- Wisdom Teeth – Ouch!
About a week ago, I had the rather unpleasant experience of having oral surgery to have my top two wisdom teeth extracted. Ouch is right! It’s definitely not something I’d recommend if you can avoid it, but it was one of those things I had to get done.
Although I thought I would be back in action in my business within a few days, it actually took more than a week to fully recover. Naturally, I had a lot of time to think (when I wasn’t drowsy from all the pain meds!) during this time. Believe it or not, I actually learned a few things from this experience that will change the way I do business and I want to share them with you.
1. The Importance of Having a TEAM
As a solo-business owner, I’m accustomed to doing everything myself. I’m the owner, the worker and the billing, accounts payable, customer service, marketing and administrative departments. I do it all! Sound familiar? It’s a business model that’s very common, but not very effective. There’s no time that this is more apparent than when something happens that takes you out of your business for a period of time – like having your wisdom teeth out.
Although I’ve heard it time and time again from my coaches and mentors – I ignored the importance of having a TEAM. And it smacked me right in the face (literally) when I wasn’t able to get back to work as quickly as I thought. I should have had my virtual assistants trained and on high alert as soon as I knew I was going to have surgery.
I have several virtual assistants whom I work with on occasion, but they are not really a part of my “TEAM.” By that, I mean I don’t have anyone who knows the ins-and-outs, procedures, systems and daily operations of my business. Take me out of the equation and the business pretty much ceases to exist. BIG mistake!
No surprise, one of the first things on my task list for next week is having at least one assistant completely trained and ready to take over my daily operations at a moment’s notice. Part of that means that I must document every aspect of my business and create my own “operations manual” that I can simply hand off to my assistant and she’ll be able to replicate everything I do to run the business in my absence.
And it’s not just important to have a back-up for myself either. It’s also critical to let go of some control and delegate more if I want to grow. Have you ever thought about how much more efficiently you would run your business if you were able to delegate the tasks and projects which are not your strengths (the stuff that you HATE to do)? Not to mention, how much happier you would be not having to do the stuff you dread in your business! Making the investment in getting the help you need frees up your time to do the thing you do best – work with clients and grow your business!
TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More!
2. The Importance of Connecting With People Face-to-Face
I’m grateful for the ability to work virtually every day, in my sweats, without leaving the house. However, just because technology has advanced to the point we don’t have to leave the house, it doesn’t mean we should never get out! Being house-bound for a week has been rough!
When I feel better, the first thing I’m going to do (after having a real meal!) is go to a networking event. Being around like-minded people and putting in some “face time” is so good for your mindset and your business. I don’t know about you, but I feed off the energy of other people. Sitting alone, isolated at my home office every day just doesn’t get it for me.
Even in the age of social media, it’s still so important to network face-to-face! There’s nothing like connecting with people one-on-one to build your know, like and trust factor. And we do business with those we know, like and trust – right? Networking is still one of the top marketing strategies to build your business quickly. Not to mention, you’ll feel connected and supported being around other business owners, colleagues and friends.
3. How to Turn Lemons Into Lemonade
I’m a hopeless optimist. I can’t help it. I’m lucky to have a wise mother who always taught me to “turn my lemons into lemonade.” It’s a philosophy that’s helped me through many rough spots throughout my life.
Ask my husband or my kids, when they come to me with a problem or concern, I always say, “What’s the worst possible thing that can happen?” Nine times out of ten the worst case scenario isn’t quite as bad as you think it is. You can always turn a negative into a positive if you look hard enough.
While it was painful, exhausting, challenging and inconvenient to have this procedure, there’s always a positive. On a good note, I got some much needed rest; my kids and my husband pitched in to take good care of me and keep the household running smoothly; and I lost 5 pounds being on a liquid diet for a week and now I look bikini-ready for my trip to Cancun in two weeks!
4. Choose Ideal Clients
I’m so thankful to my wonderful clients who have been so supportive and understanding in my absence! I haven’t always had clients like this. I can think of a few in the past who would’ve complained or fired me for having to reschedule an appointment. This experience reminds me of the importance of choosing ideal clients. Yes, you can choose your clients! You don’t have to work with just anyone with a checkbook.
It’s tempting, especially in the beginning of your business, to take any client that is willing to pay you, regardless of their values, personality or ethics. What I’ve learned over the years is it’s much better to hand-pick your clients, based on the personal qualities they possess and how well they fit with your style. In the long run, you’ll be happier, more energized and more fulfilled in your work and your clients will get better results!
