If you’re self-employed, there’s a high chance at some point along the journey you’ve asked yourself, “Why is all this so damn hard?”

This may have included some shouting, screaming, hair-pulling, crying, throwing yourself around your house or bewailing to your partner or friends.

Yes? Been there? (Trust me, you are not alone.)

Okay, on the one hand, it’s obvious that the path of self-employment means there’s a lot to do. If you want a financially viable business, you’re basically creating a job for yourself and doing the job. You’re working in the business and on the business.

And that naturally involves a fair amount of hours, a considerable degree of brain power and enough creative juice. You don’t get to just lie about twiddling your thumbs, waiting for the cash to come flowing in.

But although your days can quickly fill up with clients, website updates, social media activity, strategizing, accounts, networking, follow-ups, giving talks, writing articles, maintaining a blog, designing packages and creating programmes, it’s actually not those tasks themselves which makes self-employment “hard”.

No. It’s when the inner demons come out to play

Posting a status on Facebook turns out to involve a whole lot more than ten seconds of typing. It triggers the fear of visibility, the yearning for acceptance, the desire to be “interesting enough”.

Sending a promotional email about your new workshop reminds you far too uncomfortably of inviting your school friends to your birthday party and feeling so mortified when only five of them showed up.

Pitching an article to a magazine reminds you of applying to university and getting the rejection letter. Following up with a prospective client takes you back to how awkward you felt when you clumsily told your crush you liked them and they said you weren’t their type.

These undercurrents aren’t always conscious, which is why we’re often left wondering what on Earth is wrong with us and why these basic business activities feel like walking through treacle.

They feel so hard because they wake up those little demons which decide to bounce around on your table, on your computer screen and inside your mind. Having stuff to do isn’t a problem. You’re intelligent, capable, talented – you can handle that. Having stuff to do which tugs on long-ago pain and brings with it an avalanche of emotion is a whole other matter.

So, be compassionate with yourself

Recognize you’re taking a brave path. Acknowledge that self-employment is as much about personal growth as it is about professional fulfillment or paying the bills. Give yourself a massive pat on the back. You’re birthing something here and birthing isn’t always pretty. But it’s worth it.

When the demons come out to play, pause and give them some attention. Sit with them for a while. Get curious about what needs to be looked at. Find what’s really making this task “so damn hard” and know that patterns can be changed and you are resourceful.

What tasks that “should” be easy have most plagued you, as you go self-employed? What remedies have you found? Leave a comment, let us know…

A brand new toolkit + a tried-and-tested programme

If you’re feeling anxious on the turbulent path of self-employment and want to feel more secure, check out the new Creating Safety Toolkit.

If you’re feeling isolated and want to share your business-building journey with like-minded others, check out the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme (new dates just released; next group starts May 2012).

Want to receive alerts about these blog posts to your inbox, plus hear about special offers? Subscribe to my free newsletter here.

© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2012

I live in Cambridge, England. I have a piano but was frustrated I couldn’t make progress with sheet music. Then I discovered Ryan’s awesome business Play Piano King and now feel enthusiastic about tinkling on the ivories.

But this blog post isn’t about music. It’s about how your business can be found by total strangers and it comes down to this:

Stop trying to find clients

“Huh? But aren’t I reading this to discover how to find clients?”

No. It might seem like semantics but there’s an important distinction between trying to find clients, and positioning yourself to be found by people who are already looking for you.

Out there, whether down the road or on the other side of the globe, are people who already know they want or need something that is an exact match for what you most love to offer.

These people are your “Tribe”. They are already looking for you. They’re asking their friends, they’re looking on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and on forums, and searching on Google. They’re eager to get their needs met, find relief or get their situation resolved and they’re prepared to take action and spend money to meet this end.

Your mission is to know who these people are and what they’re looking for.

What are they looking for?

The first websites I found promised to teach me classical piano: Beethoven, Mozart, Bach. I wasn’t looking for that.

Ryan stood out because he focuses on helping people who don’t want to play classical piano. His Tribe love him because he teaches popular modern songs by singers like Rihanna, Coldplay and Adele.

What are your Tribe really looking for? Here are some examples:

– “I want a massage but I hate the idea of stripping down to my underwear”

– “I want to learn yoga but I’m not sure if I can practise during pregnancy”

– “I’m in an unhappy same-sex marriage and feel alienated by opposite-sex relationship advice”

– “I’ve got Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) and want it to go away, not just ‘be managed’”

Pause and consider who is looking for you. And what specifically are they looking for?

