
Workarounds, hacks & knowing what you don’t know!
If the key to juggling & prioritising is to âreally know yourselfâ, then the key to cutting through red-tape, regulatory filings and tax returns is âworkarounds, hacks & knowing what you don’t knowâ!
Micro business and professional practice owners / managers are generally very different people with very different mindsets to government and regulatory agencies.
Government and regulatory agencies have four key characteristics:
- a clear hierarchy
- specialisation
- a division of labor
- formal rules, or standard operating procedures
Entrepreneurs and micro business owners generally have four distinctly different characteristics :
- absence of hierarchy
- administrative generalists – in support of a specialism
- solopreneur or the lead on a small team that âdoes it allâ
- fewer systems or processes (admittedly, they could help)
Now what?
All we can do is âaccept the things we cannot changeâ – find the workarounds, hacks and adapt!
The creative, innovative and non-conformist spirit that serves many entrepreneurs is the same free spirit that headed off to school and for more than a decade was crushed by the relentless routine, grinding boredom and graded performances.
We overcame that – we can deal with this. Our networks can help us find those workarounds!
Organise, Automate and Communicate
…while respecting your strengths and weaknesses.
- Marshall your energy and resources – these are not tasks to be started at 2 pm.
If your high energy time is 8 am – schedule it then. - Simplify – you can streamline and automate your processes.
- Adopt new tools and integrate the ones you use
- Cut the paperwork! Automate note taking, document storage & file sharingAnd most importantly –
- Communicate – avoidance only makes it worse
Does a late notice from a supplier, client or the revenue department paralyse you?
Take a deep breath.
Youâd be surprised what good may come from lifting the phone to them. Most
important in these current times – a record of having kept them apprised of
your circumstances will serve you well in the future.
- Ask for help!The times are changing and even the bureaucracies are adapting. At this writing,
new financial schemes and new business support initiatives are announced weekly.Professionals in your area and your peers are participating in advice and information sessions.
Reward yourself
Accepting the things we cannot change is great in theory – but we need an organising principle to keep us motivated.
Never more so than when weâre operating out of our area of expertise.
Weâll never master organising ourselves if itâs for the sake of the tax collector or licensing agencies.
Reframe the approach from âI have toâ to âI want toâ.
Weâre doing it to serve our own purpose.
âThe purpose of putting these systems in place isâŠ..â
In my case – â…to work less on tasks and more with clientsâ – so much more rewarding!
Lastly – maintain a sense of humour!
#DontGoItAlone
#PoweringProductivity
#Collaborate
Helpful links:
50 things only remote workers understand
For Northern Ireland resources:
Newry Chamber news, announcements, guidelines and schemes re Covid-19
Guidance from Newry Business Improvement District (BID)
Official UK Government Guidance for employees, employers and business
For the Republic of Ireland
Information and Advice for Taxpayers and Agents
Enterprise Ireland Supports
LEO Business Continuity Scheme
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