<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>SuperWAHM, Expert Business Planning for work at home moms &#187; business plan</title>
	<atom:link href="http://superwahm.com/tag/business-plan/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://superwahm.com</link>
	<description>SuperWAHM, Expert Business Planning for work at home moms</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:03:15 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Blogging Workshop &#8211; starting 30th August</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/blogging-workshop/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/blogging-workshop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:03:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blogsite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://superwahm.com/?p=2729</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here’s something both fun and useful for all of you who have business blogs – SuperWAHM is running a Blogging Workshop starting 30 August. . Who’s it for? Anyone who has a business blog and wants to get more traffic, more readers, work more efficiently and turn their blog into a valuable tool for their [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fblogging-workshop%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fblogging-workshop%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2738" title="31days" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/31days.png" alt="" width="163" height="190" />Here’s something both fun and useful for all of you who have business blogs – SuperWAHM is running a <a title="SuperWAHM Blogging Workshop" href="http://blogging.superwahm.com" target="_blank"><strong>Blogging Workshop</strong></a> starting 30 August.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>Who’s it for?</strong></p>
<p>Anyone who has a business blog and wants to get more traffic, more readers, work more efficiently and turn their blog into a valuable tool for their business.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>How does it work?</strong></p>
<p>It’s being run on a separate site at<strong> <a title="SuperWAHM Blogging Workshop" href="http://blogging.superwahm.com/" target="_blank">http://blogging.superwahm.com</a></strong> via a blog.  Makes sense doesn’t it?  Running a blogging workshop via a blog?  Or maybe it’s just my weird sense of humour that likes that.  Yes, probably just me….</p>
<p>The Workshop is based on<a title="Problogger 31DBBB" href="http://superwahm.com/31dbbb" target="_blank"><strong> Problogger’s 31 Days to Build a Better Blog ebook</strong></a>.  And if you sign up for the Workshop you’ll get a special discount code that Darren set up for participants, so you’ll get the <a href="http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb" style="font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" onmouseover="self.status='http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb';return true;" onmouseout="self.status=''">31DBBB</a> ebook for only $18.95.</p>
<p>Each day there’ll be a post about that day’s task and learning from the ebook.  You complete the task, read the learning, come back and leave a comment and/or link.</p>
<p>You can ask questions and have them answered by myself and a couple of other very experienced bloggers, as well as other participants.</p>
<p>We’ll be taking weekends off, to give us all a break and also some time to let the week’s learnings sink in and time to catch up if needed.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>What topics will you cover?</strong></p>
<p>We’ll be looking at:</p>
<p>- Measure your statistics at the start and again at the end of the six weeks</p>
<p>- Write different styles of posts</p>
<p>- Come up with almost endless topics to write about (you won’t believe how easy this is!)</p>
<p>- Promoting and marketing your blog</p>
<p>- Grow a community of readers</p>
<p>- Develop an editorial calendar for blog posts</p>
<p>- Connect more and better with your niche market</p>
<p>- Plan for your blogging for after the Workshop – you’ll finish up with a clear plan ahead</p>
<p>And heaps more.  31 days of improving your blog, shaping it up so it’s working hard for your business.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>Couldn’t I do this by myself?</strong></p>
<p>Sure you could.  If you prefer to work through the <a href="http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb" style="font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" onmouseover="self.status='http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb';return true;" onmouseout="self.status=''">31DBBB</a> ebook on your own then go for it.  I find that when I’m in a group I’m more likely to do the work as there’s accountability.  Plus in a group we all get to participate in the group thinking, different ideas and points of view.</p>
<p>Everything’s more fun in a group, when you can get to know each other, learn from each other, ask questions and just enjoy the learning process together.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>What if I miss a day or three?</strong></p>
<p>You mean when life happens?  First off, don’t panic.  We’re not going to kick you out if you don’t turn up every day.  You’ve got a couple of options if you miss a day or a couple.</p>
<p>- You can not worry about it and just join back in where the group is up to.  You’ll miss a few tasks, but you can always do them afterwards.</p>
<p>- You can catch up the following weekend.</p>
<p>- You can do a couple of day’s tasks the next day you’re back with us.</p>
<p>The choice is yours, obviously the more you do the better your results will be.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>How much does it cost?</strong></p>
<p>I wanted to offer this workshop for free, but I just can’t do it.  So I’ve made it as affordable as I can – only $8 for the workshop.  That’s right; you get me for six weeks for only $8.</p>
<p>Plus you’ll need to purchase the <a href="http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb" style="font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" onmouseover="self.status='http://superwahm.com/recommends/31dbbb';return true;" onmouseout="self.status=''">31DBBB</a> ebook from Problogger – use the discount code when you join the workshop and it’s only $18.95</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>How do I sign up?</strong></p>
<p>Glad you asked.  You can go <a title="SuperWAHM Blogging Workshop" href="http://blogging.superwahm.com" target="_blank"><strong>to SuperWAHM Blogging Workshop</strong></a><a href="http://blogging.superwahm.com/"></a> if you’d like some more information and sign up there.</p>
