Build Your Business: 5 Simple {and Smart!} Things I Do {And YOU Should Too!}

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Do you want to build your business or your blog but lack the time, energy or money to do so?

I hear you!

As someone who’s juggling two businesses, a 4 year old and a bustling home, I don’t like doing too many things that take up too much of my time. However, I also know that the time I invest in my blog and our business is what will help pay the bills. Yeah, tough place, huh?

So, what’s one to do?

Find activities or tasks that help you boost the power of your business or your blog way more than the effort and time you devote to them.

Simple. Really.

Here are the 5 simple, little things I do that have helped me boost and build my business and my blog,  and continue to do so.

1. Work at Building Relationships

The first thing I have to endorse is building relationship. Call it networking, if you will. But for me, it goes beyond just following someone on Twitter or liking them on Facebook. Building relationships means extending support, advice, laughing together, sharing the ups and downs of being a WAHM and more.

Truth is you can’t and shouldn’t do this with everyone. Find people you really connect with and resonate with and then, strive to build a relationship with them.

Whether this is online or in real life, surround yourself by a network of people who lift you up, hold you steady and inspire you to strive farther and further.  {Click to tweet this}

I spend 30 minutes everyday engaging and interacting with my network which is mainly online, via emails, tweets, FB posts, messages and comments. I also set myself the goal of building a new, meaningful relationship every month. Not too big, but yet powerful enough.

2. Invest in Learning to Build Your Business

Learning is key to building a better, bigger business or blog. Whether you’re just starting out or have been blogging or working for a long time, the more you learn, the better you get.

Learning doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive. For me, it can be 15 minutes of reading and absorbing an awesome blog post on Copyblogger or Simple Mom, depending on what I want to learn about.

It can be 15 minutes spent every day reading an amazing eBook on working from home or learning about blogging strategies that work.

It can be 15 minutes of listening to a podcast or watching a webinar replay.

Yes, 15 minutes a day is all I invest in learning. But it pays rich dividends.

 3. Take Action. Everyday.

I think I’ve learnt this from Heather Allard, the founder of Mogul Mom and someone I totally admire and respect. She’s inspired me to take action, big or small, every day. Yes, I need to work hard and smart if I want to build my business and take it to the next level.

But first, have your end goal in sight.

What is it that you’re taking action towards?

Whether it is getting more readers or generating more sales, knowing your goal helps you to take action that is focused, intentional and best of all, profitable.

 4. Know Your Self and Work Accordingly

This is key.  You are YOU. You may work best in the quiet of the night when the kids are asleep. You may be most productive in the wee hours of the morning, like yours truly. You may be a people person and build relationships without any effort. You may be an introvert who prefers being on their own with a very tightly knit circle of personal cheerleaders.

Yes, you are YOU. Know yourself and tailor your work schedule, efforts and strategies accordingly. Don’t do something that isn’t authentic to who you are. It will only drain you out and take your further away from your goal of building a better business or blog.

 5. Outsource Your Stress

Again, something that I TOTALLY vouch for. I learnt this lesson late in my business life but now that I have learnt it, I’m never forgetting it. I’ve spent productive hours struggling to do things {read, designing!} that I have zero interest, skill or talent for.

So, I asked myself the question, “Is this helping me build my business or my blog WHILE giving me time with my family?”, and answered it with a big, fat, NO .{Yes, I talk to myself. Often.}

I knew I had to change gears. I had to outsource my stress so that  I could work on what mattered to me.

Hiring someone talented to design my eBook covers or my media kit {thank you, Karen Gunton!} meant that I could not only get my work done easily, quickly and without stress, but also that I could support a fellow work-at-home mom! YAY!

What is stressing you out?

Is it managing your business’ social media presence? Is it your blog’s SEO? Is it graphic designing? Is it accounting?

Yes, you may be able to teach yourself all of this and more, but do you really want to? Do you have the time to invest in this? Or would you rather find someone who would be able to take this stress {and mess!} off your hand? Yeah, I thought so.

So, there you go. These 5 little tips help me to supercharge my business and blog so that they grow without a huge investment of my time or money.

What simple actions do YOU take to build your business or blog on a daily basis?

Photo Credit:podpad/FreeDigitalPhotos