You really want to grow your business and be successful. But how do you manage the time when you only have so much of it you want to give?

A few years ago, everyone was talking about this quote from Lori Greiner, one of the investors on the show Shark Tank.

“Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week”

Unfortunately, it got many entrepreneurs thinking they could only be successful if they worked 80 hours a week! That would mean if you:

• have a full-time job, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• suffer from chronic health conditions that limit your work time, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• choose family over business, you can’t be an entrepreneur

The truth is, there are different definitions of success.

For some, it’s having the biggest business around.

For others, success is the perfect work-life balance. 

Entrepreneurship isn’t restricted to those that want to work 10 or 12 or 16 hours a day to grow their business. 

Those that are successful with a shortened schedule have a few tricks up their sleeves. And today I want to share some of that magic with you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

How to Manage the Time You Have

Those of us with limited hours to work our business, whether by choice or necessity, have a magic secret. 

And it’s not that we possess some productivity gene others don’t. But it is rooted in scientific concepts that work in our favor. 

The first one is Parkinson’s Law. This concept states that work expands to the time allowed to complete it. 

Essentially, that means that more time isn’t going to allow us to do more work. 

Instead, we will just take longer to do the same amount of work! That alone should allow us to breathe a sigh of relief knowing we won’t actually be accomplishing more by working more.

Now, let’s talk strategies for managing the time you do have to produce the greatest results.

Vision

Most solopreneurs don’t really think about the vision they want to have for their businesses. 

They simply decide on a Tuesday in July that they want to start a business. And by Wednesday afternoon, they are out getting their first clients. 

Having a crystal-clear vision for where you want your business to go can be a powerful tool to help you stay focused and manage the time you want to invest in your business. 

For example: 

• Do you want to have a huge 7-figure business or would you be content with 6 figures?
• Is your goal to create a business that has a social purpose as well?
• Does your dream business involve your lifestyle?

Knowing the answers to these and other vision questions will help you form a vision statement. 

We’re not talking lofty ideal vision statement that we frame and hang on the wall like an inspirational poster.

We’re talking about a one-sentence, driving-force kind of statement. 

Like when you could go anywhere in the world and you choose an Appalachian Mountain get-away because that’s where your mom always wanted to go on her honeymoon. 

It’s about deciding on the destination and knowing why getting there will deeply matter to you. 

When you have a clear vision, you can make better choices about how to spend and manage the time you have. 

And it helps you reject things that will distract you from getting to the Appalachian Mountains.

It’s All in the Planning

A great plan serves as a road map to manage the time you want to work. When you know what to do, you do those things and only those things. 

One of the hardest steps successful solopreneurs take is moving from a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” concept of growing their business to a more structured and planned approach. 

This can be a struggle for the creative spirit. We understand! In fact, most of the coaches we work with are very creative and the thought of being limited by a “plan” can be uncomfortable at first. 

If you can relate to this, we want to encourage you because the truth of the matter is, it’s not so much about sticking hard and fast to the plan. It’s about the habit of planning.

President Eisenhower confused a lot of people with that quote. 

He was saying, plans are not guaranteed. Life happens.

Variables come into play and force constant changes to plans, right? 

His underlying message was we have to be flexible. Becoming too rigid can be just as detrimental to success as no planning at all. 

And that the magic lies in the planning itself. All the thought and strategy that goes into those plans are what lay the foundation for success.

Think 2020

This year has been a great year to test this theory. 

Many plans were set at the beginning of the year. Goals were created, programs were scheduled and plans were made. 

And then life happened. The entire world was shut down. 

What followed was our need to change plans on an hourly basis some days.

I think we can all agree that to survive quarantine, we had to drop any rigid tendencies we had and employ ongoing flexibility. 

It’s been a reminder that even a well-designed plan can change at any given moment.

However, even when you have to add-to, or take-away from, the basic plan framework will still give you a direction to go. 

It’s a flight plan

Virtual A Team recently launched our podcast, Coach's CoPilot. 

Pilots and CoPilots know that a plane almost never takes a direct flight from point A to point B. Adjustments need to be made along the way of every flight. 

But without that flight plan, they would not know what deviations to make in order to stay closely on course.

Creating a plan is an investment of your time but it’s an investment that will give you significant returns in the long run.

