3 Tips to Stop Feeling Overloaded and Overwhelmed in Your Business...Starting Today

I'm hearing ya' ladies. 

If you're like many of the women coaches, consultants, trainers, planners, network marketers, and really any creative and motivated woman in business I've met, you struggle with overload! 


Whether it's information overload where you're in the stage of your business where you're learning how to put everything together and get clients OR you're at the stage where you're starting to delegate more, but you want to offer SO much more and you're not sure where to begin.


I totally get it and have been there.. and do you want to know how I dug myself out of that craziness and overwhelm? ....


... I created systems.


I have to tell you, once you have systems in place, your life is SO much easier. Your business flows better, you actually have extra time (imagine that!) for other things that you enjoy, and when you have the right systems in place, you naturally attract people who want to work with you.


Here are 3 tips to stop feeling overloaded and overwhelmed in your business: (hint: they all center around having systems in place)


Tip #1 Get a handle on your obsessive email and Facebook checking. Ok, so I've been guilty of this too, but a lot of focused, revenue generating time is wasted when you find yourself checking your email 15-20 time a day and exploring what's new for people on Facebook 10 times a day. Try checking your email once mid-morning, mid-afternoon and at the end of the day OR only have certain days and time that you check email. (depends on your business, of course) For Facebook, you can set up posts to be sent throughout the week, giving you more time to work on what's going to truly grow your business the quickest.

Tip #2 Set your intention for each day of the week for what you want to accomplish. Let's say that Mondays are your most productive days for just focusing on your business or setting up what you need to launch a new product or program; Tuesdays are dedicated to client calls; Wednesdays are dedicated to your group coaching clients... you get the picture. Having a system for the week and a general outline for how you will use your time, there is no wasted time guessing on what needs to be done next.

Tip #3 Be crystal clear on what YOUR unique system is for getting your clients results. This is one of my favorite systems because once you have your own 'claim-to-fame' step by step system for getting your clients specific, tangible, and measurable results, there really are no limits to what you can create in your business to bring value to your clients, make the difference you're meant to make, and bring in the kind of income that allows you to do what you love AND have the time, energy, and money for your other priorities. (to learn more about creating your own system, CLICK HERE)


Here's what I want to invite you to do today... think about what's not currently working quite right in your business right now, what you're struggling with, or something that you know needs to get done that is on your to-do list. Now, ask yourself if there is a way to make it into a system, so that next time this same tasks takes you half the amount of time and effort. What would that system look like?

Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist and 'Authentic Marketing' Coach who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Find Lisa's FREE gifts and more at: http://www.lisahromada.com

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How to Dig Out of Information Overload and Focus On Getting Your Next Client

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Does this sound familiar?
“Help, my inbox is filled with unread newsletters, my desk filled with papers and to-do lists, my shelf filled with information products I haven't looked at, and I can't keep up with all these tele-seminars!”


Have you ever found yourself in this spot where you feel completely overwhelmed with everything that you are trying to learn and cram into your brain as quickly as possible so that you can start seeing the results in your business...and start living the life you truly want? I know I have.


In fact, in the last year I decided to get multiple certifications, travel to the East Coast to meet people and create my first professional video, attend as many tele-classes, seminars, and events as possible to meet people and learn, in hopes that it would help me find clarity on moving my business to the next level.


And while I would not change anything that I did or any decisions that I made because of the blessings that came with them, I found myself almost just as confused and overwhelmed as I was before. 


Can you take a guess why? Yep, I was on information overload.


If you're on information overload in your business right now, I'm happy to have you here so that I can share my experience, provide you with support, and help shed some light on how you can take steps to move forward. 


Many of my clients are at the beginning stages of their business. Whether they are just starting their entrepreneurial adventure or changing the direction of their business, they are often feeling stuck, confused, and overwhelmed with not only all that they are doing each day (both at work and at home), but also with learning, implementing, and figuring things out along the way. 


It's a pretty miserable place to be in, right? Not only is it frustrating, but it's also tiring and you don't feel like your happy, energetic and enthusiastic, loving self that you are. Your relationships suffer, your exercise and health takes a backseat to your work, and your finances are always on your mind.


Imagine for a moment what your life would be like if it was not important to you to HAVE to know everything that you are trying to learn; imagine what it would be like if everything that you need is already available to you and you easily see what it is and are able to focus fully on it; imagine that with this clarity and ease, you are able to confidently get your next client.


