So another week goes by and you haven’t left your home office? It’s an easy trap to fall into. You have a 5 second commute, you can work in your jammies, and before you know it, three days go by and you haven’t fixed up your hair or worn any deodorant. Such is the life of a home based business owner.

These stretches as a home office couch potato isn’t healthy. Not that you’re lazy, but sitting in one spot for an extended period of time, watching a screen isn’t the healthiest of habits. You need to get in the game and interact with other entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Here’s a video of my own experience after recently attending a marketing event held by Adam Urbanski called, Attract Clients Like Crazy.

How many live networking events and live training seminars are you attending?

Get in the game!

Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

Some solopreneurs find themselves plagued by procrastination, confusion, frustration and overwhelm. It’s easy to do. I understand. I’ve been there!


If you’re one of them, you might spend your time focusing on how to write a better tweet on Twitter, or how to be a better “friend” on Facebook. Again, I understand.


There’s so much hype from The Gurus that you can make good money in a bad market and have adoring fans if you can master social media and network. Guess, what? They’re right!


But, that’s only part of the story.


Mastering social media and networking is critical, especially if you’re a service professional … a business coach or consultant. However, social media and networking are tools to help you accomplish your goals IF you can:

1. Think big
2. Find your “Why”
3. Research your market
4. Plan your business
5. Take massive action
6. Leverage those around you
7. Review, Re-educate, Revise, & Repeat

If these terms are a little too dry for you, I’ll make them more pleasing:

1. Change your thinking to achieve bigger results (think big) 

2. Avoid procrastination, a lack of confidence and burn out while keeping focused on specific actions to achieve your desired success (find your “why”)

3. Attract more of the right customers (research your market)

4. Avoid multiple false starts (plan your business)

5. Replace your busy work with results producing action (take massive action)

6. Rally others to your cause to achieve greater success faster (leverage those around you)

7. Capitalize on your current achievements for greater future success (The 4Rs: review, re-educate, revise, & repeat)


If you skip any of these 7 essentials, you’re going to create opportunities for procrastination, confusion, frustration and overwhelm. It can leave you feeling like one of the masses wondering why a few lucky solopreneurs get to play in the big game while you have to watch from the sidelines trying to figure out how they make the big plays seem so easy. I don’t want that for you. I am passionate about helping you maximize your solopreneur potential.


So I have a gift for you.


If you go to my Small Biz Break site, you will see on the right side of the page, an opt-in form where you can access the recent webinar my partner and I recorded titled, “Discover the 7 Essential for Going from Cruise Control to Crushing It in Your Business”. There you’ll find the recording, plus two bonus downloads.


If you feel like you’re watching the big game being played while you sit on the sidelines, get out of the crowds and get in the game! You can do it. Give the webinar a listen. Take action with the bonus handouts.


What’s stopping you? Don’t you deserve your big break?


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

Sounds like a bold title, doesn’t it? Is this just catchy copy or is it truly possible that there are just seven essential actions solopreneurs master for breakthrough success?


The truth is many of these top small business pros worked very hard to get where they are today. Their success didn’t happen overnight. The honest ones will tell you that they struggled and made mistakes along the way. Some big mistakes. Costly mistakes. I sure have. More than once … and in multiple industries.


These are all talented people that have the entrepreneurial DNA, but before they achieved their breakthrough success, they had certain patterns or habits that kept them just on the other side of success. They fought through frustration, confusion, procrastination, small results and some degree of self-doubt … all at a cost of tremendous effort, personal pride, loss of money and cashing in a few favors with the people that supported them most.


Does this sound like your current situation?


If so, we want to help you.


My Small Biz Break partner, Maria, and I are hosting a live webinar on Tuesday March 1^st at 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST titled, “Discover the 7 Essentials for Going from Cruise Control to Crushing It in Your Business”. In this no-cost webinar, we’ll talk about the seven key actions that successful entrepreneurs mastered for breakthrough success.


