BE Your Magnificence

I've found there are many activities in life that are more quickly mastered by not only DOING that thing
but doing it alongside someone who has done it and can demonstrate success to you.
Like learning to drive, paint, cook (my grandmother taught me) and especially growing a business.
In the past, the times when I’ve launched a new project on my own are the times I’ve struggled more, felt overwhelmed, spent more money then I should have and took a lot longer than I thought it would.
This also seems to be an obvious truth with many of the people I work with, is it the same for you?
My clients start taking off in ways they only imagined once they’ve had the opportunity for immersion with me.
That means I’ve gotten into the “doing” with them as opposed to them just reading about how to do it or listening to CD’s.
I’m committed to helping Conscious Entrepreneurs create their millions in a meaningful way over the next couple of years
and that’s why I want to make it as easy as possible, as well as IRRESISTIBLE for you to work with me and my team.
For those who appreciate structured support---we’re now taking enrollments for our latest support program for entrepreneurs, speakers and service professionals.

Doors are officially open for “BE Your Magnificence- A Transformational Business Experience” beginning May 11th, 2010.
This COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT Package was created with women entrepreneurs in mind and includes:

*Weekly calls for 16 weeks with a small group as we walk you step-by-step into creating more sustaining revenue in your new or existing business.
We create a Business Blueprint so you have a plan to execute, support in clarifying your passion and purpose, help structuring your marketing funnel so we can automate many of your business activities, develop products and services that will quickly get you into revenue, online and offline marketing strategies so you’re attracting customers with ease, social media marketing, funding strategies, learn to charge what you’re worth, and breaking through any obstacles you may have about money and success.
This support alone is valued at almost $15,000.

* One-on-one support throughout the months from myself and my technology expert husband as we work specifically on your business agendas, valued over $1000.

*Monthly Call-in Q & A Coaching Afternoons for 6 months where the spotlight is on you and your progress, valued at $600.

*Access to our database of resources. Includes templates, people, promotional opportunities, investor contacts and so much more.

*One month of SEO and social media promotional support to help you jumpstart your marketing campaign, valued at $500

*A ticket to my 2-day BE Your Magnificence Intensive in Scottsdale, AZ, June 26-27, valued at $3500.
My team of millionaires, marketing, systems, transformation and funding specialists will work with you personally on Joint Venture development, product creation, design, mindset, funding, implementation of your social media marketing plan and so much more.

*A ticket to “Powered With Passion”, a 2-day unique abundant living retreat in breathtaking Sedona, AZ, http://poweredwithpassion.com valued at $497.

*We create an AUDIO PRODUCT and design other products/programs for you that you can sell over and over again, valued at $600

*ADDITIONAL BONUSES focusing on wealth creation, branding, publicity, creating instant revenue streams, and developing a conscious business valued at over $1000.

How’s that for immersion?
This total business building support package has a real value of $22,700 but we’ve bundled it into an incredible offer that starts at just $599.
I know it's hard to believe--- I think it's a pretty wild offer myself! You can see all the program details once you sign in at http://passion2prosperity.com
(NOTE: all the bonuses listed above are included but are not all visible on the website).
Go ahead and register today if you're heart is saying "YES" right about now. We only have 16 spots available and will sell out.
We’re serious about helping you move into meaningful, financial success and if you’re serious about it too and want to discuss it, send an email to simone@passion2prosperity.com and my team will schedule us for a heart-to-heart chat.

How To Dramatically Change Your Revenue With An Automated eCommerce Platform

No matter what your product or service is or how great it is, you won’t achieve measurable financial success unless you have a platform to sell from. The more you sell, the more money you make. Seems simple enough but developing a productive sales and ecommerce platform that works to attract customers and sell products 24/7 is often a great challenge for people in business. For the past few years I’ve been helping entrepreneurs develop their own successful selling platform. Here are some solutions I’ve used that are scalable which means you can start this process even before you have a product or service to sell.

