There are a few things that every business needs to have right away (a business banking account; a way to track income and expenses; a dedicated place to work, etc.). Once those are in place, each business owner should make their own checklist of “best next steps” and set off to tackle them one by one.
Here’s where I recommend you start👉: Consider the problems first (and be honest about what it will take to fix them).
This may seem a bit backwards. But the “messes” need to be fixed FIRST☝️. Otherwise, you’re spending time ⌚ and money 💵 in the wrong place.
Problems Slow 🐢 You Down
As your business grows, your messes will grow right along with it if you don’t fix them! Fix the problems NOW – while you have the time to do so!
Here are some examples of messes that escalate as your business grows:
- Your email inbox 📥. I can hear the groans! If you’re having trouble keeping up with your inbox now, think about what happens when you reach your dream, and your business doubles or triples in size! So, take the time now to figure out a system to manage your inbox.
- Your contact 😎 list. You have business cards 📇 piled all over your desk, a Gmail account, a business email address, and a ton of LinkedIn and Facebook contacts. Keep all your contacts in one place. Create a system, and keep it up to date.
- Your finances. It’s important to know whether you’re making money 💰. You might have more time than money when you’re just starting out. But as you get busier, you’ll want to make sure that you’re not losing money on your efforts. Either take the time to figure this out now, or find yourself a capable financial resource who can come in and sort things out for you.
Messes are as individual as the person who made them – but they’re all 💯 fixable! Make a list 🧾 of all your messes and prioritize them according to how much time (and money) they’re wasting and how much they’re holding you back.
Then either hire someone 🙋 to help you handle them, or make a list of actionable steps to get them under control. Get rid of them one by one ✔️ so you can be bigger, more efficient, work less, and make more money! Yay! 😺