Am I the only one who’s ever felt it? All you entrepreneurs spend ALL DAY in front of a computer screen. Writing, typing, programming, THINKING. By the time you walk away from it, you’ve got what I call a Technology Hang-over. Your eyes are blood shot, your head aches, and your neck is likely stiff. Does this sound familiar?

In this day of work-from-home technology-infused business opportunities, we’re all in the same boat. No one (that I know of) addresses the problem of what to do at the end of the day when you feel terrible from sitting and staring all day long. If typing burned calories, I’d be 20 pounds lighter rather than my spread a couple inches wider. Over the years, I’ve come up with a couple ways to avoid this unwanted side affect from too much technology:

1. Create a reminder or an appointment to get up and walk around. Sad but true, we now have to purposely schedule this kind of time into our calendars. At least I haven’t had to schedule in bathroom time…yet!
2. Pace while you’re on the phone. If you’re lucky enough to have contact with the outside world, even if by phone, then get moving while you’re talking! Invest in a hands-free headset for your phone so you can take your talk time as walk time too.
3. Splurge on a Treadmill Desk. That’s right - someone (A doctor at the Mayo Clinic!) invented a desk that is integrated with a treadmill. If you can afford the cool $6,500 for it, go for it and let me know how it works for you. I tried one at a conference recently and although it only goes up to 2 mph (I guess that’s all you can do and accurately type at the same time), over an 8 hour day they say you can burn an average of 100 extra calories per hour. The nice part is, there is a version that you can rotate so you can also sit down when you want to. Costs more, it’s less effective, but I guess if you’re a true couch potato you’ll need that out.
4. Just say no. Take a day or at least an afternoon of unplugged time. Pretend that your internet is out (OK you guys, stop hyperventilating!). Really…what’s the worst that can happen? You can take a walk through the woods or have lunch with a friend. Find a reason to step away from the screen and no one will get hurt.

I am curious – does anyone else have this problem? I am SURE it isn’t just entrepreneurs that experience this and I know I’m not the only one. What do you do to either avoid or get over your Technology Hang-Over?

Julie Lenzer Kirk is a serial entrepreneur, author, and mom. She is the founder of Path Forward International, which provides companies and individuals a “Boot in the Butt(TM)” to launch new ideas, grow existing ventures, find their work/life balance and fine tune their leadership skills. Her book, “The ParentPreneur Edge: What Parenting Teaches About Building a Successful Business” (Wiley) is available online wherever books are sold.

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Posted on July 3rd, 2008 by Julie Lenzer Kirk
Filed under: Family Life Balance, Health & Wellness, Home Office | Add Your Kind Thoughts »

If there is one thing that defines the age we live in, it is technology.

We are simply inundated with it. Whether you love it or hate it, your business is going to involve technology.

One of the first strategies is a presence on the internet. Whether a blog, landing page or website, you must have some representation on the web.

And, there are many options available to you with a variety of price points.

Like most anything, the key factors will be: What do you want? How much do you want to spend? How much do you want to do yourself?

The latter is an area where many entrepreneurs balk. Their strengths and talents do not include the technical arena. And, that is okay.

Nobody can be expected to be skilled in all avenues. If your budget permits you to hire out all your technology needs, and it is compatible with your strategy, go for it.

If your revenue is not quite where you want it to be, you don’t have to go without. Or settle for mediocre.

If you want a visually stunning web masterpiece, you will probably pay a graphic designer several thousand dollars. And, when you need changes, you will be paying high rates for those. Trust me – you will need changes. One of the benefits of the internet is the dynamic nature of information. Yours will shift also.

There are several hosting solutions that offer integrated web builders. Essentially, websites in a box. They are pretty intuitive to use once you get in there and start doing.

A key point to remember is that you must have a clear idea of what you want your website to do for you. Just like you would not build a house without a blueprint, you don’t want to start constructing a website without a guideline of how your site will appear and work.

Don’t let this part bother you – you do not need to know anything technical to design your site. You will always have a home page and pages such as About, Contact, etc. Take a blank piece of paper and draw a box at the top. This is your home page. Underneath that, draw a row of additional boxes. These represent the pages you will navigate to from your home page. Note that navigation will be consistent and each page will have the same look & feel.

If you require additional options for a given page, simply draw more boxes underneath the box for the page.

When you get this hierarchy defined, you have just defined the organization and layout of your website. Wasn’t that easy?

The next step is to design how you want your website to look. Look for websites that you like, and that connect with you. You are not going to be duplicating anybody’s work, just getting a clear idea of what you want.

