“In 2021, over 4.26 billion people were using social media worldwide, a number projected to increase to almost six billion in 2027. [Statistica.com]
Because we live a in a digital world today inundated by images, videos and electronic content, we as entrepreneurs need to have a social media presence as part of our marketing strategy. In this article, we will be discussing the following: the benefits of leveraging social media, the top social media platforms, and how to create your social media strategic plan.
The likelihood of people buying from a brand people follow on social media is 57%. [Sprout Social, 2020]
Whether you are running a small business or running a global operation, 57% is a strong enough number to prove to you that YOUR customers/clients are online. They are interacting on social channels with their friends, colleagues, and other brands in search of information, recommendations and entertainment. If you don’t have a brand presence on social media, as a business, you are literally leaving money on the table.
5 benefits of Social Media for your business: [Moisson Marketing]
Cost-effectiveness
Increases Brand Awareness
Builds Brand Loyalty
Helps you engage with your customers/clients
Helps you to promote your product and services
By the way, if you don’t think you have a brand as a solo entrepreneur, think again! YOU are your brand.
Here are some numbers that will blow your mind and have you taking this social media thing seriously:
Top 10 Social Media Platforms
For a deeper dive into how best to use each platform, check on this article from Search Engine Journal.
The question you want to ask yourself right now is: Could I have access to this many potential clients without social media? The answer is obvious. Now that we’re armed with all this information, it’s time to look at developing strategy to create a social media impact.
If you want your business to be successfully and effectively marketed on social media with real results, then you need a strategy. Trying to build a brand on social media without a defined strategy can be counterproductive and result in seeing little to no returns from all your effort.
SET A GOAL!
The first place to start is to set goals for social media. You want to use the SMART method:
S-Specific
M-Measurable
A-Attainable
R- Relevant
T-Time Bound
Your Social Media goal should align with your overall business objectives. First, think of a business objective, then set a social media goal, and then a metric. Then write it all out in your plan.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
The second place to work from is to know your audience. One of the best ways to waste time is to market to anybody and everybody. You need to be clear who your target audience is. The best way to do this is to create your client avatar or persona. Start from here:
Demographics: Age, Gender, Education Level, Income Level, Job title of your client
Location: What websites does the client (he/she/they) spend most of their time on? Where is their favourite place to hang out? Where do they live?
Business: Where do they research products/services they may wish to purchase? What is their pain point/problem and why does your product/service solve it? Why would they want to follow you on social media? Where are you going to reach them? What do they want to see online?
CHOOSE A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Now you need to choose a social media platform. Choosing the best social media platform depends on your audience/clients/customers, the product or service you offer, and how much time you have for your social media marketing efforts.
Follow these steps to determine the right platform for your business:
Determine the most-used social networks. (Review the chart above.)
Determine what channels your audience is already using.
Determine whether you are a B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer), or both.
Pair your audience and your business type with the right platform.
SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIT
Before you create a social media marketing plan, it’s important to conduct an audit of your current social media accounts if you have them.
Write down all the details of your accounts.
Rank all your accounts from best to worst.
Identify the best ranking posts.
Check your branding.
Measure your ROI (return on investment).
ANALYZE YOUR COMPETITORS
It’s important to know who the other players are in your space (niche) and how you can differentiate yourself from them. You want to be able to compare strengths, weaknesses and other characteristics. A social media competitive analysis will help you:
Identify who your competitors are on social media.
Know which social platforms they are on.
Know how they are using their platforms.
Understanding how well their strategy is working.
Compare your results.
Identify any social threats to your business.
Find gaps in your own social media strategy.
FINDING YOUR BRAND VOICE
If you want to capture people’s attention, make them feel welcome, and convey your brand’s personality. It’s important to understand what your brand’s voice is and how to use it. Remember that your brand is an entity. And therefore, just like building a customer persona, you want to build your brand persona.
CREATE A LIST OF KEYWORDS
Identify the keywords most often associated with our brand. You can utilize those words both when sharing our content and to help guide the creation process. Use www.wordstream.com/keywords to find the best keyword for business.
DEVELOP YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY
Now you want to think about the best type of content to put out there, how many times to post, and when to post, among other concerns. We recommend that you do a little research on what will work best for the platform you have chosen to work with. Here is what we found in our research [Moisson Marketing].
