I have been ensconced in this 5-day incredible event with mind-blowing geniuses around me every day.

2 weeks ago I wrote about how distraction = inefficiency.  This was just something I had observed in my own life, and wanted to pass on the ways that I figured out to try to be as efficient as possible. Many of you thanked me for these pearls of wisdom.  Well, you’re welcome!

So, yesterday I heard Eban Pagen speak about the very same thing.  He even went on to say that distraction and interruption are the #1 priorty in business these days -  both of these things = ineffeciency.

His suggestion is to get into a routine and do the same thing every day at the same time.
Make a schedule and stick to it.  There are times to answer emails, engage in social media, do sales calls, take meetings, do interviews, talk to your friends, eat, etc…  His experience is that ritual helps you focus. It takes away the need to wonder what you should do next that’s for sure!!

Eban suggests that the morning hours are the most productive hours to get the important work done.  I totally agree.   You have way less distractions, chance is on your side that there wasn’t time for too many things to go wrong yet, and you can concentrate and give the BEST part of your brain power to the most important stuff you need to work on.

We live in a world of information overload.  Our inboxes are full all the time, the phones are ringing off the hook, and unless you make a commitment to turn it all off to concentrate on the ONE thing at hand, you are going to get distracted and in turn, generate mediocre results or maybe no results.

Let’s make a pledge to each other to have the most result oriented week ever.  Send me your pledge and I will hold you accountable.

I pledge to turn off my email and phone every time I sit down at my computer to do anything other than answer email.

I pledge to write down my tasks, hour by hour on my calendar so I know what I am doing every minute.

I pledge to wake up at least 30 minutes before my children and take some time for myself every morning.

Popularity: 77% [?]

By Sarah Shaw

Some people think that just having a super cool product is enough to make people want to buy it. Maybe you have done your research and know your customer, packaged it super cute, posted it on your website, sold it to a store or two and are now waiting for the rest of the world to find you. Good for you for getting it done and out there……but now comes the fun….. and hard part.

I know that a lot of you are thinking, “What is she talking about? The hard part was actually getting it made!” Yes, I agree, that can be hard, fun, challenging, creative, and invigorating. But the sales part – otherwise known as getting buyers to want you is the second half of the equation.

Since I am a bootstrapper, and in the trenches every day just like YOU working on my accessory line, I am always trying new sales strategies as everyone needs to fill the pipeline ALL the time.

Here are my Top 7 ideas to get your product out there for FREE so that buyers WANT you.

These are ideas you can use over and over with new “launches” each week to keep your customers intrigued and coming back for more.

1. Take a photo of your product in use. People need to be shown how to use it. Even if it’s as simple as note cards, suggest sending a handwritten (gasp!) note to someone each week thanking them for something they did for you. Come up with ways to use the cards other than as thank you’s. With the ease of email, we need to remind people about these “old fashioned” ways!

2. Send this photo out in your newsletter. Instead of always trying to “sell” your customers something, give them ideas of how to use what they already have or start giving them the idea that they NEED to have it. TIP: I switched from Constant Contact to Rate Point earlier this year and they have an automatic feed of your newsletter to your twitter page. One less step and you can customize the tweet……and they are cheaper. And no, I don’t get referral fees from them!

3. Post this image with some great text on your website. Changing the images weekly gives people a reason to visit more often (and hopefully purchase) if they are guided there by a clever photo and ideas of how to use your product. You may catch them needing a hostess gift or birthday present……they will need to hear from you often to remember to buy from you.

4. Post the image with your clever text on your Facebook Fan Page. You can even ask your fans to share the ways they use their note cards. Or even ask them for the creative ways to reuse or repurpose cards they receive. This creates interaction on your page which in turn creates more visibility and drives potential fans to your page and hopefully to your website to purchase.

5. Twitter it – Facebook just launched an automatic update of your posts to twitter. It should be on your fan page. Easy to set up. How easy is that? One less step to getting the word out.

6. Post these ideas on your blog. NO brainer here right? If you are connected on Network Blogs it will auto update it to Facebook and twitter for you.

