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BONUS Post: The 3 I’s to a KISS Marketing Plan

February 28, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

It happens to the best of us when it comes to business. Sometimes we over think and over analyze situations, issues and courses of action. I can remember wasting my time, a full three weeks to be exact, trying to find the very best planner and organizational system. I’m extremely organized. However, I was sure that another organizational method, another way of plotting out my day, could result in even more efficient use of my time. I asked other women how they kept track of their days, downloaded different templates and experimented with different organizational calendars. Yes, seriously.

A really good friend of mine (who ignored all of my reasoning and research) finally told me, “Just pick one already.” I was making a rather simple task which basically equated to picking a calendar, become this huge ordeal. I just needed to apply some KISS, keep it simple sister, and keep it moving already! (By the way, I stuck with a simple, vertically lined day calendar in print as a back-up to my online calendar.)

The same mulling over and contemplation happens when it comes to drumming up some press for yourself. Indeed, typically the more interesting and creative your story, the better. Sometimes though, in our quest for uniqueness, we can become a little unnecessarily flamboyant. While fun and super entertaining, you don’t always need a Lady Gaga-style PR stunt (a la birthing your way out of an egg) to generate publicity for your business. Start with some basics: inform, inspire and include.

Inform

What is your product and/or service and why did you develop it? Could it be as simple as you were looking for a special organizer that [insert feature], and when you couldn’t find one, you created your own? Maybe your business offering makes life easier, saves time or helps us to become enlightened. These are all reasons that are press-worthy and it is the media’s job to “inform” the public. Find out what key piece of information your business shares with the world.

Inspire

Has something cool happened in your business? Or maybe to you, the business owner? The launch of your business or longevity can be an inspiration to others. With all of the bad news in the media (world chaos, crime, tragedies, etc.), people like to read and watch those uplifting stories, those that bring a little bit of hope and joy. Perhaps your clients are sharing how your product/service has helped them or changed their lives. Take those quotes and add them to a testimonials page on your website, share them on your Facebook wall or plug them into a press release.

Include

Do you have a unique partnership within your business? Are you active in the community and donating your product/services to others? If you’re incorporating your business into the day-to-day lives of others, perhaps you have a story to share. Or maybe you’re including the community into your business, providing jobs or launching a new program that helps at-risk teens or offers part-time stay-at-home moms a flexible schedule.

Occasionally going back to the basics and looking at the simple aspects of your business, you will find a story that is worth sharing with the world. So remember to just keep it simple, sister…sweetheart…sexy…smarty pants…silly chick. Whatever you prefer to sign off your last “s” with, seal it with a kiss and keep it seriously simple.

Nancy Vaughn is the principal, PR & Marketing Director at White Book Agency, a public relations, marketing and special events firm providing cost-effective communication strategies for entrepreneurs and businesses across the country.

Five Super Simple Steps To Professional and Personal Balance

February 28, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

Don’t over extend yourself. The number one way to KISS is to know your limits. This starts with knowing exactly how much you can handle and when to say no. As a business owner, you may become easily tempted by new projects and partnerships, and end up taking on more than you can handle. Beware! This can be detrimental to you, personally, and the business. This rule translates into your personal life as well. Being a social butterfly and budding entrepreneuress, you may feel compelled to accept every invite. Saying yes to everything only leaves you looking and feeling like a big NO- tired, worn out and stressed.

Establish your priorities at the outset of the week. At least once a week, a friend or relative asks me, “Did you get all of your work done?” My answer to that is always the same- no! It is practically impossible to get it ALL done. What I can do, however, is finish what matters. At the beginning of each week, I write a list of priority tasks. Each day, I assign myself two or three to-do’s from that list. By Friday, I can kick back and relax, knowing that I completed the work that was the most important.

Schedule time for YOU. We often make the mistake of viewing “me time” as optional. Taking a break from it all and “doing you” is just as important as all that other stuff you manage to squeeze into your busy schedule. Sometimes I feel guilty if I spend an entire afternoon just relaxing. The reality is that, we cannot be effective business leader (or anything else for that matter) if we are worn out. Keep It Simple Stupid, and just rest!

