Reg Gupton's Top 10 ways to guarantee your success this year

Top 10 Ways to Guarantee Your Business Success this year and every year in the future.

1. Haul out your dusty Business Plan
It is not too late to get out your business plan from last year and see how you did. You will be surprised on your successes and wins.

2. Determine your best Sources of Business
Remember the 80/20 rule which states that 20% of your effort brings 80% of your results or income.

3. Review and update it
With your top Sources of Business in mind update your plan based on concrete results from last year.

4. Clean your desktop
Focus is a wonderful thing. With only one task in the middle of your desk, your mind is less likely to wander. Laser focus is a necessary attribute at many times.

5. Automate your reminder system
The human brain is a great problem solver and a poor calendar. Use your Palm Pilot, Outlook Express or other automated calendar system.

6. The 3 Ds
Do it, delegate it, or dump it.

7. Plan your time off
Take a yearly calendar; sit down with your family and friends. Then mark out the days and weeks that you are going to take off. No matter what!

8. Eliminate 10% of your customers
Understand that the bottom 10% by size or profitability are consuming the majority of your time. Fire them.

9. Determine your most profitable 10%
On the other side, you have about 10% of your customers (or referral sources) that constitute the easiest, most profitable avenues for business. List them, then cultivate them like a good garden.

10. Set up a savings plan
Start a savings plan. When I was in college, a financial planner told me to save 10% of my earnings. I felt that that could not be done. So guess how much I saved. Nothing. If I had saved even 2% of my earning for the last 30 years, I would be retired.

To your continued success,

Reg Gupton