Earlier this year, Allison Maslan visited my blog to tell us about her Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire and her new book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality. At that time I said I’d be posting my review of the book, and today I’m going to make good on that promise.

Maslan’s book is based on the Blast Off! Coaching Program which she developed to help others achieve their goals, after turning her own life around, both personally and professionally.

The first chapter provides an outline of the program and describes the tools that you will use as you work towards your goals. The remaining chapters are each dedicated to a specific goal area, including career, relationship, health, and prosperity. This is a real time-saver, because you can choose to read only the chapters that pertain to your specific goals. I do, however, recommend reading the whole book when you have the time, because it’s full of nuggets that you may find helpful, even in areas of your life where you generally feel satisfied. Some are real eye-openers, some may be difficult to accept, and others are simply reminders of things we already know but aren’t putting into practice for one reason or another. For example, here’s an excerpt from the chapter Blast Off! to a Life of Passion and Meaning:

Four Ways to Build the Back End of Passion

1. Establish good nutrition. It’s easy to fall into fast food or snacking when you are so engrossed in your passion that you’re not taking the time to eat right.
2. Eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep is one of the most healing, energizing medicines, and it is absolutely critical for a creative mind. Did you know that sleep deprivation is used as a brainwashing technique? Without sleep, you are living in survival mode, which is the opposite of a passionate life.
3. Take a passion break once a week. Most of my creativity comes when I’m not working. When my mind is clear and I’m exploring or having fun, the ideas have room to appear. Turn off your phone. Shut down your computer. Go spend the day outdoors in nature, go to a movie, take a bike ride, or visit some friends. Talk about things other than your passion. (For a few minutes, anyway.)
4. Get physical. Especially if your passion is of the intellectual persuasion, you must get into your body. If you’re living from the neck up, your body needs to be enlivened. Choose exercise that you can sustain by doing activities that you will enjoy, such as dance, running, swimming, biking or boxing. Mix it up! It’s more beneficial to incorporate more than one activity to stimulate various muscle groups in the body. You will also stimulate the serotonin in your brain for more creativity and mood enhancement. You will prevent fatigue and burnout as you stimulate your cardiovascular system, get your blood pumping, and your billions of cells moving. Ahhhhhhh.

I ask you, do you know anyone who couldn’t benefit from taking this advice?

What I liked best about the book is that it doesn’t just tell you what to do. Instead, each chapter includes a series of practical exercises to help you identify the changes you want to implement and the steps you need to take to reach your ultimate goal. Furthermore, the exercises are unique for each chapter, and not just re-worded to suit the topic. A lot of people may resist doing the exercises because they require effort, but I’m a firm believer that the more you put into something, the more you’ll get out of it.

Readers can follow the program independently, with a partner, or with a Blast Off! Group. Guidance around forming a Blast Off! Group is provided in the book.

If you’d like to try out Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality for yourself, you can order a copy from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Book Review: Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan to Launch Your Dreams into Reality.

The Social Media Success Summit opened last night with a keynote address from Guy Kawasaki. Although I don’t follow him on Twitter or elsewhere, he is well known in the industry, and I was looking forward to learning from him. This was my first time using Twitter while participating in an event, and it was equally interesting to see other people’s reactions to the things Guy was saying.

His presentation was well organized, first going through a list of the different ways people are using Twitter, complete with examples, and then describing several ways to gain new followers.

One strategy that was new to many participants, including myself, was the use of the Advanced Search feature. For example, let’s say you want to connect with blues fans in your community. You can simply search on “the blues” to get a quick list of recent tweets about the blues, but to go through the tweeters to see if any are in your area would be extremely time-consuming and tedious. With Advanced Search you can enter not only your search word or phrase, but the name of a place (or a zip code) and how close to that place you want the tweets in your search results to be. There are many other search options, so be sure to check it out!

