I got the most touching note in the mail today.

“Thank you for having faith in me when I didn’t have faith in myself to get this project completed.  You have my unending gratitude.  I reached out to over 200 women and I heard several “no’s” several “I’m busy right now, and a few people even questioned whether I was “worthy enough” to have 15 minutes of their time….Thanks again for saying yes.”

Months and months ago someone reached out to me to be a part of their project.  (I’m not including details or the name)  It’s finally come to fruition and to today I got the thank you note.

Truthfully, I was delighted to share my story and the journey I have been on as an entrepreneur.  Especially if my sharing the challenges I’ve overcome can help someone else shorten their learning curve or add to their success.

But it got me thinking how people could wonder if this person was ‘worthy enough’ to speak with them.  It sort of felt like the athlete that no longer gives autograph’s because they are ‘too big’ these days to spend time with their fans.  The same people who helped elevate them to celebrity status.  In this internet marketing/service provider/social networking fish bowl we all swim around in, why is that happening?  We are used to hearing about the spoiled baseball player or the cocky actor, but let’s not go down that road.  Let’s take the best of humanity and highlight it.

So here’s what I’m suggesting….

Say yes.  You don’t have to give it all away for free, but if you can take 20 minutes helping someone else make their dreams come true, isn’t that a worthy way to spend your time?

How about a little Pay-It-Forward energy.  It will really make your heart sing, and that good energy will come back at you ten fold.

Remember – we are all in this together.

And I’d love to have you write your thoughts on the topic of giving some away versus holding yourself back as an expert.

Take care!

Therese

The four words that changed everything -

“Mom, Kim is dead.”

No fourteen year old should ever have to make a call like that.  And with that call, my world went spinning out of control.

Let me tell you the back story first.

I had been booked to speak at the National Association of Entrepreneur Mom’s first Success Summit.  This was  a fabulous opportunity as I was to be the wrap up speaker, and truthfully…had prepared a kick ass talk!  I was also really excited to launch my “Marketing of YOU” program there and connect with Cathy Alessandra and the amazing women she brought together for this event.

Earlier that morning, I had meditated and journalled, writing that I wished to be a Light and of service.  I had planned on leaving my house at 10am to catch my flight out to LA.  Little did I know that just 15 minutes later I would get the call from my son telling me that they had found their step mom dead in bed at the age of 47.

“Mom, Kim is dead” Danny said as I heard my youngest son John sobbing in the background.  I was shaking so hard that I could barely finish the call and get over to their house.  My ex and I have a very good relationship and his wife Kim and I were also really close.  She was family to me, and now my family was in crisis……so that mama bear in me went into action.  I didn’t realize that when I had written that I wanted to be of service just an hour earlier, that it would be for my ex and the numerous people who’s lives were touched by this tragedy.    

But it took its toll on me.  Yeah, I handled loads of details and was there for everyone – except my business.  Not only did I choose to cancel my trip to the Success Summit, but I had to push off the launch of the Marketing of YOU program.  I could barely think, much less plan a launch, or coach anyone out of a paper bag.

Today, 9 days after the death, I mostly have my energy back.  We are all coping and John has stopped having nightmares.  I’m way behind in my writing, but ahead in my soul because of how I have shown up and been in service to my ex and kids.  And along the way got amazing love and support from folks in my community.

And it’s all life.  As entrepreneurs, we can’t take our lives out of our business.  Sure, we can make plans and schedule things, but when life is being life and yanks the rug out from under you…there is only one thing you can do – roll with it.  So I have come up with a formula – S.O.A.R – to get through the challenging times.

S= Surrender To The Situation. Most of us suffer because we don’t accept things as they are.  Was I disappointed that I couldn’t get on that plane?  Damn right.  Did I for a minute doubt my choice of staying home to be with my family, absolutely not.  I didn’t understand it, and if I be truthful the loss of revenue did run through my mind.  But I never felt like a victim.  Instead I surrendered to Life and the plans that Life has for me.  I embraced what needed to get done, and ended up being so incredibly grateful that I hadn’t gotten on the plane.  Whatever you are going through, the easiest way is to surrender.  Asking why or being pissed off at the situation will cause much more stress than if you roll with what is in front of you.  Easy to say, and hard to do, but if you practice acceptance, you will find grace in the middle of the pain.  It also helps if you stay in the moment.  Everything passes.  Things do return to ‘normal’ in time.  Or at least a new normal.

