Even though she looks like her Dad, this is my kid 100% Always a performer.

Just when I think she is crazy - she was supposed to be potty training but look she decided to close the lid and use her imagination and call the potty a stage. She is warming up for the first 30 seconds but then the television kicks in and voila - a Star is Born!
P.S. Make sure you catch the high note at the end!
P.P.S. Hmm, we still can not get her to use the potty with the pull up on - only if she runs around naked… Great business lesson - Progress is good as long as it is moving in the right direction. Enjoy

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Just when I thought nothing else could shock me, I heard this news. Then, it hit me, well yeah…

I read the details, this last quarter the loss increased from $1.4million to $10.7 million. How does that happen in one year? Then, the headline read - A Mall Staple files for Bankruptcy and that’s when the ah ha moment came.

#1 - A Mall Staple??? Who goes to the mall anymore? Certainly not many folks who want to spend $12 on a dozen of cookies.

#2 - They sell cookies one by one… My favorite matrix details how to get to a million.
# of Customers Price
1 x 1,000,000
10 x 100,000
100 x 10,000
1000 x 1,000
10,000 x 100
100,000 x 10
1,000,000 x 1 The price of one cookie - you need to sell $1million (hard to do)

How many customers does it take to get to a million especially if you are selling cookies one by one

#3 - Franchise owners - that is a whole day of blogging to tell you what I feel about franchising. What works in Iowa does not work in Las Vegas - PERIOD

#4 - No special recognition for special clubs on their website. Get 10% off if you submit your email address. Why? Some people this means nothing. Assuming everyone is not buying because of price. Only having one reward for submitting my email address. Why not get full contact information and send a free basket?

What would Richelle Do? The first thing I would do is make sure that the Malls are working for me as a lead generator for larger priced products. I would implement a program to get all contact information from each one of my customers. Make sure that I can stay in contact with them frequently and by all means, make sure that I show up in their customers’ lives more than just to ask for money.

Since I filed bankrutpcy - I wish them GOOD LUCK!

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This has got to be my most favorite question–

It is kinda like - when should I begin a diet? On Monday? - when the week is just starting? Or Sunday - so that it is a full 7 days?

I get asked more often when should I start marketing? Then, I hear, I am just too busy to think about marketing my business. I like to do it in my down time.

That’s when I start to get nervous! So here’s my answer that I can put in print and not get blocked by SPAM filters.

Put the burger and fries down now - and start the diet right this moment! Why dig the well, after you are thirsty?

Biggest mistake business owners make - not having a concrete marketing plan. I know, I am a go after it kind of girl who runs before she walks however, it is important to map out month by month what should happen in your business. And there should NEVER I mean NEVER be a time where you say, SKIP this month.

The main reason - hello, your bills don’t take Summer Skips or Easter Skips (like my Aunt Dorie says) They come every month - just like your marketing campaigns should.

Need extra help? I have 2 programs that might work for you.

1. The Ultimate Marketing Plan Tele-Class, which is an 8 week tele-class where we break down your plan month by month and develop an implementation program for you. This is limited to 8 people and the next one is starting soon - well as soon as I can fit it in my schedule - looks like late August. Email me if you are interested.

2. I have teamed up with my friend Brenda Prinzavalli from Balanced Organizing Solutions and the featured Organizer on More - Fox’s Television Show to develop an incredible online/telephone coaching program to put everything together for you called Marketing Organized. We break down my fundamental strategies with her specialized organizing expertise for entrepreneurs and BINGO it’s a winner! It is an annual program with a 12 month in depth review of principles, a little nudging if you slow down, and down right, kick ass skills to lead your business into BIG MONEY. Send me a quick note if you think this program would be good for you. Check out Brenda in her latest segment for Fox5 Las Vegas
http://www.fox5vegas.com/video/15065049/index.html This program is a winner - see you there!

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When the phone does not ring like its supposed to, more business owners are blaming it on the economy but it may be because essential business basics are not the priority. Let’s start with the essentials. Marketing is not about being funny or clever, it is about testing to see what works. My favorite marketing guru - Dan Kennedy has really put it into a form that makes sense to me. He says, “If your marketing is not working, 99% of the time it is because you did not follow this simple formula”.

