I’m in the middle of a book with a group of Virtual Assistants I have phone chats with semi-weekly…9 Lies That Are Holding Your Business Back…And The Truth That Will Set It Free by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford is our current read.

I just finished up Chapter 6 and it contains a section which cracks me up!  Chandler and Beckford found a small business article that rubbed them so far the wrong way they disputed it right there in the book.  Granted there was no give away of the authors or the newspaper it ran in and the details were tactfully written.  This section still made me wonder…would I have followed the advice in the article?

5 Ideas You Should NOT Follow

#1  Keep costs and spending down.  Businesses fail because they have too much overhead.  Truth:  This is negative and reactive.  You can’t save your way to a successful business.

#2  Take the time to create a business plan.  A marketing study, the competition, costs and prices.  Truth:  Don’t let the marketer and competition dictate your vision.  Let the market and the competition respond to you!

#3  Theory is valuable but you have to adapt it.  Truth:  Find a theory of business proven to work and then use as directed!

#4  Persevere and talk to other business owners.  Truth:  If you persevere in the wrong direction you are still, um, going in the wrong direction!  And, when 4 out of 5 business fail what are the chances you’ll get good advice from people who are also starting their business?

#5  Keep believing.  Truth:  Be willing to drop your beliefs.  What you really need is a plan!

My thoughts on the Truths…

1) I’ll admit it.  I bootstrapped my business.  I’m a Virtual Assistant, not a manufacturer.  I don’t think this particular tip is directed at me.  I gradually put into place the things I knew I needed and was underway in less than 3 months.  I think I did just fine.

2) Yes, I have a business plan.  It is more full of hopes and dreams rather than marketing studies.  You’ll definitely find some research on competition in there because I did that to set my pricing.  You’ll even find some expense planning because I needed a new laptop.

3) Well, I guess I’m still working on this one.  I’ve found theories that don’t work and stopped using them.  Do I think I’ve found the perfect one for me?  Not yet.  I’m I disappointed?  No.  There are plenty out there to try and when I get the right one I will know it.  (See more on #5.)

4) I definitely talked to other business owners.  I was picky about who I talked to though.  I didn’t want people who painted a rosy picture.  I wanted raw, thought-provoking answers and honest feedback.  The business owners I talked to were established in the Virtual Assistant industry, not people who had launched in the last three years.

5)  This is a fuzzy one for me.  When I read it I think of the Little Engine that could and how if he had sat at the station during the entire story chanting, “I think I can, I think I can!” then he certainly wouldn’t have.  Do I sit around praying to the new business gods that my biz will suddenly take off.  Uh, no.  Do I believe in myself and the services I offer?  Most definitely!

So, where are you in all this?  If you are launching your coaching, training  or speaking business do you fall entirely on the Truth side of the list?  Would you have believed this article as it was originally printed?

Nibbling away -

Sundi

I connected with her through the IttyBiz SpeakEasy group and I thought E. (@geeksdreamgirl) was a real sweetie!  When I found out she was doing a Great Dates in 50 States blog series I knew there was something I could do to help!  I live in Kansas City so I could cover TWO states for her…Missouri and Kansas.  (I haven’t been single for how long?)  It didn’t take long for the bigger picture to set in and I realized I could do more than write a blog post!

If I connected her with someone who could write the blog posts for Missouri and Kansas, gaining exposure for their business, plus that person could potentially generate more business for E. then it would definitely be a WIN-WIN.  I suddenly went from wanting to help E. write a blog post to being on a mission.

Now, here is where I should probably say I’ve been married 15 years and I’ve never used a relationship coach or a dating service or a match maker.  Back when I was single we did things the old fashioned way…we hit the bar!

So, I started putting out feelers. I mentioned it at my Social Media Club of Kansas City meeting, DMed a couple folks who might know on twitter and finally tweeted I needed to make a connection so I was looking for a relationship coach.  THAT is how I got connected with Natalie Vick at Cynergy Match.  In turn I connected E. and Natalie in an email introduction.  Success!

Looking back I really can’t tell you who suggested Natalie for the connection I was trying to make.  I could kick myself for that now…

Fast forward three months…

I’m at Principal Connections KC sitting with Dean Long of Coach-to-Success.  When I tell Dean, who is a coach, that I’m a Virtual Assistant he says we should get together soon.  One week later we are sitting on the Plaza drinking joe and he tells me he is working on a workshop project and thinks he and the person he is teaming with would be interested in using my services to produce their templates, presentation and handouts.  Dean has a meeting with her in the next couple of days so he’ll let me know.

A couple weeks later Dean wants his partner and I to have a chance to meet.  We schedule more joe on the Plaza.

As the three of us launch into the usual “getting to know you” exchange Dean’s partner starts connecting my dots.  (You know where this is going, right?)

Across from me sits Natalie Vick of Cynergy Match.  She already knew how I rolled – I was into connecting people.

