by Gwen Bortner | Marketing, Tips & Tricks
Marketing…you either love it or hate it. You are either good at it with natural instincts or you struggle with it, trying to learn as much as you can. Marketing is essential for solo-preneurs, no matter how well you do with it.
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I have friends that could sell ice to an Eskimo (I’m not sure why you would want to do that…but they could). I, on the other hand, have always felt like I couldn’t sell water to a man stranded in the desert. Marketing is not my natural gift; that being said, a number of very good marketers think I do a pretty good job. But the reason is simple: I have learned how to market. So am I the best person to learn from? Probably not. But if you are like me and you struggle with marketing, then implementing these 5 simple marketing techniques will improve your skills as well.
by Gwen Bortner | Tasks & Goals, Tips & Tricks
Most folks are so busy these days that managing tasks has become a critical life skill. So much more so for those of us solopreneurs juggling business, family and other social obligations.
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Making task management work for me has long been one of the skills I believe that has led to my success in many areas. These 6 task management tips, when used consistently will greatly improve your results day in and day out.
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by Gwen Bortner | Tips & Tricks
I am not a habitual person by nature; that has been my way for as long as I can remember. As a child it was a huge problem getting me to do chores or other similar activities. Part of the reason was because I was a kid and didn’t want to do them, but there was also an element of struggling to get a habit formed.
As I moved into adulthood, I didn’t seem to pay much attention to my habits or lack thereof. For the most part, I am able to see what needs to be done and put the appropriate level of effort toward getting it accomplished. Since my routine is almost non-existent, I can be flexible in most scenarios and easily make adjustments when necessary. This is a great advantage when I am traveling for work and I often have to adjust to other people’s schedules. The downside is, I don’t have routines that help me get back on track or focus once I return home. Habits like these can be necessary if you want to increase your productivity.
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by Gwen Bortner | Tips & Tricks
Everybody wants to be productive: to get things accomplished both professionally and personally. And there are lots of ideas on the best way to accomplish that goal, but the secret to productivity is different than most people think.
No matter who you are, what you are trying to do or why it is important, the secret to productivity is always the same; that is the beauty of its simplicity. However, acting on the information can be a different story! Highly effective people are often willing to share their tactics for getting so much done, but they almost always miss a fundamental piece of the equation. Their methods work for them, because they understand what works for them! Knowing what drives your choices, decisions and actions means you can use your natural tendencies to be more productive.
The secret is simple: know thyself! But for some folks, this task is much harder than it sounds.
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by Gwen Bortner | Tips & Tricks, Training & Instruction
Everyone has special gifts, talents or skills that just seem to come naturally to them. One of mine is the ability to know how to design a class. But even though it comes easily for me, I know others struggle to get through the process. Like most things, when you understand the steps, the task becomes easier.
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Keep in mind, these steps are just for designing a class, developing the concept and getting ready for submission to a group or organization. Development of a class is yet a different thing and will be covered in a later post. But knowing how to design a class is the first task in getting someone to hire you to teach it, so it is a very critical element.
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by Gwen Bortner | Tips & Tricks
I am a geek. There, I have said it. I am a geek about all things that truly draw my interest. I began my career as a computer geek with a degree in computer science. So technology should not be a challenge for me, but sometimes it still is.
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I am no longer actively involved in the world of computers, but my husband is, so I remain connected. Even so, trying to find the correct balance of enough technology to get the job done without being handcuffed to it is quite a challenge. As I have continued to work through finding my own balance, I have discovered five steps that make it easier to use technology on the go.
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