We set big goals for our business and then get frustrated when it feels like we are not making any progress. Most big goals require time, effort, consistency, and patience to achieve. Identifying the small steps to take to hit the goals can help you stay focused on hitting the target.

Do you know all the recurring charges on your company credit card? It might be time to evaluate all of those and make sure they are still needed, relevant and valuable. Digging into where you are spending your hard-earned revenue will allow you to remove unnecessary expenses.

Year end is often filled with additional deadlines and time commitments. Trying to fit it all in and get it all down can lead to exhaustion and a frenetic pace for the new year. Here are strategies for not letting yourself get stretched too thin this year.

Artificial intelligence is not going away anytime soon and how you choose to implement it in your business can determine the real value it brings. As you start to experiment with AI, you will find much greater success if you have already documented your workflows.

As a services firm owner, you've built your business around your expertise. And while your clients trust you to deliver exceptional results, you find yourself drowning in back office activities. To maintain your clients trust and continue growing your business, you need an operations playbook.

As the business owner, you will always carry an operations load. For many, however, the load can become a burden. Sometimes transitioning tasks off your plate is not possible immediately. There are, however, easy and efficient ways to reduce your operations burden while you build up to offloading it completely.

Take a listen to my engaging conversation about the value of taking breaks and delegating to support your growing business on the Growing Your Team Podcast.

As your business grows and evolves, your operational needs change. The inflection points that trigger needs and the order in which operational support is added is unique to each business. Regardless of the order and timing, there are indicators common to businesses that it is time to add support.

As a small business, your budget often prevents you from having dedicated software that addresses all your unique needs. A spreadsheet is a great tool to fill in the gaps. With so much versatility, why do so many business owners hate using spreadsheets? It is a tool that could be a game changer for your business.

When it comes to streamlining your business and saving time, automation is not the only option. Using templates across your organization can save time and create a more consistent, quality experience for your clients and employees. Not sure where to get started, here are three examples of where templates can help your business.

Businesses today are looking for opportunities to automate their operational activities. Automation has the power to free up time to do higher impact work for the business. In addition to asking if a process can be automated, it is important to also ask if automation is the answer.

Business needs change over time and often we ask more from team members because they are already on the team, not because they are capable. It is important, as an owner, to monitor the capabilities of your team and ensure that their skills, abilities, and motivation align with the needs of your business.

Business owners like to set big goals that align with the vision they have for the company. While the big goals can be motivating, sometimes they feel so far off they can be demoralizing. Do not let big goals diminish your drive. Use simple math to figure out a bite size data point that you can monitor, track, and feel good about your progress towards your larger goal.

We all know it takes money to make money. Yet business owners are intense about watching expenses and not adding anything new that is not necessary or does not have a clear impact on the revenue of the business. In doing so, many opportunities for efficiency and revenue are overlooked. It is time to look at expenses as an opportunity to grow and strengthen your business.

Every business owner knows that money needs to flow into the bank account to maintain the business. The key is to prioritize activities that keep the cash flowing. Cash is king. What are you doing to orchestrate things behind the scenes to keep things moving in the right direction?

The to-do list is a must have for every business owner. Whatever method you use for maintaining your to-do list, it is important that you triage the activities to move from crossing off as many items as possible to selecting the items with the greatest impact.

Reviewing your budget for services and tools and determining if each is a good use of money, energy and time is a great first step in simplifying your budget and your time.

Many business owners are not detail oriented. Yet details and data can have a significant impact on your business. Taking steps today to track details will allow you to grow your business.

Having a routine each morning is an effective way to get ready for work with minimal hiccups. Having a routine that works for you and your lifestyle will make you even more prepared for the day and to drive towards success. The key is to make your routine work for you.

With extensive media coverage on the return-to-office movement, it is easier to assume that everyone is going to back to in-person work. Before you jump on that train, ask yourself what you would be trying to accomplish by changing your workplace structure.