Here’s your copy of the Leaky Bucket Manifesto

Marta Costa

Love this new manifesto Tina. Can’t wait for the live training.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1514521607 Laura C. Pumo

Awesome report Tina! I can really identify with the difference between a Solopreneur Business and a Legacy Business. Very interesting concept and different way of thinking outside the box. Looking forward to hearing more!

Cathy

Thanks Tina! Awesome job as usual. I def need to get my SOP Guide in order and, as most of us, I need to get over those control issues. It really comes down to trusting who you hire. If you don’t trust them to get the job done, they shouldn’t be working for you, right?! Getting the right team together is the key. Looking forward to the live event! Thanks again!

PJ Davenport

Tina, thanks for sharing so much awesome info that is easy to implement and gives step-by-step instructions. Without a doubt, this is the most useful document I’ve read this year. Your live event will surely provide more great info.

Anonymous

Glad you enjoyed it PJ

http://www.encoreobm.com Lara Nieberding

Thank you, Tina! I definitely shifted my to-do list from my email to a task manager based on your advice! Looking forward to your training session!

Kristine Tauschek

Good material – thank you. I am in the SLOW process of obtaining clients … but this information is very helpful to be sure I manage my business well WHEN it grows and grows and grows

Kaycam

This information is wonderfully true!

Emmylou Sagusay Henderson

Thanks for this report, Tina! It made a lot of sense.

Crystal Curran

Really has made me curious re upcoming live training! Ready to make a shift and re-create my business!

http://twitter.com/CorrindaC Corrinda Campbell

I am all for outsourcing tasks my biggest challenge is finding the money to finance it. I know to grow I need help, yet I need to grow to have the income to pay for the help. Ah the dilemma.

Audrey Dixon

I have used college interns who may just need the experience and then I turn around and give them a fantastic reference. Also sometimes there are stay-at-home moms who would rather keep their skills sharp. Give that some thought.

Greg

Great report, this helps make sense of a lot of my business issues.

Meredith

Great stuff – loved the point about knowing what kind of business you have. I basically am a one-man show… but now I see where the growth can come.

Sheila

This is a great report. It did make me think. My thoughts has always been that I do not have the money to hire anyone, but I am thinking that trying to do it all myself is not cost effective and I am losing money. Creating and keeping your SOP in your project management system is an awesome idea. Thank you. I am looking for to learning more.

http://twitter.com/MichelleLopezCO Michelle Lopez

Love this, Tina. As always, you distill the most important concepts down to their essence.

P.S. How are you dealing with Central Desktop’s recent changes to their layout? (I personally can’t stand their new format!)

Anonymous

I actually love the new layout -at first it confused me a bit but now that i’m “in the groove” i love it

DHSkinner

Great information and bravo on the design of of this little pdf- classy and well done! If you could lay out a step by step plan for how a Solopreneur with a 4 figure income can hire a VA I’m all ears.

http://www.tictokva.com/blog Shelley McKenzie

Nicely done. A great reminder about the importance of systems in every business. Even as a solopreneur without a team, I can see how project management software can work. If I see one more red flag in my email box….grrrr!

OvesOpenHouse

Thank you Tina, This is one of the best ebooks I’ve read to help me sort my ‘stuff’ out because I am one of those who is becoming overwhelmed with all that has to be done. I’m going to look into CENTRAL DESKTOP to get started. Keep up the great work.

Caroline McIntosh

I’m not pleased by the way my comment appeared.

Did I create a typo?

Love’s Open House is the name of my business and after I typed in the email address I wasn’t permitted to add my name Caroline McIntosh. Only LovesOpenHouse was allowed. Tried several times. Then it showed up incorrectly as OvesOpenHouse. (My Typo?) PLUS my pic was missing.

Is there a program for comments that allows a person to delete their own comments and start over? Heck, my comment about my comment is longer than the original comment was. Sorry for all the babbling.

Thanks again for a great report.

Anonymous

Hey Caroline – if you login to your disqus account i think you can edit/delete from there.

Jo

Thank you for the fantastic information. It’s really appreciated.

http://www.peakassist.com Sandy Zuniga

Tina, your points are right on target. These are all key pieces in any business. Now if us OBM’s could just get our clients so see the big picture and that there are lots of aspects for us to work on…and accept it, we’d be in good shape.

