21 Ways to Uplevel Your Business and - - Life
This weekend, I did something I very rarely do: Stayed away from the computer. I didn’t fire it up for client communication, nor lead generation. I didn’t work on building more courses and I didn’t answer questions.
And guess what? The world didn’t end!
Instead, I feel absolutely PUMPED about working today and know that it will be an incredibly productive day.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to share with you 21 tips for how YOU can increase productivity within your business.
Get creative with your implementation. Your business is unique because YOU are unique. Show that authenticity to your audience and they will flock to you, especially if you’re in touch with what they need.
These suggestions will help you develop ways to grow your business as well as take care of yourself and create new, productive habits.
1. STOP Ignoring Your Email List
Your email list is your lifeline to customers who spend money with you as well as those prospects who weren’t quite ready to make a purchase. Once they leave your website, if you don’t grab their email address, those prospects are gone forever.
Get in the habit of creating an editorial calendar and emailing your list at least once per week. Four times each month your prospects will see your name again and learn something useful from the content you share. Limiting your contact to just once a month or less is like asking them to unsubscribe from your list. They won’t remember your name and they won’t care about what you’re sharing. Keep engaging with your list.
2. Change Your Habits
We all have some bad habits, from biting our nails to watching too much tv. But which of these bad habits are affecting your business? It’s time to acknowledge them and make small, consistent changes so you can focus more on growing your business.
I know you’re pressed for time every day, but the book Atomic Habits teaches how to create new habits in as little as a few minutes each day. The theory is amazingly easy to implement – simply do something little for a minute or two each day. Over time, you won’t have to think about this simple change anymore as it will be a new habit. Over time, you’ll have more positive habits than bad ones and you’ll notice a change in your attitude and business acumen.
3. Take a Mental Health Day as Needed
Mental health is an important topic but not just for those with a specific diagnosis. Sometimes the stress of running your own business becomes too much and you’ll suffer from illness, fatigue, headaches, or will simply want to throw in the towel.
Instead of becoming a slave to your business, learn to take time off as you need it, to simply recharge your brain and to find joy in life again. No matter how you envision your day off – binging on Netflix movies or going on a nature walk in the woods – taking time for YOU is vitally important. Remember that airplane safety reminder: Put the mask on yourself first before helping others. In this case, take time off for yourself so you can better run your business and serve your clients.
4. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Certainly, you’ve heard the definition of insanity – doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results. Your comfort zone is where you’re safe. You know the routine and you’re somewhat happy with the results. You don’t face risks inside your comfort zone. This safe space is what makes it easy and enjoyable going to work.
But are you experiencing the business growth you want inside your comfort zone? Are you attracting new clients? Are your group programs filling up? Are you selling enough of your products? If the answer is no to any of these questions, then you need to mix things up and step outside that comfort zone.
Maybe that means trying a new marketing tactic. Maybe you need to re-engage with your email list and your social media followers. Maybe you need to reach out to influencers and pitch a joint venture idea. Sometimes you just need to take a risk to know if it’s the right choice for your business and for you.
5. Embrace Good Health
Just as you want to take of your mental health, taking care of your physical health is equally important. Most coaches live a very sedentary lifestyle being at the computer all day or on the phone with clients. But we all know that a sedentary lifestyle can lead to terrible illnesses and diseases, some of which can be life threatening.
Going back to our small habits, start small with making these changes. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere, even if you work at home. Make sure that bottle is within reach so you’re not searching for juice, seltzer, coffee, or soda. Next, schedule break times so you can take a walk outside, do some sit ups or pushups, or some simple yoga poses.
Another great habit to start that affects your health is meal planning. Search healthy recipes on Pinterest and take out any frozen foods the night before to defrost. You don’t need a 5-course gourmet meal to be healthy. Choosing easy recipes and planning the next day’s dinner the night before goes a long way to being organized and healthy.
6. Wake Up 20 Minutes Earlier
Let’s plan a way to make your morning routine less chaotic. The easiest way is to wake up 20 minutes earlier and to swear off hitting that snooze button. Just think how much you could accomplish in that 20 minutes!
The key is to NOT pick up your phone to scroll Facebook or to play games. You’re aiming to create productive habits, so doing a simple exercise, making your coffee, journaling, eating breakfast, or reading a spiritual or personal development book are wise choices. Even if you jumped in the shower 20 minutes earlier means you could enjoy it more than racing to beat the clock.
