Joseph Ghabi once said: “Your life will begin changing the moment you decide that you want it to.”

I’ve found that the same is true for growing your business. If you want to see different results than what you’ve seen in the past, you must make a heartfelt decision to do things differently. You need to start with making over your mindset.

Mental blocks can hold you back and keep you from achieving your goals. When you sit down to work on your business are you clear and focused, or is your mind cluttered with ideas, client requests, overdue items and more?

The FIRST step to achieving your goals is de-cluttering and organizing your mind. When you do this, you’ll be able to clearly define what you want to accomplish and start taking the necessary action to achieve your goals.

If a never ending to do list, too many ideas for marketing your business, missed opportunities and a constant state of overwhelm are running your life, it’s time to clear out the old and get organized. When you do this, you’ll find that it’s easier to focus on marketing your business consistently and effectively.

Here are seven simple practices that you can use NOW to do just that:

• Document EVERYTHING! – When your brain is busy trying to keep track of the many details that are floating around your head, you begin to feel stressed out and overwhelmed. Write down everything! For years, my husband told me to do this but I ignored him – until I finally started to see that there was too much for me to manage on my own. Once I started taking his advice, EVERYTHING changed. The same can be true for you. Get a notebook if you prefer the pen and paper type of note taking, or use Evernote. No matter how you do it – start documenting every aspect of how you run and market your business. Getting it all out of your head and onto paper is going to relieve a tremendous amount of stress.
• Create a login file – In this day and age, the number of accounts you need to log into on a daily basis seems to be growing each week! Keeping track of all that information in your head is a surefire recipe for disaster. Have ONE spreadsheet where you keep all of this information. Be sure to write down everything – your blog dashboard, social media profiles, email marketing system, etc. You’ll be able to save time looking for what you need.
• Use a notebook to capture all of your ideas – Apart from your procedures and to do list notebook, you should create a space where you can write down all of your new ideas. Entrepreneurs have no problem generating great new ideas – but it’s far too easy to forget about them or allow them to distract you from your profit plan. Keeping your ideas in one spot will make it easy for you to refer back to those ideas often so you can actually implement them. Imagine how you can increase your profits when you start taking action on your great ideas?
• Use just ONE to-do list – If your daily task list is in 7 different spots, you’re going to feel distracted and scattered. Keep everything in one list – there are countless options, so just choose one and stick with it! Once you’ve picked the best option for you, commit to using this one system for your tasks and projects. Using a web based system will make it easy to delegate tasks to other people.
• Plan ahead with your content – Many entrepreneurs feel stuck with marketing because they aren’t sure what to do. Just start with one month – plan out what you’ll be doing in the upcoming month. Pick a date to publish each piece, plan out the theme for your content and jot down some ideas for your newsletter, blog posts or social media updates. When you sit down to write your marketing materials you’ll crank out your content quickly and easily.
• Create a Master Schedule Template – If you find yourself looking back at the end of the week and wondering where the time went, you need to implement this right away! Using a weekly calendar, you can designate blocks of time where you’ll work on certain aspects of your business. For example, reserve Monday from 9 am to 12 pm for marketing, 1 pm to 3 pm for writing, 3 pm to 5 pm for email management and so on. Start by inserting recurring tasks (like client meetings, marketing times, meeting with your coach, etc) and then designate other blocks of time for your other activities. Don’t leave your essential tasks to chance! Make a plan for when you’ll do them and you’ll boost your productivity.
• Set clear boundaries – Once you get this support system into place, you need to follow through and stick with it! Commit to yourself that you’ll honor what you’ve set out to do. Turn off email notifications and other distractions. Make sure that friends and family know when you’re available to chat. You can also create accountability for yourself by working with a coach or mentor to help you.

Marketing and growing your business isn’t impossible – but it does require planning and consistency to work. When you de-clutter your mind and organize your materials, you will be able to see the results you’ve been looking for and fully enjoy a successful business.

Which tip will you implement first? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments below!

One of the reasons it can be challenging to do this, despite the best of intentions, is because service professionals are usually not nearly as organized as they should be with their marketing efforts. So, if thanking someone who has referred business to you or otherwise extended a helping hand in growing your business is not on your radar, it's not likely that you'll follow-up as you need to.

In order to develop and maintain these potentially lucrative relationships, it's important that you have systems in place to stay in touch. Here are a few tips on how you can do just that:

• Systematize your efforts: Send a monthly letter to your referral partners to let them know what’s new in your business. Share a quick tip, articles from your blog, highlight any new services you’re offering and let them know you’re available to help them and their network.
• Be sure to promptly follow-up (within 48 hours) on ANY leads you receive. This will show off your professionalism and make it more likely for the new leads to hire you.
• Promptly send a thank you gift to the referrer to express your appreciation. Your sign of gratitude will go a long way to make a big impression with the referrer and likely encourage them to send more business your way.
• Spend at least 15 minutes each week referring business to someone else. You'll be seen as a Connector and will stay top of mind amongst your referral circle.
• Create a Power Partner circle by connecting with complementary service professionals and meeting weekly (or monthly) with the specific purpose of referring leads to one another. Since you help the same target market in different ways, you’re not only helping each other but you’re helping your clients as well.

