Don’t Have a Beck-n-Call Business

Yes, it is true, sometimes success comes by accident.

Or a business grows in leaps and bounds and seemingly overnight millionaires are created.

Or it occurs through the improbable improvisational-roll-with-it-come-what-may attitude.

But what many fail to see is that many of those types of success, many of those explosive growth businesses, are short lived. They implode.

Why?

Lack of structure, lack of a well laid foundation to support the explosive growth.

Guess what – the founder, the ‘boss’ is at the beck-n-call of the business…not in control.

This type of success can become overwhelming, smothering even, and oftentimes burnout occurs and then – BOOM – devastation and it all comes crumbling down. Or at best, is not sustainable at that level.

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about mission, vision and core values…those foundational boundary setting necessities needed for true success.

Yes, you can have massive quick-win success from a monetary measurement. But is that a success for you, for your vision, for what you want in all aspects of your life?

Profitability and success are not just indicated by your bottom line. It is most importantly about you being able to run a business – instead of the business running you.

It is you being able to have the business, and the life you want – instead of being at the beck-n-call of the business, your clients, and your balance sheet.

The cool thing about mission, vision and core values is that in addition to providing you the structure and foundation you need, they give you the ability to effectively set clear boundaries for every aspect of your life.

Because without those boundaries you are simply selling your products and services at the expense of yourself.

For example, if you fail to set boundaries with clients or even potential clients, then you will expected to say ‘how high’ when they ask you to jump. If we don’t have clear boundaries and the resulting expectations of what our client relations, journey and experience looks like there is (1) no way to exceed those expectations; and (2) no way to meet those expectations.

That is a lose-lose situation!

But with structure, boundaries and expectations set we don’t end up catering to customer demands and requests. Which results in us being “johnny-on-the-spot” and bending to their every whim.

Not a recipe for a successful and sustainable business.

It is impossible to manage client relations and expectations without boundaries, without outlining the deliverables they can expect, without setting communication and contact ground rules. But if we clearly define those for ourselves, and conduct our business based off those ideals, we naturally show the expectations they can have of us, and the expectations we have of them.

We all know that it is improbably that you can please someone who has unreasonable expectations (which are inevitably not met) when they go-off on an irrational sprint. So be sure to set those expectations and that they are clear, expressed thorough your behaviors, processes & procedures, and even your words.

What about the expectations and boundaries you have set for yourself – and the business. (Here is that darn mission, vision, and core value discussion again!)

It is so important, without those set it is impossible to effectively manage your business. Not to mention the ability to grow the business!

You may have the bar set too low, or you may have unbridled expectations that are incredibly demanding of your time and energy. Thus, creating a whirlwind of activity that circles and cycles until it burns you out.

Either way – you remain at the beck-n-call of your business and it is running you…instead of you being in charge.

But the worst yet is what no boundaries, no set expectations, can and will do to your life. Sacrificing your personal life, your life harmony, your peace, and wellbeing to meet overly demanding bars you (or your clients) have set is too big a price. NO material or monetary success can make up for that.

You know this – none of this is rocket science, none of this is news to you. But what are you doing about it? What can you do today? Now?

1. Finish your mission statement, and your vision statement – make sure it includes YOU in it. Not just the results you want for those you help, but for what you believe in and want to see in your world.
2. Decisively define your core values, for you and for your business, and live them out. Make them verbs. ‘Behaviorlize’ them by making “I will” statements out of them. This will set boundaries for you and the business. NOTE: you need personal core values and business core values (which are based off your personal ones).
3. Identify where you are running around at the beck-n-call of the business (or your clients) and fix it. Rein it in. Place structure around in.
4. Figure out the expectations you want to have for clients and your expectations of them when working with you. Find a way to make sure both sides of that coin are apparent. Depending on your business there are many ways to do this. We set them through our onboarding process, the way we conduct ourselves, and in our documentation and contracts.

Here are a few tips to implement (if they align with you for your business)

• Don’t always be available for appointments. Have set days/times you can and will meet with clients.
• Have a clear understanding of how you prefer to communicate – text/email/google docs/phone – and consistently use it.
• Set your menu of services, or product list, and don’t modify for every breeze that comes along. Customization and modifications are sometimes necessary but don’t make it the ‘norm’.
• Have processes and procedures for everything.
• Avoid multitasking and switch-tasking. Set your weekly calendar up such that you say ‘no’ when you need to and ‘yes’ when you can.
• Know where your limits are…based on your mission, vision and especially your core values. If something comes along and doesn’t align. “No” is the simplest answer.
• Define your revenue structure – so you don’t jump at any opportunity to make a buck or two – only those that fit the structure of the business you defined.
• Define your portfolio of attraction and don’t have shiny object syndrome for all other ‘marketing’ ideas that come along.
• Set a reasonable weekly work schedule – and stick to it.
• Have processes and procedures for everything (yes, I said it twice – it is that important)

Building a strong and sustainable business starts with you. It is a waste to pour energy, time and effort into something that has no structure, no foundation and no support. So, don’t.

Yes, it is that simple.

Even if you have to take a step back, or two, to restructure and redefine – in the end it will be worth it!