Tag: business owner

Will Outsourcing Help Me Scale My Business? 

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Outsourcing has become a popular strategy for many businesses to scale their operations. Outsourcing is the practice of hiring external contractors or companies to perform tasks or functions that are usually done in-house. It allows businesses to focus on core competencies while delegating non-core tasks to experts. Here are the top reasons to outsource: 

  1. Cost Savings: By outsourcing non-core tasks, you can avoid the expense of hiring full-time employees, paying for benefits, and providing office space and equipment. Outsourcing allows you to pay for services on a project-by-project basis, which can be more cost-effective than hiring employees.
  2. Expertise and Efficiency: Outsourcing companies specialize in providing specific services, and they have the expertise and resources to complete tasks quickly and efficiently. This can help your business scale by reducing the time and effort required to complete non-core tasks, allowing you to focus on your core competencies.
  3. Access to Talent and Resources: Outsourcing companies have a pool of skilled professionals who are experienced in different areas, such as marketing, accounting, and IT. By outsourcing, you can tap into this talent pool and access the skills and resources you need to scale your business.
  4. Flexibility and Scalability: Outsourcing provides flexibility and scalability, allowing you to adjust your resources according to your business needs. As your business grows, you can increase the volume of work you outsource, or you can reduce it during slower periods. This flexibility can help you scale your business without incurring additional expenses.
  5. Focus on Core Competencies: Outsourcing allows you to focus on your core competencies, which are the areas that differentiate your business from your competitors. By delegating non-core tasks to outsourcing companies, you can focus on developing your core competencies, which can help you scale your business and gain a competitive advantage.

Outsourcing can be an effective strategy for scaling your business. It can provide cost savings, expertise and efficiency, access to talent and resources, flexibility and scalability, and allow you to focus on your core competencies. However, it’s essential to choose the right outsourcing partner and ensure that they have the necessary expertise, resources, and experience to meet your business needs. 

Susie Liberatore is the owner of a franchise marketing agency, Visions2images.com. She is a single mother, with a child who has special needs, who encourages others to grow their business and life. 

Get the best tips to grow your business: The Ultimate Branding Guide to Win New Clients in 7 Days

What Is Like Being An Entrepreneur?  

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Being an entrepreneur can be an exciting and challenging journey. Starting a business from scratch requires courage, determination, and a lot of hard work. However, it can also be a highly rewarding experience, both financially and personally. 

What is an Entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is someone who takes on the financial risk of starting and managing a business venture. They are often passionate about their ideas, willing to take risks, and highly motivated to succeed. Entrepreneurs come in all shapes and sizes, from solo freelancers to large-scale business owners. They create products, services, and companies that disrupt the market and change the way we live and work.

The Challenges of Being an Entrepreneur

Starting a business is not an easy task, and entrepreneurs face a range of challenges along the way. Some of these challenges include:

  1. Uncertainty: Entrepreneurs face a lot of uncertainty, especially when starting a new business. They may not know how their product or service will be received in the market, and they may not have a steady stream of income.
  2. Financial Risk: Entrepreneurs often have to invest their own money into their business, and they may need to secure funding from investors or lenders. If the business fails, it could lose everything.
  3. Time Management: Starting a business can be a full-time job, and entrepreneurs need to manage their time effectively to ensure that everything gets done.
  4. Work-Life Balance: Entrepreneurs often work long hours and may have to sacrifice time with their family and friends. This can lead to burnout and affect their mental health.

Tips for Being a Successful Entrepreneur

While being an entrepreneur can be challenging, there are ways to increase your chances of success. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

  1. Identify a Need: Make sure that there is a need for your product or service in the market. Conduct market research to understand your target audience and their needs.
  2. Create a Plan: Develop a business plan that outlines your goals, target market, marketing strategy, and financial projections.
  3. Build a Network: Connect with other entrepreneurs and business professionals in your industry. Attend networking events and join online communities to build your network.
  4. Be Adaptable: Be willing to adapt to changing market conditions and adjust your business strategy accordingly.
  5. Prioritize Your Health: Take care of your physical and mental health by exercising, eating healthy, and taking breaks when needed.

Being an entrepreneur is not for everyone, but for those who are passionate about their ideas and willing to take risks, it can be an exciting and rewarding journey. By following these tips and persevering through the challenges, you can increase your chances of success and build a thriving business. 

