Money in Your Own Backyard: Don’t Forget Your Local Businesses!

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The first few phases of building your own business can be quite a challenge. Many times you don’t know where to start as far as online information, conferences, weird articles and endless SEO lectures. While many of these avenues are effective, it is so important to know when and how to loop back to the old-fashioned way of doing things – getting to know people and make strong connections. And you don’t have too go far to make those connections happen.

Leave a good mark…

Until recently, I often turned my nose up at the thought of making my way around the local neighborhood for some freelance business.  My previous attempts had failed, since the businesses I had visited at that point had owners who were near retirement or already had someone doing freelance work for them. Then one day I made a stop on the way home to pick up some stuff for the house when I froze at something so ideal for New3Creation – a sign advertising the visit of a local business woman who would be promoting her home made hair products. I was thrilled and immediately saw it as a promising network opportunity. I asked the store manager for more info and he told me everything else I needed to know about the business, when they visit and what they promote. Not only am I landing her as my client, but I received two other requests for my services before the week was out!

A few things to note here; if you’re a regular reader of my posts, you’ll know that getting clients did NOT happen overnight. Some things needed to be done in order to make them happen, such as keeping a blog, letting potential clients know about my work, having a genuine interest in their business and get to know them on a friendly level. I had to be courteous and considerate when I interacted with them. I didn’t just go to the chase and tell them to hire me as their writer. For some it took some time to till that soil and finally get them to hire me. Trust and believe, a relationship of sorts had to built in order for it to happen.  Another thing is I have yet to land a client via social media. I know that day is coming, but in the meantime I have to acknowledge the power of going back to the basics; all of the clients I currently have are by word of mouth. Someone knew somebody and told somebody else…it’s all working out and taking a turn for the better.

Keep it simple and keep it real

People aren’t dumb, they know a gimmick when they see one. So if you think the best way is to get in people’s space and give them 101 reasons why they should hire you, I strongly advise you to think again. People skills matter. You have to know how to talk to people and promote yourself at the same time. It doesn’t take a lot; you have to be in a place of healthy confidence to do it. Because I’ve been blogging for almost a year now, I’ve learned a lot and said a lot too. Blogging has given me a good level of confidence to communicate and get my point across effectively. Being around others with the same mindset helped play a part as well. I’m saying all of this because it helped build my pitch for potential clients. Nothing to complicated, I introduce myself, tell them my business and if it’s something they would be interested in. I also take the time to find out more about them and their business. That way, if they’re not ready to commit just yet, I can have effective follow-ups with them. But I plan on expanding on that and providing in-depth tips in a future post.

Remember, you’ll be surprised at what you find in your own neighborhood. There are local businesses who need your services, it’s just matter of the two worlds meeting! Scoot away from the laptop for a minute and get out into the community. Find out what’s going on, who makes local products and what type of promotional methods they use. If your prices are too high for them, find out what you can do for them within their budget. It takes good communication to build your clientele. Just don’t forget the basics!

How do you approach your potential clients?

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The Consistency of being Inconsistent: Ways You Can be More Productive as a Writer

 

Source: Pixabay photos
Source: Pixabay photos

First of all you have to remind yourself that you ARE a writer. You are here to make a difference through your work by the simple act of expression. Every now and then the purpose has to be re-visted. It’s necessary to do this in order to get the ball rolling and to start getting noticed for your work. You ARE a writer. Go ahead and say it out loud if you need to! Continue reading “The Consistency of being Inconsistent: Ways You Can be More Productive as a Writer”

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2015 is Here and it’s Real.

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It’s not to late to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I must say that 2014 flew by like dust. It’s going to be an entire year since I started this blogging journey and it has been nothing but rewarding. Thanks for your continued interest and support; I hope you’re inspired to do your heart’s desire as you read New3Creation material!

I want to start of with this thought provoking quote from Cheryl Strayed:

“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” 

~ Cheryl Strayed, Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

This is an awesome quote on dealing with fear in a unique way. I’ve previously tackled the topic of fear here on this site and it cannot be stressed enough how important it is to tackle fear from a different angle. We can’t allow it to cripple us and determine our destiny. It doesn’t matter if you want to become a writer, astronaut or business owner – if you’re reading this be inspired by the fact that fear is nothing but an emotion and it NEVER lasts! It also doesn’t matter what type of situation you’re in; fear is not in control. You are…simple as that.

A new beginning

Think about the quote for a minute…what story have you told yourself? As we become older, we realize that a lot of things we thought were true as children aren’t so; ranging from Santa Claus to what a healthy marriage or relationship really means. The fact is that truth never stops revealing itself. It’s a constant organism that’s always at work. I once heard the saying that God reveals to redeem – nothing could be further from that truth. That’s why it’s okay to start over and not be afraid to make a new beginning. It’s easier said than done but you can get rid of all those old things that weighed you down before. You can decide what you will be concerned about from here on out – especially since its a new year. I always talk about creating yourself if you’re not happy with who you are. Not saying to create a facade, but build a new beginning for yourself and use that fear as a motivator. Trust me, when it comes to rebuilding and recalculating your journey, you need to make fear your friend!

When I decided to get back into writing, fear definitely showed up at the front door. I figured since I hadn’t been involved in writing since college, my chances of becoming a flop were very likely. Rejections and setback probably lay ahead and I wasn’t looking forward to any of that. But I had to do something. I had to make a decision. I must tell you that decision has (and continues to) paid off. So many doors have been opened to help me along the way and help create a beautiful future. You can certainly do the same.

Change the script

So what if your story isn’t a great one? Re-create your story to be what you want it to be. Tell yourself a different story and take charge of your destiny. Don’t let fear or naysayers determine it. The road is…different. It doesn’t consist of partying around and a bunch of friends saying great things about you. Writing your new script can be challenging because the atmosphere is quiet and you’re often alone, facing yourself and dealing with who you really are. It’s also filled with eye opening moments of joy that can’t be compared to anything else; installing wisdom in you to last a lifetime. You’ll also be surprised how much your choices and your story inspires others to take a leap of faith! That’s what New3Creation is about, to inspire, envision and be able!

I’ll press the pause button here until next time. But I will leave you with this question: It’s 2015 – what are you going to do about it? Will you let it determine your destiny or will you make a decision to change your story?

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