This past week I met with a young woman in her 20s that was considering starting her own business, primarily because she didn’t see another option. Her degree was not relevant to what she wanted to do, her current position pigeonholed her and due to this she didn’t see any opportunities in the current job market.

It reminded me of how I began as a business owner. I started 834 around the age of 27, I had no clue what I was doing and failure was an every day occurrence. So what did I have going for me? Age and inexperience. Quite frankly, I had no idea what I was up against, what it actually took to run a business or how much the government would want a piece of it.

This all worked in my favor.

As we get older, we become more risk adverse and tend to overthink everything. Responsibilities start piling up, we get comfortable and then we become sedentary.

There is nothing in life that truly prepares you for being an entrepreneur or running a business, it is hard, frustrating, terrifying and exhilarating. The fact is, life is short, do what you love. Quit your job, start a business, travel or start a new career. Don’t let age or fear of the unknown stop you.

There are tons of resources out there, and people like myself that will sit down and have a conversation with you. Just ask.

We live in an age where every tweet, post, gram and snap are available for the masses to see. Privacy is at a premium and those at the helm of companies (or countries) are hard pressed to find a balance between public and private.

The sooner business owners, politicians and leaders of the free world accept this, they can use it to their advantage. People utilize social media as a way to connect on a more personal basis with brands. The hard part is the listening. As a company it is up to you to hear your customers, by taking note of what they are saying you are ensuring that you are aware of their pain points, needs and happiness.

Transparency is not a choice, it will happen with our without your permission. You cannot control what individuals say about you, your company or your product. You might succeed in the short term, but in the end the public will prevail.

How will you embrace transparency moving forward?

This past weekend was emotionally charged for a large portion of America and the world. There is no doubt that our nation is in a transition period and we have a choice in how we react.

This reminds me of the endless decisions that have to be made by a business owner on a regular basis. We can choose to approach with negativity or positivity. My goal this year is to look at all decisions as an opportunity for 834 and that how I react is up to me.

As we start out this new week, I think it is important to remember that when faced with opposition we have a choice and it starts with us and our actions. Choose empathy and respond with kindness. You will never make everyone happy, but you can always take pride in how you respond.

Deep thoughts on this Monday morning.

No lie, this is mapped out in our standard operating procedures. I absolutely hate meetings to have meetings, you can feel the productivity just sucked out of your day.

Meetings are a necessary evil of agency life; however there are ways to run a successful, methodical and short meeting that are beneficial to all parties.

Prior to meeting:

• 2 or 3 days prior to the scheduled meeting, send an email that confirms the date, time, agenda, call-in number or location and meeting attendees.

Day of meeting:

• Send a reminder email, reiterate the agenda and any items needed from meeting attendees.

During the meeting:

• State the purpose of the meeting. Be very clear what the expectations are, indicate the time allotted for the meeting, state the agenda again and then move into the first item.
• Stay on topic. After each agenda item, recap action items and move on.
• Take copious notes throughout the meeting. If there are 2 people in the meeting, have one person take notes while the other person leads the meeting.
• End early. Start wrapping up 15 minutes early by asking if there needs to be additional clarification on any items.
• Excuse yourself. If all else fails, stand up and indicate you have another meeting and need to be on your way.

Follow-up:

• Send meeting notes the same day as the meeting and map out action items. Sending notes the same day, keeps the information fresh in everyone’s mind and ensures nothing is missed.

Meetings are a necessary evil, however there are ways to ensure they stay on time and on topic. Share your tips in the comment section.

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein

As a business owner you need to constantly adapt, innovate and be willing to change to remain relevant. Some of the most well-known companies such as Yahoo!, Radio Shack, Sears, etc. are in danger of extinction or are already gone due to their inability to embrace change or their top-heavy leadership.

As a small business, you have the ability to moveHere are some easy ways to take your business to the next level.

Utilize video
Video is by no means new, however the way companies are using it has changed considerably. Video can be a great tool to educate, entertain and engage. Post Monday productivity tips via Facebook Live or interview a thought leader in your community. Be relevant, timely and brief.

Develop processes
As you grow your business, whether in revenue, size or both, it is incredibly important to have your processes mapped out. 834 has standard operating procedures that map out how to run a meeting, writing a blog, developing a marketing strategy and more. Having everyone in your company on the same page will simplify your life, increase productivity, eliminate confusion and more. Trust me, it was worth spending hours and hours and hours creating it.

Create great content
If you want to remain top-of-mind, you must write and share engaging content, often. Sit down with your team and map out ideas for the coming year based on customer pain points, industry trends and company highlights. Shoot for once a week and then move up to twice a week.

Understand and integrate technology into your business
There are a lot of tools out there that can help your business run smoothly. Whether it is project management, sales tracking, social media tools or whatever – be aware of what is out there that can assist you in streamlining a process, then explore and integrate it into your business.

Read
This is a big one. Never stop learning. I am constantly carrying around a business book with me, for that brief moment I have time to read a chapter or two. I’m currently reading a book on creating winning organizational cultures.

Sometimes just setting time aside to think or strategize will keep you sharp, becoming comfortable can be dangerous to a business.

Mondays seem to hang over our heads mocking and taunting us as we enjoy football and relaxing on Sunday before heading back to work. As a business owner, prepping for the work week is incredibly important as we are often pulled in a hundred directions first thing in the a.m.

I created the following routine for myself to feel better prepared when Monday morning hits.

