Blog Carnival: Mom and Women Entrepreneurs, Volume 1

Welcome to the August 3, 2007 edition of  the Blog Carnival for Mom and Women Entrepreneurs.  So what’s a Blog Carnival?  It’s a mini-magazine around a certain topic, or for a certain audience, where the articles are links to blogs and other resources, contributed by people all over the world.  This Blog Carnival is about a bunch of different topics that are important to mom and women entrepreneurs, including teaching money to kids, taking action in your life, day care, google page rank, the secret to success, and a few business opportunities:  Read more

Mastermind Roundup

I’ve been telling you all about my Platinum and Silver Mastermind groups, that I am in through Alexandria Brown.  Let me share with you some of their wisdom! Read more

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Join The Wealth Spa Client Advisory Panel, where you will get:  Read more

My Mastermind Group Reins Me In

I’m such a typical Entrepreneur personality - decisive, open to calculated risks … and easily distracted by bright shiny objects.  :)  A new information product, seminar, book, promotion campaign, marketing idea, or business venture comes along - and I run towards the new project, leaving tons of current projects either 95% finished, or finished and not yet promoted. 

That’s where my Mastermind group comes into save the day. Read more

Step 2 of Viral Movie Promotion - Press Release & Pay Per Post

You all know about my new movie, What a Mother is Worth — that has tens of thousands of views already. 

But, now I am exploring the question — how do you promote a viral movie?  How do you get the thing to "go viral?"  Read more

Why Are You Doing Everything Yourself? by guest Alexandria K. Brown

One problem I often see with solo professionals is that their businesses aren’t growing because they’re simply not making enough time to do it!

It’s not that they don’t understand the value of those efforts, or they don’t WANT to make the time. It’s that they’re simply trying to do too much by themselves. They’re so busy running their business that they’re not working ON their business. Read more

Parenting Rule #1: Don’t Let Your Daughter Near Your Wallet

Wow, that statement works on multiple levels. 

Last Friday my 2-year old somehow got a hold of my wallet-purse and decided to reorganize my credit cards and business cards.  In the process, she somehow misplaced my main personal credit card, and my personal check card.  She only had it for a few minutes, right next to me on the sofa, so you would think I would be able to find the cards. 

No. Read more

Secrets of an Entrepreneur: Move Fast

What’s one of the differences between a business owner and an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur moves FAST.

The universe loves speed. The faster you sort through choices, commit to a decision, and take action, the more opportunities will come to you. No one ever knows if the decision is the right one — it’s always just an experiment, just a test — but each decision, each action, each opportunity will take you closer to the BIG ONE, the one brilliant idea that will take you from five figures to six, or from six figures to a million dollar business.

Let me give you an example. Google came out with a new radio advertising program a little while ago. I thought, hum, that’s an interesting idea, I don’t know if radio would work for my business, but this would be an easy way to try. So I paid $300 to a company (found through the Google radio site) to create a 30-second spot to promote my free Special Report, How to Avoid the Top 10 Money Mistakes. I created a soft squeeze page www.top10moneymistakes.com, for the ad, so I could track the results. Then I spent $200 on the ad running in California for a week.

What happened? There were about 150,000 impressions (pairs of ears) who heard my ad …  6 people came to the webpage, and only 1 person signing up for the Special Report and eZine. That’s a conversion rate of .00006%!! How hilarious!

But now I know that radio did not work, probably because a short radio ad does not work for this type of business, unless I spent a ton of $$ running the ad a zillion times. But I never would have known without testing. (and, I’m thinking I may now run a test on internet radio with the same ad, since people may click more if they are already on their computer …)

Example #2: Last November I heard about a company that created and launched viral movies. They had a special, that if I committed ASAP I could sign on for 2006 rates (their current rates are $1500 more!). I took out my credit card and signed up.

Six months later, on June 21st, my movie was launched. In just the first 12 hours or so, 30,000 people viewed the movie, and 1200 people signed up for my Special Report and eZine. Not only is that a good conversion rate (4%), that was an amazing number of people to sign up in one day! I’m so glad I spent that money, and I plan to do more viral projects in the future.

But if I had waited, then I would not have been able to get the lower rate. And, it would have been months (or years) until my movie would have launched.

So if you see opportunity coming your way … jump on it.  Just make sure you also measure your conversion rates and your return on investment.

3 Lessons I Learned from The Great Bear Roller Coaster by Guest Blogger Christine Kloser

This past weekend I had a blast with my family at Hershey Park. As season pass holders we visit the park all the time. But, this time I learned a few surprising lessons about my business (and my life) when I decided to go on the Great Bear roller coaster. (Yes, that photo is the exact coaster I went on… dangling nearly 100 feet in the air at speeds over 60 mph.) What a rush!

