Remember Saturday mornings when you were young? No school or homework, the whole weekend ahead of you, and best of all, the coolest cartoons on television. Now you can harness the power of those silly shows that kept you spellbound for hours as a child for your bizz, with PowToon.

Promotional cartoons are the wave of tomorrow – all the of the savviest Start Ups use them to illustrate their products – but they’re usually super expensive or too difficult to create on your own unless you’re a professional animator.

Well, not any more. PowToon has themes of animated characters, props and transitions that you simply drag and drop to create professional looking animated presentations on your own. You can also import MP3s for music and voiceovers.

So easy!

If you’ve used PowerPoint before then you know how to use PowToon. Though it is intuitive, if you need more assistance, just follow the five step guide on the website.

PowToon is great for product demos, concept videos and pitches. Use it to promote an upcoming event or describe a new product that you want to launch. It’s been scientifically proven that people absorb more information when it’s presented visually, so feed your clients’ visual appetites with quirky moving images while educating them at the same time, in the tradition of the best cartoons.

When you’re done creating, Powtoon allows you to present your masterpiece in person, or to export the video via Youtube. And the best part? You can bring all of this awesomeness to your presentations for free.

So, if you’ve found that PowerPoint, Keynote and Prezi just don’t quite cut the mustard, give PowToon a try. You, and your entertained clients, will be glad you did.

 Let's see the videos you've created for you biz by sharing them here on my blog!

Guilty!

If you look at your spending habits, I bet you find food is one of your biggest money drains. Eating like a snob — eating real, quality food that you totally enjoy, will save you money and (bonus!) tighten your waistline.

Diet food is not only expensive but leaves you craving more. Imagine going to the store and only buying food that you absolutely love instead of filling your cart with $6 dollar Lean Cuisines, $3 dollar crappy protein bars and reduced-fat everything.

Processed “diet” food adds up quick and let’s be honest, we tend to eat the s**t out of it. You’re left with…

• An expensive grocery bill.
• A hungry belly.
• Sucky food that you won’t want to eat.

We’ve been programmed to believe that’s how to do it, but these subpar foods don’t satisfy you the way real, high-quality ones do.” Cynthia Sass, R.D.

Here’s what happens:
1. You spend a lot of money on sucky “convenient” food at the grocery store.
2. You bring it home and if you do eat it, you feel hungry and unsatisfied. You go out to eat real food that you’re going to enjoy.
3. Or, you don’t eat it because you would rather go out and get something you really like and you find yourself spending money on groceries AND eating out.

Eating real, high-quality food means you’ll eat and spend less.

So, what do I mean by eating like a snob?

Buy real, creamy brie cheese. Splurge on organic kale. Get beautiful organic strawberries and blueberries. Try natural almond butter instead of sugar-filled reduced fat peanut butter.
There is a misconception that quality food is expensive. If you cut out all the crap and only buy quality food, I guarantee you’ll spend less than you would on typical diet food.

Karie Hill is a financial freedom coach, speaker, and writer who believes financial freedom is one of the greatest gifts a woman can give herself. She teaches smart women how build healthy, wealthy money habits, remove their financial barriers, and create the kind of life they really desire. You can find more about her and get her FREE guide at http://kariehill.com.

Ever returned from an event or a workshop feeling totally overwhelmed with all the information?  When that happens then, typically, nothing happens. We are in a state of paralysis!

I’ve developed a very simple process for getting things done. I’m a simple gal – and that’s what works for me.

1.      Make a list of all the things you want to implement. Go through all your notes, make a list (it could be a very long one!) and then put the workbooks away. Simply work from this list now.

2.      Separate the items on the list into 2 columns: Revenue Generating Activities and Non-Revenue Generating Activities. YOU are responsible for taking action on the revenue generating activities. The rest needs to be outsourced and delegated.

3.      Send the Non-Revenue Generating activities list to your team members. Communicate with your team in a written manner first. Give them time to review the list, make their own notes and prepare their own questions. (No team members? Ok – that’s your first problem! That must change – at a minimum you should have a virtual assistant handling the administrative tasks for your business. Get that handled today!)

4.      Schedule a team meeting –sooner than later. Have each person come to that meeting prepared with action steps based on the items on the list and their area of competency. Share with them the items that you kept on your own revenue-generating activities list, too, so they get the big picture.