Know how they search

Once you know what your Tribe are looking for, consider how they are looking.

I didn’t search for ‘piano teacher’ or ‘piano lessons’. Instead, here’s what I typed into Google:

how do you get good at piano
piano playing rusty
improve piano playing
playing contemporary piano

These aren’t the most obvious search terms but these were the words and phrases I automatically went for when thinking about my needs.

Likewise, your Tribe might not search for the “thing” you offer (like Pilates or coaching, or massage) but instead express their situation (for example: losing my fitness, hate my job, back ache).

Watch what you type when you do a Google search. It’s interesting to notice the words and phrases you instinctively go for.

Now, imagine being one of your Tribe. What would they type? It’ll make more sense to optimize your website for these words and phrases than for very popular search terms like “life coaching”.

Let them know they’ve reached the right place

When someone new reaches you or your website, make sure they realise they’ve found what they’re looking for – and that they can call off the search.

You can achieve this through a simple yet powerful marketing message. Check out Ryan’s to see how he uses empathy, (“I know it seems almost impossible to learn the piano”), offers hope (“You do not need to know how to read sheet music”) and fills his new visitor with excitement (“After you learn a song, you will be ready and able to play it anywhere”).

What could you say to a total stranger to reassure them they’ve found what they’ve been looking for?

And finally…

Once someone has found you, give them something. Always: give before you expect to receive.

I got hooked on Ryan thanks to his free online taster videos. (If I want more in-depth tutorials, that’s where the $97 comes in).

What could you give your new visitor? A free article, report or audio recording?

Choose something that will give a total stranger a taste of how you can help them – and make it easy for them to come back for more.

So:
– Know who is looking for you
– Know how they’re looking for you
– Reassure them they’ve reached the right place
– Give them a free taster so they come back for more

How have you already been found by total strangers? How would you like to be found? And how have you discovered other brilliant companies or service professionals? Leave a comment below, let us know…

Not sure who’s looking for you?

It’s frustrating to be unclear about your Tribe. If you’d like step-by-step support with gaining clarity and getting into action, check out the support options available > >

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2012

A few hours after publishing the latest blog post, How To Get Paid 1,000 Times, I had a similar phone call from a coach who’s been wanting to get her business off the ground for years. She said: “Reading your post, I decided I couldn’t keep going like this. I realised I have to do something - so that’s why I’m reaching out.”

We humans are pretty resilient. We soldier on. We don’t want to admit we need help, we don’t want to burden anyone. We want to be self-sufficient so we delay doing that “something”.

But at what point do you decide to make that call?

When is enough enough?

As a woman wanting to be successfully self-employed, this is the kind of “enough” you’re likely to have had:

• Enough of not knowing which business step comes first.
• Enough of feeling overwhelmed and out of your depth.
• Enough of feeling isolated and alone on your self-employment journey.
• Enough of your partner calling your passion an expensive hobby.
• Enough of not reaching the people who need you.
• Enough of not fulfilling your potential and having your biggest impact.
• Enough of shuffling by financially, rather than enjoying money being easy.

If enough is enough and if you’re done with struggling on your own, please take advantage of the support that’s waiting for you.

The next Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme starts on 9th January, giving you six rich months of business-building guidance and like-minded community. You can decide to make 2012 the year you become clear, supported and able to move into profitability.

I’m ready to have more phone calls with women who’ve decided that enough is enough. Will one of them be with you?

There are only 4 places left on the January programme and if one of them is yours, claim it. Reach out now. Enough is enough.

Click here, read the details, fill out the form.

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

There’s a special moment where you lose your Getting Paid virginity. Someone says you’re just what they’ve been looking for; they want you, they need you… YES!

You enjoy the delirious satisfaction of that first incoming financial transaction, that warm after-glow, staring in awe at the cheque in your hand or the PayPal notification in your inbox.

Lost yours yet?

Before that first financial encounter, Getting Paid can feel like foreign territory. It’s longed for but scary. You’re hungry for it but daunted.

Even once you’ve enjoyed a few dozen payments, you might still have question marks about how to get paid consistently.

How do you fully enter and stay in this territory? How do you reach that point where someone actually reaches into their purse, or bank account, and hands over their hard-earned cash – again and again?

1,000 yes’s

Last week, You Inspire Me enjoyed its 1,000th payment. Since going self-employed in 2005, I’ve tracked every financial transaction (much to the joy of the Inland Revenue) and felt a surge of joy when we tipped into four figures. You know that voice which nags at you, “Are you good enough? Will people ever pay you for this?” Getting paid for the thousandth time felt like pretty conclusive evidence that the answer is “yes”.

