Recently, I had to prepare three letters for the bank. As a small business owner, my personal finances are judged right alongside those of the business. As we worked to refinance our home, the bank wanted to know many of the details about my business. It required writing three separate letters to answer all their questions.
Good business is about clear concise communication
The bank had requested detailed descriptions of past problems, our current situation and assurances things will stay how they are and not slide back into the past. Sure, you could fill a letter like this with BS. But guess what? Smart investors are pretty savvy people and they’d see right through that. Instead, I sat for a few minutes and gathered my thoughts.
It’s really just a blog post
I looked at each individual information request and realized the bank had provided me three blog post ideas and titles. I opened three documents and started writing notes in each. Within minutes, I had outlines for all three letters ready to go. Finally, I spent about an hour on each letter filling in the blanks and tracking down the details requested. When finished, I invested about four hours in this exercise.
Time is an investment that needs a return
Four hours of your time is not a small investment. Just think about what your clients or employer pays you for four hours. I need those four hours invested to have a return. Before I started blogging as much as I do, those letters would have each taken the better part of a day. I’d have struggled with them and tortured myself that I wasn’t doing it right.
The time I’ve invested in this blog over the last six years has many more payoffs than the few dollars of affiliate revenue and speaking fees it has generated. All this writing has made me a better business person. I organize my thoughts quicker and I communicate those thoughts and ideas more clearly and concisely.
Look for the hidden return in the things you do. That’s where you’ll find the real value in the pursuit of those activities you are passionate about lies.
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