Facebook: 1-3x/day
Twitter: 5-10x/day
Instagram: 1-3x/day
Pinterest: 5-10x/day
Snapchat/Instagram Stories: at least 1x/day
LinkedIn: 1x/weekday
YouTube: 1x/week
Additional Tips:
Schedule your content—I have recently found an excellent content-scheduling software called HelloWoofy. You can check it out here.
Get a free CANVA account that will help you create beautiful graphics, reels, stories, and so much more.
Use paid advertising strategically, and balance it with your organic growth.
Finally, BE ACTIVE with your audience. Social media is NOT a one-and-done process. You must engage or all your efforts will be for nothing.
In an ever-changing world, social media is becoming the go-to place where clients and companies engage with one another, build relationships, create communities, and buy millions and millions of products and services. With a little bit of elbow grease and perseverance, you can begin to build and grow your business through social media.
We hope the above guide will aid you in creating the business and life of your dreams!
Do you have something in your healing practice that you’re dying to share with the world? Write an article about it for the Miracles Directory Newsletter!
Here are instructions on how to write an engaging article…
Begin With Structure:
It’s important for your article to have structure. It should have a clear beginning, middle and end.
Pick a Topic for Your Article:
Think of a healing art or practice that you have intimate knowledge of, experience with, or expertise in. Consider every detail and aspect of that subject. Then pick one or several of those aspects to write about.
Topic or Purpose of Your Article:
The first thing to do is pick a main topic for your article. Think of a subject within the holistic or healing arts that you know well. Start with the end in mind. This will help you come up with a thesis statement. A thesis is that sentence in the very first paragraph of your article that presents a viewpoint you want to express to the reader. The rest of your article should flow organically from this main point.
Getting Your Point Across to Readers:
Write clearly and concisely. Find the Purpose of your article, which is the main point or argument around your chosen topic. Keep your purpose in view as you write, backing it up with one or more of 4 things:
Facts or statistics
Benefits
Historical background
Interesting personal stories or case histories, including challenges and personal breakthroughs.
Communicate Clearly:
Keep your Purpose in mind as you write. All of the points you make in your article should support and reinforce that purpose or main point. If you do this successfully, you will avoid writing that meanders and confuses your readers.
Create An Engaging Title for Your Article:
Your Purpose (or thesis) is the main point of your article. And it also likely contains a theme. A theme is an idea that’s infused throughout your entire article. Come up with a word or phrase that best captures this theme in as few words as possible for your title.
Writing a Convincing Article to Turn Readers Into Clients:
1) Follow the guidelines mentioned above. 2) Be the expert in your field by writing about your area of expertise. 3) Keep your article between 800 – 1,000 words. Statistically readers will not stay engaged past 1,000 words.
Strong articles will generate greater interest in you. Follow these instructions. For more information, go to the “Practitioners Login” tab then click on Practitioners Newsletter tab. There is a complete article detailing, How to Write an Article (Part 1).
Changing Your World is not as difficult as it may sound. Regardless of how your life is currently, it can change on a dime; and I mean change for the better in a way you desire. Or, it can change in a manner you do not desire. The way in which your world shifts is completely up to you.
Everything Is Energy
Everything is energy. This includes all tangible physical objects as well as intangible things such as emotions, feelings, thoughts, belief systems, other dimensions and creative ideas. Believe it or not, your life, as it is right now, first started on another dimensional plane before manifesting into this physical dimension. Your partner, children, house, car, job, health, and all of the details of what that is, how it looks, and the way you relate to it were called into this world by you. That’s right… you created your world! This is why you can also change your world.
Your World Reflects…
The reflection of your world is based upon the entire accumulation of experiences you’ve had, the DNA template you’ve been born with (physically, mentally, emotionally) and what you have been programmed or conditioned to believe. In effect, it is the totality of how you have perceived life and how others have perceived you, taking a dominating role in the palate you’ve used to create your world. It does not matter if you have created from a lack of awareness about what lies within you. It does not matter if you have been unaware of the influences your environment has played. You and only you are responsible for the effects of what you have or don’t have, where you are going or will never go. Therefore, if you are unsatisfied with your world, you can change it. Let me explain where it begins…
The First Step Toward Change
Creating something new starts with a small seed of an idea, thought or dream. You may not know for sure what the entire idea or dream is. You may not be sure what direction to go in. You may not know for sure the absolute final destination, but it doesn’t mean you can’t begin by taking one tiny step. When creating something new, it’s best to take a first step by taking a stand or position for what you desire. Do a bit of research, shift a bad habit, or make a purchase you’ve been thinking about. You can do this for a day, a week, a month or however long it takes for you to feel comfortable about having taken the step toward your creation.
