Can Your Business Operate Without You?

In 2014 I burnt out. A combination of things happening in my personal life and the stress of running a fast-growing, rapidly evolving not-for-profit foundation pushed my body and mind over the limit of what it could handle and I simply stopped being able to function. I was angry, sad, resentful and numb on what seemed to be a minute-by-minute rotation of emotions. I was so physically depleted that my entire body felt as if it was failing one part at a time. My hair fell out, my skin flaked, I caught every virus going and could barely make it out of bed to care for my son.

If I had been employed, I would have been signed off sick by a doctor and told to rest and recover. But as a business owner, that simply wasn’t an option. I was lucky, I had a team supporting me and enough processes in place that they could keep the basics (and often way more than the basics) operational while I fell apart. It wasn’t perfect, it put immense strain on them and they definitely struggled as I dropped off the radar and failed to respond in a timely manner, if I responded at all.

It was a dark time.

Life Happens

As I said, I was lucky, I had people who were able to pick up the pieces I had left and make it work. My business kept running. But if you are a solopreneur, a team of one, what do you do when life happens to you and you can’t run your business the way you have been running it or maybe, at all?

Now that I have my own consultancy, where I am the only information holder, it is even more critical to ensure that in the event of something happening, my business and my clients would be taken care of.

Because next time, it may not be a burn-out. There are a whole host of other things which could compromise our ability as business owners to do our work and none of them are pleasant. As an expat I’ve had to make the sad dash to the airport to say goodbye to someone I love at the end of their life. I’ve watched friends suffer a relative’s diagnosis of terrible illness which takes all their strength to battle or have their lives flipped upside down as they have to drop everything for a parent who can no longer support themselves.

Our lives can change in an instant and preparation for this is like an insurance policy. We hope we will never have to use it but if we do, we are grateful that we planned for it.

The Steps You Can Take Right Now to Protect Your Business

Fortunately, while we cannot plan for every eventuality, there are steps that we can take to mitigate the impact of an emergency in our personal lives when it comes to our business. The details of what needs to be done will be different for every business but the basics you should cover are broadly the same.

1. Document Your Systems and Processes

This is good business practice anyway, to move all your important information, how-tos and other business-critical details into a centralised, accessible location. I call this my HUB and go into much more depth about it in my Asana Training videos. Make sure you include how to do the business-critical parts of your work as well as documenting the most important information and contact details that someone else would need to run your business.

If you just have one place to direct someone to that contains all the information that they require in order to carry out your emergency plan then it makes it much more efficient for everyone.

2. Create an In Case of Emergency Planning Document

This document should contain a step by step of what a trusted third-party should do in the event that you are unable to run your business. Within this document you should cover two scenarios:

• The Temporary Emergency Plan - Which enables them to keep your business operational while you are temporarily unable to do so.
• The Worst Case Emergency Plan - Which gives them the information they need to wrap up and close your business.

You must consider what the most critical steps are in each situation, what information and contact details would be needed by your trusted person and where those details can be found.

Neither of these scenarios can be described as pleasant to plan for, which is probably why we put off doing it, but it is important to consider what would need to be done in each case to help the person that you will be choosing to implement them.

3. Choose a Person

If you are temporarily or permanently unable to run your business then someone else will need to do it for you. Choose this person wisely because they will be holding the keys to your current and future livelihood. Bear in mind that while your most trusted person may be within your immediate family in the event that something happens to you (or to them) they and the people closest to you may well be in crisis mode and unable to focus on your business. Which is not to say that they shouldn’t be the holder of the keys to the information, but you should write your plans as if they might have to be handed to someone else further down the line.

This shouldn’t need to be said, but you do need to check, by which I mean have a proper conversation with, the person you choose to make sure that they are happy and comfortable performing this role for you. We cannot just assume that people will or are able to do this task for us. Ask first.

The Next Right Step

The thought of having to do this may seem overwhelming, particularly if you don’t yet have a centralised place for your information. It can be tempting to put these things off because we think it could never happen to us and we’ve got other, more important things to take care of

I know. I’ve been there too.

But, if you do nothing else, have a think about who would be able to support you in the event of an emergency and try to have a talk with a trusted person about the “what if” scenarios.

If you can create time to do a bit more, then make creating the In Case of Emergency Planning Document your next right step. To help you on your way, I am making my own In Case of Emergency Planning Template available to you right here. There is no opt-in required, you can just click and copy it to your own Google Drive and fill it out with the critical details for your business.

Being prepared costs nothing

Doing advance preparation for something that may never happen costs us nothing but time. What it represents though, is a commitment and service to your business and clients which is far in excess of any immediate financial reward.

