Vickie Champion

"I inspire and strengthen lives one thought at a time."

7 Not-so-Obvious Reasons to Build a Team

Whether you are a home-based business owner or a working mom we tend to think it’s easier if we do it ourselves. Not so. Hiring a team helps in so many ways. Here are a few.

We…

1   Can get rid of things we don’t like to do and add more of things we do like to do.

2   Build our self-esteem by changing our thoughts and perceptions instead of relying on the number of tasks we do.

3   Value sharing the experience with others.

4   Have more energy.

5   Feel a closeness or kinship with others.

6   No longer have problems with managing our time.

7   Believe that two heads are better than one.

Doing it all yourself is not a virtue if it cuts away at what you truly love to do, your health or your energy. Once you choose to share the burden, the burden disappears and your work and your life becomes a joy.

If you need advice with building a team, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery consultation & coaching session!

 

7 Hard Facts About Being an Entrepreneur

I just read the article “The 11 Harsh Realities of Being an Entrepreneur.” Some points in the downright depressing blog I agree with. Some I don’t. And, at other times, the “harsh realities” of being a small business owner has more to do with perspective.

 

Here are my Facts About Being an Entrepreneur…

1   It never turns out like you think it will.  

2   Everything takes a least twice as long to complete.

3   You can’t do it all yourself. You need a team, even if you are a home-based business owner.

4   There is no such thing as an overnight success.

5   You will make many mistakes.

6   Change happens constantly.

7   By the time it is perfected, it’s out dated.

 

Some people aren’t cut out to be a small business owner; others won’t know deep satisfaction, regardless of what is deemed success unless they are. Know yourself and you’ll have a better handle on whether the entrepreneurial career is the right one for you.

 

If you need help with your small business, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

Why it’s Important to Stay in the Moment Running a Small Business

Decades ago, a wise teacher in Inglewood, CA told me that most small businesses fail because they don’t take one day at a time. They either get so afraid about what’s going to happen in the future or depressed about opportunities not taken in the past.

One of the ways to get rid of the FEAR of being an entrepreneur is to keep your mind focused only on today.

If you need help staying in the moment, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

How to Get Excited About Improving Your Website?

A common problem with home based businesses is that they procrastinate adding to and improving their website. “I can’t get motivated to change my website content. I much rather do Facebook,” said one of my coaching clients from Long Beach, CA.

Usually, their websites are boring so they can’t get themselves to do it. Here is a hint: If it’s boring for you to work on, it’s boring for the reader. Times have changed. What use to attract clients isn’t attracting that many clients any longer.

Make your website fun and fun to work on. Get rid of the marketing fluff. You know, the paragraphs of hard to read nonsense with no interesting content. Replace those cold stock photo’s with real life ones.

To make your website more exciting to work on, treat it like a piece of creative artwork. You’ll be motivated to keep improving it and attract a lot more clients.

 

If you need help getting excited about improving your website, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

 

Signs We Are Releasing the Fear of Attending Networking Events

Now that you know how to get rid of the fear of networking events, here is the  surefire evidence it’s working.
When we find ourselves…

  • Having fun.
  • Smiling or laughing.
  • Asking questions and actually listening to the answers.
  • Arriving early and leaving last.
  • Approaching strangers.
  • Giving compliments.
  • Feeling a connection with a person before swapping business cards.
  • Either during the event or looking back at it, having moments of appreciation.

In Conclusion
Remember, with networking events or any event in life, the real enemy is the fear. To release it, all we have to do is be aware of when we’re afraid, know the choice to stay in it is up to us and then to decide to let it go. Then pay attention to the results.

If you need more advice or tips about attending networking events, Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

6 Ways to Get Out of the Fear of Attending Networking Events

Don’t get yourself out of sorts and in a wreck about networking. Below are suggestions and advice I share with my business coaching and consulting clients to release the fear and get them results. Whether you use one, two or all of them, won’t matter because you’ll start seeing the results immediately.

Here are the Ways to Release the Fear of Attending Networking Events…

1. Fear is a Choice.
The easiest way to get out of fear is just by recognizing we have fear and knowing we have a choice whether we want to release or keep it. Then decide to let it go. Just say it’s over.

2. Know we Avoid What we are Afraid of.
The tendency is to stay stuck in our same beliefs about networking events, skip out early or no longer attend them. The problem with avoiding what we are afraid of is that we never overcome the fear.
To overcome the fear we need to do it anyway. Do it in spite of the fear. I tell myself, “No matter what happens or what excuses I have, I’m still doing it,” whether it’s walking over to a stranger and introducing myself or staying until an event is over.

3. Stop Judging.
Things we could judge about the networking event…

  • The event itself…    Maybe it’s how many people are attending, the location, the room setup, the activities, the time or day, the temperature, or the cost.
  • Others…    We might judge what others have said, what they did, or how they look.
  • Ourselves…    If we have fear a large portion of our judging is focused on ourselves. Perhaps it is how we look, what we said or did, and even our attitude.

Whether we realize it or not, if we just stopped judging the fear would subside.

4. Change the “Purpose” in Your Mind of Attending the Event.
Instead of making the “purpose” to get something from the event, make the “purpose” to give something. This means we shift the purpose from “What’s in it for me?” to “How can I make a contribution to this event?”

  What would be some things we could “give” at an event? 

  • Cooperation with the facilitator
  • Compliments
  • A smile
  • A listening ear
  • Motivation or support to others
  • Our time to volunteer
  • Our attention to people who are alone to make them feel welcome

5. Do Affirmations.
This means we exchange a negative thought for a positive thought.
Some examples of affirmations…

  • There is nothing to fear, even this event.
  • I can fail at nothing including this event.
  • I am loving and lovable all the time.
  • I bond with everyone I meet.
  • I will judge nothing that occurs during this event.

6. Stay in the Moment
When we are afraid of networking events we are either worrying about the impact it will have on the future or we are remembering what happened at past events.

If you have more questions about networking events and speaking to strangers, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

What is so Fearful About Networking Events?

Because you need more customers, you sign up to attend a networking event. You’re running just a little late. You check the mirror one last time to make sure there’s nothing between your teeth. You have your stash of business cards. Once inside you grab your drink. You take a sip and then you proceed to stare at the bottom of the glass like it’s the most fascinating work of art you’ve ever seen. When someone finally tears you away to mingle, it’s with the people you know already. And then, thankfully, it’s OK to slip out without it being too awkward. Whew!

Later you wonder: Why don’t those events ever bring me the results everyone else brags about? What’s making the networking event so painful and is causing the lack of good connections is fear.

What Could We Be Afraid of About Networking Events?

We could be afraid of…

  • Rejection.
  • Approaching new people.
  • Having to say “no.”
  • Not getting any results.
  • Initiating a conversation.
  • Others not liking us.
  • Not knowing what to say.
  • Bumping into competitors.
  • Saying something stupid.
  • Others finding out we’re a fraud.
  • Appearing too pushy.
  • Talking too much.
  • Promoting ourselves.

Why We Have the Power to Rid Ourselves of the Fear
The only thing that makes us fearful about networking events is our beliefs about them. When we change our mindset the fear disappears.

The Advantages of Not Having Fear at Networking Events

We will…

  • Look forward to attending networking events.
  • Find networking events are a good use of our time and worth the money.
  • Have fun.
  • Make really good connections.
  • Realize it’s one of the best ways to build self-esteem in business or with our career.

Want to know how to end this torture? See my next blog on “Ways to Get Out of Fear of Attending Networking Events.”

If you need more advice or tips about networking events and speaking to strangers, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

Take the Fear Out of Networking Events

Is it like pulling teeth to get yourself to a networking event? Do you justify your decision by claiming you’re too busy, you’re not a self-promoter, or it’s a waste of your time? Are you terrified of speaking to strangers?

Maybe you can get yourself to go, but only stay 15 minutes and leave? Or maybe you’re afraid to initiate the conversation, so you find a corner and wait for someone to approach you.

