I look at myself and reflect on my own to-do list after this experience. I take relief knowing that I left my work at the office, but I still have a kitchen to finish cleaning, stray items around our home that need picking up or attending to in some way, laundry piling up, food shopping and meals to think about, a phone call or two that I need to return, bills that need to be looked at, points to keep in mind for tomorrow’s discussion with our babysitter, important conversations that I need to have with my husband and my daughters’ teachers, and the immediate decisions these require. I didn’t mention a separate list of what I think of as my “soft” items, such as having a meaningful conversation with my husband, catching up with a friend, attending a yoga class, finishing the book I started, finishing a knitting project, etc. All these are things that I need to fit into the hour and a half that I have between the time my children go to sleep and my own imagined bedtime. This is no different from any other night. So, do I manage it all or not?

A couple of years ago, after the birth of my first daughter, my husband and I made some significant changes in our work that directly affected our home life. I changed careers and left a job that required me to work 10-12 hour days and to be available even on negotiated days off and during vacation. My new job allows me to telecommute, provides me with much-needed flexibility, and typically ends each day when I close the office door behind me. Now I can afford to be present at home. I have dinner every night with my family without feeling guilty that I’m not pulling my weight as my colleagues’ stony faces used to imply when I left for the evening.. Now, I get to talk with my kids about how the day was, to interact with them while I prepare a meal and occasionally get them to help me make it. This is family time, which, had I not made the changes I did, would have otherwise been spent at work while my kids were under the care of someone else.

Sure these decisions came at a cost—mostly in terms of seniority and financial compensation for now—but the benefits swayed my decision. It was clear to me that I wanted to have a career and be an involved mother; I wanted to have a network of colleagues and feel close to my children and husband, my friends and fellow parents; I wanted to have meaningful work and know my family, to understand how their days were spent. Most important, I wanted to feel like everyday I am in control of my time and all the responsibility that I have—which as you can see is a lot! At the end of the day, I want to feel as if my life is meaningful and varied, but not chaotic, and that I can make time to actually enjoy it when I want to. So, while my kitchen and my list of things to do await me, if I ask myself, do I manage it all or not? Well, I manage enough, well enough to allow me to say yes–and that makes all the difference.

We get back after an hour — cold, damp and the kids sugared up from eating too much at the bake sale. I throw a healthy lunch together for them and in the middle of it a friend drops off some hand-me-down clothing. I get sidetracked checking out the new outfits. In the midst of all this my emails are beckoning me and yet so are the kids: “Mom, something is wrong with the computer. It’s frozen again, can you come help us so we can play games?”

As I reboot the computer for them, I suddenly remember that my accountant needs the figures from my coaching business for the last quarter of 2006. I had planned on finishing that over the long holiday weekend and now I suddenly remember it as the holiday weekend is winding down. I fix the kids’ computer, put away the lunch materials, and quickly arrange the stacks of clothing to go upstairs to their bedrooms.

Now where was I with that report? It takes me a good half hour to get back into the swing of doing it. Just about the time I am back in the groove with it, the kids start whining again from the basement playroom: “We’re bored, we have nothing to do today!” So much for my fabulous working at home arrangement. It’s quite useless today.

As I ponder all this now with the kids asleep at last, I remember that when I went to Barnard College they stressed to us how lucky we were to be able to “have it all” as modern women. I have definitely tried to live up to that in my life by working, having a family, managing a household, and volunteering. The thing is though I’m not always sure how lucky I am. Multi-tasking has become a way of life and I often feel stretched in too many different directions. I yearn for being present in one task from beginning to end.

I miss my days as a yuppie where the most important decision I had on a long weekend was what hot new restaurant to have brunch at with friends. As the David Spade character (who is single) on a new TV show says to his married and engaged friends, “I’m off now to do whatever I want, all the time, because I can!”

Not me. I’m fully booked today and for months to come. I wouldn’t trade any of it, but after a day like today being either at work OR at home with the kids seems preferable. It makes me wonder what my mother, a diehard woman’s libber, would say if she heard me uttering this? Managing it all as a modern woman takes its toll.

