Archive for the ‘Business Tools’ Category
The Laughing Buddha
May 8th, 2010 | Author: Michele
I shared this article in one of my newsletters a while back and just came across it again. I thought you might enjoy it.
“Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” ~Charles Dickens
The myth of the Laughing Buddha
I had read somewhere a long time back that if one rubbed on the belly of the Laughing Buddha, it would bring abundance and prosperity into one’s life.
A friend once bought a small statue of the Laughing Buddha, so small that she could carry it with her in her pocket and hold it in her hand. The mystic Laughing Buddha always fascinated me so I went to a local shop and bought one for myself. Mine is a wooden one and is 6-7 inches tall. Nope, not the size one could carry around.
Whenever I looked at the Laughing Buddha, I would find him laughing joyfully and I would remember the famous song “for he’s jolly good fellow, for he’s a jolly good fellow”. The Laughing Buddha symbolizes abundance and prosperity. If you look at the Laughing Buddha, he hardly has any possessions, except for a bag on his shoulder. He is alone, always laughing and has this huge belly. And it’ll make you wonder how someone who has nothing can bring you something! That too, by rubbing his belly? Bizarre? Yes, but I wanted to check it out anyway. Who knows, maybe the magic worked… and who doesn’t like more abundance and prosperity in one’s life?
Did I rub the belly everyday? You bet I did! I put mine on my desk so that I would remember to say hello and rub the belly everyday. I scoured the web for instructions to rub the belly the “right and proper” way to get the best results!
I was totally in love with the Laughing Buddha (after all, one had better be polite, courteous, loving to some one who is going to bring prosperity and abundance to one’s life, right?). This went on for a few days. I even instructed my husband to rub the belly when he was around. But then, he totally ignored me!
After a few days of this madness I forgot all about the belly rubbing. The statue remained on my desk and I wondered if the myth was just a myth. If it was indeed true, all we had to do to beat this economy is to distribute Laughing Buddhas all over the world and instruct people the “right and proper” way of rubbing the belly! And the economy would start booming again!
Now, wouldn’t that be just cool? Totally cool?
What is prosperity and abundance really?
Even though I didn’t rub the belly any longer, there were many questions at the back of my mind.
What is prosperity and abundance really? Is it having all the money I ever need? When would I know I’ve made enough? Is “enough” about having a good life for this day, this month, this year or this life time? Is “enough” about providing for one’s children a great living? Or is “enough” about providing for one’s grandchildren too?
When is “enough” enough?
But then again, is prosperity and abundance all about money? How about health, relationships, family, love, fulfillment, peace…? How about some balance?
The day I met the Laughing Buddha
The Laughing Buddha remained on my desk and whenever I looked at him, he would just grin back – ear to ear. Always. How can he be so happy? Not have any possessions yet be the symbol of abundance and prosperity? What did the symbolism really mean? I had to find out. So I decided to ask him. For a while, he just grinned back not really answering my questions. I had to nag him for quite some time (if you didn’t guess already, I am a pretty good nag) before he finally relented and shared his wisdom.
Laughing Buddha’s recipe for Abundance/Prosperity = Happiness + Contentment + Non-attachment
“Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” ~John Petit-Senn
True abundance and prosperity is happiness. If you’re not happy, it doesn’t matter how big your house is or how fat your bank balance is or if you’re the CEO of a big company or the president of a country. Money doesn’t grow on trees and neither does happiness. Someone can lend you money but nobody can lend you happiness. Sorry, the banks don’t do that yet and don’t intend to in the near future.
Happiness comes from contentment. Contentment does not mean that you should not aim higher or not have more or that you should scrape by only with what little or more you have! Contentment is taking the time and appreciating what you have in life, valuing it, enjoying it and sharing it – be it relationships, wealth, health, material possessions, natural resources etc. It’s like enjoying a meal, taking time to savor every bite/morsel and being grateful to nature and the universe. It’s about taking time to digest and assimilate a meal before having the next one.
