Ok, this is a bit of a diversion....

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with a few potential clients. Since the actual 'sales call' part of running my own business has always been my nemesis, I look at these meetings as a potential for personal and professional growth.

One of the themes that I realized I hadn't been covering in my marketing campaigns was the "Good Busy" vs. "Bad Busy" concept. It's very simple. If you are too busy to do the work you need to advance your business and you aren't happy with where the business is going, you are "Bad Busy" and need to make some changes in order to plan for success. If you are raking it in hand-over-fist and see no signs that it will change in the future, you are "Good Busy" and don't need to be reading this.

I met with a doctor that had just signed a contract and was very receptive to my input on marketing his practice. When we discussed some low-cost options for marketing and some deliverables he had for me, he was a bit hesitant to commit his time. He explained that he is very busy and may have trouble meeting some of those deadlines.

I also met with a small software company that is having some trouble and wants a better marketing engine. This time, the theme was a little more resistant to the self-marketing techniques I was suggesting. A flat "I'm too busy" was the stock response.

We will discuss these cases over the next few months as the sites come together and the marketing engines roll out.

This is just a reminder that you need to analyze your needs and what you are willing to invest in your own success. If you are too busy to make the investment, but aren't as profitable as you would like; you may want to consider making some changes to allow for long-term growth of your business.