But tomorrow is a new day and the kids will be back in school and maybe I’ll feel differently.

You know…blogging, podcasting, wikis, RSS, XML, yada, yada. Yeah, THAT stuff. Ok, so that’s been around for a little bit and many businesses have started blogs and wikis – many haven’t. In due time…

Now, alternate universes are all the rage. Maybe you’ve heard of Second Life? No? Second Life is a virtual 3-D world where the ‘players’ own the virtual world in which they reside. Before you dismiss this as just another Dungeons & Dragons, you should know that since 2003, the population in Second Life has swelled to almost 2.7 million people from around the World (this does not take into account people who create ‘lives’ and never return and those with more than one ‘life’). The residents actually start, own and operate real-life businesses in this ether realm. Some consulting companies are making millions advising mega-corporations like Sun Microsystems, CNET, Dell, BBC Radio 1 and Wells Fargo on how to extend their brand experience into Second Life. If all of this sounds like something from a movie set, you’re not too far off.

What are the potential implications of something like Second Life? Well, you might want to consider working with a technology or marketing consultant to help you manage all this marketing spaghetti and see how all the various marketing pieces fit together. You might also want to think about how scenarios like Second Life – and whatever comes after it (there WILL be something next, I promise) – affects your market and conduct research on their reactions to these new marketing methods. If your business caters to the Gen X and Y set, you need to get on top of marketing opportunities like Second Life immediately, if not sooner.

And, circling back to my point…

So, what should you do? Do you jump on every bandwagon that looks like it’s headed to Clientville? Or, do you hitch a ride on a later bandwagon and risk missing the party (i.e. the cash)?

I’ll answer with a story:

A client asked me the other day if I thought he should start a blog. My response to him was, “I need to know more about your intent, purpose and direction to be able to provide a professional recommendation.”

So, that’s what I’ll ask you to do, dear readers. When new technology and online marketing opportunities present themselves, what can you do?

Get clear about your intent, purpose and direction. Then figure out how the latest thing fits in – if it fits in at all. And, if you can’t figure it out on your own, by all means, seek help.

Financial planners will help you purchase a new home, plan for retirement or your children’s education. Whatever your needs, working with a financial planner can be a helpful step in securing your financial future.

Financial planning can help you:

* Minimize the taxes you pay
* Maximize your investment returns
* Make your retirement years more comfortable and secure
* Handle your day-to-day finances faster and easier
* Increase your savings and optimize the growth of your wealth
* Improve your cash flow for a better balance between income and expenses
* Accumulate funds for special goals, like higher education for children
* Look after your dependents in case of death or disability
* Estimate your insurance needs
* Have more confidence in your financial decisions
* Transfer the assets of your estate to your heirs in the most effective way

These are just some of the benefits of financial planning – benefits that everyone can enjoy.

How to find a financial planner?
Consider that many professionals – from brokers to accountants to insurance agents – market themselves as financial planners these days. What you want is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM (CFP®) who will look not just at your stocks or your taxes or your insurance needs, but also at your current net worth and your long-term goals.

What To Look For When Choosing A Financial Planner:
When you select a financial advisor, there are a number of factors you must take into account – expertise, experience, integrity and even personal compatibility. If you are looking for objective advice you can’t ignore the question of how the advisor is compensated.

Why Select A Fee-Only Comprehensive Financial Advisor?
The greater the advisor’s dependence on commission income, the greater the conflict. In the end, that conflict can cost you, both in out-of-pocket expenses and in the quality of advice you receive. There is a significant conflict of interest if an advisor stands to gain financially from any recommendations you may follow.

You also can get lists of planners near you from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, the fee-only association (1-888-333-6659, or www.napfa.org), or the Financial Planning Association (1-888-806-7526, or www.fpanet.org).

Finally, be aware that training, credentials, and professional reputation only go so far. Ultimately you’ve got to feel comfortable with your financial adviser, and no reference or degree can tell you if a planner is right for you. For that, you’ve got to meet her face-to-face and ask the right questions.

