You have to focus and eliminate unnecessary distractions. – by Alonzo Adams
The Money Struggle
Money: It all comes down to the bottom line. When there’s not enough money, it’s a major problem. I have been in business for over two decades and I have had the opportunity to work with business owners from all over the world. The most focused and organized owners came out on top and they didn’t struggle with the money issue. Business owners that had money issues were scattered, unorganized and dysfunctional. They had a difficult time keeping the main thing the main thing, and they didn’t know where the money was going. There’s a time cost to planning, organizing and tracking your time and actions.
As a business owner, it’s easy to over-complicate things and to over-commit. You have to focus on what really matters and have the ability to eliminate unnecessary distractions. Some of these distractions are self-created while others come from internal and external sources.
Managing Healthy Relationships
Some business owners try to make unproductive relationships work with toxic employees and hard to please clients. I am always amazed how long they stay in these abusive relationships. These relationships are mentally draining and unhealthy. Remember, if you have a client on your schedule that makes you cringe every time they call, ask yourself this question: Who is responsible for putting the psycho on the schedule? These people are time and resource robbers. How you use your resources is critical to making money and saving money. These relationships must be monitored and observed regularly for a healthy business. Don’t waste time marketing and selling to people who do not fit your ideal client profile.
Taking Time to Plan and Prioritize
Business owners who started out as go-getters have a money making mindset. They understand what moves the needle and how to identify money drainers. Some business owners have a tendency to rely heavily on customer count when it comes to tracking their company’s critical numbers. Weekly meetings should be held that include a hand full of objective numbers that give an absolute pulse on where things are. Take a time-out to think about your business, to plan and prioritize, so that the whole team is on the same page and moving in the right direction. Learn and implement an actual system to help keep everyone aligned and focused on what matters most.
Alonzo Adams is President and CEO of Busy Bee Cleaning Company. He is a past President and a founding ARCSI Board member. He has been in the cleaning business for over 30 years and has been a residential and commercial cleaning business owner for more than 20 years.
