How do you stay inspired as a small business owner? Do you even care to be inspired as a local business owner? Does your marketing and customer experience convey your inspiration – or does your own lack of inspiration pass along to your customers and employees and leave your small business falling flat? Is your attitude costing you sales?

I know that when I get in a funk about my business – everyone else does, too. My clients aren’t excited, my employees are grumpy, sales slow and I teeter on the brink of the all-too-familiar “life’s too hard, this isn’t fair, I’ve lost my passion” PITY PARTY.

I do not recommend succumbing to this ugly beast… It’s true that life is hard – and work is harder. But avoid the Pity Party at all costs. It really doesn’t feel as good as you think it will – and it can cost you a lot of money in the process.

Instead, focus on the positive and look for great ways to stay inspired and refreshed about your small business and local marketing.

For some people, this is finding time alone (maybe to read a book, write, or pursue a non-work creative hobby) – for others it’s refueling in a crowd (maybe a networking event or a social occasion). Exercise (with inspiring music, friends or co-workers) should be part of every business owners’ inspiration – without it you simply cannot maintain the stamina required for success (but that’s another post altogether). Maybe music inspires you. Maybe it’s art or well-written prose. Maybe it’s time outside – gardening, watering the planters in front of your store, walking down the street to say hello to a fellow business owner, helping a customer load their car, or just breathing fresh air. There are all sorts of things that inspire us – just make sure you find inspiration and consume it regularly.

How do you stay inspired and passionate about your small or local business?

Photo Credit: Seth1492

Our last past on inspiration garnered some interesting feedback including the question, “How do you stay inspired?”

Here’s my answer for business inspiration – and not in order of priority:

1. I read blogs. LOTS and lots of blogs. Mostly business and marketing related. If you’re interested in exactly what I read, connect with me on Google Buzz. I click “share” for all the posts that I read that I like on pretty much any subject.

2. I read and analyze print magazines. I read magazines that have nothing to do with my career niche. By the time it comes out in print, it’s long gone. I get my business info on the web because the web moves quickly just like business. But I love to analyze layouts, strategies, organization and article presentation in print magazines. My favorites of the moment feed my current hobby of decorating our new-to-us 1920s urban bungalow and my desire to be a more creative, organized, and thoughtful mother to my kids and friend to lots of types of people. Currently, I’m reading House Beautiful (because they run the gamut of practical to totally impractical, on their editorial while keeping their presentation creative and simple to consume), Martha Stewart Living (because Martha and company still have the perfect balance between practical and remarkable) and Real Simple (because I usually find a tip that sparks inspiration in my life) pretty much every time a new issue comes out.

3. I read product packaging. I like the wit and information found on great product packaging and the opportunity that it provides to connect with an existing customer and extend that customer experience. I love it when I hear the personality of the company come to life on the product labeling. Right now, I’m drinking a Sparkling Blackberry IZZE from a can. The label reads: “We stay true to the fruit. IZZE is 70% pure fruit juice. A splash of sparkling water. Made with natural ingredients and fortified with vitamins with no refined sugars, no caffeine, no preservatives. Naturally delightful. Visit IZZE.com.” They could have skipped the “stay true to the fruit and the naturally delightful part and still told their story. But the personality jumped in a bit and makes me more interested and adds value to my experience. I watch for that, consider it, am inspired by creativity in the details of a business.

4.  I hang out with my kids. We paint, read, laugh, play games, cook together and go on special outings together. Each child sees things from a unique vantage point – which inspires me to do the same. They help me look through a new set of lenses and give me ah-ha moments unlike any others.

5. I garden a manageable amount of flowers that give me opportunity to be rewarded in short order with cut-worthy blooms. I water them to get refreshed. I look at them to get inspired. I tinker with fertilizing them, pruning them, and rearranging them to learn from them.

