It's your choice -- give yourself permission to turn the corner and head towards success.

My turning point came to me months into striking out on my own.  I had proposals out, making the rounds, I was choosing between putting petrol in the car and buying groceries and I had no money coming in.  My family was starting to question the decision I had made to strike out on my own.  I tried to be Miss Positive and had a few quotes from positive thinking literature waiting in the wings for a response to their questions.

At that point, I had nothing to lose.  It was ‘do or die’ and I planned on doing.  But I had to change my ways, I had to take stock of the situation.  I decided I was just no longer going to tolerate nor suffer the typical things that weren’t working for me.  At that point, I had to give myself permission to dismiss much of the advice that had been given to me to establish my business.  It just wasn’t working for me.

Now you may think your traditional sales experience is just what’s needed for your business, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not.  What’s worked in the past when you had a salary coming in is not what’s going to work for you once you’ve struck out on your own.

Now, I had to hit pretty close to rock bottom to see this.  I had to actually tell myself that it’s okay to throw out what was not working for me.  What I need to stress to you is that you do NOT have to reach rock bottom to get to this point.  Take stock of your situation now and give yourself permission to make the changes that are going to make your business successful.

Some questions that you should ask yourself at this point are:

•       What am I doing that’s working to bring money in?

•       What am I doing that’s not working to bring money in?

•       What can I do to reach more people at once?

What I did was I ditched the traditional selling, the one-to-one marketing methods that weren’t working for me and I pieced together a whole new marketing and selling system.  But, it didn’t happen overnight.  There’s no miracle cure being offered.  Things will change quickly, but it won’t be overnight.

So what I’m telling you is to give yourself permission to make the changes that are going to make your business successful. Be prepared to throw out the old methods and bring in the new.  You don’t have to hit rock bottom to do this.  This isn’t a one-time super-duper effort that offers immediate transformation.  But through a series of steps and manoeuvrings, you will see results quickly and you will see improvement straightaway.

Just don’t wait until you hit rock bottom to start!

Want to know how To Create A Successful Business That Works For YOUR Life, Makes A BIG Difference And BIG Profits Too’?   Register for my FREE Training Calls …  http://www.clientmagnets.com/successcalls/

Wouldn’t it be great if you could fast track along the road to success?  Do you want to know how to do this? A simple way is to follow the lives of other successful people. If there is one thing that is certain in life is that everyone makes mistakes. Even the most successful business people have made wrong decisions at some point in time. The difference is that successful people learn from their mistakes and turn them into something positive. In the same way they can be great as mentors. You can learn from their experiences, especially the positive ones that have made them successful.

The Bad, the Ugly and the Good News

As a business owner you will no doubt have made some mistakes along the way. I know that I have and in the process I have learnt some short cuts, some ways not to do things, and what things have the most impact on my business. As a business person I have experienced some of the bad and the ugly. I may be working just three days a week and have a million dollar business now, but I didn’t start out that way. My road to success has involved me having to overcome numerous obstacles. Personally I think I have probably overcome every obstacle you have ever faced or are likely to face. Each one of those has given me a renewed perspective and strategies for continuing to move forward. For you this is the good news. It means that you can learn from my experiences without having to make the same mistakes yourself. The strategies in the programs are based on solid experience. They can give you results, just as they have for many of my other clients. Buying into a business community can give you access to mentors and people with a vast depth of business experience. They can be your encouragement and support when you are facing challenges.

Benefits of Working with Successful People

•    Successful people often have high energy levels and this can be contagious. Their excitement about ideas and strategies can spur you on to achieving your goals.

•    Successful people have proven strategies which can often be applied to other similar businesses. This can help you fast track your business success.

•    Being part of a business community provides you with encouragement, support and accountability.

•    As you learn from more experienced people so you too can start developing your own strategies that other people may be able to benefit from.

•    Following proven strategies helps you to avoid common pitfalls and can speed up your business success.

•    Being in a business community allows you to interact with others who have had similar experiences and who understand the challenges of running your own business.

Even though you may be in business on your own, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to figure out absolutely everything on your own. Becoming part of a business community can give you access to valuable information, strategies and business tactics. Using other peoples proven success can help you to get on the fast track to achieving your goals.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to learn more about her amazing Mastermind group, click here: http://www.clientmagnets.com/marketingmastermind/

Register free to join her on her upcoming free Masterclass: http://www.clientmagnets.com/corporate/

In all, you tally that the total cost will come out to about $10,000:  a lot of money; a real leap of faith, you think.

