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: 57% [?]

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: 55% [?]

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: 60% [?]

My friend Fern designed this bag and just gave me one as a gift.  Can I say how much I LOVE it? We are going to Colorado in a week and I am thrilled to have such a great travel bag.

Madbaggage is an eco-friendly vegan handbag line. Fashionable and green, the company is totally PVC-Free, made mostly of polyurethane with bamboo and coconut hardware. The MadBaggage mission is to make a difference with earth friendly choices. How awesome right?

Mine is the celery color with black patent trim and is super chic!

Popularity: 100% [?]

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: 55% [?]

Regina Brett’s 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

by Regina Brett

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here’s an update:

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: “In five years, will this matter?”

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

To reach this Plain Dealer columnist:

rbrett@plaind.com or  216-999-6328

Popularity: 14% [?]

Article By Sarah Shaw | Entreprenette

I have been knee deep in my new 26-week Entreprenette course for the past few weeks and am so inspired by the projects these women are bringing to the world.  And to top this off, I feel like every time I open a magazine or the newspaper these days there’s an article about someone FINALLY taking the steps to launch their “big idea”.  I feel totally surrounded by innovation and creativity.
Do you get as excited as I do when you hear people talking about their ideas?   When I hear ideas, my mind starts to whirl, I start to visualize and get these amazing colorful pictures. I start to see the item in stores, magazines and even on people or in a house.  Sometimes I have to bite my tongue to keep from overwhelming them with my ideas about how they can get started and manufacture it, market it, package it, and get PR……..my mind just starts ticking and I want to teach them everything I know! I have a very photographic mind and when ideas start flowing I can “see” them very quickly  - it has been a very useful tool for me over the years – especially with designing my own line.

Did you know that during the great depression the ideas for the
Twinkie, Monopoly and the Photocopier were born?

What will this recession be remembered for?
What will be created today, tomorrow and the next day?
Will you be one of the innovators mentioned in greatness?
What are you waiting for?
This is the time to launch that idea you’ve been sitting on for years.
Don’t’ let someone else beat you to it.
Did you know:

• Inventors groups have doubled in size.
• Patent filings are going up each day for individuals, while going down for large corporations who are cutting back.
• Licensing companies phones are ringing off the hook.

I read this article in the LA Times about students from The Pratt  Institute in NY who were challenged to create their “big idea” for $1.  How can that be done you wonder? Well I wondered as well and was so impressed by their ingenuity and drive to create interesting products for $1 or less.
You can do it too!
Now is the time to get moving and create that prototype you’ve been dreaming about.
What are you waiting for?
Go ahead – take the $1 challenge.  What can you find, borrow, or get to make this happen?
Start at home – make a prototype with anything on hand.  Use clay, paper, wire, socks, bed sheets, whatever will be easiest for you.  Glue it, staple it, bake it.  Visit the hardware store for more unusual items needed.  Ask friends, a handyman, even your husband, dad, brother, mother, sister, wife or significant other for help if they‘re handy.
OK how does it look?
Let us know – we want to support you.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Posted by Sarah Shaw | Entreprenette | Simply Sarah

I am so excited! I was interviewed on the MS. CEO Radio show earlier this week.
If you want to learn how I launched my first handbag line and got tons of press for myself then tune in to Build it with Buzz.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Interview with Marty Stevens-Heebner  - Creator of Rebagz eco- chic handbags

Q: What is your name? Marty Stevens-Heebner

Q: Company name and website? I have three companies.
Rebagz Eco-Chic Handbags
Half the Sky Designs LLC
Altered Shoes

Q: We launched in: July 2007

Q: What is your business or what do you sell?
Rebagz™ Eco-Chic Handbags are made from colorful hand woven recycled juice packs and recycled rice sacks with vibrant graphics already printed on them.  We’re human-friendly as well as eco-friendly because all our bags are made under fair trade conditions.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company?
My interest in eco-design and fair working conditions dates back to my human rights work in Chiapas, Mexico amid the aftermath of the Zapatista rebellion. I was amazed by the inventiveness of the artisans in Chiapas, who lacked resources but more than made up for that with their originality and flare.

Q: How did you get started?
Prior to launching my handbag line, I had a small but successful business creating original handcrafted jewelry.  By the fall of 2006, I decided it was time to create an accessories line that would appeal to a broad market, and that’s when I decided to go into handbag design.

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? Let’s just say the economic crisis affected our ability to be completely and consistently profitable.

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them?
The economic crisis!  That and time management.  We’re a small company and there are so many different hats I have to wear, especially with my book Altered Shoes coming out a few months ago.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going?
What entrepreneur doesn’t get frustrated?  But I’ve always been a problem solver, and believe that there are always opportunities in any problem.  I also love what I do!

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? All of the above!  I also think it’s important to be very people-friendly because things like customer service can make or break you.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success? My publicist Lisa Elia – LisaEliaPR.com and ClearPublicist.com – has been instrumental in getting the word out about us.  Thanks to her, we’ve been featured in dozens of magazines and newspapers.  Not only does this generate buzz, but it also helped us indirectly as well.  The most obvious example is that one small article in a trade publication was read by the person who then became our QVC liaison.

