Where do you keep business cards? I have cards – in a certain section of my shoulder bag, in the glove compartment and trunk of my car. Over the years of my networking there were times when I was caught without cards at an unexpected event. Then I got the idea from somewhere, just carry more with you! Find multiple places.

Where do you place your business cards? We likely all are generous in handing them out. I'm not as generous as in the past. I find too many people just use them these days to call you up and start selling or continue selling from their lame elevator pitch they thought you listened to the night before. Certainly, hand them out to people you meet who you want to connect further with.

Have you ever put some business cards on – a community bulletin board? I did this for the first time about a year ago. Personally I don't think my business of courage coaching is a good candidate for this. Anecdotal evidence – not one call from the board in a year – tells me it's not a choice for me. I did notice though that I took one I thought I might have a need for.

Give extra cards to selected people at leads networking groups. Referral and leads networking members, if they pass muster, learn to be your extra set of eyes and ears for prospects. Or at least they might have a system where they happily share business cards with their contacts. This mutual exchange with helpers like this might put you further in the chain of six degrees of separation. Or is it four degrees these days?

Have your spouse or partner carry a few. I mainly do this for my husband. I hardly think to ask him to help me with the same. There have been numerous times he didn't have his cards with him and I came to his rescue! Win, win, and win.
Use the back – for a special offer or coupon. Generally I like business cards that are pretty blank on the back. That leaves me room for any notes I want to make. But, I like, and do myself, those cards that have a little free something on the back. It gives the recipient another chance to connect with and get to know about your product or service.

Handwrite something on purpose! Something I've seen other people do, and I think they have a little strategy going on, is to handwrite something on it that we may have just spoke about. For example, at a restaurant bar the other evening, I saw someone I hadn't seen in a while. When they handed me their card they started writing and said, "here's my business card with my personal email for you." Wow. I think I'll try something like that myself! It made quite the warm impression.

What are you doing with those collected business cards? That's a topic for another post for me so stay-tuned. Whether you leave them on a table or hand them out, business cards can work for you when you work them. They can make you a Quite Reliable Contact. It's really about just a little thing here or a little thing there but you can pack power in that 2 by 3 ½ inch when you get a little creative with your use.

What tip do you have that will make the little card be a powerful marketing tool?

Do you have a QR Code on your card and how does that serve you?

What if your business card is your only marketing tool? is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are."
— C.G. Jung

Knowing your strengths gives you a foundation to be confident. Introverts are generally deep thinkers out of which their creativity blooms. We listen well. This one trait can help us solve problems more easily and, it's something that many people crave.

"The more of me I be, the clearer I can see."
— Rachel Andrews

Having some coping strategies can help you live and work in a mostly extroverted world. Something that's often overlooked is that our world is more extroverted: lots of talking, action and people! But if you can use your strengths to create your personal coping plan you will find you will feel more in control. Energy boosters either as rituals or a top-of-mind tactic will restore your natural energy. For example, on the physical level, you could take a short walk away from where all the action is. To regain your emotional energy you could find an area that you can break to on your own. Mentally you could exercise your mind and work on a crossword puzzle for a few minutes. Spiritually, I love the HeartMath techniques that include putting your hand over your hear and then calling up a memory that makes you smile. What can you create that will help you be more of the real you?

“The commonsense rules of the ‘real world’ are a fragile collection of socially reinforced illusions.” – Tim Ferriss

A few years ago during my speaking engagements I would give away The Introvert's Declaration. It was a laminated, picture of a scroll, with statements about what an introvert really is about. It's a collection of the top illusions that people who don't understand us might think. Because you too may be under the illusion, each illusion is followed by the real truth:

When you think that I must be shy or unknowledgeable because of not speaking immediately in meetings, remember… I usually think before I respond or speak.

When it seems like I’m not excited about brainstorming or bouncing ideas around, remember… I prefer to use analysis and thinking to come up with solutions.

If you think I am unfriendly or quiet… I listen to fully understand, and then speak to be understood.

If I appear uneasy meeting new people, and making friends… With planning and preparation I am self-confident in front of an audience.

You may notice, I prefer to work on my own rather than in a group… I work well with others, especially one-to-one relationships.

If you don’t find me socializing during networking or social events… I prefer in-depth conversation and find little value in chitchat.

When you think I’m dragging at social events… I need time alone to reenergize and recharge.

If you think I come across intense… I’m probably using my strong ability to focus and concentrate.