Nevertheless, you reserve your spot, buy your plane ticket, and book your hotel.  Once you arrive in the booming metropolis that’s hosting this grand event, you have about ten bucks in your pocket – not even enough to score a cab ride to your hotel.  So, you end up on the bus, shoulder-to-shoulder with other down-trodden individuals, lamenting your choice and knowing that you’ll be taking full advantage of the buffet breakfasts at the hotel and the lunches at the training program (because there won’t be any money for nice dinners).

You’ve gotten yourself into a tough spot, right?  You’ve spent what’s practically your last dollar on something that may or may not work to boost your business.

But let’s consider the rest of the story:

The information that you gather in the three days you spend at the seminar enliven your spirits; you fly back home knowing exactly how you’ll tackle your next hurdle; you have a plan for boosting profits; the professional advice you’ve gotten is unlike anything you could have anticipated.  Specifically, you leave knowing exactly how to offer high-end coaching programs.  You’d wanted to tackle this for a long time, but hadn’t the knowledge or the confidence to do so.

One year after the workshop, following the launch of your new high-end coaching program, you tally your profits from the coaching portion of your business at over $300,000.  Suddenly, riding the bus, skipping dinner, and fretting over the “mistake” you’d made seem silly.  What’s $10,000 compared to $300,000?  A drop in the bucket, to say the least.

This specific scenario is only a hypothetical, but I have heard similar stories in real life.  Here’s what you can learn about investment versus cost:

Firstly, don’t think in terms of cost. As long as you can afford to lose the initial investment, and the investment is something that has the potential to boost your business, push the initial dollar amount out of your mind.

Secondly, concentrate on the investment’s potential. Sure, the cost might be significant, but what future earning potential will it uncover?  Do you anticipate a return on your money, and if you do, how many times over will you cover the initial cost?

Thirdly, and in summary, when you make an investment in YOU, the cash is never lost…it’s simply redirected. The money might have moved to a different sector of the economy, but it’s not gone.  You will always be able to identify what the money earned for you:  experience, hindsight, and knowledge with which to move forward to the next investment opportunity.

In order to grab and hold onto a millionaire mindset, you must open your mind to investment possibilities.  Next time you’re faced with a decision to invest, rather than saying “It’s too much,” consider asking yourself, “What’s it worth?”

If the answer outshines the question, then don’t hesitate to invest in your most valuable commodity:  YOURSELF!

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Support from family and friends can prove to be invaluable.

If you are a solo entrepreneur, so often the only people you have to bounce ideas off are your family or close friends. Do they really understand what your business is about? Can they give you with the right type of advice or encouragement when you need it? Or do you have to try figure out everything on your own? Would they be interested in attending a workshop with you and would it be worth it?

Here are some thoughts and real life scenarios on the subject.  See what you think …

Your family members are often the people who provide you with encouragement when you need it, so it’s useful for them to understand more about the business model you are working towards.

That way when you ask for input or are debating about whether to implement a certain strategy in a certain way, you have someone who understands the principles of what you are trying to do giving you feedback.

I often encourage my clients, that if they have a partner they want to bring along to my workshops, they should do so. So many of my clients are solo entrepreneurs and it can be difficult always trying to figure out stuff on your own. If your partner or member of your family understands something about your business model, they can help you to brainstorm ideas and remind you about some of the principles if you are unsure of your next step.

They may get so excited your business that they may choose to get more involved and help you with aspects of your business. This was the case for two of my clients.

Firstly,  let’s talk about Jane.  Jane brought her 15 year old son to one of my workshops. He was the youngest participant of the group. Like most teenagers he is highly computer literate and enjoys creative design work. But the benefit to Jane is now when she talks about her business strategies he knows exactly what she is talking about. He has also helped her design the cover for her first product and a banner to place on her web page.  Then there was Gail.  She also brought her partner along to a workshop. Gail reflects that it is so great that he now understands more about her business. He’s quite technically minded so has been able to help her with the technical aspects of running her websites. Because he understands the principles of her growing information empire, he is often the voice of reason for Gail. He is the one encouraging her to price her programs at their true value and to think bigger.

So as you can see from these examples, there can be some great reasons to get family involved in your business:

Reason #1: When they understand the business model you are working towards and why you are doing what you are doing, it is like getting them onboard as a partner.

Reason #2: Understanding the business principles means that they can be a sounding board for ideas and strategies that you want to implement.

Reason #3: They may have talents or skills that you can use in your business and they may want to get more involved in it because they want to see it succeed.

Reason #4: As a solo entrepreneur you need encouragement from time to time. A partner or family member who understands your business will be able to provide the right kind of encouragement.