Fractional Analysis

Here’s another scientific principle for you. It’s called the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule.

Bear with me, math wasn’t my favorite subject either.

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. 

For example, if you are trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, 20% of what you are doing is giving you 80% of the results you are achieving. 

What that also means is that 80% of our efforts only gives us a whopping 20% of our results! It’s time to reduce or eliminate that 80%. 

The Audit

Lately, many of our clients have requested help with auditing their business. 

They want to know what’s working and what’s not. 

We review things like their social media and email marketing.

We collect and analyze data from all our client's existing programs. 

Are Your Efforts Working?

One of our clients wanted a focused review of her social media efforts. 

She posts consistently on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter.

Every message and many of the graphics are crafted specifically for the channel it is being posted on. Customization is time consuming. 

We took a look at how many people she was driving to her website and also how many “conversations” she was having. 

It turns out, for this client (and please know your results may differ), Facebook was by far the best use of her time.

That was her 20% driving her 80%.

Linkedin and Twitter produced very little results for her and Pinterest produced results that were actually hurting more than helping.

This coach decided to stop spending time crafting Pinterest images and editing her post length for Twitter. The time she spent on social media went down significantly.

Action Tip: Audit your time and the results you are getting. If it takes you more time than the results deserve, consider letting that task go.

Ditch Flying Solo

Now that you have chosen to be more effective and do the things that move you closer to your goal, it’s time to start thinking about how to also be more efficient. 

That means it’s time to stop doing the things that someone else can do and focus on the things that only you can do. It’s time to start delegating.

For coaches who have built their business all on their own, taking on a co-pilot (delegating) is often new territory and scary territory.

There are three keys to making delegation easier for the newbie.

1. Make a list of all the tasks you do and begin to decide which ones you can’t or shouldn’t be doing. This is your first task list for your first hire.
2. Take your time and hire well. Don’t hire quickly because that’s usually when problems arise. 
3. Be prepared. When you work with someone else, projects take longer. There’s back and forth communication and different work schedules. 

We have a LOT of great articles for the first time delegator. Some of these may be helpful to you.

• How to Prepare Your Coaching Business to Start Delegating
• Do You Need to Learn Something Before You Start Delegating?
• Why Is Outsourcing Beneficial?

Embrace Technology

Technology can be super scary if it isn’t in your zone of genius but it can be one of the best time savers we have. 

Using technology to automate tasks within your business is often a great investment.

But what are things that you can automate in your business? 

Appointment Scheduling

Tools like Calendly or Acuity allow you to create a calendar of available time and let others pick the time that works best for them. These systems even let the scheduler answer a few questions so you know what to expect when you get on the phone (or Zoom). 

We’ve reviewed several of the top scheduling tools to help you pick the one that’s right for you.

Social Media Scheduling

You don’t actually have to be available to post to social media at all hours of the day. Tools like SmarterQueue or Buffer allow you to create all of your posts in advance and have them post based on the schedule you choose.

You can even set up posts to go out when you are on vacation!

We have also reviewed the top social media scheduling tools so you don’t have to!

Email

We often don’t think of automating the emails we receive but there are lots of tools for handling this.

Since Gmail is the largest email service out there, we will focus on that. 

Let’s start with some of the features that have been around for a while.

• See only the emails you want to see when you want to see them. 

  Gmail’s Rules and Labels feature allows you to set up automations so that emails go to specific “folders” based on their content or who’s sending them. This is great so you never miss a client message or don’t have to see all your store sales emails in the inbox all the time. This feature allows you to stop having to use two different email addresses in order to keep one of them clear of the clutter.

• Templates used to be called Canned Responses when it was in beta.

This feature allows you to create template text that you send out over and over. If you always find yourself typing the same message, set up some templates to speed up the process.

• Customize your signature.

Many of us have Gmail set up to receive multiple different email addresses into one place. Gmail allows you to customize your signature depending on the email being received. You can even rotate your signature if you have a few different PS messages you want to use.

Now let’s talk some of the cool new features Gmail offers.

• See Ya Later! Gmail’s snooze feature allows you to dismiss an email if you can’t or don’t want to address it at the moment.

It will pop back into your inbox at the top when you want it to. This feature is great if you are clearing your inbox between meetings but don’t have time for lengthy responses.

• There’s also the option to send your emails at a later date.

