These flowers can't wait for spring! Photo courtesy of Heather Shelton
Happy (almost) spring!
We are just two days away from the vernal equinox , which this year is on March 20, marking the passage into spring. The word equinox comes from the Latin meaning "equal night." An equinox happens when the sun is directly above the equator and the length of the day is nearly the same as the night. There are two equinoxes every year, one in March and one in September. (There will not be a quiz later, but I bet you find this information useful in your next game of trivia!)
As the word implies, equinox is about balance. Perhaps this is why spring is the ideal time to find the figurative balance in our lives. Many of us do this by spring cleaning. Our business lives would also benefit from some spring cleaning. Read below for some ideas.
During this very long, very cold winter, I have been sharpening my copy editing skills by taking classes and reading up on grammar and style. Although I have always offered copy editing services to my clients, I am now making it a core service. Please contact me if you or anybody you know is looking for copy editing. Also, read my blog post 6 copy editing rules to make you a better writer.
Best wishes for an energizing and balanced season,
Deborah
Spring cleaning your business life
Spring is a great time to declutter, to deep clean and to get things in order. You can take these actions without the help of dusters and mops when you take time to focus on your business and see where you can eliminate excess, clean up your act and be more productive.
Following are a few areas that may be ripe for some spring cleaning:
Services/Products: Take a good hard look at your offerings. Which are your top sellers? Which generate the most demand or interest? Perhaps it’s time to get rid of the stuff that is gathering dust and focus on what is really profitable.
Clients/Customers: Are there clients that seem to take all your time and generate very little profit? You know the type—demanding, argumentative and who question your every move. If your energy is being spent trying to appease this type of client, you are not giving enough energy to other tasks and it may be time to move on.
Connections: When I first go on Twitter, I followed some people who were considered to be social media experts. One of those people is also very fond of using expletives constantly and another is very fond of self-promotion. I decided that type of content was bringing no value to me and was just clogging up my Twitter stream, so I unfollowed both. The same can be done on LinkedIn, Facebook or any other social or in-person network. By letting go of connections that don’t serve you, you can focus on developing and strengthening your network.
Website: The other day I was on the official White House website and found that the fine people in charge had not yet updated the president’s cabinet to include Ashton Carter as the new secretary of defense. What information has not been reviewed on your website lately? Perhaps there’s something that needs changing.
What area will you clean up?
Communications tip: Can you cut ten words?
In the spring cleaning spirit, I am challenging you to declutter your writing by cutting out ten words. I learned this exercise from the late Professor Jack Falla in his Publicity class at Boston University’s College of Communication. After writing a press release, we were to go back and circle ten words that we could eliminate. The exercises was meant to show us how to tighten up our writing while becoming aware of the many needless words we use.
Let's work together!
Deborah Brody Marketing Communications services:
▪ Writing and copy editing of marketing/communications materials ▪ Communications and social media consulting ▪ Communications and social media audits ▪ Customized blog training and workshops
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