Don't Just Work IN Your Business, Work ON it!

I do not know the source of this quote, but it goes something like this, “To plan is to bring the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.”

The idea behind this post is, Work ON your business, not IN it. There is a big difference between the two. No matter how enthusiastic you may be today about your new business, your enthusiasm or energy level will probably not stay the same. Old Man Time takes his toll of both our physical and emotional energy, as do the curve balls that life throws at us. For that reason, as entrepreneurs, we need to be thinking ahead…

Successful business people treat their business as a lifelong endeavor - thinking beyond balancing the books at the end of the month. They plan long-term, transitioning their role from being the developer of the business into becoming a rich business OWNER. You see, whether you are a brand-new rookie in the business field, or have some experience under your belt, the time to plan and execute is now, not next year, or five years from now, or when you have enough money to think beyond getting your next contract.

1. Choose one day per week to move beyond the day to day activities of your business. Block off a few hours to work on improving, systematizing, or implementing new strategies.

2. Focus on one target market at a time. You cannot be all things to all people. I started out by selecting small office buildings between 5000 and 20,000 sq. ft.; big enough to be profitable, but not so big I couldn't staff them. Do a good job and establish a solid reputation in the business community.

3. The idea is to get rich, not famous. You are not the ‘brand’. If you build your business all around you… your image, your personality, your expertise and experience… you'll have a hard time stepping away, or expanding because people will expect to work only with you. Build your company's reputation.

4. Alternate. Outsource. Delegate. If a task is hard for you, find someone for whom it is easy. I would never try to keep my company's books, or file the tax forms. I can pay an accountant to do that and use my time to solicit new accounts.

5. Let your current clients lead you to new clients. We all know that it is much cheaper to keep a current client happy than to solicit new accounts. Let the happy client become a referral generator. They are already in their business networks. Let them know you are looking for new accounts and offer incentives for referring new customers to you; perhaps a gift card for dinner at a local restaurant if they refer a prospective customer

Doing some of these things will allow your business to grow, and you can reap the benefits of time well spent.

For more information on business building , check this out.