Written By: Andy Ogg, Editor and Sales and Marketing Director – Travel Professional NEWS
Last month we talked about the first 3 steps into making 2018 the year in which you better your business and yourself. Those 3 things covered in January were:
Step 1 – Motivation
Step 2 – Action
Step 3 – Prioritization and Focus
In this two part series, we are going to move forward and look at the last 3 steps that not only are going to better your business but offer the ability to better yourself as well because as an entrepreneur, we are our business.
Step 4 – You Time
No matter the day, week or month, no matter how overwhelmed you are with tasks, work or life, it’s absolutely imperative for you to invest in you. A happy mind, body and soul can do wonders when it comes to your business and the simple investment in you can be our highest returning investment of 2018.
Whether it’s a vacation to a tropical beach or simply taking a day off to do the things that make you smile. Making the time and investing in yourself will provide great success in your business. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed out that your sales fall? Well, that isn’t just a coincidence and they will continue to be affected unless you find the peace you need to enjoy your work and life.
One of the things that helps me invest in me is to go surfing. It costs about $8 dollars to get into the water including gas to the coast and wax for my surfboard but the return is absolutely overwhelming. It clears my head, grounds my soul and allows for me to “wipe” the slate of stresses away thus clearing the plate for a fresh outlook. To this day, I think of surfing in the Pacific Ocean as a haven and every opportunity I have to get out there, I take. The unread emails, missed calls and messages can wait, because my responses and how I handle those responses will be much more favorable with a positive outlook and peaceful mind.
Step 5 – Never Stop Learning
As an individual and entrepreneur, it’s easy to take the road travelled sometimes but I pose the question, is that the best road? Most likely, it’s not. As technology increases its influence in our lives, opportunities abound with new and innovative ways to complete tasks. Whether it’s tracking your clients, operating your day to day or even staying in touch with past clients, I challenge you to look at each part of your business in 2018 and look for a better way of doing it.
Change is never easy at first but more often than not, it will provide you benefits that extend far into the future. Recently, our family has been working on restructuring our business and in doing so, some challenges have surfaced such as financial tracking. I have used Excel spreadsheets to track finances for over 10 years and with this restructure, we were faced with the opportunity to automate this tracking, which is truly terrifying at first thought. However, after some education and investments of time, I am elated to say that a process that I once did has been completely wiped from my day. No longer will I be shifting through receipts, tracking mileage and updating my “old faithful” spreadsheet which has already freed up about 2 hours through my week.
I challenge you to look at your business and look what options may be out there to streamline your processes because with all of the amazing technology out there, I can almost guarantee you that there is a better way to do it. You just have to find it.
Step 6 – Check Up
There is a reason that we go to the doctor for our annual check up, it’s to make sure that everything is working as it should in ourselves. Business is no different and deserves the same attention, review and investment of time. Step back once a month and review how your business is doing. Some questions to consider are:
Am I on track with my goals?
What ways can I better my business?
Am I happy with how my business is doing?
What things can I work on next week / month?
What is one thing can I improve on for next month?
Is my business focused on my speciality?
A check up cannot only make sure you are headed in the right direction, but it can also help to ensure that you stay focused and on point with the tasks at hand. It’s easy to lose track of a goal when the day to day operations consume your time. Make sure to invest the time and check up on your business.
I hope that your 2018 is already off to a fantastic start and that you and your business are on the road that fits your goals. Don’t forget, above all, to have fun because being an entrepreneur in this industry is quite possibly the best job in the world!
Until next month, Happy Travels!