success Businesswomen
share what success means to them
7 steps
to successfully combine business + motherhood
Tracy Manu Coach + Author shares her tips on defining success
ISSUE THREE NOV 2012
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the online magazine for New Zealand women in business
Success
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One-on-One
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In this issue of Venus we look at what success means to New Zealand women in business and how they define it for themselves. We know that women go into business for many different reasons - to enjoy the freedom of autonomy, to follow their passion, to spark their entrepreneurial flame, to make a difference, and often to maintain a family friendly flexibility in their work life. I believe success is what you make it up to be. My invitation to you is to define success for yourself rather than taking on someone else’s view of success. I love the term ‘stunningly successful’. If you could paint a picture of what your life and business looked like stunningly successful what would it be? For me success means working towards a worthy goal, knowing that each day I’m making choices that will lead me to my dreams. And making sure I enjoy the ride. I love the quote by Emerson ‘Life is a journey not a destination’. Sooner or later you realise that the true joy in life is enjoying the ride. Our life coach Tracy Manu poses some questions to help you uncover what is significant to you. With this awareness around success you are more likely to experience successful living.
We hear from a group of businesswomen from around New Zealand as to what success means to them and how they know when they have achieved it. We also have success tips from our business panel covering Facebook, recruitment and being a mum in business. We are coming to the end of 2012, for some your schedules start to fill up and this is your busy time and for others your schedules start to empty and you are able to relax and recharge after what feels like quite a full on year. Whichever way you go into the festive season remember to stop and smell the roses along the way. Wishing you a fun, relaxing and successful summer, Love your work, Vanessa
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success strategies It’s exciting to see how many businesswomen have embraced the opportunity to market their business on Facebook. However, you may have noticed that with so many businesses now on Facebook, your newsfeed has become a very noisy space! Just being present is no longer enough. To be successful we have to be strategic in the way we engage our Facebook audiences.
For example, were you aware that the posts each individual sees in their Facebook newsfeed are determined by a formula called the Edgerank algorithm? And you thought you left maths behind at school! One of the things this algorithm measures is the affinity between an individual and each Facebook page that they like. The more an individual interacts with posts from your page, by liking, commenting or sharing, the higher their affinity score will be and the more likely they are to see your posts in their newsfeed. The reverse is also true, which means that your low affinity fans may stop seeing your posts altogether!
Kathryn Overall, Engage Communications www.facebook.com/engage. communications Kathryn is a Facebook mentor and freelance writer. She specialises in helping motivated business-women to build an engaged social community around their brand. If want to get a brilliant head-start in the world of Facebook marketing, then Kathryn is your girl! Sign up for our free weekly newsletter ENGAGE INSIGHTS here >> weekly newsletter here.
A little bit of strategy goes a long way when it comes to building a valuable engagement history with your audience. Here are a few tips you can put into place this week.
Get people talking! Post discussion questions, ask people their opinion, start posts with ‘Click LIKE if you’…and end the sentence with something compelling! Be social, be creative, know your audience and find out what will get them commenting.
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Discover the online habits of your audience It pays to remember that your posts show up in newsfeeds in real time, so be mindful of when your audience is likely to be online. If your audience is working professionals and you are posting in the mornings when they are at work, chances are you will be missing them.
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Use Facebook Questions/Polls The Facebook question or poll feature is a great tool to use. It provides an easy way for people to interact with you, and they do have the potential to go viral (in a good way!) The trick is to poll people on things that are interesting or entertaining. Be creative. Post photos Images have the highest visibility in Facebook newsfeeds, so take advantage. Become your own photojournalist and capture photos on the go to illustrate your posts. Even if you post a link, post a relevant photo and include the link in the body of the text. It is much more likely to attract attention.
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I love the support, friendship and guidance you receive from members of Venus. Everyone is genuine in their advice and really eager to help and refer your business to others. Becoming part of the Venus Network was the best business and professional move I’ve ever made! Carly Shore, Owner and Trainer at Bubble & Speak www.bubbleandspeak.co.nz
Being a member of Venus has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing women. I have found that I have a whole new support network out there to help me in business. Meeting the ladies on a fortnightly basis raises my energy levels and keeps me motivated to achieving my goals. Venus certainly works to bring me business, several of my group fitness classes are mini Venus meetings. Referrals are the number one way to do business and this is what Venus provides me‌ thanks Venus I love being part of this amazing group.
We love hearing our members RAVE about Venus. So much so we wanted to share our most recent Member RAVE’s with you.
