If you are like most entrepreneurs, you are looking for a better, faster way to grow your business. And sometimes that can seem like an endless search.

Well, I have something new I want to introduce to you. It is from Infusionsoft (the leaders in marketing automation software). They call it the Double Your Sales Success Path and it is their proven path to growing a business quickly and profitably. The entrepreneurs who have adopted the path have easily:

• Reconnected with all of their prospects and past customers
• Generated tons of new sales
• Created long-term, profitable relationships with their contacts
• Automated many of the processes in their business
• Grown faster than with any other strategy/solution

You are looking for a better way. And I have to say, Infusionsoft has it. So take a minute and sign up for the FREE 15-day trial. During your trial, you will be introduced to the amazing Success Path and have access to the software that puts the path in place.

This is a great opportunity you do not want to miss.

To doubling your sales!

Another Experiential Marketing campaign that I was honored to be part of is coming to an end. We had so much fun testing all the features of the Chevy Traverse.

The Moms Time Out Twin Cities program was an enlightening experience and I hope we are able to do something similar again.

Letting active moms drive the Chevy Traverse and blog about their experience allowed new connections and new ideas about the Chevy brand. I heard one of the moms state that she always drove foreign cars (for no particular reason) and would consider purchasing a Chevy when the time comes. Other moms were able to share how the vehicles did with carting around moving signs and kids. Some liked it and others said it didn’t have the room that they were hoping for.

My favorite part of the car was the OnStar, Bluetooth touch calling and the DVD players. Since I am on the phone quite a bit it really was nice not to have to fiddle with the phone at all. There was not alot of cargo space for a family who likes biking and bigger toys. However, the seats were easy to manage and the car road extremely smooth. We all loved the new car smell.

So hurry and get to your local Heartland Chevy dealers and take the Traverse for a test drive. You can pick up a $30 gift card to SpaFinder.com too.

Twitter: Hashtag #mtotwincities
Official Site: Moms Time Out Twin Cities
Sponsor Site: Mom’s Like Me

My Mom Squad friends and bloggers. Check out their blogs and comment on them. I’m sure they would appreciate your stopping by.

Lindsey Hasford – Active Rain

Dana Douglas – Happy Day Vintage

Lisa Scherber – Mommy’s Nest

Lynsee M – MomsLikeMe.com

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

We were having fun creating videos at the park in our Chevy Traverse. This has been a fun experience and love tooling around and checking out all the bells and whistles. Please check out what other moms are saying about their Chevy Traverse experience at Moms Time Out Twin Cities and take time to vote for your favorite blogger. If you live in Minnesota or Wisconsin you can enter to win a fun weekend at Madden’s Resort and Spa on Gull Lake. Also, you can test drive a Chevy Traverse at any of the local Heartland Chevy Dealers and take home a $30 Gift Certificate for SpaFinder.

Remember to create an experience for your clients or future clients as it really does support experiential marketing and brand awareness. Enjoy the experience today.

Following leadership article is from ArtWilliams.com
“The only sure way for your people to lose is if they give up. Your lack of encouragement should never be the reason a person quits. A leader must always keep believing in people, no matter what.”

No. 1 – Have confidence in your people.

• See each person as a winner.
• Expect success from everyone.
• Let people know you think they can win.

No. 2 – Recognize each accomplishment, no matter how small.

• Show people that you know what they do.
• Make each small accomplishment seem major – it really is.
• Make your praise public – people love to be recognized among their peers.

No. 3 – Sell the dream, again.

• Never think you can stop “selling the dream.”
• People need to be constantly reminded of the rewards of their hard work.
• Encourage people to talk about their personal goals and dreams. (You could have a “dream” session and ask each person to tell his personal “success dream.”)

No. 4 – Don’t give up on people when they make mistakes.

• Live with them through the tough times, as well as the easy times.
• Care about each person as an individual.
• Allow people to learn from their mistakes. Never criticize.

AND…Never be guilty of giving up AS A LEADER.

With the state of the economy the way it is today I am seeing an increase in the level of interest a person has in starting their own business. When I ask the new entreprenuer a few basic questions regarding the tools they are using to build their new business I am shocked at how many people have that deer-in-the-headlight look.

So many people are jumping to the conclusion that starting a business from home is tied to a big expense and that the tools they need to use are not affordable to operate efficiently. Therefore, many business owners are not empowered to build strategically with the use of the internet. Because I am a big believer in maximizing online tools I came up with a list that will help take your business to the next level.

Here is a list of necessary tools that are free to use.

Webcast: Mikogo is free screensharing software that you can use for webinars, product demonstrations, online meetings, etc.

Video Production: Animoto is a great way to turn your photos into video. As we all know video’s drive traffic to your website. Therefore, a simple way to create a video is to upload pictures of you or your business into Animoto, select sound clips to match the video and publish to YouTube or other video sites.

Conference Calling: Free Conference Call.com is a teleconference line available 24/7. Do you need to have a quick meeting with your team members or sales staff? Easily done with this service.

Calendar: Google Calendar is an efficient way to keep track of your events. I use this service to color code the conference calls, events, and even set up Text Messaging reminders so I don’t miss a beat. A great feature in Google Calendar allows you to invite others to share the calendar so it works great for planning events.

Business Forms: Google Docs has a host of forms and templates that can assist you with your business. Find a template, complete the form and then print it to a PDF file direct from the desk top. Many of the templates will even feed into specific software programs you might use. It is a great way to invoice your clients.

