Sandra Martini's Success Strategies

Integrity -- Has It Lost Its Meaning?

From www.Dictionary.com, the word "integrity" means:

1.	adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

2.	the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

3.	a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

Looking at the first definition only and then PAYING ATTENTION to several online businesses, I have to ask, has the definition changed?

For example, one online business recently promoted that there were only X number of a physical product available so "get it before we run out".

Subsequent emails trying to get us to buy and showing how many more were sold (plus other calls the business owner was on pitching the product), added up to almost double the original "get 'em before we're sold out" quantity.

The issue for me -- aside from the blatant untruths -- is that this business owner, like so many others out there, preaches and teaches the concept of integrity.  It's become a case of "do what I say, not what I do".

This is just one example, I could easily cite many more.

You could ask, so who's being hurt by the above scenario...particularly if it's a good product/service/whatever and has the potential to help many people.

My answer is simple: All of us. 

After all, there are better, more honest ways of doing business and if someone is willing to lie (let's stop dancing and call it what it is) about something as small as "how many widgets" they have to sell, what about the bigger things?

I'd love to hear your thoughts as I have some pretty strong opinions around this topic and I know they may not resonate with everyone.

How to Make Money as a Virtual Assistant

No matter your niche (or even if you don't know what one is), this ebook will teach you how to get new clients *

AND

* what to do once you have them!

In 60+ pages, "How to Make Money as a Virtual Assistant" will show you simple strategies for building your business, including:

=> How to know the right amount to charge so your business makes a profit and you get what you deserve!
=> Why it matters whether you provide a service or a solution! Get this wrong and it will cost you!!!

=> Four possible costs of every goal you set and why neglecting them is a recipe for failure.

=> The one *MUST HAVE* for your VA practice to be a success.

=> Why owning your company name as a domain name isn't enough and not having this

ONE

thing could result in less clients!

=> Four things EVERY client/VA partnership must have in order to be a success.

=> 8 questions to ask yourself before deciding to work with a new client.

=> Three items designed to protect your business -- and examples of each.

I don't play around and I don't beat around the bush with long-winded theories and unusable advice. I get straight to the heart of things, telling you exactly what you need to know to make your VA practice successful.

Ready to learn more? Visit "How to Make Money as a Virtual Assistant" today!

Creating a Business Card Which Works FOR, Not Against, You

How many events have you attended where someone hands you a typical business card -- straight from the local printer, and looking like every other one out there – or, sadly, printed from a home printer with the perforation marks still showing.

Not the best first impression you could make.  Seriously.

In fact, I’ve received so many of these cards that I felt compelled to write a “How To” on “How to Create a Business Card Which Works FOR, Not Against, You.”

In it, we cover how to amp up a regular business card in order to generate new, and lasting, connections as opposed to having a card which goes into “the pile” and undoubtedly ends up in a drawer or the trash -- as well as other, outside-the-box “cards” which will certainly make you stand out.

What would you DO if someone handed you a card which looks like yours – and “DO” is the critical word here.  Go ahead, get yours and take a hard look at it – I’ll wait.

Does it inspire action?

If not, you’ll want to grab a copy of this 15-page “How To” for only $14.95 immediately.  It could make all the difference at your next event or workshop.

Are You A Good Client?

You often see people (including me) writing about customer service, successful vendor practices and the like, very rarely, however, do you see someone ask you to review your own actions and determine if you are a good client for someone else. And that's what today's article is about -- if you dare.

It's easy to review someone else's actions and praise or note where they could improve, it's much more difficult to shine that light on our ourselves.

When you sign up for a program, hire a private coach or mentor or hire a team to support you, do you:

1. Are you prepared for your calls?

Do you come prepared to calls with any questions you have, items you want to request special guidance on, successes you wish to share with the group, etc.?

It's more rewarding for you AND your coach/mentor when you get what you want from the program and because we can't cover all situations all the time, it's even better when you ask. When working with team members, they WANT to shine for you, do you give them the tools to do that (answers they need, training on your processes)?