Non-attachment is enjoying what you have in life without being overly attached to what you possess, i.e. without being “needy” of these possessions. Because when you become needy, you become desperate and you act from a place of “lack” and that attracts more “lack” into your life. In doing so, you deny your true essence – the essence of the spirit that stands for abundance and prosperity, the spirit that is ever giving and the spirit that symbolizes unconditional love. What stops flow of prosperity into our life is not “lack” in the world/universe but the “lack” in our minds and the thoughts and actions motivated by this “lack” – acts of fear, neediness and desperation that generate negative energy.
Laughing Buddha shares two simple tips to get you going
“He who is plenteously provided for from within, needs but little from without.” ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
TIP #1: Enjoy your every meal and you’ll soon master enjoying every moment of life! Watch as abundance and prosperity flows into your life!
TIP #2 (to remind you to enjoy your meal): Rub your belly before and after every meal!
TIP #3 (to remind you to rub your belly): Get yourself a Laughing Buddha!
Prasanna Gunturi, a Success & Self-Mastery Coach, helps individuals master their inner energy so they can eliminate energy drainers and channel their energy to create the life they desire and want.
What’s inner energy got to do with money? Download the free report Let’s Talk Money … and Beyond to find out what blocks money, the true source of prosperity and how one can tap into it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Prasanna_Gunturi
Why Freebies CAN Cost You by A. Michelle Blakeley
May 4th, 2010 | Author: Michele
I have spoken at a few of our Lodestone Business Development Groups about giving services away for free. IMHO, it’s important to be clear with yourself about why you are doing it. Is it in exchange for rent or another service or product? Is it part of your marketing plan? Is it part of your community service? In all of these situations,it’s important to have clearly defined boundaries about what you are willing to do, when you’ll do it, for whom you’ll do it and why you are doing it. If your desire is to be able to pay your bills with your job, you have to have money coming in to do that. In order to attract people who are willing and able to pay for your services, you need to know that there is a value to your services and conduct business accordingly.
One thing I do suggest highly is having some sort of free offer available to others to give them a taste of what you do and who you are. This is a part of your marketing plan and well worth it to provide for people. I love giving something away to those I connect with. If you want to learn more about this, contact me at michele@lodestonedynamics.com or visit us at one of our upcoming Lodestone Group meetings. In the meantime, check out this article I found talking about the very subject of giving away products and services. Very timely!
Recently, Ning announced that they were laying off 70 staff and no longer going to provide their social networking platform as a freebie. Ning’s COO Jason Rosenthal said they would stop offering free services, forcing networks to either pay or move (http://ow.ly/1BNke). Although it is not unusual for us to hear about the need to downsize and tighten belts, it is unusual to hear about such a large social networking venue to suddenly charge you for what you become accustomed to and enjoyed having as a freebie.
Just what is the cost of providing services and products as freebies? First of all, just because you offer something for free doesn’t mean people will want it. Offering products and services at no cost can be tricky. Giving away products and services that you promote as “valuable” actually decreases in value the more you do it. Although one man’s junk is another man’s treasure, what’s the value in something that you can get anytime you want? Just how long can your business survive when you are giving away everything with everything?
How much is too much? What happens when you can no longer afford to give away your products and services? What do you do? Do you grandfather your existing clients with the freebies and only charge new clients? Do you abruptly stop providing the freebies and only provide the products and services that cost?
Providing sessions, teleclasses, products, books, etc. as freebies are all great ways to get your foot in the door but when it is done in excess and/or over time there are risks. Those risks could cost you more in the long run. The last thing you want clients and potential clients to feel is like they’ve just experienced the “bait and switch.”
3 ways to avoid the costly mistake of providing products and services for free:
1. Have a time limit. This will help let clients and potential clients know that it is only for a set period of time and that they can anticipate having to pay for those said products and services in the future. Even if you use the term “for a limited time” or “limited supply” it gives the viewer notice. They should understand that it might not be available or expect a cost at some point in the future.
2. Attach the free product or service to the purchase of a product or service. Create a win-win scenario by offering a “bonus” item to the purchase of a product or service. You get a sale, but the client gets something extra of value without you giving away the kitchen sink.
