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3. Check In

“A lot of teaching fails from too much info, not too little.”

From what I can tell from feedback, I give great information. But as to what content my reader is after, I’m not really sure. So here’s the thing, I want to ask you what you what to know. I currently write about three topics – numbers, systems and motivation.

1. What information would be most useful for you?

- Numbers

- Systems

- Motivation (you need some?)

2. What format would you prefer for free information?

- Video (I’m about to start using this format)

- Audio (my free monthly call will begin next month)

- Blog posts written by me

3. I’m always reading and finding new material from others. Do you want to see the interesting things that I find? I currently only share these on Twitter and Facebook. Would you like them shared on here?

4. Can you tell me a little about you? The more I know about you, the more I can tailor my information for you. Are you a:

- Service professional?

- Small business with products?

- Online and offline business?

- Offline only?

5. What is your most pressing need in your business right now? What I can help you learn to reach your goals?

6. What would you like to see from me in the form of paid products? What is your best way to learn?

- Teleseminars

- Information products

- Group programs

- 1-on-1 coaching

- In-person events

7. What timeframe would your ideal learning program come in?

- 1 day intensive

- 6 weeks

- 3 months

- 6 months

- 12 months

8. What timeframe would your ideal support program come in?

- Fast, action-based, get-it-done type assistance in a very intensive short timeframe, say 6 weeks

- Fast, action-based, get-it-done type assistance in a slightly longer timeframe, say 3 months

- Slower, action-based, over 6 months

- Give me more time in between, action-based, over 12 months

9. Or perhaps you would like to see learning and support combined. Would you prefer:

- Group program, short and intense?

- Group program, longer timeframe?

- Group and 1-on-1 coaching, short and intense?

- Group and 1-on-1 coaching, longer timeframe?

Would love your answers below in the comments section.

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1. I can’t believe I’m gifting this….
2. Are your numbers pie in the sky?
3. Mapping your money Alexis Neely style

I’ve had enough with half-hearted results in my fitness, so I’ve done something about it.  This morning I had my first session with a personal trainer. Not only was I super rejuvenated afterwards, even though it hurt like no tomorrow at the time, but I worked harder than I have in a long, long time.

So what was the difference? She pushed me beyond what I thought I could do. And she told me afterwards she was taking it easy on me because it was my first time. Hmm, that’s a bit scary, but I’m looking forward to the pain in our next session. I’m looking forward to it because I know that I need her to push me even more. I’ve forgotten what my body is capable of and have been hiding behind some past injuries rather than really push myself.

It got me thinking about business and how we can become gun shy from past failures, current fears and lack of faith. It stops us dead in our tracks. There is no forward movement, no backwards movement, no momentum at all to get to the next station on that railway line.

We need someone to clear the tracks, provide a solution to the lack of movement and get our momentum going again. Just like my trainer is able to see what I am capable of achieving in my fitness, so is a business coach for your business. They can often provide ideas and solutions to your non movement that you can’t see, simply because you are the one stuck there, trying hard to move, but unable to see the situation from the outside.

It’s simple really; just get help. Get a business coach to help you move forward, maintain the momentum required to keep achieving your business goals. As simple as this is to say, it’s harder to do. We are oh so stubborn, thinking we are strong enough to fulfill our own journey. And yes you are strong enough, but it’s not about just that; it’s about being able to see what you’re really capable of, which is so much more than you think. Only someone else can help you see that.

Just like I’ve done with my fitness and my business, will you be able to accept that you need help to be your best?

Related posts:

1. Get your momentum started
2. Are your numbers pie in the sky?
3. I failed but that’s okay…

Do your days rush past in a flurry of activity, only to leave you feeling disheveled at the end and with no sense of accomplishment?

Instead, imagine working through your day more productively and achieving your goals.

Here are some tips I use to achieve that more productive day:

Write down the goals I am working towards. The “written” part is crucial; goals in my head don’t count. It is only if they are written form that I can “consciously” work towards them.