This is handy if you happen to be working on the weekends or late at night and don’t want your response to appear as though you work all hours of the day! 

If you need help setting up Gmail or any other automations for your business, reach out to Virtual A Team. We’d be happy to lend a hand.

It’s important to remember that automation does not replace humans.

We often get asked about very complex automations and our recommendation is always to evaluate the cost to set up something versus paying a human to do it. How long will it take to break even? 

Work Smarter, Not Harder

The best ways to make the most out of the limited time you want or need to work involve working smarter, not harder. More hours will not result in more profit.

To better manage the time you have, focus on these 5 basic principles:

1. Have a clear vision.
2. Create a plan.
3. Find your high reward tasks and focus on those.
4. Ditch the solo and delegate.
5. Embrace technology and automate.

Realize that this will take an investment of your time. For a short while, you may be working more while you get the tools and systems set up. But the rewards are well worth the investment!

What will you do with all that extra time?

It’s not too late to recession-proof your coaching business.

Even in the best of times it can be challenging to build and grow a coaching business.

And 2020 has not exactly been the best of times.

We don’t want to suggest that challenges never happen, in fact, they do. ALL THE TIME!

But many coaches have seen more challenges this year than in an average year. 

It’s not too late to take some key steps that will help you refocus and recession-proof business for years to come.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur.

Review your Financials

Wait! No, don’t go yet. I know, you probably didn’t get into the coaching business because you love numbers. 

Stay with us though because this is a really important step.

Skipping this could be the difference between a recession-proof business and one that can’t withstand the storm.

You didn’t start a coaching business to spend all your time looking at financials and figuring out the best ways to manage your business money. 

In fact, the coaches we work with often find this one of their least favorite tasks (and that’s why we have bookkeepers as part of the Virtual A Team). 

But more often than not, we see clients who are avoiding this dreadful task, and as a result, their business is hemorrhaging money.

Find the small bleeds

Odds are, you signed up for an array of business or office management type tools along the way. And odds are even better that you are no longer using at least one of them. 

Business management programs or subscriptions are a very common area to a financial bleed. 

Maybe your fax machine broke 6 years ago and you didn’t realize you’re still paying extra for a fax line in your home office.

Or maybe you’re paying for networking membership but you’re not able to attend the meetings. 

Small bleeds. Ones that are easily overlooked but add up to a fairly large hemorrhage of financial resources.

Here are some of the most common monthly or annual fees we are paying for in our businesses:

• Software as a service (SaaS) tools - these are things like social media scheduling apps, calendar booking tools, project management tools, website maintenance, etc…

• Learning programs - these might include memberships to online learning tools like Lynda.com or specific membership programs with coaches.

• Phone lines - are you paying for an unnecessary landline or too much data?

• Ads - if you have Facebook or other ads running that aren’t serving you the results you need, maybe now is the time to reevaluate those expenses.

For more information about which home office expenses can be tax-deductible, check out this article from NerdWallet. 

Take some time to review all of your monthly and annual expenses. 

• Which ones are you no longer using? Unsubscribe from them as soon as possible. 
• Are there some that could be doing double duty or just happen to be too much for what you need? Consolidate where feasible. 
• Do any of them just not fit your big goals, even if they are still being used? Decide if they are truly worth the expense.

Review Programs and Services

After reviewing what money is going out, take a look at all the ways you bring money in; your programs and services.

Most coaches will start out with somewhat of a “throw it against the wall and see what sticks” kind of plan to get stuff out there. 

If this was you, it’s ok. You’re not alone. 

But if you want to recession-proof your business it’s time to review what you’re offering and determine if each program or service still aligns with your bigger goals and vision. 

If you’ve never worked through a clear strategy for your business and products, it might be the time to do that. 

• What does your funnel look like?
• What does the client's experience look and feel like at each touchpoint?
• How are you moving prospects along their journey with you and leading them to your higher ticket services?

Having a strategy will ensure that you’re offering products and services that tie together.

When you are intentional about the cohesiveness of all your offerings it positions you as the go-to source for whatever it is that you do.

Refine Your Brand

We recently worked with a client who put out a new “group coaching” program every 2 or 3 months depending on what the current events dictated. 

Unfortunately, it left her with no identifiable niche. 

