I see you - the creative entrepreneur. Yes you….you started your business after being really frustrated by the lack of flexibility in your old job. Anyone who makes this flying journey is absolutely creative!
I know you are passionate about what you do but there are a few things you just wish were different.
Do these resonate at all?
Finding yourself buried under a mountain of admin tasks wishing you had an Executive Assistant!
Juggling multiple roles and working late into the night
Struggling to find time for family and/or having limited time to do the things you love
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone. This blog is designed to show you how to simplify, streamline, and transform your business operations, freeing up your time and energy to focus on what truly matters. Lets go through 7 key steps and start to fly ✨
1. So - what is the cost of being inefficient?
Lost Productivity: If you are trying to do it all you just cannot be productive. Your genius lies in one or two areas, not the multiple parts that come together to run your business. Hours can be wasted, wouldn’t you rather have more time to bring more work in or take that trip you were excited by?
Emotional Toll: People bang on about overwhelm and burnout alllllll the time, but it is a real thing. Burnout is when you keep doing and don’t take time out to do what brings you joy.
Business Growth Stagnation: You need time and energy to grow - your business AND you as a person. But, if you do everything these things are limited and you will not grow.
2. Step-by-step guide to simplifying your operations
To get to the point of being super efficient you have to review every area within your business. This involves breaking down what you do for marketing, finance, sales and every major function that allows your business to run.
Operations and admin come hand in hand. You are probably most unproductive if you are just getting on with all of these tasks yourself. In my experience a lot of business owners are not admin experts, but feel they can just get it all done. This leads to major inefficiencies as identified above.
3. The Power of Prioritisation
Once you’ve broken down the admin tasks from step 2, you can use the Eisenhower Matrix to categorise each task. This is a fabulous tool to help you really decide what to do first and what to delegate. Remember - YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL!! If you aren’t sure what the Eisenhower Matrix is then get in touch and I’ll send you a FREE resource ✨
If you look at the Matrix and aren’t sure what the difference between urgent and important is, this is my take:
Urgent and important tasks are those that you have to do now otherwise your business stalls and no one else can help.
Urgent but not important means that you don’t have to do the task, but getting an expert to do for you is the best idea - outsource or delegate.
Important but not really urgent - these tasks you can schedule into your diary to be completed at a time that fits in with your other work
Not urgent or important - tasks that you don’t have to do….maybe ever! Or you could decide to achieve once other things have been done that have more importance.
4. Customising Your Task Management
Doing this work is totally bespoke to your business. There are obviously some parts that will be the same as others, but what you do and how you do it is unique to you.
Once you’ve made a list of everything you do and put it all into the Eisenhower Matrix, go back over everything and take out the tasks that you’ve put in because you think you should. And add in the really bespoke ones you’ve missed off, or not added because they’re obvious to you - they will not be obvious to anyone else.
5. Strategic Outsourcing and Delegation
There are many quick wins to help get you started. If you can identify tasks that can be outsourced to an operational fairy straight away then you are on a winning streak! Finance admin is a good start - a bookkeeper is a cheap way to make a start.
Next is to look at your long-term outsource plan. There are benefits to thinking about this early on so you can plan ahead. Social media can be a good option, but remember you will want to work with someone who truly understands you and your business. Just getting someone to come in to create your graphics and post what you create may not be the best use of your money. Think about what you enjoy and what you CAN achieve. You may want to spend a bit more on this to get it right and make it worthwhile outsourcing.
Whatever you decide to delegate, keep your list you’ve created up to date. Any changes to the tasks someone supports you with should be recorded. If you ever want to replace that person, or bring the role in house, you have a list all ready of what you expect them to achieve. One task ticked off the list later on!
6. Creating a Sustainable Plan
Once you’ve completed your Eisenhower Matrix you can put the schedule tasks and delegate tasks into an action plan. It’s key at this point to be realistic. You want to look at time and money. Time is about having the time to complete the tasks and also time to train the people you are bringing in to support you. BUT don’t use this as an excuse…if you can skill someone up in an area that drains you, you will be left with the magic in you to grow your business. Having the money to pay people to support you can be scary. You don’t always know if you are getting the right skills. Referrals are a good place to start, conversations with people before making decisions and asking for case studies. Sometimes you do need to bite the bullet and spend to free you up to do the business growth that is needed.
An important step in this process is to regularly review your plan and make changes as needed. If you’ve said you will bring in a VA in 3 months, but you realise this can be done sooner - then go for it! Your instinct will tell you when things are right and if you’re in any doubt, book in a call with me, I can support you to talk through your ideas and we’ll get to the right answer in no time!
7. The Transformation to Streamlining your Business Operations as an Entrepreneur
There have been many times this process has worked for business owners. One of the first calls I did was with Sarah, she was about to take over a successful training organisation. We went through all the steps above to give her a solid plan for her key tasks - what should be prioritised and when, plus her outsourcing timescale. She gave amazing feedback as you can see below:
I would encourage you to think about what your business will look like when you have a well organised and streamlined admin and operational function. Think about how it would feel to work the hours that fit around what you want. How would it feel to work less evenings, to be there when the kids come home from school and to take every Friday off to look after your energy? How are your stress levels? How productive will you be?
Conclusion
Running your own business doesn’t have to mean being constantly overwhelmed. By simplifying and streamlining your operations, you can unlock the potential of you and your business and achieve a more balanced life.
Ready to transform your business?
Let’s get started!
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