Let me take you back to a time when entrepreneurial dreams were running wild through your head. A time when starting your own business meant you could be your own boss, make more money and gain more freedom. You knew it would be hard work in the beginning, but after a few short years, you envisioned warm, sandy beaches and tropical drinks with nothing to do but count your money. OK, I may be exaggerating a little, but by now your current reality has probably altered your vision.
Let me ask you a couple of revealing questions.
If you had to leave your business for an extended period of time, say a couple of months, would you come back to a business that is still running smoothly and profitably? How about if you left for two weeks? If your answer was anything other than yes, then you probably haven't created a business, you have created a glorified job for yourself. You have become a prisoner of your own success.
The good news is that you are not alone. As you know, small business owners are among the hardest working people in the world, but to obtain sustained growth, you will have to adopt a strategic mind-set. As a strategic business owner, your primary aim should be to develop a self-managing and systems-oriented business that still runs predictably and profitably while you are not there. This allows you to work on your business instead of being stuck in your business.
The first step is to stop acting like an employee and start thinking like a CEO. Start transitioning to a new way of thinking and behaving by reprogramming yourself and your habits. Stop micromanaging and delegate. Start reducing the amount of time you spend involved in the daily transactions of your business. That is why you have employees. If you do not have employees, it is even more critical that you adopt this mind-set.
Next: Making the right choices >