After close observation, I came to the conclusion that the way to not only take the fear out of networking events but to improve the results, lies with the ‘purpose’ of attending the event in the first place. The ‘purpose’ to get something means we put ourselves through two hours of grueling torture with very little rewards. That is, if we don’t sneak out early. But, if our ‘purpose’ is to give, the event is fun and somehow it produces remarkable effects.

Some of the Differences Between “Getting” and “Giving” are:

FILLING OUR NEEDS
When the ‘purpose’ is to get we are actually sending a message that we have been deprived of something. In most cases it’s not having enough customers. In other words, the reason we are attending the networking event is to find someone to save us. Neediness tends to repel, not attract.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ Might be to Get:
• You make sure everyone you meet receives one of your business cards.
• Conversations seldom focus around the other person or their business.

Instead of coming from ‘What’s in it for me?’ when the ‘purpose’ is to give, we come from ‘How can I make a contribution to this networking event?’ This could be accomplished by a variety of methods: showing kindness, motivating others, or it can be as simple as just liking those we meet. Caring attracts.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ is to Give:
• You find yourself asking questions and actually listening to the answers.
• During your conversation you either see a sparkle in the other person’s eye or receive a compliment.

GOING ABOUT IT
We automatically struggle to ‘make it happen’ when our ‘purpose’ is to get something from the networking event. In order to get, we think it’s our responsibility to take the reins, develop a plan and keep perfecting it until we get the results we expect. How we look, what we say and do makes a big difference in the outcome. That’s a lot of pressure.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ Might be to Get:
• During the 30 second commercials, you don’t hear a word anyone else says until your turn is over.
• You find yourself either trying to convince someone or impress them in some way.
Just by the nature of it, when the ‘purpose’ is to give, we are more open and “allow it to happen.” The fear is gone, we’re relaxed, more open and ready to receive. The process of networking is easy and fun.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ is to Give:
• What others think of you is not you’re concern. What’s really important to you is trying to make their day a little better.
• Before you hand out your business card, you feel some sort of a connection with that person.

EMOTIONAL IMPACT
Finally, there is no way we can escape feeling a little beaten down when the ‘purpose’ is to get something from a networking event. Either we’re worn out from the pressure of having to be “on,” take rejection personally, or at times feel like we’re doing something wrong. The recurring theme is that it’s not good enough. No matter how much effort we have put in or what we have accomplished, we still need to improve.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ Might be to Get:
• During the event, you spend almost all of your time talking to people you already know.
• You find yourself judging either the event, others, or yourself.
On the other hand, when the ‘purpose’ is to give, it’s uplifting. We aren’t stressed out, or concerned whether we did this right or that wrong. Somehow, it doesn’t matter much. This results in being confident, motivated and having a feeling it’s impossible to make a mistake.

Indications Your ‘Purpose’ is to Give:
• Either during the event or looking back at it, you have moments of appreciation.
• When the event is over, you feel in some small way you made a contribution.

IN CONCLUSION
To escape the fear of networking events, all we have to do is change our ‘purpose’ for attending it. It’s just that easy. When there is no fear, we have a good time, develop strong relationships, get loads of referrals, and attract quality customers. The bottom-line is, simply changing our ‘purpose’ produces amazing results.
If you need more advice or tips about networking events, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.
By Vickie Champion

The Worst & Best Time to Hire a People Pleaser

The bigger the company, the bigger the range of personalities within it. It usually doesn’t take long to spot the ‘people pleaser.’ They can keep a company running or they can be an instrumental part of its demise.

The Worst Time to Hire a People Pleaser…

When your company…

1  Has a hard time complimenting and showing appreciation to your employees.

2  Needs to fill a leadership position.

5  Is growing so quickly and everyone needs to make some decisions.

4  Hasn’t set up policies and procedures to follow.

6  Needs someone who is a problem solver or can provide objective feedback.

7  Has leaders who don’t take time to lead.

 

The Best Time to Hire a People Pleaser…

When your company…

1  Has as excellent leadership team that needs hard workers to implement the tasks.

2  Sets priorities and guidelines for projects.

3  Needs someone detail-oriented and very organized.

4  Gives credit where credit is due.

5  Needs someone who is reliable and follows through on projects.

6  Sets clear goals and monitors them.

People pleasers abound, especially in women. They can make great, hard-working employees or they could be a mistaken hire that will result in lost time and money. The success of your company is, in part, based on your ability to hire the right people for the right position. Choose wisely.

Other info on people pleasing by Vickie Champion you might be interested is:

Disadvantages of Hiring People Pleasers

Advantages of Hiring People Pleasers

52 Traits of a Chronic People Pleaser

19 Reasons to Stop People Pleasing

Top 10 Affirmations of a Chronic People Pleaser

Upcoming info on people pleasing by Vickie Champion you might be interested are:

6 Things Women People Pleasers Don’t Realize

12 Ways to Stop People Pleasing

To stop people pleasing, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

Disadvantages of Hiring People Pleasers

You read in the Advantages of Hiring People Pleasers, that people pleasers as employees are going to work hard, be considerate and generally go along with whatever new direction the company plans to take. Great, right? You better think about it before you jump on that recruitment wagon.

Here are the Disadvantages of Hiring People who Need to Please…

They usually…

1  Tend to exaggerate situations and can get frightened easily.

2  Require lots of compliments and plenty of appreciation, because they base their self-esteem on what they do for others.

3  Find it really difficult to make decisions so they often rely on others to make decisions.

4  Make it a practice to overapologize.

5  Have trouble being impartial and objective. People pleasers tend to do just about anything that will keep others from displeasing them.

6  Avoid asking for help when they are drowning.

7  Feel insecure when interacting with others.

8  Hold back from saying what they really think.

9  Are unable to direct or manage others.

10  Become the victims of other team members or clients taking advantage of them.

11  Suppress their anger for fear of hurting others.

12  Tend to rescue or make excuses for incompetent members of the team.

13  Suffer burnout or get ill from all the extra work.

Just like anything, hiring a people pleaser as its pros and cons. People pleasers can be excellent employees in the right situations. See the next blog to find out The Best and Worst Time to Hire a People Pleaser.

Other info on people pleasing by Vickie Champion you might be interested is:

Top 10 Affirmations of a Chronic People Pleaser

52 Traits of a Chronic People Pleaser

19 Reasons to Stop People Pleasing

Advantages of Hiring People Pleasers

Upcoming info on people pleasing by Vickie Champion you might be interested are:

The Worst & Best Time to Hire People Pleasers

6 Things Women People Pleasers Don’t Realize

12 Ways to Stop People Pleasing

To stop people pleasing, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

7 Traits of a Successful Solopreneur

I coach many solopreneurs. You know, those entrepreneurs or solo business owners that prefer to go it alone. The path can be both difficult and rewarding and I’ve noticed that successful solopreneurs often share the same tendencies.

Here are some of the Traits of a Successful Solopreneur…

They …

1  Have no problem working an 8-hour day 5 days a week.

2  Are not afraid to make mistakes.

3  Don’t let personal matters distract them during work hours.

4  Set work priorities and follow them.

5  Enjoy working alone and when they get a case of isolation disease they take steps to cure it quickly.

7  Love problem solving.

8  Often use their intuition when making decisions instead of asking others.

If you recognized yourself in these traits, you have the self-motivated personality of the successful solopreneurs I know. If some of these traits elude you, you may only need to develop them.

Other info from Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

One Big Reason Solopreneurs Struggle

23Advantages of Working from Home-Part I

18 Advantages of Working from Home-Part II

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being a n Entrepreneur

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

 You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

One Big Reason Solopreneurs Struggle

You won’t find this in “How to Start a Business” books or any classes. And yet, I have found this one thing can cause more harm to a home-based entrepreneur’s success than anything else. The majority of my solopreneur coaching clients suffer from it and some battle it on a daily bases. I have run a home-based business for 16 years now and still encounter episodes. What is it? Isolation Disease.

