Do You Have Systems In Place To Run Your Business Efficiently?

Running a business is a full-time job. Remember the good old days when you would work for someone and they took care of everything? All you had to do is show up and start working. In contrast, you are now in charge and it is up to you to have an organized way to run your business daily. These are the systems, tools & processes you use to run your business. Here are a few categories to consider:

Customer Center - This is where all things customer related live. This is where the initial customer meeting is documented for each customer. If they were a lead that turned out to not be a good fit then you would document why. You should have a CRM tool to help manage this process along with standard operating procedures to follow so that consistency can be maintained. A good CRM tool to check out is Zoho CRM.

Office Management - The place where we do business has changed in 2020. Some people are working at a traditional office while other people are working remotely. No matter where you call the office it is important to establish a few processes that will help you to stay organized. Do you have a way to make & receive customer calls when you are out of the office? Do you have a standardized greeting to answer customer calls? Some good tools to check out for phone communication is Grasshopper or Google voice.

Running a business is a lot of work. It is helpful to minimize friction and maximize efficiency by taking a look at your current processes to see where you can make improvements.

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How To Plan For Financial Success In Your Business For 2021

The end of the year is here. It is really hard to believe that we are in the month of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year’s Eve but we are here. Now is a great time to stop and take stock of the health of your business finances. Here are 3 tips to make sure you are in shape heading into 2021:

1. Is your business healthy? Can you look at your Income Statement, Statement of Cashflow, and Balance Sheet to access the overall health of your business? Did you make more than you thought you were going to this year? Did you lose a little bit more? What products or services were hot sellers this year? Which ones are ready to go on the chopping block? If you can’t answer these questions with ease then it is time to get your books in order and updated.

2. Are you ready for tax time? Do you have a CPA or Enrolled Agent to help you prepare your taxes in a few months? If the answer is no then check out this post I wrote about how to find the right tax professional for you.

3. Are you charging enough for your services or products? If you are not sure then it is time to take a deeper look at pricing techniques. Check out this resource from Mark Wickersham from the Value Pricing Academy and gain the knowledge to start charging what you are worth.

The end of the year is here and although this year was a bust we can start to look toward brighter days ahead. The 3 tips above will help you to start planning for financial success in your business for the year ahead.

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Welcome To The Month Of December

Welcome to the month of December.

I love this month with all the festivities that take place. Of course this year will be a bit different but it is still a great time of year. It is also a good time to stop and take stock of what you accomplished this year. I am sure that there were many obstacles to overcome but despite that you were able to continue to move forward. It is also a good time to start planning for next year. That will be the focus of this months’ blog posts - how to plan for success in different areas of your business.

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Happy Day Of Being Thankful!

Today is one of my favorite holidays of the year: Thanksgiving!

This year it looks different for sure and we have all experienced all the changes this year has thrown at us. We are united in our collective sigh that this year has caused us to have. As we take time to pause and enjoy this holiday with our families via Zoom or in-person think about what you are truly thankful for? There are many things we can focus on that will cause us to become grim and depressed BUT we get to choose what we focus on. If we take a moment to pause and reflect there will be many things we can list that we can be thankful for. Here are a few things that came to mind for me:

A warm and safe home

Good food to eat

The internet & technology

My business

My clients

A safe economical car to drive

Good health

My family & friends

My faith

The list could go on & on!

This year has been the year of collective rapid change and we have all been affected. Today is about pressing pause on this year and shifting the focus to all the good things that we can be thankful for in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Goal Setting Is The Key To Being Productive

Do you get excited about new goals and then fall off track as soon as the sizzle fades? If so your not alone, according to Business Insider,

“80% of people fail to stick to their New Year’s resolutions longer than six weeks.”

That says a lot!

So what can you do to make sure you don’t become a statistic? Check out a blog post that I wrote in July about how creating a goal/to-do list can help you to become more productive.

If you feel less than energized to go after your goals don’t fret. There is still plenty of time left in this year to finish the year strong.

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Welcome To The Month Of November!

