Being busy doesn't have to stop you from growing your business and becoming a successful entrepreneur.
When I was in university, I laid the groundwork for the businesses I have today that serve hundreds of clients and employ incredible people — and even though it definitely wasn’t easy, it was 100% worth it.
I was a full-time student with more than 30 hours a week of classes and coursework to complete, and at the same time, I was working with clients and building my fitness coaching business for at least 30 hours a week, if not more.
In other words, I was BUSY.
This experience taught me a lot, and today I’m sharing how you can also build a business despite having a hectic schedule, whether that includes school, other jobs, taking care of children or fulfilling other commitments.
1. Hire Help or Outsource When Possible
You cannot do it all, so it’s important to determine what you can outsource. I put this into practice in university when I paid my fellow students 50 euros for their notes — yes, you read that correctly — because I realized I simply needed to pass my courses and get my degree, not ace my exams.
Would it have been ideal for me to take my own notes? Sure. But unlike most of my peers who were singularly focused on school, I was focused on growing my business. As a result, I decided to outsource note-taking so I could put my time and energy into serving my clients, and it was a great decision. I passed my exams and earned my degree, and my classmates got paid — a win-win.
If you’re busy and trying to build a business, what can you outsource? Where are you losing money because you’re unwilling to make an investment?
With new business owners, I see this coming up when they refuse to pay for Shopify and choose to go with a free online checkout system that isn’t very user-friendly instead. They think they’re saving money, but in reality, they’re probably losing money because it’s too hard for their potential client to make a purchase.
Rather than only looking at the cost, consider the return on a potential investment. Ask yourself what will help you get MORE of what you want, and move forward accordingly.
2. Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices
I’m going to give it to you straight: You CAN get everything you want, but you may not be able to have it all at once.
This was certainly the case for me in university. I didn’t have time to party or socialize very often, and sometimes I felt lonely because I was taking the road less traveled. My life didn’t look like that of my peers; they had significantly more free time than I did, and their lives seemed easier than mine.
However, I’d made a decision: I was committed to creating a financially secure future for myself, and that was more important than partying — so I gave that up.
I was fueled by my ambition. I had my eyes on the prize and was thinking long-term, and I believed that my sacrifices would help me get where I wanted to go in business faster than if I took a more “traditional” route. I was absolutely right, but the journey was challenging.
So, before you decide to go all in on building your business while you’re busy in other areas of your life, make sure you:
- Are willing to give up certain things temporarily.
- Have a support system in place (you’ll need this on the really hard days).
- Keep your end goal in mind — that’s your reward for pushing through.
3. Use Time Management Hacks
When I had exams coming up in university, it was even more critical for me to manage my time wisely, so I got creative and took a different approach to studying: Rather than starting at the beginning of a book, I’d start at the end of the book.
There was no way for me to read and absorb all the information in a book in such a short amount of time, so I focused on the things I thought would be on the exam, and those were usually in the final chapters. Obviously, there were things I missed, but my strategy allowed me to learn enough of the material to pass the exam (which, as I said before, was my goal — not earning a top score).
I also got more serious with my boundaries when it was time to prepare for exams. While my business was still my No. 1 priority, I would limit my availability with my clients for that time period, and I batched my work whenever possible so I wasn’t switching back and forth between tasks. I’d set aside a single day for coaching clients, for example, and turn my focus to uninterrupted studying on the other days.
Maximizing your time is essential if you want to grow your business when you’re busy, so rather than trying to make everything perfect, aim to be efficient and proficient — and let the rest go.
Looking for more assistance with your time management? Download my FREE Time Workbook that will help you outline your ideal week, be more productive and get clear about your priorities: https://fastforwardamy.com/timeworkbook
4. Focus On the Positive
Yes, you’re busy, and yes, you may be missing out on a few things that you wish you could take part in — but you’re also GAINING so much as you put in the work to grow your business.
For me, there were tons of advantages to aggressively growing my business while in university despite the challenges:
- At the age of 20, I was already building a brand, expanding my professional network and establishing a strong reputation in my industry.
- I had a leg up on my peers; when they were just starting to get their feet wet in the business world, I’d spent thousands of hours getting real-world experience working with clients, nailing sales calls and enhancing my communication skills.
- Because I’d built a successful business at such a young age while also completing my master’s degree, people were very interested in getting my help — and that’s how I transitioned from fitness coaching to business coaching.
My hard work meant I had a massive head start on my peers. While they were graduating and “figuring it out,” I’d already been there, done that and was set up for success.
The takeaway: Don’t forget why you’re doing what you’re doing. Your actions today are laying the groundwork for the tomorrow you want.
5. Pick a Priority and Stick to It
This is the most important point of all: Identify your priority and make that your focus.
As you grow your business, you’re going to get more and more requests from people who want something from you. Maybe they want to pick your brain or collaborate with you, or they’re interested in bringing you in on a project. Don’t let these people (or your own ego that’s flattered by the attention) distract you from YOUR path.
The solution: Create a Commander’s Intent. To do this, visualize your end goal and keep it at the forefront of your mind, and eliminate anything that doesn’t help you accomplish that goal. This will make it easy to make decisions when requests pop up; if the request in question does not line up with your mission, the answer is “no.”
When my business was on the rise, my Commander’s Intent was to build a highly scalable, impactful online business. Anything that detracted from that was immediately off the table.
You may feel like you’re letting people down, but ultimately, you owe it to yourself to go ALL IN on your dreams and make them a reality. You’ll be grateful that you did.
RECAP
I hope these tips help you grow your business during busy seasons of life!
I’ve included a quick recap of all the advice right here, so you can screenshot this article and bring these tips along as you focus on building your business when you’re busy.
- Hire Help or Outsource When Possible
- Be Prepared to Make Sacrifices
- Use Time Management Hacks
- Focus On the Positive
- Pick a Priority and Stick to It
Watch this episode on YouTube or listen via iTunes, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts, and search for episode 123 of The FastForwardAmy Show.
PS: If you want to learn more on mindset and abundance, increase your authentic authority, scale your income and build a profitable business and brand, make sure to join my Business Freedom Elevator™️.
Register before this Friday, 8PM to enjoy a €200 discount and a super cute coffee mug to start off all your mornings with the right motivation!
What are you waiting for, boss? 😉
Register here: www.fastforwardamy.com/elevator
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