I Can Do It -- Hay House Conference

Over the weekend I attended the Hay House, "I Can Do It Conference" in Tampa, and my head is still spinning! The speakers were fabulous!

My friends and I started out on Friday night with keynote speaker, Wayne Dyer, who spoke about his new movie, "The Shift" and about his diagnosis of Leukemia. I must say he looked good and was quiet energetic. Even though after almost 3 hours in one seat, most people were restless and ready for a good stretch, we remained spell bound hanging on to every word.

Saturday morning started with Louise Hay herself, founder of Hay House and author of the famous You Can Heal Your Life! What an inspiration, especially when she announced that she recently had a birthday, turning 84! She introduced Marianne Williamson, the morning keynote speaker, who spoke about her new book, A Course in Weight Loss which sounds like a good resource for anyone who needs to lose anything, whether it is extra pounds or something else that may be 'weighing us down'. One of my friends bought her book and is excited to get started in the course.

There were break out sessions over the course of the weekend. On Saturday we chose  Eldon Taylor who taught us about mind programming, and Cheryl Richardson who provided on the spot laser coaching to a few brave volunteers from the audience.

The Saturday afternoon speaker, Brian Weiss author of Many Lives Many Masters  led us through a guided meditation toward our past lives. The meditation seemed to last only a few minutes, most were surprised to find out that 35 minutes had past.

We spent Saturday evening with Dr. Christiane Northrup, women's health guru. She informed and amused us with her topic, "Menopause and Beyond, New Wisdom for Women".

By Sunday morning we were information over load and decided to skip the morning keynote speaker. But we did make it to the morning break out and boy oh boy were we glad we did.  Dr. Mona Lisa Schultz was the by far my favorite speaker. Through music and humor she taught us about the chakras and what they mean to both our bodies and our lives. If you ever get a chance to listen to her, DO!

In the afternoon we heard from a new speaker to the Hay House group, Alisa Vitti. She did an excellent job explaining the endocrine system and how to care for it to ensure good health.

Since we had about a 2 hour drive home we decided to skip out on the Sunday afternoon keynote.  We felt our brains could not handle any more information.

This conference was like an all you can eat buffet! Which is great one day, but after three days you feel completely stuffed!

Would I go again? Yes. I would go with the knowing of how much information would be coming at me and I would know to bring a seat cushion! Let me also mention that we stayed across the street from the convention center at the Marriot. We were that it was convenient to run to the room between sessions to freshen up and drop our bags (from all our book and CD purchases.).

I look forward to discovering how much I learned as little, by little, I incorporate all the wonderful, informative, and inspiring information into my own life and share it with my clients!

Understanding the HIRE Act

The HIRE Act offers employers temporary payroll tax breaks for hiring previously unemployed individuals and a business tax credit for retaining qualified individuals at least 52 weeks. The benefits can be substantial: up to $6,621 in payroll tax credits and up to $1,000 in business tax credit per eligible employee.

Reduced Social Security Taxes for Employers: Offers qualified employers a temporary payroll tax holiday from the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax on qualified individuals.

• The credit applies to wages earned from the date of enactment through December 31, 2010 for each new qualified individual hired after February 3, 2010 and through December 31, 2010.
• The maximum value of the credit would be equal to 6.2% of wages up to the FICA wage cap ($106,800) or $6,621.60 per qualified individual.
• A qualified individual "certifies by signed affidavit, under penalties of perjury, that such individual has not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending on the date such individual begins such employment."

Business Tax Credit: Additionally, businesses are eligible for a $1,000 business tax credit for each qualified individual retained at least a year (52 consecutive weeks). The individual's wages during the last 26 weeks must be at least 80 percent of the wages paid during the first 26 weeks of employment. The tax credit would be claimed on the 2011 business income tax return. 

 

Source for this information: http://payroll.intuit.com/federal_hire_act/index.jsp?cid=social_payroll_prpay_landing_hire?cid=social_payroll_prpay_landing_hire

Business in the United States

We all know the economy in the United States is suffering. Perhaps you and your business are suffering too. What can we do? Do we look to the government to fix it? I personally don't think so. I believe we must fix it, we the small business owners, entrepreneurs, solo-preneurs, couple-preneurs, small office/home office business owners. I truly think the answer lies in small business.  We need jobs. We need to create products. We need new ideas and services.

 

I recently consulted with three separate companies that were wondering if they should stay in business. I am always sad when I hear of businesses that are going under.

 

In each case my questions were the same..."What are you doing to grow your business now?" and "Where can you cut expenses?" I realize these business owners are feeling defeated.  It was only a few years ago that their businesses were in 'the land of milk and honey.'  Their overhead and employee costs have grown and they have debt that is now difficult to manage.  It's tough and it's sad. 

