Author Archives: Barbara Eldridge

Uplevel Your Brand

| May 31, 2022

Do you remember the song Purple Rain by PRINCE?  He was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. And even in death his music is as popular as ever. What can we learn from this legend?  Well, when it comes to marketing, it pays to build a buzz and then back that up by being the real deal. 

It’s important to get the word out about who you are and what you do. PRINCE did it through record releases, public appearances, concerts, interviews, and fan clubs.

Was it easier for PRINCE? … Read More

Financing Business Growth

| May 3, 2022

The question is always asked, how much should be spent on marketing and advertising.  Some businesses start on a shoestring and grow rapidly.  Others take hundreds even thousands of dollars and go at a snail’s pace.  While I have never heard a hard and fast answer to how much you should spend, you need a strategy that will produce results for you. Good accountants do far more than prepare tax returns; they help you understand the tax impact of your business decisions and assist you in reducing your overall exposure to taxes. It’s important to consult them before making decisions … Read More

Master the Fear of Self Promotion

| March 1, 2022

How often have you walked out of a seminar thinking you wasted your time and maybe even your money because the presenter seemed more interested in promoting his/her next workshop then delivering the topic you signed on for?

I have often heard business owners complain that they hate being sold.  The market place has changed, customers do have access to more information and have become more educated about what they want.  But what is “wrong” with self promotion?

Sometimes it has to do with that bad experience we had with that salesperson who talked us into buying something we really … Read More

Be Your Own Hero

| February 1, 2022

Last week I was privileged to conduct the Mind Masters’ Annual Summit. This year the program was titled: Be Your Own Hero: Engage the Adventure Called Change. Having realized that after almost two years of COVID, all organizations and businesses have been faced with Change at an accelerated rate and velocity that is unlike anything we have understood since WWII things needed to change.

Having listened to and read several articles that identify the old paradigm of our thinking that we must “have” what we want, before we can “do” what we want and “be” what we want I realized … Read More

Into the Future

| October 26, 2021

As I got Mind Masters members planning this last quarter it was with the realization that I then had to plant the seed to move past this last part of the year and to start thinking about the future. For some that seems challenging, between the violence, natural disasters, and divisive political climate, it’s been a rough year for many of us. We’re inundated with negatives nearly 24/7 from the news, social media, and even in-person conversations.

No matter what your situation, it is critical to take time each and every day to focus on what you are grateful for!… Read More

Celebrating 30 Years of Mind Masters: Looking Back to Look Ahead

| September 28, 2021

WOW have things changed in 30 years! Yet even with the uncertainties that the COVID virus has produced, Mind Masters and our members have held together to cheer each other on to make changes needed to stay afloat.

Some members wanted to know if we were going to celebrate like we did for our 25th, but my decision was to step back and plan it at the beginning of 2022. I needed this time to look at what we have learned in order to look beyond just staying afloat.

So what has made the difference for Mind Masters … Read More

Do You Know What Drives Your Business?

| July 27, 2021

In setting a challenge for members of Mind Masters this month, I asked them to commit to a specific financial number that will propel them forward for the balance of this year and into next. Some have faced downturns due to the pandemic, others have forged ahead due to grants, loans or just good markets.  But what number or numbers really need attention that would change the outomes?

Let me ask YOU, what number do you look at when trying to determine if your business is successful and growing or not? Most small business owners focus on Revenue (sales) or … Read More

How Do You Stay Sharp?

| May 25, 2021

During a Padres game last week the interviewer asked one of the players what he liked about his coach. He said the coach got in every day earlier than anyone else, practiced batting and reviewed the previous night’s game plays. “WOW what an example he sets for all of us”, he said.

Yes athletes do it, but so do musicians, mechanics, and writers do it, they practice, do you, the business owner, do it?  The idea that we can become proficient (well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge) in our chosen field is often overlooked in small … Read More

How Are You at Setting Priorities?

| April 27, 2021

Why am I hearing time management and over whelm issues from many members? As a business owners, it’s easy to get caught up in the bustle of day-to-day business. As things begin to open up the drive to reach out and catch up on financial goals can be tempting to allow oneself spending a significant portion of time fighting the myriad fires that crop up every day. Instead, it is getting more important to take the time to step back and set “laser-sharp” priorities that focus on what’s really important – and keep from spending time on what’s not.

 … Read More

In the Beginning was the Dream…

| March 30, 2021

I love telling the story of an entrepreneur in Des Moines, Iowa who had a dream.  He had a successful welding business and he liked to tinker.  In 1903 to be able to carry supplies and deliver machine parts to his customers, George built an engine for a buckboard to make it easier to carry those parts.  He later built another engine for a carriage to take his family out in.  Today George’s “truck” sits in the back field of an Iowa farm, rusted and rotted.  Maybe his dream was to sell his idea, maybe it was only to create … Read More