Ever heard that phrase? What it’s alluding to is the discipline to tackle the most important item on your to-do list first thing in the morning. I say discipline because it won’t have much effect on your business if you just do it once. But, if you ‘eat that frog’ day after day you’ll see your productivity zoom and you’ll feel really good about yourself.

When you’re in business it’s typical to feel overwhelmed since there’s always so much to do. One way to feel better about your big task list is to divvy it up in to meaningful categories. The ones I recommend are commonly used:
1. Urgent & Important
2. Urgent & Not Important
3. Not Urgent & Not Important
4. Not Urgent and Important

I created a simple Task Prioritization Grid where you can split up your task list and drop each item in to an appropriate category. (I readily admit the doc’s not pretty. Hey, I’m a business coach.) It’s fairly easy to place items in the Urgent & Important category and that’s good because this is the quadrant you want to pay attention to. It’s where your frogs are hanging out.

Now you know what’s next. Eat that frog and start your day off productively and feel lighter from there on. The next morning, eat it again. If you find that you’re making appointments first thing in the morning and that’s causing you to skip eating the frog for days at a time since your day often starts having a life of its own after 10:00 am, then revisit your scheduling process.

Need a little more inspiration? Here’s the short film that helps explain the concept. Do you use another method to ensure you get the most important work done every day? Please share it with me.

In the past I used a service called GOOG 411, which allowed me to call in and get the phone number for any business. This helped a lot when I was looking for restaurants to make a reservation or get driving directions.

Well, Google killed that free service to my utter disappointment. The good news is that they offer an alternative that just might be better.

You can text Google at 466453 and make an information request such as “Weather Burlingame, CA” (no quotes needed). What I got back when I did this was the current weather and a two-day forecast. Nifty!

After that I texted Quote ORCL and got the latest closing price for Oracle stock. Convenient!

Lastly, I texted “The Growth Coach Burlingame, CA” and got back my address and phone number. I’m sure it helps that I have an updated Google Places listing. Superb!

Add Google Texting to your address book and start using it for all sorts of information. I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface as to how useful this free service can be. Let me know what new ways you find to use it.

Okay, I’m going to get a little technical with you here. Google Analytics is a free software that you install behind the scenes on your website to get a ton of data on the visitor traffic.

A typical report will tell you:
- How many visitors have hit your site in a given period
- What percentage of visitors are new versus repeat
- Where your traffic is coming from, e.g., Google, Facebook
- What percentage is coming from referral sources like Google versus direct input, which would be your URL
- How long visitors are staying on your site
- What pages they’re looking at
- What words they used to find your site
- What part of the country or world they’re coming from

This is just a sampling of the data you can get from Google Analytics. It can also be combined with Google Adwords campaign to give you great data about how well your advertising efforts are working.

With Google Analytics I’m able to understand how my site is doing from month to month in terms of traffic. I can tell how my traffic spikes after I’ve done a lot of public speaking or released blogs through social media such as Facebook and Twitter.What I’ve found is that most of my traffic comes from Google and from people entering my URL right in to a search engine. Since I’m not getting much traffic from Bing or Yahoo, then I know that I either need to focus most of my energy on Google, or figure out why I’m not getting a lot of traffic from the other search engines and work on improving optimization for them.

Another key stat is how long people are staying on my site. On average people will remain on my site for two and a half minutes. I feel pretty good about that. However, I’m also seeing that a good percentage of my visitors are bouncing from my site, which means they stay for just a few seconds and leave. This tells me they didn’t find what they were looking for. I can look to see what keyword searches are bringing people to my site to learn whether my site is relevant for those searches.

Here’s an example of this. I did a blog comparing Costco and Target stores in terms of customer focus. It’s an educational blog for small business owners. Unfortunately this blog comes up a lot for people searching for Costco or Target. They click on the link to my blog, then immediately leave since they aren’t a small business owner. Google Analytics helps me understand this sort of phenomena on my site. As you dig in to the reports you’ll learn some fascinating truths about your site.

Bottom line, it’s an amazing package that every business should have on their website. If you don’t have it, then learn more and determine how to install it on your site. I can refer you to a resource who can install it for you if you’re not sure how to get it done.

If you would like to go through your first report together after you’ve had it installed for 30 days, feel free to let me know and we’ll set up a time to do that.

The bottom line is this: You need to be aware of what’s happening with your website and you will not know unless you get this software installed and activated.

You can save incredible amounts of time by going out and getting trained by an expert in the area where you need to improve.

Most of the workers in forward-thinking corporations already fully get this tip. While employed at Oracle I attended numerous training events that were paid for on my behalf including Dale Cargegie and Patricia Fripp’s Speaking School. The key statement there is ‘paid for on my behalf’. I got better by using OPM, or other peoples’ money, and that was a nice benefit of being an employee.