Sally Feinerman, Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness Fix and Facilitator for our East Coast Bays Group, North Shore. www.fitnessfix.co.nz
What I LOVE about the Venus Networking Group is that it creates business connections exclusively amongst businesswomen. I feel encouraged and empowered to grow my business and myself. Meeting motivated women brimming with enthusiasm for their business is inspiring and has added value to my business and clients. I highly recommend the Venus Networking Group as a marketing tool to grow your business. Debbie Albrecht, Owner and Stylist, ColoursPlus www.coloursplus.co.nz Facilitator of Rangiora Venus, Canterbury
Much credit to you Vanessa (Davey) for creating an environment where women feel safe to talk about and be proud of themselves and their businesses. And most importantly for creating a forum which is safe and allows women to develop confidence and belief in themselves and what they do to make a living. From here all the rest, networking and business development comes. Debra Jager, Owner of Home Instead Senior Care. A nationwide In-Home Senior Care Provider www.homeinstead.co.nz
Businesswomen Panel What does business success mean to you?
Top left Tania Perkinson Bottom left Michele Courage Below Karen Degan Bottom right Carly Shorter
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Michele Courage is the designer and owner of Bi Design Limited, a Wellington based design company helping small businesses present themselves professionally by using great design and clever marketing ideas. www.facebook.com/BiDesignltd As a woman in business, what does business success mean to you? How do you define it? Success to me is all about BALANCE! Balance between being fulfilled and energised at what I do from a work prospective and when spending time with my family, being relaxed and engaged with them.
Do you have a vision of what your business will look like when it is thriving to it’s fullest potential? If so, does this vision of success motivate you? I have a vision of myself being balanced and content within myself while achieving my goals – the only way I know how to achieve this is to strive to do the very best I can. When my clients are more than satisfied with the work that I have done for them and they refer me, that inspires and motivates me even more.
Do you take time to celebrate your little successes on the way and do you think this is important? You need to stop and evaluate your progress and celebrate your successes. This is the only way you will learn what is working and what is not. When I set my goals, I make them realistic, achievable and I set a timeframe, so that I can measure and re-assess and then celebrate them when they are achieved. A business will be changing constantly so I make most of my goals short term - by doing this, I keep my focus and motivation, but also stay open to new opportunities.
Carly Shorter
is the Director and Trainer of Bubble & Speak a training and development company based in Tauranga. Carly has a unique training style which is highly interactive, fun and infectious. She has an insatiable desire to help people from all walks of life gain a better understanding of the importance of effective communication. www.bubbleandspeak.co.nz As a woman in business, what does business success mean to you? How do you define it? The happy factor. Success to me means having the balance of work and home life just the way you want it (or close enough) and being able to really make a positive impact in other people’s lives. The happy factor gets a boost when you can pay your bills too! That’s success in my book.
Do you have a vision of what your business will look like when it is thriving to it’s fullest potential? If so, does this vision of success motivate you? I definitely have a vision for my business and man, I am excited about Bubble & Speak pumping at its fullest potential. Bring it! However, I have recently learned to be open to change and opportunity. My vision of success is what I use to motivate me constantly whatever it may look like on that day. Do you take time to celebrate your little successes on the way and do you think this is important? I’m going to say, I do think it is super important to celebrate your successes but I need to do it more often. I’m a fine one for telling others to pat themselves on the back but when it comes to me, I just keep ploughing through and maybe give it a tick. So from now on, there’s going to be a little more wine in my glass and another pair of shoes in the wardrobe... only on days to celebrate of course.
Tania Perkinson
is a marketing consultant in the process of rebranding from Mint Marketing, so watch this space. Tania loves working with small to medium sized enterprises, that may be stuck in a rut with their marketing, to gain marketing direction, focus and clarity. She offers marketing strategy planning and marketing consultancy packages to suit a range of budgets.
As a woman in business, what does business success mean to you? How do you define it? Business success to me means understanding what your true gift really is, not being afraid to share that gift with the world, stepping up to play a bigger game and positively impacting the lives of others while being financially rewarded for it.
Flexibility and being able to work my own hours around a family was a driving factor for starting my own business but I’ve found that having a business no matter how small it is can impact on so many aspects of your life including family, friendships, finances, health and emotional wellbeing, while at the same time challenging your personal growth. And of course as women we want it all don’t we! So I think a big factor of business success means having strength and focus to not give up on that dream while at the same time being kind to ourselves. It’s all a journey of discovery. Do you have a vision of what your business will look like when it is thriving to it’s fullest potential? If so, does this vision of success motivate you? Having a clear vision is critical to successful business growth. My vision certainly helps me to stay on track,
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and to give me focus and strength. I remind myself that it’s a journey and there are going to be plenty of challenges as well as wins along the way. Having a vision that is bigger than myself, less about me and more about what I can do for others is also very motivating and helped by the fact that I love what I do. I’m continually immersed in the world of learning and development within the industry and learning from business leaders which also keeps me inspired and motivated.
