A recurring obstacle that prevents small business owners from moving forward is procrastination. Definitions include: To postpone or put off something needlessly; deferring action to a later time. These definitions make it clear that it is not a passive state but one over which we have control– if we choose to do so. That key control is to take action.

So what stops us taking action?
There are a number of reasons but one key reason is having or making the time to take action, the action required to get closer or achieve the result you are seeking.

Time is not infinite so setting clear goals and then achievable actions to reach those goals is fundamental to success.
Actions need to be prioritised so that important tasks are completed quickly and without procrastination. Thinking through the result and benefits you will gain from taking a particular action will help you decide on the priorities. Once you take action, that feel good feeling will manifest – the natural high from the release of endorphins in your brain that makes you feel happy. The knock on effect as we all know, is that you have that sense of achievement, and sometimes relief, that spurs you on to take more action and move you nearer to the goals you set for yourself.

Future blogs will be covering other reasons we procrastinate and simple strategies we can put in place to take and maintain control to step up our business.

If you have a few minutes to spare, please do take the time to complete my 7 question survey to help me understand better what might be getting in your way to stepping up.

In my group coaching programmes, I suggest ‘buddying up’ with another group member to whom you hold yourself accountable to take the actions needed to move you and your business forward.

For my group members, it’s like having a second coach who will chivvy them on between our forums and prevent procrastination. They each have a coaching journal to record their actions as by writing down and talking through actions, it helps create a mindset to make it happen.

So find yourself a buddy to add to your board of directors who will help you achieve your goals. Choose someone who complements your experience and skills so there is mutual support and keep in regular contact.

Consider half hour calls and alternate weekly who is going to take action and record it in your ‘coaching journal’. The following questions may help formalise it a tad just to make sure it doesn’t become a social chat – you can do that on another call!

Before you agree your action points, make sure they are congruent with your strengths and values. If they are not, review them or ditch them. You want to set yourself up for success so only set yourself actions that are achievable.

1. What actions have you agreed to take this week?
2. Are they recorded in your coaching journal?
3. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 high, how committed are you to taking action?
4. If less than 9, consider the benefits of taking the action, then the consequences of doing nothing.
5. If you still score any action at less than 9, really think what will motivate you to Step Up and take action. If you are not motivated, consider if you should put your efforts into areas which you are ready to Step Up and grow your business.
6. When will you take each of these actions? Be date and time specific.
7. What may get in your way that may prevent you taking these actions?
8. What can you do to overcome any barrier to make sure it happens?

Denise Molloy is a business and personal performance coach – find out more here!

Solopreneurship can be lonely……and is one of the reasons that a lot of us like to network. But how open and honest are we when asked ‘how’s business’? It will probably depend on how well you know and trust the person who’s asking the question and whether they could be a potential client.

We love the flexibility running our own business can give us, but we all face challenges, some that inspire us and some that can daunt. That feeling of overwhelm can creep in, caused by being busy or when we’re looking to keep the pipe line flowing.

The key is to maintain control and to have the right people to turn to. Follow these 3 tips regularly to help minimise the overwhelm.

Make time to plan achievable tasks
Allocate time in your diary to plan the following week’s activities – make sure everything you are doing is relevant and working towards achieving your business goals. Chunk them down so they are achievable and can be ticked off rather than over-run to the next week.

Do what you do best
You know what you enjoy as time flies and you get the best results. Focus on your strengths and play to the strengths of others to get more done. The cost of outsourcing what you don’t enjoy will be worth it as it will take a weight off your shoulders and give you more space and time to maximise your potential.

Choose who you hang out with
Negative nellies will bring you down so ditch them for success, action oriented individuals who will make time to listen, offer inspiration and encourage your success. Create your own board of directors to whom you can turn for expertise, advice and non judgemental support.

Why not hang out with me and other action orientated people on Wednesday 28 September and learn more about my 3 stage model to stimulate business growth. I will also tell you more about my group coaching programme and coaching gym that will help you make time to focus ON your business and work through issues that may be preventing you from Stepping it Up!