Keep all of your appointments and activities on one calendar. Some people prefer to maintain separate work and personal calendars (if they maintain a calendar at all). Why manage multiple calendars and then risk forgetting to check one or the other? I am a fan of Google Calendars because it allows me to keep separate project calendars but then view them all at once. I calendar deadlines, meetings, appointments, and even brunch with the girls. Google Calendars gives me a complete picture of what my entire schedule looks like, instead of just a snapshot of it.

Keep a Positive Inner Circle. Nothing hinders productivity and progress like drama and negativity. Only keep those close to you who share in your ambition to be great. Generally people who are motivated and possess positive energy, will deflect that same energy your way. This concept may seem a bit abstract when it comes to KISS’ing, but trust me. When you are trying to balance what sometimes feels like the impossible, your support system, or lack thereof, makes a huge difference.

Patrice N. Perkins is the founder and editor of My Lifestyle ZEN, a Chicago-based blog for working professionals and entrepreneurs who value quality of life. You can visit Patrice’s website here: http://www.mylifestylezen.com/

5 Simple Ways to Build Your LIST

February 25, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

When I launched my creative career coaching business last year, I fumbled with how and where to spend time, to build my list.

Then, I went to a couple of Internet Marketing conferences and began mixing with some real pros at list-building and generating traffic for your Web site.

The *Gurus* were unanimous in what it really took to build a list. If you focus on these key areas, you can KISS your way to LISTBUILDING and stop fumbling in the dark.

Of course, none of this works if you don’t have an autoresponder and a way to capture unique visitors’ name and email addresses (by permission) already set up on your Web site. Offer a FREE compelling signature product that your visitor can’t do without, in exchange for getting their contact info.

Comments on Forums and Blogs — By commenting on forums and to blogs, you engage in your community of likely buyers. The key is, engage with heart and with truth. You include your Web site underneath your name in all posts, and if people like what you have to say, they’ll click through.

eBook Giveaways — Once you write your fabulous book, you might be thinking of pricing it and trying to sell it. Unless you have a surefire way of driving eyeballs to your digital book, do the simple thing, and give your book away FREE. You have to do a little research on best places to post your eBook link, but try giving the link away at the end of your guest-posts. Be sure to require an email sign up to your list in return for the FREE book. And, be sure to include your name and web site in all pages of the eBook so people can click through to your home site.

eZineArticles – This article site is search engine optimized and its articles come up often in Google keyword searches. Start posting your original content here, and people who like what you have to say will click through to, what else? Your Web site.

Guest Posting - Guest posting is about leverage. If I guest post on YOUR site, then someone who normally goes to YOUR site, and who likes my post, will click through to MINE. And old-hat trick that does wonders for list-building. Don’t worry in the beginning on how many readers the site has. Just put your best stuff up there and please their readers!

Embed Videos – Hey, these don’t have to be YOUR original videos. Just start embedding public-domain videos than can go viral or already have gone viral or are just plain cool, in your blog posts and in your newsletters, whatever. People will start spreading the video, and clicking back through to your site, which is embedded in the blog or newsletter along with the video. Instant listbuilding!

Jillian J Davis runs JoyBirds, a creative career strategy business based in Boston, Mass. Jilian helps people find their JEWEL and launch their life’s work. You can find more about her at jillianjdavis.com.

Keeping it Simple (using) Social (Media)

February 23, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (1)

I routinely receive the following question at my Social Media seminars: ”How much time should I be dedicating to Social Media?”. My answer is “Marketing time is marketing time”.

Every business requires a certain amount of marketing time dedicated to
promoting your business. With Social Media, your business has the opportunity to reach a qualified, targeted audience who is *actively* interested in your product or service.

PUNCH!media’s top 5 tips on keeping social media simple:

1) Start strategic. Decide what your objectives are first.

If you aren’t using Social Media to promote your business, consider
starting with the platform where you have the best chance to connect with
your target audience. (Hubspot has an amazing chart in their “State of
Inbound Marketing 2010″ report found at http://bit.ly/eTUl4m)

Find out where your audience is and connect with them there.

2) Dedicate a minimum of 20 minutes daily to logging on to your Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs etc).