<p>Or if you’re ready to join now just click below and you’re in!</p>
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="RMGAJEKJL8MLQ" />
<input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online." name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_AU/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" /> <img src="https://www.paypal.com/en_AU/i/scr/pixel.gif" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><br />
</form>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><em>Any questions? – as always you can <a title="Contact Me" href="http://superwahm.com/contact" target="_self"><strong>email me</strong></a> and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can.</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/blogging-workshop/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Business Plan and Marketing Plan &#8211; what&#8217;s the difference?</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/business-plan-marketing-difference/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/business-plan-marketing-difference/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:56:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://superwahm.com/?p=2689</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The lovely Neil from Milk Relief Soap recently asked me this great question: “What’s the difference between a business plan, and a marketing plan?” I see a lot of people getting caught up in this, and often their business plan is actually more of a marketing plan. The two are very much related; however they’re [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-plan-marketing-difference%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-plan-marketing-difference%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>The lovely Neil from <a title="Milk Relief Soap" href="http://www.milkrelief.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Milk Relief Soap</strong></a> recently asked me this great question:</p>
<p><em>“What’s the difference between a business plan, and a marketing plan?”</em></p>
<p>I see a lot of people getting caught up in this, and often their business plan is actually more of a marketing plan.</p>
<p>The two are very much related; however they’re not the same.  I’ve got a different opinion from most people on what a Business Plan is and what it’s purpose is.  If you’ve looked at the Two Hour Business Plan then you’ll see that I define a Business Plan as being about what your business does, not a financial plan to take to the bank (although that’s part of it).</p>
<p>A <strong>Business Plan</strong> is ‘about’ your business – who your target market is, what you do (core business), your business goals, an action plan.</p>
<p>A <strong>Marketing Plan</strong> is how you attract customers and sell your product in order to achieve those goals – blogging, advertising, networking, attraction and conversion.</p>
<p>In October last year I gave a talk at The Business Mums Network Pampering Day on Business Planning.  To illustrate how the Business Plan, Marketing Plan and Action Plan all fit together, have a look at this diagram.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2690" title="businessandmarketing" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/businessandmarketing.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" /></p>
<p>Make sense?  Your Business Plan is what encapsulates your entire business activities and goals, what drives and directs your actions.  Your Marketing Plan is one aspect of that, which directs your monthly, weekly and daily actions towards achieving those business goals.</p>
<p>In some respects your Business Plan is the What, and the Marketing Plan is the How.</p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><em>Do you have a business question that you would like personally answered?  <a title="Contact Me" href="http://superwahm.com/contact"><strong>Email me</strong></a> and ask away!</em></p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;"><em>.</em></span></p>
<p><em><a title="Two Hour Business Plan" href="http://twohourbusinessplan.com" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2691" title="Two Hour Business Plan" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/TwoHourBusinessPlan_250x125_UpdatedTagline.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="125" /></a><br />
</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/business-plan-marketing-difference/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Two Hour Business Plan has launched!</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/two-hour-business-plan-launch/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/two-hour-business-plan-launch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:37:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Products]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://superwahm.com/?p=2621</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Behind the scenes here at SuperWAHM we’ve been working very hard on our latest product.  In fact it’s so good that we’ve given it it’s very own website! Business planning for people who hate planning.  An easy step by step guide to writing a business plan that has been designed specifically for the needs of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Ftwo-hour-business-plan-launch%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Ftwo-hour-business-plan-launch%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>Behind the scenes here at SuperWAHM we’ve been working very hard on our latest product.  In fact it’s so good that we’ve given it it’s very own website!</p>
<p><a href="http://twohourbusinessplan.com"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2622" title="header_sml" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/header_sml.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="94" /></a></p>
<p>Business planning for people who hate planning.  An easy step by step guide to writing a business plan that has been designed specifically for the needs of micro and at-home businesses.</p>
<p>If you’ve thought of writing a business plan and not known where to start, thought you didn’t have the time, or were overwhelmed with all those budgets and forecasts, the <strong><em>Two Hour Business Plan</em></strong> is for you.</p>
