Women in Business Online: Why Joint Venture Marketing is so Darned Smart

March 10, 2010 By Gina Bell 1 Comment

Marketing business salesJoint ventures (predominantly Virtual Events) is the primary way that I grow my “list”… my community… my peeps… my tribe by leaps and bounds!

I’m hosting List Attraction Week right now! It is a multi-speaker virtual event focused on a topic of extreme value to the women in business online that I support and serve.

A virtual event is a joint venture marketing strategy that I highly recommend but, here’s the caveat… it’s not for the weak at heart! There’s a lot of moving parts to a virtual event and I believe the end results are totally worth the effort.

If the idea of hosting your own virtual event interests you or you love the idea of being able to put your own joint venture together (virtual event or not) to grow your list this year the Ready to JV in 4 weeks Tele-Course starts tonight.

Here are my top 8 reasons why Joint Venture Marketing (like hosting a Virtual Event) is so smart:

1) RAPID LIST BUILDING: The co-promotion of the joint venture partners creates massive exposure for everyone involved. Ten high profile joint venture partners with an average list size of 10,000 means that your message/event will be exposed to 100,000 people. That’s good for you and good for your joint venture partners too!

2) RELEVANT LIST BUILDING: When done correctly – the flood of new subscribers you attract through your virtual event are targeted and relevant to your area of expertise. Take List Attraction Week as an example. Serious women in business online want to know how to grow their list, keep people on their list and make money from their list. There is the potential to get the best of both worlds: quantity AND quality. And, when it comes to list building this is a winning combination!

The more relevant your list, the easier it is to build RELATIONSHIPS which is the heart of your community. Through relationships comes trust and that is the cornerstone of profitability.

3) IMMEDIATE REVENUE: A successful joint venture planned correctly can lead to immediate revenue. A percentage of the targeted and relevant subscribers you attract will become paying customers.

4) DIVIDE EFFORT MULTIPLY EFFECT: In my opinion, a virtual event is the ultimate leverage. By partnering with other experts in your area of expertise, the collective energy and effort grows your list, boosts your credibility and stimulates revenue. Now you can impact more people AND… do more and more of what you LOVE to do!

5) CATALYST FOR MOMENTUM: A virtual event is a catalyst for tremendous growth. My business grows by leaps and bounds rather than inching along. I’m also able to leverage the momentum and buzz a virtual event creates. And you can too!

6) CREDIBILITY THROUGH ASSOCIATION: When you partner with other highly respected experts in your field, it boosts your credibility by association. And, as the lead of the joint venture, you boost your fame factor too! “Oh wow! You know [insert name of super cool guru JV partner]? I’m impressed”

7) POWERFUL AND PROFITABLE RELATIONSHIPS: Collaborating and creating joint ventures with other experts boosts your credibility through association. As you add value and increase to their lives, they want to add value and increase to you. These mutually beneficial win-win relationships are priceless.

8 ) MARKETING BECOMES FUN AND EASY! The momentum each joint venture project creates allows me to get the biggest results for my investment of time and money. The key word here again is LEVERAGE. A Joint Venture is SMART marketing on steroids!

Sound good to you?

If you’re serious about getting joint ventures working for you in new and more powerful ways join me for “Ready to JV” it starts tonight at 7:00 pm CT.

See you there!

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With joint venture marketing, List Attraction Week, ready to jv, women in business online

Want to take it up a notch (or ten) on Twitter? Do what good tweeters do…

March 2, 2010 By Gina Bell 7 Comments

Do What Good Tweeters DoI was thrilled to be identified as one of the “Top 20 Responsive Women You Need to Follow on Twitter” – By Holly Reisem Hanna founder of The Work at Home Woman.

It sparked a question from my community of women in business online: “Gina, how can I be viewed as a responsive on Twitter too?”

My answer begins with a question for you:

When you login to Twitter to update your status, are you looking at the mutual benefit OR do you have a more singular “what’s in it for me” focus?

Now, don’t get me wrong. We are all in business to be successful and a BIG part of that is making money. And we all want to capture people’s attention (in a good way). The problem is that when we lead from a “what’s in it for me?” intention it comes across as salesy and one-sided.

Think of any relationship in your life… If it was consistently one-sided how long would it last?