1. Break down my goals into mini goals and the tasks associated with them. Create a project plan listing the tasks to achieve each mini goal (my milestones)
2. Plan my day preferably the day before. BE realistic. We all have urgent and important tasks that must be done, but I make sure I still have time for my goals that are important, but not necessarily urgent.
3. Schedule in my project work just like I do client work.
4. Cut back on meetings. Does it really need to be held at all? If it does, I get to the point quickly and keep on track. If it’s scheduled for an hour, I try and complete the meeting in 40 minutes ~ no waffle.
5. Minimise distractions during focus time. I schedule time to work on projects at my best focus time of the day. I turn off the phone, notifications, social media and concentrate and I’m always amazed at what I can achieve during pure focus time.
6. Batch tasks together. I do like tasks and like location-based tasks all in one hit – it’s much more efficient.
7. Don’t live in the email inbox. Shut it off. I only go in there twice a day, and when I am there I focus and get through the actions. If they are longer time frame actions, I schedule them in.
8. Reward myself for great accomplishments during the day. Perhaps it’s time on social media, watching some YouTube videos or coffee with a friend.

Honestly, if you just pick one of these to start you will notice a remarkable improvement in your day. Try it out and let me know.

Do you have any other tips for a more productive day?

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Implementing systems is fabulous, but some just stop there. There is so much more that can be done for continuous improvement. Let’s see where your systems could work better together:

Systems Integration

Systems implemented in various components of your business, but are not integrated together. Integration of key systems can save time, money, headaches and error.

Key systems to integrate together:

• customer relationship management (CRM)
• customer support
• project management
• billing
• shopping cart
• accounting

The integration that works best is dependent on your business. In the earlier stages it’s not always necessary to have all components talking to each other. For example, I have my project management, billing and accounting systems integrated, but not my CRM. I personally prefer to think about that function (prospects for business) separately from my clients.

Think of integration as the left hand talking to the right hand. When your hands don’t get the right messages, communication can be misconstrued, things missed and errors made.

Integration creates a seamless flow of business information. Sounds calming, doesn’t it?  It is. You can concentrate on the important stuff.

A great tool I have come across for integrating software is OneSaas. Created in Sydney, Australia, OneSaas, run by Corneliu, can be the integration answer you’ve been looking for. Integrating one system with another can be as simple as signing up and following the instructions. You know us lay people aren’t always fantastic at making these things work, but the Corneliu team is more than happy to help. So if you try this fab service and can’t get it to work, don’t give up. Let them know and they’ll get you sorted. I highly recommend it!

Strive for efficiency

When you’ve been systemised for some time you get so used to the system working perfectly that it doesn’t occur to you there could be a better way.

As our businesses grow things change, as do technologies, external environments and our customers. When these things occur sometimes our existing systems can handle the changes, sometimes they cant. Regardless of whether they can or can’t, it’s imperative to commit to continuous improvement for your business, and that means continuous improvement for your systems.

Always look for improvement in your existing systems, investigate new technologies and see whether they can apply to your business to drive improvement.

The more you can streamline your systems to work together, the more time and energy you’ll have to concentrate on your business growth.

If you’re unsure how to integrate your systems or require systems for your business, get in touch at info@numbersarelife.com and we’ll get your right hand talking to your left.

Related posts:

1. Systems break
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3. My systems have evolved

The same goes for scheduling in vacations. They are often booked around ongoing commitments that can’t be moved. Planning plays a big part in ensuring your transition from work mode to play mode is successful.

My plan involves:

• mapping out school holidays on the entire calendar year wall planner
• identifying conflicts with immovable deadlines
• finding resources to meet the deadlines if I’m unable
• organising suitable fun time for my children to ensure they are looked after while I meet the deadlines (no less than 2 months in advance)
• mapping out evergreen marketing campaigns within school terms
• mapping out “launch” campaigns within school terms

I have the following guidelines to maintain my sanity:

• only schedule what is humanly possible (ie, I’m not a robot; I need sleep!)
• give myself a break over the holidays (ie, don’t plan any big projects thinking I’ll get them done!)
• maintain exercise throughout school holidays (it is much easier to get momentum back on projects than lose 2 weeks of fitness!)
• I still work, but ensure its outside kid’s “awake hours” (this means early morning and night times during holidays )
• know that the first week of the new school term is for catch up and don’t expect to launch a new program (if I do, fantastic, but my expectations are low)
• my house gets a spring clean every holidays, (that way I don’t feel so bad when I focus on my business and great family weekend time during term)

What do you do to ensure your school holidays or vacation times are as stress free as possible? And how do you ensure your business keeps running?