No matter what it is, you must first solidify your seeded idea, thought or dream by taking some sort of action, not necessarily a big action, but some type of action. Doing this is how you surrender to the process. It’s a way of trusting Spirit, moving resistance out of the way, and embracing the present moment to move forward. This is how it begins energetically on another dimensional plane before manifesting into this one.
The Second Step Toward Change
The second step involves becoming more conscious of what you must give up in order to create something new. Put another way, give up what blocks the change from occurring. It becomes a very challenging process to move forward in a new way when you’re holding onto old beliefs, old habits, and old patterns that have kept you steeped in the same old way of doing things. This may involve giving up anything, from fear (regardless of what kind) to resistance of all types (procrastination, excuses, rebelliousness, stubbornness, etc.); judgment; drama; the belief in lack, doubt, and unworthiness; envy and more. Giving up these types of energies can require a myriad of devices. Some of them may include: journaling, meditating, affirmations, listening to and reading only motivational and inspirational material, stopping complaining, analyzing your dreams, and prayer…The list goes on and on. The key here is to choose which methods offer the easiest and best flow for you. Using an effective combination of techniques that are stress-free will reap you the optimal results desired.
The Third Step Toward Change
The next step is to simply rest. That’s right! You must rest for at least three days. After taking action, allow the energy from the first and second steps to begin sprouting roots. That can only happen when the energy is allowed to move in its most natural flow; much like a seed sprouts roots which bury themselves into the earth. Once grounded in the Earth, life springs forth definitively strong. Constantly pushing, pushing, pushing to make something happen, rather than rest, energetically causes a blockage flow. It’s like putting too much toilet paper into the bowl before flushing. When you flush, before you know it, the pipes get clogged and the water runs out of the bowl. Unconsciously, you’re telling the universe that “it’s not happening” or “it’s not happening fast enough”. It indicates non-belief, lack of trust, and a doubtful demeanor about what your true power is, demonstrating the need for Ego to be in control rather than being in collaboration with Spirit. Put your focus elsewhere by playing, socializing or being in joyful self-care. It’s a matter of turning your attention on something else, something that you find deeply satisfying to become engaged in. To rest, by temporarily stepping away from the action, allows the energy of change to naturally flow in the direction of bearing life because you trust it is rooted on solid ground.
Transformative Energy Shifts
Changing your world means shifting energy. Shifting it from whatever its current form is to a new form. Energy is never wasted, it never dies, and it can never be destroyed. Energy can only be transformed and, ultimately, that is the secret of changing your world. Each step I mentioned is a form of energy, including the third step – to rest. Because energy is always being transformed, to take action (regardless of the varying ways), as suggested in Steps One and Two, is a sure-fire energetic method toward transformative shifts. Of course, the process should then be repeated until the desire is met.
What’s mentioned here is not new, unusual or even something you’ve never done before in some way or other. Nevertheless, changing your world must involve each of these steps. And the more consciously aware you become about what they are and how to use them the better and faster your results will be. Enjoy changing your world by:
Acknowledging the seeds of your ideas, thoughts and dreams.
Taking action to begin solidifying or rooting the seeds.
Taking action to give up the energy that blocks the change.
Resting. Being chill. Engaging in play. Put your focus elsewhere for the seeds to fully take hold causing change to flow.
Lynne Herod-DeVerges, Founder Center of Light Miracles & Miracles Directory
As practitioners, we often tend to the needs of others by servicing their emotional, mental, spiritual and physical needs. Sometimes to the extent that we don’t take care of ourselves in the same way. Granted, there’s no doubt that, to become a healer on any level, self-care is evident. But is it enough to truly transform and heal our deeper traumas to the extent that we’re actually free, having transcended those wounds buried deep inside our core that we have yet to excavate? Rising to a consciousness of awareness and forgiveness regardless of the experience means choosing to be in a perpetual process of growth. And, to grow means nurturing the light from within when revealed through the darkness.
