We are starting our 3rd week of the new year - and I'm still sticking to my schedule! Its amazing.
I committed to work on certain projects on set days each week. This is new for me - I have just been kind of "rolling with the flow". But I was tired of always being behind and just putting out the current hottest fire.
Monday is my day for blogging, tweeting and updating books for a Foundation I volunteer for. In the past I would get caught up in answering everyone's questions and just let these jobs slide. Well, as you can see from my blog list - I let it slide from last May - that is not acceptable! And the foundation calendar & books got updated just before the board meeting.
Part of my problem has been that I would simply forget. Well, let me tell you...To Do lists are my best friend this year. This may be 2nd nature to most of you, but it is a struggle for me. I would try to keep lists, but would loose them, or the list would be so doodled on, I couldn't make it out. I was also bad about taking a scrap of paper and writing a note on it if I couldn't find my list - then I'd lose the note!
This year I am trying once again to use a time-management system with a weekly calendar. AND THEN TO OPEN IT! Simple isn't it. I have those weekly, monthly & quarterly items noted for the year. Then I use Post-Its to keep track of the stuff I have to remember. I also note all promises if have made to customers and even put message slips in my planner if I have them.
I've already laid out my marketing planner for this year - with post-it notes. They are little strips of notes. I wrote all of our products on a separate note and then put them on the year at a glance calendar. Now, if I get a special from one of my vendors, I can easily change my plan to pass that particular savings on to my customer. Love it!
Wondering how I have been in business all these years? Me too...but I must admit I have great employees. And it isn't that I lost business (probably did, but don't know it), but that I want more business - and I feel my personal organization is a major factor for success.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Happy New Year!
New Year... New Blog... New Website
I am ready to start this new decade with a new attitude - especially as it applies to marketing, both for me and for you. Over the past year I have been reading, studying, surfing, tweeting and linking to all sorts of great people in the field of marketing. Now it's time to put some of those lessons into practice - for both of us. After all, if you look good and get more business...I should too!
One of my first accomplishments was to rough out a 1 page business/marketing plan for the year. I got some basics on this from Maria Marsala at http://www.businessandmarketingplan.com/. I plan on taking some of her seminars this year. Find someone you feel fits your style and follow them. You don't always have to pay for their information...just follow them on LinkedIn or Twitter and pick and choose the seminars you feel would really benefit you - then pay for those.
This whole year all of MY marketing efforts will focus on YOUR marketing. And while we are at it, I think the biggest lesson I learned this year is that EVERYTHING is related to marketing! From planning my day to the processes we use in our shop to the way we answer the phone, and even our "on-hold" opportunities.
So over the course of this year, you will see lots of changes.
I am ready to start this new decade with a new attitude - especially as it applies to marketing, both for me and for you. Over the past year I have been reading, studying, surfing, tweeting and linking to all sorts of great people in the field of marketing. Now it's time to put some of those lessons into practice - for both of us. After all, if you look good and get more business...I should too!
One of my first accomplishments was to rough out a 1 page business/marketing plan for the year. I got some basics on this from Maria Marsala at http://www.businessandmarketingplan.com/. I plan on taking some of her seminars this year. Find someone you feel fits your style and follow them. You don't always have to pay for their information...just follow them on LinkedIn or Twitter and pick and choose the seminars you feel would really benefit you - then pay for those.
This whole year all of MY marketing efforts will focus on YOUR marketing. And while we are at it, I think the biggest lesson I learned this year is that EVERYTHING is related to marketing! From planning my day to the processes we use in our shop to the way we answer the phone, and even our "on-hold" opportunities.
So over the course of this year, you will see lots of changes.
- I plan on blogging at least once per week. The first week will center on general marketing issues, week 2 on Microsoft Publisher (and other programs), week 3 on preparing for the upcoming month, and week 4 on general topics - hopefully suggested by you.
- On Mondays, I will have a Tweetbit..maybe a special or maybe a really hot marketing tip. So be sure to sign up to follow me - I promise, I won't tell you when I'm going to lunch!
- Our web site will be constantly updated to reflect everything we do - I'll Tweet that as its completed too!
- Continue our bi-weekly e-newsletters
- We now have a discussion board on the web site (accessed from the Home Page). Hopefully we can all share tips, tribulations and triumphs!
I told my family that I wasn't making any resolutions for this year...but it seems like I just did!
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