How Much Time Will Your Business Take?

So now you're running your business, getting paid and everything is going swimmingly. And then it's time

to write up your schedule for the next week or month. Planning out what I would need to spend my time on was difficult at first.

As a new business owner it's hard to know how much time you'll actually have to devote to your new venture. And more importantly exactly how much time will have to go toward different activities in your business. - Tweet This

It can be really easy to fall into a trap of thinking that every moment in your business will make you money, or that it will used for the fun things you really go into the business to do. I quickly realized this was absolutely not the case! I spent more time "running" my business than doing the main task of my business (photography).

First things first, what are some of the tasks that take up all this time in the first place?

Business Tasks

• Branding - creating your logos, deciding on the look and feel of your brand, creating a cohesive style

• Web Design - designing, managing and updating your website, and running a blog if applicable

• Client Communication - emails, phone calls, and meetings

• Advertising & Promotion - creating and managing paid ads, social media, promotions and sales, and get the name out about your business

• Accounting/Bookkeeping - record keeping and balancing the finances, making sure taxes are paid, accounts are up to date and accurate

• File Management - sending out, processing and organizing contracts, quotes, invoices and all other documents related to your business

• Research & Professional Development - looking for ways to optimize your business, your skills in your field and new and creative ways to up the game

• Purchasing Supplies - whether you need to buy inventory to resell or paper and pencil or software to keep your business time, it takes research and time

• IT - maintaining your computers, tablets, software, etc.

• And so on...

Even if you hire help for some of these tasks, you'll need to spend time overseeing them and making sure that you know what's happening in your business. And once your business grows and you contract our work or hire employees, you'll need to be your own human resources as well.

Time It Takes

Every business will need to spend a different amount of time on these tasks based on how much you outsource, which tasks require more attention for your type of business, and how quick you are at any given task.

The trick is to write out a realistic schedule and adjust it often to make sure you leave enough time for every important task on your list. - Tweet This

Once I was able to write out my schedule with all the tasks listed out on a calendar: daily, weekly and monthly, and to watch how long they were taking, I was able to figure out how much of my business time, my work time I needed to devote to each individual task. It took trial and error and consistent adjustment.

I believe that every business will spend between 50 and 70 percent of their time doing tasks other than their main business function to keep their business running. - Tweet This

That seems so high at first. Thinking that I was only spending 30-50% of my time on photography and the rest of my time on all the other tasks, to make sure that my business had new clients, was legal and compliant, and every other day to day task, seemed crazy! But the longer I've been in business the more I see that it's true.

What It Means

So what does it all mean? Who cares how much time I spend on photography vs accounting? Well it means several things.

First, it means that when you're doing the math about how much money you can make you need to calculate the percentages right. If only 30% of your business time can be devoted to your primary, money making task and you only want to work 40 hours per week, that will help you plan ahead and know how much your business will make you, how much you can actually grow it and be realistic about what it will bring in.

Second, it will allow you to realistically set timelines and leave yourself enough time for all the necessary tasks to get done.

The worst thing for your mental health and your chance of burning out is to take on too much. - Tweet This

Realistic planning will help keep your work-life balance, as well as your health and your business on track.

Lastly, it will help you with planning for the future. As your business grows and you increase rates, or gain more customers, or hire more help you'll know what parts of your business require what amounts of effort and you can plan more effectively. Hire in help for the most time consuming or difficult tasks.

What tasks take up the most time in your business? Did I miss an important task that you need to budget time for?

#smallbusiness #runningyourbusiness #timemanagement #businessplanning

Contact Forms & Lead Information

Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you! I have experience with all of these resources, and I recommend them because I find them useful, not because of the small commissions I make should you decide to buy something. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

When running your business you need a way to build your client database as well as create a simple and efficient way for potential clients to contact you.

Creating lead or contact forms does this and allows you to gather necessary information early in the conversation so you don't have to waste your customers' time emailing back and forth over simple questions.

My contact forms have taken several years to evolve. Over this time I've optimized them to be as efficient as I can and to ask all the most important information without being too long. Here's my take on the best ways to implement lead forms.

