Do You Build Growth & Change Into Your Business Plan? You Should!

Progress happens! It's a fact of life, a fact of business. It's what happens in the world, what keeps things moving forward. Onward and upward, as they say. (Not sure who "they" are, but I'm definitely hearing that with a stiff British accent in my head.) They also say that you can't stop progress. However, if you're not careful, you can be left behind, sometimes without even realizing it. As a small business owner, this can happen all too easily. You probably don't have an IT department, multiple marketing specialists, or a staff with buzzy, new-sounding job titles like social media strategist or SEO marketing analyst. It might just be you, maybe a few others. So the burden of keeping up with the way business is changing is all on you.

While doing this is super important, I bet it can feel challenging, especially if you're not someone who loves and embraces change, or technology, or newness in general. Does that sound like you? If it does, you're not alone! Many a smart and savvy entrepreneur has been made to feel old and out of touch by the latest devices and technology that their (sometimes younger) counterparts use. If that's totally NOT you – you take payments on Square! You know how to use Venmo as a verb, thank you very much! – you still might find yourself with another common challenge in all of this keeping up-to-dateness. In a word, budget. Or insufficient budget, to put it in two words.

Progress Happens! Don't Let Yourself Get Behind!

So the thing is, you know that change is comin', so why not plan for it? Maybe you don't have an entire department whose sole function is to plan, project and do branding. But so what? Those are still functions that you need to do, that you can do yourself. Since you likely wear many hats while running your business, you just need to plan these activities into your monthly schedule to make sure the year doesn't slip by before you notice that you didn't do them. Is it December already? Whoops, I think I forgot to make a marketing plan. Don't be that person, at least not again!

One of the best ways to plan for growth and be prepared for progress – and stay on budget – is to get organized. Sorry to disappoint with something so unsexy-sounding, but it's true. It's relatively cheap. In fact, depending on the task, the only cost might be your time. (Which isn't free, I KNOW! But it doesn't involve a cash outlay, so that's why I'm saying it's cheap.) I'm not talking about the cleaning-your-desk-drawer kind of organization. I mean becoming organized as a central philosophy and tool to operate your business.

Start with basic planning. Put stuff on the calendar, attach deadlines to goals, review projects regularly, schedule planning sessions. Next, tackle your technology and do some spring cleaning. Get your computer and email organized, update your software, make sure you're filing is up to date. You may need to spend some time exploring new apps to help you manage projects, but this could be a worthwhile investment if you can become more efficient.

Show Me The Money! (Or at least show yourself!)

My next advice? I love saying this... you need to keep diligent track of your time and money, both yours and your staff's. If you know where your money is going, and how much is coming in and out, you're in a much better position to make plans for the future. This is a key factor in planning for progress and growth. Don't know how much money you really make in a year? Then it's hard to know how much you can safely allocate for growth-related activities without being too risky. It's also hard to know if you're charging the right price for your products or services, right?

So don't underestimate the importance of getting a handle on all aspects of your business, being organized and being able to accurately track your money. It takes time to do this, but it doesn't take a staff of content analyst organizers. It just takes you.

Oh hey, are you in desperate need of simple and easy steps to attract clients you love, create a pricing strategy and ditch the door knockers? Then you've come to the right place! Get it here for FREE!

Be Oh So Quotable This Week!

I always say running a business means the work never ends! Ain't that the truth? I bet your to-do list is a mile long! Make sure that the items at the top of your list are the things that relate to being more profitable. Everyone is so proud of being so "busy"...But Are You Making Any Money? Don't be too busy to focus!

Check out the summary of last week's business tips and motivational quotes from my Instagram page which you hopefully got to see in real time! If not, let's make sure we're following each other on Instagram!! So...here is this week's roundup of Instagram images of My Top Business Tips and Motivational Quotes.

Progress – Tip #1:

Love this? Pin it to your Quotes Board.

"Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better." – Sheryl Sandberg

Progress – Tip #2:

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"We cannot change what we are not aware of, and once we are aware, we cannot help but change." – Sheryl Sandberg

Progress – Tip #3:

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"All progress takes place outside the comfort zone." – Michael John Bobak

Progress – Tip #4:

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"When things don't happen right away, just remember, it takes 6 months to build a Rolls-Royce and 13 hours to build a Toyota." – unknown

Progress – Tip #5:

Love this? Pin it to your Motivation Board.

"A little progress every day adds up to big results." – Satya Nani

Let's talk! I'd love to hear about how you plan and prepare for progress and growth!

Are you a master planner, or do you need some help in this area? What's your strategy for progress on a budget?  I would LOVE to hear from you! Anyhoo...I publish these business tips and motivational quotes to get you fired up for your work week!

Oh by the way, do you feel like you're too busy? Or like you're always working but not much is getting done? Your solution is right here and it's FREE!

And, if you want more business tips, get my book, But Are You Making Any Money? or contact me to really take your business to the next level!

xoxo M

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