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"Let us come together, work together, build together, and be lucrative together as an Affiliation"  #SeattleAffiliated

Erica J. Clark

Take a Praise Pause

Take a Praise Pause

I don't think anything blesses God more than when we stop right in the middle of what we're doing sometimes and lift our hands to worship Him or take a moment to bow down before Him and say, "I love You, Lord." In the scripture for today, the psalmist says he took time seven times a day and all day long to praise God.

Think about a businessman, for example, maybe the president of a large company. Wouldn't it be wonderful if two or three times a day, he would close the door to his office, turn the lock, kneel, and say, "God, I just want to take some time to worship You. Father, all these things You are giving me - the business, the money, the success - are great, but I just want to worship You. I magnify You. You are so wonderful. I love You. You are all I need. Father, I worship You. Jesus, I worship You. Holy Spirit, I worship You." I believe that if the businessman did that, he would never need to be concerned about his business, his finances, or success. All of those things would be taken care of.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Erica J. Clark

Kiss & Make-up Artistry

JEANNA BECAME HER OWN BOSS!

Come out and Support Jeannawade Fernandez

A freelance make up artist.She'll be launching the Kiss and Make-up website. Dont miss out. There will be Raffle tickets to win some cool prizes, music, food, drinks, and most importantly a gallery full of MAKE-UP. Oct 20 4-6pm Lucid Lounge in the U District.

Check her Facebook Page out at http://www.facebook.com/#!/jeannawade.fernandez?fref=ts

Instagram: @jeannafernandez

for more pictures of her work. She's a doll and he her make up skills are superb.

"Let us come together, work together, build together, and be lucrative together as an Affiliation"  #SeattleAffiliated

PERSISTENCE IS KEY

Dejane'

Tips to get you going, even if you don't know where to start

How to Become Your Own Boss

8 tips to get you going, even if you don't know where to start

Take a Stand for Yourself.
If you are dissatisfied with your current circumstances, admit that no one can fix them except for you. It doesn't do any good to blame the economy, your boss, your spouse or your family. Change can only occur when you make a conscious decision to make it happen.

1. Identify the Right Business for You.
   Give yourself permission to explore. Be willing to look at different facets of yourself (your personality, social styles, age) and listen to your intuition. We tend to ignore intuition even though deep down we often know the truth. Ask yourself "What gives me energy even when I'm tired?"
   
   How do you know what business is "right" for you? There are three common approaches to entrepreneurship:
   
   Do What You Know: Have you been laid off or want a change? Look at work you have done for others in the past and think about how you could package those skills and offer them as your own services or products.
   
   Do What Others Do: Learn about other businesses that interest you. Once you have identified a business you like, emulate it.
   
   Solve a Common Problem: Is there a gap in the market? Is there a service or product you would like to bring to market? (Note: This is the highest-risk of the three approaches.) If you choose to do this, make sure that you become a student and gain knowledge first before you spend any money.
    
2. Business Planning Improves Your Chances for Success.
   Most people don't plan, but it will help you get to market faster. A business plan will help you gain clarity, focus and confidence. A plan does not need to be more than one page. As you write down your goals, strategies and action steps, your business becomes real.
   
   Ask yourself the following questions:
    - What am I building?
   - Who will I serve?
   - What is the promise I am making to my customers/clients and to myself?
   - What are my objectives, strategies and action plans (steps) to achieve my goals?
    
3. Know Your Target Audience Before You Spend a Penny.
   Before you spend money, find out if people will actually buy your products or services. This may be the most important thing you do. You can do this by validating your market. In other words, who, exactly, will buy your products or services other than your family or friends? (And don't say. "Everyone in America will want my product." Trust me--they won't.) What is the size of your target market? Who are your customers? Is your product or service relevant to their everyday life? Why do they need it?
   
   There is industry research available that you can uncover for free. Read industry articles with data (Google the relevant industry associations) and read Census data to learn more. However, the most important way to get this information is to ask your target market/customers directly and then listen.
4. Understand Your Personal Finances and Choose the Right Kind of Money You Need for Your Business.
   As an entrepreneur, your personal life and business life are interconnected. You are likely to be your first--and possibly only--investor. Therefore, having a detailed understanding of your personal finances, and the ability to track them, is an essential first step before seeking outside funding for your business. This is why I recommend setting up your personal accounts in a money management system such as Mint.com to simplify this process.
   