Here are the Symptoms of Isolation Disease…

  • Can’t get motivated.
  • Start adopting the “What’s the use” attitude.
  • Believe you are the only one suffering from this disease.
  • Unable to get excited or even work on projects.
  • Worry way too much about the future.
  • Feel the business’ success depends entirely on you.
  • Work hard or hardly at all, but get very little accomplished.
  • Experience paralyzing overwhelm.
  • Lose your creativity.
  • Visualize nightmarish stories about your problem situations.
  • Start gaining weight or becoming ill.
  • Often have a time management problem.
  • Loss of energy.
  • Start doubting yourself and your abilities.

 

Here are the Risk Factors…

  • Having a home-based business.
  • Having infrequent human interaction.
  • Living alone or having a roommate/spouse that is often absent.
  • Getting very little exercise.
  • Watching TV, working, reading, eating or surfing the Web in your spare time.
  • Ignore the concept of building a team.
  • Usually don’t attend workshops, networking events, or meet with potential clients.

 

Possible Cures of Isolation Disease…

  • Get out of the house.
  • Spend some time working at a coffee house, library or a park.
  • Find other solopreneurs to bounce ideas off of.
  • Interact with people other than on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Take a walk or exercise.
  • Hire a life or business coach or a consultant.
  • Attend workshops, not webinars.
  • Hire a bookkeeper, housekeeper, virtual assistant, copywriter, or marketing specialist.
  • Go out to lunch.
  • Take frequent weekend trips or vacations.

Like any business problem, the difficulty comes in diagnosing it. Once you realize all you have is a case of Isolation Disease, you can take steps toward the cure. From there, recovery is easy!

 

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

Benefits of Using Making a Difference to Motivate!

To me, this is the most evolved of the three methods of motivating.  Not only does it inspire and propel us into action, but it also helps others. This method is the desire to get better and better at something that really matters.

Benefits of Using Making a Difference to Motivate…

We ..

1 Are motivated by how we feel when working on projects. The fun is in mastering the challenge of a given problem.

2 Are motivated by experimenting with possibilities and devising solutions.

3 Like to be recognized for our accomplishments instead of requiring costly rewards.

4 Don’t need someone to micromanage us, making sure we reach our goals.

Using fear and the desire to prosper may have their place as methods of motivating employees or ourselves.  But making a difference can encourage feel-good productivity because it rewards the soul.
Other related quiz and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

 

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

When to Use the Desire to Prosper to Motivate!

Up until 2008, most individuals and companies have used the desire to prosper as their main method of motivation. We were in an era where most people had their basic needs of food and shelter met and were focusing on becoming wealthy or very profitable.

When to Use the Desire to Prosper to Motivate…

1 When people are not afraid and focused on survival but are ready to thrive.

2 When someone is easily motivated by dangling carrots—getting rewards for certain outcomes.

Problems with Using the Desire to Prosper to Motivate…

1 After a certain income level, which is subjective for each individual, it gets extremely hard to motivate most people with more rewards.  For example, if someone is making $200,000 a year and has and does everything they desire, they are less likely to work harder for more money.

2 Rewards narrow our focus. People will pursue the reward, but fail to see the big picture or solve problems. An example is when you are focused on making increasing amounts of money but don’t realize your overspending addiction.

3 It creates short-term outcomes and disregards long-term effects. An example of that is BP cutting corners to get the oil well completed on time.

4 Goals imposed by others (sales targets, quarterly returns, standardized test scores) can have dangerous side effects. People will often choose the quickest route there, even if it means taking the low road. (Cheating, steroids, moving the numbers.)

5 People who are motivated by profiting, grow more expensive as time passes. An example of that are the banks handing out outrageous bonuses to employees.

As you can see, motivating by the desire to prosper can be a slippery slide. Too many dangling carrots can easily get us in trouble and cost us more in the long run.

Other related quiz and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Quiz- How Ready Are You to Get Your Dreams?

Three Methods of Motivating Yourself and Your Employees

When to Use Fear to Motivate!

or check out the entire Life in General section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

When to Use Fear to Motivate!

Believe it or not, many of us wait and take action only when we are afraid. Consider how many businesses are just now getting into social media to attract disappearing customers. Or think about or how many individuals have begun saving money now only because they fear the unstable economy. Fear can be a great motivator, but there are times it’s not effective.

Use Fear to Motivate When Someone…

1 Needs a wake up call. A good example of this is driving after drinking and having a car wreck.

2 Wants to get immediate results. A good example of this is making your sales goals this month.

Stop Using Fear to Motivate When Someone…

1 Starts ignoring the threats. For example, kids who are fed up with a parent’s unrealistic demands.

2 Wants to just escape from what is fearful.  For example, choosing to quit your job to find something easier.

Fear can be an excellent motivator but only on a short-term basis. Our desire to feel safe and secure soon becomes the overpowering force.

Other related quiz and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Quiz-How Ready Are You to Get Your Dreams?

Three Methods of Motivating Yourself and Your Employees

Or check out the entire Life in General section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

Three Methods of Motivating Yourself and Your Employees

Not many small business owners realize there are different methods of motivation. Some get responses quickly but are short lived and others are the foundations of a healthy, strong business.

There are Three Ways to Motivate Yourself and Your Employees. You can be…

1 Motivated by Fear

This is the ability to prompt yourself or your staff to action because you fear what will happen if you don’t.

2 Motivated by Profit

Profits and wealth fuel this desire by you and your staff.

3 Motivated by Purpose

You and your staff are motivated because you believe what you’re doing matters and you want to get better at it.

There are appropriate times to use all three. The key is to know what each method can accomplish and when to use it effectively. Watch for my future blogs to understand each method in detail.

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

A Mistake to Avoid When we Make Purchases!

As a business and life coach, a topic that comes up in coaching sessions is “when is it the right time to purchase an item.” Do we buy before we need it?

Buying Before we Need it

If we buy before we need it, there is a good chance we have a lack or fear mentality. An example of this would be a business buying a piece of equipment before offering the service to any of their clients. Or running to the grocery store and buying extra groceries for your visitors before finding out what they like to eat.

Ask yourself these questions first…

  • Am I afraid I won’t be able to find it when I really do need it?
  • Am I afraid I won’t be able to get it on sale?
  • Am I afraid I won’t find the brand, style, color, etc. I like?
  • Am I afraid I will run out?
  • Am I afraid what others will think if I don’t?

Whenever we buy in a lack or fear mentality, there is an extremely good chance we wasted the money. We will rarely use the item, eventually give it away, sell it or throw it out.
Other related quizzes and articles by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Quiz-Do You Need to Change Your Relationship with Money?

Five Eye-Opening Facts You Need to Know About Impulse Buying

Nickel and Diming Your Money Away

or check out the entire Money section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a coaching and consulting session.

Signs you Really Need to Improve a Relationship!

Are you person A? The Avoider? You have a difficult relationship with a client, boss, co-worker, friend, spouse or any other relationship so you spend much of your day on autopilot. You are desperately trying to eliminate all thoughts and dealings with him or her. Out of sight, out of ear-shot, out of mind, you think.

Or are you person B? The Bad Mouther? You spend a lot of your time thinking about what that person said or did, and, in fact, bad mouthing them to anyone who will listen?

Here are Some More Signs we Really Need to Improve a Relationship…

When we…

  • Are scared to tell that person the truth.
  • Have verbal arguments.
  • Find ourselves judging that person and telling others.
  • Go over and over in our minds what we need to do about a situation and how that person will react to it.
  • Think it’s easier to give in than irritate that person.
  • Pay little attention, if any, to how we’re feeling about the situation.
  • Say yes to that person when we really want to say no.
  • Depend on the relationship to be successful.
  • Start taking that person for granted.
  • Notice that person is either avoiding or scared of us.

