A new door opened for me last week but I have to admit, I am in desperate need for Time Management.  I like to think that I am a very organized person but I have a new challenge in my life that needs some time management ideas and techniques.  It’s a work in progress but it’s a start.

A year ago, I started this Bloomin’ Boomers business, helping new boomer entrepreneurs turn their passions into profit.  I worked around the clock to learn all the easy essential beginning steps to market and build my business.  And then it happened, my former employer called me to ask me to come back and work fulltime, at least on a contracting opportunity for a few months.  It was a dilemma that I needed to sort out but one that I knew would open up more doors for me and my future.

My home business was a lot of work and alot of hours were put into the beginning stages, sometimes forcing me to work 12 hour days.  So when I was offered a new opportunity to work fulltime outside of my home business,  I thought I could handle it all, knowing I didn’t want to work any less on my home business.  But what I found was a lack of time management, exhaustion and a need to refocus my priorities so that I could continue to build my business while working another fulltime job.

Then it struck me.  I had to make a plan.  In order to maintain the momentum of my home business, taking a class 2 nights a week and working and 8 hour day in my new job, I knew it was time for some time management ideas.  Over the weekend I wrote out my new time management plan and now I want to share it with you.

These are the steps I took.

1. I made a list of my priorities and things I needed to accomplish in a day.  As I was making that list, the daily responsibilities became to much so I decided to work the list in a weeks time, instead of a day.  Some days I had more time than others to accomplish some of my goals.  So a weekly calendar seemed to work better.
2. I made a list of all the activities I could automate.  For example, I can pre-write my blog posts and schedule them to go out on certain days and certain times, freeing up some time when I got home from a long day at my new job.
3. I will  use Hootsuite and Ping.fm to automate my Facebook updates, Twitter posts, quotes and other important posts that I want to schedule throughout the day.
4. If you work fulltime and you have a Smartphone, you can use your lunchtime to check your conversations in Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to post replies and to check in.  Remember, engagement is the key on your social media sites so you want to make sure  you interact with your fans several times a day.
5. I designated one weekend day for my home business so that I can plan for the week ahead, continue to build my funnel, contact my clients and stay connected to my social media friends and work on my products.

With just a week into my new job, I have a way to go to perfect my time management skills but the tips above have gotten me started.  If you work fulltime and am also building a home business, what time management skills work for you that you would like to share?

Until next time,

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy

deleket.com

Are you looking for clients for your new business or do you want to find more clients to help grow your business?  How would you like to have your ideal clients find you vs. having to chase after them? And imagine if they came to you already convinced that you’re the perfect person to help them. And what if you could generate a steady flow of referrals and have strategic alliance partners clamoring to partner with you and promote you?

Cindy and Cindy in California - 2010

I have a perfect solution for you.  Have you heard of Cindy Schulson, a Niche Expert?  I had the pleasure of meeting her this year at a Live Event in California and I can tell you personally, she is amazing.  I have taken several of her courses when I was first considering a home based business, and I can tell you first hand, she offers amazing results.

Does this sound too good to be true?

Well, it’s entirely possible, and even probable, when you discover how to create your clear path to ideal clients that my friend and colleague, Cindy Schulson, is going to share on an upcoming free webinar called.  “Create Your Clear Path to Ideal Clients” on Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 1pm PST (4pm EST)

Learn more and register here:

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On this complimentary webinar, Cindy is going to provide you with a foolproof formula that includes:

• One simple change that will completely change how you market yourself.

• How to quickly and easily add hundreds of prospects to your list.

• The best way to outshine the competition.

• How to attract a steady flow of referrals and strategic alliance partners who are clamoring to work with you.

• The easiest way to know which programs, products and services to create and sell

I know Cindy personally and her calls are always very content rich and chock full of valuable information. So be sure to bring a pen and paper to take lots of notes!

P.S. Even if you can’t make the LIVE webinar, make sure to sign-up so Cindy can send you the recorded call.

Until next time, have a wonderful day.

Cindy

Are you a baby boomer wanting to start your own business?  Are you stuck by making excuses instead of finding solutions?  These excuses will stop you dead in your tracks, just like a red light at a stop light.  But the green signal suggests you are good to go and can keep moving.

This post will discuss some of the most common excuses that I hear when my clients tell me they want to start a business.  After we explore those excuses, we discuss ways to  find solutions to move you forward.

Excuse - “I don’t have time to start a business.” Ask yourself What are you doing on your “off-time” that is preventing you from taking the first steps to start your own business?   Are you watching TV or vegging on the sofa?  Are you to tired?

Solution – Keep a time journal - Make a list of those times when you aren’t committed to a responsibility or a “must do” task where you could have been spending time researching, training or working with a coach to move you forward.  I suggest keeping a small memo pad with you so you can use it all day long.  When you start monitoring your off times, you will see that there are lots of opportunities in your day that you can take time to build your business.  Remember, if you want something bad enough, there are solutions.

Excuse - “I don’t have anything to offer.”  – As baby boomers, we have lots to offer.  Think about a hobby or a skill that you have that you can teach others.  Maybe you spent many years in one career but you always had a dream to turn a passion into profit.

