Pumps or Bunny Slippers? Home Office Attire Matters More Than You Think!

One of the many benefits of home-based entrepreneurship is the ability to dress as if it's casual Friday every day of the week. As business owners, we thrive on that kind of freedom.

It is easy, though, to slip into a zone of comfort. To the extreme, this is known as "frumpy and dumpy." You might think it doesn't matter what you wear to the office. IT DOES MATTER and may even effect how well you function.

There's no doubt what we wear impacts how we feel. And how we feel translates to everything else.

Purposeful intent has a huge impact on how prepared we are to meet the demands of each day. The term "getting ready" says it all. It is the process by which we mentally prep. Our actions say to the universe, "I'm ready. Bring it on!"

What is your morning routine before sitting down at your computer to start the day? Do you intentionally prepare for the day or roll out of bed, stagger to your home office and start reviewing emails and returning telephone calls? Is it Noon - or even 5 PM - before you realize you didn't actually "start" your day?

When you do dress, do you:

• put on comfortable, yet clean clothes in good condition (no holes or stains)?
• mix/match colors that particularly inspire you?
• choose clothing that fits properly... neither too big or too small?
• choose consciously based on what feels right for that day?
• make selections from a range of quality clothing, so no matter what you choose, you feel great?

Another aspect of being ready for the day is hygiene. This may sound elementary, but being clean and feeling refreshed do much to let your body know it's time to end nighttime and begin the day. Let me ask:

• Do you bath or shower every day?
• Do you brush your teeth?
• Do you put on make-up and do your hair?
• Do you spritz a little perfume on your wrists?
• Do you do whatever else helps you transition from private time to work time?

You put on your best to achieve the best results. How you prepare, what you wear, how you take care of your basic hygiene all preps you for the success of each day.

I don't necessarily advocate clicking around your office in pumps unless it makes you feel like a mighty powerhouse of productivity. If it does, definitely put them on and click to your heart's content!

Or wear your bunny slippers.

Perfume? No perfume? Make-up? No make-up?

Your specific choices don't matter. (However, I do encourage you to brush your teeth!)

What does matter is how you feel when you make those choices. If you feel less than the very best version of yourself, this vibe translates to every telephone call, meeting, plan, project and email. It's a subtle influence, but it definitely makes an impact in the life of your business and the maximum productivity of every day.

If you still think it doesn't matter, try a new dressing and hygiene regimen for just one week. You'll feel different and act different as a result. Who knows? Feeling and acting different may even translate to increased income! You'll have to let me know.

DIY (Do It Yourself) or Delegate? THAT Is The Question

It's hard to be objective when you're so close to your business. To save money, as entrepreneurs we often consider doing many things ourselves. There are smart reasons, though, to give this approach careful consideration before proceeding.

Economics are very real, but so are your efforts. To waste them wastes time that can be better spent focusing on doing what you do best to grow your business.

How do you determine whether the task in front of you is something you should do yourself or delegate to a pro?

Remember: There are no right or wrong choices when it comes to either option. There are simply decisions that must be made. With mindful consideration you'll know exactly which option is best in each situation.

1. Ask yourself these simple Do-It-Yourself questions:

• Do I possess innate talent for this task? When we perform based on our natural gifts, the results are highly productive and soul-fulfilling. It doesn't cost us much in time or effort to perform these tasks.
• Have I done it before? If you already perform the task and enjoy it, the best choice may be to DIY. If it's something that truly interests you, and you've never done it before, it may be a worthwhile task to perform to build your skill set.
• Do I have experience performing this task at/near expert level? Do you have a burning desire to learn accounting or set up a shopping cart? If you do, that's probably your business. If you don't, it may take more time becoming proficient enough to make it worth your time. Look at the long-term investment of the learning curve. If you invest the time now, will you want to continue this task when your business is in full bloom?
• Do I enjoy this task? When we love what we do, things just flow. They don't feel like work. Time passes quickly and we are done before we know it. With few exceptions, that's how the DIY approach should feel. If you dread the task in front of you, you gain nothing by doing it yourself. Delegate NOW!
• Can I complete this task without other projects falling behind? You might think you have more time than money, but what is your time worth? If you have one project that can be completed and turned into cash and it's something only you can do, that must be your priority! Doing everything yourself is impossible. If your to-do list is wildly out-of-control already, how can you feel good about doing yet another thing that can be delegated? There's enough to do.
• Can I complete this task in a reasonable amount of time? If it takes an expert two hours for a logo design and you pay her $295, and it takes you 10 hours because you have to learn a new program and create the design, have you saved anything? When you learn the program is your innate talent design composition? That 10 hours might be much better invested in development of an e-book, formulating a new product or ANYTHING that can generate many more times the cost of the logo.
• How will I feel about the time and energy invested if I do this myself? The feeling of wasting time or energy weighs heavy. How often have you completed something only to wish you could start all over and delegate it because the project became a monster? What about the results? Did they exceed your expectations? Maybe, maybe not. If you don't have full confidence in doing it yourself, delegate. The pro you hire must deliver goods that at least meet your expectations. If not, they have to do it again. This requires no further investment of time or money on your part because the liability is 100% with the expert you hired.

