RethinkBusiness
Five ideas, starting tomorrow.
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This presentation was made by Sinsajo Creators, with support from Forge Forward Consultants and sponsorship from Ever Dazzling. Speaker: Giovanna Rodríguez (Giovanna Rodríguez on LinkedIn).
Find Sinsajo Creators here:
Tonight’s question
What could your business do better today?
The question What could your business do better, starting today?
Sooner or later, every business asks itself what it could do better: what it really does, what helps it improve, and what takes up time without giving anything back.
You don’t need a perfect answer or a big plan. Think of something specific from your week: a call you didn’t return, a message you didn’t answer, an appointment that got double-booked.
Keep that answer in mind as you read. At the end you will choose just one action for your next 30 days, and what you thought about here will help you pick it.
Who we are
Sinsajo Creators
Who we are Sinsajo Creators works with small businesses on what takes up most of their time:
- Websites
- Social media
- Automations
- Organizing the day-to-day
- Training
What you read in this presentation comes from that work with businesses like yours: simple ideas you can start this week, with no strange software.
Get to know us: Sinsajo Creators website, Sinsajo Creators on Instagram, Sinsajo Creators on Facebook and Sinsajo Creators on LinkedIn.
How the hour will go
60 minutes
The hour The talk lasts one hour, and the slide shows how it is split: 7 minutes for the start (with a short video), 25 for the five topics, 10 to fill in your self-assessment, 5 to choose your action, and 13 for questions.
The idea is that you leave with three things: five short ideas, a clear picture of where your business stands today, and one single action for your next 30 days.
If you are reading this on your own, follow the same order: each topic takes a few minutes, and the self-assessment is on slide 32.
The video A short story of a minute and a half: a business owner who does everything alone, month after month, and what changes when she organizes her way of working. Spanish narration with English subtitles.
If you are watching on your phone, turn the volume up. The five topics follow.
Topic 1 of 5 · Marketing
Get found
If someone Googles you now,
what do they see?
Topic 1 · Get found Imagine someone near you searches Google for a plumber or a cleaning company, and that is what you do. Do you show up on the list, at the bottom, or not at all?
Today many people search on their phone first, before they call or visit. If your hours, phone number, and photos are not up to date, that person may choose another business without knowing you exist.
For example, a taqueria searches for its own name and sees “Closed,” hours from two years ago, and one blurry photo. Try it yourself: search for your business the way a new customer would, and write down what you see.
Fact: 97% of consumers read reviews of local businesses (survey of 1,002 U.S. adults). Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026.
Topic 1 of 5 · Marketing
Why it matters
Why it matters There are three reasons to take care of how you look on Google.
- They look you up before they arrive. A new customer usually checks their phone before going to your shop.
- Old information costs customers. If the hours are wrong, the person arrives and finds it closed.
- Basics first. Paying for ads with wrong information is like filling a bucket with holes.
For example, a hair salon pays for ads, but Google says it closes at 5. Customers arrive at 6 and find the door closed.
Fact: customers are 2.7 times more likely to consider a business reputable if it has a complete Google profile. Source: Google Business Profile Help, 2026.
Topic 1 of 5 · Marketing
ExampleBefore and after The slide shows the Google listing of a made-up example taqueria.
Before: it says “Closed,” has old hours, has no photos, and there is no easy way to message it.
After: it says “Open, 11 am to 9 pm,” has photos from this week, and a WhatsApp button.
The change is not about design, it is about up-to-date information. For example, a family looking for a place to eat dinner sees the right hours and the photos, and decides to go that same night.
Every business is different, but checking your listing takes little time. Which photo would you put first to make people hungry?
Fact: customers are 70% more likely to visit a business with a complete Google profile. Source: Google Business Profile Help, 2026.
Topic 1 of 5 · Marketing
ExampleWhat if a system checked your business for you?
What if a system…? Imagine something checks your business for you, the way a new customer would, and tells you what is fine and what is missing.
The slide shows a made-up example: on one side, the search “taqueria near me”; on the other, a report with check marks for hours and photos, and X marks for unanswered reviews, a slow website, and a missing WhatsApp button. At a glance you see what would take you a good while to check by hand.
A system like that can repeat the check every week without getting tired. Even so, you decide what to change, because a tool like this can make mistakes.
