Is your business a chaotic amusement ride?
Being your own boss has so many incredible advantages but it also has some true pain in the neck aspects as well.
If you’re like me I can take a guess that one of the biggest reasons you started your own business was to have the freedom to do what you needed when you need it. I’m also guessing that as sure as hell you didn’t plan for all this EXTRA stuff that also has to get DONE.
Why didn’t any one tell you about all the behind the scenes stuff that also has to get done!
I know there’s are parts of my business that can suck me in, totally and completely because I find it fun – great way for me to claim I’m being “productive” is to tweak my website, but that’s not what’s going to bring cash into the household!
Trying to ignore all of that “stuff” that needs to get done isn’t going to make it go away and for some of it it’s just going to make it worse.
You are going to have a much harder time digging yourself out of your chaos if you continue to try and do what you are doing right now.
Isn’t it time you got off that crazy Tilt-a-Whirl of a business cycle you are in right now?
Here’s what I’ve been doing to make my business run smoother and better for me, maybe some of it will work for you too…
- Take a breath: Step away from the chaos for a day, or two. Let it rest. Yes, you need to take a break to be able to get a fresh perspective on where things are at and what you might need to do to fix it.
- Find your leaks and fix those first: After you’ve taken that much needed break from your chaos of a business, take an objective look at where things are falling through the cracks and focus on getting those running and functioning better.
- The chaos didn’t happen over night, you’re not going to fix it over night: You don’t have to fix everything right away. If you try and do EVERYTHING right now, you’re just putting yourself back into chaos mode and you’re not going to fix what’s wrong right now. So look at your leaks set some priorities. How do you know which ones to do first, find the one that’s losing you the most money and fix that first. Having trouble figuring that out, book at strategy session with me and together we can get you on track.
- Write your NOT TO DO list: This can be a whole post all on it’s own and I’ll be writing one soon, but for now. Take 20 minutes of quiet time and think about all of the things you DON’T WANT TO DO in your business and write them down. Then make a pact with yourself or with a business colleague, coach or mentor to stop doing those things in your business. Maybe it’s time you stop letting that client walk all over you, maybe you hate doing your accounting – if you do find a bookkeeper! Can’t afford a bookkeeper find one that might work in a barter relationship with you. There’s always ways to find what you need.
- Find a mentor, coach or mastermind group: I’m sure you’ve heard this one before and you might be thinking but I can’t afford one right now, I just don’t have the income coming in to do it. Yes it can be hard, but you know what there are some amazing groups out there that can support you without costing you a dime. Just don’t overload yourself, find one or two groups, coaches or mentors that you respect and enjoy and then connect, get involved and learn from the folks that are there.
No matter what you do, your business is just that your business and how you choose to manage it is yours, I just know for me when I’m focused on what needs to be done and not jumping at the next latest and greatest thing to come around my life and my business is better for it.