 

In the same week I worked with three new businesses.  I am always amazed and impressed when I work with new business start-ups. The energy and enthusiasm is infectious. I wish I could bottle this and give it to the ailing business owners, it might just get their businesses going again! 

 

If you currently have a small business that is struggling I encourage you to make the tough decisions. Cut where you can. Come up with some new marketing strategies. Get focused by creating a plan and monitoring your progress. Get back to basics by focusing on your customers and costs. 

 

I have created a Business Evaluation assessment that will help you determine:

• If  you are moving toward peak performance
• If your company is suffering from business as usual
• If your business model needs an overhaul
  

You can take the assessment at http://rhondahsmith.com/businessassessment.html

 

 

Years ago John F. Kennedy challenged Americans to,  "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."  I believe we can do what Americans have always done:

• Be innovative
• Be self-determined
• Be tenacious
• Work smart
• And work hard!

 

This is still a free country and the best place on earth to start and grow a business!

 

Should I Use Social Media as a Business Marketing Tool?

You’ve heard about FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the other social media sites, you may even already have a profile set up, but are you using social media as a business marketing tool? The thought of this may have you scratching your head and asking questions like how and why. So here’s some of the questions I have been asked.  You can read the answer by clicking on the question which will link you to the best answers I have found on the web.

Why should my business engage in social media?

Can you give me 20 good reasons?

I just have a local business, do I really need the world of social media?

How can social media work for my business?

Which is better FaceBook, Twitter, or LinkedIn?

How often should you post?

What should I post?

Should you I do my own posting or hire someone else?

What else should I know?

How do I get started?

What if I already know most of this and want to take it one step further?

Top Fifteen Reasons People Fail to Achieve Goals

1.       Fear of success or failure
2.       Lack of understanding about the goal setting process-don’t know how
3.       Lack of commitment to the goal
4.       Lack of support—negative environment
5.       Inactivity toward the goal
6.       Analysis Paralysis--over think it
7.       Lack of real destination
8.       Failing to plan
9.       Having too many goals
10.    Feeling unworthy of the end result
11.    Lack of motivation to change
12.    Giving up too soon
13.    Life gets in the way
14.    Self-imposed limitations
15.    No accountability

If you have experienced another reason please feel free to post!

What's new in QuickBooks 2011

A few clients have asked me if they should upgrade to QuickBooks 2011? The answer is an absolute YES if they have 2008 or older, as those versions are no longer supported.  But what if you have 2009 or 2010? Well, that depends on whether you feel some of the new features would be beneficial. Following is a list of the new features according to Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks.

New in QuickBooks Desktop

Batch invoicing lets clients create a template once and invoice many customers at once

Quickly prioritize customers with the new Customer Snapshot

Quickly locate any account, report or invoice in QuickBooks Search

Convenient access to customer or vendor's balance and transaction history 

Stay on top of receivables and email collection notices with Collections Center

Send invoices and estimates right from business Yahoo!, Gmail or Hotmail account

Keep track of vendors' remittance addresses with a convenient new field

Mark which invoices have been paid with the Paid Date stamp

New in QuickBooks Mac

3-User Edition grows with your client's business

Control access to sensitive data by setting user permissions for up to eight activity areas  

Communicate with others using QuickBooks and see their status on iChat

Track job-related mileage by job or by vehicle

Create customized forms for estimates, invoices, and more with the improved Layout Designer

Layout Designer templates for creating professional-looking forms

Free Little Square online magazine gives tips and advice

Mac-like interface lets clients easily customize reports

Sort account registers by date, type, number, amount, and more to find transactions faster

Export report data to Excel and Numbers

New in QuickBooks Online (You will automatically get these features)

Import customer data from Excel

Business trends for your industry*

Company Snapshot, Company Scorecard*

Create and send purchase orders**

Inventory tracking**

*Available only in Essentials and Plus

**Available only in Plus

Using QuickBooks as a Marketing Tool

QuickBooks is widely used by small and home offices as a tool to keep track of income and expenses but did you know you can also use it as a marketing tool?


Let me give you some examples: 

Let's say you do facials and about 6 months ago you started selling a new line of skin care products.  When you first got the line of products you told all your customers, but what about the customer you haven't seen in 9 months?  When this customer calls to set an appointment if you open the Customer Information Center in QuickBooks and quickly view their transactions, you will realize you have not told this customer because you haven't seen her since adding the new line.


With QuickBooks you can keep a database of addresses of your customers which may be used for sending holiday cards. One of my best clients is a result a holiday card I sent a few years ago. This client and I had worked together once earlier that year, when she received the card it prompted her to call me and we have worked together on many occasions since.