Of particular interest were the many tools that Guy recommends for automating his tweets. Some people were excited to realize that they can be on Twitter without investing a lot of time into it, while those at the other end of the spectrum felt that this was inauthentic. I think there’s a place for automation, but I also think it’s essential to log into your account and interact with other people. Automation should be used so that you can spend your time forming quality connections, not so you can just put Twitter on autopilot and forget about it. Sure, people want information, but they also want to build relationships.

Furthermore, I don’t agree that tweets should be repeated every few hours as Guy recommends. His rationale is that CNN repeats their news stories throughout the day, so it makes sense for us to repeat our tweets. I already have a few people in my feed who do that, and I find it quite tedious. If you’re promoting an event or a new product, obviously you don’t want to just send out one tweet and hope it gets noticed, but instead of just repeating the same tweet over and over, you can be creative and present the information in a different way (yes, you can still be creative in under 140 characters!).

You can see the outline of the session at http://holykaw.alltop.com/twitter-as-a-weapon-demo-script, and read the discussions on Twitter by entering #SMSS10.

In one of the side conversations, Scott Schumpert asked, “Is Twitter for Marketing or Social Networking?” which I thought was a great question. After giving it some thought, I came up with this:

Social networking is one aspect of marketing, and vice versa.

What is your answer to this question?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Kicking off Social Media Success Summit 2010 with Guy Kawasaki.

Lifelong learning is essential for small business owners in order to stay on top of new developments in your industry, the latest marketing trends, and advances in technology.

The number of options are seemingly endless, which means you can choose those that best suit your budget, your schedule, and your learning style.

Teleclasses

There are probably hundreds of teleclasses taking place every week on various subjects. Many of these are free, but in my experience, you don’t tend to get a ton of information at those. The main purpose of most of them is to get you interested enough in the subject to buy a product or register in a paid program. However, if you can spare the time and have a good long distance plan, they can still be worthwhile, even if you only pick up one or two tips.

In a lot of cases, you will receive a recording of the session, especially in the case of paid classes. This is very helpful as you can listen to it even if you’re not available when the session is held or if a one-hour long distance call is an issue. Having a recording also means you can review the information again as often as you like.

I’m not a big fan of teleclasses myself. As a visual learner, I need something to look at, whether it’s a speaker, a PowerPoint presentation, or a handout package. It’s very difficult for me to just sit and listen to someone talk for a whole hour. I have a ton of teleclass recordings saved on my computer which I just haven’t got around to listening to. I’ve thought about burning some to CDs so I can listen to them while driving or buying an iPod so I can listen while I’m out walking, but so far thinking about it is as far as I’ve got.

Webinars

I would choose a webinar over a teleclass any time. For starters, they provide the visual aids which are lacking with most teleclasses. Secondly, there is often an opportunity to network with the other participants before, after, and sometimes even during the sessions. As an introvert, I find online networking much easier than face-to-face, though I’ve met some introverts who experience the opposite, because they find it difficult to connect with people they can’t actually see.

Webinars have the added benefit of not having to pay long distance charges or tie up your telephone line and, similar to teleclasses, you often have access to the sessions afterwards.

Live Classes

Many people find it easier to learn in a traditional setting. Because they have to go somewhere to attend, they are less likely to be distracted by home or work activities. With live sessions, you also have the benefit of interacting with the other people in your class.

On the downside, you have to be there at a specific time and place. You have to go there, even if the weather is unpleasant and you’d rather stay in. If it conflicts with another activity, you have to make a choice – you can’t usually opt to listen to the recording later on.

Online Summits

Over the last few years I’ve noticed a growing trend of multi-day online events, such as the 5^th Annual Online International Virtual Assistants Convention (OIVAC) next month. (To learn more about this event, read VA Blog Hopping and Podcast Tour Visits Golden Horseshoe VA Group.) I’ve taken part in OIVAC several times and have always been impressed with the wide range of speakers and topics as well as the many opportunities to network with my industry colleagues.

Another such event is the Social Media Success Summit 2010 which I am attending. The information is very relevant to my business and something I’ll be able to use both to promote my own business and to support my clients, and I find that I get the most out of a learning activity when I can apply the information right away.