People love to buy but they don’t like to be sold to. At a consumer level you already know this so why then do you keep trying to SELL?

The key to attracting new clients and making money through Twitter without being salesy is to shift your intention.

Be interested in others first rather than trying so hard to be interesting to them.

If you are using Twitter for business, do it in a way that adds value and increase to others rather than a blatant sales pitch – Yes, there IS a difference. It may seem counter-intuitive at first but it really works.

Below are two specific things that I do consistently to be responsive.

I believe that adding value and increase to the lives of others without expecting anything in return is the key to reciprocity. What goes around comes around.

Everyone who follows me receives an automatic direct message (auto-DM). I stopped using this technology for a while when people started to abuse it but I’m using it again very effectively.

I don’t know about you but I get DM spam in my twitter inbox every day. Anything that’s similar to “Hi! Thanks for following. Check out my website here …” or “Hi! It’s great to meet you. Here’s my FREE report” gets deleted immediately.

So how do you get YOUR auto-DM to stand out from the crowd? Remember… you’ve got to shift your intention. The example DM’s above are me-focused and salesy. What can you say that shows genuine interest in others and even gets conversation started?

Here’s mine…

“Hi! Thanks for reaching out! What do you love to tweet about the most? ~ Gina”

And guess what…

People respond. People tell me every day what they love to tweet about most. And just the other day someone added that they normally don’t respond to DM’s at all but mine was self-centered at all and they liked that.

The difference between the spammy salesy DM’s and mine is that it engages conversation and builds rapport and opens a door to what really matters… real relationships with real people.

The second thing I love to do is to connect people that should meet. This one’s easy but the key is to pay attention. Read people’s Twitter bios, take notice of what others tweet about and connect like-minded people. This is a great way to make sure you’ve shifted your intention to being interested in others first.

Twitter is where I meet my best joint venture partners too. It’s really become the hub for a lot of my joint venture marketing strategies. If you’ve been wanting to develop joint venture relationships there’s still time to join me for the Ready to JV 4-week Tele-Course starting March 10th.  Just one successful joint venture can dramatically up-level your business.

So now YOU can do what good tweeters do. Give it a try and keep me posted on what you experience as a result okay. I’ll share more tips on how to be more responsive on Twitter again soon.

Wait! While you’re here, I’d sure love for you to share your thoughts and experiences below okay.

~ Gina xo

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With engage on twitter, Gina Bell, responsive on twitter, sell through social media, sell without being salesy, twitter, women in business online

“Fake it till you make it.” Savvy Advice or Silent Saboteur? Well… That Depends!

February 24, 2010 By Gina Bell 9 Comments

looking-in-mirrorAuthenticity advocates and heart-centered entrepreneurs cringe at the sound of this phrase – I know, I consider myself to be both. The idea of faking anything sounds terrible (and inauthentic) but I’ve discovered that the core intention of this advice has a lot of merit. (Are you gonna let one little word distract you from the wisdom?)

As with most good advice, there is a caveat… It’s great advice IF you are in transition to your next best self and you have a very clear vision of what that looks like for YOU.

The pitfall occurs when our definition of success is based on the life or business another person has created. We try to be like them, do like they do to the point where we start to sound like them, our websites morph into a mini-me version of theirs. And on it goes until your original vision is no longer visible. (But we’re modeling success – right? Um, thats a whole other conversation we could have!)

In this case the “fake it till you make it” concept has us wandering down a garden path taking us further away from our original desire to be a more successful version of ourselves. When we finally realize we’ve gone astray, the way back seems daunting and in many cases we feel completely lost.

It’s a very frustrating place to be which takes us back to “fake it till you make it”… How in the world can this be a good thing?

Let’s say that you’re on a mission to make 6-figures this year but up to this point you’ve struggled to break 30K/year. Your current identity is not going to get you to a six-figure year. So, what shifts need to happen in your identity (beliefs, behaviours, choices and actions) so you can experience this leap from 30K to 100K?

Here are a few questions to get you started…

What does success look like to you?
What do you want your life and business to be like?
What beliefs, behaviours, choices and actions (or in-action) must exist for you to be this more successful version of yourself?

Once you have this clearly – and authentically – defined, you can truly leverage the fake it till you make it concept. Now you can move forward taking action, making choices and behaving the way a 6-figure version of YOU would do.