Don't leave nurturing your referral partnerships to chance. Give it your focus and attention!

1. Schedule time on your calendar to send a letter to your referral partners each month that updates them on what's new in your business and how you can help them and others in their network. Set a reminder using your project management system or to do list software so you won’t forget.
2. Select a thank you gift that you’ll send to your referral partners and plan how and when you’ll send that gift. Planning ahead will make it easy to implement when you get your next referral.
3. Look for opportunities to refer your clients or contacts to other professionals. Spend 15 minutes each week connecting the people you know with others who can help them.
4. If you don’t have a Power Partner circle, it’s time to start one! Make a list of other professionals that are targeting your ideal client in different ways. Reach out and explain the benefits of being Power Partners. Share your ideal client profile and educate your partners on EXACTLY what to look for so they know which individuals need your services.

I have found various forms of networking to be highly successful strategies to help grow a business [i.e. enroll new clients]. If you want to see the best results with your service business, leverage the following opportunities:    

Small business marketing is not only necessary to your success as an entrepreneur, it's easier than you think. Statistics say your small business has a 1 in 6 chance of survival, but without effective, ongoing marketing, your odds are far less than that. Utilize proven small business marketing strategies that will let you spread the word about your business quickly and get in front of the right people.

Small business marketing can seem like a big task. After all, big corporations have entire departments devoted to nothing other than marketing, so what can you do with a one-woman (or one-man) show? The good news is ...plenty! You can market your small business in a number of ways that will have your phone ringing, inbox filling up and your bank balance growing. One of the keys to success is to build a compelling brand and consistently create awareness for that brand.

Build Your Brand and Market
As important as what you do is, what you need to market is who you are and the solutions you offer - your brand. Think about it - when you think tomato soup, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Perhaps it's Campbell's red and white can. (It's probably those cute little kids ice skating, right?) Campbell's didn't spend years promoting the vine-ripened tomatoes that make up their smooth, tasty soup, did they? No way! Instead, they taught us all that when you need tomato soup, there is no one else but Campbell's. They marketed the brand, but they made millions off of the soup.

Don't Hide Out
Be diligent about including your brand on everything that moves, along with everything that sits still. Every email you send should have your branding, and a link to your website. Same goes for every information product, brochure, video, audio product or flyer you send to anyone. It doesn't matter what you put your branding on -- it matters that your small business is everywhere people look. Make yourself known - and use your branding to do it.

Take Action In Spite Of Your Fear
One of the most important parts of your small business marketing strategy is your mindset. It's a big, big world out there and there are millions of folks trying to get their share of the market by doing the same thing you do. Don't allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Instead of caving in to fear and scarcity, focus on creating results for your target market. Every single success story started with a person who wondered if they could make their dream happen – and then they went out and did it. You are no different. No matter what your emotions tell you, just dive in and do it, even when you're afraid.

You Decide!
You don't have to follow the pack and do the same old, same old. You can and should step out and start a trend rather than follow it. If you have an innovative idea for getting your name out there, go ahead and try it. The more unique and novel your idea is, the more interest and buzz it will create. As long as your strategy is planned and organized, you stand an excellent chance of gaining attention and creating a name for your business. Don't be concerned if an idea isn't proven. Everything was new and innovative once!

Successful small business marketing is easier than you think. Build your brand and your market by taking action and doing something new that shows who you are and why your business is the one your prospects need to choose. Step out of the tired old marketing box and try something new - and you'll look at small business marketing in a whole new way.

If you want to pump up your profits, you have to get clear about exactly what you are offering your customers and offer it to them in a way that is compelling and interesting

A lot of service professionals focus on the service that they are offering. They label themselves an acupuncturist, a coach, a virtual assistant, a graphic designer, etc. While these may be accurate descriptions of what you do, it’s not what your ideal clients are looking for.

Your clients are looking for solutions. No one wakes up in the middle of the night thinking “I need an acupuncturist!” They are in pain and they are looking for an end to their pain. The same goes for any other type of service business. Your clients aren’t looking for your specific services – they are looking for solutions to their problems.

Here are three simple steps that you can use to become a problem solver for your ideal clients so you can increase your profits and your visibility:

1. Get clear on their problems.

Before you can solve your client’s problems, you need to know what those problems are. Think about why people come to you. What are the biggest challenges they are facing that cause them to look for your services? If you aren’t sure – ask! You can use a survey to get feedback from your current clients. This will give you a clear picture of what your clients are looking for and how you can position yourself as a problem solver.

