How many of you take a no nonsense, no excuse approach to running your business? How many of you say you know what to do to grow your business, but aren't doing it?



Well, guess what? If you say you know and are not doing it, then you don't know it. You might intellectually know it, but do you get it in your bones so to speak. This happened to me for a long time in my business. I knew what to do, but didn't know how to make that happen until I got support from my coach. She provided valuable lessons which I'm going to share with you on how to ‘talk the walk and walk the talk.'

1. Shift the way you work, manage your priorities. If your number one priority is to double your business this year, then every action you take has to be in alignment with that vision. Take a look at your present commitments. Put a pause button on the things that aren't in line with your goals especially if they're not going to make you additional revenue. I know you know this, but are you doing it?

2. Eliminate time wasters. Are you devoting a solid 8 hours a day to your business? Being a solopreneur myself with an office at home, I know how easy it is to take time out to throw a load of laundry in the washing machine, load the dishwasher, water the plants, chit chat with a friend on the phone, or maybe even sit down to watch Oprah. I know the pull to do something else other than work is sometimes strong, but think about this. If you worked for someone else, you wouldn't be doing those things, would you? If fear is keeping you from doing what you need to do, then get support to address and eliminate it. From here on in do only those things that move you toward achieving your goals.

3. Set boundaries in your business. I have created systems and schedules for business development and client appointments that keep me in the flow of my business. I also put a ‘Do Not Disturb' sign on my door so that I'm not interrupted unnecessarily. I love having lunch with my friends, but if I schedule them on days that are dedicated to business development, it breaks up my day and it's hard to get back in the groove. I now schedule those special lunch dates for my Wind Down Day which happens to be Fridays.

4. Stay true to yourself and visions. Being in business for yourself takes a lot of courage and dedication. We all get down sometimes – that's called life. The trick is not to stay there and sabotage yourself. Make sure to surround yourself with positive people, positive affirmations, and positive actions at all times as negativity can bring you down faster than a speeding bullet.

5. Create the environment for success to happen. I keep my goals and my vision board in front of me where I can see it clearly at all times. I write down my intentions/pledges at the beginning of my day. I read them at least twice daily to keep me focused and positive.

6. Invest in yourself. Do not be afraid to get the support you need to get where you want to go. Take courses to improve your business skills. Do whatever you need to do in order to make your business life run more smoothly. You do not have to struggle all by yourself. If at all possible, get a qualified team on board to take over some of the tasks that you find drag you down.

The steps I have given you are not new. I know you know all of this, but the question is, are you doing it? If you aren't, then perhaps it's time to revisit your business model and look at your bottom line a bit more carefully.