Are you creating a hobby or a business?
The hardest part of running your own business is doing the things that make it run like a well oiled machine. Yesterday, I spent time working on those things for my business. Trust me, I don’t enjoy it any more then you do! Reality is our business needs these systems and processes in order to achieve a higher level of success. I’m not talking to hobbyists that really don’t want to generate a higher level of revenue in their business. I’m talking to true entrepreneurs, small business owners who understand that to achieve more revenue systems and processes are necessary.
What system or process have you ignored in your business that it’s time to stop neglecting? Is it related to finances? Maybe organization? Or is it your marketing system? Maybe it’s your networking and follow up system? Is it your content creation and management system?
The creativity of the business is the fun part. Implementing the systems that make your business run so you can be more creative are critical.
What’s interesting, is when I neglect my systems my business revenue suffers. You can have all the fun you want in the world but guess what? It is more fun when you do what you love and you have the systems that help to make you the money you deserve.
So yesterday, I spent several hours working on my newsletter system and my marketing system. I spent the time on details that needed to be taken care of, so my business runs like a well oiled machine. Was it fun? No. Rewarding? Yes, because I KNOW the results.
Ann M. Evanston is a “Chief Breakthrough Officer” teaching other Business Warriors how to slow down, and find the most unique part of their business that makes them stand out among the crowd. She has been named one of the top marketing consultants by About.com, is a guest blogger for Showcasing Women and takes pride in moving you from “blah, blah, blah” to “BOOM, BOOM. BOOM!”
Finance and numbers have never been my thing, but owning a tutoring agency has forced me to dive right in and tackle the accounting end of my business. You’re right, it’s not fun, but without a good system, things would not run smoothly at all. And for the big things that I feel unqualified to handle (eg, taxes!!), I make sure to outsource. Thanks for these tips, Ann!
I have lots of area to work on, but currently I’m committing to content expansion (and perhaps clarification) and creating new connections with people who want my services. It’s helpful to remember that not everything is equally fun–and that’s true even for very successful people. Self-limiting beliefs can creep in around everything, including how much fun I’m having (or not having).
A friend of mine recently commented on her method for getting done those tasks she would prefer to avoid. “Eat the toad first.” When I sit at my desk considering what to tackle, like spending my morning getting the Facebook pages converted to Timeline before 3/30, I remember her words and “eat the toad” first. The imagery makes me laugh and the task isn’t anywhere near as bad as that (so far). And, it’s done, off the list and no longer looming over my head. Which feels great!
So timely as I feel like all of my systems are outmoded and I am not being very strategic about how I tackle one or the other. In fact, I feel sort of lost part of the time. But when I step back enough, I can see that I have way more in place than I used to and just because that “well-oiled machine” is still only a gleam in my eye, I am slowly and inexorably moving forward. I am still overly daunted by knowing how much I don’t know.
So important to have those systems in place. My business is evolving and so now the systems need to be redefined and reworked. It takes lots of time and brainpower for sure. I think things are finally settling into some sort of pattern and guess what it is the things I love to do most! Now to accept that fact and build the systems that continue to make it work!
A perfectly timed post – I am in the midst of switching email/contact management systems because the old one just isn’t working in an efficient way for me and my business. Not that it wasn’t working at all – that would have been an easy decision. It just isn’t working for me. To make the most of it, I looked at my marketing too. It can be very easy to stay in a place that is OK but is not really moving you forward – but making those calls and taking the time to do the un-fun stuff is what separates the jobbyists from the business owners just as you said!
Yes, that is why I am working with a business coach. I need the systems and I need with it. It’s good to know where I need help and to be willing to get it and pay for it.
Susan Berland
You do point out the parts that we must face. And still I resist it. I sometimes feel I’m going through another midlife crisis and this time it’s the child saying “But I just don’t want to do it!”.
Julieanne Case
Always from the heart!
Reconnecting you to your Original Blueprint, Your Essence, Your Joy| Healing you from the Inside Out |Reconnective Healing | The Reconnection| Reconnective Art
http://thereconnectivehighway.com
Business processes. Learning about them more and more and I know I need help to accomplish them. Because of that I hired some great people. I’m hoping soon to see some benefit from this. I love all my jobs and I put effort into all them. When you place energy into an area that’s where energy flows. Thank you for sharing your own energy.
Sue Bock
http://bestlifeafterbreastcancer.com
http://couragetoadventure.com
http://couragetoadventurecoaching.wordpress.com
Ahhhh- thinking along the same lines in our posts this week. You can have all the fun with the content and be as creative as you want, but the fun part needs to move forward on (as you say) well oiled wheels to get to the place where most of us want our business to be. You need to balance process (systems) and content, but to make your fun content go anywhere, you have to commit to the process.
Candace Davenport
http://www.ourlittlebooks.com ~ Little Books with a Big Message
It’s so valuable to spend the time needed to get organized so you can see past the clutter to create a clean and clear vision for the future!
Systems and pipeline go together. Without them, creativity is art that doesn’t make any money. OH well, money is not the end all and be all of everything, but the bill collectors like it.
I’m working on installing a new system for CRM and project/opportunity management. It’s so time consuming – but I know it will help so much – it already has.