Artist Yvette Michele Has Art Umbrellas & More
I ran across one of Artist Yvette Michele’s wonderful umbrellas and purchased the “Cruising” printed umbrella to match my raincoat for the upcoming Spring rainy season. I can hardly wait until it arrives. It has a Parisian quality and fashionable design.
Get your art craving satisfied at the link and tell them Linda sent you!
Are You Networking The Right Way?
You have just received an invitation to a small business networking event. You scan the invite list to see who is coming. Hmmm…yep, there’s a few business owners who can become future collaborators, so you RSVP that you are attending.
Wait a minute…what if there was no one there for you to do business with? Would you still attend? Most people only use networking as a tool for meeting people who can benefit them. However, consider taking your networking experience a bit further by gaining a new perspective, or testing a new idea, or even having a new experience.
Networking can add to your net worth and by using it properly it can expand your mind and create a better you. So, the next time you receive an invitation to a small business networking event instead of scanning the list, scan the crowd by being open to meeting new and interesting business owners. Happy Networking!
Are You Reacting Or Are You Responding?
Extrovert people tend to raise their voice, throw things and try to be heard when they are frustrated. The effects of their behavior can be seen in the strained relationships around them. Most of them are not bad people, they just haven't been taught how to communicate effectively in order to be heard.
HERE’S A TIP:
When responding to someone in a relationship that matters (i.e., job, spouse, children, parents, friends) what if you take a moment and ask yourself, “Am I reacting with emotions?” “Or, am I responding to be heard?”
When responding to someone in a relationship that matters (i.e., job, spouse, children, parents, friends) what if you take a moment and ask yourself, “Am I reacting with emotions?” “Or, am I responding to be heard?”
If you are reacting, you can easily say and do anything without thinking about it. But, if your goal is simply to be heard, you carefully choose the words, tone and actions in order to optimize the response. You are a winner and you seek to help the other person to win, as well. There are no losers in a conversation that matters.
It is hard to be heard when you are shouting…sounds crazy, huh….but your emotions can overshadow your words.
This week…strive to respond more and react less. Self control is key. Only you can control you!
Get your ticket and elevate your life! You deserve your best life!
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LSMB 21-Day Challenge
Are you ready to make small changes that have HUGE impact in taking you where you want to go in your life?
Below are 21 Days of small changes you can make to improve your life and your way of thinking. Be the main part of your own rescue!
Each day apply the next step in consecutive order (i.e., Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, etc.) THEN posted before you begin the next day’s step Go to the LSMB Business Solutions Facebook Page and post the Day of the Challenge you completed.
This is your accountability step so don’t skip it…it is a very important part of your growth. Stay committed and get a partner, if needed.
For example: “I just complete Day #5 of the LSMB 21 Day Challenge!”
*CLICK ON THE “LSMB ON FACEBOOK” link to go to the Facebook page
| 21-Day Challenge | |||||
| Day 1 | Find a Mentor
(score.org has mentors for business owners) |
Day 8 | Subscribe to Merriam-Webster.com to learn a new word a day
(https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day) |
Day 15 | Do one thing you’ve been putting off |
| Day 2 | Pick a Book to Read | Day 9 | Call someone you haven’t called in a while and say “hello.” | Day 16 | Create a Bucket List |
| Day 3 | Set time 20 minutes earlier | Day 10 | Look up a way to volunteer | Day 17 | Say one empowering thing to a young person |
| Day 4 | Bless a stranger | Day 11 | Learn 3 words in a different language
(https://translate.google.com/) |
Day 18 | Do one thing that makes you feel uncomfortable, but it makes you grow |
| Day 5 | Take a picture of your Happy | Day 12 | Do not use Can’t for 24 hours | Day 19 | Go out of your way to help 2 people |
| Day 6 | Search the web for a hobby | Day 13 | Teach one person something new | Day 20 | Drop one bad habit for 24 hours |
| Day 7 | Write a letter to your future self and seal it for one year | Day 14 | Arrive 10 minutes earlier | Day 21 | Write down 3 things you learned about yourself in the past 20 days |
This is challenge is totally voluntary. All rights reserved. LSMB does not assume any responsibility or liability for any charges incurred by participants.
Inbox Linda Murray Bullard on Facebook if you have any questions about the 21-Day Challenge.
THREE (3) BUSINESS COACHING MYTHS BUSTED
1) I don’t need one…I know how to run a business.
Mythbuster #1: Most new business owners feel just like you. That’s why there is universally a 90%+ failure rate of new businesses closing in 5 Years. Most new business owners have product knowledge and they confuse that for business knowledge. Most new businesses do not close because they are bad ideas, they close because they don’t understand the importance of focused marketing, sales strategies, or how to structure a viable 3-, 5-, or 10-year strategic planning.
2) I cannot afford a Business Coach.
Mythbuster #2: When you add up all the money you have spent “doing it your way” you have probably paid for a year’s service of business coaching and with business coaching you get a return on your investment. When you spend money needlessly, there are zero returns.
3) A business coach will try to make me run my business his/her way!
Mythbuster #3: Business Coaches make suggestions and offer information so the business owner can make informed choices. Business owners begin making “educated” decisions because they add business acumen to their product knowledge which leads to strategic positioning that adds to the likelihood of sustainability for the business.
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3 COMMON MISTAKES NEW BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
1) Not know who the top leaders in their industry are locally or nationally.
How can you compete in a market when you don’t know who you are competing against? Smart business owners do the homework doing the planning stage of their new business.
By completing the research they discover who is doing the best in their industry locally and nationally. New owners will want to understand what the competition is doing right so they know where the benchmark is set for their new business. They will also need to know what the competition is missing in order to enhance their businesses’ offerings.
2) Not getting a Mentor.
Everyone thinks they know how to run a business, but the truth of the matter is, over 90 percent (90%) of people open a business with a great deal of product knowledge and mistakenly think that it is business knowledge.
Not having a mentor maximizes the chances of failing! Not just anyone, but someone who has been doing what the new business owner plans to do and has done it well for more than 6 years. Yes, more than six years. The goal is to find someone who has endured the “five-year death sentence” that has been the final diagnosis of most new businesses.
3) Thinking they can steal the competition’s customers by having a lower price only.
This is the most critical mistake most new business owners make. Why? Because it hurts them more than their competition. By being “cheap,” they cheapen their brand and the value of their product/service. It is hard to recover from cheap.
Yes, luckily, they may get customers at first, but if they have overhead and are forced to raise their prices those customers will flee. Go in smart by using the correct comparable price and win customers by adding value to the existing industry price. When you add value, the new customers will appreciate the additional benefits at the price they are accustomed to paying.
Ode To The Anonymous Complainer
Dear Anonymous
Your thoughts mean so much to us;
It is plain to see you want to talk to me,
But, your words are cloaked in anonymity.
Oh, dear, dear shy little Anonymous
Do you think only you are on to us
You send those sweet notes, with such high hopes
But, you are merely a mystery to us.
So let’s make this clear, sweet Anonymous
Find your voice sweet dear, and speak to us.
While we love your sweet note,
We’d love to see your face or hear the sound from your throat
So we can adequately address your problem with us.