Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece

No matter how old you are, it’s nice to dream about the things that you wish Santa would bring for Christmas, even when it comes to your business. My Christmas wish list this year was full of hopes and dreams for the future of my business, as well as some practical items. But I wanted to know what you were hoping to find in your stocking over the weekend, and asked –

What’s on your business Christmas wish list?

It was wonderful to have such a great variety of responses this week! I thank each and every person who took the time to join the holiday fun, and share what they hoped Santa would bring this year. Enjoy!

The #1 item on my business Christmas wish list is the much-talked about book, ‘The 4 Hour Work Week’ but Timothy Ferriss. I want to read and master his techniques, so I can find a better work-life balance in 2011!

Christy Cook (@teachmy), Founder of Teach My

My wish list would be for an assistant who is a clone of me.  Many days I feel like I need to two or three of myself in order to get things done. It is easy to get excited and commit to a project and not truly take into account the time commitment. So if I could have a way to clone myself, or find a reasonable facsimile, I could take on all the projects I want!

Lauren MacEwen (@laurencubed), Primary Strategist and Creator of SM Cubed Consulting

A new website has been on my wish list for months. Most of my photography clients find me online so my website is their first impression of Polka Photos. I’m happy to say Christmas came early as here is the new site: http://www.polkaphotos.com. Next up on the wish list is developing a better web presence using some SEO tools.

Aleks Bienkowska, Founder & Photographer of Polka Photos

On our businesses Christmas wish list is to finalize a deal with 3
different contacts that we have working with to expand our network of sales associates.

Michael C. Podlesny (@mikethegardener), Owner of Mike the Gardener Enterprises, LLC

As the director of marketing for the U.S. subsidiary of an Irish firm that focuses on wastewater, water reuse and odor/VOC solutions, I am wishing for a CRM system, a marketing automation system and P.R. software that will enable our one-person marketing department, me, generate the awareness, publicity and buzz of a ten-person department via a variety of integrated media.

Tom Smith, Director of Marketing for Bord na Mona Environmental Products U.S., Inc.

My Christmas wish list is that all of the paid ads I’ve invested in will have a positive ROI. That the sales of my Out of the Box Dog Training Game in both hard copy and app increase. That the reputation and popularity of my game takes off in an upward positive direction. And that this all carries over to 2011.

Joan Hunter Mayer (@joanthedogcoach), Owner and Certified Professional Dog Trainer of The Inquisitive Canine, LLC

I wish for Little Alouette to find an angel investor and to find a small biz mentor. {also to have Anthropologie pick us up} 🙂

Amy Turn Sharp (@littlealouette), Founder of Little Alouette

What fun, to come up with a wish list! I started my photography business several years ago and have committed to only buying those things that I have cash for – which has worked a charm, especially in this economy! But if I were to dream, my wish list would include: 
- A cottage not far from town that doesn’t look out on a road, but on fields. (I work from home, and as a photographer am passionately fond of beauty, so looking out at beauty every day is important!) 
- A studio. Preferably a renovated barn. 
- An assistant. I get loads of enquiries from students or others who would like to assist on a one-off basis, but what fun to have an assistant all the time! 
- Exotic wedding locations. I travel a good bit, and have done weddings in the UK and the States, but would love to do a wedding in the Caribbean, or in Hawaii, or in Bali…

Karen Reyburn (@reyburnphoto), Owner of Reyburn Photography

The one thing I wish for is that my reality show concept, Fatpackers, becomes a reality.

Steve Silberberg (@fatpacking), Creator of Fat Packing

Though I am Jewish, I have always loved the Christmas holiday and the cheer it helps spread. I only have one business Christmas wish, and that’s to hear from corporate partners who are interested in ringing in the new year by spreading the cheer of cause marketing initiatives for the web 2.0 generation. Corporate participation would be invaluable to helping spread our movement of people who give a poop freely, regularly and socially for the charities we give a poop about (and now musically with the recent addition of iGiveapoop, indie music that drives change) on JackTheDonkey.com.

David Katz (@INYOURFACEBOOK), Jack of All Trades for Jack The Donkey Inc.

I just started a small business and am waiting on final approval on making it a 501c(3) Non-Profit Corporation. My wish list for Christmas is one item.an I-pad. I travel visiting hospitals and while on the road, I could use the I-pad to check my emails, get directions with mapquest if I am lost, and respond to emails and search for news and info I might need. I have this on my phone but it is simply too small to even read.

Brenda Jones, Creator of Hug Wraps

Dear “Santa”, We are Ark Essentials would LOVE for you to turn Confessions of a Butcher- eat steak on a hamburger budget and save$$$ and My Quiet Dolls the ebook series into fantabulous Awesomely popular and successful products that will allow us to quit our regular jobs and get paid amazing amounts of money by doing what we are good at! We would like to be the up and coming Rodale Press with sales similar to Stephanie Myers and JK Rowling. Sincerely, Ark Essentials Publishing.

Vickie Smith, President of Ark Essentials Publishing

I don’t even know where to begin. I would really like to have an ereader so that I could read my marketing and other books anywhere, anytime without having to tote them all around. I would definitely like to read Accelerated Success by Donna Reid Mitchell so that would be on there. I would also like to read Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch. There are also some other marketing books I would like to read as well, but I don’t want to bore anyone by listing them all.

Ashley Montgomery (@AshleysAvon), Avon Representative

I’d love an iPad if Santa would spare me one. Sometimes carrying around my laptop can be a pain, and it carries all of my work data, so there’s always the fear of someone stealing it. Having a lightweight device that can access the Internet and show things to people I’m meeting with would be easier on my body and more impressive to a client.

Sandra Garcia (@mc_marketing), Consultant, Writer/Editor for Middle Child Marketing

I wish that everyone finds something they like to do and finds a way to make money with it.

Derrick Hayes (@encouragement4u), Encouragement Speaker, Founder of WOE Enterprises

A Kindle was at the top of my business Christmas Wish list. It is small enough to fit in my purse, so whenever I am stuck in line or at a doctor’s appointment I can continue learning. I can read the newspaper, blogs, or books. It connects to the internet, so I can read and tweet things I think my followers would enjoy knowing as well.Travel is easier without having to bring multiple books or just one. The charge last two weeks, so I do not have to worry about bring extra cords. Santa came early!

Nora Whalen (@InstituteforBB), President of the Institute for Beautiful Business


Thank you again to all our respondents this week! Openly sharing your expertise and experiences is a huge asset to this blog and the readership. I wish you all a wonderful week and hope to see you here again.

This week’s question is –

What was your biggest business obstacle in 2010,
and how did you successfully overcome it?

Why should I join the discussion?

Because this online forum is a great place for us to exchange ideas, learn from each other and network.  My goal is to unite successful women entrepreneurs to share our insights and solutions to the challenges we most commonly face in our businesses.

I look forward to your response to this week’s question! If you have any questions you know where to find me. Have a great week!