1. Install a multipurpose eCommerce-ready Shopping Cart. My revenue changed dramatically the day I automated my selling process. If you’re manually taking orders or collecting payments, this will have an effect on your ability to grow. I recommend implementing more automation and switching to a Shopping Cart such as http://www.prosperitycart.com . This is my cost effective private label of 1ShoppingCart and I’ve been using it in multiple businesses for many years. This allows you to catalog and sell your products, services and digital products; integrate all your payment methods; and automate a follow-up sequence. There are multiple service options available which means it grows as your business needs grow.

2. Install a merchant account. You could be losing out on new business if you don’t accept credit cards these days. People will take their business elsewhere if the buying process is too tedious. The easiest payment gateway to use is PayPal.com but it comes with higher transaction fees and lots of restrictions (they can hold/suspend your transactions at anytime and business comes to a halt if that happens). Also, your business may not be thought of as highly professional if you’re only using PayPal as a payment gateway. I recommend obtaining a professional merchant account from a reputable company or banking institution. Make sure you compare transaction fees and discount fees, which is a percentage of each transaction, to get the best deal. Some of the lowest fees and fastest money turnarounds I have ever seen are with wholesale merchant accounts that are backed by reputable banks. My husband Michael Murdock is a resource for those accounts. Feel free to see what a difference this type of account would have in your business by contacting him at ceo@docmurdock.com . His clients are now saving upwards of $5000-$6000 in fees each year.

3. Place email opt-in areas everywhere you can. Think of your Shopping Cart as a bucket that can collect names for you 24/7. You want to attach that bucket anyplace where people visit you. That includes your website, product landing pages, blogs, social media profiles, email signatures, etc. The more names you collect, the more people will have the opportunity to get to know you. Ultimately, you’ll be offering your product solutions to people you now have a pre-existing relationship with. The “gold is in the list” as internet marketers will tell you.

4. Plan a follow-up email marketing campaign. The strength of your relationship with your subscriber list will be in how well you follow up with this group. This includes thank you messages, product offerings, invitations to try new things or attend virtual events, newsletters, surveys and a variety of other regularly scheduled communications. This can all be written and loaded into the system in advance when using an automated shopping cart system. With ProsperityCart.com, our communications are planned up to 2 years in advance and passively work for us 24/7 even while on vacation.

5. Create products or offers of different price points. It’s easy to inspire someone to try you out when you’re offering them something for free, not to mention the Goodwill it creates. Following the tried and true marketing funnel formula, you may want to offer something of a lower price point for the next level of commitment and so on. We’re all comfortable buying, and continuing to buy, from people we know and trust so you want to create that scenario in your business whenever possible.

To discuss the creation of a robust and profitable eCommerce platform in your business, email simone@passion2prosperity.com for a private consultation.

How To Connect With Your Most Perfect Contacts

We don’t operate our businesses in a void so no matter where you are in the success continuum, you’ll always be in search of PEOPLE to help you fulfill certain roles. If you’re just starting out, you’ll want mentors and advisors. Investors are out there as well as people to help you with marketing, manufacturing, operations, etc. Of course you wouldn’t be in business very long if you didn’t have customers.

Here are some strategies I use to constantly put me in the right place at the right time to be able to connect with any “human” resource I may need at any given time. People constantly say “Maria knows everyone.” It’s more like “Maria knows how to MEET anyone”.

1. Regularly create profiles of the contacts you need. Whatever you’re looking for, it really helps to have an idea of the person that can help you get it...not just what “it” is. Most of the time, you’ll find you already KNOW someone that fits your new profile. You just hadn’t yet thought of that person as a resource. I use this technique to help manifest strategic partners, investors, clients, etc.

2. Attend industry events. If you want to meet the movers and shakers of your industry, start attending the same tradeshows and conferences they do.

3. Put it out to your network. Don’t forget to tell the people you know WHO you’re looking for.

4. Hang out where they hang out. I’ve met my investors exactly where I’d thought they’d be--- at fundraising events, out with other investors, at various community events, social and business gatherings.

5. Attend networking functions to meet with the organizers or featured guests. Many people will attend a networking event to meet potential clients but my mission goes a bit beyond that and is usually to create strategic alliances with people who have complimentary talents as well as their own following. Those people can usually get you in front of a much larger group of your ideal “whatever”. So mingle with the participants but also make yourself known to the experts and organizers in attendance.