7. Other ideas: Poll your Facebook Fans, see what they like about certain products you make or are thinking of making. Find complimentary companies on twitter and FB and make friends with them. You might be able to do a cross promo with them and drive fans to each other. Be sure to tweet about useful info not just about buying your products. Retweet (RT) things you find useful. You can use the search functions on both FB and Twitter to find good matches for you.

Popularity: 74% [?]

By Sarah Shaw

As an up and coming Entreprenette you are probably wearing many hats and often feeling overwhelmed. We all hope to walk into our office (or the dining room :O)) and hope to be able to cross everything off our to-do lists each day before it gets out of control …….right? I sure wish it was like that for me!! Obviously that’s not always a reality but here are a few tips to help you get closer to wiping the board clean and make the most of your time.

1. Power Hours: Assign hours or minutes to certain projects. Get a calendar going with times on it and really schedule yourself to get in a rhythm. Maybe you spend 1 hour 2x a day answering emails, 25 minutes on Social Media 2x a day, lunch, exercise, design, meetings, 5 minutes of stretching……you get the picture. Having power hours really gets the job done. Turn off everything else during that time and ONLY work on that. You will be amazed at how fast you can work when totally dedicated.

2. Realize your potential: Before you assign yourself a task, think about if you are the best person to do it or if it is something you can outsource. Even when the money is tight, sometimes outsourcing can free you up to do the things you really excel at and is a much better use of your time. Outsourcing is a great option if you really don’t enjoy the task or are just really bad at it.

3. Don’t assume; ask questions: When speaking to a prospective or current client, try to really understand what they are asking of you. Sometimes we just want to please and take on more that we can chew. You will waste a lot of time back tracking or trying to reinvent the wheel rather than just having listened well the first time and offering what was within your means or area of expertise.

4. Know when to go: Get off the phone as soon as possible. When a caller keeps you on the phone longer than necessary, gently prompt her to end the call. You could tell them that you have another call, that you are on a tight deadline or, if they have requested something, tell them that you want to get started on it immediately.

4a. Know when to listen: Get a voicemail ONLY system so you don’t have to answer the phone and can just check the messages a few times a day. You can always give special customers your cell number. I use Voicemail Depot for this myself and it works wonders for me and my team.

5. The desk makeover: Make your environment conducive to working. Organize your workstation to minimize wasted time searching for lost papers or files etc…This covers two areas: your actual work space and the area surrounding it. Take the time to clear your desk of any distractions - Think about the things you use on a regular basis and have those at the ready – everything else can go on a shelf waiting for its moment in time. You may want to find some storage type bins and or baskets you can use to help you be more organized and have easy access to the things you need to do your job.

6. Flex your muscles: Organize your files so you can find what you need quickly. I like to have files near my desk of things I am currently working on……Everything else is either on my laptop or in a filing cabinet.

7. Find your sweet spot: In retail they say, “Location, location, location.” The same is true in a home office. A desk located in a high-traffic area is as welcome as a marching band in a library. Try to find a quiet place to work so you can concentrate and be as efficient as possible. If this means on your bed then so be it….

8. Conserve gas: If you are in production mode or just have to travel a lot to visit with clients, stores or whatever else….try to plan out your week and group areas together to maximize your time. Most people are accustomed to waiting to be called upon, and will not feel like a day or two is neglectful of you. I think you will find you are more pleasant and happier to be there when you are not so rushed and trying to get more places than possible.

Popularity: 77% [?]

I learn so much watching my twins explore life. I got to thinking today as I watched Maddie pouring water down her arm over and over again today while playing in the pool, and how she marveled each time as it poured down under her arm like it was the very first time.  I started to question where that feeling of discovery and wonder goes as we get older.

How do we get back to that marveling phase?
How do we get back that feeling of experiencing something for the first time?
Is it even possible?

Children are so happy-go-lucky.  They don’t have an agenda.  Children are as honest as it gets. They just do as they feel inclined when the feeling hits them; run, jump, laugh, dance, cry, play, take, give, and kiss.  Their inhibitions are their greatest asset and they don’t even know it.  Children see the world in all of its glory and splendor.

As adults we are so overwhelmed with “adult responsibilities” that we mostly forget to wonder.  Life just happens around us and we get caught up in our daily routine, our jobs, and our families.  We don’t often let go and just start dancing when we feel like it, run around laughing, throw a fit, or just cry.

