Picking Our Priorities

Kelly King Anderson shares with you this insightful conversation she recently had with The Power of Moms about Picking Our Priorities. Follow the link below to gain meaningful advice, tips and stories that will inspire you to become your best self.

http://www.powerofmoms.com/picking-our-priorities-2.html

Introducing Wanda Shapiro, Author of Sometimes That Happens With Chicken

“I’m Wanda Shapiro. I write literary fiction and I’m going indie. Musicians and film makers went indie a long time ago and it’s time for writers to follow suit. With a quality manuscript, a lot of hard work, and the technology available today – I believe fiction writers can also break free from the industry that binds them.” Meet the perserverant, visionary Wanda Shapiro. Meet her book: Sometimes That Happens With Chicken- Wanda’s first novel to self-publish. Meet them both at www.onegirlonenovel.com or follow Wanda on twitter.

Hometown: Johnsburg, NY

Current Residence: Venice, CA

Education: Bachelor of Arts from Pace University, May 1999. Majors: Political Science; Literature and Communications

Professional Background: I have worked in several industries including PR and personal training. I am currently employed as a project coordinator in the IT industry.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A writer.

What you are: A writer with my own publishing company.

Brief Summary of your Start Up: I decided to cut out all the middle men and bring my first novel – Sometimes That Happens With Chicken – directly to readers using an indie business model. I set up a publishing company, launched my own website, and devised a word of mouth based marketing campaign. My site is called One Girl One Novel and there you can learn all about me, my novel, my plan, and how you can help.

Company Website? http://www.onegirlonenovel.com

What inspired you? I think I’ve always been a do-it-yourself kind of girl, but Aaron Shepard’s book Aiming At Amazon got me started down the road of independent publishing.

How long have you been in business? I launched my site on February 6, 2010 and my novel is days away being for sale, but I spent a year and a half preparing for that launch and the subsequent publication.

How did you fund it? I spent approximately $2000 over the course of 18 months. I was able to pay for those expenses myself and did not have to pursue funding.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)?  I don’t have one particular mentor, but I have a few people who volunteered their professional skills and many hours of their time to launch One Girl One Novel and publish Sometimes That Happens With Chicken.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? No,  but I feel like I should.

Current Business Challenge? The next hill to climb is selling enough books to quit my day job and dedicate myself fully to my writing career.

What are you doing about it? I’m following the plan I have laid out and I work a lot. I rarely take a whole day off and I get up early in the morning during the week to maximize efficiency. Between my day job and my start-up, 80-100 hour weeks are the norm. Thankfully, my parents raised me in a such a way that working hard is like second nature.

Favorite motivational quote: “Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”- Edgar Allan Poe

Family? I have a husband.

If so, how do you balance family and business? It’s not easy and my husband sacrifices plenty, but we made a conscious decision to pursue this track and we knew it would mean a lot of work over a long period of time.

Favorite book? I can never choose between The Sun Also Rises and The World According To Garp.

What do you do to relax? Cook, clean or go to the beach.

What do you want to change most about your world? I’m particularly passionate about healthy, sustainable food. I’m a farmers market junkie and a proponent of local, organic products.

What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of following my dream. Too many people don’t because they’re afraid of failure or feel like they don’t have time, but there is a level of fulfillment one achieves when pursuing a personal passion that cannot be achieved otherwise.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses? Whatever you do, don’t give up.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Lynda.com – If you need to learn how to do anything with a computer, spend the money on a Lynda.com subscription. The tutorials cover every topic imaginable and they’re great.

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? I don’t think this is considered a precious stone, but I’d make a tiara out of garnet mined from the mountains where I was raised.

Empowered Women in Prosperity Group Coaching Event Launches April 28th

Want to fuel your life with passion and purpose? Want to be liberated from your blocks so you can soar in business? Need a support group to help you focus and strategize? You are invited to experience total transformation! On April 28th-May 19th, Startup Princess Founder, Kelly King Anderson with join forces with Heather Madder, Author, Speaker, and Coach to host the exciting group coaching event “Empowered Women in Prosperity.” Want to learn more? Go to http://www.inlovewithmylife.com

Marketing Tips 101

I’m just going to get this out right now – marketing is not one of my favorite pastimes. (Glad I got that off my chest.) It takes time, energy, and financial resources to stay on top of your buyers’ ever changing needs and wants. Then there’s actually getting the word out effectively and letting the world know about your product or service AND most importantly why it will improve their quality of life. So…however un-fun you (and I) may find marketing, if you want your business to stay afloat it is crucial to just suck it up, do your due diligence, and market – market – market! For those of you who feel lost as to how to do that, here are a few basic tips to help you get your marketing plan up and runnin’.

Know who you are. If you don’t already have a crystal clear idea of what your business identity is, you might want to go back to the drawing board and do a little more brainstorming. This includes having a catchy business name, a unique logo that represents you well, a mantra or mission statement that defines what you do and what you are aiming to accomplish, etc. Knowing exactly who you are will help you stay focused on your primary goals as well as help you stand out in the sea of competitors.