Getting paid repeatedly is wonderful but if you’re thinking “Getting paid just once or twice would be nice!”, then let’s take a peek at how I lost my self-employed virginity…

How to get paid once

My first ever payment as an independent practitioner was from a woman named Sue. She was looking for an English tutor for her daughter, her friend (Penny) knew I’d recently resigned as a school English teacher. It was a clear match: One woman had a need. Another woman could fulfill that need. And Penny was the pimp in the middle.

I went on to be paid repeatedly as a tutor. Then as a life coach to teenagers. Then as a life coach to women finding their passion. Then (and now) as a coach and mentor to women starting their own businesses. But although my niche focus has changed, the principles of Getting Paid have stayed the same.

Want to know the principles?

People pay independent practitioners because three things are happening:

Principle #1: You’re visible as the perfect match

It’s important to become a beacon for people who have a need that they’re prepared to take action and spend money to meet. Joy, an osteopath, is the perfect match for people in Cambridge who have Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Elinor, a coach, is the perfect match for working mothers who feel guilty and overwhelmed. Margaret Hiley, a translator, is the perfect match for academics who want their work translated from German to English.

(Not sure who you’re the perfect match for? Then check out the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme because Class 2 will give you clarity about this. And yes, Joy, Elinor and Margaret are all Passion To Profit success stories).

Becoming visible means letting people know about you. If I hadn’t made myself known in my community, I wouldn’t have been on Penny’s radar when Sue spoke about wanting a tutor.

If you want to get paid repeatedly, you need to become known for helping a particular group of people resolve a particular challenge. Who are you the guardian angel for?

Principle #2: Your pricing is resonant

You know that pure musical note a tuning fork emits when it hits a surface? It resonates at a specific pitch – and it can be like this with your pricing. A resonant price is one that feels right to you and to your ideal client.

The amount I quoted Sue sat well with me and sat well with her. Resonant pricing is a method of setting your prices that has less to do with market rates, competition and ego and more to do with your intuition. Sounds crazy but it works – time and time again.

(You’ll get to grips with this in Class 4 of Turn Your Passion To Profit.)

Principle #3: You make it easy for someone to pay

How is that prospective client actually going to give you money? Newbies to self-employment often haven’t thought this far in advance. It can be such a shock when that first person says “yes” and it’s easy to get tongue-tied at the payment stage.

In the free How To Help More People Become Your Clients audio class, I talk about the inadvertent obstacles which can block money that wants to flow to you. Take a listen here – it’s a recording of a 75-minute teleclass that will help you nail this whole getting paid thing.

The simple formula for getting paid

Since losing my self-employed virginity, each payment has happened because I was following these same three principles:

1. Being visible as the perfect match for people who are prepared to take action and spend money to meet their needs.
2. Setting a price that feels resonant to both you and the prospective client.
3. Removing obstacles and making it easy for someone to pay.

What do you think – are there other elements that need to be in place for you to get paid? How are you doing in these three areas? Is getting paid harder (or easier) than you thought? Leave a comment below, let us know.

Let’s get you paid

I want to help you enjoy a solid, steady self-employed income and for you to know that you are being paid for making a difference and doing your good work.

Are you longing for your first payment? Wanting more consistent financial activity?

Visit this page, be inspired by the other women who’ve invested in support, and complete the short form at the bottom of that page to book your free consultation.

There are just 5 places left on the next Turn Your Passion To Profit programme (starts 9th January) and if one of them is yours, I’d love to hear from you.

Please note: I’m taking a technological break until 19th December so please fill out the form now and then I’ll get back to you on my return.

Want to receive alerts about these blog posts to your inbox, plus hear about special offers? Subscribe to my free newsletter here.

© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

If you were on the call live, or as you listen to the recording, you might think: “Huh? Did I miss something?” Yes, it was a smooth call and I’m proud of the content.

But when it got to the part where I describe the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme and invite people to register for a free consultation, I skipped some of the important aspects. I didn’t make the call to action crystal clear. I felt an inner cringe that I was selling.

And to me, that’s messing up.

Why?

Old habits die hard

I’ve done a lot of inner work around selling. I’ve slowed down how I speak, to take the time necessary to communicate effectively. I’ve shifted my perspective from seeing selling as gross to seeing it as potentially generous, an act of service, a way of making it easier for people to find and access the support they need.