Her programs ranged from stress management to relationship coaching.

And while she had great information on each focus area, because she didn’t pick a lane so-to-speak, people weren’t entirely clear on what it is that she has to offer. 

You want to be top-of-mind for your clients when someone is asking them for a referral or is in need of what you have to offer.

If You Sell Seashells...

For example, you want your audience to be able to say, “Oh, Susie? Yeah, she sells seashells by the seashore!” 

With a focused niche and a well defined personal brand for your coaching business, your clients will immediately think of you when someone they know is asking for the best place to buy seashells. “Why at the seashore with Susie of course!” 

One of our expert strategists sat down with her and worked out a plan to use 3 of her existing programs to build towards her signature coaching program. 

A recession-proof business is one that can easily sway when the wind blows. 

And the current events have been a bit breezy, right? 

So we helped her build a marketing plan that would be effective while honoring her desire to respect current events. And set her up to weather future storms. 

We discovered that her programs didn’t need to change all that much, we simply needed to adjust her marketing to convey a different tone or emphasis.

Hone Your Marketing

• What programs do you have now? Write them all down and see how they work together. If they aren’t working together to grow your business, they are working against each other.

• Which ones do you need to toss? Are there any that can be tweaked for a better fit? What new ones do you need to create to fill in the gaps?

Clean Up Systems

We have a client whose primary business is helping other business owners become more profitable. 

She recently added more hours to her package with us for the express purpose of focusing on a strategy to recession-proof business. She knew that she needed better, more efficient systems.  

Now, we know you might be thinking, “I don’t have any systems in my business.” We hear that often. 

People often equate systems with large corporations but systems come in many shapes and sizes. For example, if you:

• Use Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Active Campaign or another email marketing platform ~ you have a system.

• If you have a certain way of responding to requests via email ~ you have a system.

• The way in which you prioritize how you spend your day ~ that's a system.

• That certain way you manage your social media ~its a system.

• And even the fact that you only schedule certain types of appointments on certain days ~ yup, it’s a system. 

Focus on Function

Systems can be physical, using paper and pencil, digital, or automated. 

For example, if you move emails around in your email folders as needed. You have a manual system.

If you have set up rules so that emails from a particular sender land in a designated folder, you’ve automated that system. 

Just from the example above you can see how the click-and-drag method might not be the best way to go about doing things especially when you have a lot of emails coming in. 

Better systems can help you increase your own personal productivity. And when you, the revenue generator, are more productive you’re able to focus on more revenue.

If you are working with a team, better systems can help your team function more optimally and save you money in the long run.

Increasing revenue and saving money is a powerhouse way to effectively recession-proof your business.

Connect, Relate, and Align

When everything is smooth sailing we can easily get caught up in our normal program engagement with our clients. 

It’s easy to forget to get to know them as people, not just clients.  

But in our current shifting environment people will most likely be looking for more. 

• Interactions are at a distance now which means people will be naturally craving deeper connections. 

• And with our uncertain economy, they will be more selective about where, and with whom, they spend their hard-earned dollars. 

They want like-minded relationships with businesses that make them feel special. 

Know How to Attract Your Tribe

Set aside a few extra minutes with your clients. Be intentional about being ‘in the moment’ with people you come in contact with in daily life. 

The offshoot of really getting to know your existing clients is the ability to create better programs. 

You will get more insight into the personality and identity of your ideal client; what attracts them and what could turn them away. 

For example, terms like Boss Base or Fempreneur may be offensive to some individuals but may speak loudly and proudly to others.

You’ll also be better able to create a strong identity for your business.

Now is a great time to recession-proof your business by building relationships.  

Consider Payment Options

If your business can afford to, figure out some creative payment options for your clients that also may be struggling financially. 

Here are some creative ideas some of our clients have been using to recession-proof business.

Pay What You Can

Add a “Pay What You Can” option to group programs and trainings.

Don’t be afraid of having people pay less than you normally charge for a program.

You may find you get more people to register with a flexible payment option than would have without any sort of discount.

This concept also allows you to avoid the “discount” mentality since your focus is on continuing to provide valuable services to as many as possible.

Skip a Payment

Take a cue from some of the big insurance companies.

If a client comes to you and needs to skip a payment, and that doesn’t cost you a lot of money to do so, consider allowing this to happen.

