Debra Kasowski

Where’s the Oxygen Mask? 3 Big Mistakes You Could Be Making in Your Business Right Now

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Travelling to different parts of the world is one of my favorite things to do. In order to spread my wings I must travel on wings. Yes – an airplane! Before every departure the cabin crew demonstrates or shows you the video of what to do in case of emergency. The message is consistent and a great reminder every time I watch it- put the oxygen mask on yourself FIRST!

Why? If you cannot look after yourself (and this goes for your business and your life) you cannot serve others to the best of your ability. I know you might be saying, “But Debra I am here to serve others and to give!” And you are! If you continuously drove your car without refueling, what would happen? That’s right – you would run out of gas! The same can happen to you. You want to build a business that is sustainable and that you can grow and tap into the potential that has yet to come out!

Here are 3 of the biggest mistakes I have seen or have done myself:

Filling your schedule too full. You need to create a balance and not say yes to everything that comes your way. Ask yourself a few questions:

Does this activity contribute to my ROI (return on investment)? 

Can this be done by phone? I know that in person meetings can mean better connection however some meetings are best done by phone so you can streamline your time. 

Is this a priority and important to you?

Set boundaries. You do not have to say “YES!” to everything. Don’t worry if you say no. More opportunities are just around the corner. Be clear on what you want your time to look like. Try tracking your time for the next 3 days. Where are you spending your time? What needs to be eliminated?

NO “Me” Time You may be busy looking after your family or your parents or even help manage extracurricular activities for your kids outside of your business. There is some much time in a day and your week. You need time to recharge in order to give your best. Take a night off, get a pedicure, go for dinner with your spouse. Break up the routine. You will be refreshed and bring more to your business.

Doing it all yourself. You are a hot commodity but without you everything STOPS! Learn to outsource and let go of some of the things on your plate that take up your revenue generating time. Hire a housekeeper or someone to run errands for you. Find a virtual assistant or hire a freelancer from www.guru.com or www.eLance.com

To give your best to your customers, your family and friends, you must be rested, relaxed, and present. Create the life you want by managing your time so you are more productive and profitable because you are better able to serve. Now, where’s my oxygen mask! Enjoy your flight!


Build Your Expertise Through Education on a Shoestring Budget

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Are you on a shaky financial ground? Have you been stretching your marketing budget or spending money from your business in your personal life and going through tough times? Do you need more education or knowledge to build your credibility as an expert? Many women in business have been in your position at one time or another.

“If knowledge is power, where do you get some. ” –  Debra Kasowski

There are several ways you can build your credibility as an expert. Develop a presence of being a go-to or knowledge expert. People are looking for people who deliver results. You must be confident in your abilities and be able to demonstrate this to others both on-line and off-line.

Educate yourself to be the best:

  • You Tube Videos or TED talks

    • – Watch videos about the expertise you are trying to develop or hone. There are many tips and techniques out there.

  • iTunes – Podcasts also have valuable information. Listen and take notes. Remember knowledge is only good if it has been applied and works for you.
  • Books, Articles, Magazine, & Newspapers – Learn from the experts already out there. Find out what you need to learn and work toward honing that skill with one action step each day. 
  • Google – The best resource out there. How many times have you heard, “Just Google it!” For example, you might want to learn about blogging. Think of the questions you might have about starting a blog. What? Where? When? How often? How can I do it? Why blog? Who is your audience? Type in what you want to learn, there are literally hundreds of websites and blogs like this sharing information.
  • Networking Events and Conferences – There are often speakers at networking events and other experts like yourself. Go for coffee or lunch with one of them and learn about their business.
  • Study the experts. Success leaves clues. What are they doing that you could be doing to build your business? Go to their websites they often have a free newsletter or other resources that you can use.
  • As you are growing, you will need to invest in yourself in other ways by attending conferences and seminars. My greatest growth came from working with a coach who has been where you want to go and done what you want to do. You want to be able to have the knowledge so you can leverage opportunities and give the people you serve the results they want.

What Can I Change to Get the Results I Want?

