Do you ever feel like you are always reaching for the next thing that’s going to bring you closer to success? Are you easily blinded by shiny objects?
Ever wonder how some people make having a rocking business easy as hell, but yours looks more like a endless rat race?
I’ve had the honor to be a guest on several podcast shows over the past few weeks and I keep getting asked the same questions. People want to know what I contribute my success to. I usually answer with mindset, because I truly believe that takes the cake, but it got me thinking about more practical things. What are the things I have in place in my business that allow me a greater chance of success? What are the things that have truly allowed me to move forward and opened space for predictable income month after month.
So, I rallied up my best four. Of course there are more, but these things in my day to day contribute the most to what I have been able to accomplish thus far. And the best part is, they are all things that are super easy to start doing. You can actually start today, if you don’t already have these in place.
Staff – Hire help. Now. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting your business, the amount of time hiring someone to help you with things that are outside your zone of genius will more than make up for the amount of money you have to pay them. You can hire non-contracted VA’s for several hours a month to start and work your way up to adding more staff. I started with just a VA for 6 hours a month. It cost me less than $250 and gave me an additional 15 hours to work on my business every month. Imagine what you could do with that time? Now, I have a VA, OBM, graphic designer, copywriter and someone to do my ads. Obviously, I worked my way up to this, but its’ no wonder why I get so much done. I’m not wasting my time on things I have no business doing.
Email provider that allows segmentation – This is so important to have in place from the start. Truth is, sometimes people just aren’t ready to buy from you. If someone signs up for your list today and tomorrow you pitch them a $5000 coaching package, they’re going to think you’re insane. They don’t even know you yet. Much like dating, you wouldn’t go in for the kill after the very first time you meet that person. You need to nurture your tribe, but most importantly you need to know where they are on their journey and where you fit in. If you’re sending everyone the same broadcasts, you will see dismal sales, whereas if you sell someone something they really want and need at the right time, you’ll make bank. (more on this later)
Tracking System – You must track everything in your business. Your stats, your following, your income, your expenses… EVERYTHING. You need to know if your business is actually profitable or not. You need to know if your efforts are actually working in your favor or digging you into a hole. The more metrics you can track, the better. Over here, Team Jenn tracks social media stats, website views, revenue, profit, expenses, membership site members and retention, ad spend, cost per lead, open rates and more! One more tip on this, as soon as you can, hire an accountant/bookkeeper for your business. I see so many hate posts right now because of tax season. Be prepared- you never know how fast your business will grow. It could literally happen in an instant.
Guts – Finally, I know this is not “practical” per se, but you’ve gotta have the guts to take action on your dreams every single day. You have to have the guts to set boundaries, to get rid of what no longer serves you and also to take risks. You’ve got to wake up with a vision, and even if you’re not feeling it that day, you still have to do the work. You’ve gotta write that blog post or do that video, even if you don’t feel like you want to.
Now go out there and do it. You’ll feel much lighter, much more productive and that will lead to more money in your business.
