BUSINESS TIPS OF THE MONTH

The Top Five Reasons Small Business Owners Fail To Take Action

1. Taking on too much
2. Unrealistic expectations (capability or capacity)
3. Unclear vision of your results
4. No plan
5. Lack of focus

You go to a seminar, get inspired, and then… nothing happens. You have good intentions. You get inspired and then you get tired. Maybe you don’t know where to start, so you don’t begin. Or you do a little bit here, a little bit there. Everything halts when you don’t see a way around unexpected obstacles. You take on too much. If you don’t see a clear beginning, middle and end to your project, you may abandon it.

Marketing is a lot like dating. Say too much about yourself too soon and your “date” will run the other way. Have you been guilty of the “first date” syndrome? Imagine a couple is on their first date where the man proposes marriage and a family before they have started on salad. His date is bewildered and overwhelmed. Are you “selling” at your first meeting with a prospective client instead of getting to know them and finding out if you can help them—or even if you like them and want to do business with them? Who you are being, what are you saying and what results do you expect? If you want to build a long-term relationship instead of going for a one-night stand, here are five tips that will get you into the habit of success and relationship-building.

Plan for results. A clear vision of what you want to accomplish—and clarity about what you will have and how you will feel as a result of your efforts—will fuel your actions. You are far more likely to engage and complete your project when you visualize your ultimate reward.

Completion is a habit. Identify resources and set a date for completion. Break a larger task into bite size pieces. Commit to working on your project daily for 10–30 minutes instead of relying on inspiration. Consistent action over time will produce results. An action plan helps organize your thoughts and map your strategy.

Set appointments with yourself. This one simple act exponentially increases productivity, and is likely to keep you focused. Make time for what is important to you, and put it on your calendar as you would your other appointments.

How much time do you really have to work on this project? How much time will it take? How important is it to complete this project? How will life be different when you have your desired outcome? What is the cost in dollars, time, business gained or lost, emotionally, physically, and spiritually if this project is not completed? The more you visualize the ultimate outcome or results—how you will feel and what it will look like—the more likely you will take action to make this vision come true.

Spending time to prepare an action plan is an investment in your success. A written action plan takes ideas out of your head. It lets you see what you have now and what you need, and allows you to enlist the help of others to realize your dream. It organizes your thinking as well as your actions. With a clear beginning, middle and end point, your project becomes possible.

Next time you have a project or prospective client, start by planning out the incremental steps to get from here to there. Identify the resources you have and which ones you need. Visualize the results of a completed project, or of landing the client you desire as vividly as possible to help your brain see this as your new reality. Your brain will work to make your vision true. Stay focused on where you are going and why it is important, and you will have an easier time getting from here to there.

Take this approach to your marketing and you will see consistent results and get more clients.

Judy Baker is Completely Creative. She works with coaches and consultants who want to turn what they know into information products but don’t know where to start. She helps them turn their ideas into actions with a proven step-by-step system. She helps them get clear, stay focused and moving forward toward their goals. As a result, they gain new sources of revenue and they consistently attract and retain qualified clients, build their source of referrals and have fun as they build their visibility, credibility and profitability. For more information, contact Judy at success@creative1.com or call her at 707-938-2586.

©2009 Judy Baker, Completely Creative
 

ORGANIZATIONS—PERSONAL TIDBITS

Ahhh…. And back to school it is!
Brian, my youngest went back to school on July 15th. He was beyond excited and rarin’ to go! Michael will go back August 27th, but first he will be going on a cruise with his Grandparents and dad! They are all headed to Alaska to enjoy some glaciers and perhaps find a train excursion as well.
 
 
GROWING MY BUSINESS
 
Anyone need to learn QuickBooks, or or take a refresher course on the basics? I am excited to announce that I am teaming up with Juan Hernandez of Mawson Computers, Inc. to teach QuickBooks courses in their company conference room. If you or anyone you know is interested in learning about QuickBooks basics, let me know and we’ll sign you up!
 

VIRTUAL JEANNIE VIRTUAL SPOTLIGHT

Star Dewar is in the spotlight this month. She is a photographer extraordinaire! Here’s a profile on her and what she does.