Peggy Johnstone

“Hire for where you are headed, not for where you are now.” Love it!And I heartily agree with you about Central Desktop. I don’t know where I’d be without it. Thanks for the great info!

Gladys Strickland

Great information Tina – thank you! I instantly realized that even though I am a Solopreneur and intend to stay that way, I really NEED a project management program. Also realized that in addition that in addition to setting up my own SOPs, that is also something I could help my solopreneur clients create. Something to think about thi

Anonymous

Love that Gladys – regardless of the type of biz we all need to make sure we have our systems/tools in place… i’ll be talking more about that on the live video training next week.

Jolie Hasson

I love the ebook, its full of great ideas and insights…

http://blogboutique.com Holly

Thanks so much for this e-book. I can definitely relate to the Control Freak mode of operation. I appreciate your clarity in boiling it down to You, Systems and Team.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001537285572 Bailiey Aschton Moore

Tina,

I haven’t even read it yet and am SO impressed by the formatting and creativity of the book itself. Would you care to share with us who made the book LOOK so good or is she one of your outsourcing secret weapons?

Anonymous

Happy to share my secret weapon – it’s Delaine Ulmer at: http://www.ultimatedesignva.com. She’s a rockstar and I highly recommend her, but of course

Terence Kierans (aka TK)

AQs a starter for your SOP draw out a flowchart

http://www.southlakecounseling.com Kkrueger

Tina,
Awesome book. I felt like you had written it for me. I can’t wait to work with you and have your help in cleaning up my very own Leaky bucket and getting all my systems in place. I really need Central Desk top among many other things. Things again for another great free and valuable, content rich offering.

Anonymous

We’ll get you all setup Kimberly for sure – here’s to no more leaks!

Vania Berruecos

Wow, it’s really good, I’ going to start a biz and I want to know, can you know which systems you may need when you start?

http://loosenupbodywork.com Gina

I really appreciated your book. It helped me realize where I need help & systems in my business!

Corbettthompsonjr

I have had a leaking bucket for years now,One minute I think I need to be in the field working,but don’t have the time for estimating and when I am estimating my production suffers.How can I plug all holes so my business can run like a well running machine.

Thank you,

Corbett Thompson Jr.
C&K Painting
Houston,TX

Anonymous

Such a key issue! And one that so many entrepreneurs struggle with. We’ll be talking about this in the video training on Thursday Corbett (hope you can join us.) One question to ask yourself is “do I HAVE to be the one doing X”? Whatever the X is, part of the journey is looking at what needs to be on your plate as the biz owner vs. what could ideally be automated and given to someone else.

Catherine Newton

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us Tina. I think I really needed to hear from you that the person responsible for writing the systems needs to be me – I’m the one who needs to write down what I’m doing because only I know what is being done and when. Up until now I was resisting. Now I accept it, and I’m starting from today!

Anonymous

Woo hoo!

http://www.facebook.com/jo.ball Jo Fellowes

Love the tips you share on how to start with your SOP – delighted to say that I’ve been doing this for a while but was thinking the ‘big project’ option would be the best way to get ‘finish’ it - I wont now after reading your manifesto - I’ll just keep building it as I go. Thanks Tina!

Anonymous

Just a bite at a time…

Pamela King

Thanks for the tips…I have downloaded and printed this document to peruse often…. Thanks Tina

Pamela

Audrey Dixon

Hi Tina: I thoroughly enjoyed reading your Manifesto and yes, I did have an aha moment. I have struggled through the years to set my business on the path of growth and the light bulb just finally went off that I need to put the systems in place first. I’ve spent a lot of time and energy in all areas and still it just wouldn’t come together. I’ve worked on my self-development and now I’m ready to start with setting my business on the right path. Please share your Systems Checklist with me. I will be reaching out to you in the days ahead. Thanks again.

http://twitter.com/EVASMargaret Margaret Fisher

Great report Tina! My business is new, but I put systems in place from the beginning because they are so important to have. You never know when something will happen and you need someone to help you. The “ah ha” moment in the report for me was thinking about what type of business growth I want to have in the future. I am comfortable being a solopreneur for now, but need to think about whether I want to build my business into a legacy. Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences!

