Where are you in your business this year?  

I was just doing some reflecting that I wanted to share with you.

 

I’ve been very head’s down this year. Usually in January I’m doing launches and pushing things forward. This year I got really sick in December (damn flu!) and then got some co-infection stuff (ugh, strep throat!). So I haven’t been able to kick ass the way I usually think about doing.

Instead I went deep inside myself and had to really open to relaxing, resting and doing something different. I couldn’t drive myself the way I normally do.

 

In really listening, I have been making really big changes. I decided that my theme of the year is: going from good to great. I choose a theme of each year and really try to embody that theme and use it as a touchstone.

 

So I’ve been documenting our processes like mad – making sure that everything we do with clients is documented and repeatable without me, making sure that clients are getting information and clean data on time and cleaning up onboarding processes for staff and clients as well as termination processes, retention processes and so on. I created job descriptions and job application forms. Self-evaluation form for staff, onboarding evaluation forms and process and so on. It’s a lot of things. (Now that I write it down, I’m impressed. I do ALLLLL the things!)

 

I also have been evaluating staff performance and giving training, feedback, and tons of support. I let my writer go because her writing wasn’t getting results – rather than waiting until there was a conflict – waiting is easy, being decisive is hard. I hired one of the best writers I’ve ever encountered in my industry to help us really clarify our marketing and get seen for the work we’re doing.

 

I’ve interviewed more than half a dozen people for other positions: graphic designers, web folks, FB ads/PPC people, branding strategists.

 

Upping our game is a *massive* undertaking. It involves updating systems, staff, documentation, skills and our org chart. And changing the way I think about my business. Again.

 

New level, new devil, right?

 

Upon reflection, I’ve been feeling like I’m still doing too much, I’m still not been living in my zone of genius and my staff is good, but with some work we could be amazing. So I’ve been putting the time in to teach folks what I know and how to love clients better, and do research and get support where I don’t know.

In the last 2 days – in addition to seeing clients and doing work work – I wrote 18 pages for our new writer. 18. That’s a lot of writing and documentation. Getting together content, sales pages, notes, tables, facts, testimonials, reflections, and many tons of details about our work and programs.

 

In the process, I’ve clarified my questions and where I’m heading with my work. As a result, I’m ready to release a bit more to my staff because I have confidence that the processes will hold us (or I have a process to fix it when the processes break :).

 

I have a feeling that when I look up again in a year that this will be a very different business.

 

It takes work to be a successful biz owner. And we’re putting in the work to make sure our clients feel loved and handled, long-term. Even when I can’t have my eyes on them.

 

So many biz owners can’t let go of what they do because of lack of systems that create the containers to hold them in the big leap into more clients, hiring staff and having more success.

 

I see it all the time with bookkeeping clients. When they let go and we’ve got them, they can focus elsewhere.

 

I’m really proud of myself for creating a biz that will run with a whole lot less of my time – without less of my love.

 

As always I have questions for you to reflect on:

 

What are you creating that really serves your life and your long term goals?

And what do you truly value enough to put it at the center of your world for a year?

 

Have a great week!
Briana