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What I did (and learned) on my summer vacation
Although I’m a long way from those September essays we remember so well, I thought it would be fun to pretend I was back in school. When you really think about it we are always in “school.” Are we not learning continually, especially business owners?
There were three significant things I did this past summer that may not sound particularly fun or exciting; however, they just may be the three things that will affect my life for years to come.
#1 I spent the weekends working in the yard and gardens. In this stressed economy when we watch businesses wilting and retirement funds shrinking, my gardening gives me another perspective. I’ve always found the scent of roses intoxicating, the feel of rich soil and delicate roots calming, and the explosion of the green bud into a flower wonderful. But the thing I love most about gardening is watching a flower pop up in the most unexpected place. A bright yellow buttercup pushing its way through a pile of rocks speaks volumes about persistence. The grass that’s mowed every week reminds us that we live in an abundant world.
#2 I reviewed and adjusted my business plan. BABM launched in October 2006 and although we’ve done a fair job of flexing and redirecting our focus, it was time to seriously put pen to paper. I looked at the big picture and how we needed to set guidelines and set points for “correcting” our course. I established dates called definition, direction, and decision dates. These D-dates happen every quarter and will keep us growing instead of reacting.
#3 I created the YELLOW file. In soccer they have yellow cards. Traffic signals have yellow lights. And now I have a yellow file. Caution! As business owners, many times we spend too much time with projects or prospects that will never return a profit. You know those pet projects that seem so exciting because they take us away from mundane duties. Or the lead that leads us on, the prospect that sucks our time, information and energy and has no intention of doing business with us. Studies show that it takes an average of seven contacts or touches before a prospect becomes a customer. Now, if the prospect hasn’t become a customer after the seventh touch, their business card goes in the yellow file. It’s amazing how liberating that is and how much time I now have to cultivate better relationships with existing clients who in turn refer new clients.
So I guess one would say I actually had a staycation, although I prefer to think of it as the summer vacation that disbanded the downtrodden atmosphere, vitalized my vision and cleared my prickly path for success.
Bevv
