This Sunday is Mother’s Day and as many of the local retailers are scrambling to make a profit on this recognized day of honoring your mother, I decided to devote my marketing blog topic on how your parents have impacted the success of your business.   As the quote above from our first president points out, George Washington’s mother had a profound impact on the success of his life.  What impact did your mother or father have on the success of your business?

My father passed away in 1992, but he was the role model I used for my life in terms of career success.  He was a self made man who didn’t have anything handed to him.  He brought his enthusiasm and passion for life in to his dream of having his own business.  With six kids he was able to accomplish more than most people would dream of accomplishing. His business grew steadily even during a couple of recessions and during the paper shortage of the early 1970’s that affected the printing and design business that he was in.  He had a natural ability to connect with people and to service customers in a way that he seldom lost accounts.  People could see he was genuine and caring and a smart business man.

My mother was the nurturer in the family and I recognized that you need this as the glue to hold everything together in your home and business.  Someone has to do the day to day work of making sure everyone is looked after and if something needed to be fixed, my mother was the one who either got one of us to do it or hired a professional to handle it.  She was great at managing people and projects even though she never worked outside the home all the years of my life.  Both of my parents were advocates for education and making sure their team of 6 kids had opportunity to gain knowledge and skills that would carry us through our life.  My Dad understood that you were never done learning and this has been the foundation to my own business model as I continue to gain more skills as today’s technology constantly changes the landscape in the marketing and advertising field.

Why is all of this important for a business owner to see about their parents beyond the Mother’s Day holiday theme?  Most of what we have today is because of who we were when we were small and the biggest influence on our life and our business is our parents.  We take the best of them and make it our own.  We also try to avoid the parts we may not have liked, but often that gets rolled up in to all of this, too.  So, if you had a parent who was afraid to take risks and never dared to own their own business and you saw this as a negative, you may wish to thank them today for you starting your own company.  And, if you, like me, had a mother who was obsessive about making sure things got fixed, the mortgage paid and that the house was picked-up and in order.  Well, I guess, like me, you need to say “THANKS MOM” for teaching me to  prioritize bills and manage projects, all while presenting an orderly appearance.

Look closely at how much your business has been influenced by your parents and be sure to  stop in at a local retailer today to buy your Mother a Mother’s Day gift!

All my best to your success!

~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

“Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. He was a means to an end. He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad . . . on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner. Born of necessity, the little fellow literally freed us of immediate worry. He provided the means for expanding our organization . . . and for extending the medium of cartoon animation toward new entertainment levels. He spelled production liberation for us.”

So, as you continue to work your business day to day and are faced with many challenges because of the economic climate, how do you put your fear and worries aside to keep your mind focused on new ideas and services that will help your business stand out from others? Do you have a symbol like Walt’s mouse in your company that lifts your mood and keeps you free of the day to day stress?  Something that is fun or has a positive meaning to you that keeps you smiling is a good “mouse”.  My company’s “mouse” is a purple diamond paperweight that has our tagline, “Success wears the Purple Diamond!” engraved on it.  I have one on my desk and I share the purple diamonds with all my clients so that they have a symbol to focus on that will lift them up and remind them that they are moving in the direction of success.

So, if you have not found your business “mouse” and you are bogged down with the worries of your business, consider going to the store and finding something that makes you laugh and connects with your business in a positive way.  Place that object where you and your staff can see it and focus on it when you start to get distracted from your business due to worry.  Then, pick-up the phone and call a client or a prospect or have a creative team meeting with your staff and continue on your way to success!

All my best to your success!

~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

DREAMS

One person says,

“There’s no way I’ll ever be able to achieve

my dreams.”

Another person says, “I’ll do whatever it takes to make my dreams

come true.”

Both will be right.

Which one are you?

by Jace Carlton

Choosing to have success this year in business is as important to your marketing strategy as coming up with creative ideas.  A positive attitude and a belief in your goals is essential to any campaign and to the success of your company.  If you are starting 2010 off feeling like you are still “hung-over” from 2009 and you don’t “feel” like you have a clear direction, then you need to stop what you are doing and re-commit to your business and your dreams! You do not need to be a marketing guru since you can hire help in that area, but without the belief in yourself and the direction you want to go, you will never get anywhere.

I am told daily by clients and other business professionals that I meet that I am filled with energy, ideas and positive thinking.  YES….because I know where I am going and how I will get there.  If you need help with marketing please reach out to the professionals in your area or contact Purple Diamond. And, be sure to check out sites like CHANGE YOUR STARS that have a way to motivate and inspire and keep you focused on your dreams.

All my best to your success!

~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”

]]> http://purple-diamond.net/blog/2010/01/11/which-one-are-you/feed/ 0 http://purple-diamond.net/blog/2010/01/04/did-you-make-your-list/ http://purple-diamond.net/blog/2010/01/04/did-you-make-your-list/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:27:17 +0000 Charlene http://purple-diamond.net/blog/?p=129 The first Monday of the New Year is one of those days that can either be the jump you need to kick the year off for your business in a positive way or it can be one that has you feeling tired or overwhelmed.  Hopefully, other than feeling sore from shoveling snow all weekend, you are energized and ready to start 2010 with a strong start.  As a marketing coach I like to ask my clients if they have made a list of realistic goals for the NEW year. Your list can be as long as you choose, but my suggestion is that the length of the list is one that stretches your business to attain the growth you are looking for, but is not so long that you will feel lost before you even have a chance to get started. Once you have your list be sure to consider the selling cycle of your business, how holidays and special sales affect your work flow,  and then assign a goal completion end date for each task on your list.  If your office has open wall space, create a bulletin board that shows the list by month or quarter so that you are always focused on what goals you have set for your business.  The key is to keep everything in your visual path so that you do not fall victim to “out of site out of mind” bad habits.

If you have a high goal for your company’s sales as one item on the list, it is really important that you concentrate on having half your annual sales completed in the first quarter of 2010.  For instance, if you have annual clients for services that you render and it requires signed contracts each year be sure to secure these before the end of March. Do not delay. Keep your energy high and your positive attitude strong.  Motivating in the New Year from day one is key for higher sales and the success you want.

Don’t forget your team!  Motivation for all the key players who help your business is important for achieving the success you desire for 2010.  Have a kick-off meeting for your employees and share some of the key goals with them and ask for feedback.  If your budget allows, think of creative ways to motivate your team with incentive based earnings or bonus money so that when your business completes the quarterly goals everyone wins!

All my best to your success!

~Charlene

“Success wears the Purple Diamond!”