Just like our bodies accumulate a lot of junk over the course of a year, so do our businesses; it's a perfect time to go through a "business detox." Here is a quick detox "recipe" that will hopefully be the elixir you need to jump start the year free of any negative and only focused on pursuing growth and success.
- Look at the systems you have in place. Evaluate which business systems are working for you, which ones can be updated and improved and which might be time-suckers altogether. Similar to our body, our business operates at its peak performance when systems are in place. If you don't have systems in place, now is a good time to start.
- Look at your client list and plug each into a few categories. This will give you a keen sense of where you need to be spending more of your time and energy in the coming year.
Who are the clients constantly cancelling, not compliant with your program, always needing to be chased down for payment or simply bringing you negative energy? Take some time to evaluate if you would like to continue training these clients or if you want to spend your energy more meaningfully by finding a new client to fill their spot.
Who are your rockstar clients? Recognize them and nurture them! We end up spending more time and energy on our difficult clients and on seeking new clients that we sometimes take for granted how much we rely on our current rockstar clients. These clients are your referrers, your best testimonials, your "insight" to how to get other clients just like them and the clients you genuinely love to train.
- Get new testimonials. If you have a website, the New Year is a great time to freshen it up. Post a few new testimonials and promote them on Facebook and social media.
- Take a good, hard look at your finances. Where are you spending money unnecessarily? Find where there are holes in your spending and plug them! As business owners or independent contractors, we often don't take adequate time to look at our numbers in the face, really understand them and tackle them head-on with logical solutions.
- Look for new opportunities for revenue and growth that align with your business. Think of this as adding a new surge of superfoods to your diet. It can really recalibrate and reenergize!
- Contact your accountant and set-up a 2013 tax-planning appointment. Make sure you are aware of and understand the implications of any tax changes or specifics that apply to your business.
- Designate a day before the end of the year to do your 2013 goal planning. We need to hold ourselves accountable to goals just as we do our clients. But you must create a detailed plan. Goals without a plan and strategy are just hopes and wishes!
Try this business detox recipe and be sure to share any other recipes you have for success. Cheers to a strong ending of 2012 and an even stronger, more energized 2013!
