I'm freaking out because it's time to take myself off the front line and hand it over to someone else!!!

Did that title sound like it had your name on it? If it did, welcome to the club.

This is serious stuff. If you're at that stage, you're not alone. I'm doing the exact same thing and the same kinds of worries are coming up for me.

This isn't just our business, this is our baby and if we take ourselves off the front line, things could fall apart. Isn't that what we are thinking? We're likely also thinking..

What if they do it better than I did it? 

or

What if I can't find a manager who can manage to maintain the brand I have established?

Then if you're like me you might be thinking..
 I don't really want to manage - I'm a leader and we all know that leaders and managers are not the same thing.

The most painful part starting a business with barely enough money and not enough skills is that we have to do all of the tasks ourselves.

We know that there are certain parts that get us all fired up and other things (like bookkeeping) that are like a damp rag. Get that damper off your plate as fast as you can.

I can work 20 hour days doing the parts of the biz that I love. I need staff in order to scale but I have no desire to even try to figure that part out. I don't want a manage. I am not a manager, I am a leader. I do  not like to manage at all. I'm not good at it. So the options are....stay where you are or find a manager.

Then there's that other little niggling thing....letting go. Yep, I said it out loud. It's not easy letting go. But it is necessary for growth. I get that.

I know you love your baby. I get that it was your sweat equity and tears that got you to this place - letting go is not easy but you do have a limited supply of energy and right now you're spending far too much time on this decision. 1, 2, 3, JUMP

But you know what? That next level, it's there for you and it needs you - if your plan for the future needs your undivided attention, you need to giddy up go.

I have spoken with so many people who have arrived at this stage - decision time. Many of them were held back because they couldn't make that decision.

Letting go wasn't an option for them and they didn't get to live that dream. I could detect a little regret in the way they reminisced. Their passion got dampened somewhat. One person told me that she makes a good living but she turned down the opportunity to make a great life.

I don't want to be one of those people

and I have a feeling that you don't either.

So, 

one of the things that you can do is look fear in the eye and tell it you're onto it. Look at that worse case scenario (it doesn't happen as often as you think) and then weigh that against not acting - which one makes you cringe at the thought. Staying the same can often be a de-motivator. It can suck the life right out of you.

Is it time to act? It's up to you..

Are you a planner or a doer?

There are benefits and burdens in being at the extremes - are you a planner or a doer? When I need a plan written, I love giving it to an extreme planner - they don't miss anything. I can write plans but they're labour intensive for me. I like to get 'er done.

On the other end of the spectrum, if I need something done, I'll find a doer to pull that off. They may not dot every "I" or cross every "T" but they will get the job done.

When you own your own biz, you're often both people, the planner and the doer.

Being at one or the other extreme can work to your detriment. That's why we have to put systems in place to protect ourselves from our own proclivities.

I'm big on execution "done is better than perfect in my opinion". But...I also see the benefit in reading the instructions, I run my ideas by people. I ask others for advice like what to watch out for. I have learned that this DOER in me can land me in hot water at times.

My entrepreneurial friends who are big on the Planning end of the spectrum report that the plan can bog them down. They can get lost in fine tuning the plan. Sometimes they take longer to achieve something as a result. To overcome this, they will bring in someone to manage projects and to provide the proverbial kick in the behind that is needed to get 'er done.

Are you a planner or a doer and what strategies do you have in place to save you from yourself? Just curious?

How do you creatively market your business?

What a great day!!! Eight business people coming together to share a lunch that had a strategically random flavour. How did this happen? I am always trying to think of new ways to market my business - events that pack a little punch and are more than a sharing of business cards. A way to build a relationship. 

Like the quote "A rising tide lifts all boats!" I enjoy sharing the glory and getting in one another's slip stream.  

Good food, good people and an opportunity to showcase what you do. 

I took out my LIST of inspiring business people and I drew random names until I had a group of eight. That's a good number for lunch. Everyone said yes when invited and that was the start of our first month of #LetsEatTogether and #CreativeMarketing. 

We shared stories of how we ended up in this business place. We talked about our big plans, the importance of jumping in with both feet, the hustle and grind and we laughed. We really did laugh especially when stories were shared about......oh you had to be there.  

Somewhere near the end someone said "What about our business cards?" 

Oh ya, we had so much fun that we forgot to share those. Isn't that novel? We spent so much time building relationships that we forgot to try and make a sale. 

In February we will do it all over again - I love meeting new people. 

How do you get creative with your marketing? What do you have in mind for 2018? I'd love to hear all about it!

