7 Seeds to Plant That Will Grow Your Business

Small business management is a delicate balance of planning, action and intrinsic perspective. With minimal resources, time and money must be spent wisely. Business fundamentals must be incorporated at all times. Below are 7 “best practice” seeds to plant. When watered (acted upon), they will help your business grow.

1. Be clear about what need your business fulfills – Just because you have business cards and your sign says “open,” doesn’t’ mean you have a sale. Be clear about how your product or service helps or benefits someone. We have so many choices these days and people are savvier than ever about how and where they spend their money. Make sure you have something of real value and use and be ready to explain why and how it makes life easier or better.
2. Know where to find your ideal clients and how to communicate with them. It doesn’t make much sense to have the perfect product or service for pilots who fly charter planes if you are spending your time connecting and marketing to them on Facebook or Myspace. You have to know where to find your ideal clients and how to communicate with them. Too many small business owners are still marketing to “everyone” or the “general public.” It can quickly kill a business.  Refine your target market and define your ideal client.
3. Have a clear, concise and consistent marketing message – Do potential clients know what you do based on the information on your business card, website, social network profile? What is your elevator pitch? Do you have one? Can you clearly define your business AND its benefit in 30 seconds? You never know when an opportunity will arise or when you will spontaneously be in the presence of your biggest client. Always be prepared to explain what you do, how you do it, why you do it and what’s the benefit.
4. Take inventory of your existing resources – Small business owners are in constant “I need” and “If only I had” mode. The truth is, often times what you need is already in your bag of resources. You had a life before you started your business and you have colleagues, friends and family. Always be sure you check your sphere of influence for your needs first before looking outside. The people that already know you are your greatest asset. If you need clients, tell them first. If you have a sale or promotion, tell them first. If you need help, tell them first.
5. Have a functional system in place – As a small business owner, you probably can’t afford to get sick or take long vacations. Which is why it is vital that you have functional systems in place that will minimize unexpected absences and the need for damage control. You should document your processes. When your business is streamlined and you have systems in place, it reduces chaos and stress on bad days, missed days and sick days. It also makes it easier for someone to come in and “follow along” when help is needed.
6. Communicate with your clients… often – Many small business owners spend an inappropriate amount of time generating new clients. This time and energy is better spent if you focus on cultivating relationships with your existing clients. How many of your existing clients are “repeat customers?” If your “new clients” outweigh your “repeat clients,” you have a problem. Repeat clients are the ones who are singing your praises to their friends and family. Word of mouth advertising is priceless. Repeat clients are the ones who will continue to patronize you out of loyalty through price changes, varied economic climates, and a bad day. Yes, you need to engage new clients, but your existing clients are your foundation.
7. Stay ahead of the curve – The best way to stay ahead of the curve is to continue to educate yourself in all areas of your business and industry. You also want to keep your finger on the pulse of your clients’ needs. Clients’ needs change with the wind and the quicker you can adapt to the changes (while maintaining the integrity and purpose of your business) the better your business will be for it. Anticipate change and adapt.

Even redwood trees started out as seeds!

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, contributor for the San Francisco Examiner and Fearless Woman Magazine; the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurson BlogTalkRadio.com and author of the NEW e-book: “Get it Right and Move Along… a collection of practical tips, tools and techniques for small business owners.”

5 Ways to Erase Daily Procrastination in Your Business

According to Real Simple magazine’s survey of 10,000 readers, the average daily to-do list has 5 to 9 tasks on it. Only 5% of the readers are productive for 3 hours during a 9-to-5 workday as a result of web-related distractions. According to the Procrastination Research Group, based on some figures, it is estimated that as much as 95% of the people are prone to procrastination. Amongst them, 20% of them are chronic procrastinators.

Procrastination is generally defined as avoided tasks or activities that need to be accomplished. Poor time management and procrastination can be a direct result of having unreachable goals, having to meet others’ standards, disorganization or the inability to handle the task. Below are ways to erase daily procrastination in your business.