Meet Susie Liberatore

As an Art Director with over 10 years of experience in the agency and corporate world, I saw global and local clients missing out on so many opportunities to get leads because of inconsistent branding. My goal is to help them generate new clients with my strategic processes. I help businesses NOT waste time or money and provide the highest quality design and service. As a single mom to an autistic child, I know how valuable time and money are. 

The Ultimate Branding Guide to Win New Clients in 7 Days

How Rejection Made Me a Better Person; Rejection is okay

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How Rejection Made Me a Better Person; Rejection is okay

There once came a time when I was scared of failing and getting rejected. I had been rejected. so many times in my life that I just had that feeling nothing could get better. I am sure you can relate. I had to change my mind and realize that everything is fine, and that was so hard to do. But when you do change your mind you can achieve just about anything. For real.

I want you to know, Rejection is OKAY, though. Not everyone is going to like you, not everyone is going to buy from you. Some people might not be happy with your service or product. That is okay. I am giving you permission to understand this is okay. It doesn’t mean they don’t value you, or your work, but rather that they don’t need it right now. It might mean they have their own problems, whatever it might be.


Furthermore, It is okay to say no and accept no as an answer in life and business. I have turned away customers for numerous ideas, but I did it knowing that I could save my own sanity and time.

When someone rejects you, either personally or professionally, take some time to reflect. Was it because of an internal battle you had with yourself, or were they just not ready? A lot of times it is because of our own insecurities and problems. We doubt ourselves. People can hear it in our voices and see it in our faces. No matter what, keep doors open and look forward. Sometimes things just don’t happen because there isn’t a need for it at that moment.

Once I realized my worth and who I really was, I realized I didn’t care about rejection. Why? Because I knew I was worthy and knew that I could change it around. What other ways can you get rejected? If you send out a proposal after they already agreed that they wanted the job, but now changed their mind. That is hard. However, it is okay. This type of rejection hurts, but it just means you need to get better with closing your sales. It means you need to communicate better with them.

In order to grow in life and business we must accept rejection and turn it into a positive thing. We often will find ourselves in a rut and dealing with self esteem whenever we get rejected. Don’t do it, you will be just fine. —> Join me over in my private little clubhouse for FREE RIGHT NOW, before we no longer accept new members!!

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We can all learn something from our competitors

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A long time ago someone who is very close to me and smart, told me to not look at competition the same way. I thought what does that mean? After much time of being a business owner I have realized that this is now more true than ever. There is NO such thing as a competitor… Hear me out.

Each “competitor” is different. We all have something different and unique. We all have something more personal for each business. If my competitions offer the SAME EXACT THING, they might not get the same price, experience, or professionalism as myself. It is important to be aware of your competitors, but to not feel threaten.

 

Whenever I travel, I can see different food options, I have to decide which one I want. Do I go with Burger King or Wendys? They both have burgers but each have different branding and tastes. So which one am I in the mood for? I have to choose between this, but I am not limited to either. I can choose one now and one later, but I still go to both and do not close out competitors.

What if I told you that I work with other designers when they have a workflow overload? We need to rely on one another and help each other out. That being said those people I do do design overflow for, I have learned so much from and gained so much insight from it.

The point is that we can help each other and motivate from one another. We can learn something from each other and help cultivate each other. So take it with a grain of salt and understand that your competitor isn’t truly a competitor.

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5 Things Successful People Do Every Day

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Being a business owner has changed me for the better. I have learned how to get things done efficiently and as best as I can. I have learned along the way, made mistakes, and changed my mindset. I changed my habits and knew that I couldn’t keep going the way I was with getting overwhelmed and stress.

The minute that you change your habits and mindset is when you see your full potential, AND CREATE that potential! Yes, that is the truth.


Here are my top 5 tips that I do daily:

  1. I focus on minutes, not hours. When I am waiting to pick up my son, I respond to emails. I make every single MINUTE MATTER. When I am laying in bed, I make sure I have my calendar ready for the next day. These time management skills have helped me increase my sales.
  2. I focus on only one task. I create a daily list of things to do and make sure the top two are the must get done for the day. I focus on one item at a time and complete it with high quality.
  3. I use a notebook. I print out notes from my computer and create checklists. Then, even write daily in my notebook, random thoughts, lists, and ideas. It is a necessity for my chaos to be organized.
  4. I process emails only a few times per day. My email signature states that I check my email from 10-11 A.M. DAILY. I create CRM and project boards for clients so they can communicate, and if it is an emergency, they text me. I do not look over emails all day, every day.
  5. I avoid meetings at all costs. I only do phone or computer meetings now. In-person meetings are kept to a minimum if done at all. The travel time, the wait time, and the meeting time ends up being a waste, and let’s focus on number 1 — all that time matters. We can use it in a much better way.