Do you take time to celebrate your little successes on the way and do you think this is important? It’s great that we have the forum to share our wins in our Venus meetings so we can acknowledge and celebrate those successes together. I also keep a daily gratitude journal to acknowledge the three best things of the day, this is in keeping with the principal that the more you focus on the positive, the more you allow positive things to flow into your life.
Karen Degan
Is an internationally certified Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) practitioner. She runs her consulting
business Break Free with EFT in Christchurch, New Zealand. She is fascinated by the human mind and regularly studies scientific and medical research related to mind/body/spirit. www.setfree.co.nz As a woman in business, what does business success mean to you? How do you define it? In actual fact I am a health, happiness and success coach, so my job is to help people be successful. To me success isn’t a destination, it’s a journey. The closer you get to ‘who you want to be’ as a person, then the more successful you are. It has nothing to do with money or power and everything to do with being the best version of you that you can be. Success comes from knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming. You and only you will know whether you have done that. There will always be others who are smarter, more talented, more articulate, or better in some way, but there is one way in which you can be second to none, and that is being the best version of you that you can be.
Do you have a vision of what your business will look like when it is thriving to its fullest potential? If so, does this vision of success motivate you? I most definitely have a vision of what I want my business to look like when it’s reached its fullest potential, but that doesn’t mean I’m not successful until I achieve that. I’m successful now and reaching for even greater success. The greatest version of who I want to be does motivate me, every day. I very much practice and teach the Law of Attraction, and to be where we want to be in life involves four steps: 1. Knowing what you want (that’s setting goals) 2. Ensuring your thoughts, beliefs and expectations are always focused on those goals 3. Letting go of any blocks that are in the way (i.e. fears, doubts, beliefs about yourself and what you can and can’t achieve etc) 4. Taking small steps towards those goals Step four is important and I ensure that I’m taking steps towards my vision at all times, even if they are little ones or take a while to achieve.
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Do you take time to celebrate your little successes on the way and do you think this is important? Yes, it’s vital to celebrate your successes. I have a little ritual that I practice around success. If I achieve something big I allow myself to feel proud and feel great about myself, and at the same time I say to myself “even if you hadn’t achieved that Karen you would still be good enough”. This means that next time I fail, don’t achieve what I aimed for, or make a mistake I am preprogrammed to think “I’m still good enough”.
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Sally Feinerman
B U S I N E S S
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What were you doing before you started your business? I lived in Queenstown for 23 years and in that time I handled logistics for an international adventure race in Switzerland, the local Southern Traverse and an Eco Challenge event in Fiji. I then worked on 6 Winter Festivals, four as second in charge and two as director.
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What made you start your business / what was the motivator for starting your business? While organising the winter festival I discovered the benefits of fitness after completing a 12 week challenge at a local gym. After the 2009 festival I was looking to spend a couple of months in Auckland, where my family are, to do a personal training course, not expecting I would move up here and start my business. I realised pretty early on that I wanted to start my own business so that I could take control of my life and my business. I love the flexibility that running my own business offers me.
Many of my clients don’t fit the normal gym mould and so I decided to move from training at a unisex studio to having my own studio specifically for women, this was a natural progression.
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“I view my success in taking quick action when it comes to implementing new ideas into my business"
Share the growth that you have experienced since you started. Two years ago I started my fitness business from scratch. Now I have a trainer who works part time with me. I have also grown my business on-line and have a 12 week programme that I am going to market both nationally and internationally. I have started speaking more often and spoke at Vibe in Queenstown this month.
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What does success mean to you in business? First and foremost I view my success by my client’s achievements. I love the outcome that getting fitter and healthier provides my clients, quite literally changing all areas of their lives. The second success element for me is living my own healthy life style. Fitness and healthy eating is part of my everyday life .
Lastly I view my success in taking quick action when it comes to implementing new ideas into my business and I am not afraid to give anything a go.
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What services do you offer people? At Fitness Fix we offer solutions for everyone. We have anything from a complimentary walking group, to small group classes, to one on one personal training sessions. And we also offer a 12 week on line programme for women all of New Zealand. Our passion is helping women fit exercise into their busy lives.
Sally Feinerman | Mob: 021 900 643 | Ph: 09 4799 235 E: sally@fitnessfix.co.nz | www.fitnessfix.co.nz
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Nine tips on how to successfully recruit the right staff the first time 1
Conduct a Job Analysis - A Job Analysis is a process used to identify and understand in detail the particular job duties and requirements and the relative importance of these particular duties for a given job. It is the actual job that is being analysed not the person completing the job. At the end of doing this you may realise you actually may only need someone part time as opposed to full time or vice versa.