7. Go to Bed Earlier
On the flipside to waking up earlier, how about you go to bed earlier and aim to sleep for 8 hours each night. We often think of babies and toddlers needing so much sleep but the same is true for adults. Research has shown that adults benefit the most from 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
What keeps you up till the late hours anyway? Are you watching mindless tv? Catching up on work? Snuggling with your significant other? You can still do those things, just aim to do them earlier in the evening. Or look into purchasing a DVR to record your favorite shows or watch them on demand the next day.
If you’re prone to waking up during the night, try melatonin (a natural sleep aid) and keep all electronics out of the bedroom; the blue light emitted hurts your sleep pattern, making you feel more tired in the morning.
8. Unplug for a Whole Weekend
When was the last time you truly unplugged from work? Can you go for a whole evening without checking your phone?
If unplugging for a whole weekend gives you sweaty palms, start by keeping the phone and computer turned off after business hours. Be present with your family or friends after hours. Pick up an old hobby. Go to the gym. Partake in whatever activity gives you joy and a sense of calm after work. The same problems will be there when you wake up in the morning. The difference, however, is you’ll be less stressed and better able to think up solutions after an evening or weekend without work.
9. Listen to Inspirational Podcasts
If your calendar is so jam packed that you can’t find time to read business articles or personal development topics, consider downloading some podcasts to listen to while driving, at the gym, or doing yard work.
Podcasts are portable and come in all different genres, so you’ll have a wide range of titles to choose from. Ask friends for recommendations or simply browse through the categories on iTunes or Stitcher. And if you need a complete break from anything business, look for podcasts related to your favorite sport or team, politics, comedy, inspiration, faith, or anything in between.
10. Participate in Bundles to Grow Your List…and Your Business
Bundles can be packaged in a few different ways but are awesome ways to grow your list. The first scenario is when a host will gather contributions from multiple people or vendors and will sell access to all the products in one bundle price. The host receives all the earnings, but the contributors gather email addresses from those who purchased the bundle and want to download their product.
Another way to run a bundle is to gather all the products from contributors and then charge a small nominal fee for each product the customer wants to download. Here, each contributor is earning a fee plus collecting the email addresses.
Neither way is better than the other but they both offer a way to grow your email list. When you start contacting your list regularly, your bundle purchasers may just become your next client (or two).
11. Combat Stress by Combining Nature and Health
When stress takes hold of your body, the best way to dispel it is to move your body. Sitting still and worrying tends to make matters worse, with your brain going into overdrive and thinking of the worst possible scenario.
Many intuitive leaders also believe that being outside helps one stay grounded to the earth, which helps alleviate stress and worry. What better way to eliminate stress while taking care of your body than to combine nature and health into a fun activity that will take your mind away from your troubles.
Have you heard of goat yoga? It’s seriously a real thing where people set up their yoga mats at a farm and are joined by goats. It’s a mix of yoga and animal therapy! Another unique yoga experience is paddleboard yoga where yoga is performed on a special paddleboard while on the water. The sound of water has a calming effect, as does the yoga itself, so combined I imagine your stress just melts away.
12. Find an Accountability Partner
Sometimes you just need to run an idea off someone you trust. Or you need that validation that yes, you ARE on the right track. An accountability partner can be the perfect person to be the voice of reason, especially for those solopreneur coaches who work from home an may have a limited social circle in real life.
A good accountability partner will hold your feet to the fire, following up on what you said you would do for the week, and questioning why those things didn’t get done. This type of partner wants you to succeed but will also be blunt and call you out on excuses instead of letting you keep making them week after week as your business sits, idling instead of growing.
13. Attend Live Events
Networking! It’s a necessary evil if you want to build your business and what better way to network with a large group of people at once than to attend live events. If you’re cringing at the idea of attending a huge conference with thousands of people, then start small with a local networking group or a simple Meet Up or coffee clutch with like-minded people. Or look into joining your Chamber of Commerce and getting involved in their events.
I have no doubt that you’re a pro at networking and talking to people online via groups and social media but that will only go so far. Building those one-to-one relationships is what will make people really remember you and want to hire you or refer you to their friends. If you know someone else going to an event, plan to meet up so you know at least one familiar face. Then just turn on that smile and be yourself.
14. STOP Hiding in the Shadows and Promote Yourself
Ah, the safety of the computer keyboard! I’ll admit it’s easy to do your work, put up a few social posts, then settle back in to do more work in your cozy office. But is that really growing your business? Are you the face of your business? When was the last time you really engaged with your audience? Does your audience know what you do?