2. Ask yourself these simple Delegation-related questions:

• What is my budget for this project? Be specific and realistic. How much are you investing and what is the ROI (Return On Investment)?
• What do I get in addition to what I'm paying for? When you hire a pro, you're getting so much more than what you hired them for. You are buying time. As an example: 2 hours to learn more about search engine optimization, R&D on a new product, launch a new Blog, time to schedule a much-needed coaching session, hire a marketing business consultant, develop a plan for 2009, etc. By delegating, you give yourself a structured time slot that would have been spent performing the task, but instead you can use for something else that must be done... maybe something only you can do.
• If I delegate this, how will I use the time instead? Map it out and be specific. Set a goal for yourself. That way it feels like two things are being accomplished at the same time, which they are!
• Does this use of time make more sense than doing this myself? If you quietly ask yourself this question and listen, the answer will surface. It's your internal guidance system helping you make wise decisions based on much more than the logical considerations in front of you.

Based on the answers to these questions, you now have a clear sense of whether you should DIY or delegate.

Another Option

Instead of the common polar approach which is: "This or that; black or white, full or empty," think of ways you can maximize the services of a pro with each of you doing a portion. This gives you the benefits of both experiences; DIY and delegating.

As an example, one of my clients writes all her copy. She emails it to me for a complete edit. This saves her considerable money because she's completed the bulk of the work. On the average, this saves clients 3/5 of the cost of a full copywriting job because it doesn't involve the extensive background research required for me to deliver rich content. She saves money, but benefits from a second set of expert eyes on her marketing materials.

Now, that's a win-win situation!

My Biggest Business Challenge... uh, Circumstance - Part 2 of 2

If you missed the August 20, 2007 issue of The Indie Experience, I was asked about my biggest business challenge.

Last week's article (Part 1) addressed the value of reframing ideas (or questions, in this case) and the freedom of not labeling circumstance. This week's article (Part 2) contains my answer.

Now that you know how I approach this question of my biggest "challenge," I am excited to candidly share with you my biggest business life circumstance.

I warn you, however. It requires a mental adjustment to the traditional approach to business.

Without further delay, here we go!

The biggest business life circumstance I encounter is:

the moments I become temporarily
overwhelmed by the thought
that delivering the best for my clients
depends on my knowledge alone

I'm exceptional at what I do and have worked diligently to acquire my current skill set. But, when I step out and away from my business, in the grand scheme of life, I must acknowledge that the knowledge I've accumulated is miniscule compared to the vast knowledge imprinted -- and accessible -- in the ether.

Every thought, every invention, every word ever spoken, the inspirations for every great painting, the angst of every artist, every solution, every creative notion, every everything lingers "out there."

And if it lingers, these etheric inspirations are accessible to every one of us... if only we ask. (This "collective of creativity" is linked to our intuition and spirit-help. Keep this in mind as you read further.)

The funny thing is no one ever told us we could ask! And it didn't occur instinctively to ask for help or inspiration from these impressions.

The Secret to Obliterating My Biggest Life Circumstance

Every day we hear more and more about conscious entrepreneurship. I have developed and refined spiritual business practices for more than a decade, but the message is now hitting the mainstream. The world of commerce has changed. Our lives are no longer separated into neat compartments of home and work. Instead they are a complex mix of the many facets of our one, integrated life. It is thrilling to see entrepreneurs embrace and incorporate all elements of this physical plane to thrive in business (physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual). This alone seems to be moving us along at a rapid pace of growth.

