Don't miss my radio show Wednesday!

Please join me, along with my co-host Danette Moss, for our weekly radio show on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. This week is a special week as it is a Q&A segment.

-Are you researching the errand and concierge service industry and aren't quite sure where to start?

-Have you opened your doors for business, but things are going slow?

-Been in business a while, but you are facing a new situation and need some help?

Bring any and all questions to this segment and we will use this hour to answer as many as possible. Where else can you participate in a free consultation?

You can listen online at Errand Guru Talk Radio or call in at (646) 478-4999 to listen in on the phone.

Don't worry if you can't be there live, you can listen in later to the archived segment on the website. If you have a question that you want answered, just email me at info@ecsuniversitytraining.com.

We will have a chat available during the segment so you can ask your questions or, if you call in, you can ask your questions live on the air!

Attraction Marketing and Money Mindset Program

As a creative business owner, I am excited to share with you someone I think you need to meet...

I've noticed that as creative entrepreneurs we are looking at how our passion-based business can make the next leap in success. I want to share with you one of my favorite business mentors, Laura West. As president and chief creative officer of the Center for Joyful Business, well, you can tell she isn't your average business woman!

Laura has a unique way of blending attraction energy and smart marketing so that passion-based business owners can learn to love marketing - believe it or not! She makes it fun, approachable, and lays out what you need to do in simple systems. If you are already thinking about 2009 and are ready for next year to be your best year ever then you'll want to be on her teleclass THIS THURSDAY!

She's told me that space on the bridgeline is filling up quick so be sure to register soon!

Here is her Teleseminar information:

Attraction in Action: My 5 Most Powerful Attraction Marketing Secrets so You Can Create Your Dream of a Six Figure Business Quickly and Easily with Laura West, Center for Joyful Business

Thurday: October 30

2pm eastern

http://www.joyfulbusiness.com/attractionsecrets?af=738320

In this class she'll share how she grew her business and finally BUSTED THROUGH the six-figure ceiling (While still feeling good about honoring her commitments as a wife, mother and frequent traveler.)

In this teleseminar, you'll also discover:

-Your #1 most precious resource as a business owner (hint: it's not money). Find out what it is and how to create a bottomless supply.
-The first baby steps you can take to gain the confidence and clarity you need to transform your business.
-Why building relationships is much more fun and fruitful than marketing (eww!).
-How to boost your Celebrity Factor so clients seek you out - even when you're on vacation.
-How to do all this without running around in a frenzy chasing marketing idea after marketing idea and feeling like you're never getting anywhere fast enough.
-If you're finally ready to stop saying "It's not just about the money" and start claiming "It's time that it's ALSO about the money!" then I hope you'll join us for this refreshingly different and authentic approach for growing your business.

http://www.joyfulbusiness.com/attractionsecrets?af=738320

Space is filling up fast! Over 130 registered already so reserve your spot fast!

In this teleseminar, she'll also be opening the doors for her *NEW Attraction Marketing and Money Mindset Program! It's a year long program for 24 amazing creative entrepreneurs who are ready for 2009 to be THE YEAR they bust their own money ceiling! Be sure to join us or register to get the recording of the teleseminar. She'll be offering some special bonuses and incentives that you'll only hear about on the call.

If you are tired of chasing marketing ideas all over the web and are ready to put your marketing into simple systems so you can turbo your impact - all while consciously using your attraction energy....well, you're going to want to be a part of this fabulous group of like-spirited and commited business owners.

It's time for a sale!

It is getting to that time of year. My end of the year sale. The next sale won't be until January of 2009! So what do I have on sale for you?

Purchase either my Middle of the Road Package C or my Ultimate Package and I am throwing in a couple of freebies.

Middle of the Road Package C
6 months free in my Errand Guru Coaching Cafe
3 additional hours of consultation time
Free personalization of forms
Free shipping
You are receiving over $850 in freebies!

Ultimate Package
1 year free in my Errand Guru Coaching Cafe
5 additional hours of consultation time
Free personalization of forms
Free shipping
You are receiving over $1300 in freebies!

At the end of the checkout process, enter the code End of the Year 2008 in the text box in order to receive your freebies. I will personally contact you with all of the details regarding your freebies.

Visit my Combination Packages page so that you can see exactly what you receive in each package.

Hurry and place your order because this offer expires November 9, 2008!

