How To Guide - 3 Ways to Make Micro Business Life Simpler.

Honestly, don't we all want that? A simpler system, a less overwhelming routine, a mini formula that reduced the stress.

Of course, there are not quick fixes here and what you won't see from Simply Club is a magic wand promise that cures all ills. However, there are tools and techniques, factors to consider, that could really support your micro business journey and help you manage business a little more smoothly.

Here are 3 of some of my favourite quick tips that make micro business life a little more simple:

1. Prioritising over productivity - a little game changer for me. When you're working in your business each day, this technique unlocks how you can work 'on' it at the same time. That is, making some headway forwards even if the tasks that need doing are bookkeeping and cleaning the toilets. Imagine your long list of 'to dos' on that notebook or app in front of you. You will never get to the end of that list because it will simply grow from the bottom. That's ok, you braindumped what you needed to. The trick is this - by the end of today or this week, which top 3 tasks will you prioritise because they are essential to take you one step further. For example, you will always have bookeeping or cleaning to do, they go on your braindump list if that helps. But what 3 things will make the difference, even if you've been avoiding them? It's not how much you got done in a day, but the quality of what you did. This simple technique will help you discern between 'stuff' and progress.

2. Goals & data - there's no doubt we all work hard at our businesses but how clear are you about your goals and how good are you at checking in with those goals? Rather than adding complexity here by throwing in some extra tasks, having this information at your fingertips keeps your attention focussed, less muddled and even comforting. First up, the goals. My tip would be not to have too many and not to have them stretching out for too long. A vague extra 50 customers by the end of the year is great, but it can both be forgotten and disconcerting when you get to month 11 and have only got 3! Using that example again, phasing the goal across 6 months might be more powerful and be easier to track. Month 1 might be get 4 new customers and 4 new reviews. Simple, less muddled and easily trackable. This data gathering and goals setting give you simpler, broken down ways forward, keeping your priorities simpler too.

3. Systems & processes - clearly we could write a whole programme here, but this is often forgotten in a micro business because what you do is nicely in your head, you know how to complete that task in half the time as someone else and you don't usually have the spare time to evaluate how well those systems are working. Better still, who else would be able to follow them if you asked for help? Examples of ways forward are simple customer journey maps so that you know exactly where you want your ideal customer to travel from and to. See above, you will be able to track it too. Another example might be a consistent follow up once a customer buys. These could be automated emails, requests for reviews, check in that all is well. Without a clear process for this kind of simple interaction, there's a real challenge to feel clear headed about what's really happening in the business. Adding in these systems and writing them down may add in a task initially, but after that, it's simpler and more straight forward and less likely to hold uninvited worry space in your head.