Spring has finally arrived, and while some of us are diving deep into the dust bunnies around our homes, the most successful entrepreneurs and business owners are busy decluttering their businesses. With the sun shining and the summer approaching, this is the best time of the year to step back, sit down, and take a good look at your business. Here are 5 ways to spring clean your business, your schedule, and ultimately, your life as an entrepreneur this spring.
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Get to know your 80/20.
The 80/20 rule or the Pareto principle is defined as when 20% of your actions, products or services will dictate 80% of your results – whether that means your financial rewards, your happiness or your brand awareness. If 80% of your business successes come from 20% of your inputs, you better know what those incredibly impactful 20% of your inputs actually are.
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Figure out where you are wasting time.
Do you have a few low-value clients that eat up the majority of your time or resources, or that simply cause you undue stress? You know the clients – the ones who call you, text you, Facebook message you and email you until you write back? Clients that expect your undivided attention whenever they need it? Consider sitting down and actually calculating the hours spent (relative to the value earned) from these clients, and don’t be afraid to break up with them if they are taking advantage of your precious time.
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Figure out what you are not good at, and outsource it.
Are you trying to run a social media company without a professional photography or graphic designer and drowning in the attempts to make it look like you have one with your own Iphone? While it is pivotal, especially in the early stages of running your business, to try your best to tackle everything in house for the sake of your spreadsheets, sometimes, running around at events pretending to be a professional videographer can be detrimental to your bottom line in the long run. Determine what and where you need to outsource, and if the numbers work, actually do it.
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Simplify Everywhere.
It is time to take stock of all of those tiny tasks that keep you working late and keep you from being the central force of creativity and growth in your company. Can you automate any of your business tasks- from invoicing to social media posting to paying bills? Is your inbox overflowing with hundreds of unnecessary emails every morning? Take time to unsubscribe from anything that no longer serves you. Are you and your team spending hours in meetings that take you no where? Set specific timelines for each meeting and deadlines for each project and stick to it. Are you drowning in the time wasted crafting a new email every time a client places an order? Spend a few hours writing email templates for every possible inquiry and add them to your inbox. Think about every task that could be simplified, and simplify it.
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Look inwards, and take care of yourself.
Are you burnt out? Has your team been burning the candle at both ends for months trying to keep up? Sometimes, amidst the hustle of launching and running a business, managers and founders can completely forget to look at their own well-being (and the well-being of the team that supports them). Take time this spring to do one-on-one check-ins with every team member. What do they need? How are they feeling? Where do they see the business growing (or faltering)? What suggestions do they have? Then take time to do this with yourself too – write in a journal, take a vacation, or just step out of the office for a solo cup of coffee to self-reflect on where you wanted your business to go, and where it currently is. It is time to make a list of changes and adjustments required to reach your initial goals (and maybe even set some new goals!). You deserve it.
Finish up your entrepreneurial spring cleaning by brightening up your office space with some fresh flowers, a new paint job, and maybe even some colourful rebranding. The most successful businesses are always checking in to see where they can grow, what they can let go of, and where their successes come from. You, your team, and your business all deserve a little spring cleaning this year. For recommendations on how to achieve the aforementioned goals, contact our entrepreneurial experts at SKYFALL BLUE
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