Building a business is no easy task by any means. There are countless things to consider even before entertaining the thought of running a thriving, strong and continually expanding business. Many people are intimidated by the very thought of claiming the massive responsibility that comes with entering any given industry, which is why it is absolutely critical that you are well equipped with the necessary knowledge and tools to be able to navigate successfully within the business world. But, you don’t need me to tell you all of that! As current business owners, I am sure that you are all well aware of what is required in order to run a fully operating business in Australia, or anywhere around the world.
But like everything we have come across, there is always room for improvement. There is always something that could be placed under consideration to improve. It could range from improving products or services all the way to customer service and how the current market and target audience perceives your business. If you have not yet considered the possibility of improving your business, it is highly beneficial to do so in order to adapt to the changing times and increase your business versatility in order to become more relevant and meaningful. After all, with change comes opportunities to think of greater ideas and continually think of solutions to solve everyday problems that are encountered by the general public. Here are some tips that will boost your business this year and make you think why you did not think of them earlier!
1. You manage your time, time does not manage you.
It’s a known fact. Almost all of us are pressed for time each day and feel the pressure of deadlines that slowly (or not so slowly) creep up. Running your own business is a time consuming task, which is why managing your time can actually be a pivotal point in your business life. That is, by organising your tasks and delegations efficiently by planning them out properly, you will notice that you will begin to use your time more wisely and to your advantage. A great rule to go by (and a personal favourite) is to run your business by the rule of two. What is the rule of two you ask? Well, as the name may suggest, the rule of two is a concept where you choose the absolutely most important tasks you have on for the current working day. These two tasks can be placed in your planner or business diary, highlighting and pre-planning what you day will look like with the two main tasks at hand.
This is a proven method to increase productivity and can also be a great rule to pass on to business partners and employees. Without feeling too flustered, the two objectives set for the day will enable you to manage your time more effectively as opposed to all the times you (or others) found yourself running around like a headless chook trying to complete many outstanding tasks. And admit it, most of the time only half or less than half of the task is completed to a satisfactory standard which means more work for you in the future. Planned, steady, calm and cool is key to get the most productivity out of yourself and your staff. Brilliant!
2. Mind over matter. Mental strength can do wonders for positive change.
Most things that are related to your business require a massive amount of mental energy and processing, which is why we need to be conscious of our thought processing and channel our energy to achieve positive outcomes. For those who have the time and have an interest in human psychology, it can be highly effective to read all about the ways in which psychology subsides with business. Have you ever heard of the phrase “think positive thoughts”? By thinking positively, you can unconsciously send a message to yourself to ensure your day is productive, efficient and smooth.
A quick tip that can do wonders is to start the day by visualising. Make an effort to start every working day by shutting your eyes for a brief amount of time, anywhere between thirty seconds to one minute and visualise your ideal day at the office and how you want your day to unfold. This is entirely subjective as everyone has a different version of the “ideal day”, which is why this is a highly personal and unique activity that can be implemented to improve the way you act, think, and behave. Ultimately, the more positive your thoughts, the more likely your achieved outcomes will also be positive. Give it a shot!
3. Broaden your professional circle.
Finding and interacting with relevant business contacts is a great start to building momentum when it comes to broadening your network. It is always a great idea to build relationships with other businesses or individuals that are within your field to share innovative ideas that can make a positive impact to the way you run your own business. In most cases, networking can be a relatively easy activity where many benefits are waiting for you. Especially in today’s day and age, social media has revolutionised the way people connect with friends, associates and other important points of contact, making it even easier. Long gone are the days where business owners had to depend on other business owners to introduce them to other business owners. Wow, sounds a tad complicated but it was essentially the truth.
Join the wave of social media and build your contact list with influential and prominent figures within your selected industry in order to gain new perspectives and potentially gain more clients and sales. It works out great. However, although social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great channels to reach out to other contacts within your field, it also paves way to people losing their human touch and may even seem a little fake. In order to leave a lasting impression and increase the likelihood of your network to be strongly upheld and maintained, make an effort to set aside some time and personally meet over lunch, dinner or coffee in appropriate settings. Modern methods of communication can be greatly beneficial for many things, however it is also important to be mindful to keep traditional forms of contact such as telephone calls, and face to face meetings to keep the human touch and strengthen business relationships.
4. Sometimes change is all you need.
If you feel as though your business is in great need of a jump start or a refreshing new host of services or products, consider changing your currently available products or services. You could also go one up and create all new products and services that are a great solution to your customers and provides them with an even better reason to continue buying from your business over the competitors. This could include re-jigging services and adding more into the packages to ensure your customers get more value, or creating new products that have not yet been launched within your industry. Challenging yourself is always a sure fire way to excel in your field. Even if your idea is not popular amongst the crowds, you will also gain experience and knowledge that you would have otherwise missed out on.
5. Multiple minds are much better than one.
We get it. You have built your business upon countless sleepless nights, hard work and dedication. This can send you into automatically thinking that you may not need the help or suggestions of others, or it may not even occur to you to seek alternative ideas and perspectives when it comes to improving your business. If you want your business to grow at a successful rate, you need to immediately drop such thoughts and beliefs and start consulting with those close to you, or even your clientele base and your knowledgeable employees. At the end of the day, your business offers products or services to a target audience, so what better way to get fresh and exciting new ideas from the consumers themselves?
It is a great way to gather information directly from the source and could therefore be an invaluable contribution to your business. It is always important to remember to sell solutions, not products or services, which is why engaging with your target audience to find out what their needs and wants are could skyrocket your business. Your valuable employees could also significantly contribute to the brainstorming of business ideas, solutions and implementations that could make your business thrive.
Contact MLK Marketing today to find out how to grow your business at a steady and successful rate in order to reach your short and long term business goals. With a versatile range of services including SEO, branding, web design, app development and many more, MLK Marketing is an industry leader with a team of specialists who have extensive background knowledge in helping to improve your business.