Launching a business and running one are more like a child’s life than you think.

• You are constantly worrying about the business and if you are doing things correctly.
• You have a HUGE to do list.
• You gave up honesty to create a story about yourself that sounds more interesting to the press and general public.
• Often you are experiencing something for the first time, but being a jaded adult, you are probably finding it annoying and just want to get through it.
• There are many reasons to jump for joy, laugh, and dance but you are probably so fixated on the next task that you just smile for a second and move on.
• We all know there are many opportunities to cry but usually it involves your manufacturer and you can’t let him see you cry or you might appear weak.
• You do take and give, but as a grownup it’s elevated to the status of advice and since you always take it, you aren’t sure any more what you give besides dinner.
• You still want to kiss but you’re working so hard your love life is suffering.

This week is about finding and rekindling the joy in your business.  Let’s get back to the wonder in our lives and try to look with fresh eyes at the tasks at hand.

• Try to notice and celebrate the good things that happen to you this week.
• They may not even be work related, just try to be receptive to what it feels like to accept the feeling of celebration.
• They may be small like a lovely email or a call from a friend.
• Or big like a lead on a sample maker or that you received a grant.
• All are reasons to celebrate.
• Try to make friends with the disappointments as well.
• You didn’t close the sale but you are going to implement some of Cindy’s techniques from Own the Room and try again.
• Your sample didn’t come out as well as you hoped, but it sparked a new idea.

These too are cause for celebration.  Think of disappointments as an opportunity to learn and improve your skills.  I have learned all my most savvy secrets from my mistakes along the way.
Have fun celebrating,

When in doubt, take the next step,

Popularity: 73% [?]

There are so many people out there that want to help you if you are just willing to ask. I mean REALLY ask, put yourself on the line and ask the questions that you are afraid to ask. The worst thing that can happen is that you are disappointed in their answer.  Go ahead, what are you dying to ask someone?

OK, so let’s be honest - “Do you like my idea?” - is the #1 burning question for most Entreprenettes.

The first thing to ask yourself is WHY do you care if they like it or not?

People ask me all the time if I like their idea. Luckily most of the time I do, but sometimes, while I think it’s a great idea, it’s just not something I’d personally want.  And not everyone is going to want your idea right?  I mean there are tons of cool things out there that I can appreciate and just don’t need or want - and sometimes WISH I wanted just because they are so nifty or clever.

The most important thing is that YOU like your idea and are passionate about it. It’s like a new boyfriend; you think about them all the time, can hardly sleep, keep touching them, want to call them every second, can’t stand to be apart, your stomach flutters when you see him……all those “just new” feelings about your product are the same…..just don’t tell your new BF.

A good passionate relationship with your product is essential to get it to blossom and grow, if not you loose interest, just like with the guy.

Part of growing is asking the painful and hard questions that we all shy away from.  This time, instead of asking the guy where the relationship is going, ask yourself where your product is going. Take a hard look at what you want.

• Do you want to manufacture it yourself?
• Do you prefer to find a licensee?
• Do you want to go at it alone?
• Do you want a partner?
• What is your revenue model?
• Do you even know what that is?
• Do you plan to wholesale?
• Or just retail it on your website?

These are JUST questions that you need to ask.  They are not the end - but the beginning of a long journey ahead of making fun and not so fun decisions. This is the joy of being an Entreprenette - you get to revel in the up moments and burn rubber looking for new ideas in the down moments.  Life is never dull and you are thankful for that.

Just like meeting the BF’s family and hoping you will fit in and feel comfortable, you have to look at your business and see how it fits YOU. How does it feel when you wrap yourself in it? How does it feel when you wrap your arms around it?

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life, (Steve Jobs)

When in doubt, take the next step,

Popularity: 71% [?]

There’s No Time like Now
By Sarah Shaw

I hosted a Tele-call with Mike Michalowicz, Author of the The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, this past week and it really got me thinking about how much we put off in the hopes that we can do it better if we wait for our “circumstances” to improve.

What does this mean exactly?

• Are we waiting for the economy to improve?
• Are we waiting to learn some more “stuff” before we get going?
• Are we trying to find money to fund our project?
• Are we hoping to get someone’s “approval” to begin?
• Are we just scared?
• Are we waiting until our kids are toilet trained?
• Are we hoping it will all be perfect the first time?

