
Why Most Lawyers Simply Suck at Being Entrepreneurs (and What You Can Do About It For Yourself)

09/21/2013 02:28am
Most lawyers struggle with entrepreneurship because of the combination of factors that led us to law school in the first place and the way we are taught to think once we get to law school.While this is not universally true, most lawyers I know are perfectionists with tendencies towards control issues. We love to be right. And smart. Law school teaches us to find what's not working. We are taught to eliminate uncertainty. We are trained to focus on risk and what could go wrong to prevent the worst case scenario from happening. Not a single one of these factors makes...

Why Planning Is The Most Important Step In Your Website Design Journey

09/20/2013 10:33pm
You would think that getting a website that works would be as easy as finding a designer you like, telling them what you want and badabing badaboom you have a client magnet! Unfortunately that's not the case.The problem is that most solopreneurs take a "looks" approach when they start their website design.They pick the colors, they have a vision for ideas that they want to convey with imagery, and they have some ideas for sweet doohickies that will make it all cutting edge... and that's it.What they're missing is the functionality and strategy that needs to go into their design.It's kind...

How to Earn While You Learn

09/14/2013 07:39pm
Live events can be a great way to boost your business... if you work them correctly!I learned this valuable lesson in a mighty way when I attended my first large event in 2006. I was a new business owner and didn't know what to expect. I was also REALLY intimidated by the price tag... 1,500 for a 3-day online marketing workshop. But I stepped up because I needed to learn the skills that were being taught there and I knew investing in myself was the best investment I could make.The 3 days I spent in LA and the 1,500 I charged...

How To Structure Your Newsletter (So That Readers Look Forward To It)

09/13/2013 04:06pm
Your newsletter is a wonderful thing, it builds trust with prospects that are interested in what you do, it's a fantastic way to get your message out there, and last (but certainly not least) it's an awesome sales tool.A newsletter is also one of those elusive strategies that looks and sounds easy - but many solopreneurs hesitate to get started for two reasons:1. They aren't sure how to structure it/what to say.2. They are afraid to commit to writing something regularly.Today we're going to address the first one and talk about how to structure your newsletter to build a relationship with...

The Biggest Mistake You're Making With Your Social Media Marketing

09/06/2013 10:42pm
There are those small business owners who are die-hard social media fans and swear by its effectiveness. There are others who wouldn't touch Facebook with a 10-foot pole. Most of us fall in between these two extremes.The truth of the matter is that most (notice I didn't say all) entrepreneurs can attract high-quality leads for their business by strategically using social media to connect with and engage their audience.Did you catch that? I said by "strategically using social media to connect with and engage their audience."Strategically means making smart decisions with how you manage and utilize your social media sites. It...

Writing Blog Content to Attract Visitors

09/06/2013 04:07pm
There are literally millions of bloggers on the Web covering just about any topic you can think of. So how can your attract visitors to come to your blog and read your posts?Your blog content and the use of keywords plays a big role in attracting people to your blog. If your content is consistently interesting to the people you are targeting, they will return to your blog page over and over, an may even sign up to your RSS feed.We're going to discuss the type of content that is suitable for your blog in order to make it profitable. First...

Small Business Loan: Declined! What Now?

09/02/2013 04:16pm
I need to cover payroll and have no idea how Im going to be able to do it. Sarah SchwabBusiness today can be tough for the owner who owns a small company and needs to secure some capital. The tough times in the current economy are having a direct impact for the small business owner, however, there are ways to be creative and obtain the cash you need to be able to continue your goals and hang in there until the more conventional methods of loans open up. There are multiple Alternative lending options and it may mean putting several...

The Four Best Ways to Manage Incoming Calls & Schedule Appointments

08/30/2013 07:30pm
Whether youre paying a service, a virtual assistant, or an in-house assistant to answer your phones youve got to have them well trained on how to properly do so. If you dont, youre letting prospects slip through the cracks and leaving tons of money on the table.In this article Ill be going over the four best ways to answer your calls for scheduling appointments:1st Best: You want the person answering the phones to be able to schedule in-person appointments.2nd Best: If thats not possible, youll want them to transfer the call to the person who will be making the appointment (you,...

