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Mandie Crawford Articles

Guest post by: Mandie Crawford

Five things you can (right now) do to increase your sales and get you out of that rut! - Click To Read Article
What can you do to rev things up a little? Take a few moments to look at five different strategies you can implement that can get you out of that rut - and quickly! When you car is stuck you need tools to pull it out. The same goes with your business. And so I call these 5 tools or strategies my "Business Tow Truck!"

20-20 vision does not mean you can see clearly! - Click To Read Article
How often have we had things happen in our businesses - good and bad - that we just did not 'see' coming! This is where communication and strategy on all levels is important. Weekly meetings with staff to review issues that have arisen, problems and crisis that could be solved or avoided are integral to keeping a business moving forward.

When is a traffic jam is a good thing? - Click To Read Article
Effective content that is transparent, relevant and content that really deserves its place in the ranking index.

Finding the time and place - Click To Read Article
Try to do get a few small jobs out of the way first- again your list gets shorter much faster and that is encouraging!

Education - Combining Business with Pleasure - Click To Read Article
Doing something unrelated to your business does three things. It provides us with balance in out lives. It introduces us to new and diverse contacts. And finally it provides a bit of pressure release from the daily grind, gives us something different to think about and concentrate on. All three of these things can grow our business.

Defeating Uncertainty and Belief - Click To Read Article
Map out your future- be where you want to be in your mind instead of putting yourself in the place where you are trying to be somewhere. Look fear and uncertainty in the face- what would be the worst thing that would happen if you failed- it can't be all that bad.

Women- Breaking New Barriers in Business - Click To Read Article
Firstly, women are leading an ever increasing crowd of dissatisfied employees, to break out of careers and jobs that conflict with their personal values and family lives. These women are YOU. You are seeking work that has meaning, and is fulfilling to you. You are considering what it is that you do best and how you can offer this to the world. And you are creating businesses around your faith, your hopes your beliefs and your families. This in and of itself is changing the face of the business community.

Are you ‘Positioned’ for success? - Click To Read Article
If you are having difficulty understanding whether or not people know what you do, ask a friend or a peer what you do. Often many of them really do not know. If you have more than one person in your organization – ask them what you do as a company. They are often able to tell you in a much more simplified way what you are all about.

Re-Inventing Yourself - Click To Read Article
Do not be afraid to re-evaluate. Ask someone to help you identify if there is something you can change to make your product or service more desirable. Perhaps your idea needs just a little bit of tweaking.

A Different Perspective - Click To Read Article
Never talk down another product or salesperson or company. There are many other products out there. Not all of your products will be the best choice for everyone. Remember last weeks tip on Abundance!

The Altitude of your Attitude - Click To Read Article
If you want to soar like and eagle- succeed at all you do- you must speak positively and predict your success. You will attract successful positive people to help you do it by first being positive yourself!

Where are you thinking from? - Click To Read Article
It is true that wishing doesn’t make it so. However thinking does. So instead of worrying- begin to use your head! Think from your destination. Create your destiny by using the most powerful tool you have- your mind.

The Attitude of Success - Click To Read Article
The reality is that successful people, those among us we classify as ‘driven’ have simply stopped making excuses for inactivity. They have pulled their heads out of the clouds and decided to learn how to make the world around them work for them.

The Principle of Telescopic Vision - Click To Read Article
Many years later I found myself instructing skiing. In a sport where gravity can be your friend or your enemy, your vision is very important. Again I learned that you must choose your path long before you get there. You must look far enough ahead that you can pick and place each turn. This makes skiing much more enjoyable. In fact it is important to actually ski the course in you mind before you even start your descent.

Keeping a Customer: Price, Service or Relationship? - Click To Read Article
There are lessons in all of this. Price is important- people need value for what they pay for, so making sure they get this basic for most successful businesses. Service is very important and second only to relationship. However even if he service is not the best, a customer will always return to purchase from someone that they KNOW will take care of their needs and who cares about them.

Have we forgotten our manners? - Click To Read Article
Holding a door, making a phone call, apologizing for errors and letting people know that they are important seems to be a lost art in a society addicted to time. We never have enough time, we crave more of it, and somewhere along the journey- we forget our manners.