Welcome to the month of November! I can’t believe how fast this year is going by. I know for alot of people the whole year can’t be over soon enough…lol I like to see the silver lining in every cloud. Yes, this year was tough but it also gave many of us a chance to reflect on life in general. I am not happy that all the madness that happened this year took place but there is always an opportunity to learn and grow even in the midst of chaos.

How is your business doing? Are you still on track with the goals that you set at the beginning of the year or are you way off track? This month I want to take a look at why setting b.h.a.g. type goals are so important for your business. B.H.A.G. stands for Big Hairy Audacious Goals. This term was started by Jim Collins who wrote the business book Built To Last. According to Investopedia.com,

A big hairy audacious goal, or BHAG, is a clear and compelling target for an organization to strive for. The term was coined in the book “Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies” by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras. A BHAG—pronounced “bee hag”—is a long-term goal that everyone in a company can understand and rally behind. BHAGs are meant to excite and energize people in a way that quarterly targets and lengthy missions statements often fail to.

I also want to take a look at e-commerce and why it is important to make sure it is set up correctly to make sure your books are correct.

This year is pretty much over BUT it is not too late to make sure your business has a strong finish despite all the distractions that has occurred.

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Get Unstuck!

The end of the year is almost here and I hope you are being productive in your business. We all know this year is unique and that customers might be a little scarce. Are you in a business rut and need to find your way out? If you are looking for some tools to help you move forward check out this post I wrote to help you do just that.

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Are You Staying Healthy In This Remote Environment?

We are in a very weird season this year with Covid 19. Many companies have decided to continue to use technology to run their business marketplace. If you are one of these companies are you adopting any healthy practices to keep you & your team healthy? Yes, your pets can count as your “team.” If you are starting to feel lethargic and weak then take a look at this article I wrote for tips on how to stay healthy while working remotely.

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How To Find A Business Mentor

Do you find yourself in a business rut at different times during your business journey?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to bounce ideas off someone you could trust that has already gone down a similar path?

If the answer is yes then you might want to check out Scores mentor program. According to their website, “ SCORE’s mission is to foster vibrant small business communities through mentoring and education. With the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs since 1964.” They have been around for a long time and have helped many entrepreneurs. Check out their site and give their mentor program a try. What do you have to lose?

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Is The Tax Man Knocking At Your Door?

October 15 is the official tax extension deadline for sole-proprietors, C-Corps & LLC’s taxed as a disregarded entity according to the IRS website. Are you ready to hand over your books to your tax professional? Do you have a tax professional to work with? If the answer is no to both of these questions then start by making sure your books are in order. Many tax professionals complain about receiving a box full of receipts & a spreadsheet from their customers. Check out this post I wrote about why you should keep your books in order and when your ready give me a ring to help you get there. If you are looking for a tax professional check out this post I wrote about how to find one using Dave Ramsey’s Endorsed Local Provider tool.

Happy Tax Season and as always Keep IT Sunny!

The Month of September Roundup!

The month of September is officially in the record books!

I hope it was a productive month for you. As we wind down the year and head into the final quarter I took last month to dig into a few things to help you to achieve your business goals. Last month I wrote about how to find the right business coach. This is so important. I personally went through the painstaking process of looking for a coach only to figure out that the person was not a good fit for me personally. I hope you will take a look at this post and that it will save you time in your search. I finally found a coach that fits perfectly with the goals that I want to achieve for my business. Next, I took a look at how to use a mastermind group to move your business forward. We all know there is so much noise out there in the business world. It is refreshing to be able to have a designated time to regroup with like-minded professionals who are invested in helping you to reach your goals & you are just as eager to help them to do the same.

I hope you had a chance last month to read over the posts and start to carve out your success plan to move your business forward.

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How to Use a Mastermind Group to Move Your Business Forward

Do you set goals for yourself but never get around to completing them?

Are you running out of gas trying to achieve business success?

Working with a mastermind group might be what you need.

What is a mastermind group?
According to  The Success Alliance.com, “Mastermind groups offer a combination of brainstorming, education, peer accountability, and support in a group setting to sharpen your business and personal skills. A mastermind group helps you and your mastermind group members achieve success. Members challenge each other to set strong goals, and more importantly, to accomplish them.” So now that we know what a mastermind group is the next question might be where do you find one?

