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Browse every published article connected to Jaynine Howard, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
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Browse every published article connected to Jaynine Howard, or search within this exact expert archive.
Nothing can destroy your reputation faster than poor verbal communication skills. You are your brand. Your reputation can make or break your brand. My three tips will aid you in presenting you and your business in a confident and polite manner thus creating a strong brand.r
The holiday season is not always joyful for those who have lost a loved one. However, military widows can enjoy the holiday season by using my 5 tips below: 1. Reminisce. Nowhere is it said that you must forget your spouse. Quite the opposite is true. You need to acknowledge your feelings. ...
I’ve noticed lots of buzz around ADA Compliant websites, have you? Technological advances make using a computer and working, browsing, and shopping online assessable to everyone regardless of their disability. You do not want to risk losing a customer because he or she cannot navigate or view your website. You also do not want to risk getting a hefty fine for not being ADA compliant. Below you will find exerts from various articles I’ve read to help you understand this new topic circulating. New legal landscape is taking shape
Do you find yourself making excuses for your business? Do you say “Oh, I’m just a small business owner?” or “I’m a new business owner?” or perhaps “I have no money”. Well, I learned early on in my military career that excuses are like a certain body part. We all have one. Today is the day to drop the excuses and start playing with the big dogs. What would you need to do to be able to compete with the big dogs? Employ my five tips because - today is the day you stop talking and start doing.
Whether you are the employer, employee, or a business person selling a service or product, you will, at one time or another, be the recipient of unsolicited feedback. Does it make you feel personally attacked and cause you to become defensive? Do you feel like a small child being scolded? Does ...
Have you ever woken up and looked in the mirror and wondered “Where am I”, “Who am I”, “How did I get here”? We often get so caught up in taking care of family, friends, and others that we fail to take care of our most important investment: OURSELVES. We go through the day just doing what needs ...
Successful business owners make time to attend conferences, tradeshows and retreats. New business owners will often hesitate to spend money on these events saying they cannot afford to attend. As a business coach, I will ask “How can you afford not to?” These events are key to your success.
Our Declaration of Independence gives us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. My cell phone ensures every day is Independence Day. I have been liberated from having to carry my laptop, Ereader, camera, and a GPS. I don’t have to visit the bank to make a deposit. I am able to leave the client files home. I pursue happiness without so many gadgets. Fewer gadgets equal less stress. Some of my favorite free apps that ensure everyday is Independence Day so that I can continue my pursuit of happiness are below.
As a small business proprietor there are times where I need to call on my higher power. While out running the other morning the song by Carrie Underwood – Jesus Take the Wheel played twice in a row. It played at a time I was brainstorming about my upcoming business meeting. It made realize I just needed to stop worrying and let Jesus take the wheel. The song title has become my new mantra.
Living a fruitful life requires you deal with the pits at one time or another. Life isn't easy. No one ever said it was. However, we often get stuck and fall into a stooper that can lead to clinical depression if left unchecked. What stops you from leading a fruitful life? Is it the hard work that is needed to see results? Is it the economic expense or the investment of your time?
Have you ever sat down and said to yourself “This is not the life I ordered!”? Be honest. We all have at one time or another. But have you thought about why you are not living life the way you want? Are you just going through life putting one foot in front of the other with your head hanging ...
Time to Bury the Fax Machine and Ditch Your Fax Number Do you still spend money on a monthly fax service? Do you still own a fax machine? When was the last time you sent a fax? When was the last time you received a fax? I admit I was still paying $9.99 a month for my fax service until recently. Throughout the years, I have sporadically sent faxes. In 2015, I sent maybe four faxes. I don't recall receiving any. If you are still paying for a fax service I suggest you look at the alte atives. I ditched my fax costs and I suggest you do too. Free Fax Services from computerr
Is procrastination holding you back from turning your dreams into reality? I often hear people tell me what they want to do. However, rarely do I see them do anything to make that dream a reality. What I do see is that person’s idea for a business now belongs to someone else. When you snooze, you lose. If you have a great idea for a product or business, I encourage you to stop procrastinating and take action.
