Game Change Your Biz

Let's start today with a question: How about your action plan? Do you have one? As entrepreneurs, we may THINK we have a successful practice, but sometimes we need a little jump start. A business action plan can be the KEY! Putting an action plan together requires some work and some honest evaluation. So, ask yourself: What can I do to transform my practice or make it even better?

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Most action plans focus on income/expenses or marketing
• Here are some tips for putting an action plan in place:
  • Consider your schedule and operating hours; post them and BE consistent
  • Track your income with financial spreadsheets
  • Track the modalities and services that matter most to your clients
  • Set weekly, monthly, and yearly goals
  • Know your fixed expenses (and don't forget taxes!)
  • Find out which marketing strategies work for you and which don't work
  • Determine the best networking practices for your practice
• The bottom line is that you want your business to be profitable. Consider these tips and put your action plan to work! It's another piece to game-changing your business!

Today we're talking about how to connect with your community. Strong ties to your community can be vital to your business growth. But how do we build and sustain these relationships? We'll discuss some tips about making these connections happen, and remember, some of these may be harder to do if your business is in a larger city.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How do we define "community"? A community is composed of families in neighborhoods that are likeminded and have the goal of inspiring each other
• Tips to connect with and nourish your community:
• • Volunteer your time with likeminded organizations
  • Introduce your product or service at a discount or for free
  • Be a mentor to others
  • Attend networking events
  • Leverage social media for meaningful connections
• Try some of these ideas to improve your connection to your community. It's another piece to game-changing your business!

Mentioned in this episode:

Memorable Events by Apryl www.makememorable.com

Today we are talking about your right to refuse a client. Many entrepreneurs in private practice don't realize they have this right. Keep in mind that you can always refuse to work with a prospective client or discontinue work with an existing client, for several reasons. Let's take a deeper look.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Important questions to ask yourself:
  • Do I know when it's time to turn a client away?
  • Do I know how to do this?
• Examples of situations in which you need to make a "judgment call":
  • With a client who is consistently late or a no-show
  • With a non-compliant client who doesn't do the self-care of homework that is required as part of their treatment
  • When your own limitations and skill sets are being tested or pushed to the limit
• Tips to consider:
  • Have policies in place and inform clients about them
  • Have clear boundaries and remind clients, when needed
  • Be professional, yet firm
  • Always be courteous

Think about these issues, ask yourself these questions, and consider these tips. This is an important scenario that you need to prepare for ahead of time. Understanding your right to refuse a client is another piece to game-changing your business.

Today's show is How to Overcome your Fear of Public Speaking. You may say, "Oh, no, I don't ever plan on doing public speaking!" Believe it or not, we all encounter times when we must speak to a small group or even to our team of therapists. There are many ways that this skill can benefit you, like when presenting your marketing plan. Being an effective public speaker also helps you present yourself with confidence and positions you as an expert in the area of your modality. All of this can translate into more opportunities and greater revenue for your business. Don't fall into the trap of equating public speaking with being a salesman. Learn to be informative about your business without being sales-y.

Tips for overcoming the fear of public speaking:

• Determine to overcome the fear
• Start small
• Know your material
• Visualize yourself having a conversation with ONE person in the audience
• Engage with the audience
• Present your ideas with confidence
• If you need help, contact Toastmasters in your area

Don't let your fear hold you back from taking advantage of public speaking opportunities that come your way and can help grow your business and your influence. It's another piece to game-changing your business!

What is SUCCESS, and what does it mean to you? We all try to pursue success, but each of us probably would give a different definition of what it means. Sometimes we even try to define it by what it DOES NOT mean. Let's talk about success and what it means for your business.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Plan for success by having goals and a clear vision
• Know what success is NOT
• Look at who you are and what you want to achieve
• "Success is not final; failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts."

—Winston Churchill

• Some of the best success stories come from rock-bottom failures
• What you need to do to have success:
  • Set goals and objectives based on what YOU desire
  • Bring people on board who share similar goals
  • Build on your former success to move forward
  • Learn from your small successes AND challenges
  • Assess where you are RIGHT NOW
  • Figure out your strengths and weaknesses
  • Be clear about what YOU want to accomplish

Remember that the road to success is a long journey with many milestones along the way. Determine your own success and don't let others define it for you. Your success will depend on what you value. Being clear about what success IS and IS NOT is just another piece to game-changing your business.

