Resume Writers Digest Guest Post Business Success Its Not All About Finding Your Niche and Growing Your List

Resume Writers' Digest Guest Post Business Success It's Not All About Finding Your Niche and Growing Your List Guest blog post by Sandra Martini This past weekend I was involved in a hit and run car accident. As witnesses pulled around me to continue on their day, I started thinking about personal responsibility. Obviously the person who hit me wasnt taking any. Then a flashback to a call with a potential client a few weeks ago (yep, Id moved the car out of the road by this point) where she said none of my previous coaches know how to teach and thats why [her] business isnt succeeding. And on to several business owners who have said, and continue to say, something to the effect of: I dont have time to connect with my clients each week I dont have time to read and comment on industry blogs I hear your 30-day training is great, but Im too busy to sign up, read each daily message and take action on it Sounds like a great book, but I dont have time to read it I didnt have time to follow- up with those I met at the event Ill do it next week (note: next week never comes) Im too busy trying to get clients to create a plan You get the idea. Excuse after excuse after excuse. And usually wondering why things arent going the way they hoped. Reality: Were ALL busy. And most of us think were busier than we are. Our clients are busy. Our vendors are busy. Our colleagues are busy. Those who succeed learn to manage their time and focus on those activities which will best serve their goals. As a business owner, even the owner of a lifestyle business, we occasionally need to make sacrifices - get up an hour earlier, work on a Saturday morning/evening, whatever to finish something we committed to. Its tough to stay on top of all things, all the time - especially when we combine business with a personal life. I know this and experience the same and when Im tempted to make an excuse, I remember something my Dad said long ago: whatever you accept, you get more of - start accepting excuses (even from yourself) and youll get more of them. As the market becomes more competitive and clients become more discerning about where they invest their money, you want to ensure that youre known for the *right* things: providing value and doing what you say you willin addition to the *what* of what you do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Request to You: Before we can move forward, lets clean up anything that needs attention: Grab your to do (or Action) list. You knowthe *big* one. Look over it and put stars or highlight anything that should have been done by now - starting with things that are owed to clients, colleagues, vendors, etc. Make a commitment to yourself right now that youll assume personal responsibility in all things going forward, knowing that it means youll have to say no to things which dont fit or you dont have time for. Set aside a day this week to catch up on those things which need catching up on (delegate what you can, do the rest). Smile and give yourself a reward for getting caught up. Moving forward. . . Take time to identify your personal and business values. Each morning think about your top five values and act with intent throughout the day. Taking consistent action and living your life/managing your business according to your values will ensure that youre on track for a life on your terms. And if those values include integrity, personal responsibility, value, Extreme Client Care and constant learning, youre well on your way to success and the life you envision. Its the millions of little things we do and choices we make, every day, which determines our business success or failure. ---------------------------------------------------------------- If you liked this article, you'll want to hop on over to www.SandraMartini.com for more comprehensive business building and marketing strategies, articles and resources. Sandra Martini, a Small Business Mentor, founder of Escalator Marketing and creator of the Escalator Profits Program, teaches small business owners and entrepreneurs how to build sustainable businesses without losing their integrity or their minds.