I love working with microentrepreneurs. It is my cup of tea. I define microentrepreneurs as those with 10 or fewer full-time employees. These are often businesses that are not looking to every have more than 10 employees- they are working lean and pan on staying that way. They are not traditional startups, but rather people who want a small company so that they can do that one thing exceptionally well.
In my experience of being a mentor, advisor, microentrepreneurs, and entrepreneur, I have learned something about microentrepreneurship. When we scale ourselves as leaders and visionaries, our lives become infinitely better. We also attract and surround ourselves with those who are also doing what they love. I want to dive into the concepts of "Scale You".
What is ScaleYou?
"ScaleYou" is the notion of scaling your talents, your energy, your enthusiasm, and your team. It is about getting rid of all the little (or big) things you do not want or have to do and focusing on what you want to do and the things you do well. How do you scale yourself to become more productive and efficient?
5 Components to ScaleYou
I believe that there are 5 components that allow you to scale and grow yourself. These are time magic, talent magic, task magic, team magic, and tool magic.
Time Magic
In my experience, you are most rewarded when you work in a way that fits best for that you. And when you do not try to be something you aren't. For instance, if you are most productive when listening to music, then listen to music. There is no right or wrong answer on the method you use to accomplish tasks. I love this quote by Timothy Ferris, "Being busy is a form of laziness - lazy thinking and indiscriminate action". I like to ask myself the following two questions:
How do I make my time count in the way I want to? For instance, what do I want to have accomplished at the end of the day, and how do I get there?
When is my peak mental clarity? This is the time of day that I find I am most productive. And then schedule that time!
Talent Magic
Talent magic refers to accessing your strengths. For me, I find that my strengths are often what I enjoy doing. I try to focus at least 50% of my time on my strengths and track my talent. I then assess the tasks I am doing throughout the day that I do not like and would love never to have to do again so that I can hand them off.
Task Magic
For each task, I ask myself if it has to be done? If so, does it have to be done by me? Does it have to be done now? When I take a moment to stop and think about each task, I am constantly surprised by how often tasks are not necessary, do not have to be done by me, or can wait. This is where I love SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). I like to write it down and get it out of my head and onto paper to visualize my tasks at hand more clearly. Actually, even better is to screen record myself doing the task or procedure and then pass the video off to a teammate to create the SOP and take over the responsibility!
Team Magic
No matter how small our team is, we have a different jobs and responsibilities!
WorkSitter - A teammate that literally watches you work, keeps you on track/focused and is listening for ways to help you.
Doer/Assistant - A teammate that once shown how to complete a task can then repeat the same task without direction.
Run with It - A teammate able to accomplish tasks without anyone else
Generator/Strategist - A teammate able to create without anyone else
Everyone does things slightly differently, depending on your business's needs. For me, I break my team out into these categories and then hire based on projections. I can hire a lot of WorkSitters and doers. It is only a small percentage of my revenue for a month. This is how I multiply myself because it translates into a higher profit.
Tool Magic
Another great way to scale yourself is to use Loom or ScreenCastify to make "How To" videos. Make as many as you can, as often as you can. These are great reference materials for your WorkSitters and doers. Google docs for sharing work is a phenomenal way to collaborate with your team. Another thing I love to do is voice record my thoughts. This way, I can send them over to my doers and say, "Hey, can you do this for me?" Utilizing available tools is a great way to multiply yourself. See “Top Ten Tool for Entrepreneurs for Hacking Productivity”.
You've Already Broken the Mold!
I believe that entrepreneurs are extraordinary human beings. We are motivators, generators and break the mold every single day. This is our greatest talent. We reject corporate America's idea of the perfect business model. Believe it or not, 13% of the population are entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. That's it! Everyone else does what is asked of them.
ScaleYou is comprised of the above 5 components that allow you to multiply and maximize your effectiveness as an entrepreneur. One of my favorite and most cost-effective ways of scaling myself is using WorkSitter to help me stay on track and be more productive. If this is something that is of interest to you, try WorkSitter for FREE!