There’s a lot on your plate and it can feel like you’re simply spinning plates, instead of growing your business. But we don’t have to do it all. And honestly, we shouldn’t.
That said, there are still things that every business owner should do on a regular basis, both for their marketing and visibility and for other areas of their business.
This week on the podcast, I’m running down what I think are some of the most important things to do for the growth and well-being of your business. What would you add?
Mentioned in This Episode Podcast
Transcript:
Welcome to episode 249 of The Content Experiment Podcast, a podcast for service-driven business owners who know that content is important but there’s so much more to marketing and business growth.
Here we talk about showing up for your audience in a way that they want to hear, in a way that’s sustainable for you. This might mean publishing a weekly podcast or blog, but it also means paying attention to your email list, leveraging other people’s audiences, building relationships, and getting over the limiting mindsets that often hit when we’re reaching for the next level in our business.
I’m Abby Herman, fractional marketing officer, content strategist and podcast manager for business owners who want to make their marketing feel easier and more streamlined so they can get back to serving their clients and making those sales. I’ll show you how OR do it for you, while you do business in a way that works for you–I can help by supporting you through building and implementing a content and marketing strategy, taking care of the podcast management for you, or giving you the tools and resources to take this on yourself.
If you’ve been in business for any stretch of time, you know that there are certain things you HAVE to do in your business if you want to stay in business. Pay your taxes. Pay your employees and contractors. Shoot, pay yourself.
But I have a list of some other things that I think are must-do’s in business. Things that will help keep things running smoothly so you don’t feel like you need a whole-business overhaul every six months.
Of course, the things you have on your list will look different based on what kind of business you’re in. But these are the things that I think every online business needs to do, no matter the industry:
Marketing
Publish content on a regular basis – This doesn’t have to be weekly, but you should leverage your website or podcast or YouTube channel to showcase your thought leadership
Have a quality opt-in and promote it regularly – on social media, your pillar content, and when you guest on other people’s platforms. List growth is incredibly important.
Nurture your email list regularly – At least twice a month, email your list to stay top of mind
Review your email sequence regularly to make sure they’re still relevant and working as expected (this is an area where I admittedly slack)
Build connections with other business owners – possible referral partners and even people in your industry
Show up in front of other people’s audiences as often as you can – be a guest on podcasts, participate in summits and giveaways – actively work to build your audience
Pay attention to your metrics – are people opening your emails? Clicking on your links? Going through your funnels? Visiting your website? Make sure you know where your numbers are so you can make adjustments as needed.
Of course, there are some other things you should do in your marketing, but this is a good starting place.
What about other areas of business? I’m no expert but here are other things I think every business owner should do on a regular basis:
Celebrate your wins – I know I don’t do this enough, but we can and should shout ourselves out…to our teams, our community, our family. It’s so easy to complain or lament on the difficult times, it’s nice to celebrate when we land a great new client or finish a difficult project.
Plan your calendar – I spend so much time in my Google calendar, making sure I know what’s coming up in the next week, the next day, even the next hour. Seriously, if it’s not in my Google calendar, it’s not happening. And if you have an appointment booked, honor it. It’s so frustrating to the person on the other end of that appointment when things change or get canceled last minute. (And yes, I’ve had to do this. But I really try to avoid it if at all possible.)
Set goals – financial, marketing, operational, you name it. Know what you need to accomplish in your business, set some goals, then create a plan to make it happen
Have CEO time with other business owners – As much as our schedules allow, I get together with two other business friends every other week for a 2-hour CEO date. We each bring with us the thing or things we’ve been procrastinating doing and we get it done. And, of course, we spend some time catching up, which is essential human connection since we all work from home!
Enhance your skills – It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in your industry or what degrees and certifications you have, there’s always room for growth and development. Especially as technology is changing and creating new tools for us to use in our businesses. Never stop learning.
And probably one of the most important thing to do: Take care of your money. For me that means following Profit First and allocating a percentage of my revenue to profit, owner’s pay, taxes, regular savings, and operating expenses a few times a month. But it also means following up on outstanding invoices, paying invoices, reviewing expenses (and finding ways to cut back), reviewing my pricing, and more. Even if you have a bookkeeper who takes care of your bookkeeping, like I do, you need to have a good handle on your finances too.
What about you? What are some of the must-do items in your business on a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly basis? I know this list isn’t complete, so I would love to know what you’d add!
If you found value in what you learned here today, be sure to share it on social media. Take a screenshot of the episode on your phone and share it over on Instagram stories. Tag me at thecontentexperiment. Or head over to LinkedIn and connect with me. Be sure to tell me you found me on the podcast when you send the connection invite! The more you share this podcast with others, the more we can get it into the hands of more business owners, just like you, who need to hear the message that they are not alone.
