CONSIDER THESE POINTS:

1. What is your time worth?
2. Can you avoid the concept that you would prefer to “do it yourself for free” rather than out-source the mundane?

To Automate your business Tim suggests getting a remote personal assistant as soon as possible. Learn how to give orders and be a commander instead of the commanded. Remote management and communication is a critical New-Rich skill. Plus, very remote management (jumping time zones and visiting third-world currency) has two pros:

1. people work while you sleep
2. the per-hour expense is less

Becoming a member of the New-Rich is not just about working smarter, it’s about building a system to replace yourself. The goal is to free your time to focus on bigger and better things.

Refine rules and processes before adding people.
Two guidelines for task delegation to personal and/or virtual assistants:

Golden Rule #1: Each delegated task must be both time-consuming and well-define.
Golden Rule #2: On a lighter note, have some fun with it.

The important metrics are cost per completed task (not cost per hour) and successful task completion rate. Also assure to have fallback support by hiring a VA firm or VAs with backup teams, so your delegated task will be completed without interruption.

Two rules to minimize damage from information theft and allow for fast repair:

1. Never use debit cards for online transactions or with remote assistants (instead use credit cards with painless and near instantaneous refunds).
2. If your VA will be accessing websites on your behalf, create a new unique login and password to be used on those sites.

Practical tips to avoid common delegation mistakes:

1. Do not accept the first person a firm provides, and do make special requests at the outset.
2. Give precise directions and ask for task rephrasing and confirmation before starting the work.
3. Don’t give a license to waste time by demanding periodic status updates, so further execution of impossible tasks can be halted before going out of control.
4. Set only short deadlines, within 72 hours or even 48 or 24 hours and break larger tasks into subtasks.
5. Give one but no more than two prioritized tasks at a time.

Questions and Actions: Virtual Assistant

1. Get an assistant – even if you don’t need one.
2. Start small, but think big.
3. Look at what tasks have been sitting the longest on your to-do list.
4. Ask yourself if a VA could do the task when you are interrupted or change tasks.
5. Delegate tasks that cause you the most frustration and boredom.
6. Identify your top five time-consuming non work tasks and five personal tasks you could assign for sheer fun.

Notes from Lee:
I got most of this outline from http://www.quintusheg…

If you want to buy this book, it’s available in most book stores. Soon we will be selling it on our site. If you want to investigate getting a virtual assistant, let us know.

Important! For those of you who have asked me, the Art Reception/Network marketing event is May 19th from 5:30 to 8:00. All are welcome. It’s a great free date! http://stclairgallery…

Certainly not age!

by: Laurie Hayes

This may or may not surprise you, but I have learned that regardless of age, it usually isn’t lack of skill, time or money that gets in the way of starting or growing your business.

Most of the entrepreneurs I work with are between 40 to 65 years young, and when they hit a wall or spin their wheels, it’s rarely associated to lack of ability, desire, physical or monetary means.

Physically, they have what it takes, but mentally — there’s a lifetime of baggage blocking access to real progress.

Many have raised children, have been supervisors at work, devoted and hardworking employees, and creative geniuses, and despite their lifetime of accomplishments, something seems to come up when they begin the journey from employee to entrepreneur.

Some of it is tied to the transition into the business world, but much of it also comes from reaching a certain point in life where you can start putting your needs ahead of others. You have raised your children, supported your spouse in his or her career, served as a loyal employee to your boss and now, it’s time to focus on following your dream.

The problem is the dream is clouded by old programming.

How many times in the past did you do or say things you didn’t want to simply to please your parents, teachers, spouse, church leaders or children?

Did you take courses you didn’t want to take or jobs you hated because someone told you it was best for you? Did you marry someone you shouldn’t have because you were told it was the “right” thing to do?

How many times were you told you had dumb ideas, weren’t smart, pretty or strong enough?

How many times were you told not to bother pursuing a professional sport, music or writing because you’d never make it — only the exceptional few did?

If you’re struggling to get clear on what you want or if you’re not taking the right actions even though you know what must be done, look inside yourself and try to uncover what’s really holding you back.

How much of other people’s “stuff” are you allowing to influence how big you dream and the actions you do or do not take?

I recall a colleague of mine who today is a millionaire, but when he started his business he struggled to succeed. He had done well in corporate, but when he started to promote his new business, he couldn’t attract clients.

It was only after he locked himself in his office for a full day and began looking at his marketing materials that he realized he had designed everything to appease his father and gain his approval. He wasn’t communicating to his target audience at all.

