Page 24 - Business Sense-11.4 - KZN Top Business Awards Supplement -EBOOK

WORKING ‘ON’ VS ‘IN’ YOUR BUSINESS

Trevor Clark, Business more than anyone else ever will. ■ 30% or less on delivery/ Without it, urgent always wins. We also carved out time
Coach, Speaker, Dad, and Your clients know you by name. operations With it, the important stuff gets for learning, coaching,
Occasional Auctioneer Your team brings you problems. ■ The rest across strategy, the space it deserves and gets done! and – critically – financial
You’ve trained everyone – without learning, and building the team Your time investment should reviews. That’s when cash flow
e’ve all realising it – to rely on you. either: improved. Debtors stopped
heard But if you’re always In, you will You grow the business by creeping over 60 days. He
Wit: be stuck there forever unless you freeing yourself from the ■ Make the business more dropped a few low-margin
“You’ve got to do the work to build a profitable day-to-day tactical work, and profitable, or product lines and improved
work ON your business that works without you. focus on high value, high yield ■ Free up more of your time profitability on the rest.
business, not activities. And here’s the best part: He got
just IN it.” But The Nine Hats of Business We build time management his afternoons back. He started
what does that A great tool I use with clients The Skill/Fun Matrix system with clients based on attending his daughter’s sports
actually mean? starts with defining the nine This tool changes how people their goals, industry rhythm, and matches. Same business. Less
And more importantly – how do roles every business owner must see their own time. Plot each task working style. chaos. More life. More profit.
you do it? based on:
wear in a typical week. These CASE STUDY What About You?
The short answer is this: are typically: marketing, sales, 1. How skilled you are at it From Chaos to Clarity – One
If you’re constantly stuck in
■ Working IN your business delivery/operations, finance, 2. How much fun (or energy) the Tradesman’s Turnaround the weeds, I promise it doesn’t
means keeping the machine human resources, information task gives you have to be that way. Working
Let me give you a quick
running. technology, administration, You’ll naturally spend your time example. An artisan client of ON your business isn’t just for
strategic management, and
■ Working ON it means stepping personal development. in the high skill/high fun zone mine – let’s call him Mike – ran a corporate types. It’s for anyone
back to improve the machine. – that is your comfort zone. But construction business. Mike was who wants more profit, less
We do a time audit: stress, and maybe even a little
Most Business Owners Get ■ Where are you currently the low skill/low fun zone? That’s your classic hands-on owner: up time to breathe. 
Stuck “IN” the danger zone. Those are the at 4am to dispatch crews, quoting
spending your hours? things you’ll avoid, even if they’re on-site all day, putting out fires,
Even the most experienced ■ Where should you be spending important. chasing payments – and never Want a copy of the Nine Hats Worksheet,
owners I coach spend too much them? catching up. He told me, like or the Skill/Fun Matrix? Drop me a
time in their businesses. And it’s If something is strategically many clients do, “Trevor, you message. Happy to share.

understandable – you’ve built it, As a rule of thumb, we aim for: critical but you hate it, do one of don’t understand. My business is To your success:
you know every job better than ■ 50% of your time on marketing two things: different. A default diary would T: +27 (0)31 266 2258
anyone else, and you probably care and sales (doing or directing) 1. Skill up (get trained, read up, never work for me.” E: mastery@actioncoach.com
W: www.mastery.co.za
or get coached)
But once we coached him
“IN” VS “ON” A QUICK COMPARISON 2. Delegate or outsource to through designing a realistic ‘ideal
someone who is better at it
Working IN the Business Working ON the Business and enjoys it more week’, something changed. We
didn’t pretend the emergencies
Firefighting, quoting, customer issues Planning, systemising, training your team would vanish. We just made room
You can even use this with your
Doing the job yourself Improving the customer experience, and team to help everyone stay in for them and protected the slots
(delivery/operations/admin) how you get your products/services to market their ‘flow’ state. that mattered most.
Responding to emails Building a team that solves
and staff questions problems without you He started blocking time to
Strategic networking, and developing a The Default Diary SCAN TO
Running ads or chasing leads yourself long-term Marketing & Sales strategy call existing clients, attend
Monthly/regular review of management We bring it all together with networking events, and update BOOK
Bookkeeping, tax deadlines, payments, etc packs, top-level financial analysis, etc the default diary. This is your his social media – not ad hoc, YOUR FREE
Being reactive to problem solving, Setting 90-day goals and weekly plan, blocked out to but scheduled. The result? Better
not proactive reviewing KPIs include protected time for leads. More of the work he STRATEGY
THESE DEFINITIONS WILL SHIFT DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, STAGE, working ON the business. actually wanted. SESSION
AND MATURITY OF YOUR BUSINESS – BUT THE PRINCIPLE STAYS THE SAME.

CEO OF THE YEAR

arol Ofori’s popular nationally, earning a reputation as in the financial services industry, to lead at Morar Incorporated. – both her own and that of those
Women Crush Wednesday an innovator and a leader in client- she has become a transformative Thank you for believing in around her.
Csegment on East Coast focused financial solutions. figure, steering Morar our shared vision and pushing
Jennifer’s story resonates far
Radio recently shone the spotlight Beyond her professional Incorporated’s strategic direction boundaries every day.” beyond the financial sector.
on Jennifer Reddy, the dynamic achievements, Jennifer is a while championing innovation, Jennifer’s professional journey She stands as a role model
CEO of Morar Incorporated, one operational excellence, and a
of South Africa’s leading chartered devoted wife and proud mother diverse, inclusive workplace. is studded with accolades. She for aspiring professionals,
accountancy and consulting firms. of two, embodying the belief Her exceptional leadership was named one of KwaZulu- demonstrating that with
that one can excel both in the
determination, vision, and a
Natal’s Top Business Women
Under Jennifer’s leadership, the boardroom and at home. With was recently recognised at the in 2022, recognised among supportive team, it is possible
company has grown its footprint
more than 15 years of experience African Women Chartered the nation’s top professionals to break barriers and redefine
Accountants (AWCA) Women of in the Financial Solutions leadership.
Substance Awards 2025, where International Associate network,
As her influence continues
she received the prestigious and awarded for her outstanding to grow, Jennifer Reddy
Private Sector – CEO of the academic achievements during remains committed to making
Year award. The AWCA awards her MBA at the University of a difference – in business, in
celebrate women who are driving Stellenbosch in 2021. Her award
transformation, creating impact, at Stellenbosch acknowledged her community, and in the
lives of those she mentors. Her
and delivering excellence in their her strategic insights and journey is a reminder that true
fields. Jennifer described the resourcing actions that leadership is not only about
honour as “both humbling and influenced business outcomes.
energising” and expressed deep In addition to her corporate success but also about lifting
gratitude to her team. others along the way. 
success, Jennifer is a published
“This award is not just a personal academic author and is currently The full interview between Carol Ofori
milestone for me,” she said, “but working on books aimed at and Jennifer Reddy is available:
it reflects the collective strength, inspiring the next generation www.ecr.co.za/shows/carolofori/
dedication, and excellence of the of leaders. Her career reflects a jennifer-reddys-3-financial-moves-adopt-
Carol Ofori and Jennifer Reddy in the East Coast Radio station. amazing team I have the privilege consistent commitment to growth end-2025/

12