small business Archives - Small Business Coach, Women Business Coaching - Client Attraction

There are many gifts that come with our entrepreneurial spirit. And this week’s topic is not often one of them…

Many of us are wired to be driven to distraction.

However, a business needs consistent action to grow.

So what are we (distracted business owners) supposed to do as rebellious folk to succeed? How do we stay disciplined when it’s not necessarily in our nature?

Here’s exactly how. Watch this week’s 2-minute training video, where I’m joined by our lead Growth Track coach, Gail Saseen, as we discuss how to stay focused and how to get the important things done:

Sometimes we’ve simply got to DO what needs to be done if we want to succeed, right?

I am not a naturally disciplined person. I am a rebel. (Perhaps you are too.) So I had to learn Discipline.

I have overcome this by 1) blocking my time, 2) having a team that holds me accountable and 3) embracing the mindset of Personal Responsibility.

The tips we share in this week’s video are rather simple, and yet, they’ve made me (and our business owner clients) exceed our originally small intentions, and what I want you to hear, loud and clear, is that this is about adopting a mindset of success.

It’s about making The Commitment.

And I love what Gail shares in this video about creating a habit for sustained success. You should watch it.

Decide. Act.

It’s really that simple.

Now go get stuff done, OK? 😉

Much love,
Fabienne

P.S. Setting yourself up to succeed in your actions is what guarantees any success. At some point, every successful business owner decides to DO what it takes to make it happen, no matter what. There is no other way around it. And they do. Ready to make that decision for yourself? Go for it. xo

 

Here’s something I teach my students all the time…

You (and I) can talk until we’re blue in the face about how great it is to work with us or how good our “stuff” is, but…

…somehow, it will never be as inspiring (or as motivating) as when others hear it directly from the client.

Today I want to introduce you to Michelle.

I adore Michelle, and one of the many things I love about her (she’ll laugh out loud when she reads this) is that she’s a tough cookie who doesn’t take any bleep from anyone::

In fact, Michelle is a totally no-nonsense New Yorker who rolled her eyes when she first heard me speak, didn’t buy into what “any marketer” was trying to sell her and didn’t think CABS would work for her.

Well, she’s changed her tune…

…especially since she’s multiplied her business many times over this year (and we’re not done with 2015 yet).

Yes, she multiplied her business many times over.

Yes, she had her doubts as to whether CABS would work for her.

Well, it did.

It really did.

You gotta watch Michelle’s video. I hope this inspires you, and that maybe, just maybe, it gives you the courage to reach out to us here to schedule a time to talk and see if we can help. OK?

I believe in you and your potential,
Fabienne

P.S. Do you have a friend or colleague who could use increased results in their business too? Pass this email along and let them know they’re not alone and that big things are possible, OK?

Then, invite them to watch more videos and schedule a call with one of our caring Strategy Coaches here to map out the next 12 months and see how we can help. YOU ROCK. Thank you! xoxo

We all need a little inspiration every now and then, even on a Tuesday, right?

Sometimes, just hearing a business transformation story from someone who’s gone from $700 a month to $10,000 a month in less than a year really allows us to see that anything is possible.

Meet the beautiful, talented, irresistibly charming Victoria Whitfield:

(Please forgive my rather very loud “woohooo-ing” at the 4:08 mark, but we were going crazy about her newfound results. And then be prepared to tear up, as I did, starting at 5:03.)

In this 7-minute inspirational video, Victoria will lovingly pull you into your future by showing you how she quickly ramped up her business and changed her life for the better, in just one year…

…and how you can, too, doing what she did.

Her sweet laugh and warmth are infectious in the best possible way, and I hope this gives you what you need today.

With love,
Fabienne

p.s. In fact, feel free watch that video as often as you need to so you can feel ready to step into your future more confidently and join us in CABS (The Client Attraction Business School™) like Victoria did. Curious about what’s possible when you do? Go here to watch more videos and schedule a call with one of our loving Strategy Coaches to map out your next 12 months and see how we can help.

p.p.s. Will you be on the panel next year sharing your own success story? You can be. Join us here first. xoxo

11-10 smallAre you feeling the pressure to send out your company newsletter more frequently? Many of our students feel the need to push themselves into a biweekly or even weekly regimen. While there is no question that keeping in touch with your community is really smart marketing, your newsletters shouldn’t completely monopolize your time.

