Many business owners and founders often grapple with the question of where to focus their efforts for maximum impact. When you can hone in a few important areas, you’ll find that the pieces come together, you’re gaining traction and able to create sustainability in your company.

While it's not uncommon to feel pulled in multiple directions, the key to overcoming this lies in a strategic and intentional approach to where you direct your attention.

There are two areas that support yours and your business’ growth: personal and strategic initiatives.

Thinking about the next 10 years or ‘when’ you’ll be ready to think about handing over your business to prepare for that event is like waiting until the day before you hand over your house keys to its new owner to paint the walls, fix the leaky faucet and renovate run down bathroom. It’s too much too late.

And, consider what you could be leaving on the table by doing so?

You could be passing up, with some adjustments, a beautifully run company that actually reduces your headaches.

You could be passing up additional value in the business by not having some of its functions running more smoothly with a little TLC. AKA leaving money on the table.

You could be passing over obvious headaches to the new owner but that existing employees and customers still have to deal with, jeopardizing retention.

The belief that ‘getting ready to pass’ down is reserved for the actual event is actually robbing you of more money, more joy and likely more stability now.

One of the secrets to being an attractive company to run and purchase? Read more here.

If you’re a business owner and you think building a strong foundation that leads to a valuable business isn’t for you - then I encourage you to continue to read.

You see - there’s a strong link between the value of the business and the freedom you, as the business owner, experience in your business.

I hear from so many owners that the reasons they started their businesses were to experience some sort of freedom - freedom to do work they want, freedom to create their own schedules, freedom to work when they want, and to create financial freedom. Yet, many don’t achieve these things.

Freedom = Value.

Why?

I came across a quote that grabbed my attention and it’s aligned with some themes I’ve been noticing lately. Themes such as: putting time and effort in for a future reward, making commitments, and decision-making.

“Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation.”

― Robert H. Schuller

I think of the athlete winning their race and how that’s accomplished on the heals of thousands of hours of early practices, doing drills over and over again until the movements are ingrained into their muscle memory.

The artist creating their beautiful piece only after years of perfecting their various brush strokes and meticulous mixing to achieve the perfect colours and shades.

The ballet dancer who makes a leap or a pirouette look as graceful as can be, like they’re floating across the stage; perfected after years of doing daily barre exercises.

What motivates a human to do those daily or regular, sometimes grueling or methodical behaviours and practices to move them forward to a goal, a vision, or a destination in the future?

As a business leader are you currently wondering how to continue to do business moving forward?

Are you wondering if you need to pivot in some way?

Are you trying to figure out how to operate now as you prepare for the long-term?

I’ve heard these questions from a number of business owners right now.

Are these coming up for you too?

If you’re currently asking yourself these questions let’s connect.

For the next 30 days, I have a couple of spaces open right now to support and coach business owners through these types of questions.

If you’ve built a foundation for your business and are you wondering how to continue or if you are considering a shift in your offerings right now, let’s connect.

I want to see you be successful; to come out of this stronger than before

We are living in an unprecedented time. COVID19 represents difficulty and complexities for us all and that doesn’t even include those who are ill and our skilled health-care workers facing this in a more acute way.

Setting aside ensuring your family and loved ones are safely tucked away, as a business owner, this can be a daunting time. But ‘how’ daunting is how you look at it.

In one of my past live’s, I had the opportunity to co-lead and build a pandemic response for a Fortune 500 company in Canada, which fed into the Continuity planning for the organization. That experience has given me the opportunity to look at this situation from a unique perspective.