BIBLE STUDY EXPO 2015…VIRTUALLY!

Have you ever attended an online event? We’re living in a brand new, brave new world. We can now attend events from the comfort of our living room couch!  You may be thinking that the experience may not be the same as being there in person. But imagine gathering and conversing with women from around the world.  Imagine doing so without having to purchase an airline ticket and paying for a hotel stay. Imagine no bathroom waiting lines, and being able to eat food you prepared so you know exactly how many calories you are consuming! But more importantly, imagine attending, and then leaving the experience feeling refreshed, restored, and revitalized?  

Bible Study Expo 2015 will be this Thursday August 20^th, from 1 pm until 4 pm CST, 2 pm to 5 pm EST. 

Marnie Swedberg, host of The Bible Study Expo, started this virtual meeting in 2009.  This expo features several Bible study authors who have written at least three Bible Study books.  They are interviewed, and are then available for discussion with the attendees of the Expo.  Visit here http://www.biblestudyexpo.com/ on the day of The Expo, and join the conversation! We may even run into each other!

10 Marketing tips to help get your message to the masses!

10) Who is your target market? Who is your message or product geared to?

9) Research the habits of your target market. When are they online, when are they not online? How old are they? Where do they live? What is their marital status, how many children do they have, does this matter to your business, the product you are selling?

8) Know your niche in the market.  It’s good to know your market, know their demographics; but you are not the only individual or business in that space.  What do you bring to the table that would be different than other businesses in your niche market?  

7) Font. Yes, it sounds nit picky, but even something as simple as the wrong font can turn off possible clients. If you are not sure, stick with simple and business-like, unless you know your market well enough to know they would not mind Goudy stout on every page of your website! And of course what type of font you use depends on the medium in which you use it. For example, you may not get away with Goudy stout on every page of your website, but you may get away with it on your business cards.  

6) Patience. Building your brand, learning your market, and realizing success in your business, takes patience, and passion.  Most people have enough passion inside them for their product.  But they may not exercise enough patience. Patience is key!

Courtesy Genta Mochizawa

5) Know your strengths…and your weaknesses. I am going to spend some extra words on this point because I believe this is very important! You cannot do it all, you will become a ‘jack of all trades, and a master of none.’ Some people agree with this quote, some do not.  And I believe in this age of technology and DIY—do it yourself programs, for building just about anything; many people can become proficient at several different things.  But in my humble opinion, there is a difference between proficiency and mastery.  You can become proficient at writing code as you DIY your business website, but the site will look proficient.  Believe me, when you are just starting out, money will be tight.  In fact, money will be tight for quite some time.  But before you assume that every web builder charges thousands of dollars to build a beautiful site, do some research.  Ask people whose sites you like, who built their site.  Ask the builder if they are willing to work on the cost with you, if you think they are charging too much.  This goes for every aspect of your business.  Remember, this is your passion. No one else’s.  No one else is going to ask the tough questions, go to bat for your business, feel slightly embarrassed about your lack of knowledge, and willing to always be on a learning curve.  Do what you can with what you have.  If you have a not so nice site, that’s fine.  But do not have a not so nice site because you did not ask around. 

4) Track your progress, aka metrics.   I never thought I would care about metrics because they were the bane of my existence when I worked in Corporate America. It was hard for me to treat human beings like numbers.  Now that I am working for myself, I use metrics to help direct me to what is working or not working for my business.  Should I continue to purchase advertisement space in a certain media space if I am not getting any leads or responses from that space? How many chances should I give that media space?  I am talking about media spaces such as print advertising, social media advertising, and word of mouth (which in my opinion is the strongest form of advertising), just to name a few.  You have to decide when one of these types of advertising mediums is not working for your business, but remember to give each some time. 

3) Know your brand…inside and out!   You have probably heard this before, but what is your elevator speech?  Do you have it memorized and ready to go at the drop of a hat? Many times, most times, you only get one chance to make a good first impression! I will not question your passion for your business.  And I know it is not good to assume, but I have to assume you are passionate about your brand, your business.  If you were not passionate about your business, you would not be out on a limb working well past midnight to build your company! If someone asks you what your business, your book, your message is about, you should be able to rattle it off in 20 seconds! You should know that 20 second speech so well you can say it in your sleep. You should also know how it can pertain to ANYONE you are speaking to. I will let you think about that.

