Girlfriend's Biz Alliance

Ready to Start a Blog - Why Wordpress?

2010-05-18T11:18:00.003-07:00

Are you having trouble deciding which blogging platform is right for you and your business? If you’re looking for an easily customizable and user friendly option, look no further than WordPress.

What WordPress Has to Offer

WordPress offers easily customizable templates with many templates to choose from. Some of these templates are free and can be found online through a search engine, via the WordPress website, or from developers themselves. Other WordPress templates can be created and designed by a professional to meet your specific business needs.

And you can also find WordPress templates available for sale online. In short, you can create a 100% unique website with WordPress templates.

It’s so very easy to use. Whether you’re a blogging novice or an industry expert, WordPress offers a user friendly control panel. Even the customization of readymade templates is pretty straightforward.

And there are blog posts, manuals and forums on just about every WordPress topic under the sun which means if you have a question, chances are the answer is out there and easy to find.

Widgets and plug-ins. Because WordPress is so very popular, there are literally thousands of developers continuously working to create widgets and plug-ins to solve the needs of business owners like you and to make your blog experience unique for your readers and customers.

Widgets and plug-ins cater to just about every interest or need from games, to social networking to SEO tracking and data. If you need it, you can probably find it in a widget or a plug-in.

All in all, Wordpress is a great option and I highly recommend hosting your wordpress blog yourself. It is a very small investment to host your own blog and worth it!

Tackling the Time Monster

2010-05-07T09:46:00.002-07:00

How often do you find yourself running around crazy feeling like you're not getting anything done and thinking you just don't have enough time?

How you "see" your time directly affects how you utilize it and how you feel as you go through-out your day. If you're not careful, you will find your business and life running you, instead of "you" being the master of your business and life.

It wasn't too long ago that my business and life were running me all over the place! I had to step back and realize that my relationship with my time was totally unhealthy! I always felt like I never had enough time and that I was never getting anything accomplished. I am sure you can identify with that feeling... I think it can be pretty common and you know that it isn't fun!

So, how do you go about changing your relationship with time? Here is what worked for me!

Set your intentio to change your thinking about time. When you feel rushed or find the chatter in your head saying "you don't have enough time"... STOP. Battle it with positive affirmations like "I have more than enough time", "time is on my side", "everything that needs to get done, will!".

Remind yourself that what needs to get done, will. You know that anything that you have ever needed to get done has gotten done. Even if you have had to pull an all-nighter you got it done! (note: all-nighters not recommended after 25)

Prioritize your time. Map out your month, your week, your day and set your priorities. What do you want to get done NO MATTER WHAT. When you get it done... check those baby's off your to-do list and trust me you feel a lot of accomplishment!

Your time, just like your life, is all on how you see it. If you think you don't have enough time... you are probably right. If you think you have all the time in the world... you are probably right! So, remember YOU HAVE TIME! Ahhh... now doesn't that feel better knowing that you have all the time you need!!!!

Creating Your Own Success Plan and Celebrating YOU

2010-04-19T12:00:00.003-07:00

One of the most important things you can do in business is create and identify your achievements. Goals not only help you stay motivated, but they are the starting point for helping you break it down into tasks and small steps.

Here are some tips to help you create your own success plan:

#1 – Chart your goals. Keeping track of your goals is important. You may want to start by writing down all of your goals in one place where you can easily keep track of them. Give your goals estimated dates of accomplishment and reward yourself as you tick off your successes.

Keeping track of your goals in this manner will help you stay motivated and keep you moving in the right direction. Experts have agreed that we are more likely to stick to our plans if we have well-thought out and specific goals we’re aiming for. Writing down your goals and giving them a due date helps you do this.

#2 – Overcome your obstacles. We all have obstacles we need to find a way around. In business, it may be balancing your family life with work, or perhaps squeezing in time to build your business around your full-time job. Whatever your current situation, it may help to write down your obstacles together with a resolution plan to help you get over them.

For example, if you have very little time to build your business, write a realistic plan to keep you on track. Even if you only have four hours a week, it’s much more realistic to write that down than to aim for ten hours and end up disappointed.

#3 – Celebrate your success. Many of us have goals which we strive for, but often times we only celebrate our big accomplishments. However, it’s important to celebrate the small successes just as much as the big ones.

A good way to do this is to have smaller goals as well as large ones. Then chart down your progress and identify all of your achievements – big or small.

Taking time to celebrate your small achievements will give you a sense of accomplishment. It will help fire you up and make it easier to tackle your larger goals. It really doesn’t matter how you celebrate as long as you acknowledge your job well done.

5 Reasons to set-up a Google Profile Today

2010-04-12T13:30:00.004-07:00

You launched your business and you’re blogging, you’re using social networking sites, and you’re going to networking meetings, but have you set-up a Google Profile? Google is one of the biggest search engines out there today and you absolutely want to make sure that Google is linked to you!

Here are 5 reasons you should set-up your profile today!

1. Your profile will appear at the bottom of the first page on Google. You know that everybody checks everybody else out online now. Let’s just say you are at a networking meeting and you meet Susie and set-up a one on one next week. Before meeting with her, you think what else should I know about Susie and do a Google search. If Susie has set-up a Google Profile, you would find her listed at the bottom of the first page with all the information she wants you to know.

2. Your profile can include links to your Blog, Website, Social Media Pages, Services, Products, YouTube videos or whatever you want to put links to. This is a great tool to help people connect to what you offer!

3. You can have your bio on your profile. Let people know who you are, what you offer and how you can help them.

4. Your profile can include photos! Flicker photos can be integrated onto your profile! If you make Cakes, Design Jewelry, have an Apparel line or have samples of your work, you can include them on your profile. How great is that? Let a potential client experience what you offer via pictures!!

5. Having a profile on Google is not only a great way to help brand you, but it is a great way to promote your business too! Take advantage of another opportunity for you to showcase what you want people to know about YOU and YOUR BIZ.

It only takes a few minutes to set-up your Google Profile and is free to do! You can set-up your Google Profile by going to www.google.com/profiles. For the small investment in time, you have nothing but opportunity to gain.

The Buzz on Blogging and How It Effects Your Biz

2010-01-26T12:56:00.003-07:00

Whether your new to business or been in it awhile, you have likely heard about blogging. Blogging may seem like just another thing you have to do in the long list of to-do's to run and grow your business, but used properly it can create more visibility for you. So, in other words it is a great tool to attract potential clients.

If you optimize your blog and post consistently valuable and useful information the search engines will love you. Simply put, when someone types in keywords of something they are looking for and you are blogging about what they are looking for on a regular basis, they are likely going to find you in the search results.

Basically, you are creating a valuable tool to drive traffic to your website and it cost you practically nothing. The best part is that these people searching and finding you are considered "pre-qualified" because they have chosen to click through to read your content. If your content is valuable and informative they are going to want more and will likely sign-up for your list.

You are building a relationship with your blog readers. They are getting to know, like and trust you through your posts and interaction on comments. This helps make it easier for them to take action in the future when you offering a product or service to them. They are more inclined to buy because you have built that relationship with them and experienced your expertise.

Remember that blogging is a marketing tool and to make it work you have to be consistent. You should be blogging at least two to three times a week. Saying you don't have enough time is an excuse. You have to make time. It is just as important as going to your networking events or any other social media that you spend your time on. You are doing it to attract new clients, period.

Blogging is a wonderful way to connect with your audience, to provide valuable and useful information to prospects and customers, to sell your products and services, and to drive traffic to your website. Have fun with it and just do it!

Create Your Perfect Day... Week... Month

2010-01-19T19:57:00.003-07:00

Have you ever thought about what a perfect day would look like? I mean seriously, you might be surprised at what you come up with. I was. At first I caught myself day dreaming and imagining aspects of a somewhat material life, but when I thought about a typical day and what would put a smile on my face each and every day I was surprised.

The truth is a perfect day is likely for most people very simple and quaint. A perfect day encompasses not just work time, but play time and of course me time too! It is a day that makes you feel whole; and nourishes your physical, emotional and intellectual well being.

To get started creating your perfect day, think about what is really important to you. What matters the most and use this list to guide you as you map out what your perfect day would look like.

Here is an example of my perfect day.

6:00 -6:15 Wake-up - I'm Alive

6:15-7:00 Enjoy Yummy Delicious Coffee/Get Kids Ready

7:00 -7:30 Drop the Monkeys Off at School

7:30 -9:00 Work-out/ Get Clean & Beautified / Have Breakfast

9:00 -10:00 Power Hour - Answer Emails, Return Phone Calls, Update Website

10:00 -10:45 Client

11:00 -11:45 Client

12:00 -12:30 Lunch/ Errands / Read-Education

12:30 -1:00 Marketing - Write Articles, Post, Update, Newsletter Etc

1:00 - 1:45 Client

2:00 - 2:45 Client

3:00 - 3:30 Pick-up kids

3:30 - 4:00 Answer Email / Return Phone Calls / Prepare for next day

4:00 - 7:00 Open Time / Family Time / Dinner Time

7:00 - 8:30 Biz Development Activities

8:30 - 9:30 Downtime / Me Time

9:30 Night Night

My day doesn't always happen in this order, but I try to make sure that I follow this as best I can and most importantly implement the things that are most important on a daily basis.

The joy you will get by creating your Perfect Day is amazing. Just simply laying it out has an impact on your well being, because often we haven't even recognized what are perfect day is and/or maybe we are already living it and not truly being grateful for it.

Lets take this perfect day to the next level. How do we create our perfect week and perfect month? It is simple you take the basis of your perfect day and expand it into your week and month.

Lets talk business. One of the best things you can do is get clear on what it takes to run your business. Write down everything you need to do to make your business operate. Now plug these task items into your week and or month depending on how often you need to do them or better yet get rid of the ones that are not a good use of your time and hire a VA or intern.

A couple of things to think about:

Group meetings, phone calls and/or like items together to make the best use of your time.
Make sure to include dedicated time that you are going to work on your business and not in your business, this is your business development time.

Figure out how much money you want to make and work it backwards. How many hours do you have to work to meet that goal and then plug it into your day/week/month.

Decide what your "Me Time" is. Make yourself plug this in! It is too easy to skip past the "me time" like it is some task that you will do later and this is vital to both the success of your business and your sanity. Trust me!

Plug some fun time into your weekends! I love to hike, so I know that twice a month I grab the family and head out to hike the trails of AZ.

Just by taking the time to think about what is most important to you and then creating your day, week and month around this makes a huge impact on your life and your business. It rejuvenates you, pushes you forward, makes it easy to pop out of bed in the morning to take action and creates inner peace.

