What Are Your Priorities for Your Business?

Posted on Dec 16 2011 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Executives, Individuals, Managers, Success, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

During the hustle of December, I can lose sight of my priorities as my to do list grows and grows. Taking a few extra minutes to reset priorities makes a huge difference.  This week’s Tip shares 5 ideas on how to keep your priorities front of mind and get them done.

It’s that time of year when you take note of how you did on your goals and determine what’s most important for the upcoming year.  See the Ideas and Information section for a process to capture your accomplishments and set your goals.

One of my priorities is to enjoy my family during this holiday season, so this will be the last Coaching Tip of the Week for 2011.  Look for your next Tip on January 6th, 2012.  I wish you all the love and happiness this season can bring and may the New Year find you healthy, happy, prosperous and full of joy.

Quote of the Week

“Set priorities for your goals. A major part of successful living lies in the ability to put first things first. Indeed, the reason most major goals are not achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.”

~ Robert J. McKain

What Are Your Priorities for Your Business?

By Andrea Novakowski

Molly wanted to take her business to the next level, but she knew she couldn’t reach her sales goals with her present staff. It was time to build her sales force.

So she invested time in hiring and training a promising new salesperson. Then, at the last minute, he received a better offer from a competitor. Molly was back to square one.

If you’re trying to grow your business, like Molly, you’re probably all too familiar with her time crunch problem. Her plate was overflowing. She was desperate for a way to accomplish everything she needed to do. So she came to me for coaching.

The first thing I asked her was, “What’s your number-one priority?”

“To find a salesperson, of course!” she replied.

“How many hours a day are you spending on that effort?”

Molly’s eyes grew wide, and she burst out laughing. She hadn’t set aside daily time to work on her number-one priority!

Think about your everyday life for a moment. Many of us wish for more hours in the day, whether to exercise, read, pursue a hobby, or spend time with our families.  Have you ever noticed that if something is truly important to you, it has a way of getting done? You cancel non-essential appointments. Get up a bit earlier.  Forgo your favorite TV shows.

Your business operates no differently than your everyday life. The trick is to recognize your priorities. If you know what’s essential to the future of your business and what’s not, you can plan your day to make sure the important things get done. Here are some ways to do just that.

  1. Take a hard look at each item on your schedule. Do you really have to do it yourself – or can you delegate the task? Or even dump it?
  2. Not sure which responsibility to tackle first? Create a checklist to decide if a given action will bring you closer to your goals. Sample questions to ask: Does this move my business forward in a positive way? Does it have a big enough impact? Can I afford it? Can I accomplish it in the next three months?
  3. Long-range business goals – like hiring new staff or updating a web site – often get pushed aside by daily emergencies. The only way to prevent this is to set aside time each day to work on that long-term project. Build it into your schedule. It won’t get done all at once, but if you devote a small block of time to it every day, soon you’ll see progress.
  4. Work on your priorities when your brain is fresh. If you’re a morning person, schedule this work at the beginning of the day. If your peak energy occurs from 10 to 2, use that window. By heeding your natural energy rhythms, you’ll get more done in less time.
  5. Maximize your efficiency by grouping similar jobs together. Instead of answering each email as it comes up, or avoiding email until it becomes unmanageable, set aside a half hour each morning and/or afternoon to deal with email. Likewise, schedule a regular time to make and return phone calls. Otherwise, an unscheduled phone call can easily eat up half your morning!

Coaching Call To Action

First and foremost, enjoy this blessed holiday season with family, friends, and loved ones. Second, set your priorities for the rest of the year. Third, look back at 2011 – did you enjoy the journey and reach your goals?  Last, plan for 2012 using the information below.

I’d love to hear from you about what you discover as you take time to reflect and plan.  Please take a minute to share your thoughts on Facebook.

Ideas and Information

It’s time to get started on your master plan for 2012. Give yourself some quiet time, put on some relaxing music . . . and begin. First, acknowledge all that you have accomplished in 2011. Next, write down your goals for 2012. Open your mind to ALL the possibilities. Start each goal with “I am” or I will”. Don’t even THINK about restricting yourself. This process may take two hours. It may take two weeks. Remember, you’re building what you want in your life. To help you with this process, here are some key questions to ask yourself:

  • What do I want to do?
  • What do I want to have?
  • Where do I want to go?
  • What contribution do I want to make?
  • What do I want to learn?
  • Who do I want to meet and spend my time with?
  • How much do I want to earn, save, and invest?
  • What will I do for fun and optimum health?

