Time To Get Serious

At the end of 2018 I started preparing for the new decade. I wasn’t going to wait until 2020 to start preparing for this decade. My theme for 2019 was “Back to Boss”. I decided that I was going to be intentional about my business decisions, business relationships, and how I carried myself as a business owner. I wanted everyone I interacted with to know that my name is Christina Kanu and I am the CEO of Christina Kanu Consulting. Period Mark. Often as an entrepreneur we are very shy about it. We don’t tell people we own a business. We just assume that they will figure it out. We assume that they will stumble across our page one day. Or that someone will just promote our business. No that isn’t how it works. 

As an Entrepreneur you don’t have a choice but to grind and work hard. No one is going to treat you serious until you decide that you are ready to be serious about your business.

Below I have listed a few things that have helped increase productivity as an Entrepreneur

 

  • Time Management 

 

Not everyone can be A1 at time management. For some people the smallest things will throw off their day. As an entrepreneur time is truly money. When you aren’t a good steward of your time you are ultimately losing money. It is important to set goals, establish deadlines, and determine how much time you need to accomplish your business tasks. Not every waking minute of the day can be devoted to your business. However, it is imperative to commit a certain number of hours per day to doing work. For people who struggle with time management start tracking your time. This will show you how much time you are spending on meaningless things that can truly be cut out or reduced from your day.

 

  • Social Media Calendar

 

Social Media is a part of every business. People will look at your social media almost more than your actual website. A lot of my clients express to me how much they hate posting about their business. The root of this issue is people feel that they are being spammy and that their followers do not care. A photo of you on the beach is more intriguing than you advertising a product or service. However, this cannot deter you from doing your due diligence and utilizing social media for marketing. Instead of just arbitrarily posting determine a calendar. This will help you determine what you are going to post on certain days. This helps to eliminate the stress of posting. It also keeps you on track! Stop overthinking the post and hit the button. 

 

  • Establishing Business Hours

 

You aren’t IHOP or Waffle House. You cannot be open 24 hours a day. Establish work hours that work well for your business. As an entrepreneur if you are working a full-time job this may mean that you do work before your “job job” and after your “job job”. Your lunch time at work may consist of getting work done. Select a day of the week where you are completely off that way you can rest and recoup. It takes a lot of trial and error to establish hours. When I first started consulting, I would book consultations round the clock. Over time I learned that I can only do two consultations per day and I need at least 1-2 hours in between. I also am off on Fridays and Sundays. It is up to you to establish and maintain your business hours. Even with tasks such as responding to emails don’t lock yourself in. Let your customers/clients know that you will respond within 12-24 business hours etc. Give yourself grace that way in the event that life happens you will still have some flexibility. 

 

  • Accountability Partners

 

We all need to be held accountable. As a business consultant I often serve as an accountability partner for my clients. They tell me their goals, dreams, and what they would like to accomplish during our sessions. I hold them accountable to make sure that they do these things. Make sure that the people who are holding you accountable know what they are talking about. Not everyone can give good business advice. And bad business advice can cost you money. I highly recommend that all business owners have a business consultant and a 1-3 other people who can keep them accountable with their business. 

 

  • Streamlining What You Do 

 

When I first started consulting it took me awhile to determine what I wanted to do. I was good at a lot of things. I am very passionate about personal development. But I also love business. I was working as a general consultant and helping people with any and everything. Eventually I realized I love business the most. I love helping people make money. I now label myself as a business consultant. This has allowed me to strictly focus on perfecting my craft. This also helps in determining an audience and providing content that isn’t confusing. When people start asking “what exactly do you do” frequently it is time to take a step back and ask yourself what message am I sending to my audience. 

 

I hope these tips help you along your entrepreneur journey ! For more information on booking a business development consultation please visit the website www.christinakanu.com or e-mail [email protected]