If you see me as a loner or territorial… Time and space to myself is energizing.

If you think I don’t like people… I am self-reflective, even around others.

If you find that I appear uncomfortable with change… I prefer a thoughtful, creative approach to changes.

Our real world has many stereotype beliefs about the introvert. Once you understand them and let them go you are free to thrive. If you would like a pdf copy of The Introvert's Declaration would you email me for your own printing and laminating? pweber@prostrategies.com

“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” – Katharine Hepburn

What are the rules anyway? Who made them? Why don't we just make up our own rules?

The real rule is – there are no rules until you make them up. What would you do if you wanted to be happy? Likely there are some things that you like in solitude and quiet. But also likely is that you enjoy connecting with people for dinner or a small party or any number of activities that you would think are reserved for the more extroverted. In The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning by Gretchen Rubin, the author cites some research to support this. Research shows that we all, introvert and extrovert, feel happier when we act in an outgoing, talkative, adventurous or assertive way. Talking a walk with a friend, getting together for coffee or tea, or whatever way you enjoy connecting with people who you like are fun.

The assertiveness? That comes in part from you asserting yourself as the person who you are instead of apologizing for who you are not. Become clear on what your strengths are. Create some coping strategies that you can use at a moment's need. Let go of the myths, the illusions – you know what the truth is. Do these things and you will have fun and thrive.

Frustrated Introverts Breakthrough Plan to Thriving On Your Terms is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Whether you are new to networking or consider yourself to be a pro, I'm really interested in your experiences; do you find either people around you, or you, are guilty with any of these? In either case, would you leave your comments below?

1 – "Online social networking is my ticket!" When in reality, either online networking is inappropriate or just one tool for a marketer. If your clients aren't online (and yes, there are some businesses that won't find the best return on investment online), if you think it's going to be a wham-bam money flood, or if it's your entire marketing plan, then it's your ticket to failure and frustration not fortune. Someone, I don't know who, coined the phrase Bright, Shiny Object Syndrome which applies to this.

2 – Corrupted connections. Social networking helps to pour more salt on the wounds of connections that don't go anywhere. Have you been asked to connect lately online maybe with LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook? I get this all the time. Generally I look over the person's profile, or Tweets or status updates for a quick minute before I accept. I find it good to get to know people. But all too often I find myself in the middle of a fast romance: after I accept I get an email touting some product or service they don't even know I have an interest in, let alone a need for. I do find if I don't reply, they go away. Corrupting our connection further.

3 – Too soon or too long U-turn conversations. Even after a cordial online introduction this can happen. But more often it's in-person. It's actually part of the 60-second sick elevator pitch. Some of us can't help but want to talk about us, me, my, I – just way too soon. Or we want to go on way too long about ourselves. See, what is happening? We are U-turning the conversation to be about us, while really taking little interest in the other person which is a better place to start.

4 – Listening with a response in mind. Last month I attended a much-touted new women's networking group event. There were about 80 women there. I met about a dozen women I know from either past or current relationships. Then I met about 6 women that I didn't know. One stood out for me as someone – I don't want to know any further. As she was U-turning her conversation, I told her I discontinued the very service she was representing. Obviously she didn't hear what I said because as she said, "Great, here's my business card," the word "great" told me she had a different agenda.

5 – Follow-up failure. Continuing with this women's meeting last month: I went home with 6 business cards of first time encounters. Silence in this case, is blacker, not golden. I heard from no one. Not an email, not a telephone call, not a hand written "Nice to meet you" note. That is follow-up failure. I don't wake up in the morning thinking, "Gee I need to call that person who tried to sell me her wonderful widget last night." It just doesn't happen that way.

You can listen in for free, to Kris and I talk more about these mistakes: http://begintoshift.com/pages/patricia-kris-interview And subscribe to my blog to get the further details about each one. See that SUBSCRIBE button on the upper right? It says, Subscribe by Email Enter your email address: Delivered by FeedBurner. That's the place!

And now, what about you and the 5 mistakes you may not know you are making? How do you relate to them?

5 Networking & Sales Mistakes You Don’t Even Know You’re Making is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Image by Phil Davis NY via Flickr

It makes sense in some parts of the world to have this as we are in those unpredictable, dreary, cold winter months. And it occurs to me there are some similarities of this day and – the reluctant marketer.

