Don’t take it all on at once!

Have you ever walked into a company, even if it is your company, and realized it is totally broken? If you have not, then I am going to suggest that you take some time to rethink the situation because your company is probably broken, it just still does what you need it to do.

The check engine light on your car is on, but does it still run?

So your company is probably broken because the minute you set it up, the model you created is outdated. It will work for a long time before you fix it, like when your car has the check engine light, unless you really push it. If you push it to its limits, it will probably break where you least expect it and then you go into recovery mode and have to get it working again.

What if you took your company to a specialist and had them look under the hood and they came back with all the things that are broken and need fixing? Well, like taking a car to the mechanic after years of neglect, it will be expensive to fix it all!

But, what if you did not fix everything? With your car the mechanic usually gives you a list of things to fix and yes, they want to fix it all because that is how they make a living. But is that really what you have to do? What if you ask, “What are the things I must fix to keep it running for a while longer?”

Your business is just like that. It is broken, and so what! It still produces, but what can you do to it to get to go further down the road?

For most businesses, this model will take care of the majority of the issues that will keep you from growing. Some need a bit more help, but you don’t have to fix it all at one time. It is good to get someone to look at it and give you a list, but don’t fear the it all has to be done at one time.

What if I want to be my own mechanic? That is great, but do you have all the diagnostic tools to figure out what is wrong? Would it make sense to take it to the shop and have them check it out and give you a list? Is that noise a $5 problem or a $5,000 problem?

So the lesson is that it is a good idea to have someone look over your work and give you a list of things to do, but you don’t have to do it all at one time and there are plenty of things you can do on your own.

If you want to have someone look over your business and give you their opinion, just send me an e-mail and lets talk – rick@gramatges.com.