You can also determine which products or services are your best and worst performers.  With this information you may decide you need to promote the product or service that is bringing in the most, or perhaps promote the poor performer to improve it's sales.  


These are only three brief examples.  Hopefully I have inspired you to look at your own business and determine how you can use QuickBooks for more than tracking your income and expenses, but as a marketing tool too!

I would love to hear how you have used QuickBooks beyond tracking income and expenses!

WOAMTEC Confident Women's Conference

Today I attended the WOAMTEC Confident Women's Conference in Orlando at the Sonesta.

WOAMTEC officially stands for Women on a Mission to Earn Commission, however I like to think of it as Women on a Mission to Establish Connections and that what was today was about, at least for me! 

I arrived at the Sonesta around 9:30.  I had paid in advance for the conference so registration was a breeze, they were very organized and efficient.  Just after I picked up my registration badge and lunch bracelet, a gal asked if I would like to have my make-up touched up. I asked her if I needed it! She laughed, and said no, thankfully, I decided however, to take her up on her offer.  It was very cool that Lux provided this service, and they didn't even push their products, which made it especially nice.  Armed with a shimmering face I was ready to "face" (no pun intended) the conference.

I headed to the first break-out session. I happened to run into a buddy, Tracy Lunquist, of Working Magic, and decided to join her in Allison D'Anna's session, "The Secret to Success and Fulfillment".  Allison was an excellent speaker who spoke from her heart and shared her journey to success and fulfillment.  She provided us with a hand out, "Wheel of Life". By completing it we were able to have a snapshot into our lives today, where we are fulfilled and where we may need more focus. She reminded us that what we focus on expands and to set goals in the areas that need more focus.


After the break-out session we had about an hour to network and shop with the vendors. There were vendors selling books, jewelry, cupcakes, and more. It was a nice varied collection of vendors.

Jeff Hawkins of Jeff Hawkins Photography was on hand to take our pictures. He had a very professional set-up, with lights and shades (or reflectors or whatever the correct photography term is.) Jeff was very pleasant in his style, making me feel comfortable, even amongst all his professional equipment.

Next came lunch. The meal was nice, even nicer that they offered a vegetarian selection!  But the best part was the incredibly dynamic speakers!

The theme of the conference was Repeat...Reboot...Recharge.


First, there Dawn Pici – REPEAT “The Fastest, Easiest & Most Reliable System for Getting MORE Sales Than You Can Handle from Loyal, Repeat Clients” She gave us valuable information about connecting with clients and about our own style using the DISC tool. REPEAT business is a good thing.

Next, we heard from Dr. Jo – REBOOT  “How to Stay Focused, Energized & More Productive” She spoke about how to "ALT, CTRL, DELETE" our own internal systems with proper sleep (more is not always better), eating patterns (carbs cause us to slow down so why do we start our day with carbs?), and thought patterns (turn short, fat, and ugly into petite, full bodied, and I don't care what others think).  Sometimes we just need to REBOOT.

Last was, Pam Powell RECHARGE  with “The P-Factor".  Pam is a dynamic speaker, somewhat a cross between and evangelist with her preachy style and a motivational, engaging speaker in the way she had us continually clap to reinforce her message.  Pam was the perfect speaker to help us RECHARGE.

After the three speakers there was no doubt that everyone in the room had raised their energy level and everyone seemed glad they attended.

The afternoon offered more break-out sessions.  I attended the "Excel for Beginners" by Nicole Pickering. Even though I don't consider myself a beginner at Excel, I did learn a couple of short cuts that I did not know and Nicole offered a complimentary phone session to cover more advanced features.

I am so glad I attended this event. I was inspired to be in the presence of so many wonderful women.  The event was well organized and very professional.  It was nice to relax, make new connections, learn, and be inspired.

If there is such an event in a city near you I encourage you to attend.  Too often we think we can't spend the time or the money, but it is a small investment with a huge return of; connections, collaboration, and confidence!

Successfully Set and Achieve Goals

Do you still have goals and resolutions for 2010 that you have not met?  Would you like to get a jump on planning for 2011.  Join me on for a FREE teleconference on how to Successfully Set and Achieve Goals on Tuesday October 5, 2010 at 8pm EST.

On this call you will learn:

• The mindset necessary to achieving goals
• The resources you must have to make your goals a reality
• How to create baby steps to support your bigger goal

To register for this FREE call click here!  I look forward to 'seeing' you on the call!

5 Ways to Make Your Website More Effective

1. Understand the purpose of your website.
2. Ensure site design supports the purpose.
3. Have useful content.
4. Make it easy to navigate.
5. Provide easy to find contact information.

One Decision Can Change Your Life

Recently I received an email with the title, "One Decision Changed My Life". As I read through the message the author described all of the 'one decisions' that had changed her life.

