You really want to grow your business and be successful. But how do you manage the time when you only have so much of it you want to give?

A few years ago, everyone was talking about this quote from Lori Greiner, one of the investors on the show Shark Tank.

“Entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week”

Unfortunately, it got many entrepreneurs thinking they could only be successful if they worked 80 hours a week! That would mean if you:

• have a full-time job, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• suffer from chronic health conditions that limit your work time, you can’t be an entrepreneur.
• choose family over business, you can’t be an entrepreneur

The truth is, there are different definitions of success.

For some, it’s having the biggest business around.

For others, success is the perfect work-life balance. 

Entrepreneurship isn’t restricted to those that want to work 10 or 12 or 16 hours a day to grow their business. 

Those that are successful with a shortened schedule have a few tricks up their sleeves. And today I want to share some of that magic with you.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

How to Manage the Time You Have

Those of us with limited hours to work our business, whether by choice or necessity, have a magic secret. 

And it’s not that we possess some productivity gene others don’t. But it is rooted in scientific concepts that work in our favor. 

The first one is Parkinson’s Law. This concept states that work expands to the time allowed to complete it. 

Essentially, that means that more time isn’t going to allow us to do more work. 

Instead, we will just take longer to do the same amount of work! That alone should allow us to breathe a sigh of relief knowing we won’t actually be accomplishing more by working more.

Now, let’s talk strategies for managing the time you do have to produce the greatest results.

Vision

Most solopreneurs don’t really think about the vision they want to have for their businesses. 

They simply decide on a Tuesday in July that they want to start a business. And by Wednesday afternoon, they are out getting their first clients. 

Having a crystal-clear vision for where you want your business to go can be a powerful tool to help you stay focused and manage the time you want to invest in your business. 

For example: 

• Do you want to have a huge 7-figure business or would you be content with 6 figures?
• Is your goal to create a business that has a social purpose as well?
• Does your dream business involve your lifestyle?

Knowing the answers to these and other vision questions will help you form a vision statement. 

We’re not talking lofty ideal vision statement that we frame and hang on the wall like an inspirational poster.

We’re talking about a one-sentence, driving-force kind of statement. 

Like when you could go anywhere in the world and you choose an Appalachian Mountain get-away because that’s where your mom always wanted to go on her honeymoon. 

It’s about deciding on the destination and knowing why getting there will deeply matter to you. 

When you have a clear vision, you can make better choices about how to spend and manage the time you have. 

And it helps you reject things that will distract you from getting to the Appalachian Mountains.

It’s All in the Planning

A great plan serves as a road map to manage the time you want to work. When you know what to do, you do those things and only those things. 

One of the hardest steps successful solopreneurs take is moving from a “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants” concept of growing their business to a more structured and planned approach. 

This can be a struggle for the creative spirit. We understand! In fact, most of the coaches we work with are very creative and the thought of being limited by a “plan” can be uncomfortable at first. 

If you can relate to this, we want to encourage you because the truth of the matter is, it’s not so much about sticking hard and fast to the plan. It’s about the habit of planning.

President Eisenhower confused a lot of people with that quote. 

He was saying, plans are not guaranteed. Life happens.

Variables come into play and force constant changes to plans, right? 

His underlying message was we have to be flexible. Becoming too rigid can be just as detrimental to success as no planning at all. 

And that the magic lies in the planning itself. All the thought and strategy that goes into those plans are what lay the foundation for success.

Think 2020

This year has been a great year to test this theory. 

Many plans were set at the beginning of the year. Goals were created, programs were scheduled and plans were made. 

And then life happened. The entire world was shut down. 

What followed was our need to change plans on an hourly basis some days.

I think we can all agree that to survive quarantine, we had to drop any rigid tendencies we had and employ ongoing flexibility. 

It’s been a reminder that even a well-designed plan can change at any given moment.

However, even when you have to add-to, or take-away from, the basic plan framework will still give you a direction to go. 

It’s a flight plan

Virtual A Team recently launched our podcast, Coach's CoPilot. 

Pilots and CoPilots know that a plane almost never takes a direct flight from point A to point B. Adjustments need to be made along the way of every flight. 

But without that flight plan, they would not know what deviations to make in order to stay closely on course.

Creating a plan is an investment of your time but it’s an investment that will give you significant returns in the long run.

Fractional Analysis

Here’s another scientific principle for you. It’s called the Pareto Principle or the 80/20 rule.

Bear with me, math wasn’t my favorite subject either.

The 80/20 rule suggests that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts. 

For example, if you are trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, 20% of what you are doing is giving you 80% of the results you are achieving. 

What that also means is that 80% of our efforts only gives us a whopping 20% of our results! It’s time to reduce or eliminate that 80%. 

The Audit

Lately, many of our clients have requested help with auditing their business. 

They want to know what’s working and what’s not. 

We review things like their social media and email marketing.

We collect and analyze data from all our client's existing programs. 

Are Your Efforts Working?

One of our clients wanted a focused review of her social media efforts. 

She posts consistently on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter.

Every message and many of the graphics are crafted specifically for the channel it is being posted on. Customization is time consuming. 

We took a look at how many people she was driving to her website and also how many “conversations” she was having. 

It turns out, for this client (and please know your results may differ), Facebook was by far the best use of her time.

That was her 20% driving her 80%.

Linkedin and Twitter produced very little results for her and Pinterest produced results that were actually hurting more than helping.