“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change” ~ Wayne Dyner

It sounds simple doesn’t it but it requires commitment and persistence.

Here’s some ways you can own this enhanced version of you sooner:

1. Share your goals with people who support you and believe in you (their belief will keep you going through the times when you lack belief in yourself)
2. Hire a coach or mentor to hold you accountable. They will talk you down from the ledge when you’re scared of truly owning this more successful vision of you.

If you are bursting with the desire to truly claim a more successful version of you the first step is to make the decision to do whatever it takes to make it happen. (The next step is to take action.)

You deserve to BE the woman you dream of becoming. How much longer will you push this dream aside?

I have two seats left in my Equity-Rich Women Online Platinum one-to-one coaching program. It’s for success-driven women who are ready to experience a faster speed of success and want to take big leaps in their business this year.

You can read more about it here: http://www.GinaBellinc.com/erw

gina bell signature

.

P.S. Not sure if you’re ready to make an 8 month commitment but still want to see big results this year? I hear you! This is precisely why enrollment to the Equity-Rich Women Online System and Toolkit Pilot Program so low. There’s even a 2-pay option if you register before March 1st.

If you resonate with the principles I’ve been sharing during the free teleseries and on my blog AND if you’re thinking of creating your own signature system this is one of those proverbial “no-brainers” (I don’t really care much for that expression but I haven’t found a better way to tell it like it is).

You’ll gain access to a 12 week (24 module) product creation experience that includes a one-hour strategy session with me; group Q & A’s; unveiling of the entire ERWO System and more! All for just $297.00 and we start on March 23rd.

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom

Top Five Reasons Why It’s So Smart to be Equity-Rich Online

February 9, 2010 By Gina Bell 10 Comments

“Equity-Rich” is more than just a business model…
.
Woman in business online 7

It’s more than a system or process. It’s an approach to doing and being a wildly successful online entrepreneur. It’s like being able to put on a pair of smart glasses that increases your speed of success, from the impact you make to the revenue you generate.

When you make this shift and begin to look at your business from an equity-rich point of view it’s the difference between putting out a fire with a garden hose versus a fire hose. Now you’re getting somewhere right!

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~ Wayne Dyer

Having an equity-rich approach to your online success is a smart way to do and be in business… Here’s why:

1. Equity: When you build equity in your business you increase the value of it. Your ability to build equity comes in many forms from the programs and products you create to the systems and business model(s) you leverage. A simple example is a membership-based business. Each new member builds equity in the company. When you are able to clearly identify the equity within your business it becomes an “asset” that you can sell.

An equity-rich approach reaches beyond the traditional “solo-preneur” view and explores what if’s such as… What if there comes a time where you don’t want to (or can’t) continue the business? An equity-rich approach takes the solo out of solopreneur and ensures the life equity (time) you invest in the creation, development and evolution of your business becomes an asset that you or your family (estate) can leverage in the future. (i.e. a company that could be sold despite your involvement).

2. Leverage: Your ability to apply leverage within your business is what enables you to make more in less time, to do more with less effort. From time, money, expertise, relationships, energy, business model and more… there are a multitude of ways to leverage what you’ve got to get what you really want.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Why just do it when you can REALLY do it?

3. Asset Development: An equity-rich approach to business explores asset creation and how each asset adds value (equity) to the business as well as to your ideal clients. An example of an asset is an in-demand product or service. An “equity-rich” asset is one that can be leveraged to build equity from a long-term perspective.

4. ROI (Return on Investment): Starting and growing a thriving business online requires an investment of time, money, faith and more. An equity-rich approach looks at how you can get the best return on your investment – for the long term.

When you make decisions from this equity-rich vantage point it becomes easy to evaluate what’s smart and what’s not. Your ability to build equity, create and leverage assets for the greatest return on investment becomes a filter that makes evaluating opportunities easy-peasy!

Clarity = confidence and it is the heart beat of an equity-rich approach that supports the leaps and momentum success-driven women crave.

5. Legacy: Now here’s where SMART meets BIG THINKER… When an entrepreneur looks at their business in this way everyone wins. It’s the difference between a hobby business and a business owner/CEO.

As I mentioned above, an equity-rich approach to business looks beyond the solo in solopreneur and explores the question… what if you didn’t want to keep doing this business or what if something happened and you couldn’t. What measures are in place to ensure that your family can fully leverage your success?

