Our Three Big Topics:  

Topic 1:  From post-it notes to organized
When I speak, I have often been heard saying  “my business has been held together by post it notes and peanut butter.”  When I started my business (and actually until the last year) I had notes everywhere – post-its, napkins, a calendar, notes on my phone, google drive docs, ½ sheets of paper with ideas – an idea notebook.  Folders in a filing cabinet of ideas. Folders in my google toolbar. Stuff was everywhere – most of it good – dare I say brilliant – but half the time I didn’t even remember where it was.

Listen to the podcast to hear my “not so funny” story about my GoDaddy Account!

What I do now:

  • I have standardized my day in a three ring binder  – and I need to do is flip through it page by page each day to get my stuff done.  Each page is a specific task that gets done every single day.  It goes from the reading I do each morning, (Social Media Examiner), read through goals…manage email.  As I move through the book I move through my day and I get to check off what I get done.  This is the standardized stuff, not the daily stuff.
  • Next, I have a planner pad – you can go to PlannerPad.com to get one. I do not make a penny off of you doing this.  Everything goes in my planner pad – schedule, calendar, what has to be done by area of my business that are one time events or tasks I need to catch-up on.  I keep track of goals there as well as The One Thing I am working on for the week.  Lately I have a small section of things to do on the plane since I have flown four times in the last few weeks, I  like to keep busy and I’m leaving tomorrow for Orlando.  I leave a big section (half of that top line for notes) – these are hair brain ideas that i am not ready to schedule right now and would normally stick on a list or post-it note somewhere.  My Daily things to do list is the middle section – those activities that I am holding myself accountable to completing that day.  My schedule is then in the bottom third of the page under appointments.
  • Lastly, I do have a journal – mostly it is what I want to write down in my book – Hot Mess to Great Success.  As quickly as possible I take those notes and put them into the appropriate place.
  • Here is the link I mentioned from the woman who has a journal or book for everything in her life.  This way I won’t seem quite so psycho.

Topic 2:  Importance of a Procedures manual.

A procedures manual will help standardize what you do, keep you on track, and allow you to start projects and onboard clients & staff with ease.  It should include every single thing that you do – one of my more successful friends even has a procedure for answering the phone in her office.  Create it in a Google Doc with a link in your Google Toolbar to easily access.  Keep the Table of Content nearby for when you want to jot down an important note.

Topic 3:  Do you change your process for the client?

  • In the show I shared my very frustrating story with a client who wanted to dictate how I wrote their social media posts.  I was hired to work on strategy and deliver content.  I quickly learned that I had to follow a long list of ever changing rules that were in direct conflict with good social media.
  • The question I pose is – do you change your process for a client?  I saw that if you have a very large client and are doing custom work you may want to develop custom communication systems.  But you should NEVER go back on your unique brilliance.

So: 

  1. Think about what procedures you want to teach someone else. If you have a procedures manual have you looked at it lately?
  2. Get rid of the post-it notes – create a system that gets you down to as few places as possible to record your notes.
  1.  Think about if you are going to let your clients run your operation.

 

Mindset Adjustment:    Sit in gratitude – I wake up every morning and write down three things I am grateful for – I have this list in a Google Drive sheet so I can even access on my phone when I am away.

Marketing Tip of the week:  Check your page speed on your website.  Click here for the link I mentioned!