Is There a 2x4 in Your Future? 3 Signs that the Universe Is Getting Tired of Waiting For You To Step Into Your Greatness

08/30/2013 09:25am
Ah yes, the 2x4. The Universe's version of tough love. In case you aren't familiar with the concept of the 2x4, let me explain. The 2x4 happens when all the gentle nudges and taps are being ignored, and the Universe decides sterner measures are necessary.Basically you have a feeling there's something you should be doing -- starting a biz, changing your biz, taking your biz to the next level, stepping out and becoming a speaker, writing a book, etc. -- and you're not doing it. Oh sure, there are plenty of fabulous reasons WHY you aren't doing it (time being the...

Why Goal-Setting Isn’t Enough to Reach Your Goals

08/29/2013 05:58pm
We all have desires whether its the desire for money, fame, or a new car; to lose weight, be healthy, or have better relationships; to find the love of your life; or simply the desire to be happy. Lets imagine that youre thinking about this thing that you want (and remember, were not only talking about material things like money, cars, and houses, but also intangible, but very important things like health, love, and happiness).What happens in the moment you think about this thing that you desire? For many people, what happens is, deep down, they dont believe they can...

How to Fix 8 Marketing Strategies You Might Screw Up!

08/24/2013 10:47pm
You created a business because you have valuable solutions to offer and are in a position to serve hundreds if not thousands of people in your target market. The key however, to reaching these individuals is to put your message, your content out into the world... consistently!How can you do that? I am going to share with you 8 marketing projects that will help you to spread and monetize the knowledge that you have. You likely have tried one or more of these already but haven't stuck with them the way you intended to. Follow the suggestions I share below to...

Creating a Branding Plan

08/23/2013 04:13pm
Creating your company's brand is extremely important to portray a stable, and profitable business. It helps people understand your position within your market, the promises that you make to clients and helps establish your expertise.There are many parts to creating your brand. Branding is a product of intense planning and conceptualization. To come up with innovative marketing ideas and an effective way to brand your products or services, you need to carefully lay out the steps you need to get there. Doing so will also enable you to take note of the vital aspects involved in the creation of a brand....

What We Can Learn From Financially Savvy Women

08/18/2013 11:34pm
Despite statistics showing women are increasingly becoming the primary breadwinners in their households, women still tend to have less confidence about investing than men. I know plenty of women who defer investment decisions to their husbands or male partners. Often the woman takes charge of household budgeting chores such as bill payment, but leaves the responsibility of investing the money to the man. For example, he may be the one choosing the familys financial advisor or trading stocks in a self-directed account.When these women become divorced or widowed, they are often ill-prepared to take over money management responsibilities. ...

Delegating To Team Members So They Pay For Themselves

08/17/2013 01:32am
Most of us went into business for ourselves in part because we wanted to be our own boss.We wanted to call all the shots, choose how much or how little we worked and to have control over our income.This sounds GREAT in theory, but if you aren't careful you can easily create a monster of a J.O.B. for yourself - even worse than when you were actually employed because YOU are wearing all the hats.The easiest solution to this common problem is to build a team and start delegating.You can do so by working with an intern, hiring a Virtual Assistant,...

Divorce-Related Modifications in Georgia

08/16/2013 07:49pm
There are many factors that affect divorce related modifications (including child support and alimony), and each of these factors can involve subtleties which may affect the modification in question. While the majority of my clients come from Roswell, Cumming, Alpharetta and surrounding communities, the following applies throughout the state of Georgia.Child SupportIn this current downturn of the economy, unfortunately, former spouses are looking to cut their personal expenses at the cost of dependent children through a downward modification of child support. The law gives ample opportunity for modifications, especially downward, and these provisions are being used more than ever before. O.C.G.A...