tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67625039020803050782024-03-05T16:02:25.910-08:00The Therapists' Business SchoolBusiness and marketing for holistic therapistsCatherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-41062475385731614582018-02-23T04:17:00.002-08:002018-02-23T04:18:18.572-08:00Are more qualifications the answer?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Are you a holistic therapists struggling to attract enough customers? If so, you are not alone. So, how do you overcome this problem? By getting a higher level of qualification? Or perhaps by specialising in a niche? Watch the video below to find the answer. </div>
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Access <a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/1230570" target="_blank">The Business Success Course</a> here.Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-36557404132666384372017-08-30T08:44:00.002-07:002017-08-30T08:46:55.125-07:00Business Success Course For Holistic Therapists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HS1gLYdod1Ju4WHpyzeaqAYtohaunVsIhv65RAbSjnv9Asv6-08_Ml1r2-jLUFTnPCs9hyphenhyphenWlDLvHuEY9xlOqXHN4qLodWJLJRWPDqFiVPO4eecpAnm-eBYD57ChYGfjQKZUZtp7f1JuY/s1600/TTBS+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="660" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HS1gLYdod1Ju4WHpyzeaqAYtohaunVsIhv65RAbSjnv9Asv6-08_Ml1r2-jLUFTnPCs9hyphenhyphenWlDLvHuEY9xlOqXHN4qLodWJLJRWPDqFiVPO4eecpAnm-eBYD57ChYGfjQKZUZtp7f1JuY/s320/TTBS+lady.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<em>The secrets of creating a successful therapy business.</em><br />
<i><br /></i>
Are you struggling to attract enough clients? Are you worrying about money? Are you feeling uncertain?<br />
<br />
It is a great shame if you are working as a therapist, doing the job you love, and yet finding it difficult to keep the business afloat. This is a very common problem. There’s nothing worse than worrying about how to pay your rent or your insurance, being upset when clients cancel, or even worse, having to give up on your dream and find another job.<br />
<br />
The Business Success Course will give you the tools you need to build a thriving, successful, busy therapy practice. Broken into four weekly modules, this online business training course covers how to change your mind set, how to market your business and how to grow your business.<br />
The course has been created using the experience of several successful therapists.<br />
<br />
<h2>
The Business Success Course will:</h2>
<ul>
<li>Teach you how to be a successful business person.</li>
<li>Give you a variety of marketing strategies.</li>
<li>Allow you to build a thriving practice.</li>
<li>Stop you worrying about money.</li>
<li>Allow you to work as a therapist as your main job.</li>
<li>Give you free time.</li>
<li>Allow you to manage your work around your other commitments.</li>
<li>Help you to earn a good income.</li>
<li>Allow you the satisfaction of helping people.</li>
<li>Show you how to establish a good reputation.</li>
<li>Give you the skills to be your own boss</li>
</ul>
<h2>
The Business Success Course is £199 down from £300. This includes:</h2>
<ul>
<li>4 weekly modules</li>
<li>Workbook</li>
<li>MP3s</li>
</ul>
<strong>£300 is already fantastic value for such an in depth course. However, until the end of 2017 you can purchase the entire course for £199. </strong><br />
Although the course is priced in pounds sterling, if you would like to pay using another currency, you can easily do this when you click through to PayPal.<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MNLGTJWBYF56Q" target="_blank">Purchase the Business Success Course</a></b></div>
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We are so confident that you will love that Business Success Course, that it comes with a 100% money back guarantee. If, once you have completed all four weeks, you’re not satisfied with the course, you can have a no quibble refund.<br />
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Make a change today. Don’t continue to struggle financially, watch your business struggle and spend your days worrying about the future.<br />
Purchase your Business Success Course now and change the future of your business.<br />
<br />
Please note - there will be a delay between purchasing the course and receiving it. This will usually be approximately 24 hours. </form>
Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-51890750592263633102017-05-31T12:44:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:45:08.467-07:00Tech Solutions For Holistic TherapistsModern technology can make everyone's life easier and the same goes for us therapists. Here are a few of the most useful apps and systems for holistic therapists. <br />
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We are going to assume you already have the basics such as a website and email address. <br />
<br />
1) Google Calendar. This is such an easy to use system with the additional advantage that it will automatically sync between your pc and your phone. You can access it from any device. You can also share the calendar with others, for example your receptionist. It also automatically populates with diary dates from your emails, which is really handy. <br />
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2) iZettle. This is a system for accepting credit card payments. It used to be really tricky for small businesses to accept card payments. We needed specialist machinery, a landline and the costs were high. iZettle connects via Bluetooth to your mobile phone. You don't even need to be connected to WiFi. Using the iZettle app you select the amount you want to charge, the phone connects with the small card reader, (which is available from iZettle for a small cost). Your customer uses the card reader, the funds get automatically transferred to your account and that's it. Wonderfully simple.<br />
<br />
3) MailChimp. This is an email marketing platform, which is free for smaller accounts. The free account will likely serve you for several years as you grow your business. Use MailChimp to easily create beautiful newsletters, promoting your business, which can be sent to thousands of subscribers all at once. Give away freebies and useful information in your newsletters to increase reader engagement. MailChimp also produces very useful reports which can tell you information such as which people read your emails the most and which links are most popular. <br />
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4) Leadpages.net. This is a lead capture platform. What does this mean? It means that you can create ads (on Facebook for example) giving away a freebie (such as an ebook). Prospective customers sign up to the freebie. Leadpages.net automatically sends them the freebie and also adds their contact details to your existing email list. It integrates well with MailChimp. For more information about how to use Leadpages and MailChimp to create a marketing funnel, download our <a href="http://www.thetherapistsbusinessschool.com/the-therapists-business-success-course/" target="_blank">Business Success Course.</a> <br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-22740463837996991852017-03-27T08:00:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:44:56.983-07:00The tough side of being a therapistIn this blog, we talk at length about all the benefits of a career as a therapist, and while this is certainly the case, there are of course some downsides. Here at The Therapists' Business School, we aim to be as honest and helpful as possible about what a career as a therapist really involves. <br />
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Almost all small businesses experience a feast and famine cycle. This is particularly prevalent in therapy, as we tend to see clients for a block of sessions over a short amount of time, meaning we continuously need to find new clients. Often, when we're busy seeing clients, we don't have enough time for marketing, so when we have finished seeing those clients we need to market like crazy again to get new ones in, leading to the feast and famine pattern of income. One way to overcome this problem is to use the quiet times to automate as much of your marketing as possible. Schedule newsletters and social media posts weeks in advance, so they will be working for you during your busy times as well as your quiet ones. <br />
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Another disadvantage of running a therapy business is that it can be quite lonely. You tend to work alone, only seeing your clients. For many people it can be hard not to have colleagues to talk to or a boss to ask advice from. A way to overcome this issue is to join a local peer support group for your specific field of therapy. These groups are so important for your own wellbeing. Make sure you are also getting regular supervision. A good supervisor can fulfil the role of a mentor and guide you when you get struggle.<br />
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As therapists, we care about people. It's because we care so much for our clients, that we invest so much in them. Unfortunately not all of our clients will get better. In some cases, even though we do everything we can to help the person, they still do not see an improvement. This can be heartbreakingly disappointing for us and can really rock your confidence in your abilities. When this happens, and it will happen, use the experience as a learning curve. Identify what changes you could make in the future to improve your service. Once you have taken the lesson from it, move on and focus on the times treatment has been successful. A peer support group is also very useful for this as it is reassuring to know that other therapists have the same experience. <br />
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To find out more about the courses and services we offer click <a href="http://www.thetherapistsbusinessschool.com/about-us/" target="_blank">here</a>. Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-28165701935294914462016-11-29T02:15:00.003-08:002017-05-31T12:45:25.297-07:00Should I invest in my own business premises?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJCax55KSqiA3a-CtRAM1iHP111BXc1jcasqO02V34PIHlc0hykT4O7YyWYG2BFvyaNO9IvQKHn0nUiQpYjk1JMHOIkZrdNw-GQlMbE0iFQhGYJJ4zQCnJLrpht81-e2k7yHMsEf-12Fl/s1600/London+therapy+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJCax55KSqiA3a-CtRAM1iHP111BXc1jcasqO02V34PIHlc0hykT4O7YyWYG2BFvyaNO9IvQKHn0nUiQpYjk1JMHOIkZrdNw-GQlMbE0iFQhGYJJ4zQCnJLrpht81-e2k7yHMsEf-12Fl/s1600/London+therapy+room.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>London Therapy Rooms EC2</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As a therapist, should you work from home or hire a therapy room?<br />
If you opt for the latter, which one should you choose?<br />
To hire a room by the hour in an existing therapy centre?<br />
Or to rent your own office space?<br />
Or even to buy and sublet to other therapists. and how much should you spend? <br />
<br />
The number of options and resulting questions can be mind boggling. Hopefully we can help you to make a more informed decision by discussing some of the pros and cons of each option. <br />
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The first and usually cheapest option is to work from home. In order to do this, you will need a designated space in your home, which is generally very affordable but could potentially be costly, if you need to renovate a room or build a garden house. There are many benefits to this first option. The big benefit is no ongoing rent expenses. This is a huge advantage, particularly if your business is still quite young. You also do not need to pay travel costs or parking. Being in full control of your environment is also comforting. You can ensure that you have all the equipment you need, that the environment is quiet and the bathrooms are clean. This is not always guaranteed in a rented space! However, there are some disadvantages to working from home. From surveying many clients, it appears that clients view working from home as less professional. Most clients would prefer to go to a more formal setting. Depending on your type of therapy, your clients might feel anxious. Visiting you in your home feels as though they are in your territory, which can heighten anxiety. Running your sessions from a more neutral environment, can enable clients to feel more comfortable. Most of your clients will be wonderful people. However, almost every therapist has had at least one client who has not respected the professional boundaries. This can range from stalker type behaviour to expecting their therapist to be on call 24/7. Working from home offers you less protection against this. <br />
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A second option is to visit clients in their homes. This has many advantages. There are big cost savings since you do not incur any costs, other than travel. Clients potentially feel more comfortable in their own home. It is also easier for disabled clients as they do not have to struggle with transport and unfamiliar places. One disadvantage is that you have to carry your equipment from place to place, which, depending on your therapy style, might be very inconvenient. If a lot of your day is spent travelling, you are limiting how many paid hours you can fit into a day. Often client's homes are not a good environment to for therapy. Potentially there are pets around who are keen to get involved or family members in other rooms and the client might be conscious of them listening in. <br />