From the creation of an online operations manual, multiple and passive revenue streams to the very foundation of your business model, you can build an equity-rich business that honors your legacy – adding value and increase to the lives of your ideal clients and the lives of your family – whether you’re actively engaged or not.

An equity-rich approach to business is a catalyst that accelerates success long term. If you’d like to explore the concept further, join me for the Equity-Rich Women Online Teleseries. It’s on now… http://www.ginabellinc.com/erw/preview

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With equity rich women, equity-rich, Equity-Rich Women Online, Gina Bell, internet-based entrepreneurs, Online Entrepreneurs, Online Success, success online, women entrepreneurs online, women in business online

I’ll be expert co-panelist for #MOMeoChat Thursday February 4th. Topic: Networking and Joint Ventures

February 3, 2010 By Gina Bell 5 Comments

momeoI’m honored to be an expert advisor for MOMeo Community and would love for you to join me along with the faaaaabulous expert co-panelists @SandyGrason and @MelaniWard for a twitter chat all about networking and joint ventures.

We’re going to be sharing a ton of – 140 character or less – tips for one full hour to help you get networking and joint ventures working for you in new and powerful ways.

You can join us through tweetchat.com (use hashtag #MOMeoChat) or, follow the conversation using the Twitter search box – same hashtag. Oh and be sure to follow MOMeo Founder @CarlaYoung too!

The fun begins (and it really is fun) at 8:00 pm CT on Thursday February 4th. (6pm PT/7pm MT/9pm ET)

Tweet you there!

gina bell signature

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With Business Networking, Carla Young, Gina Bell, joint ventures, JV, Melani Ward, MOMeo Community, MOMeo Magazine, networking on twitter, networking through social media, Sandy Grason

Ready to JV (Joint Venture Marketing) Tele-Course: How to Partner and Prosper in 2010 #RTJV

February 1, 2010 By Gina Bell 6 Comments

iStock_000004538009XSmallOverview:

ONE Good Joint Venture Can Dramatically Boost Your Business – and quickly too!

Now you can be READY TO JV in just 4 short weeks so you can…

  • Grow your community of subscribers!
  • Boost your credibility and expertise!
  • Make more money in less time with greater ease and more!

A panel of top experts agree joint ventures are the fastest and most profitable way to grow your business, even if you’re starting from scratch! The READY TO JV Course covers EXACTLY what you need to know (and do) to get joint ventures (JV’s) working for you in new and powerful ways.
.

You Will Learn:

  • What a joint venture really is and other “JV” lingo
  • Exactly what you must think about and do BEFORE, DURING, AFTER the JV
  • How to identify and connect with your JV Dream team
  • How to present your opportunity so partners jump at the opportunity to play with you
  • How to lead and motivate joint venture partners for maximum results
  • Systems and technologies that make joint venturing easy-peasy!
  • How to create a joint venture marketing action plan (JV Map)
  • How to leverage the PARTNER method as a checklist for JV success
  • How to develop and nurture profitable win-win relationships for the long-term
  • How to reduce risk and protect your valuable assets and ideas
  • Plus, a whole lot more and… surprise bonuses too!

The READY TO JV Course will walk you through a simple step-by-step progression of creating successful joint ventures. You’ll receive all of the essentials so you can concentrate on implementing your new found skills and ideas.

register button square
.

Bonuses:

#1. Personal e-coaching with me. Get feedback, advice and your specific questions answered directly by me! (Details provided upon registration)

#2. Valuable surprise BONUSES delivered each week beginning with a 60-minute audio interview where I share tons of tips and advice about networking, joint ventures and list building.

FAST ACTION BONUS! The first five to register will also receive a 30 minute joint venture strategy session with me! (Value $247.00)
.

Course Agenda:

This course begins Wednesday March 10

This teleclass meets for one hour each week for four weeks.

  • Wednesday March 10
  • Wednesday March 17
  • Wednesday March 24
  • Wednesday March 31

All teleclasses are at 7:00 pm Central.

This course is “calendar friendly”. If you miss a session, you will have access to each class recording.
.

Course Format:

Participants attend this course via live tele-webinar. Attend by phone or webcast, from the comfort of your home or office – it’s your choice.

