♫ It’s the moooost wonderful time of the yeeeear! ♫

I love the Holidays and taking time to unwind, and plan for the year ahead. During the Holidays, one of the things I also do is re-read my favorite book, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. His timeless principles for success have always been at the core of my annual plans. A lot of people ask about this annual plan I do each year, so this year I thought it would be fun to turn it into an interactive experience as my Holiday gift to all of you! It includes inspirational videos from Napoleon Hill about his success principles that I use for my own business -and my life, his Personal Inventory Questionnaire, and my Bigger Picture Strategic Planning Exercise.

Take my free 21 Day New Year Challenge, Starring Napoleon Hill, to reflect on the past year and prepare to take on the world in 2012.

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, and best wishes for the New Year from the entire team at She Takes on the World! Expect big things from us next year!

Please leave a comment below and share 1) the accomplishment you’re most proud of this year and 2) your number one goal for 2012. I’ll start: The accomplishment I’m most proud of this year is my Emmy Award and my number one goal for 2012 is to send my book out into the world after two years of hard work. Your turn!

Rock 2012 With My 21 Day New Year Challenge, Starring Napoleon Hill is a post from She Takes on the World

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Finding a good balance was never easy for me—I wear brown shoes with a black shirt, if someone is quiet I get quieter, I like ice cream and I like ketchup, so why wouldn’t those work together? Okay, so fortunately I was joking with that last one (and unfortunately I was serious about the first one), but nonetheless the idea of balance is just as important in the business world. You have to have a balance between home life and work, you have to balance out the tasks you are given, and you have to find a balance with those you work with (all while factoring in all the other things on your mind). In other words, one of the most important things about a company is employee collaboration, but it isn’t easy. If you’ve ever come in contact with another person (and I hope you have), you know that some people butt heads. They agree on nothing, they therefore fight about everything, and nothing gets done.

Although it may seem impossible for these two people to get along, collaboration can do wonders for your business. In other words, these two employees have to get along.

Collaboration is important for a few reasons:

• Employees can bounce ideas off one another, which will hopefully help generate the best possible idea for any given project.
• If employees can collaborate effectively during projects, their overall attitude about the job will improve. This will help all employees stay productive and motivated.
• Collaboration helps communication. If employees are “forced’ to speak with each other, they are bound to talk about other things related to the company; therefore there is likely to be less overlap and less conflicts between departments/specific employees.
• On a similar note, collaborate allows for efficiency. If one employee has some extra time on their hands and another employee is swamped with work, collaboration will help everything get done in a good amount of time.

Whether you are a leader or simply another person “forced” to collaborate, there are things you can do to help everyone get along. If employees are constantly butting heads, all of the benefits to collaboration go out the window (sometimes causing negative situations to arise). For this reason, collaboration can be tricky. Fortunately, there are a few things that can be done to help everything run smoothly:

Collaboration at Its Finest

1. Attitude—You must make sure that everyone in the company understands that collaboration is a win-win situation for everyone. Collaboration is not about being defensive or trying to make your department look better than another. Think mutual success—if the group succeeds, everyone succeeds (and vice versa).
2. Accountability—Everyone needs to be held accountable for their actions in a collaboration. Although the final result is a win-win for everyone, there is no room for blame when it comes to working together. Members of the team should not blame others, but rather those who are at fault should stand up and take accountability. This will avoid any negative feelings toward that person or persons, and then the group can move on with the task.
3. Current Technologies—Having up-to-date technologies for your employees to work with will help collaboration. Now that social networks have exploded onto the scene, you can create pages and accounts specifically as a space for your employees to collaborate. You can also consider using Skype or other types of VoIP business phone services for the employees who prefer the phone. Most will even enjoy collaborating through these different platforms.
4. Praise—If you are a boss or manager, it might be a good idea to recognize a good outcome that came from collaboration through some type of praise. Let your employees know that their collaboration is appreciated, and keep a record of success stories to share when it comes time for a company meeting.
5. Learn from Conflict—One of the most important parts of successful collaboration is the ability to learn from something that went wrong. There are bound to be a few disagreements between employees, but encourage them to look on the positive side and move on with the project.

