A pause in your business can mean a future struggle

Many of you may have noticed that there hasn't been a StunGunGirl blog post in quite a while.  Many of you also know that a few months ago, life was moving along at the perfect pace when I was given a cancer diagnosis.  My seemingly perfect little universe was turned up-side-down, in-side-out, and kicked across the cosmos.

Even still, through the process of wrapping my brain around the C word that was living in my body, learning treatment options, deciding to go with surgery, and then the hardship of healing, my long term goals never wavered.  I thought for sure that when I was well, I would just pick up where I left off and continue the climb to the top with only maybe a minor hiccup.

Boy was I wrong.

As I sat down in front of my computer and opened my CRM software (I love fiitfu.com the most), it overwhelmed me.  I had 196 overdue followups.  I suddenly realized that I was so behind I might never catch up.  When I started working through those followups, I also realized that none of my contact's lives stopped, and it was like starting all over again with at least 180 of them.

That was just the foothills of Mt. Overwhelming.

All the while, I didn't want to appear that things weren't okay, so I appeared as if business was normal on the outside saying things like, "I'm so blessed to have a job that I can take time off for to beat this cancer," because I didn't want to scare anyone away from joining my company.

Really, taking months off to fight a beast like cancer already takes a mental and physical toll on you.  I wish I would have known the reality of taking that time off and what it would be like to come back to work after so much time passed.  I think I could have been better prepared for what was to come.  I'm here to tell you, you don't pick up where you left off, you start about 500 steps behind, and that's okay.

When you expect to come back to the exact point you left off, it doesn't feel okay.  Luckily, I learned something really important along the way, and even though I felt like I was treading water in my last hour of strength in the open waters of the deep blue sea, I reached out.  When you're feeling down, call up.  I wasn't just feeling down, I was feeling defeated.  My fire was gone and I was questioning whether or not I could succeed.

I am here to tell you, that after some hours on the phone with some amazing ladies who not only let me fall apart, but then picked up my pieces and handed them back to me while reminding me who I am, what my destiny is, that there is no future without me in it (especially for me), and told me to put those damned pieces back together, I am ready.  The fire has been lit, the passion has reignited, and even though I'm not starting where I thought I would, I'm getting started where I am.


How do you eat an elephant?  Invite your friends!  When you're feeling down, call up, and when you're feeling up, call down.  You never know which one of your team members might be floating in open water alone and not saying anything.


Have a blessed day!

5 things you can do to boost your business today

There's nothing like getting half way through the month and feeling like you aren't going to meet your goals.  It's easy to throw you hands in the air and just say, "Forget it!"

DON'T!

Here are 5 things you can do to boost your business right away:

1. Pick up the phone.  You have leads, call them.  If you don't have leads, open the phone book and call some local small businesses, introduce yourself, and set up an appointment to meet with them about what you do.
2. Send some mail to potential clients.  No matter what kind of business you have, there are potential clients out there.  Figure out who your demographic is.  Would it be great for a Realtor?  Is it small business owners?  Salon owners?  Send out 3 pieces of mail with an introduction letter as well as something hand written.  You can write off the postage, and all it takes is one new client to contact you to make it worth your time.
3.  Call past customers- You never know who lost your information or who doesn't know you have new products available.  Give them a call and ask them how they like what they purchased from you.  Listen to them without talking over them while taking notes and trying to figure out what need they have that you can meet.
4. Get out of the house. Head out to some businesses and introduce yourself in person.  Make sure you have business cards and samples of what you sell.  Try to set up an appointment when you can set up in their break room and take orders.  
5. Start a blog.  Bloggers are more trusted than advertisers, and you can really show the world that you are an expert in your field.  Don't make every blog post about selling your product, include awareness pieces and industry pieces as well as human interest pieces.  It will take some time for you to gain a readership, but if you stick with it, the readers will come.  

Now, there's no reason for you to sit and stare at your Facebook wondering why your business struggles.  If you want more business, do something about it.