2) Be prepared.  Everyone has their personal pet peeves.  I have a few, well several. OK, wait, this is not about me. Long before I obtained my masters in management with a concentration in marketing, this one issue bothered me.  When I ask someone for their business card and their response is, ‘I just ran out of business cards’.  Sorry, I know it’s not good to judge, but I just lost a percentage of confidence in your message, your brand, and your business.  No business person should ever run out of business cards.  They are just too inexpensive, no matter how tight your budget might be.  If you are worried about them not being as cool, classy, or cute as the next person's, you are worrying about the wrong things. However, things do happen, and if you did run out of business cards, you should have pen and paper on you at all times.  Another pet peeve. You are running a business, but you do not have one pen on your person.  I will tell you what is going through my mind at this point: ‘amateur’.  A little harsh? Maybe, but I am trying to help you.  Most people just will not tell you these things.  Get the best business cards you can afford. If they are not thick and expensive looking, make up for that with some nice graphics.  Graphics by the way that you can create on your own.  As your business grows, and your budget allows, get some nicer cards. Let your cards grow and evolve with you and your business.  Which leads to my final point.

1) Change.  Do not be afraid to change.  As I mentioned in the point above, let your business cards grow and evolve.  Well, it is the same concept for the rest of your business, for every aspect of your business.  Your message and your brand are the back bone of your business.  Everything else that revolves around your brand should evolve.  Your business cards, marketing packages etc., should become nicer and more streamlined as you grow.  Do not allow yourself to remain stagnant.  You want to continue to be relevant.  You should remain relevant without changing your backbone, your foundation.            

Well, there are certainly more than 10 marketing tips to get your brand and your message out to the masses.  These are the 10 I believe are important especially as you start your business.  You know, I really enjoyed my marketing classes.  I learned so much about the psychology of people and the importance of branding.  I also realized the importance of remaining relevant.  I could not believe the elementary mistakes some of the largest companies in our country have made over the years, I believe out of sheer stubbornness.  Where is K Mart today?  How is Sears doing?  Why is JC Penney struggling off and on?  I find it difficult to believe such large corporations did not have a team of people who were employed solely to keep their ears to the ground, to make sure the company remained relevant at all times.  These companies are just a few examples of what happens when you do not remain relevant and do not market properly.

If you are a starter company, I hope these 10 pointers were informative and helpful.  If you have been around for some time, I hope it was a great reminder.  Either way, I hope this information will encourage you to continue learning all you can about marketing your business, and growing your business! 

$2.00

He walked between the idling vehicles.  Vehicles whose drivers I am quite sure impatiently waited for the light to turn green.  Everyone wants to reach their destination right?  He walked laboriously.  It made me think about how effortless it was for me to just get up from a chair and walk to another room, without thinking about it.  I could almost feel the pain he must sometimes feel, just to walk. 

He walked between the idling vehicles, but he was still slightly too far away for me to get his attention.  I assumed he would continue walking between the vehicles, toward my vehicle. I pulled $2.00 out of my purse, waiting for him to get closer, but just then he turned between two vehicles and stepped onto the sidewalk.  I was slightly disappointed as I put the $2.00 back into my purse, admittedly wondering what he would have done with the money. I also thought to myself, 'if he only knew how close he was to $2.00', especially as I seldom carry cash.  We sat at the light for another 15 or 20 seconds.  Ample time for him to have continued walking.  He had become discouraged and given up when he was so close.  Who knows how many people behind me may also have had $2.00, or more? 

As I sat waiting for the light to turn green, I thought about people in general, who had given up, not knowing how close they were to achieving their dream.  How many people had given up and walked back onto the sidewalk just before their $2.00?  I winced at the thought that it could be me!  Just then I said a quick prayer, ‘please God, don’t let me give up just before my breakthrough, before my $2.00.’  I put my purse back, thinking ‘if he only knew’.

Top 10 things every woman over 40 should know

10) Its true, we really should have at least one really nice black dress, one really nice business suit, and one really nice pair of shoes!