Create a Job Description and Person Specification - These two tools will allow you to gain a clear understanding of the day to day tasks the new recruit will be undertaking and exactly the right type of person you will need to be able to undertake the tasks. A person specification is a fantastic tool for you to write down exactly what the right “fit” for the team is and if you could find your ideal applicant what skills, experience and qualifications would you like for them to have. A Job Description is now a legal requirement for all employees (so now is a very good time to go and create one for you and your team).
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Tanya Gray is the founder and director of Recruit NZ. Recruit NZ is not your typical Employment Consultancy where you are just another “bum on a seat” as a job seeker or another “job to fill” as an employer. They are a company that is passionate about what they do and committed to making a difference for their clients. www.recruit-nz.co.nz (09) 280-3977
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Advertising - This is your chance to set your business apart from your competition’s so make sure that if you are writing an advertisement for staff it has the “wow” factor and the WIIFM (what’s in it for me). You also want it to be detailed and specific otherwise you will be inundated by every person looking for work across the country! The more specific you are the higher chance of attracting the RIGHT person. Telephone and email screening forms - Have key questions on these that are non-negotiable i.e. remuneration, qualifications and location.
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Application Forms - These are for risk management and also for culling out any unsuitable applicants that may still be in the mix.
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Competency based interview questions - You need to know how this person will react or has reacted to a variety of relevant situations that they would face on a day today basis in this role. If they don’t give you the right answer then they are out of the mix!
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Reference checking forms - People that do not use these when recruiting are just opening themselves up for a problem….. This is THE perfect time for you to be able to speak to previous employers (NOT colleagues) about how the applicant performed in their previous role. Again, any alarm bells take them out of the mix. The earlier you eliminate unsuitable applicants the happier you and your team will be in the long run- trust me on this one. The last thing anyone wants is a bad hire.
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Employment Agreement and Letter of Offer (with Job Description) These are legal requirements and are a non-negotiable. You may face a fine from the DOL if you do not have these in place in your business (who wants a $20,000 fine?).
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Induction plan - Make sure that your new person can settle in and learn everything they need to know from A to Z as soon as they can. The faster they are settled in the easier everyone’s life will be!
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If you follow all of the above tips and are clear from the very beginning about what you want and what you do not want you should have a successful recruitment process and new employee on board! Good Luck and drop me a line if you have any questions!
Every week we hear success stories from our members around New Zealand. We hear from women who are experiencing growth in their business, with their self esteem and confidence, their circle of trusted advisors or enjoying their business more. We want to share with you the latest story and testimonial from one of our Auckland members. Tanya Gray owner of RecruitNZ has been a member for 18 months and has seen huge success through Venus. Below she shares her success and tips on how to make Venus work for you.
I have been a member of Venus for just over 1.5 years and have found it to be the most amazing networking group I have ever been in-both on a personal level and for business generation. The structure of the meetings are great as they allow each person to share their topic of the week as well as their referrals, raves and wins which help other new members realise how it is possible to use the group to make strong connections and build your business.
The events that are held throughout the year by Venus and also by individual or combined groups are a great way to meet people from other parts of Auckland and tap into some amazing talent within the groups. There truly are some incredibly intelligent, driven, passionate and entrepreneurial businesswomen within the Venus Network. And I am lucky to have made connections with some of them. This would not have happened if it wasn’t for Venus. Vanessa Davey is focussed on continuous improvement within the organisation and her passion and commitment for its success is apparent in all of her communications.
Recruit NZ have had an incredible amount of success within the Auckland wide Venus Network. Some months over half of our work is through connections from Venus and throughout the first 6 months of 2012 over 80% of our business was through contacts of contacts at Venus. We constantly have business referred to us from Venus contacts which is wonderful.
To have success within Venus: • It is about what you put in; do not expect referrals to be handed out to you until your group members learn about you, like you and then develop trust in you. • Attendance is crucial at each and every meeting. • Be a valuable member of your group; help the group and its members grow and develop. Like everything, the more you put in the more you get out and if you are dedicated, seen to be professional and a reliable group member then you will reap the rewards- but it does take time for all of this to happen. On a personal note, the members of my group have all seen me throughout my pregnancy with my daughter, soon after having her, through the loss of a family member and a great deal of family health stress. They have seen me go through everything across 18 months and have been there supporting me and encouraging me. I have made some of the most amazing friends, business contacts, strategic alliances and suppliers and it is all thanks to the fabulous Venus network. You are onto a great thing Vanessa! Tanya Gray, Auckland Venus Member
“Over 80% of our business was through contacts of contacts at Venus"
Seven steps to successfully combine business + motherhood
Tina Kennedy
expert mentor + coach for working mothers www.raisingdelight.com
Most mothers become entrepreneurs as a way to make money, experience greater personal fullfilment and to have the flexibility to be there for their children when they need them. However, it doesn’t take long for us to realise that combining business and motherhood can be a real struggle and sometimes exhausting. Are you among the 93% of mothers who feel ‘guilty?’ Do you find it stressful trying to ‘juggle’ and ‘balance’ the many different roles and responsibilities in your life?