It’s because I know what it’s like to transform this area that means I’m well-placed to help other women do the same in their heart-led businesses – but now and again, old habits throw me to the floor. I get coy. I get apologetic (inside myself, if not in words). I rush, I skim over, I try not to take up too much space, I tell myself that people aren’t interested.

Last night’s experience was frustrating but also humbling because I remembered how painful it is when you live in that “I can’t sell” state most of the time.

If you’ve gone self-employed in order to pursue what you love, there’s a high chance you find it hard to sell. It feels pushy and manipulative and those lovely little unhealed parts within you sneer: Who do you think you are, to take up others’ time like this?

Sound familiar?

Let’s get real…

Reality #1: Businesses sell

A business is only a business if it’s selling products and services. Marketing, sales and making money have to be integral parts of your day-to-day activities.

If you’re only giving away stuff for free, then you’re running a charity. Or you’re being funded from elsewhere – by the government or an organisation, maybe.

Now, a good business owner both sells and gives resources away for free. You recognise that giving away content-rich resources can be a beautiful gift to your community and at the same time, it’s a potentially effective marketing strategy.

Sales without generosity is not good for business. But likewise offering freebies without sales doesn’t make for any business at all. The only way you can give away a free class, or offer a free article (like I’m doing in this blog post), is because people are paying you somewhere in your business.

If you don’t sell stuff and nobody pays you, you don’t stay in business. End of story.

Reality #2: Other people know this and have choices

Naomi Dunford, of Ittybiz.com, wrote a brilliant blog post called How To Email Your List. When I read it, I had the biggest, brightest lightbulb moment.

She says: “The purpose of your [mailing list] is to give people who like you the opportunity to hear what you say and buy what you sell. Therefore, you must say it. And sell it.”

People aren’t stupid. They know that you run a business and that if they sign up to your mailing list, or your public teleclass, then you are going to be selling stuff. Yes, you’re giving a valuable freebie that people can enjoy without ever giving you a penny. But one key reason for doing that freebie is that you have something worth selling that a percentage of the sign-ups eagerly want to hear about.

If someone doesn’t want to know about what you’re selling, they can unsubscribe from your list with one click. They can hang up on your teleclass. It’s simple. They are entirely responsible for staying in contact with you or detaching.

It means that the people who stay on your list, or who are still listening to your class, are choosing to be there. They want to hear what you have to say. So say it.

Back to reality?

Time for some remedies…

Remedy #1: Allocate time

One of the reasons I stumbled (inwardly) over the selling section in my call is that I’d allocated one hour and we were running over. I don’t like to break my word on timings (blame my part-German heritage!) and was concerned I would inconvenience the callers.

Actually, when I look back at the stats, I see that callers stayed for an average of 70 minutes, with a couple staying 81 or 87 minutes. They were engaged and keen to hear what I was talking about, including the selling bit, because they recognised that what I was offering was speaking directly to them and their needs.

Allocate 75 minutes for your call if it consists of 60 minutes of content and 15 minutes of describing your new service. If you’re giving a talk and your slot is 90 minutes, then as you prepare your content, allow time for Q&A and allow a chunk of time for passing around your mailing list sign-up sheet, or booking people in for consultations.

Consider your call to action part to be equally as valid as the other content you’re delivering and build in that time when planning your free offering.

Remedy #2: Be transparent

When you listen to the recording of the call, you’ll hear me talk about two main qualities to help more people become your clients: Safety and Ease.

And as one wise caller points out, that applies to you, as business owner, as well as to your prospective clients. You need those qualities for yourself because business is fundamentally pretty damn scary.

The way I would have felt more safety and ease when I moved to the sales element of the class? Transparency.

I could have said something like: “I hope you’ve enjoyed this valuable free content. I’m now going to spend ten minutes walking you through the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme because I want to make sure that you have enough information if you’re ready to take the next step and get support”.

Anyone who wasn’t interested could have left the call, or stopped listening to the recording, and anyone who was interested would have stayed with me. I’d have known that, even if only one person stayed listening, I’d have their full attention.

You’ll hear me doing this to some extent on the call but not quite enough for me to feel totally relaxed and comfortable about taking the time.

As with the other strategies I teach on the class, it’s often one very small action – one line on a flyer or one 30-second voicemail message on your phone – that can make all the difference in terms of how easily you’re able to help new clients.

