How to turn your money into time.

Are you an ambitious entrepreneur, thought leader or consultant with big dreams and a growing business? Are you finding it increasingly difficult to juggle the day-to-day tasks, manage your team, and maintain a healthy work-life balance? If so, you’re not alone. Many successful business owners face these challenges and find themselves seeking a sustainable solution to help them scale their operations without compromising their personal lives.

Outsourcing your operations could be the game-changer you’ve been searching for. By delegating key tasks to a skilled operations manager, you can eliminate time black holes, focus on innovation, and finally step into your CEO role.

In this blog post, we’ll explore seven compelling reasons to outsource your operations and turn your money into time. We’ll delve into the benefits of working fewer hours, improving efficiency, and creating the space you need to thrive as a visionary leader.

What this post covers:

• Outsourcing operations can eliminate time black holes and help you work fewer hours
• An operations manager removes productivity blockages so you can focus on innovation 
• Systemising and simplifying processes leads to a more efficient, profitable business
• With ops handled, you can give your team the full support they need to thrive
• Outsourcing lets you step out of frontline management and into your CEO role
• An operations manager acts as “quality assurance” to improve consistency 
• Delegating ops frees you to set big picture priorities and goals for growth
• Trading money for time allows you to amplify your impact and avoid burnout
• You don’t have to do it all – outsourcing is a path to sustainable scaling
• Skilled operations managers turn your ideas into reality while reducing friction

Listen now:

 Eliminate Time Black Holes and Work Fewer Hours

As your business grows, the demands on your time increase exponentially. You may find yourself getting sucked into the daily grind, tackling tasks that don’t necessarily require your expertise. By outsourcing your operations, you can eliminate these time black holes and free up valuable hours in your day. This newfound time allows you to focus on strategic decision-making, networking, and other high-level tasks that directly contribute to your business’s growth.

“Outsourcing your operations can eliminate time black holes and help you work fewer hours, giving you more time to focus on the things that matter most.”

Remove Productivity Blockages and Focus on Innovation

An experienced operations manager can help identify and remove productivity blockages in your business. By streamlining processes, implementing efficient systems, and delegating tasks, your operations manager allows you to concentrate on what you do best: innovating and driving your business forward.

“An operations manager removes productivity blockages, allowing you to focus on innovation and driving your business forward.“

Systemise and Simplify Processes for Greater Efficiency and Profitability

Systemising and simplifying your business processes can lead to improved efficiency, consistency, and overall profitability. An operations manager can help you identify areas of your business that would benefit from streamlined processes, and then implement the necessary changes to ensure that your business runs like a well-oiled machine.

  “Systemising and simplifying processes leads to a more efficient, profitable business that can scale with ease.”

Provide Full Support to Your Team and Help Them Thrive

With an operations manager handling the day-to-day tasks, you can focus on providing your team with the support they need to excel. This can include mentoring, team-building activities, and professional development opportunities. A supported, motivated team will not only perform better but will also contribute to a positive company culture that attracts and retains top talent.

“Outsourcing allows you to step out of frontline management and into your CEO role, enabling you to focus on the strategic decisions that drive growth.“

Step Out of Frontline Management and Into Your CEO Role

As your business grows, it’s essential that you transition from a frontline manager to a strategic CEO. Outsourcing your operations allows you to make this shift, giving you the time and mental space to focus on the big picture and make high-level decisions that propel your business forward.

“Delegating operations frees you to set big-picture priorities and goals for growth, providing the space you need to think creatively again.“

Improve Consistency and Quality Assurance with an Operations Manager

An operations manager can act as your business’s “quality assurance” officer, ensuring that all processes, projects, and tasks are carried out to the highest standards. This consistency not only improves the overall quality of your products or services but also enhances your brand reputation and client satisfaction.

“Trading money for time allows you to amplify your impact, avoid burnout, and build a sustainable business that supports your desired lifestyle.”

Set Big Picture Priorities and Goals for Growth

Outsourcing your operations frees up your time to focus on setting and achieving ambitious goals for your business. With a clear, strategic vision, you can steer your business towards long-term success and make a lasting impact on your industry and community.

