Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Marketing for Conscious Entrepreneurs

There’s a mistake I see happening everywhere. In fact, it’s one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made in the past. The mistake is this: Many business owners never get clear about WHO their market is, IF there’s a demand for their product or service, or HOW they will market and sell their products or services. They only know that the business idea they were given was a gift from God and therefore it MUST be destined to work in the marketplace!

If you are a business owner with incredible gifts and talents, but you’re unwilling to get serious about sales, marketing and money because you say, “God will provide for me,” listen up. Yes, God does provide. But, remember that money doesn’t drop from the heavens; it is given to you through human hands (your target market’s hands), in exchange for the products and services you provide and sell.

If your idea or dream feels like a spark of the Divine, that is a good start! But even the greatest ideas, the greatest dreams have to be relevant and delivered to your market to secure income and success. So, before you put your big idea into big action, take the following steps. (You’ll thank me later.)

Step One: Research
Research your idea to see if there is already an established market demand for your service or product. This step can be as simple as a Google search to see if other people have successful businesses in a similar area. I also recommend you go to the bookstore and look to see if there are books on the topic your business idea is based on. The more research you do, and the more similar enterprises you find, the better. (Competition means there’s a market for your product/service.)

Step Two: Identify
Identify your specific target market. You need to become crystal clear on who your target market is, because this will help you execute a marketing plan that simultaneously attracts those people you feel called to work with, and repels those people you don’t. Repel may be a strong word, but it’s true. Your Divine gift is not going to be expressed at its highest potential when you have clients who drain your energy, don’t pay you enough money, make mountains out of mole hills and don’t respect your time. And, that’s exactly what happens when you attract the wrong type of client.

Step Three: "Sell"
Finally, you’ve got to get comfortable with selling. I’m not talking about the “cheesy car salesman” type of selling. I’m talking about selling something you believe in because you know your product or service matches the needs of your prospect or client. Take comfort in the fact that conscious business marketing is totally ethical. It has nothing to do with “closing the deal” but everything to do with “opening a conversation” about the ways in which you solve problems for your clients. Sadly, I see many entrepreneurs completely miss the point when it comes to connecting with their market. Without the connection to your market, you have no business. Remember, all successful businesses are the solutions to someone’s problem.

The bottom line is, as a conscious entrepreneur, you have to go beyond the big idea. You must be clear about who your market is and how you can reach them with your message. And, you need to embrace the value of your product or service and ask for what you’re worth!

© 2009 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, best-selling author of The Freedom Formula, helps small business owners put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to discover how to integrate more spirit into YOUR business, then you’ll want to get my F-R-E-E_ CD, “The Top 3 Ways to Tap Into the Biggest Trend in Business Ever.” You can request this special CD by visiting www.FreeedomFormulaExperience.com.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

4 Simple Steps to Set Your 2009 Intentions

At the beginning of the year, you may find yourself stuck between celebrating the success of last year, planning for the New Year and perhaps overwhelmed by everything you have on your full plate. You’re not alone. Most conscious entrepreneurs go through this type of celebration, anticipation and yes, sometimes even overwhelm. That being said, the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to take some time to get laser-focused on what you want to experience and manifest this year.

For the past 6 years, my husband and I have always spent New Year’s Day clarifying and writing our intentions for the New Year. This ritual is a highlight of the year and one that continues to catapult growth on all levels, and help me fully prepare for the year... mentally, emotionally, practically and spiritually.

You’ve probably heard that the most powerful thing you can do to manifest your goals is to write them down! There is something about putting your goals in writing that begins to align the Universe to help you realize them (or something better).

The following four step process is one of my personal New Year strategies. I hope you’ll print this out and get started with your intentions today!

Step 1: Complete

The first step to setting clear intentions for the New Year is to feel complete with the events and experiences of the last year. To do this, simply reflect on the past year... beginning back in January. In your mind, run through the year noting the accomplishments, challenges, successes, growth, opportunities and gifts that you experienced. Once you’ve taken time to reflect on the past year, allow yourself to release anything that you may be hanging on to. Take several deep relaxing breaths as you envision completing the year and become fully present to this moment and all the potential that lies ahead for this year.

Step 2: Celebrate

Next, take out a pen and paper and write a list of everything you have to celebrate from the past year. Focus on all areas of your life, including spiritual (connection to God, meditation, spiritual practice, spiritual community, trust in Divine plan, etc.), personal (health, relationships, fulfillment, family, friends, community, love, etc.), financial (overall financial health, income, debt reduction, investments, money management, etc.), business (new strategies, marketing programs, joint ventures, products and services, client successes, gross income, profitability, support, etc.). Take time to complete your list thoroughly and review it to fully embrace your success and evolution this past year.

Step 3: Focus

Once you finish completing and celebrating, now become focused on all that you want to manifest this year. Simply create the picture of this coming year in your mind’s eye, getting a clear vision of what you intend to manifest and experience (don’t write anything down, yet... just envision it in your mind and feel it in your heart). Again, as you did in Step 2 “Celebrate”, be sure to include the areas of spiritual, personal, financial and business.

Step 4: Commit

The last step is to commit your intentions for the year by putting them in writing. This is the most powerful step of the journey; it’s the beginning of taking the vision in your mind and bringing it into reality. There are two different methods I recommend for writing down your intentions for the year, choose the one that feels like the right fit for you: 1) write a description of your year from the standpoint of January 1, 2010 including all the details of what has transpired during this year... be grateful in advance! 2) Write a bullet point-list of your intentions for the year in each of these 4 areas (spiritual, personal, financial and business). You can write your list on index cards putting one area of your life on a different card.

Once you complete this four step process, there is one last BONUS step to include with all of your writings. And, that is to write “this or something better” at the bottom of the paper. Because, as expansive as your intentions and vision for this year are, God/The Universe sees so much more for you. There are gifts waiting for you that you cannot begin to imagine. So, enjoy being clear and energized about this incredible year knowing that you also leave space for miracles to occur.

Put yourself in the right environment for those miracles to occur by getting your New Year in gear at The Freedom Formula Experience January 22-25. You'll walk out with a plan to make this your best and most fulfilling year ever... guar*anteed! www.TheFreedomFormula..com/experience

© 2008 Christine Kloser

Would you like to use this article? You may as long as you include the following information along with the article: Christine Kloser, best-selling author of The Freedom Formula, helps small business owners put soul in their business and money in the bank. If you want to discover how to integrate more spirit into YOUR business, then you’ll want to get my F-R-E-E_ CD, “The Top 3 Ways to Tap Into the Biggest Trend in Business Ever.” You can request this special CD by visiting www.FreeedomFormulaExperience.com.