Michelle always wanted to have her own business but she, like many others, didn’t know exactly how to go about that. After going to business school and learning how to get a job, not how to start a business, she worked in banking for about 4 years. Michelle knew this was not how she wanted to spend her life and just became really burnt out. At the age of 30 she just couldn’t do it anymore and took a sabbatical to Europe really seeking what she wanted in life. She came back to the states and quit her job. She began working at a dot com and really enjoyed the entrepreneur environment and then moved to Microsoft. With her first coach and the idea of figuring out her purpose and how she wanted to make a difference in the world her 180 began.

So you have this urge to look into this coaching thing and then where did you go next? During this time she was really wanting to hold onto my corporate job and really didn’t see herself as an entrepreneur but she started going...

I'm not sure if you're anything like me, but I have always found Trademarks a giant mystery.  I was never sure if you should do it when immediately starting your business, or if you should wait until it hits a certain threshold.  I also once tried to do the Trademark process on my own, and well, overwhelmed, is a complete understatement.  Tamsen Horton of Vujà Dé Law came for a visit again to break down trademarks, and she gave us some great information.

What does a trademark actually do for us? Trademark is the legal process that helps consumers identify the source of the goods. At its core, it is the tool that helps consumers know exactly where the product came from.

A trademark is different from a patent. Patents are when you are protecting the idea and how something works. This is also different from Copyright, which is more of music, lyrics and things that we create.

When should we approach the trademarking process? This process should...

As a person who has opened up Google+ numerous times, then walked away after completely being overwhelmed, I personally had a ton to learn during this Tip Tuesday.  The Stacey Harris joined us to break down why Google+ is so important, how you should be utilizing it, and the important areas you should concentrate on when filling out your profile and page.

Why do you need to be on Google+? ‘Because it’s a social media network backed by a search engine.’  Google Authorship, along with the search capabilities within it, are mind blowing. 

What are the terms we really need to understand in Google+?  Profiles are profiles just like they are in Facebook.  From there, you can set up a Page for your business, again, just like in Facebook.  When you connect with people instead of ‘friending’, you circle with people.  Groups like in Facebook care called Communities.  Chats, are called Hangouts in Google Plus.

The...

When I first met Julie, she was living in the corporate world traveling five days a week.  A move to Nashville, TN because of her husband's job made her re-evaluate what she wanted to do with her life.  So what did she decide to do?  She became a Massage Therapist and launched a spa with her daughter in Lebanon, TN. 

Not only is she surviving four years later, their business is THRIVING.  Each year, they're maintaining incredible growth rates and amazing survey ratings from their clients (98% when the average is around 80%).

Julie shared with us how she got started, what she has done to stand out from a typical spa and make them different, and how she's made a partnership work with her daughter.

Just some of my favorite quotes from this interview are:

'From day one, I think that you need to run your business as if you were a billion dollar company.'

‘I was going to concentrate on rewarding my clients that were already there.’

‘Become...

As some of you are embarking on your business journey, a book might be the furthest thing from your mind.  Instead, you should really move it more to the front because it could actually help you propel your business.  Rachel Rofé of RachelRofe.com came to talk to us about five simple steps to getting your book from an idea to into the hands of your potential clients.  (If you have any more interest on this topic, Rachel offers a great class with even more details about how you can get your book written quickly and great promotions.  You can find out more info here:  Kindle Class.)

How does writing a book improve your business?  It helps to get you in front of people (for example, on Amazon) that you may not have gotten in front of before every writing that book.  It also puts you immediately in that expert category once you have something published.  It's instant credibility.

It’s also great if you're starting a business to...

So what would you do if all you had known all your life was suddenly taken from you?  Well, luckily many of us will never have to answer that question.  However, Stephanie Burg was on the other side of that when she found herself partially disabled after a neck injury and unable to continue with her ballet career.  Stephanie has such an interesting journey to her new career, and she sat with us to share her story.

Some of my favorite quotes from this interview are:

‘Don’t be afraid of the fear, just feel it and do what you were called to do.’

'Patience is essential.  In terms of business, things take so much longer than you expect them to.’

'Your relationship to your business is just like any other relationship that you have to nurture and build.’

So how did you come to be a Health Coach?  Stephanie started as a professional ballet dancer.  After various injuries, she started to realize that she was going to have to look...

If you're starting a new business, you might be thinking that PR is something that you shouldn't even think about because you can't afford an expensive PR firm.  However, don't think that way just yet because Maggie Patterson, a Communication Strategist and Copywriter with MaggiePatterson.com is here to help us navigate the PR world and find ways (and great ways) to do it yourself.

What exactly is PR?  Is it marketing? PR is really a subset of marketing.  It encompasses everything from employee communications to media relations.  However, people strictly think of publicity.

Do you need to have a press release and how do you determine that?  According to Maggie, people really don’t need to use a press release.  It’s all about telling your story, and there are so many ways you can tell your story.  Press releases are great for people who may need to show earnings or winning a new customer.  Instead you can do things like guest...

For some reason, I get crazy courage in the middle of the night.  So here's the deal, I'm posting this before I get a chance to wake up in the morning, and ask 'what the hell have I done.'

I had an entirely different way planned of how I was going to share my journey with you.  Today, it got changed very quickly, when I  finally got the courage to say 'enough', and start living my dream.

So thank you for listening!  I want to hear your stories of leaps of faith!!!!

One of the biggest steps you will need to take in creating your business, is protecting it.  Many people feel either that they don't need to take this step, or they're too overwhelmed of the options to make a choice and follow through.  However, this is a step that you really can't set to the back burner because you don't want to wish you had when it becomes too late.  

Should you incorporate your business and why? When looking at starting a business, your intent should be to make money.  You need to look at your business as a new entity.   Look at it as an entity that you really want to keep safe, and to make sure you're actually hanging onto that money that you're making.  You can do it as simple as something as a DBA, which is a formal step.  You have told the world you have a new business.   When you’re thinking about what you should do to incorporate, make sure you’re thinking about protecting your ideas.

What are...

Melanie Neal spent her corporate career doing some pretty amazing marketing for various companies.  Entrepreneurship always tugged on her heart, but it wasn’t until a difficult boss came into the picture when she decided to take the leap and build her own marketing consulting business.

Where did the idea come from and what made you decide to leave the corporate world?  Since she was 13, she had an idea she wanted to be an entrepreneur.  Climbing the corporate ladder was no longer satisfying, and she felt it was time she may want to start doing her own thing.

When and why did you take the plunge?  She had started to look for another job, and after she realized she had no desire to really work for these companies, she decided it might be time to make that leap.  Her background in marketing was really varied, so she felt the experience helped her build a strong base for her business.

Did you keep a bridge job or just take the leap?  She jumped off...