This coach decided to stop spending time crafting Pinterest images and editing her post length for Twitter. The time she spent on social media went down significantly.

Action Tip: Audit your time and the results you are getting. If it takes you more time than the results deserve, consider letting that task go.

Ditch Flying Solo

Now that you have chosen to be more effective and do the things that move you closer to your goal, it’s time to start thinking about how to also be more efficient. 

That means it’s time to stop doing the things that someone else can do and focus on the things that only you can do. It’s time to start delegating.

For coaches who have built their business all on their own, taking on a co-pilot (delegating) is often new territory and scary territory.

There are three keys to making delegation easier for the newbie.

1. Make a list of all the tasks you do and begin to decide which ones you can’t or shouldn’t be doing. This is your first task list for your first hire.
2. Take your time and hire well. Don’t hire quickly because that’s usually when problems arise. 
3. Be prepared. When you work with someone else, projects take longer. There’s back and forth communication and different work schedules. 

We have a LOT of great articles for the first time delegator. Some of these may be helpful to you.

• How to Prepare Your Coaching Business to Start Delegating
• Do You Need to Learn Something Before You Start Delegating?
• Why Is Outsourcing Beneficial?

Embrace Technology

Technology can be super scary if it isn’t in your zone of genius but it can be one of the best time savers we have. 

Using technology to automate tasks within your business is often a great investment.

But what are things that you can automate in your business? 

Appointment Scheduling

Tools like Calendly or Acuity allow you to create a calendar of available time and let others pick the time that works best for them. These systems even let the scheduler answer a few questions so you know what to expect when you get on the phone (or Zoom). 

We’ve reviewed several of the top scheduling tools to help you pick the one that’s right for you.

Social Media Scheduling

You don’t actually have to be available to post to social media at all hours of the day. Tools like SmarterQueue or Buffer allow you to create all of your posts in advance and have them post based on the schedule you choose.

You can even set up posts to go out when you are on vacation!

We have also reviewed the top social media scheduling tools so you don’t have to!

Email

We often don’t think of automating the emails we receive but there are lots of tools for handling this.

Since Gmail is the largest email service out there, we will focus on that. 

Let’s start with some of the features that have been around for a while.

• See only the emails you want to see when you want to see them. 

  Gmail’s Rules and Labels feature allows you to set up automations so that emails go to specific “folders” based on their content or who’s sending them. This is great so you never miss a client message or don’t have to see all your store sales emails in the inbox all the time. This feature allows you to stop having to use two different email addresses in order to keep one of them clear of the clutter.

• Templates used to be called Canned Responses when it was in beta.

This feature allows you to create template text that you send out over and over. If you always find yourself typing the same message, set up some templates to speed up the process.

• Customize your signature.

Many of us have Gmail set up to receive multiple different email addresses into one place. Gmail allows you to customize your signature depending on the email being received. You can even rotate your signature if you have a few different PS messages you want to use.

Now let’s talk some of the cool new features Gmail offers.

• See Ya Later! Gmail’s snooze feature allows you to dismiss an email if you can’t or don’t want to address it at the moment.

It will pop back into your inbox at the top when you want it to. This feature is great if you are clearing your inbox between meetings but don’t have time for lengthy responses.

• There’s also the option to send your emails at a later date.

This is handy if you happen to be working on the weekends or late at night and don’t want your response to appear as though you work all hours of the day! 

If you need help setting up Gmail or any other automations for your business, reach out to Virtual A Team. We’d be happy to lend a hand.

It’s important to remember that automation does not replace humans.

We often get asked about very complex automations and our recommendation is always to evaluate the cost to set up something versus paying a human to do it. How long will it take to break even? 

Work Smarter, Not Harder

The best ways to make the most out of the limited time you want or need to work involve working smarter, not harder. More hours will not result in more profit.

To better manage the time you have, focus on these 5 basic principles:

1. Have a clear vision.
2. Create a plan.
3. Find your high reward tasks and focus on those.
4. Ditch the solo and delegate.
5. Embrace technology and automate.

Realize that this will take an investment of your time. For a short while, you may be working more while you get the tools and systems set up. But the rewards are well worth the investment!

What will you do with all that extra time?

Are you a procrastinator? If so, it's ok. We're here to help you ensure that you have the tools you need to avoid hiring an ineffective virtual team.

Meet Jan, she’s a self-professed procrastinator. She’s well aware that it’s her biggest challenge. 

She’ll tell you herself that she ALWAYS waits until the last minute; always.

In her defense, it’s often because she’s working on other projects that she’s procrastinated completing. Her procrastination is a vicious cycle. 

Jan’s procrastination makes sense when you hear her story. As a student in high school, she never felt the need to get anything done right away. She’s brilliant. 

She could slide by without studying, complete projects overnight, and still get A’s and B’s in all her classes.

It wasn’t until Jan went to college that she started to notice how her procrastination was beginning to affect her performance. But she still ‘got by’.

Once Jan started her coaching business, things did NOT get any better. She was still in the habit of just waiting, knowing that she could pull an all-nighter to get the things done.

Fortunately, her business didn’t suffer, at first. She brought in several new clients and was beginning to build some group programs. But then she got super busy. 

Jan quickly realized that her procrastinator style had little effect on outcomes when she wasn’t busy but things started snowballing on her when busy times hit.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

You may have guessed by now that our friend Jan isn’t a real person. 

