I was watching 2 and a Half Men last night on television and throughout the show the characters were simply not listening to whomever was talking. We knew this because we could hear what they were thinking in their mind and all the while the speaker was inaudible.

As business owners, we are so busy thinking about what we need to do next, or what we left behind before arriving to a meeting, sneaking a peak at our phones for missed messages or Tweets, or just looking out the window and daydreaming. Hopefully at some point we realize that we aren't doing the one thing we are supposed to be doing- listening to our client!

OK, don't panic and don't beat yourself up thinking you are the only one doing it- we can all take the blame for this faux pas.  I would encourage, however, that you become aware when it is happening and change the course of action from acknowledging the distractions to ignoring them. Surely you would agree that there is nothing ruder than speaking to someone who wants your business and knowing that they aren't hearing a word you are saying. That drives me crazy and if it happens to me, I can assure you that the person who is texting while I am talking will not get my business!

• If you are multi-tasking-you are not listening.
• If your mind is racing ahead to the next question- you are not listening.
• If you are looking out the window and not at the person speaking- not listening....

Two concepts that are absolutely essential to running a successful business! Wow- that’s a statement and a half. I will tell you what- having those two things in your back pocket will take you places.

The more you are inspired by your work, services or product- the more imaginative you will be to develop marketing campaigns, strategies and plans for the future. After all, no one is better at selling your business than you. Yes you! I am talking about the entrepreneurs of the world who take a concept and create a reality.

Being a marketing consultant, I am inspired by my clients. The more excited they are about their business, the more motivated I am to ensure that their message is heard. That is what sparks imagination and thinking outside the box.

The long and the short of it is, that in order to move your company forward you need to be surrounded by people that inspire you and who spark your imagination to see into the future. Have fun and enjoy what you do.

You need to take yourself seriously. The bottom line is – don’t ask others to do things for you and then qualify that request with, “but I don’t really have a budget.”

WOULD YOU GIVE AWAY YOUR PRODUCT FOR FREE just because someone said that they “really need it to improve their business?” Really now. If you sold desks and a new business owner needed one to put a computer on, would you just open the door to your shop and give it to them so they could get started? Probably not!

Being professional means knowing that services provided by others aren’t free. Time is money and although it is nice to help out colleagues, helping doesn’t pay the bills.

So, before you ask a service provider to give you something for free or a reduced cost because you don’t have a budget….think twice, especially if you want others to take your business seriously.

That may sound like a bunch of hoopla, but really, if you are in business you need to have some sort of plan in place. Don’t worry about how other people do it. Come up with a plan that works for you! Of course, you can get ideas from other people, but don’t stress out about doing a whole bunch of new stuff or learning new software or creating more work for yourself.

Sole proprietors are really good at creating distractions for themselves- I should know because I am one of them. So, speaking from experience- I know how easy it is to procrastinate. I have learned, however, that once a simple plan is put into place my attitude begins to change and things start to get done.

If you don’t have business partners or employees or someone else can hold you accountable, then a plan can do just that. Think about what motivates you to get things done. Are you the kind of person who gets a sense of accomplishment by checking things off a list? Do images of things you want to be able to purchase, like a new car posted on your wall get you moving? Or is it as simple as an inspirational quote that you have taped to your monitor? Think about what will keep you on track.

Goals: Try writing out a goal (any goal for your business). Think about the big picture for your business. Are you looking to be a famous motivational speaker or the go-to person for web development. Are you looking to increase your gross income by a certain % over the next year or do you simply want to add 3 new clients to your list by the end of the month.

If you don’t have a goal in mind- you will never know when you have reached it.

Action Plan: Think about your goals. What are three actions that you can take that will get you to that goal? List these actions out by the week or the month (again- the goal is what drives how you prioritize the actions). Then get to work!

By having these things written out, you have something to refer to when you start to getting distracted or need to make important decisions. In a sense, a plan can be your own accountability partner.