6. I exercise… With Andy or alone, mostly by walking or running outdoors. I’m not a group game sorta person. I use my exercise time to talk things out, think things out, breathe fresh air, run off my frustrations, capture a change of scenery – all leads to a more inspired me – and make me a healthier human for my family.

I hope that helps and gives you some ideas for gaining your own inspiration – what about you? What inspires you in your business?

Photo Credit: Clearly Ambiguous

So far this year, my life has been a conundrum of crazy schedules saturated with travel, speaking engagements and wonderful new personalities in my life. This is how I like it – I thrive in this high impact environment filled with new friends and business challenges. But the danger for me – and for you – if that we get so caught up in the may lay that we lose our outside perspective and our ability to work on our business – to recognize weaknesses and innovate new experiences, ideas, services or products. Small business owners must take time off.

Time off provides the savvy business owner with space to breathe. Space to think creatively – even if it has nothing to do with the business. The greatest ideas usually come when you aren’t looking for them. It’s good to get out and experience life outside of your business bubble.

So, if you’re wondering where I’ve been the past couple of weeks – one of them was spent on Spring Break taking a little mental break. At my house we say we’re going to put our "toes in the sand." We’re bunch of water lovers and this time I stuck my toes in the coarse Mexican sand near Cancun for a few days. Besides much needed rest and mental break, I grew a huge appreciation for fabulous customer service  – and saw firsthand what it looked like. I have to admit – it was a fabulous few days.

I’ve had clients hire me based on the fact that I mandate vacation days – and help you figure out how to afford them and manage a business where you can be absent for a few days. Others didn’t see that as a priority – but they do now – several great ideas and memories later.

So small business owners of the world – don’t be a martyr – it’s not a profitable business move. Perfect attendance is not rewarded in business ownership. Take time off and see your business from a perspective you can’t gain from within.

Hi everyone – just wanted to let you know my office schedule for this next week…

I’ll be out on Memorial Day, but I WILL be in the office Tuesday, May 30 – Thursday June 1.

As always, even if I’m not in the office, I will check voicemail and email at least once daily and return messages within 24 hours. In addition, if you have an emergency, please email my assistant, Susan.

During the summer (which officially started today at my house), I will be working a flex schedule which will vary week to week. Each week, I will post my week’s schedule here on the blog, so you can know what’s going on and how to get in touch with me. Despite the fact that I will be working a flex schedule, I will return calls and emails once per day, so depending on when I receive your call or email, you should basically hear from me within 48 hours.

Here is my schedule for this week, May 22-26: I will be in the office from 9 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday and from 9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Small Business Marketing Tip: Take some time to relax, enjoy the summer and get some real perspective on your business.

Wondering where I’ve been? Well, I’m glad you asked. Thanksgiving week, my family moved to a new home in Kosciusko, Miss. See a blog on my new hometown to post in the near future. Then, last week, my assistant Nicki and I did a little "retail research" in New York City. What a great place that is – especially during the holidays. I’ll be writing more on the lessons learned in the Big Apple as well as posting some photos that demonstrate some NYC examples of a true retail "experiences." This week, I have travelled with my husband to a business meeting in nearby Memphis, Tennessee. Only this afternoon I saw several stores that remind me that no matter what, there is no such thing as "build it and they will come." No matter how great the location, concept or product/service, in the end, without great marketing, your business baby will not survive. Read on, friends.

Since my last post, I’ve had lots going on… First and foremost, my son had his tonsils out which also silenced his mom for a couple of weeks. He bounced back, and so have I.

I’ve heard from old clients and been introduced to some new clients. My clients always remind me how blessed I am and how much I still have to learn.

I’ve also been polishing up the "Twelve Steps to Revolutionize Your Business" seminar notes in prep for an upcoming workshop this Thursday, June 16 in Canton, Miss. Visit our web site for more details or e-mail me.

It’s been a great couple of weeks with lots of time for reflection. Hopefully you can benefit from it in the coming days and weeks.