Come out of the shadows and introduce yourself. Use your social posts for more than sharing random articles. It’s completely fine to promote your stuff! Mix in some questions and go out of your way to comment on other people’s posts but social media is meant to be SOCIAL – it’s not meant to schedule everything and then hope for results.
If you find social media is a rabbit hole, then create a schedule, or set a timer for how long you can scroll and interact. When the timer goes off, so does the social site and you can move on to your next task.
15. Publish a Book
Talk about instant credibility! When you claim the title of “published author” or “Amazon bestselling author” people instantly pay more attention. It’s like you have a giant spotlight on you, because you must really know your stuff to have a published book.
While the actual writing and publishing takes time, published books can be used to draw attention to your business; they can help you earn speaking gigs; and they can get you in front of the media. All these avenues will help grow your business because you’ll be in front of more people than before you became a published author.
16. STOP Complaining on Social Media
If you have a problem, especially a business-related problem, why go to social media to air your grievances? It’s bad enough when random friends talk smack about their work or their spouses; but complaining about a client or a type of work you’re doing certainly reflects poorly on your business.
Think of it this way…a prospect starts following you, interested in one of your group coaching programs. You encounter a tough client and start complaining on social media. How do you think your prospect will feel, knowing that even though you didn’t say this client’s name, you’re still frustrated with this person? Would you sign up with a coach who acted this way?
We all have tough days, but this would be an instant where you complain privately to your accountability partner to get it off your chest. Be picky about what you put on social media because you never know who’s watching.
17. Deliver What You Promise
No matter what you’re delivering – a group coaching program, a product, or a one-to-one consultation – always be clear on what you’re promising and follow through. Clients who leave the program feeling like they were ripped off will not speak kindly of you AND they will likely request a refund.
When in doubt, overdeliver. Don’t give a few simple details in a product in the hopes that you’ll upsell them to a more expensive product. You’ll only trash your credibility and your unhappy customers will likely bash you on social media. Deliver enough so your customers tell their friends about you.
18. Ask for Referrals and Testimonials
Before you make an online purchase, do you look for reviews of the product? Most people want some reassurances that they won’t fall victim to a scam and that the product will do what it says in the description.
Testimonials do the same thing for those who offer services. Your current and former clients will be your best advocates because they have experienced your coaching style or gone through your classes. They can provide details and explain how you helped them. Their stories will help convince prospects that you are the best person to help.
Referrals are a bit different, in that current or former clients may give you the names of others in their circle who you should connect with. They may be potential new clients, JV partners, or maybe just a business associate or industry influencer who you can learn from. The idea is to spread your name far and wide, and asking for referrals will eventually lead you to people who can help grow your business.
19. Create a Vision Board
Your business can’t grow unless you have specific goals in mind. Where do you want to be in 5 years? What’s your mission? What type of lifestyle do you want to live? These types of questions are typical goals many add to vision boards, which are a visual representation of what they want out of life.
Use online photos or magazine photos to create a board that speaks to you. Hang it in a prominent place in your office to remind yourself of WHY you work so hard every day. Make it a piece of art and hang it prominently instead of hiding it inside a drawer. Understanding your goals and what you want out of life will motivate you to work harder.
20. Create a Mindmap
Another way to visually represent your business goals and vision is to create a mindmap. Instead of using photos, mindmaps use simple bubbles (or other shapes) to connect your business goals with specific ideas or milestones. This representation shows how each of your goals are connected and how your business can grow as a result of meeting these goals.
Mindmaps are also much more specific, with each product title/idea laid out and linked to a specific milestone. If you prefer more detailed info, use a mindmap. If you like a more general representation of your desired life, use a vision board. There’s no right or wrong; just choose the one that inspires you the most.
21. STOP Making Excuses or Playing the Blame Game
Read any news story these days and you’ll notice that personal responsibility is severely lacking in society. It’s always someone else’s fault; rarely does the story portray someone who admits that they were in the wrong.
Instead of making excuses for why things don’t work or why your company isn’t bigger than someone else’s company, stop for a moment and take responsibility for the decision you have made. Unless you have a business partner who is a bully, you are solely responsible for your business success – or lack thereof.
It’s not time for a pity party; it’s time to regroup, learn from mistakes, and start making different decisions. Test out new marketing tactics, release a new program or class, and track the responses you receive. You might be surprised at how people respond and that could make you excited about your business again.
Freedom is being able to take your business in new directions. You don’t need permission or approval. Simply test new strategies and track those results. In the meantime, take care of yourself because a healthy and joy-filled leader will make better decisions and will take the calculated risks necessary to grow their business.
