Why Your Success is on Hold

by Michelle Hill-Smith www.OnTaskAssistants.com

I HAD A REVELATION.  Just like many people, I spent a lot of my life struggling through decisions. I wanted success but didn’t know how to get there without the bumps and bruises along the way. I was always so determined to “make it” without having to endure the necessary hardships that were sure to be along the path of “making it.”

THAT WAS THE PROBLEM.  My goals were large. My standards were high. My resources were none. My connections were nil. It really wasn’t a good combination to begin with.  Boy, did I waste a lot of my time and the time of others that I wanted to be apart of my success. Once I figured out that in order to have the success I was looking for, I had to have a strategy to get there. Then, a plan was born. Granted, it took 8 years for me to get to this point, however, I am here when it’s time for me to be here.

You see, often times, we regret the struggle. We regret the pain, confusion, “wrong turns” we take and bad investments we make. We always feel that if we would’ve done “this or that” a certain way, things would’ve turned out better or success would’ve come sooner.

  

IT’S CALLED BEING DELUSIONAL  That’s right…delusional. It was my middle name for a very long time. I’m always reminded of what my Mother says quite often in her Jamaican dialect “Nothing ever happens before it’s time.” This simply means that everything in the universe has a time to be born. Your dreams, your ambitions, your trials, your tribulations, YOUR SUCCESS will all be delivered to you when you are ready to handle it. All the hurt, all the pain, all the “bad” decisions are assigned to you because you were divinely equipped to handle them. It’s God’s way of molding you for what He has in store.

The way of the universe allows us to go through things in order to be molded and prepared for what’s to come next.  Your success is on hold because you’re wallowing in your regrets.  You stopped the launch for your business or movement because you’re dwelling in the past and constantly reminding yourself of all the time “you feel” you’ve wasted. You’re exact thoughts are “Look at what happen last time. If I don’t choose this opportunity or make the decision fast enough, my success would never come.” Patience and proper planning is surely a virtue.

I NOW HAVE AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ORGANIZED STRATEGY, SUPPORT TEAM AND SUCCESS SYSTEM!  At this stage in my life, after all the drama, confusion, hurt, pain, bad deals and investments, blah, blah, blah, now it’s quite simple.

1) I identified where I wanted to be financially and the reasons I need to be there.

2) I developed a strategy that involves every aspect of my business and career path that would easily flow together, combine well and be understood by my audience and followers.

3) I plugged into a proven system that has all the components needed to not only bring success for me financially, but can also enhance the value of my business and career as a business launch and productivity expert.

I MADE THE DECISION.  As you can see, it all fits together for me. I decided that I didn’t want to do the same thing, following the same strategy for my business‘ growth for the next 5 years. I wanted and needed to step out of my box and do something different.

Your success doesn’t have to be on hold. I encourage you to develop a strategy. If you’re interested in a system for your success but you’re not sure how it can tie into what you’re already doing, consider enhancing your current business or lifestyle to include this new system or venture. It’s important that you get the support of a mentor that can guide you in the right direction. Plug into a system that has a proven track record and can bring you the results you’re looking for in order to get to the next level in your life or business. I did it and I know you can as well.

Here’s to your new found strategy and success!

Michelle Hill-Smith

Mission vs. Vision: Have you created your vision?

by Michelle Hill-Smith
www.OnTaskAssistants.com

Good Morning, Great Morning! TODAY IS FAMOUS FRIDAY and I'm excited about new things for my business today in preparation for the upcoming week. New clients, new structures and programs, new equipment and new vision! It took me 3 years to learn that if we are unable to move forward with our visions for our businesses, we remain stuck. If we can't remain excited about our business, then it's possible that the mission has been deterred.

Phase two of this trauma is that we become afraid of change which makes it more difficult to earn more and grow. Many people are afraid of the unknown which literally drives them to failure.

I dare you to get excited again! Refresh your organization. Recharge your mind and heart, start building a success team and MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS SUCCESS!

So, here's the punchline: If you have a mission statement for your business without a vision statement, it shows that the direction and growth of your business has not yet been developed or completely thought out. They are created to clearly and concisely convey the direction of your business.

Your vision needs to include your business' embrace of the advancement of technology in the 21st century, the rise of social media and your adaptation to working virtually for the betterment of the earth and productivity of your business. 

For example, the vision at our company (in short) is to simply support clients on a national level and become the number one, highly preferred company (a household name) to provide operational support and consultation to entrepreneurs and businesses on every level. Phase two of our vision is to be able to provide a strong work-from-home platform as well as nationwide locations that will allow people to provide their skills and talents in assisting other businesses with their operations, growth and success.