Now, one of the most wonderful things about being a member of the Miracles Directory is that you have access to some of the best, most qualified health and healing practitioners on the planet, from a plethora of modalities. Additionally, each month, I will share the things I do to nurture myself. Sometimes, it’s simply a process of decompressing. At other times, it’s fully powering through an uncomfortable growth period. Then, at other times, it’s to enhance the joy, gratitude and love one can experience for life.
This month, I’m sharing a very easy and beautiful way of experiencing what I call, “The Big Hug”. It’s a great way to decompress and literally eliminate any physical pain, reduce lactic acid buildup from exercise, increase stamina and energy without feeling hyped-up like caffeine, and so much more. In fact, hydrogen benefits 170 different diseases, illnesses and conditions all backed by scientific research and clinical trials.
“The Big Hug” I’m talking about is actually a Hydrogenized Massage Therapy treatment. Here’s what’s involved. Your body is soaked with wellspring water that carries hydrogen in it. This highly concentrated hydrogenized water is known in nature as healing or miracle water. Some of the locations around the world include France, Germany, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. I had the pleasure of receiving this treatment from the acupuncturist who created the process. It was with a product called IZUMIO Hydrogenized Water. You may read more about it on the Health & Wealth Shop tab:
You’ll find it under “Naturally Plus, High Quality Antioxidants”, which is what the hydrogenized water is – the most natural powerful antioxidant found on the plant. It penetrates through the dense matter of the brain and all body tissue to every cell at the atomic level.
This massage is actually a series of compression movements from head to toe for 30 minutes to an hour. When complete, you will feel younger, more vibrant, completely relaxed and ready for what’s next on your agenda without stress.
I have a short video of the acupuncturist who created this treatment, explaining to practitioners exactly what to do. She is a very generous woman who wants everyone in the world to be healed. As you can imagine, though, she is extremely busy and isn’t available for questions. Her practice has increased triple-fold. But, because I’ve had this treatment now several times and taught some healing practitioners how to do it, I am happy to answer any questions you might have.
You cannot give yourself this treatment effectively, but a body worker such as an acupuncturist, masseuse, physical trainer, chiropractor or anyone who is familiar with anatomy or biology can do it. Share this information with body workers you know so that they can learn how to do it by working on you. If you fall into the category of being a body worker yourself, learn this technique and do trades with those you know.
I have found, for me, this is one of the most effective and relaxing table-treatment healings on every level (emotionally, physically and mentally) I’ve had thus far. So, look into how you can receive “The Big Hug” and become renewed, refreshed and ready to take on a world of new clients.
by Lynne Herod-DeVerges Founder, Miracles Directory
A recent study found that 90% of Americans say customer service is vital when choosing a service or brand. What this means is that customers and clients will go elsewhere for services or products if they feel neglected. Conversely, effective customer service can improve your company’s image, building trust and reputation which will promote word of mouth advertising.
There is no challenge in a happy customer or client. So you should relish the challenge of a difficult customer or client. The customer is not always right, but should never be made to feel that they are wrong. The operative word when dealing with difficult clients is empathy. An approach of sincere empathy can go a long way in resolving issues. A customer does not want to hear sympathy. They really don’t care how sorry you are. In fact, this approach will be counterproductive.
You should always attentively listen to your customer’s concern. Study the issues raised by them. Your action item should not be to ascertain whether or not their concern is warranted, but what action you should take towards resolution. Always remember that resolutions should be two-fold. The first step should always be the swift satiation of the customer’s issue. The second step is to review process and / or procedures so that the recurrence of the problem will be minimized. Use this data to stay focused on what’s important to your customers.
A difficult customer or client very often can be satiated with some type of “value add” to their transaction. This frequently leads to customer retention, repeat business and positive word-of-mouth recommendations. Get creative and develop a “value add” for the customer or client that is not a profit loss for you. Handling this process in a friendly and professional manner often can lead to upsell opportunities with the same “difficult” client.
