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This may strike a cord, but extremely important to keep in mind. Whether you have an online or offline business, how business friendly are you?

What do I mean by this question?  In any business it is important to make it possible for your clients and prospective clients to contact you.  If they have questions or concerns, do they simply get a recording or do they reach a ‘live’ person?Nothing is more aggravating then reaching a recording that doesn’t guide the person to an answer or a ‘live’ person.  Unfortunately many large companies follow this practice and they are then left with disgruntled folks.  This is not what we want in our businesses, so let’s make it easy for folks to contact you or find answers to questions they may encounter. [Read more →]

Tags: Marketing by Carrie Wilkerson
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Tags: Marketing by Carrie Wilkerson
2 Comments »

I found this in one of my journals this week and wanted to share it with you…

…Someone called me unreasonable today. And after thinking about it awhile, I think they’re right!!

About Success…I am Being Unreasonable…
About Financial Freedom…I am Being Unreasonable…
About Choices for My Family…I am Being Unreasonable…

I’m being Unreasonable by:

• Being Uncompromising – by sticking to my goals no matter what
• Being Demanding – by expecting more, not less, from everyone around me (and myself!)
• Being Critical – by changing old systems that just don’t work
• Being Outrageous – by creating my own Business Brain Trust of those who challenge and educate me
• Being Prepared – for real success on my terms

So…thanks for noticing that I’m being Unreasonable!! I wish that for YOU too!

I just wanted to share that with you!!
I’m also thrilled to be working with a group of UNREASONABLE people…
Go Check Out What They’re Up To < —-

If you’re ‘Unreasonable’ Enough – I’d love to work with you too!

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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If you have listened to any of my teleclasses or are involved in any of my programs you will know that I admire Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.  Yes, Dorothy!

Before you let your thoughts go crazy as to how confused Dorothy was, read why I can relate to her below.

First off as business owners we must realize that the methods of marketing and succeeding in business are ever changing. We must keep up with the trends in order to remain successful.  Many business people are unaware of the changes going around them and unless they become aware and keep up with the changes they will certainly be left behind.

Now the reason I can relate to Dorothy is because she had the following:

• She had a PLAN which was to find the Wizard
• She had a PATH which was to follow the Yellow Brick Road
• She had a PURPOSE which was to get back home to her family
• She had a PROCESS which was to take one step at a time and to surround herself with a support team

Dorothy was very wise and we can definitely follow her lead.  This is how I choose to operate my business.  By focusing on a Path, Plan, Purpose and Process I am able to succeed.

Just as Dorothy had the distractions of the witches, flying monkeys and more, her Plan never changed.  She knew she had to find the Wizard in order to get home.  Now there may be many distractions in your life too, but by avoiding those and staying on your PATH you will progress where other businesses will falter.  Many of these distractions will come in the forms of the ‘latest and greatest’ methods to increase the volume and numbers in your business but I refer to those as ‘shiny objects’ that are put there to distract us from our main PURPOSE.

Those ‘shiny objects’ make false promises and many businesses will fall prey to them.  The false promises of getting rich in a short amount of time are something we are all familiar with and must not be distracted.  The Dorothy in  me chooses to avoid those distractions and remain on my PATH.

You can do the same.  You must first determine your PLAN.  Once that is determined you can follow your PATH which will lead to your PURPOSE and the PROCESS will follow with the right group of people/support system there with you cheering you all the way.

You can do it and if you need help…I am here to help you.  Register now for the direction you need and for the best year ever!  Don’t be left behind with the flying monkeys…join us today!

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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There are times when we need to take a break from our busy lives to gain clarity.  Yes, time off!

It is understandable that you want to spend every waking hour on your business, especially a new business.  But, that will only lead to a burn out stage and all the hard work you have put into your business will be useless.

With anything in life, it is necessary to take time off, step away from your work and relax.  It is amazing how much clearer and productive you will be when you return.  Yes, there are sacrifices to be made to make our dreams and goals a reality, but staying sane and healthy should be on the top of your list.

It is wise to disconnect, unplug and step away briefly to gain essential clarity time.  When you step away and FOCUS on other things you will come back to your project, business or relationship with a refreshed and new outlook.  I can’t stress enough the importance stepping away has on your success in your life in general.

Don’t push away your family, friends, or business partners.  A support system is necessary in every and any project we pursue.  Take some time off and truly enjoy your relationships.

Come back after your brief, but well deserved break and put all your thoughts and efforts to work.  You’ll be amazed how the ideas will flourish and you will be completely energized to move forward.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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Many individuals have wonderful intentions when they put all their hopes into a new online or offline business. However, the biggest mistake that many make is jumping in, full force without a business model in place.