 9) After 40, we should realize that although human beings are living longer, life is short.  Every day should be chock full of joy and thankfulness whether we are cooking yet another meal, taking out the trash, or zip lining through a forest! Every day is a gift.

8) Most arguments are just not worth it. Most people will realize that once you have declined the invitation to argue, they will calm down.  Most people…which leads to the next point.

7) Life is too short for drama. We must avoid the drama queens and kings as much as possible.  We can’t save everyone!  I read a meme the other day that I really like: ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys’! I’m not sure who said it, but I love it!

6) By the way, in point number seven, it does not mean that we should not be kind or helpful, but by 40, we should: Know the difference between lending an ear and getting drawn in. 

5) We should know that having a giving spirit does not mean we are losers or that we are stupid. It just means we have a giving spirit. The key is to know to whom we should give, or not to give.  We should know how to be selective and when to cut people off when we see a trend. You know what I’m talking about! It is called discernment and common sense.  If you do not have either, ask God to give them to you.

4) By 40 we know that no one, not even we ourselves, is perfect.  We should be kind to others even if we do not ‘click’ with them.  It won’t take anything out of us to do so.

3) For those of us who are single never married, divorced, or widowed, we have a lot to offer.  Chances are there are people in our lives with whom we can spend time. At any rate, we have a book to write, a degree to finish, or a project we have always wanted to complete.  We are first class human beings.  We should not settle for just any companionship to avoid loneliness.  There’s a big world out there waiting for us to get to know!    

2) If you are married, enjoy your spouse. Hey, you said yes!  The grass is not greener. It is only greener where you water and fertilize.  Hey, look at fertilizer as an investment.  That stuff is expensive! OK, that’s it on that subject.  If you have children, enjoy them, before you know it they will be grown and gone.  Do not take advantage of them, and do not take them for granted.  At least one of them may be there for you during your old age.  And remember, some of us do not have children.

1) We should get to know our Creator. He is the one who will never leave us or forsake us even when the most well-meaning and loving human being we know, may let us down.  He will never let us down, whether he answers our prayers the way we wanted or not. Trust him.  After all, he knows our end to our beginning and our beginning to our end. Check out these two scriptures.  ‘Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things which have not been done, saying ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all my good pleasure.’-- Isaiah 46:10…and “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”-- Revelations 22:13.

There are many more things that will occur to us as we head into our 40’s.  It’s definitely not just 10 things, but I will tell you this; I felt like an adult for the first time in my life when I turned 40…a long time ago!  I maintain a teachable spirit, but I have also decided that I would go out on a limb more.  I take day trips to the beach and other places I had always wanted to.  I decided that In the midst of my life’s responsibilities, I was going to have fun! Life is short!  Hey, no matter how it looks on social media, no one’s life is perfect.  Most people are just doing the best with what they have been given.  At least that’s what we should be doing!

When God's Children Fight

It doesn’t sound good does it? I mean, is that the image we want to portray to the world that Christians fight? Well I have news for you, they already know. The way Christians manage dispute, and the way we deal with the resulting consequences of the dispute, are what the world sees.  Sometimes on television, sometimes in their local churches.   

Many non-Christians believe that Christians should not fight, that we should not make mistakes, that we should not drop the ball.  I have news for you, we are human beings. We will mess up, we will drop the ball, and we will make mistakes.  Part of our transformation is however, that we are willing to correct, to change.  When we become Christians, we are supposed to grow in our knowledge of Christ.  That means we cannot keep the same bad attitudes and dirty habits.  We will not necessarily change overnight, but we should not be anywhere near the same a year or 30 years after we become Christians!  Unfortunately, some Christians do not change.  So you will see the same bad attitude and not much change, year after year after year!

I think this is the struggle most non-Christians have.  They see many Christians acting and talking like non-Christians and they get confused.  Most non-Christians will tell you that although they are not Christians themselves, they know how a Christian should act.  It sounds superficial, but that is the thought process of many non-Christians.  The fact is, most people at least in America, identify with the Christian faith. But identifying with a faith and living the life are two completely different things. 