It makes running your own business so much easier when your family or partner is on board with you. Their encouragement and input can prove to be invaluable when you need a sounding board for implementing ideas and strategies.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Has the passion and excitement about being in business been snuffed out by all the work that is involved with it?

Many entrepreneurs start their businesses with great excitement. They pour all their energy and effort into the business and make all kinds of sacrifices. But one day they realize that it just isn’t fun anymore. Somewhere along the line all the passion and excitement about getting in new business has been snuffed out by all the work that is involved with it. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe if you are reading this, that’s exactly how you feel right now. Maybe more than anything you just want to start to enjoy your business once again.

What went wrong?

My guess, if that’s what you are feeling right now, is that you are spending your days doing tasks that you don’t really enjoy. Perhaps you feel you are not very good at them. Perhaps you just find them tedious. Either way work has become a daily grind. The sad thing is that most business literature will tell you that sacrifice is part of being successful. That you can’t always do the things you love or are good at. So you simply accept that that is the way things have to be. Before you know it your business is grinding to a halt because you have become so bogged down in accepting the suffering part of your job and there really isn’t any enjoyment in it anymore.

I honestly don’t believe that has to be the case. Why can’t you spend your days doing what you love? Why shouldn’t you enjoy your business for many years to come?  If you are serious about wanting to enjoy your business once again you need to take some critical views of what you are doing. Analyze what you are doing on a daily basis. Write down a list of all the tasks. Then next to each one rank how good you are at it and how much you enjoy it. What it will probably show is that you are spending most of your time doing things you don’t enjoy. Now you need to look at which of those tasks could be outsourced. When you start to get rid of the things that bog down your day you may feel that spring in your step returning. As you start to focus your time on doing the things you love what you are really doing is building on your strengths. When you do this, you can start to enjoy your business once again.

Why enjoying your Business is Important

•    When you enjoy what you do you feel positive and energized. This energy is often contagious and attracts clients to you.
•    When you are doing things that you are good at, you are building on your strengths. Your work is more rewarding and ultimately more enjoyable.
•    When you enjoy your business your mind is more open to opportunities to learn and develop your business.
•    A business should be about more than just making money. It should serve your lifestyle as well.

Don’t think that because you run a business that it can’t be fun. If you are investing so much time and effort into your business then you should be enjoying it.  You give incredible value to your business. So in return it should serve you. Your business should give you the financial and lifestyle rewards that you dream of. Believe that business should be enjoyed.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

Sometimes you need to go with your gut and risk it, or you'll never know what's 'behind the curtain.'

Have you ever been in a position in your business where an opportunity comes up and you know it will benefit your business to take it, but it’s going to cost. It may cost a lot financially and maybe you don’t have the cash in hand. Maybe it requires you to put your reputation on the line. Maybe it requires you to do something that you don’t quite feel equipped for.  When faced with these type of decisions ask yourself the question: “If I manage to get this right, how much will I have learned in the process?”

Taking Risks helps you to Grow and Expand your Capabilities

I have worked with many clients who hesitate and say to me: “But I have never done that before!” Fortunately most of them don’t allow that to hold them back. I have one client who had some expertise but he didn’t know how to package and sell it. I helped him to put it together and price it at a much higher level. I helped him to realize that his initial price point for the level of expertise that he was offering was far too low. The product sold for $5000 and it was my recommendation to sell the product from the stage. The idea terrified him as he had never presented on stage before and he certainly had no experience as a sales person.  The great thing is that he took on the challenge. He knew he would be risking his reputation and breaking new ground, but he didn’t let it stop him. When I followed up with him a short while later he had already sold 25 products and he was so excited about it. He learned that he could do something new. He just needed to be willing to take the risk and step up to the challenge.

The benefits of Taking Risks

•    Taking risks is a big part of being a business owner. Not everything can be carefully calculated. Sometimes you just need to go with your gut and risk it.

•    In taking risks you open yourself up to new opportunities. You can learn new skills or discover some that you didn’t know you had.

•    Taking risks is a way of expanding your capacity and your way of thinking. When you are willing to take on risks you tend to have a broader view on things and this can create many opportunities for you.

•    Taking risks helps you to gain momentum in your business. Because you have risked something it spurs you on to make a success of it.

•    In the same way taking risks can energize you to think more creatively and find solutions to the challenges that you face.

•    The more accustomed you get to taking risks the more courageous you will get. With each risk that you take that pays off you learn the value in it, and this encourages you to look for other similar opportunities.