<p>You’ve got two options, the basic option which is the audio’s, the workbook and the bonuses, or you can purchase the <strong><em>Two Hour Business Plan</em></strong> PLUS two consulting/coaching sessions with me for less than the normal price of the two sessions.</p>
<p>Check it out and see what people are saying:<a title="Two Hour Business Plan" href="http://twohourbusinessplan.com" target="_blank"><strong> http://twohourbusinessplan.com</strong></a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/two-hour-business-plan-launch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Info Products cause &#8216;stuckedness&#8217; and how to get unstucked</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/info-product-addict/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/info-product-addict/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:37:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://superwahm.com/?p=2228</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hi, My name is ‘insert your name here’ and I’m an Info product addict We’ve all done it.  Bought great info products – ebooks, audios, pdfs, ecourses etc – that are highly recommended and guaranteed to change our lives and send business through the roof. We all have our favourite teachers, and if they recommend [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Finfo-product-addict%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Finfo-product-addict%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><strong>Hi, My name is ‘<em>insert your name here</em>’ and I’m an Info product addict</strong></p>
<p>We’ve all done it.  Bought great info products – ebooks, audios, pdfs, ecourses etc – that are highly recommended and guaranteed to change our lives and send business through the roof.</p>
<p>We all have our favourite teachers, and if they recommend something as being great then we have to get it, right?  Because it will help us grow our business, right?  So we buy more products.  And more.  And we keep on buying.  And downloading and saving them to the hard drive.</p>
<p>You know that folder(s) on your hard drive that’s full of ebooks, video’s, downloads, pdf’s etc that you haven’t looked at since the day you bought them?  How do you feel when you look at that folder?  Guilty?  Upset? Overwhelmed? Waste of money?</p>
<p>Yeah, all of those feelings, right?  Let me tell you a secret – you’re not alone.  Really.  Many, many people have a stash of info products and have never looked at them.  I’m not going to tell you how much I’ve paid over the years for courses that I’ve never started, let alone finished.  And hopefully my hubby won’t ask either….  I used to be as guilty as anyone else on this one.</p>
<p><strong>There ain’t no magic bullet</strong></p>
<p>People buy information products in the hope that ‘this one’ will be the magic bullet that rockets them to instant stardom, money and orders pouring in, clients on waiting lists, kudos on the ‘net.  And it doesn’t happen.</p>
<p>No product is going to do this for your business.  None.  Not any.  Because all those info products, they’re just tools.  You have to use them, and use them in the right way.</p>
<p><strong>So why buy information products?</strong></p>
<p>Because they’re useful and will really help you grow your business.  If you use them properly.  The problem is that people often don’t use them properly, if at all.  They download them, save them, and plan to get to them soon.  Unfortunately ‘soon’ never arrives, the novelty fades and the lonely product sits there unused.</p>
<p><strong>So you get stuck into them and start reading</strong></p>
<p>Learning is good, yes?  The more you learn the better you’ll be at running your business, yes?  Sorry, but the answer to that is often a no.</p>
<p>Too much information is nearly as bad as no information.  When you do decide to get stuck in and work through the courses and ebooks you end up with a head full of ideas and no place to start.</p>
<p>Information overload is very real and paralysing.  When you’ve got a head full of ideas all bouncing around, and more information being packed in on top, it’s like being in a room crammed full of people all talking at the top of their voices.</p>
<p><strong>Step outside with me</strong></p>
<p>It’s time to get out of the room.</p>
<p>Turn off the noise.</p>
<p>Focus on just one thing.</p>
<p>Realise there is no magic bullet.</p>
<p><strong>The answer to information overload is…</strong></p>
<p>Taking action.</p>
<p>Give your mind a break – chances are that you’ve already read enough ebooks and know what you need to know.  See, we get so caught up in ‘learning’ that we stop ‘doing’.  We think we have to do things perfectly, and know everything about it, before we can start.</p>
<p>It’s true that we do need to have a certain level of knowledge in order to run a business.  It becomes a problem when we think that we have to know <em>everything</em> in order to run a business.</p>
<p><strong>Focus on one thing and put it into action</strong></p>
<p>So here you are – you’ve got a stack of info products, all useful, all highly recommended, and I’ve just told you to stop reading them. Here’s what you need to do to break out of the information overload and get your head right.</p>
<p>Firstly do a brain dump.  Every idea, every thought about your business, get it out of your head.  Write down the ideas.  Paper or on the computer, doesn’t matter.  Mind map if it helps.  Just get them out of your head.  Then save it somewhere so you can find it later.</p>
<p><strong>Back to the information products.</strong></p>
<p>Pick one.  Just one.  And work through it – do all the exercises or worksheets as you go.  Apply every technique in it to your business.  Set aside an hour a day to do this.  It’s not a race, take your time.</p>
<p>When you’re finished with the first info product, take a break for a couple of days.  Then pick another one and work through it the same way.  Every exercise, every technique.  Rinse and repeat.</p>
<p><strong>Still don’t know where to start?</strong></p>
<p>If you really can’t pick just one info product or you don’t know what you’re trying to do, I recommend starting with our<a title="Quick'n'Dirty Business plan" href="http://superwahm.com/superbooks/#quickndirty" target="_self"><strong> Quick’n’Dirty Business Plan ebook</strong></a>.</p>
<p>Writing out a business plan will give clarity and direction – and from there you’ll have a better idea of what you need to do for your business.</p>