One of my favorite sayings when I was a very young lady and still is; Always Take Time to Stop and Smell the Flowers.

Make It Happen with a GBA Scholarship

2010-01-17T21:29:00.002-07:00

You read that right! Money shouldn't keep you from achieving the life you dream of!

Use the comments section below to share your circumstances with us and why you need a Make It Happen Bootcamp Scholarship. Tell us what it would mean to you to be able to be a part of this upcoming Bootcamp.

We can't wait to award two scholarships!!!

Remember - integrity is everything!

Got Goals - Now What

2010-01-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

It’s the New Year and we’re excited! We have set some great intentions for the New Year and can’t wait to tackle our goals. We just know that this year is going to be the best year ever! We are really going to break boundaries and make changes for the better. Woohoo!

Sound Familiar? But, hey it is Day 12 of the New Year and well, lets get real! How’s it going? Are you making a big impact, setting new records, making changes that are for the record book?

Or have you found yourself overwhelmed and not sure where to start or making some changes but struggling on being consistent. Maybe you’re not even sure if you know what you want to do, you just know you want it to be better this year.

We all have great intentions, but we aren’t always good at acting on those intentions. So, how can you create your best year ever and keep from falling into the same old routine that you’re stuck in?

First, you need to make a decision. Decide what is most important to you and act on it. Many times we have so many things we want to do that we don’t get any of it done. Start by picking one goal that is really important to you and make it a priority. Now, start by breaking that priority goal into baby steps and do something each day that gets you closer. When you get this done or have tackled it to a point that it’s no big deal, add something else into the mix.

Second, get out of your own way. Stop letting excuses, outside circumstances or personal problems get in the way. Just because you aren’t having a great day doesn’t mean it’s time to curl up on the couch. Lets face it, if you had a 9-5 job you wouldn’t have the option of telling your boss you just didn’t feel up to working today and that life was rough and well, you were going to just curl up under your desk. LOL. On those days, it’s just the opposite. It is time to grab the day and make the most of it. It is only you who can keep YOU going. Ask yourself this; is the success of your business important? Hmmm, I didn’t hear you? Oh, YES then act like it and take action no matter what, even if you don’t feel like it!

Third, love thyself. It is the love that you give yourself that builds who you are, makes you strong, gives you the ability to go out there and really make it happen. So, each day or at least each week do something for you. Pretend you are your own child and take care of yourself. Give yourself some one on one time with YOU. It is the simple act of loving ourselves and taking care of ourselves that empowers us to do and give more back!

Fourth, share it with everyone. This not only helps you stay accountable, but it lets the universe know you are serious and will send things your way to help! Plus, best of all, when you are open and sharing, you never know when you are going to come across someone who can help you achieve your goal even faster!

Fifth, Mind Set Does Matter. Feed your mind, stay positive and remind yourself that you can and will do it! Mind set combined with action makes you unstoppable.

Remember, in order to make this year the best year ever you have to make changes. Change means stepping out of your comfort zone and doing things that at first may seem uncomfortable or scary. But, when you do this, the pay-off or reward is huge and totally worth it! You will be so glad that you stepped up and made the difference in YOUR Life to make it the best ever!

Capture Your Ideas and Empower Your Biz Webinar

2010-01-08T19:08:00.005-07:00

To view this Free Webinar, please visit: http://blip.tv/file/3069113

Make It Happen Bootcamp - Kick Off 2010 with a Bang

2009-12-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Since the launch of Girlfriend's Biz Alliance over a year and half ago, I have had numerous conversations with fabulous business women just like you. All of you are passionate about what you do, but things just aren't happening fast enough. Whether you want more clients, more money, want to make a difference or want more visibility, it just isn't happening as quickly as you would like.

I have heard from many women they need help with focusing, creating a clear strategy, making the most of their time, and implementing actions steps to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

The Girlfriend's Biz Alliance MAKE IT HAPPEN Bootcamp is about providing you with the tools, support and accountability you need to get results faster and ultimately MAKE IT HAPPEN.

So, what can you expect from participating in the MAKE IT HAPPEN Bootcamp?

A Clear Vision of Where You Are Headed
Your 90 Day Vision and Goals Mapped Out
A Clear Strategy of How You are getting from Point A to Point B
Tools for Marketing and Tackling Social Media
A Kick in the Butt, so that you can Kick it into High Gear
Totally Action Orientated
Complete Accountability so you Make It Happen!
Tools to help you Get Focused
Ways to Make the Most of YOUR Time
How to Take Action Consistently
Have a Biz not a Hobby
Make More Money and Have Fun Doing It!

Plus...

You get lots of access to your favorite Girlfriend's Biz Advisor and MAKE IT HAPPEN Gal, muah - your accountability partner, cheerleader and ally (at an amazingly affordable price).

Connect with fabulous like minded women who are real, ready to share, ready to grow and learn, and be part of a team effort of helping each other get results and MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Join me starting January 20th for the Make It Happen Bootcamp! We will chat live every Wednesday at 11am Arizona time for 8 weeks. Each call will be recorded, so don't worry if you can't make the call. Plus, we will have 2 Q&A Calls to answser your questions.

Lets kick-off 2010 with a bang and make the success you dream of a reality!

Get the details by visiting the Make It Happen Bootcamp page on our website.

Join GBA to raise money for Entrepreneurs and Kick You Health into gear for 2010!

2009-12-21T08:54:00.004-07:00

I am often only focused on Business Goals and have decided for 2010 to add some different to the mix and have some Personal Goals too. Personal Goals are just as important as Business Goals! With that said, I decided to start of my 2010 with a personal goal of running a 5K. I know for some this is a walk in the park and I hope it is for me too when the time comes, but for now it is a stretch for sure!

For anyone who lives in the Phoenix Valley, I would love for you to join me and other fabulous women at the 2nd Annual Women's Business All the Way 5k Run or Walk.

I can't think of a better way to start off my year than by combining a personal goal with raising money for Women Entrepreneurs!

You can learn more about this event and sign-up by visiting http://www.wefphx.org/.

The race is February 6th and as of today there is only 7 weeks to train. Here is my training schedule if you would like to use it.

I will keep you updated on the progress ! Today is my first day to run!

Sunshine Kisses - Amy

Day Planner for Women Entrepreneurs

2009-11-03T21:08:00.002-07:00

I am very excited to announce and introduce something to you that I have been working on all year!

Are you tired of trying Day Planner after Day Planner searching for the right one to help you get organized and be productive in your business?

I was so tired of buying and trying day planner after day planner and being disappointed every time! So, in January 2009 I decided I was done trying to find one that would work... and decided to create and design my own day planner that would be perfect for the woman entrepreneur!

For most of the year I have been testing different proto-types on myself and figuring out what works best for the woman and mom entrepreneur. I am excited to say I have found a system that not only works, but if you commit to using the system (which is easy) you will see results!

Creating and growing a successful business takes a CLEAR VISION, STEADY FOCUS, the "WHY" you to do what you do DEFINED, GOALS SET, and an ACTION PLAN to EXECUTE.
The Girlfriend's Biz Planner takes your typical Weekly/Monthly Day Planners and turns it into a Biz Planner that will help you define your vision, map your goals, keep you focused and make your time highly productive!

Here it what you will find inside:
Yearly Vision Statement
Yearly Goals
90 Day Mapping System
Your Monthly "WHY"
Monthly Master Task List
Monthly Calendar View
Weekly Calendar View
Weekly Appointments
Daily No Matter What
Weekly Goal/Intention
Weekly Affirmations
Delegate/Ask
Weekly Accomplishments
Weekly Gratitude
Weekly Reflection
Ideas Section
Stay In Touch Reminder
Daily Marketing Reminder
Weekly Notes/Messages
Mileage Tracking
and MORE!

The Details...
Size - 7" wide by 9.5" long (easy to have on hand all the time)
Sturdy Cover
Spiral Bound

Sneak Peak Inside

Get Your 2010 BIZ Day Planner Now!

Pretty In Pink Spotlight - Jami Amidon

2009-09-28T21:34:00.002-07:00

Pretty In Pink - Jami Amidon

Business: IntelligentSkin

Website: yourintelligentskin.com

Snapshot of your business? One side of our business offers professional skin care and body treatments by licensed professionals. The other side offers in home skin care and make-up educational seminars by skin care consultants who represent pure, safe, and beneficial skin care products.

What inspired you start your business? I was in a corporate position making six figures, but was completely stressed out and unfulfilled. The business found me and I fell in love with the people, products, and compensation plan.

How long have you been in business? November 06. Recently incorporated under Intelligent Skin LLC.

What is a typical work day? Work from home office with women across the country, but locally the girls are all over town in salons and medical offices. Consultants work from their homes too. I really work on completing my daily intentions written down from the night before, or I am all over the place. I have my day broken down into segments. Only certain amounts of time for the different parts of my life and each day has a separate folder 1-31 with the task ready for me to work on that day. I am not perfect at this, but it is becoming habit for me like a budget. Yucky, but stress relieving.

What is your proudest moment in business? Every time I see someone become successful and reach their goal.

What is your current business challenge? Up and down volume

What motivates or inspires you to keep going? My belief in what I am doing and my personal goals. I am unemployable. I never want a job with someone telling me what to do or how much I can make.

What is your favorite motivational quote? Today it is. “Be more, so you can have more, so you can do more for others.” Rita Davenport

Family? Blended, 1 married stepson with 2 children, 1 married daughter with 2 girls, 2 boys in college, 1 son in highschool. I am NOT old!

How do you balance running a business, family and “me time”? Book it baby.

What is your favorite “me time” activity? Shopping!!! all over the country, mostly artist shows. I really want to go to the one in Ada, MI.

What is your best piece of advice for other Always Busy Women in Business? If you do what you love you will never work another day in your life. Find and create yourself within your business. You will have a blast and the hard days will be less hard. You decided your worth, not anyone else.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource? Go To Meeting cuts down the travel time for me and allows me to have meetings all over the country. I also read a lot of great business books.

What is next for your business? Growing 2 new teams by end of November 09.

Special Offer? Offer code:ABW25 25% off any professional service in Tucson. $50 in skin care products plus additional discounts for hosting a skin care education seminar or make up training with 4 guests in attendance. Schedule online at http://www.yourintelligentskin.com/

Are you a Girlfriend in business? Would you like to be featured and show off your product or service. Contact us at empower@girlfriendsbizalliance.com.

