Let's get beyond SMART. If there’s one thing we know about goals, they have to be SMART, right?
After all, that’s what we’ve been told for years. The only thing that matters is that your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
While that looks great on paper—and clearly it’s easy to remember—it doesn’t go far enough for those who want to achieve big things, those who have BIGGER dreams.
Think about it. Do you want to be stuck with “attainable” and “realistic” goals when what you really dream about is a 3-day workweek, frequent international travel, and enough money to fund a mission trip (or three). Seems pretty clear that those safe, smart goals aren’t going to get you there.
In fact, they might even do worse than simply “not get you there.” They may actively hold you back.
Consider what happens when you set an “attainable” goal of earning 10% more than you did last year. You might work 10% more. You might spend 10% more on ads or product creation. You might even reach out to 10% more potential clients.
And you’ll likely earn about 10% more.
“Not bad!” you say. After all, that was your goal.
But did that 10% goal inspire you to work harder? Or did it create a subconscious ceiling on your earning potential that you’re unable to break through?
Rather than focusing on goals that are attainable and realistic, savvy entrepreneurs know that the key to incredible success lies in creating lofty goals that feel out of reach—maybe even UN-attainable.
They don’t strive to earn 10% more than last year. They want 50% or even 100% more. They stretch themselves. They find new—and better—ways to do things, so they don’t have to work twice as hard, but they remain open to the possibility of doing so—at least in the short term—when it’s necessary.
Of course, you cannot simply declare crazy goals and expect the universe to hand them to you. And that’s exactly why putting aside those smart goals is so…well...smart. When you shun the attainable in favor of the “holy cow, how will I ever do THAT?” goal, you push yourself beyond those self-imposed limits and reach for the stars.
Sure, you might not double your income, but you’re almost guaranteed to do better than a mere 10% increase. So push your boundaries. Set big, audacious goals. Even if you fail, you’ll be much further ahead than those smart goals would take you.

Let's take the first step by reserving your spot for my free webinar Dream Bigger: 5 Signs You're Playing Too Small.
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So many times businesses offer discounts to new customers, forgetting about the customers they already have that are loyal to them. One way to combat this problem is to create a customer loyalty program. There are many ways in which you can do this, and the methods vary depending on whether you have an online business or a bricks and mortar business. Let's go over some easy ways to create a customer loyalty program.

1) The Punch Card - If you have a brick and mortar store, one of the simplest methods for creating a loyalty program is to set up a punch card system. Each purchase you punch the card and after the card is full, they get something free or a percent off another purchase.

2) Online Point System - Another method, if you have the technology, is to assign points for different purchases or actions. When they collect points they can cash them in for discounts, freebies and more. You will need to invest in a service like https://www.perkville.com that helps you create a loyalty program like this.

3) Opt-In Program - This is a lot like a mailing list. Put everyone who purchases on your opt-in list and they will get fun promotions, special offers and rewards just for having purchased something once. It's a simple way that can increase sales by marketing to people who have already bought.

Apps to Help You Create Loyalty Programs

To have a successful loyalty program it's important to be focused on creating incentives that your customers will find valuable. You want them to feel rewarded for their loyalty. There are apps to help you create loyalty programs that really work.

Perka - This is an app that allows your customer to use their smartphone for a loyalty program that helps keep your customers coming back. The customer will get incentives based on purchases and points. http://getperka.com/foryourbusiness/

Loyal Stamp - This is another mobile loyalty program that offers incentives to those who purchase from you using their smartphones and a webpage where customers can engage with others. No more punch cards as the phone is turned into a punch card. You can also text message customers and more. http://www.loyalstamp.com/mobileloyalty

Shopify - There is an add-on for a loyalty program for Shopify users that allows you to create a shopping cart based loyalty program. It is all automatic and it creates rewards for purchases, referrals and more. http://apps.shopify.com/s-loyalty

Loyal2.com - This enables any business with a website that sells merchandise to set up a loyalty program. It's also a points based system that users redeem for prizes, discounts and more at your store. It's completely web-based. http://www.loyal2.com/?How

Even if you are a service provider, and you don't need a fancy app to help you deliver a loyalty program, it's important to recognize the importance of your regular customers a few times a year. Any time you plan to do an introductory offer sale, think about the customers you already have and figure out what you can do for them to keep them around a long time.