She’s merely the personification of many of our dearly-loved procrastinator clients that we’ve worked with over the years; talented and well intended but perpetually in over their head.

The Great And Wonderful Idea

Back to client “Jan”. 

Jan started hearing about Virtual Assistants in some of her online groups. She decided hiring one could take a lot of the work off her plate. 

They could help her be less of a procrastinator and she could get back to focusing on the things she loved to do.

“This is going to be so great!”, Jan thought. 

She quickly hired a virtual assistant that had been recommended to her by one of her friends. 

The virtual assistant and Jan got on a Zoom call and outlined the tasks that Jan needed to have done. 

After the hour-long call, the VA had a long list of tasks to complete; once Jan got her all of the access to programs she’d need. 

However, since the call ran a little late, and Jan had another call immediately after, she didn’t get the VA her access right away. 

And then other things came up.

And then days went by. 

Little did Jan know, follow-up wasn’t her new VA’s strong suit. She was great at doing what you told her to do, but she wasn’t strong in managing her client’s disorganization.

So, more days went by. And deadlines were missed. 

And, that was just the beginning. 

How Procrastinators Sabotage Virtual Assistants

Before we move on, we want you to understand that being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you can’t be successful.

And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t delegate. 

It simply means you need to be aware that ‘it’s a thing’ for you. 

Being aware of your procrastinator work style means you will change the things you look for in a candidate. 

And it means you will need to take a look at how being a procrastinator can make it harder for a VA to really help you. 

And you will closely watch your own behaviors and how they are affecting the overall team performance. Because having a team is what will take your business to the next level.

Here are some key ways you may be sabotaging what a virtual assistant can do for you.

Not Providing Enough Details

If you are a procrastinator who is working on a big project, you may be the kind of person who works out the details at the last minute. 

Not working out the details ahead of time doesn’t allow you to pass the baton on tasks. 

Virtual assistants are skilled but they aren’t mind readers. 

If all the VA has is a big picture overview of the project, the details will be missed and it isn’t going to help you complete your project.

• Sketch out the timeline of what needs to be done, or at least the general project flow, before you present the project to your VA. 
• Make sure you highlight for both of you, pertinent deadlines even if you haven’t thought all the way through the minor details.

Not Giving Keys to the Kingdom (or at Least the Guard Tower)

Odds are you have many different programs you use in your business. 

From appointment scheduling tools to email management systems and even website dashboards. 

The more tasks you want your VA to perform for you, the more passwords he or she will need to have to independently get the job done. 

Ensuring that your VA has access upfront ensures that they can make progress on their own. 

Don’t procrastinate making sure your VA has access to all the programs you will ask them to use. 

Tools like Lastpass can make sharing and revoking password details easy!

Not Leaving Room for Review

A second set of eyes to review something is invaluable. , especially when the first set isn’t you. 

Virtual assistants do their best for you but we’re all human. Even the most talented assistants still miss things. 

Let’s say your VA is tasked to write your social media posts or articles, create newsletter emails, or many other things that will be seen by clients and prospects. 

You will want to review that before it’s published. Remember, it’s still your brand. Everything that is published is a reflection of your brand.

For this reason, we highly recommend you review any public-facing project. 

You will sabotage yourself and your VA’s success if you wait until the last minute to check things over. 

• Leave enough time between the due date you provide your VA to allow for revisions and final review. 
• Let your VA know when you will get the review/revision back to her for changes. 
• Give your VA permission to follow up with you if she has not received it by that date. 

There may come a time when you gain confidence that your VA and trust her outcomes. If so,  you can slack off a bit. 

But if you are still in the review stage and your VA gets something back to you by the due date, you may be tempted to wait till the last minute to check it over. This won’t leave any time for a second draft and you’ll end up having to make the changes yourself.

How Virtual Assistants Sabotage Procrastinators

Like we said, being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you are determined to be perpetually overwhelmed. 

And you certainly aren’t going to change your procrastinator ways overnight. 

For that reason, it’s also important to know what red flags to look for when hiring a VA. And if you already have a VA, learning how certain tendencies on their side can present problems when paired with your natural procrastinator style.

Virtual assistants are typically well trained in the tasks you have them do. But often, managing people, including you, is not typically their strong suit; or their desire. 

Since most VAs aren’t used to challenging their bosses, they are more likely to sit back and wait to hear from you. 

For procrastinator coaches this is a recipe for disaster. 

If you’re a natural procrastinator, you will need a little more personal management and accountability in addition to the tasks you want to have done. 

** At the very least, you'll need someone who can be aggressive enough to follow up on needed tasks and push you a little when they aren’t getting what they need to do an excellent job for you.

In addition, if a VA doesn’t recognize that you are a procrastinator, they may also wait till the last minute, a deadline you agreed to, in order to get a task done. 

Don’t Throw in the Towel

Being a procrastinator does not mean you can’t benefit from delegating. It just means you may need to look for someone that has a slightly different set of skills than you originally thought.

Sure, you still want someone who has the organization and marketing skills you are looking for but you will also need someone who isn’t just a SELF-starter but someone who can hold you accountable. You need someone who can press you for more information when necessary and not wait for a response. 

A great VA will recognize that you are a procrastinator and will help you identify realistic deadlines and set them.

These qualifications tend to be rare in virtual assistants though. It’s like hiring an administrative assistant when you need an executive assistant.

What can you do then? What’s above a VA? 

