Mar 18, 2020
Hey there podcast family, welcome to episode 64 of the Small Business Made Simple Podcast.
Thank you for lending me your ears today – I know you have lots of choices, so I sincerely appreciate me being one of them!
If you’re a first time listener, super super welcome, I am so pleased to have you here. I am your host Jenn Donovan, and, it’s my job, via this podcast, social media and everywhere else actually, to make your business life simpler.
Business can be lonely and hard and complicated and it’s hardly ever easy, but it should be simple or at least simpler, so that’s my commitment you to on the Small Business Made Simple podcast!
One way I help to make your life simpler is by having a group of like-minded business owners all in one stop. To ask questions, get answers and enjoy the journey of business! If you haven’t joined the Like Minded Business Owners Facebook Group, then hope over there after this episode and join! Simply search Like Minded Business Owners in Facebook or come to the show notes for the like. Show notes are at www.socialmediaandmarketing.com.au/64
www.facebook.com/groups/LikeMindedBusinessOwners
I am just a wee bit excited for this episode, but first, I just wondered, have you downloaded by ever so popular FREE eBook – 108 Social Media Content Creation Ideas?
No?
Well, if you’re struggling with social media, and content creation and ideas, this is the eBook for you and hey it’s free!
Simply head to www.108social.com.au and download it from there.
If you get it, read it, print it out and look at it all the time, it will change your life (or at least your social thinking challenges life!)
So, it’s at www.108social.com.au
Today, I wanted to chat to you about the “one day” concept – not taking one day at a time but waiting for “one day”.
I’m not a one day kinda girl. Anyone who knows me, know this.
I’m a do now and see where you land and fix it as you go along.
Waiting until one day has never sat well with me.
I dated my now husband of 23 years for 7 years before we got married.
It became a running joke that we would get married “one day” – the joke got old quick – very quick.
For me it was, we do it now or I’m off to discover the world. Luckily we are discovering the world together for the last 30 odd years.
I think it was then that I was turned off waiting for “one day”.
So, what’s on your “one day” list?
What will you do when the timings right, everything is perfect, and your ducks are all in a neat, organised row?
And I’ll ask you, why are they on your “one day” list.
You only have today – today is the one day you are guaranteed – so why wait?
There’s always a reason to wait until tomorrow – always – you’ll always find a wait and see reason.
I wasn’t going to mention the “c” word – Coronavirus – because podcasts last forever and this too shall pass – but I kinda have to, to make my point a little more.
If you’re in Australia like me, we are on the brink of lock down, as I record this – if you’re one of my amazing overseas listeners, you probably are already in lock down.
So, it would appear that “one day” has come …
That one day when you had time, had the space to do X – it’s here.
If we head into lock down, we are possibly going to have “free time”.
Our biggest internet and phone provider had a post on social media about giving everyone more data for free to, guess what – watch more TV and search google more – why – because “one day” has come.
Or maybe we don’t get put into lock down – maybe one day hasn’t knocked on our door, but let’s get serious about doing what you need or want to do.
As small business owners we get caught working “in” our businesses and not “on” them. And even when we do work “on” them, it normally not growth strategies we concentrate on – it’s bookwork and general office work.
In order for your business to grow, to be resilient to whatever mother nature or the world throws at it – we need to have growth strategies and a growth mindset in place.
So, your job, today (not tomorrow or the next day) is to take step one towards ridding yourself of “one day” jobs.
Step 1 – make a list. If you had nothing to do today inside your business, but could work on it, work on growth strategies, what would that look like?
What does growth look like in your business?
Perhaps you’ve never got around to building a website or putting a shopping cart on that website.
Perhaps you have always listened to podcasts like this one and dreamed of starting your own.
Perhaps you know, because I tell you so a lot, that you should be doing email marketing, but you just can’t get around to making a plan to become consistent with doing it.
What is it – press pause here if you have to and grab a pen and paper or the notes section of your phone and start writing down that list?
Step 2 – add 2 columns to that list.
Column 1 – who’s responsible for it and column 2 – the date it has to be done by – operative word “has to be” done by.
Step 3 – photocopy it at least 4 times and stick the list around your workplace, in the toilet, at home in your office, at home in your toilet or wherever you think that it will annoy you enough if you read it every day, that you might actually get crap done.
Of course, there’s lots more steps after step 2 – but I truly believe that if you have the list and if you look at that list consistently enough – you will do it.
You will find the person who’s help you need; you will purchase that piece of tech required or hire the person who knows more than you and you will get it done.
One of my favourite sayings in business is
If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got
So, without a growth mindset and growth strategies, you are simply on a Ferris wheel and returning back to the point at which you started.
Every. Single Time.
So, what’s on my “lock down” list?
Well I have a second podcast that’s got it’s first season half done. So, I will be finishing that and getting that out to the world – maybe people won’t have anything to do except listen to me!
I have a second website, that’s in progress – no doubt there will be copy needed for that.
Affiliate marketing is a strategy that needs attention in my business and as I am having live workshops cancelled left, right and centre, at the moment, due to that “c” word, I am scheduling live webinars – again, there’s a chance people will have loads of free time for some amazing marketing education!
Ok, so, no more “one day” nonsense.
If it’s important to your business, if it will help grow your business, then do it.
Schedule time to make it happen.
In the words of my mentor – READY. FIRE. AIM – the world doesn’t need another small business owner “aiming” to do something – it needs more action takers.
I really believe that one part of small business that many people are missing is accountability.
Accountability, I can tell you, hand on heart, is the reason why I have spent in excess of $30,000 in my small business life.
Joining mastermind groups – face to face or virtual, to find people who not only push me, challenge me, celebrate with me but also keep my accountable, has been worth every penny.
I would not be where I am today, without those masterminds but more importantly the people in it.
So, if you want accountability on your “one day” list – head into the Like Minded Business Owners Facebook group, pledge your list with the date it’s due and we will (or I will at least) hold you accountable.
Nothing changes if nothing changes
If you’re not already a member of the Like Minded Business Owners community, head to Facebook and search it up and join or if you are – I will see you in there with your pledge.
That’s all for episode 64 – next week I have a guest on the show, and the wisdom is oozing in that ep.
I’ll be back next Thursday with another great episode to help you simplify your business in 2020.
If you’re enjoying this podcast, can I ask you to do me a favour or two
- Subscribe to this podcast – I have some exclusive content coming up for those who do!
- Could you share with this a friend? Another superstar business owner who’s doing the daily grind and would appreciate someone making their business simpler, and
- If you’re looking to share some love in February, the love month, I’d love you to leave me a rating or even a review if possible.
See you next week on the podcast for episode 65. But in the meantime, let’s hang out on social and get social on social – you’ll find me on Instagram, Facebook and my fav LinkedIn.
But whatever you do,
……..remember small business peeps, as my opening song says, there’s no point in dreaming small!