“The right mentor can be a catalyst to your success in building wealth.” Heidi Richards Mooney

Don’t know where to begin when it comes to building your own wealth? Oh, sure, you’ve read all the books and know some pretty rich people. And you say to yourself, how did they get so rich? And how can I do the same? You’ve attended wealth building seminars, workshops and conferences on the subject and even perused the internet. All valuable ways to increase your own wealth-building knowledge. And yet, you feel like you’re still missing an important key.

What you may need is a Wealth Mentor. Someone to coach you; someone to help you put all the pieces of your new-found knowledge together; someone who is willing to share her own expertise.

Just how do you find someone willing to share her expertise and wealth-building strategies? First of all you need to know what to look for. You wouldn’t go to someone who is down and out or struggling financially for advice, you would look for someone who has been there, done that and is still doing it. Making money that is! And the person should be someone you admire, trust and is willing to share her time with you, to coach you. The mentor/protégé relationship can be an informal one whereby you ask occasional advice or it can be more structured where the two of you meet frequently (at scheduled intervals) and discuss your goals and aspirations. A mentor must be not only be willing to do so, she must be committed to your success.

The first thing to do when seeking a mentor is write down the attributes you want your mentor to possess. Does your wealth mentor need to be a millionaire or would someone financially solvent be sufficient? What other attributes and characteristics do you want your mentor to have? A good mentor is non-judgmental, open and honest, a good listener, good observer, has the time and expertise you need and is patient. And don’t’ think the mentor is going to do it all for you.

This type of relationship is a two way street. It should be mutually beneficial. A good protégé must have a genuine desire to learn, is non-judgmental, trustworthy, ethical, takes initiative, asks for feedback and gives feedback on her progress. A good protégé learns to be a good listener. Does your mentor need to be local or could it be someone you could contact via phone or virtually? Many good relationships are virtual these days.

Since the emergence of the Internet, coaches and mentors around the world have moved their practices online and via phone. Make a list of people you know who might fit your criteria. If you are having trouble coming up with names, ask your circle of influence for some suggestions. If you don’t know the persons suggested, ask for a formal introduction. You can join your local Chamber of Commerce or other professional associations and get involved. By attending meetings regularly people get to know you and the ideal mentor might be right under your nose.

Three words of caution when searching for a mentor: your email inbox. With the overwhelming email we receive each day, there is undoubtedly tons of emails in your inbox from people offering to show you how to get rich quick by following their advice, signing up for their system, selling their “product that sells itself. Hey, if the product really sold itself, why would it need so many people to promote it? I’m not suggesting that there aren’t really good products out there that you could represent that may lead to your financial success. What I am suggesting is that you need to use caution and reason when deciding if the people who make the claims are for real. And that’s another chapter all together. Choose wisely to find someone who is committed to the relationship, will give you time, and wants to see you thrive. Look for someone you can relate to, be open with and want to spend time getting to know better. The right mentor can be a catalyst to your success in building wealth. And isn’t that your goal?

©Heidi Richards Mooney – is a Professional Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Quirky Marketing Calendar ~ 365 Ways to Grow Your Business Using Zany & Non-Traditional Holidays www.QuirkyMarketingCalendar.com

Have you ever wondered how to say Thank You in Japanese (arigato) or Turkish (sogal)? With Thanksgiving only 3 days away, I thought it would be fun to share this list of how to say thank you around the world complete with pronunciations.

Amharic (Ethiopia)
(AH muh seh g’NAH lo)?
Arabic
shukran (SHOO krahn)
Bakweri (SW Cameroon)
(maa SOO maa)
Bangla (Bangladesh)
(DEN no vaht)
Bulgarian
blagodaria (BLAH go dahr YAH)
Cantonese (Hong Kong)
(DOE jeh)
Catalan (Spain)
gracies (GRAH shee esh?)
Dutch
dank ye vell (dahnk ye VELL)
English
thank you, thanks, thank you very much
Esperanto (International)
dankon
Ewe (Togo; Ghana) [pron. EH weh]
akpe (ah[k] PAI)
Farsi (Persian–Iran)
(mo ti SHAH ke RAHM), (MEHR see), (tah sha KOOR)
Fon (Gabon)
ablo (AH blow)
Foulani (West & Central Africa)
diarama (DYAH ra ma)
French
merci (mehr SEE)
Gaelic (Ireland)
mafgarna (MAHF gar nah)?
German
danke schoen (DAHNG ke shern)
Greek
(ef fah ree STAW)
Gujarati (W. India)
aabhar (ahb HAHR)
Hausa (Nigeria, etc.)
nugode (noo GOE dae) or yawa (YAH wahhh…)
Hawaiin
mahalo (mah hal o)
Hebrew
todah (toe DAH), todah rabbah (rah BAH)
Hindi (India)
dhaniawad (DHAN ya wad) See also Urdu.
Italian
grazie (GROTS yeh)
Japanese
arigato (ah ree GAH toe), domo arigato
Kashmiri (N. India/Pakistan/China)
shukria
Kazakh (Kazakhstan)
rakhmat (rakh MAHT)
Korean
gomapsunmida (go mahp SOON mee dah), (kom SAHN mee dah)
Magyar (Hungarian)
(KER se nem)
Mandarin (China)
(shyeh shyeh)
Mina (Gabon)
apke (ah P’? ay)
Nepalese
danievad (DAHN ya vaht)
Polish
(jen KOO yeh)
Portuguese
obrigado (awb ri GAH doe)
Russian
(spah SEE bah)
Serbo-Croatian
hvala (KHVAH la)
Sherpa (Nepal)
thuchiche (too cheh CHEH)
Spanish
gracias (GRAH syahs), muchas gracias (MOO chahs)
Tagalog (Philippines)
salamat (sah LAH maht)
Thai (Thailand)
korp kuhn ka(females)/klap(males)
Taiwanese
do sha (doe SHYAH)
Tajik (Tajikstan)
(tah sha KOOR)
Tibetan
thuchiche (TOO cheh cheh)
Turkish
sogal (sahl), (rakh MAHT?)
Twi (Ghana)
mi da waase (mee dah WAH say)
Urdu (Pakistan)
shukria (SHOO kree ah)
Uzbek (Uzbekikstan)
(rakh MAHT), (tah sha KOOR) (?)
Visaya (Philippines)
gracia (GRAH see ahs)
Welsh (Wales, UK)
diolch yn fawr (DYOLX uhn VOWR) [Pronounce the 'ch' as in German.]
Yiddish (E. Europe, U.S., Israel)
a dank (ah DAHNK)
Yoruba (W. Africa)
a dupe (ah DOO pae) or ocheum (OH cheh oom)

