Problems in getting tasks accomplished
Being a small business owner has its challenges. Some of these challenges seem to pop up after we’ve made the jump from working for someone to being our own boss. We now find ourselves alone. This isolation, coupled with the lack of accountability and a flexible schedule, tend to lead to problems in getting things accomplished. As small business coaches, we have helped many business owners, managers and salespeople get more done in business and sales. Here are some simple yet powerful steps to help get more done:
- Join or start a master mind group
Find a group of like-minded business people that you can share ideas, struggles, and community with. Set up a regular scheduled time to connect weekly, so you always have someone to reach out to if you lack motivation. Research shows that small businesses launched with the support of a mentor or advisory board (and those that have a good business plan with thorough market research) are more likely to succeed.
“…However, the most significant reason for this high failure rate is the inability of SMEs (Small Business Management) to make adequate use of essential business and management practices. Many small firms fail to develop an initial plan, and those that do establish a plan fail to continually adjust and use it.” Louis-Jacques Filion, who held the Rogers-J.A.-Bombardier chair in entrepreneurship at the HEC, Montreal business school from 1995 to 2016.
2. Create a business accountability team
Select a series of people that you trust and respect to hold yourself accountable to daily. Choose people who are willing to dedicate specific time and energy and are willing to keep their commitment. Let them in on the story that you tell yourself when you don’t want to do something, and what they need to say to you or remind you of in order to get you back on track.
3. Set a vision plan
A vision plan will help you to transition from work project to work project and it will help to grow your business.
Try a vision board where you place all the thoughts you have about developing your business and then examine what logical order they need to be worked on.
Nothing happens without a clear direction and simple steps to follow.
4. Prepare your finances
Remember that you’re growing your business. There will be costs associated with that, and there will be a lag time before you can generate income. Plan for a reasonable amount of time for this and set yourself up with cash reserves or credit lines to take the pressure off while you’re getting things started or shifting to the next level.
Be clear about your relationship with your finances. Some people prefer to have thousands in the bank at all times, while others are fine with much smaller amounts.
Make sure to discuss your business and financial expectations with your spouse and business partner. Just because you’re fine with the transition doesn’t mean that everyone else is. By keeping them in the loop you will reduce stress in your life.
5. Time block everything!
Proper scheduling can increase what you get done and increase your income by 200-300%. Take the time for setting up time blocks and get into a regular schedule. Schedule time to do what is important to you and then stick to it. Allow no distractions to take you away from your important tasks. A powerful strategy is to time block income producing activities in the morning and clients in the afternoon. Get tough on the time you spend playing on the computer (which includes e-mails, webinars, and chat platforms). These can eat up your day and therefore need to be limited in time.
6. Get the right business coach
You will need a business coach to help you through the emotions and technical aspects that come up, slow you down, and prevent you from moving forward. Self-coaching, even when you have strong skill sets, will be slower and much more difficult when problems show up. A strong business coach can help you see things from a different perspective.
Coaches will pay for themselves by preventing future client opportunities from slipping through your fingers, and increasing the retention of current clients. It is important to hire the right business coach who is familiar with and specializes in helping you get where you want to go. They will have the experience to speed up your business growth.