Many small business owners feel like they’re at the mercy of their computers and phone. They spend hours each day trying to keep up with customer requests, running reports, and catching up on email. It’s hard to take a step back and remember what it felt like when they first started their business. There were no clients or employees; they had complete control over every decision that was made. But now their companies are growing–and so are its demands on them! They can’t let themselves get lost in the shuffle: here are six ideas for putting themselves back in control of their business!
Create Focus
To get back in control of your business, an entrepreneur needs to identify what’s important at this moment. What is the most important task for every member of their team right now? Once they know what that task is, they can set up each person on your team to do it–and then hold them accountable for it!
Change Their Answer
One of the most successful techniques to get back in control is to change their answer. When they are faced with a question, instead of jumping straight into the action, they need to stop and think about it. What is the actual problem that needs solving? How does this affect the company’s goals? By taking time before making any decision–and evaluating what’s going on–they can put themselves in control again. Besides, this will give the person who was asking the question time to figure out what they need to do–and not rely on someone else.
Tell Themselves “No”
When their company is small, entrepreneurs are able to say yes to every new project that comes through the door. Each one feels really important. Unfortunately, it’s too easy for them to say no now! Saying yes all the time has caused projects that distract from their company’s vision and direction to stack up without them even realizing it. For example, product managers might be so busy being customer service reps that they have lost control of their roadmap. The ability to pick and choose which requests should go ahead is powerful. It means business leaders can set aside time for meaningful things for the company and its customers instead of trying to do everything.
Ask for Assistance
Another idea for entrepreneurs to be in control of their businesses is to ask for assistance. No business should be able to run itself, especially when it’s growing! The entrepreneur who is using these tips should ask for assistance. Whether they hire people to do the work or get other entrepreneurs in their network involved, delegating will allow them to focus on what’s most important. They might have a lot of knowledge about their industry and company, but there are plenty of people out there who know more than them! Asking for assistance enables them to use their time on things that will move the needle for their company instead of wasting hours each week on parts of their business they just don’t have the bandwidth to handle.
Throw a Worried Party
Every entrepreneur should schedule a time to think through all the things that are bugging them. They should think about what could go wrong and how they would deal with it. It’s a great opportunity for them to plan for something before it happens instead of scrambling after it does! The best entrepreneurs use this time to figure out the worst-case scenarios and develop actionable so they can find solutions if problems arise. This helps them put any fears they might have to rest. These tips should help those feeling overwhelmed with their business take back control and make the changes necessary to keep moving forward and growing.
Hire Professionals
If it’s a specific business area that they feel needs strengthening, it might be time to hire a professional. Whether they need an advisor or their list of responsibilities is too big for one person to handle, bringing in someone from the outside who specializes in this specific task will help them move forward. No entrepreneur should be expected to do everything alone! Hiring professionals is essential if they want to stay ahead of what’s next so their company can continue to grow while they maintain control of the business. Using professional tools is also important. If you run a shipping business but can’t do last mile tracking, you and your customers are going to be more worried about successful deliveries than otherwise.
Take a Vacation
This should be obvious, but it’s important enough to mention! Busy entrepreneurs need a break. Whether they’ve been pushing themselves too hard or haven’t taken a vacation in years, their business will suffer if they don’t take some time away from the grind. Even just a few days could have effects that last for weeks–and hiring someone to replace them while they’re gone is a great way to get back into the swing of things when they return. Don’t feel guilty about leaving colleagues and customers behind while you recharge, either. They’ll likely appreciate knowing you’re taking care of yourself before worrying about anyone else.
Being a successful entrepreneur is hard work. Entrepreneurs need to do everything required to run their businesses, which can be tough when their time and energy are spread thin. It’s so easy for them to lose control of the business when they have too much on their plates! If entrepreneurs use these tips, they’ll take back control to grow their company while staying sane along the way!
