Networking, or Connecting with Your “Joy” People?

This week I’ve invited my Winnipeg friend Heather Plett to share her wisdom on networking, versus connection. Heather just released a new product on leadership, so be sure to check out her site. “I hate networking. It gives me hives.” That’s what I would have told you at the beginning of this self-employment journey. It was... [Read more]

Dealing with Entrepreneurial Fatigue

It takes about 90 days to make a new habit stick. By the time you hit the 100th day, you’re supposedly well on your way. I’ve often pondered if it works the other way: if your habit, or goal, isn’t progressing visibly before 90 days, are you doomed for it to fail? There are many valid reasons why coaching programs and similar transformational ... [Read more]

Buyer Beware: Know Your Rights (and Vote With Your Wallet)

Watch this space on Mondays, where I’ll share Buyer Beware Tips. It’s important to invest in professional quality marketing materials for your business. This is not the place to cut costs by doing it yourself, unless you happen to be a kick-butt graphic designer, photographer and writer. Deciding who to choose can be tricky especially... [Read more]

How to Grow Your Business Through Collaboration aka Grow Your Business, Not Your Workload

When I first started my business, all I wanted was to earn at least as much as I had in my job, and to be able to call my time my own. I didn’t want to hire employees, subcontract work out, or deal with too many clients at a time. In essence, my intention was to keep it simple. I have since found from speaking with hundreds of recovering employees... [Read more]

How to Alter Space and Time to Earn Money Multiple Ways

Have you ever wished you could clone yourself, or live and work in parallel time zones? As a small business owner, time is money. I like to add that the real reason most of quit high paying jobs to start businesses: because money buys you time.  The more efficiency you create, the more profitable you are… but even more than that, the more flexibility... [Read more]

Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made – and Does It Matter?

Popular media and pollsters are finally catching up to what some of us instinctively or experientially have realized for a while: there is a new breed of entrepreneur. Many people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are choosing to leave their careers to start their own businesses. Some walk away grinning from high paying, secure positions. Some are downsized... [Read more]

How to Create a Successful First Meeting

So you’ve got your game face on and you’ve got all of the necessary items in order to go out there and greet the world. You’ve done your homework, gotten specific and clear about where your services exactly meet up with your clients’ problems, and the word is getting out there. What happens next is what matters the most. You’ve... [Read more]

Could Your Business Survive the What If… Test?

Place yourself in one or more of these scenarios. What if: You or someone whose care you are responsible for became ill or incapacitated in some way, severely restricting or even eliminating your ability to do your usual work? A staff or team member quit abruptly, perhaps even at a most critical time? You lost your biggest client, or more than one,... [Read more]

Remarkable Difference, or Noticeable Shortcoming?

I have a confession to make. I really don’t like much about the self-help movement. As a business strategist who uses coaching processes to work with my clients, you might think this is odd. So, let me explain. The basic foundation of most self-help advice is to wrestle the demons, and fix what’s wrong with you. It took me a long time to... [Read more]

Design Your Business Around Your Strengths

In my opinion, many entrepreneurs spend more time focusing and trying to overcome their weaknesses, than capitalizing on their strengths. You may have heard Carl Jung’s famous statement, “what you resist, persists” and I believe this to be true when it comes to entrepreneurs getting lost in their perceived shortcomings. Enjoy this... [Read more]

The Feel-Good Business Plan

It’s that time of year again. Depending on how you feel about planning for your business, it fills you with excitement, or sense of foreboding and dread. I’ve met entrepreneurs of every shape and size, and encountered the full range of approaches to business and marketing planning. Some can’t wait to get started and look forward to... [Read more]

The Unplanned Approach to Business Planning

There are more than 2,500 businesses started every day in the United States of America. That’s an astonishing number. The sum of all small businesses in the USA is more than 26 million, which is around the same as the entire population of Canada, the country where I live. I find this oddly comforting. To me, it means there is abundant opportunity... [Read more]

Small Steps for Big Success

“If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.” – Anita Roddick When it comes right down to it, there are only a few variables in business that dictate whether you are financially successful or not. The same goes with marketing. After getting to know hundreds of small business owners over the last few years,... [Read more]

How to Make Your Last Employer Your First Client

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur who is still working for someone else, and you’re desperately dreaming of the day you can blaze your own trail, perhaps it isn’t so far off in your future after all. Your very first client could be right under your nose. Many corporate fugitives transition from the salary world into self employment by inching... [Read more]

How to work for money when love isn’t paying the bills

If you read popular business culture sources, it’s easy to get caught up in the concept of “do what you love, the money will follow”. It can and usually does, but rarely is it instant! Like anything that’s good for you, moderation is key. Focusing on creating your dream business, and working with the best, ideal clients for you is a step that... [Read more]

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