Seasonal Affective Disorder combined with small business owners’ slow time of the year is a deadly cocktail. Most regions in the United States just turned their clock back one hour. However, many of you are still leaving for work in the dark and getting home when it is dark. You work all day inside an office with artificial light and sometimes artificial people. When you get home you are exhausted and don’t want to work on your business. Does this sound familiar? It may also be your slow season, which gives you no perceived reason to turn on your computer.
Do you live a neat and orderly life? Do you function better in chaos? Some people will say they work better when surrounded by piles of papers or stacks of books. But do they really? I don’t think so. Mess breeds stress. Have you recently had to pay late fees because you forgot to pay a bill on time? Have you shown up late for an appointment because you could not find your keys or had to stop and find a belt, shoe or sock? Lack of organization and office procedures is detrimental to the small business owner, businessman and businesswoman, parent and student.
Small business owners must choose their words carefully when describing what they do. The consumer or customer associates a skill level and product value when he or she hears certain words. Words enable the listener or reader to draw a picture in his or her mind based on his or her life experiences. When a small business owner is developing his presence online or offline through social media, marketing, or public appearances the word he or she uses to describe his or her profession will result in his or her earning potential.
Seasonal Affective Disorder combined with small business owners’ slow time of the year is a deadly cocktail. Most regions in the United States just turned their clock back one hour. However, many of you are still leaving for work in the dark and getting home when it is dark. You work all day inside an office with artificial light and sometimes artificial people. When you get home you are exhausted and don’t want to work on your business. Does this sound familiar? It may also be your slow season, which gives you no perceived reason to turn on your computer.
Delegating tasks are one thing many business owners just don't do. Some people may say that business owners do not delegate because they are stubborn and want to do everything themselves. As a business coach, the excuses I have heard are "I don't have the money." Or "it takes longer to train someone tha I can do it myself." These are excuses. Business owners do not delegate takes because they do not realize the benefits to the business. When business owners begin to build their teams with virtual assistants, part-time employees or 1099 contractors they will see their business grow.
It was my pleasure to have Bill Rasmussen, the founder of ESPN as guest on The Coach is in. The topic came up regarding how to find a support system if your environment does not contain a group of people who supports your ideas. Bill’s response was “We have the freedom within us to be the first person in our support group or support system.” Wow, that is so very true. But at times it is easier said than done. My five tips below will help you when you are having one of those days. Coach Jaynine’s Five Tips to Motivate YOU!
I recently had a conversation with several business owners on the purpose of a networking event. We all know that networking events have several purposes. But we came to the conclusion that many people attend networking events with the intent to snatch and grab free information from the other attendees.
We often hear people say that to truly enjoy being a business owner we need to be authentic. We also hear that customers and clients will flock to us when we are authentic. Well, just what does authentic mean? The Webster dictionary defines authentic as being reliable and genuine. We all want ...