It is my most sincere wish for you, that you never have to face a temporary or permanent disruption to your business which is out of your control.

But just in case, isn’t it better to start planning for it now so that if it happens, everyone knows exactly what to do?

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NOTES FOR THE CURIOUS

If you want more systems and strategies to help you work on your business instead of in your business, then you'll love my Notes for the Curious. It's published every two-weeks and delivered straight to your inbox. Notes for the Curious is a curated digest of everything I am learning and loving about running a business and living a life on purpose. From time management, to goal setting, community building to confidence boosting as well as systems and tools to make your life easier, we will cover it all.

Fill out your details below to receive the next edition. 

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How to Say No, With Grace, Kindness and Zero Guilt

No.

N.O.

No.

Such a tiny word, such a problematic one for so many of us to say.

How many times have you found yourself on the receiving end of a request that you badly want to say no too but somehow the words that came out of your mouth were not “no”? Quite the opposite in fact, before you knew what was happening you seemed to be agreeing to something you never wanted to do in the first place all because you can’t say no?

Why we don’t just say “NO!”

That would be easiest, surely? No room for misinterpretation. We all know that no means no.

Here’s the problem though "no" is a loaded word, it provokes a reaction in us and in others, not always a good one. We don’t like to say no and we don’t like to hear it. Why is that?

Do you remember school discos and dances? Do you remember wanting to dance with someone but being afraid to ask in case they said “no”? Do you remember ever wanting something so much, screwing up your courage to ask for it and being told “no”? How did you feel? Crushed, frustrated, angry? Almost certainly it didn’t feel good.

The more a person hears “no”, the harder it is to keep asking other people for things in the future. That’s how we wind up “doing it all”, never asking for help, pretending that we don’t need anyone else and making ourselves utterly miserable in the process.

Even if you are someone who finds it easy to say “no” to the things you don’t want to do, consider what it may have taken for someone to ask you for something. The person asking may have used up all their courage to approach you for help - not always, but sometimes. Have a little grace, respect the vulnerability that comes with asking others for help and when you have to, say no with kindness.

Why kindness and grace are the keys to saying no

Because kindness and grace cost nothing. Zero, zip, nada. The vast majority of people haven’t asked you for something because they want to take advantage of your inability to say no. They’ve asked you because they respect you and because they value what you would bring as a solution to their problem. They don’t know that you are operating at your maximum capacity, they don’t know that three other people have already asked you for something today. Don’t make your problems their problems. Someday you will have to ask somebody for something. Consider how you would like them to respond to you if they are unable to say yes to your request.

What you can say instead of no

Ok, I’m going to spill my secrets now, because as a recovering people pleaser I say no a lot more now than I ever did before in my entire life (and according to my mother I was a strong willed child who had zero issues with saying the word no).

No, I can’t do this.

No, I won’t do that.

Just, no.

Post-burnout, I know my own boundaries and boy oh boy, do I know how to respect them.

I have become a master of the graceful “no”. So much so, that other people often ask me to decline things on their behalf “because you make it sound so much better!”

But that means that if you receive (or have received) one of the following emails from me then you will now know that I was formulaically declining you, hopefully gracefully.

Putting the Graceful No into practice

Saying no to a request to “pick your brains”

Hi [NAME]

Thank you so much for thinking of me. I am so flattered that you would like my input on your project/business/problem.

Right now, my workload doesn’t allow for many coffee dates and those I do have are currently dedicated to friends and family who I just don’t see enough of due to work OR I am prioritising my non-work time just for me so a coffee date won’t be possible.

If you would like my professional input on your project/business/problem then I am happy to schedule some time for you during my working hours. My current consulting fees are on my website [insert link] and you can book a slot here [insert link to your calendar booking system]. 

Alternatively, you may find these resources useful [insert links to relevant blog posts you have written or articles you would recommend which you think could help].

AND/OR

I would love to refer you to [insert name of trusted person] who may be able to help you further.

I look forward to seeing how your project/business/problem evolves into the next phase.

Saying no to a request that makes you feel uncomfortable

Thank you so much for contacting me for this. I don’t believe that I am the right person to provide [insert topic of request here], which means that I am going to say no. But I am so flattered you thought of me.

I recommend contacting/reading/purchasing [insert subject here] to help you move forward with this.

Thank you again for thinking of me and I wish you all the luck in the world with [insert topic of request here].

Saying no to a friend asking you for business help, without feeling any guilt

I love hearing how you are getting on with [insert topic of request here], thank you so much for taking the time to update me, especially as I know how busy you are right now. I am going to have to say no to [insert topic of request here] on this occasion because I don’t have any capacity for free work at the moment / I’m not the right person to help you with this / I love our friendship too much to mix it up with business.