*Spend time listening to your audience: what are they saying or not saying?
*Spend time looking at what your competitors are doing.
*Spend time researching Best Practices and Case Studies on who is making
the most of their Social Media accounts.
*Respond to comments. Simply saying “thank you” is a great way of
acknowledging their feedback and developing a relationship.

3) Create an editorial calendar of all your upcoming status updates and blog posts. To showcase your business as experts, stay top-of-mind by:

*Talking about upcoming trends before the season hits.
*Generating conversations using open ended questions.
*Answering frequently asked questions
*Providing relevant, timely tips.

4) Publish once, distribute to many.

One message can be shared to various audiences: Blogging, Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn.

I don’t recommend using aggregator tools to publish to all your platforms
at once. Automatic URL shorteners can send your readers on a wild goose chase for content.

Instead, create a short status update with a compelling call-to-action and
whenever possible, tailor it to that specific Social Media site.

5) Routinely search for who is talking and what’s being said about your business outside of your Social Media accounts using tools such as:

*Twitter: http://search.twitter.com/advanced
*http://www.socialmention.com/
*http://www.google.com/alerts
*http://bit.ly – to see how many people click on your shortened link

Remember to manage your time wisely. Social Media can be a “rabbit hole”
for your time. Remind yourself to stick to your strategy and objectives.
If necessary, use a timer to keep you on track.

Do you have any of your own tips to share? What keeps your Social Media
marketing simple?

Leslie Hughes is the principal of Ontario-based PR and Social Media Marketing firm, PUNCH!media. Visit her website here.

Keeping it Simple (using) Social (Media)

February 23, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

I routinely receive the following question at my Social Media seminars: ”How much time should I be dedicating to Social Media?”. My answer is “Marketing time is marketing time“.

PUNCH!media’s top 5 tips on keeping social media simple:

1) Start strategic. Decide what your objectives are first.

Find out where your audience is and connect with them there.

2) Dedicate a minimum of 20 minutes daily to logging on to your Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs etc).

3) Create an editorial calendar of all your upcoming status updates and blog posts. To showcase your business as experts, stay top-of-mind by:

*Talking about upcoming trends before the season hits.
*Generating conversations using open ended questions.
*Answering frequently asked questions
*Providing relevant, timely tips.

4) Publish once, distribute to many.

One message can be shared to various audiences: Blogging, Facebook,
Twitter, LinkedIn.

I don’t recommend using aggregator tools to publish to all your platforms
at once. Automatic URL shorteners can send your readers on a wild goose chase for content.

Instead, create a short status update with a compelling call-to-action and
whenever possible, tailor it to that specific Social Media site.

5) Routinely search for who is talking and what’s being said about your business outside of your Social Media accounts using tools such as:

*Twitter: http://search.twitter.com/advanced
*http://www.socialmention.com/
*http://www.google.com/alerts
*http://bit.ly – to see how many people click on your shortened link

Remember to manage your time wisely. Social Media can be a “rabbit hole”
for your time. Remind yourself to stick to your strategy and objectives.
If necessary, use a timer to keep you on track.

Do you have any of your own tips to share? What keeps your Social Media
marketing simple?

Leslie Hughes is the principal of Ontario-based PR and Social Media Marketing firm, PUNCH!media. Visit her website here.

Three Entrepreneurs KISS and Tell

February 21, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

There’s a kissing epidemic spreading. And it’s officially hit Seattle.

However, before you start conjuring up salacious images of smooching Seattleites, allow me to clarify.

On Monday, February 7th at the ultra-chic (ultra pink) pnk Restaurant & Ultra Lounge at Pacific Place Center, CRAVE hosted a business chat that covered the topic of KISS (“Keep it Simple, Stupid!”) as it applies to running a successful company or service. In business (as in life), many of us burn the candle at both ends. We tell ourselves that one great business idea simply doesn’t cut it in today’s competitive market and that, in order to stand out, we need to commit ourselves to coming up with five, ten, or twenty great ideas. Which begs the question: who do we think we are…Oprah? Don’t get me wrong. I love Oprah. But unless your career objective is to become the next diva of daytime television while saving the world and giving away cars for kicks, chances are you’re just as overworked and overwhelmed as 99% of the other people out there trying to make a name for themselves in business. Which is where KISS comes in.