You have full permission

Considering that people are opting in to your marketing communications, without anyone forcing them, and considering that you’re in business, you’re allowed to sell. In fact, you have to sell otherwise you won’t stay in business.

You’re not a sleazy marketer trying to make a quick buck. You’re a service professional who loves to help others – so don’t apologise for communicating that. People need your help and they need to know what you’re selling.

What do you think – should we apologise for selling? Does that part of being in business feel uncomfortable to you? Have you held back from letting people know about services that could help them?

Leave a comment below and let us know.

And here’s my call to action

1. If you’ve already signed up for the Help More People Become Your Clients call, put aside 75 minutes and listen to the audio that arrived in your inbox today. Not signed up yet? Want to help more people become your clients? You can still get the recording; register here.
2. If the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme that I describe on the call sounds like just what you’ve been looking for, come and read more about it and see who else has benefited and book your free consultation by filling out the form on this page.

Important: The early-bird price ends Wed 30th November; save £150.

There you go. Selling. No apology.

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

Do you want to help everyone, everywhere, in every way?

Uh-oh. Although that sounds wonderful, it’s sadly one of the quickest ways of not getting clients.

In this 3-minute video, you’ll discover why this is one of the most common roadblocks for self-employed coaches and complementary therapists. You’ll also find a way of making it far easier for your ideal clients to say “yes” to working with you – and to refer you on to more ideal clients.

Watch here:

What do you think – is the “I help everyone” approach working for you, or not so much? Have you identified those people who need you the most, and what difference has that made? Leave a comment below, let us know…

No idea who you want to help?

It can be frustrating to be told you need to “pick a niche” but not know how you actually do that!

We delve deeply into this topic in Class 2 of the Turn Your Passion To Profit group programme. It’s quite normal to be resistant to what feels like narrowing down your niche. I hold that you’re actually the guardian angel for certain people and so it’s an act of love and generosity to define and take a stand and build your business with them as your focus.

If the “I help everyone” approach isn’t working out so well for you, you can instead discover how to create a needs-based business where clients (and money) flow to you with more ease.

Places are now being snapped up for the next programme (starting January 2012) so come and check out the details here. (Feel free to ask any questions about the programme in the comments box below.)

NB Early Bird price available until 30th November; save £150. Book your free consultation by completing the enrollment form you’ll find on the webpage.

Want to receive alerts about these blog posts to your inbox, plus hear about special offers? Subscribe to my free newsletter here

© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

I love being a megaphone – amplifying the reach of excellent services which more people should know about.

But what difference would it make if I were getting paid for doing this?

And what difference would it make if you were getting paid for spreading the word about me?

Earlier this year, I tentatively started a referral reward system. I invited a few dozen people who were already spreading the word about my work to register as referrers so that they could receive gratitude payments: 10% of whatever their friend or colleague paid me.

The intention was to shower these people with appreciation. They were helping my business grow and it felt like they deserved to share in my profits.

Some people were delighted by the idea and registered straight away. Others said they weren’t comfortable receiving the 10% themselves but registered in the name of their favourite charity or organization.

And others said they didn’t want any money, that the good karma of spreading the word was enough. Some even said they hated the idea of getting paid, that it made them feel ‘icky’.

This, of course, got me thinking. Was the ‘ickiness’ because giving feels good but receiving can feel uncomfortable? And if this were the case, should I be taking a stand and insisting that it’s okay for good people to receive money?

Or was there more to consider, in terms of what happens when we add the money dynamic in with word-of-mouth referrals?

I became hesitant about rolling the system out more widely until I got clear on my position.

I’m clear that I’m unclear

I’m passionate that money should flow towards those who do good. But should that just apply when the person is offering a paid-for service like coaching, acupuncture or yoga? Or could spreading the word count as ‘doing good’ and you could be financially thanked for that?

Should saying nice things about a service be ‘pure’, with no money motive? But that suggests that money makes things dirty, which I don’t believe. And there’s a delicate but important distinction between paying someone for spreading the word, rather than to spread the word.

One way of keeping it clean is to insist upon transparency: that when the referrer mentions me, they fully disclose that they receive these gratitude payments. But that doesn’t change the fact that we believe a friend’s recommendation of a service because they have no agenda other than to help us, as opposed to a salesperson on a commission. Does knowing money is involved skew the trustworthiness of an endorsement?

I have lots of questions so I decided: what better than to open the discussion up to you? Maybe you heard about my work via a recommendation or perhaps you’re already out there, spreading the word about me (thank you!). Maybe you’re an affiliate for other services or perhaps you’ve considered this minefield in relation to promoting your own business.