Many people shy away from taking risks preferring to take the safe and secure path to success. However, any person that has achieved a great level of success will tell you that they would never have got there if they hadn’t been willing to take risks. Taking risks can teach you so much about yourself and your business. Being willing to take risks will also open up many more opportunities for you to grow your business.

Bernadette Doyle is a marketing specialist who helps entrepreneurs become client magnets and attract a steady stream of their ideal clients. If you’d like to receive invaluable tips and advice on how to attract clients with ease, register at http://www.clientmagnets.com

That’s automatically where your mind goes.   Most people, are focused on what needs to be done.  And while the “doing” IS important, there’s actually something more important that needs to come first….

Before you ask yourself  … what do I need to DO, Ask yourself “Who do I need to BE in order to achieve this?”

Think about that before you think about what you’re doing, because how you’re being is so much more important than what you are doing.   And here’s why ….

Abraham Hicks, who writes a lot on the subject of law of attraction, says that there is no amount of action in the world that can compensate for negative thinking. So if you’re being someone who is skeptical, cynical, pessimistic and focused on worrying, no amount of goals and action in the world can compensate for that.

If you are busy with all the “doings” yet hanging on to negative thinking, you can end up being caught up and driven by fear. A successful business will not emerge from a place of fear.   If you’re holding on to negative thinking and fear, you’re basically sharing fear, exuding fear, and passing on fear. And people don’t want to be around fear, so they intuitively back off.  They will back away from you and your business.

On the other hand.  If you focus your attention and energy on shifting that fear. That is the first step toward who you need to be to accomplish your goal.

Then spend your energy changing your behavior. Think about who you need to be in order to congruently step into the goals you set for yourself.

Would the new you do this? Would the new you keep your desk like this? Would the new you live in a house like this? Would the new you drive a car like this?

I’m pretty certain that one of the reasons I’ve been traveling first class since 2006 is because I decided to be someone who travels first class. I did it because I wanted the comfort of traveling this way. And I once ended up doing a $60,000 project with someone I met in the first class cabin, so I guess being a person who travels first class paid off!

Once you realize the difference between who you need to be versus what you need to do, you’ll attain your goals much faster.  And start traveling First Class!

Bernadette Doyle created Client Magnets to help self-employed people solve one of their biggest business problems: attract a steady stream of clients www.clientmagnets.com.

Your business – the stepping stone to your dreams.

Why are you in business?

The usual answer to that question is to make a lot of money. The problem is that usually people get so drawn in to their businesses and the task of making money that they often have time for little else.

What happened to the dreams when you started out? Or that annual month-long vacation you wanted to take or the idea of only working three days a week?

The Trading Time for Money Business Model

Many professionals are in the business of trading time for money. You may provide a consulting service where you charge per hour. Now while that can seem to be a great model, the problem comes in that there is a limit to your capacity. At some point you are either going to have to change the way you work, bring on more staff or accept that your earnings will be capped. A few years back that was how I operated my business. I was trading 90% of my time for money. I was successful but I got to a stage where I didn’t want to be so tied to my business. I wanted my business to start working for me. I wanted to start working fewer hours and travelling less. But at the same time I wanted my business to continue growing. That meant changing my business model to products and leveraged programs so that there were fewer demands on my time.

Now this is not something that is easy or that you can expect to happen overnight without facing challenges and obstacles.  But it is something that is possible. By following some proven strategies you can be doubling and tripling your revenues each year while putting in fewer work hours.

Four Strategies that can make your Business Work for You

• Create a premier program for your clients. It must offer maximum value and will usually require a high level of your personal input, but it will come with a premium price tag. This will make the hours you put in most valuable.

• Create big pay day events that can generate you large volumes on income in a very short space of time. These events can boost your annual earnings quite considerably.

• Find ways to generate continuous streams of revenue so that you are not constantly having to source new business. Find ways of selling more to the same customer base over tie.

• Create a product that sells on its own without requiring much input from you. This can be something that generates valuable income for your business. This is one of the best ways to make your business work for you.

No matter what type of business you are in, there are ways in which you can work smarter so that your business is working for you rather than the other way around. Learning to implement smart strategies in your business can help you to optimise your working time and capacity so that you are not tied to you business but that it still grows and provides you with the lifestyle you dream of.

Bernadette Doyle created Client Magnets to help self-employed people solve one of their biggest business problems: attract a steady stream of clients. www.clientmagnets.com. Register FREE for access to her Stepping Up teleseminar series

What is the No Excuses Approach?