BONUS: I delegate a lot. I know where my strengths lie. I know how to communicate, and I use those skills. I outsource whenever the opportunity arises for writing, editing, SEO, sales, and even some marketing. I focus on the graphics that people buy because that’s what sells.

Share with me what you do to be successful with your business? How have you transformed over the years or even months? Do you agree with my list?

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Think You Want to Work From Home? Here’s the Truth

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The idea of working from home always sat in the back of my mind. I was lucky enough to have a few jobs before working for myself that allowed me to work from home as time permitted. You know it sounds dreamy, and people are jealous of it.

But when you are a business owner and work from home on top of being a parent, let’s face it. It’s 1000x harder because you don’t have that accountability.

If you are really making the transition to work from home life, here are some of my BEST TIPS:

 

  • TIME MANAGEMENT IS REAL: Do not waste any minute or second of the day. You will want to have a routine and schedule: period. No matter what your career is, set those hours and routines as if you were in the corporate world. You know what you are capable of, how long something takes, and how much time you have, so use that time VERY wisely.
  • YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF WANTING TO NOT WORK FROM HOME.: You are going to find excuses or reasons. You know, I can do work while the kid watches tv or sleeps. NO. It is never that easy, there is always something, take my word for it. You know that one task will take a whole ten minutes, but the kid is screaming, and the dogs need fed, and you can’t get it done. So, you beg someone to take care of all your problems. Coffee shops, and even the library or a bookstore, are my best friend. I can really DIG IN and tackle the work that matters most.
  • YOU’LL LEARN TO GET VERY CREATIVE.: You learn that you will find a way. Whatever way that is. I remember when my ex told me he couldn’t take my son to his school on Thursday mornings anymore. Instead of being mad and changing my routine, I was able to create a solution and hire a babysitter. That was my creative choice. You find a way when you need to.

Working from home has its pros and cons like anything else. IF you want to work from home simply to do it, then you won’t be successful or productive. You need to have systems, detailed organization, and time management to truly succeed.

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Three Things I Outsource

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As an entrepreneur, I can’t do it all. No business owner can. You can’t keep all the profit and expect to live a happy life; there’s just no way. That’s why we price items so strategically so we can plan for these moments. Trust me, I know. I want to save and have more profit, but I can’t do that when my time gets wasted. Outsourcing is critical.

I hope to outsource more in the future for sure, but right now, I outsource three things:

 

  1. Writing and Editing: I have a writer as a contractor who edits and writes as needed; it’s that simple. She is highly affordable and does an amazing job. My gibberish sometimes doesn’t even make sense, so it amazes me how great she writes!  
  2. Accounting: Math is my weakness by far, hands down. I have an accountant and a CPA. My CPA helps me get everything ready for quarterly taxes. My accountant does all the other boring stuff!! It is one of those tasks that I hate doing, and will not ever touch again.
  3. Admin Work: I have someone who helps keep business going — from making sure numbers one and two are being taken care of to having a flow from client on-boarding moving into monthly client retention. It’s almost like an assistant, but it is a life saver!

I have systems in place. Plus, I have a fantastic team and will keep growing my team. I hope to continue expanding them the way that they need to increase. It brings me joy to be able to outsource whenever possible. What do you outsource?

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5 Books for Women Entrepreneurs

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I have been reading a lot more lately, and I enjoy reading books that actually help me grow mentally, physically, emotionally, and professionally. Being an entrepreneur we always need to grow and keep learning. I know that you all can enjoy these books as well. Let me know which ones are your favorite.