O=Only Handle The Essentials. The gift of being your own boss is that you can walk away.  But the challenge of being your own boss is that it’s all about you!  So in a crisis, who is there to help pick up the pieces.  My friend MaryPat Kavanagh had a death in her family during the middle of her Savvy Mompreneurs Telesummit earlier this year.  She had to leave town, yet had an amazing team who stepped in and kept the ball rolling.  In a time of crisis, what can you off-load, postpone, or just stop doing all together?  The essentials I handled?  Sleep.  Food.  Nurturing my kids.  Nothing else got done and I had to be ok with that.  You must give yourself permission to operate at about 25% of capacity for awhile.  Beating yourself up for not being able to be super woman here is silly.  Slow down.  Let go.  Breathe.  Gentleness is the key.

A=Allow Yourself To Be Supported.  Imagine this…I have a launch that I’m excited about, yet have no energy, no brain power, no motivation, and no idea what to do because I didn’t know how long this stage would last.  What did I do?  I sent an SOS email to “my girls” who love and support me.  I basically said, “Hey gals, I got nothin….  I’m supposed to be in a creative mode, but I have no reserve right now.  I need some help.” Can I tell you the truth.  It used to be horribly painful to ask for help.  Years ago, I would have suffered in silence.  But not any longer.  It’s a different story today, and the relationships I have are all based on mutual support.  My amazing friend Shawn Driscoll stepped up and worked her magic with me.  She’s one of the most talented coaches I know. Interestingly enough, she’s had to deal with her mother having a major stroke in the middle of the launch of her How to Create Your Signature Program group which starts in a couple of weeks.   I have been there for her and now it was her turn to give me a leg up.   After an hour on the phone with Shawn, the Marketing of YOU program is done and I’m excited about it again.  Big lessons here…we are not meant to do things alone.  I encourage you to pick up the phone, send an email, or just ask folks you know to support you.  You bless them by allowing that opportunity.

R=Receive The Gifts. Yikes.  This one is where spiritual mastery comes in.  I just got off the phone today from talking with a friend who discovered she has a tumor on her brain and will have her head drilled open next week.  She said, “I used to have to wait till the experience was over to see any of the gifts in it, but this time around I can see right here and right now the gifts that are possible.” For her the gift was in receiving nurturing instead of always being the giver.  Even in Kim’s death I can see gifts and healing happening.  If you set your intention and be on the look out, you can find gifts in every situation.  This takes the sting out of it, and since we are such meaning making creatures, it can provide a spiritual or more profound meaning.

In closing, know that life sometimes is like a box of chocolates, and sometimes it sucks!  You can’t escape it.  You can learn from it, transcend it, and become a better person.  You get to choose.  And I’m right here for ya…rootin ya on.

Blessings

May you rest in peace, Kimmy…….

This is some  powerful stuff my pretties!  Are you ready to learn where you are fooling yourself?  Wanna know where you aren’t quite as ‘together’ as you previously thought you were?  Now, I don’t mean to throw water on your party, but I do know this….if you have hidden beliefs that are not in alignment with your goals, you will never achieve what you want.

There’s no other way to say it but that.

We walk around putting all our time, energy and money into desires  for our life and business, but can’t figure out why it’s not working.

I can tell you why.

It’s because a part of you doesn’t resonate with that.

It’s like this…if you focus on creating a $200,000/yr income, yet a part of you doesn’t believe that you deserve that level of success, no matter what you do, you won’t get that income.  Oh, you may be able to get it…but you are quickly going to lose it.

Let me tell you a story – about a  year and a half ago I went to a training with Gary de Rodriguez who is a fabulous NLP trainer.  He gave us a list of positive beliefs we were to circle if we thought we resonated with and believed we owned. These were statements like, “I deserve love and happiness….Money flows to me now” and other typical affirmative statements.

So being a bit cocky and having done LOADS and LOADS of personal growth myself, I happily circled 27 our of 30 that I just knew I believed to my core. No problemo…

Next he taught us to muscle test, and then say the statements with the muscle testing to see if we RESONATED with them or not.

Imagine my surprise when at least half of those 30 I didn’t resonate with.  That meant that all this time I’m thinking I’m so ‘cooked’ in terms of doing all the years of therapy, personal and professional work….I still had these beliefs that were lurking in the background of my psyche, sabotaging me from moving forward.

YOWZA!

