Tag Archives: managing stress
Ask @SmallBizLady: How can I get my kids to “buy in” to my business?

Ask @SmallBizLady: How can I get my kids to “buy in” to my business?

by on June 10, 2011 in Ask Smallbizlady, Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, Your Small Business

Here’s the answer:

 

Every Friday, I answer your small business questions in a video blog segment called Ask Small Biz Lady.

This week, we are taking on the question: How can I get my kids to “buy in”  to my business?

If you want to get your family to support your business follow these steps:

  1. Communicate with them and teach them what you do.
  2. Don’t be afraid to put even the little ones to work; Get them a job in the business
  3. Share your ideas and ask for their feedback
  4. Everyone loves to be asked for advice, so you can’t go wrong there.

If you have a question for Melinda Emerson, Small Biz Lady, leave a comment on this blog using the contact us page or send me a note on Twitter @smallbizlady, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/smallbizlady or you can hit me up on www.linkedin.com/in/melindaemerson

I’m always here as a resource.

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6 Things Oprah Winfrey Taught Us About Business

by on June 5, 2011 in Become Your Own Boss Tips, Before You Start, Branding & Marketing, Business Inspiration, Customer Service, Grow Your Business, How to Start, Women in Business, Your Small Business

Oprah Winfrey is my hero. I never thought about being an entrepreneur until she got on my radar when I was in college in the early 90’s. It was around that time that she opened Harpo Studios in Chicago, making her the third woman in the American entertainment industry (after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball) to own her own studio. She immediately went from being just a daytime talk show host to becoming a media mogul. And it was awesome to watch. The biggest thing she did for me was show me that I could do it too. I have studied her every move in business. I had an Oprah file for a year before starting my production company in 1999. Any article I could get my hands on about her business I would devour, print and keep. What I love about her most is that she has never been about goals. Oprah Winfrey has always been about growth. She has constantly evolved.  That and her business acumen will leave a lasting legacy to all business owners to come.  Here are 6 Things Oprah Winfrey taught us about business. 1. Find your calling. Oprah said in her final show that every day she walked on stage she felt that she was exactly where she was supposed to be.  If you have no life plan, you are most likely following someone else’s agenda for your life. Live on purpose! Don’t be one of these entrepreneurs with an endless to do list, exhausted at the end of day– getting nowhere fast and not making any money. Oprah urged us to follow our own truth. God speaks to us though visions and dreams. Pay attention to what he is showing you about your destiny and build a business around that. 2. People show you who they are the first time. If a prospective customer approaches you, acting like an impossible nightmare, that is exactly who they are and how they will behave if you move forward in business. Do not allow your need for money or a contract force you to tolerate someone who does not value your professional expertise. You will never be paid enough money to make it worth it. 3. Oprah owned a broad niche. Oprah targeted a demographic that was women of all ages and income levels. She developed shows that would appeal to career women, working moms, stay-at-home mothers, grandmothers, retirees, high school and college students. And her audience was loyal because she helped them be better, live better, and find a correct fitting bra. 4. OWN your mistakes. In the wake of disappointing ratings at OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah’s latest venture in partnership with Discovery Networks, Oprah made a change at the top.  Network head Christina Norman, abruptly left the 4-month-old cable channel at the beginning of May. How many of us wait until it’s too late to make changes in our businesses? Evaluate what is going on in your business and do not be afraid to change course if you need to. 5. Know that you are worthy of success. Often times we know what we deserve, but the thing that keeps us from truly capturing it is internalizing that we are worthy of all God has for us in our lives and businesses. 6. Be willing to do what it takes. Oprah never missed a day of taping on her show in 25 years.  She knew that showing up was the most important element in her success equation. Are you willing to do all that it takes to make your business a success? I have begun to reach major success in my business, but I started being your SmallBizLady in 2007. There is no such thing as overnight success. What lessons have you learned from Oprah in your small business? For more tips on how start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com. Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America’s leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure.  As CEO of MFE Consulting LLC, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine recently named her one of the Top 20 women for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also the author of the national bestseller Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. (Adams Media 2010)

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11 Bible Verses Small Business Owners Need in 2011

by on April 4, 2011 in 10 Things Lists

Each year, I pick a bible verse as my theme for the year.  This year I did not choose a verse, but a saying that a coaching client shared with me. “Either I win or I learn, but with God’s help I never lose”. I loved that, and I was so touched by what this entrepreneur shared with me, that I felt like that was the message for me this year.  But I still wanted to share the verses I was considering.  There are so many powerful verses to read in the bible. Here’s a list of 11 favorites that I use for encouragement.  I hope that you will print this post and share it with others, so that they might be helped along the spiritual journey we call entrepreneurship.

1. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 One of my favorite business heroes Oprah Winfrey often says God can dream it bigger for you than you can dream it for yourself. There will be times in your life and in your business when the people around you will not understand the vision God had given you for your business. Read this Bible verse and be steadfast in your entrepreneurial journey.

2. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 If everything in your business is done to glorify God, he will Bless your work.

3. The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5 A good idea is still a good idea three weeks from now. There are no “get rich quick” schemes. Do not be in a hurry for anything. Learn all you can. Be focused and diligent and your business will succeed. Continue Reading →

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10 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs

by on January 18, 2010 in Business Inspiration, Mompreneurs, My Recommendations, Pink Slip Entrepreneurs, Solopreneurs, Your Small Business

MistyPathAs a Christian and a family focused entrepreneur, I believe that faith is a key ingredient in small business success.  In this current economy, the people of God must remember that if you honor God through your business he will direct your path.

Each year, I pick a bible verse as my theme for the New Year.  As I considered which bible verse would guide me in 2010, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorites. Use these bible verses in the good and tough times in your small business.

1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Learn something every day.  If you only lean on your own knowledge in your business, you will not be able to grow.  You must grow yourself to grow your business

2. “Behold, I am doing something new! It’s already happening; don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.”  Isaiah 43:19 (GOD’S WORD® Translation) Sometimes your business will need to move as the market pulls you in a different direction. You might need to reinvent your business, and you should not be afraid. God’s always got your back.

3.”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV) One of the most important things you can do for your business is to pray every day.

4. “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 (KJV) You can’t just pray for success. Develop a plan and work your plan. If you can do something about your situation, then do it. Stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and do it!

5. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) There will be contracts that you really need that you will not win. There will be days when you drop the ball on your customer service, but you can not let that define you or your business. You will get another opportunity and even if you don’t, God is with you always.

6. “As I think in my heart, so am I.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) Your thoughts can be your number #1 asset or your biggest liability. When you are alone in your office or back bedroom, your thoughts can easily turn on you. Your ability to stay positive, learn from all experiences and shake off mistakes quickly will be a big asset to you and your business.

7. “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) Making decisions in your small business based on fear is never helpful. For that matter making decisions in anger is not good either. Try hard not to be reactionary with clients, vendors or employees. Use factual information and up-to date financials to make sound business decisions.

8. “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day.” Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB) You need to understand that God’s time is not your time. There may come a time in your business when you just know you have a contract, one that you really need and things fall through. Those are the times when you need to trust in the Lord the most. When we accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems.

9. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding;” Proverbs 3:13 (NIV) You need to be a life long learner in order to be successful in business.  You should constantly seek to improve yourself and increase your knowledge about the business of running a business.

10. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) This is my new bible verse for 2010. It came to me watching a college football game. I believe I was only watching the game to see it.

Remember, whether you are religious or not you can always pray about your business.

Special Shout out to Joyce Meyer Ministries for her book The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word which gave me guidance for this post and to Pastor F.L. Anderson who gave me some biblical wisdom for this article. Read his blog http://www.FLAnderson.com.

Do you have a special bible verse that has helped you in your business? Please leave a comment and tell me about it.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady“, is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

For more tips on how to start or grow your small business visit http://succeedasyourowboss.com and subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog.

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Managing Difficult Clients

by on September 6, 2009 in Branding & Marketing, Grow Your Business, My Recommendations

Does this sound familiar…”How many 16 hour days is this project going to take?” “My client has saboteurs working with me on this project,” “This project started with an Managing Difficult Clientsunrealistic deadline and has gotten crazier every day since.” If you have said any of these phrases out loud to yourself recently – you are not alone.  Professional service businesses, particularly creative service businesses can really get abused and lose profit margin to rework.

Unanticipated hours spent trying to please a client that is never satisfied can drain you and your business like a vampire.  From the countless unnecessary revisions, to the “I don’t know what I want, but I don’t want that” dance or too many people allowed to influence the look and feel of your project.  Then there’s the real kicker– the client beat you up on price in the first place.  After more than a decade in business, I have seen that devil more than a few times-and now I have strategies to cope.

When it seems like nothing that you do is right, forget about preserving the relationship – save your sanity instead.  With a client who just won’t be satisfied no matter what you do, you need to operate defensively. 