  1. Shark Tales: How I Turned $1,000 Into a Billion Dollar Business by Barbara Corcoran After failing at twenty-two jobs, Barbara Corcoran borrowed $1,000 from a boyfriend, quit her job as a diner waitress, and started a tiny real estate office in New York City. Using the unconventional lessons she learned from her homemaker mom, she gradually built it into a $6 billion dollar business.
  2. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso​ 
  3. Body and Soul: Profits With Principles by Anita Roddick  The founder of England’s Body Shops explains how she developed her philosophies on greed, hype, caring, and communication, and why she thinks her business can change the world
  4. The Glitter Plan: How We Started Juicy Couture for $200 and Turned It The Glitter Plan While working together at a Los Angeles boutique, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor became fast and furious friends over the impossibility of finding the perfect T-shirt. Following their vision of comfortable, fitted T-shirts, they set up shop in Gela’s one-bedroom Hollywood apartment
  5.  Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes​ The journal is broken out month by month, day by day, with each month highlighting a theme (“Yes to Doing,” “Yes to Help,” “Yes to Who I Am”). Daily, you can track what you say YES to and keep notes
    You will enjoy these books, for sure if you are looking for something different that can help you grow! All of these books have helped me with my mindset and business. You can enjoy them as well!

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Seven Ways Independence Helps Your Business

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When you own a business, you have to be very independent. This happens because you need to be very focused and detail oriented. You are in charge and must be able to plan and overcome whatever business might throw at you. I have learned and grown so much in the years of owning my business.

1. Diversify Your Client List

Find 2-3 reliable clients, and keep a few on the radar. These people pay the bills and then some. You don’t want to overbook clients, but rather make sure you can fulfill or outsource before taking on anyone else.

2. Get a Backup Vendor

I always make sure to have a list of connections. I have a backup for backups. This measure is just because life happens, and sometimes someone might not be able to fulfill. Keep a list going so you can provide at all times.

3. Don’t Put All Your Marketing Eggs in One Basket

This precaution is one of the biggest things that I tell my clients day in and day out. You can’t just be solely on social media anymore. You also need to be doing in-person networking and print media. What if social media or the internet doesn’t work tomorrow? You have to rely on other sources.

4. Get Firm in Your Payment Terms

Many times, I have gotten burned. I got burned because I didn’t have contracts in place. I wasn’t specific with payment options. I LOVE Dubsado (enter link) for that reason alone. It keeps me on track and has all the information I need in one place.

5. Be Less Available

Do not let customers know if you work all hours of the day. Set those boundaries and guidelines. I check my email from 10-11 every day, and that’s it. I make sure that people can text or call, but a response can take up to 24 hours.


6. Take Vacations

You need to take a vacation, and you should be able to without disruption. People shouldn’t be calling you and texting you. Have a team ready or accessible, or let them know. You also want to ensure that you don’t have a client list overload for this reason, unless you have a great team.

7. Open Your Mind

Always keep your mind open for opportunities. This tip is one of the biggest things that I can say. I realized first-hand that there are a million ways to connect with someone; it might not always lead to a sale.

You are in charge and have to be able to plan and overcome whatever business might throw at you. I have learned and grown so much in the years of owning my business.

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Three Things Successful Women Never Do

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I feel that women are often put down, especially business owners. People do not think that women can be successful for whatever reason. Or maybe they don’t like to see a woman living successfully. Honestly, I am not sure. What I do know is that I have grown over the years of being a business owner + have made changes in my life to become a successful woman. Here are some mistakes that I have learned and seen along the way of what successful women never do:

Successful Women Never Ignore Their Fears: Being a business owner means you deal with a lot of fears and self-doubt. I can’t tell you how many times I was so scared of my business. I kept trying to find ways to get out of my business and trying to talk myself out of it, but instead, my business coach gave me pep talks day in and day out. It is critical to have a tribe for times like these.


Successful Women Never Look At Their Past As A Mistake: I do not have any regrets in life – none. That is right, no regrets at all. Everything has led me to where I am today. It was a stepping stone to get there, and I needed to make all of these ‘mistakes’ to be successful. I have learned along the way and know how to analyze information before implementing.

Successful Women Never Miss Opportunities To Shine: There have been so many times, that I could have passed up times to shine. Presentations and speaking gigs are the first ones that come to mind. Now, I can talk in person or online much better. I am special, worthy, and know that I can shine. I had to put the fear and doubt past me for my business mindset.

People do not think that women can be successful for whatever reason. Or maybe they don’t like to see a woman being successful. Honestly, I am not sure. What I do know is that I have grown over the years of being a business owner + have made changes in my life to become a successful woman.

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