Take an afternoon to think

There is an old saying that entrepreneurs should take the time to work on their business, not in it. Easy to say, but very hard to do, especially for a start-up entrepreneur who finds themselves doing accounts, running the HR function, selling and cleaning up the kitchen.

However, here at Taskmaster Enterprises, all my staff know that at least one afternoon a week I will shut the office door, hang up the “do not disturb” sign and focus on one issue that I am struggling with.

It might be a sales contract we are struggling to finalise. It might be an operational issue. It might be a staffing problem, or a financial issue. Whatever it is, I spend a few hours just working through the problem (sometimes with a staff member, sometimes by myself) and coming up with some real solutions.

Not only does it help an entrepreneur see the bigger picture of their business, but it’s also great for stress levels – actually tackling the problems that keep you up at night in a focused way is a great way to release tension.

A dedicated thinking period might be appropriate every week, every fortnight or every month. But make sure you at least plan for some quiet, focused problem solving time.

Get it done – today!