1. Check Out Meetup.com - This is a great low-cost way to find a local group in your area.

2. Check out Facebook Groups - This is also another low-cost way to find like-minded entrepreneurs that are in a mastermind you might be interested in.

3. Network with other entrepreneurs virtually who are in the same or complementary business industries.

Working with a mastermind group can help propel your business to new heights. There are a few things you should do before you start looking for a group.

1. Determine if you are looking for a general entrepreneur group or more industry-specific.

2. Figure out if you want to belong to a free or paid group.

Once you do the two things above then you are well on your way to finding your ideal group. One word of caution, pick the right group that matches your drive, goals & mindset. it could be difficult to extricate yourself out of a group after the fact without ruffling any feathers if it turns out to be the wrong fit.

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How To Find The Right Business Coach For You!

Are you in a business rut? Working with a business coach could be just the kick in the pants you need to get re-energized about your business. The next question is how do you find one that is a good fit for you. Here are 5 tips to help you find a business coach that is a good fit for you.

1. Determine what goals you would like to achieve. Are you looking for a one-time meeting or ongoing coaching? Do you want to focus on expanding your current business services?

2. Create a budget to allocate towards coaching services.

3. Ask for referrals from other entrepreneurs who have had success.

4. Get background information about a coach like credentials, education, and past experiences that make them qualified to help you.

5. Make sure their personality and coaching style are a good fit for you. Are they friendly and offer a structured program or are they more reserved and have an informal program? There is no right or wrong answer to this. The only thing that matters is what works for you.

We can all fall into a business rut from time to time. Working with the right business coach can help you increase your confidence and your profits. Check out Dan Millers’ coaching directory to get started. Looking for more tips? Check out this article on Inc.com to help with your search.

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Welcome To The Month Of September!

Summer will officially be over in about two weeks.

I feel like the only way I know what month or season we are heading to is to rely heavily on my trusty paper and electronic calendar.

As we head into the fall season and the remaining part of the year it is a good time to access goals. Did you do any goal setting last month and have you achieve those goals? According to the Peak Performance Center, “Goal setting is a powerful technique that provides a direction for your efforts, focuses your attention, promotes persistence, and increases your confidence.”

If you are having trouble reaching your goals then it might be time to get some help. This month I want to take a look at how to find a business coach that is a good fit for your personality and business goals, the pros & cons of joining a mastermind group, and using social media to find accountability partners for your business goals.

You don’t have to do everything alone. Taking the step to access where you stand right now in your business and making a concrete plan to get to your desired goal is the first step for business success.

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Month of August RoundUp!

Well, this month is just about over!

I hope you were able to achieve some of your goals.

This month we took a look at how taking small steps can really help you achieve success along the entrepreneurial journey. We took a look at tools you can use to protect your business online. This is extremely important as we all work within this new normal called virtual online business. Finally, we took a look at how to make sure your business has a solid foundation.

I hope these posts gave you some great ideas on how to run your business better.

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Is Your Business Built On Solid Ground?

Let me ask you a few questions.

Do you have somewhere to be in the morning? How do you plan for it? Do you go to bed early the day before? Do you use an alarm clock to wake up so that you will be on time?

Let me ask you one more question.

When you plan for the day ahead and do all the right things the night before (go to bed early & set your alarm clock) does your day go better?

The answer for me is definitely YES!

When I try to wing it and basically rebel against myself then I pay for it the next day and my day turns out to be not so pleasant. In contrast when I make a plan for how I want the week to flow and make concrete plans and follow through on them then I get to have a great day.

Much in the same way it is important to make a plan for your business and follow through on it. Check out this article I wrote in January about how to achieve this goal.

