The answer may be killing your profits and your passion.

As a business strategist I help business earn more and have more fun doing it.  How we do that varies for each client. Sometimes we expand into new markets or tweak how they talk about their offer. However, one thing nearly every client needs is greater clarity about where they should invest their time and capital for the greatest return.

Let’s face it, today there are thousands of options for growing your business. But in a hour of work time, what should you do?  You could write a blog, post in Facebook, answer emails, run a campaign, call a client, form a JV alliance, go to a networking event…AHHH… it can drive a person batty!

To help ease your pain and confusion, here are some tips for deciding the best use of your time for the highest return.

BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: You may think you have a clear vision for your business but do you really? Is it a written vision that includes both the right and left brain components? When I work with a client, we spend time clarifying the creative, feeling-aspect of your vision but we don’t stop there. We get super detailed around what must go with it – the sales figures you’ll hit, the team you’ll have, the marketing strategies you will implement and so on.

ESTABLISH REASONABLE BENCHMARKS: These are smaller goals that when completed, move you closer to your big vision. My studies show that 85% of entrepreneurs begin their month WITHOUT specific goals or a plan.
All I can say is… you can’t hit a target you can’t see!

CHOOSE THE RIGHT STRATEGIES: I see so many well-meaning entrepreneurs investing in programs, tools and information without really considering whether it’s appropriate for their plan or personality. Then they feel guilty when they don’t follow through. Give yourself a break – choose 3 to 4 strategies that are aligned with who you are and what you love. You’ll be more courageous, you’ll follow through and you’ll get much better results. I promise!

DESIGN YOUR WEEK: One of the tips my clients love is to ditch the Daily To Do List and move to a Weekly Action Plan. It gives you freedom, a longer range vision and allows you to be flexible and kind to yourself. What do you put on your Weekly Action Plan? Single steps that are born out of something I call a Freedom Plan. This is a simple document that outlines your main objectives for a specific period of time, identifies the strategies you’ll utilizes and specifies the steps you’ll take to get there. A Freedom Plan is freeing!

So there you have it… you need a clearly defined one year vision, specific monthly goals, 3-4 appropriate marketing strategies and a weekly plan of action. Add a great Business Coach (that would be me!) who guides and supports you in the implementation and watch the magic happen and the sales soar!
Click here to learn about coaching with Jane.

Business Growth, Business Vision, Marketing Innovation, Sales productivity, profit, prosperity, strategies

While I have the privilege of  serving all kinds of entrepreneurs through my coaching and training programs, one group I truly resonate with is made up of speakers, authors and trainers. I resonate with them because I am one of them. So I speak from experience when I say… How we are delivering our content to our clients when we are not face to face or belly to belly has to change!  The illusion that we can change a life through a CD, a PDF or a standalone webminar is an illusion. No, the next generation of delivering our content is an interactive, multi-media training platform that creates connection, inspires action and keeps students wanting more.
To get a free report entitled Turn Your Content Into Cash, visit the Virtual Training Academy.

I have taken over 3000 students through 12 life-changing courses using this innovative online training platform. So, in the interest of passing on to you the insider secrets I’ve gained along the way – here are some “must-haves” that you’ll want to have in your next online course in order to create change in your clients and profits for you.

1. Give Them A Starting Point To Measure From – One important way to keep participants engaged in your e-course is to help them recognize and measure their progress along the way.  I recommend you start with a series of pre-course assessment questions that provide a numerical representation of where they are with regard to your topic. This assessment provides motivation to keep taking the steps you suggest and provides evidence of their progress. Clients who can measure progress are more likely to stay in the game and tell others about their experience.

2. Find the Natural Rhythm of Your Material – When dividing your content into modules, it’s important to find the natural milestones or shifts your participant needs to make in order to experience personal transformation. Perhaps there is a foundation that needs to be laid around beliefs or mindset. If so, weave that process into your first module so they have a strong foundation to build on. Then, continue to look for the natural progression of growth that can be revealed throughout each subsequent module.

3. Give Them Your Best – Your first E-Learning Platform should be based on your most popular program – your signature content upon which your brand is built. By transforming your content into an ongoing, step-by-step experience we allow participants to settle into our message and gradually weave our strategies and the principles into their lives.

4. Begin With the End In Mind – As the saying goes, you can’t hit a target you can’t see.  So no matter what your topic, begin the program with a pre-course exercise that helps participants create a clear vision of where they want to end up after experiencing your course. From hitting a financial goal, defining their ideal weight, or identifying a personal dream they truly desire, you want participants to see and feel the results before they begin.  This keeps them focused on the end willing to do the action steps you outline for them.

Read more…

Business Growth, Business Vision productivity, profit, strategies

Here’s the truth… there is probably a line item missing from the expense column of your P&L that is arguably the most important investment you should be making during these times.

Yes, everyone is watching the bottom line closely these days. Today’s economic climate dictates that we carefully monitor what’s flowing in and what’s flowing out. But as you and I are called upon to up our game in all aspects of growing our businesses there is one investment we can’t afford to cut – the investment in ourselves via coaching.

“But coaching is a luxury” you may be saying. “What I need is strategy!”

Is that really true? How many strategies do you already know of and have not implemented? How many books and audio programs have you invested in and still not woven the suggestions they contain into your day to day business model?

