Not enough hours in the day

Diane Crawford-Errington has to learn to let go. Photo / Kenny Rodger

What's affecting your bottom line? Each week, we will profile a small business with a problem, then call in experts to help fix it. This week, an overworked business owner has too much time for her clients and not enough for herself.

PROBLEM

Diane Crawford-Errington has a major time-management problem. She is spending so much time helping other people with their businesses that she does not have the time to work on her own.

She is the director of On Track Bookkeeping in Whangarei, which provides administrative, accounting and bookkeeping services, and employs three staff.

As well, she is responsible for balancing the books for her husband's Hire a Hubby franchise and runs a citrus orchard.

"I start at 8 most mornings and some nights I finish at 10 or 11," she says. "It depends how tired I am."

She says she can't find the time she needs to focus on building her business or to sit down with her staff to train them.

She is often out of the office, visiting clients. "I kind of know what I need to do but I don't have time to do it. I probably need a plan but it just doesn't happen."

She says she has no time to set aside for herself and better time-management will definitely help the growth of the business. "It would make a huge difference."

SOLUTION

Terry Sage, of Business Coaching New Zealand, says this is a common problem that can have disastrous effects on a business. "It can have a negative impact on the quality of service, your work culture, profits, health and your family."

He says that if Diane can't get everything that needs to be done into a 15-hour working day - which he describes as "unsustainable" - she needs to delegate responsibility.

And she will probably find that hard because, like a lot of business owners, she thinks: "No one can do it as well as I can so I have to do it."

Diane needs to get someone who is not emotionally connected to any of it to help her analyse the businesses, their potential profit and the time required by each. "Diane needs to determine her role in each and who can do the other stuff."

She needs to work out where she is most needed and hire someone at a cheaper rate to take on some of her less specialised work. That way she can focus on the areas where her skills really lie.

"What is the point in spending four or five hours working in the orchard when she could be earning $50 an hour working for an On Track client?"

Kathryn Anda, managing director of PEPworldwide, says Diane needs to set aside time to focus on the important parts of her job and not get dragged down by things such as tackling a backlog of emails.

She needs to schedule time where she will be able to work with no interruptions. "It's easy to say 'the client comes first, I have to see them', but you can say 'I'm not going to have any meetings before 10'." That makes the time first thing in the morning your own.

Alternatively, Anda advises block out two hours from noon to 2pm every day for a lunch break, maybe a gym break and time to catch up on business.

"You have to book it in your diary. It's the only way to manage it," she says.

Do you have a question on SMEs for our experts, or another issue you would like covered? Email editor@heraldonsunday.co.nz