What questions to include on the contact form?

1. It's important to ask for a name. You don't want to be confused about which inquiry goes where.

2. Their email. You'll need this to respond to their contact and to have a unique ID for your clients. Using name and email is a great way to remove duplicate records by combining on these fields.

3. An optional question requesting their phone number. Asking for a phone number is asking for a pretty big commitment, but it's a helpful field in case it's the best way to reach your clients. My suggestion is to make this field optional, but offer the opportunity.

4. Consider adding a question on the way they prefer to be contacted. Email, phone or text? It doesn't work for all businesses, but if you plan on setting up on contact tracks or just want to know, it might be that extra touch that makes them feel heard, if you really take their preference into account.

5. The reason for their contact. It's nice to offer the option to check a box or select from a dropdown. It eliminates some of the pressure.

6. If your business runs on deadlines include a field that requests the deadline or the date of their appointment.

7. An open text field asking for more details is crucial. It depends on your business whether you make this required or optional, but give your clients the opportunity to offer more information.

8. Ask them how they found you. The reason to include this in your contact or lead form and not at a later stage in the process is because you want to ask while it's top of mind. Most people won't forget if it's a referral, but they may not remember what they Googled to find you.

9. Permission to contact them in the future and sign them up for your newsletter. Depending on where you live this can be necessary. In some parts of the world. simply by using your contact form, individuals agree to receive communications from you. In other places, you have to ask for permission to contact them. Make sure to check your local laws to remain compliant.

So what do you do with contact forms?

There are some options and ideas for how to make the most of your contact form now that you've set it all up!

1. Include it on your website contact page. Rather than putting just a phone number and email on your contact page, give your customers an obvious, easy to use contact method.

2. Place it on a pop-up accessible with a single click from a button present on every page of your website. If you think your customers are less likely to make it to your contact page, this tactic will make it clear they can reach you from anywhere.

3. Or place it in the footer of your website so no matter what page your visitor is on the contact form is just a scroll away.

4. Place it on your social media websites as an easy way to reach you from multiple channels.

5. On a landing page for a promotion. Consider making specialized forms and pages to use for special offers or events so you can track the response to those specific promotions.

Where should the contact information go?

So now that you've got great contact/lead forms and they're in all the right places, ready to collect all this great information, what do you do with all of that?

First, make sure that all the contact forms are sent to your email.

You want to make sure you can respond quickly to all your potential clients.

When you're setting up your forms designate some of your fields to map to the subject line so that you always know what the emails are generally about.

Consider setting up auto-responses if it fits with your business model to respond right away and follow up on their request. Sometimes you know based on certain selections that you will need certain questions answered. You can build an email that is customized to incorporate information from the contact form and ask the appropriate questions based on the contact's selections. This speeds up your response time, allows your customers to have a better experience and makes your business run more efficiently.

The second place you should be storing your contact information is some type of customer relationship management software. You can decide to set something yourself using Excel or MS Access, or even your email account. This will have limited capability to track information about your clients. My recommendation as a small business owner is to look for a project management software that has a CRM component built in. I chose 17hats for mine. There are tons of options out there, but consider how well the one you choose will integrate with the rest of your business.

By storing all of the contact information in one place you can easily reference every client's individual contact as well as summarize the information and look for trends and patterns that can help your business.

Lastly, you should be sending contact information to your newsletter list! Your email list is a great way to reach out to people who have made contact with you and keep them informed on what you're up to. Make sure you get permission to add people who fill out your contact form on your email list, but then send them over to your email software. I personally use Flodesk for my newsletter software. I have a welcome email campaign for people who sign up for it. And I have a monthly newsletter that goes out to all my customers and interested contacts, where I keep them informed on what my business is up to!

Whatever you do make sure you collect the information from the contact forms somewhere. It would be such a shame to waste great customer insights.

Final Note

Make sure all your data collection, website, CRM, newsletters and data management and analysis is compliant with privacy and security laws in your region and the regions of your customers. Seek legal counsel if you're unsure.

