Do you get to call the shots?
Do you get to say when you are going to work, take off, work out, eat lunch, well, even take a potty break?
As business owners the answer is YES.
And yet, so many women do NOT have the structures in place to actually allow themselves time off.
Their business is like a JOB.
Now don’t get me wrong you need to work on your business.
But you also need to have support so you do NOT have to be “at it” all the time.
Let me ask you:
Why did you become a business owner?
And if you are still wondering HOW to have your own business, you can answer the question WHY?
The real question here is WHAT do YOU DESIRE to do with your OWN TIME?
What would you accomplish if you had more time?
What would you create if you had more time?
What is your message?
What is your mission?
What is your potential?
AND
What is stopping you from doing it?
While we must ensure we do not create a JOB for ourselves with our business, we still need to be the BOSS.
So what does the best BOSS look like?
One idea is being the best boss is making sure you are well rested, well supported, have your best interest at heart, committed to your success, having great work hours, etc.
And as always, as business owners we need to think about how our biz touches our personal lives and how our personal lives impact our biz. Right, there is that overlap we cannot deny.
So now, think WHO IS THE BOSS IN YOUR BIZ and WHO IS THE BOSS IN YOUR LIFE!
Since the answer is YOU to both (or should be) here are a few steps to use in your LIFE & you BIZ!
Here are 3 Action Steps on How to Be Your Best Boss so you can OWN your time
1. Get Organized (Yeah, that’s right. You gotta do it. It’s freeing though I promise)
Do you have a marketing calendar?
Do you have a work flow calendar outlining what to do every month, week and day?
Do you get up at the same time, go to bed at the same time—-at least have a routine?
What does your purse look like? Your car? Your closet?
What does you personal calendar look like?
Are you taking great care of yourself?
Are you refreshed?
Dare I say it…..what does your desk drawer look like?
These are just a few of the MAJOR DISTRACTIONS keeping you from making more money. Yeah, that drawer full of business receipts is in the way, because is zaps your mental energy every time you think about having to clean it out and enter all of the numbers!
Action Step:
Get a notepad (electronic or paper, stop over thinking this), take a single morning off and write down EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO inside of your business and outside of it. Inside of your house and outside of it.
Then calendar it.
Yes, actually block out chunks of time that you will get something done.
It is so helpful to look at this in 15, 30 AND 60 minute blocks of time.
What could you get done in 15 solid minutes? Closet? Client Follow up? Call to get booked as a speaker? Kitchen drawer?
2. Say NO to more commitments.
Do you really need to say YES to everything?
To the school?
To the church?
To the friend who wants free advice?
To the committee who you think may lead you to more biz?
—-Go ahead, you finish this. You probably have a list of things you WISH YOU HAD said NO to, but didn’t and now you are pissed!—-
All of these extra burdens take away from you being PRESENT in your business and frankly, in your life.
Say no next time. Here you go, “Thank you, ________________enter her name here___________ I really appreciate you thinking of me. Right now I have a little too much on my plate, try me in the future.”
DONE.
How simple was that.
Action Step:
What is one commitment you have right now that you could gracefully bow out of?
_________insert her name__________, I wanted to give you a quick call and talk about _________insert the thing here_________. I realize I may have bitten off more than I can chew and do not have the time to dedicate as fully as I would like right now. I have a solution on how I can less the amount of time __________give her your solution___________.
3. Hire support
It’s time.
You will never get a head by trying to do it all alone.
Be your best boss and hire an assistant.
There is a saying, “every girl needs a housekeeper.” Yes, the person who said it is, me, Mary Bicknell.
Who can you hire on a part time basis?
Perhaps you need to start small.
One time a month for a housekeeper.
10 hours a month for a secretary or VA.
You can look on FIVERR.com for graphic design help, marketing calendars, typing up notes etc. It doesn’t have to cost a lot.
Action Step:
Get 3 quotes for a housekeeper, a secretary or an assistant, (what else do you need? a nanny? childcare?)
And finally, if you could list out 10 things that MAKE UP A BEST BOSS, what would that look like?
Maybe, generous, flexible, supportive…..
Start being your BEST BOSS! Perhaps start with giving yourself a RAISE!
(keep an eye out for “HOW TO INCREASE YOUR RATES EASILY AND WITHOUT WORRY OR GUILT”)
Be BOLD,
Mary
