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Tips & Tricks Busy Professionals Can Use to Simplify Their Lives Compliments of Ribary & Associates, LLC September 2007 Lessons from a newborn It's been far too long since I wrote my last issue of Tia's Tips. Why, you may wonder? Well, I had a healthy, wonderful baby boy born July 18, 2007, at 4 pm. Becoming a mother has quickly taught me valuable life lessons, which apply to business as well. Read on for these important tips. Lesson #1. We are not always in control. It's how we handle these situations that make the difference. (Rowan James arrived a bit early. Therefore, I did not accomplish all my goals pre-delivery. My tip wasn't written, and appointments with colleagues and clients had to be postponed.) These things can happen! Most clients are understanding of mistakes, mishaps, or unexpected circumstances, as long as they don't happen on a regular basis. You can minimize the impact of the unexpected by regularly following through on commitments. So, when the unexpected happens, your client doesn't experience it as the "last straw" and decide to end the relationship. If you find yourself having to apologize to clients more often than you'd like, it's time to look at the why behind it. It likely has to do with time management, being overwhelmed, lack of prioritizing, or disorganization. All of these issues can be fixed. If you're not sure how, get some help! It's incredibly important to your business and your reputation. Lesson #2. Even the best plans fail. So, plan for failure and you'll automatically have a back-up plan! (We planned a home birth, but due to the baby's breach position, we ended up with a cesarean. We had our home birth well planned out, but we also knew what to do in case of "other" circumstances.) Looking at your business, how well do you plan for the unknown? Do you have all your eggs in one basket? Does 90% of your business come from one client? Have you considered what to do if something happens with that relationship? Do you continue to market on a regular basis to mitigate the risk? Or, for that big project, have you over-promised and therefore run the risk of under-delivering, simply due to lack of planning? It's important to think each business scenario through. Think of what could go wrong and come up with a few ideas on how you'll handle it. Once you've thought it through, don't dwell on it! Just move on. If you need that back-up plan, you'll be that much further ahead since you've already walked it through in your mind. Lesson #3. Enjoy every single moment because they pass all too quickly. (The experience of becoming a mother has reminded me of what is truly important in life, and how precious each moment is. I'm amazed at how quickly things change. If I blink, I might miss it!) I encourage you to stop worrying about your business today for just 15 minutes. Focus on the person, child, family member or friend in front of you. Enjoy those moments because they truly fly by and cannot be repeated. Plan for the future, but don't skip the present. For pictures of Rowan, see below... Wishing you endless success, Upcoming networking opportunity: WEO Event - Women In Leadership, Tuesday, October 9th looking for a nanny: I am currently looking for a nanny for my wonderful son, part time, one to three days a week. If you know a qualified individual, please refer them to me. I appreciate it!
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