It's Never Too Late to Start Over! That's our topic for today's show. A new year is always a good time to start off with fresh ideas, to continue what you started last year, or to totally reinvent yourself. Let's talk about some ideas that you might want to put into action in 2018!

• Have the right mindset (Start each day with gratefulness)
• Be honest to yourself and others
• Honor your career
• Educate your friends and family about your career and the proper terminology around it
• Respect your clients and peers
• Honor others' privacy
• Set clear boundaries
• Hold to standard operating procedures and policies
• Take time to learn from others
• Pay it forward
• Portray a professional image—Always!
• Take time for yourself

I hope you'll take these ideas and put them into action for your practice this year. Knowing that it's never too late to start over is another piece to game-changing your business!

You probably realize that we are just days away from a new year. It's the time of year when most people think about resolutions of some kind. Most people want to accomplish a goal, kick a bad habit, or improve their life in some way. Today we are discussing your New Year's resolutions for your small business, because resolutions aren't just for your personal life! Let's talk about ways you can bring about positive change in YOUR business for 2018!

Suggestions for resolutions:

• Manage cash flow more effectively
• Improve your digital and social media presence
• Focus on becoming more productive
• Take a look at your expenses, prices, and profit
• Delegate more daily tasks to your team
• Become a better communicator

Consider these resolutions, and you may even want to add more of your own. Create an action plan to implement the needed changes. Consider finding the help you need, maybe through the services of a business coach. Resolutions are another part to game-changing your business for 2018!

Running your own business can be like a rollercoaster ride, complete with many ups and downs. Sometimes you may feel like you're falling apart and wonder what you are supposed to do next. I have good news! A business coach just may be the answer to your problems! Let's talk about how a coach can help you set objectives and get your business running more smoothly from A-Z.

Five Signs that You Need a Business Coach:

• You don't have a clear path for your business
  • A coach will help you delegate certain tasks
• You feel overwhelmed
  • A coach will help you become productive again
• You aren't developing new skills
  • A coach will help you learn new technologies and skills in leadership and negotiation
• You have no accountability
  • A coach will help you accomplish reasonable goals
• You're always in a rut
  • A coach will help you implement a strategic plan, gain confidence, and try a new perspective

The key is knowing when you need help. Remember that you can't do it all alone. Consider what a business coach can do for your team! It's another piece to game-changing your business!

Today we're talking about Your Small Business Year-End Checklist. We all think of taxes when we come to the end of the fiscal year, but it's also the perfect time to start your business plan for the upcoming year. The end of a year is a time for analysis and critical decisions about your business.

Think about the following on your Year-End Checklist:

• Make sure your financial books are in order
• Determine where you want to be in your business
• Evaluate your goals
• Plan for the upcoming year
• Take action

Businesses that fail to plan are planning to fail. I hope this inspires you to think about your business plan as we say goodbye to 2017 and look forward to 2018. It's another piece to game-changing your business!

Today's topic is Self-Care during the Holidays. Don't think of self-care as something reserved for when you're sick, but as a vital part of life. It's never more crucial than around the holidays, when life is busy, stressful, and overwhelming. We are each on a lifelong journey, and we must take a little time each day to preserve our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. After all, we want to take care of our clients, so we need to take care of ourselves. We all need that "ME" time!

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Learn how to focus on one thing at a time
  • Use meditation, yoga, proper breathing, good diet, exercise, relaxation, and positive thinking
• Stay grounded and bring the focus back to YOU
  • Let go of other people's issues and concerns
• Ask yourself these questions:
  • How do I want to feel in my life?
  • What positive actions can I take?
  • What can I do for ME?
  • How can I accomplish this goal?
  • What is my "go-to haven" to feel whole and positive?
• Don't overbook your activities. Leave time for reading books, listening to music, cooking, jogging, and spending time with family or friends. Taking care of YOU—it's another piece to game-changing your business and your life!