“Keep it Simple, Stupid!” is the professional motto of three Seattle kissing experts: Jen Mueller (of Talk Sporty to Me), Lisa Francoise (of Sweet Beauty), and Carrie Middlemiss (of Bella Cupcake Couture). These women, along with moderator Nicole Donnelly of Salty Waffle, made up CRAVE’s KISS panel in a conversation that had everyone—from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned corporate professionals—positively buzzing in their boots (I use the term “boots,” intentionally, as there was some seriously enviable footwear in the room.)

Sporting some of this footwear—and a voice fit for stadiums—was Jen Mueller. Mueller, a radio reporter for the Seattle Seahawks, created Talk Sporty to Me with a simple goal mind: to teach people how to be confident speakers. As a self-professed “expert talker,” Mueller employs her gift of gab to help everyone from awkward daters to people who want to carry their own in sports conversations. It’s a singular focus that requires stellar commitment. Mueller starts her day when most of us are still in the REM stage of sleep, often doesn’t get home until 10pm, and keeps things “old school,” with a paper calendar to schedule her week. Clearly, she’s more than just a pretty talk jock. “If I can get something done in a week, I’ll do it myself,” she told the CRAVE crowd. “If I can’t do something in a week, I’ll get someone to help.” This notion—that sometimes our best investment is recruiting others to help us—is often overlooked by entrepreneurs who would rather do everything themselves in the name of perfection. “[Your business] is never going to be perfect,” Mueller stated. She contends that—along with keeping things simple—“making connections,” and “getting traction,” are the most important ingredients for business success.

Seconding this notion that perfection is overrated was Lisa Francoise of Sweet Beauty. Francoise reminded the audience that, “good enough is still good” when it comes to kickstarting a business idea. Not that Francoise knows anything about “good.” The woman makes edible spa products for a living so “heavenly” is really the term that comes to mind. Francoise follows the KISS model by keeping a singular focus (in this case, organic chocolate spa treatments.) Francoise joked that while she doesn’t always have fun whipping up “gallons and gallons of body frosting,” she knows that others will be having fun later (did I mention the woman’s sense of humor is as potent as her products?) Francoise, a certified esthetician with a knack for storytelling, had three pieces of advice for the group: 1: “stick to a business plan,” 2: “stick with your budget,” and 3: “don’t get distracted by shiny objects”—a lesson she learned the hard way when she agreed to make spa products for hotels and other companies (at the expense of her own.) Francoise now trusts her own instincts when deciding what projects are and aren’t worth taking on. While the path to sweet, chocolatey success wasn’t always easy, she contends that her hard work pays off when someone, somewhere, can take four minutes out of their otherwise hectic day to pamper themselves. And let’s be honest: couldn’t we all use those four minutes?

Capping off the KISS talk was Carrie Middlemiss whose business idea was born when her friend complained of “greasy” cupcake wrappers. 20,000 pretty cupcake wrappers later, Middlemiss had the solution to her friend’s problem. Middlemiss now runs Bella Cupcake Couture which she playfully describes as a company that makes “pretty dresses” for cupcakes. Middlemiss, who worked for WAMU for 18 years, is proof that one great business idea is all you need to find satisfaction and fulfillment: “I stay focused on helping people make great parties,” she told the group. Her two pieces of advice? Protect your brand with trademarks and find balance between work and play. She learned this lesson when her husband asked her to stop bringing her laptop to bed (she hasn’t done it since.) To ensure that her time isn’t monopolized with wrapper design, customer orders, and blogging, Middlemiss actually schedules “no work” time blocks during her week. Like Mueller and Francoise, Middlemiss is passionate about her business, but understands that taking a break is necessary for both success and sanity.

Among all three women, there was consensus that social media outreach—whether through Facebook, Twitter, blogging, or a combination of the three—is an important aspect of creating (and maintaining) a successful business. Whether you’re selling conversation, chocolate spa products, cupcake wrappers, or something altogether different, the ultimate goal remains the same: to make a connection with your customer. By keeping their business plans simple—and accepting that one great idea holds even more potential than ten great ideas—all three of these women have had the time to nurture the connections that keep their customers coming back for more.

