In the last year a sea change has taken place in the small business world. Before, having charisma, dedication, and some mojo were all you needed to start a business and find success. If your heart was really in it and you took some smart marketing steps, you could find clients. Especially if you really let yourself boldly show up in your work.

Those days are over, my friends. There are more and more people in your field; your target customers and clients are more and more inundated with marketing messages. They have heard it from seven other people before you, and they just do not have the bandwidth to listen anymore. The bar has just been raised for my self-employed clients; and for you.

In 2007, a new kind of power is necessary. Focus, inspiration, and mastery are going to be the keys to your success; now more than ever. You need to be THE BEST at what you do, to capitalize on your strengths so that everything is easier, and to FOCUS on the simplest actions that will have the greatest impact on your results.

If you are having trouble with any of these, you may have a Fatal Power Drain at work behind the scenes. Take a little look over your business. Are any of these tendencies draining your power?

1. Conforming. If other people are saying the same things you are saying, using the same marketing techniques and strategies you are using, or offering the same products or services you are offering, YOU ARE INVISIBLE. Do something new.
2. Chickening Out. If you make great plans but then falter when it is time to pick up the phone, send the email, or approach the well-connected person; you cannot be successful. You need to find your own source of boldness and courage. Dive in.
3. Perfectionism. If you spend all of your time and energy planning things out on paper, making spreadsheets, and perfecting your copy; everyone else in your industry will be so far out ahead that you will never catch up. Take action!
4. Assuming. You cannot possible guess what your customers are thinking, alone in your own head. You cannot assume that a marketing strategy will work for you. You cannot foresee which business name, tagline, or title will resonate with your people. Do not assume. FIND OUT. Do the research.
5. Forcing Things. If anything you are doing is really hard - if you are having to force yourself to do it or force a strategy to work - you are doing something wrong. There is an easier way that people will respond to much more readily! Find it.
6. Bogging Down. You cannot possible move your business forward while you are constantly reacting, tying up loose ends, and putting out fires. If you can't get ahead of things in your business because there are so many crises, then you need to work SMARTER, not harder. Focus!