Are you using a blog to promote your business? If so, you are on the right track! A blog is a great communication tool and it also serves as a relationship builder.

When you do business online, you cannot greet your customers face to face and get to know them as you would in a traditional retail setting. Blogs offer the next best thing, as they allow your customers to interact with you and see a bit more of your personal side.

Blogging about the new products or services you are offering, as well as any sales you are having is a great way to increase business.

One reason that business owners don’t blog regularly is that they have trouble thinking up things to blog about, or they simply don’t have the time.

One solution to both problems is to buy pre-written blog posts, such as those found here: http://www.indiebizchicks.com/blog-posts.html.

There will be a special sale on Pre-Written Blog Posts from November 26- 30. When you order, you will receive a subscription to 12 blog posts each month for the next year for only $70. Imagine having much of your blogging done for the entire year.

To order visit: Indie Biz Chicks

Hello and Thanks to the guests at my recent Joy of Connecting event in Decatur for requesting this receipe.  I thought I would place it on our great new JOC Blog for all to see.  Hope others enjoy as much at our group did.   As you will see you can make it rich and sinful with heavy cream or lighten it by using NonFat Half and Half.  Either way it is very good.

Best Wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving from Kathy Greider  of  GreiderBiz - Your BusinessBOOSTER where we work with you to bring in more customers, keep your current customer base happy and encourage all customers to spend more money using rewards and incentives.    If you need more customers spending more money contact me to see the proven methods we use.   Kathy   greiderbiz@yahoo.com  404.313.8208

Ravioli with Butternut Squash Cream Sauce

16 oz Cheese Ravioli   (fresh, dried or frozen)

1 C Butternut Squash Puree

1 C chicken or vegetable stock

2 C Heavy Cream *** (see substitutions below)

¼  t Cinnamon

Salt and White Pepper  -  to your liking

Cook the ravioli as directed, drain, and cover while preparing the sauce.  I always add a Tablespoon of olive oil to my water when cooking pasta.

Mix together in sauce pan:  stock, squash, and cream.  Cook over medium heat until liquid reduces by ½.    

If you use the heavy cream – you do not need to follow the instructions in the next paragraph but you do need to follow this part: Do not turn the stove up too high or the mixture will scorch on the bottom of the pan.   Bring the mixture to a slow boil and just keep stirring until it thickens. 

In an effort to reduce the fat content of this dish, I use Non-Fat Half and Half in place of the heavy cream.  When you do this the liquid mixture does not reduce as well: so I took  ¼ cup of the liquid out of the pan after it is warm and mix 2 T of Corn Starch with it until the mixture is smooth.  Then slowly add this to the gently boiling liquid.   It takes a while for the liquid to reduce.  Do not turn the stove up too high or the mixture will scorch on the bottom of the pan.  Bring the mixture to a slow boil and just keep stirring.

Since I took out the heavy cream I added a Tablespoon of butter to put a bit of fat into the sauce to help it thicken.

After the liquid is reduced add the cinnamon and salt and pepper as needed. 

Pour sauce over pasta and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon or some parley for color. 

I hauled myself out of bed the other morning at 4AM in order to attend a Breakfast networking meeting that was entitled How Gratitude can bring an increase in your bottom line!  When I first got the invitation to this meeting, I thought Oh Boy!  This is right up my alley.  But after a long week at getting up early going to meetings and then attending more late night meetings also, not to mention suffering from a head cold and sinus infection going on 4 weeks now, when the alarm went off, I thought, OMG what was I thinking.  I got ready anyway because I had to pick up my team mate who had registered and paid for us to go.

It was very well worth the trip.  It was not your typical business meeting.  This is a new group focused on all the right aspects of business.  The very first exercise we did was to talk with those at our table and to tell what we were grateful for not in our business, but in our life.  That was different, but it is close to Thanksgiving, so I could understand.  But as the presentation went on, I began to see the true theme of the meeting and the organization.  It was very refreshing because it hit right on my core values and beliefs, that  of building relationships with people and trying to establish a helpful giving attitude will come back to you ten fold. 

I go to a lot of face to face networking meetings of all kinds and meet a lot of people.  My primary purpose, of course, like everyone else, it to find new business.  Along the way I meet a lot of people who are doing the same thing.  Now we all know we can’t all do business with each other, however we can try and help each other.  How you ask?  Listen and ask questions.  Find out about the person and their business, what makes them unique and different from others in their industry.  One of the questions that you can ask, which was presented in this meeting, “Why should I do business with you?”  Try that one sometimes and you’ll be surprised at the answers you get.  Also think about what you would say if someone asked you that question.  Now you still might not need their services at the moment, but you can use that information in a number of ways.