By taking the time to improve our difficult relationships we can become person C, the Choice maker. It’s up to us, we can continue our difficult  relationship with that person or choose instead to improve it and benefit from it.

Other related articles and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

Why we Wouldn’t Want to Improve a Business Relationship

or check out the entire About Life section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

Advantages of Being Defensive at Work

The other day I caught myself being defensive about adding color on my website. What would make me go off like that? Any time I’m that adamant, I know there is some hidden treasure I can learn from it.

Here’s Some of the Advantages of Being Defensive at Work…

We can…

  • Avoid changing our mindset or behaviors.
  • Pretend it makes us a strong leader.
  • Hide our doubts and the fear of losing control.
  • Take full advantage of using excuses.
  • Camouflage our oversensitivity.
  • Keep ourselves busy constantly defending our position.
  • Save time by not being open to other options or the actual facts.
  • Think we are being unfairly treated and our defense will save us.
  • Use it as a way to attack others’ suggestions.
  • Stay away from getting to neutral and listening to our intuition or gut instincts.
  • Focus our attention on being right instead of being successful.
  • Stops wasting time and money with research and development.
  • Confuse being defensive with being passionate about our work.
  • Avoid being a better worker or having a better company.

So what are you defending at work? Maybe it’s a procedure or system or your expertise in that area. Perhaps it’s a boss, customer or co-worker. Or it might be like me, a marketing strategy.

If you are ready to stop being defensive, contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

Other Ways to Market Your Business to Build Trust

In the previous three blogs I explained why building trust is so important for our business and ways to use photos and text on your website to build trust.

Remember, for the last few decades businesses have gotten away with keeping little secrets and telling half truths. Not anymore. To build trust, businesses now have to show they have nothing to hide and are unafraid to be open.

We Will Continue with Other Ways to Market Your Business to Build Trust…

  • Get active on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. It builds credibility that you are a legitimate business, especially to people using them and to anyone under the age of 40.
  • Put headshots on business cards and social media sites.
  • Make your company easily accessible if current and potential customers have questions or problems.
  • Give guarantees.

Send birthday cards with personal messages. I did a survey in one of my How Marketing is Changing, and Why we Need to Pay Attention workshops. The question was “Do you appreciate getting cards with just a handwritten signature on them?” Most of the participants said they considered canned cards junk mail and threw them away. If you are going to take the time to send a card, write something personal to the recipient. If not, don’t waste your marketing budget on something no one will appreciate.

  • Start using video conferencing, like Skype. It builds trust quicker, the way a face-to-face meeting would.
  • Make and send video e-mails.
  • Give genuine compliments.
  • Let customers critique your services or products.

 

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a discovery coaching and consulting session.

Ways to Use Your Website to Build Trust- Part II

In the previous two blogs I explained why building trust is so important for our businesses and ways to use photos to build trust.  If the purpose of your website is partially to attract potential clients, then gaining their trust invites them to contact you.

We will continue with another important method to gain trust, text.

Here Are Ways to Use TEXT on Your Website to Build Trust…

  • Attach a blog and get serious about adding posts on a consistent basis. Most of my website visitors are now originating from my blog posts.
  • Make your company available. I suggest by e-mail on your contact us page and having a phone number on every website page. See my Contact Vickie page for an example.  If you have a location and hours of operation, then put your address and map.
  • Take out the spin and fluff in your websites written text. To build trust, your visitors should be able to understand exactly what you do. Better yet, write it down as if you were saying it, in your own words.
  • Give potential clients a way to contact individuals who gave you testimonials, so they know they are genuine. On my testimonials, I link potential clients to their business websites.  It helps the people who gave me the testimonials with their websites search engine rankings and legitimizes my testimonials.
  • Write the text in 1st person using words like “I”, “my”, and use “we” only if your company has more than one employee. Remember, people are really getting tired of little deceptions.
  • Tell stories, especially on your bio. “How you got into this business” and “why you love it” are good for starters. On my Meet Vickie page  I divided it into four mini stories, each one telling my website visitors something they might want to know to start trusting me.
  • Offer guarantees.
  • Don’t be afraid to write the pros and cons of using you or your business. It doesn’t build trust when your website gives the appearance that you work with just about anyone who needs your product or service. By the time a website visitor contacts me they have a really good idea of what I do and also who I won’t accept as clients.

Building trust using your website is accomplished by being more open, being easy to approach, and not being afraid to give an honest assessment of whether you or what you sell is the right fit for the customer or client.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Ways to Use Your Website to Build Trust- Part I

In the previous blog I explained why building trust is so important for our businesses, especially now. Since our website has become the hub of our marketing efforts, it’s crucial we use it to gain and build upon that trust.

We will start with the most important method to gain trust, photography.

Here’s Ways to Use PHOTO’s on Your Website to Build Trust…

  • Put headshots of the owners, managers, sales, and the customer service staff on the “About Us” page.
  • Replace stock photos with pictures of:  Your building, a company photo, staff assisting clients, products being made, speaking engagements, or anything else that pertains to your business. See my Meet Vickie page for an example.
  • Have testimonials with their headshots.
  • Add videos. I have a coaching client who found me from a Google search. When he saw me in the video, I appeared to be grounded and to know what I was talking about.
  • If you have a business that requires a lot of trust (business or life coach, financial advisor, accountant, professional organizer, handyman, housekeeper) have different pictures of you and your staff on different pages.
  • Place a photo on the banner of your blog.

If you are using your website to attract potential clients, especially ones that will probably never see you face to face, it’s a good idea to use photos to build that initial trust.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Why Building Trust is Real Important for our Business Now!

As a business coach, I’m always looking for the latest trends and how to stay ahead of the crowd. Last year my intuition told me to read What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis.  That got me on a roll. Since then I have read several books, searched the net, attended seminars, and even developed three workshops based on How Marketing is Changing & Why we Need to Pay Attention.   A primary message of those workshops is that authenticity and honesty is replacing the old paradigm of hyped-up, hard-sell marketing.

Here’s Why I Think Building Trust is Real Important for our Business, Especially Now…

  • As a society, we are getting real tired of individuals and companies making false promises, keeping secrets, and not taking responsibility.
  • Impulse buying is slowing down. People are more aware of what they want to spend their money on.
  • People are doing more research and consider a decision over a longer period of time before making a commitment.
  • The ways we use to get clients through various marketing and advertising methods is not as effective as before.

To have a successful business, we’re going to have to dial down the overblown and manipulative marketing – like saying “we” when your business is really just one person. And we’re going to have to deal with our clients from a place of truth telling. The more we open up, the more trust we build.

Check out the entire Running a Businesssection.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

18 Disadvantages of Working From Home

Obviously, working from home is not for everybody. With my business and career coaching clients, I listen to my intuition and often suggest they either find a new  job or change their thoughts and behaviors to create a better environment at the old job.

Here are some Disadvantages of Working from Home…

We can…

  • No longer use our commuting time as our think time or time to wind down and relax.
  • Have difficulty getting motivated without someone to impress.
  • Overeat because no one’s noticing.
  • Work too little because of our flexible schedule.
  • Have a hard time functioning without the hustle and bustle of an office.
  • Feel deprived of the socializing and the office parties.
  • Feel distracted at home by things like a pile of dishes and a full trash can.
  • Live in a home with inadequate work space or inappropriate furniture.
  • Need the 8-hour escape from a troubled marriage or a difficult child.
  • Find setting goals or developing a business plan complicated.
  • Ignore personal hygiene.
  • Thrive on office politics and gossip.
  • Be tempted to work longer hours and neglect our personal life.
  • Miss close relationships with co-workers.
  • Get overwhelmed in “trying to do it all,” like childcare, work, cooking and house cleaning.
  • Live in an environment with too many domestic distractions.
  • Feel deprived not being around others because we are an extrovert.