How did we get to this point and what can we do about it?

First of all, as Entreprenettes trying to launch in general, we work harder than anyone else we know, usually logging in 16 hour days to get it all done.  We sweat over the smallest detail, worry about every penny and try to read as much as possible to get it done as close to right the first time.

Is this going to change if any of the above “circumstances” change?
NO WAY JOSE
None of those things on your list make a difference in when you decide to get your rear-end in gear.

As Mike reminded us all, it’s time to think outside of outside the box.

LET’S KICK THE EXCUSES TO THE CURB SHALL WE?

• The economy will improve and if you are ready to take advantage of it then you will come out on top.
• As you DO, you will learn more.
• Try to figure out how to get things for free.  An example is to go to a local college and try to get the business school to take on your business as a project.
• If you can’t find someone who likes your idea then it might not be a good one.
• Entreprenettes are scared all the time but keep going.
• No kid ever went to college in a diaper.
• You will probably want to update your idea from time to time so don’t worry about it being perfect now. It will probably never be perfect to you.

Here are some suggestions for taking just ONE step this week towards
making your “big idea” a reality.

• Make one call you have been putting off.
• Ask one question you need to know to move forward.
• Research one thing on line.
• Ask one person if they like your idea.
• Be thankful that you have an idea worth pursuing.

When in doubt, take the next step.

Popularity: 84% [?]

The Top 5 Ways to Save When Launching
By Sarah Shaw

Office staff: There is a time when office staff makes sense but at the launch phase it is a waste of money.  I know wearing all the hats can be exhausting and keep you from the part you really love but hang in there – you will get there!  The first thing we all want to hire is an accountant, bookkeeper and an assistant…..but do we really need them all right now?  Learning to do all aspects of your business is a must in my opinion.  You don’t have to continue to do them, but knowledge is key. Hard to give direction when you don’t know how to do it yourself, or at least have some understanding of the job. Having a great accountant is a MUST for me (and honestly I’d be a goner without mine) so spend the money there to keep yourself on track.  Try outsourcing to a VA or hiring a part time bookkeeper to start if those are areas you really can’t manage on your own.  It gets better I promise!

An office: Will anyone take my calls if they know I am in my Pj’s and haven’t showered yet? Let’s be straight here – unless you are talking to them on skype, they don’t know if you are naked or calling from a penthouse office. Sometimes we try to convince ourselves that WE will feel more important and that we have a REAL job if we have an office. If you really believe in yourself it doesn’t matter if your office is your dining room table.  Spending precious dollars on an office to impress our selves is silly. We know we are fabulous already right? If the amount of inventory is the main issue because of space, then investigate a 3rd party shipping warehouse as that is often more economical than an office and a shipping clerk (means workman’s comp insurance = $$$$$$$).

Fancy catalogs and stationery: I never made a sale because I had a glossy tri-fold catalog or line-sheet.  Please don’t spend money on these.  Instead, use your money to pay a graphic designer to develop a killer logo instead.  Make an effort to learn photoshop so you can set up your own line-sheets or at least edit them going forward if you pay someone to do it for you.  Photoshop is fairly simple when just making small edits like line-sheets – trust me – if I can learn it so can you.  You want to be sure your line-sheet is clear, legible and gives all the pertinent information for your collection.  That’s what is going to get you the sale – not the paper it’s printed on or the fancy stationery and preprinted envelope. Trust me on this one!