So, what does my experience on the Great Bear coaster (named after the roaring sound it makes as it tosses and turns you in its corkscrews and loops) have to do with business? Here are the top 3 lessons I learned while the G-force riveted me to my seat.

Seize The Opportunity
Has an opportunity ever passed by that you wished you had taken? That’s how I’ve felt the past 10 times I’d left Hershey Park. I’d watch people on the Great Bear and wanted to go, or I heard the “roarâ€? of the coaster on the tracks and I’d feel the pull to hop on line. But, I never did for one reason or another. But, this weekend was different. As I walked by the Great Bear I had a strong sense this was my time to “just do it.â€? With a quick glance to my husband and daughter I waved bye-bye and followed my instinct to get in line.

I can’t explain what caused me to seize the opportunity this time. Perhaps it was the way the park lit up at dusk, maybe it was because the line was short, or the gentle breeze in the evening air woke up my sense… perhaps it was because I just had a “warm upâ€? run on the log flume with David and Janet Rose. Whatever it was I knew it was time to say “Yesâ€?!

What I learned was that sometimes you have to take advantage of the opportunity the moment it feels right. Had we walked by the Great Bear 5 minutes earlier or 5 minutes later, it may not have been the right opportunity. So, keep your senses open and tuned into knowing when it’s time for your “roller coaster ride.â€?

Control… and Let Go
As I approached the coaster there were plenty of warning signs posted. “Hold the grab bar tightly and keep your head centered and firmly pressed against the head rest.â€? Then, the loudspeaker blasted the same warnings again. I noticed myself getting tense about holding the bar and pressing my head back. I asked myself, “Should I really be doing thisâ€?? But, once I got on the coaster and locked down my safety bar, and obeyed the safety warning…. I decided to control what I could (hold on and press my head back) and let go of everything else.

The same goes for my business; and yours too. It’s OK to control what you can and let go of everything else. You can control the amount of stress you put on yourself, you can control your attitude, you can control which clients you work with and who you choose to network with, etc. But, beyond those things within your control, you must venture into the world of trust, surrender and faith in the Divine unfolding of your business, and your life. There is a greater plan in place than your own, and the more you let go of thinking you have control over it, the more you can surrender and be lead on your Divine journey.

Just like the Great Bear took me on a “journey of the unknownâ€?, the future of your business is a journey of the unknown. The more you let go (and trust your Divine plan), the more fluid and easy your journey becomes.

Enjoy The Ride
So there I am; going up a 100-foot incline about to be launched on a 60 mile per hour thrill ride and I’m loving it! Rather than participating in the collective screams of fellow riders, I found myself giggling and laughing as my feet dangled in the air and my body catapulted through corkscrews and loops. High atop one loop I managed to catch a glimpse of the shimmering lights and the pink dusky sunset and fully enjoyed every moment of the ride. As we pulled into the unloading dock I wished the ride had lasted longer, while being grateful for the time I had.

Sometimes in business, it’s easy to forget about enjoying the ride because you’re too busy, overwhelmed, scared or burned-out. But, no matter what stage of business you’re in; you have opportunities to enjoy the experience of being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is the journey of a lifetime and it’s meant to be enjoyed… even when you feel like you’re flying 60-miles per hour through twists and turns holding on for dear life. It’s in these moments especially, it’s important to seek the experience of joy! Remember… the “rideâ€? will be over in the blink of an eye.

So, the next time you feel like your business is leading you on a roller coaster ride, remember to seize the opportunity, control what you can and let go of the rest, and enjoy the ride.

© 2007 Christine Kloser

Christine Kloser “The Conscious Business Coach,” publishes the revolutionary ‘Conscious Business Connection’ ezine. If you want to learn proven business strategies boosted with Spiritual success principles, you’re in the right place. Get your FREE tips now at www.ConsciousBusinessCoach.com.

What type of a mompreneur are you?

There are really three different ways you can work and take care of your kids.

1. Work and care for your kids at the same time.
2. Work while your kids are asleep.
3. Work while your kids are at school, preschool, daycare, or with a nanny/babysitter/family member.

I do all three. Right now for instance, I am writing my blog during Gracie’s nap. During the week I do most of my work while she is at preschool — especially writing, client work, teleclasses, interviews, and meetings. But I also work while she is underfoot - answering email and doing web 2.0 stuff (blog comments, forum posts, linking).

But I wonder — since I have Gracie in preschool, should I only use that time for work, and not let work spill over into Gracie time? Is it wrong for me to be reading email when she is around (besides, I should not be checking & reading email that much anyway)?

How are moms able to run their business with no childcare of any kind? And I don’t just mean moms with babies and toddlers - I also know of moms who homeschool and run a home business. Do they just work while the kids are sleeping? Or do they have family or friends who help? Or do they have different types of kids (unlike mine, kids who are quiet and spend time with themselves)?

Here’s a more important question — why do I worry about it?

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