This year’s Working Naked day was a huge success. People around the world shed their sweat suits, chucked their daily commute and celebrated the freedom they have to work from home.

Now that this year’s event is over, you have 364 days to think about how you’ll celebrate next year’s big day. And of course, you’ll have plenty of time to figure out what you’re going to wear that day…or not.

Although we officially recognize Working Naked Day once a year, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the benefits of Working Naked all year long. These guest blog posts I wrote for Bit Rebelsand genConnectshould keep you in the mood for Working Naked.

4 Geeky Ways to Stay Safe While Working Naked 
Whether you’re literally working naked, birthday suit and all, or figuratively working naked — without the support of the corporate workplace — staying safe while working from home is important. After all, if for some reason you can’t work, who’s going to cover for you? These four gadgets can help you stay safe and stay on track when you’re working from home.

Working Naked Day: 10 Ways to Make You More Productive
Working Naked Day is tomorrow and whether you’re working in your birthday suit, a business suit or in your jammies, being productive is important. Think about it: When you work for someone else, your time isn’t your time … it’s your company’s time. When you work for yourself, time is precious and any time you waste during the workday is money out of your pocket. When you look at it that way, being productive takes on a whole new meaning.

There’s still time to get your FREE Working Naked Day gift, a collection of eBooks and guides to help you grow your business. Click here for your gift.

Working Naked means different things to different people. To you it may mean working au naturel, while your neighbors and friends may follow the other meaning — working on your own without the support of the corporate workplace.

Whichever way you interpret Working Naked, today is the day to celebrate your independence from corporate life, bask in your break from a daily commute, and enjoy the flexibility you have to work from home on your own terms.

Today as you bare it all and enjoy your work-from-home freedom on the 3rd annual Working Naked Day, expose yourself to these six ways to grow your business.

1. Partner with other small business owners

Working Naked can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Connect with other small business owners and find ways to work together. Let’s say that most of your clients are realtors. Think about companies that target realtors, like sign companies and home stagers. You could approach them to put ads on your site, sponsor your seminars or webinars and even share client lists. You’re both trying to reach the same market, so why not work together?

A different option is to work with another business or several businesses to sponsor a contest. By pooling your resources, you can come up with a strong list of prizes. When the contest ends, everyone involved in the contest can share the list of names and e-mail addresses they collected.

2. Update your website

Take a close look at your website. When someone wants to know about your business, or when he or she searches for a business that fits your keywords, what impression does your site give? Your site is your link to the outside world. Make sure that impression is a good one.

Have fun with your site. Add photos and videos. Let visitors get a sense of who you are and what you can do for them. If you don’t have a site — you need to have one — or your site needs a facelift, hire a Web designer. Before you decide which designer to hire, check out the sites they’ve designed to make sure you like their work. Most site designers have a link at the bottom of the sites they’ve created so if you like a site, contact the designer to find out what he or she can do for you.

3. Sign up for a class online or on campus

When I graduated from college, I swore I’d never go back to school. So much for never saying never. I loved school and learned so many skills that I’ve applied to every client I’ve worked with since I graduated. Also, I’ve been able to write for different design magazines and websites that wouldn’t have given me the time of day without my degree.

Consider whether going back to school or learning online will give you the skills you need to serve your clients better. You don’t have to earn a degree but if taking Web design, marketing or programming classes would give you an edge over your competitors, consider investing time learning new skills. Keep in mind that you can write off any expenses related to your classes.

4. Attend a webinar

You can get in your car or catch a plane to attend a seminar, or you can grab a cup of coffee instead, sit at your desk, and attend a webinar. Different websites offer free webinars throughout the year. If you want to learn more about SEO (Search Engine Optimization), check out Hubspot. If you want to learn how to start and maintain a WordPress membership site, WordPress University offers regular, short programs loaded with good tips.

Some webinars are live, but if the webinar time doesn’t work for you, sometimes you can download a recording. How easy is that? Best of all…you don’t have to get dressed to attend a webinar. Seems to be the perfect Working Naked Day activity. The bottom line: nothing beats learning something new while you’re sitting in your pajamas or your birthday suit. Ask your corporate friends how often they get to do that!

5. Read business books and eBooks

I admit I’m an eBook addict, but you can learn so much from experts in every field. The best part is that you can find hundreds of eBooks online, loaded with information, for free. There’s an eBook on almost every subject. Use Google to find eBooks about something you want to learn about or need to know.

The more you read eBooks, the more you’ll realize that you can write (and eventually sell) your own eBooks. Research the topic for your eBook to find out if there’s anything similar available. If so, figure out how to make yours different.

6. Set up a group chat through Skype or over the phone

When you’re Working Naked, most of the time there’s no one around to tell you that your ideas are worthless or even amazing. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when you can meet with other entrepreneurs and pick their brains. They can filter your ideas, encourage you (everyone can use a pat on the back) and maybe even tweak your ideas a bit to make them work for you. Also, it’s incredibly helpful to be able to get input from other business owners who may have faced the same problems you’re dealing with now.