(Source: channel4000.com)

Have you  noticed how difficult it is to stay positive all the time? I mean REALLY!  And if you did stay positive, do you worry what others might think?  After all, the world is suffering. With all the negative energy flowing these days, it’s certainly not easy to stay positive and motivated. People are loosing their jobs, their businesses, their homes, their good credit and sometimes even the ones they love.

Maybe you are one of those people who have had a run of bad luck or perhaps you’ve just hit a road block. Or worse, everyone around you is singly the blues. It’s all you can do to stay positive even though you and your circle consider you a positive person.  I know, this has happened to me. Although I  don’t get into a FUNK or have a NEGATIVE DAY often, when I do get into one of those energy zones, the best I can do is stay away from others so as not to affect them too. You see, I don’t like myself when I am feeling this way and I am sure others don’t much like being around me either. In fact, when I had my retail florists, my staff told me they could always tell what kind of mood I was in when I walked through the door by how I walked in and what I said as I did so.  What are your “tell signs?”  Once I realized what mine were I became much more conscious of them and made an extra effort to be more positive (or where different shoes *SMILE). But I digress.

Well, I think that right now more than even the world needs people like you and me to stay positive and help them see that there is HOPE.  After all, what really matters isn’t what others think as much as it does what YOU think … and feel.

The good news is I have discovered some things to help me quickly recover from that FUNK.

Here are 7 steps to stay positive in a negative world and keep the energy flowing more smoothly:

1. STAY away from negative people. You know the ones. Those that rarely, if ever have anything positive to say. About anything. Or anyone. These people will ZAP your good energy faster than a bolt of lightening! FIRE all the negative friends in your life. Tell them you simply cannot hang with them anymore.  And don’t think you can turn them around. The best you can do is be a good example and hope that some of that positivity rubs off on them.  And if they are lucky, it might (but don’t hold your breath).

2. HANG with positive people.  Just like staying away from negative people will drain you of positive energy, hanging with positive people will enrich your life and fill your bucket with positive good energy.

3. LOOK for the good. If you are having a bad day, stop and think of all the good in your life. Ask yourself what is going good for you right now? Who do you know that is positive? Ask her or him what their secrets to staying positive are.  Think about what gives you positive energy.  If you cannot think of anything current, think about the past and what was good about it. Find ways to reconnect with that good. Revisit it. Visit people you have lost touch with that made you feel good about yourself.

4. FOLLOW your passion.  It is not easy to stay positive when you are not happy with your life.  Sit down and write what makes you happy. Make a list of 25 or 50 things you plan to accomplish before you leave the world.  And then do something about it. Start writing a plan for how to accomplish each or do each of those things on your list.  If you ever saw the movie, The BUCKET LIST, you may remember Morgan Freeman making such a list. He didn’t know exactly how he would be able to achieve his goals and do all the things on his Bucket List but he knew he was going to try! And as “luck” would have it, the very person who could help him was in the same hospital room. I know its only a movie, but stranger things have happened. First you have to set your intention. THEN figure out how to make it a reality.

5. UP your attitude.  In addition to surrounding yourself with positive people, subscribe to positive thoughts and ideas.  Read things like TUT ~ a note from the universe www.tut.com. TUT stand for truly unique thoughts and every day you get a wonderful, uplifting message in your email inbox or on your mobile phone.  Another great site for positive thoughts and energy is Blesstivals http://www.center-for-positive-service.com/category/spiritual-gifts/blesstivals/ created by my good friend Lori Prokopp and friends. Check out GreatDay.com the daily motivator site for positive inspiration. And last but not least is Beliefnet.com  http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/index.aspx  their mission is “to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness.”