Tax Time Tips: Sorting the Shoe Box

It's that time of year. Let's face it, not many business people love TAX TIME! 

After all, we get before tax dollars!!!! Duh!!!

If you're facing the proverbial shoe box filled with crumpled receipts and packing slips, you need a plan. 

If your receipts have not made it in from the glove box yet, you need a plan. 

If you're forgetting about your digital expenses and you seldom print a receipt when you do the email transfer, you need a plan. 

Here's the plan!!

Don't get overwhelmed. I suggest tackling the beast in one hour chunks. 

Take a deep breath all the way to the soles of your feet and breathe all the way out. You're ready - oh ya, you're more than ready. 

Set aside one hour a day so you don't get overwhelmed.  Did I say that already? What do we do when we get overwhelmed? We kick the shoe box into a dark recess in the closet and don't do our taxes at all. DON'T DO THIS!!!

As much as we don't love tax time, let's show it the respect it deserves.

 If you think that shoe box is intimidating - you should see what it feels like when you get that knock on the door. Know what I'm saying??

...back to the plan

Breathe......

Collect those digital files and put them in one place. Don't miss out on write offs just because you hate doing the leg work. Bring the receipts in from the car and dig through your pockets - they're everywhere. 

You won't notice gaps in expenses until  you get it all sorted. So start sorting. 

Check those dates. Make sure it's dated for this year. Is the receipt  for advertising? Don't put it in the pile where you put your receipt for snow tires and car repairs. You get it?  CATEGORIZE your mess.

Your tax preparer will give you a handy dandy set of handouts to get you sorted. I know this for a fact - oh ya, we do taxes.

Entrepreneurs (at least the successful ones) do hard stuff every day - this is hard stuff!!!  But believe me when I say that you're going to love the weight that will be lifted when you're finished. 

Of course, if you really don't like it, you can get someone to do it for you. Give us a ring - we can hook you up. 

My Pet Peeve - Poorly Designed Curriculum for Business Courses

I've taken a lot of business courses - some  were extremely helpful but there are a 

lot of programs that are poorly designed. 

There is a hierarchy of skills that business people need to develop. I see people out there with mad skills in communication, networking and growth mindset who are hitting it out of the park revenue wise. People who have never taken a business course. 

Could they be doing better? You betcha but....

They have the core competencies in the bag. 

I've also met business people with a binder filled with certificates - wait a minute - that's me. I had a binder filled with certificates. Someone gave me a grant for a business plan when I had no idea how to make my first dollar. I couldn't have communicated properly to a prospect had they fallen in my path gasping for air. I didn't have the core competencies needed for success. 

The learner will also be given opportunities to communicate. 

The learner will also develop some kick ass networking skills by 

interacting with the other participants.

The learner will be introduced to the concept of mindset - fixed and growth.

The instructor will be trained and effective in adult learning principles.

There's a reason why we need pre-requisites to take certain courses in university. There's a reason why kids learn particular strands in math at certain times. 

Information needs to be layered in a certain way. 

There's a reason why the success rate for new business owners is so low.  Core competencies are being ignored. The time to do something about it is now. 

It's not enough to have a pet peeve - I see it as an opportunity in business.

Can you dream a KICKASS dream?

There are many skills to master as a business owner. Planning, communication, networking and the skill sets around money are all essential but.....

the one skill that is often trivialized and not given as much time as we should give it is

the ability to dream a big dream.

Truth is, some of you will stop reading at this point because

you're not into the "fluffy skills. But, resist the urge - suspend your disbelief. Read on!!

How much time do you spend perfecting the art of dreaming? How clear are you about where you are headed? Are you disciplined enough to continue to take steps to reach that goal in spite of the obstacles that others are focusing on?

Or....

are you getting bogged down in the crap that you have to wade through? Smart business people dream great big dreams and they take daily action toward achieving those dreams. What they don't do matters even more - they don't fall into the worry trap which can sap all of your energy and slow you down.

We're not oblivious to the fact that our disabilities are a barrier to success or we may not have enough capital at the present moment but we are very good at locking onto that target

and getting down to the grind each and every day because we're certain that no matter

what is standing in our path - we're going to overcome it!!

We're certain of it. We're not clear on the how but we are focused on the what.

That's the kind of determination and discipline it takes to be successful in business.

Only people with that level of nerve and guts succeed in this gig.

So yes, spend time learning about the money but spend even more time learning how to dream.

Join us for our book club which will start on Sunday for an introduction to the art of getting what you want.

Details here!!!