My aim for this blog is to provide YOU with ideas, strategies, tools and knowledge about how to market and grow your business. These articles provide answers around how you can grow your business - faster and more successfully. Simple, how-to-solutions that can impact both your business and life success, in an easy to read format.
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Deb
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What I’ve learnt over the many years of
being a business 
owner is the importance of having a strong team around
you. I've learnt that you
don’t have to go it alone; in fact, going alone is taking the long (and
risky) road to building a business.
Asking for
support is more than okay, and
having others who are there to challenge you is a good thing for your business
growth and learning.
I was reminded of this earlier in the week, when one of my
mentor clients posted a blog in our VIP clients' secret facebook group. Kim
Wight and I have been working together for the past 12 months, and she had decided to write about
her experience in building a strong support team around her and
her business. I thought I would share her experience with
you as follows...
"I
have now been in
business for eight years, but 12 months ago my
business model changed when I split from my business partners and was on my own. I admit
that I was a little
scared and worried if I
could do it by myself. While I knew I had the expertise in my role as a
mortgage broker, I was
concerned about how I could grow my business.
But I believe the
universe has a way of opening doors for us and it certainly did in my case.
About the same time as my
business changed, I attended a
networking event where the keynote speaker was Deb Pilgrim, who described herself as the 'Entrepreneur’s Business Mentor'. After hearing Deb speak I decided to take
up her offer of having her mentor me. I had spoken with other mentors and
business coaches in the past but there was something about Deb that made me feel
I needed to use her service. Was it business chemistry, or that inner sense that tells you this is
the right thing to do?
We talked about my
business, my personal life, my fears, and my plans, and together started to chart a course of
action. Notice how I've kept saying
‘my’, because with Deb it is about what you want, and about how you will achieve it. It is
not about an old business model pulled
out for each client regardless of their experience or challengers as many other
mentors or coaches do.
In the beginning there
were times when I put up road blocks and
thought I would never get to the place I wanted to be. There were tears as I started to
underestimate myself, but at all these
times Deb was there quietly asking the right questions and giving tremendous
insight and guidance to me.
It was during one of
these times that Deb introduced me to Joanne Prior of Think Yourself Successful.
Joanne has this amazing ability to focus on your life and make such positive
affirmations that you cannot help but be inspired and rejuvenated. I would
recommend everyone needs a bit of Joanne in his or her life.
My business is part of a
franchise group, but my goal was to
develop my own brand of Kim Wight and be known and recognised as an
expert in my field. To do this I had to start promoting
myself. I needed to make myself stand out from all the other mortgage brokers. We worked on my
core messages and elevator pitch, so that at networking events I would stand
apart from other brokers who tended to churn out the same old content. I had
always wanted to be a keynote speaker,
so one thing I began to do was write
e-books which I could offer to people after each presentation as an add
value.
Then with the support of
Deb I launched into social media. I interviewed a number of experts before
deciding to work with Tracey Jarvis of Social Media Girl. Tracey had her work
cut out as I had dabbled in Facebook, but Twitter and Google were like a
foreign language to me. Tracey helped me
to further see my Kim Wight brand. She set up my web page and taught me
how to not only use social media, but to
enjoy it! I now get such a buzz when
people ‘like’ my page, follow me on twitter, and then mention or retweet me –
this is my greatest
compliment.
So where has my business
gone in the last 12 months? Well, I have had a 50% increase in
profit. I am now having my blogs pinged to other
sites; I have journalists contacting me for comments
on finance, and I am a regular finance commentator on
Angela’s Business Mix on 99.7FM.
I am being asked to
present not just on finance matters, but
also on networking and the use of social media in small business.
In
essence that networking meeting where I meet Deb Pilgrim opened a wonderful new
world for me. The value of my time with Deb has far exceeded my expectations, and my goals have
not only been met but in fact I feel as though I have been blasted into another
universe of opportunity.
