Are you frustrated trying to figure out what is blocking your business growth? And when I speak of growth, I’m referring to a sustainable increase in your revenue over time. If you’re struggling to achieve that despite all of your efforts, then this article is for you.
There is one major roadblock to achieving the growth you want, it’s not your messaging or your lack of a social media presence. It’s actually a bigger problem…it’s your systems. And if you have a system in place you may be scratching your head if this is still a problem. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
My goal is to help you go from stuck and stressed and spinning your wheels to focused and in control of your life and your business so that you can live your purpose, find more freedom, and feel more fulfilled while making more money.
You should be able to increase your income and the impact you have on others without having to be stressed out and overwhelmed. So if you are feeling stressed and stuck, and like you’re spinning your wheels working so hard, but not seeing the results you want yet, you’re doing it wrong. But you’re in the right place.
Despite what you might have heard, or seen on social media countless times, stress and overwhelm do not have to be a normal part of your life, nor should they be. Busyness is not a badge of honor. And that’s why I’m trying to change the status quo and help you live your legacy and success without the stress.
How I Know About What Is Blocking Your Business Growth
Let me tell you a bit about my former life as a workaholic. When I started my business my daughter was young, which was the motivation behind me starting my business as a virtual assistant. I wanted to have more control of my schedule so that I could be with her in the morning before school and be home with her after school. Sounds great right?
Well, I’m a type A personality and a perfectionist in recovery. When I started my business my mentality was that I needed to do everything myself. And that worked for a while. But then business picked up and I became a slave to my business. Instead of it supporting my life, it took over my life.
So I started working even harder thinking I wasn’t doing enough. Stress, anxiety and overwhelm became my best friends. I thought it was normal to feel that way. That’s what I was led to believe. And for a while, it seemed like things were going great. But then I noticed the impact it was having on my family. My husband hated the business because I was always working which put a strain on our relationship. And my daughter just adapted to me being busy all the time.
Over time, the love I once had for my business faded. I wasn’t happy with the clients I had, or with the work. So I took a step back to reevaluate my priorities and decide what to do to get my life back in balance. One thing I knew was that being a VA was not the space I wanted to be in anymore.
So I took the summer off and just enjoyed time with my daughter and worked with just two clients on retainer. I also invested in private coaching with one of my mentors which helped me identify my mission, vision and purpose. After working with her for several months, I had a clear path forward and a strategic plan for my business. I made some major changes in my business like ending all of my contracts, going back to work part-time and creating scalable systems.
That’s right! Up to that point, I did not have many systems in place in my business. That’s why I was stressed out and overwhelmed. So as I started to rebuild my business, I decided I was going to do things my way. Determine what success meant to me and build my business to support that. Most importantly, I decided that being burnt out and overwhelmed was not the legacy I wanted to live.
Steps I Took to Fix The Problem
I started with documenting the basic routine tasks I needed to complete like responding to inquiries and setting appointments. I set-up an online scheduler to put the needed boundaries around my schedule. I created a welcome kit and an on-boarding process as well as making sure I had regular check-in calls with my existing clients. These systems made business so much easier that time around and I was in love with my business again!
I realized I could have a successful business and be present with my family too! But I wasn’t seeing anyone online talking about it. So I started by helping my clients strike a better balance by helping them create strategic plans for their businesses. That’s why I require every new client to have a back-office assessment.
It’s how they press pause so we can look at the big picture.
They tell me what’s happening in their business at that moment and how they want their business to operate. Then I create an action plan that connects the dots to get them from where they are to where they want to be. Part of that process is having them identify how they would spend 10 extra hours every week. This visualization process helps them see what’s possible on the other side of the hard work. And while this helps one SheEO at a time, I wanted to reach more women with this message.
That’s one of the reasons I launched this podcast. To share simple and practical simple steps you can take right now to identify and eliminate those underlying causes of stress and overwhelm in your business. Let’s reframe your mindset when it comes to time, productivity, money and success. Then you can finally enjoy having more of it.
I’ve designed the framework and strategies you need to be more intentional with your time. And it takes the overwhelm out of juggling all the things, and frees up time so you can focus on what matters most. I just need you to listen with an open mind and to be willing to try something new. Because the way you’re doing things right now isn’t working.
I’ve been there. I mean, how many times have you found yourself wishing that you were further along than where you are. Feeling like you’re way more stressed than everyone around you or feeling like you should be there by now. You’re doing all the right things. So maybe you chalk it up to this is just the way the world works, and try to keep moving forward. But really, it feels like for every step, you take forward, you take two back, and it doesn’t make any sense. You put in the hours, you work hard, you know your stuff. You are good at what you do. But you just haven’t achieved your dream life.
You don’t have the time freedom or the financial freedom you want. And so you wonder what am I doing wrong. Well let me tell you, it’s not because you aren’t working hard because you are.
It is time to break up with busy and go from chaos to calm so you can have the income and the impact you deserve.
So start by answering these three questions.
Why did you start your business?
How is this business supposed to serve you and your family now?
What is this business supposed to do for you in the long game?
The answers to these questions are key to you determining what systems you need to create in your business. You can pick the right goal and create the best plan, if you do not have systems you will not be able to stick to your priorities.
Systems are the foundation of a strong and successful small business. They are also the doorway to the time and mental freedom you need to prioritize tasks to reach your goals.
And once you have the answers to those questions you need to answer these three questions.
What are you selling?
Who are you selling it to?
How are you selling it?
Once you have the answers, you need to create the systems that will support that being the center of your business. Once you do that, you won’t be distracted by the shiny objects and can focus on the things that will grow your business. And if this isn’t your expertise, hire someone that can help you with that. It can be me or someone else.
The truth is you’re an expert at what you do but you probably aren’t an expert at running your business. And if you are always putting out fires that means you are not giving your clients the attention they desire. Client retention is the lifeline of your business. Walt Disney said it best, “ Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again, and bring their friends.”
Remember, happy clients will talk about you to everyone they know and sometimes people they don’t know which is free marketing that results in more business for you!
Who doesn’t want that? But things can only be consistent if you have systems in place that are documented processes with automation.
So what is blocking your business growth? It comes down to your customer care for starters. And this is just one of the six core systems you need in order for your business to run like a well-oiled machine.
The good thing is you don’t have to figure this out on your own. And more than likely, you kind of already have this process in place but it needs to be expanded and automated. So if you want my help with this and would like to get my eyes on the rest of your back office operations to make sure they can support your growth, then it’s time for a back office assessment.
If you would like to hear more about the process involved, then be sure to check out the article How to Be More Intentional With Your Time to Achieve Business Growth. I walk you through the steps of what happens during and after an assessment. And you can hear firsthand from someone who had an assessment and has been able to make adjustments in their business to reach their growth goals. Check out my chat with Jodi Silverman of Moms Who Dare.
Now if you’re ready to book your assessment and take action now, go to theshannonbaker/assessment and book your call today! I cannot wait to work with you on this so you can create scalable systems and achieve the growth you desire.
Links mentioned in this episode:
EP 115: How to Be More Intentional With Your Time to Achieve Business Growth
EP 117: How to Calm the Chaos in Your Back Office with Jodi Silverman
Book Your Back Office Assessment
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