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Scarcity vs. Abundance – Behaviors

May 7, 2018 by Audrey Blackburn Leave a Comment

Scarcity Mindset vs. Abundance – Behaviors

So you are working on moving from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance but what does that exactly look like in your behavior? What changes occur that make a difference? Just because you are thinking differently doesn’t mean you are going to act on it. Yeah, so that is the point. You have to take action. You can’t just think different, you have to do different. We talked about reframing last time as a tool to change your mindset. Reframing your thoughts is a great step to reframing your actions.

Where am I going to find my next customers? Reframe: My customers will come because I am going to offer high value services that they want and I will market to my niche so they know what is available to them.
You have to constantly hustle or the competition is going to crush you. Reframe: You can actually work with your competitors to serve the clients. There is more than enough for everyone. Collaboration is much better than competition.
I don’t have what it takes to do _________. Reframe: I am confident and brave enough to be seen. I know I have what it takes to do the job.
There isn’t enough __________. Reframe: There is more than enough _____________ (fill in the blank).
Fear of missing out (FOMO). Reframe: I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing today.
If I don’t fight for myself no one will. Reframe: I don’t have to fight.
I’m so busy. Reframe: My time is spent doing exactly what I want to do.

So how do we take these reframed thoughts and turn them into actions?

Reframing our actions

Once you reframe your thoughts then it is time to show what you are made of and walk the talk. Once you reframe your thoughts you will find it makes you step up your game. What do I mean? Here’s an example. My customers will come because I am going to offer high value services that they want and I will market to my niche so they know what is available to them. Now you actually have to work on developing high value services, marketing those services, discovering your niche and your best client (if you don’t already know) and then develop a plan to draw in those desired customers. This is a tall order but do you see how changing it from a worry statement to a confident statement gave you an action plan?

Another favorite of mine that when reframed gives a clear action plan. “I’m so busy” turned into “My time is spent doing exactly what I want to do.” Well, if my time is spent doing exactly what I want to do then I’ve got to get busy changing alot of things. This is a big one for me because I was too busy. I still am busy but it is getting better. Why you may ask? I reframed the “I’m so busy” and realized that the problem is I wasn’t doing exactly what I want to do. So I started to put things in motion that changed that and made the statement true. The reason I say I’m still busy is that it isn’t an overnight change. Big changes take time and sometimes we must take action in baby steps but all action is good and moves us in the right direction. Now instead of just thinking in abundance I’m moving towards living in abundance too.

Living in Abundance

So what changes do you need to make in your “stinking thinking”? Start out by writing out your scarcity thoughts and then once you’ve identified them then rewrite them into a positive reframing thought. Once you have reframed then do any actions jump out that you can take? Share with us how you are implementing this in your life.

Scarcity vs. Abundance – Mindset

April 8, 2018 by Audrey Blackburn Leave a Comment

Scarcity Mindset vs. Abundance Mindset

I know you have heard the terms scarcity and abundance but what do they really mean you or your organization. Many have a mindset of scarcity and don’t even know it. What does scarcity mean? Scarcity is when you perceive that something is in limited supply.

You worry where you are going to find your next customers or donors – scarcity mindset
You are fighting the competition to get what you can. You have to hustle. – scarcity mindset
I don’t have what it takes to do x,y,z – scarcity mindset
There isn’t enough _____________ – scarcity mindset
Fear of missing out – scarcity mindset
If I don’t fight for myself no one will – scarcity mindset
I’m so busy – scarcity mindset

When you truly take a look at scarcity it isn’t appealing.

How to change our mindset

No one wants to live in a scarcity mindset. It effects everything you do, the actions you take and the decisions you make daily. When you come from a place of scarcity you feel there is never enough of the resources you need. But what if you changed the script to one of abundance? What is abundance? The definition of abundance is “a plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply”. You can change your mindset to one of abundance by changing the way you think. It doesn’t happen all at once but in the small changes and shifts in your thinking every single day.

Here are some steps you can take when you find yourself in a scarcity mindset:

Reframe your thinking – Stop when you find your are thinking negative/scarcity based thoughts. Reframe them into ones of abundant thinking. If you feel something is lacking imagine it as plentiful. If you are feeling the pinch of lack, imagine yourself with an overabundance of what you are seeking.
Daily affirmations – Write out affirmations that support an abundanct mindset. Ex: I have all the resources that I need to complete this task. I am capable, strong and efficient.
Be grateful – It’s hard to stay in scarcity when you are grateful for what you have and what is to come.
Look for the good in everything – As much as you can throughout the day notice the good. If you train your mind to see the good then you will see less of the bad. You will find that you see more good in every single thing.
Encourage others – if you need encouragement then encourage others. You will not only feel good from helping someone else but you will be encouraging yourself as well.

Living in Abundance

Living in Abundance means knowing that there is enough to go around for all. You don’t have to fight for the scraps. Resources are plentiful. If you are in business, there are plenty of customers for everyone. If you need money, there are plenty of funds to go around. If you need encouragement, you will find it. Take some time today to write down ways that you can live abundantly.