To receive a form to capture your accomplishments for 2011 and your goals for 2012, send me an e-mail at Andrea@CoachAndrea.com with “Accomplishments and Goals” in the subject line.

Gift Certificates Available

Looking for a unique gift for a friend, colleague or family member? Giving the gift of coaching partners the recipient with a professional coach with real world experience.  Your gift provides one-on-one coaching to help them sift through their conflicting priorities and demands, determine what’s most important and take action.  The coaching will help them focus, gain clarity, problem solve, and get results.  What better gift is there to give someone you care about!

Customized coaching packages available. Please email Andrea@CoachAndrea.com for additional information.

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Get Organized To Get Clients

Posted on Apr 01 2011 | Tagged as: Business Owners, Coaches Being Mentored, Executives, Tip of the Week

Coach Andrea’s Intro

“What one thing would you have done differently when you started your business?” This question is often asked of me by new coaches interviewing me to be their mentor. I always respond – getting an automated contact management system. When I first started my business, I had my contacts on an Excel spreadsheet and it was very cumbersome. Then someone told me about ACT! It makes remembering to stay in touch effortless. In this week’s Tip, Tracey Lawton shares additional ideas on why you need to get organized to get clients.

Quote of the Week

“It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.”
~ Hesiod

Get Organized To Get Clients

by Tracey Lawton

This article has been inspired by one of the respondents to my recent survey who commented “I need clients not organization”. This particular comment really stuck out for me because I feel that a lot of business owners become so focused on getting the clients that they really don’t understand being more organized means getting more clients, and therefore do not put in place the foundational pieces that will allow their business to grow.

You probably have heard me say before that you need to “manage” your business before you can “market” your business, or to take what this respondent said and turn it on it’s head:

You need to get organized to get clients.

Sure, you may get clients without being organized, but you won’t get clients consistently; you won’t be able to create a business that brings you the fulfillment of bringing in a significant income; and you won’t have the security that even in a slow economy your business will bring in the clients and provide you with a consistent income – and yes I’m talking from experience here. 2010 was one of my best years ever!

So today I’m going to share with you why becoming more organized and having your systems in place means getting more clients – and a continual flow of clients too.

It all starts with your filing system i.e. getting the papers off your desk and put away and getting the clutter off the floor. Once you have cleared away the clutter and have a system in place for retrieving information so that you can access it when you need it, you eliminate a lot of the overwhelm. And once the overwhelm has been eliminated your mind becomes clear, you can focus, and your creative juices start to flow – think implementing new programs or creating new info products. You now have the space (both physically and mentally) to start working on your business rather than in your business.

Once the clutter has gone you then need to take charge of your finances. You need to know exactly where you are financially in your business so that you can make sound business decisions, i.e. can you place an advertisement in that ezine where your target market hangs out and bring in new clients for you? Can you afford to attend that networking event where you know you will make new contacts who will eventually become clients or generate a constant referral source for your business? Having your financial information organized will tell you exactly whether you can make that investment. And making that investment will lead to new clients.

Now that you’ve placed that advertisement or attended that networking event, you need to follow up with all the people you’ve just met. A contact management system will let you do just that! And this is the real secret to getting new clients – the follow-up; the making connections; the staying-in-touch. All this comes from having your contact management system organized, and this is where you can bring in new clients consistently.

Finally, you need to create an online marketing system that draws new clients to you daily; people who sign up to your list; who want to stay in touch with you; are interested in your programs, products, and services. Your marketing system should be fully automated so that it can continue to work for you even while you’re not present in your business.

So now can you see why you need to get organized to get clients?

It’s the lack of organization that stops your business from growing; that stops you from getting new clients on a regular basis; and that takes away the security and fulfillment you get from running your own business. By being organized you will get clients consistently and your business will grow.

Online Business Development Strategist, Tracey Lawton, teaches online solo service professionals how to create the essential online marketing and office organization systems needed so that they can create a more streamlined, systemized, and automated online business. Check out http://www.officeorganizationsuccess.com for free how-to articles, resources, tips, and tools, and sign up for your free “Office Organization Success Toolkit”.

Coaching Call To Action

Share your tip on getting organized in your business. What recommendation would you give to a new business owner?

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