.

.

Coaching Business Weekly Milana Leshinsky ACCPOW Founder & CEO Every week, you will receive coaching business tips on: - Practice Building - Practice Management - Passive Coaching Income I will also let you peek inside my own coaching business! I am candid and straight forward, and don't hold anything back. I will share with you what worked and what flopped!  Subscribe using the form below, and you'll receive instant access to all the past issues: Name: Email: *Your information is never shared, sold or given away

Contents:

- Editor's Message - Getting published in your newspaper
- Don't Bring In An Expert - BE ONE
- Pickle in a Jar
- Toddlers and Business...Do They mix?
- Make Others Promote Your Business

Member Updates & Resources:

- Closing more sales by educating your prospects
- Investing In Your Strengths, Outsourcing Your Shortcomings
- From Chief of Staff to Life Coach. How I Found the Work I love
- The Federal Trade Commission Drops An Internet Bomb 
- Add your business card to SBA web site and gain exposure

Please, forward this issue to your friends and colleagues!
 

================================================
Editor's Message - Getting published in your newspaper
================================================

Welcome to all new members and subscribers!

You know, getting published in your local newspaper
is not as hard as you may think.  I certainly didn't
expect to hear back from the editor... literally the
next day, after I pitched him a story idea.

And not just one paper - both of my local papers responded
immediately!  Being interviewed last night, scheduling a
photo shoot this morning, a published piece next week...
things move fast!

Without giving you any specifics about the story idea
(I'd like to keep this a secret until it's published :-),
I will give you the basic important reasons why I think 
both editors decided to cover it:

1. It is directly related to people in my local area
2. It touches a very important trend in today's world
3. The story has a new and unique angle
4. I provided the editors with several interesting details

Before I e-mailed the editors with the details, I called
the newspapers first and asked them if they'd be interested
in covering the story.  Both requested "a detailed overview".

How can YOU take advantage of the information I just shared?
Think of something that you can relate to people in your town,
make it personalized and interesting, find a unique point,
and call your newspapers.

I'll share the actual story with you when it's published.

Now enjoy this issue,

Milana.

P.S. Are You Working Solo? Discover How to Attract Well-Paying 
Clients Tips, support and hundreds of resources worth well over 
$1,000 for coaches, consultants and other self-employed 
professionals. http://www.aspow.com
 

================================================
Don't Bring In An Expert - BE ONE
================================================

by Susan Valeri

Bringing in an expert to speak at your function? 
This will get more publicity and business...for the person you bring 
in. What is wrong with this scenario? And all you will have is a 
mitt full of bills, and they won't be the green kind.

With a little work, a little effort, and a little expense YOU could 
be the expert. You know your stuff -- you just don't know how to 
establish yourself as an expert. But there is help!

The secret is to make yourself a household name; like Kraft Dinner 
or Drano. How do we do this? Here's the long answer:

-Create your own ezine
-Search for fr*ee directories
-Submit your ezine to fr*ee directories
-Search for appropriate ezines
-Subscribe to appropriate ezines
-Write articles and queries and submit them to these ezine publishers
-Search ezine publisher group lists
-Post your articles to ezine publishing group lists
-Search offline publications
-Query offline publications and submit articles
-Search newspapers
-Contact newspapers to become resource
-Submit article ideas to newspapers
-Find ezines to swap ads with
-Arrange to swap ads in ezines
-Create a color brochure 
-Hand it out to everyone you meet
-Search radio shows
-Talk about your product/service on radio
-Search TV shows
-Talk about your product/service on TV
-Search associations
-Speak at local association/network meetings
-Write and offer fr*ee e-reports at your website by autoresponder
-Write and offer e-books at your website
-Optimize your website
-Submit your website to search engines
-Submit your website to search engines...again....and again

All this also works to increase your ranking on the search engines 
because you obtain more links as your work is posted at more and 
more websites.

So, you can go about doing it yourself, or you can use the short 
answer: hire an EXPERT to get it done, and you already know the 
answer to that.