2. Speak their language.

People are more likely to respond when you use their language. Make it your business to spend a lot of time in the company of your target market. Attend networking events, get involved in social media and find out where they are hanging out. Being in their company will help give you insight into how they describe their problems and the terms, concepts and words that they are using. You can use the same language in describing your solutions so that you can connect directly with your clients and speak to their needs.

3. Talk about benefits/results and not the methodology.

Your clients are concerned with the results of your services and not how you get those results. Think about it this way – when you hire a contractor to come fix a broken window, you’re only worried about getting that window repaired. You don’t worry about what type of screwdriver they are using or the procedure they use to remove the broken window. You just want it fixed! The same goes for your clients. In your marketing materials and on your website, you need to emphasize the results that you bring and not the logistics of how you create them.

By following these three steps you can become a problem solver instead of just a service provider. This will help you showcase your unique value to your potential clients and position you as the perfect solution to their problems.

What service offerings can you re-word to market yourself as a problem solver rather than a service provider? Share your thoughts in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you!

YOUR ACTION PLAN FOR THIS WEEK:

1.       Figure out the exact problems that you solve for your clients. Spend some time brainstorming and write down the ways that your services help solve problems for your clients. You can also do a survey with your existing clients so that you can get a better sense of their problems.

2.       Go back through your communications with your clients – especially their initial emails or contacts – and identify terms, phrases and words that are common.

3.       Spend time with your ideal clients either in person or online. Being in the same space as your clients can help you gather ideas about their problems and the language that they use to solve those problems.

4.       Incorporate their language into your marketing materials and website. Once you’ve gotten clear on their problems and the words that they use to describe those problems, edit your website and other written materials.

5.       Focus on the benefits of your service, and not the mechanics. Watch out for getting too technical with your marketing materials or trying to prove your expertise through your methodology. Your clients care about your results, not your methods.

To market your business and to do it effectively, you need a marketing plan. Trying to just jump in and implement strategies as they come might seem like a carefree way to handle your marketing, but doing so will never create highly profitable results in your business.

For a marketing plan to create results, the plan must be developed with your specific business goals in mind. You cannot market a graphic design business the same way you market a retail product. For your marketing plan to work for you, it needs to be customized for what you do, who you serve and what you want to accomplish. You also need to avoid the number one biggest mistake you can make in your marketing plan.

What is the Number One Mistake in a Marketing Plan? Failing to Narrow Your Focus.

While the idea of making yourself available to anyone who wants to hire you may sound like the way to start raking in some serious cash, it couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, to be successful with your marketing plan you need to have in mind selling your services to a single individual. That's right -- one person and one person only. This person is your ideal client and it’s critical to identify as much about this person as you possibly can

Think about who your business serves and who you would like to serve. It isn't “at home moms with children who want to work online.” It isn't even “at home moms of small kids who want to be online business owners.” It just might be “35 year old work-at-home mothers of preschoolers who want to start a freelance web design business from home.”

You will get the best results from your marketing plan if you narrow your ideal client right down to a description like this: “Mary, a married, 35 year old mother of twins from New Jersey with no college education, an artistic eye for decorating, who enjoys spending time with her family and friends and has 20 hours a week to invest in learning how to create websites for graphic designers.”

Can't you just picture her, sitting at her laptop reading your blog? With the twins spilling juice on the kitchen floor and the Labrador licking it up as fast as it drips? OK, now that you know who you are talking to, you can begin to market to Mary! You'll stay more focused, think more clearly and work on a personal level to help her succeed. This is effective marketing at its best and keeping this in mind will help you create a marketing plan that will help you consistently connect with ideal prospects.

It sounds counter-intuitive, doesn't it? After all, how could getting dead-on specific about a single, imaginary client possibly help you do anything other than potentially attract that single client? People are different and they have different needs, right? Absolutely. The thing to keep in mind, however, is that you are you. One individual. One individual with some really great insights on how to help people have happier and more productive lives. One individual who has the potential to make it big. But you operate in a very specific way – unique to you. It's what makes you stand out from the crowd. It's also what makes you the perfect solution to ideal client's problems. The beauty of it all is your ideas and products are exactly what your ideal prospects are looking for – and because you have taken the time to drill down your market to an individual person with specific needs and wants, you are in the perfect position to create just what he or she needs.

Narrowing your marketing efforts down to a single person lets you focus clearly on what you do best, who needs what you have and how to deliver it efficiently. Once you develop a marketing plan that convinces Mary to buy everything you could ever dream up to sell, you'll be ready to sell it to every Mary you'll ever meet – and that's as much business as you will ever possibly need or want!

You can’t possibly tackle every aspect of your marketing plan at once. But doing nothing to create awareness about your business is not an option, either.