Category Archives: Organizational Tips

How can I get clients for my business?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

This question came from a busy entrepreneur:

I am building my health coach business and trying to get clients. I am using social media outlets, emailing other holistic businesses to connect with, and offering workshops to local natural grocers. Getting individual clients is something I really want right now to bring in income and I’m having trouble. Any suggestions?

Defining your target clients:

“Health coach business” is pretty broad. My recommendation is to narrow your niche. You need to be able to clearly identify your target client. For instance;

  • What are the demographics of your target client?
  • What specific problems do they face and want to overcome (be as specific as possible)?
  • Where do they normally live and shop?
  • What kinds of foods do they normally eat?
  • What are their hobbies?
  • What kind of lifestyle do they current have?
  • What kind of lifestyle do they want to have?
  • What income do they make or want to make?

Once you have clearly described your target client – go to places where your target clients are.

For example: if your target client is affluent women, above the age of 40, interested in health – then check out the country clubs to see if you can give talks and workshops there.  Narrowing your target market or creating a niche will actually help you attract more clients and better market yourself.

Next Steps:

Once you have a clear picture of your target client and niche, then market to your Power Team. Your Power Team is small businesses that share your same target market and provide complimentary services.

For example: Small businesses that wish to locate ‘affluent women above the age of 40, who are interested in health’ would include:

  • Gyms, Personal Trainers, Aerobics Instructors
  • Personal Shoppers and Image Consultants
  • Health Spas/Day Spas
  • Beauty Supply consultants
  • Hair Stylist

My recommendation would be to find and collaborate with an affiliated partner in your Power Team group. Create package deals which include services from one or more of your affiliated partners.

Example:

Total Mind and Body Makeover Introductory Package Includes:

  • 3 months Health Coaching (weekly one-on-one coaching)
  • 3 months of Gym Membership
  • 2 celebratory Spa Days (you can take both days yourself, or go once with a friend)
  • 1 Image Makeover with an image consultant, personal shopper and make-up expert

This introductory package offer would go out to your affiliated partner’s contacts, be on their websites, and be equally promoted by them. The promotional package price will be appropriately divided by the participants.

Another sample package could include the “free” offers that the affiliated partners already provide.   For example:

  • 1 Health Coach one-on-one session
  • 7 days membership at the gym
  • 1 free 30 minute massage
  • 1 session to match clothing color to skin tone, and body type.

The idea is to package what the affiliated partners already freely provide, into a more attractive starter package. Providing a more end-to-end solution or 360° program can differentiate your programs from competitors.

Where do you go from here?

Once you have the right programs in place, co-market with your affiliated partners. Create catalyst events that encourage the clients from each business to mingle and visit each shop.   Offer to host a party for the Image Consultant and Make-up Artist at your establishment. Have them invite their clients into your shop for a free Make-Over.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

Hanging out with your clients and co-workers in a global market

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Today’s workforce, as well as the market, is global and diversified. Even if you own a “local business”, you will still want to have distributed national and even international interest. So how do you continue to generate global and remote interest in your products and services? How do you keep your diversified client and employee base connected and satisfied?

Video conferencing isn’t just for webinars and conference meetings. Skype, Google Hangout, Zoom and other similar tools range from “free” to very affordable.   With the abundance of video conference tools at your finger tips, the remote client or employee is not longer invisible.

Some things to add to your Individual Networking Plan:

  • Conduct a Live-Video Call with a client or employee, once a week.
  • Once a quarter, put out a video newsletter or update.
    1. If you are a business owner, this video could be promoting a new product, offer, summary of your past company accomplishments and next quarter goals.
    2. If you are an employee, this video could be a quarterly status report, your department newsletter, a demo, prototype or model of your project.
    3. The list is as extensive as your imagination.
  • At every phase of a project, record your milestone data and results
    1. Case studies can be turned into white-papers, presentations, promotional data, and success stories
    2. The most compelling stories are Before, During and After videos. These videos can effectively illustrate the journey and benefits within 60 seconds.
  • Video your What I Do statement
    1. Re-use/playback your What I do statement as introduction to your webinars, examples in your presentations, as part of your email signature, attached to your resume and Career or Company Press Kit, on your website, and on your social media profile pages.
  • Interview an expert in your field
    1. Being associated with an authority also puts you in the spotlight as someone knowledgeable in the field
    2. Share this interview with co-workers, clients, YouTube, Social Media and other places
  • Share your expertise and interests
    1. Create your own training videos
    2. Show your skills in a hobby or sport
    3. If you want people to think you are interesting – then be interesting.

Bottom line: If you feel invisible to your clients and employers, chances are YOU ARE. And you are totally responsible for that.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

Summer Sizzles with Business Lessons Learned from TV’s Scandal

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Hello – all you Olivia Pope and Scandal fans out there. I know Scandal is on summer hiatus. But what better time for us to review some “business Lessons Learned” from Scandal and more specifically from Olivia Pope?

