Sit Down, Shut Up And Hang On!

As I sit here on my couch, typing on my laptop, I find it very interesting to step back and see where my choice to go back into consulting and speaking has led me.

I thought I was busy before. Hah! I'm on the phone constantly, I am checking emails constantly so those folks who contact me have their questions answered, I'm researching, searching and annotating, all the time trying to keep body and soul together. I had three seminars scheduled for September and October and there's much more to do for marketing.

The thing that comes to mind this morning, however, is: no matter how nuts it appears to get and no matter how I think it's too much work, I chose this insanity. I need to remember I wanted this and quite honestly, I've never been happier. I have said for years that entrepreneurship is an amusement park ride that has no equal. I'm living proof.

Now, here's what I am discovering and I recommend you do this, too.

I need more business cards - time to redesign and get them printed. There are numerous places for quick turnaround. Pricing - I recommend Vista Print or Overnight Prints. Although I've been disappointed by VistaPrint of late, they deliver what you submit. And, you can get 250 for the price of shipping if you choose one of their free designs.. You can upload your own design or use one of theirs.

I need advertising and coverage - time to write an article and submit it to the local paper on the values of coaching in small business. Works much better than a blatant bid for publicity and folks read the articles - they tend to glance through the ads but that's it. Wish my daughter were still around, she's now grown with children of her own, but when I did this last time, I had a huge "street gang" (she was very popular in high school) to put up posters, hand out flyers, etc.

I needed to find a location - the local hotels were out of budget range for my first seminar, but I did find my local church hall and much more doable (not to mention free parking and lots of it).

As an entrepreneur with little or no budget, I have found very creative ways to do what needs to be done. Don't discount what the experts say to do based on your budget or lack thereof. Sometimes you need to have a Miracle List, sure - that's the list you have for stuff you want when a miracle happens - you, know, new car, that book/CD series by your favorite guru - those things. We'll talk about Miracle Lists later. But what I say to you is GET CREATIVE.

You have more resources than you think at your fingertips. You really do. Who do you know who can take flyers around town and put them up? Who do you know in radio, newspapers, television, etc. from your other life? One of my best contacts when my daughter was little, was one of her playbuddies' mom's who was a publisher. Got my first book sold that way.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

Make a list of your contacts and what they do.
Make a list of what you need to acquire, in your opinion, to be as effective as possible.
Now, take that list and see what you already have at hand if you just tweak and massage the requirement.

ASK, ASK, ASK. People really do like to say "Yes" to questions. Makes them feel needed. Ask for what you need. The worst that can happen is that they say "no". Best answer, actually, is "No, but..."