Comments on: Does Your Business Run Your Life? http://www.laramyk.com/uncategorized/does-your-business-run-your-life/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=does-your-business-run-your-life Independent Optical Wholesale Laboratory Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:42:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: keithbenjamin http://www.laramyk.com/uncategorized/does-your-business-run-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-30 keithbenjamin Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:43:09 +0000 http://www.laramyk.com/blog/2007/10/does-your-business-run-your-life/#comment-30 If I may quote an eighties cartoon well known for its life lessons and business wisdom, “…knowing is half the battle!” I think many small business owners toil away in their business indefinitely, not even knowing they need to be working on their business, if they hope to ever be free from their business. Simply knowing there are more roles that need be filled other than the work of the business is a big step in the right direction. As I alluded to above, it is often difficult, if not impossible in the infancy of a business to give each role the attention it deserves. Gerber’s ideas certainly do not make the start-up phase of a business any easier. In fact, it’s more work until the business grows to the point where responsibilities can be delegated and the business can work for the owner instead of the other way around. That’s where the payoff comes. Although, I might not advocate quite the level of documentation Gerber seems to call for, I really liked his ideas regarding employment contracts. This requires the small business owner to put on her entrepreneur hat from the very beginning, envision what she would ultimately like the business to become, and then define and document responsibilities for each of the positions necessary to run that business. As is the case in your business, initially, it may be all you. But I think this is a very important exercise for two reasons. One, you identify everything that needs to be done and know that at least some time must be allocated for each responsibility; and two, you set goals for growth and delegation to allow yourself more time to work on the business and ultimately be free from the business. I absolutely agree with you about the dangers of the entrepreneur’s hat. It is very easy to get caught up in ideas. I spend a fair amount of time in the car every day. This is where I do most of my creative thinking. Alone with my thoughts, my caffeine, and my audio books, my mind runs free. If I come up with an idea and don’t have the time to work through it, I make sure I write it down, so I can come back to it when I do have the time. Best of luck to you and your cat, Deborah -Keith If I may quote an eighties cartoon well known for its life lessons and business wisdom, “…knowing is half the battle!” I think many small business owners toil away in their business indefinitely, not even knowing they need to be working on their business, if they hope to ever be free from their business. Simply knowing there are more roles that need be filled other than the work of the business is a big step in the right direction. As I alluded to above, it is often difficult, if not impossible in the infancy of a business to give each role the attention it deserves. Gerber’s ideas certainly do not make the start-up phase of a business any easier. In fact, it’s more work until the business grows to the point where responsibilities can be delegated and the business can work for the owner instead of the other way around. That’s where the payoff comes.

Although, I might not advocate quite the level of documentation Gerber seems to call for, I really liked his ideas regarding employment contracts. This requires the small business owner to put on her entrepreneur hat from the very beginning, envision what she would ultimately like the business to become, and then define and document responsibilities for each of the positions necessary to run that business. As is the case in your business, initially, it may be all you. But I think this is a very important exercise for two reasons. One, you identify everything that needs to be done and know that at least some time must be allocated for each responsibility; and two, you set goals for growth and delegation to allow yourself more time to work on the business and ultimately be free from the business.

I absolutely agree with you about the dangers of the entrepreneur’s hat. It is very easy to get caught up in ideas. I spend a fair amount of time in the car every day. This is where I do most of my creative thinking. Alone with my thoughts, my caffeine, and my audio books, my mind runs free. If I come up with an idea and don’t have the time to work through it, I make sure I write it down, so I can come back to it when I do have the time.

Best of luck to you and your cat, Deborah

-Keith

]]> By: Deborah http://www.laramyk.com/uncategorized/does-your-business-run-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Deborah Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:27:05 +0000 http://www.laramyk.com/blog/2007/10/does-your-business-run-your-life/#comment-29 Keith, I love the concepts covered in E-Myth and after having read can now kick myself when I fall into the trap of working IN my business. But real life happens. I started working in a Pearle Vision many years ago and eventually was a Field Manager in New England over 50 franchise locations and I would be hard pressed to find time to breathe to do anything other than work IN my business. As you know margins are slim and having enough bodies to work the floor and lab to allow you the time and energy to work ON your business is a challenge. Now as a home based business with a staff of me and one cat it is just as challenging. Just when I begin to work ON my business my creativity runs away with me and the ideas and directions that I could travel in become overwhelming. I have found that selecting ONE THING to focus on that is an E-Myth attitude allows me to truly expand on the idea and follow through while still ensuring my business is running effectively. But it is a tight rope walk. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts as you put the theory into practice. Deborah Keith, I love the concepts covered in E-Myth and after having read can now kick myself when I fall into the trap of working IN my business. But real life happens. I started working in a Pearle Vision many years ago and eventually was a Field Manager in New England over 50 franchise locations and I would be hard pressed to find time to breathe to do anything other than work IN my business.

As you know margins are slim and having enough bodies to work the floor and lab to allow you the time and energy to work ON your business is a challenge.

Now as a home based business with a staff of me and one cat it is just as challenging. Just when I begin to work ON my business my creativity runs away with me and the ideas and directions that I could travel in become overwhelming.

I have found that selecting ONE THING to focus on that is an E-Myth attitude allows me to truly expand on the idea and follow through while still ensuring my business is running effectively. But it is a tight rope walk.

I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts as you put the theory into practice.

Deborah

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