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If you decide to rent a space there are a dazzling number of options available to you. One of the most common for holistic therapists, is to hire a room by the hour within an existing therapy centre. This allows you to minimise the risk, since you are only paying if you use the room. Generally the rooms are well suited to therapy and may have equipment and suitable furniture included. Usually these centres will also do some advertising on your behalf, which is great for generating new business. One of the disadvantages is that the hourly cost is often quite high and takes a big chunk out of your earnings. Also, you can be limited by when the room is available so might not be able to see your clients at times which suit them. <br />
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Once you have established a good client base, it might suit you to rent somewhere permanently. This is generally the most expensive option. It looks very professional to have your own designated space, which you can furnish to perfectly suit the needs of your clients. If you rent an office with a receptionist, this further adds to your professionalism and portrays you as an expert. You have full flexibility about when you see clients. It can also be nice to separate your home life and work life. The disadvantage of this option is that it is expensive, particularly if you want a nice office in a good location, with additional features such as parking, receptionists and a waiting room. It is also a the riskiest option. You still have to pay your rent whether or not you have enough clients, so in theory you could be making a loss.<br />
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Please do add your comments below. telling the community which type of premises you practice from and how that is working out for you.<br />
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-57366698071282661782016-11-17T05:50:00.002-08:002017-05-31T12:45:39.869-07:00Lessons from Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJNfudoLsYKGkTib7jIKE0ZXw00ArvmUGytsXFrpx8oj_zypUU9Py7UG5H6eoIG1109g2KcxRGyCUFhmzEdEyJSjYez9P6QBDQvNrFMnzsvvLJ7qJ3jDx5RjVipTsJD5g_Mz0gibxDUHR/s1600/The+Power+of+Influence+and+Persuasion.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJNfudoLsYKGkTib7jIKE0ZXw00ArvmUGytsXFrpx8oj_zypUU9Py7UG5H6eoIG1109g2KcxRGyCUFhmzEdEyJSjYez9P6QBDQvNrFMnzsvvLJ7qJ3jDx5RjVipTsJD5g_Mz0gibxDUHR/s200/The+Power+of+Influence+and+Persuasion.png" width="130" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmJNfudoLsYKGkTib7jIKE0ZXw00ArvmUGytsXFrpx8oj_zypUU9Py7UG5H6eoIG1109g2KcxRGyCUFhmzEdEyJSjYez9P6QBDQvNrFMnzsvvLJ7qJ3jDx5RjVipTsJD5g_Mz0gibxDUHR/s1600/The+Power+of+Influence+and+Persuasion.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></a></div>
As business owners we need to know almost as much about sales and marketing as we do about our chosen therapy. Generally, therapists are brilliant at helping their clients but sometimes find the sales and marketing side of their business a little trickier.<br />
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There are a lot of wonderful resources available to help us with promoting our business. A classic book, highly regarded in entrepreneurial circles, is 'Influence - The Psychology of Persuasion' by Robert Cialdini.<br />
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In today's blog post we'll aim to summarise the messages in this book and give you practical advice on how these strategies can be applied specifically to a therapy business.<br />
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<b>Lesson 1 - Reciprocation</b><br />
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Potential clients will be more likely to pay for treatment with you if they have first received something from you. As people, we like to feel that things are fair. For example, if someone gives you a present for your birthday, you would feel very uncomfortable if you did not reciprocate the favour when it was theirs. If we receive something, we are more likely to give something back and this also applies in business. To put this into practice, offer something small as a freebie to your potential clients, perhaps a free digital product or free introductory session. The people who take up your freebie offer are far more likely to become proper customers. You can offer this on your website, newsletters and social media pages.<br />
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<b>Lesson 2 - Commitment and consistency</b><br />
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A strange quirk in our nature, is that once we have made a statement about who we are or what we believe, we are very reluctant to change that, even if there is considerable evidence that our initial decision was incorrect. This could be because we want to save face, we don't want to appear hypocritical and we don't like uncertainty or conflict within ourselves. A good example of this is someone who makes a public commitment vs someone who only makes it in their own mind. Using weight loss as an example, a person who tells all their friends and colleagues that they are going to lose 3 stone and compete in a 10k run is far more likely to be successful than the person who just tells themselves they will do it. Again, we can use this as part of our marketing strategy. Run a free workshop for potential clients. Anyone who attends that workshop is making a public commitment that they are open minded about your specific type of therapy and the trust you as the therapist. Deliver great content in this workshop and at the end of the event, invite people to work with you in an one on one basis. An event of this type also utilises the rule of reciprocity.<br />
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<b>Lesson 3 - Social Proof</b><br />
When we make decisions we look for evidence that society agrees with our decisions. Would you go to a restaurant if everyone told you it was terrible? The rise of sites such as Tripadvisor show us how much we value social proof. The simple way to use social proof in your business, is to ask previous clients for testimonials. Once you have a collection of positive testimonials from your existing clients, you can quote them on your website, social media pages, newsletters etc.<br />
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<b>Lesson 4 - Liking</b><br />
This lesson is self-explanatory. A therapeutic relationship is a unique one. Potential customers will often feel vulnerable before they come to see you. Before they will work with you, clients need to like and trust you. Social media is a great way to gain their like and trust. Just be yourself on social media. Engage with your audience. Talk about the things you are passionate about and believe in.<br />
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<b>Lesson 5 - Authority</b><br />
Building on the idea of trust, clients want to feel confident that you can help them with their issue. They want to see you as an expert in your field, an authority figure. There are lots of practical ways you can create this authority as a therapist. Write a book, being a published author (you can self-publish) creates a lot of kudos and presents you as an authority. Do a feature on local TV or radio. Or publish an article in an industry journal.<br />
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<b>Lesson 6 - Scarcity</b><br />
This rule is used in retail all the time,<br />
"Sale ends tomorrow,"<br />
"Only three left in stock."<br />
Sales messages like these motivate customers to make a decision and buy the product. This marketing strategy has been around for a long time because it works. Apply these strategies to your own business. When you run a special offer, have a clear end date for it. Imply that you are very busy (even if you're not) and can only take on a limited number of new clients. This galvanizes people who are thinking about it to make a decision.<br />
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These very valuable business skills are described in far more detail in the original book, "Influence - The Power of Persuasion,' by Robert Cialdini.<br />
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You can purchase it from Amazon below.<br />
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<br />
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</iframe>Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-61370963397565478022016-11-08T09:10:00.001-08:002017-05-31T12:45:52.269-07:00Taking The First Step<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A career as an alternative therapist is a dream job. You are your own boss, have the freedom to manage your own time, generally earn a better hourly salary than you do in employment and can do work you genuinely love.<br />
Despite all the benefits of this type of career, many people hold back from taking that first step. For a lot of people it is a career they would like to do "one day."<br />
There are many reasons why people hold back, for instance:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I am worried about giving up a regular salary</li>
<li>I don't know where to start</li>
<li>My friends and family will think it is a stupid idea</li>
<li>What if I'm no good at it?</li>
<li>I don't know anything about taxes and marketing</li>
<li>It all seems too daunting. </li>
</ul>
The best advice we can give is to just start. Begin researching how to qualify in your chosen field. Or, if you are already qualified and are delaying setting up the business, just start marketing it. None of us have all the answers at the beginning. You learn as you go along.<br />
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You can easily work out aspects, such as keeping accounts and running Facebook adverts, as you progress. Everything does not have to be perfect on day one. There are a huge number of resources to teach you the skills you will need. Many people hold back from their ideal lifestyle because they are waiting for all the stars to be aligned. Well, that perfect time never happens to start now and adapt as your business develops.<br />
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Starting your own business feels like a big risk. However, as a therapist your risks are relatively low. You could continue to be employed part time while you build you client base. The overheads for a therapy business are low compared to other businesses such as shops, restaurants or manufacturing. Explore the risks and develop a contingency plan to deal with the, Don't let them hold you back unnecessarily.<br />
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As for the opinions of other people, the important thing is that it is your life. Whenever you make a big change in life, some people will be resistant to it. This resistance usually comes from a kind place, they are worried about the risks. There is a saying that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. Take the first steps and then tell friends and family. Once you have started on the path you will usually find that people are more supportive. Explain to friends and family your reasons for wanting a lifestyle change. Accept that not everyone will understand, but that is OK.<br />
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Taking the first step is the most difficult. After that each obstacle you will encounter feels smaller.<br />
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You deserve to do work you are passionate about. Make that change in your life today. <br />
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<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-53038503520647956702016-10-19T04:36:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:46:06.821-07:00Creating Digital Products<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the disadvantages of being a therapist, is that we tend to exchange time for money. In general, the business model for therapists, is that we get paid a specific amount of money, for a set amount of time with a single client. E.g. £50 for a half hour physiotherapy session.<br />
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While this model allows us to really get to know our clients, it means we cannot scale our businesses. We get limited by the numbers of hours we can physically work. This business model also causes issues when we want to go on holiday. If we are not physically there, we do not earn any money.<br />
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So, how can we create a passive stream of income, which is not limited by time or having to be physically present?<br />
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A great solution is to create digital products. A digital product can make you money while you sleep. Sounds fantastic doesn't it?<br />
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Creating a digital product is surprisingly easy. Have a think about what products would work for your business. If you are a hypnotherapist or meditation instructor, then an audio products would be brilliant. If you are a yoga teacher you could create a video. If you are a nutritionist, you could create an e-book.<br />
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Take the time to make your digital product perfect. Edit your product to remove any small irritations, such as bad sound quality on a video.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7IfqAH4Qjzq-Wx8OVDnQwhrAWDNIhRWZ3Gqeq1QSJUXoPqYpq4QYkCHAaBigOX-LKWQ0k_ajl0ggEJWExnw7LKmvIeiqDpgqb1pq42_V6uhFSnSzWQMKntMfreStmplI-vtxCdqwEcBh/s1600/digital+products.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7IfqAH4Qjzq-Wx8OVDnQwhrAWDNIhRWZ3Gqeq1QSJUXoPqYpq4QYkCHAaBigOX-LKWQ0k_ajl0ggEJWExnw7LKmvIeiqDpgqb1pq42_V6uhFSnSzWQMKntMfreStmplI-vtxCdqwEcBh/s1600/digital+products.png" /></a></div>
Due to the increasing popularity of digital products there are lots of available platforms to use. Infusionsoft is a great system to use. Ecwid and Shopify are also very user friendly. These systems allow you to display your products, process the payments and send them to your buyers.<br />
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Once you have created your product, you can offer it to your existing customers. People who already know, like and trust you, will be more comfortable buying from you. You can also sell your digital products using Facebook advertising and Google AdWords (Pay Per Click) ads.<br />