Ask yourself: what would you like someone to check for you?
Fact: the share of consumers who use generative AI tools to ask for local business recommendations went from 6% to 45% in one year. Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026.
Topic 1 of 5 · Marketing
How to do it
Search
✓Example: “your business + Ames” on Google
Fix
✓Example: hours Mon–Sat, 9 am–8 pm
3 photos
✓Example: your shop, your star dish, and your team
Fix the hours, add 3 photos.
How to do it It is three steps and takes under 15 minutes.
- Search. Type “your business + Ames” (or your city) into Google and look at what a customer sees.
- Fix. Correct the hours, phone number, and address.
- Add 3 photos. Your shop, your star product, and your team.
Do it today: fix your hours and add 3 photos from this week.
For example, a bakery changes its Sunday hours, adds photos of the morning bread, and puts in its WhatsApp link during an afternoon break.
If you see reviews that were not answered, take the chance to reply with one friendly line.
Fact: 89% of consumers expect the owner to respond to reviews. Source: BrightLocal, Local Consumer Review Survey, 2026.
Topic 2 of 5 · Sales
Don’t lose the people who already asked
How many asked for a price and went quiet?
Topic 2 · Write back How many people asked you the price this month and you never heard from them again?
Someone who already asked is your easiest customer, because they already showed interest. Many times it is not that they don’t want to buy: the conversation just stopped there, and neither side picked it back up.
For example, a woman asks how much a cake for 30 people costs, gets the price, and doesn’t reply. No follow-up message arrives, and another bakery makes the cake.
Think about the last few weeks: how many people like that can you remember? The number is often a surprise.
Topic 2 of 5 · Sales
Why it matters
Why it matters Three ideas to understand follow-up.
- Asking shows interest. Someone who asks how much it costs is already thinking about buying.
- Answering first helps. The business that answers first usually keeps the customer.
- Many stay on “seen.” Neither you nor the other person picks the conversation back up.
For example, two auto repair shops get the same question about a brake job. One answers in 10 minutes and the other the next day. The customer had already booked with the first one.
Fact: companies that tried to contact the lead within an hour were almost 7 times more likely to reach the decision maker than those that tried an hour later (1.25 million contacts, 42 companies). Source: Harvard Business Review, 2011.
Topic 2 of 5 · Sales
ExampleBefore and after The slide shows a made-up example chat.
Before: the customer asks “How much is it?,” the business answers, the message stays on “Seen,” and then silence.
After: a few days later, a short message arrives: “Have you thought it over? Can I help with anything?”
There is also a short list of names to write to. Many times one friendly second message is enough to pick things back up. For example, a bakery writes down that Rosa asked the price of a cake for 30 people, and on Thursday it writes to her. Rosa replies that she was putting it off.
Try writing your own follow-up message, two lines at most.
Fact: in a test of 2,241 U.S. companies, only 37% responded within an hour and 23% never responded. Source: Harvard Business Review, 2011.
Topic 2 of 5 · Sales
ExampleWhat if a system answered for you?
What if a system…? Think about someone who writes to you at 11:40 at night, while you sleep.
The slide shows a made-up example: messages arrive by WhatsApp, phone calls, social media, and your website, and all land in one inbox. That person gets a first answer right away and is written down so you can follow up tomorrow.
For example, someone asks if there is a table for tomorrow. When he opens up, the owner sees the name on the list and confirms.
A system like that helps with the first reply and with keeping things in order. The important conversation is still yours, and it is a good idea to check what is sent in your name.
Ask yourself: how many channels do people write to you on today, and which one do you miss most often?
Topic 2 of 5 · Sales
How to do it
List them
- Rosa
- Miguel
- Lupe
- Carlos
- Ana
✓Example: “Rosa · cake for 30 · Tuesday”
Pick a day
✓Example: every Thursday at 10 am
Message them
✓Example: “Hi Rosa, have you thought it over?”
List 5 names.
How to do it Three steps, under 15 minutes.
- Write it down. Name, what they asked, and when. For example: “Rosa, cake for 30, Tuesday.”
- Pick a fixed day. For example, Thursdays at 10 am.
- Write. “Hi Rosa, have you thought it over? Can I help with anything?”
