Exercise Your Business

Posted on October 2, 2006 
Filed Under Business & Startup, Virtual Assistance

Today was graduation day for me…from physical therapy that is. The short story is that I had a very severe ankle sprain that happened at the end of June and after several doctor appointments and four weeks of physical therapy later, I am finally finished and able to walk without pain or discomfort again. Of course I still need to do my exercises to keep it strong to avoid injuring it that badly in the future, but I will do them and not complain because it is no fun not being able to walk, much less run after my baby girl who would give Speedy Gonzales a run for his money.

This experience got me thinking about my business and how the same principles can and should apply. Your business is like your body. Your body needs certain things to survive, but it also needs more than the bare minimum to be healthy. Your body needs food and water while our businesses need money to survive. But just like your body needs food, it needs exercise to be healthy. Money will not automatically make your business healthy, but periodic exercise is key to success. So my question to you is, “How do you exercise your business?”

Nourishment = Energy
Think of it as just like finding the right balance of nourishment and exercise for your body. Your business needs your energy! It needs your energy to thrive and to succeed. If you find yourself working extra long hours and can barely keep up, exercise may be your answer. When was the last time you were excited about your business, where it was going, all the ideas you had? Do you remember those big ideas and all the plans you made? If not, maybe it’s time to revisit them or better yet make a new list of ideas, how you want to implement them, and when you want to have them in place.

That positive energy you are creating is fueling your mind, your body, and your business. When you are passionate and excited about something, most of us will move heaven and earth to make it happen.

Relay to the Finish Line
Now make a new list of all the things you don’t like doing in your business. Maybe it’s bookkeeping, maybe it’s weeding through the hundreds of email you get everyday, maybe its marketing. Whatever these items are, one of the best things you can do to energize your business is to outsource it! How much happier will you be if you didn’t have to do all those things you hate doing? This is the relay exercise…think of it as exercising your business by passing that baton off to the next person on your team, a team that you get to personally select to get to the finish line!

Consistency is Key
Do you take the time to review your business consistently? Just like exercise you can’t do it for 3 weeks and then be a couch potato for the next four months and expect results. You have to exercise routinely to get the results you want. The same goes for your business. You have to review what is working in your business and what is not if you want to grow. It takes time, practice and patience, but the rewards can be great if you pay attention and track your progress.

The same goes for marketing. Do you have a consistent marketing campaign or do you market only when you need more customers? If you answered the latter, then you are taking a big risk with your business. Whether you market locally, nationally or virtually, marking your business in spurts will only get you unpredictable results and unless you like your business income to be unpredictable, this is no way to be successful.

Add Muscle…It Weighs More, but Burns the Fat
Everyone knows that muscle weighs more than fat, but it also helps trim the fat…the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn when exercising. So how do you add muscle to your business? Customer referrals are how. How do you get customer referrals? Simple, treat each customer as if they are the only customer you’ve got! Think I’m crazy? In my previous life of corporate America, I dealt with many vendors like commercial printers, large chain hotels, mail houses, and more. As the customer, I have to admit that I was a tough cookie when it came to selecting any vendor because to me, I expect you to deliver what you promise and more importantly when you promised it. I had a phrase that I used when interviewing these vendors or even when a problem arose with a deliver date with a million excuses, “As far as I am concerned, I am your only customer.” Your customers don’t care about your other customers, they want to feel special and they want their job, product, or service on time. When you treat your customers like they are the only one, they not only keep coming back, but you’ve just hired your own personal marketing team free of charge. Word of mouth marketing is the easiest way to gain new customers and grow your business and it doesn’t cost you a cent. If you’re wondering what represents the fat in this scenario that would be you. By not having customers work for you by referring others to your business and not exercising those muscles, you take on more fat than you can chew.

So exercise your business consistently by adding energy and muscle and race towards the finish line for a healthy business!

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WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can as long as you include this with it: Connie McVicker is owner of Signature Worx, LLC, a member of the of the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce, a VAN Virtuoso in Graphic Design, and founding President of Team Women Jackson.

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