Are you prepared?

As I am sitting here trying to finish getting ready for my trip to Florida next week, I realize that I am not as prepared as I should be. I have known about this trip for a year now. I kept telling myself I had plenty of time to get my materials ready not only for my vendor table, but for my session I am teaching as well. Now I am down to the last two days and I still have plenty of work to do.

Are you prepared for your business and your clients? For example, if you have scheduled a pet sitting assignment weeks ahead of time, you should take the time right then and there to put together all of the paperwork that you will need and set the folder aside ready to go. Why? When the day comes for you to run off to your first visit, if you haven't prepared ahead of time, you may rush off without paperwork or the keys, which may lead to you having to return to your office or forgetting something you need to do during your visit.

We all can get overwhelmed from time to time and forget about little things we have to do. It is best to take the time to write down, while you still have a fresh memory, what it is that you need to do. It could be a to-do list or a spot on your calendar. I know that when I first get up, my mind has the day's events rolling about in it. If I take a few moments to sit down and write out everything possible that I can think of that I have to take care of, whether it is for that day or not, I will not forget about a small detail that may turn out to be important.

OK, I am off to finish my packing. As usual, I will be just fine as I put together a packing list several weeks ago and I know what I need so I don't forget anything.

Will you be joining me in Tampa?

If you haven't had a chance yet, visit http://www.iceaweb.org to check out more information about their upcoming conference September 24-27 in Tampa, Florida. I am so excited to be attending another conference, and as Vice President of Budget and Finance, I want to see more attendees there. Not only will there be some great information being taught, but there will be numerous opportunities to network and get to know other business owners in the errand and concierge service industry.

I am also excited because I will be one of the speakers for the pre-conference session. I will be discussing the basics of getting started during my three hour session. The information I will be providing will give you a great start to help you get your business off on the right foot.

I am looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting many new ones this year!

Don't miss our show on Wednesday!

Make sure that you join us on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET with our guest speaker Peggy Porter. Peggy is a coach, author and speaker who specializes in helping Mom Entrepreneurs plan, prioritize and be more productive with their time so they can make more money, spend more quality time with family and bring more energy and less stress to their own lives.

Being a wife and mother of two children, Peggy experiences first hand the challenges of balancing work, family and ME time. She has successfully created a life that is full and rewarding and is passionate about helping all women create the same success.

If you run a business and want to find new ways to balance your work and personal life, then this is the segment for you. You can call in live at 646-478-4999 or listen online at www.blogtalkradio.com/errandgurutalk.

What type of attention are you looking for?

As I have been watching news reports, it seems that the talk of the town is Sarah Palin. Not because of what she stands for, but because of all of the controversy and scandal surrounding her private life. While I think that McCain is getting a boost in attention, are you sure it is the right kind of attention? My mom goes on and on about what a horrible choice he made and talks about how she may bring him down. I am sure John McCain would be happy to hear that.

Kids look for attention from their parents all of the time, whether they have to behave good or badly to get it. Of course parents tend to make a bigger deal out of their bad behavior more than they do when the child acts good. I know sometimes I have a tendency to overlook the good things my children do, because I just expect that from them, and I am more vocal about the bad things that they do. I promise I am trying to get better about doing the opposite.

As business owners we are always looking for attention when it comes to our business. Whether it is a piece in the newspaper or a bit on the local TV station or current clients are spreading the word. The more people that know about us, the better. Or so we think. The problem is when we don't care whether the publicity is about our behavior, whether it is good or bad, as long as it is attention.

We need to be more conscious about the attention our company receives. We want to throw a party and run to tell everyone when we have done good and we need to quickly take care of any errors we make and not draw attention to these errors. Of course, as business owners we will always make mistakes. It is how we handle them and the attention they receive that will determine what happens with our business.

Ready for the new school year yet?

For many of us business owners, when the kids go on summer break so do our businesses. With the kids going back to school, many of us get back on track. I know for myself, I do tend to have a busy schedule full of pet sitting and other errands, but I still make plenty of time to hang out with the family. With the kids going back to school, I go back into full business mode during the school year.


Whether the children are going to school part-time or full-time, you still need to have boundaries set. This includes your business hours, when the children are and aren't allowed in your office, what happens when the children are sick or on vacation, and so on. If everyone knows their roles and their boundaries, it is much easier to get through a hectic school year filled with after school and weekend activities and still be productive in your business.