It’s all in a name. (Brand you) - Click To Read Article
Naming your business is one of the very first things to consider – and often the most difficult part of getting started. And so to get the ball rolling- people often settle for the best they can come up with at the time because they have to get the business cards printed, the website up and the ad in the local paper. I know. I too have committed this fatal error.

Do you want score! - Click To Read Article
So how do we find our target market? First we must ask ourselves, what product or service do we have and what problem does it solve? You may have the best widget in the country but if nobody needs it, you will have boxes and boxes of the best widgets in the country, and no customers. Ask yourself, who needs my product and why do they need it? Both of these questions are the first two questions you need to answer.

17 Ways to Set Your Business on Fire! - Click To Read Article
The more unusual and curious your approach, the more flexibility you have to break away from the crowd and catch the interest of potential clients. Get some attention by paying attention to what your client is really paying attention to. (Hint: it isn’t you!)

Working with Others! - Click To Read Article
Forming alliances is one of the first things I counsel people with ‘no business’ to do. Helping others helps ourselves. Today Roaring Women has formed an alliance with Heidi Cowie, a Roaring Women member to write this week’s business tip on working with a partner. Enjoy!

Your Reconnaissance Mission. (The Business of Plans) - Click To Read Article
A business plan is a map for your journey. It can identify where the hills are, how far the trip is and how long it might take. Your map will help you to measure your progress, and identify your direction. It is your decision to either stick to the trip you have planned in advance, or to sojourn here and there looking at the sites on the side of the road. Your map is really your plan of execution. It is how you will make the business work.

Building Teams and Alliances - Click To Read Article
Last week we spoke about seeking the help, advices and services of experts to make sure that our businesses were successful. However, often we still stand alone as a business, trying to get contracts, sell products, and convince others we can do everything that relates to our business. And much to our own detriment, many of us see people who provide similar products and services as us as competition,.

What is your responsibility to the customer? - Click To Read Article
In both of these cases, no one at either agency wanted to take responsibility for the problem let alone solve it. Both agencies actually tried to get me to investigate into their agencies incompetence.

When you look at things Differently - Click To Read Article
Just thinking about that statement could confuse just about anyone. But it is a universal law that many of us never learn. Like the law of gravity or flotation, it is law that has been discovered through the study of science. Quantum physics to be exact. But how does this apply to my business?

Taking care of Business - Click To Read Article
There is a common denominator, however, in every business - You - the person who started it, nurtures it and wants it to grow. And so, the million dollar question is, if you don’t take care of the number ONE aspect of your business – YOU – the “who” of the business, than what makes you think you will be successful at taking care of the other aspects of the business – the “what”?

Law of Attraction – what are you asking for? - Click To Read Article
We have talked about the law of attraction over and over – but do we always recognize when we receive what we really ask for? Here is a member submission of a law of attraction story!

New Studies show - building relationships can help build business - Click To Read Article
So you see, word of mouth as an advertising tool is the most cost efficient way to promote your business. And word of mouth referrals come as a result of good networking – long before you need to use it. Making even one connection can start a chain reaction – and Revere knew this.

Keeping your priorities Straight - Click To Read Article
Rather than taking medication for my problem, I have simply tried to develop self-discipline and have learned to focus. Besides, having a very active mind has helped me in my speaking career. I am able to keep the interest of an audience while talking about several important ideas at the same time. I have always tried to do it in a way that makes sense and hopefully I am making some progress in that area.

The magic of ANALYSIS. - Click To Read Article
What many people fail to realize is that there are customers out there that they have had in the past who might gladly come back with a few small corrections. If 80% of our business comes from 20% of our clients – what if we were to raise the number that were the twenty percent?

