The topic of this episode of the Business and BBQ Podcast is “getting back in the saddle.” This could mean different things to different people based on their business situation, but for Tim it means getting reacquainted with your business processes and making necessary adjustments.
It is easy as the entrepreneur or leader of a business to focus on getting work done, reaching out to clients, closing deals, and building relationships without putting much thought into the systems and processes that are supporting your efforts. In Tim’s business, he had delegated most of the administration of these systems to his colleague Adam, and when Adam left the company, Tim was thrust back into the driver’s seat of the big picture business operations as well as these much smaller but foundational processes.
He learned 2 things during the initial shock of getting back into the inner mechanics of the business: (1) your systems have to evolve and (2) changing your systems can lead to company improvement. Tim describes for listeners the many different methods and programs his company has gone through for CRM and call tracking which has ended up in the use of CallRail and HubSpot for all of their needs. But it was not until Tim got back into using these tools from the administration side that he took a hard look at what the various programs offered and how those offerings could fit into his business model. By not providing Adam and his other employees with enough information about what the programs should do for the business, Tim had left them to guess what he wanted, which led to chaos for a while.
Second, he found that there were better ways to use technology and business strategies that would make the business more efficient in the long run. For instance, they transitioned from using Dropbox to using OneDrive because of the integrations available with systems that were already in place. This also led Tim to create a brand-new website which is simpler, cleaner, and overall more representative of his company and its mission. To maintain consistency in the website realm, Tim tries to dedicate Mondays to marketing, reviewing the website and website copy as well as writing his weekly blog post. Overall, the theme of this phase of his business has been “keep it simple.”
By becoming more involved in his business operations, he has learned so much about every step of their home buying process, and he recommends that every entrepreneur take this same deep dive into their own business every 30, 60, or 90 days.
When it comes to BBQ this week, Tim wants to make sure everyone knows that he is posting reviews on his website that you should be sure to check out if you are in Texas. Feel free to reach out at the email address below with recommendations of your own!
Key Quotes:
· “I was able to focus on working, not making something work.”
· “When you’re working well and you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you’re more productive, more creative, and more successful.”
· “If you don’t communicate your expectations about who is going to do what, then no one will do it.”
Topics Covered in this Episode:
· Real estate investing
· Understanding the nuts and bolts of your business
· Adapting to the market
· Taking advantage of technology
· Leadership by walking around
Links:
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