Earlier this morning I witnessed an RV (Recreational Vehicle) burn to the ground.
The cause of the fires is uncertain at this time, although everyone is speculating and trying to find answers.
The damage is not uncertain. A quick visual check is all that’s needed. The walls of the unit are completely gone, and it is destroyed beyond any hope of repair.
Hopefully, no one was physically injured.
Most significantly the owner’s plans for the near term have completely been altered. Their lives are changed forever. An event this significant is not a thing we ever get completely over.
Surprises come at us constantly in business and our personal lives.
Sometimes the surprises are big and global, like the recent pandemic. More often the surprise is local and personal. A health challenge for instance.
While we cannot prepare for every eventuality, it’s surprising how much we can prepare with one simple strategy. The simple strategy is not easy, nor is it particularly hard.
This strategy starts with an attitude, which in the end turns out to be the hardest hurdle on this path.
The strategy is, from day #1, to prepare your business to run without you.
This is the furthest thing from the minds of most new business owners. They can’t imagine their business running without them. In most cases, it can’t run without the founder in the beginning, but if one plans accordingly, it won’t be long before the possibility is a reality.
Preparing your business to run without you, does not mean that you are absent from the business. It means that you can, if need be, step away from the business for a period of time without impacting your program, your payroll, and your growth.
The truth of the matter is that if your business depends on you, then it’s not a business. In the case where the owner is mission-critical on a day-to-day basis, the owner really has a job.
Plan now to create and put systems in place, so next year you can step away, involuntarily or voluntarily, for a few weeks knowing that your business is flourishing without you.
The peace of mind you will have, knowing you have these systems in place is priceless.
Want some ideas on what the next steps are? Get on my schedule for a free 30-minute conversation.
Remember, you only get results when you take immediate action on your ideas.