6. FIND the humor in life. Humor helps you with those feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control. Studies have been done that humor helps people through the darkest hours of disease and come out on the other side. Humor can also help you stay positive and motivated. You have to remember to laugh.  Two of my favorite sites for humor resources are The Humor Project at http://www.humorproject.com/ and World Laughter Tour http://www.worldlaughtertour.com/. Keep a Humor Journal and when something strikes you funny, write it down. This will come in handy when you are having a bad day because you can open it up and read any page and feel the negative energy drift away. 

7. MAKE up your mind to be more positive. Developing a positive mental attitude is a choice. It requires nurturing and training. Sometimes it requires a whole new mindset. You have to first make up your mind to do so. And its not always easy or immediate.  It will require work and commitment.  And if you create a positivity plan, commit to it and really work it, I promise you will see results. And one of the benefits of being positive is that you will attract more like-minded people. Your life will be richer and more rewarding and you will find things will start coming to you with more ease. Your self-esteem will increase dramatically and you will start attracting more of the good things in life. I love how the National Association of Self Esteem ~ NASE describes self-esteem: “The experience of being capable of meeting life’s challenges and being worthy of happiness.” 

Robert Schuller said it best: It takes but one positive thought, when given a chance to survive and thrive, to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.
 
Be the person you would like to hang out with if you were someone else.  Being that person will lead you to a more fulfilled, joyful life.

Zig Ziglar said; “You can have everything you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”

That is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Because it is so true in my life. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who practice the messages. Think back over your life. Think about the people who have had a positive influence on you. These are people who probably don’t even know what an impact they have had on you. They did something, however small that made a difference in your life. Maybe it was a friend, or mentor, or boss, or employee, or student or teacher, or family member.  They impacted your life because they cared enough to do something for which they may or may not be repaid. Without expectation or seeking glory. They gave for the sake of giving.

And you? What have you done for someone else that may have impacted your life and theirs for the better? What could you do for someone today that might just matter tomorrow or years from now?

When you help someone else it increases your self confidence. You feel good about yourself and others feel better about you. Your TQ (trust quotient) goes way up. People like you more. And they want to do business with you. People want to support people who GIVE.

By helping others you help yourself.  And it’s not just about money.  It could be as simple as a phone call, a card in the mail, a kind expression, a shoulder to cry on, lending an ear… etc. In fact, there is a great new book that just came out this week which shares in-depth what happens to those who are givers. It is called The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon.

“The Power of Giving is a book that will show you the simple secrets to getting what you want most in life. Extensive scientific research shows that giving will benefit you, as much those you give to. In this award-winning book, authors Azim Jamal and Harvey McKinnon, reveal how you can live your life to achieve the greatest impact, happiness and satisfaction.”

Jack Canfield, author of The Success Principles and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul said about The Power of Giving,  “If everyone followed the advice given in this wonderful book, our world would be a richer, more equitable and peaceful place. I am personally touched by their deep message. The Power of Giving is a must read. Profit from reading it. Give it to everyone you love.”

“When you buy this book, you’ll help it to become a bestseller. This means you will also spread the message of giving. Already published in 9 languages, The Power of Giving won a 2009 Nautilus Gold Award — an honor previously bestowed upon authors such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, and Eckhart Tolle.”

You can follow The Power of Giving on their  fan page on Facebook or Twitter http://twitter.com/givingbook. You will also find helpful and inspiring articles every week when you  visit their blog.

The Power of Giving will help you to achieve more of what you want in your life. And you also receive several thousand dollars worth of gifts from partners who have also experienced the Power of Giving and want to share their gifts with you.  What about you? Are you ready to share your gifts with the world through Giving? Check it out at http://bit.ly/SrU87

Did you know that In Romanian, Greek and Hispanic cultures, Tuesday the 13th is considered unlucky?

Hoteliers once believed the number 13 was so unlucky that they did not even have a 13th floor in their establishments.  Well technically they may have but they did not number the 13th floor #13. and in fact, many hotel guests still refuse to stay in Room 13, so rooms are frequently numbered 12, 12A, and 14.

Some believe that a fear of the number 13 is the reason we only recognize 12 constellations in the Zodiac. The 13th being Ophiuchus ( the Serpent Holder) because of its location, could be included.

And a Baker’s Dozen became so because years ago London bakers would be subject to heavy penalties if they were caught selling underweight bread. To insure their bread met the proper weight standards they would include an extra loaf and to avoid using the word thirteen, called it a “bakers dozen.”

But not everyone is afraid of the number 13. In fact, “in 1881, an influential group of New Yorkers led by U.S. Civil War veteran Captain William Fowler came together to put an end to this and other superstitions. They formed a dinner cabaret club, which they called the Thirteen Club. At the first meeting, on Friday 13 January 1881 at 8:13 p.m., 13 people sat down to dine in room 13 of the venue. The guests walked under a ladder to enter the room and were seated among piles of spilled salt. All of the guests survived. Thirteen Clubs sprang up all over North America for the next 40 years. Their activities were regularly reported in leading newspapers, and their numbers included five future U.S. presidents, from Chester A. Arthur to Theodore Roosevelt. Thirteen Clubs had various imitators, but they all gradually faded from interest as people became less superstitious.” (source: Wikipedia.com)

And I purchased Eden Florist on August 13th (in 1981). I have always loved the number 13 and consider it very lucky for me.  Can you guess which number I always play in the lottery???

