The 15-Minute Business Development Checklist
You do not need hours every day to improve your business development results. Discover 20 practical actions that can be completed in just 15 minutes.
For this BD Tips Wednesday post I thought I would share with you a checklist of 20 business development activities you can do with just 15 minutes of your time!
20 Quick Business Development Wins To Build Your Practice Without Taking Up All Of Your Day
Use this checklist when you have 15 minutes and want to make it count. Print it, pin it, or save it—then start checking things off.
🔗 Relationship Builders
Call a client just to say hello—no agenda, just connection.
Email 5 contacts to check in or share something useful.
Follow up after a recent meeting, event or conference.
Send a thank-you email or handwritten note.
Invite someone in your network to coffee or a virtual catch-up.
🌐 Digital Presence Tune-Up
Refresh one page on your website (bio, services, testimonials).
Update your LinkedIn profile (headline, summary, recent experience).
Connect with 5–10 new contacts on LinkedIn.
Comment on 3 posts from your network with insight or encouragement.
Share a relevant article with a personal message to a client or colleague.
✍️ Content and Visibility
Brainstorm 3 blog or post ideas for future content.
Outline or begin writing your next article or client update.
Read one marketing or industry blog for inspiration.
Read client-specific industry news and forward something valuable.
Record a quick tip or insight you could turn into a post or video.
🛠️ Marketing Foundations
Progress a current project: article, pitch, seminar, or newsletter.
Research a potential lead and add them to your CRM or outreach list.
Improve a frequently used template, checklist, or form.
Delegate a task to a freelance writer, designer, or VA.
Use AI to brainstorm headlines, social media copy, or keywords.
⚡ Pro Tip:
Fifteen minutes each day adds up to over 90 hours of marketing a year. Consistency beats intensity—so pick one and start now.
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
The Two-Day Rule
Consistency matters more than intensity. The Two-Day Rule helps professionals maintain momentum and avoid losing focus on important business development activities.
If you've been following the BD Tips Wednesday posts to-date, you'll know that business development is as much, if not more, about being consistent with your BD endeavors as it is anything else.
Successful business development doesn't happen overnight. It's more like a daily gym schedule than buying a Hail Mary lottery ticket!
So for this post I thought I would walk through one of my favorite BD Tips: 'The Two-Day Rule'.
What is the 'Two-Day Rule'?
As its name suggests, the 'Two-Day Rule' is a habit-forming principle that recommends you never skip something important - like your business development - for more than two consecutive days.
Tips on how to apply the 'Two-Day Rule' to your Business Development success story
Identify Core Activities: Start out by identifying core activities that drive your Business Development. These can include prospecting, meeting potential clients, attending industry events or engaging on social media. Make a list of these activities and prioritise them based on their importance and impact.
Set Realistic Goals: Understand/acknowledge what you can realistically achieve each day. For instance, if your goal is to grow your network aim to reach out to a select number of people every day of a prolonged period of time (say 3 months). Setting achievable goals that require consistency over time helps ensure you maintain momentum without burning out.
Create a Schedule: The biggest hurdle to implementing a successful Business Development plan is time! Adding the 'Two-Day Rule' into your schedule lets you block-out time for specific business development activities and stick to it.
Stay Flexible: While consistency is key to the success of your business development, it's also important to stay flexible. If an unexpected opportunity or challenge arises, adapt your schedule accordingly. The 'Two-Day Rule' is about maintaining regularity, not rigidity.
Reward Yourself: Who doesn't like a little reward every now and then! So make sure you take the time to celebrate your business development achievements, no matter how small (personally I like to get myself some chocolate from Haig's).
Bringing it all together
Business development is as much about execution as it is about strategy [we l-o-v-e to talk about business development, but we are not so good at actually doing the business development!], so applying the 'Two-Day Rule' can be a real game-changer. While all your competitors are talking, you will be doing!
Remember, the key here is to be consistent. So make a plan, stay committed, track your progres, and remain flexible.
And remember, the brilliance of the 'Two Day Rule' is much the same as a workout at the gym - allowing you to accept you came up short today, but knowing tomorrow you'll need to put in some extra Hard Yards [think Medicine Ball]!
Further Reading
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.