If you find that your networking is unpredictable, dreary and cold, why not escape? Here are a few ideas of what you might want to escape from:

1 – Your networking sucks. You know it. How? You don't have the results you want. Oh sure. You attend events, make contacts but they seem corrupted somehow. I can remember years ago when I was and overactive networker. I would come back to my office with dozens of cards and feel so overwhelmed the next step was to - escape!

2 – Your elevator pitch is so humdrum there's no hum, let alone a drum to beat. Bragging moment (I think:) You know those BNI kind of meetings where you go round robin around the room for introductions? I must be doing something right in putting into action what I talk about because usually the person just after me tells what they feel. "Geez, I wish I went just before her!" Even you want to escape from hearing what you have to say in that 60-second pitch!

3 – You've managed to take the drudgery out of following-up with an easy plan: you don't follow-up. I didn't even have an Apple app to remind me to follow-up when I first started selling. Those were the days: the office sales support would hand salespeople a handwritten list first thing every morning of follow-up calls to be made. But the guilt isn't escaping you as you let follow-up fail.

So just for today anyway, escape! Or try to. Here's how:

1 – Don't attend any networking events today. Just let yourself be free of the whole stress of it.

2 – If you feel compelled to give that elevator pitch that is going to dive to the basement anyway, run for the nearest exit.

3 – instead of looking at those business cards with dread, just pile them up until tomorrow.

How are you going to escape your fear reluctance on the one and only day deemed – escape day?

Can the Reluctant Marketer Escape Any Fears? Today is just that day. is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Christmas and New Year’s Eve are emotionally-charged times of the year — wouldn’t you agree! Getting and staying in the spirit of it all requires soul alignment. You’ll know whether or not you’re in this soul-alignment space if you can consistently answer “yes” to the following: Am I being true to my core values, beliefs, dreams and goals? So, how can you make this being-ness do-able over the holidays and into the New Year? -- By applying these mental, emotional and physical decluttering tips:

MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DECLUTTERING:

Tip #1: Observe when you say, “I have to/must/should....” Notice when you think and use these words and resort to guilt-based and pleasing behaviors. Ironically, as I was writing out this tip, I received a phone call from my ex hairdresser, who is now living and working in a city located two hours away from me. She revealed that as of December, she’d be working one day per week at my current new hairdresser’s location. I’m happy with the way my new hairdresser is cutting my hair. So, although it was a tad awkward not saying “yes” to scheduling an appointment with her, it was energizing to be authentic.

Tip #2: Give the gift of personal expression. There is an increased emphasis on “doing” in December, with partying and Christmas shopping as the prime culprits. Amidst all this holiday hustle and bustle, it’s important to not lose sight of what your Spirit (versus your over-doing Ego) wants, in order to feel great (or good, at least) during December. For instance, give yourself and others the gift of gabbing: the space to personally express one’s unique and authentic self.

Tip #3: Acknowledge the upside and downside of clutter. Learning this first hand is the best way to experience what void clutter might fill and how it can open you up for more fulfillment. Consider the metaphor that physical clutter is to our spirit and energy, as high cholesterol is to our body: a clogging mechanism. One strategy for clearing clutter might start with prioritizing each room you want to clutter clear! Then look at every pile of paper or item, and decide to either to toss or keep it. I find that some things I keep tie me to my past successes. No wonder there's a lack of creativity and energy to move forward. Once things are tidied and organized, your energy can soar! It’s akin to lowering your cholesterol to let your blood flow more easily.

Action Nudge: Consider how you are stuck. Do you want to change hairdressers? Or would having a good time at a regular annual party fulfill you? Or are you just sick and tired of seeing the clutter? Then determine what you want tackle next, and begin clutter clearing one area at a time. Notice, once you start the process, you'll build up momentum and eventually get “in the flow” of it all.

For more healthy holiday tips relating to organizing and simplifying your business and life, for increased efficiency, ease and enjoyment, check out these holiday specials: http://bit.ly/CTET2011.