Here are five things you can do:

• ¨ Introduce that person to a good referral partner for them. Example: Introduce a Real Estate person to a mortgage broker.
• ¨ Suggest/invite them to other networking meetings, groups, organizations, etc. that they might attend. I have a ‘Networking Opportunities’ list posted on my website that I refer people to.
• ¨ If it’s someone you really want to establish a relationship with, make the effort to follow up with them. Send them a note or card. Call and set up a meeting for coffee with the intention of ‘How can we help each other’ or ‘I want to get to know you and understand your business better.’
• ¨ File their info, so you will have it when you hear someone needs that service. Establish yourself as a ‘Who do you know that does?”
• ¨ Refer that person whenever possible.

Here is an example of how gratitude helped my bottom line this week.  I help co-host a women’s monthly networking meeting.  We had a professional organizer who attended our meetings a few times.  She impressed me because besides just introducing herself and telling about her business, she would offer helpful tips on organizing.  We established some rapport and she started using my greeting card service for which I was grateful.   When someone asks if I know an organizer, I refer them to her.  One of the referrals was to my sister in law, who just raved the ideas and information she provided, and she would definitely be using her services.  I also asked her to be a speaker at an upcoming business meeting in January.  So even though I have not used her services personally, I know she’s very good and knowledgeable at what she does and she is very reliable.  

Here’s where the story gets interesting.  I recently acquired a new client for my greeting card business and when I talked with her and asked how she found out about me and my service, she said she had been a speaker at a recent meeting of which my friend the organizer had sent her a thank you card.  Do you turn cards over to see what brand it is?  My website was printed on the back of the card.  She liked the card so much, she set up her own account, tried it, liked it, and then upgraded.  Was I grateful?  You better believe it.  I not only sent a Thank You card, but a gift as well.

So, I believe, the point of all this is showing gratitude and appreciation and helping others can help to build your business because they in turn will do the same for us. 

I leave you with these quotes:

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today.  Have you used one to say “thank you?”  ~William A. Ward

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.  ~G.B. Stern

“Send Out to Give”  Kody Bateman

“What goes around, comes around”  - Proverb quote

Happy Thanksgiving

In gratitude,

Annette S. Walden

Are your Holiday Cards done yet?  Log on and find out how to create, personalize, and mail your cards with just a few mouse clicks.  Send them a REAL greeting card with my compliments @ www.CardsByPaintedLady.com or www.SendOutCards.com/12466

Gifts, Greeting Cards, and Promotional Products

http://www.paintedladyenterprises.com/

“Helping You and Your Business Look Good”

This post was submitted by Carrie Lauth.

The Joy of Connecting is a wonderful community representing amazing women.  This is a great opportunity for us to be ‘connected’ even though we are located nationwide.  Please share your experiences, your connections and your comments so we can exchange ideas, resources and shorten the physical distance between us!  I’ll be on the lookout for your submission.  Let your JOC participants know we want to hear from them as well!  Bonnie, CEO/Founder The Joy of Connecting.

CONSISTENCY | INTERNETWORK MARKETING | RELATIONSHIP | TRAINING

5 Tips: You will be amazed at the difference being consistent in this way will change - well, just about everything in your life.

by Andrea Goodsaid

________________________________________

As I sit here chowing on a bag of Peppermint Patties, after just yesterday getting pretty clear on the idea that ‘I want to get thin again’, I’m reminded of a little twist of the Law of Attraction that’s easily glossed over in the daily practice of it.

The Law of Attraction is all about “intention” and ˜focusing on what we want”, right?

Well, intention has to meet

consistent action in the right

direction to work out the way we

want it to. Or no go.

Luckily, I’m tuned in enough to know better than to focus on the unwanted behavior and am instead (out of habit now, which is awesome to realize) appreciative of this moment of clarity and can giggle at myself, shake my head and put the candy a-w-a-y.

Eternally grateful, that my bag is still half full.

Which turns me to thinking about consistency and the juggling act we can create for ourselves in the process of marketing via social networks online (I know, crazy segue but hey, welcome to my brain - grin).

It’s all too easy to get caught up in the social side of online communities and forget about our networking intentions. Who hasn’t blown an hour (or three) following what I like to call “he said she said” threads - I know I sure have.

Or on the flip side, been overly focused on the “marketing” side of things and totally missed on the gems to be found and relationships that can be built when we remember to take the focus off of ourselves, putting aside all agenda, and find ways we can add value to the lives of others.

Better to focus most on the

NETWORKING aspect of the

beast and take consistent action

in that direction instead, yes?

And leave the pure “socializing” and “marketing” to the distracted, to those who don’t care who they interrupt and to people who have yet to become clear on the niche they want to attract.

Recently in a conversation on a new site that was created to be supportive of what is now being termed ‘Networking Naturally’, the question of being consistent and ‘genuinely’ social in this brave new world of Web 2.0 and social networking came up.

