Access Profiles, Inc.

But if you have the drive to become your own boss, then your ultimate triumph is to create your own viable and successful business!

And while that may seem like an easy and straightforward feat at first, more often than not the road to entrepreneurial success is fraught with roadblocks and detours.

I often find that it is those challenges that hold the biggest lessons. They help us focus and discover what really works for us and our businesses.

There is no doubt that you will learn a lot along the way. To help you get a jumpstart on your own journey, I share some tips that have not only helped me but also my entrepreneurial friends! 

1. Be Focused & Find Your Business Niche
2. Have a Business Plan ~ and Write it Down!
3. Be Smart & Market Wisely
4. Understand that Time is Money
5. Be Willing to Outsource or Hire Others 
6. Find Ways to Stay Motivated
7. Forge Your Own Path & Do What Works for You
8. Be Honest in Your Business Dealings
9. Don't Shy Away from Being a "Solopreneur"
10. Find Time for a Personal Life & Remember to "Unplug"

Learn more about each of these tips and what they can do for you in "10 Lessons to Help You Find Success in Your Small Business".





Number 1, Get Your Family and Friends Onboard. Let them in on everything that you are doing and what you hope to achieve.

They can be your best cheerleaders and your biggest support system. No one can make a go of it truly alone.

Number 2, Never Stop Learning! No one knows it all. But keeping your mind and eyes wide open to all the resources around you will help your business stay current and succeed. As in most things in life, curiosity and a thirst for knowledge is never a bad thing!



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Over the years, you may find yourself doing things the same way. You offer the same services or products. You use, or don't use, social media to your best advantage when marketing and branding your business. Generally, you are running your business the same way you have since you started.




Doing things the same way, over and over, does a disservice to you, your employees, and your customers!

You will most likely find yourself becoming complacent, disinterested, and even downright bored, with your business. You have lost the energy and passion that drove you to become an entrepreneur in the first place.

Soon your employees and customers will feel it too.







Instead of accepting it, this is exactly the time you need to breathe new life into your business!



The key is to discover a way that will not only bring the excitement back to you and your business, but will also attract and keep the clients you need!

I believe that the best tip is to start with you! Your attitude towards your business can make all the difference on how your brand is received.




Remembering, or even recognizing for the first time, what it is about your business that drives you is key.

The understanding of how your business speaks to your inner core will help you establish your brand and reach the perfect customers for your business.

Read about my journey towards discovering my "Why", and how you can do it too, in "I Know Why I Do What I Do"!






Take a look at your marketing. Does it mesh with your "why" and core values? If not, it may be time for a re-brand.

Do your social sites reflect that brand? Everything from the original posts you create, the articles you share, and even color scheme you use on your sites, should present a cohesive and unique picture of you and your company. If they don't, then it is time for a change!

How about the products and services you offer? Are they inline with your current brand? Do they truly solve your customers' wants and needs? If not, re-evaluate them now!

Remove any that no longer stack up. Re-vamp others that may be a bit behind the times. Doing this will help your company become more exciting and relevant.  




The benefits to your company include:

• Keeping Your Business Fresh and Current
• Helping You Get Past the Slow Times
• Reawakening Your Interest and Passion for Your Business
• Solving a New or Existing Customer's Problems or Needs
• Attracting new Interest in Your Company

Discover more in "Quickest and Easiest Way to Revitalize Your Small Business"!






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Learn more About Us and our Background Investigation & Applicant Services, Business Mentoring, and Security Consulting services too! 

Created by Kimberly Kline, API

But this yearly ritual often means different things to different people.




Some are sad to see the past year go.  Maybe they had some great things happen to them or their family.  Or they simply lament the passing of time.




While others are more than ready to start fresh.  It may have been an especially hard year ~ losing a loved one or problems with their job or family.




No matter what the case may be, there is no one that will not be effected one way or another when the clock strikes midnight.




That includes me!




After all, it is an exciting time when we get to herald in another new year.








But I, for one, will not be taking this traditional path.  The beginning of a new year is simply not the best time for me to decisions about what I want to accomplish or change in the coming year.



