12 Things you Need to do to Finish up your 2012 as an Entrepreneur!

Here is a fun little list of things for you to do as you get ready to turn the calendar into a new year.  And yes, the years do seem to go faster and faster.

1. Plan:  It is time to get your new calendars out and plan.  I am old fashioned and I use a planner that I can write in, plus many wall calendars (monthly, and a large dry erase yearly one).   I love to be able to see the big picture as I look at events in order to prepare and anticipate.
2. Purge:  As you finish up the year, what do you need to purge?  Old files?  Product lines that are not working?  Bad behaviors and mindsets that are holding you back?  Write a list and plan a PURGE day the week after Christmas.  (Yes I will be doing this too!)
3. Process:  This is a great time to sit down and process the past year and take stock of your business and your personal life.  I like to do this at a coffee shop or in a location that is not “the norm” for me.  It helps me get into that reflective mode as I sit with my planner and look back over the year and take notes.
4. Pick:  It is a great time of year to pick your favorite events, programs, conferences and decide to keep them on your list for next year.  Or to purge the ones that you don’t choose so you have room for new ones.  Let your YES be YES and your NO be NO, so that you can mover forward with clarity.
5. Party:  I love to celebrate success and as we move into the end of the year it is time to do that.  Look at what you did well.  Celebrate how much you have learned and the things you followed through with.  Give yourself a SHOUT!
6. Propel: As you look forward, what can you do NOW to propel yourself and your business forward and keep the momentum going?  Do you need to get more accountability with a coach?  Is it time for you to invest in a Mastermind Group?
7. Position:  Take a good look at your position in the marketplace.  Where are you? Where are you going? What is your platform?  Who are your primary competitors and what makes you different?  How does your company stand out?
8. Promote:  Decide on your marketing schedule for the next year and what you will be promoting and launching and when. This will help you as you create each months check list so that do not feel as scattered.  It also helps keep you from chasing the shiny objects.
9. Proclaim:  What to do you want to PROCLAIM to the world?  Each year has good and bad events.  I always choose a theme for the year and make an intentional choice to hear what God is saying to me about where I need to go.  One year my theme was Be Brave.  This past year it was CREATE.  For 2013 it is LIVE ABUNDANT.  What is your theme to proclaim?
10. Put Away:  It is time to put away your old habits and beliefs.  On a more practical note, it is also time to put away (or donate) office items that you are not using.  Take them to a local charity that can use the items and would be so grateful for the things that are just gathering dust for you.  As I like to say, “Bless and Release”.
11. Provide:  Look at how you are providing your services to your clients or customers.  This is a great time to offer them a bonus or a holiday special.  What about a gift or special note in the mail?
12. Pray:  Give God the glory for all of the miracles of being in business. Being an entrepreneur is a wild adventure that I never would have anticipated.  Let’s be very aware of our ever present need for God’s intervention in every part of our business and remember that it is Him that we go to first.

 I gave the members of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs a challenge this week and I will also open this up to you also.

Challenge Part #1:  Write up a list of 12 things you are grateful for or proud of from the past year.

Challenge Part #2:  Write up a list of 12 goals you have for 2013 (plans, products, events, milestones, etc)

Challenge Part #3:  Email both lists to me at info@nacwe.org by midnight on Thursday the 13^th of December to be entered into a drawing for $100 to be used in the NACWE store.

Ready to invest in your goals with the support you need?  I work with a small group of private clients who are ready to move forward.  Fill out a Getting Started form today to discuss the options.  www.nacwe.org/getstarted

Diane Cunningham is the Founder and President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs. She is a “business therapist”, plane crash survivor, author, consultant, speaker, marathon runner, and fun friend.

Find out more about NACWE and why 165 women joined in the first year at www.nacwe.org. Connect with Diane at www.facebook.com/DianeCunningham for fun updates, silly videos, and lively conversation.