- Feature Article: "Take a Break, Get More Done: 5 Reasons and 5 Ways"

- Special Guest Article: "Up Your Cashflow by Next Week: 13 Ways to Have a SALE!"
 
- SOS Update: Lighten up!

- Steve Sez: "Did you catch The Essence?"

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Lighten Up! Have Fun, get Simpsonized.

I've been working really hard lately, smart as well.

I have been focused, working on purpose, disciplined, dedicated and creating the success I want and deserve. It feels great! But, to paraphrase a fast food jingle, I deserve a break today, so I'll get up and get away, no, not to McDonalds but Burger King's nifty little program called 'Simpsonize Me'.

Here I am on the right as a Simpson's Character. Looks just like me, huh? I'm not really that yellow, but I do have braces and wear Hawaiian shirts.

Here's your chance to take a break and have some fun. Go to http://simpsonizeme.com/# , input your photo, choose your features and you too can become an instant cartoon character. No charge!

Which leads into this week's feature article, "Take a Break, Get More Done."

So take a break and read about in now.

Make it a Healthy and Productive Week,

"Take a Break, Get More Done:                                          5 Reasons and 5 Ways"

by Steve O'Sullivan

Most of us who are self-employed have a hard time defining when it's time to work and when it's time to have a life. Especially those of us who work from home, telecommute or otherwise have an office in their house.

This also goes for commissioned sales people and employees who don't have a traditional 9 to 5 job. The structure that's present for 'real jobs' is missing from our lives, so it's easy to blur the lines between working too much and not working enough.

I don't know about you, but I often find myself working straight through the day, eating lunch at the computer, checking and returning emails late at night and the like. Some weeks, I don't take a day off, or even part of one.

On the one hand, I get lots done. On the other I sometimes find myself exhausted and grumpy, without much passion left for the work I love. I'm writing this article as much for me as I am for you. Take a BREAK!

I know that the quality of my work and my ability to plow through the piles of "to do's" diminishes when I skip time for myself. I need to take a day off every week and take a few breaks during my workday. I suspect you do too.

At one point in a previous career I went 5 years without taking a real vacation. What I mean by 'real' is actually leaving town, getting away from the temptation to work.

My coach at the time insisted the best thing for me was to get away. "But I have TOO MUCH TO DO" I cried in protest!

She was right. I was wrong.

Here are 5 Reasons to take a break or go on vacation.

1. You'll Stay Healthier - Too much work results in too much stress. Too much stress results in too much cortisol. Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone in the body, but high prolonged levels can cause loss of ability to reason, higher blood pressure, blood sugar imbalance and the dreaded mid-section bulge (pot belly!). There are about half a dozen other health issues related to too much cortisol, but suffice to say, too much is bad.

2. Your body will Thank You - If you spend a lot of time at the computer, on your feet or on the telephone you may be inadvertently developing patterns of poor posture, neck ailments, carpal tunnel syndrome and other ergonomic nightmares. Several breaks during the day can call attention to your bad habits and allow you to make adjustments that relive your physical stress.

3. You'll be more fun to be around - Ever notice people starting  to avoid you when you work too much? It might be that you missed a shower, but more likely you're just surly. Working hard and being productive are great, but all work and no play make Steve a dull boy.

4. You need a Attitude Adjustment - Your Brain absolutely needs rest and breaks from concentrating for long periods of time. I don't know the medical reason, but my version is that 'gunk' builds up in there blocking your ability to reason and process information. Stepping away from your desk for a few minutes is like a mental cleanse, clearing out that nasty gunk buildup.

5. You'll have more energy - It's a fact that people who take  short breaks at work and regular vacations from work are more vital and energetic. You are a walking electro-chemical power plant and you need certain kinds of fuel to operate properly.  Food, sleep and some good old R & R are those fuels. Besides,  just think how much more you get done right before you go on vacation!

Here are 5 Ways to Take a Break

1. Stretch - Every couple of hours get up off your hiney and stretch your legs, arms, fingers and what ever else is feeling cramped or sore. Give yourself a neck rub and get the blood flowing through your shoulders.

2. Take a Walk - Especially right after lunch when all your blood is rushing to your stomach to suck up the nutrients from that slice you had. On second thought, skip the Pizza altogether. Once around the block after your Turkey on Whole Wheat, hold the Mayo!

3. Meditate - Just 5 minutes of closed eyes, connecting with your Higher Power or visualizing yourself on a beach in Maui can be as effective as an hour break. (Just as long as you don't fall asleep.)

4. Eat a Snack - I'm not talking Snicker's Bar here. More like a Balance Bar. Choose a food with some protein, complex carbs and 'good' fat. This will help keep your blood sugar level and supply nutrition to both your body and your brain.

5. Leave Town - As my buddy Guido used to say, "Steve, time to get out of Dodge!". That was my call for a weekend away in Sonora. A couple of days out of town with friends or alone will do wonders for you.

I'm not giving you permission to goof off and neglect your business, but sometimes the best remedy for fatigue and stress is to get away from it for a while. Focus and productivity are what I'm all about, but often the best approach is a balanced one. Reminds me of that old saying, "Here today, gone to Maui."