Do you have contact forms set up? Where do you collect the information? Do you have other creative uses for them?

#smallbusinessbrand #solopreneurship #runningyourbusiness #solopreneurcontactforms #leadinformation #contactforms #websitedesign #buildinganemaillist #smallbusinessemaillist

Amazing Things Come in Small Packages! Microbusinesses and Solopreneurs...

What is a micro business? What is a Solopreneur?

Well according to the Small Business Administration (SBA) a micro business or micro enterprise is a small business with less then 10 employees. Some even define it as a business with only up to 5 employees. While small businesses can have dozens of employees and still fit the definition of small, micro businesses are truly "small".

Solopreneurs are business owners with no employees. They are the only owner and employee of the business. This doesn't mean they don't contract out for services from other professionals to help them along the way. But as far as actual employees go, they have none.

Micro businesses make up over 90% of all businesses in the United States, and solopreneurs or non-employer businesses make up 80% of all businesses in the US! That means there are over xx million micro businesses in the US and of those over 26 million are solopreneurs.

The vast majority of business owners are doing it alone or with a very small team!

So why does it matter?

Well for one, it helps to know you're not actually alone. You're the only one in your business, but you're one of millions. That means there are millions of other talented, amazing business owners going through the same struggles, the same lessons and the same wins as you.

It also matters because for years it felt like the business space wasn't for people like me. People that were doing it alone or had a small team. It felt as though this was just a transitional step on the way to something bigger. Or at least that's what all the news articles led me to believe! Every blog post I seemed to come across, would chastise me about how doing it alone is ok, but it's a job not a business. To be a real business you have to grow.

Well I'm here to say, that's complete crap! A business of one or two or three or four or five is a real business! In fact it's almost EVERY real business! And it counts. You are building something real, and you definitely, absolutely count!

Challenges Facing Micro Businesses

1. Resources & help is mostly targeted toward bigger small businesses - Most resources out there assume you either have several employees or plan to at some point. It makes it so much harder to keep going as you feel left out and alone. A good support network is so important to success. Don't worry, you're not alone! As I said above there are millions of other people in the same boat. And many of us are willing to work together, share information and grow together. The internet and social media have made it easier than ever to connect. Find some groups to support each other.
   

2. Depending on just one client - Smaller businesses can get caught in a trap of having one or two really big clients and becoming dependent on that source of income. This puts them in a really dangerous position and threatens long-term success. To help avoid this, make sure you work on creating great relationships with your clients and asking for recommendations. When you deliver service, ask them to review you on whatever sites you get reviews (Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc.) and to tell their friends. No matter how secure or busy you feel, don't stop posting on your social media, writing blog posts and reaching out. If you keep the marketing activity up when you're busy, it will help you find new clients when you get slower.
   

3. Burnout, fatigue and too many hats - This problem is so common for micro business owners and solopreneurs. And it makes perfect sense, because we're responsible for our entire business. It can get overwhelming! All the tasks big and small fall on your shoulders and it can burn you out. After all, you didn't get into business to do all the behind the scenes, you got into business to do what you love! There are so many resources available to help. Other small business owners offering their services as contractors. You can run more efficiently and contract out certain tasks. Tools made to standardize and automate your processes, so tasks get done automatically and you can focus on the bigger things. Make sure to incorporate the options available to you to free up your time for the parts only you can do!
   

4. Knowing when to grow & when not to - It seems like growing your business is the metric for success others have. The bigger your business, the more successful you are. But that is far from true! Success should be measured individually, by meeting goals that you have. Not by continuous growth for growth sake. In fact growth too fast, or when you were simply not ready, can lead to burnout, fatigue, bad customer experiences and negative reviews. You don't want any of that! It's important to take time periodically (as often as monthly or quarterly if your business is growing really fast or yearly or every few years if it's growing slower and depending on industry) to take time, breathe and evaluate. Are you ready to take on more? Can you afford the costs in time and money associated with the growth? Will it help you achieve not just your business goals, but your personal goals? It's ok to stop and say, no more growth right now. We're going to stay right where we are. It's ok to feel happy where you are and take the time to grow in other areas of your life. And it's ok to just breathe!
   

