I was talking with my friend Kathy over lunch who had a clever idea for a business but did not believe she had the skills necessary to execute it. This made me think of how most people believe successful people are multi-skilled individuals with jack-of-all trade talents and abilities. But the truth is one of the most ubiquitous trait of a successful business owner is being able to find and keep the right people for the right jobs. Successful businesses attract the right talent. Therefore, becoming a talent magnet should be at the top of every manager’s list. Here are three habits you should cultivate in order to create a team of talented individuals: 1. Build relationships with talented people before you need them. Don’t wait until you need someone with a specific skill before engaging with such a person. For example, you might be able to handle your own accounting now, but when your business grows you’ll want a talented and reliable accountant to handle that end of your business. Never stop networking in your industry. Determine who has the talent are and what inspires them about their work. Cultivate these relationships early because they will come in handy [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Also tagged business, entrepreneurs, home-based business, how to start a business, leadership, small business, the freelancer, working from home
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November 10, 2010 – 9:12 am
I bet we’ve all had our fair share of dates who give off mixed signals. They hold your hand, look deeply into your eyes, kiss you goodnight—and then you never hear from them again. Or that friend who always seems excited to see you, but consistently declines your lunch invitations. It can leave your head spinning. Unfortunately, this is a problem in business, too, with clients who tell you one thing but expect something totally different. In today’s podcast, “Are You Sending Mixed Signals?”, I ask you to take a look inward to see if you are guilty of giving off a confusing message. I’d like to hear from you! What do you do when you receive mixed signals from someone? 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.
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Entrepreneurship, Podcasts
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Also tagged business, entrepreneurs, freelance, freelancers, freelancing, home-based business, small business, starting a business, women and entrepreneurs, working from home
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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, entrepreneurs, environmentally conscious, green business, home-based business, Moms work from home, saving money, saving tips, small business, tips for saving money, work from home, working from home
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A few months ago, I wrote a post on social media use and asked the question “Should you outsource it?” Needless to say, the conversation continues to be a hot one. I am of the school of thought that even if you are a small business owner or an entrepreneur, you can outsource small things such as blog writing, video editing, video uploading, and social bookmarking. Here are what some others had to say on Facebook and the previous post about building a social media team and if you should outsource: Sherman Mohr I’m a fan of outsourcing “tasks” not strategies. Once the communication and engagement plan are in place, hiring a contractor to engage, post, escalate responses, and categorize and measure activities is a good way to grow your presence. Directory submission, Youtube and video posts are not strategic in nature and may be outsourced with great effectiveness. Altaf Shaikh Thrash on concepts and ideas internally, create a blueprint and then outsource execution, would be the way I would approach it. The other point I would like to add is that – social media works but takes a lot of time to gather that critical mass so outsourcing is [...]
In order to succeed in business, you have to be unique and find the niche that works for you and the people you serve. Today at The Momentum Summit (#mosum, if you’re on Twitter), Ben Fischman, CEO of Rue La La remarked at his morning interview, “I believe in unique unfair advantages.” Rue La La has found theirs. What’s yours? Here are three steps to finding your unique, unfair advantage: 1) Ask: Why do people depend on you? What is it about you or your company that is working and happens naturally? How can you improve upon that? Survey your friends, clients, and colleagues for their feedback. 2) What’s Important? To Rue La La, exclusivity became important. The need to protect their customers, led to an unsearchable site. Of course, this resulted in an aire of mystique around the brand. Understand what is important to your customers and to your company and treasure it. 3) Experiment: What you perceive as your unique, unfair advantage may not actually be the case. Do some measurable tests to see what is working and what is not. Your experimentation may lead to an avenue you hadn’t thought of before. What other ways can you [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Posted in Business Tools, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Also tagged creative strategy, how to start a business, imagination, starting a business, the creative mind, the freelancer
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I have been receiving a bunch of emails requesting more blog posts for the freelancer. I went through some of my favorite blogs and websites and compiled a list of over 201+ tools and resources: 35+ Online Tools to Make Your Life Easier 5 Online Tools For Dealing With Clients in Other Time Zones PIXELMATOR : LOW BUDGET TOOL 15 Online Financial Tools for Freelance Designers 25 Free Online Tools for Web Designers, Developers, Freelancers and Individuals 14 Free Things for Writers You can also bid for work on Elance or Freelance.com What are your favorite Freelancing tools and websites? Feel free to share them with us. We would love to hear about them. Like this article and want to read more, feel free to subscribe to my blog feed
I have some amazing people in my life and that includes my “social circles.” Thank you to those who have said, “Ja-Naé, what do you need? How can I help get the word out about the book?” First of all, you guys rock! That means a lot to me. If you’re on Facebook, here are three simple things that you could do to help that would make a world of a difference: I) Share on your Wall: Post this URL on your wall http://ja-nae.net/blog/all-new-a-step-by-step-guide-to-starting-a-business-with-little-to-no-money and tell people your thoughts on the book. You can also click here and then click on the “Facebook Like” button on the page. II) Fan/Like the Book: Well, those fan pages no longer exist. However, you can like the book on Facebook. Here is the Facebook fan page. You can also just click on the Facebook box that is on the right hand side of this page. III. Comment on Facebook Posts: People like a party! So, they will engage when others have something to say or share. This is how we build trust within our community. So, feel free to share your thoughts and ask your questions on my wall and the book’s page. [...]
Life can be fun, but have its challenges along the way. Am I right? Whether you’re starting a business, raising a family, or relocating to a new city, at times it take a large amount of strength and faith just to put one foot in front of the other. I know, I’ve been there. We all have from time to time. I was down in Boston’s North End last week and came across the church of St. Leonard. As I was walking with my canoli, I began to wonder “What do people believe in? What keeps them going when things seem hopeless or a struggle?” Though I know what keeps me going every day, no matter what life hands to me, I would like to share two other stories with you: Dave had had a home-based business (T-shirt designer) for over 3 years. He considered himself successful making $27K a year. However, when the recession hit, orders were canceled and a major client did not pay. Needless to say, Dave’s business was hit pretty hard. But is the great thing about Dave. He knew that this was a make or break moment for his business. So, what did he do? [...]
We are all looking for the secret. That one golden ticket (I love Willy Wonka) that will change our lives forever. Some are looking for financial freedom and to retire early. Some are looking for the key to happiness. While others just want to ask a Social Media guru how to tweet. Am I right? Of course, we believe that there are a few chosen ones who get it. Who MUST have all the answers to Life and Facebook themselves. And people pay thousands of dollars a year in books, CDs, retreats, conferences, healings, mastermind sessions….yes, this list can go on. However, what they don’t tell you is this..this one thing….do you want to know what it is? Are you sure? Well, it’s that: We are all coaches and experts! Each of us has life experience, areas of expertise, loving compassionate hearts that will tell you to get off your pity pot and make a change if you don’t like your life. WE are your own personal Tony Robbins, your Oprahs, your Jack Canfields, your Chris Brogans. We are your Community! Ask questions of your community Look at every situation and ask, “What can I learn from this?” Treat your [...]
Are you a DIY perfectionist? My dad happens to be one. You should see him redoing a house. What about starting a business or working on a project? Do you procrastinate finishing or launching in because you want everything to be perfect? Well then, this “How to Be More Productive” video is for you! Like this article and want to read more, feel free to subscribe to my blog feed
