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Browse published articles attributed to Alicia Forest, with full-archive search.
Do you do everything yourself when it comes to running your business? Or are you like me and find it difficult to delegate to others, at least sometimes? Do you think you don't have the money to hire help? Well, I'm going to show you how hiring help can help increase your bottom line dramatically. Not delegating is one of the major hurdles my private clients seem to struggle with.
As I'm wrapping up a slew of private retreats with clients this month, it's become clear that it's time for me to get focused on practicing what I've been preaching - or more specifically, to put myself through the same intense process and plan that I take my clients through. This thought popped into my head several times during the retreats, but really came to the forefront of my thinking over the past week or so, as I've been making some very big decisions in my business that's going to majorly shift things going forward. So, here's what I've noticed that's going on with me in my busin
One of the biggest challenges many of my clients have is getting enough visitors to their websites.
Me: I'm done.... (to hubby after arriving home from Ali Brown's Online Success Blueprint Workshop) Him: With what? (read: uh-oh...) Me: I'm done with thinking, playing, being small. I know I've been saying this for awhile, but it really became clear to me at the workshop - I'm so done with the piddly stuff. No more... ...and on (and on..) the conversation went. Here are three of the main shifts in my thinking (and feeling and being) I've made from my experience at the workshop. 1. I'm not a joiner... That may surprise you, if you know me at all.
I think if you've been a survivor of any sort, you can relate to Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind. Sure, she used her womanly wiles to get what she wanted, but hey... who hasn't? (And men, you've got 'wiles' of your own, so don't think you're off the hook.) When Scarlett tore down her mother's green velvet drapes to make the dress that ultimately saved Tara from the tax collectors, it was 'necessity is the mother of invention' in action.
Do you often attend in-person events, such as workshops, networking breakfasts, and seminars where you network and collect a bunch of business cards from the other attendees, but then you don't know what to do with them? Of course if someone's expressed an interest in your services, you want to follow up with them, but most people you talk with at these events may not need your services RIGHT NOW, yet they very well may in the future. So how do you make sure you're at their fingertips when they do need you? Get them on your list!
Ever sit down to write an article for your ezine or a post for your blog and be at a loss for what to say? It happens to the best of us, so I thought I'd share some of the ways that I get unstuck when that happens to me. 1. Offer Your Client Success Stories You'll see me implement this idea fairly often, where I'll share a common struggle among my private clients and offer some solutions.
If you want to have all the clients and customers you can handle, then embrace the business model of building an email list of people who are interested in what it is that you offer. But it's not enough to just add people to our list. You have to build a relationship with them so they get to know, like and trust you enough to make them want to invest some of their hard-ea ed money with you. I'd like to share with you one of the many effective strategies I teach.
What's a Niffler, you ask? Well, if you've read Happy Potter and the Goblet of Fire, you might remember that a Niffler is a critter that hunts treasure. Once it finds one treasure, it moves on quickly in search of the next prize. Do you do the same thing in your business? Meaning, are you a constant gatherer of the things that you think will move your business ahead, but not so much the implementer of them? Do you get distracted by anything and everything that's new in your industry?
As we head into the season of giving, now is a great time to show appreciation to your clients and customers. Taking the time to give thanks to your clients will set you apart, increase loyalty, improve retention, inspire more sales, and deepen relationships that last long after the initial sale. Here are 10 easy ways you can say thank you to your clients: 1. Greeting Cards My husband often teases me that I should own stock in Hallmark for the amount of money I spend a year on cards. I love to send cards, for a specific reason or for no reason at all.
You may be too busy during the holiday season to notice if your business is slowing down a bit, but in case you're not, there are several things you can do to use this time to your advantage as you head into the new year. 1. Review your website Take some time to review your website and make any necessary updates by removing old information and freshening up the rest of your copy.
Once you've figured out your niche (or you've at least narrowed it down significantly), it's time to figure out what problems they are struggling with, and what they want by way of solutions. Remember, if you will only ask your market, it wants to help you create the products it wants to buy! How do you find out what your target market wants? There are several ways to get this information and use it to help you create an offering that will solve your niche's problems and make a profit for you at the same time. The best way is to do your research.
One of the many things I discovered when on my recent private retreat with my mentor coach Kendall Summerhawk was that I sometimes still have a tendency to bend in situations where I shouldn’t. Not actually bend-over backwards, but enough that I end up not feeling good about the situation.
There are many questions that often come up for new small business owners around offering guarantees - what kind, how long, am I risking too much by doing so, and even if they should offer them at all. In my business, I offer a guarantee on everything I sell (except for my personal coaching and consulting). These guarantees do one very important thing: Guarantees remove the risk from your buyer. And yes, that means that then the "risk" is on your shoulders, but that's exactly where it should be.
In the Client Abundance coaching programs, we work on implementing several strategies that are designed to PULL your business forward, almost effortlessly. One of those strategies is creating a powerful vision for your business. My private clients have found this exercise to be both motivating and inspiring, and I'm certain you will too. Once a year, I take a short retreat to work on revising my vision for my business (and my life).
"You either have excuses or you have results. Which one do you have today?" This was a tweet recently posted by a former Platinum client of mine, Liz Dennery Marks, owner of SheBrand.com and Dennery Marks Inc., a very successful brick-and-mortar branding and celebrity outreach firm in Beverly Hills. And it really struck a chord with me. Why?
Are you the kind of business owner who tends to hide behind your computer screen? You network online through discussion lists and other virtual forums, but you're hesitant to leave the comfort of your home office to actually meet others in person? Whether you're a natural introvert or extrovert, attending live events and meeting peers and colleagues in person can make a dramatic difference in the success of your business.
Do you often find it difficult to make time for your marketing activities? Or do you find that when you do market, it's not consistent enough to bring you the results you want? Marketing your business is as important as what it is that you do. If you embrace that, you will stop struggling so much and reach a whole other level of success! Before my business evolved into what it is now, I was trading my time for money. As a webmistress, I charged by the hour. As a writer/editor, I charged by the hour. As a public relations and marketing consultant, I charged by the hour.
I've been spending a lot of time lately getting ready for 2010 - planning, organizing, strategizing, visioning, and more. There are many transitions and transformations on the horizon for me and my business, and much to do to prepare for them, so I'm making space and opening the flow. Here are some of the ways I'm doing this in my business that you can do too: 1. Clean Up Your Business Time Time is your only non-renewable resource.
Do you ever find yourself tempted to purchase something online, and even with a money-back guarantee, you're still not quite sure about handing over your cash? Well, some of your prospects will feel the same way as they read your sales page for your product or service. Your offer sounds great, the right guarantee eliminates their risk, but they still wonder if whatever it is they are considering purchasing is right for them. If you want to increase the likelihood that they will take out their wallet, simply offer them a free or paid trial!