When Brenda Andress decided to quit her government job and start her own business nine months ago, she knew it was going to be a lot of work.
"I am incredibly busy, but incredibly happy," Andress says. "That's not to say it hasn't been overwhelming at times - it has - but all the work is definitely worth it."
After launching Passion Productions, a consulting firm based in Newmarket, Ont., that helps individuals, leaders and sports teams find their personal passion, Andress found herself with an endless to-do list.
Trying to manage an often unmanageable workload in the startup phase of her business, the former civil servant learned a lot about prioritizing.
"You only have so many hours in a day and you don't want to waste your time doing things you don't really need to do," says Andress. "All things need a direction in which to walk, and prioritizing has really helped me figure out what I need to do and when I need to do it."
For companies of all sizes, getting their priorities right is a key factor in business growth and success. But for small businesses with much more limited resources, experts say it can make the difference between success and failure.
"There aren't as many people, there isn't as much money, competition is often much stiffer and they have to get at the opportunity quicker. So it's really crucial that small businesses prioritize," says Toronto-based executive coach Michael Wolkensperg.
"Not taking the time to separate the important from the unimportant and then allocating your time accordingly will always cost you."
Yet, many business owners - caught up in the day-to-day running of their businesses - aren't making prioritizing a priority.
"It's very easy to get swept up doing things without making sure they're the right things," Wolkensperg cautions. "We busy ourselves with what's in front of us, but the world is more complicated than just doing what is in front of us. If you spend your day doing things that are not an actual priority, you won't get any further ahead.
"So you really have to look at what you're doing, what you should be doing, and develop a basic action plan."
That's exactly what Andress did. Overwhelmed by everything that needed to be done, she says she understands why a lot of people put off prioritizing.
"I think prioritizing for a lot of people is intimidating - 'Oh my God, look at the stuff I have to do!' - it's incredibly overwhelming," Andress says.
"But you don't have to do it all in one day and if you sit down and break it down, it's actually easier. You'll know what you need to do first, what to do second and how one thing ties into another because it's all tied together. If you don't sit down and look at it, you could miss something."
For Victoria contractor Chris Marsh, planning and prioritizing has become an increasingly important part of his job. With a hot building sector in B.C. the last few years and now a busy home-renovation market, experienced contractors like Marsh have more jobs than they can handle.
"In the old days, you didn't have six jobs at a time - you had two jobs and you didn't need to juggle and prioritize like you do now," Marsh says.
"We're constantly looking at what really needs to be done to keep things on schedule - and what can wait - and prioritizing is making sure we get those important things done."
In the construction business for more than 35 years, Marsh says a certain amount of the prioritizing is obvious. There's no point drywalling, for instance, before the plumbing and electrical work is done. But other factors can also determine what gets to the top of the priority list.
"We do our best to try and accommodate people and fit things into the schedule," adds Marsh. "If something comes up or other trades are coming in on a certain day, we'll work to get our part done so that we don't hold them up."
While it's often clear what needs to be done, making sure you choose the right priorities can sometimes be a challenge. Whether it's competing demands or conflicting priorities, Wolkensperg says there's one question you should always ask yourself: Am I doing that which only I can do?
"In other words, are you working at the right level?" he asks. "If you're the owner of the company, there are certain things that only you can do that you cannot delegate to someone else, so make sure you do those things first or they won't get done."
A common mistake many small-business owners make as their businesses grow is micromanaging. While it may be tempting to try and stay active in all levels of the business and constantly double-check what employees are doing, it's almost always counter-productive.
"If you're so busy making sure your people are doing things the way you would have done them, then the things that you actually need to do get left behind," warns Wolkensperg.
"Control is a big issue in small business and owners, no doubt suffering from the 'founder syndrome,' often think that only they can do something the right way. But micromanaging just wastes a lot of time and alienates people. If you've hired people to do a job, let them do it."
Another mistake Wolkensperg says many business owners make is working in their business, instead of on their business. It's a prioritizing pitfall Andress is well aware of and working hard to avoid.
"I want to make my business work, but at the same time I want the business to work for me - not for me to work for it," she says.
"If you're spending all your time in the trenches making sure that things are moving along OK, you're not out there growing your business and looking at the bigger picture."
For Andress, that bigger picture includes helping more people find their passion, just like she did.
"Following your passion is colouring outside the lines and when you're doing something you love, time has no meaning for you," she says.
"I love what I do, but I don't want to waste my time doing things that aren't going to work for me."
(Tess van Straaten can be reached at tess@businessedge.ca)
