1. Review Your Numbers: Every business owner who review their numbers each week knows exactly how they are tracking on the bigger plan but also on the immediate cash flow. They quickly know where things are at, what actions may need to be taken (A/R calls) and they can make better informed financial decisions.

2. Sell Something: No one sells like a business owner and in order to grow a company some part of your work every week needs to be around sales - direct (to prospects) or indirect (partnerships, alliances, channels)

3. Review The Plan: Every week a strong business leader is reviewing the overall vision and strategic plan. These concepts and goals need to be fresh in your mind as you make decisions each day and direct your team.

4. Post It Note the Top 3: What are the Top 3 most strategic and important things for you to do this week as the owner? It is easy to get caught up in the day to day activities and lose sight of the Top 3 things you need to do to move the business forward. Write them on a post-it and make them the priority until they are complete.

5. Touch Base with Staff: Take a break and take time to connect with at least one of your staff. No agenda, no review, just a coffee or catch up. See what is going on in their life and what’s important to them. You’ll gain valuable insights into them, the business and strengthen your team.

6. Directives for your Team: Ideally starting on Monday, re-focus the team and remind them what is most urgent, most important and a high priority for you. Operations can pull your team off focus (and so can a weekend) so reset their focus to align with yours.

7. Review KPI’s: Key Performance Indicators should come to you on a single page from each department (or in a single email). Reviewing these metrics every week gives you the ability to see small changes in your business at a glance because you’re so in tune with performance of any angle of the company.

8. Personal Development: Great business owners are constantly learning - books, podcasts, meeting other entrepreneurs. Break it down any way you like - 1 hour three times a week, 15 minutes a day, 1 afternoon a week. In order to lead a business with new ideas and constant innovation, you have to be learning weekly.

Author's Bio: 

Marty started his first company at the age of 21. He has owned 13 companies to date and is a serial entrepreneur. He has dedicated a large portion of the last 12 years to being a coach and mentor to both entrepreneurs and other coaches. By taking to the practical and actual experiences in his world and applying them to other companies, situations and industries, he has found the common ground for all business globally, and has built a curriculum around this foundation for all his companies and his coaching.

Marty currently operates 4 companies with operations in the US and Canada. His first company was a technology startup, after which he ventured into audio production, software, retail, the hospitality industry and more recently, advertising/marketing. He has been a crucial player in all phases of start-up and growth.

Marty was awarded the 2002 Business Coach of the Year for North America and the 2003 Recipient for Global Contribution to the coaching profession*. In addition to international recognition, Marty has been selected as one of Calgary’s Top 40 Business Professionals under 40 in 2004 by Calgary Inc. magazine. Marty was awarded the CYBF Canadian Mentor of the Year in 2006. More recently, Marty was selected one of 18 entrepreneurs to represent Canada at the G20 Entrepreneur Summit in Nice, France in 2011 and Mexico City in 2012.

Marty Park | martypark@evolvebusinessgroup.com | 403.283.8337 Ext. 1