But this now makes sense as to why folks work so hard and still can’t get ahead.  And doing this muscle testing stuff is changing the way I work with my clients.  So I’m including this video that is part of the Inner Guru Toolkit.**  This is from the program I run with Molly Luffy – The Inner Guru Experience.  The video will show you how to muscle test, but first I want you to do the exercise I mentioned earlier.

Write down 10 beliefs you THINK you have or would like to adopt.  Here are a few examples:

I deserve success

I easily earn $_________________fill in the blank

I give myself permission to be wealthy

I attract the perfect clients to me now

Money comes easily to me

All my needs are taken care of

I am the perfect weight

I have vibrant health

Alright, now what the video and see if you REALLY believe those things!

Next…I’d love if you share your experiences with me.  Feel free to put a comment on the blog.

Blessings!

**If you want to know more about the Inner Guru Toolkit, let me know and I’ll get you the info.  It’s a fabulous program.

What is in the center of your life?  How does this fit in with your business?

Let me share with you what keeps me inspired.

I’d love for you to share  your comments about what you are a stand for.

When you know this and really anchor it in everything you do, you’ll be more authentic and on purpose.  And isn’t that what we all really want?

Blessings!

Marketing, sales, Twitter, networking, VA’s, accounting, advertising…oh my!

It seems like there are endless things that need to be in place in order to get that business of yours to move from being like the middle school kid who has loads of potential (but a little disorganized and wacky at times) to the Ivy League graduate who is self sufficient and bringing home the dough.

What does it take? I’m asked all the time where to start. Is the key in putting more time, energy or money into marketing? Or will getting a great virtual assistant (VA) finally unlock all the pieces? There are so many possibilities.

But here’s the deal – you need a formula. Actually, you need my formula. Thanks to some great coaching from my friend and mastermind partner, Shawn Driscoll, I now have a formula that encompasses the work I do, and makes tons of sense. I call it the B.O.L.D formula for getting you and your business out there in a much bigger way.

The first place we start in the formula is in the area of beliefs, blocks and barriers.

What I know is that this is the secret sauce to make any coaching or marketing program get results. So many people have limiting beliefs that completely derail them, yet have no idea that this is why they see only marginal success. When you blast those limiting beliefs away, and then do the work to install ones that support your vision, you can begin to create the foundation that becomes a really strong container for you to put your dreams and goals in.

How do we do this? I have loads of techniques, but part of it starts with muscle testing. If you are interested, I’d be happy to send you the “how to use muscle testing” video I did as part of the Inner Guru Experience where we teach this in much more detail. Just shoot me an email by clicking here and you can start working with one of the most powerful tools I know. This can be eye opening for you to learn which beliefs you resonate with or not. (Be warned…it might surprise you!)

Next we have you own it!

You first own your vision. Is it yours, or is it someone else’s for you? Have you checked that this vision fits with your values and priorities? If not, there will be a part of you that will sabotage it, so make sure you do that work.

After you own your vision, you own your expertise. Yes, you MUST be positioning yourself as an expert. Some people balk at that word, but look at it this way. Who makes more, a pediatric cardiologist, or a family doc? Who is perceived as more knowledgeable – the generalist, or the specialist? Too many people undervalue themselves, and that’s one of the main things that I love to hammer away on with my clients.

And finally, you own your unique style. This is where marketing gets fun. If you are trying to do it like everyone else, you risk being invisible. If you are trying to ‘be professional’ your audience won’t resonate with you. I can’t say it enough…put your personality into everything you do with your marketing and your business. This way, the perfect clients will be really drawn to you.

The first two steps are the Inner Game work, and now we move to the Outer Game pieces.

After you understand what you want to do and put your unique spin on it, we look at ways you leverage your time, energy and money. This is where we make the assessment of what tasks you should be doing, and what things you should outsource. Remember – just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should! If you are a chiropractor and you are sitting around on the weekend putting up web pages or trying to do your own bookkeeping, you are missing the boat. Let someone who loves to do that stuff take it, and apply your time to what you can uniquely do that either no one else can, or is a revenue generator.

Here’s my coaching challenge to you…look at your business to try to find where you could gain 5 hours a week for yourself. What tasks would you have to peel off in order for that to happen? Outsource those, and in that extra 5 hours, do something that is either marketing related, or is bringing in more money for you. That could mean you spend more time writing, or possibly networking. Answer this question for yourself – “If I had more hours in the week, what three things would I work on to grow my business?”