“While I applaud the desire to make positive changes through our resolutions, I am here to say that I will not be making any.

That is not to say that I don’t welcome the idea of fresh starts, and the beginning of a brand new year seems like the perfect time for this.  By its very nature it comes with feelings of hope and possibility.

I, however, choose not to participate.

This time of year I recognize that I simply have too much on my plate to really focus on making any big decisions or setting goals.
I have to do what is right for me.”  
excerpt from “No New Year’s Resolutions ~ Who is With Me?”.





No New Year Resolutions ~ Why I Choose to Look Back Instead!  “Tweet This”



So instead of looking forward, I find that the older I get, the more reflective I become.



And one of the first things I think about is how truly lucky I am.




My family is my rock…and nothing I have ever or will ever accomplish happens without them and their unwavering support.  I only hope they feel they get the same from me.









Finally, I am excited and thankful for a new venture I have recently set in motion (I will share more about this in the coming weeks!).  Just like when I first started by blog, this path has revitalized my drive and passion for what I do.




I now have a new perspective and out of complacency has come purpose and drive.
















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When September rolls around we are in a very different place than we are at the beginning of a New Year. We have usually had the chance to relax, at least somewhat, over the last few months. Summer’s longer days and nicer weather has meant vacations and long weekends, and we have even able to take a real vacation “laptop free” ~ see how we managed that here.

Hiring can be both an exciting and scary proposition. That is why, before you take the leap, you need to recognize that determining “When and How” to hire is just as important as figuring out “who” to hire. 


You Should Hire When:

• Your Current Workforce Cannot Meet Demand - If demand for your product or services is more than you can fill with existing employees or the quality of your product or services is suffering due to overwork, it is time to consider hiring.

• You Need a New Skill Set to Grow Your Company - Maybe something has changed in your product or service that requires different expertise. Filling that gap can propel your company forward.

• You Can Afford to Hire - It goes beyond the salary. It involves your ability to meet the costs of advertising, training, background checks, and workspace for a new hire.

• Do I Know Exactly What My Company Needs? - What skills and personality traits would make someone ideal for the job?  Do you need someone full time, part time, or would you be better served outsourcing what you need? Creating the perfect job description first will help you determine the best candidate (and is essential when conducting any pre-employment screening ~ find out more about this here).

• Will I Conduct a Thorough Background Check? - Hiring safely and wisely means verifying all the information listed on your applicant's resume as well as researching past criminal behavior (within compliance laws). This added step will go a long way to ensure you are hiring the right candidate.

• Have I Looked at My Existing Employee Pool First? - Is there someone currently on staff that could handle these new duties? Is there someone who is currently not being used to their full potential? If not, Do your existing employees know someone who would be a good fit for both the position and with your company? After all, next to you, no one knows your company better!

• Have I Looked within My Professional and Personal Network? - Be specific about what you are looking for and reach out for referrals from others you know and trust.

• Have I Looked Beyond My Network? - Sometimes you need to go outside your network to find what you need. One avenue is to look to local universities and contact their alumni placement program. You can get some fresh talent this way.

• Have I Considered Making Hiring a “Team Effort”? - Find out from your existing employees what makes your company a good place to work. Are there areas where you can improve? What kind of person do they feel would “fit in” well? By inviting them to be part of the interviewing process you are creating a welcoming work environment for the new employee when you do hire.

• Can I Sell the Advantages of Working with a Small Company? - Emphasize the “personal” attention and encouraging environment of a small business. Make sure to show them ways you would be willing to help them reach their goals (check out my blog on mentoring to find out more). You may not be able to compete with the bigger companies on salary or vacation, but you can offer other incentives to entice workers.

Using these tactics will help you determine both “When” and “How” to make a new hire. They will provide you with the means to find quality candidates who will help your business reach the next level. And isn’t that your goal?


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“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

We have all been there. We think we are firmly on the right path. We have done what we need to do and are ready to start or expand our own business. We are slowly building up our client base, providing a quality product or service, and generally on our way to success. Then it happens...................

I am still constantly amazed at what using social media (even with my limited "tech" skills) has brought to my business.  I continue to be grateful for the wonderful connections I have made and enjoy the wider audience I have been able to reach....