As most business owners will tell you, collaboration happens every day. It has to in order for anything to get done in a company. However, what most business owners do not realize is that this collaboration can almost always be improved. Follow some of the tips discussed above and considering bringing up the idea of collaboration during a company meeting. In other words, collaborate about collaboration.

5 Simple Ways to Improve Employee Collaboration is a post from She Takes on the World

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Hire Smart Now So You Don’t Have to Fire Later

One of the best things you can do for your company is hire quality employees — and don’t take their word for it. Whether you are a businessman or a businesswoman, you want to create the best possible staff for your company. There are several ways a company can determine whether an employee will be a good fit without taking a blind leap of faith; one being background checks.

Background checks allow you to know exactly who you are hiring before making the job offer. According to hrscreening.com, over 35% of job applications and resumes reveal a distortion, and according to William M. Mercer, Inc., turnover costs a minimum of $10,000. Although background checks are becoming more and more popular (and unfortunately more necessary) with companies, performing a Google search or checking a potential candidates Facebook simply isn’t enough. The best way to avoid these types of unnecessary costs is to catch the problem before it starts and complete a few simple checks.

What to Check and What to Avoid

There are several types of records that you should check before hiring a prospective employee and some that have to be avoided:

The reason that some records should be avoided is because they are not always accessible to just any company, and in many states these kinds of background checks are not supported. In some states an employer is allowed to ask about things such as criminal records, while other states cannot. If you feel you need to check someone that is typically avoided, the best thing you can do is check with a lawyer to determine your states policy.

Tips to Hiring that Perfect Employee

1. Consent – An employer must always get the consent of the applicant before performing any sort of background tests. If an applicant has nothing to hide, this should not be a problem. The easiest way to do this is to create a portion of your job application that asks whether or not the applicant would be willing to undergo a list of specific background checks. This way, if there is an issue it will come up before all the formalities of an interview.
2. Pick and Choose Your Battles –When conducting a background check, make sure that your tests and checks are related to the job position your candidate is applying (you are not expected to conduct every test you can). For example, if you are looking to hire an office worker, driving records would not be necessary. It is up to the employer to decide which tests make sense for the position. In fact, if your tests are unreasonable you run the risk of being sued.
3. Credit Report Issues – The background check that would probably give you the most problems would be credit reports. In some states, looking at an applicant’s credit is not allowed. If this is allowed in your state and you want to use a credit report to make your decision, be advised that the applicant has a right to challenge your decision if they are not hired.
4. Use Public Record Databases – Much of the information you need to conduct a background check, such as driving records or court records, can be found online. Other things you need, such as drug tests or past employment references, can be done in your office.
5. Double Check Those Resumes – It is worth your time to call Universities for education verification and past employers for work history confirmation. Many applicants can come in for an interview and smooth talk their way into your good graces, but once the job starts you may find yourself spending too much time on the training a past education or job seemed to “miss.”

Unfortunately, many start-up companies see backgrounds checks as confusing and intimidating, and therefore ignore them. This is sure to cost you more trouble in the future if you do hire an employee who is bad news, so follow a few of the simple tips listed above. After all, you can NEVER be too safe with your business.

How to Perform a Successful Employee Background Check is a post from She Takes on the World

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So you’re taking on the world. Perhaps you’ve fled from the corporate box to stretch your arms as an entrepreneur that can change things; you’re going to be the change you want to see in the world.  Maybe you’re fresh out of college and have known your entrepreneurial destiny since you discovered your true passion as a young lass. Either way, you get to be exactly what you want to be and affect your market exactly how you want to.

Easier said than done, but in order to change the world, or at least your sliver of it, a legitimate business title would aid you in getting the job done. You’ve got what your business does figured out, the next step is to pick a business structure.

