Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It requires taking calculated risks, learning to live with uncertainty, and hard work, just to mention a few aspects of small business ownership. Yet, over 550,000 businesses are created every month in the US alone. Why the explosive growth? Despite the many challenges of entrepreneurships, the quest for freedom, flexibility, and “being the boss” is more compelling.
Of all the challenges entrepreneurs face, the most difficult is “performing multiple roles within the organization” according to a new survey conducted by eVoice®. For any entrepreneur who is currently reading this blog, responding to emails, preparing for the next day, servicing customers, and invoicing clients, this comes as no surprise. In fact, evoice® national customer survey showed that 44% of respondents wear five or more hats at any given time in their business.
How do you juggle it all so gracefully – or maybe not so gracefully? Here are a few business ideas to consider:
- Group ‘like activities’ together. You’ll have more energy – and avoid suffering decision fatigue – when you cluster similar activities.
- Delegate when possible. Entrepreneurs are unspoken control freaks and can learn to delegate with confidence by setting up parameters for feedback.
- Eliminate unnecessary activities/roles. Don’t follow the crowd. Base your actions and responsibility on your company’s strategic plan and vision rather than on what you read in the recent best selling business book.
- Develop your systems. Well-developed systems eliminates redundancy and frees you up to focus on goal-achievement activities.
- Calendar your goals. Managing your goals, rather than your time, reorganizing your priorities and centers you on critical activities to grow your business.
Undoubtedly, there is much to do in a day to keep the business running smoothly and becoming a proficient juggler. Tell us what you think! If you had one less role to juggle, what would you do? Post your thoughts below!