He re-wrote his material, changed the way he promoted himself, and within months attracted numerous clients.

Another client realized in her late 50′s that because she was allowing her father to make her feel guilty because he had helped her out when she was younger, every day was dictated by his mood and the demands he placed on her.

She couldn’t grow her business because she allowed her father to determine the amount of time and activities she could focus on each day.

It took almost two years to release the guilt and feeling that she had to be at his beck and call, but when she did, doors began to open. She started receiving phone calls and orders from large organizations and she started meeting people with huge networks who loved her products and wanted to share her with all of their friends.

She became a vibrant, confident woman and started attracting other vibrant people into her life.

I share these stories not to encourage you to blame your parents or loved ones for the obstacles in your life, but to create awareness of the fact that what often holds us back is our belief that we must be responsible for everyone else’s happiness and comfort.

One of my former clients works with people who struggle with what she calls People Pleasing Syndrome because it is more often than not the biggest obstacle to personal and professional growth.

If you’re facing challenges in your business, take some time to look at the behaviors and beliefs you hold. What thoughts may be holding you back? What actions do you take that you know for a fact aren’t moving you forward?

Make the effort to uncover the reasons behind your thoughts and actions. If this is too hard to do on your own, seek the assistance of a coach or trusted professional.

Your life, your business and your ultimate happiness depend on your ability to give yourself permission to follow your dream without guilt or embarrassment and if you need help to make that happen, give yourself that gift. You deserve it.

2007 © Laurie Hayes – The HBB Source

Although you’ve been to many seminars and workshops; and you’ve read as many books and how-to materials to properly equip you with the mechanics of marketing, your knowledge is not enough if you lack the right marketing attitude.

Let’s face it, as a small business owner, you don’t really have the savvy and experience that most Fortune 500 companies. In fact, compared to them, you’re just barely reaching the very first step in marketing your product.

If you want to get ahead in the game and become a big player yourself, all you need to do is change your marketing attitude. Your marketing efforts will all be for naught if you have the following attitudes.

Attitude: “I’m good at what I do. I don’t need to advertise.”

If you’re the best at what you do, you know you don’t need to market because clients will surely come to you. You are a professional and have years of experience to boot. You don’t need to advertise because people will always look for a professional and that’s what you are.

Reality check. Even with the specialized niche you have and the expertise you gained from years of doing what you’re doing, a successful marketing campaign is necessary to build your business.

Creating promotional materials like your flyer printing pieces are necessities not jut whims. Even the big guys use advertising to get jobs.

So even if you don’t like it, marketing is part and parcel of the whole business ownership thing. Instead of seeing all the dirty work, why not engage yourself in looking at what an effective marketing campaign can do for you – develop a successful business.

Attitude: “I don’t have time for marketing. I’d rather use it for something more productive.”

This is especially true when you are already busy with a client or you have other important responsibilities taking up your time.

Being busy with an existing client work is great. That means you need to focus your energy and effort to meet deadlines and produce quality results. But what about after you’re done with that client? If you have this kind of policy, you’ll never be able to get yourself another client waiting for you when the first one is completed.

No matter your reason, the fact is, you need to get yourself to market your business even minimally. Set a time each week for you to do promotional campaigns like producing flyer printing pieces. Even with a small amount of time dedicated for marketing can do a world of difference in getting you your next bread and butter.

Attitude: “My advertising campaign doesn’t work for me.”

Not every marketing campaign works. But there are reasons why it doesn’t produce the results according to how you imagined it.

Maybe your message is not so clear to your target audience. Or the marketing strategy you’re adapting is not applicable to your target market. Or you’re totally barking at the wrong tree. You might be promoting your business to a market that doesn’t need you.

Or maybe because you don’t exert your marketing enough. So before you complain that your print flyer don’t do its job, you need to work it out first. Send them to as many people as possible and distribute not just once but as many times.

Changing your attitude is the first step to having a truly successful marketing campaign. So change it now before it’s too late.

Below is a complete list of articles that have currently been republished on the ECBC Site. If you have an article or editorial that you feel would be appropriate please contact us.

The Advantages of an Executive Suite with a Home Office!
Keep your sanity when you have a home office with a private or seni-private office you can escape to!

Home Based Business?
Are you ready to start a home based business? Don’t let age stand in your way!

Attitude is the key!
Attitude is the key to starting and running a home based business