Future State COO
helping small business start, improve, grow

thoughts on

closing the gap

Future State is dedicated to providing emboldening insight on optimizing small businesses for sustainable growth. Our focus is on organizational alignment between targets and functions - closing the gap between present reality and vision, between current and future state.

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”
— Peter Drucker

Working ON Your Business Rather than IN It: Recognizing the Difference and Taking Action

Three Steps to Help You Make the Shift TODAY 

It’s a given: running a business means wearing a lot of different hats on different days. And sometimes, ALL the hats on ALL the days, right? Why? Because being an entrepreneur equates to all roads of the organization beginning and ending with you, whether they’re in your Zone of Genius or not.  

As the founder of Future State, I understand whole-heartedly, not just the pressure to show up in each area of my business, but to excel and thrive across the board. My passion- and expertise- lie in systems and processes, but that doesn’t mean that I can ignore the other areas of my business: the accounting, the marketing, the scheduling. In fact, it’s easier than you think to get sucked into the ‘grind’ of day-to-day operations. Before you know it, you realize that you’ve been spending all of your time just keeping the ship afloat rather than actually moving it forward. In other words, you’re spending your valuable time- and talents- working IN your business rather than ON it. 

The good news: recognizing this pattern is half the battle. Why? Because taking action- making shifts- can’t happen without first becoming aware. Once we understand the distinction, we can take the steps and implement the changes needed to position our businesses for sustainable growth, but also to align that growth with our own purpose, which is the paramount to long-term success. 

So now that you’ve realized you may be operating within your business as more of an employee rather than a business leader, it’s time to take action. Here are 3 actionable steps that you can implement today to get started.

Get Clear on What Fuels You - Future State COO

Step 1 : Get Clear on What Fuels You

This seems like a no-brainer, but when was the last time you stopped to ask yourself things like: What brings me the most joy? What ignites the fire in my belly? What am I doing to fuel my passions within my current role? How can I do more of what I love vs. what I feel obligated to do?

And most importantly: What steps am I taking to honor my answers to those questions? 

Too often, we get caught up in the ‘weeds’ of our business, not allowing ourselves time to do these kinds of deep dives. But without this kind of crystal clarity, it’s virtually impossible to come up with a plan. Are you good with words? Start by making lists. Are you more of a visual person? Consider crafting a mood board. Don’t overcomplicate it or put too much pressure on yourself. You’ll be amazed at what comes up when you just let it flow naturally. 

Once you’ve got the clarity, it’s time to take action.

Delegate & Elevate _ Future State COO

Step 2 : Delegate and Outsource

Looking back to the previous step, this one serves as Part 2 of the statement: Get Clear on What Fuels You, and Say NO to What Doesn’t. That’s essentially what it means to delegate and outsource, right? Now that you’ve zeroed in on what drives you- and ultimately grows your business- you’ve got to make the time to actually make the shifts.

If you’re spending your time on the daily minutiae rather than laser focused on what you do best, then you’re missing out, both personally and professionally. 

Believe me, I know how overwhelming it can feel initially. The very thought of handing off parts of your business is such a huge step in trust and confidence. I probably understand this better than most in that I’ve been on both sides of the coin: within my own business, as well as the role I play as a fractional COO in other organizations. 

Here’s what I’ve learned from being in this unique position: I know first-hand just how powerful- and empowering- it can feel to delegate and outsource. I know the satisfaction I feel when I’m working on what I enjoy most. I’ve watched as businesses begin to soar when their leaders suddenly have the time and the freedom to do what they do best. I’ve witnessed revenues skyrocket when the right systems are finally put into place. 

Start where you are. If you have a team, take a look at who might be better-suited to do the tasks you’d like to pass off. If you’re a solopreneur, start by exploring which key areas would make the most sense for you to outsource and take steps toward finding that perfect fit in a contractor or freelancer. The important thing here is to TAKE ACTION in the right direction.

Systemize 3Ps _ Future State COO

Step 3: Start Developing Your Business Systems

Did you know that 23% of small businesses fail because they don’t have the right team running the business? 

Moreover, 18% throw in the towel because of pricing and cost issues, which is often due to the lack of adequate business system implementations. 

There are three essential foundations to developing a business operating system: people, processes, and purpose. You can read more about how I break down the importance of the three Ps of systematization here.

Developing a business system will indisputably help you build a valuable asset for your business. It’s geared to support your actions through consistency and efficiency by solely improving your core business functions. 

Looking back to the statistics mentioned above: 23% of small businesses fail due to the team members, implementing a business system can easily alleviate this fact by:

  • Setting up a robust organizational structure (ensuring the right people are in the right seats)

  • Developing a clear framework to help determine business operations

  • Designing a set of workflows adapted to the operations

  • Emphasizing the importance of purpose within each step to create an intentional and effective system

As a fractional COO, watching as impactful, valuable businesses become statistics is such a challenge, especially because I know with such certainty that if they only had the right systems and processes in place, they wouldn’t be failing...They’d be THRIVING. 

If you’re ready to make the shift, once and for all, from working in your business to ON your business…

If you’re ready to step into the true power of the CEO that you are... 

If you’re ready to align your purpose and vision with systems and strategies to finally achieve your desired future state...

Then I’m ready to help you do it. Let’s have a conversation. Better yet, let’s get started.

Chad G - FSC