So, what do you think?

What system could I put in place for encouraging people to spread the word about my services and thanking them for doing so? It has to feel good for me, for the people referring and for the people hearing about me.

And, moreover, what kind of system could you have, as you expand the reach of your own business and acknowledge your ‘megaphone’ people?

It’s a rich topic for discussion – so leave a comment below, let us know…

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

“I’m struggling with how to advertise and promote myself without having to spend a fortune in the process. Any help you can give me is appreciated.”

It may well be that you’ve been asking this question too, as you go self-employed.

My answer? Get tribal.

Let me explain and see how you can apply these recommendations to growing your business.

1. Know your Tribe

Leanne is already starting to get a sense of her ‘Tribe’ – those clients who she loves working with and who love her approach: tattoo artists and bikers. What’s more, she’s a welcomed member of this Tribe. Her husband used to do freelance photography for Skin Deep, a tattoo magazine which meant they would both travel all over the country to do artist interviews and attend tattoo conventions. She’s also had quite a few big tattoos done on herself by various artists.

Do you have a sense yet of your own Tribe? Like with Leanne, often your Tribe are people you naturally associate with, people you can identify with. Mothers trying to juggle work, family and self; corporate lawyers looking to escape the rat race… Your choice of Tribe isn’t random; there’s a reason why you feel drawn to them.

2. Hear your Tribe’s needs

In order to promote herself without spending a fortune, Leanne needs to know the needs of the people she’s serving. Why would they bother seeking out a massage? Why would they part with their hard-earned cash? What’s their body feeling like before they get anywhere near her massage couch?

The best way to find this out? Ask them! Leanne can go back to those same conventions she’s familiar with and do interviews with people who fit her Tribe, asking them what regular biking is doing to their backs. She can get curious about what it’s like for their arms to be drawing tattoos every day. She can find out if they’ve ever had a massage and – if they have – what’s been helpful or what could have been better. (She’s based in Norfolk so it’d be good to do this research as locally as possible).

Even before she’s spoken with her Tribe, Leanne knows there’s a need. When she had her own tattoos done, she saw the various tattoo artists struggling with pain in their shoulders, lower back and wrists due to RSI.

3. Speak to their pain

Your marketing can cut through all the noise of expensive advertising when you state simple truths that your Tribe can identify with. Leanne could write an article for Skin Deep magazine, or for her own blog, called “Why Tattooing Is Breaking Your Back”. It could be that no-one else is speaking about this and so she becomes the ‘guardian angel’ for this Tribe.

By speaking to the pain, Leanne shows she understands this group of people and their unique challenges and can then position herself as the perfect solution to their pain.

4. Tailor all your marketing with your Tribe’s preferences in mind

From her research, Leanne will have found out which magazines her Tribe reads, which conventions and events they hang out at and which online forums they congregate on. Rather than doing a ‘spray job’ with her marketing and trying to reach everyone everywhere (which is time-consuming and possibly expensive), she can be focused and target just those places where her Tribe are going to be showing up in their hundreds.

Everything about her business can be tailor-made for her Tribe. For example, how about the name ‘Muscle Deep Massage’ for her business? ‘Muscle Deep’ echoes the ‘Skin Deep’ magazine that tattoo artists will be familiar with and her specialism is deep massage which really gets the job done.

I’m going to assume that her Tribe are not going to feel at home with pretty pink and pastels. Leanne can stand out as a massage therapist by choosing a colour scheme which her Tribe will immediately feel at home with: maybe deep purple and slate grey, or black and red. In order to choose wisely, she can check out other websites her Tribe would frequent, like Skin Deep. She can take some sample visuals along to the next convention she attends and ask her Tribe what they think. Once she’s got the feedback, she can focus the imagery on her website, Facebook Page, business cards and flyers accordingly.

5. Encourage and ask for referrals

Leanne says: “My Tribe are hard to convince. Once they’ve had a massage by me, they tend to be converted but getting them in the first place is most difficult”.

Think about ‘Tribes’ that you are part of. When you feel you share a common bond, you trust the opinions of others in that community. (For example, as a coach, I trust other coaches’ recommendations on which phone and headset to buy because I know we share the same kind of professional requirements). If one biker has had an amazing massage with Leanne, she can ask him to tell his friends – and it’s likely that they’ll trust his opinion.