Make more money, have less stress and get more time off! Really? - Click To Read Article
It's a common issue facing many small businesses. There never appears to be enough time in a day to get everything done. What does get done are the things that cry for attention - and often those things are crisis'. So instead of working towards a goal for the day or week - the business owners spend time responding to crisis' that have presented themselves because simple tasks and issues were not dealt with in a timely manner! (crisis can be anything that demands immediate attention; answering the phone, fixing a problem, last minute deadlines etc)

Money Speaks - Bankers Jargon! Doesn't anyone speak English? - Click To Read Article
In simple terms, debt to equity explains the financial health of the company. For example; suppose your company has a debt to equity ratio of 4 to 1. To a banker, that means there is $4.00 in debt compared to $1.00 invested in the company. In other words, your lenders own more of your company than you do. So, if you were asked to lend money to your company at this type of ratio, would you?

Fire your client! - Click To Read Article
A good business provides win-win opportunities for both the provider and the client. Each of the participants must feel that they have benefited from the experience whether it be a sale of a product or a service provided. For example the some person who enters a book store has a need- and that need is to own a book. The store’s need is to sell books. When the sale is completed, if the consumer is happy with the product, price and service – they win. The store wins when they sell the book for a price that leaves them with a reasonable profit. However when one of the two is not happy with the outcome of the transaction, it is no longer a win-win situation.

Abundance in action - forming ALLIANCES! - Click To Read Article
Over the past several years I have watched closely as business practices and 'HOW' people do business has changed. Our economy has been forever changed and many larger businesses are taking on the practices that have sustained small business for years. This past week I saw an advertisement that demonstrated this trend perfectly.

Cruising with no driver? - Click To Read Article
It is important to make sure that as much of your business as possible is set up so that it runs itself – that you have systems in place and you do not have to micromanage. But your business still needs a driver – or a manager. And if you are the driver – if you need a break you need someone to be able to step in and take the wheel. Yes, your business can run on cruise control – but you need someone to steer.

What is the FUEL behind SUCCESS? - Click To Read Article
The same holds true about business. In the beginning – and the beginning can be as long as 3 to 10 years depending on the type of business or the speed at which you build it – there is a tremendous amount of energy that we need to put behind the ‘launch’ until we are able to position the business and have enough clients to support us financially.

Fair Trade - not just for coffee - Click To Read Article
There is a universal law concerning wealth and it revolves around the fair trade concept. The fair trade law says that unless fair compensation is offered for services rendered there is an imbalance. This puts both parties in a transaction in a state that is negative.

Boldness, Commitment and Success! - Click To Read Article
What was your last idea that you put aside? Was it something that came to you in the small hours of the morning? Did you write it down, think on it, expand on the possibilities, dream of the results and then lose your nerve? Later did you see that someone had the same idea and acted upon it, and the idea grew into a huge business? How often have you lost your nerve, or after stepping out, lost the commitment to make it work?

What kind of service are you offering your customers? - Click To Read Article
Believe it or not there are a lot of companies out there that exist simply because there is demand for their products. And they grow in times of economic plenty. Some of them even become very big companies simply because there is a high demand for their products. Some of these same companies may mouth the words customer service but in reality lack the problem solving abilities needed to address problems with their businesses as they arise. And in fact many of them become too big to be able to address the customer service or service issue at all.

Quitter's Edge - Click To Read Article
First let me say that I have always believed that I could do anything that I set my mind to. Anything. If I decided I was going to learn something new, I just set out and did it. So when I decided at 35 to learn to ski again, I knew that it would take time and practice. But I never believed or even set sights at becoming a really good skier. However, as several years passed, I realized I had improved – to the point where I took the ski instructors course – and passed. I achieved something I never thought I could.

Turning things around….Backwards! - Click To Read Article
I heard a funny song last week that perfectly describes the possibilities of positive thinking – thinking of possibilities and expecting good things to happen. It is called “Backwards” and is sung by Rascal Flatts. Imagine if we began to think positive instead of negative. And as the singer sings – “what do you get when you sing a country song backwards?” Here is the answer..

Is Success your RESPONSIBILITY? - Click To Read Article
So why is success our responsibility? Just as a watch needs to have all parts within it working properly in order to keep time – people whom we serve – our clients and potential clients also need us to function properly – successfully.

Is your Business taking you for a Ride? A Wheel Barrow story! - Click To Read Article
Learning to grow your business may require that you delegate things to others and implement systems so that you can work on the things you need to work on to encourage growth. Often it is our pride that keeps us from delegating, because we are excited about doing it all ourselves.