<p><em>Leave a comment and tell me what you decide to work on and how you’re going, ok?</em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/info-product-addict/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why a Business Plan Will Save Your A$$</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/business-plan/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/business-plan/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:42:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://superwahm.com/?p=2159</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let’s go on a holiday Picture this: It’s a Saturday and you’re enjoying a peaceful sleep in (you know, those things you had before you had kids).  And your darling hubby bursts into the room and says “Honey, get dressed!  We’re going on a holiday!” “When?” you ask, as you crack open one sleepy eye [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-plan%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-plan%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><strong>Let’s go on a holiday</strong></p>
<p>Picture this:</p>
<p>It’s a Saturday and you’re enjoying a peaceful sleep in (you know, those things you had before you had kids).  And your darling hubby bursts into the room and says <em>“Honey, get dressed!  We’re going on a holiday!”</em></p>
<p><em>“When?”</em> you ask, as you crack open one sleepy eye and try to process the sentence through a haze of sleep-induced blurriness.</p>
<p><em>“Right now”</em> he says<em> “Cmon, the kids are in the car waiting”</em></p>
<p>So you get up and get dressed, he assures you that you don’t need to pack <em>“It’s all taken care of&#8221;</em>, hop in the car and off you go.</p>
<p><em>“So where are we going?”</em> you ask nervously, thinking of all the appointments and plans in your calendar for the next week.</p>
<p><em>“On holidays”</em> he replies cheerfully.  And HE sure seems to know where you’re going, even if you don’t.</p>
<p><em>“But where on holidays?  For how long?”</em> this really isn’t feeling right to you.</p>
<p><em>“Wherever we end up.  And I don’t know, how long are holidays normally?”</em> Hubby is starting to seem not quite so darling and a bit more annoying every minute now.</p>
<p><em>“So what are we going to do there?  What kind of clothes did you pack?”</em> Maybe that will give a clue to where he’s taking you and for how long.</p>
<p><em>“We’ll do whatever is happening when we get to a holiday somewhere.  And I didn’t pack anything, we’ll sort that out as we go” </em>is the cheerful reply.</p>
<p><strong>Ok, that scenario is nuts</strong></p>
<p>Really, nobody sensible would do that, would they?  Then why do so many businesses get treated that way, with a happy-go-lucky “I’ll sort it out when and if it happens” attitude.  Why not plan for as much as possible – both good and bad – and prevent as many problems as you can?</p>
<p>Approximately 98% of WAHMs don’t have a business plan.  So the chances are pretty good that if you’re reading this and you’re a WAHM then you don’t have a business plan, or at least not a current one.  Am I right so far?</p>
<p>And by business plan I mean one written down on paper, not just in your head.  Having a plan in your head is pretty much worthless.  It has to get out of your head, onto paper, and have foundations and strategies put in place to execute it.</p>
<p>If you’re one of the rare few who DO have an up to date business plan then well done.  Pat yourself on the back and take a bow.  You’re a rarity and well above average.  It’s also likely that you’ve been around for a few years and experienced first hand the advantages of a business plan.</p>
<p><strong>Why WAHMs don’t write business plans</strong></p>
<p>Here’s a list of the most common reasons that I hear around not writing a business plan:</p>
<ul>
<li>It’s too hard</li>
<li>I don’t know what to put down</li>
<li>I don’t need one for a home business</li>
<li>It’s in my head</li>
<li>I don’t have time</li>
<li>I had one but it didn’t work</li>
<li>I tried and it was too complicated</li>
<li>I know what I’m doing</li>
<li>It started as a hobby and I never got around to it</li>
<li>What’s a business plan?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Planning your business is like planning your family</strong></p>
<p>Think about this – there’s a lot of similarities between planning your business and planning your family (although I won’t insist on you writing down your family planning).</p>
<ul>
<li>Some people plan their families years in advance and the timing works out perfectly for the families and they grow precisely in line with their plans</li>
<li>Some people get a family when they least expect it – what started as a bit of playing around suddenly takes on a life it of it’s own and you’re responsible for it</li>
<li>Sometimes people will have a great family, and suddenly something outside their control happens and the unit is damaged, separated and destroyed.</li>
<li>Some people plan for a steady increase in their family, but nature ‘happens’ and they get double or triple what they were expecting</li>
<li>Or you hook up with someone, and suddenly it&#8217;s a package deal and you get fully-developed stepkids, full or part time, thrown into the bargain</li>
<li>Some people plan to have a family, but no matter what they try and no matter how much money they put into trying &#8211; nothing happens, their family never grows and they eventually give up trying and go on with other life.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>‘Business plan’ is not a four letter word</strong></p>
<p>All those reasons we saw above are just excuses.  None of them are valid, legitimate reasons when you really get down to it.  If you’re going to have a business then treat it as a real business, plan for growth and development and make it happen.</p>
<p><strong>Want to get off to a quick start?</strong></p>