2. Do you show up. . .and on time?

Do you show up for your calls and, if so, do you show up on time?

Your vendor (coach, mentor, team member, etc.) has prepared and reserved this time just for you to the exclusion of other things she can be doing.

You'll get the best results if you're as respectful of their time as they are of yours (and if they're not, it's time to let them go -- no "ifs, ands or buts").

3. Are you reasonable?

Do you constantly and with little-to-no-notice reschedule calls for non-emergency reasons? The key word here is "constantly" -- we all have reasons we need to reschedule occasionally.

Do you respect boundaries and the terms of your agreement or do you "push the envelope" every chance you get?

4. Do you implement?

Do you use the resources you signed up, and paid, for or do you tell yourself (and others) that you're "too busy"?

If a coaching/mentoring program, do you take advantage of everything that's offered: Q&A calls, 1-on-1 calls, bonus resources OR do you sign up, get the CDs and put them on the shelf with the others, all the while wondering why you're not moving forward in your business?

In short, are you implementing? If you've hired a team (or a single virtual assistant) so that you can work on other items, are you doing that? If you've hired a coach/mentor, are you getting things done?

5. Do you pay on time?

Do you pay according to the terms of your agreement?

If not, why not? Do you need to bring in more revenue? Do you need to implement faster? Is the team not a fit and you just don't know how to let her go? Whatever the reason, you need to determine the "why" and then resolve it in whatever way is best for your business.

In short, all of the above stem from you making the decision -- yes, actually making a firm decision or commitment -- to FULLY embrace all aspects of the programs you're in, the people you hire and to implement.

My Request to You

Grab a pen and paper (no computer here!):

1. Turn the paper sideways (landscape) and make 4 columns lengthwise,
2. List every program or service you've purchased in the last few months in the first column,
4. List the results you anticipated when you signed up for or hired it/her in the second column,
5. List the features/benefits of the program/service in the third column and
6. List what results you've gotten since signing up/hiring

Now, for each item on the list ask yourself the 5 questions from today's article -- be completely honest here! No one's watching (promise!).

And now, it's time for you to make some decisions. What stays? What goes? What changes do YOU need to make regarding your own actions? For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

"The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join The New Rich" by Timothy Ferriss

The nature of my business is to teach solopreneurs and small business owners how to design their businesses to support the lifestyle of their dreams. It's not about working 24/7 -- it's about having a business that funds your life outside of the office.

I read Tim's book and was thrilled to see someone who *got* it to such an extent. From geo-arbitraging (hiring virtual assistants) to maximizing the difference between "effective" and "efficient" by acknowledging that "busy" is not necessarily "productive" and spending your energies on the 20% (Pareto's Principle where 80% of the output comes from 20% of the input), Tim covers it all.

Forget retirement as most people know it, life is about enjoying "mini-retirements" and Tim is a perfect example of this. He's 29 and a world tango recordholder, national Chinese kickboxing champion and actor on a hit

Hong Kong

television show. Why has he done all this?

Why not?

Mini-retirements and life on your terms is all possible when you build your business the right way. Get Tim's book here. . .

What have you done?

Do you remember the day you worked for a company -- large or small, it doesn't matter -- and dreamed of owning your own business?  

"I will be *the boss*", you thought.  

"I will come and go as I please and make my own hours", you thought.  

"I will be able to spend more time with my friends and family", you thought.  

"I will have plenty of money to do what I want", you thought.  

And then you started your own business.  

My, my how things have changed.  

Now you are the boss, the marketing director, the bookkeeper, the widget maker, the customer service rep. No longer are you working 9am to 5pm.  

You are now working 8am until 10pm, seven days a week (did I mention that there's no overtime?).  

Vacations? You can't go on a vacation. No vacation = no incoming revenue. No incoming revenue = no bills paid. And we won't discuss what that equals.  

So I ask you. . ."What have you created for yourself?"  

While you're no longer at the mercy of your old boss (tyrant that she was), you have a new boss. And she's even worse, because she's *you*.  

The sad truth is that most small business owners are not entrepreneurs; they are employees.  