In addition to all this trivia, I came across some great tips to share. Here is my list of 13 Tips to help you in business and in life With an excerpt from each:

13 Tips for Working Smarter, Not Harder
Tip #13  Beware of perfectionism. Most routine work doesn’t need to be done perfectly. Ask yourself — Is your effort disproportionate to the value of the task? Will other, more important projects be delayed as a result? Can you reduce the frequency or level of detail of this task? Read the rest at http://bit.ly/rXW65

13 tips for closing the deal from iMediaConnection.com 
Tip #13 Close. Get some concrete next steps agreed to. “Go ahead and think about it for a few days…” is not a wise course of action if you want to sell good ideas. It allows people to stew over things, and make the sort of “tiny” changes that are reaching right into the mouth of the campaign and perform an idea-ectomy. REad the rest at: www.imediaconnection.com/content/19887.asp

13 Twitter Tips and Tutorials for Beginners
 Tip #13 6 Ways to Maximize the Use of Your 140 Characters – basic ‘Tweet Writing Tips http://bit.ly/9rjTH. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ZOF5y
 
13 Tips For Getting Page One Search Rankings
Tip #13 Leverage your closest affiliate relationships. Each company reacts to this one differently, but it’s worth a shot if you’re facing negative content that you want to make disappear quickly. If you have great relationships with affiliates, consider partnering with them to get links to the favorable web pages from a page on the affiliate’s website. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/t4Abe
 
13 Tips Your Burglar Doesn’t Want You To Know!
Tip #13 A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)  Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/ouv5n
 
13 Tips for Effective Email Marketing by MarketingVOX
Tip #13 Make it easy to unsubscribe to your messages. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone who wants out. Don’t give them grief over it.Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/4GdthQ
 
13 tips (A baker’s dozen!) for successful e-commerce
Tip #13 Use analytics to gauge effectiveness. Measurement is a must. “Especially in challenging economic times, marketers are wise to leverage analytics to measure success,” said Eric Peterson, a Web analytics consultant. “The difference between knowing you’re spending marketing dollars online and knowing how that money contributes back to the business is profound.” Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/QvelQ
 
13 Tips for Mobilizing Online Action by Have Fun • Do Good
Tip #13 Facilitate peer-to-peer referrals. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/Z8wSW
 
13 Tips for Marketing Your Business With Your Blog
Tip #13 Mix it Up. If you decide just to go with one blog instead of multiple blogs for multiple channels of your company it can be worthwhile to mix up the type of content that appears on your blog. There are so many types of posts that a company could run depending upon their objectives including:
highlighting key staff members, message from the CEO, state of the industry posts, linking to breaking news in the industry, polls … Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/3wJg50

13 Tips for a STRESS-FREE Halloween
Tip #13 Hide your black cat. Some pet experts recommend hiding your black cat a few days before October 31st – not just on Halloween night. When it comes to pet safety, it’s better to be extra safe than extra sorry. Read the rest at: bit.ly/yEjay

13 Tips for Tough Times (GREEN LIVING)
Tip #13 DON’T MAKE DRASTIC CHANGES. If you’re going through a transitional period, remember that transitions are just that, transitions, advises Holt–and we need a certain amount of time to get through them. “We are such a quick-fix society that we want the answer now or even yesterday,” she says. “Allow time for transitions to happen. Stay with the simple things that you know to be true.”
Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/J8s1f

13 Tips To Help You Become More By Doing Less
Tip #13 Dancing & Grace. Inside of each of us is a dancer. That part of us that responds freely to the music of life. But somewhere along the way we become guarded. Our fears restrict us, and eventually we dismiss whatever gifts we have to offer. Today, let yourself dance. Read the rest at: http://bit.ly/1vOO5m

And to round things out, here is a free ebook: 13 Tips to Enhance Your Intuition  Grab your copy here: http://bit.ly/dQOV2

 Feel free to share YOUR links to 13 tips (or less) in the comments below.

Every year when the Fall Season approaches businesses and individuals begin planning for the holidays. In fact, it is the perfect time for companies to get ready for their next BIG promotion. One of the things to think about is hosting an Event. It could be a meeting for a group of people, it could be an open house, or it could be a formal occasion. No matter what the event, there are certain components when properly executed will keep people talking about the event long after it is over.

Of course,  if you happen to be the one doing the planning, there will probably come a time when you say to yourself,  “I just cannot wait for it to be over!” Why? Because we know all the work and details that go into the plan and it can be overwhelming.  Even the little annoyances and minor challenges can be the difference between hanging up our planning hats or not.  Those “planners” who are armed with an action plan feel satisfied and are even excited to begin working on their NEXT event.  Even the simplest of events requires planning, preparation and follow up.

Here are 21 tips to help you pull off the perfect event that will build your CONFIDENCE and set the tone for events to come:

1. If you are planning to host an event with more than 20 people, consider recruiting a co-chair to help with some of the details.

2. Use a personalized invitation to invite guests to your event. Follow up with the registrants and provide complete event details, such as location, time, directions and proper attire.