And finally, we work on designing a business that you will love. This is where we also factor in your values, mission, goals, and dreams. This is where your legacy comes in, and where you put your stamp in the world. What kind of business model would you like? Is it a service biz, or an info-marketing biz, or perhaps a brick and mortar biz?

Designing a business that serves YOU is the most rewarding thing…but it takes courage! First, you have to know what you want, and next you have to be fiercely committed to seeing that through. This is where the dreaming happens. The crazy, out-of-the-box “what could I have if anything were possible” types of questions. Doesn’t that get you excited? I hope so! Because the world needs what you have to offer.

I don’t know when it hits you, but most of my inspirations come about just as I’m waking up in the morning.  All the good stuff gets downloaded, and suddenly I have clarity, creativity, and just know that it’s Divine Inspiration.

That’s what happened this morning.

You see, I’m making some changes in the way I have been working and will be clearing some space for the next BIG thing to come in.  So there is an element of letting go that is necessary, without fully knowing what’s next.  This calls for loads of faith.  And mostly I roll with it really well.  But there are those days where my mind wants to get in and control….or at least pretend that it has control.

Because our minds feel safe when they have little jobs…like figuring out what to do in any given situation.  But when LIFE moves you, there is nothing your mind can do but sit and wait.

But I have one of those trickier-than-most minds.  It can get a hold of something and it’s like a dog with a new chew toy.  So the ‘battle’ between faith and will kicks in.  And since my very bright mind LOVES to figure out things, sometimes it wins.

This morning however, the Divine answer was shown to me.  Since I’m working on creating my new program for November, there are loads and loads of details and “what if’s” that spin through my head.  “What if this happens, what if this doesn’t happen, what should I do about xyz?”  But this morning, the message was clear:

Relax, and give thanks that it’s already done.

“What, my mind said?  How can it be done, I haven’t even put the webpage up or gotten any clients in the program yet?”  Then I heard this:

Just relax, and feel what it will feel like when the program is filled.  Be grateful and feel peaceful.  It’s already done.

Later in the day I listened to an audio a friend sent me that also suggested that so many of us spend our mental energy in what’s not working, that there is where we get stuck.  But what if we just spoke of the delight that we will feel when we accomplish what we want.  I could speak about how excited I am that 10 perfect clients were inspired to take the program and have had amazing results.  I can feel how blessed it would be to make such a difference in their lives, and how I was able to also contribute more to the economy by helping them earn more money.  And it would feel crazy good to celebrate with my team and give them each a bonus for pulling off such a seamless launch.

Doesn’t that energy feel loads better than the more traditional, “OMG, I have to fill this program…what if they don’t buy….is the price to high…” crap that goes on in most of our heads.

The secret here?  Pretty basic Law of Attraction stuff, but it was so powerfully clear this morning when that Voice said to me:

Relax, and give thanks that it’s already done.

Now what about you?  Can you relax and give thanks?  It’s a heck of a lot easier than doing it any other way.

And I’d love to hear your story.  What are you working on creating, and how are you relaxing into that?

Blessings!

Tonight I interviewed Dr. Ira Bloomfield for his teleseminar about the top four marketing mistakes physicians and urgent care owners make.  He did an awesome job and one of the points he talked about what the chase for always trying to get new people in the door, at the expense of keeping happy your old customers/clients/patients.

Let’s look at this…

Most business owners spend the bulk of their marketing time and money on trying to find ways to get new folks in the door.  But do you know who your very best sales force is?  The loyal folks that are currently your clients.  These are the ones that you should be spending your money on so they know that you appreciate them.

Now for the biggie – do you regularly ask your clients to refer to you?  Do they even know you want to take on more business?  (This is where some business owners start squirming…this asking for the referral part.)

You can do it a few different ways.  The best is in person.  Say you are speaking with your client and they tell you how much they have gained from doing business with you.  In that moment, you ask, “Do you know of two other people who would like to get these results as well?”  Notice I said to ask for a specific number.  If you ask for “anyone you know” that is too broad.  Give them an easier time by asking for one or two names.

The next way is the more indirect way.  You can write up a short blurb in a newsletter, or send out a mailer with a few business cards.  Think about how people love to share when they find a great resource.  Why would you happy clients not want to tell others about  you?

According to Ira, you sort of owe it to the world to get your work out there, and most of your clients would love to share what great service you gave.  Your task?  To get up enough courage to create a referral system and begin to ask.

