Have you scrapped your New Year Resolutions yet?

They can sometimes be fun, or a challenge depending on the outcome you are looking toward.

We all make them, whether we officially name them “Resolutions” or “Goals” but at this time of year it is perhaps the most common time to evaluate how you have progressed over the last 12 months and where you plan to be this time next year!

Resolutions can feel a little like rules, which are often broken if they are made in haste as you “felt you had to” just because it is the beginning of a new year.
 

This year is different for me.  I will set my goals for the next 12 months as I always do, but instead of rushing to get them all finalised on paper over the first few days of January, I am taking time to assess the last 12 months of my business and personal life first.  To take note of the best times, and the “not so” best times and work towards a fabulous 2013.

 

To help me plan the steps to get there I will be attending Alison Bradford’s “Business Breather Session - Kick Ass Goals for 2013” which I am looking forward to:

http://januarybusinessbreather.eventbrite.co.uk/

 

I am also reading “52 Mondays: The One Year Path toOutrageous Success & Lifelong Happiness” by Vic Johnson.  Yes I know it’s an ambitious title, but the biggest goals are best reached with the smallest of steps along the way.

So by all means, write down that list of things you want to get to grips with this year, (I have) as it will be something to look back on to see if you have achieved any of them; but if you only do one thing, make sure it is at the top of your list….. and constantly work towards it.

End of an Era?...or a new beginning?

There is nothing more satisfying then helping a client get through to the end of a project, on time and to their expectations.

 

As a VA, I work alongside a company that install wind turbines – their projects are always time dependant and definitely depend on getting certain things in place and active before another part of the project can move forward.

 

This month has been especially busy in the respect of Government legislation and Feed in Tariff changes.  All projects had to be completed and connected to the National Grid by 30^th November otherwise they would take a decreased FiT rate, which with such large projects, would not have made the clients happy to have missed by a few days.  It is a lovely feeling to hear how relieved and happy they all are this week.

 

It feels slightly like coming to the end of an era though.  We are happy that our clients have completed their projects and the installers can take a rest for a few days/weeks……. but we have plans!  There are open days to organise and many more potential clients that are currently in the planning stages who we are ready to assist when they get the green light!

 

So whilst December may slow down for some people and clients, we are getting ready for the New Year and will be stronger for it!!  How are you planning for 2013 and will you be stronger for it?

What are your positive habits?

They say “An apple a day…..” but will developing positive habits have a positive influence on yourself and your business?  I am a big believer in consistency and routine and I believe the key to success is the development of daily positive actions that over time become a part of your daily routine. What do I mean by this?

When you reach a huge goal or achieve a big success in you work or business, do you actually look at how you achieved it? Was it pure luck that you gained three new clients last month? Was it the hard work you put into following up all those leads that OTHER business people passed onto you? Why did those other business colleagues pass those leads onto you? Well it wasn’t magic….

There is no doubt that you reached those goals by the effort you put in on a daily basis – whether that was turning up early to your networking meetings and working at your “Know, Like and Trust” with fellow members; or making a conscious effort to follow up after those meetings and keeping your promises made during them.

Every large goal has been reached by achieving previous smaller goals and successes; each one building on the previous one and compounding the overall effect over time. The decisions you make within your business give rise to actions which if repeated over time result in you reaching your goals. All very high and mighty you may think….but hang on. If you make the right decisions and work constantly at the actions arising from that decision, you WILL succeed. One bad decision will not always result in a failure….but a series of bad decisions (and actions resulting from them) may do. Make a list of the choices you make and ask yourself if they are moving you towards your goals.

So make that decision to show up to meetings and appointments on time; be prepared with your elevator speech and make sure you follow up on your promises. Be dedicated and your behaviour will show you as dedicated and reliable. Don’t limit your success; develop those positive habit changes now!

Plan Your Admin

Having recently moved house I know how much harder it would have been if I hadn't put some kind of plan into place. From organising the removal van, to arranging the transfer of addresses on utility bills etc., it all needs some degree of planning to succeed. Sometimes things can go wrong of course, but by planning in advance, most problems can be averted. In business we also need to plan; and we take this as a given.