Nothing can dash the optimism and dreams of a budding entrepreneur more than being forced into the role of an employee. . .and with themselves as *the boss*.  

Don't despair! This IS reversible! It's time to grab a notepad and pen, get out of the office and ask yourself the "5Ws":  

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• Why?  
  
  

1. Who?  

In an *ideal* world, who would be your customers? Your clients? What personality types do you like? Who would you never want to work with? (The "not" is just as important.)  

2. What?  

What are you doing in this ideal world? Are you a service provider? What services do you offer? Do you make and sell widgets?  

3. Where?  

Where do you do this thing you do? Do you have a home office? Do you spend 6 months in one place and 6 months in another?  

4. When?  

When is YOUR peak productivity time? It's time to schedule around that, not around typical business hours.  

Remember. . .this is YOUR ideal business. If you focus on, and repeatedly deliver, *results*, your clients won't care about WHEN you get things done.  

5. Why?

Why did you go into business for yourself?  

No matter your reasons, the one that must be at the top of the list for you to be successful is "to make a profit". If you are not approaching your business with the goal of making a profit (in addition to any other goals you may have), you will end up leaving the "profit" part to chance and that is a recipe for failure.  

It's critical to your success and happiness that you build a business to support the LIFESTYLE you want. Don't work yourself to the bone now and *hope* there will be time and money to enjoy later.  

Your Next Step  

I challenge you to review the "5Ws" above and answer them as if there were no limitations on how you could create your business (because there aren't!).

And if you haven't already signed up for advance notice of my Online Business Builder Mentoring Program, take action and sign up now before you forget. Only those who register for advance notice will get special early bird bonuses and goodies.

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

Dan Kennedy's "No B.S. Business Success"

Dan Kennedy's "No B.S. Business Success" tells it like it is in a humorous, but chillingly serious fashion that cuts to the core of the issues in a way no other business author does.

Expose yourself to Dan's "Eternal Business Truths" and prepare for a lot of streetwise wisdom on your sales, cash flow, productivity and getting out of trouble wherever it raises its ugly head.

I must admit. . .I reread each of Dan's books every year and always get something new out of them.

Get your copy of "No B.S. Business Success" here.

How the Universe Aligns – the Law of Attraction in Action

How do you know you're on the right track?  For me, oddly enough, I find four leaf clovers. :-) 

After relocating from D.C. back to Massachusetts and spending 8 months looking for a home, I viewed one which was a little higher than I wanted to spend.  That evening, I was walking around my parent's yard debating whether or not to take the plunge when I looked down and saw a four leaf clover.  I called the realtor immediately and will celebrate 9 very happy years here this month.

After saying "yes" to my husband's marriage proposal, I was walking around our yard, looked down and saw a four leaf clover (now framed on my desk).

And last week, I found 7 four leaf clovers in 7 days.  I also created two new programs, two new products and signed a licensing agreement to offer my products to members of other programs who want to learn how to build a successful online business.

Remember, when you are clear about what you want, the Universe will align to help create it.

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

7 Tips to Staying Motivated While Working From Home

You’re doing it. For years you’ve wanted to work from home and you are finally doing it. You are no longer an employee who has a “J O B”; you are now a business owner, self-employed, ruler of your own destiny AND you have inherited all the responsibilities that come with owning a business:

*  You are the manager

*  You are the marketer

*  You are the service provider/widget maker

*  You are the bookkeeper

And the list goes on.  We often get so busy running our businesses that we forget why we started them in the first place.

So what does a small business owner do to stay motivated while working from home?

1.  Remember the “why”.

Take a step back to remember the reason you went into business in the first place. What was your inspiration? It helps to focus intently on how you felt when you first realized you wanted to be successfully self-employed. For me, it was the sense of freedom and independence that I knew would come with success as an entrepreneur.

2.  Give yourself a deadline.

If you’re procrastinating about a project, you may be motivated by the self-imposed pressure of a deadline. Try giving yourself a deadline that you won’t want to back down on: send an email to friends announcing a new product launch, email your client with a due date for that big project you’re working on, take reservations for your first teleclass, you get the idea.