1. Use the first hour or two of your day to work on things that require your attention or have deadlines. Accomplishing necessary tasks will invigorate you to do more.
2. Inspire yourself with insightful reading. Read at least one business article daily and take action. Try implementing a new idea. Don’t just read about it, but do.
3. Afternoon organization can make the next day easier. Take 15 minutes at the end of each day to think about tomorrow’s priorities. Knowing what needs to be done at the beginning of each day gives you focus and direction.
4. Break large projects or tasks into smaller activities and schedule them on your calendar as appointments. Do them in 30-minutes, 1-hour or 3-hour time blocks. You wouldn’t interrupt a scheduled appointment, so don’t allow unnecessary interruptions when working on your projects.
5. Don’t make lofty goals. Be reasonable in your expectations of yourself, your time and your commitments. Overextending yourself can cause you shut down. Be practical and realistic.

It’s always helpful to identify the source of your procrastination. Take some time to think about why you are putting things off and then try one of the above techniques. Procrastination can really be a struggle and challenge for small business owners, especially when they are simply overwhelmed and unsure of their next move. Take it one step at a time and be conscious of your actions AND inaction.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Your business skills have an expiration date

It’s never too late to learn something new. Honing your business skills can help you maximize productivity and attain goals by providing strategic insight and applicable techniques. Don’t just take the time to learn something new. Knowledge unused is wasted. Implement what you learn and share it with others.

It doesn’t matter how you acquire information and new knowledge. However, it does matter that you actively pursue it and utilize it for the benefit of you and your business. Your business is a journey and just like with any trip, you see new things, learn new things and bring new things back with you. Make the most of your journey. Don’t just be a tourist; get to know the people and culture of where you are.

5 ways to hone your business skills:

1.     Take a class online, live or via phone. Most of the time, these are cost-effective ways to acquire new information on a wide variety of topics. They are also convenient in terms of location and access.

2.     Connect with a mentor. The wisdom that you gain from someone who has walked the walk is priceless. You can learn from their experiences and mistakes. You can expand on what has worked for them. Most importantly, you have emotional support and encouragement.

3.     Read business magazines, books and reports. These are quick, yet powerful ways to discover quick tips, tools and techniques that will increase your knowledge and resources.

4.     Join a business association related to your industry. Association memberships keep you aligned with best industry practices and legislation.

5.     Sign up for a business retreat or convention out of town. Getting out of your “territory” and meeting new business owners is refreshing. You can see how things are done in other areas, expand your market base, collaborate with new connections and break the monotony of your daily routine.

Don’t get left behind. Failing to refresh yourself and ideas on a regular basis is a sure way to not only kill your creativity but dull your business senses. Use the venues above to keep your finger on the pulse of your target market, industry and relevance of your business. Your business skills are directly related to your business success.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Stop, think and listen

Small business owners often find themselves in a constant state of emergency. Emergencies can occur through no fault of your own, however; putting out fires on a daily basis is a sign that your business systems, processes and practices are not functioning properly and are ineffective.

It is imperative that small business owners (especially those without staff and limited resources) have streamlined and organized systems and practices. This includes the way you process your clients’ information, marketing techniques, sales scripts and invoices/ bookkeeping. And let’s not forget hours of operation. There is nothing wrong with setting your own hours, but are you adhering to them? Are you spending the appropriate amount of time with your family? How and when are you honing your skills and increasing your business knowledge? Do you set aside time to perform the menial administrative duties? Do you plan your work? There needs to be a clear, well-defined and functional manner in which you operate your business.

When you are overwhelmed, frustrated and lost you should stop, think and listen. Stop doing what you are doing. Just like in a real emergency, STOP. Don’t panic. Our stress and anxiety levels immediately increase when we are flying by the seat of our pants. We are naturally concerned about revenue, clients and the direction of our business. This is okay. However, it is also easy to add to this concern unnecessarily when we operate our business without proper planning and a functional work system. So again, when you find yourself panicked, overwhelmed or simply unproductive, stop. When you are in quicksand, it is the flailing around that will cause you to sink even faster. Don’t move forward or backward. Just be still.

Think. Reflection and introspect is critical for small business owners. We have to be able to step back and survey the land to see clearly. Be realistic about where you are and what has taken place so far. Assess your business condition. What are you doing right? What are you doing wrong? What are your resources? What are your strengths? If you are not sure, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The knowledge and wisdom from wise counsel and a fresh pair of eyes could be the jolt you need to redirect your energy in the right direction.

