The Power of Deadlines To Keep Your Concierge Business On Track

Deadline missing conceptRemember when you were in school and the first day of class your teacher handed out the syllabus for the semester? Right there in black and white she’d given you the due date for that semester’s big project. You had about 14 weeks from beginning to end. Maybe you were the type of student who worked through the semester a little at a time to get it done. Or, were you the one who always ended up pulling a couple of all-nighters to get over the finish line? Regardless of which camp you were in, you probably finished the project in time to meet the deadline. A set due date ensured you’d complete the task.

Before I started my own concierge company, I worked for more than twenty years in a creative environment that was extremely deadline driven. Nine time out of ten when I’d assign projects to a writer or a producer or an artist I’d hear, “there’s no way I can meet that deadline!” Well, guess what? Nearly 100% of the time they did.

Setting firm deadlines is one of the best ways to maximize efficiency. They have tremendous power in helping us get things done.

Today is January 19th. How are you doing on those New Year’s resolutions?

Maybe you wrote down a list of new initiatives you were going to take to grow your concierge business. Perhaps launching a website? Completing your business plan? Meeting with a business owner?  Exhibiting at a local trade show? Developing a referral program?

Now, be honest. Have you been putting things off? Have you found yourself thinking, “Well, I’ll start that tomorrow (or next week, or next month)”?

Today I want you to get down to business and start taking action. Step one is to create a firm deadline that has external accountability. What do I mean by that?

  • Arrange that meeting with the business owner…even if you’ve never done corporate work and aren’t even sure how to position your services.
  • Download the template for The Instant Concierge business plan today…even if you’re just thinking about launching your business.
  • Sign up to exhibit at a trade show…and then create the materials you’ll need to be a stand-out.

What external deadline can you put on your calendar? Once you commit to a deadline, you’ll naturally take action.

Here are 4 more keys to meeting deadlines.

1)   Prioritize. Let’s say you came up with 10 initiatives you want to take in 2014 to build your concierge business. Rank them as to which are most important, time critical, and crucial to your financial success. Now put appropriate implementation deadlines on your calendar. Not everything needs to be, or can be, done in January, February, or March.

2)   Keep It Simple. Let’s say you’re ready to start on your business plan. Don’t be overwhelmed and think you have to finish every section in a week. Spread a big project out so it’s manageable. Build in time to stop and reflect about what you’re planning.

3)   Involve Others. If you’re new to business ownership, join a networking group made up of  other small business owners. Share your challenges. Most people are generous with their expertise and experience and can help you stay on track.

4)   Schedule Your Time. Alas, it’s not enough to set a deadline. To be really successful, you also need to set a schedule. Break down your project, whether it’s large or small, into individual steps and prioritize them. Put a deadline on each step working backward from your overall project deadline.

One of the real perks of owning your own business is the freedom and control you have over your time. From personal experience I can tell you that deadlines give me an extra incentive to “do it now” instead of waiting until later.

 

dead·line

1. the latest time or date by which something should be completed.”the deadline for submissions is February 5th”





2. 
historical 
a line drawn around a prison beyond which prisoners were liable to be shot.

 

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