Have you ever had one of those weeks where things moved so quickly and you were so busy that you felt like you did not really accomplish anything? Well that is exactly how I felt last week.
I started last week on Sunday with a long flight to Los Angeles for the California Accounting and Business Show and Expo. I spent a couple of days there mingling with exhibitors and then headed to Denver for Xerocon. After a couple of days at Xerocon I headed to the JW Marriott Hill Country in San Antonio, TX for a site visit and some golf. All the while trying to figure out how to get some ads to serve on the site that just would not serve, answer emails and keep up with my family from 2 or 3 time zones away.
So what is the point? I have a few, actually, so keep reading!
Point 1 - Running a small business is tough! I know that is no big surprise, but it really hit me how difficult it can be to do everything we need to do as small business owners. It also struck me that I need someone to help me get things done and I am going to add that into my business plan. I think a relatively small investment will pay dividends for the business by freeing up my time to concentrate on what matters most.
Point 2 - Trade shows and conferences are key to the growth of our business. They are important for us because we can visit with 50 to 100 clients and prospects under one roof, depending on the event. They should be important to YOU because you can visit with 50 to 100 vendors under one roof and find the business solutions that you can use to help propel your growth or your client's growth.
Point 3 - We need to write more about what is taking place across the technology spectrum for the accounting profession. That includes featuring Xero, Sage, Kashoo and the other GL's along with their growing ecosystems. Does anyone have a passion for Xero or Sage who would like to share with our audience?
Point 4 - It is so important to take time to relax and enjoy the benefits of our hard work. I mentioned that I went to San Antonio for a site visit and some golf. If you went to Scaling New Heights last year you know how nice the JW Marriott San Antonio is. Sometimes we get so caught up in our businesses that we don't take time to enjoy everything the business has to offer. The two days there was a great opportunity to recharge and relax . If you have an opportunity to take some time to recharge, you really should do it.
So I will ask again. What is the point? The point is that I want to grow my business like many of you do, I am sure. In order to grow it I am going to have to make the right changes to where and how I spend my time. I am going to have to make the right changes regarding what we write about and who writes it (no Murph, you should not expect a pink slip) and I am going to have to make the right changes regarding how we invest some of our money to help fuel our growth. And by the way, I can't say that I came to this realization while I was relaxing at the JW Marriott, but I can say that taking that time did afford me the opportunity to think, so I do intend to make a regular habit of taking a break and disconnecting from everything in order to be more strategic in what I do.
So that's that point. Take time to plan. Ask what do you need to do in order to identify what needs to happen next for your business to move to the next level? Determine how can you identify the next step in the development of your business. Then MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Thinking about making some changes? Use the comment box below to let us know what your plan is for your business and the changes you are going to make. If part of that plan is to attend a conference, you can still get into Scaling New Heights in New Orleans which starts on June 21. If you go, make sure you stop by and say hello.