Simply Home Business

The Systems of Success

Whatever your learning style and working style, as you move forward with your business, you will need some systems to “keep track”.

Start now keeping track of:
1. Contact data for a) all the people you meet, b) new customers and c) new team members.
2. Mileage (and other tax deductible expenses).
3. Appointments (and use your appointment records to match up with your mileage records for tax purposes). Example: in my appointment book I note a coaching appointment with “Carole S.” and make a matching note in my mileage book in my car (small spiral bound book).

Start with simple systems and teach yourself new habits. It will make your life easier as you “mess it up” with all the new people you will be meeting and making relationships with as you grow your healthy, successful business.

Network Your Way to Success

Your business goal is to fill your business "pipeline" with never-ending referrals. The primary way you will do that is to make new relationships with people and stay in touch with them. A very important networking tip is this: It is more important to get someone else's contact information e.g. their business card than it is for you to give them yours.

And then what? Send a card or a postcard with a handwritten note (note written and card addressed in blue ink. Yep. Trust me, blue is it). For example, if you go to a meeting, meet someone new and get their card--go to your car and before driving home, address a card, add a note, put on a stamp and drop into a mailbox right away. Get their contact information into your address book and into your electronic system (like Outlook) as soon as you can. Don't have time to copy information into your address book? Tape or staple their business card into your book.

A Bias for Action

Use an Activity Tracker, a tickler file and keeping track of "the next actionable item" as your support for action to build your business.