Laura Olney

Tina; I very much appreciate the way in which you laid out some simple truths. I have at all times, in the startup phase of my own business, a notebook of what I need to do and what calls I want to make for the day/week. I invested in some consulting so that I would have training and assistance to get started, and have found that I will need new and different assistance in this next year, as I do not have the personal support that I need from two of the three firms. I need to do exactly as you have described: organize my systems and find the proper help. Funds are tight, so a future part-time VA sounds like an awesome idea – once I begin generating income! SOP is a term that I know well from the military; we literally had SOPs for everything except when and where to breathe – ha!
I do look forward to the guidance you provide with your advice and newsletter. As a solopreneur living on a shoestring, your information is a blessing and I hope that I can proudly announce one day soon that you were a marvelous mentor!

Christy Heenan

thanks for the great report Tina! Looking forward to hearing more on the training session tomorrow.

Kyra

Thanks for the Manifesto, Tina. It’s very helpful in getting me started in thinking about how to organize and build my Legacy business. I appreciate you sharing the information!

Paoajn

I am very much looking forward to this call as I am sure I have a ton to learn.

Patty

Nikki

Thanks for the info Tina!

Anne-Marie Mittleman

Hi Tina, fantastic report and great webinar tonight – thank you taking time out to run the webinar and thanks for the checklists, got to love a good checklist

http://SweetTeaGroup.com Kathy Drewien

Thanks for the whack ‘up side the head! Your Manifesto caught me at the “OMG, I can’t find time to work on my systems!” moment. Then, I missed the webinar because I was onsite with a client. Please send me your handy checklist while I listen to the replay.

Jo Stanley

Tina – really like the concept of a daily checklist – have them for the kids, so why not make things flow (especially the ca$h). Would like to see what it is your daily checklist. Is this a checklist of actions that need attention everyday? Back to not only to documenting put making those processes easy to follow.

Joanne Diepenheim

I have been drooling over a collaboration tool like Central Desktop for some time now. Yet, I could never explain to board & committee members why Google Docs just isn’t going to work. Reading the manifesto, I realized that Google Docs is missing the Project Management Tool piece. Great info. Thank-you

Sharon

OMG this is my life. Time to really discuss with my VA who has the capability and hopefully capacity!

Heather Chernofsky

I just downloaded the Leaky Bucket document and watched the video. As a newbie, the information is invaluable and I know it will help me grow and be successful. Looking forward to receiving a copy of the systems checklist.

Renee

Thank you for the information Tina!

http://www.allypeltier.com/ Ally E. Peltier

I’m definitely guilty of using my inbox (as well as electronic and paper planner systems) as my to-do list, and you’re so right–my mind is constantly focused on keeping things straight and worrying about whether everything is moving forward properly to meet my deadlines. It’s exhausting! I’m going to look into an online PM system right away.

Stephanie

Tina,

Thanks so much for the manifesto. I am in a position of making a huge shift in my business and am unclear about what “need” I need to address first – business manager, assistant, tech person, etc. I appreciate your guidance because I know it comes from experience. Thanks for creating a frame of reference that will be very valuable for me.

http://MastermindForResults.com/ Susan Brady

Hey Tina! Great seeing you at Be The Change! I really enjoyed reading your Leaky Bucket Syndrome, there were so many great points. One that really stood out for me was the SOP manual – something I have been meaning to do and will certainly start moving towards. Love the tips and the easy read. This is a MUST read for entrepreneurs! Thanks!

tinaforsyth

So glad you are working on an SOP manual for your biz Susan – do you have something like Central Desktop for your biz yet? That’s a great place for your SOP guide to live (vs. in a Word doc or whatever.)

http://www.facebook.com/judyhwright Judy H. Wright

Quit wasting time on the small stuff. Just concentrate on the big projects and hire out the rest.

tinaforsyth

Amen to that!