3. Encourage your guests to bring plenty of business cards to exchange with other guests

4. Consider inviting your customers, suppliers or prospects, when creating your invitation list.

5. Generate targeted emails to these groups to let them know what you are offering.

6. Design a postcard Invitation to send via email.  Or use one of the free online invitations available such as Yahoo Invites, Evites, or Sendomatic. 

7. Consider having a drawing to encourage attendance — such as a complementary service your company can provide or a coupon for something from a partner or supplier.  

8. Get a Sponsor for the event to help underwrite the costs.  Make sure the sponsor’s name is included in the invitations as well as mentioned during the event.  You may also wish to give your Sponsor 5 minutes to address your guests, a table at the event which they can use to place their marketing materials in addition to allowing them to distribute their information to guests.  If the sponsor makes a significant contribution to your event, consider giving them a Free attendance. 

9. Post the invitation on your website. Create a unique registration page to gather information.  Make sure it includes information to RSVP.

10. Make sure all invitations, notices and flyers include information to RSVP.

11. Choose a time that will work for the greatest number of attendees and you.

12. Consider hosting your event at a location other than a restaurant or country club.  Some ideas include having your event in your home, at a vendor location (such as a technology company), at a City Hall, or Chamber of Commerce, University or College, Tech School, Newspaper, Outdoors

13. If you are hosting an educational event consider topics that would relate to Women and ECommerce. (See suggested topics for WECAI meetings).

14. Keep a current list of registrants, updating it to reflect new guests. 

15. Send out more than one invitation.  Some people don’t read the first one sent, so it is always good to follow up with a second and even third notice.

16. 24 hours before the event, send a Reminder email notice to your guest list to ensure as many guests as possible will show up the day of the event.

17. If you are charging for the event – to cover costs of the meal, location, etc. have a deadline for sending in the money – RSVP (agreed upon with the venue/caterer/restaurant).

18. Consider giving a prize or special incentive to all who register EARLY. Or have a contest and choose a winner with a prize for early registrations. You could ask a Vendor to donate a prize just for this.  Extra PR for both! on time.

19. Be sure and let the media know of your plans as they unfold. For instance a release to “announce” the event, another release to announce any special guests or speakers, a third release for sponsors and an overall release describing the event in greater detail. 

20. If you do have a speaker, give her/him adequate time to present allowing time for guests to ask questions.

21. Collect business cards or have a registration card at the sign-in table.  This way you can follow up with your guests and thank them for attending. Be sure to send thank you’s after your event to everyone involved.

Here are some related articles that may be of interest in Planning the Perfect Event:

Planning Special Events – Six Strategies for Success  and Special Event Planning – Develop Your Master Plan

©Heidi Richards Mooney – is an  Entrepreneur,  Business Coach, Student of Social Media and the Author of 8 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://www.speakingwithspirit.com to get a FREE copy of chapter one of Quirky Marketing ~ 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-traditional Holidays

I was so excited to see that there is actually a day dedicated to Smile Power. I have one problem with it though. EVERY DAY SHOULD BE SMILE POWER DAY!

Having said that, at least we have a day to raise awareness of the smile, the sheer power a smile has in business and in life. Could it be that the SMILE is the true key to success?

And  in case you’ve ever doubted the power of smiling, did you know that it takes twice as many muscles to frown as it does to smile? Smiling, like laughter is universal.  Everyone smiles in the same language!  Smiles make an ordinary person extraordinary.   Smiling is the most recognized form of beauty, friendship, acceptance. and goodwill. Smiles have been attributed with lowering the blood pressure of everyone who sees it. In fact, there have been studies done that “prove” smiling can even lengthen your life.

If these were not enough reasons to smile, there’s another one…  Smiling is 100% free!

Smiles actually made one man famous and spread like wildfire around the globe. I’m talking about those yellow “happy face” or “smiley face” icons that became popular in late 1960’s.  The smiley face was created by  Harvey R. Ball, who co-owned an advertising and public relations firm. He designed the HAPPY SMILEY FACE in 1963 to boost the morale of workers in two recently merged insurance companies.  Harvey Ball was paid $45 for his artwork by State Mutual Life Assurance Companies of America.

Here’ssome Smiley Face Trivia:

In the late 1960’s, N.G. Slater Corporation began making yellow and black smiley face pins that quickly became a hit with the public. 

 During the 1970s, the yellow SMILEY FACE became a universal symbol of happiness and good cheer appealing to all ages.  

In the beginning the smiley face design was solo it was later accompanied by the phrase  “Have a nice day!” 

In 1971 ( At its peak of popularity ), more than 50 million SMILEY FACE buttons were sold. 

The Smiley Face has been used in countless advertising, marketing  and public relations campaigns, most recently by the discount chain store, Wal-Mart.  

 In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service issued a SMILEY FACE postage stamp in the “1970s Celebrate the Century” set.

So today, why not have a Smile Contest? Or simply hand out Smiley Buttons to everyone you encounter. Better yet, give them a genuine SMILE. Chances are, you’ll get one in return.

