4 Reasons to take action now…and stop procrastinating

I speak with business owners every day…business owners who know that their business could be performing better…Business owners who know that there is definite room for improvement with their team member’s performance and attitude to their work. They know that they probably need to tighten up on the management accounts, and that if they could do that, it would make a massive difference to the bottom line.

They know that if they had more structured, measured and organized marketing, that more potential customers would know more about their business and they could cash in on this new business.

They know that there are processes and procedures that need to be implemented in the business to make it a more efficient and professional organization.

They also know that there are tasks that as business owners, they need to be doing in the business, but they’re avoiding them because they’re always too ‘busy’.

So, why – when business owners know all this – are they still delay taking action…continuously?

‘Good’ is the enemy of ‘great’. Oftentimes, we’re not motivated to take action because things are ‘good’. But, in a business with a 500,000 Turnover and a current net profit of 5%, a 1% improvement adds 5,000 directly to your bottom line. So just think about your own business, and making a 1, 2 or 5% improvement…what could you do with an extra 5, 10 or 20,000 in your bank account? Why would you wait to start implementing the changes and the strategies to make that happen in your business?

If your team could be performing better, why would you wait to start making improvements? What is the delay in taking action costing you? If you’re working really long hours in your business, and there’s a way to reduce these hours while still growing your business, why would you wait to make these improvements in your personal life? What’s it costing you in terms of lost time with your family and children not to get this handled?

There’s nothing unusual about delaying taking action. The ‘excuses/reasons’ change depending on what time of the year it is…waiting until ‘after this busy period’, after ‘Christmas’, after the ‘mid term break’, after the holidays…the list is endless.

As a coach, it’s my role to challenge this type of thinking…because what it really is…is procrastination.

And what’s Procrastination?

– Fear of tackling what you know deep down needs to be tackled.

– Fear of realizing that you haven’t been holding team members accountable.

– Fear of the success that will come from making the improvements…(yes…that’s right…this is more common than you might think!!)

– Fear of the mirror being held up, and it showing you that maybe you’re not using your time in the best way.

– Fear of your lack of leadership skills being exposed

– Fear of moving out of your ‘comfort zone’

I always notice that the business owners that make the most progress are the ones that make quick decisions. It doesn’t matter if the decision is a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, but they make the decision and move on.

Others decide that they’re going to do ‘something’ to make the improvements…but then refuse to commit to a start date. They have the ‘feel-good’ factor of having made a decision to do ‘something’ but it never actually happens, because they find one ‘drama’ after another to use as an excuse to prevent them from taking action.

4 Reasons to take action now:

1. The sooner that you start taking action and making improvements, the sooner that you’ll reach your personal and business goals.
2. Most businesses could do the same amount of sales/work that they are currently doing, but could have a much higher profit margin if they knew about, and implemented many of the simple strategies we teach…what’s this costing you in missed opportunities and lost profits?
3. Retain valuable employees who may be getting frustrated with the lack of systems and structures in your business, and could easily be enticed to look elsewhere for employment and work fulfillment.

4. If you’re lucky enough to live to the age of 80…that’s the equivalent of 4000 weeks approximately (80 X 50). Many people that start to work with me have already gone through close to 2000 of those weeks. Most people would like to think that they’ll have stopped working long before they’re 80…so how many weeks does that leave you to maximise the performance of your business, and set yourself up for retirement? It makes it a bit more urgent…doesn’t it?

All of the programs that we run focus first on helping the owners and management team get control of their time and help them become super productive, so that we can help them find the time to work ON all the things that will bring rapid financial improvements, and real long term change in the business.

If you’re ready to make the most of the next quarter, and to start realising the true potential of your business, contact me to to book in for one of my complementary ‘Business Strategy Sessions’.

In this one hour ‘Business Strategy Session’ which I conduct by phone or video link, I guarantee you that I’ll show you how to massively increase your annual profits, while building the team and the systems to handle that growth in your business…all without you having to spend any more time working IN your business.