Some people are stronger at things than others. That’s what makes business so magical. Before you get into new collaborations, take some time to get to know your own personal SWOT. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Strengths are things you are good at.

Weaknesses are things you suck at.

Opportunities are circumstances that make something possible

Threats are things that could cause person or professional damage

Make a list of characteristics you have for each area. Then look for people that don’t have the same profile as you do. Choosing those who are strong at your weaknesses and vice versa makes business grow under the partnership. If you have to people that love to sell and are horrible at details, unless you can find someone to do the details, you’ll just have bigger problems collectively. Have your partner do a SWOT analysis themselves and then compare with each other.

The mistake I see a lot of people make is that they try to get good at what they suck at. What they should do is just focus on what they are good at and find partners that are good at the other parts. For me, I’m a starter, not a finisher. I get my jump from building new business models, developing the cash flow process, and building out the systems, then I want a partner who can run the ball and keep me in the loop, but do what they do. If I find another starter, all we are going to do is start things and not finish them. Every good partnership has two sides that reflect one another, but have different skill sets. This is where collaboration gets very exciting. Birds of a feather, might flock together, but they rarely make money together.

Cheers,

Chris.

www.ghostceo.com

Whenever you feel like you are getting in your own way, take out a journal and start the following exercise. Try to come up with as many as you can for each question:

1. What are some of the recent situations when I’ve wanted to say something to someone, but bit my lip rather than speaking my mind?
2. Why did I choose not to engage?
3. How did I feel about not engaging? Empowered? Like a wimp? Frustrated? Resentful?
4. Do I feel like I have a voice in business, or do I curb my comments so as not to rock the boat with clients, staff, colleagues?
5. What is the downsize of being truthful? Is it better to lie to those I work with or be known as being honest?

I used to spend a lot of time considering my words carefully to those I worked with, but I’ve gotten past it because it is too much work. I’d rather losers piss off, then me gracefully tell them about their shortcomings. Some might say I’m too direct, too blunt, and maybe I don’t consider the feelings of others. I guess I’m not looking to work with people who want me to be Suzy Sunshine. I spent too many years tweaking my words only to find that when I spoke my mind, the right people came into my sphere and the wrong ones pissed off. This is a good thing. I’m not asking you to tell all your asshole clients they are assholes (but if you did, I’d be proud). Instead start writing down the things you are thinking but not saying. Getting your thoughts down on paper can have a powerful effect and who knows…maybe those words on paper will come to life one day. Remember, you are in control of how you engage with people. Give respect to those who respect you and don’t mince your words with losers. A rose by any other name is a rose and a loser by any other description is still a loser. Don’t let your thoughts hold you back. The truth will set you free.

In my last post, I emphasized the importance of using your time according to the 80/20 rule, where you focus your efforts into your most profitable efforts. But how do you know which efforts are really paying off?

You’re going to have to log all your activities and how much time you spend doing non-productive work. For that, you’re going to need a spreadsheet.

Put together a simple Excel grid with two columns showing time range and the type of activity. Start recording the actual work that you do, going into some detail as to the types of tasks involved. This will help a lot later, when you’re not just focusing on what activities provide the most benefit, but also how efficiently you’re doing them. There may be ways to reduce the number of steps to produce virtually the same output.

If you’re being interrupted, record that as well – who’s doing the interrupting, who called you on the phone, who instant-messaged you, why you left your desk and so on.

Do this for at least one day, though if your week varies significantly, you may need to do this exercise for the entire period. This will also help you to arrange more consistent routines.

Finally, you get to the most important part – go through the logs you’ve recorded and note the activities that are providing a real measurable benefit to your business. This can also be the hardest part. You may want to consult with a business coach or time management expert to provide feedback on the best use of your time that you’ve recorded.

Now you’re on your way to designing a better time management system that you can use for the long term. You know what to do. There’s no time to waste.

Linda Chu
CEO – Out of Chaos, Professional Organizing Solutions
www.outofchaos.ca

This month, I’m going to share with you some of the tools that you can implement now so that next summer, you can take a major part (if not all) of the summer off. I’ve tried to take a summer off before, but because business development is fun for me, I start to ‘Jones’ for it, if I’m not doing it. Instead, what I do is ensure my existing models are running on their own and work on new projects from the picnic table, the poolside, during a bike ride, or while having a beer.

