Vacation

When was the last time you took a summer vacation? How about just a week? A long weekend? Oh, boy…

 

Too often I hear from burnt-out business owners who are unable [read: afraid] to take a summer vacation because of the repercussions it could have on their businesses. If I’m not there to do the work, nothing will get done… If I’m not working, I’m not making money… Everything will fall apart without me… Sound familiar?

 

I don’t want you to be a slave to your business. So, the real question you should be asking yourself is: how can I keep my business moving forward when I’m not actually working?

 

The answer is SYSTEMATIZING. (It’s a lot less intimidating than it sounds.)

 

Systematizing simply means writing down the processes you currently use that get the results that you want.

 

Most business owners forget that knowledge is transferable. Not everything that you do has to be done by you. In fact, when you break down the magic of what you do into simple, easy-to-follow steps and document them, you’re opening the door for other people to come in and follow your lead.

 

Eventually these steps become systems that are fully integrated into the fabric of your business. This allows you the freedom to step away from THAT part (which is now running smoothly) and do other things… like taking a week off, for example.

 

Full disclaimer: letting go isn’t easy. Especially for the business owner who truly believes the business will fall apart without them. I know… I’ve been there and I’ve walked beside hundreds of others who have been there too!!   But it is possible to do it, to step away for a moment AND to have your business thrive without you. Imagine that!

 

So, try it out for yourself. 

 

Take a few moments and write down one of the processes you use during your work day – your sales process, estimating process, welcome sequence, invoicing and follow-up system, you get the idea. From there, translate it into clear, easy-to-follow steps. Then, try it out with one of your staff members. It will need tweaking – don’t worry, but eventually you’ll have a clear SYSTEM that delivers the RESULTS you want.