Can you think of other disadvantages of working from home?

Others blogs you might be interested in are:

23 Advantages of Working from Home-Part I

18 Advantages of Working from Home-Part II

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being a n Entrepreneur

or check out Jobs, Careers & Running a Business.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

18 Advantages of Working From Home-Part II

We can set our own hours, get a massage in the middle of the afternoon and avoid the hovering boss. This much we know about working from home. But working from home has some subtle, not-so-obvious perks as well. Though small and even overlooked these advantages can influence our mental, physical and emotional health.

Here are Some Not-so-Obvious Benefits of Working from Home…

We can…

  • Multi-task during boring conference calls.
  • Provide companionship to our pets.
  • Go shopping when we don’t have to wait in lines.
  • Forget what terms like office pod means.
  • Keep our office at the perfect temperature for us and finally stop wearing sweaters.
  • Say goodbye to annoying co-workers.
  • Spend our time more productively, instead of gossiping in the break room.
  • Take first pick of items at big sales, instead of picking over the leftovers after work.
  • Avoid having to donate to every office birthday, going-away, retirement and baby shower gift-giving collection.
  • Spend more time with our family instead of our co-workers.
  • Listen to our preferred music instead of elevator music or better yet, work in silence.
  • Maintain our diet easier because we don’t eat lunches out.
  • Stop pretending we care about what some co-worker did over the weekend.
  • Show our kids by example how to have self-discipline.
  • Wear comfortable clothes, like t-shirts, jeans and sweat suits.
  • Stop using prescription drugs to relieve stress.
  • Finally learn to set boundaries.
  • Because of all of the above, be happier.

Can you think of any others?
Others blogs you might be interested in are:

23 Advantages of Working from Home-Part I

Do you Have Isolation Disease?

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur

or check out Jobs, Careers & Running a Business

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

23 Advantages of Working From Home-Part I

When I started my own business years ago, I noticed quite a difference from working in an office environment and working from home. I was use to the hustle and bustle of a busy office with the phoning ringing off the hook, unproductive meetings and my team constantly wanting something or another.

Here is What I Think are Benefits of Working from Home…

We can…

  • Save hours a day in commuting time.
  • Relax. No one’s looking over our shoulder, monitoring our every move.
  • Eat healthier.
  • Schedule dentist and doctor appointments easier.
  • Work in our robe. There’s no longer a dress code.
  • Save money and time with our cars in gasoline, repairs, tires and general wear and tear.
  • Take on the “I’ll do it all” attitude and eliminate child care.
  • Save our company relocation and overhead expenses.
  • Save money on lunches out.
  • Take the family to Hawaii with money saved on business suits and dry cleaning.
  • Have an office with a window.
  • Gain a tax deduction on a portion of our mortgage and utilities, if we are self-employed.
  • Listen to our intuition easier because there are fewer distractions.
  • Focus because no one’s interrupting us every second.
  • Set our own work hours.
  • Enjoy closer relationships with our family.
  • Don’t have to take time off work for repair people to come to our house.
  • Work from a comfortable chair and desk that we like and is perfect for our needs.
  • Do more in a lot less time.
  • Schedule time for exercise easier.
  • Have a larger and nicer office, decorated just the way we want it.
  • Live anywhere. (I have coaching clients in Los Angeles, New York City, Orange County, Toronto, and for a time, in London.)
  • Because of all of the above, produce a higher quality of work.

After writing this blog, all I can say is, I really appreciate working from home. I didn’t realize how many advantages there are.

 

Others blogs you might be interested in are:

Do you Have Isolation Disease?

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur

 

If you have a home based business and need help, contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Why are Entrepreneurs so Reluctant to Build a Team?

As a business coach and consultant I often come across struggling entrepreneurs who believe that being self-employed means doing it ALL BY YOURSELF.

Signs You are an Entrepreneur who is Reluctant to Build a Team…

When you…

  • Believe it’s easier to do it yourself.
  • Multi-task.
  • Are focused on having everything perfect.
  • Mistake activity for achievement.
  • Catch yourself wanting to control every aspect.
  • Confuse self-esteem with being self-reliant.
  • Think things are urgent and can’t wait for someone else to do it.
  • Often feel overwhelmed.
  • Believe to accomplish more, you just need to buckle down and work harder.

If you have even one of these signs, you are sabotaging your business. Being reluctant to build a team will be a major reason your business failed. There has never been a successful business that did not make it a joint endeavor, so why would you struggle so hard to be the first?

Others blogs you might be interested in are:

Signs You Are NOT Operating Your Business Using Your Intuition

Signs You ARE Operating Your Business Using Your Intuition

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur

or check out the entire Jobs, Careers & Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

How to Figure a Minimum Hourly Price for your Home-Based Service Business

I often get asked by home-based business coaching clients if they are charging their clients enough.  Several years ago my uncle from Denver, Colo. taught me how to calculate my pricing to make sure I covered my expenses. This breakeven estimate made by business profitable back then and I still use it today.

Here’s How to Figure a Minimum Hourly Price for your Home-Based Service Business –

1  Add ALL your business expenses and your portion of your personal expenses for a year. This is your Total Yearly Expenses.

2  Divide the total yearly expenses by the number of weeks you want to work in the coming year (excluding weeks for holidays, vacations, and sick days). This figure will give you your Minimum Income Needed Weekly.

3 Now decide the average number of hours you want to work a week. (Not all hours worked are billable to clients because of  administrative, marketing, accounting, education, etc. — usually no more than 60 percent can be billable and many times it’s a lot less.) So multiply the total of weekly hours by .60. This gives you the number of Billable Hours a Week.

4 Finally, take the Minimum Income Needed Weekly and divide it by the number of Billable Hours a Week. This gives you the Minimum Hourly Rate you can charge for your service.

5 Try to set your hourly rate higher than that final number.

Here’s An Example…

My total business and personal expenses is $60,000. I will work 49 weeks a year, allowing one week for vacation, one week for holidays and one week for sick days. I am going to work 40 hours a week with 16 hours a week for accounting, research, marketing,   scheduling, computer problems, etc.  $60,000 divided by 49 = $1,224 minimum Income Needed Weekly. 40 hours a week x .60 = 24 Billable Hours a week. $1,224 divided by 24 = $51 Minimum Hourly Rate.

Does any one have an easier way to calculate your breakeven point for your service business?

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

How to Use Your Website as an Effective Marketing Tool

A frequent topic in my business coaching and consulting sessions is “how do I get sales from my website.” There are three components to consider if you want your website to be an effective tool.

1 Create Good Content-

The most effective websites have content that educates, entertains, tells stories, and motivates. I have four quizzes (two about work, one about intuition, and one about money) on my site that visitors have said they take over and over.

2 Develop an Inbound Marketing Plan-

The majority of businesses believe that “if you build it, they will come.” I want to add “if you build it, they will come — if they can find it.”  The most effective websites work at increasing their web reach by making themselves findable using several different methods.

3 Track your Progress-

With any good marketing tool, you should measure it. Set goals for your website and track your improvements.

Without all three elements, it’s very difficult for your website to stand out and bring in sales.

 

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

How to Use Your Website to Attract Clients

A well-done website can convince potential customers that you are the one they want to do business with.  A confusing website will send customers looking elsewhere. Is your website outdated? Does it need some tweaking? Or does it need a complete overhaul?

Here’s How to Use Your Website to Attract Clients…

  • Realize people just scan copy to see if it’s relevant. So make it easy with bullet points, numbers, and short paragraphs.
  • Write and arrange copy so that the more important points are bigger, in color, bolder or in italics so that they stand out.
  • Make sure your website can be found by the Internet search engines.
  • Copy should fall into one or more of these categories: entertaining, educational, controversial or personal stories, depending on your audience. Marketing fluff is outdated.
  • Omit needless words or sentences.
  • Make changes and additions at least monthly so it stimulates the search engines.
  • Track your progress. Make a goal to increase visitors to your site, lengthen how long they stay, and boost your conversion rate.

