#smallbusiness

Think outside the box ….

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Think outside the box…..

It can be so simple sometimes. In my personal life: going to sleep for me is sometimes problematic. As soon as my hubby turns off his light, he starts cutting trees. Very loud sometimes. It keeps me awake. The idea given is to plug my ears, but I just don’t like that.

But I found a solution. I listen to a business book or any other interesting book nowadays with my headphones. The sound is just loud enough to take “the edge off” the chainsaw sound, the voice of the reader is just enough to make me stop concentrating (did I say boring?) and before I know it I kind of wake up an hour later, just enough to take the headphone out so I can fall asleep again.

So what has this to do with thinking outside the box?

Running a business and finding leads/clients can be difficult. A lot of business owners started in a certain way, got (very) successful when they started out, but now, after some time, got stuck. Leads are still coming in, but just enough and after a lot of effort. Other businesses, with the same service or products, are using the same tactics too, which doesn’t help.

So how can you change this?

Just think outside the box. Change a small thing. Instead of “waiting to fall asleep” add “listening to a book”. Instead of some pictures as an ad, add a short video. Add a funny video is even better. Doesn’t need to be an hour movie. 1 minute is enough. Doesn’t need a to be you, can also be a video what you do. {Or what you not do}.

Think things over. Try it out. See what works for your business.

But most off all … set yourself apart from your competition.

Before you know it …

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It’s Saturday again.

I have the feeling I haven’t done anything, but I still have done a lot.

Question is, has it been productive what I have been doing???

I have a big problem. I help my clients. They move forward. I know exactly what they have to do, how they can do things, etc. I love to do it. I am good at and I can see that it helps them to move forward.

But …..

I just forget to do it for my own business. Sometimes it’s a wonder that I have clients and that I have an income.

I can be chaotic and structural at the same time, I am constantly working on things and thinking to do new things. I forget to bring myself out there on regular basis (if people don’t know you, they won’t look for you). I have the minimal amount of clients and my business isn’t growing. I don’t plan.

Why do I not change that?

I always liked it to keep things simple, my life included. I am happy to help those few people who are my clients to get to the 6-figure profits. That will be how I roll for the next few years till I retire. So it works for me, for now. And I can tell you, if you like to reach a higher goal, this is absolutely NOT the way to do it.

For now my hubby and I are ready for 3 days camping. Planned weeks ago. And for weeks it has been warm, even hot. This weekend it will cool off for 3 days, to get back to warm/hot again after these 3 days.

Some thing you just can’t plan ha ha ha!

Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy Family and Friends!!

Building your castle

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Every business starts the same way as when you start building your own castle. And because nobody builds the real old-fashioned castles anymore (although these giant houses with 60 rooms are getting close as being the same size), lets reduce this metaphor into building a nice house just for you and maybe some kids (?).

Anyway ….. when you start building your own house, you start with your plan and from there on the start of building the foundation.

The start-up of a business is exactly the same. You start with your plan and than you start building your foundation. You create your vision, mission, decide who your clients are going to be, etc.

A lot of people barely look at this part. Nasty thing about that is that you won’t get very far. Believe me, I have tried it for years and with me many others. You can have a great product, you can wing it at thinking “I bought it, many others will buy it too”, you can harass friends and family, you can work soo hard and the results years later …. you spend a lot of time in earning a meager incomer.

I even give a 14 week course about it. 14 Weeks just to start a business. Who needs that? You can do it in 2 weeks, right?

Yes, you are probably right. If you work on it every day, for several hours per day, keep focussed, don’t get distracted, and all the other things you are willing to do.

But who wants to do that? Who can do that? You already have a full time job, children (maybe the hubby is one of them or there is no hubby) and the entire household to take care of.

But can you give it 30 minutes a day? Just as a start?

Let’s start with 30 minutes ….