Do you like to vacuum? I can’t stand it. I tend to do it quickly to get it over with, so it makes me hot and sweaty. Probably my least favorite chore. I do a decent job, but I often cut corners because I don’t like it very much.
I don’t like ironing either, but I’m good at it, so that’s about it. However, I tend to iron when we need things, instead of doing it all at once like my mom used to do.
I like to dust. I have this amazing furniture polish from Melaleuca that I really like. It smells great and it really does a beautiful job.
And I really enjoy doing laundry. I get going in the evenings or on weekends, wash, dry, fold and put away. (My husband and son wash and dry, but don’t fold and rarely put away!)
So what does all this have to do with business?
Think about your daily tasks that you do for your clients (or for your own business). Can you classify the things you do? in these basic categories as well?
1. I don’t like to do it. I hate it.
2. I’m good at it, but I don’t love it. I do it when I need it.
3. I like it, there is not much need for it, but when there is, I take pride in it.
4. I love it. I could do it every day. I have a great system to get it right.
Who knew housework was so much like business, huh?
Look at the things you do every day. What do you really like to do? Do your customers even know what you like?
Many times we fall into that role of ‘task taker’. They tell us what they need and we do it.
It doesn’t mean we love doing it. And that’s where the shame is!
We need to remember that we are running our own business. – We are the boss, not the client. We are not an employee.
We have the right to determine exactly what we love to do, and we have to be able to tell people that.
Look at your daily or weekly to-do list. What’s in it that you’d rather not be doing?
How can you make some changes in your business? Will that help you get there? Getting back to house cleaning, a couple of years ago we hired a house cleaner. It was a big step in our family. We dreamed of it for a long time and thought ‘if only we could afford it!’
But it turned out that we could, because we determined the tasks we needed him to do and what our budget was, and that’s what we paid him for. (She cleans the floors, bathrooms, and dusts every two weeks!) She told us that she doesn’t wipe the knick-knack shelves clean, so we take things off the shelves if we want her to clean them. We each set the expectations and it’s great. We would never be without a house cleaner again.
Not unlike your own business – make some decisions about what you want to do and what you don’t want to do.
There are many options for clients to work with more than one person to get all their ‘stuff’ done.
If you want to be in business for a long time and make the money you want, act like the head of the household (or CEO).
I promise you, these decisions will be the most impactful things in your business.
Do what you love, charge appropriately for it. Ready. Amazing business that you LOVE.
If you’re stuck on how to build your list of what you love, book a free consultation with me here!