I’m thrilled to introduce you to one of our standout students of The Client Attraction Business School™, Katie Mazzocco, The Small Business Systems Strategist. Please welcome Katie as a guest contributor to the Client Attraction blog. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Please post your comments and questions below. ~ Fabienne. Connect with Katie on Twitter here.

As entrepreneurs we started out having to master every aspect of our business: marketing, sales, technology, content creation, customer service, client delivery, web design and more. It’s amazing how quickly we become control freaks and how much it benefits us, at least in the beginning.

Ultimately, as we grow, the propensity to micromanage slows us down and holds us back from growing our income and impact in the world. There’s only so much that one person can do alone, and the same is still true if you have a micro-managed team.

So there you are in a Catch-22: the mindset and mechanics that used to fuel your small business growth in the start-up phase now hold you back and prevent the growth you want.

To reach big numbers in your small business, you need to shift to a new mindset of productivity and delegating. (Click here to tweet this.)

Here are the necessary action steps to achieve your dream:

1. Strategic Planning

If you don’t know where you’re going, you definitely won’t get there. You need to know where you’re going (goals), how you’re going to get there (strategy), when you need to take action to make it happen (timeline), and why, to keep you inspired and accountable (purpose).

Routine strategic planning leads to the best results because it keeps your goals at the forefront of your mind. This regular planning also enables you to identify when you’re off course so that you can get back on track.

2. Systematize

I hear people say all the time that they don’t have time to delegate. The truth is you have time to delegate, but you just haven’t taken the time to create clear, repeatable systems so that it’s easy to do. Any millionaire entrepreneur will tell you that the “self-made millionaire” is a myth. It takes a team. To run a successful team you need systems. It’s that simple.

3. Delegate

Once you’ve documented your systems, use them to efficiently communicate tasks, expectations and processes to one or more team members. Be sure to create an open line of communication while also cultivating independence in your team members.

Your Productivity Assignment

Do you know what you want to delegate next? Make a list of routine activities you do that do not directly use your unique talents (tasks like formatting weekly ezine, editing videos, bookkeeping or scheduling). Now choose one and schedule time for you to document that system this week. Then delegate it, reap the rewards and repeat the process with a new task.

Katie Mazzocco, The Small Business Systems Strategist, is the creator of The Chaos to Cash System™, the proven step-by-step process that teaches you exactly how to transform your chronic-overwhelm and business plateaus into increased profits and systematic business growth through systems and strategic delegation. To get your free report How to Transform Your Chaos Into Cash™ and receive Katie’s productivity success videos on increasing your income and expanding your impact in the world visit www.FullSpectrumProductivity.com.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.

As a small business owner, there are countless people and projects clamoring for your attention, which can make it difficult to focus. Distractions often prevent you from getting your work done. Yet, executing strategies that bring you fast cash are essential to build your business quickly.

You may think there are not enough hours in the day. However, the true solution is becoming focused and sticking to your plan to complete projects. Let me share three empowering strategies that will help you improve focus and spike productivity.

1. What are your biggest time wasters?

When you think about what distracts you from work, it may be any of these activities:
• Email
• Personal phone calls
• Social media
• Errands
• Not delegating enough
• Non-money-making activities
• Other people’s priorities

Take out a piece of paper and write down what activities are the most distracting to your productivity. Getting clear on what takes you off course and competes for your attention is the first step to improving productivity. Think about what gets in your way on a daily basis.

2. Allow yourself to say no

I know you work hard, so have a little compassion for yourself. Making yourself feel bad will not help change the situation. As an entrepreneur, you never get to the bottom of your to-do list and it’s time to accept this as a fact. Take a moment to consider what you need to say “No” to in order to clear your desk for priority projects.

Here are three steps you can take situations to say “No” and guard your time:
• If what you are working on is not generating money or a big game changer, stop doing it.
• Set strong boundaries with family, friends, colleagues and even clients if needed.
• Hire childcare if you need it; even two hours a day can improve productivity.

3. Use Tools that Boost Productivity

Try any of these suggestions to become more focused and enhance your productivity.
• Get away from your desk to disrupt your routine. Try a café, the library or even work at home once a week to be super focused during this time.
• Close all non-essential windows on your computer like Facebook Twitter, email, etc.
• Let calls go to voicemail and return calls later.
• Use an egg time or countdown clock on your phone or computer for focused time periods. When the timer rings, you are done—no matter how much you’ve accomplished.

Please keep in mind you are human and tomorrow is another day. Whatever you don’t finish will be there tomorrow, but having an end time is just as important as setting time aside to focus on priority tasks.

Your Client Attraction Assignment
I encourage you to also make a list of what you need to stop doing or delegate to free up time for more important, money-generating activities. Since there are only so many hours in a day, the better you get at using your time productively and not allowing yourself to get distracted, the more you‘ll accomplish.

This is just one of the many best practices we dive deep into with the students of The Client Attraction Business School, the premier training school for growth-minded entrepreneurs looking to quickly attract more clients and make more money. If you’re interested in finding out more, visit www.ClientAttractionBusinessSchool.com for more details. To speak to an enrollment coach, click here.