* PUBLISHER’S NOTE ~.~ Kimberly Stevens
* FREE EMAIL COURSE ~.~ 10 Mistakes Business Owners Make
* FEATURE COLUMN ~.~ Is Your Business Ready for 2003?
* TELL A FRIEND ~.~ Help spread the word about this ezine
* CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY
* SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ PUBLISHER'S NOTE ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Dear Readers,

Has it really been since the beginning of November that you’ve received this ezine? I’m so sorry about that. But, I’ve been up to something good.

For months, I was telling you about my forthcoming ebook series, “Fast Track MBO (Masters of Business Ownership)” yet I never seemed to be hitting my launch dates. So, I finally just “jumped ship” and committed all of my time to it.

What I’ve learned over the past few months is that writing an ebook (at least a good one) is a heck of a lot harder than I thought.

I LIKE to write, so it wasn’t the writing per se. It was figuring out what information to include in which of the four ebooks in the series, how to structure it so it was of the most benefit, what business owners REALLY need to know in order to build a profitable and fulfilling business, and much more.

The good news is – I think I’ve done it. This four (4) ebook series promises to transform the way you run your business. And, for that reason, during development, I renamed it to reflect what I hope every reader will get out of it.

“The Profitable Business Owner: A Step-by-Step System for Starting & Running a Successful Professional Services Business” says it all. That’s what we all want, right?

The series will include four (4) ebooks that combine to make a complete system for achieving profitability in a service business, including:

Part One:   Starting & Managing Your Service Business
Part Two:   Marketing Your Services
Part Three: Selling Your Services
Part Four:   Marketing Your Services Online

All parts will be released over the next few months, from now through April, beginning now with “Part One: Building the Foundation for Getting the Business You Really Want.”

This first ebook is focused around starting and managing your service business. It’s not just for aspiring or new business owners though.

Many business owners who are 3 or 4 years into their business are still not managing it in a way that gives them the most control of the kind of work they do, how much money they make, how many hours they work, and how the business will ultimately give them both business and personal happiness.

This ebook is about taking a second or third look at your business to identify ways in which you can make it into exactly what you want – something that is fun, makes you money, and doesn’t drain all of the ife out of you!

For new or aspiring business owners, it will get them started on the right foot, help them avoid at least 50% of the most common mistakes new business owners make, and hopefully save them tens of thousands of dollars in lost income, ineffective marketing expenditures and lost sales opportunities.

To get more information, visit:  http://www.askthebizcoach.com/ebooks.htm

And if you have clients, members, subscribers, distributors, or customers who are business owners, check out my Affiliate Program where you can earn money by re-selling this and future ebooks:

http://www.askthebizcoach.com/affiliates.htm

Thanks for your patience in sticking with me through November and December. I’m looking forward to getting back to our weekly ezine schedule and welcome any suggestions you have for topics.

Future issues of the ezine will be renamed from “Go Further Faster” to “The Profitable Business Owner” so don’t be surprised next week when the Subject line announces: The Profitable Business Owner!

Best Wishes for Continued Success!

Kimberly Stevens
Ask The Biz Coach, LLC
PH: 410.721.8522
kim@askthebizcoach.com

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ FREE EMAIL COURSE ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

“The 10 Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make
                    & How To Avoid Them”

The longer I’m in business, the more I realize just how much I DON’T know. As they say, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

However, on the flip side, I’ve learned SO much in my years as a business owner, both with my web development business and my coaching business. Well, you know, the things you learn in the process of becoming a business owner are just countless.

On that front, I’ve pulled together some of the things I DO know. I’m sure some of the things I cover in the email course will be familiar yet serve as a reminder for you.  Others might be brand new concepts.

Enjoy! You can sign up by visiting:   http://www.askthebizcoach.com

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ FEATURE COLUMN ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

“Is Your Business Ready for 2003?”  
by Kimberly Stevens

Anyone who owned a business in the U.S. in 2002 knows the difficulties that a poor economy can cause. Even those in other countries who may have operated under better economic conditions last year have or will experience downturns in business.

Well, 2002 is over, so how do you regroup to face 2003 with optimism and a fresh game plan? That was the topic of discussion in my recent coaching session with Denise.

“The economy can’t possibly be as terrible this year as it was last year, can it?” she asked. “I mean, I’m really struggling to get new jobs from my current clients much less bring on new clients.”

“Well, it does seem like the economy is taking a longer time to rebound than anyone expected, so let’s see what we might be able to do to shore up your business during this down time.”

During the rest of our conversation, we set a new agenda focused on strengthening relationships with current clients, further distinguishing herself from her competitors, and approaching segments of her target market that she’d never really considered.

By strengthening her relationships with her current clients, she is ensuring that they will return to her when things do pick up instead of hiring some writer they’ve recently met who was more in the forefront of their mind.

By focusing on identifying more ways to distinguish herself from her competitors, she is making sure that if she does get the opportunity to make her pitch to a business that is hiring now, they will be more apt to hire her over her competition.

But, the most significant way you and Denise can get new business coming in the door now is to identify and approach segments of your target market that you’ve previously ignored.

People and businesses haven’t completely stopped spending money, but many have cut back significantly. Your job is to find those that are still hiring people to provide the service you sell.

You can do this by focusing in on one or two market segments within your target market and really going after them. Segments are smaller groups that fall within the larger label “target market.”

Let’s say your target market is “business owners.” Well, there are a lot of industries represented within the group called “business owners.” And finding, reaching, and pitching your services to each one takes a different approach.

The “business owner” group could include:

* freelance writers           * caterers

* interior designers           * florists

* house cleaners             * doctors

* landscape planners      * recruiters

* accountants                 * architects

* massage therapists      * dry cleaners

And, I’m sure you’d agree that these people do not likely belong to the same networking groups, read the same national publications, attend the same annual conferences, or buy the same support services. Additionally, they don’t have the same needs or care about the same things.

If you go out into the marketplace in an attempt to reach “business owners” with one marketing message, nobody in the group is going to hear the specific message they want to hear – “what’s in it for me?” It’s impossible to answer that question for all the diverse groups that make up the whole category of “business owners.”  

So, what’s your target market and can you identify segments within it that might represent new opportunities for you in 2003? And, further, how can you locate, approach, and sell to them? Take some time to think about it this afternoon.

It will be well worth your investment.

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You Can Build a Profitable Business by Following a Step-by-Step Roadmap Designed Specifically for

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ TELL A FRIEND ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

If you know other business owners who would benefit from this ezine, please take 10 seconds to tell them about it at:  http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/tellafriend.asp?MerchantID=25548

Thanks for your support!

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~ CONFIDENTIALITY POLICY ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The client names in the Feature Column have been changed to preserve the Coach-Client Confidentiality Agreement. In some cases, the scenario is not that of one client but is representative of the experiences of the many business owners with whom I have worked.

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