Yvette

Well, that’s a mouthful and it brought about some scary thoughts. One has to really be organised and I have been concerned about follow-through. But you have given a perfect solution! Thank you Tina. I am enjoying all your stuff, it is bringing things together for me nicely. I have been up in the air doing all the work without structure. If I set up my structure now and link up with a few professionals for support … things may just start happening in SA. My biggest frustration here however is that most local people just don’t have a clue online. lol.

tinaforsyth

Glad this is clicking Yvette… what were the scary thoughts? Want to make sure I “unscare” those for you, LOL. And where are you located?
- http://worthwhileluxury.co.za/ Yvette Fourie
  
  Ah really just what a big responsibility it is to be an OBM. I am new. Have done a lot of work, however here in South Africa people are so behind you that I am also behind! lol. Anyhow, I’m very excited that I can move out of my comfort zone and work internationally hopefully because it’s quite boring here! lol

http://www.ABetterYouCoach.com/ Theresa

Great report. I’m working on getting better organized so the timing was perfect!

http://www.brightideasforbiz.com/ Ally Piper

Thanks for sharing all this great info Tina. I’m in the process of selecting a project management system and working on my SOP. And just hired a Project Manager. Couldn’t have read this at a better time.

BC

You continue to blossom and share your brilliance thereby becoming major nurturing ripples.

Llanasa

I have been looking for “running your business” information. Everything in this manifesto is what i needed. Iam working on my sops and find it overwhelming but am on a tight budget and would rather do it myself. Thanks, very valuable.

tinaforsyth

glad to help Llanasa – love that you are working on your SOP guide.
Creative-Momentum4SmallBus

Your “Manifesto” is a great tool to get the overview, note what needs to be in place, where something important might be missing. Identifying those GAPS, then going at them pro-actively’s key. Checking out Central Desktop again. Thank you, Tina!

http://www.AskTheBusinessLawyer.com/ Nina Kaufman

Solid information, Tina–your report made light bulbs go off for me. As a business attorney, I really appreciate how some of the most necessary aspects of business growth aren’t, well, sexy. Documenting your systems makes good sense. But what if your systems aren’t ideal? Should you just start documenting where you are … and let the insights that come lead to improvements along the way? Or do you wait until you have a well-oiled system that’s proven? Great to meet you at Fabienne’s GMC 2012 conference!

tinaforsyth

Great question Nina (and great to meet you last week as well) – yes, if the system you have now is working I would document it “as is”… even if it’s not the 100% best process so long as it works to get the job done that’s the key consideration. If the process is broken and doesn’t work at all then you would want to look at “fixing” it before documenting. Was there something in particular you were thinking of Nina?

Drmarjorie

Thank you for this information. What your recommendations for hiring one’s first VA?

tinaforsyth

My best tip for hiring your first VA is to be crystal clear on what you want them to do for you – biggest mistake people make is hiring a VA (or whomever) not really knowing what they need them to help with, then it becomes a “stalemate”. You don’t know what you want and they don’t know what they can do to help you. I recommend grabbing a copy of the 200+ Ways a VA can Help Boost Your Biz at http://www.thrivehiringsystem.com – great list of stuff there that can help you define this.

Chelsea Hanson

Wish I would have learned of your SOP sooner.

tinaforsyth

Can I ask why Chelsea? Was there something that happened that could have been avoided if you had an SOP guide already?

Lsagan

A great read; will start working on my SOPs after the Holiday. I’m getting a clearer idea of how to use a VA.

tinaforsyth

music to my ears.

Corine

Tina – loved your manifesto! Systems to take me into the future and then hiring the Team was Big for me! WOW we’re growing in so many great ways right now – your input came at the perfect time – Thanks!

tinaforsyth

Gotta love when things show up right when you need them. So are you in the process of hiring a team right now then Corine? Are you working on systems yet?

Sjfisher89

Thanks for all the wonderful information. I am just starting my business and this will help me go in the right direction.

tinaforsyth

great to have this information “in your back pocket” right from the start – love it.

Anna

Thanks for interesting reading, since I’m not doing any business yet, just working on the idea, it’s a lot of valuable experience and info for me here. Sort of feels like how to manage family in certain ways, planning, making sure you have things listed for when, where and how soon and so on And being a single mom I have to really know where and when things are going to be done.

tinaforsyth

love that analogy anna – so very true. Managing a business and managing a family aren’t really all that different…

Jennie

Thank you Tina. I know that systems (or lack of them) are holding me back in my business. I never thought of myself as a control freak before but I haven’t been willing to let go of much.

tinaforsyth

I think we all have a bit of “control freak” in us as entrepreneurs… it’s actually necessary to make sure we can move our business forward imo. But the key is to make sure that we don’t hang on to too much where it holds us back. What do you feel like you need to let go of more then Jennie?

