Announcing: The Center for Joyful Business

I'm pleased to share the launch of The Center for Joyful Business. It's the beginning of a virtual center - a place for entrepreneurs and small business owners all over the world to find resources, perspectives, products, and coaching programs as they create and grow a business filled with meaning, money and fulfilling success!

Please check out my new portal page which pulls everything together.

www.CenterforJoyfulBusiness.com

   

Those of you who have been with me a few years know that the name of my business has evolved over the last few years - Joyful Living, Joyful Marketing, and Joyful Entrepreneur are a few I've tried on. Well, I have finally pulled it all together under one umbrella - I have been been wanting a much more holistic model for the way we do business.

It's all about.....becoming more centered and grounded, knowing how to tap into your creativity and understand your creative cycles, and knowing what your amazing gifts are and how you can use them to deliver your business. The more you take care of yourself and manage your own energy (physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally) the more you'll be able to reshape those limiting beliefs to actually allow the prosperity to come in. That's when the action plans, marketing ideas, and success really happens!

Thanks for letting me share. I hope you enjoy the offerings as they unfold out the door of Center for Joyful Business. Please drop me a line and let me know what you think.

Gratefully,

Laura

Announcing: A New Book! The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs

You may have read in a previous blog posting about my Miracle Project.  My miracle in 2006 was to write a book. I also knew it had to be "creative, easy and fun".  Within two days of setting that intention I was writing a chapter for this new book. Talk about a fun and easy way to be published!  And it was amazingly creative as it has led to a whole new line of products to support women entrepreneurs.

The book is called the The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs. This is a collaborative effort of several successful women entrepreneurs. We reveal how we found purpose and attained success through perseverance, intuition, faith and real strategies that work.

This book has the real stories,personal techniques and ideas of what we have learned launching, building and running our businesses. You'll read about:

• A step-by-step process for identifying and activating dreams and passions
• What drives a female entrepreneur
• The feminine “trump cards” to bring you straight to the top.
• How to avoid the 10 deadly mistakes of a solopreneur
• Tools for a creative business plan that guides you towards your goals
• And much more!

If you would like to order your very own copy or one for a like-spirited women entrepreneur friend or collegue you can go to:  The Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs

Be sure to let me know how you like it!

Creatively and easily publishing,

Laura

Ezine Queen - Sale on great products for your online business success!

If promoting your business online is part of your plans then I highly recommend that you checkout the Ezine Queen's products.  She is an expert at how to create ezines and make them a successful part of developing relationships with your clients. 

What I love about her products is that they are designed to be "easy, natural & fun".  They are practical, full of good information and advice from real people who are using resources online - so they know what they are talking about.

This week - until January 31st - she is having a sale on some of her products.  I just bought the teleclass transcript for "How to Run and Affliate Program" - since I'm coming out with some new products and I was very pleased with the suggestions and well worth the $40 for helping me make my program more successful.

Another one I would recommend is about "Hiring and Getting the most from your Virtual Assistant". This is one of the #1 strategies I recommend to all my clients - get help so you can focus on what you do really well and let them take the other stuff out of your way.  Many solo-preneurs aren't sure where to start - this transcript will tell you how!

Now you know I only recommend products and people I love so you can take my word - Alexandria Brown's products will move you along in your success journey with easy and simple steps and real advice about "how it really works". Check it out at the EZINE QUEEN.

Of course, it's up to you if you actually use the information in growing your business - but that's another topic!!

Enjoy,

Laura

What's Your Theme for the New Year?

I bet by now you are already tired of new year resolutions and goals! I just love to throw out the traditional - when it doesn't really work anyway - and replace it with a joyful process that just might work for you.

How about having a theme for 2007?  Kind of like in that show Ally McBeal where they would have a theme song - you could have a song or you could have a word or two that really speaks to what kind of year you want to have.  Like - "Ease and Grace" or "Abundant and Relaxing" or "Beautiful and Courageous". 

So no matter what "goals" you are up to you can use these words to give them power and focus.

My words for 2007 are "Vibrant, Abundance and Play". I use these words all over the place - I have them on index cards that I carry with me. I write in my journal how they show up on a daily basis - and believe me - once you start noticing how they show up - they will show up more often!!

I even bought these cute little placecards (like you put at the dinner table if you're having assigned seats -you've seen them for weddings and showers, etc..), I found some fun ones and just wrote my Theme on it and I have it sitting in places in my office and home as a reminder. You could use colorful sticky notes just as well.

An easy way to keep it alive!

And, as I said, Like Attracts Like - What you focus on is what you get more of....so why not shape it with a theme.

Suppose this year you would like to 1. Lose 10 lbs 2. make more money 3. Write a book.  Use your theme words to set the stage - What would it look like to exercise and make food choices that are full of "vibrance, abundance and play" or to write that book with the perspective of 'grace and ease"?

Have fun with it!

Here's how a friend and fellow marketing coach, Martha Carnahan, uses themes. She makes her own cards!  They are really beautiful too. She shared with me her 2007 and 2006 themes.

