Wanting to start your own business feels a lot like a bug bite. It itches and you scratch at it all day long. When it bites — some bite back. Others simply spread ointment over it and call it a day. I tip my hat to women in business — the ones that say, “screw the ointment, I’ve got to scratch this thing.”

Last night I had the chance to sit through a Junior League of Dallas speaking engagement, “How to start a business?” featuring several local female entrepreneur who shared some interesting stories.  Here are several insights that I learned while listening to women that apparently said no to the ointment.

On Discovery – Discovering your talent is rarely a choice.

Discovery is often born out of the shadows. Many of the female entrepreneurs that spoke last night  (and that I’ve read about) had no idea that they were onto something or how valuable their talents were. Their entrepreneurial talents were simply disguised as “things that they do”.  As one panelist put it “ You kind of figure out along the way what works best for you.”

The birthplace of entrepreneurial talents can reveal itself within one of several categories. Some of the ones we heard about last night were:

▪ Crafts and hobbies
Interior designers, florists and bestsellers tell us time and time again that they’re simply doing something they love. I know it’s corny — but I’m actually starting to believe it. Many of the women out there pursuing their dreams and profiting from it are doing it well because they love it.

▪ Survival techniques
One woman spoke of her desperate need to flip her house once she’d divorced. She’d done it so well that she realized she could actually make a living off of it. I’m constantly amazed by the amount of women who didn’t have an opportunity fall out of the sky and into their laps — but instead were hit over the head with a challenge. The skills that these women needed to survive then morph into profit bearing tactics —  and they never look back. Brilliant.

▪ Obsessions
Healthy eaters, fashionistas, bloggers and filmmakers. They’ve all got one thing in common. They can’t escape their passion. These women are normally not only outstanding female entrepreneurs — but they’re often on a roll with a huge niche following, plenty to share with their communities and endless personal fulfillment.

▪ Lifelong Skills
This could apply to just about anyone — but I point it out for women in particular because it’s often the precursor to entrepreneurial efforts in male dominated fields.

Whether this further supports the idea that current the lack of women in these fields can be attributed to the educational system is another post entirely — regardless, a lot of the reading and listening that I’ve done reveals that women excelling (and starting women owned businesses) in male dominated fields were raised with an early introduction to it.

On Execution- What pushes the female entrepreneur to act?

Each of the female speakers last night that had started their own businesses had heavy external influences. It isn’t just about the desire to make money (although indeed it’s one of the end goals)— but they’re also seeking a certain lifestyle, trying to survive, or looking for more fulfillment. Three incentives I pulled from the panel last night?

▪ Financial Hardship
The female entrepreneur is often born out of necessity.

▪ Unfulfilling work environment
She is also born out of frustration.

▪ Perfect Partnerships
Whether it be the spouse, best friend or a perfect stranger— finding another talent that complements their own is a big incentive for women.

On Achievement – When do women say to themselves, “job well done!”?

How these women gauge their own success is probably the most valuable takeaway. Because the fear of failure is the greatest barrier to any sort of entrepreneurship, benchmarks  — whether too high, low or just right — are pivotal to any businesses survival.

The majority of last night’s panel was pretty clear about what they considered success — positive publicity. Whether it was news story coverage, winning a competition, magazine cover spots, or a radio station shout-out, recognition from the community as an established brand and business was a key indicator of having reached a certain level of success.

What I’ll leave you with.

Many of us will avoid scratching bug bites. It hurts, it may leave scars and half the time the pain heavily outweighs the relief. But what many of us have to realize (despite what we may have been taught) —  is that the relief is more than worth it, the scars will heal, and your skin grows tougher. There’s nothing “unpretty” about it. So — to the women who scratch their bug bites, let’s rejoice in your relief and celebrate your accomplishments so that more of us will follow your lead!

Do you feel the entrepreneurial bug bite?  Are you scratching it or sticking it out in corporate america?  

WHY do you think you feel the entrepreneurial itch?

Today’s guest post by Dave Thomas really resonates with me.  As a self-employed gal myself, I can tell you that these fears don’t really go away even after you’ve decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship.  I just got off the phone with a friend who is self-employed and we both discussed how on bad days we are tempted to go back to a day job for that steady pay check.  We debate how much we can afford to pay our interns and staff, we get easily distracted from our goals when client work gets busy and we could spend all day trying to build up our presence on the web.  The article below gives GREAT tips that are crucial for anyone who is considering self-employment or who is already there.  Let us know what YOU think.  Thanks Dave! -Nicole

With 2012 up and running, is one of your New Year’s resolutions to start your own business? If so, there is likely some fear in your voice.

