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Working Smarter Versus Working Harder to Market and Grow Your Business

Guest post by: Stacy Karacostas

Article Overview: If you ever want to be able to put your business growth on autopilot and have more time for things you enjoy, working smarter is critical. The thing is, working smarter doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Most entrepreneurs have to, well, work at it a bit. But it’s worth the extra effort up front because it lets you get more done with less effort later.

Working Smarter Versus Working Harder to Market and Grow Your Business

Ever noticed how some entrepreneurs get way more done than others without working themselves to the bone? You know...Those incredible people who have successful businesses and still manage to have a life.

I'm talking about increased productivity that isn't the result of working ridiculously long days or multi-tasking to madness, either. Because it's not how hard they work. It's how smart they work. And if you ever want to be able to put your business growth on autopilot and have more time for things you enjoy, working smarter is critical.

Now, I'll be the first to admit there was a time when the very thought of "working smarter" seemed totally pie-in-the-sky. I was too busy working in my business to even consider how that might work.

But it was clear there were other entrepreneurs who were better at creating more efficiency in how they completed tasks, achieved goals, arranged their day, found clients, and so on. So I devoted the past eight years to learning how to do this for myself and my clients.

The thing is...Working smarter doesn't come naturally to everyone. Most entrepreneurs have to, well, work at it a bit. But it's worth the extra effort up front because it lets you get more done with less effort later.

So here are some simple tips for you to get started...

1.Stop multi-tasking now. The phone, email, Facebook, Twitter..Ii all competes for your time and attention so you have a huge sense of busy-ness. But don't mistake it for true productivity. Studies now show that multi-tasking doesn't increase productivity or speed up the completion time for each task-it does just the opposite. (Type 'Juggling Too Many Tasks Could Make You Stupid' into a search engine for a great Wall Street Journal article by author Sue Shellenbarger.)

Instead, turn your phone and email off and focus for one hour straight (or if it takes less than an hour, focus until it's done).

2.Act like you're a franchise! Everything in your business should be done the same way, every time. That means having set processes in writing.

Most people find the idea of sitting down and creating process documents and how-to's for different tasks about as much fun as a trip to the orthodontist. But it needs to be done-even if you're a solopreneur.

Otherwise you end up wasting time and your efforts lack consistency. Plus, when you're ready to hire an employee or outsource tasks, those process docs make it a breeze to get the results you're after.

3.Turn it down. Be choosier about the work and clients you take on. It's easy to say yes to any and every client or job that comes your way when you need the cash. But juggling as many as you can doesn't inherently mean more success or revenues for your business.

In fact, it might just spread you thin, wear you out and actually make you less money since some clients are more high maintenance than others. Plus, you want to make sure your more lucrative projects or clients don't suffer from your diluted attention and efforts.

4.Keep marketing regardless of your budget. If you don't market your business regularly you're always going to struggle to find enough clients. Thankfully there are plenty of low-cost ways to market any business.

Try putting out press releases online, participating on social networking sites and doing email marketing. Spruce up your bio. Or commit to attending live networking meetings every month. If you have something to say that potential clients might want to hear try blogging. You can create a blog for free on WordPress then add short articles, tips, audios or videos.

5.Get it off your plate! If you're really strapped for time, or you have tasks you just can't stomach doing or are bad at, outsource to a Virtual Assistant (VA). This is one of my favorite solutions for getting more done with less effort-especially when it comes to online marketing!

VAs can do everything from answering email to setting up social networking profiles, building blogs, creating newsletters, sending holiday cards, and more. Some even specialize in online marketing. I hired my first VA team years ago and it's been the best thing I've ever done for my business-and for getting my own life back because I'm not chained to my computer trying to figure out how to do things like build a blog.

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Article Tags: business, entrepreneurs, Grow, Market, marketing, outsource, virtual assistant, working smarter



Related Forum Posts
Re: What is Your Favorite Thing About Owning A Business? - [quote="freddyb45":1t3lpfi8]For me it's the fact that all the time and effort you put in is worth a lot more, due to it making you "business" more profitable. Working for yourself is also a positive, although employing people you can trust is quite different.[/quote:1t3lpfi8] I like this idea. Working for yourself means you are investing in your own future, not someone else's, although there is value in working for someone else first to gain experience and confidence. Working for yourself does not automatically mean success, fame and fortune. For most entrepreneurs, it takes much work and dedication to get to the point of financial success and comfort - sometimes years. But the benefit is, again, you know you are investing in yourself and building equity for your own future. GT :-]
Re: help wanted in u.k. - Working on it all, a new world to me cheers brendan
Re: What is Your Favorite Thing About Owning A Business? - For me it's the fact that all the time and effort you put in is worth a lot more, due to it making you "business" more profitable. Working for yourself is also a positive, although employing people you can trust is quite different.
Re: When do entrepreneurs retire, if ever? - Entrepreneur don't retire, they die on the job. It is his passion and what he enjoys doing. Rubert Murdock is 77 years old and he is still working. He said he would die fast if he stop working. Working had become his life,joy and passion
Motivational Books for Entrepreneurs - Searched but did not find a comprehensive list of books for us entrepreneurs: Here are some of my favorites: Napoleon Hill - Think and Grow Rich The greatest secret in the world- Earl Nightingale...listen to it, then listen to it again. Jeffrey Gitomers books- Red book of selling, sales bible, Green book of getting your way. Your Erroneous Zones - Wayne Dyer Thinkertoys - Michael Michalko How To Win Friends and Influence People - Dale Carnegie The Magic of Believing - Claude M. Bristol How to Talk to Anyone - Leil Lowndes Get Smarter- Seymour Schulich What are yours?


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