She can also include case studies in her marketing which her Tribe will identify with. Her husband, for example, is a biker who had a bad bike accident and still suffers with pain in his knee. He’s been told he will need a knee replacement but since Leanne has been giving him regular massages, it hasn’t been nearly as bad. If you’ve had a biking accident and you see Paul’s story on Leanne’s website, you’re likely to understand more clearly why having a massage with Leanne could be a worthwhile investment.

Leanne certainly doesn’t need to spend a fortune. (In fact, it can be counter-productive to do so). By using this Tribe-centred approach to marketing, she can save herself time, money and effort by being focused and efficient and she can become extremely well-known in her niche area.

In a year’s time, ask any tattoo artist or biker in East Anglia who they would go to for a massage and the answer should immediately be: Leanne Callaby.

What do you think – is it possible to promote yourself without spending a fortune? Have you been getting tribal in your marketing? Are you a biker or tattoo artist in need of a massage?! Post a comment below, let us know…

Feel reassured by sensible marketing advice?

If this step-by-step marketing guidance makes sense to you, do come and check out the ‘Turn Your Passion To Profit’ programmes, available in both one-to-one and group format > >

You can book a free, no-obligation consultation with me by filling out the form on either of the pages you click through to. I’d love to help you get more clarity, get unstuck and decide what your next steps should be.

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

It holds the same ‘fresh start’ energy as January, making it a prime recipient for a whole bundle of your good intentions.

“Get the website done”, “create a Facebook page”, “go to more networking events”, “declutter the filing cabinet”.

It seems to be an opportunity to put new habits in place, to implement ways of working that will make your journey of self-employment more enjoyable – and allow you to be more effective.

But just as with New Year Resolutions, there’s a high chance of failing and disappointment when life’s busyness descends. All those good intentions can go out of the window as you struggle to stay on top of the day-to-day reality of running a one-person business. Ever experienced that?!

So what if this September you chose just ONE intention to implement?

The One Non-Negotiable

Earlier this year, I was asked: “What’s the one single thing you do which makes your business successful?”

I’ve recorded a super-short video to share my answer with you. (My response might sound simple and it might sound weird, but I hope it’s helpful.)

By putting this “non-negotiable” in place every day, you’re likely to experience:
- More clarity of mind
- More ideas and inspiration coming to you
- More ease with making decisions and resolving challenges
- More people saying “yes” to working with you
- Greater capacity for receiving good money for doing your good work

What’s that one thing? Find out in this 90-second video:

I invite you to put this in place this September as your one non-negotiable business practice – the solid foundation upon which all your other decisions are built. Experiment with it and notice what changes as a result.

I always love to hear what you think so do leave a comment below.

A fresh September (or January) start?

If you’re looking for a fresh start, I have two ‘Turn Your Passion To Profit’ private coaching slots opening up in September, and the next ‘Turn Your Passion To Profit’ group programme starts in January (new dates just released).

If you’re ready to channel your talents and want to reach more people (and feel the relief of enjoying a healthy income), then fill out the consultation form on either of those pages to have a conversation with me about getting you supported and moving forward.

It’s a free, totally no-obligaton conversation – we’ll take about 30 to 45 minutes, talking through your current situation and what might be your next steps towards deeply meaningful, fulfilling, nourishing self-employment. Click through here: http://youinspireme.co.uk/turn-your-passion-into-a-profitable-business to take you to either of the pages where you can fill out that consultation form. I look forward to speaking with you.

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011

You’ve found your passion. You want to follow your heart, make a difference, share your gifts…

… and that means it’s time to knuckle down and figure everything out by yourself.

Does that feel true for you? If so, then you’re a lot like the women I’ve been speaking with recently. The next Turn Your Passion To Profit programme has just sold out (woo hoo!) which means I’ve been busy in consultation mode, speaking with women who are interested in finding their ideal clients and earning a solid income.

Again and again, I noticed that people hold back from accepting the support they actually want and need because they’ve decided that ‘SELF-employment’ means being self-reliant and going entirely solo. The voice in the head says:

    “I should be able to do this by myself”

Now, this is no quiet, pleasant voice. This is a critical, nagging, chastising voice. It’s a voice which says it’s weak to get help, which judges, which beats you up and calls you a failure and incompetent for not knowing everything or not getting results immediately.

Very painful – and sadly, incredibly common.

Identifying with this?

