Entrepreneurship is an exciting and rewarding lifestyle, but it can come with a cost.
“I feel like there is no such thing as weekends as an entrepreneur…the responsibilities never end.”
“Vacations use to be a break from work but now I have to bring it with me.”
“I haven’t fully unplugged in months.”
Can you relate?
Until I created functional systems and processes in my business, I felt like a hamster on a wheel.Running and bustling through each day with intensity and never getting a break. I would check one task off my list while simultaneously adding two or three more. It was craziness!
The average American worker is spending 14 hours a week JUST DOING EMAILS!
Imagine if you could create a system to streamline and automate that process so you could get the same work done in just 4 hours a week or less…
The following steps take some energy and thought to implement properly, but once they are set up, they will dramatically improve the efficiency of your business.
Not only that, but systems enable you to focus on what you LOVE in your business and also give you the freedom to unplug once in a while.
Here are 3 steps to implementing systems in your business:
Identify.Look for areas that are frustrating, take a lot of time, or are outside of your competency/skill realm.
Create processes.On paper, write down how these processes run currently in sequential order. Often this will show you immediately where time is being wasted, inefficient patterns, and where unnecessary bottlenecks are being created. Fine-tune the process until you have a numbered step process that is as simple and efficient as possible. Then determine whether this is a process you will run or one you will outsource.
Execute.Implement your processes immediately. There may be some trial and error, but you should be able to quickly polish the processes until things are running smoothly. You can take time weekly, monthly or quarterly to re-evaluate your processes and continue to improve them.
Investing time to create these processes may be scary at first, but will literally save you hundreds of hours down the road.
I hope you a great Holiday with your family and friends! My Christmas was spent with family where we had delicious food, some karaoke singing, loads of laughter and lots of memories to cherish.
Today here in Canada is Boxing day, a day full of great after Christmas sales. Who doesn’t love a good after Christmas sale no matter where you live.
…Before I get into that, tell me… are you ready for 2018?
Are you feeling good about the New Year and its possibilities?
Have you ever looked at a fellow entrepreneur and wondered how they manage to get it all done and organized, well the answer might surprise you.
They’ve got good systems.
It’s true. The most productive people all have one thing in common: they don’t reinvent the wheel, instead, they’ve figured out the best, most efficient way to do every task, and they create a system to do just that.
No matter what business you’re in and what projects you find yourself tackling, a systemized approach will help you:
Work faster and produce more
Produce higher quality results with fewer mistakes
Easily outsource the tasks you don’t like to do
Here are 2 tools that will help you get better organized for 2018
The Magic of Templates
Oh, how I love templates! How many times do you answer emails from potential clients? What about responding to customer inquiries? Or mailing your JV partners about an upcoming launch?
These tasks and more become effortless when you create fill-in-the-blank templates that can be re-purposed for specific situations.
Templates can be as simple as a “canned response” in your email client or help desk, or you can use software such as Text Expander (for Mac) or Phrase Express (for Windows). You might even create a template document in Dropbox or Google Drive to house all your templates for easier access.
While templates will undoubtedly save you time, the real beauty is that once they’re created, you can easily outsource things like email. Simply instruct your assistant on the proper use of your templates, and you’ll be free to do other, more important things.
Checklists Prevent Mistakes
It might seem counter-intuitive, but when you do the same tasks repeatedly, it’s easy to miss an important step. You might think you paid your affiliates this month—you might even remember doing it—only to look back and see it was never completed.
But when you create checklists, it’s suddenly much more difficult to miss an important task.
You can easily create checklists for all your common tasks and projects using nothing more than a text document or you can use Wunderlist, Google Keep or Todoist to name a few.
If you’re managing a team, checklists in your project management system such as Trello or Asana allow you to see exactly what tasks are complete, and which are still outstanding.
Templates and checklists turn smart business owners into productivity superstars, and it’s easy to get started. The next time you answer an email you’ve answered before, save your response. The next time you set up a new product in your shopping cart or create a new opt-in page, take the time to record the steps. These documents will make future projects easier and faster to complete.
Now back to boxing day… I want to help you get better organized for 2018, so, I am offering the 12-month marketing calendar program for only $77, click here to buy it now.
This 4-module program will help you plan your entire year, get clarity on when you’ll launch your programs, help you deliver high-value content that builds relationships, and helps you earn money.
PS: This course includes every step you need to take to make this year your best business year. It’s time to put your big ideas into a custom-fit plan without having to stress over when, where, and how – ever again (at least not for the next 12 months)! Click here to BUY the 12 month marketing calendar program Now!
