This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is About Something You Want So Bad You Can Taste It.

I’ve got a big list myself right now… I want a new laptop, an iphone, a new car and twice the income   (Easy peasie, right?!)

• Susan wants a new Nikon.
• Laurie wants a laptop.
• Traci wants to get published.
• Jenn wants to come home full time again.

And elsewhere on the web:

• Tiffany wants the freedom to travel!

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About Purging” , we’d love to have you join in.

Do you ever just feel the urge to purge?  Feel free to take this topic anywhere you like!

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 10th of September, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is About Being a Lifetime Learner. Since our awesome Sparkplugging Authors are definitely leading by example on this point, they’ve got some great advice for us:

• Susan learns from several books at a time.
• Leslie says to make learning part of your daily routine.
• Traci learned to keep on learning from her grandparents.
• Jenn keeps her mind open and makes more money with eBay.
• Brandie says to listen more, talk less.
• Lynette says that learning is not all about degrees.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About Something You Want So Bad You Can Taste It “ , we’d love to have you join in.

Share something from deep inside that you have a huge will to accomplish – and what you’re doing to prepare for it!

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 3rd of September, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is About Following Your Gut. I invited our authors to share something they’ve learned either by lesson or observation from a favorite blogger.

• Laurie says HALT!
• Traci says your gut may know better than  your head.
• Jenn says a happy heart makes for a happy business.
• Brandie says to follow your inner compass.
• Lynette says just go already!

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About Being a Lifetime Learner “ , we’d love to have you join in.

Share how you keep your mind and heart open to learn new things.

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 27th of August, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is about Homepreneur Health. I invited our authors to share something they’ve learned either by lesson or observation from a favorite blogger.

• Susan likes yoga and swimming this summer.
• Leslie has advice for not gaining weight while working at home.
• Traci avoids a codependent relationship with her cat.
• Brandie says to take better care of yourself than your blog.
• Lynette thinks better and works faster when she has breakfast.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About Following Your Gut “ , we’d love to have you join in.

Share how you have learned to follow your own instincts and what you do to make sure they don’t lead you awry.

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 20th of August, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is about Sparking an Idea from a Favorite Blogger. I invited our authors to share something they’ve learned either by lesson or observation from a favorite blogger.

• Susan shares some of her favorite bloggers.
• Laurie has learned about making a name for herself from Scott Ginsberg.
• Traci learned to be herself from Scott Stratten.
• Jenn is sharing some of her favorite ebay bloggers.
• Brandie shares her fave bloggers for different topics.
• Lynette broke the mold and wrote about how to be someone else’s favorite blogger.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About Homepreneur Health “ , we’d love to have you join in.

Share something you’re doing to stay in shape and pursue health that fits in with your home office lifestyle.

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 13th of August, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is about Creating a Wow Experience.  Our Sparkplugging Authors have some Wow Factor tips for you today:

• Susan has ideas on how to wow your customers.
• Leslie is ready to go the extra mile.
• Crissy tells us to go beyond expectations.
• Traci says that ‘wowed’ customers spread the word about you.
• Brandie wows them with her experiences.
• Lynette says small things can wow people when they don’t expect it.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea About a Favorite Blogger” , we’d love to have you join in.

Share something you’ve learned (either directly or by example) from another blogger that you really respect and enjoy.

Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 6th of August, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is all about Motivating Others.  Our Sparkplugging Authors have some great advice for us!

• Susan says to be inspiring and she shares some quick tips she gathered on Twitter.
• Lynette shares what others do that motivates her.
• Laurie compares motivating horses to people… interesting!
• Christina says to share success stories.
• Brandie says that action sparks motivation.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic – “Spark an Idea about Creating a Wow Experience” , we’d love to have you join in.  Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 30th, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is about Improving Your Workspace.  We have some goofy, interesting and useful posts to share with you, whatever your workspace is like, I know you’ll get a lot out of our contributer’s tips.

First, I’m really pleased to see more business blogs participating in our Spark an Idea Thursday meme!

• Stephanie says that you need to be willing to invest in your workspace.
• Alice says ‘Workspace? I don’t need no stinking Workspace!’ (just kidding).

And from our Sparkplugging Authors:

• Laurie has some creative ideas for making the most of the space under your desk
• Traci says to make your workspace your own.
• Jenn is sharing pictures of her ebay workspace.
• Lynette has tips for organizing your virtual workspace.
• Brandie says to give your workspace some love.

Want to join in next week’s Spark an Idea Thursday?  I’ll be on the road to Toronto for a Tweetup with some awesome ladies next Thursday, so I would like to hear your ideas on Making ‘Real Life’ Connections With People You Know Online.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic, we’d love to have you join in.  Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the 16th, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is about managing your business over the Holidays.

Will you be taking a few extra days off over the Fourth of July?  If you’re in Canada, are you taking a break for Canada Day festivities?

We entrepreneurs can have a hard time unplugging from business and the web.  I don’t really even like to be totally disconnected.  I usually have my Blackberry with me at the very least.  Still, I know that it’s healthy to disengage now and then.

The holidays are the perfect time.  But how to make it happen?

• Brandie says to plan for it.
• Lynette has created a system with her support team.
• Leslie is saying plan and have a system.

LOL!  Do you spot a trend here?

By the way, I apologize for not publishing this week’s Spark an Idea topic on last week’s round up post.  My bad!

Next week’s topic is:  Sparking an Idea to Improve Your Workspace.