Here are the four basic entity types to choose from to legitimize your business:

Sole Proprietorship

If simplicity is what you’re after a sole proprietorship is an excellent choice. All you have to do come tax season is report your business’ profits and losses on your personal tax record. You’ll also be likely to pay a self-employment tax on profits you make. Piece of cake, right? The only catch being that the structure is tied to your personal assets. Meaning wave goodbye to your personal property and savings if your business fails and you can’t pay up.

Partnership

This entity is usually the most obvious choice when working with a partner. Though, like the sole proprietorship a partnership ties the business to the partners’ personal assets. However, if you’d like you could have a limited partnership which will lower personal liability for business debts.

Corporation

As the name promisingly rings a large bell, this is an extremely common type of entity. The paperwork in mind is what potentially scares off most thinking about forming a corporation. However, paperwork included, this entity can be very much worth the trouble.  With a corporation you don’t have the worry of tying your personal assets to your business. Your business is a separate entity from yourself; it has a life of its own. You also pay taxes according to what you choose to pay yourself coming from the corporation. That’s money you can utilize in growing your business. Any ideas your business is built around also becomes the property of the corporation and not the owners, making it a bit less messy be there ever a disagreement over who came up with what.

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

LLC owners have the choice of being taxed as a corporation would or the pass-through structure in which personal income includes your business’ profits and losses. However, like a corporation, your personal assets are still protected if your business fails.

Choosing an entity should not be this daunting, impossible decision.  If you’ve been thinking of gaining a legitimate title to go along with your business for some time now the choice should be easy.  As you’ve read the above selections one of them should have jumped out at you giving you the perfect “YES! That’s what my business needs.”

Making Your Business Legit: How to Choose Your Business Entity is a post from She Takes on the World

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Business ownership can be an amazing and challenging experience.  The key is to have a plan in place.  If you want to start a business to get rich quick, looking to work only a few hours per week or someone said you should, then here are five reasons why you should not give up your day job yet.   

You haven’t determined the start up cost of your venture.

If you haven’t taken the time to determine your start up costs as well as how much it will take to sustain you the first year, then you are not ready to start a business.  I’ve had clients come to me right after start up to apply for SBA funding for their business. Most have tapped into their personal savings and at the point of desperation for funding to help them keep their business open.  Depending on their credit situation and stability of their business, determines if a lender will take the risk.  Starting a business is a commitment and understanding your financial obligations are key to having a stable company.

Your family or close friends said you have the best product or service.

I’ve seen this happen too many times.  I consult with new clients who are excited about various business ideas because their friends and family told them that their home made brownies were the best around; or make the best costume jewelry.   While this might be true, it’s going to take a lot more than the word and sales from your family and friends to stay in business.  You must test your products or services as well as research to determine if there is a market for it.

You are tired of working long hours on your job or hate your boss.

Your feeling a little frustrated with your job and by starting a business, you can work less and won’t have a boss breathing down your back.   Not so fast!   If you think that by starting a business you won’t have to work harder and longer hours, you will be in for a rude awakening.  Furthermore, you will have a new set of bosses, your customers!  Starting a business will require more time and effort, plus an irregular pay check.

You want to make a lot of money, fast!

It’s not wrong to want to make money doing what you love; it’s just not likely to happen in that first year or two.  You should start with a strong business and marketing plan which is a great road map to the development, growth and success of your business.

You are afraid of failure and risk taking.

If the idea of failure and risk-taking has you ‘shaking in your boots,’ then you might want to evaluate your business idea carefully.  As a business owner, you will have to make both planned and unexpected decisions.  Each business decision made comes with an element of risk, so you must be comfortable in your abilities as a manager of your company. 

Fear is normal because of the unknown, but if you have taken the steps to insure business success, it can be overcome.  There are resources to help you.  Contact your local SBA Regional office for resources available for start-up companies.

