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CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE
Introducing Our May Theme: Fail Fast!
Fail fast? What kind of advice is that?! Think about it. You have this brilliant idea, you’re infatuated with it, and you *know* it will be bigger than Beanie Babies and Harry Potter combined. How terrible are you going to feel if you invest your life savings, hours away from your family, and precious alone time into this venture and it fails? Do your homework. Test the waters. Find out if it will work and get it out of your system if it’s not worth it – as fast as you can. A great way to do this is “prototyping” your business before you actually launch to see if it will be the hit you’re hoping for. CRAVE founder, Melody Biringer, learned this first hand, and this month she’s sharing her lessons about prototyping businesses and failing fast. We also have great blog posts from CRAVE entreprenesses sharing their valuable tips and insights based on their experiences. Stay tuned!
Introducing Our April Theme: Know Your Niche
Happy April, CRAVErs! We are pumped about this month’s theme: Know Your Niche. We could all use some pointers when it comes to reaching our target markets, and we’re hoping to get the conversation rolling with insightful blog posts, thought-provoking questions, and idea-generating chats. At this point, we know that if someone asks you to describe your ideal customer or client, you should have a concise, specific response. “Well… my business is great because it appeals to just about everyone!” is not acceptable. If you can get as detailed as, “Her name is Kim, and she’s a 38 year old mom of 2 who loves pilates and her yellow lab,” you’re on the right track. Think of it this way: When presented with a list of people who varied in gender, job, location, age, interests, etc, ideally you’d be able to plant a big, fat bullseye on the individuals most likely to crave your services. Regardless of your business, it’s crucial to identify your target audience, know how to find them, and promote certain aspects of your business accordingly. This month’s theme is dedicated to honing “knowing your niche” into a fine art. Not only will you learn different strategies for identifying your target market, but you’ll come away with the tools to capitalize on that knowledge. Stay tuned for some juicy inside scoops!
Outsourcing: Easier Than You Think
My good friend and mentor Murray Smith will emphatically tell any business owner, “hire people who play at things you work at.” This was a concept that I always understood intellectually; in fact it made a lot of sense. Living it was a different story.
As I headed into my second year of business I knew I had to make some changes if I wanted to achieve what I had set out to do; both professionally and personally. I was exhausted and feeling frustrated with my business. I was spending a lot of my time on activities that I didn’t necessarily enjoy, weren’t fulfilling and most importantly, were preventing me from growing my business. I realized I had a lot of fear of letting go of control. I made the decision that it was time to get out of my own way. I had to face my fears, make some decisions and implement change. I’m the first to admit, this doesn’t happen over night. It time though, small but pivotal changes will have a huge impact on your overall success.
Since making changes in how I spend my time and what my focus is on a daily basis, I am in more control of my business, more productive and I am really enjoying it again. Some of the changes that I implemented were outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting, newsletter template design, in-store marketing design/printing and hiring a consultant to assist me with development of my social media marketing strategy. I now spend more time focused on activities that grow my business, such as sales and marketing, new product development and training and development of my staff.
When it comes to hiring the right person or firm for the areas/tasks you would want to outsource, it is sometimes easier than we think. Put it out to your network of friends, colleagues, business associates and other business owners. I found my new accountant through my hairdresser. She is fabulous!
Another common concern when it comes to outsourcing is cash flow. As business owners, this is a constant juggling act, especially in the first few years. We will most likely ask ourselves, can I afford to? Instead, ask can I afford not to? Remember to keep in mind your long-term goals. Also, don’t be afraid to shop around and negotiate. Most people are willing to work with you when it comes to pricing and/or payment options. But you don’t know unless you ask.
I also encourage you to utilize your staff. Research has shown that it is not just monetary satisfaction that keeps employees happy. What are their strengths and weaknesses? What do they enjoy doing? I had a big aha with this one as a result of being really sick with a bad cold and flu, thus unable to go into my store for almost five days. There were many things that needed to get done, including new merchandising and window display. I left the store in the hands of my staff and they did an amazing job! I decided to speak with them further about what they enjoy, what they don’t like, and what they would like to learn. These conversations have since allowed me to delegate some of the day to day responsibilities such as ordering, fulfilling and shipping out online orders, store merchandising and various essential but often time-consuming tasks that I now only follow up with on a regular basis. At the same time, I am empowering them, instilling confidence in them and providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow, which results in employee retention, loyalty and higher levels of productivity.
