Nothing frustrates me more than talking to an agency owner who builds the agency that everyone else wants. Clients, employees, family, mentors, and consultants all have ideas about what you should be doing as an agency owner.
It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of running your business and forget why you started your own agency in the first place. You start making decisions because it seems like the right thing to do — or, worse, the only available option.
Soon you have clients and employees you never wanted. You’re working more hours than you planned, taking home less money than you expected, and not enjoying it the way you had hoped.
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of a business you want to own. Make it your New Year’s resolution to commit to making the changes that you need in order to get the results you want.
If you want to have lots of clients, revenue, and employees — then do it.
If you want to run a solo consultancy — then do it.
If you want to shape your hours around family and leisure commitments — then do it.
If you want to generate lots of cash every year — then do it.
If you want to build a business you can sell — then do it.
There is no right or wrong path for you to follow. You can certainly learn lessons from others — myself included — who have been there before. But ultimately you need to make the choices that are right for you.
No system, process, book, or philosophy is going to get you where you want to go. You will only achieve the results you want if you:
- Establish a clear understanding of what you want
- Set clear goals and objectives to match your ambition
- Create a plan to achieve those goals
- Implement the strategies and tactics you created
- Evaluate and adjust as needed
Take advantage of your holiday downtime to think about what you really want and whether you’re positioned for that goal already.
The changing of the calendar year is a great time to reset and start heading in the right direction. It’s not the only time to do it, but it can be a good motivator for many of us.
There’s no reason to be in business for yourself to meet someone else’s needs or fulfill someone else’s dreams. You can certainly help everyone around you to achieve their ambitions, but only if you are clear about your own and ready to pursue your own goals, too.
