Many small business owners assume that for their business to be successful, they have to work long hours every week. Those same owners often dream of being freed up from working so much, and yet are afraid to relinquish control of various aspects of their business.
The idea of a 3-hour workweek sounds appealing, but many people wonder if it’s really possible. In short, yes it is. We’ve done it ourselves, and we help businesses do it every day. By implementing simple business systems, you can improve your workflow and your time management, leaving you with the free time you desire.
Step 1
Every business has 5 main areas that are needed to be successful. To start, compile a list of all the tasks your business requires in each of the following 5 categories:
Sales and Marketing
No business could survive without sales. Consider what tasks you require for your lead generation and sales, as well as your marketing strategy.
Finance
Without a strong financial plan, no business will be successful. Consider things like decreasing your cash conversion cycle, and reducing your receivables.
Product Development
Another key component is product development. Ensure that you are not only developing new products but also improving existing products. This should also include market research to validate your idea before investing time and funds into development.
Customer Service
Maya Angelou is often quoted in customer service roles for good reason. Her statement, “At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel,” holds true. No matter how amazing your product or service is, if you don’t have excellent customer service to back it up, you will lose sales and customer loyalty.
Leadership
Your team needs to understand what your company’s initiatives are and what role they play in achieving them. As a business owner, you need to clearly communicate the vision for your team and inspire them to take ownership.
Look at each of the five areas of business and identify what tasks you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly in order to make sure that area of your business is in tip-top shape.
Step 2
Next, take your list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks and assign each of them a day and a time. If you only want to work 3 hours a week, make those 3 hours as efficient and effective as possible. Start by prioritizing which tasks are most important to your business. If you can’t possibly fit all you need to do into 3 hours, look at your list and ask what you can automate, delegate, or delete until you can fit it into your work hours. You may need to outsource some things, and that is okay. Your time is more valuable! When you are being proactive in your time management, your workflow will improve, and you will be amazed at how productive you can be in just a few hours!
Step 3
Work the system! Now that you have scheduled out all of your key tasks and delegated those that don’t require your direct attention, stick to your plan. Consistency is the biggest deterrent to business success. Once you get a client, it’s easy to become complacent and stop generating leads or closing sales. Similarly, once you start developing a new product or service, your current clients start to suffer. Create a business system allows you to strategically keep your business moving forward everyday, while still freeing up valuable time in your day.
See how developed your business systems are by taking our free automation assessment at Business Made Simple. We will help you identify your black holes, and provide you with an itemized action list and a visual workflow so you can focus on the key areas of your business moving forward.