This summer, we will be hosting a Lessons Learned Summer Series based on the characters of one of the best rated TV series “Scandal”. If you are interested in joining this video series – please register to receive telecast dates and times.

Today’s episode is a quick overview of “How Olivia Pope Got to be Olivia Pope”. We’ll walk through the business strategies that you can also use to build your empire, while avoiding some of the pitfalls.


If you found these tips helpful, then signup for the summer series. REGISTER HERE

Are you sure you are indispensable?

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Are you sure you are indispensable?

Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

I recently watched the episode of Grey’s Anatomy in which Dr. McDreamy Shepard gets killed. Patrick Demsey (the actor who plays this character) has been a staple of that show for 11 years. The show’s first episode started with Dr. Sheppard and Merideth Grey meet. The entire 11 years centered on their relationship.

Now he is gone and the “show goes on”.

So- if a character so prevalent in the fabric of this huge franchise can be removed so easily – how about you? Are you so indispensible to your organization that they would fold up shop without you?

Of course the answer is “No”. And that is the way it should be. So – acknowledging this truth should be liberating to you. You still want to be valuable to your team, your manager, your company. But you still want to continue to move forward. Patrick Demsey has two movies in the works, and he plans to do more professional racing. What are you putting in place?

  • Do you have a Professional and Career Development Plan?
  • Do you have a Career Press Kit in place (which illustrates your past achievements, quantifies your performance as it relates to increased company revenue and client satisfaction, and updated resume)?
  • Do you regularly meet with mentors, business coaches and your management hierarchy?
  • Do you have a positive working relationship with both co-workers and sibling departments?
  • Do you have clear advancement opportunities at this company?
  • Do you have business relationships with people from other companies that are aligned with your career goals?
  • Do you have a business network of the right people that will support your advancement?

How are you making yourself valuable (not indispensible)?

  • Are you focusing on the company’s mission, vision, and business commitment goals?
  • Are you a valuable contributor to the company’s bottom line (how much money are you brining in or saving)?
  • Are you volunteering your services to sibling departments, to make sure other groups understand your contributions?
  • Are your keeping your skills up-to-date and aligned with the next generation technology to stay relevant?
  • Are you aware of the national salary range for your current role and skill level, to make sure you are not bumping up against the salary range?
  • Are you training and preparing yourself to take that next promotion or career challenge?

 

Bottom Line: You may be totally satisfied with your current role and responsibilities. You may have no desire to be promote or change jobs. You may want to continue to do exactly what you are doing for the next 5 to 10 years. Even so – that doesn’t guarantee that the company has the same plans. The company may choose to merge with another company; dissolve your division; or upgrade to a new technology that makes your skill set obsolete. Even if you have no desire for a change; change is inevitable.

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

How to select the proper path at your crossroads

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

This question came from a busy professional and small business owner:

I am at the crossroads in my career. I am 20 to 25 years to retirement; and I still have lots to contribute. But I am interested in lots of different career paths and I find that I am splitting into two separate and distinct directions. How do I figure out which is the right direction for me?

Often times, the two separate and distinct directions are not really that different. Often times, if you take a Bigger Picture view (take a higher-level perspective) of those “separate interests” – they actually share a common purpose or goal.

Example: What should I do?

  • I am interested in Quality Assurance – and like making sure everyone is meeting the standards, in order to deliver quality products and services.
  • My work experience is in developing network security systems. Should I just find a lateral move?
  • I am also interested in stepping out on my own as a contractor

 What’s the HUB or Center Focus that bring these things together?

My name is John Doe, I am an authority in network security systems. I help security conscious companies stay ahead of intrusion detection methodologies and never-ending security attacks, so that they can avoid down-time and delays due to unauthorized data breaches; assure client sensitive data safety and surpass both their delivery schedules and competitor’s market releases.

At the end of the day – I give my clients peace of mind.

 

If the above was your HUB – your Purpose or High-Level “What I do” statement, you have extended your opportunities and career path exponentially. See the below example of the activities and roles that stem from that single HUB-Focus.

HUBExample

 

Bottom Line: More often than not – two separate paths is an indicator that you are focused on the details and not on the higher-level purpose. Stepping back and taking the time to discover the Bigger Picture view or High-Level perspective, brings the paths together.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a presentation on “3 Keys to saying YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

 

 

So you just got a promotion and think you can relax

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So you just got a promotion!  That’s awesome and it’s well deserved. You’ve done awesome work at a exceptional performance level – to get you here.  Congratulations.
Now – here is what’s going to happen next.I know this because I was upper management in a High Tech Industry.