We are SOOO glad you asked! 

Introducing the Online Business Manager

The next step in virtual services after a virtual assistant is an Online Business Manager; sometimes also called a Virtual Business Manager. 

An Online Business Manager is someone who can do more for you and your business. 

This person is going to have more leadership and project management skills than a traditional VA. 

While he or she may still do some of the admin tasks, they may also outsource those on your behalf to other VAs. 

The best part, though, is that THEY manage the team for you. 

An Online Business Manager is going to be that person who holds you accountable. 

She’s going to push back when you need more accountability. 

She’s going to dig in to get the details rather than wait around for you to share them. They are going to find the answers rather than wait for you to provide them. 

If you want to read more about Online Business Managers, check out some of these great articles:

Virtual Assistant or Online Business Manager - What’s the Difference?

How to Choose the Right Online Business Manager for YOU 

Online Business Manager Interview Questions You Need to Ask

What You Can Do Right Now

An OBM sounds great but what if you have a virtual assistant right now and you need to get things moving in the right direction. Here are some tips that may help:

Plan Ahead

One of the number one things you can do to help your VAs is to plan WAY ahead. 

Solopreneurs tend to fly by the seat of their pants. But that doesn’t work well when you have others on the team trying to help you reach your goals. 

• Create a plan at least 3 to 6 months in advance and work from that plan. 
• Make sure you discuss changes with your VA as soon as you know about them.

Work Backward from Deadlines

Most procrastinators don’t think about deadlines. They work at the last minute. 

If you plan out your deadlines in advance, it can help you determine a better time frame for getting things done.

Build in a Cushion 

It's easy to anticipate how long it will take YOU to do something but working with others requires additional time. 

Unless you have a VA full time, 40 hours a week, she has other things she is doing. 

She’s not always going to be able to drop everything to work on your last-minute project. Sending her a revision at 7pm in the evening and asking her to send the email to your list at 10am the next morning isn’t realistic. 

Give your VA a longer turnaround time than you think is necessary. Negotiate realistic expectations in advance.

Encourage Accountability

Empower your VA to follow up with you as needed. Tell her it’s OK to email you or call if you haven’t gotten something to her by a certain date. 

For some VAs, this is a skill they can adapt to when they are encouraged to do so by their “boss”. 

For others, it’s just way outside of their comfort zone and they won’t do it no matter how much you encourage them.

Work with a Coach

Even coaches need coaches. 

If procrastination is preventing your business success, consider working with a coach that can help you overcome some of these traits. It may just be one of the best investments you make.

You Can Do It!

Being a procrastinator doesn’t mean you can’t be successful and it doesn’t mean you can’t delegate. 

It simply means you change the things you look for in a candidate and closely watch your own behaviors and how they are affecting the overall team performance. 

Is it time you stop waiting and start to get in a groove?

I've spoken to a lot of clients recently who are struggling to recover their version of 'highly productive people' habits. So, if you're wondering how to get in a new groove post-quarantine, read on.

The idea of self-isolating sounded scary at first because it was like the world was ending. What were we going to do about shopping and socializing and growing our businesses?

And then we adjusted. 

For some of us, quarantine meant a lot more free time.

• We reconnected with loved ones through conference calls and video chats.
• We found time for hobbies long forgotten or discovered new ones. I even rediscovered a love for photography and creative writing. 

For others, the workload didn’t change but the scenery did.

Many of us already worked from home but we became a lot more familiar with the same four walls (was that crack ALWAYS there?).

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

We discovered that the Brady Bunch was really just on a zoom call all along… HINT: this video is a must see!! #yourewelcome

Get in a Groove Step 1 - Declutter

Ok, this isn’t Marie Kondo’s site, but decluttering is a powerful way to reset the mind and body. It helps you get focused and gain clarity.

Get in a new groove by decluttering: 

Your Workspace 

Look around you and observe. Has your workspace gathered homework assignments, half-used coffee mugs, miscellaneous pieces of mail, and other random clutter?

Take some time to clear your space.

Your Body

OK, we’ve heard about the Quarantine 15. If you’ve noticed a little slacking off on your healthy lifestyle, now is the time to reboot those habits.

Take a look at your diet and exercise and determine what to declutter.

If many things are still going well, you can even consider a health cleanse.

Your Mind

Through quarantine, we've been focused on dealing with issues we never expected, or even considered.

• Our health
• Children (or grandkids) home from college
• Homeschooling
• Loss of income and/or financial security
• Safety of our loved ones
• And loss of freedom to take our planned vacations

We’ve had a LOT more than usual to worry about and it’s time to let some of that go.

Do some mediation exercises or consider talking with a professional about your concerns. Holding it all in doesn’t help anyone.

Bear or Butterfly?

Over time, we found our quarantine groove.

We learned how to work and play in this new atmosphere.

Sure, we never expected it to last as long as it did. But we found a way to exist.

And now we are facing the next change. 

Many cities and states have been open for a month now. Some are just starting to open back up.

And, as they do, we are, once again, adapting to new ways of doing things.

Hibernation vs Transformation

Change happens whether we want it to or not. Sometimes all you can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. But other times you have to take control and steer.

There's a really important choice to make.

You can look at this quarantine as a period of hibernation. Bears and other animals hibernate to conserve resources and survive tough seasonal conditions. It is nothing more than pure survival.

