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.

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.

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.

Today – I had a come-apart! (that’s Carrie-speak for a melt-down of sorts.)

I take Baby Barefoot to my parents sometimes for a ‘Fri-date.’ I love that they are so close and she really enjoys the special time with them (since the other 7 grandchildren are busy on Friday mornings!)

When I was moving the carseat to my dad’s car…I couldn’t get it detached. I had never moved THIS particular seat and was really frustrated. I was in tears at my ’stupidity’ by the time I called my husband to help me.

As he tried to explain over the phone (patiently), I became more frustrated and of course this was the “dumbest design, ridiculous that it’s so hard, piece of junk” carseat ever made. (I know you’re laughing…I was NOT).

I was almost hysterical. Seriously. I even said ‘I am an intelligent, educated woman. I run several businesses and this should NOT be so hard!!!’

After a few more minutes of step-by-step instructions…Mr. B talked me through it and I was successful. When I put the seat IN my dad’s car…I was able to talk him through it too so that he didn’t get frustrated.

As I was driving away and realizing how ’shaken’ I was by such a little thing…it dawned on me…until we’ve DONE it – until we’ve EXPERIENCED it (correctly) – until we’ve been SHOWN or LEARNED the right way….we often question our capability, our intelligence or in some case…we even question the validity of the: equipment, software, business model, product line, etc.

Have you been there?

Now you know I have!

Maybe you are wondering if ‘this business stuff’ is really for you?
Maybe you feel stupid because you ‘can’t figure it all out’.
Maybe you think ___________ is a flawed model or product because you haven’t gotten it to ‘work’ for you.
Whatever that is YOU are feeling…know that often, getting step-by-step instructions from someone with experience can make all of the difference.

I saw the same phenomenon this past week when we took the kids roller-skating!! They needed either the wall or a hand-to-hold when they were ‘wobbly.’

Having a mentor. A coach. A power partner. A course. — These things can help you breathe more easily and realize…Hey!!! You are pretty dadgum smart after all!! (now patience…that’s a quality I canNOT help you with

And remember I promised to share the 5 ‘Rings’ of a Champion!! Be watching your inbox daily. These will be short videos and written lessons so you can watch OR read. (your choice)

I’m so proud to be in your space!

P.S. If you are BRAND new in business or just now THINKING about starting a business…I have just 7 copies LEFT of my Barefoot Basic Business Blueprint course. We are revamping the course format and with that, the pricing will jump. So – if you are still in ’searching’ mode – go check this out!

As any veteran business owner will tell you, the success or failure of your venture depends greatly on reaching the right customers at the right time. As a new business owner, you know that your market budget will not allow you to waste your money on reaching your target market. If you’re looking for a few helpful hints on finding your ideal customers, you’ve come to the right place.

One of the first things that you have to think about when determining your target audience is  about your product or service and how it can be used. Do you offer administrative services to the overworked business professional? Or perhaps you offer quality wood and paint to the weekend home renovator. By understanding  what you offer, you can start to determine the audience that would be interested in your product.

Once you know what you have to offer, and how it can be used, the next step is to go out and see where you product is needed. Small business owners often overlook this simple act but it is one of the most helpful steps in determining your target market. For example, the business owner that sells quality wood products could easily overlook the growing market among furniture repair shops for his wood if he didn’t take the time to visit a few marketplaces and talk to people on the street.

Finally, it is important to make sure your target market is large enough to be effective, but small enough to be manageable. For example, a virtual administrative assistant can offer services to everyone from a business owner to an online church, but her services might not be a good fit for a company requiring hours of physical labor.

Do you know who your target market is?  Hopefully these few simple tips have made you think and narrow down your focus as well as determining the perfect fit for your product or service.

It seems like there is always some new gadget or device that is designed to make a person’s life more fulfilling, or easier. Everyday, the worldwide market is inundated with countless improvements, new innovations, and technological marvels. In truth, many of these new items fail to survive the month, and much of that has to do with how and where the item is marketed. Perhaps more than ever, marketing is an integral part of the success or failure of any business venture in this technological age.

As a business owner, you know that you have a great deal of competition. If you do the majority of your business dealings through the internet, you know that there are hundreds, if not thousands of people trying to convince your potential customers to come and visit their website. With the ease of a few simple clicks, your valued customers could easily move over and become your competitors’ new clients. One of the most effective ways to prevent that, while increasing your customer pool is through effective and targeted marketing.