This program is designed to deliver the essentials in digestible bite-sized actionable pieces. This increases the likelihood that you will IMPLEMENT what you learn. We’re going to eat that elephant one bite at a time! Our calls (and follow up bonuses) will be filled with information, advice, resources and action steps to get you up and joint venturing successfully in just 4 short weeks!

You’ll get access to both the mp3 audio recordings and PDF transcripts. Audio is usually available within 24 hours of each call. Transcripts can take up to 7 days.
.

About Your Facilitator:

Gina Bell is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, successful coach and author, Founder of IAWBO the International Association of Women in Business Online, President and CEO of Gina Bell, Inc and Creator of JV Mavens Partner and Prosper Network.

Gina is known as a Catalyst for Growth and consults with multi-passionate and creative women entrepreneurs from all over the world teaching them how to build equity-rich businesses and how to leverage “catalyst” strategies that enable them to up-level their success quickly and confidently.

You can learn more about Gina and her programs at GinaBellinc.com and IAWBO.com
.

Registration:

This 4-week course is just $197.00 for the first 20 registrants. Action takers are rewarded.

After the first 20, the fee goes back up to the regular registration fee of $297.00
.

register button square

Funds a little tight? Click here now for an easy-on-the-budget 2 installment option.

(That’s 2 installments of $99.00 if you act fast! Once the first 20 have registered, the installment option becomes 3 x $99).
.

Cancellation Policy: Once the class begins cancellations are not accepted.

Earnings Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to accurately represent this program and its potential. Please remember that each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. As with any business endeavor, there is no certain guarantee that you will earn any money.

Filed Under Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With Collaborative Marketing, Gina Bell, IAWBO, joint venture, joint venture marketing, joint ventures, JV, ready to jv

Unleash Your Joint-Venturous Spirit: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Two heads are better than one. United we stand!

January 29, 2010 By Gina Bell 5 Comments

Friends working at cafeIf you want to enjoy the rewards of successful joint venture marketing (and there are many) here are five things to think about and do…

1) Get Serious! Pull up your socks, roll up your sleeves and make a firm decision to get joint ventures working for you in new and powerful ways!

Simply making the decision to leverage this high ROI strategy opens your mind and heart to new opportunities and new relationships. The pieces start to fall into place ~ not by magic ~ rather, your decision jump starts your brain and it gets to work figuring out how to make it happen (okay, sometimes that can be quite magical!).

2) BE the kind of joint venture partner you’d like to attract. One of the best ways to learn the lay of the land is to participate in other people’s joint ventures. You can get an inside glance at their systems and promotional materials. And, what goes around comes around… it’s the doing that will get the laws of attraction and reciprocity working in your favour!

3) Get into the game. Not sure WHO to joint venture with or HOW to put an attractive joint venture program together? You’re not alone. My best advice? Stop sitting on the sidelines. In addition to participating in joint ventures, become a student of joint venture marketing. Read books; search the web; listen to tele-seminars; take a course; find a mentor or coach. Identify the gaps and barriers holding you back and start learning exactly what you need to know to be empowered to take action.

4) Leverage proven systems. Dramatically increase your odds of success by leveraging proven systems and processes. Based on your joint venture marketing goals/plans this could include:

- Joint Venture Marketing Action Plan

- Templates and Checklists

- Client Management System

- Follow Up/Keep in Touch System

- etc…

5) Brainstorm and Mastermind with like-minded joint-venturous women in business online. Imagine the momentum and success you can create with a community of like-minded, supportive, caring women cheering you on, and taking action to do what they can to support your success…

It sounds incredible doesn’t it?

So what are you waiting for? Learn how to leverage relationships. Discover the power of a mastermind environment and tap into practical marketing skills and must-have mindsets, both are key to achieving success – on your terms – but not alone.

If you’re really serious about learning to leverage joint ventures to grow your business this year, you can Get Ready to JV in just 4 short weeks. My new READY TO JV Course covers EXACTLY what you need to know in step-by-step detail to start creating and leveraging your own successful joint ventures.

The course begins Wednesday March 10th and the first 20 women to register save $100.00. Act fast and you could be one of the first five to receive a 30 minute joint venture strategy session with me.

Can you tell I like to reward action takers? Action is where the magic happens ;)

Just one successful joint venture can dramatically up-level your business.