One missed payment is better than losing the whole client.

Add Alternative Payment Options

Perhaps you’ve never included credit card payments before.

Now is a great time to add this service so you can make it easier for clients to continue with your services.

You may also want to consider bartering for things you're needing. 

Be Flexible

When you can work with clients and be willing to be flexible in light of the times, you are more likely to build raving fans that will be with you long after the recession ends.

Don’t go into debt to keep a client but consider what you can do to help them out.

Recession-proof Business

We never want to think about having to tighten our belts and refocus our businesses because that takes us away from our primary focus, helping people. However, it’s a lot like the analogy goes, 

"In the event of an emergency, please put on your oxygen mask before assisting others."

The best ways to refocus your coaching business and build a recession- proof business are to:

• Review your financials
• Review your programs and services
• Clean up systems
• Get connected 
• Consider payment options.

When you can invest some time in taking these steps, you’ll build a stronger, more stable business for years to come.

Is it time you stop waiting and start to get in a groove?

I've spoken to a lot of clients recently who are struggling to recover their version of 'highly productive people' habits. So, if you're wondering how to get in a new groove post-quarantine, read on.

The idea of self-isolating sounded scary at first because it was like the world was ending. What were we going to do about shopping and socializing and growing our businesses?

And then we adjusted. 

For some of us, quarantine meant a lot more free time.

• We reconnected with loved ones through conference calls and video chats.
• We found time for hobbies long forgotten or discovered new ones. I even rediscovered a love for photography and creative writing. 

For others, the workload didn’t change but the scenery did.

Many of us already worked from home but we became a lot more familiar with the same four walls (was that crack ALWAYS there?).

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

We discovered that the Brady Bunch was really just on a zoom call all along… HINT: this video is a must see!! #yourewelcome

Get in a Groove Step 1 - Declutter

Ok, this isn’t Marie Kondo’s site, but decluttering is a powerful way to reset the mind and body. It helps you get focused and gain clarity.

Get in a new groove by decluttering: 

Your Workspace 

Look around you and observe. Has your workspace gathered homework assignments, half-used coffee mugs, miscellaneous pieces of mail, and other random clutter?

Take some time to clear your space.

Your Body

OK, we’ve heard about the Quarantine 15. If you’ve noticed a little slacking off on your healthy lifestyle, now is the time to reboot those habits.

Take a look at your diet and exercise and determine what to declutter.

If many things are still going well, you can even consider a health cleanse.

Your Mind

Through quarantine, we've been focused on dealing with issues we never expected, or even considered.

• Our health
• Children (or grandkids) home from college
• Homeschooling
• Loss of income and/or financial security
• Safety of our loved ones
• And loss of freedom to take our planned vacations

We’ve had a LOT more than usual to worry about and it’s time to let some of that go.

Do some mediation exercises or consider talking with a professional about your concerns. Holding it all in doesn’t help anyone.

Bear or Butterfly?

Over time, we found our quarantine groove.

We learned how to work and play in this new atmosphere.

Sure, we never expected it to last as long as it did. But we found a way to exist.

And now we are facing the next change. 

Many cities and states have been open for a month now. Some are just starting to open back up.

And, as they do, we are, once again, adapting to new ways of doing things.

Hibernation vs Transformation

Change happens whether we want it to or not. Sometimes all you can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. But other times you have to take control and steer.

There's a really important choice to make.

You can look at this quarantine as a period of hibernation. Bears and other animals hibernate to conserve resources and survive tough seasonal conditions. It is nothing more than pure survival.

Or, you can view it as a chrysalis. The chrysalis is the life-cycle stage where a caterpillar, in its cocoon, is undergoing the remarkable transformation into a butterfly.

Once you’ve chosen to be the butterfly and not the bear, what actions can you take to get in a new groove and make your transformation amazing?

Get in a Groove Step 2 - Dream Big

I say it often, New Year’s isn’t the only time you are allowed to set new goals. Any day that ends in Y is a great day to do so.

We work hard at the beginning of each year to set goals.

Now is the time to review the goals you set at the beginning of the year when 2020 was going to be THE year that rocked! There’s still time to hit your mark. 

Reviewing and revising your goals is a great way to get excited again.

It gives you a chance to see what’s possible, not just what’s existed so far. There’s a reason gyms are so busy in January and that's because EVERYONE is excited...in January!