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Another advantage of creating a digital product, particularly a book, is that it creates a lot of kudos. It demonstrates that you are an expert in your field. This benefits all the areas of your business. <br />
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Have you ever created a digital product for your business? If so, what has worked well for you? And what obstacles have you had to overcome with creating digital products? Please do comment below.<br />
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-60112155230227468992016-09-19T03:28:00.003-07:002017-05-31T12:46:20.375-07:00Celebrating Freedom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This blog post is in response to <a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10-day-blog-challenge/10dbc-day-10">Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 10</a> which is the final blog post I am writing as part of a challenge, which has focused on getting clear about your goals in business and life. <br />
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I write a lot, both for you guys here at The Therapists' Business School and also on my hypnotherapy blog, but this challenge has pushed me out of my comfort zone. Usually my blogs specialize in giving you, the readers, tools and strategies to employ in your own lives.While a few of the blogs I have written for this challenge, have still focused on how to market a holistic therapy practice, a lot of them have been more personal. Instead of simply providing information, I have been talking about my own aspirations. For someone who is quite private and is more comfortable hiding behind the name of their business, being so open has been difficult. </div>
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However, I overcame this challenge (the lure of the first prize certainly helped!) and put my personal desires out there in the public domain. And you know what? It was fine. <br />
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People didn't ridicule me, tell me my dreams were fanciful or all point and laugh as the gremlins in my mind told me they would. In fact, people have been very supportive. The audience has actually engaged really well with these more personal blogs. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXviar10VWTJ90NkgvzTA3h6EepvCcPepsFOtp7VZHde9tvVvYm4XCOC9szXyggh8SvYe1RsNm6iGQ6jPuYNoNtA0Ox16iyAg33RYTQ47_1Lc74kuOtjc6BOQsscVv8-xPI_BMl7Bb2Sgp/s1600/Koh+Rong+Samleom.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXviar10VWTJ90NkgvzTA3h6EepvCcPepsFOtp7VZHde9tvVvYm4XCOC9szXyggh8SvYe1RsNm6iGQ6jPuYNoNtA0Ox16iyAg33RYTQ47_1Lc74kuOtjc6BOQsscVv8-xPI_BMl7Bb2Sgp/s200/Koh+Rong+Samleom.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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My favorite post of the challenge was Day 3, which was all about creating a clear vision for the future, by planning your perfect day. This challenge was wonderful for a few reasons. First it feels great to fantasize about your perfect day. Second, it helped me to get really clear on what I actually want from life, as opposed to what other people say is important. Third, it was very personal, so really broke down the barrier I had, about being open about myself, in the public domain. I enjoyed this challenge so much that I have since set it as a task to several of my hypnotherapy clients. </div>
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The challenge has been hugely valuable to me and changed the way I view things in business and life. In business, I am going to blog far more frequently as I have seen the business benefit of having evergreen content and have enjoyed the process. More importantly I am going to talk much more openly about what I really want in business and in life. </div>
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If you have any comments about the 10 day blog challenge or about The Therapists' Business School, then please do comment below. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="http://thefreedomplan.rocks/ten">http://thefreedomplan.rocks/ten</a></strong></td></tr>
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Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-26803008096336919012016-09-18T04:06:00.002-07:002017-05-31T12:46:35.562-07:00Location IndependenceUsually our blogs here at The Therapists' Business School provide guidance on business and marketing for therapists. Today's blog is a little more personal. I'm Cat, the owner of The Therapists' Business School and I've been taking part in a ten day blog challenge. Every day I've been writing a blog which helps me to create the vision for my own life. It has been brilliant and I thoroughly recommend you check it out. This blog post is in response to <a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10-day-blog-challenge/10dbc-day-9">Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 9</a>, which is all about location independence. I hope my views can inspire you to also think about your goals.<br />
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I have always loved travel. As soon as I hit 18, I packed my backpack, passport, SPF 6000 sun cream (I have the type of skin which can burn under a light bulb!) and I was off. That first experience of independent travel took me inter railing around Europe, seeing ruins and beaches in Thailand, sailing down the river Nile, working in a hospital in India and office work (and drinking) in Dublin. I was hooked.<br />
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Life is a little different now. I'm in my early thirties, have a family, a home I love and a hypnotherapy practice, which I am incredibly passionate about. My goal now is to be able to travel for three months of the year, during all the school holidays and enjoy the rest of the year in my base in the UK. I admire all the families who educate their children on the road, giving them true location independence. However, for me that is not the best balance, for two reasons. One, I love my hypnotherapy work and to provide a good service to my clients, I need to be able to see them regularly over a period of a few months. Secondly, my oldest daughter is disabled and requires quite a lot of additional support in school and from healthcare professionals so it makes sense to stay where the support is already set up.<br />
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So, my dream is to have the freedom to travel for three months of the year, with my family. This is one of the reasons why I set up The Therapists' Business School. By providing business and marketing knowledge as online courses and by employing the best trainers in the field to run the classroom courses, I do not need to be physically present.<br />
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In April, we are going, as a family, to Thailand and Cambodia. We are all incredibly excited for this trip. While there it will be important to me to balance my work time, tourist time, relaxation time and time for exercise. We are working with the natural rhythm of the area we are visiting. Thailand and Cambodia are stifling hot in April. So, we will all get up early and stay up late to do most of our touristy things early in the morning or late in the evening. During the hottest part of the day, the children will need a sleep. This siesta time is mine and my husband's opportunity to get some work done. By saving all of our documents to Google Drive and our log ins to LastPass, we can log in from any computer in the world, saving us the extra luggage of having to bring a laptop. We will incorporate plenty of exercise into our daily routine in Asia, simply by the activities we will be doing, horse riding, swimming and lots of walking.<br />
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For another post about how to balance work and location independence, check out my blog about my perfect day <a href="http://thetherapistsbusinessschool.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/creating-vision-for-future.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Often people think that extensive travel is out of reach. They think it is too expensive / dangerous / impossible to fit in around work etc. Don't let these limiting beliefs hold you back. In reality travel is accessible, it just takes a bit of organisation.<br />
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Travel is very important to me, as it is with so many other people. It really is possible to create a business and lifestyle which allows you location independence.<br />
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<b>Get the<a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" target="_blank"> 7 Steps To Create A Successful Therapy Business</a> here. </b><br />
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<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-26568269500580004752016-09-16T02:31:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:46:54.577-07:00How To Overcome Procrastination And OverwhelmThere are many wonderful benefits to running your own business. Unfortunately, there are also a few downsides. As your own boss, you have nobody to motivate you. You have nobody to hold you accountable if you procrastinate. Sometimes it feels overwhelming doing everything yourself.<br />
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If you ever find yourself procrastinating or feeling overwhelmed, by everything, you need to do in your business, don't worry, this is very normal.<br />
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We all hit these periods of procrastination and overwhelm in our business.<br />
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Like everything in life, our energy and passion for our business naturally waxes and wanes. Often, we will feel incredibly motivated for a couple of months, focus everything on our business and then suddenly find our energy disappears. Don't panic when this happens. It's natural. The best thing to do, is to accept that sometimes you need to take a step back and relax a little. If you try to keep going at full speed during these low energy periods, you will simply extend the unproductive period and feel anxious about it. Take time for yourself to relax, spend time with family and friends, go on holiday and you'll come back to your business with renewed vigour.<br />
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As well as natural energy fluctuations, a period of procrastination and feeling overwhelmed, could be because your heart is not really in the work you are trying to do. Ask yourself honestly, is this something which lights you up? Do you have passion for the work you are doing? Or are you doing it because you think you should be? If it's the latter, then what else can you be doing? Take your business in a direction which fills you with excitement.<br />
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There will be times when our motivation is lower, our stress is higher but we cannot take a step back. There will be times when it is business critical to get things done.<br />
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There are various tools and techniques you can use to overcome procrastination and overwhelm.<br />
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Keep a 'To Do' list. This means that all your tasks are recorded and you will not feel overwhelmed by having to remember everything. Regularly review your To Do list and ask yourself the following questions for each item:<br />
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When the answer to all three questions is no, then get rid of the task. </div>
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With the remaining tasks, are there any you can outsource? These days you can outsource almost all business and personal tasks, often for a very low cost. </div>
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Now, you are left with a much more manageable To Do list. Hopefully this exercise of eliminating many of the tasks will enable to feel less overwhelmed. </div>
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Make sure you are finding time everyday for some exercise and meditation. Both are great for minimizing stress and that sensation of overwhelm. They also help you to be more focused. </div>
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Once you have eliminated many of the tasks from your To Do list, it is time to get laser focused. </div>
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Before you go to bed at night, choose a maximum of three tasks from your To Do list, which are the most important ones to get done the next day. No more than three or you will start to feel overwhelmed. </div>
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When it comes to the next day, focus on each task one at a time. Do not attempt to multi-task. Choose your first task of the day. Ensure you are working in a good environment. Limit the time you have available to work on this task. This might sound counter-intuitive, but limiting the time you have available increases your productivity.It prevents you from wasting time on Facebook or travel websites (maybe that's just me!). Work on your first task for a set amount of time. Then take a break. Go for a walk to clear your mind, have something to eat or do some exercise.<br />
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For example, a typical day when you want to overcome procrastination and overwhelm could look like this.<br />
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20 minute meditation session<br />
Task one for 40 minutes<br />
Have some lunch<br />
Task two for 40 minutes<br />
Go for a walk<br />
Task three for 40 minutes.<br />
