Whilst working with business owners, there is something I’ve discovered…

Working for too long ‘in’ your business could have dire consequences.

Most of our intentions as business owners is to build something not only profitable but fulfilling.

Eventually you’d want to remove yourself from the day-to-day operations (essentially working in the business) to shifting to a leadership role, making strategic decisions, driving the business forward etc. (working ‘on’ the business).

We get so tied up in ensuring that all the daily tasks get done. Some things I can think of are book-keeping, accounts, sales e.g.  

Even when I speak to business owners who have a team at their disposal, they still don’t move from the operational state to a leadership role.

Ultimately there are many reasons for this.

The majority of it is around trust/communication, guidelines around behaviour/how people talk and should act within a team.

The consequences

Once you find yourself stuck working in the business for extended periods at a time, you’ll notice how reactive you are to the market.

When COVID appears on the horizon, or a recession hits, or a component of your industry faulters…We’ll have no contingencies in place to protect ourselves. I feel for companies in this scenario.

However, it doesn’t have to be that way.

If you find yourself there, becoming wrapped up in the day-to-operations of your business, know that you’re not alone. Near enough everyone will find themselves there at some point. 

Knowing the implications of working in your business for too long, where it comes from and how to avoid that in future is imperative.

One thing I advise against is throwing money at sales & marketing.

Sales is generally short-term, and if you throw money at marketing in a short-term mentality, you’ll produce short term results. Your efforts won’t be able to sustain themselves going forward.

You’ll have to start thinking strategically about realigning your goals.

• What do we want to achieve out of this?
• Ultimately what are we here for?
• What impact do we wish to have on the market?

Asking these questions and thinking along these lines can potentially change where you’re headed. If the change is radical enough, it can even change your entire audience.   

Across my time in the industry, I’ve found that it can also become a catalyst for new ideas/products.

A while ago I created a brand confidence scorecard, which essentially helps businesses benchmark themselves against their competition when it comes to their brand. Below this article, you can find the link.   

Ultimately, that’s what branding is all about.

It’s around finding who you really are.

What audience you can serve to have the largest impact on the world, over the long term.

So, if you find yourself as the individual who’s always on the go/working in the business, fighting the tide of tasks and you haven’t found out how to transition… I’d love to have a conversation with you, as the brand confidence program is in full swing!

If you’re interested in having a conversation around your brand or applying for a call, you can check my availability here.

You can also contact me through my email.