If you need a little inspiration, here’s a great video I found called  – Gift of a Smile http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/gift-of-a-smile/13058646

And my favorite is SMILE with Michael Jackson at http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/smile-michael-jackson/20453714. I thought it appropriate to share the King of Pop’s rendition of SMILE. It will make you laugh AND may even bring a tear to your eye.  And it will certainly bring home the POWER OF A SMILE!

And then there’s this YouTube video that showcases smiley faces beautifully!

And finally, here’s a few SMILE POWER Articles I recommend you check out:

Check out The International Smile Power Organization

Service With a Smile: Tips for Developing a Sustainable Competitive Advantage 

What makes a Great Smile?

check out these exercises for a more beautiful smile:

Telephone Answering Tips – Putting Your Best Smile Forward!

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.  It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.” 
~Quoted in P.S. I Love You, compiled by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Even on Twitter You are Judged by the Company You Keep! Today as I was checking in on Twitter, I noticed something that had not struck me so blatantly before and that is that nearly every person who send tme a DM (direct message) included a link to get “thousands of followers on Twitter” (suggesting effortlessly).

Normally I don’t click on those links because I have become somewhat of a Twitter following puritan.  Not 100% but for the most part.  As you will soon see.

My goal in building a Twitter following is two-fold. To become a recognized social media expert and to meet great people around the globe.  If that translates into income, all the better.

Having said that, I have worked diligently to grow my Twitter following almost totally organically.  Of course, when I first got ACTIVE on Twitter that was not the case, as many Tweeple will tell you. 

In the beginning I followed every person my friends followed without really looking at who they are or if they would even be the right audience for my message. Doing this helped my followers grow from 300 to 2,500 followers in about 3 months time.  BTW, the original 300 took 6 month and no effort. I only went to Twitter about 1 or 2 times a week and posted 3-4 comments. That’s it.

In January I decided to either make it or leave it on Twitter and started making a focused effort to interact with folks and build a following.  Hey, all my friends were doing it and having lots of fun and even a few success. So why not?

During January and early February my only goal was to grow my following. I didn’t pay any attention to the “quality” or relevance of those that followed me.

Today that is not the case.  It took me a while to figure out that it was more important to have a following of people that meant something, that I could connect with and also learn from.  And these days with so many bots and spammers infiltrating Twitter, that is even MORE IMPORTANT.

And then there’s the CREDIBILITY FACTOR. If you’ve spent any time at all on Twitter you know that it takes time and effort to build a real following.

Of course, you could go to Tweep Me and pay $12.95 for 5,000 instant followers (or Brute Force Twitter or Twitter Smackdown) but will they add value to your network? Would you have to sift throught them to get rid of those unsavory followers you would not like your own circle to see you associating with?  If so, why would you allow them to take up space in your following and timeline in the first place?

Believe me, people who follow you and want to grow their own following are also looking at your following (and followers) for great people to follow. It’s called reputation by association.

So just how do you find the type of followers that would add value and meaning to your Twitter experience? I just shared one idea with you; look at those people in your followers network. Read their bios and posts and if they are people you’d like to get to know, follow them.

Here are my five “RULES” to grow a quality Twitter following:

1. Look at the people you intentionally followed (not necessarily those you auto-followed because they follow you).  Look at who THEY are following.  From their following, find those you’d like to connect with a follow them.  If and when they return the favor by following you back, send a personal message instead of one of those autoresponders. (Note: when you get to a point where you are getting more followers than you can keep up with personally welcoming, come up with a thought-provoking welcome message to auto send.  And then each time you visit your Twitter page, look at your new followers and pick a few to send a personal message to. Or check their timeline and find an interesting post to retweet. This will get his/her attention and your chances of a starting a conversation increase considerably.

2.Pay attention to RETWEETS.  There are golden nuggets in the retweets your followers are sharing.  you can find great people to connect with by reading these. And chances are they will feel the same way.  You could retweet the retweet which can lead to that person thanking you and following you back or you can simply follow her/him.

3. One of my favorite days of the week on Twitter is Follow Friday (on Follow Friday the people on twiter recommend people to their people to follow.  And if you want to expand your reach beyond your followers include the hashtag: #FollowFriday.  This is the day Twitterville set aside to recommend great people to follow.  And it is a goldmine of opportunity.  However, I think lately people have gotten lazy. Instead of telling us why we should follow someone, people are simply suggesting lots of people to follow with no reason behind the recommendation. Follow Friday is simply recommending people to follow to your followers. Here’s an example of how I participate: 

@BruceTurkel is a Branding expert, speaker, art director, author, harmonica zealot and all around great guy to follow #followfriday

@NancyMarmolejo is a High achieving, soul driven social media devotee to follow #followfriday AND she’s FUN!

@PennyHaynes has a cool new tool for info products – check it out at http://tinyurl.com/rsszine – and #followfriday Penny too!

When you use the hastag “followFriday, it ends up on the top ten trending topics timeline and everyone on Twitter can see it. Another great way to expand your reach beyond your own followers and their following. 

4. Speaking of Top Ten Trending Topics, use the search bar on the right hand side of your navigation – homepage for great people to connect with.  When you see a trending topic such as followfriday, click on it and see who’s saying what.  If they sound like someone you want to connect with, visit his/her page read a few more posts and Follow Away!

