Karen Keller
Whether it’s your money bottom line or your life’s bottom line, there are ways to increase both.
You need a bottom line that supports your lifestyle, delivers on your purpose, and brings you the security you deserve.
Some people think a bottom line is only about the money. Remember the Jerry Maguire phrase, “Show me the money?” Well, the bottom line is more than just the money.
Don’t misunderstand; money is important. Money pays the bills, sends kids to college and buys the time share in the Bahamas.
Total health, satisfying relationships, raving customers, and general happiness are just a few of the “other” bottom lines that are significant in our lives.
Here are a few simple tips that will not only increase your financial bottom line but also your life’s bottom line:
1. Lower Costs. Keep the cost of late nights, fast-food eating, and drama-filled relationships to a minimum. Doing too much of the not-good-for you things will only end up making you tired or dull causing you to error when making serious business and life decisions.
2. Increase Efficiency. Do everything as efficiently as you can. No time for slacking. Schedule things that are important to you: exercise, family, healthy eating, dental and doctor checkups, prayer and reflection. Limit your time wasted on internet sites that serve no purpose. If you are playing solitaire, that’s scheduled under R&R time. Cross training staff and outsourcing will benefit your financial bottom line, too.
3. Focus on Quality. Quality sells. Quality makes customers happy. Quality means not having to redo, reiterate, or repeat. Quality is something that great customers (the ones who return multiple times) are happy to pay for.
4. Branch Out. Find people, tools and resources that will help you. Outsourcing is a must. Sending work out means you have more time to do what you’re best at. You will do only what you can do to increase the financial bottom line, while increasing your own self-worth bottom line.
5. Diversify. Refuse to get set in your ways. Look at alternative methods or approaches to accomplish what you produce. Learn to look at a problem differently. Do more than think outside the box; try throwing away the rule book when faced with the unsolvable. This means believing in your capacity to change all obstacles in your way.
6. Narrow Your Focus. Dial down your niche and satisfy what causes them pain. Once you find their pain, offer the remedy. Talk to the one person who will most benefit from your solution. The rest will follow like bees to honey.
7. Be a Ball Watcher. Never take your eye off the ball. Watch who’s doing what. Keep your finger in the numbers: money, expenditures, invoicing, satisfied customers, customer complaints, employee performance, freelancer performance, initiative, and creativity. You can make your own long list. Next, mange the list and deal with what needs your attention. Hiring, firing, balancing, and pursuing are all part of the bottom line.
8. Get Organized. Clutter, confusion and chaos only serve to delay your progress. Get rid of the old files, information overload materials, and the things that don’t matter. Clean your space. When was the last time you dusted behind the copier?
Everything on this list is a sure fire way to positively affect your bottom line. After all, the bottom line is that you are living a satisfying, comfortable, free-to-choose life!