   As you are creating your business plan, you will need to consider what type of business you are building--a lifestyle business (smaller amount of startup funds), a franchise (moderate investment depending on the franchise), or a high-tech business (will require significant capital investment). Depending on where you fall on the continuum, you will need a different amount of money to launch and grow your business, and it does matter what kind of money you accept.
    
5. Build a Support Network.
   You've made the internal commitment to your business. Now you need to cultivate a network of supporters, advisors, partners, allies and vendors. If you believe in your business, others will, too.
   
   Network locally, nationally & via social networks. Join networks like NAPW.com, your local chamber of commerce, or other relevant business groups. Here are some networking basics:
   
   - When attending networking events, ask others what they do and think about how you can help them. The key is to listen more than tout yourself.
   - No matter what group you join, be generous, help others and make introductions without charging them.
   - By becoming a generous leader, you will be the first person that comes to mind when someone you've helped needs your service or hears of someone else who needs your service.
6. Sell By Creating Value.
   Even though we purchase products and services every day, people don't want to be "sold." Focus on serving others. The more people you serve, the more money you will make. When considering your customers or clients, ask yourself:
   
   - What can I give them?
   - How can I make them successful in their own pursuits?
   - This approach can help lead you to new ways to hone your product or service and deliver more value, which your customers will appreciate.
7. Get the Word Out.
   Be willing to say who you are and what you do with conviction and without apology. Embrace and use the most effective online tools (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn) available to broadcast your news. Use social networks as "pointer" sites; i.e., to point to anything you think will be of interest to your fans and followers.
   
   Even though social networks are essential today (you must use them!), don't underestimate the power of other methods to get the word out: e.g., word-of-mouth marketing, website and internet marketing tools, public relations, blog posts, columns and articles, speeches, e-mail, newsletters, and the old-fashioned but still essential telephone.
   
   If you take these steps, you'll be well on your way to becoming your own boss. It's important to remember that you are not alone. If you want to "be your own boss" but you still feel stuck, reach out and connect with other entrepreneurs in a variety of ways. You may be surprised by the invaluable contacts that are right at your fingertips

Marian Clark

MarianClark!

The First Step To Building Your Personal Brand!

 

Whether you’re on the job hunt, a student, or gainfully employed, you must think, act, and plan like a business leader. With the surge of social media, you have not only the ability, but you now have the need to manage your own reputation, both online and in real life.

Your personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for. And while that’s a pretty broad concept, I’m going to break down the process for building your brand into a few easy steps, which we’ll cover over the next few weeks.
Your first task: Developing your “brand mantra.” Basically, this is the “heart and soul” of your brand, according to branding expert Kevin Keller. It’s the foundation of all of your branding efforts.

1. Determine Your Emotional Appeal

For starters, think broadly about your personality and how it affects the experience someone will have with you. Are you insanely organized? Do people love working with you for your killer sense of humor?
Make a list of words that best describe these features of your personality. These words are known as emotional modifiers. Hint: They can be as simple as Disney’s “fun.”

Questions to Consider:

• How do I make people feel?
• How do people benefit by working with me?
• What words do others use to describe me?

2. Determine Your Description

Your next step is coming up with a descriptive modifier that brings clarity to the emotional modifier, identifying what or who your brand is for. In Disney’s case, it’s “family.” In Nike’s mantra, “authentic athletic performance,” “authentic” is the emotional appeal, while “athletic” tells you what the brand is for. As an individual, yours might be an industry (“healthcare” or “education”), or it might be a tangible skill (“creative” or “strategic”).

Questions to Consider:

• What field or industry am I in (or do I want to be in)?
• What are the words I would use to describe my work?
• Who is my target audience?

3. Determine Your Function

Lastly, write down what, exactly, you do (or will do). It might be something that directly relates to your career: writing, graphic design, or financial planning, for example. Or, it might be something more broad, like Disney’s “entertainment.” Are you a manager, a creator, an organizer? A connector of people?

Questions to Consider:

• What service do I have to offer people?
• What do I do that makes me stand out from everyone else?

4. Put it All Together

Finally, look at your three lists of words, and see how you can combine them into a short sentence or phrase—no more than five words. Your brand mantra should communicate clearly who you are, it should be simple and memorable, and it should feel inspiring to you. You might be a “dependable, strategic planner” or “a creative professional connector.” Or, your mantra might be something like, “motivating others to do their best.”

NOW GET STARTED!!!!