2014 Goal Setting in 45 Minutes or Less

Have you begun your business planning for 2014 yet or have the impending holidays gotten you sidetracked? With Christmas less than two weeks away, the last thing you're probably thinking of is planning for 2014 but you should be. Pick a day in the next week, schedule an hour and put together your action plan for 2014 in 45 minutes or less with these three simple steps.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goals.jpg

Step 1: Clear Your Mind and Focus (20 minutes)

Planning for your business is 2014 doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. Mute your phone, close the door and focus only on what you want to accomplish in 2014. Chances are you already have a good idea in your head, you simply need to write it down to make it more concrete.

Start by making a simple list of the things you want to achieve. Maybe it's some of the goals that didn't quite make it to completion in 2013? Is it to launch a new project that you've been thinking about for the last six months? Is it to reach a new milestone in your business? Adding new staff?

Reach for the stars and dream big. Anything is possible so just open your mind up to the possibilities and get excited about the potential in the new year.

Step 2: Narrow Down Your List and Create the Steps (15 minutes)

Steve Jobs had a wonderful approach to planning. He would advise his staff to write down all their ideas, big, small, and huge, it didn't matter. Then he would tell them to pick the top three. And those would be the first three projects to be worked on. Once those three were completed, there was a ready made list of projects to choose from.

Now look at the list you made in step 1 and circle the top three. Which ones will make the most impact for your customers or your business? Which ones get you the most excited or will be the ones to launch your business into its next level? Look at them and write down the steps it will take to get there for each one.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Billard.JPG

Step 3: An Object In Motion Stays in Motion (10 minutes)

Newton's first law of motion applies in business: An object in motion, stays in motion unless stopped and an object at rest, stays at rest until forced out of that rest. You are the force behind your business so get yourself in motion. Put your plan into action - don't just wait for the new year to start. Use this time to start on the steps you identified and get your goals moving in the right direction.

Bonus Step: Share Your Goals with the World

Sharing goals with others makes them more concrete and has the added benefit of allowing others to participate in your achievements. So get the word out!

Here's to your continued success and Happy New Year from all of us at AddressTwo University & AddressTwo!

3 Big Reasons to Stop Using Gmail as Your Business Email Address

Using a web-based email service has become the de facto method for email users in the last ten years. Easy to setup, free, and accessible from anywhere, web-based email makes perfect sense for business users. But that web-based email address can be doing damage to your business reputation every day and you don't even realize it. Here's three reasons to change your email address today.

Appears Unprofessional

In business, appearance means a lot. We make a million small decisions every day based on small bits of information. And as much as we all love Gmail, the fact is when your business card says username@gmail.com versus William@intelligence.com, it leaves an impression immediately regarding how seriously you take yourself in business. This can cost you potential business in the long run if a prospect feels you are “small time” in business.

Email Redirect Setup Is Easy

“But I like using Gmail. Won’t I have to start using a software like Outlook if I stop using Gmail or another web-based email provider?”

The answer is no. You can continue using whatever beloved email method you’re using currently, whether it’s Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Outlook or any of the others out there. Simply create an email alias and then a forwarding rule for those emails to a destination of your choice.

Essentially this process creates a “mask” for your email address, allowing you to use your website domain name as part of your email address. After all, you paid for and own the domain name, so why shouldn’t you be using it?

The simplest method is to use an email forwarding service through the domain name provider (the company you purchased the domain from). For this example, we’ll use GoDaddy since it’s one of the most popular out there. GoDaddy’s customer service can help you if you have trouble or you can use one of their articles to walk you through the process.

Step 1: Create the domain name email address (found in your hosting panel with GoDaddy)

Step 2: Once created, login to your web based email provider (Gmail instructions here) and in the mail settings “Add another email address”. This will allow you to both send and receive emails using your new domain name email address.

Amplify Your Branding Long Term

Using your domain name in your email address provides long term branding. Now, if someone loses your business card, or forgets your business name, as long as they have your email address in their contact list, they’ll always have your business name. This improves your top-of-mind awareness long term for clients and prospects.

Since setting up an email domain address is so easy, there really isn’t a good reason NOT to set up a proper email address to benefit and brand your business.

20 Days Left for 2013 Tax Write Offs

There are only 20 days left to reduce your tax liability for next year (i.e. find new writeoffs). AddressTwo can help! If you pay for your 2014 account in an annual payment instead of monthly, you'll receive a 20% discount (normally 10%) off a 12-month subscription. This is a huge savings to start 2014 right! This is available for current customers and new customers so sign up today!

Contact Troy Hanna at (317) 594-9550 (option 1) or email troy@addresstwo.com for details. Hurry, this offer expires on 12/31/2013!

About AddressTwo - the Simple CRM!

AddressTwo helps small businesses organize their contacts, manage leads, tasks and appointments, and provides email marketing options. A robust suite of services designed by a small business FOR small businesses, it's easy to use and gives small businesses tools they need to succeed. If you're not currently using a contact database manager or are unhappy with the one you have, AddressTwo is the solution. Learn more in the video below!