Most of the time when I get called into to meet a potential client they are stuck in the trenches of operating their business day to day…. just doing what it takes to survive.
Usually Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners find themselves being the ‘Jack-of-all-Trades’… they are the CEO, the CFO, the HR Manager, the Operations & Facilities Manager, the Customer Service Manager, PR & Marketing… etc…etc…. It’s exhausting.
I find that the very last thing small business owners & entrepreneurs have time for is the creative process. The creative process is so critical because it is all the things they have been thinking about to solve their businesses’ biggest problems. Butfinding the time and resources to implement these great ideas is literally next to impossible when you are ‘STUCK’ in the trenches.
Getting ‘Un-Stuck’: Here are a few tips I offer my clients when we are tackling how to grow their business.
1. Go back to ‘why’ you started this business. Just do it.There was a reason why you decided to go down this path and build this business in the first place… go back and examine that first initial dream and see where you have drifted off course. Make a list of all things you wish to accomplish in the next 5 years.
2. Identify your biggest energy suckers in your day and hire someone else to take on those jobs. Just do it.You can’t grow if you literally don’t have the time to focus on it.
3. Set a weekly/bi-weekly meetings with your staff to go over all that needs done in the coming week. Small businesses are notoriously terrible at scheduling staff meetings (for good reason… time is so very limited). Just do it.Engage your staff to help you solve all those little day to day problems so you can focus on the big picture.
4. Make time for creative meetings. Just do it. Identify a few staff members and/or even a consultant like me to help take the business to the next level. Sitting in creative space with others who share your passion is the only way to grow your business and achieve your dreams.
Growth is imperative to survival…. So find the time to get ‘un-stuck’ and invest in the success of your business.
Cheers.
-Christy