Cathy Stucker - The Idea Lady

Attract Customers and Make Yourself Famous

Turn a Minus Into a Plus

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The thing you believe is an obstacle can actually be a plus to your customers. It just takes looking at it from another perspective.

Can’t afford an office or storefront? Go to your customers. They will appreciate the convenience, and you’ll have an edge over your competitors. There are hair stylists who regularly go to nursing homes to serve the residents, massage therapists who do outcall, and even pet groomers who go to customers’ homes in a van to bathe and groom cats and dogs.

Is the amount you can earn limited by the number of hours you can work? If you provide a service, your earnings can’t exceed the number of hours you can work times your hourly rate. However, you can “clone” yourself to serve more customers. One way is to hire help. Another is to create products and services, such as videos and books, that share your information with those who need it. You create additional revenue streams, and make your knowledge available to a wider audience, allowing you to help more people.

Don’t focus on what you don’t have or can’t do. Look for ways to serve your existing (and new) clients by giving them what they want and need.

Do you have an obstacle in your way? Email me! I will share some of your obstacles and how to overcome them.

Dealing With Business Setbacks

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I got an email recently asking for some advice. The question is one that I think all of us face from time to time, especially with a new business or during lean times, so I thought it would be a good idea to share the question and my response with you. Details have been changed for privacy reasons, but the problem is universal.

I am feeling so discouraged right now. I spent a lot of time over the past month trying to sign a new client. There was a proposal followed by questions, meetings, emails, conference calls and more questions. Just when I thought I had the job, I found out it went to someone else.

I was counting on this work and really put everything I had into it. I really need the money I would have made. What do I do now? I don’t have any other prospects. I feel frustrated and sad and I just want to quit.

Wow. Been there, done that. We have all had times when things didn’t go our way. Sometimes big things, like this. Rejection at any time can feel like you were punched in the stomach, and it is especially hard to take when you really need the work (and the money–mostly the money!).
[Read more…]

Be More Productive By “Going with The Flow”

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Do you ever have one of those days when everything seems to go right? When you get more done in one day than you might get done in a typical week? (I love those days!) You can have more productive and energetic days when you tap into the Flow Zone.

We’re going to get into exactly what Flow is and how you can tap into it to do everything in business better. You’ll start to feel more in control of your business, happier with your work, more productive, and less stressed. There are so many incredible benefits that come along with tapping into a state of flow. [Read more…]

Focus Gets Things Done

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Bright shiny objects (BSOs) are the little things that glitter in your path as you move along in life. BSOs are usually more interesting than whatever you are currently working on because they are new and exciting.

Although many other traits in your power arsenal are also essential, I truly believe that focus is the driving force of them all.

It may not seem obvious how critical focus is to your success. What becomes obvious is what happens when you lack focus. You’re distracted from essential tasks. You become unproductive. You don’t get things done that need to be done. You spread your efforts over a variety of tasks instead of a few and end up working on a lot of things, but not getting anything done. You start feeling frustrated. You begin to believe that you can’t reach your goals, or you stop setting goals altogether, or at best you set simple goals that are easy to reach and not the “stretch goals” that can truly change your life.

Worst of all, the BSOs that contribute to your lack of focus cause you to feel unworthy of success altogether because you think that you aren’t capable of performing up to your capability. [Read more…]

Will Speak for Food

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Nothing says “expert” like standing at the front of the room, giving a speech. And it is easier than you may think. Here is how to start building your business with public speaking—even if you think you could never give a speech.

Many people, perhaps including you, are afraid to speak in public. Studies have reported that public speaking is the #1 fear of most people, even ahead of death. (Or, as Jerry Seinfeld put it, at the average funeral more people would rather be in the coffin than delivering the eulogy.) The best way to overcome your fear is to start speaking. It gets easier with experience.

To get practice in a supportive environment, join Toastmasters. Members give prepared and impromptu speeches and receive feedback on their strengths and how to improve their skills. To find a chapter near you, go to www.Toastmasters.org.

Every day, there are meetings of networking groups, professional associations and community organizations all over town. Many of those meetings need speakers. Most won’t pay you, but they will give you exposure, and usually lunch, too. While the Chicken ala King may not be anything special, the opportunity to reach an audience will build your reputation and cause customers to seek you out. [Read more…]