The magic in being able to do this is that you need to automate your communications systems with the markets you are already servicing. The first tool I want to introduce (or re-introduce) you to is the eNewsletter. These are electronic newsletters that are sent to your mailing list on a monthly basis. Campaign Monitor and Constant Contacts are the main ones, but there are a variety of services that offer this type of delivery. The Ghost CEO uses Campaign Monitor, which has been tweaked by our webmaster, Christine Rondeau of Blue Lime Media. We send out the newsletter normally in the last third of each month and have about 300 new people a month signing up off the Ghost CEO website. What’s nice about this program is you can write your content and schedule it to come out at a later date. Imagine sitting down in April and writing four months of content in a single sitting. Now you are have newsletters going out each month and you aren’t looking at them again until September. The market gets regular communication and you get a tan.

Here are some things that guide how we put our newsletter together:

1. A quotation that reflects the theme of the month
2. A story (or example) of a lesson on theory that we want readers to consider that month. Anything from getting over your fear, to competing with big companies. Something that takes away the B.S. of traditional business and makes it easy.
3. A best practices idea for building business
4. Suggested reading or web resources, or both
5. Any updates about our coaching model, from one-on-one, to group, to our new ePACKS.
6. A final thought

Our goal is for it to be a quick pick-up for readers. They can scan it in under 3 minutes and explore the components later, depending on what interested them. Don’t make it a ‘pimp’ piece selling your stuff. Show value and if people are interested, they will go in for more. Remember that automation is in place to save you time and money. Explore these different eNewsletter tools and consider how they can keep your market engaged while you are drinking a frosty summer drink! Sweat by the pool, not over your desk.

Best,

Chris.

p.s. Here is a link to our last one if you are interested.

Going all in can be a scary concept. It’s a stretch for your comfort zone, as we discussed last week, it’s a stretch for your ego (anything outside of what you’re doing today is ‘dangerous’ as far as your ego’s concerned), it can be a stretch for your bank account in some cases and even personal relationships can be stretched as a result of going ‘all in’. That’s why your 100% commitment and passion is required, otherwise it’s not a big enough goal, dream or aspiration. If you aren’t ready to go full out, no matter what to accomplish whatever your ‘all in’ is,then don’t start in the first place. 

I remember my coach years ago saying to me “most people tiptoe through life, hoping to make it safely to death” – what a great statement, and it’s so true. Most adults are so stuck in their comfort zone, afraid to make a mistake, choosing caution at every opportunity that they safely end up at the end of their life. RRSP’s in tact, house paid off, 365 papers read/year, ok, so maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, but, you get my point.

Human beings are driven by energy and energy comes from passion. Get clear on the things that excite you, don’t get talked out of going ‘all in’ by your ego or those in your life who can’t see your vision. Commit 100% with the knowledge that if you make a mistake, get hurt, lose money, whatever it is that you fear might happen, you can pick yourself right back up and keep on going.

Death is inevitable, but, how you live while you’re alive is YOUR choice. Are  you ready to go ‘all in’?

All the best,

Heather White, CEO 2020 Communications Inc.

With the theme of New Beginnings and the spirit of the New Year in the air there’s no question that this is a time of change. The local gym that I go to is always a total gong show in January as everyone who’s ever thought about working out is there trying to start fresh and give themselves the healthy body they desire. What so many people miss however is that whenever you make change in your life, it’s not like flicking a light switch. You will not wake up, having not exercised for the past 5, 10, 15 years and begin a five day a week work-out regime from now to forever. You will be enthused and energetic in the short term, and then something will inevitably happen and you’ll miss a day, then you’ll miss two, then three, then you’ll think – ahh, screw this work out thing – I’m too busy to keep this up.

What I see happening too often when women try to make healthy change in their life is they take the ‘all or nothing approach’. You’re either leading the aerobics class, or, you never go to the gym. You have great intentions of a healthy diet, have two oreo cookies, beat yourself up, figure you’ve lost the battle and eat the whole box. This ‘all or nothing” b.s. doesn’t work. Here’s some tips on ensuring success for whatever changes you want to make this year.

1. Be gentle and kind to yourself as you attempt to change. You are going to fall off the wagon – it’s a given – and when you do, don’t beat yourself up, see it for what it is, a slip up, and get right back on the wagon. Don’t use a blip on the radar to give up all together.

2. Keep a record of your progress. It’s too easy for your ego to get you all wrapped up in keeping you dissatisfied with your progress. By keeping a record you can silence your ego and it’s ridiculous banter by looking back to how far you’ve come.

3. Get an accountability partner. If you can’t afford to hire a personal coach, business coach, personal trainer, wellness facilitator (depending on what changes you are making this year) get yourself an accountability partner.- click here to read an extended post on how to get a great partner.

4. Set a goal. It’s important for your sub-conscious mind, your ego and your motivation to ensure you know exactly what you’re working towards. Click here to read more about how to set effective goals.

Wishing you a successful, healthy 2009!

Heather White, CEO, 2020 Communications Inc.