The secret most successful entrepreneurs won’t tell you.
Member feature : by Corné of VA Connect
What you put in is not what you’ll get out!
Let’s just decide to be honest today, achieving success as an entrepreneur is hard work! Extremely hard work and I love it! But I was reminded again this weekend that entrepreneurs will often work an 80-hour week just to avoid working 40 hours for someone else. Now that’s scary to me. Why? Cause I know it’s true. Cause I’m not only an entrepreneur but a mother, a wife, a student and a friend. You know this as well as me, the demands on our time are enormous. That means prioritize! That means from now on I’m going to outsource as much of my business’ functions as possible. Especially those I don’t want to be involved in. Not because I don’t want to do it or I’m lazy, but because my time is valuable and therefore better spent where my strengths are.
I’ve got G-O-A-L-S!
I became an entrepreneur for flexibility, I became an entrepreneur for that all elusive work/life balance (which is a myth by the way), there’s only work/life integration at best. I became an entrepreneur so I could make MONEY and TRAVEL! Yes, of course, I want to make a difference in other people’s lives through the work that I do, but I also want to provide the best I can financially for myself and my family and that means I have to do what I excel at. I solemnly believe in “managing your weaknesses and building on your strengths”. And that’s why outsourcing is an excellent way for me to focus on what’s important to me and for my business’ current and future success.
Here’s why I’m turning in my D-I-Y mindset – Immediately!
I’m turning my do-it-yourself mindset into do-what-only-I-can! Why? Because I attended a Social Media and Business Success Event this weekend that ran over two days specifically for entrepreneurs and I paid attention – believe me!
There were about 8 speakers at the event and all of them focused on providing the audience with a blueprint for achieving success in their specific markets, and it doesn’t matter if it’s product or service-based. What hit me was the fact that all of them were wealthy and successful entrepreneurs themselves that had built their businesses from scratch. So, what’s the one common denominator through all the sessions? Take a wild guess. Focus on your strengths, outsource if you have too, but make it sooner rather than later. You want to know why? BECAUSE as the entrepreneur and business owner you don’t have the luxury of wasting your time with tasks that won’t build your business. You are the visionary – you are the one at the helm of the ship. You can’t stoke the fire in the engine room of the ship and be the lighthouse keeper guiding the ship through the ocean at the same time.
“Entrepreneurs ideally need to spend 80% of their time working ON their business and 20% of their time working IN their business”
In Summary
I came to realize this weekend that I’ve slowly but steadily been going in the wrong direction, trying to do everything myself. The truth is there are skilled people available out there in the “virtual world” with skills that I need in my business to thrive! AND I’m only going to reach my goals in business when I utilize those “virtual resources”! So, this is me adjusting the sails and taking up position again as the lighthouse keeper! Maybe you should consider it too…
For more info about Corné and how VA Connect can help your business be more effective, please do visit our members page.