Know who your niche market is. Without knowing who your target market is, you are going to spend gads of time and greenbacks talking to the wrong people; people who aren’t going to buy your product or service. Who is your ideal client or buyer? What do they like or dislike? Where do they live? Where do they shop? What are their spending habits like? Yes, finding answers to these questions is going to require some dedicated research. Newspapers, magazines, and the internet will be helpful tools in gleaning some information about your prime customer. Surveys can also prove fruitful if you can reach enough people to participate. You can even sneak a peek at your competitors marketing activities to get you on the right track. Whatever you do, don’t start a full-fledged marketing scheme without clearly understanding who it is you are marketing to. Though time consuming, you will save yourself time and resources in the end.

Find ways to bond with your buyer. This involves not just getting to know your target market, but helping them get to know and like you (see next tip). Why should Martha buy your product or service vs someone else’s? How is what you provide going to fulfill Steve’s unique needs? In my experience, finding and fulfilling a unique need is one of the best ways to connect with a niche market. If Jenny can relate to you and feels you provide something she needs, she will more likely than not turn into a customer. Better yet, she just might tell her friends about you. That’s a sign of effective marketing and more importantly a great product.

Explore and choose the best marketing methods for your business. There are numerous ways to market a business. But the question you need to answer is this: What marketing methods and tools are most effective for MY particular business (e.g. radio, TV, newspaper and/or magazine ads, on-line advertising, social media sites, a “walking” sign wandering the streets of your community)? Reality is some modes of marketing are much more expensive than others so it is wise to take advantage of what’s free or low cost. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be effective and inexpensive ways to get your name out and reach your target market.  Once you’ve exhausted cheaper methods, consider further exploration of pricier options. Before you run out and buy billboard space or radio time, ask yourself, “What is the likelihood that my ideal customer will see/hear this?” If after doing your homework the odds appear small, it is not a good investment. Finding the most cost effective modes of marketing will be important to the health of your budget.

While marketing may not be your forte’, remember that it is a vital part of a thriving business and you will become a more savvy marketer with practice. Do the work, be patient, and watch your business grow.

Tara McCausland, My Joy Quest, Tara McCausland is a speaker, aspiring author, and the owner of her own success/life coaching business – Joy Quest Coaching. She’s also the happy mommy of one active toddler and has been married to her high school sweetheart for 4 years. As a coach, Tara specializes in helping mompreneurs build their businesses quickly, find more customers, and make more money – all the while helping them achieve greater balance and joy in their lives. She offers 1-on-1 coaching as well as group coaching via telephone and email. Best way to contact Tara is by email at tara@myjoyquest.com or by phone at (801)979-6244. Twitter @myjoyquest

Office Organization Tips

Workplace organizing is a specialty of mine and something that can be learned by 85% of the workforce. You, however, may have never been taught the necessary office organization tips. Research reveals that American firms lose 86 work days a year being unproductive. I ask you these questions: Is disorganization affecting your workplace productivity? Do you waste precious time looking for things you know you have but cannot find? As a Utah based professional organizer and productivity coach, my business clients find that office organizing diminishes the very tangible monetary losses associated with disorganization. Becoming organized also remedies the loss of time, creativity, confidence and peace of mind that disorganization brings.

One of my favorite definitions of “organized” comes from Stephanie Calahan, “Finding what you need when you need it, with little effort”. Organizing your time, space, papers and computer data is worth every bit of time, money and effort it takes.

Office organization is very doable with these 3 organizing strategies. Putting them in place will increase productivity and bring greater order to your worplace environment either at home or in a business office.

• Office Organization Tip #1 Schedule a time to plan. I teach my clients to plan their week on paper before it begins. If you don’t know what you should be doing, how can you get it done? Establish a routine of planning your week the Friday before it actually begins. The weekly plan doesn’t have to be extremely detailed, just include the tasks of greatest importance. Then, use the first 5 minutes of each day to detail that plan further. Streamline by setting specific days for specific tasks as much as possible so your schedule has a routine.
• Office Organization Tip #2 Prioritize your work to-do list by keeping 3 lists of 3. The first list contains 3 things you will do today that are most important to the success of your business. Be sure to differentiate between urgent and important. The second is 3 tasks you’d like to get done, but which aren’t of greatest importance. The third is 3 responsibilities that need to be taken on at some point. If you only have a few hours each day to devote to work related tasks, just stick to the 1^st list of three. Schedule a beginning and ending time for each of the tasks on your list. Stick to that time limit strictly. Accept the fact that you will rarely finish your to-do list. For my clients who are perfectionists this is frustrating. They eventually learn to delegate or delete the non-essential items from their list. As busy working women, learning to delete and delegate can turn our minds from chaos to calm.
• Office Organization Tip #3 Get your office desk, papers, supplies and computer files organized. The National Association of Professional Organizers reports that the average American wastes 55 minutes per day looking for things they have misplaced. A major cause of ineffective time management is disorganization. Although many people claim not to have enough time or money to get organized, the truth is that usually the more organized you are, the less time and money you waste. When my clients know where everything is, they don’t spend their valuable work time searching for things. What could YOU accomplish with 2 ½ extra work weeks a year?