You can then create your template. This will be a base page that will be used to create all other pages from. If you are using your internet provides tools, you will get to select one of their pre-defined templates. Although simpler, you may not get a template that is quite ‘you’.

Presuming you are going for a more custom solution, you will be designing your own template. Again, you don’ need to know anything technical – you are just drawing how you want it to look.
Take the time to get the template looking exactly the way that you want it before you create any pages. If you don’t do this and you need any changes, you will need to change every page that you have created.

Creating the html page is actually fairly straightforward with the right software tools. There are many great html editor programs out there – many of which are free.

If your preference is still to have someone else build the page, consider having them just do the template. Once that is built, you simply copy it for each page you want. This will be much cheaper than paying someone to do all the pages for your site.

I highly recommend you look into either learning how to make simple changes to your web page, or find a resource that is readily available to you. When you do need changes, chances are you will need them quickly, and you won’t want to wait.

Tip: Before you change a page, take a backup copy first.

Whether you do your own changes, or retain someone else, ensure that you receive all the components – html, images, etc. – that comprise your site.

A good technical resource will support you in whatever level you desire. If you want them to do everything and leave you in peace, they will do that. If you want to know how to do some changes yourself, they should be able to give you some pointers on how to do it. You may even get some limited support, dependent upon the arrangements and their fees. More importantly, a good resource will communicate with you in an effective, engaging manner and not baffle you with techno-speak.

Although a good plan now is better than a perfect plan later, take the time to choose wisely. If you are going to use an autoresponder, some have more features, some have better deliverability rates. You want to ensure you have the right choice before you start building your list. Yes, you can transfer them to a new provider if you opt to change albeit everyone will need to opt-in again.

In summary – you don’t need to know how everything works in order to get yourself or your business on the web. You simply need to be clear on what you want and how you want it to look. Obviously, focus your talents & passions where they will serve you the best. Consider learning some of the basic concepts to enable you to make quick changes with minimal expense. Choose your designers, developers and software carefully. Ensure you know what you are getting and that they will support you when you need them. If you’re not sure where to start, check in with those you know and find out what they recommend.

Mark Semple is a Certified Comprehensive Coach, Founder of Successful Together Coaching and the 2007 International Coach of the Year. As a recovering IT guy, Mark enjoys assisting others with their technology needs, in addition to making a difference with his unique coaching perspective, speaking & writing. Click here for details on the web services Mark provides.

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Posted on June 28th, 2008 by Mark Semple
Filed under: Beyond Web Design, Home Office, Internet Marketing | Add Your Kind Thoughts »

Online Promotion can be defined as the process of analyzing your target market, building connections and creating consistency on the internet.

Analyze my target market, build connections, create consistency….what are you talking about Teresa?

Well, let’s take it one piece at a time. Analyze your target market. That phrase still seems to overwhelm people and it can be a bit intimating. But once you identify and analyze your target market, it is much easier to promote your services, products, brand productively.

When asked the question, “Who is your target market?”, would you reply by answering, “Well, all women.” or perhaps, you think the answer to the question is, “Well, mostly everyone could use my products (or services)?”

In order to narrow the parameters, think about ideal client (i.e. individual of your target market).

Ask yourself these types of questions:

Male or Female?

How old are they? This range should be only 10-15 years range (35-50)

Single or Married?

Kids?

How many kids?

Any pets?

What kind of pets?

How many pets?

Hobbies?

Those are only a few of the questions to “target” your market. Basically, the more exactly you can identify what your ideal client looks like, the better you are at getting to able to promote to them effectively.

Next, let’s examine building connections. Creating, making and building connections is one of the keys of online promotion to be successful. Now, this doesn’t mean you just go and put yourself on everyone’s list and start immediately selling to everyone you meet. It does mean you can start conversation with others whom are in your target market, join a few networking groups where your ideal client is a member and be there as a resource for others.

And then be consistent while you maintain your online promotional efforts. It seems as if consistency is key to many things in our lives. In order for us to maintain an ideal weight, we need to be consistent with our balanced diet and exercise program. In order for us to have a vehicle operating properly, we need to keep up the maintenance on oil changes, fuel type, tire pressure, engine performance. The same thing needs to happen with your business.

One way to create consistency is schedule time each week for your online promotional efforts. You will be in front of your target market and building connections to allow you to build a successful online promotion plan.