Live Conferences

Many of my colleagues in the VA industry are currently attending the 9^th Annual Live VA Summit in Phoenix, Arizona. At the same time, the 22^nd NAPO Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition is being held in Columbus, Ohio. Live conferences are probably one of the best venues for both learning and networking. There’s just nothing like spending entire days hearing expert speakers in the company of like-minded professionals! Unfortunately, they can be quite costly, especially by the time you add up registration fees, travel expenses, accommodation, spending money, and loss of billable hours. You can reduce your costs by staying with friends or family, if you’re fortunate enough to know someone in the area, but you may then miss out on chances to build camaraderie with your colleagues, as much of the best networking takes place outside of scheduled activities.

For those of us who are introverts, there’s another cost to live conferences, and that is personal energy. Being surrounded by people and activity all day can be exhausting, especially when it goes on for several days. That’s another good reason to stay on site if you can, so you can retreat to your room when you need a break from it all. You will probably also need some extra time to recharge your batteries after you get home, before returning to your regular routine.

This is not a comprehensive list of learning options – there are also self-study programs, webinars-on-demand, and other alternatives. What you choose will depend not only on your personal preferences but on your learning goals. Do you need to learn a skill so you can complete a specific project? Do you want to grow your expertise in a particular area so you can increase your income potential? Do you want to work towards a degree or certification? All of these factors should be taken into consideration before deciding where to invest your training dollars.

What type of learning activities do you prefer, and why?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on How Do You Like to Learn?.

If you’re thinking about starting a new career or business in 2010, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading today’s guest post from Allison Maslan, author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality.

Tap Into Your Passion To Find Your Dream Career

By Allison Maslan

In my 20’s, I ran a full-service advertising agency while raising my young daughter. I was on the fast track to success, but running myself into the ground for all the wrong reasons. What was the problem? Was it being a mom? No. Was it the high demands of the business? That was tough, but not the main problem. I learned the hard way that even though I was successful at something, did not mean that it was my passion, or that I had to do it.  I was receiving pressure from all sides to stay because outwardly it was going so well. Until inwardly, I crashed and burned. The good thing for me was that this set me on a path of healing, and search to find my purpose. And I never looked back. I made a decision early on that I would only involve myself with work and activities that I was passionate about. As a life and career coach, I often hear, “I want something more, but I just don’t know what.”

So I developed the Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire. It can help spark some ideas to help you tap into your passion to brainstorm ideas for your own dream career. (This exercise can be done on Interactive Life Coaching Software, Blastation.)

1. As a child, what did you dream of being when you grew up? It’s helpful to get in touch with your earlier fascinations. In early childhood, it was easier to live from our imagination without all of the interference from our adopted limiting beliefs.

2. What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities — in the present and in the past — and why? Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your favorite pastime into your dream career? We choose hobbies and activities that most likely resonate with our unique personality as well as our physical, mental and emotional nature. They are an extension of our inner voice and a blast off to your dream career.

3. What do you do, or have you done, in your life that makes you the happiest? What is it about this that you enjoy so much? What does it mean to you? When you are in a state of joy or bliss, you are in complete alignment with your purpose. And when you’re in complete alignment with your passions, intention and actions, success is sure to follow.

4. What things have you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try? These could be activities or ideas related to your personal life or career that you have seen on television, in books, or heard of others experiencing. List anything that comes to mind that seems interesting, stimulating, exciting, meaningful or fun. Many people self-impose limiting choices and circumstances on themselves and their lives. Once those obstacles are removed, the possibilities are boundless! People often fear change, even if their current circumstances are not up to par with their capabilities. The hardest part of change is the first step. Once you get through that, creating your new and successful career becomes so much easier. The fear will be released the more you practice taking action.

5. What is a cause that you could get behind? Is there a cause or charity that you’re passionate about? There may be some career ideas that will support and reflect the charities or causes that have meaning to you.