The management circle often uses this opportunity (that “she just received a promotion”) to automatically give the talented employee an Average or Below Expectation Performance Evaluation – for the next review cycle.  Their rationalization is that “She is in a new role with more responsibility – Of course it’s going to take her time to learn the ropes on this new position.  She can’t expect to be exceeding expectation at this level the first time out. She can’t expect to be delivering at the same level as the folks that have been executing at this level for longer.”

Realize – the management team normally has a quota of how many Excellent, Above Expectation, Average and Below Expectation rating to give their various teams.  They rate, rank and sort everyone (across all departments) of the same band, and level.  Then they count off how many Excellent, Above Expectation, Average and Below Expectation ratings from this pooled list to meet their quotas.
Realize that you are not being judged on your work alone – but you are being judged against all the other employees (across all departments) that are at your new, promoted level; against people that have been executing at this level longer that you have; against people that know and have been working with the upper management level longer than you.

Realize that with this new level, you have a different level of business networking responsibilities.  You have a different set of people you have to impress and cultivate. You have a set of different people that you are going to be compared against that already have this head-start in knowing and working with the right people.  They already have the inside track to “professional loyalty”.  Because upper management already know these people and have been working with them at this specific level – they tend to give them a higher ranking that someone that’s new to the band.
Because you are somewhat below on the ranking list – when they draw their quota lines for Average and Below Average grades – you normally fit in that range.
This gives upper management an easy opportunity to use one of their tough Below Expectations or Average ratings – without feeling “bad” about it.  “After all – how can she expect a good review at this new level? She’s using the first year to get her feet wet and learning the ropes.”
I know this because I was upper management in a High Tech Industry.

Now is the time to show them that “This may be true of other people just being promoted – but IT AIN’T SO for ME”.

It’s great that you received this promotion – but this is not the time to relax on your past accomplishments. You should understand the politics behind getting a promotion. And – at the mid-year mark” – you still have time to turn this rationale around.

If you are interested in assuring that this does not happen to you – ask me about  some Summer Career Booster tips specifically for your unique situation.

It’s easy to setup an appointment directly into my calendar with THIS LINK

How can you choose the most appropriate job title when wearing many ‘hats’ in your company?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into a business you love to run.

Today’s comment came from a busy professional.

How can you choose the most appropriate job title when wearing many ‘hats’ in your company?

As a very new small business, anyone I bring on to my team is going to be responsible for more than one area of expertise. How can I name or define their positions when they are going to be doing much more than one thing?

Regardless of the title – you should have a full job description and even a Personal Business Commitment (PC) Plan for each of your employees (SMART Goals for the coming year). Their PBC’s should be based off your PBC’s and shows specifically how their role and responsibilities will help you achieve your PBC’s or SMART Business Goals for the coming year. Then during your quarterly performance reviews, you can easily measure their performance against their yearly goals – and give the appropriate tweaks and encouragement. Explicitly spelling out their roles and responsibilities is slightly different that giving their position a title. If you need help creating PBC’s, lets chat.

 

When giving titles, I recommend select a title that best supports or helps achieve their business goals. Consider the end-user of their business cards.   For example – if you have a employee that is a developer, but he also goes on the road with the Sales Staff to setup the demos and man the trade-show booths; I would give him the title of Subject Matter Expert or Technical Sales Engineer. Something – when given to the customer assures the customer that he is knowledgeable about the client’s use of the product as well as encouraging the client to call them about making the sale.

What if your project manager also does the accounting and bookkeeping for your small business? This person also answers the phones and fills in as the receptionist.   Although this person wears many hats, the title on their business card should be Project Manager, because affluent clients receiving that business card are more apt to carry on business dealings and conversations with the Project Manager over a book keeper or receptionist.

If you only have one sales person on your team and they also man the tech support line, their title on their business card should be Sales Manager – because an affluent client feels more important talking to the Sales Manager – than either sales person or a technical support person. They feel that the Sales Manager can actually get something done in the company.

Think about your business goals – and which title (from their many hats) is going to support bringing in the money.

Also – there is nothing wrong with creating multiple business cards with the different job titles. Then you give out the appropriate card at the right occasion. I don’t recommend doing 1 business cards with all the titles like: Project Manager/Developer/Tester. You want to present clarity, confidence and expertise to your potential client. Showing them that you are a jack of all and master of none will defeat the purpose.

Does Lack of Involvement Cause Employees to Behave Unethically?‏

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.

There is a new research from the Univ. of Georgia that shows “what happens when employees feel excluded at work”:
http://phys.org/news/2014-09-cheater-employees-excluded.html

While this article attempts to explain why some workers do unethical things in the workplace, it does not actually highlight the actual internal source.   What is your opinion?

In general – it’s easier for employees to rationalize unethical behavior when they feel resentment, unrecognized and under-valued.   Although the employee is the only one that can “cause themselves to behave unethically”, there are various circumstances that individuals use to rationalize their own behavior.

