10 Reasons I Love Systems That Track What I Do

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

iStock 000015158998XSmall 150x150 10 Reasons I Love Systems That Track What I DoI have really come to love systems – in my business, in my life, in my kids activities, basically…everywhere.  By the way, when I talk about systems, I mean I like having  simple, step by step procedures mapped out so I can save time getting things done.   I map out things I do every day and I usually do so in the form of a list, chart, mindmap or some other type of visual.  It keeps my thoughts organized and helps me jump right in to knock out a task when I need to.

Some of my favorite tools to keep track of to-do’s?  Toodledo.com is a favorite list-maker and I use Mindmeister.com for drawing mind maps.

Ever thought about the last time you made out a to-do list?  How many of the items were things you’ve had on your list before?  If you think about it, you can probably take some of the things you do constantly and make a master list to start from. That way, you just add the dates, add any new tasks, and you’re all set.

Well since I’m into lists, I thought I’d have some fun sharing some of my favorite reasons for being a fan of to-do systems.

  1. you can get to information in a central place
  2. systems help streamline the way you communicate
  3. when you have a to-do system, it’s easier to delegate some of the steps to someone else
  4. you can produce records whenever you need them (e.g. tax documents)
  5. increases your level of confidence and that of your clients when they can rely on consistency
  6. you can generate more referrals because of increased trust
  7. no more looking for sticky notes (this is a biggie for me!)
  8. to-do systems allow you an opportunity to automate things you do everyday
  9. have more time with family/friends when you get things done
  10. when you have good systems, you have more time doing what you love instead of making more lists!

Which of these reasons is a favorite for you?  Share your favorite to-do system or tool below.

Filed Under: Business Acumen For Solopreneurs

Imagine An Ideal Week In Your Business

November 14, 2011 By 2 Comments

What would it be like to have a perfect week in your business? What would you do on Monday? Would you take off, would you use it as your time to organize, pay bills, return calls? What day would you have a one-hour massage? When would you pick your kids up from school?

As a coach, consultant, or freelancer you may have heard of the ideal day exercise. But what about visualizing what a perfect week would look like? A perfect week will capture not just the professional side of who you are but also the hobbies, digital ways of spending time with people that matter in your life, and more.

Watch this short video for simple instructions on how to map out your ideal week. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Personal Growth & Development Tagged With: , ,

What Is Your Business Saying?

November 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

iStock 000014921871XSmall What Is Your Business Saying?Your business is a brand – your brand has a voice, so have you thought about this…

WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS SAYING??

What does your brand stand for?  And does your message tell your audience about a key idea or concept they need to learn, know or do to get to their desired outcome?

When I talk to entrepreneurs about branding, one of the biggest lightbulbs to go off is the one on messaging.  Having a clear, concise message that runs through all you deliver – e.g. products, programs, services, social posts, is a huge attractor for your market when it’s communicated properly.  It helps create trust when people clearly understand that you have an idea that can contribute to their improvement, help them make a change, or share knowledge.

I like how Milana Leshinsky, author of Coaching Millions and creator of Passive Income Unleashed says it best, ““A big idea…makes your message clear and your product stand out in the market. It’s a Unique Key Idea that runs through your entire product launch and is later supported by the actual product you sell. It’s your unique message based on your core belief.”

When you can let your market know what you want them to believe, feel, and do as a result of having an experience with you that is a powerful attractor.

For example, one of the messages I consistently deliver is

“In order to be successful solo business owner, you must have systems in place that allow you to spend less time on administrative tasks so you can focus on generating profit.”

This core idea runs through many of the programs I deliver, articles and blog posts I write…even how I run my own business.

You can use your business message in a variety of ways – when posting website content, writing articles, delivering a presentation, writing a book, doing an interview. So how do you know you have a message that works?

  • The message is clear, makes a fast connection, and relates to real, tangible outcomes – “light and love” are great, but how do you get there?  If I said, “to be successful, you must have inner peace”, I’m thinking…okay, but what is peace for you may not be for me.  There isn’t an immediate connect for me (maybe that’s just me).  But when you share a real outcome (e.g. more time to make money in your business) that resonates fast and like my grandma says “in a hurry”.

