I’m guessing you started your business because you have a passion for something, or you have a special skill or talent, and you want to be able to make a living doing it — because it makes your heart sing.
Maybe you made a conscious effort to start the business, maybe it found you, or maybe it’s just an idea that hasn’t fully formed yet. Whatever, you’ve got the bug.
You probably realized, a little way into it, that running a business involves running a business. And everything that comes along with it. So you might not have as much time for the heart singing thing anymore, because you’re caught up in trying to bring in business and watch the numbers and chase down payments and direct team members and all the “busy-ness” — so much so that you begin to wonder what the point is and why you ever started the dang thing in the first place.
You may even be very successful at all of those things, and your business may be growing really fast, but you still can’t seem to find the calm in the storm, because, after all, everything does depend on you. Your name is on the door.
You may be saying things like:
- “I need to get more control of this business. I’m so overwhelmed.”
- “I’m stuck — everything ends up on my desk. I can’t get to the things I need and want to do.”
- “There are so many balls I need to juggle and decisions that need to be made by me — how can I ever find time to get to the big ideas and grow the business?”
- “I know I need help but I don’t know what kind or how to get it.”
- “My team isn’t working out for me. They don’t play well together. And just when I get someone trained, they leave to go work for someone else.”
- “I’ve got prima donnas/job hoarding/cliques/bad apples in my team and I don’t know what to do about it.”
You’re not alone. And it’s not your fault.
Because everyone’s talking about marketing and getting clients and specific tactics like social media, speaking to sell, and list building, they’re all overlooking the basics of grabbing hold of your business and making sense of how it’s all put together. The things you really need to have in place to make all the other things work.
So here they are — the 3 things you really need to get your business running more smoothly, work fewer hours, and make more money:
1.) You need to take a look at how you’re thinking
Entrepreneurs are different. You need to make sure you have the right vision and beliefs to support your business. Most sabotage comes from our own “stinkin’ thinkin’” and reluctance to really lead. And, you need to stay out of the weeds.
2.) You need a great team
You need the support that’s right for you, people who will support you and match your values and philosophies. Sure, skills and experience are important, but those are easy to find. A team that can do the job and watch your back will help propel you forward faster than almost anything.
3.) You need the processes and systems to run your business
If it’s all in your head, then no one can do it but you. In order to protect your time and improve communication, you can’t just go on willy nilly. What sounds difficult to put together will actually make your life much, much easier.
So there you have it. You are different. Instead of a team with just skills, you need a team with the right attitude of support. And you need to get your systems out of your head and into the light so you can work them. Get these basics down and the tactics of marketing, social media, speaking, and all the other individual things you need to be doing will fall much more effortlessly into place — and make more sense, too.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes, yes, yes! Great post. Many of my clients struggle with all three of these areas when we first talk to them. I don’t know what I would do without my support team. Their fabulous attitudes really make it for us. I have found that many entrepreneurs think that documenting and putting systems in place will take much longer than it actually does. They feel as if a weight is lifted when the basics are completed because they now have clear road maps. Delegating becomes easier too because they can see clearly those things that really need the owner’s attention and those that do not.
To your success!
Stephanie
Hey Stephanie!
We’re singing the same song, huh? Sometime soon we REALLY must do an official duet!
Thanks for the great comment, it’s so cool to have agreement on this stuff. All the flashy things get the attention (and don’t get me wrong, I LOVE marketing!) but these basics really must be in place. So happy you agree!
M
Exemplary advice, Stephanie! It’s always a pleasure to bump into someone who speaks like she’s sitting across the kitchen table from you and sharing something juicy.
I discovered you on Connie Green’s blog and I’m thrilled that you’ve decided to join this crazy thing she calls the “3-day blogging challenge”. She’s hosted this event a few times in the past but this is the first time I’ve jumped on board.
Let’s cheer each other on!
Melanie
Solo Mompreneur
Oops – that’s the 30-day blogging challenge! I think I had a little wishful thinking going on. :-)
Here’s a REALLY GOOD LESSON …
Don’t leave blog comments at 1:30 in the morning! Sorry, Marcia. I was looking at Stephanie’s name while I was typing my remarks. I think I better go to bed. :-)
Great post! It is so true that entrepreneurs are cut from a different cloth. The head game seems to be the biggest downfall for people who want their own biz. You have to think like the business owner that you are!
Hi Marcia,
Building the right team is incredibly difficult! I’ve tried for years to build one but seem to end up going back to just me. Ugh!
I had two good team members for almost two years (not simultaneously). One left because she got a job offer she wanted, then the other one for the same reason much later. Haven’t been able to replace either one since. I know there are a lot of good people out there but finding them is quite difficult. They either want too much money (more than I make) or they don’t have the skill set. Perhaps it’s past time to raise my rates! Hmmm.
Anyway, I’ve pretty much given up on building a team.
Deb
Great post and great conversation going here. Speaking to my heart each of you. I have been an entrepreneur most of my life. And it is quite different always having your own business. I want processes and to be more organized. I had a great team until the economy turned upside down and now I am back to me. I need systems that work especially with wearing too many hats in my business.
Thanks for the great info and wisdom. Love being a part of this challenge and meeting all these great new friends.
Annie
#blog30
Hi Marcia
I’ve found you through Connie’s challenge too and it’s lovely to feel like a little family.
Thank you for your wise words on this post, they are like a breathe of fresh air. Systems are my greatest asset. I find that keeping things simple and getting the basics in place is the only way that I can move forward with my business. It’s much the same in life too :-)
Looking forward to connecting more.
Love & best wishes
Heather x
Hi Melanie, Martha, Deb, Annie, and Heather,
I was on the road and didn’t have a moment to spare yesterday, but thanks much for all your comments! It’s so cool of Connie to have this challenge and give us all a chance to hook up.
Martha, I’ve never met an entrepreneur who was “normal” — and that’s a good thing!
Melanie, I love the kitchen table reference, thanks for that. I’ll keep it in my head when I write from now on — for sure!
Deb, don’t give up on building your team! I’d love to have you listen to a short recording I did on choosing team members and give me your feedback: http://bit.ly/aZO5oZ
Annie, I hear you. The economy did a number on many of us. Sometimes just writing down the steps you go through to do something will really help to see where you’re bogging down.
Heather, great insight — when you’re an entrepreneur, the line between your business and your life sort of blurs, doesn’t it?
Great to meet you guys.
M
Marcia. In a former business [1999] I had a small but mighty team. In this business it has been a challenge to get a team formed… Oh, I have representatives working the business, but I think people THINK they want to be part of a team when they join a mlm, but when it comes right down to it they are more of a Lone Ranger than a team player.
Any suggestions on what I might say to screen more effectively when recruiting for my team?
Hi Linda!
Try listening to this audio and give me your feedback — it’s less than 20 minutes: http://bit.ly/aZO5oZ
It’s not specifically for MLM, but it may give you some good techniques. Let me know what you get out of it, okay?
M
OK, I can sing bass or low in ya’ll’s duet. Clients are often so in their heads about “only they can do it” that they simply wear out and the passion vanishes. Marcia, you are so right, thinking, having a supportive team, and developing the systems and processes are so key.
Great thoughts!
Sandy
Thanks, Sandy! Are you doing Ali’s program again this year?
M