Is your house on fire?

If you have a business then you have a challenge (problem to solve.)

It could be small (I’d like to update my training protocols, or I’d like to upgrade my branding); or you could have a pressing issue like hiring or not making enough money.

The challenge is when we think all problems are alike. They aren’t.

Some problems are house fires: those things that if we don’t fix it RIGHT now, the whole thing crumbles. House fires include not knowing if you are making money or not; not actually bringing in enough money to pay your bills every month; you don’t know where/how you are going to find your next client. These are “not sustainable” situations in a business.

Other problems are dumpster fires: those things on the to do list that aren’t working, but if nothing changes today, you will continue to limp along. A dumpster fire might become the house fire in the future, but it’s not right now. Dumpster fires can include: I want better training systems, my sales process doesn’t convert at a high rate, I know I need a higher tier of client support (higher touch, longer program, elite services), or even social media.

Hmm… but are you solving a dumpster fire problem in your business or the house fire right now?

I regularly talk to clients who get sidetracked with the “shiny objects” and start thinking that their marketing is THE most important thing to focus on right now - but they have no idea whether or not they are actually making enough money on the clients they have right now.

Not enough money right now is a house fire. Adding new clients at a price that will not make you any money is just throwing wood into the fire. Having a business that is bleeding money but thinking that marketing is your way out is adding fuel to your fire.

Marketing is waaaay more appealing than fixing your employee issues. I get it. But you can’t add clients if you don’t have enough staffing to actually provide services. Your hiring/training system is your house fire, and the marketing is a dumpster fire.

We all do this. Every single entrepreneur out there does this: it’s why we have business mentors, or coaching, or a board of directors. It’s really a special talent to be able to talk yourself out of a box you’ve built by and for yourself. It’s also part of the chaos in our heads that prevents us from clearly seeing the house fire vs dumpster fires so often.

So what do to about it?

It helps to have some clarity about what’s really important right now. I use a series of questions and an 8 week plan to move the needle with clients.

Start with the basics:

1. Do I understand what is happening in my business (REALLY!)? Do I know how much I made last month, how much went to overhead/ payroll/ expenses vs how much I personally got to take out?
   1. If no, then this is where you start: Get your accounting in order. Put a budget in place (so you know how much you spend every single month before you even provide one service to a single client). Know your numbers so you can make informed decisions!
   2. Are you charging enough?
   3. Are you charging enough to replace yourself and still make money?
   4. If yes, move on.
2. Is my time being spent doing things that are not the highest level of contribution to my business? Am I doing things that someone cheaper could be doing? Can I hire and train someone to do those “replaceable” jobs easily?
   1. If no, then start here: document everything you do in a week or two and determine what is a waste of your time. Hire and train someone. Document the training process so that it becomes easy to transfer knowledge. Keep the “jobs” you outsource as basic as you possibly can (so maybe it’s a few someones!) Don’t combine them all together!
   2. Make sure you are charging enough that your employees time/labor is part of the profit equation!
   3. If yes, move on.
3. Am I consistently getting in front of the right people in order to bring in the income I desire? Am I converting leads into clients? Do I even know my marketing/sales #s?
   1. If no, then stay here: track your numbers! You want to know how many times the phone rings (leads come in), where they came from, what the outcome was for every single lead.
   2. Tracking those numbers? Great! What’s your follow up or engagement plan? Do you have a marketing plan or is it spaghetti on the wall? Yes, a plan will always be more effective in the long run.

Chances are pretty good, one of these three has a "no".

Start at the money, and feed yourself first because if you can’t pay your bills, or it always feels frantic, then it’s not sustainable.

Questions? Send me an email!

I'm running to your side with the fire hose-
Jenell

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I have supported hundreds of clients with small businesses make more money, reach successes they previously found elusive, and thrive as a CEO of a business rather than a slave to a job they built for themselves.

• I don’t believe coaching is about forcing you to do things my way.
• I do believe that being an entrepreneur is a lonely sport and we all need a team behind us!
• I am firmly rooted in gratitude, and paired with a solid action plan it’s a powerful tool to reach your goals.
• I do not think you can just think yourself out of a box you built for yourself.

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If you are looking for a quick injection of gratitude, check out my 28 Days of Gratitude Practice for Entrepreneurs here.