3.  Maintain a support system.

One of the hardest parts of being a solopreneur can be the sense of isolation. When things go right (or wrong), we no longer have the “water cooler” to go to. Be sure there is someone who you can share with, someone who is available for a quick motivational chat when you need one.

4.  Keep the goal in sight.

A simple, yet effective motivational tool is to keep your goals in sight – literally. I’ve taken a picture of my dream house and made it the background wallpaper on my computer. One glance at it is a megadose of motivation for me!

5.  Take a nap.

As counterintuitive as it sounds, taking a powernap is one of the best ways to rejuvenate your body AND mind. So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed or low, slowly and intently read each of your goals and then go take a powernap. Let your subconscious work on ways to manifest those goals while you rest.

When you wake, you’ll be raring to go!

6.  Reward yourself.

When faced with a large project, unpleasant task or anything that overwhelms you, plan a reward for once it’s done. The reward can be as simple as a quiet bath with candles or as exciting as a professional sporting event. Just be sure to plan a reward that YOU want and will enjoy!

7.  Take a break.

You’ve most likely never worked harder than when you are first starting your own business. In addition to actually “doing” all the work, you need to work on marketing, invoicing and other overhead or “non-billable” tasks.

Don’t get caught in the trap of “all work and no play”. Be sure you take days off and breaks throughout the day to rejuvenate and gain some perspective. Whenever I’m stuck on a project, I grab one of the dogs and go for a walk…by the time I return to the office, things have usually sorted themselves out in my head.

It doesn't matter how successful your home business is or how much you love to work from home; both new and established entrepreneurs face the motivational dilemma at some point and while some of the above motivational strategies may seem conflicting on their face – giving yourself a deadline versus taking a break for example – they all have their place in the life of a successful entrepreneur.

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

3 Steps to Getting The Most Out of Conferences and Workshops

Once you return home from a conference or workshop, it's easy to forget all the things you learned and promised yourself you'd implement.

After all, you're back in your regular environment: your family needs attention after you've been gone, work tasks have piled up, personal items need handling. How are you to "catch up" and incorporate all the new things as well?

Here's my simple process for ensuring I implement and put new ideas into action as soon as I return from a conference or workshop:

1. Create an Action List.

While at the workshop, I make an action list of all the ideas I want to implement in my business - some are new and some are refining things I'm already doing.

The important thing to note here is that I do NOT censor this list - everything I think of goes on it.

2. Take a day.

If possible, take a day or 1/2 day when you get home to unpack, get back in the swing of things and take a good look at your Action List (mine usually runs 2-3 pages).

Review the items and decide which make sense for your business right now, in the next six months and in the next year.

Once you've separated the items into different lists, take out the "right now" sheet:

Are there items which can be done in 10 minutes or less? If so, identify those items and schedule an hour for each group of 5 activities over the next week (this allows a little extra time). This will insure you make steady progress soon after the seminar.

Do you have bigger projects? No sweat, break them down into smaller chunks -- 30 minutes at most -- and schedule them on your calendar.

By scheduling these activities *on your calendar*, you'll have a start and end time for getting them done and ensuring you got the most out of your time at the workshop.

File the other two lists in your tickler file for future action.

3. Follow-Up

Chances are you've met new friends and potential clients.

Now's the time to drop them a brief note and let them know you're happy to have met them and follow-up with any information you may have promised.

And, remember, if appropriate for you, thank the speaker for the seminar and all you learned.

Your Coaching Challenge

Think back to the last conference or workshop you attended. Did you create an Action List of things to implement in your business?

If not, schedule some time on your calendar to sit down with the workshop binder, go through your notes and create an Action List of everything you want to implement.

Then follow the steps I outline above for getting them done! I set the intention to get at least one thing (new idea, better way of doing something, etc.) from every conference or workshop I attend - after all, the cost of attendance is high: money, travel, hotel, and, most importantly, my time and energy!

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series "5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot".