Numbers Are Life

So it’s the middle of February. How’s your year progressing so far? 12% of 2011 has passed already. Yes, 12%! Time literally flies by without taking any notice of what we are doing – it does not pause for us, it consistently ticks by minute after minute. So what have you been doing with those minutes? If you’ve wasted 12% of the year already, what can you do to make sure the remaining 88% is concentrated on business growth?

I reached one of those tipping points in my business this week. You know the ones, where it all makes sense and sense of order prevails.

How about you? Have you reached your tipping point yet?

Have you noticed that the momentum you have when start your week, your year or even your day has a big impact on the results you achieve?

It’s momentum – the impelling force or strength – that gets things happening. The fabulous thing about momentum is that once it starts rolling, its takes a lot to stop it. But the trick is to get that momentum started in the first place.

As we get into the business growth groove we usually start to consume more resources either in the normal course of business or in attempts to get to the next level. Sometimes we are so busy in the growth mindset that we automatically invest in more and more resources without properly evaluating what we are doing. We can lose sight of being resourceFUL i.e. making the most of what we have and making sure each dollar is purchasing maximum value. I’m not talking about being stingy but taking a step back and evaluating what resources you are investing in and deciding whether:

I love a new calendar year – it’s so exciting with so many possibilities. I particularly love the planning process which I find invigorating and motivating. I enjoy planning for the New Year and setting bold goals for my life and my business. I always come up with some numbers to go with the process, for example, a revenue goal of $250,000 for the year. Then bang! The New Year starts and we’re off!

Are you a morning or evening person? We tend to be one or the other and in fact I’ve found that it can change during different stages of life. Some of us start out being night owls and then as we get older we find ourselves naturally getting up earlier.

If you have reached the stage where you are delegating tasks to free up your time, you will now have the role of “reviewer” rather than “completer” of those tasks. But here’s where delegation can come unstuck.

When I first started my business, things started out well. I was happy to keep the business relatively small when my children were younger. Later on, I decided to grow my business so I put my foot on the gas pedal.  That’s when my problems started!

Are you a solo entrepreneur who wants to grow your business but it’s “just you” and you’re maxed out? You’re probably struggling to get things done and crazy busy just keeping up with your clients/customers. You’re running around in circles trying to wear all the different hats necessary to keep your business ticking over. You’re starting to feel that your business is taking over your life rather than providing the lifestyle you wanted. You’re feeling constantly stressed and have a niggling feeling that things may be starting to fall through the cracks.

When you start your business you have grand plans. More often than not, you went into business to make the most of your particular area of expertise to offer services or sell a product. As soon as you make the decision to take the plunge, it’s “just you” and you end up doing everything. *Sigh*… that’s not much fun when you have to be the admin person, bookkeeper, receptionist, cleaner, customer service officer etc! That’s on top of actually providing the service or producing the product and marketing it. It all sounds awfully tiring to me, and guess what, it is!