KickStart: When you honestly don’t know what to do… WAIT!
Motivational speakers constantly exhort you to “git ‘er done” and “get moving”! But since Steve Toburen isn’t a ‘goo-roo’ I’ll remind you that sometimes ‘Procrastination Pays’! Say what, Steve?😲
Yep, when I’m honestly perplexed on what to do going forward I’ll engage in what I call…
‘Creative Procrastination’: Waiting on events (or just plain ‘serendipity’) to show you the next step.
Let me be clear on what Creative Procrastination (CP) is NOT! CP doesn’t mean slacking off and then complaining that a) the economy is bad, b) competition is too fierce or c) there are too many ‘Price Shoppers’ out there! (Our industry is full of excuses like these and so many more!)
CP also doesn’t mean putting off important ‘Immediate Decisions’ that require decisive action! Example: Terminating a marginal individual that is destroying morale and putting your family’s financial future at risk!😣 (We all hate and fear the ugly confrontation of firing a loser employee.)
HINT: Avoid hiring a ‘marginal worker’ (and the associated drama) in the first place with a ‘Working Interview’ BEFORE an applicant resigns from their current job. NOTE: You’ll get 100’s of recruiting and interviewing systems in my 3-hour ‘Hiring the Very Best’ online seminar. Click HERE to learn more or to register online…
And finally, CP doesn’t mean engaging in ‘Paralysis by Analysis’. Sure, you must ‘know your numbers’ when (for example) setting your prices. (Too many Residential Service Providers are losing money and don’t even know it!) BUT too often your analysis just becomes an easy way to avoid taking action!
However, many times if you wait on a decision in short order your way forward will become clear.👍👍 (And very likely it may be totally different from what you were inclined to do before!) Here’s some great Creative Procrastination candidates:
CP candidate #1: Business expansion… yes or no? Growing into a Critical Mass Business isn’t the right choice for everyone. (And I urge you not to get stuck on the ‘Road In-Between’!) So while you in your ‘CP phase’ focus on Service Engineering your business. (These principles work perfectly for any residential services company!)
REMEMBER: Given the headaches employees can bring you’ll be tempted to stay small. I get it. BUT part of your CP Process should be counting the costs of your business only being YOU!
CP candidate #2: The one-and-done marketing scheme. The online world is jammed with goo-roos promising you the world! Be sure to do your CP here. Get in writing a) what results they are guaranteeing, b) length and terms of your commitment and c) who owns the results you have paid for. (Reviews, art work, website, etc.) If its too good to be true…🙄
CP candidate #3: Diversification. 40 years ago my business mentor told me, “Steve, for most service businesses ‘diversifying’ just means finding something new to fail at.” OUCH! And yet Marty was so very right! So absolutely- time for a lengthy CP process before you even think of diversifying!🛑
WARNING: Most diversifications are driven by lack of disciplined focus and/or ‘entrepreneurial boredom’. Let’s talk about this very soon! (If I don’t put it off!)
Meanwhile, happy procrastinating!
Steve
WANT MORE HELP? You’ll learn so much in my different online SFS: LIVE seminars! Plus you’ll implement my concepts easily with our turnkey SFS: ‘Business Infrastructure’! Click HERE to see upcoming classes…