Close the door on Opportunity? - Click To Read Article
Now you have been to this hallway before – but at that time there were some doors open, and some closed. And behind one of those doors you know is Grandfather’s study – and you have been told not to go in there. Standing at the top of the stairs, you know you must make a decision. How you wished Grandmother had been clearer on her instructions!

All tied up - what's holding you back? - Click To Read Article
Recently I visited a ‘luxury condo’ nestled deep in the mountains near a ski resort I frequent. As we drove through the condo area I could barely close my mouth – I was in such awe of the surroundings. The value I placed on the condos mentally immediately indicated to me that we could not yet afford such a luxury!

The Snowman Story. Is it too soon to measure massive action? - Click To Read Article
I often ask them to try to think of their business like building a snow man. Everyone knows that when beginning to put the base of the snowman together you need to start with a very small snowball. It may take a few tries to get a good solid snowball – but if the snow is wet enough you can begin to roll it on the ground to collect more snow. And as it grows bigger and bigger – and it begins to peel all the wet snow off the ground, you may look around and notice that the base is not quite as big as you want it – but the only place left that you have not rolled your snowball is on the hill. You know the one.. the one we love to come down but hate to go up

When Guerrilla Marketing Fails - Click To Read Article
“Guerrilla marketing is overrated”, I heard him say to the colleague sitting next to me. The three of us were seated together in one row of an aircraft on a 90 minute journey.

IGNITING THE FLICKERING EMBERS - Click To Read Article
It is so important to pace yourself and to recognize the warning signs before the flames start to dim. We go at such a fast pace trying to keep up with new technology, trends in our target markets, meeting production deadlines, replying to all of our e-mails and keeping up with communications with clients and potential clients that we forget to tune into the needs of our own core business in order to keep it “hot”.

Riding into Risk - Only In My Mind! - Click To Read Article
Many years later after having my children and long after the risk taking years – I re-learned to ride a motorcycle. Only this time the bike was 3 times the size and weighed in at about 487 lbs. I learned not only how to ride it safely by taking a course – but also learned how to lift it – in case I ever fell or dropped it. (which I did a few times!) I rode for four years before we moved and sold the bike. Three years went by before we decided to get another motorcycle.

Stress or Success? - Click To Read Article
If you were to search the internet or bookstore you might find book after book with the word success embedded in the title or subtitle – all penned by self proclaimed millionaires, billionaires or the truly rich and famous. I have read many of them. And one thing becomes very clear.

Seven Deadly Business Habits – related to Seven Deadly Life Habits! - Click To Read Article
Running a successful business is not always as easy as we think it will be. It takes work. However it may not be the kind of work you might think. To become successful at work, we must also be physically and mentally healthy - and remain that way.

"Just the facts Ma'am" - Click To Read Article
Feelings however, are not facts. We may feel badly or overly optimistic by a financial statement - but that has no effect on the facts. An accountant can look at a spreadsheet and give us a full report of where the business stands - and although we may feel like we are failing (or succeeding) the colour of the ink at the end of the day gives us an accurate picture.

Going North when the Economy is still South! - Click To Read Article
Find complementary services and products and share marketing and promotional expenses - doubling your value and cross promoting each other’s products and services. Don't forget to work together with your social media in cross promotion efforts to reach new customers.

Hits, Visits, Conversions and other Stuff! - Click To Read Article
Recently someone was telling me that they had 500 hits per day on their web site - and they were so excited! Unfortunately it was their understanding that HITS were visits. Many people have trouble understanding the difference - or the explanation they get is as 'clear as mud'!

Do Men and Women do Business Differently? - Click To Read Article
For many women leaving the corporate world and starting their own business, it is a welcome break from having to deal with the politics that often come with a large or even medium sized workplace. Workplace bullying and aggression, limited opportunities, lack of recognition and office gossip top the list for reasons women leave the corporate world.

Little packets of creation - floating in cyberspace? - Click To Read Article
What happens is we lack the ability to focus our thought – harness that powerful engine we have in between our ears. Instead we let our thoughts take us on a ride – instead of managing the energy for our own best good.

