What are good business priorities as an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur, you probably feel pulled in way too many directions. And it can feel impossible to know what to prioritize.
You have emails to attend to, marketing to do, sales to make and – of course – clients to take care of.
Making time for it all can be overwhelming and exhausting.
And when you weigh the two side-by-side — client work that pays the bills vs. self-work that makes an impact on your business over the long term — typically, client work wins.
Because…money, right?
The work that pays the bills gets moved to the top, while your own business improvements get shoved to the wayside.
I get it. Maybe you don’t love sales, or marketing, or web design, or blog writing, or any of the other tasks that help you develop, plan and grow.
So you avoid them (been there, done that).
The trouble is…
Setting business priorities to work ON your business
When you focus on working IN your business vs. working ON your business, your assets begin to expire. I’m talking out-of-date web pages, unused mailing lists, rusty systems, social media pages with crickets chirping.
You have to work in your business in order to bring in revenue, but you also have to work on your business to stay relevant and prepare for the next level.
Because…when your marketing/sales avenues/client contracts expire, your flow of new leads and clients diminishes unless you have your systems ready and in place.
Think about it: if your Super Power is writing e-books but your own content is outdated, or can’t be found, or desperately needs a design facelift…why would they hire you over your competition?
I see this ALL THE TIME.
Taking the time to invest in your business is HARD.
Pulling hours from your client work to focus on your business work is HARD.
Spending money on coaches/systems/programs/classes that help to grow your business is HARD.
But guess what? Being stuck is HARD too.
And becoming outdated is HARD.
And getting so far behind that you don’t know where to start with scaling your business and income is HARD.
So…which HARD do you choose?
If you’re ready to take on the HARD that leads to more freedom, more time, stronger systems and bigger results, then read on.
How to Set Your Business Priorities as An Entrepreneur
First, know that investing in your business does several things:
- It helps you gain speed and efficiency
- It shortens your path to success
- It removes barriers
- It gets you MORE (clients, income, partners, resources, information, etc.)
- It gets your mindset in the right place
Sounds great, right?
Ok, good. We’re on the same page.
Now when you think you don’t have enough time in the day to satisfy your clients’ needs and work on your own business, remember where your efforts will get you in the long run.
Fewer sleepless nights.
More predictable revenue.
Faster results.
Less time burning the candle at both ends.
More time for making a life you love.
Business Priority #1: Learn to Say No
There are just some things you should say no to.
Like doing “tasky” work that doesn’t make you happy. Or taking on a client you know is going to tax your time/resources/sanity.
Remember this (you already know this): your time is so very precious.
If it doesn’t bring you health, happiness, income, closer relationships or growth, it needs to be either cast aside or outsourced.
I say this because so many people I talk to are spinning their wheels trying to figure EVERYTHING out.
Whether your arch-nemesis to happiness and productivity is bookkeeping, email marketing, or blog writing, figure out a way to say no to it, and put it in someone else’s more capable hands.
This will save you from all those feelings of being overwhelmed and overworked, and often leads to better results anyway. Because those things you don’t like doing…they’re someone else’s Super Powers.
So say no to the tasks that take up your precious time and energy, and in turn make room for saying yes to more freedom and time to work on your own growing business.
Business Priority #2: Automate Your Systems
Free up time to work on your business by automating some of the tasks that take up your energy throughout the day.
There are some super easy, low-hanging fruit items here:
- Social media scheduling tools
- Email automations
- Auto responders
- Sales sheets with FAQ’s
- Payment processing/invoicing tools
You’ve got to have clear systems in place if you hope to pull yourself away from the day-to-day and focus on scaling your business. There are only so many hours in a day, and you’ve got to make yours count.
Use programs/resources/contractors you trust, and you’ll dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend doing these things by hand.
Ask yourself: What’s on my to-do list now that could be automated? What needs some love? Is it my sales flow? My email outreach? A lead generator?
Pick one, and figure out which pieces can be automated with either a new software or contracted service.
Make it happen.
Business Priority #3: Be Flexible
When you’ve been in autopilot for so long, cruising along with the systems and workflows you’re used to, it can be hard to change course.
It’s inertia, and it’s real.
This is when you get stuck, and it’s when your revenue stops flourishing.
In order to grow your business to the next level(s), you need to be willing to pivot, change, and move on from what’s not working.
I can almost guarantee you there’s something in your workflow right now that’s acting as a barrier.
This barrier is taking too much of your time and suckling too much of your energy — energy that can otherwise be put toward creating a vision for your business’s future.
So be flexible.
Understand that the way you’re doing things now may not be the most efficient; that there may be ways to actually make your clients happier, more satisfied, more delighted in the services you deliver. AND give you more time.
This attitude of flexibility is going to help you so much with prioritizing your efforts in the long run.
Business Priority #4: Invest in Your Learning & Hire a Coach
I cannot overemphasize the importance of investing your time/effort/dollars in finding a coach, class or resource that will help you flatten your learning curve.
Here’s the deal…
When you work with a coach or mentor, you save so much time learning the tough lessons and trying to figure it all out.
A coach has been through it already. They’ve made the mistakes. They’ve leapt the hurdles. They can point out your blind spots (we all have huge blind spots when it comes to our own business and processes).
Unless you’ve been in business for a VERY long time and done this over and over again, it can be hard to even know when you are hitting a snag.
And because you don’t always know what things make the most impact and what to avoid, you end up wasting an incredible amount of time, energy, and money trying to get it together.
The key is to work with an expert who understands growing a business inside and out.
Find the best coach, mentor, teacher, leader, etc. and spend what it takes to work with them.
Glean their knowledge, absorb their advice, learn from their experiences, and accept their honesty.
When you prioritize making this happen, you can have your client generation and revenue problems solved quickly and forever.
How’s that for a time-saver?
Business Priority #5: Flip Your Thinking
Rather than laser-beaming your attention on the projects that pay the bills, you’ve got to make room for those that expand your abilities and save your sanity if you ever want to scale your business.
Work smarter, not harder. Always.
Multi-X your earning power and bring in far more over the long term than if you stayed swimming in hourly work from your current client base.
If you’re ready to break through the income level you’re at right now…
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the must-dos on your list…
If you are ready to bring more money into your business with ease…
…then you’ve got to view your business as an investment.
As an Entrepreneur, Setting Business Priorities Pays Off
I’ve helped a number of entrepreneurs already this year to grow their business and bring in their first $10K+ month.
How’s that for a pay-off?
They didn’t do it rushing around on client projects. They did it by putting new systems in place, working with a coach, identifying new opportunities, and putting in the time to make change.
When you’re ready to make a change, get started by enrolling in one of my courses or joining my Business Breakthrough Vault.
Or schedule a call to talk. I’ll be here.