The Bottom Line:

Outsourcing your operations is a powerful way to scale your business, reclaim your time, and amplify your impact. By delegating key tasks to a skilled operations manager, you can eliminate time black holes, focus on innovation, and step into your CEO role with confidence.

If you’re ready to experience the transformative power of outsourcing, we invite you to listen to our full podcast episode on this topic, where we delve even deeper into the benefits and strategies for successfully outsourcing your operations. Your journey towards sustainable growth and a more fulfilling work-life balance begins here.

Over to you

We’d love to hear from you:Have you ever felt like you’re being pulled in a thousand different directions in your business? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!

6 reasons perfectionism in your business is a big issue and 6 things you can do about it

As an ambitious entrepreneur, you’ve poured your heart and soul into building a successful business. You’re driven by a desire to make a lasting impact on the world and create a life filled with freedom, joy, and choice. However, despite your best efforts, you may find yourself trapped in the vicious cycle of perfectionism. In this blog post, we’ll explore how perfectionism can hinder your business’s growth and impact, and provide practical strategies to help you break free from its grip.

Let’s dive in!

What this post covers:

• Perfectionism is a form of self-sabotage that can waste time, money, and self-esteem.
• Perfectionism shifts focus from the overall goal to minor details, leading to a negative mindset.
• Striving for perfection delays positive reinforcement and prevents learning from feedback.
• Perfectionism contributes to a culture of being busy without being productive.
• Focusing on perfection shifts the impact from serving others to serving oneself.
• Perfectionism handicaps the ability to scale and systemize a business.
• Setting clear goals and definitions of “done” helps combat perfectionism.
• Time estimates and pattern recognition can identify perfectionistic tendencies.
• Being honest with yourself and your team about perfectionism is crucial for growth.
• Anchoring back to your “why” and the impact you want to make can override perfectionistic urges.

Listen now:

The Dark Side of Perfectionism

Perfectionism is often disguised as a positive trait, but in reality, it can be a form of self-sabotage. When you become obsessed with achieving perfection, you waste valuable time, money, and energy on minor details that don’t contribute to your overall goals. This shift in focus can lead to a negative mindset, causing you to procrastinate, self-criticise, and fear failure.

“Perfection is a time waster. It paralyses you through procrastination, self criticism and fear of failure. Think about all that perfection has robbed you of. Time. Money. Self esteem.”

The Perfection Paradox

One of the most significant problems with perfectionism is that it delays positive reinforcement and prevents you from learning from feedback. By constantly striving for perfection, you miss out on opportunities to celebrate your progress and make necessary adjustments based on insights from your audience. This paradox can leave you feeling stuck and unfulfilled, despite your best efforts.

“What perfection really gives you is this anxiety and stress overwhelmed from setting goals that are overwhelming feelings of being stuck, feelings of unworthiness and not being good enough. Even more self criticism. And excessive focus on the completed product rather than the process.”

The Busy Trap

Perfectionism can also contribute to a culture of being busy without being productive. When you’re caught up in the endless pursuit of perfection, you may find yourself spending countless hours on tasks that don’t move the needle forward. This can lead to burnout and a sense of overwhelm, making it difficult to focus on the big-picture goals that truly matter.

Serving Others vs. Serving Yourself

As an empire builder, your primary goal is to serve your audience and make a positive impact on their lives. However, when perfectionism takes over, you may find yourself shifting your focus from serving others to serving yourself. This self-centred approach can hinder your ability to connect with your audience and provide them with the solutions they need.

“More often than not, when we release the imperfect thing out into the world and we release it to the right people, the people it matters to, they don’t care what it looks like and you get this. Response of awe and gratefulness.”

Scaling with Imperfection

One of the most significant challenges of perfectionism is that it handicaps your ability to scale and systemize your business. When you’re constantly striving for perfection, it becomes difficult to delegate tasks and trust your team to deliver results. By embracing imperfection and focusing on progress over perfection, you can create a more sustainable and scalable business model.

“Ultimately it handicaps your ability to scale. It handicaps and it minimises the results that you can get. You can’t systemise based on perfectionism. And systemising is a big component of scalability.”