Press is vital!  And Lisa’s one of the best.  The great thing is she teaches you how to do it on your own through ClearPublicist.com!

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you?
Being told I needed to be in showrooms all over the country.  It’s incredibly expensive to position yourself that way, and there’s no guarantee they’ll really make the effort to sell your product.  I’m very picky about what sales reps I’ll work with because you really need to make sure you’re working with people who have a strong work ethic and enjoy their work.  That’s the trick!

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year?
To vastly expand our internet presence, plus I’ll be launching my consulting business via ManufacturingTheRightWay.com.  I want to help entrepreneurs avoid the mistakes I made, so I can save them massive amounts of time and money in the manufacturing process.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Now’s a great time to do it!   The economy’s beginning to show signs of life again, and as people start spending again, you’ll be ready to take advantage.

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked?
I’m just so flattered you asked in the first place!  Thanks very much for the opportunity.

I will add this: I think it’s becoming increasingly important to make sure that the people who make your product are doing so under fair and decent conditions.  Also the whole environmental movement seems to (finally!) be here to stay.  I hope that being eco-friendly and human-friendly becomes the norm rather than a niche in 10 years or so……….so why not just start off working that way?

Popularity: 47% [?]

Interview with Gina Flanagan of Lunch Box Cards - Creative cards to make your child giggle

Q: What is your name? Gina Flanagan

Q: Company name and website? KidsLunchBoxCards.com

Q: We launched in: March 2008

Q: What is your business or what do you sell? We manufacture and sell fun, colorful lunch cards full of interesting facts, riddles and wacky true stories to make your child giggle at lunch.

Q: Who or what was the inspiration behind your company? My daughter Leila. When she was in 2nd grade, Leila would complain about not having friends at school. During those days, when I went to kiss her goodnight, I would feel tears running down her cheeks, and

she would tell me about how she would sit alone at lunch and how humiliating it was. It felt like my heart was splitting in half, and I knew I had to do something. I had recently quit being a costume illustrator for feature films to be a stay at home mom. I started drawing fun cartoons with riddles, quizzes and true wacky stories that I knew would make her giggle, and I put them into her lunch.  The lunch cards worked so well, it changed my daughters life. Kids

would gather around her to see the card-of-the-day and try to answer the quizzes or riddles correctly. The cards sparked conversation, and now she has a huge group of friends. I also used them for my two little girls -if there was a card in their lunch- all of a sudden

mornings were easy!

Q: How did you get started? Other moms started calling asking where I got the lunch cards. I realized I might have a business so I decided to try to go to print with one set and see what would happen. I knew I would need graphics, so I asked my friend Rose to come on board. We

created test cards- to see what  kids of different ages and genders liked and didn’t like, and what size would be best. After that was accomplished, I asked my retired father (who

created Rice-A-Roni and was the president of family owned Ghirardelli

Chocolate & Golden Grain Macaroni) to be my investor, my husband Markus (an actor who plays the dad on the t.v.show “Unfabulous” )to be in charge of marketing and my very

smart brother to handle all the legal stuff!

Q: How long before your business was profitable, or when is it projected to become profitable? It may be another year before it becomes financially profitable, but emotionally it has been profitable from day 1!

Q: What significant obstacles (if any) have you faced & how did you overcome them? I think our biggest obstacles so far have been what size to make the lunchcards, how to prepare the artwork for print, how the cards should be packaged and displayed.  We are still working out all the kinks but are moving along at each step of the way.

Q: Do you ever feel like giving up at times? If so, what keeps you going? Never. I love it and I see how happy it makes my children. It inspires me work to harder and to share it with other children.

Q: What qualities (i.e., family support, discipline, time management) do you think are necessary for a women entrepreneur? I think the most important quality is to love what you are doing. We already have too much to do- if our work isn’t a haven, we run the risk of being miserable.

Q: What is the one thing (book, website, coach, mentor, tool, blog, service, etc) that you value and can say has contributed to your success?  I think all my years working on movies with talented Costume Designers really helped me understand success and be able to be more organized and understand deadlines.  Doing my own thing now, I have to rely on my own sources for networking and marketing. I book reviews and giveaways on mommy type blog sites.  The internet is a powerful way to market your product in a very cost effective way.

Q: What was the worst advice someone gave you? To hurry up. I rushed going to print and ended up paying a fortune in printing costs. NEVER rush, always do your research and find the best manufacturing price or your profit margin is blown and your prices become too high.

Q: What are your business or personal goals for the next year? To redesign my website and attract advertising.

Q: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in business or thinking about taking the leap into entrepreneurship? Starting a business is time consuming. Make sure you have the time to commit to it, if you don’t, you will always feel frustrated.

Q: is there anything else you wish I had asked?

Yes. How do you market to your customers?

I created a monthly e-newsletter as a marketing tool.  I have a blast creating it. In writing it I meet moms doing amazing things, and find healthy products I would have never known about. In sharing my findings with other moms I am able to stay in contact with my customers and hope they share my product and newsletter with others.

Popularity: 31% [?]