Already February. Where has the time gone?

January was such a busy month... I gave 3 virtual presentations, started the production of my "Create Your Compelling 30-second Intro" guide (stay tuned for news on how to get your copy), and started a cross-promotion partnership with a group of 7 passionate and business-minded women.

February promises to be just as busy with an interview with Rima McDonald next week, continued developments on my "Marketing Expert" Podcast series (more on that in a month or two), and finalizing the email version of my Get Clients NOW!(TM) program.

In just 4 weeks, I'm due to give birth, so by this time next month, I'll be sharing the happy news with all of you (and maybe a picture).

In this month's article, I'll be sharing with you how meal planning has actually helped me market my services better. I hope you find the article helpful as well as entertaining.

"What do I make for supper tonight?"

Ah, the eternal, daily question. It's so discouraging to have to wake up in the morning and think about so many hours ahead. One day, I decided to fight back and never ask that question again. How? Meal planning. So that Saturday afternoon, I sat down at the kitchen table with my recipe books, calendar, pad and paper, and I planned our meals for the entire week -- recipe book page numbers, side dishes and all! From that plan, I was able to create my entire grocery list for the next day.

I can't quite put my finger on my exact feelings that week, but it was a mixture of relief, pride and accomplishment -- I won that battle!

When I decided to apply the same concept to marketing my business, the results were just as good. That's when I found my marketing recipe book -- Get Clients Now! by CJ Hayden. It basically walks you through the entire process of customizing your marketing plan for an entire month (she even uses meal planning analogies -- action menu, success ingredients, choosing your appetizers, main course and dessert action items).

Like meal planning, the benefits of designing a marketing action plan are:

• You are actively working towards a measurable and reachable goal.
• You know exactly what to do when you go into your office.
• You're no longer stuck in analysis paralysis (the equivalent to staring blankly in the fridge).
• You feel a sense of relief, pride and accomplishment, knowing you've taken an active role in marketing your business. You're prepared, ready for action, and seeing results.

Being a busy Mom and ambitious entrepreneur, I love that when I have a few minutes to steal away into my office, my marketing plan is right there, taped to my desk. I simply choose an item to concentrate on and work on that. Having my marketing plan prepared for the entire month, I no longer sit at my desk asking "Where was I? What do I do now?"

So what's on your marketing menu this month?

Copyright. Cristina Favreau. All rights reserved.

ABOUT CRISTINA
Cristina Favreau specializes in helping passionate and motivated service professionals who love what they do, but struggle with running and marketing their business. In these 3 areas, Cristina will help you: (1) discover simple ways to increase your visibility and credibility, (2) get more clients by identifying where you're stuck in the marketing cycle, and (3) get unstuck and regain momentum. To read more articles like this, visit her site at http://www.cristinafavreau.com/.

NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered, including the "ABOUT CRISTINA" info above. Please send a copy of your reprint to .

First you need to know the answer to a few key questions. Where does your current business come from? Where is your future business most likely to come from? How big is your current circle of influence (network)? How much time do you have? Social Networking can be a great benefit to business owners. Especially small business owners who depend on introductions and referrals from others to increase their market reach. Social networking has been called six (or less) degrees of separation because you can find virtually anyone online.

This use of online, friend/associate-based networking has already proven to be one of the most valuable business tools the Internet has yet provided. From LindedIn to Ryze, to Xing, to Meetup, to MySpace, Tagworld, to Friendster and Tribe and the hundreds of other Social Networking sites -- business owners have discovered how to tap into this huge networking space to make connections to grow their circle and their business. And so can you!

Join Rima MacDonald, Founder of Strictly Business Network on Ryze and Cynthia Frazier, President of Energy Tour Café, and the co-moderators of Strictly Business, as they share their experiences with Social Networking and how you too can capitalize on the ever-growing list of online business networking sites. You will learn the do's, the don'ts, the benefits, and drawbacks to social networking. You will hear success stories and draw backs, learn the most effective ways to approach others in the network, and how to use it to promote your own business interests. You will leave this webcast with a much better understanding of how facilitate communication and referrals to grow your business.

In addition to learning about Social Networking as a Business tool -- you will be introduced to one of the newest Social Networking sites on RYZE -- Strictly Business.

Hosted by The WECAI Network(TM) - this webcast takes place on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 at 12 Noon (Eastern Time).

Click here to register

*BRPD Interview
Rima McDonald is interviewing me next week on "Getting More Clients... By Choosing Your Target Market"
As soon as it's available, the audio will be posted to my site, so those who would like to, can listen to the entire interview.