Please RSVP here on my LinkedIn free event on:

Wednesday 28 September
The Royal Wells
6-8pm

Well, my daughter is just starting her second year at uni, and one thing that never fails to excite her is buying stationery and getting her desk primed to see action! At least, that’s why I hope she is getting it organised and not just to look pretty! Although, it’s important to remember that just seeing a tidy organised desk does put you in the right frame of mind to get cracking.

Back to basics!

There is nothing worse than not being able to find the one thing you need to get started. Some of you will be saying – but I love to work in organised chaos. That’s fine if it works for you, but make sure you are not losing valuable time looking for what you need to get going.

Disorganisation can also be the source of that feeling of overwhelm – it makes things look and feel worse than they actually are. So take some time to revamp your ‘desk admin’ to ensure your workstation is a good place to work.

Here are some back to basic tips to help make your work space inviting (all the better for dodging procrastination and avoidance!)

• Take a look at everything on your desk – does it need to be there?
• What should you have to hand that will save time?
• Do you need an in-tray or file so others are confident you will see what they place on your desk? (Think about renaming it Action Tray!)
• Be clear on what is it you are “actioning” today so the pile doesn’t look daunting
• Check your screen is at the right height and distance to avoid an aching neck and eye strain
• Make sure your lighting is right
• Avoid trailing wires that are unsightly and can be a hazard
• Have a number of pens – that work!
• Finally, have a picture of someone or something that is your source of motivation to achieve

I did say it was back to basics but it really does make a difference! Once your work space is right for you, it is easier to make time to plan the action needed to move your business forward.

Denise Molloy is a business and personal performance coach who works with small business owners to be more productive and profitable. Find out more about how she can support you and your business here. Even better, meet Denise at her Step Up Forum Launch at the Royal Wells Hotel on 28 September 6-8pm.

DO MORE OF WHAT YOU DO BEST AND SURROUND YOURSELF WITH COMPLEMENTARY STRENGTHS TO ACHIEVE TOP PERFORMANCE

It was great fun appearing on Kent’s Business Bunker radio last week where I was given the opportunity to talk about my passion – discovering and working to your strengths (my segment starts about half way through the show!).

Do you know your leading strengths and do you use them?

The show stimulated a lot interest and curiosity. So I wanted to take the opportunity in this post to feed the interest by recommending the Strengthsfinder 2.0 book by Tom Rath. Rath explains the Gallup research that underpins the profiling, after which you are given a pin number to take the profile online. It will generate a report that details your top 5 leading strengths and recommends actions you can take to best utilise your unique strengths. The book also tells you about the other strengths measured in the profile that you may also recognise in yourself and others.

It was my experience working within the Gallup Organization that inspired me to become a coach and to focus my energies or moving people away from fixating and worrying about what they can’t do and towards focusing on what they do best and managing their limitations.

Discover the power of combining your strengths with that of others

I always include strengths and personality profiling in my coaching programmes  as a solid building block from which you and your business can grow, and to help you identify what you are looking for in others to complement your strengths and move you towards your business vision and goals . In particular my group coaching programme kicks off with a 1-2-1 to discover your strengths and how you can best focus your energies to your business vision and planning.

If you want to find out more, please get in touch or even better, come and meet me at the Launch and Briefing evening for the Step Up! Forums in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday 28 September 6-8pm. Please RSVP on my linkedIn Event.

Well if you’re just back from holiday – welcome home. I hope you had a fabulous break and are raring to go. I have recently returned from a trip of a lifetime in the wilderness of Alaska where whales were in abundance, the scenery breathtaking and the glaciers awesome. I could go on – but don’t worry I won’t!

Whilst I was away I sent you a continuation of the blog series to help you crystallise your business vision and to encourage you to focus on your strengths to maintain your inspiration and maximise your potential and productivity.

Thanks to those from whom I have received encouraging feedback by email and on my networking travels, letting me know how the blogs have got you thinking about what you need to do.

