Happy New Year!

I’m sure you’ve spent some time over the Christmas break planning your goals – both personal and business – for this upcoming year (I know I have!) The thing with goals is the amount of pressure we put on ourselves trying to achieve them… we are our own worst enemy, especially when it comes to business goals!

We need to get into the mindset that if we haven’t achieved a specific goal, rather than think of it as a failure, think of it as an opportunity to change the outcome. Below are 3 signs that you might need to start looking at how you do things in your business and remember… it is never too late to make changes in your business.

1. Feeling tired / overwhelmed.

Even though the new year has only just started if the thought of your workload is already filling you with dread then you’re doing too much!

  • Take a look through your schedule and see if there are any areas you can delegate or outsource.
  • If you’re still determined to do it all yourself then make sure you schedule time in your calendar to deal with the admin side of your business.
  • Don’t book client appointments back to back for days on end – it will only add to your overwhelm!

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

MARIA ROBINSON

2. Your emails are never-ending.

If you spend hours each night going through your emails but your inbox is still full by the time morning comes around, then you need to change how your email works for you.

  • Set up filters so specific emails go straight into a certain folder.
  • If you haven’t already set up aliases to deal with certain areas then do! For example, enquiries@ or accounts@ – use these addresses to deal with enquiries & accounts then the replies will go to that address instead of your generic one.
  • Set up an autoresponder to let people know that you respond to emails within a certain amount of hours or working days etc. That way people won’t expect you to reply straightaway.

If you use Gmail this great infographic lists a load of helpful tips and shortcuts to help deal with your inbox overwhelm.

“Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.”

PETER DRUCKER

3. Your cash flow has slowed.

Or worse, it’s dried up completely! This could be due to you not having the time to issue invoices or chase up payments, look at the best way for you to deal with this:

  • You could set up an automated booking/scheduling system so clients make their own appointments online and have to pay the amount in full or a deposit upfront.
  • If the automated booking system doesn’t work for you then you could set up automated invoicing using one of the many online accounting systems available (I use Kashflow and have done for years!)
  • If you don’t want to go down the automated route then make sure you schedule time in your calendar to manage the invoicing or credit control side of things. Set an hour aside each week to go through your previous appointments and invoice accordingly, and create an email template you can use each time to chase any late-payers.

The above are all signs that maybe you’re trying to do it all yourself… which is okay, but please remember you’re not superwoman! Don’t overbook yourself or spread yourself too thinly, clients will still be there tomorrow.  Take breaks, and if possible schedule some self-care time.

Remember your business is you… without you there is no business!