Lastly, it doesn’t always have to cost you money. Tap into your network of friends and family. You really don’t have to do it all yourself. Often our friends and family have skills that we don’t have and are only too happy to offer a lending hand.
Murray, who is also an accomplished entrepreneur himself, knows what he is talking about when he says, “Hire people who play at things you work at.” Allow yourself to make changes in small steps. As you start to work more in areas of your business that involve your strengths and outsource your weaknesses, you will see growth that will only inspire you to continue on that path. This is what is often referred to as working smarter, not harder. Whatever stage you are at in your business, I encourage you to take a good look at it and see if there are duties that you can outsource so that you can focus on what you are best at. Trust me, it is a decision that you will be happy that you made.
Jennifer Best is the founder of Steeped and Infused, a fabulous loose leaf tea business with two locations in Toronto.
Jennifer Lee and the Right-Brain Business Plan
If a business plan is what you crave, Jennifer Lee is your go-to gal. She’s an entrepreneur, certified coach, writer, founder of Artizen Coaching, and so much more. We LOVE the concept behind her new book, The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success, and we were lucky enough to pick her brain on her book as well as her take on this month’s CRAVE theme, outsourcing weakness and embracing strength.
What’s the philosophy or message behind your new book, The Right-Brain Business Plan?
The main message is that your natural, creative right-brain genius is your most valuable business asset. So let it work for you!
You have many different components to your business / website. What do you do yourself and what do you outsource?
In my book, I take people through a couple of exercise to help with this (pp. 127-131). Going through those lists helped me sort out what makes sense for me to do and what to get help with.
What I do myself:
- Strategy and vision
- Business planning and development – identifying and making most of potential opportunities
- Content creation
- Writing my book, blog posts, newsletter, etc.
- Designing and developing course materials, workshops, programs, etc.
- Designing and developing products
- Providing services to customers
- Coaching
- Leading groups
- Speaking
- Managing the moola
- Financial projections/budget (with some occasional help from bookkeeper)
- Billing and collecting payment
- Paying vendors
- Depositing checks (fun!)
- Getting my statements and receipts to my bookkeeper monthly
- Social media
- Marketing and PR
- Designing and updating my websites
- Production and mailing of products (this is one I want to outsource soon!)
I outsource:
- Accounting
- Bookkeeping (I did it myself for the first few years until it became a nightmare!)
- Legal (trademarks, contracts, etc.)
- Graphic design and illustration for print and creative projects
- Technical support (I’m fortunate that my husband can handle most all techie things and bonus he’s an awesome photographer. I also hired a webinar consultant to help run my recent video summit).
- Administrative tasks like managing access to the RBBP private online community, helping to manage Facebook fan page, creating and scheduling reminder e-mails, managing my RBBP spotlight submissions, coordinating my blog book tour, answering general customer service or informational type e-mails, setting up products for e-commerce
- Scheduling – I try and do most of it online through tungle.me
- I’ve outsourced in the past: copy editing, copywriting, proofreading, and brand consulting
- Cleaning my house!
How did you determine what to outsource and how did you do that?
I look at all of the things on my plate and figure out what:
- I’m not that good at
- Requires expert guidance
- Drives me crazy, pisses me off, and/or makes me go-cross-eyed
- I’m decent at but it takes me way too long and my time could be better used elsewhere.
Do you have any tips for surrounding yourself with a great team?
Always be on the look out for great people. Even if you’re not ready to hire someone yet, ask for referrals. That way you’re not choosing someone out of desperation at the last minute (I’ve been there, it didn’t turn out well).
Interview at least three people until you find the right fit.
The more great people you surround yourself with the more they’ll help connect you with other great people (they seem to hang around each other!). And do your part in connecting great people with each other. It’s just good karma.
What aspect of your business are you most passionate about? What’s the best part of your job?
Coming up with and implementing new creative ideas and projects and seeing them have a positive impact in people’s lives. Working directly with my perfect customers – people who are already successful and who are highly committed to taking their life and business to their next level. It’s so rewarding and fulfilling to see them reaching their dreams.
