Business - Ensuring Your Business is Strong - Five Important Things to

Business - Ensuring Your Business is Strong - Five Important Things to Do Every Day

Dr. Linda Hancock

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Hancock has written a regular weekly column entitled “All Psyched Up” for newspapers in two Canadian provinces for more than a dozen years. Over the years, her readers and clients have said that they have benefited from her common-sense solutions, wisdom, and sense of humour. Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice in Medicine Hat. She can be reached at 403-529-6877 or through email office@drlindahancock.com

Published

September 21 2009

The world has so many distractions and it is very easy to become overwhelmed with them rather than the things that will keep your business strong. Five specific things will help you to stay on track if done every day. They only take a few minutes each but have definite rewards.

1. RETURN ALL CLIENT TELEPHONE CALLS AND CONTACTS - Even leaving an interesting voice mail message is better than ignoring clients. Rather than merely stating "I am returning your call", say something that will same time or be helpful for the client. For example, "I received your request for an appointment and have openings on Tuesday at 2 pm and Thursday at 9 am. I will tentatively mark you in for both and look forward to you leaving me a message today with your choice".

2. MAKE A BANK DEPOSIT - No matter how much you enjoy your work, the bottom line is to have profit and develop a good credit history. Making a deposit each day keeps shows ongoing financial health and can save you interest charged on your business line of credit. Remember, this is YOUR money and YOUR reputation.

3. COMPLETE YOUR FILE NOTES - It is far easier to remember what you and your client did before the day ends. Documenting not only helps you feel a sense of organization but also prevents you from facing embarrassment if you are called into Court or your cases are reviewed.

4. TIDY YOUR WORK AREA - Quickly cleaning off your desk, putting files away and ensuring that things are neat will give you and your clients a "fresh start" the following day. It is very difficult to walk into a room that looks like a bomb went off. Also, your work area is a reflection of you and your values.

5. DO ONE THING TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS - Marketing can easily get lost in busy days. Whether it is calling a referral source, researching a networking group or even tweeting a 140 character message, you will need to reach out to new possibilities. Files will close over time and if you do not have new clients, your business will die. Be creative and consistent in your promotion activities.

It is true that the little things make a difference. You will likely never get everything done but developing some order and good habits will help you to focus on the most important things and develop a sense of confidence that comes with established routine.