If you struggle with creating goals, I would encourage you to check out this Goal Setting article by James Clear. This isn’t just a rehash of the old SMART goals methodology.

You may find that his approach unlocks something that helps you actually LOVE goal setting! (OMG, crazy, right?)

Get in a Groove Step 3 - Bring in the New

Have you always wanted to try the 5 AM Club?

Or maybe you’ve been thinking about that Bulletproof coffee all the podcasters are talking about.

Bringing in a new routine is a great way to re-energize yourself and get in a new groove.

It gives you an exciting reason to wake up in the morning (I’ll see you around 7, I’m not getting up at 5) and it helps you feel like you have control over something.

If you aren’t quite ready to try something new, reintroduce something that you’ve let go. 

It’s been easy to stop setting the alarm clock or planning meals in advance. After all, you have been just trying to survive.

But now is the time to pick up those past habits or find a way to adapt them to the new way of your world.

Get in a Groove Step 4 - Get Organized

Just because you’ve gotten rid of mind, body, and space clutter doesn’t mean you’ve organized what’s left.

Take some time to organize your schedule.

Create some systems for yourself.

• What days/times will you work?
• When will you rest?
• How will you plan?
• And when will you play?

Write things down. There’s nothing more exhausting than trying to remember all the things you need to remember.

Checklists are your friends

As a new owner of a travel trailer, I’m realizing the HUGE value of lists.

✅ I have lists for what to pack.

✅ And checklists for before leaving home.

✅ Lists for setting up and tearing down our campsite.

✅ I have to plan meals in advance and prep them before we leave.

✅ Hubby has to make sure everything is in working order.

✅ We have to get clothes and supplies packed. 

I would be overwhelmed and exhausted if I had to constantly try to remember to pack the syrup for the French Toast or make sure to put the vent down in the bathroom before driving off!

One quick check of the list, and I can stop thinking about it.

Get in a Groove Step 5 - SLOW DOWN!

You are tired of self-isolation, quarantine, “new normal” and all that other crap.

It’s tempting to do everything at once so you can get back to the “old normal”. But that’s not reality.

To get in a new groove you're going to have to accept the fact that...

Your world is different and your emotions are different now.

You are grieving the old way and you will for some time. And that's ok!

• Give yourself space to have bad days.
• Build pause days into your schedule.

These are days where anything goes without judgment.  Be OK with imperfect for a while.

Finding Your Groove

It all comes down to control.

One of the best ways to get in a new groove after any big change, especially a change that feels out of our control, is to do something that allows you to feel in control.

We can’t control a lot of things that happen in our lives but we have more control than we sometimes feel; or often remember we have.

And one of our greatest, and most accessed, super-powers is our ability to control how we perceive even the things we have no control over.

When you feel in control, you feel powerful.

It’s this power that will help you realign and come out better on the other side.

Just remember, it’s OK to take your time getting back in the groove. Even a butterfly takes time coming out of her chrysalis.

"It seems like just when things start going right, something comes along to change that."

Have you ever felt that way? Work and life never seem to balance and productivity and time management seem like a never ending battle.

Just as soon as you get the hang of a system or tool, life takes a turn and you give up the whole process only to have to start over again at some point in the future. Why is it that one system can't be the perfect productivity system and result in ultimate work/life balance?

I recently took a very long car trip across the country from Long Island, NY to Phoenix, AZ.

World's Largest Rocking Chair in Casey, IN

On the way, I had the opportunity to listen to around 35 hours of podcasts and do a lot of deep thinking. One podcast I listened to was Stuff You Should Know and the episode on How Chaos Theory Changed the Universe. I highly recommend you listen.

Chaos theory seems to perfectly fit our struggle with productivity and work/life balance. However, it may also be the single most powerful way we can improve both.

What is Chaos Theory?

I'm not a scientist and won't bore you here with lengthy scientific discussions. However, I do want to provide you with some basics. I'll also share some links throughout the article if you'd like to learn more.

Chaos theory is often known as the butterfly effect: the idea that small, seemingly insignificant variables can have a significant impact on systems. The mathematical concept argues that there are so many variables at play in any one system that all the variables can't be accounted for. This variety makes it nearly impossible to have accurate predictions of how systems will appear over time.

