Happy Old Year?

I always love feedback whether it is good or bad. I strive to improve myself, my processes, and my fun.Taking time this holiday season to take a look back at whats been going on the past 12 months and make some needed changes or minor improvements has helped me plan for the up-coming year. And of course, I want to share!

New Baby!

My wife and I are expecting our little one in June 2017. Lilly Owen will be joining us sometime in the middle of June and will be spoiled rotten by yours truly. 😀

New Business Growth!

MowenWorks has been growing steadily with a sharp increase with client engagements with a 40% increase in income beginning in May. What did I do differently? I kept analytics and was able to pinpoint a few key factors.

• Marketing strategy – I used the “Get Clients Now” method to light a fuse under MowenWorks. I admit, it works if you work on you plan
• Don’t fear failure – During the last 12 months, I re positioned myself multiple times. I admit it, some things failed, while others worked. I learned a whole lot and kept the pieces that worked best
• Diversify! – I tapped into other markets and paths including SharePoint (Office 365), WordPress Development/Themes, MailChimp management, Web Development
• Networking – I am an active member of multiple Chamber of Commerce around Atlanta. I also participate in online forums and discussions as a subject matter expert
• Volunteering – I have volunteered about once a quarter. Not only was it a way for me to give back, but the amount of connections that I made were invaluable.
• Study – I listen to about 20 hours a week of podcasts with a little over half in the “how to run your business better” category. I also take time every Friday to learn a new skill by reading a book, practicing on the computer, or starting a new personal project.

New Processes!

Here are a few of my favorite apps that helps me run MowenWorks as efficiently as possible that I’ve collected in 2016.

• GetHarvest – invoicing, billing, and expense tracking. Free for about 3 customers at a time.
• Feedly – Keep tabs on the most popular stories in my chosen categories
• Buffer – Push my social media posts to all of my outlets at once. Can be scheduled to be published for later
• BeyondPod – Pod cast app for my phone. I clear about 20 hours a week listening to podcasts
• DropBox, Google Drive, One Drive – Online file storage
• Stirpe and Cash.me – Online eCommerce payments
• MailChimp – Mailing list and marketing

New Opportunities!

MowenWorks has been gaining great momentum in the past 6 months alone. Productized services, custom development, maintenance, and consulting in various forms has brought a good amount of success. I plan on bringing to the fold more services under the MowenWorks umbrella.

• SharePoint Online Development – SharePoint is an enterprise tool provided by Microsoft to easily create team site and portals for organizations
• WordPress Development – The preferred tool for custom web development. I create themes or solutions on the WordPress platform
• Website Development – I create custom solutions that require a browser or phone to interact
• Consulting – I currently consult for medium to large business that rely on SharePoint for their intranet and every-day operations

New Year!

A lot has changed in the last 12 months and a lot more will be changing. I think the biggest take away that I have from 2016 is my ability to set goals and reach them. Here are a few goals for MowenWorks and myself:

• Niche down even more SharePoint consulting/development
• Expand my WordPress products
• Offer more low-risk-low-cost engagements for potential clients
• Become involved with more exclusive networking groups
• Be receptive to ask for help when I know I need it
• Automate portions of my processes

If you create goals for yourself, you’ve already set a plan in motion for your success! Create large but reachable goals; if you fall short, you’re still pretty high up there.