Hope For Business Owners Hearing The Dreaded “Knock”
Several years ago, there was a constant “knocking on my office door”. Although figuratively, it was nevertheless an annoying, persistent disturbing prodding to distract me from working on my business. Every time I tried to answer the “knock” it resulted in me needing to do more and more, and I was the only person who could stop the knocking.
The knock seemed to be from our banker, or creditors, or even our customers, and sometimes it was from employees. The knock was also the potential next project our company needed. The knocking was my business working me, instead of me working on my business. Oh, and the softest knock on my office door, the one I tried to justifyingly ignore, was from my family.
I met a business consultant from a group called “AGORA,” at a church event, who asked me “How’s business?”, to which I gave the standard reply “Good, we’re keeping busy.” He then asked, “Do you enjoy it, or does it keep you up at night?” in a way that made me feel like it was OK to unload on him. “No… and yes,” I replied, “there’s a persistent ‘knocking’ that is taking all the fun out of it, a knocking that no one else can answer or make go away, and because of that knocking, we can’t get to the next level.”
We talked about that figurative “knock” for a bit, and he asked me these quick questions:
Do you, as a business owner experience:
1. Fear
2. Busy, busy, busy
3. Constantly putting out fires
4. Chasing revenue
5. Micro-Management (Control)
6. Lack of trust
7. Problems sleeping
8. Worry and stress
9. High employee turnover
10. Reactive vs. being proactive
He said if I answered “yes” to more than 3, then we needed to talk further. I said “yes” to all ten.
He smiled and said, “There’s hope, I think I can help you with all ten, and bring back your fun.” Through a few get-together meetings, and attending the Agora Transform Workshop, all ten “yes” answers became “no”, and the knocking on my door stopped. Agora Strategic Consulting can do that for you and your business too!