5.      Break it all down into month/week/day. Create a timeline for action. Ensure it is clear as to responsibility and accountability. Have regular meetings to update the list – handle questions – changes – and anything that affects the progress and implementation of this information.

6.     Celebrate achievements each week! It is critical to your success.
It’s fabulous and exciting to go to events – to learn, to network, to celebrate. But to return to your business and not take action is a total waste of time, energy and resources. You are better than that!
 What step will you take this week to implement something you’ve recently learned?

At age 55, starting a new life in a new city and in less than 18 months, Pat Mussieux created a six-figure home-based business. She is an undisputed expert on mindset and marketing – teaching women how to make BIG money doing what they love.

Pat was nominated for the 2010 and 2011 RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award, by Chatelaine magazine as 2011 Woman of the Year and was a Finalist (1 in 4) for the 2011 STEVIE Awards for Women in Business – Best Canadian Entrepreneur.

Pat Mussieux is a coach, an acclaimed international speaker, author and radio host. For more about Pat, please visit: wealthywomenleaders.com

In fact, according to a Forrester Research study, video makes your website 6x more likely to convert a “browser” into a paying customer. The same study reported that 20% of visitors will read the majority of text on a website, but 80% will watch the same content in the form of a video. Wow!

Here are some of the top strategies that you can use to incorporate video into you marketing strategy:

1. Use video on your website to show you performing your service or with your customers/clients. Using video for this purpose gives prospects a taste of you “in action” and allows them to picture themselves working with you as well.

2. Ask clients and customers for video testimonials to give your social proof even more impact. It’s one thing for you to toot your own horn, but when your clients do it (and on video no less) it’s infinitely more powerful.

3. Use video on product pages to describe what people will receive with their purchase. This can be especially useful if you’re able to showcase meaty, substantial workbooks, binders, CD sets and the like.

4. Use Livestream or Ustream to broadcast a free or paid training. Livestreaming tools allow users to view and broadcast video content over the web with a camera and a computer, and can be even more powerful than teleseminars and webinars.

5. Use video on your About page and use it to share your compelling story. When a prospect is considering working with you, telling them your story and allowing yourself to be fully authentic in the process can often be the tipping point—taking them from a skeptical “maybe” to a resounding “YES!”

Clearly, the impact of video cannot be underestimated–and now you’ve got plenty of ideas to get you started incorporating it into your own marketing.

How will YOU use video to build more trust, attract more clients and enjoy more sales?

Christine Gallagher is the founder of ShesGotClients.com, a company dedicated to teaching women entrepreneurs all over the world how to use authentic relationship marketing and online strategies to attract raving fans, enroll more clients, and enjoy more income and freedom in their business, all while sharing their gifts and their message in a much bigger way.

For more information about Christine Gallagher, please visit her website at ShesGotClients.com.

Affirmations are no longer joke material, though we all might feel a little funny saying them. Mainstream medicine is now quite accepting of the power positive affirmations to impact our sense of health and well-being. Some therapists suggest a twist, or shall I say, “tap,” to affirmations, literally tapping specific areas on your face and body while saying affirmations.

It’s called the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and involves tapping meridian points of the body, gently using the fingertips of your index and middle fingers about five to seven times on each.

The 10 main meridian points are:
1. top of the head

2. eyebrow

3. side of the eye

4. under the eye

5. under the nose

6. chin

7. collarbone

8. under the arm

9. inside wrist

The idea is to think of a problem or challenge area of your life and say a positive affirmation with an upbeat, positive manner, while tapping. Most typical EFT affirmations begin with: “Even though I have this ‘fill-in-the-blank’ problem, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Always move from the top down when tapping.   

EFT can provide relief to some after just one session but it also depends on how many issues they need to work on regarding their problem. It can be safely used every day on everything from daily stress situations to chronic health issues. The internet abounds with case studies from individual patients working on issues as diverse as anxiety, allergies, weight loss, smoking cessation, phobias, and balance.

I look forward to new research on EFT in different physical and mental health arenas with larger patient groups. In the meantime, I’ll be tapping into EFT myself.