<p>If you’re in the 98% of WAHMs who don’t have a current, written down business plan then check out our<a title="Quick'n'Dirty Business plan" href="http://superwahm.com/superbooks/#quickndirty" target="_blank"><strong> No-Plan-Preneur Quick’n’Dirty Business Plan</strong></a> guide.  Priced at only $6.95 and designed to be both fast and easy, this ebook will give you a quick shot of motivation and get you  and your business headed in the right direction.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/business-plan/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Imagine Slowing Down and Getting More Done</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/slowing-down/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/slowing-down/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:56:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creativity]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wahmbizbuilder.com/?p=1607</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This is something I’ve struggled with for a long time; obviously I’m a slow learner because the benefits of slowing down have been pointed out to me time and time again. I even wrote a post that touched on this earlier this year. So what is it that I’m struggling with? It’s the fact that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fslowing-down%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fslowing-down%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p>This is something I’ve struggled with for a long time; obviously I’m a slow learner because the benefits of slowing down have been pointed out to me time and time again.  I even <a title="Take a Break" href="http://superwahm.com/take-break/" target="_blank"><strong>wrote a post</strong></a> that touched on this earlier this year.  So what is it that I’m struggling with?  It’s the fact that when I slow down I get more done yet so often I fail to remember this and keep pushing to work longer and harder.</p>
<p><strong>How does slowing down help you work better?</strong></p>
<p>Not only am I more productive when I slow down – I finish my work faster &#8211; I’m also a lot more creative.  You see, creativity doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  There needs to be life and activity to spark inspiration and creativity.  However at the other end of the scale creativity doesn’t happen when your head is full of ideas, thoughts, things to do and remember, all bouncing around together and crammed in, overloaded.</p>
<p>You need to take time out for thinking, allow time for your thoughts to marinate, develop and mature.  Your subconscious mind works in the background, constantly.  However when you try and cram too many ideas in then it has to keep working on new ideas before the previous ideas are fully explored.</p>
<p><strong>Allowing your subconscious to work effectively</strong></p>
<p>British psychologist and author Guy Claxton wrote in his book <a title="Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hare-Brain-Tortoise-Mind-Intelligence/dp/0060955414%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJLOV62N4GB62TTVA%26tag%3Dexcelcoachsol-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D0060955414" target="_blank"><strong>“Hare Brain, Tortoise Mind.  Why Intelligence Increases When You Think Less”</strong></a> that most of our everyday intelligence “belongs not to the screen of consciousness but to the invisible ‘motherboard’ behind it”.  He talks about giving our brains time to pause, for our subconscious to ‘connect the dots’ and bring good, workable ideas to wholeness and fruition.</p>
<p>How often have you been doing something such as walking, housework, listening to music and you’ve suddenly had a brilliant ‘Aha!’ moment?  An idea that bursts full-bodied into your mind?  Inspiration that initiates an outpouring of a full-grown plan for growth, or the answer to a troubling problem?</p>
<p>That’s your subconscious at work, doing what it does best.  Your subconscious loves structure and a dependable routing.  It’s at it’s most creative when it knows when to work and on what.</p>
<p><strong>Scheduling inspiration</strong></p>
<p>The famous playwright and novelist Somerset Maughan said “I write only when inspiration strikes.  Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp”.  His habit of sitting down to write at 9.00am every morning allowed his subconscious to prepare and be ready to produce ideas as soon as he sat.  Do you do the same?</p>
<p>How many of us scorn routine as being a straitjacket that reduces creativity?  How often do you brush off suggestions of writing out plans and ideas because it will take away the ‘inspiration’?  What if these things actually enabled you to get more done and come up with better ideas?  What then?</p>
<p><strong>Take the Challenge&#8230;  I dare you!</strong></p>
<p>Here’s a challenge for you, should you choose to accept it (and I hope you will).  Pick something you’ve been thinking about doing or developing lately but have felt stuck on.  Write it down, and then write down any suggestions, comments or anything relevant to it that you may have thought of.  Then leave it.  Give it a few hours and go for a walk.  Take some time over the next day or two to slow down, smell the roses, walk in the rain (if you’re lucky enough to have some) and just take time to allow your brain to slow down.</p>
<p>Keep jotting down any ideas that come to you.  Schedule a time to come back to your idea and work on it.  When that time comes, take out your paper or computer doc and see what comes out for that idea that you wrote down.</p>
<p>And let me know how you go with it. <img src='http://superwahm.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/slowing-down/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Systemising Your Emails</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/business-systems-3/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/business-systems-3/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:47:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wahmbizbuilder.com/?p=1498</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We’ve recently looked at Why we systemise our business, and How to write systems. Today we’re going to look at systemising your emails. Firstly lets be clear on one point. You’ll never be able to pass off all emails to your VA and never deal with emails yourself again. No matter how much of a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-systems-3%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-systems-3%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1500" title="email_man" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/email_man.jpg" alt="email_man" width="185" height="272" />We’ve recently looked at <a title="Bringing Order Out of Chaos" href="http://superwahm.com/business-systems-1/" target="_blank"><strong>Why we systemise our business</strong></a>, and <a title="Business Systems - How and Where to Start" href="http://superwahm.com/business-systems-2/" target="_blank"><strong>How to write systems</strong></a>.  Today we’re going to look at systemising your emails.</p>
<p>Firstly lets be clear on one point.  You’ll never be able to pass off all emails to your VA and never deal with emails yourself again.  No matter how much of a <a title="Tim Ferriss, 4 Hour Work Week" href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/" target="_blank"><strong>Tim Ferriss fan</strong></a> you are, it’s just not going to happen.  Think about it, if you email me with a question about your business and Coaching, do you want it answered by a VA or would you like a personal answer?</p>