My general comment was as follows:

Drive by forum posters and people who never expand their profiles or take the time look around to see what they have to offer others are just missing the point (in my humble opinion).

And yet how to be consistent in your networking over time remains the challenge. Or at least it may seem a challenge if you are not in the habit of it.

It’s actually really easy and doesn’t have to be time consuming at all. Once it becomes second nature, my guess is you’ll wonder how you ever built any lasting business online without it.

So what is the definition of “networking” exactly?? And how do we make it a habit?

Networking is the art of building

relationships. And the habit

part comes by taking consistent

action in the right direction,

which in this case is ANYTHING

that builds a relationship with

another.

So where does that leave us?

Well if our intention is to become a better online networker, the way to do that is to take daily consistent action doing things that build relationships with others. And web 2.0 has provided the perfect vehicle.

Nothing too strenuous - these

consistent actions are more

marathon material than sprint.

And so are the results you will

get.

Here are five simple things you can do each day to get into the relationship building habit on social networking sites:

1. Leave sincere comments on the profiles of three new people each day.

2. Leave sincere comments on the profiles of three established friends’ profiles.

3. Visit three of your favorite groups and offer value by replying to a thread (or start a new one that will stir conversation) - remember to include a curiosity stirring signature file.

4. Write a short blog or journal post that lets people feel like they know you better.

5. Follow up privately with three friends — either ask for help or offer it.

That’s it.

You will be amazed at the difference being consistent in this way will change - well, just about everything in your life.

Now, to get out and be more consistent myself!

I appreciate you.

——————————————————

Andrea Goodsaid is a writer, networker, small business brainstormer and online community builder. She’s been online and networking, one solid relationship at a time since 1996. Most recently she is co-creating a community that is open to anyone who practices or would like to learn to apply the Law of Attraction to their marketing efforts. You’re invited to come see if it’s a fit for you too - www.NaturalNetworkers.com

by Dory Devlin

You know if she knows you’re feeling the pinch this year with rising gas prices, job uncertainty, and all-around-everything-is-so-expensive anxiety, Mom is not going to want you to spend a ton on her this Mother’s Day.

The market analysts who watch just how much we spend on what predict fewer dollars will be spent on Mom this May, though not in a big way. The National Retail Federation says, on average, we’ll each spend $138.63 on presents for mom, down from $139.14 last year, which still adds up to $15.8 billion. Tons of dough, which most moms would rather you not spend.

With that in mind, I thought my obligatory Mother’s Day post on Work+Money would focus on what working moms could use for Mother’s Day. If you ask any working mom, top of her list would be time. More time to get everything done that needs to be done. Time to just stop and be with our families.

Since my blogging roots are in tech, I always think of tech-related ideas first because tech is supposed to help us be more productive at work so we have more time for the other parts of our lives. So here a few tech ideas, and more importantly, ideas to give mom some time apart from all of her demands, and some other great ideas from the women of Shine.

Smartphone for a smart mom: Okay, if your mom is looking to make the leap from basic flip phone to a smartphone that will allow her to text and email with a full QWERTY keyboard, check email easily while on the road, the iPhone is all the rage and is very cool, but RIM’s BlackBerry Curve will do everything she needs. If you go the BlackBerry/iPhone route, take a tip from my chat with Lisa Belkin on her Life’s Work XM radio show the other day: Tell her to turn off the beeps and sounds that let you know when every single email has arrived so it doesn’t make her less productive and stressed. (Lisa does.) If you’ve got an older mom who is having trouble seeing the tiny, tiny print on her mobile phone, I recommend the Jitterbug phone, which is so intuitive to use, has large type on the screen, and can always reach a live operator by pressing zero. After the initial $147 purchase price, you can tailor monthly plans to how you use the phone, for as low as $10 a month. Continue Reading »

by Diane K. Danielson

Sometimes the best role models for business and networking don’t come from the business world at all. One such role model for me is my friend’s mom, who was a master of “the greeting.” She greets everyone she meets with the biggest smile and with such excitement, you’d think you were the most important person in the world. And, for her, at that moment, you were (or at least she always made me think so).

She was so good at this that I’m sure even the garbage men had to like coming by her house. It didn’t matter who you were, what you wanted, or when she’d last seen you, she’d make you feel like you had brightened her day just by being in it.

In truth, she brightened everyone else’s day, because smiles and enthusiasm are contagious, as is paying special attention to someone. While you don’t know my friend’s mom, you probably know someone like her. So, the next time you’re at a networking event, think of them and turn on the smiles and enthusiasm!

Diane K. Danielson is the ceo of www.downtownwomensclub.com, a women’s business network and career website, and the co-author of The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking (or What Would Jane Austen Do?) , available on Amazon or free with a Downtown Women’s Club DWC+ membership.