Business Mission: 3 Steps to your own that gives you freedom, profit and meaning

 

IBR offers marketing coaching and “online product launch” services that help high-achieving experts with life-affirming messages to become sought-after leaders for change so that they can grow businesses that allow for greater contributions, income, fun and long-term financial security while giving them personal freedom and a place for creative expression of their unique gifts.

Ok, that’s the mission statement for Inspired Business Resources.  How does that translate into freedom, profit and meaning for the entire team at IBR?  

1. Let’ start with freedom.  While I defined the mission statement, I had to make a some tough decisions.  What will we be coaching (the “How to” service of my company) and what am I willing to work on a project-by-project basis (the “Done for you” service of my company) and will I also offer Implementation classes (”Get it done NOW” services)?  

Do you know how I defined it?

Easy, I looked at my values and knew that having the personal freedom to have down-time, to read, to work out, to ride my mustang, to play with my girls, to cook, etc. was important to me and as I found out, to my team too. 
That meant, we had to limit our offers.  We had to say No to request for help in formats we don’t currently offer.  We had to leave some money on the table.  But we did this consciously… 

 

Call for action to you, the reader: Clearly define what you love doing, how much you love doing and where you will say No.  Limit your offers and become a master at those.  Refer to others for the rest of the possible services.

 

2. Let’s address profit.  Even though we are all so eager to make a difference, to contribute with our gifts, to live on purpose, we need and want to make a profit.  How does your mission statement help you here?  I did it by defining who I wanted work with.  I only work with pragmatic dreamers committed to seeing their vision through, all the way through.  

What does that mean for profit? Again, pretty simple.  By working with these kind of clients I see their successes come to life, they are making more money, having a bigger impact while loving their work.  They are the ones referring others to me, they have money for my more customized services.

Also, by clearly defining what my company offers, I can become the best in the field in that narrow niche.  For example, I just signed up for a $25,000 intense certification course in “Online Product Launches”.  I am studying daily and continue read about other related information to become great at what I do.  If I didn’t limit my offer though, I would be spreading too thin, with not enough money left for training courses.  My brand AND profit would suffer.

 

Call for Action: Define your client very clearly.  Interview potential clients, make sure they are committed to paying you without much of a sacrifice.  Stick to your client profile and be courageous in saying No when you don’t get the sense that there is staying power.  Limit your niche until you feel that you can become the best in the field, then go out and learn all you can.  Become the best and get paid the most!

 

3. Aaaahhh, meaning.  Your business mission should give you a sense of purpose, a clear expression of why you do what you do.  How will your business make the world a better place? How will your clients be better served by you? Find that element in your business mission that keeps you going when you get tired.  

For us, it’s creating leaders for change.  I want to see the world changed and the best way I can do that is by empowering entrepreneurs with life-affirming messages to transform themselves from experts to leaders with a mission.  I also want to see them live with financial peace-of-mind because I KNOW how money worries can “kill” passion very fast.  

 

Call for Action: What is it that brings meaning into your work? What are you here for? What is the bigger impact you can possibly make with your business? Define it and then put it all together.  The why, the who, the how, the outcome. Write it up and pin it on the wall above your computer.  Read it every day and let it guide you to FREEDOM, PROFIT and MEANING.

 

As a special request, I would love for you to post your mission statement in the comment section below.  Let us know what you do.  Let us rejoice in your mission for change.  Let us find YOU!

3 Steps to Creating A Huge Impact With Your Business

Lately I have been thinking a lot about our main desires for our businesses. I realized that all my clients (including me) want the same:
We want to:
- create financial peace-of-mind
- balance and mindfulness in our lives and…
- making a difference in this world
…all in alignment with your values of integrity, honesty and authenticity

I am correct so far?
Well, I have a few solutions for you today. They all boil down to this:

In order to create profit, balance and profound meaning, you need to make an impact with your business. So, today is about how to make just that.

Step 1: Your business needs a VOICE! It needs you to dig deep and define who you serve with what for what outcome. Makes sense, right? If I know immediately why your business is the only one I can go to in order to get my problems solved, then I’ll come AND I’ll stay.

Let’s take Inspired Business Resources, my company, for an example. There are many business coaching options out there. Most of them promise you this: “Work less, make more”. Some will promise you this: “Work less, make more, reach more”. Ok, now they have covered 3 out of your 4 needs.

Now, here is Inspired Business Resources saying: “Work less, make more, reach more and do all that with integrity, honesty, authenticity and a sense of service to the world.”

Ok, you decide…

Step 2: For maximum impact your business needs a PLAN! It needs you to find out how to “stack” your services and products up so that all your marketing efforts will be maximized. Every effort in terms of client-attraction is leveraged to the max.

Meaning that every new client will become a life-long customer, worth so much more to you and your business than he/she would have been if you didn’t have the right offerings at the right time for the right budget.

Step 3: Your business needs a lot of BUZZ! To create buzz your business or a product/service within your business needs a powerful LAUNCH! It needs you to find out how to create promotions even if you don’t have a mailing list that create a lot of attention. As you have followed my little mini, mini launch last week, you could see how much buzz a large launch can create, especially once you get connect with others who will gladly promote your product.