<p>What you can do is systemise and create templates for the most common questions that you’re emailed about, and delegate those.  A PA/VA can be a great help in sorting emails, dealing with the run of the mill one’s, and freeing you up to deal with only those that require your personal attention.</p>
<p><strong>What can you delegate?</strong> Questions that get asked regularly, invoices, payments and other accounting emails, quotes for work if you have ‘package’ options, stock ordering and supply, appointments, requests for non-personal information, the list goes on.</p>
<p><strong>What should you deal with?</strong> Anything that is a one-off email, any complaints, requests for interviews, anything that requires a personal touch.</p>
<p><strong>Why create templates for email?</strong> How often do you have to answer questions via email?  If you’re having to rewrite the same answer to the same question each time then you need templates.  Think about the questions that you’re asked.  How many of them are similar enough that you can use a template or script to answer them?  How much time will you save when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and rewrite the emails every time?</p>
<p><strong>So, the How.  Where do you start?</strong> If you’re like 99.9% of Business Owners you already have the makings of email templates and scripts in your email client.  Look through you sent emails, emails to clients, suppliers, contacts from your website etc.</p>
<p>Group all the questions you’ve been asked into like topics and use the emails you’ve written previously to create a standard template answer.  Write the templates in word docs, and save them using the question as the file name.</p>
<p>Group the docs into folders based on what they refer to, such as ‘Quotes’, ‘Ordering’, Wholesalers’, etc.  This makes it easy to find the doc again when you need.</p>
<p>Next time you receive an email asking for information, you simply go to the appropriate folder, copy and paste the template into an email.  Check that it answers the question properly and send it off.</p>
<p>If you have a PA, VA or Admin Asst, they can more than pay for themselves by filtering your business email.  They can deal with the standard emails that the templates work with, and anything that doesn’t have a template is sent off to you for answering.</p>
<p>What do you think?  How could this work in your business?  What questions are asked repeatedly?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/business-systems-3/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Create A Project Board</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/project-board/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/project-board/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:36:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Project Board]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wahmbizbuilder.com/?p=1403</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you got a million ideas running around your head and need to get nail them down? Do you know what you’re doing but have so much to do that you don’t know where to start? Have you got several projects running at the same time and need to schedule your work so they all [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fproject-board%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fproject-board%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1405" title="checklist" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/checklist.jpg" alt="checklist" width="342" height="225" />Have you got a million ideas running around your head and need to get nail them down?</p>
<p>Do you know what you’re doing but have so much to do that you don’t know where to start?</p>
<p>Have you got several projects running at the same time and need to schedule your work so they all get the attention they deserve and none are forgotten or neglected?</p>
<p>Are you a Visual learner and need a way to track past, present and future tasks?</p>
<p>If any of these sound like you, then you need a Project Board.</p>
<p>So….  What’s a Project Board?  It’s a large piece of cardboard, butchers paper, or similar that you use to plan and track the tasks and timeline for a project.  I use Excel for mine, firstly because I find it easy to sort tasks; and secondly because my handwriting is so messy it’s the only way I can read what I have to do.  I have clients who hand write it on butchers paper, whatever works best for you is great.</p>
<p>Once you start using a Project Board you’ll never look back.  My only complaint with it is that I haven’t worked out a way to put it on my phone yet – but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.</p>
<p>A Project Board is a simple tool to get your ideas out of your head, to provide structure and a logical sequence for all the tasks involved in a particular project.  It provides an at-a-glance update on how something is going, what’s been done and what still needs to be done.</p>
<p>If more than one person is involved in the project then it can include Who is doing What and When.</p>
<p>I start with listing all the tasks required for a project on an Excel spreadsheet.  It’s a huge brain dump, where everything you can think of that needs to be done is written down.  Larger or complicated tasks need to be broken down into the smallest possible task.  Then working backwards from the completion date, I put a date for the task to be done next to each item, and who is to complete it if that’s needed.</p>
<p>My spreadsheet is set out with a row at the top labelling the project and the required completion date, in very large letters.</p>
<p>Then the columns are organised into: Date (for the task to be done), Task, Who by, and Done (or Completed).</p>
<p>When I’ve listed all the tasks and put dates on them I like to leave it for a few days to think about it.  There’s always something that I remember later that needs to be included, or a task that I realise has to be broken down into even smaller tasks.</p>
<p>When I’m ready, I use the ‘Sort Data’ function on the spreadsheet to sort the tasks in ascending date order.  Have a look at them and make sure that everything is in a logical order.  Check to see that there isn’t a task that HAS to have something else completed first.  If there is, edit the dates, add in the task if needed, and re-sort the data.</p>
