There comes a time in every business when what has been working well is no longer enough. In fact, if you your business is changing…growing…evolving, it’s pretty much a given that you are constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to keep it alive and thriving.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. It can seem a little scary, and even risky, to try something you’ve never tried before; but it can be exciting and fun too. I’m not advocating acting irrationally. On the contrary, think it through–consider the pros and cons–try to imagine the worst case and best case scenario. The worst case scenario should be something you can live with if it comes to that. But, don’t be afraid to venture out and experiment.

Start small if that feels more comfortable. There is still the risk it might not work, but at least if it fails, it will be a smaller setback, and a lesson learned. The important thing is, try something! If you sit back and do nothing to affect change, guess what’s likely to happen–NOTHING!

Do you have balance in your business? What doea that mean? To explain that, I’d like to put it in a slightly different context. In order to have balance in your business, you need to have balance in your life.

We’re all hearing more and more about mind, body, spirit balance. If you meditate regularly, you know what this means. You realize how it all comes together. For example, when you are out of balance your body reacts to stress and tension, your mind is cluttered with so many thoughts you can’t begin to sort them all out. You’re having headaches, back pain, or possibly more serious health conditions. You’ve totally lost touch with your Higher Power. Getting back to daily meditation can right all of these things in a short amount of time, almost instantly sometimes.

It’s the same with your business. To be the most productive, you need to  balance all the parts of your business. Perhaps you’re the best with customer service. Your customers all love you and enjoy interacting with you, but your finances are in trouble because you haven’t paid attention to them. Or you don’t have new products to sell because you’re focus has been on customer service.

What I’ve found to be true in my own life is that when I am balanced personally, in mind, body and spirit, it makes it much easier to balance other areas of my life. It all starts with ME.

If you are well balanced personally, and continue to exercise control over that, but still can’t get a handle on all the parts of your business, that’s not all bad. It probably means that business is booming, and maybe you need someone to help you manage it all. That’s where people like myself, and Online Business Manager (OBM), or a Virtual Assistant (VA) or two can help you get and keep it under control. Anyone in an OBM role will also help you brainstorm ways to work more efficiently, effectively and productively.

Most importantly, get your personal selff balanced. Everything else hinges on that. Then, decide what your next steps should be.

One thing I know for certain is that in order to be successful in business, you must be flexible. You need to be open to new ways of doing things as change occurs. Or even as it becomes apparent that what you are currently doing is not working.

Here is a perfect example of my own. For years—well, really all of my adult life, I’ve been a morning person. I get up before the rest of the household and have my wake up time…relax and watch the sunrise with a cup of tea; do my meditation and yoga; have breakfast and shower. Then I’m really ready to begin my day. That is, until recently…

Recently a six-month old puppy came into my life. Her name is Amber. Amber is also a morning doggy. She is up with the crack of dawn. If not then, then as the first sign that I am awake. She demands immediate attention in the way of breakfast, relieving herself and, of course, play. She cannot be left unattended because her middle name is Trouble with a capital “T”.

I can relax with my cup of tea once I get her settled down with her breakfast. Then, it’s outside. I can’t leave her for long because I live on 5 acres with no fencing.  Then the fun begins. She’s constantly looking for something to get into. As a result, I DON’T get my morning meditation & yoga in. This really starts my day off in an “off” way. I rely on these activities for my own mental, emotional and spiritual health, and this has been my routine for years.

For the past several weeks, I’ve just kind of done without, or gotten it when I can. I have finally developed a new routine. I get up and work for that couple of hours in the morning while I can at least keep an eye on Amber. Once someone else is up and can take over doggy duty, I go downstairs to my exercise room and get in my “me” time. It has been an adjustment, but it’s working better than before, when I was floundering trying to keep up with “me.”

Another major benefit I am seeing since I’ve made this change is in my business. I had become rather scattered; forgetting things, missing meetings, not being able to focus on the task at hand. Now I’m back to providing the level of service that is important to me, and I still manage to get in my “me” time. There are other benefits. It gives me time to turn on the space heater and warm up my excercise room. Also, I have difficulty focusing in my meditation because my mind is on everything I  have to do today. Now, I get those most pressing things out of the way first, and get a good mental handle on my day before I go into my meditation. I think I’m liking this new schedule better after all.

As I said, flexibility is the key. It sometimes takes a little creative thinking to adapt, but there are always ways!

When developing your business plan for next year, think about such things as:

• What projects to I want to start or complete?
• What are my due dates?
• What is my budget for each project?
• What is the scope of work for each project?
• What new procedures do I want to implement?
• Should I hire someone to help manage my business?
• What is my budget for hiring help?

Putting together a plan is not an easy process. It takes a considerable amount of thought and planning. But if you take the time, I think you’ll find yourself having a more successful business. If you already have a business manager, brainstorming with them is helpful. Set realistic goals, but ones that will ultimately move your business in a forward direction.

If you are a business owner who is not using social networking to brand your business, you’re missing out on a great marketing opportunity. But it can be overwhelming figuring out which social networks to use. It’s a jungle out there; there are literally thousands of sites, with new ones coming online every day!

Here are a few tips to help you determine where and how to begin. Some of the social networks are so popular that they are household names. Now, some of these might be great for your business, but don’t jump right in just because they are the most popular. They may not be the best ones for your business. Before deciding, consider the following tips:

1. Identify your niche market and where they might hang out. For example, if you sell children’s clothes, you probably want to target moms.
2. Spend some time doing research. Find networks that consist of your target market. How big is the network is and how does it rank in the search engines. There’s no point in joining network that doesn’t get any action. 
3. Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to develop a plan. Choose three or four networks you think will be of most benefit to your business.
4. Create a great profile on each one. When you meet someone in person, your first impression is usually a lasting one. In a virtual world, people’s first impression of you is your profile. It should be complete, informative and professional. Although, it’s fine to add a personal touch; it doesn’t have to be all business.
5. Whew-now you’re set. Make sure you participate in the discussions regularly. Daily maintenance doesn’t really take much time out of your day once you’ve got everything in place, but it is important.

Here are a couple of other things to remember: First and foremost, never try to sell your products or market your services in your social networks. This is a complete turn off to people, and you will undermine your efforts by doing this. Instead, your discussions should consist of content that is of interest to the reader. In this way, you are building a reputation as an expert in your industry. This is what will ultimately attract people to your website.

Secondly, keep your social networks to a manageable number. It’s better to manage a few networks well, rather than have so many that you don’t have time to keep up with them all. That’s why it’s important to do the initial research and planning. Of course, you can always hire a specialist to research and manage them for you, but it’s still best to keep it to a manageable number.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Happy networking; I wish you all the best of luck in your business!