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Work with your own circadian rhythm. If you are a night owl, then do your most creative tasks late in the evening. If you have maximum concentration span of 20 minutes, then perhaps do six 20 minutes sessions rather than the three 40 minute sessions advised above. If you are more focused after eating then plan your most challenging task after lunch. We are all different. Listen to your own body and notice your own energy levels.<br />
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We'd love to hear how you overcome procrastination and overwhelm. Please do post in the comments below and share with others what works for you.<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #2c3e50; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;">This blog post is in response to <a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10-day-blog-challenge/10dbc-day-7" style="color: #0099d2; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;">Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 7<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #2c3e50; font-family: Montserrat, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6px;"><a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10-day-blog-challenge/10dbc-day-7" style="color: #0099d2; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.1s ease-in-out;"></a></em><br />
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<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-57742165452038671412016-09-15T05:50:00.001-07:002017-05-31T12:47:20.316-07:00Finding Your TribeHave you ever heard the quote, <br />
<em>"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."</em>?<br />
This statement usually applies to our financial situation, i.e. we tend to earn the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. However, it also applies to many other areas of life, such as weight, confidence, ambition, hobbies etc. <br />
<br />
So, why is this the case? And why is it useful you know?<br />
<br />
We are social animals. We want to fit in. So, we tend to adapt our behaviours and even our thinking patterns to fit in with those around us. We are influenced by the thought patterns, behaviours, beliefs and habits of other people. If you spend a lot of time with other entrepreneurs, who believe that it is possible to be very successful, then you are likely to adopt that same belief. You will talk about success and learn from each other how to achieve it. We also tend to adopt the behaviours of the people we spend time with. So, if you associate with people who take daily action to become more successful, then you are likely to be very motivated to do the same. Associating with people who are more successful than you can also give you better opportunities. <br />
If, on the other hand, you spend time with negative people, the opposite happens. You start to believe the limiting beliefs that you hear from them. You will subconsciously copy the lazy actions and habits which pull you back from success. Start to notice who you associate with and become aware if they bring you up or push you down. <br />
<br />
When we take a new step in our life, such as setting up our own therapy business, you can find that people who have known you for a long time can be quite negative about this. This is very common. People can be quite critical of you setting up your own business, particularly if you are giving up a good job to follow your dream. Usually, this behaviour comes from a good place. Your friends and family might be more risk averse than you and they are trying to protect you by discouraging you from taking that step. <br />
Unfortunately, sometimes when other people are negative about your goals, it can be because they are jealous. Perhaps they would love the freedom of being their own boss but have never had the confidence to go for it. It can also be because they are worried that you will change. Many people can be very resistant to any form of change. Of course, we want to be accepted by friends and family. We often don't want to stand out as being different. We hate the though of our friends saying that we have become arrogant. It is really tough to continue striving for your dreams if you are being actively discouraged. The solution to this is to surround yourself with like-minded people. Create a tribe of supporters. Ensure that your five people are people who will encourage you to be a better person.<br />
<br />
So, how do you do this? Fire all your friends and disown your own mother? Maybe not. There are much more subtle ways to do this. <br />
<br />
First of all recognise that people have a different opinion to you. They are viewing the world as they see it not as you do. Learn to block out these negative opinions. Secondly, make a conscious effort to spend less time with people who are very critical of your dreams in life. Thirdly, find people who do believe in you. <br />
<br />
There are probably already people in your social circle who are living the lifestyle you would like to live. Spend more time with these people. Ask their advice. Find out how they achieved their goals. A therapist peer support group is also a great way to connect with like-minded people. If there isn't one in your local area, you can probably find a group on Facebook. <br />
<br />
As children, we learn by copying adults. This is a process called modelling. However, this type of learning does not end with childhood. For example, when you begin a new job, you learn by copying your colleagues. We can use modelling to our advantage. Identify someone who has achieved what you want to achieve. Then observe them. Notice how they speak. How do they use body language? How do they approach different situations? How do they speak and think about challenges? What daily habits do they have? What actions do they take to move towards success? Once your have observed their way of thinking and doing things, you can adopt these patterns into your own behaviour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGA7cDU97MVKPAZNwD3S0Pz6R-zy5TiWrrxyRu2e_TMFvoE9KkO3gR5QJr9ytMON4sePvNfST2IHs9Cq3GRCYEZk3auX27QzY3kV-OH-y4klb0Xv1UrNDsAk5itKoQD3CEvhqYptX2GaZ/s1600/Oprah.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGA7cDU97MVKPAZNwD3S0Pz6R-zy5TiWrrxyRu2e_TMFvoE9KkO3gR5QJr9ytMON4sePvNfST2IHs9Cq3GRCYEZk3auX27QzY3kV-OH-y4klb0Xv1UrNDsAk5itKoQD3CEvhqYptX2GaZ/s1600/Oprah.png" /></a></div>
If you know your role model personally, then that's great. However, you are not limited to people you know. Perhaps your role model is someone like Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey or Tim Ferriss. You can still model high profile people. You can do this by reading their autobiographies. You can watch YouTube interviews with them. You really do have so many great resources available to you. <br />
<br />
<br />
Have a think about what questions you would like to ask your ideal tribe. <br />
<br />
For example:<br />
How do they handle criticism?<br />
How do they handle failure?<br />
How do they achieve a work / life balance?<br />
What is the best investment they have ever made in their business?<br />
What would they tell their younger self?<br />
Which limiting beliefs have they had to overcome?<br />
What daily routines do they have to create the right mind set for success?<br />
<br />
Surrounding yourself with the right people is essential for success. Start taking action today. <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Get the</span><a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"> 7 Steps To Create A Successful Therapy Business</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> here. </span><br />
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<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-39391571874271541622016-09-14T08:27:00.005-07:002017-05-31T12:47:39.102-07:00Setting Yourself Up For Success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbVANX4B8B7lqZQ2vXpZ1kIvzdPCyFJbF3xw-CLhlZh-fBc6eu1eu1XO9KJy-Zc5tTNki2JT1ga-TpXdIkz655J1_obZpBm_UHvoRutqAeLEikumXQXZzrImUhyphenhyphenFVc-4vMXupjo30CxkJ/s1600/path+blocked.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbVANX4B8B7lqZQ2vXpZ1kIvzdPCyFJbF3xw-CLhlZh-fBc6eu1eu1XO9KJy-Zc5tTNki2JT1ga-TpXdIkz655J1_obZpBm_UHvoRutqAeLEikumXQXZzrImUhyphenhyphenFVc-4vMXupjo30CxkJ/s200/path+blocked.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Here, at The Therapists' Business School, we often talk about the limiting beliefs, which can hold back our success. A very common limiting belief is that as we get more successful we will have less time. A variation on this limiting belief is that as we become more successful we will be more stressed. So, when we hold this limiting belief, it causes us to subconsciously move away from success. Often, people will stagnate in their business, or even self-sabotage to avoid the time restrictions and stress, they subconsciously associate with success. <br />
So, where does this limiting belief comes from?<br />
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It can come from parents. Many of us were taught, by our parents, that the only way to make a lot of money is to work as many hours as possible. It can also come from our own experience. I started my career in the corporate world. As I looked at the more senior staff, all I saw was people who were working longer and longer hours for a small amount of extra money. I saw people whose lifestyles were severely limited by their poor work life balance. It knew it wasn't what I wanted.<br />
We need to challenge this limiting belief about success and time. If you work for yourself, as a therapist, then actually success brings you more time. You can increase your per hour fee to work fewer hours. As you become more successful, you can outsource many of your business tasks, allowing you the time to focus on the parts of your business which satisfy you. <br />
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As you become more successful, you can also use your increased income to outsource many chores. For example, get a cleaner, have someone to do your laundry, get your shopping delivered or even get entire meals delivered to your door. <br />
The wonderful things about the age we live in, is that almost everything can be outsourced and more success allows you even more free time to do the things you are passionate about. <br />
So, what is the best way to manage our time and set ourselves up for success?<br />
How we feel physically will affect how mentally focused we feel and how productive we are. Therefore, look after yourself. Make sure you schedule time every day for some exercise. This will make you feel great, you'll be mentally alert and have more energy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPb7LvgqqpM0TGsjSdY-vsE78FkZTEpQm9NMMs9tThm9eVcrHAr-Vf-xQJSkd0uYTkAFdFgkAVC-MDbEkWsR85wHfS3ieBThYbcBGJMK9aHcg4fTYevj4MxV0ozyesPjdC7AlE9vnbbvha/s1600/headphones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPb7LvgqqpM0TGsjSdY-vsE78FkZTEpQm9NMMs9tThm9eVcrHAr-Vf-xQJSkd0uYTkAFdFgkAVC-MDbEkWsR85wHfS3ieBThYbcBGJMK9aHcg4fTYevj4MxV0ozyesPjdC7AlE9vnbbvha/s200/headphones.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
As well as scheduling time for exercise every day, find time for meditation. There's a great meditation app called Headspace which contains 10 minute long meditations, so there's no excuse not to fit it into your day. Meditation is great for decreasing stress and helping you to feel more focused.<br />
Once you have exercised and meditated, you feel physically and mentally prepared for anything. <br />
It's often best to schedule your exercise and meditation for as early as possible in the day, to set you up for success. <br />
Once you've set yourself up for success, what is the best way to maximize your work productivity? <br />
A good strategy is to limit the amount of time you have on certain tasks. For example, set yourself 30 minutes to work on content generation for your newsletters. Limiting the time, makes you more focused. If you know you only have 30 minutes to work on a task, you will avoid unnecessary distractions such as Facebook. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKSnE3WHxDQ3PR9GtMyOUoLWs9b2pkagRD95q9KqbooMaqtGyRTlZskrIjk7h_Kk6ijaqClTqXTWEF_dTHALPAqeKSitQQAO__1q9QjQlyULQu7174jibywNGa9CHKmpvV7CvQPVNrcYU/s1600/Harbour+heights.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKSnE3WHxDQ3PR9GtMyOUoLWs9b2pkagRD95q9KqbooMaqtGyRTlZskrIjk7h_Kk6ijaqClTqXTWEF_dTHALPAqeKSitQQAO__1q9QjQlyULQu7174jibywNGa9CHKmpvV7CvQPVNrcYU/s200/Harbour+heights.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Another great strategy is to choose your work environment wisely. If possible, get out of your house. Otherwise, you'll be tempted to do some housework! Aim to work somewhere without friends or family around to distract you. If you don't have your own premises, to work from, then a library or café is great. Make the environment a pleasant please to be. Choose a café with great light and ambiance. If it works for you, then put some music on. If you have your own office, make sure it is clean and put beautiful pictures up. <br />
Avoid multi-tasking. You might think you get more done when you are multi-tasking, but in reality you probably don't. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks to complete each day. However, just take one at a time. Choose your most important task, which must be completed today and work on that for 30 minutes. Another benefit of meditation is that it makes it easier to focus on one thing at a time. <br />
Everyone's lifestyle is different so design a daily success plan which works for you. Personally, I find I am better at exercise later in the day, so will schedule blocks of work and break up those blocks with a work out. <br />
A fantastic book, which details how to be more productive, is The 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss. We highly recommend it. <br />
<br />