Tell us about it. How do you plan to move from scarcity to abundance today?

If you are interested in moving your small business or nonprofit from scarcity to abundance, contact us today!

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The State of Small Business Marketing

March 22, 2018 by Audrey Blackburn Leave a Comment

This article is by guest poster, Allan Younger. Allan is the Director of the Small Business Center at Forsyth Technical Community College, owner of GRACE Consulting, and teaches business classes to undergrad students at Winston Salem State University and Salem College. He has written more than 30 locally published magazine articles about business development. Allan’s wife is also an entrepreneur of a dance apparel store. He serves as her marketing consultant. Allan strongly believes that business leaders must be actively engaged in their communities.

In my previous article, I discussed the three main reasons why people establish and maintain relationships with the Small Business Center. These reasons include starting a business, enhancing an existing business, and problem resolution. This month, I want to discuss the state of small business as it relates to marketing. I regularly read articles about small business success (and the lack of it) in order to position the Small Business Center to meet needs in the market place. I also attend conferences with this objective in mind. I came across some interesting statistics related to marketing. Marketing continues to be a big challenge for businesses of all sizes and types. I was pleased to learn that roughly 54% of small businesses invest 4% or more of their revenue in marketing. Here are some of the things that I learned: Digital Marketing: Use of LinkedIn and Instagram has increased. Use of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube has decreased. Although use has declined, Facebook remains the most used platform.

37% use designated business accounts.

Top Marketing Tools: 56% website

50% email

48% social media

48% word of mouth

37% print collateral

34% internet advertising

33% direct mail

29% TV, radio, and/or print ads

28% Search Engine Optimization

23% trade shows/conferences

For these reasons and many others, we offer a variety of business education events. In January 2018, we started a Marketing Excellence series. Each month we will discuss ways to strengthen our marketing efforts. It is essential that we determine the best ways to connect with our potential (and existing) customers. You will be encouraged to leave each session with new ideas and strategies for implementation.

We also have a team of business mentors who meet with business owners on a one-on-one basis to work through various ventures, challenges, and enhancement opportunities. Some of our mentors have marketing as a specialty. We are confident that we can help you to stay (or get back) on the road to success. We look forward to supporting you. You may learn about our services at www.forsythtech.edu. Feel free to stop by our office at 525@Vine in Wake Forest Innovation Quarter just east of the heart of downtown Winston- Salem. You may also contact us at SBC@forsythtech.edu or by calling (336) 757-3810. The objective of the Small Business Center at Forsyth Tech is to help small businesses succeed by providing high quality, readily accessible assistance to prospective and existing business owners in Forsyth and Stokes counties. Our motto is “Increasing Business Success,” which describes our commitment to clients. The N.C. Community College’s Small Business Center Network assists in starting an average of more than 800 businesses each year and the centers have an economic impact in 90 percent of all N.C. counties each year, helping to create and retain over 2,800 jobs annually.

If you are an entrepreneurial thinker and would like more information about starting or expanding a business, contact the Forsyth Tech Small Business Center for free information, including small business seminars and one-on-one counseling. 336-757-3810 SBC@forsythtech.edu 525@Vine Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Burned Out and Bummed Out

March 15, 2018 by Audrey Blackburn Leave a Comment

I felt like a failure. I was bummed and really didn’t want to do anything. I was burned out…

You don’t always see it coming. Sometimes it just hits without notice. Other times you know you are headed for it. What am I talking about? Burnout. Entrepreneurs face burnout often if they dont’ take care of themselves and their businesses. It’s no wonder with all that they must juggle. I know because I am an entrepreneur. I have faced burnout a couple of times while running my business. But it doesn’t just happen to entrepreneurs. Burnout is prevalent in the nonprofit realm. Nonprofit employees give so much ot themselves that they don’t always stop and refuel. Burnout in service industries is high. Here are some tips to stop the burnout in its tracks.

1) Always learn new skills – You are probably thinking how does this stop burnout especially when I am overloaded? Your mind needs stimulation and it craves learning opportunities. If you are learning new skills then you keep your mind stimulated. This is a must for me. If I stop learning and growing then that is the sure fire way for me to burn out. Webinars, mastermind groups, classes, forums, books, dvds, podcasts. We all learn in different ways and it doesn’t matter what your style of learning is as long as you are always learning, always growing. And this isn’t just learning focused on your business or profession, let’s face, it we are people and we have to grow personally! I listen to podcasts about mindset and blocks. I read books about how to rid yourself of negative thinking. Whatever I can pour into me that is encouraging and uplifting is going to help those that I serve. Because I can’t pour those things into others if I am empty.

2) Take care of your relationships – Don’t neglect them. It doesn’t matter if it is a relationship with your spouse, your kids, friends, colleagues, whoever. Block off time in your schedule for the people that are most important to you and spend time on those relationships just like you do your business or career. This may require that you turn off the phone, the notifications from social media, the email, whatever it is that distracts you. We have a no phone/tablet rule at the table in our house. We don’t sit down at the table with each other every night but when we do it needs to be to talk, to spend time together, without distractions.