Have you signed up for the Coaching Cafe yet?

Have you had a chance to check out what's being offered at the Errand Guru Coaching Cafe yet? If not, check it out at http://www.angelatyourservice.com/index_files/Page1171.htm. There are many exciting benefits to being a member, including two one-on-one coaching call in days, a Q&A call, a special topic or guest speaker call every month, a private forum, and many other benefits.

The first month is only $14.95 and each month thereafter is $29.95. We will be having some exciting guest speakers coming up in the next few months, but you will only have access to that information if you are a member of the Errand Guru Coaching Cafe.

Don't miss our show on Wednesday!

Make sure that you join us on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET with our guest speaker Christine Saunders. She is the owner of The Spiraled Stem Floral Design. She will be discussing green trends in event planning.

The Spiraled Stem incorporates environmentally sustainable flowers, products, materials, and practices into their studio and every project they do. Flowers are often an overlooked element of eco-friendly decor, and now they have made it easy for eco-conscious companies, event planners, individuals and brides to go green in every color.

If you run a business and want to find new ways to provide green services, then this is the segment for you. You can call in live at 646-478-4999 or listen online at www.blogtalkradio.com/errandgurutalk.

I'm back!

After being away for a few weeks, I am back with more information for you. Please make sure that if you haven't had a chance, check out previous blog posts and make any comments you would like regarding the posts. No comments means that I do not know if you like what I am talking about, if any of it makes sense, or whether you are even reading what I write.



Thanks!!!!!!!!

Don't miss our show this Wednesday!!!

Join us Wednesday, July 30, 2008, at 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET, with our special guest Maria Ross, as we Marketing on our Errand Guru Talk Radio Show. If you are unsure what the difference is between branding, marketing, and PR, then this is the segment for you.

Maria Ross is the President and Chief Marketing Diva of Red Slice. Red Slice is a marketing and communications consultancy that works strategically with your marketing department or serves as a virtual marketing director to build fresh brands, create winning marketing strategies, and flawlessly execute programs.


You can listen live over the Internet or call in over the phone to listen at (646) 478-4999. We also have a live chat during the segment, so if you want to ask a question off the air, we would be happy to answer it for you.

You can visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/errandgurutalk to listen to any of our previous shows we have done.

Easy Office Organization

Easy Office Organization: How To Go From Overwhelmed And Frustrated To Organized And Stress-Free In 48 Hours Or Less. This is an exciting fixed-term membership program designed to teach you how to create the key administrative and online marketing systems in your solo service business. It will cover everything you need to know to achieve office organization success in a step-by-step, bite-sized format.

Get a 'sneak peek' at this exciting new program, and sign up for the priority list at: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2492002.

Creating Small Business Websites That Grab Attention

Is your website giving you the results you want?

Your website can be a wonderful marketing and educational tool. But what makes a small business owner's website great?

Learn the basics of what you should know to add polish and professionalism to your small business website, everything from the message you deliver to the psychology of the colors you use.

Whether you design your own site or hire someone to do it for you, this-information packed class is for you!

Join Karyn Greenstreet for a six week teleclass that begins July 17, 2008. The dates of the class are:

July 17
July 24
July 31
Aug 7
Aug 14
Aug 21

The cost of the class is $179 and is a great investment!

Click the link for more details and to register for this class. http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=2490037

We're on for Tuesday, right?

Just wanted to remind you about Ali Brown's *FREE TELESEMINAR SERIES* that kicks off Tuesday, July 15. And this will be the LAST one of its kind.

(In a hurry? Sign up here now: http://www.autowebbusiness.com/app/?af=805212 )

Why do I want to make sure you attend?

==> On these calls, Ali is going to reveal the EXACT steps she took to transform her original service-based business to an Internet-based business and skyrocketed her income to multiple 7- figures per year.

(And more importantly, how YOU can do the same.)

During these calls Ali will be sharing with us:

* NEW and easy ways to use EMAIL and the INTERNET to leverage your time, sell FOR you, and put your marketing and sales on autopilot. (You'll love seeing new leads, clients, and customers just drop in your lap.)

* How to STOP marketing one-to-one and START marketing one to thousands... or tens of thousands! (This leverage is your KEY to super-fast income growth.)

