Category Archives: Business Processes

Standardize Your Systems (And You’ll Have More Time to Enjoy the Holidays!)

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I love many things about the holidays: the food, the friends, the presents … you name it. In my world, there is little not to like about this time of year!

One of my favorite activities, in fact, is breakfast at the Sugar Bowl restaurant in nearby Darien, CT. They have an unbelievable chili cheese omelet filled with jalapeno peppers (did I mention that I like to perspire when I eat?) More important, each year they hang beautiful ornaments from every square inch of the ceiling.

It’s quite the local scene, always overflowing with interesting people of all ages. Greg and I like to sit at the counter so we can catch the action.

Another reason I love the place is that as soon as you sit down they immediately give you coffee, a powdered donut on a small paper plate, and plop a tabloid newspaper in front of you. Perfection.

Last Sunday, while checking out the coo-coo clock collection and dreaming about my upcoming spicy omelet, I happened to notice the coffee machine in the corner. Sitting right next to its five burners was a bucket filled with pre-measured coffee filters.

Great idea! Since coffee is what fuels this place, how smart of them to have a daylong supply ready to go at their fingertips. Not only does it make coffee-making go faster, by pre-measuring the amounts, they always get the same great coffee that they’re known for.

And it made me wonder where the same efficiencies could be found in the world of solo-professionals, where it often seems like the work is “custom,” all the time. I took a spin through my client list and gave some thought to the themes I frequently see.

Here are some opportunities for you to make some improvements:

1. Onboarding new clients is one task most solo-professionals have in common that is (hopefully) repeated many times over the course of a year. So why not take a few minutes to document the ideal steps in your onboarding process, to make this the best experience for both you and your new client?

2. Storing information (files, emails, meeting notes and to-do’s) is also a universal need for solo-professionals. The key here is consistency. I take notes in Evernote during phone calls. I file every document and email attachment in Dropbox by client. I store emails I’ll need to reference again in Gmail folders. Tasks are listed in Teamwork.

And I don’t waiver from my system. Ever. You don’t need to replicate my system – but you do need to create and follow your own.

3. Frequently used documents, such as proposals or presentations, are often started from scratch or highly customized when they don’t need to be. Figure out what the core elements are – the introduction to your company, your bio, etc. – and standardize as much as possible. Stop reinventing each time!

The best way to standardize the core elements of your business is to take time during your day and watch yourself. Be present as you do your work and notice the tasks and processes that you do over and over again. And then take the time to document and make them better.

It might not seem like you have time in the moment, but by investing a little more effort up front, you’ll be able to deliver a more consistent, super-special service each time, and with much less effort.

Happy Birthday to Me

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45273894 - cupcake with sparkler against blueAs of this month, I have been RocketGirl for six years. It’s hard to believe.

I remember the day my longtime friend Michael Katz and I came up with the name. It was so exciting – and it was so scary. I couldn’t wait to get started, but I had no idea what to do first. I began by doing the things you’d probably expect.

I developed a logo, ordered business cards, decided on a title and changed my voicemail message. I updated LinkedIn, created a website, got a new headshot and spent time (way too much time) wondering if I was going to be good enough.

Happily, things have turned out quite well! Still, it took a couple of years to figure out this solo professional thing – and don’t get me wrong; I’m still working on it. All in all, I’ve made some some important discoveries along the way:

1. Figure out what you love to do and do it. We’ve all heard the expression, “Do what you love and the money will follow.” But I have to admit, I used to think that was a fairytale. I spent my first few RocketGirl years doing what I thought people would be willing to pay for, rather than what I loved. That seemed logical, but I was stressed out all the time because I didn’t really enjoy my work. I didn’t see how it was going to be sustainable.

So I stopped, made a list of all the things I really like to do, and put them on my website. Then I figured out how to get paid for them, experimenting with what worked and what didn’t. It transformed my business (and me!). Now I do the work I love and get paid for it in a way that works for me.

2. Surround yourself with really good clients. You’re heard me say this a thousand times, but it really matters. There is an endless supply of clients who will appreciate you and appreciate your work. Clients who say “please” and “thank you” and who understand the value of what you are giving to them.

If you have a client who’s not like that, say goodbye and make room for one who is. You have no idea how much the difficult clients are negatively impacting your life until they’re gone.

3. Embrace change; it’s not going away. Over the past six years, I have updated or changed every single thing I do in my business at least three times. My website, the way I take payments, my project management system, file management, my computer … you name it.

In the beginning, I thought if I had to change something it meant that I didn’t do it right the first time. But I’ve come to realize that I need to make changes because my business is growing and the world is changing.

Don’t change just for the sake of change though. Do the best you can when you make a change in your business and stick with it until you can tell that it’s no longer working. Then make the change.

4. Don’t expect to have all the answers … but do figure out how to get them. In the beginning, I thought I had to have all the answers – whether it was about a project I was working on or what to say to a client or how much to charge. This kind of thinking was unbelievably stressful.

It took a long time to realize that it’s impossible to know all the answers, so you need to have a reliable system for finding them. This comes in the form of asking experts, calling tech support, taking the time to work through the issue or simply doing a Google search.

5. Make friends with other solo professionals. If it weren’t for my army of solo professional friends and colleagues I wouldn’t last a week on my own. When the going gets tough, I go to them for help. Of course, I love my job-holding friends and family, too. But they see the world through a different lens.

Turn to someone who’s been in your shoes and, when necessary, who can encourage you and talk you off the ledge (we all know about the ledge).

It has been an amazing journey and one I look forward to continuing for a long, long time. Thank you for being on it with me.