Pretty In Pink: Christine Siler

2009-08-25T07:24:00.003-07:00

Pretty In Pink Spotlight: Christine Siler

Business: C & R Productions

Website: http://www.crprod.com/

Snapshot of your business? We are a custom website design and software development company, specializing in assisting companies to grow their bottom line.

What inspired you start your business? It just happened.

How long have you been in business? Since 1984 – 25 years

What is a typical work day? Answering emails, assisting my business development mangers (sales staff), working with my web designers, business calls, talking ABWA, working on idea’s to grow our business with my husband who is our CIO, teaching my grandson.

What is your proudest moment in business? One of the programs we developed is a voice active menu (one of the first) it is my voice on it and Walt Disney World and Perdue Universities both bought our program.

What is your current business challenge? Finding the next niche.What motivates or inspires you to keep going? To be a snow bird and have 2 beautiful homes and travel.

What is your favorite motivational quote? Do not have one

Family? 1 sister, 2 daughters and 1 grandson.

How do you balance running a business, family and “me time”? We get off at a set time, most days we make it; I have Fridays off for my grandson as we home school him as well. Saturday is work around the house day and Sunday is about “US”. Me time is reading or play on-line game.

What is your favorite “me time” activity? Reading, soaking in a big tub

What is your best piece of advice for other Always Busy Women in Business? Enjoy what you do and be excited by it. Do write a business plan and marketing plan it helps you to achieve what you want because you know what you want and how to get there.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource? Business associates

What is next for your business? We will be rolling out our new product that should take our company to the next level. Ask me again in 2 months and then I can talk about it.

10 Ways to Survive the Carpool Line

2009-08-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

1. Grab a Drink. We all can use a yummy cup of coffee or a cold ice tea.

2. Have fun activities for the kids sitting in the back seat. You can even pack a fun bag for yourself and through in your favorite magazine, book or journal.

3. Make some calls. Catch up with love ones and friends while you are waiting!

4. Twitter or Facebook. Update your status or chat online.

5. Plan Your Day. Pull out your calendar and see what is on schedule for the next day and plan out your day. List your top 5 must get done tasks for the following day.

6. Car Dance. Turn up the music and rock out! Do some car dancing and rev up your engine for the rest of the day.

7. Write Notes. Take those few minutes to hand write some Thank you notes to clients.

8. Brainstorm. Have an upcoming project you want to launch or a new service you want to offer. Put it on paper and brainstorm on what you need to do to make it happen.

9. Kid Talk. Have little ones in the back? They are trapped in the carpool line too. Have some fun conversation with them or play an “I See” game.

10. Best Survival Tip. If the carpool line just has you going crazy, my best advice is to park in a nearby spot and walk in. This will save you from the frustrations and craziness of the line. Plus, who couldn’t use a nice boost of sunshine and fresh air?

Great Article by Jennifer Fong - Your Newsletter is an Important Part of your Social Media Strategy

2009-08-20T12:36:00.002-07:00

http://liajen.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/your-newsletter-in-an-important-part-of-your-social-media-strategy/

Shared via AddThis

Making the Most of Your Day

2009-08-17T12:08:00.001-07:00

Being your own boss can be a challenge. You’re it! As an entrepreneur it is imperative to prioritize each day for maximum productivity. It is so easy to get caught up in surfing the net, chatting with friends on facebook or worse preparing to prioritize (you know what I am talking about… making a list, organizing papers, busy stuff that doesn’t get you any closer to your goal).

The most common time waster is procrastination. Any of us can think of a million different time consuming tasks to do, that ultimately accomplish nothing.

One of the best things you can do to maximize your time is to plan your day. Each morning or at the end of your day take 15 minutes to map out your day. The only way you are ever going to achieve your goals is to take action steps and these steps need to be in your calendar!

You might be reading this and think… yeah, yeah, I’ve heard this before. O.K., so then why aren’t you making it happen? Let’s take a second and get real. Think about what behaviors might be sabotaging your success. Do any of these sound familiar?

Continually preparing and not taking action.
Being unable to say “NO” to things that aren’t moving you forward
Failing to ask for help
Focusing on unproductive tasks
Being unorganized
Not having a clear goal
Waiting until late in the day to do tasks and then not doing them because you’re tired.

Did you connect with any of these? The first thing in correcting a behavior is recognizing it. Analyze the behavior and ask yourself why you are behaving this way? Is it possible there is something else holding you back?

Here are a few things that can help:

Focus on priorities first thing in the morning.
Tackle the most difficult task first
One of the best things you can do is carry a tote around with you, so you can be productive when free time opens up.
Don’t take phone calls, look at emails or get on the internet until your priorities for they day are complete.

5 Ways to Help Tackle Self Motivation

2009-08-03T16:38:00.001-07:00

While self-motivation is a simple concept, we all know that it’s one of the hardest things to attain. Despite purely good intentions, most of us are better at slacking off than getting motivated. But, no matter what your attention span it is possible for you to motivate yourself and reach your goals; you just need to follow a few simple steps.

Know what you’re doing

A to-do list is nice to have to help you get things done, but it doesn’t do much to help you stay motivated. Before you can make your to-do list, you need to set goals and priorities. They may be short term like “finish this project to attain more work” or more general like “increase workload to attain promotion”. If you give yourself a goal or vision to work for, you’re going to be more motivated to finish things than if you’re simply completing tasks.

Stay positive

A positive attitude can go a long way. People have probably told you this over and over, but you’re still not inclined to believe it. Take a little extra time each day to remind yourself of your accomplishments. It is also a good idea to try to surround yourself with positive and encouraging people. If you don’t have any at work, find positive and encouraging statements from successful people and post them around your office.

Set mini-goals

Finishing a project can be a daunting task. If it’s a large amount of work, you’re likely to look at it, get overwhelmed, and give up or put it off before you even get started. An easier way to accomplish a project is to break it up into smaller tasks. This way you’ll be looking at a bunch of small goals instead of one great big one. While it’s the same amount of work, it helps to keep you from getting overwhelmed. Plus, each time you accomplish one of your tasks, you’ll feel successful and motivated to keep trekking on through the rest.

Reward yourself

To help keep yourself going, set up rewards for each task you complete. They don’t have to be anything big; they could be going to see a movie over the weekend or spending 15 minutes on the phone with a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. It’s just something positive to help encourage you. You can also set small rewards for your mini goals and have a large reward for when you finish a large project.

You can also punish yourself to achieve goals. For example, set up a mini-punishment, like snapping a rubber band on your wrist. Every time you find yourself drifting off and not paying attention, or doing something counter-productive, snap the rubber band. This will help train your mind to stay on track.

Have a backup

While we may have the best of intentions, most of us really aren’t that good at sticking with our self-motivating methods. If this seems like you, you may be in need of some backup. This is a friend, co-worker, or associate - anyone who is dependable and trustworthy. Let them know what your goals are (and even your rewards and punishments) and set up a plan for them to check up on you.

It could be as simple as giving you a call to see how much you’ve gotten done, or maybe have them be the keeper of some reward and administer it when you reach your goal. This way, if your resolution wavers, you’ll have someone else there to help out.

Pretty In Pink: Nancy Jay

2009-08-03T09:52:00.001-07:00

Meet Nancy Jay!

Business: Premier Designs Jewelry

Website: www.premierdesigns.com

Snapshot of your business? I sell high fashion jewelry, which is in between costume jewelry and the “real stuff. We often call it “bridge jewelry”. Premier Designs offers something for everyone with our reasonable prices and varied styles from romantic and classic to bold, dramatic, and bling. I assist women by going into their homes and teaching them and their friends how to accessorize their wardrobes with jewelry to economize in today’s tough financial times. I also teach women how to get this jewelry free, as well as how to supplement or replace their income by building a successful direct sales jewelry business. In addition, I do catalogue shows and take wholesale individual orders.

What inspired you start your business? Due to chronic health issue, I cannot work a traditional 9 to 5 job. I was in the “right place at the right time” when I heard about Premier. I had always been a jewelry lover and loved the product Premier offers, along with the flexibility the business opportunity would allow me. It was the best decision ever as it has changed my life!
How long have you been in business? I started with Premier in February of this year.

What is a typical work day? On a day I am not doing a home show, my day consists of a combination of marketing, developing my business, calling customers and hostesses, recording shows, doing my “books” (I try to avoid that at all costs, ugh ;), and going to as many networking events as I can. On a day I am doing a home show, typically I arrive at the hostess’ home an hour before to set up, the show lasts 2 hours and then I take about ½ hour to gather my stuff…plus travel of course.

What is your proudest moment in business? My proudest moments have to come from the personal connections I make with customers. I have a few I can recall but the one that stands out is when I sold a watch to an elderly woman in the hair salon I go to. She is also disabled and has limited income but she wanted that watch so much. I sold it to her on the spot and reduced the price significantly to make it feasible for her to afford it. I did take a hit but the smile on her face when she went around showing everyone her new watch was priceless!!! I still keep in touch with her to this day and she calls me her “gem” ;)

What is your current business challenge? My biggest challenge has to be the fact the, due to being ill for quite a long time, I don’t have as large of a social network as I’d like, as well as that much physical stamina. These limitations make it very difficult to really get out there and get known and book shows. I am working on overcoming these. (oops..i think I gave 2 challenges ;)

What motivates or inspires you to keep going? What keeps me going are two things: the fact that I was out of work for 5 years and now I am able to work due the flexibility that Premier affords me. Secondly, I LOVE the product I sell and the company I work for and what they stand for. Premier Designs treats me like gold, no matter how much or how little I sell and they were the only company to have sent me a card and flowers when I was recovering from surgery and a subsequent life threatening event. (I mightadd..this beautiful bouquet and card came from the owners of this HUGE company so they really keep on top of their jewelers and go out of their way to make you feel special and appreciated for your work.

What is your favorite motivational quote?
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall-Confucious

Family? I have a wonderful husband, Cliff, who is very supportive of my going back to work and is also a strong fan of Premier Designs. I also have 3 kitties..Teddy, Lilly, and Minnie. They are my “furry kids”..but they are more like regular kids to me since I do not have any.

How do you balance running a business, family and “me time”? Since my energy is limited, I always feel like I need to take every moment of it to work and I don’t engage in much “me time”, to be honest. So, striking that balance has been really difficult, I must admit. However, I am working on it and the meetings that GBA provides is an awesome help since they provide us with a forum to discuss these issues.

What is your favorite “me time” activity? Hmm..I do so much with my husband it is hard to say…probably listening to music and singing since music and singing are two of my other passions in life.

