As an author, coach, or entrepreneur, it’s easy to get caught up in a flurry of activities and lose focus. At the end of the year, you wonder where the time went and why you didn’t get more accomplished.
Take Stock
Use this time to get some perspective and take stock of what worked. What events did you attend that moved the needle for your business? Who were the people that helped you achieve success?
List what you’d like to get done in the New Year. In your dreams, what does December 2025 look like: for revenues, experiences, and creations?
One great piece of advice from email marketing expert Dan Oshinsky, is to plan on a new revenue stream each year. Some pros launch a new offer each month.
Plan 2025
Take a look at calendars for last year and the New Year. What trade shows, markets, holidays, seasons, or product launch dates require planning and campaigns?
Now, think about who can help you make those goals a reality. Not just folks to buy your stuff. Who are the people who have the audience you’d like to have? What can you do or offer their readers, listeners, students, or clients?
Identify Who Can Help
Next start a list of those people and add to it all year. Consider all the different types of people who can make a difference in your business. Begin with the people you know. Explore connections in online and local groups. Widen your scope beyond just prospects, but to a broader network of vendors and others who can share your message and make introductions.
Reach Out
Think of ways to reach out and offer your services, or start a conversation to see what you have in common and how you can help each other.
Try to meet someone new every day. Whether they help your business along or not, these new experiences will set off little charges of dopamine excitement to get your juices going.
Track Your Results
Track these exchanges to see what develops. Note where and when you met them. Describe the circumstances to jog your memory later. Who introduced you? What did you discuss? Record the next actions you agreed to and dates for follow up.
You might do something creatively with them. Maybe one of you has a podcast and you record an interesting conversation. Maybe you write and publish an article together. Maybe you give a talk to a group in your town. Or just meet for coffee.
Be Helpful
Start by being helpful and kind to your contacts. Make note of introductions you make and what kind of results those get. I’ve referred speakers, vendors such as fulfillment houses, SEO shops, and graphic designers. I enjoy helping friends get booked on podcasts, and publish articles. Watch your relationships grow.
After I recommended an accountant to a connection on LinkedIn, a conversation led to an interview. I’ve published posts of new friends I met in live events who, in turn, published articles of mine. I met Relatable Media’s Lucia Matuonto through RadioGuestList.com and enjoyed participating in the recent Book Fair.
On a personal note, I’ve met some amazing people, not just other professionals, but also neighbors, swapped recommendations for books, hikes, travel, and helpful tools.
Free Tracking Worksheet and Ideas
Grab my “Meet Someone New Every Day” worksheet to record your progress. Or use a free CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool, like Odoo.
I wrote an article with ideas for collaborations with people that might inspire you, “Skyrocket Your Business With Collaborations.”
If you are looking for ideas for a supplemental income stream, you might take materials that you create to attract new business that you’ve given away for free before, and bundle them into a paid product. Authors can bundle works with other authors, for instance.
Get 70+ ideas for lead magnets, many of which can make dandy micro products, especially as the materials age, from “Lead Nurturing Ideas for Authors to Monetize.” While the article was written for authors, most of the ideas apply to entrepreneurs in general.
A Note About Mixing Work and Play
For years, I’ve been able to combine work with pleasure, working remotely and often traveling by RV to see clients, and go to conventions. So I was tickled to see Lucia use the RV graphic for her meetings. I found that the more in-person meetings I had, the stronger the relationships. I wish you good luck and success with your plans, with lots of fruitful, in-person as well as online experiences. This photo was taken in Denver before a business lunch meeting.
Author of “Rockin’ ROI: How to Bootstrap Ecommerce with Performance-Based Marketing” and an affiliate marketing instructor, Jan Carroza, a 40-year marketing veteran, writes about trends in offline and online marketing.
Previous clients include Blue Cross, M&M Mars, Soloflex, & Time-Warner.
Find out more at https://www.instagram.com/jancarroza/.
Article published in The Relatable Voice Magazine - January 2025.
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