My last blog gave you some tips for making more time so you can act on what you need to do. I know it can be challenging to come out of the business to work on it; to make regular time to brainstorm and plan what you want to do and take the action to make your business vision a reality.

You are not alone – help is at hand!

I network face to face quite a lot as it allows me to meet new people, and build relationships with those I already know. It also gives me feedback about what business owners need.

What I am hearing is that many owner managers need support from others where you can share business issues and ideas in a confidential environment to help you grow. Networking alone does not meet this need and when you’re with potential clients they want to know what you can do to help them and their clients – not what is preventing you from doing it!

MONTHLY STEP UP! FORUM
Whether you want to move forward in small steps or leaps and bounds, dma’s monthly Step Up! Forum can help provide the support to help you achieve your goals.

The forum offers you a positive environment of up to 10 business owners who are facing, or have experienced similar challenges to you.

Face to face monthly meetings
I will lead the group and the focus will be to overcome any obstacles that may be hindering your growth and planning specific actions to achieve your business goals.

A kick start 1-2-1 session with your coach
To identify your strengths and challenges and give you focus.

Action plans with support between sessions to make them happen

At the end of each meeting, every member will identify and record actions they want to take before the next meeting and will receive support between the monthly forums to make them happen.

Read more about it here and if you think this forum could work for you, register your interest and I will be in touch.

You will also be given details of the launch evening at

The Royal Wells, Tunbridge Well on 28 September 6-8pm.

Denise Molloy is creator of the Step Up Your Business Programme supporting owner managers to crystallise their business vision, play to their strengths and surround themselves with the right team to achieve personable and business growth.

If you have been following my last few blogs, you are probably champing at the bit to take action on the growth of your business! But you may also have that feeling of overwhelm…

Where will you start and more importantly, where will you find more hours in the day to plan for your business when you are spending all of your time working in the business!

Make more time!

A first crucial step I make with all my clients is to review their current use of time. Take the following key steps to help you make more time to work on your business to meet your business vision.

Step One

Take a fresh sheet of paper and add a first heading of Daily Tasks – write down all the activities/tasks you undertake on a daily basis – both home and work. It doesn’t matter how long they take you each day, just write them down.

Step Two

Now add these headings – Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Delegate To, Waste of time!

Step Three

Look through your list of Daily Tasks and really give thought as to how often they need to be done. Then tick the corresponding column:

• Does the task need to be conducted daily, weekly or monthly?
• Could the task be delegated to someone else?  For this one really think about your strengths and if they are being put to good use doing this activity/task.  Is there someone else who could do it better?
•  Does the task actually need to be done at all?  Think about the benefits of undertaking the action and consequences if you don’t.

Step Four

Next, highlight the activities that you must continue to do yourself on a daily basis and record, as best you can, how much time you want or need to spend on each activity. Then take one final time to think about the benefits of doing the activity and why you are doing it.

Step Five

Repeat this process for weekly, monthly and annual tasks and activities.
By writing down and thinking about the actions, you will be able to eliminate or delegate unnecessary tasks and make more time to play to your strengths and to plan for the growth of your business. Once you have made time to work on your business, it is time to take action. 

Next week I will outline where you can get more help to take action to achieve your goals!

Do you want support to STEP UP your business?

Join a monthly forum of success orientated Kent business owners ready to brainstorm and take action on issues preventing you Stepping Up your business! Click here for more information and to register your interest.

In my last blog we looked at where you want to take your business – your 3 year vision. Today we look at 5 steps to record key milestones in a mini business action plan to make your vision a reality.

Before you do, and to make sure you are setting yourself up for success, reflect on your strengths and values to make sure they are in line with your goals.

Step 1:  

Record any measurables that came out of your 3 year projection ie income, profit (however you measure your success) and note your 3 year date or the timeframe that works for you. Be as specific as you can be to help your success and track your progress.

Step 2:

Record where you are now in relation to where you want to be.

