Entrepreneurs

There’s More to Twitter Than Tweeting Your Next Task

September 1, 2010 By Lisa

Last week, at a party, I mentioned that Twitter has been invaluable to my business. A few of my friends said (as they rolled their eyes) that it doesn’t matter if someone’s on their way to the gym or late to get a haircut.

They don’t get it. Others don’t either, unless they use Twitter often.

Twitter isn’t just about letting others know what you’re doing through your tweets. The truth is that unless you’re a major celebrity, not everyone cares where you’re going or where you’ve been.

There are a few ways that you can use Twitter to help you grow your business including:

Drawing traffic to your blog. When you update your blog (which you should do several times a week), tweet your latest blog headline and a (shortened) link. The better the headline, the faster your followers will flock to your site. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Internet marketing, Making money from home, Marketing/Public Relations, Working with clients Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, online marketing, search engines, Twitter

Making Space for a Spouse While Working From Home

August 26, 2010 By Lisa

I admire couples who can work from home together and not strangle each other by the end of the day. It’s not that I’m unreasonable, bitchy or territorial (at least not all of the time), but there’s no way I could stand to share an office with a spouse. Period.

Part of the reason is that I’m from a family of five kids which makes me want my own space, my own supplies and as much privacy as possible. This site is called Working Naked, after all.

The other part is that too much of a good thing can be bad. You may adore your spouse but if you spend every day and night with him or her, you may drain the fun out of your business and your relationship.

If you’re still willing to work with your spouse, there are a few ways to keep the peace so no one [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Home office setup, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, Home office, Small business, starting a business, working from home, working with a spouse

Working Long Hours Doesn’t Make You More Effective

August 23, 2010 By Lisa

A friend of mine complains often about how busy she is. She owns her own business, has a small staff and works crazy hours. Sleep isn’t one of the tasks on her To Do list. Out of curiosity, I spent the day with her to see her in action. I experienced first-hand how someone who’s busy all day, isn’t necessarily accomplishing anything. There are a few things my friend needs to do to start being more effective.

Delegate. My friend has a hard time letting go of tasks to the point of micromanaging. When she does delegate, she ends up doing most of the tasks herself or redoing whatever it is she has asked someone to do. Delegating works well if you clearly explain what you want someone to do and then follow up near the deadline date. When someone knows that you’re going to follow up, they’re more likely to do as you ask. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, Home Office Tips, time management, working from home

Research Your Competition and Then Change Your Approach

August 19, 2010 By Lisa

Some people welcome competition and see it as an opportunity to improve their business. Others put on blinders, ignore the competition and are happy to run their business as usual. There are a few ways to learn about what works and doesn’t work for your competitors so you can create a business that’s all your own.

Research your competition honestly. Never mislead competitors by pretending to be a client. Instead, set up a Google alert with your competitor’s name in quotes. Each time they’re in the news, you’ll receive an e-mail alert. Check out their Web site to learn more about their products, services and business philosophy.

Introduce yourself to your competitors. Savvy business people know that there’s enough business for everyone. If a competitor is up to his or her eyeballs in clients, they may send a few clients your way. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Improving your web site, Making money from home, Marketing/Public Relations, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, improving your business, Researching your competition, Working with clients

Treat Yourself as Well as You Treat Your Clients

August 18, 2010 By Lisa

Most of us do what we can to keep our clients happy (within reason). When you spend most of your effort trying to please your clients, it’s easy to forget about meeting your own needs. Ignoring your health, family and personal time may seem like a small sacrifice at first. After awhile though, you may grow to resent everything you’ve given up for the sake of your business.

There are a few ways to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.

Pace yourself. Realize your limitations and stop working when you’ve accomplished the goals you’ve set for the day. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying your business (that’s one of the goals of working for yourself, isn’t it?) but too much of a good thing can be harmful and ultimately lead to burnout. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life Tagged With: Balancing home/office Life, Entrepreneurs, Working with clients

What Image is Your Business Projecting?

August 16, 2010 By Lisa

When I hired someone to design my first Web site for another business I owned several years ago, I thought it looked incredible. When I look back at that crappy site, I can’t believe I was proud of it. My site and business focus have changed over the years. Now this site reflects who I am and what my business can do.

Do you know how your business looks to the outside world? As your client base grows and your business gets busier, you may start to ignore the basics. Take time to look at your business from an outsider’s point of view.

Analyze your Web site. Does it reflect the tone and style of your business today? Your product [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Making money from home Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, Home office, Small business, working from home

How Rappelling is Like Running Your Own Business

August 9, 2010 By Lisa 3 Comments

My first rappel down a waterfall...scary, but amazing!

A few weeks ago I spent a week in Costa Rica where I saw incredible plants and wildlife, and took part in more extreme sports (at least they were extreme to me) than I ever have in my entire life. First I sailed across a zip line through the rainforest, then I jet skied across the ocean (note: choppy ocean) and then I went canyoning (in this case, rappelling down four waterfalls and one rock wall) in the rainforest.

Thinking back to my trip made me realize how running a home-based business is like rappelling down a waterfall.

You’re out of your comfort zone. Just as it’s unnatural to hang onto a rope, push yourself away from the wall and plunge many feet below, starting a new business is unnatural. The way I felt rappelling down the first waterfall seemed as overwhelming as starting my first home-based business. Now that I’m on my third business, starting a new business feels more comfortable. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: canyoning, Costa Rica, Entrepreneurs, Small business, starting your own business, working from home

You Get What You Pay For

August 5, 2010 By Lisa

Guest post by Katrina Sawa

You’ve heard this phrase, but do you really pay attention to this when it comes to investing in yourself or your business? Many entrepreneurs do not. I know this because I talk with hundreds of women entrepreneurs every month. They are continuously trying to find ways to cut costs, get stuff for free, find someone to trade for services or find a reason why they “can’t afford it” or shouldn’t invest.

Yes, it’s fine and very important to cut costs when you can in your life, business, and in any economic market. However, when it comes to necessary things in the running and marketing of your business or making sales, why would you risk it? Here are some areas where you do not want to skimp or be cheap: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Improving your web site, Internet marketing, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: Entrepreneurs, growing your home-based business, JumpStart Your Biz Coach, Katrina Sawa, Working at home

Home-Based Business Tips From the Rainforest

August 3, 2010 By Lisa

A view of the CPI courtyard and classrooms.

Last week my family and I toured Costa Rica with our friends, Carlos Najarro, Jonle Sedar and their family. While this was a personal trip, I couldn’t help focusing on their home-based business, CPI, a Spanish immersion school with three separate campuses in different parts of the country.”

The beautiful Monteverde campus in the rainforest (yes, it’s awesome) includes classrooms (of course), study areas, a library, perfectly landscaped courtyards and stylish yet functional apartments for the students. The CPI apartments and the family’s gorgeous townhouse (the couple has an incredible eye for design) are connected to the school. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office setup, Home office technology, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: Costa Rica, CPI, Entrepreneurs, Home-based business, working from home

The Naked Truth: How They Did it

July 28, 2010 By Lisa

After so many years of meeting, working with and interviewing home based business owners, I never get tired of hearing their “how I got started” stories. Maybe it’s because none of the stories are the same, including the ones behind these two businesses.

Business: Cute Beltz, a line of belts and accessories for children 12 months to 6 years young.

Motivation: No existing product was available. “I could never find a belt for my two-year old. My sister had the same issue while shopping for her son. The items I did find were a nuisance as I had to add notches in the belt or use safety pins, which are dangerous for kids,” says designer and founder, Kristen Ford-Stevens. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office products, Making money from home, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: CuteBeltz, Entrepreneurs, Small business, ToiBocks