The good news is that – especially for new businesses – you don’t need to pump out a ton of content in a short amount of time. In fact, slowly increasing the frequency of your newsletter is a better approach. The last thing you want in your attempt to build relationships with prospects is to overwhelm them suddenly with tons of emails.

Instead, feel free to move slowly and go step-by-step. For example, if right now you only send out about six newsletters per year, try pushing that number up to twelve per year, or once a month. Or, if your newsletter is monthly, go for every other week. This gives you a chance to slowly work up to greater frequency, while still sending at a level you can maintain.

From my experience, I’ve seen too many people jump aggressively to a weekly newsletter and then back away because it’s too much of a challenge. Oftentimes, it can be difficult for new business owners to think of new topics to write about, and if they take on too much too quickly, they can burn out.

A great way to get going on your newsletter initially is to come up with a format that feels realistic. Perhaps you provide a technique or strategy for the first email of the month and share a client success story for the next. I recommend coming up with your own editorial calendar. Planning out the topics for three months at a time actually is a huge time saver in the long run. It helps to plan out your content.

Once the bi-weekly newsletter is going like clockwork, then you can move to a weekly publication. You may find that between the editorial calendar and choosing a good format, the newsletter becomes a breeze. Just know you don’t need to move to weekly emails unless you feel you can handle the increase comfortably.

Your Client Attraction Assignment

When was the last time you looked at your newsletter strategically? It makes sense to freshen up your newsletter every so often. You might need a new design or to rethink the content. Lastly, do you offer a special or use a call to action that encourages readers to contact you? Don’t miss out on prompting people to buy or hire you while you are sharing your amazing knowledge.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here

Have you ever been hesitant to do something to grow your business because of a past mistake or failure?

This is so much more common than you realize.

Recently, one of our students who owns a successful practice – we’ll call her Jennifer – expressed concern about growing her business to the next big level.

After digging a little deeper, I found out that she’d taken her practice to a much bigger size years ago, but saw it crashing down around her not too long after.

Why did the business collapse after such a massive growth spurt? A lack of systems and management that is required for this kind of fast growth.

This left Jennifer deflated and worried that she didn’t have what it takes to run a successful practice.

And because of it, frankly, she was really hesitant to attempt scaling her business again…

…until I took her through a transformational process I call The Groundhog Day Process™.

I shot this video to show you how to use this process to turn any failure or past mistake into a golden opportunity:

Here’s the deal…

To have the confidence to get things going again, it’s important that we learn from our mistakes, every single one of them.

In fact, I believe that there are NO mistakes when you use this Groundhog Day Process.

You see, when things don’t go the way we planned, we typically concentrate on the bad things.

But as we got to talking, Jennifer realized that there were so many things that she had done right, and if she concentrated on those things going forward (and remembered the things that didn’t work so well), then her business would succeed this time around, the right way.

Curious about how it works? This week’s 6-minute video takes you through my method for regaining entrepreneurial confidence and creating breakthroughs out of old breakdowns.

It’s really powerful.

And once you watch the video, my question for you today is:

What situation do you wish you could “Groundhog Day”? What priceless lessons have you learned from past mistakes that you can share with us?

Please share this with me in the comments and let’s start a conversation about this! I can’t wait to read your comments below.

Let’s grow your business the right way this time around!

Sending you big squeezy love,
Fabienne

P.S. Do you know of an entrepreneur who feels gun-shy about growing their business because of not-so-great-results in the past? Send them this blog and spread the love, ok? Thank you for being YOU. 😉

Recently, a student of The Client Attraction Business School who runs a very successful interior design company told me that she was completely overwhelmed.

Despite the fact that she has a great team in place and effective systems, things weren’t getting done fast enough.

After a few clarifying questions, it became clear that she was actually the one getting in the way.

Even though she wanted things to be moving faster, she was the one slowing things down by being too involved in her business.