3) Renew your mind – For me this means redirecting my focus back on the things that matter and the reason I started doing this in the beginning. I have to get out of my own head and throw out the things that are stressing me and refocus. This weekend I was walking through a training exercise that I do with my coaching clients. It focuses on the their financial benchmarks from the last year they just finished, 2 years ago and 3 years ago. I have had some setbacks lately and have been feeling really beat down and burnt out. I took the time this morning to do the very things I mention in this post. I am a big believer in “practice what you preach”. And in doing this exercise this morning I realized that my 1st quarter revenue for 2018 was equal to my annual revenue the year I started my business. WOW! That stopped me in my tracks. Here I was feeling like a failure because of some recent setbacks when I had lost sight of just how far I had come from the beginning. Sometimes we need a reset and a great way to do this is to look at all we have accomplished so far instead of looking at all we haven’t done.

4) Meditate, exercise, sleep – These three are so important to my well being and since I am my business it is vital to the business health as well. I need my mind to be clear and focused. My body needs to be relaxed and not stressed and I simply need sleep. Well, I could add one more to this list – coffee! Whatever it is that fuels your body and mind then do it. Make time in your week for these things. I know that sometimes we can’t exercise every day but we can get up and move. I place high importance on sleep. I learned long ago that I make really poor decisions if I don’t get the sleep I need. I can’t afford to make poor decisions as they usually cost me money. So sleep is a high priority.

5) Take a break – With the fast paced world we live in it seems that things will never stop. I know that I typically take on too much work which requires me to work alot more hours than I want to work. But, I have learned that the work will still be there and that it will never be finished so I might as well take the breaks that I need. Some days that is simply a 10 minute walk outside with the dog. Others it is ending the day early to spend with my family and the best break is those vacations away! We all need breaks so schedule them just like you would anything else.

Many of these things overlap or can be done together. They are much more powerful when done on a regular basis. Preventing burnout not only keeps us happy but it also ensures that we are operating at our best. We were made to thrive in this life, not just survive. To thrive you have to enjoy not just the destination but the journey to get there. When we get burnout it is because we aren’t enjoying the journey. What are you going to do this week to protect yourself from burnout?

Balance. What is that?

March 10, 2018 by Audrey Blackburn Leave a Comment

Do you have balance in your life? I do, but it isn’t what you think.

We hear about work/life balance all the time. Let me just start by saying I don’t believe there is such a thing. At least not the way I think most people envision it. Many think that work life balance is having everything equal in your work world to your personal life. 50% time at work and 50% time personal. Wrong. Work life balance to me is when work needs the focus, it is the focus. When my personal life and family needs more of my time, they get it. I shift my focus on what is most important at the time. That changes daily and weekly. There never is an equal share between the two and I am fine with that. I want to be able to shift my focus where it needs to be. Here are the rules I live by to help me not go crazy when I am juggling it all.

Run the day before it runs you– I was always one that liked to go with the flow. I didn’t like a schedule because honestly I am rebellious and somewhat of a free spirit. I don’t want to be confined to a “schedule”. Yeah, that doesn’t work with life many times. Having my day scheduled out actually is more rebellious. I know that I get the things done that are important as well as the things that I want to do. I found that if I don’t schedule out my day then I don’t find any time for me. And yes, that means scheduling out your personal stuff too.
Protect your energy – I learned this one the hard way. Some tasks, projects and people use up more of your energy. If you don’t protect that energy then you become depleted. I protect my energy by going for a walk, doing easy tasks when I am drained and planning things that require lots of my energy when I know it is the best part of my day.
Disconnect – I firmly believe that taking time to disconnect from our phones is crucial and disconnecting from email too! It is amazing to me how refreshed I feel when I walk away from the phone and email for a few hours. No checking social media, no worrying about texts, nothing. Now sometimes I find this hard to do as I want to be available. As a mother with children I worry if my kids are not with me that they will need me and can’t reach me. But then I think back to the days when we didn’t have cell phones. Yes, I remember those days and even though I appreciate having a cellphone sometimes I long for the simplicity of being able to be disconnected when I wanted to be. I’m telling you to plan some disconnects weekly, you will thank me later.
Set times to check email – This was a bad habit for me and still is. I check email often. When I don’t people panic. I figured out that is because they have learned I check it often. Ugh. It’s an endless cycle. So, I’m learning to schedule checking and responding to emails into my day. Otherwise, they take up so much of the day. Some are important but let’s face it, most are not. I’m also learning to set a timer for tasks like email and social media. Otherwise, I could spend all day just managing those and get nothing done.
Your emergency is not MY emergency– This is a big one. I always chuckle when I get an email saying something is urgent and they need me to jump right on it. Well, I guess you do but that doesn’t mean that I will. Or an email saying something is needed by Monday and it is late Friday afternoon. Gotta love that one too. It sounds simple but say it out loud, Your emergency is not going to dictate my day.

I am sure you can think of other things that you can do to seize your own day. That is all work/life balance really is, controlling your own day. Sometimes work needs more focus. Sometimes it is your own personal life. Either way, you need to be in control of it. Take the steps today to do just that.

What are other tips do you have for juggling it all?