It’s all in the plan
I’ve always believed that planning and strategy are key to a successful business - you could even say that it’s in my blood.
Both of my parents were business owners - my dad a sawmill and my mum a florist shop. I’d hear about the challenges of owning and running a business every night at the dinner table.
From a young age, I knew the importance of planning. So when I was ready to enter the workforce, I quickly made a name for myself as the “man with the plan”. I became the one who’d make the changes necessary to keep Australian auto manufacturing competitive against cheap imports.
As such, that’s what my business coaching strategy revolves around.
No two businesses are alike, and since 2003 I’ve worked with hundreds of them. Each had its own problems that needed overcoming, and each required unique solutions.
This is how my business coaching Frame-Work starts:
- Determining where you are now, and where you want to be
- Identifying problems, bottlenecks and challenges
- Setting out what needs to be done about them, and by who
- Building a roadmap and setting stretch goals
It isn’t always a perfect process. Often, plans need to be changed or updated as needed.
But without a plan to work with, your business isn’t going anywhere fast.
Why TIME matters just as much as money
I’m not denying that money is an important element of any small business. However, it isn’t the be-all end-all - TIME matters just as much.
Sure, you might be bringing in greater and greater revenue. Your savings may be ballooning. But if you spend every waking moment at work, you can’t exactly enjoy the fruits of your labour.
That, in a nutshell, is why I focus on time.
Your focus as business owner should be on building your ideal lifestyle, whether that’s:
- Retiring early and travelling the world
- Spending quality time with your family
- Writing that novel you’ve always dreamed of
If you ask me, money is a means to an end, nothing more. It enables you to achieve these life goals - it shouldn’t be a goal on its own.
I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years. While each has had different circumstances and required different coaching approaches, there’s always been one constant: the focus on getting their time back.