New Business Development – Page 48

Watching For Signs

Romance writers know
when people start banning
books featuring diverse characters,
romance novels will be next.

We watch for
that movement.
We try to stop it
from happening.
And we prepare
because it WILL impact us
next.

I know if the UK is experiencing
extreme weather
and climate change,
my section of the world
will likely experience it
next.

I prepare
for those weather events.
I plan around them.

There are almost always
warning signs
foretelling big changes
in our lives
and in our businesses.

Figure out
what the warning signs
for your situation
are.

Monitor them.
And then prepare
for any changes.

Take Time To Rest

I had a hard deadline
on the 30th
and I pushed it,
working long hours,
to make it.

This week,
I’m rewarding myself
by resting,
by catching up
on that sleep
I missed
last week.

I’m working.
I can’t shut down
my business
entirely for a week
and not suffer
a drop in sales.

But I’m doing
the bare minimum.

Next week,
I’ll be back
to working full hours
and I’ll have more energy
to accomplish all those tasks.

Take time to rest
after pushing yourself.
Ensure you stay
as healthy as possible.

AI Will Change Everything

Last week,
I contacted customer service
at a huge company.

The entire interaction
was handled by that company’s AI.
The problem was resolved
without them having to employ
a single living person.

Every so often,
an ‘advancement’ comes along
that changes everything.

AI is one of those
advancements.

It will obliviate the publishing industry,
as one example.
Publishers are already using AI
to write books,
edit books,
create audiobooks,
craft cover art
and perform other functions.

I’m preparing for a future
where writers,
including myself,
aren’t needed.
I’m building business plans
around that scenario.

You should be factoring in
the dominance of AI
into your business plans
also.

AI WILL change everything.

How To Appeal To Skilled Female Workers

When I talk with
my female business buddies,
they tell me
they never plan
to go back to the office
full time.

They’re skilled
and in demand.
They can demand
flexibility.
They want
to be able
to work from home
and work their own schedules.

Sallie Krawcheck,
Ellevest co-founder and CEO,
says
the office culture
“worked for white men,
not everyone,
and certainly not women
and under-represented groups.”

If you want to appeal
to skilled women,
offer flexibility.

It is the best perk
you can give many employees.

Research Before Taking Action

Some of my relatives
believe I’m a master gardener
because I seem to know
a lot about the plants
I’m growing.

I’m not a master gardener.
I’m a master researcher.

Before sowing seeds,
I watch dozens of
YouTube videos
and
read as many blog posts
about that plant.

I learn from other gardeners
and that greatly
increases my success rate.

There is information
online
about everything
from stuffing envelopes quickly
to launching new products.

Take some time.
Do the research.
Improve your success rate.

Take Action

The world has some challenges
right now.
There is at least one
major pandemic happening.
There’s climate change.
There are wars brewing.

This causes stress.
And stress isn’t good
for any of us.

I’m a doer.
Doers…well…
we do.

Taking action
relieves stress
for me.

It doesn’t have
to be big action.
I pick worms off pavement
and put them on the grass
after the rain.
I let my dandelions grow
and feed the bees.
I wear a mask
while in indoor public places.
I stay home
when I’m feeling ill.

I do little things.
But the important part
for me
and for my stress levels
is…
I DO things.

Take action
if you’re stressed
about the state
of the world.

A Super El Niño Is Coming

Scientists are discussing
what month it will arrive
but almost all of them are agreed
– a Super El Niño is coming.

This means temperatures
will likely increase
and
precipitation
will likely decrease.

Extremely.

When you’re planning events,
you might not want
to plan for them
to be held outside.

You might wish to install
shade on the patios
if you operate a restaurant.

You might wish to ensure
the air conditioning is functional
on your delivery vehicles
and in your buildings.

You might wish to increase
the water and other beverage budget
for your office.

Hey, cooled bottles of water
might be a good giveaway
at events.

A Super El Niño is coming.
Prepare for it.

Take Calls Outside

Climate will shift significantly
in the next couple years.

There will be
unbearable heat waves
and likely as harsh winters.

So spend as much time
outside
(safely)
as you can.

Take those business calls
outside.

Work on the website
on your balcony
or in your backyard.

Meet with customers,
if you can,
on a restaurant’s patio.

When you’re walking
from your office to the car,
late at night,
take a minute
and look up at the stars.
Breathe in that
cool night air.

We run our own businesses.
We can often work
wherever we like.

Spend more time
outside
while we all
still can.

You’re Not Average

Yesterday,
I posted a fact about
how the average husband
creates more housework
than he does.

I got some expected pushback.
Some husbands told me
they did more housework
than their significant others.

No one who reads
this blog
is average.
No one.
We’re doers.
Doers do.
And doers usually do housework.

Which means
there are husbands
who do MUCH less
or no housework.
That’s why
the average is so high.

If facts about
the average person
you identify with
cause unhappiness,
don’t be average.

That’s the simple solution.

Single Moms And Building A Business

There is a myth
floating around
that single Moms are busier
than married Moms.

That myth is false.

The opposite is true.
Married Moms have
more housework
and less leisure time
than single Moms.

The average husband
causes
an additional 7 hours
of housework a week
and that’s net
of any housework
the husband has done.

What does this mean?

Single Moms
are more likely
to have time
to start a business
than married Moms.

If you are a single Mom,
use that time
to create the future
YOU wish to have.