How To Make Time To Work ON Your Business, Not Just IN It

July 24, 2018

Let’s talk about how to make time to work ON your business, sweet friends, instead of spending all of your time IN it. I think we all know what that feels like, right? I know you are striving to serve your clients really well in creating an incredible client experience. But if you aren’t careful, you will exhaust all of your time and energy into your client work. And by the end of the day, you won’t have the energy or resources to pour back into growing your own business.

While I do believe serving your clients well is a top priority, I also believe that growing your business is an important thing to constantly be prioritizing.

As a creative who has two different businesses, this has been something I need to work hard on prioritizing myself. Within each one of my businesses, I have different services I offer and different ways I work one-on-one. But it’s important I prioritize my growth as well, because if I don’t, then my businesses might become stagnant. And if they become stagnant, how am I able to provide for my family? How am I able to pursue my dreams? And how am I able to serve others through my gifts and talents?

How To Make Time To Work ON Your Business, Not Just IN It | While I do believe serving your clients well is a top priority, I also believe that growing your business is an important thing to constantly be prioritizing. Here’s why! | b is for bonnie design #creative #entrepreneur #clientexperienceIf you can’t tell, I’m extremely passionate about this topic! I do think there is a way to create the space in your busy work week to pour into your business as you also pour into your client work.

Over the years, the solution I’ve found is to implement a few simple steps that really make working ON your business the priority it should be.

Create The Space

The first step is you have to create space in order to prioritize and make this happen.

Crossing your fingers and hoping you will find the time to magically pursue your business goals or map out that marketing plan you’ve wanted to implement for months, just won’t work.

Instead, if you are going to make your business growth a priority, you have to create the opportunity in your day to achieve that goal.

I time block my days in order to create the space I need to chase after my dreams. This approach allows me to know where my work hours are going each day. I know what hours I need to devote to client work. And what hours I need to devote to my own business growth. This helps me create a foundation and strategy to get to where I want to go long-term within my businesses.

If I were to leave it to chance and hope that if I work fast enough and cross that very last project off my to-do list, then I will be able to work on my business and personal goals. But sweet friend, that’s not the way it works!

I’ve been in this business long enough to know that if we don’t plan intentionally and create that margin in our day then we won’t magically find the space in order to make it happen.

So first and foremost, create the space in your schedule to work ON your business.

Get It On Your Calendar

I’m sending some tough love your way. But I truly think the easiest way to unintentionally sabotage ourselves, is if we don’t carve out the time and reserve the space for ourselves.

Friend, how often do you find yourself having a hectic day and falling behind schedule? Maybe you have that one client who seems to pop up in your inbox requesting a last minute project and the only time you would be able to complete it is during the time you thought you’d have to work on your business.

The way I bypass this is I actually put the time I am reserving to focus on growing my business on my calendar. So when I look at my agenda every morning, I can see the hours I’ve blocked off for client work and for myself.

This enables me to do things like launch courses, release digital brand strategy files, create designer resources, and serve my one-on-one clients really well. Because if I am able to constantly pour back into my businesses and have the ability to grow in that way, I am keeping my clients at the forefront of everything I do.

Take Yourself Seriously

The third tip on how to work on your business and not just in the trenches, is to treat it like you would a client meeting.

First, you have to create space.

Second, you have to get it on your calendar.

But third, you have to take it seriously.

You aren’t prioritizing yourself or your business if you aren’t willing to sacrifice time in your business to focus on you, your dreams and your business growth.

It’s a dangerous mindset to be in when we are always putting our clients first and ourselves last. What happens when your client projects wrap up? What happens when you accomplish all the to-dos and deliver an incredible end result for your client, but you neglected the steps it takes to market yourself to new clients? Or even, what if you don’t invest into your client experience on the back end to help serve potential clients even better in the future?

If you are always putting clients first and your business last, then you are directly jeopardizing making a living doing what you love.

We have to take this seriously.

How To Work ON Your Business, Not Just In It

I’ve said this before, but this isn’t something we can cross our fingers and hope falls into our laps. We have to chase after it. We have to be diligent in pursuing our dreams and finding the time to work on our business. Not just in it.

Treat the time you carve for yourself as you would any client or vendor meeting. You wouldn’t cancel on a client or vendor would you? So then don’t cancel on yourself.

Don’t diminish the opportunity you have to grow your business.

You were given your unique gifts and talents to serve others well. And the only way you can do that is if you continue to grow your own business to reach those who need you and your talents to help reach their goals.

Hey, friend! How do you approach this concept in your own business? What are some ways you carve out time to make your business a priority in the midst of serving your clients well? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

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My name is Bonnie – I’m a brand designer, strategist, and writer which all adds up to one eclectic conglomeration of qualities that enables me to serve you well! Past clients have dubbed me "the Joanna Gaines of brand design," and I've had more than a few call me a dream maker, a game changer, and a design wizard (my Harry Potter-loving heart didn't hate that one, let me tell you!). At the end of the day, I'm a big-hearted creative who will get teary-eyed as you share the heart behind your business; who will lose sleep over the perfect font pairings and color selections to bring your brand to life visually; and who will work tirelessly to empower, encourage, and equip you to share your work with the world intentionally. 

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