Another important reason why marketing effectively in the modern world is so important is because the taste of your customers can change extremely rapidly. Previous to the internet age, if someone wanted a new and different style of shoes, they had to go to the store, look through the selection, make a choice, or perhaps even have something special ordered. It was a truly a labor and time intensive process. Today, however, a few clicks of the mouse in the comfort of their home are all it takes. By understanding this, a savvy business owner can place targeted advertisements on the pages that they visit, reminding the visitors of what you have to offer.

Venture out of your comfort zone and get involved in different online networks to market your services and products. Promote, promote, promote is what will keep your business alive in our technology age.

So you’ve decided to start your own online business, and use the power of the World Wide Web to bring success to your venture. But wait, it can be a little more involved than opening up your shop online and mentally willing your potential customers to stop on by. The Internet is a very large place, and a savvy business owner needs to make sure that their potential clients can find them. One of the most effective ways to do this is through the use of Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short.

In a nutshell, SEO is a way to encourage the various Internet search engines to list your website or online business within the first few pages of the search results. This can be done in a number of ways, including meta-tags, keywords, and back-linking to name a few. Places like Google ® or Bing ® use complex formulas to search out for websites that contain information that the internet viewer has searched for, in the hopes of providing the best, most relevant results for their needs.

By using these simple principles of SEO, you can easily accomplish something that many online businesses pay consultants hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to do on their behalf.

So if you realize how search engines operate, you can understand why the SEO process can be a major influence on your business. By choosing the right keywords, or the right meta-tags, for example, you can make sure that your website and your business is ranked near the top of the search results. The higher you are ranked, the easier you are to find.

And as any business owner will testify, being found by your customer is the first step to making the sale.

My goal is to share strategies and tips to help you build your business.  Nearly every successful business owner will tell you that the growth of your business greatly depends on the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.  So, here are three that are proven winners.

Joint Promotions

There is a lot to be said for collaboration. Customers are constantly looking for ways to make their business and home lives run more smoothly, and sometimes by combining your services with another business, you can help them do just that. For example, if you own a health food store, teaming up with a local fitness club to promote both businesses through discounts or specials can be a great way to increase both your potential client pools.

Discover New Niche Markets

Another great marketing strategy is to be on the lookout for new types of customers. As any business owner will tell you, keeping abreast of the evolving market can mean the difference between being what you customers want and need, and being left in the dust. Take the time to customize your marketing media for them, and make them feel like they are your one and only customer. This form of targeted advertising is a great way to grow and further establish your business.

Make Use of the Emerging Trends

One of the most effective marketing strategies for any business is to listen to the market itself. By recognizing the various emerging trends you can find ones that you can design around and work with to grow your potential client base. Quite a number of businesses took advantage of the Internet in the early days to attract new customers. By being some of the first to have an online presence, they were able to obtain customers from their competitors, and cater to those who welcomed the Internet with open arms.

Some of the above strategies are some you may have heard or read somewhere before, but many don’t take action. Don’t put off what you can do today..that’s my mantra and should be yours as well.

If you are using a blog or website for marketing purposes, fresh content is essential. How important is fresh content, you ask?

Fresh content, as the name implies is new content used by websites to provide new information, promote their business endeavors, and keep them highly ranked in the search engines. In the world of search engine optimization, or SEO, the importance of creating and publishing fresh content cannot be overstressed.

As an entrepreneur, you can create a blog, website, or create an article to promote your business. However, unless the content within those things are updated on a regular basis, the search engines and readers will start to see the blog, website, or article as stale, and contain out of date information. Therefore, even if the pertinent information about your company hasn’t changed, it is essential to provide fresh content on a regular basis. This way, your business identity and your information remains in the minds of your potential clients, and at the top of the search engine’s findings.

How Important is Relevancy?

Before you run out and start creating new content just for the sake of new content, stop and think. Another important factor of fresh content is its relevancy. Today’s search engines, as well as internet users in general are becoming more aware and savvy then ever before. If you add content that doesn’t relate to your business, or to what your clients need, about the only thing you’ll gain is disrespect from your potential customers. Therefore, it is important that your content is updated regularly with information that your client needs, or information that presents your company in a new light.

One of the most effective ways to promote your online business is fresh content. Adding content can be accomplished at a very reasonable price. It truly is an easy and cost effective way to keep you at the top of your competition.