So I say “Thank You’’ to
my team: Deb Pilgrim for your support, guidance, understanding and
enthusiasm for my success, to Joanne Prior who empowers me to
be magnificent, to Tracey Jarvis for sharing her expertise of
marketing and social media and to Angela Vithoulkas who has been so
generous and given me the opportunity to speak with thousands of people
through her program Angela’s Business Mix.
Cheers to the team who changed my life.’ Kim Wight
So who is on your
team?
Let's continue our
conversation, feel free to jump over and leave your comments and ideas around
what your offers are on our
blog.
There’s no beating around
the bush here today, as I want to
share three things you
really will want to STOP doing, so that your business can move to the next
level.
1. STOP doing everything yourself, and being a
lone ranger.
2. STOP doing the things that don’t generate
you an income.
3. STOP thinking that because you are
brilliant at what you do, your business will be successful!
All too often
we hear from business owners, whose lives and businesses are coming apart at the
seams, because they don’t use the concepts mentioned above. I know that this
may seem to be a chicken and egg situation, i.e. you can’t bring in another
person to take away some of your non-essential work, because you need to make
more money to be able to do this and vice versa.
But let’s take a positive
approach. Rather than focus on the areas that you need to STOP
doing, why don’t we have a look at what you can START
doing.
Secret #1. Surround yourself with successful,
positive, honest, can-do individuals.
As Mark Twain
said:
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that. The really great make you feel that you too can become great.”
Now let’s be honest here, this is NOT a new concept and every successful person I have spoken with or read about always speaks about the individuals who have had a positive impact on their businesses and lives. Whether it’s family, friends, colleagues or mentors, being surrounded by happy, positive people has a lot going for it!
As entrepreneurs our days can be pretty solitary, heads are down creating products, delivering services and results, and you are working in your business rather than on it. Not having the chance to brainstorm ideas with other people, or having someone to work through a particular issue or challenge, can be soul destroying at times. This is where a community is so important, not only for your sanity, but also for your growth and development.
The use of collective wisdom is so important, and it works! During our group ‘Get More Clients’ call, I opened the call up for clients to ask the group any questions they have about their business. What I loved about this process, after one particular client spoke about a challenge she was facing, was the range of possible solutions that came forward from those on the call. As we wrapped up this part of the call, this client was thrilled as she now had a number of different strategies she could look at putting in place that she hadn’t thought of before. It was great to hear the excitement in her voice.
Who is in your community? Do you have a group of individuals you meet with regularly for support and encouragement, or do you work with a mentor? You all know that I am passionate about having mentors as part of your business building strategy, and for me personally, the impact that my mentors have in my business is immeasurable in terms of growth and development. Next week I’m heading off next week to spend a day with my mentor and mastermind group in Chicago, and can’t wait to spend this time strategising and planning the next stages of my business. This type of investment, is invaluable to the growth of my business, and will flow on to my clients. I can’t wait to share with you the gems I learn.
Secret
#2. Identify the profit making areas of your business and focus on
these.
Often we spend more time working in our business
rather than on it. With this step, it is time for you to step back and look at
your business as a whole. This is most important when you find yourself stuck at
a certain level of revenue and things don’t seem to being moving forward.
Be honest with
yourself, have you become the speed bump in your business? When this
happens it is time to start thinking, “Am I the person that really needs to
XYZ?” [xyz being the many things you spend your time on each day that aren’t
making profit].
For example, working recently with one of my 1:1 mentor
clients, we spent the day going through her business; pulling it apart and
re-grouping all of her ideas and products. As we were putting together her new
plan, she suddenly felt overwhelmed by all the potential projects and products
she could develop. It wasn’t until I asked: “Who on your team can you delegate some of the
non-profit making activities too?” that she got her ‘ahh’ moment. She realised
that by stepping aside, letting go of the need to control everything, and
delegating some activities, she could focus on her passion and really move her
business to the next level.
3. Remember,
You are in the business of
MARKETING!