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1. Planning as simple as three words?
2. Your Financial Plan doesn’t have to be painful
3. My system broke, now what?

Once we’re adults we tend to “rush over” baby steps, anxious to get to the end result. And often, as the end result is slow coming, we are left feeling disappointed, unmotivated and doubtful of our intentions. I have been guilty of this many times. In this fast-paced world we live in, we have forgotten about taking single, focused steps to achieve the end result. So, how can you maintain your motivation, drive and focus to achieve your end results, without sabotaging yourself along the way?

Simplify.

Yes, simplify.

Take that end result – that goal or outcome – and break it down. Too often we focus on our ultimate goals, but forget about the “baby steps” necessary to take on the journey to the destination. Here’s how you do it.

• Take your goal and simplify the wording as much as possible. Write it so a five-year old could understand what you want to achieve
• Ask yourself what is the most logical “smaller result” that occurs before the end goal?
• Ask yourself again what is the most logical “smaller result” that occurs before that?
• Continue that process until you arrive back at where you are right now
• Re-read all of the “steps” you have developed. Can you explain them to a five-year old?

If not, simplify them again.

Each step should be like a progressive climb up a ladder, building one on top of the other.  Once you reach each rung, you work on progressing to the next, and the next, and so on.
Each rung on the ladder gives you a single focus, which maintains your motivation and, once achieved, gives you the reward you need to stay on the journey to the end. Each rung is just a little taste, giving you a glimpse of the end result and what it will be like to achieve that goal. Bite-sized tastes can fuel your determination to succeed and keep working towards the end result.

Determination can go a long way, and is often the difference between achieving and failing. Give yourself a chance to stay determined and focus on the end result by taking “baby steps” – simple, doable steps that lead you on the path to success.

What are you waiting for? Take a baby step today.

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1. 9 steps to a More Productive Day
2. Planning as simple as three words?
3. I failed but that’s okay…

Managing myself

I use an iPhone. All of my email, calendaring & contacts filter through google apps which allows me to access all of this information through the online interface on my iPhone, iPad or Mac, no syncing required, it’s real time!

I’m also an information lover. I am constantly reading books, listening to mp3’s and coming across useful information on the internet. To keep track of it all, I use an online system called Evernote. It has many uses but I mainly use it as an electronic filing cabinet. There is a feature called “clip to Evernote” for your browser that allows you to “print” an interesting website page or part of a page to Evernote and then tag it appropriately. Later, if you’re looking for information that you found about Facebook for example, you search for the tag ”facebook” and peruse the notes that appear under that tag to find the article. I also use it to keep a list of books to buy that I come across.

Managing my business

For managing the bookwork of my business I use an online accounting system called Saasu. Not only is it simple to use but you can also give your accountant/bookkeeper access to either do the work for you or to check what you have been doing. It has payroll, foreign currency and you pay a flat subscription fee monthly or yearly that includes all updates. The best thing is you can try it for free to see if you like it!

I also use Highrise, an online customer relationship management tool to manage my marketing funnel database of leads, prospects, clients and where they are in that process. I use this as a follow up mechanism for each stage of marketing to be done.

We manage our files internally with Dropbox. It’s a great system that utilises cloud technology to allow access to your files no matter where you are.  When you work with a team in different geographical locations this system makes working virtually so much easier. When we’re exchanging files with external parties to our business we prefer to use Box.net another online file sharing system.  We use two different systems as Box.net allows access to sub folders in directories.

My marketing calendar and tasks however are in Backpack. This is a great online tool that allows you to create pages for your strategy and plot the particular tasks associated with that strategy into the calendar so you know exactly what you should be doing to achieve your marketing goals. The calendar then synchronises with your chosen calendar (i.e. Outlook, Google etc) so you can see these tasks at a glance beside your normal calendar when planning your weeks.

I also use a year-at-a-glance wall planner for my marketing, so I can see the entire year at a glance, not just month by month.

Managing teams and projects

As our team do not always see each other in person, we needed a way to communicate with each other on issues that may have arisen and tasks to be completed. We found our solution with TeamworkPM Not only does it allow you to communicate with your team by project, you can also invite others to contribute or have access to the project. It is brilliant for tracking messages and their status. It saves a lot of time because you no longer have to search your inbox for related emails on a single subject. You can also assign and cross items off a common to-do list, and post information in notebooks. You can upload multiple versions of files. Everything is in one central place. It’s a great collaboration tool that can be used amongst your team.