Think of it this way: Your vision statement is for the future. Your mission statement is for the "now" and helps to define your company's purpose and primary objectives. Your vision statement also defines the purpose, but the purpose is now outlining the future of your company. Ask yourself where do you want to see it in 5, 10, 50 years down the line.

Here is a really cool article I found to help you in preparing both: HERE

It's really important to be able to go back and revisit these components for your business every now and then. They allow you to determine if you're following your master plan. It's your blueprint to guide you in following through and accomplishing what you set for the vision of your company.

The Top 5 FREE Tools to Run Your Business on a Shoe-string Budget

by Michelle Hill-Smith

www.OnTaskAssistants.com

Naturally, my mind is huge. Whether or not the money is there, I want to make it BIG!  Have you ever wanted to do something so bad, to where you'd do anything to make it happen or you sit there thinking of every way possible to bring it to life? I've been there many times. I would have this project in mind with an absolute structure that it had to have in order for it to work. Then, I'd get so upset when I realized that I couldn't afford to make it happen. If you were like me back then, you'd give up. Throw in the towel. It's done. It's over.

The good news is that today there are soooo many tools and resources that will help you not only launch a successful business endeavor and/or marketing campaign, but they will also help you to run an organized company and appear extremely professional to your customers.

If you follow me on my Facebook Page or Blog, you'll notice that I love to share information freely. I always feel that if someone were willing to share with me back when I was getting started, I wouldn't have given up so many times. So, below are 5 of the top tools that I use in my organization that are 100% FREE to use. 

If you're in the start up phase of your company with a few to no clients or customers, there is absolutely NO NEED to pay for programs or software to house business that's not even there yet.

HERE ARE MY TOP AND HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED FAVORITES:

1) www.Dropbox.com 

2) www.Zoho.com 

3) www.Google.com/voice

4) www.Glasscubes.com 

5) www.waveaccounting.com 

So, as you can see, simply starting from somewhere is most important. The money you spend to "start" your business can be better used elsewhere like in marketing, office equipment, etc. Before you invest those dollars, be sure to do a little research first. Find better options and ways to launch and grow your business. Most of these tools are free forever. That's money saved in your pocket. 

How to Brand Your Business Brilliant!

by Michelle Hill-Smith 

www.OnTaskAssistants.com

When it comes to branding or business identity, sometimes I think that I'm a little harsh. A little too critical. But, then I'm reminded that building an effective brand requires criticism and scrutiny in order for it to work? By "work" I mean effectiveness, memorability and clarity. Your audience needs to have a clear message of your logo each time it's seen in order for them to understand, remember and believe it. Think of the message as your business' story. What does a story include? Colors, shapes, text, a meaning behind it, images to give more of a feel for it. What's your business' story? Start working on one by coming up with one paragraph to describe who you are, what your name symbolizes, who you serve, what's their age group, etc.

As a graphic designer, I tend to have a desire to make things better. The world, too me needs to have it's own fung shui, a balance, purpose and place in a specific space. However, I find that for most entrepreneurs, the pressure is on and "coming up with something" or "going with what I have" is often the case. Funds are low or non-existent for a professionally designed piece of art that can forever represent their business. 

I recently made a post on FaceBook sharing my thoughts on how each time we have request for logo designs, it's sometimes a scary, insecure feeling of a process. But, then after all the fuss and worry, out emerges a beautiful creation that completely erases all the fear of rejection and strife. It can be such a joyous occasion to have a fresh, vibrant logo that, at first sight, is sure to stand the test of time. On the other hand, if done with a lack of thought and strategy, it could fall flat and become yesterday's news almost instantly. So, as you can see, as long as you really think the process through, you can't go wrong. Either, you'll have a wonderful concept to hand over to the one that's designing for you or, you may do well to go at it alone. Now, if there's not one ounce of design juice in you, opting for option one won't hurt.
 
Here are the primary pointers I follow that works for me at least 99.9 percent of the time. Hopefully, it'll work for you, with a little patience and practice:

IDENTIFY 
Think about the niche/target market you're serving. The most important is their age group and interest. If the age group you serve is between 45 and 55, you may not want your design to scream teenager with bright colors and zebra-striped colored fonts.

COLORIZE
Your color scheme MUST match your business' theme and description. I know it sounds funny but colors sell and have very deep meaning. Check out this Must Read Article to see what I mean.