3. Use the free product or service as a platform they can upgrade from. Keep the freebie a bare bones type of thing and keep the bells and whistles as something of value that they should expect to pay for. Many technology platforms use this type of technique as seen in “basic, premium and platinum memberships” etc.
One final note, if you utilize and incorporate a product or service into your business that does not have a cost attached to it, weigh the pros and cons carefully and know that should the bill come in the mail one day, you will gladly pay it because it is an integral part of your business functionality and success.
A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurson BlogTalkRadio.com and author of the NEW e-book: “Get it Right and Move Along… a collection of practical tips, tools and techniques for small business owners.”
Outsourcing Your Social Media
April 23rd, 2010 | Author: Michele
Here is a great article on what you should and shouldn’t outsource for your social media: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-outsourcing-social-media/
Planning Out Your Work
April 13th, 2010 | Author: Michele
One of my biggest challenges in being self-employed has been managing my time. While people always seem amazed at how much I get done, I know how I work and that I can get things done more efficiently. The only thing I miss about having a full time job is having someone else holding me accountable for getting things done (this can be a BIG help) and, ok, I also miss the conversations around the water cooler.
It is true that having someone else tell me when something needs to be complete and then checking in, can help when someone is as easily distracted as I can be. I usually have several projects going on at a time. Right now I actually have 29 (yes, you read that right) web pages open along with Photoshop, Outlook, Quicken, Word, oh and my printer needs ink and the reminder is up on my screen, AND last but not least, my Blackberry Desktop Manager program. Perhaps that gives you a better understanding of my mind and how it works (yep, painful at times).
So you can imagine my delight when I received a newsletter from Marcy at Coaching Toys/The Product Mentor where she highlighted some great planning tools that are actually available at no charge! I love this and I thought you might too. I think my fav is the Productivity Jumpstarter so far. Nice and easy to use! Let me know what you think of these tools…
New Moon, April 14 12:29
April 13th, 2010 | Author: Michele
Abundance checks are a tool we can use to create more abundance in our lives. They are written within 24 hours after a New Moon.
1. Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your check book. Where it says “Pay to,” write your name.
2. In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write “Paid in full.”
3. On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount, write “Paid in full.” [I find it works better if you don't add the squiggly line.]
4. Sign the check: “The Law of Abundance”
New Moon, March 15th 21:01
March 14th, 2010 | Author: Michele
Abundance checks are a tool we can use to create more abundance in our lives. They are written within 24 hours after a New Moon.
1. Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your check book. Where it says “Pay to,” write your name.
2. In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write “Paid in full.”
3. On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount, write “Paid in full.” [I find it works better if you don't add the squiggly line.]
4. Sign the check: “The Law of Abundance”
Top Marketing Trends for 2010 (in my humble opinion)
February 15th, 2010 | Author: Michele
1. & 2. Branding Goes Social
For 23 years, Pepsi has spent millions of dollars on SuperBowl ads. In 2010, they stopped. Instead, they are opting to spend the 20 million dollars on a social media advertising campaign called “The Pepsi Refresh Project”. Not only is this giving Pepsi a boost to their image with the concept of doing good in the world and making a difference, it is providing the opportunity to create increase brand awareness, results that can be tracked and will generate demand for their product – all through the use of social media.
There are two trends in one here that can’t be ignored. One is the desire for a greater world full of promise and hope. Especially big with the baby boomers, a company who shows they have a desire to be of service and support others is the company that will most likely get the business from others.
The other is the ever-growing, probably never-going-away social media craze. With budget cuts coming going deep, why not capitalize on what you have that’s free? If you’re department or company doesn’t have a page on Facebook or a Twitter account, you may be missing the boat. With just the right amount of nurturing, you can serve both employees, customers and potential customers alike. If you have a minute, check out one of my last articles on how to do social media right and begin growing your number of fans now.
3. Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is all about driving traffic to your website through the use of social media and other forms of advertising AND getting them to buy. Up to 70% of all leads who visit your site are not ready to buy. So how do you stay engaged with them in the hopes of turning them into a purchasing customer in the future?