Enjoy your day and call your friends who are stuck in a cubicle or in a boring office today and wish them a Happy Working Naked Day. Maybe next year they can celebrate it with you.

How are you going to celebrate Working Naked Day?

Click here to get your FREE Working Naked Day gift, a collection of eBooks and guides to help you grow your business.

The 3^rd annual Working Naked Day is only two days away. When I created this holiday, I debated about whether to choose a date in the summer or the winter. As entrepreneurs, we’re usually up for a good challenge, so I chose February 1st.

To get you ready for the big day, crank up the heat and check out this recap of past Working Naked Day blog posts.

The Naked Truth…It’s Working Naked Day

Today is the perfect day for those of us who work from home to celebrate the freedom we have to set our own hours, follow our own rules and live a life that doesn’t include reporting to a corporate job each day.

Get Ready for Working Naked Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the 2^ndannual Working Naked Day…the day we celebrate our freedom to work from home on our own terms. While our corporate counterparts are cursing their morning commute, we’re enjoying a slow stroll to our home office down the hall. The blog posts below should get you in the mood for Working Naked Day. They’ll also remind you of why there’s no better way to work, than from home.

It’s Working Naked Day. Strip Down and Get to Work

If you’re one of the 32 million home office pros working without the support of the corporate workplace, you’re working naked. Who knew? It’s OK to blush. I created this holiday to help you strip away your anxieties about doing it all by yourself.  Let the celebration begin with these five tips…

When I blogged about business mistakes I’ve made, several of you asked me to list even more. This time I asked a few of my friends to share some business mistakes they’ve made, but I admit I’ve made a few of these mistakes too.

Mistake #1 Not spreading the word about your business

Maybe your business is better than everyone else’s, but it doesn’t matter if no one knows about you. When you develop a new product or service, send an e-release out to your media contacts, spread the news on Twitter and other social networks, and tell everyone you know. Don’t be shy.

Mistake #2 Not seeking advice or guidance from others

Don’t expect to know everything about finances, marketing, and sales. A business consultant, or a volunteer at SCORE (the Service Corp of Retired Executives) can offer business help. Or call someone whose business style you admire and ask them specific questions.

Mistake #3 Not knowing when to cut your losses and move on

It’s too bad that no matter how much you believe in your products or services, that belief doesn’t determine how much success you’ll have. If you’re losing money on a product or service, take a close look at what you can offer instead. It’s tough to let something go, but when you do you make room for more opportunities to grow your business.

Mistake #4 Skimping on the wrong things

A computer, printer, scanner and other office equipment are more important than a top-of-the-line desk and credenza. Keep in mind that most of the time clients will see only what comes out of your office, not what’s in it. Focus first on technology, then go from there. Don’t forget to invest in a reliable, comfortable and adjustable office chair. After you sit in front of your computer day after day, your back will remind you that you need more support.

Mistake #5: Forgetting to listen to your clients’ needs or requests

You may be so closely tied to your business that you overlook new ways to serve your clients, your best resource for new ideas. Before I wrote my first home office book, people often asked me to recommend a book to help them set up their home office. Finally the light bulb went off and I wrote a book. Some people have “aha” moments. Mine was more of a “duh” moment.

There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, and when you work for yourself you’re going to make plenty. In fact, that’s part of being an entrepreneur. The key is to learn from those mistakes.

What do you do when you don’t cook or eat at home, but you need to set up a home office? You may do exactly what entrepreneur and author Mandy Williams (aka Black of Red & Black) did, and convert your dining room into a home office.

Mandy isn’t your traditional author or business owner and doesn’t take a conventional approach in her personal and business life. Her approximately 15.8′ x 15.7′ home office is the perfect example. She could have converted a spare bedroom, corner of a family room, or a formal living room into her workspace, but how conventional would that be?

Mandy’s well-hidden home office is still disguised as a dining room, thanks to the wall of wood. Unless you opened the cabinets, you’d never know that behind the Wenge wood doors are several file drawers along the bottom, a slide-out printer stand, and open shelving for storing loose-leaf binders and  various office organizing boxes/sorters. She also has cubbyholes for paper, notepads and envelopes.

Her gorgeous custom-designed, glass-top table with a leather base looks like a dining table but can be used as a conference table or desk.  Not unlike many dining rooms, Mandy’s office is filled with natural light (often the best in the home).

Not eating or cooking at home seems to be a good trade-off for a stunning home office.

source: miss.killer!

For years, I’ve worked with clients who’ve tried everything to organize their home offices, but then have finally given up. Either they didn’t know where to start or were overwhelmed by the process. They also started to believe the negative comments their family and friends were telling them about getting organized.

If you’ve tried to organize your home office and have given up, or have started to believe what others have told you for years about getting organized, it’s time to change your thinking. When you stop believing old organizing myths, you can move forward and get your home office organized.