(c) 2003 Susan Valeri
Get your name out there with Susan Valeri, Master Virtual 
Assistant. Susan helps build clientele and readership through 
internet and traditional promotion techniques. Listen to her 
Business Goldmine Info Radio show or subscribe to her fr*ee ezine. 
Visit www.virtualassistantsusan.com or call Tel: 905-643-2436.

==================================================
Pickle in a Jar
==================================================

by Linda Starr

"Pickle in a jar" is the expression my doctor used to describe 
my concussion after I walked into a bunch of pipes sticking out 
the back of a plumber's truck (no flag). The pickle (your brain) 
bumps into the inside of the jar and swells up (it can also 
bleed, ergo no aspirin--Tylenol's OK but doesn't do a heck of a 
lot since it's not a headache!). 

This happened April 1st (not an April Fool's joke). The Doctor 
said not to hit it again or it'll take "forever" to heal (but I 
did). 

In the process of trying to decide if "pickle in a jar" is a 
metaphor or a simile, I came across this interesting discussion 
(if you're an writer, take notes): 

http://deenes.ffzg.hr/~bmikulic/the-like.htm

Wouldn't you know, Borislav Mikulic, Ph.D. is an Associate 
Professor for Epistemology and Indian Philosophy at the 
Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy, at the 
University of Zagreb, Croatia. 

Anyway, a concussion makes you feel angry and makes you want to 
cry and nothing makes it go away but time. Only sleeping and 
really concentrating on something takes your pickle, er mind,
off it and meditation makes it worse. 

I started to wonder what would happen if I wasn't married and 
lived all alone (I used to). What if I was a Sole Proprietor? 
This is scary isn't it? 

You've got to plan ahead before something happens. 

First of all, you must understand about Long Term Care Insurance.
Suze Orman is its most famous advocate, but this web site goes 
deeper: 

http://www.longtermcareinsurance.org/i-suze-orman.html

The government has set up a Disability Planner that you should 
know about-here's what they say: 

"Disability is a subject you may read about in the newspaper, 
but not think of as something that might actually happen to you. 
But the chances of becoming disabled are probably greater than 
you realize. Studies show that a 20-year-old worker has a 3-in-
10 chance of becoming disabled before reaching retirement age. 

While we spend a great deal of time working to succeed in our 
jobs and careers, few of us think about ensuring that we have a 
safety net to fall back on should we become disabled. This is an 
area where Social Security can provide valuable help to you." 

http://www.ssa.gov/dibplan/

Lastly, I found a forum on the subject (I'm so used to Internet 
Marketing forums, I never realized that there's probably a forum 
for every kind of need and interest): 

http://www.disabilityinsuranceforums.com

Things sure were different in the old days when many people 
worked for a company until they retired. People don't seem to do 
that anymore, and more and more of us are working alone and for 
ourselves (especially lately with all of the lay-offs). While 
this sounds ideal and makes everyone else jealous, the downside 
is that your work will come to a grinding halt if something 
happens to you. Be prepared. 
 

© 2003 by Linda Starr, All Rights Reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Composer, Libertarian, and Cat Butler
Linda Starr will help you increase your affiliate income:
http://www.affiliate-marketing-products.com
 
 

==================================================
Toddlers and Business...Do They mix?
==================================================

by Colleen Langenfeld

So you've made the leap.

You've decided that working from home is the plan you want to 
pursue.

Maybe you've worked out telecommuting arrangements with your 
current job.

Or perhaps you've decided to begin a whole new business and 
you've found the one you know will be a perfect fit for you.

But now reality sinks in.

You've got a toddler!

Perhaps this little creature is the very reason you decided to 
stay home in the first place. To be there day by day. To see the 
'firsts'. To ensure yours is the main voice in your small 
sweetie's life.

All valid reasons for working from home.

All reasons that will have you tearing your hair out before very 
long!

Take heart!

People ARE making home-based businesses work! But you'll have to 
lay some ground rules for yourself and your toddler if you want 
it to work for you!

The keys? Organization and Patience!

You're going to be running two different operations at the same 
time for this scenario to work. You'll need to run your work/
business schedule as well as your parenting/household schedule. 
This means you need to plan out both completely and then merge 
them appropriately. For example:

 - plan out your toddler's days. Monday through Friday. 8-5 (or 
whatever your work hours will be). Make it fun and entertaining 
for the maximum effectiveness!