Once you have come out of survival mode and have taken some time to really think about and assess your position, you must be open-minded and prepared to listen. Open-minded enough to accept the reality of your condition in whatever state it is in. Denial is destructive to you and your business. Listen to your intuition. We all have that small voice inside that gives us a heads up when we are going in the wrong direction or if something doesn’t feel right. Listen to that voice and give it the power and credit it deserves. If you have sought wise counsel, listen to what it is they are telling you. They should be telling you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

The next time you find yourself overwhelmed, lost, frustrated or in a constant state of emergency, stop, think and listen.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com and the Financial Post as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths for Women Entrepreneurs on BlogTalkRadio.com.

How to Re-Invent Your Business

Surely, the economic condition of the past 2 years has forced many small business owners to either close their doors or take an in-depth look at what adjustments can be made to keep their doors open.

If your business lacks definition, you have a weak niche, you are out of touch with your clients or if you know your business strengths, but are unaware of potential opportunities, you may want to seriously consider re-inventing your business.

Don’t have a set of clear goals or objectives? Start with an assessment and analysis of your current business condition. What do you ultimately want to accomplish or achieve? What do you want your business to be known for?

Recognize and acknowledge that which needs to change. It’s your first step; awareness. Believe in the fact that you CAN change. You have the ability to change; however, change requires ACTION. Belief and action are the basis of the foundation for renewing your mind and your business. Carefully examine what has worked and is working. Begin to look at ways to expand and enhance those things that have worked well for your business.

Feel like you are in autopilot or stuck in paralysis? Get motivated! Start with some inspiration. Find a reason to get excited about what you do. Get a fresh new perspective. Schedule 3 appointments with 3 people you admire. They don’t necessarily need to be in your industry; you simply need to admire what it is they do. Talk to them about what keeps them going, how they stay refreshed and engaged in their passion. This is different than popping in motivational CD’s. It is personal. You know these people. They bring a realness into the equation. Ask them for their perspective on your business and you, as an individual. It is important to be open to what they have to say. This is not the time to be defensive.  Really listen to what it is they are saying. When we listen, instead of hearing, we have an opportunity to learn. New knowledge can be inspirational. It germinates and grows into other thoughts and ideas. Fresh ideas kill stagnation and give birth to growth.

Planning and development. Try mindmapping your thoughts and ideas. See where you can begin to connect the dots to all that you dream and envision for your business. By downloading your thoughts, you can get a clearer picture of what makes sense and where to start. You can begin to develop a plan of action. Make sure your plan has a good flow and transition.

Narrow your marketing message. Do not try to cover all of your products and services at one time. Your message should be cohesive and consistent. Continuously brand your logo, image and business.

Embrace technology, get connected and stay organized. Increase your online presence and credibility with current and relevant information. Engage your readers with useful information, resources and practical tips.  Thanks to modern technology and innovative tools, micro and small business owners can develop their client market base anywhere in the country; or world! via newsletters, blogs, webinars and social networking platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, FastPitch!, Biznik, and Sta.rtup.biz.

Organize and automate your business processes as much as possible. There are hundreds of platforms that will not only save you time, but energy and money! Here are a few:

• Evoice Receptionist – Just because you are small business owner, doesn’t mean you have to function like one. Think professional. Think full-featured virtual phone system. Professional greeting, multiple lines, no hardware/software and access anywhere.*
• Doodle – Need to arrange meetings but have trouble coordinating schedules? Need to take a quick poll? Doodle makes it easy to find a date and time for a group event or conduct a quick survey. How does Doodle work? Create an event or poll. Forward the link to the poll to the participants. Follow online what time works best or what the participants vote for. Doodle is a free online coordination tool which requires neither registration nor software installation.*
• Chrometa – Do you need to track the time you spend on each client? Are you worried you might be under-billing? Track all PC-based work for your clients with NO data entry. Easily piece together what you did days, even weeks earlier.*
• Nozbe – Project management for the small business owner and solopreneur. Overwhelmed by all the stuff that needs to be done? A traditional to-do list hasn’t helped? Nozbe combines the power of projects, next actions and contexts that not only help manage tasks, but actually getting them done.*
• Fonolo – Do you make a lot of sales calls? Don’t have time to wait through phone menus? With Fonolo, never listen to a phone menu again. Use deep dialing to avoid dealing with phone menus and use their intelligent history to track your calls. Fonolo transcribes the phone menus of large companies, so you can navigate them visually. Skip the navigation. Get right to the business.*
• Mind42 – Manage all your ideas, whether alone, twosome or working together with the whole world – collaborative, browser-based and for free.
• Setster – Online appointment software for scheduling appointments plus an appointment widget for booking appointments with service providers.*
• Highrise – Highrise helps you manage your contacts, keep track of who said what when, schedule follow-ups, set reminders, and convert leads into done deals.*

*All products and services listed above are subject to change without notice.

