Do you have a poor relationship to money?

February 2, 2010

I DARE to DECLARE February as The MONEY MONTH!

On February 17, I will have the pleasure of interviewing Belinda Fuchs, CPA, Wealth Coach, President of OwnYourMoney.com and host of Boston’s newest TV talk show “Money on Your Mind.”

The topic: YOUR Emotions, YOUR Money, and YOU - WHO’S in Charge? Changing the Money Game for Today’s Woman

For more information or to register click here: http://www.thedaringwoman.com/teleseminar/belindafuchs.htm

Do you have a poor relationship to money? Here’s an article written by Belinda. (Please note that if you’re a subscriber on our list, you’ll also receive an article titled- Self Worth for Net Worth). Sign up for your Free Daring Success Kit and you’ll gain immediate access to information from experts like: Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Nancy Marmolejo, Jill Lublin, Marcia Wieder & many others…

Do you have a poor relationship to money?

People who have a poor relationship to money feel poor-no matter how much money they have in the bank. Even as they make more and more money, their stress increases, they save less, and their problems just have more zeroes on them.

This is the world of scarcity in which people feel owned by their money instead of feeling powerful as the owner of their money.

You don’t have to live like this anymore. Follow these 3 steps today to begin creating a more powerful relationship to your money… to truly own your money:

Step 1- Identify your relationship to money

Understand what money means to you. Is it power, control, joy, happiness, freedom, or is it just a way of keeping score? Here are four questions to focus your responses:

How would you describe your relationship to money and your current money management habits?
When you hear the words money, wealth, or rich, what comes to mind?
What did your parents tell you about money?
How do you currently act with money?

Step 2- Compare your answers to the supportive and non-supportive belief criteria.

Were your thoughts and feelings empowering or disempowering? Here are the definitions of Supportive and Non-supportive beliefs:

Supportive beliefs provide encouragement, empowerment and positive feelings.
Non-supportive beliefs can bring disempowerment, helplessness, hopelessness, and panic.

Your answers to the questions above form your Belief Systems to money-affectionately called your “B.S.”-as it is the made-up scripts created over your lifetime.

Here are some examples of non-supportive beliefs:

If I try and I don’t succeed at making money, I’ll be a failure.
I have to work very hard for money and I won’t be able to make money doing what I love.
Making money will take time away from my family and people won’t like me.
I don’t deserve to have a lot of money.
I’ll never have enough no matter how much I make.

Step 3- Consciously upgrade your beliefs

The good news is that there’s an alternative. Even though you don’t have a direct impact on financial markets, you do have 100% impact on your personal beliefs. You can choose to leave your money past in the past starting today.

Make a decision now to “own your money”. Be willing to go to the core of the non-supportive beliefs and recognize that the opposite is truer than the “B.S.” you’ve been holding onto. Consciously choose the contrary, supportive belief.

You have the power to immediately create the wealthy, abundant and truly “rich” life you deserve. If you’d like to examine your relationship to money at a deeper level today, OwnYourMoney.com has a short, powerful quiz that will help you answer for yourself, “Do I own my money or does it own me?”:

For singles- http://www.ownyourmoney.com/quiz.html

For couples- http://www.ownyourmoney.com/couplesquiz.html

If you’re ready to make more, save more and stress less about your money, discover the three costly habits threatening your financial future, plus get your FREE money success tips, from Belinda now at: www.OwnYourMoney.com/gift.html.

Posted by Francine | Filed Under Blog, Dare to Break Free Principle, Daring Expert Articles | 1 Comment

Make Your Message Consistent and Memorable

May 29, 2008

Use Taglines as A Marketing Tool To Make Your Message Consistent And Memorable

By Liz Goodgold, Dare to Create the Brand Call YOU Success Expert

Entrepreneurs today are missing a critical element in their communications mix: the correct and consistent use of a strong tagline. In an environment fighting sensory overload, shrinking mass market opportunities, and thousands of “me too” products and services, taglines are an opportunity to seize your positioning in your prospect’s mind.

What is a Tagline?