Statistics show that between 1.5 and 2 million individuals say goodbye to their steady jobs monthly, be it to start a new business or care for family. With those goodbyes come anxiety, stress and fear for many people.

Among the fears can be walking away from a dependable paycheck, a shortage of money to get a business venture up and running, all the responsibilities and burdens that come with overseeing one’s company, and the possibility of it not working out and having no financial cushion to fall back on.

If you find yourself going back-and-forth on this matter, take these factors into consideration before you say yay or nay to fulfilling your lifelong dream of being your own boss:

• Steady paycheck or gamble? – The biggest question will come in the form of should you pass on the steady paycheck or not. While you may be unhappy in your present job, you have to consider whether or not you can get by without someone’s paycheck every two weeks. If you have some funds in reserve and they are not going towards your new business, then you may feel more comfortable in leaving your present corporate position;
• Manage both current and future positions – It is easier said than done, but the ideal situation is to maintain your full-time job while you are in the midst of starting up your business venture. This way you can still have a viable source of income coming in while getting your dream business off the ground. In the event you have a family, this of course becomes more of a chore as you will need their support. If you are on your own and have the extra time such as weekends to devote to your start-up business, then try and handle both jobs;
• The loan process – Unless you have been able to build up a nice cash reservoir or you have suddenly come into money, it is more likely that you will need some form of a loan to get the business venture up and running. If that is the case, make sure you have a well-crafted business plan together so that you can improve your chances for getting a loan. If getting a loan the conventional way is not likely, then check in with family and friends regarding their ability to invest in your business dreams;
• The online presence – Don’t put the cart before the horse and go into your business venture without a quality Web site. In today’s Internet-driven world, having a bona fide business Web site is crucial. Make sure your venture’s site is ready to go and will be of value to potential customers. Even in the event you need to make some tweaks here and there, have the site serviceable from day one. Without a solid business Web site, you are already starting out behind the eight ball;
• To have employees or not – As many small business owners can attest to, one of the first decisions they will need to confront is whether or not to bring on staff in their business ventures. In many cases, individuals will try and run the entire show on their own. In other instances, they may seek some part-time help, be it family/friends or outsiders. Either way, it is important to have a relatively accurate gauge on this matter so that you have funding put aside for salaries, health insurance, workers comp insurance etc. in the event you will be bringing on staff sooner rather than later;
• Setting your business goals – Lastly, you should be able to comprehend what your goals were/are with starting your own business. Is it to simply make money or is it to fulfill a dream? You can have both, but it is important to have a purpose in mind. Going into a business venture with blinders on can lead to a number of heartaches, so carefully craft your plans. This is why starting a business on the side while still gainfully employed under someone’s umbrella is oftentimes the best solution.

So, have you ventured off and started your own business?

If the answer is yes, what have been the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards to date?

If the answer is no, what are you waiting for?

I hit up Twitter on my 6:30AM train out to the burbs this morning and saw that #Rewind2011 was a trending topic.  So naturally I thought back to what had happened to me in 2011 and realized a whole hell of a lot has happened in my world this year.

March: Bought a new car, resigned from Corporate America/my career in finance and started as the Community Marketing Manager at a start-up.

April:  Went on a fantastic trip to Puerto Rico for a wedding and started to realize how bat shit crazy some companies are run. Here’s a post I wrote about Interview Liars a few months ago.

July 12: Got laid off from the start-up along with a third of my co-workers.  Some of these people hadn’t even been there a month- talk about irresponsible hiring!

July 28th: Hold my first Ms. Career Girl Connect event which has approximately 50 women in attendance!

July 30: My boyfriend moves into my apartment.

July 31: I get engaged!!!  More on “The Best Week Ever” here.

August: Fiancé accepts a new job where he will not be doing 100% travel for the first time in our relationship (and for the first time in his whole 8 year career). Hello togetherness!

I meet Kovie Biakolo for coffee and instantly know I’ve made a life-long friend and someone who I can work very well with.

September: Host my 2nd Ms. Career Girl Connect event which is approximately 100 women in attendance!