One of my coaching clients, Leslie, felt stuck for years in a job that offered no challenge or mental stimulation whatsoever. She was very over-qualified for the position ,but stayed for the security. As the years went by, Leslie became more and more apathetic toward her work. In the meantime, she was taking classes in homeopathy for animals and volunteering at the local animal shelter. It was obvious that humane treatment and care for animals was a cause that she felt very strongly about. It never felt like work because she absolutely loved to connect with the animals. Over time, Leslie began practicing natural medicine for animals on a part-time basis until she developed enough business to take the leap in creating her full-time dream career. Now, instead of going to her boring job, she wakes up each day to a dream career that she is most passionate about.

6. What values do you hold most important in your life? If you can incorporate some of the most important values of your character and your life into your work, you will be truly living a life of value and purpose. For example, I have always felt a calling to help people in need. At some point, I finally reconnected with my deeper values and life purpose to support and inspire others on their path. Life coaching was a natural evolvement because it matched my inner values and purpose.

7. What are your strengths and talents? By tapping into the special abilities that you were born with, you can consider translating them into your dream career. My client, Keara, loves parasailing, so she is creating a charity that will help trauma victims heal through this sport. She has found a way to combine her passion and talent to give back to a cause she feels strongly about.

8. What movies and books have inspired you over the years, and why? We are often drawn to books and movies that reflect our personalities and interests. For example, history books may reflect your interest in travel or research. Action/adventure books and movies may mirror your desire for a career in an outdoor setting rather than being office-bound.

9. What does success mean to you? Success can have many different connotations and can represent different things to different people. What does the picture of success look like to you?

10. If you had plenty of money at your disposal to invest in your own dream career, what kind of business would you start? Often the fear of not having enough capital, or an inheritance, or just-accepting-poverty thinking can dissuade people from reaching for their dreams. By putting your dreams on paper, sending your strong intention out into the world and following up with action, the necessary avenues to remove these supposed limitations will appear. This is intention in action.

Don’t let the financial aspect stop you, because there will always be a solution if you actively look for it. The secret is to profess your dream, and then start taking action toward it today. You may even begin to receive checks in the mail. Stranger things have happened!

Upon completion of the Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire look at each of your answers. Do you see a common theme throughout? This is a very good clue for your winning dream career. For instance, if all your answers have to do with creative activities, you may fit with a career in the arts, such as landscape design, interior design, fine art or graphic design. If you see travel dominating your answers, a career as a travel agent, excursion director, or editor of a travel magazine may be the fuel for your inner passion. These answers will reflect your inner purpose. A dream career that expresses your values, hopes, loves and dreams is a winning recipe for life of passion and meaning.

Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH  is the president of The Blast Off Life and Business Coaching. Her book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality, is to be released on January 19th, 2010 in all major booksellers online. 888-844-3550

Alison has generously sent me a copy of her new book, and you can be sure I’ll be posting my review as soon as I’ve had a chance to read it.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Tapping Into Your Passion.

This is a really special week in my books. Not only is it Home Based Business Week, but it began with Canadian Thanksgiving, which is pretty fitting, since I’m very thankful to be a living the life of a home based business owner. I won’t lie and say it’s stress-free, but I feel that because I have more control over my work setting, my schedule, and my work itself, it’s a very different type of stress than when I was at the mercy of some bureaucrat who didn’t even know I existed.

If you also have a home based business, you know what I’m talking about. If not, you don’t know what you’re missing!

I’m sure that there are many people who are quite content to be employed by someone else, and that’s great. But if you often drag yourself to work, or find yourself counting the number of years left until you retire, you owe it to yourself to consider other options! If you’re not sure what’s involved in starting a home business, or whether self-employment is right for you, the following books will answer many of your questions.

