Stop the Madness and Take Action

There is so much doom and gloom in the news today, it’s enough to make you want to give up, grab a blanket and lie on the couch with a big pint of ice cream. Well, I don’t know about you, but I refuse to let this economy hurt the business I’ve worked so hard to create. This is not the time to sit around and be a victim. Instead, it’s time to take action and continue to pursue your goals.

To get moving, try these tips:

• Get Up Earlier or Stay Up Later. There is a lot of competition for new business out there today. If you want your piece of the pie, it’s necessary to put in a little more time and effort. For example, I get up at 4:00 a.m. to write my PR book, handle my clients’ public relations and SEO copywriting needs, work on marketing efforts, and fit in a workout at the gym. I put in many, many hours, but my business is going strong, and I’m able to reduce stress with my exercise program.

• Take Advantage of Free Services. To help boost sales, look at the many services available at no charge. I mentioned some of these last week to help you with your publicity and SEO efforts. But there are also many other services available at very reasonable prices to help you grow your business. It’s just a matter of making the effort to find them and start using them to your advantage.

• Barter for Services. If you are really in a cash-crunch, look into exchanging services. Perhaps, you can offer your marketing services in exchange for childcare, Website development in exchange for hair styling, lawn care in exchange for car washes, etc. Be creative. Just be sure to spell out the barter in a contract so each party knows exactly what they are getting and you are able to maintain a good relationship.

These are just a few examples of how to beat tough times. The point is not to let bad economic news get to you. Instead, take action, be strong and fight for your success! After all, I don’t want to be a fool this April Fool’s Day. How about you?

By Melanie Rembrandt