Is this a Twitter success story?  Is this proof that networking works?  Hell, I don’t know if it is either of those…but I can say making connections built my reputation before I even met someone!

Got a great connector or connectee story to share?  After all, it is about you and all the connections we make.

Nibbling away -

Sundi

The Beyond Burnout article from the September/October issue of PINK magazine had an amazing list of items to help you take it easy. The article was mainly for folks in Jobland but the list was awesome for business owners. Two of the points in particular are really great for me and I couldn’t wait to start doing them!

Let’s go backwards so I can save the best for last!

7 – Be proactive rather than reactive.

6 – Take a weekend break or a mini-vacation more often.

5 – Figure out your hourly worth and delegate tasks – at home or at work – that you don’t enjoy or that aren’t worth your time. (Of course this one is near and dear to my heart!)

4 – Say “No.”

3 – Take time for self-care, such as exercise, meditation, or relaxation with family and friends.

2 – Reach out and talk with other entrepreneurs. Share frustrations while using and building your network at the same time.

So, here we are at #1 and I L.O.V.E it.

1 – Develop a “stop-doing” list rather than a to-do list!

Now I’m all tingly. I’m a list-o-holic anyway so this is one I can’t wait to start!

It would work just like long-term goals, only in reverse.  “By this date I want to outsource this and by this date I want to cross-source this.”  Creating a list of when you will stop doing things could grow your business in a whole new way.  Are you tingly too?

Nibbling away -

Sundi

There is plenty in the media recently about multitasking and our inability to do it effectively.  I’ve always considered myself a great multitasker and prided myself on being able to remember many things while working on multiple projects on and off throughout the day.  Now I’m a mom tracking 4 calendars besides my own, or maybe because I tend to store trivial information about people I meet.

The information isn’t trivial to the person it is in regards to…but it would seem trivial to everyone else.  For example early last week through an inquiry posted on Twitter I discovered someone I follow was going to be in a wedding soon and she was asking some fashion advice.  Friday I still remembered that conversation and wished her will in her isle performance.  She was absolutely flattered I remembered. To me it was just run of the mill politeness plus a random memory.

Anyway, I find myself remembering less lately. Specifically less of the important stuff.

So, I’ve started making more lists. (You’re thinking, “Did she just say more?”) Scary, I know. I’ve also started a scratch list at the bottom of my major to do list.  In a sense I use this as my parking lot so I don’t have to pressure myself to remember it later.

If it doesn’t get on the list, it doesn’t get done.

Besides my rabid listing I’ve started doing something else. I don’t multitask anymore.

If I’m on twitter I’m reading, browsing or tweeting.

If I’m writing a blog post I hammer the keyboard until the post is finished.

If I’m browsing through my reader I stick with it until my research itch is sated or I’m simply tired of reading.

Before I would be doing all three at the same time and maybe even have email up plus a client project I was working on open too.

Want to try it?

1. Pick a thing. Any ONE thing. If this is new to you pick an easy one for the early win!
2. Decide if you are going to work until completion (short tasks) or for a set amount of time (major projects).
3. Keep your parking lot handy and get to work.
4. Write down thoughts that distract you from the main task at hand.
5. Celebrate when you’re time is up or your task is finished. Celebrate doesn’t mean go shopping! It means take a mental break by eating a piece of chocolate.

Try it and let me know how it goes!

Nibbling away -

Sundi

Photo Credits: Mike Oliveri

If you haven’t read about my Goolge revolt on Patriot Day you can see it here.

My cold-turkey Goolge stoppage has gone pretty well.

Thanks to Rachael (@caffeinatedelf) I found Inbox.  Not only has Inbox replaced my GoogleMail service but also my Toodledo and GoogleCalendar.  Inbox has addressed another problem I had and that was file storage.  So, now I have 30 GB of online storage for files and photos (Inbox provides a photo album too) plus my webmail and it costs me about $30 a year.  A small price to pay in order to leave Google.

For my search engine I’m currently using Bing.  I don’t have any complaints, nor am I overly impressed with it.  I’d be open to suggestions if anyone wants to throw some my way.

I’m back at Bloglines as a replacement for GReader.  Well, actually I’m not really back because no matter where I load my opml export from GReader it truncates about a quarter of the way through.  I’ve tried it on three different readers with the same result.  Nice! 

Something I didn’t think about when I decided to Google exit was dropping the verb “google” from my vocabulary.  Honestly the transition has been seamless which surprises me.

The ONLY thing I miss about GMail is being able to chat in the same screen.  That has brought serious withdrawal.  I was a Meebo fan before because of the purely web-based ability to use multiple services in one location.  I haven’t dropped GChat all together for the simple fact some people I chat with only use GChat.  So, I’ve now added that to my Meebo service.  I guess they’ve got me there!

All in all, I feel like I’m fighting the good fight.  Never forget!

Nibbling away -

Sundi