The Hucclecote Link is celebrating 10 years of publishing this month and so we are celebrating!
10 years is a great achievement in business these days (in fact the Link Directories have been around almost 12 years which is even better) but it got me thinking…..
Why do some businesses succeed when others fail?
One of the reasons for this, I believe, is down to the habits that we form. How many of you made a New Years Resolution, or joined a gym at the beginning of the year? I did!
Now during January and February I was going 2 or 3 times a week – brilliant and I was on my way to achieving my goal. Then towards the end of March the kids got poorly – so my routine had to change for a week or so (the kids leave to catch the school bus at 7.20am and this was always the time hubby and I would hit the gym, before starting the working day, but with them not catching the bus, I was then staying at home with them), this was followed by the Easter holidays and so the routine was all over the place and we were away – and then here we are now in May and I don’t think I’ve been for around 5 weeks! All of a sudden my routine or habits have gone out of the window and I am way off achieving my goal I set earlier in the year.
This was not intentional, it just happened – little by little… and now looking back I can’t believe I haven’t been for 5 weeks! So now I don’t feel like going back, I’ve broken that habit – but I know I should!
How easy is it for this to happen in business – in your business?
I believe the Link directories are still successful today because of the habits we keep.
We have daily ( e.g social media updates, emails) habits weekly (e.g crm lists, sales, directory production) habits & monthly (e.g directory distribution, accounts, newsletters) habits that we try to stick to.
These are printed out on our office wall so we can see clearly what we need to achieve each week to keep moving the business forward.
A few of our habits are listed below:
- Our print deadlines are the same each month – so I know when I need to have the art work in by month on month
- We go to print the same time every month – so I know when I have to have published the directories each month
- We distribute the directories over the same weekends each month (Hucclecote Link goes out over the last weekend of the month – for the following months publication & the Abbey-Link & Tuffley Link over the first weekend of each month)
- We have set times in the month when look at our accounts – look at ways we are going to market our business for the next month – write our blogs and newsletters.
I work very hard to stick to all of the above – even when on holiday, the lap top comes with me!. But, as we know, sometimes life throws us curve balls and can get in the way and so it’s not always possible – but the most important thing to do then is to not give up. (Don’t wait 5 weeks until realising that you have not been to the gym – get back on that horse straight away!)
Continue with your habits or routines, it just may be a little later that month and may mean you have to work a little harder or smarter, but by consistently doing these habits you will reap the rewards and start to see your business flourish.