If you answered ‘yes’ to these questions you are not alone. All my working mother clients experience guilt of some type. All of us find the balancing act harder than we expected. Here are seven tips which will help you reach greater success and balance in your business + family life.
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Identify what you love doing in your business and do more of that. A happy mum creates secure and happy children. Doing what you love is a great starting point for success.
2 Get help and delegate the tasks you don’t enjoy.
3 Make your dreams and goals a priority by focusing on them every day.
4 Each morning identify three key actions
that will take you towards your ideal life and business goals. Just three, anymore is overwhelming.
5 Understand that guilt is overrated and super
mum is a myth. What happened in the past is done and can’t be changed. Breathe and focus on the power of now. Start new and do your best in this moment.
6 Create more structure in your life. Identify
the hours you want to invest in your business, your family and your personal health and structure your week around that.
7 Separate work and family time. Merging
the two is a recipe for personal and family melt down. If you decide to work until 3pm, set an alarm and close the office door or leave your workplace at that time. Put on your automated ‘out of office’ email and enjoy your children and family. This one step can make a significant difference.
Tina Kennedy is an expert mentor + coach for working mothers. She has five teenagers + runs a thriving life + weight loss coaching practice for women seeking life balance, better health and more happiness for them and their families. www.raisingdelight.com www.lovemybodyslim.com
“Don’t aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ” David Frost
Feature Article with Tracy Manu
For many years I thought that success had evaded me. I worked toward goals, and once I’d achieved them I moved on quickly to the next ones. I always strived for more; however there was a sense of discontentment that existed within me. It was like heading toward a destination that I never truly arrived at, rather than enjoying a journey that felt satisfying. What I hadn’t realized was that our values play a significant part in successful living. These are the ideals that are personally important and meaningful to us.
To be consciously aware of our values and to create our life around them produces an enormous amount of satisfaction and success in our lives. When we aren’t living aligned with our values, dissatisfaction and stress are residue effects, which explains my sense of discontentment.
By discovering my values and what I truly loved, and defining what success meant to me, I was able to align my life with these fundamental understandings. I felt more contented and success became inevitable. It also helped to acknowledge everything I had achieved and create an attitude of gratitude, which enabled me to appreciate what I’d been through and how far I’d come. Everyone’s definition of success is different. It could be living at your full potential or being healthy and fit. For some it’s how they have overcome obstacles and for others it’s more intangible, like inner peace and a strong sense of self-worth. By understanding what is significant to you, you are more likely to experience successful living.
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How do you define success?
What are your ten main values? If you’re unsure, check out www.blossom.net.nz/free-resources
If you were experiencing success in every area of your life, what would it look like and how would you feel? What are three steps you can take to create more success in your life?
You may like to make a list of each area of your life - Home & Family, Significant Partner, Career, Finances, Personal Well-being, Health and Fitness, and Relationships - and then distinguish which areas you’re living aligned with your values and which areas could do with a few tweaks. You may find there is a lack of fulfilment where your values aren’t being experienced. What shifts can you make so your values overflow into every part of your life?
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Contact Tracy: 09 4284615 or 021 753 387 tracy@blossom.net.nz / www.blossom.net.nz
Expert Advice by Vanessa Davey
FAQ What is an FAQ list/page? FAQ stands for “frequently asked questions.” As the name implies, it is a list of questions frequently asked by prospects or current clients about different aspects of a business’s services or products. The answers are typically shown with the questions. The most common place to display a list of FAQ’s is on your website. However you could also put it into a sales pack/ presentation, include in your brochure or on your social media business pages.
Why have an FAQ webpage? • Improves your Google search rankings by the inclusion of keywords in your questions and answers • Saves both prospects and yourself time; they get instant information • Improves sales conversion; helps prospects to reach a decision • Extends support to clients; Helpful for new users of your product or service How do I create an effective FAQ webpage? To write an effective FAQ page, simply think of the questions that prospects ask most often. Do they ask about your products features? Do they request proof of credentials? Are they seeking directions to your store? Whatever it is that your prospects want to know, incorporate into your Q & A.
Find Your Keywords Get together your list of keywords and searched terms for your industry/type of business. Use these to develop your questions around. FAQ or WAQ? For a long time FAQs have been misused, instead of real and relevant content, businesses put questions they “wished” users would ask (WAQ, Wished to be Asked Questions). It’s very important to put prospects needs first, just cover topics that are really important to them. Keep it Simple You don’t need to clarify every single question that may pop up about your product or service, just the key ones that your prospects keep asking you.
