Getting it all done
Small business owners are drowning. They have too much to do and too little time to do it. They wear all the hats in their companies and often things just don’t get done. A typical work day is much longer than 8 hours, and more than 5 days per week is the norm. Until…they discover and implement the ideas I am sharing here.
1. Systems
Picture this: You want to send out a newsletter to everyone on your contact list. This should happen once a month, but because it takes so much focused time and you can’t remember all the steps, you end up spending more time than necessary, and are probably forgetting some things. Enter “the system.” If you write down all the steps you have to take to create the newsletter and file it in an easy to find spot, then next month, you pull the sheet and quickly go down through each step. No more worry about forgetting something. No time wasted thinking and rethinking. And the best part? Now you are ready for step 2.
2. Delegating
Once you have a documented system you can hire someone to go through each step for you. Any decisions that need to be made are documented with the way to make the decision. Once a month that person pulls the list of to-do’s for the newsletter and does this for you. Voila! Now, you can spend that time doing something at which you are brilliant and are making more money than what you are paying for the person now sending out your newsletter.
Next week I am thrilled to have my good friend Jessica Maes joining me as a guest for this month’s call. She knows all about delegating and will sharing lots of great information so that you can go from overwhelmed to in control of your time. Your business and your family will thank you! If you aren’t already receiving invites to my complimentary teleseminars, you can register here. Bonus: you will have access to all the MP3 recordings of each previous call in 2010.
Join us to learn how you can finally get it all done.
What I Learned in 2009
2009 has to have been the wildest ride ever! My business has gone from Point A to Point B to Point C and pulled me along with my hair flying behind me. I’ve coached and been coached, mentored and been mentored, delegated and been delegated to. The people I’ve met in person or virtually have impressed me beyond belief. I thought I knew a lot about being a business owner, but 2009 raised the awareness of my business potential to the nth power. My to-do list is crazy long; to the point that I’m almost stuck spinning my wheels. Thank goodness I have someone starting to help me soon. Maybe this week!
Here are some of the key things I learned along the way.
- Find a mentor or business coach. It should be someone who has been down the same road as you and reached success. You will need to invest in yourself for this one. But the amount you invest will come back to you (many times over) if you put into action what they tell you to do.
- Delegate! If you don’t know why or how, consider getting help in cutting the control strings. Check out Delegate or Bust!. Jessica can help you find the right match for what you need done.
- You need to have systems in place for everything that you do. It’s impossible to grow your business without them.
- Hang out or mastermind with other entrepreneurs who are on their way to greater success. Help each other with great ideas and accountability.
- Pick up the phone and stay in touch. As much as we rely on our computers, social media and email, the key to more sales in 2010 may be at the end of your phone cord.
Read, read, read. If you don’t have any recommendations for business books or magazines (just ask someone), go to the nearest bookstore, or log onto Amazon and see what they are displaying for sale. There are so many “classics” as well as new books. Keep a book at your bedside or in your car to read while sitting in line at the bank depositing all your checks! Better yet, download the audio version and listen while running errands or puttering around the house. I always have teleconference replays and books on my MP3 player. (Santa brought me a new Sony version in shiny red that I love.) You can load tons of audios so you never have to be without inspiration.
Stay tuned for more details about each of these in upcoming blog posts. Y’all have a safe and Happy New Year! Here’s to our prosperity…