Check it out at http://www.ReadytoJV.com

I look forward to seeing you there!

gina bell signature

.

P.S. Surround yourself with other joint-venturous mavens through JVmavens.com – it’s free to join!

Filed Under FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With Gina Bell, joint venture, joint venture marketing, joint ventures, JV Mavens, ready to jv, women in business online

My Big Secret – Revealed

January 12, 2010 By Gina Bell 14 Comments

Surprised womenI’ve been keeping a secret.

And I’m so relieved to be able to fess up today…

Many of you have inquired about my plans to announce a high-level coaching program for 2010 and the answer is YES!

I’m ready to give you a sneak peek of my Equity-Rich Women Online Programs for 2010!

First, those of you following me for a while know that I’m NOT a cookie-cutter kind of gal so you can bet your booties that these programs are totally original. (And I tend to over-deliver too which is always good news for you he he!)

The programs are 8-months versus a year which alone makes them distinctive and what’s REALLY cool is that you can stretch your investment over 12 months. (Now THAT is unheard of!)

I have 3 primary mantras for my own business that are the cornerstones of my programs:

1) Don’t just do it, REALLY do it.

My secret sauce and the secret to the rapid success my clients experience is a direct result of what I call “catalyst” strategies. I seek maximum impact (not perfection) in everything I do. Why inch along when you can leap every step of the way?

2) I *leverage* therefore I Grow.

The art of leverage is essential to working smarter not harder. It’s not about working harder (or perfection), it’s about getting more out of what you’re already doing and even getting more with LESS effort. It’s the key to a freedom-based equity-rich business.

3) K.I.S.S. Keep It Strategically Simple.

Nine times out of ten my clients over-think and complicate aspects of their business growth that can (and should) be quick and easy. And, nine times out of ten my clients place the proverbial cart before the horse meaning strategy gets thrown out the window. I prefer a straight-forward no B.S. approach to taking purposeful action and getting the right things done.

Can you see how these mantras greatly support the rapid growth of success-driven women?

If even one of these declarations resonates with you I encourage you to at least look into these ground-breaking 8-month programs. You can read more about the programs and download the official application form here: http://www.ginabellinc.com/erw/

Making a commitment to any high level program requires serious consideration. So, to remove any doubt and to provide a sneak peek of what you can look forward to I’ll be hosting a (free) preview tele-series “Success-Driven Women Create Equity-Rich Businesses Online”. It starts Wednesday January 20th and you can register at http://www.ginabellinc.com/erw/preview

Here’s what Kimberly has to say about her coaching experience with me:

And she’s coming back in 2010 to up-level her success again!

With minimal space in these totally unique programs (just 8 7 spaces for the platinum mastermind tier) and early bird savings and bonuses for those who act fast, I really wanted to give you the edge of advance notice before the programs go public in a bigger way.

Just think about the projects and ideas you have for your business that you’ve either been too scared or too time-strapped to implement. Now you’ll have a dedicated coach AND mastermind team to hold your feet to the fire, to validate and strengthen YOUR ideas beyond your own abilities. A coach and colleagues ready to talk you down off the ledge of fear and doubt so you can finally take your business to new successful heights beyond your wildest dreams!

ERW coverIf you are even the tiniest bit intrigued by the possibilities that exist for you and KNOW that going it alone isn’t getting you where you really want to be, that’s what my Equity-Rich Women Online programs are all about.

I am so excited about these new programs and I’d LOVE to work closer with you.

All my best,

gina bell signature

P.S. Not interested in a “group” program? Take a look at the Platinum Tier One-to-One Coaching option when you download the application.

P.P.S. Looking for high-level support without the high-level investment? Take a look at the Essentials Program. It’s an affordable no-travel required option for success-driven women.

P.P.S.S. Not sure you’re ready to make an 8 month commitment? While it’s better than 12 months, it’s not for everyone. My VIP Daily Web Coaching program may be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a unique spin on high level personalized coaching that brings new meaning to “meet-you-where-you’re-at” support. http://www.ginabellinc.com/pwc

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, Marketing Wisdom, News and Events Tagged With Equity-Rich Women Online, Gina Bell, Kimberly Englot, Online Success, women in business online

Women in Business Online: Create a Success Catalyst with this Strategic Planning Tool

December 31, 2009 By Gina Bell 7 Comments

planning conceptWhen it comes to being the multi-passionate, creative and conscious entrepreneur that I am, my knee-jerk reaction is to resist and even under-value “traditional” business tools. I’m convinced it’s a bit of rebellion left from escaping the corporate world. Can you relate?