Teresa Morrow is on Board of Advisors with The WECAI Network ™ (http://www.wecai.org) and Editor at Large at WE Magazine for Women ™ (http://www.wemagazineforwomen). She has over 15 years working with various industries to include property management, landscape architecture and financial planning firms in executive administrative positions. In 2007, Teresa started Key Business Partners, a virtual assistance & online promotional company for coaches, speakers and writers. She cares about her clients and is available for 20 minute free consultation. You can contact her via email at keybusinesspartners@verizon.net or visit her website at http://www.keybusinesspartners.com .

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Posted on June 27th, 2008 by Teresa Morrow
Filed under: Public Relations/Publicity | Add Your Kind Thoughts »

Okay, what are you wearing? Are you in baggy PJs, jeans, shorts or loose shirts? One of the perks of working from home is that it doesn’t matter what you wear. From a health perspective, try wearing clothes that are comfortable, but snug.

Why? You’re less likely to overindulge with snacks throughout the day and more likely, to eat smaller portions during meal time.

Let the size be your motivation to focus on healthy living. With comfortable clothing, you can take breaks and exercise in small bursts. Drop and do a few sit ups and push ups.  Throw in a few lunges and squats.

Clothing is a way for us to express ourselves and being comfortable in snug clothing will help remind you of your health goals. Baggy clothes make everyone look bigger. It’s time to drop those extra 15 to 20 lbs!

What did you do today to be healthy and fit?

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Posted on June 26th, 2008 by Cindy Posey
Filed under: Health & Wellness | Add Your Kind Thoughts »

Part VI – Sharing the Journey

In part V, I set the stage for the key piece: Us. Although success is a personal concept, sharing the journey is what we’re all about.

Each day is a new beginning.

A fresh start toward that which you desire. If you view your life as a journey unfolding before you, where you are at right now, in this moment, is simply that – the point you are at.

It is the point that you will be moving forward from, toward that which you desire. It does not matter how you got to this point, nor does it matter whether you like being at this point – it’s just a starting point.

The journey is, of course, your life. Your business, relationships, etc. are the components that comprise your life. When you shift your focus to the life you want to be living, and away from any of the individual components, you allow yourself to be in a different space, and more in tune with the opportunities that are available to you.

The single most important aspect of your life is how you are showing up and who you are being. The same is true for your significant other. When you are both being your true authentic selves, you are optimally positioned for that which you both desire to come about.

Regardless of whether your other half is at the same point as you, it is imperative that you be fully yourself. This is the key to everything that you desire in your life.

As you focus on the life that you want to be living, both your personal life and your life together, you will be establishing the direction for the next part of your journey to unfold.

While it is a fact that you have no power over other people, having clarity on your purpose will help create the space that you want your partner to share with you.

It is, of course, not just about what you want. Your significant other’s goals, dreams, passions, etc. are an essential part of the mix.

Your shared life together is like a large paint-by-numbers canvas. There are some colors that you hold, some that he holds and there are some that you both hold together.

The only way to complete the painting is for you both to do your individual parts, and then paint the rest together.

As you are fully being you in the moment – and allowing your partner to be fully themselves, you are able to fully enjoy this space together. Although you are on a journey, it is not so much about the destination as it is the journey itself. After all, if you are really not enjoying the trip, how will you enjoy where you are going to?

As you are unique, individual, powerful beings, you both will – and should – continue to expand in your personal experience. If you maintain the importance of ‘us’ – your shared space together, you will find your relationship evolves and expands in conjunction with your personal awareness.

When you allow your focus to shift away from your relationship, you can easily find yourself in a space where you aren’t connected to each other. At which point, you must then focus on reestablishing the connection.

Continuing our journey analogy, it is akin to you both taking separate paths when the road forks and then needing to back up to meet each other again. When you are talking about your life, backing up is not always an easy thing to do.

It is so much easier to maintain your focus on all aspects of the life that you want and then allow the journey to bring you to all that you desire.

In summary: The journey is your life. Yours and your shared life together. It is all about living the life that you want to be living. If you are not in that space, then something needs to shift. Remember always that the place to look for your answers is within you, for that is the only place where you have any power to change.

If this series of articles has connected with you, and you would like to learn more about how my coaching can guide you in making the shifts you seek, please contact me for more information on the various coaching programs I have available for you and your significant other.

Living the best life possible is your birthright. Why settle for less?

Mark Semple is a Certified Comprehensive Coach and the 2007 International Coach of the Year. Most importantly, Mark is the dedicated supporter of his wife in her business. For Mark’s insights on gaining the support of your partner, and on Success Together, visit: www.successfultogethercoaching.com

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Posted on June 24th, 2008 by Mark Semple
Filed under: Family Life Balance | Add Your Kind Thoughts »