Customer service is important because it gives results. Understanding what customers expect when they contact you is the first step to improving customer satisfaction and building sustainable business relationships. Positive memorable customer service doesn’t just improve business, it builds brand loyalty and repeat business.
Do you have something in your healing practice that you’re dying to share with the world? Write an article about it for the Miracles Directory Newsletter!
We are looking for practitioners eager to share their knowledge, wisdom and experience through articles that explore subjects and matters of expertise in all areas of the healing arts. Our goal is to have a robust newsletter with new and interesting articles each month that will engage readers on our website and attract clients to your business. We want to have the best and most appealing newsletter possible. So, to accomplish this, we need articles that are clear, concise and professional while engrossing the reader and inspiring them to learn more about your subject and inquire about your service.
But you may think, “I’m not a writer. So, how do I write that article?” Let’s examine the best way to go about this by looking at a few simple guidelines you can follow. Doing so will allow you to write your best article possible and save me time having to edit your material.
Structure
It’s important for your article to have structure. It should have a clear beginning, middle and end. But we must begin with deciding what to write.
Topic
What is the topic? The first thing to do is pick a main topic for your article. Think of a subject within the holistic or healing arts that you know well. You have substantial experience in practicing it, you have researched it extensively, or you even have obtained considerable skill and mastery in it. This is your moment to shine and exhibit your knowledge or expertise. If you are a yoga master, discuss yoga posture and breathing. If you’re an astrologer, talk about the stars or the universe. If you teach meditation, you might want to examine the benefits of meditation in everyday life.
Alternatively, you can probe into the origins of any of these subject matters and how they came to be. There could be any number or different theories or beliefs around these origin stories, and you might explore one or all of them in your article. Or you can share your origin story, explaining how and why you came into your particular practice, and how it changed your life for the better. Any of these topics would fascinate readers!
The article should not be about you personally or the particulars about your individual business.
Decide whether you will write one article or a series of articles. If your topic is so engrossing and multi-faceted, that you just can’t fit all into a mere thousand words, you may want to consider writing several articles! We welcome the submission of series. Please just let us know in advance what topics you intend to write about for each article.
Purpose
Start with the end in mind. This will help you come up with a thesis statement. A thesis is that sentence in the very first paragraph of your article that presents a viewpoint you want to express to the reader. What do you want that reader to come away with by the end of your article? That is, define the Purpose of your article. What is the main point or theme? State this point up front. If you picked meditation as a topic, for example, you might begin by saying, “Meditation is vital to daily health, both physical and mental, for many reasons.” Then, you will remind them of this same point at the end, in your article’s conclusion, only restated in a slightly different way.
Subtopics: Problems & Solutions
The rest of your article lays out reasons that support the point of view you expressed in your thesis statement.
Subtopics
Your article can focus on one topic or multiple topics (subtopics) as long as you can tie them back into the main topic in some interrelated, organized way. Subtopics are minor points that support your main point (e.g., “Meditation is vital to daily health”). So, your subtopics could discuss different facets of meditation, such as (1) the importance of grounding and staying grounded, (2) breathing techniques to help you bring your attention into the present moment and center yourself in your body, and (3) accessing your own information from within yourself through meditation. All of these topics can be explored while staying focused on the benefits of meditation for daily health. Or you might relate different, interesting, personal experiences that you or people you’ve known (family, friends or clients) have had.
Flow
Your article should have coherent flow. Think about how your points or subtopics will flow from one to the next. Using the meditation example, think to yourself as you write: “What are the reasons why meditation is vital to health that I want people to know?” Enumerate the reasons through:
facts or statistics;
benefits;
historical background (such as the origin of the art / science of meditation); and/or
personal stories or case histories, including challenges and personal breakthroughs.
Problem
If you choose Item 4 for your article, state the problem or situation. Identify a challenge (or several) faced by many people that your field of practice or expertise can help resolve. You can cite a universal problem, a problem you yourself overcame, or one you helped a client through.
Solution
How does your practice or healing art address or solve the problem? The solution can be one that you yourself have experienced or discovered, or one you’ve heard or read about. Explain how this happens – through meditation, for instance. Include information you know related to that healing art or practice. This information can be general or specific.