Just as an example, the email I sent out on Friday announcing the videos, had a 147% opening rate, meaning that many of you opened it more than once. Now think that this email would have reached 10,000 excited followers……..

Can you do the math? And no, you don’t need a huge mailing list to start a launch.

So, 3 steps to making a huge impact:
1) authentic, powerful branding
2) a business model that maximizes your marketing efforts
3) a product launch that creates some real buzz

Results:
1) work less
2) make more
3) reach more
4) love more

Ready to learn how to do that?

I am still standing to my word. Our 3-month tele-coaching course “101 Days to A Business That Matters” (maybe I should have said: “…that Buzzes” or “… that has Impact”) will teach you all of that and more and starts on…

Tuesday, May the 5th at 10 am

…and yes, it really is by donation ONLY. That means truly, if you only have $30, then you send me that. If you have some more and you have been thinking of joining, then do that. I need to take care of my staff but I also really want you to be part of it.

Love you,
Christiane
P.S. if this speaks to you but you haven’t watched the videos yet, they are at http://www.inspiredbizsuccessblueprint.com/beta-test-coaching-class/

P.S.S. all you have to do is send me an email, telling me you’re in and then you can send what you can.

P.S.S.S. please know that the deadline is TOMORROW (Wednesday). So, sign up NOW!

LET’s MAKE AN IMPACT, shall we?

Learning to Cherish Others – Successful “Selling” in Action

As entrepreneurs we are driven, driven to “win”, driven to “succeed”, driven to “make a mark”. What we often forget in this driving mode, is the well-being of others. Those others are our customers and our “competition”. Yet as my Buddhist teacher so kindly teaches me is that the well-being of others is far more significant than the well-being of a single ME.

Wait a minute, you say, “I am important. I am all I have. I have to feed my family.” And yes, that’s true and I am not disputing the need to make a living. What I am questioning is the attitude of “Me versus Them”. So, there you are, having created a wonderful family, a huge house, the newest car and an exciting vacation.

But at what price?

I dare to say that this kind of wish-fulfilling thinking is never going to lead to true, lasting fulfillment and happiness. Vacations will pass, children will grow up, homes depreciate and your car, no matter how great, becomes just another car. The price is disappointment, temporary highs followed by long lows, much pain.

So, then, where is true happiness to be found?

How can entrepreneurship become our ultimate spiritual practice? Can we find true happiness and livelihood through our work?

Yes, we can. We can if in effect, we start cherishing those we work with, those who trust us, those who look for us to deliver real solutions to their problems. Here is the trick, we have to drop the “ME” lens through which we tend to see our world of commerce. We have to abandon self-talk like: “What do I have to do so she buys from me?”; “When will he finally say yes to my offer?”; “What if she doesn’t buy?” etc. etc. I don’t need to go on because we all have enough practice in formulating those questions for ourselves.

There is no magic bullet here then, there is only one thing to shift and change, and believe me, nobody will see it but everybody will feel it.

That is our attitude.

If we can make get to a place of gratitude for the existence of all the people surrounding us, if we start to understand that we only exist because they do (“I am because they are”, is an old African saying.), then we can let go of our fear and really, I mean really serve the people willing to interact with us.

Yes, willing.

Today we all have more than enough choices and they happen to give you the time of the day. Now, that alone should be fuel to let go of the “ME” attitude and adopt the “YOU” attitude. Then, when you shift that little piece inside of you, you can listen, you can solve real problems, you can ask the right questions, you can share your wisdom, not for an outcome but for the joy of sharing, for the joy of giving, for the joy of helping.

And then, what happens? Magic…

People today are not used to that attitude, they will startle and wonder why in the world you would be so generous. They don’t understand that you are doing it because really, it makes you happy. It gives you so much more than the vacation, the car, the latest movie or the expensive dinner. It gives you true joy, a true sense of love for somebody you might just have met.

And then, something even more magical happens…

They start trusting you, they start listening to you, they pay full attention to you, they will want more of you. They are still wondering why, but it feels so good that they will drop their guards.

And then, something even better happens.…

You two become ONE mind for a bit, you join your thoughts, you feel real intimacy and then…when your solution meets their needs, truly and deeply, they will want to work with you…and nobody else. Why would they? For the first time in a long time, they don’t have to keep their “façade” up, they can stop scanning for danger, they can stop worrying about being taken advantage of. They feel safe with you.

So, if you want clients who become your life-long fans, your best friends, your supporters, you have to do something very courageous. Something, almost nobody does these days… Something that is even more difficult as well as more required in this economy…

You need to become a peaceful warrior, strong and quite, deep and focused, not on you, but on others. Take yourself out of the equation and become a servant. Be here on this earth for the benefit of those you serve and you will be taken care of.

No, you probably will not make a Million overnight, you will not want to…but with persistence and courage you will make a dignified, respectful living while solving your clients true problems and in turn allow them to live with renewed trust, faith, and love for the human race…and that will all need to be really happy.

May you all find happiness, real happiness,

Christiane