6. Search for people online or in your local press. If you do a Google search using industry specific terms you’ll find out who the talent is within that industry. This is great if you’re looking for C-level folks and advisors. Once I can associate a name with an expertise I’m looking for, it’s just a matter of tracking that person down. Same goes for a name you read in a newspaper. EX: You’re looking for an advisor in waste management and one day you read about the retirement of the Chairman of the Board of XYZ Waste Management Co. Chances are, THAT’S the person you need to connect with.

7. Use search functions on the Social Networks. Nothing has accelerated my connecting as much as the social networks have. You can pick a few people who are your perfect contacts and easily connect to who they know using the follow functions. In the search boxes, simply put in keywords that describe their industry or what they would be talking about and see who pops up. People are also generally more accessible on the social networks as well.

8. Let them come to you. Consider hosting an event or being part of something bigger that will put you directly in front of the contacts that you would need. This is a great time to support others who are doing similar work as a way to increase your visibility.

9. Meditate on attracting the most perfect contacts. Success does not happen by just working hard you know! I meditate daily and visualize the most perfect people showing up to support my efforts. Usually during that time or shortly afterwards, names will pop into my head or the phone will ring with a perfect opportunity. If you want success that’s more flowing and effortless, that’s a sure way to create it.

Strategies For Getting Early Traction For Your Products and Services

Like the adage “which came first, the chicken or the egg”, many entrepreneurs find themselves at a crossroads when trying to launch their product. To do it properly requires financial or other resources they may not have but in order to get those resources, they’re asked to “prove” their concept. One of my specialties is supporting people through this stage so that they have the opportunity to prove out the validity of their concept & get early “traction” (interest from buyers) while being very prudent with resources.

What’s important to note here is that before you invest lots of time and money in creating a product or service and then trying to sell it, it’s more prudent to SELL the concept before you actually create the product. In the past, I’ve gotten 5 and 6-figure commitments before I even produced a product. Obviously, your risks are greatly reduced if there is a nominal investment required to produce and distribute your product--- that’s why I love working online and with digital products.

Why do this? You’ll save yourself time and money as you avoid risks and produce a product that’s exactly what your market wants; establish credibility; attract investors and sponsors who can now see the validity of what you’re creating before it’s fully launched; and finally, have a market already established when it comes time to actually sell tangible products and services.

My complete list is quite extensive but here are some ways to get proof of concept and early traction:

1. Conduct some basic market research. Make sure you have really spoken to your customers and end users (if the two are different) to see if this is something they would like have and would purchase if available. Thoroughly document this research.

2. Build a list. Start creating a list of followers who would be potential customers when the time is right. The bigger the better and I recommend managing your growing list with one of the Autoresponder tools listed at http://intentionalincome.com

3. Network Within Your Industry. It’s much easier to garner the support of your industry if you’ve already established a good reputation. That’s why it’s imperative to show up and network at industry tradeshows; events where your peers and potential customers would be; media outlets; and online via social media activities.

4. Create and test a prototype as soon as possible. Depending on the resources you have available, develop a working prototype or sample of your vision as soon as possible. Even it’s just a graphical mockup. Having something tangible for people to look at will dramatically improve their interest.

5. Sell your “concept” as soon as possible. Before you commit to manufacturing your product, look at establishing your distribution channels first. Knowing where your product will sell will make a difference in how you package it. Also, it would be ideal if you can pre-sell your product (within legal parameters of course). I’ve gotten contracts and letters of interest for products prior to manufacturing. You can do the same for information products, books, events, etc.

6. Can you start small and scale up? You my not have the resources to be fully operational but is there some aspect of your business you can launch with limited resources, test and then expand? This will not only provide further validation but can also help fund other stages of growth.

7. Partner up with someone that has the resources you need. Perhaps consider licensing, private labeling or co-branding with another company to help you initially launch a product. Manufacturing and marketing could be your biggest expenses initially so find people who will cover that for you.

8. Get the media talking. Having the media pick up on your “story”, the circumstances surrounding your journey, or any tie in to current events really helps to establish credibility and interest from buyers and partners.

9. Gather testimonials. Paint the picture about how great your product or service is through the eyes of someone who has experienced it (or you). This will help make your Company more real to potential customers.