Do it today: make a list of the last 5 people who asked and didn’t buy. Tomorrow you write to them.
For example, a cleaning company writes down five pending quotes and on Thursday writes to those five people. Maybe two will answer, and maybe one will book. Every business is different.
Topic 3 of 5 · Technology
Spend less time on repeat work
What do you do the same way every day?
Topic 3 · What repeats What do you answer or do every day, exactly the same, over and over?
This topic is not about software, it is about being tired. A lot of what you do the same way every day can be set up once and used again.
For example, the owner of a store answers “What time do you open?” about ten times a day. That is ten interruptions that together take a good chunk of her day.
Make your list: write down three things you answered today that you have answered before. Probably they are price, hours, and how to get there. Those are the first candidates to get ready in advance.
Topic 3 of 5 · Technology
Why it matters
Why it matters Three ideas to work less on what repeats.
- Repeating tires you out. Answering the same thing ten times a day takes time and energy.
- By hand, something gets forgotten. On a busy day, a reminder done by hand slips. It is not your fault, it is the workload.
- The tool is not the point. First pick the task that repeats the most. Then look for whatever makes it easy.
For example, a hair salon calls each client to remind her of her appointment. One very busy Saturday it doesn’t get to call three, and those three don’t show up.
Topic 3 of 5 · Technology
ExampleBefore and after The slide shows two simple helps.
Saved replies: typing “/” on a phone brings up ready-made messages, like /prices, /hours, and /location.
Appointment reminder: a notice that goes out by itself before the appointment.
For example, a repair shop types “/hours” in WhatsApp Business and the full answer appears. Also, each customer gets a notice the day before the appointment. Simple things often help more than they seem, although every business is different.
Fact: for health appointments, text reminders cut no-shows by 25% (15% with a reminder versus 21% without); meta-analysis of 21 studies in clinics and hospitals. Source: Robotham et al., BMJ Open, 2016.
Topic 3 of 5 · Technology
ExampleWhat if a system did it for you?
What if a system…? The slide shows four linked steps, as an example:
- When someone books, it confirms the appointment.
- One day before, it reminds them.
- After the visit, it asks for a review.
- It tells you the person confirmed.
For example (a made-up case), Ana books a haircut, gets the confirmation and the reminder, and then an invitation to leave her review. The owner only sees the alert “Ana confirmed.”
These are steps you repeat every week, done by themselves and in order. You test it with a few customers and check that everything comes out right. Ask yourself which of the four you would need most today.
Fact: in May 2026, 19.8% of U.S. businesses used AI in at least one business function. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2026.
Topic 3 of 5 · Technology
How to do it
Write down
✓Example: price, hours, and how to get there
Pick one
✓Example: “How much is it?” 15 times a day
Use a shortcut
✓Example: you type /prices and the answer appears
Save 3 quick replies.
How to do it Three steps, under 15 minutes.
- Write down what you answer or do the same way every day. For example: price, hours, and how to get there.
- Choose one: the one that repeats most. For example, “How much is it?,” 15 times a day.
- Look for something simple for that task, like the quick replies in WhatsApp Business: you type /prices and the answer appears.
Do it today: save 3 quick replies: prices, hours, and how to get there.
Fact: for health appointments, sending more than one text reminder improved attendance more than sending just one (review of 26 studies). Source: Robotham et al., BMJ Open, 2016.
Topic 4 of 5 · Organization
Get it out of your head
If you’re out a week, who knows what’s next?
Topic 4 · One place If you are out for a week, who knows what comes next?
What lives only in your head or in a notebook can be forgotten, and it is hard for someone else to pick it up. A well-organized business does not depend only on your memory.
For example, the owner of a repair shop gets sick for three days. The appointments were in a notebook and in his head, and his helper doesn’t know who is coming or what was promised.
Ask yourself honestly: do your appointments, customers, and to-dos live in one place or in several? Counting how many places you use today is already a good first step.
Topic 4 of 5 · Organization
Why it matters
Why it matters Three ideas to organize the day-to-day.
- Only in your head: the business depends on you. If you miss a day, it is hard for someone else to know what comes next.
- Everything scattered: paper, phone, and messages. Sooner or later something gets lost.