Another way to get some momentum in your biz?  Go back through your old customer list.  Again, no use in using the resources you have with trying to get new business if you have not made contact with folks who have used you before.  You can call, send an email, or maybe  a postcard.  The best thing to do is obviously to call and let them know you are thinking of them.  Maybe you share a new program or service, but mostly…just call to say ‘hey’ and see how they are doing.  You’ll be surprised at how many come back if you approach this with a genuine interest in their well being.

The final piece?  You’ll want to calendar this.  Make it a system, a scheduled task and a “must do” and you will begin to see some great results.

Blessings!

Crazy title, ‘ey?

Where did I get such lunacy?  From hanging out with my sales trainer friends.  Ya see, being a psychotherapist and life coach gave me zero preparation on how to sell my services.  So a few years ago when I entered the wonderful world of entrepreneurs, I had one steep learning curve!  I was blessed to study with Eric Lofholm, but it was my time spent with Michael Goodman of AZ Sales Pros that really drove this point home for me.

This is where we come to the concept that your clients aren’t buying what you are selling.  Most of us get so addicted to ’selling our services’ that we forget to look at it from the consumer’s end.  Let me give you some examples…

If you are an acupuncturist, is your client buying acupuncture?  No, what they are really buying is relief from pain or whatever their symptom is that brought them in.  Does a chiropractor sell chiropractic care?  No, their patients buy health, longevity, relief from stress/pain/fatigue, and a whole host of other benefits.

And we coaches DO NOT sell coaching!  We sell business acceleration, revenue generation, results amplification, marketing plans, fulfillment, freedom, etc.

Get the drift?

Now it’s your turn.  Make a list and write all the thing you sell (like your products or services) on one half a sheet of paper.

Next, ask yourself, “As a result of consuming this, what exactly is it that these clients are ‘buying?’  Put this on the other half of the paper.

If you can answer that, you are on your way to being able to use the correct marketing language to attract your ideal buyers.

Oh, and if you aren’t sure?  ASK your market!  There is nothing more powerful than asking your clients what they have gotten as a result of working with you.  Those are the golden nuggets that will help you understand exactly what you are ’sellling and what they have been buying.’

My story?  A few years ago I asked a client of mine this very question.  She was one that came to me and didn’t even have a concept for a business, but she said that as a result of working with me she felt like she was five years ahead of any business owner who would have started on that same day.  She pointed out that I shortened her learning curve, and helped her accelerate her results.  The funny thing…I had no idea I was doing that!  I knew the tangible aspects like helping her in the start up phase and all the mindset stuff we did to get her to own the role she was now taking on, but accelerating her results?  Who knew!  It was really powerful for me to have that tangible deliverable, so you bet I always ask my clients that magical question these days.

I encourage you to do the same so you can discover what a rock star you really are.

She could have been pissed off at me.

In the beginning it was going that way, but by the end it all made sense to the client.

She was referred to me by the owners of the Big Blend Magazine where I am the Small Business Guru.  (A huge plug for them because it’s a been great way to advertise and get visibility!)

Her focus for buying the strategy session was to have help in creating a membership site.  So I began to ask her questions.  Loads and loads and loads of questions.  I could tell that she was getting a bit frustrated because she wanted to get instruction on how to build the site, but I needed to get the big picture.    That’s how my brain works….

You see, all that she thought of was adding a site onto her existing offerings.  It hadn’t occurred to her that maybe clients would enter at different levels of expertise or want a “do-it-yourself” vs. “done-for-you” option.  She didn’t get that there has to be a way to interlock all the parts in the client journey.

In the end, we came up with a beautiful FULL funnel of how a client could enter, what the special report would be to capture data, different levels the clients could get to, how to market to them, and how to get a whole lot more cash than she had thought of.  Oh, and of course all the mindset stuff that she’d need to pull it off.

As we were processing the session she did admit that in the beginning she was getting really frustrated because she didn’t see how all the pieces fit together as she was so focused on what the thing that she thought needed to be in place should have been.   But she was delighted with how it turned out!

Now for you….are you fixated on that one offering at the expense of the bigger picture?  Ask yourself the same questions I asked this now happy client -

Where do people enter when they work with you?

What skill level do they come with and what can you teach/offer in each level?

Have you surveyed them to see what they want and what they are willing to pay?

Who would you have to become to have a grander vision like this?

What can you outsource – cuz most likely you are the bottle neck?

What is your vision for your business in a year?

Answering those questions will help you take the big view and not get stuck making the mistake of trying to piece things together.