1. Break out tasks per day. What do I need to do each day of the week. This will change as the week progresses, but at least you have an idea of what your schedule holds and can plan accordingly.
2. Schedule emails. To avoid overwhelming and annoying my staff or clients on a Sunday night, I utilize Hubspot’s Sidekick to schedule out emails. I can send updates, confirm meetings and follow-up on outstanding items.
3. Map out my calendar. Depending on my workload for the coming week, I will reserve time in my calendar to get shit done. If I need to follow-up on a press release, put together a proposal, etc. I know I have the time set aside.
4. Read. Sundays are my day to read one of several business books I have started. During the week I am fully focused on meetings, strategy, management, etc. and I don’t have the time to read. Sunday, while watching football, I try to catch up and apply what I am learning to the company.
5. Write. My favorite time to write is Sunday. Whether I am writing for 834, Small Biz Musings or Huffington Post, my head is clearer and I have less distractions on the weekend.
6. Meal prep. Each Sunday I whip together a few meals that I can then take for lunches throughout the week. If you don’t have a crockpot, get one. It is so easy, throw some chicken and ingredients together to cook throughout the day, place in tupperware containers and you are set.

By prepping on Sundays, I am able to increase my productivity throughout the week and feel less overwhelmed. What is your routine?

Repeat after me: 2017 is going to be a great year for you, a phenomenal year, the best year ever.

As a business owner, you set lofty goals for your business whether it relates to customer retention, sales or talent. Where does marketing fall in all of this?

Everywhere.

Communications is meant to walk hand-in-hand to support every goal you set for your business. If you are focused on customer retention in the coming year then work with your marketing team to develop a campaign that outlines client touch points, messaging, communication tools, frequency, timeline, metrics for success and more.

If growing sales is a goal, then develop a plan that targets specific industries or new markets. Bring marketing in at the beginning and involve them in setting goals. The sooner you involve communications in your planning the more successful your efforts will be.

We are experiencing a talent shortage in this country, whether it is skilled labor or other. Companies are all competing for the same talent, how are you standing out? Marketing understands the role messaging, creative, social media and more play in attracting and retaining talent.

You wouldn’t wait until the last minute to set a budget or financial plan for the coming year. Remember that marketing is just as important as it ties into every single business goal you set.

Make marketing a priority in 2017 and reap the benefits.

The first day back after the holidays can be overwhelming. If you are like me, I tried to avoid even thinking about work while I was off, which proved to be fruitless.

How do you retool and refocus after a break? Do you sit down at your desk and then freeze? How are you supposed to get everything done? How do you even get excited about it? Do you immediately get frustrated and want to cry?

Here are my tips for getting back in the swing of things and not dreading all that is on your plate.

1. Office supplies. Purchase a new notebook or planner. I don’t know what it is about office supplies but I get really excited to use which then gets me excited about the tasks I am outlining.
2. Team meeting. On your first day back, ease into it. Convene with the team and chat about priorities, deadlines and life in general. By making sure you are all on the same page, you will feel ready to tackle that to-do list. Ease into the day with some socializing and then get shit done.
3. Make a list. Break out that new notebook and map out what you absolutely have to get done that day. A colleague of mine once said, your top priorities should fit on a post-it note. If your list is any longer, you will get overwhelmed and productivity goes out the window.
4. Out-of-office. Keep your out-of-office on. It won’t hurt for clients to think you are out of the office one more day. This will give you the chance to catch up on tasks and catch-up on emails.
5. Cut yourself a break. You are not going to get everything done in one day and no one expects you to. Be realistic with yourself and give yourself a break.

Take a deep breath. You got this.

Why is it that guilt is an accepted and normal part of a small business owner’s life? I was taking time this past week to reflect on what I would like to improve on in the coming year and the first thing that popped into my head was guilt.

If I take a day off…guilt.

If I go on vacation…guilt.

If I don’t answer a client email immediately…guilt.

Reading a book…guilt.

It seems that every time I don’t do something for the business or I do something specifically for myself, I am overwhelmed by guilt. Why is that?

I associate guilt with failure. If I am not working, I am failing. I am curious if this is a normal feeling for other business owners.

This is something I plan to delve deeper into in 2017. I am going to make it a priority to overcome guilt and embrace me time.

What do you plan to focus on in the coming year?

Don’t worry this isn’t another blog about resolutions that we all know you will never keep. Save yourself the trip to the gym and instead let’s focus on business diversification.

As a small business owner it is hard to find time to strategize and think big-picture, most of our time is filled with putting out fires or actually running the business. It is very easy to get into a rut and just go through the motions, which is why creating business resolutions for the coming year is so important.

This coming year, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and diversify.

1. Adapt. Can you tweak your current offerings to appeal to another audience? For example roll out packages that are specific to small businesses or another industry, such as manufacturing.
2. Can we do more? If you build trusted relationships with your clients, they want to rely on you to provide a full range of services. What customer feedback have your received? Have they asked for more? 834 launched a web division in 2015 due to customer demand, since then we have done a wide range of projects and our reputation has only grown in the digital realm.
3. Are you ahead of the curve? We manage social media, digital and more for our clients which means we need to be on top of technology and any new solutions out there. Dedicate time to researching tools and emerging tech and be sure you are incorporating into your business practices.
4. Sell online. Are you able to offer more online? Ecommerce is booming, is there a way for your business to take advantage of this?
5. Expand. Is there a geographic region where you see potential? Can you roll out services overseas or in another part of the country? If you have one location, should you look at two?

Inc. sums up the need for diversification perfectly:

Smart business owners, like the smart investors, place a high value on diversification. Take time to draw up a good game plan for your company.

Source: Inc., 8 Strategies to Diversify Your Business