10 Truths About Being a Momtrepreneur

10 Truths that I Have Learned About Being a Momtrepreneur (or, why I do this.....)


(1) Balance is key. There are never enough hours in the day and you have to learn to juggle family/business/life, etc.


(2) Those who don't have either (a) a business (or a business AND a job) (b) kids or (c) both will never understand why you would take on so much.


(3) There is no bigger rush than succeeding in something that you never thought you could do.


(4) No full-time job will ever compare to the excitement of watching something you launched from scratch evolve and become successful.


(5) Don't quit your day job - at least until you really, truly know that your business is going to make it (i.e. Earns $$$$)


(6) Most will think you are nuts for starting a business. That's okay. You'll have the last laugh when you show them the $$$ you've made.


(7) People will try to discourage you. Ignore them, they're just jealous.


(8) It's not easy. Being successful (even moderately) requires tremendous faith in yourself and tenacity.


(9) It's easy. Once you figure out what YOU want, and what your magic "WHY" is, everything seems to fall into place.


(10) There's nothing better, truly. Trust me on this.


Thoughts?  


Happy Wednesday :)

The Top 10 Marketing Tips of All Time - Revealed!

And the Award Goes To......

First of all, here's the disclaimer:  

I didn't think these up.  Not even close.

I do, however, believe in and encourage each of you take these tips to heart.  Most people know they NEED to market, they just don't know how/why/what to do.  In no particular order, here are the Top 10 Marketing Tips of All Time, courtesy of MarketingScoop.

(1)  Know your audience. Successful campaigns get that way because marketers know their audience. They fully understand their needs, how to help meet those needs and how to create demand. Knowing and understanding your audience through proper market segmentation means a well targeted campaign that generates a profitable return.

(2)  Focus on the offer. A marketing offer is the driving force of marketing promotions that drive results. In fact, market testing has proven that the offer is the most significant criterion for conversion. Focus on your offer if you want to be successful.

(3)  Split test.  Never ever run a campaign without testing something. One of the most common is a split test which allows you to simultaneously test two versions of something. It can be a web page, post card, or email. Split testing is essential for improving performance.

(4)  Never work alone. The most creative ideas come from working with other creative people. Don’t feel like you need to have all the answers or great ideas. You may start with an idea, but an open dialog with creative individuals will make it better.

(5)  Don’t sell on price. I’ve seen so many marketers fail because they sell on price alone. This leads to a discounting war, lower profitability, and often bankruptcy. Rather, focus on creating so much value that the perception of price becomes insignificant.

(6)  Consistent messaging. Consider the entire user experience before you launch a campaign. From email to website to offer, is the prospect having a consistent user experience? If they are, your campaigns stand above 98% of others.

(7)  Create value after the sale. As marketers, it’s our job to understand our market segment and build relationships, not dump people off at the front door of our store and walk away. Focus as much of your energy on building relationships with customers as you do prospects.

(8)  Test. Test. Test. In addition to split testing, you should consider multiple forms of testing in each marketing discipline. For direct mail, test headlines, offers, copy, time of direct mail drop, etc. Consider testing a life long mission.

(9)  Integrated Marketing Works Best. You can’t rely on one form of marketing to carry you to success. It’s okay to generate most of your leads or sales through PPC marketing if you will but what happens when that dries out? Use multiple media sources to meet your goals.

(10)  Nothing can replace experience. You can run out and hire all of the best consultants in the world, but you still have to do the work. Nothing can replace actual experience. It will make you a stronger marketer and more successful in the long term.

Apply these helpful marketing tips if you want to be truly successful. These techniques and tips are applied by successful marketers on a daily basis. The result is an ever growing success rate of marketing success.

Questions about marketing and growing your business? Contact me!

joditruscott@surewest.net

www.facebook.com/themarketingmom

Help Is On the Way - All You Need to Do Is Ask

Garbage doesn't empty itself either.....

Aren't kids great.  I know that if I need help with anything, I can just ask my kids.  

Once in a while, I'll actually get the help I need without asking three or four times.  

With kids, we tell them what we need in pretty clear terms.   And we do it without hesitation:

• Clean your room.
• Take out the garbage.
• Stop eating all the snacks in the house.
• Don't take all of the bark out of the backyard and dump it in a pile on the glass patio table and mix it up with water......

Let's face facts:  At some point in your life as a momtrepreneur, you are going to need help.  Truth is, you probably need help in one form or another right now, but aren't really sure about how to ask for it.  

Being wishy-washy or doing the dance of "Well, I kinda sorta wanna ask you something but I know you are busy and don't want to bother you by saying out loud what I really need but I hope you can figure it out because I know you have nothing better to do with your time" will get you nowhere.   

The "Right Way" To Ask for Help 

A select few individuals actually ask for what they need in a respectful and effective manner. And it is no surprise that those people get their requests filled, time and time again. Here is how they do it, and how you need to start doing it, as well:

Prepare them

Rather than just blurt out what you want or need from someone, take a softer approach, such as saying, “I need to ask you a favor” or “I want to ask you about something I need help with.” By leading with this, you don’t blindside the person. It brings them comfort and makes them feel appreciation for you, since you give them the time (albeit seconds) to mentally prepare for your request.

Tell them what you need. 

This is where you really need to be specific about what you want or need. You want the person to be able to answer yes or no, in direct response to your question. “Yes,” of course, is what you want. But even “No” will bring you clarity about what you need to do next (like move on to the next person). What you are trying to avoid is having them ask whether they can take some time to think about it, or state that they need to consult with others before committing. So, always try to ask for help in a way that will get you a straight yes or no response.

Tell them why you need it (a justifier). 

This is a little behavior-influence voodoo magic! Study after study shows that people are more persuaded to say yes to a request when there is a justification that supports the reason for asking. Instead of just asking, “Will you cover my shift tonight?,” a far more influential request would be, “Will you cover my shift tonight? I need to get home, since my babysitter canceled at the last minute and my 3-year-old son is home alone.” Just remember that your justifier always needs to be truthful.

Give them a way out. 

No one feels like doing a favor that is simply put upon them. By giving them a way to decline without egg on their face, you will make them feel much better about you. And when they do say yes, they will feel it was fully their decision – which is a really good thing. Oh, and if they decline, they would have hated you if you forced it upon them, so it is a good thing, either way.

Remember appreciation and gratitude. 

Always thank them when they do accept your request. Reiterate how it is helping you, and reward them for the favor. A little gift is a wonderful way to show your appreciation. “Thanks for covering for me, last night. You really helped me out…so here is a little something for you – a bottle of my favorite wine.” And, by giving a gift, you position yourself to ask them for a favor again, if you ever need one down the road.

Asking for help isn’t difficult, it just takes a bit of tact and an understanding of the “right way” to go about it.  Don’t be shy – just ask.

-- Jodi --

Questions about Marketing Your Business?  Email me!

email:  joditruscott@surewest.net

www.facebook.com/themarketingmom

Excerpts taken from How to Ask For Help The Right Way, Mike Michalowicz, Author.