The Formula is a Equilateral triangle ( all 3 sides are equal length)

Side 1 - Market: figuring out the who first. Not deciding to market after the product is done. Figure out the who first and then how do you reach them. Most business owners do this backwards. They read traditional stuff that says - do what you love and the money will follow–but what I love to do is watch TV (as many of you know) and eat Mexican food. That job is taken by the Taco Bell Chihuahua and even he got fired.

Focus on who is going to buy your product or service. Think through this one. Even at the telephone company - everyone needs a telephone right? Well, I was crazy trying to reach everyone. I didn’t have enough money to fight with the existing telephone carrier, the 33 other small ones like me and then Cable entered the market and I was doomed. I have to find a niche a target.

Once I found a target, then, I could consistently talk directly to them for less money. I could effectively reach a certain group that made us famous!

Side 2 - Message: Getting your message right. It should be focused and laser sharp so that your target market after reading your ad, hearing your presentation, walking into your store, will say - this is for me. Hey, it seems like they are talking to me. Since my target market is credit challenged customers, they typically have other challenges. They tend to borrow money from relatives to get them out of a bind. My radio commercial was a girl calling her aunt asking to borrow money. My customers would come in and say - I did that last week. My mother hated the commercial said it was demeaning however, my customer did not have a problem. Even my offices, they were not fancy in a fancy building. They were in a strip mall, or one was inside of a pay day loan company for years.

Side 3 - Media: This should be the last decision you make. Choose the media after you have determined your market and message. My customers were not readers so I had to figure out another way to reach them. There weren’t any magazines or newspapers that they read. So I chose radio.

Now that you have the basics, next week, I will discuss the other steps keeping marketing from being easy, such when to implement your marketing campaign.

As a Certified NO B.S. Marketing Advisor for Dan Kennedy - I have secured a way to get his award winning No B.S. Marketing Newsletter for free for 2 months plus lots of other bonuses totalling over $613 click here for the Most Incredible Free Gift Ever!

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Don’t Hate the Playa, Hate the Game!

In an attack ad, McCain is questioning if Obama can really run the country.

Whether you decide to participate this year, you have to admit politics are a lot of fun right now.

Have you seen McCain’s latest ad? He is comparing Obama’s Celebrity Status to Paris Hilton’s

Here is the link : http://www.tmz.com/2008/07/30/mccain-says-obama-famous-for-being-famous/
For the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about Celebrity Branding and how to become a celebrity in your business. Here is proof again, that celebrity may be enough to win the presidency of the United States. Ask John McCain - he seems to be scared that it is!!!

How are you using this lesson to build your business? You should take advantage of my favorite technique - Shameless Self Promotion! Become a celebrity in your own business to keep customers coming.

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A Lesson in Taking Care of ALL your Customers

Last Sunday, Devyn asked can we go to the park, can we go bye-bye. All I can think about is the fact that it is 110 outside. SO I told her after her nap. As soon as she woke up, she said….Park…Park… I told her yes, or else I would have to hear park for the next 3 hours. Not that it gets any cooler after 5pm. It does not cool down this time of year until well, September! At midnight it is still over 100 degrees.

We dressed for the park and packed the car, put on her sandals, packed toys, lots of bottled water and headed for the park. I decided that we would have sandwiches instead of the normal McDonalds because it was just too hot for a hamburger. I went to a local Italian pasta and sandwich shop in a strip mall, that I have ordered sandwiches from before and every time I received bad service. The owner is behind the counter, mad that the business is not flourishing… and just plain grumpy.

Hannah Montana’s Wig
Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that Devyn’s new favorite TV show is Hannah Montana. I know, she is only 2 but she loves when Miley puts on the wig and changes into Hannah. Well, Devyn puts a baby blanket on her head to be her wig.

I know we look crazy going into the sandwich shop. Me – with the George Forman t-shirt on that is 2 sizes too big and my favorite weekend jeans with a hole in the knee, and Devyn as cute as she is with the doggone blanket on her head. I certainly don’t look like a million dollar business owner. Or the leading authority on business building for women….

