As a Solopreneur it can be lonely, you can make all sorts of excuses for stalling and procrastinating. Excuses don't pay the bills. Without strong foundations for your business, regular marketing and keeping on top of your finances your business could crumble.
So, who holds you accountable when you work for yourself?
Customers can if the work that needs to be done is directly related to their order. However, if the job that needs to be done doesn’t impact your clients directly who holds you accountable for getting your back-end tasks done?
That’s where having an accountability buddy can give your business a step up.
How do you choose the right Accountability Buddy?
1. Get to know yourself. What are your weaknesses? What are your strengths? What are your fears? What is your preferred communication style? What triggers your resistance? What activities do you indulge in when you procrastinate?
Which of these areas do you need more focus?
2. Make a short list of those businesspeople you know and admire. Choose someone with complementary strengths, or someone who can move you through your resistance and appreciates your strengths. Accountability buddies are two-way support systems. You need to give as much as you receive. If you don’t have anything to give back to your buddy, then you’re really looking for a coach and not a buddy.
3. Set your ground rules. For your Accountability Buddy program to be successful you both need to be playing in the same garden. You need to create guidelines around these 7 areas.
· How will you connect?
· How regularly will you connect?
· What time and for how long?
· What’s the process if one buddy can’t make the meeting, how do you catch up?
· Make it crystal clear which areas of your business are open for discussion
· What areas of your business are strictly out of bounds?
· What specific areas do you want to be accountable in?
· How will you end your accountability relationship?
4. How will you run your accountability session? Small business owners can be time poor so making the most of your accountability session is essential. Having time in your session to get to know each other builds trust but having a chat fest doesn’t help you move towards your business goals. Having a structure or guide can help you achieve more in your accountability sessions.
5. Create a SMART Action Plan. Use your Accountability sessions to create stretch/growth goals. SMART goals that help you move from where you are to where you want to be.
6. What do you do if accountability doesn’t work? Accountability buddies aren’t right for everyone. You both need to put in the same amount of effort to make it work. Having clear boundaries, creating guidelines and communicating your expectations may help reduce challenges but they can’t eliminate them if you’re not suited. If it’s not working for you let your buddy know.
Having someone to hold you accountable can reduce procrastination, help you achieve your stretch goals or pivot your business. After your sessions become a habit, you’ll find yourself looking forward to them and going that extra mile to get the items on your action plan ticked off. Perhaps like me, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ve achieved in your business in a short time.
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