As small business owners, we all do it!

We take on too much; we do too much. We’re always saying, “there’s never enough time in the day!”

But are we being productive? Or are we running around, sweat pouring out of every vein, doing tasks others could do for us?

Are we always thinking about saving money, rather than the bigger picture? Is your accountant always on at you to reduce costs? But at what cost?

You probably didn’t go into business to work every waking hour. You may have gone into business for the flexibility, so that you could have Friday afternoons off to play football with your children. But gradually you have ended up doing more and more and eroded away your time. But your accountant says you are making money, so that’s fine…isn’t it?

Maybe now is the time to take stock of your business, take control again. This quote might help,

 “Only do what only you can do.”

I’ll repeat that, because I found it unbelievably profound in its simplicity.

“Only do what ONLY YOU can do.”

It means you should delegate or outsource all activities which stop you from focusing on those which will propel your business forward. In other words, get rid of the time-wasting activities; instead focus on what’s important. Suddenly those Friday afternoons might be possible again.

Even sole traders must have a clear vision for their business; must inspire those around them whether customers, staff or contractors to elicit confidence and loyalty; and must manage every facet of their business, understanding the interactions and impacts on the bottom line.  These are jobs only you can do.

So, find a quiet space and time to identify what it is that only you can do, and decide now to let go of every other time-wasting activity as soon as possible. Letting go can be hard for most of us, particularly because we all believe the classic “nobody else does things properly!” and the other classic, “if I don’t do it, nobody will!”  Not true, of course. The other classic is “I don’t have the money for staff or outsourcing.” This may be true but how much money are you throwing away on activities that will never grow the bottom line, never propel you forward?

If you are struggling with reviewing your business clearly, and pinpointing areas where you could outsource, you change how your process, Build Your Business Better could help. We work with businesses and the people in them, not just with spreadsheets. We help you to review, identify and monitor your business, so that you can make changes that make a real difference. Call us now on 01905 21411, and start changing your business today, for a better tomorrow.