By Marc Courtenay
As a property manager, do you ever feel stuck in the mundane routine of your weekly responsibilities? Are you overwhelmed by the magnitude of the responsibilities that define your important career?
If you answered yes to both or either question, don’t feel alone. Every honest property manager I’ve ever spoken with has confessed that at one time or another, they’ve been at the end of their “rope.” Consider the following ideas as often overlooked keys to your success and steps to solve your most gnarly problems.
1. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I’ve never met a successful manager, investor or business owner who was too proud to reach out to trusted advisors for ideas and insights.
2. Be certain of the results and outcomes you really want. As one success coach tells major corporations, “If you don’t know where you’re going you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” Spend some downtime to sharpen your definitions of what a successful property manager looks like. Spell out the details of where you’d like to be when you attain that level of professional excellence. The more specific the better, and commit it to writing as a symbol of determination.
3. Once you’ve focused on the level of success you desire, imagine yourself being there, experiencing it. In your mind’s eye “see” what your business and your life will be like when you’ve arrived at your destination. Then, as the late Dr. Wayne Dyer would say, “Feel the feeling of your wish fulfilled.” This isn’t “wishful thinking” or psychobabble. This is physics combined with the mindset that uses the imagination to create a clear visual image of your professional targets.
4. Be organized like you’ve never been before. If your methods aren’t working try new ones. If your goals and your business are chaotic, your successes will be totally unpredictable. Perhaps you’ve been putting off using the latest management software and technologies. Resolve to find out which of these tools can be most useful to you and then take the plunge. Be organized and stay organized!
5. Plan to not only succeed, but also plan to retire. Financial planners use the mantra, “If you fail to plan then you plan to fail.” That may be too morose but the point is to have a tax-advantaged retirement savings program in place for yourself and your employees. Talk to your CPA or a financial planner about your choices. Whether it’s a simple IRA, a SEP-IRA or a 401-K, get a plan in place and contribute to it regularly. The tax-deferred advantages will offset the reduction in your take-home pay, and the potential compounding over time can help fund a comfortable retirement.
6. Network, network, network until your network of potential clients, colleagues and acquaintances is bursting at the seams. Everyone you meet has at least one good idea, one powerful connection or one remarkable secret to success that they’d like to share with you.
Don’t forget to take a vacation every year so you can recharge, refresh and clear your mind for new
From:: Property Management
