When you first set up a meeting and event planning business it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can do everything yourself.
In a vain attempt to save money and keep things ‘in-house’ you decide to take on every single task, from your bookkeeping and administration, through to answering the telephones and designing your website!
Of course, it’s entirely possible you’re good at all of these jobs, but your success won’t depend on how well you do everything, but rather, on your ability to focus on the tasks that will help you grow your business… and your willingness to delegate or outsource the rest.
If you’re trying to be the cook, the cleaner and head bottle washer you’re making a BIG MISTAKE that will leave you feeling completely overwhelmed… and your business at a standstill!
Take time to reflect
Look back over the past month and ask yourself these simple questions:
- How much time did you spend doing jobs that could easily be outsourced?
- How long did it take you to do the tasks that you know you’re not very good at?
Now consider the growth and future success of your business.
- How much time did you spend working on your marketing, asking for referrals and learning from your mentor? (you do have a mentor, right?)
- Have you been following up with your prospects and clients or wasting valuable hours doing the filing?
The best piece of advice you’ll ever receive:
Don’t waste time attempting the tasks that are hard for you – delegate or outsource them!
For example, a bookkeeper shouldn’t cost more than £15 / $25 per hour. And a virtual assistant can be less. Using both will significantly increase your productivity and save you large amounts of time and money in the long term.
Focus on the things you do best
Respected internet millionaire, Jeff Walker, suggests you should stay in your ‘genius zone’.
What do you do that other people find exceptional, but comes so easily you can’t work out why they’re so amazed? That’s your genius zone.
This is what Dan Sullivan (of Strategic Coach®) refers to as Unique Ability®. In other words, the one or two things you were put on this planet to do.
FOUR simple actions you can take right now
- Work to your strengths rather than your weaknesses, and hire people (or invest in software) to do the stuff that’s not in your genius zone.
- Look carefully at the core functions of your meeting and event planning business and consider which areas could be delegated or outsourced.
- Concentrate on where you want your business to be in one, three and five years from now and remove the time-consuming tasks that will get in the way.
- Finally, remember Jeff Walker’s advice: “The more time you spend in your genius zone, the better for you, your business, your clients… and the world!”