Focusing on empty Spaces - Click To Read Article
Those of us who run businesses often are focused on problem solving. We focus on how things are not woring and attempt to make them work better. We look at the customers we are not reaching, or we look for the sales we are missing. And while we do this - we often miss the open spaces - the areas where an opportunity is just waiting for us.

Make sure your Mortgage gets Paid! - Click To Read Article
Put yourself in charge The primary difference between a life insurance policy and mortgage insurance from a mortgage lender is control. With a life insurance policy, you decide who the beneficiary will be; with mortgage insurance, the financial institution is the beneficiary and gets all of the death benefit.

Technology never takes a vacation - but you CAN! - Click To Read Article
This past week I led a ROAR Board session - on you guessed it - technology! As peopleClick here to see the video entered the room it appeared at first there were two camps. In my camp was me. In the other camp were several women - who by the look on their faces - were not real excited by the topic.

Flawed Marketing Strategy Destroys Relationships Instead of Building Them | Mandie Crawford - Click To Read Article
My business is a marketing and B2B service company. The web site had referred me to a client who needed at 'pest control company' in San Francisco and recommended that I call the potential client immediately to offer my services and give a quote.

No one wants to be bossed around - or do they? - Click To Read Article
Most of us who are the least bit independent - often bristle when being 'bossed around'. It must be some sort of baggage we carry around with us from childhood - the bossy big brother or sister, or bully down the street. Regardless of how we accumulated the resistance to being told what to do - it is one of the worst resistances we can feel - especially when we know what we are being told is correct.

Knowing and doing. Knowing and not doing. Not knowing and.... - Click To Read Article
Several years ago I wrote a series of articles that I eventually published as a book. Each article came not from 'knowledge' or 'wisdom' but from inspiration. They each spoke about energy and universal principles - long before "The Secret" movie and law of attraction teaching became so popular.

Did I miss my turn? Where am I? Have you lost your focus? - Click To Read Article
Almost all of us can admit to driving home from somewhere and taking a familiar route - only to realize we are not sure either where we are - or we find that we have driven past our turn. Somehow we have drifted into thought - and have lost our focus.

3.9 Billon dollars yearly sales of meat without advertising? - Click To Read Article
The amazing fact is that they achieve all these sales without any advertising. None. ZIP . NADA. No TV commercials. No costly newspaper advertising. No radio ads. And yet - I do not know ANYONE who does not know about their store. How, How, HOW? This company, now the 7th largest retailer in the world relies on word of mouth advertising. They consider their employees and happy customers among other marketing strategies to be the best advertising they can buy.

Attract Success with Integrity - Click To Read Article
“Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep. Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow the currents of convenience.” -Taken from a "Successories" print.

The Principle of Abundance - Click To Read Article
The principal of abundance promotes the belief that not only is there enough business to go around, and that the universe has room for us all to benefit equally, but also commands us to give away what we have. This means giving referrals, ideas, assistance and any other thing you can think of to help others. It means that we build people, relationships and help others because we know and believe that somehow, some day it will all come back to us. It also promotes win-win situations.

How Playing the Numbers Game Can Turn Into Relationship Building - Click To Read Article
When I first started Roaring Women - we offered 23 Golden rules to promote your business. When someone signed up for the 23 tips - which they received daily - they were added to my data base. They received good ideas and value - and I had someone I could continue to communicate with on a regular basis. Week after week, month after month, people added themselves to the data base and began getting the tips.

Truth in advertising. (Believe it or not?) - Click To Read Article
It happened again. While searching for a new investment property – I stumbled across an ‘almost too good to be true’ price for a 2 bedroom condo in Calgary. I poured over the ad several times. I put it aside and came back to it 3 separate days and then made plans to drive 1 hour and 45 minutes to see the condo.

Why "Bad things" come in threes - and what you can do about it! - Click To Read Article
I have heard people say that bad things come in threes. What I know to be true is that the very thought of ‘oh no! What next?” when the first unfortunate event presents itself is the energy that attracts the two ‘more things’ that follow! It is interesting that when that third bad thing happens, we breathe a sigh of relief knowing it is the last of the bad luck!