As small business owners we don’t always have access to OPM though. Thus, when we discover that we’re deficient in an area crucial to the growth of our business we might hesitate and think and think and think about whether we want to go pay someone to teach us. But what’s just as dear to us as our money? Yes! Our time.

If we know we need new skills and choose not to pay someone else, then we’re trading time for money. What makes it worse is when we end up not getting around to learning what we need to and lose the benefit of the new found knowledge. That really hurts and can affect the growth of our business.

This topic is on my mind because I recently took three days out of my schedule to learn a lot about SEO (search engine optimization) at a Search Engine Academy. In the first two years of my business I didn’t learn more than I did in the workshop. Was it worth my investment? Absolutely. I’ve already started making positive changes to my website such as moving my blog off my home page and on to a tab of its own.

Are you ready to save time this year and grow your business? Make a commitment to learn from an expert what you need to know to make a big jump forward. I’d like to get comments on what types of training you’d like to take this year. What do you want to learn from an expert?

A few posts ago I provided my 2010 list of favorite gadgets for business. Now it’s     time for their counterparts: the software. When you pair up great software with hardware, you are rocking. The really nice thing about software versus hardware is that you can often try before you buy. So, it’s easy to see what works for you before doling out the dough. All right, let’s get to the list. Note that these are not in any meaningful order.

1. Vlingo: Vlingo lets me dictate texts and emails in to my BlackBerry (BB). This is really convenient when you’re writing a long email, or a string of emails. Typing on the BB’s keyboard is not fun and it can lead to numb thumb if you do it too much. It may not have perfect word recognition, but it’s surprisingly good and will save you time and energy. It’s $19.99, which is good for a minimum of two years according to their terms and conditions.

2. Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred 11 Bluetooth Edition: Since I’m in the voice-recognition category I’ll keep it going with this recommendation. Dragon is the standard for voice-recognition software. It’s been around for years and just keeps getting better. One key to making it work properly for a very high degree of accuracy is using a proper headset. This edition takes care of that for you by including a Plantronics Calisto bluetooth headset that feels good and works great. I’m especially fond of this software when it’s chilly in my office and my hands don’t feel like typing much. What you might not know about this program is that it also can work a browser and many other apps on your computer. There is a learning curve, but it’s worth it if you’re inclined to dictate emails and Word docs.

3. Microsoft Office Professional 2010: Hey, I didn’t say this list was going to be too exotic. This is very much mainstream software, but it works well for me. I’m not a Google Docs or Zoho user – primarily out of inertia. I’ve been using Office for a decade or so and have just gotten very used to it. It’s not cheap for sure. So, I recommend it if you’re using 2003 or older. If you’re on 2007 you’ll likely take a pass unless you see some specific new features you really want such as editing video in a PowerPoint presentation.

4. Snagit Version 10: This is called screen capture software. I use it to just grab any part of an image that’s on my screen and turn it into a jpeg. It’s very handy for creating PowerPoint presentations. For the price it’s a deal because you will find yourself using it at just the right moment and loving it. Before Snagit I didn’t know how much I needed it as part of my toolkit. You just might feel the same way.

5. Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard: I had never bought the full version of Acrobat until this version. I always just used Acrobat Reader. When I bought the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500, I loved that it came with the full version of Acrobat. I now print to PDF quite often to save copies of QuickBooks invoices on my PC and many other documents. It’s just so darn convenient to be able to create PDFs. I have heard that you can get great results from CutePDF, but I have no opinion on it as I’ve not used it. I have used PDF Converter in the past and like Adobe better.

6. QuickBooks Pro 2010: QuickBooks is the de facto small business accounting standard. I’ve used it since starting the business and can’t imagine using any other program. They’re on version 2011 now, which is cheaper to buy from Amazon than 2010. I see that the 2011 version has some seriously conflicted reviews on Amazon. I’m not using that version and can’t comment. What I can say is that I’ve been using 2010 for a while and appreciate how it enabled me to create better looking invoices. If you’re not using accounting software yet, then you should consider QuickBooks. It works for me.

7. SugarSync: I’ve impressed a lot of people with this software. It’s also saved my bacon a few times. In a nutshell, this software allows you to access key files on each of your computers as long as they are connected to the net. This includes your smartphone, which I’ve used to find files on my home PC and send them by email. Update or add a file to one of the connected computers and SugarSync quickly ensures it’s now available to any of the other connected computers. It gets even better. I use it to share folders with clients, which means that they can access their folder that was created and maintained on my PC from theirs. This is very convenient and efficient. I pay $50.00 a year for 30gb of synced storage. You may not need as much. You can get a 5gb account free. Just click here to give it a free try. I’m fairly sure you’re going to love it.

