WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN, "WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS?"
By Joan Friedlander
Copyright July 2003, all rights reserved

How often have you heard people say "Work on your business, not just in your business?" Do you know what this means, why it's important, and are you doing it? If you're like most people, there's a good chance you are working on your business. But perhaps you are like I was, having only a general, but vague, understanding about what it means. I've heard people talk about it so much lately that I decided to pull out my copy of The E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber and review the chapter on this topic. I'm glad I did. Reading it 2 years later I see things a lot differently.

Working on your business is about setting clear expectations and standards, and delivering the goods each and every time.

Anytime you step away from the day-to-day front line service activities and spend time on any kind of development activity you are working on your business. You do this whenever you take time to upgrade your systems or engage in strategic planning. You do this when you hire a coach. You do this when you take a course related to business practices. But, as I learned, it's even more specific and focused than this.

To start with, it requires thinking beyond the boundaries of what you can do as a one-person show. Gerber suggests pretending you are developing a prototype for 5,000 more businesses absolutely identical to the one you are running - just like McDonald's. The first time I read this I took it as an affront to the quality and personality of my business. I thought it devalued my business in some way. Now I understand it adds value to my business.

When you approach your business as if it's a prototype for thousands just like it you are forced to develop procedures and systems that allow you to replicate the quality of your product or service over and over again. When you do this, even if you are only a one-person show, you accomplish 3 things right away.

1) You form a strong foundation on which you can reliably provide a consistent level of service and experience to every prospect and every customer.

2) You make your life a lot easier.

3) When it comes time to expand your business, even by one person, you have systems in place that will make that process easier and less disruptive to your customers.

Gerber outlines 6 important rules of working on your business. "The Model" refers to the franchise model.

1) The Model will provide consistent value to your customers, employees, suppliers and lenders, beyond what they expect. You define and understand the value and figure out how to provide it consistently over and over again.

2) The Model will be operated by people with the lowest possible level of skill. This one's a shocker, isn't it? What it means is that you figure out how you can create a business that is systems dependent rather than people dependent. Yes, it depends on people to deliver it, but it's the systems that support your people in getting the job done (even if the "people" is just one you.)

3) The Model will stand out as a place of impeccable order. Your clients and customers crave order. Order tells them you know what you are doing and they learn what to expect, and can expect it.

4). All work in the Model will be documented in Operations Manuals. Documentation says "this is how we do it here." Your operations manual indicates the steps needed, and summarizes the standards with the process and the results.

5). The Model will provide a uniformly predictable service to the customer. The expectations you create at the first meeting with a prospect create their expectations for all future dealings. Make sure you provide it at every encounter.

6)The Model will utilize a uniform color, dress and facilities code. This is where branding and presentation comes into play. Your colors and logo and presentation should be consistent so your customers recognize you, and recognize what they can expect from you.
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Do you spend enough time working on your business?

2-3 yes responses to the above questions indicate you, your customers and your business could benefit from some additional time spent working on your business.

What' Next?
If you hate dealing with systems and details, get help! Hire people to help you do the things that you can't stand, or just can't do by yourself. A new client not only hired me to support him with the longer term, bigger picture aspects of growing his business, he also hired 2 other people to take care of systems and details he knew he would never do on his own.

Yes, this took a huge leap of faith and a great deal of commitment. Frankly, I was pretty impressed. Most people stop short of such measures, saying they can't afford it. Perhaps you can't afford not to. What can you invest in today, with your time and money, that will enable you to provide consistent, reliable levels of service tomorrow?
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Resources
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses
Fail and What to do About It

by Michael E. Gerber, Copyright (c) 1995, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
This book is a library must for every entrepreneur and small business owner. It will challenge your thinking and give you some excellent pointers to help make your business successful.

Joan Friedlander, past president of ICF-OC, is founder of Lifework Business Partners (LBP), a coaching and training company that serves solo entrepreneurs in service businesses.  She is author of Take the Busy Out of Business™ and Dare to Delegate™. Joan is involved in other business projects with C.J. Hayden and Frank Traditi, all of which facilitate and support the success of solo professionals. You can visit Joan’s website by linking to http://www.lifeworkpartners.com.