Yet, what is a tagline? A tagline is a unique phrase that follows your brand name. It explains your unique selling proposition and is such a natural outgrowth of the brand positioning that the two are inextricably linked. Remember “N-E-S-T-L-E-S: Nestle makes the very best chocolate?” Or Quizno’s “Toasted Tastes Better?” Both of these are memorable taglines that differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Avoiding Generic Flu

Many entrepreneurs fall victim to the rampant generic tagline flu. They erroneously believe talking about quality, service, or value alone will separate them from the sea of similarity. During the dot comb/dot bomb phase, thousands of companies employed an “e-business solution” including IBM, Network World, and even Microsoft! “We mean business” is so generic and overused that the double entrendre becomes tired and meaningless.

Taglines Versus Slogans

Are taglines and slogans different names for the same thing? No! A slogan is dependent upon a specific campaign and changes frequently. “Where’s the beef?” was an often repeated refrain (much to my chagrin) in the 1980s as was “What’s up?” thanks to Budweiser’s airing during the Super Bowl in the new millennium

Retiring a Line Before it’s Time

Often, marketers get tired of a tagline before customers ever do. Consider GE: “We Bring Good Things To Light” or Lowe’s “Improving Home Improvement” or even El Pollo Loco’s “When You’re Crazy for Chicken.” All of these taglines reached the pinnacle of marketing with astronomical unaided recall, yet were changed prematurely.

Building a Tagline Legacy

Creating a tagline today should also work for you tomorrow. These companies recognize the value in creating a tagline as a legacy:

The New York Times: “All the News That’s Fit to Print” (established in 1896)
BMW: “The Ultimate Driving Machine (established in 1975)
Nike: “Just Do It” (established in 1988)
DeBeers: “A Diamond is Forever” (established in 1948)

Looking for a Unique Word or Word Twist

In creating your own tagline, consider using a unique word. Altoid’s “curiously strong mint” works hard because of its curious (so to speak) word. “Think outside the bun” is a great play for Taco Bell on the ubiquitous “think outside the box,” and Arrid’s “wetless protection program” always puts a smile on my face.

Taglines as an Opening or Closing

Incorporating your tagline into your infomercial makes tremendous sense or even using it at the end of all of your communication, including letters. Since taglines are often at the end of your marketing message, they act as your PS: the last best hope to propel your message. Employed properly, prospects and customers will understand your brand and its unique point of difference.

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Liz Goodgold is a motivational speaker, branding guru, and author of DUH! Marketing: 99 Monstrous Missteps You Can Use to Learn, Laugh, and Grow Your Company. She has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies learn the secrets to marketing success and the pitfalls to avoid. To receive the free monthly DUH! Marketing Awards, please sign up here. Feel free to contact her at Liz@duhmarketing.com or visit her website at http://www.duhmarketing.com

Posted by Francine | Filed Under Blog, Daring Expert Articles | Leave a Comment

How to Charge More and Work Less

May 17, 2008

I have learned a lot from Ali Brown and you can too! Dare Yourself to read this article. You will be glad that you did!

By Alexandria K. Brown

I remember when I first launched my first business as a copywriter seven years ago, I had no clue what to charge. Without putting hard thought into what type of results my work gave my clients, I started out with an hourly rate that didn’t scare ME! I would still even stutter when I said to clients, “My rate is si- si- si- sixty dollars an hour.” Deep down, I wasn’t confident in myself, so of course I wouldn’t let myself charge more. And of course, as a result I attracted lame clients, worked like a dog, and stayed broke all the time.

Well, things are VERY different today. I have no problem sharing my consulting rate is $1,000.00 an hour, or that a private consulting day with me goes for $10,000.00 And, here’s the best part: Because I take on so few clients now, at higher rates, and the bulk of my income comes from information products and programs, I work LESS than I used to!

Obviously this shift didn’t happen overnight. Here are a few things you can do NOW to move in the same direction:

1. Become an expert in something.

Experts are more respected, get media attention, get paid more, and get less price resistance (meaning people are happier to pay you what you ask). I went from being a general copywriter to one who specialized in newsletters. Then in email newsletters.