Strategies for Overcoming Perfectionism:

1. Set clear goals and definitions of “done”: By establishing specific, measurable goals and defining what “done” looks like, you can combat perfectionism and stay focused on what truly matters.
2. Use time estimates and pattern recognition: Tracking how long tasks take and identifying patterns of perfectionistic behaviour can help you become more aware of when perfectionism is holding you back.
3. Be honest with yourself and your team: Openly discussing perfectionism with your team and acknowledging its impact on your business can foster a culture of growth and continuous improvement.
   

   “Be honest with yourself and with your team. Are you being perfectionistic? Are your team members being perfectionistic? Is this something that we should talk about? Is this something that I need to recognise and work on with myself?”

4. Anchor back to your “why”: When perfectionism threatens to derail your progress, remember why you started your business in the first place. Focusing on the impact you want to make can help you override perfectionistic urges and stay true to your mission.
   

   “When people come to you and they need help, they don’t need it in a shiny boat. They don’t need all the bells and whistles, even though it’s nice to give it to them. If it’s preventing us from helping them, they’re not going to be happy that we waited till we had those bells and whistles.”

The Bottom Line:

Breaking free from the perfectionism trap is essential for unleashing your business’s true potential. By recognizing the signs of perfectionism and implementing the strategies discussed in this blog post, you can cultivate a more productive, impactful, and fulfilling business. Remember, your audience doesn’t need perfection; they need your unique solutions and the transformative impact only you can provide. If you want to dive deeper into this topic and learn more practical tips for navigating perfectionism in your business, be sure to listen to the full podcast episode. Embrace the journey, celebrate your progress, and keep striving for the success and freedom you deserve.

Over to you

We’d love to hear from you: What strategies have you found effective in overcoming perfectionism in your business? Share your experiences and insights in the comments below!

Team Productivity: Transform how your team operates almost overnight

Running a business is no easy feat, especially when it comes to managing teams. As an empire builder growing your professional services, coaching, consulting or thought leadership business, you likely find yourself getting sucked into day-to-day tasks and losing time supporting your team. You might have a successful business but it lacks ease and systemisation.

The good news is that with some simple adjustments to how you manage your people, you can boost productivity, effectiveness and enjoyment across your business.

In this article, we’ll explore 8 steps to help you transform how your team operates almost overnight. From clarifying priorities to scheduling regular check-ins, implementing these strategies will have your entire staff working cohesively towards your bigger vision and mission.

Let’s dive in!

What this post covers:

• The #1 thing you can do to get your team aligned and thrill to come to work each day.
• The briefing formula that has staff starting projects with confidence and clarity.
• Why pairing crystal clear instructions with context is essential for delegation success.
• The communication guidelines that eliminate confusion and keep everyone rowing in unison.
• The check-in framework for uncovering issues early before they boil over.
• The accountability strategy that fosters ownership without blame or shame.
• Why praise and recognition create an upward spiral towards peak performance.
• The keys to help your team work smarter, not harder while having more FUN!
• 8 simple people management tweaks that yield big results fast.
• How small shifts in the way you lead and communicate can transform team productivity overnight!

Listen now:

Include Your Team In The Big Picture Vision

The first critical step is communicating the big picture vision and mission to your team. Help them understand why the business exists, what impact you aim to create in the world, and how their specific role ladders up to achieving that vision.

When individual contributors see how their work matters and contributes value, they feel a deeper sense of meaning, commitment and motivation to perform.

Share progress towards goals during team meetings and message out company wins through your intranet or messaging app. The more you reinforce how everyone fits into the grand ambition, the more focused and productive your staff will be.

“When our whole team works better, ding, ding, ding, our business is more productive. Our business starts to meet its goals easier. We start to work smarter and not harder. We’re happier and things can start to get really fun.”

Provide Clear Briefs Outlining What & Why

Secondly, skilful briefing is essential for alignment. Far too often, business owners struggle with delegation because instructions are vague or incomplete.

Be clear in outlining precise expectations for each task or project, explaining desired outcomes in detail. Then have team members repeat back what they heard to confirm understanding before they embark.

Pairing crystal clear what instructions with why context is key. Link tasks directly to bigger priorities, goals and mission so staff grasp the importance behind requests.

“If we can manage Our people better, our whole team will work better.”

With thoughtful briefing, your team will start work feeling equipped, confident and committed.