Solution – My friend, Cindy Schulson, is a Niche expert who offers a FREE report called “10 Steps to Finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche“  I highly recommend you request her report and learn the techniques and tips to help you identify your niche.  So go ahead and request your copy here ==> “10 Steps to Finding and Attracting Your Ideal Niche.”

Excuse - “I’m To Old.” – This one astounds me.  I was 55 years old when I got laid off twice in one year.  I had no money, very little savings and got rejected over and over again from job interviews.  If I had used this excuse, I would have hidden under a rock and just not come out.  Instead I found a solution.

Solution – Turn to Social Media and start your Facebook profile, a Twitter Profile and find other baby boomers who are just like you who are starting their own businesses.  Google key word phrases about baby boomers and baby boomer entrepreneurs and see what you come up with.  I bet you will be amazed at the number of baby boomers finding solutions to their retirement by starting their own business.

Excuse - “I don’t know where to begin.”  There are so many places to research and sometimes that can lead to information overload, making it harder to focus and get started.

Solution – Hire a Solutions Coach – When you hire a solutions coach, you have the opportunity to work one on one with a mentor who will hold you accountable for your goals and success.  Someone who will take you through the journey in a step by step process leading you to accomplish your goals to help you avoid overwhelm and gain confidence.

I hope these tips helped you see that baby boomers have so much to offer through their years of expertise and experience.  So take some of these solutions and get started.

What excuses do you have for not getting started in building your own business?

Until next time,

Have a great day and please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from my readers.

Cindy

Your Marketing Solutions Coach

freedigitalphotos.net

Baby Boomers certainly have found some challenges in these economic times and there have certainly been some lessons learned from this unemployed baby boomer, yours truly.   I would like to share my story with you, if you don’t mind.

Yesterday I had an interview for a contracting job near my house at my former employer’s location.  Won’t mention names here, that’s not the point.  What’s amazing is how the interview transpired into a 2 hour session meeting directors and Administrative Assistants who wanted to ask me some questions about my time spent since I last worked with them  in 2009.

While I find the joys of working from home are very rewarding, I had an opportunity to take my new found skills and use them in another capacity along with working my Bloomin’ Boomer’s business.   Thankfully, I had this time off to build and move into a new phase with Bloomin’ Boomers and will continue to build on this site while building a new opportunity offline as well.

During the interview, they asked “What If” questions about communication, confrontations and employee and employer issues that may cause a conflict.  Because I had the opportunity to take a coaching class and develop my coaching skills,   I had the opportunity to explain how important communication is in any relationship using listening skills.  Those skills helped me gain the confidence to explain the importance of team work.

After I left, I realized these lessons and how they impacted my confidence that I didn’t have when I first got laid off.

Lessons Learned

1. When you want something badly enough and can find solutions and mentors to lead you through the journey, your confidence level strengthens and you begin to lessen your fears.
2. After you confront your fears, there are so many options out there to help you overcome them.
3. When you refocus your thought process into positive affirmations, and realize that there are alternatives, you can learn something new and feel confident that you overcame the learning curve.  This also leads to confidence and new opportunities.
4. In time, with persistence and perseverance, that once closed door opens up another door for opportunity and new beginnings.
5. When your confidence soars,  so do your opportunities.
6. I went from fear to confidence and realized that success isn’t about your income, but more about your inner self and how you can impact others.

So don’t stay stuck in your fears.  Go out there and gain the skills you need to overcome your fears and lessen your overwhelm.  When you do that, great opportunities come your way and you will be sought out as the expert.

Oh, and by the way.  Did I tell you I got the job?

I hope you enjoyed this post.  Please leave comments below in the comment box and let me know if you have overcome some challenges and fears.

Until next time, have a great day.

Cindy

Need Solutions?  Contact me here.

lbaumann.com

Have you heard that Facebook was attacked by hackers recently?  Yes, it can happen. I have put together these tips to help you make sure your Facebook is more secure in the future.  With these steps, you can better protect yourself and your computer.

Are you aware,  when you go into a public place with your laptop, many local hot spots are not secure.  One way to find out if they are secure or not is when you look on your address bar.  Do you see “http://” or do you see “https://” When you see the “S” at the end of http, you can be more certain that there is a secure hot spot or WiFi connection.

There are 2 ways to fix the security with Facebook.

First of all, you can actually add it manually by clicking the cursor to the right of the “p” in http:// and actually type in the “s” at the end so that it looks like this – https://

Secondly, you can actually change a setting  from your Account Settings on Facebook.  Below you will find the steps to take.

1. Click “Account” on the upper right hand side of your wall
2. Click “Account Settings“
3. Scroll down to “Account Security” and click “change“
4. Click in the box where you see “Secure Browsing (https)“
5. Now click “Save”

When you have completed the steps, you will notice on your address bar that the http now reads https.

I hope this helps.  Please leave a comment below in the comment section to let me know how it worked for you.

Also, please pass this along to others who may benefit by retweeting or FB sharing from the top or bottom of this post.

Until next time, have a great day.

Cindy