Have you ever wished that there were 25 hours in a day? Let's face it, there are days that no matter what you do, you simply can't get everything done that you wanted to.
If this sounds like you, then you are not alone. Many business owners feel overwhelmed at one point or another in their business. It's like a tug of war game where you are being pulled in so many directions that you never seem to get anything done.
Wouldn't it be nice to have a secret weapon to help you win this war for your time? Here's the good news. There is a secret weapon you can use, and it's easy to put into action.
The "secret weapon" is called leverage. By using the power of leverage, you can skyrocket the growth of your business. Leverage is the idea of using other people or resources in a way that produces far more results than the amount of effort you have to expend.
Leverage is the secret weapon that the wealthiest people use to grow any type of business they ever have. And leverage can be your secret weapon too.
Let's look at three strategies you can use to tap into the power of leverage for yourself.
Strategy #1 - Leverage The Power of "People"
It is difficult to know or do everything yourself, especially with the various tasks that must be done to operate your business. That's where leveraging other people becomes critical.
The first way to leverage people is to use outside contractors. You should delegate everything you can to others so you can focus on the most critical part of the business that only YOU can do. You should start with contractors first, because you can hire them on a project-by-project basis.
The benefit to using contractors is that you can hire them without a long-term commitment, like an employee would require. This gives you the flexibility to change directions without having the stress of having to let employees go, and all of the hassles that go with it. Especially while your business is new, contractors are a great way to get the work done.
You may be thinking, I sure have no problem delegating to other people, but I just cannot afford to do so. If so, you are not alone, because that is a common reaction. The great news is that it does not have to be expensive to hire people or companies to assist you.
For example, some projects you may need done will require one skill, while other projects may need another skill. Great sources for finding contractors include Fiverr.com and eLance. Fiverr is a great site that allows you to get various types of projects completed for as little as $5 per project.
When you are ready for employees, you can find the right person through referrals from others you know, through employment web sites such as Monster.com, or from online and newspaper advertising.
Strategy #2 - Leverage The Power Of "Your Time"
Another way to use the power of leverage in your business is to leverage the power of your time. You can use time to your advantage, but you can also use time to your disadvantage.
For example, if you are constantly allowing yourself to be interrupted in your train of thought, then you may only get a fraction of the results that you could get if you were totally focused.
What these distractions can lead to is either a feeling that you have no time for anything (even family and friends), or they can lead to the end result that things take way longer than they should to get done.
If this happens to you, then think about using the 80/20 Rule. According to the 80/20 Rule, sometimes called Pareto's Law, "20% of the things you do lead to 80% of the results."
If you put the 80/20 Rule into work in your time management scheme, then you can focus your critical attention for the day on your top priorities (the 20% that lead to 80% results). You can then work on the other tasks if and when you get a spare moment.
Strategy #3 - Leverage The Power of "Technology"
You should also leverage technology to help keep your company running smoothly, as well as for accomplishing nearly any task you set your mind to.
Some of the best technology innovations these days can be found in mobile apps. With millions of apps available in the Apple app store and Android store, there are countless apps that can help you run your business while on the go.
One example of an app that I like is called Turbo Scan. This app makes it easy for me to scan papers and articles to PDF right from my iPhone. There is no need to load documents into a scanner with this app. You simply point, click, and capture the image.
And that's just one simple example of the types of apps that are available today for mobile devices. There are countless others, such as flashlight apps, banking apps, productivity apps, exercise and nutrition apps, and millions more.
But the key point is that there truly are some amazing ways to use technology in your business. It's a good idea to periodically re-visit your technology needs to see if some new piece of software, hardware, or a mobile app can totally transform your business for a very nominal investment.
When you combine the power of leverage through all three of these strategies, you can really super-charge your business growth. Give them a try, and see for yourself!
If you would like to learn other ways to super-charge your business growth, make sure you sign up for my free business startup and growth eCourse that I offer on ThrivingBusiness.com.
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