Indie Business Blog

Wow! I Coulda Had A VA!

A Virtual Assistant Can Help Keep You And Your Business Fit

In this week's issue of my newsletter, I talked about incorporating some new health and fitness strategies into my life, including more exercise and less time sitting in a chair in my home office. But while I want to take better care of myself, I don't want to become less productive, nor do I want my IBN members to suffer or feel as though I am any less accessible.

               

Enter Ginger Derrickson, my new Virtual Assistant. I turned to Ginger (who has served previously as my VA) last month, and lo and behold, she had time in her busy calendar to add me!

Ginger joined me to share a little about her profession, and how hiring a VA can keep you from one day hitting yourself upside the head, screaming, "Wow! I coulda had a VA!" (Geesh, I thought that was funny ...)

Are You Cheating Yourself and Your Customers?

Give Them More to Love: A Book of Your Own

In April 2000, Rosanne Tartaro of SunRose Aromatics joined the Indie Beauty Network. I had just launched the organization a few months before, so Rosanne's joining was like a vote of confidence that helped confirm that I was on the right track with the benefits I offered to small business owners.

             

Since then, "Roe" and I have become so much more than business colleagues. We are friends. So it gives me great pleasure to let you know of the publication of her book, "Chakra Balancing: A Beginner's Guide." I caught up with Roe in her aromatherapy studio in Bronx, New York to get the scoop on chakras and her best tips on self-publishing.

Introducing Photoshop Express

Snap, Edit, Save and Post

You all know what a fan I am of Picnik. It's free, user friendly and you don't have to buy or download any software. If you liked that, you'll also like to know about Photoshop Express. It does everything Picnik does, and makes it easy to sort and save photos and move them from your desktop to your blog -- which is what I like to use it most for.

                     

It also has easy interfaces with Facebook, Photobucket and Picasa.

Just snap, edit, save and post. It's not as intuitive as Picnik, but when it comes to photo editing, you can't have too many free options.

How easy is that?

Your Money Mindset: Is it Making or Breaking Your Small Business?

A Frugal Mindset Is Money In the Bank

For Indies, financial success is about stretching every penny to cover as much as possible, both on the home front and the business front. Frugal principles are not complicated, but because they intersect with our emotional connection to money, they can be difficult to implement.

          

Growing up, my parents taught me very little about money. In my years as a corporate attorney, money flowed freely from my employer's account to mine, and then on to fabulous vacations, expensive dinners out, trendy clothes and extravagant gifts. Until I became a small business owner, I was never really concerned with the fact that, at some point, money actually runs out.

Does Your Small Business Need Insurance?

A Survey Designed to Help Me Serve You Better

As you know, one of the things IBN offers to its members through a highly rated insurance broker is products liability insurance. I am currently working with the company to expand the types of coverage offered to include professional beauty service providers such as estheticians, nail technicians and cosmetologists, as well as manufacturers and distributors of products like herbal supplements and nutraceuticals.

Would you take a short 10-question survey to let me know if these types of coverages would interest you?

Click Here to take survey. You are not required to leave your personal information unless you wish me to follow up with you.

Thanks!

The Focus Factor

Focus Your Efforts For Maximum Impact and Profits

A new Indie Beauty Network member (I'll call her Ann) who does not make cosmetics recently wrote to express her excitement at being an IBN member. She noted that IBN was primarily aimed at cosmetics manufacturers, and wondered if I would consider aiming at other audiences.

          

It's clear that the Indie "Beauty" Network is aimed at beauty companies, and purposefully so. As I taught in the "Riches Are In the Niches" Group Coaching last month, the worst thing I could do as a business leader is try to go in so many directions that I ultimately go nowhere and serve no one. Focusing in a particular direction allows me to concentrate my efforts for maximum impact, both inside and outside of my target audience.

Do-it-yourself to Dollars

DIY Tips For Indies on a Mission

I am pleased and honored to be included on page 59 of the May 2008 issue of Working Mother Magazine, in their Entrepreneur Mom: Ask a Pro department. They included my tips for turning a pastime or hobby into a profitable career, like the 650+ members of the Indie Beauty Network have done!

                        

Click the article page to read all of the tips. What an honor to be included.

Post your best DIY to Dollars tips below!

How to Cut Your Grocery Budget In Half

Save Big, and Have More Left To Grow Your Business

According to money coach Alvin D. Hall, families can save the most money by cutting the family grocery budget. I agree, and joined Alvin and Michel Martin, host of Tell Me More on National Public Radio, to share my best tips on how you can save money on your grocery bill.

          

While you're listening to the show, print out "Donna Maria's Top 10 Tips for Using Coupons," which they posted at the site under the show link. Carry it with you so you are constantly reminded to save as much as you can. As always, special thanks to Real Coupon Queen for teaching me how to save money using coupons!

The less we spend on groceries, the more we have to pay ourselves first, and put the rest back into our businesses!

For more money saving tips, subscribe to my blog feed. And check out these other money saving posts:

Five Ways to Recession-Proof Your Business
Financial Contentment: You Can Achieve It!
How to Pursue Profit
Ask Not What the Economy Can Do For You
The Best Credit Card
Video: Saving Thousands With My Coupon Organizer

Tweet With Me!

All Atwitter About Twitter

I am lured toward new technologies like a wave toward the shore. It's a good thing too, since it's impossible to be successful in business without embracing new technologies as they arrive on the scene. Lately, I'm atwitter about Twitter, which lets you "follow" people, and lets others "follow" you by leaving short messages summarizing things you'd like to share with others. It's like having your very own "breaking news" channel. My "followers" learn from me, and I learn from people I follow. What fun!

                        

I'm planning to Twitter from the Conference of Handcrafted Soap Makers next week. If you'd like to follow the conference action as it unfolds, sign up to follow me at Twitter. Here's how.

1. Visit my Twitter link and click Join Today to open your account. If you have a business, consider using your brand name as your username since your Twitter page will correspond to that.

2. Once you have an account, go back to my Twitter link and sign up to follow me. (Use the "Follow" link under my picture.) Also, leave a comment below and let me know your username so I can visit your Twitter page and sign up to follow you.

3. When you meet a Twitterer you think I or other Indies would be interested in following, share their information here.

Small Business Owners: Missing In Action

Free Branding Advice for Max Garcia and William Righi

Today's New York Times lead story is about the worsening economy and how people are having to stretch each dollar further to make ends meet. In addition to the traditionally employed, the article also touches upon the plight of the self employed. Consider Max Garcia and William Righi, two small business owners struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Here's what they are doing online to accomplish that goal.

          

That's right, nothing. At least not from what I can see.

Max and William are today getting thousands and thousands of dollars worth of free publicity by being featured in the New York Times, and I can't find them on the Internet. I can help, but first, let's consider the reasons why their businesses are ailing -- reasons that have nothing to do with the economy.