Business owners, wives, and moms often find themselves short on time and energy. They are busy juggling a myriad of tasks. Remember, it only takes someone 15 seconds to sum you up and form an opinion. Whether right or wrong that is what happens. No one likes to be around a whiney person or someone who looks a mess. In order to reclaim YOU so you stop sabotaging your efforts- you must adopt the three L's:
I see people soliciting requests on Facebook for interns for the summer. One business announced they had openings for 24 interns. Really – your business truly needs 24 interns? How is it possibly running now without those billets filled? Do you have staff who can realistically manage 24 interns? Let's talk about an internship. What They Are Notr
Retreat! Does the word remind you of an old black and white movie where the bad guys wearing black hats turn their horses around and retreats from battle? As a business owner the word “retreat” does not mean backing down from a fight or running away from a battle. When business owners hear the word “retreat” they should envision relaxing and getting away from their business. Then they can focus on building their business and taking it to the next level. Seven Reasons for Business Owners to Retreat:
As small business owner do you allow your employees to date each other? Have you ever stopped to consider the pitfalls or legal issues that can arise by allowing an office romance? What guidelines you should have in place? Today many people are working longer hours while building their careers. I often hear there is not time to get out and meet people. Statistics show that a large percent of people do date their coworkers. However, let’s discuss the pitfall of the office romance from the view of the employer or business owner. Pitfalls/Liability to the Business Ownerr
We all love to be pampered and made to feel special. Many people are willing to pay extra for that first class experience. Sometimes though, we get caught off guard by spectacular customer service that it just makes the relationship with the business that much more special. I recently had the experience of staying at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their customer service was superb. Does your business offer over the top experiences for your customers? My tips will help all business owners recreate that first class experience. Five Tips for Offering First Class Customer Service
As a business owner you know you must be seen to attract clients or customers. This does not mean you must have a billboard, balloons hanging on your store front or a person out front of your business holding a sign. There are many no cost and low cost things you can do to increase your visibility. My seven avenues below will help you increase your visibility and drive traffic to your website or squeeze page. Seven Ways to Increase Your Visibility
Snatchers and Grabbers are the people we meet that pretend they want to do business with us. You must identify who they are and how they operate in order to not give away your intellectual property, services, or products for free. I've enjoyed your feedback for my article Stop the Snatchers and Grabbers and for my free ecourse, Stop the Snatchers and Grabbers. The purpose of the free ecourse was to help you design your system so that you stop giving away products and services for free. Below are three more types of Snatchers and Grabbers. Stop These Three Snatchers and Grabbers:
Fear and anxiety can sabotage you when you least expect it. You may not even realize that fear and anxiety are holding you back. You think you want something but then you don’t pursue it. You find yourself making excuses on why you are not finishing the task or project. We can sit all day long at our computers and tweak a website, sales copy, or proposal for a client but never actually complete the task. We say we are not finished with it because it is not perfect. We make excuses on why it isn’t finished.
Have you recently attended a networking event and left money on the table? I’m not talking about the money you left on the table as a tip for the waiter or waitress. I’m talking about your failure to have a system on what you were going to do with all those business cards you collected at the ...
We all hit that brick wall at times where we are no longer jumping out of bed each morning excited to start our day. When you find yourself lying in bed dreading to get up and start your day you know it is time to do some self-reflection and find out what is zapping your energy. Retreat from Your Business and Self Reflectr
When you hear the word passion what image comes to mind - steamy romance, love, and candle lit dinners or hand holding? How do YOU define passion? When I think of passio I don’t think of the romance between two people. I think of the romance I have with my life. I wake up each day secure in knowing that I am living life on my terms; doing the things that I am passionate about – living life on my terms. Are you?
How do you become a successful business owner? You must become the master of your craft. This means you learn to outsource the things that someone else can do better or faster than you so you can focus on what you enjoy doing. This just makes good business sense.
February is International Expect Success Month. As a business owner, professional, student or parent why would you do anything without expecting the outcome to be successful? We should expect success in every endeavor or why are we doing it? This requires a mindset shift. My five tips below will help you achieve success.
Friday – oh how that word can invoke a series of fleeting emotions ranging from dread to delight. I have coined the phrase Finish It Up Friday as a way to make a mindset shift from dread to delight. It is the day to sleep in an extra hour. It is the day to enjoy that first cup of morning coffee knowing there are no real deadlines for the day. There is no better way to start a Friday than listening to the birds chirping, reading morning inspiration, and enjoying that first cup of coffee.
Regardless of your age, marital or socioeconomic status, at one time or another, you will experience stress and anxiety. Each changing season produces different stressors. Summertime has the pendulum swinging from how to keep children from fighting and saying they are bored to keeping them free from sunbu s to an upcoming move to a new neighborhood. The body’s initial reaction to stress is fight or flight. Symptoms of excess stress include feeling mentally and physically exhausted, problems sleeping, tension headaches, bowel disturbances, a lowered immune system, and irritability.