The very first thing you must determine before diving into a new business venture is your business model.  What do I mean by business model?  You must determine what your business will focus on.  For example there are several business models to choose from.  Below are few:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Service Oriented
• Lead Generation
• Teaching/Training
• Informational Marketing

Many will go into business in hopes to reach an enormous market and simply burn out because they were never truly focused on their model.  Many of the above models can be used in conjunction with your main focus, but you must determine your main focus first.  Ask yourself what you are good at and move ahead from that point.  Sure you can dive into something completely new but why make it harder on yourself?

Once you have identified your business model, everything else will fall into place nicely.  Your next question will be who is your target market?  Who will you serve, who can you help and how?  Sure, those are many questions but very important ones when developing your business.  The answers will determine your path and once that path is determined you must remain focused to stay on that path.

Most importantly you must remember that you do NOT have to do this alone.  Learn from those who have come before you.  Join groups that will help support your goals and aspirations.  And the most important point I can stress to you is that you should have FUN, if you are not having fun, re-evaluation time is in order.

So, what is your business model?

PS

To hear more about my thoughts on this, listen to the replay of my Profit Explosion 2010 Call HERE < —-

I’m working with an excellent group of action takers on their Personal 2010 Online Profit Explosion — what about YOU?

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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Tags: Marketing by Carrie Wilkerson
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Today’s post is one that should invoke some thinking about your business and your life in general. Are you passionate about something?  Perhaps it is something that you truly believe in.  Why not put that passion to work?

Many will confuse passion for emotion and that is far from factual. Unfortunately being emotional has a negative connotation in today’s society.  Many will associate emotions with weakness and that is definitely the last thing we want in our business.  However, passion is much more powerful.  When you are passionate about what you do and what you have to offer it will show.  It will show in your posture, your attitude and your entire being.

Take a look at some sports figures.  You can definitely tell the ones that are passionate about the sport and their accomplishments where others are involved for completely different reasons.  How about the speaker on stage?  Can you tell the difference between a passionate one and one that is simply up there to speak?  When you are passionate you are willing to yell about it from the roof tops. When you apply the same passion to your work, it is truly visible.  Some may get involved in a company because they must and not necessarily because they are passionate about their position.

My question to you is this: what are you passionate about? Is it something that you can apply to your business? These are very important questions and ones you must consider.  When you are truly passionate about your work or your service it will show.  Can you imagine jumping out of bed every morning excited about your business?  That is what passion creates.

We can truly love something but not be passionate about that same thing. Let’s not mistake emotion for passion.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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If you provide services online or perhaps have products to sell online, learning about search engines is very important to your business.  However, it can be very confusing determining what search engine is the best. It is my hopes that this article will help ease some of your confusion.

Finding out which search engine is best greatly depends on your needs and the information you already have at the time of searching.  There are a number of different search engines, both general and specialized, and each has their own advantages and disadvantages.

For example, if you have a general search question that only needs a few words to define it, one of the best choices is Google®.  If however, you have a more specific, factual question, Google® might not be the best choice.  If you wanted to know exactly how many lemons to use in making a 9 inch lemon custard pie, a search on Google® may return everything from the best lemon custard recipe to the evolution of the lemon tree.

If you’re pressed for time, and you just need a specific piece of information, use search engines that are designed specifically to answer just what you ask.  Search engines such as www.answers.com, or www.Factbites.com are designed to focus on questions.  Unlike general search engines, which are designed to choose a few keywords, and give you many results, these search engines are designed to focus on the phrases that you provide.

Another choice is to use meta-search engines.  These search engines provide a wealth of links and websites, since they take information from multiple search engines. Two examples are www.monster.com and www.simplyhired.com.

These sites take potential jobs from many different search engines and filter them based on your desired location.

As you can see, the best search engine for your use depends on what you’re looking for, and how you want to go about finding it. By realizing the different choices available, and what they can be used for, you can make the best choice for your business needs.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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Don’t misunderstand what I’m about to share with you. My personal life is very important as it should be to you as well, however it is also important to find the separation between your personal and business lives.  It is important in a business sense but also important for your health.

Think back to when and if you worked outside of the home.  If you worked outside of the home before making the transition to working at home your life may have been very monotonous.  Every day consisted of the same routine, get up, go to work, try to make it through the day and rushing home to try to get some quality time with your family. The separation you placed between your personal life and your work allowed you to recharge your batteries and try again the next day.

It is just as important to keep that separation in place when you own your own business. Devoting too much time to the business, and not enough time to recharging your batteries can be a dangerous to both your health and your relationships. One of the reasons why people start their own business is to be able to set their own hours; why sacrifice that goal, simply to make a few more dollars?

There is a very good business reason for separating your personal and business lives. There is a point of diminishing return if you spend too much time on one area of your life. Anyone can grow tired of a task, even if it is something that they love. Once that tiredness sets in, mistakes can be made. If you want your business to be known for quality, sometimes stepping away, and spending some personal time is a great idea.  Take time for you, recharge and enjoy some family time.  Then and only then will you have the energy and passion needed to succeed in your own business.

Tags: Tips by Carrie Wilkerson
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