Because so many entrepreneurs are overwhelmed, even when they’re successful, I recorded a video to help you navigate these waters:

To get yourself out of being involved with everything (and able to focus on the big things!) you’ll need to do less, better.

In this week’s short 5-minute video, I’ve outlined what you can do to get over the feeling of being over-involved.

After you’ve watched the video, understanding that to accomplish more, you have to do less, better, please let me know in the comments section:

If you could focus on just one project to significantly move your business forward, at the exclusion of all other projects, what would that one project be?

Is it writing a book? Bringing on a team? Scaling your existing business models? Systematizing your entire business? I’d like to know… Please leave your answers in the comments section of the blog and I will see you there!

Sending you lots of love,
Fabienne

P.S. We just had the pleasure of welcoming a new class of students into The Client Attraction Business School after the Mindset Retreat event! Just want to give them a shout-out because they are truly awesome and ready for BIG things.

If you’re ever interested in learning more about our Business School, you can click here to easily schedule a free Strategy Call with one of our caring Strategy Coaches, to map out your next 12 months. We’re here to help. 🙂

One of the most difficult things about being an entrepreneur is the feeling of isolation, of being alone against the elements.

And although few people ever dare to talk about this, this feeling of isolation can be exaggerated when the people in your life who are supposed to support you, well, don’t.

Hey, even though you believe in what you’re doing and have faith that your ideas will lead to great things, it’s not always easy for those around you to get on board with your ideas of expansion…

… especially when it comes to investing money in growing your business.

Ever experience having a conversation with your partner about investing money in your business and not getting the answer you wanted?

This week’s new 7-minute content video (and script) may help you turn things around:

Admittedly, I’m going out on a limb here today, addressing a subject that few would ever touch.

In my many years of working with students in The Client Attraction Business School, I’ve come across countless business owners who want to invest in their business but experience backlash from their life (or business) partner.

Many times, the entrepreneur feels as though they have to decide between a thriving business and a happy home life…:(

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

In today’s video, I explain why most partners are initially hesitant about having you invest in your growth and what to say to bring them over to your side, believe in you and support your decision to invest in yourself.

After you watch today’s video, please tell me in the comments: What would you invest in (financially) if you finally had your spouse or business partner’s full support?

I am really looking forward to supporting you to achieve even bigger results.

Contrary to popular belief, you really can have it all.

See you in the comments.

I’m rooting for you from the sidelines, OK? Go!

xoxo,
Fabienne

p.s. Can you think of other entrepreneurs who secretly (or not so secretly) struggle with this too? Would you send them this blog so they can have more confidence and conviction in their own business or life?

I’ve seen a defining moment happen in virtually every business I’ve mentored, which is thousands at this point.

It’s the (almost predictable) moment at which the successful business owner becomes so busy with their full client load that they virtually stop marketing.

They know they should continue to network, have coffee dates with centers of influence and speak to get clients, but frankly, they’re tapped out. In fact, they hit a wall.

They no longer have the time or capacity to market the way they used to, making connections and doing what got them to where they are now.

Problem is, if they (and you) stop marketing, even because you’re at full capacity, there won’t be clients in 6 months.

Soooo, something has to change to continually bring in ideal prospects, and for most, this means turning almost exclusively to getting clients online, as I outline in today’s new video:

Let’s face it; even though your business is established and you might be at full capacity, you still have to market yourself and your business, consistently.

What’s the simplest way to get clients when you’re at full capacity (and even before)?

Move your marketing online!

I recorded this new four-minute video to show you just how to move your marketing online – and how it can absolutely help you grow your business without taking too much of your time.

After you watch the video, would you please write to me your answer to the following questions in the comments below?

How can you start leveraging your lead generation online? What incentive might you offer for someone in exchange for opting-in to your email newsletter? What would you call it?

Can’t wait to see what you come up with.
See you online! 😉

Fabienne

p.s. Hey, just a heads up! Want to make sure that you know that tomorrow (Friday) is the last day of our Back To School Celebration where you get to receive a free ticket to my 3-day Mindset Retreat this October. You get this $2,000 gift (as well as other valuable $2,000 gifts) when you decide to schedule a strategic planning coaching call with one of our caring Strategy Coaches and then enroll in The Client Attraction Business School. The deadline for scheduling that call and getting the bonuses is tomorrow, Friday September 18th. Curious? Watch the “Why CABS works” video here and then schedule your complimentary Strategy Session here.

