There is no perfect time to make a change. There is no perfect time to start a business. There is also no perfect time to write your first blog post. However, it is always the right time to take your first step towards achieving one of these goals (or anything else you’ve been meaning to do).

We don’t have a strategic plan for this blog, but we know that it is a step in the right direction; a step toward helping other businesses grow and succeed. To us, that’s reason enough to start.

Now that we’ve taken the first step, we also challenge you to take the first step toward something your business has been delaying:

• Maybe you’re wondering why overall sales have declined? If so, just start by graphing overall sales over time to see when the decline started. This first step could be helpful all by itself. If you’re still motivated, take step two and split-out sales by product or service line. These two simple steps can give you great clarity on what you should do next.

• Or maybe your costs have been rising? Similar to the sales example, graph your major expense categories as a percent of sales over the same time period. The more detailed you get, the clearer your next steps will become.

• Or maybe you are too darn busy to look at revenues and expenses because you just have too much on your plate. Well before you dig-in and devour what’s on your plate, just spend two minutes making a list of everything that is on your plate. This alone will make you feel better. If after this list you have another two minutes, then in a second column identify if the task is recurring or one-time. In a third column, identify the recurring tasks that someone else could be doing. You are now on your way to delegating like a champ!

Whatever you do, don’t wait until tomorrow. Take the first step. After all, you can only take one step at a time. Then take the next step tomorrow, and the day after…

Please let us know what steps you’re taking!