From time to time I’m asked what are my top tips for entrepreneurs. Besides the 7 basics – I’ll get to those in moment, I thought it would be useful for you to share some further ideas and deeper insights.

If you’ve been following my stuff for a while, you’ll already know I’m all about the practical application of knowledge and experience. Theory is all well and good until you come up against a blockage theory doesn’t have an answer for.

I guess you could look at the following as a sort of action plan, going through each point and asking yourself how you measure up against the points I’m going to share. You may even like to score yourself so you can focus on change, growth and improvement. Before we get going, please remember point 7 of the basics – it takes courage to ask for help and every measure of winning in any situation, takes courage.

Why?
Because in 32 years founding multiple businesses I’ve learned some massive lessons and made some scary mistakes. Much of that experience shared with you today and across all my other blogs, I’m sure there will be plenty of ideas that will help in your journey.

Right, here are the 7 basics, and quite honestly, if some of these worry you, get help. And please don’t read these superficially and think, yep, I’ve nailed that one. I’ve found that many get stuck, even though they have a good business, just because they haven’t covered the basics.
Take point 1 for example. Do you truly own your diary or is it at the beck and call of the next most important demand on your time? Are you constantly squeezing meetings into your diary? Trust me when I say that is unsustainable both in business and in life. Here’s the 7….

  1. Own and take responsibility for your diary. If you don’t respect your time, no-one else will. Focus in on only doing what only you can do.
  2. Know your numbers. Keep on top of financial planning and forecasting, creditors and debtors.
  3. Have a clear vision, purpose and values and never compromise. This is what attracts customers and builds your team.
  4. Put people first and actions second. Build an inclusive team of the right people doing the right things with the right tools.
  5. Include your whole team in your plans, promoting collaboration & innovation.
  6. Be better before bigger. Stop chasing more, faster and bigger when getting ahead can mean performing better.
  7. Get help. Stop trying to be good at everything and focus on the one or two things you’re great at and get help with everything else.

Now we’ve got those out of the way, and I hope you have carefully considered each one, let’s get on to a deeper dive into entrepreneurial success. Remember, you could use this as a sort of action plan, taking each point one at a time and becoming proficient. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be better with every review!

Let‘s start with planning. The challenge of every busy micro and small business owner, and some larger ones, mostly because they just don’t know where to start. Ask me about my small business planning and strategy blueprints.

Every effective plan starts with a goal or aim, so first define your objectives clearly to set a solid foundation. Next, evaluate whether your approach is the best possible way of achieving those objectives, remaining open to better alternatives. Then, identify any assumptions you’re making about the market, people’s actions, or future events. Consider the implications if these assumptions prove incorrect, and finally, think about alternative strategies if your key assumptions are wrong. Being prepared with backup plans will help you recover quickly from setbacks.

Clarity is the key to everything. In particular, clarity in your goals is essential for high productivity. Your goals must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound – often called SMART goals. I’ll add believable, written out, and shared – see point 5 in the basics. The greater clarity you have, the more efficient and effective you will be in achieving them.
Read more about clarity here

To further develop point 1 of the basics, let’s look at time management, and to help you in your daily tasks, use the ABCDE method – sometimes called the urgent/important matrix. Classify your tasks by importance: A tasks are crucial and have significant consequences and are things that only you can do, so complete these first. B tasks are important but less critical than A tasks, so only work on these after all A tasks are done. C tasks are nice to do but have no significant impact, and should be focused on only after A and B tasks are completed. D tasks should be delegated to others to free up your time, while E tasks can be eliminated as they have no real impact. The ultimate aim for every person in every organisation is that they are each working on A and B tasks only. Perhaps a long way off for you but I hope you can see why that’s a key productivity and scaling step.

To further boost your productivity focus on key activities. Work smarter not harder by avoiding distractions and concentrating entirely on your work. We all know this but just because it’s common knowledge, doesn’t make it common practice! Develop a sense of urgency to move quickly between tasks. Prioritise tasks that yield the most significant results based on your goals, spending more time on high-value activities. Focus on tasks where you excel and continuously improve these skills to increase your efficiency. Group similar activities together to streamline your workflow. Simplify your work by consolidating tasks and eliminating unnecessary steps. And, discover your most productive hours in your day without significantly affecting your lifestyle. Read more about focus here.

Finally, regularly challenge yourself to complete high-value work efficiently. Set deadlines and strive to meet them. Visualise yourself as highly productive not just really busy, and let this vision guide your actions. Plan your days meticulously, value every minute, and practice these principles until they become habit. See turning best practice into habit. By doing so, you’ll significantly increase your productivity and the value you place on your time. Now, consider what specific action you’ll take today to boost your productivity. Whatever it is, do it now.

