If you are someone who is sick working long hours in your business, then you may also be contemplating what you can do to make it an absolute success. Whilst there is no set formula for business success and every person’s journey to becoming in entrepreneur is different and unique in its own way, there are things you can do to improve productivity to become an effective and successful business owner.
#1 Work Smart
It isn’t uncommon for entrepreneurs to believe that working 18-hour days equals success. There are many business owners who work long hours in their business – only coming up for air when they need to breathe, eat or sleep. Many people envision that entrepreneurs are individuals so driven to succeed in their chosen field, that their entire life is centred around their work. Hard work is essential when planning a successful business, however it’s equally important to maintain some balance in your life.
Working every minute of your day isn’t going to suddenly turn you into a successful entrepreneur. Most business owners believe that if you want something done right, do it yourself. But this approach isn’t always going to help you be productive. You are going to be end up working IN your business more than you think. It isn’t practical or even healthy to maintain a gruelling pace for extended periods of time. When you are overworked, you tend to make more errors. Its why you need to learn how to work smart and not just work hard.
#2 Delegate
Not everyone has the skills or the ability to handle every little aspect of their business. Most business owners are good at what they do. It’s the reason they started their own business in the first place. However, this does not necessarily mean they are good at other areas on the business. You might be terrible at bookkeeping, or take no interest in recruitment. This is where delegating plays an important role.
It takes time for most entrepreneurs to get used to delegating. Focus on hiring people that have the skills to handle tasks and areas of your business that you aren’t very good at. Experienced and reliable staff bring a lot of value to your business while giving you the freedom to focus on other aspects of your business. This makes it a win-win for the entire business.
Delegating is a very important part of being an entrepreneur. Most business owners I come across only realise how important and essential delegating is when they have tried and failed at a certain task or tasks. Once you start hiring others to do things you are not good at, you will soon realise you are less stressed and you have more time to work on areas of your business that need your attention.
Tip: We have a great cheat sheet with 99 Tasks you can outsource to a Virtual Assistant. Click here to download your copy.
#3 Get more done by spending less
If you are a business owner just about to start up your business, or have been in business for only a short period, you may not have the financial ability to hire a large number of employees. This is where freelancers, contractors and partners come in handy. There are a few things you can do to get more done and not pay as much.
There are freelancers ready to work for you all around the world and cheap prices. There are platforms like Upwork and Fivver who have a full database of beginner, intermediate and advanced skilled freelancers ready to work for you. You can pay someone per project or per month, depending on the job you are offering. You can hire contractors who don’t have to be on your payroll to do certain projects for you and pay them per project, per hour or per month. This will depend entirely on what you can afford.
While hiring third-party contractors and freelancers may not be the perfect solution every single time, it does prove to be a good option for a new business. You will find you’re able to meet deadlines and get all the work done without breaking the bank.
Even when you work smart, find skilled employees, and learn how to do more with less, this isn’t a sure shot formula for success. It’s important that you be realistic about your expectations, and not to be afraid of failing. Becoming a successful entrepreneur is a lot about being persistent, working hard, respecting the work that others do for you and maintaining your resilience along the way.
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