Honorée

Do you have an Economy-Proof Business?

I'm hearing lots of sentences that include the words, "based on the current economy ..." followed a lot by "I'm not able to ... (find business, do business development, buy gas)."

Here are some ideas for creating a business that takes note of, but is not particularly negatively affected by the ups and downs of the market ...

Do the business creating activities that are proven to work. These will include marketing (ezines, phone calls, pitch meetings, follow-up, lunch & drink meetings, etc.), taking great care of your current clients, making the "ask." Determine your top 3 activities and do them every day.
Do them consistently, not perfectly. If you aim to be in touch with 5-15-25 warm prospective clients and strategic partners a week. Even if you only reach out to 1, that's more than you would have done before. (Note: 25 will get you where you want to go faster.)
Focus on the positive. I've turned off the news and started reading more. If you get what you focus on, focus on what you want to get! And, you already know gas is expensive so you can do without being reminded of that fact twice a day.
Look for your top 3 opportunities - the ones you were missing when you were really busy. Start taking advantage of those opportunities.
Remember, there is still business being transacted - you might as well be the one doing it!

Start there - soon you will be back in the swing of a busy business or practice.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

When was the last time you had a vacation?

When you took this vacation, was it an uninterrupted, relaxing, and recharging visit to a location of your choosing? With your family? While your office left you alone?

I didn't think so. Would you like to?

I have my clients do "the vacation exercise." At your earliest opportunity, get your spouse and family together - and grab your calendars. You'll want to do this pre-vacation scheduling for the next 12 months - so you'll need to know when your kids have time off from school.

Step 1 - Get Excited: Make a wish list of possible vacation (or staycation) destinations. Identify three (3) 7-10 days periods per year that are available for you to travel, as well as three or more 3-day weekends you can use to get away or stay in your own city to rest and recharge. I'm dying to visit Austin, TX, Vancouver and Chicago over long weekends ... my trips to Costa Rica and DisneyWorld will be week-long sojourns of delightfulness.

Step 2 - Get Organized: Decide "when" you want to go "where" and mark it on your calendar(s).

Step 3 - Commit: Purchase your plane tickets and make your hotel reservations. You can visit your intended destinations online and when appropriate, order a visitor's guide.

Step 4 - Set Expectations: Before going on each trip, notify our fellow partners, clients, colleagues and anyone else who needs to know: You will be gone. You will be unavailable. If they need to speak to someone regarding an emergency, tell them who is handling their case/account/order. Let them know when you'll be returning (so they can give you a ride home from the airport). By setting these expectations in advance, you'll be able to get away with the feeling of having a low-level of stress and a high level of enjoyment.

You will be better at your job if you take the time to rest and recharge. This will avoid burnout and give your gray matter much-needed time-off. While you're gone, be sure to send me a postcard (and have an adult beverage).