- Simple and daily: a simple system you use every day is worth more than a perfect one you drop after a week.
For example, a cleaning company uses a notebook, phone notes, and messages. One Tuesday two crews arrive at the same house and none at another.
Topic 4 of 5 · Organization
ExampleBefore and after The slide shows a generic example.
Before: customers on the phone, appointments on a piece of paper, and to-dos in your head.
After: one calendar with a reminder, and customers and tasks in the same place.
For example, a barbershop moves the week’s appointments to Google Calendar and turns on the notice one day before. It no longer depends on the notebook that stayed at home.
Try this on a sheet of paper: draw where each thing lives today (appointments, customers, and tasks). The mess shows right away, and that is where the fix starts.
Topic 4 of 5 · Organization
ExampleWhat if everything were in one place?
What if a system…? What if your customers, your appointments for the day, and your to-dos were in one panel?
The slide shows a made-up example app: a menu with Home, Customers, Appointments, and Reminders; today’s schedule; the customers, with one new; and a to-do list with boxes to check.
For example, on Wednesday the owner opens the panel and sees four appointments, a new customer, and tasks like “send prices.” He checks one off and goes on with his day, with no scraps of paper and no remembering by heart.
A help like that puts things in order and reminds you of what matters, but you decide the priorities.
Ask yourself: which panel would you like to see first when you open your day?
Topic 4 of 5 · Organization
How to do it
Gather
✓Example: notebook, phone notes, and chats
One place
✓Example: Google Calendar, free
Reminder
✓Example: a reminder 1 day before each appointment
Move your appointments to a calendar.
How to do it Three steps, under 15 minutes.
- Gather what you have scattered: notebook, phone notes, and chats.
- Choose one place for appointments. Google Calendar is free and it works.
- Turn on a reminder, for example a notice one day before each appointment.
Do it today: move this week’s appointments into a calendar, with a reminder.
For example, a barbershop takes out its notebook, opens the calendar, and enters the nine appointments of the week. It takes about 12 minutes. If you work with a partner or helper, also decide who you will share the schedule with.
Topic 5 of 5 · Growth
A goal with a number and a date
How much do you want to grow, and by when?
Topic 5 · Number and date How much do you want to grow, and by when?
Without a number and a date, a goal is just a wish. Giving it both makes it something you can measure and plan.
For example, the owner of a store says “I want to sell more.” With a little help he turns it into “go from 20 to 30 sales a week by March 1.”
Try it with your goal, even if the number is approximate: what do you want to be different in your business three months from now? Write it with its figure and its day.
Topic 5 of 5 · Growth
Why it matters
Why it matters Three ideas about goals.
- “Growing” can’t be measured. “I want to grow” doesn’t say where to start.
- Without a date, it never arrives. What has no day usually gets put off.
- A number guides you. A clear figure helps you decide what to do tomorrow.
For example, a bakery says “I want to grow” and doesn’t know what to do. With “40 cakes a month by March,” it understands that this week it should write to customers from other seasons.
Does your goal today have a number? If not, that is your first adjustment.
Topic 5 of 5 · Growth
ExampleExample The slide shows a goal card with blanks: “By ___ I want to go from ___ to ___.” The blanks are empty on purpose, so you can fill in your own. There is also a 3-month line with the first step marked.
Compare: “I want to grow” can’t be measured. “I want 10 new customers a month by February” can, and it helps you see what to do tomorrow.
For example, a cleaning company writes: “By March 1 I want to go from 2 to 5 new customers a week.” Its first step is to write to five former customers.
It is an example, not a promise. Complete the sentence with your own details and read it out loud to someone you trust.
Topic 5 of 5 · Growth
ExampleWhat if a system gave you a heads-up?
What if a system…? Imagine a panel that shows your goal and your progress for the week, and warns you in time if you are behind, not after the month is already over.
The slide shows it with a made-up example: a goal of one new customer a day, progress from Monday to Friday, and a yellow alert: “You are behind this week, write to 3 customers today.”
For example, in the middle of the week the panel warns and suggests three names. The owner writes those messages and knows how he is doing before the week ends, not after.
The suggestion is an idea, not an order: you check it. Ask yourself: how often do you look at your numbers today, every day, every month, or hardly ever?