Then I dubbed myself “The Ezine Queen”. I had no idea at the time how much that would help me get famous and be remembered. Did you know that Muhammad Ali became known as “The Greatest” because Ali himself said it? Yep — he just kept saying it, and then eventually so did the media!

There’s a reason people happily pay more to get to the wise man at the TOP of the mountain! (Meanwhile the man at the bottom can’t even seem to give it away.)

2. Raise your rates.

This may seem like a given, but you wouldn’t believe the resistance I get from clients when I poke and prod them about this. Last year, I hired a personal trainer for a few months who only charged $50 an hour. Honestly, because his rate was so low compared to other trainers in the area, I was worried he wouldn’t be that good. I learned he was actually great.

He often complained that his schedule was so jammed it was killing him. To make a living at that rate, he obviously had to take on clients morning, noon, night, and weekends. He was also disorganized, frazzled, and late most of the time due to his schedule.

He was such a good trainer I would have been happy to pay him $75 or even $100 an hour for his time. I remember suggesting he raise his rates, and he replied, “But Ali, then not as many people would work with me!”

Well of COURSE! That’s the idea. Let’s say he decided to double his rates, and half of his clients dropped off. Why wouldn’t you want to work HALF as hard as you are now for the same money? This also opens up more time for you to work on new projects, like creating lucrative new information products and programs. (See #5.)

If you’re having trouble raising your rates across the board, bring in fresh clients your new rate, maintain old clients at current rates, and drop the clients that are pains in your bum.

3. Restructure how clients can work with you.

For many solo-professionals, a much better way to approach working with clients is on a project basis, or “flat fee”. That way you simply assign a value to the *results* you’re giving them. For example, my friend Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero is a copywriter who charges $15,000.00 to write a sales letter. Does that price-out some clients who can’t afford her? You bet. But that’s the idea… she much prefers to work on a few projects at a time with stellar clients who truly value her work.

Another idea: Instead of taking on one-shot projects, work with clients on retainer (a set fee per month) or require them to sign up for a number of months with you. One trend in coaching and consulting right now is moving toward six-month or annual contracts with clients. Not only does it help guarantee your cash flow, but you attract better, more qualified, and more committed clients.

Example: After I tired of doing so many one-shot consultations, I created my $19,000 Platinum Mastermind program, so I could only work with 15-20 select entrepreneurs at a time and coach them closely for an entire year. It’s especially rewarding for me to see them implement the recommendations I make, watch them grow their businesses so quickly, answer their ongoing questions, and share in their successes!

4. “Clone” Yourself.

Have you ever wanted a “Mini Me?” Or a whole team of them? Well there’s no reason you can’t. If you have a duplicatable system or process you use in your work, why not teach others how to do the same? Then have them work for you on a freelance basis, or consider “licensing” people to use your method or teachings.

Consider working with a team of other coaches and consultants. For example, one of my early life coaches, Talane Miedaner, offered me this choice when I was interested in coaching: Be coached by her personally for a high fee, or work with one of her associate coaches at a lower rate. Because I wanted her personal help, I paid her the higher fee and she did all the work. But if I chose one of the other coaches, I’d still pay her company, the associate would do all the coaching work, and Talane would keep a good portion of the fee. (Smart lady!)

5. Create and Sell Information Products

If you’ve read other articles of mine, you know I’m a big fan of transcending the exchange of time for money. You simply will never make the big bucks if you keep getting paid solely for your time.

Look at ways of selling your knowledge via information products such as ebooks, manuals, courses, audio programs, membership programs, and occasional live events. This has helped me QUADRUPLE my income over the past three years!

Instead of “work, get paid” … you want “work, get paid, paid, paid, paid, paid, paid, paid, paid, paid!” I may spend a good chunk of time creating a new product, but then it can sell forever. I may put a lot of effort into creating a one-time seminar, but I also record it and create a home-study version that can sell forever. (I do this with my annual LIVE Online Success Blueprint Workshop, whose home-study version will release beginning of 2008.)

I hope you get the idea! There are many other strategies to restructure your fees and leverage your knowledge, but these are great ways to get started.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publishes the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly ezine with 22,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now by clicking here

Posted by Francine | Filed Under Blog, Daring Expert Articles | Leave a Comment