Speak to Any Objections That Hinder Sales FAQs are a great place to answer any sales objections. Let’s say one of the objections you hear most often about your product is that it costs more than competitor products. Use a question and answer to explain why your product offers more value than your competitor’s.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Create Links to Your Main Pages FAQs give you an opportunity to promote some of your main pages and some of your more obscure ones too. Simply write a question that targets those pages and then include a link in your answer. The links will drive traffic to those pages and will also help the search engines to find them too.
Remember the Call to Action At the end of the FAQ, make sure one of your last questions is a call to action. Tell the prospect how she can get more details, request further information or buy from you. After reading all that great information, she should be ready to take the next step, so be sure to guide her along.
Make It Easy to Ask a New Question If someone can’t find the answer to their question within your FAQ, it’s likely they’ll want to ask you directly. Make sure you include a question form or a contact form that’s easily accessible from your FAQ page. For many people, FAQ pages are often the first page they go to after Home. The value an FAQ page brings to your website is well worth the effort in doing one. Unlike most other pages of your website, your FAQ page should be one that you update on a regular basis. If a prospect poses an interesting question you haven’t heard before, add it to your FAQ page.
Vanessa Davey 0275 696 963 vanessa@venusnetwork.co.nz
Facebook.com/VenusNetworkNZ www.venusnetwork.co.nz
Healthy food
with Christine Smith
Cauliflower Risotto
Small cauliflower or half a large one Half a small onion or one spring onion Olive oil - a slosh Juice of ½ lemon or lime 1 teaspoon cumin or more if you like it Generous pinch dried coriander of few sprigs of fresh 1 teaspoon Himalayan or Celtic salt Generous grinds of black pepper 1 clove garlic or shake of powder Handful chopped sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup chopped Brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds use what you have 1 avocado 1 tomato Grind cauliflower, onion and sun-dried tomatoes in food processor until cauli resembles rice grains. Add oil, juice, seasonings and chopped nuts. Whizz till just mixed. Check for flavour and adjust if necessary. Remove blade and stir through chopped avocado and tomato. Turn out onto large plate, garnish and serve.
A special garnish for Christmas - surround with baby spinach leaves, neatly overlapping and sprinkle red fruit over greens. Pomegranate seeds, cherries or raspberries.
The Purple Cow
A smoothie with a difference; I love the name as well as the flavour. If I ever had a Raw Food cafe that's what I'd call it - The Purple Cow...who knows...maybe one day! 1 chopped, frozen banana ½ cup of frozen or fresh blueberries 1 cup of milk - raw dairy, rice or oat milk or maybe a nutmilk. (I don't recommend soy milk).
Whizz in your Vita-Mix or blender until smooth and a gorgeous purple colour. Add more milk if needed. For extra nutrition you could add a handful of spinach or other green; it will dull the pretty purple a little but you won't taste the green. I prefer to use frozen bananas because I love the ice cream texture. You can add any super food to super charge it: maca powder, chia seeds, probiotics, coconut oil, etc. but not necessary. Serves two (or one very hungry person!). If you have kids you'd better get used to making a bigger recipe otherwise you won't get much. Copyright to Christine Smith, Go More Raw Ltd www.gomoreraw.com
Experiment with other flavours such as mushroom or curry.
Could also wrap in nori or lettuce leaves for something different, in which case you would chop the avocado and tomato very small.
Christine Smith is the businesswoman behind Go More Raw, www.gomoreraw.com a resource packed website where you can discover the benefits and the how-to, to eating more raw food. Visit her website to subscribe to her weekly blog and check out her Seven Day Program ‘The Spring Fling’ where for seven days you can try the high raw lifestyle, stress and hassle free. Christine is also launching ready-made meals and smoothies soon to help us keep eating well and our energy up while growing our businesses.
Five golden rules of successful business networking for women When it comes to the “tipping point” in your business life when you have identified you need business to business networking, then meeting inspirational, like-minded, entrepreneurial women is the place you want to be.
Golden Rule of Business Networking for Women #1 Have An Open Mind
If you have got a great business and you want to make sure your dreams become a reality follow these golden rules for business networking for women.
Golden Rule of Business Networking for Women #2 Have An Open Heart
When women come together to connect, interact and share ideas and knowledge real friendships develop, self-belief expands and goals that were once unrealistic suddenly become achievable.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams”
Always join a group or network with an open mind. Always be willing to participate and share your stories, ideas and skills as well as learn and listen from others. Success strategies that involve keeping an open mind will allow members to provide positive communication in the true nature of an entrepreneurial spirit.
Women don’t have to try and behave like men any more to succeed! Joining a network for women allows us to nurture, support and embrace who we really are. Building powerful allies and lasting bonds is legendary amongst the “sisterhood” of modern day business networking.
Eleanor Roosevelt
www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 18
Golden Rule of Business Networking for Women #3 Have An Open Door Policy Coco Channel once said “Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door”. How many of us have wasted time and energy beating on walls (barriers to success) when we should have focused on opening doors?
