Back to school and back to business

Doesn’t September always feel like the perfect time for a fresh start? Even more so than January if we’re honest.

The kids are finally back to school after what has been the longest summer break imaginable, so even more so than usual, September 2020 is the perfect time to refocus and refresh your business goals.

Let’s start to think about what we want our businesses to look like as we move into the final quarter of what has been one crazy year!

Five ways to get back into the business mindset

In this blog article, we’ve put together five top tips to help you regain your focus, refresh your goals, and get back to business! We hope that you find them helpful.

Unload your brain!

We all know that horrible feeling of overwhelm. You have so many thoughts, ideas and tasks whizzing through your brain that you just don’t know where to start. When that dreaded sensation strikes, don’t panic! Grab a cuppa and your notebook, and then jot down absolutely everything that is taking up precious space in your head. We mean absolutely everything, even the small things like remembering to buy some more dishwasher tablets or ordering more ink and paper for the printer!

Once you’ve done your brain dump, cross off anything that’s out of your control or doesn’t really require your attention. When you’ve done this, you can take a look at the rest. Ask yourself what’s urgent, what can wait, and what can you delegate? Carrying out this exercise regularly can really help you regain your focus and banish the dreaded overwhelm.

Reacquaint yourself with your business vision

When was the last time that you reviewed your business vision? With the kids back at school and a real sense of new beginnings, now is the perfect time to take a look back at your vision and remind yourself why you started your beautiful business in the first place. When you’re busy and stressed, it’s really easy to lose sight of your “why”, so take some time to revisit your vision and focus on your exciting future!

If you don’t have a business vision as yet, then why not make a start? It can be a whole lot of fun imagining where you see yourself in five years’ time or even further into the future. You can get crafty and make a board using photos and cut-outs, or if you’re a Pinterest fan, why not create your vision board on there?

Review and reorganise

As your business evolves, so do lots of aspects within your business, and there’s never been a better time to reassess and re-evaluate than right here and right now.

Let’s start with the idea of your super client. Go back to your original ideal client avatar and ask yourself whether anything has changed? Are they still the type of person that you love to work with, and who make you feel valued and fulfilled? If not, then it’s time to think again.

Similarly, with your business processes, are they still working for you? Could they be improved, and if so, how could you achieve that?

If you run a service-based business, do all of the services that you offer still fill you with joy, or are there some that you would rather not carry out anymore? Now is the time to review what you offer and kick to the curb those services that are either not making you any money or not making you feel satisfied. 

Plan, plan, plan!

We’re big on planning and preparation here at Avidmode! Taking some time out to plan is vital for your business growth. Dare we say it, but Christmas is not all that far away, and while it may be a little different this year, your festive marketing efforts should not be neglected.

Get to work putting together any seasonal promotions, plan topics for your blog posts, scope out content for your email newsletters, and carry out a stock check if you’re a product-based business.

The power of preparation is enormous and should not be underestimated. Trust us; you’ll definitely thank yourself later in the year when the festive madness starts to creep in!

Look after yourself!

Why do we always seem to put ourselves at the bottom of the pile when it comes to health and wellbeing? We’re so busy looking after everyone else around us that we often forget to take time for ourselves.

As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”, so make sure that your cup is always full by being kind to yourself. This doesn’t have to mean spa days and Champagne (although that does sound pretty awesome). It could be something as simple as a long soak in the bath, a cup of tea and a chapter of your favourite book, or going for a walk whilst you listen to an uplifting podcast. If you’re feeling on tip-top form, you’re going to be so much more motivated and productive when it comes to building your business.

We know it can be tricky to fit back into your business owner shoes after the kids go back to school but we’re on hand to help you with planning your next move. Feel free to reach out to us for a chat about anything digital by email at hello@avidmode.com