5. Post S.M.A.R.T. TWEETS.  What are S.M.A.R.T. TWEETS?  S – strategic (think about what the tweet means to your overall Twitter mission), M – meaningful (will what you have to say matter to anyone but you?), A – authentic, R – recommendable (retweetable) and T – timely (latest news, newsworthyness, up to date).  I do my best to include at least one of the S.M.A.R.T. elements in every post. Of course, the best post will have all 5!

My criteria boils down to this: If I don’t have something in common with my followers or would not want to connect with him/her in a social or networking setting, then why do I want him or her to follow me and vice-versa?  And would this person be someone I’d ever bring home to meet the family?

For more information on tweeting smart, Read my article: How and Why to TWEET S.M.A.R.T.

Here are a list of small business resources to help you realize your financial goals:

Structure financing to satisfy both your business and personal needs ~ www.score.org/fc_3.html

Small Business Loans and Grants ~ http://www.business.gov/finance/financing/

Small Business Financing Resources ~ http://tinyurl.com/4ctlga

9 Steps to Establish Business Credit ~ http://tinyurl.com/qzv6qd

Tap 7 Innovative Ways to Finance Your Business ~ http://tinyurl.com/qle8tm

Discover all the Basics to Getting Business Grants and Loans ~ Take the Free eCourse ~ http://tinyurl.com/pqxucr

Alternative Financing Sources ~ Does your company need capital and it doesn’t qualify for traditional bank financing? http://tinyurl.com/qdjfwf

LOCAL AND NATIONAL EVENTS:

HOW to Promote Your Small Business on the RADIO ~ Here’s  event taking place on Wednesday, May 20th, that you don’t want to miss. IT’S FREE and early in the day. The perfect incentive to jumpstart your Publicity campaign.  Go to: http://tinyurl.com/qt8qfw and read all about it.

CHECK OUT THE U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)  Small Business FREE Workshops Nationwide info at:  www.onealtectraining.com

Internet Retailer 2009 Conference & Exhibition Boston on June 15-18 http://tinyurl.com/r8tz5p

Social Media Summit – Early Bird Discount Ends This Thursday http://www.socialmediasummit09.com/

June 9-11 – WEBNC Women in Business: National Conference and Business Fair - San Francisco, CA  http://tinyurl.com/cgwhu4

Power You Dream: NAWBO Women’s Business Conference 2009 ~ Women’s Business Conference 2009 offers a unique platform for women entrepreneurs to power their businesses. From awe-inspiring general sessions to value-added concurrent breakout sessions- some of the country’s top business experts and renowned entrepreneurs will present keen insight and timely perspective on how women business owners can sustain, grow, and expand their enterprises by recognizing and seizing opportunities in today’s challenging business environment. June 24 – June 26, 2009 www.nawbo.org

Green Business Event ~ second annual Green Business Event will invite an elite business panel to address questions regarding the local Green Movement. The Los Angeles Business Journal invites you to join us as we investigate ways in which companies of all sizes can intelligently respond to the call for sustainable business practices. Luncheon & Networking, 500+ attendees.
July 7 Los Angeles, CA www.labusinessjournal.com

WEBINARS ON DEMAND:

Expanding Your Web Presence in 2009 ~ Business is booming. In the past two years Online sales have increased more than 40%. Isn’t it time to maximize your online presence in 2009?
Learn search engine optimization tips and e-commerce strategies to help increase your sales, how to build a loyal customer base with email marketing and more…  http://tinyurl.com/pyauj3

Disaster Preparation and Planning for Small Business ~ Disasters can strike at any time. What’s your recovery plan in place? Did you know that 70% of small businesses that suffer a major data loss will go out of business within a year. Arm yourself with the information you need so you won’t be another statistic.
http://tinyurl.com/on5z7b

Finding Success in Today’s Economy ~ Learn business tips and information for “Finding Success in Today’s Economy”. Entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized companies who wants to achieve business success during tough economic times, can learn how to establish good business practices, develop sales and marketing strategies, identify new business opportunities and more ~ http://tinyurl.com/qakubn
 
Put Your Business to Work…For You ~ free online seminar. In one hour, learn how to increase productivity and make smart use of technology to grow your small business.
http://tinyurl.com/qcqycb

MISCELLANEOUS SMALL BUSINESS RESOURCES:

Nominate a Top Small Business for the 2009 Top 200 So. FLA Small Business Awards http://www.businessleader.com/SouthFlorida-Top100

Check out the SBTV Events Calendar for a list of Small Business Events around the USA ~ http://www.sbtv.com/calendar/default.aspx

Help a Reporter Out (HARO) ~ Find out who’s looking for whom to interview at www.helpareporter.com

Grow a Million Dollar Business Audio Program ~ 17 interviews with experts on topics that add to your bottom line at www.growamilliondollarbusiness.com

WECAI Domains ~ Register Your new domains here: www.WECAIDomains.com

Tips Booklets are better than brochures and people hold on to them! Create Tips Booklets to Promote Your Small Business ~ http://www.tipsbooklets.com/

GRAB Annie Jennings FREE Publicity CD at http://www.anniejenningspr.com/experts.htm