Controversial I know, but if there
is one thing that will make a difference to your bottom line it is when you
realise that your business is that of MARKETING! I have worked
with some amazingly talented, educated, and brilliant people over the years, who
have fabulous reputations yet only mediocre businesses. I have worked with and
watched other individuals who are good in everything they do and their
businesses keep growing. What stands out is those in the second group GET that
they are in the business of marketing, and they know that by focusing on their
message and marketing to their target audience, they will achieve their sales.
However, the first group often get stuck with working in their businesses that
they don’t appreciate the importance of MARKETING until it is too
late.
So what group are you in? Take a moment to share with us your thoughts...
I always find the time
immediately after a holiday, as an exciting time in business. Your
thinking is clearer and more creative, and you
are open to 
possibilities that you may not have been just prior to your
break. I know this has been the case for my VIP mentor clients and
myself! There is a buzz in the air around business, and it’s as if
everyone has their mojo back! Do you feel the same?
If so, you’re ready to do things differently……
You want to know what are the core foundations you have to put in place for your success in 2011. You know that 2010 doesn’t count anymore, as this is the New Year!
So, here are two key foundations that you will want to put in place for your success in 2011…
1. Taking action, without any excuses!
Taking
action and being persistent is the difference between the successful and
the not so successful. It’s something that I learnt many years ago in
my very first business! After studying successful business people and
then being mentored by some of these individuals, I realised that the
difference between them and myself, was that they took action. They
made their decisions and acted upon them almost immediately! They
believed in themselves and they trusted the vision they held for
themselves.
Unlike myself, who at that time, would…make a decision, think about it, research it a little more, maybe do a course about it, think about it a little more, second guess myself…. (I know, you get the drift here now)…and then wonder why I was still running around chasing my tail while making limited profits! Sound familiar?
It wasn’t until one of these mentors stopped me in my tracks one day, and said: “Deb, it’s time for you to stop thinking about it, stop learning about it, and just start doing it. You spend too much time ruminating and not enough time taking action. It’s time for you to take action, especially if you want to be a successful entrepreneur! Otherwise you might as well close shop and go home.”
Ouch!!!! Closing shop and going home, just wasn’t an option, so it was time to take action and be persistent. It was time to stop thinking and start doing. Time to believe in the vision that I held for myself and my business.
I want you to ask yourself: “What do I need to do today?” Once you are clear on the exact tasks you need to do, make a commitment to do them!
Sounds straightforward? That is until the self-sabotaging behaviours begin to rear their ugly heads, which leads nicely into the next foundation for your success…
2. Removing Those Limiting Beliefs that are Holding You Back.
These are the stories that you tell, to keep yourself ‘safe’, to keep yourself where you are currently. To stop you from focusing on the real action you need to take.
Removing your limiting beliefs, can be as difficult as culling your wardrobe! You know you should get rid of some of your things, but even through much of it is totally out of fashion, not very flattering and you’ve not worn it for years, you insist on hanging on to it all. Every time you open the wardrobe, staring back at you, is that white jacket with gold buttons and big shoulder pads! It gets in the way of all the other great clothes that you could be wearing, if only you could see them.
We do the same with our beliefs: we keep them when we don’t need them any more, when we have outgrown them. Some of them have been with us for years. Despite the fact they’re not really relevant anymore, we find them comfortable and familiar and insist on keeping them. It’s worth acknowledging that limiting beliefs sometimes hold us back as a form of protection against the very success we are striving for. So if you want success rather than to be a wannabe, you’ve got to get rid of these beliefs. Make room for something new. If they won’t go, change them so that they work for you more positively.
It’s time to put away those beliefs that are holding you back, away once and for all! Take a moment to think about what your future will be like, what it will feel like with your old beliefs put away where they belong. Notice again how this looks, feels and sounds for you.
So, here are two key foundation pieces that you will want to put in place for 2011 - TAKING ACTION and removing your LIMITING BELIEFS. If you have been thinking about doing something different, now is the time for you ACTUALLY do something different. Step out of the sea of sameness and make it happen in 2011.
I can’t wait to support you further and hear about what you are doing different in 2011. If you have your 'must-does', why not take a moment and share them with us here.
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