Golden Rule of Business Networking for Women #4 Accept That Open Invitation
Never miss an opportunity to maximize who you are and what your business can achieve. Building your network starts with taking that first step. The next step comes with really getting to know others and their businesses. This natural flow of energy will kick start opportunities and provide a clear vision based on what you seek for your future success.
Golden Rule of Business Networking for Women #5 Open Your Eyes To Brilliant Opportunities There are so many amazing opportunities that come with networking for women, from meeting potential referral alliances, to brainstorming ideas and strategies to helping you develop your own marketing message. This could give you incredible return on your investment of time, energy and passion. Suddenly you will see a light at the end of the tunnel where all that hard work and generous spirit starts to pay off.
Bio: Venus Network, created by founder – Vanessa Davey, is business networking for women, where success breeds success, where businesswomen thrive on growing their own business as much as helping others grow theirs. It is time to stop trying to do everything yourself or expecting your friends or partner to understand your aspirations, joining a business network for women will provide resources, connections and smart marketing strategies – the perfect referral community.
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by Linda Guirey The Choice Champion What is success? When was the last time you thought about success, and what it means to you? There are numerous definitions available and I don’t think success has a simple definition - it might be short and sweet in the dictionary but success means different things to different people. What’s important, is finding your own definition otherwise you will be constantly chasing someone else’s idea of success. There are 5 fundamental elements, I believe, to truly understanding what success means. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Doing what you love Being true to yourself and living your chosen path, not the life others expect of you Being present, connected and engaged Being able to overcome those unexpected and challenging obstacles Value life, be valued, value others and most of all, add value
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
So when you take charge and understand that you are in control of your life, that you are the architect
of your future, you will realise that what really matters is the way you live your life. That means that success isn’t the objective or the goal - it is the journey, and your destination is defined by the choices that you make everyday. You are therefore choosing your own success - success is simply what you make it and to achieve that success in your life, you need to focus on what you have control over, such as your thoughts, beliefs, actions and attitude. Attitude is such an important ingredient - you can be diligent and hardworking, but if you are not positive, I believe you are limiting possibilities and opportunities that are on your path to success. Having a negative attitude is like having a filter on everything around you - you start to see things through frustration and disappointment rather than seeing what life really offers you - and your attitude is your choice!
It is more important to choose to live and enjoy the present, rather than focus on failures or what you have no control over. You always have a choice - sometimes though, it is only a choice of attitude.
With attitude comes persistence. Choosing a positive attitude means that regardless of what life throws at you, you continue to focus on what is important in your life and what you have control over. Everyone will experience times of extreme stress in their lives - it’s how you respond to those events that is the most important. I never expected to be faced with a life changing decision in 1998, a very stressful period where I had to make some major choices. What would your reaction be, if your loving husband and father of your 3 beautiful children suddenly told you that he wanted to become a woman? I went through a process that I share in my presentations and workshops - a process that enabled me to make the choice to stick with my husband, redefining our relationship.
www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 20
Feature Article with Linda Guirey
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Albert Schweitzer
For the next 7 years we lived very happily as a very unconventional family - me, the kids and an ‘aunt’. So this experience, combined with my desire to deeply understand how we make choices, how we process information and how our brain works during the decision making process, led me to where I am today. People who are successful understand that success is a journey, it is a long term commitment to your values. Attitude is also the magic ingredient to learning from failure or mistakes. You can choose to see failure as the finish line, coming last, never to race again, or you can choose to see failure as a lesson along the way, part of the race and you haven’t yet finished. You cannot have success without ever having some failure. There are some people who prefer to blame others, or blame the tools and equipment, to just place blame somewhere else when things go wrong - and they are not on the road to success. They are not taking responsibility for their own lives they are choosing to make excuses. Hold yourself accountable for your choices and your own success. So you have a choice right now. You can go on doing things like you’ve always been doing or you can look back on the 5 elements I outlined and
really reflect on the life that you are living today. Is your life aligned with your values? Do you know what your top values are today because the key to making good choices, to choosing your life and achieving your success is ensuring that your choices satisfy your highest values.
Ultimately I believe that success is a choice – and it is a journey not a destination. Success should be measured by the positive impact that your life has on other people. Whether you choose that path and remain on that path will be determined with each choice you make. What choices can you make today, that would change your life for the better? What choices can you make tomorrow, next week, next month and in the coming years that will keep you on the path to success? Live by choice, not by chance and you will achieve success by choice, not by chance. Linda Guirey ‘The Choice Champion’ Office +64 9 441 3201 Mobile +64 21 0461 014 www.lindaguirey.co.nz
www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 21
Kiwi Community Assistance
Kiwis working together to reduce poverty in our communities About Us We provide or assist in the provision of household goods, clothing, toys, footwear, books, cds, dvds, and perishable and non perishable foods for families in need of a little help. Unlike other charities our donors are guaranteed that 100% of their donations go to the families that we assist. None of your donations goes towards administration or operational costs of our charity. These costs are absorbed by our volunteers and sponsors. How We Work Kiwi Community Assistance co-ordinates the distribution of donated goods by working with local organisations and agencies who keep a register of local people that require assistance.