8. Tether: This software allows me to use my BlackBerry’s data plan from T-Mobile to access the net via my laptop. I’m able to avoid hotel internet fees with Tether. It’s not blazing fast – don’t use it for crucial internet-based demos – but it does the trick when you want to surf for a few minutes or check email. It only works with BlackBerrys and Androids. Sorry iPhone users.

9. Roboform: And now on to another piece of impressive software. This is what I use to remember log in information for the plenitude of websites I access on a regular basis. I’m not one of the alarmingly large percentage of Americans that uses simple passwords for my various accounts. No, with Roboform I’m able to use unique and complex passwords for all accounts. It also maintains profiles, which allows me to fill in name, address, phone, etc. on a web form with one click. That’s a time-saver. I’ve been using this surprisingly affordable (just $19.95) and highly valuable software for years now and have recommended it to countless people. What I didn’t know until just recently is that it’s the leading password management software. Makes sense to me.

10. GoodSync: What this software does is allow me to easily back up files on my desktop PC to my back-up hard drive. I just click on sync and it makes sure everything I choose to back up is backed up. It will also sync with Windows Mobile devices and servers. There are obviously a ton of file synchronization utilities. This is the one I use and recommend.

11. Constant Contact: This is the software I use to create my e-newsletter. I also use it to do online registration for my fee-based events. I’ve not used the survey feature yet, but will in the new year. As with most of my favorite programs, Constant Contact is easy to use and rarely gives you any trouble. I’m a Constant Contact business partner, which means I also help other business owners to make better use of the numerous features within the program to be more successful. If you’re not using an email marketing program yet, I couldn’t recommend this one more highly.

Well, there’s my list for this blog. I’m sure I could recommend more programs and I might even be missing one of my favorites, but that’s all right, I can always do a part 2. Let me know what you think of this list and what you would add. I’d like to hear your comments. Here’s to increasing your productivity in 2011.

December is a time when many professional businesses slow down. This presents a real opportunity to create new content for 2011. What do I mean by new content? Well, here are a few ideas:

› Blog posts (write enough to take you through all of January

› Create videos you can post on YouTube, Facebook and your website

› Create a free seminar that promotes your expertise that you can deliver all throughout the new year

› Create a fee-based program that goes beyond your free seminar for those that want to learn more

› Write an e-book that you can sell or give away via your website and promote through social media

› Write articles you can publish online or in printed publications or newspapers or share with clients and prospects

› Create a webinar that you can present online once a month to generate leads (or sales if you make it fee-based)

The opportunities to create new content are endless. The holiday slowdown represents a real opportunity for you to leverage this slowdown and accelerate the growth of your business in 2011.

I plan to create a new seminar and workshop on public speaking. I currently coach people 1on1 in public speaking but I haven’t ever delivered a full workshop on it. I have people already on the waiting list for it, which is enough motivation for me to get it done.

I’m also going to create new versions of my social networking workshops – advanced use of Facebook and understanding YouTube, Yelp, Twitter and Foursquare for beginners. I expect these workshops will do well since there’s such a surge of interest by small businesses in social networking these days. I anticipate the trend will only strengthen next year.

So, what about you? What will you create in December? I’d love to hear about it.

What is it about modern life that beseeches us to over commit? Especially when over commitment can easily create lots of stress. I’m trying to move away from telling people I’m ‘busy’ when they ask me how I’m doing as if it’s some badge of honor. It’s not. Instead I think it suggests you’re on a treadmill, which is good 3x a week for 30 minutes, not all the time.

I’m realizing as I grow older and, ahem, wiser, that under commitment is the way to go. Why? Because life throws us unexpected events all the time. How will we handle them if we’re already over committed? We start dropping balls, which creates even more stress.

On the other hand, if we are fortunate enough to not have anything unexpected happening, then we simply have some free time on our hands to do something relaxing or creative. I believe a relaxed mind is much more creative, which is why we spontaneously generate ideas when we’re doing something simple like showering or cutting flowers. If you haven’t come up with any good ideas for your business lately, then you might not be relaxing enough. Hmm.

How will you apply this idea of under commitment if you’re presently way over committed? Gradually. Start extricating yourself from commitments over time. When it comes time to renew one, don’t. When someone asks you to sign up for a new commitment, decline. It’s a habit you need to cultivate or you’ll never be able to leverage the power of under commitment for creativity, relaxation, planning, goal-setting, and so much more that’s only done with consistent free time.

