Truth be told, Inbox Zero is not my thing—having to get rid of new e-mails creates unnecessary anxiety for me and distracts me from the actions I need to take in relation to these messages. Instead, I make sure that my inbox is processed, and there are always 10-15 e-mails lingering in there awaiting my next action. Want to stop feeling overwhelmed by your...

The other week we focused on automating the process of scheduling your appointments so you don’t lose clients. Today, we’re discussing something else that costs microbusiness owners a lot of money and forces them to get stuck in their inbox. There are so many people you need to communicate with on a regular basis: Potential clients (leads) Current/active...

By Joyce M. Washington Systems.  They’re not limited to project management or team management.  If you want to manage any aspect of your business, you need a system.  So your finances are not exempt. Ask yourself, how are you managing the finances of your budding business.  Do you have a system?  Do you have tools in place that help you with that...

Referral systems are wonderful ways to grow your business. But if you still need to find clients to be able to build your referral machine? Have no fear!  Systems Chick is here to give you 3 simple steps for bringing in lots of clients, especially if you take them on a regular basis. YOUR “1-2-3” SYSTEM 1.  Meet a New Person    Forget all that advice about...

Earlier in this series, I mentioned that we are all in the business of building trust—trust in our competencies, trust that we can deliver the results we promise and trust that the money our clients invest in our services is worth it. Normally, for someone who just met you, stumbled upon your website, read your guest post or saw your tweet, the process of building...

Have you ever have bad experiences with customers or just want to make sure you avoid them altogether? I’m talking about situations like these: -  A client asked you to start working on a project before paying.  Long after you delivered the project, you still had to remind her about the overdue payment, and perhaps you never got paid.  -  Before starting the...