Location based marketing is a great resource for small business owners. It allows you to reward your loyal customers with prizes, free products, or discounts. It also puts your business on the map. Yes, on the map. When your loyal customers checks in to your business your business will shop up on a map on Facebook. This is great for you the small business owner. People can find your business. But, how does the customer retain or protect his or her privacy and remain safe from unscrupulous people?
Miss Savanna is my very friendly blue pit-bull. She normally lies on the floor beside my desk or she can be found looking out the window. Miss Savanna delights in occasionally chasing a cat. But, she also lets those same cats rub up against her and occasionally snuggle up with her on her bed.
The holiday season is upon you. This can be a challenging time if you are single. Invitations to parties are flooding your mailbox. Various television channels seem to devote their entire lineup with movies depicting Santa bringing single women their true love. Jewelry stores are airing commercials showing husbands buying wives big shiny objects. Food companies are playing mind games too by showing how much fun it is to bake cookies with children and create enormous feasts for family and friends.
The definition of a Kept Woman has several meanings. Throughout history a Kept Woman has referred to a mistress, housewife or woman who was dependent upon a man for all her financial support. As we fast forward to the year 2011 the definition has not changed greatly.
Are you a business owner wanting to grow your business? The answer is in your “list”. You can build your list by writing articles, blogs, and sending out a newsletter to promote your business. People buy from experts. Establish yourself as the expert in your niche by writing. Article writing is ...
Branding our businesses happens naturally with each action we do. Written communication can present our businesses in a positive or negative way. My five tips for branding your business through your written communication will help you improve your image. These tips will also help you establish your brand. Five Tips for Branding with Written Communication
Have you ever spent hours speaking with someone that inquired about your business only to find out that they could not afford your services or your services or products were not a “good fit” for their business? I’ve even experienced that after I talked to someone for hours then they revealed they did not like anything to do with computers, social media or learning in a virtual environment. Had I know that I would not have even scheduled an appointment to learn more about their business. They were not my ideal client.
Regardless of your age, marital or socioeconomic status, at one time or another, you will experience stress and anxiety. Each changing season produces different stressors. Summertime has the pendulum swinging from how to keep children from fighting and saying they are bored to keeping them free from sunbu s to an upcoming move to a new neighborhood. The body's initial reaction to stress is fight or flight. Symptoms of excess stress include feeling mentally and physically exhausted, problems sleeping, tension headaches, bowel disturbances, a lowered immune system, and irritability.
Did you know that rules for paying overtime have changed? They changed on May 1st, 2016.
Do you ever notice that sometimes your employees behave like children? Have you ever taken the time to get to know your employees? Which ones are first born, middle children, and babies of the family? Was our employee raised by two parents, one parent, or grandparents? Research has shown that we do bring our family life to work with us. The roles we had in our family when growing up follow us to our jobs. Yes, even you as the boss bring your childhood family role to the workplace. Five Common Family Roles that Come to Work:
As a business owner you know that branding is important. Branding encompasses not only your logo, marketing message, your personal appearance but your store front or home office. When was the last time you looked at your business from the eyes of the customer? My five tips for branding your business with curb appeal will walk you step by step through the eyes of your customer. Five Tips for Branding Your Business using Curb Appeal
In this article I identify three more Snatchers and Grabbers that must be stopped.
Well, I finally did it. A few months ago I upgraded my cell phone and finally got with the times. I fought upgrading my phone due to the cost of a new phone. I waited until my contract needed renewing so I could get a discount. As we celebrate Independence Day and think about the Declaration of Independence which gives us the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I realize my 4G Galaxy cell phone ensures every day is Independence Day. I have been liberated from having to carry my laptop, Ereader, Flip, camera, GPS and visiting the bank to make a deposit.
What do you do after you make a sale? Do you follow up with your clients or customers to ensure they received the product? Do you follow up to ensure they were satisfied? How do you know he or she is a happy consumer? Business Owners – you must follow up. Following up is part of your customer service strategy.