| For small businesses and start ups, I typically see | | | | keeping all aspects of your business present on |
| that business owners have ten things to do in | | | | your goals list you start to develop a well rounded |
| about ten different areas of their business…"I | | | | company. |
| need to do some online and offline marketing…I | | | | 2. Find a planning tool that works for you. It |
| need to get that new machine, product or service | | | | can be an online task list you can access from |
| to make my job easier and better…I need to | | | | anywhere, a white board, a word document, or |
| see where I stand in my accounting…I need to | | | | one sheet of paper. It really depends on the |
| get 3 client deadlines out today!" | | | | easiest method for you |
| For some business owners, you wake up and go. | | | | 3. Now the vital part, stick to a routine. Once |
| You start to work on the first thing that you feel | | | | the plan is set in place for the day, week or |
| is most important that day. Then you may get a | | | | month, stick to it! If you need to add tasks to it, |
| call, surf the net for a business need or idea, go | | | | go right ahead, do not start a new task list, this is |
| to lunch, and end up back at the first thing you | | | | unnecessary administrative time that can be |
| started that day and now it's the end of the day. | | | | spent elsewhere. Update your task list daily or |
| I have three things I recommend as a small | | | | weekly depending on which routine you have |
| business consultant to my clients. | | | | chosen. |
| 1. Set goals for your days or weeks that | | | | Take the time to stay organized. It will help you |
| touches on different aspects of your company, | | | | stay focused and productive. You will finish your |
| i.e. customer service, accounting, marketing, | | | | days feeling more accomplished, and you will be |
| administrative or operations. It doesn't have to be | | | | able to attend to areas of your business that are |
| all of them each week or each day. You can | | | | typically neglected. In time, you will develop a |
| rotate them throughout the month. But by | | | | stronger and more efficient company. |