Who is running your business?  For this one particular client, a self-employed business owner, the answer or the truth was a revelation.  As a personal business coach I have collaborated with and supported business owners, executives and managers in various stages of business and personal growth.

The business in this story was entering its third year.  It had grown steadily and developed a good reputation in the design and construction areas.  The business owner had added employees and believed he was on his way to future small business growth and success.

When I entered the picture I could see the positives.  But there were some major concerns.  Running your business is similar to painting a picture.  As the picture changes you are going to have to use different brush strokes, colors, shading, etc.

Running Your Business—Keep The Brush In Your Hand!

My self-employed business owner client had hired the best people.  He was proud of that and rightfully so.  But in running your business, as the business owner, entrepreneur or solo professional, you must keep the paint brush in your hand.

He was making a critical mistake that many business owners make.  He had become busy to the point where he trusted that things were getting done.  He trusted his employees but he increasingly found that things were falling through the cracks.

And, they were starting to design a business around their wants and needs and not his.  They had the brush in their hand and he didn’t like what he was seeing.

Running Your Business—Take The Brush Back!

He wanted to take the brush back but he didn’t know where to start.  Running your business is supposed to mean that you have control.  But without good systems, that are written, it is hard to hold people accountable.  If you can’t hold your employees accountable through systems and processes then ultimately they will run the business and you, the self-employed business owner.

Our first step to taking the brush back was to create job descriptions.  With the descriptions came processes and accountability.  The next part was the most difficult.  The business owner had to retrain himself in how he did business.  He had to monitor the process and hold his employees accountable.

When you are used to winging it this is a huge challenge.  Also, his employees didn’t like the fact that the business was now being run first and foremost for the clients, not them.  A couple of them quit.

Running Your Business—You Paint The Picture

Now my client took the brush back.  He had systems in place.  He started to understand that running your business is based on process.  And that process determines outcome.  His business started to improve and experience new growth.  And here’s the key point.  It was experiencing growth that it could handle.

Whether it is online training, business training, business courses or business skills training there is no substitute for the actual experience of running your business.  I strongly encourage my clients to be involved in the forms of education listed above plus anything else that can accelerate the process of their successful performance.

Why?  Education and training gives you perspective and awareness of the pitfalls you may encounter in running your business.  Running your business is a continuing self development course.

Focus on process.  Keep the brush in your hand and your will enjoy running your business.