What is your best piece of advice for other Always Busy Women in Business? As hard as it is as a business owner, try not to let work consume your life and be the only thing you have. It’s easy to fall into that pattern, especially when you are like me and always feel there is something to be done and have trouble leaving your work “at the office”, which is often our homes, and not thinking about it 24/7. Not to mention, not having any time for yourself or your family. That will make for one irritable and unhappy person, not to mention put a huge strain on your relationships with family and friends. On the other hand, if you allow yourself to engage in non work activities, including “me time” and time for your family, you’ll be a more well rounded and happier person in the end and you will subsequently be a happier and more successful business owner.

Do you have a favorite business tool and/or resource? For me, it is my upline and networking and speaking with other small business owners, like in groups such as GBA.

What is next for your business? I am really looking to engage in a lot more social marketing to build my customer base. I am also looking into re-structuring some of my shows and sales strategies to increase my sales. Also, I am working to promote our brand new line, which just came out last week and is absolutely beautiful!!!

Special Offer? I would like to offer 15% off everything in the entire catalogue to GBA members. Also, I will be offering my retired items at 10% off.

Tips for Staying Focused on Your Biz

2009-07-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

If you are easily distracted or get bored easily, staying focused on your business can be harder than doing the actual work of your business! It is very easy to procrastinate, especially when you work from home. There are always ‘so many other things to do’.

Here is a secret that you may not have heard yet: The dishes can wait! The laundry can wait! So feel free to make those phone calls or answer those emails. The laundry and dishes will still be there, waiting for you! However, if you wait too long to call a client back, they may move on to someone who gets back to them faster than you do.

Why did you decide to go into business for yourself? Whatever the reason, write it down and put it where you will see it on a daily basis. When you are feeling distracted, look at what you wrote down. It will be easier to work when you remember why you are working in the first place.

You may want to team up with another work at home friend. Send each other your goals and keep one another accountable. Call each other at the end of the day and discuss what you accomplished; you can share your successes or lend each other a sympathetic ear over things that didn’t go as you planned.

Stay motivated by setting daily, weekly and monthly goals. If you “work backwards” you will create a road map to your success. For instance, if you are in direct sales and your financial goal is to sell $1500 in product that month. Do the math and you’ll see that you need to sell $375 of product each week. Now, how many home parties do you need to hold each week to accomplish that? How many phone calls do you need to make each day in order to schedule those parties?

When you accomplish your goals, give yourself a little treat to remind yourself that you worked hard and achieved success!

How to be a Successful Mompreneur & Keep Your Sanity

2009-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Being an mompreneur offers the best of both worlds. You basically have it all, the career and the family. You’re in control of your schedule, your success and you’re able to be there for your family when they need you. However, this amazing lifestyle doesn’t come without challenges. Here are a few steps to help you be a successful mompreneur:

Step One: Know and accept that you cannot do it all, why would you want to? Wonder Woman is a comic strip. She had size double D chest, a tiny waist, bulletproof bracelets and an invisible airplane – she’s fiction! Besides all of that, she didn’t have kids or a business. If she did, she’d know to focus on her strengths and the tasks that make her the most profits and the tasks she enjoys and to outsource, automate and eliminate the rest.

That means if cleaning the house takes too much time away from your profits and you cannot round up the troops at home to help, consider outsourcing the task to a cleaning service. Equally, if customer service takes too much of your time, consider outsourcing it – there are wonderful and cost effective services to handle just about any task you can think of.

Quick tip – to help you determine if it is cost effective to outsource, determine your hourly value by dividing your annual profits by how many hours you work each year. For example, if your annual profits are $100,000 and you work 20 hours a week with four weeks of vacation each year that’s 960 hours a year or $104 dollars an hour. Anything you outsource will ideally cost you less than $104/hour

Step Two: Schedule time for everything – that includes fun time and me time! Scheduling, and a good scheduling system, are the key to focused productivity. If you know that from 9-12 each day you’re working on booking appointments and from 1 – 3 each day you’re open to exercise, volunteer, or share an afternoon with a friend, you’re much more likely to stay sane and get a lot accomplished during your morning work time.

Step Three: Set boundaries, expect interruptions. Life is full of surprises and usually when we least expect and welcome them. Set boundaries with your family and friends so they respect and support your schedule and work time however, make room for exceptions. For example, your child is practically guaranteed to get sick on your big day with a potential new client.

Step Four: Make time for you. Personal care isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Whether you’re single or married with children or without, it’s important to take time out of your busy schedule to do things you want to do. As a mompreneur this is truly essential!

Life is about balance and in order to even the scales between work and pleasure, even if you enjoy your work, it’s important to make time for self-care. It can be anything from a trip to Italy, a day at the spa or a bubble bath by candlelight at the end of the day. The important thing is to practice it regularly and make it part of your life.

Step Five: Set aside time to plan. Yes, schedules and goals are essential to business growth however, if you’re a busy mom on top of being a business owner, planning your business often falls by the wayside. Schedule time to plan your business regularly, for example each month. Outline what you’ve accomplished, where you want to go, and how you’re going to get there. This habit will help you be more productive and you’ll be able to reach your business goals much faster.

Being a mom and a business owner isn’t easy however when approached strategically and with a bit of the common sense only a mother can bring to the table, you can have your cake and eat it too, without sacrificing your sanity, your profits, or your family.

Marketing Your Biz via Social Networks

2009-06-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

If you have a biz but aren’t using social network marketing to promote it, you are losing out on literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of potential readers and customers.

Social network marketing is becoming, if it’s not already, the number one way businesses are marketing today. This is because the potential to reach people all over the world is on the Internet through social networking.

In order to make social networking work for your business, obviously you need to be a member of the major social networks. However, more is required. You must be active on the social networks. You simply can’t just belong but not interact with other members and expect to build your business that way.

The whole idea of social networking is not simply to drive more traffic to your blogs and sites, it is to build relationships with potential new readers, subscribers and customers. It is then through those relationships that your new contacts will come to know and trust you. People buy and do business with people they know, like and trust.

So, how do you go about making social networking work for your business? One way is to add, follow or friend people in your target market or niche. Then, begin building relationships with them first. Yes, let them know about your blog, but don’t be all about expecting them to go read it without first knowing why they should. This is where the relationship comes in. Offer the valuable content, engage and help them. Once your subscribers know they can trust you and that you’re not just out to sell them something, but you genuinely want to help them, they will be interested in what you have to say and what you have to sell or your services.

Social networking can be tricky too. You may have a tendency to want to build up your number of friends and followers, but if they are not part of your target market or niche, then they are just a bunch of people. If you don’t have to offer what you’re followers need and want, then all your efforts are a waste of time.

As mentioned earlier, social networking takes time and effort. If you don’t personally have the time to devote to really make social networking work for you, hire an assistant or social network manager to do it for you. It won’t do you any good to belong to social networks if you never have the time to spend building relationships with your potential new readers.

The hottest social networks right now are Twitter, Facebook, Digg, De.lic.ious and Stumble Upon. Of course there are numerous other social networks you can join as well, but these are recommended to get started. Trust me; you will be plenty busy trying to keep up with these five.

Once you start building relationships through social networking, then you can begin promoting your products and services to your audience. But remember, helping your readers, finding ways to benefit them is what’s going to keep them coming back to your site for more! Don’t let your relationship become all about only selling to them.

Empower your BIZ with the Real YOU

2009-06-10T20:34:00.003-07:00

EMPOWER your BIZ with the REAL YOU

"Capture Your Essence to Empower(fuel/fire-up/charge) your Business"

Come experience a powerful, result oriented workshop designed for women entrepreneurs who want to truly define their personal mission in life and capture their true essence in their business. This 4 hour process involves engaging you in a series of hands on exercises which will enable you to create and apply the results both personally and professionally.

...Evolving From The Traditional Lecture Format

Into A Collaborative Action Oriented Environment That Produces Results!

Workshop - Friday, June 26th from 9am to 1pm

Only $49.00 to attend

5 Effective Strategies for Business Success

2009-06-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

Starting and growing a business is a fabulous and challenging adventure. You can wake up excited to begin your day and go to bed feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. The key to success is to maintain a clear focus, positive outlook and a can do attitude.

Easier said than done, right? Here are 5 strategies to help you create and maintain a clear focus and positive mindset so you achieve the success you desire.

1. Surround yourself with successful and positive people. The impact people have over our own personal energy is amazing. Moods and attitudes are so easily spread – think about how much of a difference a simple smile from a stranger can make for your day and then magnify it 1000 times to demonstrate the power of positive and successful friends, family and associates. When you have people around you who inspire you, believe in you and want you to succeed, there’s no room for doubts and even when they creep up, they’re quickly swept away.

2. Create a mantra or an affirmation. Repeating positive affirmations has been shown to get people through tough times and to actually help them truly believe what they’re saying.

For example, “I am building a powerful and profitable business.” Many of the most esteemed business professionals have used the same affirmation strategy to attain their success. To find the right affirmations for you, consider writing a quick list of your doubts, insecurities and complaints. These can then be quickly turned into affirmations.

For example, if you write that you’re always feeling disorganized then your affirmation would be, “I am organized and in control.” Repeat your affirmations several times a day and feel the power of positive thinking.

3. Capture negative thoughts. We all have negative thoughts from time to time, however, negative thoughts and emotions can derail us and prevent us from achieving all we desire. Of course catching those negative thoughts takes practice and persistence. When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or having negative emotions, find a trigger to turn them around. The affirmations mentioned above are a great way to turn the negative into the positive. You can also find quick pick me ups like a favorite song, a walk outside in the fresh air, or some exercise to help improve your mood.

4. Set goals/intentions and then be willing to let it go. The law of attraction says that we attract what we focus on the most. However, desperation, needing your business to be a success, sends mixed messages and a lot of negativity into the universe. Set your goals and intentions and then let them go. A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary. Give it a try.

5. Be grateful. Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful and positive tool for success. When you’re grateful for all of the wonderful things and people in your life the challenges you face seem significantly less important and are more easily dealt with.

Consider keeping a gratitude journal and make a practice of entering into it daily. That way, when you’re facing challenges a quick peek at all the amazing things in your life will make you feel as if you can tackle anything. Additionally, an attitude of gratitude helps you maintain a positive perspective and to face challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Success is within your reach and with the right attitude you can accomplish anything you set your sights on. Embrace these five powerful success strategies and you’ll build a better business and live a happier, more satisfying life.