Star Shots Photography

Photographer Star Dewar Spins Her Magic To Capture Timeless Moments
By Jim Brumm

Sitting with Star Dewar in her photography studio nestled in the hills above Santa Rosa, I was struck by how peaceful and inviting the setting was. Upstairs in a building adjoining the home she shares with her husband, Star’s studio smells of pine from the trees rustling in the late spring breeze outside. The counters are festooned with photos of clients past; tripods and lighting fixtures stand waiting for the next clients. Paintings of dolphins adorn her walls along with a large mirror in the shape of Texas. But you don’t need the mirror to know Star is a Texas girl; speak to her for a moment and you’ll hear the soft, Gulf-Coast drawl that infuses her speech.
Star grew up in Houston, Texas, where, from age three to 14, she studied dance (at a school run by Patsy Swayze, actor Patrick Swayze’s mother). “I always thought I would be a dancer,” said Star. She was also self-described “surfer girl,” hitting the waves along the Gulf Coast. After finishing school Star began a self-study course in interior design. “I knew I was a creative person,” she said. “I started going to the library to learn everything I could about design.” At age 23 she found a job as an interior designer for Sears, while continuing to teach dancing on the side. From there she moved to a higher-end interior design studio for four years while still teaching at a large dance studio at night. When she was 29, she came to California on a motorcycle trip and discovered Armstrong Woods in Guerneville. She fell in love with the area and moved to Sebastopol in 1979. Star had always been interested in photography, and in 1975, she bought her first professional-grade 35 millimeter camera. “It was another form of expression for me,” she said. While teaching dance she would often photograph her students in action; photography became as large a part of her life as dance. After teaching ballet, tap and jazz dance for seven years in Sonoma County, Star suffered two ruptured discs in her back that put her out of commission for a quarter-year. She had to quit dance in order to recover. After her injury healed enough to work again, Star found a job working for a corporation taking photos for catalogues and advertisements. She stayed for nine years, honing her technical skills with a camera. Later, she was hired by Robert Pierce Photography Studios as a manager. After years of working for others, Star, already having built a photography studio at home, decided to pursue her passion and start her own photography business. In 2004 she stopped teaching after 27 years and struck out on her own with Star Shots Photography. Every home has a camera. We’ve all taken pictures of friends, parties, scenes we want to remember. The difference is, most people pick up a camera and take a snapshot. Star Dewar picks up a camera and captures magic. The problem is that so many people are uncomfortable with a camera pointed at them. They try to smile, and come up with a grimace; just knowing they are being seen through a lens makes them stiff and uncomfortable. Star, with her soothing persona, easy-going attitude and generous people skills, turns self-consciousness into self-esteem, tension into peacefulness and a potentially uncomfortable situation into a fun, magical time. “People often don’t want to come in for head shots,” said Star. “They’re doing it because they have to. The highlight of my life is to hear them say afterward, ‘wow, I look pretty good!’ I ask them to go to that beautiful place in their hearts; the sweet spot in their soul. And when they do, something changes in their eyes. It’s so much more than just being a technician.” Those who come to Star thinking they are just going to get a boring head shot, find instead that Star has managed to capture their truest form—their essence—with her camera. “My vision when I started this was to spend more time with my clients,” said Star, “to take the time we need to get the perfect shot instead of running everyone through on a tight schedule which lets no one relax.” She offers a popular style of photography she calls “Goddess Shots,” a fun, lighthearted session for women to capture their true, inner beauty. “When I’m photographing women, I take plenty of time, offer more clothing changes, lots of playfulness and fun. I can see how beautiful they are. I want them to know they’re beautiful.”   In addition to portraits and corporate head shots, Star excels at photographing weddings. Being a wedding photographer is a true art. The photographer must capture all of the necessary staged photos without being obtrusive, then must circulate through the crowd capturing as many beautiful, candid shots as possible, again, without being a pest. If the guests become too aware of the photographer, they will stiffen up for the camera. “At weddings, after we do the formal shots you won’t know I’m there,” said Star. “I get kudos from guests and clients that I was almost invisible.” Photos of past weddings sit framed in her studio, each more stunning than the last. “I love connecting with people and letting them know how good they look,” she said. “When someone looks at an image of them I’ve created, sometimes they don’t say anything, but their eyes tell it all. I love making them happy and getting them the image they always wanted.”     Star excels at weddings, family portraits, bar and bat mitzvahs, boudoir photography, goddess shots and corporate head shots. In addition, she is a talented and passionate wildlife photographer. With a lifetime affinity for animals, Star is the administrator of the Wildlife Center in Kenwood and an avid advocate for marine mammals. Twisting a silver dolphin bracelet on her arm, she speaks passionately of her work with dolphins and other marine mammals.
“I first photographed whales and dolphins underwater in nineteen-ninety-four,” she said. “Doing that made it clear to me that I was supposed to teach children to save the ocean. Working with animals made me feel that they were telling me that I could change the world.” Star frequently does presentations to school children and organizations on the subject of marine mammals and ocean ecology. In some primitive cultures, people feel that a camera captures the soul. In Star Dewar’s case, they would be right. Her intuitive skills with a camera enable her to capture the soul of whatever subject she’s photographing, no matter who it is, or what it is. You can reach Star Dewar and Star Shots Photography at 707-539-8974 or visit www.stardewar.com.