ACCESSORIZE
Determine the "eye-catcher" or focal point you'd like to have in your design. This can be an icon/image or font style. If you select an Icon/Image it really needs to sum up what your business is and what it does or primarily offer. For a text only logo, this will be a chance to make your color scheme pop!


Now, I'll admit, coming up with your brand to represent everything your business is about can be a very difficult challenge. However, by first researching extensively and coming to terms with your "business' story" you will undoubtedly have a clear headstart to your design being exactly what you want and need it to be.

Become a Smarter Business in 2012!

by Michelle Hill-Smith
www.OnTaskAssistants.com


As a small business owner in a failing economy, eliminating unnecessary expenses in overhead and operations is one of the sure ways to keep your business afloat. Making this decision is critical to your success. Revamping your business to fit the “Go Virtual” business model should be the first step taken in operating your “Smarter Business.”  Choosing this type of model doesn’t have to mean a major re-writing of your business plan or taking out a small business loan.

This is actually fairly easy and simply requires that you retire the ice-age methods for production and implement 21st Century communication technologies.

Times have definitely changed and all for more productivity, simplicity and a better ozone layer.  Today, many small business owners are able to run a full operation from the comfort of their own homes cutting overhead expenses by nearly 60%.  With major cutbacks in space, leasing fees, property taxes, signage, hardware and furniture, unproductive staff, and utilities, not only are you spending thousands of dollars on the machinery, software, office space and more, the cost of managing other bodies and their needs is quite costly as well.

For this very reason, working with what is known as a Virtual Assistant or Business Support Specialist is one of the smarter ways to do business. However, working with any ole' VA just won't do. Ensure that you check out their expertise, the credentials and most importantly, their compatibility and ability to work with you and provide ALL of your business needs. Find out how they're operating their own business. What systems are they using, if any at all. An additional observation needs to be on the professionalism, organization and reputation of their company. Not only is working with a proficient and passionate individual or team crucial for your own productivity, but it’s also a smart starting point to establishing  better systems for your business.

The benefits of working with a virtual team are endless. From helping you run your office, keeping track of customers, freeing you to gain more productivity to build revenue and much more, a strong team can be the difference between success and failure.  In many cases, your virtual assistant or team will be more proficient than you at certain tasks, and will be able to complete them with greater accuracy and in less time than if you did them yourself.  Because as business owners, we tend to where many hats, even those that are not our type or color, we become severely overwhelmed, confused and unproductive. This costs us tons of time, money and ultimately customers.

Solve this problem by learning to delegate some of your time-consuming projects and activities. If you’re worried about training your new Virtual Assistant or Team to do what you need, keep in mind that they specialize in office management, social media, creative design and many other areas in small business marketing, productivity and operations. Your colleagues are already making strides towards modernized productivity which is to Go-Virtual. Do some research and learn how you to can eliminate issues with time management, high cost of doing business and become a Smarter Business in 2012!

A Sure Way to Stand Out on the Red Carpet

by Michelle Hill-Smith
www.OnTaskAssistants.com

So, I've always prided myself on being an individual. That's it. Very simple. That's my punch line. I've never been one to purchase the most obvious buy in the mall. I would rather look at the other pieces of clothing and mix and match. A dreadful day it was, back in college...I got all dressed and really casual yet cute looking. Walked downstairs to the college event and someone else had on the same exact outfit as I did. In complete horror, I ran back upstairs and changed. I thought to myself, "Now how in the world did she find that shirt?". Needless to say, everyone was making comments on the fact that we were wearing the same thing. Even though the shirt was really unique and unlike anything the average person would wear, we both had it on. AWKWARD!!! The other girl thought it was actually a cute coincidence and didn't seem to mind. NOT!!!

I am apart of an industry that house over 10,000 people providing practically the same business model to make a living from. Even though I started out with the same exact business model, something in my gut did not allow me to stay there. I would always imagine my business right there, smack dab in the middle of 10,000 firms just like mine on the strip of the red carpet. They all had the same basic branding, services offered and operational structure. They all charged the same amount, used the same tools and were apart of the same social groups. Can you imagine trying to be seen or even standout in that atmosphere?  Well, I couldn't imagine it for the life of me. For one, I hate competition. Now, don't get me wrong, I hate it, however, I welcome it. I have a quiet confidence in what I have to offer and bring to the table. When I started in this industry, I took my time to learn and enhance upon my skills. I looked at what others were doing and what they weren't willing to do and went from there.