Quick Tips to boost Productivity for Always Busy Women Entrepreneurs

2009-05-18T16:02:00.003-07:00

1. First things First. Instead of checking email or Facebook first thing and possibly wasting an hour or two in a blink of an eye, try focusing on a project or task and get it done.

2. Speaking of Email. Do you drop what you're doing every time you hear the new e-mail sound or see that little envelope icon in your system tray? Close Outlook and focus on the task at hand. Better yet, turn off the alerts and notifications in your email program. Try scheduling a specific time of day that you check email.

3. Tracking your Time. Do you have a good idea of how you spend your time each day? If you don't, use a paper time log or track your time in Outlook so you know how your precious minutes and hours are being spent. You might be surprised. This is a great way to see if you are wasting too much time on a certain aspect of your business that might be able to be delegated to a virtual assistant.

4. Best Use of Your Time. In the simplest terms, there are really two sides to a successful business: saving money and making money. If what you are doing doesn't help your company do one or the other, give some serious thought to whether it's a good use of your time.

5. Breakdown tasks. If you are having trouble wrapping your head around a project, make a list of the first few steps to get you started.

6. Guard your time. Manage your time, just like you would manage your budget. Don't just give yourself away to anyone that asks. Be selective.

7. Schedule appointments with yourself. Don't just use Outlook for your daily appointments. If you need to carve out time to work on something specific, put it on your Tasks and block out time just like you would a meeting with a real person. Don't stand yourself up!

8. Break It Up. If you can never seem to get the ball rolling on a big project, think of it as a series of smaller tasks. The work will seem less intimidating, and you'll have a good chunk done before you know it.

9. Group tasks. Don't let small, repetitive tasks repeatedly interrupt your day. Carve out a few dedicated minutes each day to handle repetitive tasks like filing, processing mail, or handling invoices. Get things done in groups.

10. Be decisive. Don't waste time with indecision. It will often take less time to correct a mistake than it does to obsess over the decision. Once the decision's been made, it's easier to move forward.

11. Organize your space. Clutter and confusion will not only slow you down, but it will drain your energy as well. Make the effort to get your work area in order and reap the benefits day after day.

12. End Your Day with a Great Start. Close out the day. Don't waste the last few minutes of the day. Make it a priority to close out your day by organizing yourself and setting priorities for the day to come.

A Healthy Competition or a Deadly Comparison

2009-05-12T09:25:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard the term “healthy competition”? Competition can be a fabulous driving force when used properly. A great motivating competition might be when two or more Always Busy Entrepreneurs get together and see who can sell the most product in a month or who can make the most customer follow-up calls in an hour. Having that competition going can give you something to work for and you may end up accomplishing more than you would have otherwise.

Comparing yourself on the other hand to your fellow Always Busy Entrepreneur friends is unhealthy. If you have found yourself thinking “Wow, she is so successful. I wish I was more like her. My life would be perfect if I could be like her.” You are comparing yourself to others. Do not fall into this trap!

You need to be proud of who you are and what you are doing. You do not have your friend’s life – she may have older children and eight hours a day to work on her business whereas you have a newborn and a toddler and only a few hours a day to work. It is important to set your goals realistically. Remember the old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day?” It applies to your business as well! And who knows if your successful friend is really as successful as she is? Maybe she is saying she is more successful than she actually is. It is quiet possible that she is comparing herself to you as well!

It is normal to wonder if your business is doing well, or if you are making as much as you could be. Seek out advice from someone who has been where you are now. They can offer an honest opinion and can tell you what they did to achieve their success. Remember to use their advice as a guideline. You need to set your own deadline. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a bit longer to achieve your goals. Building a successful business is not a race – it is a marathon! By working consistently on your business, you will achieve your goals.

Easy Time Management Tricks for Always Busy WAHM’s

2009-05-05T10:27:00.003-07:00

From the outside looking in, many people assume that work at home moms have it easy; however, if any of those people have ever lived a day as a WAHM they would know it is far from easy. There are children to take care of, a house to clean, a dog to walk, groceries to buy, dinner to cook and dishes to wash. Oh, and then there’s that business to work!

It may not be easy, but it is possible. By using some simple time management tricks, a WAHM can find time to “get it all done!” One thing every WAHM should have is a planner. Schedule your “me time” and “family time” first! Then schedule in the time you are going to work your business. Once you have your “work time” scheduled, make it a priority to stay focused on your business during those hours. It can be very easy to procrastinate or get off task when you are a WAHM.

If your work requires you to do lots of different tasks, try to group similar tasks together. For instance, if you are in a direct sales business and you have a team under you, designate one day to be your “training day”. Instead of helping various team members throughout the week, schedule all of your mentoring sessions for one day. Set aside an hour in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon to respond to email and/or return phone calls. By scheduling that time in, you will find that you are able to get more work done and feel less scattered.

Outsourcing some of your activities is another great way to manage your time. If you find that you are spending too much time on responding to email, returning phone calls, or updating your website, hire a virtual assistant to do those tasks for you. This will free your time up to work on your business, and by spending more time on the parts of your business that actually bring in money, you will be able to increase your profits.

You can also save time by setting aside a block of time each week to do your “regular” errands, such as grocery shopping. If you plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store once, you will save lots of time during the week by not taking those daily “quick trips to the market”. And while you are planning your meals, try to schedule a few “cook once, eat twice” days. For instance, you can plan on having spaghetti on Monday and tacos on Tuesday. So, on Monday, brown the hamburger you will need for both days. On Tuesday, half of your work will already be done. And if you are making a meatloaf or lasagna, make two and freeze one for later.

Most importantly, do not feel as if you have to do it all by yourself. You are not a super hero. If you have a spouse or significant other, ask them to chip in on household chores. Children love to help out, and depending on their ages, there are multiple things they can do. And when it is all said and done, don’t forget to take out some time for yourself. Everyone needs a break– WAHMs included!

Getting It Out Of Your Head

2009-04-30T09:11:00.002-07:00

Are you...

Inundated with ideas and don't know where to start?
Running a business but seem to be staying in one place?
Creative with a vision or analytical stuck without a vision?
In a career, but want to start your own "business"?
Searching for help in building your confidence?
An entrepreneur and your significant other is not?

Have you...

Always wanted a "coach" but were not able to fit it into your budget?
Searching for that outside person to give you an out-of-the-box view?
Wanting help developing a clear vision and steps on how to work backward?

You're invited to experience a powerful, result orientated worshop. This is a personal yet collective venture that provides consulting, coaching and a forum sounding board combined together. It is designed for the woman who has a vision of launching a new venture or is looking to expand upon an exisiting one.

As woman business owners, we understand the importance of "getting it out of your head" and establishing a clear and concise plan. This workshop is designed to utilize our knowledge and tap into our creativity providing the steps to take you to the next level.

The BIZ BUILDER - Segment 1 Workshop Series Focus

GETTING IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD (2-Hr Workshop)

Inductory Special

Thursday, May 14th 6:30 to 8:30pm $45.00
(Includes your choice of a Mixed Green Salad, Gourmet Chicken Salad Wrap or a Gourmet Veggie Wrap. It also includes dessert and beverage)

Saturday, May 16th 9:30-11:30pm $41.00
(Includes: Fruit Salad, Choice of Bagel, Pastries or Croissant & Beverage)

Creating Balance in an Always Busy World

2009-04-28T13:00:00.002-07:00

Whether we are a married, not married, with kids or without kids we are all always busy. We often find ourselves lost in the busyness of our day. Have you ever thought about what a balanced life would look like for you?

What is balance? Balance is taking care of yourself and all that is important to you.

Because each of us our unique in our own way, we will also have different ways of creating balance in our lives. What may seem crazy and out of whack to one person, may be the perfect balanced schedule for another.

So, how do we go about creating balance in our life? First we have to decide on what balance means to us.

What does your ideal balanced life look like?

· What do you have time for?
· What do you get to enjoy?
· How much down time do you have?

Once you have decided what your ideal balanced life looks like try this great exercise to help with re-organizing your schedule, so that it more closely reflects your ideal balanced life.

Clear the clutter from your calendar: Imagine that your calendar is like a room that you are going to clean out and organizze. Start by removing everything in your calendar. Once you have cleared your calendar, start by inserting what you absolutely must have to survive, like sleep and work. Then start to add things back in order of importance. Make sure to add "me time", just like it is an appointment with an important client.

Special Note: Make choices based on what YOU want and not on what YOU think other people want. Stop doing things because YOU think you "should". Remember that it is OK to say NO!

Today is the day to begin living in balance. Reconnect with your passion and interests and establish a sense of purpose. Remember a good plan and budgeting your time is a fabulous way to maintain balance in your life.

Get Inspired! Check out the Smile & Move Movie

2009-04-27T09:43:00.005-07:00

SmileAndMove.com/video

10 Fabulous Ways for Women Entrepreneurs to Stay Motivated

2009-04-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

Running your own business is a lot of work and sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated. We all have days that we feel inspired, on track and powerful and we also have days that we want to crawl under a rock and ask ourselves what was I thinking… why in the world did I go into business for myself?

Here are some great ways to stay fabulously motivated as you grow your business:

One of the most important things you can do is focus on your vision for your business each morning. Remember WHY you started your business and WHY it is so important to you.
Re-connect with the excitement you had when starting your business. Let the feeling of endless opportunity soak through your body, then harness that feeling to move you throughout the day.
At the end of each day celebrate what you have accomplished, even the smallest task. Keeping a positive attitude about yourself and what you have accomplished each day goes a long way to keep you motivated.
Read, Listen and Watch. There is nothing like a great affirmation, quote, book or fabulous song to get you reconnected and motivated to move forward. In a slump half way through the day? Throw on one of your favorite songs and dance around for 5 minutes.
Educate. Be willing to continuously educate yourself. Continually educating yourself builds self confidence and equips you with the knowledge needed to build your business.
Surround yourself with high energy, positive people. The excitement and positive energy of others will rub off on you and get you just as excited about your business.
Keep your space organized. Having a messy office space is a quick energy zapper. Before the end of the day straighten up and prepare for the next day by prioritizing your most important tasks to get done.
Join a networking group. The right group will keep you inspired, motivated and can be a great place to share and support each other through issues and problems.
Take time for yourself. A key factor in losing motivation is not taking time for you. It is easy to get wrapped up in business and lose yourself, but it is vital to your success that you take time to enjoy down time that is just for you.
Judge yourself on the progress you’re making and not by the balance in your bank account or by the word success… What is success anyway? It is the continuous progress you are making.

