Overworked. Overcommitted. Overwhelmed. Do any of these words ring a bell with you? As an entrepreneur do you feel out of control and feel that you have to say yes to every networking event or yes to every client even if they aren’t ideal? Rex Richard gets it and that’s what he works with his clients on during coaching calls and he shows how entrepreneurs can take control of their businesses so they have balanced lives.
Being an over-committed entrepreneur will lead to burnout and dissatisfaction with your endeavor. You need to find a way to work smarter not hard — yes it’s a cliche, but it’s true — in order to focus and deliver for your clients and prospects (and yourself).
How Entrepreneurs Can Take Control
Here are ways to take back control.
Stay in your lane. Look at what you’re saying yes to, why. How can get better processes in to help you know what to say yes to and what to pass on. No one is forcing you to over-commit — think about that.
FOMO — fear of missing out — is real. I get it. Everyone experiences it and people want to be involved in everything and anything. Don’t let FOMO be a “motivator” for you.
Pay attention to your calendar. Don’t say yes until you look at what you already have going on. To avoid over-committing you have to know your availability and block out time for you and your necessary tasks as well as personal and family life.
Set goals. Work on the tasks to achieve them. If you don’t know what the important things are you let items fall through the cracks. Keep in mind that important tasks could be the most time-consuming and require the most effort, but you need to complete them to move forward. Block time in your calendar to complete these items.
Self-care is crucial. You may be thinking, “I’ve over-committed. I don’t have time to take time off or get a good night’s sleep.” You have to lose that mindset and adopt a mindset that you are the most important person in your business and if you’re not taking care of yourself, it will fall apart.
Ask yourself:
Are there certain people you always say yes to?
Are there certain tasks or jobs you always say yes to?
Do you find it hard to say no because of FOMO
Do you have a clear roadmap for your success and goals?
Do you have a clear picture of who your ideal client is?
Reach out to Rex Richard about business coaching and goal setting. Start 2023 with a clear path and without the overwhelm
You may not want to completely change your business name, logo, tagline and colors or you could confuse your past clients. But if you’re expanding or changing or adding a completely new focus, then a new brand could be just what you need. There is no reason you can’t tweak your current brand to make it more current or relevant in today’s market. The last thing you want is for your brand to look old and tired even if the offerings behind it are current and relevant.
Does Your Business Brand Need A Refresh?
You’re offering new and completely different services or products.
The business model has changed and you need a new and different logo to reflect that change.
The business management team has changed. You want a new logo to set yourself apart with a new identity.
If you are pursuing a new target audience, your brand should reflect that.
Does your old logo look tired and dated? Does your brand reflect a fax machine or a beeper? LOL, if so, you should definitely upgrade and update. If you are taking your business in a new direction and targeting a new audience a new logo or brand identification might make sense.
If your old logo simply looks tired or the colors look dated, you might want to freshen it up with new colors.
Use your new branding as a way to garner new and fresh excitement in a social media campaign.
Know what you want. If you’re taking on clients or tasks that you don’t want or that aren’t your area of expertise you go off on a path that is a slog in your business. You need to know your area of expertise and stay in your lane. If you want to expand, consider hiring contractors to fill the gap.
Where will you work? A separate room in your house? A corner of the kitchen table? A coffee shop? If you’re just starting out and if you’re not welcoming clients into your workspace, find a place that suits your needs when you’re in the start-up phase. In the future, you may find you need, or want to rent a space or find a co-working situation. You may want to rent a PO box or rent a box at a UPS store that provides a street address – this amps up the idea to clients that you are a thriving entity.
Keep moving forward. It’s easy to throw your hands in the air and give up, especially if you lose a client or don’t sign the client of your dreams. What will separate you from other solopreneurs is your ability to keep moving forward and overcome challenges.
Network with others in your situation. It’s easy to give up if you feel as though you’re the only one doing what you do. That’s why a co-working situation is ideal for some. Network online or attend in-person events.
Make sure you have a business plan. It doesn’t need to be hundreds of pages long, but it does need to have your financial goals written down, it should have a plan for ebbs and flows in business. It should have your mission and vision statement, the ideal client for you and your area of expertise and even a statement of those clients with whom you don’t want to work.
Don’t skimp on the tools you need. If you’re going to be in front of the computer all day you need to have a computer that will perform the tasks you need. You will want an ergonomic set up. Don’t invest in low end products because you will eventually need to replace them and it will cost you more in the long run.
Automate the tasks that you do repeatedly. Don’t waste time on duplicate efforts and tasks.
One of the benefits of being a business owner is the freedom that comes along with it. It is easy, though, to take too much of that freedom and put yourself behind the eight ball and on the verge of missing deadlines. Enjoy being your own boss but keep your eye on the prize — a successful business.
There is no denying it. Customer service is horrible. The pandemic certainly had something to do with and we honestly think that friendliness has gone by the wayside. No longer is the “customer always right.” In fact, the customer is rarely listened to or treated with any kind of respect. Truly if your business is struggling and your employees are not bending over backward to help those customers who are loyal and come back to you, you’re better off without them — the employee, not the customer.
When is the last time you walked out of a store and thought, “wow that was a great experience”? I don’t know the last time I had that. In fact, if I have to get so excited that I finally had a great experience, that shows the decline of our society and the way in which we treat people.