Whether your website needs a complete makeover or some minor adjustments, making the right changes can turn your business around.

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

How to Use Your Website to Drive Away Potential Clients

For me, it’s the website with lots of these!!!!!! After every!!! Sentence!!! Everyone has a website that they can’t click off fast enough. If they could have stomached staying, they may have connected with the perfect business partner or client. Are you losing clients because your website is driving people away with annoying features?

How to Use Your Website to Drive Away Potential Clients…

  • Don’t put any photos of you or your staff on your website.
  • Make sure you have slow loading pages, more than 3 seconds.
  • Clutter each page with something in every vacant space. Use images, videos, flash objects, sounds, and text so the potential customer feels overwhelmed.
  • Make it hard to navigate and find things easily.
  • Write your text using lots of marketing fluff. You know, blah, blah, blah.
  • Label menu tabs with clever, but unrecognizable names.
  • Make text light colored on a dark background so the reader’s eyes cross and he or she feels physically ill while reading.
  • Write every paragraph on your site in third person.
  • Leave off testimonials and if you do use them, make sure they are long and without last names or contact info.

How do websites turn you off?
 

You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

Reasons Why We WOULDN’T Want to Improve a Business Relationship!

Part of my job as a business coach and consultant is detective work. A client presents me with a problem. It’s a lack of making sales problem. It’s a manufacturing problem. It’s a cash flow problem. We begin to talk about said problem. But after some probing and investigation I realize it’s not any of those things at all. Rather, it’s a relationship problem. I think we give our relationship problems many disguises either because we believe we must tolerate difficult business relationships or can avoid them altogether.

Here are Some of the Reasons Why we WOULDN’T Want to Improve a Business Relationship…

When we…

  • Would rather be right instead of having a pleasant experience.
  • Believe improving the relationship will take lots of our time, money, or require us to do something we don’t want to do.
  • Don’t want to ruffle feathers. We think the little we get from that person is better than nothing.
  • Want to use it as a topic for our conversations.
  • Think improving a business relationship requires us to compromise or apologize.
  • Want to keep busy with distractions instead of our company goals and dreams.
  • Think we’ll have to be best friends with that person. Maybe even take them to lunch.
  • Are stuck in people pleasing mode. We’ve all heard about the phrase, “the customer is always right.”

To find out more about improving our business relationships, see Vickie’s Champion’s next blog, Signs You Really Need to Improve a Business Relationship.

What’s the Difference between a Coaching Program and an Individual Coach?

There are so many coaching programs out there now. Some are franchises like ActionCoach.com, or certification programs like DreamCoach.com, or a variation like LiveOutloud.com, which hires verifiable millionaire coaches after they complete all of Loral Langemeirer’s seminars.

I thought it would be good information to do a comparison between a coaching program and an individual coach.

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I asked some of the successful coaches I know that have been in the business for years what they thought:

KATHERINE HALPIN, Executive Coach & Leadership Strategist,
www.HalpinCompany.com

As a coaching firm owner who has used both independent contractors as well as franchisee coaches, I have some definite opinions about large scale coaching engagements.

I have coached at the CEO level since 2001.  When I am working with a CEO in a multi-billion dollar organization, I believe the best coached team includes people trained in the same coaching methodology. Without that consistency in method, clients can get mixed messages.  The downside of this consistency is that the work cannot be tailored for the one-on-one client.

In entrepreneurial organizations, an individual coach is by the far the best solution.  Fully customized coaching on a one-on-one basis is always the most effective and most affordable.

 

CONNIE KADANSKY, Sales Coach, www.ExceptionalSales.com

If it wasn’t for my first coach — I would be furiously typing appellate court briefs and working for cranky attorneys.  Thank goodness for individual coaching.  I am a product of excellent individual coaching since 1998.

In 2007 and 2008 I qualified and invested in Strategic Coach, a program for entrepreneurs.  The investment was $4,500/year with travel to Chicago every quarter for one day with my “coach” and fellow entrepreneurs.  They gave us tools and processes that when implemented made a huge positive difference in strategies and business success.

However, there was no nitty gritty one-on-one with the “coach.”  Every quarter I had a 30 minute call with a program advisor.  At the same time I was involved with Strategic Coach, I also had an individual coach.  Strategic Coach was mostly about business and strategy, however, I have to admit they had good exercises addressing the personal side.

With that said, I believe that an individual coach relationship is absolutely necessary to address the complexities of relationships, balance, fears, staying in integrity, and self-limiting beliefs that keep people from implementing strategies. I believe that everyone who has solid goals and aspirations needs a personal coach and cannot afford not to have one.

 

DIANE M. BOLDEN, Business & Leadership Coach, www.Synchronistics.net

Here is what I would say about the benefits of one on one coaching versus some kind of canned program:

“The beauty of one-on-one coaching is that it is truly custom tailored to the needs of the client.  The agenda belongs to the person being coached, rather than the coach.  In this way, each person’s emerging challenges can be addressed and the coach can help the client zero in on his or her specific issue and help that person tap their internal wisdom to find the answer within.  The key is to help clients identify and create ways of succeeding that are aligned with their natural styles, strengths and passions, versus following a generic approach that may work well for some but not others.  Methodologies and cookie cutter approaches run the risk of overlooking the complexity of each person’s individual evolution and specific needs.

Often the challenges and opportunities that people come to coaching to address are rooted in issues that go much deeper than they initially realize.  The best coaches help individuals to discern and peel away those layers and engage in practices that are diverse enough to meet the true needs of the client – which may well go beyond the set format of a one size fits all coaching program.  When solutions offered address symptoms without getting to the deeper dynamics that are responsible for people’s behavior and its consequences, results can be short lived and individuals may not get the full value of coaching in return for the time, energy and money they are willing to invest in their own development.”

 

JO ANNE MUSOLF, Executive and Business Coach/Consultant, www.themusolfgroup.com

I liken the issue of deciding whether to invest time and money in a “canned coaching program” vs. using a personal coach to clothes shopping.

There are times when “one size fits all” works just fine.  And there are times when a custom-made, hand tailored outfit is the best option.

The “one-size fits all” canned program works well with corporations, departments, and multi-national locations.  Their intent is to get everyone on the same page, to have everyone “wearing” the same corporate identity and mission.  It teaches a common language that can be used to foster understanding and it keeps employees on track and focused on the corporate goal.

A downside is that the expertise of the person who delivers the program is as important as the contents.  The ability to be a skilled facilitator is a talent. Anyone deciding to buy a coaching program would be wise to personally experience the ability of the person delivering the program.

The custom-made, one-on-one approach is best for getting to the heart of the matter.  For helping the entrepreneur, the executive or the company not only hone in on what really needs to get done but to learn how to use that new-found knowledge for future challenges. Naturally it focuses on the individual and what makes them “tick” and what gets in the way of achieving their desired success.

Canned programs change the organization, individual coaching changes the person.

As an aside, through out my 12-plus years as an executive and business coach I have found that my clients don’t have the time or desire to “discover” their own personal stumbling blocks.  They are paying me for my knowledge, skills and insights.  They want me to tell them what I am observing, to ask the hard questions, and to kick them in the butt when needed. My “coaching” has progressed to include a heavy dose of “consulting.”  I believe that the combination of both is a necessary skill for any seasoned coach in the market today.

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As you can see, there is room for both a coaching program and an individual coach, depending on your business and personal needs.

For more info on Vickie Champion’s coaching style click here.

Are You Someone who Doesn’t Need to Hire a Business Coach?

There are some people who would not profit from hiring a business coach. It would waste time and money. A business coach would only serve to rob them of   hours away from doing the work they love and helping others.