Give my office organization tips a try by scheduling a time to plan and then prioritize with your 3 lists of 3. When your task list is planned and prioritized and your “office stuff” is in its place, you will be a more productive person and your business profits will reflect positively.

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Vicki Winterton is a professional organizer who has been highlighted here at Start-up Princessin newspapers, magazines and on TV. She is an online organizing expert who co-hosts   The Organized Woman Show. Vicki’s Utah based professional organizing business is found at http://www.OrganizingMindOverMatter.com/

Introducing Kathy Dalton, Co-Founder and CMO of Little Stinker

Have you ever changed a diaper and wished you had a gas mask close by?  Kathy Dalton sure has!  As co-founder and marketing guru of the cheeky product line, Little Stinker, Kathy is making parenthood a friendlier work environment for us all.  Check out her down-to-earth, reality-based parent product line at LittleStinkerUSA.com, or follow her on Twitter @mylittlestinker.

Hometown: Salt Lake City, Utah, but was born in Odense, Denmark.

Current Residence: Salt Lake City, Utah

Education: B.A., Marketing Communication from BYU

Professional Background: Marketing, Advertising, Event Planning and Product development.

What you wanted to be when you grew up: A princess, what else?

What you are: Superhero mom, sassy wife, business owner and entrepreneur

Brief summary of your start up: Little Stinker natural skin-care line for baby and mother. I am one of three business partners, but I am the sassy (and cuter) business partner. The other two are dads. We met six years ago while working together, and we all had kids in diapers at the time.

We were at lunch one day and Brick said, “You guys, I was changing the worst diaper. Wouldn’t it be great if there was something that could solve that lingering odor but used natural products?”

Travis, our formulator and regulatory compliance guy, jumped in, “Yeah, we could formulate it with chamomile and lavender.”

We’ve all had one of those embarrassing public poops and your kid stinks up the place… Little Stinker started out as a baby butt spray but has grown into a skin-care line for baby and mother to resolve the smelly issues of parenthood.

Little Stinker uses natural ingredients and organic botanicals. It is formulated to be hypoallergenic and is pediatrician and dermatologist tested.

Company Website? www.LittleStinkerUSA.com

Twitter @mylittlestinker

Blog: http://www.littlestinkerblog.blogspot.com/

What inspired you?

Parents change over 6,000 diapers before potty training. That’s a lot of stinky diapers. We believe in making that process a little easier to deal with.

How long have you been in business? One year, but just launched our Little Stinker line in February.

How did you fund it? Self-funded. We are strong believers in building a business on a shoestring.

Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? Not officially, but I have had the support of many nurturing mentors throughout my career including my sister, mother, and grandmother. Specifically, Diane LeRoy has played a large role in my life personally and professionally.

Do you belong to any Business Organization or Networking Groups? Start Up Princess, Ladies Who Launch, Biz Divas,

Current Business Challenge? As a new business building brand recognition and getting the word out about our product. Then keeping the momentum going. We would love to see Little Stinker sold in local baby boutiques and in Wild Oats.

What are you doing about it? We have just hired a sales rep, Jen Pax, to support us. We are excited to have her onboard.

Favorite motivational quote: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson

Family? I married my kindergarten crush, Jon. He is a handsome, rugby-playing, banjo-picking, and backcountry split-boarder hubby. One son, age two, that loves to go on bike rides with me in the Chariot. We have a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Banjo, that likes to go for hikes and play catch. We are blessed with a close supportive family.

If so, how do you balance family and business? Prioritizing and organization. Plus I have a great friend that comes over with her son to play with my son.

Favorite book? That’s a hard one. Right now I am re-reading Lynch Pin by Seth Godin, No Matter’s What by Lisa Nichols, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. But my favorite books for business are Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Lois P. Frankel and The Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

What do you do to relax? We love outdoor activities: biking, skiing, cross-country skiing, camping. I like to read, do photography, and I write a personal blog, www.danishmama.com.

What do you want to change most about your world? Help parents find real solutions to the day-to-day of parenthood. We want to contribute to helping babies get diapers. A percentage of our sales goes to helping parents buy diapers for their babies. I believe strongly in the law of tithing and apply this principle to business. If we all give ten percent of our time and talent, not just personally, but professionally, we can make a difference.

What are you most proud of? Being a wife, mother, and friend. I feel that every day is a gift. When our son was born six weeks prematurely we weren’t sure what the outcome would be. Often I look at him and marvel at what a blessing he is.

What advice would you like to offer other Start Up Princesses?

1. Be passionate. You have to love what you do.

2. Ask for help. Going from a competitive corporate environment, I was surprised by how collaborative and supportive women are. Over the last year I have made some incredible friends that have blessed my life simply because I needed their help and asked for it.

3. Have an All Star team. Surround yourself with people that share your vision and want to be a part of it.

Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? Diet Coke, iMac computer, iPhone, Mommy Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, http://sethgodin.typepad.com/

If you could design a tiara, what precious stones would you use? Diamonds and sapphires

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