Successful Blog

Talk About Your Goals: Goal Setting Success

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Andy Crestodina

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Talk About Your Goals

Research shows that writing down a goal increases the chance of achieving that goal. The same research shows that talking about your goals makes success even more likely.

When Dr. Gail Matthews conducted a study of 149 participants, she found that committing to your goals in writing has a positive impact on your chance of success.

Here’s how the study worked

149 subjects were divided into several groups and each subject was asked to select a goal. Some were asked to simply think about their goal. Other groups were asked to write their goal. A final group committed to their goals in writing and shared that commitment and progress reports with a supportive friend. At the end of four weeks, each subject reported the extent of their goal setting success. (see the research summary here)

Sharing with friends makes goal setting successful

When goals are written and the commitment and progress updates are shared with a supportive friend, the likelihood of achieving the goal was the highest. Why? It may be fear of disappointing them. It may be a fear of embarrassment. Or it might be that encouraging boost of confidence that only a friend can give.

“There was support for the role of public commitment: those who sent their commitments to a friend accomplished significantly more than those who wrote action commitments
or did not write their goals.”
– Dr. Gail Matthews

Find an Accountabili-Buddy

Find someone supportive whom you respect. Someone you don’t want to disappoint. Schedule a regular time to meet or talk on the phone. Tell them your goals and ask them to hold you accountable. Or make it mutual and work on goal setting and success together.

Personally, I hope to one day be an author, so I found a friend who has published books. I meet him twice a month at 8am. We drink coffee and share progress. He holds me accountable and I hate to disappoint him!

What are your goals?

You are moments away from leveraging this simple but powerful principle. Right now, you can state your goals to the world. Just tell us your goals with a comment below. But be careful! We may hold you to it…

Author’s Bio:
Andy Crestodina is the Strategic Director of Orbit Media Studios, a web design company in Chicago. You can tell Andy your goals on Google+ and on Twitter.

Teens, the Financial Crisis, and Lack of Summer Jobs

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Ideas and Infographics

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Mihaela “Mig” Lica

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Signs Of Our Times & Not So Good Trends

You are all feeling it, aren’t you? The weight of the financial crisis, creeping in past even the most positive attitudes, this has become as prevalent (almost) as the morning alarm clock. Politicians talk of recovery, so do bankers and Wall Street titans, every news day some new hope of a full recovery hits our sensibilities. And then the next morning arrives.

Indicators abound to tell us the ups and downs of our current existence. But the real telling details arrive in the form of news friends and relatives are having a tough time. Out of work, homes foreclosed, blah, blah, blah, are you immune yet? The infographic below focuses on some more news from the negative side. For those who have teens headed into the workplace this Summer, be grateful, many don’t get the chance. Check out this economic indicator.

Cruel Summer - Where the Jobs are this Summer Infographic
Via: Bolt Insurance

This Summer will be “cruel” indeed for a lot of young and older Americans. Just because things seem to be holding together, this does not mean we should lose sight of our problems, the problems of our neighbors. Infographics, as you can see, are a great way to solidify and remember information. You already knew the neighbor’s teenager was having a tough time finding work, now you know he or she is not alone. And even if you want only good news in your day, it’s a good idea to act on this bit of bad, just as a start. Please share your good and bad news Summer stories with us.

Author’s Bio:

Author’s Bio:

Mihaela “Mig” Lica founded Pamil Visions in 2005 where she uses her hard won journalistic, SEO and public relations skills toward helping small companies navigate the digital realm with influence and success.

You can find Mig on Twitter as @PamilVisions

Five Ways Traveling Can Help Entrepreneurs

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The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

Most entrepreneurs, especially those who are in the early stages of their careers, consider traveling to be a luxury, mainly because traveling is often considered a synonymous to vacations, which is essentially “some time away from your work”. So, a big majority of entrepreneurs or businessmen will down-rightly reject the notion of traveling, because they consider it a waste of time and extravagance, little do they know that a simple trip can do wonders to both themselves and their businesses. Remember that when we talk of a trip, we are not really talking about a night out with your friends, dining at a restaurant or roaming around in a mall, we are talking about traveling to a new faraway destination and exploring a new place, a new city, or even a country. If you are one of those entrepreneurs who think that they can hold off traveling and vacations till they have made it big, and accumulated enough fortune to call it a day, then you are missing on some great learning experiences, and the less you learn, the less you will earn.

Keep on reading to know the five most important benefits of traveling for entrepreneurs and businessman.

