If You Don’t Ask…….

There are a thousand questions you could ask as a business owner……

Ask a prospective client if they need help on a project.

Ask your Chamber of Commerce when the next networking event is.

Ask yourself if your Marketing Plan is working.

Ask your accountant if you have enough money to purchase a new piece of equipment that will take your business to new levels.

Ask yourself if your Social Media engagement is appropriate for your business success.

Ask your clients if they are satisfied with your work.

Ask your business counterparts to interact on Facebook or Twitter.

What could happen if you ask the questions?  They might say yes!!!  What question do you need to ask?

2012 is going to be a great year!

Are you starting this year just like you start every year?  You have made your New Year’s Resolutions and probably have already broken them.  Maybe this is the year you do things differently.

Don’t beat yourself up about it.  Life is very hectic these days and running a business just adds to the stress.  Sit down with a cup of hot tea, a glass of red wine or a close friend. Take a deep breath and relax. It isn’t too late to get back on track.

Reassess your goals.  Maybe you aren’t doing what you planned because you set your goals too high.  An unrealistic goal is hard to achieve.  Break it down into smaller sections and work on one at a time until you reach your goal.  Completing one task at a time gives you the confidence you need to keep going.

Get Organized!

This is probably on your list every year but you never do it.  Pick one area that needs help the most.  Maybe it is your desk or office area.  Purchase a new file cabinet, bookshelf or fabric covered boxes and organize all you files into them.  Put up shelves to house your printer and other technology equipment.  Have a bulletin board for all the loose little pieces that seem to get lost easily.  Being organized will lead to being more productive.

Get Social!

Most business professionals have a Facebook page and a Twitter account.  But do you actually use them?  It doesn’t count if you have 10 followers and you only follow 2 others.  That isn’t being social at all.  Interact with others in your field.  Keep an eye on your competition.  Get to know you target market.  This is all possible with a little social interaction.  Build relationships on social media.  Don’t just hover.  Get involved and let people know what you are all about.

Get Involved!

Not just on social networks, get involved in your community.  Go to a networking event and meet your peers.  Volunteer your time at a community function.  Become an active member at your church.  People love doing business with people they know and trust.  Get out there and show the world what you are made of.  You will be amazed at the positive effect it will have on your business.

Get Writing!

You have a lot of useful information to share, whether you know it or not.  Why not put that information on paper and let the world know what you can do. Write articles.  Write an e-book.  Write blog posts.  And be social about them.  Let everyone know what your strengths are and what you can do for them.

Once you are organized you will feel more energy.  Put it to good use.  If you think you are not moving forward with your business, try something new. Give yourself a little push and see what happens.  Make 2012 a great year!

Final Act

I went to the funeral of a client this past weekend – a client with a very successful business.  It got me thinking about what happens to a business when the owner dies.  Of course if it is a large business with a lot of employees, there are steps in place for when something like this happens.  But what happens to a small business?  The family could take over.  New Management could come in.  It could sell.  But how easy is it for these things to happen.

I compiled a list of things you should do to help your business succeed if new owners need to come in.  This is a list that everyone should be doing anyway.  Is your business ready?

1.  Clean off your desk.  This sounds so trivial.  But can you imagine starting a new job and the first thing you see is a desk with about a foot of papers on it.  You won’t know what is going on or where things belong.  Who knows what is at the bottom of that pile.

2.  Your computer desktop should also be cleaned off and organized.  Make it easy to find things.  Put projects in client files.  Have all forms in another file.  Do whatever is appropriate for your business so it is not confusing to someone new.

3.  I know they say not to write down passwords.  They also say not to put them in a file on your computer.  But they need to be somewhere.  Get a small notebook and write them all down in one place.  Then put that notebook somewhere safe – like the bank deposit box where you keep all your insurance papers.  If your computer is password protected, new owners can’t even get on to get things going on day one.

4.  Speaking of safe deposit boxes, this might be a good place to keep a copy of your business plan.  Do you have a section of your business plan that states an exit plan?  Of course an exit plan is used if you sell your business, but it might give the new owners some insight into what you would like your business to do.

5.  Make sure your books are up to date.  And balance your checkbook regularly.  Accounting can be a nightmare in the best of situations.  Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.

There is nothing new in this list that you shouldn’t already be doing.  And it may seem a bit trivial considering the circumstances.  But can you imagine your spouse or children walking in to take over your business and finding a complete mess.  Haven’t they been through enough!  Make your final act one that will make things easier for them.  Organize!