Or, you can view it as a chrysalis. The chrysalis is the life-cycle stage where a caterpillar, in its cocoon, is undergoing the remarkable transformation into a butterfly.

Once you’ve chosen to be the butterfly and not the bear, what actions can you take to get in a new groove and make your transformation amazing?

Get in a Groove Step 2 - Dream Big

I say it often, New Year’s isn’t the only time you are allowed to set new goals. Any day that ends in Y is a great day to do so.

We work hard at the beginning of each year to set goals.

Now is the time to review the goals you set at the beginning of the year when 2020 was going to be THE year that rocked! There’s still time to hit your mark. 

Reviewing and revising your goals is a great way to get excited again.

It gives you a chance to see what’s possible, not just what’s existed so far. There’s a reason gyms are so busy in January and that's because EVERYONE is excited...in January!

If you struggle with creating goals, I would encourage you to check out this Goal Setting article by James Clear. This isn’t just a rehash of the old SMART goals methodology.

You may find that his approach unlocks something that helps you actually LOVE goal setting! (OMG, crazy, right?)

Get in a Groove Step 3 - Bring in the New

Have you always wanted to try the 5 AM Club?

Or maybe you’ve been thinking about that Bulletproof coffee all the podcasters are talking about.

Bringing in a new routine is a great way to re-energize yourself and get in a new groove.

It gives you an exciting reason to wake up in the morning (I’ll see you around 7, I’m not getting up at 5) and it helps you feel like you have control over something.

If you aren’t quite ready to try something new, reintroduce something that you’ve let go. 

It’s been easy to stop setting the alarm clock or planning meals in advance. After all, you have been just trying to survive.

But now is the time to pick up those past habits or find a way to adapt them to the new way of your world.

Get in a Groove Step 4 - Get Organized

Just because you’ve gotten rid of mind, body, and space clutter doesn’t mean you’ve organized what’s left.

Take some time to organize your schedule.

Create some systems for yourself.

• What days/times will you work?
• When will you rest?
• How will you plan?
• And when will you play?

Write things down. There’s nothing more exhausting than trying to remember all the things you need to remember.

Checklists are your friends

As a new owner of a travel trailer, I’m realizing the HUGE value of lists.

✅ I have lists for what to pack.

✅ And checklists for before leaving home.

✅ Lists for setting up and tearing down our campsite.

✅ I have to plan meals in advance and prep them before we leave.

✅ Hubby has to make sure everything is in working order.

✅ We have to get clothes and supplies packed. 

I would be overwhelmed and exhausted if I had to constantly try to remember to pack the syrup for the French Toast or make sure to put the vent down in the bathroom before driving off!

One quick check of the list, and I can stop thinking about it.

Get in a Groove Step 5 - SLOW DOWN!

You are tired of self-isolation, quarantine, “new normal” and all that other crap.

It’s tempting to do everything at once so you can get back to the “old normal”. But that’s not reality.

To get in a new groove you're going to have to accept the fact that...

Your world is different and your emotions are different now.

You are grieving the old way and you will for some time. And that's ok!

• Give yourself space to have bad days.
• Build pause days into your schedule.

These are days where anything goes without judgment.  Be OK with imperfect for a while.

Finding Your Groove

It all comes down to control.

One of the best ways to get in a new groove after any big change, especially a change that feels out of our control, is to do something that allows you to feel in control.

We can’t control a lot of things that happen in our lives but we have more control than we sometimes feel; or often remember we have.

And one of our greatest, and most accessed, super-powers is our ability to control how we perceive even the things we have no control over.

When you feel in control, you feel powerful.

It’s this power that will help you realign and come out better on the other side.

Just remember, it’s OK to take your time getting back in the groove. Even a butterfly takes time coming out of her chrysalis.

Do you Nicole, take Virtual A Team to be your lawfully wedded partner? To have and to hold from this day forward. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?  

Before you start to develop serious concern for my mental state…No, I didn’t send out embossed invitations, buy a long, flowing sequined dress and stand before an officiator reciting vows to my business in front of all those I hold dear.

But I did realize recently how on-point the comparison between a business and a marriage really is.

Loving Business is a Lot Like Marriage

The relationship we have with our business is very similar to the relationship we have with a significant other. The fact is, “married to our job” is a bigger reality for those of us in business for ourselves. Too much to do, lack of appreciation, late nights, ongoing sacrifice, disappointments, difficulties, and challenges can easily cause business owners to experience the same loss of passion that many couples find themselves experiencing at different times in their marriage.

Hope is not lost!  We can start loving business again. I have witnessed several marriages rekindle their flame and, in chatting with a good friend recently, I discovered how the same strategies can help reignite the passion for a business owner as well.

THE FENCE IS FALLING DOWN

My friends Shannon and John (names have been changed to protect the innocent), like most couples, began their marriage starry-eyed and full of hope for a bright future together.  They treasured the very best in each other and were grateful for all the wonderful things they brought to each other’s lives.

Their wedding was beautiful! Both had saved for a while and took a dream honeymoon. They bought their first house together soon after. Life was great! They both had strong, exciting and fulfilling careers. Shannon and John were the perfect couple with the perfect, white-picket-fence life; the envy of all their friends, including me.

Wasn’t that a lot like it was back in the early days of launching your business?

Let’s Do Lunch

They’ve been married about five years now and recently Shannon asked me to lunch. I was excited to see her. We hadn’t spent much time together in a while; it was hard for her to get away now that they had two children under the age of four.

