I don’t know if you’ve noticed in your own world, but in MY world at Armitage, Inc., the Dog Days of Summer are upon us!
My usually 120-150 emails per day from clients and Basecamp responses from my agency staff have plummeted to maybe 20 or 30 a day. Emails or voice mails I send out go unanswered for days (instead of hours). And Facebook and Instagram is popping with vacation, kids, summer concerts and more from same clients and staff. Ha!
When the Dog Days of Summer are upon you, there’s no better time than now to begin working ON the business. When everyone else is off, consumed by summer activities, grab this precious moment (when no one else is paying attention!) to solidify and exemplify your business growth plans.
Three simple activities I recommend that will absolutely catapult your business by September:
1. Where Are You on Your Yearly Goals?
Remember that list you made at the first of the year with all those inspiring goals and action steps? Return to that list, highlight what’s been accomplished and review what remains.
2. What TWO Actions Will Exponentially Move You Forward?
As you look at your remaining goals, what TWO goals – given immediate action steps – will result in the greatest gains for you and your company? Highlight them, move them forward to this week’s business journal and commit to taking action – ANY action – on both goals each day of this week. You don’t have to know all the steps – one step at a time, any step you know how to do, and the path will unfold.
3. What Can You Optimize Immediately? Today?
When we work with our clients, our first phase of activity always involves Optimization of what’s already in play. This is an entirely different activity than the second phase, where Innovation rolls into the game plan.
Why the focus on Optimization? Because obviously you’re doing some things well! A large percentage of current daily activities in your business is moving your company in the right direction. You’ve got the right idea – now Optimize on that idea. This is absolutely key to working on the business.
- How can you immediately make shifts to bring in more prospects?
- How can you better convert your prospects to at least signing in for email updates?
- How can you convert your one-time buyers to repeat buyers with a single note and offer?
- How can you bring costs down in just one small category – today?
Optimize just one activity, area, arena or division with ONE step once a week for the next five weeks as we proceed through these Dog Days of Summer.
It’s statistically proven that the day after Labor Day is when Americans … and even the global world in response to Americans … gets back to work. I can assure you this: When you follow these recommendations, your business will have already seen significant growth spurts well past peers and competitors come September 8th.