October 25, 2010 – 10:36 am
It’s crazy how many small business owners I meet who are paralyzed by their fears. Do I know enough to start a business? Will I be able to feed my family while I’m launching my freelance career? Am I making a good impression at networking events? Believe me, I have been in your shoes, and in today’s podcast, I talk about the small steps that helped me to move forward past my fears. What fears have been holding you back? What are some of your tips for pushing past that paralysis we all have felt at one time or another? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.
October 12, 2010 – 5:30 pm
By falling back on addressing your crowd with questions that are safe for everyone, you may only generate a discussion useful to no one. Questions will result in immediate feedback. You can enhance the relationship between you and your crowd and find better ways to connect with them. The more in sync a leader is with their audience, the more effective your crowdsourcing efforts.
October 12, 2010 – 1:01 pm
For business owners, the need for excellent Powerpoint presentations while soliciting partners is crucial for success. As entrepreneurs, we need to know our audiences before creating presentations to address them, and then we must create a show that will actively engage them. While many of us may display the creative drive to make an interesting Powerpoint, finding the right images, organizing them, and tailoring them to each specific you are trying to reach can be time consuming. As I mention in my book, “How to Start Your Business with $100”, this may be one of those areas it’s best to outsource. Listen to “Who’s Designing Your Podcasts?” for suggestions on creating the best professional Powerpoints you can. So, who will you have design your Powerpoints? Leave your recommendations below! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider buying my book, How to Start Your Business with $100 because it will save you thousands of dollars and you should find what you’re looking for.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged artist, business, Creativity, freelance, freelancer, freelancers, how to start a business, how to start a business with $100, how to start your business with $100, imagination, outsource, outsourcing, small business, starting a business, women and entrepreneurs
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October 5, 2010 – 9:32 am
The newest trend in social media memes is to Autotune everything, often with hilarious results. One of my favorites is the Backin’ Up Song, with the eccentric coffee lady whose exhortation, “I’m backin’ up, backin’ up, backin’ up, ‘cause my daddy taught me good” became the catchy refrain. It’s ok that it gets stuck in my head because it serves as a valuable reminder to BACK UP!—your data, that is. It’s one of those things that enterpreneurs starting a business may not think about until it’s too late. In today’s podcast, “Back Up Your Data!”, I discuss why having a plan to back-up your data is crucial for small business or freelancers. Let’s hear it—tell me your data loss horror story and how you keep it from happening again! Connect with Ja-Naé on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook ______________ Looking to start a business or own a small business? Please consider reading my book, How to Start Your Business with $100. You should find what you’re looking for.
October 4, 2010 – 3:04 pm
Coming to the rescue of the over-ambitious, over-stretched is the simple to-do list. With just a pen and paper you can break down your meaty aspirations into small, digestible bite-size chunks.
October 4, 2010 – 12:44 pm
When I started my own business, one of the challenges I faced was how to effectively use social media to build a community around my brand. And that was before the Facebook-Twitter explosion! Now, with so many social media opportunities, it can seem a daunting task to the small business owner to create and grow a following. This is especially true for freelancers, whose services may appeal to a small níche audience. For my inaugural podcast to kick off my “How to Start Your Business with $100” Book Tour, I discuss “Ways to Build a Community”. Have a listen below, try out my suggestions, then let me know how it goes by leaving a comment. Hope to see you on my tour! Remember to check out my companion blog, The Biz100 Tour, for tour dates and special announcements.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged freelance, freelancer, freelancers, home-based business, how to start a business, how to start a business with $100, Ja-Nae, small business, social media, social media 101, social media basics
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September 14, 2010 – 10:26 pm
In an age of instantaneous communication, web and video conferencing and powerful online collaborative and project management tools, the home office has become THE office for more and more people. And, of course, many entrepreneurs and small business owners especially start off working from home. Not only is it a great way to keep costs down when starting your business with limited cash flow, working from home can also be a productive and flexible work option, too. What’s more, working from home allows for greater control of consumption and energy use—an added karmic point that makes the deal even sweeter. As an entrepreneur on the go splitting my time between two states and a plethora of projects, I’ve become a pro at working from home (and the coffee shop, and the car, and park benches in between meetings, and … you get the idea) and I’ve decided to share some insight. Here is part one of my top 50 favorite ways to save money while working from home that are also good for the environment… Never underestimate the value of your work—tap your social networks to pose a trade of a few hours of your time and services in exchange [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship
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Also tagged business, eco friendly, environmentally conscious, green business, home-based business, Moms work from home, saving money, saving tips, small business, tips for saving money, wahm, work from home, working from home
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Many entrepreneurs and small business owners seem to be looking for “something.” They think it’s the solution to all their problems; that it will help grow their business overnight; that this one thing will be the answer to all of their problems. If you’re starting a business or find that you’re one of these people searching for an answer, then I have a small secret for you: There is NO secret. Instead, consider: Making stronger connections to your network/community Finding mentors who are willing to share with you all that they know Prioritizing your company’s growth above your latté addiction And if you need a step-by-step guide on how to start your business and how to market that business, consider buying “How to Start Your Business with $100.” Like this article and want to read more, feel free to subscribe to my blog feed
I was so pleased to read Talent Culture contributor Mike Brown’s list of recommendations for leaders seeking to foster creative strategy and build creative minds amidst their team members! I’ve experienced tons of trial and error regarding this very subject, especially because I deal with teams in so many industries, including the small business, freelance, social media, consulting, and life coaching sectors. The core of Brown’s advice turns a leader’s questioning gaze inward, to ensure a level of accountability that sometimes gets ignored when a manager assumes that the root of a team’s deficiency is the result of individual deficiency. Speaking of accountability, I love how one of Brown’s strategies is to up the ante of accountability for EVERYONE, not just for the boss. Long story short, creativity is a process of give and take, and that should be mirrored in the collaborative process between managers and staff. Take a look at these strategies and let us know what you think. How do you build creativity on your team? How do you encourage your staff to think outside of the box? Any anecdotes from the field? Any tips to add to Mike’s list? Like this article and want to read [...]
In a recent Telegraph Finance article, Daniel H. Pink raises the taboo question of, “Is it okay for a businessperson to question their ability to achieve a particular goal?” Thankfully, he does so using the adorable Bob the Builder as a model entrepreneur for the humble and self-reflective businessperson. In my experience as a life coach and home-based business mentor, I find that it is a fine line to walk between encouraging freelancers, entrepreneurs, and home-based businesspeople to think positively/dream big and helping burgeoning entrepreneurs set achievable goals in the midst of starting their own businesses. This same conundrum is present in various leadership arenas as well: I want to encourage my team without allowing them to set unrealistic expectations. My advice to those with similar dilemmas: your choice of words and tone to colleagues and team members should encourage positivity and self-reflexivity. Instead of asking whether or not something can be done, ask questions that encourage a scaffolded approach to a project or goal. Questions like, “How can you achieve ‘X’” or “Is there a way to reach ‘X’ in the timeframe we are allowing ourselves?” are better alternatives than, “So do you really think you can do ‘X’?” [...]
