Working ON Your Business: Where Should You Be Focusing?

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Where are you spending your time? Working ON your business or working IN your business? Do you have no freaking clue what I’m talking about? Don’t worry, girl. I’ve got you. Just a warning: This is about to be deep, long, and bold.

I spent my weekend at a creative women’s mastermind retreat and this is one thought that came home with me. I feel like as women, direct sellers, and business owners, we spend the majority of our time IN our businesses. We’re doing flatlays, shipping items, getting ready for album sales, making sure our inventory is correct, managing our books, paying the help, ordering, dealing with damaged inventory, predicting trends, and answering customer correspondence.

We Feel Lost

While this is all super important, when was the last time you sat down and thought about where your business is going? When was the last time you thought about how you want to make people feel? How about the last time you planned on how you want to attract new customers? When was the last time you spent time working on self-development? I’m betting it was a while ago and you feel like you’re floundering.

To quote a new friend of mine, Erin Loechner (who is pretty bad ass, has published multiple books, and had a show on HGTV!!!)

“If you don’t work on yourself, it’s hard to work for yourself.”
Let that sink in. If you’re not working on making yourself a better human being, I bet you’re struggling with a good work/life balance. You feel like your business runs you. The air has been sucked out of the room. You’re overwhelmed with nowhere to turn. Raise your hand if you feel me.

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Working ON Your Business Versus Working IN Your Business

What is the difference? I know this is going to be the number one question asked. Let’s dive deeper.

Working IN Your Business

These are the day-to-day tasks of running a business. A lot of times, these are the tasks that feel like you’ll never get caught up on. For me, it’s dealing with a physical inventory. For every one task I cross off, another one pops up. I swear they multiply in the closet that’s beneath my stairs. Take them back, Harry Potter!

To sum it up, these are tasks that an employee could, can, and should do. Yeah, as the business owner, you can do them, but you are destined for more.

Working ON Your Business

These are the tasks that often are seen as big and scary. Where do you want to see your business financially next month? Next year? 5 years from now? How are you finding new customers? How are you planning on communicating with your current customers? What is your business plan for the next week? How do you want your customers to feel when they think of you?

These are the tasks that you, as a business owner, are the only person that can do. You wouldn’t want an employee to figure out your branding because then it wouldn’t be a direct reflection of you, right? You must be the one to do these tasks, friend.

How Often Should I be Focusing on Being the Business Owner?

Do I have the answer on exactly how much you should be spending working ON your business versus IN your business? Nope. I believe it depends on your individual business. A newer business will take more work ON because they need direction. A more-established business probably means that you can work less to maintain where you are. But really, who wants to maintain. Spread those wings and hit that next level, babe!

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My goal for the rest of the year is 1 day ON, 4 days IN, and 2 days living in the moment. I need to remember to live outside of my business. Anyone else feel that?

Ok, great, Devin. This is a little out there, but I spent part of my 6 hour ride home yesterday reflecting. When I spend time ON the business, I feel more in control. I am proactive. When I’m not focusing ON and planning, I’m reactive. I have no direction. I feel so freaking stressed. I’m not always a pleasant person to be around. (Admitting it is the first step, right?) Basically, I’m on a fast train to burn-out city.

Don’t you want to feel like you’re more in control of who you are? Where your business is going? You own your life, not your business. If you’re not focusing ON your business, I bet you’re feeling out of whack. Spend some time figuring out your stuff, get on your boss pants, and I bet you’ll feel like you’re driving your life again shortly!