Be the entrepreneur, not the operator. And not the manager. Not even the “technician” or the worker.

Instead, you need to be the person with the vision. That’s what an entrepreneur does.

Are you the salesperson? In a way yes, but not the only salesperson. Because, again, that is a job. That’s a worker bee.

You need to work on the business, not in it.

Hire managers who put things in place. They run the ship for you. Hire worker bees (techs, admins, accountants, HR) to build the framework.

Understand that the company does not revolve around you. If you own the business and work in it, you have a job. That’s the difference between a freelancer and an entrepreneur. It should be able to operate without you. So hire positions where you are weak, and train those workers in your strengths.

Infancy stage – Jack of all trades. Make the shift from the “do-it-all” to the boss.

Adolescence stage – Hire and train employees.

Understand that no one will have the passion that you’ll have for the company. No one will have the expertise that you’ll have. At most, it may reach 70-80% of your passion. Some will show up just to collect paychecks. That’s why it’s important to track metrics. Tracking metrics keeps people on task.

Comfort zone – Go from manager to CEO. No longer mired in the day-to-day.

Vision for the future – Accelerate, but not deviate from who your company is. As the book, Built to Last, tells us, the point of our business is not the work, but the company itself.

Focus on the system methodology:

1. Consistent level of value – The quality of your work. Excellent customer service. Professionalism.
2. Lowest skilled employees maximized to produce extraordinary results – Document everything. McDonald’s had a 20 page manual on cleaning the bathroom. Be incredibly detail-oriented. Track metrics for maximum effectiveness.
3. Provide structure and order – Systems will be in place to produce desired results. Allow freedom to change, but only with goals in mind.
4. There will be an operations manual – Document systems and make necessary changes. Make it simple and avoid legalese or business terminology. This makes sure people read it.
5. Uniformly predictable service – make sure clients and customers are getting results they need every time. Phone calls and emails as scheduled. Responsive customer service.
6. Code – The core ideology reflects everything that we have to move towards. It is our overarching strategy.

Business Development:

1. Innovation – Ask what our customers want. Then act on it.
2. Quantification – Put everything you do into a metric. What gets measured, gets managed.
3. Orchestration – Eliminate discretion or choice. But make sure the customer gets the same exact thing every time they purchase our service.

Your Plan Should Include:

1. Primary Aim – To become the best company in your industry.
2. Strategic Objective/Standards – Provide the best services at your price and service level in the industry.
3. Organizational Strategy
4. Management Strategy
5. People Strategy – treat the work as a game. Meaning, better performance = better pay. Plus incentives
6. Marketing Strategy – Our customers include:
7. Systems Strategy – scripts for how to conduct each of these systems. Systems to deliver our products. System to follow up and systems to deliver customer service.