As I looked back on the past week and considered the things that got done and the things that did NOT get done, I was reminded of the importance of maintaining a rhythm and routine with respect to activities in three key areas -- activities which, when done regularly, have a major positive impact on my weekly results and achievements. Those areas of activity are:
- Daily New Business Development Activities. As a small business owner, responsible for both the delivery of the services to my clients AND "keeping my plate full" of wonderful clients to work with, it is imperative that I spend a little bit of time EVERY DAY focused on marketing, sales and business development activities. Sometimes it's an hour a day, sometimes 30 minutes and sometimes a couple of hours. The important thing is the routine of doing SOMETHING meaningful and impactful on a daily basis.
- Reaching Out and Giving to My Network on a Daily Basis. My business network is the lifeblood of my business -- current clients, former clients, prospective clients, former colleagues, fellow club and professional organization members, friends, vendors, alliance partners, business partners, advisors, LinkedIn contacts, Facebook friends and Twitter followers. ALL are important, and doing something EACH DAY focused on communicating to members of my networking and/or giving something useful TO network contacts (information, referrals, advice that is asked for, etc.) is absolutely essential developing and growing my business. Many of my best ideas come out of dialogue and communication with my network.
- Planning My Week Ahead of Time - Spending time once each week -- Friday afternoon, an hour over the weekend, or first thing Monday morning -- planning the week ahead helps me to BLOCK OUT TIME for the important tasks, projects, meetings, calls, etc. that need to get done that week. If it's really important and requires a dedicated commitment of time -- 30 minutes to an hour or more -- I put the activity on my calendar to create a place-mark for getting it done. My weekly planning time is critical to helping me stay on track with my goals and objectives and staying focused on the important things.
Two hours PLANNING once a wek, one hour a day (sometimes two) focused on business development, and an hour each day communicating to my network. This is a formula I have found that works for me and produces excellent results. Do I follow the formula every day ... every week? No, I will miss a day here and there, and will abbreviate my weekly planning occasionally, BUT I definitely stay within the spirit and concept of this formula, knowing that it WILL keep me focused on the important things in my business.
All the best to your Career Success!
_______________
Andy Robinson
Career Success Coach
CRG Leadership Institute LLC
239-285-5575
Andy.Robinson@CRGLeaders.com
www.StrategicThinkingPartner.com
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My Passion: "Helping people love what they do for a living and achieve lasting career success!"
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Posted via email from Andy Robinson's Career Success! Career Tip of the Day
Wonderful illustrated information. I thank you about that. No doubt it will be very useful for my future projects. Would like to see some other posts on the same subject!
Posted by: Writing Services | August 18, 2010 at 02:51 AM