Make Your Iron Hot

William Butler Yeats isn’t the usual source I’d turn to for business insights.  Poetry, sure. But business insights? Not what he’s known for.

But there you go…you can never tell from whence insightful business direction comes.

And a more perfect direction for 2019 would be hard to find. 

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” William Butler Yeats

WB (can I call you WB?), thanks for pointing out something critical as we business owners sit in the middle of January, the beginning of a fresh year.

Make your iron hot by striking…stop waiting for it to get hot.

Dear business owner, WB wants your iron to be hot right now. Not waiting until September or October to look up, realize your 2019 Goal is still “out there.”

What can make your iron sizzle starting right now as you read this?

• Set your goal: one, measurable target you want to reach this year (usually it’s your gross revenue)
• Lay a flexible plan to achieve it: for example, how much revenue are you targeting for January? How much do you have right now? Who are your “hot” prospects ready to say “yes” to you right now…if only you’d reach out to them?
• If you’ve been in business for a bit, call your former clients. Trust me on this: the first problem you solved for them made them happy, but now they are left with a new problem. You can solve that one, too. Call.
• Make sure your Actions for January, February and March lead to your Goal. You don’t have to do anything that’s business housekeeping. That keeps your desk neat and your bank account meager.

Sure, you can tackle more. These are great starts and will yield a very nice first quarter.

Start the first quarter strong and the rest of the year will feel like…well, like your iron’s smokin’.