It’s often a word we hear thrown around, but do business owners really think about it?
According to the Cambridge dictionary: A business or system that is scalable can successfully grow larger using the same methods.
Think about that for just a minute. If you continue doing just what you are doing now, how much can you expand? If you are exchanging your time for money, the answer is, not by much.
To really be scalable your business needs to perform without you. That’s the ultimate goal.
This was made very clear to me a number of years ago when I was doing an advanced leadership program. At the beginning we listed all tasks in our business, and how many of them we were personally involved with.
Mine was a shocking 80%. It was clear that I was managing a whole lot more than I was leading. The time I spent leading and strategically growing my business was only 20% of the time.
During that twelve month program it was my goal to reverse those figures, and I’m pleased to say that I did. I still slip up at times and take on tasks that should be delegated. But for the majority of the day to day running of my business, it works just fine without me.
Which is great, as I get to work on the strategic growth and scalability of my business. I am still very much involved in my business; I love it. And I love the impact it can have on other small business owners, which is my ultimate goal.
I also know that I can’t impact as many entrepreneurs if I’m bogged down in the day to day tasks. So, getting myself out of the way is a good strategic move.
Times are tricky right now with so much uncertainty, but as the saying goes, where there is crisis there is also great opportunity. Now is a great time to plan, to learn, and prepare for how you will grow your business once we are on the other side of CoVid19.
How about you? Are you working IN or ON your business? How easily can you scale?
Leave me a comment and let me know.