For those Christians who more than identify, who truly believe, we still run the risk of messing up from time to time. Sorry!  There is a further difference though.  And here’s the clincher, the true Christian’s mess ups should be fewer as the years go by.  After all, like any relationship we are truly interested in cultivating, we want to learn the other person’s personality.  In fact we take on aspects of their personality.  We want to please that person, and we want to stay in relationship with that person.  We learn what makes them tick, what makes them upset, and what makes them happy.  Our relationship with Christ is pretty similar, except that we get more out of the relationship than he does.  In my opinion.  He loves us unconditionally, he wants us to spread the good news about how wonderful a relationship with him would be.  But he also wants us to reflect his attitude toward life, toward others, the more we become like him.

He wants us to be more forgiving. He wants us to be about his business instead of gossiping, backstabbing, and jostling for position.  God wants us to recognize our weaknesses and work on them daily, realizing we will never be perfect. He wants us to be more like him every day, every year, whether it is a year or 30 years from now! 

When we have disagreements especially with other Christians, God wants us to resolve those issues with him in mind.  He wants us to act like brothers and sisters, not mortal enemies.  He does not want us to go for the jugular, pounding each other into the ground, trying to destroy each other.  Those are all worldly and definitely ungodly actions.   We should not forget who or whose we are when we disagree with each other.  If we cannot resolve differences amongst each other like proper Christians, we are showing a bad example to the world.  And we are proving that we have not grown and probably have no intention of doing so.  We are just identifying with Christianity, but not living the life.

God will have the last word in every aspect of our relationship with him, and with each other.  He will give us increase and he will admonish us, because he loves us.  The question is, will you just identify with Christianity, or will you be about the life? 

Top 10 ways to know God can trust you financially

10) No matter your income, broke is a state of mind.  Whether you make $5.00 per hour or $5000.00 per hour, handle your money, do not allow your money to handle you.

9)   Give. Be generous with your time and your finances.  Whether you teach a Sunday school class, give to your local little league, or contribute to your local soup kitchen, be generous. “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1.

8)   Save.  No matter how much or how little you make, save something. There is no excuse for not saving.  The reason most people cannot save is because they are too busy trying to keep up with the Jones's.  There are so many discount stores around these days, anyone can look like a million bucks for less!

7)  Bless someone.  If you feel lead to give something to someone, or even pay for their meal, do it.  It does not matter how much you think they are worth.  Indeed, it does not matter if they are a multi-millionaire and you are not. See the scripture above in number nine. Of course, make sure your ‘blessing’ is done from the right place in your heart.  If you are doing it out of guilt or pride it will not work out.

6) Don’t hate.  Just as I mentioned above in number seven, it does not matter how much a person has or how much you think they have, offer.  It can be done without insulting them, it is a matter of being nice. Allow them the choice to accept or not.

5) Learn from your financial mistakes.  Everyone has made financial mistakes.  The key is to learn from those mistakes, and not repeat them. It may be tempting to repeat something expecting a different outcome, but trust me, the outcome will be the same.

4) Ask for help.  Most employers offer retirement savings plans as part of an employee’s compensation package.  With the retirement savings plan, typically a 401k or 403b; the company your employer hires to manage your 401k offers free assistance.  They can help you choose what mutual fund(s) to invest your 401k or 403b contributions.  The tools are there, do your research and be ready for retirement.   The government is not going to help you get ready for retirement.

3) Pay attention to the world around you.  No matter how you feel about it, we live in a global village.  Everyone is affected by everyone else.  Know what is going on in the world around you.  You do not have to be a professional financial person, news hound, or fluent in multiple languages.  Just be aware.

2) Know your financial weaknesses.  And act accordingly. Make a grocery list so that you do not spend double what you wanted to. Go clothes shopping at your planned time.  Some people buy clothes twice a year.  Or maybe you are shopping for a special occasion.  If not, stay out of the stores if you do not have the will power to ‘just browse’.

1) Know how to wait or to live without.  Stop using your credit card for your wants, and recognize the difference between wants and needs.  If you do not take control of your finances, you are only sabotaging yourself and your future.  “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12.  When God sees you doing your best with your finances, he will trust you with more.  Leave the Jones's alone!  

Happy Mothers Day!