5 Ways To Reconnect With and Grow Your Business
I spent all of last week at a business retreat, and while I was there, I was reminded of just how important it is to occasionally push pause and step away from the business.
In the lead up to the retreat, I was sort of dreading going. I was on a roll, things were running smoothly, and I wanted to keep my head down. But I know how important it was to give myself time away from the business, so I went.
I’m glad I did because I gained some new perspective that is going to enable me to make some bigger decisions down the road with a more strategic view. If you've been running your business for a while, you know that perspective is often difficult to come by when you’re deep in the thick of it.
Taking the time to pull your head out of the fray and honestly looking at what’s happening in the business, allows you to see where you need to focus your time and attention. You reaffirm what you love and don’t about the business and can build a plan to fix it. It’s often the nudge you need to fall back in love with your business.
Here are some of the takeaways from my own business scan last weekend.
Do less. Delegate more!
I’ve always been a doer. I like to have my hands in the guts of things, in my own business and in my clients’ businesses. That’s why I don’t really call myself a coach.
But there comes a time when you can no longer keep doing all the things you once did. As your business grows, your time becomes more and more valuable, and there are specific things that only YOU can do.
This is your invitation to take an honest assessment of what’s on your plate and then strategically identify who can and should be doing those things. It may mean reallocating the work for the team, hiring someone new, or bringing a contract employee. In my case, it means removing myself from boards, offloading some volunteer roles I’m in, and setting firmer boundaries around my time.
There’s no one way to do this, but here’s one thing I know for sure: freeing up your time and energy is critical to business growth and your ability to create impact.
Streamline your processes.
Last week, I reflected on my sales process, from start to finish. I could clearly spot the opportunity areas. By mapping out your core processes - client attraction, service delivery, and operations - you can see where pieces can be simplified, eliminated, or automated. It’s also where you can add higher touch elements to the process to enhance the overall experience people have when they interact with your business.
A while back, I created The Ultimate Systems Bundle to help you with this process. When your processes are streamlined, everything feels better, you’re more efficient, and the business runs like a well-oiled machine.
Ensure you have a strong vision and strategy.
As a business strategist, I adore having a plan. As I’ve shifted my own business strategy over the last year, I have seen just how powerful having a strong vision really is. You may not always have the exact process laid out, but if you have a strong business vision, a clear understanding of where you’re trying to go and why, how you want your life and business to look and/or change, and the impact you want to create, you have a lot of latitude to build and take action.
When was the last time you took the time to really evaluate your vision and the strategy that’s the outflow of it? And what’s your plan for consistently checking back in to ensure you’re still in alignment?
Profit First.
There’s an adage that business owners pay themselves last, and I’ve certainly been at the end of the line when the money runs out. But the longer I build and grow my business, the more important paying myself and making a profit becomes.
Making good, sound financial decisions means you know your numbers and how to effectively use that information to make strategic decisions that are in line with your business strategy. This has been a growing area of importance to me, and I’m excited to try some new things as I shift the way I deal with revenue, my operating expenses, and actively set aside money for owners' pay and profit first.
Rest.
The concept of self care is often thrown around, but as cliche as it sounds, in order to run a healthy business, you have to take care of you! Setting clear boundaries, managing the hours you work, and actively nourishing your mind, body, and spirit are critical to your personal, professional, and business growth.
Burnout is not fun… nor is it necessary. What would a break or a downshift in your business do for you?
As you step into the start of this week, I hope you find time to pause, assess, and make intentional improvements to your business. And if it’s rest that you need… take it. The business will wait.
Here’s to making an impact!
RESOURCES
Business Strategy Brainstorm Session
Are You On The Road To Burnout?
10 Questions to Align Your Vision And Your Business Strategy
