You know that feeling when warm weather comes and you want to open all the windows and doors and air the house out? Clean out closets and throw out the collected winter clutter?
It happens to most of us. A new season comes and we have the urge to purge (and clean).
But what about our business? Shouldn’t it get a renewed look and de-cluttering too?
When was the last time you took a day off? Yes… a whole day off *gasp* to do a little clean up on your business.
What Kind Of Cleaning?
There are two clean-up projects you should do once or twice a year.
The first one is more of a clutter buster.
Get rid of old files bogging down your computer.
Move your images and big files off your main computer and put them on an external storage drive. Look at your credit card statement and note any recurring business expenses that you don’t need. Those little $9.99 monthly programs and subscriptions add up.
Open up the virtual windows of your business
The second clean up project is a mental cleanup
A mental cleanup?
There is a tendency with entrepreneurs to forget why we are running a business. By now you may have realized that running your own business is not easy. As a matter of fact is can be downright hard some days. Like – “I’m done with this” hard.
There’s a reason you keep going. Why? Do you know the answer?
To (re)find it. It would be beneficial to take another day off! *gasp* TWO days off?!?
Yes! Another day off. To reconnect with your goals and vision. To remind yourself why you’re doing what you do.
Grab a fresh notebook and a brand new pen. Go somewhere that you can think and get away from the hustle and bustle for a few hours.
Ask yourself the following:
- What do you want to achieve, in business and in life?
Take a moment to think about what it is you want. If you want to have a business that allows you to travel, are you structuring it to allow that? If you want to only work 30 hours a week, are the plans in place to do so? Do you have an income goal? Write down what you want your life (and business) to look like.
- What’s your secret sauce? What makes you stand out from your competition? What is something you do, that your customers or clients LOVE?
This is the magic of your business. I’m guessing you have competition. What do you do to make your business the best choice?
- What do they need to learn from you? What can your unique specialties do for them?
Once you get clear on your secret sauce, think about what your ideal customers want from you. When can you deliver this information to them? How do you think they want to get it?
- How are you reaching your existing clients? How are you reaching new clients?
What’s working? What’s not?
- Where does my best business come from?
If Facebook brings you the most business, focus most of your online marketing efforts there.
What Does This Have to Do With Marketing?
Everything.
It all flows together.
See you do have a vision of what you want your life to look like, but we get caught up in our day-to-day activities. We tell ourselves, “tomorrow, I’ll really hire that VA”, “Next week, I’ll get started on social media”, “Hopefully, by next year I’ll be able to work less hours if I can hustle now”.
Start to structure your business around the life you want now, then decide where you need to be productive. What needs to be more efficient? What type of support do you need?
Make your business work for you.
Focusing on what your secret sauce is, changes everything you do. This is how you stand out with your unique voice, perspective, and services. This is how your ideal client will find you. They’ll be drawn to you because you resonate with them.
Knowing what your magic is, allows you to write more freely, and promote your services with the right marketing copy and connect with your audience they way they need you to connect.
Once you start thinking about your marketing with your customer or client in mind, it doesn’t feel so hard. And you’ll have a clearer sense about where best to reach them.
You’ll notice that your blogs are getting read. Your emails are getting opened. Your social media posts are getting likes and comments. Why? Because you have cleaned out the stale marketing efforts that are no longer serving you. You have reminded yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing, and you’ll remember what makes you stand out.
Now, open up your calendar and pick your two clean-up days, to.
- Clear out the clutter
- Set your one-on-one day with your business.
You’ve got this!
Having trouble with your clean up? Let’s schedule a “clarity call” so I can help you make way for marketing success!
