Author Archives: Barbara Eldridge

Celebrating 33 Years of Mind Masters

| October 7, 2024

Celebrating 33 Years of Mind Masters: A Journey of Dreams, Growth, and Community

This month, Mind Masters celebrates 33 years—a milestone that reflects not only the evolution of a business but the incredible journey of countless entrepreneurs who have walked this path with us.

When I first made the leap into entrepreneurship, like many of you, I faced the uncertainty and solitude that comes with owning a small service business. While large corporations had Boards of Directors and CEO organizations to guide them, small businesses often stood alone, isolated. That’s when I knew—I wanted Mind Masters to be the advisory … Read More

Got Systems?

| September 3, 2024

Recently, one of our members shared that she was positioning her business to add associates. The question  she was struggling with was how to approach this expansion and asked for suggestions on how to create an SOP of routine or repetitive activity to insure success.

When small business owners really began to grow it has been my experience that they struggled by not having put systems in place to handle the overload. All this makes it harder to really understand what needs to be done and who should be doing it. In Michael Gerber’s E Myth, he says: “Most small … Read More

“Dog Days of Summer”

| July 30, 2024

sun with targetSummer heat has taken over, the desire to head somewhere cool looms large – BUT as your Business Results Strategist, I must ask you are you at the midpoint of your 2024 Goals and Results? After these several months working day and night to achieve those goals that were set in January, to perhaps create a new service, introduce a new product, or even design a new business model – have you found that all the drive that brought the initial motivation and excitement has melted away, the steam run out, and the place you are now in is comfortable … Read More

What is Your Marketing Strategy

| May 1, 2024

marketing strategyRecently in a networking group a member was designated to be the speaker of the day. It was obvious that like many small business owners, this person was trying to be all things to all people. This helter-skelter method may have gotten him off the ground initially, but in this changing market he lost sight of where to find potential customers.

So let me ask you “what is your marketing strategy”? Have you created a laser sharp focus for sales and marketing efforts. I am talking about a foundation upon which you create all future materials, plans, messages and advertising … Read More

4 Ways to Develop a Successful Business Strategy

| March 1, 2024

As we approach the final months of 2023, business owners must begin taking stock of their operations in preparation for the coming year. Success in the business world is not accidental; it’s the result of careful planning and strategic thinking. Incorporating a SWOT analysis—examining Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—is fundamental to developing a robust business strategy that addresses the four major areas of business: Management/Operations, Marketing/Sales, Financial, and Leadership (Personal/Personnel).

Strengths

Identifying and capitalizing on your business’s strengths is the first step toward strategic success. These strengths, intrinsic to both the entrepreneur and the enterprise, range from resource abundance to … Read More

Seeds of Success

| February 27, 2024

As you look to this year you must positively expect good things to happen.  Your belief and attitude about business, money, relationships, education, IQ, the government, what you’re capable of, how deserving you are and more will be the seeds that determine your success.

Your beliefs or what I call the 900 Pound Gorilla—are what hold you back. What it will take to set your plans in action is learning how to install new beliefs, and attitudes.

Defining your business Vision is one of your most important exercises to support and create ongoing success. Without the Vision, nothing you do … Read More

Tap Your Massive Potential for Greater Success

| October 31, 2023

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you already mastered, you will never grow.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

As you look to preparing for 2024 you must positively expect good things to happen.  Your belief and attitude about business, money, relationships, education, IQ, the government, what you’re capable of, how deserving you are and more will be the seeds that determine your success.

Your negative beliefs or catalog of regrets are what science calls negative bias, and are what hold you back. What it will take to set your plans in action is learning how to install new beliefs, and … Read More

What Makes You Stand Out in the Marketplace?

| September 29, 2023

Since COVID I have noticed many business owners having difficulty reconnecting, whether with customers or even prior networking groups.. As a growing business owner are you getting caught in the hyper-competitive market environment? When you work alone it is often difficult to fulfill all the roles you have to play. So how do you stay competitive? I often harp on the importance of staying focused to the high-priority, high payoff areas of the business, but when you are doing it all, everything seems “high priority”. But being in business means staying connected to the people who do business with you … Read More

Leverage, What is it and How to Use It

| August 16, 2023

In the course of meeting with members, I have found many service providers have a challenge leveraging themselves. So I started looking at what leverage really means to a small business owner. There are a variety of ways to increase business or the bottom line with leverage.

Leverage in the pure sense deals with how a business utilizes borrowed money, (that’s referred to as OPM, other people’s money). Sometimes it is used for expansion, research and development, and in early stages for getting the business on its feet.

Then there is operating leverage, which is the impact of a change … Read More

Are You Promoting Your “Sweet Spot?”

| July 31, 2023

As a growing business owner are you getting caught in the hyper competitive market environment? When you work alone it is often difficult to fulfill all the roles you have to play. So how do you stay competitive? I often harp on the importance of staying focused to the high priority, high payoff areas of the business, but when you are doing it all, everything seems “high priority”. But being in business means staying connected to the people who do business with you as well as the people who refer business to you.

Do you work consistently with your Marketing … Read More