This is why managing is important to micro-businesses

Are you a micro-business owner with a small team or a founder coordinating freelancers, juggling many tasks, and wondering how to carve out more time for the one thing critical to your role – managing your team?

The answer may seem surprisingly straightforward!

There’s often a misconception about the role of a micro-business owner. Most focus on being the expert in the service they offer and gravitate towards the activities they enjoy most. Managing is perceived as a secondary task, attended to when everything else on your plate is finished.

It’s a shame that the time for managing never makes it in the diary.

But let’s ponder for a moment – why is managing essential? The core purpose of managing is managing relationships, planning for contingencies and mitigating risks to your team, projects, company, and even yourself.

If neglected, you might fail to detect brewing issues, and at worst, situations might escalate beyond repair. As a micro-business owner, your primary duty is to ensure problems never reach that irreversible stage.

You have to manage The Multi-Role Dilemma until your business is big enough to hire managers to take this role. But even then, you’ll need some managing activities in your diary.

It is unavoidable.

Now, back to the question – how can you find more time for Managing Activities with tasks demanding your attention?

The more pertinent question should be – what is occupying your time, preventing you from doing your necessary work?

The first place to look is your Time for Wasting activities. The activities that do not add value to your business targets. Through working with micro-businesses, The Yellow Mastermind knows that 35% of activities in the micro-business owner’s diary are wasted time. Start exploring here.

The following solution would be delegating tasks that others can handle. Some Time for Being an Expert activities could be a great starting place as humans often believe they’re the best fit for everything, leading to the struggle of finding Time for Managing.

Discover your non-expert tasks – the stuff you can do well but are not an expert at doing. Hire accordingly or delegate to the team. Free up your time for activities such as managing your people.

The final action to take is…

Make managing your top priority by scheduling it first. Allocate time in your calendar for essential Time for Managing activities. Here are some suggestions:

• Conducting one-on-one meetings with your team members
• Review systems to check if they are performing
• Analyse data
  Providing team updates
• Connect with your clients and gather feedback
• Host a review meeting with your supplier network

These activities enable you to identify potential issues early on, granting you the opportunity to address them promptly.

The outcome? By prioritising Time for Managing activities, you identify system failures and a changing business landscape, which can lead to better growth achievements and avoid unnecessary cost spillage.

You build a deeper connection with your clients who feel recognised and valued, not a number in your organisation that feeds your revenue. You learn from their changing needs and adjust your value proposition accordingly. Because if you don’t do it, someone else will take the business away from you.

You engage with your team, understand their challenges, and actively work to remove barriers obstructing their progress. As a result, the tasks that once crowded your plate will suddenly feel less pressing, and you’ll yearn to delegate them to others – who might be seeking more engaging activities themselves.

Dedicating more time to managing your people, inside and outside your organisation, fosters a stronger sense of leadership among them. When you invest time in understanding their needs, they feel cared for, supported, and led.

So, remember, as a micro-business owner, your role includes effective managing – it’s about creating a space for your organisation to thrive and, in doing so, nurturing a more resilient and productive business environment.

Ready to take charge of your micro-business growth?

Apply now for the exclusive Micro-Business Owner grant of £250, inclusive of a month’s access to The Yellow Mastermind services. Gain invaluable insights and collaborate with a curated group of business owners to mastermind solutions to your business challenges.

You’ll be amazed by how common these challenges are; together, we’ll navigate them.

As part of this grant, you’ll unlock access to essential business tools tailored for growth, personalised strategies to boost your LinkedIn profile, and a private coaching session to refine your business approach. Simply apply below, and our dedicated team will be in touch to guide you.

Claim your grant and elevate your micro-business to new heights! Apply now to secure your spot.