Now, take the first step. When I found myself in a place of extreme overwhelm from information overload, here are some steps that I took and that you can take to begin to free yourself of this mental, physical, and emotional prison:


1. Reconnect with your passion. Consider for a moment that all of the reading books, listening to tele-classes, and networking like mad was no longer important to you. 


If you took a moment to sit quietly and ask yourself from the place in your heart what you are truly passionate about doing, what answer would come? I know that as a heart-centered entrepreneur, you want to make a difference. 


So, what difference is it that you want to make that makes your soul sing from the inside out? For me, it's empowering women to step into their power and fully embrace the excellence of who they are and what they do, so that they can have the life and business they desire.


2. Clear 'a path.' If your primary cause of overwhelm is too much information at once, ask yourself if it is REALLY necessary to know all these things right now. 


You're likely making your life much more difficult by telling yourself that you need to do this or that before going out and meeting people and inviting your next client to work with you and benefit from the gifts that you give through your work. 


Clear away the papers, books and information products that you're not using right now. Organize them in a closet or another easily accessible spot for now. Start with a clean slate again. This will help clear your mind and the energy of your environment, helping you to concentrate on allowing in that next and best step for you.


3. Discover 'that thing' that is holding you back. As this heart-centered, passionate leader in your business, what would have to be true for you to go out and get your next client? 


What do you believe that you need that you don't already have that is hindering you from getting your next client? My clients often say that they don't know where to find their potential clients. 


If this is true for you, then I would invite you to explore and describe what this ideal potential client looks like for you. Once you have a clear vision of that, you'll be able to move to the next step of finding a place where this person hangs out.


4. Forget everything else that you feel that you should be doing and focus on what that next step is to get your first or next client. I'm all about making things as simple as possible. 


If I can find a way to simplify a situation or streamline a process, I will, because the alternative is always unnecessary stress that affects my health, finances and relationships. 


It can be easy to find yourself overloaded as an entrepreneur and the leader of your business, but I can guarantee you that if you are feeling overwhelmed, you're not seeing all of the options and opportunities that you have, because there's always a way out of overwhelm.


So, what is your next and simplest step you can take today to make a connect that will lead you to your next client? Give yourself a break from all that you 'should' be doing and find a way to share the gift of your work with people—whether that's through in-person connection or online.


If you have questions or comments, share them below. I'd love to hear from you—where you're feeling stuck or how you got out of your information overload.

Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist and Money, Marketing, & Soul Coach who specializes in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Find Lisa's FREE gifts and more at: http://www.lisahromada.com

Top 3 Trailblazer 'Secrets' to Managing Your Time

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Do you have difficulty finding time for everything? Are you often tired at the end of the day from trying to fit everything in? 


It's overwhelming...and common. You're going from one thing to the next and you never seem to get everything off of your to-do list. This happens all the time and is one of the most common complaints from entrepreneurs, especially if you're just starting out your business.

You've probably taken multiple courses, attended seminars, and hired coaches to help you with your business...or health...or relationships...or finances, so that you can feel like you're more in control over these particular areas of your life that are important to you...and make time for them. 

But what it really comes down to is how you use your time to have all that you want. Of course you need the help, knowledge, and tools, but first you need the time management know-how to be able to use those resources, otherwise, you will have no time to have the healthier and wealthier business and life that you want, desire and deserve.

As an entrepreneur, the way that you use your time really does determine how successful you are—personally and professionally. That's why it is so important to be crystal clear about what you really want, what your priorities are, and how you're going to accomplish what you want—whether you do it yourself or hire someone else to do it.

The goal of this article is to share 3 'secrets' to managing your time better, so that you are more productive, more satisfied, and have ample time to include all that you want in your day or week.

1. Know what should dedicate your time to and what should not: One of the most important first steps is to know what you really want; think of one specific thing at a time. Think about what you want to happen or what you want to have in the next 30 or 90 days. 
   
   
   Then with this one goal in mind, think of what needs to happen—what tasks need to be done—for you to get it accomplished. Remember that you don't have to do every task yourself; think about who you will need to help you; it could be a partner or a VA or even a neighbor or friend.
   
   
   
2. Understand how much your time is really worth: One of the biggest blocks for many entrepreneurs is thinking that they will save more time and money doing every task themselves. This may be true in some cases, but in most, entrepreneurs save more than twice as much time and money concentrating on those tasks that they are passionate about, good at, and that will generate money, by delegating the other detailed tasks.
   