Creating the ability to capture their email address as a way to share information with them in the future is one way. Remember, though, you need to stay in contact with them regularly (I recommend 2-3 times a month) AND it can’t just be about getting them to sign up for a program. Nobody wants to feel sold to all the time. It’s about sharing information you think they might be interested in. 80% of your content shared should be education, tips, information on trends, etc. versus telling them about an upcoming program you want them to participate in. This is what builds relationships.
Curious how you are doing as far as driving traffic to your site? Checkout websitegrader.com and get your website evaluated for free. If you don’t get a great score, don’t panic. Find someone who is knowledgeable in this area to help boost your site ratings.
4. Marketing Directly to Your Target
This is the way it has always been, however, with all the information coming at people all the time it is more important than it has ever been before. You want to make the most of your time in front of your target market. In addition to your brochure, consider sending out flyers and updates to those who have signed up for similar programs in the past rather than everyone.
Segment out your mailing list is key for this trend. You might choose to have a list for people with preschoolers and send out an email once a month with an activity they can do at home, something about a park facility and an educational piece about why it’s important for children to spend time outside. After you’ve filled 80% of the email with this type of content, add a promotion for an upcoming program.
5. Automate, Automate, Automate
Use an automated system like MailChimp, Constant Contact, Hootsuite, TweetDeck, etc. to automate some of these tasks so you can do a group of them at once and then sit back and enjoy the benefits. Just remember, it’s all about authenticity and transparency so don’t automate everything.
If you have any questions about any of these trends or are in need of additional resources, please let me know. I can be reached at michele@lodestonedynamics.com or 763.633.9364.
New Moon February 14th 2:51
February 13th, 2010 | Author: Michele
Abundance checks are a tool we can use to create more abundance in our lives. They are written within 24 hours after a New Moon.
1. Within 24 hours after a New Moon, take a check from your check book. Where it says “Pay to,” write your name.
2. In the little box on the same line where you would fill in a dollar amount write “Paid in full.”
3. On the line underneath your name, where you would write out a dollar amount, write “Paid in full.” [I find it works better if you don't add the squiggly line.]
4. Sign the check: “The Law of Abundance”
No Connection – Part 2 – How does it Relate to Business??
February 3rd, 2010 | Author: Michele
Yesterday I posted about my scary trip on 35W Monday evening. If you didn’t read the last post, you may want to before reading this one.
My feeling of floating, of not connecting to the road also connects for me on how it is in business when you don’t have the right tools to get you where you want to go. It’s tough to get traction when you don’t have what you need and are trying to “go forward” anyway. Sometimes, we need to take a little detour and re-evaluate where we are at before taking action.
Do you have a business plan? A marketing plan? Are you clear about what you want?
These are just a few things to consider when in business for yourself. Make sure you have the tools you need to be successful (however you define that)!
It’s Sunday!
January 31st, 2010 | Author: Michele
Isn’t Sunday supposed to be a day of rest? LOL I guess when I am my own boss, I can’t complain about doing a little work today. After all, it is my choice and I do love what I do. I noticed the sun is shining brightly and hope to go into town a little later to get my car washed. It is in dire need!
I shared a little bit on Facebook last night about how I got lost in the middle of nowhere heading home after a class in WI. It was late, it was dark and I was tired. It was all I could do to stay focused on the prize of getting home instead of losing it. Before I went to the class, I had a nudge to print the directions on Mapquest in reverse…a nudge I obviously ignored. I thought I’ll be fine, I’m used to following directions, I can figure it out to get back home.
Well, most of the time that’s true. I’m pretty well versed on the art of following directions but every once in a while, I need that extra help and guidance and this was definitely one of those times. You’ll be happy to know that I did make it home, in one piece and not too crabby. I found a nice man at a gas station who gave me directions to get back to the highway (side note: how come gas station attendants never seem to know where they are??). Lastly, don’t give up. I was so frustrated and was on the verge of losing it when that man appeared and gave me exactly what I needed. Most businesses give up, right before the turning point would have happened where they can experience the success they desire.
Don’t give up on your dream!
Tags: challenges, perseverance, success, wisdom | No Comments »