During our conversations with business owners and managers we constantly hear how difficult it is to find the time to “Work On the Business” after working 50 or 60 hours a week in the business. We all know that you build a better business by working on it, but actually doing it on a regular basis can seem like an insurmountable challenge.
In addition to the lack of free time, we often don’t know how to get started working on the business. What should we deal with first, and even what does “Working On the Business” really mean. This uncertainty keeps many people from even getting started which makes the everyday business routine seem to be a never ending grind.
So, just what do we mean by “Working On your Business?”
Most of us can say what working on your business is not. It is not creating quotes, or ordering stock, or scheduling your techs. Those may be management duties, but they are working IN the business.
Working on your business requires a different perspective. It involves thinking about and planning for the future of the business. It’s improving your processes by figuring out how to make things work better, more reliably, and more simply. It’s the process of getting from where your business is today to your ideal business.
To get started, you need to set aside some time every week to work on the business. Turn off the phone and the Internet, and go somewhere that you can be completely isolated from the daily noise. This simple first step is critical. You must commit to the time away from the business and the other distractions of your life so you can really think.
First, consider the Big Picture of your business rather than the thousands of annoying details. The Big Picture involves visualizing the company you want to build, and then using this ideal business goal for inspiration to make the changes your business needs.
As you create your big picture company and the detailed solutions you need to get there, be sure to write it all down. Documenting your ideas and goals will make them concrete, and improve your commitment to success.
Picture where you want your company to be in a year, five years, or longer. Create a picture complete with the details about how big the business will be, what trades and specialties you will expand into, how many employees you’ll have, what your sales and profits will be, what your role in the company will be.
This Big Picture will serve as your guide as you plan the changes you will make to your business.
This will lead you to the Details. What needs to be changed to accomplish your Big Picture goals. Identify the ladder of problems and changes that you will need to overcome to achieve your Big Picture goals.
Once you identify these detailed steps towards your ideal company, pick one to work on first. Analyze the problem so you can understand its root cause. Then, create a process to overcome the problem. This will be the first concrete change you implement based on your time spent “Working On the Business.” Establish exactly what success is, and set up a time line for reaching that success. Implement the changes and monitor your progress until the problem is eliminated.
Success at implementing these small process changes will inspire you and your team to continue making the improvements you need to achieve your ideal company.
Like any big project, one of the hardest parts of working on your business is just getting started. Making a commitment of time and effort on a regular basis away from your work in the business is the key starting point. Take the time to establish your long term vision for your company. Just like any major project, break the journey from here to your ideal company into small steps, and implement them one by one.
Just don’t forget to take the time out away from the day to day business to evaluate the progress you are making, and to plot your future growth.