Does running a successful business necessarily mean you have to be too busy and overwhelmed all the time? We certainly know men and women who seem to think so, even though we also work with others who run profitable companies while remaining calm, composed, and in control of their schedules.
This used to be perplexing to us, until we decided to take a closer look at the differences between the two groups. What we found is that the business owners who are unnecessarily overwhelmed were usually making at least one of three major mistakes…
#1 Their Goals Aren’t Defined Enough
As the old saying goes, “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” The same applies to your daily schedule. If you don’t have clear goals and priorities within your business, then anything that pops up can feel urgent at the time.
Conversely, when you know exactly which metrics or targets mean the most to you, it gets easier to make decisions and trade-offs during the day. It also allows you to direct your team more effectively, and have everyone devote their time and energy towards the projects that define your success. It’s a point that’s so obvious it’s easy to miss: when you have better goals, you have more control of your day.
#2 They Can’t or Won’t Delegate
Even the most engaged business owner can’t do it all themselves. When they try, work gets sloppy and details are missed. There are those who take pride in pointing out they are “chief executive and janitor all in one”, but is that really something to aspire to?
There are undoubtedly numerous tasks that can be performed more capably, and at a lower cost, by trained professionals. You don’t necessarily need to clean your own office any more than you need to clean your own teeth. The same goes for bookkeeping, filing, reception work, or for that matter web design. You can often get someone else to do a better job than you can, for less money than your time is worth.
Certainly, there are times when you can save money by taking a DIY approach to running your business. But if you can’t or won’t delegate tasks to others, you are inviting confusion and clutter into your calendar.
#3 They Got Bogged Down in Too Many Details
One of the hardest things about running a creative agency is deciding when our own work is “good enough.” That’s because a piece of art, or a bit of writing, is never really finished – instead have to figure out when the goal has been met and further tinkering isn’t going to yield better results.
You have to learn to identify those points in your own business. Being a perfectionist is great if it drives you to scrutinize the finer points of your work; but it’s harmful if it means things never get done. Get bogged down by too many details and you’ll never see your projects come to life. That’s when everything feels partially-finished and you lose control over your schedule.
There are always going to be unexpected emergencies and interruptions that come up when you’re a successful entrepreneur or business owner. However, if you can look out for these three mistakes, you shouldn’t find yourself feeling overwhelmed all that often. That extra bit of calm and control can make it easier to run your company and lower your stress levels. So, why not see if you can get better on all three fronts in the coming months?
For more great business advice – along with our usual tips on web design, search engine optimization, and online marketing, come back and visit the Biondo Creative blog again soon!