You are an amazing person. Cherish yourself in all that you do and the value you have to offer to others. Believe in yourself and keep moving forward and your vision will come forth.

Discover Your Compass

2009-04-21T11:16:00.003-07:00

Join Compass on Tuesday, April 28th at 5pm Arizona Time from the comfort of your home. Discover your Compass and watch over the internet to connect directly with Kim Fulcher CEO of Compass

Take control of your life

Increase your income
Impact the world!

To Register go to http://www.mylifecompass.com/arobertson

Come and learn how Compass is changing the world one woman at a time through a ground floor business opportunity.

We will feature some of our TOP Compass Representatives as they share their own passion and purpose for building a Compass business.

Compass is the first company to offer powerful and affordable coaching programs and services through a network of independent representatives.

Compass combines 4 of the fastest growing, recession proof global trends:Social Networking, Network Marketing, Personal Wellness/Self Improvement, and Professional Coaching

Don’t miss your chance to help change the world by building your own home-based business with Compass. To learn more and register for the online webinar visit http://www.mylifecompass.com/arobertson

West Side Spring Fling Fun 4/16

2009-04-15T17:07:00.008-07:00

Join us ladies for a fabulous night out with the girls! WineStyles, Auld Dubliner and Flemings is joining us with some fabulous food and drinks. Plus, we will have some fabulous woman owned businesses joining us as well!

You deserve a night off with the girls! Visit http://www.alwaysbusywomen.com/ to get your ticket by clicking on the banner half way down the page. :)

Saving Relationships One Month at a Time!

2009-04-13T10:24:00.004-07:00

PMSbuddy.com, the company that is literally saving relationships, one month at a time, just made their subscribers’ lives a little easier with the introduction of the PMS Buddy application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Available direct from any web ready iPhone or iPod Touch and via iTunes, the PMS Buddy application is quickly becoming a must have download for both men and women everywhere.

“Let’s be honest, no man has ever been given a kind answer to the question Honey, do you have PMS?” explains Jordan Eisenberg, Founder and CEO of www.PMSbuddy.com. “It’s hard to put a price tag on never having to ask that question, but we did, and for $.99 cents, the PMS Buddy application keeps guessing games at bay with convenient updates.”

Eisenberg also stated that while women have been slower to publicly accept PMS Buddy, many users are indeed female and rely on the application to track their own cycles. Regardless of gender, most find the application to be both comedic, and useful. Reviews can be found on www.PMSbuddy.com and when purchasing.

Currently, the PMS Buddy service is utilized by over 100,000 people worldwide allowing users to track PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) via the website www.PMSbuddy.com. The new iPhone application features:

• A unique PMS meter that shows green to red warning levels
• Display of date when PMS will begin
• Automatically calculates upcoming PMS dates
• Ability to track up to 10 women

About PMS Buddy
Launched March 2008, PMS Buddy is the first and only user based digital service to keep men informed of when the women in their lives will be suffering from PMS. Complete with a “National Alert Meter,” Facebook application, iPod application and interactive message board, PMS Buddy has amassed more than 100,000 users. For more information, visit
www.pmsbuddy.com

Hot Pink Pick of the Week

2009-04-06T17:38:00.004-07:00

Spring is in full bloom and before we can blink an eye Summer will be in full force!

Have you ever thought about getting a body wrap to tighten and smooth things out? Wondered if it works? I have got some great gals who will not only take care of you, but give you a fabulous Body Contour Wrap that you will be raving about to all your girlfriends!

Body Contour & Detox Wrap is great if you have been losing weight, working out or just taking care of your body.

It's a wonderful natural way of detoxing the body of UNWANTED cellulite & toxins. This helps to free and remove trapped waste in connective tissue, eliminating internal disfiguring deposits and stimulating inch loss. From 2 to 14 inches lost in 1 wrap!

This is not a water loss but a permanent inch loss. This contours the body so the muscles will be more defined. We recommend a series of 3 to 6 sessions to achieve the best results. There shouldbe 4-7 days between each wrap or 5-10 lbs if on a weight loss program. Eating the right types of foods, proper exercise and drinking 8 glasses of water a day are always recommended.No shower or bath after the wrap.

The skin will be hydrated and refreshed. The creme will continue to work up to 24to 36 hours due to the stimulation of increased flow though the lymphatic & circulatory systems.

Our wrap hydratesand tightens the skin, leaving it looking and feeling soft. While you are wrapped on the table, the therapist will massage your feet, scalp or shoulders. You will feel Pampered and relaxed while losing inches.

Schedule your appointment this week and receive a special Always Busy Woman offer: 10% off your first visit.

Visit them online at http://www.massageac.com/

GBA Member on Fox 10 Morning News!

2009-04-01T20:07:00.003-07:00

I am so excited for Norma! She was on FOX 10 Morning News this morning showing off her Laughter Yoga Classes. You Go Girl!

Interested in checking out an upcoming workshop?

Laughter Yoga Workshop
- Yoga is normally a very relaxing exercise - but in this edition of the Girl's Club, we're turning up the volume and showing you laughing yoga. The more noise you make, the more you work out your muscles!
Laughter Yoga Workshop April 6, 6:15pm - 7:15pm
Norma Richardson, MScEd, CHC, AADP, AHMA
623-872-8606
thebodyknowsbest.com
Click here for workshop registration and location information

Are you Living Your Dream?

2009-03-31T10:57:00.003-07:00

Do you ever feel lost and wonder where you went? As busy women we can get so caught up in taking care of everyone in our lives that we often neglect to take care of ourselves. In the chaos and busyness of life it can leave us wondering, who are we and where did the old me go?

You can redefine balance and go after your dreams by working with a Compass Coach! I recently realized, I am a total workaholic! I love to work! It wasn’t until I had both kids gone on Spring Break and having an entire Saturday to myself to do whatever my little heart desired that I realized this. Here was my chance to have “me time” and I was working! So, I had to sit back and say “What are you doing and Who are you?”

My true goal of Always Busy Women is to inspire, empower and connect women! When I came across Compass Coaching for women, I got so excited. Not only for myself, but for the wonderful opportunity provides to women.

Compass is in the business of empowering women. They have assembled a network of the most qualified, skilled and talented coaches in the world and have made them available to you. If you were to personally hire a coach, you would need to invest between $400 to $1000 every month for the privilege to work with a coach. At compass you can access coaching programs for as little as $19 per month, and a Compass Coach for as little as $39 per month.

As a strong believer in coaching, I value what Compass has to offer all women. It is amazing. When is enough, is enough? Reclaim your confidence, redefine balance, and go after your dreams! You can do all these things working with a Compass Coach! Visit http://www.mylifecompass.com/arobertson for more information.

Always Busy Spring Fling Invitation & Contest

2009-03-29T13:34:00.007-07:00

Darling, it's time to kick-off those heels and get out of the fast lane! You're invited to a perfect night of chatting, sipping and enjoying time with other savvy women just like you at Park West Shopping Plaza.

Come prepared to share your business, your friends business and let your voice be heard on who you think are the gems in our city. Bring plenty of business cards to slip into each ladies goodie bag to be taken home with them.

When women get together, life just seems so much better! What's better than a night out with the girls for some chick chat, networking and an escape for the always busy woman!

The cost is only $10 per lady before the event and $15 at the door. Feel free to invite your girlfriends who love to be in the know.

Give Back
Clean out your closet and bring in your shoes, purses & business attire to donate to WHEAT's Clothes Silo, a women's resale boutique providing professional clothing at no cost to women entering or re-entering the work force through client assistance programs.

Contest Details...
How would you like to win a Gift Basket of Goodies, perfect for the Always Busy Woman? It is valued at over $125.00 and includes a Free One Hour Massage!

To win all you have to do is share! Receive entries each time you:

Forward this email to a friend by clicking on the "Share this with a Girlfriend" link below. Receive 1 entry per person

Buy a ticket for the Always Busy Spring Fling and get 10 extra entries

Blog about the Spring Fling Event and Giveaway and leave a comment that you did and where on our blog for 20 extra entries

Follow Always Busy Blog for 1 extra entry

Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about it for an extra 5 entries

Sign-up for the Always Busy Buzz and receive 5 entries

Contest will END on Wednesday, April 15th and the winner will be announced on Thursday, April 16th on the Always Busy Blog & Newsletter

Have you dropped your advertising in hopes to help your bottom line?

2009-02-22T12:07:00.002-07:00

Many businesses across the valley are looking for ways to cut back. If your advertising budget is part of the cut back, I urge you to rethink your decision. Although this may seem like a good decision initially, please remember…

If you are out of sight, you are out of mind!

Not actively keeping your business out in front of your market will cause your potential customers to forget about you. So, when they need your service or product who do you think they are going to think of? They are going to think of the business that has been aggressively marketing their service or products.

Don’t lose business to your competitor!

The companies who will survive and flourish are those who act as though there is nothing wrong and that their market has plenty of money to spend. In other words, they advertise!

I understand the difficulties faced as a small business owner! I, too, am a small business owner.

I started Always Busy Women not only to provide women a fabulous resource, but also to provide small businesses an affordable advertising option.

Women are the most powerful consumer market in the country with statistics quoting women as having 85% control or influence of the buying power for goods and services.

Don’t delay. Get your business listed today in the next issue of Always Busy Women and make sure the most power consumer market, women, calls you when they need your service or product!

For only $100.00 you get listed in print and online! Want your logo included in the print edition to build brand awareness? Its only $25.00 more to include your logo!

Snapshot of what you get
• Six Months of Print and Online Advertising! We print 15,000 copies and distributed across the valley. AlwaysBusyWomen.com receives over 60,000 hits and over 3,000 visitors a month.
• A business listing in the Always Busy Women’s Print Guide
• A business listing on AlwaysBusyWomen.com that you can edit 24/7 and add photo’s coupons and more!
• Free entry into the Always Busy Women Spring/Summer Issue Debut Party at Park West.
• Additional Promotions through the ABW VIP Card. A great way to help track your return on investment!

For only $100.00 you have the potential to reach 15,000 consumers, which equates to only 0.0067 per person. For every penny you spend you are reaching two people!

Tips for Always Busy Women who tend to “Take On” Everything!

2009-02-10T13:43:00.003-07:00

In my experience, women tend to “take on” more than we realize. After all, we are the CEO’s of our lives, our household, and for some of us-our businesses! We don't skip a beat when we “take on” tasks that need to get done. However, we may subconsciously tend to “take on” more than we bargained for by adding to it the emotions of our daily routine.