I started thinking about the 'one decisions' that have changed my life. My decision to marry my first husband, our decision to have my children, my decision to move to Florida, my decision to get divorced, my decision to start my own business, my decision to get remarried, my decision to become a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, my decision to become a coach. Each of these decisions was made with enthusiasm and hope of a better future, followed with challenges, work, and ultimately reward. Each decision helped me grow as a person, becoming who I am today.

The famous self-help guru, Anthony Robbins, says we will do more to avoid pain than gain pleasure. I do believe this is true. If I examine each decision I made I can see the pain point that motivated me. Some of the decisions I made felt like they were out of necessity but as I look back I realize none of them were. Each decision was truly made because of who I am and what I want for my life.

If you are in your 40's (like me) or 50's (almost me) you (and me too) may hesitate to make a decision that would change your life. It seems as we get older, and perhaps wiser, we know that one decision has the power to completely change our life. With our wisdom we seem to have lost some confidence. We are at an age where we realize time is going faster. We fear if we make a mistake there may not be time to recover. We fear that we may lose ground rather than gain. We fear there will be more pain than pleasure. Therefore we stand paralyzed in our lives on the ladder of fear.

Now you may be thinking, "No it is not fear, I am just not as naïve as I was when I was younger." Yes, that is true. We are not as naïve. And you may be thinking, "I have a lot more to lose than when I was young." Again, yes, I agree with you, that most likely, materially speaking, you may have more to lose. You may also be thinking that you don't have time to think about this right now. So with that I will get to the point.

The point is this, your whole life has been impacted by decisions you have made. When you have a few quite moments sit and think about all the 'one decisions' that you have made that have determined the path your life. Analyze the reasons you made each decision. Examine the pain that prompted you and the pleasure you gained. Realize that you still have the power to decide, and you have the wisdom of age and the confidence of experience. With this knowledge you will be prepared to decide the next time you are faced with 'one decision that could change your life.'

Related Posts: 

Is the Fear of Criticism Sabotaging Your Success  

Celebrating Change: A New You is Emerging

HELP! Need beginner's guide to SEO

I have recently been exploring the world of SEO. It feels like learning a foreign language. Although there are many resources on the internet about SEO I have yet to find the one that explains it in the simplest, easy to implement terms. I want to find a users guide that starts out with Step One, then goes on to Step Two, etc. I am willing to pay for the information. I truly believe everyone deserves to be compensated with any knowledge they impart. As a QuickBooks trainer and coach how could I possibly feel otherwise?

If you know where I can get the beginner's guide to SEO or know someone who offers training please let me know!

Are You Ready for Autumn?

The kids are back to school, Labor Day has past, and on September 23 autumn will officially begin.

Autumn always feels like a busy time of the year. We've played through the summer months, but now it is time to get busy, there's just so much to do!

Remember about 10 months ago...you had something called New Year's Resolutions? Well, it's not too late to accomplish those goals this year. Just think how much better you will feel when you close the year and have done what you set out to do!

Speaking of goals, this is also a good time of the year to start planning for the upcoming year. If you wait until January you will have lost 3 months of momentum. Start thinking now about what you would like to do in the upcoming year, whether it is in your business or personal life.

If you own your own business the fourth quarter is a good time to check in with your CPA to see if there is anything you should do to be in the best tax position. Don't wait to ask this question, waiting could cost you lots of $$$.

Now that the lazy days of summer have past it's time to focus, review, and plan. I invite you to join me on a FREE teleconference on Tuesday October 5, 2010 at 8pm (EST) to learn how you can Successfully Set and Achieve Goals. We will explore the mindset and resources necessary to materialize your dreams. Click here for more information.


You can create Your Business, Your Life, YOUR WAY!

Achieving Good Financial Health

A few days ago I did presentation on good financial health. Following is the content of that presentation.


So what is good financial health? We all know that stress can cause dis-ease and of course money can cause stress! So it’s kind of easy to make the connection on how our financial life affects our health. We see it on the news more and more, suicides and murder-suicides due to someone losing a job or being financially overwhelmed. So, when I think of good financial health I think of not being stressed about money, understanding my relationship with money, and using money as a tool.


I believe the keys to creating good financial health are being aware of where your money goes, what you believe about money, and the different money type personalities and how to best use them.


As a Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and Professional Business and Life Coach I work with clients on MONEY. QuickBooks…money….Business…money. Most of the time the work starts out with the client’s desire to learn QuickBooks so they can keep track of their money, after all we’ve all been told that it’s important to watch our money…kind of like counting calories if you want to lose weight…right? So if you want more money, you “watch” where it goes. Now QuickBooks is obviously a terrific tool to track your income and expenses…it is even a good tool as a database for your customers, vendors, and employees, and offers great reports, but I’m not here to sell you on QuickBooks. I am here to discuss how to achieve good financial health.