Here are Some Signs you DON’T Need to Hire a Business Coach…

  • You wake up every morning and can’t wait to get started on your work day and at night have to literally pry yourself away.
  • You have more passion for your work than you did on your first day.
  • You have more than enough clients or job opportunities.
  • You are constantly stepping out of your comfort zone.
  • You don’t know what doubt or concern about the future of your business or career even means.
  • It’s easy for you to stay focused on your goals and take action to achieve them.
  • You have an impeccable system of prioritizing, accomplishing even your (“wouldn’t it be nice”, wish) list easily, and meet even your self-imposed deadlines.
  • You get along with everyone you come in contact with, whether it’s your boss, co-workers, vendors, clients, employees or spouse.
  • It’s easy for you to delegate and you have a gift for recruiting others to help you achieve your goals.
  • You are knowledgeable and active with social media and are receiving clients or job opportunities from it.
  • You use your “intuition” or “gut instincts” daily on even the small things.
  • You operate from a budget and know how to use it to get your dreams. See The Miracle Cure for Money Issues for more info.
  • You can’t think of any other business or job you would rather have.

If you identify with these signs, don’t let anyone talk you into wasting your time and money on business coaching —  not less you want to take your business or career to an even higher level.
Other related quizzes and blogs by Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

QUIZ-See If You Are Getting the Most from a Coach

What’s the Difference Between a Coaching Program and an Individual Coach?

When is it Time to Change Business Coaches?

Advantages of NOT Hiring Life Coach

If you don’t have several of these symptoms above and you would like to try a complimentary small business coaching and consulting session, contact Vickie Champion.

When is it Time to Change Business Coaches?

You have invested in yourself and hired a business coach. As a result, you’ve saved countless hours of learning the hard way and your career has progressed by leaps and bounds. Now your momentum has slowed. Your enthusiasm has waned. And your sense of purpose has drifted.

You’ve switched hair stylists. You’ve switched investment advisors. You’ve switched child care providers. When your intuition, your heart and the face in the mirror told you the timing was right you’ve switched professionals. Could it be time to switch business coaches?

Here are some signs it’s time to change business coaches…

When you find yourself…

  • Dreading your coaching sessions.
  • Distracted easily during sessions.
  • Annoyed with your coach’s advice.
  • Complaining about what they are charging you.
  • Making sacrifices to always accommodate your coach’s schedule.
  • Feeling the relationship is stuck.
  • Having no shifts or new insights in a long time.
  • Not feeling better after the sessions.

If you are still questioning whether it’s time to change your small business coach, take Vickie Champion’s quiz entitled See if You Are Getting the Most From a Coach.

One Way to Get Rid of the Fear of Public Speaking

Public speaking is, by far, my greatest fear. I was completely and utterly terrified of speaking in a group. I would even forgo attending meetings and workshops if I knew I would have to announce my name to the group.

Fortunately, my intuition gave me a way to move past this fear. Each and every one of the 1000 or so times I’ve done public speaking, I speak to (God, universe, source, inner guide, higher self, whatever you identify with) first. I tell God, “this is your event – let me speak your words, hear with your ears, see with your eyes, and touch with your hands and let me not judge anything that happens.” This “letting go and letting God” releases my stage fright every time.

 

You can contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

9 Good Reasons to Keep Your Dreams on the Back Burner

Everyone says go for your dreams.  But if you haven’t first dealt with your sabotaging beliefs, your dreams will stay at the starting gate instead of manifesting in your life.

Here are 9 Good Reasons to Keep Your Dreams on the Back Burner-

I believe…

  • My dreams aren’t really that important.
  • It takes money to achieve my dreams.
  • I don’t have time to pursue my dreams.
  • It’s more difficult to go for my dreams because I have a family.
  • If I achieve my dreams, my relationships will change for the worse.
  • If I attempt to get my dreams and don’t succeed, I’ll feel like a failure.
  • I’ll wait and go for my dreams when I solve my money problems.
  • The closer I get to achieving my dreams, the more responsibility I’ll have.
  • If I accomplish my dreams, I’m afraid I won’t be happy.

If you really want to take your dreams seriously, you must change those limiting thoughts.
If you want to know if you are ready to get your dreams, take Vickie Champion’s QUIZ.

Disadvantages of Being a Women Entrepreneur

In the 14 years that I have been a small business coach, I have noticed some disadvantages that women business owners face far more often than men. It must be the way we were raised and a belief system we bought into. I think these are among the primary reasons we aren’t as successful as a whole in business as men.

Here’s Some of the Disadvantages Being a Woman Entrepreneur-

We have a tendency to…

  • Think multi-tasking is normal and pride ourselves at being good at it.
  • Have an “I’ll do-it-myself attitude”.
  • Not even consider hiring a team of helpers like housekeepers, personal assistants, accountants, virtual assistants and business coaches until it’s absolutely necessary.
  • Have a problem receiving. So we either charge less than our male competitors or forget to put ourselves on the payroll.
  • Focus almost completely on the day-to-day tasks and are reluctant to set goals or make business plans.
  • Want our work to be perfect more than we want it to be profitable.
  • Not really know what our business dreams are.
  • Believe the act of self-care to recharge ourselves is selfish.
  • Delay success by focusing more on “why” we are not doing something rather than pushing through the fear and just doing it.

All we have to do to overcome these disadvantages is change our beliefs.

 

Check out the entire Running a Business section.

If you need help with your small business or home based business, contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

Before you charge ahead and start your business, consider the stumbling blocks first. Your business success depends on how well you adjust and resolve these disadvantages.

Here are Some of the Many Disadvantages of Being Small Business Owner…

  • You can’t blame the boss.
  • Things constantly change, especially with this economy.
  • You’ll have to learn to like marketing and sales, whether you supervise or do it yourself.
  • To be successful, you must make and follow a budget.
  • You have to make lots of decisions quickly all of the time.
  • More than likely you will battle isolation disease. Click here to learn more about the disease.
  • You have to be a self motivator.
  • There is a tendency to have a do-it-yourself attitude which causes extremely late hours and several problems in the long run.
  • It’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and forget about making goals.
  • Most entrepreneurs delay paying themselves which is one reason they are not as successful.
  • You can work flexible hours, sometimes taking too much time off without realizing it.
  • No one keeps you focused and helps you avoid pitfalls, except if you’re smart and hire a business coach.
  • You forget about listening to your intuition or gut instincts.

I can’t stress this enough: Almost every small business owner I know has needed help mastering these disadvantages. Join associations, attend workshops, take classes, read books and hire a business coach.
Other info from Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

23 Advantages of Working from Home-Part I

18 Advantages of Working from Home-Part II

Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

The Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur
If you have a small business or a home based business and need help, contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

By Vickie Champion

The Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur

I just heard recently that the Arizona Small Business Association (located in Phoenix and Tucson) added 700 members in a little over six months. Wow!  Either ASBA has a really effective marketing plan, or there are lots of people sick of job insecurity. Maybe people are lost and just don’t know what else to do but start their own business. Or what I like to believe, lots of people are finally going for their dream jobs.

Here are Some of the Many Advantages of Being an Entrepreneur:

  • No one can fire or lay you off.
  • There is a variety in your daily work tasks.
  • You can work flexible hours, taking time off to be with your kids, go to the doctor or take a Yoga class.
  • Running your own business gives you the final say in every decision to be made.
  • You are in charge of setting your own deadlines. And enforcing them.
  • Being an entrepreneur gives you the power to give yourself raises as often as you want for no reason.
  • You can easily take advantage of going with your intuition or gut instincts.
  • You hardly ever get bored, because there is little or no time to sit back and take it easy.
  • You can get over your fears quickly by facing them head on.
  • You don’t have to loose sleep over an upcoming performance review.
  • Being a business owner forces you to finally learn how to make and follow a budget.
  • And the best advantage of all, no one tells you what to do.

Do you know of other advantages of being an entrepreneur?

