Imagine this…a two week Caribbean cruise with your family. No internet access. No telephones. No access to your business. But you are completely relaxed, just enjoying the sights and sounds around you, and making memories with those people that you love the most. Back home you know that your business is thriving – you have an amazing team of people that will ensure that the work is done and that the business is continuing to make money, and that all of the customers are truly delighted. How fantastic would this be?
I’d never really thought about the power of systems within businesses until I read ‘The E-Myth’ by Michael Gerber, and watched his video Small Business Success. Even after working for almost 10 years for a bank, the word ‘system’ had never been mentioned, although there was lots of training around ‘how we do things at the bank’.
Michael Gerber really opened my eyes into understanding the difference between working for yourself and truly running a business that works without you, and about the type of business that I want. For many people the idea of having a business that not only works without you, but is incredibly successful without your day to day involvement would be a dream come true. And for many people that is all it will ever be – a dream!
But why is that? I know only too well. As a business owner, and self confessed control freak, I know how difficult it is ‘letting go’ and giving people the authority and responsibility to make decisions about your business. Not only that, but there is the desire in all of us to feel needed and important, and having people asking you for help, guidance and support fulfills that need.
It is entirely possible to create this business, allowing you to take time off to go on holiday and to spend with your family, and to take the time to work ON the business rather than always working IN it. Over the coming weeks and months I will be explaining how this can be done and by taking small steps how you can make the changes to your business.
To get you started, for the next few days make a list of every task that you do. Which of these do you do repeatedly and are repetitive? Which could, with the help of some guidance be passed onto someone else in your business so that you have more time to work on some of the other tasks on your ‘to do list’? I’m sure with some thought, you might be able to pass on 10% of your tasks. This could potentially free up half a day a week. What difference could that make to you?
Article Source: Jenny Lukas
Recent Comments