If you have any hints and tips for being more productive, please do comment below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Get the</span><a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"> 7 Steps To Creating A Successful Therapy Business</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> here. </span><br />
<br />
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-30467820449021877662016-09-14T08:14:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:47:53.705-07:00Great Podcasts For Business Owners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As a therapist you have two quite distinct roles. One as a therapist. The other as a business owner. Both roles require significantly different skills. Often, we have extensive training on the therapy side, but when we start our therapy business, we realise that we need just as much business skill as therapy skill.<br />
<br />
Thankfully there are lots of wonderful books and podcasts to help you to learn these skills and to become more entrepreneurial minded.<br />
<br />
Podcasts have the advantage that you can be learning while doing other things such as cleaning, walking or commuting. <br />
<br />
Here are a few of our favourite business podcasts. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://fourhourworkweek.com/podcast/" target="_blank">The Tim Ferriss Podcast</a><br />
Tim Ferriss is the author of The Four Hour Work Week, which revolutionised how people think about business and their lifestyle. In his podcast, Tim interviews high achievers from a variety of fields and identifies the tools and strategies they use to achieve their high level of success. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/" target="_blank">The Suitcase Entrepreneur</a><br />
If you want to expand your business beyond one to one consultations, this is the podcast for you. The Suitcase Entrepreneur explains how to turn your therapy skills into online products (e.g. courses, books, membership clubs). As therapists we exchange time for money. We often then hit a ceiling in our business because our time is limited. This podcasts guides you through the process of moving parts of your business online to create more financial and time freedom. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://theentrepreneursradioshow.com/" target="_blank">The Entrepreneur Radio Show</a><br />
Hosted by a highly successful and experienced entrepreneur, this podcast contains interviews with other successful entrepreneurs. It gets into the nitty gritty of business and is a wonderful learning resource, particularly if you are very serious about making your business highly profitable,<br />
<br />
<a href="http://unemployable.com/" target="_blank">Unemployable</a><br />
This sits between The Suitcase Entrepreneur and The Entrepreneur Radio show in its style. It contains a high level of practical detail, such as how to set up sales funnels and how to manage your email list. Its target audience is people who want a business which allows them freedom in life, as opposed to a business focussed exclusively on profit. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://lewishowes.com/" target="_blank">Lewis Howes - The School of Greatness</a><br />
While this podcast is a business podcast, it also focusses on general personal development and being the best version of yourself in all areas of your life. A wonderfully motivational podcast. <br />
<br />
Which other business podcasts do you recommend? Please do comment below. Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-3371648453796828362016-09-13T06:57:00.002-07:002017-05-31T12:48:25.549-07:00Unlocking Your Superpowers<br />
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As a therapist, you wear lots of hats. You have the role your clients see,
as a therapist. However, you also have to wear your book-keeping hat, your
social media marketing hat, your networking hat, your organization hat and
so on. With only 24 hours in the day it can be very difficult to know
where to place your focus. <br />
<br />
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Place your focus where your superpowers lie. Yes, for a moment we are
putting hats aside and donning a superhero costume, complete with underwear
worn on top of clothes! You have superpowers, lots of them, and by
focussing your attention on those superpowers, you can build a thriving
and fulfilling business. <br />
<br />
So, how do you find your superpowers? A good place to start is to identify
what you enjoy the most. What lights you up? What do you enjoy
doing? Take some time to write a list of all the things you enjoy in
your business and all of the things you enjoy in your day to day life. This will
be different for everyone. For example, many people would find coding very
dull, but Derek Sivers, the founder of CD Baby, enjoyed coding so much
that he kept doing the coding, even when he was running a multi-million dollar
business. <br />
<br />
As well as writing these lists of what you enjoy, take some time to write
down what you are good at. Ask your friends what you are good at. There will be
things that you find easy, which you assumed everyone else found easy too. Your
friends will identify these superpowers. <br />
<br />
For example.<br />
<em><u>Things I enjoy in business</u></em><br />
<em>Meeting clients for the first time</em><br />
<em>Business networking</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<em><u>Things I enjoy in life</u></em><br />
<em>Going out with friends</em><br />
<em>Going to new places</em><br />
<em>Travel</em><br />
<br />
<em><u>Things my friends say I am good at</u></em><br />
<em>Confident with new people</em><br />
<em>Organised with dates</em><br />
<em>Great at planning events</em><br />
<em>Make people feel at ease.</em><br />
<br />
Once you have identified your superpowers, you can apply them to your
business. If you are someone who has great tech skills and attention to detail,
then you can focus your time on studying Google Analytics and tweaking your
sales funnels. If your superpower is public speaking and networking, then
great, get out there and market your business that way. <br />
<br />
One of the wonderful things about taking that leap and starting your own
business, is that you discover new superpowers. Often, in the world of
employment, only a limited number of tasks are required of us. However,
when you start your own business you can suddenly discover that you are good
with numbers, a great public speaker or fantastic event organiser. Enjoy the
process of your new superpowers shining through. <br />
<br />
As well as discovering superpowers, you didn't know you had, your
own business is also a great opportunity for growth. It is one of the steepest
learning curves you will ever go through. Most skills can be learned and, if
you have an interest in them, you will learn them easily. You can add to
your superpowers by learning business strategy, online marketing or how to
use social media platforms. Here at The Therapists' Business School, we have a
range of online and classroom courses to allow you add to your superpower
repertoire. <br />
<br />
As well as running your business day to day, you also have to think about
how to grow your business. There are so many directions you can take your
business. Do you want to do group therapy? Do you want to hire another
therapist? Do you want to create online products? Or sell a book? With so many
options and with everyone giving you a different opinion, it can be hard
to know which direction to take. Use the same strategy of identifying your
superpowers and apply them to business strategy decisions. For example, if you
hate working on your own but love mixing with people, then don't write a
blog or book. Instead, you could organise wellness events. Sometimes, it can be
hard to know what we want. This is very common. A good way to get into the
flow state of mind is to do something you enjoy. You will tend to find that
when you are in a good state of mind, new business ideas will flow to
you. A common distorted belief, which can hold business owners back, is
that if something is easy for us we can't charge for it. Remember,
just because it is easy for you, doesn't mean it's easy for someone
else. Someone else will happily pay you to alleviate whatever
problem they are facing. <br />
<br />
So, now that you've identified your superpowers and how you can use them in
your business, it's time to talk about the rest. All the things you don't like,
the tasks in your business which feel like chores. This is where outsourcing
comes in. These days you can outsource almost every business task. Outsourcing
doesn't mean you have to employ someone. You can outsource as much or as little
as you like for a fraction of the cost it would be to employ someone. You can
hire someone to do your SEO, write your blogs, do your accounts, even book your
travel or do your laundry. A great website for outsourcing is Upwork
(<a href="http://www.upwork.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.upwork.com</span></a>). <br />
<br />
Discovering and then utilising your superpowers is one of the best things
you can do for your business. So, take the time to do this today. <br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Find out the <a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" target="_blank">7 Steps To Creating A Successful Therapy Business</a></i></b><br />
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<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-73905714743315806762016-09-12T06:12:00.001-07:002017-05-31T12:49:18.048-07:00Creating A Vision For the FutureWe spoke in our last blog about the importance of visualising your perfect future. Here at The Therapists' Business School we walk the walk. So... here's my vision for the future......<br />
<br />
I wake up naturally at 6:30am to the sound of birds singing and the sunlight streaming into my room. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51_czC5kzycrcDTsUyUId1G9MwK_HxiaX_KhDmboRHzn79i-ETTJzlnE9Fi6qSY6fjRvG9rE8SYnvGgm67bD87GVtLw2fbgAqBKeHOV2s71i56R7dKxm8CjjxOD62eqKVa8QukqAYeR2p/s1600/walk+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51_czC5kzycrcDTsUyUId1G9MwK_HxiaX_KhDmboRHzn79i-ETTJzlnE9Fi6qSY6fjRvG9rE8SYnvGgm67bD87GVtLw2fbgAqBKeHOV2s71i56R7dKxm8CjjxOD62eqKVa8QukqAYeR2p/s200/walk+3.jpg" width="200" /></a>I leave my gorgeous husband Ben sleeping soundly and I go out on a walk. I'm in a hot climate and the scenery is beautiful. My walk alternates between sections by the sea and in forests. I can feel the early morning sun on my skin. As I walk, I listen to an interesting and motivational podcast. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPq9locJgHXAow2aIsOqnXDb7OA5uNy5sDkePSUbxoGPxUnjpx9TSjaaG5cYclFTyhmZI_1UjnP-japBaUXiQdepP8lDnNLRcwfrLdpfgtcac0D2Iyfy6SYi2vUOCoExSqEr82gYf7ho_/s1600/croissant.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPq9locJgHXAow2aIsOqnXDb7OA5uNy5sDkePSUbxoGPxUnjpx9TSjaaG5cYclFTyhmZI_1UjnP-japBaUXiQdepP8lDnNLRcwfrLdpfgtcac0D2Iyfy6SYi2vUOCoExSqEr82gYf7ho_/s1600/croissant.png" /></a></div>
On my way home I stop to buy some fresh pastries, delicious fruit and coffee. I take this delicious breakfast home, to my immaculate house, and eat with my husband and two daughters. Everyone is relaxed. <br />
<br />
Then my daughters go to school. They are excited to go and I am confident that they are getting a great education. <br />
<br />
I then do 20 minutes meditation before showering and getting dressed in beautiful designer clothes. <br />
<br />
By now it is 9am, I put on some great music and get involved in my work for three hours. My three hours of work might include seeing one to one hypnotherapy clients, writing, optimizing my sales funnels for The Therapists' Business School or reviewing my investments. I create enough passive to be financially free. I do this work because I am passionate about it and enjoy it so much. After three hours I feel very satisfied with everything I have created. I have received positive feedback from people about the difference my work has made to their lives. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxfuQkoo3Z4E0T9aWuczRhkF6E-bcnRJo-qq05-K0KKo1vGARQuvfET5d8F8JbmBgE4_9GIBE0HRRBJEaVhWLkoluydzC2wapa6c6cfrsXT6bzUz9Rds98umP-u_CGtG_qWFS70OL6zn8/s1600/yoga+on+a+beach.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxfuQkoo3Z4E0T9aWuczRhkF6E-bcnRJo-qq05-K0KKo1vGARQuvfET5d8F8JbmBgE4_9GIBE0HRRBJEaVhWLkoluydzC2wapa6c6cfrsXT6bzUz9Rds98umP-u_CGtG_qWFS70OL6zn8/s1600/yoga+on+a+beach.png" /></a></div>
I then go for a work out. Sometimes this is a 5k run, sometimes it is a yoga session and other times it is strength work with a personal trainer. After the work out I feel that post exercise rush and feel as though I can achieve anything. My body looks perfect and I am fit and strong.<br />
<br />
The early afternoon is my time. Sometimes I go for a massage or meet a friend for lunch, learn a new language or spend time reading a book, sitting in the sun. I feel calm and joyful. My husband, who enjoys cycling has plenty of time to cycle now that we are financially free. <br />
<br />
Then the girls come home from school. They are full of enthusiasm about their day. They have a healthy snack. In the late afternoon we spend quality time with the girls and their friends in our pool. We can hear the sound of all the children laughing and playing really well together. Everyone feels pleasantly tired after this. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDk9D-iHpUWcv0d-x2BpMVoCkvmwHNSjTazPUTxTDqPpIM8FWKTTV4zyJOXoVGny0PXkkZYq-EglEcREf1NUO0jBMHLz1OSX2iNEm4Up-irA3iL_igJIFvRNZ6n6gSKyjxuKsBbCQ8mQsz/s1600/pool+BBQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDk9D-iHpUWcv0d-x2BpMVoCkvmwHNSjTazPUTxTDqPpIM8FWKTTV4zyJOXoVGny0PXkkZYq-EglEcREf1NUO0jBMHLz1OSX2iNEm4Up-irA3iL_igJIFvRNZ6n6gSKyjxuKsBbCQ8mQsz/s1600/pool+BBQ.jpg" /></a></div>
In the evening we have friends and extended family over. We eat delicious food from the BBQ and sit outside late into the evening drinking wine. I can taste the expensive wine, which compliments the food perfectly. The friends we have are all kind, funny, fascinating people who encourage us to push for our dreams. The children all play together until it is time for their bed. <br />
