Workplace Doctor: Entrepreneurs can make their own rules

I am working on an exciting start-up and am struggling with getting my priorities straight. I want to develop the business, but often get caught up in admin such as processing visas for new staff, recruiting, networking, finding office space etc. How do I fit all of this in along with the most important thing of all – taking the business forward? HK, Dubai

Many of us face this conundrum. Last week’s article focused on helping someone try to move closer to this through managing their time better, not creating more of it, because that is just impossible. This week I want to challenge your thinking to reflect on the type of entrepreneur you would like to be and help you prioritise your work life around that.

Let me congratulate you for taking the plunge into the exciting world of business. This must be a truly exhilarating time for you and it is understandable that you wish to focus your attention on what you see as “taking your business to the next level”. When reading my response, I want you to start thinking about the different routes possible to take your business forward and your own view of what your priorities are. To make it real, let us look at your situation from the perspective of two successful entrepreneurs I know, one in Dubai and one in the UK.

The first person has successfully built a Dubai-based PR and marketing agency in the past four years. Her company focuses on brand marketing for companies in the region, working mainly with restaurants and popular social and entertainment events. She has been almost ruthless in her focus on developing business. She prides herself on the time she spends away from the office in the market with clients and even publicises this as her company’s USP (unique selling proposition). Yet for her to achieve this, she required a financial investment in two people early on to deal with administrative tasks, manage the office, process invoices and recruit new staff. She knew that for her business to succeed, she had to focus on driving growth and this is what she is good at. She also needed the discipline to leave some things to someone else. As she says: “If I want to do paperwork and send marketing reports, I would have stayed working for XXXX.”

The second person is a close friend from London. He has a successful company that designs kitchens. He has been in business for about 10 years and has grown year on year. He too prides himself in his ability to sell and get out into the market, yet he maintains to this day that while running a business “you still need to stay close to the fundamentals and get stuck in when necessary”. He is involved in the final interview for every new joiner, keeps track on outstanding invoices and spends a day every month with his kitchen-fitting teams in clients’ homes, so he can understand their needs. You often hear similar stories from supermarket chains or department stores, where chief executives spend time on the shop floor. What is interesting is that this friend will aggressively defend that staying close to the day to day is what helps a business grow.

Both entrepreneurs have different approaches. At the start it may be normal to dip your fingers into many pies, yet like my Dubai-based friend, some make the conscious effort to stick to their preferred dessert.

Starting up your own business is about creating a business life and a way of working that works for you. Isn’t that the main reason why you dive into something like this? Or you might as well go back to working to someone else’s rules. Maybe you are caught up in admin for now because it’s the early days or maybe you are choosing to because it keeps you close and connected and you like that. You need to decide the type of entrepreneur you would like to be and stay true to that, although you may need to be flexible along the journey.

Doctor’s prescription

Start as you mean to go on and define what you feel will develop your business. You have to make tough choices about where you spend your time. Being an entrepreneur is as much deciding who you want to be as it is deciding what you want to sell. You can see from my examples and from people like Sir Richard Branson, Steve Jobs or Majid Al Futtaim, there is no step-by-step guide. One size does not fit all, but you have to know your size and be comfortable wearing it.

Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at [e-mail] for advice on any work issues.

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