Want great publicity tips for your small business? Check out Joan Stewart’s Publicity Hound Newsletter ~ www.publicityhound.com
 
Influence and Social Networking sites ~ Places to find other Small Business Owners Online:

The Small Business Buzz (@sbbuzz) community on Twitter convenes two hours every Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. EST

LinkedIn ~  www.LinkedIn.com

Sta.rtUp.Biz ~ The Small Business Social Network at: http://sta.rtup.biz

Perfect Networker ~ www.perfectnetworker.com 

Check out the social networking directory Ning http://Ning.com for niche social networking sites

Manage Your Messages on Dozens of Social Networking Services at Once with Ping.fm  http://tinyurl.com/ov95ml

Read yesterday’s post 100+ Tips to Manage Your Small Business http://tinyurl.com/q928l6

Be sure to read today’s Women in Business Interviews on the WE Magazine for Women Blog ~ www.WEMagazineforWomen.com

Feel free to suggest similar resources in the comments section.

What I’d like to do today is take each area of our business and see how we can maximize our profitability, beginning with Processes.

Are you maximizine your time? Do you focus on the work at hand? Do you play on your strenghts in business? Do you know what your competitors weaknesses are? Do you look at expenses and focus on reducing them to add to your bottom line? If you answered “no” to any or all of these questions, chances are you are not getting the most profit from your small business.

The first thing to look at are the processes you have in place to run your business. Do your processes add value to your business or are they things you do to stay busy? Busy-ness is doing things that you don’t really need to do and not paying attention to those things that could add value to your business. Only you can answer this question.

Processes in business can include how you handle mail, how and when you check email, paperwork, reports, meetings, travel, and other forms of communication such as the telephone.

The first question to ask yourself when looking at your processes is “Do I find things to do that keep me from doing the really important stuff, do I procrastinate by hiding behind “doing?” Do I find myself wasting time on mundane tasks during times when I should be marketing my products and services or training my clients, customers and staff for maximum effectiveness?

This is huge for me. When I have a task that seems overwhelming, I can find myself working on things that have little or nothing to with the task that really needs to be done. Take my newsletters for instance. I sometimes put them off until the very last moment because the job just seems too overwhelming to me. I want to work on them and get them out, but somehow I manage to find other things to do, such as answering emails, or going through old emails and deleting them. BTW, there is a time and place for everything so doing the sorting is not a bad thing, it’s just that I might do this during my peak time instead of working on the creative aspects of business when I am at my best.

What processes do you put too much time in, avoid, procrastinate about, or just get by doing that could be affecting your bottom line?

Here are some processes you could change to better manage your time and add to your bottom line:

THE TELEPHONE – Screen your calls. By doing this you are choosing who you wish to speak to. For example, say you are having a highly productive day, you are really in a flow, accomplishing a lot of things on your to-do list. And the phone rings. It could be a customer or it could be a sales person making a cold-call. Now I am not against sales people, I just wish they had better timing. It seems to me they call when I am either in the middle of writing an article or working on my website, having dinner or meeting with an important client.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could “screen these calls?” You may already be doing so, by having an answering machine pick up. However if you are in earshot and you hear the message it becomes another distraction. I recommend you hire someone to answer those calls for you. Having someone answer your calls (a live person) makes your company appear larger, and in some cases more professional. Now I already know that for some of you this is not the answer. You will tell me that your customers like being able to get you directly. And that may be true.

What I am saying is that having someone who is trained to answer your calls can free up a lot of your time to pursue those things that are important to business growth. Like marketing and public relations. There are many companies who offer this type of service. The most important thing is if you are going to screen your calls make sure you return them promptly. Don’t make people wait. It could cost you a job, a career or even a customer.

EMAIL - If you’re like most people these days, you probably get between50 and 250 email messages a day, many of which are unwanted. And some which are important. Multiply that by the number of email accounts you have, and you could find yourself spending the better part of most days just deleting and/or responding to these electronic communications. The problem is how to clear out your inbox and better manage your time.

Here are some tips to get your email under control.

Keep your inbox empty. This is the key to managing you e-mail.

Put important email messages in a folder or folders and title the folders appropriately.

Answer important emails in a timely fashion at specified times of the day (you decide when it is appropriate to respond and schedule that as your email writing time.

Set your inbox to check for new messages only a few times a day. Turn down the “you’ve got mail” announcer so you can better focus on the job at hand.

Get a spam filter. You may risk losing some email messages, however, you have greater control over what you allow into your inbox.

Put important email addresses in your address book so you won’t have to go searching for them when you need to send a message in a hurry.

Subscribe to mailing lists, listservs and the like at a new e-mail address. This will help with email overload and you can check these in your spare time instead of having to peruse them with your more urgent communications. Gmail may be a good choice for this.

Use your “delete” key. Clean up your inbox and remove old, unused messages.

In a subsequent message I will talk about maximizing meeting effectiveness….

Heidi

Heidi Richards Mooney ~ Author, Entrepreneur, Business Coach
Stay in Touch with SendOutCards http://www.SendOutCards.com/Heidi
Check out my latest book: QUIRKY MARKETING at http://www.quirkyoffer.com

Follow Me on Twitter ~ http://twitter.com/heidirichards