Some business owners consider working long hard hours to succeed in their business as a “badge of honor.” Many people like to discuss the amount of hours they’ve worked, and there’s nothing wrong with that. However, the more they invest in this mindset, the more that badge of honor slowly transitions to work burnout. Results count much more than time.
Are you ready to work hard without running yourself into the ground?
Here are some thoughts to consider:
It’s critical to get the team. But don’t just get the team… build the team. You don’t have a sustainable business if you don’t have the right team. This means hiring employees who have the right attitude, behaviors and skill sets, and also hiring enough of them.
When you run a business on a shoestring and don’t have enough people, you end up not having any capacity for growth. If you need 10 people and you have 9 because you don’t want to hire the 10th, how are you going to take on a 25% growth in business?
Creating an effective, efficient system is one secret to delegation. Hiring people correctly takes time. There’s a ramp-up, a training, an enculturation period etc. Running slightly above capacity without enough people allows a fallacy of, “Hey, we’re squeezing out every ounce of margin.” Great, but you have no room for growth, and this falls back on you as the leader.
Today there are remarkable software systems that allow you to keep track of data, manage projects and have the information to make great decisions about your business. Those who work too much tend to not have these systems deployed. With cloud based software these solutions are cost effective and rapidly produce a return on investment. After initial resistance the system will become indispensable.
So many entrepreneurs think, “I’ve got to work in the business, and I’m guilty if I have to leave before 5 or 6 at night.” They avoid taking vacations and breaks. This behavior does not serve the entrepreneur nor the business well. Periodic breaks and vacations are more important than you think; entrepreneurs need to take breaks to work effectively.
As the saying goes, “You get more done in 50 weeks than you get done in 52.”
The above things will definitely move your business forward. The thought process has to be, “How do I get out of working in the business and start working on it?” This mindset will avoid entrepreneur burnout. You’ll look at your business much differently when you do that, and you’ll make better decisions. Those better decisions over time will yield much better results.