The no-excuses approach comes down to simple hard work and a determined attitude. If you want to get to a point where your business is working for you and you can spend less time at the office then you need to put in the leg work to get there. You need to be willing to invest not only money, but also time and determined effort. This is where the no-excuses approach is important. Remember that most of the work and effort takes place at the beginning of a new venture, or when you decide you are going to take a new approach or direction with your business.

A rocket burns up at least 90% of its fuel just launching itself into the air. In the same way you are going to need to work at your maximum to get your new venture off the ground. It is going to be a lot of effort for very little reward. This is where faith, commitment and determination come into it. You will face many challenges and the best attitude to have is a no-excuses approach. With a no-excuses approach you don’t let challenges get you down or hold you back. You know that you simply have to find a solution, so you work at it and make a plan. There are absolutely no excuses as to why something can’t work, you just figure out how to get things done.

How to make the No-Excuses Approach work for you

• Be determined in your approach to work and make sure that all your efforts are focused on being productive. If you find yourself hesitating or making excuses, stop yourself and remember the no-excuses approach.

• If you have a habit of giving up then you need to get yourself into a program or community that will hold you accountable. When you know that others are going to check up on your progress it helps to make you more determined to succeed.

• Have someone you can look up to. A mentor or coach can give you the support and sometimes tough love that is needed to cement the no-excuses approach into your work ethic.

• When you look at other successful people don’t think that because they don’t make cold calls, for example, that you don’t need to either. That’s an excuse you are hiding behind. Understand that successful people don’t think that any effort or job is beneath them if it will help their business. If it means making cold calls, handing out flyers or working late at night that’s what they will do. You won’t hear excuses for why they can’t do something. They just get on and do it.

A no-excuses approach is one of the most empowering attitudes that you can have in business. It keeps you focused on moving towards your goals, finding solutions and being productive. You don’t spend time worrying or moaning about things because those things are excuses.

The no-excuses approach actually energises you. If you get plugged in to the Stepping Up community for example you will find yourself surrounded by people that are there to support and encourage you. They will also add some heat when you may be making excuses and need to get back on track. In this way the no-excuses approach will become second nature to you as you work to make your business succeed.

Bernadette Doyle created Client Magnets to help self-employed people solve one of their biggest business problems: attract a steady stream of clients. www.clientmagnets.com. Register FREE for access to her Stepping Up teleseminar series

Getting from where you are now to where you want to be is going to cost you time and effort and money.

No great dream, goal or strategy ever fulfils itself on its own. They are certainly important elements of success but they need to be backed up by an investment on your part.  To get from where you are now, to where you want to be in terms of your goals there is going to be a cost. It is going to cost you time. It is going to cost you effort. And it is going to cost you money. It may also cost you emotionally. Achieving your goals may require you to face your fears and take risks that you haven’t taken before.

Some people say that you must first look at your financial commitments and cash flow and then decide if you want to invest in something. But it doesn’t always work that way, sometimes it is the other way around. As an example there was once a seminar that I wanted to attend. It was about how to create high priced programs and I knew that I needed insight on that strategy for my business. The problem was that the price tag of the seminar would empty out my bank balance. It would take every last cent that I had to be able to attend the seminar. That was a big risk, but I decided to take it anyway, it would be worth it. When I arrived there I even had to take the metro from the airport because I couldn’t afford a cab. Today that investment has paid off more than tenfold but at the time I didn’t know that. I just knew that I was willing to invest in the seminar.

Keys to Remember in Terms of Investing in your Goals

• There will always be a cost to achieving success. That is why it is important to have goals that you are passionate about, it makes weighing up the costs less daunting.

• You can’t always calculate all the costs in advance. Sometimes an opportunity will present itself and you need to be able to make a quick decision as to whether it will be something worth investing in.

• Listen to your gut. If you believe that investing in something will help you to achieve your goals, make the sacrifices needed and take the opportunity. It is rare that you will regret it.

• Be willing to go the extra mile and to keep investing in your strategies and goals. If you continue when others are giving up there is a far greater chance of you achieving the success that you dream of.

No road to success is a smooth path. There will always be challenges, set backs and obstacles. Some can be foreseen and calculated but others can appear from nowhere. In the same way often opportunities pop up sooner than expected and it stretches your resources to be able to take advantage of them. Be willing to invest in whatever it takes and you may find yourself on the road to success sooner than you expect.

Bernadette Doyle created Client Magnets to help self-employed people solve one of their biggest business problems: attract a steady stream of clients.  Register FREE for instant access to her teleseminar series on How to Get New Clients.