There’s a kissing epidemic spreading. And it’s officially hit Seattle.

However, before you start conjuring up salacious images of smooching Seattleites, allow me to clarify.

On Monday, February 7th at the ultra-chic (ultra pink) PNK Lounge at Pacific Place Center, CRAVE hosted a business chat that covered the topic of KISS (“Keep it Simple, Stupid!”) as it applies to running a successful company or service. In business (as in life), many of us burn the candle at both ends. We tell ourselves that one great business idea simply doesn’t cut it in today’s competitive market and that, in order to stand out, we need to commit ourselves to coming up with five, ten, or twenty great ideas. Which begs the question: who do we think we are…Oprah? Don’t get me wrong. I love Oprah. But unless your career objective is to become the next diva of daytime television while saving the world and giving away cars for kicks, chances are you’re just as overworked and overwhelmed as 99% of the other people out there trying to make a name for themselves in business. Which is where KISS comes in.

“Keep it Simple, Stupid!” is the professional motto of three Seattle kissing experts: Jen Mueller (of Talk Sporty to Me), Lisa Francoise (of Sweet Beauty), and Carrie Middlemiss (of Bella Cupcake Coutoure). These women, along with moderator Nicole Donnelly of Salty Waffle, made up CRAVE’s KISS panel in a conversation that had everyone—from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned corporate professionals—positively buzzing in their boots (I use the term “boots,” intentionally, as there was some seriously enviable footwear in the room.)

This post was written by CRAVE contributor Tara Spicer

Three Zen KISSes: Simple Pathways to Business Bliss

February 18, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

I love my yoga practice. For one hour a week, it’s just me and the mat. I love creating this sacred container where I can simply come back to myself and be fully conscious. I love how yoga makes me feel. Completely in my body, my breath and sensation reminding me I’m alive. And I love how yoga allows me to reach for what I want. Finding the nirvana between overextension and underextension. In just a single hour in the yoga studio, my life grows deeper and richer, more connected and nourished.

In my business, I strive for that same fulfilling experience. Of course, the studio of life is much more demanding and distracting. We often get “off track” and our businesses – and lives – become layered in complexity. Ok, sometimes it can get downright thick and gooey.

Here’s three Zen KISSes. Simple practices that can help you cultivate true nourishment in your business and life.

1. Take it all off. Ever wonder why haute cuisine is served on crisp white plates? Nothing fancy. Just the basics. The beauty and elegance of the food is magnified by simple presentation. How can you strip down your business to the basic elements that give your customer the richest experience? Are your offerings inviting, creating intrigue even, for your customer without feeling overdone? Create curiosity and re-define your business with the organic lure of simplicity.

2. Develop attention. I’m a big fan of The Slow Movement. Paradoxically, in our novelty-ridden, instant gratification seeking, time-starved Western culture, slowing down to cultivate active attention hardly seems possible. But when attention is diffuse, so are results. Rather than skating on the surface of your business and life, where can you immerse deeply with steady, clear attention? By deepening and engaging attention, your experience – and that of your customers – is ultimately more rewarding and fulfilling.

3. Lead with desire. What do you want? Stop for a moment right now. What do you truly want? Desire is the only compass you have. There is an abundance of desire oozing below the surface waiting to be unleashed. It’s just been constrained by what we’ve been told is appropriate or socially acceptable. We are always being lead through life – either by our fear or by our desire. Rather than locking it away or putting it in box, allow the color and vibrancy of desire to shine in your life. Find the sweet spot in your business by being turned on and living your desire. The energy of desire is contagious. And isn’t that what you want anyways – to be a magnet for a thriving business and life?

Jenny Ferry is the creator of Thriveable where she conducts not-so-secret operations as an Agent of Desire. Known for her down-to-earth coaching and visionary thinking, her deepest passion is to help other get what they want in life, business, and relationship. You can find at Thriveable.com

Must-Read: Carol Roth’s The Entrepreneur Equation

February 15, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

If you don’t know the name Carol Roth, CRAVE is hoping that this post will help you love her as much as we do. Carol has written a new book, The Entrepreneur Equation, to help reverse the failure rates and increase the success rates of entrepreneurs and small business owners like you.

