If you ask people if they want to be successful, almost unanimously, they will say yes. But if you watch what people do, you’ll see that they are neither interested in nor committed to doing the things that are required to become successful.

Most people look for ways to “succeed” by investing the least amount of effort possible. That’s why the lottery makes so much money for the government. One dollar can make you extremely rich. If you’re extremely lucky.

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To truly see opportunities within social media requires viewing the consumer landscape through a different lens…

Social media is enjoying yet another gust beneath its wings. Google Plus is rekindling the love affair of social networking among the early adopters and mavens who friended their way to higher Klout scores and also social network fatigue. The numbers of social network users are soaring well past 10 figures. Even celebrities such as Bono, Justin Timberlake, Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga et al, are not only living social, they’re putting their money where their cliques are by actively investing in emerging social technologies.

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Foursquare is an emerging mobile network that connects people and places through mobile phones. While it isn’t the only player in the space, Foursquare does appear to be the game to beat. The 800 pound gorilla is Facebook Places but other geo-location nicheworks are also growing including Loopt and Gowalla. Each equally bring together the real and virtual worlds, unlocking the world around consumers through checkins and supporting gaming mechanics and social effects integrated into the experience. Foursquare has blazed the trail and as a result, it’s rewarded with escalating consumer adoption and engagement.
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How much time do you spend worrying about the name/url of your company?

I think we tend to place an inflated amount of value on a name because it’s such a long term position.  When it comes down to it, I don’t think it matters that much.

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Any entrepreneur running a small business knows the to-do list is neverending, while the hours in a day are finite. So unless you intend to work yourself to the bone forever, at some point you really need to start getting things off your plate.

You can absolutely do this by outsourcing (learn more at http://getstartedoutsourcing.com/). But maybe you don’t have the budget quite yet.
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If you’ve got a business, then chances are you have trouble achieving balance between that business and your personal life. We’ve all been there. Every entrepreneur knows just how easy it is to let your business take over your entire life. Because there’s always more on your to-do list than any human can get done.

But if you want to be both successful and happy as an entrepreneur, you have to find a way to achieve a bit of that elusive balance. To help you on your quest, I recently solicited tips from more than 100 experts on productivity, time management, business/life balance, mindset and more. Below are a few more I thought were worth sharing. Enjoy!

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I hear it all the time from clients… “I’d love to start a blog or ezine, but I don’t have time”… I really should call and check in with my clients, customers or patients, but I don’t have time”… “I know I need to create a marketing plan, set some goals, create process docs and get organized; but I don’t have time”…

The same refrain echoes when it comes to personal life too. I hear people say all the time… “I want to start working out, but I don’t have time”…”I’d love to spend more time with my family, or have time to start a family, but I don’t have the time”… I’d really like to make more home-cooked meals, but I don’t have the time.”

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If you’ve got a business, then chances are you have trouble achieving balance between that business and your personal life. We’ve all been there. And it’s all too easy to let your business take over your entire life. Because there’s always more on your to-do list than any human can get done.

But if you want to be both successful and happy as an entrepreneur, you have to find a way to achieve a bit of that elusive balance. To help you on your quest, I recently solicited tips from more than 100 experts on productivity, time management, business/life balance, mindset and more. Below are a few more I thought were worth sharing. Enjoy!

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Large brands like the ones we work with typically include social media marketing as part of a much larger marketing mix, as they should. They frequently run TV ads, banner ads, PR programs, pay-per-click, print ads, out of home, event marketing and more.

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Repeat after me…

When you try to please everyone, you wind up pleasing no one.

Did you repeat after me?

It is so important that you read that sentence a few times. In fact, I have made it my new mantra. I have posted this sentence on my computer monitor with a post it note. I myself need to remember this as well.

How does this sentence effect you?

I see so many store owners make two common mistakes:

1. They want to start selling a product because they think it is “hot.”

   A product is only as “hot” as you make it. When you open a new store. you need to know everything there is to know about the products you sell. You need to be an expert at what you sell. You need to be passionate about what you sell. You are going to be writing, talking, dreaming, and living with this product. Be passionate about the products you are selling and your customers will be passionate about what you sell too.

2. Store owners think they have to have 50,000 products in order to become successful.
   Wrong. You don’t need EVERY single product in EVERY single category to become a success. Start out slow and work your way up. If you want to sell tools, then pick a category from tools and become the best at those tools. Then add more tools. If you want to sell knives, pick a type of knife and add more later. If you want to sell a product that has 50 different brands, pick 5 of those brands and specialize in those brands.

I want you to pick one thing and do it well. Your customers will tell you what they want from you next.

For the Now What Project, I have opened a quilting store. There are TONS of manufacturers and TONS of brands out there. I could have picked up a little of this or a little of that. Instead, I took my favorite manufacturer and focused on carrying as much as I could from them. Then I added just a sprinkle of a few other manufacturers.

Why did I pick the one manufacturer?

• Is it because it is the most popular? No. 
• Is it because it was what every one else wanted? No.

It was because I knew this brand inside and out. I knew all the designers and what collections they had created. I knew what they were working on in the future. I knew what I was talking about when it came to this manufacturer. When customers call and ask questions, I know what I am talking about. When customers talk to me about a collection, I can discuss that collection, the past collection, and why I love what is coming out too. I can also tell them how all 3 are different and unique.

Why? I am passionate about what I do.

When they don’t know what to make with the fabrics they are choosing, I can point them to a book or pattern that uses the fabrics they want to purchase. When they ask questions on how to do something technical in regards to sewing, I can point them to a specific book that has the best directions for what they are trying to learn how to do. Why? I love reading all these books and learning more about this business. Why? I am passionate about what I do.

My passion shows through in everything I do and it DOES effect sales.

Can you say the same about your products?

If not, why?

Are you passionate about your products? Are you passionate about your business?

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