Dr. Malcolm, a character in the movie Jurassic Park, was a chaos theorist. Dr. Malcolm argued with park owner, John Hammond. When Hammond suggested that nothing could go wrong in the park, Malcolm responded, "Life finds a way".

Chaos theory may be most visible in the weather. It is the reason we wonder why we listen to weather people since their predictions never seem to be accurate anyway.

Those Attractors are Strange!

A concept within chaos theory that I find truly fascinating is that of attractors and strange attractors. Chaos theorists began to discover that complex systems appeared to run in certain cycles even though scenarios were never exactly identical.

Doesn't that sound like life in general?

When plotted out, there appeared to be an equilibrium or balance of sorts. This balance within the system is the "status quo" where everything seems to fall into harmony. However, whenever there is a change to the system, that balance is disturbed. The system would respond by working to restore the balance. The state at which a system settles into balance is called an Attractor while the state a system is in while attempting to regain that balance is called the Strange Attractor.

As a system is undergoing a strange attractor, it can either adapt and establish a new balance or struggle and fail. Let's take the example shared by Chaos Theory for Beginners. A city has 10,000 residents and opens a new supermarket, swimming pool, library, etc... Everyone adapts to these new additions and the city achieves a new balance.

However, then a new factory opens on the outskirts of town creating jobs for an additional 10,000 people.

Based on Chaos Theory, either the town will adapt adding enough new residents and supporting services to establish yet a new balance or it will falter. Perhaps several residents become unhappy with the growth and 3000 of them move away. The new supermarket bosses have determined it needs 8000 residents to be successful and only 7000 remain. As a result, the supermarket leaves the town and the residents are now underserved. Due to the now limited resources, even more residents leave.

The new balance is far below the original starting point.

Chaos Theory and Work/Life Balance

Chaos theory gives us a much better understanding of why we long for and never quite achieve that elusive work/life balance. No matter what stage you may be in, you are either in a temporary period of balance or and active period of adjustment. It's a lot like those perpetual motion toys. They never settle into place.

In this episode we talk about efficiency products. They are a blessing and a curse! We are given templates and great efficiency products, but you have to make these templates fit you. With every rule, there is always an exception to the rule, so find what works for you. Kricket shares a few of these things to consider.

Time of day: Everyone has more energy at different times of the day.  Someone may like to get up early and get down to business, while others may find that after lunch is their most productive time.  Learn when your best time of day is and use that to your advantage.

Look at your past successes.  What did you do that was successful and how can you apply that to another project you are working on?

Create a to-do list, but give yourself the option to move things around and push things off to another week.  Sometimes life happens and you get sick or your child gets sick and you need to move things around.  That’s ok!  Give yourself forgiveness and allow flexibility with your list.

Review your to-do list.  Are you noticing that the same things keep getting put off? Is so, is there a legitimate reason or should you take a look and figure out how to do those things. Do you need to delegate that to someone else?  Or do you just need to prioritize it to make sure it gets done in a more timely manner?

When you don’t accomplish something that you intended to that day, ask yourself what happened?  Not why or how, but what caused this to-do item to be unattainable today?  This helps you focus on the project.

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Are you constantly feeling distracted by the next idea or tip for growing your business? Hear about how you can stay on track and grow your business quickly with these easy tips from Tish Times. 

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Whew, that was a great networking event. You connected with some old faces and met a lot of new people. Sure it cost you a few bucks and a few hours of your time. At least it got you out of the office. But, was that all it was for?

Making an investment of time, energy and money to attend networking events doesn’t end when the event does. In fact, that’s when it is just beginning.

If you’ve been in business circles for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the old adage:

The Fortune is in the Follow Up!

And this is so true. What you do with all of those contacts after the event is the real key to maximizing your investments. However, you are truly busy just running your business and you really don’t want to come across as spammy. So how can you maximize your time and do so in a manner which gets results without feeling like a used car salesman?

How to Follow Up After a Networking Event

Refine Your Pile

Realistically, not everyone you meet is a good connection. Some contacts just aren’t good prospects and won’t be good sources of referrals either. Don’t focus any time on these individuals. In fact, go ahead and remove their business cards from your pile before you do anything else. Now you only have business contacts who are potential prospects or who could refer you to someone who might be.

