A wise man once said “Bite off more than you can chew and then chew like crazy!”. Great in theory. Maybe not so great in practice.
Studies have shown that common qualities of successful or aspiring entrepreneurs are passion, enthusiasm and an abundance of energy. Our brains are in overdrive, soaking in inspiration, constantly thinking of new ideas, ways to improve our businesses and increase our revenue. We get so caught up in the excitement of a new idea, nurturing that little baby, feeding off the adrenaline of the hope and excitement of new opportunities this may create for us. Like a new car, or a new relationship or a new pair of shoes, we become consumed by the brand new shiny idea, developing a burning passion and desire to get our new baby off the ground and nurture it to success.
But what happens to the old faithful 9-5 business that’s chipping away and paying your bills in the background? This diversion of passion from the old faithful to the brand new shiny idea may be exciting in the short term but just like a watched pot, if you take your eyes off your main business then IT WILL boil over and things will start to unravel.
As entrepreneurs and business owners we must continue to fuel the fire of creativity with new projects and new ideas, but we must also pay respect to the loyal clients we have worked hard to welcome on board and build trust with. New client acquisition is a lot more expensive than client retention from a financial point of view, however loss of trust and faith of existing clients will cost you a lot more in the long run. Reputation is everything in business, so it pays to ensure that yours is kept intact at all times.
Here are three top tips to help keep our ideas, thoughts and focus on track for long term business success:
As business owners, we are often pulled from pillar to post, juggling multiple balls at a time. In order to keep your sanity, keep your clients happy and find time to keep stoking your creative fire, take some time to get organised. Create a schedule at the beginning of each month, allocating even time to client work, admin, new business development, and creative outlet. Colour code it if you want, print it out and place it within easy viewing distance of your work station. This visual reminder will not only keep you on track in completing tasks, but it will give you something to look forward to.
Don’t rely on your memory to remember all of your ideas, thoughts and to-do list. Write it down. Sounds simple, but you’ll be surprised at how much lighter you feel after getting in the habit of writing your thoughts down as they happen. Go to your favourite stationary shop and grab a notebook, then keep it with you at all times. Keep it next to you on your desk during the day, then move it to your bedside table at night.
Most new businesses owners don’t realise just how much goes in to setting up and running a business. Aside from creation and delivery of our core products or services, there’s administration, accounting, telecommunications, IT, branding, marketing… the list goes on. With a never ending to-do list, we can easily spread ourselves too thin, and lose sight of why we started our businesses in the first place. Outsourcing the tasks we aren’t skilled in or don’t enjoy can free up much needed time to get back to the core of why you started your business in the first place. While it is an investment, it is a worthwhile one, as it will free you up to concentrate on the things you love doing, and enable you to be more productive in driving your business forward.
Don’t waste all of your hard work by losing focus now. Before you start dropping all of those balls you’ve been madly juggling, prioritise the tasks you love, and make a list of the tasks you could potentially outsource. Our business is supporting businesses such as yours, with marketing and promotion services. We live and breathe marketing, and we develop tailored, strategic plans centred on your core business offering, making sure your business is being seen and embraced by your target customers.
Give us a call on 1800 249 056 or email info@impactmarketingservices.com.au. We’d love to work with you.
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity”. Albert Einstein was a wise man. He is absolutely correct with this famous quote. It’s not always that easy though…
Sometimes we get so bogged down working “in” our businesses, that we don’t have enough time to work “on” our businesses. We can get stuck in a rut, working our butts off day in and day out, just trying our hardest to keep our head above water. Before we know it, twelve months have passed, and our major competitor comes out with a new product invention that stops us in our tracks thinking “Why didn’t WE think of that?!”.
Well, the reason you didn’t think of that is because you’re too close to the business. Your brain is consumed with making sure there’s enough stock; making sure orders are dispatched on time; remembering to send that email to that customer who’s waiting on an answer from you; checking you’ve got enough money in the bank to pay your employees this month; reconciling your invoices; collecting outstanding payments; picking up the kids; cooking dinner; remembering your partner’s name! With all of that going on, how on earth do you expect to have the brain capacity to be able to come up with new ideas?
It’s difficult growing a business. It’s difficult to step back and look objectively at your business and identify areas of opportunity, especially when your To-Do List looks more like a novel than a list. You need help. Despite how it feels, admitting that fact not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. You are not superhuman. You are a business owner, not a magician. You are not expected to have time to do everything, and certainly not expected to know everything and be good at everything in your business. Overwork for business owners can be a silent killer, affecting not only your efficiency at work, but affecting your personal relationships, your health and wellbeing. Do the words “I don’t have time to make time!” sound familiar to you?
We can help. We understand business. We understand marketing. We specialise in practicality, not flamboyance. We are skilled in analysing businesses and identifying opportunities, then developing targeted strategies along with practical and affordable execution plans to help you capitalise on these opportunities. Whether it be identifying a new channel to expand your existing product sales, or identifying delegation opportunities to free up your time and help you get some of your life back.
Give us a call on 1800 249 056 or email info@impactmarketingservices.com.au. We’d love to work with you.
Google has announced it will start penalising websites which are not mobile-friendly from the 21st April 2015.
With over 60% of all Google searches now performed on mobile devices, Google has announced that they are changing their algorithm to start ranking websites based on their mobile-friendliness. From the 21st of April, Google will start giving mobile-friendly websites priority over non mobile-friendly websites and ranking them higher in search results, in order to give customers easier access to websites that are easier to use on the mobile devices they are using.
What does this mean for you?
If your website is not currently mobile friendly, then Google will stop showing you the love and will start penalising it in search rankings. This means that your mobile-friendly competitor’s website will be ranked higher than yours in relevant Google searches, and you could start losing potential customers.
How can you protect your business from this change?
If your current website is non-mobile friendly, you have no choice but to upgrade now! If this has been something you’ve been thinking about but have put on the back-burner for some time, it is now time to upgrade. Your website is your most valuable tool in your business, so you need to make sure it is fully optimised and working for you.
If you’re worried about the cost of upgrading, consider this:
By not upgrading your website now, think of the potential business you’re losing.
Never fear, we can help!
All websites that we create are mobile friendly, and fully responsive for all devices.
For free advice and more details on how we can get your website up to scratch before Google breaks up with you, call us on 1800 249 056 or email info@impactmarketingservices.com.au.