If you own and run a business there is always those days when you wake up and nothing is going right.

Please reassure me that I am not the only one that has these days! I sat down at my desk this morning and I couldn’t remember why I liked my business. I just felt disconnected.

I could probably dig down and figure out what might have triggered this, but it is actually way more important to know how to get out of this space. Luckily I did know this process because this is not the first time. I may have even written about this once before:)

Here are my super duper 5 tips to shift your attitude! I acknowledge that these are mine. Some of them might work for you but the important thing is to create your own list.

1. Find something you have been wanting to get done but haven’t had time. This needs to be something you want to do but have been putting it off. For me it is always something creative as that makes me feel good, happy and I remember what it’s all about. I managed to do that today and it feels like a huge accomplishment.

I can’t wait to get back and wipe it off my white board. I did have a wee technical issue come up but even managed to call Jocelyn and she answered the phone and fixed the problem!

2. Take a shower and wear something that feels good. When I feel blah, I feel like wearing blah clothes all day. Today I didn’t have any face to face meetings so this was a day I could have worn my sweats all day!  But I put on my favorite blue shirt and that color always lifts my spirits.

3. Get out of your office – especially if you work at home like I do. I have been working at the TeaHouse all day and it has been lovely to be here with other people and as a result,  I am not distracted by all the stuff in my office that is a mixture of clutter and piles of things that need to be filed or dealt with.

4. Get out and move your body. I packed up my computer and got on my bike and rode down to the the TeaHouse to work. Just the ride on my bike shifted my energy- almost like magic. Riding my bike feels like flying a bit and as a result I feel lighter. I still have the ride back home in awhile.

5. Listen to uplifting music. I have been sitting with my i pod. I have a playlist of my favorites; all songs that make me feel good. I’m listening to “Across the Universe.” while typing this.

I began to write this blog post early this morning. I put it aside while talking to clients on the phone, getting my creative project done and answering emails. Now it’s 3:00 and I have done all the 5 things above. I feel back to my real self again and I’m sure it’s because of these choices.

ok- here is the creative project I got done today. I am beginning a brand new program called  ”Wednesday Inspiring Biz Tips”. Every Wednesday you will receive a short, sweet and supportive email from me with one tool to help you shift from self-doubt into positive income.

You can be the first to join this free group! Just go to my home page and look on the side bar. I promise that this will be awesome!

What are your five things?  I would love to have you share below plus it would be nice to know I’m not the only one who has these days!

Ideal client or niche client? People often use these terms interchangeably but in fact they don’t necessarily mean the same thing.

I thought about this last week when I had two people ask me who my ideal client was. Before I tell you how I answered, I want to give you my simple definition of these two categories.

Ideal client: A small business owner who has chosen to get help before spending a heap of money on a new website. ( for ex.)  It is always more fun to work with someone before they make huge mistakes.

My ideal person is committed, really wants help and willing to do the work involved. This person sees the return on investment of hiring me.  In other words- someone who I enjoy  working with! My ideal client is really about me and who I enjoy helping the very most.

Niche client: Is the person powering my core marketing plan. A small/solo business owner who helps other people with their service. They are highly skilled and experts in their field, however they struggle with business decisions, skills and no-how. They need more clients, more cash flow and clearer focus on how to get their business stronger.  It is all about them, not me.

I had to really think about how to answer the questions that were asked of me. Part of my response depends on who is asking me. The first person was a client I had worked with last year. She was wanting to get more marketing clarity. The second person was a potential new client.

For the first person, I explained the difference between ideal and niche to help her understand her own marketing focus. She  was mixing up the two and was focused on her ideal, but was calling it her niche. This is a common challenge service based business owners have because they are thinking about what they want to do. Her  definition was too general as well.

Your niche needs to be a narrow, specific group who you are aiming your marketing toward.

With the second person,

I responded with who my niche client is because I knew that’s what she was asking. She cared about  her own business issues and this is what i needed to speak to.

In order to build a strong, powerful marketing plan you need to learn to really focus on your niche and use this definition as this is who will help you to grow your business. Does this make sense?  Have you been confusing these two things?  I would love to hear your comments.

Free tele-class with more help on this topic!

“Why do I need a niche if I can help lots of people with my service?”

I get asked this question at least once a week by solopreneurs who are highly skilled but are struggling to have enough clients and enough cash coming in.

It can seem logical that defining a niche will make your money flow smaller, not larger.  Some comments I hear from solopreneurs owners include:

•  I know what I want to do and there are many people I can help.
•  I know exactly what I don’t want to do, what I don’t enjoy.
•  I have tons of experience and training so I know I am good!

Although the three statements above are true, they will not, by themselves, bring you more clients.  Why is that?

Your potential clients are focused on their own issues or problems. They want something to change in their lives. They know what’s not working for them but don’t know how to fix it. Sometimes they feel desperate, anxious and urgent.

When they begin to feel those ways they begin to look for solutions or someone who can offer them support, help them shift and make changes. They want a specialist or expert  who is focused on working with people just like them.

If you refuse to name your niche, you become a generalist, not a specialist. The people who you are wanting to attract won’t be attracted to you.

To better  understand this, imagine your niche were all people who are teal blue. Teal blue people have certain specific issues. They are a strong but narrow group that can be defined by their situation. They want help on how to put their teal blueness out into the world more and be more successful, happier, make more money, have better relationships or whatever.

They look for someone who speaks to them.  They end up on your website but all they see if a someone who is specializing in dull grey people. Grey is a mixture of all the colors and becomes undefinable. You seem skilled to them but not a teal blue expert.  They son’t feel empathy so they click off and keep searching.

Lets imagine that you have focused and decided to clearly define your niche speciality as lime green people who need what they need. Funny thing is that if a teal blue person ends up on your website they will still recognize you as a specialist and might think, “Well, if you can help  the lime green folks, maybe you can also help me.” They will never think that if you present as a grey.

The moral of the story. Let go of being grey. Specialize and speak directly to those specific people who you want to attract.  If you want more help figuring out how to do this, check out  Find Your Niche Market Ready-Set-Go

When you boldly name your speciality, those people will feel connected to you as someone who “gets,” them. It is all about building empathy. Do you know what your color is?