Find a new client base or re-develop your old one. Stop trying to sell your clients things they no longer need or value. As a small business owner, you have the capacity to make adjustments that large corporations can’t. Take extreme advantage of that. You can respond to changing client needs more rapidly if you are in tune to the climate in your industry.

Are there any other target markets that can use your product or services in a different way or for a different benefit? The health care, medical and pharmaceutical sectors are some of the industries that have not been hit by the economic downturn. Can you provide a product or service for anyone in this field? Can you seek new clients there?

For your existing client base, hone in on your clients’ current needs. Re-define your client profile. If you review your database, you will probably recognize some common denominators amongst your clients. Make an effort to personally contact your clients and ask them what they liked about your product or service, why they no longer need it or how you can increase the benefit of using your product or service.

Get rid of the dead weight. Stop lugging around the balls and chain that keep you in a self-defeated state of mind. Fire those clients that rob you of your time and energy. It is better you fire the clients that steal your time (and your money, since your time IS money) and make room for the clients that value your time. You can’t service new clients if you are constantly catering to the ones that should be fired. Move on.

New collaborations. Make your clients your silent partners. Cross-promote when appropriate. Consider developing powerful collaborations with like-minded business owners. Start giving. If you stop giving your time and energy away to undeserving people and unproductive activities, you’d be surprised how much more time you have to give to the people and activities that really matter. Create a list of people you should or want to know better; engage them in meaningful conversations and offer a few tips and resources that will benefit them. Stay in touch with them. Cultivate your relationship with them and find opportunities to collaborate.

Commitment and consistency will complete the process. Commit to yourself and the success of your business by consistently taking action on necessary improvements. Practice, practice and practice some more until it becomes a routine. Consistently find new ways to refresh yourself and re-engage in your business. Take action on eliminating time wasters and unproductive work habits. Be patient. Businesses don’t grow overnight and it will certainly take more than 24 hours to get back on track. However, remember you are on the road to recovery.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths: Intelligent. Insightful. Informed. on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Your theme for 2010 should be “I am FEARLESS!”

Many of us spent the past year struggling to hold our businesses together, trying new marketing strategies to generate sales. In addition, we may have experienced personal turmoil as well. It was a year of exposure. A year of getting down to the nitty and gritty of things. A year of opening our eyes to things we refused to see, things we avoided and things we took for granted.

We let our fears get the best of us with news stories about the economy, the war, healthcare, H1N1, etc. We worried about the state of our country, the state of our cities and the state of our homes.

2009 is over. It’s done. Never to be relived, rehashed or revisited. You simply can’t stop time. Time is one of the few things we can never replace. However, we can honor it. We can honor time with our actions. We can actively work on making our dreams reality, we can speak kindly of others now and not when they are gone and we remember to have a little fun and not take ourselves too seriously.

Let 2010 be your year to be FEARLESS. You survived one of the worst years since the depression. Acknowledge what that is worth, value it, and embrace it. Use the same tenacity you used to get through the 2009 to lay the foundation for a new beginning. Take stock of last year and believe nothing is impossible… negatively OR positively.

Don’t drown yourself in lofty resolutions. Simply make a commitment to be and do better today than you did yesterday. Strive to make each day more worthy of the last. Be FEARLESS. Do the very things you think you can’t. Before you know it, not only will your dreams and goals be realized, but you will become the person you always thought and sought out to be.

Claim 2010 as your year of FEARLESSNESS!

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

A.Michelle Blakeley is the Founder and CEO of Simplicity, Inc.; a progressive small business development firm. She manages her clients’ business expectations and prevents information overload via Micro Business Therapy™ and Micro Business Action Plans. She is featured in Forbes.com as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter and the host of Simple Truths: Intelligent. Insightful. Informed. on BlogTalkRadio.com.

