I’ve never worked so hard

I’ve never worked so hard…

Well, maybe when I started my company. But then things were just falling into place. We were cruising along, getting new clients, and building our team. I was out networking several times a month, rubbing elbows with other businesses, and receiving good referrals. And then it happened. Covid 19.

No, this isn’t another Covid warning—or update on numbers. We are all sick and tired of that—at least, I am!

This is about how it has changed HOW we do business!  Let’s face it, things will most likely never be “like they were”.  Our industry, and our business has had to recreate itself, just like most of yours and have an online presence.  Yes, we used Social Media; yes, we had a website; yes, we used email.  But this is different! We now must be visible online and attract new clients! How does that work…?

So, much of my SBA disaster loan money has gone into marketing. New programs, countless hours of training, not just me, but our entire team.  We’ve updated our Google reviews, and asked our networks to give us a 5-star rating. And by the way, we greatly appreciate all the nice comments and it’s been fun to read them. But is that going to give us the influx of new clients we need? We are constantly evaluating our ROI and KPI’s—terms I was only vaguely familiar with but are now ingrained into my daily thoughts and vocabulary.

Our networking has largely been shifted to online. How many hours do I spend a week on Zoom or other meeting platforms?  I do see some benefits—it does expand my reach to others not within my geographical area—but is it helping my business to grow?

And everyone has an online training program now and private Facebook groups! I love that so many businesses are rising up and sharing their wisdom on how to navigate this new world.  Many are giving away great tidbits on moving ahead and promoting your business.  How many programs can I engage in at one time? Sometimes, I feel like I am swimming upstream. Any of you feel like that?

I joined a large international Mastermind well before Covid hit, and for that I am grateful. I am part of a large community of like-minded entrepreneurs who are supportive and very creative.  I have several mentors- extremely successful business owners themselves- who share their wisdom with me regularly and are there to scrape me off the ceiling when I hit it. I honestly don’t know what I would do without that kind of support.

If you don’t have that kind of support or just need a boost to figure that all out, mark off September 10, 11 & 12^th on your calendar for a 3 day conference on how to SCALE your business in this new environment.  REGISTER HERE if you want to GROW your Business! https://zi104.isrefer.com/go/FriendScale/DianneKelley/

So, how is this all going to shake out?  I don’t know, but all I can do is continue to feed on all the great content, programs, training, and other resources out there.  I have to do what you all are doing—put one foot in front of the other and hope the right path appears—kind of like Indiana Jones in the Raider of the Lost Ark; I love that analogy!

What I do know is we will find a way. Our ingenuity and resourcefulness will buoy us up and keep us afloat.  So, keep working, but do find time to refresh and renew. Meditate, pray, go out into nature and be grateful for the opportunities we are all given. Yes, even these incredible challenges before us are opportunities.

Can we ask you a favor? If you are working with us now or have in the past, can you give us a 5 Star Google review? Just follow the link: https://g.page/sandbrookgroup/review?rc