Always remember,  it could be worse.....

A few minutes a day is all it will take.  Yet most of us will use the excuse that we just don’t have any more time to cram into our daily schedules or we have other pressing issues that need our “immediate” attention.  The problem is that we have made every issue a pressing issue and of the utmost important that as a result, we spend too much time working in our business instead of on our business. The downside to the instant flow of information in the business world we now live and work in have giving us the perception that the busier we are the more effective and successful our business will become.

When is the last time you silenced your phone, closed your email, sat with a pen and paper (or Word doc if you so choose) and really thought about your business.  What is going well and what needs improvement?  Where do you want your business to be in the next 3-5 years?   It can be a daunting task to say the least if you are trying to cram all of your thinking and planning into one brainstorming session.  Instead, why not try the following exercise: Take 10 uninterrupted minutes (no email, phone) every day to focus on your present and future business by doing one or more of the following exercises:

1.  Analyze your web site to see if there are any areas that can be altered to be more attractive to both your potential customers and search engines.
2.  Focus on your social media presence by sending out one quality Tweet, Facebook post or YouTube video each and every day. The goal is to use the social media platform to expand your brand.
3.  Research your competitors to find out how they are attracting and keeping their customers. What is their go to market strategy?
4.  Spend the time reading an industry specific article or book to gain further insight on your industry.  Even if you are not the industry leader, the goal is to be a resource for your customers to turn to.
5.  Focus on personal development by reading an article or book on leadership, sales or marketing.

The reality is there will always be more work that needs to be done, issues that come up and the pressure to squeeze more activities into the work day. We often fool ourselves by letting every issue, task, and deadline blow up and become a “hair on fire” crisis. We need to always remember, our goal each and every day is to work on our business and not just in our business.