Dr. Susan Mathison strives to be a loving mother, successful business owner, gentle teacher, empowering speaker, passionate artist, insightful writer, caring philanthropist, part-time farm wife, and aspiring self-care junkie. As a seeker and lifelong learner, Dr. Mathison shares her journey and opinions with you.

Additionally, Dr. Mathison created PositivelyBeautiful.com to empower women to build a life-style that supports them in a multi-faceted way. She feels that healthcare starts from within, and that health is our greatest natural resource. Dr. Mathison feels that true beauty is health made visible, and radiates from within. For more information about Dr. Susan Mathison, visit her website at PositivelyBeautiful.com.

Brittany Lynch, a young, vibrant, bizzy entrepreneur, is performing an experiment on herself this year on the online platform Indiegogo, and she’s giving you front row tickets to watch it all play out. Her goal? To inspire you to be your very best you by becoming her very best.

Beginning in July, and continuing for the next twelve months, Brittany will be conquering her appropriately dubbed ‘Ideal Me’ list of life goals at a high speed rate of 1 goal per month (ranging from automating income, weight loss and fitness, relationships and mastering anything), seeking out the best experts, information and products and applying all of them her own life to attain maximum results in minimum time.

Brittany will capture her trials and tribulations on film in a series of 48 episodes, so that you, the audience, can witness firsthand her ‘Ideal Me Challenge.’ By bearing the burden of the workload– and suffering through the trial and error to see what strategies, products and advice works and what doesn’t, she’ll be doing the self-help dirty work so that you won’t have to slog through book after book, and course after course yourself.

The feat is not all up to Brittany, however. Though you could remain a passive observer, she’s also inviting everyone to play along in a series of At Home Challenges that will help you achieve your own life goals and learn new skills. Participating online and completing the challenges makes you eligible for tons of prizes. And experts on self-improvement and celebrity trainers will share advice on each of the 48 episodes, so you’ll be learning from the masters for each month’s challenge.

You can start living your ideal life by joining Brittany’s journey with a contribution at any level, though the more you contribute, the greater your rewards. Join today and receive Early Bird Access to the entire web series and your name will be added to a list for additional behind-the-scenes footage. Be sure to enjoy the journey as you reach your destination. That’s the best part. 

You Show Up As A Peer.
I recently read a post by someone who was talking about the “Let’s Just Be Friends” syndrome showing up between business owners and their target market.  I see this all the time and typically, the owner is the one who perpetuates this “Let’s Just Be Friends” mentality.  The truth is this: if your target sees you as “one of them,” they’ll be less likely to take action on your suggestions.  Suggestions like this, for example: Buy this product, or attend this event. =)

Do you think because you sell lipstick or jewelry or cars or home improvement you DO NOT need to be an AUTHORITY FIGURE to your market?  Take a clue from a local DJ in my area.  He — a smart marketer — wrote a book called  101 Ways To Screw Up Your Wedding Reception (Without Really Trying) as a promotional piece.  Genius.  Now, people looking for a CHEAP DJ don’t call him.  But people who want the BEST DJ and are willing to pay for it do.  I’d rather have the latter as clients.

They Don't Trust You                                                                                                                           Sometimes, they just don’t trust you.  Maybe you’re too hyped.  Or you’re incongruent.  (Think:  the fat personal trainer syndrome.) Or you just haven’t been diligent enough in allowing your market to GET to trust you.  (Going for the immediate sell leads to this.) Or you show up ONLY when you have something to sell.  Spend time with your market.  Educate them.  Serve them.  Give them time to know and trust you.

You’ve Missed The Mark.
Sometimes, we can fall so head over heels in love with our own idea, product, event or offer that we no longer recognize that our market is saying, “actually, no thanks!”  It’s easy to miss the mark in terms of either perceived need or expected solution.  BUT — It’s just as easy to TWEAK your offer so that you hit the mark head-on!

There’s certainly no shortage of business “gurus” vying for your attention, promising you the world on a silver platter, dollars while you sleep, and other business myths that often lead their clients feeling broke and bummed. Michelle Woolard Pippin is committed to doing the opposite and measures her own success by the increase her clients see to their bottom line. She’s often described by her clients as relentless, grass-roots, offensive, passionate, profit-driven…and sometimes, even worse! If your business is pregnant with potential, and you are ready to (FINALLY!) give birth to profit, you’ve got to speak to Michelle.
For more information please visit www.bmichellepippin.com.

