Are You Working IN Your Business ... or ON Your Business?

Here’s a familiar story for many business owners: it’s the weekend, and you’re in your home office, trying to catch up on the paperwork. Your kids are upset and your spouse is feeling ignored. You’re not that happy either, but the paperwork pile has reached epic proportions.

Maybe you’re just starting out, and you think you’re doing everything right by making sure every aspect of your business is safely taken care of. However, you’re overworked, exhausted, underpaid, and don’t have any time to do the things you love, like spending time with your family, going to the movies, or reading a good book.

If the above scenario sounds like you, it may be because you are working IN your business, not working ON your business. Take a look below to see working IN vs. ON your business.

If you work IN your business, you are:

• Doing the work
• Talking to each customer through every level of service
• Handling customer service issues
• Managing your team
• Tracking the cash
• Paying the bills
• Making the deposits
• Writing reports
• Selling
• Writing marketing materials
• Ordering inventory

If you work ON your business, you are:

• Planning for the future
• Hiring key team
• Leading the team
• Writing/building systems
• Coaching key employees
• Envisioning and focusing the vision
• Creating powerful joint venture relationships
• Monitoring daily, weekly and monthly key stats
• Identifying and expanding niches
• Creating sustainability
• Building a legacy

If you are working IN your business, having systems in place can help you make the transition to working ON your business.

The minute you go from working in your business to working on your business, you’ve started to move from being self-employed to having a business. Your business can now grow bigger, better, and take up a whole lot less of your time.

If designing a system is new to you, then you’ll love Chapter 27 of Smart Business Stupid Business. Go through the sticky note process and begin the steps to free yourself. Your kids will thank you, your spouse will thank you, and you’ll have more time and energy to put towards growing your business.