• A business plan is normally a must - how else do you know where your business is heading, and how will you get any financial backing if you need it? • A marketing plan - having a structure for marketing your business helps you to discover who your ideal customers are and how best to sell to them • A social media plan - some businesses even have one of these. To use this useful tool in your business, it works better when you plan it's role. But.... do you plan your admin?? We all have diaries and 'to do' lists galore, but without a plan, jobs and tasks can still get overlooked and forgotten if not careful. Having to compete so many varied tasks each day as a virtual assistant working for a variety of clients, I would certainly forget something if I did not plan the majority of my workload in advance. By giving certain tasks that need completing on a regular basis, a specified diary entry, you are less likely to forget to do them. One step further is to have a virtual assistant to help plan and action your repetitive tasks each month. This leaves you free to work on your business and other major plans, knowing that everything else is being taken care of.



Good intentions?

New Year = lots of good intentions.  In order to stick to what we promise we will achieve, why do we still sometimes (some of us) fail to set goals for ourselves?

One large statement such as “I plan to double the size of my business this year” sounds great, but how are you planning on getting there and achieving what you set out to do, without clear goals to work towards? At that point in time is it even a “SMART” goal??

We all set goals; whether we plan to or not.  Some are huge, others more realistic possibly, but the best way of getting to your desired outcome is to structure the path you take to get there.

So it’s great to set that huge goal, as long as you take steps to get there – one at a time.  Why not break it down into monthly goals which, added together, can create or add up to, potentially doubling your business revenue or sales this year.

Maybe your first month could involve a goal of meeting a certain number of new contacts/prospects.  How many??  Your second monthly goal could be to arrange meetings or to catch up with prospects from last year who you have lost contact with and so on…

Each monthly goal, when reached, will count towards your target.

Finally, if you break it down further into weekly goals, you may find your journey easier and you will hopefully be less likely to give up if you are constantly achieving these smaller goals.

Take a week to view diary.  Title each week with your ideal outcome for that week.  Maybe it is to call 10 contacts that you have not spoken to for a while (but have a reason for doing so – not just for a chat!).  Write down your procedure – how are you going to go about the task?  Note down all the contacts you want to call (a good CRM system will work wonders here as you will have all the details in one place at the touch of a button – you need to speak to me if you have not got a good CRM system in place).  If you require any supplies to reach your goal then they need to be noted down also, e.g.: have you enough printer paper, ink, envelopes if your task is to send out letters.  How long are you going to spend on this? S.M.A.R.T don’t forget!

Most importantly, take notes, so that at the end of each week and month, you can see how your goal was achieved.  Happy goal setting and remember that no goal is too large if you break it down into smaller chunks!



Written in the Stars?

One year ago….

I don’t as a rule, tend to believe in my horoscopes, or even take that much notice of what they say let alone mean.  One year ago I noticed and then read my daily horoscope which struck a cord with me and made me travel the path I eventually took.

It related to my character actually which they often do.  I’m a Virgo, so all the normal traits were in there such as detail (attention to), routine (needing to stick to one), rationality, perfectionism and being highly organised.  These traits are just so me! (Sometimes good, sometimes not so good).

That day I read about how the “details of my life were being emphasised” and that “my regular routine wasn’t necessarily the same old thing”.  It also said “I was seeking new ways of re-inventing myself”!

That week I had decided to go off in a new direction and set up in business for myself.  A scary prospect at the best of times but I had come to that crossroads and realised what I wanted to do with my future.

The final line of that horoscope said “don’t be afraid to shake things up, as the invigoration you will feel will outweigh any fear of change”. 

Well what a year it’s been.  I am now a totally different person as I have learnt so much along the way, embraced that change and although I realised it would be a hard climb, I had the drive and support from so many fellow business owners in the area and beyond, and I believe that has helped me to succeed.

Who will ever know if it was written in the stars?.....