I could tell that Shannon had a lot on her mind.

“So, how are you and John doing? “I asked.

“Well, honestly, he’s never home! And he sleeps all the time when he's home. He never helps me with the kids or anything else worth mentioning.  The faucet has been leaking for over a month! And remember our cute fence out front? Yeah, well, it’s falling down.”

“I feel like it’s all on me.” She said as tears began to build. And out it came.

“Ok, I knew it would be different when we decided I should quit work to stay home but I didn’t expect him to become a different person. Like I don’t even recognize him. He even used my toothbrush the other day. My toothbrush! Really?”

Emphatically she goes on.

“He steals the covers, his socks smell like actual death, and he snores. John never snored when we were dating.”

There was more.

“If that’s not bad enough, I can’t remember the last time we went anywhere that required me to wear a dress. Ha, forget a dress; how about just a necklace and something other than tennis shoes.”

“We barely talk about anything that’s not on a to-do list. I miss the long conversations we used to have about nothing at all. I miss the passion! God, how I miss the passion.” She said longingly looking out the window.

“Honestly, I feel defeated. I just don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

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Business or Pleasure?

I listened to Shannon share her struggles with John and I was struck by how similar her story was to a client of mine that I had spoken to recently as well. My client wasn’t disgruntled with her marriage, but she definitely was struggling with loving business.

I realized that both my dear friend and my client were dealing with unexpected realities. There were struggles that were unforeseen when they both set out on their respective paths. And there were feelings they didn’t know how to handle or change.  

When Shannon asked me what she thought I should do, I realized that the same advice I was about to give her to improve things with John, was the same advice I could share with my client to reignite her lost business passion.

Reignite the Passion

In the early stages of a relationship, we’re swooning; head-over-heels in admiration for each other. Blinded by love as they say.

“He’s so wonderful!”

“She’s the best thing since beer and football!”

As time goes on, little things can begin to become more and more irritating. Suddenly, it’s not so adorable that he asks you where the mustard is.  

Love is put to the test as we experience “doing life” as a couple. Miscommunications and misunderstandings can cause resentment to build. Socks are left on the floor and trash is left on the counter. Things get forgotten and taken for granted. Life throws us curve balls. Couples experience hardships like financial stress, work stress, death of loved ones, or moving away from friends and family.

Loving Business is Hard

Business owners have a wonderful challenge. The more clients we get, the more we have to do paperwork, invoicing, marketing, sales. It’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed and stop loving business.

No matter what stage of life you’re in, challenges we can and can’t control test the fabric of our marriage and can cause us to one day look at our significant other and wonder why we chose them. Or, sadly if we even still want to be married at all.

There are times when we are full of passion in our business and times when we’d actually give serious thought to tossing it all in and applying for a fry cook job.

It’s easy to lose sight of why we picked this person in the first place. Or why we chose to be in business for ourselves.

We can become disenchanted by so many little things in business and marriage if we aren't making a conscious effort not to. It's easy to neglect to do the things that won our mate’s heart or brought us real joy as an entrepreneur when we avoid taking intentional actions.  

Remember when...

“Shannon, remember when you and John were first dating, what was it about him that you fell in love with?” I asked.

All of a sudden, her affect changed. She got a gleam in her eye and she smiled as she listed off all the characteristics that sealed the deal for her.

“Ok, now, tell me even the smallest things that John has done recently that remind you of the person you fell in love with.”

She had to think for a minute, but she was able to come up with a few.

I went home and called my client, “I want you to make a list of all the reasons you started your business. Everything that filled your heart and gave you satisfaction. And then make a second list of everything that has gone right in the last quarter.”

Focus on the Right

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the tough stuff when hard times hit. To reignite passion, we have to take a step back and look for all that is right. We must mindfully counterbalance our struggles with our blessings. Wrongs with rights and why-nots with whys.

We all experience daytime and nighttime in just 24 short hours. It’s easy to see the sun during the day. But we have more of a choice to make at night. We can choose to see only the darkness around us, or we can choose to look up and gaze upon the stars.

Ask yourself:

• What business stars are shining for you right now?
• What do you love about what you do?
• How does your business make life better for your clients? For your network of peers? For your employees, if applicable?
• Are there things you have learned lately?
• How have you grown professionally?

Take some time to focus on some right things right now. Write it all down. Keep it where you can see it. Make a journal. Put marbles in a jar every time something goes well. Use whatever visual you need that can help you see amid things that bog you down. There are things that can lift you up and fill you with passion to keep moving forward.

Prioritize

Both Shannon and my client were feeling buried by everything on their plates. Shannon had two little children and a house to manage. My client had a new website to finish and a busy conference schedule. Their personal responsibilities were overwhelming to them.

“Shannon, make a list of everything you need to do this week.” I asked my client to do the same. As I reviewed their lists with each of them, it became clear there were many things they thought they needed to do but weren’t actual priorities. Shannon didn’t really need to clean out the kids closet, and my client didn’t really need to color code her filing system. At least not this week!

Being able to prioritize the things that are truly a “must” is often a difficult task when you are feeling overwhelmed.  Every task feels critical. You can’t see the forest for the trees as they say.

I have spent a good portion of my career as a time management expert. Teaching my clients how to identify what is urgent versus important for them. Helping them learn how to assess the tangible and non-tangible value of each task and then how to put it all in a manageable order.

