This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Jessie Festa, Jessie on a Journey

Why did you get into blogging?Be honest. 

Maybe it was to travel more or to spend more time with loved ones. Possibly you liked the idea of being your own boss and getting paid to be creative. Or maybe it was a passion for writing.

What I'm guessing was *not* a motivator = spending endless hours hunched over your laptop, though I realize this is what ultimately happens to so many bloggers. 

To help combat this problem, I'm sharing some of my favorite tips for spending *less* time on your laptop -- while still growing your blogging business. <-- Because let's be real, even if you're sitting by a hotel pool it's still better to be swimming in the water than staring at a screen. ;) 

By the way, I also offer a free resource library for bloggers (https://jessieonajourney.com/bloggi…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Mary Sue Dahill, Work Smarter Digital

How do you know you’re ready for CRM? You know it’s time when you feel like this:- Your sticky note process is no longer working, and you’re losing leads.- You miss following up in a timely fashion because you are doing everything by hand.- You feel like things are getting out of control -- because they are.

Missing data = lost relationships = lost salesCRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is both a philosophy and a digital solution that manages business relationships with clients, prospects, partners, and contacts.Think of the CRM as the heartbeat of your business relationships. It is the hub of information for your business data as well as the engine that runs your business systems. As a micro-business owner, our contacts are our business, and our service is our biggest advantage, which is why the CRM is you…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Brenda (Brandy) Hilliard, Biz Star Power

“You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’’ Action brings your dreams closer. Undoubtedly, accountability is a crucial feature of an action-oriented startup, but perhaps an essential attribute is a propensity to act. Survival skills jumpstart your business and boost your performance. Sometimes, we hold ourselves back. We have these huge dreams of what we want to accomplish, yet we’re reluctant to go after them.– George Bernard ShawThe most common reasons are that you’re just not sure where to begin or are your fears are taking over. This is when you have to remember why you absolutely should chase after your business dreams and empower that ambition and passion to make it happen. You’re always thinking about it, right? I know I’m still thinking about th…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Elena Favaro Viana, Contracts for Entrepreneurs

Plain and simple: your onboarding process sets the tone for your working relationship. It is how you introduce your clients to your business, service or product.

As a business owner, acting from a place of reaction is a bad idea, so it’s important to set yourself up proactively with the help of this winning formula for a Flawless Legal Onboarding process: Proposal Stage + Welcome Package + First Call.

From a legal standpoint, what you do here matters. When executed properly, this flawless legal onboarding process can help avoid the majority of future client-related-headaches. When talking about headaches, think: pesky late payments, fraudulent copycats who steal your intellectual property, tardy time-wasters, or those clients that completely ghost you! (Nobody has time for that). A structured onboarding s…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Engracia Sleeswijk, ESleeswijk Consultancy

Problems are everywhere. The degree to which a professional can solve a problem distinguishes him from the common herd. Problem-solving skills help you determine why an issue is happening and how to resolve that issue. It's one of the critical skills that employers seek in job applicants. If this problem-solving thing is so crucial to daily life, what is it?Consider problem-solving the process to observe your environment and identify things that could be changed or improved. You will have to diagnose "the why" of the current state and its influence. To be able to be successful at problem-solving, you need an open mind. Look at the different angles and choose the best possible option.Each step in the problem-solving process employs skills and methods that contribute to the overall effectiveness of influencing change and determine…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Kelly O’Neil, Innovate Media Services

“It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.” —W. Edwards Deming

One of the most critical aspects of leadership is the ability to chart a course and stay focused on it. A good leader will keep their goals in sight and hold steady against distractions that will take your company off track to achieving them. That is why I have always placed such importance on strategic planning. A good plan gives you a road map to where you want to go and makes it so much easier to stay aligned with your goals.

However as with most things, steadfastness must be undertaken with a degree of moderation. We live in a dynamically changing world where unforeseen things sometimes happen. Hurricanes, for instance. Stock market crashes. Pandemics.

When the unexpected happens, we need to respond in ways that minimize po…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Kelly O'Neil, Innovate Media Services

People have been asking me all year, “Do you think 2019 is going to be the year of the recession?”

The truth is we just don’t know. What we do know is that there is strong evidence for economic slowdown. International trade has slowed, oil prices are declining, and according to Duke University, 48.6% of US CFOs believe the country will be in the recession by the end of 2019 and a whopping 82% believe that a recession will have begun by the end of 2020.

If this is on your radar, what I am about to share with you will be vital to moving your business forward profitably over the next few years.

SHOULD THIS WORRY YOU?My short answer is, no. There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of – unless you don’t prepare.

If you’re not properly prepared this can have a major impact on your business. Even if we …

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Morgan Blackman, Holistic Bucks Coaching

Sometime last year during the overwhelming dullness of this pandemic, I was curiously scrolling down Ramit Sethi's feed. If you don't know, Ramit Sethi is a popular east Indian finance blogger who has written a NY Times Best Selling Book called "I Will Teach You To Be Rich". I quickly shared his feed with a friend, who sent me a video a couple of hours later of him talking about how renting property was better than owning property (definitely another article, for another time).As I clicked the Youtube link to watch more, prior to talking about real estate, he started talking about this concept called a "Money Dial". A Money Dial to Sethi is an area of your life that you value so much that you would spend even more in this area as your income started to increase. This is the area of your life that would d…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Kelly O'Neil, Innovate Media Services

“I DON’T JUST RUN MY BUSINESS, I AM MY BUSINESS.”Ever find yourself saying that, or thinking it? It’s a pretty common mindset for entrepreneurs who have started gaining traction.

At first, you might say it with pride. And for good reason—you just built something awesome! But doesn’t take long before reality sets in. Yes, you got your business off the ground, and maybe even flying pretty high. But that lift-off came at a price: now you’re stuck behind the computer or on the phone all day, every day.

There are three major problems with this scenario:

It sacrifices your best interests. Being trapped in the hustle-and-grind of your business will eventually burn you out, if it hasn’t already. It brings your personal growth to a standstill and prevents you from bringing your true genius to the world. And, it ca…

This blog post has been authored by Stand Out Online Member Tineke Rensen, Powerful Business Academy

Successful female entrepreneurs can save time in their business by implementing automation. If you don’t use automation, you are essentially wasting your time on repetitive or manual tasks that you could simplify.

Without automation, you will have to spend extra time on repetitive tasks. You could save up to a quarter of your workweek by implementing automation. Plus, according to Forbes, automation offers cost savings from 40 to 75 percent.

Misbeliefs About Automating

You may be hesitant to start using automation for several reasons, but as a business coach for female entrepreneurs, I can assure you that it is worth it.🙂

Here are some of the common misbeliefs about automation and the truth about each of them.

Automation is expensive to invest in

You may think it costs a …