Breaking out of the grind:

There comes a point in the lives of professionals and businessmen, when life becomes utterly monotonous, and you may find yourself stuck in the whirlpool of daily chores that you need to do in order to survive. You desperately feel the need of breaking the shackles, but you cannot change your job, business, or go away from your friends or family members just for the sake of change. The good news is, you don’t need such drastic steps in order to break out from the grind, all you need is to pack your bags and take a trip, just make sure you don’t choose another metropolitan as your destination (because the hustle and bustle will make it difficult to break free).

Ideas and Inspiration:

One of the worst consequences of getting caught in the daily routine is, you are discouraging your mind from thinking out of the box, and that is something an entrepreneur can’t afford to do, because the ability to innovate is what distinguishes an entrepreneur from a typical businessman who does nothing but copy. Traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and lifestyles, and breathing new air, will equip you with lots and lots of inspirations and new ideas to work on, with a restored vigor serving as the icing on the cake, because you can use it to turn those ideas into realities.

Explore New Horizons:

This one is a no brainer … traveling will take you to new places, and if you are a true entrepreneur, there’s every chance that you will see a business opportunity lying somewhere to be taken. This is much better than trying to search for newer markets or new prospects over the Internet. Remember that real opportunities exist in real world and not the cyber world, and it takes a lot more than googling to find them.

Partnerships:

Even if you are not planning to expand your business to other locations anytime soon, there’s every chance that you will stumble across a new and better supplier of a material that you need for your existing business, or you might also find new opportunities to partner up with a business for mutual benefits, especially if you can plan your trip around an event or trade show taking place at another city or country.

De-stress:

Everything around us is turning into a potential stress factor, you can read those self-development books, listen to soothing melodies, spend your nights watching block buster movies or sitcoms for all you want, but there are times when these things start contributing to your stress rather than helping you to loosen up, in fact they become the part of the grind that we were talking about. A stressed mind will lead to negative thinking, and that directly impacts our productivity in a negative way. Therefore, when you are finding it hard to unwind or to let it go, it’s time that you leave everything behind and go out on a short voyage. Rest assured, you will be returning with a re-energized mind, body, and if you are lucky enough, a rejuvenated soul.

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Rahil is an entrepreneur and frequent traveler. If you are looking for some top notch group travel arrangements, you can try Release Travel, a stag and hen company based in United Kingdom, offering all kinds of customized travel arrangements like Hen Weekends, Stag Weekends, or Activity Weekends.

Is Your Business Connected to the Right Web Host Provider?

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As a small business owner, having a sizable and sound presence on the Internet can be the difference between an average business and one that is going places.

In order to achieve such a presence, however, one needs to have put together a solid Web site that is free of gaffes, easy to navigate, and offers the consumer something.

Finding the right web hosting provider is not always the easiest thing to do, given you yourself may not be very adept at what you need. If that is the case, even more time and research should be taken so that your choice does not leave you and your Web site down.

When searching for a web hosting provider, keep the following in mind so that you do not go blindly into the search:

* Know the needed capacity – The percentage of storage capacity your business requires will depend on what kind of site you are putting together. If you are constructing an article directory where your required web space will increase rapidly, decide how much the expense will grow for such needs;
* Understand the required bandwidth – Another key factor is to determine what amount of bandwidth your site will most likely need, especially if you figure on providing the public with things like audio, podcasts, streaming video etc. over time;
* Know if you will face a setup fee – As competition among web hosting providers heats up, that should mean savings for your business. That being said, if a web host provider notes it will be charging you a setup charge for its services, shop around;
* Understand the provider’s thoughts on tech support – The idea should always be to locate a hosting provider that is at your service on a 24-hour basis. Given that server issues occur at all hours of the day, don’t settle on a service provider that can’t meet your potential service needs;
* Check out the company’s history – Lastly, do a background check on the service providers you are looking into working with. See if there is any track record of complaints, if their company proves to be financially solvent, and if they have a history of quality service. Issues in any of these three areas should serve as a red flag.

When it comes to finding the right web host provider for your small business, don’t be left disconnected.

Photo credit: http://www.etamhost.com/tag/web-hosting-provider/

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. You’ll find Dave at BeeMoreSocial

 

One simple trick to get control of your life

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Rosemary O’Neill

One Trick to Help You Get Control of Your Life

One tactic greatly will increase your sense of peace and control over your life.
Set expectations up front.
When the people around you have total clarity on what you intend to do, and when you intend to do it, everything flows into place.

Parenthood 101

When my twins were two, and my older son was four years old, I learned about setting expectations out in the trenches—at the playground. After observing parents suddenly decide it’s time to go, and grabbing the child by the hand, and spending the next 30 minutes bargaining and cajoling, I knew there was a better way.

Once I started the 10 minute countdown and stuck to it, I never had to worry about the drama over leaving. There wasn’t any.