Carol has an impressive background helping entrepreneurs, and she’s also helped companies raise over $1 billion in capital. She knows her stuff, which is why MSNBC, FOX Business and many other business outlets consistently feature Carol’s advice.

Over 90% of new businesses fail (or fail to succeed) within five years, a statistic that would not be acceptable in other arenas of life. And many business owners waste their precious time, money and energy because they don’t know how to evaluate the risks and rewards of being an entrepreneur – and how to stack the odds of business success in their favor. Carol’s book hopes to change that.

In The Entrepreneur Equation, she teaches you how to stack the odds of success in your favor and ultimately decide if business ownership is the best possible path for you, now or ever. Carol helps you understand what it takes to build a valuable business as well as how to assess the risks and rewards of business ownership based on your personal circum¬stances. As a result, you’ll be able to do the math before you set down the entrepreneurial path and answer two important questions: “Could I be an entrepreneur?” and “Should I be an entrepreneur?”.

Through illustrative examples and personalized exercises, tell-it-like-it-is Carol Roth helps you create and evaluate your own personal Entrepreneur Equation as you:

Learn what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in today’s competitive environment
Save money, time, and effort by avoiding business ownership when the time isn’t right for you
Identify and evaluate the risks and rewards of a new business—or even reconsider a current business—based on your goals and circumstances.
Evaluate whether your dreams are best served by a hobby, job, or business
Gain the tools that you need to maximize your business success

This week marks the pre-launch week of The Entrepreneur Equation. For every book you pre-order through Carol’s website, she will donate a book to the national business non-profit SCORE.org.

Inspire to Spread Kindness with Judy Tan of tanQ

February 15, 2011 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)

Judy Tan is a Portland native graphic designer who began her career as a color/graphic designer for apparel and footwear at Nike as well as a branding designer in Columbia Sportswear. After many years working under a corporate lifestyle, she felt her life wasn’t quite fulfilled yet. Judy believed that her talented graphic designs skills could be used in a positive way to impact others. And she did just that, this past September she took a leap of faith and launched her first business, tanQ. Each month, Judy designs a t-shirt for a non-profit organization and donates 100% of profits from the sale of the shirts directly to the organization. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet and chat with Judy Tan and learn about the positive impact tanQ is having on the Portland community. Read on and learn more about her business and how you can spread a simple act of kindness every month!

tanQ is obviously the start of something great for the Portland community, but what are some of the core values behind tanQ?

We want to make a positive impact on the world by fostering hope and encouragement through the use of creative graphic design. Through the use of stimulating graphics, we allow people to promote the causes that are important to them and support them financially. Our goal is to bring people closer together by creating common threads and encouraging individuals to become involved in their communities.

How do you choose which non-profits to support each month?

Each month, tanQ selects a deserving charity to support, combining our efforts with each group’s major fundraising effort whenever possible. For example, last September during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we supported the ‘Candlelighters for Children with Cancer’. During November, the month of Thanksgiving, we worked with the Oregon Food Bank. We partner with each non-profit to promote the sale of their shirt to their community database as well as at art shows and other public events throughout the Portland area. Our shirts are also available online at our website and hope to be in local stores and boutiques very soon. We continue to build our brand awareness through Twitter, Facebook and our blog.

So tell me a little bit about the creative process for you t-shirts designs. What goes into the design of each t-shirt?

We want people to wear the shirt. It’s not just a branded shirt; it’s an expression of the core message of that month’s non-profit organization. So we research to discover the core essence and mission of each non-profit. We then conceptualize a design and a direction to communicate their core message in an eye-catching and appealing way. Each limited edition tanQ t-shirt comes with a greeting card that displays that month’s design, a mini button, and a tag indicating its edition number.

Since the start of TanQ, have you noticed more non-profit organizations wanting to be the t-shirt of the month?

Yes! A lot of local non-profits are now starting to reach out to be a part of tanQ. A lot of the non-profits that I work with don’t have the budget to support creative services. TanQ is a great opportunity to garner more money for their organization in a creative way.

What are some of the setbacks and challenges you’ve had to face with owning your own business?