Standing ordering in the shop were a group of seniors out on a Sunday. They ordered pasta dishes that included salads. It was time for me and Devyn to order and the owner took my sandwich order and told me it would be 15 minutes. .. 15 minutes????? For a sandwich?

Who are you $7…. And your kid has a blanket on her head?
He basically said to me that he wanted to take care of his other orders first. Even though, he could have made their salads and then made my sandwich. They were there to socialize and enjoy each other’s company. It would have been ok to have them wait , but he figured. Who is this girl with the $7 sandwich? And the kid with the blanket on her head??

Turns out, as I was waiting…the group commented on how cute Devyn was and I asked do they go out each Sunday. They replied, yes, they try out different restaurants. I then asked how often do you return to a restaurant. They told me NEVER because Las Vegas has so many. After 10 minutes and he still had not started my sandwich, I decided to cancel my order and leave.

What was the owner really losing?

The lesson – Be careful taking right now money – it may not be the best for your business.

I have been to this shop with a client (bad service then too) , I returned for a consultation with the client and instead of making dinner that night, I ordered again. And this time was my third trip.

Here are his top 3 mistakes:

1. Not taking my information the first time I entered the store and encouraging my return visits by giving me a coupon, a rewards card, something to identify me as a repeat customer.
2. Being grumpy in the first place – if you can not handle every customer as if they are the POPE, hire someone who can
3. Assuming that the group’s money was more valuable than mine. Basically considering me as a little fish and throwing me back in the water. I had spent combined in the 3 times I visited more than the group spent on their one occasion.

A final lesson – remember there are only 3 ways to grow your business.

Add new customers
Get customers to return more often
Have customers spend more

I was number 2! But, it is his loss. We don’t plan to return with or without the blanket.

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Mompreneur Hits Pay Dirt After Losing it ALL …

After dating 3 men in 3 different states..click here to read the whole article

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The piece your missing in your press releases might shock you! The traditional way of getting free publicity all changed in 2005. The growth of the paparazzi , selling pictures of babies, the Britney effect. The world has now changed and so has news. Or what producers and editors believe is news.

The top 3 stories of February, 2007 based on internet searches, reported newspapers, television, radio…drum roll please… I bet you would not guess:

1. Great Britain withdraws from Iraq
2. Anna Nicole Smith Dies
3. Britney Spears Shaves her Head

For years, big business understands the use of celebrity but small businesses have not taken advantage of this perfect way to get publicity. Look at the night clubs right here in Las Vegas. Each week, Extra, Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight report about celebrity sightings at night clubs. Hallmark created a Paris Hilton Card that read—That’s Hot! They were sued by Ms. Hilton, but sold so many cards, it was worth it. They pulled the card but it was so much better than, hiring Ms. Hilton and having to pay her hefty fee. The event was reported by over 15,000 outlets getting Hallmark, free ads…

Now, that I have convinced you that adding celebrity to your business is essential, what are you going to do to add the celebrity to your business. Celebrity branding is the new way to insure a success. Attaching your business to a celebrity or making you or your customers celebrities, has a better effect on your bottom line than regular advertising.

If you missed our monthly Business Survival Meeting , you missed our guest speaker Nick Nanton, Celebrity Lawyer and author of Celebrity Branding You. Nick gave away free copies of the book but also, detailed strategies for dominating the internet, becoming a celebrity in your own industry and basic business building by using celebrities. I have a few extra copies. If you would like one, I will bring them to the next meeting, Wed, July 23, 2008 at the Antique Mall, located at 1495 E Flamingo Rd. between the library and Blueberry Hill restaurant. OK between, Tamarus and Spencer.

Check out Nick’s website – www.celebritybrandingyou.com and tell him I sent you!

Here are photos of several members and Nick signing autographs!

http://flickr.com/photos/nicknanton/sets/72157605867027173/detail/

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Because of all the publicity I have received, I thought you might want to check out what a member sent me. The email read – Hey Richelle, I saw you on Channel 3 news. I kept thinking, did I do an interview with Channel 3???? SO I clicked the link and VOILA – Looks like I am running for President against John McCain and Barack Obama. Funny Stuff!
http://www.news3online.com/index.php?code=26zvf1fT5Q20y0DC098L

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