© 2007 Steve O'Sullivan

 

"Up Your Cashflow by Next Week: 13 Ways to Have a SALE!"

by Alexandria K. Brown

Nothing gets people buying products or programs like a special promotion in your e-zine. Now, I know right now you're thinking, "I can't have a sale on my products or services. That's sooo cheesy!"

Au contraire, mon frere. It's all how you position it. Here are 13 ideas to consider. Choose one that would work for your business and give it a try.

IMPORTANT: You'll need to put some type of time limit on the offer to encourage folks to buy now and not later. It's also better if you explain to your readers WHY you're having the sale. You're not Wal-Mart and you can't just drop prices whenever you feel like it. Instead, give your prospects a reason. (Even a funny one -- see tip 13!)

1. Close-out sale. Have inventory you want to get rid of? Making room for other products or new versions of products? Then offer the current version at a significant discount.

2. "Scratch and dent" sale. Have any books, tapes, or CDs that were returned to you by customers? Offer them at a hearty discount for people who don't mind if they're a bit worn.

3. Half price sale. Lop off 50 percent from all your goods, or select just one.

4. Coupon sale. Allow customers to enter a coupon or promo code to get a discount. (If you have a decent shopping cart program you should be able to set this up in seconds.)

5. Free shipping sale. Offer free shipping for a limited time. Or, upgrade folks to express shipping at no extra cost.

6. "We'll finance it" sale. Offer a payment plan - this works great for higher priced items and programs. (Again, if you have a decent shopping cart program, you should be able to set up timed, automatic billing.)

7. Free 30-day trial. Get their credit card information at the time of order, but don't charge them until the month is up. Another variation is the 30 day trial for $1.

8. Pre-publication sale. Start taking orders before your product is even ready. (Seeing orders come in is also a great incentive for you to finally finish creating that product!)

9. VIP discount. Give a special offer to a certain group. Show your e-zine subscribers, your clients, your speaking audiences, etc. that they're special.

10. Buy one get one free! Yes, this can even work for information products and services. The purchaser can give the extra copy to a colleague as a gift, or two people can split the cost and essentially get your product or service at half price.

11. Special bonus. Give something extra if people purchase before a certain date. (This is a great strategy to up your sales without cutting your prices.)

12. Package discount. Offer a big discount if they order all your products/services or a select combination thereof.

13. Birthday sale. Or any fun occasion... Valentine's day, your anniversary, groundhog day, your dog just had puppies, your kid just lost his first tooth -- have fun with it!

BONUS TIP: Many of these options for coupons, discounts, cutoff dates, etc. can easily be set up with a good shopping cart system. QueenCart.com links you to the one I use and recommend.

© 2005-2007 Alexandria Brown International Inc.

WANT TO SEE MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE?
See Alexandria's Small Business Marketing Blog.

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 22,000+ subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com

 "Did you catch The Essence?

If you didn't have a chance to read The LifeLine two weeks ago, I announced my association with a new group of business owners in the Brentwood area. We are calling ourselves ECHO (East County Holistic Options). Yes, we slightly tweaked our name to more clearly define  what we are offering.

There has been some confusion regarding the creation of ECHO. While we are collaborating in this effort, we are all maintaining our individual  practices and businesses.

On August 1st we published our first monthly newsletter call "The Essence". We've had a great response so far! Many have called or emailed to comment on the quality articles or to find out how to get involved with the organization.

In the coming weeks we will reveal more about our mission and how you can participate in this up and coming group of Holistic practitioners.

If you missed the Premier copy of "The Essence" you can grab the PDF version by clicking on the link below. http://www.echohealing.org/The_Essence/The_Essence_Issue_1.pdf

Just to reiterate, I've joined forces with my friends Suzanne Lowe of Essential Care Chiropractic, Chris Krohn and Dani Burling of The Emerging Soul and Jeff Weber of Jeff Weber Massage  .

Our website and blogs will be up soon and I'll let you know when that happens. Also, we are offering advertising opportunities beginning in September and all business are invited to participate. We will be placing printed copies in various business lobbies and waiting rooms in the Brentwood, Antioch and Oakley area. If you are interested in getting your message out to our community, contact Chris@ECHOhealing.org.

If you'd like to subscribe to "The Essence", here is the link. Subscribe to the Essence or drop an email to essence@ECHOhealing.org and request to be added to our mailing list. I urge you to do so now, as I can't guarantee the subscription will continue to be free for long.

We invite you to pass this along and invite your friends and family to participate in this much needed organization.

August CD Special -

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It has been said that love is the highest state  that we can attain, and that The Law of Attraction is also known as The Law of Love.

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Steve O'Sullivan - SOS Impact Coaching and Training

The LifeLine Vol. I, Issue 9

The LifeLine is a bi-monthly newsletter for Small Business Owners and Solo-preneurs. Steve O'Sullivan is a productivity coach and President of SOS Impact Coaching and Training. www.SOSimpact.com

Contact Steve at Coaching@SOSimpact.com

© Copyright 2007 SOS Impact Coaching and Training. All rights reserved.