you don’t feel the passion, then I suggest spending time looking back on your life to see what excited you in the past. When was the last time you felt this eagerness and excitement for something wonderful?

Take time to clarify your passion.  Only you can produce the behavior that will turn your vision into reality.

Positive Perspective 
What is your perspective? If you are not achieved your desired results, are you tapping into your passion to turn it around, or wallowing in negativity? Although your circumstances may not ideal, keep your internal perspective at a positive and high level. You have to choose to think positively.

The journey to success has twists and turn and sometimes deep, deep valleys.  There most certainly may be roadblocks along your road. However, remember, in life everyone has choices. You can choose to use your mind as a powerful connection to your dream that can work for or against you. No one else is responsible for how you choose to react. Regardless of the challenges you face, you can live a happy, fulfilled and successful life.

Perseverance
There are no shortcuts. Don’t give up! Success could be just around the corner. I once heard a story about a man who bought land with the intention of drilling for oil.  He did all his research and took a huge chance that this was the fortune lad.  He invested almost everything he had into the project and drilled and drilled until one day he had to make the decision to whether to continue and go into more debts or to sell and make back what he had invested.  He decided to sell. He thought about what was safe and he had lost his belief in ever finding that oil.  A week later, the new owner found oil.

Since that time the first gentlemen learned an extremely powerful lesson.  He was only a few feet from fortune but without belief and perseverance there was no way to win.

Philanthropy

There is nothing more emotionally satisfying than when you give much back to others you need help.  Supporting others and assisting them along in their path creates such an emotional positive charge to your own life.  A successful person practices and teaches understanding, tolerance, and service to others. Reach out to others who may be in need.  Acts of human kindness reinforce our need to connect with others in a meaningful way.  In happiness true success is found.

Anna Ottaviani is a Board Certified NLP Master Practitioner & Master Coach, Board Certified Master Hypnotherapist,Creating Your Future® , Time Line® Therapist Practitioner and Reiki Master. Her methods are unique and tailored to each individual client. She can be reached at www.sucessfullyyou.ca or by phone at 289-221-5772. You can follow her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/successfullyyou?ref=ts&fref=ts