Some sources of stress you can avoid, but many you unfortunately can’t. However, you can make sure that you regularly and actively reduce your stress level, so that you don’t suffer its adverse consequences.

The first key to stress management is good sleep. Yes, it does make a difference: If you sleep enough, you will be able to better handle things that come your way, and your stress response will be muted. So make sleep one of your priorities, and avoid late nights at work as much as possible.

The second key is to weekly make an appointment with yourself for at least a couple hours a week, devoted to relaxation. It can be going to the gym, practicing a sport you love, getting a massage (on this subject, see this month’s spotlight), sit down and read an entertaining book, do some knitting, whatever works for you. The key is that this is an activity that you enjoy, that you practice on your own (i.e. no co-workers to talk business while having a tennis game, no children interrupting you while you are reading your book, etc.) and that makes you feel refreshed once you’re done.

The third key is to make sure to have mini de-stressing sessions throughout the day. It can be as easy as taking a few minutes to breathe deeply; stand up and do a few stretching moves; get out and walk around the block; or use some of the de-stressing tools on the market. Ideally, experts recommend to take a 3-to-5-minute break every hour. It is especially important if you spend most of the day at a desk, and your body is stressed by the mere fact of not being able to move freely for hours in a row. I am in no way, shape or form a proponent of smoking (I don’t smoke, don’t like the smell of smoke, and definitely don’t want you to suffer the side-effects and consequences of smoking), but the cigarette breaks were good in the sense that they provided those necessary breaks both body and mind. So introduce your own non-smoking breaks in your day!

Now is your time to plan: Open your calendar, and figure out when you can include an hour or two of relaxation time in your week, every week until the end of the year. Then ask yourself the following questions: How will you organize your breaks during the day? When can you take a 10-minute break? Which relaxation exercises do you want to focus on?

Just to get you up to snuff on things, a partial view of the ever growing list of web-based marketing options, include:

* Rich media – video and flash-based files and clips posted on websites

* SEO (Search Engine optimization – for your website)

* Paid online advertising

* Blogs

* Podcasting

* Opt-in e-zines

* Email

So, do you invest in Pay-for-Click online ads or start blogging?? Should you start sending out an HTML-rich or plain text e-zine (online newsletter) or hire a video production team?? Not necessarily!

My take on this (and the opinion of many of my esteemed peers) is that you need to get back to basics first. Take a long, hard look at who you are, where your company is headed in the short- and long-term, and what makes you stand out with your clients. Next think seriously about your geographic footprint or reach, the areas you need to improve, like customer service or your software, hardware and systems. Then think of technology as just another tool in a sensibly planned marketing mix. The good news is that no matter what your budget is, you can and should mix things up, so that your message and brand gets out there in a targeted and productive way. The better news is that you do not need to do everything.

“Successful marketers will incorporate the latest and greatest tools into their marketing mix, but one of the first steps must include creation of a consistent brand, an “experience” that distinguishes your firm from your competitors,” says Joan Damico, a B2B marcom expert from J. Damico Marketing Communications, based in Walden , NY . Joan, who has given workshops on podcasting and branding, finds her technical writing business keeps her hopping, “It’s hard to keep up with all the options, though I’m planning on adding a few new marketing tools this year.”

Like so many other small business owners, Ilise Benun, a business promotion expert from Marketing Mentor, based out of Hoboken , NJ , has also found it hard to do it all. Yet, she recognizes that blogging is an effective marketing tool, so she has recently hired someone to handle blogging for her company. Since rich media is fast becoming the norm for most major brands (video clips can be found on news outlets, radio station websites, office supply sites, and professional association sites, as well as network television and movie production sites) Ilise has also just posted a video clip of herself talking about her services and her process on her website. She did the short clip herself, so no expensive video production costs were incurred. For an almost zero investment, she says the clip has brought in several new clients, who felt a connection with her after viewing it. Even so, Ilise, who specializes in mentoring creative and graphic design business owners, says that technology is not a magic bullet.