Is the Holiday Season Sending Your Mind into a Tailspin? is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

1. Finish your shopping online. Why would you venture out to the maddening crowds to be frustrated and have your energy drained? It's easy enough to buy all gifts online so finish up that gift buying on your computer.
2. Turn on your favorite holiday music. Whether you are listening on your iPod, like me, or some other mp3 player, turn on your favorite holiday music and close the door to the outside world for a while.
3. Have a cup of tea. There are a couple of herbal teas in particular that are calming, so give them a try: Chamomile and jasmine can help you to relax.
4. Exercise for endorphins. I admit I am a workout addict – it's number one on my list of Top 25 Things to Do That Don't Cost Anything! The truth is, those endorphins are a mood enhancer. Why not improve your mood with all the other benefits of exercise, including, keeping those extra holiday calories from sticking?
5. Be selective about party invitations. Practice this statement, "I so appreciate you thinking of me but I've got a previous commitment that night." No need for any explanations, and people will surprise you by not pressing you further.
6. Express gratitude. Being grateful can make you feel better. You can write an email to someone, telephone them or just think of an event that you have good feelings about. Gratitude has it's own energy!
7. Connect with close friends. Fewer and more intimate relationships appeal to you? Then focus on including those people in your holiday plans before you decide to try and become a social butterfly. It's more rewarding for us.
8. Make plans with new connections for after the holidays. Inevitably the holidays are a time you will meet other people. If you are a networker, save the further connection for a time after the season.
9. Meditate or just take some quiet time to recharge your batteries. I find just 10 to 30 minutes a day is enormously energizing.
10. Be self-sufficient. Challenge yourself to take charge and host your own party. Set the start and end time and make the list. Or, offer the host or hostess of a party you attend to help them in a small way. Anyone, extrovert and introvert alike, would welcome some help during a party where they are the host.
11. Savor the moments. Be the picture taker where you go. As collectors of thoughts, we can take the photo task to a meaningful level of being behind the camera. Then we might email copies or get prints made for the attendees. Lots of quiet time to celebrate after the event with the memories.
12. And some time alone in a beautiful place, just for you. I'm so blessed to be just 5 minutes from a beach. I love getting there early in the morning for just 15 to 20 minutes when no one else is around. Just me and the gentle waves, an occasional breeze and nature sounds. Remember, New Years celebrations are just ahead!

The Twelve Days of Christmas song, in some people's thinking has no meaning at all, except a catchy and memorable tune. But the ideas here, in introvert style, are meant to have a positive way of taking care of you and me.

What would you add to the list if it where your song?

Sing the 12 Days of Christmas like the Introvert You Are is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

It seems here in Virginia at least, we went right from Halloween to Christmas! Hooray for Capitalism, right? But what happened to the tradition of giving Thanks? Why is the media and your corner coffee shop seemingly ignoring a day that could be steeped with thankful traditions that might help us out of the mess that so many countries are in now?

I doubt my sickness of how we celebrate Christmas with all the red, green and glitter, is related to my introvert preference. So I had to do a little research about this ignored holiday.

-  Sports – Did you know football at Thanksgiving actually started in high schools? Then it expanded to the NFL, UFL or whatever leagues. It's big games, and bigger audiences.

- Company attention – I noticed in our local Starbucks, they did briefly celebrate it with some window decorations in lovely orange, brown and yellow warm colors. Even some of their drinks had glowing names, like Pumpkin Spice latte. But, I guess they had to quickly give way to the bright and cheery red and green, more lively colors and names – Peppermint Mocha, or Gingerbread Latte. Most department stores went directly from Halloween costumes to cheery tree ornaments.

-  The history channel didn't even have a feature on Thanksgiving that I noticed. Maybe because it wasn't really the pilgrims who originated it? Turns out it was the Native Indians who began a tradition of sharing long before the settlers even go to America. But I still kind of expect the "history channel" to step up the attention on it's traditions and meaning.

-  Eating too much – One of the blogs I subscribe to put things into perspective for me. Enjoy this one time of the year you likely over eat. You probably don't overeat every day. Just one day in the big picture isn't going to cause your jeans to be too tight or for you to tip over on the scales. Just be grateful you can enjoy the bounty and tomorrow, eat right.

- Shopping – Oh this got attention. Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Bah Humbug! I opted out. No shopping for me and not even a special for you. Not because I'm not grateful for you, but because Thanksgiving is NOT about the best deals.

This holiday's main attraction these days is more about eating too much, have-to-watch football, and a start of Christmas shopping madness.

Isn't it really about gratitude? Will we ever stop every once and a while as a country, or a world, to be grateful, to express gratefulness, and to give it attention? Are we dooming Thanksgiving to be ignored by the media for what it might be? Or is it up to us as individuals, on our own, to make it a ritual more for gratitude, reflection and enjoyment of simple things, instead of football and frenzied shopping?

What do you think?

Do you prefer to receive or give for Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Bah Humbug! Time to opt out. is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Image by The Shed1 via Flickr

Since I've been decluttering – or clearing clutter – I've been taking notice. Feeling better. More focused. Losing pounds - thank goodness.

