Do YOU need to work in your business?

Having just spent a week in New York city, it struck me how amazing it is to realise that my business can run without me!  Do YOU need to be in your business every day or can it run efficiently without you?

My vision is to have a business which I can run from a coffee shop anywhere in the world and I seem to have achieved this.  It is a little scary to “let go” and allow others to run my business in my absence but with WiFi and social media, I can keep an eye on what is happening without having to be in the office.

This isn’t for everyone but for many, it is a goal which they’d love to achieve.  Obviously it depends on the nature of your business.  I have a magazine which is basically run online.  By having trusted people around me, I’m now in a position that they can keep everything running whether I’m there or not.  I’m always on the end of the email so if they need help, I’m able to respond pretty quickly.

Have you thought what you want from YOUR business?  Do you want a business which is totally dependent on you or do you want a business which is scalable and therefore ultimately saleable?

The answer to this question determines how you run your business.  There is no right or wrong answer; it’s what works for you.

Many businesses I work with haven’t thought that far ahead.  They are thinking about today or tomorrow and not focussing on the bigger picture.  Think big!   Although the main goal is huge, you can work your way towards it with small steps, taking it one task and one day at a time.  Every small step takes you a little closer to that big goal.

Do you have an operating manual for your business?  If not, start with that and begin to document everything you do in your business.  Once you have instructions on how to run everything day-to-day, you can start to delegate tasks and edge yourself out of your business should you choose.

Outsourcing is a great way to begin delegating.  You are not committed to paying a salary at the end of the month or all the other costs associated with employing staff.  With outsourcing you can generally specify how many hours you require each week or month or maybe get someone to complete a specific task.  That way you can budget and increase the hours you use as your business starts to grow.  It feels like a big step but it’s so liberating once you start to do it and trust that the tasks are completed to your satisfaction.

Delegating allows you to focus on the tasks which bring in the money – and they are generally the ones you enjoy and why you went into business in the first place.

In my business, delegating all the admin tasks enables me to go out networking and speaking at events which in turn brings in clients and new opportunities.  I am therefore the biggest asset in my business and the more I’m out of the office the better!  It also enables me to plan my diary more efficiently so that I maximise my time and focus on helping support business owners with their own particular challenges.

If you’d like to know more, please check out my books which give you more detail on delegating in YOUR business.