So what IS the magic bullet?? There is none, according to Ilise, but tried and true options like good, old-fashioned networking and cold calling, can get the job done. The first order of business should be to choose a market or several markets that you want to engage. Next up: find a couple of groups that bring those people together (like trade organizations, Chambers of Commerce, etc.). Take a few test drives at some events put on by these groups, and join the ones that are the best fit. Per Ilise, mine the membership directory; it is a terrific tool that can get you new clients.

Of course, Ilise is in sync with Joan; in that you first need to know your objectives and markets, develop a consistent message that speaks powerfully to each sector you are seeking to engage, and be able to articulate your value and benefits with gusto.

Marian Banker, President of Manhattan-based Prime Strategies, a business success coaching and training firm, feels that more people will be using web and email marketing, as they have become basic business tools for marketing, lead generation, credibility building, information, knowledge-sharing and of course – sales. Marion also states that value is at the core of things.

So don’t try to do it all. Remember that if you focus on less, odds are you can make those dream goals a reality. Try out different venues, until you find the unique mix of new technology and basic building blocks (like cold calling and networking) that has the most impact on your prospects and clients.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here’s my resources contact data:

Joan Damico, J Damico Marketing Communications
www.jdamico.net – 845-778-5095

Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor
www.marketing-mentor.com – 201-653-0783

Marian Banker, Prime Strategies
www.primestrategies.com – 212-679-1209

What can a company do, so that employees have a greater sense of customer care? One key secret is for you to value, support and care for your internal people. We must treat them with the utmost respect, courtesy and interest, so that they in turn present these attitudes to the people doing business with you. Remember, these are the people who are serving and speaking to your “paying clients” every day.

The people you have on board are the competitive measure of what separates you from the others. Here are a few things to remember when communicating with them:

* Make contact on every level. How often do you go down to the trenches and talk to your front line people? Find out how they are, and learn what issues concern them. Ask them for customers’ comments.
* Give your people a sense of ownership. This is empowerment. When people feel as if it’s their own company, they’ll work harder to provide better service. One way you can encourage them to work harder is with incentives built into the job. These can be rewards or cash bonuses. Remember, this applies to EVERYONE at your company. Often the sales people get the best incentives. However, the performance of the assistants and people in the accounting department impact the sales force, which in turn impacts the customer.
* Help them grow. Let your staff know that they have an opportunity to become better at what they do. Constantly be looking for ways to provide on-the-job training. Also, people grow when they feel that they are part of the decision-making process. For example, let them offer suggestions and new policy ideas. Remember, their suggestions may be a result of hundreds of conversations they have with customers. They could have information that would give you new ideas to increase business and save on costs.
* Everyone is a salesperson. While front line salespeople are normally in touch with the customers the most, it’s my suggestion that everyone think of themselves as a salesperson. They should see the company like a human body. When every part of the body is well, great things can be achieved. However, a small irritation in the foot can cause a champion runner to stumble and go crashing down. Make sure to give your entire company a “check up.”
* One way to keep these ideas in mind is to think of how C.L.I.E.N.T.s relate to your employees:

C–Concentrate on employee needs; this helps customer needs
L–Listen to what employees say, and what they don’t say
I–Invest in your people, and gain customer satisfaction
E–Excellence in everything
N–Nice people finish first; keep your people happy
T–Trust your front line by giving them care and power

Nurture everyone at your company, and greater customer care will be the fruit of your efforts.

If you are opening an environmentally friendly dry cleaning service you need to show that there is enough interest in the local neighborhood to run a solid small business with steady conservative growth. However, if you are planning on developing a nation-wide chain of these environmentally friendly dry cleaning services, then you obviously need to demonstrate that there will be substantial and rapid growth. Therefore, you will look at both the local as well as the national markets.

It’s important to define the scope of your market according to what makes sense for your business. This serves three particularly important purposes:

It demonstrates that you know your market. You’d be surprised by the number of people with whom I’ve worked that opened a business without really thinking who would buy their product and/or use their service. Investors want to feel comfortable that you, the business owner, already know your market and how to reach and entice them. They don’t want to give you money and then have you figure this out. That’s a waste of their money, plus, it’s risky. So it’s important to effectively communicate this in your business plan.