First, I have this overall feeling of being freer. Lighter. Moving forward. The weirdest thing is that this is the first time in a long time that I haven't set an end destination yet. I'm actually enjoying the maze like direction. I'm not sure what has taken me so long but I can say the coaching program I am in is a motivating factor.

What about those shedding pounds? Even though I'm in excellent shape I want to lose just 15 pounds. Somehow, with little change, I lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks. The weight is shedding off me, but I have no clue how. I'm eating as normal. Aaahhh! I did restart my exercise routine. I love exercising anyway, but with a broken foot early in the year, and then a torn knee ligament just a couple of months ago, things got – cluttered! Now I feel it's even easier to maintain my exercise program.

A second thing is I have noticed is that I am more focused, if that can happen to an introvert! I am only focused on 3 goals. Most days, I stay true to actions that move each one of those forward. The 90 Day Challenge program helps me to do that. If you visit this page, https://ultimategame.infusionsoft.com/go/TUG2/patweber/  you'll get access to a free video series in the event you want to find out more about it when it starts up next.

Finally for now, I find I am able to fit so much more into my days without exhausting myself. I'm not exactly how that is happening but it is. Now I don't mean there are always more actions I take; the actions I take are simply more efficient and effective. By sheer coincidence, the coaching program I am in for this new game encourages us NOT to work on Saturday and Sunday. And except for this ezine to you, which is back to my intended short doses of insights, work is not on my schedule.

There you have the first 3 benefits that clearing clutter has done for me so far:

1) more active with things that once on the backburner list,

2) losing weight,

3) more effective everyday.

How do you suppose clearing clutter helps you to lose weight?

Has this ever happened to you?

Clearing clutter helps to shed pounds? is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Getting more organized has been energizing for this introvert! I've always liked the metaphor that clutter is to our lives like cholesterol is to our bodies: it clogs us up! Starting with our kitchen counter tops put my husband in high spirits – he's a neat, obsessive, extrovert, Virgo around clutter. His desktop and drawers are always neat. One week after my cleaning up, he was still checking in on my office and saying how much he likes it. But one month after my initial clutter cleaning, I am still staying organized. Maybe it's here to stay.

Every night before-clutter-clearing, I would leave my office with my desktop looking like the photo here - or worst. And because I have a bookcase, a credenza, a filing cabinet, and two small shelving units and yes, it also meant that every one of those surface tops in my office was in disarray.

Getting organized and leaving some empty space has proved to be quite a positive experience.

Can I offer a few findings that might, as one of my subscribers who emailed me said, give you that kick in the butt for your cleaning? Or maybe even give you a chuckle?

1-    Get rid of anything that you haven’t used in a year, maybe even six months. I don't need to keep overhead transparencies that I stopped using about 10 years ago, and when it's likely overhead projectors aren't even made anymore. NOTE: I subsequently learned it's also a good idea to ask people if they have a need for anything in good shape you are tossing that you believe to be outdated. Some private schools actually do still use overheads and need transparencies.
2-    Use the technology you have. Is there any reason to keep a printed copy of the workshop participant materials when I already have them on my computer? It's useful to scan relevant documents onto your computer – tax forms for example – if you know you do have to save them for a period of time.
3-    If you feel fairly certain you can research and find it online, toss papers that you might be stacking for "read later." For me that cleared up at least one-third of a credenza drawer.
4-    Emotions are cleaner. Yep; I am still getting upset when my husband doesn't listen to me. I really believe this IS a guy/gal phenomena. It's just not as irritating. When vendors don't return calls as quickly as I expect, I'm not getting as upset. And, when things go better, I can feel my better emotions more strongly. That's so much more the place I want to be.
5-    Letting go helps you to trust yourself and others more. In particular I had lots of reports, printed emails, paper work on top of the large, flat surfaces of my desk, credenza and bookcase shelves. I find it quite encouraging and uplifting that when I finally did act to clean up, I just trust that if I need that information again, it will find me. It usually does.

My final step in my plan to clear clutter is to tackle a storage room in our garage. It's become like the often talked about "junk drawer" that some of us have, me included. But fortunately, my husband and I are both in agreement that it can wait: it's organized and there is a good amount of empty space that we are able to walk comfortably in it.

Let me know if you are getting your space more organized, what have been some of your lessons?