I am so proud to see you pushing the limits of [insert topic of request here] and striving even harder to do something that means so much to you. I feel like we haven’t seen each other properly for ages. Let’s get together soon so that we can not talk about work together.

Saying no to requests for you to work for free

NOTE: First, decide whether you should work for free using this flowchart. Then...

Thank you so much for getting in touch. It is so flattering that you would want me to be part of your business/plan/project/team. Unfortunately, I need to say no to your request.

At the beginning of each year, I calculate / I have to be careful how many hours I can dedicate to free and voluntary work requests. I have already filled the slots I have available for this year / I don’t have any time available at this point. I would be happy to discuss taking this on as a paid project for you but I can’t offer the work for free.

If budget is the issue, could I suggest maybe [posting your request in this Facebook group / reading this article / diy-ing it with this free online tool]?

Let me know if there is another way I can support what you are doing.

Again, I am so grateful that you considered me for this and I hope there is a way we can work together in the future.

Saying no to someone who won’t take no for an answer.

Hey [NAME]

I love your persistence! The answer is still no. I’m simply not able to fit your request into my schedule right now. Believe me, I am not the only way that you will make this project work / achieve your goal but my role is going to be the one who is cheering you on from the sidelines.

I hope the resources/references in our previous email exchange were helpful.

Now go smash those goals, you’ve got this!

Over to you

How do you say no? Is it easy or something you find hard to do? And if you're struggling with how to say no to something I haven't covered, let me know and if I can, I'll resolve it for you with a template response.

The Best Decision I Ever Made

Looking back over my career, I’ve worked for some tough bosses. Hard working, turbo driven, super-charged scary bosses. But it wasn’t until I started my own business that I began working for the Worst Boss Ever.

Suddenly;

• I was working for a boss with no boundaries. Daytime, evenings, weekends they were all the same to the Worst Boss Ever. There was no closing the computer at 5 pm, no structured time off to spend with my family. I was working every minute I could steal and I couldn’t see how it would ever change.
• I was constantly overwhelmed by my to-do list. Swamped by all the things I should be doing. I didn’t know where to focus first in order to make the greatest impact.
• The Worst Boss Ever wanted me to do everything in the business all by myself, even if it wasn’t something I necessarily had the skills for, such as bookkeeping.
• I would lie awake worrying about all the things I had to do for the Worst Boss Ever and wondering if there would ever be a point where I could just do what I was good at, really, really good at. You know, the reason why I started my own business in the first place.

But the thing that really made me want to throw in the towel, more than anything else, was that the Worst Boss Ever spoke to me in ways that I would never ever have tolerated from any other boss. The Worst Boss Ever was constantly critical, constantly convinced that I could be doing better or doing more. They were hyper alert to my failures and rarely congratulatory.

And who was this demon boss? I am ashamed to say, that my Worst Boss Ever was me. This is a hard truth, one you may already be familiar with, in your own business, as I have discovered, the Worst Boss you’ve ever had is almost certainly you.

Many of us who start our own businesses will quickly and predictably fall into the trap of becoming the worst boss we have ever, ever worked for. And, believe me, that is a fast track to business disaster.

It’s not too late, though, there is still time to make a change, and that time is now.

This is when you take back control of your own business.

Now, that may sound big, maybe even a little scary but you only have to do one tiny thing...

“You’re going to have to fire yourself.”

That's right, it's out with the old boss, in with the new. We're going to let your Worst Boss Ever know that you are back in charge.

Because, if you want to build a successful, sustainable business then you need to start leading your business and stop being led by your business.

How do I know? Because saying “no” to my Worst Boss Ever meant I could say “yes!” to...

• Rocketing my business forward in a sustainable and viable way while still having time and space to plan for the next phase. Last year, that enabled me to double my income goal mid-year, and achieve it.
• Letting go of the busy work and getting laser focused on the core actions I need to take in order to make a real impact for my clients and my community.
• Using my time effectively rather than just efficiently to bring more balance into my life and give me my free time back while still making money to support my family.

And I am confident that you can do the same. I'm not going to tell you that it's easy to do, it's definitely going to take some work but the good new is that you don't have to do it alone and we can have a lot of fun while you're doing it.

The Change Maker programme is where you join forces with other small business owners to get clear, get focussed and take action towards growing the business you want, which serves you and your clients.

If you want to find out more then simply fill out the application form and we can book an introductory call. I would love the chance to chat with you about the challenges in your business and see if it is the right time to take your business to the next level.

Remember, there is no commitment until you are sure that the Change Maker is the right path for your business.  Places always go quickly, though, so let’s talk soon.