Promote Yourself for a Better Career, Income and Lifestyle

Many people are unemployed. Homes are in foreclosure. The economy is uneasy. Things in our country are tough right now. But it’s not the time to give up and stop pursuing your career goals and dream lifestyle. Instead, use this negativity as a driving force to promote yourself and make things better for you and your family in the future. “Companies always need people who know how to sell their products,” says Katie Yeakle, executive director of American Writers & Artists, Inc., a company that helps people develop skills to acquire financial security, independence and freedom. “Use this down time to research in-demand careers like copywriting, graphic design, SEO writing, and more. Then, equip yourself with the critical skills and connections necessary to land clients, start working professionally and earn money fast.” If you want a better career, income and lifestyle in the year ahead, here are five simple things you can do now to start making change happen:

1. Plan. If you’ve always dreamed about owning your own business and escaping the “8 to 5 rat race,” what are you waiting for? Take just a few minutes to think about where you are now and what you’d really like to be doing. Decide your dream lifestyle. Write down your perfect schedule, income goals and passions. Then, figure out what skills and resources you need to take to make your goals happen. Try not to let naysayers get in your way and ruin your aspirations.

2. Get Help. “When you’re changing your career or starting a new business, it’s a good idea to have support from people who work with or for you, as well as support from family and friends, because there are going to be unexpected problems that will be discouraging,” says Jill Exler, founder of jexbo. “Uninvolved support (spouse or child for example) can remind you of other important things in your life. Co-workers can remind you of things that are going right and may also be able to help you work through the problems.” You will have a much easier time making your dreams a reality if you get support from positive family members and friends. Plus, there are numerous organizations and businesses available to guide you through the career-change process such as: www.score.org, 
www.sba.gov, 
www.nawbo.org, 
www.startupnation.com, 
www.inc.com, www.entrepreneur.com, 
and www.awaionline.com. And the best part is that these resources offer free information. If you are willing to put in the time and effort to move forward, you will find the help you need.

3. Make a Timeline. Now that you know what you need to do to make a career change, create a schedule. Write down the tasks necessary to start working towards your new goals. “Timelines are essential when pursuing new career or business goals because they allow you to plan for both short-term opportunities and a long-term vision,” says Jessica Cooper, a busy marketing manager at PrintingForLess.com. “A timeline gives you the ability to break your overall plan into smaller chunks of activities with corresponding deadlines. This will keep you motivated by providing a daily regimen and a sense of accomplishment when you cross something off your list.” Figure out when you have time available, and then write down specific activities to accomplish on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Set deadlines for yourself. And think of all the benefits you’ll receive by completing each task and moving that much closer to your dream lifestyle. Perhaps it will help you place a photo of your family, your dream house or an exotic, vacation destination near your workspace to help motivate you? After all, if you set deadlines for yourself to reach various milestones, you’ll be more likely to enjoy your new life faster. And even if you don’t have a lot of time to work on your new career goals, try to do one thing each day. It will give you a small sense of accomplishment. “Be ambitious in your scheduling, but don’t be unrealistic,” says Cooper. “By giving yourself enough time to accomplish each activity, you will more apt to stick to your timeline and eventually reach your long-term goals.”

4. Start Part-Time. With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember that you can start your new career while working full-time. There is no need to quit your job until you have your new career well underway. Not only does this take a lot of risk out of the equation, but it gives you time to build your clientele and confidence prior to making the big, full-time leap. “While you are working full-time, establish a sound financial plan and save money,” says Yeakle. “Before quitting your job, you may need to save six months’ worth of living expenses or wait for final approval on a business loan. And take advantage of your company’s health insurance too. It’s a good idea to schedule routine physical, dental, or eye exams while you are still covered.”

5. Attract New Clients. Once you have your new career ready to go, there are several inexpensive ways to promote yourself and attract new clients. • Get a domain name and build a website. 
Conduct some research, and use an online Web service to help you create an effective site that reflects your business benefits and budget. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to have a professional appearance. For help: 
Check the sites listed above and look at www.godaddy.com, www.cheapdomains.com, and other inexpensive Web services.

• Optimize your website for the search engines.
You don’t need technical training to make your site search-engine friendly. Simply provide valuable content and add appropriate keywords. For more information, check http://www.interspire.com/content/articles/13/1/Google-SEO-Basics-for-Beginners, http://www.mediacollege.com/internet/search-engines/seo/basics.html, http://www.searchenginewriting.com/seo-resources.shtml, and other sites containing the latest SEO information.

• Send out a press release.
When your website is in place, and you are ready to announce your business, create a press release and send it to media members who follow your target audience. For distribution help: 
Visit www.prweb.com, www.prnewswire.com and www.businesswire.com. Also check the list of free/low cost distribution sites at http://www.rembrandtwrites.com/FreePressReleasePostingSites.htm.
 


• Contact potential new customers directly.
Tell everyone about your new business. Reach out to past co-workers, bosses and others you’ve worked with in the past. Write personal letters or visit potential customers directly. By catering your sales pitches directly to the clients you’d most like to deal with, you will have much better luck getting through and bringing in prime customers.

No Excuses!
 Things could be better right now, but it’s not the time to sit around and complain. Instead, try to be positive and to take action. After all, life flies by fast. Do you really want to spend time dealing with your boss, long commute and deadline stressors any longer than necessary? Start promoting yourself now and see what happens!

By Melanie Rembrandt