October: Take a trip to Naples and South Beach, Florida for another friend’s wedding and freak out about being self-employed.  I send resumes out and start completely doubting the idea of working for myself.

Kovie reels me back in about being self-employed (as does going on a few job interviews).  We officially decide to move forward with offering digital marketing services.

November:  My company, MCG Media, Inc. brings in more revenue than I’ve ever taken home in Corporate America.

I try on wedding dresses for the first time and go from the anti-bride to someone who likes poofy tulle ball gowns and wedding planning.

December: MCG Media’s website is under construction (thanks again Proof- this will be project #4, wow!), business cards have arrived, a tiny bit of structure is put in place and the phone even starts ringing for some new work.

This story is to be continued, but – wow!- what a year.  I can only imagine what this post will look like a year from today!

I hope your #Rewind2011 was a great one too.  And if it wasn’t, maybe it’s time to turn up the heat, get uncomfortable or get weird next year!

Nicole

Answer me honestly – when is the last time you purposely celebrated a success in your life? 

Please say it wasn’t your High School graduation or your wedding!

I’m talking doing something great but often overlooked such as finishing a huge creative project, winning new business, achieving your goal weight or getting a new job.

Did you celebrate and take the time to give yourself a pat on the back or did you move on to the next thing without even taking a rest?

Worse still – did you beat yourself up that you could have done better?

A telling sign is that you find it difficult to take compliments. I once finished a HUGE client job (for the United Nations no less) under incredibly tight deadlines and long hours but took absolutely no pleasure in its completion. In fact, I never even looked at it again, just in case I found the spelling mistakes I was sure I had made.

I’m not alone. In fact, many women and clients I speak to have the same problem. A complete inability to celebrate ourselves and our achievements.

What’s the deal with that?

A Client Story

Amy from Dublin is an increasingly accomplished actor and playwright. She recently had a sell out one-woman show and she finished the first draft of her new play.

What did she do to celebrate? Nothing – she just went on to the next thing without a beat.

I asked her what she’d do to celebrate when she’s an award winning actress, living in different countries around the world and earning millions from acting.

She said she’d open a bottle of expensive champagne and go out with friends to a fancy restaurant.

I asked her what she could do now to really anchor that experience for the future, so she decided to open a bottle of sparkling wine and invite some friends over to celebrate. Her future self will thank her for sparking off this success ritual.

You see, if Amy doesn’t start celebrating her successes now, she may never take the time because she’ll always just move on to the next thing, no matter how big she gets.

 Why is it so important?

Congratulating yourself for a job well done cements those good feelings firmly into the present. Success breeds success and the more “proof” you have that you are successful, the easier it will be to attract further good fortune. 

Besides – it just feels good!

 Shoes!

My dear mother always reminds me that I shouldn’t give advice if I’m not willing to do myself, so we were out shopping and I got a message that I just got a new coaching client. We were looking at shoes and I decided to buy these brown strappy ones as a celebration reward. I think I’m going to make it a habit so I have my eyes on these other sparkly ones too.

Rewards of shoes or clothes are a great motivator, especially if you know the exact shoes you want. Go and pine over them in a shop, take a photo to put on your dream board and when you achieve what you set out to do – GO AND BUY THEM! Oh, and don’t forget to wear them often and congratulate yourself again and again.

How would you like to celebrate?

So shoes and champagne might not do it for you. You need to find a reward that will completely motivate you.

If money is tight and you can’t celebrate in quite the style you’re willing to become accustomed to, where can you start? Buy a bottle of cheap champagne and as your successes grow, so can the quality of the bubbly!

Here are some other great ideas:

• Celebrate afternoon tea at a fancy hotel
• Get new professional photos taken
• Visit a personal shopper for a makeover
• Go to the movies by yourself
• Enjoy a single beautifully iced cupcake
• Get a piece of your jewellery engraved with a beautiful affirmation
• Get a professional blow dry
• Buy some flowers for yourself
• Relax with a massage or a facial
• Hike to the top of a mountain and fist pump the air when you get there
• Get yourself some personalised stationery
• Buy a special new pen and a beautiful crisp notebook
• Have a pampering day at a spa
• Invite friends around for dinner to help you celebrate
• Wear your best underwear

….. lastly, put your hand on your heart and affirm “I’m on my way”.

Every time?