* BRAND NEW strategies and secrets Ali's uncovered to grow her business FASTER and attract wealth easier than ever before. (And believe me, your mindset is just as important as your marketing and sales.)

These calls are a sneak preview of Ali's LAST LIVE Online Success Blueprint Workshop, happening in November 2008. (It's already over halfway sold out!)

Take my word for it... you DON'T want to miss this FREE teleseminar series, which is also Ali's LAST free series on this topic ever.

So, won't you join me? The first call is on *Tuesday, July 15* and you can sign up and get the details here now: http://www.autowebbusiness.com/app/?af=805212

Ali already has over 2,000 people registered, so it's important you get in on this soon before she has to close it out due to limited space on her bridge lines.

You don't want to miss this for anything.

I'll see you on the calls!

How persistent are you?

My son has been asking me all day when I would take him to the store so that he could go shopping with a gift card he has. Of course I told him later each time he came to me. I had an excuse each time. I was busy with work the first time, I had phone calls the next time, he had to complete his chores before we could go, and on and on. Well, he did everything I had asked him to do and now I am out of excuses. Will I be taking him? Of course. He was persistent about going, never missing a beat.

Why can't we as business owners be persistent too? Just because someone tells you "No" the first time you talk to them doesn't mean that they don't want your services or products. Unless they have stated that they would call the police or threatened you with bodily harm because they really don't want what you have to offer, keep trying.

What you need to do is look over how the first interaction went and figure out what changes you need to make. Was your first contact with them a hard sell? Did you explain to them a summarized version of what they would get from forging a relationship with you? Did your speech sound canned? Did you fumble around with your words because you lacked confidence?

Now is the time to view your "No" prospects as your "Come back and tell me what you can really do to get the sale" prospects. We all faced with people wanting to sell us something. Whether it is the Burger King employee trying to upsell your purchase by asking "Would you like fries with that?" or the flyer you find attached to your door from a local landscaping company or the little girl down the street going door to door with her ice chest trying to sell drinks on a hot day, you need to learn from those that have sold you on their product.

What made you interested in buying from them? Was it the look of the marketing materials? Was it the tone of their voice? Was it the unique way that they told their story to you? Those that are successful are persistent. Look to them for guidance.

What's your message saying?

As I was heading out to IHOP for breakfast this morning I drove by the local boat shop. They had a banner hanging on the chain link fence in front of their business that said, "You only have 18 summers with your kids. How many do you have left?"

When I first drove by it, I only was able to see the first statement, but it was so intriguing that I made a point of going past the shop after breakfast and stopping to read the rest of it. Why? The message spoke to me personally. I have three kids of my own and the oldest is going to be 16 in September, which means that I only have a few summers left before he heads out on his own. If I was in the market for a boat right now, I would have definitely stopped in to see what else they had to say. Who knows. I may have walked out with a boat.

Are your messages speaking to your customers? Many people are too broad and general with their messages and therefore they don't provoke emotion in their prospective clients getting them to want to purchases their products or services. When you are putting together your messages pretend as if the person you want to reach is right in front of you and you are having a conversation with them. Talk to them and them only and your message should come across loud and clear.

For example, I have two dogs and two birds right now, although my daughter and youngest son are hatching up a plan to go steal a sheep in the middle of the night and bring it home. I know all about what it is like to have to go somewhere and worry about what to do with the animals. My daughter's dog will be a year old in August and I am constantly screaming about something new he has eaten up in our house. The older dog leaves "presents" in the hallway for us all of the time.

If I was putting together a flyer for prospective clients and talking about pet sitting services or mid-day potty breaks, I might state, "Have you come home recently to find your favorite pair of shoes are now your dog's favorite toy? If you have to work all day, let Angel At Your Service come by to check on your dog and make sure that your favorite shoes are where they are supposed to be." Or I could use, "Do you find little deposits all over your house when you come back home after a long day at work? Angel At Your Service can provide mid-day potty breaks so that your pet can take care of things outside and leave your carpet clean on the inside."

Look at your target market and make sure that your message is saying the right thing.

Where do you come up with your pricing?

I was looking at a few pet sitting jobs that had been posted on SitterCity and could not believe some of the pricing that I saw. First, there was an ad from a person who was offering pet sitting/dog walking services. She wanted $50-$100 per visit. The second ad was from a woman who wanted someone to come to her home twice a day for $5-$15 per visit.