Can Hiring a Business Coach Be The Difference?

Whether you’re just starting a business or you're well into your venture, the idea of hiring a business coach may have come to mind, but you may be wondering if a business coach can really make a difference for you. To answer this question, you need to understand what a business coach does, and how to choose the right one for you.

Business coaching provides a way to interact with a professional who has your best interests at heart. They can help you be more effective building your business and balancing your life. Business coaches are a good mixture of accountability partner, sounding board, motivator and even emotional support. The business coach specializes in ensuring that all aspects of your life work together with the ultimate focus on ensuring that your business is profiting.

Even the process of hiring a coach can be beneficial to your business. The coach will want to assess where you are right now with your business and find out where you want to go. An effective business coach will help you determine not just the direction you want your business to go, but will also identity actionable steps to take to achieve the goals you and your coach set.

* Accountability – Checking in with someone else on a regular basis to tell them and show them what you’ve accomplished since the last meeting will give you someone besides yourself to be accountable to. For many people this helps them act in their own best interests and not put off anything, since most people don’t want to disappoint others. 

* Sounding Board – Talking plans and proposals out with a third party who is also well versed in your type of business will help solidify each plan you make so that you’re not going down the wrong roads to start with.

* Motivator – Running a business is hard and some business coaches make excellent support systems and offer the right motivation. In this way, you not only have a good plan of action to make your dreams come true but also someone to share your success with as you accomplish each milestone.

* Emotional Support - Many business coaches understand how home life can affect your business. They can often help you deal with even personal matters when it comes to pushing your business forward. 

If you need help identifying holes in your business plan, ways to fill the gaps, and how to create an actionable plan to push your business forward, then a business coach can definitely make a difference. The trick is finding the right business coach for your particular business. 

In order to find the right coach for you that fits your business type and personality, ask the right questions of any potential coach. Plus, ask others for referrals before hiring any business coach. Finally, buy some of the coach’s products and services and try working on a short-term project with them first. Like a workshop or private session. This can help you ensure that they are the right coach to push your business to the next level.

One of the reasons to produce and share content that you've created is to become an authority in your niche. As an expert in your niche you will get a certain amount of respect, which leads to more traffic due to your perceived expertise. But, in order to become an expert you must start at the beginning.

Blog Often

Shoot for blogging on your own website at least twenty times per month. Blog about much focused topics, starting from a beginner's perspective and working your way up over the next year to a more advanced perspective. Also, guest blog strategically on websites that market to your audience. Blogging often is the best way to get traffic to your website.

Write Articles

Write and distribute articles about your niche on topics your audience would be interested in. Find online and offline magazines in which to contribute as an expert in your niche. If you submit a compelling article, it's likely your submissions will be used. Whether online or offline, this type of content helps establish you as an expert to the public.

Become a Resource

Let the local and national press know that you're a resource they can call on when they need a quote about your niche. You can do this in a variety of ways, such as sending email to reporters when they write about your niche, making blog comments, and using a service like HARO (Help a Reporter Out). HARO is a way that you can sign up to be a source to qualified reporters on any topic you choose. There are free and paid opportunities.

Set up Consistent Profiles

No matter whether it's Facebook, LinkedIn, or your blog, your profiles should be very consistent. You want to be very careful about contradicting who you are across accounts. Ensure that you essentially say the same thing on each social media account but in different ways based on the type of social media account. For instance, LinkedIn is more business and buttoned up, while Facebook is more social - more like an after-hours business event. Of course, be businesslike and professional on all accounts.

Send Out Press Releases

When you do something exciting in your business, whether it's publishing a book, having a webinar, or conducting an interview for a radio show or podcast, send out a press release. Press releases are a good way to get online back links to your website but they're also a good way to get in print. 

Form Partnerships with Other Experts

A really good way to get your name out there is to form a joint venture with another expert. Perhaps you know an expert who markets to your audience but performs or creates a complementary service or product. Seek to do something with that person such as a webinar, podcast show, or jointly write an informative eBook.