When it comes to creating business plans, what is the most common obstacle entrepreneurs seem to have?
The most common problem is that they actually don’t have a business plan or if they do, they haven’t looked at it in ages.
The most challenging part of your business is….?
Finding enough time to do all of the things I want to do!
If you could give yourself some words of advice 5 years ago, what would it be?
Well, 5 years ago this June was when I left my corporate job so I would say to keep trusting myself and moving forward. And don’t go it alone!
What’s the first step an aspiring entrepreneur should take to make a living doing what she craves?
I’d say the first step is to start talking to positive, supportive people about what you want to be doing. Even if your idea isn’t fully formed yet, the more you put you and your idea out there, the more momentum you’ll gain and connections you’ll make. Plus you’ll start holding yourself accountable to actions you need to do to make your idea real.
What are three things you crave?
- Creative white space
- Afternoon naps
- A personal gourmet chef who also does dishes!
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Jennifer Lee, the founder of Artizen Coaching and author of The Right-Brain Business Plan, spent a decade climbing the corporate ladder before pursuing her creative dreams. Through her popular workshops, coaching practice, and writing, she empowers others to follow their passions. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Melody: Why The One-Hat Woman Always Wins
This is a subject I wish I would have understood 20 years ago. It’s something I certainly wish I could have told my younger business self. For some reason I thought I had to wear all the hats. Be the visionary, bookkeeper, HR manager, general manager, designer, networker, shipping expert, master of inventory, negotiator, signer of contracts, salesperson, marketing director, janitor (well I never really did that, but was in charge that it got done), writer, event coordinator and on and on. Was I a control freak or just STUPID?
When I started the CRAVE company I reinvented my life and decided to do everything the “opposite” way, starting with outsourcing almost EVERYTHING. I wanted to run my company on my laptop from anywhere in the world so outsourcing was really the only way to go. I now embrace the fact that I am the crazy entrepreneurial visionary. I need to spend most of my time dreaming up the next move or I won’t have a company to run. All the other stuff…bookkeeping, marketing, writing, new team members and sales are ALL outsourced. There are many talented people who do all these things really well, way better than me. Phew that felt good.
I am excited to announce that I’ve finished my book, CRAVING SUCCESS. Another new experience for me. Over the last 18 months I wrote down the stories of the 20+ businesses I have started, with the mistakes made and lessons learned. Now, I admit that writing is not my forte. I can barely speak the English language properly, let alone write in proper grammar. But I couldn’t outsource this one…. or could I? I forced myself to write one chapter a night (around midnight) for awhile then put it away for a few months. It was weighing on me to finish, so I rounded up some girlfriends and talked them into going on a retreat to a beach house for a few days to focus on getting projects done. I did finish that weekend, but in reality that was just the start.
My outsourcing began by reaching out to Sally Reavis, who became my writing/editing guru and co-author. She worked on the manuscript and me for the next 6 months to flesh everything out. Then came design (which I LOVE and always know what I want), but I couldn’t design myself out of a paperbag. My good friend and walking buddy, Bridget Perez from Tray Creative, was excited to design the front cover, and I got one of my fabulous CRAVE designers, Alison Turner, to crank out the interior. My photographer husband pulled all the pictures together and my other designer, Amanda Buzard, turned them into a something cohesive. I was running out of time with the deadline I’d set, so I called the company that prints our CRAVE books and begged for press time and a really good deal for a full color book. I also asked some smart friends to read the manuscript for use-ability, got the copy editor involved, and (finally!) last week we went to print.
I loved every minute of this project and KNOW it takes a team to pull everything off. I love to set crazy deadlines and power through to get it done. The way I figure it…if you don’t have a deadline you will never get it done. If you don’t outsource the stuff you don’t like or are not that good at…you will never get it done.
What do you need to outsource?
Outsource Weakness & Embrace Strength
Can you identify your strengths? What about your weaknesses? This month, CRAVE wants to help you capitalize on what you do best with a valuable lesson learned by our founder, Melody Biringer, over many years and many businesses.
An important part of staying at the top of your game (and CRAVE’s focus for the month of March) is to ONLY do what you do best and to outsource your weaknesses to people who actually excel at them. Bookkeeping, web development, and graphic design are prime examples of tasks you’re better off delegating to pros if you’re not one yourself.
