Every business owner should grasp a crucial distinction: the balance between working on your business and working in it. It might seem subtle, but it’s a game-changer for your approach and ultimate success.
Working in your business
Imagine your business as a living organism. When you’re working in your business, you’re like a vital cell, tending to daily tasks – handling customer inquiries, troubleshooting, crafting marketing copy, and even delivering services. It’s essential nurturing that keeps your business alive. But here’s the twist: if you’re always at the cellular level, who’s guiding overall growth?
Tasks like managing inventory, troubleshooting, and daily operations are the gears that move you from point A to B. Working in your business is necessary, even critical at times.
Working on your business
However, the uncommon mindset lies in recognizing the crucial role of working on your business. It’s about stepping back from daily routines and focusing on the bigger picture. When you work on your business, you plan, strategize, optimize, and set the course for the future. It’s refining your strategy, spotting growth opportunities, and ensuring long-term success. Because without clarity on where points A and B are, you’ll navigate blindly, relying on trial and error.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t have time for that!” or “Isn’t that diverting from crucial daily tasks?” Here’s the profound truth: working on your business might seem like a detour, but it’s the key to reclaiming your time. It’s proactive planning, optimizing workflows, and enhancing policies. It fortifies your business, making it more efficient. The remarkable part? An efficient organism means fewer crises, fewer unexpected challenges, and ultimately, more time at your disposal.
Finding balance
Finding the balance is key to sustainable growth. If you’re drawn more to the day-to-day in tasks, it doesn’t need to be a 50/50 split. Committing time to work on your business empowers you to handle daily operations while steering your business toward long-term success.
And there’s an added benefit: passion. When you love what you do and know why you do it, you’re in a state of flow. Over time, daily details can dampen that passion. But by working on your business, by being strategic and proactive, you can reignite that flame.
I extend an invitation to all proactive small business owners. If you resonate with the idea of working on your business for lasting success, take action. I’m so passionate about this that I even wrote a book, ‘The FUNdamentals of Business Success.’