Headings
If you want, add headings to help organize your article by point or subtopic and to bring separate attention to each one. For example, the reasons why “meditation is vital to daily health” are:
Heading #1: [followed by text explaining Reason #1];
Heading #2: [followed by text explaining Reason #2];
Heading #3: [followed by text explaining Reason #3], and so on.
Headings also make your article easier for readers to follow. If you find you have too many headings, you may want to split these out into separate articles, and write a series.
Conclusion
Remind the reader of the same point at the end, restated in a slightly different way. “I’ve found meditation to be essential for all the reasons stated above. I believe that if everyone in the world meditated, we would have a healthier, saner and more peaceful world.”
Recap
To recap, when you write your article, pay attention to the following elements:
Topic: the subject of focus in your article, which is one of the healing arts. Example: meditation.
Purpose: the reason for writing your article, the main point you want to express to your reader about your topic. Example: “Meditation is vital to daily health.”
Subtopics: minor points that support your Purpose (the main point).
Problems: subtopics that explore a challenge faced by others that your field of practice or expertise can help resolve.
Solutions: how your healing art or practice answers the problems or situations you just raised.
As long as you keep these suggestions in mind, your article will meet the requirements of our newsletter and should be a joy to read! This will be the first of three articles providing specific guidelines on how to write an engaging article.
We eagerly look forward to your submissions!
by Scott Herod Marketing Content Editor, Miracles Directory
Take it from the Queen of Drama, yes you are it! If you are busy being the victim, of looking for validation, needing to be seen and heard all the time and acting out in unproductive ways, then YES! YOU are the DRAMA! It’s time to accept your Oscar and star in a new story.
The truth of life is that every human being has experienced some level of trauma. How we respond to it is what has us either be a victim of it or a victor.
For the past fifteen years I have been doing the work of stepping out of the victim role and into the victor role and now I get to use my experience and expertise to help others do the same. Recently, I have blended my use of energy work through Reiki and my Life Coaching skills to support people just like you to move from victim to victory.
What’s interesting is that most victims don’t know that they are playing the victim. When you’re in the middle of your life, it’s difficult to see how you are impacting the results you’re getting. The most difficult barrier I faced, and that my clients face, is taking responsibility or accountability for how life is right now. When I say responsibility or accountability I’m not saying that something in your life is your fault or not your fault. What I am saying is that we must look at what we have control over that can impact us and what we don’t have control over. Where I start with my clients is by asking questions to know which side of the coin you’re on of the victim-or-victory paradigm. The first thing to do is to ask yourself is:
Am I blaming other people for my circumstances?
If you said yes, you want to look at where you have given up your control to someone else. For example, I was working with a client who was struggling with her relationship with her husband specifically, but generally with all the people closest to her. She was blaming everyone around her for how her life occurred to her, and they just weren’t good enough for her standards of how life should go. The most triggering, poignant and life-altering question I asked her was: Who is the common denominator in these situations? When she realized that it was her (and by the way she wasn’t ecstatic when she first discovered this) and she could do something about it, she saw the power in taking responsibility because she got that she is in control of how she thinks, feels, and acts. My job as her coach was to be a mirror, to show her that what’s happening in her life was a mirror for how she was being. The fact of the matter was that she was holding herself up to a very high standard of excellence. (This is nothing more than disguised perfectionism, the root of which is disguised fear, which got created when she was very young as a response to a traumatic time in her life as a young girl.)
The truth is that old trauma and hurts we experience as young children that don’t get healed have us play the role of victim as adults. The key to removing the drama is allowing ourselves to heal.
Now healing is an ongoing process, and I take a two-pronged approach with my clients. I work with the mind and with the body, marrying my skills in coaching and energy work. The first tool I use with every client when we start working together is the Life Compass. It’s a favourite for both clients and me. This tool gives us both a clear snapshot of where you are in the important areas of your life. (See picture below for an example.)
How it works is that you choose the important areas of your life and then scale between 1 and 10 your level of joy, satisfaction and happiness in those areas.
Just imagine the power of being able to see which areas of life are working for you and which are not. From here the work begins. I remember that one of my clients was so shocked at what she saw. She then realized that most of the important areas of her life weren’t working as she would like them to. You might be thinking to yourself, how on earth does this circle lead to healing? Like I said before, it’s a process. I have a 5 C system that I use with my clients:
Consider where you are now (using the life compass).