Communicate Priorities & Timelines

Additionally, communicate company and departmental priorities clearly so staff can effectively manage workloads and expectations.

“Because you know what your concept is in your mind, but your team doesn’t. And we are all individual people. You’ll use a certain word. And it means one thing for you, it will mean a totally different thing for me.”

Provide guidelines around importance such as “our #1 priority is delivering 5-star client experiences – so customer queries get addressed before tackling new sales outreach”.

Share timelines for upcoming initiatives so your team understands the rhythm of projects and can schedule properly. For example, “the monthly newsletter needs completed by the 24th each month to allow for designer review prior to send date”.

Discuss Plans Of Attack Openly

Too often, employees waste time second-guessing or waiting when project plans seem unclear. Discuss possible approaches, options and processes openly so there’s less confusion moving initiatives forward.

Empower your staff to think critically and suggest ideas. Guide them if plans start veering off track, but encourage innovative solutions to keep momentum going.

Establish Clear Communication Guidelines

Additionally, disjointed communication channels kill productivity. Set clear guidelines around which tools to use for what purposes and where conversations happen.

Centralize communication instead of allowing fragmented discussions across multiple platforms. This saves critical time locating past context and decisions when questions arise.

Schedule Regular One-On-One Check-ins

Even with streamlined communication, issues can fall through the cracks if you don’t carve out dedicated time connecting with individuals. Schedule regular standing one-on-one meetings to uncover roadblocks early.

“If I’m sick and I’m the only one that has access to my inbox, I can’t look in there. No one else can see what I’ve been talking about. It’s on the task card. Anybody can find it.”

This provides a safe space for employees to share feedback and gives you insight to bolster support where needed. Prioritise listening during check-ins to foster trust and engagement.

Create Ownership Through Accountability Conversations

Additionally, balanced accountability talks reinforce responsibilities and ownership for outcomes. While these can feel uncomfortable in the moment, they pave the way for growth.

Discuss what went well and explore opportunities openly without blame. Progress requires self-analysis around how both parties can improve moving ahead.

Focus criticism on specific behaviours rather than the individual, and balance constructive feedback with recognition of wins.

Catch More Flies With Honey – Praise Positive Behaviour

Speaking of recognition, the final critical step is praise. Catch more flies with honey as the old saying goes! When you shine the spotlight on positive progress, you’ll get more of what you want.

“When we reinforce positive behaviour, more positive behaviour comes. When we focus on negative things, and that’s the majority of what we focus on, more negative things come, because that is what we’re highlighting, that is what we’re honing in on, and all we’re talking about is all the ways you’ve done it wrong.”

Celebrate and reward good work frequently. Recognise those going above and beyond through public shout outs, small gifts or privileges.

Reinforce behaviours you want repeated through authentic acknowledgment. Gratitude and validation go a long way in keeping your team engaged and performing at peak productivity.

The Bottom Line: Managing People Doesn’t Have to be Painful.

While every organisation faces growing pains, you can foster cohesion across your team through purpose, communication and support.

Implementing even a few of these people management best practices will yield noticeable improvements in alignment, effectiveness and job satisfaction. And the by-product of smart talent strategy? Your business will reach goals faster and more profitably.

Over to you

What strategies do you rely on to get the best from your team? What productivity roadblocks or people problems persist despite your best efforts? I’d love to hear what’s helped or hindered your growth journey!

Time is the biggest battle empire builders face, systemise your marketing to start winning

Are you an empire builder who’s constantly juggling multiple tasks and struggling to find time for your big ideas? Do you want to scale your business without sacrificing your quality of life? If so, you’re in the right place. In this blog post, we’ll share our top tips for systemising your marketing to create more time and capacity in your professional service, coaching, or consulting business.

What this post covers:

• Why systemising your marketing is critical for visionaries
• The specific benefits of freeing up more time and capacity
• Common misconceptions empire builders have about marketing
• The key elements of an effective marketing system
• Step-by-step instructions for creating your own system
• Best practices for systemised marketing success
• The power of data-driven marketing

Listen now:

Why Systemising Your Marketing Matters

The biggest challenge that visionary entrepreneurs face is a lack of time and capacity. There are only so many hours in the day, and it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day operations of your business. This is where systemising your marketing comes in. By creating a streamlined, effective marketing system, you can free up time and resources to focus on growing your business and achieving your goals.

