Genius Time? It Matters

I frequently give presentations at small business gatherings, providing me the opportunity to have engaging conversations with owners about the challenges they face. Based on their input, the economy continues to plug along, heading in the right direction, and distancing itself from the difficult journey of the past few years. However, the resulting business climate is considerably different than before, with greater competition and higher customer expectations. Success as a small business owner requires maximizing your daily productivity, so you can focus more on the big picture and less on the many things that eat away at your day.

"Genius Time" is what you do that brings the most value to your small business. It is those high-impact activities ? and just the three or four most important things ? that lead to your peak performance. For example, Genius Time could be networking, client relations, employee motivation and/or providing continuing education. There are many other things that could make up your Genius Time, but know this?dedicating yourself to Genius Time will lead your entire organization to better results.

Success Handler Action: After you finish reading this e-newsletter, spend 30 minutes thinking about your Genius Time. Here are some questions to help you get started:

~ What do you spend most of your work time doing?

~ What things can you and you alone handle?

~ What are the most important roles you perform in your small business?

~ Which areas of your company are not getting the attention they need?

~ How often do you plan what you want to get done each day? Week? Month?

~ Why do you think things get in the way of executing your priorities?

Many of the small business leaders we work with struggle with their own Genius Time. They live in a world of crisis management ? trapped by a never-ending stream of tasks that keeps them in a state of "stuck" ? seldom able to grow beyond their current level. There are many reasons this happens, from lack of awareness about how they actually spend their day, to the never-ending challenges of interruption after interruption. Instead of developing systems and training their employees, which are the keys to creating more time to think proactively, they spend their days reacting to situations and putting out fires.

Success Handler Action: Having determined your Genius Time, keep track during the next week of how you actually spend your working days. Note things like how often you check e-mail, handle incoming telephone calls or work on personal matters. List all of the interruptions that distract you...from employees, to customers, to your cell phone ringing. Be sure to note all of the successful moments you spend on Genius Time.

At the end of the week, follow these five steps to identify where you're placing your priorities:

1. Take out a yellow highlighter and mark all of your Genius Time work

2. Put a red circle around those "time wasters" that cut into your productivity

3. Review all of the other ways you spent time during the week

4. Add up the hours you spent performing Genius Time, "time wasters" and "other" activities

5. Determine what percentage of your working hours you actually spent on Genius Time

One of the interesting people I met recently is a retired Army veteran and new small business owner. On 9/11, he told me he was sitting 100 feet from where the plane hit the Pentagon. He and another member of the military crawled to safety through smoke so thick they weren't sure which direction they were heading.

He said the reason he chose to start his own business is because working the system is the closest thing he could find to the life he lived and loved the past 20 years. "In the military, we spent our days taking the plan and working it, with the goal of maximum productivity and results," he said. "Tell me what the most valuable use of my time is and I'll prioritize that every day." This American Hero pursuing the American Dream truly understands the importance of Genius Time.

Copyright © 2004 by Success Handler, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Coach, David Handler, is the founder of Success Handler, (http://www.successhandler.com), and specializes in helping small business leaders find clarity and take action. He understands the challenges of running a business, because he's been there ? as a small business owner, franchisee, franchisor, corporate leader and trainer. Much like sports coaches, his coaching will show you how to compete on a level playing field in your industry.

---

Asphalt Paving: Striping Your Parking Lot

As you may already know, asphalt paved parking lots do... Read More

Knowledge is Power

Why does research and education play an important part of... Read More

A Small Business Must Have a Solid Foundation

We all know that a building has to have a... Read More

The Care and Feeding of Your Small Business

While I was hard at work last week, an everyday... Read More

Small Business 101: Deadly Ignorance

American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now... Read More

Dispute Resolution of Territory for Mobile Franchised Companies

Franchisors of home based and mobile businesses need to carefully... Read More

How to become a Career Coach for Profit

A career coach could be simply defined your job seeking... Read More

Marketing Your Small Business with Success Stories

-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --An effective and compelling... Read More

7 Tips to Improving Your Cash Flow

Cash is King... That is what everyone tells us and... Read More

Small Business Debt Collection Laws

In your small business debt collection laws will eventually become... Read More

Covenants Not To Compete: Another Franchise Quandary

Imagine that you have operated a successful franchise business for... Read More

How to Promote Yourself to Small Business Riches

You've heard it before; we're living in an information age.... Read More

Is Your Business Profitable?

What's your job profitability? Do you know?Many business owners are... Read More

9 Things You Must Do To Maximize Your Chances Of Obtaining A Small Business Loan

To get approval for your small business loan application, you... Read More

Leveraging Business Relationships for more Profits

When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative... Read More

Gold Medal Delegation

When the recent Games of the XXVIII Olympiad came to... Read More

Where To Get Money For a Franchise Idea

How often have you thumbed through a business opportunity magazine,... Read More

Getting Behind in Your Work? You Need a Virtual Assistant!

If you don't know what a Virtual Assistant (or VA)... Read More

Does Your Business Need a Toll-Free 800 Number?

Should your business have a toll free number for customers... Read More

The Role of the Business Model and Strategy for Business

People will always stress that having a well researched business... Read More

Profits are within 6 Degrees of Freedom

How far away is the person you need to meet?We... Read More

Implementing an Internship Program

CONSIDERING COMPANY NEEDS: In identifying your needs for the internship,... Read More

Outsourcing ? A Positive Approach For Small Businesses

Outsourcing is the strategic use of outside resources to perform... Read More

Practical Money-Saving Tips For Small Businesses

One of the primary concerns all small businesses have is... Read More

Five Quick Ways to Speed Up Cash Flow

At one point or another, almost every business runs short... Read More

SBAs 8(a) Program Can Help Some Companies Compete

Q: A friend told me that as a woman of... Read More

Family Business and Conflicts

What is a Family Business? A family business is basically... Read More

7 Advantages to Incorporating

There's no question that hard work and a little luck... Read More

How to Achieve Real Success in Business: Five Breezy Tips

Achieving real success should be the goal of any good... Read More

Dont Let Your Small Business Fall in the FDCPA Trap

When someone owes your small business money, you certainly feel... Read More

How to be Annoyed and Make Money

When do annoyances in a relationship become too much to... Read More

Taking Stock

Back when I owned an inventory-based business, one of my... Read More

Can Your Business Run Without You?

What would happen if you decided to take an extended... Read More