One day, I had an “ah-ha” moment when I found myself “taking on” a continuous cycle of emotions and sabotaging thoughts. In a matter of minutes, I was exhausted, my spirits were down, I was full of uncertainty, and self-doubt. I started questioning every decision I had worked so hard to make!

How many times have you “taken on” feelings in addition to the tasks you’re responsible for? Most of us have gotten to be experts at mastering the physical tasks at hand, but we may not have reached mastery of our emotional tasks. Don’t panic! I’ve got four steps to start you on the path of Mastering Your Emotions.

1. Make a list of the common emotions you feel each day. For example: anger, fear, frustration, guilt, self-doubt, uncertainty.
2. Ask yourself why it is you feel that way, write it all down. To help identify the answers, ask what people, conversations, or experiences “trigger” your emotions to appear.
3. Give yourself permission to feel those emotions and adopt an “attitude of gratitude”! By acknowledging our emotions, it provides us an opportunity to learn more about ourselves; what a gift that is!
4. Make a choice to only “take on” emotions that energize and uplift you!
When we can free ourselves of uncovered emotions, it allows us to be more present and authentic with ourselves and others!

Marci Tjader is a Specialist in Creating Personal Power. She offers individual coaching and group training to ignite others towards positive change! To learn more about her services, visit www.MarciTjader.com

Need some Sanity? Join us for the Always Busy Sanity Retreat!

2009-02-04T11:18:00.004-07:00

As Always Busy Women it is so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of day to day life. We forget to nuture and love ourselves because we are busy taking care of everyone else. I know I have to remind myself all the time to put "me" first!

Always Busy Women and Sanity Journals has teamed up together to bring you fabulous ladies a night of fun, writing, being, connecting, creating, sharing, and growing

Join us for the Always Busy Sanity Retreat where you will learn to Find Peace and Purpose Right Where You Are!

Carla Reeves, founder and designer of Sanity Journals will share a fresh perspective of journaling and how it can be a powerful tool for your life.

Come engage in a rejuvenating evening as Carla intimately weaves real life experience into an entertaining, memorable and even life changing event.

February Pretty In Pink Spotlight

2009-02-03T16:50:00.009-07:00

Most of us want to be healthy and are just not sure where to start or what to believe. Each one of us is so different and what works for me does not always work for you. It really is an individual journey. It is important to listen to our bodies and it is the top priority for me, as your integrative health counselor, to listen to you.

My father raised the most beautiful vegetables in his garden and the opportunity to eat fresh out of the garden was a delicious experience. While teaching for over 20 years, I realized that children performed better in the classroom when allowed to drink water and eat healthy snacks. My own experience with growing vegetables in my back yard garden provided the basis for home-made baby food for my three children.

Today there are many food choices available. What to eat can be a complicated decision. Does our body need food or nutrients? My passion is to enhance lives by providing information and supporting you in making better choices.

I earned a MScED from Indiana University in Elementary Education. I studied beyond the formal degree program in many different ways to support students, parents, and families outside the academic environment. I graduated with honors from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, which is the only nutrition school integrating all the different dietary theories—combining the knowledge of traditional philosophies with modern concepts like the USDA food pyramid, the glycemic index, the Zone and raw foods. I received additional certification from Columbia University Teachers College as a Certified Health Counselor and am a member of the board certified American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

Norma Richardson

MScED, CHC, AADP

Health Counselor

The Body Knows Best

"Live in harmony with YOUR nature."

http://www.thebodyknowsbest.com/

Always Busy Fitness Tips

2009-01-25T15:45:00.002-07:00

As Always Busy Women, we often think we don’t have time to fit in a workout. Here are some quick tips that will help you squeeze fitness into your already busy schedule!

-Wear a pedometer. Keep track of your every move, and I bet you will be surprised at how much moving around you do. Park the furthest away, take the steps and avoid taking any short-cuts. Just by keeping track of your moves will help you realize how much exercise your are getting into your day without even trying.

-Put hand weights at your desk. Sitting at our desks all day long isn’t the best for us. Try taking 5 minute breaks throughout the day. Stand up, grab your hand weights and do a couple of reps. Not only will this help you feel better, but it will help you regain energy and allow you to refocus on your work.

-Find a work out partner. Find a friend or associate at work and make a pact. Walk at lunch or take a quick walk on your break. Keep each other accountable.

-How about a walking meeting. Instead of sitting at a conference table or in a coffee shop at a meeting how about suggesting a walk. We can all walk and talk, plus you will get that naturally rejuvenation from being outside and might even inspire some new ideas.

-Play with your kids. Take your kids, your friend’s kids or your niece or nephew to the park and run around with them. Kids have a never ending supply of energy, so let that rub off on you!

January Pretty In Pink Spotlight

2009-01-19T10:24:00.004-07:00

Angela Harrington began sewing when her Grandmother bought her a machine in the 6th grade. In 2007, Angela created Sew Diva 1 while balancing being a wife and mother of two toddlers and two teens.

Sew Diva provides Custom made products for Residential and Commercial (Home, Offices, Boutiques, Restaurants, Salons, etc.) Interior projects. Products include Draperies, Shades, Blinds, Shutters, Woven Woods, Sunscreens, Upholstered Cushions, Bar Stools, Ottomans and Headboards. Also, Bedding, Duvets, Shams, Dusters, Pillows and more! There are 1,000’s of Designer quality fabrics to select.

Angela’s background in Fashion is the reason for a Wedding division. She gladly accepts requests for Alterations (basic tailoring for men, women, bridal & clothing boutiques). She also offers an amazing line of body shaping & orthopedic under garments for men and women.

Sew Diva custom makes Ring Bearer and Quinceanera ceremony pillows to coordinate with event colors and theme which can also be ordered by Event Planners or wholesale to the trade. Some pillows are currently showcased and sold at Thee Wedding Warehouse Boutique in Goodyear, AZ.

There are 100’s of Bridal & Event Fabrics available for dresses and décor for wedding chapels, sanctuaries, gazebos, tables, chairs, etc.

Angela loves sharing her God given talents. She designs and creates unique products tailored to her client’s style during free one-on-one consultations at her design showroom or client’s location. She works with a team of industry professionals to help meet the demand for her services & products. Her goal is to inspire others to be creative and step out on faith to pursue life long dreams, enjoy life and bless others in the process! Never let weeds grow around your dreams.

Visit Angela's website at www.sewdiva1.com.

Plan of Action

2009-01-15T13:27:00.003-07:00

Have you made a Plan of Action for 2009? By writing down your goals, prioritizing them and then listing the action steps to take to achieve your goals will ensure that you spend your Always Busy time on items that are most important to you! Here are some suggestions that can help with your Plan of Action.

Grab a piece of paper, your journal or your notebook right now and take 5 minutes to focus on what your Business Goals, Financial Goals, Education & Personal Growth Goals, Health & Fitness Goals and Home & Relationship Goals are. Now next to each goal write down the action step(s) to take to accomplish your goal. Keep this list with you at all times and review as much as possible. This is also a great list to use for your weekly planning and you can plug your actions steps right into your weekly schedule. Have fun with this and remember how fabulous you are!

Another fabulous lady right here in the Valley, Elizabeth Hartigan with Sterling Expectations shared some great tools that she found as she was planning her goals this year on her blog. Check them out at http://sterlingexpectations.blogspot.com/.

Make this year, your best year ever! You deserve it!

Girlfriend's Biz Alliance Launching!

2008-12-15T12:44:00.003-07:00

Join the woman only networking group that will inspire, empower and help you grab a hold of your dreams and make them a reality!

The Girlfriend's Biz Alliance is a unique group of woman business owners working together to help each other succeed! Secure your exclusive spot today and take advantage of some great savings that will have your checking account thanking you all year!

We have a NW Valley Chapter that will be meeting every other Tuesday at 9am and a SW Valley Chapter meeting every other Wednesday at 3pm. Grab a hold as we impact the West Valley!

Join now and take advantage of the huge savings!

Sapphire Membership - SAVE $50.00

Join the Girlfriend's Biz Alliance as a Sapphire Member for only $99.00 for the year (normally $149.00)!

Enjoy all these benefits all year long as well as be part of an fabulous and exclusive networking group!

· Website Business Directory One Year Listing - Contact info with logo, website, email, phone, tagline, address with google mapping, coupon, and up to 5 photo's listed on www.alwaysbusywomen.com. ($100.00 Value)
· Girlfriend's Biz Alliance Certificate Banner Button to place on your website, email and in marketing material to promote the Girlfriend's Biz Alliance.
· Girlfriend's Biz Alliance Bling Tee· 20% discount on all advertising in Always Busy Women's Guide
· Access to Webinars, Seminars and Training to help you grow and succeed in your business.
· Priority Registration for Boutique and Expo Events· Discounted Vendor and Sponsor opportunities at Boutique and Expo Events
· Be rewarded every time your recruit a member! Each member who recruits a new member earns $10.00 cash reward.

Ruby Membership - SAVE $100.00

Join the Girlfriend's Biz Alliance as a Ruby Member for only $249.00 for the year (normally $349.00)!

Enjoy all the benefits of the Sapphire membership plus these benefits all year long as well as be part of an fabulous and exclusive networking group!

· All Sapphire Benefits plus
· Basic Directory Listing in the Always Busy Women's Print Guide -All Year (400.00 Value)
· No charge to list VIP Card Discounts in Publication
· Free Entry into Always Busy Women Social Events 2 to 4 each year
· Free to include Marketing Materials in ABW Social Event Swag Bags

*Membership Form and Payment in Full must be received by Friday, December 19th to take advantage of these one time offer.

For more infomation or to request a membership form, please email intheknow@alwaysbusywomen.com.

Go For It!

2008-10-29T14:11:00.003-07:00

I get asked all the time, how did you come up with the idea for Always Busy Women? So, I thought this week I would share how Always Busy Women came to be.

Last fall as I was running my community website here in Surprise, I came across a women’s conference that was happening in Glendale. So, I signed myself up and headed on over there in October of 2007.

At the time, I remember feeling nervous about going. I was nervous to go by myself and walk into a big room of women and sit at a table with a bunch of ladies I didn't know. I made it there and got myself seated and met some women who were also trying to grow their business. My goal was to learn from the wonderful women speaking that day and to hopefully take what I learned and use it to help grow my online community website. While I sat there intently listening to each gal get up and talk about the path of struggles and successes, I was inspired! I was inspired to go for it, really go for it! It was then that I envisioned a business that would celebrate, encourage, connect and support women in their individual and business lives.

