My husband's car has had a few mechanical problems this year.  It's a few years old and is at that stage where little things need replacing.  In fact we found it's got to the point where he needs to buy a new one.

Anyhow it reminded me of what happened earlier in the year when it was taken to our local mechanic for another repair job .  At the time of pick up, Robert the mechanic said he hadn't prepared the bill and will do so later and let us know how much it would be.  After 3 weeks, we still hadn't received the invoice and my husband suggested I chase it up and I said 'no'.  It's not up to me to follow up with someone whom I owe money to, it's their responsibility.  When Tama (my husband) called him, Robert said he had been 'too busy' and still hadn't prepared the invoice.

It took about another 2 weeks before we received the invoice of $800. And you know what?  I believe if my husband hadn't chased it up, we probably wouldn't have been billed.  How crazy is that?  (And how crazy was Tama?) This mechanic often complained about the lack of cash flow and profits and long hours etc. he was working. Having known him for many years, that had always been the situation, but he's too set in his ways to change. He's very negative and not open to new ideas.  He'd rather whinge and moan and suffer the pain, rather than change. 

Here was a guy who had 'been in business' for 20 years and was still struggling.  His problem was he didn't know any better and has never taken the time to learn or seek help.  He's 'busy', that's for sure, yet he's not 'productive'.

Some simple things he could do would be to clean out his workshop and his office which are both in a mess.  He would have to be losing a minimum of 2 hours a day because of this situation. Just by cleaning up he and his other employee would easily be able to access parts in the workshop.  At the present time he would be wasting money purchasing parts he already has but can't find them amongst the mess.

With the help of a part-time office assistant (Robert again wasted many hours a week being busy on tasks which weren't his forte) he could have freed up more of his time to repair more cars and therefore bring in more business.  He was (and still is) 'too busy' to develop his business.  There are heaps of simple ideas he can do right now that will make him more money, give him more time and enjoyment in his life. 

THE FINAL WORD

Don't fall into the trap of 'knowing it all'.  There is always something you can do to improve your business and your life.  A fresh set of eyes from the outside can make a dramatic difference, as long as you apply the knowledge that you learn.

You'll find the people that already 'know it all' keep doing the same things they know and get the same results.  They're stuck in their comfort zone.

If you want to improve your business and your life, you need to do something different...and that means taking action!

Have a great week

Lorraine Pirihi
Australia 's No. 1 Productivity Coach