Small business owners take pride in being able to figure everything out.

But at what cost? We are scrappy and we put our heads to the grindstone to get it done. In this week’s podcast episode I encourage you to take a look at what is slowing down your growth and eating up your time and freedom along the way.  I give you five questions to ask yourself to identify where you should REALLY be spending your daily hours to get the most bang for your buck and reignite your passion for your business again. 

The questions in the episode will help you identify tasks that are keeping you stuck where you are as well as tools to move forward and accelerate your growth.  Let’s jump into those burning questions (I know you can’t wait!)

#1 – Where do you spend most of your time now?

Are you putting out fires? Jumping from one task to the next with no rhyme or reason only to end the day wondering what the shiitake steak did I get done today? I feel you, this can make you feel disheartened, burned out, and unfulfilled in your business.  We need to get you out of that routine. In order to do that, we have to figure out where you are spending your time, how much time you are spending on those tasks, and where you would rather be spending time.  In the episode, I give you some examples of tasks that eat up your time that you could eliminate or delegate.  Give it a listen here.

#2 – What repetitive tasks can you create processes for?

We all have those time-sucking tasks that MUST be done. But do they need to be done by us? In the episode, I give you the following tools and ideas to easily create processes for your business so that you can then delegate to a team member or contractor.  The first is Loom which enables you to record your screen as you’re going through a process and then you can share that recording with your new team member. I recommend using a learning portal like Kajabi to organize everything as well as ensure that your processes are private.

#3 – What is always on your to-do list?

If you’re like most business owners, you have a never-ending to-do list.  In fact, I really don’t understand the phrase “I’m bored!” I’ve not been bored since starting my business and probably before. Can you relate? But, it is easy to be overwhelmed by that list of tasks, especially when they never seem to reach completion. When you take a look at that list and choose 3 things that have to go, right now! As in today! How does it make you feel when you will get to let those go? Sit with that feeling and then find someone to do them. I know, I know, you can’t afford it.  I’ll be getting to that in a minute. But remember, to grow we have to let go.  And letting go means releasing the illusion that we are the only ones that can do it “right”. Our pride and perfectionism keep us stuck.

#4 – Saving money is costing you time which is costing you money.  Is it worth it?

In episode 84 I walk you through a simple scenario that illustrates exactly how much it’s costing you to keep doing everything yourself.  And not just monetarily – but your happiness, passion, and freedom as well.  I also go down a little bit of a rabbit hole when it comes to trading your services or not charging what you’re worth.  You’ll have to listen in to get the scoop on that, but it’s SO worth it! I promise.

# 5- How will you cast a vision for your business and build the team to take you there?

First, you have to know where you are going. Hence the vision. Don’t get caught up in the semantics. Make it a year, three years, or even five years.  I don’t think I would go much past that, because frankly, as we have seen recently, things can change quickly. Once you have that vision you have to come to the conclusion at your own pace that you can’t get there alone. No one does. This means you have to seriously consider who it’s going to take in your corner to get you there. I recommend making a list (even if it’s just a wish list right now) of those people and describing who they are, what they are like, and why they would fit well with your team.  Last but not least, put up a job post on indeed.com, ZipRecruiter, or even Craigslist.  Just because you post the job doesn’t mean you have to hire someone. But getting into the practice gets you ready to put your plan into action.

These five questions will start you down the pathway to spending more time doing what you love in your business while building a support network to get you to your goals. 

Listen to the entire episode here:

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