Recently, I was reminded of these words spoken by one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin. He was constantly improving upon himself, his knowledge base and the workings of our nation. His commitment to progress and necessary change, regardless of circumstances or perceived limitations, is what cemented his countless contributions to history and how we live today.

When it comes to our businesses, operating in the status quo may keep us afloat, but it won’t help us to grow and achieve new heights. Pushing our limits involves testing new products and services, implementing systems that will boost productivity and investing in our infrastructure and human capital. By seeking out ways to initiate progress, we not only seize the opportunity to improve profits, but we become leaders in our chosen fields, cementing our own contributions to our business and serve our clients.

Embracing Change

So what does it mean to really embrace change in our business so we can grow and profit?

Autumn is the perfect time to consider what change means to us. At this time of year, every day brings new colors and more beauty with the changing of the leaves. But it also brings us closer to the leaves dying and the cold winter. While it may seem bleak, we know from experience that it isn’t, because the spring will follow and we’ll be greeted with a phase of renewal and growth. It’s this trust in the cycles of the seasons that allows us to embrace the beauty of the season without worrying too much about the chilly future. In nature, change is necessary in order to have growth – without the fall and the winter, there would be no spring.

It’s no different in business – with change there may come some growing pains (financial investments, training employees on new initiatives, uprooting outdated systems and more), but if changes are well-planned and thoughtfully executed, they’ll lead to renewal, growth, and new opportunities. By embracing a mindset that welcomes new knowledge and possibilities, we open ourselves up to these things.

In my own business, I’ve made some small changes that have catapulted my productivity and ability to accomplish more in less time. As a service based business, this translates to better communication with clients and more time to provide exceptional service. As an added bonus, implementing them was much easier than I expected. Here are tools that I’ve implemented for my clients or for myself.

Freshbooks

Freshbooks is an online invoicing system that’s perfect for service contractors.Because it stores information in the “cloud”, your information is secure and accessible from any internet connection. It’s flexible enough to allow for payments via credit card or even the old fashioned way – via checks or cash. The system is relatively basic and user-friendly, providing reports such as an income statement and a listing of outstanding invoices. What this amounts to is

• a quicker way to send invoices (you can even do it from the road immediately after meeting with a client)
• an easier way to track client payments
• a flexible structure that allows you to add more features as your business grows

Insightly

Insightly is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that’s free for the basic version. It allows you to view all your contacts in one place, schedule tasks related to the contacts (e.g. “Call Mary Smith on October 1st”), and manage simple projects. The simple version of Insightly allows up to 3 users, so you can assign tasks to different people and be provided an update as progress is made or the project is completed.

One of the best features of Insightly is how it integrates seamlessly with other systems I use. For example, let’s say I attend a networking event and speak with various people while I’m there. I later use my phone to take a picture of all the business cards I’ve collected, then upload them to Insightly. From there, Insightly automatically imports my new contacts into my LinkedIn and Constant Contact accounts, my email system, and my phone. With a few clicks I eliminate hours of administrative work!

While change may seem daunting, it can be easier than you think to implement and can give you room in your day to focus on what matters most – serving your clients and growing your business. Call me today and together we’ll identify the areas of your business that are poised and ready for time and money-saving improvements.