Step 3:

To bridge the gap between steps 1 and 2, record where do you need to be against your measurables in: 

• 2 years
• 1 years
• 6 months
• 3 months
• This month

Step 4:

So what are you going to start on this week?

Step 5:

Record key milestones that will chart your progress and help keep you on track.

Next, review what you have written and take a look back at any work you did as a result of following my recent blogs that could help clarify your actions further.

If you have any feeling of overwhelm and are wondering where you are going to find the time, read next week’s blog in which I offer 5 simple steps to help make more time to work on your business!

What’s stopping you Step Up your business? Click here for my free 30 minute downloadable teleseminar!

In this series of blog posts I have taken you from what you want from your business, to focusing your values and strengths, to taking a business health check. These are all important pre-requisites before you can consider where you want to take your business.

If you have worked through the tips I offered, you will have a clearer starting point so you can begin thinking through your destination- a bit like a good sat nav, allowing you to plan the route you want to take. It gives you control instead of getting lost (not always guaranteed with a sat nav!) You gain a freedom to choose, probably a core value for a lot of business owner managers.

Your 3 year vision

Now comes the exciting part – looking ahead to where you want to take your business. Find a quiet 10 minutes and take your time thinking through the answers to these questions. If it helps, close your eyes once you’ve read these questions so you can see, hear and feel where it takes you.

I want you to project yourself 3 years ahead to where you want your business to be and how you want to spend your day.

• What will your environment look like?  Are you in an office? What colour are the walls and what is hanging on them?  What furniture and equipment is around you? What is your view from the window?
• What can you hear yourself saying about your day and how business is doing?
• How is that making you feel?  What are your energies levels like?
• What are you looking forward to?
• What do others see you doing?
• What does your team look like?  How many staff do you have, or do you outsource?  Are they all based in the office?  Do they work part time or full time? What can you hear them saying? What is their mood?
• Now let’s take a look at your clients – Who are they? What range of clients do you have?
• What about your income?  What profit is the company making?  How is that helping you live the lifestyle you want?

When you have finished savouring your success, write down some of your thoughts, pin it on the wall in front of you and next week we will discuss how you can make more time to start taking the action needed to make it happen.

Do you want support to STEP UP your business?

Join a monthly forum of success orientated Kent business owners ready to brainstorm and take action on issues preventing you Stepping Up your business! Click here for more information and to register your interest.

In my last blog, I offered 5 simple steps to help you assess the fitness of your business before you start considering growth and even just to make sure it’s healthy.

A traditional SWOT health check will help you take a closer look. I offer a few questions under the four quadrants to get you thinking but you will think about a lot more as you work through this mini SWOT.

 Strengths of your business:
• What is your Unique Selling Point? What do you offer that your competitors don’t?
• What is your business good at? Where do you excel?
• What resources do you have in place that strengthens your business? Eg finance, people.
• What personal strengths do you bring to the business?
• How well do you know your (current and potential) customers?

Weaknesses of your business
• What areas of your business, service or product can be improved upon? Eg processes, people management.
• What are specific areas of challenge for you and the business and what impact do they have on your business?
• How much does your business rely on you or any other person? What if something happened to you?

Potential threats to your business
• Who are your competitors?
• How much don’t you know about your customers?
• What external threats are facing you? (eg interest rates, new competitors)
• What is the impact of these on your business?

 Finally, what opportunities are there for you out there?
• What are your competitors doing that you could be doing?
• What are the trends in the market place?
• What can you outsource to give you more time to plan and do what you do best?
• What technological advances could you be utilising better?
• How do you plan to keep ahead of the field?
 
Now to action!

What is the one thing you’re going to commit to do in the next 7 days that will take you one step closer to eliminating one of those weaknesses? I would love to hear about it!

Do you want support to STEP UP your business?

Join a monthly forum of success orientated Kent business owners ready to brainstorm and take action on issues preventing you Stepping Up your business! Click here for more information and to register your interest.