About 6 years ago, I read a book called The E-Myth Revisted : Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What To Do About It by Michael e. Gerber. It was first published in the late eighties and was republished again in the mid-nineties. The premise of the book is simply that most entrepreneurs go into business for themselves because they are good “technicians”. A technician is a person who is good at her or his trade. A technician could be a lawyer, landscaper, doctor, plumber etc. Gerber says the technician goes into business under some pretty broad assumptions (or myths) and soon faces the harsh reality that doing what you love does not make a successful business.
Faced with the mundane details of operating a business, the stress of working too many hours, and financial setbacks, the technician eventually quits because she or he goes broke. Even more devastating than the financial loss is the disdain the technician feels towards a “skill” he or she used to love doing. In his book, he distinguishes between working ON your business and working IN your business. He goes on to talk about his philosophy on how to overcome the common mistakes and be a successful entrepreneur. It is an interesting read that I recommend if you have your own business or are thinking about it.
In today’s business challenge, I was asked to name the task I hate the most. For me there is no one task but I can group them. As Gerber points out in his book, entrepreneurs assume that since they have a good product or service, they should be able to make a living. But there are a lot of behind the scenes business operations that is a necessary evil in running a business. In other words, you have to work ON your business. Those are the tasks I hate doing the most.
Depending on the business, you have to be legally compliant to federal state, county and/or township laws. You have to set up operating systems, accounting systems, sales and marketing procedures, write policies and procedures, etc. Those are the things I hate doing the most. You can get so bogged down in all of those details. It may seem as if you are spending more time doing that than actually doing the very thing you love to do.
As an entrepreneur there are many businesses and organizations aimed at helping you grow your business. But depending on how you set up you capital and funding structure, you may not be able to afford those services.
One of the ways I am navigating these pathways is through leverage and fun.
Leverage
I am constantly on the lookout for other business owners who are willing to share the wealth of resources or lessons they have learned. I return the favor, in kind. Establishing deep networking relationships allow others to think of you if a resource comes their way that might be interesting.
The other participants in this #Blog4Biz Challenge have shared blogging tips and resources I would have even thought of. Likewise, I shared articles or posts I came across that I think might be helpful. It is a win-win.
Another leveraging option is the government. SBA.gov had tons of resources for small business owners. They also have branches or affiliates on the local level for small businesses to connect to. I recently signed up to get FREE business counseling advice.
FUN
I have decided that just because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean I can’t have fun.
I try to inject some element of fun into the mundane tasks. Take for example today's #Blog4Biz challenge. I was having a time meeting the word count. I decided that I would write as much as I could in the car ride to my in-laws. I made it into a game. While I don’t feel particularly inspired by this post topic, knowing that I had a 20 minutes car ride gave me a goal and little bit of adrenaline.
Most entrepreneurs go into business with a dream. The dream of helping someone, meeting a need, or solving a problem is a powerful motivator. In the hard times, think about the reasons you started your business and use that to motivate you forward. You can leverage the people and resources around you. Then make it fun.
How do you make yourself do tasks you hate but know that you need too?
Word count 744.
The Living BRAVE blog re-launches on Aug 1, 2013. During July, however, I accepted the #Blog4Biz daily business blogging challenge. This post is a part of that challenge. If you want to join the challenge, click here.
The Living BRAVE blog re-launches on Aug 1, 2013. During July, however, I accepted the #Blog4Biz daily business blogging challenge. This post is a part of that challenge. If you want to join the challenge, click here.
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