Thus far I’ve focussed mainly on the time aspects of business and it’s no secret that most of us believe we don’t have enough. What I believe we should recognise is that we’ve made a choice. We’ve chosen to allow ourselves to be busy all the time by focussing in on the more tangible aspects of business, eg. gaining more customers, selling more stuff, making more money, growing the team etc. The truth? You won’t be able to do any of those things if you’ve run out of time. Respecting your time is the fundamental key to personal wellness and why it will always be my number 1 secret to successful entrepreneurship. The alternative? You will become busier, your feelings of overwhelm and frustration will increase, and those frustrations will eventually begin to creep into your business and personal life.

My professional and business journey cost me more personally than anyone would accept. At the time I didn’t see it coming, which is why I now recognise my time and my team’s time as a priority. It’s the only thing in life we can never make more of.

As well as sharing practical ideas, there is another truth I hold dear, and that is business is simple, it’s just not easy if you don’t know how. If you take my 7 basic steps above, they can be applied at any level in any organisation. To my mind, there are far too many people trying to make starting, scaling and selling a business sound complicated to justify high fees when the whole concept was simple in the first place.

Let’s develop the idea of what you can do to keep it simple.
Remember, you could use these ideas as a sort of check list or action plan…

Firstly, review and rethink the way you approach your work and tasks, ask yourself if there is a better way to achieve this, and get your team to review, reflect and improve their workflow and task management. Set aside a regular time in your newly freed-up diary to review and assess workflow and task process improvements. Focus on new information and current realities instead of past assumptions. Next, reorganise your workspace, schedule, and priorities to increase efficiency. Just because the way you’ve always done things has always worked, doesn’t mean those ways will always work as you grow and scale your business. Restructure your organisational chart so that every person can focus on their high-value activities, delegate and eliminate those tasks and responsibilities that don’t contribute significantly to your goals. This way, you and your team channel more of your time and resources into the top activities that generate the most significant results. Always be on the look out for newer, better ways to accomplish your goals more efficiently.

Finally, when setting goals and planning, be sure to align everything you are aiming for with your purpose, values, and vision. If what you’re aiming for doesn’t move you closer to your master vision, re-frame your goals so they do.

Here’s some more basic practical actions to keep things simple.
Start by clearing your workspace of clutter, keeping only one task in front of you at a time. Dispose of outdated or unnecessary reading materials that no longer hold value. Embrace periods of silence by turning off the radio or background music. Especially all those depressing media bulletins. You may think they won’t affect your productivity both professionally and personally but studies show that we are often still processing the stories we hear subconsciously for up to an hour after hearing them. Give yourself time to reflect and relax.
Is it any wonder really why so many feel overwhelmed more and more of the time just because we allow ourselves to be busier and busier and accept more and more demands on our time.

I believe entrepreneurship begins with clarifying your values.
Identify what principles are most important to you and ensure your actions are consistent with these values. This alignment will bring you fulfilment and reduce stress. Your values influence your relationships both personally and professionally, work preferences, and overall satisfaction. Make sure the way you run your business reflects these core values, making it easier to make decisions and build a cohesive, inclusive, driven and motivated team.

Develop a clear vision of your ideal business five years from now. Imagine your business thriving, with clear goals and a mission that reflects your values. Write down specific, measurable objectives and create a plan to achieve them. Regularly assess your progress with performance benchmarks. Focus on specialisation, setting yourself apart with high-quality work, and identifying key customer segments to serve with excellence. Continually upgrade your and your team’s knowledge and skills to stay competitive and cultivate habits that enhance productivity and effectiveness. I use what I call my 4-step method – I must come up with a more catchy name for it! It’s the framework I use in my own businesses and what I share with my clients: 5 year vision, 3 year goals, 1 year plan, quarterly projects. That’s it, simple….
Happy to share more on how this framework works, give me a call here.

I believe we are the architect of our own success. You can’t rely on others to secure your future. Stop listening to all those who say it can’t be done, stop listening to all those who blame things they can’t control whether a shrinking market, covid, Brexit or the latest political change. How you respond becomes the way you work and who you surround yourself with becomes who you are.

Become responsible for adding value and taking control of your own destiny. Set yourself clear, written goals aligned with your values and develop a mission statement for your life. Your mission should be specific and measurable, reflecting what you want to achieve and how you plan to serve others through your work.

Identify the key skills and competencies you need to excel. Focus on one critical skill that will have the greatest impact and work to master it. Specialise in a vital area, differentiate yourself with superior performance, and concentrate on serving your team and most important customers and stakeholders effectively. Develop positive habits that enhance your effectiveness and regularly evaluate your progress toward your goals.

Remember, there are no limits to what you can achieve. With clarity about who you are and what you want, and by committing fully to your goals, you can open unlimited doors of opportunity.

That, for me, is the secret to entrepreneurship.

Work with me:
I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.

Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?