Advertising: Paid advertising (in the big sense) is for very mature companies with big bank.  The ROI (return on investment) is very small and is usually used more for brand awareness than to sell a particular item. It takes a lot of investigative market research to find your target demographic and make sure you will make the most of paid ads.  In general, a company should plan to spend at about 10% of gross receipts on marketing and PR. While you are growing, I suggest using all the FREE, or very inexpensive, marketing tools out there. A Facebook Fan Page for one can be a great marketing tool if used correctly. It’s not enough to just get it up and hope for the best. You need to work it and come up with a marketing plan that has legs and can build your fan base and hopefully your pocket too. Post contests, poll your fans, make them post photos of themselves doing something with your product……get them to interact on your page.   Once you have a small fan base of about 200, you can cull the FREE data from FB and generate a targeted ad for a few dollars a day. If you need help with this then I suggest spending a few of your marketing dollars with Socialbees to get a great FB page and learn some strategic planning from their savvy owner Hazel Grace. I did and am learning a lot and building my fan base.  I am sure a lot of you use Twitter already but it’s not enough to tweet that you got ice cream – You need to send information that your followers will find interesting enough to Retweet and help build your brand awareness.  And lastly, I know everyone is sick of hearing these, but blogging and writing articles to post on line is a great way to become an expert and gain some momentum. We are all experts at what we do.  If you design shoes then write about the latest shoe trends and why they are so great (or not)….see where I am going with this?  Any links that you can post on line that trackback to your website will help increase your on-line visibility and hopefully sales will follow.  All this is FREE…… or a tiny investment in your future.

A DYI attitude: You all know I am a BIG advocate of knowing how to do it all yourself, but that is not what I am talking about here. What I mean is that everyone needs a mentor or a coach to help them SAVE MONEY and TIME on the learning curve. I sure wish I’d had it.  I am not talking about dumping your life savings into a coach – but if you won’t invest in your future and learn the steps to make things happen faster, or save you from mistakes, or just teach you the ropes – what does that say about you?  Admitting what you don’t know is a sign of greatness.  We all want to save where we can of course - but knowing where you need help, and sometimes learning what you don’t even know you need to know is one of the keys to success. No one ever got there all by them selves.  Ask for advice, pay for advice, GET advice to save yourself a bigger loss of time and money down the road.

Popularity: 83% [?]

Started by a shrink and a stylist, Retail Therapy provides the latest in “feel good” apparel & accessories.  Their motto “take care of yourself, take care of the world” inspires us all to be organic, recycled, and earth-friendly in our products.

My twins have these tees and we just planted the hangtags in the garden.  I am so excited to see the flowers grow!

A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR COOL TEE SHIRTS…
• Tees made of organic cotton, recycled polyester & naturally occurring rayon
•  Tees made of 100% organic cotton
• Even our RT logo tag is organic cotton!
• “Feel good” shirts with positive messages
• Silk screened with non-toxic water based inks
• Prewashed so they are super soft & won’t shrink
• Individually rubbed with rocks to get that funky worn look
• Hang tags made of 100% post-consumer waste & embedded with flower seeds
• When tags are planted, wildflowers will grow… really, we’re not kidding!
• Hang tag string made from handmade recycled paper & tinted with vegetable dyes
• We donate a percentage of profits to charity
• Retail Therapy tees have already been seen on TV & are worn by celebs!

Popularity: 76% [?]

I just got around to downloading the photos from our trip to see my mom 2 weeks ago…..hey with twins you do what you can!  Anyhow, I was struck by this photo of them running fearlessly into the HUGE freezing ocean.  While my mom and I were chasing after them, all I could think about was my own fear of them getting swept out to sea. In the moment, I couldn’t see, or feel, their excitement and experience their fearlessness and desire to explore the unknown. In retrospect, I feel like a moment in time was lost for me, but at the same time, this has opened my eyes and reminded me of how fearlessness to step into an unknown situation is such a gift.

