Friends And Family WILL Rob You Blind!

I have some great news! Due to the overwhelming amount of email I get from women daily on questions about marketing their business, their web sites and how to get more clients, I am hosting a coaching call to cover it all on Monday, August 31^st at 800pm EST. To register for the call and gain access, you must be a member of Superwoman Lifestyle. If you are not a member, you can join by going to: http://www.superwomanlifestyle.com and becoming one, only takes a couple minutes. It’s NO charge to be a member. Once you become a member you simply go to the “Events� section of the site. The event is called “Vicki Irvin’s Coaching Call� and all the access information is there for you when you RSVP. I have never hosted a call where I let it all out to anyone other than my actual coaching clients, so I do hope you take advantage and join us, I am looking forward to it! Again, simply join the site at: http://www.superwomanlifestyle.com and register for the call on the “Events� section.

So your business is a hot commodity huh? I hope you realize that. What ever business you are in, if you are making money, and providing good value to your clients and customers… your competitors are watching your every move in an attempt to duplicate exactly what you are doing. Don’t be upset about it, it is a part of being successful. I know it’s hard not to feel like someone is copying your every move which can be irritating, but there are ways to combat that. The simple truth is that your competitors don’t really know exactly what it is that makes your business successful, they are only copying what they see on the surface like your slogans, business names, duplicating your web sites, etc. But those things are not what make a business successful. It’s your keen ability to out market everyone. I don’t care what it is you do, good effective marketing is the key to keeping your business in the spotlight and thriving. You may feel you have better skills or provide a better service than others in your industry, but if someone else has better marketing, their business will do better than yours regardless. You must always remember that if nothing else. And as soon as someone duplicates what you do, as a great marketer it is your job to go on to the next big thing and move with speed that keeps them frustrated because they can’t keep up!

So what can you do to protect your business? Be sure to trademark any names you use in business, once you spend time and money building your brand, you don’t want anyone using your names to steer business from you to them. A lot of people will put the trademark sign by their business names when they are not really trademarked but as soon as someone else trademarks your name, you will have to stop using it, so go through the legal process of getting it done right.

If you have employees, depending on what you do be sure to get them to sign non-compete agreements that are drawn up by a competent attorney and be sure they will hold up in court. Employees who see you making money will eventually take everything they learn from you and your company and go off in an attempt to do exactly what you do. And they will steal your client lists, contacts and anything else they can get their hands on. And it doesn’t matter if your employees are long time friends or family, when money is involved, people will become someone you never knew that they were capable of being. You have good intentions on giving people you care about an opportunity, but that doesn’t mean their intentions are good. I hear the horror stories all the time and I have dealt with it in more than one of my businesses. As a policy, I will no longer hire friends or family and I know many ultra successful business owners who subscribe to the same thinking.

You also should be leery of anyone you see lurking at all of your events, if you do live ones. Some people will attach themselves to you and your business for what may seem to be them only being a raving fan, but they are using your business, and your name to further themselves but not offering anything in exchange of value to you. People often do not know the proper way to network. When you are successful, there will be no shortage of people asking to “pick your brainâ€� or to get five minutes of your time. While we all love helping people, it is impossible for you to go around giving out Fâ€�R*E*E advice to people that you have paid for by educating yourself. You should value your own time more than that and impose rules. Some people do not have intentions of ever investing in themselves they way you have and truly believe they can just take from you as a shortcut. Those are the people always giving the song and dance line about you having made it, so why don’t you give back to others, blah, blah. Don’t get caught up in that trap, it will get you no where, these people don’t want to work for anything themselves the way you have.

The proper way to network and make connections is by offering to pay someone for their time and asking how you can help them. The person who offers to give something of value first to prove themselves is the person who will end up making the important connection they need. Don’t just take from others right off the bat, ask how you can be of service to them and watch how much easier it is to get what you need! Now go protect your business!

Vicki Irvin

Superwoman Lifestyle Coach

If you are interested in learning how to grow and thrive in your business, how to recession proof your business, sell out your live events, take your business on-line and create a whole new income stream and how to find additional revenue streams in your existing business you weren’t even aware were there…. Then you CANNOT miss my 2010 Women Entrepreneurs’ Information Summit complete with some of the top speakers. It will forever change your life, guaranteed. Details coming soon!

If you are interested in my business coaching services and you have a business you are trying to take to the next level, send an email to: info@superwomanlifestyle.com