Are you a statistic?

When is the last time you really thought about just how much time you are wasting with menial work, misguided business practices, misdirected energy and money? Are you a statistic?

• 43% of Americans categorize themselves as disorganized, and 21% have missed vital work deadlines. Nearly half say disorganization causes them to work late at least 2 or times each week.
Jane Von Bergen, “So many reasons to neaten up…”, Boston Globe Esselte survey, David Lewis
• Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When more than 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, it showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. 
Microsoft Survey
• Unnecessary meetings cost U.S. businesses approximately $37 billion each year. 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005
• 48% of us feel our lives have become more stressful in the past five years. 
American Psychological Association (APA), 2007
• 71% of white-collar workers feel stressed about the amount of information they must process and act on while doing business; 60% feel overwhelmed. 
Institute of the Future, Menlo Park, CA
• Spending 15 minutes every weekday morning mapping out your day can save you an average of six hours of wasted time during your workweek. That’s a 480% return on your investment of time.

The end of the year is fast approaching. Are you going to continue to do what you’ve been doing? How’s that working for you so far? If it’s not and you are tired of spinning your wheels or are bogged down in disorganization and frustration, STOP. Stop with the poor business practices. Stop with the poor planning. Stop with the lack of accountability.

START the New Year in a better and stronger position than ever! Now is the opportune time to analyze your business operations, identify areas for improvement, cut the fat, hone your niche and drive your business forward. When it comes to proper planning, what gets measured gets done.

With the end of the year fast approaching, you would be wise to plan well for the new one. If you are still trying to figure out how to adapt to the changes in the economy, as the old adage states, “Out with the old and in with the new.” New perspectives, new ideas and a new agenda.

Before you make your long list of New Year’s resolutions (or NOT), start with a clear understanding of where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing, what’s working, what’s not working and where you ultimately want to be and where you want to go. Get help and a fresh set of eyes. More often than not, small business owners are too close to their business to be objective. You need someone from the outside to look deep within your business and ask you the right questions. Don’t be a statistic. Be progressive. Be pro-active. Be prepared. Be purposeful. Take complete control of your business.

You simply cannot move forward until you know where you have been and what needs to change. Change can be small. Change can be big. Change can be empowering.

Submitted by A.Michelle Blakeley

Simplicity, Inc. |Because you don’t have time to waste.™ |866.927.5888 x1

Ask about our PROVEN Coaching and Mentoring Services.

Copyright Notice: Visitors to the Simplicity Mastered™ website may not reproduce, republish or redistribute material found on the website in any form without the express written consent of Simplicity, Inc.. For all requests for use of copyrighted material from the Simplicity Mastered™ website, please contact amichelleblakeley@yahoo.com

You are not IN business. You DO business.

It is one thing to be IN business and another to DO business. It is sometimes considered glamorous to be in business. It makes us feel important and independent, but business is more than that. To be able to say, “I’m in business for myself” or “I have my own business,” is a real accomplishment for some. However, that accomplishment is short-lived at best if there is no foundation for it to stand upon.

Most people go into business for one of a few reasons: you got fired; you feel you can do it better or you want more control over your destiny. With the economy and employment rate in the condition it is in, it is no surprise there has been an influx of new small business owners and increase in professionals moonlighting as part-time business owners.

Purse strings are in knots and business cards are being exchanged at record speed. It is certainly survival of the fittest. So, how fit is your business? Are you IN business or are you DOING business. There is a real difference. If you are IN business, you:

• Have no plan of action or direction in achieving your goals
• Market your products and services to the everyone and anybody
• Are always in “autopilot” or spend your days “putting out fires”
• Have no idea who your real competition is
• Don’t have a way or system to measure your marketing efforts
• Constantly focused on generating new clients
• Have no established or functional system in which you conduct your business; therefore, waste valuable time being unorganized

If you are DOING business, you:

• Have a clear set of goals and objectives. You have taken the time to chart your course in a written plan of action.
• Have a consistent marketing message that includes responding to a real need. You have determined your target market and know your client profile.
• Focus your time and resources on the marketing efforts and venues that produce results and put you in direct contact with potential clients
• Collaborate with complimentary businesses to increase your value to your clients
• Provide an exceptional client experience to generate referrals without having to ask
• Have a solid infrastructure and functional way of operating their business
• Continue to educate yourself on market and industry changes, how to improve products and processes, enhance client service and develop your professional skills.