Not all of us are comfortable using technology-based systems and yet there are some of us that use them extensively. I tend to use the best bits of many systems to create an “overall system” that works for me.

Do my systems evolve? Of course! I gravitate towards systems more or less depending on what projects I am working on at the time. Will I be using all of these systems in the same way next year? Maybe not, but one thing’s for sure, I will always use systems to enhance productivity for my business.

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On the weekend I saw mums from all over Australia converge on the AusMumpreneurs Conference in Sydney. They were there to learn, and learn they did, but the real magic was in the relationships being formed; the matchmaking of individuals who should know each other and the business being done in the corridor. And unless you are there, you don’t experience it.

I was lucky enough to speak at the event about “The World is Your Coffice – How to Run Your Business From Anywhere,” and loved the interaction with my audience. Although I was speaking, I didn’t just speak and run; I enjoyed the conference, got some great a ha’s myself, formed new relationships and strengthened others. I got to hang out with some of my “online” buddies and, in particular, friendships formed from the last conference. Strategically, I made some great contacts. But if I had spoken and run that may not have occurred.

When I saw all of the fabulous mumpreneurs at the awards dinner on the last night of the conference, I was a little sad. Quite a lot of them had not attended the conference, just the Awards dinner. Sure, we all have commitments, but I wonder if they really knew what they were missing out on? It’s about so much more than the content of the conference. You never know who you might sit next to, or meet over refreshments. Those of us who have attended the conference over the years know a lot of the regulars. And we’re more than happy to introduce people where we see it’s beneficial to both parties.

So what should you consider when determining to attend a conference or not, regardless of content:

• Who can I meet? Think about who will be attending.
• Will my own target audience be attending? If yes, perfect opportunity to meet prospects. If no, could the possible connections (your industry or not) be beneficial?
• Do I wish to meet one of the speakers? This is quite doable, and more often than not they are quite happy to talk to you. They’re a person too.
• Attend the “social” aspects of events as it allows for deeper connections when the conversation time is usually a lot longer.

And if you’re thinking that conferences don’t happen near you, you’re wrong. It’s just a matter of finding about them. Do searches online, ask people and see what others in your network are talking about.
What conference will you be attending next? Are there others you should be attending for strategic reasons? Let me know in the comments below if there are some I should be attending!

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You love the new software system you implemented, but you are officially over the honeymoon phase. You’re now working with and using the system extensively and have figured out some of the quirks, but have also discovered some things you’d like it to do but are not a feature yet.

This system is ingrained in your daily activity, yet you’re beginning to get frustrated because you can’t do something with ease.

You start to work outside of the system and, even worse, forgo some things that have great importance, but have now got too hard to do in your existing system.

Instead of relying on the system as an integral part of your business, you start to doubt its capabilities and wonder whether it can really deliver what you need.

Now is the time for that, ‘it’s not you it’s me’ conversation with your system. It’s time to break up and move on. Breaking up is hard for some – all sorts of questions come up, like how will I get my data across to a new system and what about the training? Arghhhh! It’s all too hard.

Yes it can be a little inconvenient, but let me ask you this, isn’t it more inconvenient to be trying to use a system you have lost faith in; a system that is causing you to be haphazard in your approach?

It’s okay, there’s rehab for this sort of thing. Here’s my 10-step plan to a clean break up:

1. Identify you’re not happy with your system and that it’s time to move on. Remember that it’s not the system’s fault, you have simply outgrown it. This happens all the time.
2. Scout around for a new system that will fulfill your needs.
3. Look at other systems that may connect your systems together for improved efficiencies.
4. Sign up for test versions for a few systems (if that’s an option), test drive them, try and break them.
5. Read the forums for the software to discover all the quirky things that may not appear in the test environment or features page.
6. Decide on your new system.
7. Set a date to completely transfer over to the new system ~ the wedding.
8. Break it to your old system. Be gentle, it’s not their fault.
9. Transfer all your data across. Most systems will explain how to do that and their support team will assist if you have problems.
10. Congratulations, you just got married to your new system.

Enjoy the honeymoon phase, but be aware you may well end up in a divorce sooner than you think. That’s okay, you signed the pre-nup and know what to expect if that happens, don’t you?

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