It's easy to get so caught-up in the day-to-day obligations of your business that you find yourself trapped in the present, regretting the past, and with no time to worry about the future. It's easy... and it's deadly.

Give yourself a "time out." Pull back from where you are so that you can get a better perspective and see where you're headed. And while you're waiting for your own new ideas to hatch, let me share nine of the sharpest and smartest strategies I know for moving up the success ladder:

Strategy #1 - The Buddy System
Find a strategic business partner who shares your objectives...but not your business niche. You can trade leads, share marketing info, sell package deals, etc.

Strategy #2 - Brand "You"
Brand your name and business. Create a niche that's uniquely yours.You can easily do this by writing articles and submitting them to e-zines or web sites for republishing.

Strategy #3 - Going...Going...Gone!
I don't have to tell you what a giant eBay has become. You don't have to become an "auction house," but you can start an auction on your web site. The type of auction could be related to the theme of your site. You'll draw traffic from auctioneers and bidders... and they have LOTS of friends!

Strategy #4 -The Sincerest Form of Flattery
There are dozens, probably hundreds, of "self-help" books out there with titles like "The Thinking Patterns of Successful People" and "How Seven People Each Lost 100 Pounds." They're popular because the best way to succeed is to model yourself on other successful business or people. Learn how your "heroes" got where they are and follow in their footsteps.

Strategy #5 - Be A Risk Taker, But A Smart Risk Taker
Taking a risk may be scary, but without risk... business life offers very few rewards. Sometimes you have to risk money to get results. Just remember to look before you leap... and make sure you know where you're going to land. If you're going to pay a P.R. firm to do your marketing, for example, do a thorough "background check" and make sure you're getting the best for your money.

Strategy #6 - Winning Hearts and Minds
Include emotional words in your advertisements. Use ones like love, security, relief, freedom, happy, satisfaction, fun, etc.

Strategy #7 - That's Two Thumbs...Way Up
Ask people online to review your web site. Positive comments or negative, they're all good! Someone who gives positive feedback is now a likely customer. Negative comments aren't published, of course, but they can be used as springboards to improve your web site.

Strategy #8 - Do What You're Good At
Too many professionals get overloaded doing things that don't make money and don't further business. Instead of trying to be a one-man-band, outsource part of your workload: secretarial work, accounting, marketing, etc. In addition to giving yourself more time to do what you're good at, outsourcing relieves you of tax reporting, health benefits, etc.

Strategy #9 - One From Column A, Two From Column B
Combine a product and service together in a package deal. If you're selling a book, offer an hour of consulting with it. If you install roofing, offer a combination package with rain gutters. To make the deal irresistible, the combination price must be significantly lower than "if purchased individually."

New ideas are usually the difference between success and failure. Remember to take a little time out of to brainstorm. It's time well-spent!