<p>When you’re happy with it, and certain everything is included in the correct order, print it out on the largest sheet of paper you can find.  Put it on your wall where you can see it easily.</p>
<p>From here it’s easy to start at the top and work down through the tasks.  The ‘Done’ column is there to be ticked off when the task is completed.</p>
<p>If you’ve got more than one project on the go then I prefer to use a separate sheet for each project.  If you wanted to, you could include all the tasks together, different coloured fonts for each project, and then sort them all by date.  I find this hard to tell how far a single project has progressed, although I know people who use this method.</p>
<p>An alternative to this would be to have a master list with the tasks for all projects and a separate sheet for each project and tick them both off as tasks are completed.</p>
<p>When you’ve completed the project, don’t throw away your Project Board.  Add a page to it, or write on the side, how well it worked, feedback you received, what you learned and what you would do differently next time.  File it away somewhere safe, and next time you need to do a similar project you have it already more than half planned.</p>
<p>If you’ve written it on a computer as I do, you can simply add your comments to the file and save it in a particular folder for ‘Completed Projects’.  You may never use it again, but if you do then you won’t have to repeat all your work and you’ll have your feedback from the first time around.</p>
<p>This is my way of keeping track of tasks and projects, what do you use?  What works best for you?</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/project-board/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>When Your Business Loses its Sparkle</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/business-sparkle/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/business-sparkle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:06:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business coaching]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mum]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wahmbizbuilder.com/?p=1326</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m currently off having a wonderful time in Adelaide at the International Coach Federation (Australasia) Conference. Three days of being surrounded by like-minded Coaches, a luxurious hotel, good friends, good wine and great food. It&#8217;s a hard life, and I&#8217;m thinking of you all and wishing you were here too. Really. Today&#8217;s post is brought [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-sparkle%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fbusiness-sparkle%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1328" title="sparkles" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/sparkles.jpg" alt="sparkles" width="320" height="240" />I&#8217;m currently off having a wonderful time in Adelaide at the International Coach Federation (Australasia) Conference.  Three days of being surrounded by like-minded Coaches, a luxurious hotel, good friends, good wine and great food.  It&#8217;s a hard life, and I&#8217;m thinking of you all and wishing you were here too.  Really.</em></p>
<p><em>Today&#8217;s post is brought to you by Tara Bulum of Business Block Busters, another Business Coach and Work at Home Mum whom I met through <a title="Business Mums Network" href="http://www.businessmumsnetwork.com.au/index.php" target="_blank"><strong>Business Mums Network</strong></a></em>. <img src='http://superwahm.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><span style="color: #ffffff;">.</span></p>
<p><strong>Help! the spark has gone out of my sparkling business</strong></p>
<p>We&#8217;ve all heard about our weight plateauing when we&#8217;re on a diet but did you realise that your business can too?  It&#8217;s like almost reaching your goal weight and being thrilled about it but still needing to do more.</p>
<p>It’s not that you have lost the passion for your business; but perhaps there is a little less motivation than you used to feel.</p>
<p><strong>It happens to us all</strong></p>
<p>Many people in business today are women who are juggling home, family and social lives as well as running a business.  Often we set high expectations and get frustrated or overwhelmed by all there is to do.  It’s not that we are being unrealistic, it’s that we don’t have time and/or the energy to see what is really happening in our businesses.</p>
<p>If your business is not really meeting your expectations or you haven’t had time to set any meaningful goals, then it’s time to take stock and call on expert assistance in the form of a business coach<em> (Editor note: Tara and I are both Business Coaches, if you hadn’t already worked that out &#8211; contact one of us!)</em>.  Many see this as a luxury for their business, but if you’ve never run a company before – and most of us haven’t – then just like having a good accountant and solicitor you need to have someone who can guide you objectively.</p>
<p><strong>What? No business plan?</strong></p>
<p>Recent research conducted on about 200 small businesses showed that less than 98% have a written business plan.  Taking the time to work out what you want from the business, where you want it to go and how you are going to benefit now and in the future is important.  None of us would ever dream of driving in a foreign country with out a road map or GPS.  Think of your business as a foreign country and the business plan as your road map.  Now think of the adventures you can have along the way.</p>
<p>The only thing that may stop you – and it happens to us all – is fear.  We often get ourselves stuck because we are comfortable and not willing to change.  Analysing your business can often address these fears.</p>
<p>A good Business Coach can guide you through writing a business plan and also help you to think about the road blocks, detours and dead ends you could encounter.  As women we are much better at looking at the emotional side of business and often this is where many blockages to achieving success can be.</p>
<p>In reading the map and working out our travel route we create a strategy for getting from A to B.  Similarly, business coaching provides the tools to create a strategy for getting our businesses travelling along the right route.</p>
<p><strong>Getting the groove back</strong></p>
