I’ve been reminded recently of the importance of working ON my business. What does that mean?
I could easily fill up a week on a client’s jobsite and spend lots of effort getting the job done, but with no effort toward getting the next project lined up. Isn’t that how it is with most things? We can spend lots of time running in circles doing ‘busy work’ and not really take care of the things that matter for growing our business.
Does your contracting work tend to come in waves where you’re slammed for a while and then you suddenly find yourself without any work? Spending time consisantly on lead generation and marketing will help even out the business.
So, I have to focus, at least a little bit each week, on things that help grow my business. I could write a dozen articles about things that would count for this, but the imporant thing is to carve out time and commit to doing it.
In my previous sales training we called this ‘time-blocking’. The idea is that you take some time during the week, or every day that you set aside to do the things that matter for your business. During this time you ‘block’ out everything else that might distract you from getting the priorities done.
For me, I’m blocking out time on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from around 6-8 am. Having three kids and a jobsite to get to eventually, I’ve found that early mornings work well for me. By the way, this is in addition to the time I spend blogging after the kids are asleep. (Hmmm.. Sounds like I don’t have a life, right?)
Why not block out some time to work ON your business. Whatever stage of growth and success you’re in, this focus should pay off nicely for you down the road.
-Peter
