Productivity and visibility are extremely important when figuring out how to start a business, for new business and for small business owners.
Productivity is something we all want to be better at – but it’s tough to stick with consistently, especially as a solopreneur business owner with no boss or manager to report to.
With no semblance of authority guiding us, it’s entirely up to us to set our own pace every day and determine how much gets done.
I’ve definitely made some adjustments and learned some good habits/routines over the last year or so as I built my law firm, but the purpose of this post isn’t to provide a novel worth of info.
Instead, I want to focus on one major habit that has helped me be more productive, and hopefully it will help you as well.
The simplest tool to boost productivity
So I’ll leave you with the biggest thing that’s helped me stay productive over the last year or so – using a notepad.
Not some fancy app (although some of them are great), not some fancy calendar (I use Google Cal to book stuff when I need to), but a good ‘ol notepad. I keep a running list of outstanding items, order them if needed, map out what will be done today, tomorrow, etc. and re-arrange if needed.
I carry my notepad with me anywhere I go to work, it keeps me on task and there’s no better feeling than crossing off your tasks as you get them done.
How visibility leads to a successful business
The other topic I wanted to discuss in this post is visibility – and how to improve your visibility, and marketing strategy, as a small business solopreneur.
Did you ever watch or read the Harry Potter series? As always, the books are way better than the movies, but I digress…
Anyway, in the first book/movie Harry is given an invisibility cloak. It makes him invisible so he can snoop around Hogwarts and figure out all these sneaky secrets. It’s pretty cool.
But in business, you want the complete opposite.
Especially if you’re looking to grow your following, grow your brand awareness, build trust with your audience (very important), and make more sales.
In today’s world of social media, small attention spans (aka lack of productivity :P) and heavy competition, it’s more important than ever to put yourself and your business name out there, highlight your professional services, provide value for your potential customers and, most importantly, show them that you exist in the first place!
I have 2 quick tips on how you can improve your visibility:
1) Focus on the channels/platforms that make the most sense for you/your business, and where you know your target market is hanging out.
Spending time on too many social media accounts (if you don’t have a team or large budget) can be tough at first, so start smaller.
Is your target market all professionals? LinkedIn is probably a good bet. Are they artistic? Instagram/Pinterest will likely work better. Do they love videos? YouTube is a great avenue.
If you’re not sure where your target audience is hanging out, conduct market research to get a better idea of your audience interests.
2) Listen to episode 15 of the SG Podcast and learn how to create an effective social marketing campaign so you can reach your target audience and don’t get distracted by other demographics that won’t further your small business.
I spoke with visibility coach Jenny Hale, and we talked about how to use social media to grow a following (even if you have no followers yet), the 5 steps to creating an awesome marketing campaign, and much more.
How does visibility relate to productivity?
Taking into consideration point #1, you want to balance your work life and social media balance.
You need to be up-to-date on new platforms and what people are interested in, but you don’t want to spend all your time posting to 12 platforms or falling down a Youtube rabbit hole and calling it ‘research.’
Instead, find a balance between learning about your audience, providing enough valuable content all while being productive. The key for me is having the right plan in place, and of course, keeping the necessary tasks written down on my notepad.