Three years later, I've developed an existence, that gives my business a halo of light each time we walk down the red carpet. My business stands out and I'm proud of that. Not only does it stand out, I make sure we follow through with our image from the first sight, to the actual contact, on through to the beginning and ending of a client's relationship with us. Remembrance, is more important to me than anything else. Is our focus only on trying to get new clients? No, it's actually not. I would rather my company be known for sharing and community.  This is our secret. This is how we draw our clients.

How are you making strides to stand out from the crowd on the red carpet of business recognition? This has worked for me and of course, you are not required to follow my method, however, it's something that's proven over and over again by entrepreneurs and small businesses that I coach.

BRAND YOUR BUSINESS BRILLIANT

The one thing I realized that needed to be consistent was our brand’s color palette (most importantly), the name and the symbols or icons. Remember, a good business name will establish marketing recall and build early equity. Try these strong points: 1) Speak to your target market;  2) Describe what you do;  3) Keep it simple;  4) Don’t use trendy names.  After these types of fads run their course, you will be left with a stale and outdated name, and that’s probably what most people will think of your business too.

SPEAK VOLUMES

When you walk into a room (FaceBook, Twitter, a Community Event, wherever)  you want to say something or post something that will make people want to know who you are. Make your presence known. Introduce yourself and what you do to help people. Get in on the social scene, whether it's online groups or offline events. Prepare your Elevator Speech and alter it according to where you are and who you're talking to. Make sure you start off as the listener in the first half of the conversation. How else are you going to know how to offer the right services or products to your listening ears. Always display and offer your expertise humbly and with authenticity.

BECOME THE ODD BALL 

If everyone else in your industry is doing "this", then, you should be the only one doing "that". Often times, the way I do business isn't understood by many of my peers. They don't understand how we can be in the same industry, offering the same services but my business is more favored over theirs. Hmmm...let's see. I've simply taken something and enhanced it to suit what business owners really need. I've taken the norm and altered it to provide more of a benefit to those that seek my help. I listen to the needs of the "individual", what they really prefer and what they're hoping for. I offer them my exact service and situation that would suit them better. Instead of telling them that "this is the way we do business...it's my way or the highway", I help them to realize the benefits of what we have to offer and how it's going to help them better. I provide them with examples and case studies to give them a clear vision of what to expect. 

So, as you can see, standing out isn't so bad. When you're different from the rest, it makes people want to know who you are. With strong standards, creativity, a little flexibility, an essence of community and passion for what we do, I've managed to turn my company into a red carpet winner. Humbly, genuinely and authentically! For me, I'm just having fun helping others follow through on their dreams. You can do the same for your business as well. Take a chance and research others in your industry, get modernized and redesign your company to stand on its own, apart from the others. It will really pay off in the end.

Are you guilty of Success Hopping?

by Michelle Hill-Smith

of www.OnTaskAssistants.com

Remember back in the day, when you'd go to a nightclub and end up visiting at least 3 more by the end of night? Yep, you got it! Club Hopping! A simple way to describe it is when you go from club to club in search of a better experience than the last. When my sisters and I would prepare to go to the nightclub that evening, our goal was to remain in the club we set out for. We didn't have enough money back then to go from place to place. Not to mention, all the gas, time and energy we'd spend to do so. Often times, with club hopping, you can never seem to have genuine fun. At the end of the night, you almost feel cheated and incomplete.

The same is true with many aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. One idea is created, molded and implemented.Once success is realized, it's time to move on to something bigger because so and so is doing great with it. How many times have you done this in your business journey? I can honestly say that I am VERY guilty of this very thing. Since 2001 I've actually started and sometimes operated a Dance Company, Dance Studio, Fit Club, Natural Soap Making Company, and God knows what else. I guess my excuse was that I just wanted to be successful at something. 

I believe the question is “What’s the hold up?” Sometimes, our destination for success is held up by our own fears. You plan and plan for months to no avail. I, personally felt as if I was my own obstacle. My business ideas were very thorough, well-thought out from start to finish. However, I constantly experienced one to two variations of the same problems. One, I would get so excited about my new venture. I knew that that would be it. It was the one. I’d plan it out for several months. Write every detail out and even create the logo and website for it. Then, within a matter of time, I’d began thinking of something else after seeing the success of another.  I’d begin jotting down ideas to create something else. Two, I’d revisit one of my once exciting new venture ideas that was on the verge of being launched and begin revamping that idea in hopes of it being the one. 

Whew! What a delusional cycle I was creating for myself. The madness had to stop.