Yes, every time you achieve something fabulous, you should celebrate.

It’s very VERY important. You don’t have to go crazy every time. Afterall, if I bought a pair of expensive shoes every time I got a new client, I wouldn’t make much profit and I’d have a LOT of shoes. (Actually that doesn’t sound too bad!).

Decide in advance how much of your income, salary, bonus or client payment is going to be solely to be spent on yourself. I think 10% is a nice even sum. This money cannot be spent on mundane things like such underwear (unless it’s gorgeous), personal care products that you’d buy anyway or something for your children, partner or friends.

That money is dedicated to pleasure and celebration. 10% isn’t too much to spend on yourself is it?

Get excited every time you achieve something. Make a story out of your success and others will recognise you too. You deserve it.

What’s the last thing you celebrated? What did you do?

I was watching a great Ted Talk given my Cameron Herhold (former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK) last night which mentioned that many successful CEO’s and Entrepreneurs have bi-polar disorder (manic depression).  In fact,  this phenomenon is so common that many business writers & bloggers refer to it as “CEO’s disease.”  This whole idea really surprised me, so I dug a little deeper to find out who has it and how they’ve managed to accomplish so much despite their condition.

An article by Richard Elsberry says that bi-polar disorder was common among some of the most creative people in history including: Ernest Hemingway, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Mark Twain, Paul Gauguin, George Handel, Gustav Mahler, Cole Porter, and Winston Churchill. Other articles I found claim that Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Bill Liechtenstein, and all 3 founders of Netscape show signs or were properly diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Mr. Herhold suggests in one of his articles that Bipolar Disorder helps people run successful companies because, “in their highest moments they dare to dream, and in their lowest moments they confront the most bleak and problematic parts of the company instead of avoiding them.”

Tim Ferriss (author of The Four Hour Work Week) writes about “CEO’s Disease” on his blog in an article called, “Harnessing Entrepreneurial Manic-Depression: Making the Rollercoaster Work for You.”  He even showed a “transition curve” (shown above) and suggests actions to take (and not to take) while in different stages of the “mania” curve.  For example, if you’re feeling manic don’t do anything with the budget or money- you won’t spend wisely.  If you’re feeling down, make projections, plan the budget because you’ll be cautious.  If you’re in a state of serious identity crisis, Tim recommends cleaning out cabinets or going for a walk- anything simple to get out of your rut.

• Does your boss or CEO seem to have some of the symptoms of Manic Depression/Bi-Polar disorder?  How do you deal with it? 
• Do you think Steve Jobs was bi-polar?  How do you think it helped him create so many products that “changed people’s lives?”
• Do you think the association of CEO’s, creative geniuses and successful entrepreneurs will help lift the social stigma of manic depression and bi-polar disorder?

This is the fifth post in a series of 5 posts about blogging: why to start, how to start,how to get readers, how to build community and how to monetize your blog.

There are so many ways to monetize a blog these days.  The catch is that most of these ways require a LOT of traffic.  More importantly, you need a fiercely loyal fan base and a very niche topic too.

In addition, you may have to invest some money customizing your site and having a professional make it look pretty.  Advertisers (and even some of your readers) will have expectations about your site’s looks and the value they want it to deliver if you’re going to have advertisements up there. Credibility is huge if you want to get paid people!

Beware: some readers will stop visiting your site or start to make snide remarks once you start to monetize.  This is the strangest thing to me considering that when you keep a blog that is 100% ad-free, they’re your biggest fans.  We all have to eat, right?!  Ask any blogger, this scenario is unfortunately a true story.  Therefore, if you’re new blogger who is writing with the intention of monetizing, you may want to carefully consider how, when and why you are monetizing your site.  Some people have better luck with advertising/monetizing right from the start.  Others do better with building trust and credibility for a few years before monetizing.

Here are 11 ways people make money online and a real example of each method.

1. Information Products: e-books, coaching and/or how to videos.

Info products are the easiest and quickest way to make money online.  If you know more about a topic than the average bear, you can package your information and sell it.  Creating an e-book is a great way to test this out.  You can even recruit others to contribute to your e-book.  Jairek Robbins, the son of world-famous Olympian and motivational speaker Tony Robbins, has some great information products out there.  I even own a few of his pre-recorded coaching programs.

