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!

How do you cope with stress? Perhaps you meditate, or take a walk, or write. Maybe you just sort of veg out, or combination of any of these. Whatever it is you do, do more of it. Every aspect of your life will improve if you do, including your business.

Life is short enough as it is. Allowing stress to take hold of your life will just shorten it that much more. Trust me, it’s not worth it. We’ve all seen or known people who have had strokes, heart attacks, ulcers, etc. due to stress in their lives. We think to ourselves how lucky we are to be above that; but the truth is, we’re not above it. It sneaks up on us, and before you know it, blam! And then you think to yourself, “Oh my gosh! How could this have happened to me?”

Are you trying to succeed in business, or another area of your life? Do you realize that if you get rid of the stress in your life, your mind will be free to accomplish anything you want without any inhibitions? It’s true! Stress interferes with every aspect of your life; your health, your relationships (including your relationship with yourself), your business and everything else.

So, whatever it is you do to cope with stress, please do yourself a favor and do more of it. You will thank yourself for it in the end.

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.

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.

How do you turn a frantic, out-of-control week into a calm, together week before it’s too late to make a difference anyway?

My week started out frantic and behind before it even got going good. Oh, I had a good plan in place for the week. It was going to be a very productive week. Then…

…being the Disaster Coordinator for my local Red Cross chapter, I was called to respond to an apartment fire at about 12:30 Monday morning. I managed to get a couple of hours sleep before spending the better part of the day Monday at the Chapter office dealing with the aftermath of people who were not allowed to return to their apartment. Needless to say, Monday (and subsequently Tuesday) nights were devoted to catching up on much needed sleep.

Now it’s Wednesday. I’ve gotten very little work done this week, and I have to figure out a way to get a handle on my week. What would you do?
Well, here’s what I did—having finally gotten rested, I woke up early and did my usual meditation & yoga for the first time this week. I like this to be my usual morning routine because it starts my day off just right. This was what I needed to regain my focus and get back on track. It’s still early in the day, but I have no doubt that I’ll have everything in order that I need to by the end of the day. The trick is to work smart—efficiently. This is something I’m normally very good at, when I don’t have curve balls thrown at me, like I did this week.

The important lesson here is that—well—life happens! We need to be flexible and open to options for dealing with it when it does. After all, it’s not the end of the world; just a little bump along the journey.

I hope you’re week is going along just perfectly; but if it’s not, take a half-hour meditation break. Trust me, it will make a difference!

Many businesses are seasonal. Yours may get busier as the weather turns colder, or slow down through the winter. Either way, are you prepared to handle the changes? I don’t happen to have a seasonal business. It just so happens that my business took on a sudden growth spurt. That’s not a bad thing at all; but now I’m jumping through hoops to deal with it. Being prepared is the key to better handle changes as they occur. So what are some things you can do to be prepared?

Use down time to get things in order for the busy times.
Build a network so you have resources available when you need them.
Get ahead on the things you don’t have time to keep up with when you are busy.
If you find yourself overwhelmed and unable to manage it, hire help.
Try to keep a steady work schedule so you don’t become lax during the down times.

These are some of the things I’ve learned about coping with change. If you are reading this, I hope you find these tips useful.

I sat on my deck Saturday morning and meditated. It was magical. It was as if time stood still, and the electricity of the energy of the Universe was all around me and in me and through me. I took in the golden glow of the autumn aspen leaves; the fiery red and orange of the scrub oak; the gentle breeze; the rising sun on my face; the scent of fresh mountain air.
 
And as I sat there, I was reminded that along with the change of the season, I am also seeing changes in my life. My business has all of a sudden exploded. I asked the Universe for this to happen a month ago, and received what I asked for, as is the Law of the Universe. But am I ready for it? It is most definitely making me realize that I have to be flexible enough to change with it—to adjust for it.

Change is always good. I embrace it as Life’s vehicle for teaching us how to grow and expand. It can certainly be challenging, but so rewarding when you get through the challenge feeling good about, not only the outcome, but the journey. Change always happens. But it sometimes it takes something such as my experience on my deck Saturday morning to be fully aware of it.