Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Make it a day on…not a day off!

Do you have the day off? If so, what are you doing to help your community?

During the 1950s and ’60s, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the power of service to strengthen communities and achieve common goals.

Here’s how it all began:
In 1994, Congress started the King Day of Service to build on his legacy by turning a federal holiday into a national day of community service. This holds true to King’s teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The idea is that people from all walks of life (socio-economic backgrounds, races, religions, sexual orientation, etc) come together to improve lives and bridge barriers. It’s about creating Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

What are you doing to help your community on your day off? If you’re like me, you’ve been too busy with everything on your plate to even contemplate participating in King’s Day of Service (I’m in the office!).

Good news. We don’t have to make it a one-day-only deal!

Here are some ideas:

TODAY, make a commitment to help your community.

TODAY, contemplate how you can be of service to your community for the rest of the year.

TODAY, find organizations or projects to volunteer your time, services, or money.

TODAY: Make a plan of service and action for the next year.

TODAY, go out of your way to help someone in need.

For more information, visit the MLK Jr. Service Day website.

My mind is going in a million directions right now. I’m not sure what to think or even what to write about concerning recent events in the stock market. It’s certainly hard to ignore.

As small business owners, the best thing I can do at this point is give you a few words of wisdom and encouragement during these difficult times:

Call in your financial power team.
Perhaps it’s time to take a good look at your overall financial situation. Call in your financial advisors, accountants, money managers, etc. to give you a report on how you’re doing and help you assess your spending habits.

Be frugal.
Saving is the key. I’m not telling you not to spend money, but I’m simply reminding you to save for a rainy day. If you don’t immediately need it right now, think twice before purchasing. It’s better to have some money in savings and be cushioned than to spend it all and have nothing when the rain pours. However, be sure you aren’t holding back too tightly. Sometimes you have to spend some money in order to make money.

Don’t obsess.
People at the news stations are paid to deliver news. They are all sitting in their comfy jobs and receiving their regular paychecks in exchange for giving you the economic news of the day. Always remember that fear and embellishment sells. I’ve lived through numerous hurricanes and have seen the way reporters grossly exaggerate reality on the ground.

There is still money floating around in the world.
People still need to buy and sell shelter, clothing, and food. Despite the economic situation, I’m guessing there are still long lines at the Disney parks and cars still parked at malls.

Market, market, market.
The difficult times are when you need to market the most. Don’t forget to market your business and be creative about bringing in clients.

Credit: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/images/clock.gif

1. Create “Just Do It” days. You know there are those tasks you hate to do. Perhaps billing? Catching up on your Quickbooks? Updating your website? Whatever those tasks are that you hate doing, make time. Dedicated a morning, afternoon, or entire day once a week or once a month to doing nothing but that task you must accomplish. That’s the life of an entrepreneur. You’ve gotta do whatcha gotta do.

2. Outsource. Are you making so much money that you can afford to outsource a task rather than set aside “Just Do It” time? By all means outsource! Call an accountant or web designer to do the work for you. Just one little thing: please outsource to another small business owner like yourself. It’s always nice to pay it forward and help other small women-owned businesses succeed.

3. Activate the signature settings on your email account. Sick of always signing your name and phone number and business name and address on every email? Activating the automatic signature settings will save you lots of time. Many providers even allow you to upload your company letterhead for a professional and polished look.