Are You a Prisoner to Your Business?

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

To begin, let me ask you some revealing questions. As a business owner, can you walk away from your business today for one or two months and come back to find it operating smoothly and profitably? Can you even escape for two weeks? Have you ever had a work-free vacation? If your answers are “no”, you don’t have a successful business, you have a glorified job in which you are trapped! You don’t have an effective business system; you are the business system! In a large sense, you are a prisoner of your own success.

No matter what industry you are in, you should not be a prisoner to your business! If you are, you have it backwards. Your business should serve you and your dreams. It should give you greater freedom, not less. In fact, your business, properly designed, should function practically without you, not because of you. It should run predictably and automatically whether you are in the office or not, in the store or not, out in the field or not, on vacation or not. Your business should not depend upon your presence, personality, problem solving and perspiration for its daily survival. If so, your business does not work, you do!

Do not be offended by this very direct and frank communication. Please note, I admire, respect and serve business owners and their managers. However, I get paid to help my clients “face reality” and then hold them accountable for the changes and goals they desire.

Stop for a moment and think of the consequences. If everything in your business flows through you and is dependent upon you, then you are restricting dramatically the growth and profits of your company. As a single human being, there are natural limits to the amount of work, transactions, problems, and decisions that can flow effectively through you in a given day. Stop being a bottleneck or clog. Otherwise, you will continue to restrict the potential of your employees and business and ensure your persistent exhaustion. Stop missing out on greater personal freedom, money and happiness.

Bottom line, you should run your business; it should not run you, your family or your life. Your business should work harder so you don’t have to. It should be systems-dependent and not owner-dependent or expert-dependent for its success. It should have its own heart, mind, and soul – it should not steal your vital organs and spirit!

Let me be very clear, you are the expert in your business and industry. I am not and will never claim to be. My expertise is guiding business owners to unlock greater potential in themselves and their businesses. I coach and mentor owners/managers, like you, to define clearly and then reach their business and personal goals. To implement the changes they desire. I guide owners to become more effective, focused, productive and strategic.

To face reality, identify solutions, and help them stay on track. I help overwhelmed owners/managers to work “on” themselves, “on” their businesses, and “on” their specific issues, opportunities and goals.