Or maybe you are just inspired to do so? After all, look at me now:

clutter free desktop

Introvert lessons from clutter chaos to clutter control is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer

Are you a solopreneur or small business owner who is frustrated about being able to increase revenues in this dour economy? Maybe it's about time you give collaborating with others a serious look. It's not just for the online elite or celebrities! Inspired by the article, 50 Benefits Of Joint Venture Marketing, here are the top ten pain in the butt reasons to get your rear in collaboration or joint venture gear:

1. Long-lasting business relationships are difficult to find. JVs will test your boundaries and limits, and expand your perspective. They will also improve your self-confidence, communication and relationship skills. Three years ago, I was super independent and just beginning to JV. I was choosing partners who were “unavailable”. What I learned about those initial experiences is that I only partially believed in, and committed myself to JV’ing. Consequently, my JVs weren’t lasting beyond 6 months. Eventually, when I was willing to constructively face confrontation and exercise my assertive skills, long-lasting JVs and results became possible!

2. New products and services are a low priority. What’s fun about JVs is that they stimulate your creativity and desire to provide more value to your customers. - Because they boost your motivation to “get the job done”, which means also decrease perfectionist and procrastination tendencies. Talk about many benefits all at once! Of course, this is contingent on finding the “right” partner because if your personalities, skills and strengths are too similar or not complimentary enough, then the JV won’t have lift. Conversely, if there’s great potential and new “products” between you, then your vitality will be renewed. And your customers will feel that emanating from you!

3. You think outsourcing your workload has to cost a fortune. Outsourcing and delegating one’s weaknesses to a supplier (e.g. Webmaster or Virtual-Administrative Assistant) becomes more enticing and probable because your JV budget is larger than what it would be when you’re operating solo. If you don’t make that smart strategic move, then your business will stay stuck at a certain plateau. In human terms, that typically translates into being unmotivated, uninspired, discouraged and sometimes even disillusioned.

4. Up selling and backend products fall victim to forgetting. Your business’ profit potential is dependent on how fluid one “product” flows into the next, including the up sell and backend “products”. Getting “there” usually happens faster when you’re in a JV because as a team, you have a bigger pool of prospects to poll and communicate with, and to therefore gain clarity and plan for the future.

5. Creating products takes too much time and effort. If you enjoy creating products but you’re impatient about getting them out the “door” or your Inner Critic doesn’t allow you to complete them, then this point will really bring it home for you.

6. You can't afford to invest in yourself. In any collaboration worth its time, there will be opportunities for trade. One collaboration allowed me to exchange my expertise for highly specialized personal life mission coaching. The result was, not one penny out of pocket for either person sharing their expertise for their personal development.

7. Joint venture deals require money I just don't have. In a down revenue time, wouldn't you just love the luxury of someone else to share costs with? Collaborations are usually partnerships where is there is unlikely greater out-of-pocket expense because of being able to divvy up costs among the collaborators. Your budget is better off.

8. If other businesses are struggling, there's little point in joining up. Have you heard there is strength in numbers? The morale and emotional strength in people that are optimistic by nature but just at a similar bump in the road can help you leave your worries behind.

9. There's just no time. Nonsense! You know that's just not true. How many things do you already procrastinate about? What kind of actions are you already taking that fit the category of what some call, "brainwasher" actions like computer games, way too much time on social media, activities that make you think you are creating but are spinning your wheels action and you know it? You have time to put a spark back in your business efforts.

10. The – take your pick – depression, recession or a slow economy is a time to pull back. Au contraire! It's a time you want to act more quickly. I tend to get a little lazy at the end of the year with the holidays and all. For you, it may be the looming dark cloud of a slow economy. Whatever stimulates you to pull back, a collaboration can be just the thing to help you move forward. You have the momentum of new energy, new products and new ideas that help new optimism to take hold.

Regardless of what is ailing your business, collaborations can be good for the health of revenue and profits. So what’s it going to be for you? Pick your poison of the top ten to take you down or – the sky's the limit! And if you want to know all the nuances in the most successful way to find and profit from collaborating, then let us help you with true-life lessons. Get your Complete Guide to Collaboration, with a 60 minute teleclass recording and slideshare presentation, at http://bit.ly/CollaborationeBooks . Or if you want it on Kindle, it's published there now, http://bitly.com/CollabGuideKindle .

What's your biggest pain in the business butt reasons that you might want to consider collaborating?

Top 10 Pain in the Business Butt Reasons to Collaborate is a post from: Courage Coach for the Reluctant Marketer