2. Membership Site/Group: a site that provides premium content for a periodic membership fee.  Most membership sites include coaching, discussion forums, how-to video’s, expert advice, social networks and/or premium articles.

Pam Slim’s Escape Cubicle Nation Community

3. Public Speaking: Tony Robbins

Like I mentioned above, Tony Robbins is the man.  He is also a very unusually successful public speaker so don’t assume you can go from blogger to millionaire in a few years.  It may take decades.  For more advice on how to build a career as a public speaker, check out Jane Atkinson‘s blog, books and “Wealthy Speaker System.”

4. Event Host: Hosting networking or niche Meetups & events can be a fun way to make some money around the topic of your blog.

A great example of someone who is rocking in this space is Bump Club Chicago.  They hold luncheons, classes and social events for pregnant women and new Moms.  You can charge a ticket price, get some gift bag donors, food/alcohol sponsors and there you have it- revenue!

5. Online Brand Rep: This model is somewhat of a celebrity revenue model.  If brands and companies think you’re influential enough, they’ll pay you decent money to host Twitter parties, write sponsored blog posts on your blog, be a featured guest blogger on their blog, Tweet, run contests online and give out coupon codes to your following.  Basically you’re like a real-life human endorser for their brand and products.

I’m an example of a real-life (non-celeb) blogger who has done paid brand repping.  I’ve done this type of work and earned a free lap top, free designer clothes and cash!  This role can come in the form of sponsored blog posts (with a few relevant links somewhere within the posts) and hosting Twitter chats too.  Lots of Mommy Bloggers make a big living doing this since companies love reaching Mom’s whoa re typically the shoppers and household decision makers. Note: I only rep brands & products I personally love and would personally buy with my own money. If I can’t honestly suggest it to a friend or reader, I refuse the opportunity regardless of how much it pays.

6.  Dedicated Emails: niche-topic email newsletters that are typically sponsored or include affiliate links (see # 14).

Daily Candy & Daily Worth are amazing examples of dedicated emails. Daily Candy sends an email out daily about a cool store, salon, product or service in your area.  Businesses wait months to get on these emails because they go out to a very targeted audience.  This company makes a killing by promoting companies in a fun and somewhat disguised way to an trend-seeking audience.  Daily Worth is newer on the scene and sends a short (and surprisingly fun & entertaining) daily email on the topic of personal finance. They make money because each email is sponsored by a credit card, credit score or financial management company.

Tip: In any online business, your email list is your most valuable asset, so the earlier you start to build it, the better.  Even more bonus points if you collect demographic info.

7. Online Advertising: Banner Ads, Text Link Ads, Advertising networks

Honestly, this is what most people assume earns bloggers & online businesses the most money but it’s quite the opposite.  I wouldn’t bank on this method to pay your bills but I still need to mention it. Although over time you can earn steady cash from advertising, it may take years to buy more than a few cocktails with ad money.  Plus, no one likes a cluttered and banner-ad riddled site.  I’m not going to bother giving you real life examples of this one because we’ve all seen banner ads.  My guess is that if you’ve seen a lot of banner or text ads, you aren’t a huge fan of the site anyways.

8. Coaching:  If you write about a specialized topic and want to earn money by helping others, this method might be for you.  Although there is no legal requirement to become a certified coach, it is a good idea in many cases.

One of my favorite coaches who is truly earning her living thanks to her online presence is Michelle Ward, aka the “When I Grow Up Coach.”  Michelle is a career coach who specializes in helping those who are in creative fields. She offers a free session to new clients in addition to workbooks, workshops, e-courses and she even does paid speaking.

9. Productizing Bethenny Frankel is no doubt the queen of this monetization method!  Bethenny’s mission is to “democratize healthy living.” Most of us know Bethenny for her Skinny Girl Margarita’s (she now has Skinny Girl sangria and White Cosmo’s too!) but did you know she also has shape wear, a cleanse program, personal training package,  books, yoga DVD’s and more?  Bethenny has taken a simple niche & mission statement and created products around it.  Being on a reality TV show was likely what fueled her business success.

10. Lead Generation This method is especially popular for programs advertising going back to school for some type of specialty, career certification or graduate programs.  In addition, insurance companies, credit card companies and credit score websites use “CPL” to pay bloggers and website owners each time someone fills out a form and submits for information.

