Five Ways to Improve Your New Year Business Plans

2020 is right around the corner and for most small businesses the holidays are not only a time to reflect on the past year but to begin planning for the upcoming one. Sometimes as business owners, putting plans in place for an entire year with unknowns can seem overwhelming. Here are five tips to help you get started with your 2020 plans from the "What Works" business podcast by Tara McMullin and in the meantime, visit www.mythiclanding.com to see how one of our vast services can help your business succeed in the new year!

1. Double Down on Your Positioning

"Positioning is where your business sits in the market.  It’s the stories that your customers tell about your business.  It’s the message that you put out.  It’s how you do what you do differently.  It’s the price you set, it’s the packages or offers that you make, it’s how you show up in the market, and all those things come together to give you your positioning.  In other words, where you sit in the market.'

'Now, if you’re tempted to start something new, to add to your offerings, expand your audience, take a step back.  Does what you’re creating reinforce your brand?  The story it tells about your customers, the value you have to offer, or does it dilute your focus?"

2. Get Support From Diverse Sources

"So the first thing is that people seek out mastermind partners who are kind of going at the same pace they are, which might be slow to non-existent, and so the first way that you can get the most out of a mastermind is to actually…'

'Seek out people who are moving at a faster pace than you. 

You want the people that you’re masterminding with, as a business owner, to actually push you, to challenge you, to inspire you to get a little more uncomfortable, to do things a little more outside of your comfort zone, and really use that to propel your business forward." 

3. Know Your Top Priority At Any Given Time

"Now, one of the biggest benefits of planning ahead, whether it’s for the month, the quarter, or the year, is that it becomes easier to spot your top priorities.' 

'These priorities will show themselves as specific goals.  So if you look, at your next year’s plans or your next quarter’s plans, you’ll see some specific goals, hopefully, that you’ve set for yourself.  The more specific, the easier it will be to know what’s important for you and your team to be focused on."

4. Separate Your Marketing Plans From Your Sales Plans

"If you’re overlapping building awareness with converting sales, you’re probably not building as much awareness as you’d like to be doing, and you’re probably converting sales less than you would like to be doing, and no small business owner wants to be in that situation." 

5. Make a Plan to Step Back While Letting Your Business Grow

"Now, a lot of people are going to put delegation and team-building on their new year business plans, but it’s not enough to just hire people to ease your workload.  As my friend, Peter Lang, from the Uhuru Network marketing agency, told me in regards to myself and my own business, you have to offload responsibility, too.'

'This is where so many small business owners go wrong, myself included, from time to time."  (To read on further and get more detail on each of these tips visit: http://taragentile.com/new-year-business-plans/)

Looking for a Perfect Gift? Think of MLE!

Do you have a relative or friend who could use one of the many Mythic Landing Enterprises  services in the new year? Then give the gift of MLE and send us the referral! 

Offering a variety of services for business owners in all industries, MLE can help! Graphic and logo design, search engine marketing, bookkeeping, professional event flyer, website design...you name it! 

Visit www.mythiclanding.com to learn more or email Margaret@mythiclanding.com for more information on our services. 

10 Reasons to Hire a Bookkeeper

You have done it! You have taken a leap of faith and started your own small business. Congratulations!

Whether you have gotten through all of the initial setup or are still in the planning phase, one important thing to think about is to hire a professional bookkeeper or not. This could be a tough decision if you are new to the industry and don't have a client base yet, however "a professional bookkeeper actually saves you money through less human error and the bills that get paid on time (entreprenuer.com)."

Here at MLE, our bookkeeping services are customized to your business' needs and we will work with you to learn the system and get everything together so you can focus on running your business and gaining clients! Learn more about our services here: https://mythiclanding.com/services/

If you are still on the fence about whether or not to hire us, click here for a link from Entreprenuer.com on 10 reasons you should hire a bookkeeper! Here are just a few below:

1. Keep your focus on core business needs. 

2. Stay out of what you don’t really know or understand. 

3. Calibrate a work-life balance. 

4. Get a different perspective on the business. 

5. Escape the tedious aspects of business. 

6. Make sure everything is paid on time. 

December #TeamMLE Activities

As we approach the busy holiday season, don't forget to take a little time for yourself and sign up for one of these fun activities! Keep reading to see who will be where and when! And simply click on the date to be taken to the registration information ...

• Friday, December 6th: Stargazing at the Farm @ Milkhouse Brewery (Mount Airy, MD)

• Saturday, December 7th: Cavaletti Clinic #1 with Meghan Truppner @ Karmic Run Stables (Mount Airy, MD)

• Wednesday, December 11th: Stephen Bradley Jumping Clinic @ A Bit Better Farm (Brookeville, MD)

• Saturday, December 14th: Destination's Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Jumper Show @ Destination Farm (Dickerson, MD)

• Sunday, December 15th: C.O.R.E. Clinic with Glenda Player @ Playland Equestrian Center (Union Bridge, MD)

• Wednesday, December 18th: Susan Graham White Dressage Clinic @ A Bit Better Farm (Brookeville, MD)

Improve Your Social Media Presence With these Tips!

What does your social media presence look like? Have you ever Googled yourself to see what comes up? Chances are, you have. As a lot of people concern themselves with their personal image on social media, sometimes they are unable to devote as much time to their businesses image online. Social media can hinder or help your business thrive if used correctly. "Social media provides a powerful tool for outreach: Companies can share stories, talk about events or offers, or discuss services or solutions with interested customers or potential clients. But not every small business has set aside the time and money to establish an online strategy or presence (Forbes.com)."

In this great article from Forbes.com, it talks about 12 ways that small businesses can work on upping their social media presence. From focusing your efforts, making goals of use and putting together a content calendar. Here are just a few:

1. Listen To Customers Rather Than Promote

2. Make A Commitment to Social Media

3. Establish A Goal Before Moving

4. Focus Your Efforts On Select Networks

5. Automate Your Social Media Strategy


If you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of truly managing and succeeding with your social media, let MLE help! We have social media management services in addition to our search engine marketing services, which often encompass some of the major social media outlets. Learn more about how MLE is here for you at: www.mythiclanding.com today!

Grab the Attention of New Clients with MLE Logo Design!

Is your new business in need of a sleek and eye-catching logo? Are you looking for a fresh new look to attract more customers? Have MLE design a top quality logo for your business! We pride ourselves in working with our clients to design the logo that they have always envisioned. Take a look at just a few logos we have designed below!

Contact Margaret at margaret@mythiclanding.com today to find out how we can take your business to the next level with a new and fresh logo design!

Today's Motivation: 19 Hard Things You Need to Do to Be Successful

Today we are sharing a motivational article from Business Insider on some very hard, yet rewarding, things to do in order to be successful. As business owners and entrepreneurs we are our biggest critics but we can also be our own biggest fans. Set your goals, do the hard things and go grab success!! Here are just a few things listed from the article:

• You have to make the call you're afraid to make.
• You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
• You have to give more than you get in return right away.
• You have to care more about others than they care about you.
• You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
• You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
• You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
• You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
• You have to look like a fool while you're looking for answers you don't have.
• You have to grind out the details when it's easier to shrug them off.
• You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
• You have to search for your own explanations even when you're told to accept the "facts."
• You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
• You have to try and fail and try again.
• You have to run faster even though you're out of breath.

If you need help getting a plan together to get started or want to cross off a few things on your growing to-do list so you can get to the hard things, let MLE help! We are here to support, encourage and help grow businesses of all sizes!! Learn more about the many services we can provide at: www.mythiclanding.com or email margaret@mythiclanding.com.