   So, a useful exercise to determining whether to get help with the growth of your business or not is to determine how much your time is really worth. So, how much is your time worth? 
   
   
   Give yourself a general hourly rate as a basis. Knowing how much your time is really worth and how much time you spend on all of your tasks on your to-do list, you'll be clearer about what you want and need to delegate to grow your business the fastest.
   
   
   
3. Don't keep everything bottled up in your mind—write it out: People have different ways of making lists that work best for them, but no matter what kind of list works best for you, it's important to get all the things out of your mind and onto paper. 
   
   
   Because then you are able to fully see what seems to be important to you (it's on your mind after all). Once you see where you want and need your time to go, you're able to then make a plan to either schedule out each task, delegate to someone else, or eliminate it if it is not going to really get you to where you want to be.

There are of course many other time management 'secrets' to creating a business and life that you truly enjoy and honors your lifestyle, but starting out with these 3 'secrets' will help you start getting clear on how to best use your time.

Need help getting clearer on how to manage your time and be more productive? Sign up for my FREE gifts at http://www.lisahromada.com. And don’t forget… I want to hear from you. Share your comments and questions below!

If you would like to use this article on your blog or website, feel free as long as you include the following author information:

Known for her creativity, gentle disposition, enthusiasm, and passion, Lisa Hromada is a Personal Branding Strategist specializing in empowering women entrepreneurs to manage their time and find the clarity and focus they need to create a thriving business while still having the time and energy to enjoy their life. Get your Free Trailblazer Entrepreneur Success Kit at: http://www.lisahromada.com

Pipelines, People, Places and Prices

The 4 P’s of keeping your business activities in balance: pipelines, people, places and prices. Each one of these P’s requires your consistent and careful attention. Without a filled pipeline, you will constantly be looking for new clients. Without connecting with people, no one will know or care who you are. Without visiting the right places, you could miss exciting opportunities and you could experience monotony. Without appropriate pricing you could be losing money and/or clients.

Pipelines. Marketing is a verb; meaning an action and when it’s done consistently, it produces results. There are a wide variety of ways to incorporate small marketing tasks that will add up to big results. Refine your marketing message so that it speaks directly to your target audience. Ensure your product or services solve an identified pain point. Clearly communicate your marketing message on your website, blog and social media networks. Keep it fresh. Update your offers and promotions at least, quarterly. Never stop marketing. Staying top of mind ensures potential clients remember your name first when the need for your product or services arises. 

People. It takes about 7 touches before a client makes a sale. Develop an effective follow-up system with potential clients. (i.e. 1-day, 3-days, 14-days, 21-days and then monthly newsletter or announcement). Despite the social media wave, there is still a lot of value in face-to-face meetings. Create a personal touch that is unique to you and your customer experience.

Places. Step away from the desk. You can’t get refreshed by doing the same activities and looking at the same four walls day in and day out. Get out and visit local businesses and explore new relationships. Change your routine and experience diverse perspectives by venturing into new geographical areas and seeing people and places you don’t normally visit.

Learn more about recent trends in your industry by connecting with your local professional and trade associations. Attend a trade show in your area or region and seek out new opportunities and markets.

Prices. When was the last time you gave yourself a raise? A raise is always possible regardless of the economy. Consider raising your prices. You might lose a few clients due to the price increase, but you’ll actually be able to give each client more attention, and make more while working less. Market your services to a target market that is recession proof. Do a SWOT analysis and figure out how to service more people at one time for less money (i.e. speaking, ebooks, memberships, teleseminars, etc.)

BONUS: Practice makes Perfect.

Be sure to spend a little time developing the 4 P’s of fundamental business activities. Each one will ensure your business practices are solid and provide you with some of the necessary discipline for growing your business.

Need help reviewing and organizing the fundamentals of your 4 P's? consider Micro Business Therapy. It’s common sense, practical and realistic. Don’t forget… we want to hear from you. Share your comments and questions below! 

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Shared post info: To address your specific concerns, Skype: amichelleblakeley or email at info@simplicitymastered.com 

For over 18 years, Simplicity Mastered™ founder and CEO A. Michelle Blakeley has owned or managed small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Expert in her field, Blakeley personally guides her clients out of their Business Brain Freeze™ to streamline operations, increase return on investment, and attain quantifiable results. Forbes.com and FinancialPost.com each recommended her as one of 30 Women Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter, joining the experts who know that Blakeley is a master at growing small businesses … and doing it with “Simplicity.”