I saw this same belief playing out recently when I ran a series of workshops in a London secondary school. I’d set up a team-building exercise for the 14-year old girls to play called ‘Sinking Sands’ (so awesome!) where the students have to navigate across a treacherous swamp (otherwise known as a 5 x 5 grid marked out on the floor), finding the one solid path through to the other side (in other words, some of those grid squares are ‘solid’ and others represent swamp).

Even though I explained that the point was to work as a team and look to each other for guidance, student after student kept her eyes firmly down on the floor, determined to work out the path through the grid by herself, despite the fact that the other girls could see a pattern that she couldn’t see. When I asked one student why she wasn’t looking to her team-mates for help, she said: “Because that would be cheating”.

I led the workshop four times during the day and with each group, I’d see the exact same pattern: a massive resistance to looking to others for support.

It’s not cheating to ask for help

Here’s the truth: You’re not meant to be able to do this ‘business’ thing by yourself. No-one ever said you were. Self-employment does not mean total self-sufficiency or self-reliance. The rules for working for yourself are not like those at school exam time, where you had to cover your work and keep your mouth shut.

It’s so important to know how to ask for help – and receive it. Why? Because our lives – and our livelihoods – are interdependent. This is the mechanism through which you, as a helping professional, will earn money – because others recognize that they can’t do something alone and instead need external input, guidance and assistance.

Likewise, you keep other helping professionals in business when you reach out for support.

I’m not successful by myself

I didn’t sell out my group programme six weeks early by myself. Not in the slightest. I have excellent support in three core areas so let’s look at each, with the intention that you can get all three strong for yourself:

1. Connection

I have faith in something I have no proper words for. I have no religion and no language to speak about what I believe in, but I know I believe in something incredibly powerful and I meditate each day in order to come into Connection with that. I ask for guidance, I share my anxieties, and I receive all kinds of amazing ideas and insights back. It’s the solid rock upon which my thriving business is built.

You might relate to the concept of ‘The Divine’, ‘The Universe’ or ‘Source’ or your higher self or intuition or nature. Whatever’s the highest power you can conceive of, that’s what you can look to for support.

2. Human guidance

I lucked out last year by finding the most perfect mentor for me – and I have no plans to let him go. Here’s a little video I made, a grateful love letter to Jason Stein at Heart of Business. Just like leaning in to Connection, I lean in to Jason and soak up his wisdom and guidance.

Your mentor is someone who’s a fair few steps further along the path than you and can call out your blind spots. They’ll have knowledge and tools that you’re thirsty for. For me, it also helps to have found someone with a strong Connection practice because that helps me access that guidance too.

3. Human assistance

I’ve got an awesome assistant. He handles my back-end website shenanigans and does most of the technical admin for my business. This frees me up to focus on what I do best: create, deliver and strategise. I’ve also got an excellent web developer, a beautiful partner, encouraging friends and family, and generous colleagues who spread the word about the work I do. I’ve worked hard – and I pay well – to have those kind of support structures in place.

You might need an assistant or a mastermind group. A cleaner, an accountant or a childminder – people who take some of the challenges or mundanities away so you can focus your full heart on your work.

Chances are that you find one or more of these areas easy to lean in to and get support from, and others are harder. Take some time now to consider: Where might you be depriving yourself of necessary support? What next step could you take to activate that?

Remember: It’s absolutely normal to need all three forms of support and there’s no weakness in that.

Here’s a great parable to close with:

An old man, knowing he’s soon to die, decides he wants to know what Heaven and Hell are like. The wise man of his village leads him to a big house in the countryside where they see a large table, covered in a bounteous buffet of the most delicious food. But around the table are people who are thin and hungry and miserable. The reason? They’re all holding chopsticks which are 12 foot long, desperately trying to feed themselves and failing because they can’t get the food to enter their mouths with such long chopsticks.

The old man says: “I see what Hell looks like. Please now show me Heaven.” So the wise man leads him into a different room within the house. There again is the amazing buffet of edible delights and around the table are happy, smiling, well-fed people. The old man is confused, because these people also have 12 foot long chopsticks. He looks to the wise man for guidance, who explains: “In Heaven, we feed each other.”

We know your chopsticks are ready to help others. This is what you do through your amazing work. Now it’s time to look out and see who’s trying to feed you with their chopsticks.

What do you feel about this topic? Do you find yourself blocking potential support? I’d love to hear from you so please share your comment below…

Ready to accept support?

If you’re done with going it alone, check out these two ‘Turn Your Passion To Profit’ support options >
(NB The September group programme is indeed now sold out but do fill out the form to be placed on the waiting list or express your interest in the next programme).

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© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2011