The first step to good financial health is to know where your money goes, so of course I suggest QuickBooks, Quicken or some other financial software program. You must know how much money is coming in and where it is going out. Recently there was a story on the news of a school teacher living on $39,000 a year supporting a family of 4. They lived in a nice house and were essentially debt free. The teacher said the main thing to his financial plan was in knowing where his money went. Instead of paying $1.50 for a soda out of the machine at school, he brought his soda each day. He said he pays about 20 cents a can. So let’s do the math…$1.50 times 180 days of school equals $270 versus 20 cents times 180 days equals $36. Now for the bigger picture, if he is in a 25% tax bracket he would have to earn almost $300 to buy sodas out of the machine versus $45 to bring them from home. I often tell my clients it is the little leaks in the vessel that will sink the ship! So it is really important to know where you are spending your money. Almost all programs or systems to becoming debt free start with having the person keep a log of where they are spending their money.


But knowing where your money goes is only part of the story to good financial health. We all have a secret relationship with money. Maybe it’s a lusty relationship, or a greedy relationship, or even a needy relationship…whatever kind of relationship it is…it’s there…and it plays a huge role in your life and even in your health…whether you admit it or not. Often times people are not really conscious of their own relationship with money or how it formed. So the Second step is defining our relationship with money and our beliefs about money.


To define our relationship with money and our beliefs about money we have to go back to the beginning… what did you hear about money as you were growing up. You may have heard things like, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Or “Money is hard to come by.” Or “Money is the root of all evil” which was shorten from the actual verse that said, “The love of money, is the root of all evil.” How did your parents handle money? How did that make you feel? You must examine what you learned about money when you were growing up and get clear on whether you choose to continue to believe that. Once you’ve done that you need to examine what role money has played in your life as an adult. Have you been the main breadwinner or have you more typically been in a supportive role? What if the role was reversed…how would that feel? If you made more money or less money, who would have a problem with it? Do you feel if you were to make more money you would have to give up more time? If you made less money would you feel less of a person? Do you think money changes people and you don’t want to be one of “those” people? Do you think there is enough? Do you attach your self-worth or the worth of others to money? What do you say to yourself about money? “I can’t save money.” “Everything is so expensive.” “Why does everyone else have money but me?” or “I can’t let go of money.” or “If I made less money I wouldn’t be taken seriously.” “No one has any money to spend these days.” There are lots of questions you can ask yourself and thoughts about money…we could go on and on. But perhaps the biggest question is; Are you friends with money or is it the enemy? Whatever you believe about money will manifest in your life.


The third step to becoming financially aware is to understand the different money types and how you can combine these to create good financial health.


In the book “Money Magic” Deborah L. Price describes eight money types. I want to share those with you to get you to thinking about your money type: Ok here goes, there’s
• The Innocent
• The Victim
• The Warrior
• The Martyr
• The Fool
• The Creator/Artist
• The Tyrant
• The Magician


So how do we recognize these types, and identify which type we are? Well, I’m going to give you some descriptions…I am sure we've all known some of these money types.


For instance I have a friend who has no clue of what her take home pay is and how much her monthly expenses are, and let me mention she is a single woman…who solely supports herself…well she'd be The Innocent. Or I have a relative, The Victim, who continually makes bad choices with her money then blames everyone else and then gets her mother to financially bail her out. And oh boy, you know The Warrior type, she is so focused on money, she sets out to conquer the world, all in an effort to prove her own self-worth. Then there's The Martyr, poor thing, she spends all her time, energy and money on everyone else. I’ve known The Fool once or twice, they play by a different set of money rules, usually rules they try to stack in their favor, and often times actually cheating! The Creator/Artist type just finds it difficult to live in the material world and would rather not have to think about money. I think we've all known The Tyrant, another relative comes to mind, the tyrant dedicates his whole life to making money so he can use it to feel superior and control those in his life. Finally, there is The Magician, these are probably the millionaires and billionaires, because they know how to transform and manifest their own financial health!


Now most of us are probably a combination of money types. I could see small traits of all them in myself. At times I am The Innocent, because I would rather not pay attention to the money details, and sometimes I’m The Victim, who likes to blame the economic downturn, but then The Warrior in me will emerge, until The Martyr takes over and I spend too much money on my kids, then I truly feel like The Fool, and crawl into The Creator/Artist type who wonders why we need money anyway, until the Tyrant emerges reminding me that the one with the gold makes the rules.


