Owners Find Time Their Biggest Enemy

In my chats with business owners, time is the biggest challenge. Whether you’re an owner, director or manager, you know this feeling. There is never enough

time to get it all done.  

If you're in this position, I know you’re smart… you had to be to get there.  I’m hoping these quick questions are only rhetorical.

First of all, you don’t do your own electrical work, do you?

And when you hire an electrician, you don’t hanging over their shoulder as they rewire the circuit-breaker panel...

Secondly, and this isn’t exactly a question... because it goes without saying…

You’d never do a bypass on your own heart... or replace your own hip.  Eeww the gore. And you wouldn’t give your surgeon a bunch of hearsay-advice from your next-door neighbor on the latest surgical techniques.

And finally, wouldn’t you agree that ALL owners and managers need an accountant to do their taxes? Without an accounting background and the time to keep up on tax law changes, you could easily end up in big trouble.

I thought so.

Which begs the question...

Is the “tail wagging the dog” in your practice?

Are you (with good intentions) trying to run the whole show...?

Do you have to do EVERYTHING?

Owners, managers, directors are always multitasking. They are scheduled to 1001%. Always trying to play catchup. 

Smaller businesses or new ones even have it worse. The owner does it all. Accounting, financial planning, hiring, training, all the aspects of marketing, customer service, shipping… maybe even the cleaning?

It's my observation that the difference between businesses that are going and growing and those that struggle is how good management is at delegating responsibility.

We cut corners in quality just trying to get it done. I think you should stop and realize – that’s not humanly possible. You can't successfully do it all.

Trying means you’re losing sleep. It means you have a terrible work/life balance. It probably means you’re ‘demoralizing the troops’, even if the troop is only you.

And all that's hurting revenues.

Can I ask just one more question? ...to help you get out of that ‘I’ve got to do it all’ mindset if you might be having a hard time letting go:

Do you see your team as employees, friends or partners? Do you even have a team?
 
Having real partnerships can take you so much farther than you would have ever gone by yourself. And that makes everything so much more fun. This is just as true in life as it is in business.

So don’t go it alone.

Don’t think you have to do everything yourself.

Or worse of all, don’t think others have to do things ‘just the way you would’.

That’s a recipe for dysfunction. It sullies your reputation. It affects the business atmosphere and negatively impacts the customer experience.

When you delegate… when you base your relationships with your team members on trust…it helps smooth out the bumps in the road of business.  You have support for better work/life balance. You have someone to share with.  Someone who understands your challenges.

So who are your partners in business?

And what are you going to do today to make sure they know you how much you value them.

If you're going it alone... think about your strengths and weaknesses. What tasks are draining you or wasting your time? Which things can you delegate? Are there tasks that can be outsourced?

How can you add those team members either hired or freelance? Hired means they are in-house and dedicated to you. Freelance means you don't pay them except when you use their services. Both have their advantages.

Message me and let me know what you are doing to make your life easier and your business more profitable.  I'd love to hear.