<p>A business plan will help put that zing back into what you do by moving you out of your comfort zone.  This is when greatness can begin and we can get that motivation back and new enthusiasm.  Rather than being stuck at just above your goal weight, we are told to try new exercise methods &#8211; the same applies for your business, where new ways can lead to reaching that goal.</p>
<p>If you don’t jump out of bed in the morning brimming with optimism for the new working day ask yourself the following:</p>
<p>• How would I feel if my business did not exist anymore?</p>
<p>• Would I regret it in six months time?</p>
<p>• How would I feel if I could accomplish my wildest business dreams?</p>
<p>• Do I even know what these dreams are?</p>
<p>Often we have to change what we are doing and/or the way we are doing things to change our outcomes.  Having some guidance and looking at business from emotional and physical points of view can help answer these questions and lead to a new spring in our steps.</p>
<p><span style="color: #888888;">.</span></p>
<p><em><strong>Tara Bulum</strong> from <strong>Business Block Busters</strong> has been in business for the last ten years and for the last three years has had multiple businesses.  Her previous experience in many industries and various roles has led to the wholistic approach of Business Block Busters (Business Coaching and Mentoring, Business Development and Professional Training and Development).  Business Block Busters provides encouragement and support to  business owners so they can find and follow their mission, to achieve the business success they dream of and get to know themselves a lot better in the process.  She can be contacted on 0416 060 752 (within Australia) or <a href="mailto:info@businessblockbusters.com.au">info@businessblockbusters.com.au</a></em></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/business-sparkle/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Goals &#8211; Chunking Them Down and Keeping Them Strong</title>
		<link>http://superwahm.com/goals-chunking/</link>
		<comments>http://superwahm.com/goals-chunking/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:26:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Melinda</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Useful Tools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[WAHM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Mom]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://wahmbizbuilder.com/?p=1310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[“If you don’t know where you want to go, any road will get you there” The other day you worked out what it is that you want to achieve and you picked the five goals that will have the biggest effect on your business in the next year. Today we’re going to chunk them down [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="tweetmeme_button" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px;">
			<a href="http://api.tweetmeme.com/share?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fgoals-chunking%2F"><br />
				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuperwahm.com%2Fgoals-chunking%2F&amp;source=SuperWAHM1&amp;style=normal&amp;service=bit.ly" height="61" width="50" /><br />
			</a>
		</div>
<p><em><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1312" title="goals" src="http://superwahm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/goals.jpg" alt="goals" width="320" height="240" />“If you don’t know where you want to go, any road will get you there”</em></p>
<p>The other day you worked out what it is that <a title="Building a House Without A Plan" href="http://superwahm.com/goal-setting/" target="_blank"><strong>you want to achieve</strong></a> and you picked the five goals that will have the biggest effect on your business in the next year.  Today we’re going to chunk them down to manageable steps, and look at ways to keep them strong in your mind.</p>
<p><strong>Chunking Down the Goals</strong></p>
<p>Firstly, just writing the goal isn’t going to make it happen.  You need to take action, and you need to work out what has to happen first, then the next step, and the next, and so on.</p>
<p>Take your first goal and list out everything you have to do on the way to achieving that goal.  Organise that list into a logical sequence, and then work out what has to be done on a month by month and then week by week basis to reach that goal.</p>
<p>Planning your goals this way makes them achievable.  Instead of a huge goal in 12 months that looks enormous, now all you have to focus on is this weeks tasks.  And then next weeks tasks.  No task should be so large that it’s overwhelming – if you have any like that then you need to break it down to the smallest possible task.</p>
<p>Do this for all the goals on your list.</p>
<p><strong>Keep the Dream Alive</strong></p>
<p>So we’ve decided what we want, and we’ve chunked it down into easy tasks.  Now what?  Well, now we need to focus on the big picture – the end goal – while working on the everyday tasks.  If we only focus on the small tasks, that weeks work, then we lose sight of what we’re aiming for and can find it hard to be motivated.</p>
<p>Every day, at least once a day and preferably a couple of times, I want you to sit down for five minutes and visualise yourself at the end of the 12 months, having achieved those five goals.</p>
<p><strong>Two Parts of Visualisation</strong></p>
<p><strong>Firstly</strong> I want you to read your goals aloud.  With excitement in your voice.  Don’t whisper them so no-one else will hear, read them aloud in a strong voice.  This uses three of your senses – eyes, mouth and ears – and implants those goals into your subconscious.</p>
<p><strong>Secondly</strong> I want you to close your eyes and imagine you’ve achieved your goals:</p>
<p>SEE the end result of those goals, imagine you’re looking at your Sales figures printout and the $$$ at the bottom is the goal you set.</p>
<p>FEEL the pride in having achieved that.  Allow yourself to feel the sense of achievement of having a great business.</p>
<p>SEE your business growing further, and being strong and successful.  FEEL how that would feel for you.</p>
<p><strong>Just Do It</strong></p>
<p>The visualisation is the part that most people don’t do.   They don’t see the point.  Sadly, the visualisation is what really keeps them motivated and helps drive them forward towards the end goal.  Don’t let this be you.</p>
<p>Practice it.  Make the visualisation of your goals a habit.  Trust me on this and Just Do It!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://superwahm.com/goals-chunking/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