I guess sometimes its a good thing when your coach uses intuition!  Giving someone what they NEED versus what they WANT is often times much more kind in the long run.

Blessings!

p.s.  Feel free to leave a comment about how you take the long view.

This is an article I published last year that is good enough to repeat…hope you enjoy!

You know how they say “life imitates art?”  I believe that life imitates business!  Lessons in our lives are the very same ones that we bump into in our business, so in this article I share with you the story of how an incident with my dog showed me one of the problems that business owners run into daily.  This lesson is called:

4 Steps to Leveraging Your Time and Talent

After his recent near death experience and a VERY expensive surgery, I had to take my eleven year old dog Colby back to the vet to get his sutures out. He had eaten a stuffed Easter egg (which didn’t pass through!) so ended up having to have it removed which left an 8 inch incision in his stomach.

On Saturday morning as I was ready to get him in my van, I discovered that no matter what I did, he wasn’t going in. I’d lift, push, cajole, and basically tried everything I could do, but my 80 pound elderly, weak-in-the-hips pooch would just slide under the vehicle. It occurred to me that one of us was gonna get hurt, so I did what every smart business owner would do….I called in reinforcements! OK, the ‘muscle’ in this case was my ex who lives about a mile away. (Yeah, we have that cool kind of relationship….) One quick phone call and in a few minutes the ex popped over and said canine was comfortably in the seat on the way to the vet.

Here is the application for your business … Support = success!

Now why in the world would I share this story about my geriatric dog and my need to call for help? Because it’s the perfect entrepreneur’s dilemma!

I had a ‘project’ I needed to do but didn’t have the resources to make it happen on my own. The theme for this article is to encourage you to see who can do the ‘heavy lifting’ and help you out in areas where you need some more support.

Below is my four-step process for embracing this really important principle in your business.

Step #1: Open your eyes! Take a look around at your business and where you either loose energy (bookkeeping maybe?) or where you are chronically overwhelmed, or when you know that if you just had a few key pieces in place….you’d really be able to take off. Sometimes it will be letting someone do the tasks for you, or maybe it’s the need you have to learn a new skill. What would it be for you? Make a list…………

Step #2: Visualize! The next step is to allow yourself to imagine what would be possible if you had this piece in place. This is where the fun is. If you could design it EXACTLY how you wanted, how would it look/feel/be? Now, everyone knows about getting ads posted on Craig’s List or putting up job descriptions, but what I coach my clients around is to make sure you put in the intangibles.  We all want someone who is skilled, etc, but this is where your values come into play.  Do you want to have your new team members be fun, or creative, or self starters?  Adding this one piece is critical! Your turn…dream big! What would you love to see in terms of support?

Step #3: Strategize! Now where do you find this person? There are two ways of doing it. The first is the ‘inner game’ way of just harnessing energy. Part of the ‘magic’ is if you just set the intention, the Universe conspires to support you. (Anyone ever watched The Secret?)

The next way is to do some research about who is out there that could ‘fill the bill’ for you in this area.

Using the social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn are really fabulous ways to connect.  One of my clients recently needed a marketing manager, so I just put the question to my LinkedIn list and got over thirty people recommending folks! Using other people’s networks and referrals is the best way to go in this case.

Now it’s your turn…after putting out the intention, create a list of where you could find the support you need and a list of who you could go to for help finding it. Don’t forget the power of your network. Ask others who they know.

Step #4: Realize! Now that you have found that perfect person, how is it going to work? What has to happen for you to put them on your team? Maybe you just need an advisory board or possibly a peer run mastermind. In either case, explore what’s the win-win for all parties involved.

If you need to pay for some new team members, do a calculation about how much business you’ll need to bring in to cover the new cash outlay. Truthfully, many entrepreneurs get themselves stuck in the trap of “I can’t afford to pay anyone to help, but I’m so busy doing so much administrative stuff, that I can’t earn more money either.” If you find yourself in that conundrum, ask yourself the following questions -

1. What’s the minimum investment I’d need to make to move forward? (Example, if you can only spend $500/month…what could that money buy you?)
2. How long would it take for me (with the new people in place) to begin to see a return on my investment?
3. What is it costing me to NOT have these additional resources? This could be in time, money, or just stress! Be honest here.

Now it’s time to take action!  Plan for the projects that you need support with, and get the people in place to make that a reality.  Once you begin to work this way, you’ll never look back!