As a busy mom, wife, friend, philanthropist and business owner I am always looking for ways to get more done and spend less time doing it. Whether it’s meal prepping or cleaning or planning my week, every area of my life requires systems to run smoothly.
This week I want to share with you some of the systems that keep my business growing month over month while still being able to be totally present and involved in the areas of my life that give me the most joy.
Here are some of my favorite systems that, this week, allowed me to continue to run and grow System Chicks while celebrating an amazing birthday for my daughter.
Marketing
When putting together these membership sites marketing is a key area to take into consideration. Planning ahead will help dictate everything from content planning to naming to marketing. And that starts WAY before the site is ready.
One of the systems I’ve put into place is a way to make sure I am taking my market into consideration at all steps of development. And by building my site with the different stages of market awareness in mind I am able to plan out a far more robust campaign, and have already started growing my list to ensure a successful launch.
Sales
If you’re considering hiring a lead gen team, which many of us are right now, make sure you fully understand what their systems and processes are when they generate leads for you. And I don’t just mean how they reach out to leads.
I mean who owns the leads they get. Do you get a copy of all their reach outs, even the ones who weren’t successful? What software do they use to keep track of their reach outs? If they get feedback, do they share that with you?
When working with outsourced teams they often work independently, without oversight or input from you. And that may work for you. But either way it’s important that you know these answers before you begin work with any external team.
Service
If providing amazing client experiences is a priority for you then you likely already know this. Take a look at your client journey and identify the danger zone for refunds and/or cancellations. What I mean by that is determine the time frame that people are most likely to either ask for refunds or cancel their membership.
What you can do to vastly improve your revenue is to identify your danger zone and set up a client touchpoint right before they hit the danger zone and remind them how amazing you are, how much they are getting from your product, and/or how powerful your membership is for them.
When you implement this Danger Zone touchpoint you can significantly reduce your refund requests and extend your lifetime customer value.
Ops
Setting up systems to make sure you shut down at the right time can significantly improve your work life satisfaction. By setting subtle reminders when it’s time to shut down work for the day you can regain that separation between work and home that you used to have when you worked for someone else. Your family will appreciate your time and will know how important they are. Your work will improve because you will be more focused and committed to getting it done during the work day. And you will be happier and less resentful, knowing you are working to support your family and make an impact…and that you are NOT sacrificing your family for your business.
Mindset
Whether it’s siesta time in Mexico or nap time in Japan, it seems most cultures understand that we all have energy swings during the day. And mid afternoon seems to be a consistent time of low energy for many of us.
So what can you do about it, short of taking your own siesta around 2 or 3? Pay attention to your natural energy slumps during the day and set up systems to help you glide through those slumps. Snack reminders, walk the dog, enter a squat challenge and get yours in during that time…anything to change your physiology will change your energy. I have a reminder on my phone at 2:15p that tells me to do my squat challenge. And I’ll admit, I don’t always step away to do squats, but I always have to look at that alarm and usually will at least do some mini squats at my desk.
Just get the blood pumping a bit, take some deep breaths to up the oxygen levels in your brain, and reinvigorate yourself for the last part of the day!
My Favorite Things (Favorite resources, apps, books, etc)
Some days I struggle with focus and attention. Getting into Flow isn’t an issue. I just want to stay focused on one thing for more than 5 minutes. You know the days. Life is crazy. Kids are home from school. Pets are hyped on something in the air. And you are hungry every 5 minutes. It seems like your focus isn’t the only thing working against you…your external world is too. What I find is super helpful, not only in keeping myself focused but also in getting the world to leave you alone, is to have an actual Pomodoro timer. Whether it’s digital, if you don’t have people tugging at your attention in your workspace, or a physical timer on your desk that others can see, a way to say “Hey, I need 25 minutes then I can help you” can be a total game changer!
When it comes to shutting down on time every day, you know, on those days I can focus, I find it’s helpful to have my Smart Home apps be the responsible ones. I have timers set to turn my desk lights off at 530, a reminder comes across my Google home to start dinner, and my screens automatically shut off blue lights at 6. The harder I make it to keep working the more likely I’ll create a strong work life integration.
What I’m Thinking About This Week
Content Authenticity Statements, Utilizing AI for messaging and planning,
Late last year the EU passed a new law designed to protect its citizens from being fooled by AI. It went into effect Feb 4, and will likely lead to more oversight in other countries as well. One of the things it’s requiring of anyone who interacts with people in the EU (NOTE: Unlike other regulations, this doesn’t require a transaction or doing business to apply, just an interaction like reading your website) to complete a Content Authenticity Statement which attests to how much of the writing is human created. Still more to learn here, but it is definitely going to be interesting to see how this rolls out.
Along with that, I’m spending a lot of time thinking about how AI can support us in our businesses. From helping us dial in our messaging to understanding our ICA to developing content strategies to making decisions about the technology to implement in our business. AI options fulfill many of our needs, but it requires thought and analysis to ensure we are building a strong, and ethical connection with our audience.
I hope you’re able to implement some of these systems into your business to help you get back some of your time without sacrificing your revenue and business growth. Let me know in the comments below what your favorite systems are for getting more done in your day without sacrificing time doing what you love or revenue!
