I cannot tell you how many times I hear the phrase....But I don't have Time. This is usually from a business owner when I'm suggesting that to they need to do some things differently to achieve that result they are looking for. And for the most part it's true. They work hard, they work long hours and they are constantly on the go. For a lot of small business owners they start out on their own or with a very small team. This means they need to wear all the hats in the business.....they are the CEO, the CFO, the CIO etc as well as being the one to *do* the majority of the work......it's no wonder they are busy. But often the *doing* takes over and the roles to build the business, systemise the process, and keep everything on track get left till last......and because of the busyness.....never get done.

Now i'm not just talking about the things that need to be done to grow your business. Some small business owners are fantastic at this & succeed very quickly at ramping up their business turnover. Often this results in the back office being chaotic as there are no systems or process. This means the business owner still needs to *do* a lot of the back office stuff because without any systems or processes they cannot delegate to any other team members.

Then there's the cash flow issues.......again normally left till last. Unfortunately cash flow as a business grows is one of the most crucial aspects. As you grow the amount of money you are owed in dollar terms also grows. Unfortunately all too often the time it takes for people to pay you also grows. This is due to having no control over your cash flow. You also need to hire more people, more equipment - decisions are made on the fly with no consideration to the long term effect on your cash flow. Should you lease the equipment as opposed to buying outright? What do you need to increase sales by to cover the cost of a new employee? As you can see NOT making the time costs you money. It can not only cost you money but also your sanity! And the important thing.....You DON'T have to do everything yourself.

If cash flow is not your thing for example we can certainly help. Rob Nixon wrote a great little article for the accounting profession regarding time.....but it applies equally to every business. You can read an excerpt from his book here: You can't lavish time unless you have time to lavish Whilst there are numerous ways in which to manage and prioritise your time - you need to find one that works for you. I have always suggested to business owners to pick a few hours every week and block this time out to work "ON" your business. For me I find simple things work. I set Friday as my *whatever* day. I start the day with a relaxing coffee at #newcastlecoffee where I catch up with some very dynamic business owners. I then spend up to an hour on Growthwise CFO role (checking cash flow, reviewing budgets & targets etc). I have a few hours for those small tasks that you never quite get to during the week or to see a client if need be, then it's my time to work "ON" the business. Each Month I set a big task that I want to complete for Growthwise. I then break that down into my Friday tasks. I find the other days of the week I start with the biggest and most important thing 1st thing in the morning. This ensures the most important things get done. Really it's all about finding what works for you. Are your priorities in order? Or do you need a little assistance? Do you really not have the time?