Lynnelle Wilson's BOLDVision Blog

Small Biz & Getting It Done

As I sit here in the hotel room in N. Conway, NH I'm determined to check a few things off my to-do list, even as the clock ticks over to 2009. So, here's proof that it can be done; productivity from an iPhone. Small biz owners ... technology plus persistence = No Excuse.

Here's to our BOLD & Prosperous 2009! NO EXCUSES.

Fear is Contagious; Be BOLD.

First, let me be clear:

• I understand it's a difficult economy out there.
• I understand sales are down, businesses are cutting back and laying off.
• I understand it's a challenge these days and '09 is likely to bring more of the same.

Now that THAT is out of the way, I also think the glut of negative forecasts and gloom and doom coverage keeps our mood and focus on what is wrong and NOT possible. In difficult times it is important to understand the difficulties while being alert for opportunities. With so much focus on the dire and dread, it is next to impossible to lift our head off the pillow in the morning.

The recent "Happiness" study that proved happiness is contagious should reverse the study and I am certain the finding would be fear and dread is contagious as well. Fear perpetuates fear and, at it's best, immobilizes. It certainly is NOT a catalyst for growth or productivity.

Fear Kills Businesses, Dead is a wonderful must read for everyone - business owners or otherwise. People do not stop making decisions in a down economy; they are just more discerning. If you think this is the time to pull-back on important sales and marketing efforts; if you think now is the time to sit on the sidelines, the world will move ahead without you.

The reality is that there are hard costs tied to customer acquisition and retention. The key is to observe and listen to your customers to ascertain the most active and direct channels to reach and engage them.

The TechCrunch article gives several, targeted and affordable suggestions to do so, including:

1. BLOG - Your own & commenting on others'
2. SEO
3. Participating in Social Networks
4. Participating in "REAL" world networks - it's not only online.
5. Innovate - "If it ain't broke, Don't fix it" is the motto of the obsolete.

In good times, good opportunities are tougher to find. "It is during periods of tumult and transition when you can spot things that lead to the greatest returns - if you are alert."  If you are BOLD.

Don't act from fear, but from vision and boldness. Be BOLD.

...and Now, WE Have Work to Do

History was made. I stayed up until the bitter end; saw the speech and listened to the review and comments after. Tweeted the last tweet a little before 1:30am and passed it off to my Twitter "friend", @Adrigonzo, in California to continue on experiencing the historic event.

Now the real job begins & it's gonna take more than one man. Question is, what are WE all going to do now?

It's the same with your business (and mine). It takes more than a single "he" "she" or "it" to make anything work. That's the beauty of social media and why this veritable tsunami of change is taking place; it facilitates the "we".

Again I'll ask, what are WE now going to do to keep this momentum of hope, relief and positive change going?

(if you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm @Lynnelle.  I know, not very original but it get's the job done.)

Watch TV Less & Surf More; The Affluent Mindset

The average American watches almost 32 hours of TV each week. Affluent Americans, those making between $100 - $149,999 a year watch about 20 hours of TV a week. But the super-rich in the U.S. - those men and women who make $250,000 or more per year - watch only 17.8 hours. (per the 2008 Affluent Survey by Ipsos Mendelsohn.)

The same survey found the time spent on the internet increased from 23 hours a week by those making between $100 - $149,999 / yr. to 27 hours a week by the super wealthy.

Interesting.

Until last year I didn't watch any TV, other than playing DVDs. No cable, no satalite, no rabbit ears - nothing. Then I got rabbit ears & began to follow a couple of shows - and as time went on, I began to watch more and more. I've found myself walking in the house & turning on the TV out of habit, not even realizing it. Reading this survey I also realize how much less I'm reading and how much later I'm staying up because of TV.

Ok. that's it. I'm putting myself on a TV diet. Only 17.8 or fewer hours of TV a week for me. I've already got the 27+ hours of weekly internet.

If you market to the affluent population, you'll find some interesting findngs in this PowerPoint copy of graphed findings.

Innovation

On 1/15 Steve Jobs announced the new MacBook Air, the coolest and thinnest laptop, ever. Not only innovation - but FAST innovation - is the new AirMail. CNET editor, Dan Ackerman said this new product falls into the "Why Didn't I Think of That?" category. So what have you been thinking about that will fall into the "Why Didn't I Get Off My Butt & Do That?" category because someone else did? I don't know how many times I've heard "I thought of that before." "I could have ..." Yea, yea.

If you have a great idea, do something! Don't think about the entire, huge, expensive, scary, depressing, ..."whatever" project is overwhelming you. Just do one thing; take one step. Then another. Set a a small milestone and go for that. Then set another so that it doesn't drown you in fear and paralyze you.

What are you waiting for? Be BOLD!

Narrow the Field and Focus

Are you happy with your performance this year? How successful were you in reaching the goals you set for your business and for yourself?  If you didn’t see the progress you hoped for you might have a challenge that many ambitious, goal-oriented people tend to have; lack of focus.  “I’m focused!” you say.  But, are you really?  How many goals did you set for yourself? If it was over 10, it was too many. 

In fact, Dale Carnegie in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People suggests that the first critical step is to write down all your goals.  The second step is to narrow the list down to a single one.  A single one!

Depending on whether you’re setting a strategy for your personal aspiration or a business, limiting yourself to a single annual goal may or may not work for you.  The point is that it is important to focus in on the very few, most critical goals.

Each goal you set competes with the other goals for your time and attention. For example, consider the following goals:

·             Increase income 20%

·             Be featured in 3 art exhibitions

·             Learn to speak Spanish

·             Lose 15 pounds

·             Remodel the kitchen

·             Become a black-belt

When you’re taking Spanish lessons, you’re not practicing martial arts. When you’re putting together your art work for the exhibition and making contacts with galleries, you’re not focusing on how you can increase your income.  Yes, I know – balance is important.  I’m just pointing out the facts. 

When you set goals it’s important to see the time requirement of achieving the results you want.  There are only so many hours in a day (that would be 24) and so many days in a year (that would be 365). People tell me there are just not enough hours in a day to get things done. Do you want a quick, easy way to find 1 or 2 extra hours a day? Turn the television off. It is the exception rather than the rule to find anything worthwhile airing. The quality of the programming is an insult; the value to one’s life is … well it isn’t; and the news programs are depressing, disheartening and divisive.

Instead of watching television, use that time and energy to focus on your key goal(s).  Read a book.  Make a plan.  Share your vision with your partner.  If you’re willing to do this – and then DO IT – you will be much more likely to succeed.

Take control of your life.  Be BOLD.  It all starts with a vision.  ...and focus.

Successful Intelligence

Psychologist, psychometrician and Dean of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, Robert Sternberg has come up with a "successful intelligence" theory that he says is a better indicator of brain power than the IQ test.  The brief note in the October/November issue of Scientific American Mind wasn't clear about how successful intelligence indicator was determined - "an optional essay... in-person sessions ....responds to videos and pictures". However, after further research, I found that under Sternberg's theory an individual has "successful intelligence" when they are equally strong in analytical intelligence, creative intelligence and practical intelligence - the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence.

It's fairly well accepted that a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) isn't a guarantee for success in life and that EQ (Emotional Quotient) is equally, if not more of an indicator of success, at least in today's experience / transformation economic era.  It's like anything else; people want to have a reason, an answer; an explanation when there's really not just one reason, answer or explanation. 

It's about knowing what you love, doing what you love, knowing what you're not good at and learning to be better or hiring someone else to take care of it for you.  Be mindful of who you are and be the best you can be; whatever "they" tell you your scores are.  Gotta be BOLD and follow your Vision - that's where it starts.