Smallbizlady’s Rules for Managing Difficult Clients

  • Never start work without a signed agreement and at least a 50% deposit.
  • Don’t accept less than your standard fee without a good reason.
  • Reserve the right to adjust the budget if the scope of the project changes.
  • Make sure the budget is significant enough to hire a project manager to help you.
  • Have a kickoff to meet all the key stakeholders.
  • Create a project timeline and then have the client sign off.
  • Develop a detailed project plan with assigned task and deliverables.
  • Praise stakeholders openly who are helpful.
  • State clearly in your contract agreement, and every time you send over a draft how many business days the client will have to review the draft based on the project timeline.
  • Insist on a single point of contact.
  • 1 edit, 1 revision -That’s it! All additional changes are billable for time and materials hourly.
  • Use a signed work order for revisions. Before additional revisions are made, make the client sign a work order to approve any additional charges.
  • Over communicate with status reports.
  • Document all communication, just in case you need to prove ridiculous directives after the fact.

 If you are a project-based company it may make sense to invest in a project management software/file share program such as GoPlan, Microsoft Sharepoint, or SharedPlan Central. These programs allow you to give restricted access to clients and your project team 24/7.  It will also keep you from having 42 emails back and forth about the same project.

Always make time to fill your pipeline.  Do not fall into the trap of spending all of your time on one extremely demanding clients to the point where you can’t devote yourself to any new opportunities.  Say “no” or “that’s impossible” when necessary.

Take great care of customers, who love your work and acknowledge your dedication and professionalism.  They are rare, but they are the backbone of your long-term business success.

You will not love all of your clients; not everyone is a good customer.  The great thing about being in business for yourself is that you can move on from difficult clients after their nightmare project is over. Never be afraid to cut your losses and move on.

Have you ever dealt with a difficult client? How did you handle the situation? Share your story in the comments.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #smallbizchat on Twitter.  #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.  Melinda’s first book, Be Your Own Boss in 12 months or Less; A Month-by-Month Guide to Start a Business that Works! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in early 2010.

For more helpful tips to start or grow your small business subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog. http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com

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Managing Stress In Your Business

by on February 13, 2009 in Women in Business

If you tell yourself that you are going to have a good day, it is far more likely to happen. That said, all of us all too often have days when we feel like a one-armed wall paper hanger; there are never enough hours in the day.  The key to managing our daily task list is setting realistic priorities.  I have my superwoman cap in my closet, and I do pull it out on occasion, but on an average day I resort to my common sense when it comes to getting stuff done.  The worst thing in the world you can do in your business is spend your $100/per hour time doing $10/per hour work.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed running down a list in your head of all the things you need to accomplish in a day.  When it comes to work, you have to ask yourself if you need to do this task yourself.  If your tasks are directly connected the revenue generation, then push yourself to get it done.  If your task is something you think that you need to do then ask yourself three times if that is really true.  Entrepreneurs by nature can easily become workaholics.

Here are a few helpful tips that will make completing daily tasks easier:

1. Breakdown your priorities – Allot a reasonable amount of time for each task.

2. Determine your top 3 priorities - Once you determine what needs to be done – pull out the most important tasks keeping in mind the amount of time you have to complete your work.

3. Farm out lower priority tasks - Use a virtual assistant, intern, friend or just reschedule it. While you cannot completely let go of lesser tasks, write down all directions so you can hand off the assignments.

4. Eliminate clutter – Clutter distracts your mind. If you need to clean up your work space before starting, then do it.  Working in a chaotic environment contributes to you being less productive.

5. Focus – Make sure that you set up your office with few distractions.  Make sure you have a door that will close to limit noise.  Don’t give in to temptation and position your desk in a room with a television. (If you are a home based business, resist the urge to work in a room with a bed.)

6. Celebrate all victories – when you get things accomplished congratulate yourself.   Give yourself small rewards. Your celebrations do not have to be elaborate. In fact, a simple walk, quick personal phone call, Twitter break or a cup of herbal tea will do.

7. Ask for help – Do not let you pride (or your controlling nature) keep you from asking for help.  Seek the advice of friends and be willing to delegate tasks to the people in your life.

If you run your business by chasing from emergency to emergency, you will stress about everything and your health will eventually start to fail.  Do not choose between your business and your health.

  • Set up systems to handle daily tasks (only look at email and twitter at the beginning and end of the day)  
  • Be clear about when to say no
  • Let go of simple tasks that someone else can do  

If the amount of work reaches the point where your health and relationships are affected, then maybe it’s time to rethink how you do business.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?  You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Melinda Emerson is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #smallbizchat on Twitter.  #Smallbizchat is the trusted Twitter resource to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business.  Melinda’s first book, Be Your Own Boss! How to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business 12 Months or Less! is scheduled to be released by Adams Media in early 2010.

If you’re ready to start or grow your small business visit www.succeedasyourownboss.com and subscribe to Melinda Emerson’s blog.

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