The Business Owner’s To-Do List Isn’t the Problem.The System Is.

Running a business means that your to-do list is never going to end. A to-do list means that you are actively engaging in, and responding to your business’ needs. Yes, that means some things you have planned have to get bumped down on the list because something more pressing pops up.  And, that’s okay because that’s not the problem.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?

The problem typically arises when the to-do list is solely dependent on you getting it done. As the list grows, but your capacity doesn’t, you start to feel the friction. Chances are that burn out is on its way if you don’t do something about it.

LEAN INTO THE FRICTION

Friction rarely feels good particularly when it’s different aspects of your life at odds with another, and they’re competing for your time, attention, and energy. Ignoring the friction, and carrying on as if it’s normal, however, is not the best solution to dealing with it. Rather, lean into. When you start to feel friction, that is the perfect time to implement my system: observe > organize > operate.

OBSERVE

What is happening in your business? What are recurring tasks on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis? You can go further out for things that are predictable on a quarterly, semi-annual, and annual basis.  What dominates your to-do list or regularly pulls you away from it? Do I already have business systems in place to manage these tasks? Write it down. If this seems like too much right now, I got you covered.

Let’s make this simpler.

Write down 3-5 things that you have to check for or do daily. This could be scheduling, client follow up, responding to new client inquiries, emails, billing, prospecting, or something else. Write it down.

ORGANIZE

By writing down 3-5 daily recurring tasks, you’ve already begun to organize. 

Now, ask yourself: do I have to be the one to handle this?

In many cases, if the task does not involve your specific area of expertise, the likely answer is that you do not have to be the one to handle the task. You can be the one to keep, and own the task if you choose, but it doesn’t mean you have to be the only one.

This is important because you are now seeing the difference between what someone else can do, and what only you can do. 

Create two columns. Title the first column “Someone Else,” and the second column “For Me.” Now put each task into the corresponding column.

Beware!  A major problem for many business owners is delegating administrative tasks, and letting go of tasks that are necessary, but do not require your expertise to complete them. Don’t hold onto the things in the “Someone Else,” column just because you are not yet sure how to delegate the task.

It’s time to put this into action.

OPERATE

Your next step is to act. You are now very clear on what items can be delegated to someone else, and let them take ownership of, or you can decide to continue doing them yourself. You get to decide. 

If you decide to keep these tasks, here’s a simple exercise: repeat the process we just went through! For each task, observe what’s happening or how things happen, organize the process of what you do, and then operate. 

Let’s take email management for example. 

Observe. 

Emails come in all day. How do I not become a slave to the inbox, but communicate effectively, and timely while not losing track? 

Ask yourself a few questions.

What are the most commonly asked questions I get?

What are emails I find myself responding to or needing to send often?

What happens to emails once I am done with them?

What happens to emails that still need a response?

Organize.

Next, you are going to write down the answers to all of these questions.

Then you’re going to determine the systems to manage, and the structures to put in place.

You’re now ready to OPERATE.

Operate.

For most commonly asked questions, create email templates of the general response that answers the question. This will allow you to retain the important information, and add in any other information the response requires. 

For emails you send regularly, such as payment reminders, or customer follow-up, create email templates, and only change the information that needs to be changed.

Inbox organization. Perhaps you decided to create a labeling system. You will set that up. Perhaps you simply archive every email - no set up is required. Perhaps you star the emails that you need to come back to. 

If you don’t want to keep these tasks or create the structure, you don’t have to! But, you now have a very good place to work from when choosing to delegate. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s based on how you operate most efficiently, and it is set up in a way that makes it easy for you to access. 

BUSINESS SUPPORT THAT WORKS WITH YOU

After completing this very short exercise, you have clarity, you have direction, you know what to do next, and you have the sense that relief is just around the corner. Adding another task to your to-do list is not going to give you that relief, but delegating those tasks to someone you trust to take ownership of those tasks so you don’t even have to think about it is going to provide you that relief. Business support isn’t about taking things away from you; it’s about giving you the support you need to move your business forward by doing the things only you can do.

How Admin Warrior Fits Into Your Business

Admin Warrior provides high-level remote business support to small business owners. Admin Warrior specializes in driving your mission, and your vision by creating the structure and systems needed for your evolving business. Whether you need just a few hours a month, or a partner, we’ve got you covered. 

Tired of being the business owner overwhelmed with tasks? Let’s talk.