5. Getting lonely - If you're the only one running and operating your business, it can get super lonely! Especially as more and more business interactions move to the internet. Not only are you making decisions with no sounding board, but some days you may not see other human beings at all. And while your furry companion might be cute and all, it can get stressful. Join some local and internet based business groups. Especially ones focusing on similar topics that interest you. They don't need to be in the same industry, but perhaps a similar general category. These groups can help you grow as a business owner, learn new skills, build a network and stay focused on ways to keep improving. Not to mention you may just make some lifelong friends.

Tips for Making it as a Micro Business!

Now that we covered some of the challenges, and some ways to address them, let's chat about some ways to make sure you're successful. About 50% of businesses survive past 5 years. These tips (some of which might seem an awful lot like solutions to the challenges above 😉) will hopefully help you be in that 50%!

1. Avoid debt - I know this sounds hard. And I'm not entirely opposed to debt. But! And this is a huge but, most businesses are better off avoiding debt in their first few years. If at all possible, save up money, spend carefully, and make sure you set aside the appropriate amount for taxes and reinvesting in your business. Most micro businesses can be started with just a few hundred dollars. And as you start to make some money you should be reinvesting back into the business. Which in turn will help you make more money, etc. To really make this work you need to make sure to invest carefully and really weigh your options! If you can't avoid debt, for example, if you need to buy some expensive equipment to get started, make sure you prioritize paying down the debt as you bring in income. Look for dept options that are the lowest interest rate possible (some credit cards or credit lines are 0% interest if you pay it off within a certain time-frame), as this will help minimize the impact of the debt. And consult with your accountant about appropriately depreciating and writing off the expense!
   

2. Build a network and learn from each other - Running a business by yourself can get super lonely and exhausting. Not to mention, unlike a typical job, you don't necessarily have people to bounce ideas off of. Instead of going at it completely alone, try to find a network of business friends! Whether online groups, or in person meet-ups find a tribe. This network will be extremely helpful in succeeding. You can offer advice to each other. Be there when things get tough. Learn together. Support each other. And so much more. Not to mention when you surround yourself with people who have similar goals to your own, you both remind each other why you started on the path in the first place and help each other reach your goals!
   

3. Get feedback often - The best way to make sure you're successful and can keep improving is to always ask for feedback! This has a few benefits. First, you'll learn what you need to fix, quickly. If you offer clients and friends the opportunity to tell you what's going wrong early, you can correct it sooner, rather than later. Second, if you get great feedback, you can use it as reviews and it will help inform future clients and fill them with confidence in your service!

4. Hire other business owners for help - Just because you're a shop of one or only a couple, doesn't mean you can't get a bit more help! You don't need to have an accountant, lawyer and IT person on staff. But you should find other local, small businesses offering these services and get help from professionals who can help make your business safer and more efficient. While you will need to wear many hats in your business, you don't need to learn every, single skill required in the smooth operation of a business. Let someone be the expert in their field so you can be the expert in yours and spend your time doing what you love and are great at!
   

5. Find the right tools & create automation - Another tip to save you time and make your business more efficient is to find the right tools that will cut your work and help you be more consistent and efficient. You don't need to write out every email by hand! Create beautiful templates and make sure responses to people who contact you from your website are personalized but automated to collect all the information you need before you have a call. Create online scheduling tools to give clients more options and save yourself time scheduling every appointment by hand. Create systems for inventory, contracts and other processes to keep your business consistent. The best way to create great service and get great reviews is to make sure every client has the same, consistent, great experience. Curious how I do it? Here's my toolbox of favorite tools and resources as well as tools and courses I offer!

Do you run a micro business? Are you a solopreneur? What's been your biggest challenge? Do you have any tips for success? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! #smallbusiness #microbusiness #solopreneur #tipsforsuccess #microbusinesschallenges #solopreneurchallenges #solopreneurtips #microbusinesstips