We know this is scary! Knowing where to go and who to trust can be difficult, but this month’s material strives to ease the fear and discomfort and get you pumped about focusing on your passion! Get ready to embrace your strengths and do more of what you crave!
Five Focal Points To Simplify Your Biz
Being a business owner means that you perform a multitude of roles. And often it seems like there’s always more to do than there is time.
But there are ways you can keep things as simple as possible and reduce the amount of time and energy you spend running your business.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). Well, let’s leave off that last word and just focus on keeping it simple. Here are five areas of your business you can simplify starting today:
1. Your Business Model
Your business model is the foundation of your business, how it makes money. If you’re offering too many products and services or if your products and services are not logically connected to a central theme, then you’re going to struggle.
Take a close look at your most profitable revenue streams (more on how to do that here) and only focus on promoting the ones that are most profitable.
You may discover that there are products and services that aren’t making you money (or that don’t fit with your focus) that you can simply stop offering. To find out if your business model is healthy read this.
2. Your Time
You get to choose how you spend your time. You can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to all of the opportunities available to you.
For many of us it seems crazy to say ‘no’ to something that could be good for the business. But if you’re extremely clear about your focus, you can easily see which options are the best use of your time and will know which ones to say ‘no’ to.
For more information about how saying ‘no’ can grow your business check out this article.
3. Your Marketing
Mediocre marketing done consistently beats ‘stop and start’ marketing that’s done randomly every single time. Analyze your marketing efforts and find out which of your marketing strategies are the most effective.
Once you know that, focus only on the strategies that work and drop the rest. Having a few successful marketing strategies that are done consistently can work wonders for your business.
4. Tasks you don’t like or aren’t good at doing
Outsourcing and delegating are fabulous ways to simplify your business. Think about thinks like: administration, technical tasks, accounting, and taxes.
By hiring someone to do these tasks for you, you will have more time to focus on higher value activities and the things you love to do.
5. Your Life
I’m guessing you started your business because you are passionate about what you do and you wanted the freedom to create a business that supports your life. If your business is running your life, it’s time to turn that around.
It’s critical that you make time for yourself to do the things that give you energy and allow you to recharge your batteries. If you don’t do this you are actually putting your business in jeopardy.
So although it may seem counterintuitive, and you may feel like you don’t have time to spend on yourself, the truth is you can’t afford not to.
Make the decision to keep it simple in your business and change the way you’re currently doing things. By applying the KISS principle, you’ll have more time, less stress, and more money in your bank account.
This post was written for the CRAVE company by marketing coach Stephanie Ward of Firefly Coaching.
Pucker Up and Get Ready to KISS
Pucker up everybody, it’s time to KISS. In other words – keep it simple, stupid! This month, CRAVE is focusing on the best ways to un-complicate your business.
There are so many companies out there that have a single focus – cupcakes, edgy haircuts, handmade greeting cards, you get the idea – and they are successful because they have perfected their craft and don’t let extraneous or unnecessary “stuff” take away from what they’re truly best at.
Throughout February, we are going to hear from women business owners from many industries and locations on their strategies for KISS-ing. We hope you’ll stay tuned – there’s lots of juicy advice coming your way! You’ll learn what works, what doesn’t, and why you need to KISS from these impressive entreprenesses.
Get the low down on how to keep it simple as our experts indulge you with valuable tips about how they manage to keep their business models and their lives operating with sweet, sweet simplicity.
Top 5 Metabolism Boosting Foods
We all know exercise plays a large role in how efficiently our bodies burn calories. But did you know that food impacts your metabolism as well? In fact, there are a number of delicious foods that not only bump up your metabolism to influence weight loss but also help create sustained energy throughout the day. Who could say no to that? The only caveat is that these metabolism boosting foods are not found in a box, package or plastic wrap. That’s right…they are real, whole foods that need a little tender love and care (i.e. cooking) before you put them in your mouth. Here are the most fantastic fat burning foods and a few inspirational tips to make them unbelievably tasty.