Topic 5 of 5 · Growth
How to do it
One goal
✓Example: 10 new customers a month
Deadline
✓Example: by February 28
First step
✓Example: this week, reach out to 5 past customers
Write: “By ___, I want to grow from ___ to ___.”
How to do it Three steps, under 15 minutes.
- One goal. For example, 10 new customers a month.
- One date. For example, February 28.
- One first step for this week, with a day and time. For example, Thursday at 10 I write to 5 former customers.
Do it today: write “By ___ I want to go from ___ to ___.”
Fact: a meta-analysis of 94 tests found that saying when and where you will act helps you reach your goal (medium-to-large effect). Source: Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006.
The five ideas
What you take with you
- Get found
- Follow-up
- Quick replies
- One place
- Clear goal
What you take with you Five ideas, one per topic:
- Get found: hours, phone number, and photos up to date.
- Follow-up: someone who asked is your easiest customer.
- Quick replies: saved messages and reminders.
- One place: appointments, customers, and tasks together.
- Clear goal: a number, a date, and the first step written down.
These ideas don’t require buying anything and you can start them this week. Mentally mark which ones you already do and which you don’t: that shows you where to start.
If you feel you are behind with technology, the same is true for many small businesses. Fact: fewer than 20% of businesses with 4 employees or fewer used AI in May 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2026.
Your worksheet · side 1 · 10 minutes
Where does your business stand?
Rate 1 to 5
Total each topic
Find your lowest
Self-assessment It is a sheet to see where your business stands today, in three steps:
- Mark each sentence from 1 to 5: 1 Never, 2 Almost never, 3 Sometimes, 4 Almost always, 5 Always.
- Add up the two sentences of each topic.
- Find the lowest. That topic is your priority. If there is a tie, choose the one you need most.
Answer for the business you have today, not the one you want to have: the sheet is only for you. If a sentence doesn’t apply to your business, give it a 3.
If you don’t have the printed sheet, do the short version: rate from 1 to 5 how much you do each of the five ideas from slide 30 today.
For example, a taqueria owner gets 9 in Marketing and 4 in Sales (follow-up). She understands that her weak point is the messages she doesn’t pick back up.
Your worksheet · side 2
Your 30-day plan
Your 30-day plan With your lowest topic, complete four fields:
- Priority: the topic with the lowest number.
- Action: something small, under an hour.
- Date: before December 13, 30 days after the talk. If you read this later, count 30 days from today.
- Proof: how you will know you did it, for example “5 messages sent.”
If you don’t know what to write, pick one: fix your hours and add 3 photos, list 5 people who asked, save 3 quick replies, move your appointments to a calendar, or write your goal with a number and a date.
Also write down who will ask you how it went, and put the date on your calendar with an alert.
Fact: saying when and where you will act helps you reach your goal (meta-analysis of 94 tests). Source: Gollwitzer and Sheeran, 2006.
Share
Who wants to share their action?
Topic, action, date.
Share Saying your action out loud helps you commit to it.
Do it with three details: your topic, your action, and your date. For example: “Topic: organization. Action: move my appointments to a calendar. Date: this Sunday.”
Tell it to someone you trust and ask them to check in on how it went in a week. You can also swap actions with another business owner and cheer each other on.
If you want to share yours with more people, do it in the talk’s WhatsApp group.
13 minutes
Questions
About the talk or your business.
Questions This is the space for doubts about any of the five topics or about your own business.
For example, if you wonder “what if my customer doesn’t answer?,” the general rule is one friendly second message, and then move on to other people.
If something was left unanswered, or you are reading this after the talk, write your question in the talk’s WhatsApp group.
And if you don’t know where to start, go back to your self-assessment (slide 32): the topic with the lowest number is a good starting point.
Next workshop
Which topic do you want us to go deeper on?
Join our WhatsApp group.
Closing Which topic do you want us to go deeper on?
This was the first talk. There will be more workshops, each on a single topic, and you help choose the next one.
Join the talk’s WhatsApp group: that is where upcoming workshops are announced and the next topic is voted on.
In the group, after 30 days, we will ask how it went with your action. Meanwhile, do what you wrote in your plan.
Thank you for reading this far. More information on the Sinsajo Creators website.