Simply Business Coaching

Your business needs a little sunshine!

Not least because of the depressing economic news that seems to be everywhere you turn!  Regular readers may remember that I actually stopped getting a daily newspaper a few months ago because the doom and gloom was distracting me from building my business.  But it is impossible to escape what’s going on in the world, especially if you spend a lot of time on the internet!

Last Friday, I delivered a workshop on Stress Management to a group of business owners.  I reminded them that it's important to get outside during daylight hours and enjoy a little sunshine (responsibly), so as to improve their energy levels and lift their mood.

Did you see how many more people were out and about while the weather was so glorious at the weekend – and how many were smiling?!

But, after a largely gloomy and wet summer, more of us are likely to suffer from S.A.D. Syndrome (Seasonal Affective Disorder) this winter because we haven’t been able to ‘stock up’ on sunshine as usual.  A study carried out by the University of Toronto confirms the brain chemistry link.

So, for your health and the health of your business, make sure you get a little sunshine – every day if possible.  Even if the weather is overcast, natural daylight will still help!

For more information about the diagnosis and treatment of S.A.D. visit the NHS direct website.

My personal productivity secret weapon!

Whenever I suggest this to clients, I can almost hear them trying to stifle their disbelief.  A plain and simple digital kitchen timer is a fantastic aid to productivity! 

I know that at this point you’re probably shaking your head and thinking “it’s finally happened, Louise has lost the plot!”  Honestly I haven’t ;-) When you think about how many messages (by phone, text, email, IM) are vying for your attention and interrupting your concentration, it can be really difficult to get the important tasks done.

The simple, inexpensive little timer will give you back valuable focus time.

Generally I like to set it for 50 minutes or an hour.  No longer because it’s important to take break at least every hour.  If I’m struggling with a task I might only set it for 20 or 30 minutes so that I make at least some headway! 

Here are some other uses for this great little tool:

• Use it when you know you’ve been getting distracted to pull you back on track
• When procrastination strikes, set it for short bursts of, say, 10 minutes
• If you’re up against a deadline, race against the clock and see how much you get done
• I like to allocate blocks of time to projects in my diary and then use the timer to make sure I meet these daily mini goals.
• When I’m coaching by phone, setting the timer keeps the conversation very focused.

OK, now it’s your turn.  Give it a try for a week.  Don’t forget to let me know how you get on.  And do share any additional uses you come across!

Do you have this key to success?

Persistence is what keeps us going when things get tough.  Continuing to take action when we don’t really feel like it is only possible through persistence.

This year I celebrate 10 years since first starting in business!  It seems that my life is defined by the time ‘before business’ and ‘after starting in business’ and I’m truly grateful to everyone who has helped me reach this milestone, not least the wonderful clients I’ve worked with!

Part of the very interesting  journey has been about picking up tips and hints, finding out if they work, and then passing them on to fellow business owners through this blog, via my newsletter or at workshops.

But I haven’t talked much about persistence, which is absolutely key to success in business – or indeed success in just about anything!  Without persistence, the first obstacle would stop a lot of us in our tracks.

I’m giving a talk next week to a group of women just starting, or thinking of starting in business.  I know that they’ll mostly be slightly ‘starry-eyed’ and a bit naïve about what being in business is really about.  Telling them that one of the keys to their success is about hard work, and keeping at it when they’d really rather throw in the towel, probably won’t make me a popular speaker

So much as been written and taught by so many experts and gurus on the whole subject of business success.  It’s interesting that persistence seems to get only a brief mention.  Perhaps it’s not ‘sexy’ enough? 

Many people spend a lot of time, energy and money searching for the ‘silver bullet’ to success when all the time, they’ve already got it – or one of them at least!  I believe Persistence is key, and it’s freely available to everyone, if only they want to use it.

Growing your business with systems

I usually get a blank look when I mentioned systems to my clients and students.  But I bet you already use systems, even if you’re not aware you do!

If you have tasks you do regularly that involve the same, or similar, steps, then you probably follow those steps each time if you want to produce the same result. 

Let’s say you want to make a meal.  You decide to cook your favourite recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese.  So that you get the same delicious sauce every time you’ll need to have the same batch of ingredients in the same quantities, and follow the same method.  Having the recipe makes things easy.  You don’t have to wonder what to put in the sauce or how long to cook it for.  You just follow the recipe. That recipe could also be called a system. 

In your business, having systems means you can produce a consistent result (important for quality and efficiency).   Having systems means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you do something (saving you time and energy). 