When I became an entrepreneur I used to believe that “corporate” planning tools didn’t apply to me somehow but with the help of my coaches and mentors I’ve learned how to leverage many “traditional” tools as a catalyst to greater success.

Two of my favorite tools beyond a traditional business plan are:

1) the Operations Manual

2) the SWOT Analysis

Today we’ll look at the SWOT analysis (sometimes referred to as a risk analysis). In early 2010 I’ll be hosting a tele-class on how to create an operations manual for an online business as well as how it fits into an equity-rich business philosophy that fuels a true freedom-based business.

SWOT is an acronym for:

S = Strengths

W = Weaknesses

O = Opportunities

T = Threats

Business SWOT AnalysisThe graphic shows a traditional graph version of SWOT but you could easily use mind-mapping techniques. The traditional chart provides a simple visual for today’s article but stay tuned to the blog for a continuation of this topic from a mind-mapping perspective.

The key to this exercise is to look at your business and your goals through each lens. The end result is a snapshot of the current status of your business and a reference point that allows you to shift into immediate action.

One of my best recommendations to my clients is to “start where you are” and that is only possible when you have an honest and accurate assessment.
.

So, what are YOUR honest answers to these questions:

• What are your business strengths?

• What are the gaps or weaknesses that exist?

• What opportunities exist for you right now?

• Are there any potential threats or barriers?

Knowing the answer to these questions empowers the planning process.

For example, identifying opportunities that exist for you right now provides clarity of what needs immediate attention. Knowing the gaps and weaknesses that exist places a spotlight on specific areas that may need to be eliminated, delegated or automated.

Your SWOT analysis becomes a launching pad to taking focused action to improve your business.

Or perhaps you need to get serious about improving your skills in a specific area because the lack of has become a threat to the success of your business.

Trying to create success with blinders on is right up there with adopting hope as a strategy. It just doesn’t work.

Based on your SWOT, what are your next steps? Write them down. Schedule time in your calendar.

Keep an open mind. Even the most traditional corporate business tools can be leveraged by creative and conscious entrepreneurs.

Give the SWOT analysis a try. I guarantee that it will provide new and powerful insights that will support your planning and goals for the coming year.

gina bell signature

.

.

.

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, FREE Articles, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With Gina Bell, Internet Marketing Tools, Online Entrepreneurs, Online Success, Online Success Planning, Strategic Planning, SWOT, SWOT Analysis, women in business online

You Don’t Need a “Blueprint” to be a Successful Woman in Business Online…

December 29, 2009 By Gina Bell 8 Comments

What You Need is a Personal Tour Guide.

Modern BusinesswomanSeriously, spend a few minutes on google and you will find hundreds (probably thousands!) of “online success blueprints”… from how to create a website, to publishing an ezine; to creating your opt-in freebie, using autoresponders, publishing info products, writing articles, hosting teleseminars, being a guest on radio shows, writing sales copy and more…

They come in all shapes and sizes too… ebooks, toolkits, software, audio products, membership programs, etc.  I sell them myself and they’re great but, they’re not the only thing you need to be successful.

If blueprints were enough we’d all be making millions online.

A blueprint simply points you in one specific direction where personal coaching is like having your own personal tour guide to show you the way, highlighting important things along the way as they relate to YOU.

Think of it this way… A blueprint can teach you how to publish an online newsletter but it can’t tell you if you’ve actually created a good newsletter. It doesn’t know if you’ve put together a kick butt newsletter or the worst one ever and it can’t provide feedback on how to IMPROVE it.

Don’t get me wrong, a blueprint is a great starting place but, personal coaching provides specific and precise feedback that builds a bridge between where you are now and the goals you have for your business.

And this is where I can help you…

{Click here now to read the rest of the post}

Filed Under Desk of Gina Bell, Marketing Wisdom Tagged With eBusiness, Gina Bell, IAWBO, Internet-Based Women Entrepreneurs, Online Entrepreneurs, Online Success, Start a Business Online, Start an Online Business, women in business online