11. Affiliate Marketing is simply the art of getting paid a percentage of sales each time something is purchased via a link found on your website.  In other words, you place a link on your site that has a special code in it that is linked to you, and the retailer tracks click through and purchases.  You get a percentage of sales or flat commission each time something is purchased.  Some bloggers make a TON of money through affiliate marketing.  Be sure to carefully consider what you write about if this is something you are considering.  Generally, technology review sites make the most with affiliate marketing.  Other high-paying niches include writing about how to make money.  Note: some states have strict laws about affiliate marketing.  Check out sites like Commission Junction to find great products you can sell as an affiliate.

Check out John Chow, ProBlogger or Copyblogger for examples of people who are making a killing through affiliate marketing.  In addition, they also happen to teach people about making tons of money which is ironic.

 How else do you see people making money online?  How do YOU make money online?  We’d all love to know any tips or secrets you have!

Today is the second post of a series of 5 posts about blogging: why to start, how to start, how to get readers, how to build community and how to monetize your blog.

Step 1: Decide What Your Blog is About

Don’t over think this one.  You don’t have to have all the details figured out to start a blog.  Although marketers will tell you to pick a very niche topic, I know tons of great & popular bloggers who just write about their lives, their experiences or post pictures and videos of things they like.  If in doubt, pick a general direction and get started.  Your blog will naturally evolve over time.  For example: at different points over the last 3 years I’ve considered focusing solely on personal finance, marketing to women and job searching- all very different topics.  These days I’m writing more about entrepreneurship because that’s where I’m at in my life. And guess what?  You’re still here reading, right!? Once you start writing, you’ll start to realize what you truly enjoy writing about vs. what you thought you’d enjoy writing about.  Ideas will come to you at strange times and you’ll have more to say than you thought.

Note: if your end-goal is to monetize your blog, consider writing about products you can sell as an affiliate, topics that you could teach classes about or create e-books/information products about. Or, consider writing for demographics that are highly valued by advertisers (for example, Mommy Bloggers are huge).

Step 2: Buy a Domain Name

Anyone can buy a domain name, and everyone who is even thinking about starting a blog, business or building a personal brand SHOULD buy a domain name.  I use namecheap.com for my domain names but there are tons of providers out there that do about the same thing.  Domain names on namecheap.com currently cost less than $10/year.

Buying a domain name will also allow you to have a custom email address (yourname@yourdomain.com instead of yourname@gmail.com).  It looks way more professional and it is super easy to set up.  Once you buy your domain name, go to “manage domains” and on the left side of the screen there will be an option called “Email Forwarding Setup.”  Enter the email address you want and where it should be forwarded (your primary email address). DONE!

What if you can’t get the name you want?

You can always consider buying a domain name with an extension other than .com. For example, .biz, .me, .tv, .info and .org are also popular choices.

Step 3: Decide if you want to do a Self-Hosted Blog or WordPress-Hosted Blog

Every blog needs a host.  Here’s an analogy that may help you understand a little better.  Like your home, you can’t build a website unless you have a plot of land to build it on.  So think of the host as the land/yard, your domain name as the physical house, and the content of your website (articles, pictures, graphics) as your furniture and belongings. Make sense?

Step 4: If you’re doing a self-hosted blog, get a hosting package

I use Host Gator for all of my hosting. I really like them in comparison to GoDaddy and BlueHost.  One of the most important parts of your hosting package is customer service. I’ve always had great experience with Host Gator‘s email, live chat and phone customer service no matter what time of day.  They are always quick to respond and I’ve always had my issues resolved immediately.  I’ve heard nightmares about other hosting companies that might be a few bucks cheaper.

Often times my “issues” were simply a lack of understanding of how certain technology/processes work.  You’ll probably call your host a lot in the beginning and that’s ok. You’ll learn a lot by spending some time with customer service! Full disclosure: I’m so loyal to Host Gator that I’ve become an affiliate for them, meaning I get a commission when people sign up for their Host Gator packages through these links.

I buy at least a one year basic package so I don’t have to worry about my website not being live one day because I forgot to renew. 1 year of hosting with Host Gator currently runs $60-80/year.

Once you’ve purchased, sign into your “c-panel” (control panel) using the information in the “Welcome” email sent to you by your host.  It will include the login name, password and the URL for how to access your host.   Keep your Welcome Email with hosting info filed electronically & handy for future use!  Scroll to the bottom of the control panel and click “Quick Install” then select WordPress.  Here’s a video with instructions to give you a visual!

