Healthy you, Healthy Business

Happy New Year! I trust that you have had a refreshing break over the holiday period and are now ready to pursue your goals for 2012.

If you are struggling to get started, here’s a quick checklist of things to do to take-off now.

1. Set some stretch goals – these could include; loans settled, leads generated, active referrers, revenue (up front and trail), your ideal holiday destination
2. Review your value proposition – why should prospective borrowers choose you?  Make sure that this is communicated in your marketing this year – develop a script for it.
3. Document your strategy for the year – what specific actions do you need to take to meet or exceed your stretch goals?  This may include increasing the number of referrer relationships, following up with prospects from last year, implementing a contact management system or another marketing initiative.
4. Meet with all of your professional referrers – tell them about your plans for the year and how they can help you.  Set goals for your relationship and help them to identify referral opportunities and how to recommend you.
5. Update your website – make sure the content is current and your value proposition is clearly communicated on the landing page.
6. Identify one key skill for you to personally develop this year – this could include presentation skills, negotiation, technology, planning, time management, etc.
7. Get a health check – visit your GP!

Most of you would not be aware of this but mid-way through last year, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  It was a real wake-up call for me as there is no history of cancer in my family and of course I’m still a very young man!

Since my diagnosis, too often I’ve heard guys my age (in their forties) tell me that their GP has not done a PSA test with other blood tests because they were not in the risk age group.  My response is, while you’re taking blood, why not do all of the tests?

I’m OK now, I no longer have a prostate or cancer.  I was very lucky that I had a thorough GP and it was detected at an early stage.  Many people aren’t as lucky.  3000 men die of prostate cancer each year about the same amount as breast cancer victims.

So here’s the business tip – a healthy you increases your chance of having a healthy business.  If you need to take steps to become healthier this year, do it.  This is not just for males over forty – this is for everyone.  You don’t have to wait until you feel sick to visit your GP.  I had no symptoms and felt perfectly well when I was diagnosed.

If you need any help with implementing the above checklist (excluding the last one) come to a Connective Academy session, we will be covering most of the topics above then.  If you need assistance with any aspect of your business, please contact us at FrontRunner.

Doug Mathlin,
FountRunner