Advertising: Craigslist is a favorite for free advertising. If you own a service business or want to sell a product this service is for you. Not only is it good for advertising it is also great for prospecting. Check out the “wanted” section as you might be able to fill a need of what people are looking for. Be sure to read the compliance section of Craigslist because they don’t hesistate to shut your account down if your ad is flagged too many times.

Autoresponder: Mail Chimp Not only does this site have a cute chimp on the front page it offers a great foundation for new marketers to start building a list. You can build and manage your list as well as design HMTL newsletters for free. I personally use Aweber as it is the list building tool I’ve used prior to learning of Mail Chimp.

Website Software: Wordpress.org is a great tool for the new business owner to use while building an online presence. With all the new plugins available to the wordpress owner you can create a website in a matter of minutes compared to a few months and at a high expense. Wordpress.org is free but you would need a hosting account to maintain it. I use a few different hosting companies for my sites but I prefer Hostgator as my wordpress host.

These are a few of my favorite tools (sounds like a song doesn’t it?).  Be not afraid to learn any one of them as they all have video instructions and are easy to learn.

Do you need to know where to market your website? Go ahead and opt in at the box on the right. I will send you a PDF file and checklist to get you started in the right direction.

Make Internet Marketing Fun!

Well, that all depends. If you have insurance, you probably won’t use it. If you don’t have it, you’ll probably be sorry. Insurance is just one of those necessary evils. Keep the following points in mind when you consider whether or not you need home based business insurance.

First, will you be obtaining a business license of any kind? If so, you will need to check the licensing requirements. Some local governments require that you maintain a certain level of Liability insurance especially if people will be coming to your home during the course of your business. If your local government doesn’t require home based business insurance, then you must look at your individual situation and make that call. You may want to consult a licensed insurance agent to advise you of possible affordable options.

Will you keep an inventory in your home? In that case, you will want to insure it against a potential loss. Many homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover the loss of business supplies so check with your local insurance agent to find out the best option for your home based business insurance needs.

If you use your car consistently in your business, you will probably need to contact your auto insurance agent. Premiums usually increase when you drive your car for regular business use. One thing to keep in mind is that business use of a car is often tax deductible so this can help defray the added home based business insurance cost.

Many people run their businesses without any type of insurance, due to lack of knowledge. Starting a business is hard enough without risking the loss of all of your hard work because you didn’t invest in home based business insurance.

Contact your local CPA and Insurance to find a policy that will suit your needs. Trust me. It’ll be worth every penny and provide peace of mind

Well, that all depends. If you have insurance, you probably won’t use it. If you don’t have it, you’ll probably be sorry. Insurance is just one of those necessary evils. Keep the following points in mind when you consider whether or not you need home based business insurance.

First, will you be obtaining a business license of any kind? If so, you will need to check the licensing requirements. Some local governments require that you maintain a certain level of Liability insurance especially if people will be coming to your home during the course of your business. If your local government doesn’t require home based business insurance, then you must look at your individual situation and make that call. You may want to consult a licensed insurance agent to advise you of possible affordable options.

Will you keep an inventory in your home? In that case, you will want to insure it against a potential loss. Many homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover the loss of business supplies so check with your local insurance agent to find out the best option for your home based business insurance needs.

If you use your car consistently in your business, you will probably need to contact your auto insurance agent. Premiums usually increase when you drive your car for regular business use. One thing to keep in mind is that business use of a car is often tax deductible so this can help defray the added home based business insurance cost.

Many people run their businesses without any type of insurance, due to lack of knowledge. Starting a business is hard enough without risking the loss of all of your hard work because you didn’t invest in home based business insurance.

Contact your local CPA and Insurance Agent to find a policy that will suit your needs. Trust me. It’ll be worth every penny and provide peace of mind.

Tax Savings for Home Based Business

You already know how wonderful it can be to work from home, but do you realize how many home based business tax advantages exist?

Here in the United States, many people operate home based businesses just to take advantage of the numerous tax deductions.

Claiming the use of your home in your business can give you some hefty deductions on your tax return. As with anything tax-related, you must meet certain requirements determined by the Internal Revenue Service. However, if you use one room or part of a room specifically for your business, you can receive a significant home based business tax deduction. This can include portions of your utility bills specifically related to that area of your house as well as any relevant home improvements.

Your phone and other office services can also provide you with a substantial home based business tax deduction. If you maintain a separate fixed phone line or cell phone specifically for your business, then all costs related to those phone lines can be tax deductible. However, if you use equipment or services in both personal and business environments, it is more difficult to establish a tax deduction. It’s not impossible, but you must meet some fairly strict requirements and maintain good records.

Using your car in your business gives you the potential for another good home based business tax deduction. Of course, you must keep excellent records but you can deduct mileage and car-related expenses that you incur while conducting your business. With any type of business, other incidental costs come up. You can also take deductions for purchases of items such as office supplies, postage, advertising materials and expenses.

You can potentially deduct even more by hiring your children or spouse to work as employees for you. This enables you to deduct health insurance premiums and other typical employee-related expenses.

In order to find out about the many home based business tax deductions available to you, consult an experienced tax advisor.

With proper advice and good recordkeeping, your home based business can become even more successful.

If you live in the Minneapolis-St Paul Area call me at 952-212-6134 and I will give you an excellent referral to a highly qualified tax advisor.

I just watched a breathtaking movie called Finding Joy that I wanted to share with you. Please take a moment to watch!

In an instant, you’ll be uplifted and re-energized – with an absolutely renewed outlook on your day!

You can watch it here:

http://www.ncfindingjoymovie.com/3.html

Have a great day!

Lisa Saline