Writing down the systems and processes you follow will help you to grow your business when you want to delegate certain tasks or employ outside resources.  You’ll be able to pass over the document and know that whoever reads it will be able to follow the system and produce the same result as you.  Just like following a recipe.

Have you got the power?

Running your own small business can be rather lonely, and even more so if you work from home.  Solving problems, finding the best resources, knowing what to do next and making the right decisions can all be difficult on your own.  The support of family and friends is very important but, if they haven’t had their own business, they often don’t know how best to help. 

One of the most effective ways that successful business owners grow their businesses is by using the proven power of a Mastermind group.  I’ve belonged to different groups over the last few years and am running one for Southern Entrepreneurs at the moment. 

MasterMind groups have been around for a long time.  As far back as ancient Greece – Socrates, Aristotle and Plato – they all sought advice and debated philosophical questions with colleagues and students. 

Using the combined knowledge, experience and brain-power of the collective group, each member will:

• Get clarity and direction towards business goals
• Take massive action and achieve much more in a shorter timescale
• Have accountability to the group, which puts an end to procrastination!
• Capitalise on the vast experience and expertise of others
• Expands enthusiasm, energy and  passion
• Multiply brain power, creative problem solving and group synergy
• Extend your network through the people your MasterMind members know and trust

If you have the opportunity to join a well-run MasterMind group, the results you’ll see in your business will be worth the investment of time and money, many times over.

What would happen to your small business if you weren’t there?

Whenever I ask this question at a gathering of business owners, there’s an uncomfortable clearing of throats, shuffling in seats and downcast eyes. It’s because they can’t, or perhaps more exactly, don’t want to imagine such a scenario.

Think back to when you started your business, did you have some dreams of what self-employment would mean for you and your family? You probably wanted to be able to spend more time together, improve your lifestyle and feel less stressed. Am I right? And where are those dreams now?

If your business relies on your presence every day, you probably find it difficult to even take a holiday. You can’t contemplate being ill for any length of time and retirement is a very distant dream.

But there is one step you can take right now to start preparing your business to continue to run and make a profit without you having to be there.

Start writing down how you do what you do.  As you, for example, answer the phone to an enquiry, what do you do? How many times do you let the phone ring? What do you say to the caller? What questions do you ask? What answers do you give? What do you do after you put the phone down? What do you do next?

Documenting the processes in your business is your first step to freedom!

Two more great ways to Procrastinate

I believe that one of the traits of a true Entrepreneur is the ability to come up with lots of new ideas.  Over the last few days, I’ve spoken with three business owners who all have ideas in abundance!.  There’s just one problem.  They’re so busy thinking about things that very little actually gets done!

I’ve written before about this ‘butterfly’ characteristic, which is fine if you are a butterfly looking for pollen, but it doesn’t work so well for us humans.

New ideas need to be captured – either in a notebook especially for the purpose or verbally, using the memo facility on your mobile phone or a digital voice recorder.  Then, unless it is very, very urgent, leave these new ideas to ‘marinate’ for a while – at least until you’ve finished the task in hand. 

Another excellent way to procrastinate is to keep researching and studying until you hit total ‘analysis paralysis’.  There comes a point when you simply get overwhelmed by all the information you've collected that you don’t know where to start or what action to take – so you don’t.

The reason I know so much about these procrastination methods is that I have been practising them myself for quite a while!  Actually, I’m rather good at them.

However, in order to succeed in business, ideas and knowledge are not enough by themselves.  In fact, without action, which must be taken quickly and often, they are worse than worthless, they are wasted.

Beating the Doom & Gloom News

I stopped buying a paper some time ago because I found the news too depressing.  That action certainly helped me to just get on with life and business without having a daily dose of media-induced economy hype and melancholia.

But it's hard to completely escape news stories unless, I suppose, you decamp to a desert island with no internet access, radio or phone!  (I do feel tempted sometimes but there would be severe withdrawal symptoms)  So, over the last few months, the media have hammered home the doom and gloom about the economy until it finally came to be true.  Prices are rising and money is tight just about everywhere.  It is no longer possible to ignore the sad state of affairs. 

Small businesses have such an important role to play in the local and national economy and the owners of these businesses need to adopt a positive attitude if they are not to succumb to a 'let's wait until things get better' inertia.  I don't mean they should ignore the reality, but they should be making plans so that they are well-placed to act quickly when things do improve.

From the Strategy Sessions I've held with several of these far-sighted business owners lately, it's clear that they're planning for the recovery now.  They are looking at different ways to promote their products & services and are finally (for many of them!) realising that the internet can help them reach a wider audience for a much lower cost than traditional marketing methods.

What's your take?  Are you sitting tight or making plans?  I'd love to know.