Another magical thing about under commitment is that it gives you much more time to spend with those that are closest to you. This may be what I value most about committing to this change in my life.

Crush It is a very popular book written by Gary Vaynerchuk. It tells the story of how he took his dad's liquor store from 4 million to 50 million in annual sales through a big emphasis on social media and creating a brand around Gary and the store.

I strongly recommend it for all small business owners even if you're not thinking about social media as a means to promote your business. Although that part of the book was very interesting and informative to me, it's not the part that changed my approach to my business.

The Audible version of the book is how I experienced it. It's even better than the book since Gary reads it and adds lots of extra material to it since he's learned a few things since the book was written in final form.

The part of the book that impacted me the most was when Gary shared his 3 rules for success in business. The first one is to Love your family. The second is to Follow your passion. The third is to Work hard.

I am in alignment with the first two ideas and felt good that I was on top of two of Gary's rules. The third rule blindsided me. I know that most small business owners are overwhelmed and we're all looking for ways to work smarter, not harder. But this is attainable only to a point. I now understand this very clearly that hard work cannot be avoided.

Jeffrey Gitomer, author of the Sales Bible was interviewed by Success Magazine recently. He was asked about how salespeople can be successful. One of the key points he made is that you have to work harder than your competition. There's no shortcut. He said that people trying to work 4-hour workweeks are going broke trying. I don't think he's joking though it was said in a funny way.

Since listening to Crush It I've been working much harder than I did before and I wasn't slacking before. How has it changed things? Well, I'm more successful now. It may be too soon to tell that my rising revenue is due to working much harder, but I believe it will have a long-term effect that's undeniable and irreplaceable by any other business strategy.

Look at yourself in the mirror. Are you working hard enough to be the success you need to be as the owner of a small business? Listen to or read Crush It. It just may change your approach to your business. As a coach it's changed mine.

Let me know your thoughts by clicking on the Comments link below.

Small business ownership in the beginning is really tough. You have to work like crazy and do everything. You have to invoice, pay bills, write advertising, create marketing plans, budget, network, sell, interview vendors, look for alliance partners, join service clubs and referral groups, keep up with technology, get great at time management, learn new things, and so much more. It never stops, does it?

Everyone in this situation is wondering how to make enough money to hire someone to help with everything. I have an answer for you. It’s not the only answer, but it is certainly a genuine one. And that is to leverage your talents.

We are all gifted with certain talents. We typically figure out what these talents are in school when we realize we’re better at some things than others. Additionally we discover our gifts when we follow different interests, join the scouts, help out at church, or participate in a non-profit.

When we enter the working world we’re often asked to do a mix of tasks that may or may not leverage our talents. When the tasks do, we’re fulfilled. When they don’t, we become dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction may grow to the point where we decide to quit and start our own business where we can pursue our gifting.

Only problem with this strategy is that we realize that owning a business has us doing much, much more than what we’re good at. We get frustrated all over again, but we can’t blame the boss or the company anymore.

You can get mired in this frustration or you can do something about it. Enter The Growth Coach Strategic Planner to help you do something about it. I coach small business owners to focus a good deal of their energy on what they are good at. Not only are they likely to get better results, they’re also going to be happier.

You need to think real hard about your top three talents that can make you money and figure out how you can do more along those lines. What can you do to maximize those talents? I ask clients to commit to the hard thinking and the creative execution of the ideas that result from the hard thinking.

What’s directly above this section is where you would have to enter in how much you’re worth per hour. If you’re not making what you think you’re worth, it’s probably due in part to not leveraging your talents enough.

What’s beneath that section of the planner is also very important to this equation. It’s the clutter section. This section actually has lots of lines because the average life has lots of clutter. These are tasks that may need to get done, but not necessarily by you. If you delegate them, then the time and energy freed up can be dedicated to your money making talents. Can you see how these three parts work together to get you greater results?

My talents are writing, speaking and creative thinking. The reason I went in to the business coaching and marketing consulting business is because I would have lots of opportunity to exercise these talents to make money.

I am mired in tasks just like you, however, I’m forcing myself to clear out clutter to make more time to leverage my talents. I’m constantly looking for new ways to free up my time by moving clutter out of my life. The more writing, speaking and creative thinking I can do, the better off I’ll be.

What are your top three talents? Measure how much time you’re dedicating to the leveraging of these talents in a week. If it’s not at least 25% of your schedule you’re under utilizing your talents. You must look at the clutter in your life to root it out and spend more time on your talents. Remember, this is an answer to being more profitable in your business and being happier. Worth an examination, right?

Let me know your thoughts on this by clicking on the Comments link below. If you’d like help with thinking of ways to better leverage your talents, let’s talk. I’d like to help.