It's very rare for me to interview a small business owner and hear that they have time on their hands. Most entrepreneurial types can always think of something else to do in their business. Whether you are an emerging newbie, an expanding established small business owner, or an executive-level entrepreneur, chances are you're always thinking about your business. That's how we are wired.
Still, if you feel harried all the time, not only are you suffering (and it will take its toll on your health in time) more than likely your business is suffering, too. It's too easy to overlook opportunities when you are constantly harried – opportunities to save money by reining in your operating costs and opportunities to offer different products and services to your customers, too.
Here are three ways to hone down that harried feeling that will also strengthen your business.
- Pick one small thing you are doing that you can hand off to someone else. Do this every day for a week. I challenge any small business owner to improve her business by taking delegation to the next level. You will benefit both personally and professionally. At the end of the week you'll have 5 things off your plate. Do this once a week every month and it will decrease your harried factor.
- Make a list of the 3 things you aren't getting to that are constantly on your mind. Pick one of them. Now make a list of all the reasons why you aren't getting to it by filling in this sentence “I would get this done if only….” Keep listing all the reasons why until you can't think of any more. This will give you a clearer idea of what you need to do to get it moving forward. Act to remove just one of the reasons why not, you'll be surprised at how much energy that sets in motion to go ahead and finish up.
- Carve out the time to have coffee or lunch with another small business owner. This can be someone you know, or someone new. Allow a full hour. Ask that person about their own business and what is on their to-do list that's hard to get to. You will leave feeling less harried. You will probably gain a good idea or two for your own business. Taking time out to make a connection feeds us no matter how harried we are day-to-day. It also automatically changes our focus for an hour, giving us respite. I recommend this time out once a week.
Sometimes you just need someone else's perspective to clear your head and get a feeling of control again. If that's the situation for you right now, I invite you to check out my One and Done hour. It's a quick and cost effective way to feel supported, get answers, and decrease your harried factor.
These are all great tips, Sue, and ones we need to keep doing over and over, not just once. I have a friend and colleague in the area and we try to get together once a month to share, support and brainstorm. So valuable.
And the second point is really important because those things that hang over us, no matter how small, can really bog us down. Tolerations as Talane Meidaner calls them. Can SO shift the energy once we get them out of the way.
Sue – We also regularly evaluate our workflows to see where the bottlenecks are – that way we can identify the problem and find a solution to move things along faster/easier. Sometimes that is automating a process, sometimes it is delegating work to another, sometimes it is hiring, and sometimes it is eliminating things. Undoubtedly, this has created much more time in our business!
Jennifer Bourn, Bourn Creative
Great tips! I’ll being sharing them with others.
I’m all about a great cup of coffee so point #3 is for me – thanks Sue!
Dr. Robert Fenell
Founder & CEO, Chiropractic Hand & Foot Clinics Of America™
These are great tips Sue. Thank you.
Kiyla Fenell
Great tips Sue – I need to work more on #3. I do find it very helpful to get perspectives from other biz owners – sometimes we are just too close to the problem
Thanks
Trudy
Great tips. I liked tip number 2. I need to quit worring about the un-dones and do them!
Wonderful tips Sue! I’ll be sharing with my network of small business owners!
These are great tips, Sue. I really like #2–we waste so much energy paying attention to those things we haven’t done yet, and this tip gives a concrete suggestion for moving forward and taking care of it.
Wonderful advice Sue! Thanks for those tips.
Hi Sue,
Great advice. Don’t we all fall into that trap. Sometimes we just need to slow down for a minute and think about how we can best leverage ourself for success!
Hugs
Gail
Sue,
This is great advice and admittedly, I find my self falling in the trap of not delegating enough. I’m going to work on that.
Thanks for the reminder and lets connect soon for virtual coffee?
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
Hi Lisa,
Yes, virtual coffee – end of next week?
Sue
Great post! I really enjoy tip #3 it gives you a chance to network and learn.
I actually heard this solidified by Brandi…there are others who are soooo much better at the things you are having a hard time with in your business it increases productivity so much to delegate/outsource that it pays for itself! I am copying this down as a go to when I get overwhelmed – which happens to me often : D. Thanks so much!
Wonerful advice, Sue. I’m a big proponent of tip #1. Lots of times business owners are busy working on things they really should be delegating.
The life of an entrepreneur – there is always something. Once I was able to delegate and get some things off my plate I was able to bring in new clients and make more money. I encourage all small business owners to get some help, you don’t have to do it all.
#3 is a great tip, Sue! When my friend was going through a difficult time, she and I would joke that my talking to her was great therapy for me, for my problems seemed inconsequential to what she was going through at the time (she’s a therapist). Another great trick that I learned from Cheryl Richardson is to do that thing on your list that you most dread/don’t want to do FIRST before anything else. Then you get it out of the way and free your mind for other things. :
I’m going to have to try number 2. Great tips, Sue. Thank you.
Great tips, Sue. It’s so important to outsource. Business can become overwhelming without help.