Step 5: Create an About page, a Contact page and Write your 1st Post!

Once people start reading your blog, they’ll want to know who you are and how they can reach you.  Be sure you’ve created an About page with your picture, and a Contact page.  Include your social media contact info too!  If you’re not comfortable posting your email address, create a contact form (for free) by using Wufoo.com.  Creating forms is so easy and all you have to do is copy and pate the code into the page you want it on.  When people submit the contact form, Wufoo will forward you their inquiry via email.

Like I said in yesterday’s post, you may feel weird when writing your first post.  That’s totally normal, and 99% of bloggers will tell you they felt the same way.  Don’t worry about what people will think, who is reading it and don’t worry about not having much traffic.   Congratulate yourself on taking a personal challenge and becoming a blogger!

Want to learn more about turning your idea into a profitable blog or small business?  Consider taking our WordPress Setup Camp or joining a Ladies Launch Pad Incubator. Both classes are taught via Skype and in-person (Chicago).

Today’s Guest Post is by, Dave Thomas

In a day and age where the economy has been on life support in the eyes of some economists, why on earth would you want to quit your job to start you own business?

Are you nuts? Have you lost your mind?

Those are likely some of the responses individuals get when they tell others they are thinking of or definitely quitting their job that provides a reliable paycheck for the unknown.

Are You a Gambler?

For those individuals who feel leaving a steady paycheck for the unknown is their destiny, they’re not exactly castaways.

As the economy has been stuck in neutral for some time now, more and more individuals who are either fed up with their current jobs or have gotten laid off, feel now is the time to go into business for them.

If you find yourself getting the entrepreneurial itch, then now might very well be the time to scratch it.

Before you do, however weigh the pros and cons of such a decision.

On the plus side:

• You have freedom to make decisions and do not have to answer to anyone other than yourself;
• You set your own hours, although expect in most cases to work more hours now than you did under someone else;
• You have the ability to have an unlimited income as opposed to having a set salary under someone else.

On the down side:

• You are making all the decisions and the ability to consult with co-workers and get their advice is removed;
• If you are not disciplined, you could find it hard to put in the necessary time commitment for the job, especially with a family involved;
• In the event your business takes a while to get going, what are you going to do for a regular source of income?

If the decision is a go to open up a new business, do you have the business plan up and running?

What? You’re not quite sure how to go about the business plan?

This can be your first and biggest obstacle.

Conceive the Business Plan

One of the biggest mistakes start-ups make is not having a well thought out business plan in place. Remember, starting your own business is not something you just dive into.

Prior to writing a business plan, be sure to research your market and compile up to date industry data. If you’re unsure about how to write the business plan, take note that there are a variety of business plan software packages available to new entrepreneurs. Many of the packages offer document templates, sample plans at no charge, along with advice on conceiving a plan.

As you put your business plan together, don’t be afraid to ask for advice from family or friends who run their own companies. Once the plan is completed, make sure that a friend or family member/s reviews it to look for any holes or unanswered questions.

In the event you are going to require funding to get your business up and running, you will likely be required to produce a formal business plan that speaks to your needs.

Finally, determine if your writing skills are up to the challenge, as the last thing you want is turning in a plan that is riddled with grammar issues, etc. If you will require financial information that is either above your abilities or unavailable to you, consider working with a certified professional accountant.

Make the Gamble Pay Off

With a business plan in tow, the necessary funding (if required), and support from your loved ones, you could very easily make your own business the centerpiece of your life.

Remember, your dreams and hopes that may not have been achieved under someone else could now be for the taking.

Are you ready to take that gamble?

By, Gabriela Vega

This week, my husband, stepson and I took a small vacation to Colorado where we took my stepson on his first whitewater rafting adventure. The company we worked with for the expedition really focused on preparing its guests for the adventure that included rafting with a seven-year-old child (don’t worry folks, it was a beginner’s course and perfectly safe), a few treacherous spots and thirty-eight degree water. The company provided its guests with all the necessities to withstand the rocky waters: helmets, water jackets, wetsuits and neoprene booties (available for a small rental fee.)

Upon our return to the company’s headquarters I found myself ill prepared to return to my street clothing.  You see, although I am sure that the company does everything possible to clean its equipment it is pretty much in the water all day.  When I removed all of the equipment I smelled like an old, mildewy washcloth.  And, although they had showers for their guests, I had forgotten to bring toiletries.