Shifting Overwhelm Into Opportunity

You can turn what appears to be “overwhelm” into a more positive experience. When the anxiety starts to creep in, simply stop and take a few deep breaths. Then express gratitude for all the new choices that are before you ---because that is what’s really happening, isn’t it? Ask for guidance as to which feels like the best option for you to pursue and wait for an answer coming from your heart, not your head. If you can be still in this process, the answers come much more quickly. If you find yourself faced with too many tasks, know that you don’t have to do everything at once and you never have to do it all alone. Do what feels right for you in the moment and know everything else will get taken care of when it should.

Strategies For Staying Focused

Many years ago business mentor Mitch Santell said to me “Maria, lots of people are running their businesses like they’re folding deck chairs on the sinking Titanic”. I’ve never forgotten that and quite often as I’m making decisions to do something I stop to ask myself “am I just folding deck chairs”? There’s so much pressure to work harder to stay ahead and to try different things to get new results or create new revenue. Many others are taking on more and more responsibilities as they try to “do it all” in their business hoping that something will payoff. The fact of the matter is, without FOCUS, it’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of your business and ultimately feeling that you’re not really progressing. Here are some strategies for maintaining focus and staying on a clear path to success:

1. Work from a master plan. I enjoy life more when I live in the present moment at all times but I’m always working from a master plan. With my plan of action laid out for me, the activities I’m inspired to take in that present moment are continually leading me towards my long term objectives because I took the time to “pre-program” what those objectives are. I know in a moment’s notice whether or not I’m deviating from my long term goals.

2. Focus on fewer priority items. Working from a huge TO-DO list that you create is not as productive as you may think. It keeps you busy but not feeling very accomplished for the most part. I suggest establishing 1-2 very clear objectives for the month that feed into your long term goals. This helps you create simpler daily to-do lists that actually get completed. It’s easier to stay focused on fewer items and you’ll experience more personal satisfaction as you have more completions instead of unfinished lists each day.

3. Segment your workday. This is one of the best productivity lessons I learned more than 10 years ago. My day is broken into 2 hour segments for the most part and the segments include sales/marketing, operations (usually delegating), creative, ME, and follow up (or long term planning). I stay focused yet touch all aspects of my business and the day flies.

4. Do the things you enjoy doing, delegate the rest. If you have trouble focusing on the task at hand, it could very well be you just don’t enjoy doing it or don’t have an expertise for it. Stop faking it and start delegating ASAP. Give yourself permission to take it off your plate so you can focus on the things you’re good at.

5. Create a system for accountability. If you’re missing your deadlines, consider a mandatory donation to your favorite charity or some other activity that will help condition you to stay on track. Also consider having others hold you to your word. Having to report in to someone on your progress is incentive enough to stay focused.

6. Limit distractions. You my not be able to stay focused simply because you’re too distracted chasing bright shiny balls. That’s what I call the “opportunities” that we have trouble passing up yet in the end steer us further from our path. Learn to say NO, at least for a limited time, if you’re really committed to achieving your primary goals. You won’t miss out. There will be another similar opportunity right around the corner that’s just perfect for you.

7. Are you “folding deck chairs”? Ask yourself that each time you start something new. Make sure the activities you are pursuing are in your best interest and really moving you toward achieving your goals. Learn to let go immediately of the busy-ness and move into more productive activities. Staying busy yet not quite productive could be you “hiding out” from success.

8. Take a break. When you’re having trouble focusing, working longer hours won’t make the situation better. Taking time to regularly refresh and rejuvenate as well as natural supplements that help with mental clarity will work wonders. I carve out time each day for gym, nap, pampering and/or meditation and schedule some down time on the weekend--- no matter how much work I have on my plate.

Give To Get--- An Exercise In Abundance

I’m known for connecting people who are looking for certain resources to those who have the resources….for compensation when feasible. To help attract opportunities to profit using your contacts, I suggest paying it forward to keep the momentum and energy flowing. What works for me and what I love to do is to connect 2 people EACH DAY who I think should meet. It could be people I know well or hardly at all. Sometimes it’s for a very simple reason, and always by email to save time. Try it for yourself and you’ll be surprised what comes back to you!