Like most of us, I have hopped on the “Social Media” bandwagon.  I have the obligatory business and personal Facebook pages, LinkedIn profile, a website, and blog.


I have also joined groups within these platforms to keep me informed and to make the connections I need.  I contribute regularly to these groups by posting both original and shared content.


So, what is the problem?  It can all be so overwhelming! 


I am sure that I am not saying anything new here.  We have all found ourselves feeling pulled in too many directions and unsure as to whether we were truly giving our best to any of them.


Add in the need to do our “regular” work, and there is a recipe for overload in the making.


As I took stock of the situation at the end of the year (great time for reflection don’t you think?), I vowed to make a change.  My goal was to increase the quality of my social media presence, but decrease the “hair pulling” that had been a large part of the process in the past.


After taking a good, honest look at the situation, this is what I decided:


 I Need to Realize I Cannot Be Everywhere

The key here is to determine where your existing and desired
        client base is and go there.  Being on too many Social Media
        sites just waters down your efforts.


Narrowing your scope will actually broaden your reach.  It
        will take up much less of your time and will pay off with
        increased engagement with your clients. 


 I Need to Listen to My Fans


The most important thing to remember is that Social Media is
        not about selling.  Of course we all want that in the end, but
        first and foremost it is about “clicking” with your customers.
  

Your goal should be to listen to what is important to them and
provide information to help solve their problems, get them
        thinking, and entertain.


This is also a great way to find new ideas as topics for your
        original and shared content.  Writing and posting topics of
        interest to your fan base makes it so much easier to find the
        engagement and sense of community we all want.


 I Need to Schedule My Posts


Use those Social Media management tools to pre-schedule
        your  updates.  Schedule a time every day or every other day
        (find what works best for you) and set up your posts all at
        once.


Using these tools will allow your posts to show up regularly 
throughout the day.  This has been the single most effective
tool to free up more of my time.


 I Need to Learn Where to Find Great Content


While there is no doubt original content rules, the main
        reason I started blogging (check out my previous article here 
        to find out more),  most of us will need to share content from
        others.  When doing this, it  is important to keep in mind the
        “voice” you want to project and only share content that
        mirrors this.


At first I was scanning the internet and sites like LinkedIn to
        find what I needed.  Then this past year I came upon a site
        called “Prismatic”.  Prismatic allows me to type in key words
        to locate articles on topics I am interested in sharing.  This
        has really taken the headache out of the process.


 I Need to Make and Nurture “True” Connections


I need to preface this by saying I am not a huge fan of 
        “connecting” just to “connect”.  The connections I value are
        the ones where there is a lot of give and take.
  

I have been fortunate enough to find a few unique and very
        giving people on my social networks.  We encourage each
        other, share each other’s posts and blog articles, and
        genuinely promote each other.


These are the connections I will take the time to engage with 
regularly and strive to make more like these.  This is where I
find my true “value” - having the opportunity to create such a
reciprocal relationship.

 I Need To Relax


Does it really matter if one of my posts doesn’t get the “likes”
        or comments that another one does?  Does that make that post
        any less relevant or worthwhile?  The short answer is “No”!


While I know right about now many of you are in an uproar, I 
        just don’t see it that way.  In the  eyes of many, the statistics
        on views, engagement, and ROI (Return on Investment) are
        the “be all and end all” of any Social Media effort.


I like to take a broader view.  My goal is long term.  I do not
        expect “instant” gratification.  I look at my social media
        efforts as a process.  One that over time will make more
        people aware of my company and my business philosophies, 
        more than I could ever have hoped to reach through any other
        means.


The bottom line....using Social Media platforms to promote your business is good business.  It is a fantastic way to extend your client base way beyond the reach of traditional means.


However, I choose to take it slow.  I have come to realize that making  myself crazy over statistics and spreading myself too thin are counter-productive.


I am subscribing to the old saying “slow and steady wins the race”. Having the chance to establish myself and gain trust in what I have to say are my true goals.


Now it is time to discover your own!  Good Luck!

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