I recently read a business plan for a men’s retail clothing store in Chelsea , Manhattan that would sell cutting edge designers. Designer jeans would retail for $150 and higher. Up to the marketing section, it was a very solid business plan. The business owners seemed to be very familiar with retail and expressed a clear vision of their business concept. Yet the marketing section didn’t show the same level of clarity. If you have been through Chelsea , it is easy to picture this business – I could see it doing well in this particular neighborhood: the residential population is well to-do and there are already a number of high fashion-oriented stores and restaurants.

When describing their target market and its size, the authors said that their target market was all men in New York City between the ages of 25 and 59. They proceeded to show statistics on the number of men in NYC that fit this category.

It is tempting to show that there are millions of people who are interested in buying from your business. At times, however, this looks unrealistic and silly. I know plenty of men between the ages of 25 and 59 who reside in New York City who A) are not interested in fitted, cutting-edge style; and/or B) would NEVER, EVER spend $150 on a pair of jeans! I’m sure you do too! I do know some men who do fit this description, but certainly not every man that I know in NYC.

The business plan writers did not seem to have a realistic sense of their market and the size of their potential marker and this undermined what was otherwise a really good plan.

It helps you focus your attention. You’ve usually made a good guesstimate as to who is your customer base and therefore, it can help set the tone of your activities. For example, if you think the bulk of the customers for your environmentally friendly dry cleaning service will be environmentally-concerned baby boomers, then you might use one set of graphics and messaging on your marketing materials versus if your main customers are white-collar business professionals. For the business professionals you might stress pickup and delivery services as well as extended hours. Perhaps you might let them make online payments. However, if you are focusing on the environmentally-concerned baby boomers, you might include a lot of educational materials on the processes and detergents you use and how they are better for the environment.

It helps you make realistic plans for growth. I’ve read business plans that call for aggressive expansion in their first three years of operations. The financials tend to look pretty good at first glance. However, when you start to dig into the details behind these numbers, it becomes unclear as to whether or not the entrepreneur really thought through all of the activities that are necessary to execute this ambitious plan.

Sometimes the financials look fantastic, because the entrepreneur forgot to add the expense of hiring additional employees! Having a number of different groups of customers is great for the potential growth of your company, but it also means that you will need to do more. You might develop different marketing campaigns and product/service offerings.

If you plan to physically expand, it also means that you need to have the physical capability of scouting out new locations, signing leases, dealing with contractors, etc. You need to think through as to whether or not you can physically handle this growth and this market size.

So, my usual answer to “managing it all – or not?” is NOT. We’ve all heard about businesses that expanded too rapidly. I think that most businesses are best served focusing on a few target markets. Try to develop a good solid foundation with these core customers and then look to get “Big”.

More on the specifics of defining your target market in upcoming issues.

You should look at three main areas of your business: What business is your company in? Who’s doing the work? And are you making enough money from it? But don’t fret if one or more of these areas isn’t as tidy as you’d like – you can’t change everything immediately . . . it’s important to take one at a time. And while consultants abound who specialize in this field, you can get started by doing some of this yourself.

This list is not exhaustive, but your company’s “annual checkup” will look at whether you have:

Overall planning: Clearly defined mission, written sales plan, annual (and realistic!) budget, setting prices or fees competitively.

Staffing: Clear position descriptions, clear sense of responsibilities, fair and appropriate resolution of employee problems.

The Business of Your Business: Consistency in the quality of your service, contingency plans, training programs for your employees, sufficient and up-to-date technology.

Sales and Marketing: Clarity on target market, knowledge of your competition, responsiveness to client needs, effective follow-up with prospects, evaluation of marketing efforts.

Records and Money: A bookkeeping system, an understanding of financial statements, ability to collect on outstanding invoices quickly, lines of credit, adequate cash flow – for both your company’s needs and your own.

And don’t forget your attorneys! A complete “physical” should also include . . .

Legal Stuff!: Complying with laws and regulations, protection for relationships with customers, vendors, and co-owners, and current employment policies.