How to free up time and create space to
work on your business

Finding time to work on your business is a major challenge for agencies and consulting firms right now

It ranks as the second biggest issue, just behind winning new business for agencies and recruitment for consulting firms. Learn more with the latest BenchPress report for agency owners and Consultancy BenchPress.

In a recent webinar for the Consultancy Growth Network, Wow co-founder Peter Czapp shared his tips for how agency and consultancy owners can create space to work on their business. Here’s a round-up of the best takeaways to help you carve out more time for strategic thinking and planning. 

What it means to work on your business

Working on your business means stepping back from day-to-day tasks to focus on the big decisions that will drive the business forward. It involves thinking about your proposition, market strategy and where you want to go in the future. 

It’s easy to keep things ticking along, especially when you’re busy – but most of us don’t want to just do “okay”. Creating space to really think about what you’re offering and how you can innovate is what will take your business to the next level.

 

Common barriers and challenges

So what’s stopping consultancy and agency owners from working on their business? 

Client demand and delivery are often top of the list when we speak to consultancies, because owners tend to be entrenched in the company’s proposition. If you’ve got close relationships with clients and you’ve built the business around your own unique knowledge and expertise, it takes a lot of confidence to step back from delivery. 

For agency owners, it’s tough to prioritise this kind of thinking over other tasks. A typical week will be filled with urgent work like sales, client projects, team management and business admin. It’s common to put your own priorities last to support clients or employees instead. 

Rather than trying to decide what’s not important, a better question is: does it need to be done by you?

Ask yourself:

• What can you stop doing?
• What can you delegate?
• What capability do you need to build in your team?
• What can you outsource?

Six ways to make time for strategic thinking

To start working more on your business, it’s essential to adopt the right mindset. There will always be fluctuations and events outside of your control – what matters is that you’re conscious about how you’re spending your time and where you can offer the most value.

A good aspiration is to spend 50% of your time on strategic thinking and planning. This won’t happen overnight, particularly if you’re heavily involved in client work and can’t easily delegate to your team. However, there are simple things you can start doing to give yourself more space.

Here are six great places to start:

1. Block out a recurring time slot
   The first step is to commit to working more on your business. The agency and consultancy owners that crack this challenge are the ones that know the more time they spend doing this, the better results they see.
   
   Start by blocking out a recurring slot in your diary that doesn’t move, the same way a client meeting wouldn’t. Think about the best time of day for you personally to do this thinking too; some people think best first thing in the morning and others late at night. There’s no right or wrong, but it’s important to schedule it so you’ll make the most of the time.
   
   
2. Find someone to hold you accountable
   We’re all guilty of putting focus time into our diaries but not sticking to it. The main reason this happens is a lack of accountability – if you don’t do it, no one will know.
   
   Look at the time you’ve blocked out and ask yourself: what output do I want from that session, and how can I make myself accountable to someone else? Sharing this with someone and committing to a deadline will change the dynamic and make you more likely to stick to your plans.
   
   
3. Remove distractions
   An easy one: switch your phone off and close your emails during these sessions. There are so many notifications on our devices that it’s tempting to procrastinate and for our minds to wander.
   
   You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish when you give yourself the space to think without interruptions.
   
   
4. Get new ideas from your team
   One of the best pieces of advice we’ve heard on this topic is that you don’t have to do this thinking by yourself. Whether it’s a co-founder, equity partner or the rest of your team, it’s a brilliant opportunity to get other people involved and explore new ideas.
   
   Take this discussion out of the office where possible. It’s harder to work on your business when you’re sitting in the same place because our brain becomes anchored to those day-to-day tasks. Head to your local coffee shop or hire a space that can give you a fresh perspective.
   
   
5. Build this thinking into your routine
   One of the most effective ways to hit that 50% target is to build this thinking into your weekly routine.
   
   We’ve spoken to lots of people who use their morning dog walk to listen to a podcast that gets them thinking. There are others that go for a walk with their business partner every week to chew the fat over ideas, with no phones or computers around. Find the ways that make this easy for you.
   
   
6. Remember that you’re not alone
   Making big decisions can be daunting and it’s normal to feel a certain amount of trepidation about changes in strategic direction.
   
   But you don’t have to go through this experience alone. Joining communities like the Agency Collective and Consultancy Growth Network is a great way to connect with other business owners facing similar challenges. 

For more tailored, one-to-one support, mentors and specialists are a valuable resource. Whether you need to tap into certain experience, improve your skills or simply talk through an idea, a mentor can guide you.

Finally, it’s vital to make sure you’re getting the best financial advice as your business transitions. Wow can provide expert financial insights and strategic support to help you achieve your goals – learn more here.
   

Get more strategic insights from Wow

Want more insights on strategic thinking and ways to build a brilliant, commercially sustainable business? We’d love to chat about how we can help you on your journey. Get in touch with us here.