What’s inside your small business toolbox? My husband and I are currently in the process of building a vacation house. And if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that there is a right tool for every job! This adage is true even in the small business world. There is a tool out there perfectly suited to every task. You only need to find it! And when you do, that tool could save you a crazy amount of time at your small business! Lacking time is one of the biggest challenges I face as a small business owner. There are…
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I’ve always been in awe of architects. They are like modern-day magicians. With math and an expert design sense, they design a blueprint that creates rock-solid structures that stand the test of time. And how do they do it? It all starts with a blueprint. After all, you can’t just start building a structure without knowing every single step you need to take. An architect designing a building will go through countless drafts of blueprints until they have a plan that is both functional AND beautiful. And once they finalize everything in the blueprint, they can finally start to get to…
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Happy New Year! Now that the parties, silly hats, and celebratory drinks are in the rearview mirror, it’s time to set your sights on what matters: your goals. I’m NOT talking about New Year’s Resolutions here. Those, for the most part, are more like general wishes for the new year. “I want to lose some weight,” or, “I want to earn more money.” What I’m talking about here are your concrete business goals. The things that you’re going to be focusing on at your small business throughout the next 12 months. It’s time to get your thoughts in order. But…
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When did you last take a look at your business plan? One of the smartest things that a small business owner can do is create your yearly business plan. It’s an invaluable resource that helps them lay out their goals, challenges, and growth for the upcoming year. Whenever you feel like you are going off-course, you can always refer to the “north star” of your business plan! The only problem with creating a business plan is that it takes time. And around the holidays, time is the last thing you have (unless you have a virtual assistant)! You’re running around…
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Want to know the worst feeling in the world when you’re a small business owner creating a sense of emergency? It’s when you feel the first inklings that you’re getting sick. You know the signs. Sleep the night before may not happen. Your energy is running dry, or you get a tickle in the back of your throat. You think, “I’m getting sick. I can’t afford to get sick! I have too much to do this week!!!” As a small business owner, it’s not unusual that everything is on your shoulders. Your customer service, marketing, daily tasks, sales, EVERYTHING goes…
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For some small businesses, getting a new client is “Good news, bad news” time. The good news is that you have a new client! The bad news is that if you don’t have an automated onboarding system, it can be a massive headache. There is the first consultation, the follow-ups, sending/signing the contract, convincing them of the importance of filling out their client information form, invoices, scheduling your kick off call, learning their habits and preferences… It’s a ton of work! Of course, you can make things go much smoother by streamlining your entire client onboarding sequence. And a big…
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Do you have a business plan? Something that I highly recommend all of my clients (and pretty much every entrepreneur) do is create a business plan at the beginning of the year. Spending the first week or so in January putting together a comprehensive business plan can pay off dividends for a small business through the new year. A business plan gives you a map, with goals and strategies that may help you confront the biggest challenges facing your business. But here is the problem: plans change. Things change! Life happens! Maybe your business did even better than you expected…
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Do you have any tricks or tips that help get you through your daily workflow? Back when I first started my small business, my daily workflow was very different than it is now. There were very few applications out there that not only make my business easier to manage, but also helped me get so much more done throughout the course of my day. Today, I have tons of programs, automated processes, and other tools that help me be super productive from the first thing in the morning until the very end of the night. If you’ve ever been curious…
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