Dark Leafy Greens- Kale, Collard Greens, Bok Choy, Broccoli, and Swiss Chard are all amazing metabolism-boosting foods that many of us forget to eat. Ideally we should eat these vitamin-loaded greens twice a day. That’s right…twice! Sauté kale with garlic and olive oil for a delicious side dish. Quickly steam broccoli and toss with sesame oil, lemon and tamari for a taste of heaven or cookcollard greens with chopped sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Yum!
Daikon- A long white radish, daikon is best pickled, grated into salads or throw into a rich beef stew to soak up all the amazing juices. For a quick pickle, chop daikon and sprinkle it with salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes then drain the excess water. Toss with pepper and sesame oil and you are good to go!
Radish- Their innately spicy crunch makes radishes the ideal food to take your metabolism to the next level. Eat them with hummus or eggplant spread for an easy snack or throw them in a salad with avocado, orange and mint. A perfect combination!
Shiitake Mushrooms- Shittake mushrooms not only aid metabolism but also bolster the immune system and clear the body of excess mucus. Simply chop the mushrooms and sauté with onions, carrots, broccoli and olive oil for a satisfying stir-fry. Add them to soups for an added bit of texture, or slice and bake with red onions and garbanzo beans for a delicious protein-rich dish.
Onions, Garlic, Scallions and Leeks- If you don’t already cook with these, I don’t know what to say! Honestly though, onions, garlic and their cousins scallions and leeks are some of the healthiest, inflammation-reducing, calorie-burning foods on the planet. How to use them? Put them in everything! Try a red onion frittata and throw freshly chopped scallions into your salads or on top of your sautéed kale. Leeks add a hearty sweetness to soup or are perfect caramelized and thrown on top of baked potatoes. And as for garlic, well…think of garlic as onion’s twin. The two shall never part. If you are worried about becoming “fragrant” after eating these lovely alliums, don’t worry. Just make sure everyone else around you eats them too. Enjoy!
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Jamie G. Dougherty is the owner and founder of JAMIE|LIVING, Health and Lifestyle Coaching. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Coach with a private and corporate practice that offers assistance nationwide. She is passionate about deliciously healthy food and specializes in helping her clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition and self-care.
To get more great health info and recipes become a JAMIE LIVING Facebook Fan, read the JAMIE LIVING blog or follow her on Twitter.
Add More ~ing To Your Life
In her debut book, Add More ~ing To Your Life, motivational speaker and life coach Gabrielle Bernstein takes readers on a fun and fulfilling journey to happiness in 30 days. She promotes writing, meditation, and movement as ways to combat ego and release romantic illusions. For every goal in her book, she lays out an Equation with multiple steps packed with reflection and perspective. Some of her unique blues-blasting concepts include compiling a Compassion List, creating a Personal-Shift Statement, and ceasing to Future Trip. By the end of the book she’s created an arsenal of happiness-promoting exercises to conquer negative thinking and create personal change. Read on to learn more about this gifted guru and what she craves.
What is your motto, slogan, or theme song?
Expect Miracles
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I was ever given was from my mother when she told me that meditation would guide me to serenity.
In a past life you were…
A preacher in South America.
How do you get ready to write?
I clean my desk. Then I meditate. Following my meditation I write an outline. I’m a mess without an outline. I turn off my phone and I unplug the Internet. Then I start writing.
What’s a place that inspires you and why?
The place where I’m most inspired is in Abadiania Brazil. I travel to Abadiania, the home of psychic surgeon and spiritual healer John of God. When I am in Brazil with John of God and his team of mediums I feel my strongest sense of inspiration.
What makes you feel most CRAVE – able?
My authenticity. What you see is what you get.
What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?
I feel deeply connected to helping people overcome addiction and more specifically the issue of teenage suicide due to prescription drugs. I am a recovering drug addict and I am very transparent about my sobriety in order to help others recover. I plan to write a book on overcoming addiction in all areas of life.
What makes you laugh so hard you cry?
So many things. I don’t know where to begin…
In 10 years you want to be…
In 10 years I plan to be known as the messenger for happiness for the next generation. I will have a television show and several published books. I will be a mother and dwell in New York City and in a warm weather climate.
Describe yourself in 5 words.
I am spirited, loquacious, alive, connected, love
* This publication was sent to the CRAVEcompany for review
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