5 Tips to Revolutionize Your Business

By Melanie Benson Strick. © 2004. All rights reserved.

Are you struggling to complete all of the projects on your plate? Do you feel overwhelmed and overworked? Maybe you notice yourself spinning in circles as you try to figure out what to do next. If you are like most entrepreneurs, you started your business to have control over your earning power and to spend your days the way YOU want. But now you find yourself struggling to get it all done.

Webster’s dictionary defines a revolution as:
A sudden, radical, or complete change; a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something: a change of paradigm.

If today doesn’t look the way you want, then revolutionize your business practices. This is the fastest way to make the leap into six (or seven) figure revenue while doubling your time off. Here are 5 tips to get you off the path of struggle and overwhelm and on to the path of success and freedom.

1. Let Go Of Bright, Shiny Objects.
Bright, shiny objects are projects, ideas and opportunities that are tempting you to go astray. They dance around in front of you, distracting your attention from the very projects that are your significant ROI (return on investment) goals. These can include: other people’s ideas and opportunities, short term wins (cash now at the expense of your long-term goals), projects that sound fun but ultimately drain your energy, visibility opportunities that never quite pay off, etc. If you are susceptible to bright, shiny objects, create a “mental opportunity filter” to help you distinguish between a bright, shiny object and a significant ROI.

2. Aim, Fire, Reload.
Once you know what your significant ROIs are, focus your energy on it. Aim your marketing, sales and client fulfillment tactics so they are on-track. Execute (fire) the tactics, evaluate the results, make any changes necessary, and re-execute. Many entrepreneurs “blow it” and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Just because it didn’t work right the first time doesn’t mean it isn’t a great idea. Reloading is important if you truly are focusing on your significant ROI. Don’t give up, aim, fire and reload.

3. It’s All About the Project Plan.
A project plan is the missing link for most entrepreneurs. They get a great idea and start throwing resources, time, and money at it. They have no idea what they should be doing, they just know it is a great idea and want to achieve it. Stop the madness! When you take time to set up a project plan BEFORE you leap into blind activity, you accomplish more with less effort. You will save money. And you will get the golden carrot quicker. Why? Because you will have a plan with action steps that you can complete in a sane and rational manner.

4. Get Rid of the “Yes Man” (Or Woman)
Do you ever find yourself saying yes to someone while inside there is a little voice screaming “No, No, No! What are you doing?!!! You can’t say yes to that!” I think most of us can relate to saying yes when we really want to say no. It might be we are real good at people-pleasing. Maybe we are afraid we will lose money or the respect of others if we don’t say yes. I challenge you to say no to anything that does not support your ROI. Most likely the world will not end, no one will starve, and you will still be liked. Think of it this way – when you say yes to one thing, you are saying no to something else you could spend that time on. Make sure it is worth it.

5. Out With the Old, In With the New.
Have you ever heard the saying “when one door closes, another one opens?” Take a look around you. Do your surroundings, relationships, lifestyle choice and behaviors support the vision you are creating? If not, it is time to clean house. If you have limiting beliefs, toxic situations, non-supportive relationships and environments that aren’t conducive to your new vision of success, it is time to make some positive changes. One clue is to notice what frustrates you repeatedly. Create a “frustrations list.” Then, turn each frustration into an action plan to handle it.