While being "different" in high school may have been the kiss of death, it is one of the secrets to ultimate business success. It's also a very well-kept secret, unfortunately.

I recently attended a networking event where there were several wellness professionals in the room. Some did nutrition counseling. Some represented competing lines of wellness products. Some promoted wellness through massage, reiki and other holistic methodologies.

While this certainly provided community among the attendees, and it all sounded good, it exemplifies the challenge all entrepreneurs face: how do you differentiate yourself among competing professionals...especially competing professionals in the same room?

As innovative as your product or service may be, in most cases there are several others out there promoting the same thing. Figuring out your "spin" or "hook" to grab prospects is as important as determining your profit margin.

Herein lays the PR challenge. It really doesn't matter if you have the best product or the worst service. What perception of value have you created around your business? How have you differentiated yourself from your competitors?

Maybe an oil change is an oil change, but your customer service is second to none. Perhaps a hearing aid is a hearing aid, but your doctoral level audiology studies enable you to do testing and assessments that ensure the right hearing aid fit for the right hearing challenge.

Jot down three things you bring to the table that your competitors don't, and plug them into your PR campaign today.

What's that? You don't have a PR campaign? Then we need to talk. Contact us at bigsteps@thekalitagroup.com to take your own big step with our consulting services.

Not ready for that big a step? Then skip on over to www.thekalitagroup.com/teleseminars.html and listen to our free teleseminar recordings.

Put two entrepreneurs in a room and they will surely have at least a few things in common. They will probably each have a multi-faceted marketing approach, a few tactics they both tried that failed miserably, and the "childhood entrepreneur" story to share (you'll hear about mine next month).

But there is one common denominator among all successful entrepreneurs: they know that a business without boundaries is a business that fails.

Boundaries have gotten a bad rap in recent years as things you have to put in place to block something out. Instead, think of boundaries as something you use to protect what's within.

To keep yourself In Business & In Balance™ you have to avoid letting your business take over your life, because doing so will ultimately compromise your success in both arenas, lead to resentment, and even burnout.

Try on a few boundaries this week. May we suggest:

Boundary #1: Shut the office door, turn off the Blackberry, and forget about the cell phone. At a certain point each day, you need to be able to turn off work and turn on life. If you don't, your business may skyrocket...at the expense of your health, relationships with family and friends, and the freedom you said you wanted when you launched your business.

Boundary #2: Remember that you run your business, your clients don't. Set a fair price and stick to it. Figure out policies and procedures that work best for you and your type of business, and don't change them to suit your clients.

Different rules for different clients can set up a juggling act that's difficult to sustain, and everchanging practices and fees send a message to your prospects that you lack confidence and certainty about your own business...so why would they hand you theirs?

Boundary #3: Just say no. If you have a great marketing opportunity, but it's at the expense of having to miss a major family milestone, it may not be worth it. If a friend needs your help, but you'll miss a deadline (and possibly lose a client) to do it, you may have to help your friend tomorrow. If a client is ready to pay you a big fee, but you see some red flags before the contract is even signed, consider denying the business. You can do it all, just not at the same time.

Establishing boundaries and executing them with tact and professionalism doesn't make you selfish or unmotivated; rather it makes you a dedicated business owner and human being whose work and life have value.

Instead of throwing your hands in the air in the name of overwhelm, put them back on the wheel and steer your course.

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