“My normal routine is pretty much putting out fires all day.” – Vera Wang
Do you feel like sometimes you’re not a business owner? That you are not an entrepreneur, doing what you are inspired to do? No doing what you are called to do or what you are passionate about? Thinking to yourself, “I didn’t sign up for this”? Asking yourself, “When did I become a fire fighter”?
The good news is, if you are thinking or asking any of the above…
You just might right where you thought you were. The difference is, it might not be exactly how you envisioned it.
I had those wonderful visions of grandeur (still do). I have imagined that wonderful life as a business owner, an entrepreneur following my calling, turning my passion into a profitable business. Spending my time creating products or services with that fire that burns inside. Riding high on the waves of life – Freedom, flexibility, security. Full days, short on work and long on fun.
What I discovered was that the days were long alright, but short on fun. The work days seemed to get longer and longer as the business grew. The freedom and flexibility was put off until tomorrow… Is it tomorrow yet, no sir, we need you here today.
“Wait, I know, I’ll just hire someone for that!” I think to myself and I create the perfect job listing in my head. To clone myself to do for me what I don’t want to do myself! But it is tomorrow and again, I am needed in the office and before you take your third step in the door….
“Good morning, this customer wants call back from an owner”
“Hi Kevin, This guy stopped by, I said you weren’t but, he’s coming back…”
“The FedEx rep wants to get our business back…”
“There’s an issue with the new retail boxes…”
“The trucking company called, the container is going to be delayed…”
“The website was double charging every transaction overnight…”
Two and a half steps in and I have walked in to the fire, and not the good kind of fire. I’ve walked into a disaster area, little fires everywhere. Each burning a path into another, until it’s one big fire…And I’m the fire fighter!
That’s what a business owner does all day, put out fires. What about my to do list? What about all the boxes I need to check off today? What about my afternoon run? Maybe it’s time to hire that clone?
No.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Do you want stop being a full time fire fighter? Do you want to drive your business in the right direction? Do you want to create the life you dreamed of when starting your business?
Of course you do so here are some tips.
1. Don’t hire firebugs
Some of the best advice I was given about employees was to be slow to hire and quick to fire. Take the time to find good employees. And, if they aren’t working out, cut them loose, quick. You need to learn to follow, and trust your instincts. When you get that twinge in your gut, or that red flag pops up when dealing with a prospect or a new hire, listen to it and decide accordingly. Focus on what your business really needs to help you grow and prosper, not what you really want. Those two are not always aligned.
You need to do the hard things, the important things that will drive business. Do not hire people to do it for you. Find the right people to fill the gaps. It’s worth finding and spending money on good people. Remember, it’s a long term investment.
2. Do what you do best and outsource the rest
Deeper on the point #1 – Focus on what you do best and what drives your business. You can’t do it all. Trust me; I understand that in the beginning you have no choice. You will have to wear many hats no matter what. If you want to grow, the time will come to build a team. That includes hiring employees, consultants, and third party services. There a lot available these days so take your time to decide what works best for your business.
3. Start your day right and manage you time better.
No matter what you do or who you hire, there will always be fires to put out. As the boss, you will always be asked to pick up the hose; it’s just the nature of the game. There’s only 24 hours in the day so I can’t change that. What I do is manage my time better. Get up earlier, it works. If you are one of those “I’m not a morning person” people, you better become one if you want to be an entrepreneur.
I have my routine that works for me. I get up early so I can feed my mind body and spirit. I do my readings, meditations, writing, and exercising. These things get me “ready” for the day. And, I start my work day before it’s time to open up. This gives time to focus a few important things I need to do or address BEFORE, any fires have ignited. That way I know I getting the important things done first.
No need to worry about missing my afternoon run…I ran before the crew even woke up.
Talk Soon,
Kevin W.
@Leap272
You have to leap if you want to live.
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