Donna

Tina, a nice little read. The Leaky Bucket Syndrome was very helpful in my new Virtual Assistant business. Thanks! Donna

LB

Thanks — I am actually pretty excited about the idea of setting up my systems.

Aaron

This has really opened my eyes — it’s funny because just yesterday I was thinking to myself, “it’s time to transition into this solopreneur thing full-blast and soon let go of the day job, but is my ‘new work’ going to swallow me up and take way more time than even my current work does?”

Thanks so much for all the ideas and helpful tools! I’m breathing easier…

Dyrene

This is great information! I am just starting out and this gives me the bones, now I get to use the clay to built my business!! Thanks

Eileen

Having had a real assistant in the corp. world that was a nightmare has really scared me off. But having an on-line business makes sense in having an on-line assistant. I know I need to write down my systems so others can replicate what I do. Baby steps. But I loved “Hire for where you are headed, not where you are now” is great. Thanks for sharing.

Sandra

Just what I need. I am helping my husband start a new venture. I am the OBM. We have gone quickly from Solopreneur to the Legacy style business in 18 months. Creating a SOP Manual is Job One for us. This is just what I needed to explain “Hire for where you are headed, not for where you are now”. I am a retired Home Economist and agree with you and Anna that running a business is like managing a home and family. Great info! Thanks!

Kate

It is hard enough to fill the bucket so surely don’t want to let dollars leak away. Thanks for the great info

Sarah-Jane

Wow! This has come at just the right time for me. I completely get “Control Freak” thing as it has taken me the best part of a year to work up to letting go of my “baby” and handing parts of it over to someone else. Extreme exhaustion and my business not being able to move forward due to me wasting my time doing admin tasks, was the catalyst for finally cutting the apron strings. I just hired a PA last week and have been busily transferring all the systems in my head into a Practical Guide – now newly named SOP Guide!! Everything will now be updated as we/the PA does it. We just had a meeting this morning about how we share information and keep on top of tasks given that we don’t share the same office. I am now aware to explore your Online Desktop…
Such great, yet simple, ideas and techniques – they are already saving me time, stress, energy and heartache. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Hello life…..

Sylvia

I really appreciate the content you provide here. After 4 years in business, I have certainly learned the importance of systems. I have tried to develop systems along the way, but there are more I need to develop.

Rekva

Great read. I’m definitely working toward having a legacy business. I have a great team in place with good processes, which I’m working to improve. Over the summer, I’m handing off all work to my team to see how that goes. I’m hoping it goes well so I can have more time for my family rather than spending every spare moment on work.

http://twitter.com/Emily_Levy Emily Levy

Very helpful e-book, Tina. You articulate so well the experience of running an online business that’s growing quickly. As I read, I experienced a range of responses, from “oh, good, I’m doing that right,” to “hmm, better take a look at that,” to “oh, is THAT what’s coming down the pike?” That combination is a good recipe for building my trust. So thank you. I’d love to hear more about what you specifically like about Central Desktop as compared to similar products, as I’m in the market for such a system. I’ll check out Central Desktop, and thank you for the link.

chris

So many things I never thought of. thanks for sharing your experience.

Olwyn

Hi Tina,
I very much enjoyed reading your Leaky Bucket Manifesto – very clear. So I’m off to sort out the systems side of my business thanks to this very pragmatic prod! Thanks, Olwyn

Olwyn

Hi Tina,
I very much enjoyed reading your Leaky Bucket Manifesto – very clear. So I’m off to sort out the systems side of my business thanks to this very pragmatic prod! Thanks, Olwyn

http://amyhall.biz/ Amy Hall

Such a short read but packed full of points that I need to take on in my business RIGHT NOW!!!! I had a lot of your suggestions in my head as something to do in the future when I had more time. haha I’m getting busier, I won’t have more time later. Your e-book showed me that I need to commit to getting my systems written down and in a SOP right now. I know what I’ll be working on this weekend! Thank you so much! You’re a very wise woman and I look forward to learning more from you.

