Ready to talk about an uncommon mindset that I believe is a FUNdamental topic that every business owner must understand? That mindset is the distinction between working ON your business and working IN it. I want you to understand why you must make the distinction and why you must find a way to commit time to work ON your business, not just always in it. This distinction might seem subtle, but it can be the game-changer in how you approach your business and, ultimately, how successful you become. Share in the comments your thoughts on working ON your business versus working IN it. Do you make time to work ON your business currently? If not why? Do you see the value in working ON your business?
Picture your business as a thriving, living organism. When you’re working IN your business, you’re like a vital cell within this organism, engaged in the day-to-day processes that keep it thriving. You’re handling customer inquiries, dealing with challenges, writing marketing copy, and even the production or completion of the services. Many business owners even double as the company’s delivery driver. It’s the essential, daily nurturing that sustains your business. But here’s the counterintuitive part: if you’re always at the cellular level, who’s guiding the overall growth and health of the business?
You can even look at Working IN your business day-to-day tasks, like managing inventory, putting out fires, the invoicing the tasks ensuring that daily operations run smoothly are what get you from point A to point B. Working IN your business is necessary and, at times, even critical.
But the uncommon mindset is understanding how crucial of a role working ON your business plays in your success. This means taking a step back from the daily grind and focusing on the bigger picture. When you work ON your business, you’re planning, strategizing, optimizing, and setting the course for the future. It’s about refining your business strategy, identifying growth opportunities, and ensuring long-term success. Because ultimately if you don’t have clarity and confidence on where point A and point B are for your business you are going to need a lot of trial and error to even get started, let alone arrive safely at your destination.
Now, I understand what some of you might be thinking: ‘I don’t have time for that!’ or ‘Isn’t that just a diversion from the critical daily tasks?’ However, here’s the profound reality: working ON your business may seem like a detour from the immediate tasks, but it’s the only way to truly reclaim your time. It’s about being proactive rather than merely reacting to daily demands. When you invest time in planning, optimizing workflows, and enhancing policies, you’re fortifying the business’ systems, enabling it to thrive more efficiently. And the remarkable part? An efficiently functioning organism means fewer crises to address, fewer unexpected challenges, and ultimately, more time at your disposal.
Finding a balance between these two approaches is key to sustainable business growth. The great news is if you are someone who finds themselves drawn more to the working IN tasks as opposed to the big picture working ON projects, that balance doesn’t need to be 50/50. Making sure to commit some time to work ON then empowers you to handle daily operations effectively while steering your business toward long-term success.
And there’s another benefit: passion. When you love what you are doing, and you know exactly why you are doing it you are having fun and operating from a state of flow. Over time, as we get bogged down in the daily details, that passion can simmer down. But by working ON your business, by being strategic and proactive, you can turn up the heat and rekindle that flame.
I want to extend an invitation to all the proactive small business owners out there. If you’ve resonated with the idea of working ON your business to achieve lasting success and rediscover your passion, I encourage you to take action. I am so passionate about this that I wrote a book on these strategies and more called, ‘The FUNdamentals of Business Success.’
For those who are truly committed to building a business they love and want to take their journey to the next level, consider joining Our Success Group, where you’ll find a supportive community and valuable resources. It’s not just about working in your business; it’s about crafting a future you’re passionate about. Contact me at ConsultAaron.com to talk about this subject, your business, or any way we can best support you.