Create where you would like to be. (What would you like to work towards, what area do you want to see a shift in?)
Construct the plan to get to what you want.
Conquer all the obstacles that will get in your way. (I use a risk mitigation approach and Reiki energy healing as this is where the healing process begins. A lot comes up during this time and this is where the most powerful transformations happen.)
Charge forward. (The power of accountability kicks in here to keep the momentum going.)
Moving from victim to victory is a process, one which takes time and effort. Below are three actions you can take towards your victory journey.
Stop fighting what was. Accept what has happened. No matter how hard you try, you can’t change the past (well, unless you time travel), so please stop trying. Just for a moment, think about all the energy and time you have spent wishing, hoping, thinking about what if things had been different? The reality is you have no idea what would have been. And just to drive it home, you can’t change the past. So whatever you are doing there, get out now! All kidding aside, so many of us are on a loop in the past that we miss the beautiful gift of the present and the freedom of creating the future.
Forgive yourself and others. This is the true pathway to freedom. It’s simple but it’s not easy. When we can come from forgiveness for what was and what wasn’t, we begin to flourish in the beauty of what is and we release any ties to the pain, hurt and trauma of the past. It takes practice though. It’s a conscious decision to forgive. Every time you are in the space of the past and you are feeling disempowered, forgive the situation or person and yourself. This is not absolving people of bad behavior or circumstances that didn’t work out. What it does is cut the cord that keeps pulling you back and allows you to move forward with an open heart.
Show yourself some LOVE! We all know that analogy of the safety rules on an airplane. Put your oxygen mask on first, help someone else with theirs. Part of being drama-free is knowing who you are and standing in that truth. The way you do that is through the magical power of love. So, stop everything you’re doing right now, even reading this blog, and give yourself a great big HUG! Like really hug yourself and breathe in the energy of it, smile and say to your self “Self, I love you!”
There’s no time like the present to begin your journey from victim to victory, to stop the insanity of your drama. You have the power at anytime to accept, forgive and love. It’s all in your control. So what new story are you going to write?
With the power of the Internet taking over how people find the companies they want to do business with, all businesses need to establish an online presence to survive.
Even if you only provide services locally, in your own office, you’d be amazed how many people go looking for local businesses online. Even the print Yellow Pages, newspaper ads and local business directories expect to be able to show a website address for their advertisers; it is that important for consumers to be able to find you on the web. If potential customers can’t find you online when they search for a service you provide, you can bet they will go to some other business that does have a website.
Why wait any longer?
Many small business owners choose not to create a website because they feel it isn’t useful, is too expensive, takes too much time… I’m sure you’ve thought of at least a dozen reasons that you never started a website for your business – and now you need to change your mind!
Your site can be built with the highly functional and desirable WordPress software, so you can do many of the updates you’d require for your website over the long term yourself! And affordable packages are available that will help you decide which works the best for you. You can start with a basic one-page site with your contact information and some information about your business, and always upgrade to a site with more pages and different options in the future. That’s the beauty of using WordPress! The right site at the right price, for small business owners to get their business online quickly and economically.
Some Basic Package Ideas
A simple website allows you to direct social media listings directly to you. Since there are already listings for your business online, you need to be able to take advantage of the money you could be making from these free listings!
You can start with a one-page website with information such as what your practice is, your office hours, address, phone and email, and other important business information.
A larger package allows you to provide your potential clients with a home page detailing what you have to offer, a contact page with your business information, an about page where you can let potential clients know your background, and a blog page where you can write articles about your specialty. Your site can also include a gallery of photos of your office, you doing your specialty, etc.
Please note . . .
All packages include setting up the WordPress software, so your website can be built quickly and easily. We recommend that you purchase your hosting and domain name, so you know who has access to the back end of your website at all times. You are responsible for purchasing your domain name and website hosting service before WordPress can be installed and your site is built.
How do I know I’ll get what I paid for?
You should enter into a business contract before services are provided. Your contract is just as much of a guardian for you as for your designer/developer. It gives you written proof as to exactly what is included in the website design package you chose, along with the exact amount you are going to pay for the package and copyright assignment of your finished website. The contract should also detail payment schedules and all limitations or liabilities concerning your business and the designer/developer.