So what would it take to get to the Magician, to have really good financial health? What is the trick? According to the author, it is actually learning to combine some of these types that will lead to good financial health. It’s calling on the Warrior and Creator/Artist as well as the Magician to create those feelings of financial well-being we all seek. The Magician is the one which knows the truth, the Warrior knows when to take action, and the Creator/Artist knows the purpose and spirit and holds the vision. Together, they are a powerful team, helping to inform the Innocent, soothe the Victim, open up the Martyr to asking and receiving, slow down the Fool, and temper the Tyrant. By focusing on the strengths of the Magician, Warrior, and Creator/Artist you will be able to overcome any weaknesses you have in the other areas.


To recap the three basic steps toward becoming financially conscious and thus creating good financial health…

1. Know where your money goes. Track your finances with QuickBooks, Quicken or whatever financial accounting software you prefer or with the help of a bookkeeper.


2. Define your relationship with money and your beliefs about money. Acknowledge thoughts, patterns, or habits that may not be creating good financial health, then work to create a plan to change the ones that may not be working in your best interest.


3. Learn to combine the best of the money types to focus on and leverage your strengths and overcome your weakness.


I believe with these three steps you will be on your way to becoming financially conscious and creating your own good financial health.

Working from Home: Does It Work?

For years I have had a home office. During the times I am not directly meeting with clients I am honing my QuickBooks and coaching skills, learning about new business and marketing trends to share with my clients, writing articles, polishing up my website, and all the general administrative tasks associated with having a small business. Some days working from home can be a challenge due a lack of motivation and too many distractions. I am sure I am not the only one who has struggled with this. So, does working from home really work?

Many people succeed in working from home, while others fail miserably. Why is that? One of the biggest reasons for failure is lack of motivation due to the environment. When we are home we tend to be conscious of home related tasks versus when we are at the office we focus on work related tasks.

Following are four basic steps that will ensure you are productive and efficient when working from home.

Establish Workspace

One of the most important parts of your home office is the specific place where you actually perform work-related tasks. Whether you are using a spare bedroom or any part of the house as your home office, there must be enough space to organize work materials. This is also where you should be spending your working hours at home. For example, if you establish your office in a spare room, do your work there, do not try to complete work in the kitchen. Having an established work space at home will ensure two things: it will prevent any form of distractions while you are working at home, and you will gain more organization with all of your work needs. Regardless of your working style, most people find having an established work space lends greatly to productivity.

Have the Right Office Furniture and Equipment

You need to determine the nature of your home business and your work style to determine which furniture and equipment you need. Consider how you like to work when buying a desk, if you like to spread papers out you may like an L-shaped desk. If you work space is in a corner of a bedroom, an armoire may work best. Make sure you have good equipment such as a computer, printer and proper communication systems. Nothing is more frustrating and time consuming than equipment that does not function properly. The right furniture and the equipment will increase your efficiency.



Set Your Boundaries

Self-employed individuals who work from home become their own boss. Therefore, it is easy to assume a relaxed approach towards work and neglect your tasks. It is important to come up with ways to avoid distractions, whether it be playing around with your kids for awhile, chatting with a friend through email, or getting caught up with housework. If you are working in a room with a door, simply closing the door may be a good signal to other members of the household that you are not to be disturbed. Another way of avoiding distractions is to turn off your personal phone during your work hours, just as if you were in an office. Limiting time checking email and social media sites will also increase your productivity and efficiency. Of course, you should give yourself a short break every so often, allowing an allotted amount of time, then returning to work.


Create Work Organization and Routine

People who work from home tend to neglect the needs of organizing their home office and schedule due to lack of motivation. The best way to achieve organization is to treat your home office as you would any regular office. Then, practice basic organizational skills when it comes to filing your important documents or arranging your schedule. Being organized refers not only to the cluttered mess on your desk, but also to how you organize your schedule to ensure all your priorities are met. One of the benefits of working from home is that you may be able to organize your work schedule to fit your family needs or your biological clock (maybe you are a night owl who comes alive after midnight!)


Make it Work

Does working from home work? Once you establish your workspace, have the right furniture and equipment, set your boundaries, and create your routine then working from home should work for you! If it doesn't then of course, you could always go back to working in an office. However, if you are like me, just the thought of that motivates me to make it work!

Is the fear of criticism sabotaging your success?

The fact is most of us do not like to be criticized. Many of us tend to take it as a negative experience. Criticism can make us feel angry, sad, frightened, resentful, defensive, depressed, and/or discouraged.

In the popular book, Think and Grow Rich, author Napolean Hill says a fear of criticism shows up as self-consciousness, lack of poise, an inferiority complex, extravagance (overspending), a lack of initiative, and a lack of ambition. Hill further says a fear of criticism destroys initiative and discourages creativity. Whew! No wonder the fear of criticism sabotages success.

