Who is running your
business? For this one particular
client, a self-employed business owner, the answer or the truth was a
revelation. As a personal business coach
I have collaborated with and supported business owners, executives and managers
in various stages of business and personal growth.
The business in this
story was entering its third year. It
had grown steadily and developed a good reputation in the design and
construction areas. The business owner
had added employees and believed he was on his way to future small business
growth and success.
When I entered the
picture I could see the positives. But
there were some major concerns. Running
your business is similar to painting a picture.
As the picture changes you are going to have to use different brush
strokes, colors, shading, etc.
Running Your Business—Keep
The Brush In Your Hand!
My self-employed
business owner client had hired the best people. He was proud of that and rightfully so. But in running your business, as the business
owner, entrepreneur or solo professional, you must keep the paint brush in your
hand.
He was making a
critical mistake that many business owners make. He had become busy to the point where he
trusted that things were getting done.
He trusted his employees but he increasingly found that things were falling
through the cracks.
And, they were
starting to design a business around their wants and needs and not his. They had the brush in their hand and he
didn’t like what he was seeing.
Running Your
Business—Take The Brush Back!
He wanted to take
the brush back but he didn’t know where to start. Running your business is supposed to mean
that you have control. But without good
systems, that are written, it is hard to hold people accountable. If you can’t hold your employees accountable
through systems and processes then ultimately they will run the business and
you, the self-employed business owner.
Our first step to
taking the brush back was to create job descriptions. With the descriptions came processes and
accountability. The next part was the
most difficult. The business owner had
to retrain himself in how he did business.
He had to monitor the process and hold his employees accountable.
When you are used to
winging it this is a huge challenge.
Also, his employees didn’t like the fact that the business was now being
run first and foremost for the clients, not them. A couple of them quit.
Running Your
Business—You Paint The Picture
Now my client took
the brush back. He had systems in
place. He started to understand that
running your business is based on process.
And that process determines outcome.
His business started to improve and experience new growth. And here’s the key point. It was experiencing growth that it could
handle.
Whether it is online
training, business training, business courses or business skills training there
is no substitute for the actual experience of running your business. I strongly encourage my clients to be involved
in the forms of education listed above plus anything else that can accelerate
the process of their successful performance.
Why? Education and training gives you perspective
and awareness of the pitfalls you may encounter in running your business. Running your business is a continuing self development
course.
Focus on
process. Keep the brush in your hand and
your will enjoy running your business.
