Bikers, BBQ and Better Biz

This weekend my husband and I hit the road for the annual MS-150 Bike Ride. This year I took the short route, as I really hadn’t made the commitment to train as hard this year as I did in the past. He however had been training since May and was set.  Still even with a shorter ride, people were shouting words of encouragement to all the riders, which seemed to make the ride, along with the promise of BBQ at the end, somewhat painless.

As I continued my ride I got to thinking about training and encouragement.  What was it that held me back from training this year? Starting a new business? Hills? Fear of not finishing? Or just not organizing my schedule to allow time for myself? Who was shouting out and encouraging me along the way?

While many of us struggle to make time to exercise through out the week, we know how important it is. Your business is no different.

I ask what are you doing to “train for next year”? Better yet, do you have a coach, co-workers or a mentor standing on the side cheering you all the way to the finish line? What have been some of the road blocks in the past? Share your thoughts with me.

Check out some of the following links to get your training session started for next years big race. 

Preparing for next year’s tax season.

Why plan for today, tomorrow and the next year?

Planning for tomorrow’s business-books to read

60-second guide on how to organize your biz

Have a great week and get to thinking about your plan for the road ahead.

Sarah @ Dog-Eared Pages

The Winds of Change

Greetings!

They call it the windy city … Chicago. Trust me, I’ve been there when the wind is billowing and yes, it is windy to say the least. However, last week, it was a different wind that blew life into my sails and set me on an exciting new course.  Last week I attended the first ever Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago and I must say I learned some amazing things that I can’t wait to share with each of you.

Day 1-Creative Freelancer Conference-Chicago-Aug-08

 

First of all, a huge shout out must go to conference co-founders Illise Benun & Peleg Top, Dyana Valentine (girl, you have some energy!) and of course who could forget the Communicatrix, Colleen Wainwright – that’s only a few of the astounding people I met at the conference. Their enthusiasm for generating creative solutions that exceed clients’ expectations was infectious and in the weeks to come you’ll hear me talk about them even more. 

With that said I want to get you thinking and give you a little teaser for things to come. Here’s a few questions to ponder …

 

• What is your company currently encountering, that makes daily success difficult?
• Do you struggle with time management?
• How can you effectively structure your week to get more done? (yes, you can do this!)
• What’s the best way to motivate your staff?
• Is social networking a good idea for your company? For you personally?

Start thinking! Send me an email with your thoughts. I’d love to point you in the direction of exciting and proven solutions. Bottom line, this is a place for you to gather insight, tips, tricks or even take 5 minutes for yourself to breathe and refocus your business efforts in a positive, fulfilling way.

Now is the time to get your current marketing efforts out of the doghouse!

Speaking of dogs, check out the picture of the Chicago dog I ate-yum heartburn city!

Chi-Dog @ Wrigley Aug. 08

Be sure to check out my website Dog-Eared Pages and send me an email to begin receiving my new newsletter.

Wishing you the best-

Sarah