Jennifer

Tina, this is great! I need to get the SOP guide done for my business. I a, letting go of the reins now, but I need to document every process.

Thanks,
Jen Beck, RNC
AdvancedWellnessCoaching.com

http://www.SashasRules.com/ Sasha Spinner

Hi Tina, The Leaky Bucket Syndrome is what I am experiencing right now. I love the reminder to document all of our
procedures as we go along. I have not done that yet but plan to start right away. Thanks for your suggestions.
Sasha Spinner
Author, speaker and business coach
http://www.SashasRules.com
Go to my site to get a free ebook “The
Amazing Secrets of Starting Your Own Information Business Revealed”

tinaforsyth

Great! let me know how it goes k?

Traci Knoppe

From page one I was nodding in agreement (as in, been there – done that!). Loved the manifesto – while I have learned a lot, I still have some work to do to get my systems nailed down.

Bonnie McDonald

Tina , Your information just makes CENTS! I am realizing that the systems that are in place help or hold you back . Thanks you for sharing all the tips . I will definitely be trying some of them out!

Vickie

This is fantastic! I have been working as a VA for a client for about 2 years but we are very quickly moving to me being more of a OBM for her and I like it! I am going to create an SOP for her as a nice little surprise.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Crystal-OConnor/1440527906 Crystal O’Connor

TIna this was sooo nicely done my Dear! What a blessing you are and you so hit the nail on the head in so many ways. Thank You! Thank You!

http://www.facebook.com/danelle.hills.3 Danelle Hills

Never had thought of my business in this way. This was very interesting reading, and very helpful in getting better organized.

lacolehubbard

Thanks Tina for sending me a clping my husband copy of “The Leaky Bucket Manifsto”. I found it very informative as I’m in the process of starting my own business and helping my husband with managing and operating his own business as well. I appreciate how you broke down the process of the steps needed to automate your business.

lacolehubbard

Thanks Tina for sending me a copy of “The Leaky Bucket Manifesto”. I found it very informative as I’m in the process of starting my own business and helping my husband with managing and operating his own business as well. I appreciate how you broke down the process of the steps needed to automate your business.

Jessica Drummond

Thanks so much. I definitely need to do some work regarding improving my systems!

http://www.facebook.com/goalsetting Jill Koenig

As I head into my busiest time of the year, this comes in handy. Thank you, Tina. -Jill

http://www.facebook.com/kkpoborsky Kristen Jacobs Poborsky

Short and to the point! I agree about needing to create SOP’s for everything I do for my clients – I have many things documented and I need to be more diligent about using them.

mich

the link above is broken and leads to a “page not found”

Emily

Loved reading this juicy free download! Thank you so much for clearing up some questions I’ve had in my head. Very helpful material!

Joan Bell

Thanks Tina,Lots of juicy tips and tricks. I particularly liked the distinction between Solopreneur and Legacy Business. This is a keeper for sure! It’s not so much the setting up but the constant implementation that is key for me.

http://www.facebook.com/susan.martin.7549185 Susan Martin

This was so useful and timing couldn’t be better! God tends to direct us where we need to go! Thank you Tina for being the person that put this all together for the rest of us that is still in the stage of putting this together!

Liz

Thank you for this spot-on analysis and thorough discussion of the elements of business development success. Your discussion pinpoints the necessary to-do and who’s to do and how to do’s necessary for growing your business.

J. Deelstra

Hi Tina. Thanks for this plug to my leaky bucket. I found myself in the pages under both the ostrich and the contol freak, although clearly I prefer the label of “Manager.” The thing is, it is only myself and my trusty notebook (yep, saw me there too) so the only managing that is needed is that of my self! Keep up the great work.

http://www.chameleonresumes.com/ Lisa Rangel

I found I was agreeing with so many points you outline in your Leaky Bucket ebook. It was also inspiring to see how far I have come (and how far I have to go) ,,,. Thank you!

Here’s your copy of the Leaky Bucket Manifesto

Just click the book cover to download your free PDF