However, many entrepreneurs still focus on adding to their tangible skill set (e.g. project management, internet marketing skills, effective sales techniques, etc.)... all without implementing another, equally vital and useful tool.

Certainly I depend on my expertise and years of experience, but there's another more effective component to my success. It's a secret, really, and although I don't speak of it often, it's my magical -- and until now, private -- key to doing so well in business.

Clients refer to me as "The Intuitive Copywriter." They're absolutely right.

My secret is this:
I actively invite and engage the
intuitive/spiritual element
to benefit my business and
deliver spot-on results
for my clients

In my experience, my skills are sufficient to deliver results that exceed client expectations. However, paired with this magical component, I am able to access insights not based on accumulated knowledge, but instead sourced from the divine and the etheric impressions mentioned earlier.

How Does It Work?

Throughout my day I am in ongoing communication with my Source (feel free to replace this word with the name of your spiritual source; God, Buddha, Mother Nature, The Goddess, Ultimate Creativity, etc. The name doesn't matter. That you access this resource IS what matters.). I simply remain in a state of openness and active listening.

THAT'S IT! If it sounds simple, it is. If it sounds too simple to work, it isn't.

It allows me the flexibility to take inspired, specific action instead of random action based on the latest trends. After all, my guidance comes directly from The Source. Think about it: Isn't it smarter to be directly plugged into The Source and get the insider scoop on the best next move for your unique business via a quiet inspiration vs. trying to incorporate the latest trend(s) based on technical data and projections? Talk about work!

How, Indeed!

Another facet of engaging Source is: I have completely removed myself from figuring out the "how" of things:

• How will I create the "hook" for my client's new product?
• How will that situation resolve itself?
• How can I bridge this misunderstanding?
• How will I pay for the new color printer?
• How can I increase productivity with limited monetary and personnel resources?

When I first notice something that feels like a "how" detail, I acknowledge it and invite my spiritual guides to work it out and completely delegate the "how" to them.

When purposely separated from the "how," answers, creative input, resolve, options and ideas flow to you effortlessly. It's all about letting go... about relinquishing control of your need to come up with all the answers based on what (little) you know. Access creativity and inspiration so

• the "work" of working becomes creating
• you become part of a collaboration bigger than you and your business

Just the same as delivering inspired and customized copy to my clients, the Universe delivers custom solutions to every business -- and personal -- situation that arises. I trust and rely on this process exclusively now because I see how much better it works! My former approach is no longer enough.

A Passive Approach? | What Do I Do Now?

If you think this is a passive approach to business success, it can seem that way initially. If you're not busy figuring out the "how," what ARE you supposed to be doing?

With a mental switch of now relying on Spirit as part of your team, your job becomes taking only inspired action.

To take inspired action means you have to know what to do. To know what to do means you have to somehow clearly "hear" or understand what it is you're inspired to do.

One must listen very carefully to the sound of Spirit. It sounds easy (no pun intended), but it requires practice... especially at first. Paying attention to subtlety is an art!

Your experience may be audible, felt-audible (I feel/hear divine inspiration in my right ear), a feeling, or a physical manifestation (the stomach area is very common). It may even be a slight shift in your emotions that becomes your personal way of knowing.

Subtle nuance. Pay attention!

There are as many paths as there are people, and this moment-by-moment, inspired and effective approach to business -- and your personal life -- deserves a trial run. If it doesn't work, you can always go back to the overwhelm and frustration of managing everything yourself and depending on your knowledge alone to carry you.

It may sound so simplistic and yet couldn't we all use less complicated systems when the results prove that simplicity works?

Go ahead, unburden yourself. Relinquish the need to think you have to know it all, ask for help and delegate the "hows" to those spiritual entities much better equipped to deliver ultimate creative solutions. Watch what happens.

If you want to experience more confidence, more peace and a much wider well from which to draw, add the spiritual element to your business activities. It doesn't matter what product or service you offer. Spirit is available to deliver better results than you can ever imagine.