Flawed Marketing Strategy Destroys Relationships Instead of Building Them - Click To Read Article
My business is a marketing and B2B service company. The web site had referred me to a client who needed at 'pest control company' in San Francisco and recommended that I call the potential client immediately to offer my services and give a quote. The interesting thing is that I NEVER signed up for this site - but was added as a member (without my knowledge) by someone likely harvesting names from the internet or researching and locating small businesses.

Being In Between - Click To Read Article
When I am coaching business owners - at any level- there comes a place and time when they are in the midst of letting something go and creating something new. They are often "in between" where they were and where they are going. Let me tell you - I have been there - and it is not an easy place to be. In fact it can be quite uncomfortable. Leaving behind the known - even though it may not be the best place for you - is not easy - especially when you have not yet experienced where you want to be. But being "in-between" has incredible value. Let me explain.

Business, Friendship and Communication and Disputes - Click To Read Article
Much can be said about the value of communication in business. But nothing is more important than clear communication when it comes to combining friendships and business relationships. Over the past several years, I have been privy to disputes that I should never have been made aware of. Petty disagreements, cries of unfair business practices and statements meant to discredit other business people and their practices have been brought to my attention over and over. In every one of these situations, poor communication has been the catalyst to many disagreements and the poor behaviour that follows.

Uh-Oh Marketing - Click To Read Article
“Uh-oh” is the repetitive expletive that carries with it the foreboding, stomach wrenching realization that something is wrong. “Oh-oh” - the sound of doom. All of us have been known to utter instantaneous expletives (usually four letters like “darn!” or “crap!”) immediately as something negative unexpectedly happens. But the term “uh-oh” usually follows the thoughtful and longer term realization that something is just not right.

The Value of Connecting - Click To Read Article
“I am so tired of going to business meetings that turn into social event – they are a waste of time”. Attending a networking event or business meeting is only as valuable as you make it. Many of us tire of attending events where we feel it turns into a social event – and we wonder at the value we receive by attending. Sure we may get a meal, or free drink or snacks – but let’s be realistic – it takes time out of our schedules and costs money too.

Using hit and miss strategies in your business? - Click To Read Article
Marketing is not a hit and miss strategy – it is 24/7/365. Surprised? Don’t be! Too many businesses don’t have good marketing strategies to begin with – so how can they market 24/7? I have seen it over and over, small business owners buy marketing on a hit and miss basis. They see a sale on newspaper ads, or the local radio station calls and offers them a deal that they cannot refuse.

That Fabulous Four Letter Word! - Click To Read Article
We all want it. Industries use it. Businesses are built around it. What is it? FREE. What do you mean businesses are built on free? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of a business. Don't businesses exist to make money? And that my friend is the magic question! Why does your business exist? Simply to make money? Most would answer no. In fact many people start businesses because we see a problem and we have devised a way to solve it - and make a living doing so. With that in mind, lets get back to FREE

An important key to success! - Click To Read Article
One of the biggest lessons I have learned in business – is that although you may be a sole proprietor and wear many, many hats, you do not have to be alone. In fact you are not alone – and if you are feeling alone it is likely because you have isolated yourself. There are other business owners out there who are just waiting for you to connect with them. There are of course many reasons to connect with other business owners – to form alliances, share experiences, share wins (and losses), share information about new trends or special events, warn each other of scams or potential dangers, and finally just to connect and support one anothe

Becoming a "Respector" of time. - Click To Read Article
Most of us can agree that one of the most valuable things we use every day is time. And as small business owners, we often have a shortage! And I am not sure there is anywhere that I can 'buy' time.

An exit strategy? I just got started! - Click To Read Article
One thing business owners rarely talk about is succession. We are so busy building our businesses that we fail to think about how we will move on to our next project, will our businesses to our children or sell the business to retire. In truth we never start with the end in mind. And if we do we consider the destination to be a profitable and successful business. Unfortunately profitable can mean just one cent more than we spend and the definition of success is relative! Push Back





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