You’ll discover the primary secrets of:

1. How to change your thinking to achieve bigger results

2. How to avoid procrastination, a lack of confidence and burn out while keeping focused on specific actions to achieve your desired success

3. How to attract more of the right customers

4. How to avoid multiple false starts

5. How to replace your busy work with results producing action

6. How to rally others to your cause to achieve greater success faster

… and …

7. How you can capitalize on your current achievements for greater future success


We don’t believe in taking up your time with fluff and only talking about theories. We are committed to introducing you to new ideas so you can see new possibilities. We will discuss why they’re important and we back that with practical, how-to steps so you can start taking action right away.


The first action you need to take is to register for this event. At the bottom of our Small Biz Break Events page, you will see a registration form. When you sign in your name and email address, not only will you reserve one of the limited spots to:


1. Our live 60-minute free webinar on Tuesday, March 1^st

… but for a limited number of take-action entrepreneurs who register early, we will give a complementary bonus  …

2. A one-on-one 30-minute private strategy session. We are only offering this for a limited number of people, so take action now before the other action-oriented entrepreneurs beat you to it!


We’re excited to get the opportunity to help your business reach its full potential!


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

I’m excited to let you in on a New Year’s resolution that I’ve been working on for the past two weeks. It’s the start of a new coaching program my Small Biz Break partner, Maria, and I are putting together. I apologize that I haven’t had a post up here in that time, but this resolution is a priority.


It isn’t that we are focused on us and not you, quite the opposite. We are passionate about helping you grow your business. One of our resolutions is to provide you with a greater service.


Since our desire is to put together the best program for you that will give you the greatest transformation in your business that you seek, we are asking for your feedback. No sense in putting together a program that doesn’t solve your biggest problem, right?


Based upon the status of your business today and what holds you back from achieving the level of success you desire, which of the following programs sound like what you want or need:


1. Thinking Like the You of Tomorrow
How to change your thinking to achieve bigger results


2. Discovering Your Shortest Path to Success
How to avoid procrastination, a lack of confidence and burn out while keeping focused on specific actions to achieve your desired success


3. Finding Your Market’s Sweet Spot
How to attract more of the right customers


4. Creating Your Blueprint for Success
How to avoid multiple false starts


5. Going from Ordinary to Extraordinary Through Massive Action
How to replace your busy work with results producing action


6. Why Do it On Your Own When Others Want to Do It for You
How to rally others to your cause to achieve greater success faster


7. The 4 Rs for Perpetual Success
How you can use your success to create greater success


You can vote for one program title or multiple titles in the comments (and any other comments you may have on the help you want).


Thank you in advance for your participation.


All the Best,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide

As you may be likely settling in to your solopreneur slacking until the New Year, consider this while you watch your movie marathons and hang out with the family, if you haven’t already committed to a mentor or two, the best investment you can make in 2011 for your business is to invest in a mentor (aka coach).
 

Within the last two months, I invested in two. Who are they?


The first is Adam Urbanski. The second is Michele Scism.


Adam is my attract clients like crazy mentor and Michele is my social media mentor.


Why did I choose to invest in mentors?


First, I have a clear idea of what I plan to achieve with my business and realize that I can try to figure it out on my own or I can get the insight into the unknown and bypass a number of obstacles by following the advice of someone who has “been there, done that”. Now my clear idea is even clearer and I can replace pockets of procrastination and feelings of frustration with consistent action that produces better results.


Second, when you invest, you make a commitment beyond simply being interested in what a mentor has to say. Think about it. If you invest your money into anything … real estate, a portfolio of stocks, a business … you want the best return possible on your investment. While it’s nice to have a mentor that is willing to give you some time to share advice for free, you will be more motivated to pay attention and take action in following the advice of the mentor that you paid.


Third, if you find a strong mentor, chances are that they are mentoring other people in a group setting. This is an excellent opportunity to network with dedicated people who can become potential mastermind or joint venture partners. You may have heard the old saying (paraphrasing here), “You are the sum average of the 5 people that you spend the most time with.” And since solopreneurs can fall into the trap of being solitary people, it’s important to get out there and network with other talented, motivated people. Why not start with people that have proven their dedication by investing in a mentor?


While it may take some time to find a quality mentor or two, once you do, it is one of the best investments you can make in supercharging your solopreneur startup.


And I believe in giving credit where credit is due. So thank you, Adam and Michele.


Give your solopreneur business the best holiday gift possible. Invest in a mentor.


Happy Holidays,


Doug Dolan
The Solopreneur’s Guide