No Limits – How I Escaped the Clutches of Corporate America to Live the Self-Employed Life of My Dreams by Sara Morgan is an excellent starting point. The author successfully left the corporate world to start her own consulting business so she could have time to spend writing non-fiction books and raising her children while still earning an income, and she wrote this book to help others do the same. She clearly outlines the benefits of self-employment and, since a picture is worth a thousand words, she includes photographs of her very inviting working environment. She also describes the type of person you need to be in order to be successful in your own small business. Morgan’s book also includes tips for deciding what type of business you should start and where to go from there, as well as important issues such as accounting, taxes, and insurance. With fewer than 150 pages, it’s an easy read which can help you determine whether you’re well-suited to self-employment and to overcome any apprehension you may have about leaving your day job.

The Complete Guide to Working for Yourself: Everything the Self-Employed Need to Know About Taxes, Recordkeeping & Other Laws by Beth Williams is, as the title indicates, a complete guide for anyone who is self-employed or is considering self-employment. Despite the title, the book is not restricted to financial and legal issues, but also addresses topics such as marketing, setting prices, and a self-assessment. Although based on US laws around taxation and business structure, there is enough general information provided to make this a useful resource for entrepreneurs in any country. The Companion CD-ROM contains all the forms in the book as well as a sample business plan you can adapt for your own use.

In addition, there are many books and e-books that cover the above topics but are geared toward a specific type of home business, whether you’re interested in becoming a professional organizer, an image consultant, a virtual assistant, an interior decorator, a dog walker, or just about anything you can imagine.

I know that home based businesses aren’t for everyone, but if office politics, wage freezes, glass ceilings and other obstacles are preventing you from living the life you want, shouldn’t you at least explore the possibility?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Is Self-Employment Right for You?.

A few weeks ago I wrote about a few people I’ve connected through various social networking sites, and today, in response to a post in Valeria Maltoni’s Conversation Agent blog, I will tell one of my own social media success stories.

This story started when I noticed that one of my Twitter friends, Sue, was a trained Organizer Coach. Since I wasn’t familiar with that particular training program, I asked her about it, and we had a brief conversation about the possibility of her writing a guest post about it in the future for Your Organizing Business. One of us had to leave before the conversation was finished, so it was left on the back burner for the time being.

A couple of weeks later, I received a telephone call from a prospective new client, Shelly. She explained that she is also an Organizer Coach, and that she’d received my name from Sue. We hit it off right away and began working together almost immediately. Shelly is exactly the type of client I enjoy working with, and I know she’s pleased with me as well. She can give me a general idea, and I’m able to come up with something that’s exactly what she had in mind. That’s what most people hope for when working with a virtual assistant, but the synergy isn’t always there.

In addition, we’re both focused on helping professional organizers achieve success, Shelly through her coaching services, and me through providing online marketing support, so we can see lots of potential for mutual benefits in this relationship over the long term.

In the meantime, Sue has agreed to write something about the Organizer Coach Certification Program, which will provide me with some interesting content for my blog while giving her an opportunity to promote her coaching services.

This is just one example of the type of valuable connections I’ve made since I started actively using Twitter a few months ago. I’ve also been offered speaking engagements, books to review, link exchanges with sites of interest to the same target audience, answers to technical problems, and so much more.

In some ways, I think the fact that Twitter restricts messages to 140 characters makes it easier to approach people, because instead of sending a formal email, you can just get right to the point. Of course I would never recommend sending someone a tweet trying to sell your services, but to suggest any type of joint venture, it’s perfect. People get so many messages that are self-promotional, or even outright spam, that they are genuinely delighted to receive a message that shows you’re sincerely interested in getting to know them, and especially if you’re offering them a chance to do something to get their own message out there.

To generate ideas, go beyond the tweets and take the time to read people’s profiles, and even click through to their websites when your schedule allows it. Using Twitter is like any other form of networking – use it to build relationships, and you’ll be remembered. Use it to try and get sales, and you’ll be avoided like the plague.

If you’re interested in connecting with the people in this story, feel free to follow us on Twitter.

Sue West – http://twitter.com/Space4U

Shelly Anderson – http://twitter.com/shellylifecoach

Janet Barclay – http://twitter.com/JanetBarclay

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on My Connection Story.