Categorize By Value

Arrange the remaining cards into three piles.

1. The first pile should contain important business contacts who are the best prospects or referral sources.
2. The second pile should contain contacts who are still valuable but who’s value isn’t quite as high.
3. The third and final pile should contain contacts who may be of value in the future but who aren’t a priority as of right now.

Read more about How to Organize Business Contacts here.

The Intro Email

The first email you send will be a quick email to ask more about the person you just met. Odds are you didn’t get a chance to talk in detail at the networking event. This email gives you the opportunity to connect with them on a deeper level. Here are 4 sample questions you may consider adding to your intro email:

1. What do yo love most about being a ?
2. Who is your favorite audience to work with?
3. When you aren’t working, what do you love to do?
4. What it is an immediate challenge you are trying to solve right now (personally or professionally)?

After these questions, invite them to join you on social media and list out your links so they can easily access these with a click.

PRO TIP: Use Canned Responses in Google Labs to create email templates like this. Alternatively, you can download a program like PhraseExpress and store common emails for easy retrieval.

Who to Email First?

Now that you have the email you will be sending, begin sending these based on the categories you have already set up.

1. Pile A – Reach out to the business contacts in the first pile within 24 hours. Of course, if it is a weekend, that can be the next business day.
2. Pile B – Reach out to your pile B contacts within one week.
3. Pile C – These contacts can wait one to two weeks out but be sure to follow up with them eventually.

Unless your event was a multiple day event or you had a sponsor table, odds are you will have less than 20 contacts to follow up with. If you have more than this, you may not be spending enough time with each individual you meet. Only ask for business cards from individuals you truly want to connect with.

PRO TIP: NEVER EVER add someone to your email list or Facebook group without asking for their permission first. This is rude and considered spammy and may hurt your reputation.

After the First Email: Now What? 

Once you’ve reached out to your business contacts to show them your interest in building a relationship with them, follow up with them by sending them a text or by calling them. Be prepared with a couple of quick questions you can ask. This might be related to the event such as “Did you take action on XYZ?” or it may be just to learn more about them. Also be prepared with your calendar handy to invite them to a “virtual coffee” appointment.

When to follow up:

• Pile A – Call or text within one week of sending the initial email.
• Pile B – Call within two to three weeks.
• Pile C – Call within the first month.

Staying in Touch: Send a Subtle Reminder Using Social Media or Email

 Some business contacts will be easier to connect with and others may be more difficult to reach. If you have still not received a response or interest at this point, send them an article of interest to them (not promoting what you do) through a social media account or by sending them another email. It can also be helpful to engage with them on social media by liking and commenting on their posts.

When to follow up:

• Pile A – Within two weeks of reaching out by phone.
• Pile B – Within one month of phone call.
• Pile C – Within one month of phone call.

Don’t Give Up: Continue to Reach Out Until You Get a Response

You may or may not have managed to get a response from business contacts at this point. If you have, congratulations. If you haven’t, however, don’t get discouraged.

Remember when we talked about the fortune being in the follow up? This is what will make or break your success. Quit now and you’ve just wasted your time and money. Remember, people have their own list of priorities and odds are, you are NOT at the top. That doesn’t mean they don’t want to connect with you. It just means the timing has to be right.

When to follow up:

• Pile A – Continue to reach out to these contacts every two to three weeks. Mix it up with phone, email and social media. It’s about making a connection and building a relationship.
• Pile B – Monthly
• Pile C – Quarterly

After trying to connect with a contact for 6 months or more and having no success or return response, you can assume they aren’t interested. This isn’t about beating a dead horse but giving enough time to have magic happen.

If you’ve failed to reach certain contacts after months of sending them emails and phone calls, you can probably throw those contacts into the trash. However, take into consideration how valuable each contact is before giving up. If they are a contact that could really assist you in furthering your career, hold onto them. If they are a contact that you can honestly live without, give up on them.

Pro Tip: If you run into someone on your list at a networking event, reignite the conversation. This connection counts towards your follow up. It’s all about being top of mind for when they are ready.

Final Thoughts

Out of site, out of mind. When you can build and nurture a healthy relationship with a contact, they are more likely to think of you first when they or someone they know needs what you offer. We hope this article helps you to create your own follow up plan. If you would like help implementing all or part of your follow up, please contact us here.