Want a Better Business? Start With What’s Broken

 

Want a Better Business? Start With What’s Broken

 

 

This month’s Impulse Control is for when we have the impulse to make changes to our business model or find ways to level up. This starts with evaluating your business and “Fixing the existing problems you have before starting any new projects.”

When meeting new clients, there’s one question I hear over and over: “How can I take my business to the next level?” Some even ask if there is a checklist or template, that can be used for making things happen.

Of course. Unfortunately, there is no universal set of tactics that are suited for every business. However, there are a few things that every business needs to have right away before making changes (a business banking account, a way to track income and expenses, a dedicated place to work, etc.) Once those are in place, I always recommend that each business owner make their own checklist of “best next steps” and initiate your system for tackling them one by one.

 

Here’s where I recommend you start:

 

1. Consider the problems first

Be honest about what it will take to fix them. I know, this may seem a bit backwards. After all, the business blogs and magazines tend to focus on tools and tactics that are intended to grow and improve operations or profitability. In my experience, though, until you fix the “messes,” you’re spending time and money in the wrong place.

2. Remember problems slow you down

As your business grows, your messes will grow right along with it. If you do not fix them, when that happens, or before you start new projects, you’ll be drowning in new work. Making you unable to do a good job since you’ll be beyond the point where unplanned fixes and systems can even support your business needs.

Examples of “Messes” that escalate as your business grows:

• Your email inbox. If you’re having trouble keeping up with your inbox now, think about what happens when you reach your dream and your business doubles or triples in size. The volume of email will double or triple, too.

    *So, take the time now and figure out a system to manage your inbox now.

• Your contact list. You have business cards piled all over your desk, a Gmail account, a business email address, and a ton of LinkedIn and Facebook contacts. Right now, you can kind of, sort of, remember where to go to find a given contact.
• But as you grow, particularly if you add new information, it will be too much to keep in your head. When you want to announce a      new web site, promote a webinar or even just send a holiday card, it will be a huge chore. The solution is to keep all your contacts in one place.

    *Choose a CRM and add everyone, once and for all. Create a system to keep it up to date.

• Your finances. Whether you offer a service or a product, it’s important to know whether (or not) you are making money. When a business is just starting out, you might have more time than money and not be too worried about profitability.
• But here too, as you get busier, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not losing money on some (or all?) of your efforts. Either take the time to figure this out now or find yourself a capable financial resource who can come in and sort things out for you. Messes are as individual as the person who made them – but they’re all fixable.

*Make a list of all your messes and prioritize them according to how much time (and money) they are wasting and/or how much they’re holding you back from getting to where you want to be.

• Make a list of actionable steps to get them under control or hire someone to help you handle them. Get rid of them one by one so you can be bigger, more efficient, work less and make more money. 

(Who-hoo)!

 

Project Management Guide

 

 

Useful Applications, Items, or Quotes:

Project Management Program

Looking for ways to manage projects, organize your tasks, and build level up your business — all in one place. Start with Trello. Customize and expand the way you do business with cards, boards, lists and integrations that become building blocks for your business.

Anything from calendars, task assignments, timelines, productivity metrics, and more, organize projects small or large with Trello. Every single part of your daily and weekly tasks can be tracked, managed, and shared with your clients or members of your team.

Create cards that reveal an ecosystem of checklists, conversations, due dates, attachments, and so much more on individual boards per client or task for a seamless workflow. Find out the many ways to use Trello here.

Reply and tell me how you use Trello to level up your business.

 

 

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