Having your own business means more than ordering a box of business cards and sticking the “open” sign in the window. There is an opportunity for real personal and financial freedom; an opportunity that you do not want to miss or not be prepared for. Whether you were laid-off, fired or simply have always wanted to go it on your own, how you conduct your business will determine your survival and longevity. Actively participate in the planning, development and growth of your business. The reality is that there is work to be done. The glamour of owning your own business will wear thin and wear off quick when you are ill prepared. You will be stuck with a box of business cards, unnecessary bills and labeled “fly by night.” Take your business seriously and let it reflect in your efforts. You are not IN business. You DO business.

Submitted by A.Michelle Blakeley

Simplicity, Inc. |Because you don’t have time to waste.™ |866.927.5888 x1

Ask about our PROVEN Coaching and Mentoring Services.

Copyright Notice: Visitors to the Simplicity Mastered™ website may not reproduce, republish or redistribute material found on the website in any form without the express written consent of Simplicity, Inc.. For all requests for use of copyrighted material from the Simplicity Mastered™ website, please contact amichelleblakeley@yahoo.com

What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Far too many business owners come up with an idea or concept, order business cards and put the “open” sign in the window. What’s wrong with this picture? Where’s the planning? There is another group of small business owners. They take the time to create a plan, but like New Year’s resolutions, they start fast and finish slow. Within 90 days, they are in autopilot, haven’t looked at the plan and constantly putting out fires.

Can you imagine corporations like Apple, Nordstroms and Southwest functioning without a written plan? Seriously, where would they be? Planning your work should not be cumbersome or a passing thought. It should inspire you. Knowing where you are going and how you are going to get there should inspire you to manage your time, take calculated risks and adapt to market changes with minimal impact.  No one really knows why small business owners don’t take their business serious enough to develop a written plan.

Common responses from small business owners without business plans are that they are time-consuming, only needed to secure funding and too expensive. The truth is: there is no law that states business plans need to be 30-50 pages long and cost thousands of dollars. In fact, a business plan can be as simple as a one page document that clearly states the “who, what, why, when and how” of your business. Having it on one page ensures you “cut the fat” and deal with the facts.

Corporations have plans. They have a methodic way of producing their products/ services, servicing their clients and communicating their marketing message. Being a small business owner does not negate the fact that you need to operate your business in the same manner as large corporations do. All you are doing is scaling down corporate practices to fit your small business needs. Incorporate, implement and utilize their best practices to help develop your own level of professionalism and standards.

Investors, partners and interested parties want to know and look for specific things when they review business plans. Why not provide that essential information from the get-go and cut to the chase? YOU want to know how you are going to get your business from Point A to Point B. Why not be as clear and concise as possible and put your ideas in actionable tasks?

Is your business as functional as it should be? Whether or not you take your business serious or not will depend on whether or not you are actively planning for its success. It is one thing to have a plan, but no plan is worth anything, if you are unwilling or unable to execute it. Not having a clear and concise written plan of action for your business is a problem and the opposite of “problem” is “proactive.” Most people are happy to the degree they feel they are in control. Are you satisfied with the current condition of your business? Are you in “control?” Are you “happy?” Why not take a few steps that will not only boost your productivity; but also give you a sense of real accomplishment and focus? 

Focusing on your short-term goals (daily, weekly, monthly) can be very effective when you have a wide variety of projects to complete.  At a minimum write down your goals and objectives for your business and start to brainstorm and plan on what is needed to accomplish them. Then you can turn that list in to (monthly, weekly and daily) action items and begin to actively participate in the success of your business!

Are You Proactive or Reactive?

Do you wake up in the morning and immediately check your emails and voicemails? Do you immediately proceed to putting out fires for the rest of the day? If so, you are in need of serious organization and prioritizing.

There is a big difference between “running” your business and “operating” your business. Running your business usually involves just that running. Operating your business means you have a system in place that keeps you guided and directed even when the unexpected happens. A plan that is not so stringent that you have tunnel vision, but flexible so that you CAN minimize and handle interruptions, yet stay on task.