<br />
After everyone has left I go to bed with Ben and think about how fortunate I am. <br />
<br />
<em>This blog post is in response to </em><a href="http://suitcaseentrepreneur.com/10-day-blog-challenge/10dbc-day-3"><em>Natalie’s 10 Day Freedom Plan Blog Challenge Day 3</em></a><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9A5WlBesMNnjHmU7R15JWA7N-NUDNzsJUfHyHTXKmbfwbuplEfJoVco10vCtpFRpmC2Sf9H58EQL6XOcmMvRs2maG2ebw5l642yJbdaLiwNP4NTJKe5qCp3X-85bCXKTQco77QRMbRlR/s1600/10DBC.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9A5WlBesMNnjHmU7R15JWA7N-NUDNzsJUfHyHTXKmbfwbuplEfJoVco10vCtpFRpmC2Sf9H58EQL6XOcmMvRs2maG2ebw5l642yJbdaLiwNP4NTJKe5qCp3X-85bCXKTQco77QRMbRlR/s320/10DBC.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thefreedomplan.rocks/ten"><strong>http://thefreedomplan.rocks/ten</strong></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-8821288124057985292016-09-11T08:38:00.002-07:002017-05-31T12:49:37.881-07:00What does freedom mean to you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOm_UR8TTVunGM7HmR7HvWw-svzhyphenhyphenGADLNIRZr86yFRuQ7_IXRzlrPPHDqcE1DlDdjV7gT-RbbvcuG-bS4T3zELe_23lSKfTP_zJukVY2XiseDwUHAREU6TjVqkUGxiyhqIJuaKfH0cau/s1600/working+on+a+beach.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVOm_UR8TTVunGM7HmR7HvWw-svzhyphenhyphenGADLNIRZr86yFRuQ7_IXRzlrPPHDqcE1DlDdjV7gT-RbbvcuG-bS4T3zELe_23lSKfTP_zJukVY2XiseDwUHAREU6TjVqkUGxiyhqIJuaKfH0cau/s200/working+on+a+beach.png" width="200" /></a></div>
What does freedom mean to you? <br />
How does your business facilitate your freedom?<br />
<br />
Take some time now to really think about these questions. <br />
<br />
Freedom will mean something slightly different to each person. For you, freedom might be the ability to choose which hours you work, to give you more time with your children. Freedom might mean being able to work from anywhere. Freedom might mean being able to travel for long periods of time. Freedom might mean not having to answer to a boss. Freedom might mean the opportunity to work exclusively on the things you are passionate about. It could be freedom from debt or freedom from money worries. Have a think about what freedom means to you, as this will be a huge factor in the kind of life you create for yourself. <br />
<br />
Personally, freedom means that I wake up in the morning, knowing that everything I have scheduled for each day is something I really want to do. I don't achieve this every day, but I'm moving closer to my definition of freedom. My definition of freedom has changed over the years, as I'm sure yours has. When I was making the decision to quit my investment banking job and start my hypnotherapy practice, I wanted to freedom to do work I was passionate about and to have more time with my children. As the years have passed, freedom to travel has increased in priority for me. <br />
<br />
The wonderful thing about being a self-employed therapist is that it creates a lot of freedom in your life. At the same time as creating freedom in your own life, you are also performing extremely valuable work and enabling your clients to lead much happier lives. As therapists, we generally charge quite a high hourly rate. This gives us the freedom to work fewer hours and have freedom from financial concerns. Being our own boss also gives us the freedom to choose the type of work we do, the hours we work and the freedom to make our own decisions. One of the wonderful benefits of systems such as Skype and Zoom is that you can now conduct many types of therapy via the internet. So your clients can be in New York and you can be in the Maldives. (Admittedly, this is trickier for all you massage therapists!)<br />
<br />
So what is your definition of freedom? Does your current job or business give you this freedom? And if not, what is stopping you? Getting clear on exactly what freedom means to you is hugely empowering. Visualisation is a very powerful tool. Take the time to really visualise your ideal lifestyle. Imagine all the ways in which you are free in your perfect future, Engage all of your senses. What does freedom look like? Where would you be living? Where would you travel? What would you do with your free time? What work would you do? How would the extra freedom benefit your health and your loved ones? What would you hear in your ideal future? What would you be eating and drinking, if you had complete freedom? And what would you feel and smell?<br />
<br />
Enjoy this visualisation exercise. Once you are clear on what freedom means to you, you can take daily action to move you closer to your goal. <br />
<br />
As part of our 4 week Business Success Course, we provide a hypnosis MP3 to guide you through this visualisation exercise. Just for readers of this blog we are giving away a free copy. Download yours <a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/free-wealth-mp3/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Get the</span><a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"> 7 Steps To Create A Successful Therapy Business</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> here. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-14779716704595567812016-09-10T07:53:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:50:02.766-07:00Finding Your Focus - Taking The Plunge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWqEQglCqjPpwJScOcvF6lE84zn477ulLUoMb1QQm91lXqfn95vACzT-v2Q3rydv5xHkPB0LeqlK6vuGUgd846Gbu9ur6aceVZJgpbwSslfpW5bIHp4BjklAjSbWUEx8ZrFpllw0jqq-Q/s1600/diving.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWqEQglCqjPpwJScOcvF6lE84zn477ulLUoMb1QQm91lXqfn95vACzT-v2Q3rydv5xHkPB0LeqlK6vuGUgd846Gbu9ur6aceVZJgpbwSslfpW5bIHp4BjklAjSbWUEx8ZrFpllw0jqq-Q/s200/diving.png" width="200" /></a></div>
"You're so lucky to have your own business, doing something you love." This is a phrase that successful business owners often hear. However, when you ask people why they don't do the same, a range of answers are given:<br />
<br />
I don't have enough money<br />
I don't have any marketable skills<br />
I don't know anything about business<br />
I have the mortgage to pay. <br />
<br />
Well here's the truth. Successful business owners haven't been lucky. They aren't more intelligent, born with different skills or from a wealthier background than the average person. The difference is that they have taken the plunge and set up their own business. Taking this step is a huge challenge. If you wait until the stars are perfectly aligned, you will procrastinate indefinitely, which leads to a heartbreaking amount of regret. <br />
<br />
The biggest initial challenge after you have taken that step is creating enough income to live on. This is scary, and the reason why most people procrastinate so much in the first place. But guess what, when we are pushed out of our comfort zone we grow and learn. Needing to create an income from your new business is a hell of a motivator! You will push yourself to learn more about business and marketing. You will overcome a fear of public speaking and talk about your business at networking events. You'll develop your business and your own skills. And guess what, you'll feel amazing, confident and proud of yourself for it. <br />
<br />
There will be tough times. No business owner will tell you it has all been plain sailing. When times get tough, you need to keep focussing on your big why. What are you passionate about? What does your perfect job mean to you? What does your perfect day look like? And how does owning your own business contribute to this? What extra security will your ideal business give you and your family? What new excitement and freedom will it give you? Have a clear vision of how you want your life to be. A good idea is to create a vision board or your dream lifestyle. <br />
<br />
The vision board shows you the best case scenario. Looks pretty sexy doesn't it? Yet, sometimes, despite knowing how much better life will be, people still stay in jobs that bore them to tears. Why? It's the fear of it all going wrong. A huge challenge for all business owners is overcoming the fear of failure. <br />
<br />
A great way to overcome this fear is to explore the worst case scenario. Think about this realistically and you'll see it is not that scary. If, and it is a big if, your new business does not work out, the chances are that everything will still be ok. As therapists, our start up costs are relatively low, so you are unlikely to need a large loan. The worst case scenario is that your savings seriously dwindle and you get into some debt to cover your living costs. While this is not ideal, it is manageable. You can more than likely go back to your old job (or a similar one), if necessary, providing you didn't bellow out a string of expletives to your boss on your last day. We don't recommend doing that! So, financially, if things don't go to plan, you will still manage. Then there are the social fears. We are scared of being judged negatively. We worry that if we try something as audacious as setting up our own business and it doesn't work out, we will have lots of people saying, <br />
"I told you so." <br />
In reality most people will admire you for having the guts to try and who cares about the people who are nasty. They have never had the courage to step outside of their comfort zone. <br />
<br />
So, the realistic worst case scenario is that you end up in the same position you were in anyway but with a new repertoire of skills. In contrast, the best case scenario is wonderful. Taking the plunge is a big challenge but keep focusing on your vision, go for it and enjoy the journey. <br />
<br />
As part of our 4 week Business Success Course, we provide a hypnosis MP3 to guide you through this visualisation exercise. Just for readers of this blog we are giving away a free copy. Download yours <a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/free-wealth-mp3/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Get the</span><a href="https://cs-hypnotherapy.leadpages.co/ttbs-free-guide/?_ga=1.254821000.1489723263.1470929259" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"> 7 Steps To Create A Successful Therapy Business</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> here. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-44406757070042496392016-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:50:18.456-07:0010 Ways To Be A More Successful Business Person<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQkuBQfa4Z64x2TadHhR52g8lBoaIwIJfd6QiPYVguJx81kqsagFrN3mebMRAF3Mb5mkfrxBaC-MLUo2G7diNJIIpkQ_XHhZ-wHkglRJmTG6jKDn0EHctNMp9h7zFDaPBhN52ewDfvb84/s1600/TTBS+lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQkuBQfa4Z64x2TadHhR52g8lBoaIwIJfd6QiPYVguJx81kqsagFrN3mebMRAF3Mb5mkfrxBaC-MLUo2G7diNJIIpkQ_XHhZ-wHkglRJmTG6jKDn0EHctNMp9h7zFDaPBhN52ewDfvb84/s200/TTBS+lady.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">1.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Keep fit and healthy. You will have more energy
to work hard and your mind will be clearer. As a therapist you must walk the
walk as well as talk the talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">2.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Model others. Learn from people you admire. Find
out how they run their business and what steps they took to get where they are
today. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">3.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Overcome negative beliefs. We can pick up distorted
beliefs about money and success throughout our lives, such as:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">a.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">To be successful you must sacrifice your
relationships<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">b.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">You have to be lucky to become wealthy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">c.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">You have to treat others badly to make it to the
top<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">d.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">You will become arrogant if you are successful<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Challenge these beliefs. Read Robert
Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad Poor Dad” series for more information on distorted
beliefs. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
</div>
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">4.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Meditate. A wonderful way to keep focussed and
manage stress. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">5.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Who you associate with. You are the average of
the five people you spend the most time with. So, surround yourself with people
who support your dream. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">6.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Be congruent. Make sure everything you do in
your business fits with your own values. You will enjoy your work more and
ultimately attract more clients. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">7.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Continuously learn. Take CPD course directly related
to your field. Learn about business and marketing for therapists from us. Read
plenty and listen to podcasts from experts in your field. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">8.</span><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Have a clear vision. To stay motivated, have a
clearly defined goal for your business. Establish a time frame in which you
will achieve your goal. We are visual creatures so create a vision board and