Finally, it's important to work on yourself and your knowledge of the area you want to become an expert in. Malcolm Gladwell, in his bestselling book, Outliers: The Story of Success, surmised that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert on any topic. Seek to keep learning as you become a true expert. You don't have to wait until you've spent 10,000 hours to start presenting yourself as an expert. If you start now, by the time you are truly recognized as an expert you'll be close.

I’m a Solopreneur…Now what?
 
When I decided that I was going to be an entrepreneur, I was young, full of ideas and had no clue to the journey I was about to embark on.  Now more than 20 years later, I’m still in business but there’s been plenty to digest along the way.
Today there’s so much more in place to assist you in living your purpose, accomplishing your dreams and building your empire. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, solopreneur or internet marketer, the internet is your best friend when it comes to  setting up your business.  Here are 5 things every solopreneur should know when starting their journey.
 
1.   At this point you’ve decided to take the big step. One of the first decisions you need make is the name of your business. You’ll want to set up your business as a sole proprietor, Limited Liability Corporation or it can be Incorporated.  Research the difference and which is best for you. Do an online search for the Secretary of State’s website for the State you live in and start the process.  This will take less than 30 minutes. 
 
2.  You’ll need a Federal Tax ID number for your business.  Go to www.irs.gov. This is like your business’ social security number.  You’ll need it for transactions like opening your business checking account amongst other things.
 
3.  Now that you have a business name you need to buy a domain. There are several companies like Go Daddy and Host Gator that allow you to buy your domain for less than $15.  Now you have www.yourbusinessname.com  which means you one step closer to opening your business to the world.  These services also offer website templates or you can hire a website developer through services like elance.com to set up your website.   
 
4.  Setup a business email address with your new domain.  You DO NOT want to have a gmail, yahoo, aol, Hotmail or any free email for your main email address.  These are great for personal email and junkmail, but not for your business. You want people to know you’re serious.  You want everything to be uniform when presenting your business to others.
 
5.  Let’s not forget to establish your brand identity. Hire a good Branding Coach! If you’re more of a DIY person on a budget, there’s a fantastic service call Fiverr (www.fiverr.com) that is available for graphics and many other things.  All services are $5.  Check them out. 

Following these simple steps will have you feeling more confident about your business. The great thing is that all of this can be done on a simple budget.  Being a solopreneur can sometimes have you feeling overwhelmed and unsure about the next steps to take for your business, but not to worry there are tons of resources that help to guide you along the way.  Just remember it’s ok to make mistakes just chalk it up to experience and start over again.  Sometimes the life of a solopreneurs means tough day that bring great rewards.  You’ve got this!  

The Pinkpreneur Academy is right around the corner! There will be over 400 on-demand videos in areas including sales, client attraction, lead generation, and much more. We are going big in 2016! Join the academy now. We are excited to have you.

​Need a help growing your business? I'm a master business strategist who helps women-owned business entrepreneurs in Atlanta and around the world, who have been in business at least a year, have high impact and get results!

The Pink Power Awards and Gala honored women business owners in Atlanta, GA. Here are highlights from the event. 

Need a help growing your business? I'm a master business strategist who helps women-owned business entrepreneurs in Atlanta and around the world, who have been in business at least a year, have high impact and get results!

Growing your business take time, effort, and tenacity, especially as a woman-owned business. In this video I share my 4 Ways to Grow Your Business and issues a challenge to help you get out there and attract more clients!

Need a help growing your business? I'm a master business strategist who helps women-owned business entrepreneurs in Atlanta and around the world, who have been in business at least a year, have high impact and get results!

2015 is almost a memory. The question is, have you accomplished all you intended or where you plagued with distractions? In this video l share why you should smash distractions now so you can stay focused and reach your goals in the coming year.

Want more help with eliminating distractions? Book a strategy session with me and let's get you focused and fierce for 2016!

We are months away from the end of the year. Do you have your last quarter plan in place to get more sales, more clients, and more money? Take a few minutes to watch my video challenge for women business owners (aka PINKpreneurs). Share your plans and challenges in the comments below.