Now is a great time to examine what your business is saying.  It’s time to get ready for all those New Years’ resolutions, right?  Add this one to your list and get clear on your business message.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist and coach specializing in showing service based entrepreneurs like coaches, consultants and freelancers how to save time & money with simple, yet profitable systems that engage leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Claim your instant access to a free 12 point checklist at: www.bepromotable.com.

Filed Under: Personal Branding for Business Tagged With: ,

5 Very Cool Tools to Ramp Up Your Gmail

October 13, 2011 By 7 Comments

MP9004224581 5 Very Cool Tools to Ramp Up Your GmailYou know they say some of the best solutions are born out of frustration – that’s what happened to me with Gmail.  I was feeling quite overwhelmed about a month ago and my inbox had reached epic proportions – even with deletions that I do fairly regularly, I had over 12,000 emails in one account (I use Gmail to centralize much of my mail).

I don’t know about you, but just seeing that number made my insides turn.  Okay, I’m probably a little over the top when it comes to liking things to be in order but it helps me to always be looking for a shortcut (which is what you love about me, right – LOL)!  But this mountain of email in Gmail was driving me into total paralysis.  I didn’t even want to open the box, not to mention read another email.

So, I got to work and started researching solutions.  I had a few things in place like Gmail filters, but then I really got smart and figured out which tools would help me most.  I’m planning to deliver a webinar in November that will reveal what I did, but here are 5 quick tool you can apply right now to tame the email monster in your Gmail account:

Canned Responses

This is one of the Gmail Lab features you can add in “settings”.  The benefit is that if you have an email you are constantly having to write over and over again, you can create a “canned response” that you send with the click of a button.  This is a huge time-saver.  Yes, you can edit the email if you need to – e.g. change the recipient name, add a detail here or there. Very nice and free.

Gmail Smart Labels

At first I wasn’t in love with the idea that Google could decide how to filter my mail to fall into a “bulk” or “notifications” category. What if I missed something important?  Well, now I know that you can adjust the filters if you choose.  In the future (and in my webinar) I’ll share how to do this.  I also have certain emails that will always be “marked as important” so I don’t miss them.  That’s next…

Mark As Important (or Not)

In Gmail, you can mark certain messages as important so that they always show up in your “priority inbox” or even in your regular inbox, depending on how you’ve set up the view feature. The more you designate certain emails as important or not important, Gmail learns the patterns and starts to adjust based on what you’ve selected (too complicated to try explain all that here, but just know that the folks at Google are pretty smart!)

Stars

 This might seem really simple but it’s one way to pull out things you know you need to take care of – anything that requires action on your part.  You can click the star image next to your email to make it show up in the left index as a “Starred” item.  If you decide you want to use the star for something other than an action item, you can do that too.  The key is to be consistent in how you use it because this is very easy way to filter out messages you need to get to right away.

Active Inbox

Ahhh, this is my secret weapon of choice.  Active Inbox has finally made Gmail worth my time and effort.  This system helps you separate emails into folders like “Action”, “Waiting On”, even project folders.  That’s what I missed when I left Outlook and other email systems.  I love the way you can even filter messages to automatically file themselves into the folders.

This is just a quick hit list, but there is so much more.  Be sure you’re on my weekly updates list so you can get the link when “Email Systems That Don’t Stink” opens at the end of the month.   And guess what, having a neater inbox that doesn’t turn into a black hole is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself and my business.

Do you have some favorite Gmail tools?  Let me hear about them – add your comments below!

 

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist and coach specializing in showing service based entrepreneurs like coaches, consultants and freelancers how to save time & money with simple, yet profitable systems that engage leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Claim your instant access to a free 12 point checklist at: www.bepromotable.com.

 

Filed Under: Online Marketing Resources Tagged With: , , , , ,

Click of the Week Video: Project Management Using Dooster.Net

October 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In this short video, learn how Dooster.Net can help you manage your projects and tasks online. You can even assign access to your assistant or outsource projects using this handy collaborative tool. Free trial available.

Filed Under: Online Marketing Resources Tagged With: , , ,
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