My business is small, so I have a part time job to fill in the gaps. I often wonder if I could make up the difference with the time that I spend at that job if I could focus fully on my business instead. I digress.
I want to talk about that part time job for a minute to explore what constitutes good business building practices. I work very closely with the owner and am privy to most of his business building efforts. A partner of sorts.
What is bothering me is he started out in one direction. But as I’m working on this particular task, I can see these e-mail messages popping across my screen telling me he’s off on yet another adventure. The following week he hands me this pile of information, finally shedding light on the e-mails I was seeing.
This is a similar, but obviously separate project. So I’m off…. cleaning up the project and getting it online. Meanwhile the other project is sitting dormant.
Then he comes to me and sits down to talk about his business plan… for yet another aspect of the business. That’s great… but what about these other projects?
Last week, he complained to me that things are taking longer than he expected. I had to be honest and told him we’re doing so many things all at once that nothing is getting done. No sooner do I start on a project, I’m pulled off to do something else.
He talks about outsourcing some of the work. But which projects will be outsourced?
I have to admit, while I have learned a lot about building a business from this man, I have to disagree with all of this jumping around. I’m ok with having multiple streams of income, but you need to finish one job before starting another. Finish the job, then outsource the administration I say.
I then think about how that affects my business. I am a web designer. I need to continually market my services to keep clients coming in. Before I know it, I will be faced with more projects than time, just like I am at my part time job.
That’s where scheduling comes in. And at least, since I am working for myself, I can’t keep interrupting myself with new ideas. Let’s check things off our to-do lists… one at a time.