Let me offer you three very simple tips:
1)   Get out your calendar and set a target date for when you want your new life to begin. Besides being a great source of motivation, knowing how much time you have until “D-Day” lets you create a realistic plan for hitting it.

2)   Next, find creative ways to keep your dream literally, in your face. As you come across images or quotes that reflect your dream, place them around your workspace, in your daily planner, on the refrigerator – any place you’re sure to regularly “see” your destination.

3) Do what you can – but DO SOMETHING.
A great idea is great. Unfortunately unless you take action, it’s just that… an idea.

The next steps depend on what kind of business you’re starting. You may be wondering…
How do I set up a website?” Where will I find customers? How do I market my product, my service, or myself? If this is your first business, it can feel overwhelming!

As one Chinese proverb reminds us, moving a mountain begins by lifting one stone. To keep from being overwhelmed – yet still make headway – break your larger goal down into more manageable steps. Then, no matter how hectic your day, pledge to take at least one small step. Before you know it you’ll have turned your dreams into your life.

Dr. Valerie Young is the author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It (Crown Business/Random House). An internationally-known expert on the impostor syndrome, her client list includes Intel, Chrysler, Boeing, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Ernst & Young, Harvard University, and American Women in Radio and Television. Her career-related tips have been cited around the world including in The Wall Street Journal, USA Weekend, More, Entrepreneur, Redbook, Woman’s Day, Chicago Tribune, Glamour (UK), the Daily Mail, and Sydney Morning Herald.

As the dreamer-in-residence at ChangingCourse.com Valerie helps her 25,000 subscribers find creative ways to make a living without a job. To date she has trained over 250 people from 18 countries how to get paid to brainstorm as a Profiting from Your Passions.

Mind-reading – The first strategy for ensuring you’ll give your prospect what they want is digging deeply into the pain, desires, hope and dreams of your prospect. No, it doesn’t involve a crystal ball, but it does require thinking carefully about what your prospect really WANTS. Then crafting your freebie to answer one of the outcomes or results they can achieve with your Irresistible free Offer.

Seeding – This is a technique you should use when you’re giving tidbits of useful information that are directly from your products or information you’ll be offering for sale. A good seed is one that created hunger and desire in your prospect for more. You give them this valuable seed of information and let them know the rest of the story is in your product or service.

Here are a few examples:

• Letting new subscribers know “there’s so much to share with you about TOPIC, there’s only a limited amount of space in this [Special Report / Video / Audio / Template]“
• Referring to a customer or client having success with a piece of your information mentioning just one part of your system – “this is an important part from step 3 of my ABC system”

So you’ve learned 2 important things you need to do when creating your Irresistible No Cost Offer. Now let’s answer one of the most common questions I get “what kind of a freebie should I create?”

Here are a few things that do really well as freebies:

• Special Report
• Template
• Video
• Audio Class

So tell me, comment below with the freebie you offer in your bizz!

Maritza Parra is an author, speaker, and trainer who's passionate about helping people empower themselves and take their ideas out of their heads and turn them into profits.
After being featured on "Oprah & Friends: The Soul Series" Maritza became an expert at creating products quickly via TeleSeminars, eBooks, Video, and other Easy Product Creation Strategies. Known as the Product Creation Queen, Maritza now teaches her students how to create products from their gifts, knowledge, and talents.
For more information about Maritza Parra, visit her website at: http://maritzaparra.com.

I’ve created a new dairy-free pesto recipe that you’ll love – even my young son ate it, and that says a lot.

dairy free pesto recipe ingredients | cashew pesto recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup cashews (soaked in cool water for 6+ hours, drained and rinsed)
1 cup basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup chickpea miso paste
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Dairy-free Cashew Pesto Recipe
Directions:
1. Combine everything except the olive oil in a food processor and pulse 5-10 times to break down the cashews.
2. Process the mixture while drizzling in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. You’ll need to stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula once or twice. Add more olive oil to get the taste and smooth texture you desire.
3. Serve over gluten-free, whole grain or regular pasta, mix with cooked grains or use as a dip for steamed or raw veggies!

Will you be trying this recipe?