Anyone who has been innovative, creative, or adventurous has faced criticism. An untold number of people have abandoned their dreams simply due to the fear of criticism. It is inevitable, we will all face criticism from time to time, especially if we are venturing outside the norm and moving toward our dreams. Criticism can be either constructive or destructive and often times it is our own interpretation labels it as one or the other.

While watching an interview of the famous opera singer, Renee Fleming, on a recent episode of CBS Sunday morning, I was impressed when she described her reaction to the criticism she continually endured from her instructors while attending The Julliard School. She loved it! She knew it would make her better and stronger. What an awesome perspective! Rather than view the criticism as a negative experience she viewed it as a positive, inspiring experience. That is the perspective of success!

Consider how the fear of criticism is manifesting in your life. Do you cower when criticized or does it empower you? Do you feel resentment or inspiration?

If you struggle with the fear of criticism it is silently sabotaging your success.
To begin overcoming the fear:

1. Recognize that some criticism, whether negative or constructive can actually help you.
2. Understand that others can not always see your vision.
3. Work with a coach if you are stuck in your fear of criticism.

Realize it may take a while to become comfortable with criticism but eventually you may come to view it as inspiration, then criticism will no longer inhibit your success it will inspire your success.

What Clients/Customers Really Want

Recently I worked with a client who wants to grow his business. Like most solo-preneurs he feels his biggest challenge is to find employees who will represent him well and will provide the quality of workmanship he provides.

During the discussion as he got to the core of the issue he said he finds what clients/customers really want is TRUST. They want to trust that they have made the best buying decision and that they will receive a quality job, product or service.

How can we convey TRUST to our clients/customers? How can we train our employees to convey that same trust?

There is one simple answer to both questions.

Operate at the highest level of honesty and integrity in ALL that you do. If you operate on this level your clients will see it and so will your employees.

Proper employee training and systems are necessary to the growth of your business, but TRUST is vital, for both your clients/customers and your employees.

Have you ever wondered what your entrepreneurial style is? Are you even aware you have one? Well, yes, every business owner has their own style and Michelle DeKinder-Smith has identified the five types of female entrepreneurs and written a book, "See Jane Succeed" which provides and accurate depiction of each style.

Once my style was identified, by taking a quiz at her site JaneOutoftheBox I read the related chapter in the book and could quickly identify with the qualities and challenges of being a Merry Jane. I felt very validated in my choices of merging my business and my life. She not only provides the description of each Jane but an action plan for each Jane to create a joyful life and prosperous business. I was also happy to find that she included a chapter on changing my type, just in case the day comes that I want to move from being a Merry Jane to a Jane Dough.

If you are looking for a book to help you reveal what it takes to win in business and life, then read this book! You can get it atAmazon.

You can see more recommended reading for business and life on my site RhondaHSmith

Summer is in full swing and many of us are enjoying summer activities, vacations, and family time. We tend to get a little more relaxed and laid back in the summer. But have you ever left for a wonderful vacation only to wonder if turned off the iron and locked the doors? In your business backing up your data and securing your flash drive is the equivalent to turning off the iron and locking the doors.

If you have ever worked with me as your QuickBooks ProAdvisor then you already know I preach 'back-up' your data. In most businesses a computer crash is the equivalent to an office fire! If you've backed-up your data you can be back in business quickly. However, within QuickBooks there is a certain way to back-up, not only to give you to the option to recover your data but also to maintain the data integrity. Read, "Backing-up QuickBooks" for this important information.

Many of us use flash drives to store or back-up data. Since flash drives are inexpensive and small, we may undervalue the true value of the data we store on them. What if you lost your flash drive? What information would the person finding it have access to? Read, "Secure that Flash Drive" to learn how to protect your data.

This summer back-up your data and secure that flash drive so you can enjoy that "Summer" state of mind.

Remember, you can create Your Business and Your Life, YOUR WAY!

Secure that Flash Drive

Many of us use Flash Drives to save files, move data, and/or back-up data. But how safe is your flash drive? What if you lost it? What information would the finder have access to?

Through our ProAdvisor's website I found an interesting article on just this topic. The author, Dr. Bob Spencer, offers advice on how to encrypt the flash drive to secure and protect your company data. Continue reading.

Backing Up QuickBooks

If you have ever worked with me as your QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor then you know I am always reminding you to backup your data. Even if you have a complete system back-up software such as Maxtor or Carbonite you should backup QuickBooks within the software to avoid data corruption. To illustrate the point let me share a story...

A client called me in shear panic. While working in QuickBooks an error message popped up which said something about QuickBooks encountering a problem and needing to shut down. When the client re-opened QuickBooks her bank balance was off and other data was in question. She immediately called me. The first question I asked, “When was the last time you backed-up?” She said she didn't know, the computer guy handled all that. I asked her to call him and find out. I also advised that she stop using QuickBooks until I could get there.