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Tools You Can Use To Protect Your Business Online

Photo by energepic.com from Pexels

What tools do you use to run your business online? This is an excellent question to ponder these days as many people are shifting from working in-person to virtual. Recently, I attended a virtual conference that focused on taking your business online and I discovered what tools other small business owners were using to make their business safer. Here are a few highlights:

We all have heard the horror stories of large scale name brand companies that have been breached and some of us have been victims of these breaches. So if even the larger companies who have vast resources get targeted then we know that we are not immune. Try these options to protect your company data and keep the bad apples out.

Anti-virus software - According to Webroot.com, “Antivirus software is a program or set of programs that are designed to prevent, search for, detect, and remove software viruses, and other malicious software like worms, trojans, adware, and more.” Some great tools to try are WebRoot, ESET & AVG.

Firewalls - The key take away I learned was to make sure that they are turned on and to schedule automatic updates to run when you are not working on your computer like during overnights.

Two-factor Authentication - This is a security code sent to you via email, text, or phone that provides. a secondary security verification to help protect you. Many popular online tools have this option like Lastpass Authenticator, Google 2-Step Verification, and Dropbox.

Software backup - It’s essential to make sure you have a system in place to back up software or e-files routinely to an external hard drive, the cloud and to encrypt the backup. Some great tools that were shared are BackBlaze, Carbonite, IDrive, and Box.

Cyber Insurance - This type of insurance has become a necessary evil for anyone who does business online. According to Wikipedia, “Cyber-insurance is a specialty lines insurance product intended to protect businesses, and individuals providing services for such businesses, from Internet-based risks, and more generally from risks relating to information technology infrastructure, information privacy, information governance liability, and activities related thereto. Risks of this nature are typically excluded from traditional commercial general liability policies or at least are not specifically defined in traditional insurance products.” You should be able to add this coverage by speaking to your current business insurance provider.

Working virtually is most likely here to stay. It is increasingly important that you take additional steps to ensure that your business is protected against unwanted nefarious types and to keep your customer’s information safe.

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Small Steps Matter

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together - Vincent Van Gogh

The chosen road of entrepreneurship is not straight.

There are all kinds of twists and turns along the journey. The first step on the journey is making the decision to go on the journey. Initially, when I thought about the idea of becoming a small business owner I had MANY ideas that were written down but I didn’t take any real action at that time. When I finally decided to become a small business owner for real I took a small step. I was working at a less than desirable job in a stressful environment and I was at the point of “take this job and shove it.” But it was at that point that I made the decision to go on the entrepreneurial journey. The first step I took was to fill out the paperwork for my DBA and send it off. That action gave me the encouragement I needed to continue taking more small steps that have led me to be a small business owner with my sole income coming from my business endeavors.

What is the small step that you are taking right now to move you closer to reaching success along your entrepreneurial journey? Share in the comments below.

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Month Of July Round Up!

This month is just about over and I hope you crushed your goals. This month ‘s blog was focused on how to be more productive as a solo entrepreneur, ways to manage your business using technology, and learning how to focus on one thing at a time and kick F.O.M.O. out the door. We are halfway through the year and things haven’t bounced back to what we view as normal. I am unsure when things will be “normal” again if ever but I do know that we can use this time to reinvent ourselves through our businesses, make new connections, and fall back in love with our entrepreneurial journey.

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First Things First

Do you do things in order? I strive to do things in order so that I can have a successful outcome. But you know that it is easier said than done. I am like many entrepreneurs that have a to-do list that never ends, I love shiny new things..i.e..apps and technology or training tools. But I learned this one great lesson from Entrepreneurs on Fire; F.O.C.U.S: Follow One Course Until Success!

What does this mean?

This means that it is good to have a list of things you want to get accomplished BUT you can not get anything completed if you don’t focus on one thing at a time and finish that one thing BEFORE moving on to the next thing.

It is a challenge

Doing first things first to me means in order to have a successful week then I must plan ahead and follow through. It means being intentional. For example, in order to have a good Monday, it starts on Sunday by making sure that I eat early and go to bed at a reasonable time so that I can be refreshed for Monday’s agenda.

I know that as an entrepreneur I can get lost in my own ideas and see a project that I want to do from beginning to end and forget to get out of my own head and plan it all out.

Does that sound familiar to you?

What does the term first things first mean to you? Share in the comments below?