How to leverage your boundaries

You can start exercising that boundaries muscle and by taking time off but there are times that no matter how important it is you just can’t seem to get there. Or you get there but you work literally the entire day before to get ready to take time off and extra hours the day after to catch up.

That is what has happened to me, more than once! That is when I realized, that this virtual assistant, needed a virtual assistant! Yep even VA’s need VA’s. One of the best decisions I made was to start outsourcing and get a bookkeeper, oh yeah, that was fun! The next team member I brought on was someone to help with newsletters, both for my clients and for me. Oh yeah, that was even more fun!

Consider it this way, outsourcing to a virtual assistant is really all about exercising that boundaries muscle. You are leveraging your boundaries. You betcha, you can leverage a boundary.

How to leverage a boundary:

1) Outsource what you are not good at: Put a boundary on what you do not know how to do or have time to learn and get your focus back on your strengths. By biz coach, Justin over at LukasCoaching.com and I talk about this quite a bit. Your day to day activities should be 80% in your strengths, the other 10% working on the weak areas.

2) Outsource what is not revenue generating for you: If it is not one of your strengths or it does not generate revenue for you, it is actually costing you time and money. Neither one is good and together a bad combo to deal with.

3) Outsource what has been on the back burner for too long: If you are like most entrepreneurs your project list and wish list is a mile long and you can’t seem to get to it. Even though you know it would help your business and move it forward. Getting it off the back burner and front and center for your VA is leveraging a boundary and putting plans into action.

Learning to leverage your boundaries is another area that will take some practice. Outsourcing is not easy at first, it is hard to relinquish control – good ole’ entrepreneuritis (I have to do it all myself syndrome).

But guess what… relinquishing control and outsourcing, empowers your team to get the job done, leverages your boundaries and moves your business forward while still are taking time off, not bad!

Small business owners and boundaries – Why

Yep, boundaries. That is something  I have been thinking about and just recently read a blog post by a colleague that got me thinking.

As a small business owner it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day details and forget to come up for air.  Then there is technology. Technology that allows just about anyone to find you anywhere, anytime…. personally I love technology, but to a point.

There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and tell yourself, hey it is okay to take some time off! I’m finding the more I give myself permission to do that, the more I get done and the the chance to get re-energized for the next project.

Why boundaries:

1) Give your brain a break: That is one of the things I think is hardest for entrepreneurs – turning off the brain and let it start to quiet down. Allowing the flurry of ideas slow down so you are not constantly thinking and analyzing at 1000 miles per hour (no wonder so many of us get insomnia!)

2) Get a fresh perspective: When you start putting boundaries in place you start to see your business, and your role in it,  from a different point of view. You start seeing the big picture again and get reconnected with your goals and vision for your business.

3) Enjoy your family: Putting boundaries on your time at work (whether that is a home office our you leave the house to get to the office) allows you to relax, get some down time with the family and have some fun. When you are fully present with your family (and friends too!) and not constantly consumed with business, your connections with them grow and deepen.

There is nothing so frustrating like waiting for someone to FINALLY get off the computer so you can go run those errands you have been putting off, go to that family outing you have been planning, go play at the beach, play a game with the kids….. sound familiar!

If you notice the boundaries I am talking about here are self-imposed, boundaries that you need to place on yourself. This can be oh so hard to do, but sharing from personal experience is oh so rewarding!

What areas do you need to start putting boundaries in your business life?

What’s so great about being an entrepreneur?

There are some days you just gotta wonder, what really is so great about being an entrepreneur? Long hours, for many low pay and little to no free time.

So why do we do it?

What keeps us getting up in the morning and moving forward to the next client, proposal or project?

Most of the time I am thrilled to be in the position I am now but when there are days when the deadline is looming or their are a million tasks coming into my inbox that I start wondering.

Then I come across something like this and once again I am reminded, how cool it is to own my own business, to be working on my part of the American dream.

Shine – A Big Film About Small Business

This film is being put together by the founder of Biznik, talking to entrepreneurs from around the globe about owning your owns business and the impact it has on both the world around you and on You!

One of the quotes in the movie trailer is:

“Be the change you want to be in the world ( Ghandi ) and I think that is what entrepreneurs are all about”.

What an awesome way to think about my business and why I am doing this work. I had to stop and think about that for a moment and digest it and realize how powerful that statement really was.

From the Mom & Pop store around the corner to the guy who drives the ice cream truck each summer, most of us are doing what we do because we love it. We love the challenges, the joy, the heartache (okay maybe not so much that part…), the journey of being an entrepreneur and the differences we can make in the lives of our colleagues, peers, family, friends and neighborhood.

How powerful is that?

Coming Soon! Bookeeping Services

Do you love accounting? Keeping your books up-to-date, paying bills and processing payroll? Outsourcing just this one area can save you hours each week allowing you to get back to the work you enjoy and makes you money.

I am excited to be bringing on board a bookeeper to offer you the entrepreneur and small business owner even more support.

Meet Aimee Olson! With a degree in accounting and a specialty and preference for working with small businesses she brings with her a wealth of experience to help you get organized.

Stay tuned for more information….