Prioritizing your responsibilities allows you to breathe. It frees up the head and heart space you need to see what’s going well and to enjoy your journey.

Quality Time

In our personal lives, and in business there are things we enjoy doing more than others. I speak to many new solopreneurs. In the beginning, they are typically spending their time doing more of the things they love doing.

At the start of a relationship, you’re dating. Going out to dinner, to the movies; the fun stuff.  And then real life happens. Children are born and we have to build content calendars. Laundry piles up and so does our bookkeeping.  

As responsibilities grow, it’s easy to forget and neglect the fun stuff that once lit the fire inside of us.

“Shannon, you need help. Plain and simple. You and John are not spending quality time together. Time that allows you to have fun again. Quality time will help you both ignite the passion you’ve lost. Get a babysitter and go on dates again. Hire a housekeeper once a month. Whatever you need to do that will free you both up to enjoy each other again. Make that a priority!”

By asking for help and delegating those tasks that you either don’t have time for or simply don’t enjoy doing allows you to spend quality time doing what you love. And when you’re spending more time working from the heart, your passion returns. You remember why you fell in love or why you were driven to be in business for yourself. You see the real value of your partnership.

You Aren’t an Island

Whether it’s our marriage or our business it’s easy to get stuck in our own worlds, our never-ending tasks, our problems, and our disappointments. We take everything on ourselves.

Entrepreneurs, and especially solopreneurs have an even greater challenge. The buck does stop with them. With all that pressure, it's no wonder it is so easy to stop loving business sometimes.

But you are not an island. To stay in a passion place, you simply can’t do everything alone. You don’t fall in love alone and you can’t do everything needed to grow your business without help.

Sometimes help comes in the way of a trusted friend or colleague who will simply listen and encourage. Sometimes you need a different perspective to help you see the blessings and what is going right.

As growth happens, you will need more help. A babysitter or maybe a Virtual Assistant. Delegating the non-urgent tasks frees you up for quality time needed to “date” your business. Have some fun doing those things that you love or that only you can do. Let some of the other stuff go.

Give yourself the time to spend on the things that bring more value to your business, things that help reignite the passion that is desperately needed to move you forward.

Being “married to your job” is our reality as solopreneurs. We will experience struggles we didn’t expect and challenges that can seem insurmountable at the time. It takes the right focus and the right actions to help us fall in love with our business again.

Summary

When you are burnt out but really want to start loving business again, it might be time to reignite the passion. It’s not unlike reigniting the flame in your marriage.

• Take the time to focus on what is right.
• Prioritize to avoid excess stress and overwhelm.
• Get back to doing what you love to do.
• Get help, you can’t do it all alone.

When you are ready to reignite the passion in your business, give Virtual A Team a call. We can be the babysitter allowing you some date nights here and there!

Just imagine if the worst thing we fought over was when to start playing the holiday music and decorating the stores! I think the world might just be OK.

So, are you the kind that throws up the tree shortly after Halloween or do you prefer to let the turkey have his day? 

Yep, it’s that time of year. People and businesses alike begin prepping for the holiday season. From parties and gatherings to holiday specials and marketing, there is so much more to do during this season.

Stores are full of people with crying babies and carts parked in the aisles, missing their owners. Every weekend, I look at my calendar and see the blocks filled in with events and parties and gatherings.

I personally feel very overwhelmed this time of year. It’s an outgoing introvert’s worst nightmare. Getting to meet people and learn about who they are is wonderful. Coming home to fall into my couch and wonder when I’ll get to work on my business isn’t.

However, with a little preparation, I know that I can handle this busier-than-normal season. In addition, I can use the time to prepare for an AWESOME kick-start to the new year.

How to Prepare Your Business (and yourself) for the Holidays.

As solopreneurs, it’s important to consider and focus on five key areas when preparing your business for the holidays.

• Personal/Family Time
• Marketing
• Operations
• Year End Review
• New Year Strategizing/Planning

When you take time to carefully consider each of these areas, you will have an effective game plan for staying on top of the chaos of the season.

Personal/Family Time

Yep, I put personal/family time first. It’s often the thing we focus on by default but with the least amount of attention actually given to it. We have a lot of extra tasks this time of year.

• Cleaning
• Decorating
• Shopping
• Hosting guests
• Attending parties
• Wrapping
• Sending cards
• UN-decorating...

Most of these things we find ourselves doing because, well, we are expected to. Something gets pushed aside to make room for these extra chores. Unfortunately, that something isn’t always the best something. It might be your health and exercise plan and you end up starting the new year feeling fat and lazy!

Or it might be your business planning and you start the new year behind the proverbial eight ball. Rather than starting off the year running, you find yourself scrambling to get things going.

This year, take a moment to pause and plan out the next several weeks. The time is now to do this. Here are some tips to help.

Tip #1 – Plan early

What will your holiday expectations look like this year? When you know what you will and won’t commit to, you can better plan way ahead.It’s not too late to start planning. And you can always keep this one in mind for NEXT year.

Tip #2 – Shop early

Don’t wait till after Thanksgiving to start your shopping. Ideally, make a list and start shopping in the summer. Always be on the lookout for that unique, wonderful gift idea, buy it, wrap it and put it away with a removable note as to what it is (or take a picture before wrapping) and who it’s for. While it might be well past summer, you can start now.

Tip #3 – Growth or Reflection?