Time Management 101

Not to compare colleagues and customers to children (that’s a different blog post), but using crystal clear expectations, set up front, is a technique that will serve you well in just about every area of your life.

Here are some ways you can set expectations as a small business owner or entrepreneur:

  • It’s easy to be “on” 24/7 in your own business. If you don’t want to be left without weekends, stop answering work emails on the weekend. You’re teaching people that you are available (and telling your staff that you expect them to be available too).
  • Post your business hours clearly, even if you are a purely online business. Just because the internet is on all the time doesn’t mean you must be personally on.
  • When you reply to an email, give the recipient some idea of when you will follow through on whatever they requested. If the request comes on Friday, shoot back a “I’ll get back to you by Wednesday” and you’re set.
  • On your company voicemail, set an expectation of when you’ll call back. Tell callers that your corporate box is checked several times a day, and promise a returned call within x hours.
  • In meetings, whenever a new task is handed to you, set an upfront timeline for when it will be done. Then be sure to incorporate it into your time management system.
  • On your social media outposts, be clear about why you’re there and how often you will engage. If you start providing customer support via Twitter, you can’t suddenly stop. Consider posting your policy in your profile, so there’s no confusion.
  • Set up an editorial calendar for your content; you don’t have to be nuts about it, but having a plan in advance, and knowing how often you will produce content, gives you peace of mind.

How do you manage expectations? What do you expect of yourself?
Do you have any tricks to help you get control over your life?

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Thank you, Rosemary!

You’re irresistible!

ME “Liz” Strauss

Have What it Takes to Run a Small Business?

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In my blog piece last week, I talked about the potential need to turn to family and/or friends for funding for those looking to start their own small business.

Yes, such a move can be tricky on several fronts, most notably potentially upsetting relationships that have formed over decades. But before you possibly go to a loved one or friend with your hand out, consider the pros and cons of starting your own venture in the first place.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) as of 2011, there were some 27 million small businesses nationwide, with anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of all new employment created in the U.S. attributable to small business.

So, are you looking to become one of the millions of small businesses nationwide? In the event you are, keep these four factors in mind:

1. Have a mission statement – It is of utmost importance that you clearly define why you are going into business for yourself in the first place. Sit down and put in writing the reasoning behind your business, what your business will do, and what your long-term goals are for the company. Not only does this help you stay on track, but it also gives potential customers an idea of what they can expect from you as far as products and services. If your mission is simply to make a whole lot of money, trust me, you’re already off to a bad start;

2. Learn New Skills
When you take over as your own boss, there are many hats to wear. In many cases, it is too soon for you to hire much help if any at all. That being the case, you need to make sure that you can handle a diverse number of tasks like sales, accounting, marketing, and project management. In today’s world, all of the above-mentioned skills are important to your business having a fighting chance, especially marketing. Long gone are the days where you just hung a shingle out and waited for people to come into your office. In 2012 and going forward, marketing involves things like social media, SEO, email blasts and more. One of the first things I always recommend to someone thinking about going out on their own is that they be social networking savvy. You do not have to live on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc., but you do need to know how to work them, how to market yourself, and how to outshine the competition;

3. Be willing to work long hours – Whether you are running a restaurant, floral shop or your own marketing company, be ready to roll up your sleeves and put in some time. When you are working for someone else, it is normally their job to make the assignments, balance the books and put out the fires, i.e. customer service complaints. When you are the top man or woman, however, you get to make all those wonderful calls. As someone that has been laid off for several weeks now, I have actually found that doing freelance work for this individual and that company, etc. is tougher than I thought it would be on a regular basis. While my freelance work use to consist of evenings and/or Sundays, it now keeps me hopping from early in the morning until the time I go to bed. I find myself spending lots of time doing research and writing most days, along with looking for another full-time position. Given I have some friends that run their own companies, I can tell you first-hand from my chats with them that they are always thinking about the next project, how they can grow, and what it will take to increase their return on investment (ROI). If you are not willing to put the time in, running your own business is not a good call;

4. Appreciate your opportunities – I can’t help but always remind myself on a daily basis of how grateful I am to have been born and raised in the U.S. While there are opportunities to be a successful businessperson in other parts of the world, there are also many regions where the dream of running one’s own business is just that. Even in the event you open a business, give it all you have for a year or years and it fails, appreciate the fact that you had this opportunity in the first place.

I found an interesting Tweet recently (not mine) that said “Success” depends on the second letter of the word. That comment really resonated with me as I explore my options today.

Running a small business is not for everyone; those that choose such a venture should always refer to that Tweet I mentioned a moment ago.

To me, that says it all.

Photo credit: http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/02/retire-early-plan-lifestyle-personal-best-10-saving_slide_2.html

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. Contact Dave at: http://beemoresocial.wordpress.com/