Customers aside — this is an example of how poorly we treat humans. Bottom line.
Customers are the lifeblood of your business and didn’t you truly see that as being true when the pandemic shut down so many businesses? Yes, I understand that it’s hard to find employees and that it’s hard to keep them and the employees you do find don’t want to be there so what can you do?
Do Your Customers Feel Appreciated?
As the business owner, it’s up to you to step up and make your customers feel appreciated because without them you won’t have a business. How can you show appreciation and put a smile on their faces? We have some tips.
Provide introductory offers. Businesses that offer introductory pricing or a first-time-purchase coupon are more likely to earn your loyalty. What can you offer a new customer?
Are there loss leader products or services you could offer at a discount or for free to reward the loyalty of a long-term or repeat customer?
Do you have free samples you could provide? If you’re a bakery, that’s easy. If you’re a service provider, offer a free pool cleaning or dog nail clipping, as a couple of examples.
Build a community and work with beta testers for your goods or services. VIP communities are easy to build and can garner great word-of-mouth referrals.
Stay in touch. If someone buys your product or hires you, stay in touch. Let them know what the onboarding process is and what the next steps are. Don’t leave them in the dark.
Say THANK YOU! Two simple words that carry a lot of weight. What do you to do show your customers that you appreciate them?
What can you do to appreciate your customers? Also, what can you do to reward and thank employees who give good customer service?
We’re getting ready to say goodbye to 2021. Did you accomplish what you wanted to? Did you even have goals written down or did you float through the year hoping something would happen that would propel you and your business to higher levels? Don’t leave another year to chance. Don’t let another year pass with you wondering, “what did I even do?” We have insight into how to grow in business & in life in 2022.
Business and life go hand in hand. There may not be a true work/life balance because if you’re home that’s your balance, if you’re at work, that’s where your balance/focus is. That’s natural and normal. What you want is the work/life blend that works for you and your goals.
Ask yourself, have you gone as high, fast and far as you could have in 2021? Do you want to go higher, faster and farther in 2022? You need to push yourself. If you think you did push yourself, but still didn’t get done what you want to get done, you need to push yourself a little harder.
What is your peak? When will you know that you have “arrived”? It’s different for everyone and only you will know when it’s happened for you. But you do need to set a goal and strive toward it.
How To Grow In Business & Life In 2022
You don’t plan to give up do you? Just because you didn’t get done in 2021 what you wanted to doesn’t mean you can’t try to get done what you want to in 2022. Don’t pass up reaching for that brass ring!
Strive. Push yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Achieve your dream!
How can you do that? Here are strategies that Rex Richard shares with his coaching clients:
Perspective matters. There are times that you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders and you just don’t think you can keep holding it up. I get it. Step back. Breathe. Reach out to a friend, colleague, coach or trusted family member and talk about what’s weighing you down and see if they have a new persepctive for you.
Dreams matter. When you dream you can do anything, right? There is no reason you can’t write down a BIG dream for 2022. It’s your dream. No one can take that away from you, but you need to be willing to declare it and claim it and work toward it.
Attitude matters. Positive attracts positive. Negative attracts negative. The emotions you put out into the world, are the emotions you will attract. Surround yourself with positive people. This doesn’t mean you sweep troubles under the rug. It means that a trouble can be addressed and it doesn’t need to rob you of your positivity.
how will you seize the year and make 2022 the best you’ve experienced?
Halloween is a fun holiday. Thanksgiving, though, with its holiday travel or hosting large groups of family members also gets entrepreneurs into the holiday season and that is a lot of stress for many business owners. We have 3 ways entrepreneurs can handle holiday stress, enjoy time with friends and family and not be concerned their business will fall apart.
When I was a fledging entrepreneur, I didn’t give myself enough time to enjoy the holidays and savor time with friends and family. I was so business-focused that I didn’t stop and put strategies in place that would let me enjoy holidays without the stress of my business hanging over my head. I want you to learn from my years of experience and find that you can almost have it all.
3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Handle Holiday Stress
While I don’t believe there is a true work-life balance, there are ways to step away from work and be with friends and enjoy the holidays. Why don’t I believe in work- life balance? Because when you’re at work you’re working. When you’re home, you’re home. You could have a work-life blend, but balance, not so much.
Here are my tips.
Keep to your regular routine. If you have a plan that works for you, then stick with it. Don’t get off track and shuffle too many things around. Yes, you may want to move some client calls or meetings to take the holidays and time you want to take off into consideration but don’t just ditch all the successful strides you’ve made.
Just say no. No to extra responsibilities. No to additional meetings. Maybe even no to taking on a new client in the holiday season. This is obviously a personal decision and your finances will play a role, but does this new client need to start right now or can he or she wait until the new year? Can you do a soft onboarding and jump in after the holidays?
Give yourself a gift. The gift of time. The gift of a day off. The gift of a day at the spa. Whatever you consider a gift, do that and don’t feel guilty. If you’re giving and giving and giving, it might just be time for you to take something on your own.
Give back. The holidays are a time when pet shelters or homeless shelters and food kitchens really need helping hands. Find some time to volunteer and bring your friends and family along for that experience.
What do you need to, or want to, do differently this holiday season so you can enjoy it? Let me know!
