What would it be like to devote time to the things that are higher on your priority list such as business development or marketing. Or take a real holiday while your business hums along? Put your time, skills and energy to better use to grow a thriving business! Use your CEO Mindset to design your small business so it runs without you.
It sounds a little strange to design your business so it runs without you. However, never fear…your business still needs you. It needs you, the “CEO.” Before you say “but I’m not a CEO“, ask yourself 4 simple questions.
# 1. Who do you want to be?
The easy part is finding the tools and resources that will help your business run smoothly. The hard part is creating a clear and realistic role for yourself. This is the most important part of designing how your business can function without your direct involvement. Take a moment to reflect:
- What role do you really want?
- What is so important about taking your business to its next stage?
- What would happen if your business stayed the same as it is now?
# 2. What do you want to do?
As your business grows, it becomes more challenging to do everything. Even in the beginning, it’s tough to be chief of the small stuff…and CEO. So, it is essential to identify what you would rather be doing than wearing all of the hats.
- What would you rather be doing for your business?
- How can you make sure you spend your time doing this?
# 3. Who can do it for you?
Now that you know what you want to do, identify who could be responsible for different jobs. This is a major shift. A couple of my clients have increased the number of international markets they serve which means they travel more frequently. They are not in the office to keep the place organised. Even if you’re not traveling for business, there is always that dilemma of how to take a holiday without your business suffering. It may be time to delegate work to someone else.There are different options so you can determine if you need to hire someone full time or outsource.
- Virtual assistant- There are people who are available for short-term projects or long-term support depending on your business’ budget and needs. Companies like Virtual Office Worx or OutofhoursAdmin manage your admininstrative tasks, handle the details for presentations and much more.
- Staff- Having a dedicated person for sales, customer service and/or administrative tasks is a great way to combine fresh thinking and competence in skill areas where you are weak or distracting.
- Intern(s)-By partnering with a local college or training programme, you foster someone gaining experience in his/her chosen field or industry in a low-cost and mutually beneficial manner.
Related: How Virtual Assistants Can Be An Asset For Small Businesses
# 4. What can do it for you?
There are lots of resources that ease how the “nuts and bolts” of your business are managed. Two important areas are accounting and social media. Sure, they are necessary but they still can eat up a lot of time.
- Cloud accounting Bookkeeping and invoicing are easily automated with cloud services. Resources like Anne Brady McQuillans DFK or Freshbooks can make keeping your records straight so you manage revenue, expenses and taxes with less stress.
- Social media Use services like SocialOomph.com or BufferApp or hire someone to handle some of the posts for you. Granted there is a debate about how to create an engaging and authentic organisational voice. Yet, it has to be your decision of how you connect with your customers and prospects with your small business.
Related: 5 Website Tools To Help Run Your Business Under A Budget
Design what you want and need ahead of time
Using your CEO Mindset is about keeping the big picture clear and your small business moving forward. One of the most important tasks any CEO can do is design how a business is organised. Answer these questions and design your small business so it runs without you and you are doing what you’re best at.
Did you like this article? Sign up for our RSS, join us on Facebook, on Twitter and on Google+ to get the latest Tweak Your Biz articles and updates.
Images: ”Focus on banking with Small Business isolated on blue / Shutterstock.com“