So I have been thinking about fearlessness all week since seeing the photo of my twins in the ocean.  Deepak Chopra says there are no coincidences so I take that to heart!  Everything happens for a reason – which leads me to this story.
A friend of a friend called a week ago and asked if we’d be open to housing and feeding a 17-year-old French girl named Marion, in exchange for some babysitting for two weeks.   She wants to experience America and work on her English – which I must say is quite impressive for an 11th grader.  Her father has given me strict instructions to ONLY speak to her in English – I speak fluent French.  Anyhow, Marion arrived last night, tired after a long flight, but cheerful and adorable all the same.  I was amazed at her confidence and ability to be relaxed with total strangers in a new country.  She appeared to be fearless and I admired that in her. She saw an opportunity and jumped on it.
As I offered her a late dinner and we started talking, I was reminded of my own similar experience at 16.   I was bored with my High School and I think my mom knew she needed to save me from myself – or perhaps what might be waiting for me around the corner - or that is my interpretation at least.  During the summer following 10th grade, my mom asked if I wanted to go study in France for my junior year.  She had explored some options and through some friends had found a family for me to stay with in the small town of Carcassonne in southern France.  I immediately accepted and found myself on a plane to Paris on my 16th birthday.  I had studied French for years but really couldn’t put a sentence together.   Here I was, suddenly living with a strange family and trying to communicate while my nose was buried in a dictionary.  I ended up loving my new family and my life there. I had a real transformation from a naive child, into a young woman who had a purpose in life.
Before leaving for France I had never done anything in my life that I considered to be fearless. This moment changed my life forever.  While I wasn’t aware of the fearlessness at the time, because I was terrified, I came to understand later on what the significance of just getting on the plane meant.   I felt very lonely for the first few months as I really couldn’t communicate with anyone.  Being essentially alone really forced me to look my fear in the face and decide that I was bigger. I wanted to succeed for the first time in my life and was prepared to do what ever it took to get there.  This was my first entrepreneurial moment and I didn’t even realize it.
I have often drawn on the strengths that I discovered in myself while living in France.    I know that when I want to make something happen that I just have to acknowledge the fear and accept it.  Once you do that you are unstoppable.
Are you ready to be fearless?
I want you to think about your fears this week.
Write them down, acknowledge them, and accept them as part of your process.

What is holding you back from moving forward?

• Are you procrastinating? Cleaning your desk again?
• Are you afraid to share your idea?
• Are you afraid to take the first step?
• What would happen if you just did it?
• Are you wondering where the money will come from?
• Are you afraid to call a buyer?
• Are you afraid to pitch an editor?
• Are you afraid to be famous?
• Are you afraid to need help?

These are all natural fears, but fears that can stop you from realizing your dreams and living the life you want to live.
Be fearless this week and take a bold step forward.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Have a product-based company?
A “guide” to working with reps

Guest post by Romy Taormina
Nausea Relief Chief/Co-Founder, Psi Bands

What is a rep?

Broker rep. Sales rep. Showroom rep. They go by different names, but their job is the same. They represent your product and the goal is for them to help you get new accounts.

Why would you want/need one?

• Because they might be able to help you get in front of a buyer when you might not have been able to do so on your own.
• They should be familiar with the retailer that you are seeking so they can educate you on what to expect when working with this retailer (their margins, their promo allowances, sales projections, etc.).
• It gives you a sales person. It cuts down the amount of your travel, so it saves you time (and, hopefully, if they are local to the reatiler, it will save on travel expenses).
• It cuts down the amount of communications, because the rep will be handling a bulk of it on your behalf. The more accounts this rep handles on your behalf, the greater economies of scale reached – for you and your rep.

How do I find one?

• Word of mouth
• Through a tradeshow
• Call up and ask a fellow entrepreneur who is in the same category as yours and ask her for a recommendation
• Through your existing retailers
  

What if the rep won’t rep you

If you find a rep that won’t represent you, make sure you understand why. For example, perhaps they rep for Target but in a different category than the one that fits your product. Maybe they know someone who reps in your category at Target. It’s all about the best fit so everyone is maximizing their time.

Sometimes reps and retailers are resistant to working with companies that only have one product/product line. We have found this to be true in some cases, and in some of those cases we have overcome. So, keep plugging away.

Here are some questions that you could ask of the rep (choose those that are appropriate for your situation):

• What is your territory?
• Are you are considering representing me nationally? Can you give me some examples of other companies that you represent nationally?
• You have a wide range of retailers – drug, grocery, mass, catalog and online. Which categories/departments does your team specialize in?
• Where are most of your product lines?
• Do you have products in my category? If yes, which one(s)?
• Can you provide manufacturer references?
• Where are you located in relationship to the retailer headquarters?
• What are your payment terms (retainer, commission, travel expenses, etc.)

Before contacting a rep, make sure you are prepared

You may only have one shot with this rep (treat this as a special opportunity, just as you would the first time you meet with the retail buyer).

• Craft your sales pitch. How is your product unique? Who is your competition? How large is your market? You need to convince your sales rep-to-be that they should rep you.
• Can you fulfill large orders on time?
• How will you support retail sales – in and out of the store (i.e. what are your marketing plans)?

Popularity: 50% [?]