Each week Kiwi Community Assistance puts up a list on our Facebook page asking for donations of various goods for a variety of clients. These items include fresh fruit and vegetables, meat packs, curtains, small household appliances, baby gear, and clothing/footwear for all members of the families we assist.
We have a number of drop off points in Wellington and Kapiti. We are actively seeking additional drop off points.
The areas that don’t have a drop off point have volunteer drivers who pick up the donations. Items donated are sorted and are distributed to the agencies daily. We aim to distribute as many fresh fruit, vegetables and bread food parcels as we can assemble each week to families in need. We started off in Wellington Northern suburbs and we now encompass Porirua and Hutt City.
We Welcome Your Assistance If you are aware of anyone in your community that needs assistance please put them in touch with the one of the community agencies that can assist them. We don’t take direct referrals and it’s these agencies that notify us of where we can direct our assistance. We are looking for volunteer drivers, new drop off points, and other specific people needs are requested on our Facebook page from time to time. Please refer to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ kiwicommunityassistance or email us at admin@kca.org.nz
www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 22
Not for profit feature article
Amy Scott
Linda Guirey
Need someone to excite & delight your conference delegates, your team, your clients? Someone to improve communication, sales, productivity, workplace dynamics & relationships? Want to experience a fresh approach to training and work with someone genuine, “down to earth” and engaging? Are you looking for training that is guaranteed to deliver? Central Otago’s very own Amy Scott is internationally recognized for her fun & dynamic delivery on communication, strategy and motivation.
Linda Guirey has been involved in speaking and facilitating for over 10 years, speaking to audiences in New Zealand, Australia as well as Europe. She loves to deliver fun, challenging and interactive events – which reflect her personality.
Amy is one of Australasia’s most sought after professional speakers. Passionate about improving communication of people, businesses, organisations, teams, workplaces and communities everywhere, Amy Scott (former lawyer) says “It’s not rocket science - it is simply learning how not to rub people up the wrong way!” You can’t get anymore grassroots than effective communication... it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do… “dots” can remove stress from your life! www.amyscott.co.nz
Linda calls herself the ‘Choice Champion’ – because she truly understands the Power of Choice and the courage that it takes to make life changing decisions – and then live with the outcome. To hear Linda’s story, you will be inspired, challenged and motivated to make a difference in your life. Linda spends her time delivering conference keynotes, workshops, coaching others on how to make better business or personal decisions – how to take charge of your own life. Linda also enjoys writing articles and is completing her first book, as well as trying to find that quiet moment to paint. Painting is a passion that Linda says is her ‘escape’ and her artwork reflects the complexities of life. www.lindaguirey.co.nz
www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 23
nicola@admindemand.co.nz www.admindemand.co.nz Do you need admin support but don't want to commit to a full time resource? If you don’t have the time or expertise to make your work look and sound the best, then Administration on Demand can help you save time and frustration.
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find a group 30 Venus Groups are located around New Zealand.
NORTH AUCKLAND Takapuna East Coast Bays Hibiscus Coast Albany
CENTRAL AUCKLAND Grey Lynn Newmarket Parnell St Heliers Ponsonby - LAUNCH February
WEST AUCKLAND Henderson
SOUTH AUCKLAND Pukekohe - LAUNCH February Manukau - LAUNCH March BAY OF PLENTY Papamoa Oceanside Tauranga Harbourside Tauranga Enterprise Tauranga Seaside
WAIKATO Hamilton Cityside Hamilton Base
MANAWATU Palmerston North - LAUNCH February 14th KAPITI/MANA Coast Kapiti Mana
WELLINGTON Wellington Enterprise Wellington North Wellington South - LAUNCH February 12th HUTT VALLEY Lower Hutt Central Hutt Upper Hutt - LAUNCH February 13th
CHRISTCHURCH Christchurch Central Christchurch Rangiora Christchurch City
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Want to grow your business?
The Venus Network is a nationwide business referral community designed for women who are serious about growing their business, their networks and themselves.
Join Venus and you can: • Enjoy support from likeminded women • Increase your confidence in networking and selling • Learn smart marketing strategies and ideas • Receive referrals for new business
Register today on our website for your FREE GUEST VISIT
Helping women thrive in business www.venusnetwork.co.nz /p 28 www.venusnetwork.co.nz/vc/guest