As a strategy consultant I’m in the thick of it when advising my clients on how to take the next productive steps in their business. One of the most common problems they need my help with is fixing the biting reality that they are working all of the hours and doing all of the things. Most entrepreneurs crave the holy grail of flexibility and freedom that can come from running their own business, but the dream is sometimes far from the reality.
I have myself lived this exact truth, so I will share a bit of this with you. In the early Latchgate days I was the one wearing all of the hats to run the business. Marketing, social media, tech support, you name it. It was necessary at first – what better way to learn the ropes and gain valuable experience of how it all works – but I realised early on that in order to grow I needed to start thinking differently. My light bulb moment was this – I needed to start treating Latchgate as if it was my no.1 client. I needed to stop with the the hokey-cokey and start working ON my business rather than IN it!
This shift in perspective was a biggy. I started the journey of outsourcing parts of my business to freelancers who had the expertise to make it fly. Suddenly I had time to work on the strategy and planning which boosted me straight up that ladder from everyday VA to business consultant. And here I am.
As with all these things, it always seems so much easier said than done, so here I share some great strategies for helping you switch from IN to ON.
- Read
Take time to read as much as you can on all aspects of business, leadership, ideas and strategy. Biographies are great for inspiring a vision of your own, so take the time to absorb the wisdom. I’m a HUGE fan of reading. Check out my blog on the 4 books that have inspired me the most. You’ll soon start to see common themes of how these successful business owners have got where they are.
2. Get a coach
Even if it’s only for a few months, the investment will be worth it. Research the best type of coach suited to your niche and your personality. The fresh perspective and accountability brought by a coach will help you move your ideas forward more quickly and you’ll have support to push through any mental blocks that are holding you back. If you’ve not got the funds for a coach, join one of the many masterminds available from coaches you’ll find online or join an accountability buddy scheme.
3. Automate
I’m a HUGE fan of automation. If there’s a process that can be streamlined, simplified or simply taken off your hands by automating – DO IT! I recently invested in Dubsado for all of my client on boarding, invoicing and project management tasks and I’ve gained several hours back in my week which I can dedicate to working on my business. Check out these 5 tools that can help you with automation and streamlining your business processes
4. Have solid processes and procedures
If you can’t automate it, make an S.O.P for it. This is Essential if you want to start stepping away from the day-to-day business tasks and hand over responsibility to a team. Standard operating procedures are a set of clear instructions for your business processes which can be easily understood by new hires or stand-in members of your team. It’s the no.1 thing I advise my clients on doing when they start to scale their business. Check out my free SOP guide here.
5. Carve out time
My biggest results started to come when I began treating my business like my no.1 client. By that I mean physically blocking out time in my week when I can focus solely on the big stuff like strategy, planning or relationship building. Prioritise time for this when you are at your most productive and minimise any potential distractions is my best advice.
Treating my biz like I would a valued client got me working ON rather than IN my business. It’s a skill I’ve developed on with copious self-development, trial and error. Now I’m sharing this expertise with other entrepreneurs to help them fast-track to managing their businesses confidently, losing the chaos of handling all the day-to-day tasks and gaining their space to work on strategy and growth – the zone of genius they need to be in to reach their goals.
If you’d like some help untying yourself from your business, making space for growth, better leadership and the freedom you want for yourself, please book in a coffee chat here.
And for more great tips and advice, don’t forget to sign up to my fortnightly newsletter Latchgate Latest NOW!