place it somewhere you will regularly see it. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">9. Don't be afraid to say, "No." If a client makes you feel uncomfortable or asks for an unreasonable discount, it is ok to refuse them, Set your boundaries. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">10. Ask for feedback. This is tough and it is normal to be worried about the responses. However, without feedback you cannot improve your service. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> <span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p>Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-33386366216911445782016-09-02T04:59:00.001-07:002016-09-02T04:59:45.766-07:00Keeping Positive When Business Is Slow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAAALvwXKt24aRtXrhPS2ucEb6YiBuiFDwuzBJv0lUNEp6OKABZ3bFwB2-cUZAjxGur5NPXzo56BKslR7X-92qIqy8xBocxm1bfL6vebKDYZaIFoeK3Cdo85rG0JX_CzbTZV8omRMKcFt/s1600/counsellor+TTBS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJAAALvwXKt24aRtXrhPS2ucEb6YiBuiFDwuzBJv0lUNEp6OKABZ3bFwB2-cUZAjxGur5NPXzo56BKslR7X-92qIqy8xBocxm1bfL6vebKDYZaIFoeK3Cdo85rG0JX_CzbTZV8omRMKcFt/s200/counsellor+TTBS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Running your own holistic therapy practice has many
wonderful benefits. More freedom, a better hourly rate, rewarding work. The
flip side of this is that running a business can be tough. Your income can
fluctuate wildly, sometimes clients do not get the results they were hoping
for, and selling your services is hard. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></o:p><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have all felt disheartened. Perhaps new leads dry up,
maybe we have a number of cancellations close together, or perhaps we suddenly
find out our office space is being sold to housing developers (this one
happened to me!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a business owner your emotions are linked to the
success of your business. When you are going through a bad time in your
business, it is difficult to stay positive. Sometimes you might feel like
giving it all up and going back to the job you were doing before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is very normal to feel like this occasionally, but do
not let it deter you from your dream. Achieving your perfect lifestyle takes
time and effort, so be willing to accept some uphill struggles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It can be reassuring to know that everyone feels
overwhelmed from time to time. The good news is that the longer you are in
business, the easier it is to weather these storms. With time you get used to
managing a fluctuating income. You also learn that the bad times do come to an
end and after a few years you can see patterns and know when you will have
quiet periods. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It takes time to build a business. We often hear about
the overnight successes. However, we hear about these because they are the
exception rather than the norm. Also, if you look in details at a lot of these “overnight
successes,” the reality is that they have been working very hard, for a long
time before the success started. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It can be very useful to join a peer support group,
whether that is a group of other therapists or even just other small business
owners in your local area. Talk to other people about your concerns. Learn how
they overcome the same hurdles you are now facing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our mind set is so important to the success of our
businesses. A good way to boost mind set is to take time every day to focus on
the positives. Remind yourself of the great result one of your clients has
recently achieved, re-read that lovely testimonial and celebrate the new leads
you have obtained recently. Focussing on the positive helps to shift your mind
set to a more confident one. As you appear more confident, new clients will
naturally be drawn to you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our mind set is the most important factor to business
success. The first week of our Business Success Course, focusses exclusively on
mind set. For more information click <a href="http://www.thetherapistsbusinessschool.com/the-therapists-business-success-course/" target="_blank">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-34834384650265548642016-08-14T11:24:00.001-07:002017-05-31T12:50:39.768-07:00Creating A Marketing Funnel - Level 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpjtot_GrR2gdK27BZS6S42g1ytUpfOkd6dXK-BH-xFEwpakOcL8hP9W3Gsn1at1ngsy59f9R9_PbYY1apd5rCn4Vvsz4N9vs_fDSlDRVLNAsEZh3S-Rs2W5PYoIOZpXmiCG_PMEqkVgb/s1600/Funnel.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpjtot_GrR2gdK27BZS6S42g1ytUpfOkd6dXK-BH-xFEwpakOcL8hP9W3Gsn1at1ngsy59f9R9_PbYY1apd5rCn4Vvsz4N9vs_fDSlDRVLNAsEZh3S-Rs2W5PYoIOZpXmiCG_PMEqkVgb/s200/Funnel.png" width="165" /></a></div>
In our previous emails in this series, we have explained the first steps, to setting up an effective marketing funnel, for your therapy business. If you haven't read the previous emails you can do so <a href="http://eepurl.com/b5Pkrn" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #2baadf; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here for level 1</a> and <a href="http://eepurl.com/b61Ixj" style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #2baadf; font-weight: normal; mso-line-height-rule: exactly; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here for level 2</a>.<br />
<br />
So, once we have our email list, what next? How do we convert these email leads into customers?<br />
The answer is an effective email campaign.<br />
<br />
The most important rule is that your emails must add value to your potential customers. They must not be spammy!!<br />
<br />
Please read that last sentence again. This is so important. Customers need to like and trust you before they will pay you, so your emails must build this relationship.<br />
<br />
So how can you add value to your customers lives? What problems do they have that you can help with? You know your clients better than anyone, so you know what problems they face and how you can help them.<br />
<br />
Some examples of good, useful content are:<br />
<ul>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Free hypnosis MP3s</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">A video on yoga techniques to get rid of a big belly</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Recipes to help people build more muscle</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">A written post on how to manage difficulties in relationships.</li>
</ul>
Take your time to create useful, high quality content. Once this is done, you can use it on your website or social media as well as in your emails.<br />
<br />
Your potential customers will become irritated if your emails are full of sales pitches. Therefore, for the first three emails send a content rich, useful email. Give away freebies. Build the relationship with your audience. Of course your can have a small amount of information about how people can get in touch but the primary function of these first three emails is to build trust.<br />
<br />
We recommend sending the first three emails about five days apart. You will be able to schedule this by using a system such as MailChimp, AWeber or InfusionSoft.<br />
<br />
As we have described previously, A/B testing is essential at all stages of the marketing funnel.<br />
<br />
So test frequently. Compare elements such as: <br />
<ul>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">The time the email is sent</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">The subject line</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Which freebie is most popular</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Which images get most interaction</li>
</ul>
One of the wonderful things about the email systems mentioned above is that they provide a goldmine of information about how your audience are responding to your emails.<br />
<br />
Once all three of these emails have been sent it is time for your <strong>12 Step Sales Letter. </strong><br />
<br />
We will summarise the 12 steps of the 12 step sales letter here. However, for more nitty gritty information, as well as examples, look up '12 step sales letter' on Google. The beauty of this format is that it overcomes any resistance potential clients may have to getting in touch.<br />
<br />
The 12 steps to include in your 4th email are as follows: <br />
<ol>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Get their attention</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Identify the problem</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Show the potential benefits to your audience</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Provide a solution to the problem</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Present yourself as an authority</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Provide social proof, e.g. testimonials</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Make your offer</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Inject scarcity</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Give a guarantee</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Call to action</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Give a warning</li>
<li style="-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; mso-line-height-rule: exactly;">Close with a P.S. reminder</li>
</ol>
And that is your full marketing funnel. Once it is set up it will run itself. With each cycle you can review which parts are performing the best and tweak the system as appropriate. Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-32975389794453402852016-08-12T07:16:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:50:55.789-07:00The Ultimate Marketing Masterclass<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">The Ultimate Marketing Masterclass</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
A 1 day course designed specifically for therapists, to enable you to effectively market and grow your business. Held in central London, the day is split into two parts. The first covers <span style="color: blue;">Google AdWords</span> and the second half teaches <span style="color: blue;">Public Speaking and Networking</span>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjb5Q6TEULV-TzCZZwkLcyOWxpDv_kdFDgJsv0H1fukMizwCY_ztuymo5i_vUgzqFCP799cv4fTM_gNBV9OqO37dX_JcuzK1939BwHI4uEWbNG5-kboVwrmDAB6ZogFizAxulP2al5Igk/s1600/seminar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjb5Q6TEULV-TzCZZwkLcyOWxpDv_kdFDgJsv0H1fukMizwCY_ztuymo5i_vUgzqFCP799cv4fTM_gNBV9OqO37dX_JcuzK1939BwHI4uEWbNG5-kboVwrmDAB6ZogFizAxulP2al5Igk/s200/seminar.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
You will learn</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- How to market your business online, through Google
AdWords, from one of the leading industry experts.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- How to effectively market your business through public
speaking, networking and radio.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">- How to overcome a fear of public speaking</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Date - 26th November 2016</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Price - £130 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Location - Premier Meetings, London County Hall, 3J-3K Belvedere Road, London, SE1 7PB</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
</span></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="VWGBNF4A4F3WY" />
<input alt="PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/GB/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_GB/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" />
<br />
<br />
About The Trainers<br />
<br />
Google AdWords - Ben Swatridge<br />
Ben is a Google AdWords expert, having worked in the field for over 10 years and run the company PPC-Active since 2010. Ben also lectures in online marketing at Bournemouth University and has managed the AdWords campaigns of several high profile therapists. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Fnxc0UQAnyana5oRuY47SV_0Zds0qNKLg1UJfeo8hlMFwaJu0EXslTHmhDZ2e56gQICQ_T5VkFDxWO8jhAPDWRz-lPeIREaTApK0ZWxfHotkCpFJKpMC99DMqgpwsI3ZS39-i4Jbn5R/s1600/Adam+presentation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15Fnxc0UQAnyana5oRuY47SV_0Zds0qNKLg1UJfeo8hlMFwaJu0EXslTHmhDZ2e56gQICQ_T5VkFDxWO8jhAPDWRz-lPeIREaTApK0ZWxfHotkCpFJKpMC99DMqgpwsI3ZS39-i4Jbn5R/s200/Adam+presentation.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Public Speaking and Networking - Cat Swatridge<br />
Cat is an experienced hypnotherapist, trainer and professional speaker, having featured on multiple radio shows, seminars and colleges. She has provided public speaking and networking training to many institutions, including JPMorgan and the Anglo-European College of Therapeutic Hypnosis. </form>
Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-7534315929267664882016-07-20T03:38:00.001-07:002017-05-31T12:51:25.171-07:00The 5 Most Common Business Mistakes of New TherapistsRunning your own therapy practice is a wonderfully rewarding job, for many reasons. However, it is tough, really tough to get it off the ground. At The Therapists' Business School we work with a range of therapists, and we notice the recurring business mistakes when they are starting their own business.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: mediumblue;">Mistake 1 - </span>Investing in the wrong sort of learning</strong><br />