When I returned to the front desk, I suggested to the staff that they should selling travel toiletries.  I stated that it would be beneficial to their guests and could become another stream of revenue.  Because they already sold hot drinks, logo’d loungewear and small snacks, I felt that they could easily integrate it into their store.

They thanked me, stated that it was a great suggestion and that they had never contemplated it before.  As my husband drove back to Denver from Idaho Springs, I began to wonder how many opportunities for improvements small companies miss out on because they do not offer their guests, clients, or customers to provide feedback.

I began to wonder about how many opportunities my firm was missing out on because I have failed to provide clients the chance to give us feedback. Although, I send clients a survey after we have completed their case (for those of you that don’t know a lot about me, I own a law firm in Manhattan, Kansas that focuses on family law- i.e. divorce, child custody & support, etc.)  However, for every one case that we accept, we have at least ten potential client meetings.  What about the input of these individuals?  What valuable information and chances for improvement has my firm lost out on simply because we have not obtained feedback from all potential clients?  So here are a few ideas that I had about how to capture feedback from clients; if you have other ideas or please let me know, I would love to hear from you.

How to Get Professional Feedback

Suggestion Box

Yes, an actual suggestion box may be a little cheesy and campy.  However, there is no better way to gather feedback than to do it when the client is actually in your business.  Once gone, the client’s mind is on things other than the service it received from your business (unless it was bad service then their goal is to tell everyone they know how awful you were.)

Snail mail survey

Assuming you captured necessary information, send your client a survey to their home or business address after they have been at your place of business.  If you decide to do this, keep in mind that your return on investment (i.e. the time preparing the survey, stuffing envelopes and getting it to the post office vs. actual surveys received) will be relatively low.  If you decide to use this method, please consider including a self-addressed stamped envelope to increase your chances of success.  If you do not, be prepared to receive 10% or less of your surveys back.

Online survey

With the advent of online services like Survey Monkey, preparing an online survey is relatively easy.  Additionally, as our world has moved to a digital, constantly connected medium, I believe that the chances for feedback from an online survey are greater than the snail mail option.  After carefully contemplating the options, I have decided to give this option a try.

Email message

Another option that may prove beneficial is to send an individual email message to each client that comes into your business.  Although this may sound cumbersome, if you create a template that allows you to change the client name and add personalized information this can be feasible.  I may also try this option to increase our chances of success.

Additional hints and tips

1.  Try the belts and suspenders approach. In other words don’t be afraid to layer a couple of these hints.  Remember that all of your clients are different and trying more than one option increases your chances of reaching clients in a manner they like.

2.  Create a timeline and measures for success. Determine how long you will try your approaches and what success will look like.  If you do not have an idea of how many responses or how long you will give yourself to receive said responses then how will you know whether or not your plan is working?

3.  Don’t be afraid to change your approach. If the options that you have selected are not working do not be afraid to try different options.  Do not feel as though you have failed if your approach is not working; realize that you have yet to find a way to reach your clients.

4.  Consider adding incentives. You may be able to increase your chances of receiving valuable feedback by adding incentives. Utilize your incentives as a way to both capture the information that you need to do obtain your suggestions and as a way to get people to respond. For example, if you own a beauty salon, you may ask do a monthly drawing for a service.  Those clients that give you their contact information have one chance to win and if they respond to your survey they receive another entry in your drawing.

5.  Don’t get offended. If you ask for it, be prepared to hear all types of information, both good and bad.  You will not or should not want to only receive positive feedback about your company.  Remember improvement comes from receiving suggestions about way to improve or change your business.

6.  Talk to a professional. If your company can afford it, you may find great benefit from talking to a marketing professional.  They will provide invaluable information.

Bonus Tip from Nicole:

7. Create a Google doc. If you’re looking for internal feedback create a “Virtual” Suggestion box which is a Google doc your team is shared on.  This works well for people like me: a Marketing Manager whose co-workers always have the next best idea while I pass them in the hallway.   The Google doc is also a great way to open the door to improved processes and it builds bridges between departments.  Encourage people to write their suggestions, concerns and questions in the Google doc, then address all items monthly at a team meeting.  It’s important to show your team members they are being heard and that you value continuous improvement.