Happy New Year!! Welcome to 2013. We’re all still here – Mayan predictions and all.
I love the new year! It holds such promise. All those ideas we had last year, but didn’t have the time to implement are possible again in January and often it’s just a little quieter than usual (unless you’re in retail or tourism), which means you can have a minute of thinking time when the phones and email don’t intrude too heavily on your day.
So I thought some tips on how to make the most of these precious beginnings of the year might be in order.
- First things first: Tidy up any outstandings from last year. Yes, you know the ones, the things that take up brain capacity that will weigh on your mind and get in the way of actually achieving something really solid. Whether that’s finding staff (or letting someone go), catching up on invoicing (or the last 3 years tax returns), finally getting your website up and running (or updated); do it now. Don’t wait. The more time that passes, the more time is lost and often the more stress it causes. Do it now!
- Next:Grab a piece of paper (yes, paper – less distraction from the internet, facebook, email, etc – you can always type/scan it later) and revisit why you started your business in the first place. Is your business currently giving you want you wanted? Yes or no? Is it different from what you’d planned? Are you happy with that difference? If yes, great. If not, what can you put in place that will take you closer to the dream that you had?
- What were the great ideas you had last yearyou didn’t have time for? A new product line, a new arm of the business, finding a business partner or maybe some different suppliers, automating some workflows, working from home a day a week or finding an office (if you’re working from home). Whatever it was, spend some time this week, schedule it in the diary if necessary, really investigating it in a way that you can either take action on it or let it drop once and for all. You’d hate to go into 2014 with the same idea taking up space.
- Make a list of your favorite customers: you know the ones. They’re easy to please, pay on time and think you’re a genius at whatever it is that you do. Now, spend an hour thinking about how you’re going to get more of those people as customers. What do these folks have in common? Where might you find them? Events, friends and family, LinkedIn, or introductions/referrals from your favorite customers, old customers, customers of your favorite suppliers? Now you know who you’re targeting, plan how you’ll approach your new business in a consistent, ongoing fashion, say on a monthly or quarterly basis. Your revenue line will thank you for it and you’ll have even more of your ideal customers by year end.
And finally;
- Be honest – are you working 60, 70, 80, 90 hours a week, most weeks? If you’re running a small business, the answer is most likely yes! However, no one can keep that up that sort of schedule without damaging their health, relationships and probably their business in the long run.
Remember the ‘dream’ of working your own hours (that we’ve all had at some point). How can you reduce that so you can actually have the life you thought you’d get working for yourself. Think about what can you outsource. No, really, you don’t need to do it all. I’m sure there are some things you can delegate to someone else – an intern, a junior, a mum (or dad) who wants some extra school hours work? Once you’ve done that, spend an hour scheduling time off in your diary. Unless you’re an emergency surgeon no-one expects you to be on call 24x7. If you schedule it and let people know you’re on leave, people will usually respect it. And for those who don’t respect that? Go back to your list of favourite customers and find another to replace them.
Of course if we can help you get your financials sorted or assist with planning your business in a more streamlined way, Kerry and I would be delighted to help. Feel free to give us a call on 6023 1700.
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