I started laughing out loud when I read both of those ads. Why?

The woman who placed the ad for pet sitting services lives about 7 miles from me. My gas to get there and back for each visit alone would cost more than she wanted to pay me. Basically my services would be for free. Why would I provide charity? I am in business and most people go into business to make money.

The woman who placed the ad to provide pet sitting/dog walking services was providing typical services that other pet sitters normally provide. She wasn't offering to cleaning a client's home and prune their bushes so that they spelled out "Welcome Home" when the client arrived back home. I understand the cost of gas has gone up, but please!

Both of these women did not price their pet sitting services right. The first woman's ad continues to stay up because she is underbidding what any respectable, professional pet sitter would ask for in return for their services. The second woman's ad will probably not get her too many clients because there was no real value for the price she was asking.

It is not that hard to go online and see what the going rates are for pet sitting services in your area. The woman who underbid will probably not find a licensed and bonded pet sitter, which she was asking for, for the price she is asking. She will probably have to settle for a neighborhood teenage kid or a relative to watch her animals while she is away. The woman who over quoted her price will find she was double, on the low end of her scale, to quadruple, on the high end of her scale, what others are asking and so her prospective clients will go elsewhere.

I have a pet sitting client who had sent me a confirmation email before his trip and had asked me if my rates had gone up because he wanted to cover the difference. I told him "Yes" and gave him the new rate. He had my check ready for my first visit along with a 20% tip. Why? Because he and his wife understand the true value of my services and are willing to pay my asking rate because his pets have been much happier staying at home instead of a kennel for the last couple of years that I have been pet sitting for them.

When you are putting together your pricing for your services, be reasonable, fair, and make sure that whatever services you are providing offer real value for your asking price.

The Queen's Last Sale Ever!

This is The Queen's LAST SALE EVER!

What do I mean?

Alicia M Forest, a.k.a. "The Multiple Streams Queen", is in the midst of some creative destruction at Client Abundance, and in doing so, she's having a major sale until June 29 in order to make 'space' for bigger and better things, including a brand-new website.

You see, her network of sites has grown out of control, so she figured it would be less work to simply demolish the entire thing and start over. This is truly a great example of "creative destruction" in order to grow.

Anyway, in the process, she'll be DISCONTINUING 9 products that will NOT be sold on the new website. (They're fine programs, but she said she just wants to focus on bigger fish.)

Topics include writing succcessful sales copy, hosting teleseminars, launching products, hiring an assistant, managing email lists, designing a niche, and more.

So Alicia's having a special CLOSE-OUT EVENT right now, which is only good through Sunday, June 29, 2008.

That means you only have a few days left to grab these products at 50% OFF -- before they disappear forever!

I already picked up a few products myself, and I highly advise you do so as well. You can see the quick list at http://tinyurl.com/4g78xp.

Do you practice what you preach?

In the errand and concierge industry we are always telling our customers to give up their to-do lists to us so that they can have more free time for themselves, but do we do the same?

When I was younger, I remember a conversation that my mom, sister, and I had. We were talking about how a person who smokes can't tell their child not to smoke, because they are not following their own advice. The child is not going to listen because they are thinking to themselves, "Why shouldn't I smoke? My dad (or mom) smokes. It's really OK to smoke."

The same thing is true with your clients. You can’t try to sell them on giving up their to-do list and enjoy life when you aren’t following that same advice. We all need time everyday to replenish our minds and bodies, even if it is a 20 minute nap, a nice, long bath, or 15 minutes to meditate.

Of course when you are first starting out there is not a lot of money to hire someone to be your right hand man to delegate everything to, but there are a few things you can do.

1. Hire a student to help around your office. Visit local colleges about offering an internship to some of their students. If you need help with your accounting, look for a student studying to be a CPA. Looking for help with your logo? Look to one of the graphic design students.

2. Barter or trade for your services. If you have a stay at home mom who is good at marketing and sales, offer free service to her in exchange for a brochure or sales kit. She gets her errands taken care of and you get some nice marketing materials.

3. Budget in for help. When you are putting together your start up budget, put together a staff budget for a part time VA or personal assistant. You can hire them by the hour or a package deal to handle some of the administrative tasks so you can spend your time networking and building relationships with potential clients.

Remember that there are leaders and followers. Lead by example.