Business Owners: Get Rid of Some of Your Hats!
by Maria Marsala
Published on this site: November 23rd, 2005 - See
more articles from this month
Weigh the differences. Did you really go into business to
be self-employed?
About being self-employed!
When you're self-employed, you do "all the work,"
of course, and you're also "the boss," so you do
the marketing, the sales, the book keeping, and everything
else ________! The self-employed have done one thing - created
a paycheck for themselves along with some extra deductions. They went from
working for a company to working for themselves and they have
a new job - that of boss. Most are slaves to their business
because they have no one working for or with them. Every time they gain a new client, they reinvent the wheel
because they have no systems.
And.. the self-employed can't take days off, let alone take
a vacation! The words they use - often and to anyone who will
listen - are "overwhelmed," "tired," and
"have no time for that." (For more on the differences
between being self-employed vs. being a business owner, read
the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book by Robert T. Kiyosaki
and Sharon L. Lechter).
Go All The Way - To Business Owner!
Business owners, on the other hand, are giving themselves
the gift of time and others the gift of a paycheck. They learn
the importance of planning for their business. They monitor
their marketing activities. They know exactly who their ideal client is and what is unique about themselves
and their businesses. They run their business like the "big
corporate boys" but without all the hassle - or lawsuits!
Now if you've been in business for a while, you might think
that you're no longer self-employed or running a hobby. Beware.
The amount of time you spend working does not mean much. In
6 years, only 2 of more than 100 clients were really "running"
in business when they hired me; the rest had a business stuck
in "infancy."
Today, take steps to start the shift to being a full-fledged
business owner. Hire people to help you do the things you
don't enjoy doing - barter, if that's what you need to do.
Create a business and marketing plan, and monitor your marketing
activities. Find alliances to bring in extra income, network
(at least 2 times a week), create your ideal client profile
and then only market to your ideal client. Take your knowledge and package it. Turn it into classes,
articles, CDs, etc. that will bring you extra income and notoriety
- the "good" kind! Know what your "rack rate"
is and stop giving away your time/business.
If you really take a good look at the list below, you will
see that there is no way you can do everything yourself.
Your big roles as a business owner include:
- President/CEO
- Salesperson
- Purchasing Manager
- Office Manager
- Technology Specialist
- Internet Guru
- Human Services Manager
- Marketing Director
- Accounting/Finance Manager
- Compliance/Legal Manager
- Desktop Publisher/Designer
- Customer Service Rep
- Inventory Person
- Quality Control Manager
- Consultant
- Coach - Mentor
- Organizer
- Trainer
- Writer
- Janitor
- Assistant to you
At a minimum, assistants to all the managers/specialists
above
And if you can't yet afford to hire consultants or employees
to help you, then create a plan to do so soon!
Maria Marsala, former Wall Street Trader. We work
confidently, one-on-one, with women business leaders - CEOs
and Presidents - of service companies or service Professionals
to help run more effective and efficient businesses while
positioning themselves to achieve financial and personal success.
Join "simple Business Solutions Ezine" to receive
your one-page business Plan audio and 2 reports in your Welcome Note now. http://www.CoachMaria.com
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