In conclusion, since 80% of new businesses fail within their first year, it is extremely important to have a clear purpose, passion and determination to succeed.  Otherwise, my advice is to stay gainfully employed!

Ready for Entrepreneurship? 5 Reasons Why You Should NOT Start A Business is a post from She Takes on the World

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Getting Things Done

You have visualized what you want, determined your goals, and figured out how to make the time to put toward your business, project, or career. Fantastic! Let’s kick things up a notch.
 

Deadlines & Benchmarks

Deadlines are great for keeping your projects on track.

• Decide what steps you need to take to accomplish one of your larger goals. A benchmark for redesigning your website would be to do research. If you are writing a book, each chapter can be a step. If you are trying to advance your career, you might want to try one new networking event per month.
• Look at a calendar and determine what would be a reasonable deadline for accomplishing each task. Factor in a cushion for time when you know you will be less productive: family vacations, school holidays, seasonal crunch-time at work.
• As with your goals, write these deadlines down. Put them in your calendar, as well as in a place you look at frequently.

Rules & Rewards

Set up your own personal system of rules and rewards.

• What do you like to do? Are you a yogi, an entertainment fan or a foodie?
• What do you need to accomplish? An hour of work, a written document, a business makeover?
• What will encourage you to get your work done? A walk on the beach, a movie, dinner out?

Examples

Make a list of each task and the reward you will receive after you complete it.

• One hour’s worth of work allows you 15 minutes of social media time.
• After you accomplish your weekly goal, enjoy a movie or a yoga class.
• Once you accomplish a monthly goal, treat yourself to dinner out.

Celebrate every victory … big and small. And, remember, living your dreams is the greatest reward!

Goal Setting: Making it Happen with Rules and Rewards is a post from She Takes on the World

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There can be many confusing intricacies to the science of search engine optimization, but most people get tripped up on the basics, before they even get to the complex stuff! In working with many entrepreneurial and small business clients, I’ve come to see a few common trends in the way that people look at SEO and why they are often not getting the results they want.

1) Forget sex, specificity sells!

Lack of clarity about your business offerings and target market will lead to lack of clarity in your search marketing efforts and you will either attract clients that aren’t a good fit, or you will have trouble converting your web traffic. Your search engine strategy should be based on a clear picture of who your ideal client is and exactly what you can do for them. Then make sure that you are effectively communicating that on your website.

2) Are you in alignment?

Don’t try and target every keyword on every page – create specific pages or groups of pages for specific keyword groups and for each service/product you provide. Make sure your pages are in alignment: the main elements –title, url, content, headings etc. -should all reflect the target keyword for that page.

3) The way you search may not be the way your prospect searches

There may be specific ‘insider’ terms related to your business which you know about and take for granted because you’re an expert. But a prospect may not yet know those words –how else may they be looking for your service? Doing your keyword research may reveal alternate and more popular ways that people think and search for your service/product, so be prepared to adapt your language where necessary.

4) Quality not quantity – conversions are the real point

It’s not just about the amount of traffic that you get, but how qualified it is. You’ll build a more viable business based on very targeted traffic rather than trying to only get huge numbers. So make sure you’re targeting ‘long tail’ phrases that may have a smaller search volume but deliver very specific traffic.

5) Don’t just think about how well your website performs, but how are your individual pages performing

Your homepage is not always the most relevant or effective place that visitors can enter your site. By looking at your Google Analytics reports you will be able to see if visitors are landing at the most appropriate page for their search. Make sure your most popular pages have a clear call to action or next step?

6) On-site optimization is only half the battle!

To really perform well in the search engines (especially if you have a lot of competition), you must get your content out there and build quality links back to it. There’s always something else you can be doing to find a new audience for your information such as networking with bloggers in your field and getting your content exposure on other websites.

Effective Search Engine Optimization is a post from She Takes on the World

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Determining your Tasks

Now that you have visualized your future and set goals for achieving your dreams, it’s time to break things down into manageable tasks. What do you need to do to reach each goal? As with goal-setting, write everything down and prioritize. Then, do your to-dos. It’s that simple.