The truth is, to take your business to the next level you need to focus on your ability to IMPLEMENT the strategies you already have on your plate! The money is in implementing the strategies you already know of to the best of your ability – PUT THEM ON STERIODS if you will. Because success in business is in ACTING on what you know, not just knowing.

Here’s my story… While I’m a business strategist who helps business owners select, implement and profit from utilizing the right strategies, what I was missing was a life coach that could guide and support me in my personal world. Since coaching with my coach, John Dulworth, my life and my business has been completely transformed. From losing 12 pounds and getting my body in better shape than when I was in college, to exploding my revenues by redefining my business model to be in alignment with my purpose, these shifts came from having a skilled life coach on my team.

You need two types of coaching: personal and business.

Business Coaching with a seasoned strategist is essential because they shorten the learning curve and enable you to make better decisions. Imagine having a wise sounding board with whom you can brainstorm strategies for reaching new markets, harnessing technology, building your team and optimizing your marketing dollars. These are all areas in which a business coach can make a positive and profitable difference.

Personal Coaching with a certified life coach is essential because, in the end, the success of your business is dependent upon YOU. Are you in the right place emotionally and mentally to take on all that comes from growing a business? Are you able to handle set backs or navigate a challenge with ease and confidence? Are you able to see things clearly so you can correct your course when you get off track? And more importantly, can you maintain your momentum and enthusiasm to do what needs to be done? This is what a life coach offers.

So stop being penny-wise and pound foolish and put this single most important line item onto your P&L. The result will be a happier YOU and a stronger BOTTOM LINE!

To get the support you need from a business strategist and a life coach all wrapped into one incredible 8 week business building program, click here: http://www.revenuerevolutioncourse.com. Join the Revenue Revolution!

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset, Masterminding profit, progress, prosperity, strategies

I remember my “dog days” like they were yesterday… working long hours, achieving the goals, and bringing in revenue BUT leaving no time at all for ME.  This has been a recurring theme for business owners since the beginning of time. We love our businesses, our clients, the challenge, the excitement . . . but, at the end of the day, we are losing a piece of ourselves on the way to our dreams. This has got to stop!!!!

As I continue my personal evolution, as I described in an earlier blog post, I am delighted to discover that as I reconnect with ME, take care of my body, enhance my relationships and spend time doing the things I love, my worst nightmare is NOT coming true.  You see, somewhere in the back of my mind I carried a disempowering belief that if I took time for me the rest of my life – specifically my business – would suffer. But instead I’m attracting more clients, opportunities and revenue than ever before.

Think about that! As I create new daily habits, including waking to a practice that puts me “in the moment” and daily workouts that have allowed me to release unwanted pounds effortlessly – I am taking a stance for ME – feeling happier and healthier than ever before.

I love this because my experience personal fulfillment and business success these past months counters the prevailing belief in the world today that it isn’t possible to have both a profitable business and a fulfilling personal life. I’m LIVING PROOF that you can!

Not only CAN you have both – simultaneously – it is becoming my life’s mission to show other business owners how to make it happen! Toward that end, I held a tele-class Tuesday night, called the “Revenue Revolution”. The response has been truly overwhelming and gratifying. Clearly I have tapped into one of the biggest pain points of today’s entrepreneurs.

Along with two of my team members, who are expert coaches, I am launching the Revenue Revolution Program on July 14, 2009, to show other business builders how they too can have it all. I’m so excited to share this with the world! If you’d like to get instant access to the replay of the call, click here. My intent is that it offers insights and inspiration you can take into your day.

Business Growth, Business Vision, Maintaining Mindset inspiration, profit, strategies

In a recent survey co-sponsored by Network Solutions, LLC and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, researchers not only concluded that having a serviceable website is key to the success of small businesses but that doing so can improve their competitiveness in the marketplace.

The summary of the survey states: “Assuming that a venture capitalist is not going to suddenly appear and shore up most small businesses, a sound investment a small business can make is in ramping up its Internet business solutions, or so it would seem based on the experiences of those small businesses who have done it. This means more than just building a website, but making a commitment to online advertising, allowing customers to view and order products online, providing email customer service and self-service options to customers.”

Does your website boast the features above? As the saying goes… You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The same holds true for your website! Don’t go live until you have taken each step outlined on Profit Partners’ Website Effectiveness Checklist. Live already? There is still time. The Tech Team at Profit Partners makes it fast and simple to have an impressive online presence that gets results.

Invest five minutes of your time and click here to review key elements to website success. From Branding & Identification to having a Site Traffic Marketing Plan, know where your website stands on the seven dimensions covered in the checklist!

Business Growth, Website Essentials profit, strategies

Yep, that’s right – I’m wishing you a very happy “New YOU” as we begin 2009.  It’s a celebration of the fact that ANYTHING you want to have in the coming year is within your reach if you simply want it bad enough and are willing to take the steps to make it happen.

I know, I know… the economy is questionable right now. People all around you are shouting “the sky is falling” and there is plenty of evidence that says things could get worse. Yet the truth remains that during these challenging times millionaires are being made, deals are being closed and people ARE prospering more than ever before. Read more…

Business Growth inspiration, profit, prosperity