Other info from Vickie Champion you might be interested in are:

23 Advantages of Working from Home-Part I

18 Advantages of Working from Home-Part II

       Disadvantages of Being A Woman Entrepreneur

The Many Disadvantages of Being an Entrepreneur

If you are a small business owner or have a home based business and need help, contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

 

12 Signs That You Are Great at Networking Events

Every once in a while I come across someone who I would say is outstanding at networking events. You know, the person who brings the room to life and makes everyone feel good.

Here’s 12 Signs You Are Great at Networking Events-

When you…

  • Look forward to them, especially those that don’t have speakers.
  • Are the first to say hello.
  • Go out of your way to meet new people.
  • Often smile and look others in the eye.
  • Take time to make genuine compliments.
  • Follow-up the next day with new acquaintances.
  • Make an effort to include the person standing all alone.
  • Feel networking events are a good use of time and worth the money.
  • Look forward to meeting competitors.
  • Don’t judge yourself or others.
  • Wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
  • Are the first to come and the last to leave.

Do you know of other things that make someone a GREAT networker?

If you want to improve your networking skills and speaking to strangers, contact Vickie Champion for a FREE coaching session.

16 Signs That You Fear Networking Events

Maybe you steer clear of networking events because they scare you to death. Or maybe you’re the type who attends a networking occasion believing you’re managing your fear just fine. But time after time you come away with little or no sales. Do one of these profiles fit you?

16 Signs That You Fear Networking Events…

When you…

  • DREAD networking events, especially those that don’t have speakers.
  • Are reluctant to INITIATE a conversation.
  • Almost insist on BRINGING SOMEONE with you to the networking event.
  • Mostly hang around people you KNOW.
  • Find yourself standing ALL ALONE, either staring at the floor, wall or your drink.
  • Make up EXCUSES not to go to the networking event, like it’s a waste of time, you’re not a self-promoter or it’s too much money.
  • Fear that you’ll SAY something stupid, talk too much or will be unable to think of anything to say.
  • Often find yourself COMPLAINING about the networking event, others or your behaviors.
  • Are ENVIOUS of outgoing people.
  • Would rather be doing ANYTHING ELSE.
  • Let yourself feel INTIMIDATED.
  • Think how you look, say or do makes a big difference in the OUTCOME.
  • Seldom SMILE.
  • Are afraid of bumping into COMPETITORS at the networking event.
  • Are TENSE and your stomach is in knots.
  • Can’t WAIT to leave.

Fear not only makes the event painful, but also repels job opportunities, sales and good connections.

If you have some of these signs and want to do something about getting rid of the fear so you can get better results speaking to strangers, contact Vickie Champion for a FREE coaching session.

12 Excuses to NOT Contact Potential Clients

It’s easy to let ourselves either get caught up in the drama of the day or slide into our comfort zones and stay there. When you think about it, it’s not difficult to find reasons to avoid picking up the phone or going to a networking event and finding new customers. Have you already thought of any of these excuses?

Here’s 12 Excuses to NOT Contact Potential Customers…

  • Because of the poor economy, no one is BUYING much of anything.
  • No one has the MONEY right now.
  • I don’t have my MARKETING MATERIAL the way I want it. The first impression means everything.
  • I don’t have TIME. There are not enough hours in the day to get done everything I need to and this is no exception.
  • I don’t want to BOTHER them.
  • I don’t know HOW, especially with social media like LinkedIn.
  • I need more TRAINING first.
  • I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle the EXTRA BUSINESS.
  • I’m not feeling WELL.
  • I’m afraid they will ASK questions I don’t know the answer to.
  • My top PRIORITY is my current customers.
  • I’m not TALENTED at sales and don’t LIKE doing it either.

There are two ways to get sales. Either we can have “excuses why not” or we can “get results.” It’s just that simple.

If you help getting over sales reluctance, contact Vickie Champion  for a FREE coaching session.

How to Use Traveling as a Way to “Stay in the Moment”

We’ve all heard about meditation as a way to stay in the moment.  But we can learn to be present in any situation, any time of the day, anywhere with anyone without meditating. An easy opportunity to practice being mindful of the present moment is through travel.

Here’s How to Stay in the Moment When you Travel…

  • To be in the present moment the most important thing you can do is release thinking you KNOW what’s going to happen on the trip, when it’s going to happen, how your traveling companions are going to act and how you’re going to react when something does happen.
  • The next important thing to stay in the moment is to avoid putting too much emphasis on being happy in the FUTURE – when I get there, when I see that, I’ll be happy.
  • Traveling puts you at an advantage of staying in the moment. Why? Because if you were to put yourself on AUTOMATIC PILOT, like we often do when we’re home and passing familiar landmarks, you’ll get lost. So by the mere fact that you are on an adventure makes it more likely that you’ll relish the moment.
  • Remembering to add in breathing room to the travel schedule, giving yourself time to relax and enjoy the moment. Don’t jam the SCHEDULE so tight that if anything takes longer you add stress.
  • Focusing on things not related to the trip (problems, difficult relationships, to-do-list) can distract you from staying in the moment. We’ll call it a WANDERING MIND. I don’t do any work at all, not even checking e-mails or voice mails. It all can wait.
  • Pay attention and soak up what is in the present. Each moment as you travel, be AWARE of what you see, sounds you hear, the people and creatures around you and how you feel.
  • When all else fails, stay in the moment when traveling by playing a game of APPRECIATION.

You might ask why? Because if you can stay in the moment you will have an unbelievable trip, something you have never experienced before.

To read more, visit the article Everything you Want to Know About “Being in the Moment” .

Are Most of Our Earning Problems Worse Because We’re Reluctant to Change?

Is your financial situation getting worse by the day? Are you having a hard time finding a job because you aren’t willing to change careers or move to a different city? Is your business suffering because you don’t want to change the way you market or what products you’re selling?

I came to a crossroads several months ago.

Clients were starting to drop off faster than I added them, something I was not use too. The old standbys of networking and asking for referrals were not as effective as before. Other life coaches and business coaches began to buzz about getting clients off the internet.

I had to ask myself, were most of my earning problems worse by my reluctance to change? Could I avoid earning problems altogether, if I started to embrace change?

Here Are Some Signs Your Reluctance to Change Could Be Causing Your Earning Problems-

When you…

  1. Are adamant on doing things the way you’ve always done them.
  2. Operate mostly on auto-pilot.
  3. Refuse to listen to others or try new things.
  4. Get upset when something does change.
  5. Recreate the same old earning problems year after year.
  6. Sit on the sidelines and watch others move ahead.
  7. Don’t know if you have intuition.

 

Ways to Embrace Change-

  1. Hire a life coach or business coach.
  2. Learn new things daily.
  3. Keep trying new things. Don’t stop.
  4. Know that change is guaranteed and it’s a good thing. It’s a way to keep growing.
  5. Realize fear of change is making the problem worse, if not causing it. Then place getting out of fear your highest priority.
  6. Increase your faith. Nothing changes unless something better is coming.
  7. Use our intuition daily.
  8. Treat change as an adventure. If we make change a habit, we will have an exciting, fun life.

 

Instead of sitting on the sidelines and watching others succeed, I made the decision to embrace change. I learned everything I could on internet marketing and hired people to help. Now I’m getting almost all of my new life coaching and business coaching clients from internet searches.

Is your intuition telling you that you need to embrace change?  Sometimes an earning problem is no more than a reluctance to change.

Maybe you have overcome a fear to change and reaped the rewards. Or put your faith in a feeling that was telling you to change and had things turn around.  Or maybe you’re still confused about whether a failure to change is causing earning problems.
You can also contact Vickie Champion for a complimentary coaching and consulting session.

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Vickie Champion

Twin Flame Coach & Life Coach
and Adviser
My consistent approach is listening to my intuition, inner guide, or gut feelings to guide me toward helping my clients where they need it the most. Results can be quick and often surprise my clients. My coaching is about achieving results and breaking old patterns. Contact me today to get started:
424-224-7640

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