Can You Really "Do It All?" Promises of Productivity.

Amber Naslund, the SVP of a social intelligence company has a blog called, “Brass Tack Thinking.” In her post titled, "My Crazy Productivity Secrets” she took on the issue of being productive. Her words provide helpful insights and tips to help manage your time.

What it is that's keeping you from being productive? It could be anything, a loss of focus, lack of motivation, anxiety or even unclear priorities? Most likely, the main thing keeping you from being productive are your choices and using your time wisely.

“My choices reflect what’s important to me, and what makes me happy. That’s fluid and changes to an extent, but I’m devoted to a thriving career, a growing business, and excited about passion projects I have on the side. But there is no magic system. Stop looking for it.” - Amber Naslund.

Let's get it all out there, what do you need to do and what to you want to do. Be honest with yourself! It is easy to blend the two, eventually what you say you need turns out to be what you want. Of course, sometimes they do align. But when finishing a movie or playing with the dog becomes what you need to do, you’ve crossed into procrastination territory and the excuses will overflow.

“I don’t get the “busy as a badge of honor” thing. All that tells me is that you need to learn to manage your time better or get your priorities straight with yourself or the people you work for. Working insane hours is not an achievement.” - Amber Naslund.

At this point you have realized that more hours don’t necessarily equal more work done. If you're dreading the day ahead or constantly daydreaming, perhaps this is a sign you want more. A good way to finish what you need to is by enjoying what you do. “Working insane hours” will happen, but the achievement lies in your dedication to spend that time wisely so you can get back to the things that matter most to you.

“I have the responsibility of kids, animals, a house, and a business. The rest has to come after those things, and even the business can’t take over the other ones. - Amber Naslund.

Remember, your daily routine might look overwhelming but it doesn’t have to dominate every hour of every day. New tasks will always be there to take up room in your schedule. Keep in mind there is only so much you can do in a day and that’s okay! Relax, refocus and cut yourself some slack –work smart and know the difference between what needs to be done today and what can be done tomorrow.

Start working toward your business ownership goals. Let FranNet connect you with the business you’ve been looking for. Ask us about a free consultation. Our purpose is to connect the dots and make the transition from corporate employment to the freedom of business ownership manageable and safe.

Get Your Business Back On Track

Owning your own business is a daily effort to keep revenue up and the client list strong. However, sometimes the money isn't where you want it to be and client aren't coming through the door as often as your would like. If you have been trying to figure out how to save your failing business, remember that nothing is impossible. It’s not too late and there are some tips that other owners have used to save their business.

The first thing you need to do is identify the problem. This is where many people fall short. Grant Cardone, the "Turnaround King" and author of several books, has made a career of turning around failing companies and making them profitable again. After 25 years he knows a thing or two about identifying the root cause.

"I've never seen the executives of a company have the right idea of what the problem is," he declares. "It's like talking to a drug addict about his problems: He'll blame everything but the drugs." So he says, "Before I meet with the management team I get some intel on the company."

It’s easier to blame the economy, a badly timed expansion, the government or anything other than your own decisions. If you really want to save your company, you can’t be afraid to point a finger inward and take responsibility for your actions.  That being said…

Maybe your staff or business partner needs to be revisited as well. You can’t run a business solo, which means a smart and motivated team is crucial to the success of your business. Make sure you trust their intentions for the company and look for those who have the initiative to take on problems and quickly solve them. Along those lines, reevaluate your clients and cut lose the ones that are draining your time and energy with little return.

Scrutinize your financials and make some tough cutting decisions. It’s time to trim the waste, time is money and so it the late payments on loans, credit card processing fees, personal salary, membership fees on certain business credit cards, paper and energy-sucking appliances. If you’re finding it hard to stay above water, you have to sacrifice something to throw overboard.

Know all of your options and keep your cool, it’s not too late to save your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, stay focused and get creative – you will turn it around and learn from what happened.

Do you feel that you’re ready to get started? Let FranNet connect you with the business you’ve been looking for. Ask us about a free consultation with a qualified and experienced franchise consultant. Our purpose is to connect the dots and make the transition from corporate employment to the freedom of business ownership manageable and safe.