This Can’t Wait Until January 1st

As the New Year approaches, perhaps you’ve been thinking to yourself, “I want this year to be my best year yet in my business,” or “this year I’m going to finally take action to achieve my dream.”

Sometimes in your business if things aren’t going your way or you face challenges, you can feel discouraged. There is a difference between people who stick it through and people who give up when they face challenges or find their passion dwindling.

Recently, Hal Elrod shared a really powerful blog post. He talked about taking action NOW if you are serious about making progress in 2014 and I couldn’t agree more.

Why would you wait until January 1st to start planning for 2014? The New Year is sometimes the worst time to start planning something new because you have holiday hangover – let’s start taking action right now.

So this week I want to share two things with you. Number one some strategies for you to implement today in your business and number two, a video I shared last year on how to make more money in the new year.

First, I want you to dream big and find out how to take things to the next level so that you make 2014 your best year yet!

1. Become passionate about your business. Here are 5 ways to ignite your passion for your business:

• Study other entrepreneurs and learn how they have built successful businesses.
• Network with like-minded business people.
• Hire a coach to keep you on track.
• Invest in yourself and in your learning with webinars and seminars.
• Read books and magazines about business.

2. Measure EVERYTHING you do in order to build the type of business you want to own. Here are 12 ways you can do this:

• Set a sales goal for 2014 and put a number on it. (It should scare you a little bit).
• Take your big goal and break it down into sizable chunks. This will help you figure out how to achieve it.
• Look at what you sell in your business and measure the revenue line for each product/service so you know where the money is coming from.
• Identify the big rocks first. Focus your energy on closing business that makes you the most money.
• Create a timeline and set milestones that you want to reach.
• Put your plan in your calendar and set reminders.
• Create a solid business plan so you have a blueprint to follow.
• Start taking action immediately. When you take action you feel motivated and inspired to take even more action.
• Hire resources to help you.
• Believe in yourself and believe in what is possible. Keep this in mind: “How can I vs. I can’t”
• Track your sales and slice and dice your numbers regularly.
• Learn how to manage money and cash flow

3. You have to know your customer. It is the starting point and the foundation for building your business.

• Identify who you love to work with. Decide; is it a corporation, big business, entrepreneur, small business or a consumer?
• Understand who is best served by you and build your plan around serving that segment of the market.
• Create multiple revenue buckets in your business so people have different ways to access your products and services.
• Know when you need to hire help to serve your customer base. There comes a time when you cannot do it all alone.

Careful planning, persistence, and calculated action will allow you to go from an idea in your head to a successful business. <- Tweet This!

You can do this. Don’t wait until January to take action. Start today. Watch this video for a little boost on how to get started:

You can start planning 2014 now; the first plan you can put in place is to participate in the Pilot Project. You can increase your skills, create a solid foundation for your business, and network with like-minded business owners who will become your go-to community for inspiration and support – no one likes to feel like they’re doing it all alone. Learn more

What is your 2014 goal? I want to hear from you! Share in the comments below.