The Benefits of Time and Capacity

When you systemise your marketing, you’ll enjoy several key benefits:

• More time to focus on strategic initiatives and big-picture goals
• Increased capacity to take on new clients or projects
• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Greater consistency in your marketing messaging and branding
• More opportunities to build your brand and engage with your audience
• Peace of mind knowing that your marketing is running smoothly

Debunking Common Marketing Misconceptions

Many empire builders have misconceptions about marketing, including the idea that everything they’re doing right now only they can do. This couldn’t be further from the truth. By systemising your marketing, you can delegate tasks, automate processes, and leverage the expertise of others. This will free up time for you to focus on what you do best – growing your business.

The Power of a Marketing System

A marketing system is a comprehensive plan that includes all the processes, tools, and people needed to achieve your marketing goals. Here are the key components of an effective marketing system:

1. A Governing Purpose: This is your overall marketing objective. What are you trying to achieve with your marketing efforts? Do you want to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? By defining your governing purpose, you’ll be able to make informed decisions about the content you create and the tactics you use.
2. People Resources: Who is needed to pull off your marketing strategy? This could include a graphic designer, copywriter, social media manager, or content strategist. Identify the key roles and responsibilities, and make sure you have the right people in place.
3. Tools: What tools do you need to achieve your marketing goals? This could include a social media scheduling tool, an email marketing platform, or a project management system. Choose tools that align with your objectives and will help you work more efficiently.
4. Processes: How are you going to conduct each task? What are the steps involved in content creation, distribution, and measurement? Documenting your processes will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that nothing falls through the cracks.
5. Timeline and Distribution: When will each task be completed, and how will the content be distributed? Establishing a timeline and distribution schedule will help you stay on track and ensure that your marketing is consistent and timely.
6. Tracking and Measurement: How will you know if your marketing is effective? Define your key performance indicators (KPIs) and track them regularly. This will help you make informed decisions about what’s working and what needs to be adjusted.

Creating a marketing system might seem like a daunting task, but it’s well worth the effort. By systemising your marketing, you’ll be able to create more time and capacity in your business, allowing you to focus on what really matters – growing your empire and making an impact.

How to Create a Marketing System and Marketing Process that works

Now that you understand the benefits of systemising your marketing, let’s dive into how to create a marketing system that works for you. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Start with your audience: What do they want and need? What problems do they have, and how can you solve them? By focusing on your audience first, you’ll be able to create content that resonates and drives results.
2. Create quality content: Based on your audience’s needs, create high-quality content that provides value and solves their problems. This could be blog posts, videos, podcasts, or social media posts.
3. Understand human behaviour: People tend to opt-out before they opt-in, and they need to hear something repeated multiple times before they take action. Keep this in mind when creating your marketing strategy, and make sure you’re providing clear calls to action.
4. Repurpose your content: Don’t create new content for every channel. Instead, repurpose your content to get the maximum leverage. For example, you can turn a blog post into a podcast episode, a social media post, or a video.
5. Measure and adjust: Track your KPIs and adjust your strategy as needed. Don’t be afraid to pivot if something isn’t working. Remember, the goal is to create a marketing system that works for you and your business.

The Bottom Line: If you want more time, you need to focus on systemising your business

Systemising your marketing is essential if you want to create more time and capacity in your business. By following the tips outlined in this post, you’ll be able to create a marketing system that drives results and helps you achieve your goals.

Key Takeaways

• Systemising your marketing can help you create more time and capacity in your business
• By defining your governing purpose, identifying your people resources, choosing the right tools, and documenting your processes, you can create an effective marketing system
• Focus on your audience, create quality content, understand human behaviour, repurpose your content, and measure and adjust your strategy for best results
• Remember, systemising your marketing is an ongoing process, and it’s essential to adjust your strategy as needed.

Over to you

If you found this post helpful, we encourage you to listen to the full podcast episode where we discuss this topic in more detail. And if you have any questions or need help systemising your marketing, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help!

P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for more tips and strategies for empire builders like you.