Here are some possible theme words for you to try on:

Fearless * Ease * Grace * Abundance * Creative * Flourishing * Courage * Beauty * Wisdom * Love *Joy * Baby Steps * Quiet * Harmony * Life * Truth * Wisdom * Peace * Synchronicity * Adventure * Wisdom * Passion * Flow * Prosperity * Confidence * Order * Chaos * Spontaneity * Belief * Play * Clarity * Simplicity * Choice * Collaboration * Fun * Bliss *

These are just a few ideas.  Notice what happens when you pull a 2-3 words together - they take on a whole new energy than the words individually.  Like "Order - Confidence - Flow" or  "Adventure - Confidence - Bliss"...

I would love to hear your Theme for 2007!  Either post your comments below or email me directly. I may share them in an upcoming blog posting too!

With much Vibrance, Abundance, & Play,

Laura

Joyful Business Sighting in Mississippi

In early Febuary, I'll be visiting my friend Beverly - an amazing Life Coach in Mississippi and co-author of The Book of Druthers. She's hosting a workshop for several of her wonderful women entrepreneur friends and bringing me in to help them create their very own Joyful Business Guides.

These women are throwing away the idea of the traditional business plan and embarking on a journey to create their very own inspiration guidance tool - A Joyful Business Guide.   This is a place to put their plans, dreams and their gifts. These woman are part of the pilot program for my newest product - the Joyful Business Guide System. 

More to come on this fun, creative & innovative way to create your business plan! The Law of Attraction meets business plans and turns business dreams into reality!  (oh, can you tell I've been writing sales copy lately?)

More to come...

Laura

What's Your Miracle Project?

It's the beginning of a new year - a new start - new ideas.  I bet you have a few new ideas.  What's that one idea you have that would take a miracle for you to do it? 

Yes, a miracle!  Something that would take total alignment, clarity, confidence and a dose of amazing synchronicities for it to come to fruition?

If this sounds like you, then you'll want to register for the Miracle Project teleclass series by Nicole Mertes. I've taken her program three times now (yes, 3!!). The first time I took the program, through some amazing synchronicities (namely my husband and 2 clients who called me forth) my miracle project was to write a book. Within 2 days of starting the class I was writing a chapter for my first book publishing effort. I'm pleased to say that I have a chapter in the anthology book, Spirit of Women Entrepreneurs! I've just received my copy and I love the way it looks! More about that coming soon!

If you want to focus on a specific project, clear away the obstacles, and gain amazing clarity  about writing your book, finding the right relationship, or getting a product completed then you'll want to sign up for the next Miracle Project class starting this week.

Details are at: The Miracle Project

Cheers to alignment with Miracle Energy,

Laura

Daily Focus & Flow

If you are like me, right about now during the first week in January, you are submerged in lists of things to do for the new year. Dreams, goals, practical to-do's that you would like to get checked off a list, decorations half put away, and new file folders and calendars to organize. It can be overwheming!

What's a Joyful Business Owner to do?

Here's one of the structures I use each day. I call it My Daily Focus & Flow Card.  It's help me remember what I really want to get done today.

I start off with colorful index cards which automatically make me feel joyful and fill me with delight. (anything that fills you with joy and delight is like a burst of natural energy!)

First, I write down 3 "Giggle Goals" for myself. What's a Giggle Goal?  A goal that will make me giggle with delight or at least bring a satisfied smile to my face as I'm putting my head on my pillow when I lie down to go to sleep. 

I still have my regular running list of "to-do's". I like to capture all those things I need/want/would like to do.  What I focus on for the day are my 3 Giggle Goals.

The second step is to write 3 Giggle Goals for the Universe to handle. Yep - that mysterious creative source that seems to magically make things happen.  Sometimes I delegate specific tasks (please help me find just the right new assistant who aligns with my vision) and often I ask the universe to handle my energy - Give me vibrant energy, creative flow, help me to easily handle a specific task that I might have felt would be a burden but would make me feel successful and happy if it was handled.  Things like: give me writing flow and focus when doing my Friday afternoon blogging.

Asking the universe for help reminds me that I'm never alone. I'm always connected to this big creative universe where anything is possible. I don't have to "make" or force everything happen.

Sometimes I even ask for my "sweetie" to be inspired to clean up in our house.  I'm constantly surprised by how often - without any nagging or niggling from me- he suddenly gets inspired to empty the dishwasher, change a load of laundry or fix a broken lamp...

Like I said, I still have the long running list to do, but I find looking at that list during the day is overwhelming. And if I start circling and checking on that list, then it gets all messy and confusing. Using the Daily Focus & flow cards helps me pull them off the list and keep them front and center - usually right beside my computer.

The sheer act of writing something on my Daily F2 Card is a form of commitment in itself. Whenever you write something down you are more likely to achieve it.

And don't forget to pay attention - before you sleep, review your day, and you'll be pleasantly surprised - maybe even giggly - at the easy focus and flow of your day!

Delightfully,

Laura