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Are you asking yourself, “What can I change to get the results I want?” If not, you should be! Yes, I know not everyone embraces change well. Change can create the most amazing results if you are willing to take action. There are three areas you should be reviewing on a daily, weekly, and at least a monthly basis. What is working well in your business? DO MORE OF! What is not working well? Either stop doing it or revise your plan. Finally, what do I know I should stop doing? If you know it, DO IT! The questions seem pretty simple! It takes practice to shift your mindset, gather the information you need to make your decision, and push through any fears you may have to taking action.

Here are 5 simple strategies you can use to start getting the results you want:

  1. Identify what is working in your life and business right now. Write them down and be specific. What have you done consistently or differently to get this result? What has worked before but you stopped doing and why?
  2. Decide what you must change. What 2 actions steps – either change in thought, behavior, or action – would have the greatest impact in your life and business right now? Write them down. Is there anything you can be doing right now to achieve it? Remember all it takes is small steps to have great impact.
  3. Determine what is holding you back from taking action. Is it your mindset? Is it your pocketbook? What are you afraid of? Success is closer than you think. Feel your fear and take a small action step. Do you know your fear is ultimate true?
  4. Start taking action. What action steps are you willing to take TODAY to get the results you desire?
  5. Create momentum by doing another action step and another action step and share your mission of helping others with others so they can support you.

These simple strategies are best if used consistently. These strategies will help you get the results that you want and will also help you anticipate some of the obstacles that come up on your path to success. Shift your mindset to create lasting change and  develop an unlimited profit potential.

Are You All Tied Up with Other People’s Agendas?

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The results you get in your business are a direct result of your productivity and your focus. Are you wishing you were not pulled so many directions? Do you wish you had more time doing what you love? Would you like to have more “me time” ? Would you like to make more money in your business? You can!

Take a look at your to- do list and what are “Other People’s Agenda” items, or OPA, (sorry – not the thrilling of excitement you may hear at a Greek restaurant).  These items can be very time consuming and even drain some of your energy because you are not working on what you really want to complete for you. Enough is enough – it is time to take charge of your time and energy in a whole new way by setting some boundaries by valuing your time.

I have implemented strategies in my business that I know can really help you too. You can become more productive and focused and start seeing better results in your business. Some of these tips may seem simple but when used consistently have great impact by increasing your productivity.

5 Ways to Increase Your Productivity Today:

  1. Email – Set aside specific times of day in which your check your email. If you check your email first thing in the morning, you are setting yourself up for a lengthy to do list of all the other things people need or want you to do. Remember you are in control – this is your business and your life. Do not check your email until you have had some physical activity, a good breakfast, and planned your day based on your priorities. For heaven’s sakes, turn off the email notifications, they are like bright shiny objects that distract you from what you are working on.
  2. Telephone Calls – Keep an eye on the time you spend talking on the phone, you can easily get off on a side track conversation. Save non-profit generating phone calls for after business hours or allot them into your calendar in advance. When you are working and focused on a certain project, let your phone go to voicemail and check it when you take a break.
  3. Meetings – Decide whether or not you need to meet someone in person for a meeting or is the meeting that you can discuss over the phone. A fifteen to twenty minute  phone call can save a lot of time in travel and meeting time.
  4. On the Drive University – Do you have trouble finding time to learn and grow to further develop your business strategies? Listen to audio program in your vehicle so that you can learn and develop new ideas to implement into your business. A stale mind will produce the same results. Innovation and creativity are required for sustainability and growth in your business.
  5. Track Your Time. Track your time for 30 minute increments for one week. You will be able to see where you are spending your time. Hopefully, it will be on revenue generating activities. A business without revenue is just a hobby.

BONUS TIP – Start your day with at least 30-60 minutes of physical activity. Not only is it good for your health, but you will get those creative juices flowing and pump up your energy for the day.

The time is now for you to focus and plan your day for you. At first you may even find this challenging as you will suddenly have much more time on your hands than you may know what to do with. Time you never thought you had. Use use your time wisely. Start thinking bigger about how much more you can accomplish and the results you can get when you have this extra time. Don’t get tied up with OPA!

Take charge of what is most pressing for you. Imagine yourself being more productive, enjoying greater happiness, and achieving bigger results. What are your priorities right now?