Our business is our baby, and therefore, we believe we have got to put the stops in place so our baby is protected. But, like any parent, we can be overprotective. And as the business gains traction, we may feel that we need to put more methods of protection into it because we are worried about it getting out of our hands. This could be common sense things like legal protection but we have to remember that we can protect our business too much. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you are worried you are too protective of your business?
Is everything running okay?
It’s okay if everything is not 100% perfect. But the problem is if you’re trying to make everything perfect this could belie some controlling behaviours that could be impossible for you to shake off further down the line. A new business is going to have its problems. And it can be impossible to have everything in one place.
If something happens to attack your business, and you do not have the necessary managed IT services or support on hand, your business could suffer. It might be that your firm has been trundling along with the same marketing approach, but that’s starting to look old and stale. A service like Freedom Search may be able to inject necessary life into it.
Everything is running smoothly at the moment, but if you are overprotective, you may not be able to see the bigger picture. If you do not see the bigger picture, you’ve got to get help on board.
Have people been voicing their concerns?
You might have been feeling stressed recently, or you may recognise that people are a bit more apprehensive in talking to you. People might have been asking if you are okay. If people voice their concerns, you have to listen to them. Because if you are running a business with an iron fist, people are not going to be receptive to your demands, and they are not going to be productive, which will hinder the business. It’s important to implement a holistic approach to running a company, and this means being more human in your approach to running a business and giving yourself the support you need too. You may think that in order to get the results you have to crack the whip. But remember, whips hurt!
Will the business function without me being there?
If we are so hell-bent on seeing every aspect of our business, will the business actually collapse if we fall ill? It is so important for a company to be self-sustaining, and this means you’ve got to put this to the test. This means do less but delegate more. Delegation is not admitting you are weak, but it’s about making sure that you are putting trust in your employees. If you are to fall ill, and nobody knows how to run the business in your absence, the blame will be at your door. This is why you’ve got to delegate, but to do this you’ve got to trust, and you’ve got to learn how to relax more.
Running a business is pressurising, and this means that we’ve got to take time out. When we do this, we come back reinvigorated, and we’ll have many better ideas.