1) If they feel they are being overworked.
2) If they feel others in the organization is getting inappropriate bonus, rewards, promotions.
3) If they feel they are not getting the recognition they feel they deserve.

The feeling of “resentment” comes from the “victim” mentality.  Or the feeling that someone else is creating these difficult situations around you. But regardless of the external stimulus – you are totally responsible for your own behavior.

There are both ethical and unethical responses to the exact same situations.  The company does not “cause” the employee to behave in any certain way.  It’s the individual that will and can gravitate in either direction.  Since all employees are different, it’s not the company’s responsibility to create environments that increases their chances that all their employee’s will act ethically.  The training and development needs to come from within the individual and not external.

My recommendation is not to change the external workplace to “create ethical behavior”.

Since employees today average 4.6 years at any given job, my recommendation is to coach employees on how to positively respond to any situation and environment that they encounter.  That is really the way to succeed in any work environment.  With the proper professional development, training and coaching, individuals can be made aware of more ethical responses to the current workplace environment. This training will start a chain reaction such that when the executives, managers, and employees start implementing this training; when they are openly executing at a higher level and when they are transparent with their goals and procedures. – the entire work environment culture experiences an ethical transformation.

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How to handle uncomfortable networking events

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I give people peace of mind.
Today’s question came from a busy professional interested in freeing some time and space to advance in his career.


We all understand the importance and value of business networking. How do we handle networking events in a proper and professional manner?

One of the best ways to break the ice at a networking event is to pretend or put on the persona of a host. Focus your attention on “your guests”. Put the spotlight onto them. Allow them to shine and talk about themselves. Most people are there to talk about themselves, anyway – why to against the flow?

  1. Ask them questions about “What brought them here tonight?” “What are they hoping to gain or what are their goals for this meeting?”
  2. If they share that they are looking for referrals on XYZ or people that they can work with on ABC – connect them to someone that you just met at the same meeting that shares those goals.
  3. Don’t stay too long with any one person. Like a host, make sure you mingle. You can say “I know you want to meet more people, and I want to respect your time. I would love to stay in contact, why don’t we exchange contact information and make plans to call each other on Thursday.   How does that sound?”

If you really want to stay in contact, take out your calendar and then move on.

But what if you are shy or is an introvert? Are there any other special tips for us?

Normally what makes shy people uncomfortable is having the spotlight shined on ourselves. So – much like the above advice, shine the spotlight on other people. Instead of worrying about what other people think about you – focus on learning more about the other person. People love to talk about themselves and it takes the pressure off you to carry the entire conversation.

Also, look around to see if anyone is sitting alone or hiding in the corner (make sure it’s not you doing the hiding as well). Then go up and visit them. They may be feeling uncomfortable, so be a good host and go up and introduce them to some other folks.

For additional articles and videos on tips for introverts, check out these artifacts:

 

I know your situation is different. Why don’t we schedule an appointment, where I get to know more about your unique situation? And then I will be happy to make recommendations on what your best steps are moving forward. To schedule an appointment, book it HERE.

With enough notice, it would be my honor to guest-speak at no cost to your group organization.

I have a monthly presentation on “how to say YES to everything but on your own terms”. To sign up for the complimentary course, go to www.lauraleerose.com/Say-Yes

How can I keep activity/participation high around slower demand seasons like the holidays?

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Hello, this is Laura Lee Rose.  I am a speaker and author. I am an expert in time and project management.

I help busy professionals and entrepreneurs create effective systems so that they can comfortably delegate to others, be more profitable and have time to enjoy life even if they don’t have time to learn new technology or train their staff.  I have a knack for turning big ideas into on time and profitable projects.

At the end of the day, I transform the way you run your business into the business you love to run.
Today’s comment came from a busy professional.

The success of my mobile app relies heavily on the activity of users being high and consistent. We have seen a drop in participation which I believe is correlated to it being Thanksgiving weekend. I am predicting the same drop in activity around Christmas and New Year. What are some marketing techniques I can undergo to build up activity and keep my audience interested?

 

Without knowing what your “mobile app” does – it’s hard to give a specific answer. But one way is to provide apps for those specific holiday or natural slumps. For instance, if your target market are parents with small kids – providing a mobile app that tracks Santa’s activity level between Nov – Jan, incorporates the season’s activities.

If you mow lawns, offering leaf-blowing and snow shuffling for the fall and winter months (when the lawn is not growing) are some additional services designed for the natural “mowing-lawn” slumps.

If you own a greet card company, offering CARE packages (Congratulations, Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement) packages for the slumps between busy holidays card-giving seasons is a way to up-turn the down-turn of business.

Once again – without understanding your target audience, it’s hard to answer this question. Let’s chat so that I can better understand your unique situation. Then I will be able to better recommend your next steps.  It’s really easy to setup an appointment directly into my calendar with this link: https://www.timetrade.com/book/WFSFQ