MaryEllen Tribby: Are Mondays Killing Your Business?

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It’s a deadly habit that we all have to stop. It’s that constant mindset that we will start a new habit on Monday.

You know what I am talking about. We have an ice-cream cone on Tuesday and profess to start our diet again on Monday.

Or, we actually get up and go to the gym on Monday and Tuesday, but on Wednesday we just don’t feel like going. So what do we do? We promise we will just start again on the following Monday.

This Monday morning do-over mentality is killing our productivity, our health, and our businesses.

And with this new week, I do not want you waiting to start something. We have got to stop this “starting over” attitude and just start! So if that marketing plan needs to get done – do not say, I’ll do it next Monday. Do it today or tomorrow.

We are almost half way through 2014. Where are you with your goals that you had planned for this year? If you are off track, it is not too late to still accomplish them. You just need to get rid of the “Monday Morning Do Overs” for good.

And to help you, I have some simple guidelines.

Apply the following tips wisely and prosper.

The Five Biggest Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t launch your new venture, regardless if it is a new business, a new product, or a new franchise in the beginning of January: I did this with Working Moms Only and boy oh boy – it was a big mistake and a great lesson learned. Here’s the deal, you are always going to need help. Starting a new business will be your biggest priority. However, it will not be for those you are counting on. Many people check out during the major holiday season. You may be writing your web copy on Christmas Eve. But I promise you, your webmaster will not be available for design issues.A current client who is very successful in his niche wanted to launch a brand new franchise in his company at the beginning of this year – one that required the content of specialist in an entirely different niche. When he soon realized folks were checking out from work for the rest of the year as early as Thanksgiving, he quickly changed the launch date to mid-February.If you had planned on starting in January, jump on a new plan now!
No Bartering: So before getting your business off the ground, money may be tight. So you think, “I can barter services. If I write copy for someone, maybe in exchange they will build my website.” In theory this sounds great. But here’s the hard cold truth. The copy you may offer in exchange may not be needed as badly as you need the website.When suddenly the web person gets a great paying project, where do you think your site (that he is not actually making money on) stands? Pay for services. This is the only way to make all your deadlines and have your important tasks completed professionally.
All Opportunities Are Not Created Equally: Once you are up and running, opportunities for all different types of deals will arise. Don’t get derailed. Make sure you understand what any deal is worth to you on a long and short-term basis.
Vet Partners Carefully: Only work with people who have the same moral fiber as you do. Often the money can be tempting, but if your morals and values are so far apart, the relationship will come to an end. Before entering into any relationship, do your research. Go online and read about the potential partner. Ask around your industry and listen to those you trust.
Keep Your Advocacy Shining: Remember you started your business because there was a certain market you wanted to serve. Just because others who do not fit your ideal demographics joined your community does not mean you shift gears.For example, I have men write to me each week. They tell me how much my advice has changed their lives. And inevitably they ask me to change the name of my site because they are obviously not working moms. My response is always the same. I tell them they are more than welcome in our community. That I am happy my advice helped them. However, my advocacy is for Working Moms. And, that is the person I am thinking about every time I write an issue or add a new audio diary or book recommendation to our Success Club. That is the person who inspired me to start Working Moms Only.So instead of watering down your message, you can always start a new franchise to serve others – which is exactly what I did when I launched The CEO’s Edge.
By the way, you can optin for “The CEO’s Edge” right here.
Today, I have shared actionable advice with you that you need to apply every day. So let’s stop the Monday start-overs. Instead, let’s make all Mondays a building block to our overall goal of moving forward. Doing this is the only true way to improve your life.