The next day I met with the client and her computer guy. My job was to rescue her QuickBooks and help him understand how to properly back-up QuickBooks. He had set their system to do a complete back-up but had not set QuickBooks properly; therefore the data integrity had not been analyzed and had become unstable. Fortunately, the data was rescued with a rebuild and we were able to set QuickBooks automatically back-up properly. By the time we were finished both the client and the computer guy had learned valuable lessons and were sighing in relief.

Following are the QuickBooks back-up instructions from Carbonite. These instructions should work regardless of which back-up software you use.

How to Use Quickbooks Automatic Backup
Please follow the instructions below within Quickbooks to set up automatic backups. Make sure that the location for the Quickbooks backup files is a folder selected for backup by Carbonite.
1. Select File; Save Copy or Backup. This will open the Backup Wizard.
2. Click Backup Copy; Next; Local Backup.
3. If you have not already done so, click Options to set your backup defaults (such as where you want to save your local backup) then click Next.
4. Click Only schedule future backups (to create a schedule without running a backup) and click Next.
5. Select the first checkbox and enter a number to specify how often you want your company file to be backed up. For example, to back up your data file every fifth time you close it, type 5 in the field provided. The backup will be stored in the location you specified in the Set Backup Copy: Options window. To view or change this location, click Options. In order for Carbonite to back up the Quickbooks backup files, please choose a location selected for backup by Carbonite, such as your My Documents folder.
6. Click Finish to close the wizard.

Note: These instructions are based on Quickbooks Pro 2009. If you are using a different version of Quickbooks, the instructions for setting automatic backups may vary slightly. Please consult your Quickbook documentation for details as necessary.

As always I urge you to back-up your data. When asked how often you should back-up, my standard reply is, “Depends on how much you are willing to lose.” If you call me in distress my first question will be, “When did you last back-up?”

The Social Media Craze

Social media is all the rage these days and I believe it is here to stay, just like telephones, fax machines, and the internet. If you are not using social media in your business you are missing an opportunity for FREE marketing. If you are not using it in your personal life you are missing out on connecting with family, friends, old school buddies, and long lost acquaintances. But hey, I understand it is hard to keep up with all the new technology and trends.

Social Media 101

Where to post
Each social media place has a different personality. For example, FaceBook is a mix of business and personal, whereas LinkedIn is strictly business. Twitter is primarily business and limits the number or characters you can post in a single "Tweet" to 140. Plaxo is a networking/address book site. There are many more social networking sites available. FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter seem to be the most popular.


What to post
Do you wonder what is appropriate to post on social media? Industry leaders recommend posting tweets and statuses of four equal types in equal parts: quotes, tips, pitches and personal. That way you're pitching 25% of the time. If you pitch all the time, no one will pay attention. Tie the topic of a quote to your business, you can get these by Googling for quote sites. Tips should be specific to your niche and be useful information. Pitches can include your latest client testimonials, special offers, questions that help clients prospects realize that they need what you do, upcoming events, etc. Always include some personal posts so clients and prospects feel like they really know you!


When to post
Some businesses/people post daily. Some even post the same status update early in the day and then later in the day to catch the attention of those who may have missed it earlier. How often you post is a matter of how much you have to say and how much time you have. There is more to social networking than just what you post. Think of social media as a conversation. In addition to your posts you also need to interact in the conversation by commenting on other member's posts. Just as in conversation you need to speak, listen, and interact.


How to post
Each social media site has an empty box to type your post. In FaceBook the box is labeled, “What’s on your mind?” In Twitter is says, “What’s Happening?” LinkedIn says, “Share an idea, article, question or update.” You can set up your social media to post a comment to one social media site and have it post to the other sites. Software is also available to set future posts. And there are virtual assistants and companies that will manage your social media for you.

How to get started
Ready to get started on social media? Here’s a free gift from Susan Payton, the Marketing Eggspert and owner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations. It’ll help you figure out social media in an hour a day. Download it now.
And if you want even more help on setting up a facebook Page and marketing it to grow your sales, check out Susan’s Facebook for Business ebooks, Setting Up Your Page and Marketing Your Page. At just $30 per ebook, they’re the cheapest, fastest way to teach you hands on how to use social media to grow your business. You’ll be social media savvy before you know it!

Changes---Again

In October I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Stage 2, invasive ductile, with minor lymph node involvement, estrogen positive. Since then I have had a biopsy and two surgeries. Radiation begins today. I have been blogging on Rhonda's Breast Cancer Blog, to keep family and friends up to date.

As a result of this life change I have not been blogging here. As life is slowly settling into this new reality I am establishing a new routine in my life and business.

Even though this was an unplanned and unwelcome change in my life, I embrace the lessons I can learn and share through this experience!