During my month-long vacation in August (partly in France, partly here at the beach in Connecticut), people kept asking me the same question.

“How exactly are you able to take as much time off as a business owner, without checking in very much? I thought entrepreneurs are supposed to always make themselves available? How on earth do you do it?”

Well, it’s simple actually.

You CAN take (mostly) unplugged, extended vacations, IF you take a few precautionary steps ahead of time, as I explain in this week’s content video:

Imagine taking this December off. Or maybe even August next summer?

In this week’s new four-minute video, I share a few pointers that we use and teach our Leverage students of the Business School to successfully take several weeks off (maybe even months?) at a time, without losing business or your sanity.

In fact, being away can actually produce one of your highest revenue months of the year, as some of our students are experiencing.

Once you watch the video, please share with me in the comments below how much time you would like to take off each year and what you’re going to do to make that happen, OK?

By this time next year, let’s all have a nice extended (and unplugged) vacation planned, shall we?

Sending love,
Fabienne

p.s. Know someone who works too much and could use some more time off in their business? Please send them this blog… They will hug you for it. 😉

 

Doubt-SmallAs your business starts to thrive, you will need to learn new skills that are necessary for managing a growing company. At this point, when you are moving into unfamiliar (albeit exciting) territory, you might start to question yourself and wonder if you can really handle this.

Though your confidence might begin to falter, don’t worry. It’s completely normal and is something that all business owners have experienced at one time or another. After all, owning a business is hard, and it takes guts, perseverance, confidence and the acceptance of the unknown. As a new business owner, you will question yourself a lot. But hang in there – this is common.

Whenever I worry about the future or begin to wonder if I’m prepared to take my business to the next level, I take a step back, take a deep breath and remind myself that not only is this a situation that I’ve found myself dealing with in the past, but it’s one that I will again experience in the future. There have been, and will be, many bumps in the road, so it’s important to jump the hurdles calmly and with a positive attitude.

Luckily, as I mentioned before, all new business owners experience similar issues, and so I’ve provided you with a few key steps to solving any issue that may come your way. Remember, we’ve all been there! You are not alone.

Ask for support

Whenever I experience a seemingly impossible business (or personal!) problem, I always reach out to people in my life for support. While my general go-to is a spiritual teacher, other helpful listening ears might be a friend, a parent, an academic or professional advisor or a counselor. I often find that simply talking out the problem with another person allows me to see the issue in a new light and I am able to walk away from the conversation with a new understanding of what the problem is and how to fix it.

How to Help Yourself

If talking it out with another person is not a preferable option, I recommend writing down the problem (and all of the negative thoughts associated with it) and looking carefully of each of the issues. Then, I recommend going through what you’ve written and asking the following questions:

  1. What do I want to accomplish?
  2. What does my ideal outcome look like?
  3. What are my key questions or obstacles around that?
  4. What strategies will help me overcome those obstacles?

This four-step questioning process allows your real answers, concerns and solutions to start flowing and will help you separate legitimate business concerns from personal feelings of self-doubt. If after some self-reflection, you’re finding that your concerns are caused by insecurities or self-doubt, just remember that, though frustrating, these thoughts are completely normal. Thus, whenever I’m plagued by my own insecurities and self-sabotaging thoughts, I remind myself that I have—and will—get through whatever is thrown my way. You must always remember to be your own number one fan, even when it is difficult. After all, a successful business owner must value his or her self worth, believe in the power of positivity and not get weighed down by the moments of uncertainty.

Your Client Attraction Assignment

If you start to hear negative inner chatter, follow the four-step process to snap out of your self-doubt. Remind yourself that you can do what you are embarking on. If you still are in need of more encouragement, I suggest turning to books or videos that concentrate on the power of positive thinking. Then, let go of your negative thoughts and step into action. You’ve got this!

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

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