Whether you have made a conscious decision to start your own business or you have fallen into it by realizing that a hidden talent or casual pastime can afford a nice living, the process of building and maintaining a business can quickly become overwhelming. Take proactive steps to cultivate your growing business while also keeping your sanity.
Recognize where your time is best spent. You are the expert of the heart of your business. Maybe you are home inspector that has parted ways from an established company to embark on your own. Perhaps you are a stay at home mom that happens to make fabulous cakes that people in the community want to order for their special events and parties. Whatever the case, chances are you have a primary area of expertise, and likely that particular area does not encompass most aspects of running a business. For these areas you'll likely want to contract out assistance. For example:
- Help with finances -You may want to find a trusted accountant or CPA firm to help manage your books and help you file the right paperwork to pay your taxes. You can also look into purchasing software that can help you manage accounts payable and accounts receivable.
- Technology assistance -You should consider getting in touch with an online marketing specialist to help you develop a web presence or at least get a website up that can help you manage and market your business. If you do a bit of research, you can find a free website builder tool on your own and many of these are very user-friendly. The free/low cost online website builder tools help you get started quickly and without dipping into your budget.
- Network for other services - Establish relationships with other vendors, such as a local printer or driving service. Knowing that you have quality relationships in place for these services can relieve a huge burden and also save time.
Designate boundaries as much as possible. Anyone who has gone into business for themselves will attest that there are very long days in the beginning. To succeed, you have to put in enormous amounts of work and manage the learning curve as effectively as possible, especially in the first five years. But, it is important to set some kind of boundary between life and work to maintain some level of balance. This can be especially difficult if you operate your business out of your home. Some things you can do to set some boundaries:
- Set an answering machine or get an answering service for some parts of the day or after hours.
- Pick one evening, or more, that you close the doors on work at a reasonable hour. Or choose one weekend day that is off-limits for work.
- Employ effective tools for time management, such as responding to emails or voicemails only at certain times or using an Outlook calendar to structure your day. Other advanced software can help you manage your time as well-do a little research to see if one will work for you.
Once you establish your boundaries and secure some assistance, implement balance. You're letting your website work for you, using a website builder tool to get a site up that lists your office hours and offers a form for customers to complete to send you questions or requests. Once you have this and other tools and tactics in place, you have to remember what is important and what you enjoy in your life. By taking steps, such as contracting out certain services, managing your time, and using technology to work for you, you can use the time for recreation, self-improvement, or relaxation. Doing so will allow you to renew your energy for your business, maintain a positive attitude and ultimately find success.
Network Solutions offers a full range of Web-related services including Web hosting (packages include free website builder tools), Web design, ecommerce software, search engine marketing, SSL certificates, e-mail services, and domain name registration. A one-stop solutions provider, Network Solutions draws on 30 years of experience to make it simple and affordable for small business owners to build and manage an online presence. ______________ Note from Lisa Hromada: There are only a few days left to take advantage of the discounted price on Unearth Your Brand Excellence E-Course! This program helps you extract your unique brand traits, strengths, and values and transform that into compelling brand expression and a strong brand foundation to achieve your business goals. Included in this 4-session intensive is something that you will not find with anyone else. The program includes a unique brand assessment that works to get anonymous external feedback about you as a professional in your business and it helps you to dramatically improve the expression of your brand. Learn more about the program by visiting Lisa Hromada's website. Isn't it time that you Unearth Your Brand Excellence? |
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