Myth #1 You have to be born organized to be organized

We learn both good and bad habits at an early age and you can change any bad habit, including disorganization. When I was in the corporate world, co-workers who had organized offices told me that their homes were a mess. They focused more on their workspace because that’s where they generated their income. By the time they came home from work every day, they were too exhausted to organize anything. The bottom line is that you can learn to be organized, and it’s easier if you’re motivated to make a few changes.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

My sweet, adorable, perfect niece — I’m not at all biased — is at the “I’ll do it myself” stage. She doesn’t want her parents to help her do anything. My niece reminds me of the typical entrepreneur (myself included) who thinks he or she can do everything alone and do it better.

The truth is there’s no way we entrepreneurs can know everything and do everything well, but we don’t have to. There are experts nearby (virtually and in person) who are willing to share their business experience with other small business owners like us. Best of all, you can get their advice from one source: SCORE.

SCORE is a nonprofit association — it’s been around since 1964 — that provides information and support to entrepreneurs and small businesses around the country. They have 370 chapters throughout the United States and 11,200 volunteers nationwide. They’ve helped 8.4 Million Small Businesses including Vermont Teddy Bear, Vera Bradley Designs, Jelly Belly candy, and more.

SCORE offers advice from starting, managing, and growing a business, to financing and technology. They feature articles on their site from business owners around the world and offer online workshops.

The site itself is packed with information, but they also offer one-on-one help. The SCORE mentoring program matches entrepreneurs with both working and retired executives, and business owners. You can learn from retired CEOs, attorneys, business owners and other professionals who volunteer their time to help small business owners grow their businesses.

One of my favorite features on the SCORE site is the forms they offer, from business plan templates, to profit and loss forms. Why reinvent the wheel when you can get detailed forms with one click?

It’s easy to get lost in the business world, especially when you’re out there on your own. SCORE is worth checking out, and best of all, it’s free.

This time of year, many businesses slow down and take care of the annoying tasks they haven’t had time to deal with all year. Some people are still wrapping up loose ends, finalizing contracts and planning ahead for next year, but for the most part, businesses are getting ready to enjoy the break between Christmas and New Year’s.

Those few quiet days are the perfect time to clear out your home office and get organized. Start with these tips:

• Don’t try to organize everything in one day. Your home office didn’t get to the point where it is now, overnight, so it will take time to get your office back in shape. If you try to do everything at once, you run the risk of getting discouraged and giving up altogether.

• Break the job down into manageable chunks and tackle one thing at a time. Toss (recycle) old magazines and papers you’ll never refer to again. Also, move extra furniture, old sports equipment and anything else that isn’t helping you with your business, out of your home office.

• Make a list. Take note of everything you want to accomplish during your organizing project and reward yourself for each task you finish. Chocolate can be a strong motivator.

• Make a list of supplies you need including extra printer cartridges and printer paper. While you’re doing a mini inventory, take out any supplies that you haven’t used in years and donate them.

The most important tip of all? Pour yourself a cup of coffee, take advantage of the slower pace of each day, and enjoy the holidays.

The holidays are only a few days away and you still don’t know what to buy your favorite home office professional or your own holiday list is still blank?

Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for a friend, spouse or business associate who’s just started working from home or has worked from home for years, look no further. As a self-proclaimed home office product junkie, I’ve scoured stores — both in person and online — to find the 8 home office must-haves this holiday season.

Click here to see all 8 gift ideas in my guest post for genConnect.

I think we’re better off as friends.

It’s not you, it’s me.

The timing isn’t right.

We’ve all either heard or used those excuses during a breakup in our personal life.

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it comes to clients. But when a client has been with you from the start and your services are worth more than you’re charging, what do you do? Consider the following three options.

Gradually increase your fees

If you give your clients fair warning that you’re going to raise your rates, then your clients can make the decision to keep working with you or find someone else. If you’ve met your clients’ needs and helped them to achieve their goals, chances are they’ll stay with you and pay more for your services. If they decide to leave because of pricing, then you may need to question how much they valued your services.

Decide whether to keep current clients or try to replace them

Keep in mind that if the services you provide are worth more than what you charge, eventually you’ll resent your current clients. At the same time, consider how much time and effort it would take to find new clients and how much will it cost to market your services. If you weigh the time/cost benefit, you’ll have your answer.

Add additional services at higher prices

Ease your clients into a higher price bracket by adding additional services and charging for them. Early this year I added video consulting to my list of services. One of my clients moved to another city and wanted help with the set up and design of her new home office. We designed her office virtually, down to new light fixtures and artwork. The entire process went smoothly and she’s happy with her new workspace.

A business coach could add video consulting, weekly or monthly memberships to group masterminds, and could create new products for clients. While you’re expanding your business to provide more services and products for clients, you’ll also attract new clients.

Maintaining business relationships isn’t easy and creating new ones can be overwhelming and expensive. Rather than let your clients go because you’re not being paid what you’re worth, add additional services, gradually increase your prices and consider one more thing: announce your price increase. You may be surprised at how easily your clients will accept your new pricing.

Have you had to let go of a client because of pricing?