<img align="left" height="126" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/99d72b5c-0fe5-4cbf-ad09-6cc43cab940b.jpg" style="border-image-source: none; border: 0px currentcolor; height: 126px; margin: 0px; width: 188px;" width="188" />I'm going to assume that if you have your own therapy practice you have a qualification which is recognised by your industry specific professional body and the CNHC. This is vital. Assuming this, you are already very capable of treating clients. So, how do you continue your education? Time and time again we see perfectly capable therapists, who invest an excessive amount of time and money into more courses directly to do with their therapy type. This is great to increase the level of service you offer and is necessary to adhere to CPD requirements, however, if you are not seeing any clients, it is a wasted effort. Consider if that time and expense could be used to learn about business development. Bear in mind that potential clients, in general, recognise the job title and not the specific qualifications. You might be ten times as qualified as a similar therapist in the same area. However, if she has fantastic marketing, she will be the one seeing the clients. In the first few years, invest your time and money into learning about business, specifically marketing. Then, you can build a successful business and your therapy skills will naturally improve, through experience. Once you have a thriving practice you will have the freedom to further develop your skills.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: mediumblue;"><strong>Mistak</strong><strong>e 2 -</strong> </span><strong>Not spending any money on advertising</strong><br />
Word of mouth marketing is fantastic. However, you require a big enough pool of former clients to enable word of mouth marketing to generate a significant flow of new clients. While we do have to watch our expenses, some forms of paid advertising are necessary to generate that initial group of clients. The beauty of digital marketing such as Facebook and Google AdWords is that you can test various marketing strategies without committing large sums of money. You can set small budgets and test a few strategies against each other to establish the best one. We go through how to do this in more detail in our <a href="http://www.thetherapistsbusinessschool.com/the-therapists-business-success-course/" style="color: #2baadf;" target="_blank">Business Success Course</a>. Be honest with yourself about how much you have spent on training in the last year, including hotels, meals and transport. The chances are that the same amount would have been sufficient for your marketing budget for the year.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: mediumblue;">Mistake 3 </span>- Lowering prices too much</strong><br />
There is a sweet spot when it comes to pricing your services. This differs dramatically between areas and therapy types, as well as between different therapists. Many therapists lower their prices (sometimes very dramatically) when they go through a quiet spell. It's a common mistake to think that lower prices will equal more customers. However, this is rarely the case. There are always quiet and busy spells, often coinciding with times such as the school holidays. Lowering your prices during these times will most likely result in getting the same number of new enquiries you would have done anyway but without the same income. Keep your prices steady through the quiet spells. Things will improve again.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Mistake 4</span> - Looking unprofessional<br /><img align="left" height="99" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/1329ca9b-4688-48db-855c-5650fe13bf70.jpg" style="border-image-source: none; border: 0px currentcolor; height: 99px; margin: 0px; width: 200px;" width="200" /></strong>Whether we like it or not, first impressions count. Nowadays, potential clients will look at your website for a few seconds before deciding whether to leave the site or find out more. So, we have just a few seconds to make that vital first impression. Make sure that your website is user friendly and has no spelling errors. We once saw a hypnotherapy website with hypnotherapy spelled incorrectly in large letters at the top of each page! The same applies to photos. Make sure that the photo looks professional. Don't crop your partner out of a holiday snap and use that as your professional work photo! Yes, this is another website faux pas we have seen more than once at The <a href="http://www.thetherapistsbusinessschool.com/" style="color: #2baadf;" target="_blank">Therapists' Business School</a>. Perhaps ask a friend to read through your website and give their opinion. Of course, looking professional also applies to face to face meetings. Dress well for your therapy sessions. Be on time and make sure your treatment room is clean.<br />
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<strong><span style="color: mediumblue;">Mistake 5</span> - Lacking in Confidence</strong><br />
<img align="left" height="133" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/cd9c20b8-babf-411b-bbab-d8c1a7822b07.png" style="border-image-source: none; border: 0px currentcolor; height: 133px; margin: 0px; width: 200px;" width="200" />Starting a therapy practice is very daunting and it is very normal to feel a lack of confidence. Unfortunately, if this is too obvious, clients will also lack confidence in your ability to help them. Building confidence takes time, but there are strategies you can use. Make sure you have a support network of other therapists around you. Peer support groups are fantastic. Take the time to reflect on all the clients who have made a good improvement. Congratulate yourself often. Notice the language you use with your clients. Speak in a confident way about the therapy to instil confidence in them.<br />
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Building your own therapy practice is a very steep learning curve. Hopefully being aware of these common mistakes will increase the speed at which you build a thriving practice.Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-79681881323932421232016-07-20T03:30:00.002-07:002017-05-31T12:52:19.349-07:00Our Story - The Therapists' Business School<h1 style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 12px;"><img align="center" height="100" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/65026ea1-ec39-450c-8513-890fed411b02.png" style="border-image-source: none; border: 0px currentcolor; height: 100px; margin: 0px; width: 100px;" width="100" />The Therapists' Business School was created less than a year ago. We recognized that, time and time again, very talented therapists, were having to give up their dream career, because they could not make the business work. As therapists we need to be business people as well as therapists and this is often the difficult part. It was heart-breaking to see so many great therapists have to return to employment and stop the career they love.<br /> We realized that a lot of therapists lacked business and marketing skills. Often we, as therapists, have not worked in industries which required these skills, so have never developed them. To suddenly have to master these skills in your own business, with no support, is really tough!<br /> <br /> We want more people to benefit from holistic therapy and therefore we want more therapists to be successful, to share their skills and help more people. We also want to see therapists who have been brave enough to take the risk of setting up their own business, to be able to live their dream.<br /> <br /> We decided to set up this company to help other therapists, like you.<br /> <br /> We are fortunate enough to have a team consisting of very successful therapists, who have been there and done it and have an in-depth knowledge of business and marketing, as well as experts in specific marketing fields such as social media and Google marketing.<br /> <br /> Our vision is to provide a collection of resources, including courses, to enable holistic therapists to grow their business, be successful and ultimately live their dream.</span></h1>
Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762503902080305078.post-43522421505942513132016-07-20T03:30:00.000-07:002017-05-31T12:52:42.960-07:00Creating A Marketing Funnel - Level 2<h1 style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 26px; line-height: 125%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-style: initial; font-size: 12px;"><img align="left" height="181" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/c6aece8a-8a38-4991-8ec2-75e3ab26f918.png" style="border-image-source: none; border: 0px currentcolor; height: 181px; margin: 0px; width: 150px;" width="150" /></span>A marketing funnel is the most valuable marketing strategy your business can have. Although it is time consuming to set up, once done, it will run itself and generate lots of new leads. In our previous post, on creating a marketing funnel, we discussed landing pages, email capture, hooks and identifying your ideal client. If you have not yet read the first email you can do so <a href="http://thetherapistsbusinessschool.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/creating-marketing-funnel-level-1.html" style="color: #2baadf;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Assuming you have now identified your ideal clients and have your landing page ready to go, let's move on. It's important to get these stages done first, so, if necessary, go back to the previous post.<br />
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Your next step is to set up your ads. You can do these on a variety of platforms. However, for today, we will focus on Facebook.<br />
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The first step is to open up the Facebook page which is specific to your business. If you don't have that, please set up a business Facebook page before anything else. It really is important to be prominent on social media.<br />
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<a href="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/0d1798f9-00ec-49e6-b132-3340ccaf3cb2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" border="0" height="190" src="https://gallery.mailchimp.com/fd05a2bf9cc4b6d4c37e15084/images/0d1798f9-00ec-49e6-b132-3340ccaf3cb2.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a><span style="border-color: currentcolor; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-style: initial;"></span>On Facebook start by creating a normal post.<br />
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First of all choose an image, which correctly represents the freebie you are giving away. Make sure the image is clear and the correct size. If there are people in the image, then aim to make them the same age and gender as your ideal clients.<br />
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Now for the copy. The text on the ad (or copy) needs to be snappy and appealing. Through a lot of testing, we have found the best format for copy is to state three problems that really resonate with the client, and express these as questions, then to offer your freebie and finish with a call to action.<br />
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For example:<br />
Do you dread big social occasions?<br />
Do you get nervous when meeting new people?<br />
Do you worry about what other people think of you?<br />
Then download your free hypnosis for confidence MP3 here.<br />
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The reason for asking three questions is to create something called a "Yes Set." Once someone has answered yes three times they are likely to also agree to the call to action.<br />
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The word "here" should contain a link which will bring the potential client through to your landing page, where they can enter their details and automatically receive the freebie.<br />
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Now to target your advert. In the previous blog post we talked about identifying the characteristics of your ideal client. Now we put this into practice.<br />
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Once you have created your advert, it is time to boost it. Boosting it means that you pay and the advert will be shown to people who fit your target demographic but do not necessarily like your page.<br />
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Click on boost at the bottom of the post and you will be brought through to this screen.<br />
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You are given a few options in which to boost the post. We recommend targeting to a specific audience.<br />
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Now target to the specific ideal customer you identified. Target based on age, location, gender and interests. For example, you might know that most of your clients are women between the ages of 50 and 70, living in the local area who enjoy travel, specifically cruises, and reading. Facebook is wonderful because you can be so specific.<br />
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Now it is time to set a budget. We recommend starting small so you can test what does and does not work.<br />
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Getting the advert right takes a lot of trial and error. A/B testing is very important in all areas of your marketing and luckily Facebook makes A/B testing very simple. A/B testing is when you test 2 posts against each other. You change just one thing about the post, for example the image or the copy, and run it at the same time as the first post you created.<br />
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At the end of the campaign, Facebook will tell you which post had more interaction. The best post will have the lowest cost per click. You can view this is Ads Manager.<br />
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By constantly performing A/B testing you can create the most effective advert.<br />
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Now you've learned how to create your advert, you can just relax and wait for new email addresses to come in.<br />
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In the next Marketing Funnel email we'll talk about how to convert those email addresses into clients. Catherine Swatridgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13311836933981916306noreply@blogger.com0