Before I even left the conference, I had already jotted down several thoughts and ideas on my new business I was going to start. I couldn't wait to get home and lay out my ideas on paper. The moment I walked in I went straight to my office and started bubble mapping. I had a name and basic idea all put together before I went to bed that night.

From there, it took me several months of researching, planning and deciding what the best approach would be. It wasn’t until April of 2008, 6 months later, that I officially launched Always Busy Women. Exactly 6 months after that I have my first issue of A Girlfriends Guide for Always Busy Women in hand . My feelings at the moment are almost unexplainable. I am excited, scared, tired, crazed, determined and still full of so many ideas.

My venture over the last year has been nothing but ups and downs as many start-ups are. I started my venture by approaching a business associate at the time to come along for the ride and be a partner of Always Busy Women. We both learned quickly that a partnership wasn’t going to work and I continued forward and my partner went her own way. I have to admit at first I wondered how in the world I would do it all on my own. The thing was at the time, I didn’t really have time to think about it. I had an event a week later and I just needed to move forward and keep going. “Moving Forward” a great motto when in business… no matter what, you just have to keep moving forward. It has been a truly trying experience at times, wanting to give up and take the easy route of someone else telling me what to do, but my determination to succeed always kicks in and I move forward.

The lessons I have learned over the past year are tremendous and have been a blessing! I hope to use this blog as a way to share my experience as I move forward and try to grow my business, to share cool things I find on the way and a way to show that it is OK to be real. Let’s tell it like it really is! It’s not easy and yes we all think of giving up, but it is the focus and determination that keeps us moving forward, no matter what gets in our way.

To All My Girlfriends… I say Go For It!

Just Wing It

2008-10-21T09:23:00.003-07:00

This past weekend I was sitting and thinking about starting a blog on the ups and downs of growing a business, being a wife and mother, and all the other fun things that come along with that.

So, in true fashion of yours truly… I am jumping right in with both feet and just going to wing it! Seriously, if I can inspire, help, encourage or support just one girlfriend out there with my ramblings then my deed is done.

For those of you who don’t know me, I like to think of myself as a simple gal, but in all honesty are any of us really that simple? Not so much. I am your typical family on paper… married with two kids and three dogs. OK, so three dogs might not be typical, but I love them. With that said, what is typical anymore these days anyway?

I am an entrepreneur at heart. I love, love, love thinking of new business ideas, learning about other people’s businesses and jumping in with both feet. For only being 33 years old, I have had my fair share of business ventures from a gift basket business, errand service, virtual assistant, online community website, some direct sales business ventures and of course now Always Busy Women. Each venture has taught me something important and prepared me for the next stage of my life. I am self taught in most that I do and I love to continually be learning something new, even if it is the hard way.

Each day is truly a journey for each of us and I look forward to sharing with you in my next blurb on how Always Busy Women came to be.

Best wishes for a super fantastic week! Go get’em girls!

Always Busy Networking & Magazine Launch

2008-10-16T21:10:00.005-07:00

Mark your Calendars Ladies! Come find out what Always Busy Women is all about! We are so excited to share with you the first issue of Always Busy Women! Come out and meet other savvy business women just like you! Share your business and meet other always busy women in business.Join us at Cecilia Guerrero Agency, our lovely sponsor this month for some delicious sweets and meet other Always Busy Women.

Join us for this fantastic Free event, sponsored by Cecilia Guerrero Agency and enjoy some snack and delicious sweets.
DATE: Wednesday, October 22

TIME: 5:30pm to 7:30pm

LOCATION: Cecilia Guerrero Agency 13943 N 91st Avenue, Ste B-103Peoria, AZ 85381

RSVP is Required
intheknow@alwaysbusywomen.com

Join Always Busy Women on MeetUp
http://www.meetup.com/alwaysbusywomen/

Power Women's Conference

2008-08-28T12:53:00.002-07:00

This one-day conference and networking expo features a full day of personal growth and development, educational break-out sessions, business strategies for today's busy working women, motivational and informative keynote speakers and Arizona businesses showcasing their products and services. Our goal is to educate, empower and inspire women. The event is expected to draw between 300-500 attendees and over 200 businesses statewide. There are two components to attendance at this event:

1. The Women's Conference will include a Welcome Breakfast, Luncheon with keynote speaker and other concurrent session speakers. Last year's conference had a highly qualified list of speakers and this year's speakers will be of the same high caliber.

2. The Networking Expo (which will also be open to the public) will focus on putting professional men and women in direct contact
with vendors with services and products
important to them.

The day will be jam-packed with information, education, networking, and camaraderie. Join us at the new Renaissance Glendale Hotel and Convention Center on Oct. 3, 2008.

It will be worth every minute!

Always Busy Holiday Boutique

2008-08-10T20:17:00.004-07:00

We are gearing up for our next Shopping Boutique! Join us on December 5th from 5pm to 9pm at the beautiful Renaissance Hotel at Westgate. Skip the shopping malls and head on over to the Renaissance Hotel for a great night of shopping, pampering and girlfriend time! It is the perfect night out with the girls! Once you finish up your shopping you can head right over to Westgate for some Friday night fun!

This event is open to everyone. Whether you are a boutique, designer or just offer something great for Always Busy Women and their Holiday shopping list, we want you. Get your products in front of Holiday shoppers during one of the busiest shopping times of the year.

You must be selling a product to be a vendor at the event. If you offer a service and would like to participate in the event we do offer some great and affordable sponsorship opportunities. Please contact us for more details.

Vendor Info:
$80.00 Fee to participate with a $50.00 non-refundable deposit due via Paypal within 5 days of application acceptance.

Swag Bag:
Get your products or samples into the hands of Always Busy Women. We will be selling Swag Bags at the door for only $10.00 and will be full of local products to sample and try. Get your items in for free if you are a vendor. We will be doing 100 bags. If you are not a vendor there is a small fee to have your items included. Please contact us for more info.

It is first come, first serve.

A 6 foot table with black drape is included in the fee. If you would like additional tables they are $15.00 a piece. Electricity is available at an additional charge through the Hotel.

Space is filling up quicly. Reserve your spot today by contacting us directly at intheknow@alwaysbusywomen.com.

This event will be FREE to attendees. We will be asking for a toy donation, but is not required. We are expecting over 400 attendees.

Always Busy Summer Fling Pics

2008-07-27T19:59:00.003-07:00

"My Best Friend Deserves Her Dream Wedding" Giveaway and Bridal Faire Extravaganza

2008-07-13T17:43:00.004-07:00

Thee wedding Warehouse and Arizona Weddings have come together to put on a bridal event which showcases the vendors who helped to create the "My Best Friend Deserves her Dream Wedding" giveaway. On July 26, 2008 giveaway entry forms will be available for pick-up at the Bridal Faire Extravaganza; brides must attend to pickup entry form. Live entertainment, music, food, and a fashion show is only a small part of what brides and grooms will experience at Thee Bridal Faire Extravaganza.

WHO:
Thee Wedding Warehouse and Arizona Weddings

WHAT:
Thee Wedding Warehouse is excited to invite all brides-to-be and the general public to attend the Bridal Faire Extravaganza and receive entry information for the "My Best Friend Deserves Her Dream Wedding" Giveaway.

WHEN:
Saturday, July 26th, 9am to 3pm

WHERE:
Estrella Vista Reception Center, 1471 N Eliseo C. Felix Jr. Way, Avondale, AZ 85338

Always Busy Summer Fling Event - Thursday July 24th

2008-06-30T23:35:00.003-07:00

The Ultimate Summer Event brings you and your deserving girlfriends the hottest shopping and pampering event in the West Valley! Only $10.00 to attend this Soon to be Sold Out Event! ($15.00 at the door)

Don't miss out on being pampered, "Pigging-Out," & Having a Fabulous, Fun-Filled Evening Socializing & Networking with Always Busy Women.

When
Thursday, July 24th
6pm - 9pm

Where
Dolce Salon & Spa8385 W Mariners Way, Peoria, AZ
Shopping
Boutique Clothing, Bags, Swim Suits, Baby & Kids Accessories, Custom Home Acessories, Handmade Jewelry, Diva Dog Fashion & so much more!

Relax & Unwind
Enjoy mini massages, body art painting, and complimentary wine & tasty treats. Can you think of a better way to spend your evening?

Attire
Summer Fun & Casual or Your Corporate Suit... C'mon, We're Always Busy... who has time to change?

GIVE BACK
WHEAT's Clothes Silo
Clean out your closet & bring in your shoes, purses & business attire to donate to WHEAT's Clothes Silo, a women's resale boutique providing professional clothing at no cost to women entering or re-entering the work force through client assistance programs.
A perfect way to help other women and make more room in your closet! Please bring your donations to the event. Donation receipts will be available.
Learn more about this program.

REFERRALS
Tell Us Who You Think Is the Best in the Valley!
Don't forget to bring your referrals or business cards from your favorite businesses! The person who brings in the most referrals or cards wins a Gift valued at up to $50.00.

Always Busy Summer Fling Vendor Opportunities

2008-06-28T19:21:00.003-07:00

Are you a local designer or boutique in the Valley area? Always Busy Women is searching for Vendors for our upcoming event on July 24th at the Dolce Salon and Spa: Always Busy Summer Fling

We are looking for 10 designers or boutiques with unique products our savvy shoppers will crave! If you are interested in applying to be a vendor, please contact us today at alwaysbusy@agirlfriendsguide.com. We would like to have a good balance of different vendor types and categories therefore we will not be accepting several vendors of the same type. Please act fast if you are interested to secure your spot.

We are currently not accepting home-party type businesses for this event (even though we all love your products).

We are planning for 100 to 150 guests and will include pampering services, wine, sweets and more.

It is only $40.00 to be a vendor at this event. You must also purchase 2 tickets for the event at $10.00 a piece. Vendors will receive full-color postcards for mailing or handing out and local media contacts will be utilized to promote the event. Of course, our Always Busy email list will be utilized, which is currently over 200. Plus vendors will also be sending out emails to their database reaching women across the valley.

Want to get your product in front of Always Busy Women? If you are interested in donating your product samples to our Swag Bag, please email us at alwaysbusy@agirlfriendsguide.com. The minimum donation is 50 pieces and it must be product. You may attach your literature to the product. If you don't offer product and are service based. You may include an offer/advertisement in our swag bag for a small fee. By doing this you not only get product recognition, but you also get a link on our event page for 6 months, along with recognition in our newsletter prior to the event.

If you are a local business interested in sponsoring our event, please contact us at alwaysbusy@agirlfriendsguide.com to find out more.