If you’d like to chime in on next week’s Spark an Idea topic, we’d love to have you join in.  Grab our image and make your post by 9am EST on Thursday the ninth, then tweet me to let me know and I’ll include you in the round up post here on Sparkplug CEO.

We recently shared pictures of our home office workspaces with you – so I’ll be curious to hear what advice our Sparkplugging Authors will have for you!  And what tips you’ll share as well!

This week’s Spark an Idea Thursday is all about Email.

Email is everything in my business.  I’m sure you feel the same way… ok, maybe not. I’ve actually heard of a few people who refuse to use email – though I can’t imagine how that works.

It’s a quiet week around the Sparkplugging network but a few authors have piped up with some advice:

• Laurie is talking about email privacy.
• Jenn says to use email to build relationships.
• Brandie has some advice for us on filtering email.
• Angela of WAHM Talk Radio loves Mail Chimp.
• Susan shares eleven email marketing tips.

I’ll admit that I’m big on setting goals on a short term basis.  I make lists and take time to consider where I want to be in six months or a year.

I don’t however take a lot of time to think about long term goals.  I do not have a five or ten year plan at this point.  One of these days maybe I will?  We’ll see.

See what our Sparkplugging Author’s had to say about Goal Setting yesterday…

• Brandie says you have to be S.M.A.R.T.
• Susan says to break your goals down into digestible pieces.
• Michelle says you have to know where you want to go and Jen says be consistent!
• Crissy says to look at the big picture and work backwards from there.
• Tamara and Lorna say to use positive words instead of negative.
• Lynette sets goals using mindmaps and a super smart pen.
• Laurie doesn’t set goals!

Want to join us next week?  We’ll be Sparking an Idea to Finish Something You’ve Started!  Share your secrets for getting the important stuff done.

Participate in our meme by posting your Spark an Idea Thursday by 9am Eastern. Tweet me (@kellymccausey) about it and I’ll include your link in my round up in the afternoon   Just grab our image and get your post ready for June 18th!

Everyone loves to be appreciated. We remember even the small things that someone does to say thank you, don’t we?

• Lynette shows appreciation by snail mail.
• Brandie loves notes too but says you an also make a phone call to say thanks.
• Jenn & Michelle offer their customers extra value and fun.
• Kris says to Go and Do something to show customer appreciation.
• Tamara says to pay it forward with recommendations.
• Leslie knows that saying thank you is good for business.
• Susan says there are thank you gifts for every budget and she especially loves to give chocolate. (You can appreciate me anytime Susan!)

Do you have a special way of saying thanks to those that you do business with?  We’d love to hear it!

Spark an Idea With Us!

Next week, June 11th the Spark an Idea Thursday Meme Theme is “Spark an Idea about Goal Setting“   Share how you set goals for your business and life.

Participate in our meme by posting your Spark an Idea Thursday by 9am Eastern. Tweet me (@kellymccausey) about it and I’ll include your link in my round up in the afternoon   Just grab our image and get your post ready for June 11th!

I personally refuse to accept anything so defeatist

I’m glad to see that our awesome Sparkplugging Authors have a similar attitude.

• Susan is sharing tips for avoiding the summer slump.
• Laurie says to go outside as much as possible.
• Lorna says to remember why you’re doing all this in the first place.
• Crissy has a free summer business guide for you.
• Michelle and Jenn tell us to keep our mojo burning.
• Brandie says to ignore what you feel and just get busy!
• Lynette says to think ahead and take advantage of automation.

Spark an Idea With Us!

Next week, June 4th the Spark an Idea Thursday Meme Theme is “Spark an Idea that Shows Appreciation” – Write about how you’ve shown appreciation to a client or business colleague in the past.

Participate in our meme by posting your Spark an Idea Thursday by 9am Eastern. Tweet me (@kellymccausey) about it and I’ll include your link in my round up in the afternoon   Just grab our image and get your post ready for June 4th!

Catch up with our Author’s and see what ideas they pulled from the big screen:

• What movie reminds you of your business?
• Chick Flicks teach you to mind the Hot Trends.
  
• You’ve Got Mail says It’s Not Personal?
• This 50’s Mom would surely be a Mom Blogger today.
• Yes, even Monsters fear change.
• This movie says we should make no excuses

From elsewhere today:

• WAHM Talk Radio sparks an Idea from Ratatouille

Next week’s (May 28th)  Spark an Idea Theme is ‘Spark an Idea that Keeps You Motivated’.  Post your idea on your blog with our image and link back here so we know about you.

We may be in business for ourselves when it comes to the bottom line but we don’t get there on our own – especially not on the Interwebs!

The relationships you cultivate today may be a source of many cool new open doors and possibilities in the future.

Our awesome Sparkplugging Authors have some great ideas for cultivating new relationships:

• Susan says Make Friends, Not Competitors.
• Jenn & Michelle encourage you to Communicate and Follow Up!
• Tamara & Lorna say you can Buy Your Friends.
• Crissy says to Start with an Email.
• Brandie says to Connect Over Coffee.
• Leslie says Making Allies Takes Time.
• Bill says to Offer to Subcontract.
• Lynette says Partner with Geeks.

Now, can we hear from you?

Do you have a great idea for making new business friends?  Grab our meme image and ‘Spark an Idea’  on your blog, just be sure to link back here so we know to come check out your ideas!

Want a head start on next week’s theme?  Next Thursday, May 21st we’ll be ‘Sparking an Idea from the Movies’ – Write a post that pulls a great business idea from one of your favorite movies – new or old