One of the hardest things I have had to learn since the launch of tanQ is learning how to be the conductor of every aspect of the business. I love to design and would love for that to take up most of my day, but over the past 5 months I have learned the art of time management to keep tanQ running and successful.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

There are so many! I think one rewarding aspect would have to be seeing the successful results of each month’s shirt. It feels good to know that I designed a t-shirt that just helped support a great organization and a good cause. Also, bringing people closer together and encouraging more individuals to be involved in the community and become aware of local organizations is very fulfilling!

Why do you think Portland is a great place for women to start their own business?

Portland is a great place to start your own business because everyone is so supportive of creative new ideas. That support system and energy helps inspire others to start something unique and flavorful on their own.

What advice would you give other women seeking to start their own business?

There are a lot of people that say women can’t do this or can’t do that, but just do it anyways. Ignore the naysayers, do what you believe in and don’t give up!

What does the future hold for tanQ?

We are founded on the belief that kindness is contagious, and that even small, humble acts such as buying and wearing a t-shirt can inspire others to take charitable actions of their own. It is my hope that the humble acts of generosity of tanQ will travel like a wave, washing over thousands of people, nudging them toward happiness and charity, like a ripple effect of kindness.

Contact info

Website: http://tanQ.us
Twitter: @_tanQ
Facebook: tanQ
Email: contact@tanq.us

This post was written for the CRAVE company by Katie Watson.

Simplify Your Business. Simplify Your Life.

February 14, 2011 by CRAVE Blogger | Comments (0)

There comes a time when you have to say enough is enough and repeat this mantra to yourself “I will implement some creative systems that help me look more like Ivana Trump and less like a crazy chimpanzee going nuts.”

To me this visual sums up the two extremes of types of people in business. Those who are cool, calm, collected and organized, and those that are out of control and overwhelmed.

If you’re somewhere in the middle then what’s holding you back from going all the way to being uber efficient and having a business you work on and not in? I’d make a bet that lack of time has a lot to do with it.

Time is the most important asset you have – and unlike money, once you’ve spent it, you can’t earn any more.

So how do you get more of it? Creating systems that work for you, outsourcing strategically and eliminating distractions. Do this and you’ll be amazed at how you can stay focused on the key priorities to propel your business forward.

The smart people do this from day one. The rest of us ignoramuses (also known as control freaks and highly motivated people) tend to think we can do it all ourselves.

Not smart. Nope. If you have no systems – or very few it’s time to get organized. Here’s how:

Create ongoing systems for your biz

Write down everything you’re doing
Pick your top 3 for the week
Decide what each outcome should be
Map out the steps, one by one
Use flowcharts if you’re visual – consider using Smartdraw or Xmind
Make a ‘How to’ video of you actually doing the task if it’s online – use Screenflow or Camtasia
Have team members update it regularly (remember that new virtual team you’ve hired?!)
Keep all your documents in a central location – like DropBox or Boxnet or BackupElf

Set Realistic Expectations

Look at your daily list of things you want to achieve. Put the number of uninterrupted hours needed to complete each one next to it. You’ll likely find you’ve not got enough hours in the day to make this work.

When this is the case you need to outsource, delegate or shift them to the following week. A handy tool to use is TeuxDeux.com that is a free simple and easy to use `To Do List’ tool that shifts your items to the following day for you and allows you to see what’s clearly unimportant.

Eliminate Non-Critical Distractions

Oh yes we all have these. Keeping your inbox open and immediately replying to non-important emails, getting lost reading news feeds on Facebook and Twitter updates and flicking between several browers to read blogs and latest articles.

Instead ask yourself: Is this of benefit to my business? Will it make me money? Is this a key customer? Can I help them in anyway that will benefit us both? If the answer is no, then hit DELETE, don’t make that call or shut down that browser or don’t schedule that meeting. Remember your time is precious.

What’s one action you will take this week to simplify your business and simplify your life?

Natalie Sisson is a Kiwi Entrepreneur and Adventure. She finds creative ways to run your business from anywhere using online tools, social media and outsourcing. She’s passionate about getting more women to create freedom in business and adventure in life and blogs about it at The Suitcase Entrepreneur.

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