 - plan out your work days, also for the full week. Focus on 
results so that you aren't wasting valuable time on busywork.

 - merge the two schedules and see where they naturally work 
together and where they won't work together at all!

 - then adjust, and adjust some more.

Helpful hints:

 - build small breaks into your daily schedule and use one 
whenever a meltdown occurs.

 - realize some days will go smoother than others. And let it go.

 - plan a variety of what I call 'Focused Workdays/Focused Play 
Days. This is a day or two a week (or whatever you need) where 
your child is involved in a super-fun activity for them. Could 
be a playgroup, preschool, or simply a day with Grandma. Or find 
another at-home parent with little ones who would like some 
extra cash and pay her/him to let your toddler spend the day 
with their kids. Then, while your baby is busy and cared for, 
YOU get busy! Focus on your business the whole day and you'll be 
amazed at the results you can accomplish!

 - be patient with yourself. Toddlerhood is a fleeting time; 
choosing to be a part of it is very rewarding, but not in the 
same manner that a successful business is rewarding. Both 
endeavors deserve your best commitment and focus; obviously 
neither will receive 100 per cent of your time! Don't make the 
mistake of missing your child when you're working your business 
and wishing you were working while you're showing a young human 
being the wonders of the backyard.

So...relax! Everyday may not go perfectly but at the end of each 
day you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you are producing 
results, both personally and professionally.

And you'll have the paycheck and smiles to prove it!
 

© 2003 Colleen Langenfeld owns and operates PaintedGold.com,
a resource site for busy working mothers. Sign up for her FR*EE 
newsletter today at http://www.paintedgold.com and receive our 
Creativity Toolkit for FR*EE!
 
 

==================================================
Make Others Promote Your Business
==================================================

Who says you need to do all the marketing yourself?
How about "recruiting" other people to help you out,
and building a never-ending supply of prospects!

Entrepreneur magazine (online) offers "6 Ways Others Can Promote
Your Business", which you can view here:
http://www.staples.com/content/SBA/Promote.asp
 
 

==================================================
Member Updates & Resources:
==================================================

Closing more sales by educating your prospects
Taking our knowledge for granted is one of the biggest
mistakes we make, as service professionals.  Those 
consultants and coaches who can educate their prospects
instead of trying to sell to them, will immediately see
an increase in new clients. Discover what strategies you
can use to educate your prospects and close more sales.
 

Invest In Your Strengths, Outsource Your Shortcomings
Small business owners and professionals can always use an
extra pair of hands to help shoulder their many obligations.
However, sometimes the cost of managing your own business
can be a real challenge when you’re trying to conserve
financial resources.  Olalah Njenga, our business columnist,
offers an excellent self-assessment that will help you
determine what you should yourself, and what should be
outsourced to others.
 

From Chief of Staff to Life Coach. How I Found the Work I love
Jenny had been headhunted into the job, wooed by the six-figure
salary and the sexy title.  But the job wasn't really what she
expected.  Read a personal story of one UK woman, and how
she made a successful career transition.
 

The Federal Trade Commission Drops An Internet Bomb
One of the top Internet marketers was just served with a
devastating lawsuit and enforcement action by the FTC,
after they went to his Web site.  The FTC included as part
of their action, an order to fre*eze his corporate and
personal assets.  Find out what our legal advisor, Bob Silber,
recommends to put on your web site, no matter what.
 

Add your business card to SBA web site and gain exposure
Small Business Administration has a high-traffic web site
visited by thousands of business owners every day.  If you
are targeting small businesses, this is a great opportunity
for you to get the word out about your services, at no cost. 
 

Accepting Online Payments Without Any Equipment
The beauty of the Internet is that you can process orders
automatically, without lifting a finger, for just under $50.
Find out which top companies you can use to start accepting
online orders within just a couple of days.
 

Until next week,
Milana Leshinsky
ASPOW, Executive Director

=====
P.S. Do you want to access member area filled with articles,
tutorials, teleclasses, marketing guides, Internet tips,
and a complete marketing rolodex for professionals?  Check
out the Association of Solo Professionals on the Web today at
http://www.aspow.com.