In short, I realized that if I had the guts to stick it out with the one best idea or system I’d grown accustomed to running for a while, chances were, I’d probably be on my way to creating that empire I longed for successfully. I had to stop chasing success and start creating success. 

There’s only one reason to stall in going forward with your business venture. The simple cause is a LACK OF READINESS. Moving forward without really examining your idea and operations from start to finish will result in failure in the long run.

You see, often times we allow our dreams to remain just that, a dream. I learned that if I thoroughly examined what it was that made me happy and execute a plan to create a stable, yet fulfilling life from it, I achieved my dream...on my own terms.

TIME TO DECIDE. GET RID OF OBSTACLES. TIME TO EXECUTE.

Become the Icing on the Cake

by Michelle Hill-Smith
of www.OnTaskAssistants.com

Formulating a business endeavor that will without a doubt service your potential customer's need is like finding a dog that can undoubtedly replace your dog that you considered a family member for many years. It's a pretty tough task where you'll never get it just right. However, you can get it close enough with room to make it better with time.

You see, a consumer to your business is like icing to cake, it's something that's necessary. Even though you can create a cake without icing, you run the risk of everyone not liking your cake thus ending up with only a few slices eaten. In the end, you'll be wasting more time trying to convince everyone to eat the cake without icing just off of simple tactics alone. When someone's used to having something a certain way, it's takes too much time to get them to do otherwise. On the other hand, if you have an idea to create a cake with icing however, not covering the entire cake, you may have a better chance with convincing the customer to eat the cake. Sounds easy? Well, it's not that simple.

Many businesses, especially when starting out, forget to serve the customer. It's great to have ideas however, when your ideas are running wild and are implemented without the consumer's need in mind, you've failed and wasted a ton of time.  BECOME THE ICING ON THE CAKE! Keep in mind that as an effective business owner, you not only have to think like the customer, you must become the customer.

Ask yourself, if I were looking for this type of product (or service) what would I want it to do for me? As a sales person, you must learn how to sale the benefits of the product and not just the product itself.
Remember, a consumer can't use the branding, cost or packaging of your product or service. They are interested in knowing what the product or service will do for them.

So the next time you go to sell that cake without the icing, try examining your cake first and jot down all the reasons why they'll benefit from eating the cake without all the sugary icing. Be honest, authentic and genuine in your approach and you may be able to find a new market for your cake without icing.

Are you a "Player" or "Go-Getter?"

There are so many times when dealing with new clients I automatically place a title on them. It's either a "Player" or a "Go-Getter." The sad thing about it is that there are more players than go-getters. They start off so excited about starting there own business, everything's map out, then they procrastinate for the silliest reasons. Searching the internet on "how-to's" and "should i's", it becomes a regular practice.

Instead jumping around from site to site reading about everyone else's situation, find one, reliable source that you can submit your questions to. There's a site that I visit all the time where I get valuable info on building websites called http://www.2createawebsite.com/. I joined the forum and ask any question I need answered in this arena. Not only are they super fast on replying, they're very knowledgeable in their responses.

Aspiring entrepreneurs aren't willing to go for it anymore. They get caught up in this trap where, they spend 4-6 hours reading forums. There's not enough of those that are willing to get their knees dirty by going out there and making it work.

There will come a day and time where the Players will get tired of playing. However, at that point it may be too late. The perfect opportunity they had to start their own business may be given to someone else in their niche or market (a go-getter). This person will succeed a lot faster and more prosperously than normal as they want it more. Their confidence is stronger as they believed in themselves enough to just do it! I'm not saying that you shouldn't prepare yourself thoroughly. But if preparing for you is just surfing the net, reading forums for a year, looking at everyone's site, changing your mind on your original ideas...you get my point.

Entrepreneurial Spirits, it's time that you stop making excuses. If you are afraid you must own up to it. If you have the vision but don't know what you're doing, you must let it be known and seek assistance.

When you want something, set aside all childish ways, throw away your comfort zone and make it work. I can testify to the feeling of that opportunity passing you by. When you know it's not going to return and that that was your once in a lifetime moment...it's the worst feeling you may ever feel.

OnTask Assistants offers a FREE Small Biz Start-Up Guide that's filled with helpful worksheets, real-life examples and much more. Visit http://www.ontaskassistants.com/ for your free copy today...and get started!

Remain truthful and passionate to your initial feelings of successful business ownership. You'll feel the excitement once again that will increase your confidence...I promise! Earn the title of a Go-Getter. It sounds better!



Michelle Hill-Smith

OnTask Assistants

Your Business is Our Job!