I’ve heard it said that “the proof is in the pudding.” I wasn’t quite sure what that meant, so I looked it up and learned that the complete quote is actually “the proof of the pudding is in the eating,” meaning that results are what counts.

Another concept I didn’t quite grasp before is one that comes up a lot when you read about marketing a business, that of defining your niche. I understood the general idea, but had trouble understanding the difference between niche, target market, and ideal client. I know what type of projects I enjoy most and what type of clients I prefer to work with, but like many others, I’ve worried that being too specialized would cause me to miss out on opportunities. On the other hand, I haven’t worried too much about it, since I always have enough work to keep busy and generate a regular income.

I began this blog in 2006 with no particular goal other than to see what the fuss was all about, but since then I’ve experienced firsthand the powerful benefits that can be gained by blogging. In addition, I’ve discovered that it’s something I thoroughly enjoy, and I’ve received positive feedback from enough people that I know I have a knack for it. Earlier this year, I decided to learn what I could do to make my blog even better and to increase my ROI. Since everything I read recommended focusing on a particular niche, I set about identifying my niche and, not wanting to make drastic changes to this blog, launched Your Organizing Business in April.

It’s only been three months, but I have been astounded at the results. My Google Page Rank is already at 3 and the number of readers is steadily increasing. In fact, I had to upgrade my hosting package because by the 10^th of July I had already exceeded my allowable bandwidth for the month, something that’s never happened in the seven years I’ve had a website. Even more significant is the increases I’m experiencing in my passive income through Google AdSense and various affiliate programs, as well as inquiries from new clients in my target market. Or is it my niche? I’m still confused about the terminology… In any case, I can clearly see that I’m doing something right, and I look forward to continuing in that direction.

If you’ve been afraid that choosing a niche might force you to limit yourself, I highly recommend testing the waters by creating a niche blog. You can take comfort in knowing that your current website is still actively working for you while your new blog helps you assess the viability of your chosen niche.

After all, wouldn’t you like to enjoy a delicious bowl of pudding?

Photo credit: shrk

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Have You Chosen Your Niche?.

According to Wikipedia, a standard operating procedure is “a set of instructions having the force of a directive, covering those features of operations that lend themselves to a definite or standardized procedure without loss of effectiveness.” Exciting stuff, eh? Maybe not, but it’s something we need to know about.

It’s been two years since I took a teleclass with Yvonne Weld, author of The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Thriving Business, and learned that standard operating procedures, or SOP, are just as important for one-person, home-based businesses as they are for large organizations. Even if you are the only person carrying out the work, if you don’t document it, how do you know you’ll do it the same way each and every time, ensuring consistency of service? And how will you remember how to do it if several months go by before you do that particular task again? Most importantly, how will someone else know what has to happen in the event that you’re unable to work?

Creating standard operating procedures for my business has been on my “someday list” ever since I took that teleclass, and now that there are two of us, it has become increasingly important to have a procedures manual. For that reason, when I saw that one of the workshops at the recent Forum on Virtual Assistance (FoVA) was Standard Operating Procedures – the Who, What, Where & Why you should have one for your Virtual Business, I was eager to attend.

The workshop was facilitated by Kristi Pavlik, who is known in VA circles as the Systems Chick. (Kristi appears in the above photo with her very own Systems Chick which was presented to her at FoVA.) She explained that an SOP has two main components: a system, which is the overall picture, and the process documents, which provide the specific instructions for each task.

To illustrate a system, Kristi supplied us with a copy of the mind map she uses for her business. The business name goes in the middle, and each broad area of the business goes in a bubble around it. Next to each bubble is a list of specific activities related to that business area. Each bubble then gets its own mind map. As I began to fill mine out, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it actually was. Furthermore, I realized that creating a procedures manual for my business is not all that different than the procedures manuals I created in my past jobs.