Is the holiday season a busy time of year for your business? Then it is a period of growth. Plan to let go of other things so you can focus on that growth. Does business slow down in the last quarter? Then it is a time for reflection and planning. How will you grow your business in the new year? What can you do to set up your marketing and other growth ideas now?

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Tip #4 – Don’t try to keep up with the Griswald's

Whether it is the amount of money you spend on gifts or how well your home is decorated for the holidays, this is definitely not the time to compare what you are doing to what those around you are doing. Decide on your own level of festivities and be OK with that.

Source: American Research Group

Tip #5 – Don’t over commit

We tend to want to be able to do it all. Decide in advance how much is too much and be OK saying no to things that don’t fully serve you and your goals.

One year, my house went undecorated because it was going to just be my husband and me. I LOVE to decorate for the holidays but felt that the full day of cleaning and decorating before and the day of un-decorating after was not worth the investment of time. So I chose to skip it.

Tip #6 – Let go!

This time of year is not the best to plan things that can be done at other times of the year. For example, don’t plan your routine doctors and dentist appointments during November and December. Decide the car doesn’t need to get washed. And your dry cleaning might be able to wait until January. What things are required and what things can wait in your personal and business life? Choose carefully.

Tip #7 –  Take time for you

It seems like the LAST thing you will have time to do with all of that chaos is take time out for yourself. However, if you don’t, your body will for you. There’s a reason many of us experience more colds and flus this time of year and it isn’t because of a widespread virus. It DOES have something to do with more stress, less exercise, and crappy eating that all affect our immune system.

Marketing

Whether you are all in and this is the busiest time of year or your business goes a little quiet, this is still a great time to do some marketing.

For health coaches, this is a prime time of year to start focusing on new year’s resolutions and healthy eating tips all holiday season.

Business coaches might start to market plans for New Year’s Goals and Planning programs.

Life Coaches might talk about new year’s resolutions and healthy personal goals.

You might not be selling a program or system during the next several weeks, but priming your audience at a time that they are aware of their pain is an excellent way to prepare them for your January sale or promotion.

Create a Marketing Plan

Prepare your marketing materials as far in advance as possible. Nailing down a concrete plan will help you with your overall strategy.

Create a marketing plan now to includes:

• Social media posts
• Email newsletters
• Physical greeting cards

Be a Resource, Not a Sales Pitch

Unless you have a very clear sale going on, use this time to be a source for great information. Constant Contact suggests offering advice and tips to make it through the holidays. You can offer advice on shopping, staying stress-free, minimizing debt or setting goals for the new year.

Consider Going Charitable

While you may not want to run a sale, it might be a great time of year to select a charity that is near and dear to your heart and sends a positive message about your brand. Offer to donate a certain percentage of your proceeds to this charity for every sale made during the holiday season.

Be Careful of the Grinch

Avoid using holiday terms that may offend others unless it’s part of your authentic brand. If you proudly wish people a Merry Christmas, then it works for your brand to celebrate the holiday in the full spirit you intend. However, if your business is more of the Happy Holidays sort, you may want to avoid using the term Christmas in your marketing.

Keep it simple

Pick one marketing plan and stick to it. Until you are ready to hire an entire marketing team to manage different promotions, keep things as simple as possible.

Think Outside the Wrapped Box

Don’t do the same old thing. Black Friday sales are overdone. People are tired of them and they are spending their money on things that will most likely go to someone else.

Get creative with your marketing. Some ideas might include:

• Advent program where you give 24 freebies away leading up to Christmas (if it’s within your authenticity to use a religious concept).
• Hosting a virtual holiday party in your Facebook group. (Hint, I'm throwing one of these on my Facebook group if you want to check it out.)
• Or a 15 Days of Thanksgiving Giveaway.

Settle on one idea or concept and build upon that. Next year, if all went well, you can consider adding another.

Operations

Most solopreneurs don’t think much about operations. Operations are things like your workflows, systems, and processes. Some of these might be physical, like your computer and cell phone. Others are more general, like the process used to invoice clients.

A good way to prepare your business for the holidays is to consider your current operations.

Is there anything you can scale back for the season? As solopreneurs, this might happen naturally if your business slows down. It’s not like you have employees looking to take a vacation.

Is there anything that can be improved? The slow down for the holidays might be a great time to reflect on your current systems and make a plan for the new year to implement strategic improvements.

This brings me to the next point.

Year End Review

The Year End Review is an opportunity to reflect on how the current year went. I typically plan this activity for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. I ask questions like:

• Did you meet your goals?
• What went wrong? How can you prevent those things from happening again?
• What went right? How can you make sure more of that happens in the new year?

A couple of years ago, I wrote a “recipe” for how to complete a year end review and begin planning for the new year. It’s super simple but not always easy.

If you are coming into a super busy season, you may want to do this in the Summer instead. Just because it’s called the “Year End” doesn’t mean it has to be done then.

Strategize and Plan

Once you’ve completed your year end review, it’s a great time to start focusing on your strategy and goals for the next year. Get out your goal planner (or borrow this one) and get to work.

The key is to know you are setting time aside to do this. If you have it floating in the back of your mind, you won’t get “around tuit”. It may feel like just another thing on your already bursting to-do list for this time of year but the investment will be well worth your time.

Take time now to prepare yourself and your business for the next several weeks. You’ll be glad you did.

Conclusion

The best way to prepare your business for the holidays is to have a plan. A great plan will reduce stress and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.