Taking Time

• Set an appointment with yourself every day. It could be 15 minutes or an afternoon. Hint: 15 minutes is more reasonable, especially for those who have a day job, family, other responsibilities, and are building a business on the side.
• Put it in your calendar … in ink! If you skip a doctor’s appointment or a spa date, they’ll charge you. You deserve the same respect. Keep the appointments you make with yourself.

Marking Time

• If your schedule is such that you are unable to nail down specific times to work on your business, that’s okay—as long as you still find pockets of time every day. Then, enter what you worked on and for how long into your calendar. Hint: Use time spent in traffic or waiting in long lines to think about your business.
• Tracking your progress will keep you focused and help to build-up momentum.

Tools

• Invest in a kitchen timer. This way, when you only have a limited time to work, you are not spending it looking at the clock.
• Get a notebook or voice recorder. There’s nothing like them for capturing inspiration on the go.

 
Whether you are starting a business, growing a career, or taking your passion-project to the next level, it is essential to take time on a regular basis to work towards your future.

Project Management: Time to Get Things Done is a post from She Takes on the World

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Ready, Set, Goals …

Position yourself for success. Set realistic goals – you can overshoot a little, but not so much that there’s no way you can achieve them. Then, look at them regularly, so you stay on track.
 

Setting Goals

• Write down what you want to achieve. Everything.
• Separate your goals into list two lists: personal goals and professional ones.
• Then, review your lists and prioritize. Pick the top three things to achieve this week, this month, this summer, and this year. The little goals you set should work towards the big picture.

Personal Goals

In order to be successful in business, it’s essential to put your personal life in order.

• How’s your living situation? Do you have a difficult roommate? Inconsiderate neighbors? If that’s the case, finding a new place to live should be Goal One.
• Is your home office a mess? Do you even have a home office? Putting your workspace together should be a top priority.
• When was the last time you took a real vacation? Saving money, so you can treat yourself to a few days away, is a good three- to six-month personal goal. It will leave you refreshed and ready to “take on the world.”

Professional Goals

What do you need to do to achieve your business success? Here are some examples.

• Goals for the Week: Get business cards, register a domain, start a blog.
• Monthly Goals: Develop a new logo, redesign your blog, attend regular networking events.
• Summer Goals: Write a business plan or the first draft of a book, create a new product.

Remember, goal-setting isn’t something you just do at the beginning of the year. Take a goal inventory regularly … adjust if necessary. And always keep your eye on the prize.
 
 
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Goal Setting: Turning Your Vision Into Reality is a post from She Takes on the World

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Where Are You Going? What’s Your Plan?

Whenever you start a new project – or a new phase of your life – the first thing you need to do is decide where you are going … and then you can figure out how to get there. In order to get what you want, you have to know what you want. Visualization can help the process of setting or discovering your goals.
 
 

Ideas for Visualization:

• Do you want to be a best-selling author? Take a copy of the New York Times Bestseller List from the Sunday newspaper, cross off number one and replace it with your name and book title.
• Is your goal to write, produce, or star in a blockbuster film? Mock up a poster – with your name front and center– and place it in your newspaper’s Calendar section.
• Are you striving to win a professional award? Go into your computer’s word-processing program, and create a template of the award you want to win … with your name on it.

Visualizing YOUR Big Picture:

• Find a picture of someone doing what you want to do – running a successful business, making medical breakthroughs, going on an adventure. Then, put yourself in that picture.
• Write your future bio … in the present tense.

I Created My Visualization, Now What?

Now that you’ve created a visualization to go with your dream, be sure to look at it every day. Post it on your refrigerator or place it on your nightstand. Put it in your car. Make it your cell phone or computer background/wallpaper. Or “All of the Above.”

If you want to be successful, first you must visualize your success.

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Visualization: The First Step on the Road to Success is a post from She Takes on the World