I’ve always had a problem wrapping my head around mind maps, so for my systems, I decided to make a list using outline mode in Outlook instead. I then used that outline as the starting point for my process documents by making a copy of the file, switching to normal view, and copying and pasting all the procedures that we have already documented. The rest will get filled in over time until it’s complete. I’m actually not sure if it will ever be complete, because we’re always making changes and introducing new procedures, but this is certainly going to make it a lot easier for us to keep track of everything.

Because this is so important, I decided to invest in Kristi’s e-book, Systems of a Successful VA, and was pleased to find it full of visuals, step by step directions, templates and added resources which should be very helpful as I move through the process.

I think getting started just may be the biggest step. Although there’s still a lot of work to be done, it feels really good to see how much has already been documented, and especially to see it assembled in one place. It’s also much easier to see now what sections still need to be completed.

If you don’t yet have an SOP for your business, I strongly encourage you to get started as soon as possible.

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Developing Standard Operating Procedures.

At one of the first small business networking events I ever attended, the group leader gave an excellent presentation in which she explained that no matter what you’re working on, you don’t have to learn everything the hard way. Whether it’s a marketing technique, an administrative procedure, or something specific to the services you offer, someone else has already done it.

One of the reasons I started my own business is that I like to work independently, and I’m sure it’s the same for many of you. However, being independent doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of other people’s experience.

When we learn by trial and error, we often end up delaying our success until we get everything figured out – if we’re lucky. In some cases we make mistakes that actually prevent us from ever achieving our goals – mistakes that could have been avoided if we only hadn’t been too proud, embarrassed, self-absorbed, or [insert the word that describes you here] to consult someone else before proceeding.

Before you say, “but I can’t afford to hire a business coach,” that’s not what I’m talking about (although coaching can be a great investment in your business, especially if you need help in many areas). The world is full of small business owners and someone, somewhere, has already done what you are trying to accomplish right now, and most people will be more than happy to help you – but first you must ask!

“People who ask confidently get more than those who
are hesitant and uncertain. When you’ve figured out what
you want to ask for, do it with certainty, boldness and confidence.”

Jack Canfield

Whom you should ask will depend on the type of information or assistance you need. If it’s specific to your line of work, you may need to consult someone in your industry, but in most cases, you only need to find someone who has gone through the particular issue you’re currently dealing with. Ask a member of your professional association or local networking group, or post your question online on discussion forums, LinkedIn Answers, or Twitter.

The next time you’re struggling with something, before you waste a lot of your valuable time and energy, remember that someone else has already done it. Ask for the help you need, and you’ll soon be on the road to success!

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Benefit from the Experience of Others.

We generally associate creativity with producing works of art, literature, music, architecture, or other activities linked to right-brain thinking, and left-brained people like myself don’t generally consider ourselves as creative. However, I attended a workshop several years ago on Creativity and Personality Type, which was quite eye-opening.

The workshop facilitator, Marci Segal, believes that we are all creative, but in different ways. Where one person might demonstrate his or her creativity by decorating the office in an esthetically pleasing yet functional way, I would demonstrate mine by noticing a time-consuming task and finding a more efficient way to complete it. I am likely to seek out an existing solution, whereas someone else again might develop their own.

Marci has actually dedicated her entire career to helping others enhance their creativity through discovering and understanding their personalities. On April 21, 2001, she founded Creativity and Innovation Day as way to encourage people to recognize their creative abilities and use them to shape a better future. It has now become a week-long event which is celebrated in 43 countries.

Of course, tapping into your creative abilities can also be a great way to boost your business! If you’re like I was and don’t think you’re creative, you could easily be missing out. It’s well worth taking the time to explore your creativity and learning how to release your own creative energies. You can start by reading Marci Segal’s book, Creativity and Personality Type: Tools for Understanding and Inspiring the Many Voices of Creativity. It’s full of information and practical exercises to guide you along your creative journey.

It’s your creativity. It’s your life. Take charge of shifting
your energies to sparkle, accomplish, and create.
Challenge yourself to do something “out of the box.”

Marci Segal

What does your style of creativity look like?

Please visit From the Desk of Janet Barclay to read and comment on Unleashing Your Creativity.