5 Things to prioritize as the CEO of Your Business
In 2017 I was “fully booked” but I felt lost when it came to growing and scaling my business past that point. I knew how to get clients but I didn’t fully know how to creatively increase my income without adding a ton of new work hours to my schedule. I tried some things that worked, some that didn’t-- and what I definitely didn’t allow enough time for was CEO space.
CEO space is time I spend away from my home office to vision and strategize. Investing my time, money and mental energy into these days (vs. buying more information) has been a game changer!
Last month I committed to doing two CEO days every month and the two I’ve done thus far have been a game changer! When you start your business you play every single role. You create the product, you sell the product, you do the bookkeeping, your manage your own social media. At the start this is 100% normal. ...but even at the start you are STILL the CEO of your business. You are the one creating a vision and making all the key decisions.
As you increase your income and client load it can be harder and harder to prioritize CEO tasks, but it becomes more and more important that you do.
Here are FIVE things that I focus on during my CEO time that can help you grow and scale your business this year:
Visioning // The momentum from your business will come from YOUR vision for where you want your business to be in 10 years and in this next year.
Income Strategy // At every uplevel it’s ultra important to get clear on what you’re selling (core offers), how you’re selling it (sales strategy) and exactly who you’re selling it to (ideal client)
People // Your Team Members, Customer Service for your Clients, Relationships and connections in your industry… these are all things you should be directly involved with
Decisions // What’s kept me most stuck at times in my business has been putting off key decisions because I’m afraid to make the “wrong choice” or because after I make the decision I’ll have to take courageous action. Setting aside time to get still and make the right decisions in a timely manner is a big priority for me
Innovating // Evaluating what’s working and what’s not working and adjusting accordingly has helped me evolve and uplevel without getting stuck in comfortable but unproductive patterns in my business. Making time for white space and “GOLD SPACE” (that’s what I call white space that has a little bit of something still going on in the background) allows new approaches and ideas to flow quickly into my business.
Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you doing in each of these areas?
There are two practical strategies that have really helped me have the time and mental margin to focus on CEO tasks:
CEO Day // Usually at a local hotel for 6 hours, this gives me the margin to refresh my ideal calendar, troubleshoot my client flow, work on those five focus areas above and even have dedicated time for a new project or piece of content
CEO Document // I have an ever evolving document that I add all my CEO thoughts too (ex: current core values, current priorities, processes I’m streamlining) and I link it in the toolbar of my web browser for easy access.
So, when are you planning your next CEO day?If you need strategic support around your income strategy, the decisions you are making or are feeling dry on innovation I would love to support you in a strategy intensive. We can cover up to three challenges you're facing and you'll walk away with clarity and confidence as you move forward. Book a strategy intensive here.