Even if you have a totally supportive spouse you will encounter this challenge with your clients,  your staff, or people on your implementation team. Here are four big tips to create an environment of support from your spouse:

1. Share your mission statement and compelling vision with your spouse. Tell them why your business is important to you and why your success is good for the both of you. For more on compelling vision read this article: http://www.attractclientswithease.com/articles/seeingavision.htm 

2. Tell your spouse you really need their support to be successful and make a request for it.

3. Tell them specifically what support looks like. For example: pick up the kids three days a week, make dinner certain nights, have it be okay that I have to work late sometimes. 

4. Increase your acknowledgment of your spouse. This is another important topic I will write more on in the near future. For now check out this awesome article to learn this skill:
http://www.attractclientswithease.com/articles/acknowledgment.htm

You deserve support from your spouse/partner for your business. Take these actions to create it.

Paying Attention to Your Self-talk
Everything you say to yourself either serves you or sabotages you. Do you tell yourself you can do it, do you tell yourself you deserve it or do you tell yourself something different, something less supportive? Turn those thoughts around and replace them with positive self talk. Positive thoughts add vitality to your body- negative thoughts deplete your vitality- it is the physiological truth.

Take Time at the End of Each Day to Plan for The Next Day
Take 15 minutes to clear your desk and make a list of the top three-five things you need to get done tomorrow. Then once you get those done, you can go back and pick five more. The truth is our brains can’t handle more than a few main things at a time.

Focus on One Thing at a Time
Work on one project, one set of phone calls, one proposal, at a time. It is more productive. Ignore all those emails coming in and get that proposal done and out the door, or make those follow-up/check-in calls you have been putting off. Then move on to the next most important thing. Yes, I know we all (especially women) like to think that we can dance with the myriad of tasks on our voluminous To Do List.  The truth is, we can get a lot more done by focusing on one thing at a time. Also, you will be surprised at how much less time that big project will take when you put your full attention on it.

And lastly, laugh and have a little fun every day. Life it to enjoy.

Feel free to post a question in the comments area and I will do my best to respond in a future blog entry. Also, let me know what you think about the above ideas.

The most ever. The 700 billion dollar bailout has failed and it is a bright sunny day here is San Francisco.

The point is, no matter how bright your personal business outlook, the economic outlook in the U. S. is a gloomy as it has ever been in most of our lifetimes. Realize that even if businesses or individuals are well in the black, they will now be more fiscally conservative and ponder each spending decision more because of the less than booming future on the horizon.

What are you going to do about it for you and your business?

I have some ideas – starting with NOT hunkering down and putting your nose to the grindstone. That’s right! Instead of putting your attention on you and what your business needs, start by putting your attention on your customers and clients.

Let them know you feel their pain. Let them know you are aware things are challenging and you are here for them.

Ask yourself what you can do to make their lives easier? Here are some ideas to consider:

First and foremost get connected to them. Reach out – ask people how they are doing and what you can do to help. I mean contact them via phone or in person. Start with an authentic connection.

Then reach out via email sending them a special coupon or discount. Let them know you feel their pain.

Hold a special event in person or over a conference line. In challenging times people like to get connected. Facilitate that happening.

Strengthen your strategic alliance partnerships. Find more people who have the same ideal client as you yet provide a different product or service, and do more cross-promotional marketing.

There are more ideas in the articles and teleseminar recordings on my website – start there and get connected. You have an opportunity to show that you genuinely care about your clients and prospects. Action now will support you in having a profitable and sustainable business for years to come.