Today I am going to share something so simple and obvious but often overlooked.

If you are someone who is motivated by your passion for helping people or your creative ideas, this is what makes you tick and keeps you connected to your purpose.  However, much of running a business is not about that. For the first 5-7 years it takes about 4 hours a day of marketing to really keep your business energized and afloat.  That’s a lot of hours and a lot of focus.

It is easy to get out of focus and off track if you are not mindful. One of the biggest leaks in marketing is caused by this lack of mindfulness in two areas:  Organization and follow-through.

Organizational systems are essential. Here is an example of a huge organizational leak that took me hours of valuable time to fix.  I decided to send an email out to all of my old clients and seminar participants about a new program.  I  only wanted it to go to this special group and not my whole list.

The problem was that they were not all on their own list somewhere.  I didn’t think of this years ago, so they were scattered all over the place on different lists. It was an organizational nightmare and could have been avoided if I had thought ahead, had spent the time to set things up correctly and created a system for keeping this information. The good news is it is never too late. I am starting that list now for all the new people!

In order to put forth your marketing plan, these systems need to be in place. If they are not, like mine weren’t it will not only be frustrating but will slow down your momentum.

Follow-through is the other big one. Let’s say you put out a notice for a new program. A couple people respond that they can’t do it this time but sy, “Let me know next time.”  Do you actually keep those people’s names somewhere? If you do keep them, do you follow-through with those people? Do you call them?  So much business is lost because of poor follow-through.

Another example: You write up a marketing plan with steps to take. It involves writing articles, setting up  programs, making changes on your website, etc. And then you only do part of it! Why?  You get side-tracked with other stuff, you don’t know how to do it or you don’t feel like it. All those reasons are leaks in your business and will keep your marketing from working effectively.

In order to grow your business so you can actually help the people you want to help and do the creative part, you have to find your leaks and fill them!   Do you know what your leaks are? I suggest you begin by making a list of every possible leak and what you need to do to fill the whole so you don’t lose energy and productivity.

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