Like most people who run a business, I’ve mastered the art of procrastinating at tasks that I dislike in preference of the things I love. While I’ll happily spend my time generating new business leads, networking, and dealing with staff, I realised during lockdown that it was the time to deal with all the things I’d put off. My three-year plan, for example, which is running approximately nine years behind schedule.
Having unexpected time off during the spring and summer weeks showed me something important; I spend too much time IN the business and not enough time on the strategy behind it.
Whose time am I wasting anyway?
Having made the decision to refocus my efforts, I set about working on my usual important tasks.
I was uploading my contacts and clients onto our CRM and opened it one day to see I had scheduled myself to contact 32 people. I realised that I was about to revert back to what I’d always done: waste time working on tasks that could easily be carried out by a member of my team.
With the need for a solid strategy in mind, I started the second half of the year with some crucial changes:
- Put the three-year plan back in place
- Create a new sales strategy
- Launch the new Straightahead website
- Carry out some exploratory legal investigations to see how we can improve our operation
- Implement a new CRM system that doesn’t sap my time
I’ve realigned our business and the senior team and reassigned the tasks that I had previously done – from dealing with clients, attending networking events and finding new leads, to handling bookings, scheduling, and invoicing.
I have a very capable team who are committed to the business. They are engaged and driven with the same sort of passion as I am to see Straightahead succeed. I’ve given all four of my senior team more responsibility, more duties, and more money.
And so we’re ready to restart and look forward to a new future. Our plans may need to adjust with the uncertain times to come, but we’re committed to utilising every day as wisely as possible.
About Straightahead
Straightahead are a relationship building business who help businesses to grow through intelligent and respectful prospecting.